Film to feature '91 grad Finkbiner

By Rusty Nixon
Director of Development and Alumni Affairs

ST. LOUIS, MO - Plymouth grad Bill Finkbiner's road from PHS to feature film has been a long and eventful one - and one he almost didn't take.

"For me it all started in (teacher) Kathy Richter's speech class," said Bill from his home in St. Louis. "We had done a couple of speeches for class and she told me I should join the Speech Team. I had never really considered that and I told her to give me three reasons why I should. She said, 'you're good, you'll win and you'll win'."

Richter obviously knew her student because the words were the perfect encouragement for the athletic minded Finkbiner.

"She knew exactly how to approach it, appealing to that competitive side of me. I really enjoyed it and started taking Dan Tyree's theatre class too."

That theatre training has been instrumental in Bill's career leading him to a main supporting role in the new action film Broken Faith. The film stars Michael Joiner as a suicidal ex- special operative who must defeat his inner demons to save his daughter's (Vanessa Ore) life from a corrupt ATF agent out to kill her played by Rodney Wiseman.

"I was called in to read for Anson (the agent) which I expected because I fit the physical look of the character they wanted pretty well," said Bill. "I also ended up reading for the part of Dan, which is the lead. That surprised me since I'm quite a bit younger than what the part called for. I got called back for both."

It looked as if Bill would be the lead in the soon to be released feature, but when Joiner came on board he was cast as Colton, the right hand man of the corrupt agent.

"It's really exciting for me because most of the other film work I've done has been on really small extremely independent films," he said. "Micheal (Joiner) is an excellent actor and a great guy. I really think this is going to be a good film, and I'm ecstatic to have been a part of it."

A 1991 graduate of Plymouth High School Bill's Speech Team success earned him a scholarship to Bradley University to study Theatre and Speech, and spent his summers working performing with The People's Theatre as part of their Youth Intervention Theatre.

In 2000 Finkbiner moved to St. Louis and began working with several improvisational comedy companies including Bill Chott's who is a veteran of Chicago's Second City and Improv Olympic and featured actor in the movies The Ringer and currently in Johnny Depp's new feature The Rum Diary as well as a recurring character in Disney's The Wizards of Waverly Place.

Finkbiner is a regular on the St. Louis improv stage hosting shows for Bill Chott's Improv Trick. He is a cast member in the city's long running sketch comedy show Bye Bye Liver; The St. Louis Drinking Play and is a part of the Uppity Theatre Company's Big Fat LGBT Show.

"For live theatre I really love performing improv or straight sketch comedy," he said. "It's more immediate, more interaction with the audience and that adrenaline rush of the unexpected. You get to get into a rhythm with the people you're acting with."

"The one thing I might tell anybody that is getting started today would be to be sure you learn all you can about the business side of this profession. That really tripped me up for years. In theatre departments they teach you all about the craft, and that's great because you need that, but once you are out of school you are really a small business person and you need to know how to run that business."

The website for Broken Faith is available at http://www.brokenfaithfilm.com/index.html. More information on Bill's career is available at www.IMDB.me/billfinkbiner and you can follow him on Twitter @Bill_Finkbiner.

January Plymouth Basketball Newsletter

Up, up and away for Plymouth's Kunze

By Carol Anders
Correspondent

PLYMOUTH — Those who know Brian Kunze, 2007 Plymouth High School graduate, naturally associate him with hot air balloons.

Kunze was recently invited by the HACD (Balloon Federation of America/Hot Air Competition Division), to compete in the FAI Junior World Championship. The event features hot air balloon pilots from around the world. However, due to time and financial constraints, Kunze will be unable to compete since the event will be held in May in Lithuania.

Kunze was one of only ten from the United States who received an invitation. To qualify for the event, pilots have to be under the age of 27. They also must hold a Balloon Federation of America (BFA) competition card.  Invitees were selected based on the points that they had gathered from BFA sanctioned events.


““It has been great to be invited to the Junior World Championship," Kunze said. "I did not think I would since I have only competed in local competitions and have not been a part of the larger national competitions.  Unfortunately due to the late notice of the invitation, I will not be able to compete due to lack of funds.”

“I look forward to competing at a higher level within the United States ballooning competitions.  Hopefully in the next year or two, I will have raised enough funds to compete in the second and third annual Junior World Championships.”

Kunze is in his first year of teaching at Menominee Elementary where he serves as the Information Literacy Assistant. He graduated in 2007 from Manchester College with a degree in Social Studies at the secondary education level, but has become a favorite with the students at the elementary school.

Menominee Principal Michael Dunn said, “He was an awesome find. He has really connected to the kids and helping to integrate technology at school.”

Kunze hopes to use his hot air balloon expertise to teach the students about how weather affects and the science of how balloons are able to fly. Kunze said, “If the weather permits, I want to bring the balloon to the school grounds and maybe even inflate it.”

Kunze was only in kindergarten when he was invited to ride in hot air balloons with his classmate Brandon Jones whose father, Jeff Jones, was a hot air balloon pilot. Kunze and Jones continued their love of flying and helped as crew members for Jones for many years. For the past four years, Brian and his father Jim Kunze have been piloting the hot air balloon owned by WTCA/WZOC at events throughout them mid-west. They have become a fixture at the annual Blueberry Festival.

Brian Kunze said he has piloted the balloon for over 65 trips. 

“My dad and I spend good quality time piloting the hot air balloon. We tease each other all the time about who is the best, but it is all in good fun.” Kunze said.

Ship comes in for Passafire

By Rusty Nixon
Director of Development and Alumni Affairs

PLYMOUTH - After a whirlwind major U.S. summer tour, a hit new album and preparing to head out on an east coast tour of their own, Plymouth's Nick and Will Kubley and the band Passafire have even more good news.

The group has been invited to play with the band 311 in May on their special Carribean Cruise.

"Its really all kind of amazing. 311 was my favorite band in high school, my friends and I were all kind of obsessed with them really," said Nick Kubley preparing to hit the road for Passafire's winter tour. "To get to play with them now is really sort of a dream come true. It's certainly not anything I ever thought would happen when we were listening to them in high school."

Local fans will have a chance to see Passafire when their tour comes to Chicago on Feb. 28. The band will play a handful of dates in the midwest with the bulk of the tour on the eastern seaboard. It will be a different sort of tour than the grueling Vans Tour schedule the band had in the summer.

"I really have to admit a lot of the summer really runs together," said Nick. "It's (Vans) a really different type of tour. You sleep in the bus all night and you get there you have to get off the bus, find the catering tent so you can get something to eat and get your set time, then it's back to the bus to travel all night to the next spot.

"All the venues look almost exactly the same and you don't have any chance to actually see the city that your playing in so it all has a tendency to just blur together. This will be a lot different tour. I'm really looking forward to getting out there again. We've been home awhile now and it will be great to have something to do."

The band's new album and fourth release - Start From Scratch - is gaining rave reviews, not just from fans, but from the band themselves.

"I really feel good about the album, I'm happy with all of it - how it turned out and how it sounds," said Nick. "It's the first one we've done that I've been completely happy with. I really think it's our best effort."

Passafire spent the days before the Van's tour at the Sonic Ranch in El Paso, TX with new producer Paul Leary - who has worked previously with bands like Sublime and Meat Puppets - putting the record together.

Nick and Will Kubley during a break at the Sonic Ranch

"I like the process of recording but I'm not nearly as into it as (brother) Will is," laughed Nick. "Will and Ted (Browne guitarist and lead vocalist) are really into the recording process and playing with all the things in the studio. You have to understand that the first thing that's done in every record are the drums. I was finished in four days and spent the rest of the time sitting around really. Playing live is more fun for me."

What's next on the goal list for Passafire?

"I'd love to see us be able to get out there in more opening slots for some of the big name bands out there," said Nick. "It would be nice to see us in a place where we were selling out 1000 to 2000 seat venues on a regular basis."

Keep up with the Kubley's and Passafire at http://passafiretheband.com/en/ or search Passafire on Facebook.

PHS grad Chipman appointed Marshall County Chief Prosecuting Attorney

PLYMOUTH - Marshall County Prosecuting Attorney David R. Holmes announced today the appointment of Plymouth High School graduate E. Nelson Chipman, Jr. as Chief Deputy Prosecuting Attorney, effective March 1, 2012.

A lawyer since 1981, Chipman currently is serving as Plymouth City Attorney. His resignation from that position becomes effective at the close of business on February 29. Chipman has been a fulltime municipal lawyer for the last twelve years; and before that was in the private practice of law in partnership with his father. Chipman was a public defender for several years, and was a deputy prosecuting attorney for over seven years from 1987 to 1994.

In accepting the appointment, Chipman stated, “This was a once in a career opportunity to return to my first love in the law. Throughout my college and graduate school years I majored in criminology with a desire to make a positive difference in the vast field of criminal justice. Trial work in the Prosecutor’s Office allows me the chance to again pursue that passion."

Graduation report for the class of 2011

By Carol Anders
Correspondent

PLYMOUTH — The Plymouth School Board heard an updated report this week on students who gradated in 2011. Guidance Counselor Aimee Portteus began tracking students after graduation a few years ago and now reports annually to the board on the findings.

Portteus reported that 130 of those graduating in 2011 went on to a four-year college and 45 entered a two-year or vocational program. Nine of the 265 entered the military. Although 53 are currently a part of the workforce, 18 remain unemployed. Seven certificates of completion were issued and three of the graduates were foreign exchange students.

Five students were able to complete their requirements for high school graduation or obtaining a GED during summer school.

There were an impressive number of students graduating with high academic honors. Portteus said 68 received Core 40 Academic Honors; one received Core 40 Academic Honors and Technical Honors; and 130 were extended Core 40 diplomas.


Reprinted by permission of the Pilot News

Redistricting work continues for Plymouth schools

By Carol Anders
Correspondent

PLYMOUTH - The Plymouth School Corporation held a second meeting on Monday night concerning the redistricting necessary for the 2012-2013 school year. Dr. Jerome McKibben, McKibben Demographic Research, has been reviewing the data concerning enrollment for the entire Plymouth Schools.

To comply with federal mandates, school districts must maintain a balance of race/ethnicity, numbers of students who qualify for free and reduced services, and students who qualify for services due to placement in ELL classes for those with limited English speaking and/or writing skills.

The actual redistricting will affect the student population of each of the four elementary schools in the Plymouth system. Students in grades kindergarten through 4th grade attend one of the elementary schools and then all converge into Riverside Intermediate for grades 5-6.

The demographic study includes projections of students from private schools that are within the school district.

According to McKibben, 80 percent of students that will change schools are from Washington Elementary. Washington Elementary will be converted into the Discovery Academy for project-based learning. At an earlier meeting, McKibben said that 129 current students who reside within walking distance would be reassigned to Washington and the rest of the students would be assigned to other elementary schools. Enrollment for additional students at the Discovery Academy will be by application. The application process is open to any elementary student no matter where they live. The Discovery Academy can service 75 students per grade, according to current Washington Principal Michele Riise. The mix of students accepted would be based on a number of criteria.

Superintendent Dan Tyree said, “We want Discovery Academy to mirror the demographics of the other schools.”

McKibben said that the population forecast is based on projections for the next ten years. He said the final maps should be ready by the end of January, 2012 and he will present them in February to the public.

The influx of students from out of the district has contributed to the imbalances at the elementary schools, according to McKibben. He said, “Five years ago my crystal ball didn’t show that the state legislators would have open enrollment.” Open enrollment allows students to attend schools out of their home districts. This school year, there are 105 students from other districts attending the Plymouth elementary schools.

According to Tyree, parents/guardians will be notified by mail if their child (children) will be moved to another school. He said the Corporation will still allow parents to preference to another school.

Reprinted by permission of the Pilot News