Harrington news

The Harrington School Christmas concert was held at the school on Tuesday, Dec. 10, at 7 p.m. After Superintendent Wayne Massie welcomed the audience, music instructor Robert Vierschilling instructed the fifth- and sixth-grade beginning band students to demonstrate how to un-case their instruments and put them together before they played. The students demonstrated proper playing technique with three notes and played "Hot Cross Buns" and "Au Clair De La Lune" which were performed quite well as they carefully listened to each other while keeping watchful eyes on their director/teacher. As the young musicians finished performing they carefully disassembled, cleaned and re-cased their instruments. The students were Reese Comella, Shawn Fries, Claire Ikehara, Colby Kiser, Anden Morris, Darian Bevins-Robert, Jeffrey Christianson, Stormy Conway, Elijah Downing, Trinity Kinsey, Macrae Larmer, Bella Mattozzi, Thomas Reed, Kade Roller, Scout Sewall, Turner Slack, Shawna Williams and Jade Zeigler.

The middle and high school band students also showed that they have not only worked on learning to play their instruments and the seven musical selections but are also learning to listen to each other to balance their sound as they follow the director. The selections they played were "Haydn Seek Fanfare," "Amadeus" (both by Steve Hommel), "Minuet by Bach," "Good King Wenceslas" (both arr. by Steve Hommel), "Christmas Trilogy" by Scott Stanton, "Jolly Old St. Nicholas" arranged by Steve Hommel, and "Joy to the World by Handel" arranged by Losiewicz. These students were Stone Carpenter, Cameron Christianson, Samantha Crawford, Aaron Ikehara, Randy Mahrenholz, KayLynn Morris, Charlie Nixon, Brayton Zeigler, Chase Comella, Brody Hendrickson, Makylah Smith, Kaydence Brown, Myca Cawyer, Allie Crawford, Caleb Downing, Jack Plaskon, Annika Walters, Kaylen Behrens, Andrew Downing, Wayne Mahrenholz, Emily Nixon, Caroline Slack, Izabelle Burke, Alexys Crawford and Riley Roller. The program acknowledged appreciation of Wayne Massie, superintendent; Tiffany Clouse, principal; Dave Nighswonger, brass coach and the Harrington Public School faculty and staff.

On December 11, Vierschilling welcomed the packed house at the Harrington Opera House before introducing the high school guitar class which included guitars, saxophone and percussion. Their selections included "What Child is This," "Little Drummer Boy" and "Deck the Halls." Participants were Nagib Ayache, Nik Clarke, Alexis Crawford, Aidyn and Riley Roller.

Three numbers were presented by the first- and second-grade classes, "If I Were a Snowman," "I Have Made My Christmas List" and "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer." The performers were first-graders Hannah Bevins, Aaron Crawford, Hailey Fischer, Devin Fries, Achilles Harden, Isabella Ibarra, Michael Lee, Silva Maloney-Kostyk, Paxtyn Oestreich, Jennifer Taylor, Colden Wagner, Jaydon Wilson and Caleb Green. Second-graders were Aurora Borden, Gideon Downing, Gabriella Harden, Khloe Hendrickson, Lee Kieffer, Brylee Wilson and Bristol Zeigler.

The preschool and pre-Kindergarten group sang two numbers: "Baa, Baa Black Sheep" and "Reindeer Pokey." These children were pre-schoolers Hayley Dinwiddie, Ember Kangas, Maverick Maloney-Kostyk, McAllister Snow and Jace Wagner and pre-Kindergarteners Reeva Bailey, Wyatt Benefield, Rhett Dafler, Jackson Ibarra, Jett Kangas, Lincoln Meats, Makayla Stai, Jacob Taylor, Grant Wagner and Lann Wilson.

The Kindergarten class sang "Ring the Bells" and "Jingle Bells" with the following students participating: Declan Burton, Alivia Christianson, Cheylynn Dinwiddie, Abigail Green, Lasse Hendrickson, Luciana Mattozzi, Evelyn McKinnon, Franklin Shuttleworth, Gunnar Snow, Sadie Steward, Jocelynn Witt and Jet Zeigler.

The presentation by the third- and fourth-grade students was "Bim Bum" and "Twelve Days of Christmas." Third-graders were Isaak Brown, Graham Christianson, Sierra Crawford, Kailyn Dafler, Juliet Green, Anastasiya Halme, Mya Harden, Isaac Ikehara, Shontee Kieffer, Kaydence Meats, Aaron Nixon, Shelby Nolte, Bayler Oestreich, Serenity Rose, Royal Schenk, Jack Steward and Shane Stiles. Fourth-graders were Sebastian Borden, Keely Comella, Dominique Ferguson, Laila Fries, Lidia Mattozzi and Daxton Sewall. The fifth- and sixth-grade girls, Macy Halme, Kelsey Wilson and Vienna Foley, sang with the younger students. Together these students then led the "Sing Along" portion of the program with "Silent Night" and "We Wish You a Merry Christmas."

The audience was very enthusiastic in both applause and cheering for each presentation. Accompaniment for these selections alternated between Viershilling on guitar and Linda Wagner on piano. Viershilling presented Wagner with a Poinsettia at the end of the performance in gratitude for her attendance at some of the school rehearsals, as well as for accompanying during the concert. He expressed appreciation to the school administration, the Society, parents and community for all the support for the Harrington School music program as well as the opportunity to perform at the Opera House.

The program had been preceded by a short rehearsal and introduction to concert protocol earlier in the day with 72 students, teachers and aides arriving at the Harrington Opera House by bus. While there, several of the high school students assisted in setting up extra chairs in anticipation of a large crowd.

On December 11, the Harrington City Council met at City Hall with the following present: Mayor Justin Slack, Council members Peter Davenport, Cherie MacClellan, and Levi Schenk, Clerk Bunny Haugan, Clerk Trainee Janice Cepeda, Maintenance Supervisor Scott McGowan and visitors Tyler James, Richard Derr, Ron Mielke, Billie Herron and Stephen Hardy.

There was much discussion of the proposed budget for 2020, with no action taken. Mayor Slack announced that the budget committee will meet one more time to finish preparing the 2020 budget. A brief Council meeting will take place before the end of the year to adopt the final version. Concern was expressed by Herron regarding the inactive rate for water accounts. She was reassured that inactive accounts would not be raised to "full-service rates." Tyler James appeared at Council regarding his variance request for increasing the size of his garage on north Third Street and was pleased that it was approved.

Ron Mielke reported on the present status of annexing the city of Harrington into Lincoln County Fire Protection Dist. #6, stating that both the Fire Commissioners and the Lincoln County Commissioners approved the proposition. Preliminary to the issue going to the citizens for vote in February, the City of Harrington will hold an open house at city hall on January 8 at 6 p.m. and Fire Protection Dist. #6 will hold an open house at the Fire Hall on January 14 at 6 p.m. to inform and respond to questions. A Community Forum on Sunday, January 12, from 2 to 4 p.m. will be hosted by the Public Development Authority in an effort to reach the citizenry prior to the vote.