The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

14 THE NEW TANNER THURSDAY, APRIL 13, 2006 DONOR AWARENESS: Acton artist Joanna Lordon-Scott was happy to help Acton heart transplant recipient Mike MacDonald mark Tissue and Organ Donor Week, from April 23 to 29, by painting the weeks symbol on the window of MacDonalds Blooms Away flower shop. Frances Niblock photo Local teens go hungry to help World Vision By FRANCES NIBLOCK The New Tanner Several Acton teens went hungry on the weekend willingly foregoing food for a day-and-a-half to take part in World Visions 30-Hour Famine. Several more are still planning their famine fast for mid-May, wanting to raise money to buy food for starving people, but unable to participate in Canadas 30-Hour Famine on April 7 and 8. It was 35 years ago that a Calgary teen decided to stage a starve in to help famine victims that event has grown to a world- wide cause that raised millions of dollars to fight poverty and hunger, involving church groups and schools and World Vision. For Actons Emily Stanley, 17, the 30- Hour Famine on the weekend at her church, Georgetown Alliance, was her sixth such event. It is an awesome feeling to know you are helping someone who doesnt have enough to eat, Stanley, a grade 12 student at Acton High School said on Sunday of her fast. It began at 8 p.m. on Friday and ended at 2 p.m. on Saturday and involved a group of 30 youths and leaders. I did it because I really like to support kids I sponsor a girl in Honduras, and know how much our help means. Its a great way to show your support for end- ing world hunger, Stanley said, adding through pledges, she raised $180, enough to feed someone for six months. Stanleys brother Malcolm, 13, also participated in the 30-hour famine, his second year. Actons Rory Watson, 14, is a member of the Faminators, three friends who hope to raise money to help end world hunger with a fast in early May. We couldnt do it on the weekend, so were trying to get a date either the first or second weekend in May, Watson, a Grade nine student at Acton High School, said of his plans with friends Rylan Parker and Charlotte Tribble. Rylan and I took part on the 30-Hour Famine last year to help kids who are starv- ing every day and we want to do it again, Watson said, adding last year he and Parker raised $720 for World Vision. Watson said he first learned of the 30- hour famine in a television commercial several years ago asking people to get out and help. I knew that I could do it it was pretty tough not eating for 30 hours, but when you think that some people go without eating for days, its so bad, Watson said. World Visions Western Ontario rep, Dave Thatcher said in past years, several Acton churches that in the past have taken part in the 30-Hour Famine are not par- ticipating this year, but enrolment is up overall. The 30-Hour Famine is effective be- cause it gets kids to feel a little bit of hunger so they can relate to those who are truly suffering, gathering pledges for fasting for a certain number of hours seems to work well and its a fun time for the kids to spend 30 hours together, Thatcher said. The weekends 35th 30-Hour Famine was expected to raise $5-million Canada- wide. Council wants lower cost energy efficient lighting As energy costs increase, Council is investigating ways to save money with lower-cost energy-efficient lighting at all Town-owned facilities, including street lights. During recent debate on spending $72,739 to retrofit 1,500 existing interior electrical fixtures at five Georgetown loca- tions, Regional Wards 3/4 Councillor Jane Fogal convinced her colleagues to look at expanding the program with energy audits at all Town facilities, both interior and exterior. It is clear that energy costs are going up, especially electricityI realize its a cost to start with maybe next years budget, Fogal said, adding the return on investment would be worth it, with the payback on investment in 35 months. Acton Councillor Jon Hurst supported the audit, predicting some pretty substantial savings, and noting that after an initial payback period, the initial lighting retrofit program has annual projected savings of $24,000. Staff recommended waiving the Towns competitive bid process for installation of the fixtures in favour of awarding the contract to Mercury Lighting Limited, the company that already has the fixture supply contract. Staff said that would eliminate problems of assessing blame that could arise if Mer- cury did not get the installation contract and there was trouble with any of the lights. Ward Two Councillor Bryan Lewis ques- tioned whether it was fair to the taxpayer to spend $20,359 (the labour component of the job), or perhaps a significant amount more money to remove the opportunity for finger pointing. Lewis also said he was taken aback that the competitive pricing policy seems to apply at some time, and doesnt apply at other times. YEAH, CURVES: Through the generosity of all the members of Acton Curves, 1800 pounds of food was collected for Acton Food Share again this year. It was Curves 8th annual food drive. In 2000 Curves members collected and distributed more than 8 million pounds of food to local food banks. In 2005 they donated more than 10.3 million pounds. - Submitted photo Abundance of talent helps with Halton Hills Art Week Plans for the third annual Arts Week are underway! Halton Hills local per- forming and visual artists are gearing up for an exciting 10 day festival, which runs from April 27 to May 7 at various venues in Georgetown and Acton. There are over 30 artists and groups of artists involved. Halton Hills has an abun- dance of talent and the artists are ready to share their work. The Festival opens with the John Sommer Juried Art Show on April 27 at the Cul- tural Centre Gallery, which will feature some of the regions best artwork. Since the artists are from all over Halton Hills, and to make things easier for the public, many of the artists will be taking part in ArtsVenture, a gathering of 20 artists at the Gellert Centre on April 29 and 30. Artists will be there to display and sell their art, as well as to answer ques- tions and meet the public. A large enclave of artists work in the Glen Williams area, just outside George- town. Carol-Ann Michaelson, recognized internationally as a superb potter, and locally as the founder of Arts Week and organizing dynamo, will be hosting a studio tour as well as exhibiting at Arts- Venture. Innerscapes Studio, featuring an eclectic mix of media and styles by seven artists (including paintings by Arts Weeks designer Tizi Manierka), Janine Minor and The Hobby Horse Quilt Shoppe are also in the area. The Williams Mill Visual Arts Centre, consisting of the studios of over 30 art- ists working in the areas of glass blowing, stained glass, sculpture, painting, print-making, wood carv- ing, pottery, photography, sterling silver and gold jew- ellery, and haute couturier clothing, is a having a Mad Hatters Tea Party on May 6 and 7 to celebrate the arts. Three Acton area artists Barb VanSickle, Lynne El- lis, and Cathy Parker are part of the festival, as is Limehouse metal artist Do- ris Treleaven. Halton Hills glass artist Virginia Wilson Toccalino, local nature art- ist Laura Kingsbury, and Sharon Chalmers, who cre- ates mixed media paintings incorporating collage and calligraphy, will be partici- pating. Artists Gretchen Day and William Band will treat us with watercolours. The Credit Valley Artisans and the Artisans Attic bring Arts Week to the down- town Georgetown area with weaving, blown and stained glass, pottery, paintings, jewelry, paper mache, wood and metal crafts available for purchase. On the performing side, The Georgetown Choral Society will be perform- ing Mendelssohns Elijah with their 150 voice choir, Georgetown Globe Produc- tions presenting Once Upon a Mattress, The Georgetown Bach Chorale perform- ing Bachs Kantata No.79 and Mass in F Major and Georgetown Little Theatre performing the comedy The Perils of Persephone. Children are also well rep- resented at Arts Week. Three of the areas dance schools: Center Stage School of the Arts, Halton Hills School of Dance, and The Dance Inn, are supporting the project, as is the Georgetown Childrens Chorus, a choir of 200 chil- dren ages 5 to 18. Organizers hope to increase the dance component in future festivals to showcase the variety and quality of the dance pro- duced locally. There will also be a Kids Arts Show at Which Craft Studio in downtown George- town. A Student Art Show from 15 local schools at Georgetown Market Continued from page 14 place. Demonstrations of Continued on page 18