Celebrating material management week

 When one young performer remarked on stage, “What do we really know about the history of 20th century film?”, in the spirit of Mickey and Judy, 27 students in the 2012 senior drama school at Upper Canada Playhouse, exclaimed, “Hey, let’s put on a show!”

To the obvious delight of the audience gathered at the Playhouse on Saturday, July 14, the students, under the guidance of teacher Mary Ellen Viau, presented a wonderful show. With the overall theme of “silent, silly and sensational moments in film” the actors traced the history of movie-making from the silents to the blockbuster musicals of the later 20th century. 

“Nobody ever said becoming a movie star was easy,” teacher Viau said, opening the show. “Lots of talents and skills have to come together. With these students they did.”

Introduced by three strong narrators,  Sammy Peets, Michaela Cormier and Brett Weegar (who also demonstrated impressive technical skills by creating the musical CD for the entire show), the young actors mimed, danced, sang, played instruments and generally wowed their audience. 

In the first week of the popular Playhouse school, the students explored movement, mime, vocal work and stage presence and researched the history of film. 

“The kids also worked as directors for segments of the play,” Viau explained. 

The second week involved creating, writing and rehearsing the original show, incorporating the instrumental, vocal and dance skills of all of the students into the movie docudrama. 

On Friday, the class came to the Playhouse for a full rehearsal on stage. Jackie  McCormick,  stage manager at the Playhouse, lent her skills to working with the young students. She also stepped in to run the sound and lighting for the show.

“They all did a fantastic job,” McCormick said later.

In homage to Charlie Chaplin and Mary Pickford, the show included silent renditions of The Date, and The Proposal. (In the class’s humourous ‘silent film’,  a marriage-minded young man who insists on four children, learns it is always better to pay close attention to the young woman who  firmly says two. Otherwise, a man can find himself sitting alone reading a title card that says ‘What about no kids?’)

Lollipop wielding ‘Shirley Temples’ danced charmingly to the classic “On the Good Ship Lollipop,” ending with a ‘slurp’ that truly impressed.

Take Me Out to the Ball Game, featured baton twirlers, batters and a very dedicated peanut salesman.

I’m sure Gene Kelly would have been proud to see the wonderful spin the young singers (umbrellas up) and dancers (rain ponchos on) gave to his classic Singing in the Rain. The smiles of the performers lit up the stage.

Two exceptional moments in the show featured solos by Salena Harriman (“Over the Rainbow”) and Mackenzie Whyte (“Hopelessly Devoted’). The audience was very impressed with these young talents,  and with good cause.

Equally memorable (for different and hilarious reasons) was Joshua Casselman’s energetic  disco fever moment in a production number from Fame.

Coming full circle from silent movies to the blockbuster hit, Chicago,  which was set in the 1920’s, the sensational movie show ended with the high-stepping, high kicking showcase number, ‘All That Jazz,’ choreographed by Marcy, Ally, Tayler and Katherine themselves. Grant Wells stepped in to the role of the slick Chicago attorney played by Richard Gere like he was born to it.

The audience loved the entire production.

Later Playhouse artistic director Donnie Bowes handed out certificates of accomplishment to the performers. “These kids brought individual skills to the drama school, then found ways to combine those skills to make a wonderful show,” Bowes said.

“It matters to me that the students are proud of their work,” said Mary Ellen Viau. “The time and effort each one puts into this show, the process, is what really matters, more, in some ways, than the product. They did a great job.”

 The narrators had the last word on the senior drama show: “Now, that’s entertainment! That’s an A+!”

So it was.

[…]

What is the best solution when beaver dams begin to negatively impact the lives of those around them?

Looking back to the October 17th South Dundas Public Meeting, it was requested by local farmers that council give an update as to the status of Hosaic Creek’s beaver overpopulation and the resulting drainage issue for surrounding agricultural interests.

Coincidentally, at the October 18th council meeting, Don Lewis, Manager of Planning and Enforcement for South Dundas, came forward with an update on that very subject.

He reported: “I have gone in and removed quite a few dams.”

He went on to say that doing so “depleted our capital budget for that plan (and he) would like to put more in the budget for 2012, to stay on top of it.” 

Several council members inquired as to the existence of an alternative solution to the drainage issue, specifically the installation of a municipal drain.

Lewis reported that there are many issues with that solution, the most daunting being cost. He reminded council about the South Branch municipal drain, which was constructed in 1992-93 to a cost of about $7 million.

Deputy Mayor Jim Locke pointed out that it “takes a group of land owners to be serious about it.” 

Councillor Archie Mellan asked Lewis if there is “any funding options out there.”

Lewis responded saying that there were possibly some grants and that the South Branch project did, in fact, receive some grant money.

Lewis will be revisiting this issue, giving a more detailed report to council in the near future.

[…]

South Dundas emergency management officials along with those from  North Dundas, South Stormont, North Stormont and the United Counties will be carrying out annual emergency response training together with exercises today (Wednesday, September 21st).

While residents across the country are encouraged to be prepared for an eventual emergency, Ontario municipalities are required to conduct emergency preparedness training and exercises on an annual basis.

South Dundas along with the other three townships and the United Counties follow a five-year program of training and exercises.

The training focuses on functional responsibilities within emergency management organizations, and the exercises reinforce those responsibilities under scenarios based on the priority hazards of the area.

The Province of Ontario is encouraging all emergency response organizations to adopt a common emergency management philosophy called the Incident Management System (IMS) which would provide a standardized organizational structure, functions, processes, and terminology.

These four townships and the United Counties have been leaders in implementing IMS. This year’s training and exercise will continue to build their effectiveness in operating during a potential emergency under IMS.

The United Counties and its six townships have established a Mutual Assistance Agreement to support each other during an emergency.

Working together with training and exercises as is the case on September 21st, the five emergency management organizations will be able to foster the sense of cooperation that will be needed in an emergency incident.

The exercise is funded under the Federal Government’s Joint Emergency Preparedness Program. In Ontario, this program is administered by Emergency Measures Ontario.

This annual training and exercise is just one aspect of the work carried out each year by the five Emergency Management Program Committees.

Following a five-year training and exercise program, the committees ensure that their emergency management program highlights potentially high emergency risks on a continuing basis.

Township committees have been in existence since 1998, when the townships were created through amalgamation. The United Counties followed them a few years later.

The Township of South Dundas is committed to being a disaster-resilient community.

[…]