Latest news with #Symonds
Calgary Herald
15-05-2025
- Business
- Calgary Herald
Chorney-Booth: Acme Pizza and Pasta Co. finds a new (familiar) home
When restaurateur Dean Symonds moved to Calgary over 15 years ago, the first restaurant he had a hand in opening was Vendome Café, owned and operated by the Teatro Group. Symonds has since become a regular fixture in Calgary's restaurant landscape, working at and eventually owning several beloved restaurants, including The Beltliner and Gorilla Whale. Now, a decade and a half after walking into the Vendome Block for the first time, Symonds and his business partner Jason Wankel are back in that historic Sunnyside venue with a new restaurant of their own, Acme Pizza and Pasta Co. Article content Article content Article content Vendome had a great run under the stewardship of the Teatro Group, but that company decided to close it down last year to focus on other projects. Meanwhile, Symonds and Wankel, frustrated after losing their other restaurants in the wake of the pandemic, had pivoted to pizza, the one foodstuff that seems to thrive no matter what the state of the world may be. Their Acme Pizza Co., with a location in Tailgunner Brewing Co. in Sunalta and another standalone takeout spot in Renfrew, was a bona fide hit. The pair were ready to expand into a larger facility with capacity for a commissary kitchen and a full-service, sit-down restaurant to showcase their well-honed hospitality skills. Article content Article content Article content Timing, as they say, is everything. Right as the Acme crew were ready to expand, that familiar Vendome space suddenly became vacant. Article content 'It is interesting to come full circle,' Symonds says. Article content Symonds and Wankel originally toyed with the idea of opening Acme Pizza and Pasta as a scrappy red sauce joint. But their heritage building location, which Teatro renovated extensively over the years, with its gentle archways and sleek bartop, felt a little too elegant for red checkered table cloths and New Jersey-style spaghetti and meatballs. They knew they had to develop a friendly neighbourhood spot that could do double duty as a romantic date night destination and a go-to for family pizza night. Article content Article content 'We can be playful here, but the room dictates we put a little bit of parsley on top of things,' Symonds says with a chuckle. Article content 'We wanted to match the room,' Wankel says in agreement. 'But the other guiding force is that everything on the menu is going to be on a table with a pizza. We had to remember that, too.' Article content To help strike that balance, the Acme kitchen team – head chef Alexander Row, chef de cuisine and pasta wizard Elyse Trimble, and sous chef Colby Tio – created a menu to entice locals looking for both a quick pizza and beer or a plate of seafood-studded, house-made pasta. The king of the menu, to Symonds and Wankel's admitted surprise, are the gooey panko and parmigiana-crusted mozzarella sticks ($15), which feel both remarkably modern and like a (much-welcome) throwback to the '80s. There are other snacks and small plates worthy of investigation, such as a gorgonzola beet salad with apple and pistachio ($21), marinated olives with rosemary and lemon ($8), and mussels in a lemon-butter garlic sauce ($25), but ultimately, this is a pizza 'n' pasta restaurant.
Courier-Mail
14-05-2025
- Business
- Courier-Mail
70 new homes bound for Gabba precinct in lead-up to 2032 Games
A collection of 72 premium apartments is coming to East Brisbane, with a design that takes cues from an iconic Queensland plant. The 10-storey tower at 169 Wellington Rd is named the Banksii: named after the Grevillea Banksii, which can be found right across the road in Raymond Park. Designed by Mas Architects, managing director Nick Symonds said the building's look was created with its views of nature and the Brisbane River in mind. 'The screen elements on the front facade … they reference the flower in terms of its symmetry and its softer elements,' he said. RELATED: Affordable housing units fast-tracked in development for inner-city residents 'We really just designed the building to reflect that viewpoint and connect back to the park.' The building sits on a 1619 sqm block, and features one-bedroom, two-bedroom and three-bedroom offerings for residents. Developed by Vector Property Group, rooms will have a subtropical design and a focus on natural light, along with outdoor living spaces for time under the sun. '[There's] a real focus on new lines and opening up interiors to the outside,' Mr Symonds said. 'I think the indoor-outdoor feeling is obviously a reflection of our Queensland lifestyle, where we like to dine and BBQ outside.' MORE: Big bank's huge rates call amid property confidence spike Handbag heir sells lavish Byron Bay hinterland estate for $30m In addition, residents will be able to share gym and rooftop facilities proposed by the developer, which include a swimming pool, pool deck, bar and alfresco dining spaces. 'Even with apartments that don't look back onto the city, they also get the opportunity to see the roofline and experience that in those communal spaces,' Mr Symonds said. A retail offering will also be present on the ground floor, expected to be a coffee shop. 'Banksii is a statement project that reflects our ambition to help shape Brisbane's evolving residential landscape,' Vector Property Australia joint managing director Rhett Williams said. 'As our third project in Brisbane, it reflects the growing appetite for affordable luxury apartment living in the city's expanding market. We see strong demand from buyers who want location, lifestyle, and considered design, and Banksii delivers on all three.' Mr Symonds said it was one of many developments helping to reshape the spaces around the iconic Gabba Stadium, in advance of its swan song during the 2032 Olympic Games. 'It's going to diversify and become a home for many new people, and it's going to bring a lot of new opportunities,' he said. Nine one-bedroom units, 36 two-bedroom units and 27 three-bedroom units will be available to purchase when the project goes to market. Construction is estimated to start later in 2025, with an expected completion at the end of 2026.
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Yahoo
Police vilified for doing job
A police federation has criticised how the watchdog investigated two officers who were seen using force while arresting a man. The police constables were captured in video footage using PAVA spray and appearing to strike a man, who was in a wheelchair, in Great Yarmouth in May 2024. The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) revealed last week that the officers would face no further action. Andy Symonds, chairman of the Norfolk Police Federation, said the IOPC should investigate matters more quickly and said officers were "publicly vilified" for doing their job. "I can think of no other profession around the world that is scrutinised like police officers are," he said. Mr Symonds said the pair dealt with a "difficult scenario" and were "faced with threats of violence". "Officers decided to act as they can't simply walk away," he explained. "As a result, they were investigated for an unacceptable amount of time for what was a simple case in which most of the incident was captured on CCTV and officer's body-worn video." He said in the pursuit of justice colleagues could be "unfairly scrutinised, punished or even prosecuted" for making decisions in split-second situations. In footage taken from CCTV and bystanders, one officer appeared to strike the man several times and a second officer appeared to use PAVA spray. Michael McQueen, 37, of no fixed address, was arrested on suspicion of assaulting an emergency worker following the incident outside Londis in St Peter's Road on 20 May. Prosecutors discontinued any action against him, but McQueen was given a custodial sentence in October for separate anti-social behaviour offences. The IOPC investigation found there was no evidence that either officer behaved in a manner that would justify bringing disciplinary proceedings. However, Mr Symonds said damage had been done "reputationally and emotionally". "This intense scrutiny is one of the reasons why we see police officers leave the service," he said. Officers were "regularly expected" to navigate dangerous and emotionally charged scenarios, he said, where material was often shared on social media. "To continue to turn up to work and cope with daily life with the question mark on whether you will be charged with a criminal offence or be referred to a gross misconduct hearing, where you could lose your job, is immeasurable." IOPC director Derrick Campbell said the watchdog would investigate police actions without "fear or favour". "Police officers have considerable powers to protect the public and tackle crime and it is right that police officers are held to a higher standard than members of the public," he explained. "We know the impact that lengthy investigations can have on those involved, including officers, victims and their families, and timelines is something we've been working hard on to improve, because we know that a slow system doesn't benefit anyone." Follow Norfolk news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X. Officer who appears to 'punch' disabled man faces no action Misconduct investigation over disabled man's arrest Officer 'not suspended' after strike row Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) Norfolk Police Federation
American Military News
01-05-2025
- Entertainment
- American Military News
Priscilla Pointer, ‘Dallas' and ‘Carrie' actor and mom to Oscar nominee Amy Irving, dies at 100
Priscilla Pointer, a stage actor perhaps best known for roles in the movie 'Carrie' and TV's 'Dallas,' died Monday, her family confirmed. The mother of Oscar-nominated actor Amy Irving, Pointer was 100 years old. She 'died peacefully in her sleep at the age of 100, hopefully to run off with her 2 adoring husbands and her many dogs,' the 'Crossing Delancey' star said Tuesday on social media. 'She most definitely will be missed.' For 44 episodes of CBS' series 'Dallas,' Pointer played Rebecca Barnes Wentworth, Pamela and Cliff's mother and the head of a rival oil family. In the 1976 movie 'Carrie' she played Mrs. Snell, mother to Sue Snell, who was played by her daughter Amy. She was just shy of her 101st birthday, according to a family statement obtained by The Times. 'Priscilla had a long acting career. She met her first husband Jules Irving in Europe just after WWII in an army production of 'Brother Rat,'' the statement said. 'They returned to the U.S. and formed the Actor's Workshop in San Francisco. The company eventually took over the Vivian Beaumont Theater in NYC.' Pointer, who was born in New York City on May 18, 1924, began her stage career in the city the 1940s. She was was married to Irving from 1947 until his death in 1979, moving out west with him after the war. They returned to New York City as the San Francisco troupe was winding down and Irving served as artistic director of Manhattan's Lincoln Center from 1965 to 1972. The couple moved to Southern California after he retired, settling down in Santa Monica. After her first husband died, Pointer married Robert Symonds. The two knew each other from San Francisco, and Symonds had moved to New York from California to work as Irving's associate director at the Lincoln Center. Symonds recalled meeting Pointer for the first time at the Actor's Workshop in San Francisco, where she was 'sitting at a desk typing a letter,' he told The Times in 1997. 'I remember she was very, very pretty.' Former Times staff writer Daryl H. Miller dubbed Pointer a 'natural beauty.' 'Whether hunkered on the floor petting a dog or sitting pertly on a couch,' he wrote, 'she is regal yet casual, arresting yet homespun.' Amy Irving told The Times in 1997 that her mother and Symonds were 'unbelievably well-suited' as a couple. 'I know my mom and dad were deeply in love with each other, but Mom and Bob have so much in common,' she said. 'There's such harmony in their lives, a really nice balance. They spark each other.' The couple's joint projects included the 1984 Blake Edwards film 'Micki & Maude,' in which they played Ann Reinking's parents, and the 1993 South Coast Repertory production of 'Morning's at Seven,' in which they played brother- and sister-in-law.'First Love' at the Odyssey Theater in 2003 and the 2000 production of Athol Fugard's 'Road to Mecca' at the Fountain Theatre in Hollywood were also twofer shows. When Pointer and Symonds worked together on the 1997 production of 'Fighting Over Beverly,' also at the Fountain, they rehearsed at home and carpooled across town to the theater, but their characters weren't supposed to have seen each other in 50 years. 'That really requires acting,' Pointer told The Times, 'because instead of having known him for 43 years, I have to pretend — and so does he — that we haven't seen each other since we were 18.' 'The unflappable Pointer sails above the general mayhem with a ladylike aplomb that makes her subsequent emotional epiphany all the more moving,' The Times wrote about Pointer's performance in that show. Amy Irving told The Times in 2007, 'I grew up watching my dad directing Mom and Bob in the leads of plays, and the three of them were best friends. That was where I began to develop my passion for acting and learn how to do it.' Pointer went solo in shows including 'At Long Last Leo' at South Coast Repertory in 1988 and the 1985 movie 'The Falcon and the Snowman,' amassing close to 100 film and TV credits between 1954 and 2014. After Symonds died in 2007 from complications of prostate cancer, Pointer kept performing, including a 2017 role in 'Night and Dreams: A Schubert & Beckett Recital' at the Walt Disney Concert Hall, where she played one of the amusing old ladies of Beckett's 'Come and Go.' The women each whispered something about another, then launched into 'Lachen und Weinen,' Schubert's song about laughter being a lover's defense against tears. Pointer is survived by her three children from her first marriage, David, Katie and Amy, and many grandchildren. ___ © 2025 Los Angeles Times. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
Los Angeles Times
29-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Los Angeles Times
Priscilla Pointer, ‘Dallas' and ‘Carrie' actor and mom to Oscar nominee Amy Irving, dies at 100
Priscilla Pointer, a stage actor perhaps best known for roles in the movie 'Carrie' and TV's 'Dallas,' died Monday, her family confirmed. The mother of Oscar-nominated actor Amy Irving, Pointer was 100 years old. She 'died peacefully in her sleep at the age of 100, hopefully to run off with her 2 adoring husbands and her many dogs,' the 'Crossing Delancey' star said Tuesday on social media. 'She most definitely will be missed.' For 44 episodes of CBS' series 'Dallas,' Pointer played Rebecca Barnes Wentworth, Pamela and Cliff's mother and the head of a rival oil family. In the 1976 movie 'Carrie' she played Mrs. Snell, mother to Sue Snell, who was played by her daughter Amy. She was just shy of her 101st birthday, according to a family statement obtained by The Times. 'Priscilla had a long acting career. She met her first husband Jules Irving in Europe just after WWII in an army production of 'Brother Rat,'' the statement said. 'They returned to the U.S. and formed the Actor's Workshop in San Francisco. The company eventually took over the Vivian Beaumont Theater in NYC.' Pointer, who was born in New York City on May 18, 1924, began her stage career in the city the 1940s. She was was married to Irving from 1947 until his death in 1979, moving out west with him after the war. They returned to New York City as the San Francisco troupe was winding down and Irving served as artistic director of Manhattan's Lincoln Center from 1965 to 1972. The couple moved to Southern California after he retired, settling down in Santa Monica. After her first husband died, Pointer married Robert Symonds. The two knew each other from San Francisco, and Symonds had moved to New York from California to work as Irving's associate director at the Lincoln Center. Symonds recalled meeting Pointer for the first time at the Actor's Workshop in San Francisco, where she was 'sitting at a desk typing a letter,' he told The Times in 1997. 'I remember she was very, very pretty.' Former Times staff writer Daryl H. Miller dubbed Pointer a 'natural beauty.' 'Whether hunkered on the floor petting a dog or sitting pertly on a couch,' he wrote, 'she is regal yet casual, arresting yet homespun.' Amy Irving told The Times in 1997 that her mother and Symonds were 'unbelievably well-suited' as a couple. 'I know my mom and dad were deeply in love with each other, but Mom and Bob have so much in common,' she said. 'There's such harmony in their lives, a really nice balance. They spark each other.' The couple's joint projects included the 1984 Blake Edwards film 'Micki & Maude,' in which they played Ann Reinking's parents, and the 1993 South Coast Repertory production of 'Morning's at Seven,' in which they played brother- and sister-in-law. 'First Love' at the Odyssey Theater in 2003 and the 2000 production of Athol Fugard's 'Road to Mecca' at the Fountain Theatre in Hollywood were also twofer shows. When Pointer and Symonds worked together on the 1997 production of 'Fighting Over Beverly,' also at the Fountain, they rehearsed at home and carpooled across town to the theater, but their characters weren't supposed to have seen each other in 50 years. 'That really requires acting,' Pointer told The Times, 'because instead of having known him for 43 years, I have to pretend — and so does he — that we haven't seen each other since we were 18.' 'The unflappable Pointer sails above the general mayhem with a ladylike aplomb that makes her subsequent emotional epiphany all the more moving,' The Times wrote about Pointer's performance in that show. Amy Irving told The Times in 2007, 'I grew up watching my dad directing Mom and Bob in the leads of plays, and the three of them were best friends. That was where I began to develop my passion for acting and learn how to do it.' Pointer went solo in shows including 'At Long Last Leo' at South Coast Repertory in 1988 and the 1985 movie 'The Falcon and the Snowman,' amassing close to 100 film and TV credits between 1954 and 2014. After Symonds died in 2007 from complications of prostate cancer, Pointer kept performing, including a 2017 role in 'Night and Dreams: A Schubert & Beckett Recital' at the Walt Disney Concert Hall, where she played one of the amusing old ladies of Beckett's 'Come and Go.' The women each whispered something about another, then launched into 'Lachen und Weinen,' Schubert's song about laughter being a lover's defense against tears. Pointer is survived by her three children from her first marriage, David, Katie and Amy, and many grandchildren. Times classical music critic Mark Swed and former Times staff writer Daryl H. Miller contributed to this report.
