February 2015 – Page 2 – Morrisburg Leader

Perspectives with Rev. Clarence Witten

February 25, 2015 Editor

Jesus is full of surprises

When you read the stories about Jesus, you read that he was full of surprises. Sometimes they were happy surprises, sometimes they angered people.

A favourite story is the wedding he went to where the hosts ran out of wine. No problem. Jesus turned water into wine.

A little while later he showed up at a kind of hospital and a lame man he healed just got up and walked out.

One of the wildest things he did was turn up at funerals and bring the dead back to life. Pretty surprising stuff.

But not all of his surprises were appreciated. Early on in his work, he showed up at the temple (the ‘church’ of his day). Surprise! He found the worship there corrupt and materialistic and made quite a stir. He chased out the animals being sold, overturned the tables of people exchanging money, and blasted the merchants who were there.

Jesus also surprised people by whom he hung out with. They expected him to hang out with the clergy and other religious types.

But for the most part he didn’t. He didn’t like the way they performed their religious duties to put on a show. How they made long prayers to impress others, wore fancy robes, and looked for respect and honour. But mostly he found them too proud and full of themselves to be open to his free gift of grace (see Luke 18:9-14).

Even when it came to regular folk, he still surprised everyone. He didn’t usually spend his time with or even respect ‘good’ people.

Instead he kept company with those looked down on in his day: prostitutes, tax collectors, and the non-religious. The way he put it was that it wasn’t the healthy who needed a doctor, but the sick (see Matthew 9:9-13). He really was full of surprises.

If Jesus was on earth today, I think he’d still be full of similar surprises. He might still have some serious issues with us ‘religious types.’ Ouch.

I think he’d still be looking to hang out with those who would least expect him to. People who are rough around the edges, people who never darken the doorway of a church. People who seem to have it all together, but inside are looking for more in life. People who are hungry for something real.

Back in Jesus’ day it was those the world thought least likely to be of interest to him, that he reached out to. I’m sure it would be the same today.

The chances are good that Jesus is not about to physically show up at our work, home or school, but he is still very much alive and well and among us in spirit. He’s still looking for people to love, to forgive, to befriend. Are you one of those people? Am I?

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Two big Lions wins for Novice Bs

February 25, 2015 Editor

The South Dundas Novice B Lions gave up just one goal in two games as they swept their opening four-point UCMHL playoff series against the South Grenville Rangers last week.

The series opened last Tuesday, February 17 in Morrisburg, with a 5-0 Lions victory and then moved to the Rangers barn in Prescott where Lions goaltender Aiden Hutt gave up just one goal in a 7-1 Lions win that wrapped up the series.

Nick Connors was a huge force to be reckoned with during the series opener last Tuesday, as he struck for four of the five Lions’ goal and provided the assist on the other.

He struck for his first two late in the first period with help from Ben Radley and Mason Hummel and his second goal was unassisted.

Late in the second period he went to work for his next two, the first assisted by Radley and the second again unassisted.

Radley scored early in the third period with help from Connors and then it was back Connors with Logan Tait providing the help on the Lions fifth and final counter.

At Prescott, the Lions went up 3-0 in the first period on goals from Noelle Hatherall (assisted by Mason Hummel), Cooper McCooeye (from Connors and Hatherall) and Connors (from McCooeye).

Braiden Anderson scored the lone Rangers goal of the series midway into the second period, and then it was back to the Lions and Connors unassisted to allow the Lions to carry a 4-1 advantage into the third period.

Goals in the third were scored by Ben Radley, McCooeye and Hummel.

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Collision claims the life of Peter Remillard

February 25, 2015 Editor

At press time, The Leader has learned of the death of local lawyer Peter Remillard, in a motor vehicle collision.

An Ontario Provincial Police report confirms that Remillard, 62, of Morrisburg, was the driver of the BMW sports utility vehicle involved in a collision at 9 a.m., February 24, along County Road 7 in North Dundas.

The northbound BMW driven by Remillard was in a head-on collision with a southbound 2010 Dodge SUV, driven by a 40 year old North Dundas woman whose name has not been released.

According to the report, the woman sustained serious, non-life threatening injuries.

The sympathy of the community is with the Remillard family.

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Iroquois Fire Fighters Breakfast

February 18, 2015 Editor

“Based on today’s experiences, I would say that this is probably going to become an annual event,” said Iroquois fire fighter, and one of the organizers of the first ever Fire Fighters’ Breakfast, Shawn Markell. “ We had nearly 200 people come out to enjoy the pancakes and sausages. People came steadily from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.”

The breakfast, held at the Iroquois Civic Centre on Sunday, February 15, was cooked and served up by members of the Iroquois fire station. There was no admission cost: visitors were just asked to make a donation when they came in. The funds raised will go to the Firefighters Association for the South Dundas Fire and Emergency Services, and will be used for projects in the community throughout the year such as kids events and safety awareness events.

The maple syrup was donated from Fowler’s, while Iroquois Foodland donated the food for the event.

“My goal and Mike’s (Eastman) goal was to see that everyone was able to have breakfast as part of our community. We wanted community families to have a chance to get together and enjoy a good meal. A dozen fire fighters and their wives and kids were all working on putting this meal together, and I feel the response to our first breakfast has been great,” said Shawn Markell.

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Darts 4 Hearts at Iroquois Legion

February 18, 2015 Editor

“Weather stopping us! Never!” said Earl Nesbitt, one of the main organizers of the 2015 Iroquois Legion, branch 370, Darts 4 Hearts Tournament, held at the Legion on Saturday, February 14.

Despite some serious Valentine’s Day blizzard-like snow, 52 players came out for the event, and helped raise $1,767 for the Heart & Stroke Foundation. While the numbers were down a little, players thoroughly enjoyed the tournament, organized by Earl and Randy Nesbitt.

Prizes for the Heart & Stroke players were very generously donated from many area businesses, “from Brockville to Ingleside to Winchester,” said Earl.

Cindy Rowe, area manager of the Heart & Stroke Foundation was on hand to receive the cheque.

“We really rely on events like this,” Rowe said. “February is Heart and Stroke month, and an annual event like Darts 4 Hearts really helps create awareness, and in the process, ensures that there will be more survivors.”

The work of Heart and Stroke is ongoing, Rowe pointed out. Stents, improved drugs, pace makers, all of these aids for those stricken with heart related problems, are the direct result of intensive research, research that is often supported by events like Darts 4 Hearts.

“We are seeing an increase in research into women’s heart and stroke issues,” Rowe said. “Women’s problems are often different from men’s. There are also many younger people having strokes, so we want to get the word out about proper diet and exercise. Along with programs like Jump Rope 4 Heart, we try to get educational activities into our schools.”

Cindy Rowe is joined, in the photo, by branch 370 president, Ralph Martin. Martin is himself a triple bypass survivor, from exactly one year ago.

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Seaway students assist OSPCA in upcoming National Cupcake Day

February 18, 2015 Editor

Two Seaway District High School students, both professed animal lovers, are stepping up to the plate, a plate stacked high with cupcakes to be exact, to help bring awareness to animals in need and raise much needed funding for the OSPCA. Sophia Currier, left, and Kendra Buter have gotten together to join the OSPCA on their National Cupcake Day and raise funds for the Cornwall Branch. For students at Seaway, it will be as simple as buying a cupcake(s) for $1 this coming Monday, February 23. Kendra, whose family includes two horses and their Golden Retriever “Daisy”, and Sophia, whose pets include the family dog Tuffy (who is a OSPCA Rescue) and three cats, say they have met with overwhelming support. “We are making cupcakes and have asked others to make some too,” says Kendra who has career plans to become a vet technician. “Originally we were hoping for 100 cupcakes, but now it is looking like more.” Sophia is delighted that Monday’s event will be attended by an OSPCA representative from the Cornwall Branch and there is the possibility the representative will attend with an animal available for adoption. “This is our effort to help out the animals,” says Sophia. “My mom actually found the National Cupcake Day event, and I think it is a great.” While the Seaway students are supporting the effort with every $1 cupcake purchased outside the cafeteria this Monday, February 23, the community can also donate to the OSPCA’s National Cupcake Day Fundraiser by going to the National Cupcake Day-Ontario SPCA website and donating to the Seaway Spartans team.

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Third Ride for Dad ready to go March 7th

February 18, 2015 Editor

Nation Valley ATV Club is proud to announce that its third annual Telus ATV Ride for Dad will be held on March 7, 2015.

The 2015 goal is to raise $50,000 for the Prostate Cancer Fight Foundation, with the proceeds being used for prostate cancer research and awareness in the Ottawa area.

This year’s rally is presented by the Ottawa Senators Alumni, and celebrity ride captains include former Ottawa Senators John Barrett and Amanda Kingsland from Country 101.1.

Many riders have already pre-registered for the event with the final attendance expected to be between 100 and 200.

The ride begins at the Mountain Township Agricultural Hall (2967 Lough Road, South Mountain). Registration is from 8:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. Departure at 10 a.m.

Riders are able to register and pledges can be made online at www.RideforDad.ca.

Many small businesses supporting the event have donated items for an online Facebook auction leading up to the rally. The address for the auction is https://www.facebook.com/AgoraWinchester. All of the proceeds of this auction will be donated to the Ride for Dad event on March 7th.

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Morrisburg curlers invitational a success

February 18, 2015 Editor

In the senior men’s invitational bonspiel last week, organizer Jack Barkley had to put three local teams in to bring the total to 12 entrants.

In the first draw, Ron Beaupre, Al Harriman, John Allison and Rick MacKenzie finished second, defeating teams from Winchester and Cornwall. Russell won the draw, Rideau was third, and Prescott and Cornwall tied for fourth, ahead of Winchester.

The second draw saw another Russell foursome win, with Prescott second and Maxville third. Fourth was the team of Dave King, Raymond Benoit, Sam Locke and Don McMillan, who lost to Russell and defeated Maxville. Peter Zeran, Ray Benoit, Don McMillan and Sam Locke defeated another Russell team to finish fifth, ahead of Russell.

Jack Barkley ran a well-organized and successful event, with fantastic ice provided by Wally Baker and precise scoring by Sid Morrell.

Last week three Morrisburg teams were in Russell for a friendly bonspiel. Andy Patenaude, Kathy Hardy, Joanne Baker and Joan MacKinnon won their match, as did Greta McGann, Ruth Kelly, Janie Connelly and Penny Charlebois. Our third team, Sue McIntosh, Kathy Killick, Denis Thibault and Linda Murphy dropped their game, giving the local opposition a bit of joy on the ice.

In the latest draw for the senior men, the missing games were played and the finish was: first: Pete Zeran, Ron Beaupre, Eric Johnson and Glenn Cougler, second: Andy Patenaude, Doug Jarvis and Don Lazenby, and third: Jack Barkley, Bill Magee, Paul Gunther and Kent Dawley.

Peter Zeran, Don McMillan, and Mahlon and Sam Locke represented us in the final Parnell match last week in Lancaster. They lost to Prescott on their last rock and defeated Cornwall. Prescott won the trophy.

Four teams of our ladies competed in the Russell Invitational last week.

Susan McIntosh, Wendy Casselman, and Claire and Paula Locke dropped their matches to Carleton Heights and Ottawa’s R. A. Alice Thompson, Kathy Hardy, Pat Foley and Betty Locke beat Navan and lost to R.A. Ruth Kelly, Kathy Killick, Janie Connelly and Nelda Hickman lost to one Navan team in the morning and beat the other one in the afternoon. Our last team was Greta McGann, Joan McKinnon, Joanne Baker and Liz Locke. They defeated Winchester and Carleton Heights.

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Making dreams come true at Dundas Manor

February 18, 2015 Editor

Making every day special for residents is the goal of every staff member, but the Activity Team at Dundas Manor is taking that promise one step further. They have introduced the ‘Dream Come True’ program, setting a ‘person-centred goal’ for each resident.

“Dreams Come True can be big or small but they are always meaningful to the resident,” explains Jennifer Hill, Activity Programs and Services Director. “For example, they may want to spend an afternoon making chili sauce from an old family recipe. Maybe they want to skype with faraway family or go people watching downtown. One resident wanted to go to a greenhouse to pick out spring flowers for planting and another wanted to visit her former farm to see her farmhouse.”

Dundas Manor resident Bob Bennett took a trip to his old friend Eldon Lindsay’s farm with Activity Assistant Kerri Seabrook.

Bob’s friendship with Eldon goes back to his equipment salesman days. He commented on how enjoyable the trip was and how much he appreciated the day out. “Bob’s natural GPS kicked in when we hit those old country roads,” adds Kerri. “Touring the modern dairy farm operation and visiting with an old friend makes for a perfect day.”

Bertha Christie loves to shop! So the activity team found a place not too far from Winchester that offers great deals – the House of Lazarus. Bertha enjoyed a morning of shopping followed by lunch at Loughlin’s for a visit with the locals. “It was a wonderful day. I had never been there before,” notes Bertha.

“Each resident is part of the process and is encouraged to dream a little,” adds Jennifer, who has worked at Dundas Manor for 20 years. “We sit down and talk about what we can accomplish together. And then we work to make it happen.”

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Justin Lefevbre named Morrisburg Junior B Lions MVP

February 18, 2015 Editor

The Morrisburg Junior B Lions ended the 2014-15 season with their awards presentations immediately following Sunday’s final game.

The Lions split their weekend games against the Akwesasne Wolves and then got together for their awards and to say farewell to their teammates.

A very fond farewell was bid to this year’s graduates, team captain Justin Lefevbre, their leading scorer Michael Paquette and Dallas Blacksmith and Kevin Dionne.

Team Captain Justin Lefevbre who was named the Lions Most Valuable Player was described by coach Mark Evans as a “hard working, hard-nosed player. If you ask Justin to go and do something, he’ll do it. You just can ask players to do something like what Justin brings to a hockey team. You are a great guy, you are a great team mate and thanks for all of your hard work.”

Collecting the most Valuable Defenceman Award was 18 year old Jordan Smail, who with Tanner Hummel, Cole Fowler and Jordan St. Louis received the Clare Van Allen Memorial Trophy which goes annually to recognize players who began their hockey in the South Dundas Minor Hockey system.

This year’s leading scorer was graduating player Michael Paquette. In 38 games played, Paquette scored 23 goals and assisted on another 23 for a 46 point season. He received the Gerald Hess Memorial trophy.

Named as the Rookie of the year was 16-year-old forward Jacob Kendrick who was presented the Garry Lawlor Memorial Tropy. Kendrick also received the silverware as the club’s top offensive player.

Defencemen Tanner Hummel and Brodie Barkley were both recognized. Hummel was presented the team’s top defensive player award and Barkley, described as “a young player with a lot of talent and a great future in hockey” got the nod for the Coaches Award.

Described as a player who did whatever the coaching staff needed him to do, Jordan St. Louis was recognized for sportsmanship and ability as the winner of the Jim McAllister ‘Lady Byng’ Memorial trophy.

Jacob Guilott and Landon Veenstra were named this year’s most improved players, and Ryan Griffin was awarded the team’s Hustler Award.

Lions team management also thanked South Dundas employee Chris “Krusty” Wouters for his great attitude and help at the arena, with the Lions and all of the minor hockey teams and players. Wouters was presented a plaque of appreciation.

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