Cheers, no jeers

° Cheers to Howard Butt on his retirement as the Islands' correspondent for The Pilot.

It was great to see so many people turn out for the April 27 meet and greet in Twillingate to recognize Howard for his 17 years of reporting the news of the lives of the people of Twillingate and New World Island.

The impacts he has made, not just as a reporter/photographer, but also in his career as a teacher, as a valued community volunteer and most importantly to his family are immeasurable. We wish you all the best in your retirement Howard.

° Cheers to 17-year-old Stephen Brace on his Arts and Letters Awards win in the junior visual arts category.

It is amazing to see the level of professionalism in Stephen's photography. He certainly has a passion for what he does.

Having seen a variety of his photographs, it is marvelous to think that a young talent like Stephen is living in our community and producing such beautiful and intriguing work. He goes about his "hobby" everyday, taking pictures and exploring the possibilities for art and experimentation and is producing remarkable results. This week The Pilot features a few of the photographs Stephen shared with us. This is but a sample of the work he is creating. It is worth your while to search out his name on the flickr photo-sharing site to experience more of his photographs.

° Cheers to the Lewisporte Yacht Club on entering into a reciprocal agreement with the Barbados Yacht Club and for the volunteer work they have put into helping make the facility what it is today.

The Pilot will feature an article on this interesting development for the Yacht Club in the next issue. But for now the Yacht Club deserves to be recognized for believing in the vision for the Lewisporte Marina and dedicating themselves to seeing it become a reality.

The Yacht Club will be focusing on social functions/features of the Lewisporte Marina and if their work on the development of the facility is any indicator, there will be lots to look forward to in this aspect.

The Yacht Club, along with the Lewisporte Marina Administrative Authority Inc. is doing an unbelievable job in putting Lewisporte on the map in the international boating/sailing community. It will be interesting to see where they take things in the future as the potential for development is there.

° Cheers to paying tribute to volunteers during Volunteer Appreciation Week.

Those municipalities and organizations that recognized their volunteers during Volunteer Appreciation Week are letting these people know they are invaluable. A world without volunteers just wouldn't be possible.

° Cheers to the Lewisporte Collegiate Lynx sports teams on their recent wins (see page 10A) and to all those young people who strive to do their very best.

To the coaches and parents who are behind the scenes supporting these young athletes, you are investing in the future of our youth and a big thank you goes out for everything you do.

- Karen Wells, editor