Cash for young thespians

The Vail Valley Theatre Company is accepting applications for a pair of $500 scholarships it awards every year. The scholarships are for young actors ages 8 to 18 and can be used for programs at The Vail Performing Arts Academy and The Vail Valley Academy of Dance.Scholarships are not awarded based on income or ability, but on the love and enthusiasm of the performing arts. The deadline for applications is April 12. For information or an application, call Diana Honey Kiss at 476-3631.New grandparents among usDarell Wegert finally has a BMW. But it would be hard to drive.The BMW in this case is Brody Mathew Wegert, the first grandchild for Darell and his wife, Val.Some of you may remember Brody’s parents, Brian Wegert and his wife, the former Sarah Wall, both Battle Mountain High School grads now living in Highlands Ranch in the Denver area.The new grandparents are ecstatic, of course, but beware.

“Val’s not taking Grandma for a name,” Darell said. “But I like being Grandpa.”Congrats, Wegerts!Help an eagle (scout, that is)Zeb Maloney is an ambitious kid.Maloney is both a Boy Scout and a member of the Rocky Mountain 4-H Club, and wants to do one thing that will benefit both.Maloney is now working on his Eagle Scout project, and is putting together the service leadership part of scouting’s ultimate merit badge, so he wants to do something to benefit 4-H kids in the valley.The project is to clean up and repair the livestock pens at the old Echo Ranch site in Gypsum at the west end of the county airport’s runway. The pen renovation will help kids who don’t have a place to keep their livestock since the county’s old red barn went up in a controlled blaze last year.It’s a big job, and Maloney needs as much help as he can rustle up on the following dates:

— Saturday, April 2, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. (rebuilding)– Sunday, April 3, 11:30 a.m.-4 p.m. (rebuilding)– Saturday, April 9 10 a.m.-4 p.m. (rebuilding)Cleanup volunteers should bring shovels, rakes, crowbars, hammers and pliers. Anyone with access to a skid loader (a Bobcat) is welcome with open arms, and donations are gladly accepted, too.Volunteers also need to wear long pant, gloves, safety glasses and long-sleeved shirts.Lunch will also be provided on all the work days. For more information e-mail zeb_maloney@yahoo.com or call 524-1300.Mmmm … irony!

Welcome to Savor the Irony, a new, irregular feature of Town Talk. Today’s item comes courtesy of three Sierra Club types who came to a recent Vail Town Council meeting to lobby for an expensive, boondoggly transit system through the mountains. As the trio left, headed for points east of Vail Pass, who’d care to guess how many cars they got into?The correct answer, of course, is three.Oh, the irony!If you have a good candidate for Savor the Irony, (like a “save the planet” bumper sticker on a Ford F-350 crew cab diesel pick-up) send an e-mail to smiller@vaildaily.com. We’ll print the best, and maybe try to scrape up a T-shirt or something for really dandy tales of the ironical.Vail, Colorado