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A musical play the Dr. Seuss way
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Seth Wright photo The cast of "Seussical Kids" has spent much of this week in rehearsals in preparation for a trio of shows this weekend. Visit mcminnvilleparktheater.com to purchase tickets.

If you have an affection for stories that rhyme, there's a new show that may be worth your time. In viewing the show you'll be doing your part, to help the good folks who comprise Warren Arts. So this weekend, don't be caught in the dark. Load up your family and come to the Park.

The Park Theater will be home to Warren Arts' production of "Seussical Kids" this Friday and Saturday at 7 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m. The musical follows Horton the Elephant (portrayed by Norah McNeal) and JoJo, a Who, (played by Brooke Moore) on a journey to finding friendship through a series of songs and adventures. 

The show marks Mary Wanamaker's directorial debut, but she is a longtime Warren Arts contributor and a kindergarten teacher at Hickory Creek Elementary. "The cast is made up of kids ranging from 4 to 14. Their talents range from singing and dancing to gymnastics, and we have utilized them all to make this show a really spectacular experience. The kids have worked together very well and have worked hard from the beginning," Wanamaker said. 

Park Theater Manager Joe Harvey hopes the show will help introduce a new generation to the performing arts. “This is a shorter production, so we think it will be a great opportunity to introduce younger children to theater but it’s also an entertaining musical with an amazing cast that the whole family will enjoy,” Harvey said. 

Wanamaker shares Harvey's desire to make theater more accessible to children and feels this is a great show to do just that.  "We wanted to do a show made up of children for children, and being a teacher I have a special place in my heart for the works of Dr. Seuss, so it was a no-brainer when Seussical came up for discussion," Wanamaker said. 

The approximately 30-minute show will be presented Friday and Saturday at 7 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m. General admission tickets are $13 for attendees 2-years-old and up. A family four-pack of tickets is available for $45. Tickets are available at mcminnvilleparktheater.com, at the Park Theater box office during business hours and at the door beginning one hour before showtime.

The Park Theater is located at 115 W. Main St. and can be reached at (931) 506-2787.

Local farm partnership brings fresh beef to Warren County Schools
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Warren County Schools has beefed up lunch menus this school year through a new community partnership. Thanks to a collaboration between the district’s School Nutrition Department and Barton Creek Farms, students at Warren County High School, Warren County Middle School, West Elementary, Eastside Elementary, and Dibrell Elementary are enjoying locally sourced, farm-fresh beef in their lunches as part of a pilot program.

The initiative, spearheaded by Terri Mullican, Director of School Nutrition, has already shown great promise in its first few months. The partnership with Barton Creek Farms, located in Rock Island, Tennessee, ensures that the beef served is not only local to Warren County but of the highest quality. Barton Creek Farms specializes in farm-to-fork beef, with grass-fed and grain-finished cattle. Each calf is born and raised in Rock Island and goes through USDA-inspected processing, ensuring it meets the strictest safety and quality standards.

“When the opportunity arose to provide fresh, local beef, we knew it was a no-brainer,” Mullican said. “The fact that it’s a product from right here in our community makes it even more special. We can’t wait to implement it district-wide.”

Barton Creek Farms delivers fresh ground beef to the district monthly, and the nutrition

department incorporates it into homemade recipes such as lasagna, meatloaf, chili, and tacos.

As of now, the beef is being served at five schools, but the ultimate goal is to expand the program to all ten lunch-serving schools in the district.

The pilot program originated from a conversation between Mary Roller of Barton Creek Farms and Mullican. Roller, recognizing the farm’s potential to support local schools, reached out to gauge the district’s interest in serving local beef to students. Around the same time, a Warren County school board member contacted Mullican to share information about a similar partnership in neighboring Dekalb County, which helped push the initiative forward.

The timing worked in the district’s favor, as the nutrition department was able to fund the purchase of the beef using existing resources, eliminating the need for additional funding. Now that the pilot program is enjoying a successful run, the department has budgeted to extend the partnership district-wide for the 2025-26 school year.

Dr. Grant Swallows, Director of Schools, praised the program’s economic approach to student nutrition.

“This pilot is a perfect example of how we can use local resources to continue providing nutritious, healthy meals for our students,” he said. “We are grateful for partnerships like this one that benefit both our students and our local community. We always strive to support our local businesses when we can because our community is so good to us.”

In addition to working with Warren County Schools, Barton Creek Farms also partners with local restaurants to offer farm-fresh beef on their menus. The farm’s offerings include ground beef, steaks, roasts, and custom cuts by the quarter, half, or whole cow, meeting diverse consumer needs.

As the program continues to grow, the district hopes to expand its focus on farm-to-school meals, benefiting students’ health and connecting them to the agricultural roots of the community