On Centre: Bald Eagle Area

Church shows drive-in movies

By Chris Rosenblum

The drive-in movie, that great American icon, may be on its last legs, but don't tell that to the folks at the Martha United Methodist Church.

They still like seeing films under the stars. On June 26, church members will start their free summertime Friday family movie series with an outdoor showing of ... well, they can’t say. Their video license prohibits advertising titles.

Nobody said anything about mentioning it’s an island adventure, involving a reclusive author who helps a little girl rescue her ship-wrecked father. Just ask the kids.

The show starts at 9 p.m. in the Martha Pavilion, located in a field at Ardery Hollow Road off U.S. Route 220. But first, at 7 p.m., dinner will be served. Barbecued ribs are on the menu for $8 for adults, $3 for children ages 3 to 12. Popcorn afterward won’t cost a dime.

Call 238-8562 or 355- 7450 by June 23 to secure a plate.

July’s shows promise a Dr. Seuss fable about a tiny universe on a speck, the true story of a girl playing quarterback, a musical about high school friends graduating and the tale of a bookish mouse.

On July 24, another combo night will feature a free turkey dinner, followed by a film taken from the Thomas Kinkade painting, “The Christmas Cottage.”

In keeping with the “Christmas in July” theme, school kits for charity will be assembled before the show. Guests are invited to bring one of the following: a blunt pair of scissors, three pads of ruled paper, a 30-centimeter ruler, a hand-held pencil sharpener, six unsharpened pencils with erasers, a 21/ 2-inch eraser or a box of 24 crayons.

Bad weather, of course, could wipe out any show — a worry the Curtin United Methodist Church doesn’t share.

The church, on Curtin Village Road between U.S. Route 220 and state Route 150, shows its free family movies indoors. Apparently, it’s also not bound by any legal restrictions, since it can announce next month’s offering will be “Homeward Bound” on July 11. Showtime is 6:30 p.m., with snacks provided.

Enduring friendship

Stew Koontz, of Huston Township, enjoyed a special reunion a year ago.

Nhan Pham Van, a trusted South Vietnamese scout who guided Koontz’s Army Ranger team during the Vietnam War, was visiting his old buddy’s home. The men had not seen each other in 38 years.

Many times in the Mekong Delta, Nhan saved his fellow Rangers’ lives. Koontz repaid his debt by helping to finance the U.S. trip — and he’s still giving back.

Recently, he sent Nhan, a Boy Scout leader in Vietnam, eight archery bows collected from friends, local scouts and Penn State. The bows first went to a Ranger buddy in Canada, from where they could be legally mailed to the communist country.

Koontz also wants to start a pen pal list between local and Vietnamese Boy Scouts — another tie in an enduring friendship begun long ago.

Chris Rosenblum can be reached at crosenbl@centredaily.com or 231-4620.