Some collected thoughts to begin the year...

My apologies for not writing the last couple of weeks, but it has been a very busy time with work and the usual holiday duties to take care of, including hosting the 83rd annual Midnight Mass broadcast at the Cathedral of St. Catherine of Alexandra in downtown St. Catharines on Christmas Eve.

That was my 26th consecutive year hosting the broadcast on CKTB Radio, my former home, and I am always amazed at the response to the broadcast afterwards.  There really are people besides myself who stay up well past midnight on Christmas Eve!

So, getting back to my reasons for not writing, I just had so much on my plate and when I was not working I was just so tired, I decided to wait until after things calm down a little before resuming my usual duties in this space.  Besides, they say a change is as good as a vacation, and since I can't afford the time for a vacation at the moment, I might as well deal with change as it happens.

To get the ball rolling for the New Year, some collected thoughts on items that have crossed my digital desk over the holidays.

First of all, I love learning new words, and in fact I subscribe to a couple of word-a-day email services that provide me with just that:  a new word every day and the history behind it.  Yesterday I learned of a word from Officer Wordnik I found particularly appropriate for this space at this time:  kakizome.

You don't know what kakizome means?  You're not alone, as I didn't before today either.  Basically the word refers to the first calligraphy written at the beginning of the year.  Kakizome is a ceremony held just after New Year's in which writing is done 'for the first time' that year.  The word derives from the Japanese 'kaku' or, to write, and 'someru', to start, thereby making it perfectly appropriate for mention in this space on the first day back at the routine this year.

The things you learn...

If you are looking for some entertainment early in this new year the FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre has an innovative new music series planned starting tomorrow afternoon.  Billed as the "Hear! Here Niagara Music Series", performances take place in the Robertson Theatre at the PAC on several Sunday afternoons at 4 pm.

All the concerts feature local and/or international performers fronting the PAC house band, the Mark Lalama Trio, with the St. Catharines cityscape as the backdrop just beyond the large glass windows of the Robertson Theatre.

The inaugural concert teams up iconic singer-songwriter Marc Jordan with Niagara-on-the-Lake singer Whitney Pea tomorrow afternoon.  The monthly series continues with guitarist Kevin Briet paired up with Niagara Falls singer Beth Moore on the 14th of February; award-winning blues and gospel singer/songwriter Suzie Vinnick teams up with local musician and producer Joe Lapinski on March 13th; and on April 3rd Canadian singer/songwriter Ian Thomas joins an as-yet-to-be-named local artist.

Tickets are on sale now either individually or as a four-concert series pass at the FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre box office, by calling 905-688-0722 or 905-688-5601, ext. 3700.

Finally, I would be remiss if I were not to mention the unfortunate passing of local radio personality and valued colleague of mine for many years, Wayne MacLure.  Wayne passed away after a brief illness on Christmas Day at the Welland Hospital.  He was 81 years of age.

Wayne was the husband and best friend of Pat for 54 years, and father to three children and grandfather and great-grandfather to many more.

Wayne was a local radio legend, broadcasting for many years at my old home of CKTB as well as CJRN in Niagara Falls and CHRE-FM in St. Catharines before he retired in 1999.  I worked with Wayne from 1981 until he left CKTB in the mid-to-late 80s, at that point to try his hand at freelance voice work, which he was very good at.

Wayne had a knack for voicing a commercial right the first time more often than not, and I remember one day we were both in the production studio voicing a commercial together, and Wayne had to suffer through multiple takes while he nailed it every time and I stumbled along trying to get it right.  Practice makes perfect, of course, and many years later I would recall that painful experience when I could go into the studio and nail a commercial 'read' in one or two takes like he used to do.

His on-air persona was very professional with a sly sense of humour, always coming up with clever ways to promote his music show, which usually ran from 10 am to 2 pm on weekdays at CKTB.  I remember his theme song, in the days we used such a thing, a harpsichord piece by French-Canadian performer Andre Gagnon.  He would usher in the show with his "suitcase of sounds" or other such clever turn of phrase every day.

Wayne was also the local union president, and many months after I joined the CKTB team he took me to the old Henley Hotel on Ontario Street at the QEW for a drink and to pitch me on the union.  I remember being overwhelmed by the details, but he made it easy for me to make the right decision all those years ago.

There was Wayne the consummate broadcast professional, and there was Wayne the private family man.  I got to know the former well during my early years at the station, and only learned more of the latter in recent years when we would meet up at the quarterly CKTB alumni luncheon.  I missed the Christmas one, but the previous two I attended and caught up with Wayne on goings on at those earlier last year.

Thanks for the memories, Wayne, you will be greatly missed by many.  A class act to the very end.

There will be a Memorial Visitation at the Butler Funeral Home on Niagara Street in St. Catharines on January 13th from 10 to 10:45 am, followed by a Celebration of Wayne's life at 11 am.  Donations to the Canadian Diabetes Association would be greatly appreciated by the family.

January 2nd, 2016.