This year, the World in Wolfville annual spring drum show will feature two of Nova Scotia’s finest African music groups, FOLA and KOJO, along with hand-drum duo Ken Shorley and Denis Martin. And, Ken’s 28-member World Rhythm and Drumming class from Acadia U will be there as a special opening act! KOJO is a traditional Sudanese thumb piano band based in Halifax. The group was originally formed in 1996 when a number of refugees from southern Sudan settled in Canada. Kojo translates from the original Didinga as “re-birth” or “new crop” and was a way to preserve the spirit of…
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Let me ask you a question.  How important is it to have laughter in your life? The statistics, which aren’t good, amaze me.  On average, an adult laughs only 12-15 times a day whereas children laugh over 400 times a day. Some would say we become more discriminating about what we laugh about as we grow up, but maybe we have forgotten how. I’m not kidding when I say we should relearn. Laughter is a truly natural and very effective healing method. Laughter Yoga, Laughter Parties, Laughercize and other laughter-oriented health trends have spawned a new approach to laughter.  Simply laughing…
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Wolfville, NS – The Acadia Performing Arts Series presents Chirgilchin on Sunday, March 14 at 7:30 pm at the Festival Theatre in Wolfville. It promises to be a unique musical experience. New York performance artist Laurie Anderson first met the three male vocalists at their appearance in that city in June 2005. She was so taken by their vocal technique that she decided to take part in the following morning’s throat-singing workshop. This led to an invitation by Laurie to collaborate on some studio sessions later in the year. “I first heard Chirgilchin at the Rubin Museum [of Art] …and…
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The Women of Wolfville are about to mount their ninth annual production – Stirring the Pot: WOW Dishes It Out. Food, in case anyone thought otherwise, is a complicated business in 2010. The Women of Wolfville have wanted to examine the food we eat for several years. Stirring the Pot is our collective response to a myriad of food-related issues facing the post-modern world. These days food can be an escape, a diversion or a dedicated pursuit. Today obesity abounds and eating disorders are not uncommon in the midst of world hunger. Yet director Emily Levy-Purdy notes that the topic…
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Our sweet little princess daughter and sister Lovis Sophie Tews died on Sunday, December 20, 2009, shortly after midnight in the arms of her Mama and Papa, with her “aunt” Hanneke and our wonderful palliative care doctor Catherine McNally by her side. Her fight against one of the most aggressive and fatal brainstem tumors, DIPG (diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma), is over. Lovis fought with courage, determination and grace. We miss her terribly and have yet to learn how to live without Lovis in our daily lives and in our future. Through our daughter, we learnt to live and to love…
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Halifax, N.S. – The 2009 Taste of Nova Scotia Prestige Awards were announced on Thursday, November 5 at The Prince George Hotel in Halifax. Award recipients represent innovation and expertise in the industry and are committed to improving business and promoting culinary excellence in Nova Scotia. “The Prestige Awards are an opportunity to recognize our Taste members and their accomplishments… a chance to celebrate the best in our province,” says Janice Ruddock, executive director of Taste of Nova Scotia. Three Taste of Nova Scotia Prestige Awards to highlight: • Taste of Nova Scotia Member of the Year – Michael Howell,…
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Acadia Theatre Company presents The Wonderful World of Dissocia, written by Anthony Neilson, directed by Robert Seale, November 12-15 and 17-22, 2009. Lisa Jones is on a journey.  It’s a colourful and exciting trip in search of one lost hour that has tipped the balance of her life. The inhabitants of Lisa’s parallel universe – Dissocia – are a curious blend of the funny, the friendly and the brutal.  Questions are raised and perceptions challenged as to how society deals with psychosis. As Neilson himself puts it, “If you like Alice in Wonderland but there’s not enough sex and violence…
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In early June, I wrote an article about the popular roadside spring located in the Gaspereau Valley that many people use as a source of drinking water.  At that time, I asked if anyone would be interested in getting the water tested to ensure that it was safe to drink.  Well, a lot of people were interested.  I was contacted by at least a dozen people who use the water and wanted to see tests carried out.  The article also caught the eye of Cliff Stanley.  Dr. Stanley is a professor at Acadia in the Department of Earth and Environmental…
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This time out, the Who’s Who section goes international as we catch up with Valley native Hilary Drummond who recently returned to her roots for a visit and has some dreams for the future about coming home for good. Now living in Paris, France, Hilary says that during the last couple of weeks in Wolfville, she can’t walk very far without running into someone she knows. “I really feel a sense of place here,” she says. The former Central Kings student said that during her vacation she has achieved her goals of swimming, bonfires on the beach, impromptu musical gatherings…
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Mud Creek, the original name of Wolfville, was changed around 1828-1830. One explanation for the amendment is that Elisha DeWolfe Jr’s nieces were embarrassed from telling their friends where they were from. In contrast, after a successful week of Mud Creek events (July 19th-26th), today’s residents can certainly remain proud of who we are. In terms of community and business participation, although things can always be stronger (you can say that about everything can’t you?), involvement was notably greater than in recent years. Mudley, the town mascot, wanted a birthday cake for his 116th year and he received over 20…
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