I apologize to my regular readers, but I’m just not in the right frame of mind to do anything but the bare bones of a column this week. Terry, my brother Ron and I have been working hard to clear out my mother’s apartment and I’m finding it a bit of a challenge to get motivated when it comes to civilian life. But It’s only temporary. My muse will return. In the meantime, I will, like Wiarton Willie the weather-wise groundhog, stick my head out briefly, provide you with a few short sketches of recent goings on in the hamlet of Dunvegan, and duck back down my burrow.
Heavyweight Champs
I’m sorry to report that my wife and I weren’t the only Dunvegan Recreation members unable to attend Friday’s Annual General Meeting of the Association. It turned out that a number of the usual suspects were otherwise engaged. When I was speaking with Lynn MacGillivray about the turnout, she wondered if the lower than usual numbers might have had something to do with the change in the day of the week the event was held. Traditionally, the DRA AGM and Potluck has taken place on Saturday night, not Friday. And as we all know, Glengarrians (myself included) have difficulty with change.
Nevertheless, President Ben Williams told me that those in attendance, “had a grand time visiting and catching up during the potluck meal, and enjoyed some delicious homemade deserts.”
The business side of the evening started with Sean Burgess and his treasurer’s report, of which one the highlights was how much the “Donations” line item on the report has grown thanks to the addition of the Music & Mayhem Christmas Concerts. Everyone was very impressed with the money the M&M volunteers raised for the St. Vincent de Paul Food Bank.
I’m told the next item of business was the President’s Report. Ben sent me a copy and it contains an impressive list of over a dozen activities and programs for which the hardworking community group is responsible. As someone remarked to me a number of years ago, the DRA “punches way above its weight.”
In addition to the DRA’s past accomplishments, Ben touched upon its plans for 2017. These include: upgrading the hall’s accessibility for seniors and the handicapped, the addition of air conditioning to make summer use of the facility more comfortable, repair or replacement of the message board outside the community hall, improvements to the Dunvegan soccer nets, and hardwiring of the hall’s ceiling-mounted video projector. He also showed members a sketch that Heather Raymond had prepared of the proposed playground layout. It was well received.
Speaking of the accessibility upgrades, I’m glad to see that common sense has prevailed and the heritage-destroying (not to mention budget-busting) $122,000 plan proposed by a Prescott-Russell architect has been replaced with a more realistic $44,000 one. The only flaw with this homegrown blueprint is that one of the bathroom dimensions is 1.5 cm shy of meeting Code. Hopefully, this ever so slight deviation from the rulebook won’t derail the project. If so, I would hope the DRA takes their case upstream to the elected officials.
No-show Picture Show
I’m sorry to say that I was two-for-two when it came to missing DRA events this past weekend. A previous social engagement on Saturday night meant that Terry and I were unable to make it to Movie Night at the hall in Dunvegan. The event’s organizer, Laurie Maus, reported that while only seven fans of the silver screen made it out they all enjoyed Men In Black… and the fresh hot-buttered popcorn. I’m told the Glengarry News’s very own Steve Warburton dropped in to take pictures before the hall lights dimmed. Thankfully he left before Laurie tried out a new inflatable lounger she had purchased. “It’s one of these products that looks better in advertising than in reality,” Laurie told me. I gather that when she tried it out, it took Blair and Jean Williams to haul her off the floor. Rumour has it Kate Tilker managed to get the seating device inflated and said it was comfy. “It’s obviously a product for the under 40 crowd,” says Laurie.
I gather that the third Saturday of the month is now the official DRA movie night. This would mean that movie fans out there should set aside February 18th. The playbill next month will feature Some Like it Hot. Voted the number one comedy of all time by the American Film Institute, it stars Marilyn Munroe, Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon. Curtis and Lemmon play two struggling musicians who, to escape from the mob, hide out in an ‘all girl’ band. When originally released, the film was banned in Kansas; cross-dressing was considered too scandalous in the fictional home of Dorothy and her dog, Toto. “Come see what they couldn’t see in the Sunflower State,” invites Laurie.
Bring your own refreshments and a comfy cushion or lawn chair. The DRA will supply popcorn. The event is free but, as always, donations are gratefully accepted. “We’re all looking forward to the next movie and hope others will join us,” Laurie said.
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