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A Quote By

“I think that the power is the principle. The principle of moving forward, as though you have the confidence to move forward, eventually gives you confidence when you look back and see what you've done.”

Actor Robert Downey.Jr, stars in the blockbuster, Iron Man 3 in theaters now.

N e w s l e t t e r

Iron Man 3 Delivers All The Action That Any Audience Could Wantby Art Byrd

I was an Iron Man fan before the first Iron Man movie hit the theaters in 2008. As a self proclaimed comic book reader or geek, Robert Downey Jr’s, Tony Stark is different from the alcoholic genius I read about in comics with his cool, motormouth genius attitude whose addiction is not liquor but the things he has encountered as Iron Man.

In movies, we see heroes save the world, the day. Yet, how does a superhero let go of the horrific things that he sees and has to deal with? In Iron Man 3 (IM3), we see that Stark is not dealing well with the superhero thing especially after experiencing the worm hole aliens in The Avengers. He can’t sleep and is constantly working on new Iron Man suits.

In fact, he has delegated his superhero duties to his best friend, Col. Rhodes played by Don Cheadle (House of Lies) as the Iron Patriot. The rest of his life is pretty good with his relationship with Pepper Potts played by Gwyneth Paltrow (Contagion).

The movie starts with a flashback to New Year’s Eve 1999. Stark is wooing a stunning botanist Maya played by Rebecca Hall (The Town). They are talking science while making a move on each other. In an elevator, Stark is approached by a scientist Killian played by Guy Pearce (Memento) who is in awe of him. Their brief conversation end when Stark tells Killian to meet him on the roof to discuss his project. Stark never shows. Killian has a moment of humiliation that later turns into revenge toward Stark.

A Byrd’s Eye View

ABOUT MOVIES, TV, ARTS AND EVENTS IN THE VALLEY

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In the present, as Stark is dealing with his Avengers post traumatic stress. The world is under attack from a terrorist called The Mandarin played by Ben Kingsley (Gandhi). His method is setting off a bomb without leaving a trace of it.

After Happy, Tony’s friend and former driver played Jon Favreau (Identity Thief) is seriously injured by one of the Mandarin's bomb. Stark tells the Mandarin before a national TV audience that he is coming after him for the simple reason of good old fashion revenge. He gives out his home address. Bad Idea. Lots of helicopters attack Stark’s cool house overlooking the Pacific Ocean. The house is destroyed. The attack almost kills Pepper. Now, it is game on. I love movie moments like this. When the hero is forced to react after a loved one is threatened.

Thanks to the urging by the theater guys at Austintown Cinema, I saw IM3 in 3-D. I really liked the format in this movie. It didn’t get in the way like some 3-D do by throwing something at the audience so they may duck or react. The movie was enhanced especially with the action sequences.

The special effects were amazing. Tons of stuff blown up. I like the multiple Iron Man suits and how they can leap on someone and instantly be ready to go. The storyline was good, the revenge factor was a great topping to the IM3 cinematic sundae I was having in the theatre.

Iron Man 3 can stand on its own as a great movie but the other two IM movies were a great setup for it. The movie ends by wrapping up a few things like Stark having metal removed from his chest and driving away from the wreckage that was his cool house.

Will there be an Iron Man 4 that depends on Downey, the storyline and the villain for the next time? For me, I had a great cinematic sundae with IM3 and walked out the theatre totally full and no bellyache.

The Arts Mean Business Lecture Series Continues In WarrenThe Youngstown State University College of Fine and Performing Arts and Power of the Arts are joining forces for The Arts Mean Business Lecture Series. The next lecture entitled Really, They Do! will be at The Raymond John Wean Foundation on Thursday, May 30th from 5:30-7:30 p.m. This lecture will cover common situations that artists face and provide relevant information and resources to expand and professionalize an arts-based business. Registration and more information is available at www.powerofthearts.org.

The Raymond John Wean Foundation located at 147 West Market Street in Warren.

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El Carlos Mexican Restaurant Es Muy Bien

By Monnie Ryan

Growing up on a farm in southwestern Ohio was for the most part a wonderful experience. But from a culinary standpoint, diversity wasn't on the menu. I didn't taste pizza (or for that matter, even know it existed) until junior high.

Once I got to northeastern Ohio, my taste buds were delighted with ethnic foods of all kinds except one: Mexican. Just about the only game in town was El Carlos in Lake Milton, and once we had a couple of munchkins who wanted only pizza and Mickey D’s, we didn’t get there very often.

The first time we visited in recent months we noticed is that the place has been spruced up. Located in what's basically an old house, it's never been fancy; but now, the exterior has been spiffed up. There's a dining room and separate room with a bar and more tables and chairs; neither is huge, but both are comfortable and inviting.

Come here Tuesday through Friday (it's closed on Mondays), and you'll find $2 lunch specials from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. For that amount, you can choose a beef and bean burrito, beef enchilada, crispy beef taco, beef and bean chalupa, fries or a taco salad. We didn't notice any on-tap beer, but domestic bottles are a reasonable $2.50 and they also have Mexican and other specialty beers as well as mixed drinks including the requisite margaritas (except on Sundays, when you'll have to settle for beer).

Food here can be purchased ala carte, such as a variety of burritos, tacos, fajitas, enchiladas, chalupas and quesadillas; most range from a couple of bucks to $4.75 for the combo fajitas with steak, chicken and veggies.

Whatever you end up with, you'll get a basket of delicious corn chips and a bowl of homemade salsa (the salsa is very mild, so I always add hot sauce). Usually, we opt for the chili con queso appetizer; the bowl of creamy warm cheese-and-salsa for dipping is absolutely irresistible ($4.50).

Then, we'll go for one of the whole dinners, which are served with rice and refried beans. I'm partial to the seafood enchilada, while Jack is especially fond of the Mexican stuffed pepper with melted cheese on top ($8 for the full dinner). But the menu lists somewhere around 17 different possibilities, so there's something for just about everyone.

The dinners are fairly large, so you won't go home hungry and, if you're like us, more than likely will end up going home with something in a box. The tacos are fairly large with plenty of meat, although I will say the beef was on the salty side.

If you go:

El Carlos Mexican Restaurant17679 Mahoning Ave.Lake Milton, Ohio 44429(330) 654-3257

Open from 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday; 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday; noon to 9 p.m. Sunday; closed Monday.

Open from 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday; 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday; noon to 9 p.m. Sunday; closed Monday.

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12th of Never is Fun, Fast Read

By Monnie Ryan

4 stars (out of 5)

Having just come off of reading a couple of heavy-duty mind-bending thrillers, I was close to excited about starting this one by the prolific Patterson and co-writer Maxine Paetro (she's perhaps my favorite of the ones he's been working with - especially of late when for the most part he seems to be sacrificing quality to get quantity). The books in his Women's Murder Club series are almost guaranteed to be heavy on the easy and breezy and light on the queasy - and that's just what I needed right about now.

If that weren't enough, it's very neat that one of the consultants Patterson uses for the books is Dr. Humphrey Germaniuk, medical examiner and coroner of Trumbull County, Ohio - the county in which I've made my home since 1962. You'll have to go to the credits to find his name, but I'm happy to see some positive light shining right here in my neck of the woods.

For those who might not know, the Women's Murder Club consists of Lindsay Boxer (a San Francisco police detective), Claire Washburn (a medical examiner), Yuki Castellano (a district attorney) and Cindy Thomas (a newspaper reporter). Each brings a different personality and different skills to the table, and when they gather around it, things can get very interesting (and murders can get solved). I've read most if not all the others – starting with 1st to Die - and enjoyed each and every one.

In between, I also enjoyed the relatively short-lived TV series starring the beautiful and talented Angie Harmon as Lindsay. And when I started this book I was surprised to learn that Lindsay is a blond - a fact I'd apparently missed through all those books. In fact, I thought Angie was a natural for the role. Silly me!

This one begins with the birth of Julie, the daughter of Lindsay and her husband Joe. The baby is having some health issues, but a couple of new cases mean Lindsay has to return to work and leave the baby in Joe's capable hands. Yuki, meanwhile, is prosecuting one of the biggest cases of her career - a man who allegedly murdered his wife and daughter and has hired a killer attorney - and Claire is having problems of her own keeping tabs on a murder victim who's landed in her morgue. Cindy doesn't get a home free card either; the relationship with her police officer husband-to-be isn't exactly smooth sailing, and things go from bad to worse after a beautiful intern joins the department.

As is always the case, everything (well, almost) everything works out by the end (the "almost" parts leave the door open for the next book, of course). All in all, it's a fun ride that won't tax your brainpower or your attention span.

12th of Never by James Patterson and Maxine Paetro; Little, Brown and Co. (April 2013); 432 pp.

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What’s Happening Around The Valley: May 19- May 24

Over the Weekend

Mill Creek MetroParks: Garden Forum Spring Flower ShowMill Creek MetroParks presents the Garden Forum Spring Flower Show on Saturday, May 18th from noon until 5 p.m. and Sunday, May 19th from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. at the D.D. and Velma Davis Education and Visitor Center at Fellows Riverside Gardens.  More information about this show is available at (330) 740-7116. Fellows Riverside Gardens is located at 123 McKinley Avenue, Youngstown.

Sunday, May 19The Trumbull Branch of the Butler Institute of American Art: Photorealism RevisitedThe Trumbull Branch of the Butler Institute of American Art presents an Exhibit entitled Photorealism Revisited - The Louis and Susan Meisel Collection running from Sunday, May 19th through Sunday, September 29th. Louis Meisel is the premier art dealer in Photorealism, and coined that term in 1969. He has been collecting these works from 1968 through the present. Museum hours and more information about this exhibit are available at (330) 743-1107. 

The Trumbull Branch of the Butler Institute of American Art is at 9350 East Market Street) in Howland

The Butler Institute of American Art: PastelsThe Butler Institute of American Art is presenting the Exhibit by Rhoda Yanow entitled Pastels running through Sunday, July 14th in the Giffuni Gallery. This exhibit will feature the works of Rhoda Yanow, who was born in Newark, New Jersey and teaches at DuCret School of Art, the Newark Museum and The Pastel Society of America School.

More information about this exhibit is available at (330) 743-1107.The Butler Institute of American Art (524 Wick Avenue) in Youngstown

Stambaugh Chorus: Youngstown Area Community Concert BandIn celebration of its 60th Anniversary, the Stambaugh Chorus presents a Concert with the Youngstown Area Community Concert Band, performing The Armed Man, A Mass For Peace by Karl Jenkins at Stambaugh Auditorium. The Armed Man alternates between scenes of war and sections of the Latin Mass, provides listeners a way to find the path from war to peace. Tickets and more information are available at stambaughchorus.org and at 330-259-0555. The concert starts at 4:00 pm.

Stambaugh Auditorium is located at 1000 Fifth Avenue, Youngstown.

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What’s Happening Around The Valley: May 19- May 24

Sunday, May 19The Youngstown Music Teachers Association: Masters Competition RecitalThe Youngstown Music Teachers Association brings their annual Masters Competition Recital to Bliss Recital Hall, on the campus of Youngstown State University. This recital will feature the winners of the different grade divisions of the Masters Competition, which was held on May 11th. More information about this event is available at (330) 941-3636.  The recital gets underway at 4 p.m.

Monday, May 20The Youngstown Camera Club: Digital PhotographyThe Youngstown Camera Club meets twice a month at Christ’s Church in Boardman. The club meetings are open to anyone interested in digital photography. Meetings occur the first and third Monday of the month at 7:30 p.m.. Interested people can find the latest information on the club’s website: http://ycc.photoforge.org or call 330-793-8316. Free.

Christ’s Church is located at 7155 Glenwood Ave, Boardman. For more information 330-793-8316.

The Ohio State University Extension in Canfield: Summer Vegetable Garden ClassThe Ohio State University Extension in Canfield is having a Summer Vegetable Garden Class at 6 p.m. at St. Pat's Community Garden in Youngstown. This class will include handouts and activities, and experts will be available to answer gardening questions, share details about plants growing at the gardens, and provide their personal strategies for the best vegetables. More information about this class is available at (330) 533-5538.

St. Pat's Community Garden is at 1420 Oak Hill Avenue, Youngstown.

The Friends of the Austintown Library: Cassie NesporThe Friends of the Austintown Library presents Cassie Nespor, the curator of the Rose Melnick Medical Museum in a lecture at 10 a.m. at the Austintown Library. Ms. Nespor will highlight some of the interactive aspects of the museum, talk about some of the exhibits on display, and share interesting stories about the exhibits. More information about this event is available at (330) 792-6982.  The Austintown Library is at 600 South Raccoon Road.

Tuesday, May 21Mill Creek MetroParks: Girls' Night OutMill Creek MetroParks gets the party started with Girls' Night Out on Tuesday and Wednesday, May 22nd at 5:30 p.m. at the D. D. and Velma Davis Education and Visitors Center at Fellows Riverside Gardens. Girls' Night Out will feature garden container planting demonstrations, dance presentations and more. Registration and more information about this event is available at (330) 740-7116.

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What’s Happening Around The Valley: May 19- May 24

Tuesday, May 21Mill Creek MetroParks’s Pro Shop :The Speed and Power Clinic:Mill Creek MetroParks’s Pro Shop is teaching ways to develop more speed and power in a golf swing.  The Speed and Power Clinic will be how the body sequences in the golf swing and some drills you can do to increase power. Call the Pro Shop for details, register and the fees at 330-740-7112.

The Austintown branch of the Public Library: Nook For NewbiesPublic Library, The Austintown branch of the Public Library is having Nook For Newbies.Bring your Nook to the library and they’ll show you how to download eBooks from the Library’s Digital Catalog. Space is limited. Call and ask for Austintown Library to register at 330-744-8636. The Austintown Branch is at 600 South Raccoon Road.

Friday, May 24The McDonough Museum of Art: Dusk To Dawn - An Evening Of Art SongThe McDonough Museum of Art presents a concert featuring Amanda Rae Matson and Julia M. Wilcox, entitled Dusk To Dawn - An Evening Of Art Song at 6 p.m. Amanda Rae Matson and Julia M. Wilcox will perform Claude Debussy's Ariettes oubliees, the Gypsy Songs of Antonin Dvorak, and Four Lieder, Op. 27 of Richard Strauss. More information about this event is available at (330) 941-1400.   

Writing Opportunities at the Second Annual Voices of the Valley

For a second year, Voices of the Valley will bring together new playwrights with directors and actors to collaborate on never before produced written works.

This event gives new authors in the local arts community an opportunity to be heard as their works are mentored and prepared for fully staged productions at theaters around the country.  It also begins to help bridge the gap between community and regional theater.

They establish a creative team to discuss, rehearse and produce a staged reading of their new one act plays.

A panel of writers and directors will select and stage the new plays for a three week workshop and perform at stage readings scheduled for August 2, 3 and 4 at the Youngstown Playhouse.

Submissions are now being accepted at the Youngstown Playhouse and will continue to be accepted through May 31.  Information on applying and guidelines for the festival can be acquired by visiting www.theyoungstownplayhouse.com or by visiting the theater during regular business hours, Monday – Friday between 10 am and 4 pm.

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On StageSalem Community Theater: 12 Angry MenSalem Community Theatre presents the drama 12 Angry Men. 12 Angry Men tells of a 19 year old man after standing trial in his father's fatal stabbing death, and the jurors deciding his fate.

The play will run weekends from Friday, May 17th through Saturday, May 25th. Evening performances are at 8 p.m. and the Sunday matinee is at 2 p.m. Tickets and more information are available at (330) 332-9688. 

Salem Community Theatre at 490 East State Street, Salem.

Youngstown Playhouse: Legally BlondeBlondeYoungstown Playhouse is staging Legally Blond the Musical. The story is based on the novel Legally Blonde and the 2001 film of the same name. It tells the story of Elle Woods, a sorority girl who enrolls at Harvard Law School to win back her ex-boyfriend Warner. She discovers how her knowledge of the law can help others.

Legally Blond starts its run on May 10 to 19. Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m and Sundays at 2:30 p.m.

The Youngstown Playhouse is located 600 Playhouse Ln, Youngstown.

The Victorian Players: The FantasticksThe Victorian Players are staging The Fantasticks from May 3 through May 19.The original production ran in New York for 42 years and then brought back. Friday and Saturday evening performances begin at 7:30 p.m. with Sunday matinees starting at 2:00 p.m. Adult tickets are $10.00 with Student and Senior Tickets being $8.00.Group rates are available as are special student group rates.Call the reservation line at 330-746-5455.The Victorian Players is located at 702 Mahoning Avenue in Youngstown.

Upcoming:

Pierce Opera House: The Prisoner of Second AvenuePierce Opera House presents THE PRISONER OF SECOND AVENUE By Neil Simon on May 31, June 1 at 8pm and June 2 at 2 p.m. Tickets are $15 for adults and $10 for students. Call 724-815-4388 to make reservations

Pierce Opera House located at 100 N. Mercer Avenue, Sharpsville, PA.

The New Castle Playhouse: boeing boeing-a comedyThe New Castle Playhouse will be presenting boeing boeing-a comedy, May 31-16. The storyline is Bernard, a successful architect living in Paris, thought he could easily cope with his three stewardess fiancees. 

Friday & Saturday Performances are at 7:30 p.m. Sunday Matinees - 2:00 p.m.

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Excerpts from A Byrd’s Eye View can be read in The Review,Newspaper, available throughout the Valley and online athttp://www.thereviewnewspapers.com/

PRIVACY POLICYSome of you on A Byrd’s Eye View newsletter mailing list came to us from other e-mails sent to us regarding stories about Arts events in the area.

We thought you would be interested in reading about additional Arts-related information of interest in the Mahoning and Shenango valleys, and added you. However, if you no longer wish to receive the newsletter, simply send a blank e-mail to artbyrdagain@yahoo.com with UNSUBSCRIBE in the subject line.

The e-mail addresses we have are NEVER shared in any way with anyone, nor are they sold. All copies of the newsletter are sent as blind carbon copies, so that no one receiving the newsletter knows the addresses of anyone else receiving it.

If you have received this free newsletter as a forward and would like to subscribe, please send a blank e-mail with SUBSCRIBE in the subject line to artbyrdagain@yahoo.com.

Art Byrd Jr. has won awards as a filmmaker and journalist. After working many years as a videographer and director for WFMJ TV News, he retired from broadcasting to share his experience and insight with students as an instructor at Youngstown State University. Art has written and produced numerous Indie films, which have been shown at prestigious film festivals. In addition to teaching and writing/producing A Byrd’s Eye View newsletter, Art also does freelance media work. He is based in Youngstown, Ohio.

Monnie Ryan retired in 2003 after 14 years as managing editor of The Business Journal in Youngstown, where she continues to contribute to the print and online editions. Articles she has written have appeared in more than 20 national publications and at several travel-related Web sites, and she has won numerous awards for photography. Contact her at mryan62692@aol.com.

Movie reviews from A Byrd’s Eye View can be read in The Buckeye Review Newspaper, available throughout the Valley at various newsstands.

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