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At Prospector Movie Theater: Employees with Disabilities Sparkle & Transform Passions into Professions

The Debbie Nigro Show

Release Date: 03/29/2024

I Had ‘Hydrangea Envy’ This Year: Best in 20 Years Says Queen Of Hydrangeas show art I Had ‘Hydrangea Envy’ This Year: Best in 20 Years Says Queen Of Hydrangeas

The Debbie Nigro Show

I’ve always admired hydrangea flowers but this year I was obsessed! I was slamming on my brakes and jumping out of my car just to take pictures of ‘other people’s hydrangeas’! It’s not like I'd never seen hydrangeas before. It’s just that this year for some reason they just seemed more beautiful than I ever remember.  I wanted to share in the hydrangea joy, so I went and bought a pretty blue hydrangea plant at Home Depot.  I think it died in the car on the way home. I planted other pretty flowers that actually lived, but sadly not that one. I was bummed. ...

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My Blind Summer College Intern Does ‘Live’ Reports on Technology Helping Those with Disabilities show art My Blind Summer College Intern Does ‘Live’ Reports on Technology Helping Those with Disabilities

The Debbie Nigro Show

Kathleen Masciana is my summer college intern. She’s a sweet and smart college gal with an impressive list of credits. She insists on calling me Miss Nigro. I keep telling her to call me Debbie. Kathleen who is blind, aspires to be a radio and podcast talk show host. She posted her first attempt at hosting a talk show  on YouTube on ‘BTGS Radio’ on Stationhead.com. 'BTGS Radio' stands for Blind Techie Geek Speaks. Kathleen’s a self-proclaimed technology geek. That’s what she loves reading about, thinking about, learning about. So I gave Kathleen an important job to fulfill her...

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At ‘89’ This Guy Took a 19 Day 11-Flight Trip Alone Then Gave a Workshop on The Blue Zones show art At ‘89’ This Guy Took a 19 Day 11-Flight Trip Alone Then Gave a Workshop on The Blue Zones

The Debbie Nigro Show

Talk About Risk It! Or Regret It!... After reading one of my email newsletters (they’re free btw at DebbieNigro.com) where my headline was my question “What are you going to do with TODAY?”  James (Jim) Flaherty a subscriber replied to my email: “About to leave (Mon Morning) for a 19 day 11-flight trip, visiting Flagstaff, AZ; Las Cruces, NM; and Houston and San Antonio before landing in the Baja of Mexico to teach a Modern Elder Workshop on THE BLUE ZONES, where there are more centenarians than anywhere else in the world. Trust you are well.  Good column today. ...

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Missed ol’ pal Adrienne Lopez Now Sr. Talent Producer at The Tamron Hall Show show art Missed ol’ pal Adrienne Lopez Now Sr. Talent Producer at The Tamron Hall Show

The Debbie Nigro Show

 Was missing my ol’ belly laugh pal TV Producer Adrienne Lopez. She used to live close by me but moved, and moved on to traveling for work. Hadn’t seen her in person since before Covid. Happened to a lot of friendships. Can’t remember exactly how we originally became friends, but I think it started way back when 5000 years ago when she once booked me on a TV show. Adrienne’s been in the tv & film business a long time. She’s a veteran television producer and talent executive. She’s been a casting director/producer in all tv genres including, reality tv, docu-series, and...

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Heard About The Nanny’s of Disney? They’re not just for the rich and famous! show art Heard About The Nanny’s of Disney? They’re not just for the rich and famous!

The Debbie Nigro Show

“Super Nanny’ Shannon Albrecht is the creator and President of President/Nanny-Land®️, LLC, the world’s only company specializing in Nannies at Disney!   Located at most Disney locations worldwide, and available on Disney cruise Lines they provide you with a Magical Nanny for your Family Adventures!   Shannon joined The Debbie Nigro Show to share that most of her clients are simply families who could use an extra set of hands when they take a Disney Adventure.   Typical families who book with her might have 3 or 4 kids, a child with special needs, or...

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Giving Writers The Keys To the Castle In Italy show art Giving Writers The Keys To the Castle In Italy

The Debbie Nigro Show

Have you heard about The Key to The Castle workshops for writers? The next one is taking place in Torre di Cittara, Italy from October 19th to 26th this year. Kathy Curto, Patricia Dunn, William Papaleo and Angela Derecas Taylor are behind this. It's their signature workshop on the Amalfi Coast but they offer workshops for writers, artists and yoga enthusiasts both online, locally in the NY area and in other cool places abroad. I found about  this when ran into Angela at a writer’s event. I’d known her from her days working in the mayor’s office in my city. When she retired 2...

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Vinnie Groppa Does Not Call Himself ‘Pool Artist to The Stars’ - I Do show art Vinnie Groppa Does Not Call Himself ‘Pool Artist to The Stars’ - I Do

The Debbie Nigro Show

Let’s just say if I was building or renovating a pool I’d call Vinnie Groppa. And for the record yes, stars do call him, but so do very regular people who still get the same star treatment!  Humble guy that Vinnie. Great sense of humor. Really nice human and super creative pool and backyard design visionary. I wanted to give Vinnie his own star treatment, so I invited him into the studio to tell the great entrepreneurial story of his family’s 50-year-old pool business Gunite Pools of Westchester. It’s a good one. And a story that's entering a new chapter... 'expansion'. ...

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James Bond Of Lifeguards Has Answer to National Lifeguard Shortage show art James Bond Of Lifeguards Has Answer to National Lifeguard Shortage

The Debbie Nigro Show

We have an ongoing national lifeguard shortage.   This is not good.   This poses a significant risk to water safety in communities for the 3rd year.   American Lifeguard Association (ALA) has launched a crucial initiative. and Wyatt Werneth their spokesperson, who’s like the Jame Bond of Lifeguards, is making headlines highlighting a crucial reality:   "Professional lifeguards, the dedicated guardians of our waterways, are deserving of both acknowledgment and compensation that mirror the critical nature of their work.”   The ALA is calling...

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Nuttin' Like A Blast of Hot Weather To Agitate Women Who Are Going Through the 'HOT' Phase. show art Nuttin' Like A Blast of Hot Weather To Agitate Women Who Are Going Through the 'HOT' Phase.

The Debbie Nigro Show

There's nuttin' like a blast of hot ‘clothes shedding weather’ to make some people realize they wish they were in better shape. LOL  If you’re a woman in your HOT phase of life this seaons hot weather shock can be even more uncomfortable. However, you can turn things around in just 30 days and feel a whole lot better if you listen to my Nutritionist pal Jacqui Justice.   Jacqui is one passionate nutritionist! She’s the OG of ‘Talkin’ Menopause’ and was talking about it when nobody else was. She’s been a pioneer in the space trying to help her fellow...

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Aimee Hofmann paralyzed at 30 by a horrible disease, uses her wheelchair and paintbrushes to create amazing works of art. show art Aimee Hofmann paralyzed at 30 by a horrible disease, uses her wheelchair and paintbrushes to create amazing works of art.

The Debbie Nigro Show

Needless to say Aimee Hofmann is an INSPIRATION to many!   At 30, she suffered from the neurological condition, Transverse Myelitis, an inflammation in the spinal cord that caused complete paralysis from level T10 of the spine. After learning she would never walk again, art gave her peace during the difficult stages of loss, grief, self-reflection, and re-discovery. Art helped her emotionally heal, as well as find joy again.   Throughout the years that followed, while facing a new life with a disability, Aimee created a number of collections. Her works featured...

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Have you heard about the AMAZING Prospector Theater in Ridgefield CT?

 

The Prospector Theater is a 501(c)(3) non-profit dedicated to providing competitive and inclusive employment to people with disabilities through the operation of a premium, first-run movie theater.

 

Employees of the Prospector, referred to as Prospects, are encouraged to sparkle, shine, and transform their passions into professions.

 

The Prospect Productions team creates high quality digital content for the Prospector Theater. Prospects working on the Production team learn in-demand trade skills such as storyboarding, filming, editing, sound & lighting design, post-production, audio engineering, photography, graphic design, animation, visual effects, and much more!

 

Video productions are used for pre-show content, educational experiences, PSAs, operating procedures, and entertainment!

 

 Over the last four years, Prospects have created over 1060 videos, garnering more than 17,000,000 views worldwide.

 

The Prospector Theater was founded by Valerie Jensen whose lifelong work started when her sister, Hope, was born in 1979 with Down syndrome.

 

Valerie Jensen and ‘Prospect’ Gabe Kavookijan joined me on the air to celebrated World Down Syndrome Day (March 21st).

 

Meet them both on this podcast of our live conversation on The Debbie Nigro Show and hear all about the cool things they’re doing at The Prospector Theater in Ridgefield CT and …hear all about their new 'Down To Sparkle' Flavor of Popcorn! 

 

They have many flavors and buying popcorn