VOL. 175, NO. 7~ PRESCOTT, ONTARIO ~ February 16, 2005

Council appoints Buckler

Augusta deputy reeve spot became available when Doug Barton quit

By Blake McKim, Journal Staff Writer

MAYNARD - Augusta council has a new deputy reeve.

At Monday's regular meeting, township council voted unanimously to pass a bylaw which would make Bill Buckler the new deputy reeve.

"It's out of the question to pay for an election, so it should be the person who ran (who will be appointed deputy reeve)," stated Augusta Reeve John McCrea.

Buckler ran for deputy reeve in the 2003 election and got the second-highest number of votes. He is filling the vacancy left by Doug Barton, who resigned from the position Jan. 18.

Council was unanimous in its decision to pass the bylaw which would fill the deputy reeve chair by appointing Buckler. "I feel completely comfortable with that," stated Councillor John Fischl.

Councillor Garry Ferguson stated "the next one in line is my preference."

Councillor Pauline Cyr concurred, saying "The position should be offered to the person who ran for deputy reeve."

When Buckler will be officially "sworn in" as deputy reeve still has not been determined. "We'll give it (the bylaw) over to administration and we'll see," stated McCrea.

After hearing he would be appointed as deputy reeve, Buckler stated, "It's something I wanted to do when I ran... I feel I can do a good job at it."

When former deputy reeve Morris Stark resigned in 2001, the council of the day selected Barton - a councillor at the time - to be the new deputy reeve.

Council went on to appoint Buckler to succeed Barton as councillor.

THIS WEEK

Bridges to Better Business is today

PRESCOTT ­ Participants are reminded the Bridges to Better Business forum is set for today (Wednesday, Feb. 16) from 11 am to 4 pm at the Prescott Golf Club.

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

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

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

Bad forecast led to bus cancellation Monday

LEEDS AND GRENVILLE ­ The threat of mixed precipitation prompted school board officials to cancel buses for public and Catholic school students Monday.

Weather forecasts were indicating the freezing rain, sleet, snow and rain were possible Monday afternoon.

Some light mixed precipitation did fall in the Prescott area and changed to rain by early evening.

Although school buses remained off the roads Mondays, local schools were open.

Seaway group to meet on Saturday morning

PRESCOTT ­ The next meeting of the Seaway Ecumenical Group will take place this Saturday, Feb. 19 at 8 am at the St. Paul's United Church hall on George Street just north of Dibble.

The breakfast will include a presentation by local optometrist Dr. Jim Holmes, who will speak about eye care.

Tickets will be available at the door; all are invited to attend.

The ecumenical group provides a forum for like-minded individuals for fellowship and to express Christian faith in the community.

Still time for tickets to Yuk-fest at Legion

PRESCOTT ­ Tickets are going fast for the Yuk Yuks show to be held Saturday, Feb. 26 at the Prescott Legion.

Three comedians will perform at the two-hour show; doors open at 7 pm, and the show starts at 8.

Proceeds go to the cystic fibrosis association.

Tickets are available at the Legion, PlayitStar and from members of the Kinsmen Club of Prescott.

For more information, call Art Hitsman at 925-1315 or 213-1136.

Need for community suppers is still strong

Second year of program at Seaway Christian Church begins next week

By Tim Ruhnke, Journal Editor

PRESCOTT ­ The first anniversary of Master's Hands community suppers will be celebrated next week.

The monthly dinners for the less fortunate began last February at Seaway Christian Church on Churchill Road. Sixteen faithful volunteers continue to serve the meals in an effort to make things a little better for other people, according to Pastor Barry Edmondson.

"Prescott is a community where people seem to care about each other," he said.

Although there were about as many volunteers as there were diners at the first supper, the turnout increased in later months. The average is about 25 to 30. As many as 50 meals (including take-out) have been served in one night, according to Edmondson. Most of the diners live in Prescott; however, a few reside in outlying areas.

Edmondson said a couple of people at Seaway and at Harvest Church provide most of the food served at the Master's Hands suppers. Organizers receive a few other donations and have been able to serve a range of items throughout the year.

"Some months, it's tighter than others," the pastor remarked.

The need for the community dinners is apparent, according to the pastor. There were a lot of new faces at the January supper, he reported. "Now we have seniors who can't make ends meet," he added.

The possibility of making the community suppers a weekly event has not been ruled out, the pastor noted. For now, though, the dinners will remain on the fourth Wednesday of each month.

The February supper will be served next Wednesday, Feb. 23 from 5 to 6:15 pm.

To mark the first anniversary, a celebration brunch for volunteers will take place Saturday, Feb. 26. "Every time we have a supper, they're there," Edmondson said. "They don't even have to be asked."

Donations to the community suppers are welcome. For more information, call 925-5840.

Local EODF projects add up to $480,000

PRESCOTT ­ Funding from a new federal program is beginning to flow.

A total of $480,000 in Eastern Ontario Development Fund (EODF) money has been approved for projects based in Augusta, Prescott, Edwardsburgh/ Cardinal and North Grenville.

There is also additional money for regional projects, the details of which have yet to be announced.

Local delivery of EODF is being handled by Grenville Community Futures Development Corporation (GCFDC), the federally-funded agency based in Prescott.

GCFDC and 14 counterparts in the region are delivering the EODF program on behalf of Industry Canada and FedNor.

GCFDC Executive Director Heather Lawless told The Journal response to the program has been "incredible."

All elements of the program are now fully subscribed.

Some of the details of Grenville projects to receive EODF money have been made public. Additional information is expected to be released next Wednesday, Feb. 23.

Lawless indicated local funding has been spread throughout the GCFDC catchment area as much as possible.

"We believe we have been successful in doing that," she said.

The four EODF initiative areas (and how much money is going to projects in the GCFDC coverage area) are: skills development ($165,000); access to capital ($135,000); youth retention and attraction ($100,000); and business development ($80,000).

Funding applications were reviewed by GCFDC's volunteer board of directors.

"We are delighted to build on existing strengths in the local economy and diversify into other sectors," Renata Kimmerly, GCFDC chair, stated in an Industry Canada news release.

Based on contact with her colleagues in the region, Lawless does not expect there will be any money left in the original allotment to distribute to GCFDC or any other community futures corporations.

"Each CFDC will utilize every dollar available," she said.

Lawless acknowledged GCFDC declined to approve some local applications; in most cases, submissions did not meet eligibility criteria.

Some applications have been set aside and could receive funding if and when it becomes available, she noted.

Of the $10-million EODF, $1 million will cover regional projects.

Program funding was provided for as part of the federal budget last March. EODF was announced in May just before the federal election was called; program criteria were finalized and implemented in the fall.

In addition to distributing money from the Eastern Ontario fund, GCFDC took money from its own operating budget to supplement EODF support for three projects, including a Prescott downtown revitalization study.

Protests by landowners have merit, MPP says

By Blake McKim, Journal Staff Writer

BROCKVILLE - Leeds-Grenville MPP Bob Runciman is supportive of the protest held last Friday in Edwardsburgh/Cardinal by the Leeds-Grenville Landowners Associations and other groups and associations.

"I think they (protests) do have merit, if they're done in an orderly way" stated Runciman. He added the groups involved in the protest have conducted themselves in an "exemplary way" and have not run afoul of the law during their demonstrations.

He also stated "I think they've (the protests) been effective" at drawing attention to rural Ontario causes and getting municipal, provincial and federal governments to notice their dissatisfaction. "I really do think they have a point," he stated.

Runciman also agreed the current Ontario LIberal government is excessively regulating the people of Ontario. He made specific reference to Bill 170 as an example of this.

"The water regulations are going overboard," the Progressive Conservative MPP stated, adding that such legislation is an example of people from urban Ontario imposing regulations on the rural residents without knowing about the realities of rural life. "People who live in the big city have never been to a pot luck (dinner)," he stated.

Runciman also noted the urban demographics of the legislature could be a reason why it is introducing legislation which adversely affects rural residents. "The legislature is dominated by urban Ontario," he stated.

He added rural residents have to "focus on some of the Liberal backbenchers," to make sure their concerns about land legislation are heard.

"(Residents have to) zero in on individual members and let them know their jobs are in jeopardy if they don't heed the concerns of their constituents."

In addition, Runciman expressed concern the current minister of agriculture is perceived as not being a "strong advocate" for rural Ontario.

When asked about the fact that some of the issues which landowners associations have, such as property assessment under MPAC, stem from the time when Runciman's party was in power in Ontario, he stated "I'm not sure it's (property assessment) a real problem." He added MPAC is not one of the main concerns he sees mentioned when reading about concerns of property owners and farmers.

OPP ­ TOWNSHIPS NEWS

Several items taken from room at GCC

MAITLAND ­ A Feb. 7 break-in at Grenville Christian College that netted items totalling more than $2,000 is being investigated by Constable Bisson. The room of an employee had been entered. Reported missing from the room were an IBM laptop computer, Marc Ecko watch and Guess watch, Panasonic CD player and PlayStation2 controller, joystick and console plus several games.

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

Stolen tandem trailer valued at $12,000

EDWARDSBURGH ­ A trailer was stolen Feb. 8 from a vacant lot on County Road 2. The 48-foot 1985 Barrett aluminum tandem trailer has the word "SHARP" printed on its side. The unit has a value of $12,000. The investigating officer is Constable Lapensee, who can be reached at the OPP detachment in Prescott (925-4221).

Cottage entered through rear window

AUGUSTA ­ A break-in at a cottage on Myers Point Road was reported Feb. 10. The cottage had been entered through a rear window. There is no information at this time on missing items; the owner lives in Nepean and has been contacted. Constable Prophet is investigating.

Stolen and damaged mailboxes related

EDWARDSBURGH ­ A mailbox was reported stolen from an Armstrong Road residence Feb. 8. Other mailboxes in the area were found to have been damaged. Constable McDade is investigating.

Search of vehicle leads to drug possession charges

EDWARDSBURGH ­ Two people face drug possession charges in connection with the search of a parked vehicle early last week.

Constable Watson observed the vehicle parked on the southbound Highway 416 Feb. 7.

An investigation revealed one of the four occupants was wanted on a warrant issued in Quebec, according to an OPP news release.

The person was arrested, and the vehicle was searched. The search netted 30 grams of marijuana and a small bottle of GHB (the so-called date rape drug), police indicated.

A 22-year-old Prescott man was charged with possession of marijuana under 30 grams.

A 21-year-old Ottawa woman was charged with possession of GHB.

Money pours in

KINGSTON ­ Proceeds from Grenville County OPP's Coffee, Cops and Kids program were given to the Easter Seal Society during its Feb. 6 telethon.

Constable and Community Services Officer Gary Sluytman presented a cheque for $936 at the event televised on CKWS-TV. Officers collected tip money for pouring coffee at 730 Truck Stop north of Cardinal and Country Style in Kemptville late last year.

Car stolen from St. Lawrence driveway

PRESCOTT ­ Officers with the Grenville County OPP detachment responded to 55 calls for service in the Prescott patrol zone last week.

A white two-door 1991 Pontiac Sunbird was reported stolen from a St. Lawrence Street driveway Feb. 7. The car had Ontario plates ALPK 521. The vehicle has a value of $3,500. Constable Thompson is investigating.

While on foot patrol Feb. 11 at about 10:15 pm, Constable McConnell received a report from a man who indicated his hockey equipment had been stolen from the back of his pick-up truck. The truck was parked on Centre Street about 50 metres north of King Street. The value of the equipment was estimated at $600. The investigation is ongoing.

Two RIDE checks were conducted Feb. 12. The first took place on Churchill Road at about 3:30 pm. Constables McDade and Runciman stopped 50 vehicles; there were no impaired-related charges or suspensions, but two warnings were issued in connection with minor traffic violations. Constable Mike Lapensee, Sergeant Francis and Constables Thompson and McConnell took part in the second check on King Street at about 11:30 pm. Thirty vehicles were checked; there were no charges or suspensions.

Constable Foley conducted seat belt checks on Edward and Russell streets Feb. 9. One charge and several warnings for minor violations were issued. Constable Terry Foster also took part in one of the crackdowns on Edward Street. As a result of Constable Foley conducting radar enforcement, 13 drivers were charged with speeding.

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

Interim tax payments are due

PRESCOTT ­ Interim property tax bills in Prescott have been distributed.

The interim town notices represent 50 per cent of the 2004 tax bill.

Payments are due Friday, March 4.

Town library thanks Bell for answering the call

New technology, improved access result from grant

By Tim Ruhnke, Journal Editor

PRESCOTT ­ The Prescott Public Library is moving to the head of the class when it comes to accessibility and e-learning.

A grant of $28,500 from the Bell Canada Community Development Project has enabled the community facility to obtain equipment and software which will improve use of existing resources for people of all ages and needs.

The contribution was acknowledged at a special gathering held Monday afternoon at the library. Sandra Lawn of the Friends of the Library group said physical and intellectual accessibility are important elements of the facility.

As officials prepare for the public portion of a fundraising campaign to support library expansion and renovation, much of the technology associated with a modern library is already in place.

There are special software programs, electronic magnifiers, large print keyboards and new flat-panel monitors designed to improve reading, watching and listening accessibility.

Staff and volunteers received training on the additions last week. There is also mirror software available at all five schools in Prescott.

Library board Chairperson Brett Todd said the new materials represent a fantastic project for the facility. Having access to advanced technology is "...a great thing to have in a small-town library."

Prescott Mayor Robert Lawn, a former educator and principal at South Grenville District High School, said he is "excited as hell" about what is happening at the library. "Libraries are not going out of style," said Lawn, who added they need to become "much more valid for today's learners."

The mayor said the value of a library remains strong despite forecasts the era of books would be coming to an end. "The key room in any school is the library," Lawn said.

Bell representative Cheryl Burwash congratulated Prescott library officials for taking the initiative. "It is wonderful to see how you have embraced technology," she said. "Libraries are an important place in the community."

The expanded and renovated library is in the design stage. The board is putting the project out to tender in order to obtain a cost estimate which can be included in an Ontario Trillium Foundation grant application. The deadline to apply is March 1.

Based on rough estimates, about half of the money for the project (which totals at least $400,000) has been either raised or pledged, according to the friends group.

Burwash said she would like to come back and see the new equipment in action once the rejuvenation project has been completed.

"Hopefully, that will be sooner rather than later," library board Vice-Chair Gavin Robertson remarked.

The official public launch of the rejuvenation campaign will take place March 5. If all goes according to plan, construction could be completed this fall.

Volunteer appreciation afternoon for volunteers, sponsors of Shakespeare

Plans for 2005 festival to be outlined Saturday

By Blake McKim, Journal Staff Writer

PRESCOTT - To show their appreciation for the support of volunteers and corporate sponsors, the St. Lawrence Shakespeare Festival is holding a volunteer appreciation event this Saturday afternoon.

"We want to thank all the people who worked (on the festival)," stated festival board member Mary Lou Murray, who added more than 120 people volunteered with the festival in 2004.

She stated the afternoon will also help to get the ball rolling on the upcoming season.

She emphasized the 2005 season of the festival is definitely going ahead. "We have a director chosen... Deborah (Smith) was interviewing actors in Toronto last week," she stated.

Smith has served as the artistic director for the festival for the past two years and helped the board choose the play for the upcoming season based on a budget developed by the board. Twelfth Night was selected.

"It's a play Deborah felt you could do with the funds (available)," stated Murray.

The 2005 season of the St. Lawrence Shakespeare Festival is slated to run from July 1-23 at the amphitheatre.

The volunteer appreciation event is to be held in council chambers at town hall beginning at 2 pm. In addition to serving Valentine-themed refreshments, certificates of appreciation for volunteers and corporate sponsors of the festival will be presented.

Murray says the volunteer appreciation event will "start a plug for the upcoming season."

Murray also mentioned the board hired an intern who started Monday, Feb. 7. The worker is supposed to assist the festival with fundraising and marketing strategies and will help prepare grant proposals, and was hired under a grant provided by the Eastern Ontario Development Fund.

Councillor wants action on street name change

PRESCOTT ­ A Prescott councillor wants answers as to why a decision made by council a year ago has not been implemented.

Councillor Nancy Lane gave her colleagues notice of motion last week in connection with the renaming of Douglas Drive.

Lane contends there has been little or no action on the part of town officials to proceed with the change to which council agreed.

In her notice of motion, Lane calls for a sub-committee to be formed to review the matter.

The motion is to be introduced for discussion at the Feb. 21 council meeting.

Lane asked council in Dec. 2003 ­ shortly after the new council took office ­ to consider renaming Douglas Drive. She noted there is a stigma attached to the name, adding some residents supported changing the name. A new name would be one step in removing the negative perception of the street, according to the councillor.

The planning and development committee recommended in Jan. 2004 to rename Douglas Drive and to compile a list of names to be used for Douglas and other public roadways which need to be named. Public input was sought.

After several options were identified, Lane noted, council opted for Fort Town Drive.

Lane said she hopes giving the notice of motion will lead to action.

Food bank purchases Henry Street West building

By David Dickenson, Journal Staff Writer

PRESCOTT - The Food For All Food Bank has ensured its future in Prescott by purchasing the Henry Street building in which it is located.

According to Food For All Chairperson Neil Dufour, the food bank purchased the building from the Fahrngruber estate at the beginning of the year as way to help secure their future in the area.

"We bought the building at the first of the year," said Dufour. "There is a tenant in the back of the building which we will be collecting rent from to pay off the mortgage and other expenses we would incur."

Dufour indicated SS Performance Products is still the tenant and he hopes it will continue to be, given the only change will be whom to pay rent.

"We had been talking about this since Mr. Fahrengruber died," said Dufour. "There was another person who was looking at buying it and renting it to us and this was a way for us to have an income coming in to cover our costs."

Dufour indicated while the food bank owns the building the Fahrngruber estate will still own the mortgage, which will be paid off through income from the tenant in the building. The food bank made a down payment on the building and will cover the remainder of the cost through rent from their tenant.

"By having a tenant is the only we we could do this," said Dufour. "Otherwise we wouldn't be able to pay it off. We had the first option and we needed to make up our mind and went for it. We're very happy with the purchase; we know as long as we keep the tenant we'll have enough money for the mortgage and insurance."

Previously, the food bank had a special agreement with the Fahrengrubers in which no rent was charged.

The chairperson also indicated the food bank - a non-profit charitable organization run by a volunteer board of directors - is in the process of applying for a Trillium grant to help make repairs and fix up the building.

"We hope we get the grant," explained Dufour. "We hope to make it a little more pleasant for people to come in and we'd like to add a handicapped ramp."

Volunteer bureau offers tax return service at no cost

LEEDS AND GRENVILLE ­ The Volunteer Bureau of Leeds and Grenville is once again offering its community income tax program.

The bureau has trained income tax volunteers who complete returns for senior citizens, low-income individuals and families, the disabled, students and shut-ins. The service is free.

In addition to manual tax returns, the bureau now has fully computerized services and net-filing capabilities. Volunteers are also available to assist with a number of government forms and applications, including old age pension and disability credit.

For more information on these services, call the bureau at 342-7040. The office is located at 42 George St., Brockville.

Augusta residents say they have zoning concerns

Public meetings set for March in Maynard and Algonquin

By Blake McKim, Journal Staff Writer

MAYNARD - At Monday's regular meeting of council, several Augusta Township residents expressed concern about the township's new zoning bylaw.

"I'd like to know about EP (environmental protection) and how is affects our land," stated Jennifer Carbino, a resident who lives on the Sixth Concession in Augusta.

Township Reeve John McCrea was quick to point out that the zoning on the maps is not "written in stone." He said, "They're just drafts for making adjustments."

The maps were made available from the township's planner, Glenn Tunnock, on Jan. 27.

Maps of the new designations for regions of Augusta township were released Jan. 31 to several public places around the township, including the stores in North Augusta and Maynard.

The maps were prepared by Tunnock using information from the Ministry of Environment. McCrea stated the zoning bylaw in Augusta is 20 years old and needs to be changed.

He also acknowledged some of the regions on the map are "not correctly mapped," and mentioned even some of his own land has been incorrectly designated as a swamp when it is not.

"We're (council) concerned about this as well," added McCrea.

Councillor John Fischl agreed, saying "When we're doing the bylaw, we have to be reasonable."

In order to ensure zoning in the township is undertaken with the concerns of residents in mind, Augusta has made available its building inspector, Marcel Lavigne, on Wednesday and Friday afternoons from 1-4 pm at the township office to help residents better understand the zoning map of the township.

As well, the municipality has planned two public meetings, one on March 22 at the Maynard Recreation Hall and the other on March 30 at the Augusta Public Library in Algonquin.

The aim of the meetings is to address concerns about zoning and to obtain input about the zoning bylaw from township residents.

Council acknowledged the new zoning bylaw will not be put into place overnight, with Councillor Ferguson indicating it will be "six months at least" for a new zoning bylaw to be put into place.

"We're going to be sold on what's what before we pass the bylaw," stated McCrea.

Alkerton unhappy about way he was treated by township

Former Augusta dog-catcher feels he was forced to resign

By Blake McKim, Journal Staff Writer

AUGUSTA - Darcy Alkerton says several factors caused him to resign as Augusta's dog-catcher in mid-January.

At the January 24 meeting of township council, Reeve John McCrea said Alkerton - who had been in the position since 2001 - had resigned because his contract had not been negotiated in a timely fashion.

However, Alkerton contacted The Journal and spoke about his reasons for resigning. According to him, Augusta's Public Works director Ken Dickson told him at a Jan. 11 meeting at the township hall he would no longer receive revenue from dog tags sold at the township office. Alkerton said this was a main reason he withdrew his services.

However, Dickson told The Journal Alkerton's rights to monies from licences sold at the township office was never taken away, nor was his right to sell licenses taken away.

Instead, Dickson stated, the initial meeting with Alkerton was a review of the existing contract, not a contract negotiation. "There had been no decisions made, or suggestions of decisions being made when he resigned," Dickson stated. "It had not entered the negotiation stage whatsoever."

Dickson also stated it was "100 per cent his (Alkerton's) decision" to resign and that he was "shocked" upon hearing about the resignation. He also said if a decision was made by the township to change dog-catchers, council would make the decision, not him.

Augusta CAO Sharon Wilkinson said she couldn't comment on anything which went on at the meeting between Alkerton and Dickson because she didn't attend it.

Alkterton mentioned it was his feeling he was "forced to resign" by the township. "It takes 3/4 of my profits away if they take away (my right to sell) dog tags." However, he later stated that it was his feeling he would not be terminated from his position as dogcatcher, but that the selling of dog tags would be transferred from him to township bylaw officer Marty Lowson.

He said the 2005 dog tags were not made available to him, making him unable to do his job. Dickson did not make specific reference to the tags; however he did say Alkerton's right to sell dog licences was never taken away as Alkerton alleged.

Alkerton said the last straw came Jan. 19 when he responded to a call to capture two dogs on the Hillbrook Road. "I caught them and couldn't license them," he stated. "So I felt like my job was being taken away from me." He tendered his resignation the following day via e-mail.

While resigning as the dogcatcher, Alkerton also resigned as the township's livestock valuator, a position he had held since 2004 when the township's valuator left.

Alkerton said he believes there was a discrepancy between the amount he was promised as livestock valuator and the amount he actually received. Wilkinson stated that she was not aware of any discrepancy.

Alkerton also expressed concern a software program he created while working as the township's dogcatcher will not be returned to him.

"Augusta township did not pay me for the program," he stated. He added he developed the program to have a listing and description of all licensed dogs in the township. He stated he has been in contact with a lawyer to discuss how he can get the program back from the township. Dickson refused to comment on the software.

However, he did say the dog-catcher is required to keep a record of licensed dogs in the township.

Alkerton said he received $500 a month under his original contract. This amount was increased to $625 a month in Aug. 2004. During his time as dog-catcher, Alkerton received $6 per dog licence sold, with the remaining amount from each licence going to the township.

Dog licences in Augusta are sold for $15 per dog before March 31 and $30 per dog after March 31.

Alkerton stated he requested each year to have a new contract negotiated. However, he says his contract was not renegotiated until January 2005.

"I guess it was a big surprise (hearing about Alkerton's resignation)," stated Augusta Reeve John McCrea. The reeve added he was informed of Alkerton's resignation "very soon after" hearing about the resignation of Deputy Reeve Doug Barton.

McCrea said Alkerton is "good at what he does." The reeve added it wasn't his feeling contract negotiations were undertaken to "shut the door" on anyone.

"All I know is Ken (Dickson) negotiated the contract in the best interests of the township," McCrea stated.

Councillor Pauline Cyr also noted Alkerton's resignation came as a surprise to her. "I hadn't heard of his resignation before the council meeting (on Jan. 24)," she stated.

Cyr also mentioned it's her personal feeling that, if the software developed by Alkerton was done as part of his job, it should stay with the township.

Dickson stated it's his feeling that Alkerton was doing a competent job as dog-catcher of Augusta.

"We did not see any performance issues; (Alkerton was) very professional and very through." He also mentioned he feels the entire issue of Alkerton's resignation has been "blown out of proportion.

Prescott council appoints volunteers to serve on committees and boards

Committee and board appointments approved by Prescott council at its Feb. 7 meeting include the following:

* South Grenville Economic Development Committee: Graham Cudlipp, Heather Lawless, Judi Baril, Lewis Beach, Sandra Lawn, Shirley Ellis, Allan Norton, Wilf Peters, Robert Walker.

*Prescott Youth Centre Board: Laurie Kirkby, Robyn Demeule, Laurie Stoddard, Josh Rutter, Rev. Edmundston, Norman Lee, Sandra Kindhorn, Kerri Tristham, Frances Secord, Brent McAllister, Pearl King, Chuck Street

* Tourism Prescott Committee: Jim Bishop, J.P. Connell, Marianne Cooper, Jodie Cromb, Graham Cudlipp, Bob Millar, Libby Pilon, Sandra Robertson, Chris Vallom, Renata Kimmerly

* Property Standards Appeal Committee and Committee of Adjustment: Elizabeth McQuaig Newton, Norm Fortier, Phillip Blancher, Brian DesRochers, Scott Hubbard, Claire Worth, Rosemary Spencer, John Hnatchuk

*Walker House Board of Management: Vivienne Cudlipp, Valerie Schulz, Douglas Fraser, Anne Steiner, Betty Pillar, Ruth Wenger, Jeanne Chaters, Charles Steiner, Roland Barringer, Findlay Hill

* Prescott Public Library Board (appointed for 2005 and 2006): Christine Endicott, Lori Todd, Bonnie Reilly, Michelle Hache, Keith Lively, Adelle Throop, Brett Todd, Nancy McFarland.

* Prescott Kiwanis Skateboard Committee: Estelle Street, Eldon Bailey, Brenda Kenney, Norie Spence, Benita Adams, John Lane, Luke Smith, Chad Imrie, David Street, Kerri Tristam, Nancy McFarland, Lee Adams, John Somerville, Josh Smith, Casey Schmitt, Zak Dalton.

* Board of Directors for Rideau St. Lawrence Utilities Inc. (appointed for 2005 and 2006): Hugh George.

Diabetes information session to be held in Brockville

BROCKVILLE - Anyone concerned about diabetes is encouraged to visit a diabetes information session to be held Wed, Mar. 2 at 7 pm at the St. John Bosco Parish Centre (175 Windsor Dr.).

This session will involve diabetes educator, dietician Anne Garrett, speaking about "The Glycemic Index and Diabetes Nutrition." The meeting is free and open to the public.

For information, call (613) 542-3579.

Edwardsburgh to host interclub regional skating event next Saturday

SPENCERVILLE ­ The Spencerville arena will be the site of the Seaway Valley Recreational - Interclub figure skating event Saturday, Feb. 26.

At least 130 skaters from many communities in Eastern Ontario (including the host Edwardsburgh club) will take part in what organizer Holly Howard says is supposed to be a fun competition. Skaters will range in age from four to 18; medals will be awarded.

The interclub event begins at 8 am and will continue into the evening.

Admission is free.

Edwardsburgh last hosted the event in 1996.

Chamber directors meet on Thursday

JOHNSTOWN ­ The monthly meeting of the Prescott and District Chamber of Commerce board of directors will take place this Thursday, Feb. 17 at noon at the Bridgeview Restaurant.

The Chamber of Commerce will present its annual awards banquet Monday, March 7 at the Prescott Golf Club.

Council can learn from departure

By Blake McKim, Journal Staff Writer

MAYNARD - In the aftermath of the resignation of former Augusta deputy reeve Doug Barton, Councillor John Fischl read a prepared statement Monday night which offered a response to points Barton made in statements given to the press during the Jan. 24 council meeting.

"Let Mr. Barton's resignation send a wake-up call to this council and we take to heart his constructive criticism," Fischl stated.

Fischl went on to say it's his feeling in-camera discussions are being relayed to individuals outside the in-camera meetings. Fischl's statement also mentioned his concern regarding special interest groups, which he says "pressure council without solid documentation and reasonable alternatives."

In particular, he referenced the Leeds and Grenville Landowners Association, saying: "I personally resent members of the Leeds and Grenville Landowners group demanding that council and its committees do nothing without their input."

Councillor Garry Ferguson was visibly angered by Fischl's statement, saying maybe council will have to replace two councillors. Ferguson also said "I'm a member (of the Leeds-Grenville Landowners Association) and will speak my mind about it."

Fischl also stated council was elected to take advice from all sources without showing favouritism to any one source. In response, Reeve John McCrea mentioned "I think council always gives people the right to speak." Councillor Pauline Cyr agreed, saying council can't "muzzle" anyone.

Fischl also expressed a concern council does not always answer requests from township residents in the most timely way. Cyr stated "If someone gives a request (to council) we should respond as soon as possible."

Barton was in the audience at the meeting.

Magicians with local connection draw big crowds to shows at high school

Performances presented by Rotary Club of Prescott

By Blake McKim, Journal Staff Writer

PRESCOTT - Majinx is a family troupe of magicians who've travelled all over Canada.

However, Cynthia Martin of the group indicated the group likes smaller venues which allow them to interact with the audience.

"We prefer smaller crowds," stated Martin. She added Majinx, which includes her husband Lawrence Larouche, and children Zadia, 10 and Nathan, 15, thought the energy was "very good" at the show held Friday at 1 pm at South Grenville District High School.

Cynthia added she has a local connection to the Prescott area: her parents, Dave and Barbara Martin, live in town.

Cynthia and Lawrence have been performing together for 15 years. They added their children to the act in 2000 while performing at Paramount Canada's Wonderland.

The troupe has travelled all across Canada to perform; however with Nathan now in high school, Cynthia stressed they now tend to stay closer to home to perform and don't go on the road for extended periods as often. They live in an old church near Vankleek Hill.

The afternoon and evening performances of the Majinx magic show served as fundraisers for the Rotary Club of Prescott. The show included many illusions, and drew heavily on participation from the audience.

Members of the audience seemed to appreciate the show. "It was, like, really cool," said Lennon MacDonald, a Grade 5 student from Central.

She added that she had never seen a magic show before and her favourite part of the show was when "they cut her (Cynthia) in half."

According to Nellie Doherty, co-president of South Grenville's Interact club (the youth branch of Rotary), the afternoon show attracted more than 240 high school students, along with two classes from Central Public School in Prescott and several residents from Wellington House. "I was amazed with the turnout," she mentioned.

Former Rotary president Candy Alexander also stated she was pleased with the turnout for both shows.

"Earlier in the week we didn't know what to expect," she said, adding close to 500 people attended the evening show.

She also stated she was very impressed by the show herself. "In the whole audience, there was total participation. They have a great rapport with children and adults."

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

"Let Mr. Barton's resignation send a wake-up call to this council and we take to heart his constructive criticism."

Augusta Councillor John Fischl, referring to the departure of Doug Barton as deputy reeve

Editor's Notebook

AN ICE WAY TO ATTRACT VISITORS: If this community is serious about trying to market itself as a four-seasons destination, then it should do everything it can to encourage events such as the motorcycle races held on the ice at Elevator Bay Sunday afternoon.

The spectacle of seeing and hearing bikers speed around the frozen surface of the St. Lawrence drew a sizable crowd to Johnstown. The excitement of the races was obvious in the cheers and the comments from those in attendance. With word-of-mouth publicity alone, these races would attract even larger crowds to the bay if the Ottawa-based association which conducts the races chooses to return next year.

Events which promote culture and local heritage are an important part of Prescott's identity. The annual Fort Town concert series, Doors Open and the St. Lawrence Shakespeare Festival are assets to the community. However, there are many local residents who seem to have little interest in those events and activities. The ice drags represent an opportunity for the area to relate to a much different and fairly large segment of the population at home and from elsewhere.

The men and women who take part in the races, and follow those who do, comprise their own community; not unlike hockey families, they have a circuit (six weeks) and travel to a different location each weekend (next weekend is Perth, followed by Constance Bay). They go to restaurants and service stations; even if they don't spend more than a few hours here that first visit, maybe they will come back once they've seen the place.

This kind of opportunity is one of the main reasons the 2007 Ontario Senior Winter Games could generate a long-term return for the Brockville area. In addition to the 1,500 to 2,000 older adults who will come to the area to participate in the indoor and outdoor venues, some of these people might choose to return for a visit or even to live.

The people who stopped in Johnstown to check out the races seemed to enjoy what they saw. This Frost Festival event should serve as an example of the positive economic impact outdoor winter events can have on our community.

PRIME TIME: The recent appearance by former prime minister Jean Chrétien at the sponsorship inquiry made for interesting television on a number of fronts, but the theatrics only served as a distraction from the intended purpose of the process.

We may never know who knew what when it came to the federal program which pumped millions of dollars into Liberal-friendly companies in Quebec with little or no return to the taxpayers of Canada. What we do know is too many people in high places ­ including the current and former PM ­ maintain they did not know what was going on at the time.

That does not come close to passing the smell test.

Tim Ruhnke

No one should have to sit back and take bullying

BLAKE'S TAKES by Blake McKim

Last week, I attended a presentation on the topic of bullying featuring Dr. Tina Daniels, a Carleton University professor with a lot of experience with the issue.

The seminar really hit home because I was bullied when I was younger.

It didn't get really bad until high school. I still remember the terror of walking down hallways crowded with people and hoping none of them would say anything to me, stare me down or shove me around.

At first it was the big kids. I must've been called a "fag" a million times my grade 9 year, and was so petrified of what the older kids would do to me I avoided parts of the school. The library became a safe haven and I spent virtually all my between-class time there.

I told myself the taunts, stares and violence I experienced would get better as I got older and moved up the social ladder. But it wasn't to be. As I got older, the bullying and harassment started to come from people in lower grades instead.

By Grade 12, I'd had enough. I decided to take some action by informing the vice-principal of the school it was happening to me.

Strangely enough, this strategy worked. It surprised me because I never thought telling about bullying actually did any good. And because I finally stood up for myself, being bullied and harassed greatly lessened during my last year of high school.

A main point Dr. Brown stressed is the importance for bullied individuals to speak up and tell a person in authority it's happening.

When I think back to my high-school days, I realize speaking up and telling someone about it was the only strategy for dealing with bullies that worked. I'd encourage anyone who is being bullied to do so, and not endure bullying and harassment endlessly and silently.

* * *

I'd now like to take the opportunity to offer my "two cents" on the protest which happened last Friday.

From my perspective, the issues which landowners and other associations were protesting against are worthy of consideration and debate. I know rural Ontarians are tired of the barrage of restrictions which limit their freedom and require costly changes to their facilities. I also know first-hand how difficult being an Ontario farmer can be at the best of times.

However, I also know that, when holding a protest like the one last Friday, the participants run the risk of obscuring their message and making the people who are inconvenienced by the protest angry at them.

I didn't talk to any people who personally had a problem with being stuck in traffic as the convoy travelled its route, but I know if I were stuck in traffic for half an hour or longer for a protest, I might not be totally sympathetic to the cause.

One thing I can say for certain is that I'm glad the "Stop the Destruction" convoy progressed in an orderly fashion and that it caused no accidents or altercations. I don't think anyone involved would have liked to see something bad happen because of their actions.

Teachers receive increase of more than 20 per cent: 1975

FROM THE ARCHIVES

February 19, 1975

* High school teachers with the Leeds and Grenville Board of Education have a new one-year agreement which provides for a 20-per-cent increase in their compensation package. The starting salary for a first-year teacher is now $9,386. Salaries in the highest grid range from $11,575 to $20,706.

The final paragraph of the agreement notes a mutual agreement there shall be no strikes or lockouts relating to items contained in the agreement.

* The Maitland Chimo Winter Carnival basked in sunshine and seasonal temperatures this past weekend. More than 300 people lined up for the pancake breakfast at Maitland Public School. First prize in the snow sculpture contest was awarded to Ron VanKeeken for his model of Venus De Milo. The firemen claimed victory over the Kinsmen in the tug-of-war challenge.

* Although no one in South Grenville became a millionaire as a result of the third Olympic Lottery draw, both Peter Steenwyk of RR#2 Prescott and Grant Steeves of Johnstown won $5,000. Proceeds from the draws are to be used to help fund the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal.

* South Grenville District High School will host the upcoming Sears Drama Festival. Appearing in the school's entry, the satirical comedy The Real Inspector Hound, are Steve Dashney, Sharon Hardy, John Fahrngruber, Mike Rayvals, Brad Hannah, Paul Fortier, Susan Baker and Kelly Coligan.

* Hodgson's General Store in Maynard is selling Western cow beef (sirloin or T-bone) for 99 cents a pound.

Homophobes accuse SpongeBob of promoting gay lifestyle

FROM THE OTHER SIDE by Jeffrey Morris

I have to admit I have enjoyed sitting back and watching the letters to the editor fly over the issue of gay marriage. The liberals are calling the conservatives intolerant, and the conservatives are calling the liberals immoral. The local Tory MPs have had their say, standing up for the noble traditions of matrimony, and the readers have let them have it.

Frankly, I enjoyed the diversion and the reprieve from the hate mail directed at me, though we know that will start up again when the soon-to-be-on-strike elementary school teachers get a venomous dose of reality when their extended summer vacation begins.

I tried not to get involved in the gay-straight morality debate, but now, something has finally pushed me over the edge.

James Dobson, founder of Focus on the Family and a conservative Christian radio host, has done the unthinkable. He has dragged SpongeBob SquarePants into the debate.

SpongeBob, evidently, promotes homosexuality. So does Barney. The line has been crossed. The Fonz has jumped the gay marriage shark.

It all started in November, when the Sister Sledge disco song We Are Family was video-recorded by SpongeBob, Dora the Explorer, Arthur, the Rugrats, and other popular animated characters. Music industry mogul Nile Rodgers, a co-writer of the song, coordinated the event for the We Are Family Foundation as a response to the 9-11 attacks of 2001.

The mission is to celebrate our common humanity. The video aims to "promote tolerance and diversity to America's children." The group will be distributing the video to schools throughout America, hoping it will be played March 11, which it has proposed as National We Are Family Day.

Dr. Dobson, however, recently called the video a "pro-homosexual video" and spoke as if the package that is going to schools contains pro-gay propaganda.

Again, it's SpongeBob SquarePants.

There is a tolerance pledge on the We Are Family website that says, "I pledge to have respect for people whose abilities, beliefs, culture, race, sexual identity or other characteristics are different from my own."

Dobson and many other activists have read this pledge to be pro-homosexual.

Again, it's SpongeBob SquarePants. Is he promoting gay lifestyle? Or is he, along with his friends, simply saying that we should not hate people because they are different?

Dr. Dobson, on his Web site, wrote "these popular animated personalities are being exploited by an organization that's determined to promote the acceptance of homosexuality among our nation's youth."

Have a Krabby Patty, Doc. It's SpongeBob, not The Crying Game.

What will be next?

Thank goodness NHL hockey is cancelled, because grown men hug each other after every goal. Don Cherry and Dougy Gilmour even shared a kiss on the cheek on Coach's Corner once. Dr. Dobson would assume that hockey promotes homosexuality.

And look at football, with the quarterback putting his hands where they should never go to get the snap, and all that butt patting, and Randy Moss and his lewd end zone acts.

Just watching the game almost wants to make you dress in drag and throw on a Kenny G CD. Football, therefore, promotes homosexuality.

They hug in soccer, but they are all European so they fall into that new Metrosexual category, so I guess that's okay.

But what about SpongeBob? How can my favourite cartoon character restore his respect among the Homophobes? What if they did a SpongeBob Mardi Gras episode, where he threw beads at Sandy the Squirrel? Maybe there could be a SpongeBob Gone Wild video. Then his heterosexuality would be properly restored.

Then again, now that I think of it, I doubt that SpongeBob promotes homosexuality nearly as much as the Teletubbies and the Boohbahs promote marijuana and mushroom use among college and university students.

It really is ridiculous.

What SpongeBob and his friends are trying to teach us is to respect and have tolerance for those with innate differences. Nothing more.

If two gays want to marry, I don't see what the big deal is. I find the whole thing much more acceptable and much less repulsive than the thought of Charles and Camilla getting married. Eeeewwwww!

And while we're at it, maybe it's time someone told Dr. Dobson to focus on his own family and not ours

After all, Bob's just a talking sponge.

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

Biased Remarks column dismay and appall reader

The Editor;

I can't believe the audacity of some reporters. As one of many unhappy readers of your latest Club House Remarks concerning the blocking of the 401 and bridge Friday, Feb. 4 (ie Rural Revolution), I am dismayed and appalled at your lack of information. Yours was the only article in numerous papers that was of a negative attitude towards our cause.

Beef farmers, tobacco farmers, campground owners, sawmill operators, church halls, recreation groups, county fairs and rural landowners, just to name a few, are all being negatively affected by the government's intervention. This rally was part of an initiative to gain government awareness after many unanswered phone calls, e-mails and letters to Mr. McGuinty.

In response to your remarks concerning Queen's Park and Parliament Hill, there was a protest at Parliament Hill a little over a year ago that resulted in little, if any attention. There is a demonstration scheduled at Queen's Park in approximately one month as well as a protest blockade of the 401 at Curry Hill Feb. 18. We welcome all members of the public and reporters like yourself to come and join us; perhaps it will help you to be more informed of what has and will be taking place.

As far as safety was concerned there were numerous meetings between association members and the OPP to ensure the utmost safety for everyone, including uninvolved motorists.

Perhaps you're not a landowner yourself so you're not feeling the government's crunch yet as so many others are. From the media coverage of the Rural Revolution, I felt that the vast majority of support was positive. In general, motorists did not seem too displeased with the disruption; perhaps they are aware of what's going on and realize that they could be next.

As the daughter of Leeds and Grenville Landowners Association members, I felt a lot of malcontent when reading your article. All reporters should be properly informed so as to not misinform the public based on their bias.

Each level of government ­ municipal, provincial and federal ­ needs to realize its laws and regulations are killing our very livelihood. I urge you and anyone else not already involved to take a stand with us. Together, we will make a difference.

Carla Kroot
Third-year student,
Carleton University

SCHOOL SCENE

Algonquin Public School: The small school with the great spirit has an exciting week of special activities planned for its winter carnival.

Monday is red/white/pink day. Under the guidance of library technician Laurie Young, students have made special valentines for veterans. On teddy bear Tuesday, students bring their favourite teddy to an assembly that will feature a recital by Lucyna Hejnar's piano and violin students. On Wednesday (school colour day), students will don their skates for a trip to the Youth Arena followed by a cup of hot chocolate courtesy of dad Steve Hoyland.

Thursday is recycled hat day; perhaps there will be some more outside fun for staff and students. And, of course, raffle tickets and Hershey nuggets will be sold all week for the Grade 5 trip.

The carnival draws to a close with none other than funny hair Friday. Students will bring games to play together while school council provides students a hot lunch including a homemade cookie.

Benson Public School: Students of the week were recognized on Friday at our weekly assembly. These students are Kadena Walter, Haley Grant, Nicolas Tobin, Marie Armstrong, Cody Imrie, Joey Coville, Brent Lanktree and Chris Sherman.

This is winter carnival week. Monday, we had a dance; Tuesday was pajama day, and today the children go skating. Thursday is our talent show and Friday is gum day with a bubble-blowing contest.

Students continue to collect pennies for Easter Seals. There is stiff competition to raise the most money. The winning class receives a pizza party.

The magazine catalogues for our fundraiser will be sent home March 9. If you don't want to wait, you can renew a subscription or order a new magazine at www.qsp.ca at any time. Our school number is 10394. There is a spot for your child's name for the incentive program. The fundraiser has the potential to be an ongoing source of income while promoting literacy.

Boundary Street Public School: Grade 8 students will be visiting South Grenville District High School Thursday, Feb. 17. Students will have an opportunity to rotate through a number of classes throughout the day and students and parents are then invited to tour SGDHS and hear about Grade 9 programs at 7 pm.

The primary division students (grades 1, 2 & 3) will be having a bake sale during recess on Wednesday, Feb. 23. Reading, writing and math skills will be emphasized in this fun activity.

On Feb. 7, the recognition awards assembly was held focusing on respect. The following are some of the students were recognized: Respect ­ Norman Aubin, Jamie Wallace, Ben Pickard; Academic ­ Jonathon MacDougall, Blake Johnson, Courtney Lyttle, Desi Marchand, Taylor Fournier; Students of the Month ­ Connor McCorkell, Brody Gauvreau, Tara Bailey.

The Kindergarten open house will be held Monday, Feb. 21 from 6-7 pm.

Hot lunch this week is subs.

Central Public School: The final total for tsunami relief is $700. Congratulations, students, on your hard work for this cause.

Staff and students wish Ms. LaCelle every success in her new career in South Korea. We welcome Ms. Murdock to the Central staff.

Hot lunch this week is hot dogs.

Friday, Feb. 18 is our dance for grades 5-8.

St. Joseph Catholic School: Congratulations to our Peacemakers: Erin Wynands, Christina Simpson, Bridget Cleary, Taylor Kavanaugh, Courtney Sexton, Brooke Sexton, Luke Severson, Tori Barabash, Cameron Verstegen and Chris Walasek.

Mrs. Hubbard's Grade 4H class facilitated our Ash Wednesday celebration. Cameron Verstegen and Chris Walasek were instrumental in providing a powerpoint presentation for Testify to Love.

On Feb. 9, students from St. Joe's travelled to Brockville for a day trip. The students received a tour at East Side Mario's, then they were treated to a spectacular complementary lunch. Following lunch, the students enjoyed an afternoon of swimming at the YMCA.

Winter Activity Week is coming up Feb. 21-25! Be prepared for tug of war, skiing and tubing, basketball free throw and Who Wants to be a Millionaire. Wear your team colours Monday. Showcase your bad hair Tuesday. Turn those clothes inside out Thursday. Paint your face Friday.

On Monday, Feb. 21, there will be a meeting at St. Mark's Church for parents of students making their confirmation this spring.

St. Mark Catholic School: This week, we welcome our new Kindergarten students and their parents for registration interviews.

Any parent who has a child who will four years of age by Dec. 31, 2005 or a child who will be five years of age by Dec. 31, 2005 are encouraged to call the office at 925-3581 to arrange for an appointment to register their son or daughter for Junior or Senior Kindergarten in September.

School council meets this evening at 7 pm in the school library. All parents are invited to attend.

Hot lunch this week is hamburgers.

South Edwardsburg Public School: Our student council, along with the grade 7/8 class, have done a tremendous job organizing Spirit Week.

Each day of the week, students wear theme apparel. Today is sports clothing day. Thursday is pajama/stuffed animal day, and Friday is school colours day.

To end our week, students will participate in activities and fun in the snow Friday. Hot chocolate and a pizza party will be provided by parent council.

Today, our Grade 8 students are attending an orientation and information day at South Grenville District High School.

Hot lunch today is chicken nuggets.

Tell us where and we'll go

WALKER HOUSE NEWS by MARNIE LIPPIATT

Thursday afternoon, the "Bunka Babes" served a delicious lunch to their members and some lucky guests. Chili and soup, garlic breads and decadent desserts were on the menu.

We are planning a trip for the summer or fall, but we need some input. Would you prefer a trip to the Stratford or Niagara-on-the-Lake area to take in a couple of plays or a more northerly drive and take in a theatre and some jazz music?

We will book the trip with the most interest. Please call 925-5300 for more information. Members have first choice on our trips, but others are welcome as we will have extra seats.

Card game winners: Monday afternoon bridge ­ 1st, Ruth Britnell; 2nd, Betty Morris; door, Eleanor Hatch. Fun bridge ­ Dorothy Durant. Thursday night euchre ­ 1st, Jeannine Marion; 2nd, Micheline Cook; 3rd, Mary Reynolds and Gladys Somerville; door, Dora Cook.

Community supper set for next week

PRESCOTT ­ The next Master's Hands community supper will be held Wednesday, Feb. 23 at Seaway Christian Church in Prescott.

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

Admission is free; all are invited to attend.

Seaway Christian is located on Churchill Road at Massie Drive.

Your Credit Union opens doors at temporary home in Cardinal

ATM will be installed at permanent location

By David Dickenson, Journal Staff Writer

CARDINAL - Your Credit Union has opened its doors in Cardinal.

The Eastern Ontario-based credit union, which made the decision to come to Cardinal after the TD Bank decided to check out of the community in March, is housed in a temporary location at the former Cardinal Public Library.

Your Credit Union branch General Manager Kelly MacDonald indicated they had opened the doors to their temporary location Monday morning to allow customers to sign up and fill out the appropriate paper work to be able to transfer their accounts before the TD closes.

"We're going to be open from 10 am until about 4 pm Monday until Friday this week," MacDonald told The Journal Monday. "Over the next couple weeks, the hours will be a little more sporadic because I am also still working in Williamsburg."

While the credit union will not be open for financial transactions for a couple weeks, MacDonald expects a safe and alarm to be brought into the credit union in a couple weeks when they plan to start most of their banking services.

While a lot is still up in the air, MacDonald explained there will be news to report in the coming weeks.

"Though we don't know how long we're going to be here or when people will need us to be open, we'll be doing what we can," indicated MacDonald. "We need to see where the needs are and we do know we will be open five days a week, including Fridays."

With little fanfare at the opening, MacDonald is excited and hopeful about the prospects in the village.

"We've already had two people in this morning filling out papers," said MacDonald. "It's a bit ironic for me. It was almost a year ago we did this in Williamsburg and it's been doing really well. It'll probably take a week or two to get moving. We won't be making a lot of money transactions until we get our safe."

MacDonald indicated the process to make the credit union a permanent fixture in the village is well under way with new staff expected to be hired shortly and a bid placed for a full time location.

"We're holding interviews for staff on Thursday," explained MacDonald. "We have local people being interviewed for likely one full-time position and up to about three part-time positions. We're not sure how many yet, because we don't know the needs."

MacDonald continued, "Things are really moving and it'll be getting quite busy. We're looking into putting a bid in for the TD bank building as our permanent home, but that's all in the hands of (our Chief Executive Officer) John Ebsary. We'll likely be here for a couple months before we can get everything straightened out and moved over and we won't be getting an ATM machine until we move to our permanent home and make renovations to house it."

On The Beat

Meet community services officer Holly

In an effort to make the community more familiar with the Ontario Provincial Police officers who serve in the Prescott area, I figured I'd start with a name you have read repeatedly in the local papers: myself, Holly Howard.

I joined the OPP in 1993 after graduating from high school in Kemptville in 1991. I grew up in the police lifestyle - my father retired from the Kemptville OPP in 1998 after almost 30 years. My first detachment was Perth - now Lanark County OPP ­ and I spent five years there.

Being the first recruit in almost five years to go to Perth, I was fortunate to have a great deal of support and "fatherly" advice from the senior members.

In 1998, I transferred to Kemptville and then to Prescott in Sept. 1999.

My experiences over the years have afforded me the opportunity to take several courses involving abuse issues and my interests remain victim-oriented. I became the community services officer for Prescott Detachment after my return from maternity leave in January 2002.

After having three children (all girls 8, 6 and 3), I took the position to allow for both aspects of my life to work together - Officer Holly and Mom.

I fully enjoy working with the community and teaching VEP (Very Effective People) to the Grade 6 students in the schools in the townships of South Grenville. I especially enjoy the time I get to spend once VEP is complete with all of the students talking about safety, bullying or simply talking, making them comfortable with approaching the OPP officers in their communities, even to say hi.

My off-duty time is spent as "Mom": running to the rinks in Spencerville and Nepean, Sparks & Brownies, etc.

In the summer, I spend a lot of time in my flower gardens and outside on our farm.

Submitted by Constable Holly Howard, community services officer for Grenville County OPP and an 11-year veteran of the service.

Council meeting is cancelled

SPENCERVILLE - Council in Edwardsburgh/Cardinal has cancelled the regular council meeting scheduled for Monday, Feb. 21.

Council agreed to cancel the meeting because there would not be enough members present to meet quorum, given the majority of council would be away at the Rural Ontario Municipalities Association meeting "good roads" convention in Toronto.

Mayor Peggy Taylor indicated the meeting could be rescheduled if a matter which required immediate attention arose.

The next scheduled meeting of township council is Monday, March 7 at 7:30 pm.

Jr. B Rangers capture 2004-05 Rideau Division title

By David Dickenson, Journal Staff Writer

CARDINAL - The South Grenville Jr. B Rangers are the 2004 Eastern Ontario Jr. B Hockey League Rideau Division Champions.

The Rangers clinched the title after a big final week of the regular season with a pair of wins and a draw against Akwesasne, Brockville and Gananoque.

For South Grenville, the playoffs were the important thing, but coach Rod Simmons indicated being division champions has meant a lot to the players.

"We've asked the guys to focus on one game at a time all year and they've done that," said Simmons. "They're a proud group and they always wanted to play well at our local arena and in front of our fan base; they only lost two games at home this year. They were awful proud to bring something like that to South Grenville."

Rangers overager Lucas Spencer added, "This was really nice to end the season on a high like this. I was here when the team wasn't this good and this is a nice change. It feels really good. I hope we just keep playing hard, because this is my last year and I'm really enjoying the ride."

After a disappointing last-second loss to Athens last week, the Rangers came out fired up and scored a 4-0 shutout over the Akwesasne Wolves on Cornwall Island. Greg Richardson had a strong performance in goal, backstopping the shutout. Adam Lawrence scored a pair of goals for the Rangers, while Brandon Kelley and Matt Bailey added singles. Andrew Fortier (2), David Lun, Adam Tousant, Jason Whelan and Dustin Swan added assists.

In Cardinal Saturday, South Grenville came out guns-a-blazing to taking an early 3-0 lead in the first period, on their way to an 8-6 win over the Brockville Tikis.

Veltkamp and Lawrence each scored a pair of goals for the Rangers, while Spencer, Swan, Brandon Kelley and Mark Williams added singles. Lawrence (4), Spencer (3), Veltkamp (3), Alex Rees (2), Bailey, Julien Francis and Williams added assists.

"We figured we would experiment with a new line," said Simmons. "We wanted a power line and it worked really well for us. Our defence played well in the third and (Tim) Potter did well in the third period to help us solidify the win over Brockville.

On Sunday, the Rangers travelled to Gananoque and battled the Islanders to a 3-3 draw. Lawrence, Julien Francis and Skyler Hoar scored for the Rangers, while Spencer, Lun, Selleck and Bailey added assists.

The Rangers finished the season with a 32-6-6 record and 70 points, nine ahead of the second place Tikis.

By winning the division, South Grenville takes the top Rideau division seed and will play the Westport Rideaus in the first round playoff match-up. The Rideaus finished fourth in the division with a 19-21-1-3 record and 42 points. Simmons indicated the Rangers will be ready for the series, but it won't be an easy victory.

"It should be a good series," said Simmons. "We want to play tough and be physical against Westport."

The Rideaus also managed a victory over the Rangers in the finals of the Boxing Day tournament in Westport

The Rangers opened their playoff series tonight at 7:15 pm in Cardinal. Game two will be held Thursday night in Westport and Game 3 will be Saturday night at 7:30 pm at the Cardinal and District Community Centre.

Rideau-St. Lawrence Jr. B Hockey League

Rideau Division

Teams GP W L T OTL GF GA Pts.

South Grenville 44 32 6 6 0 231 124 70

Brockville 44 29 12 2 1 199 145 61

Gananoque 44 22 19 2 1 224 203 47

Westport 44 19 21 1 3 225 221 42

Athens 44 7 35 1 1 127 259 16

St. Lawrence Division

Teams GP W L T OTL GF GA Pts.

Alexandria 45 28 15 0 2 175 153 58

Kemptville 44 27 13 3 1 223 166 58

Char-Lan 45 23 19 2 1 203 179 49

Winchester 45 21 18 4 2 206 194 48

Akwesasne 44 21 20 2 1 180 171 45

Morrisburg 45 10 32 1 2 153 248 23

Rangers playoff schedule

Game 1 Westport @ South Grenville

Wednesdsay, Feb. 16, 7:30 pm

Game 2 South Grenville @ Westport

Friday, Feb. 18, 8:15 pm

Game 3 Westport @ South Grenville

Saturday, Feb. 19, 7:15 pm

Game 4 South Grenville @ Westport

Friday, Feb. 25, 8:15 pm

Game 5 Westport @ South Grenville (if necessary)

Saturday, Feb. 26, 7:15 pm

Game 6 South Grenville @ Westport (if necessary)

Tuesday, March 1, 7:30 pm

Game 7 Westport @ South Grenville (if necessary)

Wednesday, March 2, 7:30 pm

Final Rangers scoring leaders

Name GP G A Pts.

Derek Rupert 42 21 33 54

David Lun 42 21 27 48

Skyler Hoar 40 18 27 45

Adam Lawrence 43 21 21 42

Matt Bailey 43 17 24 41

Adam Tousant 42 17 19 36

Alex Rees 41 15 21 36

Eric Selleck 36 17 16 33

Julien Francis 33 15 17 32

Peter Veltkamp 41 9 20 29

Jason Whelan 34 9 14 23

Brandon Kelley 42 6 15 21

Mark Williams 43 6 13 19

Andrew Fortier 32 7 10 17

Dustin Swan 34 9 8 17

Ryan Sullivan 42 3 12 15

Lucas Spencer 10 1 7 8

Ben Bowden 33 2 3 5

Ryan Landon (AP) 4 1 4 5

Braeden Miller (AP) 4 2 0 2

Josh Rupert (AP) 3 0 1 1

Nick Maggio (AP) 1 0 0 0

Name GA Min GAA

Greg Richardson 65 1,375 2.84

Tim Potter 57 1,241 2.76

Rangers take home awards

BROCKVILLE - The South Grenville Jr. B Rangers were well represented in the Rideau St. Lawrence Jr. B awards announced Monday.

Four Rangers took home main awards in the division, including Peter Veltkamp being named the Rideau Division's best defenceman, Derek Rupert being named the Sportsmanship and Ability award winner and the goaltending tandem of Greg Richardson and Tim Potter winning the goals-against-average award.

Veltkamp was named to the Rideau Division first-team all-stars, along with the Rangers coaching staff of Rod Simmons, Mark Armstrong and Cahl Gerow. Simmons and Armstrong were also named first-team general managers.

Left winger David Lun, defenceman Alex Rees and goaltender Richardson were named to the Rideau Division's second-team all-stars, while Tim Potter was named to the rookie all-star team.

Midget hockey tournaments filling up

By David Dickenson, Journal Staff Writer

CARDINAL - It's nearing hockey tournament time again, but there will be a different element to this year's tournaments; the minor midget and major midget events will be held on different weekends.

The minor midget tournament will run from March 10-13 in Cardinal and feature a mix of Canadian and American teams battling it out for bragging rights and notice from the scouts in attendance.

Despite not all teams being confirmed, joining the host South Grenville Rangers B in the tournament will be the Spencerville-based Rideau-St. Lawrence Kings AA, the New England Falcons AAA, Kanata Blazers AA, Rochester Americans AAA, Richmond Hill Stars AAA, Monroe County Eagles AAA, Buffalo Saints AAA and St. Catharines Sabres AAA. Organizers are hoping to solidify the remaining openings in the field shortly, talking with the likes of the Don Mills Flyers, Seaway Valley Rapids, Buffalo Regals, Wheatfield (Rochester) Blazers, Syracuse Stars and Welland Tigers as well as numerous other teams.

"We're just working at having another successful tournament," said minor midget tournament chairperson Carolyn Mason. "We'd love to have 16 teams here, especially with the tournaments split up this year, but it's going to be tough. The March break is not helping us in any way."

The major midget tournament in Prescott will be held March 31-April 3 at the Leo Boivin Community Centre.

The tournament is entering its 33rd year and expects to be bigger and better than ever with more time and facilities available for the organizers to make the tournament a success.

The South Grenville Rangers B will once again do their best with hosting duties and playing teams three to four levels above their league, but are hoping for a good showing. Joining the Rangers will be one of last year's crowd favourites the Calgary Buffalo Rangers AAA as well as the London Jr. Knights AAA, New England (Springfield) Falcons AAA, East Valley Cobras AA, Kitchener Jr. Rangers AAA, Seaway Valley Rapids AAA, Rochester Americans AAA, Clarington Toros AAA, Mississauga Jr. Ice Dogs AAA, Central Ontario Wolves AAA, Rayside Balfour Sabrecats AAA and Team Ohio AAA.

While not quite filled tournament board member Tracy Swan indicated he expects a full field for the final weekend of March and the start of April.

"We're sitting at about 12 teams right now, but things should fill up quickly with the playoffs ending for a lot of teams," said Swan. "It should be another good fundraiser and some good hockey for everyone to watch."

The tournaments act as the top fundraisers to help keep registration costs down for kids in the South Grenville Minor Hockey Association.

Anyone interested in volunteering for the tournaments should contact Tracy Swan at 925-3686 or 498-8033.

Giants volleyball teams hoping for big week

PRESCOTT - The South Grenville Giants girls volleyball team has a big week travelling to St. Mary in Brockville Thursday for the final regular season games of the LGSSAA volleyball season.

Hosting duties for the LGSSAA tournament are on the line as the Giants and Gananoque Trojans each have a 32-12 record with 16 games remaining. The TISS Pirates trail with a combined 30-16 record with 14 games left.

The Giants are tied with TISS for top spot in the senior girls division with 18-4 and 18-5 records respectively, while the Trojans possess a 17-5 record.

The Giants sit in third place in the junior girls standings with a 14-8 record, trailing both BCI (16-14) and Gananoque (15-7) in the standings.

The school with the most combined wins (junior and senior) will earn the right to host the LGSSAA volleyball championships Feb. 24.

Giants boys basketball teams finish third in regular season

By David Dickenson, Journal Staff Writer

PRESCOTT - The South Grenville Giants boys basketball teams ended their regular seasons on a high note by sweeping games with the North Grenville Knights and Rideau Lions.

On Tuesday, Feb. 8, the Giants managed to hang on for a 67-63 win over North Grenville, despite a last-minute surge which saw the Knights hit a pair of three pointers to pull within two points. Andrew DeDekker was able to cement the game by nailing a pair of free throws to increase the lead to four points.

DeDekker led all scorers with a 31-point performance, which included four three-pointers. He was followed by Sam Whitley with 10, Curtis Bucking with eight and Mike Armstrong, Jon Baldwin and Eric Hendriks with four apiece.

Giants coach Jason Crotty indicated the team has continued to battle back despite trailing all season.

"We turned it on in the second half like we've been doing and played well despite nearly giving it away at the end," explained Crotty. "We knocked down our free throws and guys from our bench (Hendriks and Baldwin) really stepped up for us."

DeDekker added, "It was a big win for us. All our guys worked hard and this is a big builder for us going into the playoffs. Hopefully, we'll keep this going."

On Thursday, the Giants continued their strong play with a 72-53 victory over the Rideau Lions. DeDekker led all scorers with 25 points, followed by Ryan Davy and Bucking with eight apiece, Whitley and Ryan Delaney with seven apiece and Nathaniel Hayes and Hendriks with six apiece.

The senior Giants finished the season with a 7-2 record for third place in the LGSSAA standings. South Grenville played the sixth place Gananoque Trojans last night. The winner to play in Thursday's semi-final.

Junior Giants on a roll

On Feb. 8, the Giants were able to take advantage of North Grenville missing its top player Robert Krock to hand the Knights a 44-29 loss. Both teams started out flat, with both teams tied at eight after the first quarter, but the Giants started to catch fire in the third quarter on their way to the victory. Josh Parsons socred 19 points to lead the Giants, while Mike Froom added 11. Cody Haché scored seven, while Nathan Jansen had five.

On Thursday, the Giants continued their winning ways with a 71-46 victory over the Rideau Lions. Parsons led the Giants with 24 points, followed by Froom with 22 (including six three-pointers) and Haché with 10.

Giants coach John Doran is happy with the way the team progressed through the season.

"We started 0-5 this season in tournaments and we showed progression," said Doran. "We've played some good teams this year and we've made some good strides. I wanted to give the guys a chance for minutes and hopefully they will continue to improve."

Giants guard Cory Alkerton added, "I like third place. It's not top two, but we know we can be there if we play as well as we can. I'm hoping we'll do well in the playoffs."

The junior Giants finished third in the junior boys standings with a 7-2 record and hosted the sixth ranked St. Mary Crusaders yesterday in the league quarterfinal. The winner will play in the league semi-final game Thursday.

100 % Nutrition Indoor Soccer League

Standings

Teams G W L T SW SL GF GA +/- Pts.

Leeds 17 12 3 0 1 1 191 121 70 39

Real Madrid 17 12 4 1 0 0 174 124 50 37

Celtic 17 12 5 0 0 0 184 136 48 36

Ajax 17 8 7 0 1 1 182 180 2 27

Chelsea 17 7 6 1 1 2 147 185 -38 26

Bayern Munich 17 7 9 0 1 0 137 153 -26 23

Manchester 17 3 14 0 0 0 106 204 -98 9

Arsenal 17 2 15 0 0 0 122 225 -103 6

Players of the Week

Week 13 - John Macdonald - allowed only 4 goals in win.

Week 14 - Matt Gladle - 5 pts. in a tough game to keep Leeds in first.

Week 15 - Victor Totenkov - 15 pts., Don Lewis - 2 goals
allowed.

Week 16 - Shamus Geraghty - 8 pts. in a standout performance.

Week 17 - Ken Meikle - outstanding game in a losing cause.

Scoring Leaders

Player Team G A Pts.

Tim Sawyer Ajax 74 8 82

Danny Powers Real Madrid 47 30 77

Victor Totenkov Chelsea 48 20 68

Matt Gladle Leeds 41 16 57

Shamus Geraghty Celtic 31 25 56

Wade Mooney Real Madrid 28 27 55

Mike O'Neil Leeds 37 14 51

Matt Speck Celtic 29 21 50

Elijah Finley Leeds 28 18 46

Josh Vanasseldonk Chelsea 26 19 45

SGMHA teams to play Finnish teams in exhibition games

SPENCERVILLE - Two South Grenville Minor Hockey Association teams will get the chance for international competition when they play a pair of Finnish teams March 7.

Members of the South Grenville minor midget Rangers and major bantam Rangers will get the chance to take on the Finns, who are in Canada as part of an international hockey tour.

Both games will be held at the Spencerville arena, with the bantams kicking things off at 6 pm, with the minor midget game to follow at approximately 7:30 pm. The Rangers teams will also be having a reception for the Finnish teams following the games at the Drummond Building.

Admission to the game is free.

Kinsmen holding charity hockey tournament for Alzheimers

CARDINAL - The Kinsmen Club of Prescott will be holding its annual hockey tournament in April.

The touranment is scheduled for Saturday, April 9 at the Cardinal and District Community Centre, with all proceeds being donated to the Alzheimer Society. Anyone interested in taking part in the tournament should contact Art Hitsman at (613) 734-8486.

SGMHA holding hockey early registration Tuesday

PRESCOTT - The South Grenville Minor Hockey Association will be holding its registration for the 2005-06 hockey season.

The first registration session will be held Tuesday, Feb. 22 from 6 pm until 9 pm. The next session will be Saturday, March 5, from 9 am until noon. Both sessions will be held at the Leo Boivin Community Centre.

Grenville Sportsman & Outdoor Show in Spencerville March 13

SPENCERVILLE - The Grenville Fish and Game Club will be hosting the Grenville Sportsman & Outdoor Show Sunday, March 13 from 10 am until 6 pm at the Drummond Building in Spencerville.

The show will feature an indoor 3D archery tournament. Registration for the tournament is from 8 am until 10 am. It will also feature antler scoring, calling demonstrations and a turkey calling competition. There will be draws and door prizes throughout the day.

For more information on the show visit www.grenvillefishandgame.com or call (613) 928-2652.

Lacrosse association holding final registration this Thursday

BROCKVILLE - The Brockville Lacrosse Association, will be holding its final registration session Thursday in Brockville.

The final session runs from 6:30 pm until 8:30 pm at the Brockville Youth Arena.

The league is open to boys and girls born between 1989 and 2001.

Birth certificates and a health card must be provided when registering. For more information visit www.brockvillelacrosse.com.

Peewee B Rangers win division

PRESCOTT - The South Grenville peewee B Rangers finished the season with a 14-4-6 record to finish in second place in the Upper Canada Minor Hockey League's West Division.

On Jan. 25, the Rangers hosted Ogdensburg and skated away with an 8-1 victory. Affiliate player Sean Perrin led the Rangers with a hat trick, while Zach Temple, Robbie Deeks, Scott Stephenson, Lucas Stitt and James Halladay also scored. Perrin (3), Cameron Symington (2), Jacob Hayes, O.J. Knol, Dylan Render, Stephenson and Stitt added assists.

On Jan. 27, South Grenville travelled to Morrisburg and scored a 4-3 win over the Lions. Stitt scored a pair of goals to lead all scorers, while Render and affiliate Cory Wilson added a single. Hayes, Deeks, Stitt and Wilson chipped in with helpers.

On Feb. 8, The Rangers scored an 8-3 win over the North Dundas Demons. Trent Corney had a hat trick to lead South Grenville, followed by Stitt with a pair and Stephenson, Temple and Halladay with singles. Render (4), Halladay (2), Stephenson (2), Knol, Hayes, Temple, and Symington chipped in with assists.

On Jan. 23, the Rangers travelled to Amherstview and captured the 16-team Loyalist Jets tournament.

In their opener, the Rangers escaped with a 4-3 victory over the Gananoque Islanders.

In their second match-up, South Grenville handed the Nepean Raiders a 4-2 defeat.

In their third game, the Rangers dominated the Deep River Knights on their way to a 5-0 shutout.

South Grenville finished the round-robin in first place and battled the second ranked Arnprior Packers in the final, with the Rangers pulling out a 2-0 victory.

The Rangers were led by strong goaltending from the tandem of Mitchell Grant and Mason Williams.

Corney, Stitt and Temple each scored four goals in the tournament to lead the Rangers, while Knol, Stephenson and Wilson added singles. Hayes (5), Knol (5), Deeks (3), Render (2), Halladay, Lavery, Stitt, Stephenson and Corney chipped in with helpers.

Atom B #1 playing well

SPENCERVILLE - The South Grenville atom B house league Rangers #1 team continued its strong play with a trio of victories over Brockville, Massena and Athens.

On Feb. 2, the Rangers scored a 7-2 victory over the Brockville Jr. Braves in Spencerville. Derik Bourgeois led the Rangers with a hat trick, while Ryan Grimes added a pair and Kavan O'Brien and Luke Severson had singles. Shenda Harrison (2), Dylan Bell (2), Severson (2), Kyle Berry and Bourgeois added assists.

On Jan. 20, South Grenville scored an 8-0 shutout over Massena at the Spencerville arena. Grimes led all scorers with a hat trick, while affiliate player Zach Shankar, Severson, Colin Hoyland, Bourgeois and Kurtis Selleck added singles. Severson (2), O'Brien (2), Shankar (2), Bell (2), Harrison, Grimes, Bourgeois, Berry and Zach St. John chipped in with helpers.

On Feb. 9, the Rangers scored a 5-0 win over the Athens Aeros in Spencerville. Paul DeJong scored the shutout in goal, while Bell, O'Brien, Bourgeois, Berry and Selleck found the net. Grimes (2), Bourgeois (2), Cody Knapp and Berry added assists.

SG bantam house team still unbeaten

CARDINAL - The South Grenville bantam B house league Rangers remained unbeaten in league play with a 21-0-3 record in 24 games played.

On Feb. 13, South Grenville travelled to Smiths Falls and scored a 3-1 victory over the Smiths Falls Bears. Todd Kirkey, Reilly Grootjans and Michael Thomas scored for the Rangers, while Ryan Robinson, Fletcher Wehmeyer and Josh Perrin added assists. Andrew Davidson had a strong game in goal for the Rangers.

On Feb. 2, the Rangers scored a 5-2 win over Brockville Eastern Engineering in Cardinal. Thomas, Robinson, Kirkey, Tyler Curry and Wehmeyer scored for South Grenville, while Kirkey (2), Reilly Grootjans, Thomas, Perrin and Robinson added assists.

On Jan. 31, the Rangers scored a 2-1 come-from-behind victory in an exhibition
game with the North Dundas Demons in Spencerville. Curry and Taylor Corney scored for South Grenville, while Thomas (2) and Corney chipped in with helpers.

SG peewees #2 go 6-0 in January

PRESCOTT - The South Grenville peewee B Rangers
#2 house league team had a strong month of January posting a perfect 6-0 record in league play.

The Rangers started the month with 5-4 and 1-0 wins over the North Dundas Demons in a home-and-home series. Rik Champagne and Cody Patenaude led the Rangers with a pair of goals each in the series, while Cory Wilson and Mike Morrell added singles. Tim Kippax (2), Sydney Wehmeyer, Sam Contant, Shane McGuire, Wilson and Morrell added assists.

South Grenville managed to score 3-1 and 3-2 wins over Kemptville #1 in January. Champagne scored a pair of goals to lead the Rangers, while Patenaude, Morrell, McGuire and Matt Leonard added singles. Champagne (2), Kippax, Wilson, Patenaude and Dylan DeJeet chipped in with helpers. The goaltending tandem of Matt Walker and Marc Brunet shared the shutout.

The Rangers also swept their two-game series against Kemptville #2 by scores of 4-1 and 3-2. Wilson led the Rangers with five goals, while Champagne and King also scored. Patenaude (3), Champagne, Morrell, Leonard, Kippax, Contant and DeJeet added assists.

Novice Rangers score pair of victories

CARDINAL - The South Grenville novice B Rangers finished off its regular season with a 2-2-1 record in its final five games down the stretch.

On Jan. 31, the Rangers scored a 6-0 shutout over
the South Dundas Lions
in Cardinal. David Armstrong had the Rangers' shutout. Zachary Shankar scored a hat trick, while Tyson Kirkby (2) and Curtis Ross also scored. Shankar (2), Kirkby (2), Tom Kippax and Cameron Smith added assists.

On Feb. 2, South Grenville dropped a 6-3 decision to the North Leeds Stars in Westport. John Lawless scored all three Ranger goals, while affiliate player Parker Grant and Aaron White added assists.

On Feb. 3, the Rangers dropped a 6-0 decision to the North Leeds Stars at the Leo Boivin Community Centre. Grant played a strong game in place of an injured Shankar.

On Feb. 12, the Rangers settled for a 2-2 draw with the North Dundas Demons. Lawless and Smith scored for the Rangers, while affiliate Austin Wickware, Paige Dorey, Kippax and Kirkby added assists.

On Feb. 13, The Rangers scored a 3-2 victory over the South Dundas Lions in Morrisburg. Affiliate Connor Pennant got the win in goal, while Kirkby, Smith and Tayler Mason scored for the Rangers. Shankar added an assist.

The Rangers received a first round bye in the playoffs and are practicing to be ready for the second round.

Atom Kings defeat Barons

ORLEANS - The Rideau-St. Lawrence major atom Kings put together a strong showing Feb. 6 in a 2-0 shutout over the Cumberland Barons in Orleans.

Tanner Casselman and Slater Koekkoek scored for the Kings, while Koekkoek, Joey Sargeant and Marc Beckstead added assists. Spencer Corkery had the shutout in goal for RSL.

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