Prescott police hearing will be held Sept. 20
Commission to assess town's proposal for OPP service
PRESCOTT The date has been set for a public hearing
to determine the future of policing in Prescott.
Members of the Ontario Civilian Commission on Police Service
(OCCOPS) will meet Sept. 20 in Prescott to consider a proposal
to disband the municipal police service and replace it with Ontario
Provincial Police (OPP) service.
Town council voted in early January to seek an OPP contract.
Two options were presented by the OPP; the options were similar,
but one called for an additional sergeant. Council decided a
few months ago to go with the other option.
The estimated cost of OPP service is in the range of $1,050,000,
similar to the annual cost of operating the existing municipal
service.
OCCOPS is a provincial government agency that reviews policing
proposals. It will determine whether the proposal would lead
to an adequate level of policing for Prescott, and whether municipal
police staff are being treated fairly as part of the disbandment
process.
Mayor Robert Lawn said the hearing is another step in the
process. The mayor acknowledged Monday the process is taking
longer than town officials had hoped.
The hearing will include presentations by several interested
parties, including the town and its police services board, the
OPP, officers and the public.
Lawn noted it could take up to an additional three months
after the hearing to implement the change if the commission approves
the proposal.
Most council members have indicated the OPP will provide at
least the same level of service being provided by the municipal
department. New policing standards being implemented by the province
and their potential cost to the municipality was cited by some
councillors as a reason to opt for OPP service.
The OPP proposal was put forward last year near the end of
the previous council's term.
Most officers with the Prescott Police Service are being offered
comparable positions with the OPP as part of the transition.
OPP officials indicated last year Prescott officers would not
be forced to transfer for at least three years if they agreed
to join the provincial service.
The employment offer does not extend to civilian workers at
the municipal police service. The OPP will provide its own dispatch
service; the town is proposing to contract out fire dispatch
service in response to the anticipated change in policing.
The Prescott OPP unit would be based at the Edward Street
detachment.
Lack of precipitation
has farmers worried about outcome of season
By Jeff Lee - Journal Staff Writer
SOUTH GRENVILLE There is a critical need for rain,
according to local farmers.
Eli Countryman of Countryman Gardens near Maitland said his
crops, like those of other area farmers, need a good soaking
within the next five to seven days to stave off the effects of
a hot, dry summer.
"It's going to be a disaster, especially for the vegetable
crops," he says.
Countryman said, for example, on July 30 the sweet corn leaves
were curled up, a sign the plant is stressed. At this time of
the year, a corn crop in its third planting should be about four-and-a-half
feet high but instead is only about two-and-a-half tall.
For local dairy farmer Adrian Wynands, the hot weather has
meant a 15- to 20- per-cent drop in milk production as well as
a need to dip into his winter wheat supply.
"The cows don't like to milk in the heat," says
Wynands, who milks 40 cows on his 250-acre farm called ChrisAnn
Farms near North Augusta.
"When you turn the cows out, they just want to lay in
the shade under a tree," says Wynands, who is also president
of the Grenville Federation of Agriculture.
Rain could help to cool things down a bit and remove some
of the humidity, which could help milk production, he said, while
greening up his pasture.
Countryman, who operates the 45-acre farm vegetable and fruit
farm on County Road 26 in partnership with his parents Gene and
Marsha, says at least two-and-a-half inches of rain is needed
over two days to refresh the fields. However, he says, that amount
of rain would only be good for about a week before another shower
would be needed.
Unfortunately, Countryman says, with the hot and dry weather
the concern is that the conditions are ripe for thunder and hail
storms.
"That type of weather could wipe out a lot of crops,"
Countryman says.
"Corn just turns to shreds. It looks like somebody went
through with a machete."
The only crop that has fared well so far this season is grains
since there was rain earlier in the season, he added.
Another challenge has been insect and weed control in the
fields. The hot weather seems ideal for insects, which have appeared
in greater number. Countryman adds, however, the insect problem
has been reigned in.
He says keeping the weeds at bay has also proved more difficult
under these conditions.
"Weed control has been a big problem," Countryman
says. "A lot of the herbicides that were pre-incorporated
into crops didn't have any effect."
This means, Countryman added, more time and money has been
needed to be spent on paying people to rototill and pull out
the weeds by hand.
Although Countryman has been irrigating his farm, he is only
able to cover about one third of the 35 acres planted this season.
He said his pond is down about five-and-a-half feet due to
his irrigation and about a foot down due to evaporation.
Countryman compares this season's lack of rain to the drought
of 1988, adding it's perhaps even drier this year.
Last year, the weather was the other extreme: wet and cool.
But this year, Countryman says, it seems what rain has fallen
has skipped these parts and ended up north and south of the Prescott
area.
THIS WEEK
Early deadline in place for civic holiday
PRESCOTT The offices of The Prescott Journal and
St. Lawrence Printing will be closed Monday, Aug. 6 for the civic
holiday.
The deadline for display and classified advertising in the
Aug. 8 edition of The Journal is Friday, Aug. 3 at noon.
Letters to the editor and other submissions to the editorial
department should also be made no later than Friday.
Schmuck to perform at outdoor concert
PRESCOTT Heinz Schmuck will perform this Sunday, Aug.
5 at the Kinsmen outdoor theatre on Prescott's waterfront.
The concert starts at 6:30 pm. Admission to the weekly concerts
is free; however, donations will be accepted.
In case of rain, the concert will take place at the Leo Boivin
Community Centre.
This summer's Sunday concert series at the amphitheatre ends
Aug. 26.
Jacob Two-Two comes to Fort Wellington
PRESCOTT One of Canada's most popular children's stories
will come to life Thursday, Aug. 9 on the grounds of Fort Wellington.
The Thousand Island Playhouse's Young Company will perform
Jacob Two-Two Meets the Hooded Fang. Mordecai Richler's
famed celebration of childhood has been adapted for the stage
by Kathryn MacKay and is being performed at parks and camps throughout
the region.
Admission to the 2 pm performance is free; regular admission
fees apply for those who tour the fort.
For more information contact Fort Wellington at 925-2896.
New town job attracts 25 applicants
PRESCOTT The town has received 25 applications for the
newly-created position of community services director, according
to CAO/Clerk Andrew Brown.
Town officials will soon be reviewing the applications, compiling
a short list of candidates and conducting interviews, Brown told
The Journal Monday. The full-time management position
was approved by council earlier this year.
Prescott Legion hosts buffet and barbecue
PRESCOTT Branch 97 of the Royal Canadian Legion will
host a breakfast buffet and barbecue Sunday, Aug. 5.
The all-you-can-eat breakfast buffet will be served at the
Legion Hall on Henry Street from 8 to 11 am. The barbecue will
also be held at the hall from 4 to 7 pm. Steak or chicken with
all the trimmings will be served. Tickets for the breakfast and
barbecue can be purchased at the events.
Free entertainment will be presented beginning at 2:30 pm.
Fatal shooting
investigation continues
MAYNARD Investigators are releasing few details of the
July 23 shooting which resulted in the death of a Prescott-area
man.
Fred Kirkey, 33, died July 23 following what has been officially
described as "an exchange of gunfire" between the man
and Ontario Provincial Police officers near a house at 3623 County
Road 26.
The Special Investigations Unit (SIU) of the Ministry of the
Attorney General is continuing its probe into the occurrence.
Rose Hong, spokesperson for the SIU, said the task of gathering
physical evidence at the scene was completed last week. Formal
results from a post-mortem conducted July 24 in Kingston were
expected this week, she noted.
Eleven civilian witnesses were interviewed last week by SIU
investigators, according to Hong. A witness officer was also
interviewed; Hong was unsure whether the subject officer had
consented to an SIU interview. As of last Thursday arrangements
to interview paramedics were in the works, she noted.
Neither the OPP nor the SIU has released the names of the
officers involved in the shooting.
Emergency personnel sent to the scene prior to the shooting
were told the call was an attempted suicide. A man had reportedly
shot himself and was injured.
Witnesses indicated a number of shots were fired after police
arrived. Kirkey was transported to hospital where he was pronounced
dead.
The SIU dispatched six investigators to Maynard shortly after
the shooting.
Shooting deaths are given highest priority by the SIU, Hong
explained. Although the intent is to conclude the investigation
as soon as possible given its nature and the significant community
interest in this case, Hong noted the SIU must take the time
to ensure its investigation is thorough.
Senior Constable Cindy MacDonald, media relations officer
at the Grenville OPP detachment in Prescott, declined to comment
on the shooting and how it has affected personnel at the detachment.
A funeral service for Kirkey took place July 27 in Prescott.
Four-year-old boy dies
following ATV accident
NORTH AUGUSTA Police are continuing to investigate an
all-terrain vehicle (ATV) accident that resulted in the death
of a four-year-old boy.
The incident occurred Sunday afternoon at a farm residence
on Wiltse Road south of North Augusta.
The boy from Oxford Mills was a passenger on a 1998 Yamaha
4X4 Grizzly 600, according to an Ontario Provincial Police news
release.
The 14-year-old female driver got off the vehicle to open
a gate; the boy then slid forward, grabbed the handlebars and
put the ATV in motion, police reported. The vehicle veered off
the roadway and onto rough terrain where it rolled over, ejecting
the boy.
Grenville County OPP, Leeds and Grenville EMS paramedics and
Augusta firefighters were called to the scene. The boy was transported
to Brockville General Hospital where he was pronounced dead.
The names of the victim and the driver are not being released
at the request of the families.
Grenville County OPP Constable Jim Blanchette, with the assistance
of a technical traffic collision investigator from Perth OPP,
Constable Jason McTaggart, are continuing to investigate the
accident. Alcohol was not a factor in the accident, according
to police.
Program helps relatives
deal with mental illness
BROCKVILLE The Leeds and Grenville branch of the Canadian
Mental Health Association (CMHA) will present a 12-week course
for people who are dealing with a relative's mental illness.
The National Alliance for the Mentally Ill (NAMI) Family to
Family Education Program balances education and skills training
with self-care and emotional support. Trained family members
will be the instructors.
The free course will begin in September at a Brockville location.
Course materials and handouts will be provided at no charge to
participants. Class size is limited; anyone interested in attending
is encouraged to register as soon as possible.
Call (613) 345-0950 to register or for more information about
the course. NAMI has helped more than 30,000 parents, spouses,
siblings and children gain a better understanding of how their
relatives are affected by mental illness.
Police credit parents
for their fast response
EDWARDSBURGH The outcome of a serious accident that
occurred July 23 could have been much worse had it not been for
the actions of a five-year-old boy's parents, according to the
Ontario Provincial Police.
The boy fell through the lower glass portion of an aluminum
door at the family's residence on Windmill Road east of New Wexford;
the wind had blown the door shut.
The boy sustained life-threatening injuries to his right arm
and armpit area, according to a police news release.
The boy's parents noted the severity of his injuries, applied
emergency first aid and called 9-1-1. Escorted by officers from
Grenville and Leeds OPP, the father drove his son to Brockville
General Hospital.
The victim was later transported to Kingston General Hospital,
where he was listed in stable condition in the intensive care
unitt. No names were released.
Next Wednesday is Grenville
Farm Family Day
HECKSTON An annual celebration of agriculture in Grenville
County will take place Wednesday, Aug. 8.
Grenville Farm Family Day will be hosted by Michael Hall at
the Crystal Brook Farm located at 204 Edward Scott Road north
of Heckston and about two kilometres east of County Road 22.
Grenville Farm Family Day is co-sponsored by several organizations
including the Grenville Soil and Crop Improvement Association,
the Grenville Federation of Agriculture, the Grenville Dairy
Producers and the Grenville Holstein Club.
The special day begins at 10:30 am with a crops tour of the
farm by wagon. Several crop variety trials and demonstration
plots will be featured.
The tour will be followed by a chicken barbecue. The noon
program will include several presentations, including the 2001
EOSCIA-Grenville Award of Merit as well as leather show halters
to be presented to first-year 4-H club members with Holstein
calves.
Programs for different interests and age groups, including
children's activities and a program for women, will be offered
in the afternoon.
A demonstration of ultrasound pregnancy checking will be featured
in the dairy program.
For more information, call Stuart Leyenaar at (613) 269-4226.
Government provides
special funding for well water safety at local schools
PRESCOTT The Ontario government will provide more than
$1.1 million to the Upper Canada District School Board in an
effort to ensure students and staff receive safe drinking water.
The funding announced last week is aimed at upgrading equipment
and providing more frequent testing of the quality of well water
at schools and other facilities in Ontario.
The Upper Canada board operates 49 schools which use well
water. No other board in Ontario has more schools using wells
as their source of drinking water.
Six of the 10 schools operated by the Upper Canada board in
South Grenville use well water.
Joan Hodge, who serves as South Grenville's trustee and as
board chairperson, told The Journal she is thankful the
province has recognized and acknowledged the need for higher
standards and to help school boards meet those objectives. However,
she added the board must be diligent in its attempt to persuade
the government to provide additional funding to deal with the
higher standards.
Gino Giannandrea, the board's director of education, stated
in a news release the board is grateful to receive the funding.
However, he went on to note it will cost the board between $30,000
and $60,000 per well to install the required equipment. The funding
allocation from the province amounts to $22,500 per well site,
according to Giannandrea.
"We are monitoring actual costs with the hope that the
government will provide further assistance," he stated.
The board implemented its own extensive testing program three
years ago, board officials noted. The board spent $45,000 last
year to supply bottled water to schools at which the quality
of tap water was questionable.
"We weren't taking any chances," Hodge said.
South Edwardsburg Public School in Johnstown was supplied
with bottled water in June because one well water sample was
found to have a slightly elevated level of lead. Three subsequent
tests have not shown elevated lead levels in the water, Hodge
said. Two additional samples will be tested before the start
of the upcoming school year, she added.
No public schools in South Grenville experienced bacteria-related
water problems last year.
Local Masons dedicate
millennium cairn
PRESCOTT The local Masonic Lodge dedicated its new millennium
cairn July 25 with a symbolic ceremony for members.
Within the stone cairn on the front property of the Masonic
Complex on Edward Street north of Prescott rests a time capsule
to be opened in 100 years.
The time capsule contains significant items from 2000-2001,
documents, coins and the history of the area and of the lodge.
Conducted by Rev. Blair Paterson of St. Paul's United Church,
the service involved scattering fresh corn on the monument as
an emblem of abundance and plenty for those who will reopen the
cairn. Wine was poured on the cairn as an emblem of joy and gladness,
and oil was sprinkled as an emblem of harmony and eternity.
The cairn project also included the laying of a rock garden
that resembles a miniature Stone Henge, the installation of a
flag pole, signs, a walkway, pillars and other landscaping projects.
Three signs in the cairn garden are dedicated to the Grenville
Chapter No. 22 of the Royal Arch Masons, Violet Chapter 206 of
the Order of the Eastern Star and Central Lodge No. 110 A.F.
and A.M. (Ancient Free and Accepted Masons).
The projects were made possible through member donations and
funds donated from community residents and businesses.
The Masonic Lodge is a fraternal organization for the betterment
of the community that has three guiding principles: brotherly
love, relief and truth.
The Prescott lodge was instituted in Dec. 1858 at the site
of the former King Street Daniels' Hotel, and for about 113 years
met in quarters in the Masonic Block on the northeast corner
of King and Centre streets. The current complex was built in
1992.
The Order of the Eastern Star is a fraternal order of benevolence
and goodwill, and is open to men or women with an affiliation
in the Masonic order. The local group celebrated its 70th year
in May 2000.
Officials discuss water
agreement
PRESCOTT Officials from the Town of Prescott and Township
of Edwardsburgh/Cardinal have begun discussions aimed at producing
a new agreement for the supply of town water to the area just
east of Prescott.
A 20-year agreement to provide water to the Edwardsburgh Industrial
Park west of Johnstown expired in May of this year. Officials
from the two municipalities met July 23 to discuss the matter.
Town water users in the township pay higher rates than those
being charged in Prescott.
Several residences in New Wexford were connected to the water
system in the late 1990s.
OPP NEWS
Cash and securities stolen from residence
AUGUSTA Grenville County OPP are investigating a break,
enter and theft that occurred sometime between 8:30 and 10 am
Monday, July 30. A residence on County Road 18 near County Road
26 was entered through a side window. Large quantities of cash
and securities were taken. A dark red, full-size pick-up truck
was observed in the area. Anyone with information on this crime
is asked to contact the investigating officer, Constable Cindy
Bisson, at the detachment (925-4221) during business hours or
call OPP Communications in Perth at 1-888-310-1122. Anonymous
tips can be called in to Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.
Bulldozer vandalized at construction site
AUGUSTA A bulldozer owned by Knapp's Paving/Northwood
Builders was vandalized sometime between July 20-23, according
to Grenville County OPP. The bulldozer was at a construction
site on County Road 15. Anyone with information on this incident
is asked to contact Constable Cindy Bisson (925-4221) or Crime
Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.
Enter now to
become ambassador of fair
Submitted by Paula Carmichael
SPENCERVILLE The 2001 Spencerville Fair is fast approaching,
and changes are in the works!
For the first time, both male and female competitors will
be vying for the title of Spencerville Fair Ambassador. Pageant
organizers are now accepting applications from those who are
interested in competing in this exciting event.
The competition is open to Grenville County residents between
the ages of 17 and 23. Contestants will be interviewed by a panel
of three judges before going on stage to introduce themselves
and then answer an impromptu question. Competitors will be judged
on the interview as well as community involvement, question response,
poise and personality.
Contrary to some popular myths, contestants do not need to
live on a farm or know much about agriculture. The successful
candidate will be eager and willing to learn about his or her
community and share his or her enthusiasm for the fair with others.
The winner will represent the Spencerville Agricultural Society
for the duration of the fair, attend the annual Chinese dinner
and assist with other board functions. The new Spencerville Fair
Ambassador will attend the Ontario Agricultural Society convention
in February and take part in the Ambassador of the Fairs competition
at the Canadian National Exhibition next August.
The pageant is an excellent opportunity to meet new people,
gain some public speaking experience and, most of all, have fun.
Anyone interested in running or who knows a young person who
might be interested, is asked to contact Paula Carmichael at
658-5258. The pageant will be held Friday, Sept. 7, and entries
will only be accepted until Friday, Aug. 24, so hurry; the sooner
you enter the better.
WALKER HOUSE NEWS
By Willy Sieling Heuvel
Dinner theatre trip is tomorrow
We will be leaving Walker House at 5 pm Aug. 2 to go to Morrisburg
dinner theatre. The dinner is in Williamsburg, a nice drive in
the country. Please be on time! Rides are arranged, and you will
get your tickets at the dinner.
Some of you have been prompt getting your deposit in for the
October trip. To all who have not, time is running out as your
seat may be sold to someone else by the beginning of August.
Card game winners last week were: Monday bridge 1st,
Kitty Worminton; 2nd, Mary Reynolds; Ted Crosbie won the door
prize and donated it back to Walker House. Tuesday cribbage
high hand, Denise Monette; high score, Sam Covey; 2nd, Lou Baldwin;
3rd, Hilda Hutton. Wednesday evening bridge 1st, Linda
Larkin; 2nd, John Christofolakos; Della Phillips won the door
prize. Thursday euchre 1st, Jean McCrady; 2nd, Mary Reynolds;
3rd, Denise Monette; Jean Annable won the door prize.
Local Big Brothers
to host mouth-watering event
LEEDS AND GRENVILLE Big Brothers Association of Leeds
and Grenville will host its first annual RibFest Aug. 10-12 at
Hardy Park.
The event will feature ribbers from Canada and the United
States. In addition to having plenty of ribs to taste, the family-oriented
weekend will also feature games, live entertainment and displays
for young and old alike.
For more information about RibFest, call Big Brothers at (613)
345-0281.
Ships visit Prescott
PRESCOTT The Cape May Light will be docked in
Prescott until 3 pm today (Wednesday). The cruise ship is scheduled
to return Tuesday, Aug. 7 from 9 am to 3 pm.
The Nantucket Clipper is scheduled to be in Prescott
Thursday, Aug. 2 at 8 am and will depart early the next morning.
The ship will return Sunday, Aug. 5 at about 6:30 pm and stay
in Prescott until Monday evening.
Both ships will return to the Fort Town later this month.
The Canadian Empress is also making numerous stops in Prescott
this summer.
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