Former overweight Mountie will be running down in Rio

Marge Hudson, a recently retired RCMP officer who lost 210 pounds in her last few years on the force, is off to Brazil to fulfil another dream. "I'm excited, overwhelmed!" says the new fitness buff, who's running the half marathon for Team Diabetes July 18 in Rio De Janeiro. Hudson was once a diabetic who weighed close to 350 pounds. Now a sleek 130 pounds, the 54-year-old trained for this run with Australian-born runner/coach Caine Gilholm and will be running with the likes of Manitoba marathoner Adam Penner for the team.

THE SKINNY:

Nudists from the Crocus Grove resort who lost their playground this spring have found a secret Winnipeg country club to let them swim and sunbathe nude on Sunday afternoons, 12 to 6 p.m. And the Skinny Dip, a competition for the Guinness World Record for the largest number of people simultaneously skinny-dipping across North America, needs volunteers.

To help out, you have to be nude and in the water at 2 p.m. Saturday, July 10, at their secret club location. Last year, 54 brave, bare-bottomed Winnipeg people added to the North American total, which came to 13,648. These events are not public swim-and-gawks, so nudists, wannabes and record-helpers must call "gatekeepers" Pat and Bob Migliori (888-1899) about joining the crew.CELEBRITY SPOTTINGS AT THE FALAFEL PLACE:

Kevin McDonald from Kids in the Hall, who took a shine to the famous breakfast hangout on Corydon owned by Israeli-born character Ami Hassan. Also, country-singing saints Ray St. Germain and Buffy Sainte-Marie popped in for a nosh. On Wednesday, Don Benedictson -- Canadian producer, instrumentalist and composer, who's worked with Ferron, Wyrd Sisters, Fred Penner, Valdy and Heather Bishop -- showed up for breakfast there. He told folks he recently played bass guitar and co-produced with singer/songwriter Jennifer Berezan for her new CD, Song for All Beings. Benedictson says the part where 300 Buddhist nuns sing a chant in their temple at Un-munsa monastery in Korea is "incredibly powerful."

HOLLYWOOD NORTH:

Huge film trucks lined the streets this week in Peanut Park and the Dorchester/Wentworth corner for the Men In Brooms TV series. City film commissioner Kenny Boyce seemed to be overseeing the action Monday. (Actually, Boyce just lives the next street over.) The production crew is "faking up winter" for the cold scenes and using the Fort Rouge Curling Club for the curling. Star-struck Dobin Montgomery, age 5, sat on her porch half the morning with a curling broom, trying to get discovered. No dice.

EYES ON YOU!

Kids think twice about shoplifting stuff at the 7-Eleven on Corydon and Arbuthnot. Store staffer Michael Zebinski literally has eyes in the back of his head -- two eyes tattooed on his bald pate. He says people tell him he looks scary, with his extra eyeballs and full-sleeve tattoos and his penchant for vampire costuming at parties such as the Anti-Social fundraiser. "But I'm really a responsible guy," grins Zebinski, who has aspirations to be a film actor.

BLUES JAM:

Talk about a happening, check out Wednesday night at Bella Vista restaurant/bar on Maryland. The weekly blues jam, where you just show up, sign up and play with other musicians, is hosted by primo guitarist/singer Tim Butler in trademark top hat. Rising musical star Hailey Primrose, who just graduated high school in Steinbach, inspired shouts of "You rock!" by musicians twice her age. Backup for singers included mandolin player Dave Marnoch, on break from teaching English at Woosuk University in Korea, and Patrick Boggs on electric bass, with long Fabio hair flying.

Also spotted: whippet-thin entertainer Bobbie Stahr in his trademark day-glo basketball shoes, new choppers and cigarette on his ear. On the roster for the night were musicians from 18 to 68, such as Andre Lacabanne, a retired Knowles Centre youth-care worker who has played harmonica since age 4, to 21-year-old D.B. Blues, who "slings auto parts" for Piston Ring by day so he can sing the blues at night. Punster Paul Cameron Miller sat relaxing after teaching guitar at Long and McQuade, and lawyer Norm Rosenbaum showed up with his clarinet case for pizza and some jam!

Got tips, events, sightings, unusual things going on? Call Maureen's tip line at 474-1116, email Maureen.Scurfield@winnipegfreepress.com or send mail to The Insider c/o The Winnipeg Free Press at 1355 Mountain Ave., Winnipeg, MB, R2X 3B6

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition July 2, 2010 B2