MONTHLY COMEDY SHOWS RAISE FUNDS FOR CANCER RESEARCH

By Melania Daniel

Your average Joe would most likely break down in fits of crying when coping with a recent diagnosis of cancer. But Joel Taylor took to laughing.

The 33-year-old comedian, who learned in February that he had pancreatic cancer, began planning for a regular series of comedy shows in response to the devastating news. The monthly laugh-fest, For My Own Benefit, kicked-off at Parts & Labour (1566 Queen St. W.) in March. Since its second showing Apr. 25 at the Comedy Bar (945 Bloor St. W.), the Bloor-Ossington venue has become For My Own Benefit’s permanent home.

Taylor had two goals in mind for the event—to make patrons die laughing (figuratively), and to raise funds for pancreatic cancer research. “Because of my cancer diagnosis, I wanted to do something more community-oriented, something philanthropic,” said Taylor. “I wanted to do something for a greater good while doing what I like, which is to write comedy and perform it.”

[pullquote]“It’s not French farce, it’s not slapstick; it’s a highly verbal, absurdist, literary comedy. And we tried to find acts that are like us.”[/pullquote]

He performs as one half of the New Humourists, alongside Jordan Himelfarb, his stage partner of over 10 years. When they got together to rework old routines and write new material for the charity undertaking, they wanted to make sure the focus was on fun, said Himelfarb.

“We didn’t want it to be about the charity, or about cancer, or Joel,” said Himelfarb. “It’s not a secret that Joel has cancer, but we never mention it on stage.”

Himelfarb said the duo “made a serious effort” to ensure their act, which runs for about one hour, “is a lot of fun, so people are not thinking of cancer but experiencing something very, very, funny.”

What Taylor and Himelfarb put on is indeed “hysterically funny,” said publicist for the New Humourists, Ivy Johnson. Johnson points to video clips of past performances of the pair, available at www.formyownbenefit.com, as proof that hers is not just the word of a self-interested promoter. In fact, there is nothing self-interested about For My Own Benefit, and Taylor profits only indirectly, Johnson said. The deadpan humour of the title of the comedy fundraiser hides the fact that all profits from the shows are pledged to the Princess Margaret Hospital to fund cancer research and care.
Taylor and Himelfarb treat audiences to a night of “wild hilarity” with what Johnson calls an “incomprehensible” style of humour.

“We perform a very wordy comedy,” explained Himelfarb. “It’s not French farce, it’s not slapstick; it’s a highly verbal, absurdist, literary comedy. And we tried to find acts that are like us.”

The package of scripted performances, improvisations and sketch comedy has not found a permanent home so far.

“We’re testing out a few different venues to find the right one,” said Taylor.

The New Humourists are joined for each show by a rotating cast of other comedy players that has included acts like Personals, Mark Little of Picnicface, Anders Yates, Tony Ho, and host Dan Beirne of the side-splitter sitcom The Bitter End.

“No one’s handling their material with kid gloves,” Taylor said of the supporting acts.

So far, the response has surpassed expectation. About 80 people turned out for the first benefit, and about $3,000 was raised from the $10 per head event, according to Taylor. “We had a very enthusiastic audience who really enjoyed themselves.” Money was also raised through donations on their website.

That’s a far cry—or laugh—away from the New Humourists’ first foray on stage at a Stand-up Comedy Club in Montreal years ago, which saw Taylor performing material written jointly with Himelfarb. “We were met with a very aggressive silence,” says Himelfarb. But Himelfarb calls their learning pains “a symptom of a comic cause.”

Or schooling in using comedy for a good cause.

The next show takes place at the Comedy Bar on July 11 at 9:30 p.m.

GUELPH ROYALS 4, TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS 2

By Mike Radoslav

On a rainy afternoon at Dominico Field, the Maple Leafs continued their slide down the IBL standings, posting a 4–2 loss to the visiting Guelph Royals.

A sparse crowd braved the dark clouds and intermittent rain to come out and support the Leafs, but a lack of run support once again came back to haunt the Toronto side.

Guelph pitcher David Hatt had the Leafs number for much of the game. Toronto’s Rob Gillis was the only player who found some success against Hatt. Gillis singled and scored in the third inning off a Glen Johnson hit, and connected on a solo home run in the fifth.

Beyond that the Leafs failed to pose much of a threat, registering eight hits on the day, but also finding their baserunners picked off, thrown out at the bag or hitting into double plays.

“You have to give [Hatt] credit, it was a pretty good ballgame he threw at us,” said Leafs manager Tim Harkness. “They legitimately beat us.”

While the Leafs are still searching for a way to reawaken their bats, the Royals found success with the long ball off Toronto starter Marek Deska.

Three Guelph players hit solo home runs. After the Royals opened the scoring in the third off lead-off hitter Frankie Hare’s RBI single, Josh Garton hit a solo blast in the fourth. Hare followed by Tyler Wheeler, also cranked back-to-back solo shots in the fifth inning to open a 4-1 lead.

Deska pitched six innings in the loss, allowing four runs on seven hits, with seven strikeouts and two walks. He was relieved by

Hatt went eight plus innings for the Royals, allowing two runs on eight hits, striking out four and walking two batters. Andrew Van Wout came in during the ninth inning to record the save for Guelph.

Harkness said the Leafs are showing signs of a team in a slump, and they simply have to find a way to work themselves out of it.

“We lost [Dan] Gibbons, I think he was the leader of the team, we lost him and it took something out of us,” Harkness said. “We get down and we seem to stay down.”

Centre fielder Gibbons was injured in a game against the Brantford Red Sox on May 20 and was out of the lineup for the game.

Harkness said he does seem some daylight with a couple of the players.

“We just have to keep plugging away,” Harkness said. “I’ll never quit on these guys, and hopefully we’ll get something going.”

The Leafs now sport a 3–8 record, sitting at the bottom of the IBL standings.

BLOOR HOT DOCS CINEMA, ROYAL St. GEORGE’S, TRINITY ST. PAUL’S OPEN DOORS FOR FIRST TIME

By Kristin Eliason

Doors Open Toronto gave residents and tourists the opportunity this weekend to get outdoors and in doors of some of the city’s most unique and stunning buildings.

Doors Open, originally conceived of in France in 1984, quickly spread throughout Europe. Today, Doors Open is celebrated in 48 European countries. Toronto followed suit in 2000.

Intended as a one-time celebration of the millennium, the popularity of the first Doors Open Toronto led to its becoming an annual event in 2002.

Held the last weekend of May each year, this year’s Doors Open Toronto commemorated the bicentennial anniversary of the War of 1812, by opening up over 135 of Toronto’s most historically significant buildings.

Some sites unlocked doors normally closed to the public, while others waived entrance fees charged for access to their grounds.

Twenty-three sites in all participated in the Annex. Among them, the familiar: Casa Loma (1 Austin Terrace), Spadina Museum (285 Spadina Rd.), and the Church of the Redeemer (162 Bloor St. W.).
But, there were also the unfamiliar, opening their doors for the first time. Among them were the recently renovated Bloor Hot Docs Cinema (506 Bloor St. W.), the Chapel of St. Alban the Martyr and Royal St. George’s College (120 Howland Ave.), and Trinity-St. Paul’s United Church (427 Bloor St. W.).

The event was a huge success for both participants and patrons, new and old alike.

“It was a great weekend”, says Karen Edwards, museum administrator for the Spadina Museum, where nearly 3,000 people passed through.

Rosalie Villanueva was one of those patrons, and pleased with her overall experience.

It had lovely gardens and gorgeous rooms, she says. Friendly volunteers, informative staff and video presentations helped make the experience positive. “It might have been my favourite destination of the day.”

Bloor Hot Docs Cinema was likewise successful. This year marked the cinema’s first participation in Doors Open since its renovation and reopening to the public on May 16th, 2012. Heather Belot, marketing and communications manager for the cinema, says this opportunity has given the staff a chance to meet and receive feedback from their community.

“We let people know how their input helped shape the Bloor Hot Docs Cinema,” she says, “and they provided us with very positive feedback about the renovations.”

Former owner and manager, Carm Bordonaro, was on hand to chat with guests, while executive director Chris McDonald and managing director Brett Hendrie welcomed them in. Projectionist Rob, a staff member with the cinema for over 30 years, treated guests to a special behind-the-scenes tour into the projectionist’s booth, an area normally off-limits to the public.

Over 1,100 people came by the cinema this year, and next year there will surely be more. In 2013, the building will celebrate its 100th year anniversary as a cinema.

With positive feedback of Doors Open Toronto in the Annex, guests had very few suggestions to make to improve their overall experience.

Making official event guides and electronic apps available further ahead of schedule would aid planning, they say, and longer hours at the sites would be welcome.

“I wish there were buildings that were available for both days during the weekend,” says Joanne Angelina, lifestyle blogger for The Painter’s Studio, who had planned on visiting nine sites over the weekend, “it would be nice to worry less about time and observe more in the places you explore.”

And exploring, after all, is what Doors Open Toronto is all about.

An introduction to hundreds of buildings brings recognition that no matter what neighbourhood you live in, wherever and whenever you have the time, there is always a exceptional building and the opportunity to stop on by.

REWARD IS FIRST OF ITS KIND FOR TTC

Security camera footage catches a glimpse of the suspect wielding a gun on October 2, 2011. Police are appealing for any information regarding the individual's identity. Courtesy TPS.

By Richard Frankel

As leads dry up, the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) is offering its first-ever reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of a suspect that fired three shots at a Dupont station fare collector, hospitalizing him, last Feb. 26.

“We’re putting up this reward so the staff in general feel supported,” said TTC CEO Andy Byford. “This shows the TTC means business. We’re serious about backing our staff and supporting our staff and protecting our staff.”

This was the third robbery of the station’s collector booth since 2011. All three robberies occurred during weekend evenings over a span of four months from each other.

According to a Toronto Police Services (TPS) news release, investigators believe the same suspect is responsible.

“Same collector booth by the same individual and we’re on the eve of the fourth month which gives us great concern also,” said Staff Inspector Mike Earl of the Hold Up Squad.

Earl says during the third robbery, a witness followed the suspect down Spadina Road to MacPherson Avenue. The witness observed this individual get into a four-door silver vehicle and speed northbound on Spadina, but the individual who chased the suspect still has not come forward.

“Maybe the $25,000 will bring him out of hiding,” said Earl, who also appealed to the media and the public’s assistance to call Crime Stoppers or the Hold Up Squad with any information to catch the suspect.

Earl describes the suspect as white, between 35 to 40 years old, with a heavy and stout build. He said the suspect carried a revolver type handgun in the left hand in each robbery.

He said police want to be “gender non-specific” in case it is a female.

Byford said his member of staff, William Anderson, 52, who was shot in the neck and shoulder last February and is making a good physical recovery. His time-frame to return to work is unclear.

“The recovery is going well and he’s been given good treatment by the hospital but mentally this is a traumatic event that has happened to him so for obvious reasons he’s still pretty cut up about it,” said Byford. “We are giving him every assistance in coping psychologically with what’s happened.”

He said the TTC has taken steps to improve safety and security by reducing the amount of cash that is kept in the booths and increasing the amount of debit transactions. In addition, there are also increased patrols by uniformed police, uniformed transit officers, and plainclothes officers.

BURLINGTON TWINS 7, TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS 4

By Jonah Birenbaum

The pitching woes continue for the Toronto Maple Leafs, who couldn’t overcome another rocky outing from starter Brett Lawson on Sunday as they fell to the Burlington Twins 7-4 at Dominico Field.

Lawson, who has yet to win a game in 2012, laboured through a rough first inning that put Toronto in a substantial hole before they even had a chance to swing the bat. The imposing right-hander surrendered four runs on four hits—including two for extra bases—and a walk in a disastrous opening frame.

After Lawson issued a walk to centre fielder Phillip Steer to lead off the game, first baseman Jamie Lekas ripped a single up the middle to put runners on first and second with nobody out. Second baseman Jeff Kosta promptly ripped a bases-clearing, opposite-field double to give Burlington an early 2-0 lead. The Twins would tag on two more runs in the inning by way of a Jeff MacLeod sacrifice fly and a two-out double from Aberdeen Chan.

The Maple Leafs offense worked admirably to chip away at the early lead, managing to plate a run in each of the second, third, and fourth innings, but the inability to come through with runners in scoring position—a recurring theme this season—proved costly once again. Toronto stranded eight baserunners in Sunday’s contest.

“It’s frustrating,” said Toronto third baseman Jordan Castaldo, who went 1-for-5 with an RBI. “It’s disappointing.  Some things aren’t going our way.  I mean we got to do everything—pitching, hitting, defense—we got to do everything better.”

And while Lawson did manage to settle down after a shaky start—he allowed just one run in his final three innings of work while striking out three—the early deficit was simply too great. Lawson gave up six earned runs on seven hits and three walks over five innings of work before giving way to Clay Caulfield, who struck out five and surrendered just a lone unearned run in three solid innings of relief.

Lawson has now surrendered 13 earned runs over his last seven innings as his earned run average balloons to 9.00 for the season.

Connor Smith picked up the win for Burlington after pitching a clean fifth inning in relief of starter Matthew St. Kitts, who surrendered three runs—two earned—on six hits and no walks in his four innings of work. St. Kitts also helped supplement his team’s offensive efforts with a solo homerun to centerfield to lead off the second inning.

Kurtis Robinson pitched the final three innings for the Twins, giving up one run, to pick up his first save of the season.

“Our pitching did a fantastic job, you can’t say enough about them,” Twins manager Jeff Lounsbury said.

With the loss, the Maple Leafs drop to 3-6 and sink to second-last in the Intercounty Baseball League standings as their struggles at home persist. Toronto hasn’t won a game at Dominico Field since the season opener on May 6, when they defeated the Ottawa Fat Cats in dramatic fashion.

Castaldo also lamented the missed opportunity to pick up a win against one of the few teams looking up at Toronto in the standings.  Heading into Sunday’s contest, the Twins sat a game back of the Maple Leafs at 2-5.

“It’s frustrating against a weaker opponent that we could only put up four runs today,” he said. “We should be able to score more than four runs against a team like that.”

Burlington’s victory represents the team’s first winning streak of the season. Sunday’s triumph over Toronto comes on the heels of a 7-5 win over the Kitchener Panthers the day before to give the team victories in consecutive games.

“It’s amazing considering we’re missing five players from our lineup,” Lounsbury said.  “These guys really stepped up … it was a huge win for us.”

PIANIST CELEBRATES GOLDEN ANNIVERSARY

On May 12, local resident and pianist Bill King celebrated 50 years in the music industry with a concert night at the Royal Cinema. Courtesy Kris King.

By Susan Oppenheim

On May 12, Bill King will graciously celebrate his 50 years as a professional musician with a performance evening at the Royal (608 College St.).

This original program of music, dance, and spoken word is based on the sounds and sensations of the old American South. Singing from his latest release “Gloryland: Tales of The Old South,” the night will cover material from rags and boogie, to blues, folk, and roots Americana.

King has made enormous contributions to the Toronto jazz scene and its musicians. He is a composer, accompanist, soloist, arranger, mentor, teacher, and active promoter of talent and jazz related events. He is outspoken on his values and beliefs, and is comfortable headlining  charity or political fundraisers and social justice evenings. He has won several Junos and Canadian Jazz recognition awards, and is internationally known as the artistic director of the Beaches International Jazz Festival—since its inception in 1988.

We spoke recently about his upcoming event at The Royal.

People might think of the Royal as a cinema venue. Why would you pick The Royal to plan your event?

“This concert came about through Jay Douglas and Everton Paul of the band Jamaica to Toronto. We go back decades. They had put together a big tribute night for Jay several months back at the Royal and loved the space. They have a fine technical staff on hand. Also the intimacy factor. It allows me to keep it simple with a  big concert Steinway grand piano, three singers, narrator and a dancer throughout the ninety minutes. I’ve scripted and composed the night as a step back in time—as a mini theatrical piece.”

Why is Toronto home? How did you get from your roots in Indiana to here?

“I was here in 1963 on a scholarship to study with Oscar Peterson. I was a dirt poor student who  walked the streets like the lonesome guy. I really got a feel and found big love for the city back then. When the Vietnam War came front and centre in my life  Toronto was the only place I wanted to be.”

Shortly after being drafted, he rejected military service, permanently leaving the United States, and came to Canada with his sweetheart Kris Sandals King. They have never looked back.

Why are you a resident of the Annex? We feel very connected to you and Kris here.

“It’s a big part of our lives. We moved into the area late 1979 on Bathurst right next to the subway platform and have never left the area. We’ve lived as far up as Helena Avenue, on London Street, Melita [Crescent], and now Christie. JJ Muggs was our first hang-out, then Dooney’s for a good fifteen years, the By-The Way Cafe, and even the first Il Fornello. Our son Jesse went to Kensington [Public School], Winona [Public School] and Oakwood Collegiate.

What can you tell the Gleaner about the program you have planned?

“The night is based on my new recording ‘Gloryland (Tales of the Old South)’—a solo piece project. Although it’s a 50-year celebration I chose not to have a stage crowded with singers—instead I chose to write something unique for the occasion. So, I put a narrative to the music. I’m so happy Jackie Richardson, Jay Douglas, and Stacey Bulmer will sing a few of my compositions and bring life to the night, and Randolph Academy’s Gillian Leask has prepared a dance piece to one of the songs. I asked Liza Paul who co-wrote ‘Pomme’ to narrate. I’ve known Liza since she was an idea and love the gorgeous timbre to her voice. The music and words wrote themselves.

“The Old South has mystery, beauty, cruelty, family, church, racism—a  landscape like few others,” says King. “For those of us who waltzed through the region as kids there was serenity and lyrical mysticism to the place.”

LOCAL PRODUCTION TEAM LAUNCH FIFTH SEASON OF THE FILM STUDENT

The fifth season of The Film Student was produced by Annex-based Massey Bros. Films and features film students. Courtesy Jag Gundu.

By Whitney French

CITY WAS SLATED TO COLLECT $1.5 MILLION IN FEES

By Rasheed Clarke

Many parents won’t have to worry about paying higher fees for their kids to participate in sports leagues this summer, but they would be wise to set aside a little more cash for 2013.

A city directive passed in January targeted baseball diamonds, soccer pitches, and other sports fields—that had previously been used for free—as potential sources of revenue for the city. The new fees were intended, in part, to cover the facilities’ maintenance costs: electricity for floodlights, water for irrigation, and grass that needs to be cut.

The parks, forestry and recreation department was slated to collect $1.5 million in fees from little league programs in 2012.

Those little leagues would likely have been forced to pass on the cost of field usage to the players and their parents, according to Councillor Sarah Doucette (Ward 13, Parkdale-High Park).

“Most of these leagues are run by volunteers, which means that they would have had to go back to each of their players to collect more money,” said Doucette.

At the city’s monthly council meeting on Apr. 10, Councillor Paula Fletcher (Ward 30, Toronto-Danforth) submitted a petition from the Toronto Sports Council signed by 70 organizations and nearly 2,000 people, asking that the city withhold collecting sports field fees to give organizations time to incorporate new fees into their registration charges.

City council voted unanimously, 41 to 0, to waive fees for sports fields for children and youth for this year. Citywide savings on salaries will be used to offset the $1.5 million loss.

Mayor Rob Ford requested city staff to liaise with representatives of sports leagues to find out how fees for field use would impact leagues and teams. A report on the matter is due back in July, at which point the city will begin planning how to work any new fees into the budget in 2013.

Councillor Doucette welcomed the decision, and hopes that the consultation process between leagues and the city will be done in a timely manner.

“We want to have the answer to the groups in September,” said Doucette, “so when they’re working on their budget and their registration fees, they know what they have to do.”

Toronto Baseball Association president David Black echoed that sentiment.

“We do a lot of our planning in the fall for the spring, so we kind of need to know in September,” said Black.

“It’s not a given where the fees will land for next year, but if any changes are made to fees, they have to be done in a timeframe that allows volunteer organizations to be able to plan,” he added.

The issue of field fees did bring to light a concern that leagues were overbooking field usage.

“Some teams, because the fields were free, were maybe permitting more time than they actually needed. So we need to give the teams a chance to work out how many hours they actually need,” said Doucette.

Black noted that booking field times can be challenging, since those reservations are made early in the year, and some games end up being postponed due to bad weather, forcing leagues to juggle their schedules.

Nevertheless, Black said, “there is an intention to see surplus capacity freed up, while at the same time providing a good working model for the volunteers.”

Municipalities surrounding Toronto charge fees for sporting fields, and for a time Etobicoke council had also imposed fees before amalgamation with Toronto.

While this season may be business as usual for many sports leagues around the city, parents of aspiring athletes should be forewarned that the 2013 season might come with higher registration fees.

BRANTFORD RED SOX 21, TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS 7

By Jonah Birenbaum

The combination of an untimely injury to their cleanup hitter, some abysmal pitching, and an unrelenting Red Sox offense proved insurmountable for the Toronto Maple Leafs on Sunday as they fell to Brantford 21–7 at Dominico Field.

Brantford, the 2011 Intercounty Baseball League (IBL) champion, pounded out a staggering 26 hits in the victory, including three home runs. They remain undefeated with a record of 4–0, and take a 2–0 lead in the season series with Toronto.

“Guys just went up there with good approaches,” Red Sox manager Adam Clarke said of this team’s effort. “They made [the Maple Leafs] throw, [were] seeing lots of pitches. They were able to find holes today, too.”

The Red Sox, who ousted Toronto from the playoffs in 2011, wasted no time starting the offensive onslaught. After left fielder Josh McCurdy doubled on the first pitch of the game and shortstop Lee Delfino drew a two-out walk, designated hitter Terrell Alliman drove them both in with a sharp single to stake Brantford to an early 2–0 lead.

Centre fielder Joe Colamero then extended the lead to 4–0 on what proved to be an inside-the-park homerun when Toronto right fielder Dan Gibbons failed to get the ball to the infield after crashing into the outfield fence chasing down Colamero’s drive. Colamero would add another round-tripper in the eighth, finishing the day 3-for-6 with four RBI.

Gibbons, Toronto’s cleanup hitter, had to be helped off the field and was consequently replaced by Jesse Bartle, who performed admirably in his stead, going 1-for-5 with an RBI. Losing Gibbons—who batted .393 in 2011—for an extended period of time would be a serious blow to Toronto, whose .231 team batting average ranked dead last in the IBL entering Sunday’s contest.

“I’m a little concerned about Danny [Gibbons],” said Toronto manager Tim Harkness. “He might be done.”

After a rough first inning, Toronto starter Brett Lawson fared no better in the second, surrendering another three runs on five hits. The towering right-hander was pulled after giving up seven runs over just two frames, and has now taken the loss in consecutive starts.

“They got Lawson’s number there pretty good,” said Harkness, who added that today’s loss “verifies [his] concern” about Toronto’s lack of depth in the pitching rotation.

While the Maple Leafs entertained the prospect of a comeback after a four-run explosion in the bottom of the second keyed by a bases-loaded, three-run double by shortstop Tyler Fata, these notions were quickly dispelled after Brantford responded with another run in the fourth and four more in the fifth.

The Red Sox scattered another nine runs over the game’s final four frames, decimating Toronto’s relief corps in the process. By day’s end, the Maple Leafs bullpen surrendered 14 runs on 18 hits and three walks over seven innings of work.

And while it was uninspired pitching that drew the ire of Maple Leafs fans on Sunday, Harkness still mentioned that Toronto’s offense needs to improve, particularly with runners in scoring position.

“We never come through with guys on base,” he said. “That’s the biggest concern I have about our hitting.”

However, beyond performance, Harkness said his team needs to be sharper mentally in order to have consistent success. At 2–4, Toronto currently sits just one win ahead of the last place Burlington Twins in the IBL standings.

“We play stupid baseball,” he said.  “You’re playing a team like [Brantford], you can’t make any mental mistakes.”

NEW OWNERS TURN TO NEW METHODS TO ATTRACT CUSTOMERS

New restaurant Fuel House on Clinton has an eclectic menu and even more eccentric approaches to marketing their food. Mike Shulman/Gleaner News

By Mike Shulman/ Gleaner News

Mackenzie Chiu and Mike Dolegowski are the new owners of the Fuel House (53 Clinton St.), a restaurant and takeout joint with an eclectic menu, and an unpretentious atmosphere tucked away behind Café Diplomatico.

Chiu and Dolegowski represent a new generation of restaurateurs who have blended multiculturalism and social media into a very trendy space.

“We definitely get influence from anything like food magazines, any sort of new media—you see it, you try it, you test it out,” says Chiu. “It’s just stuff we love to eat. Everything that we’ve had along the way getting here and our travels have had a huge influence on the menu.”

The Fuel House owners have used travel as a muse. On a trip to China six years ago, Chiu and Dolegowski were at a dinner that left a lasting impression on them. The dinner featured a lamb roast where they “brought the whole lamb out, fully cooked, showed it to us, and then brought it back chopped it up and brought it back out on a huge platter with a ton of spices and a pair of gloves,” says Chiu.

Chiu and Dolegowski decided to bring this experience to the Fuel House, but with their own personal twist. They’re offering pig roasts that feed eight to ten people at $45 a person with three days advance notice.

According to Chiu, “Toronto has a love affair with pigs right now. There are pigs in every restaurant. Pork belly is huge. Any kind of pork is big in Toronto right now. So we decided to do some pig roasts – should be fun.”

Fuel House has stayed trendy while applying their own touch. Everything except the bread, which is purchased from a local bakery, is made in-house. Their staple is the Pork Belly Banh Mi which, according to Chiu, is “not pulled pork like everyone else is doing,” because it is cured for 24 hours, then made into a confit for another five hours.

The Calamari Po’Boy originates from a southern recipe for Shrimp Po’Boy that the duo discovered on a trip to New Orleans. They decided to swap the shrimp for the crispy fried calamari.

Chiu admits that it has been difficult to attract the traditional customer off the street. “It’s a huge food neighbourhood. People come to this neighbourhood to eat. Being off of College is definitely a bit of a challenge. Getting people to walk that extra ten feet has proven to be tough.”

[pullquote]“That’s just about getting that initial buzz to make a push to get a pull right away. The other restaurants have the big name chefs to back it up. It’s tough when you’re a small independent and you’re not on the main drag.”[/pullquote]

To offset their relatively hidden location, Fuel House is highly visible in social media, with the intention to attract young food lovers. The Fuel House is available on Twitter, Facebook, Foursquare and Blackberry Messenger.

“That’s just about getting that initial buzz to make a push to get a pull right away. The other restaurants have the big name chefs to back it up. It’s tough when you’re a small independent and you’re not on the main drag.”

For Chiu, social media also offers him the freedom to add even greater creativity to the menu. “I like adding stuff and taking away stuff and doing frequent specials.  I think in the end as much as we don’t want to be gimmicky—you just got to do it.”
Some of their social media specials include: a Foursquare special which allows you to get a free order of fries the first time you check into The Fuel House on Foursquare; a Blackberry Messenger line dedicated for takeout orders; and weekly specials and other updates on Twitter and Facebook.

The Fuel House is looking forward to attracting new customers with the opening of their patio, weekly barbeque specials, seafood buckets and brunch—starting at 10 a.m. in May.

Chiu is hopeful that their creative pub style menu, assortment of signature drinks and cozy atmosphere will keep the clientele happy. “We just do everything with love. Hopefully they come in and have a great experience and that’s all I can ask for.”

Photo: Mike Shulman/ Gleaner News

BARRIE BAYCATS 7, TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS 2

By Mike Radoslav

The top of the order for the Barrie Baycats were too much for the Toronto Maple Leaf ball club on Sunday, as Toronto was handed their second loss of the weekend at Dominico Field.

Barrie’s lead-off hitter, Robert Recuenco, opened the scoring for Barrie with a two-run home run in the  third inning, and Jeff Cowan, hitting second in the lineup, capped it off with a two-run blast of his own in the ninth inning to seal the 7–2 win.

The Baycats opened the scoring in the third, but Toronto was quick to respond. Following a triple by centre fielder Glen Jackson in the bottom of the third, he scored on a sacrifice fly. Jackson also drove in Jesse Bartle in the fifth inning to even the game up at 2 runs apiece.

“I’ve been working really hard on the basics of my stance and my swing and it’s all coming together,” Jackson said. “I’ve been putting good wood on the ball and putting the ball in play, which is I think what we need.”

“It’s still early, I think the rest of the lineup will all get going in different spurts, that’s how baseball is,” he added.

The game unravelled for Toronto side in the eighth inning. While Maple Leaf starter Marek Deska lasted seven innings, allowing two runs on five hits, four strikeouts and three walks, Toronto’s bullpen ran into difficulty closing out the game.

Toronto’s Adam Garner was charged with three runs off of four hits in his inning. The Baycats added two more runs in the ninth off of Matt Tasoni to seal the 7–2 final.

Maple Leaf manager Tim Harkness said the starting pitching has been solid so far, but there is little support from the bullpen. “Our pitching was good most of the game, of course our bullpen is extremely shallow, I’ve got a lot of concerns about that,” he said.

Harkness added that run support is starting to become an issue already in this young season. “I think our key hitters are not doing the job, outside of Glenn Jackson. We’re not getting the hits with guys in scoring position.”

“Hitting wise, I think we’re as good as anyone else in the league we’re just not getting it at the moment,” Harkness said.

For Barrie, pitcher Greg Byron allowed two runs on five hits while recording two strikeouts and no walks over his seven innings of work. Relievers Shaun Slemko and Scott Kelly closed out the game for the Baycats.

This was not as friendly a weekend as Toronto would have hoped for, as they were shutout 5–0 to four time defending league champions Brantford Red Sox on Saturday in Brantford.

Johnson remained optimistic at such an early point in the young season. “I really find in this league the first six-to-seven games is like a spring training, and once June, July, August hits that’s when the real season begins.”

“We’re just feeling each other out, we’ve got a good positive vibe and great leadership in the clubhouse,” said Johnson. “We’ve got the right guys to lead us along the way.”

Harkness said the team is playing flat, and that it may simply take a few more games for the play to come around. “We’re just gonna come out of it all of a sudden I’m sure. But until then I think we must be patient, and everybody else has gotta be patient with us.”

With the win, Barrie improves to 3–0 and sits atop the IBL standings so far this season—Toronto falls to 1–2.

The next two games will be on the road for the Maple Leaf ball club, visiting the Kitchener Panthers May 17, and the Burlington Twins May 19 before returning home for a rematch with the Brantford Red Sox on Sunday, May 20 at 2 p.m. at Dominico Field.

Our resident cartoonist, Brett Lamb, has been providing our print editions with his work for many years. For the first time, we will also be posting his political cartoons here. Check out his entry to the April editions of our Gleaner newspapers.

Disclaimer: the opinions expressed by Brett Lamb does not necessarily reflect the views of Gleaner Community Press.