Progress reported as strike at Invista enters 12th week

By Blake McKim, Journal Staff Writer

MAITLAND - Even though there was a mediation meeting held last Tuesday, workers at the Invista plant at Maitland are still on strike.

"Yes, we're definitely making progress," stated Communications, Energy and Paperworkers Local 28-0 President Steve Armstrong said of the meeting held at the Royal Brock Hotel.

He added there was some progress made, but then the provincial mediator decided to "call off" the talks and reschedule them for a later date. Armstrong added he would be informed today (Monday) about a later date for the talks with the mediator and company officials.

Armstrong was reluctant to mention exactly what progress was made in last Tuesday's talks, however. "We did present our counter-offer, that led to progress," he stated.

"We made progress, let's leave it at that," he added. "I don't want to get into the details (of what was discussed)," he added.

"For sure there will be talks in the future," Armstrong stated. "It was another good day, we explained our side, the company explained their side," he added.

Invista spokesperson Line Villeneuve stated some progress was made at the meeting, there continue to be many points of disagreement between the company and union. "We were expecting the union to have more recognition of the need to make Maitland site more competitive," she stated Monday.

However, Villeneuve did say the union's acceptance of Invista's "performance pay proposal" (in which the company would give bonuses to employees who contribute positively to the organization) is "a start."

Villeneuve added the company's latest proposal also confirmed that contractors "not be used to undermine the employment security of regular employees," and also that it stated the company would offer clarity on the union's issue regarding hours of work.

"We've hopefully put that issue to bed," stated Villeneuve. "It's in their (union's) hands now."

Villeneuve confirmed that, as of Monday, she wasn't aware of any further talks between the union, Invista and the provincial mediator. "We haven't been contacted by the mediator. No further talks are planned at this time."

Safety of workers

The strike has gone on for 82 days now, and it hasn't been all clear sailing. A number of workers on strike have expressed concerns about financial strain caused by the prolonged job action.

In addition, last Monday a striker, Mark Darrah, was knocked over by an opening bus door over while union members were picketing a bus at East Side Mario's in Brockville. The union believed the bus contained unionized replacement workers to work at the Maitland site, according to Armstrong.

"We received a tip there were unionized contractors on the bus," stated Armstrong. "We wanted to convey information to the unionized workers to not cross the picket line."

Armstrong added he thinks the unionized workers on the bus were "given misinformation that our people were taking jobs of unionized contractors. "We just wanted to convey to them, don't cross the picket line, or it will cause problems."

He said last Monday was "the first time" the union was aware of unionized contractors preparing to cross the picket line. "What unions are all about (is to) look after each other," he added.

When asked if this incident brought to light safety issues concerning the strikers, he said simply "there is potential for people to get hurt," and added he "wasn't sure" what sort of measures the union could take to ensure the safety of strikers.

Villeneuve did confirm some of the replacement workers being taken to the site via bus "could be" unionized staff. "There are some contract firms (being used) doing work they were engaged to do before the strike," she added.

When asked if the company was concerned with the safety of such workers crossing the picket line, Villeneuve stated "Our expectation is the union comply with the strike protocol agreement and act lawfully."

THIS WEEK

Sunday concert season closes this weekend

PRESCOTT ­ The final concert of the 2005 Sunday evening concert series will take place this weekend.

Gary and Mickie Code (The Running Kind) will take to the Kinsmen Amphitheatre stage (or the arena if it rains) this Sunday at 6:30 pm. As always, there is no admission fee; however, there will be a donation box at the concert.

The weekly music presentations are made possible by financial contributions from individuals, service clubs and businesses. Donations can be made at the Dibble Street municipal building; tax receipts can be issued.

Memorial service set for Maynard Sunday

MAYNARD ­ Maynard Cemetery will host its 74th annual memorial service on Sunday, Aug. 28 at 2:30 pm.

The open-air service will include the colour party of Fort Wellington Branch 97, Royal Canadian Legion and the laying of a wreath in honour of the Year of the Veteran. Bring a lawn chair. Social hour with refreshments will follow the service.

Monthly community dinner served today

PRESCOTT ­ Seaway Christian Church is hosting a Master's Hands community supper today (Wednesday, Aug. 24) from 5 to 6:15 pm.

There is no admission fee to the monthly dinners, which are held on the fourth Wednesday of each month. All are welcome to attend. Seaway Christian is located on Churchill Road at Massie Drive.

Pageant has a few spots available for Little Sir

SPENCERVILLE ­ There are still a few spots left for boys in the 2005 Spencerville Fair's Little Sir/Little Miss Pageant.

The show will take place Friday, Sept. 9 at 7 pm at the Edwardsburgh Community Centre. Boys between the ages of five and nine (as of Sept. 9) are eligible to enter.

Contestants will be interviewed by a panel of judges on the afternoon of the pageant. Final judging will take place on stage that evening. To sign up for the Little Sir event, contact Janet Perras at 258-7343.

Prescott is alive with activity

Downtown hosts special activities this Saturday

PRESCOTT ­ There will be plenty of things for people of all ages to see and do in downtown Prescott this Saturday.

An End of Summer/Back to School event is being presented by the Prescott BIA. King Street West between George and Edward streets will be closed in the morning and afternoon for a sidewalk sale and many special activities.

Live entertainment will kick off near the clock tower at 10 am with a performance by the Harbour Lites Square Dancers. There is no admission fee; non-perishable food items and monetary donations to the Food For All Food Bank will be accepted.

Also from 10 to 11, a Shriner's Clown will be out and about creating balloon sculptures and doing walk-around magic.

The Reasons will be at the clock tower from 11 to 1 to play music from the '50s, '60s, '70s and '80s.

A children's treasure hunt will take place Saturday morning. Kids under the age of 12 can pick up question sheets between 9 and 10:30 am at the clock tower and are to return them by 11:30. Prizes have been donated by The Bargain! Shop, Waikato Pizza and The Connection. Each participant will receive a prize.

There will be an inflatable moon bounce set up for late morning and early afternoon jumping fun. Visitors to downtown can also sink their teeth into the Rotary club's lunchtime corn cook-out and the Friends of Windmill Point's old-fashioned lemonade stand.

Representatives from several youth-related organizations (Prescott Air Cadets, Cardinal Sea Cadets, Prescott Youth Centre, Girl Guides, Boy Scouts and the Brockville and District Association for Community Involvement) will be on hand at information and recruiting booths.

The downtown Prescott event will also include karaoke for the kids, a best-dressed teddy bear contest and displays of art and new vehicles.

For more information on the End of Summer/Back to School event, contact Monica Whitney, BIA downtown co-ordinator, at 925-1771.

See Page 2 for a complete schedule of events.

Child-care needs are identified

By Tim Ruhnke, Journal Editor

PRESCOTT ­ South Grenville needs more child-care spaces, more locations for those spaces and a better way to spread the word about existing services.

Those were some of the points raised at a community consultation session held last Wednesday night at town hall in Prescott. The meeting was aimed at generating feedback on child-care services in Prescott, Augusta and Edwardsburgh/Cardinal.

The United Counties of Leeds and Grenville commissioned a feasibility study in response to a proposal to establish a child-care centre at Maple View Lodge in Athens. The study includes identifying child-care issues throughout the united counties area.

Seven community consultations are being held as part of the study. Parent surveys are also being made available; input received at the meetings and from the survey will become part of a final report to be presented to counties council in October.

Julianne McAleese, co-ordinator of the study, noted governments are recognizing there is a need for more accessible and affordable child-care. The number of mothers who are in the labour force has increased 10 per cent in the past decade, but the number of child-care spaces has increased by only 2.6 per cent during the same period.

Availability of qualified staff, low wage rates and the need to provide flexible hours of operations are among the challenges facing child-care providers, according to McAleese. Another obstacle of significance in rural areas is water regulations which require child-care centres to be housed in buildings in which drinking water is treated and tested. "That's a very costly venture," said McAleese, who said some groups are choosing to shut down their services because of the higher water-related costs.

As for the Leeds and Grenville study, feedback McAleese has received so far indicates many parents who have jobs use a mix of options when it comes to taking care of their young children. The kids might spend part of the day with grandma and the rest with a child-care provider.

McAleese noted licensed child-care spaces represent a very small percentage of the total number of spaces available in the three municipalities.

Norie Spence, a guidance counsellor at South Grenville District High School, ***

"I think it's a perfect time to be using the schools," she remarked. "They (school boards) want to keep buildings open."

An example of this type of partnership is at South Edwardsburg Public School in Johnstown. In June, the Upper Canada District School Board announced a private day-care facility would open at the school in September.

EduCare Children's Centre is to offer 32 full-day spaces. This is the second school location for EduCare; it opened a facility at Westminster Public School in Brockville in 2003.

The fact people in decision-making positions have young children of their own could also affect the availability of child-care spaces in other facilities such as schools, it was noted at the meeting.

There is also a severe shortage of child-care spaces for infants. McAleese noted providers are required to have one staff person for every three infants, making it difficult to keep down costs and fees.

Prescott Mayor Robert Lawn suggested the public library would be an ideal place to disseminate information on local child-care providers.

"This is an economic development issue," Augusta Reeve John McCrea.

About 20 people attended the meeting. Lawn said he was disappointed by the turnout at the meeting. He echoed the concerns of Councillor Nancy Lane, who ***

The last of the seven community consultations are taking place this week. McAleese is still accepting surveys. For more information, call her at 341-9550, ext. 3362

Man finds and catches alleged purse-snatcher

PRESCOTT ­ A 22-year-old man faces three criminal charges in connection with a pair of purse snatching which took place in Prescott Monday.

Two elderly women were involved in separate incidents, the first of which took place at about 11 am on Churchill Road. A woman in her late 70s was walking from one business to another when a man approached and tried unsuccessfully to take her purse. The man ran east on Churchill and behind an apartment building on Claxton Terrace.

The second incident took place at about 1 pm at the corner of Henry and Edward streets. A man approached an 80-year-old woman and took her purse.

"I saw a guy running by the door here with something under his shirt," said Mark Beaudoin, who works nearby at R&S Auto Glass.

The woman came to the shop and asked for some help, Beaudoin told The Journal Tuesday. "I jumped in my truck and drove to James Street...I knew he was running up that way."

After Beaudoin confronted him, the suspect threw the purse at him "I yelled at him to give me the purse," said Beaudoin.

After getting the purse, Beaudoin took off on foot and caught the suspect near the corner of Dibble and Centre streets.

"I walked him back to the truck and he came to the shop."

As this was happening, fellow R&S worker Kevin Sabourin looked after the woman and called 9-1-1.

Two men at the nearby R&S Auto shop heard the commotion and observed the robbery. The culprit was chased and caught by one of the men from the shop and held until police arrived.

Neither woman was injured.

The suspect, a resident of South Dundas, was arrested and charged with robbery, attempted robbery and theft under $5,000. He was released on a promise to appear order and will attend court at a later date.

The theft charge stems from an incident late Saturday at the Bank of Montreal ATM. A woman had set cash beside the keypad and was about to deposit the money when it was stolen.

Harvest days offers glimpse of old farming ways

By Blake McKim, Journal Staff Writer

ROEBUCK - Despite some iffy weather on Saturday, organizers say the 10th Annual Harvest Days demonstration on Harold Campbell's property south of Roebuck was a success.

"(Attendance has been) not bad considering the weather yesterday," stated Antique Wheels in Motion spokesperson Al Slater. "People came in the rain."

Antique Wheels in Motion is a non-profit group which is dedicated to the preservation and use of antique farm equipment. It stages Harvest Days each year.

Slater estimated that total attendance for the event would be between 400-500 for the weekend. "We're happy with that number," he added.

Slater also said another reason for the smaller crowd on Saturday had to do with other events - such as Cornfest in Athens and the South Mountain fair - which were also happening on Saturday in the Leeds-Grenville area.

He also stated the crowd was large for the breakfast held Sunday morning.

"We've been coming to the breakfast since it (Harvest Days) started," stated Paula Carmichael of the Spencerville area. "It's like a tradition - a family affair."

She added her children appreciate seeing the equipment at the event. "We have tractors at home, but the kids like to see the little tractors," she stated.

"I think it's great for the community and the area," stated Kyle Karasick of Lyn, who was visiting the event for the third time this year. "It gives people from cities a chance to see what goes on in the country."

The event also brought a number of people from outside the Leeds-Grenville area. "(We've had) people from, Almonte, Carp," stated Slater.

"I think it's great - for me it's very interesting," stated Rob Goodhope, who was visiting the event for the first time, and hails from Dundas, Ontario near Hamilton.

"I like mechanical things, I like old stuff," he added. "It's very interesting to learn the evolution of farming in Canada." Goodhope added he also appreciated seeing the ploughing demonstrations. "It's neat watching the way they plough the furrows," he said.

The annual festival also attracted many people from the area who had come to it in years past. Barry Throop, 23, of the Roebuck area, stated "It's important for my generation to see how agriculture was done in the older generations, and see how it's progressed through the years." Throop added he has attended the event for several years now.

Harvest Days features displays of antique farm machinery and offered demonstrations of much of the old equipment, including a thresher, a fanning mill, and a corn shredder. It also featured a vendors area, ploughing demonstrations, and live music.

Dale Countryman of Antique Wheels in Motion, stated seeing the equipment demonstrated is a particular feature of the event. "If you wait, and start a machine...people just flock to it," he said.

Countryman believes interest is growing in antique farm equipment. "Some of the tractors are family heirlooms," he added.

Harvest Days was also interesting to younger folks. "I think it's cool," stated Jeremiah Stephenson, 8.

When asked what his favourite part of the event was, Stephenson stated "The breakfast!"

Township properties may access sewage line

By Tim Ruhnke, Journal Editor

PRESCOTT ­ Town council has given Alpine Lodge and some of its neighbours in Augusta Township the go-ahead to hook up to Prescott's sewage collection system ­ at their cost.

Council voted Monday night to endorse a recommendation that Alpine and six other properties just west of the municipal boundary be permitted to connect to the town's infrastructure. The properties are already connected to Prescott's municipal water system.

In a letter to the town, Alpine President Robin Shire states the multi-residential property has had problems with runoff and its septic system. In requesting a hook-up to the municipal sewage line, Shire notes the Ministry of the Environment (MOE) has directed Alpine to connect to the town's system.

"Every practical measure must be undertaken to complete the connection to the Prescott system with minimal delays," MOE official Mitch Seguin states in a letter to Shire.

Prescott CAO/Clerk Robert Haller told council town officials have reviewed the matter and found there to be no problems with adding the sewage hook-ups at the west end of town. In noting it might be more feasible to connect to the sewer line on King Street instead of Henry Street, Haller said the Augusta properties on both sides of County Road 2 could have access to the town line.

In late June, Augusta council passed a motion stating the township has no objection to Alpine hooking up to Prescott's sewer line providing there is no cost to Augusta.

Some of the other property owners in the area have expressed interest in connecting to the sewer line, according to Haller.

Prescott council's support for the proposal is subject to input from the engineering consulting firm hired by the town to work on other sewage and water infrastructure projects. Council also wants input from the Ontario Clean Water Agency, which operates the town's water and sewage treatment facilities.

Music is at heart of social gathering to be held Sept. 3

PRESCOTT ­ A garden party fundraiser for next year's Jeunesses Musicales of Canada annual congress to be held in Prescott will take place next weekend at the home of former MP Jean Casselman Wadds.

The social event at 741 King St. W. is set for Saturday, Sept. 3 from 1:30 to 4:30 pm and is being presented in conjunction with the volunteer-based Fort Town Concert Association.

In addition to performances by soprano Alana Scott and the Quator Martini string quartet, there will be refreshments and live and silent auctions featuring the works of local artists.

For tickets to or more information on the garden party, call 925-0769 or 925-5050.

No fast lane for upgrades

PRESCOTT ­ Major upgrades to the Edward Street interchange of Highway 401 are still many years away, according to a consultant who addressed Prescott council Monday night.

Steve Taylor of National Capital Engineering told council the Ministry of Transportation is developing a long-term plan for the Prescott interchange and several others between Brockville and Quebec.

The six-laning of Highway 401 might still be 30 years down the road, Taylor said. However, improvements to on and off ramps might happen sooner than that.

Taylor noted the tight curves were built to design standards in place in the early 1960s. There are plans to rebuild the ramps so vehicles can travel at higher speeds and have "smoother transition" between the highway and Edward Street, he said.

No major issues were identified as part of the Highway 401 study in the Prescott area, council was told. There are "minimal" property requirements at the Prescott interchange, according to Taylor. Although there will someday be a new bridge and there might be a new ramp beside the OPP detachment building, Taylor believes there would still be surplus property on that side of the interchange.

Council passed a motion endorsing the proposal. A final report with recommendations on the Edward Street interchange and others in the region is expected this fall.

Historical society wants action on train station

Condition of old building is a concern of local group

By Tim Ruhnke, Journal Editor

PRESCOTT ­ The Grenville County Historical Society has asked the Town of Prescott to get back on track with a plan to acquire the former Grand Trunk Railway station.

CN Rail has offered to sell the historic building to the municipality for $1. The local historical society, which initiated the dialogue with CN in 2000, would like to use the train station as an archive and research centre.

Speaking on behalf of the society at Monday night's meeting of Prescott council, Sandra Shouldice reiterated the group's interest in the building. Shouldice also expressed concerns about the declining condition of the vacant building (especially the roof) as well as the lack of progress by the town to complete the process of obtaining title to the landmark.

Although she acknowledged the society has limited finances, Shouldice noted the group does have the means to support the building. The society is currently housed in Crane House on the St. Mark's property on Edward Street between Dibble and James streets.

Prescott CAO/Clerk Robert Haller said he admits the subject had been "moved to the back burner" as the town dealt with other issues. He said he had been in touch with CN and was hoping for reports on the condition of the building and environmental issues. However, time passed and then there was a change in staff at CN.

Haller asked council for a couple of weeks to make contact and obtain more information that can be reviewed at the committee level.

Shouldice suggested the possibility that the town could sell the building to the group for $1. Other ownership/tenant options were noted, but town officials indicated they wanted more information before discussing those types of arrangements.

At the meeting, Shouldice read a letter from the Canada Heritage Foundation which states the organization's support of the historical society's bid to serve as steward of the old train station.

Mayor Robert Lawn said there had been another expression of interest in the building about three years ago, but he has not heard anything more about it.

A suggestion to move the building to a waterfront location and use it as a tourist information centre and art gallery was made as part of downtown revitalization study discussions held earlier this year.

Guild display continues until end of August

BROCKVILLE ­ A display of works by the South Grenville Guild of Fine Art continues until the end of this month in the lobby gallery at the Brockville Arts Centre.

Artists participating in the show include Alan J.T. Bain, Audrey Bain, Rosaleen Carragher-Mallet, Lorraine Dallas, Helen Fenton, Joan Firth, William Fowler, Kim Gilligan, Diane Godwin-Sheridan, Arlene Hare, Joan Hastie, Joan Hopkins, Ewing LeBlanc, Solange Lemain, Evan LeClair, Eva Neron, Nancy J. Roberts, Ruth Roberts, Sharon Stein, Violet Storto, Marilyn White and Eileen Woodhead.

The arts centre is located at 235 King St. W. in Brockville. For more information, call 342-7122.

Cancer society notes fundraising efforts

SOUTH GRENVILLE ­ The Cardinal, Augusta, Prescott and Edwardsburgh (CAPE) branch of the Canadian Cancer Society summarized the events of the past season at a recent meeting.

Totals for the door-to-door campaign were as follows: Cardinal/ Edwardsburgh, $12,931; Augusta, $11,826.91; Prescott, $8,537.75.

Daffodil sales totalled $4,633.75 in Prescott and $2,044.33 in Cardinal. The daffodil lunch raised $565 as well as $77 from a silent auction at the luncheon.

Other activities included: memoriams, $435; kick-off breakfast, $44; coin boxes, $15.03; Lions Club donation, $100.

The branch acknowledges and appreciates the efforts of its volunteers and those in the community who helped the society in any way.

Fall for the autumn colours on the United Way cruise

LEEDS AND GRENVILLE ­ Set sail with the United Way on its annual Autumn Boat Cruise.

The fundraising event, which will be held Sunday, Oct. 2, is a three-hour scenic tour of the 1000 Islands donated by Gananoque Boat Lines. Tickets for the cruise are available at Doyle's on King Street in Prescott and at the United Way office, 42 George St., Brockville (342-8889). A special ticket price is in effect for children between four and 12. Kids under the age of four ride for free.

This year's United Way campaign will be launched Sept. 6. Twenty-five agencies in the Leeds and Grenville area rely on United Way for financial support.

PRESCOTT COUNCIL BRIEFS

Edward Street paving project begins

The resurfacing project on Edward Street north of the railway overpass is expected to get into full swing this week. Construction signs were posted Monday.

When asked on Monday night if the resurfacing to Highway 401 would be completed by the start of the school year (Sept. 6) as town officials had hoped, Mayor Robert Lawn said Town Engineer Clyde Solomon had indicated the work could still be done within that time frame.

The overpass rehabilitation project is also getting under way. Council also voted Monday to award the Churchill Road West engineering design and tender preparation contract to Ainley Group for its bid price of $9,000.

Fortification bylaw is approved

Town council has finally given third and final reading to a fortification bylaw that has reviewed at length since being introduced several months ago.

The bylaw, which was introduced in the spring but was not approved until Monday night, was the subject of considerable discussion and adjustment. Councillor Chuck Street, who had expressed concerns about the bylaw when it was first brought up, said Monday he is content with the changes that have been made.

The bylaw outlines measures property owners cannot take to fortify their properties; council was told the intent is to provide additional protection to law enforcement and emergency response personnel.

Garden club adopted by town

The Prescott Blossoms Garden Club has been officially recognized by Prescott council as a committee of the town.

Council endorsed the move Monday night. The mandate of the garden club, an off-shoot of the Prescott Blossoms program, is "to serve as urban stewards and to promote healthy ecosystems and a healthy community."

Committee members are Barb Martin, Kerlyn Snelling, Lisa Smith, Sue O'Hanlon, Mike Laking, Sue Leizert, Michelle Wenborn, Jeanne Chaters, Kathy Lubimiv, Candy Alexander, Astrid Strader, Barb Toshack, Myrne Hart, Mavis Jale and Chuck Street.

Volunteers still at the heart of Tourism Prescott

By Tim Ruhnke, Journal Editor

PRESCOTT ­ Promoting Prescott as a destination is not limited to long-time residents of the Fort Town.

Chris Vallom and Jim Bishop ­ both of whom are relative newcomers to the community ­ are co-chairs of Tourism Prescott.

The volunteer group is a special advisory committee to Prescott council. The town does not have an economic development or tourism department. For many years and with limited funding from the municipality, Tourism Prescott has performed many of the duties associated with promoting the community.

Also serving on the Tourism Prescott executive are Secretary Libby Pilon and Treasurer Sandra Robertson. Members at large are J.P. Connell, Marianne Cooper, Jodie Cromb, Suzanne Dodge, Dominika Duris, Robert Haller, Renata Kimmerly, Hannele Meloche, Bob Millar and Sue O'Hanlon.

Vallom and his wife Susan operate Our Stone Cottage, a bed and breakfast on King Street West. He said the family looked at other small towns before choosing Prescott as its new home.

"We have everything we need right here," he said.

Vallom, a former Ottawa resident who has a degree in hospitality, is no stranger to volunteering. He has pitched in with the Boy Scouts and special olympics. Bishop, his co-chair, serves as a volunteer with the St. Lawrence Shakespeare Festival and the South Grenville Jr. B Rangers hockey team.

To lighten some of the load on volunteers, Tourism Prescott, the Prescott and District Chamber of Commerce, Prescott BIA and the town have applied to the Eastern Ontario Development Fund (EODF) for a six-month internship to oversee development and tourism activities on behalf of the participating groups. Approval of the EODF application has not been officially announced.

Vallom considers economic development and tourism to be "almost one and the same," adding "Tourism is what is going to get the wheels moving here."

The co-chair also noted the recent influx of other newcomers to the local business-related groups.

"There's new young blood in all the committees," Vallom said. "I am really excited by the enthusiasm."

Last year, town council approved a contract through which the Brockville District Chamber of Commerce and Brockville's Tourism Co-ordinator, Ann Weir, provided support to Tourism Prescott. The formal contract ended this spring.

Tourism Prescott has yet to discuss the arrangement and the possibility of extending it, although Vallom noted he has been impressed with the work Weir has done on Prescott's behalf.

This year's priorities have included improving guest services and ensuring the visitor centre at Forwarders' Museum is open this summer.

No local cases of West Nile virus yet, health unit says

BROCKVILLE ­ The first dead bird to test positive for West Nile virus this year was found in the Merrickville area, the Leeds, Grenville and Lanark District Health Unit reported last week.

The virus can make humans ill or, in rare cases, kill them. West Nile is transmitted to humans by infected mosquitoes, which get the virus by feeding on infected birds.

A monitoring program run by the health unit tests dead crows and blue jays for the presence of the virus. Those two species are especially susceptible to West Nile.

None of the mosquitoes trapped at locations in the tri-county area had the virus, according to the health unit. However, there have been positive test results in other parts of Ontario. There have also been eight confirmed human cases in the province so far this year.

Jane Lyster, director of health protection at the unit, stated in a news release the local risk of contracting the virus remains low.

However, the public is being reminded to take precautions to reduce the risk of being bitten by mosquitoes. These include wearing light-coloured clothing, using mosquito repellent containing DEET and draining areas of standing water where mosquitoes can breed.

To report a dead crow or blue jay or for more information on West Nile virus, call the health unit at 345-5685 or visit www.healthunit.org.

It is not believed West Nile can be transmitted directly from person to person or from bird to person.

Number of softball players much higher than last season

MAITLAND NEWS by Jane Fullarton

Maitland softball wrapped up a successful season with an end of the year barbecue. Geoff Noyes, who co-ordinated the program was pleased with the increase in this year's registration to 56 players which was up from 39 players last year. "We had great support from sponsors and parents to make for a great year," Noyes said.

The players were divided into four teams: 4-6 year olds played T-ball and the 7-9 year olds played coach pitch. The major sponsors of the program were Nitrochem and Alcan. The team sponsors were Riverstone Surfaces, State Farm Insurance agent Rick Beer, Abbott Labs and Chevron Construction. The Maitland Store, Real Canadian Superstore, Loeb Brockville, the Ottawa Lynx and PhotoVisions also donated food and drinks for the barbecue, tickets to a Lynx game and team pictures and sponsor plaques. The coaches were Andrew Davis, Michelle Davis, Dave Hong, Ben Stobo, Wayne Brohman, Pierre Atchison, Kevin Grey, Brandi Allingham and Dave Moon. Noyes was pleased so many parents helped out on the field and at the barbecue.

Part of GCC's waterfront property is up for auction

MAITLAND ­ A four-acre waterfront property owned by Grenville Christian College (GCC) will be sold at a live, on-site auction this Thursday at 7 pm.

The undeveloped land, which includes more than 470 feet of St. Lawrence River shoreline, is being sold to raise money for upgrades to the main building and residences of the private university preparatory school. Rev. Gordon Mintz, GCC headmaster, noted the school will retain a larger piece of waterfront property located directly across from the school. Mintz said selling the unused property is a sound investment for the school.

Gordon Auctioneers and Realty Inc., a Kingston-based firm, has been hired to sell the land. There will be one last official viewing on Thursday from 6 to 7 pm.

Unlocked vehicles proving to be easy targets for thieves during the night

PRESCOTT ­ Officers with the Grenville County OPP detachment responded to 31 calls for service in the Prescott patrol zone last week.

Several unlocked vehicles in the northeast end of town were ransacked late Friday night or early Saturday morning. Three of the vehicles were on Kingston Crescent. Items taken include a removable CD player, a CD wallet with 30 assorted discs and some change. A vehicle parked in the driveway of a Churchill Road residence was also entered. The owner reported looking out the window Saturday morning and finding her purse being picked up by a paper boy. Missing from the purse was $120 in cash and some change. A second vehicle belonging to her husband had also been ransacked, but nothing was taken. Constable Howard is the investigating officer.

Constable Howard is also investigating the theft of cash from the ATM at the Bank of Montreal late Saturday afternoon. A 53-year-old woman reported withdrawing money from her account and then placing it down beside the keypad to make a deposit. A man who had been observed sitting outside the bank came into the ATM area, grabbed the money and fled. A passerby chased the man but did not catch him. A 22-year-old male suspect was arrested Monday and has been charged with theft.

On Friday afternoon, the theft of a sub-woofer and amplifier from a vehicle parked in front of a garage on King Street West was reported to the OPP. The vehicle had been left parked there for repairs the previous night; it is believed the theft occurred overnight. The value of the stolen items is $600. Constable Foley is investigating.

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

Program for children to run next week

PRESCOTT ­ Youngsters are invited to enter The Zone next week.

The program at Seaway Christian Church on Churchill Road will run from Monday, Aug. 29 to Wednesday, Aug. 31 from 1 to 4 pm. The Zone is open to children between the ages of seven and 11. There will be activities, games, snacks and more.

To register or for more information, call Mrs. C. at 925-3438.

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

"That's unreal, kids doing that crap."

Editor's Notebook

LET THEM SPREAD THE GOOD NEWS: One of the frustrating things about government bureaucracy and politics is how a number of good-news stories in our community cannot be told publicly until the powers that be are ready to take the credit for funding them. We understand the need on the part of funding agencies (federal and provincial) to have their contributions acknowledged, but to prevent recipients from being able to publicize these projects ­ especially when the work is already under way and the positions being funded are being advertised in the local newspaper ­ does not make for good public relations.

So when somebody asks why those young people are pulling up weeds or sweeping the sidewalk in downtown Prescott, we can tell him or her privately what is going on; unfortunately, weeks after the program has begun, its existence still has not been announced. Although we do not want to undermine the local program by disclosing the details before the government is ready, we have to question the manner in which information about projects receiving taxpayers' money is being disseminated (or not) to the public.

Wouldn't it be better to make these good-news announcements before the work is completed?

PERSONAL OR PERSONNEL?: Taxpayers are entitled to information about the way their money is being spent by municipal, provincial and federal governments. Part of this expectation extends to the hiring and firing of staff; at the local level, municipal workers and the people elected to oversee them are scrutinized to a much greater extent by the public.

In recent weeks, we have seen resignations, terminations and reinstatements in two of the three municipalities in South Grenville. Newspapers have received copies of e-mails in which one staffer allegedly slams council members and colleagues, tips about alleged wrongdoing or questionable judgement involving certain municipal workers, and unsigned letters critical of how a department head and some council members overreacted to a minor incident and seemed to do nothing about a second and reportedly more serious incident a short time later.

We maintain there are certain subjects involving management and staff at the municipal level which must be discussed behind closed doors and about which the public does not have a right to know. However, the reality of living in a small town or township is many people are going to get involved and will want to have their say because they feel entitled. A municipality is not some giant corporation which makes life-changing decisions without hesitating to consider how they will affect workers or the communities in which they live.

Unlike Invista, the people elected or hired to run a municipality must face their constituents on a daily basis. It is truly unfortunate certain personnel issues are not kept behind closed doors as they should be, but that is the reality of life in a small town.

Tim Ruhnke

For a fun summer day-trip, go back in cold-war history

BLAKE'S TAKES by Blake McKim

About two weeks ago, I came to the realization that, here I am within spitting distance of the end of summer but have yet to do anything summer-holiday related.

At the beginning of the season, I planned with relish my summer activities. I was going to go to the beach, visit friends near and far, and spend at least one weekend in "cottage country" Muskoka.

Due to a variety of circumstances, however, I have found myself nearly at the end of summer without having gone almost anywhere of note.

I decided to remedy this two Fridays ago, when myself and a friend decided to visit the Diefenbunker in Carp outside of Ottawa.

For the uninformed (which included me until recently) this edifice is a fairly massive underground concrete bunker constructed by the federal government in the late 1950s-early 1960s when cold-war tensions were mounting, and the threat of nuclear war was ever-present.

It was made (with many millions of taxpayers' money) in order to give key members of the federal government a place to run the country from in the event of a nuclear disaster.

After the facility was mothballed in the early '90s, a private organization decided to take it over and turn it into a museum.

As a museum experience, it was unlike any place I'd visited before. A small tour group of about ten people including myself were taken on a comprehensive tour of the facility.

This tour included such highlights as the Bank of Canada Vault (to hold the country's gold in case of nuclear strike), the infirmary (complete with shatter-proof lighting used in submarines) and a special bedroom for the prime minister (with a single bed - I guess Mrs. Diefenbaker would have to sleep elsewhere.)

In the gift shop, I purchased a vintage booklet produced by the feds detailing the "11 steps for survival" for civilians in case of nuclear attack. It included such helpful tips as how to build a makeshift fallout shelter and how to decontaminate oneself in case of nuclear strike.

As one walked through the site, which also included a beautiful art-deco style cafeteria and was said to have the best food of any Canadian Forces location in the country, it was obvious how much thought had gone into it.

Yet, in its 30-plus years of use, only once did government officials go there to 'run the country,' as it were. This was during the Cuban Missile Crisis, an event which many North Americans view as being the closest time this continent came to nuclear war.

As I traversed the chilly institutional halls of the Diefenbunker, I thought it was a shame the institution was hardly used for its intended purpose. But then I thought if it had've, Canada might be a very different place right now.

In any case, it was a very enlightening day-trip. And I'd advise anyone looking for a different perspective of cold-war history to check it out.

Spencerville apartment complex is nearing completion: 1975

FROM THE ARCHIVES

Aug. 22, 1935

* A. C. Casselman, member of parliament for Grenville-Dundas, will carry the Conservative banner in the Oct. 14 dominion election. Preston Elliott, the former Dundas MP who ran unsuccessfully for the Progressives against Casselman in 1926, is the Liberal candidate in Grenville-Dundas. Party supporters are hoping the expected Liberal landslide under the leadership of Mackenzie King will extend to this area.

* Construction of a new covered arena in Spencerville has begun. The $10,000 arena built in 1929 was destroyed in a fire on Feb. 14. Seventeen men are working on the new structure, which is being built on the concrete foundation of the previous arena.

Aug. 20, 1975

* The apartment complex for senior citizens in Spencerville is expected to be completed by the end of September. The project is being built by the Ontario Housing Corporation and Maurice H. Rollins Company of Brockville. When this project is finished, work will begin on similar apartments slated for the corner of Water and George streets in Prescott.

* Packs of wild dogs have caused the death of 16 cattle recently, Arnold Vandine told Edwardsburg council. He said the dogs have been biting the cows, which then triggers the onset of black leg disease. Compensation is not given to the owners of animals that die from the disease, but the municipality would have to compensate owners if there were proof dogs running at large caused the problem. Reeve Stewart Cook instructed animal control officer Fred Carr to look into the matter.

* There was yet another fire call at the remains of the marine timbers at the old CPR ferry dock in the east end of Prescott. The fire department dispatched one truck to douse timbers which were flaming up under a brisk off-river breeze. Difficulty getting access to the timbers hampered the firemen's efforts.

I am far too immature and juvenile to ignore those outdated signs

FROM THE OTHER SIDE by Jeffrey Morris

I was driving around the suburbs and countryside in what used to not be Ottawa the other day, and I was stopped at a red light.

There it was. It stared at me. It taunted me. It drew me like a matador waving a red cape at a bull.

It was a sign.

Apparently, there is going to be a piano sale at the Nepean Sportsplex. It's coming up soon. In fact, it is so soon that it was about three months ago.

Either that or they are really getting a really early jump on promoting next year's piano sale.

There are a few of these signs still up. I'm sure some people could just let it go and ignore them. I can't. I'm far too immature and juvenile and sophomoric for all that.

I'm sure I could have just phoned the show organizers as their number is right there on the sign.

(I won't name them, but their phone number rhymes with 1-888-93-PIANO in case you want to call them and ask how much it costs to get into their piano show that was in June.)

Calling them up and telling them they forgot to take their signs down would not be my way of complaining. Maybe it would be the easy way, but it wouldn't be the cowboy way.

I envisioned some of the potential phone calls I could make ­ phone calls to a place that rhymes with 1-888-93-PIANO ­ that could get my point across.

The point, of course, would be "take your #@$%@$^#@$% signs down".

In my mind, I'm dialing the phone. (Author giggles to himself, remembering the good old days of "Is your refrigerator running?" or "do you have Robin Hood by the bag?" before call display.)

"Good morning, Piano sale from three months ago, can I help you?"

"Yes, I'm an unruly and bitter suburban youth whose non-involved parents have set no boundaries whatsoever in raising me. Your signs are very distracting and they are taking attention away from my spray painting work on the wooden fences that back onto the road. How do you expect me to build up my street cred when you are coming onto our turf and bullying us with your corporate vandalism that we can't compete with?"

No, that's a stretch.

How about this:

"Hello, Piano sale that happened way back when the average Canadian still respected the role of the Governor-General, can I help you?"

"Yes. This is the office of Councillor Jan Harder. Do you have a permit for those signs? Do you know your sale happened months ago? Did that little bitch Lonie put you up to this?"

No, that one's way too easy.

But maybe, "Hi, this is offensive misogynist upper deck South Side drunken Renegades fan guy with a beer in my hand and my back hair spilling out of my sleeveless tank top underneath my mullet. Will there be Mardi Gras beads at this piano sale?"

Nope. I know that guy. I think he has already called a few times.

I think of another one.

"Hello, piano sale that will make you reminisce about the good old days before Belinda Stronach sold us all out, may I help you?"

"Yes, I would like to buy all of your pianos and give them to charity, because, well, I don't really have the money yet, but the wife of the president of Nigeria just e-mailed me and told me she has $400 million and I sent her my bank account number and my social insurance number and she is going to wire it to me to hold onto if for her and then I get to keep 20 per cent of it, so I'm not really worried about money. In fact, she's not the only one sending me a few hundred million.

"So can you put every piano you have for sale on hold until I get the money wired to my account?"

Finally, it hits me.

It's the one that I cannot walk away from.

I tremble and my heart races. I try to come up with my best Quebec accent.

"Hello, thank you for calling 1-888-93-PIANOS, your retro trade show promoters of yesterday, when people were still considering watching Canadian Idol."

"Allo? Zis is ze language sign police. I aff to hinform you dat we will be hissuing a ticket for your maudit Anglais sign for ze piano sale you 'ave coming up sree monts hago. Please remove ze signs immediatement or comply wit hour regulations. All of ze words hon dat der sign must be completement bilingue or dey are hagainst ze rules. If you break ze rules, you will no longer be permit to buy your cheap beer like Laurentide or Brador or ze packs of smokes at ze Costco en Gatineau. You must to prennez dese signs down maintenant! Do you comprenez?"

Yup. That's the one.

Now if you'll excuse me, I have a call to make.

What was that number again?

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

It is more than just the company's name that has changed at DuPont site

The Editor;

I for one am sick and tired of the community still referring to us as DuPont! Those days are gone!

I wish the community would pick up on that. I'm sure a lot of the local businesses have felt the absence of DuPont as well.

DuPont was once a contributing factor to this community. They helped support local events (Riverfest, school programs, charity events and cash donations) as well as dumping a lot of money into the local businesses: Pizza Hut, when we had record production, Canadian Tire, for all the safety prizes and gift certificates we used to get; local restaurants for various crew reward programs; banquet halls, for Christmas parties, as well as door prizes DuPont would provide if any of us were to hold a sporting event, they were always willing to donate a t-shirt, mug or golf balls for the occasion. These are just a few things that I can think of off the top of my head.

Then Invista took over and poof! All gone!

You mean the community around has not financially noticed these events stopped when Invista arrived?

If Invista can go cold turkey on the local community, do they not realize that they can also go cold turkey on us employees, too? That they can take away things from us, treat us like we don't exist just like they are doing with this community?

Maybe it's time for the community to stop looking at just our strike issues and start looking at the "company" we now work for!

Colleen Connors
Brockville

We cannot afford to do nothing about gas prices

The Editor;

Have you noticed the gas prices lately? Of course you have, as we all have.

Are you tired of the roller coaster ride on the big sign? Some people do not consider they are paying way too much for gas and just shrug it off as a fact of life.

I look at the price of gas and think back to a time when I ventured west and worked in the oilpatch and wonder if all the bribes and graft paid then somehow connects to today's prices. Today's price in Prescott as of 4:07 pm was 101.9 cents per litre. The price two days ago at 12:46 pm was 95.3 and on May 12 at 12:22 pm was 75.9 cents per litre.

Is there any other commodity on earth that fluctuates as much on a daily basis as gasoline? I think not and if there was... think about it... milk, eggs, bread or beer or cigarettes. If the prices of these commodities were on the same yo-yo ride then there would be rioting in the streets... at least in some parts of the world there would be.

I hope the "let's just take it on the chin" attitude will not prevail, and we will speak up to the elected officials who say there really is nothing that can be done. Maybe that is why they do as the oil companies, banks and insurance companies say they should do. Or maybe they really do govern...

I hope we will wake up to the fact enough is damn well enough. There are some of us out here that work for what we have and work pretty darn hard for it. We have friends and neighbors who are fighting for their jobs right now and the outcome there will affect us all. I hope for the best in that area.

I love to live here in Prescott and a lot of other people do, too. I hope we can keep it the way it is and only prosper and improve our little corner of the world.

Chris Smalley
Prescott

Food bank included in list of local Trillium recipients

SOUTH GRENVILLE ­ The Ontario Trillium Foundation has approved a grant of $68,600 for the Food For All Food Bank.

The money will be used to improve working conditions at the food depot and office located on Henry Street in Prescott. A new roof and furnace are in the works.

Additional details will be made available at a presentation to be held at the food bank next Monday, Aug. 29 at 10 am.

Food For All, which opened almost three years ago, serves residents of Prescott, Augusta and Edwardsburgh/Cardinal. There is a satellite office located in the basement of the former Cardinal municipal building which now houses the Cardinal branch of the township's public library.

A list of recent grant recipients in the Quinte, Kingston and Rideau region of Eastern Ontario was posted recently.

As reported in last week's "Maitland News" column in The Journal, a Trillium grant of $25,000 has been awarded to the Township of Augusta to enhance services at the township's public library in Algonquin.

Another project with ties to South Grenville is the St. Lawrence Speed Skating Club, which will receive $43,800 for new equipment.

The Trillium foundation, an agency of the Ontario Ministry of Culture, provides funding to non-profit organizations. The foundation receives $100 million each year from Ontario's charity casino program.

Give cribbage a go next week

WALKER HOUSE NEWS by MARNIE LIPPIATT

Cribbage starts next Tuesday evening, Aug. 30. Please plan to come and have a fun night of crib as we remember the rules. If you have questions, please call 925-5300.

The first regular evening will be held on Tuesday, Sept. 13. Dinner will be at 6 and cards at 7 pm. It will be necessary to register for the dinner so we can make preparations.

The rug hookers are having one final day in the park. They will be hooking from 10 am to 3 pm this Friday, Aug. 26. Come and see their work.

We will be having a light lunch as well that day. Be sure to register if you want to join us.

Join the celebration as Augusta library celebrates anniversary

AUGUSTA ­ Special activities marking the 10th anniversary of the Augusta Public Library at its current home on County Road 15 in Algonquin continue through this weekend.

Eileen Woodhead will talk about heritage gardens this morning from 10 am to noon. There will be traditional rug hooking Thursday afternoon and a visit by the Brockville Storytellers Thursday evening at 6:30.

Activities on Saturday include a display of memorabilia by local residents and the Grenville County Historical Society, a children's heritage craft program in the afternoon and an evening with author Mary Cook at 7:30.

On Sunday at 2:30 pm, a family fun day with the Friends of the Library group will be followed at 4 pm by an official cake-cutting ceremony and then a chicken barbecue. There will be no parking in the library lot on Sunday; parking will be available at Algonquin Public School and across the street at Chevron Construction.

Tickets for Mary Cook, the children's craft program and the chicken barbecue are available at the library. Other anniversary events are free.

For more information, call 926-2449.

Girl Guides get a lot out of trip

By Blake McKim, Journal Staff Writer

CARDINAL - For two local girls, a recent trip to western Europe was a dream come true and an experience neither girl will soon forget.

Holly Alexander and Kelsey McNab of the Cardinal Girl Guide troop went with four other girls and two guide leaders of the GrenDunLee Girl Guides on a two-week "European Get-Away" of England, France and Switzerland.

The trip proved to be an edifying experience for both girls, allowing them to see many historic sites and meet other guides from around the globe.

The girls left the airport in Ottawa July 29, and arrived in London, England eight hours later. While there, they visited such tourist hot spots as Madame Tussaud's Wax Museum, the Tower of London, and Buckingham Palace.

"We got to go inside the gates (of Buckingham Palace),"stated Alexander adding this is a privilege usually not afforded to tourists, but that the group had gotten special permission from the queen "because she likes guiding organizations."

In London, McNab appreciated the historical aspects of the city. "In the (London) dungeons, we learned the history, but had fun doing it. It wasn't boring."

After spending five days in London, the group took the "chunnel" across the English Channel to Paris. "I really liked the old cobblestoned streets of Paris," enthused Alexander. "I loved the Eiffel Tower as well."

McNab, a self-professed history buff, stated she appreciated seeing the Mona Lisa at the Louvre museum in Paris. "Paris is a different culture than we're used to," she stated.

Alexander added that, while she has taken French in school, Parisians spoke a "totally different French than we're used to."

She said "We were lucky one of our leaders speaks French."

After two days in Paris, the group went to Switzerland, where they stayed at a chalet owned by the Girl Guides organization, which was located near the Swiss town of Adelboden.

In Switzerland, the group went hiking on mountains, visited artisans and toured castles. Both McNab and Alexander also made many new friends among the other guides who were also staying at the chalet where they were.

"It was so awesome," stated Alexander "I made about 20 new friends from around the world."

Pathfinder leader of the Cardinal branch, Sue Grant, stated fundraising for the trip - which cost an estimated $35,000 for the eight people who went on it ­ began a year-and-a-half before the get-away.

The GrenDunLee Girl Guides branch did a variety of fundraising activities to raise money for the trip. These included teaching babysitting courses, collecting pop cans, catering for businesses and holding raffles. The group raised approximately $32,000 to go towards the trip, with the parents of the individuals helping with the rest.

Grant was quick to say the value of such a trip to guides is "basically priceless."

"It's one of those things that gives the girls a new experience," she added.

It was the first time both girls had visited Europe, and both say the excursion has whetted their appetites for further European travel. "I would like to see Italy next," stated Alexander, while McNab said she would like to visit Germany.

Both Alexander and McNab have been involved in the Girl Guides since they were very young. "I've definitely gotten a lot out of it," said Alexander.

Judges pick winners of Bloom competition

CARDINAL ­ The winners of the 2005 Cardinal in Bloom competition have been announced.

Placing first in the front yard category was Todd DesChamps of 158 Henry Street. He received a patio sun-shade donated by Cardinal Power of Canada.

Second place went to Evy and George Mallett of 93 Empire Hanna Rd., who received a garden fountain; in third place was Cindy Wonch of 638 East St. She received a birdbath.

In the container category, the winner of the wooden planter was Laura Hamilton and Brenda Cooper of 240 Helen St. The winner of the yard art category was Chantelle and Chris Lloyd of 130 Henry St. Their prize was a pair of metal yard art frogs.

Judging took place last week; the prizes were presented Monday evening.

Most of the prizes were provided by Cardinal in Bloom.

OPP ­ TOWNSHIPS NEWS

Vandals trash Canadian flag, cause damage outside Legion

CARDINAL ­ The Canadian flag was taken from its pole and buried under some soil as part of a case of vandalism at the Cardinal Legion. The incident was reported by the bar manager Friday afternoon. The bulbs from light standards overlooking the horseshoe pit area had been removed and broken. Three wooden flower pots had been overturned (and the flag was found under the soil from those pots), and the Legion sign had been removed from its post and likely thrown into the river.

Anyone with information on this case is asked to contact Constable Prophet at the OPP detachment in Prescott (925-4221) or call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.

Several parked cars are damaged

CARDINAL ­ Several other acts of vandalism Friday which are believed to be related are being investigated by Grenville County OPP.

Vehicles parked on Henry and William streets were damaged. Side mirrors had been smashed. In one case, there was also damage to a passenger door and the fender and hood; it appears the parts had been kicked. Damage was estimated at $1,000.

Later that day, there was a report side-view mirrors on two vehicles on Middle Street had been smashed. According to police, three males were observed on the street at about 1 am.

Call the OPP at 925-4221 or Crime Stoppers to report information relating to these occurrences.

Lock those parked vehicles

SPENCERVILLE ­ Four unlocked vehicles were entered late Wednesday night or early Thursday morning, police were told.

Two separate cases on Charles and Cook streets were reported to the OPP. In the first case, cash and binoculars were taken. Constable Kavanaugh is investigating.

Mountain bike stolen from residence

CARDINAL ­ A red women's mountain bike was taken from a County Road 2 residence in Cardinal sometime during the day on Friday prior to 2:07 pm. Constable Foley is investigating.

Foreign currency stolen from home

JOHNSTOWN ­ A break-in at a County Road 2 residence was reported to police Saturday. The home had been entered through a rear window. Some of the rooms were ransacked. Taken was $800 in American currency and $200 in Euros. Constable Kemp is investigating.

Museum serves as information centre in town

PRESCOTT ­ Look back into the Prescott area's past at Forwarders' Museum.

The town-owned facility is located at the corner of Water and Centre streets. The museum, which also serves as a tourist information centre, is open from 10 am to 6 pm daily until Labour Day.

Admission is free; donations are accepted.

Ride'n'Stride is ready to make another successful run

CARDINAL - The time is nearing for the annual Ride'n'Stride for Cancer held each year on Labour Day weekend in Cardinal.

Each year, the chief sponsor of the event ­ Casco ­ makes a donation of $500 to the event in memory of an employee who has passed on from the disease.

This year the donation is in the name of Jim Smith. He passed away two years ago.

Last year the event was held in memory of Jack Rylands, with $7,419 raised for the Canadian Cancer Society from the 33 registered competitors.

Event organizer Peggy Taylor indicated the event on Sunday, Sept. 4 is going to continue running the same formula which has made the event a success each year.

"There's nothing that has changed," said Taylor. "We're just hoping to continue to come out and take part to support the cause."

Pledge sheets are available around Cardinal, at the Canadian Cancer Society Web site or by calling Taylor at 657-1728.

Gunners competitive 3 team falls to Ottawa Royals

By Tim Ruhnke, Journal Staff Writer

PRESCOTT ­ What was billed as one of the most significant soccer games to be played in Prescott in recent years took place last Tuesday night at the Prince Street field.

The Prescott Gunners men's competitive 3 team hosted a
semi-final game against
the Ottawa Royals Premier
team, which was the 2004 Ottawa and Ontario National Cup Champion.

A couple of sets of bleachers were brought in for this special event as soccer players and fans of all ages checked out the high-caliber action.

The Gunners, most of whom live in the Prescott and Brockville areas, had finished first in their division and had not lost in the regular season. The visitors from Ottawa were second in their division, having lost once.

Much of the first half of the game was spent in the Gunners' end as Ottawa pressed but was unable to score. Prescott did not manage any decent scoring chances until late in the half, which ended in a scoreless draw.

Shortly into the second half, Ottawa scored what would turn out to be the winning goal. Although the Prescott players received plenty of encouragement from the home crowd, managed to turn up
the pressure later in the half and ended up with a few good scoring chances, Ottawa was able to keep the home team off the scoresheet.

Art Hitsman, a member of the Gunners Soccer Club, said he was impressed by Prescott's showing against the favoured Ottawa team. Given the local interest in minor soccer in the area, Hitsman noted, it was good for younger soccer players to see their older counterparts compete against a championship team like the Royals.

Sea Sharks capture first place at Chesterville swim meet

CHESTERVILLE ­ The Cardinal Swim Sharks placed first out of nine teams at the Chesterville swim meet on Aug.13.

The Sea Sharks had 28 swimmers participating in the meet. The Sharks brought home three medallions. Melanie Riddell won the medal for top six and under girl, Holly Alexander won the medal for top 13 and 14 girl and Charlene Smith won the medal for top 15 and over girl.

Results are as follows:

Girls six and under

Alayna Baelde ­ second in butterfly, second in backcrawl, fourth in breast stroke

Melanie Riddell ­ first in backcrawl, first in breaststroke, second in freestyle

Boys six and under

Keith Taylor ­ third in butterfly, fourth in breast stroke, fifth in freestyle

Girls seven and eight

Keisha Halliday ­ second in individual medley, third in backcrawl, sixth in breast stroke

Brittany Moore ­ fifth in butterfly, sixth in backcrawl

Boys seven and eight

Bradlee Douesnard ­ second in breast stroke, third in freestyle, third in butterfly

Jonas Grant ­ second in butterfly, fifth in freestyle

Girls nine and ten

Madison Moore ­ fifth in backcrawl

Guin Taylor ­ sixth in individual medley, sixth in butterfly

Boys nine and ten

Gunner Gill ­ third in freestyle, third in backcrawl, fourth in breast stroke

Jody Sullivan ­ first in freestyle, first in backcrawl, third in breast stroke

Girls 11 and 12

McKenzie Allen ­ fourth in freestyle, fifth in backcrawl

Audrey Dejong ­ first in butterfly, third in freestyle, fourth in individual medley

Erin Douesnard ­ first in breast stroke, third in individual medley

McKenzie Gill ­ second in butterfly, third individual medley, fifth in breast stroke

Boys 11 and 12

Cody Adams ­ first in individual medley, second in backcrawl, third in freestyle

Beau Jodoin ­ fifth in butterfly

Shane Riddell ­ third in butterfly, fourth in freestyle

Girls 13 and 14

Amanda Adams ­ sixth in backcrawl

Holly Alexander ­ first in butterfly, second in individual medley, third in backcrawl

Carrie Calhoun ­ first individual medley, third in freestyle

Jessica Halladay ­ fifth in butterfly

Carley Sullivan ­ first in freestyle, first in backcrawl, sixth in breast stroke

Boys 13 and 14

Danny Calhoun ­ second in butterfly, second in breast stroke, third in freestyle

Girls 15 and over

Lucy Jodoin ­ first in butterfly, third in freestyle, third in breast stroke

Amanda Riddell ­ second in backcrawl, second in breast stroke, fifth in freestyle

Charlene Smith ­ first in breastroke, second in freestyle, second in individual medley

Relay Results

Girls eight and under

Alayna Baelde, Melanie Riddell, Brittany Moore ­ third in freestyle relay and fourth in medley relay

Boys eight and under

Keith Taylor, Bradlee Douesnard, Jonas Grant ­ second in freestyle and medley relay

Girls nine and ten

Keisha Halladay, Madison Moore, Guin Taylor ­ third in freestyle relay and fourth in medley relay

Girls 11 and 12

Emma Patrick, Audrey Dejong, Erin Douesnard, McKenzie Gill ­ first in freestyle and medley relay

Boys 11 and 12

Gunner Gill, Jody Sullivan, Beau Jodoin ­ third in freestyle relay and first in medley relay

Girls 13 and 14

Team #l - McKenzie Allen, Jessica Halliday, Amanda Adams ­ fourth in freestyle relay and fifth in medley relay

Team #2 ­ Holly Alexander, Carley Sullivan, Carrie Calhoun ­ first in freestyle relay and medley relay

Girls 15 and over

Lucy Jodoin, Amanda Riddell, Charlene Smith ­ first in freestyle relay and medley relay.

Reynolds leads Bear Paws team at Cardinal Sea Sharks meet

CARDINAL ­ Collin Reynolds of the Johnstown Bear Paws won the medallion for boys nine and 10 at the Cardinal Swim Meet held Sunday, Aug. 14.

Johnstown placed fifth out of seven teams.

Results for members of the Johnstown swim team were as follows:

Girls six and under

Alexandra Daoust ­ fourth, freestyle, back and breast stroke

Boys six and under

Austin Tetreault ­ second,
butterfly; third, breast stroke; fourth, freestyle

Girls seven and eight

Mary Birnie ­ first, butterfly;
fourth, breast stroke; fifth,
freestyle

Boys seven and eight

Turner Birnie ­ third, butterfly; fourth, breast stroke; fifth, freestyle

Jesse Heldens ­ third, back; fourth, freestyle; fifth, breast stroke

Girls nine and ten

Taya Heldens ­ fifth, breast stroke; sixth, freestyle

Boys nine and ten

Greg Bradley ­ first, breast stroke; second, individual medley; third, back

Collin Reynolds ­ first, back, medley, butterfly

Will Sadler ­ seventh, back

Boys 11 and 12

Kris Bradley ­ first, breast stroke; second, back; third, medley

Chase Tetreault ­ fourth, back; sixth, breast stroke

Girls 13 and 14

Julisa Tetreault ­ fourth, breast stroke

Relays

Boys eight and under

Turner Birnie, Jesse Heldens ­ first, freestyle and medley

Boys 11 and 12

Greg Bradley, Collin Reynolds, Kris Bradley ­ second, freestyle and medley

Girls nine and 10

Taya Heldens and Mary Birnie ­ fourth, medley; fifth, freestyle

Fretwell nets four goals in Tropical Pools' 5-1 victory in Under-7

PRESCOTT - Things are coming down to the wire in the Prescott and District Soccer Association regular season.

One of the most notable performances of the week was a four-goal showing from Chad Fretwell in Tropical Pools' 5-1 victory over Royal Bank in Under-7 soccer action.

Cameron Beaver added a single goal for Tropical Pools, while Connor Ladouceur scored the lone marker for Royal Bank.

All regular season champions have been crowned with Star Security winning the Under-5 title, Brent Scott Insurance winning the Under-7 title, Prescott Kinsmen winning the Under-9 title, Giant Tiger winning the Under-11 title, TNT Dynamite Signs winning the Under-14 title and Southport winning the Under-18 title.

Playoff titles are up for grabs Saturday with the final day of soccer for the league.

Games for all age categories will be played Saturday beginning at 9 am and running until 5 pm.

Other PDSA results include:

Under-18

Grenville Towing 2

Chris Hoogwerf, Curtis Biccum

Kriska Holdings 1

Aaron Lavallee

DWJ Plumbing & Sons 1

Chad Hylands

Grenville Towing 0

No scorers

Kriska Holdings 3

Aaron Lavallee (2), Ryan O'Brien

Gateway Packaging 2

Jacob Casselman, Denis Heldens

Playoffs

Southport 4

Joshua Strickland (2), Joshua Rupert (2)

DWJ Plumbing 0

No scorers

Under-14 (Playoffs)

Canadian Tire 3

Nathan Denneboom, Skyler Fraser, Robbie Deeks

Pete's Music Exchange 2

Dillon Stoddard (2)

Watermark Printing 3

Mitchell Grant, James Halladay, Jamie Sturgeon

Rick's Awnings 3

Allison DeDekker (2), Kyle Jenson

Sandcastle Marketing 3

Matthew Suatac (2), Damien van Hyning

Alarca 0

No scorers

Canadian Tire 1

Nathan Denneboom

Gold Key Realty 0

No scorers

Kriska Holdings 5

Cameron Symington (2),
Jessica Dunnington (2), Mackenzie Reid

Watermark Printing 1

Jamie Sturgeon

Under-11 (Playoffs)

Seaway Valley Pharmacy 1

Christian Zahn

Giant Tiger 1

Spencer Merkley

Grenville Castings 2

Aaron Scott, Derik Bourgeois

Beach Home Hardware 0

No scorers

Dr. Mac's Attackers 0

No scorers

Shriners 0

No scorers

Hansen's Kavity Kickers 8

Nicholas Heykoop (2),
Dylan Dorey (2), David Armstrong (2), Nathan Hamilton, Jesse Kennedy

Prescott Family Chiropractic 1

Paul DeJong

Tropical Exposure 2

Taylor Byers, John Wood

B.W. Freer Electrical 2

Curtis Ross, Sierra Vout

TNT Dynamite Signs 5

Mitchell Spicer (2), Aaron Snider-Ziai (2), Taylor Garswood

Sandcastle Marketing 0

No scorers

Beach Home Hardware 2

Brett VanStralen (2)

Giant Tiger 1

A.J. Larocque

Seaway Valley Pharmacy 1

Christian Zahn

Dr. Mac's Attackers 0

No scorers

Grenville Castings 4

Derik Bourgeois (3), Issac Scott

Prescott Family Chiropractic 0

No scorers

Tropical Exposure 2

Damian Haystead, Krista
Lebrun

Shriners 2

Devin Johnston, Jacob Ranger

Hansen's Kavity Kickers 7

Nicholas Heykoop (3), Jesse Kennedy (3), Dylan Dorey

B.W. Freer Electrical 0

No scorers

Under-9

Clarica 3

Auston Wickware (2), Liam Marcus

Splash Well Drilling 1

Eoin Carr

Prescott Kiwanis 8

Cameron Smith (4), Curtis Ross (3), Michael Roddick

Cassidy's Trophies 0

No scorers

Grenville Pharmacy 6

Phillip Boyd (2), Payton Selleck (2), Kevin Richards, Maranda Hall

Colour Pallette 0

No scorers

Prescott Kinsmen 4

Zachary Shankar (2), Benjamin Smith, Hayden Spychi

Danani Flooring 3

Damian Peladeau, Liam Bush, Emma Dukelow

Colour Pallette 2

David Armstrong, Andrew Miller

Cassidy's Trophies 2

Nicholas Asbreuk, Ben Ross

Grenville Pharmacy 3

Phillip Boyd (2), Payton Selleck

Danani Flooring 2

Damian Peladeau, Emma Dukelow

Prescott Kinsmen 3

Zachary Shankar (3)

Splash Well Drilling 1

Nicholas Leblanc

Prescott Kiwanis 2

Curtis Ross (2)

Clarica 2

Declan Colwell, Nathan
Colwell

Under-7 (Playoffs)

St. Lawrence Printing 1

Nicholas Asbreuk

Brent Scott Insurance 1

Cole Cameron

Tropical Pools 5

Chad Fretwell (4), Cameron Beaver

Royal Bank 1

Connor Ladouceur

MTJB Daycare 9

Brayden Noyes (3), Brody
Ranger (2), Nicholas Harcus (2), Hayden Sayeau, Abbygale Fahrngruber

Prescott IDA 0

No scorers

Compendium Group 3

Nicholas McColl (2), Jordan Dodge

Windmill Web 2

McIntyre Render, Elizabeth Cameron

Hometown Heating 2

Cameron Jones (2)

TD Canada Trust 0

No scorers

Brent Scott Insurance 4

Cole Cameron (3), Morgan D'Ambrose

Royal Bank 0

No scorers

St. Lawrence Printing 4

Nicholas Asbreuk (2), Spencer Ross, Kyrstn Burnie

Prescott IDA 1

Steven Armstrong

Tropical Pools 3

Tyler Buote (2), Cameron
Beaver

Windmill Web 0

No scorers

MTJB 4

Brayden Noyes (2), Brody Ranger (2)

TD Canada Trust 0

No goal scorers

Hometown Heating 2

Devon Stoddard, Cameron
Jones

Compendium Group 1

Nicholas McColl

Under-5 (Playoffs)

Star Security 5

Megan Henry (3), Karlie Moore, Jayden McColl

Playit Star 0

No scorers

Grenville Fish & Game 8

Jack Coville (4), Benjamin Milburn (2), Spencer Carmichael (2)

Chevron Construction 5

Ryan Grenn (3), Lindsey Hoogwerf (2)

Prescott Chiros 3

John Coligan (3)

Portraits by C. Endicott 1

Cooper Kingston

Beck's Construction 3

Brendon Peters (2), Brooke Crowder

Tichborne Auto Supply 3

Karley Haystead (2), Nathan Barkley

Dig a Divot for Diabetes golf tourney scheduled for Sept. 5

PRESCOTT - The Dig a Divot For Diabetes golf tournament is set for Monday, Sept. 5.

The tournament is being held at the Prescott Golf Club and will feature a 12:30 pm shotgun start.

The tournament is a four-person scramble with three low gross categories including ladies, men's and mixed.

Proper dress code is in effect, with soft spikes being mandatory.

To reserve a cart, contact the Prescott Golf Club Pro Shop at 925-5370.

For more information, contact Neil or Darlean Coulter at 925-5628 or the Canadian Diabetes Association office at 345-0992.

Prescott Chamber of Commerce golf tournament set for Sept. 14

PRESCOTT - The 17th annual Prescott and District Chamber of Commerce Charlie McFarlane Memorial Golf Tournament will be held next month.

The annual tournament is scheduled for Wednesday, Sept. 14 at the Prescott Golf Club with spots available for the first 144 paid entries.

The event costs $40 for members of the golf club and $65 for non members.

The tournament will feature a 12:30 pm shotgun start, with carts mandatory for everyone. Carts must be booked through the club.

For more information or to book teams, contact Allan Norton at 925-4244 ext. 250.

Jr. B Rangers golf tournament set for Oct. 2 at Prescott Golf Club

PRESCOTT - The South Grenville Jr. B Rangers annual fundraising golf tournament will be held Oct. 2.

The tournament will feature a shotgun start at noon.

Registration forms are available at Riverside Pontiac Buick Ltd. as well as from Jr. B Rangers committee members, Tom Hare, Paul Irvine, Ron Gilmour, Doug Casselman, Mitch Collison, Andrew Scott, Peter Veltkamp and Jim Bishop.

Those wishing to participate in the tournament are reminded to signup early to guarantee themselves a spot.

Come out and support the Rangers.