Flooding fix advocates receive Diamond Jubilee Medals

The second half of the 2012-13 St. Lawrence Acoustic Stage season will kick off next week; an outstanding roster of musicians is coming to South Dundas. 

“We have such a varied and exciting line-up coming to town starting this month,” said Sandra Whitworth, on the board of the St. Lawrence Acoustic Stage.

The extraordinary Natalia Zuckerman will open the spring series on February 16, with  Juno award winner, Amelia Curran, appearing on March 2. April 6, the incredible alt country band, New Country Rehab, takes to the stage. Grammy award winning fingerstyle guitarist, Laurence Juber, best known to many as lead guitarist in Paul McCartney’s Wings, will perform on April 27. 

The stellar St. Lawrence Acoustic Stage season will close out with a showcase for up and coming artists, Intimate Acoustics, on May 25.

Sandra Whitworth is also delighted to welcome some new additions to the St. Lawrence Stage “family” this spring. 

Now joining long time Stage supporter, Coffey’s Coffee, in sponsoring the spring musical series, are these local businesses: the law firm of Horner and Pietersma, Riley’s Valumart, Thom Realty Ltd., Seaway Valley Pharmacy, Morrisburg Home Hardware and the Bank of Montreal, Morrisburg branch.

“It’s been very heartening to have local businesses come on board and support us. It does feel like an acknowledgement from the Morrisburg community of the work we are doing,” Whitworth said. 

This spring, the Stage is also offering a number of workshops to the community.

First up, New Yorker Natalia Zuckerman (she is the daughter of the NAC Orchestra conductor, Pinchas Zuckerman) will hold two workshops. The first will take place on Saturday, February 16, at the Morrisburg Meeting Centre from 2-4 p.m., before Zuckerman’s evening concert.

Zuckerman is a virtuoso slide and blues guitarist, as well as a visual artist. In her local workshop, she will help students try out different slide guitar techniques and alternate tuning. She’ll get students using various materials such as glass, metal and lap style. Participants should have some familiarity with the guitar, but it is not necessary to have prior experience playing slide guitar.

Zuckerman is also presenting a  second workshop on Sunday, February 17, again from 2-4 p.m., in Cornwall, in partnership with the Art Gallery Cornwall (168 Pitt Street).  “Song Writing with a Painter’s Eye,” is for both musicians and artists. No prior visual or musical background is required, just interest. Natalia will be showing students how to create image-based songs, and song-based images. Each two hour workshop is $25 (funds for all workshops go directly to the artists). 

A minimum enrollment of eight participants is required for the Morrisburg workshop to run. Register for it by February 13, at the latest, at info@st-lawrencestag.com.  

On April 27, Laurence Juber will direct a workshop in Morrisburg entitled “Beatles, Wings and Six Strings,” before his evening concert. 

He will work with students on techniques for arranging songs such as building moving parts from basic harmony, voicing and articulating the melody and adding bass and groove to create a satisfying performance.

The cost of this workshop is also $25. A minimum of eight participants is needed for the workshop to run.

The St. Lawrence Acoustic Stage is an exceptional venue for the performing arts in South Dundas. 

“We are trying to build a ‘community’ as much as just an audience,” Whitworth said. “Community, as we see it, means a shared openness to music, the willingness to be a bit surprized perhaps by a performer or style. We offer an intimate setting for audiences to enjoy the talents of extraordinary musicians, often at half the price these same performers might command in say, Ottawa.” 

Reach the St. Lawrence Acoustic Stage at http://www.st-lawrencestage.com/shows.html.

[…]

 “To raise and train a guide dog for service to deaf, blind or special needs people, takes months of intensive schooling. The cost per dog is $20,000, but the dogs themselves are presented to the people who need them at no cost at all,” said Bill Dixon, past president of District A Lions, and special guest at the Iroquois-Matilda Lions dinner held on Monday, June 10.

“That is why the efforts of these two Junior Lions to raise funds for my Pennies for Pups campaign are important. I am here to honour two young women who have done something special for our cause.”

Iroquois-Matilda Junior Lions, Sarah MacDonald and Larissa Ettlin, raised $330 at their high school, Seaway DHS, to present to the program. “We decided we wanted to get our community and our school involved,” Sarah and Larissa said. “We did the organizing ourselves and set up a competition for home rooms to see which one could raise the most pennies. We worked on the project for close to three months.”

Lion Doug Peters originally brought the campaign, Pennies for Puppies, to the attention of the Iroquois-Matilda Lions. “Sarah and Larissa took up the idea and ran with it,” he said. “I am very pleased that they are being honoured tonight with special certificates.” 

In his address to the club, Dixon, whose  daughter has multiple sclerosis and works with a guide dog, stressed the immense difference a trained guide dog can make in the lives of the people who receive one from the Foundation.

“These animals give a sense of security and safety to humans. Often the dogs are a calming influence on young children dealing with handicaps. The Foundation relies on groups like the Lions and other service clubs for the funds to raise and train these wonderful dogs. We receive no government funding. Young people like Sarah and Larissa are picking up the torch of service.”

The Iroquois-Matilda Lions voted to add extra funds to the Junior Lions’ collection, to make the total donation to the Pennies for Puppies $500. Dixon is hoping to raise $20,000 for GuideDogs.  

[…]

The Council of the United Counties of Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry announced March 16, that the operations of the Roads and Planning Departments will be merged into a new Department called “Transportation and Planning Services”. 

The actions necessary to implement the change were approved at the March session of County Council and are effective immediately.

SDG County Planner Michael Otis has retired. 

The County is not replacing this Department Head position, but instead will be hiring a Manager of Planning, who will report to the Director of Transportation and Planning Services. 

The new mid-level position will manage the day-to-day operations of the planning services section of the new Department.

The restructuring of the two departments will not impact services levels or operations, either for roads or planning services.

The County will continue to oversee the County Official Plan, as well as land division (land severances and plans of subdivision).

County Engineer, Benjamin de Haan, will assume overall responsibility for the new Department. 

de Haan’s title has changed to Director of Transportation and Planning Services.

“It is always important to be looking for efficiencies when opportunities come up, and these changes to our senior management team demonstrate our commitment to that. There are cost savings and many synergies, both internally and to the public, to be gained by the merging of the two departments,” said Eric Duncan, Warden, United Counties of SD&G.

“We have appreciated Mr. Otis’ service to the County and we look forward to working closely with Mr. de Haan in moving the new Department forward. There is a lot of potential with these changes and we are anxious to implement some new ideas,” said T.J. Simpson, Chief Administrative Officer, United Counties of SD&G

[…]