Good News Friday: THS Girls Basketball, Dean's Lists, School Plays, Local Volunteers

It's another Friday in March and there's a fresh coat of snow covering all the ugly brown mounds that normally indicate the pending arrival of spring. It's true, there are only 13 days left until the Vernal Equinox, according to the Old Farmer's Almanac.

While I'm a lover of winter and snow, I'm ready for the warmer temperatures that will surely greet us later this month. Until then, I'll think happy thoughts of budding flowers and sweatshirt, not jacket, weather.

While the temperature was finger-numbing on Monday morning at Kollas Orchard, there was little that could to chill the spirits of the nearly 20 people gathered in the apple barn working to package and move about 17,000 pounds of apples from the orchard's cold storage into the back of two Foodshare delivery trucks.

Kudos to the Kollas family for donating their excess fruit and to those who gave their time Monday morning to help make the lives of many just a bit better, one sweet apple at a time.

Continuing with the theme of upbeat spirits, that's exactly how the fans of the Tolland High School girls basketball team will feel tonight as the Eagles face Bacon Academy in the Class L semifinal game.

The girls knocked off Northwest Catholic earlier this week for a chance to face the defending class champions. (Read more about the game in this report by the Hartford Courant). Tonight's game (Friday, March 8) is scheduled for 6 p.m. at Bulkeley High School in Hartford.

The girls basketball team isn't the only THS group ready to put on a show Friday night. The high school drama club is ready to shine this weekend with a two nights worth of performances of the Little Shop of Horrors. Congratulations to the entire cast, and break a leg!

And of course there is good news from the classrooms where THS alumni are excelling in their studies: Nicholas Cassarino and Emma Stankiewicz made the fall semester dean's list at West Virginia University. Congratulations!