JAZZY NIGHT
Bluesmoke jazzed up a dark, dreary winter night last week to play at the Port Moody Arts Centre for its first annual Chase Away the January Blues event.
PMAC society spokesperson Jillian Hull said more than 70 people turned up at the Jan. 23 party to exchange unused Christmas presents, taste treats from professional chef Deji Oduwole and hear the sounds from the young blues band, who entertained in the lobby.
PM AWARDS
The city of Port Moody last week singled out five people - and a community group - for their contributions to the City of the Arts.
Susan Ius and Richard Dixon, a retired drama teacher from Gleneagle secondary school, won the arts award for their work in the city's first Youth Arts Festival last year;
Rod MacVicar, a director of the Reed Point Marine Education Centre and the Pacific Wildlife Foundation, took the environmental nod;
Fred Soofi, owner of Pasta Polo, earned the heritage award for his work with the Judd and Alexander residences;
the Port Moody Arts Centre (PMAC) at 2425 St. John's St. is the winner of the Peter Hulbert Accessibility Award for providing a hub that disabled people can use;
and Jamie Constable clinched the sports achievement award for his work with Port Moody lacrosse.
Meanwhile, PMAC also got another bonus this month: it won a $3,066 grant from the Port Moody Foundation; the group also handed over $6,831 to the Port Moody Public Library - money earned last year from their respective endowments held by the foundation.
FOR THE QUEEN
A total of 31 Tri-City residents were presented with Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee medals last Friday at the Vancouver Golf Club on Austin Avenue in Coquitlam.
The accolades, which mark the 60th anniversary of the queen's ascension to the throne, are given to people who have served the country and made outstanding contributions to the community.
The recipients were: Leo Bruneau, Sue Haberger, Lelainia Lloyd, Kiyoshi Takahashi, Miranda Anderson, Gordon Clay, Ruth Foster, David Spence, Don Gillespie, Norma Gillespie, Bev Moulds, Ted Wingrove, Al Boire, Mary Brown, Cathy Burpee, John Cafe, John Cashore, Dave Driscoll, Donnie Forester, Gordon Fulton, Elaine Golds, Russ Hellard, Peter Howard, John Menenghello, Robert Siddons, Bob Sutherland, Natalie Thomas, Liz Thunstrom, Anna Tremere, Tom Warwick and Kathy Wood.
The medals were presented on Jan. 25 by New Westminster-Coquitlam MP Fin Donnelly, Port Coquitlam MLA Mike Farnworth, Coquitlam-Maillardville MLA Diane Thorne and Port Moody-Coquitlam MLA Joe Trasolini.
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