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 What began last summer as a good-natured Liars Derby among a group of long time fishing buddies, this year became a tribute to the memory of one of those old friends.

The 2nd annual Liars Fishing Derby was held at the Galop Canal Marina in Iroquois on Saturday, May 5, in honour of the late Garry Banford, a keen amateur fisherman. Organized by Bruce Mullin and other friends of Garry’s, the Derby drew 155 entrants with prizes of $500 going for the largest pike and the largest pickerel catches of the day. The event was capped in late afternoon by a barbecue which featured some very fresh fish on the menu.

“This event was a kind of dream for us,” Bruce Mullin said. “When we first came up with the idea of holding this derby, we really didn’t know if people would come out to support it. But the response was just unreal. We had 155 people purchase tickets, people of all ages from 10 to 70. Garry was a very close friend and we wanted to do something special for him.”

Mullin joked that the name the Liars Derby came about last year. 

“A group of us buddies just casually started calling the event the 1st Liars Derby, and the name stuck.”

Mullin had a lot of praise for the friends who helped him plan and organize and run the Derby. 

“Ron Monroe, Gary Locke, Doug Byers, Ron Baker, Gary Jarvis, Lynn Dillabough and Danny McLaughlin all got involved. Then Aaron and Ann (Banford) came in to help as well with ticket sales.”

The Derby raised $4,000 for the organizers.

The proceeds will allow two scholarships, in Garry Banford’s name, each for $500, to be given to Seaway District High School in time for the fall graduation. Organizers were also thrilled to be able to present the Iroquois Marina with a donation of $1,700.

The entire Banford family took part in the Derby.

“I thought this was a fantastic idea when Bruce came to me with it,” said Ann Banford. “Garry was one of the fishing buddies and he would have loved this event. Bruce and his group are really to be commended. They put so much work and effort into getting the Derby together.”

Many people, who were not actually planning to fish, also approached the organizers with donations. 

Prizes of $500 were awarded to Ernie Beckstead for the largest pike, weighing in at 10.12 lbs and to Kevin Sabourin with the largest pickerel at 8.3 pounds. Ernie donated $100 of his winnings back to the Derby.

Gary Locke took second prize in the pike category while Jeff Adams took third. Ron Gillard received second prize for his pickerel and Rob Barkely went home with third.  Bert Fawcett came closest to the Hidden Weight while Kevin Keyes was ‘honoured’ with the Skunked Trophy.

The weather co-operated for the day.

“It was a bit cold and windy when we started out at 7 a.m.,” Mullin said, “but sunny and getting warmer by the time the deadline arrived. I guess it was a challenge for the guys out there, but we brought in 160 pounds of fish. And that doesn’t count the ones that were released. The fish were all caught in the immediate area. Some bass and some bowfin were also hooked.”

Are any good fishing stories coming out of the 1012 Liars  Fishing Derby?

Well, it seems the winning pike is still gaining weight as the Leader goes to press…

Organizers are already looking ahead to next year’s Derby. 

[…]

 

– You might not see yourself as a big time fan of country music, but Leisa Way’s new production, Country Jukebox, making its debut at Upper Canada Playhouse, will surely go a long way to converting you.

The show bursts from the gate with the Country Jukebox ‘overture’ and hits the ground running. 

“My heart ain’t ready for the Rollin’ Stones/I don’t feel like rocking since my baby’s gone/Don’t rock the jukebox/Play me a country song..”

Backed up by the incredible Wayward Wind band, Dave Wilson, Kim Ratcliffe and Bruce Ley, and supported on lead vocals by Aaron Solomon and Randall Kempf (whose individual and collective talents are stunning) singer Leisa Way delivers a show for all musical tastes.

The traditional harmonies of country artists like Loretta Lynn and Reba McIntyre are balanced by cross-over modern artists like LeAnn Rimes and Lady Antebellum. Way’s show, as she explained in an earlier interview with the Leader, is primarily designed around duets, country music match-ups that are considered gold standards. 

Tammy Wynette and George Jones, Faith Hill and Tim McGraw, Kris Kristofferson and Rita Coolidge, among others, were featured artists. Bruce Ley, who arranged the music for Country Jukebox, has orchestrated some wonderful medleys blending these artists’ singles and duets. Way, Solomon and Kempf segued effortlessly from one piece to another to deserved applause.

I particularly enjoyed the Dottie West/Kim Carnes set which included “Till I Can Make It On My Own”, and “Don’t Fall in Love with a Dream”, among others. Could just be the romantic in me, of course, but as Way said at one point, music like this reflects “a true love story,  true country magic.”

Seldom off the stage (except for some striking costume changes) during the entire concert, Way is the exuberant focal point of Country Jukebox.

 Her singing voice is a powerful and versatile instrument. Whether she is singing alone on stage, or harmonizing with Solomon and Kempf, her range and energy are phenomenal.

Because she and Solomon and Kempf have worked together before, there is a musical easiness among them as they sing. They seem to be having a great time.

And when the spotlight solos in on Solomon and Kempf, these two deliver. 

Randall Kempf, (who really does resemble Willie Nelson), delivered a rousing rendition of  “The Gambler” at one point that had the audience cheering.  And Aaron Solomon, ‘knocked ‘em dead’ when he and his fiddle roared into ‘Orange Blossom Special’. As Leisa said earlier,  the man also “sings like an angel.”

Way showcases the individual members of her band throughout the production. Was there anyone whose foot wasn’t tapping when the five men burst into a boisterous “Elvira’? 

You can’t get better performers than these musicians anywhere.

Way’s Country Jukebox is upbeat, humourous and musically, a knockout. However, this is a very new show: as with any new venture, it is still undergoing some growing pains in terms of length and  editing. 

 Way makes it clear that what matters most in her show is the music:  she, and the artists sharing the spotlight with her, let that music speak for itself.

By the way, this show already had me hooked, but when it ended with Roy and Dale, well, all I can say is, what could have been more perfect?

Country Jukebox is only at Upper Canada Playhouse until May 13. Contact the box office at 613-543-3713 for tickets.   

[…]

 

In April, the shopping plaza on Dickinson Drive in Ingleside welcomed the addition of Carol Delorme and her new store, Farran Footwear. 

On April 26th, Delorme, who lives just north of Ingleside, took a moment to talk about her new venture selling shoes and accessories and how she hopes to provide area shoppers with “quality” and “comfort”.

With 30 years experience in the shoe business, Delorme is well qualified to help her customers to find the perfect fit with a selection of dress shoes, comfort shoes, sandals, professional shoes and more from top quality lines. 

Her former employer, Clark’s Shoe Store in Cornwall, is in its final year of business and Delorme felt that this was the perfect time to take the leap.

“I’ve always wanted to go on my own and I like the independence,” she said.

“This is a great little plaza,” Delorme said of her current location at 15 Dickinson Drive in Ingleside. “It’s a quaint little town. I like the small town atmosphere. People can come in and visit.”

Farran Footwear carries several lines of “quality comfortable shoes” for men and women, including the following: Alegria, Bandolino, Birkenstock, Hush Puppies, Rieker, Taos, and Volks Walkers. 

“People who have tired, sore feet… I try to cater to them,” said Delorme. “I want to carry quality shoes that are worth the money.”

“I plan to expand the lines.” SAS (San Antonio Shoes) is just one of the shoe lines Delorme is pursuing. “It’s an American brand,” she said. “They have shoes and sandals for men and ladies… casual walking shoes.” 

She pointed out that SAS has a great selection in terms of “widths and full and half sizes” with sizes 4 to 12 for women and up to size 15 for men. “They have a lot of shoes and they’re just a phone call away.”

She pointed out that both Birkenstock and SAS “cater to the special sizes.”

Delorme is quite excited of her Taos line, which is a line of “comfortable walking sandals.” 

In addition, she also carries the Alegria and Volks Walkers line of “sandals and shoes with removable footbeds for those who have custom-made orthotics.” Alegria also includes professional shoes which are both stain resistant and slip resistant.

“I buy quality. I want happy customers. I want them to feel they’ve got a good pair of shoes,” she said.

In addition to selling quality shoes, Delorme also carries a line of fashionable quality leather wallets and purses. At present her stock consists of products from La Diva, which are so popular that she’s had to reorder twice already.

So far, Delorme has spread the word about Farran Footwear through advertisements in local newspapers and, more importantly, “through word of mouth.”

“I’ve had a lot of positive feedback so far. I’ve sold a lot of shoes,” she said.

“I would like to get to know what my customers are interested in and the sizes they want.”

In the event that someone is looking for a shoe or size not in stock, Delorme can place special orders.

On the afternoon of May 11th, Farran Footwear will celebrate its grand opening with special guest visitors, various give-aways, cake, tea and a draw for a free pair of shoes. 

According to Delorme, she has invited MP for Stormont, Dundas, and South Glengarry, Guy Lauzon and his wife Frances  as well as members of the South Stormont council, including mayor Brian McGillis.

She’s hoping that people will join them for the grand opening so “people can find out where I am, who I am and what it’s all about.”

“My goal,” she emphasized, “is to have what people want in this area. I want to keep with the quality standards.”

Delorme’s 30 years in the shoe business has left her with an overwhelming amount of customer service experience which she intends to put to good use with her customers.

Farran Footwear is located at unit 6 in the 15 Dickinson Drive plaza in Ingleside. It is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. from Monday to Wednesday and again on Saturday. On Thursday and Friday, the store is open an extra hour from 10 a.m. until 6 p.m.

[…]

 

Fire broke out in the upstairs half of an Iroquois home last Thursday morning, May 3rd.

According to South Dundas Fire and Emergency Services chief Chris McDonough, “after speaking with the owner it was determined, although not confirmed, that the cause was a clothes dryer on the second floor.”

The owner of the Ridge Road home, according to McDonough, “was at work in Ottawa” at the time the fire broke out.

McDonough reported that all three South Dundas fire stations responded to the call, which came in around 9:15 a.m.

“Upon arrival, there was heavy smoke coming from the soffits and eaves.”

“On the initial attack, it was determined that the second floor and attic area were fully involved and no access could be gained from the interior stairs.”

“Fire fighters had a difficult time ventilating due to the steel roofing and the angle of the roof,” he continued.

“We had two fire fighters suffer minor injuries. One was transported to the hospital for treatment and was released.”

As for the house, McDonough reported that it could not be saved.

He estimated the damage to be in the vicinity of $180,000.

[…]

 

Love South Dundas will once again hold their annual Children’s Fair at the Earl Baker Park in Morrisburg on Sunday, June 24th. 

On May 1st, during the general consent portion of the South Dundas council meeting, council agreed to allow the Love South Dundas Organizing Committee to use the park as well as whatever chairs they might need for the June 24th activities.

In a letter to council from the two Love South Dundas cochairs, Pastor Clarence Witten of Community Christian Reformed Church and Pastor Duncan Perry of the Morrisburg Pentecostal Church pointed out that the day’s events would include an inter-church service as well as the Children’s Fair.

The event will include such festivities as entertainer and juggler Bob Cates, inflatable play structures, face painting, clowns and a free barbecue.

Witten and Perry reminded council that “Love South Dundas is a collaborative effort of all the churches in South Dundas to serve our community with a variety of service projects and random acts of kindness.” 

“It’s part of a larger movement that happens all across Canada usually during the two week period beginning with the day of Pentecost.”

“This year, our fourth year, this event will be from June 10th to June 24th. Like in other years, we’ll be busy helping seniors, distributing baked goods to service organizations, holding special events, washing cars and so on.”

[…]

 

During the May 1st South Dundas council meeting, it was brought to the attention of council that the Iroquois and District Business Group would like to plant and maintain the ‘islands’ in the Iroquois Plaza.

Clerk Brenda Brunt explained that the group would like to plant some hostas, a perennial plant, and the time to do so was “now.”

It was suggested that the business group was considering the possibility of having local businesses ‘adopt’ an island, making it a competition to see who has the nicest ‘island’.

Council agreed to the request and mayor Steven Byvelds offered the following: “They’re beautifying their little part of South Dundas and fostering community spirit in that area.”

[…]

 

With spring well underway, the grass is growing and South Dundas is ready with a brand new mower.

South Dundas council approved the purchase of a new roadside mower for the public works department during the May 1st council meeting in Williamsburg.

Hugh Garlough, manager of public works for the township, recommended council accept a quote, the lowest, from B&G Loughlin Tractors Inc. at a cost of $8,640 plus HST. The amount is less than the allotted budget of $15,000.

As for the actual mower being purchased, council had several questions surrounding its quality and durability.

According to Garlough, the Berti, model number TA/S200, is a “flail mower with outside gear box with hammer flails.”

He told council that he “talked to one of the local Matilda farmers who has it and he’s happy with it.”

Mayor Steven Byvelds pointed out that the United Counties of Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry use that same mower.

“They’ve had good luck,” he said.

In addition to B&G Loughlin Tractors Inc., quotes were also received from Green Tech Ag & Turf Inc, Reis Equipment, Dan R Equipment, and Weagant Farm Supplies Limited.

[…]

 

It’s finally spring in South Dundas, and that means people can look forward to one of the special joys of the season: a new concert by the Seaway Singers.

The Seaway Singers, 33 members strong, will be presenting a performance entitled ‘Gavottes to Gershwin,’ at the Williamsburg Christian Reformed Church on Friday, May 11, at 7:30 p.m.

Under the able direction of conductor Robert Jones, with Margaret Whisselle as accompanist, the Singers will present a wide variety of music. The audience can look forward to hearing beautiful seasonal pieces (“Hail the Welcome Signs of Spring”) as well as a medley of the upbeat, infectious songs of George Gershwin from his Broadway hit, Crazy for You.

Conductor Jones has designed a program which will appeal to all musical tastes.

Choral arrangements of two gavottes by Bach, a Welsh Air and a selection of Five Nursery Rhymes will be part of the concert. So too will John Denver’s beautiful “Annie’s Song.’ 

The Seaway Singers tend to be a very versatile musical group.As well as their very evident vocal talents, two choir members, Daniel Edwards and Randy Lacey, usually found in the bass section, will perform on the violin and guitar during the concert. 

The Seaway Singers present two concerts a year, one near Christmas and another to welcome the spring. 

Friday, May 11, 7:30 p.m., is a chance to see and hear why the Singers are highly regarded by audiences throughout the area.

Tickets are only $10 and can be purchased in advance at Seaway Pharmacies or at the door of the Williamsburg Christian Reformed Church Friday evening.

[…]

 

Dating is tough.Being set up by friends is tough. But the toughest test of finding true love has got to be the dreaded blind date.

At least that’s the premise of Check, Please! by Jonathan Rand, an hilarious look at the perils and pitfalls of modern dating being presented on Friday, May 11, 6 p.m., at Seaway District High School in Iroquois. 

Under the direction of teachers Emma Mayer and Kim Lalonde, 21 senior drama students will perform the timely and funny production as part of the 7th annual dinner theatre night at the high school. 

“The actors have been working extremely hard,” said Lalonde. “It’s going to be a great show. There were a lot of funny moments just in rehearsals, especially as the kids began to identify their characters with the costumes and make-up. And,” Lalonde added, laughing, “the day we put the boys into make up for the first time, is now known as David Bowie Day. It was hilarious. However, they’re getting used to the whole stage thing now.”

I had the opportunity to speak to four members of the cast about the play, and about their roles. 

Rebecca Helmer, who plays “the Girl” describes her character as a bit desperate, trying to find “the one.” “She can be sarcastic (she’s faced some bad situations), but she’s also a lot of fun to play. Does she find love? Well there is a twist at the end of the play that will let the audience know that.”

Jared Gibson, “the Guy,” is coming from a world of bad dates including one with a rabid Chicago Bears fan, another with a woman who talks only in internet abbreviations. “Everybody has had them, the bad dates, the embarrassment of bad dates. My character is getting a little desperate. He would just like to find a nice, normal, average girl next door.”

Judging from the characters played by Haley VanAllen and Nicole Hallam,  that girl next door is going to be pretty hard to find.

“My Cleo is a pyschic,” Haley explained. “The problem is she reads feet. Yup, she’s pretty insane, definitely ditzy. Her version of seeing the future is to say ‘I saw I was going to fail the math exam, and guess what? I did!’”

Does she find love?

“I think we might have to wait for the Cleo spin off,” Jared said straight-faced.

Nicole Hallam’s Mary is the kind of girl who shows up on a blind date carrying a Brides magazine under her arm.

“She has her entire wedding planned, from church and reception to the honeymoon. The only catch: no groom,” Nicole explained. “What she’s really looking for is a guy who will fit into the tuxedo. Thirty seconds into the date, she’s asking the guy if he’d like to help her pick out the wedding dress. She’s hilarious.”

“The script for Check, Please! is very funny, and very well written,” Haley said.  “Everyone can relate to these characters, and not feel so bad about their own dating experiences.”

“Everything that can go wrong, does, in this play,” added Nicole.

“Think of worst case scenarios and then think how funny they can be,” Jared said.

“It’s really a laugh out loud play,” Rebecca said. “We all still laugh even in our rehearsals.” 

The dinner theatre is being sponsored by the SDHS parents council. The funds raised, including those coming from the silent auction, will go towards new technology for the school. Tickets are $10 per person for the delicious lasagna dinner and the show, and are available in advance by calling 613-652-4878.

Come out on Friday, May 11, to share the laughter and memories of first dates.

[…]