“Footloose” at high school

The Gorham High School spring musical, “Footloose,” will be performed on five dates in March beginning on Friday, March 10.

Four evening performances begin at 7:30 p.m. on March 10, 11, 17 and 18 with a Sunday matinee at 2:30 p.m. on March 12. Tom Scannell and Darrell Morrow direct the production, which includes a cast of 50 students.

Some of the memorable musical numbers include “Footloose” and “Let’s Hear It for the Boy.”

Tickets are $8; $5 for students and seniors. For reservations, call 839-5754.

Mardi Gras in Gorham

Susan Rappold, a Hurricane Katrina refugee now living in Gorham, hosted a real Mardi Gras celebration on Feb. 28, the traditional fat Tuesday.

The Gorham Mardi Gras featured New Orleans Cajun cuisine, non-alcoholic hurricane punch and jazz. About 40 partygoers attended the bash in the Village square community room, which was decorated in traditional Mardi Gras colors – purple, green and gold with crepe paper and balloons. “It’s great, it’s the first Mardi Gras for Avesta Housing,” said Denise Dreyer, resident service coordinator.

Rappold relocated to Maine from New Orleans last fall. She’s been a resident at Village Square since November.

Although she was born in England, Rappold knows Cajun food and cooked shrimp ettouffee, a traditional New Orleans food served over rice. The food table included potato salad, queen cakes, a king’s cake and English sausage rolls that Rappold introduced in New Orleans 30 years ago. ‘Pretty spicy,” Rappold described it.

Some of the residents donned costumes and Barbara Robinson was the lady in red. Residents marched with rhythm and clapped their hands to the beat of “When the Saints Go Marching in,” sung by Louis “Satchmo” Armstrong on tape.

‘This is about keeping these people happy,” Rappold said about her fellow residents.

Michael Morrissey, Avesta director of management, said it was nice that Rappold wanted to carry on the tradition of celebrating Mardi Gras. “I’m sure it was emotional for her,” he said.

Andrea Whitehouse was named queen of the celebration and Edmund Daggett, 94, was the king. “This has made my day,” Daggett said.

The residents even tossed beads just like in the Big Easy. ‘It’s a wonderful party,” said Mary Hamblen.

And Jan Hachey agreed. “It was wonderful,” she said.

Free line dancing at Crossroads

The Crossroads Community Church is hosting free line dancing at 5:30 p.m. on Saturday, March 11, at the church across Fort Hill Road from Phinney Lumber.

For more information, call 642-2300 or e-mail crossroadchurch@pivot.net

Burnheimer on president’s list

John Alden Burnheimer has been named to the president’s list for extraordinary academic achievement for the fall semester at Bentley College in Waltham, Mass.

Burnheimer is a freshman majoring in managerial economics.

Broccoli on dean’s list

Cailin A. Broccoli has been named to the dean’s list at Boston’s Northeastern University for the fall semester.

Broccoli is majoring in computer science.

U.S. taxpayer debt

The Bureau of Public Debt reported that the U.S. public debt was $8,270,568,938,276.67 on Friday, March 3.

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