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Otago Daily Times
7 days ago
- General
- Otago Daily Times
Jill finishes chapter of her life after 50 years
By Dellwyn Moylan Ashburton library manager Jill Watson is preparing to wave a fond farewell after half a century of service. Being a librarian wasn't her first choice of career, the 71-year-old recalls, but now she could write a book on the experience. Growing up in Christchurch, she wanted to work with animals, as a stable hand or kennel maid. A career adviser at her school told her she needed to be ''fixed'' from that thinking. While still at school, she started working at the Canterbury Public Library shelving books. A job came up at the library and the rest is history. She went on to complete a Bachelor of Arts through Canterbury University, and more recently a Bachelor of Business Studies through Massey University. ''I worked at Canterbury library for nearly three years. It was a very interesting old building to work in,'' she said. It was a boyfriend that brought her to Ashburton in 1975, when she began at the town's library. Recording keeping in the early days of the borough and county council were not as thorough as today, however, it is thought Jill is probably the district council's longest ever serving employee. Jill's love of animals saw her beloved dog Riff Raff become a firm favourite with library goers, especially children. Riff Raff, now retired, has helped countless children practice their reading, building confidence through his tireless listening skills. Jill has a passion for colour and flare, be that dressing up as a clown, fairy, in period costume, or even her pyjamas. At her home she converted a bedroom to create space for a vast shoe collection. Jill started out a children's librarian and was in the role for about two years. When the role of manager of the library came up, Jill applied. ''It was a rather formidable interview, as not only were the managers there, but also the entire council,'' she said. She had enjoyed working with the public and a ''great team'' of staff, as well as a ''supportive employer''. And being surrounded by thousands of books has brought her immense satisfaction. ''Buying and maintaining a quality collection of books is very rewarding,'' she said. While Jill has freedom of choice of what books to buy, she is guided by a budget and what readers want. With regard to fiction, she has a standing order to ensure she doesn't miss books, especially the popular ones. When it comes to non-fiction, she is more open in what she purchases, ensuring there is a good range of relevant books on a diverse range of subjects. While she has her favourites, she is careful not to let personal preferences dominate. For fiction, she particularly likes murder thrillers and Victorian novels. Her favourite authors are Americans Michael Connelly, and C J Box who is also popular with her fellow Ashburton readers. For non-fiction, she particularly likes history books, especially New Zealand history and world politics. Along the way there have moments that have made Jill laugh. One that has been recalled as part of the celebrations of 50 years is about a councillor who was questioning the budget for buying books. The councillor questioned the nonfiction spend, asking why they needed to purchase Noddy books when Noddy never changed. Always the professional, Jill took a deep breath and said she was sorry to have to be the one to inform the councillor that Noddy was from a fiction book. There have been numerous changes of Jill's five decades at the library. One of the biggest, apart from moving to Te Whare Whakatere last year, has been advancements in technology. Jill's time at the library hasn't been without some challenges. She has always been an advocate for removing barriers to people accessing books and the library. Jill will retire on August 8. She plans to remain in Ashburton, enjoying time in her garden and reading.
See - Sada Elbalad
13-06-2025
- Entertainment
- See - Sada Elbalad
Megan Fox, Michele Morrone to Star in Movie to "The Sicilian"
Yara Sameh Voltage Pictures has taken worldwide rights to "The Sicilian", an action thriller led by Transformers' Megan Fox, Another Simple Favor's Michele Morrone, Riff Raff's Emanuela Postacchini and Game of Thrones' Iain Glen. Swedish filmmaker Amir Chamdin directs with filming commencing this September in Sicily, Italy, and Canada. Written by Sandro Lorino, Rich Ronat, and Nate Adams, based on a story by Lorino and Antonio Lorino, "The Sicilian" follows a family man with a shadowy past who becomes entangled in a deadly game of cat-and-mouse with the first female boss of the Cosa Nostra. Tension builds as personal loyalties clash with underworld codes against the storied Sicilian backdrop of Corleone. Chamdin, whose credits span both television (Partisan) and the music videos 'Satinized' and 'Lachryma' by Ghost, which recently held the No. 1 spot on the U.S. Billboard chart, describes the project as 'a powerful story molded into a tense action thriller in the vein of classic Lumet or Frankenheimer films. It never stops. It never lets you go.' Producer Richard Salvatore (The Big Wedding, The Comeback Trail) produces alongside Sandro Lorino and Norbert Krott of Lorino Pictures and Nate Adams (Vanquish). EPs include Fabio Costabile (Skincare) and Dirk Schweitzer (Operation Napoleon). Fox's other feature credits in addition to the Transformers franchise includes the cult horror title, "Jennifer's Body", as well as the psychological thriller "Till Death" and the recent sci-fi entry "Subservience". Morrone gained international recognition for his breakout role as Massimo Torricelli in the Netflix series 365 Days trilogy. His debut album, "Dark Room", features prominently in the 365 Days soundtracks, including the hit single 'Feel it.' Glen continues to earn praise for his work in "Silo" and his portrayal of Ser Jorah Mormont in HBO's "Game of Thrones". Italian actress Postacchini gained international recognition for her roles in "The Alienist", "Who Is America?", "The Seven Faces of Jane", "Robots", and most recently, the hit ensemble comedy "Riff Raff", alongside Bill Murray and Jennifer Coolidge. read more New Tourism Route To Launch in Old Cairo Ahmed El Sakka-Led Play 'Sayidati Al Jamila' to Be Staged in KSA on Dec. 6 Mandy Moore Joins Season 2 of "Dr. Death" Anthology Series Don't Miss These Movies at 44th Cairo Int'l Film Festival Today Amr Diab to Headline KSA's MDLBEAST Soundstorm 2022 Festival Arts & Culture Mai Omar Stuns in Latest Instagram Photos Arts & Culture "The Flash" to End with Season 9 Arts & Culture Ministry of Culture Organizes four day Children's Film Festival Arts & Culture Canadian PM wishes Muslims Eid-al-Adha News China Launches Largest Ever Aircraft Carrier Sports Former Al Zamalek Player Ibrahim Shika Passes away after Long Battle with Cancer Lifestyle Get to Know 2025 Eid Al Adha Prayer Times in Egypt Business Fear & Greed Index Plummets to Lowest Level Ever Recorded amid Global Trade War Arts & Culture Zahi Hawass: Claims of Columns Beneath the Pyramid of Khafre Are Lies News Flights suspended at Port Sudan Airport after Drone Attacks News Shell Unveils Cost-Cutting, LNG Growth Plan Videos & Features Video: Trending Lifestyle TikToker Valeria Márquez Shot Dead during Live Stream Technology 50-Year Soviet Spacecraft 'Kosmos 482' Crashes into Indian Ocean News 3 Killed in Shooting Attack in Thailand
Calgary Herald
21-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Calgary Herald
'I was always a searcher': Jackson and the Janks to bring New Orleans inspired 'garage gospel' to Calgary
Article content In his early 20s, Jackson Lynch decided he needed to live in New Orleans if he wanted to make a go of a music career. Article content It wasn't as if he was living in the boonies before that. He was a New Yorker who would attend all-ages, hardcore punk shows in the underground clubs of the Lower East Side. But on his frequent trips to the Big Easy, he felt a new world opening up musically. It had the same fierce DIY spirit as hardcore, even if it didn't much sound like it. Article content Article content 'I was in my early 20s and was like, 'Damn, if I'm going to take music seriously for my life, this is where I gotta be,' ' he says. 'So I picked it all up and went down there and was there for many years. It was the brokest I've ever been in my life, but I was the richest I've ever been in my life creatively.' Article content Article content Initially, he would busk every day in the French Quarter. It put him in touch with fellow musicians. That included future Grammy winner and 2025 Calgary Folk Music Festival headliner Sierra Ferrell. He met up with ragtime band Tuba Skinny and the members of Hurrah for the Riff Raff. Article content 'I would bring my fiddle out every day,' he says. 'I was so broke, man. I would go out at 9 a.m. every day, and I would play the fiddle in front of this cafe. I would make like $40. And I was like, 'Hell, yeah! I'm good for the day.' Later in the day, he would jam with jazz bands on Royal Street. Article content 'I really cut my teeth,' says Lynch, whose band Jackson and the Janks will be making its Canadian debut on Saturday as part of East Town Get Down in Calgary. Article content Lynch is back in Brooklyn these days, but New Orleans is where Jackson and the Janks were born. Lynch eventually picked up an electric guitar and began creating a distinct 'garage gospel' sound that brought in various musical threads from New Orleans. The band's self-titled debut was recorded over several years in New Orleans and released in 2023. It has three originals by Lynch, but most of the material is old gospel standards and obscurities that the Janks re-envisioned in the studio. Article content That includes a Kinks-like run through Give an Account, which Lynch first heard as an old field recording by sisters Dorothy Lee, Norma Jean and Shirley Marie Johnson. Sleep On, Mother, a song that originated with an a cappella group called the Silver Leaf Quartette of Norfolk that performed spiritual music in the 1920s and 1930s.
TimesLIVE
02-05-2025
- Entertainment
- TimesLIVE
Comedy and anti-heroes on the big screen, and Helen Zille in the roast seat
Spotlight is our bite-sized entertainment snapshot featuring new releases in South Africa, exclusive film trailers and more. New episodes come out every Thursday on Sunday Times Lifestyle, Sowetan Entertainment and YouTube, plus you can follow Spotlight on Facebook. Spotlight's episode this week features a new comedy thriller and Marvel Universe release at cinemas, and what promises to be the biggest African comedy festival in 2025. When crime runs in the family and the cast includes Jennifer Coolidge and Bill Murray, you know it will also involve comedy. In Riff Raff, a former criminal is enjoying a normal life with his wife and son when his past catches up with him. He learns notorious gangsters are coming to get him. Satirical and absurd at times, Riff Raff co-stars Gabrielle Union, Ed Harris and Dustin Hoffman, and is on at cinemas. Critics are hailing Thunderbolts as the best Marvel Cinematic Universe film in years. It is receiving praise for not shying away from themes of loneliness and depression. The movie — on at cinemas, IMAX and 3D — has a ragtag team of anti-heroes and is packed with loads of action, and centres on a group of reformed supervillains ensnared in a deadly mission forcing them to confront their dark past. Starring Florence Pugh, Lewis Pullman, Wyatt Russell and David Harbour. Good times are rolling with the arrival of the annual Laugh Africa Comedy Festival presented by Showmax. Anticipate a bolder line-up and expanded showcase featuring top comedic talent from across Africa and abroad at the Sandton Convention Centre from May 2 to 4. DA federal chair Helen Zille accepted the roast seat, and you can look forward to Felix Hlophe, Celeste Ntuli, Rob van Vuuren making sure there will be a laugh a minute. For full interviews, breaking news, trailers and clips visit our Spotlight Facebook page. See you at the movies. Presenter Collette Prince is styled and dressed by Claris by Gerrit Pienaar when attending premieres and special events. Facebook @Claris by Gerrit Pienaar/Instagram: gerritpienaardesigns. Competition giveaways Spotlight has two giveaways this week. Answer a question to win double tickets to Showmax's Laugh Africa Comedy Festival. Entries close at 11pm on May 2. Win a Thunderbolts movie merchandise hamper by answering a question. Competition close on May 7. For full competition details and the questions, go to the Spotlight SA Facebook page and DM your answers and contact details. Terms and conditions apply. Winners will be drawn randomly and notified by SMS after the competition has closed. Entrants' personal details will not be retained for marketing purposes. Winners have to provide proof of age (ID/driving licence) and cover their own travel and accommodation expenses. By entering, participants agree to have their names published on TimesLIVE, SowetanLIVE and Spotlight SA on Facebook. Employees of Arena Holdings and their family members are not eligible to enter.
Daily Mail
30-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Dwyane Wade's transgender daughter, 17, towers over stepmom Gabrielle Union at Beyonce concert
Gabrielle Union Wade treated her transgender stepdaughter Zaya Wade to the first stop of Beyoncé's 32-date Cowboy Carter Tour, which was held at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, CA on Monday. The nepo baby of retired NBA star Dwyane Wade - who graduates from high school and turns 18 next month - easily towered over the 5ft7in, 52-year-old Riff Raff actress. Zaya (born Zion) appears to measure somewhere between 6ft and 6ft2in judging by how she looks standing directly next to her 6ft4in, 43-year-old father at an Out100 event on December 11. Last summer, Wade and Dwyane co-founded the non-profit organization Translatable, which is a digital arts initiative designed to empower trans youth of color and their families. 'My dad tries to scare any person I have interest in,' the LGBTQAI+ activist confessed to Seventeen in February. 'He's kind of intimidating. The people I've dated have all been afraid of him in the first interaction. He's gigantic and he has this deep, booming voice. But the façade only lasts for so long and you actually see his real personality. He's a teddy bear.' The Utah Jazz co-owner welcomed Zaya and his 23-year-old son Zaire during his five-year marriage to high school sweetheart Siohvaughn Funches, which ended in 2007. Gabrielle publicly announced Wade's gender affirmation, at age 12, on February 11, 2020 and she's 'instilled such a confidence in my femininity.' 'I tried to compensate in every single way, and it was so draining,' the outspoken Zoomer recalled to Who What Wear earlier this month. '[Union] was so adamant about telling me that I don't have to look or act a certain way — I can just be me. And, oh my god, I thank her every day for it.' The Nebraska-born beauty flaunted her taut tummy in a black fringed cropped tank, matching leather mini-skirt, cowboy hat, bag, and $375 Tecovas 'The Abbey' boots selected by stylist Thomas Christos Kikis. Zaya - who's currently taking estrogen - wore a white mini-dress beneath a cropped jean jacket, white studded purse, and black cowboy boots. Gabrielle - who boasts 37M social media followers - posted an Instagram video of herself proudly pointing out Wade during the concert from their VIP seats. Wade was standing next to 17-year-old Delilah Fishburne and her famous mother Gina Torres, who co-starred with Union in Netflix's 2020 rom-com The Perfect Find. Speaking of which, the Independent Spirit Award nominee also got to reunite with her Perfect Find leading man Keith Powers inside SoFi Stadium. Gabrielle publicly announced the outspoken Zoomer's gender affirmation, at age 12, on February 11, 2020 (pictured) and she's 'instilled such a confidence in my femininity' Union flaunted her taut tummy in a black fringed cropped tank, matching leather mini-skirt, cowboy hat, bag, and $375 Tecovas 'The Abbey' boots selected by stylist Thomas Christos Kikis The Nebraska-born beauty - who boasts 37M social media followers - posted an Instagram video of herself proudly pointing out Wade during the concert from their VIP seats In the fall, the Uber brand ambassador will begin her astrobiology studies at a mystery college in a Democratically-leaning blue state Gabrielle's entourage also included The Fire Inside actress Ryan Destiny, Canadian actress Nicole Lyn, and her hairstylist Larry Sims. Union is next set to produce and star as Detective Shay Williams in Justin Dyck's upcoming horror film, The Casket Girls. The married couple of 10 years - who split in 2013 - are also proud parents of six-year-old 'miracle' daughter Kaavia and he fathered 11-year-old son Xavier with babymama Aja Metoyer. Dwyane also raised his 23-year-old nephew Dahveon Morris. The Idea of You producer and Wade - who have a prenup - originally met at a Super Bowl party in 2007 before going public with their romance in 2010. In the fall, Zaya will begin her astrobiology studies at a mystery college in a Democratically-leaning blue state.
