Year: 2012

The ladies of Dundas County love a good “Night Out”.

They proved it by once again filling the Matilda Hall at Dixon’s Corners for the fourth annual Community Living Dundas County Ladies’ Night Out fund raiser.

Event organizer Marlene Lewis was ecstatic to see the hall filled with over 200 people Thursday night.

Lewis who came up with the idea for this “Ladies Night Out” event four years ago, reports that every year they have managed to fill the building. The only difference now is that with four years of experience, it is getting easier to attract the large crowd. That bodes well for the event continuing annually.

“It’s tremendous to see such a great crowd. It is great to have the support of the community, after all, that’s what we’re all about,” said Lewis.

Debbie Boardman, executive director of Community Living Dundas County said, “It’s great to have a community that is so supportive. That’s what Community Living is all about. All of us supporting each other. Community Living Dundas County is more than just a service.”

The event featured shopping, snacks and plenty of socializing.

Twenty-two vendors displaying fashions, cosmetics, home decor, culinary products and more provided ample opportunity shop, especially when combined with the silent auction. The fashion show, with its new format was well received.

Proceeds from the evening’s event support the George Davidson Family Resource Fund, which helps families attend important conferences, the Snoezelen Room, which provides sensory stimulation especially helpful to those with autism and transportation costs.

Community Living Dundas County advocates for the inclusion of people with an intellectual disability, providing training and resources for families and self -advocates.  

It provides supports and services to adults with an intellectual disability to promote opportunities for personal growth within their community.

Funding comes from the provincial government as well as from the efforts of fund raisers like this one.

Community Living Dundas County’s Vision: Citizenship is the uniqueness of each person being accepted, supported and acknowledged within an inclusive community.

Their goal: That all persons live in a state of dignity, share in all elements of living in the community, and have the opportunity to participate effectively.

[…]

In recognition of School Bus Safety week, 28 drivers with Whitteker Bus Lines participated in a bus safety workshop last week which included bus evacuations, the use of fire extinguishers and knowing your mirrors.

“We try to do this every year with our drivers,” said Elaine Whitteker. “We get new drivers and we have longtime drivers who get in a routine.  Both can benefit from these workshops.”

This year’s workshop included first-hand bus evacuations and video training on the use of mirrors. It also included instruction on the use of fire extinguishers provided by a South Dundas Fire Prevention Team which included firefighters Trevor Riopelle, Justin Vanhecke and Chris Paulino.

After discussion on fire extinguishers and their proper use,  the drivers were provided the opportunity to extinguish a fire in a Fire Training Module which can be set up to replicate everything from a car fire to a trash can fire.

For the benefit of the Whitteker bus drivers last Wednesday, the module was set up to simulate a “fairly involved dash board fire”. 

Riopelle explained the PASS acronym for the use of fire extinguishers…pull, aim, squeeze, sweep. He discussed how to pull the pin, to aim at the base of a fire, to squeeze the lever and to use a sweeping motion.

“Be ready for the mess and be ready for the kickback,” he warned. He also warned everyone, “to never turn your back on a fire.”

“It (the fire extinguisher) is something you have on your bus that you hope you don’t ever have to use,” said Whitteker. “Think how much worse it would be to have it on your bus and not know how to use it.”

It addition to the annual fall workshop, Whitteker Bus Lines  runs several workshops throughout the driving season. Another, held a little later on, involves safe driving in winter conditions.

Riopelle stressed to the drivers that if there is an incident, “make the call. Let dispatch know what’s going on and to put Emergency Services on alert. You’ll never get in trouble for reporting a problem.”

Bus Safety Week 2012 runs from October 15-19.

[…]

While the local Meals on Wheels was packing up lunch on Friday for 41 area clients, Walter Reid, 1st vice-president of the Iroquois/Matilda Lions Club dropped in at the busy kitchen in Morrisburg to hand over a very appreciated cheque for $1,000. 

The Iroquois/Matilda Lions were answering the call to help Meals on Wheels purchase some needed insulated trays/tray liners which are used in the delivery of meals to clients in Morrisburg and Iroquois. 

With a cost of $700 for 10 trays and another $800 for 20 lines, Reid, who is also a volunteer driver with Meal on Wheels, pointed out, “you can see this donation won’t go very far. We (the Lions) heard that Meals on Wheels was in need and we wanted to help out.” 

On hand to accept the donation was Meals on Wheels Executive Director Glenn Beckstead and treasurer Bob Ruddock, along with Ruth Doesburg and Audrey Bruining who were busy packing up Friday’s lunch which consisted of pea soup, salmon loaf, scalloped potatoes, mixed vegetables and apple pie. 

“Our service is available, basically, to anyone who is unable to prepare his/her own meals,” said Ruddock.

For some clients the service is used on a fairly permanent basis, for others it may be short term, while recovering from an illness or hospital stay for example.

Beckstead said the local Meals on Wheels has become very busy of late. “The demand has gone crazy in the last three months. We’ve gone up 10 clients.”

Doesburg, who has been cooking for nine years, said it was the largest number she has seen since she started with the service.

Clients pay $4 for their meals.

The food is packed in the tray liners which are then set inside the covered trays, which in turn are packed in insulated covers. The 60 plus volunteer drivers then deliver to the Morrisburg/Iroquois area clients, leaving the day’s tray liner with the food, and picking up the liners left on previous days.

[…]

Organizers Brian and Tracey Shaver couldn’t have imagined any better results as they set to work on their second decade of running their annual Ball Hockey Tournament in Support of the Dundas County District Council of Easter Seals in Williamsburg.

For their 11th event at the outdoor rink in Williamsburg this past Saturday, the Shavers were absolutely thrilled to see records set in the money raised, $6,020, and the number of teams (11) participating.

The only constant of the day was the third consecutive tournament win by team Morrell which included James Morrell, Ben and Jon Macpherson, Billy DeJong, Greg Millard, Colin Moran, Kelly Verhoeven, Lindsay Waddell, Laura McDonnell and Meghan Macpherson.

The Morrell team defeated Jamie McIntosh’s Delft Blue Veal in the A final.

For the first time ever, the event included a dance which was held at the Cedar Glen Golf Club with music by Wreckless.

The dance was sponsored by area businesses Wells and Son, Sevita International, Pioneer Winchester and Whitford Construction and added $518 to the day’s returns through ticket sales and another $156 when Wreckless passed the hat and collected another $156 to play another hour.

Through the community’s generous pledges to the ball hockey players and donations, the tournament raised a record $5,346, well up from last year’s $4,208.

“Brian and Tracey have done an amazing job getting this all in place,” said Easter Seals administrator Deanna MacKillican, who with Dundas County Easter Seals council chair Ian McLaughlin attended the event. “They organized and got all the sponsors. They do everything. They are amazing.”

In total, this year’s event received the support of 52 area businesses and individuals who put up prizes and/or made cash donations.

“It’s been a good year for businesses to donate,” said Brian Shaver. “This is really impressive for a small community. We had a handful of businesses step up and pay for the band so all of the ticket money is going to go back to Easter Seals. That is fantastic.”

“And as well, the prizes are very impressive, and for probably only the second time in 11 years, the weather is great.”

Coming in with the most pledges for the second consecutive year was Ben Henry at $700. Once again he was followed by Jason Rooney with $300. Jon MacPherson brought in $270, Janet Mackey $225, Scott Barkley $157, Bill Streng $145, Christine Carswell $140, Tammy Merkley $140, Greg VanBridger $124 and Adam Froats $105.

Each of the players is asked to raise a minimum of $25 in pledges.

“We have all set the bar high for next year, so we look forward to the challenge of beating it,” said Tracey Shaver.

The Easter Seals Society assists families who have children with physical disabilities.

Last year, the Dundas County District Council of Easter Seals counted on just under $20,000 raised at various local fund raisers which include the annual Ball Hockey Tournament, along with the Paper Eggs Initiative, Snowarama, a Curling Bonspiel and a Blooperball tournament.

There are approximately 11 families in Dundas County that are registered with Easter Seals Ontario.

[…]

Of the approximately 10,000 residents of South Dundas, one quarter of one percent of the population attended council’s open forum meeting at the Iroquois Civic Centre last Tuesday evening.

Asked if he was disappointed with the turnout, South Dundas Mayor Steven Byvelds said, “No. I think the turn out was good. It is always hard to anticipate how many will show, but it was as I expected.”

The main topic of discussion that evening was also exactly what the mayor expected.

The hottest topic of interest the 25 meeting attendees wanted council to discuss was the refurbishment of the former Morrisburg Collegiate Institute.

One third of the questions asked of council by area residents concerned the high school refurbishment project.

“What’s wrong with the old municipal building?” asked Bert Geertsma. “I can’t see the feasibility of going to Morrisburg,” he said, suggesting a referendum on the issue. Geertsma was the only person who suggested a referendum on the issue, but others did ask, why the move out of Williamsburg? 

Byvelds pointed out that, from the time of amalgamation, housing the municipal offices at Williamsburg was always meant to be temporary, and that the municipality has definitely outgrown that building.

“The issue of (renovating) the old high school has been debated for two years, so I don’t think people didn’t have a chance to tell us their stance,” said Mayor Byvelds. “Public opinion is likely as divided as council was the night we made the decision.”

“The (old high school) renovation was the most economical option. It’s $4 million,” said Byvelds. “Two engineering firms have told us that building is structurally sound or we wouldn’t have gone down that road. The decision was not made on a whim.”

“The high school renovation is a done deal, it’s not going to stop,” said South Dundas deputy mayor Jim Locke. “In a township with virtually no debt and reserves that are in good shape, it’s not that big a deal. The township can handle it.”

Clare Brown asked questions concerning the proportion of the cost of the project that will cover the medical and municipal portions of the building.

The medical portion of the building is about 25 percent of the total square footage, but the cost of the medical space is about 40 percent of the $4 million price tag.

“When you go to medical facilities they look expensive, because they are expensive,” said Mayor Byvelds. The doctors’ lease contribution agreement will only cover about 60-75 percent of the entire cost of the medical portion of the building, but Byvelds said that council decided that the municipality will cover the extra.

According to Byvelds, the St. Lawrence Medical Clinic felt strongly that with the township’s help, they would be able to use the new, much improved space, to help entice new doctors to the community in a time when some of the existing doctors are planning retirements.

“With a new building, I think that gives us an opportunity to bring medical services in South Dundas to a higher level,” said Byvelds. “We didn’t want to be known as the council that chased the doctors out of South Dundas.”

Liz Daoust asked about the cost of utilities for the building.

“The doctors will cover their own utilities and we (municipality) will cover ours,” said Byvelds.

She questioned the heat and hydro costs in such a large building.

“You are paying $16,000 per year already and there’s no one in it. Now, we are going to be much more efficient with spending your tax dollars,” said Byvelds.

Glenn Beckstead and Leslie Disheau both asked about the removal of asbestos from the building in such close proximity to a school.

“I hope you will be in communication with the Upper Canada District School Board as to when the cleanup of asbestos will happen, so that parents are well informed before any kind of emergency happens,” said Disheau. 

“That is not a bad suggestion,” said Byvelds. “It makes sense.”

[…]