During a time when many are looking for a positive message and kindness to cope with the challenges of everyday life, PBS Fort Wayne is pleased to share with kids and parents everywhere a weekly respite Thursdays at 11:00AM with “Notable Neighbor” local celebrity read-alongs on our Facebook page.
The series is designed to encourage reading and introduce area children to a number of books in a fun way: By having local “notable neighbors” read their favorite children’s book.
Readers are chosen not so much for their level of fame within the Fort Wayne area, but for their good deeds or standing in the community and the impact they could have on a young child, inspiring them to read, too. Notable readers featured in the future could be firefighters, doctors, teachers, artists, writers, parents, grandparents, coaches, and people from every walk of life.
Enjoy our most recent Notable Neighbor Read Along!
Upcoming Local Celebrity Readers!
August 12, 2021: Jodi Hamilton, Education Outreach Coordinator, PBS Fort Wayne, reading “Oh, The Places You’ll Go!” by Dr. Seuss
Jack Hammer
Check Out All Local Celebrity Readers
on our Facebook Page!
Jack Hammer, former Executive Director, Three Rivers Festival: reading “Somebody Love You Mr. Hatch” by Eileen Spinelli
Brandy Miller, RN
Jeff Ormiston, Education Outreach, Allen County Parks & Recreation, Fox Island County Park, reading “McElligot’s Pool” by Dr. Seuss
Rochele Watson, Executive Director, Fort Wayne Pet Food Pantry, reading “It’s Raining Pups and Dogs!” by Jeanne Prevost
Jim Anderson, Executive Director, Fort Wayne Children’s Zoo, reading “Just Dog” by Hiawyn Oram
Kelly Updike, Executive Director, Fort Wayne Embassy Theatre, reading “Amandina” by Sergio Ruzzier
Brandy Miller, Director of Surgical Services, Southwest Surgical Suites, reading “Mike Mulligan and his Steam Shovel” by Virginia Lee Burton
Linda Jackson
Linda Jackson, News Anchor, Fort Wayne’s NBC, reading “Miss Twiggley’s Tree” by Dorothea Warren Fox
Cory Balkenbusch, Quartermaster/Sgt., Historic Fort Wayne, reading “The Steadfast Tin Soldier” by Hans Christian Anderson
Lindsay Navarre, Dancer, Fort Wayne Ballet, reading “Max” by Rachel Isadora
Michael Limmer, Vice President Marketing & Promotion, Fort Wayne TinCaps, and Johnny TinCap, reading “Goodnight Baseball” by Michael Dahl
Caen MacAddis, (aka Kip Lytle), Woodwright, Historic Old Fort Wayne reading “The Woman Who Named Things” by Cynthia Rylant
Terra Brantley, News Anchor WANE Newschannel 15, reading “From Acorns to Oak Trees” by Charles Cush
Kevin Hughes, Recreation Director, Turnstone Center for Children and Adults with Disabilities, reading “Goodnight Hockey” by Michael Dahl
Mandy Drakeford, MA, APR Executive Director, GiGi’s Playhouse Down Syndrome Achievement Centers, reading “Guess how Much I Love You” by Sam McBratney
Jessica Henry, Executive Director Allen County SPCA, reading “Buddy Unchained” by Daisy Bix
Lisa Czechowski, US Women’s Goalball Athlete and Paralympian reading “Llama Llama Mad At Mama” by Anna Dewdney
Sensei Steve Basche, Basche’s Martial Arts reading “Julius” by Syd Hoff
Annette Morlan, RN, Saint Anne Home & Retirement Communities, Fort Wayne, reading “Little Blue Truck” by Alice Schertle
Paula Kaufman, Executive Director, Out Of A Jam, reading “Froggy Bakes a Cake” by Jonathan London
Jonathan Busarow, Executive Artistic Director, Fort Wayne Children’s Choir, reading “There’s A Hole In The Bucket!” adapted by John M. Feierabend
Dana Berkes, Public Affairs Manager, NIPSCO “After the Fall – How Humpty Dumpty got back up again” by Dan Santat
Heidi Kaufman, Community Advisory Board (encourages people to volunteer for their favorite charitable organization) “Dragons Love Tacos” by Adam Rubin
Mitchell McKinney, Captain, Community Relations Fort Wayne Police Department
Carmen Cumberland, Executive President, Community Harvest Food Bank of Northeast Indiana, Inc. reading “Stone Soup” by Jon J. Muth
Andrew Hoffman, Executive Director, NeighborLink Fort Wayne, reading “Blizzard” by John Rocco
Rev. Donovan A. Coley, Sr., MA – CEO/Senior Pastor, Fort Wayne Rescue Mission, reading “The Teddy Bear” by David McPhail
Shadwaynn Curry, Administrative/Donor Relations Manager, Unity Performing Arts Foundation, reading “Looking Like Me” by Walter Dean Myers
Bruce Haines, PBS Fort Wayne President/General Manager, reading “Peef: The Christmas Bear”, by Tom Hegg & Warren Hansen
Mary Lee Freeze, Brightpoint/Headstart Vice President of Early Childhood Services reading “Where’s my T-R-U-C-K?!” by
Heather Closson, Director of Grants and Programs, Arts United of Greater Fort Wayne, Auer Center of Arts and Culture – “The Listening Walk” by Paul Showers
Melinda Haines, CEO, The Literary Alliance of Fort Wayne, reading “The Owl and The Pussycat” by James Marshall and Edward Lear
Jodi Hamilton, PBS Fort Wayne, reading “Chicken Soup with Rice and Mice” by Maria Fleming, Illustrations by Ellen Joy Sasaki
Elizabeth Bushnell, Executive Director, The Questa Foundation, reading “I Love you Stinky Face” by Lisa McCourt
Capri Williams, Membership/Development Director, Fort Wayne Museum of Art
Dr. Al Brothers, Engineer, Community Advocate reading “The Terrible Plop” by Ursula Duborosky
Luther Whitfield, Pastor, New Covenant Worship Center, reading “From Acorns to Oak Trees” by Charles Cush
Lou Ann Homan, storyteller and teacher at Trine University reads “Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day!”
Erica Anderson-Senter, English/Creative Writing teacher, Canterbury High-School, reading “Leonardo The Terrible Monster”
Angie Moellering, President and CEO Lutheran Social Services, reading “How Do Dinosaurs Stay Safe?”
Jan Williams, Director Youth Services Bureau, Huntington, Indiana, reading “Big Dog, Little Dog”
Mick Baker, Executive Pastor, The Impact Center, reading “Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?”
Rena Bradley, Community Development Director, Bridge of Grace CMC, reading “I Love You So Much”
Jen Veatch, CEO of Ronald McDonald House Charities of Northeast Indiana, reading “Raggedy Ann: A Thank You, Please and I Love You Book.”
Michelle Creager, CEO, Matthew 25 Health & Care, reading “Love You Forever.”
Fernando Zapari, CEO, El Mexicano News, reading “Si De La Pastelito Un A Gato.”
Megan Butler, Riverfront Fort Wayne Program & Events Manager with Fort Wayne Parks and Recreation reading “What We’ll Build.”
Susan Baier, Executive Director, Allen County Public Library, reading “The Library Book”
Joe Brettnacher, Ph.D., Catholic Schools Office Superintendent, Diocese of Fort Wayne South Bend reading “The Giant Jam Sandwich” by John Vernon Lord
Michael Kuhn – Family & Brand Advocate Habitat for Humanity of Greater Ft. Wayne, reading “Goodnight, Goodnight, Construction Site”
Jade Glover, Program Coordinator, Family Centered Services, Inc. of Bluffton, IN reading “Big Enough to Help”
Melissa Osborn, Pet Promises Coordinator from Humane Fort Wayne reading “Whoever You Are” by Mem Fox.
MaryClare Akers, MSW,LSW Executive Director, Allen County Drug & Alcohol Consortium, Inc. reading “And Tango Makes Three” by Peter Parnell
Cory Fagg, Animal Care Associate Fort Wayne Children’s Zoo, reading “Giraffes Can’t Dance” by Giles Andreae
Brett Gauger, Marketing Communications Specialist, Elevatus Architecture, reading “Try a Little Kindness” by Henry Cole
Nathan Smith, Program Coordinator/ Office Manager, Camp Red Cedar reading “We’re Going On A Nature Hunt” by Steve Metzger
Camille Garrison, Outreach Coordinator, Volunteer Center @ RSVP reading “The Mitten Tree” by Candace Christiansen
Emilie Henry, Host of Arts in Focus on PBS Fort Wayne reading “Pig the Pug” by Aaron Blabey
Megan McClellan, Executive Director, Fort Wayne Trails reading “Ruby’s School Walk” by Kathryn White
Jodi Hamilton, Education Outreach Coordinator, PBS Fort Wayne, reading “Oh, The Places You’ll Go!” by Dr. Seuss
PBS Fort Wayne’s Notable Neighbor Celebrity Read Along series is sponsored in part by
