Arts for Artists auction honours Eva Prager

The event will take place at the Liane and Danny Taran Gallery of the Saidye Bronfman Centre for the Arts, 5170 Cote Ste. Catherine Road starting at 6 p.m. with a vernissage and cocktails.

One of the items up for bids is a sitting for a portrait sketch by Prager. Other Westmount artists of the 50 contemporary artists who have donated paintings, photographs, drawings, sculptures, and stained-glass works include Hannah Franklin, Gabor Szilasi, and Doreen Lindsay. For more information phone Adya at PWM at 514-843-3685 or adya@playwrights.ca or go to www.playwrights.ca

Women of Westmount fashion soiree

Emerging Westmount fashion designer Caroline Reynaud will launch her commercial line of women’s fashion at a six-a-huite Women of Westmount gala on Wednesday, April 18 at her atelier at 10223 St. Laurent Boulevard.

The haute soiree will include a fashion show and sale, hors d’euvres and champagne and an opportunity to discover what is new with the upcoming designer. Those who would like to purchase are asked to come early. Please RSVP at 514-315-5791.

CTV anchor to speak at CAA meeting

In a joint effort between the Canadian Authors Association and the Westmount Public Library, CTV channel 12 anchor Debra Arbec will present Broadcast and Feature Writing for Television at the library on Sunday, April 15 from 2 to 4 p.m. For more information phone 514-989-5299.

YMCA hosts video about work in Nicaragua

In February, Westmount YMCA director Gary While visited the partner YMCA of Nicaragua, where he says he learned more about the important work they are doing in their country to build strong kids, strong families, and strong communities in the face of considerable adversity.

The public is invited to join him Monday, April 16 for a light lunch at 12:15 p.m. where he will screen his video and slide presentation recapping his trip. He will be joined by Adriana Sorbo, a Canada Youth intern who has spent the past six months working with youth in the City of Managua as part of the Canada Youth Internship Program. The Y is located at 4585 Sherbrooke St. W. Reservations are a must. E-mail White at gary.white@ymcamontreal.qc.ca or call 514-931-6770 ext. 226.

JGS host authors Judy and Myer Gordon

The Jewish Genealogical Society of Montreal, in conjunction with the Jewish Public Library, will host speakers Judy and Myer Gordon, authors of Four Hundred Brothers and Sisters; a Story of Two Jewish Orphanages, on Monday April 16 at the Gelber Conference Centre, 5151 Cote Ste-Catherine/1 Carré Cummings starting at 7:30 p.m.

Judy (Gold-Asch) Gordon will tell the story of two Jewish orphanages in Montreal that were in existence from 1909-1942. Her husband, Myer Gordon, lived in one of the homes for 10 years For more information phone 514-484-0969.

A lesson in literacy at the Rotary Club

Recently Marion Daigle of the Quebec Federation of Home and School Associations Inc. addressed the Rotary Club of Westmount with the topic of Children and Literacy, Touching Minds/Shaping Futures. She shocked them with staggering statistics including that 1.3 million Quebecers are functionally illiterate and that 49 per cent of boys in Quebec do not graduate from high school on time, if at all.

Daigle explained that some of the literacy challenges facing young people include jobs that traditionally required only grade 7 education. As an example she one cited a Gaspé pulp and paper mill where today the requirement is at least two years of CEGEP study to start in the company in a janitorial position, the reason being that the machinery is now computerized and workers must be able to read the manuals to operate the machinery.

Daigle gave some solutions to the international problem that include Born to Read programs that give families with babies books to read to their infants and a booklet she handed out to participants with specific solutions including reading to young children and adopt a student programs in which individuals or organizations commit to assist with reading programs.

Boys day out

To raise awareness locally about the sad state of literacy in boys Daigle introduced her guest and Montreal upcoming children’s entertainer, songwriter and children’s book author Lp (Pat) Camoozi who is launching his second cd Even Kids Go Country at a special event, a Boys Day Out. The fun afternoon will take place Saturday April 28 starting at 1 p.m. at Le Manoir, 5319 NDG Avenue.

Parents, grandparents and friends of boys seven to 11 are invited to bring their favourite boy to the afternoon that will include a two set rock concert by Lp and The Spectacles. The rock band will perform songs from both the new cd and Even Kids Get the Blues, Camoozi’s first cd “Since both my cd’s are songs U wrote specifically for boys, what they think, what they feel and what they love, I thought it would fit to host an event just for them where they can be just boys while they dance in the aisles and do what boys do.”

During intermission, Daigle’s associate, literacy expert Harold Spanier, will present a short talk “Reading Rocks” about how to get boys interested in reading.

Tickets are $10 and can be purchased online at www.lpkids.ca or in Westmount at Oink, Oink at 1343 Greene Avenue. Net profits of the event will go to Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Montreal. For more information phone 514-484-5416.