VOL. 174, NO. 25~ PRESCOTT, ONTARIO ~ June 23, 2004

Time for voters to have a say

Four candidates in race to be Leeds-Grenville MP; polls open Monday

SOUTH GRENVILLE ­ The task of selecting the next federal government is at hand.

Advance polls were open Thursday, Friday and Monday, but most voters will be marking their ballots this Monday, June 28.

Polling stations will be open from 9:30 am to 9:30 pm. Anyone who is eligible to vote (any Canadian citizen who is at least 18 on election day) and did not receive his or her information card in the mail can still vote Monday. Registration can be done at the polling station; proof of identity and address will be required.

There are four candidates in the riding of Leeds-Grenville: Steve Armstrong of the New Democrats, Chris Bradshaw of the Green party, Gord Brown of the Conservatives and Joe Jordan of the Liberal party. Jordan is the incumbent; the Liberals had a majority government when Parliament was dissolved and the election called in late May.

The candidates took part in a debate last Wednesday at the Prescott Legion. They were also invited to appear at the Grenville Community Futures Development Corporation AGM being held this morning at the Landmark Inn in Cardinal.

For more information on the election process, visit www.elections.ca or call 1-866-241-7765. The Leeds-Grenville returning office is located at 51 King St. W. in Brockville. Barb Mills of Prescott is the returning officer in Leeds-Grenville.

THIS WEEK

Community dinner to be held today

PRESCOTT ­ The Master's Hands community supper in June will take place today (Wednesday, June 23) at Seaway Christian Church.

The free dinner for the less fortunate will be served from 5 to 6:15 pm.

Seaway Christian is located on Churchill Road at Massie Drive.

Block Parent meeting to be held Thursday

PRESCOTT ­ The first meeting of Prescott's new Block Parent program will take place this Thursday, June 24 at 6:30 pm at town hall on Dibble Street West.

Everyone is invited to attend. Come and find out how the program works and how it can help keep children safe in the community.

For more information, contact Sue O'Hanlon at 925-1595.

Auction and bake sale support youth day

PRESCOTT ­ An auction and bake sale in support of World Youth Day will take place this Saturday, June 26 at St. Mark's Parish Centre on Edward Street.

Viewing begins at 6 pm; the auction by Carrie Hands starts at 7 pm.

For more information, contact Tony or Diane Jozefowicz at 658-2049.

Celebrate with a bang

PRESCOTT ­ Canada Day will be a blast at Fort Wellington.

There will be free admission Thursday, July 1.

The day will include the traditional firing of the cannon at noon, which will be followed by Canada Day cupcakes and refreshments. Deborah Dunleavy will perform a concert early that afternoon.

There will be also be a colouring contest, crafts, face painting and period games. A mock battle will be staged in the afternoon. Fort staff dressed in period costume will demonstrate period cooking; visitors will be able to sample some ginger cookies.

Celebrations will actually begin at 11 am when community donor plaques will be unveiled at Prescott Heritage River Trail.

For more information, call 925-2896.

Early-stage Alzheimer support group meets

PRESCOTT ­ Alzheimer support groups will not be held this summer in Prescott, Brockville, Kemptville and Gananoque.

Support groups will resume in September. However, there will be early-stage support group meetings this summer. The early-stage group meets Tuesdays from 10 to 11 am at the Alzheimer Society office on George Street in Brockville.

To register or for more information, call 345-7392.

Response to inaugural highland games is mostly positive: Bush

By David Dickenson, Journal Staff Writer

SPENCERVILLE - Despite lower than expected attendance organizers are considering the first Veterans Memorial Highland Games a success.

Event organizer Kelly Bush indicated the day long highland games went smoothly. About 2,000 people came through the gates.

"It was a success in the fact things ran smoothly throughout the running of the games and everything stayed on schedule. The weather also held up for us, despite it being a little too windy," said Bush. "Financially, it didn't go as well as we had expected, but it's our first year and there will be another absolutely."

Bush indicated planning for next year's event is already under way with the Pipers and Pipeband Society of Ontario's (PPBSO) Ottawa branch already sending a letter for the games to be sanctioned as a championship supreme meet in 2005 which will make the event a bigger draw with pipers.

"Being a championship supreme meet it means there are double points up for grabs for pipe bands who compete (on the PPSO tour)," said Bush. "We had 19 bands for our mass bands showing in our first year, and we'd like to have at least 30 for next year."

Bush also indicated the games is also looking at getting sanctioned for Highland Dancing competition, which in itself carries a lot of popularity.

The organizers indicated the response from the public who attended the games was mostly positive and gives them a jumping off point for next year.

"Everybody was positive," said Bush. "The people we met thought everything was fantastic and the pipers really seemed to like it a lot. Also, there were some people from a few other highland games and they couldn't believe how much we had done in about three and a half months."

With a tight schedule to work with, Bush was quick to credit her more than 60 volunteers who gave their own time to help out with the event.

"Our volunteers have been excellent," said Bush. "People like Jeff and Julie Roddick and their two boys came in and were just a fantastic help. Despite some of the calls for volunteers being on short notice, so many of the people my husband phoned came and helped us out. We'll be more prepared for next year so things will be a little less hectic and a little more organized."

Bush indicated while some tinkering still needs to be done, they are already looking forward to a bigger and better games for next year.

"Some things need rectifying for next year," said Bush, "and we've already started looking at this. We'll have a full year to do it, and we will be doing some fundraising throughout the year to keep up our exposure."

Augusta proposes slight tax rate drop

By Tim Ruhnke, Journal Editor

MAYNARD ­ There is good and bad news associated with Augusta Township's 2004 budget proposal.

The good news is there is a projected overall tax rate decrease of about one half of a per cent. The bad news is reassessment will mean many property owners will have to pay more this year.

The township is considering a municipal tax rate hike of 6.29 per cent. When the united counties rate increase of 0.04 per cent and an education tax rate decrease of 11.64 per cent are applied, the overall residential tax rate decrease is 0.49 per cent.

A house with an assessed value of $100,000 was charged $1,246 in property taxes last year. Approval of the 2004 budget proposal would result in a tax bill of $1,240 this year for that same house if it were still assessed at $100,000.

Taxable assessment in Augusta Township went from just under $430 million in 2003 to more than $479 million this year ­ an increase of 11.57 per cent.

Augusta council is expected to finalize its municipal budget proposal at a meeting Thursday afternoon. The budget would then be formally presented to council in the form of a bylaw next Monday night.

Township Treasurer Linda Robinson told council at a budget meeting Thursday night the finance committee started the 2004 budget process with a projected increase of 11 to 12 per cent. After a few meetings and having reviewed working papers, the proposed municipal tax rate hike had been reduced to about half of that.

The budget proposal includes a significant increase in spending, much of which Robinson attributed to items over which council has little or no control. For example, the cost of Ontario Provincial Police service in 2003 was about $536,500. The 2004 figure is $663,500, an increase of more than 23 per cent.

Other costs related to salaries and benefits, water testing, reserve payments and a planned review of the township's zoning bylaw have also contributed to the proposed spending increase.

The municipality is also planning to embark on a four-year roads plan that would see portions of Algonquin, Dixon and Lords Mills roads (about 9.5 km in total) paved or resurfaced this year. Depending on availability of funding, Blue Church Road from County Road 26 to 4th Concession will be surface treated. Reeve John McCrea said surface treatment should be prioritized, but other members of council insisted it be tested before the township makes more of a commitment to the concept.

Deputy Reeve Doug Barton noted Thursday council had yet to put the road work out to tender.

Municipal tax rate goes down in Prescott

Water and sewer rates go up

PRESCOTT ­ Some people will pay more, some will pay less and some will pay about the same they did last year.

That would be the effect of the municipal budget presented to Prescott council Monday night.

Lower municipal and education tax rates (4.72 per cent lower for residential) will lead to lower tax bills for many property owners, while many whose assessment went up this year will see only a modest tax increase in 2004.

A house with an assessed value of $100,000 was charged a total of $1,878 in property taxes last year. The 2004 tax bill for a $100,000 will be $1,789.

However, there was a residential assessment increase of 12 per cent this year. A home valued at $112,000 in 2004 will face a tax bill of just over $2,004.

Municipal spending will be higher in 2004 than what was budgeted for last year. Prescott's general accounts total more than $7.9 million.

Water and sewer rates are higher

Council gave final approval Monday to water and sewer rate hikes that average about 50 per cent. The increases, which are part of a plan to address user-pay provincial regulations requiring customers to cover all costs associated with the services, take effect July 1.

The increases apply to base and metered monthly rates. Outdoor garden taps which do not use metered water will cost $6 per month as of July 1. Council is proposing a tap rate of $15 to take effect next July, but additional rate hikes for 2005 were removed from the bylaw approved Monday. Those proposed increases would have to be approved by council next year.

Another set of increases was approved by council Monday night. The price of town garbage bags will go up as of July 1. Paper bags will be sold for $2 each; large and kitchen-sized plastic bags will retail for $1.50 and 75 cents respectively.

On a related note, council agreed to extend its contract with Kelly and Sons for the collection and haulage of garbage. The five-year extension begins next May 1. Annual increases will be based on the consumer price index.

Sponsorship program provides swimming lessons for youngsters

Response from community has been positive, Prescott pool supervisor says

PRESCOTT ­ A new program is aimed at giving more youngsters a chance to take swimming lessons at the Prescott pool.

"Teach Every Child to Swim" is a sponsored lesson program now under way. Figures indicated less than 20 per cent of youngsters in Prescott take formal swimming lessons.

"We realized how many children just don't have an opportunity to participate," Pool Director Lesley Hubbard said.

Service clubs, individuals and businesses are being encouraged to support the program. A contribution of $28 would cover the cost of one 10-day session of lessons for a child.

Hubbard said the early response to the program has been very positive. A number of sessions have already been sponsored. She is confident there will be more than 50 sponsored spots this season. The goal is to ensure all interested children will receive at least one session of lessons at the pool in Centennial Park this season.

Sponsored spaces will be drawn at random from the pool of applicants demonstrating need. Pool staff will administer the program with the support of the Food For All Food Bank; applications are available at the food bank on Henry Street and at the pool office.

There is no guarantee each applicant will be selected; however, Hubbard is hopeful all requests can be accommodated with the support of the community.

The Red Cross AquaQuest program used at the town pool covers swimming skills and water safety awareness. At the more advanced levels, the program also teaches basic life-saving skills. All children should get a chance to learn how to swim or become oriented to the water in a supervised environment, according to Hubbard. The experience can give kids a self-esteem and confidence boost as well as help increase overall fitness.

Many youngsters have had no formal instruction and might not be aware of the dangers or risks associated with bodies of water and swimming pools.

"By increasing awareness through our water safety programs, we hope that future tragedy can be avoided," Hubbard stated.

For more information on "Teach Every Child to Swim," contact the pool office at 925-0762.

Rash of break-ins reported in townships

Public should keep records of property and report any suspicious activity to police

SOUTH GRENVILLE ­ Local residents are being advised by Ontario Provincial Police to take measures to secure their property and keep records of it in case it is stolen.

The Grenville County detachment responded to numerous break and enters in Augusta and Edwardsburgh/Cardinal last week. This is in addition to the several break-ins investigated the previous week.

The more recent incidents were as follows:

* June 14 (during the day) on County Road 26 near Maynard. Entry was gained through a window. Items taken include cash, jewellery and a Sony discman.

* June 16 between 9 and 11 am on 2nd Concession. Entry was through a back door. Cash, jewellery, collector coins and liquor were reported missing.

* June 17 (overnight) on Hyndman Road east of County Road 22. Items taken were a 12-inch DeWalt miter saw with a 16-inch tooth blade. Entry was made through an unlocked garage door.

* June 18 between 8:30 am and noon on Kain Road between Safford Road and County Road 22. A window in the back door was broken. A Bell ExpressVu receiver and Simoniz pressure washer were taken. A suspicious vehicle was observed; it is an older-model grey Pontiac Grand Am or Grand Prix with a male driver.

* Sometime between June 16 and the morning of June 19 on Glen Smail Road between Hand and Patterson roads. Items taken were an Airborne air compressor, Stihl chainsaw, hand-held angle grinder and three-tonne jack. A shed was entered through the back door.

* Sometime between June 6 and afternoon of June 19 at vehicle repair shop on Bennett Street in Spencerville. A Pioneer compact disc/radio was ripped from the dash of a pick-up truck that was to be repaired. Entry was gained through the truck's rear sliding window

Police remind the public to keep their homes, garages and sheds secure. Serial numbers should be noted as part of an inventory of personal property. Keeping descriptions and photos of property is also recommended.

Anyone with information on these break and enters or any related occurrences in the townships is asked to contact the OPP detachment in Prescott (925-4221) or Crime Stoppers (1-800-222-8477).

Candidates make their pitches in Prescott

PRESCOTT ­ The four candidates had their say, and now it is time for voters to have theirs.

About 150 people were on hand at the Legion Hall last Wednesday night to hear the contenders in the federal riding of Leeds-Grenville in action. The event was sponsored by the Prescott and District Chamber of Commerce.

Each candidate gave an opening speech, responded to four questions supplied in advance and then addressed questions from the floor before making closing remarks. Election day is Monday, June 28.

Liberal candidate and incumbent Leeds-Grenville MP Joe Jordan said this election is about choices. The Liberals offer an affordable, balanced and forward-thinking platform that emphasizes a single-tier, publicly-funded health care system and builds on the historic values of Canada, according to Jordan.

"Simplistic notions are for simple times," he said.

Gord Brown of the Conservative party asked if voters want to carry on with a Liberal record of "waste, corruption and scandal" or whether they would prefer the "family-friendly" Conservative approach of lower taxes and secured health care. Canadians deserve a stronger, better government that what they have been getting, according to Brown. "Elect me... and you won't be hearing excuses," he said. "I will not let you down."

NDP candidate Steve Armstrong stuck to his approach of criticizing the Liberals and Conservatives for not having done anything for Leeds-Grenville. Armstrong maintained he is the only candidate who represents the average person, adding the NDP will look out for the people of Canada by creating jobs and ensuring there are adequate public health care, social and environmental programs in place. "We need positive change, not just change," he said. "Put a common person back in the Commons."

Chris Bradshaw of the Green party encouraged voters to consider selecting a party that will influence the winner of the election rather than just trying to pick the winner. In noting the possibility of a coalition or minority government, Bradshaw indicated polls suggest there is a chance Green candidates will be elected in British Columbia.

When asked about protecting Canadian sovereignty, Brown said the United States is "our closest friend and ally." The decision not to back the American-led invasion of Iraq was like poking the Americans in the eye, according to the Conservative candidate. The U.S. military could roll in from Fort Drum (in New York), cross at Ogdensburg and Ivy Lea and take over in a matter of hours if it wanted to, Brown remarked. He went on to say the Liberals have let down Canada's military in terms of funding.

Jordan said the federal government made the correct decision not to join the invasion of Iraq. He also warned Canada's economic dependency on the United States is "...permeating through public policy."

None of the candidates offered support for an American-led missile defence system. Jordan said he voted against his own party and will never vote for what he referred to as a ridiculous bit of nonsense and "a trillion-dollar video game."

Although the meeting was, for the most part, low-key and civil, there were a few exceptions. Jordan and Brown butted heads over the Prescott sewage treatment plant funding issue.

Brown claimed the feds "didn't come through" with their one-third share of construction funding after the province had approved and recommended the project as part of a federal-provincial infrastructure program.

The MP indicated he has copies of letters which spell out how the province was made aware there was no more federal money available when the Prescott proposal was recommended. The Prescott plan was not a priority of the Harris government or "the minister of the day," Leeds-Grenville MPP Bob Runciman, according to Jordan.

"I've stated the facts as I know them," said Jordan, who went on to suggest a little less time should be spent on "political spin."

"I'm not carrying the can for this one," he added.

Brown responded a short time later by stating the bottom line is "the job didn't get done."

Green can have influence

PRESCOTT ­ The Green party has a chance to influence the next federal government, according to Leeds-Grenville candidate Chris Bradshaw.

The entrepreneur and former worker in Ottawa-Carleton's planning department believes voters should consider the possibility the Green party could elect members in British Columbia and have a significant role to play in the event of a minority government.

Bradshaw, who is now in the business of renting vehicles by the hour, stresses the need for Canadians to look at addressing problems by trying to prevent them from arising. He believes in lower taxes on personal income and higher taxes on companies that make use of natural resources. By doing so, general taxpayers get relief and companies will become more frugal when it comes to using those resources.

Bradshaw also supports giving municipalities more power and forgiving 50 per cent of the debt incurred by medical students and nurses in training. The different levels of government must have better co-operation on the issue of health care, according to the Green candidate.

In noting the presence of Green as an active international movement which is part of many foreign governments, Bradshaw said the party represents a growing awareness of the serious issues facing Canada and the world.

Poker run not in the cards

PRESCOTT ­ Plans for a river poker run that would include Prescott are in danger of folding.

The cost of a legal challenge involving the Gananoque-based proposal to stage the power-boat event in late August are forcing organizers to consider scrapping the event. Tourism and civic leaders in Prescott had agreed to work with the Gananoque organizers.

The 1000 Islands Poker Run used to stop in Prescott, but the course was moved west and away from this area last year. This led to a similar venue being established by an organizing committee in Gananoque that includes the local Rotary club. However, elements of the committee's effort ­ including the proposed name ­ is being challenged by the owner of the original run.

According to The Gananoque Reporter, the committee cannot afford to continue fending off the challenge; financial support would have to come from other sources.

The river poker run used to draw large crowds to Prescott's waterfront and marina area.

Town asked to give the green light to strippers at bar on King Street

PRESCOTT ­ There is only so much the municipality can do to prevent a downtown bar from offering so-called adult entertainment, town officials have been told.

An application for such a business at The Limit on King Street West has been submitted. Existing official plan and zoning regulations permit adult entertainment at the site, according to CAO/Clerk Robert Haller.

At a recent planning and development committee meeting, some members of council expressed their own concerns about allowing strippers in that location. Council has asked for a legal opinion on the matter.

One potential obstacle could be the poor condition of west wall of the building. The building owner had been ordered to repair the wall, according to Town Engineer Clyde Solomon. It is believed approval of the licence could be deferred until the property standard issue is addressed.

Council could consider enacting a new bylaw or revise the existing licensing statute to deal with the issue of adult entertainment. The bylaw could limit the areas of town in which other clubs of that nature could operate as well as deal with signage and the physical appearance of the clubs. However, these changes would not block the application that has already been submitted.

Input from the police chief has been received.

The Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario does not deal with adult entertainment applications made by licensed establishments.

Chamber welcomes three new members

PRESCOTT ­ Three new members have been added to the Prescott and District Chamber of Commerce.

Cogeco Cable Brockville, Brophy Farms (agronomic support) in North Augusta and Florence Deliva (Grenville Arms in Prescott) were approved by the Chamber's board of directors at the June meeting held Thursday at the Prescott Legion.

The next monthly meeting will take place Thursday, July 15 at 1 pm at Harvester House.

Drug interaction will be next topic at July 6 meeting

WALKER HOUSE NEWS by MARNIE LIPPIATT

Beth Gallaugher from Grenville Pharmacy will be the second speaker in our public information series. She will be speaking on the interaction of prescribed drugs, herbal treatments and over-the-counter vitamins. This meeting will be held Tuesday evening, July 6. Everyone is welcome.

A big thanks for the help with lunch last Thursday. We had a good variety of pot luck dishes, and everything was cleaned up quickly. The speaker, Dianne McConkey from the Canadian Hearing Society, had suggestions to help identify a hearing problem. Many simple things can help; for example, if your friend has some hearing loss, be sure to face them as you speak. Don't try to talk and eat or drink at the same time. This will distort the shape of your mouth and the sounds of the words.

Card game winners: Monday bridge ­ 1st, Findlay Hill; 2nd, Doris Mossman; door, Betty Morris. Fun bridge ­ Glen Morris. Wednesday night bridge ­ 1st, Kitty Wormington; 2nd, Margaret Nesbitt. Thursday night euchre ­ 1st, Jeannine Marion; 2nd, Eddie Arcand; 3rd, Jean King; door, Geneva Odell.

Strawberry social set for St. Paul's

PRESCOTT ­ St. Paul's United Church will host a strawberry social Sunday, June 27 from 11:30 am to 1:30 pm in the church hall on Centre Street near Dibble Street.

The menu includes ham, salads and strawberry shortcake. Tickets will be available at the door.

For more information, call 925-1865.

Union Cemetery service on Sunday

SPENCERVILLE ­ The annual cemetery service for Union Cemetery will take place Sunday, June 27 at 2:30 pm. In the event of rain, the service will be held in Spencerville United Church.

Indoor fireworks spark apartment blaze

Obscene language scratched into hood of car parked behind downtown building

PRESCOTT ­ Charges are pending in connection with a fire that took place in downtown Prescott Saturday night.

Town firefighters were dispatched to 192 King St. W. just east of Centre Street at about 8 pm. As a precaution, Augusta firefighters were also called in to provide back-up.

No one was injured, but at least one apartment sustained heavy damage. An investigation revealed the fire was started when fireworks were set off inside an apartment. A group of young adults was involved. Further details were unavailable at press time. Constable Richard Champagne is investigating.

In all, officers with the Prescott Police Service investigated 84 incidents during the week of June 14.

A car parked behind Lane's Smoke Shop was vandalized, police were told June 16. The hood and sides of the 1996 Pontiac Grand Am had been scratched; obscene language had been scratched into the hood. Left rear and front tires had been slashed. Damage is estimated at $1,000. The investigating officer is Constable Jon Pergunas.

On June 18, a Park Street East resident advised police 11 CDs have been removed from the glove compartment of her vehicle parked in the driveway. The total value of the items is $200. The investigating office is Constable Moe Morrissette.

A stolen bicycle was reported to police June 14. The child's bike is green with beads on the spokes and missing pedals. It had likely been taken the previous weekend. Constable Champagne is investigating.

On June 17, a Victor Road resident reported she had been assaulted. She sustained minor injuries, according to police. James Greenham, 19, of Brockville was arrested and charged with assault. He is to appear in court at a later date. Constable Mike Lapensee is investigating.

An 18-year-old King Street man reported June 18 he had been assaulted while walking on Edward Street. Police indicated he received minor injuries. Kasey Molson, 20, of Prescott was arrested and charged with assault. He is scheduled to appear in court at a later date. The investigating officer is Constable Mike Ostrander.

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 Prescott police and fire station is located at the corner of Henry and Centre streets and is accessible to the public 24 hours a day.

Chamber doubles Shakespeare contribution

PRESCOTT ­ The Prescott and District Chamber of Commerce has become the fifth major sponsor of this year's St. Lawrence Shakespeare Festival.

The Chamber's board of directors agreed Thursday to contribute an additional $2,000 to the festival, which will stage its production of The Comedie of Errors July 12-31 at the Kinsmen Amphitheatre at Sandra S. Lawn Harbour. The Chamber had already donated $2,000 earlier this year.

Ken Durand, chairman of the Shakespeare company's board of directors, said the festival is close to reaching its goal of $40,000 for contributions from businesses, groups and individuals in the community. Contributions are about 50 per cent higher now than they were at this time last year, he noted.

Advance ticket sales are also well ahead of last year's numbers, according to Durand.

The festival received $15,000 from the Ontario Trillium Foundation last year and has submitted an application for an additional three years at $20,000 per year. Durand said a response is not expected prior to next month's festival.

The other four major sponsors of the 2004 Shakespeare festival are the Town of Prescott, Grenville Community Futures Development Corporation, Kriska and Tim Hortons.

Rehearsals for the upcoming season began earlier this week. The festival has acquired a large tent that will be erected beside the marina building and used in case of rain.

Recent concert was uplifting

NORTH AUGUSTA - On Sunday night (June 13), St. Peter's parishioners and people from miles around North Augusta were spiritually uplifted and entertained by the Gospel music of Tom Wilson and his Border Bluegrass boys Allen, John, Lloyd and Neil.

All donations received are to the credit of the parish school settlement program.

Everyone was invited to the community hall afterwards for a fellowship pot luck ­ great night, great music, great pot luck with good people.

The group's CDs are available from leader Tom Wilson at 75 Pine Street East, Brockville ON K6V 1G6.

Let's make visitors feel welcome

By Barb Martin, Prescott Blossoms Volunteer

What incredible accomplishments from a few determined volunteers! If you have not been down to the harbour to view the Welcome Wall on Water Street I urge you to do so. As a boater, it struck me that the rusty, crumbling wall facing the boaters as they came up from the harbour could make a great billboard for Prescott. With Robert Haller's encouragement, Chuck Street's design expertise and the help of a number of volunteers, among them the willing Blossoms, it is now an eye-catching greeting to visitors and residents alike. The Daniels parkette also received attention from the Blossoms this week with fabric, mulch and planting. It is a pretty spot for a rest after browsing the shops on King Street. We hope that people will make the effort to throw their trash in the receptacles provided and not toss it into the gardens.

Now, it would be nice if the town property standards bylaws could be implemented to force some of the building owners to repair the broken windows and crumbling plaster and to paint and repair their storefronts. Then perhaps some of the empty storefronts could be used to display promotional materials for Shakespeare, the museum, the library, Prescott's railway history, Prescott Blossoms, etc. Having attractive displays would be more interesting than what we now have.

It would also be nice if the business association that is very supportive of beautifying the downtown area could persuade those businesses (and we know who you are) to clean their windows, paint where needed, hang a few window boxes or planters, to suggest just a couple of ideas. All it takes is a little imagination and the will to turn Prescott into an attractive destination for tourists.

We have a lot going for us with the fort, the harbour, and the cruise ship docks. People come to visit so let's make them feel welcome and show them what a friendly pretty little gem we have here on the St. Lawrence. Then perhaps they will spend a little more time here instead of trekking off to Ottawa.

There are still gardens to be planted around town so if you have a green thumb and nowhere to use it just give us a call. We can use all the help we can get. Adopting a garden would be a pleasant way to spend the summer. We still need to plant a few trees, the area around the clock tower and the area around the cruise ship dock need attention as will the front of house areas for Shakespeare. Plus anywhere else you would like to see some colour and flowers. Also, if you have any ideas for sprucing up the downtown area don't be shy, share them with us.

And while you are walking around, pick up the trash you see lying around; the bending is excellent exercise for the waistline.

To volunteer or to attend our meetings or to give us your ideas, call 657-4688 or e-mail ras@ripnet.com.

Our next meeting will focus on problems you are having in your gardens. Perhaps we can help you while you help us.

Memorial service held at Wellington House

PRESCOTT - The seventh annual memorial worship service was held at Wellington House Long-Term Care Facility Thursday, June 17.

A large group of families, friends, residents, staff, volunteers and clergy gathered to remember Wellington House residents who passed away in 2003.

The theme of the service this year was "Remembering the Gift of God."

The group was urged to remember the way each resident touched many lives in good and powerful ways.

After the memory candle was lit, the names of the residents were read. Family members were presented with a red carnation and a memory booklet. The booklet contained the name and length of stay of their loved one and handwritten comments and memories from the staff and family support group.

The residents who were remembered were Martha Allen, Gertrude Bain, Marguerite Baker, Maxine Baldwin, John Bell, Nettie Bilinton, Bud Borland, Doris Chabicovsky, Bruce Connell, Emmy Fletcher, Stan Horner, Basil Levere, Muriel Mathieu, Bryan Madgwick, Sadie Myers, Virginia Saunders, Edna Todd, Muriel Vancamp and Terry Yandeau.

The service was arranged by the pastoral care committee and the palliative care committee and conducted by four clergymen from the homes ministerial group. It included prayers, scripture, hymns and readings as well as The Remembering.

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

"The way I look at it is I am accepting this on behalf of all the volunteers that have helped me out over the years."

Bob Darling, named Volunteer of the Year at the recent sports hall of fame dinner

Editor's Notebook

WHEN NOTHING MEANS SOMETHING: All things being equal, this year's tax bills would have come as some relief to most property owners in South Grenville. Even if the municipality were to opt for a modest tax rate increase, it would likely be offset by a decrease in the education tax. The bottom line would be taxes would not be any higher than they were last year.

This outcome is definitely a "good news story" ­ that is, as long as one's assessment did not go up this year.

For the many owners who were hit hard by reassessment, the fact their tax rate is the same as last year is of little or no comfort. Municipalities might actually be planning to spend more money this year than last; by drawing on a larger assessment pool, they can generate additional revenue without having to increase the tax rate.

While civic leaders might pat themselves on the back for producing what they describe as a zero or "bare bones" budget, the majority of ratepayers will be paying more than they did last year. To them, it does not matter which level of government is to blame. Ontario's property assessment system is flawed, and most property owners are either unable or unwilling to channel their energy and money into fighting what appear to be inherent injustice in the process.

We know municipal councils have a difficult job which is compounded by downloading and having to adapt to changing regulations being passed down by one government agency or another. Councils can say their hands are tied at budget time, and they would probably have a point.

The bottom line, though, is many residents of South Grenville will have to pay more in property taxes, and there is little or nothing taxpayers can do about the situation at the municipal, provincial or federal levels.

BETTER THAN NOTHING: It is understandable why many people are ambivalent or cynical when it comes to elections and the concept of voting. After all, things do not seem to be any different or get much better no matter which individual or party is elected.

As the June 28 federal election approaches, we sympathize with those who are frustrated by the campaign. Unfortunately, it is the only system we have. We might not be overly impressed by the options being presented to voters, but there appear to be some significant differences among the political parties vying for our support.

Shake your fist at the system, curse it or vow to find a better method of running the country. Until that happens, all we can do is work with what we've got. Turning our backs on the system by not voting next Monday will do nothing to solve our problems.

Tim Ruhnke

Heaven could sure use a guy like my dad

FORT TOWN DIARY by John A.H. Morris

We, as the family of John Morris, were overwhelmed and honoured by the great number of people who came to pay their last repects to John at the funeral service on June 10, and at the visitations on June 9. It was both inspiring and humbling to see so many gathered at St. John's. We have had many requests for copies of the eulogies delivered by Jeffrey Morris and Deborah (Morris) Allan, both from those who were in attendance at the service, and from those who were unable to attend, so, with the permission of the authors, we are carrying the eulogies in the space previously designated for John's regular weekly column and on the next page. Thank you to all who have supported, comforted and indulged us in this difficult time.

Lisa Taylor

By Jeffrey Morris

First of all, on behalf of the family, I would like to thank all of you for coming today to remember my father, John Morris. It was wonderful for us to see so many friends and members of the community yesterday, and also today.

There will be a time to mourn or to be sad over his passing, but that time is not today. It's not what he would want, and it's not how he should be remembered.

For years, he had been fighting various health problems, and he would joke openly about this day. He wanted to have Dixieland jazz music playing, which he got. He also wanted to be propped up with a drink put in his hand and a big smile put on his face. That's where we started to draw the line. The other things he wanted I won't even go into - but let's just say I'm glad he never got to see Weekend at Bernie's.

But that's who my father was. He loved shock value and humour and outrage, and he loved pushing buttons in people. But he loved his community. He put passion and everything he had into everything he did.

As a father, he did everything one could ask of him. All he wanted for Lisa and I was to give us everything he didn't have growing up, and every opportunity he could give us. He was always there for us. When we went to him for help or advice, he was there for us. He knew when we needed his help or advice, sometimes whether we wanted it or not. But more importantly, he knew when we needed to work things out on our own and learn from them.

He taught us so many things. He taught us to love music. He taught us how to set goals. He taught us to follow our dreams and passions. He taught us to make decisions. He taught us how to learn and grow from failure. He taught us how to take risks - though he had to work on that one with me a bit... no, no Jeff, calculated risks. And despite how intimidating he always tried to be, he taught me to have a kind heart - which was a wonderful side of him too few got to see.

There were two things I will always remember about him that stand above the others.

The first is his sense of community and the pride he took in the town of Prescott - something he learned from his parents, the late Jack and Ida Morris.

It's remarkable to think of some of the things he did for Prescott and what he accomplished. He organized the Prescott Centennial Celebration in 1967, he organized Prescott's military pageant, he helped grow Fort Wellington as a tourist attraction, he organized the Olympic Torch relay through Prescott in 1976, he organized the Prescott High School Reunion of 1984, he was heavily involved with the Chamber of Commerce and was always working to expand business opportunities for the town and for South Grenville. And the next time you take the 416 to Ottawa and think of how much easier and faster it is to get there now, think of John Morris forming the Citizens Coalition for the 416 and lobbying to get the highway put in.

And then there was his biggest gift to the community, his book, the Morrises' History of Prescott - a project that fed his passion for the community and enabled him to share the town's history.

Of course, there was a stubborn side to him too. After the book was printed, I looked at it and he had the birth dates of my two sons wrong. "Dad, you got Jack and Wade's birthdays wrong." "No, I didn't." "Dad, those aren't their birthdays - I should know, I was there." "I got their birthdays right. Look, it's right here in my book. In print. Right there, see. It has to be right."

And one of our favourite stories of his stubborn streak comes from my days at South Grenville, when I was writing a Grade 10 English essay on Hamlet. Just as I finished, he said, "Let me take a look at your essay."

Well, he proceeded to slice and dice it and tell me it was a piece of crap and ended up spending the evening rewriting it for me. I typed it up with him, and handed it in. He flunked. I had to go back to Miss Remmer and say that this was my Dad's essay, and asked if I could hand mine in. I got a B.

It was a great trump card to be able to pull out on him. What the hell do you know Dad, you flunked my Grade 10 English paper...

But what I will most remember about him, and what he gave to us, was his love for humour. Our home was always filled with laughter.

I thought about this for a long time, and was going to say that he loved to make people laugh.

But then, when I started to really look at it, that wasn't entirely true. Actually, he liked to make himself laugh, and he had no regard for whose expense those laughs came at.

I sure got my share of it at home, but then again, he flunked a Grade 10 English paper.

My father never passed up an opportunity to play a practical joke on someone or to do something outrageous.

Just last week, a telemarketer called and asked for Elizabeth Morris. He said, "speaking". The telemarketer than asked what his wife's name was, and he replied, "Beth". After confusing him totally, my father told him, "You better get with the times. Have you never heard of same sex marriages?" before he hung up.

But that's who my father was. Everything in life brought an opportunity to have some fun at someone else's expense.

There was the time that he and a few buddies highjacked the Fort Wellington cannon on July 1st, 1967, setting it off around town. They learned that not only was the cannon loud, but that it also shattered windows.

But that wasn't enough.

Three days later, it was, "hey, it's July 4th, let's take it over to the 'Burg."

So off they went, across the border to Ogdensburg, with the mortar for the cannon in their trunk.

They got to customs. "Anything to declare?"

"Yes, we have a cannon and we're gonna take over the United States."

"Sure you do Morris... go ahead."

It turned out that the power was out over there, and there was a Niagara Mohawk worker in a tree at the Grandview working on a power line. The cannon scared the crap out of the poor guy...

He never passed up an opportunity when a neighbour needed to borrow two eggs for cooking, to give them hard-boiled ones, or if someone left the trunk of their car open, to fill it with snow on them.

Of course, any time I tried to do anything like that growing up, I got reprimanded pretty severely, but then he would end it by saying something like, "now son, if you really want to get them, pour a couple dozen packets of jell-o powder in their pool filter or why don't you sneak into their garage at 2 in the morning and start their lawn mower".

Even in his last month, when his health was started to fail him, he would be in his hospital room - Gulag 252 at the Brockville General as we called it - and he would hold out a container of urine to the nurse and say, "here, have some apple juice."

Nothing was out of bounds for him.

But as much of a joker as he was, he laughed at himself. I came to see him last week and we had a wonderful visit, but I wasn't aware he had lost his hair and had his head shaved. He sat there in his wheelchair with his bald head and little four-pound Maggie on his lap with her big ears. I walked in and all I could say was, "Holy Crap Dad, you're Dr. Evil!"

I also used to tease him every time Jerry Lewis came on TV on Larry King Live - they never looked alike when they were younger, but as they both got older, they looked identical. My wife Jennifer would say, Hey Jeff, your dad's on Larry King again. We joked about this last night after the wake, when so many people I had never met said, "no mistaking who you are, you're the spitting image of your father". Meanwhile, my eyes are wandering over to the photo on the coffin of Jerry Lewis holding my dad's book, and I'm fast forwarding 30 years in my head. Great, I thought... Hey Lady!

Then again, we could probably sell a lot of his books in France.

Dad would see the humour in that and if he was looking down on us would have shared the laugh. We sure thought he was looking down on us as the thunder boomed and the rains fell and the power flickered on and off on a day with a sunny and clear forecast. My mom would shake her head, saying, "it's just like him to order this."

We talked a lot last week, and reminisced about all of the fun we had through the years and all of the things we got to do. I am so thankful for that time with him. He said he tied up so many loose ends, and he said he was happy.

We'll miss his writing, and his insights, and his confrontations. There's probably not a person here who served the community that he didn't take shots at in one way or another over the years. It was his way of making everyone accountable, and of having fun. And though he may never have had the chance to tell any of you, he deeply respected and appreciated everyone who served the community to make it a better place. We'll all miss his contributions to the community, but more than that we will miss his sense of humour - often tasteless, but always playful.

How many times as his son did I hear him make some smart ass remark that drew a response like, "John Morris, you're going straight to hell for that one."

It's just a cliché, and of course we know he didn't.

Besides, heaven could use a guy like my dad to keep everyone on their toes.

Federal election call would prevent royal visit: 1984

FROM THE ARCHIVES

June 24, 1964

* The remnants of the Kavanagh Block at the southeast corner of King and Centre streets are being levelled. The block, which had been gutted in a fire, will be rebuilt as a two-storey building (apartments and stores) on King Street and a one-storey building on Centre Street. The property is owned by Samuel Springer of Kingston.

* The champions in Central Public School's annual track and field meet were Tommy Armstrong, Mike Lawrence, John Kirkwood, Beverley Wilson, Patty Gummer and Bonnie Armstrong.

June 26, 1974

* It was women's lib night as far as academic award winners went at Central Public School's graduation. Young ladies captured all the Grade 8 subject awards. The award recipients were Susan Nye, Wendy Wallace, Lisa Morris, Sharon McAllister, Brenda Wormington and Andrea Lawn. Keith Hansen and Cathy Ashton were recipients of the principal's awards at Boundary Street Public School; Evelyn Dales was class valedictorian and received the Newell Art Award and the subject proficiency award in history. Heather Craig received the trophy as top academic student in the graduating class at Centennial' 67 Public School.

June 20, 1984

* The local organizing committee preparing for next month's visit by Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip are awaiting word on whether the new prime minister and Liberal party leader, John Turner, will call a snap election.

There would be no royal visit to Canada during an election campaign, according to Buckingham Palace. In a letter congratulating Turner on his leadership victory, Prescott Mayor Sandra Lawn stresses the importance of the royal visit to Prescott and the hope an early election would not interfere with what would be a once-in-a-lifetime event.

The word "Gusto" captures the heart and soul of my big brother John

By Deborah (Morris) Allan

Good Night, John Boy

Look at all of you ­ here for one reason only: to share in celebrating John's life. He would be truly humbled by such a tribute.

I have the honour of speaking to you today on behalf of John's three siblings: our sister Connie, our brother Robin and myself. And I should note that the last time I had the honour of standing with him at the front of the church was 45 years ago this August, as his flower girl. That wasn't a speaking part, however.

When I started putting my notes together for today, I wondered: "If I could only have one word to describe our brother John, what word would I choose?" Well, when you think about our family, and the fact that all of our lives have always revolved around words, the thoughts of choosing just one word seemed silly. Ludicrous. Impossible, really. A thousand words ran through my head, but the etymology brakes came to a screeching halt at "Gusto."

GUSTO.

If ever there were one word that captured the heart and soul of my big brother John Morris, it is Gusto.

Because, ladies and gentlemen, John Morris lived large. He did nothing halfway. No matter what he did or he said or he felt... he did it or said it or felt or sang it or danced it or wrote it.. to the max. With Gusto.

In the late 1950s... October 5, 1958, to be exact... when he met that pretty blond teacher Beth Fulton, he fell head over heels in love. And he stayed that way until Saturday morning June 5, 2004. A truer love story was never written. When he said "to have and to hold 'til death do us part" in August 1959, he said it with Gusto. Oh, Beth, how he loved you and how he loved being your husband. As inevitable as today was to him, he told me a few weeks ago that his one hope was that he'd make it to August to celebrate your 45th wedding anniversary. No such luck, though.

When he saw his baby daughter Lisa and baby son Jeff (talk about DNA!), he fell in love all over again. He was always more than a little awestruck by his kids, and he was so proud to be your Dad, kids. Boy did he love being your Dad. And he did it with Gusto.

And then there are the grandkids ­ or grandchucks as he liked to call Jack, Wade, Stuart, Austin and Brooke. They put him on the same out-of-control whirligig his own kids did ­ only more so. He loved being their "Pa." And he did it with Gusto.

He joined our Dad in the family business in the early '60s, and he soon led the introduction of a new technology that was shaking that industry's typecase loose. And he did that with Gusto, too. As he did his community service, becoming Citizen of the Year, and a Queen's Golden Jubilee Medal and Golden Quill recipient.

John was a loyal and trusting friend, a loving and caring son. He loved our parents with all of his heart. There was nothing he enjoyed more than dropping by in the late afternoon to chat with Mom and just say 'hi.' Because he loved being her son. Later, he spent countless hours by our Dad's side as he was slowly dying of a broken heart. Because he loved being his son, too.

As a brother he was, as we like to say in the PR business, a bit challenging sometimes. That had a lot to do with the fact that he was just so much larger than life. He loved to tease and he had a wicked sense of humour. He also had very high standards that he expected us to meet. And when we did, oh how very proud he was. He knew you don't get better by accepting the status quo. He made you stretch, whether you knew it or not. Mom and Dad encouraged us to succeed; John encouraged us to aspire. He was a brother you had to look up to. That's why I nicknamed him John Boy, and it stuck for years, but just between the two of us.

John always said we were the two that are alike. If I never needed proof of that, I had it seven years ago February when my husband Bruce and I and John and Beth each planned vacations. Neither couple knew the other was planning a vacation. Anyway, Bruce and I were seated in the departure lounge at Pearson International Airport on the appointed day, and we were facing opposite directions. Bruce was looking over my shoulder, when he said, "well. There's a surprise." And I turned and looked, and who did I see but John and Beth checking in at the ticket counter. Not only had we both booked a vacation in Barbados to start that day: we were on the same aircraft... seated in the same row... staying at the same hotel.... on the same floor. That was scary! And it proved once and for all that we were indeed more alike than I realized...

Robin's and my relationship with John was very different than Connie's was. Whereas we enjoyed the post war boom together, John and Connie shared a Great Depression... capped off by a little altercation known as the Second World War. With our duty bound Dad off to officers' training and then overseas, John, from the ripe old ages of 4-10 was the man of the house. He and Connie formed a bond during those years that could never be broken.

Robin and I have some great memories of piling into the back of the station wagon in our PJs and heading off to the drive-in on a hot summer night with John and Beth. Of them arriving with all of their friends at the cottage for an afternoon diving off the raft in the middle of the St. Lawrence.

And riding through beautiful downtown Kemptville with the top down on his cherry red MG, tunes like "Who Put the Bop in the Bop Shamop" pouring out of the radio. Only to be outdone by future rides in the British racing green Jaguar, of course.

And funny, how John always heard Santa's sleigh bells on the roof a little before anyone else did, scooting us off to bed in a hurry, so Santa wouldn't see us. And I remember hearing Jimmy Dean's Big John on the radio and how I used to think that's just like my big brother John: 6'6" and 245. (Hey, when you're six years old, 6'6", 6' ­ it's pretty much all the same).

And then there was his music. His sports. His politics. He brought gusto to all of them too, as a spectator, if not as a particularly gifted participant... as anyone who remembers the "Baby Elephant Walk" played on alto sax, and "My Dog Has Fleas" on the ukulele will agree, I'm sure.

And his stories. Fact or fiction? A little of both, of course. As our Mom said on more than one occasion, "John, your imagination is running overtime again."

John told me when we visited at the hospital a few days ago that he was the "the strong one." Well, you know what? He was also the soft-hearted one. He was the one who brought home the strays (pets I mean). If it weren't for John, we wouldn't have had any pets at all ­ Sheba the Doberman, Willie Lumpkin the beagle, and Peter the cat.

John was a happy guy. There's a favourite family story about John's first day at school when the family moved here from Chesterville and a teacher saw him in the hallway and asked "Who's that big happy hound dog?!"

John loved to be a bit unconventional... To surprise people, put them a little off balance... as today's service will attest. He was like Huck Finn and Tom Sawyer, except instead of just attending his own funeral, he planned it. Right to the end, he relished the idea of raising a few eyebrows.

So, as you can see, if ever there was a life worth celebrating, it is his. Because our brother John Morris loved to love... and he loved life. And he did it with Gusto.

Good Night, John Boy.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Most Canadians prefer their politicians to be competent and not just a character

The Editor;

As a former Prescott resident, I faithfully read the online edition of The Prescott Journal to stay current with news from my hometown. That being said, I feel obligated to respond to David Dickenson's column "Canada needs more than garden-variety politicians" (June 9).

Mr. Dickenson believes all American politicians have exciting lifestyles and careers outside of politics, compared to those of "dull and drab" Canadian politicians. I believe Mr. Dickenson's opinions are influenced by his love of the World Wrestling Entertainment and his lack of political know-how in general.

Mr. Dickenson, your argument that American politicians are "exciting and full of charisma" is a generalization you should not be making. Has anyone accused George W. Bush of being charismatic? Since Bush has no former experience in the wrestling ring, I feel compelled to let you know that he is the current president of the United States.

If your argument is that American politicians are great entertainers, then you neglected to name the most high-profile actor/entertainer/politician, the late Ronald Reagan. You also failed to mention the Kennedy clan, dubbed the royal family of the United States and celebrities for merely being politicians.

You say you want to know the "trials and tribulations" of Canadian politicians? Did you not hear of Svend Robinson, the MP who had to resign following his admission that he stole a diamond ring from a public jewellery sale?

If you had knowledge of Canadian political scandals, perhaps you would have mentioned the Musigner affair of the 1960s. The story that captivated the country involved a German prostitute and alleged KGB spy who was accused of having affairs with several Diefenbaker ministers, including the defence minister. This high-profile scandal took place during a time when the western world feared communism and the Cold War.

Fortunately for the majority of Canadian citizens, we look for competent politicians rather than celebrities. With election day around the corner, I hope everyone will vote for candidates who represent their best interests rather than who rocked the ring in the latest smackdown.

I encourage Mr. Dickenson to wake up early, have some breakfast, read a newspaper and start his day knowing he is becoming more aware of national and world events. Next time you find yourself aimlessly "flicking through the channels," please read a book.

Lisa Berrea
Ottawa

Prescott council is not doing its homework when it comes to the issue of policing

The Editor;

As was suggested by council at the committee meeting May, I did check into the OPP increase with Elizabethtown/Kitley.

Their increase of 26.8 per cent was based on two things: OPP wage hikes and the lack of promised provincial funding. In answer to council's question of whether or not Elizabethtown/ Kitley was asking for extra services ­ no, they were not.

If council feels strongly they can make any decisions they want, wouldn't we as residents and taxpayers expect them to do their own homework (rather than have us do it for them)? At least then they would have factual documentation to back the decisions they make rather than just responding with the fact we all voted them in and now it's their decision to make (and they don't care how many people disagree with them).

I don't believe we've seen any facts to date, and I believe there has been a lot of misinformation given by council. I don't believe any of the questions brought to council in the last several weeks have been addressed.

I would imagine council has also neglected to look into the "bitter dispute" Carleton Place residents have taken up over OPP response times being too slow. The Carleton Place Canadian states that a lobby group has been tracking OPP response times as well as other issues and that the town's "dedicated" officers often respond to calls in outlying towns. They believe that their "officers are being used to provide better police services to municipalities that aren't paying for it."

What used to take four minutes to get from one end of town to the other can now take up to 20 minutes. They believe this slow response time is due to the OPP services being spread too thin and, therefore, officers arrive at crime scenes and accidents too slowly.

Considering the huge area the OPP have to cover, this concern makes a lot of sense. It is a valid concern of the residents of Prescott as well, and the current response times for accidents can certainly be verified by our own fire department.

How about that OPP Four? Have you checked into any of these concerns? I'm sure the more you dig, the more you'll find. Perhaps that is why you've left these stones unturned! Shame on you.

Get doing what you were voted in to do: represent the residents of Prescott.

Elizabeth Garswood
KOPS Vice-Chair

Edwardsburgh/Cardinal council adopts 2004 municipal budget

By David Dickinson, Journal Staff Writer

SPENCERVILLE - Township council approved the final reading of its 2004 budget at Monday's regular council meeting in Spencerville.

The bylaw passed with little discussion or change from the proposed budget which had first and second readings at the June 7 meeting of Edwardsburgh/ Cardinal council.

Ward One Councillor Hugh Cameron remarked he felt getting his first budget passed as a member of council was a learning experience, while fellow Ward Two Councillor Charlie Burrell was quick to quip that because of the raise in his assessments he's "going to have to work an extra day a week to pay the increases."

Edwardsburgh/Cardinal homeowners whose assessment did not go up will pay less in municipal taxes in 2004, while those whose assessment went up might be paying significantly more.

If the assessment of a home in the former township of Edwardsburgh did not increase, homeowners can expect to pay $27.37 less in taxes on a home valued at $100,000.

Homeowners on the Cardinal water and sewer system will pay a special area rate; if their assessment has not gone up, they will pay $75.80 less in 2004 compared to last year's rates on a home valued at $100,000.

A home on the Cardinal water and sewer system which rose the average 13 per cent on assessment will see an increase of $135.43 in 2004 taxes; a home in Edwardsburgh which went up by the average of 13 per cent will see an increase of $137.62 on its 2004 tax bill.

Edwardsburgh/Cardinal Treasurer Russell Trivett indicated at the June 7 meeting total assessment in the municipality rose $45 million.

Water meter committee is formed

By David Dickinson, Journal Staff Writer

SPENCERVILLE - A water metering subcommittee has been formed from members of Edwardsburgh/Cardinal council to help investigate recommendations made by the government.

Ward One councillors Charlie Burrell and Hugh Cameron, Ward Two Councillor Peter Martin and Deputy Mayor Bill Sloan were selected by Mayor Peggy Taylor to join herself and environmental services head Jim Grant on the subcommittee looking into various best practices recommendations put forward by the provincial government.

Cameron indicated his interest in adding some non-council members to the subcommittee to help make an educated choice.

"We have outside people who are very knowledgeable about the water lines in Cardinal," said Cameron.

"There are some people who still live here who did this for the township prior to our current staff who could be helpful."

Taylor indicated her intentions were to keep the subcommittee to members of council at this time.

"We want to look at the issue of water meters and work at it closely," said Taylor.

"I have no problem with people coming to the meetings as long as it doesn't get out of hand. We need to be able to say things and throw around ideas and not be condemned for it. It will be a learning process. Mr. Grant is an excellent person to explain all this to us."

The majority of council agreed to keep the subcommittee with council for now, but Taylor indicated any possible decisions would go to a public meeting anyway.

Council was met with some harsh comments about the new committee at the end of the meeting.

"Cardinal doesn't want water meters," George Mallett said from the audience. "We didn't want them last time, and I don't know why you are revisiting it."

Taylor indicated the subcommittee was something that needed to be done.

"We didn't bring this up; the ministry did," said Taylor. "They recommended it and some other things and we can't just ignore that blindly. If it wasn't a recommended solution, the we wouldn't be doing it."

Cardinal resident Sharan Mathieu cautioned council it should be sure to advertise the meeting, which it indicated it would do on the township's Web site.

Following Mathieu's comments, Taylor was quick to ask Mathieu for the courtesy of letting the township know if she plans to fill up the room with residents at the subcommittee meetings.

"Please let us know if you are going to fill the room up," said Taylor. "We'd like to know so we can make arrangements to move the meeting to accommodate people."

Bass derby this weekend

CARDINAL - The Cardinal Fish and Game Club is holding its small mouth bass derby this weekend.

The derby will run Saturday, June 26 and Sunday, June 27 with weigh-ins held both days at the boat ramp in Cardinal from 11:30 am until noon and 7:30 pm until 8 pm.

Tickets for the derby are available at MacEwen's Gas Bar in Johnstown, Rona Hardware in Cardinal, Cardinal Creations, Iroquois Bait and Tackle in Iroquois and Mustard's Variety in Iroquois.

The club is also still selling memberships, which help support the club's efforts throughout the year.

Trailer full of appliances stolen

EDWARDSBURGH ­ A trailer loaded with appliances was reported stolen from the 730 Truck Stop lot Sunday night, according to Grenville County OPP.

The driver had left the white trailer with lettering "BISON" on the side Friday, and the unit was last seen by the driver at about 9:30 pm. The value of the trailer and the Maytag appliances inside is more than $100,000. Constable Large is being assisted in the investigation by the Leeds and Grenville Crime Unit.

Anyone with information on this theft is asked to contact the OPP detachment at 925-4221 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.

Local chapter of Red Hat Society is like a play group for women

By David Dickenson, Journal Staff Writer

CARDINAL - A new group has been formed for ladies who want to have a good time.

The group, known as the Redbird Runabouts chapter of the Red Hat Society, is focused on getting women over 50 years old together to have some fun.

"We're like a play group," said Lynn Barkley, who came up with the idea to start the group. "We are in this to have some fun participating in events and enjoying ourselves."

While the group is catered to women over the age of 50, women under that age can join but must wear pink hats and lavender clothes, as opposed to the red hat and purple clothes those over 50 would wear.

The group meets once a month; the person who is planning each activity is considered the group's "Queen."

Barkley explained she first became interested in starting up a similar group in the area after noticing Red Hat Society shirts, scarves, and other clothing while in Las Vegas in April. After looking up the group on the Internet, she went about finding people to start a group in the area.

"After church one day I was talking to Leila Cook and Gail Burrell and we got together and paid for a chapter and we've just been telling people about it," said Barkley.

"When you retire like most of us in the group are, you feel like you aren't really part of many groups and there are no kids in the house so people have more time on their hands. This is just a fun thing, and there's lots of travel opportunities for group rates."

Barkley indicated more than 20 people attended the group's first meeting Thursday at the Cardinal Landmark Inn, and there are already plans for future activities including a boat cruise on the 1,000 Islands and a picnic lunch. Barkley indicated the group has been informed there is an opportunity to go to the 2005 Red Hat Society Convention at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas in June 2005.

The Red Hat Society was originally started in Fullerton, California in 1998; there are currently thousands of chapters across North America.

For more information on the society, visit the Web site at www.redhatsociety.com.

Barkley explained the group is usually limited to 20-25 members in order to accommodate restaurants in which they will be meeting as a group.

For more information on the group, contact Barkley at 925-5428.

Canada Day activities taking shape in Cardinal

CARDINAL - Canada Day in Cardinal is fast approaching with a full schedule of activities planned for Thursday, July 1.

The Cardinal Community Festival Committee has been hard at work since the beginning of the year planning for the first of its two festivals of the season.

According to the committee, Canada Day will kick off with a breakfast being hosted by the Cardinal Legion Ladies Auxiliary; eggs, bacon, sausage, coffee, toast and juice will be on the menu.

For lunch and supper, the Cardinal Navy League will hold a barbecue in the west end of the Legion Park pavilion.

The Legion will continue its tradition of hosting their annual patio party beginning at 1 pm.

The Legion will also play host to euchre in the afternoon.

The Cardinal Lions Club's children's and adult races will be held in the west end of the Cardinal Legion park beginning at 2 pm.

All children who participate in the races will receive a coupon for a free hot dog and drink at the barbecue.

The Cardinal Lions Club will also host children's games south of the pavilion, which will run throughout the afternoon. Every child who participates will win a prize.

The committee hopes the day will end with a bang as there will be a fireworks display at dusk sponsored by the festival committee with support from the Edwardsburgh/Cardinal Fire Department.

Edwardsburgh/Cardinal council lightens summer meeting load

SPENCERVILLE - Township council has decided to cut down its meeting schedule over the summer months.

It was announced at Monday's regular council meeting the committee-of-the-whole meetings which are scheduled to be held in Johnstown have been discontinued for July and August.

The regular Edwardsburgh/ Cardinal committee-of-the-whole meetings held each month in Cardinal will take place.

Mayor Peggy Taylor indicated it is a temporary move for the summer.

"Most of the people who attend the council meetings and committee-of-the-whole meetings are from Cardinal," said Taylor. "It makes for less of a distance for them to travel."

Ward Two Councillor Peter Martin added, "Also, the dates are more convenient to keep the Cardinal meetings."

Council indicated the next committee-of-the-whole meeting will be held Wednesday, June 30 at 7:30 pm at the Cardinal Public Library.

Bob Darling wins award as 2004 volunteer of the year

By David Dickenson, Journal Staff Writer

JOHNSTOWN - The second time was the charm as Johnstown resident Bob Darling won the annual Volunteer of the Year at the Brockville and Area Sports Hall of Fame Awards dinner June 10.

Darling, who is a long-time volunteer with hockey, figure skating and power skating, won the award for his work with
the Brockville Braves Jr. A hockey team which he has been associated with for many years, including the past 12 years in which he has served as the team's trainer.

To Darling, the award was something special and came as a perk of the job.

"It was a little overwhelming," Darling told The Journal Thursday. "I was nominated three years ago and this time I won it. Volunteers do it because they like to do it, not because of the awards."

Darling explained the greatest honour for him about winning the award was just to be nominated alongside Chuck Pearce and Joan Hubbard, whom he credits as being great volunteers in the region.

"One of us had to be selected," said Darling. "It must have been very tough for the committee, but the way I look at it is I am accepting this on behalf of all the volunteers that have helped me out over the years. There have been a lot like Dr. Swanson, Dr. Basiren and Dr. Audet who always would come in and put themselves out just to come and help me out if a player got hurt. It's people like that, where it's nice to know you can call on for help. Another is Dave Beattie from Canarm who's been a great friend over the years taking over sponsorship in the Brockville beginners program and helping kids get a start in the sport."

Darling was also very thankful his family has allowed him to take time out of his schedule to volunteer.

"My family was very proud of this," said Darling. "The work does take a lot of time from family, but I am lucky to have an understanding wife and family. Family always came first, but they were always understanding towards volunteering."

Darling, a qualified power skating instructor who used to run powerskating clinics around Eastern Ontario, indicated seeing the kids improve and move on in hockey and their careers is the greatest reward.

"Seeing the lads that I used to work with going on is just amazing," said Darling. "I won the award the same night Todd (Gill) went into the hall and I remember having him for a powerskating in Spencerville back in 1967 and then from when he was involved with the Braves. That made it even more special. I've seen a lot of guys go through hockey with me over the years and get scholarships. It's just great seeing these kids setting themselves up for life, and that is the reward in itself."

This past season, Darling also helped out occasionally as a trainer with the Prescott-based St. Lawrence Falcons Sr. A hockey team; he got the chance to see some of his former Braves players continue their hockey careers.

"A lot of the guys on the team I had in beginners, minor hockey or the Braves, and now seeing them now with the Falcons is just great," said Darling.

For Darling, volunteering with sports is his way of giving back.

"I used to do on-ice comedy in ice shows and skated with Toller Cranston, Peggy Fleming and Jay Humprey," said Darling. "I was also a defenceman and goaltender in minor hockey. I can think back to when I played and remember the volunteers and coaches who helped me out, and this is my way of giving a little back of what has been given to me."

Seary's homer clinches win for Domville Aces men's team

LYN - The Domville Aces senior men's fastball team got its first win of the season after dropping a pair of decisions to Newboro and Seeley's Bay in the North Leeds Senior Men's Fastball League.

The Aces managed to spoil Lyn's perfect 3-0 record, by pulling out a come-from-behind victory June 13 in Lyn.

The Aces trailed 4-0 to Lyn early on, but rallied in the bottom of the fifth inning as Chris Seary lead off with a triple, followed by singles from Keith Fowler and Mark Elliott to cut the score to 4-2.

Aces' pitcher Keith Fowler was able to keep the score close as he buckled down to allow one hit in the next three innings to keep Domville in the game.

Derek Prosser doubled and Hugh Murray was walked by Lyn, before Scott Murray doubled in both runners to tie the game at four.

Seary played the hero for the Aces as he fell behind in the count, before hitting his first home run of the year to clinch a 5-4 victory for the Aces.

Local swimmers participate in Eastern regional meet

NEPEAN - Numerous local swimmers had strong showings with the Upper Canada
Swim Club team at the Eastern Ontario Swimming Association Regional Championships
June 11-13 at the Nepean Sportsplex.

Zoe Kamenz led all local finishers with two podium finishes as part of the girls 13 and 14 medley and freestyle relay teams. Ashley Dunnington also brought home a silver medal as part of the girls 13 and 14 freestyle relay team.

Mitchell Davies and Joel Jodoin also brought home
individual medals from the meet; Jodoin got bronze in the boys 15 and over 800-metre freestyle, and Davies won a silver medal in the boys 13 and 14 50-metre backstroke.

Other local finishes include:

Boys 15 and over

Joel Jodoin, third, 800-metre freestyle; fifth, 400-metre freestyle; seventh, medley relay; ninth, freestyle relay; 11th, 100-metre butterfly; 12th, 50-metres butterfly; 13th, 200-individual medley; 20th, 200-metre freestyle; 24th, 100-metre freestyle

Girls 15 and over

Amy Foster, 12th, freestyle relay; 25th, 100-metre breast stroke; 26th, 200-metre backstroke; 27th, 100-metre backstroke

Erika Kamenz, fifth, 50-metre butterfly; 12th, freestyle relay and medley relay; 15th, 50-metre freestyle; 17th, 50-metre, backstroke; 19th, 100-metre freestyle; 20th, 100-metre backstroke; 23rd, 100-metre butterfly

Boys 13 and 14

Mitchel Davies, second, 50-metre backstroke; sixth,100-metre backstroke and 200-metre backstroke; seventh, medley relay; eighth, 400-metre freestyle; ninth, 200-metre individual medley and 200-metre freestyle; 11th, 50-metre freestyle

Girls 13 and 14

Ashleigh Dunnington, second, freestyle relay; fourth, 50-metre freestyle and 50-metre backstroke; sixth, 200-metre freestyle; 13th, 800-metre freestyle; 17th, 400-metre freestyle; 36th, 200-metre individual medley

Zoe Kamenz, second, medley relay and freestyle relay; fourth, 50-metre breast stroke; sixth, 100-metre breast stroke; 14th, 400-metre freestyle; 18th, 200-metre, individual medley and 50-metre backstroke; 23rd, 100-metre backstroke

Girls 11 and 12

Lisa Norton, 12th, medley relay; 18th, 50-metre butterfly; 46th, 200-metre freestyle; 49th, 100-metre freestyle

Dana Stephenson, fourth, 800-metre freestyle; eighth, medley relay; ninth, medley relay, 400-metre freestyle, and 200-metre backstroke; 13th, 200-metre individual medley; 16th, 100-metre backstroke; 17th, 200-metre freestyle; 24th, 100-metre freestyle

Girls 10 and under

Taylor Bonvie, fifth, medley relay and freestyle relay.

Islanders hockey team scores a draw at Arnprior tourney

ARNPRIOR - The St. Lawrence major novice Islanders regional summer hockey team took part in a three-day tournament from June 3-5 in Arnprior.

The Islanders got off to a rough start at the tournament dropping an 8-2 decision to the Ottawa 67's. Conor Rodrigues and Logan Warren scored the Islanders' goals, while Jesse Boyd and Tyler Turcotte added assists.

The Islanders didn't fare much better in their second game as they suffered a 7-0 shutout loss at the hands of the Ottawa Wolf Pack.

In their third game, the Islanders finally put together a strong showing as they managed to score a 3-3 draw with Hawkesbury. Cole Seaton scored a pair of goals early in the first period to give the Islanders a 2-0 lead, with Nevin Guy, Daniel Monk and Dillon O'Neil picking up helpers. Hawkesbury rebounded in the third period to score three unanswered goals to take a 3-2 lead; O'Neil pulled the Islanders even to end the game in a draw. Guy and Matthew Morin assisted on the final goal.

In their fourth game, the Islanders fell 6-1 to the Ottawa Valley Selects to be eliminated from the tournament. The Selects dominated play through most of the game, taking a 6-0 lead into the final 10 seconds of the game before O'Neil finally got the Islanders on the board. Morin and Spencer Jonsson were credited with assists.

The Islanders will continue their season as they set their sights on the Boston Challenge Cup in July.

Tyson Bertrend scores five in Danani Flooring victory

PRESCOTT - A five-goal performance from Tyson Bertrend was one of the highlights of Prescott and District Soccer Association action this week.

Bertrend's five goals led Danani Flooring to a 6-0 shutout win over Playit Star in Under-10 action last week. Chris Hendriks had Danani's other goal.

Other PDSA results are:

Under-16

Hartley Sports 3

Chad Hyland (2), Nicholas Wert

Gateway Packaging 1

Clayton Dunnington

Southport 5

Ryan Armstrong (4), Hank Heykoop

D.W.J. Plumbing & Sons 1

Joseph Greer

Kriska Holdings Ltd. 2

Nick Goodmen (2)

Watermark Printing 0

No goal scorers

Canadian Tire 4

Jacob Casselman, Patrick Peladeau, Zack Henderson, Brandon Spencer

Grenville Towing 1

Aaron Greengrass

Hartley Sports 2

Nicholas Wert, Orry Thorpe

Southport 1

Ryan Armstrong

Grenville Towing 3

Aaron Greengrass (2), Kyle
Jensen

Watermark Printing 2

Alanna Lesenba, Jordan McMullen

D.W.J. Plumbing & Sons 2

Cody Haché (2)

Canadian Tire 2

Patrick Peladeau, Georgia Smith

Kriska Holdings Ltd. 1

Sebastian Last

Gateway Packaging 1

Clayton Dunnington

Under-12

Seaway Valley Pharmacy 5

Cameron Symington, Cameron Saddler-Roderick, Drew Johnston, Ronnie Harrison, Ben Hutton

Giant Tiger 2

John Jackson (2)

Grenville Castings 10

Sean Perrin (3), Brendan O'Hanlon (2), Wesley Moulton (2), Meagan Graham (2), Lindsay Gibbons

Beach Home Hardware 2

Cody Shedrick, Richard Champagen

Giant Tiger 3

John Jackson (2), Philip Wiseman

Kriska Holdings Ltd. 2

Devon Lebrun (2)

Hansen's Kavity Kickers 4

Michael Lawless (2), Devon Deschamps, Skylar Fraser

Colour Pallette 4

Luke Henderson (3), Troy Armstrong

Seaway Valley Pharmacy 3

Ben Hutton, Ronnie Harrison, Josh Brown

Mac's Convenience Stores 0

No goal scorers

Shriners 3

Jacob Hayes (3)

B.W. Freer Electrical 1

Tommy Carr

Colour Pallette 8

Troy Armstrong (4), Mitchell Grant (3), Luke Henderson

B.W. Freer Electrical 1

Andrew Conklin

Shriners 4

Tyson Lefebvre, Jacob Hayes, Marlene White, Conrad Colpitts

Kriska Holdings Ltd. 0

No goal scorers

Beach Home Hardware 3

Daniel Walker (2), Jamie Sturgeon

Hansen's Kavity Kickers 2

Michael Lawless (2)

Grenville Castings 5

Sean Perrin (4), Bailey Swerdfeger

Mac's Convenience Stores 4

Sloan Jarvis (2), Dawn Wright, Jacob Scott

Under-10

Prescott Kiwanis 2

Damien Haystead (2)

Mac's Convenience Stores 2

Dylan Dorey (2)

Playit Star 2

Adrian Dalrymple (2)

Royal Bank 2

Matthew Courtney, Adam Norton

TD Canada Trust 3

Eion Carr, Mika Turansky, Christian Zahn

Grenville Pharmacy 1

Connor Mackey

Cassidy's Engraving 6

A.J. Larocque (3), Michael Barkley (2), Amir-Reza Hajarii

Prescott Kinsmen 1

Erin Merkley

Danani Flooring 4

Tyson Bertrend (2), Chris Hendriks, Paul DeJong

Splash Well Drilling 1

Jeremy Locke

Danani Flooring 6

Tyson Bertrend (5), Chris Hendriks

Playit Star 0

No goal scorers

Prescott Kinsmen 5

Patrick Spencer (3), Nicholas Heykoop (2)

TD Canada Trust 2

Patrick Purcell (2)

Royal Bank 4

Christen Saumier, Matthew Courtney, Aaron Scott, Nick Ladouceur

Prescott Kiwanis 3

Damien Haystead (3)

Splash Well Drilling 5

Jeremy Locke (2), Jake Ranger (2), Kennedy Murphy

Cassidy's Engraving 1

A.J. Larocque

Grenville Pharmacy 5

Alex Stevenson (3), Connor Mackey (2)

Mac's Convenience Stores 2

Dylan Dorey (2)

Under-8

Tropical Pools & Spas 4

Phillip Boyd, John Lawless, Ben Smith, Courtney Crowder

Prescott IDA 1

Dawson Smith

St. Lawrence Printing 4

Curtis Ross (2), Nathaniel Colwell, Zackery Shankar

Windmill Web Inc. 1

Garrett Knapp

Hometown Heating 5

Lane Bailey (3), Ian Sabourin, Connor Pennett

Windmill Web Inc. 0

No goal scorers

Tropical Pools & Spas 7

John Lawless (3), Ben Smith
(2), Phillip Boyd, Andrew Miller

Compendium Group Inc. 2

David Armstrong (2)

St. Lawrence Printing 4

Mason Wyatt (2), Jordan Morris, Zackery Shankar

Compendium Group Inc. 2

David Armstrong, Payton
Selleck

Playit Star 4

Damian Pezadean (3), Cameron Smith

Prescott IDA 2

Dawson Smith, Liam Bush

Hometown Heating 6

Jesse Kennedy (4), Ian Sabourin, Connor Pennett

M.T.J.B. 0

No goal scorers

Playit Star 2

Jonathan Gill (2)

M.T.J.B. 0

No goal scorers

Under-6

Prescott Chiros 4

Drew Holmes (2), Nicholas McColi, Catherine Loker

Beck's Construction 0

No goal scorers

Chevron Construction 3

Spencer Ross (3)

Grenville Fish & Game 2

Jonathan Noonan (2)

Tichborne Auto Supply 3

Brody Ranger (3)

Portraits by C. Endicott 3

Connor Ladouceur (2), Dawson Moulton

Star Security 2

Chad Fretwell (2)

Playit Star 0

No goal scorers

Tichborne Auto Supply 1

Brody Ranger

Playit Star 0

No goal scorers

Prescott Chiros 1

William Brokloff

Chevron Construction 0

No goal scorers

Grenville Fish & Game 3

Cameron Beaver (2), Jonathan Noonan

Portraits by C. Endicott 1

Devon Knapp

Beck's Construction 4

Ethan Hartle (2), Dylan Simpson, Andrew Barton

Star Security 0

No goal scorers

2004 PDSA Regular Season Standings

Results as of Monday, June 21, 2004

Under-16 GP W L T GF GA GF-GA PTS

Canadian Tire 7 5 1 1 19 10 9 11

Kriska Holdings 7 4 1 2 13 7 6 10

Hartley Sports 7 4 3 0 15 12 3 8

Gateway Packaging 7 3 2 2 13 9 4 8

Grenville Towing 7 3 3 1 18 17 1 7

D.W.J Plumbing 7 2 3 2 9 13 -4 6

Southport 7 2 4 1 15 16 -1 5

Watermark Printing 7 0 6 1 9 27 -18 1

Under-12 GP W L T GF GA GF-GA PTS

Shriners 7 7 0 0 24 4 20 14

Grenville Castings 7 6 1 0 40 17 23 12

Colour Pallette 7 5 1 1 25 14 11 11

Seaway Valley 7 4 3 0 22 16 6 8

Beach Hardware 7 4 3 0 23 23 0 8

Giant Tiger 7 3 4 0 15 28 -13 6

Hansen's Kavity 7 2 4 1 21 22 -1 5

Kriska Holdings 7 2 5 0 14 22 -8 4

Mac's Convenience 7 1 6 0 10 17 -7 2

Freer Electrical 7 0 7 0 9 40 -31 0

Under-10 GP W L T GF GA GF-GA PTS

Danani Flooring 8 8 0 0 34 13 21 16

Prescott Kinsmen 8 5 2 1 28 15 13 11

Grenville Pharmacy 8 5 2 1 28 14 14 11

Royal Bank 8 4 2 2 17 12 5 10

Splash Well Drilling 8 4 4 0 20 21 -1 8

TD Canada Trust 8 4 4 0 25 19 6 8

Playit Star 8 3 4 1 13 26 -13 7

Cassidy's Engraving 8 3 5 0 21 22 -1 6

Prescott Kiwanis 8 0 6 2 8 28 -20 2

Mac's Convenience 8 0 7 1 9 33 -24 1

Under-8 GP W L T GF GA GF-GA PTS

St. Lawrence Printing 7 7 0 0 36 11 25 14

Tropical Pools 7 6 1 0 41 10 31 12

Hometown Heating 7 6 1 0 41 13 28 12

Playit Star 7 4 3 0 27 21 6 8

Compendium Group 7 2 5 0 18 38 -20 4

Windmill Web Inc. 7 1 6 0 10 31 -21 2

M.T.J.B. 7 0 6 1 3 32 -29 1

Under-6 GP W L T GF GA GF-GA PTS

Prescott Chiros 6 5 1 0 12 4 8 10

Star Security 6 5 1 0 14 6 8 10

Grenville Fish 6 3 2 1 16 10 6 7

Chevron Construction 6 2 1 3 10 9 1 7

Beck's Construction 6 3 3 0 11 9 2 6

Tichborne Auto 6 1 2 3 8 12 -4 5

Portraits by Endicott 6 0 3 3 9 14 -5 3

Playit Star 6 0 6 0 3 19 -16 0

PGC hosts annual Adult/Child golf tournament today

PRESCOTT - The Prescott Golf Club is kicking off the end of the school year for students by hosting its annual Adult/Child golf tournament today (Wednesday, June 23) in Prescott.

The event will see one adult and one child teamed together to take part.

A shotgun start is scheduled for 5:15 pm at the club with a dinner held at 7:30 pm and awards to follow at approximately 8 pm. This is the first event of the season for juniors.

Spots are still available for anyone interested in taking part.

To register, call the club's pro shop at 925-5370.

Spencerville rink to host Ollson's hockey clinic in August

SPENCERVILLE - Ollson Hockey Clinic has announced it will hold a five-day
hockey camp at the Spencerville arena in August.

The camp is scheduled to run in the afternoon from Aug. 23 until Aug. 27 and be catered towards competitive AA-A for
kids born in 1993 and 1994 and for skill development in kids born in 1993, 1994 and 1995.

The camp will operate for two hours each day; each person registered will receive a jersey

For more information, contact Brett Stufko at 925-2208 or Greg Kenney at 925-5202.

Prescott Tennis Club holding junior registration Saturday

PRESCOTT - The Prescott Tennis Club is holding registration for its junior program this Saturday, June 26 at the courts.

The registration session will run from 10 am until noon, with details of the summer program and court times available.

The junior program is open to kids between the ages of eight and 16; parents are asked to accompany their children for registration.

Junior membership fees are $20 for children under the age of 10 and $30 for youths under 18.

If you are unable to register on Saturday, contact Beth Morris at 925-4828

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