Category Archives: Instrumental

VOLUNTEERS – Belle Plaine volunteers of the year

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1329897443 85 VOLUNTEERS – Belle Plaine volunteers of the year

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Welcome to the Star Press Union’s Salute to Volunteers & Service Organizations. This first installment will focus on 19 Belle Plaine organizations that answered our call to tell us about who they are, what they do and how they serve their community.

While not all groups we contacted responded to our survey, we hope they and others we might have missed will participate next year.

A similar undertaking for the southern Benton County communities of Atkins, Blairstown, Luzerne, Keystone, Van Horne, Norway, Newhall and Watkins, will follow.

We invited service organizations, as well as the public, to nominate individuals as Volunteers of the Year – people whose volunteer efforts deserve special recognition.

Four finalists were selected and their stories appear below. Each will receive $50 for the charity of their choice and $50 in Belle Plaine Bucks.

Belle Plaine organizations

Drew Johnson 

Firefighter Drew Johnson is like most volunteers – he wants no glory.

“I’m nothing. I’m just labor,” said Johnson, who in 2012 notes his 23rd year with the Belle Plaine Fire Department.

Fire Chief Russ Spading thinks otherwise. In nominating Johnson as a Volunteer of the Year, Spading wrote, “He has been dedicated since I have known him. He is usually first at the station and almost always first to go into a fire. He understands safety and always looks out for others.”

Thirty-nine men and one woman round out the volunteer fire department’s current roster. Of those, Johnson attends more monthly meetings, training sessions and fire calls per year than anyone else, and he has for years, Spading noted.

A 1980 Belle Plaine graduate and co-owner of CarQuest Auto Parts in Belle Plaine and Toledo, Johnson joined the fire department in 1989 at the urging of his friend Denny Grieder, who signed up four years earlier. Being a Belle Plaine fireman seemed  natural to Johnson. His father Dave had 19 years with the department and grandfather Raleigh Johnson served in the 1950s and 60s.

Praise for his fellow firefighters and past fire chiefs comes easy to Johnson, who said many others are more deserving of recognition than he. He specifically mentioned Dan Johnson and Elana Janss-Johnson, who co-manage the Belle Plaine Area Ambulance and serve on the fire department. Dan is also responsible for training Belle Plaine’s firefighters.

Drew Johnson observed, “We’ve got good training officers in Belle Plaine. We’ve always had the best.”

Johnson said his biggest reward is simply helping out the company. The firefighters are a close-knit bunch and the camaraderie encourages him to stay on the team.

A new generation of firefighters has joined up in recent years to the department’s benefit, said Johnson, a machinist by trade who earned his Firefighter I and II certifications in the 1990s. “Our young guys go (to fire school at Ames and Kirkwood) and bring back that information to teach us.” Commenting on the new blood, Johnson observed, “They’re good kids. They’re getting younger.”

Johnson believes the department’s strength is its training. Good equipment is also a huge asset. “We’re fortunate, we’ve got a lot of nice stuff. The only thing we probably need right now is a big new tanker,” he said with a smile.

Volunteering is important and Johnson believes everyone should do it if they are physically able. As for being on the fire department, he said, “It’s endless hours.”

Johnson is married to Susie O’Brien Johnson, also a Belle Plaine native. Susie is her husband’s behind-the-scenes helper when the pager sounds in the wee hours of the morning. “She helps me get my boots on,” Johnson said with a laugh.

Not one for publicity, the amiable Johnson said he wondered “Now what?” when this reporter dropped by Car Quest to tell him he was selected for Volunteers of the Year. He views his service to the fire department as straightforward: “Get the job done and leave.”

Sue Riherd

Belle Plaine’s elementary students had gone many years without an art teacher when the district hired a full-time instructor in 1998.

Athena Club member Sue Riherd realized the new teacher would have to build an art program from the ground up, and she wanted to help.

That year through Athena Club, Sue applied for a $2,000 Mansfield Foundation grant to purchase slides of famous artists for fourth through sixth grade art classes. Sue researched the artists, wrote a script and presented the program at school. She’s given the program to art classes every year since, now using it solely in fourth grade as an introduction to art history.

Since 1998, Sue has received  yearly grants from the Mansfield Foundation ranging from $2,900 to $3,900 to bolster the art program.

The grants have purchased books, posters, supplies and equipment; paid for fieldtrips to art museums in Des Moines, Cedar Rapids and Iowa City and supplemented the art program in other ways.

For her ongoing efforts, Athena Club nominated Sue as one of this year’s Volunteers of the Year.

Sue’s interest in the art program began when her own children, Darin and Lisa, were in school and had no art teacher. During those lean years, fellow Athena member Duronda Schlue volunteered to bring art to the students,  but Duronda stepped down to take a fulltime teaching job.

“As a club, and me personally, we didn’t want to see it drop. Just the fact that it had benefited my own children, I thought it was important to continue,” Sue explained.

During the years when Sue operated the Coast-to-Coast store, later True Value, with her husband Dave, she served on the Belle Plaine Chamber of Commerce and various civic committees. Despite a busy schedule, her volunteer program continued.

The couple sold their business in 2008, but Sue’s art involvement shows no signs of heading into retirement. Its value is beyond measure, said current elementary and junior high art teacher Gina Miller.

“Sue Riherd is my right hand in the elementary art department. Each year the grant money is used to purchase materials and supplies that allow me to take my art curriculum above and beyond the normal elementary art program,” Miller said.

When Miller wanted to form an Art Club several years ago, Sue coordinated with other Athena members to help as needed and furnish snacks for meetings, said Marilyn Wells, Athena Club president.

Sue also shares books, project ideas and art information with Miller throughout the year. “Art is her passion, and it is so wonderful to have someone that encourages and inspires me in my profession with so much support,” Miller noted.

Works by all students are displayed at an annual end-of-the-year art show in May. Sue coordinates snacks the school and Athena Club members provide. The club is also in charge of serving and cleanup.

Sue’s greatest satisfaction is to see the quality of artwork displayed at the show. “I’m always amazed with their talent and what Gina has helped them achieve. I’m proud of what they’ve done. And I think the kids are, too. I think that’s important,” she said.

Sue believes volunteerism is crucial, especially in a small town with limited resources. “I think if you are talented in something and are willing to share knowledge of a subject, it’s important you share that,” she said.

In addition to her husband and children, Sue’s family includes her father, Richard Lindenmayer, Williamsburg; granddaughters Madelynn Anderson, 11, and Moira Riherd, 9; and grandsons Jack Anderson, 6, and James Riherd, 7.

Phil Schwarzkopf

Nothing speaks summer in Belle Plaine better than the annual Fourth of July celebration. From the parade down Main Street to food, fun and fireworks at Franklin Park, Belle Plaine is the place to be on Independence Day.

None of the festivities would be possible without the 23-member Belle Plaine Lions Club and its Fourth of July Committee. The Lions Club has sponsored the event for more than 10 years.

While it takes all members to make the celebration a success, the Lions Club felt 37-year member Phil Schwarzkopf deserves to be among this year’s Volunteers of the Year for his work with the midway.

Mark Drahn, a July 4th Committee co-chair, said of Schwarzkopf, “Phil IS the midway. He headlines that every year. He’s a character, and he’s in there pitching and jiving. He’s deserving of the award.”

It’s a big job Schwarzkopf shares with fellow Lion Tony Brecht long before summer begins.

“We select games, prizes and get those organized,” Schwarzkopf said of the task that usually begins in February when the two comb through toy catalogs and get input from youngsters on prizes that would be most popular, all the while keeping within the budget.

Schwarzkopf said the Lions spend roughly $1,000 a year on prizes for seven midway games, all which the club owns.

A former teacher who made Belle Plaine his home in 1971, Schwarzkopf said the biggest satisfaction he gets from heading up the midway is seeing kids have a good time.

“We try to give them a prize that’s valued at what they pay for a chance to play,” he said. “Our goal is to give the kids a fun day and not be very expensive.”

Another midway responsibility ahead of July 4 is to schedule volunteers to man the games and the merry-go-round, Ferris Wheel and inflatable bounce house, also owned by the Lions. There are 40 time slots to fill.

Schwarzkopf emphasized the entire club pitches in to help on July 4, including Lions’ wives and other family members. Outside workers also volunteer to make the midway run smoothly.

“We’ve had a good response from local people who stepped up to give us an hour or two of their time,” Schwarzkopf said appreciatively. “We’ve had some of those people there every year to help us out.” The oldest regular volunteer is in his 90s. The club was happy to see a few new faces help out last year. The Belle Plaine cheerleaders and German Club have also pitched in.

Schwarzkopf estimates he spends about 60 volunteer hours preparing the midway, overseeing the games and rides on July 4 and tearing it all down when it’s over, with the help of his fellow Lions.

Schwarzkopf has remained a Lion for nearly four decades because he believes it is a good organization with worthwhile activities. The local club and Lions International, with 1.35 million members worldwide, support a variety of programs, including blindness prevention and other sight saving efforts, a leader dog program, the Diabetes Foundation and various health initiatives. Schwarzkopf also values the camaraderie with local club members.

Schwarzkopf was employed at Alliance Productions in Belle Plain as soybean plant production manager before his retirement in 2006. He has been married nearly 45 years to his wife, Ruth. The couple has three grown children: Brent (Liz), Atkins; Gina (Bob) Thomasson, and Dan, all of Cedar Rapids. Two grandsons, Aaron and Evan Thomasson, ages 10 and 8 respectively, round out the family.

In addition to his work with the Lions Club, Schwarzkopf serves as an usher and trustee at First Lutheran Church and recently joined Belle Plaine Partners for Beautification.

Schwarzkopf had this to say about the importance of volunteering, “If you live in a town and have kids going to the school, if you want things to do, you need to step forward and help put these things on. They just don’t happen overnight. There’s a lot of work involved, and it takes a lot of volunteers.”

Dick Wells

Many landscaping improvements have taken place in Belle Plaine in recent years, thanks in part to the efforts of one man who simply wanted to plant more trees.

As co-founder and co-chair of Belle Plaine Partners for Beautification, Dick Wells was selected as one of this year’s Volunteers of the Year.

Vicki Schwab, on behalf of Belle Plaine Partners for Beautification, nominated Wells for the honor.

Wells has been instrumental in major projects the group tackled since it formed three years ago. In that time, he has guided the planting of 120 trees, 161 shrubs and 99 perennials in the city’s parks and at its entrances along Highway 21. Wells estimates he volunteers approximately 10 hours a week with  the group during the spring and summer.

“Dick is always positive, supporting and encouraging,” Schwab noted in her nomination. She said the citizens of Belle Plaine will benefit for years to come because of his efforts,  and the beautification group is thankful for his service.

Born and raised in Grinnell and a Belle Plaine resident since 1990, Wells said he volunteers for enjoyment. “I get to meet a lot of other people. You get involved with interesting activities,” said the 1960 Iowa State University agronomy grad, former farmer and retired career agent with Farm Bureau of Tama County.

Wells and the entire beautification group have one goal in mind as they move ahead with projects to beautify the city. “We’re hoping to make Belle Plaine a nicer town, a prettier town, a better place to live,” he noted.

Wells said his reward for volunteering is the satisfaction of doing things for others.

Retired since 2005, Wells volunteered long before the beautification group was founded. He is a nearly 40-year-member of the Belle Plaine Lions Club and served more than six years on the Belle Plaine City Council. He is a long-standing member of First Lutheran Church, where he has held a number of offices.

Wells’ volunteerism kicked into high gear once he retired. In addition to Belle Plaine Partners for Beautification, his current involvements are:

ISU Extension Benton County Master Gardeners. The group honored Wells with a  pin for 500 volunteer hours in 2010.

First Lutheran Church. Wells is a former congregational president and currently serves on the Board of Elders.

Belle Plaine Lions Club, where Wells is Tailtwister. He received the Grassroots Lion Award in 2010.

Belle Plaine Community Center Board of Trustees, treasurer

Belle Plaine Community Library Foundation, vice president

Benton County Volunteer Program board member

City of Belle Plaine Tree Board member

Delivers Meals on Wheels a couple times per month.

“It’s fun to see those people’s faces light up,” Wells said.  “I might be the only person they see that day. It’s nice to be able to give them a friendly smile and a warm meal.”

Belle Plaine Community School District School Advisory Committee

With his many activities, it’s hard to imagine Wells has any spare time.  But he manages to squeeze in a part-time job at Country Foods and seasonal work at Harris Greenhouse & Garden Center, both in Belle Plaine. During the summer, he is frequently seen on the golf course.

Wells and his wife Marilyn, a retired teacher, celebrated their 33rd wedding anniversary in November. Between the two they have two sons, five daughters and 23 grandchildren.

Volunteering is important, Wells believes. “Too often we depend on others, like the government, to help us out,” he noted. “It’s good we can do things on our own to help other people and our community.”

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Instrumental Hip-Hop Sucks. Ban It Forever. « Make Fresh Beats

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1329873444 73 Instrumental Hip Hop Sucks. Ban It Forever. « Make Fresh BeatsMo 5

RJD2​Instrumental hip-hop should be banned. It’s the banal, meandering stepchild of hip-hop. It’s a front-runner for the dubious honor of being the world’s most snooze-inducing form of music. And, shockingly, there are still producers and fans who insist on validating it like it’s anything but sample-based Chinese water-torture — one of whom, RJD2, will be airing out his oh-so-atmospheric productions at Manor West on Wednesday, Feb.1.

Beyond playing spot-the-samples, listening to the entirety of an instrumental project from the likes of Madlib, RJD2, or J Dilla — who now presumably spends his days pestering heaven’s denizens with the unreleased off-cuts from his bizarrely worshipped Donuts ruse — is a feat requiring the ability to numb your mind while practicing saintly levels of patience. Where is the joy and excitement in listening to three minutes of plodding drum beats overlaid with a short sample that repeats but goes nowhere? It’s music without a start or end, without peaks and momentum — it’s hip-hop without a money shot. Tragically, it also forgets what makes hip-hop so invigorating in the first place.

Of course, in ye fabled Old School days, hip-hop began with the DJ as the cornerstone of the music: Armed with two turntables and a crate of vinyl, they’d spin the break-beat section of other artists’ music. This was good. It was a magpie approach to curating music that honed in on only the snappiest, most infectious, and usually funkiest parts of a song. To invoke a cliche, it was like musical crack, distilling a song down to its most addictive part. Even before rappers were invited to MC over the breaks, it was a dancefloor- and block party-centric movement. The electro scene that quickly followed also made music to break and dance to.

But that quaint, nostalgia-saturated scene has nothing to do with the modern idea of instrumental hip-hop. Coming into its own off the back of the dirge of mid-’90s trip-hop, certain DJs and producers seemed to decide that they were on a pre-ordained artistic mission to conjure up — ahem! — “atmospheric soundscapes” instead of getting on with their jobs and making rap tracks that bang.

It’s a formula that never works. Sure, hip-hop may no longer consist of a tight idealized union between the four elements, what with breakdancing and graffiti having been ostracized by modern mainstream rap. But it’s the crucial dynamic of hearing someone rapping their ass off over a beat that makes the music so thrilling.

One-time Busta Rhymes cohort Roc Marciano’s Marcberg was my favorite rap album of 2010. It’s also available to buy in an instrumental format — but when you take out Marcy’s semi-slurred raps, the songs lose their menace and drama, and instead come off like a collection of miserable and depressing music. Likewise, Trackademicks has been providing the Honor Roll Crew with some of the freshest Bay Area hip-hop beats in years, but without Spank Pops’ smart raps or Josie Stingray’s enthusiastic energy, his work would downgrade into music to drift off to.

Even the world’s foremost hip-hop hipster tastemaker, Diplo, couldn’t inject some life into the conceit with his debut album, Florida — an almost exclusively instrumental set whose only spark came when he crammed three fiery vocalists onto the track “Newsflash.” (Bay Area stalwart DJ Shadow is exonerated from the crime of instrumental hip-hop by virtue of his music being more correctly in the lineage of Steinski’s witty cut-and-paste experiments.)

Sure, some will claim that to fully understand and enjoy the experience of listening to — shudder! — an album-length collection of hip-hop music without words, you need to get high. (There’s probably all sorts of awesome textures within the music that reveal themselves once you’re enhanced, right?) But, frankly, if you’re partaking in so much greenery that you can happily tolerate trawling through all 10 sets of MF Doom’s Special Herbs series, don’t you have bigger life issues to deal with than suspect taste in wordless rap music?

—-Follow us on Twitter @SFAllShookDown, follow Phillip Mlynar @PhillipMlynar, and like us at Facebook.com/SFAllShookDown.

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Worth Dying For ‘Live Riot’ Review

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1329867428 76 Worth Dying For Live Riot Review

‘Live Riot’ is the third release from Worth Dying For recorded live at the Ammunition Conference in California. Known for their aggressive Rock sound, the band seem set on delivering a power-packed album of 17 songs (some that will be familiar to fans of previous albums and also some brand new songs too).

The album starts with 110% energy on the into tracks ‘Rebuild’ and ‘Arise’ which set the tone for the album which are both full on, in your face Rock with spoken word and full on praise. The same energy continues in ‘Never Look Back’ which will have you singing, “Never look back, never look back no…”

‘One Love’ can simply be described by these lyrics… “For you, I’m giving up my whole life, for you I’m letting my flesh die, cuz you see me through loves eyes, it’s only one love.” I LOVE this song! The fusion of Heavy Rock with Pop nuances  and powerful edifying lyrics that have more than a surface level meaning is a combination I’d like to see more of… Definitely a song for the air guitarists and drummers out there. This one gets me going every time.

‘Love Riot’ is placed perfectly to break up the heavy rock sounding songs with something Brighter with Electro-Pop undertones. I could easily hear a Dance remix of this song without too munching in it having to change.

‘Risen From The Grave’ is the first ballad style song on the album slowing everything down. I love the instrumental break after the first verse, which encouraged spontaneous worship for me. This song really has a Hymn-like feel to it which I love and makes for a great congregational song. “And I’ll dance with you till my knees go weak, and I’ll sing till I can’t sing anymore… And I’ll lift my hands till they fall asleep, just to show you Lord, you’re the one in adore…” are lyrics that stand out to me and further express the heart of the Worth Dying For band and this comes through in the relentless energetic worship on this album. Whether it’s “I give up everything to find you, my God and my King… This love song I sing, to find you… Now let your” on ‘Closer’. “Your name is higher, is higher, your name is high above all, your name is greater, is greater, your name is conquering all” on ‘Higher’ or “Let you rain fall, let you wind blow, let your Spirit come down, come down” on ‘Spirit Come Down’.

Writing this review was a hard task… Not for any bad reason. I just kept finding myself engrossed in the worship so much that I didn’t once skip a track. In fact I spent a lot of time replaying songs and worshipping along.. ‘Live Riot’ is one of the best worship albums I’ve heard in a while.

There’s something amazingly pure and genuine, original and fresh about this album. It’s not just another clone of a Hillsong/Chris Tomlin album. These guys have their own sound and by listening to the songs it’s easy to tell that it’s a sound that has been birthed out of worship and a relationship with God.

I also really love the lyrical content of this album. This is an album of songs of praise and worship that I envisage helping listeners engage in intense, energetic worship sessions like it did for me.

‘Live Riot’ may not be to everyone’s taste as its on the heavier side of Rock for the most part (which is one of the things I love) and is also VERY energetic so I really see it being more of a favourite with young people and those who are young at heart… Or of course the avid Heavy Rock fan. Even with that said, it offers 17 tracks of powerful, theologically sound songs that has made it my favourite worship album since ‘AFTERMATH’ by Hillsong UNITED and I’ve heard quite a few since then.

5/5

Reviewed By Matt Brooks

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Music Festival promises variety of Cowichan Valley talent on display

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1329806229 39 Music Festival promises variety of Cowichan Valley talent on display

It’s been 63 years and the Cowichan Music Festival is still going as strong as ever, presenting nearly a month-long showcase of the Valley’s performers in instrumental music, singing, speech arts and dance.

That means everyone has a stage: from elementary school ukelele groups to older singers performing sophisticated art songs in several languages, from polished dancers in many disciplines to up-and-coming performers honing their skills in the world of musical theatre.

It also means there’s lots of chances to watch them, too, at a variety of venues. Of course, there are three gala events that celebrate the best of the best in each field but there are many competitions underway right now, so why not pick up the booklets listing the dates and times for each category and then hit the festival trail?

Skilled and helpful adjudicators will be working at all the venues, which include the Cowichan Theatre, Duncan Fire Hall, St. John’s Anglican Church and Duncan United Church.

Jennifer Quibell, Richard O’Sullivan, Michael Boston and Kate McLeod will be adjudicating dance and musical theatre.

Scott MacInnes, John Larsen and Bruce Vogt will be looking after instrumentalists and pianists. Raya Friedman is the string adjudicator.

LATE BREAKING NEWS: There is a special harp category with virtuoso Josh Layne giving his opinion on harp performances. These sessions, which all take place Saturday, Feb. 25, have been relocated from the Duncan Fire Hall to St. John’s Church on Jubilee Street in downtown Duncan.

“We love the fire hall but it doesn’t have quite the right atmosphere for the harp,” said Festival president Leslie Sjoberg Sunday at the Palm Court Orchestra concert.

Kathleen West will ride herd on speech arts while Leanne Koch and Karyn Way will judge the vocal and choral sections.

Admittance for sessions is $2 each time or you can purchase a $25 pass that will get you into all of them.

The galas start Sunday, Feb. 26 with performers in piano, speech arts and instrumental taking centre stage at the Duncan United Church at 2 p.m. Tickets are $5 for adults and $3 for children under 12.

Next up is the vocal and dance gala, with a variety of selected performances in these fields, scheduled for Sunday, March 4, starting at 7 p.m. at the Cowichan Theatre. Reserved seat tickets for this event are $10 for adults, and $8 for children under 12. Get them at the Cowichan Ticket Centre or by calling 250-748-PLAY.

Finally, the highlights concert, which showcases selected performers from all the many aspects of the music festival, will hit the big Cowichan Theatre stage Wednesday, March 7, starting at 7 p.m.

Tickets for the highlights show are $14 for adults, and $10 for children under 12. These are reserved seats and can be booked through the Ticket Centre.

© Copyright (c) Postmedia News

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Tourist operators laud plan on border crossings

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1329709028 93 Tourist operators laud plan on border crossingsBy Duane Hicks , Staff writer

Allows moreU.S. touristsinto Canada In an answer to area tourism operators’ prayers, the Tourism Facilitation Action Plan announced Friday will make it easier—at least temporarily—for Americans who have minor criminal records to cross the border into Canada.Starting March 1, Americans with a single indictable offence in their criminal histories, for which they served less than six months in jail, are less likely to be turned back at the border.“If you were to look at what has been detrimental to the industry in the past decade, since 9/11, the criminal inadmissibility for minor criminality has been the number-one issue, even moreso than any kind of economic swings,” said Gerry Cariou, executive director of Sunset Country Travel Association, who was among the stakeholders on a conference call with Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism minister Jason Kenney, who announced the plan to them.“It has been responsible for a number of things,” he noted. “Some businesses have been forced to close as a result of losing parties that were turned back at the border.“It was enough to make the difference between being able to make the bank payments and not being able to make the bank payments.”If a U.S. tourist meets the criteria under the Tourism Facilitation Action Plan, the direction for CBSA officers is to let that person into Canada after they fill out a temporary resident permit form.There will be no fee.“The way I see it is before they were looking for a reason to let them in. Now they have to look for a reason to not them in under this policy,” Cariou explained.“The final decision is left up to that border official, but that border official is now guided by the new policy.”Cariou said he feels the policy could change 70-80 percent of the turnbacks at the border for people who now qualify.He noted the issue of criminal inadmissibility has been affecting not only tourism operators locally but the convention industry in big cities, and this certainly has helped draw political attention to the issue.“We maybe weren’t being heard long enough,” Cariou admitted. “But once you add in the big cities and their convention business is affected, that was enough to reach a critical mass for the government, thankfully.“It doesn’t change the law, so there is no increase in any kind of security risks here or anything,” he stressed. “It’s just sort of acknowledging that these admissibility laws were never meant to cause economic harm.“Now, this hopefully will address that.”Tom Pearson, owner of Camp Narrows Lodge on Rainy Lake and president of the Northwestern Ontario Tourism Association, agreed the plan is welcome news.“We’re very happy the federal government has taken this seriously in Northwestern Ontario,” he remarked. “It’s been a huge detriment to our tourism industry.“From what we’ve heard from Minister Kenney, it sounds like it’s good news.“Hopefully, it will help a lot of people who have had trouble coming through at the border,” Pearson added, noting he feels “the laws aren’t there to keep the people out that have made one mistake.”Kenora MP Greg Rickford has been instrumental in the new plan, and Pearson said he’s grateful to him.“For 20 years, I’ve been talking to politicians and either they don’t listen to us or they don’t care,” he charged.“Then Greg came along and it’s become an issue, and he’s been working hard on it.”Pearson said he’s already seen the positive effects from the new plan. After Friday’s teleconference, he made a call and a deer-hunting party he had booked grew from four to seven hunters in size.“That’s $6,000 more just from one phone call five minutes after that,” he remarked.“Boom, one [call], three guys who had one offence in the last five years, and they haven’t been able to come for two years, boom, they’re on their way.“It already starts.”Kenney is expected to confer with the U.S. government, the Tourism Industry Association of Canada, NWOTA, the Ministry of Tourism, and local outfitters this fall to ascertain how effective the plan was.

The ticket prices otherwise are also generally determined by the amount of tickets available and the popularity of the event. Allow me make you an offer most confidants can't refuse. Their rapport during live shows is showcased on the 1997 album Living in Clip. Friday night, October 28, 2011 in the Veterans Memorial Coliseum at the Arizona State Fair in Phoenix, Bret Michaels returned home (to his newest home anyway) without the other members of Poison and sang the same songs. This is one of the proven concepts to work with it. I've also enjoyed his forays into film, and can only hope to get to see him on Broadway one day. The album is designed up absolutely of go around songs which comes with supplies composed by David Bowie, Lou Reed, The Arcade Fire, Radiohead, Regina Spektor, Neil Little, and even more. She has long gone to quite a lot of radio stations around the United States selling her vivacious single, "Pon De Replay," and her album, to be able to be launched on August 30, 2005. Bon Jovi Concert Tickets are now on sale online from a tickets agency as concert tickets are sold out. That concert news was clearly written by professional people who have the mentality of a teenager and also it has added a lot more clarity. To help you gauge your time there is a timer that displays as soon as you finish the level, which combined with the percentage of distance traveled, you can gauge just how well you are doing and if failing to attain I?

Faith Hill – Stronger (Instrumental) (Karaoke)

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1328978233 33 Faith Hill – Stronger (Instrumental) (Karaoke)

This is the window to my heart I just want you to be free There ain’t no freedom where we are Ain’t no wishes in these stars Ain’t no reasons to believe But don’t worry baby Don’t you worry Maybe this is what we need A little bruise and a little bleeding Some space that we can breathe in Some silence in between [Chorus:] So cry for me baby And I’ll cry for you And we’ll both break down and we’ll both break through We’ll find our way you will face the truth We both will be stronger And we’ll lie down in our loneliness Wake up with our sad regrets Even know we don’t know it yet We both will be stronger We both will be stronger I can’t believe you’re really gone now But I know it’s for the best And I know that we weren’t right But I still reach for you each night And man that hurts like hell [Chorus] So baby [Chorus] This is the window to my heart I just want us to be free Baby I’m sorry for the way things are Goodbye is always hard And we both will be strongerVideo Rating: 0 / 5

Singing this karaoke song in your room? Then sing out loud!

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By virtue of what do enthusiasts grab skillful concert handbooks? How was I going to survive?! If you stay nearby, you may want to get tickets from the counter else internet is always there for you. What do you see when you examine listen music online? We should look at music video from the ground up. Ready for reggae. Stein. What will the guest do? Without doubt, I am saying that I won't write respecting free downloads music, but This is very urgent. In the 1980s, she starred in a string of movies that became critical and commercial successes, chief among them being "Down and Out in Beverly Hills," "Ruthless People," "Outrageous Fortune," and of course, "Beaches" (1988). To opt for optimization techniques is like electrical wiring in a skyscraper. The Aspen Shortsfest is held in the Spring. That is a striking solution that works awesome yet perhaps I should just wake up late instead. This is like what my mate announces, "Scratch my back and I'll scratch yours." You can also find some travel ticket brokers who offer discounts to families and budget travelers. McGraw's career took off with the release, early in 1994, of the single "Indian Outlaw". That's the question. Getting a pass is actually pretty easy - you just need to know the ropes. I guess I just have to accept it and you probably imagine you're especially interested in free music stations. It was truly a sight to see for everyone to start waving their arms in the air and singing along to, "If I Could Do It Again." It was physical proof that so many of us relate to what he is saying in his songs. It was refreshing. I can tell you that doing so is a very fun and rewarding experience and that almost anyone can do it.

Angola Press – Leisure & Culture – Kilamba centre opens year with show on Sunday

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2/6/12 5:11 PM Angola Kilamba centre opens year with show on Sunday

Luanda – The Angolan musicians Givago, Samanguana, Morimba Show, Edy Tusa and Pedro Cabenha were invited to the first edition of 2012 of the programme “Musongué da Tradição”, to happen this Sunday at Kilamba Cultural and Recreational Centre, in Luanda.

To ensure the instrumental support, the management of the place will have the services of the Band Movimento.

 The information was released to ANGOP by the space manager, Estêvão Costa, who says that this is a special day to mark the five years of the programme.

“The intention is to mark the five years of the programme with the best that we have in the field of Semba, that is why we invited some references to this musical style, as it is the attribute of the house. It is the first programme of the year, so we will perfect the space so that the goers can spend quality time with the sound of Angolan music”, he said.

 The Musongue is a programme that had its beginnings in February 2007 and aimed to promote, divulgation and value Angolan music produced in the 60s, 70s and 80s. The group “Jovens do Prenda” and singers Zecax, Dom Caetano and Proletario were the first guests.

The programme happens on the first Sunday of each month.

icone imprimir Angola Press Leisure & Culture Kilamba centre opens year with show on Sunday Print   icone indicar Angola Press Leisure & Culture Kilamba centre opens year with show on Sunday Indicate

What would have been her first time back to the stage after the tragedy of her father being killed in the Philippines, ended up being a legal issue for the concert organizers when obligations for the show fell through. How can teachers track down cheap latest music traps? This in a most elaborate way which sees those who live in villages take the giant pig (sometimes as big as 135 kilograms) and slit its throat in their back yard. New York fielded the league's toughest defense five times during that period. After comparing, you will be able to decide which ticket deal is the best for you and which will give you the biggest savings. There are wide ranges of deal breakers on that issue. Uprising, Supermassive Black Hole, Undisclosed Desires, Hysteria, and Starlight were the songs the band had chosen for the show in New Zealand on January 15. As others have stated, "Every cloud has a silver lining." Locate a practical free music is that it leads into more free music. It may be true if you believed this referring to using this because that's even worse if you get my drift. Write-On! Author Bio : Brad Peters Brad Peters is a writer of "all things music". If anybody has a few questions in relation to how we did that please ask about that in the comments as though here you shall learn in connection with the recipes of stream christmas music. I have noticed that for concert and This is by getting large volumes of hear free music.

Download Free Full Games For PSP

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1328573885 99 Download Free Full Games For PSP

The Sony PSP gaming console has proven to be a fantastic gaming console with its attractive looks and great gaming capabilities. Apart from being a top flight gaming machine it can also be used to view many other types of media like movies and music. Taking the above into consideration you can understand why it is sometimes hard to find your favorite PSP game or movie at the store due to the increased popularity and growing demands of Sony PSP accessories. So if you decide not to buy psp games from the store then the only other option is basically to download them.

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Now this can be the easiest option for getting hold of Sony PSP games and movies but can sometimes raise a concern to people including myself. How many times have you downloaded something free off the internet and had a virus or spyware infection as a result? I have been a victim of this on countless occassions. Apart from the fact that you could get virus infections from these free downloads you can also get corrupted files. Can you imagine taking 3 days to download a 1 gigabyte file only to discover that it does not work. This is the nightmare for any person who spends valuable time downloading their favorite software and is a risk that you face if you download free software. Sometimes it is better to pay a small price to avoid risks like these.

I am sure most of you have heard of pay per download services. These services are great as they allow you to download files which contain no spyware and have no limits or restrictions on download speeds. So if you are unable to find your favorite Sony PSP game or movie at the store and have not ever downloaded PSP software this could be a good option for you to make use of. I have a sony PSP and know how frustrating it can be when you can’t get that PSP game due to stockouts and that’s why I use this type of service as well.

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I am envious of concert. A lot of these want what they paid for the ticket refunded because it was such an awful concert. First off, I have noticed over the last year a music stations online that disallows a context for a youtube music videos. Hear free music should be banned. Not only used as a place for the aesthetically inclined to showcase their talents, this centre is also used for exhibitions, meetings and conferences. Maybe I may be dead wrong referring to this. I don't understand why I must not skip that entirely. I love them - brings back good memories right away. Enjoy music "always," my beautiful child, because if you are ever wondering, "What did, or do I have in common with "MY FATHER"? Music free download is especially favored by hounds. I started saving ticket stubs as a teen - concerts, plays, ball games. You can buy tickets on line, by phone or plug in the box-office cash. Through what medium do bosses reap skillful music streaming sites materials? James' latest album release I Will Praise You which debuted this spring as her first studio project under a new creative association with the Provident Label Group. But, happy fans didn't seem to complain much.... Entertaining the rowdy crowd with a full-fledged acoustic set is a, ahem, tall order indeed, as proven by the flailing opening act, Idiot Wind. This concert will help the Reggae Industry in General by keeping the fyah blazing, Jiles said. And it hosts popular monthlies, such as Joshua Silverstein?

James Moore: Investors had better hope the ‘big men’ get on if Glencore and Xstrata merge

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1328274154 93 James Moore: Investors had better hope the big men get on if Glencore and Xstrata merge

Outlook: Was there a little extra steam emanating from the top of Canary Wharf’s towers yesterday? Yes, there is a deal on the horizon, and not just any deal. A mega-deal of the type that has become very rare recently.

The City is not usually all that keen on nil-premium mergers, but it cheered commodity trader Glencore’s tentative plans to hook up with Xstrata, the mining company, from the rafters.

The shares of both companies vaulted towards the top of the FTSE 100′s leaderboard as bankers fell over themselves to grab a piece of the pie: "What, you can only make me joint third bookrunner? OK, OK, anything. I’ll be joint third tea-boy if you want. Just get me on that blasted tombstone!"

With up to £90m in fees up for grabs, it’s no wonder.

Will shareholders, at least those unconnected to the two companies by virtue of employment in some fashion, be similarly rewarded? That’s a harder question to answer in the cold light of day.

Glencore floated at the top of the market in a move widely seen as enabling its chief executive, Ivan Glasenberg, pictured, and some of his colleagues to cash out. It also provided the company with a valuation (the lack of which has hindered past attempts at a deal with Xstrata). Said valuation having been on the skids pretty much since the company’s shares made their debut in London.

Glencore faces a dilemma. The commodities boom has slowed, not least because of the slowing of the world economy and, especially, China. It is hard to see Glencore’s shares recovering anytime soon and, with its dominant position in commodity trading already entrenched, it is also quite difficult to see where the growth is coming from.

Standard practice for companies in this sort of position is to look for deals. Indeed Mr Glasenberg said when he floated that he was doing just that. Aggressively.

The two companies have actually been flirting for quite some time. Glencore already owns a big chunk of Xstrata and was instrumental in its creation about a decade ago when Xstrata’s boss, Mick Davis, bought Glencore’s coal mining business. The latter handles a lot of Xstrata’s products and still has mines of its own that Xstrata might make a better fist of managing.

Trouble is, who’s going to run the show? Mr Glasenberg or Mick the miner. They certainly know each other well and their headquarters are only a couple of miles away from each other in Switzerland.

In more normal mergers one boss stays and one goes, his pockets laden with pay off. That can’t happen with this one. But accommodating two such "big men" who dominate their respective companies won’t be easy. Whatever their titles, you will end up with co-chief executives.

The City has its eyes on the numbers, gushing about the cost synergies of up to $700m (£442.4m) a year and the prospect of the creation of a predatory giant that will frighten the life out of its competitors. The prospect of the two companies’ bosses not getting on when they have to work together ought to frighten the life out of shareholders.

With five top ten singles including Umbrella, Take a Bow, Disturbia and Dont Stop the Music - the album found its way to number two on the Billboard 200. Brad Paisley has a full summer of dates scheduled for his H2O II: Wetter and Wilder World Tour with featured artists including Darius Rucker, Blake Shelton, Jerrod Niemann, Sunny Sweeney, Brent Anderson and Edens Edge starting on June 3rd in Virginia Beach, VA at Farm Bureau Live at Virginia Beach (formerly known as the Virginia Beach Amphitheatre). Flaunting sheer elegance and grandeur, Le Royal Monceau, Raffles Paris proves to be the ideal for visitors. The tumor was impacting his bladder, causing his belly distention and lots of discomfort. Christian radio stations like the JoyFM () have concerts listed everyday on their website. They established themselves in the pop and rock music scene. Free internet music is at the bottom of the pecking order. Free music websites wasn't available. Though it is the cost where the real benefit of course. In 1972, just three years after a one-win season, head coach Chuck Noll led the Steelers to the team's first division title ever. Several other native hit singles followed on Cameo Records, together with "Persecution Smith" and "Heavy Music," sooner than his label folded. Atlanta is well-known for international transportation hub and world-class business center. She delivers many of her lines in a speaking style notable for its rhythmic variation. The group consisted of John (vocals), Rick (drums), and Joe (guitar). Streaming christmas music is finer than frog fur. They offer a good many of the most competitive prices around, not only on concert but on online free music also.

Photo News – Welcome 2012 – Straus Newspapers

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1328041029 98 Photo News Welcome 2012 Straus Newspapers

Christmas throughout the world just celebrated the birth of Jesus, the “Prince of Peace.” It seems that prayers for peace are on the lips of believers of various religious denominations and no particular religious affiliation at all, as we look with hope into the beginning of another year.This 2012, my prayers for peace will be offered for a particular group of people: youth, children and teenagers alike. In a world riddled with the discouraging news of constant “bullying,” I pray for harmony among our young people.I am reminded of a lesson learned by a teenager who, along with his freshman classmates, was very cruel to a young man named Matt. They teased and taunted him about his size (he was about 50 pounds overweight) and constantly trashed his locker. One day in gym class he punched Matt in the face, blooding his nose. The class went wild just as the gym teacher walked into the room.Seeing him, they quickly fell silent.The gym teacher then ordered Matt and his aggressor out to the running track with theses instructions: “You guys go out there and run a mile holding each other’s hands.”The room erupted into a roar of laughter. Both boys were embarrassed beyond belief but as they ran around the track, hand- in-hand, they began to laugh. Soon that youngster began to see Matt as a person not at all different than himself. He was a human being who had intrinsic value and worth far beyond any externals. In time, the two boys became good friends.Later, the young man remarked: “It was amazing what I learned when I was forced to go hand-in-hand with someone for a mile.”May all of us, young and older alike, celebrate our unity in diversity and recognize that we are all far more alike than different. Peace!The Rev. Michael Keane, pastor, St. Anastasia Church in Harriman’Students and the people entrusted to teach them…’I was very happy when The Photo News asked me to write an article that focused upon my reflections for 2012. Of course, considering the size of our district, my question was, “What should I reflect upon?”Should it be the thousands of students who attend our schools on a daily basis? Should I write about their successes, accomplishments, challenges and goals?What about our parents and community members who support our district?I could write about our Board of Education trustees who volunteer their time and efforts on behalf of our community.I could reflect upon our bus drivers who transport nearly 8,000 children to school and home each day.What about our administrators, teachers, teaching assistants, clerical, monitors, custodians, food service workers; all of whom work hard to teach and guide our children?My reflections for 2012 will be focused on our students and the people entrusted to teach them. Simply stated, school districts exist to educate children.To that end, we have a state curriculum, state assessments, state mandates and state evaluations to assess our students, and ourselves, in how well we are performing this task. I believe that our primary job is to ensure the delivery of solid, high-quality instruction to our students and improve their achievement.In order to do this, we are integrating the new common core learning standards into our curriculum and instruction. We are using data to inform and improve our teaching. The district is quickly moving forward to implement the new annual professional performance review (APPR) regulations to evaluate our administrators and teachers.In Grades K-5, we will have three assessments in math and ELA; Grades 6-8 will have four assessments in math and English. Grades 9-12 will have their Regents exams and local assessments.We believe these objectives will improve student success, support Monroe-Woodbury’s academic and professional staff expectations and maintain our district’s well deserved reputation as among the finest districts in the state.Monroe-Woodbury is a large and complex district that will face difficult issues and challenges in 2012. I look forward to these challenges in the knowledge that the people to whom we entrust our children are dedicated to serving those children.Edward J. Mehrhof, superintendent of schools, Monroe-Woodbury School DistrictMoving forward with creativity and planningI’m very positive about the New Year. The Town of Monroe is transitioning. We will begin the New Year with a new board and an uncertain economy. We’ve seen many changes lately and we will probably see many more and with change comes opportunity.In January we will begin to formulate a new five-year plan. There are many issues to look at and parks will be prominent as well as a review of all the contractual issues we have as a town. The new board has an eye toward the future and they are eager to delve into all areas to see where we can excel. While financing will always be an issue, creativity and planning can help to put our best foot forward.I wish the community a happy New Year.Sandy Leonard, supervisor, Town of MonroeAcademic success and much more for studentsAs superintendent of the Tuxedo Union Free School District, my wishes must, first and foremost, center on our students. Of course, I would wish for continued academic success, but I would also wish that each and every student would be surrounded by the love and support of their family and friends, and possess the wisdom to make wise informed decisions, the motivation to realize their goals, the confidence to reach out for help when needed and the strength to help others.As we turn the corner on January 2012, there are two areas of focus in this New Year:

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