by Joseph Back

April showers, bring May flowers— or so says the old conventional wisdom.

Should this prove true, the thunderstorm late Monday April 5 and into early Tuesday of this week, could bring some good flower dividends. In the meantime, the Easter holiday was on this past week, and included in the local version of the annual celebration was a free Saturday movie at the Stanley Theater.

“It’s a yearly event that is co-sponsored by the Stanley Theater and the Stanley Chamber of Commerce and features a visit by the Easter Bunny after the show for the children,” Gloria Eslinger explained from the theater lobby Saturday as “The Croods 2” played inside free of charge to theatergoers.

With the free movie tradition now in its 53rd year, Eslinger said in part that “it’s a celebration for our community and a way of saying ‘thank you’ for supporting us.’ As to ‘The Croods 2’ movie then playing out inside, Eslinger said that the theater generally purchases rights to a movie for the specific purpose of having free Easter showings.

“Whatever the weekend of Easter is we have it on that Saturday,” she said, with the Eslinger family first taking over ownership of the Stanley Theater See EASTER JOY, page 3

Above left, theater goers to the free Easter show Saturday at Stanely Theater included Luke, Hope, and Henry Elmhorst. Above Center, area moms and friends Tina Zaczurynski and Christianna Straszkowski took their combined children to the free theater show, including Malachi, Marcus, Gabriela; Peyton, Harper and Donnie. Above right, Sunday Easter services were also part of the weekend observances for many in the area, as at the Stanley-Boyd and Thorp United Methodist Church on South Broadway. Staff photos. EASTER JOY

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back in 1968, and now run by the Eslinger children: Theresa; Louie, and Gloria. Speaking of which, there are some slight costs to the event.

“The candy given to the children is the most expensive,” Theater manager Theresa Pries shared strictly matter of fact.

Taking leave briefly to return when the show was over, staff was informed on return by Darryl Pries from the concession booth that things would get done in 10 to fifteen minutes. Through the doors but not seen outside, an announcer could be heard introducing the Easter Bunny to moviegoers, with Pries further adding that attendees were let out “in rows.” So how’d the show go?

“It was awesome,” a young theatergoer named Gabriela said, while supervising adult Tina Zaczurynski offered “good” as her approximation of the movie. Malachi, meanwhile, said he had seen it previously on smartphone, or another form of technology. We didn’t quite the details there.

At any rate, and holding on to eggs as an ancient symbol of new life (because the chick pecks its way out of the shell), the kids appeared to have had a blast. So what about the next day?

Not to be left out, but divided according to many area congregations, Sunday April 4 saw morning church services held throughout the area. As a partial sampling of same there was an open door at Our Savior’s Lutheran on Fourth Avenue, while over kitty comer at Heritage Baptist on the same intersection congregants were decked out in dress shirts and ties, or else Easter dresses.

Out at Maple Grove Bible Church, meanwhile, the parking lot was packed, while the Stanley-Boyd and Thorp United Methodists on South Broadway welcomed churchgoers in through the side door. Down at Holy Family as a member of All Saints, invitations were placed out which included the option to get involved with an adult Bible study in the parish, while just alongside this were sheets publicizing the Divine Mercy Novena of St. Maria Faustina of Poland, canonized relatively recently and living during World War II.

On that note, canonization in the Catholic Church requires verified miracles, in a process that dates back to around the 13th century. Early church saints, meanwhile, were declared such by popular—that is, congregational—acclamation. ‘Divine Mercy Sunday’ itself is this April 11.

Among local churches, however, Trinity Vineyard might have been said to hold priority in time for this Easter’s celebrations, as it undertook a traditional Easter sunrise service early in the day, as opposed to mid-morning Sunday. So what’s Easter about?

Not Tammuz, unless one wants to hypothesize that ancient Britain and ancient Iraq were close enough in both time and language that “Ishtar” became “Easter.” A man named Ralph Woodrow had his doubts and published a book as such called “The Babylon Connection?,” having previously held to the stated conviction.

Regarding Christ’s Resurrection and Easter (also called ‘Pascha’ by some), meanwhile, the best sources may just be the four Evangelists, known respectively as Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Mark is said to contain the memories of Peter and the earliest manuscripts end at verse 8 of chapter 16, the last twelve verses taken at some point from one of the other Gospels—but we’ve said too much already.

Happy Easter!