The record, 28 juillet 1995, Supplément 1

[" TOWNSHIPS WEEK Arts and Entertainment Magazine Record July 28-August 4, 1995 = #r avé - 5 4 + net aR A A gr a Jn dis OJ LL we cd hl oe 61 0h of 2.| \"4 ) Ye < $+ > ne \u201cXx \u20ac \\ Mess re # lS Xx: Se v agir z ow.a Sd 4 soni $* Hy, Va 4 \\ - > : PA, « # «# padi & = nn 3e: vs J 2 5, «3% A a° = Es La ë a $ a & w ei 4 & /7 \u2019 aps 13 M À CE A Fo.w Py = > WV y LS LE 3 E> [ RECORD: PERRY BÉATUN 2 Michéle Pann e and Hubert Vallée are two of 110 artists featured on ar Circuit des Arts Memphremagog.Meet the artists on the Circuit { 3\u2014The Record\u2014TOWNSHIPS WEEK\u2014July 28-August 4, 1995 TALK OF THE TOWNSHIPS | | The Pooh deserves a place among immortal poets I see in the news they've unveiled a statue in the London Zoo dedicated to Winnie- the-Pooh.Well, actually to the little bear from Winnipeg dropped off there by Lieut.Harry Coburn in 1914 who lent his name to Christopher Robin's teddy and inspired his father to immortalize them both.I'm all in favor of erecting statues to poets rather than more damn generals.But I do Who's Who By Tadeusz Letarte think they could have found space in the south transept of Westminister Abbey along with Milton, Spenser, Drayton, Southey and the rest.Whe among us remembers anything by those stuffy old foofs?And who can forget Pooh\u2019s deathless hum about winter?You know the one; \u201cThe more it snows (tiddely-pom) The more it goes (tiddedly-pom) on snowing.\u201d It would need to be a dim little corner, of course, because Pooh was a bear of endearing modesty and never called himself a poet at all.\u201cI am a Bear of very Little Brain,\u201d he used to say, \u201cAnd Long Words Bother Me.\u201d And he readily confessed a failing many suffer, but only a few admit \u2014 wobbly spelling! \u201cMy spelling is wobbly,\u201d he once explained.\u201cIt\u2019s a good spelling but it wobbles, and letters get in the wrong place.\u201d Exactly! But, despite his modesty, Pooh was a profound religious thinker as was ably pointed out in The Tao of Pooh.And what other poet has been translated into Latin the past 2,000 Why do they use background Q.Why do they play that background music during movies and shows?It is so loud it drowns out the actors\u2019 voices and is very annoying.As much as we would like to watch some movies and shows, we have to turn it off.I see no point to the music at all.\u2014 W.F., Cumberland, Ohio A.Music has always been part of the Hollywood tradition from the earliest days.Admittedly, sometimes it's too loud, but you'd miss it if it weren't there.Q.A friend told me he had read in a magazine that Isabel Sanford, who played Louise on \u201cThe Jeffer- sons,\u201d is the mother of Howard Rollins, who played Det.Virgil Tibbs on \u201cIn the Heat of the Night.\u201d Is this true or false?\u2014 D.G., Lockport, N.YA.False.Q.Sometime in the mid-50s I watched a movie where a frontier family floated down a river on a raft to escape hostile Indians.I think Robert Mitchum was in the lead role, and I also think the movie was \u201cRiver of No Return.\u201d How close am I?\u2014 R.C.B., Wilson, Okla.A.Very close.\u201cRiver of No Return\u201d also starred Marilyn Monroe.Q.1'am wondering about a man 1 have seen in many movies that have been made.This fine actor I refer to is none other than Jack Elam.Has he ever received an Oscar?If ASK DICK KLEINER not, why not?\u2014 G.H.S., Miami, Ariz.A.Jack Elam always plays Jack Elam very well.He's never had a chance to play an Oscar-winning role.Q.I would like to know if J.Eddie Peck, who plays on \u201cThe Young and the Restless,\u201d is any relation to Gregory Peck.\u2014 W.T., Chance, Md.A.No, he\u2019s not.Q.I'm used to Sherlock Holmes mouthing his words while his voice trails off into nothingness.But I find it disturbing that many other actors are guilty of the same thing, which greatly detracts from what otherwise might be a fine story.Don\u2019t they teach them anything about speech delivery?\u2014 F.M.R., Pottstown, Pa.A.Jeremy Brett, who plays Sherlock Holmes, is a stage-trained actor, and is trained to reach the back row with his voice.Most of the other actors on that series also come from the theater.Q.Why was \u201cBoy Meets World\u201d Freddie Bartholomew Polly Bergen taken off the air?\u2014 M.P., Tinley Park, Ill.A.It was briefly taken off early this year so that ABC could run some episodes of their other series.It will return this fall on Fridays.Q.My primary question concerns \u201cColumbo,\u201d starring Peter Falk.1 cannot recall ever seeing an African- American on the show.What gives?Am I paranoid and imagining things, or is this a realistic point of view?\u2014 P., Fort Rucker, Ala.A.I wouldn't read anything sinister into this.There have often been African-Americans as cops on the show.Q.Back in the \u201940s, there was a popular deadpan female vocalist in movies whose only movements were her \u2018ips.Can you tell me her name?\u2014 R.L., Green Valley, Ariz.Documentary photographs on display.Photos by Louise Abbott will be on display at the Haskell Free Library in Rock Island beginning July 29.The exhibition is composed of a series of framed photographs produced Jor her NFB documentary The Pinnacle and the Poet.Most of them were taken on or around Pinnacle Mountain near Sutton between 1990-93.The exhibit also includes a display of photo books in which her work is represented.Abbott, a professional writer and photographer since 1971 and filmmaker since 1991, lives in Tomifobia.The show runs until August 31 at the library, located at 1 Church in Rock Island.Tel: (819) 876-2471.Shirley Temple Grant Show A.That was Virginia O'Brian, who died in \"74.Q.! watched \u201cThe Towering Inferno\u201d for the first time the other night and would like to know: Is one of the security officers in the movie O.J.Simpson?\u2014 J.E.K., Pottsboro, Texas A.Yes.Q.I would like to know why they took \u201cThe Price Is Right\u201d off the air.That was one of my favorite shows.Why don't they take off the stupid talk shows and have some musical or family shows?\u2014 L.H., West Lafayette, Ohio A.They took it off the air because talk shows have higher ratings and are less expensive to produce.Q.Do you remember a movie called \u201cLittle Lord Fauntleroy\u201d?If so, what year was it made and who were the main actors?I remember it as a very impressive movie.Is it out on video?\u2014 D.E.Y., Lancaster, Ohio A.\"Little Lord Fauntleroy\u201d was produced in '36.It starred Freddie Bartholomew, C.Aubrey Smith and Guy Kibbee.And, yes, it\u2019s out on video.Q.My sister and I have a disagreement.My sister says that Ish Kabibble was with the Spike Jones group, and I maintain he was part of the Kay Kyser Orchestra.Would you please help settle this dispute?\u2014 J.P.S., Nashua, N.HA.Mr.Kabibble was with the Kay Kyser group.Q.We have been watching \u201cWinds of War.\u201d Whatever happened to Polly Bergen, who played Captain Henry's wife in that series?\u2014 E.M.R., St.Petersburg, Fla.A.Nothing happened to her.She's still acting and still beautiful.Q.I have a real problem.My mother told me, years ago, that 1 was named for Shirley Temple.However, | just saw an article which said that Shirley Temple was born the same year as me (1928).Therefore, it would have been impossible for me to be named after her.My mom is deceased so I can't ask her.\u2014 S.K., Mission Viejo, Calif.A.That's the right year for Shirley's birth \u2014 1928 \u2014 so your mother probably anticipated Shirley's stardom, or else, more likely, just liked the name Shirley and, later, came to believe that she had named you after her.Q.Whatever happened to Major Bowes of the \u201cMajor Bowes Amateur Hour\u201d?I understand he was ex- years?Winnie deserves a place in Poets\u2019 Corner among the immortals.And if I had the choice of an inscription for that statue, I might pick his Anxious Pooh Song which goes; \u201c3 cheers for Pooh! (for who?for Pooh) \u2018Why?What did he do?) 1 though you knew: He saved a friend from a wetting.\u201d music?ie Jack Elam Robert Mitchum ecuted as a German spy because every time he said those famous words, \u201cRound and round she goes and where she stops.nobody knows,\u201d that was a secret code.Am I correct?I say he was.\u2014 D.B., Col- legedale, Tenn.A.The secret code says, \u201cNo, malarky.\u201d Major Edward Bowes died in 1946, at 71, of natural causes.Q.My mother and 1 have been arguing about this for some time.On the show \u201cHome Improvement,\u201d Wilson's mouth is never shown.Is it because of a scar or defect, or is it just a trademark of his.\u2014 L.C.Pottsville, Ark.A.It is just a gimmick on this show, to not show his face No scar.no defect.just a gimmick.Q.I am a big fan of Jay Leno, and think he gets better all the time.My question is: Whatever happened to the one who was going to kick his butt in the ratings, namely Mr.Ar- senio Hall?He seems to have disappeared into oblivion.\u2014 K.B., Warsaw, Ind.A.He gave it the old college try, but Hall's ratings were never high enough to worry Leno or his butt.Q.Regarding the show called \u201cTrue Blue\u201d with Grant Show: What happened to it and will there ever be re-runs?\u2014 R.S.J., Tyngsboro, Mass.A.\u201cTrue Blue\u201d was dropped because the ratings were poor.There weren't enough episodes made to make up a package for re-runs.Q.A question about an old favorite of mine \u2014 Betty Grable.When did she die, how old was she, and what was the cause of her death?\u2014 S.S., Cumberland, Md.A.Ms.Grable was 56 when she succumbed to lung cancer in 1973.Q.On \u201cDr.Quinn, Medicine Woman,\u201d there is a recurring character who is a Native American.1 would like to know who plays Cloud Dancing and what nation he is from \u2014 Cheyenne or Sioux.\u2014 P.L., Kalamazoo, Mich.A.Cloud Dancing is played by an actor named Larry Sellers, who lists his background as Osage/Cherokee/Lakota. The Record \u2014TOWNSHIPS WEEK-\u2014July 28-August 4, 1995\u20143 TALK OF THE TOWNSHIPS Summertime excursions to wile away the days Win Tickets For La Ronde For a quick summertime excusion, La Ronde amusement park in Montreal is always a lot of fun.This year, organizers have many new things for people to discover, including The Cobra, in which thrill-seekers brave the twists and turns of the course standing up.The Volcanozor will shake things up as dinosaurs take over the simulation theatre.Also, Fort Edmonton dons a cowboy hat and goes Wild West, featuring live country music and plenty of cowboy and cowgirl antics.Fantasy also abounds at the Medieval Village; under the big top trained horses will wow visitors; and the new waterski show for the year is titled Extra! Extra! Read all about it in upcoming entertainment pages in the Record.1 have four pairs of e- 4, of summer by Sunil Mahtani tickets to give away for a day at the amusement park.All you have to do to enter the contest is send me a short note or postcard with the answer to the following: What island is La Ronde situated on?Send or bring your response to The Record, 2850 Delorme, Sherbrooke, J1K 1A1, or 88 Lakeside, Knowlton, JOE 1V0.Or FAX it to (819) 569-3945 or (514) 243-5155.The deadline is next Wednesday, August 2, at 4 p.m.The winners will be chosen at random from the responses and will also be notified by phone as well as in this space.Good luck! I'm still working out the details for our Stratford Festival contest, so our coverage of the theatre festival will continue next week.In the meantime, read about the attention- grabbing trumpeters that greet patrons of the Stratford's Festival Theatre at each performance on page 6.Your Days of Summer list for the week Day 50 \u2014 Friday, July 28: Video gets kids away Things to Do on a Rainy Day Lightyear Entertainment, $7.98 Into the sunniest summer a little rain must fall.For those days, espe: cially when you are smack out of fun ideas for your kids.you might consider checking out this video Divided into \u201cCooking Fun,\u201d \"Creative Crafts\u201d and \u201cTricks and Secrets.\u201d each segment of the video is color coded so kids can watch the section of their choice.It's certainly a diverse lot.In the cooking section, for example.kids learn to make ice cream, while \u201cTricks and Secrets\u201d reveals how secret messages can be decoded.Some of our favorite ideas: making a \u201cliving mural\u201d (you decorate it and then poke your head through); making a snack called \u201cants on a log\u201d (don't worry \u2014 it's mostly celery): and having an indoor picnic.The only strange choice was that of Roger Rose as host.While we are promised (in a press release) that kids will be sure to recognize him from the movie \u201cSki Patrol\u201d and VH-1.he is best known for a nighttime talk show on CNBC - not exactly kid territory On the plus side, adult supervision is strongly stressed.and it may come as a relief that sets are simple and homey \u2014 no fancy special effects here.Max G., 7, explained, \u201cThey have a lot of activities.If you use your imagi- Cherished Teddies come to town LENNOXVILLE \u2014 Local retailer Homestead will participate in the first-ever nationwide Cherished Teddies Town in-store event on Saturday, July 29, from 1 to 4 p.m.Homestead is celebrating the 100th anniversary of the founding of Cherished Teddies Town, the imaginary town where Cherished Teddies reside.The Cherished Teddies Collection of hand-painted detailed resin figurines has become one of the leading collectible lines.GUIDE TO CHILDREN'S TV & VIDEO EVAN LEVINE nation, you can do them.\u201d He especially liked when they made the icicle pops.and said he would use the words \u201cinteresting, fun and different\u201d to describe the video.He said they even tried the time capsule activity in school.Even if parents are looking to get their kids away from videos when they're stuck inside, this one might do just that.Ratings Scale: 1-10 (10 is the highest) Appropriateness: 7 \u2014 Best for kids 6 to 10 who are motivated to try the activities.Humor: 6 \u2014 The video has a cheery, upbeat feel.Visuals: 7 \u2014 Clear, simple and effective, nothing fancy.Social Value: 7 \u2014 A thoughtfully produced antidote to the bad-weather blues.David Price, the mayor of Lennoxville, will also be on hand.Those attending will have the opportunity to participate in a contest to name the first official street in Cherished Teddies Town.People will also have a chance to be the Honorary Founder's Day Marshall.This will be the only day to purchase one of the exclusive Founder\u2019s Day Resin Town Signs for $8 (with a $25 purchase).\u201cThe Cherished Teddies Col- Believability: 7 \u2014 Its always hard to know which activities kids will respond to, but.Fun Factor: 7 \u2014.Max said it was a winner, and the video does include a nice mix of activities.Eyewitness Dorling Kindersley, $12.95 The innovative publisher Dorling Kindersley is known for a unique look in its books.catalogs, and now.videos.By placing images against a stark white background, attention is focused dramatically on the featured object.This technique is used to good advantage in the \u201cEyewitness\u201d series of videos, which also aired recently on PBS.Narrated by actor Martin Sheen, each video focuses on a group of animals, such as cats, dogs, sharks and amphibians; dinosaurs and the skeleton are also included.The videos generally use high-tech imagery to make the viewer feel he/she is \u201cinside\u201d the picture; natural footage of the animal, in its own environment, is also shown, as are computer graphics, animation and anecdotes.While the high-tech design can sometimes feel a little cold and antiseptic, many kids seem to like the format.Chris, 9, watched \u201cAmphibian.\u201d and he commented, \u201cIt teaches kids about lection has become a phenomenon and has gained national popularity because of the classic, universal appeal of teddy bears,\u201d said Lee Zoppa, Enesco Director of Collectibles.Many of the figurines are personalized with a name or message of friendship.A ribbon cutting ceremony takes place at 3 p.m.Refreshments include a Teddy Bear cake after the ribbon cutting.Homestead is located at 159 Queen St., in Lennoxville.Tel: 1819) 562-3060.Pi Ticket- Special $ 35 / pers.Head to downtown Sherbrooke for the Festival Rythmes du Monde.Tonight, on the outdoor stage on Wellington St.S.African music will fill the air with artists Zekhul, Kuyiiyaku, and Lorraine Klaasen.The show begins at 7 p.m.At 9 p.m.at the Granada Theatre, Joe Armando and the Pambiche Orchestra perform.Day 51 \u2014 Saturday, July 29: The Danville Legion is hosting a steak barbeque at six p.m.at at cost of $10.After supper is a dance from 9-1:30 featuring country and western music.For more information, call (819) 839-3619 after 7 p.m.Day 52 \u2014 Sunday, July 30: Take a drive to The Old Brick Church in West Brome for a concert by the Ensemble Claude-Gervaise, playing at 11 a.m.and 3 p.m.The outfit performs music from the middle ages.Admission is free.Day 53 \u2014 Monday, July 31: from television reptiles and it\u2019s educational.\u201d He did say it should be \u201cfunnier.\u201d and we wholeheartedly agree that if there's a drawback, it's that the videos feel so high-tech that we, the audience, sometimes feel too distanced.However, the videos represent a unique way to focus on a subject; Chris did say the video was \u201cexciting.\u201d Ratings Scale: 1-10 (10 is the highest) Appropriateness: 7 \u2014 Choose a subject of interest and try it with kids 6 and up (adults as well).Humor: 4 \u2014 More is needed to add a \u201cwarmer\u201d feel.Visuals: 9 \u2014 Distinctive and striking, they may not be to everyone's taste, but they are unlike any other documentary-style footage you're likely to see.Social Value: 7 \u2014 A well-executed series for anyone interested in watch- Bishop's University summer speaker series continues today with Ontario professor Shelley Taylor, whose topic is: \u201cDominant vs.Minority Language Bilingualism\u201d.It takes place at the Lennoxville university at noon in room Nicolls 314.Day 54 \u2014 Tuesday, August 1: Take an evening stroll after supper.Day 55 \u2014 Wednesday, August 2: Visit the Laurier museum at 16 Laurier W.in Arthabaska and take in an exhibit on sculptor Alfred Laliberté (1878-1953).Tel: (819) 357-8655.Day 56 \u2014 Thursday, August 3: Call up a friend you haven't spoken to for a while and catch up \u2014 maybe even make plans for the weekend.98 Days Of Summer is a celebration of everyone's favorite time of year, and the upcoming 100th anniversary of the Record as a daily newspaper.Roger Rose hosts \u201cThings to Do on a Rainy Day.\u201d ing an in-depth take on a subject.Believability: 8 \u2014 It's a documentary taken to a new level.Fun Factor: 7 \u2014 Kids may have mixed feelings.but it's worth a shot: try watching as a family Theatre 1995 .IYA.BANK eZ Restaurant- Bar-Terrasse Tuesday, Thursday & Saturday - Chicken & Ribs Wednesday - Pasta Night Friday - BBQ NY Steak & Tel.: (819) 842-2431 1 Rates: $17.50 to $25 Piggery Theatre North Hatley (Québec) ELE ce OWEN FOUNDATIO.re 4\u2014The Record\u2014TOWNBHIPS WEKK\u2014July 28-August 4, 1996 MUSIC Rodney Crowell visits Shannon on TNN Video Session Something out of the ordinary was featured at the Calgary Stampede recently which served as an excellent compliment to the country music shows.Cowboy poet Don Wudel, and friends dressed in blue Jeans, recited their poetry for lunch-hour crowds in a downtown mall during the Calgary Stampede.Their homespun recitals are a long way from an high school English class or the tales of hard-riding gunfighters in novels and Hollywood movies.They tell the simple stories of real western life.\u201cIt\u2019s not deep so you have to chew on it for days and days trying to figure it out,\u201d said Wudel.\u201cIt\u2019s just a story that happens to rhyme and be metred \u2014 which helps us remember it.It records an event, a situation, a thought \u2014 both humorous and serious.\u201d Wudel\u2019s poems have titles like \u201cThe Shower\u201d and \u201cMisery\u2019.They recall childhood memories of washing up in ice- cold water on a winter morning or the heartfelt pain of a losing a friend, summed up in the phrase \u201cOld Charlie's boots are empty.\u201d He has about 80 of them in his head and recites all from memory.\u201cI don\u2019t consider it an art form,\u201d said Wudel, 40, who wears a patch over his left eye from a farm accident.\u201cThose of us who write and recite poetry, we don\u2019t get our self-worth from the poems or reciting them.We all have other things Cowboy poets a nice feature of Calg Country Connection By Jessie Aulis in our lives.\u201d Wudel, raised in Alberta, is a real cowboy.He has more than 250 head of cattle on a farm 80 kilometres southeast of Edmonton.He doesn\u2019t drive a pickup truck when he herds cattle.He doesn\u2019t compete in rodeos.The \u201cromantized\u201d Hollywood images of cowboy life are far from reality.\u201cIt has nothing to do with being a working cowboy.You come out branding with me for two weeks in the spring, you'll see there's no romance.\u201d Here is a sample of cowboy poetry heard on the streets of Calgary during the Stampede.The Modern Cowboy Oh, the modern Cremona cowboy A mere shadow of those past His horse is grazing freely While his tires wear out fast.ç \"nr\".a (819) 838-4277.What is Steel Rail?Call it folkgrass.Or alternative country music.Whatever the label, Steel Rail\u2019s blend of bluegrass, folk and country has found a home on the Montreal band\u2019s debut release A Thousand Miles of Snow.The group, which includes Tod Gorr, Ellen Shizgal and Dave Clarke, will be playing at an Eastern Townships launch of the album at the Cliff House in Ayer\u2019s Cliff on August 5 at 9 p.m.Patrons can choose between a dinner-show package or the concert only.Tel: Network.He only wears his cowboy hat To the Dog Pound rodeo And takes along his rain cap In case it rains or hails or SNOWSs.You'll find him feeding cattle In his bale handling four- wheel pick-up His left hand on the power steering While the right holds a thermal cup.He wears a dirty crested cap That seems glued upon his head And some wives have confessed The line is drawn \u2014 when he wears it to bed.But, as a smoothy on the dance floor He's trying to do his part \u2018Cause he\u2019s taking lessons on the latest steps To \u201cAchy Breaky Heart.\u201d Here's a few upcoming episodes of The Nashville Network's TNN Video Session you should not miss: \u2014 The Saturday, August 5, episode focuses on Rodney Cro- well, who meets Shannon at The Cannery in Nashville.Crowell\u2019s career not only has yieled some of country\u2019s finest videos.As a songwriter, he has seen artists such as Alan Jackson and Emmylou Harris record his tunes.Crowell reminisces about ex- wife Roseanne Cash.The video of their duet, \u201cIt\u2019s Such A Small World\u201d, features footage from their honeymoon.Crowell presents his newest video, \u201cPlease Remember Me\u201d, which was shot at locales across the United States.The program also presents videos of Crowell\u2019s No.1 hits \u201cI Couldn't Leave You If I Tried\u201d and \u201cMany a Long and Lonesome Highway\u2019 and the Grammy-winning \u201cAfter All This Time.\u201d \u2014 Viewers of the Saturday, August 12, edition get to meet the entire family of award- winning artist Martina McBride, including her baby daughter Delaney Katherine and her husband John who appears in her videos for \u201cMy Baby Loves Me\u201d and \u201cLife No.9.\u201d She chats about Garth Brooks\u2019 performance on her single \u201cCheap Whiskey\u201d and shares behind-the-scenes stories about the filming of \u201cIndependence Day\u201d, the reigning Country Music Association Video of the Year.The star cherishes the blouse she wore in that powerful clip; it bears holes burned by sparks flying from the flaming house in the video.\u2014 In a TNN Video Session exclusive on Saturday, August 26, platinum-selling country newcomer Toby Keith gives an ary Rodney Crowell visits Shannon on TNN Video Session Saturday, Aug.5, at 5:30 p.m.on The Nashville Stampede intimate acoustic performance of his latest single, \u201cBoomtown\u201d.Keith, a former football player, once tried out for the failed USFL league.He shares his stories with Shannon.The program includes special video versions of \u201cShould've Been a Cowboy\u201d and \u201cA Little Less Talk and a Lot More Action\u201d that were produced as promotions for the NFL, and Keith reveals how a football injury affected the filming of his video \u201cWho's That Man.\u201d Other videos shown include \u201cUpstairs, Downtown\u201d, \u201cHe Ain\u2019t Worth Missing\u201d and \u201cWish I Didn't Know Now\u201d.TNN Video Session is produced by Robert K.Oermann (well-known critic) and Jeff Nunnally.Greg Crutcher is director.A country singer is honoring the country\u2019s veterans.Billy Ray Cyrus sang his \u201c- Some Gave All\u201d tribute when the Korean War Veterans Memorial was dedicated in Washington on Wednesday.A fan of Cyrus so loved the song for war veterans on his debut album that she wrote a U.S.senator asking for Cyrus to be invited to the dedication.Have a very pleasant week and for the people still on vacation, make the most of it, it doesn\u2019t last long enough! The Record\u2014TOWNSHIPS WEEK\u2014July 28-August 4, 1986\u20145 COVER Memphremagog rivals Sutton tour Circuit takes art fans around the bend By Sunil Mahtani NORTH HATLEY \u2014 Like most two-year-olds, the Circuit des Arts Memphremagog is now walking on its own feet, but it's still searching for its own identity.Similar to the seven-year-old Tour des Arts around Mount Sutton, the Circuit also allows visitors to walk through studios of artists and artisans at work \u2014 and to decorate their homes and cottages in the process if they choose to purchase an item.It is an art tour that allows one to understand the creative process of the artist and discover the secrets of the artisan\u2019s trade.Unlike the Sutton Tour however, artists on the Circuit (running from July 29 to August 6) can exhibit with colleagues at art galleries and other venues instead of just at their own studios.So whue most of the 40 studios on the Tour des Arts contain one artist.per location, the Circuit des Arts features a whopping 110 artists in 54 venues around the Lake Memphrémagog area.Two of those artists are photographer Hubert Vallée, also president of the organizing committee, and floral art designer MichEle Racine, who share a home in North Hatley.Vallée said the Circuit develops an interest in artists and a taste for the arts among the public.It is an event for the family, he stressed.\u201cThe younger you make them aware of the arts the better it is,\u201d he said.That is one of the reasons why Vallée would like to see more workshops for people to visit in the future.\u201cTalking to the artist in his environment is a lot more interesting,\u201d he said.\u201cThe art work will then have more meaning to visitors.\u201d Vallée, who said he had 200 visitors last year, said the Circuit has already come a long way since its first year, when three people from Memphre- magog MRC organized the event on a volunteer basis.Now it is run by a six- member organizing committee and seven people in charge of choosing the artists to appear on the tour.They are aided by various sponsors as well, including the MRC (regional municipality), which donated about $2000 of the Circuit's $7500 budget.Last year more than 4000 people visited the various Circuit locations.To attract even more visitors this year, organizers have planned a contest with prizes including two weekend getaways and a brunch at Hubert Vallée.Townships resorts.All one has to do to enter is fill out the coupon available at any of the 54 locations on the Circuit.The more venues you visit, the better your chances.Thirty-five thousand flyers have been printed to spread the word.And to get province-wide publicity, the Circuit couldnt have found a better honorary spokesman than retired senator Claude Castonguay, who happens to be a Sunday painter.\u201cSomebody like him can influence other people not to be afraid to visit the artists,\u201d said Vallée.Former chairman of the Lau- rentian Mutual Management Corporation and a provincial Liberal cabinet minister, Cas- tonguay has created an added bonus for the artists on the tour.A committee will visit the venues on the Circuit and choose one piece to purchase which will then be part of the Lauren- tian\u2019s permanent collection.Vallée said plans for the future might include having a contest to choose a new logo for the event, and promoting the event outside the province as a tourist attraction.Hubert Vallée and MichEle Racine moved to North Hatley four years ago.The artsy couple\u2019s work is quite different, but both describe their creative process as similar to a painter\u2019s.In reality, Vallée\u2019s works are close to paintings.He takes black-and-white photographs and hand-paints them.It is an art he began 10 years ago.Most of his photos are taken in cities such as Montreal and Quebec City, which he descri- \u2018I just want to make the world more colorful.\u2019 bes as \u201cdrab\u201d.Vallée then gives them a personal rendition, adding depth and life with vivid colors.\u201cI'm changing reality and I'm doing it on purpose,\u201d said Vallée, sporting a shirt that is bright fuscia, a color that seems straight out of one of his photo- paintings.Vallée doesn\u2019t put political messages in his work, just a desire to transform a dull world.\u201cI just want to make the world more colorful,\u201d he summed up.Vallée has had a desire to add color to the world for as long as he can remember.He recalled one of his projects for his industrial design class at Université de Montréal 20 years ago was about adding more color to the world.Graphic designer for a granite company in Beebe, he also produces cards with depictions of North Hatley on sale at selected shops in that area.Also transforming material is MichEle Racine, who creates stunning works with dried flowers.What makes her creations unusual is that she uses freeze- dried flowers.Then the creative Racine adds dried fruits such as strawberries, figs, star fruit and artichokes to liven up her bouquets.\u201cIt looks real,\u201d Racine stated, and it sure does.Racine places her creations in everything from handmade terra cotta pots she purchases to the baskets she makes herself.A great deal of time, money and materials go into her work, she said, which she has been doing for about six or seven years.Prior to that Racine RECORD: PERRY BEATON painted.Racine is influenced greatly in her work by the changing seasons and colors.Her Christmas baskets and wreaths are as colorful and bountiful as the season itself.\u201cI'm very sensitive to color.I think in the United States they put a disabled person who was having a crisis in a pink room and he fell asleep,\u201d she said.\u201cI know how important colors Michèle Racine.taconannancn venant cmn ann \u2014\u2014-\u2014 ese dm m .very sensitive lo cg color.\u201d