Posted January 21, 200916 yr RALEIGH (WTVD) -- Singer Celine Dion has rescheduled her performance at the RBC Center because of the weather. The show will now be Wednesday, January 21. Organizers say that state officials have told them that road conditions will be extremely hazardous during the afternoon and evening, so this decision was made in order to avoid dangerous driving conditions for the fans, and to ensure their safety. Tickets for Tuesday's concert will be honored at the new concert date. Fans unable to attend the rescheduled concert can obtain a refund at their original point of purchase. (Copyright ©2009 WTVD-TV/DT. All Rights Reserved.)
January 23, 200916 yr Author Celine Dion performance wows fans By Ruth Sheehan - Staff Writer Published: Thu, Jan. 22, 2009 08:13AM RALEIGH -- Nixia Fonner of Goldsboro had been planning for the Celine Dion concert since late 2007, when she bought her tickets -- at more than $170 a piece. So Fonner, a native of Panama, wasn't going to let a few inches of snow get in her way. An almost-capacity crowd turned out at the RBC Center for Dion's concert, postponed one day because of the snow. Young and old fans teetered over chunky snow and sheets of ice in the RBC parking lot. But they were not disappointed. The Canadian born croon queen delivered a vintage performance: powerful pipes, dramatic outfits and melodramatic gestures. It was Dion's first appearance in the Triangle in 12 years, and the pent-up demand was apparent every time she strode out the runways -- Titanic plankways? -- toward the cheering crowd. Dion provided a lively mix of her old standards and the latest songs from her new album "Taking Chances." Dion said she was traveling with her 81-year-old mother and her 8-year-old son. She made no reference to her husband and long-time manager. Fonner, who lives at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base with her husband and 12-year-old daughter, Ariel, was delighted with the performance. She bought tickets for the threesome long before the economy went sour, but she would have sprung for them no matter what, she said. "I've been playing my Celine Dion CDs for months now," she said, indicating her efforts to indoctrinate 12-year-old Ariel. According to promoters, most concert tickets go on sale a few months in advance, with five or six months being the max. Until Dion's concert, 14-month advance sales were unheard of. "I hope you don't mind," said Fonner, addressing the people sitting around her in the pricey floor seats surrounding Dion's stage. "I don't plan on sitting." And she did not.
January 24, 200916 yr Author ALEIGH (WTVD) -- A local family gets a very special surprise from Troubleshooter Diane Wilson. It's all about a child with cancer, some amazing parents and their inspiration to get thru these tough times. Five-year-old Ryan McClymonds has been battling cancer since he was 2. Through videos, his mom, Lisa, has been documenting his fight with neuroblastoma, a cancer that attacks his nervous system. ays, "I thank god everyday for him. I'm very grateful." Ryan's dad, Mitch, is grateful too. It's been years since that first horrible trip to the doctor to find out what was wrong. He adds, "They told us he had cancer, and they found tumor the size of a cantaloupe. Your hold world just comes tumbling down -- it just stops." Ryan's been through seven rounds of chemo, 20 rounds of radiation, 12 surgeries and a bone marrow transplant. The worst part for mom she says, "Watching him suffer. Not knowing if he was going to live." To help get her thru, Lisa turned time and again to music, particularly by Celine Dion and particualrly her song, "A New Day Has Come." Lisa adds, "Just the words. If you listened to the song. it described how I felt -- that someday he would be fine and a new day would come." That new day may be near. Ryan's about to have his 2-year scan to see if he's still cancer free. Lisa says, "We have scans in two weeks and here I am reliving it all over, worried." This is where Troubleshooter Diane Wilson comes in. Lisa didn't know she was the Troubleshooter. She thought she was just doing a health feature on Ryan. She didn't know her sister-in-law had e-mailed Troubleshooter Diane Wilson with a very special request. That request was for her to go to the Celine Dion concert. Troubleshooter Diane Wilson surprised Lisa with four tickets Celine Dion's concert in Raleigh. Lisa says to Troubleshooter Diane Wilson, "Thank you, thank you very much. I wanted to go so bad." And Wednesday evening, the night of the concert, the McClymonds were all smiles as they walked into the arena. Ryan, Lisa, Mitch and Connie, the sister-in-law, Connie who e-mailed Troubleshooter Diane Wilson were all ready for the concert. Lisa adds, "I'm so happy. I'm so excited. I can't even breathe. I'm so happy I can bring him out here to experience this." Connie McClymonds adds, "This meant so much to her and this whole thing is just a dream come true it's wonderful!" But there was another surprise for the McClymonds. Rright before Celine Dion took the stage she had a special meeting with the McClymonds. Lisa described it and says, "She comes in and she's like, 'Where's Ryan, Where's Ryan? She came in and gave him a water and said are you thirsty Ryan? I probably have her fingerprint on here." / It was a special moment between Celine and Ryan. Lisa says, "She held his hand and took a picture with him." As for Lisa, she says, "My heart just skipped a beat I was like oh my God it's really her." A great way to start a new day as Lisa adds, "I really appreciate this, I'm really grateful." And we're grateful to Celine Dion for helping us with the surprise. She was so nice to them. And it was a really fun Troubleshooter problem to solve. Ryan goes in for his cancer scan soon, and we're all keeping our fingers crossed. To learn more about Ryan's journey and Neuroblastoma visit Ryan's website at http://www.ryanstrain.us http://abclocal.go.com/wtvd/story?section=...&id=6621526 :wub: Bless her. Edited January 24, 200916 yr by SuuS
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