Mike Webber of W. Middletown Makes Exotic Pet Film

Exotic Pet Film May Lead To TV Series

Posted by jkiesewetterNovember 5th, 2010, 7:09 am

Today a movie…. next year a reality TV show? Mike Webber’s documentary about the dangers and subculture of exotic pets called “The Elephant In The Living Room” opens today at the Rave Motion Pictures 18 in West Chester Township. Channel 12 would call it ”Pets That Kill!”

Much of the 94-minute documentary looking at all sides of the exotic pet situation was shot in Ohio with Tim Harrison of Springboro, who has been rescuing dangerous pets for 36 years, and with Terry Brumfield of Piketon, Ohio, whose lion attacked cars on US 23 near Portsmouth two years ago. Here’s a link to my story about the movie. Harrison and Webber will discuss the film after the 7 p.m. screenings Friday and Saturday.

Webber, a West Middletown native and 1988 Middletown Madison High School graduate, has so much footage (more than 200 hours) that he’s also talking to TV channels about a possible reality series about exotic pets, their owners and Harrison. In a way, that would bring the issue full circle for Harrison, who says calls to rescue/capture dangerous pets escalated from a handful to a hundred from all the exposure about dangerous exotic pets on Animal Planet and other channels.

Harrison says that everyone tells him the same thing: “I watch Animal Planet, and I thought I could do it myself.” Here’s what Harrison says: “There’s no happy ending to anyone owning a large predator. As soon as you get a python or tiger cub, you’re just signing a death certificate for you or someone you know.”

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No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency at Middfest International

by Christina Papakirk

Middfest International's Literature and Language Exhibit is sure to be a show-stopper this year. Under the direction of Middletown actor and director Christine Brunner, this exhibit will literally bring the No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency to life during Middfest weekend. Four area actors will portray the well-known characters of the HBO series--Mma Precious Ramotswe, her assistant Mma Grace Makutsi, her companion and owner of Speedy Motors, Mr. JLB Matekoni and the Orphanage Matron Mma Sylvia Potokwane--in a set designed especially for the event.

The exhibit is located next to the Manchester Inn, and the lot has been turned into the Kgali Shopping Center from the HBO series. Visitors can purchase books by Alexander McCall Smith and others, DVDs, and register for prize drawings for the Books of Botswana Reading Challenge. The HBO series will be shown in the Speedy Motors Garage, and there will also be an area for book discussion and a fan meeting area. Best of all, visitors can interact with the characters! They will be there 7 to 9 p.m. Friday, 1 to 9 p.m. Saturday, 1 to 6 p.m. Sunday.

Ms. Burgess Byrd (Cincinnati) as Mma Precious Ramotswe (Detective)
Ms. Edina Ndebele (Cincinnati via Zimbabwe) as Mma Grace Makutsi (Assistant)
Mr. Alan Bomar Jones (Dayton) as Mr. JLB Matekoni (Mechanic)
Ms. Marlene' Johnson (Indianapolis) as Mma Sylvia Potokwane (Orphanage Matron)
Project staff:
Christine Brunner...Producer
Helen Raymond...Scenic Designer
Angela Banks...Production Assistant
Joan Boring...Literature Committee Chair
Denise Bieleki...Literature Committee Member

Middfest's weekend celebration of Botswana will include an array of exhibits featuring many cultural, art, literary, science, history, and business aspects of the country. Live entertainment will be provided by groups from Botswana and local and regional acts, International Bazaar, Food Court, Youth Park and much more.

Friday, Oct. 1 - 6pm-10pm
Saturday, Oct. 2 10 am-10pm
Sunday, Oct. 3 12 noon-6pm

Admission is $5 per person and good for the entire weekend. Children 12 and under are admitted free.

For additional information, please visit Middfest's website, www.middfest.com or Facebook page www.facebook.com/middfest or call Executive Director Virginia Ritan at 513-425-7707, email middfest@siscom.net.

For media inquiries, please contact Christina Papakirk at 513-460-6647 or christina.papakirk@gmail.com.

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Keep Middletown Beautiful Committee Recognized

Middletown Mayor Lawrence Mulligan Jr. and Vice Mayor Jim Armbruster present a proclamation to Denise Hall and Jeff Michelle, representatives from the Keep Middletown Beautiful Committee. A plaque is presented to them in front if City Council as Keep Middletown Beautiful is Recognized.

Keep Middletown Beautiful is a strictly volunteer group that makes an effort to clean up waste and litter around Middletown. Additionally they accept individual volunteers to plant flowers and tend to them in the planters you will see around the Middletown City Building, in some medians and some of the public parks around town. The program was started in 1998, with the name intended to mirror the national program 'Keep America Beautiful'.

Additionally, the Keep Middletown Beautiful organization strives to educate Middletown-area residents on how they can contribute to the cause. Grant programs are administered to help with education and public awareness in the areas of litter prevention, recycling, and waste reduction.