The Atlin Whisper, January 17, 2024

Wednesday January 17th, 2024

The Atlin Whisper “Never doubt that a small group of committed citizens can change the world.”

Margaret Mead

Saturday January 27, 2024 Cassie Noble Cassie's Indie Folk Pop style is mellow, heavy with emotion, and overflowing with honesty. The music she creates feels calm and surreal, like a crackling fire in the middle of nowhere.

"The narrative Cassie Noble creates is an honest story; like the emerging artist, it goes through confusion and fear to eventually find happiness. Find A Way features relatable lyrics and chordal simplicity, but tugs harder at the heartstrings than your average folk song. Noble's vocals have the dynamism and emotion of a good storyteller." - Tia Julien, Dominionated https://cassienoble.com ****YUKON TIME****

Doors Open 6:30 Concert Starts 7:00 Tickets $20 in advance, $25 @ the door https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/cassie-noble-indie-folk-pop-tickets-796399049997 Email exploreatlinsales@gmail.com

Coffee/Tea Service Available by Donation Facebook: @ExploreAtlin Email exploreatlinsales@gmail.com Presented by Heather Keny

PLAYR RECORDING Kyle Harris and the Ears From Hell

By Paul Lucas I’ve done plenty of recording in the North, often with my pals Daniel Janke and drummer extraordinaire Lonnie Powell. Studio work is fun, and I’ve done a lot of it. Studios range from huge affairs with large rooms capable of handling symphony orchestras to tiny joints in dark basements with egg crates on the walls. One of my favourite studios of all time has to be Kyle Harris’ ‘Playr Recording,’ - one of the latter.

Phoenix,AZ.2001 “Hmmph!” I grunted. “Well, this ain’t workin’.”

“Nope,” came the reply over the talk back. “It needs something. I don’t know what that something is, but I’m pretty sure it’s gonna have to be … ahh ... what’s the word I’m looking for? ... better ... yeah, that’s it ,,, better. Can you play something better?”

“Thanks,” I replied. “That’s exactly what I need at the moment - a little encouragement.”

We were on take eight of a rhythm guitar track for a nasty, swampy groove that had great potential, but nothing was coming together - the sound, the attack - nothing. The Fender Strat wasn’t working, my Gibson archtop wasn’t offering anything, and the Martin wasn’t cutting it either.

“What do you think Kyle?” I piped up. “Is it time for the Bad Boy?” “I believe that time has come my son,” Kyle said; and I heard him scootch across the floor in that well worn chair of his to yank open the door to the bathroom, which doubled as an echo chamber, and reach for a guitar case parked conveniently beside the shitter.

The Bad Boy was a rare vintage Gibson acoustic round hole arch top with heavy strings and a notoriously high action. It was hell to play, and you had a half hour window to get a recording take before your fingers gave up.

But the sound - Wow! The sound that came out of that thing was magnificent. And it recorded like nothing I’d ever heard - crystal clear and defined, yet warm and fat - an almost impossible combination, but one perfect for recording. The microphone loved it.

And so it went - another recording/producing/arranging session at Playr Recording - Kyle Harris’ studio in the desert north of Phoenix.

— I met Kyle on a Western gig in Scottsdale AZ. During that period, I was ‘commuting’ back and forth to Atlin on a regular basis. On one of my southern swings, I got a call to play mandolin on an acoustic gig in the desert, and I showed up at the site with my doctored mando at two in the afternoon.

I say ‘the site’ because that’s exactly what it was - a manufactured rodeo ground with riders, a chute and the whole nine yards. Not that it wasn’t the real thing; all these guys were top rodeo riders, but it was a show for the tourists, and it had that commercial smell about it.

And I say ‘doctored.’ because my mandolin was tuned in fourths - a typical Tommy Tedesco trick. Tommy was the best known studio guitarist in L.A. at the time, and he had a column in Guitar Player magazine which was hilarious.

“Do you play bouzouki Tommy?” the producer would ask.

“Why, yes I do.” Tommy would reply, plucking a bouzouki, or anything that might pass for one, from behind his chair and brandishing it over the sound baffle.

And it may well have been a bouzouki, but one thing was for sure - it was tuned like a guitar, just like his banjo, his mandolin, his koto or whatever else was needed for the gig. What they wanted was the sound. They didn’t give a crap about the string configuration. And they were usually thrilled to death with the result.

“Boy that Tommy! Aint’ he somethin’? The man plays everything!”

For double scale he does …

--I got into the mandolin trade in Skagway while playing for the gold panning show, just as I got into the banjo trade in the Dixieland world later on - by tuning the whole shebang in fourths. Thing is, I had jazz chops, so the result was, if I do say so myself, fairly impressive.

So it was that I showed up at the rodeo avec mandolin to meet my future musical brother, Kyle Harris, who was playing string bass on the gig along with his singer/song writing/ guitar playing wife Sue, currently a member of the New Christy Minstrels, (Yeah, those guys are still around).

Kyle was from the acoustic world, Celtic, Bluegrass, Folk, Country and Western. And he knew the genres inside and out. We played a few tunes, and he seemed happy with my playing, but from the beginning he had this odd look on his face.

Finally, he turned to me and said, “You’re not really a mandolin player at all, are you?”

We started to laugh, and never stopped.

— A few months later, I got a call from Kyle. He wanted to see if I was available to play on an album he was producing for his wife Sue. She had a Western Swing tune she had written that needed rhythm and lead guitars on it, and she thought I might be the man for the job.

Well, as it turned out, Kyle had a full bore recording studio in his house, a company (Playr Recording), and was already established in the acoustic music scene as the ‘man with the great ears,’ and the ‘go to’ recording engineer/producer for the whole community. That community included the likes of Lee Hazelwood and Al Casey, prompting a feature article in Mix magazine, and a further spreading of the word.

I ended up partnering with Kyle on many of the albums that came out of Playr Recording - as session player; playing electric, acoustic and classical guitars; and as arranger. One of those tracks ‘Dancin’ in the Boneyard,’ from the album ‘Love Boat to Reno,’ won the Great American Song competition (2010) and got Mike McGarrah in their Hall of Fame. That album is worth a listen.

But it was just one of many great albums that came out of that studio, and much of the success of those recordings was founded in Kyle’s unrelenting search for sonic perfection - a trait we all loved him for.

Kyle Harris

WOW its 2024!

Explore Atlin Explore Atlin is the name I chose for my legal business name.

Why did I choose this name? because, I want to help people to Explore what Atlin has to offer.

Mark Twain has a famous quote ‘Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do, so throw off the bowlines, sail away from safe harbor, catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore, Dream, Discover’ Explore Atlin helps people find out what Atlin has to offer, Discover Atlin provides people with great info about the comings and goings of life in Atlin, it is up to you to Dream your next experience in Atlin

Proprietor Heather Keny PO Box 145, Atlin BC, V0W 1A0, exploreatlinsales@gmail.com Facebook: ExploreAtlin

New Beginnings Are Just Around The Corner!

2024 is shaping up for another promising and exciting year for Arts in Atlin

Upcoming Programing Yup that’s correct! There will be more programming coming your way starting the end of January 2024.

I have ‘thrown off the bowlines’, my sails have taken me leeward as I tack & jibe to new beginnings. I am excited to announce I have new venues to showcase this year that will bring a continuation of the programming I love to present.

I have a good start lined up including literary, theatre and more fantastic musicians. I am excited to announce, I have a lineup of first time to Atlin performers to share with you too ☺

This is an open letter to TRTFN leadership and TRTFN members.

I’m writing to ask why TRTFN leadership has decided to not support Atlin Community Improvement District (ACID) in its proposal to build a new firehall with an attached ambulance station? It seems to me that a new firehall and ambulance station would benefit everyone in the community of Atlin.

In their process of trying to raise the necessary funds to build a new facility, ACID asked for letters of support to submit with their application for funding. It was not a request for any kind of financial assistance, just letters of support.

As would be expected, ACID received many letters supporting the development of a much-needed new firehall with ambulance station.

However, TRTFN responded “Unfortunately, we will not be able to write a letter of support because TRTFN has been working through a process for the past years, but there is no doubt that Atlin also needs emergency services and we wish you success in your progress. Thank you for your understanding.”

All I can say is that this response is pretty disappointing and it is blatantly divisive. TRTFN doesn’t have their own firehall at this time. I hope TRTFN gets one. Extra help for the AFD who fight all the fires we have in Atlin would be great. Given the number of fires we have had lately, safety for everyone in Atlin should be at the forefront of everyone’s minds.

Daniel Connolly Atlin resident

SAVE THE DATE!!!

Tarahne Tea 2024 Saturday July 6th.

The cost of each ticket will be $25.

“Without Invitation” When destructive wind with hail or sleet come calling without invitation and without accurate warning we’re not given a chance to prepare…

Life happens that way sometimes.

We get hammered for awhile until we gather our wits about us and rise to the problem at hand by moving quickly to adapt…

Giving us a chance to show our mettle.

Jeff Salmon

LANDFILL *WINTER DAYS* *Effective – Sunday, November 5, 2023* SUNDAY & MONDAY 11 AM - 4 PM … PST

CLOSED at temperatures -28 C & below ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ CLOSED ON ALL BC STATUTORY HOLIDAYS Family Day - Closed Monday, Feb 19th ….

Open Feb 18, 20 Easter (Good Friday) - Open Mar 31, April 1 Operated by the Atlin Community Improvement District

Compilations of Poetry available for free from Stephen Badhwar The Ways of the Wind and the Water: Nature writing from Atlin, BC; 2007 Enraptured by Beauty A melodious study of beauty in all Fear’s Evolution into Love: its manifestations; March 2023 Words on war and peace; 2007 The Epic Saga of the Cast of Flesh, Bone & Spirit: Characters and Host of Plotlines Musings on the nature of life; 2008 Of the Years 2022 - 2024: The Love, Lust, Sex & Other Natural Things: Great Reveal Sex as sacred, Love as divine, Act I & Act II, December 2023 Body as temple; 2008 Act III, available March 2024 Dancing on the Bridge: Finding courage in these difficult times; 2009 Let me know which ones you want me to send you Musings from the end of the road: Poems from twenty years in a cabin in the woods; 2010

backwoods_benny@hotmail.com

Our Choice, Love or Fear: Making sense of our world in transition, 2020-2022

Enraptured by Beauty A melodious study of beauty in all its manifestations; March 2023

The Epic Saga of the Cast of Characters and Host of Plotlines Of the Years 2022 - 2024: The Great Reveal

LANDFILL *REMINDER* Please be mindful of the weight of your bags of garbage.

OPEN SUNDAY & MONDAY 11 AM - 4 PM … PST

Closed on all Statutory Holidays CLOSED at temperatures -28 C & below Operated by the Atlin Community Improvement District

NORTHERN HOMES REAL ESTATE Surprise Lake Road 6 acres along the Spruce Creek with a fabulous meadow surrounded by the woods and the roaring creek, room for several guest cabins if you chose. Main house is 2 storey and a main level cozy self-contained mother-in-law cottage is perfect for guests. So much potential to expand. $350,000 Watson Avenue Two adjoining lots totaling 75x100’ providing ample room to build a new home while restoring a colorful and historic building, if you chose. No neighbors or roads to the north so lots of privacy. $225,000 4th Street 400 sq.ft., one bedroom cabin plus a large workshop on two adjoining 50x100 lots, fully fenced. Quiet location with lots of room for expansion. Great potential for expansion. $249,000 43.6 Beautifully maintained, inside and out, this cosy two bedroom home is so private featuring a second cottage with sleeping loft (often used as a B&B), a third cabin for guests, great garage/workshop, plus various other craft/workshops and fencing. Mountain views in every direction plus a short walk to Atlin Lake sandy beaches. Just waiting for you!

Viewing by appointment ONLY. $597,000 Pearl Street 1700 sq.ft. historical building suited for combination comfortable living plus retail. Living room, kitchen, two bedroom and huge third room to adapt to your needs! Recent extensive foundation and roof restoration plus interior renovations utilizing the original wood and fixtures. This is the original Atlin and your opportunity! $395,000 Historic Rant This 3 bedroom bungalow appears to have been one of the Eaton catalogue pre-packaged houses, either original or salvaged with what appears to be solid beautiful Douglas Fir wood throughout just begging for restoration. With a fabulous view of the mountains and lake this is big enough for a young family. Plus, within walking distance of all amenities. An adjoining lot perpendicular to this homesite is also available. You could live here while building a dream home on the adjoining lot. $175,000 Warm Bay Road This gem is off grid, well maintained and absolutely the perfect retreat. Two bedrooms, large open dining/living room, galley kitchen and spacious pantry. Storage in walk out cellar plus numerous out buildings. Bonus is a warm spring flowing through year around! $230,000 Second Street 100x30 foot lot, sloping between the lake and mountain view. Great central location waiting for you. Develop your new home at your own pace. $135,000 4th of July .78 acres of Crown Land Lease, gated, partly cleared, the perfect spot to keep your RV and recreational necessities there for year around enjoyment. Lease term to 2042 $53,500 Call Myrna at (250) 775-1019 Please text or email a message (rather than voice mail) myrnablake1@gmail.com .or myrnablake1@zoleo.com when I am traveling Go to northernhomesbc.ca for more details.

MENU Daily and always available: Coffee, Fresh Made Sandwiches & Bakery Pastries All items OVEN baked ~ not deep fried Monday 9:30-5:00

Tuesday 9:30-5:00

Wednesday 9:30-5:00

Thursday 9:305:00

Fresh made sandwiches and pastries.

Chicken, Beef or Veggie, Cheese, Loaded Nachos.

Starts at 11am until sold out.

Small $14 Large $25 Roasted Whole Chicken.

Starts at 3:30 until sold out. $20-$25

Wings hot and ready to go.

Sold by the pound.

Starts at 11am until sold out. $21.99 per pound All variety of sauces available.

Choice of naked or breaded

Roasted Whole Chicken.

Friday 9:30-5:00

Saturday 9:30-5:00

Sunday Closed

Fried Chicken Dinner with Potato Wedges and choice of Salad. Starts at 11am until sold out.

Pizza Day. All in house made fresh. Starts at 11am until sold out. $ 18 - $43

Shani’s Rest Day

2, 4, 8 piece or 12 piece Family Bucket w/potato side and choice of salad.

Price for 2 - $ 12 Price for 4 - $ 21 Price for 8 - $ 37.50 Family Bucket $ 65

Pizza by the slice while supplies last $7

Starts at 3:30 until sold out. $20-$25

*Pre-order meals by 4pm the day before – Roast Chicken, Roast Beef, Pork Ribs * Available Tues, Wed, Friday, Saturday

~Catering, Donut, Pizza available any day when booked 48 hours in advance~

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Gary Pumps Ltd.

Please note that requests for same day water delivery must be received no later than 11 am of said day.

Thank you!

Water delivery and Sewer Removal are available Monday through Friday Home Heating Fuel, Bulk Fuel and Bulk Oil Available Phone 250-651-7463 Email garypumpsltd@gmail.com Mailing address is Box 147, Atlin BC V0W 1A0 Office hours – Monday to Friday 8 am – noon With thanks, Gary McNeil and Jody Smallwood

Atlin Mountain Inn

Atlin Mountain Inn’s Food hours: Kitchen is closed for January.

Hot dogs and Artichoke Dip and other snacks available in the bar Friday and Saturday.

Meals available in vending machine in Lobby

Atlin Pet Care 287 Tatlow Street

Your pets home away from home!

Winter store hours (Starting Sept 20) Please take note that we will be closing on Sundays Monday - Friday 9:30am – 5pm Saturday 10am – 5pm Sunday Closed Also closed on all Statutory holidays.

Will operate on MST this Fall/Winter. ~Weekly freight truck run on Mondays and freight runs available upon request~

Indoor/Outdoor Runs Heated Kennels Boarding-Grooming-Pet Supplies Emergency Care-Veterinarian Referrals SPCA AGENTS George Holman 250-651-7717 or Marj Holman 250-651-7758

Atlin Christian Centre Affiliated with the Pentecostal Assemblies of Canada Service and Sunday School Sunday 11 a.m.

Come join us!

St. Martin’s Anglican Church 10 a.m.

Sunday

250-691-0128

Everyone welcome!

Mountain Shack Café Restaurant Fast Fancy Food Great Service 110 Discovery Avenue In Atlin, B.C.

EAT IN OR TAKE OUT Wednesday thru Monday 250-651-7789

MOBILE WELDING SERVICE AVAILABLE Contact: Alain Vanier 250-651-0037

Reasonable Rates!

Believe It! Believe that life is worth living and your belief will help create the fact.

William James 1842-1910 For indeed it is a fact!!!

Smallwood Enterprises Ltd We provide Concrete, Drain Rock, Screed gravel, Sand, Topsoil and Septic systems.

We also provide Equipment Rentals, Excavations, Covered Storage, Firewood and Snow Removal.

Please call (250) 651-2488 or email bobscontracting2020 @gmail.com

Atlin Community Library Open Friday and Saturday from 2-4 pm Everyone is Welcome!

The next Whisper is Wednesday January 31st.

Submissions are due no later than Sunday 6pm January 28th The Purpose of the Atlin Whisper is to encourage, build-up and inform the people of Atlin concerning ongoing community events and happenings. The Whisper is not a political mouthpiece.

Compiled and edited by Lynne Phipps. Paper for printing courtesy of Northern Homes Real Estate Printing courtesy of Dani McNeil and the RCMP Atlin. Delivery by Bobbie Whelan and Gary Hill.

Classifieds, news, upcoming events Contact 1-867-334-7949 or lynnephippsatlin@gmail.com if you have, pictures or articles you would like to submit.

Please note that submissions should be sent in either WORD or JPEG whenever possible. PDF must first be printed and then scanned back into the computer in order to format it into the paper. This costs in both paper and ink. We know that at times a PDF is the only way, which is okay when necessary, but otherwise, as the Whisper is a FREE community service we appreciate your support in helping to keep the costs down as much as possible. Thank You!