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Vic Mathews, played with perfection by Tom Conti, needs a miracle too, but doesn't realize it. A quirky, hard-working remedial teacher at the Glascow school named for the would-be saint. Vic watches his co-workers attempt to find their miracles with an amusement that just barely hardens into cynicism. In keeping with the recently established tradition of other Scottish mms Gregory's Girl and Local Hero, this offering is charming, off-beat and true to the human experience, without an excess of sentimentality. The min that chronicles all the minor and major miraculous events that follow is Heavenly Pursuits. a 1986 release from Scottish writer/director Charles Gornr ley. The proponents of Blessed Edith Semple need a miracle. Actually, they need two "authentic" miracles, if they want the Vatican to approve the Iongdead Semple's canonization. Janet Panabaker Chronicle Special Roundup: . _ . . Manager Dan Donaldson says it will be the Cust production by a high school in the Centre when the St. Jerome-St. Mary's "My Fair Lady" show is seen April 27-30: tickets phone 578-5660 . . . . Hats off to the Valhalla Inn for donating the ballroom for the K-W Hospital "volunteers' " reception last week . . o . Social worker Tra- cy Pytlowany of the University of Waterloo told the Lions Service Clubs at their "Open House" that the "low vision clinic" in the Optometry Building is the only one in Canada and referrals come from everywhere. . . .The Broadway musical "Guys & Dolls" at UW Humanities Theatre April 29-30 is delightful. The Gilbert & Sullivan Society has a smash hit. Don't miss it. Just to watch Neil Aitchison as "Big Jule" is worth the price of admission . . . . Waterloo's Dave Wettlaufer and Chimo McLean plan to qualify for the CPGA golf tour in May. They honed their games on the Florida satellite tour this winter . . . . Marie McCusker and Jane Newman of the Zonta Service Club say the tickets are moving well for the gala black tie gourmet dinner party on May 25 at the Walper Terrace Hotel: information phone 885-2701. With the NHL Stanley Cup race heating up, I recall being there to view the damages of the famous "Maurice Richard" riot in Montreal that took place on St. Patrick's Day, March 17, in the early 50s. Richard has been given a 10 game suspension by president Clarence Campbell for fighting just before the first playoff game. Hence, the French Canadian fans were in a sour mood and erupted at the first Detroit game with smoke bombs in the forum building. The game was forfeited and the wild crowd spilled out on to St, Catherine Street. The mob smashed every business window for the next 10 blocks to Guy Street and the insurance claims were over $2 million. The only store they spared was Donovan's Men's Wear which my father patronized because it featured a St. Patrick's theme. The French always liked "les lrlandairs" and skipped the Irishman's store windows that night. _ You may have noticed a lot of media articles recently about the expansion of the Walt Disney empire with new theme parks in Japan and Paris. The Time Magazine edition of April 25 mentions Disney's Ron Miller who became the chief executive officer in 1983. I recall dealing with this same Miller a dozen years ago when the new Disney World theme park opened in Orlando. As producer of CKCO-TV's "Tree. house Show", I was invited by this same Miller to tape some segments of "Treehouse" on location with my puppets (Ralph & Leroy). We arrived at Ron's executive omce to find it was a "house trailer" and Walt had the same thing next door. Today the executive office is a posh building on Buena Vista Drive. Ron was anxious to get any television exposure of the new theme park and had a camera crew of three ready to film the puppets. They had me crouch down behind the "main street trolley" with the puppets exposed as sightseers. The crew then filmed the puppets on the "village fire truck", the "Dumbo" ride, and their own artimeial "treehouse". Miller directed the footage and carried a lot of authority. Now I know why - Time says he was the son-in-law of Walt Disney. Character charm, integrity highlight Heavenly Pursuits HIV“! with Ted Rome) His fall may solve one of Vic's major problems, but it causes many more. He immediately becomes the third of the SempIe-inspired "miracles," and a "miracle worker" himself, hounded. despite his own disbelief, by the press and those requesting his divine assistance. All the progresa he has gained with his more problematic students (played with charm and vigor by members of the Scottish and Glaucow Youth Theatres) is attributed not to hit brilliance or their hard work, but to divine interven- But all the talk of supernatural events seems to rub off on Vic the un-believer, whose stereo starts to play when ith not turned on (an event taken from writer Gormley's own life), and whose 40doot plunge from the school's roof doesn't harm him, but instead (albeit somewhat predic- tably) seems to save his life. While many at Blessed Edith Semple School are chasing down miraculous events, Vic is chasing Ruth Chancellor (Helen Minen). the school's music teacher and a devout but no-nonsense Roman Catholic. The $450,000 museum expansion was made possible by support from all levels of goVernment - federal, provincial and regional. A number of well. known politicians will be present at the opening ceremonies to bring greetings from their govern- ments including John Reimer M.P., David Cooke, M.P,P., Ken Seiling, Regional Chairman and Schneider Museum Wing sebbration on May Day Objects from this collection, made primarily in Waterloo County, will be featured in the first exhibit to be presented in the new gallery space entitled With Heart and Hand which also opens May 1. Built to meet increasing demands on the mu- seum's popular programs, the facility will also allow the museum to showcase its nationally-significant collection of folk and decorative art known as the Canadian Harvest Collection (Bird, Kobayashi, 1984). What better time for the Joseph Schneider Haus to celebrate the opening of its new museum wing, a facility that will bring new life and vitality to the complex and the promise of new and exciting programs to come. The newly-constructed 3,000 square-foot museum wing houses expanded program areas, a gallery, resource library, workshop, offices and artifact vault, all environmentally controlled with state-of- the-art equipment. May 1 has for centuries been a time of celebration, a time when the earth breaks the bonds of winter and clothes itself anew with_the raipent of spring. The new Joseph Schneider Haus Museum Wing open ceremonies will take place Sunday, May 1. Chronicle Special At times, Heavenly Pursuits' progression seems slightly circular, but the charm and integrity of its characters and its wry humor make it a joyful, but never frivolous. experience. Heavenly-Pursuit. is playing at the Princess Cinema April 28th, 29th and 30th. Despite its refusal to be either cynical or credulous. the film still rejoices in little, everyday "miracles," and liken to include the more bizarre of these. Thus, while Vic faints in a pub, his friend hits the jackpot at a machine next to the spot where he has fallen, and coins pelt the floor while Vic revives. Heavenly PursuitipUndini is not the end of the story, but this is presented as being only natural, since miracles. however relentlessly Father Cobb (Brian Pettifer) tries to prove them, can only be accepted by those who want to believe. The story becomes a media free-for-all, The Church is upset (“We can't have miracles turning people into saints all the time,") the tttPII is upset. and Vic in very upset. "Ann-nliy 9..--..n‘. -..J:..,. I, __‘ ‘LA n.) _r.L - -W____, The museum is open from 1:30 - 5 p.m. with entertainment beginning at 2 p.m. and the omcial ceremony at 2:30 p.m. an important festival day in the towns of southern Germany and Austria. The day certainly had great importance for many German-speaking people who settled in this area, as the giant blue and white striped Maypole in Kitchener's Speaker's Corner attests. It is therefore fitting that the Alpine Club's musicians and dancers should join the Schneider Hans staff in celebrating this important event. Visitors will be treated to seasonal goodies including the traditional Maitrunk (May punch), all prepared by the Schneider Haus staff. Though rarely celebrated in Canada today, May Day is still In keeping with the May Day theme, thoSchneid- er Haus will present lively entertainment, music and spring delicacies for sampling. The Alpine Club Dancers will perform, among other dances, a traditional Maypole dance, and the Alpen Quintett will celebrate the rites of spring in instrumental music and song. A representative from the "Friends of Schneider Hans" a group of grass-roots supporters, will also be present to conclude their successful fund-raising campaign by presenting a cheque for the balance of the group's $60,000 commitment to the project. Opening Ceremonies will begin at 2:30 pm. Councillor Jane Brewer, Chairman of the Historic Sites Committee.