Coniston inviting residents to leave their mark on outdoor rink

On Sept. 28, Coniston's new community arts group is inviting town residents past and present to come leave their mark in the community.

Between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., the group is hosting a handprint event at the town's outdoor rink.

"We're inviting all people, young and old, who have lived and played in Coniston over the years to come leave their handprint in paint on the boards of the outdoor rink," said Dinah Laprairie, one of the organizers of Coniston Community Arts. "At the same time, they can find out more about our first community-wide arts project, which we will be running over the next year."

The project will bring together schoolchildren and adults in a series of discussions. The question they will answer is "How do you play in Coniston?" Over the course of the school year, stories will be collected and compared, and Coniston Community Arts will ask youth to come up with ideas for the final arts project.

Local elementary schools St. Paul the Apostle and Notre Dame-de-la-Merci have indicated their support for the project, and will be participating in the handprint event in a special schools-only handprint session on Sept. 27.

More than 400 schoolchildren are expected to attend.

Coniston Community Arts will be seeking volunteers, especially adults and seniors who have lived in Coniston, to share their memories of play with youth in a series of discussions scheduled during the school year. For more information, or to volunteer, call 705-694-1638 or email [email protected].