Albany MN Press
In Loving Memory: Ruth Margaret Jackson Ganong
Dec 30, 2018In Loving Memory:Ruth Margaret Jackson GanongJanuary 9, 1924-December 22, 2015
Ruth Margaret Jackson Ganong, 91, of Albany, CA passed away peacefully on the morning of December 22, 2015 surrounded by her children in the home she designed and built in 1965.Born on January 9, 1924 and raised in Winnetka, IL., Ruth attended New Trier High School, and Smith College, then went on to be the first woman to graduate from Boston Architectural College. On February 22, 1948 she married William Francis Ganong, and raised four children. More from Berkeley Patch
She dedicated her life to public service, serving in many roles including as Albany School Board President, Mayor of Albany, and on the Boards of the Albany YMCA and AC Transit where she served one term as president. She was involved for many years in protecting San Francisco Bay and improving education in Albany. She loved to entertain, paint, build things, play Scrabble, travel the world and cook exotic foods. Despite being told she would never walk without a brace after having polio as a child, she never let it slow her down and also enjoyed joggin... http://patch.com/california/berkeley/loving-memory-ruth-margaret-jackson-ganong-0
Joann Pauline Jones
Dec 30, 2018Sept. 23, 1933 — Dec. 19, 2015
Joann Jones, 82, of Albany passed away Dec. 19.
Born in Corvallis to Arthur Linke and Ruby Hartill, Joann moved to Albany in 1950 to marry Wayne Niemann. They divorced in 1959. Joann married Lonn Jones in 1960 and remained in Albany where she was active in the United Presbyterian Church and her community. She sang in the church choir for 35 years and the LBCC Community Choral for 26 years; ran Adventure Week; and served on the board of Albany Helping Hands for many years.
She worked as the church secretary prior to working in the OSU admissions office. Joann transferred to the School of Pharmacy and finally the College of Veterinary Medicine as an accounting technician. She retired in 1998.
Joann was preceded in death by her husband, Lonn Jones; brothers Walter, Hal and Richard Linke; and daughter Carroll Lane.
Survivors include her son, Lonn Jones, Albany; daughters Kathy Grove, Portland, Jodie Jones-Herndon (Bob), Dallas, Bonnie LeCornu, Albany, Judy Webster (John), Brush Prairie, Washington, and Lonna... http://www.gazettetimes.com/news/local/obituaries/joann-pauline-jones/article_6cf125a6-7acf-565d-82ef-2b01c4417473.html
Band To Watch: Florist
Oct 6, 2018After graduating high school early, Sprague moved to Albany, NY, drawn mostly to the artistic community there. In Albany, Sprague met Spataro and Baker and the underlying friendship between that trio — and Walworth who was a late but pivotal addition — is the foundation for Florist’s creative process. Their connection in Albany led the group on tour, and then, eventually, to Brooklyn where they now live, and where they recorded this EP and their debut album. An initial Florist EP called We Had Been This Way Forever came out in spring of 2013, but Holdly marks their first official release for Double Double Whammy. Today, we’re premiering “Vacation,” the first track off Holdly, along with an interview highlighting Sprague and Florist as a Band To Watch.
STEREOGUM: What initially prompted you to leave Palenville and move to Albany after you finished high school?
SPRAGUE: I moved up there to be with a few different people for music reasons, like to be a part of that creative community. I had friends up there, and that’s where I met Rick and Jonnie, who are the two other big parts of Florist, the project. I moved there when I was about 17 — well, like a month or two after moving I turned 18. I’m 21 now. But we recorded our first Florist EP in 2013, and the following spring we were playing shows up there. We went on tour for the first time with Lizard Kisses. That was my first-ever tour, and I was so amazed that people like those folks existed. I was introduced to Brooklyn and people down here through Marc Merza and Cory Siegler from Lizard Kisses.
STEREOGUM: Is that when you decided to move to Brooklyn from Albany?
SPRAGUE: I moved down here about two years ago to be around my friends that are in Eskimeaux, Bellows, and Told Slant. I met them all through living, playing, and helping people books shows in Albany. Felix [Walworth, of Told Slant and Florist] and Oliver Kalb [of Bellows] were at Bard College at the time and wanted to play a show in Albany. They ended up playing with a friend of mine and become tour contacts. Maybe every six months we’d run into each other at a show, or be playing a show together, and one time it came up that we should go on a tour together. Like, “Felix should play drums in Florist.” That was kind of how it came together, and then after that I decided to move down here because they all live down here.
STEREOGUM: What’s it like being part of an artistic collective like The Epoch?
SPRAGUE: It’s special for me because I’d never had a group of friends like that. Ever. Music for me was always a solitary thing. I was always by myself — nobody heard my music. I put it online but there was no community where I grew up for that. And even when I moved to Albany it still wasn’t necessarily the right fit for me. So it was incredible to meet those people and become such close friends with them at the age of 19. I realized this whole new life could exist for me, even as somebody that never really felt I had a community or people I could share what I was doing with. So that’s what it is for me. The label of the collective and being a part of that is less what matters. Really all it is just a friendship, a collective kind of way of helping each other out. I also play in Told Slant, and we help each other record. That’s really just what it is.
STEREOGUM: Did it change your songwriting and the way that you make music once you became a part of that?
SPRAGUE: I still have to write songs by myself. The songwriting process is the same, and I feel like that will never really change. It’s usually very immediate. I’ll write a song on guitar or on keyboard but it has to be the right fit. It has to feel good once I start or I’m never gonna pick it ... http://www.stereogum.com/1835369/band-to-watch-florist/franchises/interview/