LOCAL TV PRODUCTION COMPANY SEEKS PARTICIPANTS FOR DOCUMENTARY SERIES ON IMPROVING YOUR LIFESTYLE!!

Have you, your family and your neighbours fallen into the rut of an unhealthy lifestyle? Eg’s: watching too much television, not exercising, eating too much take-out, spending countless hours in front of the computer, or not pushing beyond your comfort zone. Do you live on a street block of outgoing, fun, and open-minded people? Are you known for your block parties and community spirit?

An award-winning Vancouver-based production company seeks neighbours on a street block to participate in a new documentary series featuring a street block ready to get out of the rut of unhealthy living and challenge each other to move beyond comfort zones and improve their lifestyles.

If you think your block is ready for some lifestyle improvement, and is outgoing enough to be documented on television… we’d love to hear from you! Please write and tell us about you and your family and what area(s) you’d like to improve about your lifestyle (eg lose weight, exercise more, develop new hobbies etc). Also, please tell us about your neighbourhood as a whole and in particular, what type of “characters” live there. If there was a “community leader” who would it be?

Please include your name and phone number, as well as your street address and city. We are casting in the Greater Vancouver area. Please send email to: blockparty@forcefour.com

Recent Break-Ins

One in the 700-block of East Pender and the other in the 500-block of Prior Street. In both incidents the door was kicked in. The perpetrator in the Prior Street break-in was a young, short, white male who remained calm when confronted and ran off through the next-door neighbour’s yard.
Also, many car windows smashed, many in the 400 Block of Heatley Ave. A reminder to all to keep all valuables out of your cars.

New Pho

HANOI PHO

[Thanks to Deb Miller]

If you like Vietnamese food, especially Pho, you may want to give Hanoi Pho at try. They're located at 406 East Hastings Street, opposite the Patricia Hotel. Don't be put off by the full-on security bars on all the windows: inside the decor is bright and cheerful, very clean, and the food is delicious. They do take-out too.

Au Petit Chavignol: Un Petit Review

AU PETIT CHAVIGNOL NOW OPEN AT 845 EAST HASTINGS

[Thanks to James Johnstone]

We just got back from an evening at Au Petit Chavignol, Les Amis du Fromage's newest outlet's (open Thursday to Monday from 5pm to 1am) just a few minutes from where we live. This place is perfect for an afterwork or late night get together in the East End. The CHEESES!!!! It felt like we were on a holiday...

Au petit Chavignol is not cheap, but it is well worth skipping a couple of cheaper places and saving up for... and if you live in Strathcona, watch out!

The Evolution Of Green

SUSTAINABILITY 2.0: "The Evolution of Green"

Thursday, April 2, 2009 | 3pm-7pm

Chapel Arts, 304 Dunlevy Avenue, Vancouver BC

Building on the success of Sustainability 1.0: the Upside of Greening your Business, the Strathcona BIA is proud to present Sustainability 2.0 - the Evolution of Green. Come and learn how businesses are taking the next step beyond reducing, reusing and recycling.

Discover how you can further your sustainability goals and continue to profit by collaborating together with other businesses. Listen first hand to innovative speakers and become a part of a progressive sustainable business community, the Strathcona green zone. Pre-registration is required.

Registration: http://www.strathconabia.com/expo2
For this event, Dunlevy Street from Cordova south to the lane behind the Patricia Hotel will be closed. Sustainable vehicles will be on display!

Open Mike @ The Snail

EVENING OPEN MIKE EVENT AT THE WILDER SNAIL MARCH 29

We're planning a monthly open mike kids-friendly event the last Sunday of every month at the Wilder Snail, starting March 29. We'd not only like neighbourhood attendance, but participation as well: musicians, poets, performance artists, whomever. Admission is by donation. More info at

Good Neighbour Agreement

UNION GOSPEL MISSION FINALIZING GOOD NEIGHBOUR AGREEMENT MARCH 25

[Message from Leah Gregg, UGM's Community Relations Coordinator]

We are excited to be nearing the finalization of our Good Neighbour Agreement. To date, we have not received any further feedback regarding the Good Neighbour Agreement. The Strathcona Business Improvement Association is the only group that has submitted changes to the GNA in the extended review period. On January 28, we circulated the SBIA’s comments to the rest of the Community Advisory Committee members to seek additional input and feedback.

Because we have received no further responses, we are optimistic that your concerns have been satisfied. But we would like to hear from you. Do you feel you have had the opportunity to review the GNA and do you feel comfortable signing this document? If not, please send us your specific objections by 9:00 AM on Wednesday, March 25.

We hope to sign the Good Neighbour Agreement at our next CAC meeting on Wednesday, March 25 at 11:30 AM and we look forward to finishing this process with you. Please confirm your attendance by Tuesday, March 24.

Strathcona Spring Fair

STRATHCONA SPRING FAIR MARCH 21

Please join us to celebrate the arrival of Spring at the Strathcona Spring Fair this Saturday.

Saturday, March 21st
1-7pm
McLean Park, Strathcona
All ages, rain or shine community event.

Live music by:
Miriam Davidson
Earle Peach & Albert Klassen
Dalannah Gail Bowen
Pancho and Sal
Michelle Dumond
Bob Cole & Ryan McBeth
Kat Gillis
Ranj Singh
Scott Cook

Community Potluck

Bake Sale (please let me know if you can donate something for the bake sale - proceeds to the community centre)

Craft Sale

Raffle (to raise funds for Strathcona Community Centre and the 2nd Annual Harvest Festival in Sept '09)

Spring craft tent for all ages, free to create, supplies provided (egg decorating, caterpillar & butterfly making, paper flowers & vases, oragami bunnies, etc)

Fibre Art Demos by The RAW Studio (felting Easter eggs, spinning wheel demos)

For more info or to volunteer some time & love, contact milisa@honeybeephotography.ca

Orchestra In The City

PACIFIC BAROQUE ORCHESTRA AT ST. JAMES CHURCH MARCH 20 7:30

Bach Reconstructed

The Pacific Baroque Orchestra welcomes Alexander Weimann as guest conductor and harpsichordist in a unique program featuring world premieres of remodeled Bach and Vivaldi concertos, joined by guest artists Washington McClain (baroque oboe) and Chloe Meyers (baroque violin). http://www.pacificbaroque.com/bach.htm

Date/Venue: Friday March 20, 7:30pm – St. James Anglican Church, 303 Cordova St. (at Gore Ave.)

Tickets: FREE

The Future Of Old Vancouver

THE FUTURE OF OLD VANCOUVER MARCH 19, 7:00 P.M.

Vancouver Arts and Cultures Forum
Creative Conversation: The Future of Old Vancouver
(Old Vancouver is Gastown, Chinatown, Strathcona,Hastings,Victory Square, and Japantown)

The Vancouver Museum
1100 Chestnut Street

Heritage Vancouver welcomes guest speakers Ray Spaxman, Aprodicio Laquian, and Jan Sircus to an evening of imagining a future for Vancouver's historic neighbourhoods.

Thursday, March 19, 2009
7:00 pm to 9:30 pm

Registration at 7:00 pm
Conversation begins at 7:15 pm

Tickets $5:00
Heritage Vancouver Members free
RSVP

Campangolo - Vancouver East's Trendy New Spot

Risky business(es): 1) Intravenous Drugs; 2) Opening a restaurant next to the Ivanhoe.

Undercover as a grossly ignored corner of Vancouver’s most troubled area, something interesting springs to life. A restaurant.

Having been raised in East Vancouver, the word “Ivanhoe” conjures up a lot of imagery pertaining to infectious diseases, stolen strip loins, shopping carts, mouthwash and system failure. But now that I’ve been to Campangolo, I can add Tagliarini Pork Ragu with Basil and Pecorino to the list. And a few perfectly roasted beets to start.

Located right next door to the Ivanhoe, Campagnolo neither fits in nor sticks out. It’s the artsy, bohemian, arguably hotter brother of the far preppier Fuel on West 4th. The atmosphere is all very five o’clock shadow and suits a moody glass of red wine (a highly suggested pairing for adventures on the outskirts of town). The dining room faces Main Street with a seperate wine-bar tucked on the alley-side. Both rooms have nice architecural features (beamed ceiling, light fixtures, brick walls) that create an overall dining experience that is really just about you, the person you’re sitting across from, and the food.

The food itself is an easy conversation on the plate. Each ingredient has its own story to tell and needs be noticed - much like the people outside on the street.

I definitely recommend you take a look.

Source: ChampagneWednesdays.com