Here's a Job for Us Retired Radio Folks

[slowhand]

Evansburg elects new town grouch
By Gemma Karstens-Smith, Edmonton Journal
August 11, 2012

EVANSBURG — There’s an odd sign on the lawn of a home in Evansburg, Alta. — #10 Frowning Street.

The unique address moves every year as part of an unusual tradition embraced by residents and tourists: the town grouch.

Each summer, Evansburg residents campaign for the title, with the winner earning the privilege of unlimited moaning, groaning, complaining and griping all year long.

John Lauer hadn’t set out to create a tradition when he invented the grouch in 1974. Tasked with creating a new sign for the hamlet about 90 kilometres west of Edmonton, Lauer simply wanted to spice up the “anemic” population of 603. First he added 29 dogs and 41 cats, but he still had some space left over.

“So I added ‘1 Grouch,’” said Lauer, an Evansburg resident since 1961. “That caught a lot of attention.”

At the time, no one would dare say who the grouch was.

“Those would be fighting words,” Lauer said.

But in 1979, the community started voting on who was the grouchiest resident of all. People were less than enthused to be nominated at first, but that quickly changed, said Lauer, who was reluctant to let his own name stand for years.

When he finally gave in and became grouch in 1995, Lauer fully embraced his role, letting his hair and beard grow out. “It was wild.”

Today, nominees campaign for the title by wagging a coffee can in front of residents and showing just how grumbly they can be. Whoever collects the most cash for the annual Pembina Valley Daze festival gets the grouch honour.

The town’s newest grouch griped about her added duties Saturday after being elected at Pembina Valley Daze.

“I’ve got to do everything for the community,” complained Margaret Hodgkinson. “I’m the ambassador, I have to grouch at people. Mind you, that’s OK, because now I have a licence to do it.”

Hodgkinson said she let her nomination stand because she wanted people to know about her surly demeanour.

“I’m very grouchy,” she said. “I should’ve been elected years ago.”

Outgoing grouch Sandi Scott was less confident in her 2011 nomination.

“I was shocked to be nominated,” said Scott, who had been living in Evansburg for just 11 months at the time. “I’m not really a grouchy person.”

But she embraced the title anyway, even when she went to visit New Brunswick, where she appeared on the cover of the Saint John Telegraph Journal in the grouch uniform of an unruly red wig, a hard hat with a miner’s lamp and a pick axe.

The uniform can be seen all over Evansburg. Years ago, the town trademarked a caricature of a disgruntled miner — a nod to the area’s heritage — and the image still appears on street signs, T-shirts and the official grouch bench outside of the post office on Main Street.

The tradition has become a bit of a tourist attraction as well, with people coming to Evansburg just to see the home of the grouch. Lauer said he has heard mentions of the Evansburg figure as far away as South America. Jay Leno even referenced the grouch on his show in the 1990s.

“I thought, ‘That’s my moment of glory,’” Lauer said.

Jennifer Yakimchuk, who also ran for the title this year but was out-grouched by Hodgkinson, said she likes that the town’s mascot is a person instead of an object.

“It puts us on the map. I think it’s fantastic,” she said.

So does Lauer, who said he had no idea how his “silly idea” would grow.

“I didn’t ever think it would get to this point,” he said. “I’m just so pleased.”

Click on the Photos tab to see 4 nice pictures http://www.edmontonjournal.com/news/edm ... story.html

[Anotherwpgguy]

While there certainly was no shortage of complainers, groaners, and apprentice curmudgeons in radio, I have to say that line pilots are far more miserable than radio people. So once they get wind of this "job," they'll be elbowing ex-Jocks out of the way.

AWG