Caring Canadian Extremely Intolerant of Pro-Lifers

DebO in a Burd Report article excoriated two Diamond Jubilee Medal recipients thusly: “Law-breaking anti-choice zealots … broke the law … their efforts to break the law … their actions to break the law … charged and incarcerated … illegal activities … deluded law breakers.”

Wow! Talk about zero tolerance for law-breakers! The above seven reiterations is the sole reason for the cause of DebO’s renown Friday night rile-ups. By her own reasoning, she also would have to renounce medal recipients busted for pot, but I’d wager that she wouldn’t. It’s not about principle (no law-breakers), but about politics wearing a fig leaf of principle. She just doesn’t like them because of their political beliefs. DebO believes, as do I, NO STATE INTERVENTION ON REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS.

However, I depart from DebO’s demonizing these women. One woman has accumulated over ten years in jail. She is 64 years old. She has served more time behind bars than many others convicted of violent crimes, including murder, rape, manslaughter. The woman has been convicted of violating a court order that places a proximity bubble around abortion clinics. Gasp! She has never been cited for harassment. She stands silently holding a placard with photo of a crying baby bearing the same message, “Why mom, when I have so much love to give?” Gasp! Say it ain’t so! Horrors. Scary people.

It’s a “travesty” declares DebO. “Anti-choice zealot,” declares DebO.  “… these guys play dirty,” declares DebO. This attack on the woman’s character is as disproportionate as 10 years of imprisonment for such a meagre offence.

DebO declares, “…anti-choice folks think they’re on some sort of holy mission to impose their own values on everybody else…” regardless of the fact it is DebO’s values and my values that are currently being imposed on everybody else, whether DebO realizes it or not. Pro-choice prevails, and will continue to do so for a very long time to come.

DebO declares that the issue of reproductive freedom “has been long settled.” This is a cliché bandied about by self-declared Progressives. It indicates dogma. Those who believe dogma, and defend dogma from being questioned by unbelievers are those who have attached religiosity to secular matters.

Science is never settled. Everything is open to question. But then again, DebO has declared more than once how she ain’t gonna change. She’s a dogmatist. Although I vote for pro-choice, I enjoy being exposed to arguments by those who are pro-life. So far the arguments have been unsuccessful in persuading me to relinquish my pro-choice choice.

By being tolerant of those holding views contrary to my own, I have come to appreciate the profound sincerity of many pro-lifers. Think of it. Pro-life. They believe in life. They believe that life is sacred. They believe that life begins at conception. What is so terrible about that? Ten years imprisonment for silently standing on the sidewalk with a placard within 60 feet of an abortion clinic, that’s what.

DebO, your abusive intolerance in this instance sadly undermines your caring Canadianism.

Poetry Textravastanza at The Meet

The Poetry Performances sponsored and organized by the Cobourg Poetry Workshop, delivered a diversity of eloquence last night at 66 The Meet that was roundly appreciated by Cobourg’s better poems and garden set. It was a textceptional evening.

Catherine Owen, dressed in darkly demure metal-petal ambiance, bearing whispers of Goth around her throat, sang and throated and brought the assembled poetariet into a love poem, into a dark poem, back to love and life again, heavily accented in medieval and modern (modieval?)

Daniel Tysdal, whom I met for the first time, face2face, and I looked up to him, a bit; 6’1.5” to his 6’2.5”. A man with a natural alpha male body bearing bon mot textosterone poetry, interactive, distributing his voice through several other voices, and ending with a call for poets to deliver a line … Now that’s texterity.

Grahame Woods, a well-awarded wordie amongst The Local Lot, launched his first book of poetry; Path Imperfect. Grahame gives good mic with soft-spoken ease.

Diversity on Display; three genres of eloquence spread over 90 minutes is more than one could normally expect out here in Cobourg. A lot of books were sold. I will review them in the coming days, beginning first with Grahame Wood’s book. Cuz he’s local, just like me.

Books bond.

Name Sensory Garden After Local Cultural Achiever

Northumberland Today columnist and poet, Grahame Woods, has written an excellent piece concerning Victoria Park in Northumberland Today. I am troubled only by his suggestion that the Sensory Garden be named after some obscure duke from the 1700’s who had never known of Cobourg in any manner.

We have Victoria Hall, Victoria Street, Queen Street, Victoria Park, and other royal references. Enough already. Let’s turn our heads to celebrate and honour our own.

Aside from royalty, other municipal buildings, streets, parks in Cobourg have been named after administrators, bureaucrats and politicos. Not a hero, nor colourful character amongst them. Dull role models.

Not a musician, nor acrobat, nor artist, nor poet, nor composer, nor novelist, nor actor, nor anyone of a cultural character that has touched Cobourg in one way or another has a street, park, building, garden, or roundabout named after them. Pity.

I had brought up an idea back in January 1988, to namestreets after poets. Interestingly, I suggested that recipients of the Governor-General’s Award for Poetry be applied – we lo and behold, Cobourg has such a recipient since that proposal was made. First, Second and Third Street should be renamed after an individual of cultural achievement.

Honor poets with festival, street names, Jan 18, 1988

A Reply From MP Rick Norlock's Office

This afternoon, a message was left on my voice mail. It was in response to my OPEN LETTER sent the previous day. There was banter about the "satirical" video and of the situation of Alber Saber. The most important message was this assertion:

"Mr Norlock will be keeping it in mind as he discusses this issue with his caucus colleagues and the responsible minister."

So far so good. I await the consensus of the Caucus in "this issue."

OPEN LETTER TO MP RICK NORLOCK

Member of Parliament for Northumberland – Quinte West

Mr Rick Norlock

House of Commons

Ottawa, Ontario

September 26, 2012

AN OPEN LETTER

Dear Mr Norlock

I write this letter with deep concern for the safety of my fellow Canadians.

The Prosecutor-General of Egypt announced that warrants were issued, charging two Canadians, Coptic Christians, with blasphemy crimes for their alleged involvement in the making of a satirical video. By naming and outing these two Canadians, the Prosecutor-General of Egypt has ostensibly targeted these two men for the benefit of murderous assailants. The two men advised CBC that they are in fear of their lives and the lives of their families.

If the Prosecutor-General of Egypt fails to provide any evidence supporting the charges, then it would appear that the two men are nothing more than political scapegoats for the Muslim Brotherhood regime to play into the hands and demands of the militant Islamists. It is well known to Canadian authorities that Coptic Christians endure lethal discrimination in Egypt.

January 7, 2011, Foreign Affairs declared that "Canada condemns the attack on Coptic Christians in Nag Hammadi. We extend our deepest sympathies to the families and friends of those killed and wish a speedy recovery to the injured. That the victims were innocent civilians congregating for a religious celebration makes this attack especially tragic.”

Recently a young Coptic Christian dissident blogger in Egypt, Alber Saber, was arrested on charges of blasphemy relating to the satirical video, Innocence of Muslims. He has been beaten, tortured and imprisoned. He will be standing trial this coming October 3.

(1) I request that Canadian authorities consider laying slander charges against the Prosecutor-General of Egypt.

Ghulam Ahmad Bilour, a cabinet minister for railways in the Pakistan govt, explicitly offered $100,00 to anyone who kills those involved in the making of the satirical video. This is “head money.” It is counselling murder. It is incitement to murder the two Canadians who have been unjustly listed by the Muslim Brotherhood regime of Egypt.

(2) I request that Canadian authorities should consider laying charges against that Pakistani cabinet minister for counselling murder against two innocent Canadians. Canada should request his extradition, or demand that he brought to trial in Pakistan on charges of counselling murder. He still remains a cabinet minister.

Furthermore, Mufti Mohammad Yousuf Kasuri, chief of Jamiat Ahle Hadith Party for Sindh Province, added his own reward of approximately $105,000 "for the one who will hand exemplary punishment to the blasphemer."

(3) I request that Canadian authorities should consider his extradition or demand he brought to trial on charges of counselling murder.

Producing and distributing a lowbrow satirical video is free speech, as protected by our Charter of Rights and Freedoms, and Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Counselling murder is NOT free speech; it is a crime.

Free speech is under attack by the forces of theological tyranny. It is time that all Western nations refuse to apologize for our constitutionally protected free speech.

(4) Lastly, I request that the law of blasphemous libel be removed from Canada’s criminal code. It is hypocritical and weakens Canada’s position vis a vis blasphemy and free speech when we oppose the second stage effort by the 56-nation OIC to impose shariah planet-wide. In this contest there will be only one winner: FREE SPEECH, and more of it.

Sincerely

Wally Keeler

Unit D4 – 135 Chapel Street

Cobourg, Ontario, K9A 1J5

905-372-8379

poetician1@gmail.com

Poet James Clarke Reads @ 66 The Meet Tonight

The Kid from Simcoe Street

A Memoir and Poems

Author: James Clarke

Publisher: EXILE Editions, 259 pages

ISBN 978-1-55096-260-4

Before James Clarke arrived in Cobourg to become a poetry-recitingTown Councillor, he began his life in Peterborough where his wartime experience of childhood becomes the subject of this rich and compelling memoir.

Our culture is chock-a-block with books about dysfunctional families written by victims, railing on about their celebrated parents dereliction of parental duty. This unrelenting glut of grief fuels tv ‘reality’ shows and book sales via the Ms O.

James Clarke’s memoir avoids all of the pitfalls of such a book. There is no trace of maudlin sentimentality, nor embedded bitterness in this book. There is no milking for sympathy. There is no wisdom being proselytized. It is neither cold nor clinical, but warmly human.

Canadian poet, (and Cobourg resident) Ross Stuart, in his recent book of stories, Buying Cigarettes For the Dog, wrote, ““you never know where life’s journey is going to take you, like you never know how the years are going to shove you around.”

James Clarke narrates his childhood turbulence from parental alcoholism. He describes incidents that shoved him this way and that with clarity and compassion. All too often, life’s most memorable lessons derive from arbitrary injustices.

Mr Clarke went on to practice law in Cobourg and became the first Town Councillor to make a motion in rhyme. He was letting his inner poet out bit by bit.  Even more impressive, is that Mr Clarke is now a retired Judge of the Superior Court of Ontario.

Mr Clarke’s childhood experiences informed him rather than deformed him. This, in turn, provided for the honest clarity of his book, as well, I am sure, for his judicial decisions when another life that had been shoved around by the years and ended up in the prisoner’s box bound by testimony.

It is the realm of tragedy.

After a lifetime of service to truth and justice, James Clarke looks back over the horizon to his childhood and to his father, and how the years dealt with him. The Hon R Roy McMurtry, former Ontario Chief Justice, Attorney-General and High Commissioner to Great Britain, wrote the Introduction for this enlightened book. Mr McMurtry highlighted the power of Mr Clarke’s prose-poetry by citing:

“Dad and I had lost each other in the shadow of each other’s silences. Dad, another child in the house, never did learn the language of touch. He spurned embraces and other displays of affection. It was as if after his experiences of war he had built a box and, gathering all his hurts and silences, had curled up inside it like a shivering dog, leaving us to pear in through the slats to glimpse his face in blades of light, to listen to the slow shrivelling of his heart.”

Mr Clarke took a different route. He emerged from the cocoon of his childhood and took flight into law and poetry. His memoir ends as he leaves Peterborough to go to university. Fortunately, the book does not end.

The book ends with a flourish of selected poetry that addresses his relationship with language as a judge and then as a poet. Mr Clarke is adroit with language, and he dazzles with simplicity.

READ THIS BOOK!

PS: James Clarke is reading at The Meet, 66 King St E, 7pm, Thursday, Sept 20

Cobourg Poet Laureate Reviews Textual Artivity

TEXTUAL ARTIVITY by TED AMSDEN

Artist and poet-vocateur, Wally Keeler is having an art/poetry show at the Human Bean during the month of September.

        Talking to Wally Keeler, well, you need patience. The man is his own entertainment centre. He remakes the basic nuts and bolt words of daily usage into ammunition for his Imagine Nation of the Peoples Republic of Poetry. 

        You have to be careful how you throw words around in his presence because they will be re-born, - on the spot - as poetential building blocks for use in the uni-verse according to Wally. All is fodder in his galaxy. You need to give yourself a little time to catch up to his way of thinking. The patience isn't for him, it's for you as you get up to his speed.

        Spoiler alert for Keeler's upcoming show at the Human Bean during the month of September. Keeler's uni-verse is humorous. Keeler definitely doesn't think the way the rest of us do and that is part of his charm. Keeler is a senior who enjoys playing at the child's level while ensuring that the resulting images and words are very much for adults.

        "I utilize poetic licence to achieve poetic justice. The enemy of the Imagine Nation is mediocrity. This bloated bland gland debris culverts out of the mouths of politicos and bureaucrats and gets distributed by the plainstream media."

        Clearly, Keeler has a bit of edge leftover from the seventies when he accomplished some impressive feats of street and political performance that prefigure today's flash mobs. Keeler's, "1st Interm Report of the Commission of the Causes and Manifestations of Divergent Think Procedure Concerning the 1st 10 years of the History of the Peopls Rpublic of Poetry" book document's those days. Written, or rather assembled in Cobourg, it is an amazing record of Keeler's ability to manifest his poetic universe.

        Keeler is a free speech advocate, no doubt due to experiences like these, "During the 1970’s I experienced interference in my freedom by the Security Service of the RCMP intercepting and withholding my mail, wiretapping my residence, interfering with my employment and tenancy…Interestingly this led to connections being developed with the creative, dissident class in Eastern Europe during the cold war. It was an exhilarating pleasure to contribute to the subversion of totalitarianism by smuggling the manifestations of creativity in and out."

        Now Totalitarianism hasn't been seen on this side of the Atlantic, officially, for as long as anybody can remember but there is still an enemy out there according to Keeler. He says language and poetry in particular is "under attack by mediocrity". Society's obsessive concern with correctness has "commissions watching everyone’s words and enforcing nicespeak. Nicespeak is the new Newspeak, which is Nospeak at all." Engage Keeler deeper on this topic and it's plain he has much to say.   

        Older, wiser, but still playful, these days Keeler's stage is smaller. There are images in this show from his series: Child's Play. They "consist of configurations of children's wooden alphabet blocks on mirrors and other surfaces." that spell out the words liberty and freedom in English and other languages. In large prints, toy trucks, soldiers and lettered building blocks have been Photoshopped into Cobourg images. There are also Freedom of Speech posters.

        In other images, Keeler uses material objects like Scrabble letter tiles and again children's building blocks and arranges them according to the rhyming scheme of Shakespearean Sonnets which makes for some interesting non-literary understanding of the Bard's craft.

         Other images consist of ‘news’ stories from the series: All the Muse That’s Fit to Print. These stories represent some of the news coming from the Image Nation of the Peoples Republic of Poetry. Satirical and poetic, the stories are a careful blend of literary fact and fiction and are probably the most accessible productions of Keeler's show for those who find Keeler's universe and bit unusual.

        This show will be a bit of a home coming and a premiere event for the poet. "I have exhibited or performed in Poland, Hungary, England, Germany, New York, Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal, but never in my poemtown. Only a handful of close friends and acquaintances from Cobourg knew the kind of poetic work I manifested in Toronto since the early 70s." He has been active in the poetry scene in Cobourg since returning to Cobourg and regularly incorporates it into activities at Cobourg's Ecology Garden where he is the Chair.

================

The image below was sold. I miss it already. It was one of my favourites and graced my wall for the past three years. It now has a wonderful home with a hot-sauced poet. 

 

Cobourg District Collegiate Institute West records on Wally Keeler

October 15, 1963, Teacher, M C Daniel, Offence Report,

“Disturbing class”

January 16, 1964, Teacher, D. Sutherland, Offence Report,

“The class seemed particularly noisy today. I told Wally to stay in after school for talking. He told me he already had a detention so their (sic) seemed to be nothing else to do but to send him out.

January 16, 1964, Vice Principal, R. A. Graham, Offence Report,

`Keeler is a repeat offender, He was counseled on the ultimate result of this behaviour. Given three one-hour detentions.

Jan, 1964, unsigned teacher comment:

“Persistently resists authority. I warned about talking. Continued to talk. Was given a detention to be served tonight. Went to S R Cafeteria. Was warned about talking; completely disregarded the warning. I do not believe we are obliged to put up with Keeler`s insubordination.

March 19, 1965, letter from `C.G.King, Principal, CDCI-W to Wallace Keeler,

``When I suggested to you a week ago that you get your hair trimmed up, I had no feeling that this was a personal matter. Rather it was to my way of thinking, merely one facet of my duty to our pupils.

As you know, we offer pupils an education in what I call `bookish` subjects and training in certain manual skills. But there is more to it than these two features. There is also that sphere of preparation for the transformation from the school society to the business world. For this change I think that pupils must be made to realize that a certain conformity in dress, deportment and physical appearance is necessary. The body should be clean, the dress should be neat and the hair should be trim – I do not necessarily mean in brush-cut fashion like mine – but all the outward appearance should be acceptable to the potential employer when the pupil makes the transition from school to society.

I have noticed that you have made some attempt to have your hair trimmed. I hope that you have begun to appreciate good grooming and will continue with the proper care of your personal appearance.

In closing may I say that I realize the pressures, some good, some bad, facing young people today. I hope that you will have the sense and the courage to separate the right ones from the wrong, and to follow the former.``

September 13, 1965, Guidance office note,

``Wally had difficult year and has tried to assert self through non-conformity, long hair, feeling of right to do as he pleases, insubordination, etc, have made life hard.``

September 29, 1965, Teacher, Gerry Lawless, Complaint Report, sent to office,

``unsuitable running shoes after two warnings.``

October 1, 1965, Teacher, Gerry Lawless, Complaint Report, sent to office,

``No PE uniform for the 3<sup>rd</sup> time in the week. No proper uniform for several months of PE``

October 25, 1965,  Detention Regulations:

``Wallace Keeler - Ford Blow - Chas. McGinn

Richard Rupert - Ross Dudley - Robert Labrash

Cafeteria privileges , including visits to the lunch counter, are discontinued indefinitely for the above-named students. Until further notice, the students will have lunch as per the following time-table:

MONDAY – Period 6A – Room 202

WEDNESDAY & FRIDAY – Period 6A – Room 204

TUESDAY & THURSDAY – Period 6B – Room 204

When the lunch period is 6A, the student will be at the assigned lunch room at 12:00 sharp; five minutes is allowed to visit the washroom and pick up lunch. When the lunch period is 6B, the student will be in the lunchroom at 12:35 sharp. Each day the student will stay in the lunch room in the seat provided. Until the five minute bell at the end of the said period.

Failure to comply with any one of these regulations or conduct deemed unworthy by the administration will result in immediate suspension``

-- Vice Principal, Mr Graham

October 28, 1965, letter from Principal, C. G. King to Mrs Keeler.

``I regret to report that we have reached the limit of our patience with your son, Wallace. Having been implicated in, or connected with, an egg-throwing episode in the Cafeteria (He did not throw it) he has been assigned a room and a seat wherein to spend his lunch period. He is also denied activity period.

Today he was taking part in a noisy disturbance at the end of lunch period outside a room where a grade 13 lesson was being taught. This is the limit. If he is guilty of any more misconduct he will be suspended.``

February 8, 1966, Teacher, J W McGrath, Complaint Report;

``Insolence. he said (after I had given an answer) `How do you know – were you there?` Wallace must apologize before I will permit him to re-enter my class.``

March 19, 1966, letter from Principal, C. G. King to Mrs Keeler:

``I am sending Wally home on suspension for insubordination in that he completely disregarded instructions about talking, …… to him by Mr Graham. Before he is permitted to return I would like you to come to see me ….. In the meantime he is ….. back until Monday at the earliest.``

September 2, 1966, Note by Vice Principal, R. A. Graham,

``As per instructions from Mr King, W. Keeler was sent home (and directed to turn in all school books) for an indefinite period.

February 9, 1966, letter from Principal, C. G. King to Mrs Keeler:

Your son Wallace Keeler, 4A12, was suspended indefinitely today for insolence to a teacher.

It is quite apparent that Wallace is not sufficiently interested in his own future, that his presence is a detriment to the progress of his associates and that his behaviour cannot be further tolerated. 

It will be in Wallace`s interests to obtain employment. If he wishes to obtain information concerning the content of any course, the teachers will provide same on application to the office. If Wallace wishes to write the examinations, he may do so on application, and the administration will arrange for a fair evaluation of his answer papers.

Again it is strongly advised that Wallace obtain employment.``

UNDATED NOTE, UNSIGNED NOTE, reads:

"Write this paragraph twenty times; sign your name after each writing. Write in ink. Write neatly. Number each 1, 2, 3 etc.

Regulations are necessary in any school. A regulation in this school directs the student to be in his room when the final bell rings; the student will then sit in his proper place immediately. This behaviour on the part of any student indicates a desire to cooperate. Students who refuse to cooperate are contesting the authority of the principal. Repeated refusal to cooperate on the part of any student should result in the suspension of the student.``

TEXTUAL ARTIVITY @ The Human Bean

The state of mind popularly known as the Imagine Nation of the Peoples Republic of Poetry invites you to the opening of “TEXTUAL ARTIVITY’.

This is Wally Keeler’s debut exhibition of his graphic wordwork in his poemtown: Cobourg.

Reception is September 5, Wednesday, 6pm – 8pm, Human Bean, 80 King Street West, Cobourg.

Wally plans to perform one poem: THE RANT.

This exhibit is sponsored by FREE SPEECH, a division of the FREEDOM FORCES. FREE SPEECH; a sustainable decongestant against Suppression, Oppression, Repression.

The gathering will be invited to participate in the making of a propaganda video selling the brand: FREE SPEECH.
“What do we want?”
“Free Speech!”
“When do we want it?”
“Always”
“LOUDER! 
What do we want?”
“FREE SPEECH!!”
“When do we want it?”
“ALWAYS”

And, of course, the chanting of the ubiquitous POETRY IS POETENCY.

Cobourg Beach Society Walks the Walk

Cobourg Ecology Garden applauds Bike for the Planet

Garden Safety Workshop at Cobourg Ecology Garden

Spring unfolds from the softened ground. Likewise, gardeners unfold from winter restrictions to head outdoors to create their gardens afresh. This is the season when gardening safety should take precedence to ensure an injury-free growing season.  

The Cobourg Ecology Garden is hosting a workshop on safe gardening techniques by a professional physiotherapist from We-Fix-U, which recently won Best Wellness Centre in Northumberland, as well as best Physiotherapy and Foot Health Staff for ten years running.

Learn the recommendations of the Canadian Physiotherapy Associations (CPA) tips and techniques to get the most out of the gardening season. Gardening can cause muscle strain to the lower back, shoulders, knees and arms, especially after a sedentary winter.

The workshop begins at 11 am Saturday, May 26, at the Cobourg Ecology Garden at the foot of Hibernia Street. The workshop will include a warm-up demonstration, followed by CPA recommendations for safe and healthy raking or hoeing, weeding or planting, digging or shovelling, lifting or carrying, pruning or trimming, and everything else in between. There are also easy methods to modify garden tools to accommodate our various abilities.

Learn how to enjoy an injury-free gardening season at this Garden Safety Workshop.

The Cobourg Ecology Garden is also holding its annual spring plant and yard sale the same Saturday morning beginning at 10am. This is the main funding event for the Garden. All Northumberland gardeners are invited to support gardening organically, without the use of chemicals or other artificial means. This year will feature birdhouses made at the Brookside Youth Centre.

The Cobourg Ecology Garden will also be honoured with a brief pit stop of solidarity by the Bike For the Planet riders circa 10:15am. Come and applaud clean green transportation energized by the human body.

Rick Beaver speaks at Cobourg Ecology Garden, Earth Day Sunrise Celebration, 2012

Rick Beaver, artist, biologist, founder of Black Oak Savannah, and member of the Mississauga-Ojibway Nation in Alderville, Ontario. Mr Beaver speaks at the Cobourg Ecology Garden, Earth Day Sunrise Celebration, April 22, 2012

Ted Amsden reads at the Cobourg Ecology Garden, Earth Day Sunrise Celebration, 2012

Cobourg Poet Laureate, Ted Amsden, reads at the Cobourg Ecology Garden, Earth Day Sunrise Celebration, April 22, 2012.

Suggestions for a Poetry Float in the Canada Day Parade for Cobourg

Raise the Stanza of Living

On Labour Day weekend in 1969, some young people took to downtown Cobourg with brushes in hand to paint the downtown, literally. It was called a Paint-In. Retail stores offered up their windows for a week to be painted by local artists. Only water-colours could be used. The Sept 3 issue of Cobourg Sentinel Star did a big front-page-above-the-fold spread on the Paint-In.

There are too many empty retail outlets downtown with store windows looking more like sore windows. Here’s the pitch.

Cobourg is chock-a-block with poets. They could fill the emptiness of windows with literary substance. One poem per window. The Cobourg Poetry Workshop is a gathering pot of poets, emerging poets, and poetry lovers who could easily fill the windows with their inspiration.

Surely the town could provide the paper and print one poem from each of Cobourg’s three Poet Laureates. The current Poet Laureate could vet the submitted poems from others.

There must be some aspiring poets in our three high schools who would like to display their highly refined literacy.

Don’t take my word for it, take theirs and celebrate it. Fill empty windows with eloquent intelligence. Spread the word. Bring poetry out of the better poems and gardens salons and take it to the streets.

Poetry all too often lies like a cadaver collecting dust on library shelves. Take it to the streets. Poetry for pedestrians.

Raise Cobourg’s stanza of living, post poetry on the ephemeral emptiness of store windows. Make Cobourg our poem and native land.

MESSAGE FROM PAINT-IN 1969

Click on image to enlarge

THERE’S A MESSAGE FROM PAINT-IN

Cobourg Sentinel-Star, September 3, 1969

The many phases of man’s world seemed evident in downtown Cobourg in the youthful effervescence of the paint-in.
From the very young to the fully grown, they were there in long hair, beards, jeans, minis, with legs twined around step-ladders, long arms with free-moving brushes and imagination flowing into design.
What artist does not relish a window?
While vandals see nothing more creative than smashing a window, the majority of young minds are fired up inside with the incontrollable desire to use any window as a ready-made canvas.
They have that Alec Guinness mood, the Guinness who attacked a whole wall with garish colours in the headlong frenzy of a creator.
Behold the windows of downtown Cobourg!
The poet, the animal lover, the romanticist, the slogan writer, the commercial artist, the dreamy abstract one, the realist, the schizo, the funster; the characters of life were there leaping from inside youth to the window caricature of self and society everywhere.
Never was there such an exposition in downtown Cobourg.
There was that Royalist colour and design on the Thomas Electric window, the magnificent horses at Bradley’s. the comics page at Evan’s, Rosemary’s Baby at Stedman’s, a love-in at Cortesis’, the strong man at Woody’s; poetry at Woolworth’s … the prize-winning intricacy at Tom’s. the past, the present, the future, up and down the street.
There was no generation gap. The adult world enjoyed the paint-in and some saw what was not seen before … the tremendous potential of youthful talent in this town, out town, any town in Canada.
It was early morning, Friday, when the Sentinel-Star [Foster Meharry Russell] returning from a Boards of Education meeting, was hailed by Wally Keeler, Kathryn McGlynn and John Allan to see their artistry.
Here was a vignette of the past, for since the early days of printing the Gutenberg Bible, the flow of words in essay and musical line, design has been a part of books, poetry and life.

I CALL YOU WOMAN
REALIZING IT IS NOT ENOUGH
AND TURN AWAY
I THINK OF SISTER OF THE SUN
DAUGHTER OF THE DAY

Comes the indelible realization from the paint-in that there is not generation gap, except for the odd character on the street who doesn’t even understand a modicum of his own era.
The Sentinel Star was looking down Division Street late Friday afternoon.
Some young people were still busy on creative work on and off ladders.
A man and woman passed.
“This is a hippie town. They are all hippies.”
The man turned around and looked backward where a lad, paint brush in hand, was busy creating his thing. Said the man to the woman;
“Je ___ ___, they are painting the windows!”

There are a few in every crowd who do not understand, be they young or old.
Youth will never grow old, so long as they enjoy Archie and the comic page, age will ever remain young in the reflection of the creative light on the young face … for it is for youth to be up and doing and the adult to understand what the activity is all about.
And that for us at The Cobourg Sentinel-Star is the message of the paint-in.

Jack Vollering & Pre-Trial Hearing Jan 16

Retired Catholic elementary school teacher, Jack Vollering, charged with sexual interference with a minor and sexual assault, was not in court for the scheduled pre-trial hearing on January 16. His lawyer, Taylor Smith, appeared in his stead, saying to the judge, "I would like to submit a designation why Jack Vollering is not in court today." Paper documents were handed to the Judge who moved the pre-trial forward to February 10, 2012.

Jack Vollering was a Catholic elementary school teacher in Grafton, Port Hope and Cobourg. Jack Vollering was well-respected in the local Catholic Community, especially the Knights of Columbus, where he rose to 'Faithful Navigator' in the Port Hope Council #6490 from 2008-2010, and last year was designated as Grand Knight. A 'Faithful Navigator' is the highest standing in the Fourth Degree Assemblies.

The local Knights of Columbus website asserts. "The Knights of Columbus is a Catholic fraternal order dedicated to the ideals of Columbianism: Charity, Unity, Fraternity, and Patriotism. We serve our fellow Knights, families, Parish, Church, Schools, and the community"

Previously acquired information about Jack Vollering can be found here:
Dec 14, Jack Vollering Charged With Sex Crimes
Dec 21, Are Children Safe at Local Catholic Elementary Schools?
Jan 16, Jack Vollering's son gets married in Mexico

Will Jack Vollering be going to Mexico Jan 16?

Many residents of Cobourg are curious if Jack Vollering will make an appearance at his pre-trial hearing scheduled for Monday, January 16.

January 16 is also significant because it is the date that his son, Paul Vollering, will marry Dawn King in sunny and warm Mexico. The wedding had been in the planning stages for months.

Jack Vollering, 65, a retired elementary school teacher has been charged with sexual assault and sexual interference of a minor. Vollering had taught at the Catholic elementary schools in Grafton, Port Hope and Cobourg.