Each week, City Manager Tom Aspell fills his pockets with $20 in change and heads downtown to shop at his favorite local stores. His jingling pockets attract a flock of birds, who peck at his pant legs as he tries to escape, poking numerous holes. The coins that fall out spell out the city memo in Mandarin. We translated it here for you.
Here’s the pitch . . . in
Labor is needed, dudes
The 23rd annual Friends of the Audi “Pitch In” will take place Aug. 19 to 21, to get the historic municipal theatre ready for its 109th year as the home of Concord’s community-based arts and entertainment, Aspell writes. Non-community based arts and entertainment continues to be housed in the Torium.
Each year, nearly 100 volunteers work in partnership with the city, working on projects planned with Public Properties Superintendent Harry Dangora and his staff, including renovating the stage roof, floor and curtains. Curtain renovation is a delicate process, requiring much less wood than the other two endeavors.
Volunteers who show up and “pitch in” annually say the project is fun, a true community-building event with a barn-raising spirit. We’ve raised a few barns in our day, until they were all growed up.
Running from 9 a.m. to noon and 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. daily, the sessions always start with light breakfast or supper. Actual weight of the food varies. Then crews form and the projects begin. There’s a job available to suit every skill and interest and all are welcome.
The volunteers’ labor helps hold down the city’s costs of operating the Audi, which in turn helps lower production costs and ticket prices. It’s a simple equation: pay now in blood, sweat and tears and pay less from your wallet now. (Disclaimer: blood and tears not required.)
For more information, contact Joye Olson at 753-4765.
