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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Goderich Signal-Star, 1981-08-12, Page 15Fire On Ice at Blyth Sumrner 'estival relives the legend of great Howie Morenz BY JOANNE BUCHANAN Hockey fans will appreciate Fire On Ice, the story of one of the game's greatest heroes, now playing at the Blyth Summer Festival. . Collectively created from an original, weft -researched script by Keith Roulston, Fire On Ice follows the rise and fall of Howie Morenz; the 'Babe Ruth of Hockey'. Born. and raised in Mitchell until the age of 14 when his' family moved to Stratford, Morena first began making a name for himself' in the city industrial leagues and the -midget league. In 1923 he signed a pro contract with the Montreal Canadiens of the NHL where he spent 11. years and became a star. After a few 'bad seasons' he was traded to the Chicago Black Hawks, returning to the Canadiens in 1936. In 1937, he suffered a freak accident on the ice, fracturing his leg in five places. While recovering in hospital, ,he suffered a heart attack and died at 34 years of age. Fire On Ice follows this brief synopsis with laughter, song and plenty of dramatic action while also. exposing the big business side of hockey; its violence; and the fickleness of its fans. Keith Thomas, who played Yock Bauman in Blyth's first production. of Quiet in the Land this season, makes a handsome, serious Howie Morenz who lives and breathes the game of hockey. He can't cope with the fact, that he is slowing - down as he becomes older and in the play, it is said he dies not of a heart attack but of a broken heart because he can't play hockey. the way he usedto. Graham McPherson excells in his roles; first as Dynamite Dan, a drunk who hangs around the arena and exaggerates his own hockey past to anyone who will listen and later as Jacques, a bar tender in Morenz' restaurant who tries to persuade Morenz not to be so hard on himself. William Dunlop' shows versatility in his roles. He plays the ruthless owner of the Canadiens, more interested in box office receipts than people's lives. He also plays a mobster with great comic flare, looking like one of the 'Blues Brothers'. Sam Robinson is, good as Canadiens coach, Cecil Hart and Frank Scott helps round out the cast as a fellow hockey player. ABE needs students BY JOANNE BUCHANAN Four years ago, after hearing about a program called Adult Basic Education on CFPL radio's Bill Brady show, Sheila Fink of Goderich decided there must be a need for such a program right here in Huron County: After several inquiries, she opened up her home and began to tutor one adult student in the basic skills of reading and writing. She now has 14 students coming from Lucknow, Wingham, Clinton and Kincardine as well as Goderich and she has expanded into Knox Presbyterian Church facilities. She also has enough tutors besides herself for one-on-one 'in-' struction. Mrs. Fink is looking for more students as weekly classes start up again on Sep- tember 21. These classes will be held Monday evenings from 7: 30-9:30 p.m. until mid-June. Adult Basic Education is for fuctionally illiterate adults who, through notfault of their own, have never learned to read or write. The Laubach method, a phonics system in which letters are superimposed over pictures, . is used to teach printing, writing, spelling and reading from a Grade 1 to Grade 8 level. Each student starts at his or her own level and works at his or her own speed. Tutors are volunteers so the onlycost for students involves the pur- chase of Laubach boics. • If you know of .someone who would benefit from the Adult Basic Education classes ( it is not for the mentally han- dicapped or for new Canadians wanting to learn English), contact Mrs. Fink at 524- 2934 after 6 p.m. All enquiries will be kept confidential. Mrs. Fink would also like to hear from people interested in becoming tutors. • Present Adult Basic Education students range in age from 24 to 50. Mrs. Fink reports they are making good progress and learning new self-respect as they learn toreadand write. , Jean McKee's `office' is a small greenhouse attached to the Gledhill home. There she spends time propagating flowers and plants all year long. (Photo by Joanne Buchanan.) One of the highlights of the play is the scene in which mob -connected owners discuss the profitability of expanding into the U.S. market while watching Morenz play, all the time becoming more im- pre cced with his speed and skill. John Roby composed and performs the music for Fire On Ice. It includes the typical pre -game organ pieces one hears in NHL arenas. • The set by Pat Flood represents a rink surface with players' boxes at both sides and the 'Prominent red,. white and blue colors everywhere. Suits with baggy trousers and slicked -back hair remind audiences of theera. Skillful direction by David Fox helps in the more sensitive -scenes, showing fellow team-mates' jealousies when Morenz signs his pro contract; Morenz' difficult first year as a rookie; and his frustrations as a hockey player in later years. If you are a lover of Canada's national - sport, you won't want to miss Fire On Ice. It plays August 13,14,19, 20 (at 2 p.m.) and 22. Fire on Ice, which opened at Blyth Summer Festival last week, is the story of hockey great Howie Morena. Pictured here in the thederich production, left to right, are Frank Scott, Keith Thomas ( who plays Morenz 1 and William Dunlop. ( Photo by Hockings) IGNAL STA 133 YEAR -32 GODERICH SIGNAL -STAR, WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 12, 1981 SECOND SECTION Jean McKee puts her green thumbs to w�rkashead gardener for Inn BY JOANNE BUCHANAN ." One of Benmiller Inn's attributes is its beautiful natural surroundings including flower gardens, giant shade trees and shrubs. The person responsible for these' gardens, trees and shrubs is Jean McKee. She has been the head gardener at the Irin for the past three years and -hers is no easy task. Her days usually begin at 7:30 a.m. and even. she admits that there pre so many green things to look after, that sometimes her head starts to spin. Her office is a small greenhouse attached to the Gledhill home. Here, she spends time propagating plants and flowers. Although Mrs. McKee was not responsible for the original landscaping at the Inn, she is now responsible for maintaining it and even improving upon it. Each year she takes on small projects, turning former weed patches into rock and flower gardens. One of her most recently' . completed projects is the creation of a Japanese style garden just behind the River Mill. Inside \thfs recreational facility, she has planted a tropical garden and there are hanging plants and green foliage e verywhere. Over at the Benmiller Inn, she looks' after an outdoor Italian style garden and provides indoor table arrangements of fresh flowers in summer and dried flowers in winter. Guests often request that she make special flower arrangements for their rooms as well. And, at Christmas she provides the floral decorations for the Inn. Behind. the Inn, Mrs. McKee has planted a herb garden which the head chef and his assistants use 'everyday: ,This garden includes basil, chives, thyme, dill, borage, chervil, marjoram, oregano and mint. • Mrs. McKee has her own .greenhouse and garden at her home not far from the Inn. She freezes fresh. garden vegetables, grows grapes and makes her own wine. Her recipe for chokecherry wine is featured in Blanche Pownall Garrett's book, Canadian Country Preserves and Wines. In fact, her first job at Benmiller Inn was, that of wine steward for two and a half years. Although her gardening credentials are outstanding, Mrs. McKee stumbled upon the gardening job at Benmiller Inn almost accidentally. She had been providing dried flower arrangements for the Inn since its opening and later one fall,. when the Inn's gardener took sick, the Manager asked her to help with the clean-up of the grounds. She was so good at the work, that she was offered a permanent gardening job. • Mrs. McKee feels she must have cone by her two green thumbs naturally, although she has taken many courses over the years to make them even greener.. She was born on a street in England 'where everybody had a greenhouse and a green thumb' apd later worked in the beautiful gardens of two different English estates. She took private lessons at the London School of Floristry in England and her instructor was one of the persons who helped with the flowers at Queen Elizabeth II's wedding. She came to Canada in 1951 at the age of 21. Since living here, she has taken many, courses, including several at the Royal Botanical . Gardens in Hamilton. She belongs to the Goderich Garden Club and is an accredited judge of flower arranging with the Garden Clubs' of Ontario. She has taught flower arrangingand gardening at night school in Goderich and she started the Flower Festival held in the Court House each . year during Goderich's Festival of Arts- and Crafts. She brought the Flower Festival idea with her from England where such festivals are. very popular and she says the best part about it is the fact that it is non-competitive.. ' About 10 years ago, Mrs. McKee started The Flower Pot, a sort of mini -business ( although she doesn't- like the word 'business') in which she provides flower arrangements, unusual house plants'and dried flowers for people. She especially loves matching flowers to people's fur- niture and life-styles: Edna Shaw of 'Goderich helps her with this business and every year, the two women display their work at Saltford's Christmas Country Fair. Through The Flower Pot, Mrs. McKee 'accidentally got into weddings''and she now provides flowers for about three weddings per year. She says she would work on more weddings if she wasn't so busy with her job. The more challenging. the wedding, the better she likes it. She grows all her own flowers for the church and reception arrangements but ,buys flowers for the bouquets. She likes the natural look and never uses anything artificial, even in her dried flower arrangements. She doesn't have any particular favorite flower although she - does have a collection of rare types of geraniums. Roses 'seem to be the most popular flowers at weddings, she says. Mrs. McKee calls herself a Jack-of-all- trades. Besides her gardening and wine - making pursuits, she enjoys woodworking and trout fishing and along with a friend, she also breeds and raises sheep. They sell the rams and Mrs. McKee says, "I guess you could call me a shepherdess. I just love the lambing time." Her job at Benmiller Inn doesn't leave her much time for hobbies however. She has an assistant to help her in spring and summer and a member of the main- tenance crew is responsible for keeping the grass cut,- but still she finds herself extremely busy. The bugs and drought have been bad this year and extra care is needed to keep the greenery looking green and the flowers looking bright. • A glance around the Inn and the River Mill proves the Mrs. McKee's knowledge. hard work and dedication is paying off. (,crests at Benuriller Inn enjoy strolling in the beautifully kept gardens, like the Italian garden shoe. a here All of the gardens, trees and shrubs are the responsibility of head gardenerJean McKee. ( Photo by Joanne Buchanan) ........... Jean McKee, head gardener at Benmiller Inn, has indoor plants to garden located just inside the front entrance of the River Mill. look after as well as outdoor ones. Here she, checks over a tropical 1 Photo by Joanne Buchanan) Mike hay les. a chef at the Benmiller Inn. Wen- _f`(i s era front the ltur' • firrh- garden to use in one of his recipes. 'Photo by Ji%atui Buchanan)