The Converged Citizen - September 29, 2014.

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CONVERGED CITIZEN

VOLUME X ISSUE I

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SEPTEMBER 29, 2014

Grenon memorial ride Photos By Dan Gray Managing Editor

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Photo to right - Retired Chief Warrant Officer Thomas Skelding sits atop his specially decaled motorcycle during the second annual Andrew Grenon memorial ride on Sept. 14 in Tecumseh.

Skelding was on tour in Afghanistan when Grenon was killed. Skelding came from Newfoundland to participate in the event.

One of many pieces of custom decal work on Skelding’s motorcycle.

Setting the wheels in motion for charity Justin Prince Citizen Staff Reporter

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Car and motorcycle enthusiasts alike are setting the wheels in motion for a charitable cause.

The fourth annual Wheels On Wyandotte Car and Motorcycle Show was held Sept. 13 to help raise funds for Camp Brombal, a charity founded by the Windsor Police Services. The charity was created in 2002 in honour of Const. Nereo Brombal. Brombal was a police officer who served in the late 1920s until the early 1940s. According to Bridget Scheuerman, the executive director and chairperson of Wheels on Wyandotte, 141 people entered the event this year, up from 120 participants in 2013. Some of the cars ranged from restored classic cars like a 1929 Model A Roadster to newer models like the Dodge Charger.

“At that time period (when Brombal was on the force), Italy was allied with Germany,” said police officer Shane Renaud, a 15-year veteran in the WPS’s Community Services branch. “Unfortunately for Brombal, he was a full-pledged member of the WPS (who was Italian) and he was dismissed. Fifty years

Photo By Justin Prince

Hugh Pillon wipes the windshield of his 1996 Chevrolet Corvette before the start of the Wheels On Wyandotte Car and Motorcycle Show in Windsor on Saturday, Sept. 13. went by and we apologized to his family. Unfortunately he had already passed away and a camp was named in his honour.”

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New city hall design in the hands of the public Sean Frame Managing Editor

The new city hall design concept decision is being put on hold by Windsor city council, until the public has given their suggestions.

At the city hall meeting on Monday, September 8, three new city hall design concepts were presented.

Designers Architectura Inc. and Moriyama & Teshima Architects showcased three concept designs: the campus concept, the courtyard concept and the gateway design. Council voted in majority towards waiting to choose a design until the public has seen two of the three designs.

Each design will incorporate the council chambers on the first floor to attempt making council meetings more open to the public.

The courtyard concept was voted out by council leaving the campus and gateway to be viewed at an open house at a later date.

The open house will give

Clair’s Mediaplex, collaborated on the design. They showed basic two dimensional images of the design.

According to Dan Amicone of Architecturra, they had more in depth three dimensional models but stuck to the two dimensional images, given the time constraints.

Ward 3 councilor Fulvio Valentinis went into a more detail when looking at the design aspects and expressed his concern.

Photo by Sean Frame “Both of these look like they Mayor Eddie Francis and associates are presented with the gateway concept for the new city hall are ground floor [the campus design at a council meeting held Sept. 8. and gateway design],” said the public a chance to dis- courtyard would be well over open now,” said Diarmuid Valentinis. “The current city cuss the new design and budget costing $27 million.

Nash, a partner of Moriyama hall’s entrance is a disaster, Project administrator Wadah & Teshima Architects. “This there is no slope there so with voice which one they preAl-Yassiri said the campus current city hall only has two water accumulation and ferred.

The first design was the concept would be the more doors, so all three of our everything else, I think this campus concept. This design preferred option, with its open designs incorporate a more should all be taken into conwould create a public campus plaza,festivals and events open city hall with the city sideration.” environment in which city hall could take place on its council [chambers] being on Al-Yassiri said they would be combined with a grounds. It’s also considered the main floor. We get the final would take this into conplaza for festivals and activi- the most cost-effective facility say on the main idea of the sideration. Council chamto operate, according to Al- design and we are focusing on bers were packed with peoties.

The courtyard concept Yassiri. getting the public into the ple, leaving some people to The gateway concept, place and feeling a real sense stand pushed side to side would take advantage of Senator Croll Park with poten- according to the architects, of transparency.” against the chamber walls, tial for more green area. With would commemorate the Moriyama & Teshima and which only highlighted the an estimated budget of $23 industrial history of Windsor.

Architecttura Inc, who are need for a new, larger city “City halls tend to be more known for designing St. hall. million for construction, the

Locals discuss how lack of education could hinder youth votership plan on voting.

Shelbey Hernandez Associate Managing Editor

Windsor residents are discussing how education can determine the likelihood of younger generations to vote.

For this year’s municipal election, there are 12 mayoral candidates. Even though there are more candidates running than in previous years, some residents are concerned not enough youth are interested in voting.

“I always vote in every election,” said 76-year-old Beverly Brown. “When I was young, we always voted. The whole family always voted. A lot of countries are oppressed—they can’t do that.

That’s a freedom we have and so I think it’s very important that young people vote.”

For Brown, education played a huge role in how she viewed voting. She said voting is important because it allows her to have a say in what goes on in her country and her community. She said no one has a right to complain about how the country is run if they don’t

Mohammad Akbar, a political science student at the University of Windsor, said voting is extremely important to him because his parents, back in their home country, were unable to vote. In his case, he was educated quite a bit about politics and voting.

“I would like to see educators make an effort to teach politics prior to elections so that youth may make an informed decision,” said Fawn O’Brien, an individual who has been out of school for two years. “I know some of my peers have said, ‘I don’t even know who is running or why, so I don’t want to vote because I cannot make an educated decision.’”

Not being educated about voting is a reason why Amy Thomson doesn’t plan to vote in the upcoming election. She said she doesn’t think she should bother voting until she has more knowledge about it.

When it comes to how political campaigns are laid out, Akbar said they are meant for all audiences which makes them less appealing to the youth.

“There are a variety of ways to engage youth through social media and through person-to-person discussions, but it is often difficult for candidates to engage youth in these ways due to their campaigns being geared towards the general population,” said the 23-year-old University of Windsor student. “In addition, youth face disillusionment with not only the structure, but also the processes of voting.”

Some mayoral candidates this year have taken a step towards more social media outlets. Drew Dilkens, for example, has been using his Facebook account to promote himself. Although his account has been active since 2007, he began using it to promote his mayoral candidacy in August 2014.

Voting day for Windsor is on Oct. 27. Residents will be asked to vote for a mayor, city council members and school board trustees. If anyone has any questions regarding the elections, they can call 311. If they need more detailed information, they can call (519)-255-6285.

Residents can also find out their perspective voting station locations by going onto the City of Windsor website.

THE CONVERGED TEAM Managing Editors

Senior Associate Managing Editors Sports Editors Shelbey Hernandez Bobby-Jo Keats

Chelsea Lefler Ryan Turczyniak

Production Manager

Production Team

Entertainment Editor

Justin Thompson

Tecumseh MacGuigan Angelica Haggert Sean Frame

Shelbey Hernandez

Sean Frame Dan Gray

Digital Editor Bobby-Jo Keats

Photo Editor Copy Editor Johnathan Martin Tecumseh MacGuigan Katherine Sokolowski Ryan Bro Taylor Busch Angelica Haggert

WWW.THEMEDIAPLEX.COM EMAIL: MEDIA.CONVERGED@THEMEDIAPLEX.COM PHONE: (519) 972-2727 EXT. 4963 FOLLOW US AT HTTP://TWITTER.COM/THE_MEDIAPLEX

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According to Renaud, the charity gives 40 children the opportunity to go camping out in the wilderness with no cost to their families. The participants are chosen through the Grade 6 Values, Influences and Peers program, which addresses topics from shoplifting to drugs. Renaud said the children are selected based on who might not have the resources to go to camp otherwise. The charity’s website states that it costs $20,000 per year to run the program, or $400 per child.

“I don’t have a problem with that (donating to Camp Brombal) at all,” said Windsor Area Street Rods President Joe McFadden. “Most of the car shows we go to throughout summer, they all donate to one charity or another. It’s just another venue for them to get money for their charities so it’s all good.”

Windsor Street Rods, which was founded in 1974, has about 50 members according to McFadden. He said most clubs go to shows throughout the region with their cars, from A&W Cruise Nights in Windsor every Wednesday to events in Michigan.

McFadden said the club also has its own car show every May to help support ALS

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Canada.

“We just like to show off our cars and we like to come out and mingle with other friends and all the other old car owners here,” said Hugh Pillon, a member of the Corvette Club of Windsor.

According to Scheuerman, it was very important “to select a cause that was demonstrating considerable involvement in the community.” She also said this year’s event was held in coordination with Vintage in the Village, an event held by the Pillette Village Business Improvement Association, for the first time. She said she hopes both the Olde Riverside Town Centre Business Improvement Association and the Pillette Village BIA can work together in the near future to make a better show.

“We will be continuing to hold this event annually, making the event more visitorfriendly and attracting more cars and motorcycles,” said Scheuerman. “We will look at the success of the various events within the show and make plans for a better show next September.”

According to Scheuerman, the final total for the donations will not be made public until October, when the organization will be handing a personal cheque to the charity. The event raised $3,500 in 2013.

Windsorites walk for ALS Taylor Busch Copy Editor Nearly 500 residents took part in Sunday’s ALS walk along the Ganatchio Trail in Windsor.

ALS – three letters that change people’s lives forever.

Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis is a rapidly progressive, neuromuscular disease that attacks every part of the body except the mind.

According to ALS Canada, every day nearly three thousand Canadians are treated for it and 0.1 per cent die from it.

Unlike cancer or other neurodegenerative disorders, ALS has no known cure and many treatments to slow its progression fail. Until recently, many Canadians only

Miss Universe Canada now accepting applications for Western Ontario Shelbey Hernandez Associate Managing Editor Applications for the Miss Universe Canada Western Ontario Preliminary competition are now being accepted.

The applications have been available since Sept. 1 and will continue to be accepted until February or March of 2015. Pageant co-ordinator Sonny Borrelli, said the deadline is flexible and depends on how many girls apply. Girls must be between the ages of 18 and 27 in order to apply.

Borrelli said it is best to apply online by going to the Miss Universe Canada website. Women from all across Canada apply through this website and once the applications are seen by head office, they are emailed to each corresponding region’s pageant co-ordinator. For Western

Ontario, that co-ordinator is Borrelli.

Borrelli will then set up the casting calls, where women will be tested on their interviewing skills and their poise.

A select few are chosen from the casting calls and begin training with Chelsea Durocher, a previous Miss Universe Canada contestant.

By April, the women who will move on to the national round will be chosen and will compete against girls from all across Canada for the title of Miss Universe Canada. The woman who does will also represent Canada at the Miss Universe pageant in the summer of 2015. The location is yet to be determined.

The Western Ontario preliminary competition co-ordinator said although experience helps, it is not necessary to compete.

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heard about the disease when someone close to them was diagnosed with it or died from it and awareness was very limited.

Then, the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge went viral. Pete Frates, a former college baseball player living with the disease, is credited for being the first person to tie ALS to the challenge. After Frates nominated his friends to take the challenge for him or make a donation towards ALS research, awareness for the disease began to skyrocket.

Suddenly, Americans and Canadians who had never heard of Lou Gehrig’s disease were willing to empty their pockets for it.

Many Windsorites who walked for

ALS on Sunday later admitted they would probably still not know about the disease if not for the challenge.

Sharon Colman, long-time president for the ALS Society of Windsor-Essex and Chatham-Kent, said Sunday was the best turnout they’ve had in ten years. The walk, which was started by the Beattie family of Windsor, is very different from other charity walks because most of the participants and volunteers have not lived with the disease. Of the 500 people in attendance on Sunday, only two of them are current ALS patients.

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“This event has always focused on celebrating the lives we’ve lost, but maybe that’s starting to change,” said Colman. “We’re very, very fortunate and grateful to get this size of a turnout and we certainly hope everyone will come back next year.”

Since neither of the men with ALS can speak, their wives spoke for them. Peggy Barrette became emotional as she described the support she and her husband George have received from the ALS Society since 2004. Jill Maden, whose husband Bill also suffers from ALS, said she is grateful for the aids and assistance the ALS Society gives them which allow him to continue living at home.

Both women also talked in great detail of their overwhelming gratitude for Colman who has given them everything they needed and more since day one.

“The ALS Society has been absolutely fantastic up to this point and I don’t know what we’d do without them,” said Maden. “We try to remain positive but this disease is so unpredictable we can only hope for the best and prepare for the worst.”

Linda Scaife, a volunteer for

Photo By Taylor Busch Bill Maden, who is currently living with ALS in Windsor, was escorted down the Ganatchio Trail by friends and family during the 10th annual ALS walk Sunday, Sept. 14.

Photo By Taylor Busch Many members of the Windsor Lancer football team came out to support ALS research by walking and completing the Ice Bucket Challenge earlier this summer.

State Of Us comes home

the walk, said her family continues to have a very positive experience with Colman and the ALS Society years after the death of her father Frank.

Like many of the other volunteers present, Scaife said she participated in the walk with her father several times while he was sick, but began volunteering her time in his memory after he died. She and her family members said they have never felt an obligation to repay the charity, but choose to show appreciation for the support they continue to receive from meetings held each month at the Hospice of Windsor.

“I continue to volunteer for this organization now because I know how much it helps families and patients who are diagnosed,” said Scaife. “All the money that’s raised stays right here to help these people.

You can’t ask for more than that.”

Though Colman said the ALS Society reached their goal for funds and awareness at this walk, they will certainly need more throughout the year. Without the services and supplies they give to local families, experts estimate it could cost between $150 and $200 thousand per year to care for just one sick relative at home. To find out more about ALS or make a donation visit www.alswindsor.ca.

MediaPlex Town Hall Open Invitation Have questions? Come get answers

Photos By Ryan Brough Photo Editor Photo above: State Of Us is seen performing at Milk Coffee Bar Thursday Sept. 18. The band worked in Toronto throughout the summer and their recent performance was their first local show since their return to Windsor.

Photo to left: Sebastian Abt performs live at Milk Coffee Bar Abt’s band State Of Us played their first show in Windsor since moving recently from Toronto.

Doors open 5:30 p.m.

Mayoral Ward 3 Oct. 6

Oct. 20

6:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.

6:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.

Meet the candidates St. Clair College MediaPlex Tweet us your questions 275 Victoria Ave @the_mediaplex 519-972-2727 ext 4292 www.themediaplex.com

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Korda Artistic Productions Othello review REVIEW

Sean Frame Managing Editor Korda Artistic Productions and Director Dean Valentino had their opening night on Sept. 13 for Shakespeare’s tragedy Othello. I was given the opportunity to see this play and would recommend it to an audience who doesn’t frequent live theatre.

Tim Clark portrays Othello, a general in the Venetian army who is well loved by his peers.

The tale of Othello is a one of racism, jealousy and war.

Othello falls in love and elopes with a Venetian girl of great beauty, Desdemona. She is the daughter of the Venetian Senator Brabantio who disowns her after learning about the affair. The story of jealousy and deceit is set in motion by “honest” Iago, Othello’s junior officer who despises the general for “stealing” his rank.

Kristen Lamoure-Dias plays

Photo by Sean Frame Othello (Tim Clark) smothers Desdemona (Kristen Lamoure-Dias) in Shakespeare’s tragedy Othello directed by Dean Valentino at the Kordazone Theatre on Saturday Sept. 13. the loyal Desdemona with great delicacy, adding to the belief that Othello would do drastic things for her. When the actress sings the “Willow Song”, a song her mother frequently sang to Desdmona as a child before passing, there is a sense of sadness in her stunning tone. Eric Smith plays various small roles throughout the play and does an excellent job of distinguishing between the roles. Amongst the cast was Joey Wright (Roderigo) stood out, catching my attention in most of the scenes and outshining most of the cast with his performance.

Director Dean Valentino plays Iago well enough but I felt he was lacking emotion and didn’t seem menacing enough for his role. He only shows his characters true colours when the other characters backs are turned, snickering and sneering at the audience. Valentino goes back and forth between “honest” Iago, well respected by all, then back to the mastermind behind his own villainous plot to make “The Moor” Othello fall into a jealous rage.

The costuming was all black modern-day clothing that leaves a lot to the imagination

yet does not add to the imagery of the play. The props were lacking and most of the swords looked as if they were purchased from a dollar store.

The cast of Othello does a good job using what space they have, using a balcony to set the scene on the small stage. In one scene Tim Clark (Othello) is on the balcony spying on Iago, adding tension to the scene. The area around the audience is also used adding to the magic of their play, drawing the audience in and erasing barriers.

After a brief intermission the cast and crew began Act Two

of the play. The second act had a darker atmosphere than the first and this was very evident in the story. I felt the lighting structure didn’t really add to the atmosphere. Only in the final scene, with a single light on centre stage, did I feel it was used well.

As Iago’s plan is set in motion, using Desdemona’s handkerchief to pit Othello against his second in command instilling jealousy into Othello’s mind. This act of mischief leads him to expect his Venetian wife has been cheating on him with Cassio.

In the final scene in the play Tim Clark displays rage and a certain sadness with utter ease making one feel for his situation, yet the rest of his acting lacked very basic emotions.

Despite the props and set they drew the audience in and used their acting skills to create the story’s atmosphere.

The show continues from September 18th to the 20th at 8 p.m., Tickets are $10 for seniors and students and $15 for regular admission at Kordazone Theatre on 2520 Seminole St.

2.5/5 Rating

A personal perspective on 9/11 OPINION

Mark Brown Columnist The anniversary of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks has a profound effect on me, as an American who has lived in Canada for over five years. This day also has meaning for me as a person who was working for a media outlet on that horrible morning.

On the 13th anniversary of the attacks on New York, Washington and rural Pennsylvania, I’m ready to tell the story of what I experienced that day. I want my

classmates at St. Clair College to get a perspective on how that day was like from a media standpoint – how we were able to work through the shock, anger and sadness to cover the story.

September 11, 2001 started out as a typical Tuesday morning for the staff at radio station WSPD in Toledo, Ohio. It was a beautiful late summer day.

Just like in New York, there was a primary election going on, so the news staff was planning its coverage. I was just a kid in my 20s who hadn’t been with the station that long. My job at the time was to run the network board for the midday shows the station carried, Dr. Laura and Rush Limbaugh.

I stopped on my way to work to put gas in my car. I got back in the car and flipped on the radio, and the morning host was saying that two planes had just crashed into the World Trade Center. I thought

it was a joke at first. So I flipped through the other stations, and of course, no one was laughing. I thought at first that small, twin-engine planes had a terrible accident. Then it was determined that these were jetliners, flown into the towers on purpose. It was a terrorist attack.

I needed to get to my station as soon as I could. En route, I was flipping between stations and all of them were covering the story. By the time I arrived at the station, chaos reigned.

People were running around, shouting, asking questions, watching the TV in disbelief.

I entered the studio and saw the pictures for the first time.

Black smoke was belching from both towers of the World Trade Center and you could hear the chorus of sirens still rushing to lower Manhattan. I definitely wasn’t prepared for what happened next. As Peter Jennings on ABC said “Good

Lord,” the first tower came down.

I turned away from the TV and tried not to get violently ill. My country was being attacked on live television and there was nothing I could do about it. I could only muster three words…

“God help us.”

Once that sick, helpless feeling passed, we went into crisis mode and stayed on top of that story. I alternated between the network and live programming on that board the rest of my shift without even a bathroom break. The station suspended regular programming through that coming weekend. In place of network programming, we were live and local, taking calls from listeners, and being out on the streets helping to collect relief money for the victims. We had people on the street and at City Hall. We heard the stories of people

who were at the affected places. It didn’t stop…not for a while.

I still get the chills when I think about it. But through it all, we were proud of ourselves for the job we did. It didn’t matter if you were the news reporter out getting the latest information or the programmer making sure the information got on the air. We were a team. We covered the story.

We accomplished the goal of reporting the facts and keeping the listeners informed. Isn’t that the hallmark of the industry? So for my fellow journalists – when a story breaks, don’t lose track of what’s important and don’t let your emotions get in the way of what you’re reporting. We all want the same thing, to learn as much about our profession as we can.

Still mourning the almost 3,000 people that lost their lives that awful day…