Stephanie's Column from the Peterborough Examiner

From Clinton with sunshine
Printed 1 Sept 2009
It may have been raining in Peterborough, but it was beautiful weather Saturday at the CNE in Toronto for Bill Clinton's speech Embracing Our Common Humanity. Entering the BMO field, passing the vendor selling Presidential Clinton cones I could tell the atmosphere was filled with excitement and happiness.

The 10,000 people attending made up of 20- year-olds to seniors were smiling and bright-eyed. Opening the event was The Canadian Tenors who performed two songs, which everybody seemed to enjoy.

The Tenors had finished, the people had clapped, and then it came time to hear former president Clinton's speech. From the very second he walked onto the stage everyone stood up and a roar of screams, whistles, and clapping filled the stadium. It then calmed down and he began with a big thank you. I studied him as he spoke; he seemed to be in a good mood. He started out talking about the funeral of Senator Edward Kennedy earlier that morning and how President Obama made a speech on behalf of the people of America.

President Clinton showed us Canadians that he knew us well by talking about the CNE history with things like when cell phones first came out and when television first came out. In my opinion he seemed to know what he was talking about.

The former president then started to talk about his Clinton Foundation and how he went to Malawi to build their very first hospital. Now thanks to him, never had there ever been so many people with jobs, and most of them women. The people of Malawi thanked him, he said, saying that this was the very first pay-cheque they had ever gotten. When I heard that I had got goose bumps all over my body. All I could think of was what a generous thing to do.

Another thing that caught my attention was when he said: "Think back 30 years, there would not have been as many women as there are here now, there would not be as many younger people, neither would their be as many coloured people coming to this speech."

His remark that if in each community each person gave one dollar to a local charity it would really make a difference started to get me thinking about what we can all do in our own communities to help one another. I believe that was his point.

I think that the new CNE speaker series is a great idea. While I enjoyed this speech, I think next year they should have a speaker that would appeal to a greater number of generations. People in my age group may not have enjoyed Bill Clinton's speech as much as I did but hopefully future speakers will be included for them. The experience was awesome and I could totally understand why he was so loved by many people. I am on the list for next year and can't wait to attend.

Creating Opportunity

[Stephanie seated in the Press Pit; third from left]

On a Saturday afternoon instead of texting her neighbour next door[!] Stephanie was front and centre reporting on the C.N.E’s inaugrual speaker series featuring former US president Bill Clinton. The former Head of State was in Toronto presenting his "Embracing Our Common Humanity" speech tailored to a Canadian crowd. Being in the presence of a political heavyweight is nothing new to Stephanie. She’s had the pleasure of meeting former Prime Minister Paul Martin, corresponded with the Honourable Kim Cambell and has interviewed Green Party leader Elizabeth May. Stephanie was hoping for a chance to interview President Clinton but due to Sen. Kennedy’s passing the President barely made his scheduled appearance and all pre-speech press accomadations were cancelled. Still Stephanie was alongside the Canadian press in the 'press pit' covering the presentation. I have to say that every parent wants what's best for their children and I am no different. I am proud that at such a young age she is open minded to attending an event clearly aimed for a 'more seasoned adult'. Stephanie was there to file a report for the Peterborough Examiner newspaper and took her position very seriously; deciding the night before not only what to wear, but how to be the most professional. She said to me while standing among the press core that she was disappointed by some of the attire some reporters wore as it was clearly a sign of lack of respect to themselves, the media organizaton they were representing and to the President. Stephanie worked late into the night finishing her assignment, surpassing our expectatons of the review that she would write. While there is no concrete direction as far as a future career decided for Stephanie, this opportunity allowed her to experience what a career job; this case being a journalist, entails. I certainly believe in the motto "let kids be kids", but also one that keeps current with today's children who are maturing at such a rapid rate. An introduction to culture, religion, politics et all is a very healthy motto that I hope will serve Stephanie and my othe children well. If one thing resonates for Stephanie from witnessing one of our generations most influential leaders then I see it as mission accomplished. I do believe she was introduced to some new thoughts and ideas from the President's speech and she said as much. I applaud my best friend Daniel and his family for also trying to provide their children with interesting and different things to do. I think society as a whole needs to support and encourage the younger people to get more active and away from the numerous media trappings that present themselves to the younger set on a daily basis. I think we need to save our children from growing up as the TV/Internet generation - a mind is such a terrible thing to waste!

KISS Army Rallies

KISS And Make Up: Mayor says rock legends coming to Oshawa
MIKE SLAUGHTER / TORONTO STAR FILEKiss, Oshawa wants you!

Rock band KISS is now slated to play the General Motors Centre on Oct. 7, 2009

OSHAWA -- The uproar after Oshawa was left off the official list of KISS concert stops in the band's upcoming North American tour was quelled Tuesday evening with word that the rock legends will in fact play a concert here.

Word spread quickly by email after Oshawa mayor John Gray was tracked down by the band's manager who offered assurances that KISS will come to Oshawa on Oct. 7.
Mayor Gray indicated he was cautious about the call at first in an e-mail sent to council members and obtained by Oshawa This Week.

"I did a reverse search on the telephone number which comes up as McGhee Entertainment of Sunset Blvd in LA so it is legit," he said.
The call to Mayor Gray came from Doc McGhee, the band's manager.

The manager of the General Motors Centre added his own confirmation that a concert was in the works in an e-mail to council members.
"I can confirm that as of this afternoon we are now holding Oct 6th and 7th for KISS," Vince Vella wrote.

The '70s glam rock band announced in April that an online voting contest would allow fans to determine stops on the band's upcoming tour. Oshawa topped the tally, however, when dates for the KISS Alive/35 2009 North America Tour were posted on the band's website this week Oshawa missed the cut.

The Canadian stops originally listed on Monday included London, Montreal, Toronto, Winnipeg, Saskatoon, Calgary and Vancouver. An uproar followed and Oshawa is now a write-in with the City and fans ready to KISS and make up, and counting the days until Oct. 7.

KISS Rally Falls Short

KISS concert goodbye
By ELIZABETH BOWER , EXAMINER STAFF WRITER
Front Page, Peterborough Examiner August 25, 2009

Legendary rock band KISS is kissing off Oshawa and Peterborough for its North American 2009 Tour. KISS held an online contest, starting in April, where fans could vote to get the band to play in their home city.

Oshawa won the contest in July, after beating out cities from across North America, while Peterborough came sixth. Yet the theatrically inclined band, featuring lead singer Gene Simmons, announced yesterday it won't be performing in Oshawa. The closest concert is to be in Toronto at the Air Canada Centre on Oct. 2.

"I'm beyond shocked," says Peterborough's self-proclaimed KISS superfan Darryl Andrews, who rallied for this city to win the contest by printing off Bring KISS to Peterborough cards.

Andrews, 38, who has been a fan since age seven, says he feels terrible that Oshawa didn't get a concert after so much work and hype.
The father of two says he thought Peterborough had a shot too, since this city came in sixth. But Andrews says he would have been satisfied with an Oshawa concert because he feels it would have been closer to regional cities including Kingston and Belleville, which spent so much time and energy competing.

Andrews says he has already seen KISS perform 27 times before, mostly in Toronto.
He was hoping for a smaller venue, through the contest, so that he could comfortably bring along his wife and two daughters, aged 13 and two.

The financial cost and travel time of going to the Toronto concert would be too much for his family, he says. Still, Andrews hasn't given up on his heroes. He's hoping KISS will include a second leg of the tour early next year, which he hopes will include Oshawa.

No matter what happens, KISS will always be his favourite band.
"That will never change," he says.

KISS Rally

Mayor votes for KISS concert
KISS and makeup
Posted By ANDREA HOUSTON/Examiner Staff Writer


Mayor Paul Ayotte is shouting out loud that he supports Peterborough’s bid for the KISS concert. “I think this concert will bring a lot of people to the city,” Ayotte said outside city hall yesterday. “I’m sure there are KISS fans from all over the region who will travel to Peterborough for the concert.”

Superfan Darryl Andrews, 38, who has been a loyal KISS fan since he was seven, printed off “bring KISS to Peterborough” cards to collect people’s email addresses.
“If they don’t want to vote online I’ll do it for them,” said
Andrews, who was dressed in a full Paul Stanley costume, complete with a black star painted over his right eye.
“You don’t have to be a KISS fan to bring them to Peterborough.”

The online petition can be found on KISS's website. The deadline for the contest is Tuesday at 2 p.m. Peterborough currently sits in sixth position, right behind Calgary. Oshawa, Winnipeg and Sault Ste Marie hold the top three spots.
There’s nothing wrong with a little healthy competition with Oshawa, Ayotte said.
“I think we always compete with Oshawa,” he said. “So it would be nice to beat them to the KISS concert.”

If Peterborough is selected as one of the winning cities, KISS will bring their make-up and arena rock show spectacular for a one-night-only concert at some point in the fall.

Although Ayotte isn’t a KISS fan, he said if the concert came to the city he would most likely attend. The mayor prefers country music, he said.
“I might just take in the concert to see what KISS is all about,” he said with a laugh.

The vote is being done on a per-capita basis, so one vote from Peterborough is worth hundreds from a larger city, Andrews said.
“We’re beating Toronto, we’re beating New York. We have a real good chance,” he said. Andrews said the tour is set to begin in September. Buckcherry will be the opening act, he said.

ahouston@peterboroughexaminer.com

How to vote
- Go to www.kissonline.com.
- Click on the link Demand KISS in your city.

Darryl on The WOLF 101.5 FM

After being appointed "Leader of the KISS Army" in Peterborough, I took to the airwaves and delivered the message, "Bring KISS to Peterborough!" Audio to be added soon!! Bring KISS to Peterborough http://eventful.com/performers/kiss-/P0-001-000062428-9/competitions?

Call to arms for the KISS Army

DEMAND KISS: Peterborough now running seventh in rock band's online poll to pick 40 cities for tour

By SARAH DEETH , Peterborough Examiner STAFF WRITER
Published April 21, 2009

Darryl Andrews is calling on members of the KISS Army to unite, lead the charge and vote for Peterborough in an online contest that could bring the rock band to the city. The KISS Army is the name of the group's fan club and a general term describing KISS fans.

Andrews, the 38-year-old co-owner of Hair's the Thing on Dublin Street, has loved KISS for most of his life, describing the band as the perfect blend of rock stars and super heroes. "KISS has been part of my life since I was six years old," he said. Andrews has seen KISS in concert 24 times, attended fan conventions and watched the band through its different phases.
Now he's watching the band's resurgence of popularity, he said.

But he's always had to travel to other cities to see them, and the contest creates the possibility of taking his two daughters to the show. "And here's a chance to have them come play in your neck of the woods," he said. "When you see a KISS show, it's a whole other experience," he said. "They're larger than life."

When he heard about the contest he immediately linked to the voting web-site from his Facebook account, Andrews said. That's gotten his friends and family voting, he said, but he wants to see a strong effort from everyone.

Even those who don't like KISS should vote, he said, because the band's fame will shed positive light on concert venues such as the Memorial Centre.
"We need to get more acts in there. We need to get more bands," he said.
A KISS concert would also bring additional money and fun into the city, he said.
And if Peterborough wins, Andrews promises his hair salon will step up and help fans prepare for the show.

"We'll be having a big hair thing if KISS comes to town," Andrews said.
http://www.kissonline.com/news/index.php?mode=archive&id=5712

A Comeback in the Making...

For some time now I've been putting my efforts in other places. Recently, I had a gift that allowed me to recognize that I can now shoulder up my efforts back to me. It was a strong realization that I wanted to watermark. This is the beginning...

SPRING

The air has warmed up, the snow melted down,
babbling brooks running, cold water crystal clear.
Stick trees begin to leaf, bark a soggy brown,
this years spring growth has begun to appear.

Birds are chirping, colorful butterflies dart,
frogs croaking in concert looking for a mate.
The summers warm beauty has a new start,
a barren landscape, natures clean slate.

Shoots spring from the ground, reaching for the sky,
Earth's lush green garden chases away the gray.
A colorful pallet, pleasing to the eye,
a winter frozen land starts to thaw today.

New year, new start, life cycles begin anew,
Mother Nature's children, sprinkled with dew.

~ Scott Eilenfield

A New Year means New Adventures

I've made a short list of goals I want to achieve this year. They are [in no particular order]:
Have my 'Whale experience'; have the KISS VIP experience, see The Metro Man" show debut, Win a hairstyling award, publish "The Best Of DFG Comics 2008", Spin at a busy nightclub, work at this year's TIFF, participate in a Wrestling fantasy camp, perform a stand-up comedy routine, take a vacation with Sara and have a healthy baby.

"Metro Approved" - Coming Soon!!

38?? Now What??

'Trademark' Beard Headed Online

Watch the Online video at http://www.thepeterboroughexaminer.com/ArticleDisplayGenContent.aspx?e=8858

By LAURA MUELLER
EXAMINER STAFF WRITER

A tiny bundle of blue facial hair could go to the highest bidder if Jimmy (Lightshow) Reedyk follows through on his promise to put his famous beard in an eBay auction.

Reedyk shaved off his "trademark" vibrantly dyed beard in front of a cheering crowd at Chumleigh's on Saturday afternoon to raise money to aid schoolchildren in Honduras. The well-known puppeteer's campaign netted $448 in donations for Grace United Church members to provide school supplies and tuition money for youths to attend high school in Honduras. Reedyk topped off the donation with a $300 cheque of his own money. Reedyk said he had been growing the beard for at least three years.
"It's my trademark. This is almost like the Hulkster (wrestler Hulk Hogan) losing his mustache.

"I'm nervous, but I know it'll grow back," Reedyk said. "It's for a good cause and a good reminder for people to give what they can." Two of Reedyk's pals also had their beards shaved off for moral support, and even Reedyk's puppet Mini Lightshow lost his blue Velcro beard. After the shave, Reedyk said he felt like a different person. "It's a new me," he exclaimed. He said he hopes the beard will be grown in enough to dye it green on St. Patrick's Day. "Or maybe even red on February 14," he said with a wink. Reedyk said he would shave his beard again if he could raise more money for a good cause.

NOTES: Darryl Andrews from Hair's The Thing donated his time to provide the barbering. Halfway through the shave Jimmy Reedykducked out to wash his face, which was covered in temporary blue dye from his beard. "I went from blue beard to blue face," he laughed.

The Amazing Kreskin

It was an awesome experience to participate in The Amazing Kreskin Show. I remember, long ago, as a young child thrilling to the mind boggling acts of this master mentalist. Following is the newspaper story that reported the event.
By LAURA MUELLER
PETERBOROUGH EXAMINER STAFF WRITER
Audience members at Scream Works knew they would be amazed by the mind-reading powers of the infamous Amazing Kreskin, but they may not have expected the comedy routine they were treated to as well. Despite a show plagued by technical problems, Kreskin tossed out joke after joke and wowed the crowd with his uncanny supernatural abilities. While combing the audience for thoughts and memories, Kreskin said, "I wish I could share some of these thoughts," with a wink and a laugh.

The famous mentalist, who is perhaps best know for his weekly television show "The Amazing World of Kreskin" in the 1970s, made his first journey to Peterborough yesterday to impress the crowd of about 150 people at the finale of Scream Works -- a three-day Halloween festival with events primarily at Morrow Park but also scattered throughout the city.

After chiding the audience with remarks about politicians and poking fun at himself, Kreskin warmed up by accurately guessing playing cards picked by audience members.
Kreskin then impressed the crowd by calling out random thoughts he picked up from the crowd. When he said "broken glass" one man's hand shot up and Kreskin guessed the man had suffered an injury involving a broken window. "I was in a car accident and my head went through the window," the man said. He had to take a moment to count back to confirm Kreskin's statement that the accident occurred eight years ago.

Kreskin's abilities were almost trumped during his signature act when he asked audience members to hide the cheque that is his payment for the performance. If he is unable to find it, he refuses to accept the payment. "I've failed nine times, and I said if I fail 10 times I'm not doing it anymore," Kreskin said of the gimmick, which is one of his best-known acts.

Audience member Lise Withers hid the cheque under one audience member's baseball cap, but the man was sitting with two other men who were wearing the exact same jacket and hat. Kreskin asked the three men to stand in the aisle and appeared puzzled as he circled them. "Ah ha," he shouted when he took the hat off the correct man's head. Kreskin pumped his fist in the air as he returned to the stage and exhaled with relief. Later Kreskin said the trick was somewhat diabolical.
"The worst are usually the college audiences," Kreskin said. "As soon as I had them standing up (Withers') thoughts became clear.

Although Kreskin regularly appears on television and has performed for crowds numbering in the thousands, he said he prefers any venue where he can get close to his audience. "There are no boundaries between me and the audience because my equipment is my audience," Kreskin said.
The show stalled temporarily when a speaker hissed with loud feedback as Kreskin passed it wearing a microphone, causing him to lose hearing in one ear.
Ever the true showman, Kreskin refused to stop the show and kept performing.
Later in the performance Kreskin assured the audience that his sense of hearing was returning. "Now I have two things to be thankful for, I found my cheque and I can still hear," Kreskin joked. "To tell you the truth, it was scary because one year ago almost to the day I lost my voice," Kreskin said after the show. He said he ruptured a vocal chord signing autographs while a loud band played nearby.

Kreskin praised the volunteers who run Scream Works.
"They came through and made it work," he said. "Sometimes you just have to laugh, because it's just life and sometimes it's humorous." Kreskin said he didn't have much time to enjoy Peterborough because he was off to his next performance in Mississauga, but he said he was "enchanted" by the city. He also praised Canadian parks during his performance and said they are far superior to parks in the United States. "Canada is my second home," Kreskin told The Examiner. "There is a quaintness about this city," he said. "I felt really tuned into people, and after the show people came up and told me they felt really close to what I was doing," Kreskin said.

NOTES: After a show in Mississauga, Kreskin said he will stay in Toronto to shoot the first episode of a new show for cable network Bravo. The premise of the show is a famous person will have their portrait painted by three artists who have no idea who they will have to depict....Actor John Malkovich will portray Kreskin in a movie called The Great Buck Howard to be released next spring. Kreskin said his former road manager wrote the script and centres around the "check test" act that he performed last night.

Thanksgiving Brings BIG News

Sara Graziano and Darryl Andrews are very pleased to announce that Sara is expecting a baby in June 2009.
Family members and friends are delighted with the news.

Global National, Live from Peterborough Lift Lock

Anchor hosts newscast from city
By ANDREA HOUSTON EXAMINER STAFF WRITER

The Peterborough Lift Lock was transformed into a television news studio yesterday as the Global National news team put the spotlight on the city.
Global National, with anchor Kevin Newman, broadcasted live from the Lift Lock visitor centre as part of a cross-country federal election coverage tour.
By 5 p. m., half an hour before the broadcast, it was a flurry of activity behind the scenes as the technical crew tested the lights, touched up Newman's makeup, did sound checks and kept their fingers crossed that the rain was kept at bay.
Inside the visitor centre, the main lobby was filled with about 100 people who braved the storm to catch a glimpse of Newman and see what goes into a daily national newscast.
"Kevin Newman looks different in person than on TV," noted Newman fan Elaine Scollard. "He has such a great personality and is very down to earth."
Freelance photographer Aaron Outram, teacher and mother Jenny Pink and business owner Darryl Andrews were chosen to appear on camera for an interview about their thoughts on the election and what they hope to hear in the leaders debate.
"It was great to have a homegrown flavour on a national scale to get different perspectives," Outram said.
"Peterborough has its own flavour."
After the broadcast, Newman took time to sign autographs and pose for pictures.
Dubbed the People's Express, Newman and national reporter Mike Armstrong have flown to six communities. Peterborough is the final stop.
"This tour has been the chance to touch down in some of the smaller communities that don't necessarily get that much attention and to get a finger on the pulse of what people think," Armstrong said.
"It doesn't matter where you go, you hit a lot of the same issues."
The other cities the tour stopped in were Tofino, B. C.; Fort MacLeod, Alta.; Brandon, Man.; Yarmouth, N. S. and Sutton, Que.
But Armstrong said the crowd in Peterborough was the largest yet.
"Having gone all across the country, this is one of the best crowds, especially considering the weather was not that good, we appreciate it that much more," he said.
Peterborough Conservative MP Dean Del Mastro, who was watching the broadcast from inside the visitor centre, said he applauds Global News for talking to smaller communities.
"It's pretty exciting stuff," he said.
"I think people in Peterborough will be very proud to see the Lift Lock on television." Photo by Malcolm Taylor

Update

I really, really wanted to post an update, but couldn't find the time.

Contessa Hair Awards

Yesterday models and photograpy were completed for my first entry in the Contessa Hair Awards. The Canadian Hairstylist of the Year Awards – the Contessas – are Canada’s longest-running and most prestigious awards honouring excellence and creativity in salons and salon professionals across Canada. Contessa promotes artistic imagination and transformation. Each photo collection entered into competition is the result of team work, merging the talents of hair stylist, makeup artist, and photographer into unique masterpieces. Since competitors are judged solely on photographs, the contest is even more challenging for participants. Participating in the Contessa Hair Awards can add greatly to a Canadian salon's success and prestige. The contest is not only about winning awards, but displaying the artistry and creativity of hair stylists from across the country. Visit my 'hair journey' page to see pictures and learn more about my entry. Link is to the right.

Defining Moments

Revisiting some old photographs [to inspire some more writing of my mid-life memoirs], I was engrossed in seeing how silly sometimes life can be. Good and bad, I will post some photos with observations that only with 20/20 hindsight I can now offer. They will appear on my "habitat page" http://worldofdarryl.blogspot.com/

$50,000 Follow Up

I have ASKed
you will take ACTION
I am ready to RECEIVE