HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2011-01-06, Page 23THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, JANUARY 6, 2011. PAGE 23.
The Blyth Festival hosted its
Annual General Meeting to
officially wrap up one of its most
artistically successful seasons in
recent memory, if not in the
Festival’s history. The meeting was
held in the Bainton Gallery at Blyth
Memorial Hall on Dec. 9. Blyth
Festival members and staff, and
representatives from the Blyth
Festival Art Gallery, Orchestra and
Singers were in attendance.
“The 2010 season in Blyth will
long be celebrated for its artistic
achievements, ranging from an
inspiring repertoire of new plays to a
slightly eccentric, yet powerful,
schedule of special events,” said
Artistic Director Eric Coates. Coates
went on to say that all of the
productions were well received by
Blyth Festival patrons and critics
alike.
Each of the three world premieres
produced during the 2010 season
have received significant attention
from the theatre community. A
Killing Snow by Paul Ciufo will be
published by Scirocco Publishing in
2011; The Book of Esther by Leanna
Brodie will be produced by the
Prince Edward County Players in
2011; and Pearl Gidley by Gary
Kirkham continues to garner interest
from other producing theatres.
Despite high praise in local and
national press box office, revenue
fell short of projections and the
Blyth Festival will post a $31,081
deficit in 2010. Ron Burt,
representative for Takalo and Burt
Chartered Accountants, presented
the Auditor’s Report of the financial
statements. Burt assured those
present that the Blyth Festival is not
in any immediate financial danger.
He noted that the financial
management at the Festival is the
best that it has ever been.
“We are striving to be proactive in
the face of economic downturn,”
said General Manager Deb Sholdice.
“People paying close attention to our
[2011] season announcement and
brochure will notice small but
hopefully innovative changes.”
Sholdice noted the 2011 season has
been shortened slightly—a business
decision to help keep production
costs and expenses manageable.
At the same time, the Blyth
Festival will introduce a new
initiative in the Philips Studio at the
end of the season. The Studio Series
will bring in two works from 2010
Summer Works—an independent
theatre festival held annually in
Toronto. And, for the first time in
Blyth Festival history, the Young
Company will be promoted to the
main stage with a revival of last
season’s Alligator Tears by Britta
Johnson.
“The staff is excited, our sponsors
are excited, the board is excited and
hopefully the audience will be
even more excited!” Sholdice
said.
The 2011 season runs June 21 –
August 27, with the Studio Series
running until September 3 For more
information on the Blyth Festival
2011 season, visit
www.blythfestival.com or call 1-
877-862-5984.
Blyth-area native Mark Nonkes,
who inspired the Huron Bicycles for
Humanity project, will celebrate its
success with a photo show at the
Goderich Co-op Gallery during
January and February. These photos
feature the joy of the recipients of
the bicycles and the difference the
bikes have made to the community
receiving them.
Nonkes worked in Namibia as a
web designer on a six-month skills
exchange through the Canadian
government. At the end of this
contract, he was hired as a
communications officer. While in
Namibia, Mark was looking for a
modestly-priced bike for himself
and found that these were in short
supply. Only expensive bikes were
manufactured on the continent.
Hearing about Bicycles for
Humanity, which sends bikes from
Europe, North America, Japan and
Australia to Africa, Mark asked his
parents back in Huron County to
help. Sylvia and Jack Nonkes, who
had visited Mark in Namibia, were
able to become involved. In 2008,
383 bikes from this area were
shipped, after not only finding the
bikes, but also the money to fund the
container and the shipping. The
container became a bicycle repair
shop, employing five people and the
profits helped to feed children with
HIV.
In 2010, Perth and Huron
Counties were canvassed and over
800 bikes were donated. Then
money for the two containers was
needed for shipping and Namibia’s
import taxes.
The photos in this show were
taken by Nonkes in Namibia, after
the first shipment of bikes and show
the joy and exuberance of the
children of the area. The bikes
would be used to get water (one
kilometre away) or to take their trip
to school. Life would be much
easier with the assistance of these
bikes.
Nonkes’s photos can be viewed at
the Goderich Co-op Gallery during
the first two months of 2011. The
Gallery is located at 54 Courthouse
Square, and winter hours are
Wednesday to Saturday, 10 a.m. - 4
p.m. A working artist is always on
duty. For more information call 519-
440-5320 or visit
www.gcgallery.com
Jim Finkbeiner is ready to beat his
record from last year when he
walked from the Exeter Fire Hall to
the Huron Park Fire Hall on Jan. 2,
2010 a distance of 10 km. On Jan. 8
he will be walking from Exeter
Fire Hall to the Alzheimer Society
office in Clinton a distance of 32.5
km.
He will be starting his walk at 8:30
a.m. in Exeter and hopes to be in
Clinton between 4 p.m. – 5 p.m.
Jim has never been one to run
from challenges and he is taking
strides to increase awareness
about Alzheimer’s disease and
invites you to join him on his
journey.
Jim will be joined by MP Ben
Lobb, MPP Carol Mitchell and a
host of friends and supporters to
make the trek from Exeter to
Clinton. Cathy Ritsema, Executive
Director of Alzheimer Society
Huron County says, “Jim is a very
courageous and determined man
who is working hard to raise
awareness of the disease he lives
with every day”.
Jim was diagnosed in early March
2009 with Alzheimer’s disease. He
and his wife Linda have been
working tirelessly at continuing their
life as normally as possible. Jim
loves to walk, and it keeps him in
good shape, so a walk from Exeter to
Clinton was a challenge he gave
himself to keep him motivated and
give him some purpose. Jim’s
response, “I have the disease, but it
doesn’t have me”.
Jim is walking not only to raise
awareness of this disease but also in
hopes of promoting and getting
more people to participate in the
2011 Walk for Memories held on
Jan. 29 at South Huron District
School, Exeter; St. Anne’s Catholic
Secondary School, Clinton;
Goderich YMCA, Goderich;
Seaforth Public School, Seaforth;
and F.E. Madill Secondary School,
Wingham.
If you would like to sponsor Jim
on his walk, contact him directly at
519-235-4031 or you can go to
www.walkformemories.ca to
sponsor him online.
For more information on the 2011
Walk for Memories visit
www.alzheimerhuron.on.ca or call
519-482-1482 or toll-free 1-800-
561-5012.
Festival posts small deficit for season
Local man participates in
2011 Walk for Memories
Blyth native’s work featured at Co-op Gallery
Exhibiting talent
Blyth-area native Mark Nonkes will be exhibiting a
collection of photographs he took in Namibia, including the
above picture of a Namibian child, at the Goderich Co-op
Gallery for January and February to help raise money for
Bicycles for Humanity. (Photo submitted)
Entertainment Leisure&
January 10, 2011
is a very
special day!
Congrats to
Joan Bernard
on her birthday!
Thanks for being a
blessing to us all.
Love from Howard
and your family
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The Citizen