B4 - The Terrace Standard, Wednesday, June 11, 2003 Around Town Oh, what a night! TWO LOCAL Legion members have made Branch 13 history. On May 31, Cmdes. Mary Ann Burdett and Peter Crompton were presen- ted with Meritor- . ious Service Me- dals, the Royal Canadian Le- gion's highest honour. It’s the first time Branch 13 members have re- ceived Meritor- ious Service Me- dals. The awards recognize out- standing service to the legion and the community. Burdett, elec- ted First Vice President of Da- minion Command in June 2002, has been a legion member since 1969. She’s also served as an executive member at the local, zone and Pacific Command level in addition to performing numerous duties at the branch and in the community. “All holiday, sick leave and any other time off for the last 12 years has been taken to serve the legion and its members,” her citation notes. Crompton, a member since 1967, has held a variety of executive positions in both Kitimat and Terrace, in addition to numerous volunteer jobs, including the poppy campaign. He was presented with a life membership in 1980, Two other awards of special distinction were handed out, including one to Linda Fish- er of the Ladies Auxilliary who received a Meritorious Service Award, the legion’s high- est honour for a non-legion member. Fisher joined in 1979. Since then she’s held a variety of executive positions, including president, and has headed up numerous committees in addition to other duties in the community of Terrace as a volunteer with everything from Meals on Wheels to the Red Shield Appeal. Another special award was presented to Cmde. Ron Gowe, who was called forward to receive the Volunteer of the Year award. Many other Branch 13 members received pins for years of service. The legion also handed out $13,500 in charitable donations to local non profit organizations, including Spe- cial Olympics, the Stepping Stones, Club- house, the Terrace Churches Food Bank and many more. Fer more details and pictures from the Legion's honours and awards night, please see Page BO, Mary Ann Burdett Local theatre volunteer honoured AWARD-WINNING actor Alan Weston has another accolade to add to his collection. The Terrace Little Theatre veteran has earned the prestigious Tom Rooney award in recognition of his outstanding contributions to theatre in the Skeena Zone. Weston received the award in Prince Ru- pert May 31 at the Skeena Zone Drama Festival. a The zone stretches from Prince Rupert in the west to Burns Lake, taking in the communi- ties of Smithers, Kiti- mat and Terrace. Weston, who's: been a member of Terrace Lit- tle Theatre since 1988, has held a number of executive positions in- cluding president and zone chair. Alan Weston Terrace is the tops, music union pres says WHEN IT comes to music and the performing arts, Terrace is setting a shining example. At least, that's how the president of the Vancouver Musicians’ union sees it. “Your support for music and the arts in your community is a model for all of B.C.,” R.A. “Bobby” Hales writes in a letter to Terrace mayor Jack Talstra. Hales was responding to a repor! from an- other member of the Vancouver Musicians’ Association local 145, Gene Ramsbottom, a conductor and clarinettist who worked with the Terrace Symphony Orchestra and local school bands. “Gene wrote to me to inform me of your very high standard of musicianship portrayed in your community by your local symphony and community band,” Hales writes, adding mayor and council have shown “exemplary” support to these two ensembles. He also congratulates the city on Terrace’s 75th anniversary and hopes the celebrations are a musical success, = Making TERRACE STANDARD. history FIRST EVER graduates (top photo) of the Univers- ity of Northern British Columbia's Bachelor of Social Worker program in Terrace received their degrees in a June 2 ceremony here. From the left are grads Brenda Sissons, Stacy Campbell, program profes- sor Arlene Herman, Deborah Rendell, Squires, Joanne “McKay;:- Patricia lrlanda’: "Gérizalez- Price and Lillian Tugwell. On the right, Niva Peércival, Keith Azak, Carey Stewart, and. Marvin Morgan were recognized for their achievements at Wilp Wilxo’oskwhl Nisga'a and UNBC ceremonies in New Aiyansh, also on June 2. All received certificates in Nisga’a Studies while Azak and Stewart also re- ceived a General First Nations Studies certificate. PHOTOS COURTESY OF UNIVERSITY OF NORTHERN B.C. TLT drama walks off with nearly every zone trophy Director vows to show the rest of B.C. how it’s done at the provincials | in July By JENNIFER LANG TALK ABOUT a sweep. Terrace’s entry in this year’s zone drama festival has returned home with 10 — count ‘em — 10 awards. There's only 15 awards in all. , Terrace Little Theatre’s Speaking in Tongues took home honours for best produc- tion, best director, best visual presentation and best technical, to name a just a few. The multitude of wins has invigorated the enst and crew, who are now poised to repre- sent the region at the provincials this July, says director Patrick McIntyre. “We worked on this play for six months,” McIntyre says, adding the dedicated cast and crew rose to the. play’s considerable technical and acting challenges. “You don’t want to let them down,” he adds. “You want to make it count. These people sacrifice a lot to be in. these produc- tions.” Speaking in Tongues cleaned up at the zones, where it competed against twa typical- ly strong entries from Prince Rupert: George F. Walker's Criminals in’Love and Eric Bogo- sian's Sex, Drugs, and Rack 'n Rell. Speaking in Tongues also picked up awards for best visual- presentation (the set was de- signed by Duncan Archer); best technical (the lighting designer was Gary Mills, and: opera- tors Adam Kirkwood and Keith Jacobs manned the sound and lighting board); : and best cos- tumes (Sharon Lynch) Marianne -Weston’ and - Dawn -Marshall shared the award for best actress, which is fit- ting, says Mclntyre, who confesses to being moved to tears by their stunning performances at the zone festival May:31. Marshall ‘also-.took -home : the people’ go splans ‘to’ re-work some scenes and. tighten choice award for best performance by a woman, The show alsa won people’ S choice awards for best set and best production. Tor Mcintyre, it's a sweet victory: for ‘the : entire TLT, the longest: continually-running- community theatre: group-in B.C,- “It's affirmation of the work: we've done, We're going | io show the provitice the kind of 638-7283 A STACK OF SHINY HARDWARE: Director Patrick McIntyre with just some of the awards the play Speaking in Tongues picked up at the zones, JENNIFER LANG PHOTO work we do up here.” Adjudicator Raimund Stamm, a performer and acting teacher, heaped generous praise on the production, saying he’ d leatned | a Ahing or two from the show, " termed if," McIntyre recalls, ‘adding: ‘the adju- ' dicator algo said the TLT- production is strong: _ enough to- ‘be presented anywhere'| in the coun. try. -- : “That said, he-still hcl. a few. tips. McIntyre others up; lo. polish the production for festival, two: tlofe ‘chances lanier this month. Se The-June 27. and 28--benefit- performances s will help cover travel experises so the'e {i° crew- can make the trip to Penticton. for. Mair stage B.C., where Speaking in Tongues will compete against the pravince’s best, So, if McIntyre appears As if he’s still wait- ing to exhale-in relief it's because he knows “othere’ s still’ plenty of hard work ahead, “He was blown away, “thal: Was how he. ~ Melntyre- is relatively new. to directing; his -first-effort was last’ fall's Desdemona, a Story About a Handkerchief: He’s grateful for the dir- ecting ‘assistance: ‘provided by his wife, Diana " ~Braathen, and for the calibre-of past TLT pro- - ductions — and ‘directors like. Daniel Barnswell, Marianne’ Weston,- Karla. Hennig and Jason » Marshall ~ ~ for showing -him the way, -oAnyone who missed: the ‘TLT's: version, of “Austrian pluywright‘Andrew Bovell’s. award-. winning drama, during its run.il April will get “These are all people I've worked with and Lve watched. all their plays: They have tre- ~metidous influence‘ on how you. approach a play. T ‘hat's: ‘the -base ‘on -which. you. stand, I ou tribute ‘to the qualily of. the work — “bythe: TLT: over. the