VOL. 174, NO. 14~ PRESCOTT, ONTARIO ~ April 7, 2004

Police vote set for April 26

PRESCOTT ­ The future of the Prescott Police Service will be decided once and for all later this month.

Prescott council will vote Monday, April 26 on whether to proceed with plans to disband the municipal police department and proceed with a five-year contract with the Ontario Provincial Police. Council set the vote date during a budget meeting Tuesday night. To accommodate the vote, the regular council meeting scheduled for April 19 was postponed by one week. Town committee meetings to have been held April 26 will now take place on the 19th.

Survey says...

Most support retaining town police service, according to firefighters

By Tim Ruhnke, Journal Editor

PRESCOTT ­ As town council prepares to vote on the future of policing in Prescott, another piece of information has been added to the mix.

A survey conducted Saturday by members of the Prescott Fire Department indicates about 91 per cent of respondents want to retain the town's existing police service.

During a three-hour period, more than 430 people were surveyed at several businesses in town.

Fire Chief Bill Lawrence said the survey was done because some councillors had indicated they had not received much in the way of formal input on the policing issue.

Survey respondents were asked to check "yes" or "no" in response to whether they support retaining town police or going with the OPP. They were also asked to write their name and address.

Lawrence told The Journal Monday night he and the other firefighters who did the surveying did not try to influence the response by offering their own opinions.

After "spoiled ballots" were removed from consideration, the results showed 398 respondents support retaining the Prescott Police Service. Thirty-four respondents noted they do not want to retain the municipal service, according to Lawrence.

Many members of the fire department, including Lawrence, have publicly indicated their support for retaining the municipal police service and civilian dispatchers with whom they work on a regular basis. However, the chief insists the results of the poll reflect the views of the public.

"All we did was an honest, unbiased survey," Lawrence said.

Although the town remains on record as favouring a municipal contract with the Ontario Provincial Police, a vote on whether to proceed with disbandment is expected within the next few weeks.

Council indicated Monday a vote on the issue would not take place until at least April 21. An in-camera session to discuss the policing issue took place following last night's budget meeting.

During a media question period near the end of Monday night's council meeting, The Journal asked council members to comment on the manner in which the survey was conducted. After one councillor responded, it was determined the question did not pertain specifically to anything on the agenda. However, council agreed to end the meeting and stay to finish responding to The Journal's question.

Councillor Nancy Lane said she was approached by two men at Canadian Tire who were dressed in regular clothes and asked to take part in a survey by ticking whether she supports retaining the Prescott service or going with the OPP.

Councillor Bob Pelda said he checked out the survey sites Saturday for his own piece of mind and found the firefighters were handling the survey "fairly and democratically" for the most part.

Mayor Robert Lawn said the petition and other activities are "taking away from the real issues" with which council must deal. The decision should be based solely on what the best professional policing option for the town of its budget and size would be, according to the mayor. He said he would comment in more detail on the survey after council's decision has been made.

Councillor Jo-Anne Beckstead, who responded during the media question period, voiced concerns about there being "too many figures out there" which are "doing a disservice to the public." The main issue is "getting muddied" by claims and counterclaims about how much each policing option would cost, according to Beckstead. It is up to council to go over these figures and be comfortable with making a decision, she added.

Lawrence said he had delivered survey results to town hall Monday and had sent e-mails to some council members. The results were not discussed during the meeting, and no one at Monday's meeting acknowledged he or she had received the results.

THIS WEEK

Offices and most stores closed Good Friday

PRESCOTT ­ The offices of The Prescott Journal and St. Lawrence Printing will be closed Good Friday (April 9).

Regular office hours will be in effect Easter Monday, April 12. Display and classified advertising deadlines for the April 14 edition of The Journal are not affected by the Friday closing.

Government offices, banks and most retailers will be closed this Friday.

Kids get a better feel for life on the farm

GRENVILLE COUNTY ­ Local youngsters will have a chance later this month to learn more about agriculture.

Grade 4 students from 11 schools in the county are expected to attend the "Farm Comes to Town" event set for Wednesday, April 21 at the A.M. Barr Arena in Kemptville. This is the tenth year for the show presented by the Grenville County Agriculture Awareness Committee in conjunction with farmers, farm-related businesses and commodity groups.

Each class will visit nine different stages which feature everything from dairy and beef to veterinary medicine and farm machinery. There is no admission fee. The committee is made up of volunteers whose purpose is to educate the public and school children about the agriculture community.

For more information on the event, contact Elizabeth Streight at (613) 258-3752 or Rosemary Bennett at 258-3787.

Winter parking rules done for the season

PRESCOTT ­ The overnight parking ban in Prescott has been put to bed for another year.

As of April 1, the ban on parking between midnight and 7 am was lifted. The overnight restriction will return in November.

Council meets day later

MAYNARD ­ The next regular Augusta Township council meeting will take place Tuesday, April 13, beginning at 7:30 pm at the municipal hall in Maynard. The meeting was put over from April 12 due to the Easter Monday holiday.

Local schools need more support, board told

Budget consultation meeting hears from South Grenville and other advisory councils

By Tim Ruhnke, Journal Editor

PRESCOTT ­ South Grenville District High School should not have to make do with the same amount of money year after year, school board officials have been told.

The Upper Canada District School Board held one of three public consultation meetings last Tuesday night at the high school in Prescott. The board is preparing its 2004/2005 budget.

Speaking on behalf of South Grenville's advisory council, Nancy Bucking asked the board to consider providing more money to individual school budgets. Although it costs in the range of $6 million per year (or about $8,600 per student) to run SGDHS, the in-school budget administered by Principal Brenda Ramsay is only $170,000.

Replacing teachers, office staff and educational assistants on a temporary basis has been costing much more than what has been allocated in South Grenville's budget. On average, just under $16,000 has been allocated each year for temporary staff costs. However, costs incurred have ranged from $36,800 to $45,700 per year. More than $26,600 has been spent during the current academic year.

The high school has also had to pay off a $38,000 debt as well as costs associated with repairing or replacing telephones, equipment and furniture. "We've been fiscally responsible," Ramsay told board officials last week.

These additional costs have reduced the percentage of the budget being allocated for direct use in classrooms. They have also led to an increased need for activity fees and community fundraising.

"It's difficult to keep fundraising all the time" when the same people are repeatedly being asked for their financial support, according to Bucking.

"We just want to keep it (the school) functioning and offering as many programs as possible," the South Grenville alumnus added.

Upcoming costs to be incurred include the continuation of refurbishment of the stage area, improvements to the track and field area and the replacement of classroom curtains Ramsay described as "disgusting."

In addition to the high school, the Upper Canada board operates eight elementary schools in South Grenville. The board, which covers an area extending from Gananoque to Hawkesbury, has a 2003/2004 operating budget of $270 million. Nearly $115 million is allocated for teachers.

Board officials received three other presentations at the Prescott meeting. The need to make Brockville Collegiate Institute accessible to the handicapped was outlined. A million-dollar proposal to build a new track at Thousand Islands Secondary School was presented. Increasing classroom resources was the focus of a submission made by the advisory council at Iroquois Public School.

The board's finance and operations committee will review the submissions as part of budget deliberations and forward information to the appropriate departments, according to Grenville County Trustee Joan Hodge.

In addition to existing demands for funding, the school board is also facing issues associated with declining enrollment. Projections indicate there will be 22 per cent fewer elementary students in the system in 2017 than there are now.

Upper Canada schools have a surplus capacity of 17 per cent. By 2020, that surplus could rise to 40 per cent.

The South Grenville family of schools has a total of about 700 surplus student places.

Joe Jordan seeks third consecutive mandate

BROCKVILLE ­ Joe Jordan is ready for another showdown.

The local MP has been acclaimed as the Leeds-Grenville Liberal candidate in the next election, which might be held later this spring. The riding association held its nomination meeting Monday night in Brockville.

Jordan, 45, is completing his second term as a member of parliament. He was first elected in 1993.

The incumbent has acknowledged it will be a tough fight in Leeds-Grenville. He defeated then-Alliance candidate Gord Brown by just 55 votes in the Nov. 2000 election. Brown is running as the local candidate representing the new Conservative Party of Canada, an amalgamation of the former federal Alliance and Progressive Conservative parties.

Jordan served for more than two years as parliamentary secretary to Prime Minister Jean Chrétien. The Leeds-Grenville MP is now parliamentary secretary to Treasury Board President Reg Alcock as well as a member of the Privy Council.

Alcock was the guest speaker at Monday's nomination meeting.

Jim Jordan, Joe's father, served as a Liberal MP for two terms beginning in 1988.

ONTARIO PROVINCIAL POLICE NEWS

Assaulting officer among charges

AUGUSTA ­ A Prescott man was charged after OPP Constable Boutilier investigated an assault complaint in Augusta Township April 2.

Rodney Travis, 35, faces charges of assault causing bodily harm, breach of probation, utter threats to cause death or bodily harm, assault with intent to resist arrest and assault a peace officer.

Police respond to many collisions

SOUTH GRENVILLE ­ Grenville County OPP officers investigated 33 collisions last week.

A single-vehicle rollover on Highway 401 west of Prescott March 30 injured six people. The Quebec driver of the van was charged with failing to ensure a passenger was wearing a complete safety assembly.

Fire guts stolen car in township

EDWARDSBURGH ­ The charred remains of what is believed to be a 1994 Chrysler Concorde reported stolen in Augusta Township last month were found April 2 on an ATV trail north of Rooney Road.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Grenville County OPP at 925-4221 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.

Two charged in grow house bust

EDWARDSBURGH ­ Police busted a grow house operation on County Road 22 late last month.

On March 26 at about 6:50 pm, a search warrant was executed by Grenville County OPP and Ottawa Drug Enforcement Section personnel. Among the items seized were almost 1,000 marijuana plants in various stages of growth as well as 3.8 kilograms of loose marijuana and growing equipment.

Two people were arrested; a 58-year-old man and 50-year-old woman, both of Ottawa, face cultivation, possession for the purpose of trafficking and hydro theft charges.

Wood splitter reported stolen

SOUTH GRENVILLE ­ A wood splitter valued at $2,300 was stolen sometime between 6 pm March 25 and 6 am March 26 from a County Road 21 location.

Anyone with information about this theft is asked to contact Constable McConnell at Grenville County OPP.

Second annual Youth Fair set for April 28

PRESCOTT - Connect Youth, Interact Club, Invista (formerly DuPont) and South Grenville District High School have joined together to host the second annual Youth Fair April 28 at the high school.

The fair is used as a way to increase awareness of organizations available to young adults between the ages of 14 and 20. Connect Youth, which was formed in 2001, is a non-profit agency that provides services and serves as an advocate for teens who might have to cope with such things as poverty, mental illness, abuse and suicide.

Connect Youth co-ordinator and Youth Counsellor Melissa Hodgkinson indicated the event also provides a good opportunity for service providers to network with one another and to let one another know about all the different services within the region.

Last year, more than 800 students attended the Youth Fair and met front-line workers from local agencies.

Representatives from community-based organizations have been invited to be on hand to present information on a variety of subjects, including mental health, substance abuse, financial assistance, employment supports, sexual well being, teen parenting and spiritual supports. The fair has also extended invitations to larger organizations such as the Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario and the Schizophrenia Society of Ontario.

The fair will run from 8 am until 3 pm and from 5 pm until 8 pm. Guest speaker Dr. Lapointe, a psychiatrist from the Royal Ottawa Hospital and consulting psychiatrist for the Child and Youth Wellness Centre, will make a presentation on "Youth at Risk" at 7 pm.

For more information on the fair, call 925-2855, ext. 3373.

Threat related to sexual assault case

PRESCOTT ­ Town police are investigating a sexual assault complaint that has resulted in a related charge.

On March 31, a Prescott woman reported her two daughters, ages six and three, had been sexually assaulted by a male who is known to the family. The victims did not sustain any physical injuries, according to police.

Later that day, a woman told police she had been threatened. A 29-year-old man was charged with uttering a threat and released on conditions. The person who was reportedly threatened is related to a suspect in the sexual assault case, police indicated. Names and further details are not being released to protect the identities of the children. Constable Mike Ostrander is the investigating officer.

In all, the Prescott Police Service investigated 102 incidents and one motor vehicle collision during the week of March 29.

A South Grenville District High School student reported two tires on her 1999 Ford had been punctured while she attended a dance April 2 at the school. Damage is estimated at $180. Constable Mike Lapensee is investigating.

On March 31, a Dibble Street resident reported the theft of two gold rings from the residence. There was no forced entry. Value of the rings is $1,200. Constable Richard Champagne is continuing the investigation.

A boy's yellow Free Spirit bicycle was taken from the back yard of a Dibble Street residence. Police received the report March 30; Constable Jon Pergunas is investigating.

Town police are investigating a pair of incidents believed to be related. On March 30, the custodian at St. Joseph School reported several cans of paint and modelling clay were taken during a break-in at the school. The same day, police received a report of paint being splattered on the brick and siding of a Massie Drive residence. The school's exterior had also been splattered with paint. Constables Pergunas and Darren Davis are investigating the respective incidents.

A break-in at a King Street residence was reported March 30. Taken were a Globalstar CD player, Panasonic portable CD player, Audiovox cell phone and Nokia cell phone. The investigating officer is Constable Davis.

Anyone with information on these or any other occurrences in town is asked to contact the Prescott Police Service at 925-4252 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477. The police station is located at the corner of Centre and Henry streets.

West Nile virus risk is low, health unit says

BROCKVILLE - The Leeds, Grenville and Lanark District Health Unit conducted an assessment of risk of West Nile virus to citizens in the tri-county area at the end of the 2003 mosquito season.

The assessment was based on information gathered through various surveillance activities carried out within the tri-county area. A total of 96 dead crows were reported to the health unit during the 2003 mosquito season. Forty were submitted for analysis and four were proven to have died from the West Nile virus. The surveillance also included weekly collection and testing of mosquitoes.

All submitted mosquitoes did not indicate to have been infected with the West Nile virus, according to a health unit news release. As well, there were no human cases reported as deemed to have been acquired by local mosquito bites.

In view of this assessment, the Medical Officer of Health, Dr Charles Gardner, has determined active larviciding activities will not be carried out during the 2004 season. The health unit will, however, be maintaining out current surveillance activities during this season and will issue public advisories if the risk changes during the coming season.

Though the risk is considered low in the tri-county area at this time for exposure to the West Nile virus, the medical officer of health advises certain control measures and prevention activities must remain active and that citizens are asked to ensure a mosquito breeding free zone around their homes. This can be done by reducing or eliminating stagnant water pools and containers on properties and by using protection against being bitten.

For more information on the control of West Nile virus, go to the health unit's Web site at www.healthunit.org.

Handwashing is still a good option

SOUTH GRENVILLE ­ The Leeds, Grenville and Lanark District Health Unit continues to emphasize the value of handwashing as a preventative health measure.

According to information posted on the unit's Web site (www.healthunit.org), hands should be washed with soap and water for at least 15 seconds at a time. Fingertips and thumbs, as well as in between fingers, tend to be missed in terms of scrubbing.

The back of the hands as well as wrists and forearms should also be washed if it is believed they were contaminated or are in need of cleaning.

List of $100,000-plus earners covers local, provincial workers

LEEDS AND GRENVILLE ­ The 2003 membership list of the so-called $100,000 club has been released.

Under the terms of the Public Sector Salary Disclosure Act, the names of provincial and municipal public servants whose salaries exceeded $100,000 last year were released last week. The law also covers crown corporations, school boards, colleges and non-profit organizations that receive a large share of their funding from the provincial government.

Topping the local list in 2003 were provincial court judges Charles Anderson and Peter Griffiths, whose salaries exceeded $187,000.

In the justice area, several crown and assistant crown attorneys also made the $100,000 list.

As for elected officials in the united counties area, Leeds-Grenville MPP Bob Runciman was paid just over $116,500 in 2003.

There were two senior staff from the United Counties of Leeds and Grenville and two from the City of Brockville on the list for 2003. No employees of the Town of Prescott or townships of Augusta or Edwardsburgh/ Cardinal were on the list.

Possibly the only person who appears on the list and whose job is based in the Prescott area is Helen Lalonde, a superintendent of education with the Upper Canada District School Board who works primarily at the Central Region Education Centre at South Grenville District High School.

Sixteen employees of the public and Catholic school boards are on the list.

Also making the list were nearly a dozen doctors or administrators in the health-care sector: the tri-county health unit, Brockville General and Psychiatric hospitals and Community Care Access Centre.

The list does not include physicians who operate private practices.

Other officials who were listed as earning more than $100,000 last year work at St. Lawrence College, the Thousand Islands Charity Casino and St. Lawrence Parks Commission.

According to the Ministry of Finance Web site, the purpose of the disclosure law is to offer "...a more open and accountable system of government." The law "...lets taxpayers compare the performance of an organization with the compensation given to the people running it."

The McGuinty government is proposing an amendment to the act which would require Hydro One and Ontario Power Generation to make similar disclosures.

Habitiat for Humanity seeks site in Prescott

Charitable group asks town for lot on which a simple house could be constructed

PRESCOTT ­ The 1000 Islands chapter of Habitat for Humanity is once again eyeing Prescott as a site for one of its next projects.

Valerie Kines and several Habitat members who live in Prescott attended Monday night's town council meeting. The group is seeking a lot on which it can build what Kines described as a simple three-bedroom house.

In its 25 years of existence, Habitat for Humanity has built about 100,000 houses throughout the world. The organization tries to combat poverty by providing affordable housing and give people an opportunity to own a home they would not normally be able to obtain.

The 1000 Islands group, which was formed six years ago, has built homes in Brockville, Gananoque and Athens.

"We are changing people's attitudes by showing people what we are doing," she told Prescott council.

Kines explained the houses are not just given away. The selected family that owns the home must invest 500 hours of "sweat equity" during construction and pay off a no-interest mortgage that represents the cost of building the house.

She said Habitat is asking council for the lot first; the group will then approach community groups and assess whether Prescott is interested in the project. In terms of fundraising ($50,000 and support from tradespeople would be sought before proceeding), Kines said Habitat would not try to "run over" existing fundraising efforts in the community.

This was not Kines' first appearance at Prescott council. She has made presentations to two previous councils.

Town council indicated it will consider the group's request for a lot on which a house could be built.

"We will be in touch... for sure," Mayor Robert Lawn said.

Spring show gives fall fair a boost

By David Dickenson, Journal Staff Writer

SPENCERVILLE - The Spencerville Agricultural Society welcomed more than 500 visitors to the second annual Spencerville Trade Show Friday and Saturday at the Drummond Building in Spencerville.

The fair had plenty of things to do, with 55 vendors from around the region showing off their products and services as well as entertainment provided by the Harbour Lakes Square Dancing Club, Maggie Bush School of Highland Dance, Paul McIntryre Land O'Lakes Shrine Club Clown Unit, Shake-A-Paw Training and Studio C Dance Studio. Also, some of the vendors also conducted presentations on a variety of topics including home shopping, photography, painting, tree health, income tax, drinking water safety and story telling.

Executive Director of the Spencerville Agricultural Society, Mary Tessier was pleased with the feedback received at the show and the hundreds of hours of work put in by the volunteers to make the event a success raising an estimated $4,500 for the Spencerville Fair.

"One of the reasons we do this is to promote community awareness for the Spencerville Agricultural Society and raise money for the Spencerville Fair at the same time," explained Tessier. "We've been getting some really positive comments through the weekend; we really couldn't have gotten through this without the support from our volunteers."

Tessier noted the show also provided people to find out about more of the businesses and services in the area they wouldn't otherwise know about.

"There were presentations on a variety of things a lot of people might not have known about, such as the home shopping booth that was here," Tessier told The Journal. "It really gave people without a store of office space a chance to come in and display all their products or services."

Owner of Moonshine Supplies in Prescott, Laura Lee, who operated her store's booth at the trade show was happy with the visibility her business received at the show.

"It's been a good show," said Lee. "We got some exposure to customers who otherwise may not have seen our store. Also, it's nice to get out and show off the new products available to them in a more relaxed atmosphere than in the office."

Model railroaders' show is on track

IROQUOIS ­ Choo, choo, choose to take a trip down the line later this month.

The annual Prescott Depot Railroaders show will take place Saturday, April 24 and Sunday, April 25 at Seaway District High School in Iroquois.

In addition to more than 2,000 square feet of working model railroad displays, there will be a hands-on zone for the kids, historical displays, vendors, entertainment and a canteen. The show runs from 10 am to 5 pm Saturday and 11 am to 4 pm Sunday.

The show is being organized and hosted in conjunction with Seaway District Model Railroaders.

Last year's train show was held at South Grenville District High School in Prescott.

Toll-free MNR hotline deals with bear problems

TORONTO ­ The Ontario government has launched a new program to deal with nuisance black bears.

The Bear Wise strategy was unveiled Thursday by Natural Resources Minister David Ramsay.

The Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR) has established a hotline for nuisance bear problems. A toll-free line (1-866-514-2327) will be accessible 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Calls will be handled by trained staff who will determine the appropriate response.

"This is real positive change that will go a long way toward easing the minds of people living in bear country and make our communities safer," Ramsay stated in a news release.

However, the public is encouraged to call 9-1-1 or local police in emergency cases.

The ministry has indicated it will respond to non-emergency nuisance situations and will assist police in emergencies.

MNR will also expand its public education efforts to inform Ontarians how they can avoid or minimize encounters with bears. Ramsay said simple actions to reduce the unintentional feeding of bears can make a big difference in terms of human contact with bears.

For more information, visit bears.mnr.gov.on.ca.

SCHOOL SCENE

Boundary Street Public School: Many people volunteered their time and came out to support the 'New to You' sale this past Saturday. This fundraiser for the Grade 7 and 8 trip to Quebec City was a great success!

Students are now participating in the MS Read-a-thon. This is an opportunity for students to focus further on reading and for us to support multiple sclerosis.

French Immersion students who will be entering the program in Grade 5 this September are invited to our information night this Wednesday at 6:30 to 7:30 pm. Come out and meet the teachers and speak with some students currently enrolled in the program.

The school council meeting originally scheduled for Wednesday, April 7, has been rescheduled to Tuesday, April 27 at 7 pm.

We are holding our Junior Kindergarten registration Wednesday, April 21 at 1 pm. If you have already called, your registration package will be sent in the mail this week. If you have not called us yet, please do so as soon as possible. Call 925-2803.

No hot lunch this week.

Have a happy and safe Easter weekend.

Centennial '67 and North Edwardsburgh Public Schools: On March 30, parents of children starting Kindergarten in September attended an information evening at North Edwardsburgh. We look forward to meeting our new students at registration April 14.

The students at Centennial '67 will be participating in "Penny Power" for the next two weeks. Student council members are collecting pennies (every day), nickels and dimes (April 8), quarters (April 14) and loonies and toonies (April 16) for the Easter Seal Society. The class that raises the most money will win a pizza party.

We acknowledge the Fort Town Concert Association for inviting grade 7/8 students to view Hansel and Gretel in Prescott April 1. It was enjoyed by all.

The school committee encourages parents to attend a very important meeting at North Edwardsburgh Wednesday, April 7 at 7 pm. Parents will be presented with options and prices of equipment. A vote will take place to help guide the council in its decision-making.

Finally, we wish all students, family and friends a happy and safe Easter weekend.

Central Public School: The students and staff of Central Public School wish to congratulate Mrs. Graham on the birth of her daughter Emma. Mrs. Graham will be on leave for the remainder of the school year, and we extend a warm welcome to Mrs. Patricia Wyborn who will take over as Kindergarten teacher for the rest of the year.

Congratulations to Jessica McCarroll, Paige Levere, Ashley Girouard, and Nicole Szeto who attended the Rideau St. Lawrence Science Fair over the weekend. They were outstanding competitors and Central is very proud of you! Special congratulations to Jessica and Paige who were awarded an honourable mention in their category as well as the media award for having the best visual display. Well done!

The junior boys basketball team participated in a tournament at BCI in Brockville on Saturday, April 3. Despite falling to Vanier 21-20 and St. Joseph's 23-18, the team played with passion and put forth outstanding effort at the tournament. Congratulations to all team members!

Maynard and Maitland Public Schools: As the month of April begins, we are busy at Maynard and Maitland schools with a number of activities.

The Windmill Book Awards will be held this week at Maynard, with students arriving from Maitland as well as from Benson, Boundary Street and Central schools. Students from Grades 4 to 6 have been reading the selected books and will vote as to their favourite selection.

The Maynard School Council is hosting the luncheon for our guests, and Mrs. Heibein, our library technician, has skillfully initiated and organized this event. Also this week, there is an in-house book exchange and prize draw at Maynard. Students "bring a book and take a book." Mrs. Sloan has created this activity for us.

Upcoming events this month include music and drama sessions presented by Deborah Dunleavy at Maitland, grad photos at Maynard, and our Maynard Grade 4, 5 and 6 trip to the Space Camp in Montreal.

Mark your calendars for our school council meetings at both schools: Thursday, April 15 at Maynard and Wednesday, April 21 at Maitland. Both meetings begin at 7 pm.

Happy Easter to everyone in our Maynard/Maitland school communities!

St. Joseph Catholic School: Congratulations to our Good Samaritans this week: Bobby Kimmerly, Jakob Ranger, Rebecca Filion, John Hayman and Colleen Dixon.

The stations of the cross will take place on Holy Thursday, April 8 at 11 am. The Grade 7 and 8 students are presenting this Way of the Cross in tableau. You are welcome to attend.

Students and their families are encouraged to attend the Holy Week and Easter celebrations at St. Mark Church in Prescott and Sacred Heart Church in Cardinal.

On April 15, our Grade 7 and 8 students will be participating in a faith development retreat on the topic of "The Search," given by the NET Team. The National Evangelization Team is a group of young people who travel throughout Canada sharing the good news of Jesus Christ.

Happy Easter! Have a great week!

St. Mark Catholic School: Welcome to Holy Week. We are winding up our Lenten journey with the culmination of the Easter Triduum (Latin for three days), which consists of Holy Thursday, Good Friday and Holy Saturday. We will have stations of the cross (children's version) this Thursday at 1 pm in the gymnasium, followed by an assembly at which our Easter raffle draws will take place. Tickets for the Easter raffle are being sold this week, with the proceeds going to Share Lent.

Parents are reminded there will be no school Good Friday or Easter Monday.

Mass schedule for St. Mark's Church this week is: Thursday, 7 pm; Friday, 3 pm; Saturday, 7 pm; and Sunday, 11 am.

St. Mark Catholic School wishes you a happy and holy Easter!

South Edwardsburg Public School: Kindergarten registration - Parents who have a child who will be four before Dec. 31, 2004 and wish for them to attend SEPS in September, should notify the school as soon as possible and attend registration day on April 16. Call 925-4183. Kindergarten packages have been mailed.

Last week, our students participated in the "Turn Off the TV" challenge promoting healthier lifestyle choices. Brandon Reid was the winner of last month's newsletter draw.

School council's chocolate bar fundraiser has been a huge success. We wish to acknowledge all those for participating and supporting our students.

Hot lunch today is pizza.

School council will be working a bingo at Bingo International in Johnstown this Sunday. Our dedicated parent volunteers continue to give generously of their time, helping to raise funds that benefit all our students. Schools will be closed Friday and Monday. Have a safe and happy Easter weekend.

Opportunity Knocks for musicians

By Cortney Willard, Special to The Journal

MAITLAND - Musicians have a new friend in town.

Paul Healy has started a new business called Tzome that he hopes will change the way musicians are treated within the industry.

"My goal is to bring unsigned musicians more exposure while providing fairness and equality to them through agent promotions," said Healy, a Maitland resident.

One way Healy is doing this is through a new syndicated television/Internet program featuring musicians work, set to begin taping Thursday nights in April at the Keystorm Pub in Brockville.

The show is called "Opportunity Knocks" and will be shown weekly through Cogeco Cable Systems across Eastern Ontario. The internet portion of the show will be aired on Healy's Web site (www.tzome.com).

Healy describes the show as "a vehicle for musicians to be heard and seen and hopefully discovered for front-line gigs." Musicians will submit their music to Healy which will then be played for a live audience. A panel of judges will critique each song after it is played. There is no fee for musicians, and Healy will accept music from all across North America.

Toronto-based comedian Terry V. Hart has agreed to host Opportunity Knocks, and Healy figures he is sure to be a crowd pleaser.

Healy, a Brockville native, also works as a nurse at Wellington House in Prescott. He travelled through the United States for years, with his last nursing assignment being in Philadelphia. Healy finally found his way home, where he says that he is the happiest. "It is nice to be home with friends and family where a friendly face actually means something," he said. "The local flavour is what makes the community what we are."

Community involvement is important to Healy; he believes music is one thing that brings people from all different worlds together. Healy is currently working to help the community through his business. He is donating 25 per cent of all proceeds to different charities in the area and is in the process of making his company in to a certified charitable organization.

Healy said what he really wants to do is to make sure musicians are given a fair shake for their work. "When you have the base player for Honeymoon Suite working at 3M in Brockville, that's just wrong. He was left with nothing."

For further information, contact Healy at 342-9827.

Easter services at Maynard Pentecostal

MAYNARD ­ Maynard United Pentecostal Church on Charleville Road will conduct Easter Sunday services featuring uplifting speaking and singing April 11 at 10 am and 6 pm.

Transportation is available. Call the church office at 925-4348 or Pastor Phillips at 925-0072.

Information centre seeks volunteers

KINGSTON ­ The Kingston District Community Information Centre is seeking volunteers to serve on its board of directors.

The centre has community information on more than 3,000 human service agencies, government offices, clubs, cultural and recreational groups.

Information provided free of charge includes addresses, contact details and descriptions of services. The non-profit agency's coverage area includes Leeds and Grenville.

People with skills in the areas of social services, marketing and finance are being sought for the two-year board positions.

For more information on the organization, call (613) 384-5366 and ask for Jane.

The Web site address is www.info.kingston.on.ca.

Many opportunities to support MERC

MAITLAND NEWS by Jane Fullarton

The new business plan for the Maitland Education and Recreation Corporation has been prepared, and packages are currently being distributed to area businesses. The marketing package includes many opportunities for businesses to support MERC through advertising, sponsorship of teams, events or the newsletter or by making a donation to MERC.

A copy of the 2004 Maitland calendar is included in the package so that advertisers can see the finished product. Last year's attractive calendar features a painting by local artist Thelma Cameron entitled Grazing Near Longley Tower and listed birthdays of Maitland residents who bought calendars.

The advertising on the calendar appears around the picture so that every ad is visible all year. Board members have been creative in offering locations and ways for businesses to advertise. As well as advertising in the newsletter, the calendar and the annual business and service directory of Maitland, businesses can purchase advertising on the ball diamond fence, on team shirts or by sponsoring a portion of the ski and hiking trail or either of the two shelters.

The MERC Board is also actively looking to increase hall rentals by asking businesses and organizations to consider the hall as a venue for their seminars and meetings.

The board is taking a multi-pronged approach to generating revenue for MERC programs. There is now a strong organizing committee but they still need volunteers to help implement the plan. There will be many ways volunteers can help MERC over the next few months. Whether it is canvassing for MERC memberships, selling the 2005 calendars, helping with the spring cleanup, coaching softball or chaperoning a dance, MERC needs your help.

Call Geoff Noyes at 348-1317 or Danielle McCaffrey at 348-1891 to find out how you can help.

Roebuck recreation association on good financial footing

By Monica Whitney, Journal Staff Writer

ROEBUCK ­ The Roebuck Education and Recreation Association (RERA) is back on its feet just two years after it was in serious financial difficulty.

Brenda Ball-Shuster, who became president of the volunteer organization at its annual general meeting March 22, said the recreation association is revitalized and ready to charge into another successful year.

Other executive members are Vice-President Steve Polite, Secretary Laurie King, Treasurer Marlene Neddo and directors Jean King, George Vail, Bill Buckler and Don Crate.

Recent major accomplishments at the Roebuck community centre include about $20,000 in expenses to redecorate the 30-year-old hall and vestibule, replace windows and purchase new kitchen and bar equipment.

The redecorating in warm country tones with wood accents gives a unified and updated look to the former tired appearance of the hall, Ball-Shuster commented.

In Jan. 2002, RERA hosted a public meeting at which a dire financial picture was presented. The organization's income statement indicated a shortfall in revenue of about $15,000 to cover expenses, and board members were desperately searching for answers and fresh ideas to save the association.

Ball-Shuster credits Alton Whitehorne, president for the previous two years, and his team of volunteers on the board with reviving RERA. "The key to it was focusing on profitable hall operations and looking for opportunities for more careful management," she said.

For example, hydro bills were decreased significantly through more careful operating procedures, Ball-Shuster added.

Revenues were also maximized by aggressively promoting the hall as an attractive rental facility.

"Improving revenues and decreasing costs puts you in a favourable operating position," she said. "It is possible to drive decent revenues with careful operating management."

However, the success of the past two years "doesn't mean we rest," Ball-Shuster said. "But we have to be constantly vigilant to contain costs and keep the hall full. Bookings are vital."

A carefully managed bar has also contributed to overall performance, she noted. As well, the board looked at its product mix, and knew it had to stock what the people want to buy.

Projects for this year include resurfacing the parking lot and installing a wheelchair ramp at the front of the building.

Aggressive fundraising will ensure funds for operating contingencies and capital expenditures, she said. "It's always nice to have a war chest."

Promoting and strengthening RERA's relationship with residents and community partners is also on this year's agenda.

More volunteers are always needed to carry out the tasks, she added. Committees are bartending, building, grounds, canteen, grant submission, baseball, youth dances, community games, newsletter and membership.

If everybody does a little bit, Ball-Shuster said, one person isn't stuck with all the work.

Cemetery board to meet Tuesday

MAYNARD ­ A meeting of the Maynard Cemetery Board will take place Tuesday, April 13 at 7 pm at Victoria United Church.

The public is welcome to attend.

Craft group bears gifts

WALKER HOUSE NEWS by MARNIE LIPPIATT

The ladies of the craft group are working hard to fill our basket with bears. We have had every colour donated ­ from a pink "piggy" bear to "Noel," a red bear with a frilly white collar. "Sylvester" is a turquoise bear, and "Princess" wears a vest. We hope these bears bring as much pleasure to those who receive them as we have had making them.

The fine needlework group plans to meet Wednesday, April 21 at 7 pm. We have each finished a small project and now plan to start a larger cloth.

A second men's breakfast will be held Thursday, April 22 at 9:30 am. Please call 925-5300 and put your name on the list if you plan to attend.

Card game winners: Monday bridge ­ 1st, Richard Kingston; 2nd, Harry Nesbitt; door, Bea Hemsley. Fun bridge ­ Margie Barton. Wednesday night bridge ­ high, Findlay Hill; 2nd, Harry Nesbitt. Thursday night euchre ­ 1st, Jeannine Marion; 2nd, Mary Reynolds; 3rd, Jean King; door, Claire Marchand.

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

"All we did was an honest, unbiased survey."

Prescott Fire Chief Bill Lawrence, commenting on a survey conducted to gauge
public opinion on the policing issue

Editor's Notebook

Asking for a bigger slice

School board trustees do not have as much power as they used to, but they can still play a crucial role in making local decision that affect the quality of education in our community. The Upper Canada District School Board has many small schools scattered throughout a large area. The board has the daunting task of balancing the demands set down by the provincial government with the needs of individual schools and the communities in which they are based.

In the case of South Grenville District High School, it has control of only a sliver of the funding pie. That slice has not been getting any bigger the past five years, but the list of items needing to be addressed is getting longer. User fees and activity fees and fundraisers have become commonplace, and it is becoming more of a challenge to ensure South Grenville remains the good school that it is.

As much as we find South Grenville's case compelling because it hits so close to home, we must also take notice of the glaring deficiency that exists at Brockville Collegiate Institute. It is astounding to think in this day and age a public high school is virtually inaccessible to anyone in a wheelchair, but that is the situation at BCI. As was noted at the budget consultation session last week, the BCI submission to bring the school into the late 20th century should be a "no-brainer."

Given the reality of education funding and the demands of the system, though, the school board would be hard-pressed to give the green light to this million-dollar project at a time when that list is full of legitimate and time-sensitive requests.

Trustees are elected to represent their respective communities, but they are also there to serve the best interests of the board as a whole. Joan Hodge can lobby long and hard for upgrades to Prescott-area schools, but there are literally dozens of Upper Canada communities that could probably make strong arguments in favour of supporting their local projects.

One might assume it would be easy to sift through the board's $270-million operating budget and come up with a few extra bucks for South Grenville, but it is not that easy. We wish trustees of all school boards well, and hope the McGuinty government does something to help them do their jobs.

And while we are on the subject of budgets and improvements at the high school, here is a friendly reminder to Prescott council to do something to address safety concerns involving pedestrians and motorists on Edward Street near the school. Like the school board, the town is not able to throw money at all the no-brainers out there. However, the "crosswalk" has been and still is a joke that we can no longer afford to ignore.

Tim Ruhnke

Augusta recreation associations need more than doughnuts

FORWARDING COMMENTS by Monica Whitney

Augusta council is now facing a decision that will likely change the face of recreation in the township and how recreational services are delivered in the future.

The township has been asked to foot a $10,000 loan to the Maitland Education and Recreation Corporation (MERC) to allow it to continue operating at its full potential. Without the money, MERC must return within the next few weeks a $25,000 grant to the Ontario Trillium Foundation earmarked for hall kitchen renovations. MERC must match that grant in cash and value of volunteer labour. The kitchen renovations are considered essential if the hall is to be an attractive rental facility.

For decades, volunteer recreation associations in the township have done an admirable job of providing baseball, swimming, park and soccer programs, dances, luncheons and a venue for outside cultural activities. In short, they have been the centrepoint of community gatherings.

At a public meeting in March to decide the future of MERC, Reeve John McCrea remarked the township would be happy to support the association by supplying $40 or $50 worth of doughnuts for community functions at the hall. MERC President Moira Taylor rightly declared that doughnuts, at this stage, just won't cut it. The association and its volunteers are worn out; they need help, and they need it now.

MERC, like recreation associations in Maynard, Roebuck, Algonquin and other township communities have, or still are, staring disaster in the face. Without these few volunteers who do the lion's share of the work, in addition to holding down their day (or night) jobs, providing for their families and taking care of other commitments, recreation in the township would be non-existent.

With a miserly grant of a few thousand dollars each year from the township, recreation associations provide the nice little extras in the township. For years, recreation associations have run quietly along, mostly without complaint and little public recognition.

Augusta has no public swimming pool or skating rink, and must rely on neighbouring municipalities for those services. While quite adequate and a showpiece for Augusta, its public library is a farther commute for many residents than travelling to a library outside the township, for which they must pay a non-resident fee for use.

Clearly, MERC volunteers and those from other township communities feel a passion for the survival of their recreation associations. It takes remarkable people to put that kind of dedication into something they don't personally own.

The volunteers, it would appear, have done everything possible to ensure the continuance of Maitland recreation activities. It's up to the municipal leaders to ensure that survival by passing out more than doughnuts.

Authority wants help to save crumbling Spencerville landmark

FROM THE ARCHIVES

April 6, 1944

* Funds to purchase cigarettes for the crew of the corvette Prescott are urgently required. A shipment of cigarettes is due to go now, but there are not sufficient funds available. It costs $25 every second month to send these cigarettes. To help keep the boys on this little ship supplied, donations are required immediately.

* Mr. and Mrs. Louis Fischl became full-fledged Canadian citizens this week when they received tier naturalization papers. They have been residents of Prescott for five years, and were born in Czechoslovakia. Mr. Fischl is well known as a manufacturer of ladies fine leather gloves, and has business connections in many parts of Canada and United States.

April 1, 1954

* RCA Victor Co. Ltd. has announced the size of the addition to the Prescott electronics plant has been increased over the original figures. The new portion will be 45,000 square feet in area, instead of 30,000 square feet. This is almost one-half the size of the original plant, and will be constructed on the northwest side of the present building.

April 4, 1984

* Bob Laton, Prescott's postmaster for the past 17 years, has retired. He had been a Canada Post employee for 35 years, beginning in his home town of Trenton.

* South Nation River Conservation Authority is willing is invest up to $50,000 to purchase and fund repairs to the deteriorating Spencerville Mill, but is looking for support from the public and service organizations before making its investment. After waiting for a buyer for 10 years, mill owner Ted Barnard is anxious to have someone take mill off his hands. He prefers to sell to the conservation authority since it has knowledge of the dam and could see to its survival. A recent feasibility study indicates basic rehabilitation must be carried out within year to prevent collapse of the structure. It is estimated almost $190,000 is needed to rehabilitate the landmark.

Change of food and flight patterns attract resident, migrant flocks

FORT TOWN DIARY by John A.H. Morris

About three weeks ago our retrievers, Miss Lucy and Miss Maggie, started to get pretty vociferous a couple of times a day especially between seven and eight in the morning and between four and five in the afternoon. We thought it was just the change in season when they shifted from sled dog to waterfowl retriever mode, and just put it down to two Yorkies being crankie about being house-bound when a young Yorkies' fancy turns to...

It finally dawned on us that the barks and growls and unflinching pointer stances were being brought about by flights of Canada geese just a few feet above our house. We knew the flocks of geese sought refuge in the St. Lawrence River, just a few hundred yards south of us, but were not aware that this year's flyway was directly over our house. The large flocks of hundreds of Canada geese were taking off twice a day from the sanctuary of the St. Lawrence River, once in the afternoon to feed in the corn fields north of Prescott, and once in the morning to continue their flight to the north where they mate, raise their goslings, and then prepare for the flight south in the fall.

Prescott, it seems, is on the flyway of the northern migrant population, now in excess of 200,000 birds, which winter in the Chesapeake Bay area, around Maryland and Virginia and then head to the far reaches of northern Ontario and Quebec to breed and raise their goslings in the summer.

Before we built an air traffic control tower on top of our house to guide incoming and outgoing flights, we decided to call on the expertise of some of our older hunters and present day goose experts from Parks Canada.

Back in the 1950s when we used to hunt ducks in the fall (when we weren't sinking Geoff Caldwell's decoys) we could never recall seeing a goose in this part of the country. The fall hunt used to include a weekend or two on the Mississippi River near Carleton Place with such nimrods as Jim McKay, Bob Whitley and Bob Putman, where we rented a hunt cottage that came equipped with a rowboat, canoe, and a couple of blinds. Occasionally, in the early morning or late afternoon shoots we would bag a couple of mallards, blacks or teal, but never see a goose let alone shoot one.

We asked Parks Canada's goose biologist Jack Hughes of Nepean if this was true or if it was the result of too many pulls on the vodka canteen. He confirmed our gooseless suspicions by pointing out that at that time the migrating flock from Chesapeake Bay flew to Northern Quebec via the eastern townships of Quebec and New Brunswick and were never seen in Ontario. This northern flock of about 200,000 birds gradually changed its flyways to the west because of the abundance of food as more and more eastern Ontario and western Quebec farmers switched from small, mixed farming operations to cash crop farming. The abundance today of fields in these two regions where corn and soy bean crops have been harvested, mean a banquet table right from Pennsylvania to northern Ontario for the travelling geese.

It is a large flock and in spite of a hunting season that starts two weeks earlier than usual, its number continues to grow well past the estimated 200,000 birds. Reason for this is the large number of corn and soy bean fields, and the lack of predators. The occasional adult is nabbed by a wolf, but other mammals such as fox, raccoons and fishers are no match for an angry gander and his feathered friends. Other than mother nature's culling of the flock by old age or frailty, the biggest loss for the migrating flocks is at their breeding base where they lose eggs and goslings from their nests to the lesser predators such as raccoons and fox.

The biggest nuisance posed by the Canada geese comes from the resident flocks which spend most the year in southern and south-eastern Ontario. This flock, introduced to Ontario in the 1960s, now numbers about 300,000 and grows to about 400,000 by the fall when hunters and predators do their annual cull but not enough to stop the growth of the flocks.

These resident flocks stay year-round when there is open water and some of the corn and soy bean fields offer a winter supply of food. They nest in southern and eastern Ontario and only migrate south in the winter when the weather is so severe that open water freezes over and food sources disappear under snow.

The geese limit their southern winter migration to southern New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and on rare occasions, Virginia. These are the first geese we see return in the spring where they spread out to area lakes, rivers and marsh areas to nest and raise their goslings. As soon as the goslings moult they take off to the James and Hudson Bay areas, but return as adults in the fall.

These residential flocks that stay year-round are the ones that foul waterfront and area lawns and golf courses and have become nuisances. As these flocks continue to expand, so does their nuisance value. We have been assured by Parks Canada, however, that geese clean out their intestinal tracts within the first few yards of flight and by the time they hit Hwy. 2 there is nothing left for surprise bombardments.

Timeless fairytale professionally performed

FORT TOWN CONCERT REVIEWBy Heather E. Eyerly

Hansel and Gretel, the timeless fairytale adapted from Children's and Household Tales written by the Brothers Grimm in 1812, was brought to life in its operatic manifestation by the young members of the L'Atelier Lyrique de L'Opéra de Montréal, and succeeded in entertaining yet another near capacity audience in St. Andrew's Church, Prescott on Thursday evening, April 1.

Act one finds us in the home of Hansel and Gretel. The siblings, sung beautifully by Lysianne Tremblay and Annie Tremblay respectively, are playing when they should be finishing chores. When their mother discovers the disobedience, she becomes angry. In her anger, Gertrude, dramatically sung by Marie-Josée Goyette, sends her children into the forest and instructs them not to return without a full basket of strawberries. A few minutes later, their slightly tipsy father Peter, zestfully sung by Julien Patenaude, returns. Gertrude tells Peter of her anger and the children's punishment. Peter is quickly sobered by this news and tells Gertrude they must find the children before the wicked witch.

The second act details the children's time in the forest. Gretel dances and picks flowers while Hansel tries not to eat the berries in his basket. Suddenly, they realize their divergence from the path and despite Hansel's insistence that "boys do not get lost," they are in fact, lost. The act ends with the simple yet lyrical duet, "When at night I go to sleep...." The sandman, dreamily sung by Emmanuelle Coutu, sends the children into a deep sleep.

Act three finds the children being awakened by the dew fairy, who after a quick change, is also sung by Emmanuelle Coutu. Once awake, they spy the witch's magnificent gingerbread house. As they begin to nibble at the house, they inadvertently grab the attention of the wicked witch, captivatingly sung by Chantal Dionne. She casts her spells and locks Hansel in a cage to add to his girth before baking him in her oven. Remarkably, the children break the witch's spell; push her into the oven, and save themselves from a toasty demise. Just as the oven door shuts, Peter and Gertrude find the children, and all enjoy a happy reunion.

Despite some space and lighting limitations, the opera was professionally performed and well-received by the multi-generational audience. The minimalist staging and properties design lent themselves nicely to the intimate production. Even the performers and production crew commented on the pleasing and inviting atmosphere of the performance environment. In addition to the performance enjoyed Thursday evening, the 7th and 8th grade students of Centennial '67, South Edwardsburg public schools and South Grenville District High School received another grand performance earlier in the day. Concertino series concerts are made possible by the generous donations received from local individuals, businesses and civic groups. This final concert of the 2003-2004 season was made possible by a gracious donation from the Mayfield Retirement Residence and the Wiser Hall Historic Seniors Residence.

Subscriptions are now on sale for the 2004-2005 concert season. For more information, call 925-5050.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

The Editor;

Early Saturday morning, my wife and I entered the property and business of Tim Hortons here in Prescott for a relaxing coffee and to socialize with friends. We were greeted by Prescott Fire Department personnel, and asked to submit our names and choices of policing forces for Prescott, for either the Ontario Provincial Police or the Prescott municipal policing ­ the very same issues that were presented for public views March 24 at the Prescott Legion.

That meeting was presented to air their views on this issue. I had the privilege to express my views and did so with personal convictions. Twelve people for Prescott stood up with their presentations and convictions as well. Facts and figures were presented to the public in attendance. Any person had the opportunity to stand up and voice their views or concerns. Why now is the fire department out canvassing and interrupting the public?

Prescott fire department officials made their presentations at the March 24 meeting. I am sure that the Prescott municipal offices did not authorize this past weekend's blitz, which brings me to ask who is responsible for the total operations and conduct of our fire department?

Would we expect and agree with the Ontario Provincial Police, or the Prescott municipal police to set up in the same manner? I expect this would not happen, nor should it!

I witnessed what I refer to as an attempt to sway or direct people's minds in voting on our policing vote here in Prescott. I am appalled that the fire department is allowed to demonstrate in this fashion or issue. This is not the responsibility of a fire department anywhere. Fire and fire-related issues should be their only responsibilities, and keep the politics out of their agenda.

As a taxpayer in both business and residential, I take offence with the fire department activities this past weekend. This practice should be stopped.

Larry Pritchard
Prescott

Town fire department survey crossed the line. Let the regular players play

The Editor;

As this year's hockey season comes to an end, I feel compelled to voice my opinion. I'm sure many will agree that it needs to be addressed, so anyone involved in the "hockey circle" may want to read on.

My grandson was on a team this year with both first- and second-year players. They blended as a team, did a great job and deserve great credit. The question I have, is how the affiliated players should fit in? It's great to have them fill in if we are short, but why would it be necessary to bring them up when we have our full team? Not only is it not necessary, but they also enjoy more ice time than our regular players!

Yes, some of our regular players may have been somewhat weaker, but they are there, eager to learn and giving 110 per cent, yet they "ride the pine" while the affiliated players get twice the ice time! Shouldn't it be the other way around? They should've had shorter shifts, only to give our guys a quick rest. The weaker players are not going to improve sitting on the bench watching.

I realize the coaches are only volunteers, not getting paid for their time, but all parents are paying the same price to see the whole team play; weak or strong. I know the coaches and the kids like to win, but if they are not learning, having fun or being treated fairly, at the end of the game are they really even winning at all? My grandson was not the only player I noticed watching the game more than playing it. And, for the record, this is not meant to give a negative impression of affiliates but simply of the situation surrounding them with the money parents pay for registration, tournaments, etc. Shouldn't they have the right to question these things? Many parents did question it, but it fell on deaf ears.

I hope this time someone will hear it and bring fair play and fun back to our young hockey players.

Linda Harper

Not too early to get spring garden projects rolling

By Astrid Strader, Horticulturist and Garden Designer

It's spring and dominating my inner landscape are thoughts of what surprises there will be as I inspect the many planting areas around town from the year before. It's still early for spring bulbs to be up ­ the ground is still frozen in many parts of my garden. But that won't stop me from planting spinach, "snow peas" (get it? - plant when there's still snow out), radishes, onions and some salad greens like arugula. These can grow in a raised bed, which warms up faster and drains more quickly, and is certainly more comfortable to work in.

But I digress. Prescott Blossoms is back. Not with any funding ­ yet. But back with a handful of eager gardeners/ helpers who just want to volunteer. As well, we still have a commitment from our partners: the town, Rotary Club and Parks Canada. As we have seen in the last two years, many helping hands can make a real difference in our community. Volunteers will come together shortly to plan out a slate of activities which will help beautify our pretty town for the upcoming season. I invite anyone to come out and hear what we're up to ­ maybe you'd even like to join in. So, I'll keep you posted as to where and when we will all meet to get things rolling.

A lot of large, mature trees have come down around town in the last few years. Looking around, we can see that there is a need for planting more, or we'll be left with barren areas down the road. We had the opportunity to request a supply of small trees and shrubs last year from the Trees for Peace program. So, picking up from where we left things last year, I've met with the interim co-ordinator, Jack Henry, along with public works and parks and recreation personnel. We're staking out and readying planting areas at Fairways Park, Kiwanis Skate Board Park, and Centennial Park. At the same time, we can improve poor drainage areas in the parks, as well as clean out-of-control brambles and weeds.

Trees for Peace is a non-profit program focused on improving our environment through environmental stewardship. Jack Henry explains "Presentations on the benefits of planting trees were made to St. Joseph Catholic School students in March. The school is keen - we have two classes of Grade 7 and 8 each, for planting on May 7."

A new feature at the Heritage River Trail will attract more birds to our area. Bluebird, wren and robin nesting boxes have been installed by maintenance staff of Fort Wellington. These aren't just any old birdhouses, but specifically handcrafted out of native white cedar to the dimensions needed to attract these birds. Local field naturalists will be invited to monitor these boxes for activity. Jack Henry of the Grenville Land Stewardship Council explained, "The bird houses were built through Ontario Works, who help out on stewardship projects."

How could we bear the dull winter months without our feathered friends? You may have noticed that warming sunny days can leave mouldy and decaying seed in your bird feeders. Birds eating spoiled food may become sick or die. So, taking the time to regularly clean feeders and birdbaths will ensure a healthy bird population.

Ecumenical group to meet April 17

PRESCOTT ­ The next monthly meeting of the Seaway Ecumenical Group will take place Saturday, April 17 at St. Paul's United Church, corner of George and Dibble streets.

Breakfast will be served beginning at 8 am. Tickets are available at the door; everyone is welcome to attend.

The special guest will be renowned speaker Dr. Diva Beck. Her topic is "My Healthy World" as seen through the eyes of Florence Nightingale.

The group's mission statement is to provide a forum for like-minded individuals for fellowship and to express Christian faith in the community.

New pool deck under consideration

By David Dickenson, Journal Staff Writer

SPENCERVILLE - Township council has agreed for all councillors to take a tour of recreation department properties before approving the installation of new patio stones around the Johnstown Pool.

Recreation Department Manager Mike Spencer was at council Monday requesting pre-budget approval for the purchase and installation of interlocking stones for $15,536.40 from Carefree Pools in Brockville.

Spencer indicated improvements were made to the Cardinal Pool last year, and the department of health indicated last year the deck would be okay for one year before it would need to be repaired.

Spencer indicated he had brought the item to council for pre-budget approval so he could book a time in May to have the project done so it would have 3-4 weeks to settle before the pool was in use.

"There were some heaving and cracks where we had to replace 15 stones last year," said Spencer. "Some broke through the summer; it's really a safety hazard and the guards have been stubbing their toes constantly."

Council questioned whether Spencer had investigated using concrete around the pool instead of patio stones, but Spencer indicated it wouldn't be in the township's best interest.

"If we used concrete, then if there was a problem underneath we would have to tear them up to get down there," explained Spencer. "With patio stones you can just lift them up and put them back down when you are finished."

Unfamiliar with the pools problems, Ward One Councillors Hugh Cameron and Charlie Burrell indicated they would like to see the pool so they could try to come up with a more cost effective solution.

"I'd like to have a look at it myself," said Cameron. "Possibly, we could find a way to just replace the damaged stones or to level them off which might be cheaper than $15,000."

Mayor Peggy Taylor suggested a "walk about" for all of council to get familiar with the different properties in the parks and recreation committee.

"This way when Mike (Spencer) makes a recommendation then we know where he is coming from and can think back to the tour."

Council will be making the tour on April 14 before bringing it back to the table for discussion at the committee-of-the-whole meeting later that night at the Johnstown Community Centre.

Marina improvements discussed

SPENCERVILLE - Township council approved the transfer of the Bridgeview Marina to Ron Shaver of Ottawa at Monday's regular council meeting at the Municipal Hall in Spencerville.

Mayor Peggy Taylor explained all the properties associated with the Port of Prescott are considered cottage properties leased from the township and the previous owners of the marina had assigned their leasing rights to Shaver, since they hadn't been operating it at full capacity and wished to focus on the restaurant.

Deputy Mayor Bill Sloan indicated Shaver had already begun work on the marina, fixing it up and putting in new vinyl to prepare for the summer and the parking lot being paved.

Council was in agreement that the change should be a good one for the township.

"It's a good move and a nice investment in the township," explained Ward Two Councillor Peter Martin. "It should be good for tourism and economic development in the area."

Ward Three Councillor Frank Noccey added, "It definitely needed a bit of a boost, and that seems to be well under way now. It should be a good thing."

Ward One Councillor Charlie Burrell noted Shaver, being from Ottawa, was one of many people from that region who have recently expressed more of an interest in the township.

"I really think they're starting to discover us out here," said Burrell. "It should bring some new energy into the marina and make it a nice spot."

Municipal drains to be subject of report

SPENCERVILLE - Township council voted Monday to go ahead and seek an engineer's report for the improvement of the James Reilly and Dewitt Richter municipal drains east of Shanly.

Council was initially a little apprehensive about the topic due to its lack of familiarity with the subject.

"We don't really do a lot of drains compared to South Dundas," said Mayor Peggy Taylor.

"I have to think back to when I moved back to Edwardsburgh 10 years ago and someone coming to my door and asking me after just coming from the city to sign a petition on this type of thing. Now after living out there you find out it really is a farmers' right to have their field drained and drained properly."

Ward One Councillor Hugh Cameron showed concern the new drainage may pose a problem for other farmers along the ditches with the storage of manure on some properties.

Taylor explained the storage of manure was not the real concern here, but it is the land itself which is currently waterlogged where the problem lies.

"It's a piece of land where water is sitting on a field and won't drain so corn can't grow there," said Taylor. "This would mean we would do an engineers study to drudge the ditch to get the water off the field so he can get his corn crop in to make a go of it."

Township CAO/Clerk Stephen McDonald indicated the request is for a clean-up of a ditch public works has been out to check.

"Basically, it would mean moving in with a backhoe and digging it out," explained McDonald. "It used to be a ditch, but with all the sediment and undergrowth it doesn't flow like it did. Anyone who is impacted will be advised and will have input in it."

McDonald indicated by the time an engineer's report is done and it comes back to the council table, the project wouldn't be completed until the fall.

Cross Walk to take place Good Friday

CARDINAL - The Cardinal-Johnstown Pastoral Charge of the United Church of Canada is preparing for a busy weekend to close out Holy Week.

On Good Friday, April 9, worship services are scheduled for 10 am at St. John's United Church in Cardinal and at 7 pm at Johnstown United Church.

The 4th annual Cross Walk will also be held Good Friday, beginning at the church in Johnstown at 11:30 am, before walking 10 kilometres to the church in Cardinal. The walk is open to people of all denominations. Rest stops will be held at regular intervals and a soup lunch will be offered in Cardinal at the end of the walk.

Easter Sunday celebrations will begin at 7:30 am with an Easter Sunrise Worship on the banks of the St. Lawrence River at the Johnstown United Church and will be followed by a continental breakfast.

Easter celebration worship is scheduled to begin at 9:30 am in Johnstown and at 11 am in Cardinal.

Daffodil sales top $2,600 in township

CARDINAL - Daffodil sales in Edwardsburgh/Cardinal were brisk. More than $2,600 was raised for the for the Canadian Cancer Society. The volunteers sold daffodils from Thursday to Sunday in the township.

Information exchange with MPAC endorsed

SPENCERVILLE - Council voted Monday to endorse a resolution from the County of Hastings requesting the province make available birth and death records to the Municipal Property Assessment Corporation (MPAC) on an ongoing basis.

The resolution states information recorded in the province by Vital Statistics database and maintained by the Ministry of Consumer and Business Services would be available to MPAC as a way to help fix the many errors and omissions in the November 2003 Voters' List.

Ward Three Councillor Frank Noccey was quick to state his belief the old format of enumeration would be the best way to go.

Ward One Councillor Hugh Cameron was curious how the births information would help with the voters list.

"I can understand the deaths," said Cameron, "but what can you do with births? Put them in a database and let them sit for 17 years? I also would be worried about a vital statistics database holding a lot of information and something getting sent out which shouldn't be. I think Frank is right with the enumeration."

Mayor Peggy Taylor pointed out the information is necessary for the lists.

"Whatever corporation manages the voters list is still going to need the information," said Taylor.

Ward One Councillor Charlie Burrell quipped, "I think they're getting it. It's scary the amount of information MPAC has on everyone right now."

Legion horseshoe league plans work party to repair pits

LEGION NEWS

CARDINAL - The Cardinal Legion is preparing for a busy month with a variety of activities ready to take place.

Ladies Dart League action will take place tonight (Wednesday) at 7 pm at the Legion, with euchre set to take place Thursday at 7:30 pm.

The Legion will be closed Good Friday and Easter Monday, but will open again with a VON Foot Care Clinic Wednesday, April 14 at 2 pm and ladies darts the same day at 7 pm.

The men's horseshoe league will be having a work party Wednesday, April 21 beginning at 5:30 pm to work on the pits. League play is slated to begin Wednesday, April 28 at 6:30 pm.

Amnesty offered at landfill site

SPENCERVILLE - The Township of Edwardsburgh/ Cardinal will be holding an amnesty day Saturday, April 24 at the Scott Road landfill site.

The amnesty day will allow for residents to dispose of white good items (refrigerator, stove, freezer etc.) at the site between 8 am and 4 pm at no charge.

Also, residents can dispose up to four car or light truck (maximum 16 inches) tires per household free of charge.

Tipping fees will be charged for all other items including furniture, while hazardous waste or regular household waste will not be accepted.

Residents are asked to provide proof of residency before dumping.

Club seeks volunteers

CARDINAL ­ The Cardinal Fish and Game Club has an urgent need to fill five vacancies on its executive.

Anyone who is interested in serving with the club or would like more information is asked to contact John Dugan at 657-1081.

Stamp club meets next Wednesday at library

CARDINAL ­ The monthly meeting of the Cardinal Stamp Club will take place Wednesday, April 14 at the Cardinal branch of the Edwardsburgh/Cardinal Public Library. The club meets at 7 pm.

OPP NEWS

RIDE check nets 12-hour licence suspension

CARDINAL ­ Members of the Grenville County OPP detachment conducted a RIDE check at County Road 2 and Bridge Street April 3.

Thirty vehicles were checked. A 12-hour licence suspension was issued to a 60-year-old South Dundas man, according to a police news release.

PGC becomes first club in region to open doors

By David Dickenson, Journal Staff Writer

PRESCOTT - With some warm weather recently, local golfers didn't have to wait long for Prescott Golf Club to open for the season.

With the recent stretch of warm weather, the club was able to surpass its expectations to open on April 1, becoming the first club in the region to get their pins in place.

"It was about a week earlier than normal," club Golf Pro Thom Miller told The Journal. "The course seemed to have wintered very well from what I've seen."

Miller indicated the club was still a little brown, but noticed more green after getting more rainfall.

"The superintendent certainly seems happy with it," said Miller. "We're all looking forward to another good year and lots of events at the club. It certainly is a busy place throughout the season with lots of things to do."

Course superintendent Scott St. John is happy with the way the course is looking and was quick to note some minor changes to the course this year.

"It didn't weather too bad," said St. John. "It's still a little wet with the rain we've been getting, but we were still able to open two weeks earlier than last year. Hopefully, the weather conditions will improve a bit to help out the course."

St. John also explained that the club's members will notice a bit of a difference with the course this year.

"We added a pond to the number 10 hole this past winter," explained St. John. "It was our only construction project over the winter; otherwise, everything else is the same. Last year, the fourth hole was closed at the beginning, but this year it will be open from the start."

Despite questionable weather Thursday and Friday, Miller indicated that there have been a few golfers out and about through the course.

"It's not bad out here at all," Randy Deeks explained while taking advantage of the club's early opening Friday to get out for his first round of the season. "It's a little wet in spots, but it's nice to get out and swing the club a bit. I've been looking forward to this for about three months; ever since we got our first snowfall, I've been looking forward to getting out on the course, but I don't think I'm the only one."

The club will host its ceremonial start to the season with the club opening event scheduled for Saturday, May 1.

SG bantam B house Rangers capture UCMHL title

CARDINAL - The South Grenville bantam B Kriska Rangers house league team captured the Upper Canada Minor Hockey League's bantam B house league championship title with a 4-2 victory in the first-to-four-points series with the Smiths Falls Bears.

In game one March 17, the Rangers travelled to Smiths Falls and captured a convincing 5-2 win. Mark Wynands had a pair of goals to lead the Rangers, while Ronnie Burns, Travis Stephenson and Ryan Armstrong added singles. Chris Bryden (2), Wynands, Burns, Ashley Clarke, Josh Newton and Armstrong added assists. James DeJeet had a strong game in goal.

In their second game on March 22, the Rangers dropped a 4-2 decision to the Bears in Cardinal. Burns scored both Rangers' goals, while Kyle Lavery (2), Bryden and Zach Stitt added assists.

In game three on March 24, the Rangers managed a 3-2 victory over the Bears in front of a packed house to capture the championship. DeJeet's strong goaltending solidified the win, while Burns, Lavery and Stitt scored for South Grenville. Adam Patrick (2), Burns and Lavery chipped in with helpers.

In their second round playoff series, the Rangers scored a 4-0 series win in their first-to-four point series with the North Leeds Stars.

On March 8, the Rangers scored an 8-4 victory over
the Stars in Cardinal. Lavery
and Stitt each scored a pair
of goals to lead the Rangers, while Burns, Stephenson, Newton and Wynands added singles. Stitt (3), Lavery (2), Patrick (2), Ryan Todd, Brooke Merkley, Bryden, Jordan Daw, Burns, Stephenson and Wynands added assists.

On March 10, the Rangers finished off the series with a 5-4 win over North Leeds in Westport. Armstrong led the Rangers with a pair of goals, while Lavery, Bryden and Daw chipped in singles. Daw (2), Stitt, Bryden, Brooke Merkley, Stephenson and Clarke added assists. Kurtis Merkley got the win in net.

In their first round playoff match-up, the Rangers managed a 4-2 series victory against 1,000 Islands.

The Rangers got off to a bad start in the series dropping a 5-3 decision Feb. 21 in Cardinal. Lavery, Bryden and Burns scored for the Rangers, while Bryden and Burns also chipped in with helpers.

On Feb. 25, the Rangers would tie up the series with a 4-0 win over 1,000 Islands in Clayton, New York. Burns (2), Armstrong and Wynands scored for the Rangers, while Bryden, Newton and Adam Kelly added assists.

The Rangers won the series Feb 28 in Cardinal with a 2-0 win over 1,000 Islands. Wynands and Stephenson would scored for the Rangers, while Todd added an assist. Kurtis Merkley had a strong game in goal to earn the shutout.

The Rangers finished second in the regular season with a 17-4-3 record and captured five tournament championships and one tournament consolation championship in the seven tournaments in which they participated.

Blues hoops team goes 1-2 at tourney

GLOUCESTER - The Brockville midget Blues regional basketball team continued to gain experience as it posted a 1-2 record at the two-day Gloucester basketball tournament.

Coach John Doran was happy with his team's improvement in a short time.

"We're progressing well," said Doran. "We played a good Goulbourn team at the tournament which has been going since September. For them this was their 23rd game where this is our third in two weeks together. In another couple weeks we should be where we need to be."

First-year Blues' player and South Grenville District High School student Josh Parsons added, "We play our positions pretty well and our fast break has been good, but we need to work on our position on defence and defending the drive. Our top players like (Brett) Publow, (Tim) Miller and (Latham) have been stepping up for us."

In their opener Saturday, the midget Blues suffered through a series of defensive breakdowns late in the game to drop a 55-49 decision to the Nepean Bobcats in their opener. The Blues led 28-27 at the half, with Graham Young using his quickness in the open floor to capitalize on turnovers for 12 first half points. Matt Locke and Paul Deschiffart played well from the post against a larger Bobcats squad.

The Blues started off Sunday in a big way with a 66-50 win over the Kingston Runnin' Rebels #2. Despite trailing 30-21 at the half, the Blues exploded for 45 second half spots, while holding the Rebels to 20.

In their final game of the tournament, the Blues had problems with ball screens from Goulbourn as they suffered a 67-50 loss. The blues saw strong rebounding from Locke, Deschiffart and Jordan Latham, while Tim Miller and Brett Publow took advantage of a hot hand from behind the arc. First-year players Parsons and Mike Flynn showed continued improvement.

Parsons was quick to credit the Blues program for

"It's been a great experience so far," said Parsons. "It's only been a couple weeks, but I've learned a lot that you might not pick up playing for the high school. There's a lot of guys on the team you can look up to improve your game."

The Blues will continue its season with a double-header Thursday at South Grenville District High School. The team will open with a game against the Gloucester Wolverines #2 at 5 pm, before taking on the Kingston Runnin' Rebels #2 at 8 pm.

Atom C Rangers house team #1 captures playoff championship

CARDINAL - The South Grenville atom C Rangers house team #1 was crowned Upper Canada Minor Hockey League (UCMHL) Atom House League Champions after a 4-2, first-to-four-points series win over North Dundas #2.

After capturing the West Division championship, the Rangers travelled to Chesterville March 26 and settled for a 2-2 draw with North Dundas #2 in the first game of the UCMHL finals. Dawn Wright and Mike Dalley scored for the Rangers, while A.J. Larocque and Ryan Grimes chipped in with helpers.

In game two, the Rangers took a commanding 3-1 points lead in the series, with a 3-1 win over North Dundas in Cardinal. Brandon Peeler had a strong game in goal to lead the Rangers, while Wright (2) and Jody Sullivan scored for South Grenville. Garret Richards, Grimes, and Phillip Biccum added assists.

The Rangers managed to capture the title as they settled a 1-1 draw in game three to take the series 4-2 on points. Wright scored the Rangers' lone goal, while Stephen Poaps and Richards added assists. Peeler had a strong game in goal.

Prescott #6 finishes in top spot in interbranch darts league

IROQUOIS - The Seaway Valley Interbranch Dart League has finished for the season with Prescott #6 taking home top spot in the league standings with 245 points, 17 points ahead of Iroquois #5 in second place with 228 points.

Prescott #1 finished in
third place with 205 points, followed by Iroquois #7 with 163 points, Cardinal #4 with 155 points and Prescott #3 with 84 points.

Tom Rae finished on top of the games won list with a total of 105, followed by David Haynes with 93, Glen Adams with 68, Tom Coville with 63 and Rick Sayeau with 62.

Jeremy Adams was the top highfinisher with 121-96, while Glen Adams, 120-98; Jerry Carr, 119-92; Wayne Bellinger, 117-92-91 and Duane Kirker, 116-115 rounded out the top five.

Throughout the season there were 14 members of the 180 club, including Rae (6), Tim Yandeau, Tim Gonczowski, Coville, Glen Adams, Jerry Carr, Ron Bradford, Bellinger and Bob Juby.

The final top five high scorers are, Rae, 177-142-140x23-139x2-137x2-135x2-127-126-125x6-121x3-120; Glen Adams, 174-160-140x11-139-137-136-134-127-125x6-124-123x2-122-121x6-120x2; Peter Bissonette, 174-130-123-121x2-120; Kirker, 165-140x2-139-137-135-132-129-125x4-123-122x2-121 and Bradford, 160-140-137-134-127x2-125x3-121-120.

Algonquin holding minor ball registration session today

ALGONQUIN - The Algonquin Minor Ball League will be holding a registration session today (April 7).

The session will run from 7 pm until 8:30 pm at the Algonquin Church Hall.

For more information on Algonquin Minor Ball contact Charlie Murray at 348-3763.

Augusta holding minor softball registration sessions tonight

NORTH AUGUSTA - Teams in Augusta minor softball will be holding a registration session today (Wednesday) throughout the township.

All sessions in located Augusta will run from 7 pm until 8:30 pm tonight as well as from 7 pm until 8:30 pm on Wednesday, April 14.

People can register at the Roebuck Community Centre, Domville Recreation Centre, North Augusta Recreation Centre and the Algonquin Church Hall.

Family rates are available.

Come out and enjoy another good season of softball in Augusta.

MERC holding youth softball registration today in Maitland

MAITLAND - The Maitland Education Recreation Corporation is running a youth softball program this summer for Maitland area kids.

The program will be for children between the age of four and eight years old and focus on teaching the game, while still having fun.

Three registration sessions have been set at the MERC Hall; the first is tonight (Wednesday) from 6 pm until 8 am, the second Wednesday, April 14 from 6 pm until 8 pm and the third Saturday, April 17 from 10 am until noon.

For more information, contact Geoff Noyes after 4 pm at 348-1317.

Spencerville minor ball holding final registration session

SPENCERVILLE - The Spencerville minor ball league will be holding its final registration session today (Wednesday) at the Spencerville arena.

The session will run from 6:30 pm until 8:30 pm, with boys and girls of all ages welcome to register.

The league is also looking for coaches for the 2004 season.

Come out and have some fun playing another year of Spencerville minor ball.

For more information, or anyone interested in coaching should contact Debbie Seary at 658-3383 or Stephanie Summers at 658-2225.

All content is copyright 2004 The Prescott Journal. No reproduction permitted without written permission.