Year: 2014

 got off to a rough start in Alexandria, on Friday night, when the Glens put together a 7-4 victory, and it didn’t get any better Saturday, November 15 against the Winchester Hawks.

The Saturday night effort in Morrisburg saw the Hawks come out on top by a 10-3 score.

Although it remained relatively close in the first periods of both games, the Lions couldn’t keep it together in the second periods.

Friday night in Alexandria, Bradley Gabbour put the Glens on the board 3:32 into the first period and Zack Renfrew (from Cole Beckstead and Cole Fowler) evened it at 8:57.

That was it until the second period when the Glens struck for three more from the sticks of Adam Cooke, Tristan Sabourin and Ben Poirier. That put the Glens up 4-1 heading into the third period.

In the third, the Lions found their game and managed to tie the period, 3-3, but they couldn’t erase the damage done in the three goal, Glens second period.

Scoring for the Lions in the third period were Michael Paquette (from Zack Renfrew), Renfrew (from Paquette) and Dallas Blacksmith on the Lions power play (from Cole Fowler).

Gabbour answered for the Glens to complete a three goal performance and Poirier counted his second goal.

Keiran Weir was in the Lions’ net for the loss, and Nicholas Maheux got the win for the Glens. Weir faced 33 Glens shots, while Maheux faced 34 from the Lions.

The Lions served 58 minutes on 13 infractions and the Glens sat out 40 minutes on 12 infractions.

Saturday night, the Hawks were in town to pick up a 10-3 victory in front of the Lions home town fans.

Again the first period remained close. Steve Ray Adams opened the Hawks scoring at 4:11 of the frame, and Jacob Guillot answered back, unassisted, on the Lions power play at 7:07. The tie lasted until 10:04 of the first when Franco Gagnon gave the Hawks a 2-1 edge.

The second period belonged to the Hawks as they struck for four in a row to go up 6-1 before the Lions could get them stopped with a Michael Paquette counter, assisted by Zack Renfrew and Justin Rutley.

Josh Stubbings counted two goals against Lions goaltender John Gilmer in the second period, and Tim Conlin and Austin Rothe added singles.

The third period was again a Hawks affair, with the Hawks counting another four goals and the Lions managing only one.

Stevie Ray Adams completed a three goal performance with two counters and Kyle Richardson and Bryden Van Kessel added singles for the 10-3, Hawks victory.

Dallas Blacksmith scored for the Lions with Landon Veenstra and Jacob Kendrick providing the assists.

The game was unusually low in the penalty department. Just three minor penalties were assessed in the first period, two going to the Lions. The second period was played penalty free, and one minor was handed out to each in the third for a game total of 10 minutes served on five minor infractions.

Gilmer handled the entire game for the Lions and Brandon Lowry earned the Winchester win.

Coming up, the Lions host the Char-Lan Rebels, Sunday, November 23 at 2:30 p.m. 

The Rebels are chasing the Lions and this past week picked up two points on them with a 3-1 win over the Akwesasne Wolves.

[…]

There were nearly 50,000 participants in the 2014 New York City Marathon, November 2, but only one of them was from South Dundas, Ontario. Seaway District High School principal, Don Lewis, finished the gruelling race, which takes in five boroughs of the Big Apple, in a time of 3:36.09. 

From start to finish, Lewis found the marathon challenging and exhilarating: he has nothing but praise for the race organizers, the police who lined the route and for the ordinary people of New York City who turned out in their thousands to support the international runners, many of whom had travelled thousands of miles to take part. 

“The crowds were huge; at places like 1st Avenue, five or six people deep,” Lewis said. “I was wearing a red shirt with Canada written across it, and I could often hear people shouting “Go Canada!” when I ran by. It meant a lot.” 

Lewis dedicated his run to raising awareness about PTSD (post traumatic stress disorder) which has affected a member of his family.

Lewis has taken part in six previous marathons, including the run in Ottawa (now a gold standard meet) four times. He has been training six days a week since June to prepare for the world class NYC event. 

On Sunday, November 2, all the runners were bussed to the start point of the race, on Staten Island, around 6 a.m., although the event did not begin until after 9 a.m. 

“It was a little chilly waiting,” Lewis said, “although later in the day it was ideal running weather (except for the wind which got gusty at times), around 8-9 degrees Celsius. The organizers are really efficient. There are four different start times, and within each of the start times there are six different corrals.”

“Wheelchair athletes start first, then the elite women, then the elite men. The elite runners are all in serious contention so they can’t get caught up with the masses. Everyone runs at his own pace. I noticed,” he laughed, “that the guy running next to me was actually in his bare feet.”

Lewis said that he felt really good for the first 30 kilometres. “Then, around the Queensboro Bridge, I thought oh boy, my quads are shot. Gusts of 60 kph wind in some places really slowed the race, and cross breezes on the bridges made it tough. My hat blew off. Everyone’s racing bibs were flapping up and down like sails: you can’t lose your bib, so you end up holding on to it as you run. There are also slight upgrades on 5th Avenue, and I remember thinking are these hills ever going to be done?” 

Then he saw the 800 metre sign in Central Park, “and I got that adrenalin rush. I’m going to finish this race.”

Lewis crossed the finish line a little over three and a half hours after he started. There are medical tents at the end of the race because some runners experience cramping and some distress, but Lewis said that he was all right. He was given a poncho to wear until he could back to where he had left his outer clothes at the start of the race. He was also given his precious medal of participation, which he was able to get engraved the next day. 

Principal Lewis is very encouraging to Seaway students who want to get involved in running. 

“I try to suggest that kids try a 2, 5, 10 or half marathon, or a full marathon in Ottawa. We have a lot of kids in our local schools who have been attempting the Kids Marathon, a local event, and there is technology for young runners to track their progress. We’ve got some students now who are seriously working on distance running.”

There was a time when the four minute mile was “the Holy Grail of running. But now it’s the two hour marathon.” There was only seven seconds between the first and second place women marathoners, three seconds between the men. A two hour marathon may one day be reality. 

Would he compete in the New York City Marathon again?

Don Lewis says a resounding yes. “It was my toughest marathon so far. And next time I’ll factor in the hills and wind, and adjust my pace a little slower at the beginning, but yes, I want to go again. This was my fastest marathon since I took up running again last spring.”

[…]

South Dundas and area crafters and artists will be packing up their products and heading to the Legion in Morrisburg, this coming weekend to participate in the 38th annual Craft Show.

Organized annually by the Morrisburg and District Arts and Crafts Association, the show offers up some great products for some early Christmas shopping or shopping in general.

Members of the association and guest artists will be on hand this Saturday and Sunday (9 a.m. until 4 p.m. each day), November 15-16, for the always popular show that has made itself part of the South Dundas community.

In the last few years, the association has set up a $1 or non-perishable food donation  for entry with the money and food collected to assist the Dundas County Food Bank.

“In addition, after all of our show expenses are paid, the leftover money is divided and donated to Winchester District Memorial Hospital, Hospice and a Seaway High School bursary for a student in an Arts program,” explains association chair Linda Schenck.

“Everything we do is helping somebody in the community,” says Schenck. “We are completely non-profit.  We rent from the Legion, and try to make a small donation to the local church group that provides a food table.”

Schenck has been crafting for many years, and has been with the local association since the early 90’s. Although she has had some health issues the last few weeks, she says she is excited about the show.

“I don’t have much crafts, but I will have my baked goods,” says Schenck who is well known for the goodies she sells Sundays at Mchaffie’s Flea Market north of Morrisburg.

“I do have some floral arrangements ready, and some tole painting along with my dolls (lace attired angels).”

Schenck is excited to welcome to the show, a friend from Nova Scotia who will be featuring her thrummed mitts. “They are the mitts the fishermen wear on the boats. They are really thick and really warm. Your hands will never freeze in these as the wool is all inside and they repel the water.”

Schenck, who sells the mitts on a regular basis, says, “I’ve had people come and buy them, and then come back for more.”

As for her own work, she has “its and bits of things. I do quite an assortment. I like taking old posts, putting a base on them and turning them into snowmen. I use all salvaged wood pieces that you would normally throw in the burn pile.”

Schenck is co-chairing this year’s show with Melinda Wert, who will be there with her stained glass art. “The show has really come along well. We have some new crafters who will provide a real variety of products.”

“We will have maple syrup products and a lady who makes cosmetic out of bee products. There will be stained glass, tole painting and Dwight and Helder (Morrisburg artists) will be there with their new fabulous crafted baby dolls that look just like new born babies.”

Barn Full of Goodies is also new this year, and a florist who will have fresh flower arrangements.

“This is what I love doing,” says Schenck of her crafting and of all the good the show does in the community. “I love to raise money to give to people who need it. I have spent most of my life helping people. I love doing the crafts and my baking, and of course meeting all the people. It gets me out of the house and keeps me occupied.

The South Dundas Arts and Crafts Association is inviting the South Dundas community and neighbouring communities to come out, make a few purchases and help to support local artists and the community.

[…]