October 1 was an overcast day, which brings the right kind of lighting to work with bright colours. It was also the right temperature for people working outdoors, painting boards graffiti-style on an old farmstead just east of Godfrey.

German graffiti legend Loomit has been called the godfather of modern graffiti and it has been said about him that he has given graffiti its current meaning. Invited by sculptor Stefan Duerst, Loomit stopped in between assignments in the Bronx and Brooklyn to lead a workshop at Godfrey’s Sculpture Park. He was accompanied by friend and fellow graffiti artist Nils, with whom he has partnered on several installations. Together they paint large walls all over the world with beautifully clear colours. Nils’ playful photo realism weaves into Loomit’s lettering; their work dances along the walls, never holding still, seemingly to open windows to somewhere else.

One interesting thing is that the names graffiti artists take on usually have very little to do with their actual names or anything else, but are letters that please them when they tag.

In the days before the workshop, Loomit and Nils had painted a mandarin orange on one of the old barn’s walls, an inspired greeting to the expectant workshop participants. The old barn was soon filled with artistic endeavours on Saturday as the workshop went on its way.

Loomit and Nils had brought smaller boards, along with their spray paints, paint cans and paint markers to the workshop. The aspiring graffiti artists spent the morning sketching and planning out ideas under the guidance of their teachers, and the afternoon brought colours to their boards. What joy to find new tools, to find a new way to express one’s visions. People of all ages and walks of life feel drawn to the medium and so, the ensuing paintings are as different as their creators. Perhaps soon we will hear of a new graffiti artist whose career started at this workshop.

Loomit himself has painted on a series of sculptures by Stefan Duerst, this being the first time a metal sculptor and a graffiti artist are working together. The two are preparing for a show at Studio 22 in Kingston, which will open on November 19.

About 1855, Daniel Scott and Phoebe Parks, of American Loyalist families, came with their young family up the Salmon River from Hay Bay and Sheffield and settled on the river just below the current Arden town site. They made a livelihood there and other places in Kennebec and their children had families there and many remain today, living happily with an ever-greater extended Scott family, marrying with other settlers and later arrivals. Other Scotts arrived about the same time and have also stayed here.

In the 1860s and 70s, two Cox families arrived from St. Giles, Quebec and settled in the Mountain Grove area; a third family stayed in Quebec. They had emigrated from County Monaghan, Ireland early in the 1830s. They farmed and thrived in Olden and Kennebec and joined in marriage with other families in the area, and many continue to enjoy lives here in Central Frontenac.

Other Scotts and Coxes together with other families have moved to other parts of Ontario, Western Canada and the United States in search of new jobs, livelihoods and other opportunities. In the early 1900s we saw large numbers of our ancestors leave to take up farms on the Prairies. Although some have returned and some come back for holidays, some emigrant Coxes and Scotts have never been back and have lost touch with kin who have stayed to look after our homelands.

For many years some of us 'from away' have thought about coming back for a Kennebec and Olden reunion. Some of us have worked together on family history and have been able to reconnect somewhat in that way. While we have thought about gathering, many of our elders and family knowledge carriers have passed on, taking all their experience and wisdom with them. Every year it’s too late to meet and learn from some of our history carriers. We need to get together now!

So, although it’s last-minute, a small group of us have decided to begin the important process of gathering family together Saturday, October 15 and Sunday, October 16. We call out to all Kennebec Scotts and Olden Coxes and their related families to gather back in their homelands to get to know each other, to visit and share our stories, our family histories and our place in it and to have some family fun!! Please bring your old family pictures, film, Bibles, memorabilia and keepsakes. Come prepared to share your stories - humorous and serious!

The gathering is free and open to all with an interest in getting together and sharing our family experiences and history. We will visit the old family home sites and trails. On Saturday Elders Leigh and Dale Scott will guide us around the Daniel Scott and Phoebe Parks sites. Cox descendants will show us around the Cox family homesteads. We will have lunch together, on Saturday at the Arden Legion and on Sunday at the Mountain Grove Community Hall, and give thanks to the generosity of family who have stayed here and kept the homelands and the home fires burning while the rest of us were away.

We will have family histories available for you to study, change and add to with your own family tree. Kellie Cox Love and other genealogists will be with us to help. Family pipe major Reg Scott of the Kalamalka Highlanders Pipe Band, who was born here in Arden, will call us to gather, celebrate our ancestors at the old homesteads and salute them at the burial grounds.

We invite you to join us at this inaugural Kennebec Scott and Olden Cox gathering October 15 & 16. For information please contact:

Harvey & Evelyn Scott; This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.; 780-675-4158

Reg & Heather Scott: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.; 250-545-4280

Sherri Scott: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.; 613-335-3759

Kellie Love: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.; 705-439-2983

The Kingston Ceili Band kicked off the fall and winter Bellrock community event program at the Bellrock Hall on Sept. 24.

Around 40 people gathered at the schoolhouse to enjoy a taste of Ireland and Scotland right in their own back yard, and the band rocked the newly renovated little schoolhouse with their foot-tapping tunes and hilarious banter. From Elvis Presley and the Great Big Sea to a few more traditional Celtic pieces, the Kingston Ceili Band had the crowd clapping along and wanting more.

The band is made up of six very talented artists: Shane Dunne on guitar and lead vocals; flute master Anne Archer; Maggie “hot fingers” McIver on the fiddle; Laura Anderson Brick on her cherry red accordion; Eric Brausseau on an array of percussion instruments; and Dennis Wilson on his trusty banjo and vocals.

The band has been providing Kingston and area with their hearty music for 30 years. The obvious chemistry and history that they have makes them truly one of a kind. Their playful repartee combined with their unique sound created a warm and fun atmosphere inside the schoolhouse and resulted in a great night of entertainment.

The concert was put on by the Bellrock Hall Community Association, which is in charge of maintaining the hall and putting on different events for the public’s entertainment. Admission to the show was a freewill donation as a way of bringing in money to cover some of the costs of keeping the hall up and running, and according to the chair of the hall association, Virginia Lavin, the event did very well in terms of raising funds. The proceeds will be put towards things like heat, hydro and insurance that the hall needs to continue hosting community events like these.

“Events like this serve two purposes, to provide the community with entertainment and raise funds to keep the hall open,” said the association’s treasurer, Bob Brown.

As the municipality does not support the hall financially, the association relies on government grants and its own fundraising to keep it funded through the year. Without support from the community, concerts and entertainment like this would not be possible. The fall and winter events will be a big part of the hall’s fundraising for 2016.

The next event on the lineup is the Bellrock Boogie this Sunday, October 2. The Texas Tuxedo will take the stage at noon and will be joined by four other acts throughout the day. The event will go until 4 pm and the cover charge will again be a freewill offering. The Bellrock Schoolhouse is located at 6034 Levesque Road. Visit bellrockhall.ca for more information.

The four storytellers that performed at Fieldwork in Mabery last Saturday, thought carefully about which story to bring. Earlier in the year Fieldwork and 2 women productions from Ottawa walked the land and felt the history of both the land and the people. They brought four magnificent stories to enchant their audience with.

Storytelling is one of the oldest crafts of humankind, a transmitter of history and wisdom. It can be a friendly reminder of values and morals or a roadmap to overcoming obstacles and reaching one’s goals. The stories we heard spoke of living close to the land when life was simpler yet more difficult, when it took all of a person’s strength and wit to stay alive and magic was accepted, respected and often expected.

Once the audience had settled around the small tables in the comfortable barn loft at Fieldwork lit by strings of tiny lights that spanned the rafters, Jennifer Cayley of 2wp, curator of this show, introduced the concept and the individual performers.

Katherine Grier, a storyteller for 30 years, took her listeners on a journey following Grace. Fleeing hunger and a desperate future in their old country, Grace came to Canada on a boat with her parents and several other families. Life in the new country is not easy. The families have come on the calling of a rich landowner who needed cheap labor in this as yet untamed land. Grace learns about the tale of the boy with the hedgehog face. A woodling had put a spell on the pregnant woman, just for a lark, and the boy grows to look more and more like a hedgehog. Called the Hedgehurst, he goes off deep into the woods to make his own life. Finally, a king finds him, a princess marries him and this princess manages to break the spell and return the Hedgehurst to his true human form. Grace is relieved to hear that a person can make a living in those dark woods that have no paths or roads.

Daniel Kletke experienced his first storytelling event at Rasputin’s in Ottawa and has been an avid listener and teller since then. He enchanted us with the story of three brothers who set out together to find their future. The youngest, Fargo, is as good-hearted as he is beautiful, which makes his two older brothers angry and jealous. They plot against him. Stealing his bread while he sleeps, they use his hunger on the following day to trick him into letting them blind him and break his legs. Then they leave him broken. The youth never loses heart and magic water heals his eyes as well as his legs. In turn he collects some of the water to heal the paw of a wolf, the arm of a field mouse and the wing of a honey bee. All three of these animals bring their entire tribe to his rescue later, when a cruel king challenges him against impossible tasks. Fargo’s steadfast goodness and the magic of the healing waters wins him the heart of the lovely princess and the kingdom, where he reigns with wisdom and care for the rest of his days.

A widely known author and storyteller, Jan Andrews brought to us the tale of Ti-Jean who, on his mother’s wish, follows his two brothers who have gone to seek the hand of a rich man’s daughter. All they need to do is say something so important or clever to her, that she would be silenced. The two men ride on, while their young brother follows, undetected by them. On his way the clever (and hard working) young brother earns a magic napkin, a magic bottle and a magic violin. Of course in the end he frees all the men who tried in vain to silence the young woman, he also gets to marry her himself and they lived happily ever after. Jan loves stories that have magic in them, deep meaning and solid teachings.

Last but definitely not least we heard the story of Hansel and Gretel, told by Marta Singh. In this story Gretel and Hansel were real children who were told the fairytale of Hansel and Gretel by their mother, as long as they could remember. When times get tough and the parents have to send the children away to work at the next village, Gretel begins to understand how the book reflects their own lives and teaches the children the way to continue. The lives of the children in the tale and the children in the book mirror each other, weaving back and forth between history and present until they are set free into the future.

Stories have messages for us all, especially for growing up minds: messages to be connected to the earth and how to live with it, learning the trades and carving out a living.

At the Q+A someone asked how one becomes a storyteller. The answer: by telling stories. Like any craft or trade, one has to start; skill will follow.

Fieldwork, at 2501 Old Brooke Rd., shows site-specific artwork in and around a field and invites visitors to enjoy the exhibitions year-round. If you are interested in upcoming events and exhibitions, please visit www.fieldworkproject.com

The North Frontenac Little Theatre held its annual awards ceremony last Sunday, Sept. 25 at the former Tichborne church that it purchased and fixed up as a rehearsal and storage space several years ago.

This year actors Martina Field and John Stephen were honoured in the performer category, and in the community category, long-time supporters Jocelyn and Nick Whalen from Sharbot Lake Pharmasave were also celebrated.

The hall was decked out with red carpets, and there was a table laden full of treats and refreshments in the center. The hall was full when NFLT president and event emcee, Brian Robertson, jumped onto the altar/stage at the back of the hall and called everyone to attention. Channeling Steve Martin, Robertson proceeded to deliver a monologue, complete with fake texts from celebrities, and apologies from long-time NFLT members John and Anne McDougall, who according to Robertston were busy at home working on a disco version of Fiddler on the Roof.

Finally it came time to announce the first honoree, Martina Field. As she jumped up to go up and accept her award, Robertson put his hand up. “Not yet,” he said, forcing her to return to her seat as he talked about their experiences on stage together as a married couple on two occasions, something that he said the tabloids had a field day with.

Field has performed in over a dozen productions, including as Mrs. Webb in “Our Town” and Titania in “A Midsummer Night's Dream”, a production she mentioned in particular because it was the first ever Shakespeare production for the company and its director, Inie Platenius, died of breast cancer before the play went up.

“We were committed to following the directions she gave us in order to make the production a tribute to her. It meant a lot to all of us. She also asked me to design the sets for it, with the help of Peter [Inie's husband], which was a great experience.”

Brian Robertson would not let Field leave the front until she delivered a cackle from the Wicked Witch of the West. She said that was a role she had wanted to play since she was a child as the Wicked Witch has always been an idol of hers. She called her a “positive role model.”

John Stephen first came to the Little Theatre as the father (and chauffeur) for his daughter, Shiloh, who was in a production. He took on a small role, and has been in a dozen productions since then.

He was given more and more prominent roles in a series of productions that were directed by Doug Mcintyre, including Beyond Reasonable Doubt, Drinking Alone, and Noises Off.

“He saw something in me as an actor that I never saw,” Stephen said in his trademark self-deprecating manner.

He also played the wizard in The Wizard of Oz, a policeman in Guys and Dolls, and was recently in The Miracle Worker.

He said that he has been put into difficult positions on stage by some of his directors, including McIntyre, who decided to stage Beyond Reasonable Doubt in the center of the auditorium at the old Sharbot Lake High School instead of on stage.

“Whenever I would lose a line on stage I could look to the side for prompting, but this time the audience was surrounding me. But since I was playing a lawyer I could just say 'please give me a minute to consult, your honour', and go back to consult with my client, who fortunately had the script in front of them on the table. The audience never knew, or at least never told me they knew.”

Jocelyn and Nick Whalen are the first recipients of the Community Award. They have supported the Little Theatre ever since they opened the Sharbot Lake Pharmacy 25 years ago.

“They have put posters up in the store and sold tickets and collected money for us for 50 productions over the years. And I know we are not alone; they support other community activities all the time,”said Robertson.

Speaking for the pair, Nick Whalen said, “It is an honor to be recognised. I have always enjoyed the productions. The Little Theatre is a great asset to the community.”

The Whalens received a standing ovation.

Cape Breton fiddler Anita MacDonald and piper Ben Miller make a musically explosive combination which might just be the next big thing from that storied island. Their four-piece band, which includes Tyson Chen on piano and Zakk Cormier on guitar, will be coming to MERA in McDonalds Corners on Sunday October 30 for an evening concert and afternoon workshops for musicians interested in learning Cape Breton styles.

MERA is fortunate to be able to present this up-and-coming group who are bringing Scottish Gaelic musical tradition into the twenty-first century with respect, energy and a delightful stage presence. The Sunday, Oct 30 program at MERA is as follows:

2 - 4 pm: Workshops for interested musicians (cost: $30/person)

- Fiddle and pipe tune playing, Cape Breton style (combined group), intermediate to advanced level

-Accompaniment styles from strong beginner to advanced player on keyboard, guitar or other stringed instrument (bring your own)

7 pm: Ben Miller and Anita MacDonald concert, with Tyson Chen and Zakk Cormier MERA hall (cost: $20 advance/25 door/$15 for registered workshop participants)

For more information on this program, contact Bill Cameron at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or visit www.benandanita.com. Tickets for the concert and workshops can be purchased online at www.ticketsplease.ca. MERA Schoolhouse is at 974 Concession 9A, McDonalds Corners and full info about this busy community arts centre is at www.meraschoolhouse.org.

Nominees have been announced for the 2016 Canadian Folk Music Awards, with fiddler Jessica Wedden being nominated in the category of Young Performer of the Year. Submissions for the CFMAs were received from across Canada there are a total of five nominees in each category.

The nomination was based on the song on her first CD entitled “Fiddling is My Passion”, which was recorded at the age of 12, just three and a half years after she started to play the fiddle. To qualify for this category, the entrant must be under 19 at the time of recording. Jessica is presently 14 years old.

She is from the Sharbot Lake area and started playing fiddle with the Blue Skies Community Fiddle Orchestra. She then broadened her learning experience with private lessons from professional fiddler, Cindy Thompson of Almonte. To date, , profiled in Celtic Life magazine from Nova Scotia, and has performed at the 2016 Havelock Jamboree, Ottawa’s 2015 CityFolk Music Festival, Perth's 2016 Stewart Park Music Festival Youth Showcase and the 2016 Almonte CeltFest. Fiddling is her passion!

Wedden is one of three local musicians nominated for CFM Awards this year.

Frontenac News contributing reporter and man about town in Mountain Grove, Jonas Bonnetta, of Evening Hymms has been nominated as Emerging Artist of the Year for his third release, Quiet Energies, from 2015.

Finally, the decorated Elphin-based singer/songwriter David Francey, a three-time Juno Award winner, has been nominated for Contemporary Album of the Year for Empty Train.

“It is only the farmer who faithfully plants seeds in the spring, who reaps a harvest in the autumn.”

That adage by Bertie Forbes before his death 62 years ago is still as true today as it was then.

Fresh from a harsh summer of hot and dry weather, local farmers are preparing to celebrate this autumn what they faithfully planted in the spring at the Battersea Pumpkin Festival

“The festival is coming together really well,” says Brian Ward, festival coordinator. “It’s our 22nd annual festival and we have a full roster of music and activities.”

Organized by volunteers, the festival on Oct. 1 is the highlight of the year for the small village, which is flanked by Loughborough and Dog Lakes.

“Last year, we had 2,000 people attend our festival,” says Ward. “We’re hoping good weather brings the same number this year.”

Volunteers have started baking cookies and painting signs & decorations. Corn stalks are lining the festival wagon route and pumpkins are appearing around the village.

At the heart of the festival is locally grown and produced food. Women from around the area donate homemade pies to a pie social at Battersea United Church. The Storrington Firefighters’ Association make beef on a bun, and families converge on the farmers’ market to sell homegrown produce and homemade products.

The festival is a celebration of the grassroots talent in South Frontenac Township. It has grown to include family-friendly activities such as a corn maze, haunted barn, train rides and pancake breakfast.

Admission to the festival is a mere $5; the same price when it started in 1994. To reduce financial barriers, the cost for a family is capped at $20. Children under two are admitted free.

The festival starts with a pancake breakfast at the Holiday Country Manor and ends with a pie-eating contest at the Battersea Ball Field at 3:30 pm.

Coordinator for the past three years, Ward says he felt the festival’s magic the first time he attended 14 years ago.

“It was obvious then that this is a wonderful way for the community to come together,” he says from his home. “There are a lot of parts that come together to form one big event… so many things going on for a small place. There truly is something for everyone.”

To view a full line-up of festival activities, go to the Battersea Pumpkin Festival page on Facebook.

The mist was up and the rain was threatening to move in as a crowd gathered at the old caboose in the Railway Park across from the Central Frontenac Township Office in Sharbot Lake last Saturday morning (September 17).

Town Crier, Paddy O'Connor, delivered two rousing “Oyes” and then an “All Aboard” to welcome one and all to the event. Barb Neill then welcomed the guests and introduced Gary Giller, who proceeded to outline the impressive number of grants that the society has received over the last year or so.

The Community Foundation for Kingston and Area (CFKA) provided $12,200 for the purchase of a railway-themed play structure that is now installed in a location close to the caboose. CFKA Executive Director Tina Baily and board member Gayle Barr were on hand and spoke about how pleased the foundation was to work with a group that is dedicated to community engagement for all ages.

The Ontario Trillium Foundation (OTF) provided $10,000 for the installation of the play structure and also funded 12 signs marking significant features in the park that are connected to the former railway. James Roulston, of the Quinte-Kingston-Region grant selection committee with the OTF, brought his greetings as well.

The heritage society is also working with Central Frontenac Township on a major trail enhancement project that encompasses the corridor from the Sharbot Lake beach to the museum park and beyond. Phase 1 of the project involves the enhancement of the rock cut and the wooded area between the beach and the government dock, and includes signage and heritage lighting. This project is being overseen by a committee of Central Frontenac Council. Phase 1 of the project has been funded by the Federal Government Accessibility Fund ($50,000), as well as Central Frontenac Township ($15,000), and the Frontenac County Federal Gas Tax Fund ($10,000)

Anne Marie Young, the economic development officer for Frontenac County and a tireless advocate for the K&P Trail, brought greetings from the County.

Gary Giller also thanked John Duchesne, who has come on board to help with grant applications for the society.

Central Frontenac Mayor (and Frontenac County Warden), Frances Smith, marked the end of the formal proceedings, and the start of the rain, by cutting the cake.

Fortunately the rain then let up and the assembled crowd enjoyed music by Gilbert Riddell, Jim MacPherson, Pete MacPherson, Al Cooke, and Guy Cooke, as well as hot dogs, lemonade and cake.

Perhaps the happiest person in the crowd was Sally Angle, who is now the former president of the Central Frontenac Railway Society, a position she held for 14 years until Derek Redmond recently took on the role.

On September 18, Maberly Hall hosted an afternoon of music as part of the Festival of Small Halls, which started on September 14 and runs until October 2. The festival was inspired by the spirit of small hall festivals in PEI and Australia and is now in its third year. It has grown from three shows in 2014 to 24 venues and over 35 artists this year. Top-rate performers like Breabach, Elliot BROOD, Jim Bryson, Devin Cuddy Band, and Sherman Downy will take a break from the big stages and perform in small towns from Pembroke to Maxville to Gananoque, thus fulfilling the organizers’ vision of bringing Big Music to Little Places.

Sunday was no exception and fantastic performances were brought to the audience by the Lanark Fiddlers Guild, Change of Step, and Breabach, a Scottish five-piece folk band.

The Lanark Fiddlers Guild opened the show with their unique mix of traditional Celtic music with a bit of a Lanark accent - a sound they have become known for over the past 15 years. Cindy McCall, who took over the reins as conductor from Carolyn Stewart, proudly showed off the group's talents and introduced the two newest members of the group, Natalie and Lukas Reynolds.

Change of Step, a group of world-class dancers from Nova Scotia and Ontario, shared the stage with Breabach for many of the faster-paced numbers. They performed powerful and graceful original choreography of traditional Highland dancing with a modern twist. They have won international titles and have performed at such prestigious events as the Canada Day celebrations on Parliament Hill and the Vancouver Olympics.

When Breabach took to the stage, they did not disappoint with their high-energy, unique brand of contemporary folk music, which has earned them international recognition in the music scene. Their awards include Best Live Act 2013 and Best Folk Band 2012 at the Scots Trad Music Awards. Breabach consists of Calum MacCrimmon (pipes/whistles/bouzouki/vocals); Ewan Robertson (guitar/vocals); James Mackenzie (pipes/flute/whistles); Megan Henderson (fiddle/vocals/step-dance); and James Lindsay (double bass). The traditional sounds of bagpipes with beautiful vocals, whistles, fiddle and guitar were often layered by James Lindsay, using loop pedals for both the double bass and the fiddle. This created a warm, swelling feel to their music and brought the crowd to their stomping feet.

They have recently released a new album titled Astar and performed three times for the Festival of Small Halls. They have three more shows coming up, including in London, Peterborough and Saint John, NB to wrap up the Canadian leg of their tour.

The Festival of Small Halls will continue to bring big music to the small halls in the area for the next two weeks, including Jim Bryson with Melwood Cutlery on Friday, Sept. 30 at McDonalds Corners Agricultural Hall, and Devin Cuddy Band with Keegan Carr on Sunday, Oct. 2 at ABC Hall in Bolingbroke.

Not only can you enjoy the incredible music, but if you go the festival website, you can find information about community dinners being hosted prior to many of the shows. For more information and tickets visit www.thefestivalofsmallhalls.com or call 613-791-3476.