OPP win award

Laura-Lee Cholette, assistant superintendant at the Upper Canada Golf Course, is someone who gives a ‘hoot’.

In May of this year, following a big windstorm, Laura-Lee spotted what she thought was a chunk of paper near the trees north of the par three third green. On closer inspection, the chunk of paper turned out to be a baby bird, later identified as a Great Horned Owl.

So began Laura-Lee’s rescue,  which included the Owl’s turn over to the Wild Bird Centre in Ottawa, its summer spent growing up at the Owl Foundation near Niagara Falls and its subsequent release back home on Sunday, October 9 at the Upper Canada Bird Sanctuary.

“They estimated it was only two weeks old when I found it and explained to me that at that age it wasn’t at the branch stage yet,” says Laura-Lee. (The branch stage, about six weeks old, is when the young owl is old enough to sit on a branch and wait for its parents to bring food.)

Initially, Laura-Lee left the unidentified bird, but after finishing work and returning home, she couldn’t get if off her mind.

She contacted the Wild Bird Centre in Ottawa and was instructed to return it to the tree and wait for three hours to see if the parents would return.

So back she went, a ladder was located, and she set the baby bird back up on a branch. After three hours, the parents had not showed up, and she returned home.

“The next day it was on the ground again.”

“It could stand up with no problem and its claws were huge. It even hissed at me.”

Fearing it was unlikely the baby would survive, Laura packed it up and took it to the Wild Bird Centre.

“It was neat,” she says. “They actually got four at the time, because of the wind storm.”

It was there that the baby bird was identified as a Great Horned Owl.

From the Wild Bird Centre, the baby was sent to The Owl Foundation, an owl rehabilitation centre located at Vineland Station in the Niagara Peninsula, where it was raised to the age it could survive on its own.

“They had a foster mom who took in six babies,” says Laura-Lee. 

When release time came, Laura-Lee was contacted. Also being returned to the area was a Screech Owl that had been found in Cooper’s Marsh in August. Preferred releases are done within a reasonable distance from where the owls are originally found.

“I was supposed to pick her up in Napanee, but luckily Patty Summers from the Wild Bird Centre in Ottawa was in Guelph and she was able to drive them here.”

Laura-Lee says she was totally impressed with the beautiful bird that was returned to her.

“Her wing span was three feet, and she was probably 1.5 feet tall. She was gorgeous.”

The Screech Owl, (later released at the Marsh) was “very tiny. It was the size of my guy’s head.”

In front of family and friends, Laura-Lee released the Horned Owl at the Bird Sanctuary. 

Per instructions, the box was opened near trees “so she could look for a perching option. The last I saw of her, she was flying off over the trees.”

“They explained to me that if there is room she will stay, but if there is already a pair around she will move on. I actually wanted to take her home. She was beautiful.”

Describing her feelings as happy “because it is now free” and sad “because it is alone”, Laura-Lee says the rescue was a “wonderful experience”. She says she has certainly learned a lot about owls.

The Great Horned Owl is the most widely distributed true owl in the Americas. It can have a wingspan of 40-60 inches and the females are larger than the males. They have large ear tufts,  reddish brown or grey faces, and their irises are yellow. 

All mated Great Horned Owls are permanent residents of their territories. After hatching, they move onto tree branches at about six weeks and fly about one week later. They stay with their parents for several months.

As for Laura-Lee, she will now be listening for ho-ho-hoo, hoo, hoo, the call of a Great Horned Owl, and wondering if it is her rescued baby.

[…]

 

An important fund raiser is being held at the Matilda Hall on April 6 for Mark, Lisa, Brody and Brett Froats, whose lives changed dramatically last fall.

Brody, who recently celebrated his 17th birthday, was born with Prader-Willi Syndrome, a debilitating disease that has caused obesity, severe muscle atrophy and heart and respiratory problems. It is no longer possible for Brody to be cared for at home. His condition has deteriorated, and he must be hospitalized and cared for day-to-day.

Lisa, Brody’s mother, is fighting Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma. She just completed six months of chemotherapy, and still faces a CT Scan, a PET Scan and Bone Marrow biopsy. She is with Brody on the days she feels well enough, staying over in the city. 

Brett Froats, nine, remains at home to attend school during the week.

Father Mark Froats is self-employed, but has been unable to work since Brody was admitted to the hospital. Mark must be involved in his son’s care 24/7, costing the family their sole provider, a situation that will continue for an unknown length of time. Family and friends help the Froats’ out as much as possible, but expenses keep mounting and are never-ending.

The Matilda Hall Fund Raiser on April 6, is an organized community event run through the combined efforts of the Morrisburg and District, Iroquois-Matilda, Finch, Chesterville and Winchester Lions clubs. 

The fund raiser will feature a Car Rally, and later a roast beef dinner prepared and catered by local caterer, Gayle Hart. (Dinners must be reserved in advance. Call Kelly deDekker at 613-535-1424 for tickets.)

Several local bands and a professional Elvis Impersonator will provide lots of entertainment  at the Hall during the afternoon and evening, with the cost of admission a donation of your choice to the cause. The day will end with an enjoyable dance. 

Master of Ceremonies for the special day will be small business owner, Oddfellow member and devoted community volunteer, David Lapier. The Williamsburg Independent Order of Oddfellows will operate the cash bar.

The Pulling Together Team has begun canvassing for donation items for both a silent and a live auction. Well known auctioneer, Hugh Fawcett, will auction the larger items. This should be a very exciting part of the day.

Mark Saturday, April 6, on your calendar, and support this important fund raiser for the entire Froats family. 

[…]

 

When he heard the proposed title of this article, Kevin Eamon laughed. “Well, no question, I’m still gonna be me! Rock My House Music Centre is going to revolve around music, and music is still my deep passion.”

Eamon is the proud new owner of Rock My House Music Centre in Kemptville.

Eamon, a former Morrisburg resident, graduate of Morrisburg elementary school and Seaway District High School in Iroquois, has embarked on this challenging, and very exciting new business linked to his love of music. 

Rock My House allows him to combine years of live performance with rock bands and strongly honed skills as a percussionist, with his deep love of all types of music and of musical instruments. He also holds an audio engineering diploma from Recording Arts Canada and possesses a firm understanding of the technical side of music.

Following its grand opening on September 7, the Centre can fully address the supply needs of both professional and amateur musicians. The business also offers the opportunity, to those of any age who want to experience the thrill of playing an instrument or of studying voice, to learn from outstanding  teachers. There are both group and individual lessons available at Rock My House. The Centre is only a half hour away from the South Dundas area.

“I’ve been stressed and busy putting this music centre together,” Eamon laughed, “but it’s been a great kind of stress. I saw the potential in opening my own business, and I thought, ‘I’ve got ideas. Let’s give this a go.’”

In 2009, Kevin Eamon was the drummer with Rehab Dolls, a band founded by Rick Thomas in 2008. The group gathered some strong musical reviews and created a special song, This Means War, for a huge High Voltage Mixed Martial Arts Championship at the Robert Guertain Arena in Hull. He toured with this band, but also cut his musical and composition teeth with fleShpaiNt and Chopped Suicide. He is experienced in the challenges and the demands of  the live music industry.

“I can share music with my students, and discuss the realities of the recording industry, of touring, of getting a start as a musician, and of getting real work. I can speak from honest experience,” Eamon explained.

He eventually left Toronto, moving back to Morrisburg, where he worked construction. However, he began to see that his training and experience might be an asset in a business.

“I applied for a S.E.B.P. program (Self Employment Business Program) offered out of South Grenville. I was one of those accepted into this government program from among many applicants and had as my mentor Cathy Gilmer of Iroquois.”

Eamon praises the program.

“I had ideas, but S.E.B.P. really helped me develop business skills. I took a business course at school, but I needed the hands on support offered by S.E.B.P. And they will continue to monitor me for the next year as I get my Music Centre off the ground.”

As he did his ground work, and studied the market for a business like his, Eamon learned that there appears to be a huge demand for musical training.

“Originally I had planned to limit my musical offerings to drums and percussion, but I learned very quickly that the demand for other instruments, and just for learning basic music was too great to ignore.”

The death of most organized music programs in elementary schools, and the cut backs to many arts programs, including music, at the secondary school level, has left a real void. Parents are actively seeking places where their children can experience the joys and the educational values of music.

Currently Kevin is approaching area schools hoping there will be interest in group workshops in music possibly to fill some of these musical gaps. 

He is also deeply interested in the benefits of offering musical therapy both at his Music Centre and in local schools. “Music can be an avenue of expression for troubled or autistic children, for kids with disabilities or social needs. My hope is to start up a unique program as soon as possible.”

Rock My House in Kemptville offers supplies, instruments and sheet music as well as private lessons and studio space. 

“Music is a language we all have in common,” said Kevin Eamon. “You have to love music, to want to do it. I definitely still do. My business, I think, is really a new way to express that love, and to share it.”   

[…]