January 14, 2015 issue 2

www.ngtimes.ca

Vol. 3, No. 2

The Voice of North Grenville

January 14, 2015

Mudpuppy Night in Oxford Mills

The North Grenville Times is Locally Owned and Operated

photo courtesy of Aleta Karstad Friday, January 16, 2015 at 7pm.

Discover one of the natural wonders of North Grenville! By popular demand, Sustainable North Grenville once again invites its members and the public to gather at Maplewood Hall in Oxford Mills at 6:45 pm for 7 pm start.

This popular event begins inside Maplewood, with an

entertaining and informative slide show and talk by renowned artist/biologist team Aleta Karstad and Dr. Fred Schueler. Families welcome.

Following the short presentation, participants will head outdoors to a special observation area below the dam to hunt for the giant Salamander known as Mudpuppies. This is a great opportunity to see these fasci-

nating creatures at the only place in Ontario where they can be easily viewed during their winter activity.

Warm, outdoor clothing and rubber boots or waterproof footwear are recommended, as the observation area is along the shore of the creek. A bright flashlight would also be useful.

Admission is free and open to all. A donation jar

will be available to offset the cost of renting the hall.

To get to Oxford Mills, follow County Road 18 south from Kemptville. Maplewood Hall is just over the bridge, on the right-hand side, (not far from the Brigadoon Restaurant).

More information: visit www.SustainableNorthGrenville.ca or http://pinicola.ca/ mudpup1.htm

The North Grenville Times

B&H still open for business Our front page story last week caused some confusion for a few readers. They read “locking up for the last time,” and assumed the B&H had gone out of business! Reading further (past the headline, for example, they would have seen that the story was about Garnet Leizert locking the doors of the B&H, Your Community Grocer, after his last shift at the store.

We do hope that two lessons will be learned from this incident. One comes from the sense of relief people felt when they found the B&H was still going strong. It should help to bring home how important that store is to the people of North Grenville. The Beveridge family have provided a service to the people of this community on so many levels for more than fifty years, and their support of good, local produce, meats, and employees is something that deserves community support in turn. So, if you’re happy that the B&H is still there, show your pleasure by doing some shopping there and then everybody will be happy too!

The second lesson is a shared one: readers will learn to read “below the fold”, to get the full story. We at the NG Times will learn to write headlines that are more defined. Of course, in this case, we would have to find room to write the following headline: “Locking up for the last time: not the store, just Garnet, because it was his last shift at the B&H after decades of working there and locking up every night after his shift ended; but not to worry, the B&H is not locking up for the last time, only Garnet, and that’s ok, because he worked hard there and deserves to retire and not have to be locking up every night, just once, for the last time: not the store, just Garnet, because.......”

The Voice of North Grenville

Girls Inc. announces FREE Living Safe and Strong program in Kemptville Registration is now open for Girls Inc. Living Safe and Strong, a FREE after school program being held in Kemptville. The program will be held at St. Michael Catholic High School every Thursday from 2:30-4:00 beginning January 22, 2015. Transportation is available to eligible students upon request.

With sensitive, unbiased activities and role plays, girls will be empowered with the knowledge and skills to keep themselves physically and emotionally safe. Topics covered include: basic physical self-defence techniques, how to respond to dangerous or threatening situations, teasing and bullying, setting boundaries, dating violence, sexual abuse and harassment.

To register for this program or to find out more information, please call our office at (613)345-3295 or e-mail admin@ uppercanada.girls-inc.org.

Girls Incorporated of Upper Canada is a non-profit organization dedicated to inspiring all girls to be strong, smart and bold. Through programs that promote education, leadership, sports, health and self-esteem, Girls Inc. has empowered millions of girls internationally to be the best that they can be; to say, “I Can.” Girls Incorporated of Upper Canada, Phone: 613-3453295 Fax: 613-342-8684 E-mail: admin@uppercanada.girlsinc.org Website: www.girlsinc-uppercanada.org Facebook: www.Facebook.com/GirlsIncUC

Building a Sustainable North Grenville

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED! Bayfield Manor Nursing and Retirement home Bayfield Manor Auxiliary: • Enrichment in the life of the residents • Participate in special events such as Birthday Tea and the purchase of special needs and personal items for residents • Attend meetings for more information, 2nd Monday of January, March, May, September and November at 2pm Bayfield Manor Art Therapy Program: • Aid the residents with their paintings • Aid in the set up and clean up of the program • Provide positive reinforcement and a friendly visit • Every 2nd Tuesday at 10 am on the nursing side • Every Wednesday at 10 am on the Retirement side Contact the Bayfield Manor Activity Director, Joanne, or Assistant Leisure Coordinator, Kelly VanderVelde, at 613-258-7484.

January 14, 2015

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The North Grenville Times

Another Winter of Mudpuppy Nights in Oxford Mills submitted by Fred Schueler Mudpuppy Night in Oxford Mills happens every Friday evening at 8 pm from November until spring high water. Flat bedrock and clear shallow water provide safe footing for researchers and spectators of the giant aquatic Salamanders that pursue their winter activities in Kemptville Creek below the dam at Oxford Mills. Since 1998 Fred Schueler and Aleta Karstad have been leading this event – the only place in Ontario where Mudpuppies have been repeatedly observed in large numbers throughout the winter, the longest-running winter herpetological outing in Canada, and the 2005 recipient of the CARCNET Silver Salamander Award for conservation and education.

Mudpuppies, Necturus maculosus, are foot-long permanently aquatic Salamanders. They retain the gills and smooth skin of larvae, and, because of their secretive habits, go undetected in many waterbodies. In the 1980s, herpetologists realized that Mudpuppies are active, and feed actively, all winter, because they could be caught in baited minnowtraps in the winter but not in the summer.

The regular observations in Oxford Mills began when it

was realized that the abundant Kemptville Creek population was as poorly known to the public as it was officially unprotected and unassessed, because Mudpuppies had no status as either 'at risk' or exploited.

This fall observations began on 7 November, and counts of 1, 25, 43, 15, 42, 8, 47, 2, 3, 15 Mudpuppies have been recorded. Out-oftown visitors have included Catherine Millar's La Cité Collégiale 'Ecology of Amphibians and Reptiles' class, and an unexpected group from the Toronto Aquarium, who had driven to Oxford Mills after googling “Ontario Mudpuppy.”

On 2 January more, perhaps, came from further than than ever before just because they'd "never seen a Mudpuppy in the wild." The evening started with a potluck supper in the Bishops Mills Community Hall, and at Oxford Mills four cars full of biologists were waiting for the event.

A dozen Mudpuppies were dipnetted in the main current, and three escaped by being in cracks in the rocks, and one by swimming into the shelter of rocks of the bridge embankment. Other species observed included one of the invasive Rusty Crayfish that have been seen here in the past few years, a 40 cm Northern Pike, that may

have come upstream during the Christmas warm snap, a few Whirligig Beetles, and 3 Leopard Frogs, two alive and one dead.

Aleta had gone home early to perk up the fire and get ready for the night, but before she'd barely gotten started with the preparations, the whole party arrived with the captives, having decided to snip tissue samples indoors for Katherine Greenwald's genetic study of the species.

Eight biologists crowded into the little cluttered house and sat all over each other, drying their Mudpuppy Night gear by the wood stove, drinking the beer they'd brought, and talking enthusiastically about Skunks-in-the-face and other field work events. Two who had come from Texas and Florida crashed for the night in the livingroom, and returned the Mudpuppies to the Creek in the morning before they headed south to avoid the forecast storm.

The Mudpuppy Night in Oxford Mills web page is http://pinicola.ca/mudpup1. htm. Mudpuppies don't come up into the area where they can be viewed when the water in the creek is deficient in oxygen or when the water is high and fast. After rain or thaws it may take weeks for water levels to subside to the point where lots of Mudpuppies are visible, so

after such events it's best to check the NatureList e-mail list for recent reports (click through from the web page and then hit the back arrow to view recent posts) to see what recent conditions and counts have been. Small groups of visitors are welcome to show up unannounced, though it's best to contact Fred or Aleta at bckcdb@istar.ca or (613)258-3107 to learn the prospects for the coming Friday. There's no registration fee, but this is an independent project with no institutional sponsorship, so donations are welcome.

On 16 January, Sustainable North Grenville once again invites its members and the public to gather at Maplewood Hall in Oxford Mills at 6:45pm for 7 pm start of a slide show and talk about Mudpuppies before the regular 8 pm event below the dam.

Warm, outdoor clothing and rubber boots or waterproof footwear are recommended, as the observation area is along the shore of the creek.

A bright flashlight is also be useful. Families welcome.

Admission is free and open to all. A donation jar will be available to offset the cost of renting the hall.

More information: visit www.SustainableNorthGrenville.ca.

The Voice of North Grenville Erick Le Pors

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The North Grenville Photography Club This photo was taken at the farm on the corner of Hwy 43 at the Actons corner turnoff. I had shot several photos when they became comfortable with me and started to migrate towards the fence. As they did so the chicken jumped onto the back of the ram as it was obviously too far for that chicken to walk…

Photo by Colin Latreille.

January 14, 2015

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Editorial

The North Grenville Times

The Voice of North Grenville

And now for something completely different...

by David Shanahan It’s all over! Christmas..

New Year’s..my birthday... everything except winter is past and gone. Does anyone else feel at all depressed at that fact? To cheer everyone up, I thought we should leave the deep and heavy things of life for a while, and relax. Here’s a few thoughts, interesting facts and fun to take your mind off snow, ice, minus one thousand degrees Canadian, and other seasonal disorders. As they say: tell me if you heard it before.

Did you know that when the Royal Proclamation was passed in 1763, almost all of present-day Ontario was recognised as “Indian Territory”, and Europeans were forbidden to trespass and settle there? A treaty made in 1783 described the land taken as stretching back from the Bay of Quinte “as far as a man can travel in day”! How far is that?

In another treaty from the 1780's, the place where the land surrendered was described was left blank.

Letter to the Editor Dear Editor: Re: One of us must know (sooner or later), December 31, 2014 and related writings.

I had the opportunity to have many conversations with both scientists and non-scientists over the course of the holiday season and those conversations led to the conclusion that this particular column and a prior letter to the editor need to be addressed.

It was Carl Sagan who said "we live in a society exquisitely dependent on science and technology, in which hardly anyone knows anything about science and technology.” I find that

Apparently, they were going to fill in the blanks later. They forgot. It was not until 1923 that another treaty was made to sort out the confusion.

Here’s one for the Kemptville Players, from George Bernard Shaw: “A drama critic is a man who leaves no turn unstoned”.

Or from another great playwright, Sean O’Casey: "All the world's a stage and most of us are desperately unrehearsed."

Some thoughts on politics: “He knows nothing and thinks he knows everything. That points clearly to a political career.”

- George Bernard Shaw. Or for some Prime Minister: “He was a man of his word, and his word was no good”.

Did you know that, when Lyman Clothier first set foot in what was to become Kemptville, the entire population of Oxford Township was just fourteen - all one family? The Harris family, from Ireland, were renting land near Burritt’s Rapids. Now that’s Green and Growing!

People have commented to me about the fact that the Irish seem to have a gift for language. Well, some do. Here’s some that show, not only the humour, but that the Irish can laugh at themselves. “Dublin has a wonderfully vibrant literary life. You can’t go into a pub without finding poets and writer. In other countries, they’re called drunks.” “I was going to give him a nasty look, but he already had one.”

“The problem with Ireland is that it's a country full of genius, but with absolutely no talent.” Hugh Leonard. “Ireland has one of the world’s heaviest rainfalls. If you see an Irishman with a tan, it’s rust.”

Some of the best lines came from the genius that was Oscar Wilde. “Life is one fool thing after another.

Love is two fool things after each other”. “I don’t have any religion - I am an Irish protestant.”

“Some cause happiness wherever they go; others, whenever they go.” Know

anyone like that? I relate to this one, as I suspect most of us would: "To get back my youth I would do anything in the world, except take exercise, get up early, or be respectable."

Oscar could always be flippant, but sometimes he managed to make you catch your breath with his poetry: “We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars.”

But not all good Irish comments reflect well on the Irish intellect, or any form of Celtic poetry. A man loses his dog, so he puts an ad in the newspaper that says: “Here boy!”. Or this loving son: “My mum and dad are both dead and now I think of some of the things I wish I’d said to them. Like, ‘Be careful of that bus’”.

You may remember Newfie jokes from a few years ago. In Ireland, the equivalent is the Kerry man joke, about the inhabitants of the beautiful county, called by residents, with classic humility: “The Kingdom”. You can replace

the references to Kerry in these next few comments with any locale you like.

How do you recognize a Kerry pirate? He's got a patch over each eye.

How do you know a bride at a Kerry wedding?

She’s the one wearing the white rubber boots. A fellow walked into a bar in Dublin and asked the barman if he had heard the latest Kerryman joke.

"I'm warning you," said the barman, "I'm a Kerryman myself." "That's all right," said the fellow, "I'll tell it slowly."

But let’s not laugh too much at we poor Irish.

Canadians can get things muddled too. When Kemptville separated from Oxford-on-Rideau Township in 1857, there had to be a special Act passed, because Kemptville didn’t have the 1,000 inhabitants required for independence.

Within a year, another Act was passed changing the boundaries of the village because one major landowner changed his mind about paying village

utterly tragic but fortunately there is a simple remedy and that is to educate oneself.

What follows may be labeled as simply my opinion. However, I am not suggesting that you merely accept my opinion or that of any other person or institution as true or false on blind faith. My profound wish is that you seek out the definition of science, explore the scientific method, learn what evidence exists out there for the questions you may have (evolution included), and decide for yourself based on empirical evidence what the answer is or is not. In the words of Neil deGrasse Tyson, “one of the greatest features of science is that it doesn’t matter where you

were born and it doesn’t matter what the belief systems of your parents might have been: If you perform the same experiment that someone else did, at a different time and place, you’ll get the same result.”

With regards to Dr. Shanahan’s latest article of faith, I confess that I have no desire whatsoever to discuss comparative religion with him.

He makes quite clear his belief in the irrefutable superiority of his particular definition of Christianity. I do have an issue with his presumptuous remarks on the relationship of science and religion, his high-handed determination to redefine science to suit his own purposes, and his dec-

laration that scientists who accept evolution, or dare to question the existence of the supernatural are atheists.

I contend that the alleged incompatibility of science and religion is nothing other than a war of words, despite all the manipulations of language used by Dr. Shanahan. The idea that one must choose between science and religion is incorrect and defies logic, common sense, and history.

Science is an integral part of western culture and tradition; it seeks explanations for natural phenomena based on empirical data and makes no moral judgments. People of many different faiths and levels of scientific expertise see no contradiction at all between science and religion.

Science is a way of examining and explaining natural causes for natural phenomena. Religion deals with beliefs that are beyond the natural world and considers relationships between ethics and values.

Some religious beliefs explicitly contradict science; however, most religious groups have no conflict with the

theory of evolution or other scientific findings such as the Big Bang Theory. In fact, many religious people, including theologians, feel that a deeper understanding of nature actually enriches their faith. I can speak from personal experience that there are many, many scientists who are devoutly religious and also accept evolution.

Dr. Shanahan would have us believe that science has no business discussing the origin of the universe or the evolution of human beings.

He suggests that it lies outside the realm of testable science and is not subject to verification. I beg to differ. Charles Darwin said “ignorance more frequently begets confidence than does knowledge; it is those who know little, and not those who know much, who so positively assert that this or that problem will never be solved by science.”

Evolution is a theory and has been rigorously tested just as so many other hypotheses in science have been tested.

Evidence comes not just from the fossil record but also

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from many other branches of science and in detailed examination of all forms of life which exist on Earth today.

Evolutionary scientist Richard Dawkins said “evolution could be so easily disproved if just a single fossil turned up in the wrong order. Evolution has passed this test with flying colours.” But again, I am not asking you to accept my ‘professional’ opinion, or that of any other scientist, that this is true. Examine the evidence for yourself and then decide.

I will conclude with two final quotes from prominent scientists that I hope will be thought-provoking. “The most important scientific revolutions all include, as their only common feature, the dethronement of human arrogance from one pedestal after another of previous convictions about our centrality in the cosmos” (Stephen Jay Gould). “I know of no time in human history where ignorance was better than knowledge” (Neil deGrasse Tyson).

Dr. Jo-Anne Goodwin-Bell, Kemptville Mailing Address P.O. Box 35, Oxford Mills, ON, K0G 1S0

ISSN 2291-0301

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taxes. Then another act was passed to make legal the village council, who managed to get elected before the village legally existed.

If you didn’t enjoy my little collection of fun, I give you Shaw’s famous line.

The morning after attending a party, he met his hostess from the night before on the street. She asked him if he had enjoyed himself at her party, to which he replied: “Certainly I enjoyed myself at your party. There was nothing else to enjoy”.

You’re welcome.

Graphics Micheal Pacitto mike@ngtimes.ca 613-710-7104

Accounting Staff Reporter cfo@ngtimes.ca Beth Nicol 613-258-4671 beth@ngtimes.ca 613-258-0033

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Municipality Matters

Council Business: Kemptville Snowmobile Klub to use abandoned railway line The Municipality has been approached by the Kemptville Snowmobile Klub for permission to use the abandoned Canadian Pacific Railway line between Bedell Road and County Road 19 as part of their trail network during this winter season. Last September, the Municipality negotiated an agreement with CPR to buy this section of track, but the transaction is not expected to be completed before the middle of this month at least.

Although the Municipality is quite prepared to allow the use of the track by the club, under a carefully structured agreement, because it is not yet the clear owner of the property, the club will have to arrange a separate agreement with both the Municipality and the CPR until the transfer to the Municipality is completed. Under the terms of these two agreements, the Kemptville Snowmobile Klub has agreed to buy and install a number of signs informing users and the public that the track is a shared-use trail, as well as notices indicating reduced speed limits in the urban sectors of the trail. The club also agrees to remove litter and repair or replace property damaged. To ensure that, insurance coverage is a major component of the agreements.

Changes at the Fire Hall Following the recent departure of Fire Prevention Officer Elizabeth Greenberg to her new life in British Columbia, Council have named Mark McFalls as her replacement with the North Grenville Fire Service.

Mark was chosen by means of a recruitment process by municipal staff and was recommended to Council this week.

Council are also looking for a full-time Deputy Fire Chief for the service. Given the increasing workload on the Fire Chief, partly owing to provincial health and safety legislation, the demands of training and administration, and general supervision of a service catering to a growing population, increasing number of commercial and residential buildings, etc., it is believed that a new position of full-time deputy to the Fire Chief is essential if the progress of the past three years is to be maintained and safeguarded.

In addition, the legislative requirement to produce Standard Operating Procedures for sixty-seven different areas identified under Ministry of Labour guidelines means that a qualified fire service manager is needed to whom Chief Paul Hutt can delegate some of the reporting and administrative duties he is handling now.

These have been added to in the recent past when the new Emergency and Protective Services Department at the Municipality was created, bringing together the Fire Services, Emergency Management, and By-law Services under Chief Hutt’s supervision.

The possibility of having a part-time position created to handle these duties was considered by municipal staff, and it was found to be impractical. In a report to Council recommending a full-time officer, it was stated that: “Given the oversized portfolio and the calculation of extra time disbursed on a monthly basis managing the daily activities of the Emergency Protective Services, a part-time role would be insufficient to fulfill the workload.”

When listing the duties of the Deputy Fire Chief, it took almost two typed pages to detail the areas of responsibility. It was then explicitly stated that the list was not comprehensive. Under “Working Conditions” was the following: “...some exposure to outside elements such as inclement weather, fire, heat, smoke, chemicals, noise;...On-call twenty four hours, seven days per week; significant amounts of travel to fire or medical calls, training, meetings, etc; and Exposure to unpleasant accident scenes which may include victim injury or death.”

Building a Sustainable North Grenville January 14, 2015

The Voice of North Grenville

Final budget details in place No Ifs or Butts: The Municipality of North Grenville is preparing for the 2015 budget development process which includes a series of public meetings and an opportunity for residents and special interest groups to submit proposals for consideration. This process is intended to provide a transparent and open opportunity for the community to work with municipal representatives to integrate the principals of the Strategic Plan and set important and affordable priorities for the 2015 budget year.

In addition to the regular Committee and Council meetings, there are additional public budget meetings scheduled.

During this time Council will discuss the operations and capital projects for all departments. The final public budget meeting took place last Tuesday, and now Council will be holding final discussions on the draft budget at the next Committee of the Whole meeting, on Monday, January 19, 2015, at 6:30 pm in the Municipal Centre. One week later, on Monday, January 26, 2015, also at 6:30 pm, the regular Council meeting will vote to approve the 2015 budget.

Depositing snow on roadways from private property The Ontario Provincial Police would like to remind residents to please refrain from depositing snow on the roadway when clearing snow from driveways. This can create a traffic hazard and interfere with the public’s safe and clear passage of a roadway.

This is an offence under section 181 of the Highway Traffic Act which states “No person shall deposit snow or ice on a roadway without permission in writing to do so from the Ministry or the road authority responsible for the maintenance of the road.” Contravention of section181 of the HTA could result in a fine of $110.

Winter Driving Winter is a challenging season for motorists with snow and unpredictable weather. As weather conditions change, so do road conditions. Winter puts extra demands on you as a driver, and your vehicle's performance.

Stay alert, slow down and stay in control, these are the three key elements to safe winter driving. The OPP would like to remind the public to: • Drive according to current road and weather conditions.

The posted speed limit is intended for ideal road conditions - in poor conditions, reduce your speed.

• Keep a safe distance between you and the vehicle in front of you; it takes much longer to stop on a slippery road. You may not spot a hazard as quickly when the visibility is poor.

• Leave plenty of space between you and the vehicle ahead • Avoid situations where you may have to brake suddenly on a slippery surface.

• Be able to see and be seen. Clean frost and snow off all windows, mirrors, lights and reflectors.

• Equip your car with good wiper blades and keep an ample supply of windshield washer fluid.

• If visibility is poor, use your full headlamps.

• Give yourself extra time to reach your destination, and postpone or cancel your trip if the weather does not improve.

12 Tips to help you become smoke-free

January 19-25 is National Non-Smoking Week

There are two million smokers in Ontario and more than a million of them want to quit. Next week is National Non-Smoking Week – January 19-25 – a great time to break free from the vice-like grip of nicotine addiction once and for all.

And if you don’t make it this time, don’t give up. Most former smokers tried multiple times before they were successful. Here are some tips to help you kick those butts for good.

Write down all the reasons you want to quit (e.g., health, financial benefits).

List the things you like about smoking.

List the things you don’t like about smoking.

Learn from previous attempts to quit – what worked, what didn’t and why did you start smoking again?

Track your smoking routine for a few days – when, where and why you smoked, how strong was the craving. Write down the “triggers” that start you smoking, then list coping strategies that can help you avoid or delay lighting up.

Ask your health-care provider about products that can help you quit, such as nicotine replacement therapy (e.g., nicotine patch) or prescription medications.

Call The Lung Association Lung Health Information Line: 1-888-344-LUNG (5864) or email info@on.lung.ca for information and support. You can also order free resources like the popular Journey 2 Quit workbook.

When setting a quit date, choose a time when things are not too stressful. Don’t wait until you have no stress, since this will probably never happen.

Tell your friends and family you are quitting and ask for their support. Ask them not to smoke around you.

Just before you quit, throw out all cigarettes, ashtrays and lighters. Gather helpful items that can distract you from your cravings, such as a water bottle and sugar-free gum.

On your quit date, keep your hands, mouth and mind busy – use a stress ball, do a puzzle, chew gum or a straw, eat healthy snacks. Physical exercise is a great way to reduce your cravings and reinforce your commitment to the new healthy lifestyle.

If you are not successful this time, try again when you are ready. Quitting will be difficult now and it will be difficult a year from now – so why not try now!

Cancer Patients and Survivors Support Group The Kemptville Cancer Support Group will be holding their meeting, as we do each month, on the 3rd Monday. This month, January 19, at 2 pm in the St. John’s United Hall Upstairs, on Prescott St., we would like to welcome all interested parties who have just been diagnosed with or who are going through cancer treatments. We are a group who share our experiences, give support to all who need it and listen to your questions and concerns, etc. If there is information that we are not familiar with, and unable to answer the question for you, we will have a speaker come to our meeting who would be qualified in that respect. Please call Ellen Miller at 613-258-7778 if you are able to attend. If a ride is required, please let us know.

Remember to buckle up, and never drink and drive!

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The Voice of North Grenville

St. Michael Boys Basketball program heads North!

Both the Junior and Senior boys basketball teams at St. Mike's travelled to North Bay on the final weekend of the Christmas break to participate in Canadore College’s Great Northern Shootout Tournament. While the weather can sometimes make for a long trip at this time of the year, the chance to play some new teams and the bonding experience for the players always makes it worthwhile.

The Seniors defeated Scollard Hall and West Ferris to advance to the A-side semi-finals, but unfortunately, lost a close game to the eventual tournament champions from ESC Algonquin.

Basketball scouts for Nipissing University and Algoma University were on hand and complimented many of the Mustang players on their performances.

The junior Mustangs were also very competitive all weekend, losing close games to Chippewa and Timiskaming, with the highlight being a victory over the Fellowes Falcons. Coach Dennis Brookson was pleased with the junior team's development.

The St. Michael Mustangs return to LGSSAA league play this week, with games against Gananoque and Ange-Gabriel before a short break for exams. As a reward for their years of dedication to the basketball program at the school, Coach Chris Finner has planned a special trip for the Senior Boys team, who will nearly all graduate this year. The Mustangs will travel to Toronto to see the Raptors play at the Air Canada Centre at the conclusion of the current semester. These Mustangs will then try to defend their LGSSAA league title in February, hopefully wrapping up their season on a positive note!

Power forward Tom Weissflog of the Senior Boys

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Ontario Self Employment Information Session June 27th Call 877-925-4275 To Register

Contact CSE Consulting, North Grenville Employment Resource Centre: (613) 258-6576 (800) 214-7066 Email: angela@cseconsulting.com Employment Ontario programs are funded in part by the Government of Canada. Les programmes Emploi Ontario sont financés en partie par le gouvernement du Canada.

January 14, 2015

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The Voice of North Grenville

Our Municipal Budget, Recreation in Kemptville and Public Health

by Heather Sansom Lately I’ve been watching developments in Kemptville: housing developments that contribute to poor health by having backyards too small for active play or throwing a ball, and no compensating park in easy walking distance; strategic plans for trails that don’t exist yet; growth in population without growth in the livability of the town. I get concerned.

Given the large portion of our local population that would meet socio-economic status definitions correlated to probability of poor health and poor housing, I get concerned that the way we grow is important. Did you know that many families in North Grenville would never be able to buy their houses today, if they had to? I am a big advocate of publicly accessible opportunities for physical activity as a way to promote health, promote healthy families and promote community—for all. Not just those who can afford the expensive new houses going up.

Income and quality of life are closely related. But, did you know that, even though there are such strongly documented ties between poverty and health, single parenthood and poverty, and rural residency and poverty, what we choose to do has an even stronger influence on the health of our children, than socio-economic status.

We can be active. We can volunteer. We can advocate for public, accessible, no-fee amenities that would make Kemptville a great place to live, such as bike-ways, walkways, more distribution of parks among the new developments, and safe

January 14, 2015

crossings.

Just getting out and about makes a difference.

I find it very interesting that, according to research, the single biggest factor in child activity levels and later adult active lifestyle, is participation in fun, unstructured, physical activity, not participation in organized sports whether at school or extracurricular. Participation in physical activity or a physical activity environment with an adult role model or parent is also very powerful. 64% of children with at least one athletically active parent, are physically active. That activity of the parent does not have to be paid or organized sport. The percentage goes up when a caregiver is a volunteer. 83% of children are active if they have one parent who volunteers in sport/physical activity, and 86% if one of their parents volunteers AND is athletically active.

Only 36% of kids in households where neither parent is active physically or volunteering, are physically active.

It’s well worth it for the Province and the Municipality to invest in infrastructure that makes getting out and about more possible for everyone.

It is estimated that one municipal dollar spent on publicly accessible physical activity translates to a $10-11 savings in downstream health-care costs. Since approximately 50 cents of every dollar of the Ontario budget is spent on health-care, savings would free up a lot of money. We could count on our pensions and services without seeing tax rate hikes. It might take courage to feel counter-cultural and to walk instead of drive, feed your kids healthy foods, or get them outside somewhere to play or walk with you, but it will be well worth it. Some people think that the government

and municipalities are flush with cash and that low-income families get all kinds of handouts that middle class families don’t get, like subsidies for sports and recreation.

It is quite common to hear about how unfair it is that some people get help and others don’t - the middle class who are not poor enough to get the help, and not rich enough not to care.

I agree government should be funding physical activity for all as a preventive measure for population health and reduction of costs. In Finland, where there is less government money and less population per square hectare, they have aggressive funding for population physical activity, deliberately switching from the focus of competitive elite sport, to population activity. As a result, Finland is ranked, I believe, the highest in Europe and all developed countries for degree of public participation in physical activity meeting guidelines...something like 88%. I was in Finland. They have an incredible bike/ cycle network. The biggest contributor to population weight control and health is never organized sport, it is always unorganized recreation, which is always higher where there are the facilities for it. In Canada, organized sport meets the needs of approximately 20% of children, with 80% not meeting physical activity guidelines. 75% of children in low income brackets do not participate in organized sport. 75% of children in middle income and above (household income over 80K), do.

As far as the common misperception that low income families have lots of funding available to them to engage in adequate physical activity...it is

exactly that: an urban myth and gross misperception.

Actually, children from low income families are so significantly under-active, and have such disproportionately elevated health issues. In big, fat, wealthy provinces like Ontario, less than 40% of municipalities actually have physical activity subsidy policies.

Only about 25% of all municipalities actually publish their policies where the public can access them, and consequently less than 20% of poor families in municipalities with policies ever benefit from them. In other words, 80% of the low income families, in those municipalities that offer the programs, do not get any subsidized athletics.

Although the structural barriers to health created by poverty in our society – and right here in North Grenville- are very real, the answer isn’t subsidies.

Broad ecological change benefiting everyone would be the best move. A change of thinking, and how we are allowing planning to happen, is needed so that physical activity is built into our lifestyle and there is no reason for anyone of any income not to have access to meaningful and fun physical activity.

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UPDATE UPCOMING MEETINGS COUNCIL Monday, January 26th,, at 6:30 pm in the Council Chambers at the Municipal Centre.

COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE Monday, January 19th, at 6:30 pm in the Council Chambers at the Municipal Centre. For agenda information, please contact the Clerk’s Office or the Municipal website.

BUDGET MEETINGS • January 19th, Committee of the Whole—final discussions on budget.

• January 26th, Council Meeting—approve final budget.

CITIZEN APPOINTMENTS The Municipality is seeking applications from individuals interested as Appointees to the following Committees during the term of Council (ending November 2018): • Heritage Advisory Committee (Monthly daytime meetings) • Accessibility Advisory Committee (Quarterly daytime meetings) • Trails Advisory Committee (Monthly evening meetings) • Community Grants/Civic Awards Advisory Committee (As required, evening meetings) • Economic Development Advisory Committee (Quarterly daytime meetings) Candidates must be 18 years old, a Canadian citizen, and a resident of North Grenville (except Economic Development Committee).

Further information is available by contacting the Clerk at cpominville@northgrenville.on.ca or 613-258-9569, ext 110. Application forms are available at www.northgrenville.ca, by contacting cpominville@ northgrenville.on.ca, or at the Administration Office.

Please submit applications by January 28th, 2015, to the Administration Office, 285 County Rd. 44, or to cpominville@northgrenville.on.ca.

2015 MUNICIPAL CALENDARS The 2015 Municipal Calendar and Solid Waste & Recycling Schedule was distributed in the December 17th edition of the Advance-EMC. If you did not receive yours, you may pick one up at the Municipal Office or view it on our website.

WINTER PARKING RESTRICTIONS Parking on Municipal roads is prohibited between 11:00 pm and 8:00 am from November 15th to April 15th. A vehicle which is parked in a manner interfering with snow clearing/removal may be issued a ticket and/or removed at the owner’s expense. For info call 613-2582438 ext. 6.

2015 BURN PERMITS In accordance with By-Law 33-12, a Burn Permit is required to conduct open burning on property located outside of the urban area. Burn Permits for 2015 are available at the Municipal Office or at the Fire Hall at 259 County Rd. 44 for a fee of $15.00. Please contact the Fire Hall at 613-258-2438 ext. 5 for conditions prior to burning.

The Municipality of North Grenville 285 County Road #44 PO Box 130 Kemptville, K0G 1J0 Tel: 613-258-9569 Fax: 613-258-9620

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general@northgrenville.on.ca Building: 613-258-4424 Fax: 613-258-1441 Fire Services Info: 613-258-2438 Fax: 613-258-1031 By-Law Services: 613-258-2438 ext. 6 Police Administration: 613-258-3441 Animal Control: 613-862-9002

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A lesson too late for the learning were some interesting points in the article.

Wait a minute, rabid B u t , a l m o s t w i t h o u t reader! What is that you exception, the following have in your hand? Is it responders will remove The NG-Times? Or is it the intellectual part of their brains and engage something else?

More and more, people the execrable section, as are reading newspapers, they attack any and all with no paper in their who may have opinions hands. At first that or perceived political sounds like one of those a ff i l i a t i o n s t h a t a r e self-contradictory draft different.

Our country seems animals that is stunningly stunted, in an intellectual to have a wall (a fence w a y — ' o x y - m o r o n s ' ? is too small) right down What with tablets, smart- the middle of it, clearly phones, laptops and yes, dividing its political someday (or today), even partisans to the right or wrist watches displaying the left of the middle on the printed word, it is no this illusory spectrum. longer necessary to have There is no wall/fencethe paper version of a sitting allowed. You can't newspaper in your hand, take from both entrenched while you catch up with camps and straddle the two manias. the world.

With that in mind, I Some of you might even be reading the non- will attempt to do just paper version of this that.

There have been those right now, having gone to 'www.ngtimes.ca', to (poor misguided souls) peruse a digital version who have criticized my of these meandering writing for being too musings. 'Where's this all anti-Conservative. It is going, Serious Sage?,’ you probably their belief that might be asking. Good I must be one of those question. I suppose I had pinko, “berkinstockbest figure that out in the wearing, cappuccinonext paragraph, hadn't I? sucking, tree-hugging, big One aspect of reading business-hating lefties.” the online version of the (thanks to an opinionated daily and weekly news right wing morning host outlets, is the instant for that) But that would feedback from readers. be, what I like to call, If you are reading a news 'WRONG'. It is also quite item about the latest unflattering.

To label someone who, Omni-Bust bill by the ‘Harper Government’ because of an affiliation (whatever happened to with one group or another, the title: Government of as a person who can see Canada?), regardless of nothing good in the 'foe', what is in the article, there would be to stick me in will be posts from readers the same group as the pouring forth vituperative aforementioned rabid comments aimed at those horde who can only see who have dared to set out one side of any issue. an opinion different from Surely, (surly?, Shirley?), I am not guilty of that. theirs.

On the one hand, I can Occasionally, some adventurous person will lament the fact that the point out, with an attempt Federal Conservatives are to be cogent, that there overly secretive, microby Peter Johnson

managed and are bent on taking the democracy out of our government system, and transforming it into an oligarchy. On the other hand (I have 5 digits) I can also decry the massive debt that strangles the economy of Ontario, and the ludicrous approach that the Wynne Liberals are taking to make the whole situation much, much worse.

I doubt there is a government on the planet, present or past, that is not guilty of a few or, in some cases, many moral, ethical and legal transgressions. Labels don't matter: incompetent is incompetent and illegal is against the law of the land. There should be no 'Do Not Go To Jail' card for politicians. What we need is reform. We need an impeachment process, complete with c r i m i n a l c h a rg e s a s a consequence for the actions of those who left behind such a mess...yes Dalton McGuinty, Mike Harris, etc...this is about you. Similarly, the federal Liberals involved in the Ad-scam Scandal.

With Michael Chong's Bill C-586, The Reform Act, still alive, in some watered-down form, the potential is there for change...a change in the way that politics is conducted in Canada. We should not be labeling ourselves as 'Right' or 'Left', 'Conservative' or 'Liberal'. We should label ourselves 'ethical-ists'.

We should be seen as demanding more from our governments. More honesty and integrity.

More accountability. Now is as good a time as any.

This is not...'A lesson too late for the learning'.

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• Go to: ngt.treasurechestmarketplace.com • Place your free ad • Click to share it on your social media • Haggle it if you want • Sell your treasures and make money January 14, 2015

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Winter Car Care Tips 4. Top up fuel levels. There are two critical reasons why you’ll want to keep your gas tank half full throughout the winter. The first, and most obvious, is that it would be horrible to run out of gas or get stranded in the middle of nowhere with an empty tank. The second, but just as important reason, is that condensation forms in your fuel tank, and in the winter, it can freeze unless you keep your tank at least half full.

5. Use winter fluids. You always want to have an extra bottle of windshield washer fluid in the truck for snowy, muddy driving, but you’ll want to make sure that bottle is winter-grade. With a winter-grade windshield washer fluid, your windshield stays clean so you can stick to the road.

6. Use winter-grade windshield wiper blades. Winter blades help you avoid the frustration of a streaky, iced up windshield caused by wiper blades chunked with ice. Regular blades freeze on pivot points, creating poor windshield contact. Winter blades, which have a rubber cover, keep your blade against the glass for a clear view.

1. Plug in your vehicle. If you live in a climate where the temperature dips below -15 C, use your block heater. Plugging in your vehicle overnight keeps your engine warm so it has a better chance of starting in extreme cold.

2. Check your tire pressure. Your tire pressure decreases as temperatures drop, so it’s important to check your tire pressure regularly. Best practice is every time you fill up for gas, or at least monthly. Keeping your winter tires at the right pressure (noted on a sticker on your door jam, glove box or owner’s manual) improves your vehicle’s ability to grip ice and snow. Don’t forget to check the pressure in your spare tire as well.

3. Drive winter tires in good shape. Your winter tires need a good tread in order to have enough traction to help you brake and steer on snow and ice.

To help keep yourself safe, check your tread pattern to see if your tires are worn. There are a few different methods you can use if you’re not surehow to check your tread depth, but make sure in the winter you’re replacing your tires when the tread reaches 4/32”.

DOMESTICÊ&ÊIMPORTÊEXPERTS • BRAKES • FRONT END • TUNE UP • OIL CHANGE • POWER STEERING FLUSH • COOLANT FLUSH • A/C SERVICE & REPAIR • EXHAUST • FUEL INSPECTION DIAGNOSIS • SAFETY INSPECTIONS • AIR CONDITIONING • BATTERY MAINTENANCE • TRANSMISSION SERVICE • 3D ALIGNMENT • TOWING

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Office:

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Roadside Assistance January 14, 2015

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3 top tips for winter safety on roads and trails

History The Beginning of North Grenville

by David Shanahan

(NC) The arrival of more snow on a winter morning never fails to elicit a strong reaction, with Canadians either bemoaning the season or feeling a sudden rush of excitement. If you fall into the latter category, it's very possible that you partake in activities like snowmobiling, or all-terrain vehicle (ATV) driving.

For you, a snowy day is a blank canvas that you can fill with your adventures. Nevertheless, while you're out there having fun, you will also face seasonal dangers. To ensure you can concentrate on the things you love doing, here a few tips for staying safe: 1. Mind the Road Most Canadian drivers realize they need snow tires, no matter the severity of the season.

Nevertheless, a recent study from Western Financial Group showed that one quarter of us (24 per cent) don't make sure we have winter tires on before setting out.

“The key to safe driving is preparation,” says James Hall, an insurance expert with Western Financial Group. “That means, in addition to winter tires, always having extra windshield washer fluid, packing an emergency kit full of items like a flashlight, blanket, and water bottles, and having insurance for roadside assistance.”

Hall says the same study from Western Financial Group showed that only 32 per cent of Canadians feel that emergency road service coverage is important. Moreover, one third of drivers do not have an emergency safety kit. Are you one of them?

2. Look after your vehicles For snowmobile and ATV drivers, it's essential to take care of your vehicle. To avoid dangers, you should take appropriate steps, including keeping fluids and safety gear up to date.

Furthermore, in certain provinces, snowmobiles must be registered and carry up-to-date license plates. Check with your local broker to see if that is a requirement where you live.

3. Make sure you're protected “You should never just assume that your snowmobile or ATV has all the coverage it needs,” explains Hall. Ask yourself: Is it covered for theft? What about bodily injury or property damage caused by a third party? Do you have collision insurance, and accident benefits?

These are the types of questions you need to ask your broker.”

Many snowmobile or ATV owners believe that their home insurance will protect them against theft and fire when this isn't necessarily the case. Specific exclusions could leave you vulnerable, although purchasing a year-round snowmobile or ATV policy can mitigate the danger.

Winter does offer many possibilities for fun as long as we're cautious before starting our engines to hit a favourite road or trail. More information is available at www.westernfinancialgroup.ca.

January 14, 2015

The Voice of North Grenville

“Made a Cabin..came down to the Point and began the survey of the Township of Oxford”, Jesse Pennoyer, April 25, 1791.

Tw o h u n d r e d a n d twenty years ago, the foundations of North Grenville were being laid. Land Surveyor Jesse Pennoyer and his team began to lay out the boundaries of the new Township of Oxford, the first township on the Rideau River. The Point he refers to above is the forks where the South Branch and the Rideau River meet, and where the northeasterly corner of the township was to be laid out. The survey party had travelled down the South Branch, the last part of their journey from the St. Laurence, and had set up their first camp on the main Rideau about where Beckett’s Landing was to grow up in later years.

So, you could say that Beckett’s Landing is the oldest settlement in North Grenville!

Of course, Pennoyer was not the first to visit the Forks. The Rideau River system had been used by generations of Indians, as it would continue to be for decades to come. In 1783, Lieutenant Gershon French had been sent by his superiors to explore the Rideau River from its mouth to its source. He and his team arrived at the Forks on October 5, 1783 and described the land like this: “...the river is here from 100 to 150 yards broad, the shores are low and overflowed in the time of high water to about 80 roods back where the land rises high and is equally good as that discovered the two preceding days. A considerable river enters here from the East which leads to a branch of the river De La Petite Nation, from whence the Indians have a communication to Oswegatchie”.

It may seem surprising that the South Branch would be termed “a considerable river”, but it was very different before the days of dams and mills.

To French, and Pennoyer too, the Forks was where the Rideau divided into

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two main branches, the South Branch and the West Branch, which we think of as the “real” Rideau River.

But the South Branch is the original name, and shows how important it once was, a main arm of the Rideau system.

Pennoyer and his team had been sent here by Order of the Governor, Lord Dorchester, who had commanded two new Townships to be laid out to provide land for displaced soldiers after the loss of the American Colonies. Marlborough Township was laid out at the same time across the river from Oxford, and it seemed at first that the two would share more than a border. Although the usual format for townships was that the main settlement was to be located at the centre of the township, in the original plans for Oxford and Marlborough, they were to share a town site, to be located at the Forks. In fact, Pennoyer’s instructions informed him that, as those interested in gaining land between the two Branches of the Rideau recognised that the waterways were of great “public utility”, they wanted the town site to be at the Forks. He was to lay out a site one mile square at that location, reserving a lot of two acres for the Anglican Minister and the Schoolmaster.

Perhaps if settlers had actually reached Oxford in the years after the survey, there might have been a very different look to Kemptville. But by the time settlers started arriving in numbers, the Clothiers had already established their mills and a new settlement had grown up that took the place of the Forks as the main settlement of Oxford Township.

Pennoyer spent much of 1791 running the boundaries of Oxford Township, laying out a ten mile square pattern, with lots of 200 acres. He actually only ran every second concession line, and this caused great confusion in later years, as new arrivals could not tell where the road allowances were, and even where the dividing line between concessions were.

This was a serious issue when you had to decide where your land ended and

your neighbour’s began. In 1815-16, another survey tried to complete the work, but it was twenty or thirty years more before there was any sense of certainty about land lines and roads. A look at a map of North Grenville today shows that not every lot line runs straight through all concessions: an inheritance from past surveyors.

Another big problem for settlers was found to be the course taken by the South Branch itself.

Although Pennoyer had travelled down the South Branch, and had charted the main Rideau along the front of Oxford, he got the line wrong. The river did not run through the lots his plan showed it did. He was off by a couple of lots, and I’m sure early settlers who arrived on what they thought was their river front property were upset to find the river some miles away!

But all this, and so much more, was still in the future on that April morning when Jesse Pennoyer climbed out of his tent at Beckett’s Landing and began to lay out the beginning of North Grenville.

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The North Grenville Times This article is for Frank! Watch out for the birds!

CLASSIFIEDS

Beat the New Year blues by taking time for nature

First 10 words are FREE for North Grenville Residents. Extra Words: 50 cents a word. Email classifieds@ngtimes.ca SERVICES The Pet Nanny - Pet sitting, dog walking Kempt./ Merrickville. 613-979-2616 petnannykemptville.com

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Across Canada, millions are heading back to work, or school, after a busy holiday. January also signals the peak season for the “post-holiday blues” — feeling down as we return to the daily grind after a long vacation. The end of the holidays isn’t the only thing bogging people down. According to the Canadian Mental Health Association, one in five Canadians experience a seasonal shift in mood and energy known as “winter blues” and about two percent are affected by a type of depression called seasonal affective disorder (SAD).

The good news is that there are natural ways to ward off a yearly recurrence of the blues.

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January 14, 2015

The Voice of North Grenville

Here are some of our tips to help you regain your sprightly spirit: Take a hike Winter is the perfect time to see nature on foot, snowshoe, skate or ski.

Walking in nature reserves and parks is a great way to enjoy the beauty of the outdoors while switching up the sedentary winter lifestyle. The Nature Conservancy of Canada’s properties feature diverse terrain types, from pristine forests like Backus Woods in Ontario, to long sandy beaches like Gaff Point in Nova Scotia, all of which are great picks for your next nature trip.

Or, blaze a trail with trivia: Make it a social and educational outing by preparing some trivia about the area’s points of interest and species you might encounter.

Build a snow animal If Elsa agreed to build a snowman with her sister, maybe she wouldn’t have felt closed in and blue. Are you feeling snowed in as well? Instead of complaining about the snow that’s got you stuck indoors, turn glum to fun by putting on some gloves and heading to your nearest patch of snow. Let your imagination work its magic and build your favourite snow animal. No matter what the outcome, it will be a masterpiece well worth your time.

Watch the birds Spotting winter birds can bring tremendous joy and satisfaction, especially when they can be few and far between. Currently, the invasion of snowy owls is all the rave in eastern Canada. But besides the snowies, there are many other species to spot throughout winter, such as water birds like goldeneyes and mergansers, in addition to resident Canada geese and mallards along lakeshore or open water. You may even see birds of prey such as red-tailed hawks and falcons on light poles during daily commutes. Species like rock pigeons and gulls have adapted to survive in urban settings, so don’t be surprised to meet one of these species downtown!

Create an indoor nature day There are days when the weather is frightful and going outside is not a good idea. But you can still have a healthy distraction from the blue mood by reading up on Canada’s species, their characteristics and conservation statuses. By learning more about them, you will be able to appreciate the wonders of nature and Canada’s diverse, natural heritage for your next visit to the great outdoors.

Visit www.natureconservancy.ca for information about visiting a nature reserve near you and for ideas to spend time in nature.

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COMMUNITY EVENTS Jan 15 Jan 24 Feb 1

Feb 15

Feb 28

CROSSWORD

Youngsters of Yore, Kemptville Public Library, 1:30 pm. Guest speaker Kemptville Players.

Kemptville Legion Breakfast, 8 – 10 am. Adults $5.00 per person, Children under 12 $3.00. All welcome.

Snowarama Day in support of Easter Seals Kids. Breakfast at Kemptville Fire Hall 8-10 am, put on by the 1st Oxford Mills Girl Guides and Pathfinders. Photo Op at 9:30, followed by 100 km snowmobile ride. Everyone welcome. Get pledges: www.snowarama.org For more info call: Earle Moore 258-3271.

Breakfast at Kemptville Snowmobile Clubhouse, 8-11 am, $5.00. All are welcome. Snowmobile Rally, registration at clubhouse 8-11am. (about 100 km) $25.00 per person. Big prize money and lots of door prizes. Followed by a Ham Supper at Kemptville Legion, $15.00.

Participate in all 3 events at a cost of $40.00. .

Kemptville Legion Breakfast, 8 – 10 am. Adults $5.00 per person, Children under 12 $3.00. All welcome.

ACROSS 1. Pairs of oxen 6. Bucket 10. Ailments 14. Excrete 15. Double-reed woodwind 16. Tidy 17. Sporting venue 18. Coffee dispensers 19. Celebration 20. Never-ceasing 22. Dull pain 23. Devil tree 24. One or the other 26. Aquatic plant 30. It is (poetic) 31. Large flightless bird 32. Blunder 33. Does something 35. Asphalted

Weekly and recurring events Wed

Thurs

Wed Tues

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Sat

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The Voice of North Grenville

The North Grenville Photography Club - Meeting first Wednesday of every month at the Auditorium at the Municipal Centre on Hwy 44. For more info see ngphotoclub.ca.

Bingo- First and third Wednesday of the month, Kemptville Legion.

Games start at 1 pm. All welcome. Refreshments available.

The Branch Artisans Guild, North Grenville Community Church,, 2659 Concession Street every 3rd Tuesday, 7 pm. New members welcomed!

KCCB, NG High School band room,7-8:30 pm. Brass and Woodwind musicians of all levels welcome! Music covers a wide range of musicals, classics, jazz and modern pieces. For more information, email dennis843@gmail.com Bridge - St. John’s United Church, 6:45 pm. Cost $5, partner preferred but not necessary. For more info, contact Sandra at 613-258-2691.

North Grenville Toastmasters - Meeting 1st & 3rd Thurs. of the month, 7 pm at O’Farrell’s Financial Services, Cty Rd 44. Info, call 258-7665.

Klub 67 Euchre every second and fourth Wed. of the month beginning Sept 10, 1:15 pm, St. John's United Church downstairs. Everyone welcome, $5.00.

BNI Networking Group Breakfast, Grenville Mutual Insurance Building, 380 Colonnade Drive, 7- 8:30 am. Call 613-918-0430 for more information.

Mixed Pickup 18+ Basketball is back! All skill levels are welcome to join us at Holy Cross School on Tuesday evenings throughout the school year from 7-9 pm. $5 per night or $60 for the season. Please call Jeff or Samantha at 613-258-1847 or samantha.rivet-stevenson@rbc.com.

Please remember there is no basketball on snow days !

Bridge- St. John’s United Church, 12:15 pm. Cost $4. "All levels of bridge players welcome. Come discover Duplicate Bridge. "Info, contact Sandra at 613-258-2691.

Friendship lunch, Leslie Hall, Clothier St. W. Sponsored by St. James, St. John, Kemptville Pentecostal Tabernacle, Salvation Army and Holy Cross churches. Serving begins at 11:30 am. No charge. Goodwill offering. All are welcome.

The Kerith Debt Freedom Centre. Confidential coaches will help you get out of debt and stay out of debt. Free, open on the 2nd and 4th Sat. of the month from 9:30-11:30 at the NG Community Church. Appointments can be made at kdfc.ca or by calling 613-258-4815 x103.

Kemptville and Area Walking Group, Municipal Centre - Early birds: 8 am, others 8:30 am. Contact: Eva 258-4487.

39. Polish remover 41. Bliss 43. Part of a stair 44. Box 46. If not 47. Record (abbrev.)

49. East southeast 50. Accomplishment 51. Skin pattern 54. Throat-clearing sound 56. Laugh 57. Declaration 63. Angers 64. Stigma 65. Twilled fabric 66. Outlay 67. Sea eagle 68. Supporting column 69. Leg joint 70. Sounds of reproof 71. Affirmatives

DOWN 1. 365 days 2. Monster 3. Ship part 4. Feudal worker 5. Rise 6. Medical dressings 7. Side by side 8. Charged particles 9. Renter 10. Enamored 11. Bloodsucker 12. Wood shaping machine 13. Drive 21. Moon of Saturn 25. Rapscallions 26. Food thickener 27. Hubs 28. "Comes and ____" 29. A delayed flavor sensation 34. Coasts 36. Sheltered spot 37. Being 38. Not the original color 40. Chocolate cookie 42. Angler's basket 45. Agricultural laborer 48. Girdle 51. Not thin 52. Moses' brother 53. Not those 55. Untidy 58. Beige 59. French for "Head" 60. Colored part of an eye 61. Leer at 62. Catches

SUDOKU Easy

Medium

Hard

Solution to last week’s Crossword

Solutions to last week’s Sudoku

January 14, 2015

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The Voice of North Grenville

Randy’s Performance Automotive Performance

Automotive Est. 1994 Quality Repairs to all Makes and Models Exhaust, Tire, A/C and Advanced Diagnostic Specialists Computer Alignment

Custom Pipe Bending

D.O.T. Safety Inspections

Randy Urslak

Randy’s Performance Automotive is a friendly shop looking forward to fulfilling your automotive needs. We have provided our customers with superior service in a professional environment for over 20 years. This way we can attend to your automotive needs in a pleasant and courteous manner.

Randy’s was opened in 1994 by Randy Urslak who has a very wide range of experience, from general repair to engine building and custom exhaust fabrication.

Our shop is staffed by a team of strongly skilled professionals with many years of experience and a strong knowledge base. Ron Bates, Richard McKenney, Steve Schafer and Scott Gibbons are committed to providing superior service and maintenance for your vehicles. We have state of the art equipment and tools which allow us to specialize in 4 wheel alignments and computer diagnostics.

We look forward to seeing you when you come to our shop where you will receive the most professional and quality servicing of your automotive needs.

Cargo Horse Utility Tow Dolly Truck Decks

Dump Flatbed Roll-off Livestock Toy/Car Hauler

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North Grenville’s

The Voice of North Grenville

Senior Times

Let’s Connect…

Here we are again, looking back at the year just past.

While driving to work just before Christmas, we had snow on the ground, and the frosty mornings were certainly beautiful. Now, as I am writing this, there is no snow on the ground and it could be a spring morning. By the time the column comes out we could be in a cold snap knee deep in snow! There were changes in the weather this past year, and, in many areas of our lives.

Many of us have had changes in our lives including loss of loved ones, health concerns and changes in living arrangements.

The year has also had many changes at Kemptville & District Home Support. We have had losses of wonderful people connected to the organization.

There have also been positive changes such as receiving government funds for upgrades to the Centre. With all of the ups and downs at work and in our personal lives, it is easy to feel

INCHESTER PRINT & STATIONERY

out of balance. My husband Lorne and I were thankful that my daughter Tracy was home and took on the task of making the Christmas meal.

Sarah and Ian, our son-in-law, came over in the morning and we had a wonderful time by the tree. My daughter Sarah gave me new canvases to encourage me to start back at my painting again, ‘…because it is very relaxing, and you enjoy it’. The meal was wonderful and after it was cleared up, we had fun playing board games.

A wonderful way to relax and recharge!

Life can get so busy that we forget to take the time for ourselves. I have decided that I need to make this a priority in my life. Over the past few days, I have starting exercising again. I have been getting stiffer over the past few months since the gardens have been ‘put to bed’. Even after such a short time of starting back at exercising, I’m starting to feel a bit more flexible again.

Here at the Centre, we now have exercise classes scheduled three times a week.

These classes are funded by the Champlain LHIN and facilitated by staff from ‘Family Physio’. There is no charge to participants. We started off holding the classes twice a week at 9 am Tuesdays and Thursdays. We requested a third class to start later in order to accommodate those

who prefer a later start; and, as another option for those who would like to exercise on an additional day. Starting Friday January 9, this new class will be held from 11am to 12 noon.

We have space in all of the exercise classes. If these free classes interest you, please stop by and join any or all of the sessions. Remember to wear comfortable clothing and bring suitable shoes to change into. The exercises are low impact, with many of the movements taking place in a chair. As with starting any new exercise program, please consult your primary care provider. With three opportunities to exercise there should be a lot more flexible people around!

I am looking forward to an exciting 2015. I’m sure there will be many changes along the way. My resolution this year is to remember to take time for myself. This includes activities that feed my creative side, and exercising on a regular basis.

Wishing everyone a Happy New Year on behalf of the Volunteers, Board and Staff at KDHSI.

Susan Smith, Executive Director Kemptville & District Home Support The Cheryl J. Brown Centre, 215 Sanders St., Suite 101 613-258-3203 susan.smith@kdhsi.com

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Little League report on a Great Year!

Kemptville Little League presented a report on 2014 to the North Grenville Municipal Council on Monday night, and quite a positive and encouraging report it was too. Registration was up 32% in 2014, making KLL the largest baseball program in the District, bigger even than those in Brockville or Cornwall. In fact, registration for KLL has been growing every year since 2010, and it is expected to continue to grow in the future. The Girls’ Softball program, which began in 2013, has tripled the number of teams playing in the Rural Ottawa Softball Association, from just two teams in 2013, to six teams last year.

Five tournaments were hosted by the KLL in 2014, drawing large numbers of visiting teams and spectators to North Grenville, particularly during the summer months between May and July. The Little League Ontario Junior Division Championship, one of the most prestigious Little League Tournaments in the province, was held in July and brought the best 13and 14-year old players from across Ontario to the community for a week.

In June, North Grenville hosted the largest amateur baseball tournament in Canada. The three-day event involved thirtyfour teams from Ontario, Quebec and New York, more than five hundred players and their families.

The tournament was so large, it was spread over three different locations, Riverside Park, South Gower Park and as far away as Winchester.

Providing the administration, infrastructure and equipment for such a successful league takes a lot of money, time and commitment, and KLL was very happy to receive January 14, 2015

two major grants in 2014.

An Ontario Trillium Grant, with additional funding from the Municipality and Kemptville Baseball, provided $45,000 to rebuilding Diamond 3 at South Gower, an essential investment if major tournaments are to continue choosing North Grenville as a venue. This brought total investment in the South Gower 3 diamond since 2012 to $83,500, an amazing achievement for any Little League organisation.

The Municipality and Kemptville Baseball also joined in the second major grant awarded in 2014, The Toronto Blue Jays Field of Dreams Grant, which will be used to rebuild Diamond 3 at Riverside Park, putting up a new backstop, and enclosing the dugouts. The Report noted that six new funding programs have been identified as potential sources of funding in 2015.

Kemptville Little League makes the point that “our product is not just Little League”, with the development of new baseball programs, and a strong emphasis on expanding their programs for girls. The rapid growth and maturing of what KLL has built over the last few years is a success story that not only underlines the importance of sports and recreation for our young people, but also the very real economic benefits that come to the community through this kind o f activity. KLL made sure to thank the many sponsors in the private sector who have got behind their efforts to provide a high quality of sporting events to the community, and a wonderful opportunity for so many of our young people to participate in something that brings so much benefit, pleasure and pride to North Grenville.

For Advertising rates please contact Gord at gord@ngtimes.ca or call 613 258 6402

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