Courtesy of Gord Johnston

The Sleepy Town Express

Nose was very real to the children and they would send him presents of tiny sweaters, capes and mittens. There would even be special cakes baked for him. Mary Trainor, Betty King Howatt. and Marlene Balderson played the Bubble Fairy and the Snow Fairy at different times and one of the main characters was “Jennifer Duck” who sounded sus- piciously like the famous Donald. Gretchen Walters Schyler was the only one who could do this imitation.

When the program went on television we devised all kinds of gim- micks. There was a small train with elves riding around in it. Doug Wood would sometimes take over for Loman but with a program on the air for that length of time, mostly everyone at the station at one time or another took part in The Sleepy Town Express.

There is a joke in my family that Mom should never open her mouth to speak in public because the Story Teller will pop out and I will be recognized.

Gretchen (Walters) Schyler Doug Wood has been with played Jennifer Duck. CF C Y for 31 years.

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