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“I have everything I want. I’m a happy man with a happy family.”

Famous last words indeed, as Upper Canada  Playhouse welcomes its newest comedy, Wife Begins At Forty, to the stage. Speaker George Harper is convinced that his 17 year old, politely stable marriage, is rock solid.

Too bad that rock is eroding.

Blessed with a strong cast of humans (and one four-footed actor) the Arne Sultan, Earl Barrett and Ray Cooney farce, set in the 1980’s, takes an irreverent look at the ups and downs, the pitfalls and yes, the joys of marriage. Judging from audience reactions, there were many in the capacity crowd who related to the Harpers.

Linda Harper, played by Alison Lawrence, brings a nice level of frustration to her role. “Living with you is like living with a machine. George, you aren’t alive. You aren’t growing. We don’t do things together.”

The thought of her approaching birthday has left her examining her staid life, and finding it wanting. “I just feel if I don’t do something now, I’ll be 40!”

Unfortunately, and hilariously, her efforts to “share” her feelings with George only lead to more frustration. He just can’t find the time for passion, and all that bother, what with memos, and bills and employees and the “busy season for artificial flowers.”

He is, consequently,  thun-derstruck at the news that Linda wants “a change.” 

Brian Young is delightful as the blinkered George Harper. He has failed to notice that his cozy little world is crumbling. Everyone around him, including his father, Bernard, and his son, Leonard,  know and accept that Linda is moving on…without George.

Even George’s efforts to explain the separation rationally and calmly to son Leonard (a typical, semi cynical teen, well played by Kyle Orzech) fall flat.

“If you and mom aren’t getting along, you should split. Move on,” Leonard comments casually, more interested in TV and soccer than marital woes.

“You callous young swine!” is George’s frustrated reaction.

Ironically, George’s final downfall takes place at the surprize party his neighbours, the Dixons, have thrown to celebrate the Harper’s anniversary. George exceeds his customary limit of two drinks (“Why that won’t even put a smile on your face,” Roger Dixon tells him.), and ends the night holding forth from the top of a grand piano, sharing tales of fighting fish, flamenco dancers, botched honeymoons and a very private operation he’s just had, with most of the neighbourhood. 

His departure from the family home is abrupt.

Roger and Betty Dixon provide a kind of comic foil to the Harper’s marriage.

Roger, played by Richard Bauer (who doubled as director of the show) is a man about town,  and unrepentant about his views of marriage. He has lots of advice for a ‘single” George, most of which horrifies him.

“Betty and I have a terrific marriage.” – Roger.

“But you’re deceiving her!” – George.

“That’s what makes it terrific!” – Roger.

Of course, Betty (the exuberant Melanie Janzen) is far from the damsel in the dark that her husband imagines. She knows of Roger’s affair with a local bar maid, “Around the golf club she’s known as the British Open…Roger’s her handicap.”  

Betty loves philanderer Roger. She accepts him. And she knows that underneath the playboy facade, he adores her.

“Marriages are made in heaven,” she tells Linda with a certain world-weary air, but they must be “lived” in the real world.

Grandpa Bernard, portrayed  with lovable confusion by Walter Learning, usually in the company of family dog, Chopper, (acted with tail-wagging enthusiasm by Chopper Thom, local boy) lends his view of life and marriage to the laughter on stage. “We got married during an air raid,” he tells his son of his 39 years with his late wife. “Our entire marriage was a kind of air raid. Compared to my wife, Hitler was a pussy cat.” But Bernard loves his family unreservedly and they know it.

The dialogue  is sharp and quick. And the characters are well drawn in Wife Begins At Forty, which is a little unusual for  traditional farce. The Harpers and Dixons are very likeable (even bon vivant Roger).

And, although I cannot describe how the plot comes out, I have to say that in Act II, Alison Lawrence and Brian Young (a real life husband and wife) have a spectacular, hilarious scene that is truly a “tour de farce”! 

This is a witty play: it understands the ups and downs of marriage, and relishes them.

Wife Begins At Forty runs until August 26 at Upper Canada Playhouse. Contact 613-543-3713 for tickets.

[…]

 

Every one of the 1,000 duck tickets for the great 2012 Duck Race, held on Sunday morning, August 5, by the Morrisburg & District Lions Club, was sold out ahead of time. 

“We are so very pleased with the response of the community to the event,” said Lion Judy Charette, as she joined fellow Lions, volunteer helpers, dogs, handlers and the crowd at the Morrisburg beach, to enjoy the fun-filled ‘race.’ “This community has once again united to support us. The funds we raised with the Duck Race will all go back into Lions’ events and causes right here in South Dundas. All I can say, is get your tickets early next year.” 

Five very keen dogs, Gemma, Willow, Heidi, Cocoa and Dublin, did the ‘duck hunting’ honours, to the applause and encouragement of folks on the shore, plunging into the waves to haul out the numbered prize winning yellow birds. 

The strong wind and choppy waters Sunday morning obviously did not deter the dogs. However, the rubber ducks (on loan from the US) appeared at one point, after the prize retrievals, to be making a run for Cornwall. Organizers had to scramble to retrieve them all at the end.

The dogs were all volunteers for the Duck Race and appeared to be thoroughly enjoying the ‘retrievals.’ Gemma was handled by Jonah and Lucas Bennis, Heidi by John Gilmer, Cocoa by Juli Strader and Dublin by Mike Radoman.

Willow, wearing a lovely bikini, and handled by Priscilla Hubbard, pulled out the first prize duck. Ticket holders Linda and Jim Hollister, were actually on hand to see the race and were thrilled to accept the $500 cheque from the Lions. 

Susan Bird took home 2nd place in the Race and $200; Carol Thompson received $100 for third place; Cam Shaver received a $50 gift card from Canadian Tire in fourth; and Dawn Dumoulin claimed the final prize, a $50 gift card from Riley’s Valu-mart.  

[…]

 It was a nail biter ending to the 2012 Tubie race.

Held on Sunday, August 5, from the Morrisburg dock, the race for gold ultimately came down to two crafts, Gary Magee’s and Jon Domanko’s, both battling waves and a strong wind at the finish. 

At the Morrisburg beach, with both sets of paddlers pumping furiously, the winning decision was made in three seconds. 

Gary Magee’s team pulled up on the sand first, to be crowned the new Kings of the River in a time of 6:12, while Team Domanko took silver with a time of 6:15. 

Seizing bronze in a time of 6:44 was Jeff Barclay’s team while Curtis Fowler and the South Nation Conservation Authority came fourth (7:17) and the Waddell/Millard team took fifth (7:42).

A big upset in the race came earlier in the afternoon when the Katherine Lee team, the defending 2011 Tubie champions, got caught in the wind, during their qualifier, and turned turtle in the river. Team members, all wearing life jackets, were dumped into the St. Lawrence. No one was injured in any way, but the rowers and their craft had to be ferried to shore and were out of contention.

The crowd waiting for the final race outcome at the Morrisburg beach, felt they had certainly gotten their ‘money’s worth’ with the 2012 competition. 

“This was the best race ever,” said Wayne Domanko, who served as official timer for the races. “What an incredible finish.”

Gary Magee shared some thoughts with Morrisburg & District Lion, Mike Domanko, one of the prime organizers of the annual Tubie weekend.

“Jon Domanko and I worked together for years,” Magee said, “but we have different ideas about how to win the contest, so we split up and made it a rivalry between us. 

This year my team went with a new rudder design and we were able to steer despite strong winds. Even thought the Tubies is over 40 years old, there’s still room for creativity.”

Mike Domanko said that some special creative awards were  acknowledged this year. The Emergency Preparedness nod went to Jeff Barclay, whose Tube-in-a-Tube design kept his team in the race, when their outer tube blew. Magee received kudos for Innovation of the Year for his foot operated rudder controls.

The Magee Tubie  (Gary Magee, Irene Shaver, Adrienne Leroy, Jay Griffiths, Susie Wye and Dan Shaver) took home $400 in prize money, with the Domanko team winning $250 for second place. The Barclay team won $150 for third. The South Nation group received $50.

Taking part in all the Tubie fun, although they did not qualify for the final race, were crafts  skippered by Tommy Keyes and Canadian Tire. 

The weather for the 2012 Tubie weekend co-operated for the most part, although Sunday did start off a little threatening. Saturday was hot, but that did not deter the annual parade of Tubie floats. The  Friday night Teen Dance, a new addition to the weekend, proved to be a success as did the Tubie Dance on Saturday night. 

The theme of this year’s Tubies  was ‘Dock of Ages’, and there were some highly creative floats in the noon parade.

The Barclay/Laurin float, which celebrated the Muppets, was awarded first prize by float judges and a cheque for $400 on Saturday. Alice in Wonderland (Waddell/Millard) came second, and won $250. It’s Good Tubie Under the Dock, the Magee/Domanko float was third, tied with the Lions Mini Pops float, each winning $150.

 The Katherine Lee float, Dock of Ages, came 4th, the Red Neck Tubies 5th and Canadian Tire 6th. The last three each received $50.

[…]

 

“Are we almost there,” asked South Dundas deputy-mayor Jim Locke.

During the July 17th council meeting, South Dundas Fire and Emergency Services chief Chris McDonough requested that council award the tender of a new pumper/rescue truck to Eastway Emergency Vehicles.

The new truck, whose approximate delivery date is April 2013, will replace the Iroquois department’s 1985 GMC front-line truck.

The cost of the truck is $345,296.21. At budget time, council approved $300,000 from the 2012 capital budget for this item.

Following council’s approval of the request, mayor Steven Byvelds expressed concern that this might be “cramming too much equipment into one budget year.”

“We might regret it sometime down the road,” he said.

Council recently approved an unanticipated purchase of a 2004 Western Star 3,000 gallon ‘super’ tanker for the Williamsburg station at a cost of $117,666.19.

[…]

 

 “Today your games here in Iroquois replicate what is happening in London and around the world,” said MP Guy Lauzon, “You too have gathered for very special games. But when I look out at the crowd I am reminded of the saying that it takes a community to raise a child. In South Dundas you have one wonderful community. I declare these games open.”

Lauzon addressed hundreds of players, parents, officials and fans gathered for the 2012 South Dundas Soccer Association World Cup Tournament held in Iroquois on July 27-28.

This is the Soccer Association’s 17th season. Over 510 children took part in this year’s program, coming from Prescott and Ingleside as well as South Dundas. 

A highlight of the tournament was the Parade of Nations as each country, led by Canada, marched behind the Iroquois Legion Branch 370 colour guard  and piper Stewart Nimmo around the track to loud applause by spectators. 

Welcomed by next year’s president Steven Bygott, the large crowd joined Jennifer Howard to sing O Canada, and Rev. Geoff Howard for the blessing of the cauldron.

The Torch Run, carried out by selected SDSA players (in keeping with the Olympics in London) symbolized the passing of friendship and peace throughout the tournament games. 

Steven Bygott presided over special presentations held during the opening ceremonies. 

He honoured student volunteers Joshua Martineau, Alayanna Fetterly and Quinn Smail,  thanking them for their dedication and hard work, calling them the “future of our program.”

The Soccer Association also presented a large group of adult volunteers with special gifts, and deep thanks for the many years they have put in on behalf of the association. Honoured at the ceremony as they retire were Helen Tupper, Christine and Dave Hartle, Barry Barkely, Cindy Peters, Karen Merkley and Evonne Delegarde. “These people leave big shoes for this organization to fill,” Bygott said.

A touching high point to the ceremony was the recognition given to Christine and Dave Hartle for the many hours they have devoted to the soccer program. From now on, the field canteen will be officially known as the Hartle Canteen. 

Under perfect skies on Friday evening and all day Saturday, some excellent soccer was enjoyed by the entire community.

[…]

 

“This is the first expansion of our business park,” said South Dundas mayor Steven Byvelds following the passing of a by-law to authorize the sale.

Dwayne Sprague of Home Hardware in Morrisburg purchased two acres of land “sitting at the northwest area of VanAllen Road and what would be the Campbell Street extension,” said chief executive officer Stephen McDonald. The sale price was $15,000 per acre.

Sprague and wife Lloya took over the Morrisburg Home Hardware on July 18, 2011.

According to McDonald’s report, the property in question had originally been reserved for the Dog Park, but with the Dog Park finished and located on the Morrisburg Waterfront, the land was once again available.

“The availability of this property was discussed with the new owners of Home Hardware in late 2011,” reported McDonald. “The owners are now ready to complete the transaction with a covenant that they will proceed with development within three years.”

[…]

 

 The weather was perfect. The setting was idyllic. Both vendors and visitors  praised the 14th annual Antiquefest which took place July 28-29 at the Morrisburg waterfront.

Organized and sponsored by the Morrisburg & District Lions Club, the show attracted over 800 visitors on Saturday, and the same again on Sunday. Antique hunters and fans could admire jewelry, furniture, china, toys, silver, crystal and some highly unusual collectibles over the two days. The Lions also offered up a silent auction.

Lion Mae Pederson chaired Antiquefest this year. 

“It was a fantastic event,” she said. “We had over 1,600 visitors during the two days coming from Toronto, Montreal, Ottawa and as far away as Perth and Kingston. The weather was spectacular, and the water and trees make the venue really attractive.”

Pederson said that she has visited other antique shows, and “I know now why vendors love it here in Morrisburg. Our location is outstanding.” 

Some of the vendors were returnees from last year, but there were also some newcomers to the event.

Lucienne Dolle from Montreal was a new vendor. “I was lured here because I heard that this was a beautiful site, down at the waterfront. And there is a lot to see. Upper Canada Village is so near. And the Morrisburg Lions have been wonderful to work with. I fully support their charities.”

Planning for the 2012 Antiquefest began in January. Club members organized vendors,  manned the entrances, rented tents, ran the canteen and set up the silent auction. 

Any funds raised by the Antiquefest go to support “our charities and our community work,” said Lion Pederson. 

[…]

 

“Nicole certainly has some good ideas on how to revitalize this committee,” said South Dundas mayor Steven Byvelds, “She’s certainly not letting it drop off.”

South Dundas economic development officer Nicole Sullivan presented council with recommendations for reformatting the structure of the Economic Development Advisory Committee during the July 17th council meeting in Williamsburg.

Council agreed with Sullivan’s recommendation that they turn from an Economic Development Advisory Committee (EDAC) structure and move to an Economic Development Advisory and Project Teams (EDAPT) structure.

The switch will allow for one advisory team that oversees the various project teams. 

One of the benefits of EDAPT, said Sullivan, is that “it helps us to include participants who might not otherwise have wanted to commit time.” 

Project teams have defined parameters with specific goals. People who might not normally join an advisory team due to its broad scope and large time commitment, might now join a project team with a specific time frame and an agenda that interests them personally, thus bringing in new ideas and perspectives.

According to Sullivan, the South Dundas Economic Development Advisory Committee met on June 13th to discuss and formulate a forward action plan in relation to suggestions made in the South Dundas Economic Development Strategy Update, adopted by council on June 5th.

During the meeting, the committee identified four initiatives they feel are priorities for South Dundas.

The identified initiatives include:

• Develop a tourism strategy

• Develop and continually update marketing and investment attraction materials

• Develop a more tourist-friendly community

• Identify what brand works best, and fully engage the brand

The bottom two initiatives will be focussed on internally by Sullivan herself, while the top two initiatives will be divided and addressed by two separate project teams.

Currently, the Tourism Strategy Project Team consists of Donnie Bowes of Upper Canada Playhouse, Michael Burton of Russell Manor, Sally Francis of Iroquois Marina, Susan Le Clair of the St. Lawrence Parks Commission, Hanna Rycroft of the Basket Case Gallery and Café, Tom Morrow of the McIntosh Country Inn, Linda Wilson of Cornwall and the Counties Tourism, and South Dundas councillor Jim Graham.

The Investment Attraction Materials Project Team consists of John Allison of John Allison Real Estate, Stephen Law of Iroquois, Mark Miron of the Operating Engineers Training Institute of Ontario, Steve Walsh of Udder Comfort, and South Dundas councillor Evonne Delegarde.

The Advisory Team consists of EDAC chairperson Mart Prost, director of South Dundas Chamber of Commerce Michel Proulx, South Dundas mayor Steven Byvelds, and the chairs of each of the two project teams.

Sullivan is also a member of each of the three teams. 

Anyone interested in joining one of the teams should submit a statement of interest along with a detailed synopsis outlining their reasons for joining and their unique qualifications to nsullivan@southdundas.com.

[…]

 

Unfortunately for the South Dundas public works crew, the heat and humidity hasn’t affected the growth of roadside grass and weeds in South Dundas.

Hugh Garlough,  manager of public works for South Dundas, asked and was granted approval to hire an outside contractor to help battle the out-of-control weeds.

According to Garlough, “I have $12,000 in this year’s budget. I was hoping to be able to do most of it ourselves, but we’re getting behind.”

Happy with the work they did in 2011, the township hired Tibben Bus and Rentals Incorporated again this year at a cost of $77 per hour, the same price as 2011.

[…]

 

The partial reconstruction of Saving Street in the Township of South Dundas will soon get underway now that a company has been chosen for the job.

During the July 17 South Dundas council meeting, Hugh Garlough, manager of public works, was granted approval to hire Cornwall Gravel Company Limited at a cost of $307,305 plus HST. 

According to Garlough, the tender for this job was prepared by Eastern Engineering Group and sent out to nine local companies. In addition, the tender was advertised in local newspapers and on the township’s website. 

Of the four companies that responded with bids, Cornwall Gravel came in at the lowest price.

Eastern Engineering’s services were priced at $11,000 plus HST. 

The partial reconstruction of Saving Street will begin at County Road 31 heading west a total of three kilometers to Caughnawaga Road.

“This project is to pulverize and add four to six inches of 5/8 stone and then repave with two inches  to a width of 20 feet,” reported Garlough.

It was also reported that “the road crew is looking after culvert replacement.” Garlough has allotted $30,000 under a separate budget item to cover culvert replacement. He stated that “at this time, I see no reason to require the total amount for this budget item.”

According to Garlough, work on Saving Street is estimated to begin the week of July 30 and conclude the week of August 24.

[…]