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w w w .in si de H A LT O N .c om O A KV IL LE B EA VE R T hu rs da y, A ug us t 25 , 2 01 1 6 THE OAKVILLE BEAVER IS PROUD OFFICIAL MEDIA SPONSOR FOR: RECOGNIZED FOR EXCELLENCE BY: 467 Speers Rd., Oakville Ont. L6K 3S4 (905) 845-3824 Fax: 337-5566 Classified Advertising: 905-632-4440 Circulation: 845-9742 The Oakville Beaver The Oakville Beaver is a member of the Ontario Press Council. The council is located at 80 Gould St., Suite 206, Toronto, Ont., M5B 2M7. Phone (416) 340-1981. Advertising is accepted on the condition that, in the event of a typographical error, that portion of advertising space occupied by the erroneous item, together with a reasonable allowance for signature, will not be charged for, but the balance of the advertisement will be paid for at the applicable rate. The publisher reserves the right to categorize advertisements or decline. Editorial and advertising content of the Oakville Beaver is protected by copyright. Unauthorized use is prohibited. United Way of Oakville Ontario Community Newspapers Association Canadian Community Newspapers Association Suburban Newspapers of America NEIL OLIVER Vice-President and Group Publisher, Metroland West DAVID HARVEY Regional General Manager JILL DAVIS Editor in Chief ROD JERRED Managing Editor DANIEL BAIRD Advertising Director RIZIERO VERTOLLI Photography Director SANDY PARE Business Manager MARK DILLS Director of Production MANUEL GARCIA Production Manager CHARLENE HALL Director of Distribution SARAH MCSWEENEY Circ. Manager WEBSITE oakvillebeaver.com MICHAEL IVANIN / OAKVILLE BEAVER ACURA MILESTONE: Oakville resident Robert Chapman (second from the left), was presented with a composite drawing representing the 25-year history of Acura by Carmen Scaglione, general manager of Acura of Oakville (second from the right). The presentation was to celebrate Chapman as the 400,000th Canadian Acura customer in the company's history. Chapman purchased an Acura MDX, which was built in Canada. Also attend- ing the presentation were Alexandre Roger (left), assistant vice president Acura division, and John Adzija (right), Acura district sales manager. Guest Columnist For the 30 years I knew Jack Layton, perhaps his mostbeguiling trait was his unpredictable yet inexorable evo-lution. This is a politician who never stopped evolving, never stopped pushing the boundaries, never rested on his laurels. Precious few can say that. And, as a result, we were all wit- ness to the metamorphesis of a radical, shoot-from-the-hip renegade councillor into the rarefied status of folkloric political icon. Ours was not a traditional relationship. Jack as politician and myself as journalist/ editor interacted over three decades on a panolopy of issues and causes. We each had a role to play and respected that - be that a private chat, an editorial board meeting or public forum. Yet from this unique perch, I witnessed firsthand his dramatic transformation and tumultuous rise over three decades. Right from our first meeting, it was clear he was one very natural politician. He came from a political background, revelled in politics and felt a compelling mission to accomplsh good. By happenstance, I knew friends from his native Hudson, Quebec and learned early the pride in his Quebec heritage was visceral. He made his mark early as a champion for social causes, AIDS research, social- housing and eco-friendly transport. Yet he was brash, often alienating natural allies and making headlines but little else. So when he was elected a Metro councillor, then Mayor Mel Lastman had a choice to make: bring him on the executive team or let him loose. "I decided to take a chance and it was one of the smartest things I did," Lastman later told me. "Jack was deter- mined to make things happen - and he changed my views on the homeless." Jack would never forgot that gesture. At the same time, Jack looked for tangible ways to make Toronto a more liveable city. He loved the city. Word on the Street, the annual bookfair and celebration of the printed word, became a mutual cause for us both. We never planned to meet but Jack was always a fixture there. "Isn't this just grand," he'd usually say. Any thoughts Jack might be mellowing vanished, however, with his high profile alliance with Bread not Circuses to help scuttle Toronto's bid to host the Olympic Games. I thought him dead wrong on that one. Still do. We debated it often. Yet, even at the time, I remember my silent admiration of his unabashed defence of a position he felt so vehemently about. "Principled," he'd say. That legacy, however, would ultimately undermine him as he sought Toronto's mayoralty in 1991. Trading in his trademark blue jeans for suits and his glasses for contact lenses, he ran a surprisingly strong campaign against veteran June Rowlands. Many were taken with the new Jack, yet more alliance building would be required. The Oakville Beaver is a division of Irecently had a spiritual experience. Appropriately enough, I was in a church. For the record, this experience was many mystical, mythical years in the making. Background: in 1998, Neutral Milk Hotel, the enigmatically named, self-described American fuzz-folk band masterminded by Jeff Mangum, then an introverted 28-year-old songwriter -- released a seminal concept album about Anne Frank called, In An Aeroplane Over the Sea. Critics raved, wearing out Thesauruses attempting to describe the eclectic music. To read these reviews is to realize the truth in the saying: Writing about music is like dancing about architec- ture. Still, critics tried their utmost. And some, like Taylor Clark, actually succeeded. According to Clark, who authored an insightful and invaluable retrospective in Slate magazine on the occasion of the albums tenth anniversary: Aeroplane (is a) musical curio so odd that it almost defies explanation (It) occasionally sounds like a maria- chi circus fed through a broken amplifier. Not surprisingly what with the demand for mariachi cir- cuses fed through busted amps perhaps at all-time low this recording did not find a mainstream audience. But it garnered a passionate, loyal (some would say cult) following that would continue to grow in time; it sells more each year now than it did then. Furthermore, Aeroplane helped Mangum and his mates find friends in high places. R.E.M., for example, invited them on tour. And, in response, Mangum checked out. He became the J.D. Salinger of indie music. Elusive. Reclusive. As the story goes, he was a fragile soul, suffering night terrors, untold anxieties. The soul-wresting sadness hed so infused into his songs and his colorful cryptic lyrics suddenly overtook his life. In Clarks words, As Aeroplanes legend began to build, Magnum kept himself busy by having a total nervous break- down. In a state of perpetual panic, hoarding rice in fear of a post-Y2K apocalypse. In subsequent years of self-imposed exile, Magnums mental health apparently improved and his legend multiplied. Rumours of a NMH reunion forever circulated as did talk of new music on the way. Rumours proved unsubstantiated. New music never materialized. Then, last winter there was buzz about a brief Mangum-solo tour in inspired, intimate venues, including two stops in Toronto at venerable Trinity-St. Pauls Church his first appearances around here in 13 years. One cold February morning these hot tickets actually went on sale. Ten minutes later they were sold out. When it comes to Mangum, we suffer familial fanaticism. Each family member is versed in the mans mythology, and gaga over his music. So, there we were as a family, up in the non air-condi- tioned church balcony on a sweltering summer evening. Alas, the only thing greater than our anticipation was the potential for disappointment. Mangum did not disappoint. He played for a scant 65 minutes, encore included, but his performance left us in awe. It was the best 65 minutes of my summer, and one of the most emotional, spiritual musical performances Ive ever witnessed. Upon descend- ing from the rafters of the church, one of our sons summed up the experience in a word when he said, simply, Wow. Andy Juniper can be contacted at ajjuniper@gmail.com, found on Facebook http://www.facebook.com, or followed at www.twitter.com/thesportjesters. A spiritual experience and the much-hyped return of a recluse Andy Juniper John Honderich By John Honderich, Chair, Torstar Board of Directors The evolution of Jack See Remembering page 7