 By Pepper Parr
July 31st, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
The CNE has been running their Rising Star Talent Competition program since 1987.
Each year young boys and girls from across the province enter the competition that runs for xx days at the Canadian National Exhibition.
The talent competition showcases young artists between the ages of 6 to 21
Contestants are judged on their natural ability, audience appeal, stage presence and the quality of their performance
Erica Pickering, a 12 year old grade 7 student at Sacred Heart where she says her best subjects are English and languages is a Rising Star contestant.
Erica puts in 25 hours a week on training but doesn’t talk in terms of a dance career for herself. She likes the look of interior design and decorating but is typical for a girl hr age – she is “considering her options”
 Erica Pickering, a contestant in the CNE Rising Star competition. Erica sings and dances and does some acting; commercial work is something she thinks she might like to do. She sees herself as a “triple threat”
Erica has this pixie look to her. The photographs of her as a performer are not the girl that you talk to in the back yard of her home.
The Erica on a stage has a very polished professional look to her.
In an interview she is confident; doesn’t look to her Mother for the answers to questions and doesn’t hesitate to tell you what she thinks – and does so very politely.
“Dancing is hard work” she will tell you but she must be doing something right: she was one of the top five in the Atlantic City event.
Now it is on to the CNE competition which is an event you must apply to for consideration.
There are usually more than 100 participants in the numerous categories.
The event is described as a “nice show” one that doesn’t have the meanness that is often seen on the events that have a reality aspect to them.
That is so Canadian: decent, polite, clean and fun – which pretty well sums up Erica Pickering.
The Gazette will follow her performances.
The Rising Star schedule is:
Junior Preliminaries: Friday August 18 – Monday August 21
Junior Semi-Finals: Monday August 28 & Tuesday August 29
Junior Finals: Saturday September 2
Youth Preliminaries: Tuesday August 22 – Sunday August 27
Youth Semi-Finals: Wednesday August 30 – Friday September 1
Youth Finals: Sunday September 3
The Grand Champion of the junior competition will receive $1,000. The Grand Champion of the youth competition will receive $2,500.
Youth division is 13 – 21 years of age ; the Junior division is 6 – 12 years old
 By Pepper Parr
July 30th, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
If you do what many of us do – plan your week on Sunday you might want to give some thought to slipping up to Lowville to take in a performance of Othello at Thinkspot where you can sit outside on a large large lawn and watch gifted actors perform one of Shakespeare’s plays.
Getting out in the middle of the week to watch a play isn’t the way most people spend their time – unless of course they are on vacation.
 Driftwood Theatre performing at Thinkspot in Lowville Whether you are on vacation or putting in time at the office – Wednesday evening – 7:00 pm the Driftwood Theatre Company will take to the outdoor stage and give you an interpretation of Othello that you will not have seen before.
Lowville has been the locale for a number of artistic endeavours. The annual Lowville Festival is now an established event that has shown admirable resilience getting off the ground. With three years behind them and respectable sponsorships in place – they can be expected to do nothing but grow.
Thinkspot has been welcoming the Driftwood Theatre to their location for a number of years. Lowville has become one of the more than 20 locations that Driftwood performs at each year.
At the end of the production, always to boisterous rounds of applause, some of the deeply committed audience for the works of William Shakespeare gather around a fire place and talk about the merits of the performance and the how’s and why’s of what the director chose to do.
 Using Canada’s United Nations role in Cyprus as the backdrop for a production of Othello is both a brave and audacious decision.
The experience is well worth the time and the locale is one to be treasured.
This is a Pay what you can event with a suggested $20.
 By Staff
July 28th, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
The Burlington Youth Soccer Club (BYSC) is hosting its “Burli Blast Festival” this Saturday, July 29th to celebrate the end of the soccer season for the U3 – U6 age groups in their Outdoor House League program.
 The Burli Blast Festival is an event dedicated to celebrating the successes and achievements of the players and volunteer coaches over the course of the summer season. There are over 800 players in these age divisions, and with parents and coaches, the expected attendance is upwards of 2,500 people.
Burli Blast will take place from 9:00 am – 2:00 pm at Sherwood Forest Park (at the end of Fairview Street past the Appleby GO station) in Burlington. The festival will feature 60 mini soccer matches and medal presentations spread throughout the morning and afternoon.
 The BYSC has also invited many of its community partners that are providing bouncy castles, carnival games, food, and prizes. The BYSC invites the Burlington community to come out and enjoy the day, regardless of whether your child plays in their programs. An information tent with staff will be in attendance if you have questions about any BYSC programs or if you are interested in registration.
For more information about Burli Blast Festival or other BYSC programs, visit www.burlingtonsoccer.com or call 905-333-0777.
 By Staff
July 28th, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
Some 450 athletes, coaches, managers, support staff, technicians and mission staff from across Ontario are set to represent the province at the 2017 Canada Summer Games in Winnipeg, Manitoba.
The Games begin today in Winnipeg.
 It is at events like the Canada Summer Games that athletes get to test themselves; do they have what it takes to move on to International events? Most, if not all, of the Canadian Olympians took part in the summer games – an event held every four years.
Every sport imaginable is played giving young Canadians to move from beyond their community or province to a national stage.
The list of sports played is exhaustive. It includes: Athletics, Baseball, Basketball, Canoe/Kayak, Cycling, Diving, Golf, Rowing, Sailing, Soccer, Softball, Swimming, Tennis, Triathlon, Volleyball and Wrestling
Competing at the Canada Summer Games allows Ontario’s athletes to gain the elite competition experience that they need to excel on the world stage. More than 4,000 athletes from all of Canada’s provinces and territories will compete in 16 sports at this year’s Games, which take place from July 28th to August 13th, 2017.
 Ontario’s year-round support for its high performance amateur athletes is part of Game ON: The Ontario Government’s Sport Plan. A key priority of Game ON is our Quest for Gold support for athletes, which provides direct funding to high performance athletes to help with the costs of living, training, sports equipment, coaching and travel to competitions. 105 athletes competing at this year’s Canada Summer Games are receiving Quest for Gold funding.
2017 marks the 50th anniversary of the Canada Games, this country’s largest multi-sport event for young athletes.
Ontario placed first at the 2013 Canada Summer Games in Sherbrooke, Quebec, with 213 medals – 95 Gold, 69 Silver and 49 Bronze.
 By Staff
July 27th, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
She wants you to join her on the Pier for a bike ride and a chat next week.
 Eleanor McMahon before she was elected to the provincial legislature. Burlington MPP Eleanor McMahon has used riding a bike to great advantage in her political career – she was one of the driving forces on Share the Road before she was tapped to run for public office in Burlington where the Tories had owned the seat for more than 70 years.
There is a provincial election on its way – June 7th, 2018 and McMahon, like every MPP, is out and about meeting people.
She is a strong campaigner, one of the best in the Region and bonds well with people.
 So – if you want a couple of minutes with your MPP and can get out on your bike – be at the Pier on Wednesday, August 1st at 6:00 pm.
But don’t drive your bike – that’s a no no. Not sure the MPP was fully aware that bikes are not permitted on the Pier
By Staff
July 25th, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
Ken Hall has been selected by a community jury, with input from public engagement, for the Spirit of Sport public art project.
Born in Toronto, and educated at the University of Waterloo in Mechanical Engineering and Fine Arts, Ken’s work is characterized by his ability to exploit a wide range of media, allowing him to seek out the fundamental form of expression for each piece; ranging from public sculpture to interactive digital artwork.
 Ken Hall explaining a piece of his work to students The project is part of the City’s ongoing Public Art program.
Online and in-person public engagement took place in February and gathered feedback from 135 residents, which helped inform the jury’s decision.
The Spirit of Sport public art project aims to celebrate Burlington’s long history of sports excellence, on both an amateur and professional level. A series of three small to medium-scale, exterior public artworks will be installed at the following: Mainway Recreation Centre, Brant Hills Community Centre and Nelson Recreation Centre.
 The front of the Brant Hills sports complex with its red ribbon These locations were selected as they represent a broad range of types of sport as well as different levels of play, ranging from children/youth to competitive play.
The artwork is being created over the summer and will be installed in fall 2018.
Artwork Concept
To honour this Spirit of Sport, red ribbon-like sculptures will celebrate active living and inclusive community participation, while engaging and welcoming the public to the recreation centres.
 A free standing sculpture that will be part of the Mainway Recreation Centre The red ribbons reflect key components of many activities, such as the flowing rhythm of gymnastics; the curved, red stitching on a baseball; the goal line in hockey; and the finish line in track and field, among others.
The fluttering ribbon is a perfect form for these sculptures, having long been associated with sporting excellence; whether being used to support medals won at competitive events, or as a means of celebrating participation in community activities, such as awareness walks for issues like breast cancer.
The association with medals is particularly relevant given the City of Burlington’s rich history of sporting innovation, which includes: Dr. Frank Hayden, founder of the International Special Olympics Movement; Melville Marks Robinson, founder of the Commonwealth Games; along with numerous Olympic athletes and coaches, including Melanie Booth (soccer) and Angela Coughlan (swimming).
The rolling ribbon also celebrates a heart-healthy, active lifestyle, calling to mind the visualization of a heartbeat on an ECG machine. The red colour represents the circulation of oxygenated blood, reminding us that regardless of age, ethnicity or gender, we all benefit from active physical and social participation.
 By Staff
July 24th, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
They have been bringing Broadway to Burlington since 1978.
This week they will be bringing you Hairspray!
 Burlington Student Theatre, where children and youth can participate in a range of performing arts opportunities.
The programs focus on the wellness and development of our young people, fostering empathy, courage and critical thinking within a safe and nurturing environment. Participants practice the tools and transferrable skills they need to feel good about themselves and act with confidence in their everyday lives.
Student Theatre brings out the best in youth through experiences in the performing arts, building confidence and developing the tools and transferrable skills to help youth feel good about themselves, while empowering them to create their own lives. With your support, youth are empowered to create a better world.
Later this week – on Thursday, the students will perfrom HairSpray, the story of a 1960s Baltimore, dance-loving teen Tracy Turnblad auditions for a spot on “The Corny Collins Show” …and wins! She becomes an overnight celebrity, a trendsetter in dance, fun and fashion. Perhaps her new status as a teen sensation is enough to topple Corny’s reigning dance queen and lead society into a new age!
Tickets: Adult $18 Youth $15 Click to get to the box office
By Pepper Parr
July 24, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
The first ever Halton Everesting challenge Saturday along Kerns Road didn’t end the way organizers had hoped.
After beginning the one-day vertical ‘climb’ of Mount Everest at 4:30 a.m. Saturday, remaining riders George Orfanogiannis and Matt Zielinski had to call the event at lap 69 (just short of 73 laps of the 4.9-kilometre loop)) due to malfunctioning measuring equipment.
What are a bunch of cyclists doing on Kerns Road pretending they are climbing Mount Everest? They were “Everesting”.
George Orfanogiannis’s eight year old son Joey was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia in January of 2016 and has been battling the disease since then.
Joey is currently at a point where the disease is being maintained. His doctors hope to be able to say it is in remission if his current maintenance program goes well through to 2019.
 Joey – ready to take on whatever comes his way. Joey is now on daily chemotherapy medication and monthly visits to the hospital. He had to be homeschooled for a year but has returned to his school and is looking forward to getting back to class in September.
The “Everesting” was to raise funds and awareness of the cancer that has invaded Joey’s young body.
George was a cyclist with the Oakville Morning Glory cycling club; they took up the challenge of driving up and down Kerns Road in Burlington until they had ridden the equivalent of 29,029 feet in elevation – which is the height of Mount Everest from its base camp.
They did all the paper work and set up stuff with the Everest organization – they are the people who oversee the challenge for any group that wants to create a target they can work towards achieving.
The day of the “climb” turned out to be less than stellar, drizzly rain was an on and off thing throughout the day but that didn’t deter Joey for as much a minute. He was running all over the place serving people lemonade. His day took a huge surge when a Burlington Fire department truck rolled into the parking lot and Joey was made an honorary fire fighter and got to wear fire fighters clothing and have his picture taken. Big moment for Joey Orfanogiannis.
 Non the worse for a stern lecture from a police officer fr blowing through stop signs one of the cyclists checks in with the family. Half an hour earlier a police cruiser slide into the parking lot. The officer had pulled over a couple of the cyclists who were blowing through stop signs at speeds in the 60km range – on the downhill portion of Kern Road. No tickets – but stern warnings. All was forgiven when the police officer bought himself a tall lemonade.
Things weren’t going as smoothly for the “climb”
At the approximately 315-kilometres point, the cyclists were “feeling good and ready to go the distance” said Orfanogiannis.
But something didn’t seem right, the riders “did a quick recalculation” and found that the device that measured altitude had been affected by the day’s air pressure, and had “robbed us of 60’ for every climb we did.”
“That would have taken the ride to 88 laps and pushed us to 6 a.m. We were ready to go to 6 a.m., but the issue became was going to rain again and we thought if we get to 6 a.m., what happens if the rain robs us of more laps; does it become too dangerous to finish?”
“We stopped just short of what should have been 27,064’ but on the device doing the actual measurement was reading 23,000’ (Everest is 29,029’) The ride doesn’t count unless it is measured on by the software that takes all the data and calculates just how many feel of elevation the cyclists have completed.
What no one told the riders from Morning Glory was that atmospheric conditions were part of the calculation – lots of clouds meant a different barometric pressure reading on the measurement device.
But these riders wouldn’t be considered hard-core cyclists if they gave up after their first attempt.
“We gotta get up it. I won’t stop until I get it and neither will Matt,” said George
Orfanogiannis came up with Halton’s first Everesting attempt, not just as a challenge for himself, but to raise funds and awareness in support of research into pediatric oncology; his son Joey, 7, was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia in January of 2016.
 George Orfanogiannis “When my son was going through treatment I always told him I wouldn’t ask him to do what I wouldn’t do. I asked him to climb a mountain so I owe him a mountain,” said Dad.
Orfanogiannis said the event was incredible nonetheless based on the hundreds of people who came out to support the cyclists, not just fellow riders but members of the community and those touched by cancer. Two thousand dollars was also raised.
“Four young children came down at midnight with their parents to donate their allowance money,” said Orfanogiannis, a selfless act that moved him to tears.
The next day a small group of girls had set up their lemonade stand on Kerns Road, raised $130 and donated that to the cause as well.
The residents along Kerns Road were so moved by the effort that they said they will ask the city to close the road next year and make it a much bigger event.
Orfanogiannis and his team “knew what we were in for physically and emotionally, it was devastating when we realized we came this far only to be robbed by technology.”
 Lap chart at 2:00 pm on a rainy Saturday afternoon. The challenge began at 4:30 am. They made it to lap 69 George Orfanogiannis isn’t all that good at giving up. He reports that “there is currently open dialogue with Strava the software that manages the data for rides and there may be a chance the realize the error in the technology and be willing to correct it – if that is the case I would need to climb the hill eight more times which I am prepared to do.”
 By Staff
July 24th, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
When the weather works for us this time of year the days get described as those lazy hazy days of summer. The evenings still have warmth in the air and a bit of a breeze makes being outside pleasant. Being in the country gathered with friends and enjoying a play and then talking about it with people around a camp fire is about as Canadian as you can get.
That’s what it is going to be like in Lowville on August 2nd – when those who were taken enough with the Driftwood production of Shakespeare’s Othello gather with the director to talk about why he produced the play he did.
 Bring a lawn chair or a blanket and settle in for an evening of Shakespeare’s Othello as done by the Driftwood Theatre. It is usually a small group that gathers around the pit in which a nice fire glows. Deep seated Muskoka chairs are pulled into the circle and the conversation goes on late into the evening.
Othello is being produced by Driftwood Theatre and put on in more than 20 locales around the province this summer.
Debra Pickfield of Thinkspot has brought the travelling troupe into the hamlet of Lowville for the past three years.
Pickfield believes that it is the sense of community we have that helps us survive as a society and that community happens when people come together to listen to each other, take part in a social event. Bringing people together is the vision and mission of Thinkspot – it made sense to extend that vision more deeply into the community.
People drift into the open space yards away from the fire pit bounded by trees on three of the four sides, set up their lawn chair or spread out a blanket and settle in for an evening of Shakespeare.
 Othello – at Thinkspot in Lowville – one night only. august 2nd – actors take to the stage at 7:30 pm. Driftwood is known for the interpretations they do of whichever Shakespearian production taken on.
Othello, a searing tale of race, jealousy and revenge, is being done against the backdrop of the 1974 Canadian Peacekeeping initiative in Cyprus where our Armed Forces were caught in a life and death struggle on that small island in the Mediterranean.
The production is one of those Pay what you can events with $20 suggested.
The actors take to the stage at 7:30 pm
 By Staff
July 23, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
The Splash Pad at Nelson Pool will be temporarily out of service from 10:30am to 2:00 pm, Monday July 24, 2017 for maintenance.
The pool will remain open for all scheduled swims. Service to the splash pad will resume at 2pm.
 By Staff
July 22, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
Got this from a specialty coffee marketer who has inventory she is not going to be able to use. The product is rare and pricey. She wants to give the coffee away but it has to go to someone who in turn is either going to give it away or use it as a fund raiser.
I would like to donate 12 gift-tins of rare & prized CIVET COFFEE for silent auction or other prize uses, for charities having events within the next month.
The retail value of this rare coffee is $50 each, so hopefully they can help raise $600 out in the community.
The reason I am donating them is that they are ‘best before’ the end of August 2017. That does not mean they will be ‘bad’ after that, but they cannot be sold and will not be good as prizes after that.
Please share this with anyone you know having an event (or who could have some other use for them – such as volunteer appreciation for a volunteer who is a specialty-coffee lover?)
Have them contact me at this email address: cj@cjscoffeefundraising.com
 Civets is eating coffee during the production of Civet coffee, the world’s most expensive coffee. A civet (a small squirrel-like arboreal mammal) which eats the coffee berries or red coffee cherries, the beans inside which pass through its digestive tract, expelling them undigested as faeces. The faeces are then cleaned, dried and lightly roasted to make the coffee. What is Civet Coffee? It is certainly a different gift or fund raising item – different enough to actually work.
Kudos to the coffee merchant for coming up with a way to manage her inventory and give back to her community.
 By Staff
July 22, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
An event next Thursday is going to pull together a number of interests in the city and give people an opportunity to get outside and do some fixing up of a facility that has been home to baseball since it came to the city six years ago.
The Nelson Baseball Park Neighbourhood Group wants to celebrate the completion of the Nelson Baseball Park beautification and fencing improvements project at the Burlington Herd baseball game on Thursday, July 27.
 The Herd will be playing the Toronto Maple Leafs – the team that broke the 25 game winning streak the Barrie Baycats had achieved – those guys play some serious baseball.
The pre-game ceremony begins at 7 p.m. and attendees are encouraged to come early to get a seat and participate in some of the pre-game fun.
Entrance to the ball game will be free, a 50/50 draw and a BBQ in support of the Terry Fox Foundation.
The beautification and fencing improvements were done with the support of community volunteers and funding from the City of Burlington’s Neighbourhood Community Matching Fund program.
That fund is a favourite of the Mayors and was part of an initiative that the Parks and Recreation department dove into a number of years ago when they brought in Jim Diers who had done some incredible work in Seattle to juice up the thinking at Parks and Recreation.
Burlington was not able to get community responses that were as involving as those in Seattle but the program has begun to take hold.
The work being done at Nelson Park is a good example. It is similar to what a bunch of elementary students did with their ball diamond at Lakeshore Road elementary public school.
 Site lines and picnic tables have been improved. If you know Casey Cosgrove then you know that there isn’t a baseball game he can avoid. All it takes is the crack of a bat to shift his focus. When his community of “baseball enthusiasts” heard about this baseball ‘gem’ we have in our neighbourhood park and learned that the sight lines were in need of improvement so that a baseball game could be viewed clearly, without obstruction they gathered to tackle this project together.
The City of Burlington’s Neighbourhood Community Matching Fund provided much of the financing and they have been able to improve the fencing and freshen up the baseball buildings, stands and picnic tables in Fenway green, a famous baseball colour, to make the neighbourhood baseball park a first- class facility for players and spectators.”
Will someone be throwing the ceremonial opening pitch? Don’t let the Mayor near the ball. When he took on that task back in the days when the team was known as the Burlington Twins he let fly and the ball dug into the ground a couple of yards before the plate.
Nelson Stadium, part of Nelson high school facilities, which is adjacent to Nelson Park, has plans of its own to improve those grounds.
By Staff
July 20th, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
Nelson Pool Service Interruption – Lap Swim Cancelled Friday July 21, 2017
 The lap swim at Nelson Pool will be cancelled from 8:30am-10am on Friday July 21, 2017 due to unexpected preventative maintenance.
The pool will be open for regular service at 10:30am.
Hold on – isn’t this a brand new swimming pool that has been operating since July 8th and is getting ready for its official opening in August – with the Mayor and the Ward Councillor in attendance?
What is it this time?
 By Staff
July 20, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
Wow!
That is something to watch. All that energy.
Quite a show. Video lasts just over a minute.
Runs for just over a minute – astounding, CLICK HERE
 Lightning display over Sussex in the UK yesterday evening
By Staff
July 19th, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
The city is hosting a celebration to officially mark the opening of the new Nelson pool and splash pad from 10:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 1.
Nelson pool grand opening ceremony and ribbon-cutting. Admission will be free all day, and there will be family activities and giveaways.
 Artists rendering of the Nelson pool which has been open since July 8 – reader says it’s beautiful. The Mayor and Ward 4 Councillor Jack Dennison will be on hand for the photo op.
The ceremony will take place at noon. The pool party is from 10:30 a.m. to 8 p.m.
The pool has been open to the public since July 8th.
 That water bucket would be a good place for the official opening photo op. The upside for the public is the free admission. A comment from a reader read: “New one is beautiful! Tried it out yesterday. Pricey, at $6.50/adult swim (Oakville is $4), but what a lovely facility. So glad the city decided to make the investment. Now they just need to make it affordable!”
 By Staff
July 19th, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
Everesting – do you know what it means?
Think Mount Everest and the attempts that are made to get to the top.
A group has created an event that will have cyclists driving 2.4 km up Kerns Road 73 times which would be equal to the 30,000 feet that has to be climbed to get from the base of Mount Everest to the peak.
The 29,029 vertical feet climb on bikes, over the course of 20 hours, to equal climbing the summit of Mt Everest.
The event is seen as the Ultimate Mind-Body Challenge; this will be the first Everesting attempt in Halton.
The 29,029 vertical feet climb on bikes, over the course of 20 hours, to equal climbing the summit of Mt Everest
When : July 22nd 2017
Where: Kerns Road Burglington Ontario
Start: Lap 1 is 4:30 am eastern
Why? Joey Orfanogiannis.
 Joey Orfanogiannis with family and friends At 6 years old Joey and his family lives were changed forever. On January 4th, 2016 they had to hear the words “your child has cancer”, words that would thrust him into the challenge of his life at a very tender age.
Joey was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia “A.L.L.”
When most kids would be counting the minutes until recess, Joey was counting “arm pokes” – how many needles he would receive for blood tests prior to receiving a port into his chest which would become a pathway for chemotherapy and give him a break from all the needles. He would count spinal taps to administer chemotherapy that would protect his brain.
He would face numerous setbacks and painful surgeries coupled with nights that would leave him reeling in pain.
Through it all Joey never wavered and never backed down, he stood tall when most would fall and fought back when most would give up. We are happy to report that Joey is winning the fight with the same determination and looking forward to the word “remission” in March of 2019
Through it all, the statistics for children’s cancer became deeply troubling to his parents.
Aside from cancer being the leading cause of death in children, as well as the medical issues that occur after cancer survival from the heavy medication, one of the scariest facts is that children’s cancer research is grossly and consistently under-funded. It receives just 4% of government funding on an annual basis.
Joey’s parents knew something had to be done and wanted to help in an immediate and impactful way. They knew the challenge needed to be daunting, something that seemed as insurmountable as fighting cancer, and from that idea the Everesting event came to life.
It’s important to remember that no matter how difficult it may be to climb the cumulative height of Mount Everest over nearly 20 hours, it pales in comparison to the challenges faced by Joey and the many children battling cancer every day.
Joey will be running a lemonade stand and all the proceed will be going towards fighting cancer.
Grupetto will be serving coffees starting from 9am till noon.
Riders from the 30 top cycling clubs in the province will be taking part including the elite team Morning Glory from Mississauga and CCF Racing from Burlington.
The road will not be closed – it is seen as a very quiet road in a cycle friendly community.
Anybody can ride and no one will be ask do donate as the riders are coming to support the cause of fighting cancer and to bring awareness about how many kids are affected.
All Proceeds go directly to the Toronto Sick Kids and Montreal Children’s hospital for research funding in support of Pediatric Oncology.
 By Pepper Parr
July 18, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
Here is why we like the work we do.
We did short piece on the slice of pizza that will be available at the Pizza Pizza outlets in the Burlington. It was a promotion from the pizza chain that is celebrating the 50th anniversary.
A Gazette reader comes back with:
“How come the plains rd pizza pizza is not participating?” (We left the typos in the comment.)
We have no idea why the Plans Road outlet isn’t participating – and we will look into that.
Minutes later another reader adds that:
“…and you can wash your Pizza Pizza down with a FREE root Beer at A&W this week Saturday July 22 2017.
Is this a great country or WHAT!!??”
So there is some good news from time to time.
 By Pepper Parr
July 18th, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
David Vollick has been serving as the Town Crier for the city of Burlington for at least five years.
He gets called upon to ring his bell and bellow out the message he is in the room to deliver.
A number of months ago during the day the Joseph Brant Hospital Foundation was trying to set a new Guinness Book of Records record for the largest crowd forming a letter of the alphabet.
They did their level best to get a crowd that would form a huge J in Spencer Smith Park.
They didn’t quite make it – the falling rain didn’t help.
 David Vollick in “full throat” making an important announcement. Vollick was awarded First Place in a recent Town Crier competition. But Vollick was there with his footwear covered in mud.
We asked Vollick a sensitive question – who pays the cleaning bills? David looked at the ground and sadly said that he was still playing the cleaning bills.
A Beachway resident offered to send Vollick a cheque to cover the cost of some of the dry cleaning.
When Vollick appeared before city council saying he was setting himself up as a Town Crier for the city – the biggest question was – how much is this going to cost us?
Vollick said it wasn’t going to cost the city anything – he would just like their blessing for what he was setting out to do.
He did wonder aloud if there might be some support for the cost of dry cleaning the uniform that he has to get done twice a year. They didn’t offer a dime but the city calls on him frequently.
Chisellers treat people like that.
However there has been some sunshine in Vollick life. He recently entered a Town Crier’s contest in Easton, Pennsylvania where he was awarded “First Place”.
In his constituency newsletter Ward 1 Councillor Rick Craven thanks David “for representing Burlington and the Museums of Burlington.”
But nothing for the cost of cleaning the uniform.
 By Staff
July 18th, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
There is no free lunch – right?
But a slice of pepperoni and cheese pizza slices for 99 cents – from a brand name operation is as close to free as you’re going to get.
And onion rings at 50 cents is reason enough to head out to a Pizza Pizza this Saturday.
To entice you to get there early – there are $10 gift cards for the first twenty five people who show up at the four Pizza Pizza locations in Burlington,
Why the close to free lunch?
 It’s Pizza Pizza’s 50th anniversary and they are celebrating with a pizza party for the whole family! The four Pizza Pizza locations in Burlington will be hosting community pizza parties on Saturday, July 22 as a way to thank its customers for their continuous support during their 50 years of operation.
WHEN: Saturday, July 22, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
WHERE: Pizza Pizza
2184 Mountain Grove Avenue
3537 Fairview Street
2201 Brant Street
2485 Appleby Line
 By Pepper Parr
July 18th, 2017
BURLINGTON, ON
August is going to Shakespeare month for those who enjoy the bard.
Othello will be on an outdoor stage in Lowville where Thinkspot sponsors the Driftwood Theatre Company annually,
The single performance will be on August 2nd – 7 pm; bring an outdoor chair.
Later in the month, Trevor Copp will direct the Merchant of Venice at the RBG Rock Garden.
Last year, the first that Copp used the RBG location, was stellar in several ways.
 Last year’s production of Midsummer Night’s Dream was the first time Trevor Copp mounted a play at the RBG – it was an outstanding success. Audiences loved the outdoor setting. The cast of Midsummer Night’s Dream was fresh, energetic and used the outdoor location to great effect.
Weather and traffic did its best to hobble the event but the audience was true and they put up with the rain delays.
A QEW accident presented the cast from getting to the location – no problem – just re-schedule.
The Merchant of Venice will run from August 14 – September 1, 2017. Monday – Friday, 7:00PM (No Saturday shows.)
Copp sets out the story line:
Money: Portia has it. Bassanio wants it. Shylock lends it. Antonio owes it. And it will cost him dearly.
Dark in its humour and bawdy in its romantic hijinks, The Merchant Of Venice takes audiences on a journey of love, mercy and (in)justice. And for the second consecutive year, Trevor Copp will direct the production; Copp is the founder and Artistic Director of the Tottering Biped Theatre.
The Shakespeare at the Rock ensemble create a strikingly physical, playfully contemporary, abridged re-imagining of one of William Shakespeare’s classics.
Shakespeare at the Rock began with a simple idea: that audiences and emerging artists alike need not quench their creative thirsts in Toronto or elsewhere; that beautiful and captivating work is done right here in our own backyard; that local artists can stay local and still be paid for their work.
Last year’s inaugural production was a unanimous success in this respect: sold-out crowds, a total attendance of over 2000 patrons, and a cast comprised of many recent graduates from McMaster, Brock, Waterloo, and Sheridan Theatre programs.
Returning to tell this season’s tale of ‘a monster made not born’ are the ever-talented Jesse Horvath, Zach Parsons, Claudia Spadafora, Alma Sarai, and Micheal Hannigan. In addition, this year’s ensemble is enlivened by the artistry of newcomers, Chris Reid, Jamie Kasiama, and Shawn DeSouza-Coelho.
Tickets through the RBG Box office.
Hamlet; a previous Driftwood Theatre production performed outdoors in Lowville. Othello will be produced this year – August 2nd. Othello is a Driftwood Theatre production. The troupe travels the province each summer doing a different Shakespeare play.
Thinkspot has sponsored the company for a number of years.
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