Talk of the Town: Vidalia onions are sweet and on sale

The Green Valley Shrine Club, supported by the Sabbar Shrine Temple in Tucson is hosting its annual Vidalia sweet onion sale through May 16. You can buy the Shriner onions Monday through Saturday at the Commerce Bank of Arizona parking lot, 222 W. Esperanza Blvd. on the northeast corner of La Canada and Esperanza. The onions are $10 for a 10-pound bag. Storage hints and recipes are provided with each purchase.

Shriner Jim Gibson says the onion sale has been a tradition in Green Valley for more than 16 years. Gibson also thanks Manager Kevin Jordan for his support in the sale by providing the space at the Commerce Bank branch.

The sales staff includes members of the Masonic Lodge in Green Valley, Green Valley Shrine Club members and the Shrine Club’s “honored ladies,” which include the widows of deceased Masonic members. Proceeds from the sale go to support the local Masonic Temple which helps support 22 children’s hospitals in North America. Care at these hospitals is provided at no cost to the parents. The Shriners accept no government support or health insurance of any kind.

Joyful Noise Academy’s second annual summer musical outreach program begins on June 9 and runs through June 25 at the Valley Presbyterian Church. Kay Albrecht, director and founder, is a longtime teacher of Orff instruments, a developmental approach used to teach music education to students which creatively teaches rhythm, movement and song on the xylophones, metallophones, glockenspiels and non-pitched percussion instruments. These are played in ensembles and enhanced by adding recorders, singing and movement.

Students from kindergarten and up are invited to participate in this program.

Classes will be on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday and run from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. with an evening program for parents and community at 7 p.m. on June 25.

Enrollment fees are $90 for the first child and $45 for each additional child. Eligible students for recorder will pay an additional $10 for their instrument.

Additional information is available at the Joyful Noise Academy’s Web site: www.joyfulnoiseacademygv.org along with a web registration form that can be sent directly by Web.

“Cloud Ride” with music by Mary Lou Prince and storytelling by Patty Christiena Willis will be performed Sunday at 4 p.m. at the Performing Arts Center, 1250 W. Continental Road. The performance will feature Helene Benedikte, cello; Kathy Sierra, violin; Mary Lou Prince, piano; and Patty Christiena Willis, soprano.

Tickets are $15. For information and tickets call 360-9737 or 400-0831.

Mary Lou Prince was drawn to Japan and the koto (Japanese harp) and began creating music for traditional instruments that was uniquely her own. She is the music director and composer in residence of the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Green Valley.

Patty Christiena Willis is known throughout Japan for her novel “The Village Above the Stars,” published in Japanese and recommended reading by the Library Association of Japan. Her theater work has been performed at international festivals in Edinburgh, Tokyo, Osaka, Kobe, Kyoto, Los Angeles and New York.

Kathy Sierra is a classically trained violinist, and vocalist. The California native is also an accomplished composer, arranger, producer and performer. She began her Suzuki Method music studies at age five on violin and piano, performed with the Honolulu Symphony at age seven, and has performed with orchestras around Northern California.

She has toured extensively with the internationally lauded Celtic trio, Golden Bough, since 2001 and is also a registered Suzuki Violin Method teacher.

Helene Benedikte began her cello studies with the late Alix Brown at the University of the Pacific, Stockton, Calif. After putting the cello aside for several years, she enrolled in the music program at the University of Hawaii. Majoring in music performance, she studied with cellists Beverly Lebeck and Alan Trubitt, performing in local orchestras and small chamber groups. In Sacramento, Calif., she continued her studies with bay area cellist Burke Schuchmann. She retired in 2003 and moved to Green Valley where she enjoys exploring different genres of music with her favorite groups — small ensembles.

rford@gvnews.com |547-9740