Next talks set for Sept. 12

Invista Maitland strike approaches fourth month; union members rally

By Blake McKim, Journal Staff Writer

MAITLAND - Talks between the Communications, Energy and Paperworkers (CEP) Union Local 28-0 and Invista officials are set to happen on Monday, Sept. 12 at 10 am at the Royal Brock Hotel in Brockville.

"At the next round of talks, we'd like to get a (contract) settled we can recommend to our members," local President Steve Armstrong stated Monday.

Armstrong added union officials may present a document at the meeting which would detail the union's "return to work" agreement.

"(It's) just to make sure there are no ramifications against any union members (after returning to work)," he explained.

When contacted Monday, Invista spokesperson Line Villeneuve stated the date of Sept 12 was the one which was "agreed to by all parties" involved in the negotiations, including the provincial negotiator.

She added Sept. 12 was one of two dates (the other one being Sept 9) offered by the negotiator.

Regarding the talks set for Sept. 12, Villeneuve indicated Invista is "looking for a resolution for the strike," but she reiterated the fact that the company is willing to wait for the "right resolution" to make the Maitland Site competitive, both now and hereafter.

She added that currently, staff on-site is continuing with operations and serving the company's customers.

When asked if the workers which the company is currently using (which includes non-union Maitland staff on the site as well as contracted workers for the company) could continue to run the plant indefinitely, Villeneuve stated;

"We will continue to operate the site as long as it is safe to do so."

She also said that it is "to everyone's best interests to continue to serve customers" so that the plant remains operational, both now and in the future.

On Saturday morning at the picket line site outside of the Invista plant in Maitland, the union held a rally welcoming members from Invista sites in Ajax and Millhaven who are also members of the CEP union. Armstrong stated that approximately 125 people came from the two other locals to the Maitland site.

Armstrong stated the purpose of this rally was to "meet and greet" members of the union locals who have donated $4,800 to date to the local in Maitland. "They just gave a little pep talk," he said. "It (the rally) helped morale (and) solidarity, as well" added Armstrong.

Armstrong also said the Ajax local brought black t-shirts as gifts for the striking members of the Maitland local

When asked about public response to the rally, Armstrong said he "wasn't sure" what it was. However, he also said "I think a lot of people know Invista is a different company than DuPont now."

See inside for more coverage.

THIS WEEK

Labour Day prompts the usual changes

PRESCOTT ­ The offices of The Prescott Journal and St. Lawrence Printing will be closed on Labour Day (Monday, Sept. 5).

As a result, the deadline for display and classified advertising in next week's edition of The Journal is this Friday, Sept. 2 at noon.

Banks, government offices and some retailers will also be closed Monday. There will also be no service at Canada Post outlets on Labour Day.

Drivers should watch out for young students

SOUTH GRENVILLE ­ Motorists are being reminded to be on the lookout for students and school buses next week.

Local elementary and secondary schools reopen on Tuesday, Sept. 6. The OPP advises drivers to be more attentive than usual next week as youngsters make their way to and from school or the bus stop.

Police are advising motorists to slow down in school zones. Drivers are also being reminded to obey the law and not pass school buses when their red lights are flashing.

Musical garden party set for this Saturday

PRESCOTT ­ A garden party to support next year's Jeunesses Musicales of Canada (JMC) annual congress in Prescott is set for this weekend.

The fundraiser will take place this Saturday, Sept. 3 from 1:30 to 4:30 pm at the home of Jean Casselman Wadds on King Street West.

The social gathering will include performances by the Quator Martini string quartet and soprano Alana Scott.

Refreshments will be served. There will also be live and silent auctions featuring local artists' works as well as other donated items.

The Fort Town Concert Association is hosting the event. The local group, in partnership with JMC, bring professional musicians to Prescott each year for concerts and visits to schools.

For garden party tickets or more information, call 925-5050.

Guests are asked to park in the municipal lot located behind Walker House.

Transition to OPP has gone very well, according to mayor

By Tim Ruhnke, Journal Editor

PRESCOTT ­ Tomorrow marks the first anniversary of the disbandment of the Prescott Police Service. On Sept. 1, 2004, the Grenville County detachment of the Ontario Provincial Police became responsible for patrolling the town.

The move, which was several years in the making and resulted in the loss of several civilian dispatch positions and three municipal police officers who did not make the switch to OPP, was divisive in the community and at the council table.

Prescott Mayor Robert Lawn, who voted in favour of making the switch, believes the transition from the ten-member municipal police force to the OPP has gone very well. Lawn told The Journal Monday the decision is one he did not take lightly.

"I'm a strong believer in traditions," said Lawn, who noted the switch meant people lost their jobs. "It didn't sit all that easily with me."

The cost of maintaining a small municipal police service and having access to resources were cited as reasons to make the move to OPP. Three successive councils were in favour of the switch. After a lengthy process and facing opposition from a vocal group of local residents, Prescott council voted 4-3 last year to proceed with disbandment.

Looking back over the first year of the new arrangement, Lawn said he is "quietly pleased it has worked so well." He went on to note much of the credit for the "relatively seamless" transition goes to Bryan Somerville and Gary Sluytman, the former chief and sergeant of the Prescott Police Service. Somerville is the OPP's community sergeant for the Prescott patrol zone; Sluytman is a community service and court officer with the OPP.

"They have helped make it (the transition) work," Lawn stated.

The mayor acknowledged concerns about the loss of the downtown police station. "It has been missed to some degree," he said.

However, he also made note of two significant developments this year: the homicide in downtown Prescott and the freight train derailment in July.

The OPP responded quickly with additional personnel and resources, according to the mayor. "When they (police officers) were needed in a hurry, they showed up," Lawn said.

One thing the mayor said he would like to see more of is an awareness of the officers who are now serving in the Prescott patrol zone. Some of the former Prescott Police Service officers who made the switch to OPP no longer patrol the town.

Lawn remains in favour of profiling the local officers in weekly columns in The Journal, and has made the point at meetings of the Prescott Police Services Board. However, only a few profiles have been submitted and published since disbandment took place a year ago. The mayor indicated he intends to bring the subject up again at the board level.

"We should know who the regular officers are," Lawn said. "It's important we have that connection."

As for plans for a new Grenville County detachment building in the north end of Prescott, Lawn said local officials are still being told the money is coming and the project is high up on the list.

The Labour Day Festival tradition is alive and well in North Augusta

Parade one of the highlights of holiday weekend party

NORTH AUGUSTA - North Augusta's 74th annual Labour Day Festival is going medieval this year.

This year's festival runs from Friday, Sept. 2 to Monday, Sept. 5.

Several new events, as well as the returning flagship parade, will all have medieval dress and themes, according to North Augusta Recreation Association Secretary-Treasurer Robin Eekhout.

She added that entrants into the king and queen contest, to be held Saturday evening, are expected to don period clothing.

In addition, on Sunday at 11 am at the small ball diamond in the village, organizers will be holding medieval kids games, which will include chariot races.

However, horses will not be used to pull the chariots. "That could be dangerous!" stated Eekhout.

She added a number of other new events have been added to the four-day festival's roster of activities. These include a soap box derby to be held on Main Street (near the Masonic Hall) on Saturday at 4 pm. Other new events include a Texas hold'em tournament at the community hall on Sunday at 7 pm.

This year's four-day fest is kicking off with a euchre tournament and mixed slo-pitch game Friday evening. In addition, there will be the prince and princess contest at 7 pm.

Saturday, Sept. 3 will bring a perennial and craft sale at the community hall starting at 8 am. At noon, the long-standing horseshoe tournament will kick off, while in the evening Healy and Orr will be playing. A small entrance fee is being charged for this event.

Events being held on Sunday, Sept 4 include a baking contest, a car rally and a Children's scavenger hunt to start from the community hall at 1 pm.

The annual Labour Day parade will take place at noon Monday. Registration is taking place at the soccer field before the event. Prizes for the parade will be awarded after the parade at the small ball diamond.

The festival will close out with a chicken barbecue beginning at 4 pm at the community hall.

Events happening all weekend long include fastball and slo-pitch tournaments, the silent auction at the community hall (closes at 4:30 pm on Sept. 5), breakfast and the Bavarian garden.

Eekhout stated the annual festival "Is huge; it would be devastating not to have it."

She also said the Labour Day festival is important in that it brings out everyone in the community at least once a year.

"I couldn't imagine it not going on," she added.

See Page 11 for a complete schedule of events.

Heads to be shaved at fundraiser

NORTH AUGUSTA - Steve Bell and his 10-year-old son Spencer are both participating in a head-shaving fundraiser for the Canadian Cancer Society on Monday, Sept 5 at the ball diamond in North Augusta.

The head-shaving will take place at about noon following the Labour Day parade. The Bells have also been assisted in raising funds by Jim O'Grady.

They have raised more than $2,200 thus far, and will be collecting pledges in the days leading up to the head-shaving, and at the event. To make a pledge, contact Bell at 348-3888.

Food bank welcomes Trillium grant

Local group receives more than $68,000 for upgrades to Henry Street building

By Tim Ruhnke, Journal Editor

PRESCOTT ­ Monday was a special day for the Food For All Food Bank.

Almost three years to the day after opening its doors, the local non-profit organization celebrated the approval of a grant of $68,600 from the Ontario Trillium Foundation. The money is being used to make upgrades to the food depot and office located on Henry Street across from the Prescott branch of the Royal Canadian Legion.

Food bank Chairperson Neil Dufour said the grant is "a real godsend" to volunteers at the food bank. "It is really a big help to us," he added.

The food bank opened in early Sept. 2002. At the time, building owner John Fahrngruber was not charging the food bank rent. After Mr. Fahrngruber passed away in 2004, the food bank accepted an offer to acquire the building at no cost. However, the organization would be responsible for any repairs or renovations.

Dufour said a lot of work on the building was badly needed. In addition to major roof repairs, there was electrical work as well as insulation, new windows, a new furnace and air conditioning.

With the help of Trillium, some of these projects have already been completed. The wiring, furnace and air conditioner have been done; orders have already been placed for the windows and roof, Dufour noted Monday. "Hopefully, all our work will be completed by winter," he said.

Leeds-Grenville MPP Bob Runciman commended food bank volunteers for their care and compassion and the "wonderful service" they provide. Food For All, which serves residents of Prescott, Augusta and Edwardsburgh/ Cardinal, also operates a part-time satellite office in the Cardinal Public Library building.

The Progressive Conservative MPP noted the food bank received a significant portion of the $240,000 allocated for Trillium grants in the region. This is a reflection of the quality and merit of the food bank's application, Runciman added.

John Henderson, a member of Trillium's regional grant review team, said the work being carried out on the building "is going to make a tremendous difference." He wished the food bank volunteers well as they continue to operate this community resource.

Dufour also emphasized the work of his fellow volunteers and food bank administrator Bonnie Gommert.

Trillium receives $100 million each year from Ontario's charity casino program.

Bingo International to close next month

EDWARDSBURGH - Many local groups and service clubs are about to lose a source of revenue.

Bingo International will close its doors late next month, The Journal has learned. Ray Young, who has assisted with bingos at the hall which are a source of revenue for the Rotary Club of Prescott, said the announcement was made Monday at a meeting for groups who use the bingos as fundraisers.

Regarding the closure, he stated "Well, the Rotary Club as well as 40 other charities will be without a very profitable source of funding," and added the club will have to find other sources of fundraising.

While Young did confirm a reason was given for the closure at the meeting, he declined to provide it to The Journal when asked Tuesday morning.

"That's something you should get from the owners, not me," he added.

"It's unsaveable, that's what they told us yesterday," stated Bingo International employee Amanda Matthieu on Tuesday morning.

She added workers were given a letter which stated the last bingo on the site located west of Johnstown on County Road 2 would be held Wednesday, Sept. 28 at 6:45 pm.

Matthieu said the letter stated the decline in popularity of bingo at the site has become evident in the last several months, which has been hurting other bingo halls in the area, including Bingo International.

Just before press time Tuesday, Girls Incorporated of Upper Canada released a copy of a letter to charities from Bingo International owners John and Fran Goodwin. In noting the business has incurred major losses recently because of the decline in popularity, the Goodwins state "it has become a regularly losing proposition."

They go on to state contact had been made with the bingo hall in Brockville. "They have assured me they would give top priority to our charities should they wish to continue running bingos." Interested charities are advised to forward letters to Bingoland Brockville stating their interest in running bingos in the future.

In an accompanying release, Girls Inc. states losing the funding source will be "extremely detrimental."

Two councils to meet on Tuesday

SOUTH GRENVILLE ­ The Labour Day holiday will result in two municipal council meetings to be postponed by one day.

Prescott council will meet next Tuesday, Sept. 6 at 7 pm. The next meeting of Edwardsburgh/ Cardinal will begin at 7:30 the same night in Spencerville.

All three councils in South Grenville return to twice-monthly meetings in September.

The next regular meeting of Augusta council is scheduled to take place on the night of Monday, Sept. 12.

Exercise group getting back into shape

WALKER HOUSE NEWS by MARNIE LIPPIATT

With the cooler weather, we plan to get back to the afternoon exercise group. We will have our first session on Wednesday, Sept. 7 at 4 pm. Please call or plan to come so we can arrange the best time for these exercises and also the program you would like to follow. While these are more energetic than the morning groups, they still put emphasis on flexibility and balance while listening to your own body requirements.

Cribbage players are reminded of the dinner and crib on Sept. 13. Please be sure to reserve your place for the dinner. New players are welcome. If you need a refresher course or would just like to brush up on the game, join us on Tuesday, Sept. 6 at 7 pm. Call 925-5300.

I appreciated all the helpers on Friday. It would be impossible to serve all our dinners without help from the many volunteers. Each meal becomes a special day.

Card game winners: Monday afternoon bridge ­ 1st, Janet White; 2nd, Kitty Wormington; door, Nancy Coligan. Fun bridge ­ Glenn Morris; Wednesday night bridge ­ 1st, Margaret Nesbitt; 2nd, Delia Seeley. Thursday night euchre ­ 1st, Jeannine Marion; 2nd, Dora Cook; 3rd, Bea Hemsley and Jean McCrady.

Prostate cancer tournament raises $60,000

BROCKVILLE ­ About $60,000 was raised at this year's golf tournament for prostate cancer research in Eastern Ontario.

The seventh annual fundraising event (a sell-out) was held Friday at the Highland Golf Club in Brockville. The tournament included a golf ball drop, which raised almost $4,900, as well as a silent auction.

To date, the tournament has raised a total of $255,000.

Next year's event will take place on Friday, Aug. 25. For more information, call Cathy Hamilton at 342-7883.

CHEO event to be held at golf club

IROQUOIS ­ The Iroquois Golf Club will host its seventh annual CHEO Classic tournament this Saturday.

The event includes 18 holes of golf (four-person scramble), silent auction, turkey dinner and entertainment provided by Dave Kalil, "Ottawa's Piano Man."

This year's field has been expanded to 164 players, but only a few more spaces are left. For non-golfers, tickets for the combination of the auction, dinner and entertainment can also be purchased.

To register or for more details, call Steve or Rick at 652-4367.

The tournament is presented by RTK Jewellers.

More than $65,000 was raised in the first six years of the event.

Salvation Army asks donors to refrain from dropping off items after hours

Pick-ups can be arranged; hauling damaged donations to landfill is costing money

PRESCOTT ­ The Salvation Army appreciates most of the donations it receives, but there are some exceptions.

The Christian movement, which operates a thrift store on King Street West in Prescott, has been hauling away at its own expense furniture and other items deemed to be unusable. In some cases, a perfectly good piece of furniture might be left near the Prescott store or at the Salvation Army in Brockville after hours and then gets damaged by the elements.

Captain Reid Colbourne said the Salvation Army would gladly accept furnishings without stains or tears. However, donors are being encouraged not to dump unsold garage or yard sale items outside church facilities. It is costing a lot of money to transport these leftovers to the landfill, the captain said.

In noting the movement welcomes contributions from the community, Colbourne said donors can call 342-5211 and have the items picked up by the Salvation Army. Friday is pick-up day in Prescott.

The public is also being asked to avoid depositing clothing and other donations in the front doorway of the Prescott store when it is closed. In one recent case on a weekend, donated items ended up strewn on the sidewalk. A passerby found unused medication in the mess; the package warned against children ingesting the pills.

The store is open weekday mornings and afternoons.

Some merchants report higher sales during downtown event Saturday

By Tim Ruhnke. Journal Editor

PRESCOTT ­ End of Summer/Back to School was an example of a successful event for the community, according to Prescott BIA Downtown Co-ordinator Monica Whitney.

The first-time event was held Saturday on and beside King Street between George and Edward streets.

Many special activities were added to a late-summer sidewalk sale in hopes of attracting more people to downtown.

"Some stores reported higher than normal sales," Whitney told The Journal Monday.

She said the BIA tried some new activities at this sidewalk sale; they included an air bounce for the kids and displays by several youth-oriented community groups.

"That seemed to work well," she said.

In terms of live entertainment, the Harbour Lites Square Dancers took to the street near the clock tower for a few numbers. The Reasons performed songs which spanned the rock and roll era.

"Some people really seemed to be enjoying themselves," Whitney said.

The Rotary Club of Prescott added corn on the cob to its regular barbecue menu; the club reported a successful day, according to Whitney.

As for whether or not King Street needs to be closed to vehicular traffic during a sidewalk sale, Whitney acknowledged "there are varied opinions." However, she believes there is a place for a late-summer promotion such as the one staged on Saturday.

The BIA held a board meeting this morning; at which time the event was expected to be discussed.

The Prescott Business Improvement Area represents commercial properties in a specific geographic area, most of which is considered to be the downtown core.

This year's Terry Fox Run will be special

MAITLAND NEWS by Jane Fullarton

This year marks the 25th anniversary of the Terry Fox Run, and organizers in Prescott plan to make this year's event very special.

The Terry Fox Run was started in 1981 with 300,000 participants across Canada running to commemorate Terry Fox's Marathon of Hope. From April 12 until Sept. 1, 1980, 21-year-old Terry Fox, who had his right leg amputated above the knee as a result of bone cancer, ran 42 kilometres a day to raise money for cancer research and to increase awareness about the disease.

After running 5,373 kilometres from St John's, Newfoundland to Thunder Bay, Ontario, Fox stopped running because he had developed lung cancer. Fox died on June 28, 1981.

In its first year the Terry Fox Run raised $3.5 million for cancer research; since then, more than $360 million has been raised in Terry's name in events around the world.

This year, the Terry Fox Run will be held on Sunday, Sept. 18 at the Prescott marina. Registration starts at 11 am, with the official start of the run at noon. Participants are welcome to come at anytime between 11 am and 2 pm to start the race, since this is a non-competitive event. Runners start at the marina and proceed along the pathway, over to Centennial Park and back to the marina again.

Last year, the Prescott event included four scuba divers who travelled a course underwater. This year, there will be scuba divers and kayaking. The Grenville Fish and Game Club has agreed to supply kayaks, supervision and instruction for anyone who would like to travel the event by kayak.

Pledge sheets for anyone wishing to participate are available at local banks and various businesses, including Seaway Valley Pharmacy and Tan and Tone in Prescott.

Last year's event had approximately 95 participants, and this year organizers are hoping to increase that number by demonstrating that participants can join the run in any way they want; run, walk, swim, scuba or kayak. The main thing is to collect some pledges and participate.

Cancer can be beaten.

OPP ­ TOWNSHIPS NEWS

Crash leads to impaired charges

AUGUSTA ­ Impaired driving charges have been laid in connection with a single-vehicle crash on County Road 15 late Saturday afternoon.

A 1991 Chevrolet Caprice driven by a 36-year-old RR#2 Brockville man was northbound when the car failed to negotiate a sharp left curve north of Algonquin Road. The vehicle veered onto the shoulder and went out of control; it slid into the ditch and became airborne, eventually coming to rest against several trees on private property.

The car had travelled 150 metres from where it left the road to where it came to rest, according to an OPP news release.

The man sustained minor injuries by EMS personnel at the scene. The car was a write-off. He was arrested and is scheduled to appear in court Sept. 16. Constable Butcher is the investigating officer.

Traffic stop leads to arrest, charges

AUGUSTA ­ A 40-year-old Augusta man faces impaired driving charges after being stopped by police late Saturday night.

Constable McConnell was on patrol on County Road 21 near Mcleansville Road when he observed an eastbound Toyota pick-up truck travelling at a low speed and then leaving the paved portion of the roadway and veering to the left and across the centre line.

The officer stopped the truck; the driver was arrested and charged. He is scheduled to appear in court Sept. 9.

Late-model ATV stolen from garage

EDWARDSBURGH ­ An all-terrain vehicle was reported stolen from a residence on County Road 2 east of Johnstown last Tuesday afternoon.

The blue 2005 Yamaha ATV belongs to a Lyndhurst man and was being stored at his son's residence. Someone went through a window and was able to open the garage door and remove the ATV.

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

Call police when crime is in progress: OPP

PRESCOTT ­ Police are encouraging the public to call if they see or hear what appears to be a crime.

On Friday morning, the OPP received a report of a break-in at Alpine on King Street West at Edward Street. Someone had smashed a front window with a brick; missing from the store were five Citizen DVD/VCR combos with a total value of $1,250. Damage to the window was estimated at $1,000.

A neighbour had heard the smashing sound at about 2:30 am and saw two males running from the scene, but the incident was not reported until later that morning.

To report a crime in progress, dial 9-1-1.

Dr. Gardner is leaving district health unit

BROCKVILLE ­ The Leeds, Grenville and Lanark District Health Unit will soon be seeking a new medical officer of health.

Dr. Charles Gardner will be leaving the position at the end of October to become medical officer of health and executive officer of the Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit, it was announced last Wednesday.

Adrian vanSchie, board of health chair and former reeve of Augusta Township, stated in a news release Gardner will be missed "...for his dedication in providing leadership in the improvement of health protection and promotion."

Gardner has been with the tri-county health unit since 1998. Finding his successor will be actively pursued in the very near future, according to the release.

Be on the lookout for spot checks

PRESCOTT ­ The Ontario Provincial Police remind drivers of the possibility of RIDE and seat belt checks at any time.

On Saturday, Sergeant Francis and constables Bisson, McConnell and Kavanagh checked 70 vehicles on King Street at Boundary Street in the east end of town. There was one Highway Traffic Act charge laid and no warnings issued.

Eaton offers to help in Invista dispute

PRESCOTT ­ Federal Liberal candidate and OPSEU executive member Bob Eaton says he wants to help both sides reach an agreement in the ongoing Invista labour dispute.

In a news release issued Friday on Day 84 of the Maitland strike, the Prescott resident says a negotiated settlement is possible with the goodwill and professionalism of the parties.

"Both sides have an opportunity to come together to ensure the Invista plant remains a viable and stable long-term employer in our riding," Eaton states.

He describes the former DuPont site as "an essential part of our local economy" for which "a win/lose scenario in this dispute is not in the long-run interests of families, neighbourhoods or business."

Eaton was on hand Saturday morning as the local strikers and supporters from other Invista operations in Ontario gathered for a rally in front of the main gate at the Maitland site.

Assault victim found on sidewalk; truck stolen from driveway

PRESCOTT ­ Officers with the Grenville County OPP detachment responded to 60 calls for service in the Prescott patrol zone last week.

Early last Wednesday morning, police were called to King Street East where a man was reportedly lying on the ground and bleeding from his head just east of Centre Street. Police found a 37-year-old New Brunswick man sitting up on the sidewalk. He was transported to Brockville General Hospital, where he was treated and released. An investigation revealed the man had been assaulted by two males described as being about 20 years old. The victim and the suspects had been involved in an earlier incident at The Limit. The investigating officer is Constable McConnell.

A black 1990 GMC Sierra truck was taken from a Park Street West driveway during the overnight hours of Aug. 22-23. A police news release stated the vehicle was locked; however, there was a spare set of keys inside the truck. As of Monday, the vehicle had not been recovered. Constable Jones is investigating.

Last Wednesday at about 4:15 pm, the theft of a barbecue and two bikes from an apartment building on King Street West was reported. Additional details were unavailable. The investigator is Constable Foley.

Later that afternoon, the theft of an adult cross-country mountain bike was reported from a residence on Henry Street West. It is believed the bike ­ blue and silver with the words "Next" and "Aluminum series" in the frame ­ was taken on Aug. 19 or Aug. 20. The value of the bike is $100. Constable Johnston is investigating.

Last Wednesday morning, vandalism to three vehicles parked on Dibble Street West was reported. Paint had been splattered on them; no damage estimate was available. The investigating officer is Constable Barr.

Two solar lights were reported stolen from a King Street East residence on Thursday morning. A third light was damaged. Constable Barr is investigating.

At about 6:21 am Saturday, a man reported hearing a noise at about 3 am at a residence on St. Lawrence Street at Ann Street. He looked out the window and saw a man running away from the home. The complainant checked the front screen door and noticed the glass was smashed. Damage was estimated at $40. The investigator is Constable McConnell.

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

Kemptville College included in ownership change

NORTH GRENVILLE ­ The Government of Ontario is transferring ownership of 14 agricultural research stations and three colleges (including Kemptville College) to the Agricultural Research Institute of Ontario (ARIO). The announcement was made Aug. 25 by Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs Minister Leona Dombrowsky.

The transfer is to be completed by the conclusion of the fiscal year, which ends March 31, 2006.

ARIO is a provincial crown agency which was established to, in conjunction with government and industry, set priorities for agri-food research. The institute's members and director of research are appointed by the minister. Ministry staff are provided to assist in ARIO's operations.

The government indicated the move comes in response to recommendations made by the Premier's Agricultural Summit held last December.

Art Chamberlain, the minister's senior communications advisor, told The Journal there is an expectation of greater private sector involvement in the research stations.

Other officials cited in a ministry news release echoed the sentiment. "With the transfer of these facilities to ARIO, the door is open for industry and government to work together to ensure we have a research system that is second to none,"stated Helmuth Spreitzer, chair of the Agricultural Research Coalition.

Kemptville College, University of Guelph, is a campus of the Ontario Agricultural College which is based at the university. The North Grenville facility, which was founded in 1917, offers agri-food programs (diploma, certificate and apprenticeship) relating to the rural community. As of late August, 228 students had signed up for upcoming courses. There were just over 200 students in the previous school year.

John Morgan, associate director (academic) at Kemptville College, does not believe the ownership will have a direct affect on college curriculum. However, he concurs with the others who say the move could help the college and its research component attract private investment and obtain new infrastructure. For example, the college is proposing a new dairy barn for 60 to 100 cows to be built; the estimated cost is $1.5 million.

Morgan said he is optimistic the transfer to ARIO will bring good things to the college. "I think it's a positive step," he added.

The research station at Winchester is also part of the ownership transfer.

Agri-food is a $30-billion-a-year industry in Ontario.

GCC waterfront property sold at auction

MAITLAND - This past Thursday, four acres of waterfront land were auctioned off at Grenville Christian College.

"It was a well-attended auction," stated auctioneer Manson Slik, of Gordon's Auctioneers and Realty, who presided over the auction Thursday night. "There were over 100 people, and 56 registered bidders."

While both the amount received for the property and the buyers were not released due to privacy issues, GCC spokesperson Cathy McHugh stated late Monday "I can say we are pleased with the process and what came out of it - and the sale price."

She also said the buyers of the land are from the Leeds-Grenville area, and there was no reserve price for the auction. McHugh added the parcel of land auctioned off was not being used by the school.

The school is expected to use the money gained from the sale to do numerous upgrades. "At this point in time, we need to do a number of repairs and maintenance," stated McHugh. She mentioned specifically the roof of the school needing upgrades.

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

"I couldn't imagine it not going on."

Editor's Notebook

THESE VIDEOGRAPHERS ARE NOT TOURISTS: Some of you might have noticed a school bus stopping on Water Street near the museum in the early evening or morning recently. The bus appears to be escorted by one or two trucks and people carrying video cameras and taping anyone in the vicinity of the bus. For those of you aren't already aware, these are not tourists wanting to capture memories of their visit to the Fort Town; the bus is picking up or dropping off people who are working at Invista during the strike. The videographers are security personnel hired by the company; you might have also noticed these people on the other side of the entrances to Invista Maitland, where they also stand by and videotape any activity occurring near the gates.

The bus pick-ups have moved around a bit during the past few weeks. In at least one case, a business owner whose parking lot was being used as a pick-up site insisted the buses go somewhere else. After all, the business owner does not want strikers to think he is supporting the company and its use of replacement workers (whom some people refer to as scabs). As for the videotaping in public places being conducted by security guards (whom some refer to as hired goons), we can understand why the company would want to take steps to ensure the workers are protected from harassment.

Then again, we also understand the resentment the union and many of its members might feel as those replacement workers make their way in and out of Invista. The community is fortunate the dog days of summer have not produced a spate of incidents stemming from the bad blood that can often arise during an extended strike.

Still, the sight of security guards escorting school buses serves as an obvious reminder of how high the stakes are in this ongoing dispute that is showing little sign of coming to an end anytime soon.

GET THE MONEY FLOWING: Another step in the process to replace Prescott's aging sewage treatment plant was taken last week when town council formally approved the municipality's participation in the infrastructure program with the federal and provincial governments. It was noted design work would be completed in early 2006, the tenders would go out by early spring and construction of the new facility would be completed by early 2007 if all goes according to plan.

One remaining piece of the puzzle is the extent to which water and sewer rates will rise a second time to cover the town's share of project costs. Council deferred the subject at budget time earlier this year, but the matter will have to come back to the table. Last year's rate hikes may have been tough for some people to swallow, but water and sewer customers must prepare for the prospect of even higher rates is on the horizon as Prescott tries to come up with its multi-million-dollar share of infrastructure funding.

Tim Ruhnke

Dumpster diving, panicked phone calls are best-man duties

CLUB HOUSE REMARKS by David Dickenson

Weddings can be fun, but they can also be a big pain in the rear.

This year for my vacation, I was the best man for my cousin Darren Dickenson's wedding and it was definitely an experience I will never forget.

While the whole experience was kind of fun meeting the bride Kathy Cook's family, since they all flew in from far away Williams Lake, British Columbia and come from a very different background then we come from, it was still a lot of work.

They were really great to deal with, joking around and having fun regardless of with whom they were hanging around.

Things went pretty well all around and looked pretty flawless, but that's because of all the little work behind the scenes put in by the whole wedding party, parents, families and friends who all did their part to pitch in for the event.

Nobody at the wedding knew of the attempted dumpster-diving session by myself and one of the groomsmen the night before the nuptials to try and retrieve a bag full of boutonnieres and corsages which was accidentally thrown out in the chaos of room switching at the hotel.

Nobody knew about the re-ordering of the corsages, only to have the bag re-appear first thing in the morning after being located in the hotel's lost and found.

Nobody knew about the veil being forgotten at home by the bridal party, which resulted in the panicked phone call from the maid of honor speaking Esperanto or some language twins use to communicate with one another, which I quickly passed off to the groom to hear. One of the groomsmen and I drove and got the veil and picked it up and then dropped it off for them, so nobody would notice the chaos.

Not everything, though, was chaos like it may sound; it's a wedding and small things go wrong and it still looks perfect.

The bachelor party was a blast and we gave the groom a night he won't soon forget and the pictures, meal and ceremonies all went very smoothly.

I gave my speech and didn't mess it up too badly and, more importantly, I didn't ramble (like most of the time) and put my foot in my mouth (once again, most of the time).

When all that was aside, we were able to have some fun and get some drinks, which was badly needed by a lot of the people in the wedding party.

Even with all the chaos behind the scenes, it was still a fun time and I was very happy and honoured to be a part of the proceedings, and even happier to see my little cousin (who is also a very close friend) get hitched with Kathy, who has also become a very good friend.

The whole experience was a memorable one I will cherish, but it was also a learning experience for me.

I learned that when it's my time to get hitched, I'm getting a plane ticket for myself and my bride to go to the Bahamas to do it there and leave most of the chaos behind.

PUC customers can pay a lump sum for new plant: 1985

FROM THE ARCHIVES

Aug. 28, 1985

* Eleven companies have submitted bids on the contract to rebuild Edward Street from Water Street to the foot of the CN overpass. The bids range from $817,000 to $972,000. The estimated cost of the project is just over $1 million. The project includes water and sewer line work and the installation of interlocking paving stone from Water to King streets. Council is expected to make a decision on the contract early next month.

* Tenders for Prescott's long-awaited water filtration plant could be out next week and construction could begin by October, according to PUC Manager Foch Healy. The Ministry of the Environment will pay just over two-thirds of the estimated $3.6-million project. PUC customers will have the option of making a lump-sum payment of almost $500 or monthly payments (totalling more than $900) to help cover the local share of project costs.

* Money appears to be a key stumbling block in negotiations between the Prescott Police Commission and the association representing town police officers. The commission has offered a four-per-cent salary increase, but the association is seeking a six-per-cent pay hike. At the present time, a first-class constable makes about $29,000. The association is also pushing for there to be two officers on duty between 2 and 6 am instead of just one. Association Secretary Bryan Somerville acknowledged officers might settle for having a civilian employee "at the other end of the radio" during those overnight hours. Among the items being offered by the commission is a bonus of $100 to any officer who takes all his holidays outside the May 1-Sept. 1 period.

* In the wake of the resignation of Ontario Progressive Conservative leader Frank Miller, Carleton-Grenville MLA Norm Sterling has indicated he is considering a leadership run. Although he told The Journal he had yet to make a decision, Sterling acknowledged it would be difficult to challenge the perceived front-runners, Larry Grossman and Dennis Timbrell. The local MLA's stand against extending full funding to Catholic high schools is contrary to that of the PC party.

There always seems to be one parent who goes too far and spoils it

FROM THE OTHER SIDE by Jeffrey Morris

The story of Mark Downs hit a nerve in a numbing way last month.

He is the Pittsburgh-area t-ball coach who offered $25 to one of his eight-year-old players to hit a mentally disabled eight-year-old teammate in the head before a game so the mentally disabled kid would miss the game. The boy followed his orders. He hit the boy in the groin. That wasn't good enough, the confused kid was told. The next ball plunked the victim in the left ear.

Hey, it was the playoffs. I guess Downs thought not having to play the retarded kid ­ and I use that term not to be offensive but to highlight how heinous this act was ­ would help his team win. Downs had two daughters on the team.

When I first saw the story, I thought this guy isn't just going to hell in a hand basket as the expression goes. He was going on reward points, stretching out his legs in first class and being fed grapes and shrimp.

Perhaps, as I did, you started to think of the awful things that you may have seen or experienced in youth activities, from sports to scouts to music or dance. You think of a hockey parent killing another hockey parent, or of the mother of the Texas cheerleader who had another cheerleader murdered so that her daughter would become head cheerleader.

Many of these stories have one thing in common. Parents. In any youth activity, there always seems to be one parent that goes too far and spoils it for the 99 per cent enjoying it. Maybe they don't go as far as Mark Downs, but their desperation to live their lives vicariously through their kids is enough to turn any kid or other parent off of organized activities for life.

I think the worst thing I ever saw was at an atom hockey game in 1988 in Manotick when the parent of a player from the visiting team reached over the glass and took a swing at a 14-year-old referee. I will never forget the 10-year-olds on the ice, looking into the crowd and watching their parents "sort things out".

I vowed, somewhere along the way, that I would never let my kids participate in anything unless I was involved as a coach or leader. I would be there simply to try and protect the kids from psychos, pedophiles, stray dogs or whatever, and to make it so fun they would never figure out why I was there. The parents understood and agreed with the family fun environment created, and we always had moms, dads and siblings involved in our practices. Then the season started and parents from other teams entered the equation. There was one in particular on one of the other teams, who screamed with rage at his six-year-old twins while the skin around his skull did everything it could to contain the veins in his forehead from popping out like hungry cobras.

We played three-on-three mini-field soccer with no goalies. Week after week he parked himself by the net, barking at the kids to pass the ball to his kids. He even trash talked kids from the other team. He took notes during the game. His kids bullied and intimidated the other kids on the field, knocking over anyone in sight to the roaring delight of their father. Nobody dared say anything. This man, a big, bald, goateed and buffed policeman, struck fear into the other parents and his kids' coaches. It took everything I had as a coach to talk three of our kids into even going onto the field to face the wrath of this rage-aholic.

After the game ­ by the way we lost 11-2 even though it states in league rules that there is no keeping score ­ I confronted the coach of the other team and told him he needed to get that guy under control or ban him from games. He just looked at me in a "what the hell can I do and what did I do to deserve this?" kind of way.

I called everyone I could at the soccer association. They had heard of this guy, but nobody, according to him, had been "brave enough" to file a report against him. I talked to the parents on our team, and they wanted nothing to do with it either.

So I filed a complaint, and I was warned this guy may harass us, intimidate us, or even use his status as a cop to make our lives miserable. I didn't really care ­ we were moving anyways. But nothing was done. The association was prepared to deal with a pedophile or with physical abuse, but not with a guy like this.

It's a shame that it just takes one parent who pushes his kids too hard and too desperately to ruin it for everyone. Do these parents not realize that Walter Gretzky wasn't like that with Wayne, and that Troy Crosby wasn't like that with Sidney?

It's kind of ironic the news this summer has been dominated by youth crime and vandalism, and "non-parenting" is being blamed. Maybe if vandalism was a competitive sport, then the wrong kinds of parents would show up, ruin it for everybody, and kids would get frustrated, quit and go home.

If you are the parent or aunt or uncle of a kid who is involved in activities, be supportive. Kids face enough pressure these days. A little bit of unconditional praise and encouragement might go a long way and is more important than winning, even for that mentally disabled eight-year-old on your kids' t-ball team.

Cardinal Labour Day Festival is a good way to close out summer

CARDINAL - The annual Cardinal Labour Day Festival is ready to take its place as one of the last big parties of the summer this weekend.

The festival is put on each year by the Cardinal Community Festival Committee and features a wide variety of events, with this year's theme being "Wheeling Through the Years!"

Committee member Nancy Toupin indicated the event should be a fun experience for everyone and hopes for good crowds.

"We'd like to see as many people as possible come out for the events and watch the parade," said Toupin.

"We've got some exciting new things going on like the beer garden and hip of beef barbecue for the South Grenville Jr. B Rangers hockey team beside Penalty Shotz. It should be another fun event and a good way to support our local team."

Toupin indicated the weekend will have a little bit of everything and cater to all ages.

"It should be a fun weekend for the entire family," explained Toupin. "It's one last summer weekend to spend some time with friends, family and neighbours and have some fun before the school season starts back up."

Events kick off on Friday with a union get-together at the Cardinal Legion.

After the get-together will be the United Food Processor's Union, CAW Local 483 community dance at the Legion; everyone is welcome to attend.

Saturday afternoon, there will be public euchre at the Legion for a small fee and a beer garden and hip of beef barbecue for the South Grenville Jr. B's beside Penalty Shotz. Advance tickets for the barbecue (4 to 7 pm) are available at Penalty Shotz and at General Dollar and Party Sense.

The Legion will kick things off Sunday with a Ladies Auxiliary breakfast, which will be followed by the annual Ride'n'Stride for Cancer fundraising event. Registration opens at 8 am with the event starting at 9 am.

Bike and carriage decorating contests are not just for children this year as adults are also invited to take part. Judging will take place at 11 am at the Cardinal Village Square Mall. Also at the same time will be judging of the biggest sunflower contest, with the winners appearing in the parade as well as winning a pizza party for eight.

The annual Cardinal Community Festival Parade will begin lining up near the Village Square Mall at 12:15 pm; the parade begins at 1 pm.

Following the parade, there will be a demonstration by Studio C dance school, children's races put on by the Local 483, a Cardinal Figure Skating Club canteen featuring a barbecue and cold drinks and registration for the Cardinal Sea Cadets, all at the Legion park.

New bell times in place at Edwardsburgh schools

EDWARDSBURGH ­ Parents and students are being advised of changes to bell times at Centennial '67 and North Edwardsburgh public schools.

At Centennial '67 in Spencerville, classes will run from 9 am to 3:15 pm. The times for North Edwardsburgh are 9:15 am to 3:30 pm. These hours are in effect as of opening day next Tuesday, Sept. 6.

The changes have been made in order to accommodate the new bus schedule.

Bus operators are to contact parents this week to confirm pick-up and drop-off times, according to a school release.

Get ready for soap box derby

SPENCERVILLE ­ It is time to start preparing for this year's soap box derby sponsored by the Spencerville and District Optimist Club.

The event will take place Saturday, Sept. 17 on Goodin Road north of Spencerville. Youngsters between the ages of eight and 16 can compete in kit and hobby car classes. There is no registration fee.

To order a kit or for more information on the annual soap box derby, call Germain at 658-2543 or Brian at 658-3123.

Fair parade registration is this week

SPENCERVILLE - Families, businesses and individuals interested in taking part in the 150th Spencerville Fair parade are reminded the deadline to register is this Thursday Sept. 1.

Categories for the parade have also changed from last year. "We're putting more emphasis on family this year," said Tom Welsh of the parade committee. He also stated there are fewer categories of floats being judged this year. Ones which remain include best representation of theme and best family float.

Individual child competitions include best children's costume, best decorated bicycle, and best children and pet costume.

Each child who enters the parade will automatically get $3, in addition for being eligible for first, second and third prizes in their categories and getting a ballot for a bike.

Registration forms can be obtained by contacting Lisa Pearson at 658-1278. They can also be downloaded from www.spencervillefair.ca.

Children's heritage camp at the mill provides glimpse of Spencerville's past

By David Dickenson, Journal Staff Writer

SPENCERVILLE - Two groups of Edwardsburgh/Cardinal youngsters got to experience a taste of the past for the last couple of weeks at the Spencerville Mill's Heritage Camp.

The popular camp, which just completed its second year, was a big success after having to expand to two one week sessions instead of the usual single session.

"We were going to have one session, but there was enough interest for two sessions, but we figured we would have two smaller sessions of 10-12 kids," said Heritage Camp Co-ordinator Louise Burchell. "We ended up with two sessions with about 20 kids in each session."

The first session ran from Aug. 15-19, while the second ran from Aug. 22-26.

As part of the week's worth of activities the kids learned how the mill operated 70 years ago, spent a day in the school house like children would have 100 years ago and completed various other historical crafts and projects which helped display the significance of the mill and Spencerville Fair.

Burchell indicated the children were heavily involved in the activities and really got to show off their artistic sides with sewing birth-month pillows, arranging wild flowers, bringing in vegetables and home-baked goodies and collections to show off like at the fair each year.

"The kids did some woodworking as well," explained Burchell. "The boys made some money boxes, while there were some bear toys which we decorated and many other crafts we did."

For the youngsters, the many artistic crafts were the entertaining part.

"I really enjoyed being in the old school house," said Breanne Jackson, 8, of Spencerville. "We got to do a lot of artwork in there and learn a lot about the mill and the old days."

Despite the camp's growing popularity, organizers warned people they should sign up early next year since there will only still be two sessions next year even with so much interest.

"We are going to have two sessions with 20 spots open in each session," said Burchell. "We don't want to go any higher than 20 children since that seems to be the number where it can be a bit much to get everything done, and we don't want to scale back the program."

See all 150 photographs on display

The Spencerville Mill Foundation and the Spencerville Fair have teamed up to celebrate the fair's 150th anniversary.

A special exhibit of 150 framed photographs depicting the history of the fair and the village will be open to the public on Friday, Sept. 9 and Saturday, Sept. 10 from 10 am to 6 pm and on Sunday, Sept. 11 from 10 am to 4 pm.

Sea Sharks hold season-ending banquet

CARDINAL ­ Awards were handed out Thursday at the Cardinal Legion as the Cardinal Sea Sharks swim team marked the end of its 2005 season.

The winners included:

Most Improved Junior Girl

Alayna Baelde

Most Improved Junior Boy

Jacob Heward

Most Improved Senior Girl

Lucy Jodoin

Most Improved Senior Boy

Cody Adams

Most Valuable Junior Girl

Melanie Riddell

Most Valuable Junior Boy

Bradlee Douesnard

Most Valuable Senior Girl

Charlene Smith

Most Valuable Senior Boy

Danny Calhoun

Backcrawl

Nick Tobin

Butterfly

Jonas Grant

Breast Stroke

Erin Douesnard

Freestyle

Madison Moore

Individual Medley

Jake Buchanan

Technique

Audrey DeJong

Effort

Holden James

Attitude

Erika MacDonald

Motivation

Carley Sullivan

T.E.A.M.

Amanda Riddell

Sportsmanship

Jody Sullivan

Dedication

Gunner Gill

Six and under

Melanie Riddell, 31 laps

Kyle Peeler, 31 laps

Seven and eight

Keisha Halladay, 62 laps

Bradlee Douesnard, 58 laps Nine and ten

Madison Moore, 59 laps

Gunner Gill, 71 laps

11 and 12

Megan Tobin, 94 laps

McKenzie Gill, 94 laps

McKenzie Allan, 94 laps

Shane Riddell, 93 laps

Cody Adams, 93 laps

13 and 14

Carley Sullivan, 118 laps

Danny Calhoun, 79 laps

15 and over

Erika MacDonald, 100 laps

Top fundraisers

Madison Moore, $68

Brittany Moore, $68

Tenth anniversary party for Augusta Public Library is now in the books

By David Dickenson. Journal Staff Writer

ALGONQUIN - It was a busy place Sunday afternoon in Algonquin as the Augusta Public Library celebrated its 10th anniversary in its new building.

The celebration capped off a full week's worth of activities, which ran from Aug. 22 to Aug. 28 and was highlighted by an evening with author Mary Cook.

At the Sunday ceremony, the library congratulated the long list of those who had contributed to helping them expand and find a permanent home connected to a restored stone school house from 1833, which is still a popular meeting spot for locals.

Dorothy Pearson, who was on the library board 10 years ago for the opening of the new site, summed up how much hard work was put into getting the project finished.

"This library is the result of so many people," explained Pearson. "Some of those people aren't here today and some are no longer with us, but they all deserve our thanks. I hope the community will be able and willing to keep volunteers coming here and helping out in the future to help benefit everyone who uses this facility."

The library officially opened its doors on Aug. 26, 1995 and was the first permanent library structure built in Augusta.

Previously the library, which was founded in 1896, was located in several public schools and most recently a portable classroom on the grounds of Algonquin Public School.

The current library now has space for a collection of 20,000 books, research and children's areas and six public access computers connected to the Internet.

Current Library Board Chairperson Lynda McKittrick noted this was not the final step for the library but a continuous endeavour which would be continuing with two new major projects in the coming years.

McKittrick indicated Augusta council had applied for and received a Trillium Grant to help enlarge and pave the current parking lot to allow for handicapped parking and emergency exits.

Also, the library also received a Procter and Gamble Brockville Community Foundation Grant which will go towards a number of different efforts with the building including new software, which will allow library users to access the collection of books from home.

On top of the cake cutting and various activities for both adults and children alike, such as the displays from Antique Wheels In Motion, more than 100 tickets were sold for a chicken barbecue.

Get Blue Rodeo, Kim Mitchell tickets before they are all gone

SPENCERVILLE ­ Tickets to a pair of headliner concerts at the Spencerville Fair's entertainment tent are going fast.

Advance tickets to Blue Rodeo (Saturday, Sept. 10) and Kim Mitchell (Friday, Sept. 9) are available at the Drummond Building (open Tuesday to Saturday) and at Frank's Pizza in North Augusta, JoeComputer in Spencerville and at Spencerville Home Hardware.

Fair organizers are expecting both nights to be sell-outs.

See next week's Journal for more details on the 150th edition of the Spencerville Fair.

Familiar faces win top awards at PGC championships

By David Dickenson. Journal Staff Writer

PRESCOTT - It was a year of dynasties to continue as past champions jumped back into the limelight to grab the glory at the Prescott Golf Club Championships Saturday and Sunday.

Phil Patterson captured the men's club championship for a fifth consecutive year after coming from behind by one stroke after the first round to take a three-stroke victory in the event. The title was also the eighth in the past 11 years for Patterson, who has had a strong season golfing having finished third in the Canadian Club Championships earlier this year. Patterson opened the competition with a 71 in the opening round to trail leader Jeff Ferguson by one stroke, before Patterson fired a 66 on the final day to take home the championship.

"I had some good competition from guys like Jeff Ferguson and Tory Deschamps," explained Patterson. "I started out one shot back after the first day and just tried to stay focused on the hole I was playing. They outplayed me on the first 27 holes, but I had a really strong back nine on Sunday to help me out. It's great to see these guys improving so much and making some great competition. It seems to keep getting tougher each year."

With the win, Patterson earns the right to represent Prescott Golf Club at the Canadian Club Champions Championship's next year in Nova Scotia, where he'll be looking to better his third place finish this year.

Dale Duncan won her fourth women's title Sunday after putting together rounds of 87 and 80 to finish nine strokes up on Diane Throop, Nancy Dye and Audrey Moore, who all had 36-hole totals of 175 on the weekend.

Depite winning the event for a fourth time, Duncan was quick to dismiss any claims to a dynasty.

"It's not like Phil (Patterson)," said Duncan. "Mine were a lot more spread out and the last title was two years ago. I get to keep the parking space for another year, but I think my husband is more excited about that than I was."

Duncan indicated she was four shots back on the first day after shooting an 87, but was able to have a strong front nine on Sunday to put her back in the hunt.

"It was a bit of a struggle on the first day, but I really didn't score that bad," explained Duncan. "I played much better today and was happy with the title."

In one of the odd twists of this year's championships, B flight golfer Sam LaMacchia established a rare feat in defeating A flight golfer Skip Wright in a four-hole playoff to capture the senior men's championship.

LaMacchia shot rounds of 73 and 75 to tie Wright with a low gross of 148 sending the two into a playoff.

"I won this event about four years ago, but I wasn't expecting much," said an excited LaMacchia. "I've played poorly all year and struggled with shanks. Maybe it was because I've been sick all weekend I was able to slow down my swing and shoot better."

LaMacchia indicated he was thrilled to win the championship over Wright, who he claims as one of his best friends and a much better golfer than himself.

Braden Miller came through in the clutch by defeating Mike Froom on the final hole of the tournament for a low gross of 163 to capture his third consecutive junior club title.

Miller shot rounds of 81 and 82 to capture the title, after many of the first day's leaders struggled on Sunday.

"I didn't really golf very well," said Miller. "I just seemed to be hanging in there, while everyone else was falling apart. I was five shots back after the first day but moved up on the front nine and was able to hold on for the win."

In the bantam championships, Evan Modler had one of the biggest days of any junior golfer shooting rounds of 83 and 80 for a low gross of 163 to match Miller's junior championship score and capture his third consecutive bantam championship. Modler was able to bounce back after trailing by one stroke following the first day, to pull away from the competition to outdistance his nearest competitor Todd Kirkey by seven strokes. The title caps off a strong season for the young Johnstown golfer, who also won the Prescott Junior Invitational earlier this season.

2005 Prescott Golf Club Championship results

Low Gross (36 holes)

Men's A Flight

Phil Patterson, 137

Tory Deschamps, 142

Jeff Ferguson, 146

Men's B Flight

Mark Wyatt, 164 (wins in playoff)

Tom Langer, 164

Mike Corkery, 167

Men's C Flight

Tyler Dukelow, 170

Roger Levere, 172

Paul Irvine, 183

Women's A Flight

Dale Duncan, 167

Diane Throop, 175

Nancy Dye, 175

Audrey Moore, 175

Women's B Flight

Lorna Robertson, 183

Candy LaMacchia, 192

Bonnie Labranche, 194

Women's C Flight

Joan Salmon, 197

M.J. Robinson, 202

Liz Toupin, 212

Women's D Flight

Pat Hansen, 218

Dodie Hughes, 220

Nancy Mierau, 236

Senior Men's A Flight

Skip Wright, 148

Senior Men's B Flight

Sam LaMacchia, 148

Dave Woods, 153

Winston Kinnard, 154

Senior Men's C Flight

Ron Bulmer, 162

Joe Keeler, 166

Bob Kimmerly Sr. 172

Senior Men's D Flight

Don Bernier, 188

Harold Hamilton, 198

Juniors (15-18)

Braden Miller, 163

Mike Froom, 164

Kyle Lavery, 165

Bantams (14 and under)

Evan Modler, 163

Todd Kirkey, 170

Hunter McCarroll, 172

Prescott Piranhas finish in third place in Kemptville meet

KEMPTVILLE - The Prescott Piranhas swim team ended its season on a high note with a third place finish Saturday at the Kemptville Swim Meet.

Jackie Mills led the Piranhas charge with first place finishes in the individual medley, freestyle and butterfly races to be named the top girl 11 and 12 at the meet.

Other Prescott results include:

Girls six and under

Sarah Crozier, fourth, butterfly; fifth, freestyle; sixth, breast stroke

Girls seven and eight

Meagan Render, fourth, backcrawl; fifth, freestyle

Emily Crozier, third, individual medley; sixth, backcrawl

Girls nine and ten

Lindsay Render, second, butterfly; fourth, freestyle; fifth, breast stroke

Mallory Gilson, third, individual medley

Girls 11 and 12

Jackie Mills, first, individual medley, freestyle and butterfly

Boys 11 and 12

Dan Mills, third, butterfly; fourth, freestyle

Colton Gilson, second, breast stroke; fifth, backcrawl

Relays

Girls nine and ten

Mallory Gilson, Jodie Judd and Emily Crozier, fourth, freestyle; fifth, medley

Boys 11 and 12

Colton Gilson and Dan Mills, second, medley; third, freestyle

Girls 13 and 14

Jackie Mills, Nicole Gilson and Holly Crozier, fifth, freestyle and medley

Visser nets hat trick in Tropical Exposure's Under-11 victory

PRESCOTT - The Prescott and District Soccer Association wrapped up its 2005 season with its barbecue and playoff day Saturday at the South Grenville District High School soccer
fields.

All teams in the league saw action on the day with some surprises in the race for playoff championships.

Grenville Towing captured the Under-18 playoff title, while TNT Dynamite captured the Under-14 playoff title. Seaway Valley Pharmacy won the Under-11 playoff championship, while Clarica won the Under-9 title and the Prescott Chiros won the Under-5 title. The Under-7 playoff title was declared a draw between St. Lawrence Printing Devils and Brent Scott Insurance after extra time and 14 shots in the shootout decided nothing.

The league also gave Cassidy's Engraving and Trophies the Sportsmanship Award and Shriners the President's Award for their competitive spirit.

Vera Hendriks won the first annual Tom Carr Memorial Trophy for dedication to the
game of soccer. The award is named after the league's long time president and Prescott's "Mr. Soccer."

Pictures of playoff champions will appear in next week's edition of The Prescott Journal.

Other PDSA results include:

Under-18

Kriska Holdings Ltd. 4

Aaron Lavallee (2), Evan Lavallee (2)

D.W.J. Plumbing & Sons 1

Michel Marchand

Southport 3

Joshua Strickland (2), Jordan McDougall

Grenville Towing 2

Brandon Spencer (2)

D.W.J. Plumbing & Sons 4

Chad Hyland (3), Michel Marchand

Gateway Packaging 1

Sebastian Last

Grenville Towing 2

Curtis Biccum, Brandon Spencer

Gateway Packaging 1

Jacob Casselman

Grenville Towing 1

Brandon Spencer

Southport 0

No goal scorers

Southport 2

Jordan McDougall, Joshua Strickland

Kriska Holdings Ltd. 2

Aaron Lavallee, Colton Reid

Gateway Packaging 4

Sean Dobbie (2), Jacob Casselman, Matthew Cockshott

Kriska Holdings Ltd. 2

Aaron Lavallee, Ryan O'Brien

D.W.J. Plumbing & Sons 2

Shannon Dalley, Chad Hyland

Grenville Towing 0

No goal scorers

Southport 2

Jordan McMullen, Joshua Rupert

Gateway Packaging 1

Jacob Casselman

Under-14

TNT Dynamite Signs 6

Mitchell Spicer (3), Jacob Scott, Drew Johnston, Aaron Snider-Ziai

Alarca 1

Sean Perrin

Pete's Music Exchange 3

Andrew Bernard (2), Troy Merkley

Gold Key Realty 2

Nicholas Bukacz, Alanna Lasenba

Rick's Awnings 1

Scott Stephenson

Kriska Holdings Ltd. 0

No goal scorers

TNT Dynamite Signs 9

Mitchell Spicer (4), Jacob Scott (2), Taylor Garswood, Chad McAuley, Jeffrey Gaw

Sandcastle Marketing & Design 0

No goal scorers

Pete's Music Exchange 2

Andrew Bernard, Troy Merkley

Canadian Tire 0

No goal scorers

Rick's Awnings 1

Kyle Jenson

Watermark Printing 0

No goal scorers

Sandcastle Marketing & Design 3

Matthew Suatac, Rik Champagne, Ashley Spencer

Alarca 2

Sean Perrin, Michael Lawless

Canadian Tire 2

Nathan Denneboom, Chelsea Amell

Gold Key Realty 1

Alanna Lasenba

TNT Dynamite Signs 9

Aaron Snider-Ziai (2), Jacob Scott (2), Mitchell Spicer (2), Jeffrey Gaw, Phillip Biccum, Natalie Marchand

Alarca 0

No goal scorers

Kriska Holdings Ltd. 5

Jessica Dunnington (2),
Brad Phillips, Kyle McNamara, Mitchell Meppelder

Watermark Printing 0

No goal scorers

Pete's Music Exchange 5

Troy Merkley (2), Andrew Bernard, Lukas Henderson, Kerri White

Gold Key Realty 0

No goal scorers

Rick's Awnings 2

Kyle Jensen, Scott Stephenson

Kriska Holdings Ltd. 2

Cameron Symington, Brad Phillips

TNT Dynamite Signs 2

Mitchell Spencer, Drew Johnston

Pete's Music Exchange 1

Andrew Bernard

Rick's Awnings 0

Canadian Tire 0

No goal scorers

TNT Dynamite Signs 8

Mitchell Spicer (6), Justin Dalrymple, Natalie Marchand

Canadian Tire 0

No goal scorers

Under-11

Seaway Valley Pharmacy 1

Cody Adams

Grenville Castings 0

No goal scorers

Seaway Valley Pharmacy 5

Brandon Roderick (2), Zachary Shankar (2), Christian
Saumier

Shriners 1

Jacob Ranger

Giant Tiger 3

Alex Stephenson, Spencer Merkley, Darien Swolfs

Prescott Family Chriropractic 1

Brian Keeler

Seaway Valley Pharmacy 2

Christian Saumier, Brandon Roderick

Tropical Exposure 1

Krista Lebrun

Grenville Castings 1

Aaron Scott

Hansen's Kavity Kickers 0

No goal scorers

B.W. Freer Electrical 3

Nate Livingstone, Amir-Reza Hajarii, Curtis Ross

Shriners 1

Amber Warren

Beach Home Hardware 1

Patrick Purcell

Dr. Mac's Attackers 0

No goal scorers

Giant Tiger 2

Alex Stephenson, A.J.
Larocque

Hansen's Kavity Kickers 2

Nicholas Heykoop, Tyler
Simpson

B.W. Freer Electical 3

Eoin Carr (2), Nate Livingstone

Seaway Valley Pharmacy 2

Adrian Dalrymple, Zachary Shankar

Grenville Castings 2

Derik Bourgeois, Broydon Stufko

Shriners 1

Jacob Ranger

Beach Home Hardware 2

Dillan Ault, Cole Burchell

Prescott Family Chiropractic 1

Brianna Malcolmnson

Tropical Exposure 4

Brandon Visser (3), Taylor
Byers

Dr. Mac's Attackers 1

Thomas Render

Grenville Castings 1

Derik Bourgeois

Giant Tiger 0

No goal scorers

Hansen's Kavity Kickers 2

Jesse Kennedy (2)

Beach Home Hardware 1

Brett VanStralen

B.W. Freer Electrical 3

Eoin Carr (2), Emily
Colwell

Dr. Mac's Attackers 2

Spencer Cook, Matthew
Scott

Prescott Family Chiropractic 1

Chris Hendriks

Tropical Exposure 0

No goal scorers

Under-9

Clarica 2

Emily Byers, Liam Harcus

Prescott Kiwanis 0

No goal scorers

Prescott Kinsmen 7

Zachary Shankar (3), Benjamin Smith (2), Kara Jones, Kayla Burton

Colour Pallette 3

Stephanie Throop (2), David Armstrong

Referees clinic for area officials scheduled for September 10

BROCKVILLE - The Brockville Minor Hockey Association is hosting a referee's clinic for all Level 1, 2 and 3 officials on Saturday, Sept. 10 at Thousand Islands Secondary School in Brockville.

The session runs from 8 am until 4 pm.

All minor hockey associations throughout the district, including South Grenville, Kemptville, North Dundas, South Dundas, Smiths Falls and North Leeds, are invited to pre-register their referees and linesmen.

Anyone interested in signing up can send an e-mail to the clinic co-ordinator, Phil Kall, at coachphil@recorder.ca, or call 1-800-267-4434 ext. 220.

Soccer development program to run Saturday mornings this fall

PRESCOTT - A new youth soccer development program will be running this fall.

The new Tim Hortons Tim Bits Soccer Player Development Program and Mini World Cup Tournament will run on Saturday mornings at Wolfgang Noe Field from Sept. 10 until Oct. 15 and feature six one hour training sessions for players up to the age of 14.

There will be three sessions each Saturday with ages 5-7 running from 8 am until 9 am, ages 8-10 running from 9 am until 10 am and ages 11-14 running from 10 am until 11 am.

Former Coerver Coaching Canada Director Martin Noe will be running the program, which is being dubbed a community-oriented sponsorship program for children in house league programs. A focus on the skills of the sport, making new friends and honing their talents will be the focus of the program.

The kids will get an emphasis on ball mastery; they will get lots of touches on the ball - to help develop co-ordination, balance and confidence on the ball.

Kids will be teamed up under the name of a World Cup country and given points for attempting moves and skills used at the camp in a fun competition.

To register, contact Martin Noe at 925-0845 or drop off a registration form at the Lahaie Auto car lot just behind Tim Hortons.

Bear Paws swim well at Winchester meet

WINCHESTER ­ The Johnstown Bear Paws took part in the Winchester Swim Meet on Sunday, Aug. 21.

The Bear Paws had a solid showing at the meet with Collin Reynolds leading the way for Johnstown with a pair of first place finishes in the meet, indcluding the individual medley and butterfly competitions. He also
finished second in the backcrawl.

Johnstown results were as
follows:

Boys six and under

Austin Tetreault, third,
butterfly; sixth, freestyle and breast stroke

Cordell Reynolds, sixth, butterfly

Girls seven and eight

Mary Birnie, third, individual medley; fourth, butterfly; sixth, freestyle

Boys seven and eight

Turner Birnie, third, butterfly and breast stroke

Girls nine and ten

Taya Heldens, second, breast stroke, fifth, medley

Boys nine and ten

Collin Reynolds, first, medley
and butterfly; second, backcrawl; fourth, freestyle

Boys 11 and 12

Chase Tetreault, third, back crawl; sixth, breast stroke

Girls 13 and 14

Amelia Baynham, third,
medley; fifth, butterfly; sixth, freestyle

Julisa Tetreault, third, breast
stroke

Relays

Boys eight and under

Austin Tetreault, Cordell Reynolds, Turner Birnie and
Jesse Heldens, fifth, freestyle and medley

Boys 11 and 12

Collin Reynolds and Chase Tetreault, third, freestyle

Girls 13 and 14

Julisa Tetreault and Amelia Baynham, third, freestyle and medley