Posted on November 5, 2018 under Monday Morning Musings with no comments yet

It took some time, but I have eradicated the apartment of Halloween candy.

 

I have posted close to 1000 stories on my website. Most of them are light hearted but occasionally I’ll wade into shark infested waters and comment on some controversial subject or wax philosophical. While I take my writing seriously, I try not to take myself too seriously. Most stories generate a handful of comments, private e-mails and “likes” on Facebook. Once in a while, I’ll hit one out of the park and I’ll get tons of feedback which I always find entertaining.

So when I posted a harmless picture of 5 mini Coffee Crisp chocolate bars on Facebook, the remnants of Halloween, I was astonished at the reaction. I can’t remember the last time that a picture, accompanied by two sentences, received so much attention. My guess is that we’re all worn out with bad news and any story about chocolate is a good news story. For those of you who choose not to engage with social media, I was expounding on the merits of a breakfast comprised of coffee followed by 5 mini Coffee Crisp chocolate bars.

I think we all had a good laugh which is good for the soul. Someone mentioned that these same chocolate bars were on sale the day after at a 50% discount. Yes, one could purchase 100 of these delectable morsels for the low, low price of $4.44 or about 4 cents each. Now the temptation is to go out and load up on these treats but there’s a trick buried amidst this buying bonanza. Apparently one can freeze these bars so the theory suggests that you buy several boxes and freeze them until next October 31^st. I can assure you, and I suspect I’m not alone, that if I bought even one box and put them in the freezer, they would not survive until Remembrance Day in six days’ time. I see you nodding. So much for a deal!

Do you have a story to tell? Surely you must be tired of my writing by now. You might like to hear a story from someone else. Hell, you might even want to see one of your own stories published right here at Week45. Coming soon, “Guest of Honor” where my readers will have the opportunity to have one of their stories published. Send me your story (500 words or so- preferably a Word document). Keep it clean and non- political. Send me a picture of yourself or something to go along with your story. I retain the right to edit. Bring it on.

Once again, those of you not on Facebook can ignore this next paragraph. A few weeks ago on my morning walk, I was humming a tune. I had my phone with me, recorded one minute of the song and posted it on Facebook. People must be awfully bored because they reacted and I received a lot of feedback. So, I did it again and again. Until Facebook shuts me down or until all 2100 FB followers unfriend me, I’ll keep this going for a while, mostly on the weekends. Have a song that’s on your “must hear” list? Send it along.

I close on a very sad note. David Miller, former owner of McDonald’s restaurants in Antigonish and Port Hawkesbury, passed away last week. David and his wife, Aida, came to our community thirty years ago and immediately made an impact on our town. They both have worked tirelessly to promote the arts in Antigonish. David’s energy and vision will be sorely missed. In case you missed it, I reposted a story about David that I wrote in 2014. https://www.week45.com/davids-dream-2/

Have a great week.

P.S. Chatting with a 96 year old friend the other day, I asked him how he was doing. “The first 100 years are the hardest,” was his reply!

Posted on November 2, 2018 under Storytelling with no comments yet

This story was previously posted in 2014. David Miller left us yesyerday and what a legacy he left behind. Thank you David for your tireless efforts to make Antigonish a better place to live.

 

“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 vison and unbridled enthusiasm.

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

Thanks, David.

Posted on November 1, 2018 under Faces in the Crowd with no comments yet

 

“I’m a fun guy to be around. I try and make people feel happy.”

Meet Justin Gregg.

Justin grew up in small town Vermont, the only child of a father who was a lawyer and a mother who worked for the Chamber of Commerce. In a time when the internet had yet to take a foothold on society, he loved playing in the outdoors. His mother was an animal lover who helped the local humane society find placement for stray and abandoned creatures.

At the age of ten, he travelled to Massachusetts on a whale watching trip. He saw a humpback whale and was immediately captivated with marine life.

Justin grew up and was considered a nerd, when being a nerd wasn’t cool. He loved science fiction movies and playing Dungeons and Dragons. In high school he played a variety of sports and in grade twelve, got his first taste of acting participating in theatre. Upon completing high school, he travelled to Sweden as an exchange student and completed an additional year of studies. This was a transformative experience. He learned a new language and for the first time came to appreciate that people in other parts of the world think and act differently.

Even though the idea of studying marine biology had some appeal, Justin enrolled in a linguistics program at University of Vermont. “I didn’t particularly like science as a subject and thought the program would be too difficult.” At the end of his second year, he headed off to the Netherlands to study linguistics and the Dutch language. He met his future wife, Ranke while both of them were participating in the production of “Romeo and Juliet”.

In his fourth year, Justin and a dozen colleagues from an a capella group, travelled to New York in a limo to perform at an UVM alumni function at the Windows of the World restaurant atop the Twin Towers.

Ranke moved to Ireland after attaining her Masters degree to pursue a Ph.D. at Trinity College. Justin moved to Ireland to be with her but with no job prospects and proper work visas, he decided to become a student again taking a one year sound engineering and music technology course. In 1999, the couple married and Ranke took a year off to travel to the United States. It was around this time that Justin’s father became sick which led to a protracted illness. Years later his mother would develop ALS. “At a young age, I became conscious of suffering and end of life issues.”

Back in Ireland, Justin tried his hand at a number of jobs including voice over work. After attending a Celtic scholar’s conference in Wales with Ranke, he decided that he would pursue a Ph.D. He spent an entire year at the local library reading books on biology, zoology and genetics. He decided to do a program in Cognitive Psychology. When he pitched his idea to the people at Trinity College, he was told that he would need to find a field supervisor. He contacted Kathleen Dudzinski, a renowned dolphin communication researcher.

For four summers, one in the Bahamas and three on a volcanic island off the coast of Japan, Justin studied dolphin behaviour. He swam with them using an underwater camera to record behaviour and sounds. He completed his doctorate in 2008 and in 2013 published a signature book called “Are Dolphins Really Smart”? The book was somewhat controversial arousing a lot of criticism by the media. As a result of this, he started to publish his own articles and became a science writer.

The couple’s daughter was born in 2008 in the Netherlands where Ranke had gained employment. Justin became a stay at home dad. “My number one goal in life was to get married and become a father.” He became a stay at home dad, when being a stay at home dad wasn’t cool! “Even though The Netherlands was progressive, it was unusual to be a stay at home dad. I was not part of the mainstream mother group.”

Yearning for the rural life, Justin applied for a self -employment permit to Canada in 2013. “I wanted to live in the country, cut my own firewood and have my own bees.” B.C.  was first on their list but a cursory investigation determined that the west coast was a bit on the pricey side. Justin’s grandmother’s family had lived in the Annapolis Valley so they set their sights on Nova Scotia. At around this time, a position became available in the Celtic Studies department at ST.F.X. University which Ranke applied for and was accepted.

After a year of renting, they purchased a home in Pleasant Valley. The couple believe in self-sufficiency. They installed solar panels in their home, grow their own garlic, cut their own wood and make their own honey and maple syrup.

Justin is an adjunct professor in the Biology department at St.F.X. and is a senior research associate with the Dolphin Communication project. A prolific writer and author, he now has his own publishing company called “Outside the Lines Press.” He is active in community life and contributes his many talents when called upon. His sense of humour, inherited from his very witty mother, is on full display when he leads an improv session.

Antigonish is very fortunate to have such a talented individual who lives life “outside the lines.”