Posted on July 24, 2014 under Thursday Tidbits with no comments yet

Street Fair on Main – 2014

 

 

The 151^st. edition of the Antigonish Highland Games is fading in the rear view mirror. We should all applaud the hundreds of volunteers that make this happen every year. Some of these people have been giving of their time for over 50 years. They need reinforcements and they need it now. Maybe you will consider volunteering next year. A special mention to Jamie MacDonald and his team for organizing an awesome Street Fair.

All you working stiffs ( myself included ).  What is the first thing that comes to your mind when you contemplate going to work on Mondays? I know that two cups of coffee are mandatory before I show my face at the office…  just to make sure I don’t destroy my computer or hurl an epithet at some unsuspecting staff member ( or worse, a client ). What is it about Mondays that so easily seems to take us out of rhythm? This past Monday, it seemed that everyone in our office was just a tad off kilter. The very first appointment of the week was a complete surprise to all of us as no one knew this person was coming.

When I got home from work on Monday, I decided to try and articulate why Mondays are so different from the other days of the week. Do you have a theory on Mondays? Please pass along your comments as my story “ Monday, Monday” is getting down to the edit stage. As far as I can tell, the only really good thing about Monday is that it became the title of that great Momma’s and Papa’s tune from 1966. Ouch. Another sign of aging. That song is nearly 50 years old!

I am also putting on the finishing touches on a story for the Cape Breton Star. Because the paper is distributed all over Cape Breton Island, I am trying to profile the different towns and villages. Next week, I will be doing a story about Port Hastings and Port Hawkesbury. “Make Haste to the Hawk” gives a brief overview of the Strait area,  where big industry has always been a trademark. But ultimately, it comes back to the people and the area has its share of character and characters. I will be publishing that story on my website after it has been published in the Star.

My tribute to David Miller and Aida Arnold received a large and warm response. They have contributed so much to our community over the years that I felt a shout out was in order. Come out to the Art Fair tomorrow evening at Chisholm Park and say hello to them. By the way, they are not just great ideas people. They are true workers and aren’t afraid to get their hands dirty, doing all of the mundane chores that are required to put on a quality event.

Have a great weekend.

 

Posted on July 22, 2014 under Storytelling with 3 comments

Beth Latwaitis, Aida Arnold and David Miller

 

 

“I have an idea.”

And with those few words, a twenty-six year conversation began between David Miller and me.  David and his wife and soul mate, Aida Arnold, arrived in Antigonish in 1988 to open a McDonald’s restaurant.

I was on Town Council at the time and had three small children.  A fourth was soon to follow.  McDonald’s quickly became a magnet for families, especially families with youngsters like ours.  David and Aida became engaged in the community almost instantaneously.  And we are all the better for it.

Sometimes you have to step back from the forest to see the trees.  They saw the great potential that Antigonish town and county had at their fingertips, right from the word go.  And they have both been bringing ideas, energy and enthusiasm to many worthwhile endeavours since the day they landed here.

Aida was one of the driving forces behind “Communities in Bloom”.  Just walk around town and see all of the beautiful flowers hanging from posts and buildings, or overflowing from boxes adjacent to shops and stores along the Main.

During the recent street fair held in the downtown core, I was talking with an old neighborhood friend who spends her summers here.  Aida happened by, and once introductions were made, my friend said that in all her travels, the McDonald’s in Antigonish was her absolute favorite.  I don’t think it was because of the fries.  Their fries are always the best, whichever outlet you go to.

No.  It wasn’t the Big Macs either.  Our local McDonald’s franchisees festooned the interior of their building with local art and brought it to life with beautiful and unique landscaping outside.  I agree with my friend.  I have never been to a McDonald’s that was more esthetically pleasing or welcoming.

For many years I heard David talk about the local cultural scene.  He was always passionate in his support of actors, musicians and all manner of artists and artisans.

And, he had a dream.

On many occasions he asked me “What can we be doing to promote the area?”  Recently, he answered his own question with the creation of the Antigonish Art Fair.  While he will point out, in his self-effacing way, that many others were responsible, he was, and is, the driving force behind this bold new initiative.

The Antigonish Art Fair has begun with a series of five “Art in the Park” events, showcasing the immeasurable creative richness of our community.  The idea is to turn Antigonish into a cultural mecca; a not-to-miss destination for art tourism.

The Fair was launched a few weeks ago.  I had a bird’s eye view of the proceedings, acting as Master of Ceremonies.  The event was held at Chisolm Park, on the banks of the Brierly Brook.  Staring out from the gazebo, I could see dozens and dozens of artists showing their works.  There was a children’s corner and lots of tasty food from around the world. The dignitaries cut the ribbon and moments later, David’s dream unfolded like the first flowers in spring.

We were entertained by an eclectic mix of entertainment on the stage at the gazebo. Everything from very young Highland dancers, to a fire eater and belly dancers.  Chisholm Park is named after the late Mayor, Colin Herman Chisholm.  As I watched the belly dancers, I smiled, wondering how Collie Herman would have enjoyed this particular exhibition.  He would have thought it was just fine.

The Antigonish Arts Fair is up and running.  We are thankful for David’s vision and unbridled enthusiasm.

Stealing a line from McDonald’s, “We’re lovin’ it”.

Thanks, David.

 

Posted on July 21, 2014 under Monday Morning Musings with 2 comments

A glimpse into the past

 

 

Sometimes I feel old enough to be placed in a museum. I was out for a run around The Landing on the weekend and noticed this sign as you approach the Antigonish Heritage Museum. It’s funny how you notice things when you are not in a car. I don’t ever remember seeing this sign. The museum has just undergone some significant renovations. You should stop by and talk to Jocelyn who knows just about everything when it comes to the history of the area, including genealogy.

Do you remember learning how to ride a bike? ( and I don’t mean a Harley, Ron! ). I have been tasked to teach my granddaughter how to ride a bike. We had our first lesson on Saturday and she managed to go a few feet unassisted. I was getting all kinds of flashbacks as she wobbled precariously from side to side. Sometimes I wish I were a kid again but most days, I am very content to be in my sixties. I would like to think that I am aging but not growing old. I think there’s a difference.

You’ve heard of keyless entry? Many models of vehicles no longer require car keys to gain entry. A 2009 Toyota Yaris is not one of them. Last week, my car keys went missing. This seems to be a common theme lately. I always leave them in the same place on the counter so it was odd that they were nowhere to be found. We couldn’t find them for several days until Betty discovered them in the trunk of the car where the spare tire is stored. It would appear that they were misplaced there when she was fastening one of the car seats. Not quite like misplacing a vacuum cleaner but a close second.

By the way, have you tried to install or uninstall a modern car seat lately? You pretty well need to be a rocket scientist. I wrote about this last year. If you go to my website and go to the search bar and type in “ Car Seat Conundrum,” you will see how I feel about this subject. You boomers know full well that hordes of us travelled in our parent’s cars long before seat belts were invented. Some of us even lay down near the back window when one of our siblings became too obnoxious.

What an incredible stretch of weather we’re having. Long, sun drenched days have made for great beach weather. It is a lot of fun taking the grandkids for a swim and an ice cream cone. Doesn’t get much better than that.

I watched a lot of golf this weekend. I love the British Open for a whole lot of reasons. The best reason is that it is on early in the morning. I was able to watch nearly three hours of coverage before going to work. One of these days, I must tell the story of playing true links golf while on a trip to Ireland 11 years ago. You cannot possibly appreciate a pot bunker until you’ve actually been in one. I got in one that was so deep that they had to send a search party after me.

Rory rocks!

Have a terrific week.

P.S. My regular Tuesday story will appear on Wednesday this week.