Milton Villager Magazine Volume 1, Issue 8 - May 2013 www.MiltonVillager.com Additional bonus content and photos available online If you would like to advertise in Milton Villager Magazine email rick@dilorenzo.com Publisher - Rick Di Lorenzo, rick@dilorenzo.com Photographers - Ann Kornuta, Denise Cooperwhite Reporters - Stuart Service, Laura Steiner, Anshul Sharma and Elizabeth Kogan Cover Photo: Cedin Fredric Printed in Canada. All rights reserved. Opinions expressed in this magazine are not necessarily that of the publisher and no liability is assumed for omissions or errors Follow us on Facebook at http://facebook.com/MiltonVillager A community oriented magazine showcasing local news and events, the Milton Villager Magazine is available at these fine local businesses Grocery stores: Metro, Food Port, Real Canadian Super Store, Kabul Fine Foods, La Rose Bakery Food: Hero Burger, Pizza Nova, Troys Diner, Coffee Culture, Heritage Fish and Chips, Symposium, Shoeless Joe’s, Portabello’s, Bombay Grill, Mama Mila’s Cafe, Quiznos, Cafe Zauq Recreation: Milton Sports Centre, Leisure Centre, Milton Centre for the Arts Shopping: Milton Mall, Home Hardware, Staples
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4 | Milton Villager
Lawn Bowling Club Celebrates One Hundred Years
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he history of lawn bowling dates back to ancient Egypt. In Britain, lawn bowling was played as early as the twelfth century and is seen there as an upper-class sport. Lawn bowling has existed in Canada for one hundred years, and Milton Lawn Bowling celebrates its hundredth anniversary this year. Located at 43 Commercial (on the corner of Commercial and Pine), the Milton Lawn Bowling Club was once an apple orchard. The club bought the orchard for one hundred dollars, and it was incorporated in 1970. Membership dwindled through the 1940s because of World War II, but it has risen since from eighteen to around eighty members. The club’s goal is to reach one hundred members by the end of the season. “It’s a little secret in town nobody knows about,” said club president Ken Armstrong. The club is one of the only privately run clubs that doesn’t need any government support. “It’s one hundred percent volunteer, and everyone participates,” said Armstrong. Lawn bowling is similar to curling. “It’s hard to hurt yourself curling,” Armstrong pointed out. Lawn bowling is a sport for people of all ages and abilities. Dues at the Milton club are $125 per year. Lawn bowling has a reputation of being only for older people. Younger bowlers tend to become interested in other sports such as hockey. But people of any age who are competitive get the bug and become avid players of the sport.
By Laura Steiner
“A lot of people play it socially four to five years and then go along to other things,” said Mike Comba, the club’s groundskeeper since 1993. A ninety-year-old recently won the Canadian Championship. “It does extend your life and keep you physically fit,” Comba said. Armstrong finds the social aspect of belonging to a club a huge draw for couples. “It’s something to do together,” he said. Lawn bowling fits easily into people’s schedules. Matches last an hour and a half and usually take place once a week. “We’ve even made a few matches along the way,” Comba added. “We’re a tightly-knit group, and we have a lot of fun together,” Armstrong said. The group tried to set a Guinness World Record by bowling for twenty-four hours, but their time was beaten. The club has a mix of working and retired people and hosts twenty events per season. It provides opportunities for travel, and people often rent bed and breakfasts together and form social groups. There are also around twenty non-bowling events a year. Lawn bowling enjoys a different image in Canada and has the most participants of any sport besides soccer. “I’d like to see it keep growing,” Comba said. The Milton Lawn Bowling Club plans to do its part to encourage interest in the sport with a tournament for prospective members on June 2 and their hundredth anniversary tournament in August.
Sandy Hook newtown, ct
Two Moms that Care Tracy Mottram, Newtown Fire Chief Bill Halstead, Samantha Goodes-Attew, and Newtown Clerk Debbie Aurelia
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n December 14, 2012, twenty children and six adults were killed when a shooter entered Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut and opened fire. The tragedy touched everyone and even motivated a couple of Milton moms to do something. Four days after the shooting, the two moms organized a teddy bear vigil in Victoria Park with the help of the Challenge Foundation. The cold snowy weather didn’t dampen spirits as Miltonians showed up and delivered approximately 400 teddy bears. “We want to come down and show you that outside of America, in Canada, there is a town that feels we want to do something. And that’s why the teddy bear vigil went ahead,” Samantha Goodes-Attew explained. One hundred bears went to Milton’s Darling House for children, and twenty-six went to the Newtown families. Three hundred teddy bears went to a local children’s hospital near Newtown. Tracy Mottram’s employer, Achillies Mazada, rented a truck to transport them. On February 28, 2013, they drove nine hours to Newtown with their plush cargo. “You know you’re there. All of a sudden you start seeing twenty-six teddy bears, twenty-six American flags, and twenty-six bows on trees,” Mottram said. “You can see they’re just existing every day,” Goodes-Attew said of the people in Newtown. She continued describing their experience at a store: “Everyone that came in had the
green ribbons on, and on the backs of their cars stickers that say, ‘Support the 26.’” The green ribbon endures as a symbol of Newtown. Mottram and Goodes-Attew were most impressed by the town clerk, Debbie Aurelia. “She carried this town,” Mottram said. Aurelia wrote the children’s birth certificates and signed their death certificates as well. “This woman is one of the bravest women that I’ve met, but she’s had no training,” Goodes-Attew said. Mottram and Goodes-Attew went out to dinner with Aurelia, and at first Mottram and Goodes-Attew felt a barrier between them. By the end of the dinner, though, they felt as if they and Aurelia were long-lost friends. “We’d brought a breath of fresh air into something that’s been going on for four months” GoodesAttew said. “We had her laughing so much.” Mottram added. Aurelia is very protective of the twenty-six families affected by the tragedy. Once when out for dinner, she noticed a reporter sitting near one of the families, writing down everything they said. All it took was one look from Aurelia, and the reporter left. The people in Newtown realize that Mottram and GoodesAttew are compassionate, and their efforts showed how much they care. They have been asked back to Newtown for the oneyear anniversary of the shooting to help out wherever needed. “If we’re going to make cups of tea all day, we’ll make cups of tea,” Goodes-Attew said. They are now as protective of those families as Aurelia is. By Laura Steiner
Milton Villager
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Newtown Firehall
6 | Milton Villager
A Town of Music All-Stars By Laura Steiner | Photos by Ann Kornuta
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n April 21, 2013, music stars of all ages got a chance to shine at the Milton Centre for the Arts. The Mattamy Theatre hosted the Milton Music Teachers’ Association all-star concert. Musicians of all ages, chosen by an impartial panel, performed on instruments ranging from the fiddle to the piano. The all-star concert hasn’t taken place for nearly ten years. At one of the association’s meetings, the idea came up to present a concert or feature piece in years alternating with the festival. “The idea of doing a feature at this wonderful facility, and this wonderful grand piano came up that we could do that,” Rick Imus said before the show. Performers took full advantage of the piano, playing everything from popular music from the Pirates of the Caribbean movies to Beethoven and Brahms. Imus’s son Charlie performed in a rock band, Charlie Hustle, which opened the second half. The two-hour concert had its lighter moments as performers took advantage of the stage with playful skits centred on the piano. A trio performing “Three Stars” had fun with the audience, frequently rising from their places on the piano bench and pretending to push each other off. The concert opened with a children’s choir.
Elizabeth Ganton
Leyla Magamadova
Concert emcee Elaine Rusk believes independent music teachers play a significant role. “These days, as music programs are being cut, as all programs are being cut, the role of independent music teachers becomes increasingly more important,” Rusk said. Independent music teachers such as Rick Imus give their students opportunities play with local bands and sing with choirs. The band Charlie Hustle recently recorded at Sun Studios in Memphis, once home to artists such as Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Elvis Presley. Marcus Hervatin
Brandon Tran
Michael Chang
Charlie Hustle Band
Nathaniel Manuel
Mason Nowak with Bethany Middleton accompaniment
Paulina Avdaceva
Milton Villager
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To view a list of music teachers in the Milton area and to learn more about the Milton Music Teachers’ Association (MMTA), visit their website, www.mmta.ca.
D el i v ers F u n Accessible Introduction to Dance Theatre 8 | Milton Villager
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utcase, a dance theatre project, written, choreographed, and performed by local visual artist Elizabeth Kmiec, premiered on April 20 at the Milton Centre for the Arts to a packed audience. Through clever interludes, dance, and film, Nutcase conveys feelings of rejection and loneliness remarkably well with parallel sketches that advance the musical’s storyline.
Kmiec said she hoped audiences left MinMaxx Hall thinking, “‘I want to go back,’ and not thinking ‘I didn’t understand.’”
The plot of the playwright‘s dance opus follows five unnamed single women identified exclusively by the items they carry, such as a suitcase of walnuts, a basket of Granny Smith apples, and a takeout container of Chinese food. All that a man in the Nutcase universe needs to get together with one of these women is to have that same item in his possession. During the interludes between dance pieces, Kmiec’s character checks in at home to listen to her voicemail. These interludes take place to the same upbeat tune. During the first voicemail skit, the character is polishing her nuts while listening to a message from her mother about the weather. In each interlude, the heroine deletes all her messages and cuts off a “Find Your Match Dot Com” robocall halfway. But with each interlude, the upbeat music slows down a beat, and suddenly the character finds herself listening to what the annoying man in the robocalls has to offer. Then, to no music at all, she checks in at home to find out she has zero new messages. “I wanted there to be something that people could follow the storyline from that wasn’t just the dance,” Kmiec said.
“I think it helps to break up your focus,” she added. “You’re looking at the stage for five minutes; then you’re in the house for a few minutes; then you see the film; and then you see the screen” for the instant messenger conversations between the dancers. Kmiec’s boldest use of artistic license involved a dance done entirely to the ambient patter of rain. She said dancing exclusively to noise was a risk, adding that she could not predict how the audience might respond such a piece. She expected viewers to be scratching their heads and asking each other if someone forgot to turn on music, but she said the scene was “extremely successful. I really was surprised that was a big favorite.” The response to her play was so good that Kmiec is considering future Nutcase performances.
“The hard work is done; the show is created. I don’t want to see it just escape and not do anything else with it,” she said. “I’m very proud of what Nutcase became, and people seemed to respond very well to it.”
Photos and story by Stuart Service
10 | Milton Villager
Fourth Annual
Taste of Milton a Tasty Success
By Laura Steiner | Photos by Ann Kornuta
W
hat does Milton taste like? That was the question on many minds at the fourth annual Taste of Milton on April 4, 2013. Students hosted the annual festival at the gymnasium at Milton District High School (MDHS), in which twenty restaurants displayed their wares to a sold-out house. Round tables seating eight to twelve people filled the room, each with place settings fit for a restaurant, including china plates and proper silverware. Restaurants set up around the gym in a U shape, offering a little of everything for everyone. Troy’s, Allison’s at the Hotel, Marquee Steakhouse, Pho Milton, East Side Mario’s, The Grand Chalet, Wing It Up (Bronte), and both Sunset Grills were represented, and Starbucks offered coffee. I attended the event with my fellow contributors Elizabeth Marques-Kogan, Dee Cooper, and Ann Kornuta. We each stuck mostly with food that we liked. I had pork spring rolls from Pho Milton, mild barbecue wings from Wing It Up, a pulled pork sandwich, some pasta, a burger from Sunset Grill, and a steak sandwich from Marquee Steak House, which was probably my favorite. With or without the cheese sauce, the sandwich had a great smoky flavor that everyone was still talking about days later. It sounds like a lot of food, but it was manageable, because each restaurant served just enough to taste.
Crystal, Tammy & Jeff at Troys Diner
The only disappointment for me was the dessert. Only one place besides Cotton Candy, Sunset Grill on Bronte Street, was serving something sweet. Sunset Grill had waffles the size of dinner plates and homemade timbits. I wanted to try the waffle, but unfortunately, they were closing by the time I went up for one, because they ran out of batter, thanks to the waffles’ popularity. The event provided a great community atmosphere, and I had so much fun tasting the food and hanging out with friends. Congratulations to the staff and students at MDHS on a job well done!
Grand Chalet Paula Szewczyk and Dominic DiBiase
Kelly and Carter Finkbeiner
MDHS Teacher - Stuart Charles
Milton Villager
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Ken and Holly Jacobson
12 | Milton Villager Milton United Way - Kate Williamson
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unday, May 26 will be a special day for the town of Milton and all its pet owners, because the Oakville and Milton Humane Society has returned with its annual Milton Mutt Strutt and Spring Fair. The residents of Milton and all their fuzzy companions will be marching through town to benefit the homeless, abused, and neglected animals of Milton. The walk will begin at noon at the Milton Fairgrounds and will be accompanied by a ribbon cutting ceremony. The participants will then march down Main Street so residents of Milton can see their love for their pets. The five kilometer “strutt” will then return to the Milton Fairgrounds, where it will be followed by a one kilometer stroll for younger families or those with elderly dogs that need a shorter route.
Society’s Web site: http://omhs.ca. A traditional pledge form can also be found on their website. Last year’s Milton Mutt Strutt and Spring Fair had two hundred walkers and raised $20,000. This year the good folks at the Oakville and Milton Humane Society are aiming to raise $25,000. Their goal can be achieved with the love and support of our generous community. All proceeds from the Milton Mutt Strutt and Spring Fair will help investigate and, when necessary, prosecute perpetrators of animal abuse, cruelty, and neglect. Proceeds will also go toward shelter and care for homeless animals, finding loving homes for pets, human education, and pet therapy. Just imagine the amount of fuzzy, feathery, and cute lives that can be saved if the Human Society reaches its goal! Come out and help support this wonderful cause.
Right after the walks there will be a spring fair featuring a Beagle Bouncer, crafts and games for kids, a dog agility demonstration, a silent auction, a vendor marketplace, and wonderful food Brenda Dushko, manager of fund development for the Oakville and Milton Humane Society, said, “Milton is one of the fastestprovided by Lick’s Homeburgers. growing communities in Canada; thus the need for our services Participants are encouraged to set up an online pledge page to help homeless and abused animals keeps growing. We look that they can use to invite their email, Facebook, and LinkedIn forward to seeing all the animal lovers of Milton on Sunday, contacts to participate. This page can be found at the Humane May 26 to walk with the animals and enjoy the spring fair.”
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The Milton Mutt Strutt
Milton Villager
By Anshul Sharma
14 | Milton Villager
Jensen Rolls Up the Rim
And Wins Big
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oll Up the Rim is an annual tradition in Canada. Beginning in February, coffee drinkers can pull into their local Tim Hortons, order a hot beverage in any size, drink it, then follow the yellow arrow and roll up the rim of the cup to win prizes. This year’s grand prizes included one thousand Napoleon gourmet grills, one hundred dollar Tim Hortons gift cards, prepaid MasterCard gift cards, and forty 2013 Toyota RAV4s.
Jensen is a forklift driver who often gets coffee during his lunch hour with his coworkers. “One of us gets the same coffee, so it happened to be luck of the draw that I got the cup,” Jensen said. The RAV4 is a four-door silver model that could serve as a replacement car for Jensen. “I think I’m going to drive it,” he said.
He was relieved to finally get the keys. “It feels like a weight was lifted off my shoulders,” he said. Following Rockin’ Roll Up the Rim is a new way to enter the the interview he took a photo and then left Tim Hortons, competition, available at www.rolluptherimtowin.com. driving his prize. Players log onto the website and spin a roulette wheel to By Laura Steiner | Photos by Ann Kornuta win up to ten thousand prizes, including free coffee for a year and the grand prize of a Universal Music experience for two to see Phillip Phillips. Prizes can be redeemed until May 19, 2013. “Our guests are happy when they win a donut or a coffee,” said Sherry Durant, owner of Tim Hortons at 8501 Highway 25, Milton, just north of 401. It was a rainy Wednesday, April 10, 2013, when Durant helped give away a Toyota RAV4 to Steve Jensen, one of her restaurant’s regulars. The parking lot was cordoned off in front of the star to prepare for the giveaway. “You can imagine how thrilling it is when someone rolls up the rim and realizes they’ve won a new vehicle,” Durant said. The celebration included a cake and balloons inside and outside the store.
Milton Toastmasters Executive members
Milton Toastmasters Opens its Doors Toastmasters International was originally founded in California in 1924 and has 12,800 clubs all over the world. The Milton Toastmasters Club has promoted the organization’s fundamental principles by providing a supportive and positive learning environment since 1982. Toastmasters provides a forum for every member to build their communication and leadership skills. According to the Toastmasters, improvement in these skills leads to personal growth and greater self-confidence. Toastmasters International is an inclusive organization, and the Milton Toastmasters Club certainly no exception. Its forty members come from a variety backgrounds. The fulfilling and enriching benefits of being a part of such an organization breed loyalty, as long-time memberships attest: Joyce Scott has been a member for twenty-seven years, and Betty Nisbet has been a member for twenty-six. The Milton Toastmasters Club receives new guests at every meeting, and membership is growing fast. The open house was structured like an actual meeting, according to Jean Howden, the acting chair for the evening. In Toastmasters, there are various roles, and those roles were explained throughout the course of the meeting. This format allowed the guests at the open house not only to view an authentic Toastmasters meeting but also to have the opportunity to actively participate themselves.
their wide vocabulary and vocal dexterity. David Lozowski, a guest speaker from another Toastmasters Club, explained how Toastmasters allows him to be creative. He said the club lets him “unleash my beast. Let it roar!” Speech evaluations are part of the Toastmasters meeting format. The evaluations provide an invaluable opportunity for speakers to receive feedback, and they play a pivotal part in the club’s success. Toward the end of the meeting there was a drawing for door prizes, which elicited enthusiastic reactions from the crowd. It is important to the Milton Toastmasters to foster an enjoyable learning environment. Drawings are held at every meeting, and the club hosts a Christmas party in December. “When you come to a Toastmasters meeting, you are welcomed as part of a family,” Cooperwhite said to The Milton Villager at the end of the memorable evening. The Milton Toastmasters Club would be happy to see new faces at their meetings and show people how rewarding the Toastmasters experience can be. The club meets every Tuesday from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m., except during July and August, when the club meets every second Tuesday. It is suggested that people arrive fifteen minutes early to meet the members. Anyone interested in learning more about the Milton Toastmasters and attending as a guest is invited to contact Denise Cooperwhite at 905-878-3684.
A highly entertaining portion of the evening was the “table topics” session. The open house guests and members were invited to randomly pick a topic to discuss for one minute. Denise Cooperwhite, vice president of membership for Milton Toastmasters and the table topics master for the evening, chose the theme of “bad habits” for the session. That theme included sixteen hilarious and thought-provoking subtopics such as “picking at scabs or zits,” “nail biting,” and the comic, yet scandalous topic of “leaving the bathroom door open when you use the bathroom at home.” During the three main speeches of the evening, the speakers took command of the room and engaged the audience with
Gail Inglis-Milton Toastmaster President
Milton Villager
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s the evening sun illuminated the sky, the Milton Toastmasters Club opened its doors to welcome the community to its open house on April 16, 2013.
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By Elizabeth Kogan | photos by Denise Cooperwhite