Huron County

AMY SKY, WHOSE hit song "I Will Take Care of You," is climbing the charts, will sing in Wingham on February 14.

WINGHAM -- One of Canada's hot new pop singers will be coming to the area next week.

Amy Sky will be performing at the Wingham Town Hall Heritage Theatre on Friday, February 14. What better way to spend Valentines Day than with the romantic ballads off her first album, "Cool Rain."

Amy has been on the music scene in Canada and the United States for over 10 years, but mainly as a songwriter. She has enjoyed success with other singers recording her songs, like Anne Murray, Heart, Reba McEntire and Diana Ross.

Fans may also have seen her on the stage in the musical Blood Brothers, while it ran in Toronto last year. Her performance opposite David Cassidy in that show earned her rave reviews.

Right now, she is enjoying the success of Cool Rain and the current hit off that album, "I Will Take Care of You". This is a heartfelt song about the cycle of life, from birth to death to birth again. She wrote the hit song after giving birth to her first child, Zoe, in 1990.

Amy grew up in Canada and started writing songs when she 13 years-old. After she graduated from the University of Toronto's Faculty of Music, she got a job singing back-up in Ronnie Hawkins band.

Over the last 10 years she has lived in Nashville and Los Angelos, but finally decided to settle back in Toronto, with her husband, Marc Jordan, her daughter, and her son, Ezra, who was born in 1993.

Together, her and her husband, who is also a singer/songwriter, founded Bluebird North. This is a series of showcases featuring songwriters. Some of the showcases have been picked up by CBC radio and television and she is hoping that it can become a regular television series.

Amy says the songs on Cool Rain were influenced by the years she spent in the United States, but believes recording them was only possible in the creative atmosphere of Toronto.

Other songs on the album sure to reach high on the charts are, "Don't Leave Me Alone", and, "if My Heart had Wings", which was co-written by Melissa Manchester.

If you are interested in getting tickets for the show, call the BOX office at 519-357-4082.

WINGHAM -- After five years of putting on popular country music shows, a new name and image was created for the Town Hall Heritage Theatre.

This new name was chosen last year. It used to be called Primetime Country. The new group still features country music shows, but also offers family shows, and up and coming singers and songwriters.

Current pop singer Amy Sky will be performing this month, and there are three afternoon shows planned for the spring season.

The theatre committee is focusing on promoting the heritage of the building and the area, rather than one particular show. The town hall was built in 1890 and has been declared a Heritage Building. It was built as a centre for all community activities, including school concerts, public meetings, and plays. It cost just over $8,000 to build.

Since then a lot of changes and money has gone into the building. The stage has been extended and an elevator and public washrooms were added 2 years ago.

What still remains, however, are the original theatre chairs which were bought in 1890 for $2.10 each.

For information about upcoming performances at the theatre call the box office at 519-357-4082.

All-Star Ringette teams having good seasons HOWICK -- The popular girls' sport Ringette is producing all-star players in this part of Ontario. Both Huron-Perth and Grey-Bruce have formed all-star teams that are having impressive seasons this year. RINGETTE ALL-STAR teams from Grey-Bruce and Huron-Perth met up for a game in Howick recently. Here, Grey-Bruce player, Tami Kerr, takes a shot on the Huron-Perth goalie. Grey-Bruce went on to win. The Grey-Bruce Tween team, which is made up of girls aged 12 and 13, has not lost a game all year, including in tournaments. The team, coached by Bill Kerr of Wingham and Jack Kamstra of Hanover, recently met up with the Huron-Perth team, coached by Doug Miners of Exeter. In the championship game of a tournament in Waterloo, Bruce-Grey managed to pull off the win. Both these teams will likely meet again in the All-Ontario provincial finals held at the end of March in Waterloo. Ringette was started in 1960 by Sam Jacks, a Canadian, who wanted to develop an on-ice sport for girls. Today, over 60,000 girls play in 150 communities across Canada.