I guess by now everyone is beginning to get the winter blahs. February is known for this feeling.  Thankfully, now we have the new Holiday to ease the long haul to spring. Family Day is fast approaching, February 16th. What a great idea to add another Holiday for most of us. It could not be in a better Month, I always hated that really long stretch from New Years to Easter, way too long.
 
Speaking of Easter Spring is only around the corner people, here we are at February already and March is the beginning of Spring.
 
January flew by, I guess that is because we were all so busy dealing with all the snow we have been blessed with. Great if you love winter, and igloos. Anyway, we got through the month and we had Farra N Hyte out during the month to entertain us, along with having a new venue in the form of a two day event hosted by Savanaugh.
 
February will bring about a few entertaining evenings with the Valentines Day show and party following on the Saturday night. This will be on a long weekend to boot!!! Yahoo, does that mean Zipperz on the Sunday evening? Hmmm who is up for it?
 
Usually, I take this opportunity to Thank people for their efforts to enhance the Club, after the past 3 or 4 editions being full of Thank You's to everyone, I though I would take a break this month and let someone else thank people. You all know who you are and you all do great things, there are just too many people who make everything happen on a regular basis and I love you all for your efforts.
 
I would like to fill everyone in on a new development that is beginning within our community, that is a group of people getting together to try and develop some form of community liaison with local departments. Jayme Harper and the PFLAG  group have really taken an interest in getting this rolling, We met in the beginning of January and had representation from the Durham Board of Education, The Durham Regional Police, City Hall, PFLAG,  Aids Committee of Durham, Durham Pride, Club 717, Pink Pages, Durham Gay Youth, UOIT Criminology, Durham Queer parenting, CDCD, Fun Bus Travel as well as several other facets of our community. The evening was very informative and the outcome was positive. A couple of exercises helped to determine what are common interests for discussion within our groups. We will be meeting again in March to further discuss where this will go. I will advise in a future newsletter of any new developments.
 
I think it is great what is happening in Durham and I think our Community is stepping up to the plate to be recognized and letting people know we exist and are part of the region.
 
The Club is doing very well at present. However, we still need to see further growth. We welcome suggestions, although we may not fulfill everyone's requests right away. Do not give up that easy, we have to see how things will proceed. There is still a lot we want to do with the Club. We are working to build a Club atmosphere at 717, instead of the warehouse perception that everyone has. We are going to be doing a few additional improvements, hopefully this spring that we are sure everyone will like. I am not revealing all the plans as yet, but you should like the changes we want to make. We are hoping to improve the lighting and sound system very soon as well.

 

Once again, I have rambled on enough, Thank you all for taking the time to read the Newsletters and we hope you are finding them informative and keeping you in the loop.
 
Please send Ed any feedback you may have about the Newsletters. We welcome your input; it will help us to improve it. And Ed, Thank you for all the work you do each month on your own time to inform everyone what is going on, you are a star!!
 
Have a Great Month, and Happy Valentine's Day to you all....
 
Regards
Danny

 

Wow----- another month has gone by  --- Hope everyone is keeping warm!

 

Firstly, I would like to thank everyone involved with our New Year's Eve celebration.  It was a fabulous evening, with fantastic food and decorations and the company was second to none  and  the booze wasn't bad either!!!

 

I would like to say a special thanks to Charlie and Ralph for helping
me un-decorate the club on New Year's day, as our lovely Queen Ruby was under the tree, uh, I mean under the weather.  And I thank you both for organizing the seasonal decorations in the upstairs storage.  It was fantastic when I last saw it, but as time moves on things go amuk.

 

The posters for February are up in the club and copies of those
posters were forwarded to Ed, to display in the Newsletter, to keep
things coherent----and there is no chance for anyone to miss their
favourite performer.

 

February 6th brings a New Talent night to the club--- just ask Queen Ruby or Queen Mom Madge for details.

March 13th and 14th brings Club 717 Mardi Gras celebration to the
club, so get prepared with costume, masks, feathers and beads of
whatever sort and stay tuned for more details.

And at the end of March shows on the 27th, Queen Ruby will be
performing with "HEAVEN LEE HYTES".

Just a reminder that "POT LUCK DINNERS", are on the third Sunday of every month from 4 to 7 pm. We just did a Mexican theme in January which was absolutely great with such a good variety of Mexican food. A big thanks goes to all you faabulous cooks.

 

You can ask John Duvall or myself for more details, on upcoming dinners.

 

So that's it,
LARRY aka  EDNA

Hi Everybody,
 
January has been a great month for club 717 and I would love to thank everybody for making it so fun....Queen Mom Madge, Edna, Savanaugh, Tommi, Benn Over, Diva, Amanda, Mike.  We tried something different on January 30 and 31 with a play with a story.  I hoped everybody enjoyed it.  If so let us know and maybe we can hunt up another production.
 
But Look out here comes February. On the 6th - 'Who wants to be a performer' Hosted by  Myself and Queen Mom Madge. Valentines hosted by Edna and your Queen is going to be a romantic weekend so cum on out on for the show on Friday Feb. 13th and Saturday for food, games and maybe get lucky. On the 20th Savanaugh is the hostest with the mostest. To rap up the month we are being entertained by Dumbass Edna and her Dumbass Guests.
 
March is Mardi Gras month. Benn Over starts off the month on the 6th. The 13th is the beginning of Mardi Gras weekend.  Friday will be the show and Saturday come on out with your costumes to win prizes, have some food and fun. Savanaugh is back on the 20th and we are planning to have a guest (who we will let you know soon) from Toronto on the 27th.
 
When coming to the show on Fridays please support your Drag Queens and Kings.  Just to let you know what we put in for the performances. First there is learning the music (minimum of 3 songs, 4 for the host), then the shopping for outfits (which I find fun more than work), and finally the makeup for us old girls (Ruby, Madge Edna) it takes a few hours.  As you can see if a person is in a show, the week is pretty well gone.  I learn music while driving in the car (which is not a good look when people think you are strange while at stop lights talking to yourself) and the IPod at night which the family is sick of you singing out loud and you don't even know you are.  And shopping you get those same strange looks from women when you come out of the change room.  So once again please help the performers on Friday by giving them your support whether clapping or hollering we do appreciate it.
 
Well it is time for me to shut up, no you shut up.

Once again if you see me on Friday.
Cum over slap my boobs and say Hi.

Queen Ruby

PFLAG Canada Durham has been very active in the Region on your behalf.  We thank you for the support of the community and our new volunteer's help to continue the dedication to inspire change. 

We are working with the Durham Regional Police, The Durham Region, Durham District School Board and the Durham Health  along with the leaders of our community to make homophobia a thing of the past.  This will take some time but we are well on our way.

With the pressure from the American Family Association (AFA) to boycott Campbell's and Pepsi, now is the time for us to stand up and SUPPORT these large brand names who are standing up on our behalf and financial putting their support in the GLBT Communities.  Speak loudly by purchasing their products.  Switch to Campbell's Soup of Canada and Pepsi products.  They have invested millions to stand up for us and all we have to do is put down the Coke Cola Can and the Knorr soup and pick up the ones who stand out and above.  We are in way saying Boycott the alternative just make the supporting ones your first choice!  The companies that say 'I care about human rights and all of their consumers no matter what their sexual orientation or Gender identity is!'

Pepsi Targeted for AFA Boycott
http://www.advocate.com/news_detail_ektid70360.asp
Campbell's Targeted for AFA Boycott
http://rightwingwatch.com/content/afas-latest-target-campbells-soup
CAW Canada   (Thank you)!
They have also been standing up for GLBT Support and sponsoring GLBT Organizations

Religious group calls for boycott of Pepsi and Campbell's for supporting homosexuality
http://www.examiner.com/x-2044-Atheism-Examiner~y2009m1d10-Religious-group-calls-for-boycott-of-Pepsi-and-Campbells-for-supporting-homosexuality

Please take 2 minutes  - Buy PEPSI (Tell your bartender PEPSI) also write in or call in to Pepsi and Campbell's to THANK THEM BOTH - And Buy their products.

PFLAG Canada still needs your financial support - we are all having a rough year - But what is a toonie going to hurt - It will certainly help us and go far in our community!

Your Donations go a long way - Last year the Durham Chapter of PFLAG Canada ran on a cost of about $1,500 with only $80 donated throughout the year.  We are Volunteer run and supported by private donations.  We encourage you to help us in funding what you can. www.pflagcanada.ca - Mention DURHAM REGION on the donation.  We need to operate on a budget of closer to $3,500 - $4,000 for the year for 2009 or you may donate locally by calling or emailing us.

We are pushing our Volunteers to come out and support Club 717 on Fridays and to ensure that the first Saturday of the month they support the Durham AIDS Committee by attending their Dances.  On Saturday Feb 7th - We hope to see most of the community at the Dance! As they too need our support!

Your local PFLAG Canada Durham Chapter

Lindsey Clarke
Durham Chapter Leader
Ontario Regional Coordinator
905.576.5445  Dur-OshOn@pflagcanada.ca
www.pflagcanada.ca   www.PixelsForPride.com  Inspire Change 

 

Name: DJ Gryphyn
Birthdate: Febuary 17th, 1972.
Hometown: Ottawa, Ontario.
Hobbies: Video Games, Photography, Music, Books, Movies and much more.
Likes: Coffee (LOVE IT!), italian foods, people, having fun and spending alone time with his sweetheart.
Dislikes: Snow, Slush and cold cold weather. Oh and Brussell sprouts *YUCK*
Favorite Quote: "Go big or stay home!"
 
About DJ Gryphyn:
Hi Folks! I'm happy to have come onboard with 717 this year! I've been DJ'ing now for almost a year on an internet radio station and its great to be doing this live in person at the club. My full time job you can find me in a pizza place on Simcoe N where I'm an assistant manager currently. As well I still do my shows when I can on the internet radio station and am a trainer and admin for it as well. I've been with my partner now for 2 years and been living in Oshawa since Febuary last year. We've been very happy together living in domestic bliss and are talking about making our union a legal one soon. It's been great here and I love this city and always have fun when I come to 717 either as a customer or when I'm spinnin the tunes for everyone!
I'm happy to take part in the club when I can and have a passion for music which I always try to show the energy on the dancefloor. When I'm DJ'ing at the club I always try to play your requests and if I don't have the song I will try to have it for the next time I come in to spin tunes for ya. When I spin is usually on a saturday. So feel free to send me a message on the club's website when I will be spinnin and I will tell ya.
I hope everyone has a great and memorable 2009!

Michael See
mikejsee@hotmail.com 
"It's easier to ask forgiveness, than to beg for permission."

 

Sitting here watching the Obama inauguration and my thoughts extend to the overwhelming sense of hope and humanity that come with this historical event.  It extends far beyond the border and into the heart and lives of all of us.  It is bigger than just celebrating the first black President, it is bigger than the possible ideological shift in American diplomacy and policy.  It extends far beyond Barack Obama.
 
It extends to the need for change within.  To end the days of bitterness and pessimism.  To re-evaluate the days of over-indulgence and arrogance.  During a time of very difficult economic struggles for many, we have seen a mass turn inwards.  A shift to self-exploration and the exploration of really matters.  
 
What really matters?  It is not the dollars in our bank accounts or the material possessions we have accumulated.  It is not the positions we have achieved or the titles bestowed upon us.  What really matters is heart.  Respect and care of ourselves and each other.   

It is easy to become immersed in the political and social rhetoric that comes with powerful orators and there is little doubt that Obama is a powerful orator with a powerful ideology.   All of the hope and change will quickly fade however as the days pass.  The responsibility does not lie in one individual leading another country.  The responsibility lies in ourselves.  Reach deep inside and find true hope and optimism.  Re-evaluate what is important in our lives and the choices we make.  As we are likely to continue to wade our way through some difficult economic times, we need to take the opportunity to reflect on what really counts.  Reflect on the type of people we want to be and the kind of community we want to be a part of.  It really could be exciting times just around the corner...but not to be created by the leader of some other country.  It needs to be created by our own sense of hope and optimism.

 

There ya have it...

Savanaugh had something to say...

 

So my first question comes from ED!

QUESTION:

I have ongoing issues with my houseplants. It seems that I never get the right soil mixture and the plants suffer. Recently, after giving all the plants new soil right before cold weather set in (miracle grow with moisture control), I noticed a fungus on top of the soil.  That must be bad, but what is worse is that fruit flies
seem to be congregating or breeding in the soil of my plants.  What kind of soil should I be using and what can I do about the crazy fruit flies?

ANSWER:
Most soils today are peat based, which means they hold water.  Your problems are from your watering practices as opposed to the soil type. You need to let the soil dry out between waterings.  Generally as we approach winter, most plants go into a rest phase, where they require little water and fertilizer because they are not growing.  As spring approaches and plants start to grow, more water and fertilizer will be required.  In the fall, I would not repot my plants, unless I had to dig them up from the garden, and therefore you must.  Spring is the preferrable time to repot as plants move into a growth cycle. Your fruit flies, which are actually, FUNGUS GNATS, breed in damp soil, where they lay their eggs and there larvae which are tiny grubs eat rotting or dead roots and leaves. There is a natural product called pyrethrum, which may be applied as a powder  or watered in which can help to eliminate the gnats.  You could use harsher chemicals but that can lead to even more problems and they are not safe to use indoors anyways.  Just let the soil dry out between waterings. You probably won't get rid of them, but you will certainly reduce the numbers.  In small numbers they are not harmful, especially if your plants are healthy. You could also apply a thin layer of sand on the surface of the soil. Because the sand is fast draining the surface would be dry, making a less desirable place for gnats to lay eggs.  You still need to let the plants dry between waterings.  Hopefully this info will enable you to clear up your problems.

 

If you forward your plant or gardening question to ED, he will forward it to me, and you may see your answer in the next issue of the Club 717 Newsletter.

 

Till next time,

Charlie