Singer signs contract with record label

Singer signs contract with record label

STRUTHERS — Candace Campana, 19, of Struthers has signed a contract with Birmingham, Ala.-based record label Soul 1st.

The country-pop singer participated in recording “Please Can You Lend a Hand,” a single produced by the label to raise money for the homeless and homeless veterans.

The song, which included other Soul 1st artists, was recorded in Nashville and is performing well on music charts in the South.

Campana, the daughter of T.J. and Deborah Campana, will record a single in March at Soul 1st’s Alabama studio.

The 2009 Struthers High School graduate — she was valedictorian — is now attending Youngstown State University.

Campana has acted with Easy Street Productions and the Youngstown Playhouse.

Welsh organization plans celebration

NILES — Welsh people throughout the world celebrate Saint David, patron saint of Wales, on March 1.

The Niles Gymanfa Ganu Association will have its annual St. David’s Day Banquet on Feb. 28 at the McKinley Memorial Auditorium, 40 Main St. (Route 46).

The celebration will begin with a social hour at 2:30 p.m. with punch, Welsh cakes and bara brith. Dinner will be served at 3 p.m.

Entertainment will be provided by Allison Miller, Laura Miller and Geraint Wilkes.

Donations are $16 for the Swiss steak dinner, $17 for stuffed chicken breast, $19 for lamb shank and $8 for a child’s dinner of chicken tenders.

For reservations, call Nelson Llewellyn at (330) 847-9892. Deadline is Tuesday.

Playhouse receives $3K grant from trust

YOUNGSTOWN — The Youngstown Playhouse has received a $3,000 grant from the Ruth H. Beecher Charitable Trust.

At the request of the trustees, the award will be used for partial sponsorship of the Playhouse’s summer musical, “The Wedding Singer,” which will be performed weekends July 16-25.

Basketball Classic raised nearly $8,000

YOUNGSTOWN — The Hope Foundation of the Mahoning Valley raised almost $8,000 at January’s Game of Hope Charity Basketball Classic, which was at Beeghly Center on the YSU campus.

The Hope Foundation assists chronically and terminally ill children of the Mahoning Valley.

About 750 people attended the game, which will be broadcast at 8 p.m. tonight on the following channels: Armstrong Cable, 20/100; Time Warner On Demand, 501; and Time Warner Channel 15 in Trumbull County and Channel 9 in Youngstown. It will also be streamed on the internet at onlineptv.com.

Church host production of ‘The Dining Room’

WARREN — St. Pius X Church of Warren is hosting the dramatic comedy “The Dining Room” at 3 p.m. March 7 at Trumbull New Theatre, 5883 Youngstown Road, Niles.

Tickets are $15, and include hors d’oeuvres.

For more information, call (330) 395-3507 or (330) 770-5626.

Old Firehouse names wine after Ferris wheel

GENEVA ON THE LAKE — Old Firehouse Winery, the only winery in the world with a working Ferris wheel, has named its latest wine after the landmark amusement ride. The Ferris wheel — dubbed #5 Big Eli by its manufacturer — was once a centerpiece of the neighboring Erieview Amusement Park, which closed in 2007.

“We ran through a bunch of classic names for port wine during our research,” said winemaker Don Woodward. “We kept seeing a recurring theme, like ‘Old Port 99,’ ‘#44 Port,’ and other names using some type of number. It then hit us — the biggest selling Ferris wheel of all time is the iconic #5 Big Eli Ferris Wheel, built by the Eli Bridge Company.” The winery decided to name its new product #5 Big Eli Dessert Wine.

Made from Lake Erie Chambourcin grapes harvested in 2007, the port has been in oak barrels since being fortified with grape brandy that fall. The addition of the brandy raises the alcohol level to 18 percent and gives character to the port.

#5 Big Eli retails for $21.95.