The Village Squire, 1981-05, Page 24People
Sitting on top
The seven-year-old Perth County
Historical board may be on the way out,
but not quietly. Perth archivist Jim
Anderson made sure of that when he
perched atop the county courthouse in
Stratford recently.
The city resident was talked down after
13 hours but not before he drew attention
to what he calls a miscarriage of local
government and cultural backwardness.
Anderson, who combined his trip to the
top with a continuing hunger strike,
describes the historical board as the most
intelligent, dedicated group he's ever
worked with. But in contrast. he says,
"we have seen the appalling performance
of our local po?;i;; fans with regard to the
subject of local history."
Stratford and Perth councils have
adopted recommendations to disband
their co-operative board for economic
reasons and Anderson says he'll protest
until the board is revived with its full
mandate. He wants a county museum
created, and completion of the Fryfogel
Inn restoration project. "If we believe in
our local culture and local history, the
first million invested in it will soon come
back tenfold," he says. "There should be
no restraints on the investment in tourism
in Perth County and Stratford jointly. It is
long overdue."
For almost two decades Anderson has
devoted his energies to county history, its
preservation and promotion. "How would
you feel if 18 years of work were thrown
down for reasons that cannot make
sense?" he asks. "I do not enjoy
protesting any more than anyone else,
but someone has to do it. I have better
reason than most."
City and county politicians say they
don't expect their positions to be re-
versed. — Dean Robinson
Bunny likes Bend
As if the beaches of Grand Bend don't
already attract enough visitors. Now a
model, featured in the March Playboy
magazine, intends to spend her summers
sharing the southwestern Ontario sun on
the shores of Lake Huron.
The model is 33 -year-old Jo Penney.
Last year she and her husband Derek
purchased a lakefront home in Southcott
Pines, and the couple intends to spend
most of their summer in the popular
resort this year.
Penney. who is also an actress and a
Toronto business woman. operates Jo
Penney Inc., a model and talent agency.
Her firm, in the past, has supplied
several models for the men's magazine.
but their choice of her for a photo spread
was somewhat of a surprise. Most
featured ladies are at least ten years
younger than Penney.
She said being the subject of a Playboy
series is something she had always
wanted to do. and Penney added she
found her selection very flattering. But in
addition the Playboy exposure has been a
stimulus for her business. It's helped
develop ties with New York and Los
Angeles where much of the modelling
work is centered.
The couple's purchase of the Grand
Bend home came about by chance while
they were visiting friends last summer.
Penney discovered the site was for sale
and said. once she saw the sailboats on the
lake. "it was love at first sight".
Fire on Ice
Blyth writer Keith Roulston's new
play about Mitchell native Howie Morenz
is one of three to be workshopped at the
Toronto Theatre Festival in May. Fire on
Ice. Roulston's work about the flamboy-
ant Montreal Canadiens hockey player
who died in the middle of a pro hockey
comeback at age 34, was suggested to
Festival organizers by playwright Carol
Bolt.
Fire on Ice, and Bolt's Love or Money
will both be featured at this year's Blyth
Summer Festival.
The workshop "gives writers an oppor-
tunity to work out the bugs in a
non -pressure situation," Roulston says.
Producers from all over Canada, and
perhaps the US will attend, which gives
the play excellent exposure.
Other recent exposure for Roulston,
who's administrative director of the Blyth
Centre for the Arts, and his new play,
includes an April interview with David
Cole on CBC Radio's Variety Tonight.
Although his death was tragic, Howie
Morenz was a "celebration of life"
Roulston told Cole. When the hockey
great's funeral was held in the Montreal
Forum, it attracted more mourners than
had attended rites for Sir Wilfred Laurier.
"Tentative" visit
"Tentative" remains the key word
when officials in Stratford talk about the
second trip to their city by Princess
Margaret. Plans can for the Queen's
sister to include a daytrip to Stratford,
likely Thursday, July 9. when she comes
to Canada this summer. Her agenda
probably would include a Festival per-
formance and a civic luncheon. But, as
Mayor Ted Blowes repeatedly says. "the
people in Ottawa keep telling us it's only
tentative at this point."
— Dean Robinson.
Raw strength
When most of us conjure up images of
the sport they are usually highlighted by
visions of an egg-shaped Russian compet-
itor whose knees seem to be losely
attached with hinges. A wonder he can
walk.
Weightlifting. Something for incompe-
tent sumo wrestlers, right.
Wrong, and Brant lifter Kali Bogias is
a testament to that. Not only did she
make the step from championship
performances in badminton. volleyball
and basketball but she's also setting new
standards for women in a sport until
recently reserved for men.
Kali had only been lifting for four
months when she entered the first
Canadian powerlifting championship in
London in early February. Then all she
did was defeat the reigning Canadian
champion in her class, 52 kg., Jose
Gingras of Charlesbourg, Quebec.
Rah was discovered by Norm Mac-
Donald of Brantford, and he is now her
coach. MacDonald, who says he's never
seen so much raw strength in a woman
before, inspired and surprised his
protege when he told her she had the
ability to be a world champion.
So far, it looks like a pretty fair
assessment.
Receives degree
The founder of the Stratford Shake-
pearean Festival. Tom Patterson. will
receive an honorary doctor of law degree
from the University of loronto.
The degree, honoris causa, will be
presented at the school's spring convoca-
tion June 11, at which Patterson will
speak at the graduation exercises.
Patterson is being given the degree
because of his "stimulation and leader-
ship to the performing arts in Canada and
particularly as founder of the Stratford
Shakespearean Festival."
VILLAGE SQUIRE/MAY 1981 PG. 23