Southpoint Sun March 2, 2011

Earthquake shakes up Wheatley

By Allison Siddall

A 3.0 magnitude earthquake in the Wheatley area at 9:21 a.m. on Wed. Feb. 23 has caused plenty of excitement both locally and nationally, with the community making news reports across the country.

The earthquake has been confirmed by Natural Resources Canada, with its epi-centre “14 kilometres northeast of Leamington, near Wheatley.”

The Journal/Southpoint Sun received a phone call shortly before noon that day from Kim Grant, who lives on the 3rd Concession (Drovers Road), reporting her experience. “The whole house shook and at first we thought it was a truck hitting something,” said Grant. “We live by the cold storage and sometimes when the trucks are empty they thump going over the bridge, so we thought something had happened.”

After realizing it wasn’t a truck on the bridge or an accident, Grant called the police to report the incident. C-K police came to her home and checked it out, and then later called her back to let her know that Natural Resources Canada had confirmed that it was indeed an earthquake.

A friend of Grant’s, who lives on the Zion Sideroad, told her that the vibrations shook all the snow off the trees in her yard.

Grant says that she and her daughter Laila heard a loud band that was very similar at about 3:30 p.m. the day before when they were waiting at the dentist’s office for an appointment. She also says that last summer there were two incidents where the family heard the exact same exploding sound when they were in their back yard enjoying their pool. She thought something had happened at Weil’s food processing plant, but when she called Weil’s she discovered that there was nothing going on at their property. Nothing has been confirmed regarding these other three incidents.

Reports about Wednesday’s earthquake vary from feeling a little rumble or thinking the car was acting up, to other reports of the whole house shaking, hearing a loud explosion or sonic boom, or thinking that a truck had hit a house. And many residents didn’t know there was an earthquake until they heard it on the news.

According to Earthquake Canada, earthquakes in this country are a naturally occurring shock or movement that occurs on or just below the earth crust. There are two main causes of earthquakes in Canada. One is tectonic activity, which is caused by the earth plates moving, and the second reason is faults or volcanic activity, which is caused by volcanic eruptions. Out of the two earthquake causes, tectonic activity is the most common. Tectonic earthquakes begin when there is movement in the earth’s tectonic plates. Most of the time these plates are slowly moving.

Another earthquake, measuring 2.7, was confirmed as occurring early the next morning, Thursday, February 24 at 5:13 a.m. east of Wheatley on the Campbell Sideroad.

Van Kesteren, Paterson tour pollution control centre project

Jobs and economic growth continue to be created by Canada’s Economic Action Plan, announced Dave Van Kesteren, Member of Parliament for Chatham-Kent Essex.

The MP was in Leamington February 24 to tour the construction site with Leamington Mayor John Paterson and celebrate the significant progress made on the upgrade of Leamington’s Pollution Control Centre.

“Our government’s top priority is the economy, which is why we are continuing to implement Canada’s Economic Action Plan,” said MP Van Kesteren. “The construction on the Pollution Control Centre has created local jobs, economic growth, and will improve the lives of residents in the area so that Canadian families continue to prosper for years to come.”

Locally, 50 jobs were created by construction at the facility with up to 200 spin-off jobs i.e. cement truck drivers and manufacturers of parts for the centre.

The upgrades will see the plant transformed into a conventional activated sludge plant with the installation of modern, energy-efficient sys-

tems in three phases: installation of a new grit treatment system; conversion of the old mechanical system into a modern ‘fine bubble diffuser’ system; and installation of new tanks to clarify the water. The third phase also includes the creation of a retention pond to hold excess water during wet weather.

Canada’s Economic Plan continues to create jobs and economic growth with more than 26,000 job-creating projects underway or completed from coast to coast to coast.

Since July 2009 Canada’s economy has created over 460,000 new jobs and the economy has grown for five straight quarters.

“The economic recovery is still fragile,” said Van Kesteren. “That is why we must stay on track and continue to focus on the economy.”

Canada’s Economic Action Plan provides close to $16 billion to modernize a broad range of infrastructure including roads, bridges, public transit, parks and water treatment facilities, and to support home ownership, help stimulate the housing sector and improve housing across Canada.

MP Dave Van Kesteren (left) and Leamington Mayor John Paterson (right) toured the construction site of the new Pollution Control Centre and received an update on the project from supervisor Micheal Lyddiet (centre).

Listen Saturdays at 6 pm and Sundays at 1 pm to the Mix 96.7 Hit List. Email hitlist@mix967.ca to vote for the song you think should be #1!

This WeekLast Week ArtistSong Title 12Train Marry Me 21Katy PerryFirework

34ScriptFor The First Time

43Pink Raise Your Glass

55Pink Perfect

65One RepublicSecrets

78 Bruno Mars Grenade

87Sick PuppiesMaybe

96Plain White T’sRhythm of Love 1011Taylor SwiftBack To December 1110RihannaOnly Girl In The World 1213Avril LavigneWhat The Hell 1312Bruno MarsJust The Way You Are 1419Lady GaGaBorn This Way 1514UsherDJ Got Us Falling In Love 1617Enrique IglesiasTonight (I’m Loving You) 1716Nelly Just A Dream 1818KeshaWe R Who We R 1921Maroon 5Never Gonna Leave This Bed 2019Mumford & SonsLittle Lion Man

$10,000 Family Room Makeover is on right now! www.mix967.ca for details!

THIS WEEK’S MUSICAL BIRTHDAYS

1994, Justin Bieber

1977, Chris Martin (of Coldplay)

1966, Tone- Loc (AKA Antony Smith)

1962, Jon Bon Jovi (of Bon Jovi)

1947, Jennifer Warnes

1946, Murray Head ('One Night In Bangkok')

1944, Roger Daltrey (of The Who)

1943, Lou Reed (of Velvet Underground)

SONGS TO HIT #1 THIS WEEK 2003, 50 Cent-'In Da Club.'

2002, Jennifer Lopez-'Ain't It Funny.'

1998, Celine Dion-'My Heart Will Go On.'

1993, Peabo Bryson and Regina Belle -'A Whole New World'

1990, Janet Jackson-'Escapade'

1989, Debbie Gibson-'Lost In Your Eyes'

1986, Mr Mister started a two week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with 'Kyrie'

1985, Wham!-'Make It Big'

1983, Michael Jackson-'Billie Jean'

1981, Eddie Rabbitt (Edward Thomas), started a two week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with 'I Love A Rainy Night'

1976, Rhythm Heritage-'Theme From SWAT', not a hit in the UK.

1975, The Eagles-'Best Of My Love

1974, Terry Jacks-'Seasons In The Sun'

1970, Simon and Garfunkel-'Bridge Over Troubled Water'

1967, The Rolling Stones-'Ruby Tuesday'

MUSIC EVENTS ON THIS WEEK'S DATES

2008, Boy George pleaded not guilty to falsely imprisoning a male escort by chaining him to a wall.

2008, Canadian singer Jeff Healey died of cancer.

2004, Diane Richie, the estranged wife of singer Lionel Richie, went to court seeking $300,000 a month in maintenance support. Diane’s monthly costs included: $20,000 a year on plastic surgery;

Everything from ABBA to ZZ Top

$15,000 a month for clothing, shoes and accessories; $5000 on jewellery; $3000 on dermatology; $1,000 for laser hair removal and $600 on massages.

2000, former rapper MC Hammer, after delcaring bankruptcy in 1996, became a preacher 1999, Dusty Springfield died after a long battle against cancer, aged 59. 1996, Alanis Morissette was the year's big winner at the Grammy Awards 1995, Bruce Springsteen was the big Grammy winner

1994, Nirvana played their final ever concert. 1991, Frank Smith from Air Supply died of pneumonia in Melbourne, Australia.

1988, k.d. Lang performed at the closing ceremony of the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary. 1986, George Michael announced that Wham! would officially split 1984, Michael Jackson won a record seven Grammy awards

1979, Randy Jackson of The Jackson Five was seriously injured in a car crash breaking both legs and almost died in the emergency room when a nurse inadvertently injects him with methadone.

1978, The IRS carried out a dawn raid at the home of Jerry Lee Lewis and removed cars worth over $170 000 to pay off his tax debts.

1975, Paul McCartney (for 'Band On The Run'), Olivia Newton-John (for 'I Honestly Love You') and Stevie Wonder (for 'Fulfilling- ness First Finale.') were the big Grammy winners.

1970, 'David Bowie's New Electric Band' played his first live gig

1968, Elton John's first single 'I've Been Loving You To Long' was released. It didn't chart. 1967, The Beatles started recording ‘Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds.’

1966, Neil Young, Stephen Stills and Richie Furay formed Buffalo Springfield.

Special Feature to the Sun

A year ago opportunity knocked in the guise of a free copy of the Southpoint Sun that appeared in my mail. I read it; I liked what I read. There was an advertisement seeking a “part-time reporter” that said (among other things) “Responsible students or recently retired individuals welcomed. Please apply in person...”

be intimidating, but not so empty as to be a front for organized crime. I was enthralled.

Just

Just

My

My Thoughts... Thoughts...

Normal retired

folk don’t get excited about an advertisement like that, but, as my wife, children and close friends will all assure you, I’m not normal. I got excited because I saw this as an opportunity to try something new that really appealed to me. So, I did what I usually do when considering an idea (or problem) that I need help deciding in a sensible way: I said nothing and dithered for a week. Another free copy of the paper showed up, I still liked it, and the ad was still there. Tempting...

One of the nice things about my wife is that she notices things, and it took only two more days of dithering before she said, “Bill, is there something on your mind?” My problem was solved. I was going to get the help I wanted without having to ask. So, I told Liz about the advertisement and my inclination to look into it. Her response? Yes, she had noticed the ad and yes, she had wondered if it wasn’t just the thing I might like, and what was keeping me from driving to Wheatley and looking into it?

And with that my doubts evaporated, at least evaporated as much as they ever do. Didn’t I want to go to Wheatley anyhow to buy some fresh pickerel fillets and a chunk of smoked whitefish? And would it take that much time to just stop and see where the global headquarters of the Southpoint Sun was located? And if I found the place, what would be the harm to at least stick my head in the door and take a look?

By that time I was passing Kopegaron Woods Conservation Area at 80 kilometres per hour and it was too late to have second thoughts. I found a parking spot just past Mac’s milk and started looking for the entrance to the Southpoint Sun’s publishing empire. It was cleverly disguised as the home of the Wheatley Journal, but it takes more guile than that to throw off this intrepid reporter wannabe from the scent!

Like most people my age, my only exposure to a newspaper office consists of two extremes: the front counter at the Post (that’s the one you pay for), and the offices of the Daily Planet on Superman. Southpoint Sun last year at this time formed the third vertex in the newspaper office triangle. Cosy, humble, but in the throws of transformation into (I was sure) a state of the art information Mecca. It looked busy, it felt busy, it... it was perfect for me: not so large as to

I met my soon-to-be editor, Sheila McBrayne, and immediately liked her look of competence and intelligence. (Okay, I admit for a moment I was concerned: convincing her that I was the part-time reporter she wanted might take more deception than I could muster. But I was determined.) We talked. Turned out Sheila really wanted someone to cover Leamington Municipal Council meetings. (I tried to keep a straight face while inside I was yelling, “Mirabile Dictu!”) Diffidently, I admitted to a passing familiarity with municipal politics, and recited my credentials: fifteen years—five consecutive terms—on Leamington Town Council, twelve years on County Council, five years shepherding the new regional landfill into existence as the first Chair of the Essex Windsor Solid Waste Authority, etc., etc.

Finally, desperate to be rid of me, my editor agreed to give me a try. So now we had to come to financial terms. I was in my glory. No pushover, I coerced her up to an astronomical level of compensation (that works out to between five and seven bucks an hour the way I work), and I was a cub reporter, just like Jimmy Olsen. My first council report appeared in the March 3rd issue of the Sun, and so far my probation is working out well. So well, in fact, that I purchased a mail subscription for my mom in Toronto—she will be 91 this summer—so she could prove to my brothers that I actually do know how to write. (They both have degrees in English, but neither one is a reporter.)

And so to present day: two things have kept me reporting council news. First is the group of wonderful people who work at the Southpoint Sun: they really are committed to a small-town newspaper, which I think is wonderful. Second is the kind comments I have received from friends and acquaintances about my work. It feels really good to hear my reporting is enjoyed, and I sincerely appreciate the kindness of folks who have told me so. I have no idea how long I will continue to be the ‘municipal correspondent’ for the Sun, but for now I’m having fun and plan to continue. Thanks.

Walk for MS

Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is the most commonly diagnosed neurological disease found in people between the ages of 15 and 40. MS affects the ability of nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord to communicate with each other. There is no known cure for MS. Treatments attempt to return function after an attack, prevent new attacks, and prevent disability.

Your help is needed to help make a difference. This area has a high rate of occurrence, and funds raised help provide equipment and services for people locally.

This year’s Walk for MS will take place Sunday, April 17. The walk begins at the Kinsmen Recreation Complex, 249 Sherk Street. Register at mswalks.ca or by calling 977-9221.

Stretch your tax refund further

(NC) - The time for checking the mailbox (or your direct deposit account) for that highly anticipated tax refund is just around the corner. Whether a little or a lot, there are ways to make this year’s refund stretch further than you think. Consider the following ideas to make the most of this year’s tax refund:

1. Invest in a home improvement project. Using your tax refund to update your kitchen, bathroom or any area of your house will increase the value of your home by thousands when you decide to sell.

2. Increase your mortgage payments. It’s not as exciting as taking a dream vacation to some exotic destination, but in the long run, a few extra payments now could save you months of payments in the future.

3. Share your increase. Donate a portion of your tax refund and receive a tax receipt you can use for the upcoming tax season. Help children suffering in extreme poverty and give them the opportunity to drink clean water, eat a nourishing meal and even go to school. It’s as convenient as visiting www.ccfcanada.ca and selecting your donation amount.

4. Buy energy saving products. If you buy a fridge or washer and dryer with energy saving features, not only will you benefit the environment but you will also stretch your tax refund by lowering your utility costs.

Tax talk

Q. My son thinks he may qualify for the Working Income Tax Benefit. How is it calculated?

A. The WITB is designed to help people re-enter the workforce. To qualify, your son must have earned income in the last year. For single taxpayers with no children, the credit is equal to 20 percent of earned income – in excess of $3,000 – up to a maximum of $500. If your son earns more than $16,667, he would not qualify.

M Mo o n n

Make your kids money smart

By Keith Damsell

(NC) - For taxpayers anticipating a refund, filing a tax return early is a good plan. It is your money and the government does not pay interest. But if slips or receipts arrive after filing, you may need to revise the return you have already submitted.

It is a fairly simple process to make a change to a tax return you have already filed. You need to file a T-1 Adjustment form and include the missing slip or receipt.

but it's important for chil-

dren to know the role wealth will play in their future.

Living with an allowance

chequing account and debit card for him or her.

Review the monthly statements and expenditures together. This will help them track where the money goes and become aware of the costs associated with convenience.

Build self-sufficiency

Having a job by about age 16 is a major

Taxpayers using CRA’s My Account may be able to submit the change online, but others have to mail in the T-1 Adjustment form. This can take six to eight weeks for processing. If it is an income slip – one starting with a T – you need to file the adjustment as soon as possible. Failing to declare income in a tax year can lead to penalties and interest charges. If you are disclosing unreported income you should do so under the Voluntary Disclosure Program. The CRA will then waive the penalty.

(NC) - How much money should you have to live the retirement lifestyle you want to live? Surprisingly, it is not all about numbers.

Starting a child as young as six on an allowance gives them a hands-on opportunity to manage money. Encourage your child to divide the allowance into three areas: savings, spending and charitable donations. This gives them a structured approach to budgeting money.

Adjustments can also be used to make changes to previous tax returns up to 10 years old. If you are unsure, some tax professionals will review older returns for free to make you sure claimed all your credits.

Simple steps to making your nest egg last

The Power of Plastic Help your child learn the connection between plastic cards and real money. Start by establishing a

(ENTRANCE OFF OF

(NC)—For many families, money is a delicate subject. The adults make it, the kids ask for it, end of story. Yet understanding cash and credit is important if children are to build a sense of financial responsibility.

start in life,” says Stephen Reichenfeld, a wealth counselor at Fiduciary Trust Company of Canada, a subsidiary of Franklin Templeton Investments Corp.

The buck starts and stops with you

“Life in retirement can be unpredictable at times, “said Lee Anne Davies, head, Retirement Strategies. “In order to prepare yourself for the unexpected, it’s important to focus on making your nest egg last, rather than focusing on a specific amount to save.”

Create a strategy:

“Educating your children about money is a great way to give them a head

“Preparing them for the time when they will assume the financial and emotional responsibilities of wealth is one of the greatest gifts you can give.”

When it comes to money, you are the primary source of information and money management habits for your children. Talk to them about money and keep those lines of communication open.

Knowing the amount and timing of you withdrawals is just as important as saving money in the first place. You need to be able to withdraw enough in order to enjoy your retirement but also ensure that the money lasts.

Create a financial plan that will help you to achieve your goals and live the retirement lifestyle you want. Some questions to consider are: What do you want your retirement to look like? How do you want to spend your time?

Set a budget:

While they are young, money may feel like only an immediate concern

It’s important to know where your money will come from and what it will go toward. It is just as important to keep track of retirement spending as it is to track retirement income.

RRSP checklist

Pace yourself:

By Kaleigh Sainthill

. Even a few dollars can make a difference to your overall savings plan. Start by contributing what you can afford to begin growing your Registered

. An experienced advisor can remove worry and confusion and guide you to the best financial option. More information on finding an advisor is available online at www.franklintempleton.ca.

“Maximizing annual contributions to your RRSP is the best way Canadians can generate tax-free savings to meet their retirement needs,” says Don Reed, president and CEO of Franklin Templeton Investments Corp.

Set up a savings plan where you make automatic, regular investments into your RRSP. The price of investments like a mutual fund can fluctuate with the markets, so regular contributions can help lower the average cost. Diversify and allocate. Your advisor can help you diversify your RRSP contributions according to your goals and risk tolerance. Take your time and choose what's best for you.

What’s your internet safety IQ?

The Canadian Centre for Child Protection reminds parents, educators and everyone else with children in their lives why it’s important to educate themselves on how to keep kids safe online. The days where children spend the majority of their free time outdoors are behind us. Today’s reality is that kids are spending a great deal of their time online.

According to recent statistics published by the Pew Research Centre, 93% of teens aged 12-17 are now on the Internet, 89% of them go online from home and 77% of them go online from school. Since most children’s online activity happens at home or at school, parents and teachers are positioned to teach kids about safer Internet practices.

Parents must take a responsible interest in their childrens’ online activities to ensure they’re aware of the risks posed by online activities.

While the Internet opens doors leading to a world of great information, communication and entertainment, it can also be a direct path to danger for children. The online world is their primary world for communicating and self-expression, and regardless of their age, no child is immune to online dangers.

Parents and educators play a vital role in helping keep kids safe when they are using the Internet. Learning and keeping informed about the latest technology and the online places that children visit is as important as keeping watch as they play outside.

People watching at the airport

Recognizing that many parents are overwhelmed trying to keep their kids safe in today’s world of technology, the Canadian Centre has created The Door That’s Not Locked (thedoorthatsnotlocked.ca) – a comprehensive Internet safety website. It features age-specific information on what kids are doing online, the risks associated with those activities, and age-appropriate tips and strategies to help keep kids safe.

The Door that’s Not Locked is designed to be a one-stop-shop for parents and educators. The website provides Canadians with easy-to-access material, including information on the newest online trends and nearly 20 new downloadable information sheets on topics such as: Healthy and Unhealthy Friendships and Internet Safety, Personal Boundaries, How to Monitor your Child’s Online Activities, The Vulnerability of Adolescents, and age-specific Internet Safety Tool Sheets for Parents.

Vacations are great, but it’s always nice to get back to the real world and back to the daily routine. Part of the fun for me is hanging out at the airport. I figure if I have to be somewhere and just hang out for a couple of hours, you might as well have fun with it. I love people-watching, and where better to people-watch than at Pearson International Airport? It’s fascinating to me that so many people can be at one place at one time. Everyone is coming or going and they are all so interesting to me. I like to watch and try to figure out what’s going on in their lives...

I like to invent stories sometimes. Like the elderly Chinese man who sits with a young Caucasian man in his 20s. They are waiting for a plane to Haiti. I wonder if it’s a vacation or to visit family? Is this his grandson? They act like family. The 20-something shows the elder his iPad and sets it up for the senior one to read the Globe & Mail.

At a different terminal I spotted a young couple with six – yes six – children between the ages of about 2-14 years old... It’s quite impressive how well-behaved they all were. I think they travel often, as they all have matching luggage and seem to know exactly “how the airport works”. There was no whining about being bored or hungry. The mother had packed snacks and juice boxes and made sure everyone had some kind of toy or device to entertain themselves. It was impressive, very impressive.

One thing is for sure, you can always tell if people are just leaving for or returning from vacation. There’s lots of tans and some very red faces and lots of peeling, and they are usually wearing a t-shirt from the trip because everything else is dirty.

S Soouutthhppooiinnt t S Saayyss. . ....

What is an important anti-bullying message that you would like

to share?

Location: Margaret D. Bennie Public School on Pink Shirt Day, Feb. 23, when students and staff wore pink to protest bullying and support positive relationships.

Danielle McDonald

Age 12, Gr. 7

“There should be no bullying because I know that it hurts and I don’t think there is any reason why you should bully someone.”

Marissa Mathewson

Age 13, Gr. 8

“Nobody should bully anywhere. I experienced bullying with my sister because of one of her friends and it really made me feel like I couldn’t do anything right.”

Noah Chacko

Age 13, Gr. 8

“Don’t let yourself become a victim of bullying. Staying close to friends and family by talking with them will help eliminate bullying.”

Liam Labute

Age 13, Gr. 8

“Schools are full of bullies and that’s pretty standard, but with the help of teachers and students your school can become bully free.”

E-LETTERS

If you would like to send us a quick e-mail to express your opinion - good, bad or indifferent - e-mail us sun@mnsi.net

Where is the legislation?

Letter to the Editor

The government of the day, through the Minister of Veterans Affairs has made several announcements and promises on Bills C-55 (New Veterans Charter), which has received first reading in the House of Commons but has not progressed to the Committee level. Similar announcements and promises have been made on Bill-480 by the Minister of Finance (Removal of GST from poppies and wreath purchases) for which no legislation has yet been tabled.

As your readers know, the tabling and passage of these bills with Royal Assent will not be possible should the government decide to call an election. The Royal Canadian Legion has written to both ministers on the matters of legislative procedure and has received assurances that these matters are being looked into.

These bills, however, may die on the order paper if an election is called and leave Canada’s disabled veterans, their families and The Royal Canadian Legion without the legislation they all need. The Royal Canadian Legion writes this letter because we care.

Patricia Varga Dominion President The Royal Canadian Legion

So many hats and only one head

“Today the hat wearers will be out in force: those who are comfortable in them, and those who would not feel more conspicuous if two wombats were mating on their head.” – Unknown

I have always marveled at people that wear hats and wear them well. A couple aunts of mine, my mother, my sister, my sister-in-law and two of my best friends, to name a few. Throughout the years, I have wanted to put one on but never felt comfortable. Standing in front of the mirror I would tug, pull and shift it to suit, but ten times out of ten I left it behind.

Do I really question the reason why my daughters argued with me about donning their hats when I was a horrible example? Off they would trudge to school in the blowing cold wind with a bare head!

Lifestyles Lifestyles

Perhaps leading by example does work. Although Mark does not wear ball caps he wisely puts on his ‘Tilley’ in the sun, a balaclava under his helmet on the scooter and his beaver hat that his sister made, when shoveling snow or downhill skiing.

Skate boarding fashion brought back knit toques when our son was young. Knit toques with a peak are not only worn in the winter but the summer months as well. While looking through our Mexico pictures from seven years ago, there he was down in the eighty-degree weather with his hat on.

Whether or not I have finally matured or the fact that my job takes me out into the bitter cold frequently, I am finally sensibly over my hat issues. My mother and stepfather have been a great influence in this transition. The both wear hats and compliment each other on each other’s stylishness.

Honestly, what really caught my interest were the sideways glances that my mom has received. Her newest hat is a tan leather cap with a brim. At a recent hockey game she attended with me, I commented on the smiles as well as a couple of winks she received. Then again, my mother is smiley and they tend to be contagious.

Last Thursday night I wore a grey flannel hat with a flower, and like my mother was on the receiving end of many comments. Little did everyone know, it was a disguise to hide the pony-tailed hair that I had no time to do anything with. It worked!

It won’t be the last time I wear a hat. My head was warm and I felt stylish, but as one fan of mine commented, “How did you get the plant out of it?” My worries turned more importantly to “how the heck was I going to get the plant back into it!”

“Life is like a new hat. You don’t know if it suits you if you keep trying it on in front of your own mirror.” –Shirley MacLaine

Wedding Show features 38 vendors

Leamington’s Premier Wedding Show was held Sunday, February 20 at the Leamington Portuguese Club. The show was coordinated by Kim Andrade of Finishing Touches. About 125 people visited the 38 vendors who were on hand to offer advice and ideas to help brides-to-be plan their special day.

Richelle Redmond (left) and Cristina Rodrigues of A Perfect Day show off their decadent chocolate fountain at the Premier Wedding Show on Sunday at the Portuguese Club.

Maria Ernesto of Here Comes the Bride is pictured with one of the stunning wedding gowns from her bridal boutique.

Tara Diesbourg of Sweet Tooth Catered Desserts displayed a fabulous array of beautifully decorated cakes, cupcakes and desserts guaranteed to put the “icing on the cake” on that special day.

The Portuguese Club’s booth offered a mouth-watering selection of hors d’oeuvres for brides and grooms to sample for serving to guests on their wedding day.

LDSS “Get Your Pink On” promotes anti-bullying

Leamington District Secondary School promoted anti-bullying with “Get Your Pink On” on Wednesday, February 23. The school Bullying Prevention and Intervention Team, “Speak Out”, is made up of junior and senior students who are visible in their bright pink tee shirts as they cruise the school at lunch. They work to include students who are new to the school or who may feel excluded for a variety of reasons. Their presence also acts as a reminder to students to treat others with respect and dignity. The idea is catching on. This year the team is comprised of over 20 student volunteers.

Last week the students at M.D. Bennie Public School wore pink shirts to show that Bullying Stops Here. The Gr. 3 students in Mrs. Lepp’s class are pictured proudly wearing their pink shirts. Front row, left to right: Gracie J., Shianne M., Beyonca K., Chloe M., Kara T. Back row: Keagan C., Mackenna S., Leah L., Drake M., Tina H., Rylee A., Brenda R., Mandy S., Mrs. Lepp.

Speaking of dummies

Weese’s Weese’s Pieces Pieces

Listen to 92.7 MAX FM for more events happening in Leamington and Essex County during the Max Cares Community Calendar 6 times daily or visit www.927maxfm.com for a complete listing

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 2 - Shooter’s Photography Club Meeting from 7:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. at Colasanti’s Tropical Gardens, 1550 Road 3E, Ruthven, in the Willow Room. Guest speaker will be Adrian Harte, owner of Windsor Photo Outfitters Store, on “The Ultimate Secret to Better Photography”. For more information, contact Ann Cotter at 519-733-3266 or anncott@gmail.com. Further details on facebook; search Sooter’s Photography Club. Everyone welcome.

MARCH 2 - 26 - You are invited to the CMHA Annual Healing Through Art Exhibition which will be featured at the Leamington Arts Centre. Opening reception is Wednesday, March 2, 6:00 - 7:00 p.m. All welcome!

FRIDAY, MARCH 4 THROUGH SUNDAY, MARCH 6 - 11th Annual Home & Garden Showcase at the Leamington Kinsmen Recreation Complex, Sherk St., Leamington. Friday from 6 p.m.-9 p.m.; Saturday from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. and Sunday from 12 noon-5 p.m. Everything from landscaping, home renovations and the latest in home and backyard deck “decorating ideas” all under one roof. For more information, or to reserve booth space, contact Brenda Fischer at 519-322-2337.

FRIDAY, MARCH 4 - World Day of Prayer - service written by the women of Chile. 11:00 a.m. at St. Simon & Jude Parish, 488 St. Charles St., Belle River. Refreshments and fellowship at the parish hall following the service.

SATURDAY, MARCH 5 - Postage Stamp Show and Sale, sponsored by the Essex County Stamp Club. 10:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. at Forest Glade Arena, 3205 Forest Glade Drive, Windsor. Free admission, everyone welcome. Free stamp giveaway for school aged children.

SATURDAY, MARCH 5 - The Talbot Trail Theatre Company invites you to step back in time and enjoy a home cooked meal and the sounds of “Happy Days” , at Wheatley Baptist Church. Dinner is at 5:30 p.m., followed by a musical tribute to the 50′s and 60′s by the “Ultimate Tribute Show”. Silent auction. Tickets are $20 each, for tickets call 519-825-7433.

SATURDAY MARCH 5 - Leamington Mersea Historical Society Annual Meeting, 12:00 noon at the Museum 121 Essex Road 14 Leamington. Pot-luck lunch. Everyone welcome.

SUNDAY, MARCH 6 - Concert at Faith Mennonite Church, 269 Sherk St., Leamington, at 3 p.m. Featuring Paul Dueck, Dale Butler and the church band. No admission charge - donation plate will be passed around with proceeds to benefit the MCC Meat Canner and Faith Outreach Programs.

SUNDAY, MARCH 6 - Maple Syrup Event, from noon to 4:00 p.m. at John R. Park Homestead Conservation Area, 915 County Rd. 50 East, Harrow (on the Lake between Kingsville and Colchester). Pioneer maple syrup & sugar making, taffy making in the snow, pure maple products for sale, film and exhibit, “Science of Maple” sessions and maple crafts for children. Admission is $6 for adults, $4 for children 3-16 – maximum $20 per family. For more information, visit www.erca.org, or call 519-738-2029.

TUESDAY, MARCH 8 - Pancake and Sausage Supper from 5 p.m. - 7 p.m. at St. John’s Anglican Church, 60 Erie St. N., Leamington. Adults $5, children 6-10 $2.50.

TUESDAY, MARCH 8 - Pancake Supper from 5 p.m. - 7 p.m. at First Lutheran Church, 27 Spruce St., Kingsville. Adults $6, children 6-12 $3, kids under 6 free.

TUESDAY, MARCH 8 - Pancake supper for Shrove Tuesday, 4:30 p.m. - 7 p.m. at Epworth United Church, 56 Division St. South, Kingsville. Pancakes, sausage, juice, coffee and tea. Cost is $5 for adults, $3 for children 6-10 and kids under 6 are free. All proceeds will be used to stock the hangers for “Coats for Kids Kingsville”.

TUESDAY, MARCH 8 - Welcome all ladies to International Women’s Day at the Leamington Roma Club, 5:30 p.m. A fun filled evening complete with fashion shows, guest speakers, great entertainment, a wonderful meal and much more. Tickets available at the Roma Club for $50.

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 9 - South Essex Community Council presents Chilifest 2011, 11:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. at Leamington Portuguese Club. Try over 2 dozen chilis donated by local businesses and clubs. Dinner rolls, veggie sticks, dessert and beverages included. Takeout available by advanced order. Tickets $7 in advance or $8 at the door. Proceeds to benefit Erie Shore Community Transit New Bus Fund. Call SECC 519-326-8629.

FRIDAY, MARCH 11 - How about a nice hot bowl of chili? At Knox Presbyterian Church, 58 Erie St. South, Leamington. 11:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. Phone 519-326-1761. Adults $6; children $3. Dessert and beverage included. Take-out available.

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 16 - Essex County Farm Safety Dinner & Annual Meeting at Colasanti’s Tropical Gardens. $15 per person. Tickets: 519776-7476 or 519-723-2230. Everyone welcome.

SATURDAY, MARCH 19 & SUNDAY, MARCH 20 - 46th Rt. Hon. Sir Winston Churchill Chapter IODE Antique Show at Leamington Kinsmen Recreation Complex. Saturday, 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Sunday 11:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.Admission $5. Leading Canadian dealers. Handicapped accessible.

MONDAY, MARCH 21 - Why not join us for the “Alpha Course”? Dinner, video and discussion, exploring the meaning of Christian faith. Every Monday starting March 21 - June 6, 6:30 - 9:00 p.m. at Meadow Brook Fellowship, 219 Talbot St. E., Leamington. Register now. Call church office 519-326-3605.

VOLUNTEER DRIVERS ARE NEEDED to transport people in Essex County and Chatham-Kent for dialysis treatments. Did you know that Community Support Centre now offers a specialized service in providing transportation for patients to dialysis treatments. This valuable service is provided county wide door-to-door 7 days a week. Reimbursement of mileage is at .40 cents per km driven. We are in need of volunteer drivers to provide these essential appointments. To volunteer call 519-728-1435, long distance 1-855-728-1433, or visit us at 499 Notre Dame St., Belle River. SUNDAYS - Sun Parlour Curling Club Euchre games 1st and 3rd Sunday of every month at 6:30 p.m.

WEDNESDAYS - Are you looking for food and fellowship? Join us, no charge, at St. John’s Anglican Church, 60 Erie St. N., Leamington, from 4:005:30 p.m. Call 519-326-3111 for more information.

People can be funny. I should say most people, not all. Take ventriloquists for example – not funny. I just don’t find the whole act that interesting and certainly not humorous. In fact, I find watching a grown man shove a hand up a puppet’s butt to be a bit disturbing. I loath all of it; that square, hinged jaw moving up and down, the eye balls sliding back and forth as if the dummy was watching tennis, the goofy high pitched voice – come on!

Cosmo Kramer suffered from a fear of clowns. “Yes! Clowns Jerry! Clowns!” I may have a bit of fear and phobia about stuff happening with the ventriloquist dummies. Sure enough I’m not alone: 4% of the population are weirded out by this stuff.

Automatonophobia is the name of the affliction for people who get uncomfortable in the presence of wax figures, wooden dummies or anything that attempts to mock human likeness. And the more I think of it, I was never excited about Madame Tussaud’s exhibit at Niagara Falls either. Only a misplaced hand and some emanating chitchat would turn me off more. “Hey Abe! Say hello to the nice folks visiting Niagara Falls today.”

The last ventriloquist performance that I nearly suffered through occurred about month ago in Wallaceburg at a sports dinner. Following the excellent talk given by Hall of Famer Phil Esposito, the emcee welcomed the evening’s comedian to the stage. I wasn’t familiar with his schtick and didn’t realize he/we was a ventriloquist until the dummy showed up. “Hey,” “Hey,” “What?” “What?” “Say hello to this nice people Chucky.” “Yeah?” “Yeah?” “Yeah?” “Come on say it!” “Say what?” “Come on! Say hello to these nice people Chucky.” “Okay I will. Hello to these nice people Chucky. Happy now?” Now that’s comedy right there.

I wasn’t close enough to even see the guy’s lips move. In fact, I backed up further and further from the stage, eventually backing right out of the building and into the parking lot. On my way home I was kept up to speed with what was happening back on the stage thanks to a buddy of mine, who was giving me a play-by-play by texting on his cell phone. The reviews were not great, except for the account of Phil Esposito’s reaction. Espo loved the dummy, and according to the text message on my phone he was laughing the loudest. It sounds like one of those ironic phenomenons like Jerry Lewis’s wild popularity in France or something.

I may have shared in a previous column about a bad experience I had while taking my kids to a children’s festival in Sarnia many years ago. One of the acts on the stage that afternoon was a ventriloquist. Hey, it was for the kids, it’s always about the kids. The “talent” worked with this goofy looking bird puppet or dummy or whatever. I even recognized the guy. He had sold advertising for the newspaper I was managing at the time and we had fired him just a few weeks before this performance. You can just imagine what happened when he recognized me in the audience. His friggin’ puppet turned on me: “Look! We’ve got a genius in the crowd today. That’s the guy who runs the newspaper. Ha, ha, ha.” We didn’t stay much longer after that.

There are exceptions to everything of course. I found a perfect example of this with a video link that someone emailed to me last week. This ventriloquist act IS funny, and you’ll see why when you punch in the following web address. Enjoy!

http://www.boreme.com/boreme/ funny-2010/paul-zerdin-ventriloquest-without-dummyp1.php

Letters on environment from MCB

The Grade 3 Early Literacy class at Mount-Carmel Blytheswood Public School has been learning about why we need landfills and how we can reduce the amount of trash that goes into our landfills. After brainstorming ways they could encourage others to reduce, reuse and recycle, the students wrote letters to the editor to try and convince people in our community to make one small change that would reduce the amount of trash that goes to the landfill.

The class is hoping that their voices will be heard through their letters to the editor. One small change can make a difference and help keep our community green. The following letters were written by Mrs. Driedger’s Grade 3.

Dear Editor,

We have seen a lot of people using plastic water bottles. Plastic ends up in the garbage and the garbage ends up in the landfill. If everyone in our school used just one plastic water bottle each day, we would have almost 300 bottles in our garbage. That would be 1500 plastic bottles a week in our school alone! Can you imagine how many we use in our community? So we think that we need to use more metal water bottles instead of plastic water bottles. We think this is a good idea because it saves us from taking up so much of our green land. Metal water bottles can be reused and washed and used again. Your kids will love them because they won’t get squished and they come in many colours and designs. You can even get some with designer names. Why not give it a try and keep the garbage out of our landfills?

Sincerely, Becca R. and Natasha S.

Dear Editor,

The other day when I saw my cousin I noticed that he used a LOT of disposable diapers. Disposable diapers end up in a landfill. Our landfills are filling up quickly and we are running out of space. We don’t want so much garbage in the landfills so we have to make different choices. Instead of using disposable diapers, people could try using cloth diapers. It is a little more work but the cloth will feel nice and soft on your baby. If everyone used cloth diapers there would be less plastic packaging in the landfill too. Try it! We challenge you to help keep our planet clean.

Dear Editor,

Sincerely, Alex J. and Susie W.

Last week we went to the Sherk Complex and we passed a few houses. We couldn’t believe all the garbage out by the road waiting to be picked up. We saw banana peels, apple cores and all that kind of stuff. This kind of garbage would be better if people put it in compost bins. That would make the earth a better place to live. That would make all the garbage at the landfills decrease. People could put the compost in gardens and fields to make the crops grow better. So we challenge everyone to start a compost pile at home.

Sincerely, Henry W. and Franz F.

Dear Editor,

Last week I walked down the street and I saw lots of cardboard boxes at the road. It reminded me of when I used cardboard to make a horse craft. The craft turned out good and now I do it all the time. I put them up on my wall for decorations. If you have kids I encourage you to use cardboard for crafty projects with your kids. It is a good way to reuse cardboard. We know that some of you already recycle cardboard and that’s great. If you aren’t, please start reusing or recycling it so our landfills don’t get full.

From Matthew F. and Kaleb T.

Dear Editor,

Last week when I was walking down the hallway I saw that our school’s recycling bins are overflowing. If we would use metal water bottles we could reduce the amount of trash. Have you heard the rumor going around that we have too much garbage in our landfills? If more people would buy metal water bottles, our landfills would not be as full as they are now. If people would do this our earth and our air would be much more clean. Remember our earth can be a green place to live and play in.

Sincerely, Katie W. and Ava V. (absent)

Dear Editor,

Last week I was throwing my garbage in the trash can and I noticed something. There was lunchable, milk and juice boxes and all different kinds of boxes in the garbage. I think that if we put all our boxes and cardboard in the blue or red boxes there would be less garbage in the landfills. There is a problem: barely anybody recycles, so here is how we can fix it: recycle cardboard – DO NOT THROW IT IN THE TRASH; reuse boxes for arts and crafts; think of your own way to reuse them.

Sincerely, Shyann P. and Brenda W.

Dear Editor,

I was looking at a book and I remembered how important trees were. Everyone should reuse lumber to make a fire at night. If you have any lumber left that you don’t use you can use that for building furniture in a house. It would help because you wouldn’t have to cut down so many trees just to build a big thing. You could just use the lumber that you have.

Sincerely, Matteo Q., Brock D., Brent F. (absent) and Isaak F. (absent)

1/4 hour $15 1/2 hour $25 3/4 hour $35 1 hour $45 1 1/2 hour $75

Union Gas to celebrate 100 years with $100,000 in charitable gifts

Company launches Centennial Community Grant Program

Union Gas is celebrating 100 years of delivering safe, reliable and affordable service to customers and communities across Ontario. To mark its Centennial, the company is awarding 100 one-time grants of $1,000 each to support charitable projects focused on the environment, community safety, and education across the province.

Union Gas has utilized an online grant request process to consider funding requests. Visit uniongas.com/centennial for eligibility guidelines, additional information and application details.

Applications will be accepted from February 22 to April 15, 2011. Successful applicants will be notified by May 18, 2011.

Leading up to the company’s 100th anniversary on Dec. 19, an exciting year-long centennial celebration is planned that brings together employees, retirees and communities across Ontario.

Several Thefts From Vehicles

On Feb. 22 Leamington OPP responded to a report of three vehicles being rummaged through while they were parked on Windwood Drive. Culprit(s) stole a GPS, change and some CDs. The vehicles were locked at the time. An unlocked vehicle was entered while it was parked on Danforth Ave. Several items were stolen including change, gloves, and the ownership and insurance cards.

A GPS system was stolen from a vehicle while it was parked on Sutton Drive. Anyone with information pertaining to the numerous thefts is asked to contact Leamington OPP Crime Unit at 519-326-5373 or Crime Stoppers 1-800-222-8477.

Break & Enter At Business

On Feb. 25 at 7:30 a.m., Leamington OPP responded to a break and enter at a business near the 120 block of Erie Street South. Entry was gained via smashing the front door.

Approximately $300 was stolen from the business.

Seasonal Residences Broken Into

Two seasonal residences on Point Pelee Drive were broken into on Feb. 26. Entry to both residences was via smashing out a window. K/9 attended and conducted a track for the suspect(s). Two bottles of alcohol were stolen from one of the residences. Nothing was stolen from the other one. The OPP Scenes of Crime Officer attended to collect evidence.

Purse Stolen From Vehicle

On Feb. 24, Kingsville OPP officers responded to a report of a theft from a vehicle while it was parked in a parking lot on Division Road North, Kingsville. A replica Coach purse was stolen along with a wallet containing credit cards and passport. Citizens are reminded once again to “Lock it or Lose it” and remove all valuables from your vehicles.

Vehicle Stop Nets Charges

On Feb. 26 at 2:25 a.m., Kingsville OPP conducted a vehicle stop of a 2007 Saturn on Highway 3 and County Road 27. The driver, a 23-year-old female from Kingsville, was issued a 3-day licence suspension. Subsequent to the investigation, the passenger of the vehicle, a 31-year-old Kingsville man, was found to be breaching alcohol conditions and was subsequently arrested for bail violations. Open beer bottles were also located in the vehicle. The driver was additionally charged with having open liquor in the vehicle.

Stolen Car Left Unlocked

On Feb. 27, Tecumseh OPP received a report of a stolen motor vehicle from an address on Alden Court, Tecumseh. The vehicle is a 1994 black, 2-door, Acura Integra, with stock rims and “Billabong” sticker on the driver side rear window and a black smiley sticker on the rear passenger side window. The unlocked vehicle was stolen sometime on Feb. 27 between 3:00 a.m. and 12 noon.

implemented a policy where the last names of students are not allowed to be published in the newspaper.

MCB celebrates Winter Carnaval

Friday, February 18 marked the 20th Winter Carnaval de Mount Carmel-Blytheswood Public School. It all began in 1991 as an idea in the Grade 8 French class as something to perk up the long, winter months. Based upon the annual Québec Winter Carnaval, it remains a big hit among MCB students and staff alike.

The Spirit of Carnaval grew all week with a variety of spirit days: Valentine’s Day Monday, Tacky Tourist Tuesday, Carnaval Bingo Wednesday, and Thursday was a favourite – winter sports day.

Each year’s Carnaval at MCB is linked to the Québec Carnaval theme. This year’s Québec Carnaval theme was “The Carnaval (de Quebec) is the winter sport!” Traditionally, there are seven events in all, and the entire school participates in all events, earning points for their teams: Cartier, Champlain, Frontenac, Laval, Lévis, Montcalm and Montmorency. Those points are added to the points the students earned all week – a.k.a. Bonhomme Bucks – to determine the winning team. But long before the day arrives, the Grade 8s were responsible for creating and running the events. This year’s activities included a skating rink, an obstacle course and the annual favourite, the giant tug-o-war (la souque à la corde).

Staff and students would like to thank their great School Council for the generous support. There were plenty of prizes for the dukes, duchesses, the Grand Duke and of course the Carnaval Queen. It was a great way to perk up a long, cold winter, and when Bonhomme is able to attend… well, that’s just the best Carnaval ever!

Cardinal Carter corner

It’s been an exciting few weeks in Cardinal Carter athletics.

Congratulations to the senior boys’ basketball team on their impressive season. On Feb. 15th, the boys defeated the General Amherst Bulldogs 53-46 in the semi-finals to earn a spot in the finals against the Essex Red Raiders. The final game, held at the University of Windsor’s St. Denis Center, was a thrilling match. The Cougars had a difficult first half and trailed by 9 points. The second half saw a big comeback led by Devin Foldesi and Sam Elias. With 45 seconds left in the game, CC took the lead by 1 point. Despite a great defensive effort, Essex scored a late basket regaining the lead. With 14 seconds left, the Cougars had three heartbreaking shots fall short and ultimately were defeated by Essex 47-46. A special mention goes to graduating players Shawn Harrison, Chris Prebeg and Matt Raffoul, who have given their all to CC athletics. The team would also like to extend their appreciation to all the fans who came out to the St. Denis Center to cheer them on. It was a great display of CC school spirit.

Congratulations are also extended to Cardinal Carter swimmers, who participated in the SWOSSA swim meet on Feb. 18. Madison Keller and Joseph Najem had personal bests in their events and Greg Fleming finished his CC swimming career with impressive times as well. Marc Beneteau had personal bests in the 50m backstroke and the 100m freestyle, and will be advancing to OFSSA for his final competition as a CC swimmer.

The senior girls’ volleyball team saw their season come to a close on Feb. 15 with a loss to the Essex Red Raiders in the quarter-final match. Congratulations to captain Marie Youssef who was voted to the Tier 2 second All-Star Team. The team also wishes the best of luck to graduating players Erika Borelli, Jolynn Coppola and Danielle Shieffer.

What else is happening at Cardinal Carter?

The staff and students at Cardinal Carter extend best wishes and a fond farewell to Mrs. Rosemary Lo Faso who has accepted a position as Vice-Principal of Safe Schools. Mr. Ryan Coristine, current Department Head of Special Education, will assume the role of Acting Vice-Principal beginning Mar. 21.

Second semester progress report cards were sent home Tues. Mar.1, and are to be signed and returned by Mar.4.

Pictured above are the students who were proclaimed Dukes and Duchesses at MCB’s Winter Carnival on Friday, February 18. Back row, left to right: Jacob N., Emily W., Troy T., Emily N. Front row, from left: Selena F., Lauren K., Queen of Carnaval Fiona T., Lisandra F., Shyann P., Arthur F. Absent from photo: Pancho K. and Grand Duke Andy K. (SUN photo) Note: Mount-Carmel Blytheswood Public School has

The luck of the Irish

Cold temperatures and short supply of sunlight creates a difficult growing time unless, of course, your crop of choice is shamrocks.

When planted now, the winter months represent the ideal time for indoor growing. After seeding, your shamrocks will pop up within 2-3 weeks with temperatures in the average of 21º Celsius or 70ºF, just in time to share the green. (March 17 –

St. Patrick’s Day)

In the In the Back Yard... Back Yard...

Once you receive your seeds, remove them from their packaging and place in the refrigerator (not the freezer) for 24 hours. Doing this tricks the seeds into thinking they have gone through winter. This will also promote a quicker germination. Select a pot or bowl to plant your seeds. I prefer a plain garden clay pot, not painted or oven glazed. This type of clay container is best for allowing the roots to breath and also help control moisture.

Always choose a container with a proper drainage hole in the bottom for water. Depending on the seed company some seeds are coated with lime for extra weight, otherwise an uncoated seed is virtually weightless and can easily be blown away by simply breathing on them.

Sprinkle the seeds on the moist soil, covering them lightly with another layer of soil. Press down with a base of a drinking glass or your fingers.

Keep the soil moist and place in a bright area but not in direct sunlight.

Use a clean mist bottle of water and mist regularly.

Once mature, the shamrock will produce white or yellow flowers after 6-8 weeks. At this time your plant will become extended by growth; cut them back with clean sharp scissors to shape the plant.

Also, keep the soil moist to continue growth and place in a brightly lit area, but again not in direct sunlight.

There are many varieties of shamrocks, from annuals to perennials, and they can be purchased as seed or bulb cores. Always research the type of plant before planning your garden design, as some are more aggressive then others.

Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

Bill Plumb is a 5th generation horticulturist. He started his journey as an independent grower and wholesaler in 1971, joining the family business in Leamington going back to his father, uncle and grandfather to 1922. During that time he developed multiple retail flower and garden centres including a landscaping company with his brother. After selling that part of the business, Bill continued growing seedlings and potted nursery stock, developing a successful mail order business. Email: bpmarketing24@yahoo.ca.

Throughout the Grade 9 Geography course at UMEI Christian High School, guest speakers from many different parts of the world will be coming in and talking about their experiences across the globe. This project is headed by their teacher, Miss. Mallory Schwengsbier, who feels it is a great way to connect students to the rest of the world and allows geography to come alive in the classroom.

On February 17, the Grade 9s had their first guest speaker, Mrs. Barbara Martens, join their class and relate her experiences in the Middle East. It was a very eye-opening pre-

sentation and sparked a lot of discussion from the students. Each student is then required to reflect on the presentation and complete some follow-up research on that country/region.

In addition to this project, these students will also be receiving email pen pals from different parts of the world to help fuel their passion for the world and the cultures it represents.

7 homes in your area will be given the opportunity of having an INTERLOCK metal roofing system installed on their home at a reasonable cost. This lifetime product is capturing the interest of homeowners across the country who want to know this will be the last time they will have to re-roof their home. Our product is environmentally friendly and comes with a transferrable

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Pictured above are Barbara Martens (left) and Serena Huy, who is wearing a traditional dress worn by females in Palestine. These dresses are very precious to the women of Palestine and are passed down generation after generation.

Andrew Dyck is experiencing the common turban worn by older males in Palestine.

Vanessa Thiessen experiences wearing the traditional hijab, a head covering worn by Muslim women to cover their hair and neck.

2011 FLYERS UPDATE

Goaltender Colin Greeley was named the GOJHL Western Conference Goaltender of the Month for February… Matt Ogden returned for game 1 after missing the last two games of the regular season due to the effects of a mild concussion… Jeff Lobman remains out after suffering a separated shoulder on February 5.

flyers win home game

By Melissa McCarty

The Flyers dropped the first game of the playoffs 6-3 in LaSalle on Friday night but rebounded with a 3-2 win at home in game two on Sunday.

The Flyers opened the series on Friday night in LaSalle where they had gone undefeated in three games during the regular season. The Flyers had a 1-0 lead at the end of the first period but LaSalle tied the game during a 5 on 3 in the second and scored again with just over a minute remaining in the frame to take a 2-1 lead into the third.

Alex Seguin evened the score early in the third when he got his second goal of the game but LaSalle countered, proving why they are the defending Sutherland Cup champions, as they scored three goals in just over three minutes to make it 5-2.

Tony Spidalieri pulled the Flyers to within two goals but LaSalle struck again a few minutes later to make it a 6-3 final. Tyler Quigley and Ron Soucie each chipped in with two assists while netminder Colin Greeley made 25 saves.

Flyers head coach Tony Piroski said he thinks playoff experience, and lack thereof, had a big hand in Friday’s outcome.

“I think we had a lot of guys who had never been in that situation before and LaSalle has 15 or so guys who have been,” Piroski said.

“I think the nerves got to us more than anything,” goaltender Colin Greeley admitted. “Especially being in their building. They played a well-rounded game and they took it to us.”

On Sunday the Flyers returned home for game 2 in front of one of the biggest crowds this season. There was no score at the end of the first, but the Flyers struck early in the second as Cheyne Matheson fired a wrist shot into the top right corner of the net to give the Flyers a 1-0 lead just 27 seconds in. Less than a minute later, Ron Soucie scored with a shot from the point just six seconds into a powerplay to extend the Flyers lead to 2-0. It was Soucie’s first goal since joining the Flyers in early January.

The Flyers got themselves into penalty trouble and after killing off a 5 on 3, LaSalle was able to score on the powerplay with just over two minutes remaining in the period to make it 2-1.

The two teams exchanged goals in the first half of the third when Koddi Quick’s slap shot from just inside the blue line made it 3-1 but 44 seconds later LaSalle scored to pull within one. Both teams had some good chances late in the game but the Flyers held on to win 3-2 and evened the series at one game apiece.

“We knew we had to win to get back in the series,” said Leamington native Quick, who had the gamewinning goal. “We went into this game with a much better mind set.”

Goaltender Colin Greeley said he felt the pressure fell more on LaSalle going into Sunday’s game.

“My mentality going into the game was that the pressure was actually on them since they were up one game. We’ve had a lot of success on our own ice, especially since the (holiday) break. With the teams being so close it is a really good rivalry and we showed them that we aren’t to be taken lightly and that we won’t go down without a fight.”

Piroski said Sunday’s win was a result of a good effort by the entire team and it will definitely help moving forward. “It was a big win not only for the players but for the entire organization and we plan to build on that.”

Game three is on Wednesday, March 2 in LaSalle and game four is on Thursday, March 3 in Leamington at 7:10 p.m.

PLAYER PROFILE

Flyers Team 1967-1968

Back row (l - r): Randy Pye, Fumoi Yamasaki, Joe Couture, Rob Epplett, ???, Bob Whittal, Don McDermont, Greg Mason. Middle row: Al Cecile, Ken Playford, Bob Derbyshire, Ken Lowes, Ten Hannigan, Fred Epplett, Bill Sanford, Joe Cross, Jim Bradley, John Murphy, Bill Cox, Jim McFadden. Front row: Vic Herbert, Mike Martin, Don Higgenbottom, Bill Ruiter, Harold Martin, Rick Imeson, Mike Robinson. Left inset: Bob Fox. Right inset: Art Pye. (Photo courtesy of Bob Platsko)

Flyers honoured at Awards Banquet

The Leamington Flyers coaching staff and two players were honoured at the Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League Western Conference Awards Banquet last Monday. The Coaching Staff of the Year award went to head coach Tony Piroski and assistants Mark Epplett, Lee Jones and Jamie McDermott. Jones and McDermott were Piroski’s assistants with the Essex 73’s while Epplett was brought on board this season. Flyers captain Nick Nicodemo was the recipient of the Defensive Forward award and forward Alex Seguin was named to the Rookie All Star Team.

These accomplishments come on the heels of a season that saw the Flyers finishing in sixth place with a record of 26-21-4, a vast improvement from last year’s record of 7-38-5. This successful turnaround is exactly why Piroski and his staff were brought on board this season by the new Flyers ownership.

With his extensive winning record in Essex, it was hoped that Piroski would be just what the Flyers needed to become competitive again and so far the team seems to be headed in the right direction. However Piroski was quick to downplay any role he and the other coaches have had in the improvements the team has made this season.

“I’m flattered by the award but it’s all about the players,” Piroski said. “I haven’t thrown a check or got an assist this season. It’s all about those guys in the room and how hard they’ve worked.”

Flyers captain Nicodemo previously played under Piroski in Essex and he wasn’t surprised to hear that the coaching staff had won.

“I’ve been with Tony and his staff for three years so I know what they’re about and how they can get a winning team together like this,” Nicodemo said.

Forward Alex Seguin said all of the players were confident that the coaches would win this award.

“I don’t think anyone was surprised because of the way they turned things around here,” Seguin said. “We knew they would win it and now we’re hoping to put together a good playoff run for them.”

Seguin said that while he wasn’t surprised to hear about the coaches win, he was surprised to find out that he had been named to the Rookie All Star Team. “I knew I was nominated but I wasn’t really expecting to win. It’s defi-

Virtual golf

The Southshore Virtual Golf Men’s League played on the Donald Ross Memorial Golf Course in Michigan last week. Scoring was based on individual handicaps, using the Stableford Scoring System.

In first place was Ed Pump. Ed made 16 points in 9 holes to finish first.

Second place went to Kevin Shaften, who attained 30 points for a +8. Two players tied for 3rd at +6. Darryl Brummell achieved 14 points, while Ron Koop had 27 points for the third place tie.

The league runs through the month of March.

nitely a good feeling.”

Like Seguin, Nicodemo admits that he was surprised when he learned of his award for top Defensive Forward and said he is proud of this accomplishment since it is one of the areas of his game that he focuses on.

“I’m one of the older guys on the team so I feel like I have a lot of responsibility and being a defensive player is something I take pride in,” Nicodemo said. “I’m not a flashy guy out there so I’m just trying to do my job.”

While the individual awards are nice, Piroski admits that there is another goal that is even more important. “For me the individual awards don’t mean a whole lot without the championship.”

Pictured from left to right are: Assistant Coach Lee Jones, Captain Nick Nicodemo, Head Coach Tony Piroski, Forward Alex Seguin, Assistant Coach Mark Epplett and Assistant Coach Jamie McDermott.

Skate Wheatley holds test days,

competitions

It has been a very busy start to the new year at Skate Wheatley. The club is comprised of skaters from Wheatley and Leamington and the surrounding area. There has already been one test day in January, and on Sat. Feb. 12 they held their first club competition. The skaters had a great time competing and the event was a resounding success. The weekend prior, some of the skaters traveled to Dorchester to compete in the Dennis Silverthorne Memorial Invitational. Congratulations to all who competed.

The many parents, coaches and volunteers will be very busy from now until the end of the skating year with another test day, competitions and preparing for the annual carnival, “Haunted”, which will be held on April 2 with an afternoon and evening show.

Test Day Results

Swing Dance: Alyssa Beleutz.

Rocker Dance: Kelsey Almasi.

Starlight Dance: Mackenzie Goodison.

Westminster Dance: Kristen DiMenna.

Quickstep Dance: Sabrina Coomber, Courtney Wiebe. Argentine Dance: Elyse Epp.

Preliminary Skills: Abby Wigle.

Junior Bronze Skills: Krysten Garant, Mykayla Tiessen, Regan King, Hayley Bazala. Gold Skills: Sabrina Coomber.

Preliminary Freeskate Part 1: Jessica Buxton, Summer Ellis, Krysten Garant.

Preliminary Freeskate Part 1 & 2: Kendra Hancock, Regan King.

Preliminary Freeskate Part 2: Delaney Ribble.

Junior Bronze Freeskate Part 1: Meghan Mercer, Haley Clark.

Junior Silver Freeskate Part 2: Sabrina Coomber.

Senior Bronze Part 2: Mackenzie Mifflin.

Competition Results

The following are the results from the Dennis Silverthorne Memorial Competition. Gold STARSkate: Krislyn Malott – 9th.

Senior Silver STARSkate: Kristen DiMenna – 6th.

Do you have antlers to brag about?

By Dean Ware

The Southwest Outdoors Club (SOC) is presenting its 6th annual Big Buck and Bull Day on Saturday, March 5. It is an event not to be missed, as last year’s five-hour show was a huge success with the attendance of over 300 outdoor enthusiasts. There were an estimated 100 whitetail deer racks and approximately 25 moose racks entered in the show for scoring.

This year the event will take place at Tilbury Arena, 49 Bond Ave., and the show time has been extended to 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Admission is $5. The trophies and prizes will be presented for Typical Whitetail, Non-Typical Whitetail, Whitetail Sheds, Moose, Black Bear and Wild Turkey. The members of FROW (Foundation for Recognition of Ontario Wildlife) will conduct the scoring. At last year’s event, FROW presented a score that ended up being the Ontario Typical Record, which broke a 43-year-old record. A Non-Typical Muzzle Loader record was scored as well.

The guest speakers include Ken Capling, World Moose Calling Champion. Some folks may remember Ken when he was on the Conan O’Brien Show. Recording artist Randall Haley from Mt. Juliet, Tennessee, will also be appearing.

Kids will enjoy fishing in the Trout Pond and new this year is a 3-D Archery Range for the youngsters to try out.

SOC is quite new to the outdoor community that extends throughout Ontario. It was created by a group of citizens who shared concerns for the environment, conservation and outdoor heritage that includes hunting and fishing. The club now boasts a membership of 210 since its inception in 2003 with the help of the Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters.

The Southwest Outdoors Club is involved in several community endeavours including Kids, Cops and Canadian Tire Fishing Day that attracts 300 young anglers to Wheatley Harbour, the Wild Turkey reintroduction in the Wheatley area, and an ongoing Wood Duck Box Program with Wheatley Scouts. SOC will also host the first Southern Ontario Quality Deer Management Association Seminar at the Legion in Wheatley on April 17.

If you are interested in attending Big Buck and Bull Day or if you have racks to show off, please visit www.swoc.ca for further details.

Golden Years mini golf

Pre-Preliminary: Summer Ellis – 8th.

Senior Bronze STARSkate: Chelsey Malott – 9th. STARSkate

Gold Interpretive: Krislyn Malott – 3rd, Kristen DiMenna – 5th.

Silver Interpretive: Chelsey Malott – 7th, Jacqueline Foott – 8th.

REC ROUND-UP REC ROUND-UP

Complex Student memberships are very affordable and very popular annual membership among the teenage crowd!

The 11th Annual Home & Garden Tradeshow is March 4th thru 6th in the Complex Gym. Great vendor displays of home décor, renovation specialists, landscaping, and backyard havens - plus qualify to win the grand prize: $10,000. Family room makeover courtesy of Gabriele Countrywide Floor & Home. Come see all the newest products and services from local Leamington and surrounding businesses as they come together all under one roof, from windows, siding, soffit, and roofing to environmental cleaning products, unique local art, tree service, aquatic landscaping and sunrooms, just to name a few. The Tradeshow features 45 wonderful displays. So mark your calendar to check out the Home and Garden Tradeshow March 4 - 6th at the Complex.

Home Alone course - Sat. March 5 from 1 - 5 p.m. This course helps your child to build self confidence & sense of responsibility while home alone. Rock ‘n Swim - Fri. March 25 from 7 - 9 p.m. Bring the whole family for a splashing good time in the Complex pool. Thanks to Lakeside Bakery for sponsoring the music!

Two teams took first spot on Feb. 24 with 240 even par totals. They were Team #2 with Mary Ann Vickery, Bill Ward and Rose Taylor, and Team #11 with Lloyd Honey, John Vlodarchyk, Gerry Wilkinson and Annie Mae Leslie.

Intro Interpretive: Summer Ellis – 2nd. Volunteer to

Second place prize money went to Team #6 – Art Sweet, Liz Scratch and Barry Sweet –with a 250 for their 36 holes.

Third place cash prize was taken by Team #7 with Nancy Hill, Iggy Arner and Gerrit Vriesen.

Low round single was a 33 for Gerry Wilkinson, and two-round final was a 73 with Bill Ward’s 36+37, a 7 under par. Lloyd Honey had a 35+41, Bill Mayville shot a 37+40, and Iggy Arner a 39+40. Even par showed for Bill Taylor and Moe Scratch. Steve Vigh and Rose Taylor each had a single 38.

Holes-in-one for the day were 5 for Bill Ward, and 4 for Iggy Arner and Gerry Wilkinson. Three dropped for Bill Mayville, Lloyd Honey and Ernie Vendenberg. A couple fell for Rose Taylor, Colleen Pearse, Marg Ross, Art Sweet, Gerrit Vriesen, Betty McManus and Bill Taylor. Single aces were on the cards of Bill Adams, Cami Keith, Eva Kah, Mary Ann Vickery, Kathy Bradley, Bryon Walker, Donna Wiebe, Nancy Hill, Moe and Liz Scratch,

March Break - Get the kids enrolled early for the in motion Day Camp program! Swimming, skating, crafts and games galore! If the kids aren’t going south for vacation, they’ll want to be part of the Complex Day Camp so register early!

March Break Activities

Open Rec. Gym: 1 p.m. - 3 p.m. daily

Public Skating: 1 p.m. - 3 p.m. daily

Fri. March 18th - Free of charge - sponsored by Little Caesars Pizza Open Swim : 3 p.m. - 5 p.m. daily

Meet with a Personal Trainer or Nutrition and Wellness Coach and they’ll help you reach new goals. Plus there’s training for two! Don’t be intimidated! Get yourself and a friend over to the Complex, meet with a trainer and they’ll help to get you onto a whole new course of motivation and energy!

We have something for every...body!

249 Sherk St., Leamington 519-322-2337

email: bfischer@leamington.ca www.leamington.ca

Ifyouown1acreoflandyoucanqualifytopurchasetrees fromtheEssexRegionConservationAuthority.Tree plantinggrantsofupto90%ofprojectcostsarealso availableforpeoplewishingtoplant1acreormoreofland intoseedlingtrees.

PleasecallPaulGiroux,forester,tolearnmoreaboutthese programs519-776-5209,ext377oremail pgiroux@erca.org

EssexCountyCivicCentre,360FairviewAve.W.,Essex. 7:00-9:00pmRoomC.Thisworkshopisfreetoattendbut pre-registrationisreq’d.CallVivian519-776-5209,ext345 orsendemailvkennedy@erca.or

TreePlanting&CareWorkshopMarch7,2011, reebrochurescanbeobtainedatwww.erca.org. TreeOrderingDeadline:March11,2011

Fighting cancer is a matter of time. Your time. When you donate as few as three hours to the Canadian Cancer Society’s Daffodil Days, March 31-April 3, you help save lives and support those living with cancer. Volunteering is a small gesture that makes an enormous difference. The Cancer Society needs your support to beat this disease. To volunteer call 519-254-5116.

Winnie Moore, Steve Vigh and Ethel Ferguson. You are welcome to join the fun any Thursday at 9:30 a.m. at Colasanti’s.

Peewee AEs win exhibition game over Glencoe

The Southpoint Uni-Fab Peewee AEs played the Glencoe Ice Cats over the weekend in exhibition play.

The Caps started the scoring with Dawson Iles firing a puck from a sharp angle that found the back of the net. Luc Ribble had the only helper on the play.

Glencoe tied the score at 1-1 until Royce Beauchamp feathered a pass up the boards that Gerrid LaSala took and went in and fired the biscuit past the goaler

Jack Towle lasered a puck for the Caps’ third goal with assists going to Mitchell Demelo and Cameron Richmond. Glencoe cut the lead to 3-2 until the Caps went up 4-2 on a bang bang play that Jack Towle converted out of the corner. Luc Ribble and Connor Ribble gathered the assists. Glencoe snuck in a couple of goals to tie the game.

The good guys wrapped up the scoring when Luc Ribble banged home a beauty pass from LaSala to round out the scoring and come home with a 5-4 win.

Dylan Mcintosh played well in net for both Glencoe and Southpoint. As well, C.J.Church, Dawson Wigle and Camden Driedger played like seasoned veterans for the Glencoe team.

The kids ended the game with a shoot out with some nifty goals to take the competition.

The Caps next play the Essex Ravens on Wednesday evening and then travel to Tecumseh on Sunday evening.

Peewee A’s begin semi-final round of playoffs

The Caps began their semi-final round of the OMHA playoffs by hosting the Centre Wellington Fusion this past Friday night. After being on the ice for 6 out of the previous 7 days and going through the rigors of a playoff series, the boys were caught off guard when the puck dropped. After the first minute of the game, they found themselves down 2-0. The boys fought hard but couldn’t recover from the early onslaught. Final score was 4-1 with Matthew Taylor getting the only Southpoint goal.

On Saturday at the H.J. Heinz Arena, game #2 took place and the squad showed Centre Wellington that the previous night was not the same team that they expected. Forcing the play and taking command of the game, the Capitals played much better. After going down 1-0 on a late goal in the first period, Southpoint kept it coming and Kody Epp with help from Noah Santos put one by the Fusion goaltender to even things up. Once again Centre Wellington took the lead going into the third, but the Caps evened it up with less than 3 minutes left in the game with a goal scored by Eric Prudence and assisted by Quinn Bowman.

The goal, along with a late toe save by goalie Tyler Wall, forced the game to an exciting and tense overtime. Although the overtime period did not produce a winner, it did force 2 more games to be played in Centre Wellington this upcoming weekend. If the boys can pull out a win this weekend, Southpoint will host game 5 on Sunday March 6th in Wheatley.

Popular Chilifest

March 9

Chilifest 2011 will be held Wednesday, March 9 from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. at Leamington Portuguese Club, 217 Talbot St. W.

This popular annual event will feature over two dozen chilis, all donated by local restaurants and clubs. Fresh veggies, dinner rolls, drinks and dessert are included. Proceeds will benefit Erie Shore Community Transit New Bus Fund.

Tickets are $7 in advance or $8 at the door and are available at all SECC offices, Century 21 and United Communities Credit Union (Leamington branch). Call 519-326-8629 for more information.

First taste of spring at Maple Syrup Fest

Discover the history of maple syrup making at the John R. Park Homestead Conservation Area during the Maple Syrup Festival, Sun. Mar. 6, from noon to 4 p.m.

“This is the only place is Essex County that you can see maple syrup being made in the pioneer way,” said curator Janet Cobban.

Many special activities are planned so that the public can participate in this exciting spring ritual. Visitors can see the trees tapped and learn how maple sap is transformed into maple syrup and other sweet products. Homestead staff and volunteers will lead demonstrations and hands-on activities including taffy making on snow. Even if the weather turns mild, the taffy making on snow will go ahead as planned. “We have collected fresh clean snow and have it packed safely away in the freezer for Sunday’s event,” said Cobban.

The Maple Festival will also include pioneer maple syrup and sugar making, science of maple sessions, a maple film and exhibit, a maple craft for kids, blacksmithing demonstrations and more.

Visitors to the homestead can see antique maple dishes in the dining room of the 1842 house and the newly restored antique old painting.

New this year, the Homestead offers locally produced maple syrup, made by Daniel and Kim Choquette of Cottam. Daniel will be on-site during the event to answer all of your modern maple making questions.

The Homestead is located at 915 County Road 50, east of Colchester, on the lake. For more information call 519-738-2029, email jrph@ erca.org, or visit www.erca. org.

o Full and Half Day Montessori Programme

o Children 18 Months - 6 Years

o Qualified Montessori and ECE Staff

o Hot Meals & Snacks o Open 7:30 am - 5:30 pm

Healing Through Art: new exhibit at Leamington Arts Centre

The Canadian Mental Health Association’s annual Healing Through Art exhibit and fundraiser will be featured at the Arts Centre in Leamington from March 2-26. This year’s show focuses on “Art as it washes away from our souls the dust from our everyday lives.” An opening reception is being held Wednesday, March 2 from 6-7 p.m.

The local branch of the Canadian Mental Health Association has been committed to the provision of mental health services in this community since 1971. Their mission is “to enhance and promote the mental health of all persons and support the resilience and recovery of people experiencing mental illness in our community through education, prevention, advocacy and services.”

Approximately 30 Bald Eagles spotted on Peche Island

During the snow on February 2, at about 1:30 p.m. Bald Eagles were hunkered down on the southeast corner of Peche Island. Once the wind and snow let up, they all flew away. “At one point, I counted about 30 eagles. Unfortunately, poor visibility wouldn’t let me get a nice clear shot,” said Len Strahl who photographed the magestic birds from the Windsor City Marina parking lot at Riverside and Riverdale. According to Wikipedia, Peche Island is an uninhabited, currently 86-acre (34.8 ha) Canadianowned island in the Detroit River, at its opening into Lake St. Clair. It is 360 yards (330 m) from the Windsor shore. The island was formed from a peninsula of the Canadian shore by the action of the Detroit River. There is a central marsh on the island. The present channel was eroded until the core of the island remained. There are man-made channels cut through the island

to ensure fresh water supply and recreational opportunities. Formerly an Ontario Provincial Park, ownership was transferred to the City of Windsor in 1999. The St. Lawrence Seaway passes 200 yards (183 m) off its western shore and daily 1,000-foot-long (300 m) ships pass.

(Photos by Len Strahl)

Southpoint Midget B girls tie Petrolia

By Mackenzie Heyens

Friday, February 25 the Rhine Danube Southpoint Stars Midget B Girls faced off against Petrolia on home ice. The game was a tough battle all around with both teams playing their best for the win. The game remained scoreless into the second period until Kayla Lindsay netted a goal by Mackenzie Heyens and Kim Goyeau. Petrolia quickly returned the goal though, tying the game for a final score of 1-1.

Sunday, February 27 the Rhine Danube Southpoint Stars faced Lambton Shores in Forest. It was a crucial game for the Stars as a win was necessary to ensure a spot in Provincials, so the girls were feeling the pressure.

The game began with a goal by Kim Goyeau with the assist by Jillian Iles within the first 2 minutes of play. Shortly after, Shailyn Waites popped in a goal of her own, with the assist by Karissa Ricci. Lambton Shores quickly retaliated, soon leading the game with a score of 4-2 into the third period. Then Waites scored again with the assist by Amanda Stasko, and soon after netted her third goal for a hat trick unassisted. The final goal went to Stasko with the assist by Dana Peltier and Ricci.

Despite the high scoring of the game, the final score of the game was 7-5 for Lambton Shores. Great weekend girls!

For the Southpoint Stars full schedule, please visit www. southpointminorhockey.com.

Shailyn Waites

Kayla Lindsay

Seacliff Energy supplying power to the grid

After years of hard work, on January 27, 2011 there was cause to celebrate at Seacliff Energy. The “switch” was officially flipped and the green-energy company began supplying electricity to the power grid.

Seacliff Energy was established in 2007 to invest in the construction of an anaerobic digestion facility that transforms vegetable waste from local farms, greenhouses and local food processing companies into electricity for the Ontario Power grid; heat for the greenhouse; and organic, natural fertilizer for the farm market.

The project began with Seacliff looking for an alternative heating source, but as it turns out heat is now a by-product and electricity has become the major revenue source. Seacliff collects waste such as cucumbers and prunings, and vegetable and local food processing waste, which is fed into the digester. The digester is a first in Canada. Unlike the single-stage digester that is currently used in some Canadian landfills, which works slowly and only breaks down one type of waste at a time, Seacliff is using a two-stage digester. The technology has been proven in Europe and, working similarly to a cow’s stomach, is able to break down up to 80,0000 metric tonnes of waste, consisting of up to 50 types of material.

Despite the technology being used successfully in Europe, the owners had to prove that it would work in the Canadian environment. The Federal Government provided a repayable contribution of up to $2.9 million to help prove the success of the technology. OMAFRA, through the Ontario Bio-gas Assistance Program, contributed $400,000.

The system leaves nothing to waste and is helping Ontario in its quest for renewable fuels for electricity.

Company President, Dennis Dick thanked the dozens of people and contractors involved in the project for taking the initial idea and making it a reality.

March is Juvenile Arthritis Awareness

Month - Kids get arthritis too!

It is a common myth that arthritis only affects the elderly, but one in 1,000 boys and girls under 16 years of age are struck by this chronic disease - even more children than those with cystic fibrosis.

Juvenile Arthritis stops the body’s immune system from working properly; it fails to recognize healthy body tissue and attacks it. Kids can experience excruciating pain and inflammation in their joints. They can struggle to keep up with the demands of school and other daily activities such as buttoning clothing, playing sports, a musical instrument or even playing with friends. The disease can take a serious social, emotional and physical toll on a child. In some cases, the arthritis disappears after a few months and never returns. Many children however, experience ongoing inflammation that requires long-term medication and treatment. Juvenile Arthritis often continues into adulthood and the consequences can be devastating.

Today, there is no cure for Juvenile Arthritis, but an effective treatment plan - medication, physiotherapy, physical activity and rest - controls pain and helps to prevent permanent joint damage. With the guidance of a health-care team and the support of family members, a child with arthritis can lead an active and productive life.

The Arthritis Society is a significant source of funding for arthritis research in this country and is currently investing in a National Research Initiative studying Juvenile Arthritis to better understand the disease and how to treat it.

The Society is committed to raising donor dollars to help find a cure for Arthritis. Your support will help Canada remain a leader in the field of juvenile arthritis research. Currently, they are taking orders for “Gardens of Hope” (pots of spring flowers). One garden costs $4 (with an exclusive ceramic pot - $10), 3 gardens $10 (with exclusive ceramic pots - $25), case of 20 gardens $65 (with exclusive ceramic pots - $180). Your “Gardens of Hope” will be delivered from Tuesday, April 19 to Friday, April 22; just in time for Easter. Email your order, with your name and phone number, by Saturday, March 26, 2011 to a.monk@sympatico.ca or call 519-944-2619 or 519945-8395.

Is pleased to announce that

of

Engines on! Pictured here, from left to right, are Dennis Dick (Seacliff Energy), Robb Seegmiller (Conestoga Rovers), Reda Rafla (Tormont Cat), Tom Zhu (Tormont), Rob Tremblay (Conestoga) and Roger Tiessen (Seacliff Energy). (Seacliff Energy Photo)

Sharks hammer 73’s; advance to take on Wallaceburg

In a historic battle, the Wheatley Sharks overcame an old nemesis. On Friday night, in a seventh and deciding game, Wheatley stole the show with a 4-0 win in Essex. From the opening faceoff it was clear that the Sharks were not going to be denied. With ferocious fore-checking, Wheatley tied up the 73’s at every turn to win their first series ever against Essex.

Josh Tremblay opened the scoring at the 9-minute mark of the 1st period on a pass from Kevin Sawatzky that put Josh in all alone and he scored on a great play on the goaltender

In the 2nd frame, Jordan Carnevale scored on a nice pass from Andy Stevenson. Then one of the prettiest goals of the whole series was scored when Andy Stevenson found himself all alone with the puck at the blue line. He went in and deked Chad Summerfield in the Essex goal and then tucked it around Summerfield to score a shorthanded marker

With less than 10 minutes left in the game, Shawn Quigley won a hard battle with Brohman of Essex to thrust the final dagger into the home team. This was another great individual effort as this was the second shorthanded goal of the game and one of four shorthanded goals for Wheatley in the series.

Marc Tremblay was stalwart in goal for Wheatley stopping 23 shots to earn his first shutout of the playoffs.

As a team, Wheatley played great with very strong work ethic and discipline throughout

the game.

“This win was not only huge for the Sharks organization, but for the whole community,” said General Manager Kevin Fisher. “I want to personally thank everyone for the support we received not only at home but from the fans that traveled to Essex and made this a special win. I hope it continues into the next round.”

An added note, the Wheatley Sharks are leading the league in playoff attendance with an average of 916 people per game.

Next Series: Wheatley will start the League semi-finals against the overall first place team from the regular season, Wallaceburg Lakers. First game is this Wednesday night at 7:30 p.m. in Wallaceburg and the second game will be this Saturday night, March 5th at 8:00 p.m. in Wheatley. Third and fourth games are Wednesday, March 9th at 7:30 p.m. in Wallaceburg and the fourth game will be Monday, March 14th at 7:30 p.m. at The Shark Tank.

M.D. Bennie school holds Oral Communications Festival

Margaret D. Bennie Public School held their Oral Communications Festival on Thurs. Feb. 24. The Intermediate winner was Tom Qi, who spoke about Facebook. Junior winner was Hailey Bazala with her speech about Figure Skating.

Other speakers and their topics were: Sydney Hildebrandt – “Chocolate”; Abby Berg –“Pet Dogs”; Camryn Enns – “Swimming”; Jasmine Schmidt – “Games”; Amanda Wiebe – “Pirates”; Bryn Parent – “Dentists”; Chase Hickson – “Bobby Orr”; Peter Gallagher –“Facebook”; Marla Stanton – “Doomsday Predictions”; and Colin Hartley – “Chernobyl Disaster”.

Congratulations to all of the speakers for their great speeches.

Some of the students participated in the Legion’s Public Speaking Contest on Sun. Feb. 27. Tom Qi advanced to the South Area Oral Communications Festival on March 1.

Sharks’ Marc Tremblay poke checks the puck away from Essex 73’s Capt. Tanner Gallant, in their deciding Great Lakes Jr. ‘C’ game, Friday in Essex. Tremblay earned a 4-0 shutout giving Wheatley the quarterfinal series win. (Photo by Andy Comber)

Pictured above are the M.D. Bennie students who participated in the school’s Oral Communications Festival. Front row, left to right: Peter G., Colin H., Chase H., Tom Q. Back row: Camryn E., Bryn P., Sydney H., Amanda W., Hailey B., Abby B., Jasmine S., Marla S.

Kingsville hairstylist featured at NY International Beauty Show

One of the most dynamic names in the beauty biz will grace the 2011 International Beauty Show New York Main Stage on March 6 and 7 (www.ibsnewyork.com). Attendees will experience HAIRCULTURE as Bradgraham Kirner demonstrates his D.E.A.D. cutting technique (Degree, Elevation, Angle and Depth), avante garde and long hair techniques at an advanced level.

Originally from London, and established in Kingsville, Bradgraham is the latest sensation in the industry and has been featured in magazines, on TV and at trade shows worldwide. He is known for his powerful stage performances, entertaining education, product line, aggressive and progressive style and most recently, for his exciting, ground breaking website bradgrahamtv.com.

The International Beauty Show, New York, presented by American Salon magazine, is the top trade show for members of the professional beauty industry. Open only to licensed beauty professionals, the show’s main objective is to educate with over 500 companies exhibiting and 50,000 attendees expected at the event.

“It’s an honour to be included once again in such a prestigious show,” said Bradgraham. “I was asked to teach advanced hairdressing techniques to the New York crowd and with the success of bradgrahamtv.com, my interactive website delivering high quality, entertaining, educational segments, it was a natural fit. It’s remarkable that the population of Kingsville is less than the average New York subway traveler-count at any given time, yet I was among the selected features to demonstrate the latest trends in hairstyling to the New York crowd!”

For fans and students of Bradgraham, he will be proudly representing Canada in a “Clash of the Titans” show scheduled in Las Vegas in June, with more details to come!

4-H Knitting & Crocheting Club report

By Jessica Scherer

On Wed. Feb. 23 the 4-H Knitting & Crocheting Club held their second meeting. Meghan led the group in the 4-H Pledge, followed by the secretary’s report and roll call.

After the business portion of the meeting, Jennifer and Mary showed the group how to play the Birthday Game. To do this, without talking they had to organize all of the members in order of their birthdays from January to December. The problem was they had to do it in 5 minutes. They then discussed some ideas for their board and decided to get a blue one this year.

After the game the members took out their balls of yard and needles and got started. Everybody worked on various things. The knitters worked on some yoga socks, dishcloths and tea cosies, while the crocheters worked on curlicue key chains and cotton dishcloths.

After a lot of knitting and crocheting, the meeting ended. We hope to see everyone at the next meeting!

The beauty of nature was captured last week in the few moments at sunrise when the icebergs in Lake Erie appeared as bursts of light. Even in the deep freeze of winter, Mother Nature bestows her gifts with breathtaking moments like this. (Photo by James Corless)

Evening of Song to support LAERC

The public is invited to an entertaining Evening of Song at Knox Presbyterian Church, 58 Erie St. S., Leamington, on March 26 at 7 p.m. The evening will feature entertainment by Mosaic, Dale Butler, Jon Brett and the Karen Singers, with refreshments and dessert to follow. Proceeds from the event will go towards the Leamington Area Ecumenical Refugee Fund.

World Day of Prayer 2011 from Chile

March 4, 2 p.m. Salvation

World Day of Prayer, an international ecumenical movement of prayer and action, is this Friday, March 4 at 2 p.m. at the Salvation Army Citadel at 88 Setterington Street.

Each year, women from a different country write a service which reflects their jus-

The Churches of Leamington and District Welcome You

ANGLICAN

St. John The Evangelist

60 Erie Street N., Leamington 519-326-3111

Sunday Worship Services

8:30 & 10:30 a.m.

St. Mary’s Church

East West Road, Pelee Island

1st & 3rd Sundays from June to September at 10 a.m.

Calvary Church

North Shore Road, Pelee Island

1st & 3rd Sundays from October to May at 10 a.m.

BAPTIST

Calvary Baptist Church

475 Bevel Line Road, Leamington 519-326-0876

Sunday Worship 10:30 a.m.

First Baptist Church

3 Fox Street, Leamington 519-326-4372

Sunday Worship 10:45 a.m.

Victory Baptist Church

61 Windwood Dr., Leamington 519-322-5952

Sunday Worship 10:00 a.m.

CONGREGATIONALIST

Faith Everlasting Congregational Church

589 Hwy 77, Leamington 519-322-2994

Sunday Worship 11 a.m.

LUTHERAN

St. Paul’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

311 Sherk Street, Leamington 519-326-3966

Sunday Worship Services

9 a.m. (German), 10:30 a.m. (English)

MENNONITE

Faith Mennonite Church

269 Sherk Street, Leamington 519-326-6391

Sunday Worship Services

10:50 a.m. (Summer 10 a.m.)

Leamington Evangelical Mennonite Mission Church

1408 Deer Run Rd, Leamington 519-326-9734

Sunday Worship Services

9:15 a.m. (German), 10:45 a.m. (English)

Leamington Evangelical Mennonite Church 108 Mersea Rd 3, Leamington 519-322-9915

Sunday Worship 10:30 a.m.

Leamington United Mennonite Church 78 Oak Street East, Leamington 519-326-2727

Sunday Worship 9:45 a.m.

Summer Worship Services

9:30 a.m. (German), 10:15 a.m. (English)

Meadow Brook Fellowship 219 Talbot Street East, Leamington 519-326-3605

Sunday Worship Services 9:30 a.m. & 11 a.m.

North Leamington United Mennonite Church 625 Mersea Rd 6, Leamington 519-326-7928

Sunday Worship 10:20 a.m.

South Point Community Church 55A Talbot St. W., Leamington 519-322-1858

Sunday Gatherings 10 a.m.

Leamington Mennonite Home 35 Pickwick Drive, Leamington 519-326-6109

NON-DENOMINATIONAL

Iglesia La Buena Semilla 269 Sherk Street, Leamington 519-733-0342

Sunday Worship 6:30 p.m.

Leamington District Memorial Hospital 194 Talbot St. W., Leamington 519-326-2373, Chaplain’s Office ext. 4443

PENTECOSTAL

FGT Family Church

285 Talbot St. E., Leamington 519-322-2316

Sunday Worships 9:15 & 11 a.m.

Leamington Christian Centre 98 Elliott Street, Leamington 519-322-1504

Sunday Worship Services 10:30 a.m., English/Spanish 6:30 p.m.

Templo Christiano De Leamington

39 Talbot St. E., Leamington 519-325-9654

Sunday Worship Services 3 p.m.

tice concerns through a biblical lens. On the first Friday in March, Christians of all denominations in more than 2,000 communities across Canada and in more than 170 countries come together to pray and take action in solidarity with the people of that country. This year’s program was written by the women of Chile.

The Republic of Chile stretches between the Pacific Ocean and the Andes Mountain Range in the extreme southwest of South America. It borders to the

Army Citadel

north with Peru, Bolivia and Argentina to the east, with Antarctica to the south and the Pacific Ocean to the west. Chile has an area of 756,950 square kilometres. Its most western possession is Easter Island, 3,780 kilometres from the coast. Chile has jurisdiction in Antarctica for a stretch of 1,250 square kilometres, and for this reason it is known as a tri-continental countrySouth America, Pacific Islands, and Antarctica.

Eighty percent of the

OBITUARY

Mount Zion Full TabernacleGospel

6 Mill Street, Leamington 519-252-0031

Sunday Worship 7:30 p.m.

United Pentecostal Church

312 Erie St. St., Leamington 519-326-7056

Sunday Worship Services 11 a.m.

PRESBYTERIAN

Knox Presbyterian Church

58 Erie St. S., Leamington 519-326-4541

Sunday Worship Services 11 a.m.

ROMAN CATHOLIC

St. Michael’s Parish

29 Elliott Street, Leamington 519-326-2643

Sunday Worship Services

9 a.m., 11 a.m., 7:30 p.m.

Sunday Spanish Worship Services 2:30 p.m. (February to November)

St. Joseph’s Church

310 Sherk Street, Leamington 519-326-2643

Sunday Worship Services

9 a.m. (Italian, English), 11 a.m. (Portuguese, English)

St. Anthony’s Parish (Maronite Rite)

280 Talbot Street East, Leamington 519-322-2282

Sunday Masses 9:30 & 11 a.m. (Lebanese, English)

SALVATION ARMY

The Salvation Army Citadel

88 Setterington Street

Leamington 519-326-4901

Sunday Worship 10:30 a.m.

UNITED CHURCH OF CANADA

Leamington United Church

9 John Street, Leamington 519-326-9461

Sunday Worship Services

11 a.m. (Summer 9:30 a.m.)

Mersea United Church 1301 Mersea Road 8, Wheatley 519-825-4157

Sunday Worship Services 9:30 a.m.

Henry Derksen

Henry Derksen, 85 years, passed away on Thursday, February 24, 2011 at the Leamington Mennonite Home.

Beloved husband of Elizabeth (Heinrichs). Dear father of Janet and Ben Woelk, Larry Derkson and daughterin-law Vicky, and the late Judy Derkson (2003). Loving grandfather of Stephanie and Brad Kauffman, Matthew Woelk, Cole, Kyle and Christopher Derkson and great-grandfather of Caleb, Kadin and Jacob Kauffman. Dear brother of Edith Wiens (John) and the late Ronald Derksen (Ruth).

Visiting was at the Reid Funeral Home & Reception Centre, 14 Russell Street, Leamington (519-3262631), on Sunday from 2-5 and 7-9 p.m.

Funeral service to celebrate Henry’s life was held at the Leamington United Mennonite Church, 78 Oak Street East, on Monday, February 28, 2011 at 2 p.m.

Rev. Victor Winter and Edgar Brown officiated. Interment Evergreen Memorial Park Cemetery.

Memorial donations may be made by cheque to the Leamington Mennonite Home or Leamington Meat Canner. Friends may share memories at www.reidfuneralhome.ca.

OBITUARY

Evelyn Hodgson

Evelyn R. Hodgson, 96 years, passed away on Saturday, February 26, 2011 at Franklin Gardens.

country is mountainous, and there are three distinguishable sections: the Andes Range in the east, with altitudes of more than 6,000 metres; a depression in the middle, from the north to Puerto Montt; and the Coastal Range, with altitudes of 1,500 metres. Thus Chile includes desert areas in the north, mountains with perpetual snow the whole length of the country, prairie grasslands or steppes in the southern region, and polar landscapes in the extreme south.

In Chile, there are several artifacts of pre-Columbian culture. In the north (Atacama), there are galitic constructions, fortified villages (pucarás), and cave paintings. From the north to the furthest south, there are petroglyphs (drawings made on stone); figures called geoglyphs which are painted in open places in the desert; and also ceramics, dance, and music according to the climate and the local people. The Diaguita culture left a great legacy in the area; representative ceramics are black spherical pots and jugs decorated with geometric designs in red and white. From the north to the River Bío-Bío in the south, there is evidence of Inca influence: brightly-coloured ponchos (mantas) are still hand-woven by women on the Altiplano from vicuña or llama wool. Others in the south are woven from sheep’s wool coloured with natural dyes made from the roots of plants and trees.

United Way exceeds $5M fundraising goal

Beloved wife of the late Fred (1988). Dear mother of Bob and Darlyne Hodgson, Doris and Don Baughman, Bruce and Evelyn Hodgson, Jean and Don Church, Donna White. Loving grandmother of many grandchildren, greatgrandchildren and great-great grandchildren. Predeceased by her parents Ella and Gordon Hickson, her sisters Norma Knister, Elva Thompson, Vera Sovie and Lena Jackson, and her brothers Harold Hickson, Leonard Hickson, Jack Hickson and Earl Emerson. Many nieces and nephews also survive.

Evelyn was a lifelong member of Wheatley Baptist Church.

Visitation was held at the Reid Funeral Home & Reception Centre, 14 Russell Street, Leamington (519326-2631) on Tuesday, March 1, 2011 from 10 a.m. until time of funeral service to celebrate Evelyn’s life at 12 noon. Rev. Jack Glover officiated. Interment Erie Cemetery, Wheatley.

Memorial donations may be made by cheque to the Alzheimer Society or the CNIB. Friends may share memories at www.reidfuneralhome.ca.

United Way WindsorEssex County has exceeded its 2010 goal of $5 million. A total of $5,002,369 was raised. Funds raised will be invested in United Way’s priority areas: supporting basic needs and independence, positioning kids and families for success, and creating thriving neighbourhoods in Windsor and Essex County.

“We are extremely grateful to the WindsorEssex community for their support. WindsorEssex has once again demonstrated its commitment in a number of ways including volunteering their time, their expertise and their financial support to United Way,” said Penelope Marrett, Chief Executive Officer of United Way.

Meet Ken Cullen…

Ken Cullen was born October 11, 1949 in Leamington at the Russell Street Hospital. You may remember Ken’s father, Art Cullen. He was the Mayor of Leamington back in the 1950s. He was also a jazz musician playing coronet and trumpet with the Johnny Downs Orchestra during the Big Band Era. Ken’s mother played the piano – a very musical family. Ken started his musical journey at age 5, studying three years of piano and voice lessons with Sister Afilia at the Ursuline School of Music on Elliot Street. He continued his studies with Mother Mary Doris in Woodslee. Ken enjoyed singing more than piano, but he was told when he achieved his grade 8 piano and vocal levels he could buy a Beltone electric guitar and amp. He bought a book and taught himself to play the guitar. Ken was the musical lead in the Heinz Picnic production of Little Tom Tomato in 1956. That was his first production, directed by Al Bruner of CJSP Radio. Ken did many live broadcasts of a family variety show with other local entertainers, hosted by Donna Filmore.

Music Music Profiles... Profiles...

Ken met a good friend at Scouts, Dennis Knight, and they started singing together as The Sunshine Boys. They sang duets with Al’s Variety Show as well as live TV shows on CKLW (Windsor) and WXYZ (Detroit). He was able to meet Rita Bell, Soupy Sales, Johnny Ginger and Bill Kennedy. He also sang at church services, Christmas concerts, weddings and nursing homes.

Ken’s first band was in 1963 called The After 4 with Denny Deporter (guitar, vocals), Chris Dezeil (drums), Ken Cullen (guitar, vocals) and Brian Woodward (bass, vocals). This band evolved into a band called The New Sound Company with Denny and Ken, plus many musician over the years including Greg Simms (guitar), Don Woods (guitar, vocals), Paul Munce (guitar, vocals), Bob Brett (drums), Mike Merau (drums), Stu Campbell (drums), John Napp (drums), Bob Swaddling (bass), Bill Loop (bass), Randy Gulliver (keyboards), and Meg (Marg) Bell (vocals). Just about everyone in this group went on to become professional musicians and some are still playing today.

As everyone went off to school and started working, Ken formed a new band called A.S.A. with Bill Loop (bass), John Unger (violin, guitar, vocals), Mike Betts (drums) and Ken (keyboards, vocals). This group went to Toronto and played Top 40 music. They also did a ’50s greasers set as well as playing original songs.

Ken then went to the University of Western Ontario and studied (Performance Voice) from 1972-76. He started singing with the Johnny Downs Dance Band as well as doing solo gigs. Ken played at the opening of Ontario Place at the Forum, playing acoustic guitar and singing folk and gospel music. He hooked up with the People’s Church in Toronto and joined the Carpenters Union Band, playing in trios and quartets at gospel shows. While in London he played keyboards and sang backup vocals for the group Gary & Dave, who had a #1 Gold Record in the charts for 27 weeks in 1972. The song was “Could You Ever Love Me Again?”. He toured across Canada and USA and also went to the Barbados and Canary Islands.

While touring across Canada he stayed in Banff and studied musical theatre. He did studio recording, some TV sound tracks and radio commercial work, and studied with teacher Elaine Overholt (singer/pianist). She was a judge on “How do you solve a problem like Maria?”

From 1977-1981 Ken played in piano bars and theatres in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island. At this time Ken retired from music and went on to study micro-computer technology, working for IBM in Oakville at the beginning of the home computer age.

Ken moved back to this area in 2003, working at New Song Church in Windsor doing sound work. He started playing with the church band 2 Fish with Kevin Rogers, Cory Fox, Merrill Mills, John Kosti and Bill Riley.

Ken also played locally at Paula’s Fish Place (patio), Pelee Days Inn dinner theatre, Freddie’s (patio), and the Last Friday Coffee House in Leamington. He has since joined local singer/songwriter Nicole Barron and her band. Ken is playing piano and synthesizer and doing vocal arrangements for the group with Nicole Barron on piano and vocals, Tony Everett on drums,

John Moran on bass and vocals, and Henry Klassen on guitar and vocals.

Most interesting place played: In Barbados in the Caribbean at the Crop Over Festival held at the end of harvest. Ken was on tour with Gary & Dave and John Allen Cameron, and they were the only Canadians at the festival. It was a twoweek working vacation with a chauffeur who took them on a private tour of the island. They went and saw the oldest church and cemetery on the island, and got to see a 12th century Psalm Book at the church.

Most significant gig: Ken was singing in a 32-voice choir with the University of Western Ontario in London, under the direction of Deral Johnson. They went on tour across Canada to Calgary, Edmonton, Vancouver and Winnipeg. While performing their most difficult piece of music in a church that didn’t allow clapping after a performance, not only did they get applause but they also got a standing ovation.

Any brush with fame: Ken had the opportunity of jamming with Levon Helm, drummer and vocalist of The Band, who played with Bob Dylan. Ken also shared this story: While in Banff he was in a production of Fiddler on the Roof and Canada’s late great jazz pianist Oscar Peterson was head of the jazz program. Ken got to sing, with Peterson on the piano, in a jam session at the Campus Pub one night.

How often do you practise?: With Nicole Barron, the band has two night’s a week for practise. Ken puts in two or three hours a day while working on new songs.

If you could play with anyone, who would it be?: #1 answer is all his dearest friends who he has played with through the years, #2 answer is to work with the Beach Boys as a backup singer, and #3 answer is Doug Riley of Dr. Music out of Toronto playing gospel/rock.

Future plans: In 5 year’s Ken would like to see the Nicole Barron Band working full time. He wants to keep at the music game as long as he can.

Website: www.nicolebarron.com for information on booking Nicole Barron.

Face to Face - working through disability

The Face to Face program provides individuals with disabilities the opportunity to observe a person in a chosen field before entering post secondary education or applying for jobs in this field. This way, the individual can make a more informed decision as to the physical and mental demands of an occupation before committing to months of training or beginning a job search of this field.

“The program itself is aimed at not only providing job shadowing for people with disabilities, but to start shifting people’s focus away from viewing people with disabilities as unable to work. Most of the time, the biggest barrier is people’s attitudes. We are trying to get employers to open their eyes and see that we need to stop focusing on what a person with a disability might not be able to do. We need to focus on what they can do! We also hope to make them more aware of some of the benefits to hiring someone who has a disability,” said Priscilla Voakes, Face to Face Project Coordinator.

The Face to Face program has had 15 successful years in operation. After a few years on sabbatical the program is being brought back to life. With the assistance of The Ministry of Community and Social Services, the Windsor Essex Employment Group has taken the initiative to revive this very important program within the community.

The committee registers individuals who are seeking experience in a chosen career and the individual goes through an interview process by qualified Human Resource representatives. “This is an opportunity for employers to reaffirm employment equity and raise the awareness of disability

issues within their organization. It also provides the participants with interview experience, and an opportunity to observe, participate and network in a chosen profession,” stated Voakes.

Face to Face is aimed at providing a day and a half job shadowing experience for individuals with disabilities who are facing employment barriers throughout Windsor and Essex County.

“The program itself is aimed at not only providing job shadowing for people with disabilities, but to start shifting the focus away from viewing people with disabilities as unable to work,” Voakes said.

While there is no commitment for permanent employment to the participants, the goal is to provide the chance to go to a place of employment of interest to them for future opportunities. Here they will be given the experience of what it is like to be a part of this work environment. After the job shadowing, all employers and participants will attend a luncheon intended not only to thank those involved in the project, but also to expose the participants to a variety of service providers who can help them find employment. The attendees of the luncheon will also have the chance to be inspired by a guest speaker who has successfully overcome

obstacles in their life. “All those involved are passionate about the success of the program and plan on implementing any and all strategies to power to promote, provide and promise success for this event,” said Voakes.

“We have gotten sponsorship from CAW Local 444 and CAW Local 200, as well as support from the City of Windsor’s Accessibility Advisory Committee. I would like to thank them for their support, but also mention that we are still seeking funding or in-kind donations if any businesses feel that they could help from this aspect as well,” added Voakes.

THE DISH ON DISABILITIES

• Canadians who have a disability are one of the most underrepresented groups in the workforce.

• In 2006, 14.3% of Canadians identified that they have a disability.

• Only 45% of people who have a disability were in the labour force in 2001.

• Employers rate employees who have an intellectual disability as positive (93%), reliable (90%) dedicated (90%) and hardworking (93%).

• People with disabilities represent 15.5% of Ontario’s population, some 1.8 million people.

• People with disabilities form the largest single minority group. And when their immediate family members are included, it means over 53% of our population is directly affected by disability.

• The unemployment rate for disabled persons is over 50%.

SOUTHPOINT SUN

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T.O.P.S. - Take Off Pounds

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Leamington OPP issues warning about the “Grandma Scam”

By Allison Siddall

Leamington OPP’s Community Services Officer Kevin O’Neil has issued a warning to the public that the Grandma Scam is being attempted by those trying to prey on this community’s elderly.

This is the way it works: A scammer will telephone and begin a conversation quickly and politely, saying, “Hi Grandma, it’s me – your favourite grandchild.” The grandparent will respond with, for example, “David?” The caller will then pretend to be the grandchild, asking for money because he/she is in trouble and in need of cash fast. Stories include being in an accident in a rental car, in the hospital or under arrest and in need of bail money. The caller will request that the grandparent wire the money through Western Union or MoneyGram. The imposter often pleads with the grandparent not to call their parents and promises to pay them back in a few days. The caller demands quick action, and funds sent by wire transfer are hard to track and unlikely to be recovered.

“Leamington OPP are receiving one or two calls a week from people reporting this scam,” said Constable O’Neil. “Fortunately no one has fallen victim to it yet.”

Last week a senior citizen was contacted at a nursing home in Leamington where she lives. She asked a lot of questions and didn’t fall for it. The incident was reported to police.

“The elderly are vulnerable to this type of scam. The world is different now, with the internet etc., from what they are familiar with,” said Constable O’Neil. “They are trusting because they are from a generation when a person’s word could be trusted.”

“Because of this, seniors don’t always understand what is taking place,” said O’Neil, “and some spend a lot of time alone, so when they receive a phone call from someone they believe is their grandchild asking for their help, they are willing to give them anything.”

Leamington OPP feels that it is extremely important that the public be aware that there are people in our community who have been contacted by these scammers and who could have very easily become a victim. They are requesting that if you have elderly parents, grandparents, neighbours or friends to warn them of this scam. People who receive a telephone call of this nature are urged not to respond. Hang up and then call your daughter or son to confirm whether or not there is a problem. For more information google Grandma Scam or Elderly Scam.

UMEI presents “Agatha Rex”

March 4 and 5, the Grade 11 drama students of UMEI Christian High School will present “Agatha Rex”, a play about a high school girl who stands up to the authorities about dress code rules and punishments. The play begins at 7 p.m. each evening. Admission is $10 for adults, and $5 for students. An extra matinée performance will be held on Monday, March 7 at 10:30 a.m. for any school groups who wish to attend, or any other members of the community who were not able to make it to the weekend performances. The admission for elementary school students will be $2 on that day. Please phone the school at 519-325-0933 for more information.