The O-town Scene - Oneonta, NY
Issue link: https://www.ifoldsflip.com/i/27337
‘This is certainly a milestone in the history and growth of Foothills, but we have to continue working to develop a model that will sustain itself.’ _ Mayor Dick Miller Sam Spokony Foothills Building Manager Janet Hurley-Quackenbush shows the bare expanse of the stage that new curtains, funded by the Lightfoot concert, will soon cover. Continued from Page 16 “The curtains will be vital because they provide a suitable backdrop that will attract local dance, music and theater groups who want to rent the space,” said Hurley-Quackenbush. “And it’s not only about aesthetics, it’s about better acoustics.” With a sense of accomplishment looming, and as the Foothills’ building staff prepare for the intricacies of the night of the concert (which will also include the help of dozens of community volunteers), the board of direc- tors is looking firmly into the future. “I’d like to be doing one of these every month,” Miller said. “This is certainly a milestone in the history and growth of Foothills, but we have to continue working to develop a model that will sustain itself, and though that hasn’t happened yet, we know we can do it.” So, it seems likely that what was once one of Oneonta’s greatest frustra- tions has gained new life, as well as a soon-to-be newly equipped stage that will help produce the rental revenue that will be indispensible to the sustainable business model the directors have been so desperate for. Public opinion and local and regional interest are always a variable, and those in command will undoubtedly seek to maintain a better hold on it in the future. However, what has been more fundamental to these first steps has been the sense of both directors and sponsors that building and sup- porting a well-rounded community truly matters to all who seek to thrive in it. “People ask me, ‘How does this directly help Five Star Subaru?’ Well, it doesn’t,” said Guenther. “But it’s important to us as a business, and to me as a resident, that we create success in other businesses and in the commu- nity as a whole. Sure, we’ll get recognition as a sponsor, but the fact of the matter is that I really want to see Foothills succeed.” _ Sam Spokony Contributed Gordon Lightfoot will perform March 31 at Foothills in Oneonta. Gordon Lightfoot is a Canadian singer/ songerwriter most noted for popular folk-pop hits such as “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald,” “If You Could Read My Mind” and “Sundown.” Lightfoot was felled during a concert in his hometown of Orillia, Ontario, by an acute abdominal aneurysm in 2002. He under- went emergency surgery and was in a coma for six weeks. Although the healing process was long, he is now fully recovered and re- cently released his 20th album, “Harmony.” Lightfoot has five Grammy nominations and 17 Juno Awards in his native Canada. In November 1997 he was presented the Governor General’s Award—the highest official Canadian honor, which is conferred on very few, for their international efforts in spreading Canadian culture. Gordon was also honored as a charter member of Canada’s Walk of Fame and most recently was elevated to the “companion” of the Or- der of Canada (highest level) in December. Lightfoot also was just inducted into The Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame. Artists who have recorded Lightfoot’s songs include Bob Dylan, Elvis Presley, Sarah McLachlan, Barbra Streisand, Peter Paul & Mary, Harry Belafonte, Jane’s Ad- diction, Richie Havens, Glen Campbell, Anne Murray, Nana Mouskouri and George Hamilton IV. March 17, 2011 O-Town Scene 17