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FRIDAY, DECEMBER 15,1995 THIARTS PRESS-REPUBLICAN PAGE 11 Local star Music video -in TV contest in Nashville hobnobs in national firmament By ROBIN CAUDELL Staff Writer ; PLATTSBURGH - It's been a i long rambling road for singer/ | songwriter Whitey Keese of On- | chiota, but the tips' of his black ] boots rested on the edge of Opry i Land-dom. i ' ! Last week, Keese and the Col- | dbrook Ramblers recorded a | five-song video for Nashville i Starseek, which is shown over ! satellite reception, Telstar 402R, 1 T-19, channel 19. Nashville |- Starseek features singers of i country, gospel and easy-listen- i ing music. i ST During the show, the TV au- dience can phone in and vote for I\ their favorite musicians. The i most popular musician or group ] gets a $100,000 recording con- ' tract. Keese paid to have the video made, butjie said he needs • a little bit of help fi/om all those ! in the North Country who have - heard him perform, over the - 'years in different band configu- rations — The Green Mountain Boys, which included his son, the late John Keese Jr; the Sun- Whitey Keese (center) and two of The Coldbrook Ramblers, Rocky Roca (left) and Ray Blackwater, recording a vfldeo for Nashville Starseek. . Whitey Keese at home in Onchiota downers; and The Coldbrook. Ramblers, which include his daughter, Wanda Mclntyre, and daughter-in-law Bev Keese. \It was a good ride,\ said Keese, who went down with his wife, Flo, and Ramblers Ray Blackwater, lead guitar, and Photo Provided The Canadian Brass, which has put brass music on the map, is performing a special Christmas Concert by the Popular Brass Quintet, Tuesday, Dee. 19, 8 p.m. at the Flynn Theatre. \A Canadian Brass Christmas\ features holiday favorites and music by Handel, Purcell, Gabriele, Mozart, Barber and Gershwin. Tickets cost $28.50, $23.50 and $12. Children under 17 save $5. Call 802-86-FLYNN. Rocky Roca, bass. Ken Byers (formerly of the Phil Donahue and Sally Jessy Raphael shows) produced the video the trio re- corded in a state-of-the-art studio laying down five Keese classics: \Northern Tears and Southern Comfort,\ \Dads Old Bucksaw,\ \Magic in Mamma's Hands,\ '.'Riding the Old Northway Home,\ and \Barhopping Ausable Style.\ \They just turned things over to me,\ Keese said. Photos Provided All this hoopla began several months ago in Plattsburgh when Keese noticed a talent agency advertisement. Keese and the Coldbrook Ramblers au'ditioned, as did a smattering of North Country musicians at the former Holiday Inn. Keese elected to make a video in Nashville, and his fate at this point rests with\ the viewing audience who call- (615) 860-8884 or (900) 288-9919 and vote for Keese, whose number is 355. The voting ends Jan. 12, 1996, and all those 95-cent calls will be tallied, but no matter what hap- pens Keese had a chance to sing at Opry Land and \at the world- famous Tootsie's in the shadow and the presence of great country stars. \I was surrounded by all that talent,\ Keese said.. \Jeannie Shepard sang on the same stage I did. We got a chance to see her there. We saw Porter Wagner at the Grand Old Opry. We made visits to all of the halls of fame.\ The memory of 70-degree weather has faded in the bone- cold reality in Onchiota. Now Keese is concentrating on publishing his originals in Nashville. Still he finds the time to play with Smokey Rabideau four or five days a week enter- taining local senior citizens. His brush with country star- dom hasn't changed htm. Keese's black Stetson sits straight on his head, his crystal- blue eyes sparkle, and he just rambles on. High-tech gear offers hope to find lost art ByRAFCASERT Associated Press Writer GHENT, Belgium (AP) - In 1934, a Belgian stockbroker col- lapsed from a stroke at a political rally. As he lay dying, he hinted at the whereabouts of a panel from the missing Adoration of the Mystic Lamb, one of the masterpieces of Western art. \Only I know where the Adoration is,\ he stammered. They were his last words. Sixty-one years later, the hunt for the JaS^Sid Hubert Van Eyck . masterpiece ^s still afoot. The crime has mocked the authorities, eluded divining rods and defied a slew of .theories, Now, equipped with hirtech tools, art sleuths hope to solve what has been called the perfect theft. They plan to drill minute holes in the wood paneling of ,the gothic St. Bavo cathedral in Ghent and insert tiny, laser- guided cameras. The idea is that the masterpiece may be hidden in the same church from which it was stolen in 1934. Art lovers are raising money for the endeavor with a new ex- hibition: \The Audacious Theft of the Mystic Lamb.\ \There is good hope,\ said Doreen Gaublomme, one of the exhibit's organizers. She put the chanceso£ finding the panel at 80 percent. The full painting, 24 panels completed in 1432 after a dozen, years of work, is considered the highpoint- of Flemish Primitive art — a jewel of meticulous detail, vivid color and allegorical meaning. The stolen panel depicts the 10 Just Judges on their way to venerate the Mystic Lamb. But it is the perfection of the theft as much as the perfection of the art that drew Karel Mortier to the case. The retired Ghent .police .chief has spent four de- cades trying to solve the crime, and provided the initiative for the latest effort. \Arthur Conan Doyle had Sherlock Holmes say, 'I found it because I was looking for it,'\ said Mortier, 69, who started his search in 1956. \I may not think about the theft when I wake up in the morning, but when I go to. bed, it is on my mind.\ The Just Judges panel was. stolen along with a lesser panel on April 10, 1934. Soon after, ex- tortion letters sent to the bishop of Ghent demanded 1 million francs — then worth about $33,000. Thewriter returned the second panel to prove he had the Just Judges. Authorities refused to pay and 12 more letters followed. Seven months later came stockbroker Arsene Goedertier's untimely death. After hearing of his mysterious last words, police searched his house and found copies of ransom letters in the study. They quickly concluded that the stockbroker, acting on his own and out of financial need, had stolen the panel. The case was closed in early 1937. That wasn't good enough for Mortier. He discovered that Goedertier suffered from a rare eye disease that made it hard for him to see at night — and almost impossi- ble to have pulled off the theft on his own. Documents also showed that Goedertier was in good shape financially. Mortier believes the stockbroker must have had at least one accomplice. He also thinks he knows where it is. In Goedertier's final extortion letter, which was never sent, he wrote: \It is in a place where nei- ther I nor anyone else can recov- er it without drawing attention.\ Mortier theorizes that it would i Attention: i i Adult *«••• »*•,•:» • Have you been out of school for a few years and are you now look- ing for a smooth transition back to the classroom? In the COLLEGE ENTRY PRO- GRAM (CEP) you can earn 12 college credits and develop skills needed for future college success. THE CEP AD VANTAGE: • Small class size ensures individual attention. • Choice of morning or evening session. • Opportunity to refresh academic skills. • Earn 12 college credits toward a college degree. • Preparation for Math CLEP proficiency exams. • Academic and career coun- seling for following semester. would like more information about CEP, send us this ad. Name . ^ Address - Zip Phone Attn i(SjiitiKying^ducatidii l36Clilitqil pdint.Drive PJaltsburghy.NY 12901 • ••.'• ortallf ••\• 2- ».;•-. •• ••' 56&4140 • \ 5, I i•••••••• m ••••••• 1 Merry Christinas and a Snoopy New Year from Metropolitan Life Tim Robidequ Agency Manager Casey Flynn Sales Manager Kenneth Kleinschmidt Account Rep. Frank Denchick Account Rep. Nicole Henry Account Rep. Martin Connell Account Rep; James Groves Account Rep. Douglas Chase Account Rep. Cristian Balan Account Rep. Stephen McFadden Account Rep. Kori Boissey QBC Darlene Ozbun Sr. Sales Associate Fay Steele Agency Administrator it's our policy to say thanks to customers and_ good Mends like you. Metropoitanlife ANDAFRUATED COMPANIES •J*^^ ••••:•' - •••.-•••• ioD&ntitsi 'imiiratiea CortiUiiny, New YotH, N.Y. Have a happy holiday and a new year that's heads and tails above the rest. 561-1130 have-taken,t-he thieves little time and effort to hide the' painting behind the woodwork, in the church. It wouldn't be the first time art was hidden inside the church. In the 16th century, the entire altarpiece was hidden in the church's tower to prevent its destruction during a religious revolt. Hiding the panel also would have been in line with Goeder- tier's penchant for detective stories, Mortier said. \It would have been his highlight — to tell the bishop hestill had it.\ Compared to other efforts to find the panel, the idea of drilling holes in the walls of the church is quite, conventional. Qnce, a bridge was dismantled because the dowsing rod of a retired village priest showed the panel to be inside. Some people believe the Nazis stole the panel because it holds mythical powers. The Germans did steal the altarpiece during World War 11. HA rim it It Ml MSI I I SO Ref friish your bathtub in the home, without removal, at less then 1/4 the cost! Don't remove - IMPROVES! 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