Month: February 2013

On Saturday, the Morrisburg Curling Club held its annual Heart and Stroke bonspiel. It’s a charity we feel is important to support, and with the fine lunch served by our volunteers, it was, as always, a delightful day.

It was great to see many families out, and new curlers, as well as others we haven’t seen for a while.

Thanks to Greta McGann, who, with her committee, ran a highly successful event, raising over $1,000 for the charity and, through the Heart and Stroke Foundation, arranged for a defibrillator for the club. It isn’t hard to operate, but once it’s in place, training will be arranged so that every league has people who can use it. We’ve been lucky in the past, but with a large senior population, this is a great security blanket for us.

Thanks to our supporters, especially Cardinal Flowers, the McIntosh Inn, Valu-mart and Home Hardware. The curlers appreciated all who supported the event in a variety of ways.

As to the curling results, in the early draw, the winners were the Toonders foursome, John, John C., Jason and Candice. There were some tight matches, and some high-scoring games, but all were entertaining.

Victorious in the second draw were Mahlon Locke, Carolyn and Garry Beckstead, and Paula Locke. There was never a dull moment on the ice, with one of the highlights being the creative way of measuring skip shots in a tiebreaker. Congratulations to our winners.

While the executive will have more open planning meetings on accessibility upgrades to our club, President Mahlon reviewed progress to date. Grants have been won from the Ontario government by way of its Trillium division, and through the Federal government’s Infrastructure Committee. The amount of money is substantial, and will be accessed in a way that will not have the two bodies’ grants to us in conflict.

Our senior men competed in the final Parnell competition of the year last week in Lancaster. Since it’s a two-sheet rink, we’re only allowed to enter one team in the four club event, and after two playoffs, Sid Morrell, Raymond Benoit, Neil Williams and George Rutley emerged as our representative, defeating, Pete Zeran, Sam Locke, Doug Jarvis and Bud Perry for the honour. Despite hard work from Sid’s team, they fell to quartets from Lancaster and a very strong Cornwall squad.

Pete Zeran took teams to two different one-game bonspiels last week as well. With Pete were Karl Duncan, Bud Perry, and Earl Jeacle in the Maxville bonspiel, which they won. Then they were off to Lancaster. This time Pete had Karl Duncan, Eric Johnson and Earl Jeacle with him. They won again, but another winning team had a better score and so our fellows finished second.

Four of our senior curlers were in Arnprior last week for a 222 bonspiel there. Jack Barkley, Ruth Kelly, Fred “Boomer” Langlotz and Sharon Van Allen won both of their matches against Pakenham teams and finished first. They had high praise for the event, lauding the Valentine’s Day theme and the full-course dinner. Though it was a long drive, our curlers report they had a great day.

SD&G High School championships were on at the club this Tuesday, and there’s the senior men’s Sullivan bonspiel in Metcalfe to report on next time.

Good curling to all!

Skaters at EOSIC, Ali VanHoof off to All-Ontario

Excellent finishes, special moments and good times were the experiences shared by nine Morrisburg and District figure skaters at the Eastern Ontario Section Invitational Championships (EOSIC) here on the weekend.

It was the biggest MFSC team ever to compete at EOSIC and leading the team was Ali VanHoof in her first ever EOSIC Triathlon event, (skills, interpretive and free skating).

VanHoof started it off with a person best skate in skills which put her in fourth place.

Next up was what would normally be VanHoof’s weakest event…Interpretive.

This time out however, her Interpretive was “the true breakthrough of the weekend”, says her coach Louis Dimmick.

Shattering her previous score, VanHoof earned a fifth place finish in Interpretive which moved her into third place overall after two parts.

“It was exciting going into the third segment of the Triathlon sitting in third place,” says Dimmick. “This allowed Ali a chance to challenge for one of the three spots open to represent Eastern Ontario at the 2013 Skate Ontario STARskate Championships.”

“Also helping was the fact that Freeskate is Alisha’s strongest event. She still needed to put down a solid performance to succeed and succeed she did.”

Five successful double jumps, three great spins and two combinations later, and VanHoof was in first place in the Freeskate segment which gave her an overall second place finish in the Silver Triathlon Event to qualify for the upcoming Skate Ontario Championships.

Just narrowly missing out on a qualifying spot was Trina Dykstra-MacPherson, also coached by Dimmick.

Skating in Preliminary Flight 1, Dykstra-MacPherson placed first to qualify for the semi-final where she placed fifth.

“This was Trina’s second time at EOSIC, but her first time at this level,” said Dimmick. “She landed her double Salchow cleanly for the first time in competition”

“Trina skates with elegance, speed and power, and she really attacked her programs this weekend. She demonstrated a mental toughness and great competitive spirit in pulling off an excellent performance.”

At the Pre-Juvenile level, Kristyn VanHoof placed 12th with a PB performance.

“This was an exciting skate for Kristy,” says Dimmick. “It was the first time she competed on a rink without boards and, despite the different new environment, she had a great skate. Kristy landed two double Salchows and two Axels.”

“Kristyn really performed her program well, completing, not only good elements, but nice connecting steps and footwork which was reflected in her program components marks.”

Skating her first time at EOSIC was Reagan Belanger. “A very graceful skater, Reagan has great edges in her skating and good height in her jumps,” says Dimmick. “She skated well, landing all six jump elements and performing her spirals well.”

“We had an absolutely wonder time at EOSIC, and I am very proud of all of my girls for their hard work,” says coach Allison Scott.

Scott’s skaters included Erika Jordan, Abigail Jordan, Alexis Engwerda, Abby MacMillan and Gillian Beatson.

In her first time EOSIC experience, Erika placed sixth (Pre-Preliminary) with a skate described as “a beautiful clean skate, peppy and full of attack”

Abigail Jordan, also in her first EOSIC, scored a first in Preliminary Women (flight 3), and then went on to place seventh in the semi-final.

“This was a fabulous accomplishment to qualify for semi-finals her first time attending EOSIC,” said Scott. “Having to skate twice, Abigail was consistent and solid, completing both programs with two Axels and one in combination. She skated with ease, but yet was full of power and speed.”

Known for her ‘speedy attack’ with quick steps and her artistic flair in her footwork, Alexis Engwerda finished sixth in her Junior Bronze flight.

“Alexis demonstrated determination and perseverance and had a terrific skate,” says Scott.

For Abby MacMillan, it was also a sixth place finish in her Junior Bronze flight.

“Abby is known for her ability to ‘rise to the occasion’ and her smooth polished look. Abby skated with tremendous conviction and focus and completed two Axels. She had a wonderful performance.”

Also coming in with a sixth place finish was Gillian Beatson in Senior Silver Women.

“Gillian’s program is ambitious, and she successfully completed, five doubles,” says Scott. “Gillian is also known for ‘pulling off’ a double Lutz so easily (one of the toughest double jumps), and she did just that at this event, completing one in combination and one at the end of her program, an incredible feat.”

Beatson’s event was extremely close in that the sixth to third finishing positions were separated by .40 points which meant she narrowly missed a trip to the podium.

Lookin’ for Forever Homes

Dog # 1-Chocolate Lab mix is a female puppy, less than one year old. She is not spayed, but is house trained and good with people. She is an excellent choice for a family, as she is eager for some puppy training and fun!!! -Was adopted, Sunday February 24.

Dog #2-Eight-year-old Boxer mix, brown/black colouring with white markings on chest and feet. Neutered, house-trained and has all shots. Best suited for a quiet home, no children or other pets.

Dog #3-Seven-year-old Jack Russell/Terrier mix. Beautiful black and white colouring, not neutered but house-trained and good with people. A calm and quiet dog, a real sweetie.

Interested in adopting ?

Call Kevin at the South Dundas Animal Shelter

613-543-2980.

This past week, Casper, our beautiful white shepherd, found a loving new home. Still looking is our beloved Hound Mix fella, who really, really deserves a break. He is so lonely and so looking for a friend.

This is a public service column. The Leader accepts no responsibility for the dogs

or the adoption process.

Curlers raise $1,000 for Heart and Stroke, Club to receive defibrillator

Over $1,000 was raised at the annual Heart and Stroke Curling Bonspiel hosted by the Morrisburg Curling Club on Saturday.

Organized for the fourth consecutive year by Greta McGann, the bonspiel in that time has raised over $5,500.

This year’s event attracted 10 teams of curlers all of whom enjoyed a great day of curling and hospitality.

“February is Heart Month, and we have our Core Fundraising Program underway,” said Cindy Rowe, area manager for Heart and Stroke in SD&G-Prescott Russell of the 1,495 canvassers involved in the local door-to-door campaign.

Rowe congratulated McGann on the great job she does with the annual bonspiel. In addition to accepting the Morrisburg Club/Bonspiel donation, Rowe was on hand to announce that Heart & Stroke would be providing a heart defibrillator to the club.

“Heart and Stroke received money through a bequest from an area farmer and as a result, in partnership with SD&G Emergency Service, we are able to place some defibrillators throughout the area.”

Rowe indicated that the curling club, with its activities and high senior membership population, is a good fit.

Bonspiel organizer Greta McGann was happy with Saturday’s turnout and especially pleased with the generous response from the local business community and individuals who provided a fantastic assortment of gifts used for prizes and door prizes.

McGann expressed her thanks to everyone who donated.

The Bonspiel featured two draws. Winning the first draw was the Toonders rink of John, John C. Jason and Candice. The second draw winners were Mahlon and Paula Locke and Carolyn and Garry Beckstead.

Food Bank benefits from Christmas Tree fundraiser

In the fall of 2012, Michel Proulx, owner of the Morrisburg Canadian Tire approached the Morrisburg and District Lions Club, to test interest in selling Christmas trees as a Christmas fundraiser.

Club members quickly recognized this was an excellent opportunity to establish a project to raise awareness of the ongoing needs of the Dundas County Food Bank.

With a partnership established and Canadian Tire handling the bulk of the administration including ordering the trees, over 100 quality trees arrived prior to the Morrisburg Santa Claus parade on December 1st.

Following the parade, the project was launched at the Canadian Tire Garden Centre with members of the Lions Club taking on the task of selling Balsam and Frasier Fir trees each weekend, as well as week nights, prior to Christmas.

In accepting the $671.66 from the sale of the trees, Brenda Millard Past Chair of the Dundas Food Band, recognized the considerable commitment and work involved by the members of the Club to sell trees during the rain, sleet and snow of the 2012 holiday season!

In response, Lions Jim and Viviane Martin, who co-chaired the project, indicated the project was an enjoyable one as Lions, Canadian Tire employees as well as those purchasing Christmas trees shared in the holiday spirit.

Maui, a spectacular Island!

Click here to download a PDF of this article with additional colour photos

When the winter doldrums hits after Christmas, one sure remedy is a trip to the sun and, with an 11 hour flight, you can be in the sunshine, sitting on the beach or by the pool in beautiful Maui, the second largest of the Hawaiian Islands.

There are several routes to fly to Maui from eastern Ontario, but they all require a stay over somewhere. For example, you can fly Ottawa to Calgary, a four hour flight, then direct to Maui the next morning for another seven hour plane ride.

From its heavenly beaches to its scenic natural wonders, there are plenty of reasons you will discover why Maui has been voted the 'Best Island' year after year.

Discover your own reasons to love Maui as you tour the streets of Lahaina and the lovely beaches of Kaanapali. Feel the mana (power) of Haleakala National Park or discover the arts and culture of Kahului and Upcountry Maui.

From the championship golf courses to the scenic road to Hana, your vacation on Maui promises to be an unforgettable experience.

There are more than 80 beaches on Maui and 120 miles of coastline. The beaches come in sands of gold, black, green, red and pure, shimmering white. And while you're at it, grab a snorkel and mask and commune with turtles and butterfly fish. The waters of Kapalua, at the north end of Kaanapali (near Black Rock), and in Makena are ideal snorkeling grounds, especially early in the morning. Many of the hotels rent snorkel gear, or you can rent it from dive and sports shops in Lahaina and Kihei.

Many beaches are easily accessible beach parks with lifeguards, picnic facilities and rest rooms. Others are undeveloped, 'secret spots' found off the beaten path.

Maui offers some of the finest dinning establishments and chefs you will find anywhere, with most following the motto 'From Farm to Table' which means farm fresh produce grown right on the island as well as locally caught fish.

In Lahaina, two award winning restaurants, Pacific'O and I'o, have gone so far as to acquire their own farm. With a vibrant palette of crops and open to visitors, Oo Farm in Kula harvests several hundreds of pounds of fresh, organic produce each week on 8.5 acres of land — from salad greens, spinach, carrots, beets, rainbow chard, sugar snap peas, tomatoes, and fresh greenhouse herbs to whatever the season allows. The chef decides what is for dinner based on the farm's output.

There are over 600 restaurants to choose from in Maui offering up a wide variety of menu choice to suit any diner.

Along Maui's rugged eastern coastline is the peaceful town of Hana, considered one of the last unspoiled Hawaiian frontiers. The legendary road to Hana is only 52 miles from Kahului, however the drive can take anywhere from two to four hours to complete since it's full of narrow one-lane bridges, hairpin turns and incredible island views.

The Hana Highway has 620 curves and 59 bridges. It takes you through beautiful rainforests, flowing waterfalls, plunging pools and dramatic seascapes.

Just four miles into your drive to Hana from Kahului, you'll discover the historic town of Paia on Maui's north coast. Paia is full of colorful, rustic storefronts filled with local art galleries, shopping boutiques and restaurants. It is a great spot to pick up a box lunch from one of the many restaurants for your drive.There are plenty of opportunities to stop and enjoy the views, so start early in the morning and take your time on your drive.

Where to stay? Take your pick: luxury hotels with sunset views, intimate bed & breakfasts clinging to upland slopes, or spacious condominiums for the family with all the amenities of home. While luxury resorts line Maui's south and west shores, more moderately priced accommodations abound in neighboring resort areas, and in Upcountry and Central Maui. The only difficult thing about Maui's resorts is leaving them to explore the rest of the island.

Thousands of humpback whales migrate to Maui's warm waters year after year making it your gateway to some of the best whale watching in the world. During the winter mating and birthing season, Maui has the largest concentration of humpback whales in Hawaii, easily viewed from whale-watching cruises or even from resort beaches.

The waters off West Maui and South Maui are shielded by the West Maui Mountains and Haleakala, creating calm and clear waters for high visibility.

Humpback whales are drawn to the area's shallow waters, less than 600 feet deep, making Maui an ideal spot during the winter whale watching season from December to May.

One visit to Maui and you just might join the whales returning year after year.

Looking for Forever Homes

We currently have six dogs at the South Dundas Animal Shelter, including four that are ready and really eager to be adopted and two that have just arrived.

Looking for homes are the very handsome, seven year old, white German Shepherd that recently lost his best friend with whom he had lived since he was a puppy. The Shepherd, aptly named Casper, continues to recover from his sad loss and would benefit tremendously if he were adopted by a kind and loving family. He is lonely and used to companionship. ADOPTED!!! (February 15).

Our second beauty looking for a home is a large Hound Mix, a popular favourite at the Shelter who is constantly overlooking, we think, simply because he is a hound. We are unsure of what he is mixed with but this guy is a wonderful, obedient dog and is often allowed off leash to follow shelter personnel. He has a quiet disposition, likes to learn and always comes when called. He is the one dog that waits calmly for his treat when volunteers visit the kennels. We do so wish that this beautiful guy could find a forever loving home where he would make a marvellous pet. We do not feel that he is hunting material which we figure might be why he ended up at the shelter last fall.

A third dog is a Husky mix that arrived a couple of weeks ago. He has one beautiful blue eye and one beautiful brown eye. He is small for his breed and is in need of some training, but appears healthy and is quite friendly.

The fourth dog looking for a forever home is an American Bulldog. This is a special needs dog that would not be suitable for a family with children. She is very protective.

Our two new arrivals will hopefully be ready for adoption next week.

This past week, we happily said goodbye to our beautiful yellow lab mix fellow.

The Shelter continues to need dog supplies and food donations to help out with the wonderful animals unfortunate enough to find themselves lost or abandoned. Donations can be dropped off at the Morrisburg Animal Hospital…and cash donations can be made to the municipality of South Dundas. All cheques should be made out to the municipality and clearly marked for the "Animal Shelter". The donations are used to help with the purchase of food after the municipality releases the dogs into Kevin Casselman's care.

It is then Casselman and a small committee of volunteers who set to work to find homes for the dogs.

If you are interested in adopting any of the above dogs…you can call Kevin Casselman at 613-543-2980. Appointments can be made to meet these dogs or any others at the shelter.

Passport milestone

Local Member of Parliament Guy Lauzon and his constituency office staff in Cornwall reached a special milestone last week.

The office received their 40,000th Canadian passport application for submission to Passport Canada.

Thursday, January 31st, Apple Hill resident Scott Maloney dropped his passport application off at MP Lauzon’s 621 Pitt Street office.

The following day, he was given a scroll marking the occasion and a Canadian flag.

“We really emphasize excellent customer service at our office, and that’s why we have such a steady stream of traffic,” said Executive Assistant Eric Duncan. “Constituents appreciate being able to walk in, be served quickly and not have the hassle of going to Ottawa or mailing their application in before someone has looked it over.”

Constituents can submit their application with MP Lauzon’s constituency office in Cornwall, Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Staff also hold satellite office hours on Monday mornings in Winchester (8:30 a.m.-10:00 a.m.) and Morrisburg (10:30 a.m.-12:00 p.m.).

Applications can be downloaded online at www.passport.gc.ca or by dropping by MP Lauzon’s office or a Canada Post office in the riding.

Lauzon and staff are anticipating to hold two passport clinics later this spring.

Volunteers appreciation

Volunteers are appreciated in South Dundas, and to demonstrate that appreciation, the municipality will host a special event for its volunteers.

South Dundas council authorized staff to proceed with plans for a volunteer appreciation evening.

A budget of $5,000 will be allocated for the evening which will include dinner, a guest speaker and some entertainment.

“The work the volunteers do in the community save us a lot more than the $5,000 we spend on this,” said South Dundas councillor Jim Graham, who supported the township using this as an opportunity to thank the volunteers for the work they do.

The mayor and deputy mayor agreed.

Staff will work out the details.

Permit required for open air fires

Unless it’s a campfire or a barbecue, any open air burning by any resident of South Dundas requires a permit.

South Dundas council approved the newly revised bylaw at the February 5 regular meeting.

The bylaw sets out specific regulations regarding all open air fires, including campfires, which much less than 60 cm (approximately two feet).

Burn permits cost $10 for residential purposes or $15 per permit, per property for agricultural purposes, and must be purchased annually at the municipal office.

The permits are valid for the year, but must be activated prior to each fire by calling the township office during regular business hours.

This contact will allow staff to relay important information to the resident, such as whether or not a burn ban is currently in effect.

During a burn ban, no open air burning is permitted, even for permit holders.

Failure to abide by the bylaw could cost the resident, as they could be held liable for any costs associated with firefighters attending the scene.

The draft form of the bylaw was available on the township website to allow residents the opportunity for comment. “We have listened to the concerns, but in the end we have to be proactive,” said South Dundas Mayor Steven Byvelds.

“I believe this document will serve us well,” said Chris McDonough, Fire Chief for South Dundas.