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ICYMI: All our weekly columns in one place

Owen Bjorgan reflects on his youth growing up in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Donald Combe checks out a new Netflix series about an unlikely teen model, Ben Foster swings through NOTL, Rick Mills wants to discuss politics and religion at the table and we welcome Rick's son Alexander with a guest column for the very first time.
Mike Balsom
Mike Balsom
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Alexander and Rebecca Mills, with Asher and Aiden.Supplied

Each week we collect the contributions from our regular columnists as they appeared on notllocal.com and bring them to you in this post, just in case you missed them.  

Growing up in right place at right time

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Before smartphones young people growing up in Niagara-on-the-Lake experienced "the sweet spot of innocence and adventure in its most organic human form", says Owen Bjorgan. His younger days were filled with climbing massive rocks in the Queenston Quarry, making regular use of rope swings hung in remote places, riding ATVs to friends' houses and crawling up the escarpment. He wonders if today's youth are enjoying the same type of creative adventures in his COLUMN THIS WEEK. 

View from the Couch: A review of Geek Girl

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Donald Combe takes a look at the Netflix series Geek Girl this week and finds it "neither silly nor sickeningly sentimental". Find out what else Donald has to say about the series' 10 episodes HERE. 

Where's Ben? Let us know where in NOTL Ben Foster is in today's photo

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Last week Ben Foster was paying a visit to Radiant Care Pleasant Manor, where he took the opportunity to play a tune on the piano. Where is Ben in this week's photo? CLICK HERE to find out how to send us your guess. 

Ricky Rap: Merry Christmas from Rick Mills

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The old saying points out that politics and religion make strange bedfellows. It has been said that if you want to enjoy dinner, especially Christmas dinner, leave those two topics off the agenda at the table. But in THIS WEEK'S RICKY RAP, Rick Mills urges us to not be afraid to broach those topics, especially if you love to talk about them as much as he does. 

Guest Column: Life is short, dance while the music plays

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A chip off the old block one might say. Alexander Mills, son of Rick of Ricky Rap fame,  submitted a guest column this week. Inspired by an arch, ironic and provacative billboard during a trip in the US with his wife Rebecca and children Asher and Aiden, Alexander encourages us to live our lives courageously, to "love furiously and forgive liberally, go for a walk, pay attention to the birdsong and skip a stone". Read Alexander's FIRST COLUMN FOR THE LOCAL HERE.