CARTHAGE, Mo. – Marian Days is a festival and pilgrimage for Vietnamese American Catholics celebrated since 1978 on a 28-acre campus of the Congregation of the Co-Redemptrix Mother in Carthage, Missouri. The event is organized by Vietnamese American Catholics. The event in Carthage runs until Sunday.

It’s open to the public. There is no charge to attend. Many locals visit the shops and restaurants during the week that are set up on the east side of campus. Traditional Vietnamese cuisine is served in five different restaurants. If you prefer more American food, the Carthage Knights of Columbus (group of Catholic men) set up a restaurant every year as a tradition and fundraiser.

Favorites that many enjoy are Boba Tea, aka Bubble Tea. Although it was created in the 1980s, it has become a tradition. It has balls or “bubbles” of chewy or soft tapioca pudding. The varieties are too numerous to list here. Easy to order and one of the many stalls as you walk through the food/vendor area.

Also Pho is a traditional Vietnamese dish served in restaurants. It is considered the national dish.

| RELATED >> MARIAN DAYS 2022 BEGIN

“Phở or pho is a Vietnamese soup dish consisting of broth, rice noodles, herbs and meat. Pho is a popular food in Vietnam where it is served in households, street stalls and restaurants across the country. The Nam Định were the first to create the traditional Vietnamese Pho. Pho is considered the national dish of Vietnam.” — Party magazine

HISTORY OF MARIAN DAYS AND CRM

“On April 30, 1975, 185 clergy – about half of the Congregation – left Vietnam as boat people just before the fall of Saigon. They arrived in the United States and were placed in refugee camps.

They came to Carthage because of Cardinal Bernard Law, who is most remembered today for covering up the sex abuse scandal in the Archdiocese of Boston. Prior to Boston, however, he was bishop of the Diocese of Springfield-Cape Girardeau.

Cardinal Law invited them to rent a vacant seminary, Our Lady of the Ozarks College. ^{Between June 30 and September 3, 1975, nine priests and 154 brothers arrived in Carthage.}

Marian Days began in 1978 as a gathering or “family reunion” to keep Vietnamese Catholic traditions alive. Mass is shared in Vietnamese. The authorities expect 100,000 this year. The Saturday of the 4-day festival is traditionally the busiest day.

PARKING FOR MARIAN DAYS

If someone is registered for Marian Days, there are specific places they are asked to park. For the general public, you can park on the public road. Do not block driveways or you may be towed away.

Do you have questions about the Marian Days? E-mail Joplin News First a note on MESSENGER.

Stick with Joplin News First as we continue to cover news and stories where you live. Scroll below and sign up for our news alerts so you don’t miss any stories.

| MORE JOPLIN NEWS FIRST

Tweets from JoplinNewsFirst

A QB Cal had been tracking for months has moved up the recruiting board considerably after a stellar Elite 11 performance a few weeks ago as 6-2/200 Dowling Catholic (West Des Moines, Iowa) QB Jaxon Smolik‍ won a prestigious Elite 11 final spot with an offer from the Bears.

Smolik on the Elite 11 invite

“I thought I had done well at our regional top 11 and I thought I was going to get an invite, but in the end I didn’t,” Smolik said. “Then Nico (Lamaleava) backed off the day before and I got the call from Brian (Stumpf, a former Cal receiver who runs Elite 11 and Student Sports) and he asked if I could come over the next day, leaving at 6 a.m., and I said, ‘Yes, I’m coming out. I’m here.’

“It was a great experience. I’m so happy to have been invited. It not only helps my recruitment, but also my football leadership skills and stuff like that.

What were some of his greatest takeaways from the experience?

“Everyone had such good information,” Smolik said. “Even the players gave me such great insights into recruiting and the processes they went through. I learned about leadership, just being a better person overall, learning how to talk, learning how to do interviews live. I learned so much from that experience.”

During the process, the 3-star QB received positive feedback on several areas of his game.

“My arm strength was probably one of the most important things,” Smolik said. “How I behave with other players – not being pushy with anyone, footwork, demeanor, stuff like that. I feel like an excellent defense read. Obviously I haven’t played at the college level and I’ve seen how they change and disguise things, but right now in high school I feel like I’m at the top of my game.

Smolik played in four games his junior season after being injured in his opener, rushing for 965 yards, 9 touchdowns and 2 interceptions, completing 65.5 percent (76-116) in his limited season.

Even though the Bears recently offered, they had seen enough through scouting that his Elite 11 performance was just the deciding factor in verifying he was worthy of an offer. Smolik is currently committed to Tulane after a June 23 verbal.

Smolik On Cal Offer

“So I was kind of in touch with Cal before the Elite 11,” Smolik said. “Day one went really well and some people recommended me to come forward. I was in touch with Coach Cherrington, their Director of Player Personnel for some time, and then Coach Musgrave told me. called and decided to propose to me and just told me about the program and what they wanted from the quarterback.

“I studied the program a lot. I love it. It’s a great program at Cal with great coaches. I saw myself there but right now I’m committed to Tulane. I just want to visit Cal and check it out. I have never been to this area. I won’t be able to do it at the end of the month but will be out in September. It has to be after August because that’s the dead period.

“I really liked it in SoCal. I didn’t really get to see much there, but where the camp was at Redondo was really nice.

Interestingly enough, the Bears’ first QB offer -Pittsburg QB Jaden Rashada‍- did not finish in Elite 11 Finals, while Smolik and other Cal offered Chris Parson‍, a 6-1/200 QB from Brentwood, TN – also a disengaged Florida State – was in the final group.

Other stories:

Yamauchi climbing the recruitment ladder, narrowing the targets

Afalava talks fitness to Cal

CHARLESTON, Ill. — Emmi Scales has waited all season for the opportunity to test herself.

The St. Viator junior said she was energized by the chance to compete against the best in the 100 meters, 100 hurdles and 300 hurdles, all of which she dominated in the class state meet preliminaries. 2A at Eastern Illinois University. O’Brien Field Friday.

“I raced without any competition all season,” Scales said. “No one was pushing me”

Scales showed she was ready for the big leap in competition, making program history by winning the state title in all three events on Saturday.

She clocked a winning time of 12.32 seconds in the 100m and came back after a four-minute break due to the slippery schedule to capture the 100m hurdles in 14.01. Then she overcame a wet track to win the 300 hurdles in 42.81. The meeting had a weather delay of two hours.

Scales, who shared the honor of East Suburban Catholic Conference Track and Field Athlete of the Year with teammate Mary Grace Hegberg, said she was motivated by the level of competition.

“Coming here and coming back with people coming up behind me and pushing me, I’m glad I was able to come out on top in all three,” Scales said. “I have worked very hard for the past eight months.”

Scales scored 30 points to help the Lions finish fourth in the 2A team standings with 44 points. Hegberg, a senior, was third in the 1,600 (4:49.50) and 3,200 (10:14.58).

“Emmi has been amazing all weekend,” said St. Viator coach Bill Stanczak. “She ran very well and competed so hard. We knew after last year she was going to come back strong and probably very well in the state. She is a motivated athlete and she ran very well. She had a dominating performance.

Competing in club and high school, Scales said the track occupied his daily schedule.

But it wasn’t always her best sport, she says. She started cheerleading at the age of 8. Her college in Roselle did not have an athletics team, but she joined a club athletics team when she was 12.

She quickly realized that the world of club track was very demanding.

“The club track is very competitive,” Scales said. “I’ve been going to national competitions since I was quite young, so I’m used to the pressure of competition. It helped me get on the path to school.

“But it was cheerleading for a long time first. Since I was very young, it was always joy and dancing. The track came out of nowhere. But I like both and I’m pretty good at both.I participated in state competitions for St. Viateur and club cheers when I was younger.

Scales said competing in both pushed his body to the limit.

“Track and cheerleading are two completely different things and create two different kinds of muscle memory, especially for hurdlers,” she said. “It was a really big disadvantage with the muscle memory. … It bothered me a bit. It was really bad for my back and my hips. I went to physical therapy and the chiropractor a lot to sort things out .

Scales said she started limiting her cheerleading time to focus more on indoor and outdoor tracks. Hurdles are her specialty and she also participates in relays and sprints. But she said she still plans to make the occasional appearance at Friday night football games to show off her cheerleading skills.

“Cheerleading kind of died out for me, but I still do side activities in the fall for fun,” she said. “I’m a pinball machine and I love tumbling backflips. I used to do the winter season, which is competitive. I won’t do it again because I was in a lot of pain.

Scales said her family taught her to embrace different sports and value competition. His mother, Anna, was a successful track athlete in high school. His brother, PJ, is a first-year catcher at Johns Hopkins.

“We’re a sporty family,” Scales said, “with my dad playing basketball and a bit of track (too). … I learned to stay focused thanks to my mother. PJ taught me to go out and go hard for everything.

Scales was forced to curtail her events during the outdoor season last year after suffering a leg injury.

She did not compete in the hurdles at the state, but she finished eighth in the 200 and 13th in the 100.

St. Viator track assistant Mike Olayos said he noticed Scales’ disappointment last June.

“She wanted to do better in the state last year, and that led her to a revenge tour to prove herself,” Olayos said.

Olayos, a retired coach with nearly 45 years of experience in New York and Florida, said he was impressed with Scales during early winter practices.

“At one of the very first indoor hallway practices, we were doing about 80 in a long hallway, and she just looked strong,” Olayos said. “I thought, ‘Ooh, this is going to be a good year.’ She looked faster and stronger.In hurdling, those two things are essential.

“She looked like she skipped a few steps. In the first two indoor races she led the pack – looked good and was technically good. I had the good fortune to train a lot of top hurdlers in Florida. You could see that Emmi was going to do something special.

Stanczak said Scales was a highly driven athlete, so he knew she was planning to make a splash this season.

“Last year at State was tough for her,” he said. “She is a hedge specialist. You knew then that she was coming back stronger and hungrier.

Scales was ready to go all out in the foreplay at Friday’s state meeting.

She posted the best times in her three events, setting the stage for a hat-trick on the track.

“I couldn’t wait for the final because I couldn’t run the hurdles last year because I was injured,” Scales said.

She finished first in each final, although she was pushed over the first 60 meters of the 100 hurdles by Brianna Dixon of Rantoul.

“She just had a dominating performance, right out of the gates and blocks on Saturday,” Olayos said of Scales. “It’s going to be tough to beat in his senior season. She put on quite a show. You could hear the ripple through the crowd.

“You’re hesitant to say the sky’s the limit for her, but I know she’s busy setting goals for next year.”

Stanczak said Scales shares many of the traits that made former St. Viator star Elizabeth Drab an all-state runner.

“Emmi has a relentless work ethic,” he said. “She is lucky to have wonderful parents who will help her achieve her dreams. What can she do next year now? I think she set the bar high.

“She’s looking to go to a Division I school. She’s totally focused on what’s next and what else she can learn to get that extra half second of her time.” We saw last year what she could accomplish.

Shortly after picking up his third first-place medal on Saturday, Scales reflected on his future on the track. She is looking forward to “a few days off” before getting back into the club track summer routine.

“My number 1 goal is to go to Division I,” she said. “I think the track is really nice indoors, and that’s a big part of college athletics. But I think it’s more of an outdoor sport for me. Not being able to do it all year is frustrating, so I feel like I’m a little held back. So I would like to be in the South in the future. I am excited about the future.

Bobby Narang is a freelance journalist for Pioneer Press.

Megan Stalter was looking at an old spinning wheel in her mother’s guest bedroom in Ohio last June when, suddenly, inspiration struck. It was Pride month, when companies released bland and often flimsy statements of support for the LGBTQ community.

A thought came to mind: wouldn’t it be fun if a store with a local aesthetic (think Cracker Barrel) did a Pride ad?

Stalter had a few minutes to kill before her mom picked her up for shopping, so in one take she recorded a video that quickly went viral. In a pair of braids and her signature winged eyeliner, the comedian posed stiffly in front of the spinning wheel and launched into an awkward sales pitch for a fictional establishment called Cecily’s Butter Shop.

“Hi gay! Happy Pride Month! This month we’re doing some deals,” she said with a forced smile, taking advantage of the discounts available to everyone “if you can prove that you’re queer.” “We’ve been making butter since 1945. And we’ve been accepting everyone for” – she trailed off – “the last four months.

Bossy, clumsy, prone to malapropisms and anxious tics, the butter shop clerk displayed the characteristics of what quickly became a comedic archetype: the character of Megan Stalter.

“I love playing people who are kind of in their own world, but there’s something endearing about them,” the 31-year-old actress said in a recent video chat from her home in Los Angeles. . “Someone whose house is on fire but has a smile on their face. And they say, ‘It’s okay!’ when this is not the case.

Stalter’s profile rose rapidly during the early days of the pandemic, when she performed nightly on Instagram Live from her Brooklyn apartment and shared an impressive number of ‘frontal comedy’ videos or sketches. of solo characters recorded on a smartphone. In addition to “Hi Gay!”, probably his biggest hit to date, there’s “woman who doesn’t realize she has joined a cult,” “woman who accidentally says “you too” after someone tells her to have a good flight,” “influencer mom who keeps getting interrupted,” and many more. She embodied a new generation of DIY comedy stars, like Cole Escola and Ziwe Fumudoh, who distributed their own content on social media when traditional venues were closed.

Increasingly, however, Stalter brought his adorably unhinged alter egos to projects filmed outside of his living quarters.

This month, she’s reprising her breakout role as Kayla, a clueless Hollywood assistant brimming with confidence but utterly lacking in self-awareness, in the HBO Max comedy “Hacks,” and recently performed at the comedy festival. Netflix Is a Joke. She will also appear in Peacock’s reboot of “Queer as Folk,” premiering next month, and will soon film “Cora Bora,” an indie comedy about a millennial in an open relationship.

“Each year since I decided to really pursue what I wanted to do in life has been better than the next,” Stalter said. “My life is already better than I could expect. My dreams are already coming true. And I feel so lucky. Because how often does that happen?

With seafoam green eyeshadow and Gloria Steinem-esque streaks framing her face, Stalter shares a flamboyant sense of style with the characters she plays, if not their brash entitlement. She is, deep down, “deeply Midwestern — very Ohio,” according to her friend “Saturday Night Live” star Aidy Bryant. “It’s something that I connected with her on, because I felt the same way. I was from Arizona and I had no idea what was going on: ‘How do I navigate this thing We have similar approaches when it comes to trying to retain who we are growing up while succeeding in this business.

The eldest of four children, Stalter grew up in Dayton, Ohio. Unlike Kayla, a baby of showbiz nepotism, she was neither wealthy nor well-connected; his mother was a nurse and his father a tattoo artist. They were divorced and Stalter spent a lot of time caring for his younger siblings.

But Stalter was surrounded by funny women and, from an early age, felt a strong need to be on stage.

“When I fell asleep at night as a kid, I always imagined I was on the ‘E! True Hollywood Story,” she said. “Superstar,” the film starring Molly Shannon as a chaotic, fame-seeking Catholic schoolgirl, Mary Katherine Gallagher, “changed her life.” Stalter once struggled to set up a dance routine when her Catholic elementary school held a talent show and loved making age-inappropriate home movies with his many cousins ​​using the family camcorder.

“There was something inside of me that always thought I was special. Even when I was really bad. And I don’t know where that came from,” Stalter added. “Probably my mom loves me too much. or something like that.”

Although she was usually relegated to supporting roles in high school drama—”Nun Number Five,” as she put it—Stalter showed a knack for offstage improvisation. She and her boyfriend worked at her stepfather’s telemarketing company and played a game where they earned points by incorporating unexpected phrases (e.g. “Do you want waffles?”) into their sales calls. (That boyfriend was gay, but Stalter didn’t care: “We never kissed open-mouthed, but we were, like, the power couple at the drama club.”)

After high school, she took courses in nursing and community college education and spent time in Peru as a missionary because, she said, “I loved God and I loved the people”. (Although she went to Catholic school, Stalter and her family attended a “pretty wild” Pentecostal church; she now says she considers herself spiritual but no longer attends church.) She returned from a long trip abroad with a realization: “What God wants me to do is what I really want to do. So why not take an improv course?”

She soon moved to Chicago to pursue acting — “the best decision of my life,” she said — and stayed for seven years, making ends meet as a nanny and performing in her spare time. During this time, which she likens to “acting school,” Stalter also realized she was bisexual when she hooked up with a woman who had also dated her terrible ex-boyfriend and the friendship turned into a short-lived romance. “We both thought we were straight, and then she started texting me like, ‘Oh, that was kind of like a date.’ That’s when I I’m like, “I’m really curious about this.”

By 2019, Stalter had moved to New York and was making a name for himself on the alternative comedy scene with his surreal stand-up act. Then COVID happened, clubs closed, her housemates fled town — and she exploded on social media. “It was really strange to feel that people were finally looking at my stuff, but then to feel more alone than ever,” she said.

Comedian Mae Martin was one of many fascinated by Stalter’s nightly improv marathons on Instagram Live during the height of the lockdown. “And it’s like, (a) why does this woman have all these wigs and accessories in her apartment and (b) why is she for two hours straight just dancing and screaming and talking to people. people? I had never seen anything like it,” Martin said.

Martin and Stalter struck up a friendship online, then met in person months later in Los Angeles. Martin was struck by Stalter’s warmth and hilarity — traits that comedians don’t necessarily exhibit offstage. Martin recalled how one night they were pranking on the phone and Stalter, who had called a hotel to warn them that people should be kept away from the pool because she and her husband had just been there. love, befriended the woman who answered the phone.

“She ended up talking to this woman for 45 minutes and then sent her a fettuccine Alfredo on Uber Eats,” Martin said. “At the end of the phone call, they were like, ‘I love you, girl!’

Paul W. Downs, who co-created “Hacks” and plays Kayla’s beleaguered boss, a talent manager named Jimmy, was also impressed with Stalter’s ability to connect with so many people during a time of isolation. . “I think some performers were like, ‘I’ll wait until I can shoot again,’ but she just had no ego about it and was never ‘too good’ to just make videos. face-to-face,” he said.

Along with co-creators Jen Statsky and Lucia Aniello, Downs had developed the character of Kayla based on a real person they had met in the industry. “One of the defining qualities of this person is that she was incredibly sure of herself and, oddly, at the same time nervous and inept,” he said.

Downs first saw Stalter perform at Little Joy in Echo Park shortly before the pandemic hit, and describes his act as “alt in every sense of the word.” It’s a direct thread and an open channel, and I don’t know if she even knows where she’s going.

He also felt like there was something about the tortured syntax and stuttering cadence of his characters that was just right for Kayla.

Stalter eventually got the call to audition for “Hacks,” which would be his first major television role. At that time, a friend who was working on the show sent her a screenshot of a section of the script comparing Kayla to Megan Stalter. “And then I felt there was a lot of pressure to get the part,” she said. Stalter put herself on tape, in her brother’s “awful” New York apartment, as dogs barked in the background. It worked.

The tension between Jimmy and Kayla, whose father runs the agency where she works, was a highlight of the Emmy-winning show’s first season. This season, as stand-up legend Deborah Vance (Jean Smart) and rising writer Ava Daniels (Hannah Einbinder) hit the road for a cross-country tour, Kayla comes under scrutiny from HR for trying to seduce Jimmy on a work trip to Las Vegas. But their odd couple relationship develops more nuance in future episodes – a reflection, perhaps, of the sympathy Stalter brings to a character who could easily be a broad caricature of rights and privileges. She kind of made the character of Megan Stalter, well, more like Megan Stalter.

“If you’re doing what you really want to do, if you have a good heart and good intentions and know what’s real and what’s important – your friends and family and the ability to create things that mean something to you – then things just keep getting better.”

Businessman-turned-jockey-turned-veterinarian is passionate about the challenge

Venkat Raman
Auckland, April 30, 2022

Leo Molloy is always surrounded by friends – thick and thin – and in the past two months admirers and others have been seen in his company, since he started talking about running for Auckland mayor .

The magnetism of man is such that everyone listens to him, even if he does not speak.

Leo seeks one of the most challenging jobs in the country, leading his biggest city. He is aware that it will be a demanding exercise and has nevertheless decided to take the plunge because he likes to swim in troubled waters. And no one disputes that Auckland is in trouble.

He has an inimitable passion for work and believes he can heal the city’s afflictions and solve such dreadful problems as traffic jams, poor infrastructure, the ever-increasing cost of living, the reforms of the three waters and a host of others – 1.65 million of them and growing as you count.

Growing confidence

What keeps the man walking and bringing more and more people into his fold (stables is a better word) day by day is the growing confidence he will deliver; that he means what he says and even says what he means. There were times when you might have felt like he overstated what a mayor can do, talking about federal issues like the MIQ system and immigration.

And the hospitality industry loved it when he set the date (December 1, 2021) when he would open his Head Quarters Restaurant (strategically located in the Viaduct) even if the government continued to keep the city under lockdown.

“This man has guts,” people said and cheered when he decided to run for mayor.

And Leo has put together a team that exudes immense energy and enthusiasm.

Who is Leo Molloy and why is he becoming the talk of the town? He tells me that his life is an open book and that success has not always embraced him and yet he has never given up.

Special endearing traits

Perhaps it was his ability to endure and persist that made Leo who he is today.

The only thing he dropped out of early was school.

“I am a friend to all businesses, especially small ones, because they need all the support and assistance to make our city more productive,” he said.

Leo looks no older than 66 (born in Greymouth in 1956) and is proud of his Irish-Catholic heritage. His father, Kevin Molloy was a soldier (which explains his fighting spirit) and mechanic, and his mother Maureen worked in the ROA colliery near Blackball.

When Leo was 11, his father tragically passed away, leaving his mother alone to raise him and his six siblings. Through adversity, she taught him the values ​​of hard work and personal responsibility, the two traits that set him apart as a man of the people.

Fiercely independent, Leo left home at the age of 15 and spent the next four years as an apprentice jockey. On his way down, he sought employment at the Ohau B Waitaki Power Project in Twizel, with the sole purpose of earning enough money to leave for his overseas experience.

It was while working with horses in the UK that Leo realized he wanted to become a veterinarian. He made the brave decision to return to New Zealand, start high school again as a mature student at 25, and study for seven years to complete his degree in veterinary surgery at Massey University. He then worked in the small animal sector, then in equine veterinary medicine, for 20 years, teaching him the values ​​of care and respect.

The hotel business

Leo stumbled into hospitality in 1991 when he set up a student bar called Fat Ladies Arms in Palmerston North. His vision and unique approach to business have made the brand a success. The chain expanded to eight more locations and in 1997 Leo decided to move to Auckland.

In August 1999 he opened Euro on the Auckland waterfront. Euro was the first New Zealand restaurant to feature on Condé Nast Traveler magazine’s list of the world’s 50 best restaurants. This was followed by an Irish pub called Danny Doolans (named after Leo’s grandfather). Both establishments have become an integral part of Auckland’s hospitality scene.

The Returning Businessman

After selling Euro in 2002, Leo opened Cardiac. This would present Leo’s biggest challenge after the company went bankrupt. Everything Leo had built up to that point was now gone.

But giving up was not his habit and Leo had an iron will and encouraged by his mother’s teachings – hard work and personal responsibility – he was determined to rebuild his life.

He understands that mistakes are a natural part of life and is never afraid to admit them.

“Every mistake is a learning experience and every time I fall I get up and run again,” he said.

Leo’s comeback first started with Cowboys Bar in the Viaduct, then another version of the same in Queenstown, and now the iconic Headquarters restaurant and bar on Auckland’s waterfront, which is this day one of New Zealand’s most successful hospitality venues.

Fight for those in need

Leo has always been a champion of social impact and change and in recent years has led numerous fundraisers and volunteer initiatives to improve the community. He donated around 20,000 meals a year to various charities, including the Grace Foundation, a transitional housing provider.

Several years ago, Leo was introduced to Dave ‘Brown Buttabean’ Letele and, following a meeting, put Letele on the head office payroll so he could earn a living while focusing about his charity work. Leo also provided personal funding of over $200,000 to build a community kitchen in South Auckland for Buttabean Motivation (BBM) and organized several fundraisers at the head office, raising over $200,000 for BBM.

Vision for Auckland

Leo thinks it’s time to give back to the community and get into public service.

“I am running for Mayor of Auckland because I believe our city’s best days are ahead of us. I believe Auckland’s potential has been held back for too long and there is nothing stopping us from having a city world-class on the Pacific Rim up to Brisbane, Vancouver or San Francisco,” he said.

Leo has a plan to secure Auckland’s future and help our city reach its full potential.

Despite all the success the head office has had over the years, Leo has decided to close it on May 21, 2022. But it will open the next day, just for a few hours to hold a large gathering where he officially announces his decision to move on. enter the mayor’s ring.

It may sound unusual, but that’s the Leo brand.

Women’s volleyball | April 25, 2022

LOS ANGELES- USC women’s volleyball team to add opposite hitter Madison Pietsch (San Carlos, CA/Saint Francis HS), outside hitter/defensive specialist Dani Thomas Nathan (Burbank, Calif./La Salle HS), and Libero/Defensive Specialist Megan Verbiest (Manhattan Beach, Calif./Marymount HS) at his 2022 Head Coach Brad Keller announced Monday, April 25.

A 6-2 opposite hitter from Rage Westside Volleyball Club, Pietsch was named to the 2021 AVCA All-America Watch List and was an UnderArmour All-America nominee. She was also invited to the USAV National Team Development Program and was a two-time All-West Catholic League first-team pick. Pietsch was named to the PrepVolleyball Sophomore 79 selection and was named to the 2022 Class Watch List and the 2020 AVCA Phenom List. State. She is a two-time Saint Francis HS Scholar-Athlete Award winner and a three-time honor roll student.

“We are thrilled to welcome Madison to our program,” Keller said. “She’s an explosive left-handed opposite hitter who can play the whole game, can finish at will, and she’s the type of competitor that gives us a different angle on the court. Along with her skill and heavy arm, his personality, drive and positive energy are coveted traits in any student-athlete and especially valuable to us as we continue to build this program.”

Thomas-Nathan is a 6-0 outside hitter and defensive specialist who played for the Sunshine Volleyball Club. She helped her club win the Open 17 title of the 2021 Women’s National Junior Championship and was named to the All-Tournament Squad. Thomas-Nathan was a 2021 UnderArmour All-America nominee and was nominated for the 2020 AVCA Phenom List, Ultra Ankle JVA List, and was a Triple Crown Silver Medalist. At first, she was part of the USAV A1 training program and won several gold medals with her clubs. As a senior, Thomas-Nathan was named one of the CIF’s Top 25 Players and was chosen as the Del Rey League MVP and was commended for the CIF South Section team.

“We are thrilled to have Dani join the Trojan family,” Keller said. “She brings so much on the table and off the court. Dani has such a positive and infectious attitude and a drive that matches the culture and dynamics of our team. She’s a talented hitter with one of the best arms and platforms of this class, and we expect it to come to campus and have an immediate impact on our curriculum.”

A 5-6 libero and defensive specialist, Verbiest played for the Sunshine Volleyball Club and was named MaxPreps and PrepVolleyball.com High School All-American. She helped Marymount HS achieve the #1 national ranking and was instrumental in helping Sailors win the National Championship and the California State Championship. Along with Verbiest, Marymount was chosen as the National High School Team of the Year by Volleyball Magazine in 2021.

“We are so lucky to be able to bring a student-athlete like Megan to USC,” Keller said. “She has such a relentless passion, drive and work ethic. On the court she has one of the best platforms in the game and comes into the sport with such an attitude. Megan is exactly what we are looking for in future Trojans. I think she is set to have a huge impact on our program on and off the pitch.”

Last year, the Women of Troy (15-15, 10-10 Pac-12) finished in seventh place in the final Pac-12 standings. Under second-year head coach Brad Kellerthe Trojans have signed the nation’s highest-ranked incoming rookie class according to PrepVolleyball.comwhich includes Adonia Faumuina (Long Beach, CA/Long Beach Poly HS), Jordan Middleton (Phoenix, Arizona/Hamilton HS), Gala Trubint (San Diego, CA/Scripps Ranch HS) and Rylie McGinest (Long Beach, CA/Long Beach Poly HS).

For more information on the USC women’s volleyball team and a complete schedule and results, please visit USCTrojans.com/WVB. Women of Troy fans can follow @USCWomensVolley on Twitter and Instagram.

PARMA, Ohio — Two years after the last Celebration of Polish Constitution Weekendthe fun returns April 29 and May 1 with events planned in Parma and the Slavic Village.

“Polish Constitution Day is a celebration for the Polish people,” said Ward 2 Councilwoman Deborah A. Lime. “Parma is a community with a large Polish population.

“It is a total joy to celebrate their heritage here in the Polish village of Parma. Not being able to celebrate the past two years brings a lot of excitement this year.

Hosted by the Polish American Congress – Ohio Division in conjunction with the Polish Village of Parma, the celebration brings together Poles and those of Polish ancestry across the country and around the world to celebrate their shared heritage of freedom and democracy.

“The Polish Constitution was the first constitution outside the United States and the first in Europe,” said Aundréa Cika Heschmeyer, Polish Constitution Weekend event coordinator.

“It became a symbol of passion for freedom and love of country and all those things for Poles, so Polish-Americans embraced it. It’s a great day for the people of Parma d have the chance to embrace their Polish roots.

The weekend kicks off Friday with Polish Happy Hour at the Ridge Road Tavern. A $20 entrance fee includes a live polka jam music session, pierogi buffet, and drinks.

The Saturday fun then moves to the Slavic Village Polish American JPII Cultural Center, located at 6501 Lansing Avenue.

The “A Taste of Polish Culture” deal includes visits to the Polish Museum and Garden, a cultural program with a speech by Grand Marshal Chrostowski and an authentic homemade Polish platter for dinner.

Then on Sunday, the celebration returns to Parma beginning with a midday mass at St. Charles Borromeo Catholic Church with a Polish festival to follow. Running from noon to 6 p.m., the event features ethnic vendors, a polka band, folk dancers and food trucks in the Unity Catholic Federal Credit Union parking lot.

There’s also the annual parade that departs at 3 p.m. from Parma Circle on Ridge and heads north to the Unity Catholic Federal Credit Union parking lot.

“The parade is very popular,” Heschmeyer said. “We anticipated an enthusiastic response with the participation of a number of politicians and other organizations in the region.”

This includes Parma Mayor Tim DeGeeter.

“The fact that my mother’s maiden name was Grontkowski makes it even more special,” DeGeeter said. “I’ve never missed the parade and I love going to it every year.

“It’s a great event to showcase Parma and our Polish village drawing people from all over northeast Ohio.”

The Grand Marshal of this year’s Polish Constitution Weekend is James Beard-appointed local restaurateur and humanitarian Brandon Edwin Chrostowski.

“Since I was young, I remember my dziadek (grandfather) telling us stories about Poland,” Chrostowski said in a press release. “He always ensured that traditional days were celebrated. It has always given me a sense of pride in the legacy that I share with my family today.

Chrostowski currently honors his heritage and his community by currently volunteering with the World Central Kitchen in Poland serving meals to Ukrainian refugees.

Recent events remain front and center not only for the world, but also for Polish-born Northeast Ohioans.

“Whether you are first, second or third generation Poles, Slavs are storytellers and you know the stories,” Heschmeyer said. “They refer to Poland as the playground of Europe: Attack from the east, attack from the west, march through Poland. We know what it’s like not only to be under attack, but also to be under former Soviet attack.

“Furthermore, the Polish-Ukrainian border that we hear so much about is fluid because Poland has changed its shape so much that many of our fellow citizens are Polish and Ukrainian, Polish and Lithuanian. They are our Slavic brothers, so we certainly want to support them in any way we can. »

Read more news from the Parma Sun Post here.

Press release

Houston, April 21: The Houston Konkan Catholic Association (HKCA) held its Easter Event Celebration on April 17, 2022 at the Irene Stern Community Center in Fulshear, TX. It was the first community celebration after the pandemic and there was a great enthusiastic turnout for the event.

The event was organized by Nisha Dsouza and Merryl Fernandes. The event began with a prayer by Nisha Dsouza and a hymn sung by Rohan Fernandes.

President Ivan D’Souza, Sandra Dsouza and their family then warmly welcomed the 140 members and guests present at the event.

Guests were treated to delicious appetizers of chili chicken and Manchurian baby corn along with steaming masala chai and fresh lemonade that started the day off right.

Merryl Fernandes and Clarence DCruz then led the excited children outside on an egg hunt, which kept them happily engaged as they ran in search of the colored Easter eggs.

The participants were then divided into ten groups for exciting games. Nisha Dsouza and Merryl Fernandes led the games. Participants participated wholeheartedly in a variety of games such as stringing the beads, photographing the numbers, crocheting and moving the dough, etc. with competitive fervor and zeal. There was also an Easter-related quiz at the end, for teams to showcase their Bible knowledge and win prizes.

It was then time for the sumptuous Easter celebration. Allen Carvalho and his family said grace before meals, after which guests sat down to enjoy a mouth-watering spread of homemade Baffat and traditional Pork Sannas, along with delicious Indian dishes. There were also desserts served consisting of Gulab Jamun and ice cream.

Music is the soul of every event, and DJs Vineet Lasrado and Chris Pinto rocked their feet tapping Konkani, English and Hindi numbers that had the audience dancing and performing energetic Bollywood moves.

After lunch, “Housie Housie” was led by Merryl Fernandes and Nisha Dsouza, which was greatly appreciated by all in attendance. Several lucky winners won and won prizes.

The highlight of the event was the delicious and melodious singing of Rohan Fernandes who captivated the audience with popular Konkani numbers such as Uzwad Chandremaso, Mog Tuzo Kitlo Ashelo, Roopa, Suryo Budon, Tu Sopan Go Fanthyachen, etc. He was joined by Michael Valdar, Shobha Valdar and Rosy Fernandes as background vocals. The public also joined in the dancing during the performances.

Afterwards, Anessa Mathias, Nicole D’Souza and Reanne D’Souza danced to the song Nachi Nachi which was well received by the crowd. Kiera Pattani and Kien Pattani also entertained the crowd with an energetic Bollywood dance which mesmerized the audience.

This was followed by an evening tea with snacks served as refreshments.

Vice President Daniel Sequeira then expressed his thanks by thanking the public for their unreserved support and expressed his sincere gratitude to the main committee and all the volunteers who worked tirelessly to make the event a great success with a meticulous planning and absolute dedication.

No traditional Konkani event is complete without singing “Laudate Dominum”. Rohan Fernandes took the
lead the singing of the anthem and was joined by all present to sing this nostalgic anthem and give thanks
to the Lord.

The event ended with group photos, and everyone in attendance enjoyed coming back to celebrate post-pandemic community events and look forward to more such events in the future. Each family received a chocolate bunny as they left the venue, which made everyone smile.

Konkan Catholics interested in joining the Houston Konkan Catholic Association can contact [email protected] for details. You can also browse the HKCA website at www.hkcaus.org for more information.