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The Acton Free Press Wednesday May with Jennifer Barr belter start tint all my happy song now tih It Ive got me Cause this sadness a toundmt Is gelt if la my mind James Gordon known as Jim to bis friends Rock wood singer musician songwriter and enter par excellence wrote lhat chorus in 1973 He fortunately still writing his happy songs the sadness completely affected his mind yet Although he a only Jim has been on the musical scene for nearly seven years He now well known as a Canadian folk singer In large areas of the Slates and Canada although Guelph and residents still have a tendency lo ask Jim Who When other teenagers were plugging themselves into vast amplifiers shrieking out fighting words banging unmusical cords from their tortured In Jim was tinkering effectively with his banjo The Jeff Bird Band Jim and two friends have an established group and arc managing to make fair living out of playing concerts fairs coffee houses and folk festivals Jim plays a variety of Instruments from the banjo guitar piano trumpet whoops the valves stuck bongo tin whistle and other as sorted His partners include Jeff Bird who bills himself as The Jeff Bird Band and docs indeed ploy enough Instruments for a whole band and Randy Sutherland singer back up guitarist and general rounder outer Lead singer is James who docs most of the casual patter on stage but Is well set off by Jeff who re minds one of Tommy Makem with his easy whim sical sense of humor and Randy of the sexy voice and huge innocent eyes In the past year Jim and Jeff Randy joined them in the fall have entertained at festivals in places such as Memphis South Carolina New York Georgia and all over Ontario Their concerts In elude Ontario Place the C Playhouse Theatre Vancouver Memphis Atlanta Alberta New Brunswick They also play at a long list of col leges universities libraries and coffee houses In fact their list of credits for one year reads like an entire lifetime work for most singers The group has also done radio shows In the States and Canada including the CBC and appeared on television Jim docsn know how to describe himself or the group except lhat they are entertainers They are much more than folk singers combining traditional ethnic folk songs twists some Of their own music amusing fun poking songs a little gentle rock and musical ballads He laughing ly calls them folkywhimp Whatever you want were it chuckles Jim remembering the time they were hired for St Patrick Day in Windsor as an Irish Folk Band For thai engagement they were just that totally Irish They can also be pure Maritimcrs genu On raunchy bar room singers or total folk In the States they are hailed as per typical Canadian Jim often travels with the well known group called Maple Sugar playing banjo and singing But all these credits and professional lists arestlll small clue to the person who is Jim Gordon Music all Jim lire I first met Jim when al 18 he was running a summer theatre group for young children in Rock wood The enthusiasm charm and general fabillty of this young lad was overwhelming Even then the amount of talent in attractively small package of a body was amazing He extended the drama group lo include adults and produced one of Shaw plays with his awn touches making temporary actors out of a group of stiff uptight business people yes I was one of them Jim was just graduating from Centennial High in where he was first introduced to organised music and band playing Forming his own group The Philharmonic he used lo play for any one who d listen trying out the songs he was learning to write This was followed by a musical education at the at G classical voice training singing work in eluding the University of singers Madrigal Singers church choirs and still mure concert work To help finance this singing habit Jim started the Garden Street Cafe two years ago This coffee house and restaurant has become popular all over the province Visitors came to partake of excellent vegetarian food and hear folk type entertainment The decor bits of antique and nostalgia came courtesy of his antique collecting parents Don and Cathy Gordon of In around this getting between the rickety gables and jeanskirted waitresses bounced a cheerful longhaired elf the owner The cafe has recently been sold although is being run In exactly the same way Jim musical career has been taking off to the extent he had to make a choice his two enterprises He still maintains an interest In he entertainment booking of the cafe Appearing soon a I Mug This small column is no place to set down pro fessional biography of Jim Gordon I haven I even mentioned the British concert tour the operatic tour with the Vancouver Symphony the antique instruments Jim used to experiment with the sad protest songs and searing social Jim writes You II just have lo listen to J m yourself And you can for he Jeff and Randy arc appear at 11 Mug coffeehouse in Acton on Saturday Even though Jim and his group are very well known and successful performers com decent salaries they love to gel bilk to their roots and perform for Intimate groups in coffee houses where the audience become part of the act ThatswhcreJim Jeff and Randy ng their bestwhere they can give and take with their because Ihey re still basically folk ngcrs entertaining you and me I hope they stay that way Parents air concerns during bearpit talk Several parents education concerns were aired during a bearpit session last week at Bennett school The school principal Duug and ActonEsquesing school trustee Betty Fisher were there to field quest Ions and explain some of what goes on a Halton Board of Education to concerned parents The health hustle the popular inclass exercise has been sidestepped recently In the school because of parent con corn about the approp riateness of the exercise for children according to Mr Magwood The parent is a highly led physical education professor said the We re looking at continuing It but with more direction Mr told the group The principal also Indic ated children will soon be spending more physical education time outside In such activities as track and field and soccer Meanwhile Trustee Fisher indicated she would find out from the board the latest inform a lion regarding the health hustle Private schools draining away pupil from the public system was a concern raised by Harold Andres Principal said he knows of one or perhaps two pupils who have switched to private schools And here was one who later returned In North trustee Fisher said she could see more pupils going to the Georgetown District Christian School or the separate school rather than to a private school because of the d stance Other parents feel they private a better job of teaching I don know if that trut said Lynn parent and para professional in the sch ool Concerning the quality of education in private schools trustee Fisher said she could not If the answer has been proven There are more private being est but Mr Mag wood said he does not believe there Is leant competition bet ween private and public schools Mrs Fisher shared an observation with the par ents concerning schools About half of them could be described as conservative and the rest liberal attitude reflect the local community Until society figures out what direction to go were caught in the middle she said She went on to say schools are a bit more usually a direct reflection of the community She in dicated the board could pursue a course to uniformity except she did not know if people would like school not reflecting the com Teacher job security and budgets figured in a discussion concerning the use of the school lib rary The underlining reason for M Bennett school Police beat Chase results in mans arrest having a librarian for a naifday the allocation of staff The teachers federation is not keen on para professionals who could man the library It a cheaper labor Mrs t said Mr Magwood agreed that a para professional could manage the lib rary However having a teacher step into the librarian role posed problems Its not I cult to handle a book ex change but as far as operating a resource centre that job requires training and Mr Mag wood said he did not think teachers could do the job with all else they have to do The question arose regarding any plans by the Board of Education to charge for the after hours use of schools Mrs Fisher said the answer is up to the town recreation department Do middle schools cost more was one of Mrs Whitten questions think so replied Mrs Fisher She went on to say there are pros and cons regarding the middle school question That is one reason why she is in favor of the middle school study being carried out by a hired consultant so meone to look at It with out bias SALE ON CHILDRENSl SHOES CONTINUES Price from A high speed chase in the Acton area ended Saturday with the arrest Meadvale man The man Is charged with dangerous and impaired driving A routine police check of a car turned up a Inch dagger in the poss ession of a 22 yearold Milton man Police charged him with poss ession of on offensive weapon The man was released on a promise to appear at court later this month Three town youths were with caus ing a disturbance on Mill Street in front of the Restaurant Saturday A 50year old Ransom St man was arrested on a liquor charge by police on Main St Friday The man was lodged in the Georgetown cells for his safety A woman reported the theft of three hubcaps from her vehicle this week while it was parked at the Dom inion Hotel Value of the equipment ia Police are investigating In all there were 12 liquor related offences which resulted in arrests by police in Hills on the weekend THE ACTON FREE PRESS Authorized Second Clot Mall Potto I Registration Number- 4000 for Helping Hands A letter from Helping Hands thanked Halton Hula council for their grant of but admitted to disappoint men l that the town could not grant the required Valerie O Hara executive director said she realized the towns position but added they would not be able to meet the everIncreasing de mands on their service The organization plans lo approach clubs in an effort to raise the additional j a I fotlma guarantee on ill tnifp bos on clamps ind all that noes on exhaust iroiem even la bo So las you to FIRST lit bo AST t mo you I lor long as you CLEMENTS MOTORS Bronte St S Milton 8782328 TENDERS The Trustees of the Village of Rock wood invite bids for the installation of water and sewer services at the Village office 118 Guelph Street Bids should be in by May 25 1979 Lowest or any bid not necessarily accepted M Secretory PO Box of Ray Kennedy Construction READY MIX CONCRETE SAND GRAVEL CRUSHED STONE SA TUFtDA Y DELIVERY 519 ERIN ONT CENTRE Carpet and Roomg Specabts Installers On StaH RICHMOND CORONET VENTURE OZ1TE CALLAWAY I ARMSTRONG and Lakeview Centre FUR STORAGE SOW IS THE TIME for protecting your precious fur in our scientifically controlled fur vaults Not only does your Fur receive prime beauty treatments but Is also 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