NANAIMO REGION
Redevelopment plans put on hold for port The Nanaimo Port Authority has temporarily shelved plans to redevelop the docks in the inner harbour. A3
SPORTS
Fighting jihad
Timbermen dealt first loss, 12-7 to New West
University head says terrorism groups use social media to recruit
The still-undefeated New Westminster Salmonbellies swam away with a five-goal win in Nanaimo Sunday. B1
Nartion & World, A8
The newspaper of record for Nanaimo and region since 1874 || Monday, June 1, 2015
Musical Leader Wellington Secondary School band teacher Carmella Luvisotto has inspired her students to achieve great things
LANTZVILLE
Ex-mayor wonders if system is right one SPENCER ANDERSON DAILY NEWS
Wellington Secondary School band teacher Carmella Luvisotto. [AARON HINKS/DAILY NEWS]
Wellington students earn host of top awards
I
t’s been a whirlwind year for Wellington Secondary School band teacher Carmella Luvisotto, who has seen her students rise to awards and acclaim at band festivals throughout North America. At the invitation-only MusicFest Nationals earlier this month in Toronto, her Grade 11 and 12 jazz students came out on top, and picked up four golds and a silver as well as multiple scholarships and bursaries. With prominent musicians representing Nanaimo like Diana Krall and Christine and Ingrid Jensen, the city has gained a reputation for producing high-calibre musicians. However, ask the students how they do so well, and all fingers point back to Luvisotto. “This year has been her best yet for bringing home awards. We’ve never won like we have this year,”
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Variably cloudy High 21, Low 13 Details A2
says bass player Tiana Dick, who In addition to her school band won the SiriusX-cellence Perprograms, she manages 12 formance Award at MusicFest in extra-curricular band combos addition to playing at the before school, every prestigious Monterey lunch hour, after school Jazz Festival in Califorand on the occasional nia in March. Sunday. Then there “She’s the only teacher are festivals, gigs and I’ve ever had who stays fundraisers. every day until 4:30. And “I know some people she comes early too. We’ll who missed out on a be at the school in the lot of opportunities morning for 7:30 band because they didn’t go practices,” said Dick, who to festivals with their is in Grade 12. school,” said Ethan Julie “If we have extra stuff Olynyk, a Grade 11 stuChadwick on the side — like, we dent at Wellington who Reporting have gigs that come recently won the Pearl through Carmella — Canadian Drummer of she’ll come and make the Year award at Musicsure we’re doing OK.” Fest, as well as $2,500 It was in 2005 that Luvisotto Humber College scholarship. first introduced a Jazz Academy Luvisotto’s motivation in getat Wellington and became one of ting the students into festivals the few high schools in Canada to — which she attends on her own offer an education in jazz at the time and out of her own pocket — secondary level. makes a huge difference in what
they are exposed to, said Olynyk. Now in her 19th year teaching at Wellington, Luvisotto says this motivation comes from the commitment and passion she saw in teachers like Dave Strong, Steve Jones and Brian Stovell, who mentored her as a young musician coming up through the local school band programs. “I can remember every detail of those times from Grade 6 to Grade 12, what I did with certain band teachers and the different inspirational settings we were put in,” said Luvisotto. “So I just wanted to continue that legacy of Nanaimo’s tradition.” Though a talented pianist who also took up clarinet in elementary school, it was in her final year of high school that Luvisotto decided to pursue her path as a teacher rather than a full-time musician. See TEACHER, Page A5
Maritime Festival runs in Ladysmith harbour
Lightning, Blackhawks set to meet for the Cup
The Ladysmith Maritime Society offered the public tours of the town’s harbour for people to get a unique and interesting perspective on the community. » Pictorial, A5
The Tampa Bay Lightning and Chicago Blackhawks both survived their Game 7s in the conference finals and will face each other in the quest for the Stanley Cup. » Sports, B2
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NANAIMO TO THE WORLD.
The District of Lantzville’s former mayor says the small community may have been better off staying as a rural area without a council in light of recent mass-resignations from the district’s council and senior staff members. Jack de Jong, who lost his re-election bid in November to the man he beat in 2011, Colin Haime, said the small size of the community impacts the nature of politics in the district of 3,500. “It tends to always become personal,” de Jong said of the political atmosphere.“The community’s in a very difficult position now. I take no joy out of this at all. Perhaps it was a bad decision to incorporate.” Residents in the area voted by a margin of 65 per cent in 2003 to incorporate as a municipality. Previously, decisions for the area had been made by the Regional District of Nanaimo, but some felt the interests of larger urban areas like the City of Nanaimo dominated the RDN’s agenda and outweighed their concerns. De Jong, who had previously supported political independence for Lantzville, said the small size of the community means that conflicts between individuals can be magnified. “It becomes very difficult to be a mayor. To some extent I feel for him,” de Jong said of Haime. Within two months, four councillors — Jennifer Millbank, Rod Negrave, Dave Scott and most recently Randy Savage — announced their resignations, leaving four vacancies on the seven-member council. Coralee Oakes, minister of community, sport and cultural development, stepped in this week to reduce the district council’s quorum — the minimum number of elected officials who must be present for a meeting — to three from four, so that district business could continue.
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