(To view our January/February 2016 issue of ClubWEST online, click here.)

“Either write something worth reading or do something worth writing.”
– Benjamin Franklin

There is never a shortage of great stories to unearth right here in Niagara West.

They are as plentiful as the harvests our area farmers reap each fall. This publication is a bit of an unusual one, though, as three young “performers” in completely different areas of interest all came together as feature subjects in a matter of weeks. The theme was undeniable, so it was easy to package.

A lot is said and written about the youth of today. Typically, the good is often overlooked for the more sensational and usually negative news slants, but not this time.

This time, we have three great examples of what teens can do when they apply natural talent and mix in effort, dedication and the helping hand of family support. Each is very different.

Cole Burniston showed ability from the start and realizes he is very fortunate to have parents who are willing to make major sacrifices in allowing him to chase his dreams.

In Melissa Temkov, we have a mom and grandparents working tirelessly, who also had the smarts to get her out of a situation which was not working for her. The results speak for themselves.

And last but not least, we have Stephanie Deshane, a plucky 16-year-old who has opted to take a somewhat less travelled road as she strives to ensure her unique interests are not muddied in an attempt to fit in. It is most often in ones late 20s when one realizes there are people out there with the same interests, but it can take you a while to find them. She is perfectly willing to keep on looking, all the while developing her craft of singing and song writing. More power to her!

I’ve been writing for a long time. This was the first time I put anything together where the combined ages of the subjects was younger than I. That was unnerving.

Yet each goes to show, we have a lot of great things – people, events, organizations, you name it – going on right here under our collective noses.

Your job is to root out those stories and tell them to you, good reader, via words and photos. So why not start while some of these subjects are honing their skills. Who knows?

Maybe one day Cole will be a power back for his beloved New England Patriots playing in the Super Bowl. Stephanie could be asked to be the halftime show and Melissa could be performing as part of that artistic spectacle?

One can dream, yes?

Publisher, ClubWest Magazine
Mike Williscraft