VOL. 175, NO. 6~ PRESCOTT, ONTARIO ~ February 9, 2005

Protesters hit the road

Convoy closes the 401 as rural landowners target governments

By Blake McKim, Journal Staff Writer

JOHNSTOWN - A protest undertaken Friday by a number of rural landowners groups including the Leeds and Grenville Landowners Association was a great success, according to organizers.

"It was very successful," stated Jacqueline Fennell, president of the association. "We all gathered and came out to speak our minds." She added the association's message - that farmers and rural landowners will not let themselves be pushed around by government - seemed to have gotten out by to the public.

Fennell estimated between 600 -700 people participated in the action. She also indicated she wasn't sure how many more people attended the rally after the protest or watched the protest on the roadside.

The convoy of tractors, backhoes and trucks began shortly after 9 am at the 730 Truck Stop in Cardinal and headed west on Highway 401, which had been closed by the police before the protest started. The convoy travelled west very slowly to the Johnstown exit. At this point, approximately 50 tractors headed for the Johnstown bridge.

It took the tractors approximately an hour to make the route around the interchange leading to the Canada Customs buildings on the Canadian side of the bridge, and loop back to County Road 16, at which point vehicles in the group proceeded to Angelo's Restaurant for a rally.

It had been previously reported that the convoy would cross the Johnstown bridge. However, Fennell stated that, because of insurance concerns and regulations on the part of the U.S. bridge authority (who owns the bridge), protesters opted not to cross it. "We knew that morning (of the protest) we were not going on the bridge," she said.

One of the first tractors in the convoy belonged to Dwayne Van Besien, a farmer who brought his tractor all the way from Otterville, near Tillsonburg in southwestern Ontario, to participate in the action.

"I drove five days to be here," he stated. Van Besien added he is a tobacco farmer who has been adversely affected by the way both provincial and federal governments have treated the tobacco farmers. "We want them to fix two problems," He explained these problems are the illegal smuggling of cigarettes into Canada and the importation of tobacco from other countries such as Brazil.

Protesters who brought their tractors from far away stayed in motels in Brockville on the night before the protest, according to Fennell.

Van Besien added if the governments don't want to fix the problems he outlined, they should be prepared to offer a "full quota buy-out" of all tobacco farmers in Canada. "If they want us out of business, they should pay for it," he opined.

Ian Conklin of Maynard also drove a tractor in the convoy. "Everything we do now is so regulated," he stated. "They want to shut our businesses down."

Ed Robinson of Maynard stated his reason for participating in the convoy is "land rights." Robinson, who owns a 1,000 acre farm near Maynard, mentioned what is he most "scared of" as a farmer is the nutrient management act.

"We're being pushed far by nutrient management," he stated, adding that provisions of the act would mean a $130,000 upgrade for his farming operation. "We're pretty sure we'll exit (the industry) if nutrient management is implemented without full funding (for upgrades farmers have to do)," he stated.

Robinson also stated it's his opinion both American and Quebec farmers are better treated by their respective governments than are farmers in Ontario. "Things are going good in the U.S., things are going good in Quebec," he stated. "I don't watch America and Quebec (governments) put such restrictions on their farmers."

A number of motorists and truck drivers were held up by the protest at the Johnstown bridge. However, most didn't seem to mind the backlog.

"I have no problem with it," stated Chris Henry of Oxford Mills. "People go on strike all the time." Henry added he has a lot of respect for farmers because he grew up with a veterinarian for a father.

Colleen Robertson of Prescott also was supportive of the action. "They work hard enough to put food on our tables," she stated. However, she also mentioned she "feels sorry" for transport drivers who may have been held up by the convoy.

One transport driver who was held up in Johnstown was Dave Maracle of Kingston. He fully supported the protest, saying "They deserve everything they're going after." He added farmers supported truck drivers when the went on strike 10 years ago, and he believes in doing the same "They supported us, I'm all in favour of supporting them," Maracle said.

"We're very happy with the way things proceeded today," stated Pierre Marquis, communications manager for the Canada Border Services Agency. "We respect the right for people to peacefully demonstrate."

At the rally following the convoy held at Angelo Restaurant, Leeds-Grenville MP Gord Brown addressed the crowd. He stated regulations for Ontario should reflect rural Ontario, and also that rural regulations created for Ontario should create opportunities for agriculture to remain vital and strong and opportunities to encourage young people to purchase and develop farms.

He also acknowledged citizens in a democracy have the right and obligation to speak out when authority becomes unreasonable or unfair.

Brown said the presence of the number of farmers who attended the event indicates the voice of the rural revolution is loud and strong.

Lanark Landowners Association head Randy Hillier also indicated the event went "excellent" from his point of view. "There was more media on the bridge then you can shake a stick at," he stated.

He added it's his feeling that the rural revolution movement is gaining momentum. "More groups are joining up all the time," he stated. "People are losing (their) apathy and complancy (towards the cause)."

Hillier has been a key figure in organizing both Friday's protest and the protest held Jan. 21 in Tillsonburg. He is also helping to organize a protest at the Ontario-Quebec border on Feb. 18. On March 9, there is a protest planned at Queens Park in Toronto.

THIS WEEK

Small business forum to be held at golf club next Wednesday

PRESCOTT ­ There is still time to sign up for the Bridges to Better Business forum to be held next Wednesday, Feb. 16 at the Prescott Golf Club.

In addition round-table discussions on tourism, human resources, marketing and media and women in business, there will be a trade show and guest speaker.

Lunch is included in the event, which runs from 11 am to 4 pm.

Bridges to Better Business is presented by 1000 Islands Entrepreneurship Centre, Grenville Community Futures Development Corporation and the Prescott and District Chamber of Commerce.

Chamber of Commerce members are entitled to special registration fees. The deadline to register is this Friday, Feb. 11.

Call 925-2171 or e-mail prescottchamber@ripnet.com.

The Prescott Journal/Leeds and Grenville Business News is one of the sponsors of the event.

Children's choirs sing at St. Paul's Sunday

PRESCOTT ­ St. Paul's United Church will host several children's choirs from churches in the area on Sunday, Feb. 13 at 2 pm.

The youth choral festival is co-sponsored by the Eastern Ontario branch of the Royal School of Church Music.

All are welcome to attend the concert. A minimum donation will be accepted at the door. Proceeds go to the St. Paul's Roof Fund.

St. Paul's is located at the corner of George and Dibble streets.

Have a ball and build a Frost Fest snowman

PRESCOTT ­ Sign up for the Fort Town Frost Festival's annual snowman building contest.

Cash prizes will be awarded for first, second and third place entries.

Call 925-1595 by this Saturday, Feb. 11 at 6 pm and leave your name, address and phone number. Judging will take place Sunday morning.

Library campaign ready to go

Official launch of town drive set for March 5

By Tim Ruhnke, Journal Editor

PRESCOTT ­ The official launch of a campaign to rejuvenate the Prescott Public Library will take place early next month.

Details of proposed improvements to the community facility adjacent to town hall on Dibble Street West were presented to town council at its meeting Monday night. Former Prescott mayor Sandra Lawn made the presentation on behalf of the Friends of the Prescott Public Library group.

"It's just an amazing, amazing place," Lawn said of the town's library.

The Prescott library has 2,559 active members and more than 30,000 books. In addition to the head librarian and two assistants, there is a library board and volunteers as well as the friends group.

The rejuvenation project has four phases. Phase one, renovations to the municipal building and the filling-in of the old gymnasium to accommodate a new stack area as part of an expanded library, was completed by the municipality. Phase two, which includes grants for technology, e-learning and books, is virtually complete.

The next phase will focus on fundraising. As of Jan. 25, just over 50 per cent of the money (at least $400,000) needed to complete all four phases had been raised or pledged. Lawn noted fundraising has been done quietly to this point, but that will change at the public launch of the campaign Saturday, March 5 from 2:30 to 3:30 pm.

Fort Town Frost Festival is here

By Tim Ruhnke, Journal Editor

PRESCOTT ­ The main organizer of the Fort Town Frost Festival is hoping for some winter weather in the next few days.

Sue O'Hanlon noted Monday at least two of the main attractions of Prescott's winter carnival set for later this week could be at risk without additional snow or more seasonal temperatures. However, she added many events will go ahead regardless of the weather.

The annual festival is a collection of many indoor and outdoor activities which offer something for people of all ages. This is the first year at the helm for O'Hanlon, a town councillor; longtime organizer Mike Boyles gave up the job because of poor health.

The two big events that might need some help from Mother Nature are the motorcycle ice races set for Sunday afternoon at Elevator Bay in Johnstown and the dog sled races also planned for Sunday afternoon at the Prescott Golf Club. The dog races might have to be cancelled if there is not enough snow on the golf course, O'Hanlon noted. Ice conditions on the St. Lawrence will determine whether the motorcycle races get the green light. Spectators will be able to watch the races for free from near the shore. Additional parking will be available in the Prescott Machine & Welding lot across County Road 2.

Returning to the Fort Town Frost Festival for another year are the mixed sno-pitch tournament at the Kriska/RCA ball fields Saturday morning and free hay rides from the clock tower lot Saturday afternoon (with the Prescott and District Lions Club serving free hot dogs and hot chocolate). The Prescott Legion will serve breakfast Sunday morning; on Saturday night, there will be dances at the Legion and up the street at the fire hall.

There will also be a snowman contest and free skating at the Leo Boivin Community Centre Thursday from 3:30 to 4:20 pm and Sunday from 2 to 3:20 pm. There are other events listed in the schedule which appears in this week's edition of The Journal.

The Majinx magic show presented by the Rotary Club of Prescott will have matinee and evening performances Friday at South Grenville District High School.

Although O'Hanlon hopes the weather will co-operate, the point of having a festival is to bring people in the community together to share some fun.

"That's kind of what a community is all about," she said. "That's how small towns work."

Jobless rate rises sharply

KINGSTON ­ There was a significant increase in the regional unemployment rate last month, according to figures released by Human Resources and Skills Development Canada (HRSDC).

The jobless rate for the region that includes South Grenville was seven per cent in January. The Dec. 2004 unemployment rate was five per cent.

Employment in the goods and services sectors fell last month, an HRSDC release stated. Industries (including construction, recreation and food service) which are affected by seasonal factors reported the sharpest drops. Employment was up in finance, insurance and real estate as well as transportation and warehousing.

January also produced an increase in Employment Insurance (EI) claimants. The Prescott HRSDC office reported 1,249 regular and special EI claims at the end of the month compared to 1,092 at the end of December. The increase of 14.4 per cent was the largest in the Kingston-Pembroke management area, which had an overall EI claim increase of 6.6 per cent. All 10 HRSDC offices in the region reported higher EI totals at the end of January.

In recent months, the regional jobless rate had been lower than the rates for Ontario and Canada.

Farmers are running out of alternatives

By Geri Kamenz

Ontario farmers are running out of alternatives to keep their farms in production. They have called on their organizations to lobby government, but government ignores them. They have conducted tractor rallies and highway blockades, but government ignores them. They have staged orderly demonstrations, but government ignores them.

Ontario farmers are at a T intersection in their farming career, trying to decide what to do next with their businesses. They can't continue producing food for less than it costs, and if they stay in business, they will be buried under an avalanche of restrictive legislation and regulation based more on political agendas than solid science.

Economists tell us that agriculture and the auto industry are the two engines that drive Ontario's economy. Engines require fuel to run, and for any business, that fuel is profit. Maintenance is also vital to keep an engine running smoothly, and for agriculture that's a regulatory framework that creates opportunities. Instead, Ontario farmers increasingly find barriers and obstacles placed in their path.

Agriculture's engine is being starved of fuel and choked by ill-conceived regulations, and will soon sputter and die on the side of the economic highway ­ unless our governments show some understanding of the problems and decide to take action.

I could run through each of the 264 commodities produced in Ontario and for each one either pull Agriculture Canada's number that show there is no profit, or list the regulatory barriers either in place now or in the works. In any case, we are all being pushed to the edge of a very dark and deep abyss.

One of the easiest examples to understand that reinforces this is my own farm. I am a corn producer. My cost to produce a tonne of corn is $143 per tonne. This is not based on inflated input values or the more expensive land west of me, but on what are real and reasonable costs.

The market price for corn, as I write this, is $94 per tonne. Using my yield average, I am subsidizing the consumer, the Ontario economy at over 150 dollars per acre, or on my small farm I will subsidize the Ontario economy to the tune of $75,000 on corn alone. It's both too discouraging and depressing to run through the other commodities we produce, but the outcome is the same ­ this is not sustainable.

We are at the T intersection and must turn. In very simple terms, one path will lead to a new reality in Ontario, which is the disappearance of the people and the industry that built this province and made it the world leader that it is.

The other path, the one we need to take, will guarantee Ontarians a safe, affordable, and nutritious supply of food produced locally and an industry that, through profits, is both willing and able to pay its share of rising environmental standards that are based on solid science.

The only way for us to accomplish this is for all farmers to work together. It is time for us to set aside the petty differences that divide us and all of us, together, put our shoulder to the wheel and push. We can do it. Rural Ontario and the 30 or so rural ridings cost the federal Liberals a majority government in the last federal election. It is now up to us to insist on the legislative changes that we need in Ontario.

As I drive the roads, I read Ontario licence plates that say either "Keep It Beautiful" or "Yours to Discover." If we don't pull together and work together through the winter, the next generation of licence plates may read "First to Kill Farming."

Geri Kamenz operates a farm near Ventnor and is vice-president of the Ontario Federation of Agriculture.

Become enlightened about energy efficiency

KEMPTVILLE ­ The Grenville Land Stewardship Council will present Energy-Efficient Lifestyle Day this Saturday, Feb. 12 at Kemptville College.

The event will run from 9 am to 3 pm at the W.B. George Centre. Information on everything from hybrid cars and wind technology to straw bale construction will be available.

Vendors will have products and services on display, and there will be guest speakers and an interactive program for children.

The Queen's University solar car will also be on display at the event.

Admission is free for kids under the age of 12. For more information, contact Jack Henry at 342-8528 or visit www.ontariostewardship.org.

Bullying problem is a community issue, professor tells local gathering

By Blake McKim, Journal Staff Writer

PRESCOTT - The issue of bullying by young people in Ontario schools was addressed by Dr. Tina Daniels in a presentation at St. Mark's Parish Centre Monday night.

"It's not just a school issue," stated Daniels, a psychology professor at Carleton University who has studied bullying for the past 20 years. "It's the whole community's responsibility."

In her presentation, Daniels stated 30 per cent of children in Canada have reported being bullied. She added that bullying, if it goes unchecked, can have serious, life-threatening consequences for those involved. She cited the bullying death of Reena Virk in 1997 as an extreme example of what can happen if the issue is not dealt with.

"Bullying in Canada impacts on all kids, and has serious repercussions for kids in the community," she stated. She went on to identify several kinds of bullying, including physical, verbal, social and relational and electronic forms.

"Electronic (bullying) is new and emerging," she stated. Daniels added this form can be the most hidden sort of bullying because it can be done completely anonymously. "A recent survey said 25 per cent of bullies didn't know who they were bullying." She also stated electronic bullies tend to use meaner behaviour than they would if they bullied in person.

Daniels stated there are four basic groups of people which apply to bullying: the bully, the victim, the accomplices, and the bystanders.

Daniels also took the time to debunk some myths surrounding bullying, most notably the fact that boys bully far more than girls. "Girls and boys bully equally taking into account all forms of bullying," she said.

To combat the issue of bullying, she suggested the whole community get involved - including school parents groups, parents, and schools themselves, to help develop strategies to prevent bullying.

She offered a number of methods to deal with bullying, including having anonymous boxes in hallways for children to report bullying, and having parent monitors on the busses to prevent bullying from occurring.

"I think bullying is present in every school, including St. Joseph's," stated St. Joseph Catholic School Principal Deborah Zabloski.

She added her school has taken certain measures, including increasing supervision of students in certain areas of the school to try and make sure bullying doesn't happen.

"We also have to make sure kids feel free to report (bullying)," she stated, adding the school would consider the anonymous reporting boxes for students to anonymously report bullying.

Daniels stated that it's important for Ontario to have a province-wide program in its schools to deal with bullying. "The first step is to address bullying at the province-wide level." She added a mandate has just been handed down in the last three weeks by the provincial government to deal with bullying.

Peggy Miller, a parent who attended the event, agreed bullying is a community issue and that it should be addressed by the provincial government. "I'm the parent of a daughter who was bullied this year. I'm all for a government program (dealing with bullying)."

Sponsors for the event included St. Mark and St. Joseph schools, the Catholic District School Board of Eastern Ontario, and the Assault Response and Care Centre.

Ontario Senior Winter Games awarded to Brockville area

By Blake McKim, Journal Staff Writer

PRESCOTT -The Brockville region's bid to host the 2007 Ontario Senior Winter Games has been accepted, it was announced Tuesday at the closing ceremonies of this year's games in Barrie.

This announcement was made by Ministry of Tourism and Recreation's Senior Secretariat Mario Sergio (the games are slated to be held in the region February 14-16, 2007.)

"It's mighty exciting," stated Brockville and area Senior Winter Games Organizing Committee Co-Chair Sandra Lawn. "There's a lot of satisfaction (on the part of the committee)."

Lawn added the 2007 Ontario Senior Games will bring many benefits to the Prescott area. "(It gives the opportunity) to profile the area and community economic development." She also mentioned the senior games highlights the importance of recognizing the athletic ability and lifestyle of active seniors in Ontario.

Lawn, a former mayor of Prescott, gave kudos to the entire committee for putting together a great bid for the games. "The bid was extremely well received," she stated.

She also mentioned that, even after the Brockville and area Senior Winter Games Committee found out it had put forth the only bid, it never "slacked off" with the proposal. "We always felt our bid was competitive, even though we were only completing with ourselves (at the end)."

Lawn also stated that a mid-December site visit by the Ontario Senior Games Association went very well, with the committee visiting the Leo Boivin Community Centre and curling club in Prescott as well as the curling club in Gananoque and the bowling alley and Memorial Centre in Brockville. However, she did mention that the accessibility to the washrooms in the Leo Boivin Community Centre was identified as an issue.

Lawn also mentioned the games will have a positive impact on the Prescott area. "It will mean people staying in our B&B's and motels," she mentioned. She also stated that Prescott-area shops and restaurants should notice an influx of visitors during the event.

Critical to the acceptance of the bid, in her opinion, is the quality and quantity of volunteers in the area. In addition, Lawn stated the experience of local volunteers at helping with events such as the Midget AA tournament worked in the favour of the committee's bid being accepted. Four communities (Brockville, Prescott, Athens and Gananoque) participated in the joint bid.

In addition, Lawn mentioned she hopes hosting the 2007 Senior Winter Games will prompt local seniors to participate in qualifying events preceding the games so they can possibly compete in the senior games competitions.

The games are expected to bring more than 2,000 people to the area. In a press release, Committee Co-Chair David Dargie stated "We are absolutely thrilled to have been chosen as hosts for this high profile event in the region that will bring in over a million dollars in economic impact during a traditionally slow season."

Events in the games include alpine and nordic skiing, curling, ice hockey, skating, volleyball, and duplicate bridge. Planning is slated to begin immediately.

Friends of library to conduct AGM

SPENCERVILLE ­ The annual general meeting of the Friends of the Edwardsburgh Library group will be held Tuesday, Feb. 15 at 7 pm at township hall in Spencerville.

A new executive will be nominated. Newcomers are welcome to join the group and take part in literacy and social programs.

SCHOOL SCENE

Algonquin Public School: Helping students as they read to make personal connections to their lives while, at the same time, encouraging students to take pride and ownership in their work and actions are a continued focus for staff at Algonquin who are continually seeking best practices to help students build a strong foundation in these life skills.

On Feb. 2, teachers participated in an after-school in-service given by special assignment teacher Debbie Banks. With the goal of building students' reading and writing skills, the workshop focused on building reading comprehension through teaching reasoning. The very next day found teachers using some of the newly-learned strategies in the classroom. Later that week, staff participated in a full day of professional development activities, working in the morning at Algonquin, then joining colleagues from our family of schools at an afternoon session at SGDHS.

Staff at our small school continually seek best practices to build our students' skills and self-esteem.

Benson Public School: The students of the week for Jan. 24-28 were Faith Heafey, Sam Reid, Victoria Bowen, Alexander Hale, Brody Fahrngruber, Emma Patrick, Bret Baker and Brittany Merkley.

Our school advisory council is preparing our spring fundraiser. Students will be offering hundreds of magazine subscriptions for sale to friends, neighbours and relatives. This will be an ongoing fundraiser, but initially our efforts will be concentrated in March.

You will have an opportunity to purchase or renew online or you may purchase directly from a student. Either way, the school will receive 37 per cent of the sale.

We are excited about promoting this fundraiser, as it supports literacy in our community. If you already subscribe to a magazine, please consider renewing with Benson. There will be more information to come in the next few weeks.

Grade 8 students and their parents are invited to South Grenville High School for an evening of orientation Feb. 17.

Boundary Street Public School: Boundary School is offering an invitation to parents who will have children attending Kindergarten in the fall of 2005 to attend an open house Monday, Feb. 21 from 6-7 pm. The Kindergarten teacher will be there to show parents and students the classroom and explain the program that is offered at the school in areas such as literacy and numeracy. Administration staff will also be available at this time to assist in the registration process.

Winter Carnival days are planned later this week. The activities are: Wednesday, Feb. 9 ­ Crazy Hair Day; Thursday, Feb. 10 ­ Backwards Day; Friday, Feb. 11 ­ Blue & White Day; Monday, Feb. 14 ­ Red & White Day.

Students from the Grade 8 graduation committee will be having a bake sale on Friday during recess. They will also be selling refreshments on Monday at the Valentine's Dance from 2-3 pm. All proceeds will go towards the graduation celebrations in June.

School council will meet Feb. 15 at 7 pm in the library.

Central Public School: Grades 5-8 are looking forward to attending the Majinx show Friday, Feb. 11.

All students will be participating in next week's winter carnival activities. Monday, Feb. 14 is Pajama Day, Wednesday is Hat Day and Thursday is Red and White Day.

There will be special indoor and outdoor activities on Tuesday and Thursday.

On Friday, Feb. 18, grades 5-8 will have a dance from 1-3 pm.

Our Grade 8s are going to orientation day at South Grenville Feb. 17.

Maitland and Maynard Public Schools: Maitland students began the month of February with a "cup of hot chocolate" prepared and served by our office administrator, Mrs. Rogers, and our custodian, Mr. Buker. A tasty treat from two warm hearts!

Maynard students, staff and community will be treated to our third annual "Night of Stars" talent show this Thursday, Feb. 10. There will be plenty of dancing, singing and even some other entertainment that should not be missed.

Showtime is at 7, with doors opening at 6:15. We greatly appreciate the efforts of Ms. Crosby, our talent show organizer.

St. Joseph Catholic School: Come to the St. Joe's spaghetti supper Thursday, Feb. 10 at St. Mark's Parish Centre. There will be two sittings: 5 and 6 pm. Tickets can be obtained at the school or at the door.

The St. Joe's Dance-a-thon takes place Friday, Feb. 11.

Calling all parents! Do you need a night out? Come to the Prescott Fire Hall on Saturday, March 12 from 8 pm to 1 am for a St. Patrick's Day Dance. St. Joseph School Council is hosting an adult dance for all St. Joseph parents, staff and friends. DJ Music, midnight buffet and lots of Irish fun. For tickets, call Leeann Burton at 925-0782 or Stacy Zahn at 925-5175.

It was noted at a recent basketball tournament the St. Joe's students were exceptional! It was also reported that our Grade 6B students were truly appreciated at Wellington House!

Our students at the skating rink demonstrated responsibility and respect for one another.

St. Mark Catholic School: Today, we begin our Lenten journey.

Lent is a season all about conversion. We will receive ashes at our Ash Wednesday paraliturgy at 1 pm to remind us of our journey.

This is Kindergarten registration week. Any parents who have a child who will be four or five on or before Dec. 31, 2005 is asked to call 925-3581 and make an appointment to register.

This is winter carnival week. Many fun theme days and activities have been planned.

On Sunday, Feb. 13, our Grade 2 students who will receive the sacraments of reconciliation and first holy communion will have an enrollment mass at 11 am at St. Mark's Catholic Church.

On Valentine's Day, we will hold our outdoor winter activities in the morning; everyone is invited to wear red and pink.

On Wednesday, Feb. 16, school council will meet at 7 pm in the library.

Hot lunch this week is pizza.

South Edwardsburg Public School: All next week we will celebrate winter!

Student council and the grade 7/8 class have planned a fun-filled time with activities and special events for each day.

Our grade 8 class will be attending an orientation at South Grenville District High School on Wednesday the 16th.

Hot lunch today is hot dogs.

United Way receives Ontario Trillium Foundation funding

BROCKVILLE ­ A group of the 17 smallest United Way organizations in the province (including Leeds and Grenville) has received a grant of nearly $600,000 for the Ontario Trillium Foundation.

Each United Way will receive about $30,000 during a period of 30 months, it was announced in late January. Additional money will be used for collaborative training and learning. The grant totals $594,800.

The program, which is called "Community Matters: Engaging Community, Building Community," is aimed at enabling the smaller United Ways to better serve their communities through co-ordinated strategic planning.

"This is a fantastic opportunity for all of the smaller United Ways to share, earn and envision strategically how we can best serve our local communities," stated Judi Baril, executive director of the Leeds and Grenville organization.

Baril, who was involved in preparing the grant application, indicated the funding will enable communities to set their priorities.

In Leeds and Grenville, the United Way has already begun its consultation process. The next phase will include a public survey distributed through local papers, the Internet and local medical centres. "In our local community, the priorities that have emerged will help the United Way understand the needs that individual communities have and share." said Baril.

The foundation, an agency of the Ministry of Culture, receives $100 million each year from money generated by charity casinos. Trillium grants fund non-profit groups involving arts and culture, sports and recreation, social services and the environment.

The 2004 Leeds and Grenville fundraising campaign reached its target of $785,000. The local United Way supports 25 community-based agencies.

Stamp club to meet tonight

CARDINAL - The monthly meeting of the Cardinal Stamp Club will take place tonight (Wednesday, Feb. 9) at the Cardinal branch of the Edwardsburgh/Cardinal Public Library.

The meeting will take place at 7 pm. Adults and children welcome to attend.

For more information, contact John Dugan at 657-1081.

Health centre heating unit to be replaced: council

PRESCOTT ­ A roof-top heating and air conditioning unit at the Prescott Health Centre will be replaced, town council decided Monday.

The west side unit failed about two weeks ago, Community Services Director Randy Pelehos noted in a written report to council.

As a temporary measure, electric heat has been used.

The town sought quotes on a six-ton unit. Of the three bids received, SanSteve Mechanical was the lowest bidder at $6,466.93.

The other two companies that submitted bids were GC-Toshack and Lundy Mechanical.

Council agreed to award the contract to SanSteve Mechanical. Pelehos also recommended the town consider replacing the slightly smaller east side unit, which is also about 25 years old and had repeated breakdowns last summer.

Conservation can save water, energy and money

The Grenville Land Stewardship Council offers the following tips for energy-efficient dish-washing:

* Regularly clean the filter at the bottom of your dishwasher to keep the machine running efficiently.

* Run your dishwasher only when full, and use the setting that offers the best wash in the least amount of time.

* When you use your dishwasher's drying cycle, an electric element heats the interior of the unit and evaporates all water. To save energy, select the dishwasher's no-heat drying cycle (also called air drying).

* Don't bother rinsing your dishes before you put them in the dishwasher. Just scrape any leftover food off them, and put them straight into the dishwasher; this move will save water as well as energy.

The land stewardship council recommends these and other tips to promote an energy-efficient lifestyle and to give the environment a helping hand.

Winter exercise part of training for cadet cold squad

By Captain John. E. Henry

PRESCOTT ­ Members of 661 Lt W.F. Sharpe Squadron spent Jan. 29-30 in Prescott for cold weather survival training. This training exercise was held in and around the RCA/Kriska baseball park area and incorporated some recreation and plenty of opportunity for the cadets to learn new skills in a very interactive weekend.

It was the first of such exercises for more than 20 of the recently graduated recruits. Cadets stayed warm by keeping busy from the minute they arrived to getting into their parents' cars Sunday. They were issued all of the necessary clothing and equipment, had a brief orientation and set up their camp all before lunch Saturday. The day was packed full of training and practical exercises where the cadets were expected to put their newly-discovered knowledge and skills to the test. Cadets learned about snowshoeing and trekking, building shelters in the snow, utilizing equipment, and other topics related to surviving in a cold climate. An obstacle course and route march on Sunday was a great finish to the busy weekend.

Over the coming weeks, the squadron will focus on two annual competitions: exertion (a multi-disciplined sports and skills team) and drill team that will be competing near month's end. In addition, Prescott cadets will have the opportunity for first aid and CPR certification and band practices on top of regular Tuesday night training. March is just as busy and highlights a trip to Montreal over the March Break!

As always, our door is open to the public. The cadet program is available to all youth between the ages of 12 and 19. Membership, uniforms and training are all free. The unit parades Tuesdays from 6-9 pm at South Grenville District High School and offers a wide range of extra-curricular activities as well. Interested youth and their parents are encouraged to stop by and find out what Prescott's Air Cadets have to offer.

Adults with the time and interest to volunteer are also encouraged to visit.

Further information can be obtained by calling the unit at 349-0488 or visiting the national cadet Web site at www.cadets.ca.

Protest went off without any major problems: OPP

JOHNSTOWN ­ The protest by rural landowners was orderly and went off without incident, according to Ontario Provincial Police spokesperson, Sergeant Kristine Cholette.

The OPP estimated there were 270 vehicles in the slow-moving convoy that entered Highway 401 at Shanly Road Friday morning and proceeded westbound to the Johnstown exit and the entrance to the international bridge.

By 9:20 am, westbound traffic was diverted at Carman Road near Iroquois and rerouted onto County Road 2 and Highway 16. Some of the westbound traffic entered Prescott for a short time when the convoy of protesters left the bridge area and headed north to Angelo's.

The OPP reported the westbound 401 had reopened at about 12:30 pm.

Additional police personnel had been brought in from other detachments. Cholette said she was unsure of how many extra officers were involved; some media reports placed the total at about 50.

Although she noted the protest and rerouting of traffic led to some delays for motorists, Cholette said there was "a continuous flow of traffic."

There was some light fog in the area Friday morning, weather and driving conditions were favourable. It was clear and mild, and the roads were bare.

There were no arrests or charges relating to the protest, Cholette noted. There were also no motor vehicle collisions caused by the rerouting of traffic, according to the sergeant.

Prior to the start of the protest, the OPP had posted road closure information on its Web site (www.crimealerts.net). The westbound 401 and southbound Highway 16 lanes were to be closed from 9 am to 1 pm.

Police and protest organizers met and maintained contact in the days leading up to the event.

OPP ­ TOWNSHIPS NEWS

Couple injured in snowmobile crash

AUGUSTA ­ Charges may be pending in connection with a snowmobile accident that occurred Feb. 5 on private property near County Road 26.

A 34-year-old male driver and 31-year-old female passenger had been travelling with another couple in the bush. The second pair found the first snowmobile and the other couple lying beside it. They were both transported to Brockville General Hospital; their injuries were not life-threatening. The woman was treated and released; the man was still in hospital the next day. The snowmobile sustained minor damage.

The investigation by Constable Johnston continues; alcohol has not been ruled out as a factor, according to an OPP news release.

Disabled snowmobile stolen from trail

ROEBUCK ­ A broken-down snowmobile was stolen from Trail 113E just north of Roebuck. The theft took place Feb. 3 between 7 and 8 pm; the owner had removed the keys and left the scene, only to return to find the machine was gone. The blue, black and silver 2001 Yamaha SRX has distinctive features and was bearing licence number 915214. The value of the snowmobile is about $4,800. Constable Butcher is investigating.

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

Loads of wood taken from field west of town

AUGUSTA ­ The theft of two tandem loads of wood from a field near County Road 2 just west of Prescott is being investigated by Constable Foley.

Most of the logs had been large; evidence at the scene suggests they were cut prior to being loaded and removed. It is believed the theft occurred during daylight hours before 2 pm Feb. 5.

Drill press removed from garage

JOHNSTOWN ­ Someone entered an unlocked door to a garage attached to a residence on County Road 2 before noon Feb. 2. An eight-inch Trademaster drill press which weighs 50 lbs. and is valued at about $100 was taken. Sergeant Onlock is investigating.

Driver fails roadside screening test

JOHNSTOWN ­ On Feb. 2 at about 10:25 am, Constable Bisson attended the customs facility in Johnstown.

A 65-year-old Prescott man had failed a roadside screening device test. He had crossed the bridge but had been turned away for some other reason, according to the OPP. The constable transported the man to Kemptville for breathalyzer testing. He was charged with driving while exceeding the legal blood alcohol limit and was issued a promise to appear in court Feb. 18.

Constable checks ATVs

EDWARDSBURGH ­ During an all-terrain vehicle rally Feb. 5, Constable Foley checked about 44 ATVs near Hands Road and Glen Smail Road. No charges were laid.

Correction from last week

EDWARDSBURGH ­ A news item published in last week's Journal stated an injured 15-year-old Cardinal girl had been airlifted to an Ottawa hospital after an ATV crash. It was, in fact, the 38-year-old Cardinal woman who had been driving the ATV who was airlifted to hospital. Although the mistake was based on inaccurate information provided by the OPP, The Journal apologizes for the error.

The Maitland Girl Guide Winter Camp was held this past weekend at the MERC Hall.

MAITLAND NEWS by Jane Fullarton

Nine guides as well as leaders Dawn Phillips, Liz Young and Susan Clarke took part in a number of indoor and outdoor activities at the camp that started Friday evening and continued until Sunday. The girls went snow shoeing, skating at the MERC rink and cross country skiing on the Maitland Trails. The weekend provided the girls with the opportunity to work on many badges including snow shoeing, skating, crafts, cooking and sewing.

The Guides plan a joint skating party with the Brownies, Sparks and any parents who would like to join them on Monday, Feb. 28 at the MERC Rink.

Liz Mclean and Shannon Hudson have volunteered to organize the MERC Teen Dances starting in May, taking over from Cynthia Turton and Susan Clarke.

The next teen dances at the MERC Hall will be on Friday, March 4 and Saturday, April 2.

Guides hold winter campHorsing around at college

KEMPTVILLE - If your child is horse-crazy, it's recommended they attend Equine Canada's Youth and Horsemanship Day Saturday, Feb. 12 at Kemptville College.

The event starts at 9 am, with registration starting at 8 am. There is a charge for the event. Lunch will be provided.

The event will be held in the A.M. Barr arena on the Kemptville College campus. It will feature several guest speakers. There will also be a small trade show held at the event.

For more information, contact Julie Cull at Equine Canada at (613)248-3433 ext. 133 or visit their website at www.equinecanada.ca.

Highland spaghetti

CARDINAL ­ A spaghetti supper in support of the Veterans Memorial Highland Games will be served this Thursday (Feb. 10) from 4:30 to 6 pm at the Royal Canadian Legion in Cardinal. Scottish entertainment will be provided. Tickets will be available at the door.

MP Brown encourages Canadians to celebrate Flag Day next Tuesday

Forty years of maple leaf will be marked Feb. 15

OTTAWA - Leeds-Grenville Conservative MP Gord Brown is encouraging Canadians to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the flag in 2005.

On Feb. 15, 1965, Canada's red-and-white maple leaf flag was raised for the first time on Parliament Hill.

"Today, it (Canadian flag) is a welcome and familiar sight around the world. It is a cherished and welcome symbol of this country for Canadians from coast to coast." Brown stated in a news release.

Brown is commemorating the occasion himself by inviting the Honourable John R. Matheson to a lunch on Parliament Hill.

Matheson was one of the strongest supporters of the flag, and played a key advisory role in its creation. He was also the MP for Leeds when the flag was proclaimed.

"The adoption of the maple leaf flag was a significant moment in Canada's history and the local connection can not be forgotten," said Brown.

"John Matheson's wish for all Canadians was that we become 'consciously Canadian' and the flag he helped create supports that wish."

Also invited to the lunch are former Leeds-Grenville area MPs Jean Wadds of Prescott, Jennifer Creighton (Cossitt), Jim Jordan and Joe Jordan.

Additional information about Canada's maple leaf flag and Flag Day can be found online at www.canadianheritage.gc.ca/flagday.

Tools stolen from workshop on Dibble Street West

PRESCOTT ­ Officers with the Grenville County OPP detachment responded to 61 calls for service in the Prescott patrol zone last week.

An early-morning break-in at an apartment building on Dibble Street West is being investigated by Constable Thompson.

A witness recalled hearing a loud noise between 6 and 6:30 am Feb. 3. He later discovered his workshop had been entered.

The missing items are mostly small hand and power tools, including a 14.4-volt Jobmate cordless drill, 100-piece socket set, case of allan keys and a two-foot black pinch bar, have a total value of about $230.

Police suspect the culprit or culprits fled on foot.

On the morning of Feb. 1, Constable Foley conducted seat belt checks in town. One hundred and ten vehicles were checked; three seat belt offence tickets were issued, as was an insurance act offence and four warnings.

A summons was issued to a 73-year-old Cardinal woman whose vehicle was travelling at 109 kilometres an hour in a 50-kilometre zone on King Street East near Russell Street. She is scheduled to appear in court March 1.

Anyone with information on occurrences in Prescott or in Augusta or Edwardsburgh/ Cardinal is asked to contact Grenville County OPP at 925-4221 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477. If there is an emergency, dial 9-1-1.

Groups can find out how to get funding

KEMPTVILLE ­ Organizations seeking information on how to obtain funding are invited to a community forum to be held March 2.

The meeting will take place from 1 to 4 pm in the community room at Your Independent Grocer in Kemptville.

Representatives from provincial and federal agencies will be on hand to provide information on programs and services.

The resource forum is being presented by the United Way of Leeds and Grenville.

Service clubs, school councils, church committees, Legions and other organizations are being encouraged to attend the free resource forum.

Seating is limited; pre-registration is required. Call Cathy Froom at 342-8889.

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

"There was more media on the bridge than you can shake a stick at."

Randy Hillier, commenting on coverage of Friday's protest by rural landowners

Editor's Notebook

TALK IS CHEAP: With all the comments about how co-operation among officials in the three municipalities of South Grenville is so strong these days, perhaps it is time for councils to take things to the next level.

Although the spirit of working together from an economic development perspective is alive and well, it is underfunded. There is a committee representing Augusta, Prescott and Edwardsburgh/Cardinal, but the committee is advisory in nature and has little or no money with which to work. Although there have been and continue to be efforts to review the situation and come up with options for promoting the Prescott area as a place to live, play and do business, there remains a widely-held belief nothing is going to be done about it.

One of the findings of the recent business retention and expansion study was that many respondents believe local councils are not proactive and take too long to make decisions. It is one thing to make joint applications for government funding to study cycling opportunities or festival networks, but it is another to act on their results. As former Prescott mayor Tom Doyle stated at a recent public meeting, civic leaders should not just feel good about going through the process: create something and put up the money to do it.

We do not suggest merely throwing money at economic development and tourism; to do that without a formal structure in place would be a waste. Our hope is the three councils will, before their three-year terms end in late 2006, take all the findings from all these studies in the works or on the books and come up with a system which makes effective use of taxpayers' money in each community to attract visitors, companies and residents to the Prescott area.

Council members who say they support economic development are in a position to make things happen. They are to be applauded for their willingness to work with their municipal neighbours, but we hope the spirit of co-operation will translate into tangible results and a brighter future for South Grenville.

THE END JUSTIFIES THE MEANS: In a previous edition, we questioned the tactic of blocking a major highway to protest government regulations. However, we did not (and do not) question the legitimate concerns raised by rural landowners who say they have had enough of policies which threaten their livelihoods and infringe on their rights.

As Leeds-Grenville MP Gord Brown stated in his speech at Friday's protest, "Too many people imposing too many laws have forgotten government is supposed to be a limited institution designed to protect the liberty of citizens who are supposed to benefit from laws made in their name."

We do not condone closing highways or bridegs to make a point; however, we object to governments that claim they are responsive to the needs of rural Ontario but, in fact, are not.

Tim Ruhnke

Winter is not much of a wonderland when it's ­30°C

THE NEW GUY by Tim Ruhnke

This edition of our take on the "bouquets and bricks" concept deals with the some of the good and bad things about winter weather.

There has been plenty to talk about this season ­ freezing rain and record-setting highs followed by a prolonged cold snap. As the old adage goes, it goes from hot to cold so fast you don't know what to pawn.

As this year's Fort Town Frost Festival approaches, the volunteers should consider themselves fortunate they apparently will not have to endure the conditions faced by helpers at a similar venue earlier this year.

All the folks who helped out at the winter carnival in Spencerville a couple of weeks ago deserve a pat on the back (and heated gloves and boots) for braving some nasty windchill values. Jackie Barnard and the other volunteers performed admirably in less-than-ideal conditions. Tom deVries and some of his fellow Edwardsburgh Lions dished out hot chocolate and other refreshments during the arctic blast which reminded us just how cold winter can be halfway between the North Pole and Equator.

On the "bricks" side of the ledger, you'd think there were times when it takes a call from a merchant or a column in a newspaper to get snow banks removed from main street. For the most part, I have found local crews provide above-average service when it comes to keeping public roadways passable in winter.

Ideally, there would be sufficient resources to ensure all sidewalks (including the one beside Churchill Road between Montgomery and Boundary) are cleared first thing in the morning so pedestrians (including elementary and high school students) do not have to walk on a busy and slippery street. However, I recognize plows cannot be everywhere all the time and priorities must be set.

* * *

You would have been proud of me, Gauri. It was 20 years ago last week when one of those fateful (or not) moments in my past which involved a lovely young woman (Maria) took place. I didn't remember about the anniversary until days later.

Normally, I would have harped on it and wondered what would have happened if things had turned out differently, and then I would have written about it in this column as if someone actually cared about this stuff. Good thing I gave up all that tiresome babbling about lost loves and crushes.

Oops!

Another new year's resolution bites the dust. Sorry, Gauri.

Prescott Tennis Club building can stay where it is: 1985

FROM THE ARCHIVES

February 13, 1985

* Town council has decided the clubhouse of the Prescott Tennis Club will remain in its present location. A preliminary plan for the water filtration plant called for the demolition of the clubhouse and possible relocation to the storage area behind the pumphouse. When the final design was presented, 65 of 66 people who were at the presentation voted to proceed with a compromise which would see the clubhouse remain in tact. The storage area behind it is to be demolished. Speaking on behalf of the tennis club, Doug Snelling said the club never demanded anything from anyone; it just wanted to stay where it is, he added.

* Sarah Jane Dumbrille's book on the 1984 visit to Prescott by Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip will be officially launched on Valentine's Day. The 68-page book includes 155 photographs. The first-time author estimated she drove more than 2,000 miles to collect photos and interview those who were presented to the royal couple in September. The book serves as a how-to guide on staging a royal visit, something Dumbrille believes is a first.

* South Grenville District High School's entry in the Sears drama festival will soon be taking the stage. Led by theatre arts instructor Pat Remmer, this year's production is Big X, Little Y, a play examining the treatment of women and their struggle for equality.

* The Pat Thomson rink scored a rare eight-ender in business girls league action at the Prescott Curling Club. The foursome of skip Thomson, vice Shirley Bailey, second Marjorie Riddell and lead Pat Stark accomplished the feat during a game against the Jackie Woods rink. It is believed there have only been two other eight-enders in the past 30 years at the club.

* The 1985 edition of Winterfest is under way in Cardinal. The 11 contestants vying for the title of community queen at the winter carnival are Michele St. Louis, Deanna Blair, Caroline Shaw, Michelle Skakum, Kelly Laming, Kim Laming, Monique Reynolds, Sandra Markus, Tracey McDonald, Cindy Murphy and Frances Potvin.

Wall Drug shows you can succeed in the middle of nowhere

FROM THE OTHER SIDE by Jeffrey Morris

Dad, my oldest son said as he looked out the window. "We're in the middle of nowhere."

"No, Jack, we're not quite in the middle of nowhere yet, but we're getting close."

We were, in fact, in South Dakota. Where the deer and the antelope have gone somewhere else to play. Seldom was heard a discouraging word, because there was nobody to say one. This was the heart of Dances With Wolves country.

But South Dakota was special, and as we made our way across the United States for the past week and a half, it is the one state that stands out as our favourite.

We saw Devil's Tower, the surreal but spectacular national monument that was the centrepiece of the movie Close Encounters of the Third Kind. I had to order mashed potatoes that night so I could play with them on my plate, the way Richard Dreyfuss did in the film.

We saw Mount Rushmore, which was much more spectacular than we had imagined. Being there at the beginning of February also meant we were there in offseason. There we stood in the unseasonably warm sunshine, marvelling at the fact that we were the only people enjoying Mount Rushmore on such a beautiful day.

The people of South Dakota were incredibly friendly. One rancher I met in Rapid City at the better-than-we-thought-it-would-be Super 8 motel comes to mind. He was in town for the rodeo and stock show, and and his wife were sitting in the sun enjoying a coffee as I came out with the Yorkies. They fussed over the puppies, and he stood up with a smile to pet them and said in some form of cowboy baby talk, "Gawd Deeamn ain't them cute little bastards!"

I wasn't going to tell the guy to watch his language. After all, this was a guy who, if he ever got his tongue stuck to a frozen fence, would probably just chew it off and get on with his day.

But what defined South Dakota to us was how these friendly people were so prosperous and how they identified and grabbed opportunities. Wall Drug was an example of this.

For about 100 miles, we passed a sign every mile. Free ice water - Wall Drug. Free coffee and donut for Viet Nam veterans - Wall Drug. Six-foot rabbit - Wall Drug. Children bored? - Wall Drug. You'll be there soon - Wall Drug.

Wall is a town of a few hundred people, named for being at the wall of the Badlands. Wall Drug, which has grown into its own mini-mall, is the world's largest drug store.

The Hustead family bought the store in 1931, as Ted Hustead had just graduated from pharmaceutical college at the University of Nebraska. In 1936, they were slammed by the depression and a drought which hit the local farmers, and they heard the trucks rumble by the highway but couldn't figure out how to make them stop in.

Then, Ted's wife Dorothy, got the idea. Free ice water. It was that simple. It was hot, travellers are thirsty, and the Husteads began their guerrilla marketing campaign of putting Free Ice Water signs along the highway. By the end of the day, they could barely keep up with the demand, and travellers were not only stopping in, but they were buying other items.

Wall Drug has everything. It has a bookstore, a music store, western wear, a restaurant, a souvenir store, a jackelope on the wall, a wall of fame of famous Indians, a six-foot rabbit, a lifesize T-Rex, petrified wood. For travellers on I-90 heading to the Badlands or Mount Rushmore, it is a must see attraction. The ice water is still free - they do about 20,000 glasses a day now, and the coffee is still five cents.

Business boomed for the Husteads in 1936, and by the following summer, they had to hire eight girls because they became so busy. Now, this drug store and attraction is the lifeblood of the town.

Wall Drug exemplifies the prosperity of South Dakota.

Someone had the idea to create Mount Rushmore, which was never completed, but which remains an absolute destination. There is a town to the east of the badlands that holds an annual Harley Davidson festival that attracts tens of thousands of Harley drivers every year. There is Mitchell, South Dakota, in the eastern part of the state, which has its town's gymnasium and community centre - the Corn Palace - built entirely out of corn. The last city in the state is Sioux Falls, a booming town considered one of America's best places to live.

And we can't forget the badlands, one of the most amazing geographical formations on our continent.

As we went through the Badlands, I looked back at the kids. "Hey guys," I said. "Now, we are in the middle of nowhere."

But we weren't thirsty, because we had our free ice water which went well with the C-Note we spent on souvenirs and lunch.

The lesson learned in South Dakota is no matter where you are - even in the middle of nowhere - you can succeed. All you have to do is give people something they need.

But don't confuse that motto with "If you build it, they will come." That's Iowa - it's the next state over.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Closure of institution will create an opportunity

The Editor;

I am so glad that it's finally going to happen!

The eventual closure of the institution was actually announced by the Minister of Community and Social Services back in 1987. Since the announcement there has not been any new admissions to the Rideau Regional Centre (RRC). The ministry is working with the individuals, their families and Community Living Associations, carefully planning a place to live either in their own communities that they have left or new ones that they will be going to with supports in place.

I am a parent of a 12 year old with down syndrome/autistic spectrum disorder. My daughter has lived in our family home since she came home from hospital. She has a local family doctor and she goes to CHEO regularly. She attends a local school, the YMCA, has meals at local restaurants and attends various community events. Successful inclusion not only benefits the child, but also his or her friends and peers, the school system, and society as a whole. Young parents who have children with disabilities are choosing to care, love and raise their children in their own family home and to share the experiences of community life. My vision is for our daughter to be fully integrated in our community in a place of her own with the appropriate supports.

Parents/siblings and employees of the RRC are in an uproar. It seems after all these years they have to actually face the reality of their family member with an intellectual disability being in the community and this can be very frightening.

Once they are "set free" with the appropriate supports to enjoy the life that they deserve to have like you and I, they will then experience the true meaning of home and community life and they will be much happier!

Suzanne Whitney
RR#3 Prescott

Government is openly working against farmers

The Editor;

Re: Club House Remarks, Feb. 2

Perhaps Mr. Dickerson should ask himself why farmers are so upset that they are taking extreme measures such as closing the 401. The alternatives he proposed have already been used. Did you hear about them? Probably not, because the media has turned a blind eye to rural issues.

When MPPs and cabinet ministers stop listening, what are individuals to do? I hope that you were not inconvenienced too much on one morning. The farmers worked all year only to be deeper in debt than they were at the beginning of the year.

Do you know what it is like to have a government which is openly working towards your destruction?

John Stewart
RR#1 Eden, Ont.

Job is more than just a snare pole and dog biscuits

The Editor;

I read with interest the account of why the dog catcher/livestock evaluator for Augusta Township, Darcy Alkerton, resigned... "his contract with the township was not negotiated in a timely fashion."

True, but what the township failed to mention was they felt the dog catcher was not entitled to any revenue from dog licences sold at the township office. They were also delaying the sale of dog licences, which is usually completed by March 31. I guess the countless hours going door to door to sell dog tags, phoning residents to remind them that they can have tags dropped off at there home or they can be purchased at the township office accounts for nothing. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to know that your services are no longer wanted.

I realize some feel that buying a dog tag is a money grab, but when you can call your local dog catcher at any time day or night 24/7 and report your dog missing and sometimes within a matter of minutes be reunited with your family pet, it's a small price to pay for such a service. Countless hours by the dog catcher, his employees and family went into inputting all the dog information into the computer, right down to its colour so that this reunion could be made as quick as possible. Reuniting a little dog lost in a snow storm with its family, is a reward you can't put a price on. Assisting the OPP in narcotics search by removing a pit bull from a tractor trailer on the 401 in the middle night is a dangerous part of the job. It takes a little more than a snare pole and a box of dog biscuits to do the job of dog catcher.

The dog catcher is one more in the long list of resignations in Augusta Township over the last few years. Maybe it's time for the residents to ask the township, why?

Susan Alkerton
Augusta

Editor's note: The writer is married to the former dog catcher referred to in the letter.

Donations enable Salvation Army to provide gifts of toys and food

BROCKVILLE ­ The Salvation Army was able to provide gifts of toys and food to 430 families in the area this past Christmas season, the church announced Monday.

Toys, knitted items and general donations are still being accepted.

The Salvation Army operates a thrift shop on King Street West in downtown Prescott.

The story of the book club turns the page next week

WALKER HOUSE NEWS by MARNIE LIPPIATT

The hardanger stitch group is scheduled to meet next Tuesday, Feb. 15 at 7 pm. This group is a small but dedicated group that is producing some lovely stitched tablecloths. If you are interested in learning this very old technique, please come and join us.

The book club will meet next Wednesday at 1 pm. What was the last book you read? Could you recommend it to others? Come and get some fresh ideas for reading material.

There are still a few people to pay the last installment for the trip to Magog. Please bring it to the office or call 925-5300.

Card game winners: Monday afternoon bridge ­ 1st, Eleanor Hatch; 2nd, Ruth Betsworth; door, Bea Hemsley. Fun bridge ­ Tom Byrne. Thursday night euchre ­ 1st, Micheline Cook; 2nd, Gladys Somerville; 3rd, Geneva Odell; door, Yvonne Crawford.

Pick up a ticket for Majinx show before it disappears

PRESCOTT - Tickets for the Prescott Rotary Club's presentation of the Majinx magic show are still available.

The show will be presented this Friday, Feb. 11 at South Grenville District High School. It will involve "Canadian champions of magic" Majinx, a family of magicians (a mother, father and two children) with a local connection.

There will be two shows. The first one at 1 pm will feature slightly fewer illusions than the evening show. This show will also feature a lower admission price and a special admission rate for students.

The evening show will begin at 7 pm; it features the Majinx full-length "championship" show with highly- acclaimed illusions.

For both shows, children three and under are admitted free.

Funds generated from the show will be allocated to the Rotary Park Pavilion, which the Rotary Club is planning to build in the spring near the Prescott Heritage River Trail entrance. Funding will also go to tsunami relief.

Tickets are available at several area locations, including Young's, Jessup House and the high school.

The magic show is included in the Fort Town Frost Festival schedule of events.

Cardinal satellite office of food bank is running smoothly so far

By David Dickenson, Journal Staff Writer

SPENCERVILLE - It's been two months of going strong for the Food For All Food Bank's satellite office in Cardinal.

Food bank fundraising co-ordinator Bonnie Gommert spoke to Edwardsburgh/Cardinal council Monday night. She told council about the big strides the satellite office has made thus far.

"First off, I have to thank you very much for our satellite office," said Gommert. "It's not often you have an opportunity to achieve such a goal like we did with the office. Everyone has been just tremendous to us with the satellite office. We've received tremendous support from everyone including the township, schools, churches and the service clubs."

Gommert explained to council in the two months in operation in Cardinal, the satellite office has been able to service approximately 50 families and is expecting that to grow to more than 75 families, which is the majority of their clients from Edwardsburgh/Cardinal. The food bank's main depot is in Prescott.

"I'm not really sure how we did without the satellite office before," said Gommert. "It's been great since some of the families who are our clients don't have cars and couldn't get to Prescott. We plan to keep our office here for a long while."

She also assured council the generosity of the township with its previous donations was not forgotten, and the satellite office is also doing what it can to support the township.

"You guys have been so good to us, paying the rent and the hydro," said Gommert.

"Also, the money we have received from Edwardsburgh/ Cardinal is being spent in Edwardsburgh/Cardinal. We bought our freezer at Mad Mac's, we buy our groceries, mainly meat products at O'Carroll's. It's our feeling that since we got the money here, we should be spending it here."

Gommert also noted she was there to request funding of $1,600 or whatever they feel is fair from each of the three municipalities (Prescott, Augusta, Edwardsburgh/Cardinal) served by the food bank.

Gommert explained the request for funding comes to help cover the food bank's annual operating costs, such as the telephone and to purchase emergency food supplies.

The food bank's request will be discussed as part of township budget deliberations.

The satellite office located in the basement of the Cardinal Public Library is open Mondays from noon until 4 pm.

EDWARDSBURGH/CARDINAL BRIEFS

Council pleased with credit union's decision to open

SPENCERVILLE - It was noted at Monday's meeting that council was glad to hear Your Credit Union would be bringing a full-service financial institution to Cardinal to replace the bank that will close next month.

Members of council also took turns congratulating the credit union on the decision, with Ward One Councillor Charlie Burrell even joking "I'll likely be the first in line to put money in, but I'll also likely be the first in line to take out a loan."

Mayor Peggy Taylor and the rest of council also applauded the efforts of the Edwardsburgh/Cardinal Business Association in bringing the credit union.

"Bill LaBerge, Marj Kempffer and many other people whose names have escaped me really did a good job," said Taylor.

"The whole business association really worked hard on this."

The credit union is hoping to open at a temporary location in the village by the time TD Canada Trust closes its Cardinal branch in March.

Council indicated it had already passed a motion to transfer some funds from Cardinal Waste Water Treatment plant to the credit union as a show of support for coming to the village.

Council supports Cardinal and Area Family Health Team

SPENCERVILLE - Township council voted to support the Victorian Order of Nurses (VON) in its request to get a Family Health Team in Cardinal and the surrounding areas.

In a letter from the VON, it was noted improved access to primary health care services in Cardinal, Spencerville, Prescott and Johnstown is critical and there is a recognized lack of access to primary health care because of a shortage of family physicians.

Mayor Peggy Taylor indicated the request was similar to one made last year for which the VON was able to receive a nurse practitioner for Athens and Brockville but wasn't able to receive enough funding for Edwardsburgh/Cardinal.

Taylor also indicated having a nurse practitioner in the St. Lawrence Medical Centre in Cardinal would be a great help to the community and would help relieve some of the added pressure on the doctors like Dr. Thomas who are covering multiple municipalities.

Mayor expects municipal budget talks to kick off soon

SPENCERVILLE - Township Mayor Peggy Taylor indicated at Monday's regular council meeting she expects budget talk and meetings to kick off sometime in February.

"I'd like to start discussions as soon as possible," said Taylor.

"Our managers are having a meeting in the next week or so and it's my hope we can hold a full budget meeting by the end of February."

There was no estimate of when the budget would be finalized.

South Edwardsburg PS collects truckloads of items for Canadian Aid for Chernobyl

By David Dickenson, Journal Staff Writer

JOHNSTOWN - South Edwardsburg Public School showed its generosity once again by collecting a significant number of items for Canadian Aid for Chernobyl.

According to collection co-ordinator Donna Greenhorn the 2005 campaign has been the most successful campaign yet. Five truckloads of donations were taken to Brockville to be included in the next shipment of aid to Belarus.

More than 4,000 donations were made at the school with students and members of the community both showing their kindness. The collection included a wide variety of items including clothing, coats, boots, blankets, soap, toothpaste, toys and school supplies as well as other various items.

"The community has been extremely generous," explained Greenhorn.

"The response was just overwhelming and we're always amazed with the generosity from the kids, people at the school and the people of the community. Each year for this, things have gotten bigger and bigger. In our first year we had one truck load; in our second, we had three truckloads and this year we had five."

Greenhorn explained they didn't expect a lot when they started the campaign three years ago; they just asked the students and community to help with hygiene products to help fight off infections for the kids in Belarus. But it ballooned with people donating coats, snow suits, school supplies and toys to be part of the shipment.

The school's staff was heavily involved in the whole collection process with office staff receiving donations, custodial staff helping to move the items and many other staff helping with sorting and boxing the items as well as receiving great support from everyone including the school's principal.

Greenhorn explained the Chernobyl project fit in nicely with the school's character education program, which focused on the character trait "compassion" throughout January.

"Students are learning that character is expressed through actions," said Greenhorn.

"We've tried to tell them to show character through their actions and this gives them the chance to live it."

As part of the experience many of the students have written letters to the orphans in Chausey, which will be personally delivered in March by former area teacher Neil Matheson, who is part of the delegation. Matheson indicated he will take pictures of the orphans with the letters to bring back to the students next year to see more of a personal side to the campaign.

Wiltshire enjoys his role scoring at the curling club

By David Dickenson, Journal Staff Writer

PRESCOTT - If you've ever been to the Prescott Curling Club you've probably seen him keeping score.

He's the friendly familiar face who has been scoring for bonspiels at the club and admiring how the game is played; he's Cliff Wiltshire, the club's official scorekeeper.

Wiltshire, who has been a member of the curling club for more than 32 years, has made a name for himself at the club with his hard work and dedication to help make curling events a fun experience in Cardinal.

"I started curling when I was in the armed forces," said Wiltshire. "I curled out west and in Ottawa before coming here. I only got into the scoring about 10 years ago when the fellow that was here before me couldn't so it anymore, so I just took it upon myself to do that job."

While being the club's official scorekeeper and even having his name on a chair at the club, he indicated he likes to be involved in helping out the club wherever necessary.

"I enjoy doing this because of the people," explained Wiltshire. "They make it all worthwhile, especially the youngsters like the Little Rocks and bantams. I always enjoy watching them play and doing this for them."

The official scorekeeper is reminded of a memory which brought a smile to his face. "A little girl about 10 asked me how I scored and I explained it to her and then went to grab a bite to eat. When I returned, she had a little eight year old boy with her and was explaining it to him with a big smile on her face. When she was done, she turned and asked me if she was right."

Over the years, Wiltshire has had many memories in curling and at the Prescott club, but none are as memorable as a pair of pictures which sit in the dining lounge; they depict the 1989 branch senior champions team of Wiltshire, Joe Doyle, Bern Kirkby and L. Devine and the 1980 City of Ottawa Senior Bonspiel Champions from the Prescott Club, which include Jim Simpson, Ted Crosbie, Kirkby and Wiltshire.

"They're the special ones," he said of the photos.

While curling is his favourite winter sport, Wiltshire enjoys his favourite summer sport of golf, where he likes to hit the links when time permits.

For Wiltshire, the games of golf and curling have a similar formula which include the friendliness of people playing the sport.

"When I started curling out in Alberta, it was the friendliness of the people throughout the winter I liked," explained Wiltshire. "The people that play in all the bonspiels and how nice they were is what got me interested in curling."

Wiltshire went all over the globe in the 22 years he was a member of the armed forces; after retiring from the military, he came to Prescott and worked at Rahau Industries for 17 years. He still enjoys keeping busy at the club.

"Once you're retired like I am I guess you have a lot of time on your hands," said Wiltshire.

Jr. B Rangers defeat Rideaus, drop heartbreaker to Aeros

By David Dickenson, Journal Staff Writer

CARDINAL - It was a weekend of extreme highs and lows for the South Grenville Jr. B Rangers.

On Friday night, South Grenville scored redemption from its Boxing Day Tournament final loss with 6-4 victory over the Westport Rideaus before falling 6-5 on a last-second goal to the last-place Athens Aeros Saturday night in Cardinal.

The weekend took its toll on the Rangers, who were visibly upset with their performance following the loss to Athens.

"I really don't think we took them (Athens) seriously," said Rangers forward Eric Selleck. "Both teams had something to prove and we thought we had the win, but we didn't. We played so well in Westport, and then we came out here and just didn't have it. We had a couple guys out of our line-up so we couldn't have four lines like usual. It will be a different story next week."

On Friday, the Rangers scored a hard-fought 6-4 victory over the Rideaus. South Grenville took the fight to the Rideaus, resulting in three-Westport ejections and a pair of Rangers ejections after things turned ugly in the third period. Eric Selleck, Adam Lawrence, Skyler Hoar, Jason Whelan, David Lun and Mark Williams scored for the Rangers in the win. Julien Francis (2), Ryan Landon, Josh Rupert, Derek Rupert and Matt Bailey added assists. Tim Potter got the victory in goal for the Rangers.

Despite outplaying the Aeros Saturday night, South Grenville still took the loss as Pat Doyle stole the puck in the neutral zone and scored on Rangers keeper Greg Richardson with one second left in the third period. South Grenville seemed to have the game firmly in grasp with a two-goal lead with only 11 minutes left, until a pair of ejections following fights fired up the Aeros who scored three unanswered goals.

Bailey, Lawrence, Hoar, Dustin Swan and Peter Veltkamp scored for the Rangers. Francis (2), Lun (2), Ryan Sullivan, Selleck, Lucas Spencer, Rupert and Hoar added assists.

The Rangers still hold a narrow lead in the Rideau Division title race with a 29-6-5-0 record for 63 points, two points ahead of the second-place Brockville Tikis heading into the final week of the regular season. South Grenville still has two games in hand over the Tikis.

South Grenville travelled to Cornwall Island to take on the Akwesasne Wolves in a make-up game Tuesday night. The Rangers will play host to the Brockville Tikis Saturday night at 7:15 pm at the Cardinal and District Community Centre. South Grenville travels to Gananoque Sunday to take on the Islanders at 7:45 pm.

Rideau Division Standings

Team GP W L T OTL GF GA PTS

South Grenville 40 29 6 5 0 215 115 63

Brockville 42 29 10 2 1 192 134 61

Gananoque 42 21 19 1 1 210 196 44

Westport 42 17 21 1 3 210 209 38

Athens 42 7 33 1 1 122 236 16

Rideau Division scoring

Name Team G A PTS

Tom Dickson Gan 42 42 84

Matt Steele West 32 39 71

Steve Biscaro West 29 35 64

Lenny Horst Gan 29 27 56

Chris Easton Gan 24 32 56

Bill Donaldson West 29 25 54

Derek Rupert SG 21 33 54

Aaron Lynn West 15 38 53

Kyle Whiteford Bro 21 25 46

Scott Morrison West 23 22 45

David Lun SG 21 24 45

Kurt Keyes Gan 8 37 45

Skyler Hoar SG 16 27 43

Eric Hebert Gan 19 22 41

Brian Johnson Bro 18 23 41

Rideau Division goaltending

Name Team GA Min GAA

Greg Richardson SG 59 1,275 2.78

Tim Potter SG 54 1,156 2.80

Andrew Manuel Bro 101 2,079 2.90

James Lalonde Gan 105 1,424 4.42

John Sourwine Gan 76 1,000 4.56

Senior Giants volleyball team gains experience in Odessa

ODESSA - The South Grenville Giants senior girls volleyball team gained some valuable experience Saturday by competing in the Ernestown senior girls volleyball tournament in Odessa.

The Giants put together a 7-5 record on the day to finish third out of seven teams in the tournament.

South Grenville got off to a slow start with a pair of losses to Ernestown and Sydenham but rallied back to score a pair of victories over Renfrew, Adam Scott (Peterborough) and Cornwall Collegiate, before splitting games in their final two matches with TISS.

Giants coach Ann Drummond was happy with how the tournament played out for the South Grenville team, despite only fielding a team of eight players out of their regular 13-person roster.

"We played 12 games over the day and Alex (Ward) and Kristen (Jessome) played in all of them," said Drummond. "They both played well as did all our girls. This was good for a lot of our younger girls (Grade 10 & 11s); it gave them a chance to get some more minutes and get into different game situations. Also, it was good to see some teams from different regions we don't always play; those could be some of the teams we would see if we made it to EOSSAA."

South Grenville has a bye week Thursday but will conclude its regular season with a tournament Feb. 17 starting at 11:30 am at St. Mary Catholic High School in Brockville. The Giants will also host its 12-team tournament Saturday, Feb. 19 starting at 8:30 am. South Grenville is scheduled to play five matches.

Giants senior hoops has trouble at tourney

BELLEVILLE - The South Grenville Giants senior boys basketball team had problems with free throw shooting on the weekend at the Nicholson Senior Boys Basketball Tournament in Belleville.

The Giants played well all weekend, but had their problems from the line on their way to a 1-2 record.

The Giants opened the tournament with a 63-35 loss to
Father Leo Austin, which was a AAA OFSAA team last year, before coming out and defeating South Carleton 58-42. South Grenville trailed South Carleton 24-11 at the half but chipped away at the lead to eventually take control of the game and gain the victory.

The Giants dropped a close 55-51 decision to St. Joseph in their final game of the tournament.

Giants coach Jason Crotty was happy to see the team get a chance to play some strong competition at the tournament, but he indicated their shooting woes were a big problem.

"We just couldn't shoot free throws all weekend," said Crotty. "Our first game we didn't shoot well, and in our loss to St. Joe's we didn't hit our free throws and they hit all of theirs, which was the difference."

Crotty was happy with the strong performances he got from Andrew DeDekker and Curtis Bucking at the tournament, while adding Sam Whitley also came through with some strong play.

South Grenville hosted the North Grenville Knights in LGSSAA regular season play Tuesday and will travel to Elgin Thursday for the final regular season game against the Rideau Lions. The junior game will start at 3 pm with the senior game to follow at 4:30 pm.

Piranhas fall to SG Rangers #1

PRESCOTT - The Prescott Piranhas novice C house league team had a strong showing Jan. 24 but dropped a 3-1 decision to South Grenville #1.

Ryan Leggo scored a pair of goals for South Grenville #1, while Parker Grant added a single. Isaac Scott scored the Piranhas' lone goal on a breakaway, with Nick Grant and Matthew Dishaw picking up helpers.

Other members of the Piranhas include Jared Fortier, Samantha Adamczyk, Sophia bourgeois, Holly Bujacz, Sam Muise, Mason Wyatt, Tobin Wade, Bradlee Douesnard, Garrett Knapp, Ryan Wilson and Jordan Bernier.

SG atom C house #2 continues strong play

SPENCERVILLE - The South Grenville Rangers atom C house team #2 continued its strong play on the season with a number of league games.

On Jan. 17 South Grenville fell 3-2 to Brockville #1 at the Spencerville arena. Alex Boswall and Jesse Buchanan scored for the Rangers, while Joel Mintz and A.J. Larocque added assists. Brandon Finlayson had a strong game in goal for the Rangers.

On Jan. 16, the Rangers travelled to Brockville and scored a 4-2 win over the Brockville Firefighters. Curtis Patrick, Rick Heyman, Boswall and Larocque scored for South Grenville. Spencer Disheau, Buchanan and Buchanan chipped in with helpers.

On Jan. 15, South Grenville managed a 3-3 draw with Brockville #2 at the Cardinal and District Community Centre. Boswall led the Rangers with a pair of goals, while Mintz added a single. Holly Jones (2), Disheau (2), Finlayson and Allisa Harper added assists. Jonathan Bernier had a strong game in goal for South Grenville.

On Jan. 10, the Rangers dropped a 2-1 decision to Brockville #1 at the Spencerville arena. Boswall scored South Grenville's lone goal, while Nick Campbell added an assist.

On Jan. 9, the Rangers dropped a 5-1 decision to the North Leeds Stars in Westport. Disheau scored South Grenville's lone goal.

On Dec. 20, the Rangers travelled to Brockville and advanced to the final of the Jr. Braves atom house league tournament.

In their opener, South Grenville #2 scored a 3-1 win over Brockville #1. Buchanan led the Rangers with a pair of goals, while Mintz added a single. Larocque (2) and affiliate player Garrett Knapp added assists. Boswall had a strong game in goal for the Rangers.

In their second game, the Rangers managed a 1-1 draw with the Athens Aeros. Boswall scored the Rangers' lone goal, while Disheau added an assist.

They dropped a 3-0 decision to Gananoque in the final. Boswall had a strong game in goal for South Grenville.

On Dec. 19, the Rangers #2 travelled to Brockville and came away with a 3-2 victory over Brockville #1 in regular season play. Jones, Disheau and Boswall scored for South Grenville, while Disheau (2) and Boswall added assists. Finlayson had a strong game in goal.

Peewee Rangers #1 win tournament title

CARDINAL - The South Grenville peewee B Rangers #1 team is on a roll capturing the Petawawa house league tournament Feb. 4-6.

In their tournament opener, the Rangers scored an 8-1 victory over Arnprior #2. Rhys Larry led the Rangers with a hat trick, while Sean Perrin (2), Cory Robertson, Josh Mintz and Josh Jones also scored. Colman Colpitts (3), Pat Froom (2), Perrin, Taylor Garswood and Michael Lawless added assists.

In the second game, South Grenville scored a 6-0 shutout over the Kanata Spitfires. Perrin scored four goals to lead the Rangers, while Kyle McNamara and Robertson added singles. Robertson (2), Phil Biccum and Hunter McCarroll chipped in with helpers. Jacob Scott and Dustin Kester shared the shutout.

In their third game of the tournament, South Grenville scored a 4-0 win over the Pembroke Rockets. Robertson had a hat trick for the Rangers, while Colpitts added a single. Froom, Perrin, Larry and McCarroll added assists. Kester and Scott shared the shutout.

In their fourth game, the Rangers scored a 5-3 win over the Soo Greyhounds. Perrin led the Rangers with a hat trick, while Jones and Froom also scored. Robertson (2), Froom, Garswood, Mintz, McNamara and McCarroll added assists.

In the final, South Grenville scored a 6-0 win over the Petawawa River Rats. Perrin had a hat trick to lead South Grenville, while McNamara added a pair and Mintz added a single. Lawless, Garswood and McCarroll chipped in with helpers.

On Jan. 29, the Rangers scored an 8-1 regular season victory over Brockville #2 at the Brockville Youth Arena. Perrin scored four goals to lead the Rangers, while Mintz, Colpitts, McNamara and Jones added singles. Lawless (3), Dustin Miller (3) and Perrin chipped in with helpers.

On Jan. 28, the Rangers travelled to Clayton, New York and came away with a 6-4 win over Clayton. Mintz led the Rangers with a pair of goals, while Perrin, Jones, Colpitts and McNamara added singles. Perrin (2) and Miller chipped in with helpers.

On Jan. 24, South Grenville scored a 6-4 win over Brockville #1 at the Cardinal and District Community Centre. Perrin scored five goals to lead the Rangers, while Larry also scored. Garswood (2), Larry, Jones and McCarroll added assists.

On Jan. 20, South Grenville had to settle for a 3-3 draw with Louisville. Froom, McNamara and Perrin scored for South Grenville, while Ryan VanKoppen (2) and Miller added assists.

Final registration for lacrosse league to be held Feb. 12 and 17

BROCKVILLE - The Brockville Lacrosse Association, which is open to youth from South Grenville, will be holding its final
registration sessions this Saturday Feb. 12 and Feb. 17.

Both of the sessions will be held at the Brockville Youth Arena with Feb. 12 registration to run from 9 am until noon and the Feb. 17 session to run from 6:30 until 8:30 pm.

The association is open to both boys and girls born between 1989 and 2001. In order to register, birth certificates and a health card must be presented.

For more information, visit www.brockvillelacrosse.com.

Brockville and District Baseball early bird registration Saturday

BROCKVILLE - The Brockville and District Baseball Association is holding its early-bird registration this Saturday, Feb. 12.

The early-bird session is scheduled to run from 9 am until 1 pm at the Brockville Memorial Centre and will feature a reduced rate. The league will be using the Prince Street ball diamond in Prescott this year and currently has no out-of-town fees for South Grenville players.

House leagues are available for players between 13-15 years old, while there will also be peewee (12-13) and bantam (14-15) travelling rep teams which will play in the Ontario Baseball Association.

For more information on the league or registration, contact Rick Beer at 341-9255 or Glynn Edgar at 345-2738.

Let us know about upcoming events in sports and recreation

PRESCOTT - The Prescott Journal is interested in promoting local sporting
events, recreational activities of interest and achievements to residents of the South Grenville area.

If you have information you would like us to know, contact David Dickenson at 925-4265 or fax at 925-3472.

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