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Students taking an alternative spring break to help elderly in the North Country.
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March 13, 2010
‘Lip Sync’ celebrating its silver anniversary This year’s show to feature ‘50s and ‘60s theme There’s much preparation for a show of this magnitude, said Menard. Especially since this year ’s PERU — The recording theme is music from the 1950s industry has long frowned and ‘60s — an era which none of upon lip synching, but in the students or some of their the Peru Central School Shania Howard parents were even around for District, it’s become an art Eighth-grader when it happened. form. When students learned of the Students have been theme, Menard said some felt mouthing the words to clueless. However, she brought in samples of some of their favorite songs for the past 25 music to help bridge that connection and make years, said teacher Diane Menard, one of the some students realize they had heard that mufounders of Lip Sync, a Peru Middle School/High School talent show. Menard and sic before — just not in the same way. An example, said Menard, is how one act will former Peru Central teacher Laura Marlow consist of a performance of by The Lovin' were co-producers of the event in 1985, seeing Spoonful’s “Do You Believe in Magic” — with hundreds of acts performed over the years. “It’s always been a free-for-all for music,” a slightly different twist. “They’re going to do the version by Aly & said Menard. “We used to make it a competition AJ,” said Menard, referring to a teen pop duo and have three winners in the high school and three in the middle school, but then, over the most popular for their affiliation with The Dislast few years, some of the kids thought they ney Channel. “A lot of the kids don’t realize should win every year and if they didn’t they they know songs from the ‘50s and ‘60s, but they do. Some of them are just updated vergot upset.” sions.” The solution? Making it more of a talent Though Menard has been working on this showcase than a competition. “Now, we recognize all the seniors who par- year ’s program since December, some students ticipate with a trophy with their name on it and, began working on their performances well bein May, we have a pizza party for everyone who fore that, she said. “We have some kids who begin practicing at participated in the show,” said Menard, adding underclassmen also receive a medal and certifi- the beginning of the school year, depending on how into it they are,” said Menard. cate of participation.
By Jeremiah S. Papineau jeremiah@denpubs.com
“It’s very nervewracking but I think it’s also exciting.”
“Everybody comes away a winner,” she said.
The Lip Sync 25th anniversary show will include several acts, including a rendition of “My Girl” by The Temptations by this group. Pictured, from left, are sixth-graders Isaiah Maddix, Hunter Sartwell, Cole Rock and Connor Douglass. Photo by Jeremiah S. Papineau
See LIP SYNCHING, page 11
Underground Railroad association sets sights on saving historic barn ‘History & Freedom: Herstory’ next Saturday to help raise funding By Jeremiah S. Papineau jeremiah@denpubs.com PERU — When it comes to the Underground Railroad, the Stephen Keese Smith property on Union Road is well-known, particularly Keese Smith’s barn. “The barn is the most documented site in Clinton County,” said Don Papson, president of the North Country Underground Railroad Historical Association (NCU-
The historic Stephen Keese Smith property on Union Road, owned by Frank and Jackie Perusse, is the home of a barn believed to have once housed refugee slaves as part of the Underground Railroad. Photo by Jeremiah S. Papineau
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GRHA). “There are a lot of oral histories about places where its believed slaves were hidden, but Stephen Keese Smith actually told his recollections and they were written down.” The barn, built in the early 1800s, contains a built-in room as part of the foundation system, said Papson. And, though Keese Smith — a known abolitionist in the 1800s and nephew of Samuel Keese, head of Underground Rail-
road in Peru — never actually said in his recollections he had people in that particular barn, the man was said to have had “large buildings in which he concealed people.” “We’re combining his recollections and the fact there is a mysterious room that is built in to the barn,” said Papson. Papson said the barn, currently owned by Frank and Jackie Perusse,
See BARN, page 9
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