As a member of an evangelical church I get asked every year at this time what I think of Hallowe’en. It makes me smile. My kids participated in costumes and candy collecting and so far haven’t shown any signs of joining Wicca. If participating in trick or treat makes you a Satanist, than having tang in your cupboard will make you an astronaut.
It is October 26th and the TV anchors this morning were wearing poppies. Is it too soon? Just my opinion, but it’s never soon to show that level of respect.
The Kitchener Memorial Auditorium is my favorite rink. I love the atmosphere and the history in the old barn. I don’t like the ice very much. The Rangers have openly complained about ruts and dips and valleys and I fear someone will get hurt. My fear isn’t for the Rangers entirely. They are all high-end athletes with great skating ability. I fear the younger kids who skate on it. If they hit a rut and fall, they could be seriously hurt. The NHL has sent in an ice maker to work with the Aud staff on how to fix it. Yesterday would be soon enough.
LeeJay Levenes’ parents were on the show today. What a heartbreaking story. Their son died this past summer during dental surgery. He was 18. The pain in their eyes was tough to take, but their story is important to tell. They are taking the pain and trying to do some good. What they’ve done is take LeeJays’ drawings and use them in a calendar. The money from the calendar will all go to the Grand River Hospital ICU. I promised to list the places where you can buy the calendar.
1. Ontario Seed (waterloo)
2. J&J Cards and Collectables (Weber St)
3. Snugglers Furniture
4. Sleep Ezz Matress Stores (all locations)
5. Rainbow Flowers (Zeller’s Mall @ Bridgeport.
6. Household China
7. OW Sports.
9. The Poultry Place (St. Jackobs)
10. Delions Mens Wear.
11. Sherwood Music.
12. Second Cup (University Plaza)
13. Knar Jewelers.
14. The Chronicle.
15. La Creme (St. Jacobs)
16. Lashbrooks (Westmount Place)
17. The Goodie Basket
18. Eldon Gallery
19. Jolanta’s European Skin Care Studio.
20. Budds Dept. Store
21. Westmount Place Pharmacy
22. Designers I Opitcal.
23. Frieko Upholstery on Park Street.
24. Newtex Cleaners (Laurelwood)
25. Wok Wagon (Laurelwood)
26. Royal Bank (Westmount Place & King St. Waterloo.)
27. The Beckett School.
I’ve got myself involved in a fundraiser. I’m not very good at asking for pledges, but I believe very strongly in the cause. If you want to help me just go to the show page and click on the link. The picture in my mind sees small children injecting themselves daily with insulin. The dad in me wants to take the pain away. This is the best way I know how. Get involved. Help take the pain away.
This really happened to me yesterday. My 79-year old mother in law called from Saskatchewan. (she is a Roughrider fanatic).
phone rings
Me..Hello?
m.i.l..Hi Gary, how’s everything?
Me…good, you just missed her..
m.i.l. gotta go, eight minutes till kick-off..
click…
go Riders…
Close the books. Ontario has decided Dalton is better than John…and Howard and Frank combined. We also decided that “First Past The Post” is better than “Mixed Member Proportional.” Two big questions remain in the confetti and beer cup mop up. Does John Tory step aside? Does Howard Hampton step aside? And, if Green Party Leader Frank deJong stepped aside would anybody notice? I’m not dissing Frank. I admire him stepping up to the plate, but clearly the Greens have capture just our imagination and not our votes. As for the other two…Tory fumbled the football and should at least volunteer to be benched.. Hampton addressed his future in his speech last night saying “I’m not going anywhere”… truer words may have never been spoken.
I read last week that if you don’t vote, you don’t matter. It’s time to matter. I spent some time on the weekend talking with both my sons, who are old enough to matter. They are both interested, engaged, and wanting to learn. It’s difficult to remain objective and not just tell them who to vote for. But it’s important. If we’re not engaged in the system, how can we expect others to be? Whatever else you do tomorrow, vote.
Oktoberfest will be off to a different start this year. I won’t be freezing. Record temperatures probably (hopefully) mean we will get to meet a ton of listeners tomorrow morning at the Annual Pancake Breakfast that 570 NEWS has been a part of for a quarter century. Of all the years I’ve been here, I’ve missed two. Those were the days when the Kitchener Rangers were on the road Thanksgiving weekend. This event is a lot of fun for our staff. It’s a lot or work, but I don’t do a lot of it personally. We’ve been through snow and rain and mighty winds together and always come out the other end a weary tight-knitted group. If you haven’t been, this may be a great time for your introducation. Weather won’t be an issue, all you’llhave to dodge is politicians and Jeff’s dog Babe… if the politicians are smart, they’ll avoid Babe too.
“Character is what you do when no one is looking.”
Those of us who got to know Mike Richards when he skated with the Kitchener Rangers were never surprised by what he did on the ice. That’s because of who he is off the ice. Mike was recently named an alternate captain with the Philadelphia Flyers. He is only 22 years old and in his third year as a pro. He doesn’t believe his own press clippings and his “aw shucks” attitude is genuine. He gets it from his parents. Some athletes you meet and you shake your head and worry for them. Not Mike Richards. If hockey ended for him tomorrow, he’d go fishing with his dad and then get a job. That’s character.