Seaway Spartan golf tournament August 27th

 

Named as the top referees in the South Dundas Minor Hockey Program for the 2012-13  hockey season are, l-r, Nash Nesbitt,  Steve Martineau and Trevor Flay. Nesbitt was named the Best Rookie Referee and Flay the Most Dedicated. Martineau was honoured with the John Lortie Memorial Trophy for the second time in the seven years he has been refereeing. He was awarded the trophy in his rookie season in 2006-2007. The John Lortie Memorial is awarded annually in memory of John Lortie who passed away in November 2004. John was a 20 year plus veteran of the Morrisburg Fire Department and his second passion was hockey and the local minor hockey association. A lifelong member of the community, John began refereeing in 1985, and worked his way up to a Level 5 Referee. In his more than 20 year involvement with the Minor Hockey Association he refereed, was referee-in-chief and association president in 2000. In addition to his work on the ice, Martineau has been involved with coaching in the South Dundas Association and currently handles the very tough job of Association Ice Scheduler.

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“I always felt if  my son Anthony was involved in something, I should volunteer my time to help,” says Barb Levere of her interest and ongoing love of hockey.

That was 25 years ago, and while her son is long finished playing minor hockey, Barb is still volunteering. 

On Thursday night, November 6,at a Sens hockey game, Barb was recognized for her commitment to minor hockey when she was presented a Hockey Canada Volunteer of the Year Award  by Ottawa Senators president Cyril Leeder and Denis Dumais, president of the executive council of the Ottawa District Minor Hockey Association (ODMHA).

“It was quite a privilege,” said Levere during a recent interview in her home in Morrisburg. “I think the proudest person that night was Anthony who always understood, whether he liked it or not, when I was busy with paperwork or heading off to a hockey meeting.”

Barb is also extremely proud that, by example, she has instilled the value of volunteering to Anthony who is now a big brother.

For the last 14 years, Levere has been District 1 Chair for the Upper Canada Minor Hockey League which provides hockey for nine minor hockey associations (178 teams). It is a position that keeps her busy, seven days a week.

Looking back on her 25 year involvement in Minor Hockey, Levere says it was former Morrisburg and District (now South Dundas) Minor Hockey president Billy Donaldson who got her started as registrar in the local association.

While on the Morrisburg Minor executive under the late John Lortie, who was then president, Barb gained experience at the District Level. “It was John who let me go to the District meetings. I learned a lot from John. He was a good teacher, and I respected him and his hockey knowledge.”

At the District level, Barb first served as secretary and then moved to first vice president. She was mentored by Harry Jones of Brockville, “who taught me how to be a good District chair. And [the late] Clara Thompson, she was registrar when I became involved and she was a great help to me.”

In addition to handling the duties of District 1 Chair, Levere is currently the president of the Upper Canada Cyclones AAA  Association and president of Zone 1 which is one of five AAA Zones.

“I spend at least 60 hours a week on hockey, some at home and some for travel. I usually take in at least two games per week and sometimes three meetings per week…sometimes more.”

Levere peruses about 75 game sheets daily. In total she receives about 4,200 game sheets every season.  “I think I’m up to three file cabinets now as game sheets have to be kept for at least one year. There is a lot of organization.”

The District 1 chair handles and assists with problems that may come up, and sets down disciplinary action as required. Although this is something she doesn’t like doing, she says it is something that has to be done, and she prides herself in that she treats everyone equally and fairly. 

“I don’t like to hand out the suspensions, but I am consistent. If someone gets suspended for something then the next guy that does the same thing, gets the same suspension.”

“Since AAA came in we don’t stop. We have meetings all summer. It never stops, and I love it. I’m there for the kids and that is what my main focus is.”

Levere says she has a very strong District 1 Executive, which includes, a registrar, secretary, treasurer and coach mentor and the presidents of each of the  nine minor hockey associations, South Dundas among them.

“In District 1, in my opinion, we have a core group of really great referees and our associations are also well run.”

Over the years, Levere has received a number of awards including the prestigious Earl Steinburg Memorial Award for contributions to the community and minor sport, District 1 Volunteer Awards, the Clare Thompson Memorial Award, the ODMHA Volunteer of the Year Award, the HEO (formerly the ODHA) Appreciation Award and the recent Hockey Canada Award.

For the Hockey Canada Award, Barb and her family and friends were guests of the Ottawa Senators at a Sens game. In addition to the award, she was presented a Sens sweater with Levere embroidered on the back.

She says it was an honour to be recognized for her volunteering…to be recognized for something that she loves do…and it’s all for the kids.

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Cedar Glen golfer, Kurtis Barkley shot a one under par 69 here Saturday, to successfully defend his Morrisburg Men’s Open title for the fourth consecutive year.

The 24 year old, Williamsburg golfer, who this year is playing out of both Cedar Glen and Upper Canada, recently qualified in the Chase the Dream event with a three-over-par 75 shot at Upper Canada.

At the qualifier he wasn’t satisfied with his putting, so he has since changed to a belly putter, and the results showed up in the 69 he shot at Morrisburg, on Saturday.

The Morrisburg course is experiencing major issues with several greens which made Saturday’s putting difficult for the 63 golfers.

“I had 31 putts today, which is below my average,” said Barkley who opened his round with a pair of bogies. Although the par five first hole is one of the troubled Morrisburg greens, Barkley said he couldn’t fault the green for the opening six. “It was actually a one-putt bogie,” he said with a laugh. The bogie four on the par three second hole, also not in good condition, was, however, the result of a three putt.

After that the talented young golfer charged back with three consecutive birdies to go to one under and that’s how he finished it on the front, with a one under 34.

On the back, Barkley stayed at one under until a three putt on the par five 15th pushed him to even.

He got the stroke back with a birdie on the par three 17th and finished the round at 69 for his fourth consecutive championship.

Next up in the 19-player A flight was Rob Kimmerly (Prescott) with a 73. Upper Canada golfer, Lance Lepage was third with a 74 and Matt Rochon was next at 75.

Morrisburg’s Kevin Duvall shot a 76 which gave him the A field’s low net with a 67, and Dave Saunders (Brockville) was next with a 77. The final two golfers to break 80, in A flight, were Peter Gilder (Brockville) and Brett Corlyon (Cornwall) with 79s.

Sixty-three golfers competed in three flights in this year’s men’s open.

The top shooter in B flight, for the second consecutive year, was Lee Beaupre (Morrisburg) with a 77. Last year Beaupre shot a 78 to tie for the top B flight position but lost in a playoff.

This year he took the title by a single stroke over Bruce Perrin of Prescott. The two were the only B flight shooters to break 80.

Coming in with an 80 for third place was Scott Hodgson of Morrisburg. Eric Wemerman, Morrisburg and Randy Mullin, Iroquois were next with 81s. Wemerman’s 81 gave him a net score of 63 for the flight’s low net win.

Greg Millard (Morrisburg) and Allan McNairn (Upper Canada) were next up, tied with 83s.

For the second consecutive year, a playoff was required to determine the C flight winner. Jason Broad and Dan McLelland, both of Morrisburg, shot 87s for the tie and the latter took the win in sudden death play.

Doug Warner (Morrisburg) was next up with an 88 and after that, the scores went into the 90s with Sean Boulerice and Steve Boucher (both Morrisburg) tied with 91s.

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