The Dryden Observer » Culture & Events

Stereos preparing for a sold out show at the Centre

Ally Dunham — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 13:52:43 +0000

Dryden will see some big name entertainment on July 29, as Stereos, a band hailing from Edmonton, AB will hit the stage.

Stereos went double platinum in digital downloads before their album hit store shelves, and within three months of release, achieved a gold plaque.

As part of a Canadian tour, the young pop sensations will be visiting the Centre in Dryden for one night only, to perform for a sold out crowd.

The band members are trying to adjust to their short ride to fame. Daniel Johnson, bass guitarist, reveals, “I don’t think you ever really get adjusted to it. Coming from Edmonton, having nothing and being nothing as a band, and inside a year, it’s exploded and become what could be a full time career.”

When facing the challenge of a move from Edmonton to Toronto to further their rising career, the band understood that it was a necessary for their future, and were all in it together.

The group has all known each other for many years, some as friends, some as former band mates. While carrying a history of friendship with the fellow members, Johnson says it is easier and yet harder in some ways where the band is concerned.

“You give each other a little bit more attitude because you’ve know each other so long and it’s like family. It has more pros than cons though.”

When asked how they felt the first time they heard themselves on the radio, Johnson confessed, “The first time, Pat, Rob and myself were driving our van, and we actually pulled over and freaked out and turned it up. It’s an amazing, amazing feeling to hear it on the radio.”

The group started out with many failures, and sat down to write their own songs. Following a year of writing, the band worked hard to make a name for themselves, touring in Edmonton, as well as sending out music to anyone and everyone who would listen in the Canadian music scene.

Their persistence paid off for the group, being picked up by Much Music’s reality show disBAND.

With future plans of going international, Johnson states, “We’ve done a little in Canada, and they’ve shown us some love so we’re going to see what the rest of the world has to offer and make it happen.”

Following this tour, the band has plans to stick close to their Toronto home working on their new album to achieve a release date sometime in the fall.

By Ally Dunham

Keeping the deer out of your garden

Ally Dunham — Tue, 04 May 2010 18:51:25 +0000

Although we love to see such beautiful creatures, they can sure make a mess of all our hard work.

We all admire our local deer population, but not when we watch them destroy our many hours and many dollars worth of hard work.

Deer are famous for destroying gardens, flowerbeds, grass and shrubs. There are some flowers and plants that are labeled as deer resistant.

Although labeled as resistant, that does not mean the deer will not still have a breakfast of your loved perennials. If they are starving, they will eat just about anything.

A few of the flowers recommended as “resistant” are alyssum, snapdragons, astilbe, calla lilies, clematis vine, daylilies, echinaea, iris, double peony, daffodil, monkshood, columbine, foxglove, lavender, and rudbeckia.

Some shrubs that are classed as resistant are witch hazel, elderberry viburnum and various dogwoods. Trees in this category include birch, ash, juniper, and hemlock.

A few suggestions for vines are bittersweet, boston ivy and grape. There are some ornamental grasses that are labeled resistant as well, including feather reed grass, northern sea oats, blue fescue, Japanese silver grass, and flame grass.

Some of these plants are poisonous, so ensure you do your research to ensure the safety of these plants with your own domestic pets.

If you have a loved flower that is not in this category, there are some other methods of deer proofing that you may not know about. Deer are driven by scent, not sight. There are a variety of scent deterrents that can be placed around your garden to “jam the senses” of the local muncher. The scents need to be strong enough that the deer cannot smell the greenery behind them.

Some ideas for scent deterrents are soap and fabric softener strips. Drill holes through a bar of soap, and cut fabric sheets into strips, and hang either or both around your garden. The stronger the scent, the better the deterrent.

Other scent blockers include hot pepper spray, and moth balls. The moth balls can be placed in a cheesecloth bag and also be hung around the garden.

Although, possibly not the most aesthetically pleasing, there is always the option of putting up fencing. This is not always a cheap option, due to the height necessities of the fencing, but still a choice for each homeowner.

You can check your local garden supply store for deer repellent sprays as well.

- Ally Dunham

Attention all interested DHS Ambassadors for the Russia 2011 trip

Sarah Madussi — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 18:54:03 +0000

Any DHS student interested in joining the DHS Ambassadors’ Tour of Russia in the Spring of 2011, is invited to an information meeting on Tuesday April 13th at 6:30pm in the school library. It is strongly recommended that you bring a parent or guardian to this meeting. You must attend an information meeting, as well as maintain good attendance and behaviour, in order to be considered to travel. Participation in this activity may be considered as a credit towards your OSSD.

Former Paper Company tugboat lovingly restored

chrismarchand — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 19:22:13 +0000

Michigan marina owner Nick Finazzo has spent the last seven years restoring this 1947 Russell Brothers tug to pristine condition. The Dryden 4 was previously in the service of the Dryden Paper Company during the 1950s and 60s.

Boats have served an important role in the history of the Dryden area as tools for both industry and recreation. But like many tools, those that have endured beyond their ‘useful lifespan’ risk becoming an inoperable museum piece at best, or the cruel fate of enduring future generations as a rusting hulk or scrap metal.

The Dryden 4, a 1947 Russell Brothers tugboat, is one lucky vessel.

After decades of service to the Dryden Paper Company during the 1950s and ’60s, the Dryden 4 has been lucky enough to find a kindred spirit who has meticulously restored the tug to a pristine condition and extended its lifespan for generations to come.

Wyandotte, Michigan marina owner Nick Finazzo purchased the Dryden 4 from local resident Barry Shepherd and has spent the past seven years fussing over every last detail of restoring the craft to its former glory in the Detroit area suburb.

Before he ever had intentions of restoring the tug, Finazzo says the Dryden 4 had paid for itself within a year in its workhorse role at the marina.

Coming from a family of automobile restoration enthusiasts, Finazzo says the restoration project began when he set about replacing the tug’s 12 window frames. Unsatisfied with the efforts of a local metal shop, Finazzo says he learned to weld in order to produce exact replicas.

“I like looking at things as though they were untouched by history,” he said. “You know that some guy welded that, so I always try to preserve those details. It’s just a thing with me. Those windows are fanatically perfect. The guy who built the boat would not know that those frames had been replaced.”

On top of general repairs, Finazzo sandblasted nearly every surface of the tug inside and out and applied a new coat of epoxy paint, he made repairs to the decking and spent considerable time on the boat’s interior restoring, preserving the well-worn original surfaces.

“They used to wear spiked boots,” said Finazzo. “I left all the holes in the wood and I varnished it. It looks really cool, it’s got that worn look. It has its scars and you can see how hard it was used.”

Finazzo and friends also removed the tug’s 2000 lbs winch gearbox, in order to re-machine a bearing. The boat still has most of its original features including the anchor and propeller cage.

One of the few deviations from historical accuracy was the replacement of the tug’s original 160 horsepower diesel motor with a new 250 hp motor – a move he says is common among other tug owners of the same vintage and effectively doubles the craft’s power.

“When I did some research on the Russell Brothers website, it looks like around 1975 everyone was replacing the engines with a 250 hp Cummins. Looks wise, it’s almost identical.”

In the spring, Finazzo will showcase the newly restored Dryden 4 at the Detroit Boat Show at Cobo Centre.

“It’s been seven years of work,” he said. “I can’t even remember half of the things I’ve done to that boat. It was all done very meticulously and it’s definitely a showpiece. It’ll make Dryden proud.”

Tug owner seeks information

For the Dryden 4’s upcoming exhibition at the Detroit Boat Show, Nick Finazzo is hoping to piece together the history of the tugboat’s working life on the Wabigoon from Dryden residents who may have stories or anecdotes about the working life of the Dryden 4 or the vessels employed by the Dryden Paper Company. He’s also keen to see any photographs or documentation that could be produced in regards to the vessel.

Nick Finazzo can be reached at 734-231-6444, or by email at ‘nick100@wyan.org’

- Chris Marchand