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Vol. 3, No. 4 Wednesday, July 22, 2009AWARD WINNING JOURNALISM FROM GRAND BEND

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THE HOUSE OF THE HOUSE OF (TOM) LOVE(TOM) LOVEWhy did this 23-year old man want to return a Why did this 23-year old man want to return a century home to its former glory? Find out on p. 2.century home to its former glory? Find out on p. 2.

INSIDE: SKIP IZON AND TOM MOORE INSIDE: SKIP IZON AND TOM MOORE RESTORE A 100-YEAR-OLD AMBULANCE, RESTORE A 100-YEAR-OLD AMBULANCE, A CARVER BRINGS A PIRATE TO LIFE, A CARVER BRINGS A PIRATE TO LIFE, AND PLENTY OF PHOTOS...AND PLENTY OF PHOTOS...

COVER PHOTO BY CASEY LESSARDCOVER PHOTO BY CASEY LESSARD

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Inside the House of (Tom) LoveHard worker makes cozy nest for himself and cat by restoring century home across the street from his parents

Now 23 years old, Tom Love got the idea three years ago to buy the home and acreage across from his parents after it came up for sale. After a year of hard work, with help from his parents and grandparents, he’s living a comfortable life with his cat Tye in the century home at the intersection of Highway 81 and Crediton Line.

“There’s no house around here like this one,” says Tom’s dad John Love. “We knew Ila, who lived here before, and she had Alzheimer’s, so her son was taking care of the place,” Tom’s dad John Love says. “We said to him that if he ever wanted to sell it, we’d be interested. In 2006, he came along and said he was ready to sell.

“It was a lot of work,” John adds. “We pretty much ripped it down to the 2x4 studs and started over. We put spray-foam insula-tion in the outside walls and went from there.”

The restoration took a year and a lot of savings. “I’ve been pretty good with my money,” notes Tom, who has been working since he was six. “I was nine years old when I bought my f irst lawnmower. I sold pumpkins, cut grass, washed windows at the drive-in, worked at POG, Sobey’s and Best’s. Now, my dad and I do grass-cutting, leaf cleanup, painting. If I saved up enough, I could buy good things to make more money.”

With a little bit of help from mom and dad, and a mortgage, the result is a spectacularly restored turn-of-the-century beauty.

As told to Casey LessardPhotos by Casey Lessard

This was once a village named Harpley. There used to be a post office on the northeast corner that was owned by my great-great-grandpa. There was a hotel across from the post office, and a shingle mill on this farm originally. David Hollenback started building the house in 1877, and when the supply of cedar shakes ran out, that’s when he decided to move. James B. Hodgins bought it in 1877, and it was in his family (Hodgins had three granddaughters, Nola, Beulah and the youngest Ila, who last owned the house) until I bought it.

The house came up for sale in April 2006. It was a pretty good deal because we didn’t have to go through the real estate broker. It’s a good place to live and it’s right across from my parents’. I wanted it to be a nice place, a place that was good to live in.

The house needed a lot of work. It needed all new electrical and insulation, and we had to put a new furnace in. The whole house had electric baseboard heating, so we tore that all out and have a gas furnace outside that also has air conditioning in it.

We finished the floors and put new drywall in and painted it. We tore out the laundry room beside the kitchen. It was rough; the floor had tile on it and we needed an electric clean-er to get the glue off.

Tom and Tye

It’s a cat’s life for Tye, who has the run of Tom Love’s restored century home. The bedroom was added on about 30 years ago; the brick wall is the original exterior. Tom Love’s tastes run to the beautifully spartan and antique, as evidenced by the wall clock made by his grandfather Jim Love, and the quilt made by his grandmother Marg, both of which recall a simpler time.

Strip VIPshttp://www.GrandBendStrip.com Wednesday, July 22, 2009 • 3

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We had to refinish the staircase spindles in place because if we took them apart, we figured we might not be able to get them back together again. My mom did it. There was a lot of wax on them and it was difficult for her to get it off. They are a mix of walnut and pine. I think the pine spindles were put in because the people who lived here wanted to stop the kids from getting stuck between them.

I figured since it was an old house, we should go with the antique theme. The trim we got made in Exeter to make it look like antique trim. We got an antique stained-glass win-

dow from an old hotel in St. Joseph, and made a matching one at Sunrise Windows in London.

I have one grandfather clock in the living room that my grandpa made when I first moved in, and I have a wall clock for my bedroom that he made 10 years ago.

The Hodgins family came to my open house last year, and they were very interested to see the place. We planted three trees to remember the girls who lived here: Ila, Nola, and Beulah.

It’s nice, and it’s convenient because my mother can do my

laundry.John: Notice he doesn’t have a laundry room?It’s nice and relaxing. No one bugs me when I’m trying to

watch TV. Eventually I hope to get a plasma TV to put on the wall, and I hope to build a new deck. The current one’s in rough shape.

In my spare time, I enjoy cutting the grass, and going out-side at night in the summer time. But I don’t have a lot of spare time.

Nobody else has anything like it. Everything’s new these days. Figured I’d have something different.

Elements of design as described in the text: left, the dining room, above,

the staircase spindles, below, the grandfather clock, and right, the

stained-glass fleur-de-lis window.

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Skip Izon helps rescue 100-year-old ambulanceStory and photos by Casey LessardEarly photo courtesy Tom Moore

Master boat-builder Skip Izon has been working on a non-aquatic project for the last little while: restoring what ’s believed to be the oldest horse-drawn ambulance in Canada. The ambulance, built in Petrolia in 1908, spent the last 25 years at the Lambton Heritage Museum after it spent ten years at a private museum.

“It was originally built by JR Fennell of Petrolia Wagon Works, who signed the work February 4, 1908,” says Tom Moore, a Lambton County paramedic raising funds to restore the wooden vehicle. “It was kept in Petrolia and used at the town hall, which was also the fire hall. It was used up to about 1919. What’s special about this one is it’s the last horse-drawn ambulance in Ontario, and probably the oldest in Canada.”

While it is relatively well preserved, the

two side-boards and some other parts were damaged because the vehicle was kept outside under a lean-to for the 10 years before LHM curator Bob Tremain acquired it.

“It was exposed to the elements so the origi-nal basswood was cupped and split on the back and one side worse than the other,” Moore says. “We went and got the exact kind of wood and Skip milled it all down to the 3/8” that it was. He’s put it on in the exact way it was, using the same screw pattern and techniques

with a few more modern materials.”For Izon, it’s a relatively simple, yet delicate,

operation. “Compared to what I do on the boats, this

is pretty straight ahead. For me the challenge is to do it exactly the same as they did it.

“There’s a connection (to the original builder),” Izon adds. “I’m using most of the same tools they use. Hand tools, chisels and hammers. They used metal screws with wooden plugs, and mine are the same.”

Canada’s oldest surviving horse-drawn ambulance was made and used in Petrolia. Courtesy Tom Moore. Grand Bend’s Skip Izon is restoring the ambulance in his shop.

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Strip VIPshttp://www.GrandBendStrip.com Wednesday, July 22, 2009 • 5

Not much has changedBoth men, Moore a paramedic and Izon a

firefighter, see similarities between how emer-gency vehicles were used then and now.

“I’ve been a firefighter for 18 years,” Izon says “and Tom’s been a paramedic for 25 years. I will often go in the back of the ambulance to perform CPR, so this looks very familiar to both of us.”

“It’s kind of the same configuration as we have today,” Moore notes. “We have room for the bed, a medicine cabinet, a seat for the attendant, who likely would have been the doctor in 1908 in Petrolia.”

When it comes to history, the ambulance has a great deal of significance for paramedics and firefighters across Canada.

“It’s an important part of our heritage. A lot of firefighting apparatuses have survived, but not a lot of ambulances. There’s not a lot of heritage pieces for paramedics across Canada, so I think once word gets out that this has been restored, there will be quite a bit of interest.

“For the public, we can say there’s been an ambulance service here in Lambton County for over 100 years.”

And for Moore, it’s a special piece because unlike other ambulances, this one served only in its designed role.

“This ambulance was built and only used ever as an ambulance,” Moore says. “A lot of ambulances were also used as hearses and some for delivering milk on the weekends. This was only ever used as an ambulance. The oil and petroleum industry around Petrolia was very dangerous at the time, so a lot of people were getting hurt, and badly. I believe the town of Petrolia commissioned this to get the people from the oil fields who were hurt and bring them back to town.

“We actually know the last patient” who rode in the ambulance, Moore notes. “The guy who restored the bell told us it was his mother’s first husband, who was transported to Petrolia hospital in 1919 after being elec-trocuted. He died at quite a young age and his name was Howlett.”

Once Izon’s work restoring the siding is done, the foot-operated bell will be returned to its place, as will the lettering and logo on the side.

“I’ll paint it black again,” Izon says, “and we’ll find an artist to paint the red and gold cross like it was. It’s going to be quite strik-ing.”

Moore has raised $10,000 through corpo-rate sponsorship, personal donations, and the Association of Municipal Emergency Medical Services of Ontario. A memorial fund for Paul Patterson, a Kerwood-born paramed-ic who died in the line of duty two years ago, also contributed $2,100 to the project;

Moore says the restoration will be dedicated in Patterson’s memory in September.

Moore would like to see the project finished by early that month so the ambulance can take part in the Petrolia Fair parade. There’s one catch. “We’ve yet to find a skilled horse-man to pull it,” he says, noting Izon hasn’t volunteered.

“It’s almost a kind of time machine,” Izon says. “It goes from this time back to 1908. It’s a common bond between those two times. We haven’t changed much in what we’re doing or who we are.”

For more information, or to donate, visit http://www.horsedrawnambulance.com

Paramedic Tom Moore sits where he would have sat as the attendant in the 1908 ambulance;

not much has changed from the era - it’s the same place he sits in modern ambulances.

Moore is the main fundraiser to restore the Petrolia-built and -used ambulance,

which has been at the Lambton Heritage Museum for 25 years .

Skip Izon’s screw plugs

are almost identical to

the originals.

Casey Lessard’s photography project, www.Casey365.comJuly 4-26 at Bliss Studio in Port Franks365

CASEY.COM

6 • Wednesday, July 22, 2009 http://www.GrandBendStrip.com

More stories, more photos, and a PDF archive of back issues. Online at http://www.GrandBendStrip.com

http://www.GrandBendStrip.com Wednesday, July 22, 2009 • 7Strip VIPs

Story and photos by Casey Lessard

When Deb and Jim McCann bought a lakefront cottage last year, it came complete with a dead tree. Of course, they thought what anyone would: make a pirate.

“It’s an elm tree that was hit by lightning about four years ago,” Deb says. “The bark flew off it one winter and we got it cut down last fall. We left the stump, and Jim thought a pirate would look good looking out to sea.”

They asked around if anyone knew a carv-er, and the Wilhelms of Exeter suggested Paul Frenette, who had carved one of their trees. Frenette, of Kitchener, has been carving for five years.

“I carve all kinds of stuff, but my favourite to do is stump carving,” Frenette says. “Bring a tree back to life and give it a second life. I’ll do pretty much anything they ask, but if it’s up to me I do something mythical, like spirit faces, dragons, or gargoyles.”

For this project, he took his inspiration from the Wexford shipwreck off the Lake Huron coast, and from popular culture.

“I like pirates, so the Pirates of the Caribbean movie was the ultimate resource. I did a clay model of what I wanted to do, and

I do that for complex jobs. Otherwise I carve what feels good.”

Neighbour Daphne Johnston is impressed.“It’s terrific. I think it’s a very creative way

to use a dead tree stump rather than cutting it up. It’s neat to have pirates guarding our little section of Elmwood.”

The pirate took several visits to complete, and is all freehand carving using a variety of tools.

“It’s about 99 per cent chainsaw, so I have five chainsaws of different sizes, and when I

get to the details, I use chisels for eye balls and fine details I can’t get into with the chainsaw.”

With proper care, the carving can last a long time.

“I’ ll use a wood hardener because it ’s already been dead for four years. I’ll treat it and finish it. This should last 15 to 20 years if they take care of it. Ideally you would cut it off at the bottom, seal it and reattach it. Then it would last forever because water’s not get-ting into from the bottom.”

Frenette’s clients include homeowners like the McCanns and several Kitchener area golf courses. For more information, visit http://www.rantandrave.ca or call 519-744-9544.

“It’s about 99% chainsaw.”- Carver Paul Frenette

Shiver me timbers! Carver turns tree into pirate

8 • Wednesday, July 22, 2009 http://www.GrandBendStrip.comStrip Feature

Five days of good, clean funPhotos by Casey Lessard

Grace Bible Chapel’s annual Five Fun Days brought 144 area kids from all denominations together for a mix of faith and fun.Friday, the kids got soaked thanks to the North Middlesex fi re department.

Above: Scott Payne gets a little bit of his own medicine from fellow fi refi ghter Greg Elliot’s fi re hose.Left: McKenna Robinson of Ailsa Craig and Megan Barlow of Parkhill duke it out with wet “Over-and-Under” sponges.

Strip Featurehttp://www.GrandBendStrip.com Wednesday, July 22, 2009 • 9

You’re all wet

Above: McKenna Robinson of Ailsa Craig overturns Brad Masschelein’s tub.Left: Firefighter Greg Elliot seriously soaks Johnny Hochachka of Parkhill.Below: Mark Godts of Parkhill takes aim at knocking down the cups.

Strip Thoughts10 • Wednesday, July 22, 2009 http://www.GrandBendStrip.com

The danger of derivatives

View fromthe StripBy Casey Lessard

Grand Bend StripP.O. Box 218

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Phone: (519) 614-3614Fax: 1 (866) 753-2781

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Publisher/Editor: Casey LessardAdvertising Sales: Casey LessardChief Photographer: Casey Lessard

Distribution: Joan McCullough, Rita Lessard and Casey Lessard Contributors:Rita Lessard - my mom Tom Lessard - my dadAnjhela Michielsen - social justiceJenipher Appleton - nature/birdingLance Crossley - national affairsJames Eddington - fine diningLorette Mawson - interior designYvonne Passmore - pet training

Advertising is accepted on condition that, in the event of an error, the portion of the ad occupied by the error will not be charged for, but the balance will be paid at the usual rate.

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The Grand Bend Strip reserves the right to reject or edit any advertisement likely to offend community standards and/or the law.

All material herein, including advertis-ing design, is copyrighted and may not be reproduced in any form.

Grand Bend Strip is printed every other Wednesday in the summer and monthly in the winter. For this edition, 1000 were printed with more than 600 sent directly to subscribers in the Grand Bend area, and across North America.

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In House Ad Campaign

I am delighted to see that – so soon after the beach enhancement project – Lambton Shores has received $2.6 million in economic stimulus funding to rework Grand Bend’s Main Street. The work will involve burying above ground hydro wires, and replacing curbs. Work begins in September and ends next May.

As you may be able to guess, most interesting to me was the note that the sidewalks will be replaced to improve access to stores for people using wheelchairs. Lambton Shores has been actively pursuing this for a long time, but – as reported in this paper last summer – the main street has a long way to go before it is wheelchair accessible. There are large steps into entryways, bumps in the sidewalk, and the curbs are often impossible to navigate.

This project is a long time coming, and hopefully it will be done right the first time. I expect some stores will remain inaccessible, but hopefully they are the minority. The next step is to fix the insides of the stores, where access is limited by inside steps, and by clothing racks and other impediments to access. The municipality can’t do much about those; hopefully the storeowners read our survey last year to see where they need to help.

By the way, to be reminded of the results, visit GrandBendStrip.com - there is a link at the top for our 2008 Wheelchair Report.

First step to Main Street fi x Alternative

ViewBy Lance Crossley

(Part two of a four-part series examining the monetary sys-tem.)

Another danger of having a money system controlled by private banking interests is something relatively new in our history: the financialization of the economy.

Before the 1970s, capital was mostly used for economically fruitful purposes, such as production. Banks still had undue influence on society because of their license to create money and charge you interest for that right, but at least the money was loaned for more or less productive purposes.

Since then, things have reversed. Most money today is directed to what economists call the “derivatives market”. Whereas traditional investing has revolved around advancing money for economically productive endeavours, the derivatives market is about betting on whether an economic endeavour will go up or down. Speculators can bet on anything from stocks, bonds, even currencies. Derivatives can also be bought and sold as a form of insurance to “hedge” one’s risky bets.

In other words, most money is flowing toward a global casi-no that doesn’t care if the economy succeeds or fails. In fact, a privileged few can profit greatly when it fails.

Whereas finance used to support industry and the real economy; it is now there to cannibalize it. As Ellen Brown, author of Web of Debt, explains: “Derivatives are basically just bets, which vacuum up value without producing anything.”

According to Sprott Asset Management, a respected Toronto-based brokerage firm, the total nominal value of the global derivatives market is a mind-boggling $743 trillion. As

Eric Sprott, the company’s CEO points out, that is equivalent “to more than 11 years of everything the world produces. It is far and away the largest asset market the world has ever known.”

To make matters worse, the derivatives market places bets with a high proportion of borrowed money from banks (i.e. bank created money).

Borrowing money for derivatives can be hugely profitable when riding a market bubble, but devastating when the legal-ized pyramid scheme comes tumbling down. It is worth not-ing that the massive Wall Street bailouts were largely devised to cover irresponsible bets made in the derivatives market.

Noam Chomsky, the great American intellectual, recently said to me in an email: “The financializaton of the economy in the 1970s was a major event, in my judgment…more important in world affairs than the collapse of the USSR.”

If this is true, then we are truly in the midst of historic times. As of now, the Obama administration has gone to great lengths to preserve the financial economy. His economic “reforms” announced in June were basically written by the banking industry and only served to illustrate that big banks have no interest in changing their financial games. Why would they? As it stands now, they profit greatly in “good times” and have the taxpayer to cover their losses in bad times.

There is zero risk if you are a big bank these days. The same is unfortunately not true for the majority of people who reside in the real economy.

Email Lance at lance (at) grandbendstrip.com

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Good sports in Crediton

Great news for Crediton, where federal and provincial funds will be matched by South Huron for a total of $900,000 to make a sports complex and community centre. The money will join Ontario Trillium Foundation funding and community fundraising to build the project. The project should be done within the next two years.

Left: members of the Seaforth Poles & Holes baseball team pose with a cheque from Molson Canadian Rocks, which gave $1,000 to the project. Poles & Holes won a weekend baseball tournament organized by Krista McCann to raise funds. McCann expects it will raise the last $10,000 needed from the community portion of the funds.

Hands up for Jesus

Hundreds of kids attended Vacation Bible School at Zurich

Mennonite Church, including Kerstan Cooper, 12, of Zurich.

Strip Thoughtshttp://www.GrandBendStrip.com Wednesday, July 22, 2009 • 11

Advicefrom MomBy Rita Lessard

I think it was 1969 that word came down from the top that the battalion was going to fly to Jamaica for a month of jungle training. This was during the month of March, as I recall.

After all the paperwork was done, we held QM parades to issue jungle gear, suntan lotion, and anything else the army felt we would require.

You won’t believe the job that was set aside for me! Bobby Somerville and I were to run the wet canteen under the supervision of Sgt. Joe Crosky. No climbing mountains or swel-tering in the jungle for us.

Anyway, we trucked to the London air-port and were loaded onto Hercules aircraft. Man, Oh Man! They are a beautiful piece of military equipment. We were seated in bucket seats along the walls, as in the centre were vehicles and other gear. We had a super flight with good weather. Over Florida, the pilot took the plane down so that we could see the coastline and all the sandy beaches.

Arriving in Jamaica, we were greeted at the

Kingston airport. Because of an upcoming election, no one was allowed to go into the city (too much trouble brewing).

We were marched to awaiting Buffalo aircraft, which are a smaller version of the Herc, and transported over the mountains to a banana plantation in the northeast sector of the island. The Buffalo can land on a very short runway, which it had to do.

The plantation, we were told, belonged to a Canadian who allowed the government to use it. Our tent was situated under palm trees right at the edge of a beach. What a great spot. I had only seen places like this in the movies.

If we wanted to go to town, we had to get a pass and hop a truck to Port Antonio, which was only about a half hour drive. Bobby and I had to go there a few times to pick up sup-plies of ice or dry-cleaning. There was gen-erally a cruise ship in the harbour. Some of the guys had a field day as shopkeepers took Canadian Tire money at par.

That month was probably the easiest and most relaxing during my career. We were not very happy about leaving, but could not com-plain too much since we had missed a month of Canadian weather. Most of the guys had acquired a pretty good tan and looked relaxed.

The army in those days was a pretty good experience. Next up: getting ready for a sec-ond tour of Cyprus.

Keepingthe PeaceBy Tom Lessard, C.D.

Congratulations to my young friend Tanya, who has accepted a marriage proposal from her boyfriend Rubin. The happy couple will soon be out searching for the right engage-ment ring. I hope Rubin is prepared to spend a bit of cash. When Tom purchased my ring, it cost him $200, but that was 47 years ago and I imagine the prices have gone up since. And this is just the start of the money spend-ing thing.

Made of money? Yeah, right!Did your mother ever say to you, “Do you

think I’m made of money?” or “Do you think money grows on trees?” Well, I always knew the answer to both of those expressions was no because there was no way I was getting money out of my mother. First of all, we lived in a poor neighbourhood with very few trees, and if you looked at my wise mother, you knew she wasn’t made of money. Not that she was cheap; she just didn’t have any. They say a fool and his money are soon parted, but my mother was no fool and therefore, there was no parting with her money.

Criminal activityI’ve often heard the term drug money. They

must be talking about the health care system, because if you don’t have a good drug plan, you’ll certainly be out of luck and money very quickly when you have a problem. Drug money must be pretty lucrative for doctors, now that they’ve become the best providers of drugs. I think it’s fair to say that unless you’re blessed with good health, you’ll need lots of drug money.

Money problems Feelin’ alright in JamaicaI’ve always been a big fan of money laun-

dering schemes. I recall doing my son Bill’s laundry one day when I came across a $20 bill. Eureka! However, my happiness was short-lived after Bill realized he’d left the money in his pocket, shouting down the stairs, “Ma, did you find the $20 I left in my pocket?” What else could I do but reply emphatically, “Yes, Bill.”

Bill has always kept a good eye on his money. He’s very generous, be he ponders every purchase he’s going to make and seems to enjoy dickering to get the best deal. No fool, that boy!

Most people trust their money to the banks, and that’s a good thing for my son Glenn, who is a banker. I always knew that would be the business for Glenn. I recall a time when he was three years old and he had a dime in his hand. I said, “Glenn, give mommy that money.” He stubbornly replied, “No.” As I approached to retrieve the darn coin, he shoved it in his mouth and swallowed it. His first deposit! Who knew? He could have gone into the sanitation business, considering he was a devil to potty train, but I guess banking won out in the end.

You don’t know your mathBill and Glenn seem to have a pretty good

handle on the money situation; perhaps they take after me, because I can spend and save as good as the best of them. I remember when I was young, I was asked a math question: “Rita, if you have $2, and you asked your mother for $4, how much would you have?” “Oh,” I replied, “that’s easy. Two dollars.”

“Huh,” was the reply, “that’s wrong. You certainly don’t know your math.”

“Oh yeah?” I said. “Well, you certainly don’t know my mother.”

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Strip on Stage12 • Wednesday, July 22, 2009 http://www.GrandBendStrip.com

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NBC Photo: Virginia SherwoodNBC Photo: Virginia Sherwood

Strathroy newcomer steals Camelot stageStory by Casey LessardDrayton Entertainment photo

Fresh out of college, fresh-faced Thomas Alderson of Strathroy is hogging the spot-light in Camelot, playing now to July 25 at the Huron Country Playhouse.

“It ’s a dream come true,” says the 21-year-old, whose mother Mary writes theatre reviews GrandBendStrip.com and other newspapers. “I grew up coming to see every show here for the last 20 years, and I always joked with my mom that if I ever lived in Grand Bend, I would come and live with her. I was thinking that would be a few years from now. I just graduated from Sheridan College two months ago, and I was so lucky to get this job.”

Luck seems to have little to do with it; Alderson perfectly portrays the conniving Mordred, who draws the play to its climax. Still, Alderson believes fortune played a role in getting him here.

“It was all luck,” he says. “Drayton Entertainment did High School Musical live and because I look young, that’s a show I can be in, right? Through that,

I got an audition for Camelot and the stars aligned.”

The role of villain is a new experience for Alderson, and he says he needs to stay focused because of the fact that he plays such a pivotal part.

“I don’t come in until inter-mission, so I have time to do my hair the way I like it and get ready. Then I hide in the tree before I come out, and I listen to their (Arthur and Guenevere’s) song. It ’s like Mordred’s actually spying on them. I’m able to plot and then I come out and give ‘er.”

And he’ll be “givin’ ‘er” for a while. The show is going on tour across North America from October to March, with a stop at the John Labatt Centre

in London.“When I heard the possibility this would go on tour,

I thought that was crazy. That IS my dream come true. That takes us through to March. After that, who knows? Maybe back here again.”

And back in with mom. Why not? At this pace, he’s got a long career away from home ahead of him.

For tickets, call the box office at 519-238-6000 or visit http://www.huroncountryplayhouse.com

2 Pianos 4 Hands hits the right notesReview by Casey Lessard

It’s a good thing 2 Pianos 4 Hands is running most of the summer at Huron Country Playhouse II – it’s good enough that there should be no empty seats all summer. The comedic musical (versus a musical comedy) centres around two pianists and their careers starting from their first les-sons to the moments they have to decide whether they will make a career out of classical music.

Jonathan Monro has been portraying Ted Dykstra “on and off for 11 years”, while Patrick Burwell takes his first swing at the role of Richard Greenblatt. Dykstra and Greenblatt wrote the play; Greenblatt directs the Playhouse staging.

“It’s really hard to cast this show,” Monro says, “and once they have peo-ple they don’t really like to find new ones for a long time. The first thing I did was the U.S. tour and we went everywhere for that.”

“One of the challenges is that you have to play and act and do physical comedy at the same time,” Burwell says. “Jonathan has been a big help.”

In the play, the two characters dream of playing Carnegie Hall one day, but Monro actually did as a teenager.

“I started out as a classical pianist; that was my career path. Then so many things happen to block the way of that occurring. This show showed me there’s life after the death of my career as a pianist.”

And that life, ironically for Monro, has included 11 years of portraying a pianist. His practice has paid off; a must-see for music lovers and anyone who had to endure any kind of lessons or coaching as a child.

2 Pianos 4 Hands runs through August 29. For tickets: 519-238-6000.

Thomas Alderson as Mordred in Camelot

Late Night house band in Grand BendLate night television fans have the opportunity to see Jimmy Fallon’s Late Night house band, The Roots, when they perform at the Cutting Edge Music Festival August 2 at the Motorplex. Named by Rolling Stone Magazine as one of the “twenty greatest live acts in the world,” The Roots are releasing a new album this summer. The eight-piece Philadelphia hip-hop band has performed with such greats as Paul Simon, Public Enemy, Beastie Boys, and Mos Def.

Metal concert rocks LegionIt may sound like an odd place for a metal concert, but the Grand Bend Legion will host four metal bands, including Toronto’s To Cherish (above), Battlesoul from London, Grizzly from Wingham and a band yet to be announced. Also on the roster are indie rockers Blaze ‘n’ Murder of Wingham and punk group Streetcore of Clinton/Bayfield. The show is July 25 at the Grand Bend Legion.

Local and European FareRestaurant Open Daily

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Reservations RecommendedHessenland Country Inn

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Hall rentals - contact Sharon (519) 238-6865

JOIN US SATURDAYS 3-6 PMJuly 25 - Don Harvey August 1 - Murray Andrew

GrandBend

http://www.GrandBendStrip.com Wednesday, July 22, 2009 • 13

A past client of mine was just telling me how her dog is now trashing her belongings when she is gone to work for the day. She tells me that her dog is angry with her and that’s why he ruins her new glasses, her shoes, her couch, and the list goes on. She won’t accept my explanation that the dog is upset. Obviously he is upset, but not at her. He’s just stressed.

This is known as ‘separation anxiety’. It’s common, and most dogs do react unfavour-ably to being separated from their owners. It’s unnatural for a dog to be away from its pack; a dog is a pack animal, after all.

Of course we have to go to work. We have to shop (some more than others), and we have to go to school. We have to leave our

dogs for a myriad of reasons. The stress that dogs feel when we leave

them is easily preventable. It’s in the dog’s best interest to have him adjust early on to being left alone, as unnatural as that is for him.

Too many people apologize to their dog for leaving them and apologize again when they get home. This is the cause of the stress. You have to teach your dog that it isn’t his busi-ness if you leave the house or when you come home.

I have the luxury of staying home most of the time with my dogs, so it is an adjust-ment for them when I’m not there. My Great Dane used to howl and whine when I left him home alone. It was my mission to never say good-bye to him when I was leaving the house and never to say hello to him when I returned. He has become so comfortable with me leaving, whether for 15 minutes or six hours, that he won’t bother to get off my comfy Memory Foam bed to greet me when I do come home. This certainly doesn’t hurt

my feelings. It means he’s adjusted and has become quite comfortable out of my pres-ence. I never have to worry about the damage those big jaws can do to my belongings.

There are other things you can and should do before you leave your dog alone to help ensure his comfort while you’re away.

Make sure he’s had enough exercise to help relieve any physical frustrations he may have, especially for a young dog. Make sure he’s gone ‘potty’ and don’t feed him just before you leave him. Make sure that you have any items that may be tempting to him out of reach. Leave a radio or television on for some distracting background noise. The obvious answer to prevent destruction is to teach your dog to become comfortable in a crate or an ‘X-pen’, which is the doggy equivalent to a playpen.

Above all else, your dog needs to believe you are the leader and that you call the shots. You pay the bills and you make all the deci-sions about lifestyle. That doesn’t have to be as mean as it sounds. Controlling your dog’s

environment and having him understand that his role is as a follower will only help him cope with the realization that we have placed him in an unnatural lifestyle for a dog. By taking one simple step of acting like a leader when you leave and return, you will help reinforce to your dog that he lives with you in your home and not the other way around. In a pack, the alpha doesn’t go running to the rest of the pack to greet them, the pack comes to him.

Wait to say hello and only do so once your dog has calmed down about you being back. I’m sure some of you think that it’s cruel to not instantly get down on your knees and hug and kiss your dog when you come home. It’s actually an act of kindness to not let him get excited about you going about your life. The more relaxed your dog is about you leav-ing and returning, the more relaxed he will while you’re gone.

Visit www.f idocomesit.com for column suggestions, questions and dog training help.

Fido... Come... SitBy Yvonne Passmorehttp://www.FidoComeSit.com

The sweet sorrow of leaving Fido home alone

Strip Outside

Local luminaries

The first annual Grand Bend Relay for Life was held July 10-11 at Klondyke Sports Park, just south of Grand Bend. The event raised $27,400 for cancer research and local community services.

Left: Megan O’Brien, 15, of Zurich, Kyla Hunt-Beach, 17, of Grand Bend,

and Shannon O’Brien, 13, of Zurich wait to perform music at the event.

Above: Bruce Hough’s mom and dad died of cancer 25 years ago; he’s looking to

f ind the luminary he donated.

14 • Wednesday, July 22, 2009 http://www.GrandBendStrip.com

Think you’re missing something?If you aren’t a subscriber, you will be.

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To Do List

Community/Charity

TUESDAYS

10 a.m. to 2 p.m. - Pt Franks Comm Ctr.Kids Matter. Join us as we crochet sleep-

ing mats out of milk bags to send to the chil-dren in Africa and South America. Bring your lunch, scissors and a #7 crochet hook. Peggy Smith at 519-296-5834 for details.

7 p.m. - Grand Bend LegionBingo

FRIDAYS

5 to 7 p.m. - Grand Bend LegionMeat Draw

WEDNESDAY, JULY 2212:30 p.m. - GB Legion parking lotGrand Bend Men’s Probus Club Picnic

and Fun Car Rally. First team will depart at 1:01. Picnic at Port Blake.

MONDAY, JULY 277 p.m. - Grand Bend LegionGrand Bend Horticultural Society.

Astrid Eastman – Recycling junk into art and homemade garden tonics for plants and the lawn. Flower show – format to be announced.

SUNDAY, AUGUST 9South Huron Trail, near ExeterSouth Huron Trail Run. To register visit

www.shbbbs.on.ca or visit Runners Choice. Two runs an 8km and a 2km fun run. Call 226-268-3871 or cw@shbbbs.on.ca

Arts & Entertainment

WEDNESDAYS

6:30 to 9 p.m. to August 26Life Drawing Group (Space limited; pre-

registration required)

FRIDAYS

1:30 to 3:30 p.m. - GB Youth CentreGrand Bend Drum Circle. Contact Anita

at the Youth Centre or call 519-238-8759.

SATURDAY, JULY 259 a.m. – 4 p.m. - GB Art CentreWorkshop: Plug Into Your Creativity –

Conquer Your Fear with Suzette Terry. $80 non-members; $75 members. Pre-register 519-238-8978 or grbartcentre@hay.net

3 to 6 p.m. - Grand Bend LegionLive Music with Don Harvey

MONDAY, JULY 271 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. - GB Art CentrePaint with Teresa Marie. For cost and to

pre-register 519-238-8978 or grbartcentre@hay.net

WEDNESDAY, JULY 299 a.m. – 4 p.m. - GB Art CentreWorkshop: Paint Landscapes From Your

Photographs–Cheryl O. $80 non-members; $75 members. Pre-register 519-238-8978 or grbartcentre@hay.net

THURSDAY, JULY 309 a.m. – 4 p.m. - GB Art CentreWorkshop: Paint Landscapes From Your

Photographs (Day 2) – Cheryl O. $80 non-members; $75 members. Pre-register 519-238-8978 or grbartcentre@hay.net

FRIDAY, JULY 319 a.m. – 4 p.m. - GB Art CentreWorkshop: Painting Reflections In Water

with Teresa Marie. $80 non-members; $75 members. Pre-register 519-238-8978 or grbartcentre@hay.net

SATURDAY, AUGUST 19 a.m. – 4 p.m. - GB Art CentreJewellery Workshop: Precious Metal Clay

Pendant - Pat Wilde. $80 non-members; $75 members. Pre-register 519-238-8978 or grbartcentre@hay.net

3 to 6 p.m. - Grand Bend LegionLive Music with Murray Andrew

SUNDAY, AUGUST 29 a.m. – 4 p.m. - GB Art CentreJewellery Workshop: Precious Metal Clay

Bracelet or Watch with Pat Wilde. $80 non-members; $75 members. Pre-register 519-238-8978 or grbartcentre@hay.net

THURSDAY, AUGUST 69 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. - GB Art CentrePhotography Workshop (Beginners - part

1 of 2) with Mary Lynn Fluter. $80 non-members; $75 members. Pre-register 519-238-8978 or grbartcentre@hay.net

SATURDAY, AUGUST 810 a.m. to 6 p.m. - GB Art CentreAquafest. Open House and Registration

Health & Fitness

MONDAYS

8 to 9 a.m. - Lion’s Pavilion (by BMO)Workout for Your Life. $8/class; $5 spous-

es/students. Beth Sweeney, (519) 238-5555.

10:30 to 11:45 a.m. - Pt. FranksBeginner Yoga, Session dates July 27 –

Aug 31. 519-243-3548 or www.annesyoga-works.com

 6:45 to 8 p.m. - Pt. FranksBeginner/Intermediate Yoga, Session

dates July 20 to Aug 31 – 519-243-3548 or www.annesyogaworks.com 

 TUESDAYS

9 a.m. – Pt Franks Community CentreHealthy Lifestyle Exercise Program.

Free!! Everyone welcome. Contact Cindy Maxfield, GBACHC, 519-238-1556 ext 6

9:30 to 10:30 a.m. - Pt. FranksDROP IN Yoga/Pilates for Adults.

Residents and Tourists Welcome – 519-243-3548 or www.annesyogaworks.com

 1:30 to 2:15 p.m. - Pt. FranksDROP IN Kids Yoga – 519-243-3548 or

www.annesyogaworks.com

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For more information contact

Your local newspaperCasey Lessard: (519) 614-3614

http://www.GrandBendStrip.com Wednesday, July 22, 2009 • 15To Do List

TUESDAYS 6 to 7 p.m. - McNaughton Park pavil-

ion, ExeterWorkout for Your Life. $8/class; $5 spous-

es/students. Beth Sweeney, (519) 238-5555.

WEDNESDAYS

8 to 9 a.m. - Lion’s Pavilion, by BMOWorkout for Your Life. $8/class; $5 spous-

es/students. Beth Sweeney, (519) 238-5555.

8:45 to 10 a.m. - Pt. FranksExperienced Yoga, Session Dates July

29 – August 26 - 519-243-3548 or www.annesyogaworks.com

 10:15 to 11:30 a.m. - Pt. FranksPilates Mat 1, Session Dates July 29 –

August 26 - 519-243-3548 or www.annesyogaworks.com

6 to 7 p.m. - McNaughton Park pavilion, ExeterWorkout for Your Life. $8/class; $5 spous-

es/students. Beth Sweeney, (519) 238-5555.

THURSDAYS

9 a.m. – Pt Franks Community CentreHealthy Lifestyle Exercise Program.

Free!! Everyone welcome. Contact Cindy Maxfield, GBACHC, 519-238-1556 ext 6

FRIDAYS

8 to 9 a.m. - Lion’s Pavilion, by BMOWorkout for Your Life. $8/class; $5 spous-

es/students. Beth Sweeney, (519) 238-5555.

WEDNESDAY, JULY 2910 a.m. to 1 p.m. - Grand Bend CHC

Men Can Cook. Advance your cooking skills and enjoy a tasty healthy lunch for $5. Contact Miranda at 519-238-1556 ext 222.

1:30 p.m. - Grand Bend CHCMental Health Support Group. Contact

Social Worker Lise Callahan at 519-238-1556 ext 230 for more info.

THURSDAY, JULY 302 to 4 p.m. - GB CHC Adult WingCommunity Blood Pressure Clinic. Have

your blood pressure checked free.

16 • Wednesday, July 22, 2009 http://www.GrandBendStrip.comStrip in the Kitchen

The Perfect SteakRecipes by James EddingtonEddington’s of Exeter 527 Main Street, Exeter519-235-3030 - www.eddingtons.ca

Photos by Casey Lessard

If you have missed some of James’ recipes, visit our website athttp://www.grandbendstrip.comLook for In The Kitchen under the Lifestyle category.Don’t miss a single recipe. Subscribe to the Strip today!

First off, I must thank my Dad for any barbecue skills I have acquired! Put him in the kitchen and it’s a disaster, but throw him outside to the Q and it’s perfection. This is an inherited process that can take up a good chunk of an afternoon, accompanied with cold beers and a Cuban cigar. But only after the lawn has been cut!

Choose the right cut of ONTARIO beef ! Rib and loin are best for the barbecue; the meat is tender. My personal favorite is the rib eye steak.

Cheers, James Eddington

Picking the best cutMake sure the meat is a medium red color,

not too pale or too bright of a red. Make sure the meat is marbled with some fat. You should have streaks of fat running through the meat.

Marinate your steakRub steak with olive oil, sprinkle with gran-

ulated garlic and steak spice. Don’t be scared of the garlic. Rub mixture into steak. The lon-ger the rub has been applied the more flavors the meat will take on.

Make sure steak is at room temperature before it hits the grill (an oiled grill will pro-duce better grill marks).

GrillingMake sure barbecue is pre-heated; 500F is

good. Don’t over-flip or prod your steak. Two turns is enough! Turn steak at 45º angles to achieve diamond markings. Depending on doneness, 2-5 minutes between turns.

Feel free to lather your steak with barbecue sauce or your desired condiments. If mari-nated properly, this won’t be necessary!

Final stage: let your meat rest. Take off barbecue or turn off and move to cooler spot. This allows juices to flow out from centre and continue cooking.

How do you like it done?Very rare: Hot on the outside, raw on the

inside and the meat will be sort of wobbly. Final temperature reading should be 100°F.

Rare: Red, cool to warm center and the meat will be soft and spongy. Final tempera-ture reading should be 120°F.

Medium rare: Red, warm center and the meat will have a springy firmness. Final tem-perature reading should be 126°F.

Medium: Hot, pink center and the meat will have a less springy firmness than medium rare. Final temperature reading should be 135°F.

Medium well: Slight color, cooked through-out and the meat will feel firm. Final tem-perature reading should be 145°F.

Well done: The meat is gray-brown throughout and very firm and unyielding. Final temperature reading should be 160°F.

How do you know it’s done?Using your hand, touch your thumb to the

finger required as follows. With the other index finger, press on the palm below the thumb (see photo):

Rare: Whole hand stays looseMedium rare: Thumb to tip of index fingerMedium: Thumb to tip of middle fingerMedium well: Thumb to tip of ring fingerWell done: Thumb to tip of pinkie finger

Always cook your meat one stage below your desired result. For example, if you want a medium rare steak, cook it closer to rare. Why? Because the final process is to let your meat rest for ~3-5 minutes. It will continue to cook at this stage.

Enjoy!