“It’s Friday, Friday, gotta get down on Friday. Everybody’s lookin’ forward to the weekend, weekend.”
– Rebecca Black
I don’t know about you, but I’m definitely looking forward to the three-day weekend, especially now that I once again have a “real” day job. For the past six weeks, I’ve been in training, hence the sporadic nature of this column. With today marking my graduation from said program, I’m hoping to get this “weekly” column back on track. And even though it’s been nearly two weeks since my last column appeared, rest assured I’ve not been shirking my news-gathering duties. So without further adieu, enjoy the column and more importantly, enjoy the weekend!
NORTH COUNTRY:
Because it didn’t – and likely never will – make Bruce Frisko and Starr Dobson’s ‘Milestones’ segment, I feel it’s my duty as a proud Nova Scotian to wish Halifax’s most famous son a very happy belated birthday. I’m speaking, of course, about Spryfield-raised actor Alden J. Brown, who turned 56 back on May 11. Best known these days by his professional name, Peter North, J.L. Ilsley grad and one-time Kline Heights denizen Alden left Canada for sunny California in 1982. Anatomically blessed, and deep in debt, Alden became involved in the adult film biz. While his image remains attached to a handful of early same-sex films that billed him as “Matt Ramsey,” it was as straight shooter “Peter North” – a name he first used in 1984 and trademarked years later– that he found true fame and fortune. With an estimated 1,700 adult movies under his belt, Newport Coast, Orange County-dweller Alden has built a very successful adult empire. Not restricting himself to the small screen, Alden decided to branch out. In 1994, he published a book – as Peter North – cheekily titled “Penetrating Insights: A guide to meeting and dating beautiful women.” The tome subsequently landed him on the receiving end of a N.S. Supreme Court suit after Halifax businessman Leon Pereira sued him (and Californian David Pratt) for $25,000 U.S., money Pereira claimed had been loaned by him to the duo for the purpose of financing the book’s promotion. Alden failed to defend the suit against Pereira’s claim and in 1997, a judgment in the amount of $34,132.50 was ordered against him. Fun fact: Pereira’s lawyer at the time was Portland Street lawyer, Darrell Dexter, of Weldon, Beeler, Mont & Dexter a.k.a. Nova Scotia’s present-day Premier.
AT THE MOVIES:
Ellen Page’s new thriller, The East, is coming soon to a theatre near you. May 31 in fact. With a cast that includes True Blood’s Alexander Sarsgard and famed character actress Patricia Clarkson, Page plays Izzy, a member of an eco-activist group targeted for infiltration by an operative for a private intelligence firm. The 116-minute flick, filmed in Shreveport, Louisiana, premiered earlier this year at the Sundance Film Festival.
MUST-SEE TV:
Fans of ABC’s “Once Upon A Time” and, more specifically, Ruby/Red Riding Hood-portrayer Meghan Ory, will no doubt be excited to hear that the British Columbia-born actress will star opposite “CSI” alum Marg Helgenberger and “Lost” actor Josh Holloway in the new sci-fi drama “Intelligence,” scheduled to begin airing on CBS in February 2014. Meghan, who has been married to Halifax-born “Arctic Air” star John Reardon since 2009, will play Secret Service agent Riley Neal in the series, described by Helgenberger as “James Bond meets Frankenstein meets Mission Impossible.” Raised in South End Halifax, John, who recently appeared on an episode of “Supernatural,” is the son of Young Avenue dermatologist Dr. Michael Reardon and his lovely wife Jane. John and Meghan met several years ago while filming the mini-series Merlin’s Apprentice.
SICK ‘EM, BOY!
Speaking of television, did any of you happen to see former Conservative cabinet minister and present-day SUN News contributor Monte Solberg shamelessly put the Twitter boots to Canada’s most-famous German Shepard recently? “The Littlest Hobo on TV right now,” tweeted Solberg May 5. “Is it a parody? Whoa. So bad.” For the record, Mr. Solberg, The Littlest Hobo is a Canadian institution; Mike Duffy is a parody. Only one deserves to be put down – and it ain’t the dog.
WHAT A DRAG:
St. F.X. history professor Chris Frazer will be spending his sabbatical researching the history of Drag in Halifax. Frazier, who performs in drag as C. Leah Cruise, is planning to write a book on the subject.
TAKE THIS HOUSE AND SELL IT:
I see where senior Metro reporter Ruth Davenport is selling her 1,891 sq. ft. Manor Park, Dartmouth abode. “My house is on MLS!” the long-time journalist tweeted May 7. “Going for a song!” The Glenwood Avenue bungalow is listed with Century 21 Agent Jackie Pitt for $219,777. Also looking to sell these days is CTV viral video specialist Maria Panopalis, whose two bedroom Bedford Highway condo is on the market with Royal LePage Anchor Realty for $224,900.
SAY CHEESE!
Halifax model Michael Hamm got an additional 15 minutes of internet fame last week thanks to buzzfeed.com. The popular website used a photo of Mike, taken by well-known photog Shaun Simpson, in a May 10th feature titled 27 Cats Who Could Clearly Be Male Models. http://www.buzzfeed.com/alexrees/27-cats-who-could-clearly-be-male-models
OUR HOUSE IS YOUR HOUSE:
Kings-Hants Liberal MP Scott Brison has extended an open invite to new Bank of Canada Governor Stephen Poloz to visit his seaside home. “You’re welcome to vacation in Cheverie anytime!” Brison said in a recent congratulatory tweet directed at Poloz. Poloz’s predecessor Mark Carney and his family stayed at Brison’s two-storey Minas Basin-view abode for close to a week in 2012.
CAREER SHIFT:
It wasn’t nearly as shocking as Rene Ross’s Stepping Stone departure, but Scott MacDonald’s recent Twitter announcement that he would be leaving his Frank Magazine reporting gig and joining the Taz Records family June 1 left some reporter types I know scratching their heads.
ANOTHER ONE BITES THE DUST: Hot on the heels of several other Sunnyside Mall closures comes word that Halifax giftware king Glenn Martin has pulled the plug on his Centre Court Comfort & Joy location. His Park Lane, Woodlawn and Lunenburg locations will remain open.
SIGHTINGS:
Big Brother Canada runner-up Emmett Blois, at Goodlife, Larry Uteck, on May 13th and 14th. Inverness MLA Alan MacMaster, at the Scotia Square food court, on May 3. Auditor General Jacque LaPointe, at Pete’s Frootique, Dresden Row, on May 1.
PASSINGS:
MAXWELL, Carl, former owner of now-defunct gay bar Club Vortex on Gottingen Street. Additional details currently unavailable.
WILLIAMS, Rosemary, 59, early learning educator with the Halifax Regional School Board, on April 22. HUANG, Paul Te-Hsien, former Dal Law and NSCC Akerley librarian, on April 28.
WALKER, Martha Agnes “Marti,” 96, past president of the Maritime United Church Women, on April 30.
GRAVES, Terry Joseph Warden, 53, retired Halifax policeman, on May 1.
MEISNER, Kenneth Leroy “Kenny,” 77, N.S. Hall of Fame fiddler, who occasionally appeared on the Don Messer Show, on May 3.
COOK, Madge Marie, 86, former teacher and past Chairperson of the Chester Lighthouse Food Bank, on May 5.
CORMIER, William Donald “Don,” 76, retired Halifax Vocational School/NSCC Akerley teacher, on May 5.
ABRAHAM, Rose Marie (Belliveau), wife of former N.S. Lieutenant Governor Alan R. Abraham, on May 6. Diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, Mrs. Abraham spent the past six years at St. Vincent’s Nursing Home, where I understand she was visited daily by her husband of nearly 58 years. The two were wed on July 2, 1955; the couple’s tombstone has long sat in Sackville’s Gates of Heaven Cemetery in anticipation of their eventual passings. Their daughter, Louise Abraham-Pace is married to Robert “Maritime Broadcasting” Pace, who is poised to become Chairman of the Board at CN in 2014.
RAYMOND, Robert Boris, 87, retired Dalhousie University professor, on May 6.
ANDERSON, Marie “Ruth,” retired civil servant who once studied hairdressing under legendary civil rights pioneer Viola Desmond at Halifax’s first School of Cosmetology for Women of Colour, on May 7.
DOHERTY, Curtis Hugh, 78, former CBC Newsworld producer, on May 7.
LANGSTROTH, William “Bill,” 81, legendary CBC producer, on May 8. Despite producing such famed shows as Don Messer’s Jubilee and Sing-a-long Jubilee (which he also co-hosted), Bill is perhaps best remembered as the long-time husband of Canadian songbird Anne Murray. The couple married on June 20, 1975 – Anne’s 30th birthday – just two days after Bill’s marriage from first wife Shirley (nee Dennison) was officially dissolved. Bill, with whom Anne shares two children – Will and performer Dawn – filed for divorce from the ‘Snowbird’ songstress in 1999. He was married to his third wife Fran at the time of his death. After years of living in Malagash, the twosome took up residence in Sackville, N.B., where in the 1950s Bill received his Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree from Mount Allison University.
ANDERSON, Dr. Charles Clifford, 54, St. Margaret’s Bay/Tantallon physician, on May 11.
AUDAIN, Dr. Vincent Patrick, 77ish, ophthalmologist, on May 12.
