Dinner and a show -- a great idea for an evening out. Why not stop by Neshannock Presbyterian Church in New Wilmington for dinner this Saturday and then take in the fall play at the high school!

Neshannock Presbyterian's "Chicken 'n Biscuit" dinner will be from 4:30 to 7 p.m. Saturday. For only $7 for adults and $4 for children, meals will include creamed chicken over biscuits, mashed potatoes, green beans, cole slaw, applesauce, homemade pie and beverage.

This is a great home-cooked meal that loyal fans return to year after year. Once you try it, you will too. Tickets will be available at the door or by calling the church office at (724) 946-2081.

The high school's fall play will be presented at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Under the direction of Amy Warner, "The Flying Flounder" was written by local resident Pam Mansell. A comedic "whodunit" with twists and turns, it promises to be an entertaining evening.

Written during the last year and a half, "The Flying Flounder" is one of four plays Mansell has in various stages of completion. Designed for the high school stage, it has a variety of characters and a small, simple set.

Writing dialogue is what she enjoys most. "It's not like work; the characters grow on the page. You start writing and the character turns around and says to you ... (what should happen next)," she said.

So make plans for a night out and support aspiring actors and New Wilmington's newest playwright. Tickets will be available at the door.

I spoke with school board member Nancy Bretz this week. She said that planning for the new sports complex is full steam ahead. The board hopes to receive revisions back from the architect before the end of November, perhaps breaking ground by spring.

Plans include a January open house for the community to view the proposed complex.

Athletes and parents alike are looking forward to the new stadium. Much appreciation goes to the school board and the planning committee for their hard work in planning to turn the much-needed facility into a reality.

   » The musical-comedy "Crazy for You" will be presented by the college's theater department at 7:30 p.m. today through Saturday and 2:30 p.m. Sunday in Beeghly Theater.

The Wild West tale of "girl meets boy" is filled with Gershwin music, love triangles, dancers and rowdy cowboys. Local high school graduates who are involved with the presentation are Jeanetta Antus, who is a member of the orchestra, and Justin Bryan, who will be playing the part of Moose.

To reserve tickets, call the Beeghly box office at (724) 946-7241 between 2-4 p.m. today through Friday.

   » Three college students recently presented their summer research at the 5th Annual Undergraduate Research Symposium in the Chemical and Biological Sciences at the University of Maryland in Baltimore.

One of those was Wilmington graduate Logan Edmiston. He was chosen as a Merck Scholar in Westminster's Merck/AAAS Undergraduate Research Program for 2002.

Logan's research dealt with isolating genes in sex determination in algae. He said algae was used as a model of sex determination in multi-cellular reproduction. He explained that the big picture was that by understanding these genes we can better understand sexual determination in more advanced organisms.

A son of John and Kathleen Edmiston, Logan is a junior biology major who aspires to attend medical school. He also hopes to work at the Merck research labs in New Jersey next summer. Congratulations to Logan and his proud family!

If you have news of another Wilmington graduate or know of an upcoming event that readers would enjoy, please contact me at nwnews4karen@aol.com or (724) 946-8361. Thanks and have a great week!

Contact Karen Coulter with New Wilmington area news at (724) 946-8361 or e-mail her at: Nwnews4karen@aol.com