Wyoming Area Catholic sixth grade student Halle Jernigan took part in a questions and answers session after viewing a local documentary on the Agnes flood of 1972 presented by Alan Stout, writer and producer of the film.
Tony Callaio | For Sunday Dispatch
Seventh grade student at Wyoming Area Catholic, James Chromey, had a question for Alan Stout, writer and producer of the documentary Agnes: 50th Anniversary.
Tony Callaio | For Sunday Dispatch
Alan K. Stout, producer, writer and narrator of “Agnes: 50th Anniversary,” a documentary film on the 1972 flood that devasted Wyoming Valley, took questions from Wyoming Area Catholic sixth-, seventh- and eighth-grade students after viewing the movie.
Tony Callaio | For Sunday Dispatch
Toni Griseto, left, math and religion teacher for grades six through eight, offered comments on her experiences of the Agnes flood.
Tony Callaio | For Sunday Dispatch
EXETER – Writer, producer and narrator of the movie “A Documentary Film: Agnes 50th Anniversary”, Alan K. Stout, presented Wyoming Area Catholic with a DVD copy of the production for students to view in the future.
Before presenting the DVD, students from sixth grade through eighth grade watched the documentary with Stout, and several teachers. At the end of the movie, Stout held a question-and-answer session.
The 90-minute documentary was produced by the Wilkes-Barre Preservation Society to mark the 50th anniversary of the Hurricane/Tropical Storm Agnes that ripped through Wyoming Valley causing, what was called at the time, the worst natural disaster in U.S. history in June of 1972.
The film focuses on the Wyoming Valley, which suffered the most devastation. It includes new interviews and photos, combined with archived newsreels from local TV stations, radio broadcasts, newspapers and national news coverage that had not been viewed in 50 years.
Other principle people involved with the project along with Stout are Bob Savakinus, director; Timothy Novotney, editor; Tony Brooks, historical consultant from the Wilkes-Barre Preservation Society; and Richard Briggs, creative consultant.
The documentary has been successfully shown at the F.M. Kirby Center for the Performing Arts on multiple dates to sold out shows.
Now that the movie has been shown in a theater complex, Stout has a mission to get the DVD seen to as many area schools as possible.
“So far we’ve been to Wilkes University, King’s College, Luzerne County Community College, Good Shepard Academy, Hanover Area High School, Wilkes-Barre Area High School and Wyoming Valley West,” Stout said. “Today we are Wyoming Area Catholic and tomorrow we will be at St. Nick’s/St. Mary’s and yes, our goal all along was to do exactly what we are doing this fall.”
Stout said the initial goal was to get the documentary seen in a theater, followed by getting it into schools.
“All along the plan was to get it into the schools,” Stout added. “The administrators and principals have been willing to show it in class or an auditorium to students as in assemblies has been amazing. The colleges and universities have been so cooperative and welcoming and appreciative. I hope the students are really learning something about their community and maybe even looking at their hometown in little bit different way.”
Stout said he would hope students that have seen the film would create a dialog with their parents and grandparents that may have lived through the Agnes Flood.
