Will Gazette replace Mike Boone's city column?

Andy Riga

Mike Boone

James Mennie

Will The Montreal Gazette introduce a new city columnist to succeed Mike Boone, who has moved over to the sports section?

My sources at the paper indicate that thus far no decision has been made. There are in fact whispers that they will not fill the position, choosing instead to profile National Post writer Christie Blatchford as their main columnist.

Replacing Boone in the first place will not be an easy task. I rarely missed one of his columns, be it one of his wonderful community or personality profiles or a firsthand account of his frustration with the internet and the memorable pieces about his late mom. Boone really covered Montreal the way a city columnist should.

Aaron Derfel

I truly believe The Gazette needs to park someone in his place. But who can that be? If they hire from within, I believe Andy Riga would be an excellent choice. He is married, has a few kids, covers transportation and blogs on community affairs. David Johnston, presently the communities reporter, would provide  some good  angles as well. James Mennie had a regular column in the past. Perhaps it is time to give him another go at it. For anyone who has ever heard him fill in for Tommy Schnurmacher on CJAD, he is opinionated, knowledgeable on a wide variety facts and has a good sense of humour.  Jeff Heinrich has covered news and now works in the entertainment section.  He’d be fun to read. Has Aaron  Derfel grown tired  of the health beat? What about Sue Montgomery, the holds no punches justice reporter whose gutsy pieces on Haiti deserve much praise. I always enjoyed her weekly column in the old Sunday Gazette.

Let’s hope the void is filled. There are a  lot of great city stories out there to cover.

.

Chomedey's Lenkov previews Hawaii Five-0

Hawaii Five-0 makes its much anticipated  return to television on Monday evening, September 19 (10 p.m.) on CBS and Global. Here is executive producer Peter  M. Lenkov, the pride and joy of Chomedey Laval, with a little preview.

Momesso and Dollas get nods for Habs colour commentary

It was no big surprise to learn today that THE TEAM 990 has hired former NHL players Sergio Momesso (above) and Bobby Dollas (below) to provide colour commentary for the station’s full season coverage of the Montreal Canadiens, working alongside play-by-play voice John Bartlett.

A native of Madison Avenue in NDG, Momesso was drafted 27^th overall in the 1983 NHL entry draft by the Montreal Canadiens. He went on to win a Stanley Cup with Montreal in 1986, one of the highlights of an NHL career that spanned 13 seasons. Momesso also worked under former Habs General Manager Bob Gainey for two seasons in player development for the team, and served as an assistant coach with the Hamilton Bulldogs.

“I’m thrilled to be on board THE TEAM 990’s coverage of the Canadiens,” said Momesso. “Becoming a part of the Habs’ radio team has brought me full circle from the days I laced up my skates with the team – it’s truly something special for me.”

Dollas, who also hails from Chateauguay, was a first round draft pick of the Winnipeg Jets in 1983. His 16-season NHL career included stops in Quebec, Edmonton, Calgary and Ottawa. Dollas has also represented Canada internationally, winning a gold medal at the 1985 IIHF World Junior Championships.

“As a proud Montrealer, I can’t wait to be on the frontlines of THE TEAM 990’s coverage of the Habs,” said Dollas. “With the addition of Erik Cole, the stability in goal with Carey Price, the emergence of PK Subban and the healthy return of Andrei Markov, fans have an incredible season to look forward to.”

Momesso did an excellent job alongside Rick Moffat on CJAD last year. Dollas has been a regular contributor to THE TEAM 990 for a few years. They will work games on a rotating basis, which should bring an interesting perspective.

THE TEAM 990 became the home of the Habs earlier this year when it acquired exclusive English radio broadcast rights to all of the Montreal Canadiens games in a landmark seven-year deal.

We are still awaiting word on plans for a pre-game show. Tony Marinaro will handle post-game duties. It will also be interesting to see what role former Habs tough guy Chris Nilan plays. He recently relocated here from Boston on a permanent basis and settled down in Dorval with his girlfriend. James Davidson, who serves as his Montreal representative, expects Nilan to be very busy on radio and making public appearances. He is presently at the Toronto International Film Festival to promote a documentary called The Last Gladiators in which he is prominently featured.

Montreal's Toon Boom Animation spawns Garfield product

Toon Boom Animation Inc. is the worldwide leader in digital content and animation creation software, carrying user-friendly animation applications for all, catering to the needs of children, home users, creative professionals as well as students, educators and schools.

Based in Montreal since 1994, the company’s biggest clients include. Walt Disney Animation Studios; Walt Disney Television Animation, Nelvana, Warner Bros. Animation; and Fox TV.

However these days, a new software that turns mere mortals into superstar cartoonists based on the popular comic and animated character of Garfield the Cat, has company President and CEO Joan Vogelesang doing cartwheels. Working at putting this product on the map have been Vice-President of Marketing and Communications Karina Bessoudo and Director of Product Marketing Alissa Anzarut, pictured above with Garfield.

Born in France, Bessoudo lived in Israel for five years and immigrated to Canada in 1989. She graduated with a BA in Economics from Tel Aviv University in 1988 and an MBA from HEC Montreal in 1994. She has been working for Toon Boom Animation for 12 years. Winning the Primetime Emmy Engineering Award for one of Toon Boom's high end solutions was certainly a peak in her career. To keep close ties with Israel, she takes care of Toon Boom's customers and partners mainly located in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv.

Anzarut graduated with an Honours Business Degree from University of Western Ontario in 1993 and began working in tier one marketing companies in Toronto where she lived for 11 years, working on brands such as Aquafresh and Oxy (at Glaxo SmithKline Consumer) as well as Nescafe and Nesquik Chocolate Milk (at Nestle Canada). In 2004, she and her family moved to Montreal. She worked in the Aeroplan Rewards team for over six years, joining Toon Boom last May Her work encompasses marketing consumer animation products including apps in the Apple store, products for SMART Tech's SMART Boards and the new Garfield's Comic Boom.

Bessouda was quick to point out that Toon Boom Animation is active in 122 countries, including Israel. She and Anzarut have been intimately involved with the Garfield account, communicating regularly with comic strip creator Jim Davis. On September 17 and 18

Garfield’s Comic Boom will make its first public appearance at the prestigious Montreal Comic Convention (ComicCon) at the Place Bonaventure downtown. While Davis is unable to attend, the Garfield mascot will be there. Davis' friend and peer, Lynn Johnston (For Better or For Worse) will conduct a workshop on Saturday (creativity and storytelling) and Toon Boom will sponsor a Saturday evening “meet and greet” with former Marvel Comics legend Stan Lee on the Saturday night. Lee was born Stanley Martin Lieber in New York City on December 28, 1922, in the apartment of his Romanian –born Jewish immigrant parents.

Davis is full of praise for the Toon Boom creation. "Back in my day we had only pencils and paper,” he says. “This new software is like adding a jet pack to creativity. Kids can craft characters and backgrounds and tell a story with such ease and speed that I'm a little worried I might be out of a job soon."

Garfield's Comic Boom encourages creativity and storytelling with easy-to-use drawing and coloring tools, props, and library items prompting kids to produce comic panels, comic strips, and even comic books. The software even allows users to record sound and voice-over, essentially turning the child into the director of their own unique production. Adding yet another dimension, the final product can be instantly broadcast via e-mail, YouTube, Facebook, and mobile.

As an added bonus, Davis offers cartooning tips and tricks-of-the-trade for budding cartoonists in an exclusive tutorial for Garfield's Comic Boom users. Why choose Garfield? “Jim Davis actually chose us,” says Vogelesang.

The new software is available for purchase via the Toon Boom product store — http://toonboom.com/garfield. Customers can use a promo code: GARFIELD, to receive $10 off the purchase. The promo code is valid until October 1, 2011.

"Garfield's Comic Boom is a great addition to Toon Boom's family of fun products,” says Vogelesang. “We are very proud to work with Jim Davis on this project and look forward to seeing the entertaining comic books this easy-to-use application will inspire to kids of all ages!"

The product will make its first public appearance at the Montreal ComicCon, September 17-21. Davis' friend and peer, Lynn Johnston (For Better or For Worse) will conduct a workshop on creativity and storytelling. A demonstration will be given on the product's capabilities at the ComicCon main stage.

“This is an entirely new wave of education,” says Vogelesang, a resident of Westmount.

Garfield is a humorous strip centered on the lives of a fat, lazy, cynical orange cat who loves lasagna, coffee, and his remote control. Today, the strip appears in over 2,310 newspapers and is read daily by over 200 million people around the globe. Garfield recently added a new edutainment site to his accomplishes. He engages kids in interesting and pedagogically sound activities to promote literacy at www.professorgarfield.org.

The holiday brisket rescue mission

Le Biftheque Steak House on Cote de Liesse in St. Laurent was always one of my favorites, not to mention its butcher shop. So when its new owners filed for bankruptcy in June, it was sad day for its many devoted clients. I remember the days when you called for a weekend reservation, you’d still have an extended wait for a table.

With the Jewish New Year approaching, I started getting calls from readers asking if I had any suggestions how they could cope with the disappearance with Le Biftheque. More specifically, where could they buy a good brisket now that the butcher shop is gone?

Well businessman Peter Kovac has come to the rescue. Peter owned Le Biftheque Boucherville up until a year ago. With the bankruptcy on Cote de Liesse, all of the other locales which used the Biftheque name has to desist. But I digress. Kovac has ridden to the rescue and made arrangements to have uncooked briskets available locally due to the increasing demand he has also received in the past few weeks.

You can buy them at Quality Fruit at 5818 Westminster Avenue in Côte Saint-Luc and at Schwartz’s Deli on St. Laurent Boulevard have agreed to carry the briskets. “I owned a Biftheque restaurant and butcher shop in Boucherville for the past 22 years,” Kovac explained “Many of my friends and acquaintances have always purchased their holiday briskets at the biftheque butcher shop at Cote de Liesse, and recently with that restaurant and butcher shop closing, I have received many many calls from people desperate to find an alternative site to purchase their briskets.”

Kovac explains that he spoke with Pasquale Massa, the owner of Quality Fruits and Hy Diamond of Schwartz’s to carry the same quality of briskets that customers have become familiar with from the Biftheque. “We expect an overwhelming demand, therefore the need to place orders as soon as possible,” Kovac says. “The briskets are fresh, sealed in a cryovac package and can easily be stored in your refrigerator until the end of the month.

To reach Quality Fruits call 514-481-7341; to reach Schwartz’s call 514-842-4813.

The story behind the Moishes Graffiti

In recent months, Moishes Steakhouse on St. Laurent Boulevard has been given a magnificent facelift. The 73 year old institution, ranked as one of the top 10 steakhouses in the world by Forbes Traveler, is owned by brothers Lenny and Larry Lighter. It is named, of course, after their late father Moishe (pictured) who passed away 25 years ago at the age of 75.

“We have been an integral part of what it means to be a Montrealer for decades,“ explains owner Lenny Lighter. “People have come to us to experience the unique flavour and history of St. Laurent Street since 1938. But being an icon doesn’t mean anything unless you stay committed to being an exciting part of life for up and coming generations as well.”

The complete renovation took place in the spring and was designed by Patty Xenos Design, the company behind the new look of the Ritz-Carlton Hotel - like Moishes, a Montreal landmark embracing the future. The goal was to create a memorable experience of fine dining in an upscale but unpretentious environment.

Some of the changes to the restaurant include an art gallery, featuring a series of commissioned photographs, on the theme of The Main ; memory boxes containing old photos and menus from 1938; A Day in the Life,’ with candid black and white photos of Moishes staff, some of whom have been with the restaurant for 50 years; a Moishes commissioned work of graffiti on one of its brick walls.

I asked Lenny (pictured above) about the replica photos on one of the walls of the outdoor graffiti. How did it get there in the first place. He agreed to share with me the background story. “About 10 years ago a young kid was arrested by police for placing graffiti on our brick wall,” he says. “We were going to ask that he be prosecuted and before he was about to go to trial he came and pleaded with us that he just could not go to jail. I came up with a compromise: I’d let him do a piece on our wall, a kind of historical look at our neighbourhood; of soldiers in the trenches. We paid for his paint and the scaffolding. He completed the job and we never saw or heard from him again. He probably would be proud to know that the graffiti now made its way into the restaurant.”

Lighter explained that the renovation is just the first in a series of initiatives designed to guarantee that Moishes remains at the forefront of Montreal and The Main. He has hired a new chef, Joshua Fiddler, who is introducing new items onto the menu. A new, lower-priced evening menu, on Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings, catering to later-crowd, has been introduced. For $25 a head you can get an entrée, main course, tea and coffee. “We really wanted to open our doors to new and younger clientele,” he says.

In addition, in the restaurant, Moishes will sponsor a series of photographic exhibitions dedicated to life on The Main, and featuring artists such as Gabor Silazi. The new menu includes a choice of interesting salads, grilled crab cakes and lobster rolls.

Moishes is also now a successful retail brand, sold at Loblaws, IGA, Costco and independent outlets across Canada.

Log on to http://www.moishes.ca.

Radio hirings and firings proof positive why I chose a different route

It has been a very busy few days on the Montreal radio scene, highlighted by Aaron Rand's (left) hiring by CJAD (first reported more than a week ago on this very blog) and THE TEAM 990's decision to bring in John Bartlett from Toronto.

The engagement of Rand caused a domino effect in CJAD, with bodies flying everywhere. It is a prime example of how unstable the radio business can be and why my mother warned me over and over again as a teenager "not to make a full-time career in broadcasting." She repeatedly pointed to my dad, who broke into the radio business out of university where he earned a Bachelor of Commerce Degree. He had a very exciting career in the early going, but when his station went from English to French his on air life ended. Because of his background in finance he was transferred to the accounting department and was able to continue to support his wife and three kids.

"Don't be like your father," mom warned. "He's lucky they kept him on. He should have stayed in school and become a chartered accountant."

Mom actually wanted me to go for my CA, but by CEGEP I had caught the journalistic bug. Dad might have been off the air, but he continued to cover professional sports for the United Press International wire service. He brought be aboard to help him and by the time I had to apply to university the accounting option was gone and I was accepted to Concordia's Broadcast Journalism program. Late in his career, dad got a two year gig as host of the Montreal Expos pre and post game shows and I got the chance to sit in with him on a regular basis. I must confess it was one of the most exciting opportunities of my career.

Well, I did ended up agreeing with mom. After a three year stint as assistant sports editor at the now defunct Sunday Express Newspaper, I turned to news reporting at The Suburban and ultimately a career in communications and marketing. All along I kept writing my columns in the local community press, so therefore I got to enjoy the best of both worlds.

This brings me back to the news of the week. Rand's hiring prompted CJAD Brand Director Chris Bury and GM Martin Spaulding to conduct a significant overhaul of the station. When it was all over, Dan Laxer found himself virtually out of a job. Rand will be on from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. weekdays, preceded by Ric Peterson and Suzanne Desautels. While Kim Fraser loses her noon to 2 p.m. slot, she stays on as an executive producer and weekend afternoon host. Laxer's 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. shift is history and all that is left for him is a co-hosting gig on the Sunday morning trivia show. Pretty tough to support a wife and two kids on that. Dan worked his way up from producer to traffic reporter and then host. He is a talented broadcaster, but where does he go in a city with so few English radio opportunities? If I were from the Cogeco group, I would grab him for their planned all-traffic station set to start in the fall, pending CRTC approval.

Dan Delmar, a Suburban colleague, was doing a great job hosting his own evening show. He stays on as an afternoon producer and will no doubt be part of the station's future. His slot now belongs to Barry Morgan, who is perhaps a good example of how to keep your head up in the face of adversity. Morgan left CJAD almost a decade ago to take a job with Sportsnet TV. When his post was eliminated I spoke to him and he was pretty down. At t he time I suggested he consider switching to PR. His heart was still in broadcasting and eventually wound up doing some freelance work for Global TV and CJAD, until the morning news gig opened at the former 940 News. He survived a 940 purge and stayed on the air, also working for sister station Q92. That ended more than a year ago when Murray Sherriffs was rehired and Barry was cast away. He went back to CJAD and this time he did just about everything from hosting news and sports shows to sports and newscasting. It all paid off for he is now a permanent fixture on the new CJAD, handling sports on the Rand Show and then doing his own program.

Rick Moffat goes back to doing morning sports and Abe Hefter will do so on weekends and reporting from the field during the week. Anne Legacé Dowson loses her Saturday show, but Bury says he still hopes to find her something. Andrew Carter and Tommy Schnurmacher remain unscathed as does the newsroom.

Now over to THE TEAM 990. It was expected that either veteran sportscaster Elliott Price or Derek Wills from the Hamilton Bulldogs would get the coveted play-by-play role. Instead it went to Bartlett. According to what I am told, there were five strong finalists for the job. Price and Wills made that list. A committee from Bell Media, with cross country representation, was able to make an objective choice and Bartlett was their man. Too bad for Price, who I thought had earned the role with his years of Expos experience and with the Montreal Juniors hockey club the last three years. He remains part of an excellent morning show team with Denis Casavant and Shaun Starr. But this must be a difficult pill to swallow.

Now THE TEAM 990 needs to choose a colour man. Former Habs tough guy Chris Nilan has made no secret of the fact he badly wants this job. Ditto for Sergio Momesso, the ex Hab who was quite impressive on CJAD broadcasts. Perpaps THE TEAM 990 will surprise us with another outsider. All we can tell you is that it will definitely be a retired player.

The next broadcast scenario to watch is at CHOM FM, where Terry DiMonte will return as morning man. What will happen to current host "Pirate"Pete Marier?

As for Rand, log on to the Local Suburban as of Friday night for my feature story on him.

A final note to my mom: thanks for the good career advice!