WRITE TEAM: Bragging about Ottawans

It seems that whenever I travel, I always get asked exactly where I live. When I tell whoever is asking Ottawa, the first response I get is “Canada?” Really? Do I sound Canadian? Nothing against sounding like a Canadian but I rarely say “ootside.”

I love to brag about Ottawa and the surrounding area. Sometimes those of us who live here take for granted just how beautiful the Starved Rock area truly is. Trails, waterfalls, wildlife and corn make for a wonderfully dynamic region to live in.

It’s hard to brag about an area without bragging about the people who live in an area and I do brag about a lot of people.

People like Joe Jakupcak, who I first met at my youngest daughter’s “meet the faculty” at Ottawa High School. I don’t think that’s what it was actually called, but Joe was my daughter’s faculty adviser during her high school years. The minute you met Joe, you could tell he was one of those teachers who just “got it.” He knew how to connect with his students in a way that made, what can otherwise be a very painful experience – high school – OK.

Now retired, he continues to teach the public by leading hikes and other outdoor adventures throughout the Starved Rock area, including narrating tours on the river itself. Joe was recently featured on an episode “Chicago on Vacation” on WTTW, Channel 11 in Chicago. This episode focused on places within 100 miles of the city. Starved Rock was highlighted, which is impossible to do without mentioning Joe Jakupcak.

Another person I like to brag about is my friend Mark Strehl.

I was recently sitting at Midway Airport, waiting on a weekend morning flight to somewhere and decided to get some pre-flight breakfast. After I sat down, a guy at the next table pointed to a TV and said “That is the best meteorologist on the tube.” When I turned around, it was Mark Strehl, doing the weekend weather on Chicago’s Fox 32 “Good Day Weekend.” As most of you know, Mark grew up in Ottawa and, while working in television markets all over the country, is back home.

Mark and I originally met a few years ago at an Easter Seals telethon. Mark, Karen Rhodes and I hit it off from the start and Mark quickly became part of our radio team on 1430 WCMY. Mark’s Weather Question is still a hugely popular feature on the radio.

When my dad died in 2013, Mark was one of the first people to call me and pass along his condolences. We have forged a friendship over these years and now just like hanging out.

Another person I love to brag about is my friend Kim Howard Johnson. Like Mark, HoJo, as we like to call him, grew up in Ottawa and left to pursue his dream in the world of comedy. Howard has written several books about Monty Python as well being the publisher of the Monty Python Fanzine that he started when he met the troupe in 1978. HoJo is also very involved in the Second City Comedy empire, having written the book “The Lives and Legends of Del Close,” the founder of Second City.

Joe, Mark and Howard are just three of some tremendous people from Ottawa that I am lucky enough to call friends. I can’t wait to meet more.

JONATHAN FREEBURG is an Ottawa transplant for the last 25 years. Jonathan is also a regular contributor t0 1430 WCMY Radio. His real job is insurance as a cover-holder for Lloyd's of London.