Local Journalist Releases New Book of Peterborough's 1974 Undefeated Lacrosse Season

Peterborough’s greatest hidden lacrosse story comes to light as journalist Ed Arnold unveils his new book, “Peterborough’s Perfect Season: With Benny and his Jets” regarding the Peterborough PCOs undefeated 1974 season on Wednesday.

(from left to right) Tim Barrie, Don Barrie, Ed Arnold and Jason Hinton. The Lakers won two additional exhibition games atop their 46-0 record in 1974. Photo by David Tuan Bui.

The 410-page book describes the 46-0 season the PCOs had en route to their third of four straight Minto cups. It depicts the team’s storm while reflecting on the city’s lacrosse history.

The title is a reference to PCO’s coach Ben Floyd when he and the team would walk out to the arena to Elton John’s hit song, “Bennie and the Jets.”

The season is a story that has not been talked about enough in Peterborough sports history according to Arnold.

“(It's) Not very well-recognized in Peterborough," he said. "There are no plaques and there are no banners. If someone says it would have happened in the States, they would have put it on a cereal box and would have made a movie about it."

The back and front of Arnold’s 410-page book. It took just over a year to research and write the book. Photo courtesy of Ed Arnold.

Lacrosse began on a cricket field in East City in 1972. Sullivan’s I.D.A. Pharmacy opened in the same year as the second oldest business that still exists in Peterborough. Arnold chose to celebrate the book’s release in front of the pharmacy.

He wants the book to create awareness of Peterborough’s accomplishments and the rich lacrosse history the city has to offer.

"That's one of the biggest reasons I did it," said Arnold. "To give them a legacy and hopefully someone will recognize it."

The book is available for $25 at Sullivan’s I.D.A. Pharmacy, Trent Valley Archives, and Happenstance in Lakefield. It is also on sale for at the Peterborough Lakers home opener at the Peterborough Memorial Centre on June 2 and on June 23.

Local orders can be made by emailing perfectseason46@gmail.com.

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Local Author Releases Book Excerpt of Tony Hawk's Peterborough Appearance

Local author Tony Cosgray released excerpts of his upcoming book, “Tales From The Dead City” which references legendary skateboarder Tony Hawk and his Peterborough appearance over 30 years ago on Tuesday.

Cosgray’s book, written for his children, tells his life of growing up in Peterborough as a metalhead in the 80s and 90s.

Hawk made an appearance at M&J’s Skatetown in Peterborough in December of 1989 skating with Ray Underhill and local skateboarders. Below is the excerpt of Cosgray’s book describing the legendary skateboarder’s appearance from local witnesses.

I first met Norm Macdonald at Trent Radio. I think he might have been playing Black Flag or Beastie Boys. His music tastes immediately grabbed my attention and we started chatting. First thing that set Norm apart from everyone else at the radio station is that he was much older than the rest of us. He looked like someone’s father. We talked about music for some time. I remember him telling me about Led Zeppelin playing at The Rock Pile [Masonic Temple] with Teegarden & Van Winkle in 1969.

Norm had a couple of shows on Trent Radio. One was an album rock show ‘Never Made it To Top 40’ and another was ‘Sessions - Skate Music’. He explained to me that he was mostly doing the Sk8 show on Trent Radio… where he would play bands like NoFx and Bad Religion to help him market his indoor skate park. At the time, I didn’t even know that we had an indoor skate park in town. My first thought was ‘cool another spot for shows’. Turns out Norm was in fact someone’s father. His two sons Mike and Jamie were heavily into skateboarding so to encourage them Norm decided to open up M&J’s Skatetown [Named after his children] at 810 Rye St. sometime in 1988.

From what I remember… When you went into M&J’s the walls were filled with skate decks for sale. Even after the park closed Norm continued on with the distribution of decks. There was a counter where they sold trucks, wheels, stickers and ‘Thrasher Magazine’. A television sat on the counter which played Sk8 related videos. After the waivers would be filled out, to the left behind the counter there was a hallway that led into the first room in the park. On the right was a couple of back-to-back pipes they called ‘bigtime’. First time I walked past that I saw a kid on a bike come down straight on his neck. I don’t know how Norm didn’t have a heart attack every day watching that stuff.

Further down the hall and through a door was an even larger room with a vert ramp at the back and a few smaller ones closer to the entrance.

In December of 1989 eighteen-year-old legend Tony Hawk and 27-year-old Ray Underhill skating for Powell & Peraltas ‘Bones Brigade came up from California to skate at Norm Macdonald’s M&J Skatetown. There is some various youtube footage of them skating there. An amazing video exists of Tony Hawk clearing the gap between the backroom vert ramp over to the middle ‘playland’ one.

Norm Macdonald remembers:

“...I paid $3,500 appearance fee plus accommodation, food and airfare for Tony [Hawk]. Ray was paid for by Powell Peralta. What are icons and legends to some are guys I have known since they were young. Ray Underhill and I were close right until the day he died…”

Etienne Rene remembers:

“...The first spine ramp in the first room was called bigtime! The back ramp in the second room was a nine-foot vert ramp and the spine ramp that Tony [Hawk] transferred to was called playland. There was also a hip ramp next to playland and a 6 foot next to the hip ramp. Plus a 3 foot as well. The park did change the layout a few times but that was the layout when Tony [Hawk] was there…

Norm Macdonald remembers:

“...Only one Vert ramp, but a series of mini ramps. First Spine ramp was Playland in the back room. Big Time had two spines one which was cut to make the first deck spine in Canada…”

Norm had a loud sound system hanging above the halfpipes that would pump out Ministry, Faith No More and Nirvana.

Norm Macdonald remembers:

“...Tony [Hawk] turned me onto Ministry and Ray [Underhill] to Sisters of Mercy…”

“Although I never skated, I knew enough to be aware that this place was a really, really big deal. M&J’s Skatetown had gone all out, making the spot one of North America’s leading indoor parks.”

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Local Horror Author Strikes Deal With Netflix for Film Adaptation

Author Ian Rogers will have something to scream over as his book “Every House Is Haunted” will become a Netflix movie announced last week.

Ian Rogers won ReLit Award in the “short fiction “ category for Every House is Haunted in 2013. Photo Courtesy of Ian Rogers.

The details of when production is currently unknown but the confirmation was given to Rogers by email about the news over a week ago.

The book is a collection of short horror fiction stories released in 2012 where movie adaptation will feature the novelette, “The House on Ashley Avenue”.

The movie is titled the book’s name over the novelette to make it more recognizable according to Rogers.

Sam Raimi and Zainab Azizi of Raimi Productions are the film producers and have hired Rogers as a consultant. Just having them being involved with the film is an honour to the award-winning author.

“I know it’s cliché to say but it’s a dream come true,” said Rogers. “This is massive for my writing career. Having Sam Raimi wanting to do my film together, it’s like Stephen King asking me to do a book together.”

Ian Rogers (pictured) currently resides in Peterborough with his wife Kathryn Verhulst-Rogers, a manager of Communications at Trent University. Photo Courtesy of Ian Rogers.

Rogers’s book is inspired by his normal life with imaginary twists. He says his stories are inspired by places he is close to such as Nova Scotia, Toronto and Peterborough where his family lives, his hometown and his current residence respectively.

The House on Ashley Avenue is inspired by his neighbourhood walks in Toronto he tells PTBOCanada.

“Ashley Avenue is not a real street, I used to go for walks and I was walking in that area,” he said. “It was this really beautiful summer day and there was this immaculate house. When you put a twist, you ask, “What could go wrong on a day as beautiful as this?’”

“Shards” is Rogers’s latest book release where five friends rent a cabin but only four come out alive. His book is available to read online for free. Photo Courtesy of Ian Rogers.

Every House is Haunted has been out of print but Rogers plans to print another edition in time for the movie’s release as stated on his book’s official website.

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You Gotta Eat Here! Book Featuring Reggie's HotGrill & Shish Kabob Hut

Back in 2011, we wrote about the Food Network Canada featuring Reggie's HotGrill and the Shish Kabob Hut on the show You Gotta Eat Here!. Well now the show's host John Catucci has released a new book version of the show, and it spotlights both Peterborough eateries—plus a recipe from each restaurant.

Read about how both restaurants came to be, as well as recipes for the Big Poppa Burger from Reggie's HotGrill, and Chicken Tigania (a tasty stir fry coloured brightly by red paprika) from the Shish Kabob Hut.

You Gotta Eat Here! is $29.99 and is available in hardcover format here in town at Firehouse Gourmet, Chapters, and the Shish Kabob Hut. Online, it's available via Chapters Online, Amazon.ca and in digital versions on the Apple iBookstore and Google Play Bookstore.

[Contributed by PtboCanada's Evan Holt]

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