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"A Family Tradition for 128 Years" Raa PORT PERRY STAR - Tuesday, September 26, 1995 -5 Co MMUNITY 4g Yi ar ooo . | J. PETER HVIDSTEN / PORT PERRY STAR MISSING A HAND - Poor Duncan the Dragon has lost one of his three-fingered hands and Linda Bacca is asking anyone who finds the yellow and green hand to return it to Scugog Memorial Library. Duncan. the library mascot, was standing cutside of Town Hall 1873 Saturday afternoon during a children's show, when the hand was discovered missing. Please call the Scugog library at 985-7686 if you have any information. Amanda Lee By Kelly Lown Port Perry Star Amanda Lee Retallick dreams of being a well-known entertainer and the 16-year-old is determined to make that happen. The Blackwater resident has been taking top honors at talent shows across the country with her renditions of country artists' works. [msm a ca The next logical step in her young career will be to put a band together. She said that will likely happen next year and once it does she will begin |} shopping for a record label. "I'd like to get some original songs under my hat. That would be great," she said. The Grade 11 Brock High School honors stud- ent, and former Prince Albert Public School student got her first taste of the spotlight at the age of three when she appeared on the Ronnie Prophet show. Amanda, who was dancing up a storm in the aisle, caught the attention of the show's host, who prompt- |} ly brought her on stage [fs and sang to her. 3: From the age of eight [kX she has performed in such musicals as Santa |g Claus to Baby June in |=; reviews for her singing " Country Singing Contest and first at the C.N.E. Locally winning rave around on stage and make it my own," she said. Her choice was obviously the right one as she has won several awards for her performances and is making a name for herself both in small towns and the city. In 1995 she placed first at the Northern Ontario she also took top honors at the Port Perry Fair's Talent = x Contest earlier this month. In past years she has finished as a finalist in the Canadian Open con- test in Simcoe, the Ontario Open contest in Navan, the Northern Ontario contest in North Bay, the C.N.E. and Bowmanville contests. In 1992 she took second in the Canadian Open Singing Contest in Simcoe. Recently she has also performed on stage at the Havelock Country Jamboree, the Peterborough Exhibition and the Trenton Amphitheater. One day she would like to take her act on the road, likely to the United States. She is unsure though that Nashville would be one of those stops, because the talent there is so plentiful, she said. To be a performer, one the musical Gypsy. She must enjoy being on the has tried singing in Amanda Lee Retallick has been taking top honors stage, something she choirs and was a vocalist at talent shows across the province. The 16-year-old said she has always rev- in the Lindsay Academy Blackwater resident would like to be a top country eled in. pn res im Tans pried y nelude hot mulled cider, tours of the estive: homemade lunch; in the histor church. urich, the group will continue to here o prrtinpanis will be given a vit an opportunity to sam- | o fruit wines, Group § se arranged by calling the Muroton at oN. 560. Ocala Orchard Winery at 986- | 9924 or the Scugog Chamber of Commerce at (905) Theatre's production of n the Christmas Show artist one day. "Gold, Frankincense and Myrrh." The first major test for Amanda's singing talent was at the Sunderland Music Festival. She was voted most promising soloist. With her background in choir and theater she has sung many types of songs, but she has focused mainly on country the last couple years. When at dances and parties she likes all types of music, but country is the type she prefers to sing. "It's easier and it's relaxing. It allows me to move \gny performance. "I like the stage and I like the crowd. The bigg- er the crowd the better," she said with a smile. The audience, she feels, is the most important part of "I put everything into entertaining the audience. You have to entertain them to keep their attention," Amanda said. Although she has only taken four singing lessons in her life she feels lessons are important. "Even if you are born with natural talent it is import- ant to strengthen your voice," she said. Liberals set for showdown in Blackstock From Page 1 successful." It is especially impor- tant to wrest control of the association from Mr. Shepherd's foes as the time for candidate selec- tion for the next election approaches, said Mr. Dykeman. He said there was a tough run-off be- tween Mr. Shepherd and Rosemary Connell at the last nomination meeting. "Alex Shepherd came out of that victorious, but it wasn't an overwhelming majority," said Mr. Dyke- man. "It was close." He said the result of the split has been Durham's estrangement from the Liberal Party of Canada, and a curious situation where the sitting MP doesn't have the support of his riding association, the most essential grass roots link to the electorate. "Alex Shepherd doesn't have the support of a rid- ing association," said Mr. Dykeman. Fred Jones, current prosident of the Durham iberal Riding Associa- tion, calls the assertions made by Mr. Dykeman "nonsense." "I'm not a member of the ro-life movement; I never ave been. All members of the executive are not what you'd call pro-lifers, that's for sure, although there are some," he said. 're allowed to be." He's also disputes claims that the executive has put up a front of resistance to the MP, noting that he has always been informed of association activities, and invited to meetings. "I know many of our ex- ecutive support Alex Shepherd, and have never done anything to indicate otherwise," he said Mon- day afternoon. "That's absolute non- . sense." He added that Thurs- day night's general meet- ing will be conducted ac- cording to the democratic principles upon which the Liberal party is based. "It will be a democratic process and the candi- dates with the most votes will win, as has been the case in past years."