There's no time to write this. Magazine deadline is dove-tailing with newsletter deadlines in the midst of December madness. It takes this much to get that adrenaline rush, if you know what I mean. Huffing on time constraints and cascading work loads is a bad habit,...
60 years of Ammerata-owned business history
Giuseppe Nazzareno Ammerata crossed the Atlantic as a young man with a suitcase full of dreams. It was 1948 and at the age of 21, Nazzareno joined the waves of Italians who made their way to Canada after the war in search of a better life. With his newly adopted...
To each their own …
For those who still eat meat, the price of steak makes it a luxury item on most budgets. Fortunately, I don't eat much these days and can get by with small portions. Keeping trim is essential. These strip loin grilling steaks cost $12.20 for label weight of .554...
$36K integrity investigation raises questions about freedom of speech constraints
Small Town Times editor talks with former deputy mayor and veteran former councillor about North Bay City Council decision to punish member following integrity commissioner investigation. Sheldon Forgette, was 23 when his 2014 election success vaulted him into the...
Kindergarten: The Adventure Begins
In the lazy days of the summer of 1947, mom started to speak to me about how much fun it was going to be in school. When I started. This Fall. In kindergarten. At some point it dawned on me that this school business wasn’t a subject she was going to drop. Determined...
Media literacy is vital
Journalism starts out subjective because humans make choices when telling a story. Objectivity is a choice in how you reflect pertinent points, with the economy of time and resources in mind. The Postmedia News article linked below provides a timely example of how...
NorthBayEcho.ca is like free community TV, radio and news all rolled up together
North Bay will be the starting point of the Echo Community Podcast Network, which unveiled its premiere show and digital newsletter at the North Bay Museum Sept. 14. Small Town Times (along with its flagship publication, Back in the Bay Magazine) is part of the...
Happy 83rd birthday Mike de Moree
My college photography teacher Mike de Moree turned 83 years old today and I was happy to post a video of us talking about his life and interests, specifically what he considers when creating art. We talked for about an hour and a bit, although I cut out a bunch to...
Deegan’s Gail Dumoulin retires after 7 decades
Gail Dumoulin has finally retired after nearly seven decades working in and around downtown North Bay, the bulk of it at Deegan's Shoes. They held a party for her Friday afternoon ahead of her upcoming 90th birthday party Aug. 7. The video interview below was...
UPDATED: Plastic concerns in North Bay growing
Worth a peek, I think. The big topic in North Bay last month was the "forever chemical" PFAS contamination that already exists and more threats coming. But what is the risk, exactly? And what replaces it? I interviewed resident Michael Taylor, a council candidate last...