News

 

The Lundeens are a dysfunctional family. No doubt about it.

Brother Michael, the ‘successful’ doctor, is repressed and desperate.

Brother Carl, the truck-driving ‘journalist,’ is resentful and sarcastic.

Sister Stacey flutters waif-like around the edges of the family, mostly overlooked.

Michael’s wife Jill teeters on the brink of hormonal hysteria.

Mom Helen appears to be losing all sense of reality.

And Dad? Well, he’s actually dead. Sort of. 

The appeal of Phil Olson’s A Nice Family Gathering, the last show of the Upper Canada Playhouse 2012 summer season, is this. In even the most dysfunctional of families, there remains a deep running thread of loyalty and love which simply can’t be broken. 

In the course of a Thanksgiving dinner, audiences will get to know the Lundeens, laugh with the Lundeens (often and very loudly) and yes, even shed a tear with them. 

A Nice Family Gathering is a great show.

Lovingly directed by Donnie Bowes, it features the “blue chip” cast Bowes said (in an earlier press conference) he needed to bring Olson’s play to the stage. 

Don Ciaschini is Jerry, the neighbour. It’s a smaller role, but Ciaschini brings real personality to it. He was Carl Sr.’s oldest friend: he remains Helen’s friend. And he is a kind of catalyst in the play, setting off unexpected events. As he observes,  ultimately fleeing from the ‘friendly’ dinner he thought he was attending, “Any family with more than three people is dysfunctional.” 

Richard Bauer creates a truly sympathetic character in his Carl Lundeen. Scruffy, resentful of what he believes is the family preference for brother Michael, the doctor, he clings to the hope of becoming a journalist. Unfortunately, his sole output, a weekly column, Observations, runs only in a tiny local paper. Stories focussed, for example, on the time he swerved to miss a gopher and spilled coffee in his crotch, have never gained him much respect at home.

But Bauer’s Carl is also very witty, very funny. He alone is able to see the ‘spirit’ of his late father, who has returned to the family on a mission. And he is the one, to his horror, Dad wants to use to “channel” those efforts. 

Jamie Williams, Dr. Michael, is one half of “the perfect couple.” He’s got a beautiful wife, a beautiful house, a beautiful car and he’s absolutely miserable. His wife, Jill, (Kate Gordon in a role that could have become a caricature, but is instead sympathetic and loving) is “just a little emotional.” She and Michael have been unsuccessfully trying to have children, and the effort has become a burden. And Michael’s finances have taken a bad turn.

Stacey, played with a certain wonderful ditziness by Liz Gilroy, is the too often overlooked child. 

“I don’t think Stacey will ever get married,” Helen proclaims. “She’s just not popular with boys.”

“Mom, I’m right here,” Stacey wails.

“Well, I didn’t think you’d mind my saying it. You like being alone, don’t you?”

However, it is Stacey, delivering two bombshells after dinner, who flings the Lundeen family into comic chaos.

The heart and soul (literally, in Dad’s case) of the Lundeen family are the parents.

Doug Tangney, even as a ghost, is charming, unexpected and incredibly funny. His running commentaries on events, his head to head duels with Carl, the absolute certainty with which he finally admits his family is “a Marx Brothers movie,” endear him to the audience. Yes, he made mistakes as a father, but he utterly adores the wife and the children he had to leave behind. 

That wife is played by Linda Goranson with both pathos and great humour. Her family fears that she is slipping away from reality: turkey dogs for Thanksgiving dinner, boiling water that she never remembers to add coffee to, and confusing comments like ‘Spam makes me laugh’ and ‘I love jumbo shrimp’ suggest there may some truth to their fears. 

They all adore her. So does the audience.

When she and Carl Sr, using son Carl as the intermediary, finally reveal the true, forever depth of their love, we cared. 

It was a wonderful moment.

And this is a wonderful piece of theatre. The play is hilarious, unexpected, touching and, above all, really entertaining. 

Plan to spend some time with the Lundeens at A Nice Family Gathering. You won’t regret it.

Call Upper Canada Playhouse at 1-613-543-3713 for tickets and information or contact www.uppercanadaplayhouse.com 

[…]

 

“We often choose a play that revolves around a family for our last show of the summer season,” said director Donnie Bowes. “I read the script for A Nice Family Gathering some time ago, loved it, and decided this would be the right year to perform it. I knew I was going to need a blue chip cast for this one.”

Director Bowes has assembled that blue chip cast for the final production of the regular theatre season at Upper Canada Playhouse. A Nice Family Gathering opens on September 6 and runs until September 30. His actors are in final rehearsals on the striking, split set designed by John Thompson, built and lighted by Sean Free. 

“I like to do something a little different as we go into fall,” Bowes explained at a recent press conference. “This play is more in the tradition of Over the River and Through the Woods, On Golden Pond and Having Hope At Home. It’s not a door slamming farce, but rather a play that revolves around a particular family, and their conflicts, when they come home to celebrate Thanksgiving. It is really full of laughter.”

The play, by Phil Olson, deals with the (understandable) chaos that erupts when often squabbling siblings get together for a “nice” holiday dinner, then discover that the late family patriarch has also chosen to ‘appear’ at the gathering, but only to one of his sons, and to no one else.

Doug Tangney, as ‘Dad,’ the ghost, says that his character, who hasn’t quite ‘moved on’, gets “caught up again in the family web. He still has some issues, and since he’s the man he was before, with all the same passions he had in life, a certain havoc follows him. I think of him as the match thrown into a box of fire works.”

The on stage ghost presents some interesting challenges for Tangney and for his fellow players. 

“I have to have movements that are not distracting,” Tangney said. “I am more of a feeling in the room than a physical presence.”

Richard Bauer, who plays son Carl, laughs that it can be “interesting to be talking to a real person, and then hearing and responding to a ghost at the same time. When you try to cover it up, everyone naturally thinks you’re mad. But that leads to a lot of comedy.”

“Early on in the game, we decided that our ghost had to be treated as a real person,” director Bowes said. “It was interesting and a lot of fun to insert him into the action yet the characters can’t see him.”

“You can’t see him, and you can’t anticipate him,” Jamie Williams added.

Williams, fresh from his run in On the Flight Path, plays Michael, the eldest Lundeen son. “He’s the favourite son,” Williams laughed, “because he became a doctor to fulfill his parents’ expectations, but his success has come at a certain cost.”

His wife, Jill, is not helping his  peace of mind. Kate Gordon jokes that her character is “the perfect, lovely wife who can do no wrong. Actually, she really, really wants a baby, and she gets highly emotional at times.”

As the youngest Lundeen sibling, Stacey, played by Liz Gilroy, is very much a loner. She has also come to the family gathering with at least two major bombshells to drop on her family.  “Stacey is smart, but really a little wierd,” Gilroy explained. “What’s more, although she can’t see him, she senses Dad a bit, can sometimes even almost hear him.  That adds to the confusion.”

Linda Goranson, (who commuted to rehearsals at UCP while still starring in Calendar Girls in Belleville), is Helen, the mom. “I just want my whole family to come together for the ideal (and what turns out to be largely mythical) Thanksgiving dinner. It’s fun, but challenging  for me to have Dad on stage as a ghost. You have to really concentrate not to see him or his activities.”

Rounding out the cast is Don Ciaschini, as Jerry. Jerry is not a member of the Lundeen family; he’s been invited to the gathering by Helen. “Now this definitely causes a few problems,” Ciaschini laughs. “The Lundeen boys certainly ‘misconstrue’ what I’m doing at their mother’s table.”

“This is a wonderful play,” said Donnie Bowes. “The humour is built into the reality of families and their issues. It’s a great show.”

Tickets for A Nice Family Gathering are available at Upper Canada Playhouse. Call 613-543-3713, or go on line at www.uppercanadaplayhouse.com. 

[…]

 

Seaway’s new vice principal, Ann Blackburn, is already impressed.

“Everyone has been very warm, very friendly,” she said. “Seaway has a very welcoming staff, dedicated and professional, but also very welcoming.”

While she has not yet had the opportunity to meet many Seaway students, she is definitely looking forward to it. “I plan to attend the grade seven orientation event, and hopefully, I may even get to meet some parents and members of the school council. So far, I have gained a great impression of this school.”

Ann Blackburn has assumed the role of vice principal in the administration of Seaway, but she will also be doing some classroom teaching. Her extensive educational background in the classroom, in administration and in board related assignments, gives her a unique perspective on all levels of education.

Blackburn, who grew up in Ottawa, is no stranger to the Upper Canada Board. When she began her career in education in 1989, her first jobs were with the old SD&G board. A graduate of Queen’s University with a B.A., and a B.Ed. from the University of Ottawa, she served a year in Cornwall, then was two years at Stampville School and five years at Dixon’s Corners. Her field was special education.

“When I first began, we used to have more self-contained special education classes than is common now,” Blackburn explained. “When I came to Seaway, I was delighted to find that Nicole Hummel, who was my first EA at Dixon’s, is now an Educational Assistant at Seaway. It was great to see a familiar, welcome face at my new school.”

Following her time at Dixon’s, Blackburn accepted a position at the board as a Special Education Resource teacher. Her job was to go to all schools, providing support in programming and assessment for teachers, as well as professional development.

“I worked with autistic, and learning difference students, anyone with special needs,” Blackburn explained. “Since this was my job for six years, I feel that I gained much practical training, and gained a wider perspective ahout how schools were coping and working with these students.”

She further increased her experience in special education when she returned to teaching, this time in a Section 23 school. 

Section 23 schools, which are operated in partnership with the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Social Services, are designed for students with strong behavioural needs. Their emotional issues, sometimes coupled with learning problems, make it impossible for these children to function in traditional classrooms. Again, Blackburn views the experience as broadening, an opportunity to learn about often challenging children. 

She spent time at Winchester Public School as an LRC (Learning Resource Coach), a consultant to other educators. This was followed by a position as vice principal at Morewood, twinned with Chesterville Public School. In 2010-11, Blackburn served as VP at South Grenville High School, and from January to June in 2012, became principal of all five Section 23 programs. 

“Now I’m at Seaway,” Blackburn said, laughing. “You could say I have been around, bouncing to many places. However, I enjoy the challenges, and not being stuck in an educational rut. Mixing it up, for me, really works.”

The mother of a 16-year-old daughter and a 19-year-old son  ensures, Blackburn said, that “you really stay current with the teenage world.”

While she will take some time to immerse herself in Seaway’s culture, Blackburn does have some projects in mind.

“My background in Special Education keeps me interested in programs in that field. I also have a deep interest in visual arts, and I hope we might get some new murals here at Seaway, art that is both a source of beauty and pride, but also serves an educational purpose. I must let Heather Lauder, the art teacher, know about that one,” she added, laughing.

Also interested in environmental issues, the new vice principal was impressed with the greenhouse at Seaway, and looks forward to the next school “Farm Day.”

“With my background, I truly believe all students need the opportunity to become successful. Success can assume many forms, but we need to create the ideal conditions for learning to occur,” said Seaway’s new vice principal, Ann Blackburn.

“We have to start by building a positive relationship with our students. When we know them well, we can better meet their needs. It is also critical to involve families and the community to build the future of our students.”

[…]

 

A dog attack Tuesday, August 28, around 11 a.m. in the Morrisburg waterfront park left a four-year-old Yorkshire Terrier dead, and his owner injured.

Shirley Gillmor, of Morrisburg, was walking her nine pound dog Bruiser along the walking path just past the Docksyde restaurant, when the attack occurred.

Her dog was leashed, the German Shepherd that attacked them was not.

Gillmor. whose hand was bitten during the attack, says, “The marks this has left on the inside, are much worse than the marks on my hands.”

Though grieving the loss of her canine companion, she was compelled to share her story with The Leader and the community to make people aware of what happened, in hopes that such a tragedy will never happen again. 

She is especially worried because this attack happened in such a busy place, where people often walk their dogs and where families regularly spend time with their children.

Last Tuesday morning, at about 11 a.m., Gillmor took Bruiser for a walk, as usual. As they walked past the Docksyde, Gillmor notice a dark blue van parked. An unleashed dog was outside the van. She describes that dog as a 20-30 pound poodle type dog, that did not appear to be any threat to her or her dog, although it was unleashed.

She was correct in her assumption, that dog posed no threat. But, what she couldn’t see was a large German Shepherd inside the van, parked with its sliding door wide open. The dog owner was sitting in the van.

When Gillmor and Bruiser got within about 20 feet of the van the Shepherd leapt out of the van growling. 

“He headed directly for my dog,” said Gillmor. “It all happened so fast, I had no time to pick my dog up.”

“My dog is leashed all the time. I was trying to hold my dog in my right hand while I put my left hand out to try and stop the dog, but in one or two seconds the Shepherd was there.”

“I was screaming at the (dog’s) owner to get his dog,” said Gillmor. “He yelled, but he didn’t make any move as I was struggling.”

In all the commotion Gillmor’s dog slipped out of his collar. That’s when the attacking Shepherd sank his teeth into the small dog and shook him. “My dog is screeching in pain and I get bit, that’s when the owner finally gets his dog,” she recounts.

“My dog is screaming in pain, my hands are dripping with blood and the dog owner gets his two dogs back in the van and starts driving away,” says Gillmor. “I yelled at him to help me and he cursed at me.”

Luckily, a quick-thinking eye-witness got the van’s plate number and another helped Gillmor by taking her and her badly injured dog to the Morrisburg Animal Hospital.

“They were wonderful at the vet’s,” said Gillmor. “They dropped everything to work on my Yorkie.”

However, though the dog was still alive, the dog’s internal injuries were so severe that Gillmor says, “I had to make the terrible decision to have him put down.”

Gillmor reported the attack to police, and following their investigation, the owner of the Shepherd, 57-year-old George Parent of Ottawa has been charged with dog owner failing to prevent it from biting or attacking a person or domestic animal. OPP media relations officer Pete Robertson reported Tuesday that the charge has been laid and that a court date has been set.

[…]

 

A farmer’s brush fire set Saturday, along Ridge Road at Dundela, got so out of control South Dundas Fire and Emergency Services had to call in help from above to extinguish the blaze.

The fire to dispose of brush left over from land clearing lit Monday morning was out of control by 1-2 p.m. Monday, when firefighters were called in to try and extinguish the blaze which was starting to spread.

Iroquois, Williamsburg and Morrisburg firefighters were all on scene fighting the blaze from the ground.

“We had 1,600 feet of hose on the ground and we couldn’t get it under control said Chris McDonough, fire chief of South Dundas Fire and Emergency Services, who also reported that it was difficult to access the fire.

“The situation got really dangerous,” said McDonough. “Four guys were caught in a vortex, where there was fire all around them,” he said, of the very dangerous situation, that they managed to escape. 

However at that point, McDonough knew that drastic measures were needed to avoid injuries to the firefighters and to keep the fire from spreading.

“We had depleted all our resources,” he said, “We only had one truck left in Morrisburg, in case of some other emergency.”

So, about three to four hours after they were called to the scene, McDonough called in the Ministry of Natural Resources with their water tanker and spotter airplanes to extinguish the blaze that was starting to spread into an adjacent tree line towards the east.

The water tanker from North Bay was able to extinguish the fire in about four passes dropping a fire suppressant foam. 

“We were really fortunate to get the tanker,” he said. “Their turn around time between loads was 7-8 minutes. They did a really good job.”

One firefighter was treated by EMS for heat exhaustion and breathing issues.

The landowner, Alfred Ettlin, did have a burn permit, however the brush was piled in very large wind rows rather than piles. McDonough says these huge wind rows are the main source of the problem. 

“He had six rows (of brush) about 15 feet high and 500 feet long, spaced about 50-75 feet apart, so what was happening was the first wind row would start the next one, making it a very intense fire,” explained McDonough.

According to McDonough the farmer who owns the property will be responsible for paying for the cost of fighting the fire including the services of the fire bomber. 

The MNR rate for the services of the water tanker is $3,657.49 per hour. The required spotter plane costs $1,244.77 per hour and each load of foam dropped by the plane is $135.

[…]

 

South Dundas has re-instated the burn ban.

“It’s just not safe to burn,” said Chris McDonough, fire chief with South Dundas Fire and Emergency Services. “It’s still very dry.”

This ban comes on the heels of recent burning activities that have called on South Dundas’ fire services to extinguish fires lit by area farmers.

The burn ban means that no open air burning is permitted in the municipality and that no more burning permits will be issued until the ban is once again lifted.

[…]

 

 Irena residents were on edge last week when a neighbouring farmer chose breezy days to burn brush piles left over from a recent land-clearing project.

Smoke and ashes from the piles located directly on the north side of the Irena Road were falling onto the homes located on the south side of Irena Road.

The land was cleared by Dentz, who did obtain a burn permit to dispose of the left over brush. 

However, according Chris McDonough, fire chief South Dundas Fire and Emergency Service, although Calvin Dentz did obtain a permit from the municipality, he failed to comply with the rules laid out in the bylaw governing this type of burning.

“The brush was piled in wind rows, rather than piles, and was too close to the road and too close to property lines,” said McDonough, who warned the landowner to stop burning on August 27.

“We gave him a warning and then we had to come back (August 28) for six hours to put out the fires,” said McDonough. 

The firefighters from the Iroquois Fire Station attended the scene.

Area homeowners couldn’t believe the landowner didn’t heed the initial warning, as it was obvious to them watching from their front yards and front windows, that the situation could have easily gotten out of control.

“We had to close up all our windows in this heat,” said one of the area residents. “Our houses were filling up with smoke so bad it was hurting our eyes and it was hard to breathe.” 

All were worried for their safety and the safety of their homes. “They’re showing no regard for us or our homes,” said another resident.

Because the South Dundas firefighters had to attend the scene after the warning, McDonough says that the landowner will be invoiced for the cost, which McDonough estimates at about $5,000.

[…]

 

Now starting its 88th season, Canadian Club has 23 corporate sponsors for the upcoming year.

The Club meets at the Canadian Legion in Morrisburg six times per year, each meeting catered  (wonderfully I might add) by the Legion ladies. We are happy, as the Canadian Club, to support this wonderful organization, and we are extremely happy with the venue. 

Canadian Club encompasses about 25 villages and hamlets, and reaches into four counties. It’s a very inexpensive way to communicate with people from a fairly large area.

Our meetings for the 2012-13 season will be held on the third Wednesdays of  September, October, November, March, April and May.  Everyone is invited to attend any meeting with a $20 ticket. We do ask that you reserve at least a week in advance of the meeting you plan to attend. You are welcome to attend the social time at 6:15. Dinner follows at 7 p.m.

We have an exceptional line-up  of speakers scheduled.

On September 19, Sergeant J. J. Marc Godue, Acting Officer in Charge of the Musical Ride Branch, will be the first speaker. His topic is the Royal Canadian Mounted Police Musical Ride and the Ride’s contribution to Canadian unity and to promoting Canada.

He will be followed October 17 by Robert Fowler, a Permanent Representative of Canada to the United Nations. Fowler was kidnapped in 2008 in Niger by an al-Queda affiliate and held for nearly five months. An Order of Canada recipient, Fowler will discuss his ordeal, and comment on Canada’s role at the United Nations.

On November 21, following Remembrance Day, Vice Admiral (retd.) Ron Buck, CMM, CD, will be the guest speaker. His topic will concern Canada’s navy, its origins, its achievements and its importance in going forward. He is a former Commander of the Navy and Vice Chief of Defence.

Major John Grodzinski (not as yet confirmed) is scheduled for March 20, 2013. He is a member of the Board of Directors for the St. Lawrence War of 1812 Bicentennial Alliance, and a professor of history at the Royal Military College in Kingston. He will focus on the War, events specific to our region, and provide insight on how this war made us who we are today.

The guest speaker for April 17 is Jim Brownell, a well-known person throughout Eastern Ontario, who served two terms as MPP in Queen’s Park for this region. Brownell, a former long-time teacher, and a volunteer with a host of community organizations, will discuss the Lost Villages Historical Society. He will focus on the Society’s role in history preservation and interpretation over the past 35 years.

The final speaker of the 2012-2013 Canadian Club season will be Wayne Domanko, M.D., a partner in the St. Lawrence Clinic since 1969. Over the years Dr. Domanko has been a main presenter and speaker at numerous seminars. He is a lecturer at the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Ottawa, and has conducted significant research. He has served on several committees at Winchester & District Memorial Hospital. And, of course, he has been “doctor” for many in the community.

At Canadian Club, we hope that if you are currently a member, you will rejoin the Club. If not, we hope you will consider becoming a member or a visitor. Our average attendance at meetings is just over 100, and we always welcome new faces. 

For the past few years (with our gratitude) piper Marc Calder has piped in the head table to begin each evening. Current president of the Canadian Club, Dave Black of Morrisburg, presides over meetings whenever possible.

Each month we draw for a 3X6 foot Canadian flag donated to the Club by MP Guy Lauzon. We close each meeting with ‘O Canada’ accompanied by Eleanor Allison. 

We offer our thanks to the volunteers who care for the sound system and table settings for every meeting.

We look forward to seeing you at Canadian Club this fall. 

For tickets to the 2012-13 season of Canadian Club, contact Doug at 613-543-2922 or Clara at 613-774-2407. 

[…]

 

 The Morrisburg & District Lions Club CIC are partnering with the Play It Forward committee for a Fun Run taking place on September 9.

“This will be our second annual South Dundas Fun Run,” said Mike Domanko. “It is a great opportunity for people to get out, get active and raise money for another great community project.”

On Race Day, Sunday, September 9, the 5 km walk/run starts at 9:30 a.m., while the 2 km walk/run begins at 9:40 a.m. On site registration will be accepted. Adults are $25, youth $20 and a family $75. People can register on line at www.runningroom.com.

Organizers promise that there are some new and exciting changes for the 2012 event.

There will be a free technical race shirt guaranteed to those who registered by noon, Friday, August 31. There is a new digital race clock to track finish times. And the two and five kilometre courses are newly laid out, starting from the playground.

“Funds raised from the Run will be directed to the playground and the splash pad, both integral parts of the overall project plan,” Domanko explained.  

[…]

 

These actors are in final rehearsals at the Iroquois Legion for their exciting performances for the Iroquois Festival, “A Call to Arms…Dundas Militia…War of 1812,” taking place on September 15. The talented local actors will be presenting two comic short skits based on incidents in South Dundas’ rich history. The first is called The Marriage Proposal, the second, The Coach Ride, and they are guaranteed to leave audiences laughing. Left to right, Reina DeJong, Connery Brown, Jared Gibson, Jennifer Howard and George Menges (who couldn’t be present for the photo) will bring to life such fascinating and funny characters as the very British Lady Backwash, farmer William Loucks, Mary MacDonald, mail order bride, a native Canadian and Johnson, the Cockney man servant. Wendy Gibb is directing them. Don’t miss their performances on September 15. And don’t miss this wonderful community festival in the Iroquois plaza. 

[…]