Local Herald, Vol. 4, Issue 1, Montreal West-End

SEEP. 3

“I say YES when your bank says no!”

Volume 4, Issue 1

January 18, 2013THE New Year Issue

THE New Year Issue

THE HeraldLocal

W e s t E n d ’ s C o m m u n i t y P a p e r

THE HeraldLocal

W e s t E n d ’ s C o m m u n i t y P a p e r

Dylan Kotansky: West Endartist gives old material a fresh point of viewStory and Photos Bram D. Eisenthal

pg. 2 - JANUARY 18, 2013 - localheraldmontreal.com

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The Local Herald, West End Montreal EditionVolume 4, Number 1, JANUARY 18, 2013The Local Herald does not accept responsibility for errors,misprints or inaccuracies published within. The opinions andstatements of our columnists are not to be presumed as thestatements and opinions of The Local Herald.

Every year since 2000, I find it hard tobelieve that this boy of the late 1950s – ofthe 20th century - is living in the 21stcentury. It’s quite surreal for me and, as

the years fly by, I tend to reminisce more and morefrequently… about my late parents, my childhood... and thelack of technology I lived with compared to today. You know,I grew up with a black and white, wood-cabinet Dumont TVset and I still remember the CBC Indian head logodiminishing and winding up as a tiny blue dot after turningoff the set manually.

I laugh because when I tell young people how I typed myfirst feature articles on a Sanyo manual electric typewriter inthe late seventies – and thanks, Mom, for buying it for me –getting my first VCR in 1982 and my first IBM 286-clone in1988 – it must grate on their nerves the same way it didwhen adults told us they walked 12-miles to school in thesnow or played with a stick and a rock for entertainment.Yup, we may as well be dinosaurs just trying to survive in arapidly-changing world, where one day we will simply go offsomewhere to die. The circle of life, I guess, tighteningaround us whether we like it or not.

As I write this, I will soon be going to synagogue tocommemorate the passing of my father, Mike Eisenthal, whodied on January 3, 1981. That’s three weeks after JohnLennon wad murdered and I remember both incidents quitedistinctly. I was in Israel, the eternal Jewish homeland, for myfirst of many visits when both occurred. And while Lennon’slife – his music – had a tremendous hold on me, my dad’sinfluence is only now coming to fruition, as I age. And itsurprises me to no end that I have become more like himthan I often care to admit. We even look a lot alike, which hasbecome a huge shock for me as I realize that this adoptedman probably sees his biological father every he looks at hisdad’s picture. Yup, my dad appears to have been the realdeal, although my mother returning from two delightfulyears in Romanian slave labour camp Mogilev - where theyworked half of Romania's 700,000 Jews to death - unable tohave children. Since someone likely gave birth to me, thisallowed my father to marvel at the world I was growing up in.Dad, and Mom, I miss you in 2013 just as I have missed youevery year since the early 1980s.

All I can tell you, dear reader, is that my dad, biological ornot, would be stunned to come back from the dead to see allthe technological and medical wonders which have arisensince 1981. I know for us that they’re taken for granted. Mylate father, however, would be aghast. For God’s sake… therewere no computers smaller than a warehouse back then, gaswas about .25 a liter and cell phones? VCRs? Mars landrovers? This world is more like Alice in Wonderland thanreality!

But welcome to 2013, where rumours of a New World Orderappear to be taking over and we are all on the verge offalling off the “fiscal cliff.” I hope we survive the tumble.

Managing Editor: Bram Eisenthal Creative Design: Julia Lucio - [email protected]

OUR CONTACT INFORMATIONFree Classifieds and Advertising: 514-975-7745

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Head Office: 327 2nd Street E. Cornwall, On. K6H 1Y8

New gym in Cote St Luc has plenty of ‘tude to go with rip-off rates

Well, I have been hearing for a while now that a new gym hasopened at the prior location of the defunct Nautilus Plus onMackle near Cavendish. So I decided to give them a call and seeif the $25 per month opening special was still available. My self-styled weight loss plan appears to be working, but I badly needto exercise. I called Cavendish Multi-Club and knew right away Iwas dealing with amateurs when the haughty young womananswered the phone with a succinct “Hello.” I guess she forgotshe was at work or maybe she was busy texting a buddy, whichexplains why she was so obviously annoyed that I interruptedher. She told me with a laugh that the special “ended threemonths ago” and then informed me that the new price was$49.99 plus tax per month. So, rather than urge you to getripped off with these charlatans, my advice to anyone looking tojoin a local gym is to check out the new Cote St. Luc AquaticCentre, where a single adult can swim and exercise for a mere$75 per year (plus tax) as part of their Fun Pass program (proofof residency required and you get into a lot of other CSLinstitutions at no extra charge with this terrific pass). Or contactWest End Gym in the Cote Saint-Luc Shopping Centre.Membership there is $36 per month and it’s a hopping place towork out, with plenty of classes and machines. Really, these“beautiful people gyms” that charge like they’re on California’sVenice Beach make me laugh… but if you have more moneythan sense, good for you!

Foster came out, but not about her early Montreal shoot

When actress/director Jodie Foster accepted her Cecil B. Demillelifetime achievement award at the Golden Globes last Sunday(and at age 50, isn’t that a bit premature? Unless she is ill orsomething, that is…), nothing was mentioned or shown aboutone of her first film starring roles, 1976’s Montreal-shot horrorfilm (also shot in Ogunquit, Maine), The Little Girl Who LivesDown the Lane. Executive-produced by a Montreal film industrypioneer and legend, the late Harold Greenberg (Astral BellevuePathe), the film was shot when Foster was just 13 years old. Mostof the film clips shown involved a much older Foster, but therewas a clip from TV’s Kung Fu, which was off the air by 1975. Thisbugged me, so despite the fact all the controversy will be aboutFoster’s public coming out (sort-of ) as gay, I thought I’d helpgive credit where credit is due. Funny how so few “name” actorslike to admit they shot a film here - Some, like totally classlessactress Ashley Judd, have even commented publicly about howmuch they hated working here. I know American film is a verypossessive, protective field, but this is ridiculous.

EDITORIALSIt’s 2013, we’re still publishing,though this is our smallest annualissue - we gave our writers a well-deserved break - and my late dadwould freak at the wonder of it all

localheraldmontreal.com - JANUARY 18, 2013 - pg. 3

New Year’s being what it is, this is a chanceto look forward to celebrating the fact thateverything is new again. I wanted to look atthe burgeoning career of an exciting newWest End artist who has managed to allowpast life experience to help him create. Andisn’t everything seen through the creativeeye exciting and new, despite the fact wemay sometimes take it for granted?

NDG resident Dylan Kotansky, 22, whomyou can often find hanging out, teaching orworking in his studio at AtelierWestminster, is a fairly fresh face on thelocal artistic scene, albeit an exciting onegiven the brief span of his professionalcareer to date.

Kotansky’s parents – his dad is a careerartist and sculptor – divorced when he wasvery young, his mom re-married and hisstep-dad then passed away. “You can saythat my younger years were a bit of a mess,so I dealt with that by participating incommunal sports, including NDG baseballand outdoor hockey,” he told me.

His dad also proved to be an influence onhim artistically, “although I only starteddrawing at age 14. As amateurish as thatinitial art may have been, I suppose youcould say I had a distinctive style - I thinkonce you find that niche, you cansubsequently evolve as an artist.”

While Kotansky’s buddies see him as theresident “wise man,” that rep isn’t born ofstellar academia necessarily. “School wasnever really my thing. I found myselflacking any sort of motivation and theframework or structure of school reallyfailed to ignite my curiosity,” he stated.

“I remember in my earlier years that I wasgood at math and science, but once thesocial 'pressures' of high school began to setin, school was more of a social learningexperience than an 'educational' one, if youget what I mean. I really just did the bareminimum to get by. Royal Vale was mainlya math-and-sciences school and I can onlyremember having art class one particularyear. In Grade 11, I attended M.I.N.D.(which although I often think was a baddecision, in reality all my friends had leftRoyal Vale by then, so to me it didn’t reallymake a difference). I do remember thatM.I.N.D.’s art class was a bit of a joke, runby a couple of hippies… pretty funny all inall.”Since school wasn’t really igniting hispassion for art in a meaningful way, he

found his creative outlet painting more andmore at home. “My eyes were opened to theworld of classical art and I began toappreciate my father’s work more. He is anincredible sculptor: I particularly enjoy hismore realistic figurative work. He has beena great example and guide for me and hasgiven me insight into the realities of life asan artist, the good and the bad, too.”Kotansky never had any real artistic heroesoutside his immediate family, though. “Inever really had favourite artists and Iappreciate different artists for differentreasons. I think J.W.Waterhouse was anincredible painter from a technicalperspective, specifically his understandingof composition and ability to tell a story. Asmuch as I am not a fan of religion, therewere many painters who dealt with religiousthemes that I appreciate enormously fortheir technical ability and methods ofexpressing emotion, such as Caravaggio andRembrandt. I really enjoy Rubens, Corot,Sargent, Frederick Leighton, Constable,Inness…the list could go on forever. I thinkwhat matters to me is mastery of painting asa craft, combined with the ability to expressideas and emotion. I am not a fan ofcontemporary abstract art.”How young was Kotansky when he did hisfirst actual professional assignment? “I cantremember exactly when I was first

commissioned to paint, but it may have beenthat truck I painted, which in fact you wrotean article about!” True, I recalled, I hadinterviewed Kotansky for a Briefly Bramcolumn many years before. He had lots oftalent even then, but nothing like today. I

Dylan Kotansky: West End artist gives old material a fresh point of viewStory and Photos Bram D. Eisenthal

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consider him a true craftsman. Is this what hewants to continue doing: Odd jobs, teachingstudents and turning out still life pieces, orcreative, expressive oft-whimsical paintingsof Stephen Harper, Barak Obama and others?“I am doing exactly what I want to be doingin life,” Kotansky replied. “Although as timeprogresses the realities of life begin to set inand I recognize that it won’t necessarily beeasy surviving by doing this. That doesn’tmake it impossible, however, and I am notdiscouraged in any way.

“I continue to work hard to develop myabilities, and if I was to thank anyone it wouldprobably be my mother and my family forlearning to support me.”As proof of hiscommitment and yearning to improve hisskills, Kotansky got up close and personalwith some legendary artistic masters, visitingItaly not too long ago and taking art classesthere.

“My trip to Italy to study painting was lessabout studying under the masters than it wasabout having to seriously confront myself. Itwas a humbling experience and forced me torealize that I have a very, very long way to goas a painter. My travels (he also trekked farand wide, including Egypt at a time when theseeds of public dissent were taking root)taught me a lot. It opened my eyes to theworld outside of our Western norms andcomforts. I think it is imperative to note that Iam not speaking so much about Europe as Iam about the other places I went, like theMiddle East and Asia. Traveling taught me alot about how to problem-solve and to adapt.It helped me learn to let go of things and justgo with the flow.”As for his local career,which grows every day, he ruminates on thepossibilities. “So far the Atelier has been aninteresting experience, I enjoy the feeling ofstarting my own business and being an'entrepreneur'… it is challenging, but a greatexperience nonetheless. I would say that it isgoing fine but there is always room forimprovement: With some hard work andpatience hopefully things will progress! I stillvery much enjoy painting, whether for fun orin a more serious vein. I realize I did not pickthe most stable or constant profession, but Iwill continue to work hard and see where ittakes me. I want to improve as a painter andas a person. A distant dream of mine is toperhaps one day buy a chunk of land andmove out to the countryside, but who knowshow I'll feel as time passes.

“For now I will just continue to wanderthrough this journey called life.”


In the early 1960s, U.S. President John F.Kennedy pledged that America would land aman on the Moon within that decade, whichwe all know proved to be a dead-onprediction, although he would not live to seeit fulfilled. It’s too bad, because it was aspectacular achievement for humanity andpaved the way for many space-relatedscientific achievements initiated by the U.Sand, of course, many other countries, Canadaamongst them.

If you were not born when Apollo’sCommander Neil Armstrong took his “giantleap for mankind” at Tranquility Base, or ifyou were a young boy of 12 as I was, youlikely don’t know or remember theexcitement of it all. I recall the thrill wellenough, but our first manned Moon landingonly made me more passionate about space,more eager to experience bigger and betterthings. And today, we are witness to sometruly remarkable advances in space (byfinancially-challenged NASA and also, morerecently, private corporation Space-X),primarily as pertaining to the exploration ofMars. The hope is that someday we will landmen (and women) on the “Red Planet,”perhaps even during our lifetime.

If the exploration of space by humankind is amajor fascination of yours, there is but oneplace on Earth where you can sate yourhunger, learn about advances past, presentand future and be immensely entertained, aswell. That place is the Kennedy Space Center.I had always wanted to visit, never as muchas I did after watching TV coverage of that

first moon landing in 1969. The many spaceshuttle launches taking place from thatFlorida locale from 1981 – 2011 also didmuch to pique my yearning to make apilgrimage to the acknowledged mecca ofspace exploration.

Finally, during a vacation in Florida, I had myopportunity on November 23. KennedySpace Center invited me and several gueststo tour the site and we eagerly took thethree-hour drive from Hollywood. It’s notquite as agonizingly boring as the five-hourdrive fromMontreal –Toronto alongthe 401, likelyone of the leasti n s p i r i n gstretches ofroadway, youhave manyamazing radiostations playingyour favouritemusic and it’smade all themore excitingwhen you realizehow close youwill be to Cocoa Beach. That’s where one ofmy favourite 1960s TV shows was set in thestoryline. I Dream of Jeannie featured lateactor Larry Hagman (who coincidentallypassed away the very day of our visit),portraying Jeannie’s “Master,” Captain (laterpromoted to Major) Tony Nelson, anastronaut who lived in Cocoa Beach and

commuted to Cape Canaveral for his work.

On your way to Kennedy Space Center, you willpass the Astronaut Hall of Fame on your right,which you can access at no extra charge byshowing your ticket or printed reservation tothe former site. I am a huge astronaut buff andreally wanted to visit this attraction, but let mestress that you will run out of time unless youreach this area very early in the morning ORbook a nearby accommodation and allowyourself two full days to visit. The KennedySpace Center is much like the Smithsonian inWashington, DC: It is vast and time-intensive.You will not want to rush your stay andcheckout, at this time of year, at any rate, is anearly 5 p.m.

As you are about to turn into the KSC parkinglot, you will round a curve and, also on yourright, catch a glimpse of a tarp-covered SpaceShuttle Atlantis, the final orbiter in the shuttleprogram, which completed mission STS-134 onMay 16, 2011. The shuttle program was thenmothballed. Atlantis will be unveiled here as thenewest star attraction in time for the summerof 2013, a very exciting development.

Park your car and, as you head toward theticket plaza of the Visitor Complex, you will seethem thrusting majestically upward in theRocket Garden: The towering Redstone, Atlasand Titan rockets that put NASA on the spaceexploration map. As a space aficionado, I was soexcited when I saw them from afar that Iliterally started running for the gate. Once past

the tickettakers (ticketsare about $65per person), Isuggest youfollow the mapthey give you,because - leftto your owndevices - thereis so much tosee here youwill beparalyzed withindecision.

Keeping inmind that you probably have a day or part ofone to tour the site, here then are myrecommendations for prime sightseeing atKennedy Space Center:

1/ The Rocket Garden – Spend some time inand around this area, reading about theexhibited artifacts and exploring others nearby.It’s really fascinating and kids will enjoy it as

TRAVELKennedy Space Center: An out-of-this-world touring experienceStory and photos by Bram D. Eisenthal For The Local Herald


much as adults. There’s a Children’s Playdomefairly closeby which, though I did not visit, is saidto be a lot of fun.

2/ Exploration Space: Explorers Wanted is anexhibit that displays the history of spaceexploration through multi-media stations,including some cool hands-on displays. Lots ofeye candy, such as riveting video and greatposter art.

3/ The Early Space Exploration Exhibitshowcases actual artifacts from the earlyMercury and Gemini space programs, so youwill see things not available anywhere else in theworld… or off it….

4/ The Space Shop is the ultimate souvenir storefor the spaced-out crowd and includes books,DVDS, clothing, pins, patches, other “tchachkes”too numerous to mention and rare signedmemorabilia that’s rather expensive but highlycollectible. On the way here, we passed theAstronaut Encounter building, where you canpress palms with an actual current member ofthis elite group, speak to and learn from them. Ireally assumed I would have time to do this laterin the day. Alas, I didn’t.

5/ The Space Center Tour facility is where youchoose one of several bus tours (included in theadmission fee) that are distinctly NASA-related.We chose the one that takes you on a five-milejourney to (you may even spot some gatorsalong the way, as we did) and around NASA’shistoric launch-pads and shows you how alaunch is prepared at the huge Vehicle AssemblyBuilding, subsequently completed and alsodetails some of the most historic launches,including the Apollo and shuttle flights at launchpads A and B, Launch Complex (LC) 39. Athoroughly fascinating and remarkable 45-minutes or so.

6/Space Shuttle Plaza: Gives you an intimateinsight into the flight of these magnificentmachines, including film on their history andleads to the Shuttle Launch Experience, whereyou can actually “fly” on board a simulation of anactual shuttle launch.

7/Orbit Café is pretty much the site’s only dininglocation, but the food is surprisingly decent andthe prices surprisingly reasonable for a touristattraction. It is located right across from theSpace Shop, so save some room for freeze-driedice-cream for dessert.

8/ IMAX (two theatres side-by-side) is a highlyrecommended movie-going experience, seatingadventurers in a five-story theatre, offeringstunning NASA-shot space exploration vistasand loads of information about space flight. Rightoutside the theatres, you can also see special

exhibits, art displays and otherunexpected “value-added” visuals.

These do not fully represent all thereis to see and do at Kennedy SpaceCenter. For more information,including tours, tickets, address,directions and more, go to:

http://www.kennedyspacecenter.com

One minor historic entertainmentfootnote worth mentioning: On June 27,1969, the cast and crew of I Dream ofJeannie visited Cocoa Beach, where theywere feted at City Hall and then taken toCape Kennedy’s launch pad LC-43, whereactress Barbara Eden pushed a buttonand launched a Loki-Dart weather rocket.According to Wikipedia, they ended up atLee Caron’s Carnival Club, where Edenwas kissed on the cheekby Buzz Aldrin, the still-surviving astronaut whoaccompanied NeilArmstrong to the Moonon Apollo 11 two weekslater. Today, a plaquehonouring the show canbe seen in Cocoa Beachand an I Dream ofJeannie Lane street signis located there, as well.


Young readers will be fascinated by A Mysterious S ight ingBy Bram D. Eisenthal

When I was a child, as many may have read in issues past, I was a huge buff ofspace, science-fiction and esoteric subjects such as UFOs. In the seminal 1960s,man landed on the Moon, Tom Swift Junior was battling all manner of outerspace fiends in a series of best-selling kids’ books and, of course, UFOs werealways a hot topic, particularly in the books I read by writers like Frank Edwards,Brad Steiger and Jim and Coral Lorenzen (there was also Erich Von Daniken, butthat’s another story).

As an adult, I have continued to pursue my love for and fascination ofunexplained phenomena and my 2003 interview with the since-deceased,legendary UFO abductee Betty Hill was one of my personal journalistichighlights, in the guise of a feature article published in Canada’s nationalnewspaper, The Globe and Mail, in 2004 and later reprinted elsewhere. So whenWest End author Michella Wyshengrad sent me her book for young readers, AMysterious Sighting, to review, my interest was totally piqued.

The novella involves young Samantha and her mother Annie, who have drivento their family’s country home in rural Quebec. Samantha goes to bed and hasa possible dream, though she insists it was a real incident that starts with areally loud noise heard by Annie as well. Samantha witnesses a spaceshiplanding in the wooded clearing behind the house and short, childlike alienexplorers debarking. One of them climbs through her upper-level window andenters her bedroom, looks around and then leaves, floating to the ground usinga small parachute-like device. Samantha is not harmed, though she is left witha sense of wonder that is later strengthened when she hears from Nora, achildhood writer friend summering at a house across the lake, that there hadbeen “several sightings” of mysterious lights “in Canada’s Eastern skies.” Whenthe area behind the house is examined, indents are found on the ground,coinciding with where the craft landed and one of the delicate little parachutesallegedly used by the spacemen was also discovered.

Samantha learns from Nora that an old man living nearby also claimed to havebeen abducted by aliens.

Wyshengrad, an Ultrasound and Electrocardiogram Technician who nowresides in Cote Saint-Luc, uses her pen name, but her tale dates back to PalmSprings, California, in the 1960s, when she took a photo of an apparent UFO.“Time passed and Dr. (possibly Albert, deceased in 2003) Hibbs, who worked onthe Hubble Space Telescope, was at our house for dinner….” at which timeMichella showed him the photo. He took it with her permission and it was notreturned. Later, in the early 1980s while driving on Wilshire Boulevard inHollywood, Michella and her mother experienced an unusual event, when theircar was enveloped in an odd yellow glow as they were driving, causing the carto increase speed and swerve wildly. On June 29, 2008, Michella said she wasawakened by a strange noise and saw a golden light again, apparently comingfrom nowhere in particular. Her sister, a resident of Minnesota, suggested shewrite this book. She is also working on another one, detailing the experience inPalm Springs.

In addition to raising some important questions, A Mysterious Sightingencourages young people to expand their horizons beyond their unceasing

texting and browsing for the latest news on One Direction, Justin Bieber, The Collectiveand other boy band wonders.

A Myster ious S igh t ing i s wholesome fami ly reading and is a lso c lose tozero on the scare sca le . I f you know a chi ld for whom you wish to buy

something unusual , th is i s a goodbet .

A Myster ious S igh t ing(2011, AuthorHouse ,

B loomington, IN)73 pgs .

To order, v is i t

www.authorhouse .comor ca l l 888.519.5121 ext 5022

This t i t le i s a lso ava i lab le throughyour loca l booksel ler or preferred

on- l ine reta i ler The webs i te

michel lawyshengrad. in fo wi l l takeyou direct ly to authorhouse to

order the book.

(SC ISBN) 978-1-4567-1427-7

BOOKS


What’s up next? February2013, that’s what!

On February 15th, 2013, The LoveIssue celebrates love, passion andmaybe even a crime of passion or

two, just in time for Valentine’s Day.We’ll also send along a travel

feature, columns by our fabulouswriters (all rested up after an issue

off), another creative and wittyPower Theatre comic strip, ads by

local entrepreneurs and more! We'll also send along an intimatelook at Cote Saint-Luc's PublicSecurity, after yours truly went

along on an actual shift..."

All in the pages of the West End’smost unique community paper, TheLocal Herald. Dear Readers: Will

YOU be our Valentine?

Out in print and on-line Friday,February 15, 2013. Deadline Friday,

February 8, 2013.

Best,

Bram

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Documents

Local Herald, Vol. 4, Issue 1, Montreal West-End