The winner of the 2006 Holiday Shop & Win in Old East Village promotion was Jason Bellchamber who submitted his ballot at Mystic Bookshop (612 Dundas Street).
“This is great! I have never won a contest like this before” an ecstatic Jason said when he came into the bookshop to pick up his prize, a Pentax Digital Camera.
The Holiday Shop & Win in Old East Village promotion ran from November 25 through to December 23, 2006 and required that a customer spend $25.00 or more at any of the 28 participating stores in order to qualify for a ballot. Our congratulations go out to Jason and we hope that he has fun with his new camera. Thanks also go to participating businesses.
Good things happen when you shop in Old East Village!

On Behalf Of Old East Village BIA Board And Staff, We Wish every one a Safe and Healthy New Year 2007!

With traffic rerouted, the stage is set. Dundas between Adelaide and Elizabeth Streets is coming alive with Fire & Frost Festival performers creating Holiday magic in the Village. With the London Bartending School space serving as “backstage”, the entertainers gathered just prior to show time.

Bandaloni straps his musical accompaniment on his back. His bass drum (decorated in lights and tinsel) and hi-hat get-up are operated by a series of wires and pulleys that Bandaloni works by moving his feet. When asked about the weight of his drum rig he smiles and says:
“It weighs about 40 pounds and gains 10 pounds an hour.”
He picks up his guitar and heads for the street and the waiting crowds.

From a back room comes the warm and happy sound of Mariachi music. Dressed in their traditional sombreros and colourful ponchos the three members of the Antonio Alas Mariachi Band are ready to entertain. They have returned this year to play the second Fire & Frost Festival. Last year’s colder weather was hard on nimble fingers and acoustic instruments. For that reason the trio says, “We are looking more forward to this year.” They depart and soon their festive melodies are in the air.

London acoustic music artists Frank Ridsdale and Carole Allison join the other street performers. These veteran musicians will ably cover seasonal songs, blues, folk and country. They play at alternate ends of the street and later hook up for a blues jam.

For Trulee Odd Show Fire-eater Paul Maskell – “Odd Paul”, there’s nothing quite like a ride on a ten-foot unicycle to get a show started. His clever juggling and Harlem Globetrotter-esque ball spinning also wow young and old alike.

With all of this activity in the street the place is becoming downright festive. As dusk approaches things really light up. Odd Paul works his fire-eating magic for the growing crowds. Starting at the west end of the corridor he is greeted with a backdrop of music from each of the musicians. As he woks his way east he is accompanied with some hot Mexican rhythms, smokin’ blues and a version of the Johnny Cash classic “Ring of Fire”. In the distance strains of music in the air tell us that Santa is coming our way. This family audience is ready and warmed up – thanks in part to Santa’s opening act – the Old East Village’s Fire & Frost Festival.

THE PETRIFIED FOREST - The Classic Drama by Robert Emmet Sherwood
Director: Simon Goodwin
Producer: Sharon Straus
Assistant Producer: Charmaine Costello

AUDITIONS:
Saturday, November 4, 2006  2:00 p.m.  ** New date **
Sunday, November 5, 2006  7:00 p.m.  ** New time **
All auditions held at The Palace Theatre, 710 Dundas Street, London, Ontario

Anyone who wishes to audition but cannot attend on these dates, please contact Simon Goodwin at sgoodwinca@yahoo.ca To make arrangements for an alternative time.

PRODUCTION DATES: January 26 - February 4, 2007

CAST REQUIREMENTS The cast will require sixteen (16) members: fourteen men between the ages 30-50 (two of them black); one man 60+; two woman in their late twenties (one Latino) and one woman in middle age.  Monologues will NOT be required, but a Southern US drawl will.  Be prepared to read from the script at the auditions.  While obviously some parts are smaller, this play is an ensemble piece which promises ample stage time to all participants.  This excellent piece promises to be a great experience and a lot of fun to do!
NOTE: This production will be professionally adjudicated “Out-of-Festival” for Western Ontario Drama League Festival 2007.

SYNOPSIS: Alan Squier, a failed and world-weary English writer, arrives at an isolated, weather-beaten café in the Arizona desert owned by the fiercely patriotic Jason Maple.  His daughter, Gabrielle, is immediately taken with the disillusioned intellectual since they share idealistic dreams of escaping the stark reality of their lives.  We learn that Gabrielle wishes to join her estranged Mother in Paris where she can study art, but that her miserly Grandfather will not provide her the means to go.  Meanwhile, gas-jockey Boze has worked up a jealous fury over Gabrielle’s crush and is relieved when Squier accepts a ride with wealthy businessman Mr. Chisholm and his wife.  However, their car is hijacked by gangsters who set off back toward the roadhouse.  Squier hurries back to warn the Maple’s, but is too late and all are held at gunpoint by the wily Duke Mantee and his desperate gang.  Squier sympathizes with the Duke over his plight, but hatches a surprising plan to help Gabrielle and finally bring meaning to his own life….

The Old East Village Community Association and the Lorne Ave P.S. Parent Teacher Council are working together to organize a Haunted Halloween Celebration for the children in the community at the Boyle Community Centre on Saturday, October 28 2006 from 4:00 – 10:00 pm and we are asking for you to help out with a generous donation of product, decorations, or cash or maybe you could get directly involved by volunteering your time.

There will be hours of thrills and fun for children of all ages. From 4:00 – 7:00pm there will be activities for all age groups including games, the second annual family pumpkin carving contest hosted by the school's Parent Teacher Council, a haunted house complete with icky and scary things for the children to touch and play with and even a costume exchange and sale. From 7:00 – 10:00 pm there will be a teen dance for children grades 6 thru 8.

This event is a great way for the children in the community to celebrate Halloween in a fun and safe manner as well as a great way for the merchants and members of the community to demonstrate their ongoing support.

To make a donation or to volunteer or, if you have any further questions please contact Donna Currie at 519-439-7120 or email to admin@oevca.ca