Independence Day Headlines
How was the Canada Day long weekend for you, Edmonton? Did you drink lots of maple syrup?
Edmonton Public School Board trustees want to be part of the larger discussion on neighbourhoods, to avoid closing schools. It’s up to the City of Edmonton and Alberta government to include them. If all three can work together we’ll probably have more vibrant communities and schools that don’t close – even if that means they remain open with different programming in the building.
While Edmonton’s 2011 homicide rate may include a few deaths from last year (ruled homicides in this calendar year) there are certainly more than we normally see in six months. Police, and other groups, are trying to figure out why and what could be done to help communities most often dealing with death.
Edmonton’s median time for a court case is closing in on half of that of a Calgary case. Justice isn’t speedy but it’s kind of not super-long.
We’re going to need a bunch of overpasses, and overpass work, in Edmonton over the next few decades. Hopefully the Alberta government, and maybe the federal government too, can kick in some money to help keep our major roads in good shape.
You know there’s plenty to catch up on after an extra day off. (more…)
E-MAIL INTERVIEW w/the Handmade Mafia’s Amy Edgar
I recently had a quick interweb chat with the lovely Amy Edgar, one half of the dynamic duo behind the Handmade Mafia – a very popular, very cool craft show that takes place in Old Strathcona (specifically @ Orange Hall and Savoy) on the first Saturday of every month.
(For anyone keeping track, that would be tomorrow).
Q: What is the Handmade Mafia?
A: The handmade mafia is a family of handmade makers. They are local people making the items they sell.
Q: Okay, and who are the Handmade Mafia, meaning: who organizes the sales? What gave you guys the idea for them?
A: The Handmade Mafia is Ally Ng and (me) Amy Edgar, but as a whole, it’s all the people you find inside selling their goods. We felt there was a need for a monthly market in Edmonton, but also [wanted] to keep it fresh and keep a rotation of sellers. Each month you’re going to find something new! We have a lot of sellers who are doing shows for the first time.
Q: How have the sales been received by 1) vendors, 2) shoppers, and 3) the community (for instance, the folks who host the sales, like Savoy and Orange Hall)?
A: Summertime is a hard time for craft shows in general, but we do have shoppers coming out every month. The ones who are coming out are happy to see the talent in Edmonton – it’s exciting and encouraging to see such talent, and sometimes it can be quite the boost people need to go home and get creative themselves. Both of the venues the show is located at are locally owned, so in a small way it’s supporting them as well. Savoy has provided a great location, and also has a full menu and drinks for shoppers who might be hungry while enjoying Whyte Ave. Orange Hall is a local historic site, and shoppers have been happy to find both places, as some were not previously familiar to either
THE DAGGERS/OLD WIVES/GRAVE MISTAKES
Oh snap! One of my favorite local bands is playing tomorrow night at DV8 Tavern, on 99 St. and 83 Ave. The Old Wives (featured above in a video that we pilfered from Vue
Weekly’s youtube channel, which I didn’t know existed, which is a topic for a later post) are hitting the stage, alongside Calgary’s The Daggers and Jasper’s Grave Mistakes. If you go, take pictures and cell phone videos and send them to me. Please. I’m really mad that I can’t be there.
Ooh, also, my internet sleuthing for details on the show took me to the Old Wives’ myspace, which lists a start time of 8 p.m., and a cover of 8$. That’s a lot of rock for one low price, people! And it’s all in time for July 4th.
If you love America, you’ll be there.
