Southpoint Sun May 16, 2012 by Southpoint Sun

Local apples bit by frost

By Bryan Jessop

Early heat plus late frost will equal a shortage of apples for orchards across the Great Lakes region this year.

Leamington-area apple growers are no exception. Several orchards around Ontario, which produces nearly half of Canada’s apples, are experiencing 100 per cent loss this year. Simpson Orchards, on Mersea Rd. 5, has by no means dodged the late spring weather’s frosty bullet. Owner Wally Simpson explained that while it’s still too early to determine the exact degree of damage, he expects to lose 75 to 80 per cent of his apples for 2012.

“With all the rain we had last year, we wondered how things could get worse,” Simpson said. “This is our answer.”

Simpson’s apple trees are spread out through four different locations, with the main farm appearing to be hit the hardest. Older trees located on higher ground seem to be suffering less while young trees closer to lake levels are proving far less fortunate.

“Even in one location, the trees at the front are affected different than the trees at the back,” Simpson said. “The bigger trees that don’t seem to have as much damage are only 1,500 feet from the ones that are hit the hardest.”

As a result of unusually high temperatures in March, apple tree buds began blossoming three weeks ahead of schedule on most local farms. Open blossoms have

Brophey part of RCMP Musical Ride

By Bryan Jessop

This year has been no time to horse around for Sarah Brophey.

The former Leamington resident is participating as one of 32 riders in the 2012 Royal Canadian Mounted Police Musical Ride, a tour that will feature nearly 40 venues. Although most shows will take place in Ontario and Manitoba, this year’s schedule began May 4 in Verden, Germany, and proceeded to Windsor Castle and Devon County in England for May 9-13 and May 17.

Brophey will return to Essex County Sept. 2-3, as the Windsor-Essex Therapeutic Riding Association will host three RCMP Music Ride performances at its 3323 North Malden Road, Essex site. Show times will be 1:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 2 and 1:30 p.m. Monday, Sept. 3. On the second date, a photo opportunity will be available at 10 a.m. at the Harrow Fairgrounds, one day after the 158th annual Harrow Fair.

WETRA was founded in 1973 as the Windsor Association of Riding for the Handicapped. Thirty-nine years later, the organization continues its commitment of enhancing the quality of life for physically, emotionally and psychologically challenged patients through equine-related therapy. The three Musical Ride performances serve as one of the group’s fundraisers that allow WETRA programs and events to take place.

Tickets for the local stops of the Musical Ride are available at www.wetra.ca for an advance price of $8 per adult and $6 per child under 10 years of age. Advance online ticket sale

packages feature two adults and two children for $24. At-the-door prices are $10 per adult and $8 per child under 10.

Tickets can also be purchased in advance by contacting Sarah’s parents Stan and Pat Brophey at 519326-3467. WETRA gave the Bropheys 160 tickets to sell.

“I was as proud as punch,” said Stan Brophey upon hearing that Sarah was chosen in May of last year for the 2012 Musical Ride. “It’ll be a wonderful experience. “They make them work very hard. The training is very intense — they’re all on the horse daily.”

Sarah is riding atop Pi-

chou, a 15-year-old Hanoverian mare standing at 16.3 hands (roughly 5’ 5” at the withers). Weighing in at 1,600 pounds, Pichou is participating in her ninth Musical Ride. Hanoverian horses originated from the same area in Germany where this year’s tour began.

The qualification process for the RCMP Musical Ride begins with submitting an application. In late autumn of 2010, tryouts were held in Ottawa, the same location for five months of intensive training that began in August of last year. The Musical Ride is a three-year commitment and applicants cannot re-apply for future

tours if not selected following their first tryout.

Const. Sarah Brophey, 30, has been living in North Vancouver for the past five years and has been with the RCMP since 2006. She and the other 31 riders conduct shows that are 40 to 45 minutes in length and perform to pre-recorded music that includes the former theme to Hockey Night In Canada. On July 6, the group will perform as part of the 100th anniversary of the Calgary Stampede and will finish the tour in Topsfield, MA - the only American stopSept. 29.

Sarah Brophey riding Pichou in front of the Parliament buildings

Local apples bit by frost

(Continued from Front)

been subject to three hail storms, three freezes and more than half a dozen frosts, some as recent as late April.

During a normal year, trees would only now begin to blossom. Although all apple tree varieties are vulnerable to the affects of frost, ida reds and empire trees are being hit exceptionally hard, as they typically start blossoming earlier than other strains.

Apricots and peaches are other fruits expected to reach low yields because of frost damage. Peach trees also suffered bark damage from this spring’s hail, a condition not as serious for the more resilient apple trees.

Trees affected by the recent spate of frosts are detectible by blossoms with browning, curling leaves. Many, however, will still grow apples, only to later show signs of damage that often appear in the form of rust-like spots or rings. Other damaged apples will appear misshapen.

While apple growers affected by the early bloom and subsequent late frosts will be spared the expenses of certain sprays and labour, Simpson explained that these savings will not compensate for lost revenue.

“Twenty years ago, Ontario had about 1,300 apple growers. Now, there are less than 300,” he noted. “If something like this happens again next year, there will be a whole lot less than that.”

Although crop insurance will help lessen the impact, Simpson explained that with the high cost of insurance premiums, only about one quarter of his costs will be covered. He stated that not only will apples be more expensive, supplies will not last yearly as long.

“I’ve still got about two more months left of last year’s crop,” he said. “This year, they’ll probably be bought up by November. Across Ontario, I don’t think anyone will have any left by Christmas.”

Ontario neighbours such as Quebec, Michigan, Ohio, New York state and Pennsylvania are also experiencing severe apple crop damage this year. As a result, the demand for apples from unaffected areas such as Washington state and British Columbia will increase — along with prices. Simpson also expects apple juice prices to go up, as greater quantities will have to be shipped from the west coast, from China or be made from concentrate.

Simpson noted that he is luckier than some growers, as only one third of his 60 acres is dedicated to apple trees. The rest is used to grow crops such as melons, sweet potatoes and squash. Because of frost damage, Simpson’s average of 10,000 bushels of apples per year will be reduced to about 2,000 bushels — potentially less in the event of more hail.

Thiessen Orchards could not be reached for comment by press deadline.

Grilled scallop and tomato skewers

The sunny-day citrus marinade brightens up sweet scallop-and-tomato skewers. Serve with steamed basmati rice or whole grain pilaf. Or serve on top of crisp greens, orange slices and avocado for a light entrée.

Makes 4 servings

• 1 pint SUNSET® One Sweet™ Tomato

• 6 green onions

• 12 large sea scallops, patted dry

• 4 metal skewers or 10” heavy wood skewers soaked in water

Marinade 6 tbsp fresh lemon juice 4 tsp finely minced lemon zest 2 tbsp finely minced ginger and/ or garlic 1/4 cup orange marmalade (warm in microwave if too stiff) 1 tsp coarse black pepper 6 tbsp olive oil.

Salt to taste garnish: lemon wedges and green onion slivers

Trim white end of green onions and cut each into two 2–3” pieces. Cut the remaining green part into thin slivers and reserve for garnish.

Thread onto a skewer in the following order: tomato, scallop, white part of green onion. Repeat 2 more times, then finish with one more tomato. Lay skewer in a 9-x-13” baking dish. Repeat with remaining skewers.

In a small bowl whisk together the marinade ingredients. Drizzle half of marinade over skewers, reserving the remainder, and turn skewers over to coat in marinade. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes (or up to 4 hours) before grilling. Preheat grill to medium-high. Discard used marinade and season each skewer with salt to taste. Grill until scallops are just cooked, about 2 to 4 minutes per side. Drizzle finished skewers with reserved marinade then garnish with green onion slivers and lemon wedges.

Chef’s Note: You can also sear the scallop skewers over high heat in a large non-stick skillet with a little olive oil, cooking on each side for about 3 minutes.

Wally Simpson of Simpson Orchards assesses frost damage to a row of golden delicious superior trees at his main farm on Mersea Rd. 5. (SUN Photo)

No ferry, no problem! Pelee Island Spring Song

Guests of Honour: Wayne Grady, Margaret Atwood and Merilyn Simonds.

AT RIGHT: Margaret Atwood with Vanessa Taylor at a book signing.

Police bracing for long weekend blitz

Police are bracing for the upcoming long weekend, which historically has been a deadly time. Not just the roadways, but waterways have been areas of heartbreak as well.

Letters to the Editor

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

A 16-year Transport Canada study by the Office of Boating Safety reveals some surprising facts about those who use the waterways for recreational purposes.

RE: Lack of ferry service to Pelee Island affecting livelihoods, tourism dollars

Dear Ms. Osadzuk/To the Editor,

“It is astounding to note,” the 2010 report reads, “that in exposure to boating, where the most frequent injury incidents involve capsizing and falling overboard, non-swimmers and weak swimmers continue to boat without a floatation device, and drown as a result.”

It appears that you have not been kept up to date with what your Mayor Rick Masse, Kingsville Mayor Nelson Santos and I as Mayor of Leamington have been doing over the past 2 years. We have completed a rather extensive “study” if you will, of the current operations and relayed to those who are in control, our views of the neverending shortcomings of their services. The final report, dated April 27, 2012 is being released mid May. Many of the problems to which you referred in your email are the exact same problems we pointed out during our meetings.

We too feel like Pelee Island is receiving substandard service and have pressed for new and improved vessels, better schedules, the elimination of the cancellation timeline and the like. Your Mayor Rick Masse has been very vocal on the matter on behalf of the residents of Pelee Island and deserves your support, much as he has earned from Mayor Santos and I.

Search and Rescue personnel know all too well that even consummate swimmers have great difficulty putting a lifejacket on once they’ve fallen in the water, especially when it is as cold as the water usually is in Canada.

The money flows from the Provincial Government and as you have stated, the service is run on behalf of the MTO by the Owen Sound Transportation Company. It would seem to me that it is with those organizations where your anger should be directed. Contacting the Minister of Finance Dwight Duncan (Lib), your local MPPs Taras Natyshak (NDP) and Rick Nicholls (PC) might also help, but we have done and continue to do what we can to resolve the frustrations of transportation to Pelee Island.

Thank you for your email and please know that your Mayor and the two of us on the mainland are in your corner.

Yours truly,

The added issue of cold water shock is that sudden exposure triggers an automatic gasp reflex that causes people to suddenly inhale a litre or more of icy water. Without a lifejacket properly fastened, death is moments away.

Other factors affecting boater safety that police will be checking for on the long weekend include proper preparation (charts and appropriate equipment on board), boater card for the operator, a safe number of occupants for the vessel, and safe operation (taking into consideration weather and observation of boating rules).

Mayor John Paterson, Municipality of Leamington

EDITOR’S NOTE: Because the letters were emailed to The Sun as well as a number of recipients, the following response was able to be printed at the same time as the above letter.

Transportation Study, just a study

Dear Mayor Paterson/To the Editor,

Thank you for the quick response to my email. To clarify, I am well aware of the ‘Transportation Study’ and took part in the information gatherings. The study referred to is not posted on any of the local municipal listings or with a link to view it. However, it is just a study and the fact that it finally has a completion date after two years still does not help me or anyone else get to or from the Island today or anytime in the near future by ferry.

I fully support all of the local municipalities and their efforts to provide quality services to all ratepayers/residents and I appreciate that I can voice my comments and concerns to all levels of government. My feelings of frustration and dissatisfaction do include all individuals who have any connection to this situation and implying “my anger should be directed elsewhere” seems to be misguided advice.

Again, thank you for responding and I am trusting that the squeaky wheel will find some grease soon.

Sincerely, Cindy Osadzuk

Downtown Leamington’s butterfly wall.

Neighbours Helping Neighbours Eastside Park BBQ

On Tuesday, April 24, the Youth & Family Resource Network’s Neighbours Helping Neighbours program hosted another successful community barbecue at Eastside Park for the neighbouring Mill Street area residents.

The goal of the event was to give an opportunity for neighbourhood residents to gather, connect, have fun, express concerns, and suggest improvements regarding their neighbourhood.

An estimated 300 people attended the event, composed of many families and children. Neighbourhood residents expressed that they enjoyed the hamburgers and hot dogs served at the barbecue and the games for children.

The Neighbours Helping Neighbours program partnered with many community-based services and clubs in order to make this event a reality. The partners included the Salvation

Army of Leamington, the Windsor-Essex Community Health Centre, the South Essex Community Council, and the Leamington Lions Club. The support they provided was greatly appreciated and demonstrates their commitment to improving the community. In addition, Leamington’s Deputy Mayor Charlie Wright and town Councillors Rick Atkin, Chris Chopchik, John Jacobs, Hilda MacDonald and Larry Verbeke attended the event.

During past events of the Neighbours Helping Neighbours program, residents identified making improvements to Eastside Park a community priority, including improvements to the play equipment, picnic tables, park benches and play surfaces.

Thanks to a grant provided by South Essex Community Council in partnership with the Youth & Family Resource Network of Es-

sex County and United Way, neighbourhood residents have put together a plan to make those improvements a reality by partnering with the Public Works department of the Municipality of Leamington.

Neighbours Helping Neighbours is a program designed to revitalize a local neighbourhood in Leamington. The program focuses on the Mill Street area, which is bordered to the east by Erie Street South, to the north by Talbot Street East, to the west by Lutsch Street, and to the south by Oak Street. The program engages residents to become involved in their community, identify areas of concern, and develop potential solutions. The program is funded by United Way Windsor-Essex as part of their priority of creating thriving neighbourhoods.

The Youth & Family Resource Network of Essex County is a registered char-

ity dedicated to providing social service programs to Essex County communities. Available free programming includes housing support services, nutrition programs, an Ontario Early Years Centre, and programs for youth including after school activities and leadership development opportunities. For more information, visit www.resourcenetwork.ca

Rediscover Your Bike

Rediscover Your Bike 2012 is rolling bigger than ever! With the number of beautiful bike trails in the area, the WindsorEssex County Health Unit and local community partners encourage area residents to get in motion and “Rediscover Your Bike”.

This year, Rediscover Your Bike is coming to four towns around Windsor-Essex County: Leamington, Kingsville, LaSalle, and Windsor. These events will help people of all ages gear up to ride their bikes safely this summer.

The events include helmet giveaways and helmet fitting, bike safety checks, bike skills rodeo for kids, and guided trail and Share the Road rides. Participants will be entitled to lots of free giveaways and an entry into a prize draw for a bike too! Come out and have some fun at one of these Rediscover Your Bike 2012 events!

Kingsville

May 26 - 10 a.m. - noon

Kingsville Recreation Complex 1741 Jasperson Lane, Kingsville

Leamington

June 2 - 9 a.m. -11 a.m.

Leamington Kinsmen Recreation Complex 249 Sherk St., Leamington

LaSalle

June 16 – 10 a.m. - noon

Vollmer Culture and Recreation Complex 2121 Laurier Drive, LaSalle

Windsor June 23 – 9 - 11 a.m.

Optimist Memorial Park 1075 Ypres Blvd., Windsor

With so many vehicles on the road it’s important for everyone to learn to ride safely. A critical part of bicycle safety is wearing a helmet. Bicycle helmets save lives and are to be worn by riders under 18 years of age. In the event of a crash, helmets reduce the risk of head injury by up to 85 per cent when fitted properly and worn correctly

Can still donate to meat canner project

By Bryan Jessop

A group of volunteers in Leamington is going above and beyond to ‘meat’ the needs of impoverished people across the globe.

Leamington was the last stop of the Mennonite Cen-

tral Committee’s annual meat canner project, which brings a canning machine and accompanying equipment to locations around Canada and the United States. This year, Meat Canner Leamington set out to

acquire 38,000 pounds of chicken to clean, cook, inspect, can, label and ship to a storage facility in Winkler, Manitoba.

Tender Choice Foods Inc. of Chatham provided the 38,000 pounds of chicken MCL was hoping for, placed in thousands of cans acquired from Crown Cork and Seal, also based out of Chatham. Labels for each can came from Fort Dearborn of Leamington.

Meat Canner Leamington also met its goal of attracting 600 volunteers over the five-day period, April 30 to May 4. The H.J. Heinz Company once again provided its Sherk Street grading station, free of charge.

“Everything is going very well,” said MCL committee member Tina Quiring during the Thursday afternoon canning process. “The weather has been great — it’s not a pleasant job to do when the temperatures get

really hot.”

Quiring described Leamington as an ideal location for the canner tour, as businesses such as Tugwell’s can fabricate replacements parts for instances when machinery breaks down.

For the hundreds of volunteers, including about half a dozen church groups per day, Joey’s Restaurant provided lunches and suppers.

Each day of canning ran in shifts that began at 6:30 a.m. and shut down at 10 p.m.

“This is a great community-building project,” said Quiring. “It brings people together, young and old. Everybody involved benefits.”

The process begins with chicken being cooked for 140 minutes before canning. From there, an assembly line cleans and inspects cans for dents and broken seals. Each can then re-

ceives a stamped code and batch number in case there are problems that require specific groups of cans to be tracked down. Afterwards,

labels are glued to the cans by hand before being packaged into boxes for shipment. In some instances, messages of goodwill are written on the labels, allowing volunteers to communicate with recipients.

This year marked the first for the Leamington group of volunteers to use chicken — in prior years 30,000 pounds of turkey were placed in 17,000 cans.

Expenses for this year’s canning stop in Leamington reached about $70,000. About $55,000 had been donated to the cause by the end of last week.

To help the group provide the remaining $15,000, donations can be made to the Mennonite Savings and Credit Union at 243 Erie St. South, Leamington. The credit union can be contacted at 519-326-8601.

Meat Canner Leamington volunteer Jaime Neufeld displays a cleaned, inspected and labelled can of chicken to be shipped to Winkler, Manitoba.

An assembly line of cleaners, dryers and labelers prepares the finishing touches on cans of chicken during the annual Mcanning project at the H.J. Heinz grading station.

Lisa Reimer glues a label to one of thousands of cans of chicken packaged by Meat Canner volunteers.

Snakes and turtles add $8,000 to Environmental Assessment

By Bill Chaplin, Municipal Correspondent

Last year Leamington Council hired Dillon Consulting to investigate Pelee Drive sanitary sewage collection under the Environmental Assessment Act. Specifically, they were hired “for the purpose of providing appropriate sanitary sewage collection to built-up, and proposed development areas, of south east Leamington, in an amount not to exceed $131,942 (including net HST).” The situation in the study area is serious enough that in August of 2009 the Ministry of the Environment put Leamington and Essex County on notice that levels of septic waste leaking into storm drains in the area was unacceptable and had to be addressed.

Fast forward to today and it has been discovered that one parameter of the contract must be changed. “The initial Environmental Screening of the Pelee Sanitary Sewage System project identified a number of known occurrences for Species at Risk (SAR) that are located within or around the study area. Therefore, a “Species at Risk Field Study” for turtles, snakes and barn swallow is required by the MNR for successful completion of the EA.” The bill for Dillon to do this work as required by the Ministry of Natural Resources is just over $8,000.

Representatives of Dillon Consulting took the opportunity to update council on the progress they have made on the Environmental Assessment. They are committed to having the work substantially complete by the end of July and will present their findings in a final report at the end of October. That means, with a bit of luck and if grant funding becomes available, construction could begin in 2013.

Tractor stolen on Mersea Rd. 5

The Essex County OPP Property Crimes Unit is investigating the theft of a 2010 John Deere Tractor and cultivator.

The theft occurred some time between May 9 and May 10, 2012 in the 500 block of Mersea Rd. 5, Leamington.

Police are actively following leads and the OPP are asking the public to contact the police or Crime Stoppers if they have any knowledge related to this theft.

The total value of the tractor and cultivator is approximately $20,000. Both pieces of equipment are John Deere green and have identifying markings.

Pubic Meetings held to discuss re-zoning

There were two public meetings Monday evening, May 14, one uncontested, one controversial. Both were held for re-zoning as the Planning Act requires.

The first re-zoning on Mersea Road 4 is needed to transfer just over 9 acres (3.74Ha) of vacant farmland to Great Lakes Greenhouses to provide space for eventual construction of a bunkhouse for labour. The property is currently zoned A3 (hobby farm) and is to be re-zoned A1 (general agriculture). Since the residual property not being transferred still qualifies in every way for its A3 zoning, and the subject property will qualify in every way as A1, no problems were anticipated, and there was no technical impediment from an administrative point of view.

In contrast, the second rezoning on Hodgins Street is needed to permit the owner to construct a two-unit dwelling where only a one unit dwelling is permitted. This type of intensification is not that uncommon in older sections of the town, but this particular location has a problem. In the opinion of administration it has inadequate sewer service, and has been placed in a Holding zone. The Holding zone designation is intended to delay development until the problem that has been identified is corrected.

Simply put, the combined sewer that services this end of Hodgins Street accepts both storm runoff and sanitary sewage. In dry weather it is perfectly adequate to handle the sanitary flow.

In wet weather, however, it quickly becomes overburdened, in part because of its size, and in part because it drains into an even smaller combined sewer that is itself overburdened. Nothing in the Holding designation prevents replacing an existing dwelling with a new one, but replacing one unit with two is not allowed until the sewer capacity is improved.

Here there is a problem. In a memo from Engineering Services to the Planning Department it says, “In future years the subject sewer is intended to be converted to a storm water relief sewer conveying only storm water to the Selkirk Drain. The sewer separation program calls for separate storm and sanitary sewers to be installed along Hodgins as the primary sewer services. Hodgins Street is Step 57 and the Municipality recently completed Steps 6 and 7 along Armstrong and Johnson. Design work is in process on Steps 8, 9, 10, 11, 12 and 13 with completed construction anticipated in 2017. The Municipality has every intention of servicing this land, but not for a number of years.” For ‘a number of years’, it would be fair to say ‘a number of decades’.

One more wrinkle: in the administrative report accompanying the application

to the public meeting the planner points out, “It should be noted that the concerns of staff as they relate to zoning and servicing were reviewed with the applicant prior to the property being acquired. The applicant was advised that the zoning would allow for a single family unit, but because of undersized services, staff could not support intensification.”

easily be accommodated on the lot to retain up to a 100 year storm event, so the development would actually have a beneficial effect on the current situation.

In response to the storm water concerns that have been raised, the proponent’s engineer explained that water control measures could

Administration will be reporting back to council in two weeks time, at which time council will make their decision whether or not to support the re-zoning.

2nd Annual Second Chance Treasures Fashion Show

On April 28 the Leamington United Church sanctuary was magically transformed, with the talents of Simona’s Flowers and Brenda Tansley into a stunning spring garden. DJ PJ Productions added lighting to make the garden sparkle like no other.

The 2nd annual Second Chance Treasures Fashion Show was a complete success with the attendance doubling from last year. There were 35 models, from the very young to the very mature, who found clothing from The Et Cetera Shoppe, The Society of St. Vincent de Paul Thrift Store and The Salvation Army. The models were treated to hairstyles by the students at Marvel Beauty School and makeup by

artist Tiffany Aziz. The show was a fundraiser for the Leamington United Church youth programs, and a percentage of the profits went to assist the thrift stores with their projects as well. The committee would like to thank the following sponsors for donating time, services and door prizes which helped make the show successful: DJ PJ Productions, The Bank Theatre, Simona’s Flowers, The Star Theatre, Break Time Corner, Fletcher’s Cleaners, Neil Dundas, Rosalind Dundas, Reverend Paul Rodey, and the many volunteers including the Fashion Show Committee that helped with models, photos, videos and refreshments.

ABOVE: Olivia & Cassidy Girardin

AT LEFT: Rev. Paul Rodey

RIGHT: Amber Meloche, Megan Vankempen

Horticultural Society Plant Sale

The Leamington Horticultural Society held its annual spring plant sale on Saturday morning, May 12 at the Half Century Club. Pictured here are members and volunteers at the sale with some of the plants. From left to right are Susan Ross, Beth Smith (president), Joan Macdonald, Glen Young, Marion Liebsh, Tina Grolman and Ken Clark. The plants, grasses and flowers were supplied from members’ yards and gardens. Some of the leftover materials will be donated to the Eastside Park project in Leamington. (SUN Photo)

Physician Recruitment Gala raises $25,000

Doctor recruitment efforts for the Leamington area received a healthy shot in the arm earlier this month.

The 8th annual physician recruitment gala, organized by The Community for Doctors Committee, was held Saturday, May 5 at The Roma Club. The fundraiser was attended by 235 guests, about 40 more than last year’s gala. With proceeds and expenses still being tabulated, the group hopes to generate between $22,000 and $25,000 through the 2012 event.

Several items at the gala were donated by local businesses and organizations, including a donated trip by John Sylvester Homes and numerous meal items such as meat, cheese and fish. For the eighth time, Maria Edwards of New Design in Kingsville offered her skills to decorate the gala room. Auction items were also donated, including a football signed by Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford.

“It was one of our better events,” said gala chairperson Theresa Didomenico. “Everyone was pleased with how it went. It would be nice though to have more people attending the event.”

Preparation for the gala began a year in advance with booking the hall and a live band. Committee members and volunteers began gathering auction items about three months prior to the event.

“It’s a lot of work,” Didomenico said. “There’s a lot to do to get everything ready in time.”

Didomenico noted that people often confuse the physician recruitment gala with the Leamington District Memorial Hospital Foundation gala, held in February to raise money to purchase new equipment for the hospital.

Starting last year, The Community for Doctors Committee added a new feature to its gala. Through a video and presentation, Dr. Fred Sabga was honoured during last year’s event. This year, the committee chose to honour Dr. Rachel Park, the lead physician for the Leamington Family Health Team.

The May 5 fundraiser also included a fashion show during dinner, presented by Clyde Hatch At Ease.

Each guest attending the gala receives a booklet highlighting the committee’s physician recruitment efforts. The booklet helped raise additional funds as well through advertisements.

The physician recruitment gala raises money to help the committee assist with moving expenses for doctors interested in moving to the Leamington area. It also helps offset the costs of MedQuest, a camp designed to familiarize interested high school students with the details, expectations and atmosphere of a career in the medical field. MedQuest accomplishes this with a five-day program of job shadowing local doctors and a series of presentations and activities.

Didomenico explained that the committee hopes to some day raise enough money to help med students pay for their tuition in exchange for an agreement to practice locally for a period of five to 10 years.

UCCU offers

$25,000

in student awards

Building upon its longstanding commitment to youth, United Communities Credit Union has announced it will distribute $25,000 to local students to give them a financial boost for post-secondary education.

The MyUnited Student Award recognizes local students who have balanced academic achievement with a demonstrated commitment to the social and environmental wellbeing of their school and their community.

“We also want to recognize students that have a wide-range of postsecondary plans, which is why we opened up the award to students attending colleges, universities, apprenticeship programs as well as technical institutes and private colleges,” said Liz Arkinstall, Manager of Community Relations.

“Financial literacy is a life skill we should all have,” said President and CEO Jim Lynn.

Online applications are being accepted until June 15th and are available at myunited.ca/studentaward

Lally Southpoint Ford assists KDHS

A unique fundraising opportunity at Kingsville District High School took place on Saturday, May 5. The Drive One 4UR School event, partnering KDHS and Lally Southpoint Ford, raised over $5,000 for the school. People had the opportunity to test drive Ford products and for every test drive, KDHS received a monetary donation. Lally Sales Manager Jason Gill donated the supplies for the barbecue. Pictured, teachers Marc Pinsonneault, Jason Leili and Sue Nurse, pose with Lally Sales Manager Jason Gill beside some of the Ford products. (Photo by Steve I’Anson)

Leamington

Transit route change, hours extended

Starting Friday, June 1st, 2012 Leamington Transit will be changing its route and have a new schedule. The new route is laid out to have the bus run along the same route in both directions except for small loops at the ends. This layout allows riders to go to their destination and return without having to ride the entire length of the route as is the case with the current oneway loop route.

Leamington Transit will also extend its hours of operation to 7:00 a.m.-7:00 p.m. Monday through Saturday effective June 1st. These new operational hours are the result of consultation with riders who felt the extended hours would help them with early morning trips and evening appointments.

Bus stop signs are now being posted along the new route. The new route and schedule can be seen on the Leamington Transit website at http://www.leamington. ca/residents/transportation.

asp. Copies of the new route and schedule may also be picked up at the Leamington Municipal Building, the Leamington Kinsmen Recreation Complex, on the Leamington Transit Bus, and at the Leamington Marina.

Transit fares remain the same and are as follows:

Adults $2, Seniors $1.75, Students $1, Children 12 and under $1. One child under age 6 rides for free when accompanied by a paying adult. For additional savings, passes good for 22 rides are available at a cost of $35 for adults and $30 for seniors.

Mayor John Paterson was pleased that the new route and schedule are being unveiled: “The response at public meetings indicated it was time for us to make our route more efficient and to have hours that better suit people’s busy lives.”

Heavenly Strings

Judy Kenna BMA, ARCT Leamington 519-326-5960 www.heavenlystrings.ca

THURSDAY, MAY 17 - St. Paul’s Lutheran

Church will be having a Roast Beef Dinner from

4:30 - 7:00 p.m. Advance ticket sales only. Adults $12, children 5-10 years $6, and children 4 & under are free. Tickets can be purchased by calling 519-398-9741 or 519-326-5576.

FRIDAY, MAY 18 & SATURDAY, MAY 19 - 'Relay For Life' Fundraiser Yard Sale/Bake Sale/BBQ 8am - 4pm at 529 Talbot Road East (on the highway between Leamington & Wheatley).

SATURDAY, MAY 19 - The Leamington Shoppers Drug Mart Dragon Boat team is hosting a yard sale in the Shoppers parking lot on from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. All proceeds go to SDM Dragon Boat team.

THURSDAY, MAY 24 - The Questers, an organization for the study of antiques, preservation and restoration of artifacts, existing memorials, historical buildings, landmarks and education, is coming to the County. There will be a meeting at 7 p.m. at the Windsor Family Credit Union, 318 Erie St. South, Leamington. District Officers will be presenting an orientation for people interested in forming new Chapters. Drop-ins encouraged. For info call Jackie at 519-3261361.

FRIDAY, MAY 25 & SATURDAY, MAY 26Ruthven Pastoral Charge Trinity Plant Sale, at the Richards, 366 Road 2 West, Kingsville. FRIDAY, MAY 25 & SATURDAY, MAY 26Rummage Sale at Leamington United Church, 9 John St. Fri. 9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.; Sat. 9:00 am - 12:00 noon.

SATURDAY, MAY 26 - Ruthven Pastoral Charge Fish Fry Perch Dinner at Trinity, New California, 4:30-7:00 p.m., 1005 Road 2 West, Kingsville. Advance tickets preferred. Adults $15, children $7.50, under 5 free. Support people for people with special needs – half price. Limited accessible. Takeouts available. Call 519-733-5589.

Lunch and Learn at Colasanti’s

About 180 residents from across Essex County converged upon Colasanti’s Tropical Garden last week to fill both their stomachs and their minds.

Colasanti’s, as well as the Leamington Court Retirement Residence, stepped forward to host the Windsor-Essex Senior Games Lunch and Learn event on Thursday, May 10. For a pre-paid cost of $15, attendees were treated to a broasted chicken lunch complete with salad, pasta, rolls, beverages and dessert, followed by gardening presentations by Colasanti’s owner Joe Colasanti and St. Clair College Horticultural Technicial program professor Jay Terryberry.

Although guests paid for their meals, they were treated to door prizes, gifts and cake courtesy of Colasanti’s and the Leamington Court Retirement Residence, who also contributed to the event’s advertising costs.

Terryberry is an on-call expert for a radio gardening program and offers tricks and trips on what he calls “know” maintenance gardening — stressing that no maintenance gardening does not exist. Colasanti offered advice on brining indoor plants and flowers outdoors for the summer’s warm weather.

Colasanti, an expert on the treatment and care of flowers and plants sold at his business, suggested to Windsor-Essex Senior Games representatives that they recruit an expert on additional aspects of gardening.

The local Senior Games group proceeded to recruit Terryberry, who was happy to offer his advice. Terryberry was approached by Senior Games District 32 president Blaise Gillis during a volleyball game, as the two are members of the same league.

The local presentations, which included question and answer periods for both presenters, ran until about 3:30 p.m.

While many who attended the Lunch and Learn were Senior Games participants, others represented various age groups. Many of these gardening enthusiasts were nearing the minimum age – 55 – which qualifies them to participate in the games.

“This gives us a great opportunity to teach people about

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

SATURDAY, MAY 26 - Erie Wildlife Rescue is hosting their annual Open House/Wild Baby Shower; 11168 Tecumseh Road East, near Banwell Road, Windsor. A Yard Sale, along with demonstrations, door prizes, displays and refreshments will take place from 10am until 3pm. Come out and see what we do for the animals, and for your community. For more information call 519-969-3919. Please support the rescue and rehabilitation of local wildlife.

SATURDAY, JUNE 2 - Mom2Mom Sale Leamington, 10:30 a.m. - 2:00 p.m., Kinsmen Recreation Complex, 249 Sherk Street, Leamington, 100 tables of kid’s items and local businesses. Admission $1, kids get in free. www.mom2mom.ca/windsor.

SATURDAY, JUNE 2 - Broasted Chicken Dinner at Leamington United Church, 4:00 - 7:00 p.m.

Adults $10; children 6-12 $6; children under 5 free. Advance tickets only. Cut-off date: May 29, 2012. Call the Church 519-326-9461. Menu: Broasted chicken dinner with dessert.

SUNDAY, JUNE 3 - Pancake Breakfast fundraiser for Lainie (Armstrong) Sallmen, from 10 a.m.-1:30 p.m. at Tilbury Leisure Centre, 10 Canal St. W. Hosted by Tilbury Eastern Star. Pancakes, maple syrup, peameal bacon, eggs, muffins, fruit, juice, tea, coffee. Admission $6 or donation. Everyone welcome. Info at 519-324-9189.

SUNDAY, JUNE 3 - Miss Lizzy's Tea at 2 p.m. at the Roma Club Pavilion, 19 Seacliff Drive E., Leamington. A traditional tea that benefits the Windsor Regional Cancer Centre, particularly the patient assistance fund that provides assistance to cancer patients that are struggling financially. Limited tickets are available. For more info or to purchase tickets contact Liz at 519-326-1955.

the games while they’re having fun with other things,” said Paulette Kupnicki, marketing and community relations committee chairperson for the Windsor-Essex (District 32) Senior Games.

This year marked District 32’s third Lunch and Learn event, which sold tickets in advance at nine locations throughout the county up to March 3. The group skipped the past couple years of Lunch and Learn, allowing organizers to develop a new focus and new topics for each installment of the event.

District 32 of Ontario’s Senior Games attracts 750 to 800 athletes who participate in a total of 27 tournaments throughout the summer and winter games. These local games are supported by a team of volunteers from throughout the county, including Alex Gyemi, who celebrated his 90th birthday during last week’s Lunch and Learn program.

This season’s senior winter games wrapped up in January while the summer games, which began last month, will conclude in June. On June 20 at the Serbian Centre in Windsor, the Windsor-Essex group will celebrate its 30th anniversary while awarding winners of both the winter and summer games. For more information on the Windsor-Essex Senior Games, call 519-776-7333 or visit the website www.seniorgames-windsoressex.com

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 6 - Leamington Blood Donor Clinic at the Portuguese Club, 217 Talbot St. W., Leamington, 12:00 noon - 7:30 p.m. Call 1-888-236-6283 for information or to book an appointment. Walk-ins welcome.

WEDNESDAY, JULY 4 - Leamington Blood Donor Clinic at the Portuguese Club, 217 Talbot St. W., Leamington, 12:00 noon - 7:30 p.m. Call 1-888-236-6283 for information or to book an appointment. Walk-ins welcome.

MONDAY, JULY 23 - The Kidney Foundation’s will present the 12th Annual HUB International Golf Classic, at Essex Golf & Country Club. 18 holes, lunch, registration prize and dinner. Lots of competitive prizes. Info at www.kidney.ca/ontariogolf or call 519-9779211 ext. 23.

SATURDAY, JULY 28 - The Kidney Foundation is presenting the 6th Annual Biz X Beach Jam Volleyball Tournament at On the Beach Volleyball in Tecumseh. Play ‘under the lights’ at this mixed sixes tournament, which begins at 5:00 p.m. and features a pig roast buffet and a $700 cash prize for the winning team, as well as prizes for the highest fundraisers. Each participant is asked to raise a minimum of $60 in pledges per person or $360 collectively as a team. To register or for more information visit www.kidney.ca/beachjam.

IF YOU HAVE PARKINSON and would like to join our group for information, exercise & support, come by Tuesday mornings at 10:30 a.m. to the Half Century Club, 160 Talbot St. E. Leamington. THE LEAMINGTON KIWANIS CLUB IS A SERVICE ORGANIZATION. Meetings are held twice a month, the first and third Thursday. If you are a non-profit organization and would like a meeting place on weekdays, or if you are interested in learning more about our organization, or to have us involved in your community, please contact

Joe Colasanti discusses the nitrate, phosphate and potash content of different plant fertilizers during the third WindsorEssex County Senior Games Lunch and Learn, held Thursday, May 10. (SUN Photo)

St. Clair College horticulture professor Jay Terryberry makes a presentation during the Windsor-Essex County Lunch and Learn event. (SUN Photo)

Monday Music at the Marina starts June 4

The popular Monday Music at the Marina, an evening of free musical entertainment, starts June 4 from 6:30 -8:00 p.m. at Leamington Marina. Musical Mates Brad and Lynn Bailey invite everyone to sit back, relax and enjoy a variety of secular and gospel music.

This weekly summer event is open to the public. Time is approximate, and weather permitting. Bring a lawn chair and possibly some mosquito repellant.

The last Monday at the Marina will be Sept. 10. For further info contact Brad or Lynn at 519-326-4825.

Dance to the beat of your own drum

Today, more than ever, we face so much negativity in our lives. With that in mind, I feel the need to offer you some encouragement that may help to take your mind off all the bad news. We are bombarded with news of layoffs, companies downsizing, home foreclosures, loss of investment and retirement savings, and illness. Here is something that you can do to temporarily provide some relief. I must warn you that you will experience some stress relief and happiness, if only temporarily. So get your favorite CD or music from your iPod, turn the sound up and start dancing.

My first memories of dancing start at weddings that my family attended on Saturday evenings, in the summertime at the Roma Club. I loved getting dressed up, carrying a purse and being allowed to wear a little touch of lipgloss for the first time, but my best memory, aside from the wonderful meal, was dancing. Popular local bands like Atlantis or Paradise played everything from accordion accompanied polkas to all the hit tunes played on guitars, keyboard and drums.

I recall my first dance steps, as I balanced on the tops of my father’s big shoes, I was led side to side around the dance floor until I got the gist of things. Later, my feet hit the floor and I learned to maneuver them on my own or with various partners, including my brothers, my girlfriends and once in a while some cute boy, if I was lucky! I especially loved the polkas, as I watched the couples twirling flawlessly around the dance floor.

Dances at school were fun but sometimes a little stressful. When ‘Stairway to Heaven’ came on, you definitely wanted to make sure you had a good dance partner. Many times, I tried to recreate the popular atmosphere in our family basement with a disco ball and dimmed lights. Unfortunately, most of the boys my age were more interested in riding bikes in our rec room instead of dancing with us. In grade eight, three of my friends and I honed our dance skills and performed the ‘Can Can’, with fringed outfits, headbands and stocking feet. My mother, a great dancer, taught us the steps and we gave quite a show at this particular talent contest.

Luckily, throughout my teenage years my older brothers included me on some double dates to semi’s and formals in Toronto. Wearing our long dresses and tuxedos, we “danced the night away”, using all the moves that we had learned from John Travolta in “Saturday Night Fever” and “Grease.

Apart from being a great exercise, there is something about dancing that makes me smile. I don’t believe that anyone can dance and not feel good, even if you are dancing solely for exercise. Dancing gives me positive energy and puts me in a good mood. My moral here is: if I feel good, then perhaps I can face life’s challenges with a better attitude.

Ever since the kids were little, music has constantly played somewhere in our home. They all love dancing as well, but the opportunities are far and few between when we are able to dance together. I must admit some of my moves make my children cringe. That’s another great thing about dancing, there are no rules, so if your style is ‘washing the windows’ or the ‘wheelchair’, it just doesn’t matter.

Most recently, while on a get-away weekend with some girlfriends, we spent no less than three hours on the dance floor together and danced like no one was watching. While dancing I don’t think about anything other than dancing. As a matter of fact, I don’t think. I turn off my mind, simply dance and let the music speak through me.

You don’t have to go to a nightclub, even though that can be great! There is so much positive energy as dancers move and groove to whatever music is playing. On the confined space of a packed dance floor, one can always identify the dancers who are having the most fun. They are usually the ones who ‘dance like no one is watching’; they almost look like they are in a trance, as the music takes them on a journey.

After dancing, I always feel better and more able to face life’s challenges with some enthusiasm. It makes the day-to-day just a little bit more exciting. Let’s dance! “I hope you still feel small when you stand beside the ocean

Whenever one door closes I hope one more opens Promise me that you’ll give faith a fighting chance And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance.”

- Lee-Ann Womack

Go ahead and dance! I dare you to do so! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RV-Z1YwaOiw

Leamington Council notes

At the Monday, May 7 Council meeting the following information was shared with those in attendance:

• At the recent OSUM Conference (Ontario Small Urban Municipalities), Councillor John Jacobs won a free building energy audit, while Councillor Larry Verbeke won a $425 free advertisement in Municipal World Magazine. Both donated their prizes to the town.

• Councillor Hilda MacDonald announced that Paul Krause is donating a hand-crafted cedar lighthouse replica to the municipality. It is expected that the artwork will be placed at the marina.

Plans for Tomato Fest

include new venue for classic car show

The Leamington Tomato Festival’s car show will have a new venue and an organizing team for this summer’s event. Those organizers will be three members of the former Leamington Classic Cruiser’s car club – Gino DelCiancio, Blake Hunter and Bill Stasso.

And the venue for the one-day event will be the Roma Club, set for the Sunday, August 19.

DelCiancio and festival chairman Dave Campbell are enthusiastic about the site. There is lots of parking in the area, and the club’s lounge and food area will be available, said DelCiancio.

It’s been many years since the Classic Cruisers was an active organization. It used to sponsor car shows at the arena over two decades ago but in the 1990s interest began to dwindle. “We used to have one of the best shows in southwestern Ontario,” said DelCiancio.

His interest was renewed during a recent conservation with Campbell, as the two were going through a weekly exercise routine. He said both Stasso and Hunter have now agreed to join the effort.

Moving the show to the Roma Club should bring added benefits to the Tomato Festival, says Campbell. It is much closer to Seacliff Park and draws more people to events there, like the pancake breakfast, said Campbell.

DelCiancio said he expects the Leamington show capable of drawing as many classic cars as any other event in the county. “There used to be a lot of shows; Amherstburg, Belle River, Essex… I would expect we’ll get about 200 cars out,” he added.

Prizes would be awarded in 16 classes, and then “special” classes will be added.

It should provide some added nostalgia for many of the former club members, said Delciancio.

For the Tomato Festival, Campbell said planning is well underway for many of the events and other details are still being firmed up for the celebration set for Seacliff Park Aug. 17-19.

The festival includes the pageant (held at the Kinsmen Complex Aug. 16) tomato stomp, parade, pancake breakfast and many more events, including an expanded volleyball tournament.

“We’re always looking for new people on the committee and anyone with event ideas we’d certainly like to hear from,” said Campbell. “Over the last few years we’ve been trying to keep everything local, as much as possible.” He said that means buying and renting and contracting with local companies and people.

Anyone seeking more information about the car show, or other festival activities can call the office at 326-2878.

NOTICE

Dog Registration Enforcement

By-law 668-06

Representatives of the Municipality of Leamington will be attending door to door selling dog tags commencing May 23, 2012. The cost of a dog tag is $36.00 per dog which includes the late fee. Each Municipal Representative will be identified with a Municipality of Leamington picture identification name tag.

Everyone who owns or keeps a dog within the Municipality of Leamington must register their dog by purchasing a dog tag. No one is allowed to own more than two dogs or keep more than two dogs on a property unless the property is licensed as an approved dog kennel. Anyone failing to comply with By-law 668-06 may receive a fine.

Information regarding Dog Registration including the Dog Tag Registration Form may be found on Leamington’s website www.leamington.ca under Municipal Services/ Corporate Services/Animal Control.

If you have not yet purchased dog tags, you may also purchase dog tags at the Municipal Office, 111 Erie Street North.

Kim

Siddall,

Manager of Corporate Services

Phone: 519-326-5761

Maintaining spring bulbs

Spring has arrived and most of the spring bulbs have bloomed, leaving only the foliage behind.

With tulips and all other bulbs, always allow the leaves to die back naturally. This produces energy necessary for the next year’s growth and flower production. When the foliage turns brown, it indicates that the nutrients have been stored in the bulb. To remove, gently pull the leaves away from the ground level.

Planting other perennials such as hosta will quickly fill in vacant spots.

Now is the time to remove the bulbs or to rearrange the garden. Keep the bulbs in a cool dry area until you are ready to replant your garden design.

If hyacinth bulbs are dry and slightly cracked, they can release oxalic acid that can irritate your skin for a short time. Wearing gloves is advisable during this transplant, or soak the bulbs in water before handling them to prevent any sensitivity.

Allium flowers at the end of their growing cycle, providing both the flower and the bulbs with enough nutrients for next years growth. These bulbs are best divided and transplanted in early fall after the bulb has become dormant.

Growing perennials such as lily of the valley, butterfly plants, astible and bleeding hearts provide nectar to help attract butterflies and humming birds to your garden. These plants will also attract beneficial insects to help feed the butterflies and birds aiding in pollination.

Bulb fertilizer or bone meal is necessary to grow a

May 26-27/12

12:00 - 5:00 PM (Live Music 12:00 - 3:00) Admission: FREE - Collecting Canned Goods for the local food bank. Join us for the American long weekend while we celebrate two events in one. 455 Seacliff Dr., Kingsville

NOTICE - PUBLIC MEETING BUILDING PERMIT FEES

TAKE NOTICE that the Council of the Corporation of the Municipality of Leamington will hold a public meeting on the 11th day of June, 2012 at 7:00 p.m. in the Council Chambers at 111 Erie Street North, Leamington, in order to consider changes to building permit fees pursuant to Section 7 of the Building Code Act.

PURPOSE AND EFFECT - The Municipality of Leamington is proposing to amend building permit fees pursuant Section 7 (6) of the Building Code Act. The effect will be to increase the existing fee structure. Information will be provided at the meeting on the estimated costs of enforcing and administering the Building Code Act, the amount of the proposed fees and the rationale for changing fees.

ANY PERSON may attend the public meeting and/or make written or verbal representation either in support of or in opposition to the proposed fees.

FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION related to the proposed fees please contact the Building Services Department during regular office hours at the municipal offices, 111 Erie Street North, Leamington or call 519-326-5761 or visit our website at www.leamington.ca

DATED at The Municipality of Leamington this 8th day of May, 2012.

Tracey Pillon-Abbs Director of Development Services 111 Erie Street North Leamington, Ontario N8H 2Z9

healthy plant. If the season is rainy, add extra fertilizer to compensate for the rain leaching out any nutrients in the soil. However, there is no benefit to fertilizing during fall planting, as over fertilizing will lead to bulb rot. Indoor pot-grown bulbs do require houseplant fertilizer weekly during the growth cycle.

The rule of thumb for planting bulbs is to bury them three times as deep as the diameter of the bulb. Measure the planting depth from the soil surface to the top of the bulb. Plant less deep in heavy clay soil, and in sandy or porous soil bulbs should be planted a little deeper.

Early blooming bulbs like dwarf iris, miniature daffodils and snow crocus should be planted in a sheltered sunny spot where you see them often, by a doorway or at the base of a retaining wall.

It is important for your bulbs to mature naturally. The leaves are the bulbs’ primary source of energy for next year’s flower and must mature while the foliage is ripening to produce a healthy plant.

For more information regarding your spring garden, my new e-mail address inthebackyard74@yahoo.ca

NOTICE OF ANNUAL MEETING

Take notice that the 62nd Annual General Meeting of the members of the Leamington District Memorial Hospital Corporation will be held at the Leamington District Memorial Hospital Cafeteria Tuesday, June 26, 2012 At 3:30 p.m.

For further information, contact Linda Harfmann, Executive Assistant to the CEO, 326-2373 ext. 4101.

By order of the Board of Directors, Bryan Meyer, Chair

194 Talbot St. W., Leamington ON 519-326-2373

Passport clinic in Leamington May 24

The annual Leamington passport clinic will be offered again this month by MP Dave Van Kesteren. It is scheduled for 10 a.m.-2 p.m. on Thursday, May 24 at the Leamington Kinsmen Recreation Complex, 249 Sherk St.

Participants can pick up applications upon arrival at the clinic or prior to the clinic at any Canada Post office, or at the MP’s offices. Volunteers will be on hand at the clinic to assist those needing help in completing their application and to ensure the applications are completed before mailing. A photographer will be at the clinic to take passport pho-

Pennies for a New Day Makes Sense

Finance Minister Jim Flaherty announced during the federal budget that the Royal Canadian Mint would stop producing pennies this fall saving the government $11 million a year.

To capitalize on this Community Living Essex County is launching a small fundraising campaign called “Pennies for a New Day” with the goal to raise $1,000 in support of the work of New Day with the collection of pennies at each of their four resource centre locations in Essex County. New Day- Leaders of Today is a self-advocate committee that meets on a regular basis and is committed to informing and teaching others about the rights of people with intellectual disabilities and how to advocate for themselves. The funds raised from this campaign will be used to support the advocacy work done by New Day in Essex County.

Resource centre locations in Leamington, Essex, Amherstburg and Tecumseh are collecting and counting pennies from families, friends, staff and the community until Thursday, May 31.

In Leamington the office is located at 245 Talbot Street West.

tos at a cost of $15 (including tax), payable in cash.

Photocopying will also be available for any documents that are to be submitted.

The cost of passports re-

mains unchanged from past years. Prices are $87 for adults (16 years of age and older), $37 for children age 3 to 15 years, and $22 for children under 3 years. Pay-

ment can be made either by major credit card or certified cheque or money order payable to the Receiver General for Canada.

Please note that passports are NOT issued at these clinics. Any questions regarding the completion of a passport application or about the clinic itself can be di-

rected to Dave Van Kesteren’s office in Leamington 519-326-9655 or Chatham 519-358-7555 or by visiting his website www.davevankesteren.ca

*Subject to parliamentary approval

Ladies ball hockey is back in action!

By Emma Hannigan

“It’s just a great night of fun and exercise,” says Lisa ‘Derb’ Derbyshire, the convenor for ladies ball hockey, which started once again on Monday, May 7 at the Wheatley Arena.

The first game of the night was battled out between Anthony Keats Marine and Johnston Electric. Anthony Keats Marine scored first with a nice goal by Laura Epp, assisted by Brooke Kaiser and Jaclynn Arquette. That goal was quickly answered by Susan Jane Ricci of Johnston Electric who netted one. This was followed by another goal from Johnston Electric by Amy Bell on a breakaway. As the period carried on, Epp returned for her second goal of the game from Alex Papineau, and was followed again by Ricci for her second goal of the game, ending the first period 3-2 for John-

ston Electric.

Minutes into the second half Jessica Blain of Anthony Keats Marine scored, assisted by Nicole Jackson, which temporarily tied things up. Johnston Electric came back with three consecutive goals - two from Ricci and one from Betty Paterson. Assisting on the goals were Bell, Vickie Wenzler and Christine Omstead. Epp scored once more from Arquette. Unfortunately, it wasn’t enough to

escape the 7-4 loss. Ricci ended the game with five goals!

The second game was played between The Journal and The Car Barn. The only goal in this game was scored by Janet Hannigan of the Car Barn, assisted by Noelle Resendes and Christine Hopper.

Both teams gave it their all, especially the two goalies - Cindy Harris of The Journal and Lisa Derbyshire of The Car Barn.

From left to right are

Complex instructors receive certification in senior fitness

The Centres for Seniors Windsor offers courses for fitness instructors and recently two Leamington Kinsmen Recreation Complex fitness instructors completed the Seniors Fitness Instructors Course certified by the Canadian Centre for Activity & Aging.

Rosie Salive is pleased to incorporate this new certification into the many personal training sessions that she does with her senior clients. This new certification gives insight to modify exercises for senior class participants based on individual strength and fitness agility.

Meta Keane-Allain has been teaching W.O.W. (Women on Weights) and Walkers Plus fitness classes for many years. Meta feels

that the Seniors Fitness Instructors Certification will allow her to enhance her existing classes by incorporating new challenges for all fitness levels. Funding for this program was received by the Government of Ontario and supported by the Zoomers in motion health promotion strategy.

Sharks golf tourney helps with team expenses

By Bryan Jessop

The Wheatley Sharks hope to take another big bite out of team expenses with this year’s golf tournament.

The annual event, to be hosted by the Talbot Trail Golf and Country Club Saturday, June 2, has gone beyond expectations for the number of registered teams. When registrations started being accepted in early April, 18 teams of five was established as the tournament’s maximum allowable participation number. As of last week, 24 teams had registered, although last-minute cancellations are expected and occur every year. For the 2011 event, 118 registered golfers was reduced to 96 at start time because of cancellations.

Tournament coordinators, however, are still accepting hole sponsors and major sponsors. Hole sponsorships are available at $100 each, earning the donor a sign placed within open view of all golfers during the tournament. Major sponsors, at a cost of $500 each, also have their names placed on a major sponsorship board.

“We’ve never really pushed major sponsorship until this year,” said Bruno Carnevale, who organizes the sponsor segment of the tournament.

So far, the event has attracted 15 major sponsors and more than 80 hole sponsors, some of whom donate $150 to $250 for one sign. To offer sponsorship for the fundraising event, contact Carnevale at 519-796-2429 by May 26 to ensure a sign can be printed in time for the 12 p.m. shotgun start on June 2.

Teams play a best-ball format in the annual Sharks tournament, which has been organized every year since the team joined the Great Lakes Junior ‘C’ league in 1994. The $125 individual entry covers green fees, cart rental, a follow-up steak barbecue and entry to win raffle prizes donated by local businesses. The cost for dinner only is $20.

Golfers can also win cash prizes for longest drive, closest to the pin and closest to the line. Josh Carnevale, who organizes the registration portion of the tournament, explained that about 90 per cent of golfers hail from the Wheatley and Leamington areas.

“There’s not really any particular age group for the tournament,” said Josh, who played for the Sharks in the 200809 and 2009-10 seasons and now serves the team as one of its coaches. “They’re anywhere from 16 to 65 years and up. A lot of them are returning from last year, but we’ve got a few new groups coming out too.”

REC ROUND-UP REC ROUND-UP

Saturday, June 2

Rediscover Your Bike

9:00 am Kinsmen Recreation Complex Parking Lot

Saturday, June 2

Wheatley Sharks Golf Tournament and Steak BBQ at Talbot Trail Golf Club, Wheatley.

Wednesday, June 6

Leamington District Memorial Hospital Foundation Golf Tournament. Contact Ross Barnwell at 519-326-2373 ext. 4143.

Saturday, June 9

Flyers Golf Tournament Erie Shores Golf & Country Club Steak BBQ to follow.

Wednesday, June 13

Leamington District Chamber of Commerce 19th Annual Chamber Cup. 519-326-2721 or go to www.leamingtonchamber.com

Saturday, June 16

Leamington Mennonite Home 10th Annual Golf Tournament at Erie Shores.

Saturday, June 16

Leamington Area Ecumenical Refugee Committee Golf Tournament. Roby Dyck 519-326-6868 or Carolyn Reid 519-326-6776 or register at Erie Shores.

Saturday, June 16

Kids of Steel Triathlon & Adult Try-A-Tri & Do-A-Du 9 am - 12 noon Kinsmen Recreation Complex

Over 50 Fitness & AquaFitness classes per week.

And if you’re working in town – come check out Complex noon hour fitness classes:

• Pilates Tummy Tuck on Mondays and Wednesdays with Mary Ann.

• Fit in 30 Minutes with Rosie on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

• Both classes run from 12:15-12:45. It’s exercise made easy in 30 minutes on your lunch break!

• Boot Camp at Seacliff Park is on Saturday mornings through June 23.

• Urban Poling on Leamington’s Trails - meet at the Complex parking lot on Wednesday afternoons starting May 23 - June 20 from 5:15-6:00 p.m. 5 classes$22 plus HST.

Hurry in and join the spring work-out crowd! Purchase a 3-month Shape-Up Special for $115. On sale until May 31.

Student Summer Membership Special: Calling all university/college/high school students – if you’re home for the summer, come work out at the Complex. This student special allows you 4 months of great weight and cardio workouts for just $115. On sale until May 31.

Kids Triathlon Camp teaches children ages 6-11 years how to prepare to do a triathlon! The Kids Triathlon Camp runs the weekend of June 1-3. Register the kids now and get them ready to participate in the Leamington Kids of Steel Triathlon on Sat. June 16.

Rock ’n Swim on Fri. May 18 from 7-9 p.m. Bring the family and swim to your favourite tunes sponsored by Dr. Karen Archer – Family Dental Care.

Safari Swim: Swimming theme day on Sun. June 10 from 1-3 p.m. Lifeguards will lead a safari scavenger hunt and crocodile caper swim for the kids! It’ll be a jungle of fun!

LACE UP LEAMINGTON for the CBC Live Right Now campaign! CBC asks: what are you doing in your community to get people motivated to include exercise into their daily routine? And LEAMINGTON is INVITING EVERYONE TO WALK the trails, parks and waterfront promenade. Each Tuesday and Friday in the early morning, 6:30 a.m. till 7:15 a.m., come join Councillor Hilda MacDonald as she leads the walkers! Meet at the Complex parking lot (straight out from the main front doors). That’s each Tuesday and Friday early morning until Fri. Sept. 28.

The tournament is open to both men and women and normally includes Sharks players both past and present.

Last year’s gathering at the Talbot course raised about $18,000 for the Sharks. Proceeds go toward annual team expenses — ice rental alone costs in excess of $38,000 while team insurance reaches a sum of $15,000 or more.

“Most people don’t realize how much it takes to keep a team going,” said Bruno, who is now involved with the organization of his fifth consecutive tournament for the Sharks. “It takes a lot of work to make it happen.”

Erie Shores

Ladies 18-hole league begins

The Erie Shores Ladies 18-hole golf league kicked off Tues. May 8. The weather cooperated and the ladies had a great first day.

The game they played was Lone Ranger. The winning team of Beth Conn, Erika Grabb, Muriel Davey and Carol Quinn scored 142. Muriel Davey had the only chip-in.

Pictured in front, left to right, are Rosie Salive, Mayor John Paterson and Meta Keane-Allain. They are surrounded by some of the participants of the Walkers Plus class which is geared to the 55+ crowd.

(Photo submitted)

would be short lived for one of

hoping for a rally in the sixth

ball to the pitcher. Not looking

Erie Shores progs golf opens for the season

Tues. May 8 started out rather cloudy, but as the day progressed the sun appeared, the temperatures rose and the scores were somewhat tepid. Even though the 55 members of progs golf had a lot of extra time to practice, it just goes to show that practice does not make perfection. We’ll just say it was opening day nerves. However, there were some golfers that played very well.

Leading the group with a +6 was Bill Kelly, followed by Frank Dick and Pat Dugal tied with a +5.

Seven skins were distributed to Danny Adams, Gary Alderson, George Turnbull, Henry Hildebrandt, Bill Kelly, Bill Slater and Tom Miehl.

Using the Stableford system, Team A handily topped the others with a –2. Team C was second with a –26. The winning team members are: Norm Beattie, Tom Miehl, Pat Dugal, Barry Miller, Bill Slater, Frank Gow, Jack Martin, Ed Schachowskoy, Roger Cote, Frank Dick, Wally Ellsworth, Ken Luxford, Mel Davey and Bob Dick.

Next time, the teams will be selected using the luck of the draw format. They won’t know what team they’re on until the end. This always adds a bit of excitement to the round.

Flyers Hold Mini Camp

The Leamington Flyers held their annual mini-camp this past weekend on the Unico Rink at the Heinz Arena. More than 70 players between the ages of 15 and 18 attended. Most were local players from Windsor-Essex County, however there were also a handful of players from Michigan and Ohio. The Flyers will now determine which of the attendees will be invited to return to their main tryout in early August.

(SUN Photo)

BTS defeats Johnston Electric in men’s softball

Terry Symons initiated a rally game within reach. The shaky team at bay in the botom of visiting team in the 7th as a 1‐2‐3 inning gave BTS a 10‐9 victory. With Don Johnston Electric’s team captain leaving to take their bat boy home early for game number 2; Nick Chorba made his first appearance of the year on the hill. The resurgence of Brother Grundner Bobby’s bat put a giant hole in his glove as he patrolled Right Centre field making some costly errors at critical times, not allowing their inexperienced pitcher to garner the confidence he needed to battle through a tough wind and hitter friendly counts. Not wanting his brother to feel bad, Al dropped a fly ball on his behalf. Kyle Atkinson and Adam Verheyen’s bats surged the BTS offence along with their Ace on the hill Aaron Tetreault keeping DJE’s bats at bay allowed BTS to take this game 18‐6 in 5 short innings. The one bright spot for DJE in game 2 would be the homerun heard around the world hit by Bobby Grundner. This quieted brother Al up after his game 1 heckle on a long single “the Bobby from 3 years ago would have made it to third!”; little did he think about those comments when the Al from last year would not be sitting behind veteran Harry Toews on the stats sheet. A few highlights from game one included 4 strike outs induced by the stellar pitching on both teams (Teddy Bradley, Caleb Beaupre, Chris Ciliska and Darcy Omstead) and an absolute bomb hit into the trees in right field by Guardian Pharmacy slugger Adam Verheyen. Around the league Bashers were successful infiltrating Desert Storm 7‐5 and 18‐2; Saw Monkeys axed the Pirates in 2 close games 9‐8 and 6‐4; Buds defeated Colt 45’s in both; the Dirty Farmers cleaned up the Car Barn in both 7‐1 an 13‐10; Grinders put the Dawgz to bed in their kennel as they took both 16‐6 and 17‐3. Stay tuned next week as the featured Game of the week will bring you the Dirty Farmer’s as they try to keep their winning streak alive against the struggling Don Johnston Electric. It’s always a good time when you’re with Those Guys!

Jose’s Southpoint Men’s Softball League (JSMSL) game of the week featured the home team Guardian Phamacy (BTS) against their archrival Don Johnston Electric (DJE).

Game 1 saw the DJE pitcher struggling to find the mat as Adam Verheyen jumpstarted a potent BTS offence. In an attempt to shake up the DJE lineup in week two, the Grundner brothers were separated in hopes of one if not both of them would get going. Offensively it appeared to work as they both reached base in their first at bats.

This would be shortlived for one of the brothers though, as DJE hoping for a rally in the sixth inning saw brother Al hit a high fly ball to the pitcher. Not looking good being down by 6 in the 6th, Terry Symons initiated a rally that netted 4 runs in putting the game within reach. The shaky DJE defense held Chris Ciliska’s team at bay in the bottom of the 6th.

The bats fell quiet for the visiting team in the 7th as a 1-2-3 inning gave BTS a 10-9 victory.

With Don Johnston Electric’s team captain leaving to take their bat boy home early for game number 2, Nick Chorba made his first appearance of the year on the hill. The resurgence of Brother Grundner Bobby’s bat put a giant hole in his glove as he patrolled right centre field making some costly errors at critical times, not allowing their inexperienced pitcher to garner the confidence he needed to battle through a tough wind and hitter friendly counts.

Not wanting his brother to feel bad, Al dropped a fly ball on his behalf. Kyle Atkinson and Adam Verheyen’s bats surged the BTS offence along with their ace

on the hill Aaron Tetreault keeping DJE’s bats at bay, allowed BTS to take this game 18-6 in 5 short innings.

The one bright spot for DJE in game 2 would be the homerun heard around the world hit by Bobby Grundner. This quieted brother Al up after his game 1 heckle on a long single: “the Bobby from 3 years ago would have made it to third!” Little did he think about those comments when the Al from last year would not be sit-

ting behind veteran Harry Toews on the stats sheet.

A few highlights from game one included 4 strike outs induced by the stellar pitching on both teams (Teddy Bradley, Caleb Beaupre, Chris Ciliska and Darcy Omstead) and an absolute bomb hit into the trees in right field by Guardian Pharmacy slugger Adam Verheyen.

Around the league, Bashers were successful infiltrating Desert Storm 7-5 and 18-2; Saw Monkeys axed

the Pirates in 2 close games 9-8 and 6-4; Buds defeated Colt 45’s in both; the Dirty Farmers cleaned up the Car Barn in both 7-1 and 13-10; Grinders put the Dawgz to bed in their kennel as they took both 16-6 and 17-3.

Stay tuned next week as the featured Game of the Week will bring you the Dirty Farmers as they try to keep their winning streak alive against the struggling Don Johnston Electric.

4-H

Sheep Club

By Kendess Mass

At the second meeting, held at Ken Hatt’s farm at 7:30 p.m., the 4-H Sheep Club said the 4-H pledge. At this meeting we talked about different breeds of sheep. Some of the different breeds we discussed were Ile de France, Rideau, Dorper and a few others. We got to see how his farm is set up and how he raises his sheep. We also saw all the cute lambs. We then had a snack of juice and cookies. Our next meeting is May 22.

Talbot Trail senior golfers

Despite some heavy overnight rain last week, the senior golfers were able to test their golfing skills. The gas carts were permitted to move about the course using the 90 degree rule. The new drainage system seems to be working well, as the course was in superb playing condition again last week.

The best overall score for the day came from the sticks of Dave Overholt, who shot a spectacular 38. In the 55-69 division, Jim Pearson again achieved a terrific score of 40. The going to earn low scores for many of us was somewhat challenging. The next best result came from Stu Ivy and Ray LaPierre who achieved noteworthy 45s. Dave Clark, rookie player, earned a solid 46 while Jim Omstead and Bill Ward were one shot back with their fine 47s. Five players achieving 48s were Dave Dent, Bob McLean, Dave Carter, Larry Schmidt and Al Zanuttini. Other scores of 50 or less came from Brian Brown, Ron Will, Mike Getty and Mike Thibodeau.

Canadian CrissCross

PENTECOSTAL

FGT Family Church

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

Sunday Worship 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.

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 Masses: 7:30 a.m. (English) 10:30 a.m. (English/Children’s Liturgy) 10:30 a.m. (OLBS, Wheatley, English),

Ruthven P.S. kicks off Fit Week with Zumba

Law Enforcement Torch Run for Special Olympics

On Wednesday, May 23, officers and civilian staff from the Essex County OPP will be participating in the Ontario Law Enforcement Torch Run for Special Olympics. The run will start at 8:00 a.m. at the Tecumseh OPP Detachment and will travel throughout Essex County.

This is the 25th anniversary of the Law Enforcement Torch Run, and provincially the Torch Run has raised over $23 million dollars to help send athletes to Special Olympics throughout the province. Locally the members of the Essex County OPP have participated in this annual event and raised in excess of $200,000.

There will be 7 legs of the run, including Leamington, and anyone can participate, either by running, walking, rollerblading or biking. The expected times and locations for each town are as follows:

• Tecumseh – 8 a.m. – Tecumseh OPP Detachment to Sobeys

• Lakeshore – 9 a.m. – Lakeshore OPP Detachment to Shoppers Drug Mart

• Leamington – 10 a.m. – Leamington OPP Detachment to Heinz

• Kingsville – 11 a.m. – Cindy’s Shop on County Rd 20 to Kingsville OPP Detachment

• Essex – 12 noon – Essex OPP Sub-office to United Communities Credit Union

• Amherstburg – 1 p.m. – Amherstburg Police Station to Joe Meloche Ford

• LaSalle – 2 p.m. – Memorial Arena to Laurier Park

This week, students and staff of Ruthven Public School are celebrating Fit Week. A variety of school-wide and classroom games and activities are planned including dancing, Zumba, a full school game, walking the track and healthy snacks. The theme for the week is Recharge Your Day. Pictured here, parent volunteer Billie Stapleton led Ruthven staff and students through a vigorous Zumba workout as part of Fit Week.

submitted)

Sharks trade Tremblay for two Belle River Canadiens

In an off-season deemed crucial to the Wheatley Sharks Jr. C hockey team management and staff to build a team to contend for the Great Lakes title, a deal has been completed with the Belle River Canadiens.

The Sharks have obtained forward Dylan Impens and defenceman Mike Reid in exchange for forward Josh Tremblay.

Tremblay played the last two seasons with the Sharks. “Josh was a big part of our run to the league finals two seasons ago and was a great team guy,” said Sharks GM Kevin Fisher.

Impens, a Leamington native, was a third-round pick of the Saginaw Spirit of the OHL in 2008. Reid played last season with the Canadiens and is a product of Belle River

Minor Hockey.

“We are looking to Dylan to bring much needed experience he gained from the back-to-back league titles, and a kick to our offence,” said Fisher. “Reid is a steady defenceman that just gets the job done.”

The Sharks will be holding their Prospects Camp on June 8, 9, 10 in Tecumseh. The camp schedule and rosters will be posted on the Sharks website in the coming weeks.

•

(Photo

Ruthven Public School holds Track and Field

Ruthven Rams held

Ruthven teacher Anjanette MacTavish gives relay runners Chelby Coffey (left), Tilia Galata, Isla Froese and Krislyn Mastronardi some advice before their event.

Grade 4 students Quinn Neufeld (left), Brendan Kubinec and Ashton VanKempen prepare themselves for the Miller Medley Relay Race.

Grade 7 student Zakarie Braun participated in the running long jump during Ruthven’s Track and Field Day.

Cardinal Carter’s William Demers races in to take possession of a loose ball headed by a Catholic Central opponent during a Tuesday, May 8 game hosted by the Cougars. The visiting Comets won 1-0 with a lategame goal. (SUN Photo)

Cougar player Bradley Dos Santos leaps to head the ball away from surrounding Catholic Central Comet players during a game hosted by Cardinal Carter Tuesday, May 8. The Comets won 1-0. (SUN Photo)

Barons open season

The Leamington Barons Senior Men’s baseball team will open their regular season with an away game on Sunday when they visit the Amherstburg Sr. team at 1 p.m.

Their first home game will be on Wednesday, May 23rd at 7 p.m. on diamond 7 at the Kinsmen ball diamonds when they host the Windsor Sr. team.

This year’s roster is: Willy Froese, Max Saad, Greg Mastronardi, Brian Moore, Thomas Matier, Dave Neufeld, Jason Hillier, Chris Youssef, Steve Feltz, Taylor Tiessen, Steve Avelar, Koddi Quick, Ryan Sellon, Steve O’Neil, Jeremy Tiborcz, Jeff Schauer and coach Jason Cornies.

Where were you in ’72?

Can you imagine working at the same place, in the same department, for 40 years? That’s the case for Ray Baynton, CKNX’s current Farm Editor and past News Director for both radio and television. The thing is, he’s still a young(ish) guy. I’d have to check, but I don’t think Ray has reached age 60. He graduated from his broadcast program, and immediately joined his hometown station where he has remained ever since.

What’s remarkable about Ray is how he has embraced change in an industry that has changed tremendously during his tenure, especially technologically.

When Ray first burped in the microphone, radio stations still played records and reporters banged out stories on typewriters.

Today, radio is digital up the wahzoo with only a handful of stations in all of North America that offer in-studio program hosts (live D.J.’s) performing evenings and all nights. Robot radio, inter-active applications and station websites have become part and parcel of radio broadcasting. To be honest, I don’t think radio has progressed that much in quality despite the new tools. I loved the Big 8 too. Who today comes close to offering that much excitement on the radio?

I was 12 years old in 1972, and listening to Uncle Dicky in the morning on CFCO Radio. He was a legend. Frank McBride and Farm Director Harold Smith were also mainstays of that era. A number of years later, I had the opportunity to work with all three. I was the all-night kid and I’d pass them in the hallways at 5 a.m.

Much of it is relative, well sort of, but not really. In 1972 the average salary was $11,800 per year. The average cost of a home was two and a half times that amount. So, all things being relative, if you earn $40,000 today, can you find an “average looking home” for a 100 grand? I doubt it, unless you’re trolling the market for a house in MooseArse, Manitoba.

Forty years ago, gas was selling for 20 cents a litre. You could fill up your Chevrolet Biscayne up for about ten bucks. Our family had a Biscayne for a few years, until my Dad pulled up one day in a brand new Caprice. He dished out $4,000 for that big, beautiful car. Then again, he could afford it. He had just gotten a raise at National Hardware

and was hauling in 13,400 big ones per year. I don’t know why I remember that, but I do. Just don’t ask me what I had for lunch today.

In 1972, Global TV went on the air for the first time. You could watch it on a brand new 15” portable colour television set. Ironically, they sold for over 300 bucks then. Then again, 8 digit pocket calculators were selling for close to a hundred dollars. You can get ’em for a buck at Dollarama these days.

Pierre Trudeau was our Prime Minister in 1972, the same year that Lester B. Pearson, perhaps our greatest and most unsung Prime Minister, passed away at age 75.

U.S. President Richard Nixon was embroiled in Watergate 40 years ago and the horrors of the Vietnam War played out nightly on the CBS Evening News with Walter Cronkite.

You could hear Don Mclean’s American Pie on 8-track in 1972 and if you wanted to take “your Chevy to the levee” you could have Muntz install one into your Vega.

At the theatre, you could pay a couple of bucks to watch The Godfather or Dirty Harry.

The greatest sporting event for most Canadians that year was Team Canada’s victory over the Russians. I’m so thankful that our elementary principal of the day, Ted McCabe, recognized the value of the moment and allowed students to forgo the classroom to gather in the auditorium to watch a significant moment in our country’s history. A couple of black and white 20” inch televisions adequately served the needs of hundreds of students. Thank you McCabe and thank you Paul Henderson. I thanked Paul personally last spring when he came “home” to the Goderich area.

I can’t imagine what our life, planet et al will look like 40 years from now. By then, I’m sure both Ray and I will be retired.

June 8

sale May 26

October 27 Tickets on sale May 26

JOHN WEESE Weese’s Pieces...

Women’s networking group testing the waters in Leamington

The Women’s Economic Forum (WEF) conducted an informational meeting in March for individuals in Leamington and the surrounding areas.

In 2011, WEF celebrated their 30th anniversary in Windsor with founding members Carol Libby and Katherine Roth. WEF has connected professional businesswomen by serving as a networking opportunity from all facets of the workforce – industrial and financial sectors, academic and cultural variations and governmental agencies across Windsor and Essex County. Women’s Economic Forum is a proven model for women in Leamington and the area who are looking for achievement-oriented women to expand their networking opportunities and socialize with others who have similar interests and challenges.

“I joined the Women’s Economic Forum to expand my network of business women,” said 2012 President Rosemary Heenan. “I found the members interesting and inspiring. WEF members became my first clients and I make a point of using them for any products or services I need. I enjoy the monthly meetings and speakers and highly recommend this organization for any women.”

Monthly speakers addressing current and pertinent topics are chosen to inspire the membership. Workshops and seminars are also offered.

Board member Rose Marie Roach of Leamington said that on a number of occasions she had asked various women from the area to join her at some of the networking dinner meetings in Windsor. She found that the rush to get to Windsor on time to meet and form business contacts was almost impossible. Rose Marie suggested to the Board that an extension of WEF would be beneficial to business women across the Windsor and Essex County area and a good opportunity to grow WEF’s membership. Introducing the two chapters a few times a year at midway points, like Harrow or Essex, would open up business and networking opportunities to both chapters.

Thirty area women came out to hear more about this proven networking brand in March along with some of Windsor’s WEF member-

ship. Three speakers gave their endorsements – founding member Carol Libby, President Rosemary Heenan and Vice-President Melissa McCormick. All three

women spoke about the value and friendships developed by being involved with WEF.

So on Wednesday, May 23 at the Pelee Days Inn,

Donna Messer will be in Leamington as the night’s keynote speaker. She is a coach and inspiring motivator who has addressed thousands of people span-

ning across three continents.

A former broadcast journalist, known as “The Queen of Networking”, Donna has authored more than 4,000 articles published around the world. For ticket information and details contact Rose Marie Roach at 519324-9536 or email peleeview@live.ca or rose@thebrandingexperts.ca

Leamington Br. 84 Legion news

By Lisa Cowen-Tehonchuk

Please note that Leamington Legion’s new summer hours take effect June 1: Wednesday and Thursday from noon till 6 p.m., Friday from 11 a.m. till close, and Saturday from noon till 6 p.m. or close. The Branch won’t close if people are still there. The Legion will be open on Tuesdays from 6:30 p.m. until 11 p.m. for the remainder of May only.

The Ladies Auxiliary Br. 84 is presenting a spaghetti dinner and evening of music on Sat. May 26 at the Branch. Open to all. Dinner will be served from 5:30-7 p.m. Music by T.D. Lobzun. Advance tickets are $8 or 2 for $15. At the door $9 each. There will be door prizes, a gourmet basket to be raffled and a 50/50 draw. The ladies are also raffling a Bubba cooler for Father’s day, and tickets are 3 for $5. You can get your tickets at the bar or from Ladies Auxiliary members.

June 13 will be the next seniors dinner dance. It will be the yearly Strawberry Social. Strawberry shortcake or strawberries and ice cream for $4, or strawberries and a hamburger or sausage for $7, or just a sausage or hamburger for $4. Music by Gord Ciliska. Tickets for Christmas in July will be available for purchase for $10. Elections are now over. The Executive for the coming year is: President – Lisa Cowen-Tehonchuk; 1st VicePresident – Lisa Turner; 2nd Vice-President – Mark Tehonchuk; Executive – Craig Tehonchuk. Congrats to all and good luck for the next year.

The Legions hosts Friday night darts at 8 p.m. and the Saturday meat draws from 3:30 to 5 p.m. Open to all. The next General meeting is June 6 at 7:30 p.m. The Ladies Auxiliary will meet on May 23 at 6:30 p.m. For information contact the Branch at 519-326-0073.

Humphreys wins Erie Shores men’s league kick-off

Brian Humphreys made it to the top of the heap for the second year in a row by beating Neil Sawatzky in a suddendeath playoff to win the 32nd Annual Erie Shores Men’s Opening Kick-Off this past weekend.

Humphreys and Sawatzky both finished the day ahead of the rest of the field with their two over par scores of 73. However, Brian made par on the second extra hole to edge out Sawatzky who finished with a bogey. Along with being Erie Shores reigning Club Champion, Humphreys has now won the Kick-Off event four times in the past six years. Finishing alone in third place, one stroke back at three over par 74 was Ward Hutchins, while Jim Dunlop and Greg Dunmore tied for fourth place with four over par rounds of 75.

Mike Ferreira and Andy Herring were next were their five over par scores of 76.

Martin Morphet had a six over par 77 to stand alone in eighth place, while Kevin Babkirk, Tim Tiessen, Ken Steingart, Ryan Harder and Ed Schachowskoy all finished with rounds of 78. Also breaking 80, with his eight over par 79, was Kevin George.

In the Low Net category, John Penner finished in first place with a net score of 65, one stroke ahead of Jack Martin and Greg Dunmore who both had net 66s. Brian Collins finished next with a net 67.

In the Four-Ball Net Best-Ball category, the team of John Penner, Vic Tiessen, Vic Penner and Paul Driedger were the overall winners shooting a 15 under par net 56 to finish one stroke ahead of the team of Ron Koop, Barry Miller, Joe Verhoeven and Gord Anderson who had a net 57.

Tying for third place with net scores of 58, were the three teams of Bill Gherasim, Jack Martin, Gene Bouilane and Ron Gagne; Ken Steingart, Mark Grabb, Ward Hutchins and Mike Herbert; and Tim Towle, Wayne Gillett, Ken Cobby and Brian Plumb.

This year’s Kick-Off, as well as the Closing Field Day

in September, is sponsored again by the “Friends of Erie Shores”, a generous group consisting of Gillett Sheet Metal, Counter Effects, Leamington Chrysler Jeep, Humphreys Electrical Contracting Ltd., Stewart’s Roofing and Siding, Evergreen Memorial Park Cemetery, Leamington Collision, The Eye Glass Shoppe and Uni-Fab Enclosures.

Benjamin Van Roie

Benjamin (Ben) Van Roie, 51 years, passed away peacefully after a courageous battle with cancer, surrounded by his loved ones, on Tuesday, May 8, 2012 at Leamington District Memorial Hospital.

Beloved son of Margaret Van Roie (the late Adolf). Loving father of Melissa Van Roie (Guy), and Neil (Stacy). Proud grandfather of Brody. Dear brother of Jacky (Loretta), Willy, the late Eddy (Diana), the late Guy (Kathy Malott), Myriam Smith (Murray), Susy Skjerven, Marleen Shelswell (Bob), Ruthy Masse (Randy), Lucy Sedlak (Mike), and Shane (Susie). Many aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces, nephews and friends also survive.

Ben was an avid sportsman and was always passionate about nature.

Visiting was on Thursday at the Reid Funeral Home & Reception Centre, 14 Russell Street, Leamington (519326-2631).

Funeral service to celebrate Ben’s life was held at the funeral home on Friday, May 11, 2012 at 11 a.m. with Fr. Pat Fuerth officiating. Interment at Evergreen Memorial Park Cemetery.

Memorial donations may be made by cheque to Ducks Unlimited Canada or the Southwest Outdoors Club. Family and friends are invited to share their words of comfort and remembrance or make a charitable contribution at www.reidfuneralhome.ca

SOUTHPOINT SUN

1 BEDROOM APARTMENT. $600 per month. Call 519326-1869. ma9-tf

3 BEDROOM APT. for rent. Lower unit. Own laundry room and entrance. Call between 9 am - 9 pm, 519324-0185. Available June 1. ma9-tf

PLUMBROOK MANOR APARTMENTS

Security Building Fridge & Stove Utilities included

PRINTING: Business envelopes, invoices, flyers, business cards, custom print jobs, whatever your printing needs, call Rick at The Wheatley Journal for quick and economical service. 519-825-4541. tf

ELECTROLUX SALES & SERVICE: Complete line of vacuums and shampooers/ floor polishers. Will provide free estimate on Central Vac installations. Contact Dan Bailey. 519-825-7698. tf

BUSY RV DEALERSHIP looking for RV Technician. Will consider apprentice. Woodworking and plumbing skills an asset.Fax resume to 519-326-6567. au24-tf

For residential and light commercial service work. Only Qualified May Apply

Please apply in person with resume to our office at 1 Iroquois Road, Leamington Ontario

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

Sensibly. Weigh in from 6 pm - 6:45 pm, meeting from 6:45 pm - 7:30 pm every Monday at Wheatley United Church. Call Cheryl at 519825-9194 or Ellen at 519326-0730 or visit website: www.TOPS.org. Everyone welcome. tf

DO THE CLEANING!For a clean house without having to take the time, phone 519-890-4140ma16-16

MOVING YARD SALE- Sat. May 19th and Sun. May 20th 8 am - 5 pm. 37 Queens Ave, Leamington (down the street from the post office). ma16-16

MOVING SALE - 828 Road 4, Leamington, east of Hwy 77. Lawnmower tractor, tools, furniture, household items and much more. Fri., May 18 and Sat., May 19 from 7 am to 7 pm. ma16-16

EVERGREENS, BLACK AND - emerald cedars: 4-5 ft tall, Colorado Blue Spruce: 3-4 ft tall, Sky Rockets: 5-6 ft tall. All $11 each. Many other varieties as well. Call 519324-9665. ma16-23c

For viewing please call 519-322-1924 tf MUSIC LESSONS at Rebel Cowboy in Wheatley. Call 519-825-3330.

IT’S A BOY!!!

Marci Hodgson and Aaron Will are thrilled to announce the birth of their son, RYAN MICHAEL AARON WILL born Monday, April 16 at 8:14 p.m. at London Health Sciences Centre, weighing 8 lbs.-13.8 oz. and 21 inches long. A brother for Curtis. Proud grandparents are Doreen and Larry Will, Chris Hodgson, and Allison and Bill Siddall, all of Wheatley.

Preference will be given to candidates that have a 425A (Ag equipment) or a 421A (Heavy Duty Equipment) licence, or equivalent with a minimum of 3 years experience in agricultural/farm operations. This is a permanent full time position with a salary range between $25 and $30/hr plus benefits and pension. Please respond in the strictest of confidence by sending your resume to: recruitor_1@hotmail.com

Southpoint Sun May 16, 2012

Local apples bit by frost

Brophey part of RCMP Musical Ride

Local apples bit by frost

Grilled scallop and tomato skewers

No ferry, no problem! Pelee Island Spring Song

Police bracing for long weekend blitz

Letters to the Editor

RE: Lack of ferry service to Pelee Island affecting livelihoods, tourism dollars

Transportation Study, just a study

Neighbours Helping Neighbours Eastside Park BBQ

Rediscover Your Bike

Can still donate to meat canner project

Snakes and turtles add $8,000 to Environmental Assessment

Tractor stolen on Mersea Rd. 5

Pubic Meetings held to discuss re-zoning

2nd Annual Second Chance Treasures Fashion Show

Horticultural Society Plant Sale

Physician Recruitment Gala raises $25,000

UCCU offers

in student awards

Lally Southpoint Ford assists KDHS

Leamington

Transit route change, hours extended

Heavenly Strings

Lunch and Learn at Colasanti’s

Monday Music at the Marina starts June 4

Dance to the beat of your own drum

Leamington Council notes

Plans for Tomato Fest

include new venue for classic car show

NOTICE

Dog Registration Enforcement

Maintaining spring bulbs

NOTICE - PUBLIC MEETING BUILDING PERMIT FEES

NOTICE OF ANNUAL MEETING

Passport clinic in Leamington May 24

Pennies for a New Day Makes Sense

Ladies ball hockey is back in action!

Complex instructors receive certification in senior fitness

Sharks golf tourney helps with team expenses

REC ROUND-UP REC ROUND-UP

Erie Shores

Ladies 18-hole league begins

Erie Shores progs golf opens for the season

Flyers Hold Mini Camp

BTS defeats Johnston Electric in men’s softball

4-H

Sheep Club

Talbot Trail senior golfers

Canadian CrissCross

SPONSORED BY

PENTECOSTAL

PRESBYTERIAN

Ruthven P.S. kicks off Fit Week with Zumba

Law Enforcement Torch Run for Special Olympics

Sharks trade Tremblay for two Belle River Canadiens

Ruthven Public School holds Track and Field

Barons open season

Where were you in ’72?

Women’s networking group testing the waters in Leamington

Leamington Br. 84 Legion news

Humphreys wins Erie Shores men’s league kick-off

SOUTHPOINT SUN

SOUTHPOINT SUN

PLUMBROOK MANOR APARTMENTS