No Gushue today

Sorry, we lied.

More Brad Gushue news today. First of all, the first phase of the new Team Gushue Highway was officially unveiled in a ceremony late last week. The squad, including Russ Howard (but not Chris Schille) were in attendance along with junior curling members from the St. John's and Bally Haly curling clubs.

A local pol gushed for The Gushues:

Naming the highway in honour of Team Gushue was an easy decision considering the exemplary manner in which they represented the province and the country in Torino. Members of Team Gushue are role models for all Newfoundland and Labrador athletes and I'm sure they've inspired the young curlers in attendance here today.

The opening phase of the highway is 2.3 kilometres in length and cost CDN$12.8 million. When completed, the expressway will stretch for a total of 9.6 kilometres with an estimated price tag of $40 million.

Meanwhile, the squad leader gets a full frontal (see photo) in a fresh round of digital wallpapers released by VANOC, the organzing committee of the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games. It's the only curling wallpaper released thus far.

In another Olympic vein, it's down to three candidates to host the following Winter Games in 2014: PyeongChang in South Korea – the surprise runner-up to Vancouver 2010 – Salzburg, Austria and Sochi, Russia. We're still trying to decipher the actual curling plans of these three, but any group which commits to a curling venue close to other major venues and within the city centre – like Vancouver but unlike any of the previous three host cities – gets our vote. Simple as that.

Elsewhere:

• What the heck is going on Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan? We've been watching the death knell of the only curling venue in town (now only golf is mentioned on the website) for well over a year now, and city politicians are still going back and forth over a new venue. Come on, councillors, git'er done...

• Some U.S. open house success stories from the weekend: here’s the Lone Star CC in Austin, Texas (which includes a 1:47 video report); here’s sunny SoCal (subscription only); and hey, Team Pete Fenson... what’s the Tortellini Story...?

• A familiar face on Canada's curling media bench, Perry Lefko – who also authored one of the two best-selling books on Sandra Schmirler – has left the house and hacks (and the Toronto Sun) to become the new communications director of the Canadian Football League...