Sheila's Brush: Swept up a Storm!

In both senses of the word! The actual Sheila's Brush, endured by Newfoundlanders for centuries, sure hit us with a wallop this year, dumping huge amounts of first snow and then freezing rain, with a side serving of high winds.

But this weather didn't stop the other Sheila's Brush (see previous entry). 32 people braved the storm to come to the Placentia Public Library. Bernard Penney, Christopher Newhook, Lucy Duke, Linda Miller, and Jim Pretty all had visual arts and crafts on display, while Marina Gambin, Alice Lannon, Michael Collins, and Christopher Newhook all presented, read, or performed for the gathered group.

The library was transformed with simple but effective decoration and mood lighting. It was an extremely cozy and warm atmosphere -- a good refuge from the storm outside.

We also wish to take the moment to express condolences to Marina and her family for the recent passing of her brother Reginald. We thank Marina for sharing her stories during a difficult time.

Also, thanks to Christopher Newhook, who took these photos. I took some as well, but most did not come out very well.

As always, click on an image to make it larger.

Sheila's Brush: An evening of cultural heritage

I'm pleased to announce the following. Click to view a larger version:

From the Newfoundland Dictionary:

"sheila's blush*, ~ brush; also sheila: fierce storm and heavy snowfall about the eighteenth of
March (England, 1924) "Perhaps the most memorable of those occasions was on the night
of 'Sheila's Brush,' which is to say the 18th of March. Newfoundland has two 'brushes,' Patrick's and
Sheila's; that is to say, storms supposed to be connected with the birthday of St Patrick and that of his
wife... The word 'brush' is not always used, however; you will hear Newfoundlanders say:
'We have our Sheila dis time o' year.'"

Admission is free. At the moment, the lineup includes Alice Lannon, storyteller, Marina Gambin, author, Michael Collins, poet, Christopher Newhook, artist, and Bernard Penney, artist.

It's not meant to be representative or definitive, so other writers and artists shouldn't feel left out. It's our hope to hold more of these in future, so if you're interested come out to Sheila's Brush and let us know.

Patrick's Weekend at the Star of the Sea

Where else would you be?

I'm having trouble uploading the poster and also pictures of celebrations past (blogger's fault, not mine), but here's the vitals.

Friday, March 14: Parish Concert at 7:30 pm, followed by a Kitchen Party
Saturday, March 15: THIRD STRIKE
Sunday, March 16: EVEN TIDE, 2-6pm, THIRD STRIKE, 6-closing.

This is also the Star of the Sea's 132 Birthday!!!!

Great news! Placentia's getting an Arts Centre!

Fabian Manning, Member of Parliament for the riding of Avalon is pleased to announce $895,804 in financial assistance for The Town of Placentia to construct the “Plaisance Cultural Arts Centre” (from a press release dated Feb 20, 2008)

And so it was announced, yesterday at the Star of the Sea, that funding has come through and a new Cultural Arts Centre will be built in the Town Square.

The Placentia Area has always had a lot of artistic activity. Think of all the fantastic writers who have come out of here (including Gregory Power, current Poet Laureate Agnes Walsh, Robin McGrath, and many many others). There are, to my knowledge, four active theatre troupes. Think of the visual artists who either come from here or who take inspiration from here. And I haven't even mentioned the army of musicians!

The Arts have long had a prominent place in Placentia. It is wonderful to see them given a proper home.

Point Verde Girl Celebrates 90th Birthday

Don Ladolcetta was good enough to forward along the following report to the Blog. Joan Greene, his mother, is descended from the family of lighthouse keepers, back before the Point Verde lighthouse was automated. She recently turned 90, and although she's spent almost 57 of those 90 years in the USA, her big birthday bash was decided Newfoundland-themed.

As Don says in his report, photos of the old lighthouse are hard to come by, and these (plus one other he sent which I did not post in the interest of space) are the only ones he could come across. Does anyone else have any pictures of the old Point Verde Lighthouse? I'm sure everyone would be very pleased to see them.

Joan Greene daughter of Joseph and Louise Greene (who were the lighthouse keepers at Point Verde for many years) turned 90 last month. Joan had 8 brothers and sisters in the family including Mary, Bridie, Monica, Angela, Madge, Leonard, Fred, Gussie all of whom grew up in the Placentia area. Joan moved to the US in 1951. Her family threw her a big birthday party where many of the descendants of Joe and Louise Greene turned out. The attached photos are of the lighthouse and surrounding buildings which may be the only photographs of the site in existance because the buildings were torn down quite some time ago. Additional photos are attached of the recent Party activites such as a screechin in for all the Yanks in attendance and playing the Newfoundland Reel on the spoons by Joan and son Don complete with Norwestern headgear. The party included Codfish with scrunchins, corned beef and cabbage, toutons, figgy duff and a variety of other Nefoundland cuisine. A good time was had by all. The Greene family intends to come out to Placentia this coming August for the first ever Greene Family reunion

Also tonight

Tonight, at 8 pm, there's the Laval Come Home Year fundraising concert at the Star Hall --- but before that, at 6:30 pm, there is:

Computer Safety Seminar

at the Placentia Public Library, in the board room. Michael Collins (me) will give an information session on the basics of protecting yourself and your computer. Topics covered are virus protection (including the free anti-virus programs that are also the best), spyware and adware (what they are and how to get them off your computer), and "phishing" (a relatively new phenomenon, where credulous-seeming messages try to finagle your credit card number from you).

The session should last for 45 minutes or so, so you can easily make it to Laval's show on time.

Another Dance!

By the time February's over, our feet are gonna be some sore. ;)

Jerseyside and Ferndale are having a Come Home Year in 2009 (click for the official homepage), but they're getting the ball rolling in '08, with a

50's / 60's Dance

at the Star of the Sea in Placentia. It happens on Friday, February 15. The band starts at 10:00 pm, and admission is $5. Music will be provided by Lone Rider.

There will be Door Prizes, a Costume Prize (some come in your best retro get-up!), and Elvis Impersonators.

Laval Reunion and Fundraising Concert

Laval High School's Come Home Year 2008 is coming up this July (click the link for more information), and just in time too --- it's your last chance to see the old place before it's torn down and a brand new school built in its place. We've mentioned the Come Home Year before, but there's new information to share. First, this logo, by local artist Ray Miller:
Second: There's a fundraising concert scheduled for February 12 at The Star Hall, starting at 7:30 pm. Local talent will raise the roof once again for a good cause!

Art Classes

I'll let the poster do the talking!

Free Computer Courses at the Library

As you may know, free lessons with the computer were on offer all this fall at the library, taught by this blog's maintainer (i.e. me), Michael Collins.

This was a contractual job which was meant to end in December. However, more funding was found (I am never sure how that works), and extensions were on offer. So, I'm here at the Placentia Public Library until March!

I'm hoping to offer some new things, but they're still in development. I'm happy to announce that the fall classes will be repeated --- so if you missed them the first time around, or if you'd just like some review, call the library at 227 3621 and put your name down! Spots are limited.

Classes are Thursday Night from 7:00-9:00 OR on Friday Afternoon from 1:30-3:30. Friday's class is a duplicate of Thursday's, so you only need to come to one. Also, one-on-one tutoring sessions are available by appointment, if neither Thursday night nor Friday morning is good for you.

The Classes are:

Week One (January 23, 24): The Basics
Week Two (January 31, Feb 1): The Internet
Week Three (February 7, 8): Word Processing
Week Four (February 14, 15): Powerpoint
Week Five: (February 21, 22): Blogging and Wikipedia
Week Six: (February 28, 29): Google Earth and Panoramio

I hope to see you there!

French Lessons

French Conversation Classes resume this week!

They are held each Wednesday from 7-9 pm at the College of the North Atlantic, in Classroom 7. The atmosphere is informal and friendly --- just waltz on in and say 'bon soir!' The cost is free, although donations are accepted on behalf of l'Association Francaise de Plaisance.

If you'd like more info, feel free to email Margie McFarlane at mmcfarlane@nf.sympatico.ca. J'espère vous voir là! (I hope that means, "I hope to see you there!")

Christmas Concert and Christmas Eve

Hello everyone!

Sorry for the short hiatus in the blog's posting. Everyone knows how busy the Christmas season can be, and running this blog is a volunteer thing, so hopefully everyone can understand our little lapse.

Just one spot of news at the moment. Tonight, December 28, there is a variety show Christmas Concert at The Star Hall in Placentia. 16 local performers will take the stage. The door is $5, and all the money is going to Jerseyside-Ferndale's Come Home Year.

It promises to be a fantastic show!

In honour of the season, I'll close things off with this photo, by Christopher Newhook, of the Christmas Eve mass at the Placentia Church. As always, click the image to view a larger version.

Holiday tidings to all!

Royal Canadian Legion Poster Poem and Essay Contest

The Placentia Blog is pleased to announce the winners of the Royal Canadian Legion's 2007 Poster, Poem and Essay contest.

In the interests of space, we have the 1st and 2nd place winners from Kindergarten and Grades 1, 2, and 3 below. As always, click on an image to view a larger version.

More winning posters will be posted over the course of the weekend. Congratulations to everyone!






Above (in order of appearance)

Kindergarten: 1st place Shaylyn Toole, 2nd place Mackenzie Kerrivan.
Grade One: 1st place Mackenzie Leonard-Power, 2nd place Emily Brown.
Grade Two: 1st place Abigail Gambin, 2nd place Hannah Duke.
Grade Three: 1st place James Newhook, 2nd place Amber Culleton.

More Winners

Grade 4, 5, and 6 Poem/Essay: 1st Place Samuel Zachary Newhook, 2nd Place Tyrone Kelly.
Grade 4, 5, and 6 Colour Poster: 1st Place Brandon Collins-Brewer, 2nd Place Nicholas Leonard-Power.
Grade 4, 5, and 6 Black & White Poster: 1st Place Caitlin C. Lundrigan, 2nd Place Patrick M. R. Pearson.
Grade 7, 8, and 9 Poem/Essay: 1st Place Brandon William Young, 2nd Place Dominique Kelly.
Grade 7, 8, and 9 Colour Poster: 1st Place Vicky Foley, 2nd Place Matthew Power.
Grade 7, 8, and 9 Black & White Poster: 1st Place Samantha Hancock, 2nd Place Maggie Ward.
Grade 10, 11, and 12 Poem/Essay: 1st Place Mallary A. S. McGrath, 2nd Place Lyndsey Buckmaster.
Grade 10, 11, and 12 Colour Poster: 1st Place Bradley A. M. Power, 2nd Place Rebecca Ann Conway.
Grade 10, 11, and 12 Black & White Poster: 1st Place Joshua P. J. Coffey, 2nd Place Allyson Roche.

Christmas Parade in Placentia

As mentioned in a previous entry, the annual Christmas Parade happened in Placentia this past Sunday. There were some phenomenal floats and plenty of community participation. If you missed it, well, we've got a little virtual parade ready to roll here, courtesy of Chris Newhook's photographs.

If you have any more pictures of the parade and you wouldn't mind sharing them with the world, please email them to placentiablog@gmail.com and we will put them up here!

As always, please click an image to view a larger version.

INCO Environmental Information Sessions - UPDATED

There will be an Environmental Information Session on the long-delayed smelter, today and tonight here in Placentia.

UPDATED

According to the Argentia Area Chamber of Commerce, the following Information Sessions will be held:

Placentia
Tuesday, December 4th (today!)
3:30 pm - 5:30 pm and 6:30 pm - 9 pm at Laval High School

Ship Harbour
Wednesday, December 5th
7pm - 9pm at the Community Centre

Whitbourne
Thursday, December 6th
3:30pm - 5:30pm and 6:30pm-9pm at Whitbourne Elementary

A session was also held yesterday, December 3rd, at Long Harbour.

Thanks to Chris Newhook for passing along this extra information!

Santa Claus is coming to town!

The Placentia Blog is pleased to report that the annual Dunville Lions Club and Town of Placentia

CHRISTMAS PARADE

will be happening on Sunday, December 9, starting at the College of the North Atlantic at 2 pm (floats will begin lining up at 1 pm).

There will be hot dogs and hot chocolate, plus bags full of goodies for the children.

Hopefully, sometime in the coming week, we'll have details about the parade route, and maybe a preview of a float or two!

Tourism Associations

Tom O'Keefe has been kind enough to email us this story, which appeared in last week's Charter.

A Perfect Fit: Tourism Associations Merge to Form New Group.

A precis: The Irish Loop and Avalon Gateway tourism associations have merged to form the Southern Avalon Tourism Association. The two organizations, representing the Southwest and Southeast Avalon respectively, still exist as separate entities when it comes to other issues such as rural development, but they've joined forces on Tourism.

Here is the new board of directors for SATA, photographed at the merger. They are (back row, left to right) Billy Luby, Rick Hayden, Margie Hatfield, Jeff Peddle, Chris Mooney; (front row, left to right) Elaine Murray, Stan Cook Sr., Maureen Sullivan, Marjorie Gibbons, Martha Mullowny, and Calvin Manning.

Calvin Manning, executive director of Avalon Gateway, sums up the motive behind the move: "What they're promoting is not that different than what we're promoting. We're promoting coastal scenery, we're promoting our Irish heritage, we're promoting bird watching, whale watching, archaeology – archaeology in Ferryland, archaeology in Placentia.”

French

Is "bienvenue a la ville de Plaisance!" the limit of your French? Feel like you should know a bit more, living in the ancient French capital as we do? Well, here's a great chance to knock the rust off your ol' francais.

On Wednesday nights, from 7-9 pm, Margie McFarlane will be leading classes in French. These are open to the public, and happen in Classroom 7 at the College of the North Atlantic's Placentia Campus. The classes are free, but there is a suggested donation ($2), with the money going to L'Association Francaise de Plaisance.

Learning a second language has proven benefits, beyond opening up job opportunities with the federal government and honouring our local heritage. In fact, Being bilingual actually boosts your brain power!

Anyone who is interested in can email Margie at mmcfarlane@nf.sympatico.ca for more information or to register.

Laval Come Home Year 2008

Laval High School is celebrating its 40th and likely final year in 2008 (since our shiny new state-of-the-art high school is due to open its doors in 2009).

Thousands of students (an estimate --- does anyone have an exact figure?) have walked its corridors, learned in its classrooms, and socialized in the Centre Block. To commemorate the massive and lasting impact Laval has had on the community --- and to give it one last hurrah from all its alumni --- 2008 has been designated Laval High Come Home Year.

Festivities will take place July 17-20, 2008. All sorts of events are in the works: concerts, open-houses, walking tours, fireworks, family activities, and more.

The re-union's website has plenty of info for the interested and the curious. They're currently looking for photos from days-gone-by, to post on the site.

Tell your friends!

The Silent Time - Paul Rowe's Book Launch

Paul Rowe reading from his first novel, The Silent Time, at its launch at the Placentia Public Library on the evening of October 29. 55 people attended the free event.