Southpoint Sun April 14, 2010

Making a difference in his community

By Sheila McBrayne

Eric Fantin isn’t like most 17 year olds. Instead of just looking for a job, he decided to start his own business. Instead of trying to keep his boss happy, he plans to be the boss and hire other young people to work as well. It’s an enthusiastic goal for any young man, but did I mention, Eric has an intellectual disability.

Eric is a Grade 12 student at Cardinal Carter Secondary School in Leamington. Recently he took the money he had saved to buy a lawn mower, trimming equipment, a trailer and a used truck, all part of his new business venture –Eric’s Lawncare Services. Eric has been working parttime at CF Greenhouses who have been very supportive in Eric’s ability to work. Eric also finished a semester of co-op education at RONA in Leamington.

“He’s a hard worker. He has a good work ethic. I’m his mom so I can boast, but he is. He’s always wanting to achieve greater things for himself,” said Eric’s mom Anne Marie Fantin. Eric hopes to hire more people with disabilities and with the help of a job coach teach them the skills they need to become successful, independent entrepreneurs. A job coach is someone who works alongside the employee to help them develop the skills they need to successfully complete the tasks required to perform the job. Job coaches do not interfere with the operation of a business, they are there to teach and support the worker and the employer in accomplishing the job at hand.

For many persons with intellectual challenges the prospects of employment or owning their own business are limited. Up until 18 years of age our social system does a great job of supporting people with intellectual disabilities. After age 18 however, the opportunities are limited.

“The goal is to work with disability kids. I want to get them into a job where they have job coaches so they can feel confident and independent,” said Eric. Independence is something he hopes he can help Leamington’s seniors and others with disabilities with. Eric’s Lawncare Services offers grass cutting, trimming, raking, cleaning eaves troughs and other yard chores that some seniors living in their own house may not be able to do themselves.

Anne Marie and Eric have been working with Community Living Essex County and Ensemble. The goal of Community Living Essex County is that “all persons live in a state of dignity, share in all elements of living in the community, and have the opportunity to participate effectively”.

Ensemble is a parent support group, which works with Community Living “I wish I knew them sooner. They’re a great group with great information,” said Anne Marie. The mission of Ensemble is to strengthen the capacity of the community and respond effectively to the priorities identified by individuals with disabilities, family members and professionals. The vision of Ensemble is that individuals with disabilities and their families live in communities that are welcoming and accessible to everyone. The goals of Ensemble are to enhance parental leadership at Community Living Essex County and provide information resources and education to strengthen families, professionals and the community. The ultimate goal is to increase community awareness and promote full inclusion.

Earth Day Community Clean up

Eric’s Lawn Care Service has received the support of Mayor John Adams and the Municipality of Leamington. “The mayor has been very receptive and supportive of this,” said Anne Marie. Eric’s plan to hold an Earth Day Clean Up was a welcome idea by the municipality. On Saturday, April 24 at 8 a.m. Eric is inviting

all members of the public to come out and help clean up the Leamington Marina and the path from Robson Road to Oak Street. Leamington Public Works will be on hand to work, and helping co-ordinate the cleanup and free lunch to follow will be volunteers from Ensemble, Community Living and St. Francis Advocates.

15, 16, 17

Students can receive community service hours. All are invited to meet at the Marina. The group is sending out an open invitation to any local musicians who would like to come out and entertain. For more information about this fun day for Earth Day, contact Eric or Anne Marie at 519-7915137.

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Leamington artist showcases “Gifts from Nature”

Leamington artist Bridie Fanning held a reception on Saturday, April 10 at the Leamington Arts Centre to showcase her art exhibit “Gifts from Nature”.

“Nature has provided me with an abundance of fun. Rummaging through fields and woods I keep my eyes open and study natures treasures and creatively paint and design in my own mind a beautiful arrangement that is both pleasing to the eye, sometimes humorous and inspiring. I have surrounded my environment with flowers, wild birds and enjoy creative gardening that gives me a sense of immense peace. Creating and working on projects I require absolute silence and concentration. Soft classical music sometimes in the background is very soothing,” she wrote in her artist’s statement.

“Graduating from cheap paint and now experimenting with expensive oils, acrylics, inks and chemicals I have opened up a New World of art which I have applied not only on natural products but also on canvass. Colour, meaning and realism is essential to understanding my artwork. Using the three integral elements, Depth, Perception and Balance are crucial and fundamental to the commencement of any art project I embark on, and so far have proved successful in my eyes,” Fanning says of herself.

“Teaching art to young students at the Ruthven Montessori Academy for four years, I realized very quickly that by providing them with choices, self-expression, time and freedom

to create projects produced some remarkable results. In fact I see some students at the age of 3 showing talent which could possibly take them places in the future. My main focus on art is that it is fun. I try very hard to

influence people not to be intimidated about art when they think they don’t have a creative bone in their body, and explain that art takes all shapes and forms, in fact art is all around us. By people loving and appreciating co-

lour in our lives is as wonderful as the artist who picks up the brush,” she concluded.

The “Gifts from Nature” exhibit opened on March 30 and runs until April 17 at the Leamington Arts Centre.

Take your special princess to lunch IODE Royal Luncheon

in Leamington!

The Sir Winston Churchill I.O.D.E. Chapter is plan-

ning an afternoon designed to make little girls feel special. Princesses age 2 to 10, dressed in all their finery – gowns, crowns and jewels – are cordially invited to a Royal Luncheon on Saturday, May 1 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. for an afternoon of entertainment and enchantment. Princesses must be accompanied by an escort, or they can bring their entire entourage – mom, grandmas, aunts and/or family friends. The meal is a kid-friendly buffet including create-your-own sundaes, and interactive entertainment will be provided by Steve Raisbeck.

The inaugural Royal Luncheon is sponsored by the Sir Winston Churchill I.O.D.E. Chapter and, if successful, organizers plan to make it an annual event.

Advance ticket sales only: Princesses 2-5 years $5, Princesses 6-10 years $10, Escorts $15 each. Tickets are available from any Sir Winston Churchill I.O.D.E. members, and at Strawberries Kitchen Shop, Miller Shell Services and the Rhine Danube Club 519-326-3740.

All proceeds go towards the I.O.D.E.’s 110th Anniversary Project, “Coats for Adults”.

2010 municipal budget contains record-breaking capital projects

Last Thursday morning Leamington council approved, in principle, a 2010 budget that contains more millions in capital projects than ever before, largely due to stimulus funding from the Federal and Provincial coffers. $28.1 million in grants that have been applied for (most of which have been approved already) are helping to generate over $52 million in major improvements, repairs and additions to Leamington’s infrastructure.

The largest of these have already been started: the $35 million expansion and upgrade to the sewage treatment plant is continuing with $19 million this year, construction of the $10 million new town hall, $5 million more toward completion of the $12 million east side arterial road, and the $3.2 million improvements to Seacliff Park. Many, however, are new this year and have the potential to make life a lot better for ratepayers throughout the municipality. What follows is a glimpse at some of the larger ones.

One of the biggest of these is the planned reconstruction of the Erie St. S. / Seacliff Drive intersection at a projected cost of about $2.5 million. This is just one part of a longoverdue project to improve the safety of Seacliff Drive right across the municipality. Over the years there have been many deaths and accidents that were due to the combination of heavy traffic on a narrow road. Cyclists are always at risk, pedestrians and joggers take their lives in their hands and the competition for space and speed between cars, trucks and tomato wagons have often had unfortunate results. This roadwork, along with the acquisition of land for sidewalks west of Erie St. will hopefully begin to improve the situation.

Over a million is expected to be spent in the Armstrong / Talbot / Johnson area near the hospital. Separating storm and

Municipal Municipal Correspondent Correspondent

sanitary sewers, replacing old water lines and then re-building the road may not be glamorous, but will pay dividends down the line in improved health and safety (not to mention the savings in storm water that will no longer go through an expensive sewage treatment process). In fact, about $2.5 million is planned in sewer repairs and replacements throughout the town while just under $1.5 million is being spent on drainage in the rural area. Similarly, $2.3 million total is expected to be spent either replacing ancient water lines or engineering replacements in future years.

It’s an expensive year for Leamington, but a year when many needed projects finally stand a chance of getting done.

If the Marina receives a $325,000 grant that has been requested it will allow sections of docks that are up to 25 years old to be replaced with safer equipment. In all around a million dollars is expected to be spent in the area of the marina. The Province will finally sell the remaining uplands so the municipality will finally actually own the marina, and some of the structures around the marina that are showing their age will get repairs.

Many have enjoyed the walking trails that have already been developed in town, and if an almost half-million dollar grant comes through it is hoped that the bike/hike trail system will be able to be extended in the area of the old train station from south of Talbot St. near the high school down MCR Drive. This three-quarters of a million dollar project was actually approved and funded in 2009 and only awaits the grant to begin.

Council strives to keep tax rise to a minimum

By Bill Chaplin Municipal Correspondent

How do you balance the need to spend when economic opportunity dictates, without breaking the bank or the backs of taxpayers? That is the question Leamington council had to come to terms with during the budget deliberations that just ended on Thursday, April 8, 2010. For both council and administration it was a balancing act similar to what the proverbial donkey experiences with the carrot and the stick.

The ‘carrot’ in this case being the millions in grants available to offset the cost of expensive work, the ‘stick’ being the need to prevent ratepayers from perceiving council as spending like drunken sailors. The compromise reached will see taxes rise in the neighbourhood of $55.58 on a typical rural home, and about $66.40 on a typical urban home. (Typical means valued for taxation purposes at $150,000.)

To try and keep the tax increase manageable, council is intending to dip heavily into the reserves it has been accumulating in anticipation of many of its projects, proposing to spend just about $10 million of its roughly $22.5 million in reserves.

For projects that generate income in the form of development charges or water and sewer charges, council proposes to issue debentures and to service and repay this debt from the money that the work generates in the future. This is expected to be about $10 million in new debt: $5.4 million on the sewage treatment plant and $4.5 on other development. The treasurer advised coun-

cil that this increase is still well below the municipality’s debt capacity, a level of debt prescribed by the Ministry of Municipal Affairs.

During the review process council had to make cuts nonetheless. Just freezing their own wages would not come close to covering unpleasant and unavoidable increases in costs the budget presented (such as an increase in insurance costs of over $150,000).

One very large proj-

ect that will have to wait for next year is the proposed $300,000 reconstruction of Foster Avenue and installation of sanitary sewers. Only one project that administration proposed ‘for consideration’ in addition to the essential projects in 2010 got the nod, and that was to spend $20,000 to continue annual replacement of large trees on the main streets of the town that age and disease have forced public works to remove. The engineering department alone had over $3/4 million in road projects that could not be considered, $1/2 million in sewers that will have to wait and a further $1/2 million in needed trucks and equipment they will have to make do without.

Council did not make Draconian cuts, nor did it impose hardships on the town. An attempt at compromise between thrift and opportunity has resulted in increased taxes, and only at the next municipal election will the incumbents who choose to run again get a clear idea of how Leamington voters view their efforts.

WEDNESDAY, APRIL14:

Listen to Country 92.7 CJSP for more events happening in Leamington and Essex County during the Community Calendar 6 times daily or visit www.country927.com for a complete listing

Spring Concert at Leamington District Secondary School, 125 Talbot St. West, 7:00 p.m. in the Gym. Donations accepted.

Do you have a picky eater? The Windsor-Essex County Health Unit is offering a seminar on "Feeding Kids Right" tonight from 7:00 p.m.-9:00 p.m. at Zehrs Great Foods Community Room, 7201 Tecumseh Rd. E., Windsor. Administered by a Public Health Nurse. Registration required. Call the Health Unit at 519-2582146, ext. 1340.

Storytime at Leamington Library at 10:30 a.m. For ages 3 -5 and caregiver. Register at the library.

THURSDAY, APRIL15:

Storytime at Leamington Library at 10:30 a.m. For ages 3 -5 and caregiver. Register at the library. Alpha Course Dinner, Video and Discussion, exploring the meaning of Christian Faith. 6:30 p.m.-9:00 p.m. at Meadow Brook Fellowship, 219 Talbot St. E., Leamington. Register by calling Church office at 519326-3605.

FRIDAY, APRIL16:

Love Life - Fashion Event, presented by Clothing Bar & Oak Farms at Roma Club, 19 Seacliff Dr., Leamington. Cocktail Party at 6:30 pm with Appetizer Table “Extraordinaire”. “Cat” walk at 7:30 pm, $40/ticket, cash bar. DJ Peppe &In-House Shopping that night. Tickets sold at Clothing Bar &Oak Farms. Proceeds to Heart & Stroke & Zwiers Family Education Fund. Honouring our dear friend Tracy. The Rusty Blade Hockey Classic, a 3-day international tournament designed for the recreation hockey player, begins today at Kingsville Recreation Complex, 1741 Jasperson Rd., for 19+ open and 30+. Note: 19+ open will allow carded players. Call 519-733-2123.

Anight of fun and relaxation - Livi’s Wish Ladies & Gents Night Out, in support of Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. 6:00 p.m.-10:00 p.m., at the Caboto Club, Parent Ave., Windsor in the Windsor Hall. Vendors, raffles. Tickets are $25.00, includes 1 beverage ticket & appetizer bar. Tickets can be purchased at Duets Hair Studio, 13127 Tecumseh Rd E. in the Kenney Plaza, or call 519-956-9599.

SATURDAY, APRIL17:

Annual Comedy Night & Dinner Fundraiser will be held at the Rhine Danube Club. Doors open at 6; Dinner at 7; Show at 9. Tickets $40.00. All proceeds will go to Sun County Crows Lacrosse. Call today to reserve your tickets 519-326-5507.

The Essex County Purple Martin association will meet at 1963 County Rd 42 (just before Woodlands Golf Course & Hwy 401) in Woodslee at 9 am. All are welcome. Refreshments. For more into please call 519776-5777.

Spring Bazaar at the Good Neighbour Club, 272 St. Paul St., Belle River from 9:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m. Crafts, penny table, baked goods, yard sale. Hamburgs, hotdogs, coffee and pop available. For more information, call 519-728-2138.

April Antics at Leamington Library at 1:00 p.m. Ages 4 - 6. Register at the library.

The 3rd Essex Scouting Group is having a car wash from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at Essex Home Hardware, 47 Wilson Ave.

50's, 60's, 70's Sock Hop at Leamington Kinsmen Recreation Complex, 249 Sherk St.,7:30 p.m.-11:30 p.m. Music from the Golden Age of Rock 'n Roll, by Scott Holland. Tickets are $10. Sponsored by the Leamington Historical Society, proceeds to MCR Station Restoration Fund. For tickets and information, call 519-326-7252.

SUNDAY, APRIL18:

The Multiple Sclerosis Society of Canada presents the MS Walk at the Leamington Kinsmen Recreation Complex, 249 Sherk St., Leamington. Registration is at 8:30 a.m., walk begins at 10:00 a.m. To register, or for more information, call 519-977-9221, or visit www.mswalks.ca. Proceeds you raise will fund both world-class research and innovative programs and services in your community.

MONDAY, APRIL19:

Leamington United Church, St. John St., 5 - 6 pm, welcomes all who are alone or having trouble making ends meet to their monthly Leamington Food and Fellowship Supper. No charge.

THURSDAY, APRIL22:

Toddlertime at Leamington Library at 10:30 a.m. For ages 19 months - 2 years old and caregiver. Register at the library.

Pasta dinner fundraiser at the Essex Legion, 103 Talbot St. North, from 5:00 p.m.-7:00 p.m. Meal includes pasta, salad and roll. Tickets are $8/person, 4 pack for $28, kids 3 and under eat free. All proceeds will go towards the playground at the new Essex Public School.

Social Audit Hearing at St. John’s Anglican Church, 5:30-7:30 pm, 60 Erie St. N., Leamington. You are invited to participate in a community discussion of the status of poverty in Ontario. Dinner will be provided. Transportation and childcare available upon request. RSVPby calling 211.

SATURDAY, APRIL24:

Beth Moore live via satellite, 10 am - 4 pm at Meadow Brook Fellowship, 219 Talbot St. E., Leamington. “Kiss your insecurities goodbye and discover the joy of living with confidence!”. Tickets available at Meadow Brook Fellowship office 519-326-3605 or Cameron’s (Windsor) 519-972-9125. Cost is $30 for entire day. Final ticket sales April 20.

Leamington & Mersea Historical Society, 12 pm. Bring your lunch and join us for our monthly meeting at the museum, 121 Essex Rd. 14, Albuna.

You are Invited to the 2nd Annual Kitten Shower 1 - 4 pm, Lions Hall, 4 Mill St W., Kingsville. Door prizes, raffles, games (cat trivia),refreshments. Admission: kitten food, litter, toys, gift card,etc. RSVP: Kittenaide 519-324-2729

SUNDAY, APRIL25:

Silent Walk & VIgil. Meet at the South Point Community Church, 55ATalbot St. W. (next to Gabriele’s)in Leamington at 3:15 pm. Walk begins at 3:30 pm to Leamington District Memorial Hospital to express concern for abortion. Rain or shine. Inquiries: Leamington Area Right to Life 519-325-0929.

THURSDAY, APRIL29:

Breast Cancer survivors interested in fun and fitnessattend an information night for Dragon Boat Racing Team ‘ABreast or Knot’at 6:30 pm, South Port sailing Club, 210 Brighton Rd., St. Clair Beach. Call 519-735-1926 for more info.

SATURDAY, MAY1:

Princess Luncheon 11 am - 3 pm. Held at Rhine Danube Club. All Princesses are to come in their Princess gowns & crowns for the Royal Luncheon filled with entertainment & enchantment. Sponsored by Sir WInston Churchill IODEChapter. Princess 2-5 yrs $5, 6-10 yrs $10, their escort $15. Advanced ticket sales only from IODEmembers, Strawberries, Miller Shell Services and the Rhine Danube Club 519-326-3740. All proceeds to the 110th Anniversary Project “Coats for Adult Homeless.”

Council Shorts:

Monday April 12, 2010

By Bill Chaplin, Municipal Correspondent

The County Roads budget contains $1,137,500 to construct a roundabout to replace the intersection at the Albuna town line (County Road 31) and Mersea Road 3. Leamington’s share of the project is about $104,200. As part of the reconfiguration, improvements are needed to the Temple Drain, so on Monday night Leamington council convened a public meeting to see if anybody would rather flood than have decent drainage when the work is done. No objections were heard.

Council also took the opportunity to hold two other public meetings. The first of these was held so that council could change the zoning on the existing town hall from Institutional to Commercial to assist in its eventual sale. The other was to determine if there was objection to establishing a bed-and-breakfast at the corner of Marlborough and Erie St. South. Again, no comments were offered by the public.

Council also had to revisit the problems that have haunted the walkway between Joanne Court and Alderton Street since its inception. The latest attempt to combat bad behaviour is to pass a by-law prohibiting the use of the walkway between eleven at night and six in the morning, to encourage increased police presence to enforce the closure, and to attach a $75 fine if the by-law is ignored. The members of council were sceptical that the by-law would be effective, but accepted the recommendation and passed the by-law.

Some grass cutting in the municipality is done by private enterprise. Council accepted the low tender of just over $40,000 for this work. The areas involved are the waterfront east of the dock, three cemeteries and grass around the Kinsmen ball diamonds. Councillor Atkin asked administration to report to council the possibility of adding other municipal properties to the ones in this contract as a potential cost-saving measure. He argued that not having to save for capital equipment, pay for municipal staff to do the cutting and allowing the private sector to deal with such things a workers’ compensation could result in a savings to the corporation. He added that it is his opinion that there are plenty of other jobs public works staff could be doing other than mowing lawns.

Council learned Monday night that all of the tenders for the Seacliff Park Phase 2 improvements came in over budget. Administration informed council that by cutting some of the work that had been proposed it was going to be possible to let the tender to the lowest bidder (Grossi Construction) at a cost of just over $2.1 million. Unfortunately, when you add in PST, GST, HST and the consultant’s cut, the price tag for this phase goes up to $2.4 million. Before council passed the report, Deputy Mayor Rob Schmidt got administration to confirm that anything being left out of the contract could be added later if there was money or added to the last phase of the work, and that the complete grant was being exploited.

ERCA approves 2010 draft budget

The Essex Region Conservation Authority (ERCA) has approved its 2010 budget. “The 2010 Budget reflects the Strategic Plan and builds on community expectations of a healthy environment where people choose to live, visit, and invest,” explained ERCA Chair Anthony Leardi.

“This is fundamental to a livable and sustainable future for this region and is clearly linked to the triple bottom line: a healthy environment, human health, and the economic health of the region.”

The budget for 2010 totals $13,905,946 and includes a total levy of $2,381,422 from its nine-member Mu-

nicipalities. ERCA then raises the balance of the budget from other sources. Since 2007, this levy has increased only 1.6%, despite significant increases in fixed costs. In total, the levy amount requested for a household valued at $200,000 totals $12.92 –less than the cost of a cup of coffee per month.

ERCA’s budget continues to be based on the community priorities of its Strategic Plan. The Essex Region is still well below minimum accepted thresholds for natural areas, which has been identified by the United Nations and the region as 12%, so an accelerated pace of moving forward toward

creating a future of sustainability is required. What’s more, in keeping with the shift towards a Green Economy in the region, there is growing awareness that the attractiveness of our region as a place to live and invest in is dependent on our local environment. Industries and residents wanting to relocate are looking for sustainability plans, trails, natural areas, safe drinking water, and a healthy environment.

“ERCA has been recognized as a model for regional collaboration, and has been very successful in identifying opportunities to build partnerships with all levels of government, industry, agencies, landowners, and

Walk for MS in Leamington on Sunday

Last year the Walk for MS in Leamington had 277 participants on 18 teams and raised over $30,000. This year’s organizers are hoping to meet and exceed this total. 2010 is the 7th year for the Walk for MS in Leamington and is slated for Sunday, April 18 at the Leamington Kinsmen Recreation Complex.

Every year in Canada thousands of participants join together to take the Team MS challenge and walk, run, cycle or golf on behalf of the Multiple Sclerosis Society of Canada. Money raised in Leamington is directed to the Windsor-Essex County Chapter of the Multiple Sclerosis Society of Canada. The Windsor-Essex MS Chapter has 425 registered clients with confirmed diagnosis that are able to apply for funding and services from the chapter. Services inclue: funding for mobility equipment, assistance with grass cutting and snow removal and access to the many social and support programs.

Did you know that every day, three Canadian families receive the news that a loved one has multiple sclerosis?

The MS Walk is the Society’s largest event fundraiser. It involves over 70,000 participants and volunteers and takes place in communities from coast-to-coast.

The MS Walk is a critical part of the Society’s fundraising efforts and is a significant program in funding research towards a cure for MS. Imagine – just by walking and raising funds, you are supporting a fellow Canadian affected by MS.

MS research continues to advance knowledge of the disease and treatment for people with MS. There is much greater understanding of this unpredictable, often disabling disease. Many of those accomplishments have taken place in the past 10 years thanks to the support of the MS Society of Canada and its sister national MS societies around the world, many governments and private industry.

This is your chance to help. Create a team of at least four people and start collecting pledges now. The MS Walk is Sunday, April 18 at 10 a.m. Pre-registration is Saturday, April 17 from 10 a.m. to 12 noon at the Kinsmen Recreation Complex or on the day of the Walk at 8:30 a.m. Last year’s top fundraising team was Mastronardi Produce and the top individual fundraiser was Barb Corless.

For more information and to receive a fundraising package, contact Jackie Putterman, Special Events Co-ordinator at 519-977-9221.

Kiwanis and friends hold clean-up day

Kiwanis International sponsors a special ‘Project Day’ around the world. Each club is asked to conduct a project that will enhance service to their community

Over 75 young people and Kiwanis family members descended on the Kiwanis Boys and Girls camp, located on Conc. Rd. 20 (Seacliffe Drive) on Saturday, March 27th for their annual ‘Clean-Up Day’. Most of the volunteers were from organizations which have used the camp at no charge, and this was their way of supporting Kiwanis’s ongoing efforts to provide the camp to organized youth and special needs groups at no charge.

For information on access to the camp, please contact James at 519-965-1557.

residents of Windsor, Essex, and Pelee Island,” Chairman Leardi went on to say. “The diversity and complexity of environmental accomplishments, combined with a very strong administrative and technical capacity, assures partners that ERCA remains a solid investment in the environmental and economic future of this region.”

Historically, for every dollar raised through the general levy, ERCA has been successful in returning more than four times the contribution to member municipalities from other sources to support projects aimed at creating a future of regional sustainability.

I’m going to be very honest with all my readers - I did not have time to write a column this week. Actually, I’m sure I could have found time, but like most weeks, it takes longer to decide what to write about then it does to write it. What can I say? Some weeks are more inspiring... So, I have included an e-mail written by a 90-year-old lady reflecting on her 90 years of life experience. It’s good advice.

1. Life isn’t fair, but it’s still good.

2. When in doubt, just take the next small step.

3. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.

4. Your job won’t take care of you when you are sick. Your friends and parents will. Stay in touch.

5. Pay off your credit cards every month.

6. You don’t have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.

7. Cry with someone. It’s more healing than crying alone.

8. It’s OK to get angry with God. He can take it.

9. Save for retirement starting with your first paycheck.

10. When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile.

11. Make peace with your past so it won’t screw up the present.

12. It’s OK to let your children see you cry.

13. Don’t compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.

14. If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn’t be in it.

15. Everything can change in the blink of an eye. But don’t worry; God never blinks.

16. Take a deep breath. It calms the mind.

17. Get rid of anything that isn’t useful, beautiful or joyful.

18. Whatever doesn’t kill you really does make you stronger.

19. It’s never too late to have a happy childhood. But the second one is up to you and no one else.

20. When it comes to going after what you love in life, don’t take no for an answer.

21. Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, wear the fancy lingerie. Don’t save it for a special occasion. Today is special.

22. Over prepare, then go with the flow.

23. Be eccentric now. Don’t wait for old age to wear purple.

24. The most important sex organ is the brain.

25. No one is in charge of your happiness but you.

26. Frame every so-called disaster with these words:‘In five years, will this matter?’

27. Always choose life.

28. Forgive everyone everything.

29. What other people think of you is none of your business.

30. Time heals almost everything. Give time time.

31. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.

32. Don’t take yourself so seriously. No one else does.

33. Believe in miracles.

34. God loves you because of who God is, not because of anything you did or didn’t do.

35. Don’t audit life. Show up and make the most of it now.

36. Growing old beats the alternative -- dying young.

37. Your children get only one childhood.

38. All that truly matters in the end is that you loved.

39. Get outside every day. Miracles are waiting everywhere.

40. If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else’s, we’d grab ours back.

41. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.

42. The best is yet to come.

43. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.

44. Yield.

45. Life isn’t tied with a bow, but it’s still a gift. Okay, I promise, I’m already working on next week’s article and won’t rehash life philosophies from an e-mail. Have a great week!

Ever work for a jerk?

When it comes to bosses, I’ve been mostly blessed. Most have inspired me to bigger and better things while providing a tremendous example on how to lead people. Sure, I’ve made plenty of mistakes as a boss myself, especially early on, but by and large I believe that I did a decent job at my modest helms. I would hope those who were once in my charge would agree.

Don’t kid yourself, I’ve worked for some real horse’s patooties over the years too. I’m sure most of us can say the same. I once worked for a Jekyll and Hyde type. Jekyll in the morning was fine. In fact he was downright congenial and encouraging. After a few cocktails by mid-afternoon, this Hyde would inspire you to “hide”. Once during an early evening meeting, I witnessed him tear apart one of the staff members with a verbal tirade that still gives me goose bumps. The boss may have gotten the upper hand that night, but in the long run he lost the heart and enthusiasm of the person he attacked. Predictably, this boss, despite his talent, has been tossed around from company to company over the ensuing years. If only he would toss out his bottle. Too bad.

Later in my working career, I worked for a boss that had become so paranoid with cost management that he and another executive were caught counting the sheets on a toilet paper roll by a staff member. Plying his trade in paperwork?

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Kids these days have every source of home entertainment at their fingertips i.e. computers, DVD movies, iPods, Wii, Nintendo DS, etc. What did you do for fun when you were a kid?

Location: Downtown Leamington

Lynn Coussens Inkspot

“We used to rake leaves in the fall and segment them to make houses. My brother had Dinky Toys and we would build roads and stuff in the garden. We played with our friends – hide and seek, tag. We played outside a lot. We weren’t in the house much for anything.”

Greg MacDonald Hard Drive Café

“I played ball, played hockey, played all kinds of stuff that didn’t involve electronics. I did a lot of activities outside with friends, played a lot of sports. We weren’t allowed to hang around inside a lot, we had to get out and get active.”

Mary-Jane Parent

Ten Thousand Villages

“I grew up on a farm and we had free rein. We had to help out at home of course, but after that our free time was our own – fishing, catching snakes, there was always so much to do. I come from a large family and we shared two bikes –there was a girls’ bike and a boys’ bike. TV was Saturday morning cartoons, when we finally did buy a TV. It was a source of entertainment reserved just for weekends.”

E-LETTERS

If you would like to send us a quick e-mail to express your opinion - good, bad or indifferent - e-mail us sun@mnsi.net

Garbage bag limit is four, right?

Dear Editor,

When is enough a enough? I have watched as neighbours in the area have put out garbage over the allotted amount of 4 bags, some almost never put out less than 6 or 7.

I have called the town several times and the say they will have it looked into but the garbage staff still pick up the excess! This is going on in the area south of Danforth and Oak Street in a number of houses.

One of the houses, I have two years of pictures of them putting out excessive numbers of bags and their attitude is they don’t care about how many they put out.

What makes it worse is that these people almost never put out blue boxes and I know they have materials that would fill their blue boxes.

The final straw is that the garbage staff a lot of the time when dumping the blue boxes drop a lot of it on the ground and never pick it up. Is it any wonder our lovely town looks a mess with papers all over the streets?

Most of the people here do care how our town looks, but there are a few that do not care about our environment and what they are doing to the future of our country. We are suppose to be thinking “green” but there is no one enforcing the regulations, so the local government really does not care.

If this is the town’s attitude of the perpetrators, then be prepared for 700 wind generators to be here and do damage to our waters and the local fishing and jobs because they will let it happen!

Yours, Bruce Peacock

Rosy Gottler Strawberries Kitchen Shop

“We played outside until the streetlights went on. We read. We spent time with our family – with our mom and dad. We came home from school, changed into play clothes, and played outside until our parents came home. We were always outside.”

Point the finger at yourself – it’s time

Recently, our daughter had to complete a profile for a leadership position she is applying for. Our son is recommended to do one as well, in addition to his university applications. While reading over both of their profile questions, I realized that profiles are only beneficial if answered honestly. As well, it came to my mind that profiles should be updated frequently, and at middle age perhaps it is time to do that!

What are your goals or wishes? Perhaps by now, many of us have nearly reached our jobrelated goals and can see retirement in the near future. The majority of us have been in the work force for over 20 years, and hopefully the journey has been a pleasurable experience.

What aspects of your job are frustrating or difficult? Hopefully, with experience, you have overcome these challenges and learned to deal with workplace dilemmas. As young adults these challenges were sometimes overwhelming and were dealt with selfishly. Learning to deal with a multitude of personalities and adapting to working towards a common goal is one of the most important lessons that one can learn. This is a goal worth establishing during young adulthood.

Extracurricular activities are encouraged from graduation on. Many of us put our ‘extras’ on the back burner so that we can fit in our children’s busy schedules. It is time for us once more. Make an effort daily to fit in something that you enjoy for yourself.

What is it about your job or position as a volunteer, etc., that is important? To you? To your workplace or group? To anyone else?

Awards: Have you received rewards? Most important, has your job been rewarding? Is it fun and rewarding to take risks and trying new things? Amidst an unsteady economy, the government offers many incentives, luring us to be innovative and entrepreneurial. If you have great ideas and are feeling unfulfilled, now is the time for change. You are still ‘youthfull’ and this life is yours!

How is your personal health? We fill out health forms throughout our entire life. Have we ignored the fact that we are checking off more boxes every year? As I sit writing this, I realize that my shoulder tension is rising up through my neck to the top of my head. Perhaps it’s time to relax, but I continue. We pay for these decisions by ignoring how we feel.

Finally, take a look at your references. Do you have people in your life who can vouch for you? Are you reliable, hard working, a good parent, and a well-rounded individual?

The other day, I listened to a woman who was short on references. She had called ‘Dr. Joy’ regarding the fact that her twin 40-year-old sons never visited her, especially since she had been diagnosed with cancer. It was revealed during the conversation that she didn’t approve of her one son’s wife. She had not built any friendships throughout her lifetime. Dr. Joy guided her with these words: “After 85 years of living, to have no close relationships or ‘references’ is a reflection of the life you’ve lived. Stop asking for something you do not offer.” It was obvious that with the little time she had left, she needed to make amends. This sounds harsh, but in the end it is our life and our profile. We have the power to set the stage and to choose the part we play. Big or small, answer the questions wisely, because in the end you are only fooling yourself!

It Was a Safe Easter Long Weekend

Essex County OPP conducted traffic enforcement during the Easter long weekend without any serious traffic incidents.

During the four-day initiative police checked over 400 vehicles in 11 R.I.D.E programs throughout Essex County, resulting in two people being charged with impaired driving and 4 three-day suspension notices issued.

Police issued over 194 provincial offence notices for speeding, seatbelt infractions and disobey signs. 36 of these were issued on the 401 in the construction zone near County Road 46.

Wind Carries Fire Into Barn

On Monday, April 5 around 11:30 a.m., Tecumseh OPP and Tecumseh Fire Search and Rescue Service responded to a barn fire in the 6000 block of the 10th Concession. Police advised that the male owner (61 years) was burning yard waste when the wind carried the fire to the barn, catching the structure on fire.

The fire is not considered suspicious at this time and the male was transported to Metropolitan Hospital with minor injuries.

The investigation continues, and there is no estimate of the damage at this time.

Suspicious Fire in Comber

On Monday, April 5 around 3:00 a.m., Lakeshore OPP and Lakeshore Fire Search and Rescue Service responded to a building on fire in the 6000 block of Main Street in Comber. Police advised that a truck driver observed smoke billowing out of an old gas station and called 911. The neighbour south of the building woke up and immediately grabbed a hose, just as the fire service was arriving on scene.

Fire officials concluded that the fire originated below the staircase, and is believed not to be accidental at this time.

The investigation continues, and anyone with information is asked to contact Essex County OPP Criminal Investigation Unit at 519-723-2491 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.

Tractor Trailer Fire Closes 401 Overnight

On Tuesday, April 6 around 11:30 p.m., Tecumseh OPP, Tecumseh Fire Search and Rescue Service and EMS responded to a 2007 Sterling tractor-trailer on fire on Hwy 401 near Provincial Road/County Road 46. Police advised that a tractor-trailer caught fire, blocking the off-ramp from Hwy 401 to County Road 11.

The 44-year-old male driver from Brampton observed smoke coming from the engine and attempted to pull the vehicle over to the side of the road. The driver got out when the smoke became too thick to see. The cab became fully engulfed in flames, spreading to the trailer that was loaded with plastic and metal auto parts. The driver was transported to Metropolitan Hospital for minor injuries of his thumb, elbow and back. The 401 was closed at County Road 19 for several hours.

School Bus Collision

On Wednesday, April 7 around 10:00 a.m., Tecumseh OPP responded to a motor vehicle collision with a school bus at Lesperance Road and Tecumseh Road. Police advised that a Saturn being operated by a 58-year-old female from Tecumseh was travelling southbound on Lesperance Road when it collided with a bus turning right into St. Anne’s Church. There were 58 grade 2 students from St. Pius onboard. None of the students were injured. The female driver suffered no injuries and was charged with unsafe passing on right. The southbound lanes on Lesperance Road were closed while the vehicle was towed.

Charity Hockey Game for Fallen Officer’s Children

On Friday, April 9, Essex County OPP officers went head-to-head against the Essex Red Raiders at Essex Arena. Donations were accepted at the door, with all proceeds being donated to an education fund for Officer Vu Pham’s children. Approximately $1,100 was raised.

Leamington Police Occurrences

April 5 – A residence on Oakwoods Drive was broken into sometime between April 3 and this date. It is unknown at this time what was taken.

April 5 – A man who was driving his truck on Askew Street reported that someone apparently shot at him with a pellet gun.

April 6 – Sometime over the Easter weekend, someone smashed three cement benches at M.D. Bennie Public School.

April 8 – A residence on Bevel Line Road was broken into sometime during the day. A 32” colour TV and a Hewlett Packard computer monitor were taken.

April 9 – A 16-foot boat and trailer were taken from a driveway on Marlborough Street East. The boat is a 16’ Lowe, grey with a red stripe.

April 11 – Sometime between April 9 and 11, someone broke a window and stole a laptop from the Family Health Team Center on Talbot Street West.

April 11 – Sometime after 3 p.m. on this date, someone stole a Norco Faze mountain bike valued at $2,000 from the backyard of a residence on Marlborough Street East.

As part of the East Mersea’s Eco-Schools greening project, Mrs. Smith’s Grade 5/6 students were busy building new birdhouses to be placed in East Mersea’s naturalization area and around the perimeter of the school property. The wood and supplies were graciously donated by Leamington Home Hardware.

ABOVE: Students Sarah Foote and Tess Hodgson-Monroe build a bird house for East Mersea’s naturalization area.

BELOW: Students Ian Webber and Camden Driedger secure one of the sides to special birdhouses that are being built as part of East Mersea’s greening project.

Ever work for a jerk?

(Continued from Page 6)

Once I worked for a boss who was so tyrannical that if you queried them or offered an opinion that didn’t fit with their edict, you were hauled out into the parking lot at the break. Needless to say, I doodled and smiled in all future meetings.

As I stated, I’m one of the luckier ones when it comes to working for bosses. I’ve had more good than bad.

It’s merely my opinion, but here’s a top ten list that, in my mind, separates the thoroughbreds from the horse’s patoots.

WHAT GOOD BOSSES DO

• Take a genuine interest in their staff members that far exceeds their performance.

• Understand when it’s time to chastise and when it’s time to coach and council.

• Take the job seriously, but not themselves.

• Keep calm and steady in the midst of chaos.

• Don’t take unfair advantage or enjoy extended liberties with their position.

• Set the pace for productivity, creativity and standards.

• Roll up the sleeves when it makes sense to do so and stand back when necessary

• Strive to be fair to all parties (it’s not always possible to be fair to all).

• Communicate effectively by simplifying and clarifying their message.

• Retain perspective, humility and a sense of humour.

• Uphold the dignity of all individuals regardless of their shortcomings and differences.

A final word to the boss: Regardless of whether these attributes fit you or whether you agree with them, I hope that you strive to become a better boss. One jerk can make life unpleasant for many.

Clyde Hatch name continues at Clyde Hatch At Ease

By Sheila McBrayne

The Clyde Hatch name is synonymous with high quality clothing and friendly service. Dean Short, the new owner of Clyde Hatch At Ease, recognized that he not only purchased a clothing store, but a part of Leamington’s retail history. Clyde Hatch opened on Leamington’s main street (Talbot Road) in the late 1920s. It was in about 1930 that sevenyear-old Hugh Heany started what would become a career spanning for more than 60 years. Hugh’s father told Clyde that his son would get his mail for him twice a day, so that Hatch didn’t have to close the store for a mail run himself. Today, Hugh is 87 years old and remembers retrieving mail for Mr. Hatch at noon and after school for 25¢ a week. He also washed and waxed the floors every two weeks for $1.50.

In 1939 when World War II broke out, Clyde Hatch found himself short one man who went to serve, so he asked the young but hard-working Hugh to join his staff. Mr. Hatch passed on his eye and talent for window dressing to Hugh. Hugh joined the Air Force in 1942 and served in Gander, Newfoundland, until the end of the war in 1945. When Hugh returned to his hometown of Leamington, he was met at the train station in Chatham by his parents and Mr. Hatch. He was offered a fulltime job at the local clothing store. Hugh was trained in Toronto on the finer details of measuring for suits and overcoats and then started at Clyde Hatch. He also continued to dress windows for all occasions.

In 1967, Clyde Hatch sold his namesake store to Walter and Ann Dick. Hugh has many stories and fond memories of his many years at the store. “One day a lady bought 11 pair of pants. I told her I had never sold 12 pair before – she bought another pair to make an even dozen. I confessed to her after that I’d never sold 11 pair either,” recalled Hugh. Hugh retired from Clyde Hatch Ltd. in 1986, but of course still helped out with window dressings. On his retirement, Hugh said Mr. and Mrs. Dick gave him two tickets to his homeland Scotland and a set of golf clubs. Hugh is also an artist and a stamp collector.

After Dick’s death in 2002, Ann decided to discontinue the men’s wear and became a lady’s clothing store. She carried on the business until the recent sale of Clyde Hatch Ltd.

Dean Short.

Therapy dog visits residents

Matilda the Therapy Dog was at Erie Glen Manor Retirement Residence on Friday, April 9 for her weekly visit with the residents. Matilda and her owner Heather Collins, right, volunteer with the Windsor-Essex St. John Ambulance Therapy Dog Unit 1202. Massie Manson, left, Superintendent of the Unit, was also at Erie Glen on Friday. Pictured here, Matilda stopped in to see resident Gladys Simon. This is the first year that Erie Glen has participated in the Dog Therapy program. (Sun Photo)

received her official

and

a 10-year-old Westie and has been a therapy dog for two years. Handler Heather

is entering her fifth year with the Dog Therapy Unit. “And it never gets old. I really enjoy it and meeting all the residents,” said Collins. The Windsor-Essex Unit 1202 visits more than 50 nursing homes and hospitals within the region.

LDSS blood donor clinic a success! Lions give “gifts of life”

On Tuesday, March 30, students and staff at Leamington District Secondary School participated in a blood donor clinic that raised a total of 60 units of blood.

For the first time in several years, the boys won the coveted Transylvania Open Trophy, an honour that is awarded annually (in the spirit of friendly competition) to the gender that donates the most blood.

This year, a total of 36 boys and 28 girls gave the gift of life.

A number of retired and current staff members, as well as students, worked hard to make the event run smoothly.

LDMBA will hold travel team tryouts

Leamington District Minor Baseball Association (LDMBA) will be holding travel team tryouts at the Kinsmen Baseball Complex.

ROOKIE TRYOUTS

Rookie travel team tryouts are for players born in 2001 and 2002, on Sat. Apr. 17 at 12 noon, Tues. Apr. 20 at 6 p.m., and Thurs. Apr. 22 at 6 p.m. Coaches are Dan Domingues (519-322-0012) and Dolores Jeffery.

MOSQUITO TRYOUTS

Mosquito travel team tryouts are for players born in 1999 and 2000. They take place Sat. Apr. 17, Sat. Apr. 24 and Sat. May 1, all from 10 a.m. to 12 noon. Coaches are Chris Lamotte (519-326-3082), Jeff Enns and Jim Quick.

BANTAM TRYOUTS

Attention all 1995 and 1996 baseball players! Leamington Lakers will have their last day of tryouts for bantam-age travel baseball players on Thursday, April 16 at 6:15 p.m. at the Kinsmen Diamonds (Diamond 7). Anyone interested in trying out for the team is welcome to attend. All outdoor tryouts are subject to the weather and will be cancelled if rain is present. Contact Rick Wright at 519-322-5369 with any questions or concerns.

Email for sports scores and stories to the Southpoint Sun at sun@mnsi.net

Leamington Tomatoman

set for June 19 and 20

The Leamington Triathlon Committee is pleased to announce the 14th annual Leamington Triathlon Weekend. They are excited to be hosting this fast growing sport. It attracts athletes of all ages, backgrounds and abilities.

Over the weekend of Saturday, June 19 and Sunday, June 20 three races are held. The first race, the “Kids of Steel” event, is held on the Saturday and allows young athletes (ages 3-16) to compete in this fun and exciting sport. That same day, following the KOS races, is the “Adult Try-aTri”. This event offers adults the opportunity to attempt their first triathlon with low-key competition.

On the Sunday, the “Tomatoman Sprint Triathlon/Duathlon” invites competitors of any age to compete in the ‘real thing’. Last year, the Tomatoman had 442 athletes participate in the two-day event. On average, each participant was accompanied by two people for a total of 1326 people attending the weekend. This figure does not include other spectators and the streams of volunteers associated with the event. Also included is the School Challenge designed to encourage participation.

Kirstie Kniaziew, one of the County of Essex’s (and probably southwestern Ontario’s) most modest and successful triathlete - male or female – is a regular Tomatoman competitor. She has medalled at the Pan-Am Games and won an Ironman in 2005.

Q & A with local triathlete Emilie Potvin

Q How long have you been doing triathlons and what was your first race?

A My first race was when I was 12 in the Leamington 2004 Tomatoman KOS.

Q What grade are you in and what are your plans after school?

A I’m in Grade 12 at L’essor in Tecumseh. Next year I will be attending the University of Calgary, and plan to join the triathlon club there. Once I’m out of school for the summer I plan to work, train and race. I work at the Leamington Marina. I try to race in as many local events as I can fit in with my work schedule. I like racing in the WRACE and Running Factory 5Ks, and most of the local triathlons. I will also be racing for the bicycle shop and Jamis bikes in a Michigan mountain bike series and, local mountain bike events, as well as race a in the CCC races with the Maple Leaf Cycling Club. The Tomatoman is an important hometown race for me. I try to do it each year so that I can measure my progress. It’s affordable and a great event for everyone from beginners to experts.

Q What is your favourite part of the race and which discipline do you like the most and which the least?

A I enjoy all three sports. I like biking and swimming because you can do it with others. I’ve met a lot of nice people doing the sport. For the past two years biking was my best sport. 2008 was the first year that I was coached and we focussed on biking as that was my natural strength. Over the winter I focussed mostly on my swimming and my swim times are now much better. Next year I’ll focus on my run and then hopefully put them altogether for a super event in 2011!

Q Who do you train with?

A In swimming I trained with the local Masters group, as well as some morning swims at the Leamington Complex. There are a lot of local cyclists that are fun to bike with in group rides. This area has many quiet country roads and we often ride down to the Point, or Wheatley, or Kingsville.

Q What is a typical training week?

A Some weeks are longer than others and I get a short week once a month. I usually do 6-9 sessions a week – 2-3 swims, 2-3 bikes and 2-3 runs. One session is long to build and maintain my cardio. During race season one session is for speedwork. I consider racing to be the best type of speedwork session because you naturally try harder in a race. Sometimes I do a Brick which is when I run after biking.

Q What advice you would you give any young person that would like to get started in triathlon?

A Keep it fun. Learning how to swim well when you’re young will give you an edge later. The pool is also a great place to meet other experienced triathletes. Talking with them, you can learn how to train smart and avoid making mistakes.

Q Why are you doing the Leamington race and what distance?

A For me this year, Leamington will be my peaking event. I will, however, be maintaining this fitness level for the rest of the season.

Q What are your goals in triathlon this year and in the future?

A My goal at Leamington is to improve my times over last year. Personal improvement is the most important measurement to me. I will actually be peaking this year at the Leamington Triathlon. However, my placing in the race is not as important. Leamington often attracts excellent athletes. Simon Whitfield once raced here. Later in the summer I will be racing in the other local triathlons, as well as racing in Alberta next year as I will be attending the University of Calgary in the fall. One of these races will be the Banff triathlon in September and Xterra races next winter. My goal in the future is to do Ironmans. It has been my dream for many years now and I will work my way towards this goal in the many years to come.

Leamington Triathlon Weekend - June 19 & 20

•Saturday Events - Leamington Kinsmen Recreation Complex Registration begins at 7:30 a.m. and races at 9 a.m.

•Sunday Events - Leamington Municipal Harbour - Registation begins at 6:30 a.m. and races at 8 a.m.

Great Italian food at Sale e Pepe

So this week we found ourselves in downtown Leamington, specifically at 22 Talbot St. West, the home of Sale e Pepe. If you are looking for a fix of good Italian food, this is the place to go. We thoroughly enjoyed all the classic Italian appetizers – grilled calamari, bruschetta and rollentini, but we have to say our absolute favourite is the arancini. These balls of fried rice stuffed with gooey mozzarella and served with the classic house tomato sauce are amongst the best we’ve ever had! Moving on to the main courses, we sampled a number of the pasta offerings. The pasta at Sale e Pepe is always cooked to perfection – a perfect al dente! Some of the ones we sampled include the fettuccini alla carbonara – a classic carbonara pasta made from pancetta and egg. This is definitely a rich pasta that will stay with you for the rest of the evening, but if you are looking for classic comfort food – this is it! The penne and spaghetti are all favourites built off that terrific house tomato sauce, spiced up just right and definitely worth a try. On our last visit we tried the risotto with chicken and porcini mushrooms; it was a well-executed dish that was thoroughly enjoyed. We also sampled the gamberoni (shrimp) served with garlic and tomato sauce. The shrimp was cooked perfectly and the sauce had a well-balanced roasted garlic flavour that was not too overpowering. One thing we definitely noticed was how piping-hot the food was as it came to the table. Along with very good service, the team at Sale e Pepe certainly knows how to put the customer first!

All of the Sale e Pepe entrées are served with a choice of vegetable, penne with tomato sauce or linguini al olio. We highly recommend the penne with arribbiata sauce on the side of the veal marsala. When a friend of ours told us he “swears by this dish” we just had to try it, and he was certainly right! The marsala sauce is amongst the best we have ever had and certainly tastes like it has been reduced slowly and developed over time.

Owners Tim Mussio and Lucio Galeano are getting ready to launch a new menu featuring many of the house favourites and some new items. Some of the new items that we are looking forward to include the linguini

Buckle up!

The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) will be increasing enforcement throughout the province to ensure that motorists everywhere do their part in saving lives by buckling up.

The increased enforcement is part of the Spring Seatbelt Campaign which is a partnership between the OPP, Ontario Ministry of Transportation and other road safety partners. The campaign runs from April 14 to 24, 2010.

In OPP jurisdictions this year (2010), eleven people have lost their lives as a result of not wearing their restraints at the time of the crash and many more were seriously injured. In 2009, a total of 310 people died in motor vehicle collisions on highways patrolled by the OPP and in 68 of those deaths (26 percent) seatbelt non-compliance was a factor.

The OPP will be focusing their efforts on child restraints during the campaign to raise awareness and protect children.

with clams – a definite must on any Italian menu – and a grilled tuna entrée that was a chef Lucio special that sold out every time it was a feature. A new wine menu also promotes mainly local and Italian wines, but certainly has a great selection to go with any of your meal selections.

Tim and Lucio have definitely created an atmosphere that is great for large gatherings or intimate dinners. If you haven’t had a chance to try out Sale e Pepe – what are you waiting for?

Rhine Danube girls make it to semi-finals in big Easter tourney

By Mackenzie Heyens

The Brampton Canadettes Easter Tournament is one of the biggest girls’ hockey tournaments in the world. With over 400 teams this year, the Rhine Danube Southpoint Stars were pumped and ready for what would be their last time together as a team for the season.

The tournament started for the Stars on Friday, April 2 when they played North York Storm 3030. At a blistering temperature of 83º outside, the ice was melting from the sticky heat inside. Despite this, the Stars quickly dominated the home team for their first shutout of the weekend, winning 6-0.

The next morning, the Rhine Danube girls played the second North York team, North York Storms 3003. The girls played hard from the beginning, never letting off, which in turn wore down the opposing team. The final score of the second game was 7-1.

Later that day the Stars played the Durham West Lightning. The girls easily overpowered the opposing team, and despite a controversial goal by Durham the final score was 8-1.

With the Rhine Danube Stars leading their pool with 21 goals for and only 2 against, the girls earned themselves a bye into the quarter-finals.

Sunday morning the girls came ready, regardless of the early hour game-time of 8:15 a.m. Facing the Etobicoke Dolphins, the girls played one of their hardest games of the year. With the Dolphins hot on their heels, the Stars stepped up to the occasion. Matching the Stars goal for goal, the Dolphins scoring within minutes of every one of the Stars goals. Finally the game ended in a 3-3 tie, taking the game into overtime. Within the first 12 seconds of the game, Kayla Lindsay netted a beautiful goal to win the game and send the Rhine Danube Southpoint Stars to the semi-finals.

With only a short time between the two games, the Stars raced to the next arena to play another hometown team, the Mississauga Chiefs. After a hard battle, the Chiefs took the lead for a 2-1 loss for the Southpoint Stars, in spite of a last minute crash of the opposing net with a 6-on-4 for the Stars. This denied the Stars a spot in the finals.

The girls played a terrific weekend with fabulous goaltending by Carleigh Manning, with a total of 26 goals for and only 7 against.

The Stars had a great season, taking first place in their regular season. Congratulations to all on their success. Tryouts begin in June. For more information, please visit their website at www.southpointminorhockey.com.

Leamington agri-food group receives Premier’s innovation award

Member of Provincial Parliament for Chatham-Kent Essex Pat Hoy announced on April 12th that $100,000 has been awarded to the Leamington Area Drip Irrigation group at the sixth annual Premier’s Summit on AgriFood.

“Ontario’s agri-food industry is growing innovative ideas to meet the demand for local foods,” said Hoy, MPP for Chatham-Kent-Essex.

Only two outstanding industry leaders were celebrated at the Premier’s Summit on Agri-Food with the province’s top two agri-food innovation awards, including the

Leamington Area Drip Irrigation group which received the Premier’s Award of $100,000 for improving water efficiency by constructing a new 36 kilometre pipeline, communal irrigation system for local producers. The system irrigates 2,500 acres of Ontario tomatoes.

“Ontario’s farmers, agri-food business and rural communities continue to show outstanding leadership when it comes to innovation. Through these awards, we recognize their outstanding creativity and contributions to the good things that grow in Ontario,” said Agriculture Minister Carol Mitchell.

REC ROUND-UP REC ROUND-UP

Spring Shape-up Membership Special on sale now for $109.00 for 3 months of diverse activity while you get yourself in shape for the summer shorts and bathing suit season.

Student, Summer Membership Special is available for $110.00 for 4 months for those university and college students who are home for the summer. They can be active and stay in shape.

REGISTRATION for the Spring Session: Register now before the session begins the week of April 19th. The Complex has all sorts of youth programs and adult programs. Get yourself in motion this spring!

First Aid Courses: Become certified in Standard First Aid/ CPR “C” and recertification courses. Classes for individuals as well as corporate bookings to have your staff meet WSIB requirements.

Babysitter Training Courses: Minimum age 11 years. The next course is on April 24 for boys only!

NEW! Home Alone course for youth ages 9 to 12: The next course is offered on Tuesday nights from April 20 to May 18 (5 weeks). Your children will build self-confidence and responsibility, while taking these two training courses.

Friday, April 23rd is P.A. Day at school, so bring the kids to the Complex for loads of fun:

• P.A. Day Camp program for children ages 4 to 7 and 8 to 12.

• P.A. Day Pool Party Swim from 2 to 4 p.m. Within arm’s reach policy applies.

Recreational Adult Swimming and Lane Swims: See daily rec. pool schedule.

Complex Weight Room: It’s good to see how many people are using the weight room on a regular basis. 4 personal trainers and 3 personal nutrition and wellness coaches to help you reach your goals.

Over 50 Fitness and Aquafitness classes per week.

We have something for every...body!

249 Sherk St., Leamington 519-322-2337 email: bfischer@leamington.ca www.leamington.ca

The recipients are being recognized under the Premier’s Award for Agri-Food Innovation Excellence, a $2.5 million, five-year program established to recognize innovators who contribute to the success of Ontario’s agri-food sector.

The innovations of 55 regional winners, who will receive $5,000 each, will be announced at regional award ceremonies this spring.

Ontario’s agri-food sector is one of the province’s leading industries, contributing more than $33 billion to the economy every year.

Leamington Council Briefs

By Bill Chaplin, Municipal Correspondent

In 2009 the municipality charged $6,900 on internments in municipal cemeteries, but the cost was $12,000. That is why administration has done a review of fees charged nearby and recommends an increase that doubles the fees for plots. The proposal is to charge $1000 for an adult plot, with $650 for an adult interment in the summer and $750 in the winter with a $170 surcharge on weekends. Having passed the by-law, the municipality must now get approval from the Province for the increases.

The current alcohol risk management policy prohibits the consumption of alcoholic beverages in all municipal parks and sports facilities. Only council can overrule its own policy (as it does for the Tomato Festival each year). At the Monday council meeting council received a request from the Windsor and District Sports for permission to serve alcohol in a designated refreshment area during its annual slo-pitch tournament June 4, 5, and 6 of this year. In response to a question about the tournament, Councillor John Paterson explained that historically about 70 teams are attracted to this three-day event and there is considerable economic benefit throughout the town. Council was also informed that there has never been a problem serving alcohol at this event in the past.

Amco farms applied to council to expand their greenhouse operation by adding another 3.4 acres to the existing 6.8 acre operation. To do so requires a site plan agreement. Since the proposed expansion meets all the requirements of the municipality, administration recommended approval to enter into a site plan agreement to council.

Council received correspondence from Kingsville expressing concern about the proposed offshore wind turbine development and soliciting Leamington’s support. Before supporting it, council received a brief update from Gord Meuser, spokesperson for the concerned citizens group opposing locating the wind turbines in Pigeon Bay just offshore from Leamington, Union and Kingsville. Mr. Meuser explained to council that the Province had recently included the Pigeon Bay wind turbine development on a list of projects not being offered contracts to connect to the Ontario electrical grid, but acknowledged as in development. He urged council to get behind an E.R.C.A.-directed scientific study of the impact of this type of development in the lake and to match Kingsville’s commitment. Deputy-Mayor Rob Schmidt told other members of council that, as chair of the Union Water System, “I know our staff have serious concerns” and urged council to get on board in principle. His motion was enthusiastically seconded by Councillor MacDonald. To Mr. Meuser, Councillor John Paterson added, “I can’t congratulate you enough”, referring to the efforts of the citizens in this matter.

At the end of the council meeting Brian Sweet announced that in a closed meeting prior to the regular council meeting the Municipal Council directed him to enter into an agreement with the University of Windsor to donate a small parcel of land at the corner of Mersea Road B and Road 19. This former Mersea Township clay pit is proposed to be developed for Environmental Research by the University. Mr. Sweet indicated that a press release from the University giving more details could be expected in the very near future.

Hwy 401 service centres in our area to re-open in July

Travellers on Highway 401 will soon have brand new gas, restaurant and service centres with Tilbury, Dutton and West Lorne due to open this July.

Washrooms and Canadian Tire gas bars and convenience stores will open in early July at the Tilbury North, Tilbury South, West Lorne and Dutton centres. By early fall, restaurants and stores will start serving hot food. Phase 1 will include A & W, Burger King, Kentucky Fried Chicken, Pizza Pizza, Tim Hortons, and the Market retail stores. Over time, the service centres will include a wider mix such as Casey’s, East Side Mario’s, Extreme Pita, New York Fries, Quiznos Subs, Starbucks Coffee, Teriyaki Experience, Yogen Fruz and Cinnabon.

Hoy said that on-site Ontario Tourism Information centres will be located at the Tilbury South and Bainsville centres, as they are considered “gateway” locations where tourists might stop.

The cost of construction for the 20 centres on Highway 401 is $300 million.

Canadian Tire will front all gas stations in one of the largest expansions ever for the Canadian company. It’s estimated the new sites will generate about six million gas transactions annually.

Let the Senior Games begin!

The summer games have arrived for Essex County seniors.

The Windsor Essex County Summer Senior Games kicked off with an opening ceremony on Tuesday, April 13 at the Centre for Seniors in Windsor.

The Summer Games will run until June 4 with events held all over Essex County at various Legions, senior centres, recreation and golf clubs. Events include cribbage, Scrabble, euchre, duplicate bridge, pickleball, pepper, 8-ball, darts, shuffleboard, contract bridge, snooker, golf (par 3, 9-hole and 18-hole), Prediction Walk, tennis, lawn bowling, and horseshoes.

Local events

Three events will be hosted in Leamington this year. Euchre will be played at the Leamington Kinsmen Recreation Complex on Thursday, April 22. Leamington Half Century Centre will host two events: contract bridge on Friday, May 7, and pepper on Friday, May 14.

The Summer Senior Games will wind up with a luncheon and awards presentation on Thursday, June 17 at the Serbian Club in Windsor.

Legal benefit will aid local charities

The United Way / Centraide Windsor-Essex County and the Actors Theatre of Windsor (ATW) have announced details of the fourth annual Legal Benefit, “To Kill A Mockingbird”, to be held on Saturday, April 17 at 7:30 p.m. at Migration Hall in Kingsville.

To Kill A Mockingbird by Christopher Sergel, with permission of Dramatic Publishing, is based on the 1961 Pulitzer Prize winning novel by Harper Lee. To Kill a Mockingbird explores prejudice, selfishness, selfrespect and courage, and is

SILENT WALK & VIGIL

Sunday, April 25 th ,

This public awareness event marks the beginning of RESPECT FOR LIFE WEEK

Sponsored by LEAMINGTON AREA RIGHT TO LIFE

This is a peaceful Walk to LEAMINGTON DISTRICT MEMORIAL HOSPITAL to express not only concern for unborn children being killed by abortion but also concern for their mothers who may not have received the love, care and support needed to carry their children to term.

Meet at 3:15 pm at the SOUTH POINT COMMUNITY CHURCH, 55A Talbot St. W. Walk begins at 3:30 pm. Everyone is welcome to attend. Walk will take place rain or shine.

INQUIRIES: 519-325-0929

Crazy days

Keri Keri with a “K” with a “K”

set against the backdrop of the Deep South in the 1930s. Delivering a full-scale production of one of the greatest legal dramas of all time, members of Windsor’s legal community will don costumes and take to the stage to help raise monies for the benefit which supports United Way / Centraide Windsor-Essex

County, Raise a Reader of Windsor Essex, University of Windsor and the Windsor Fringe.

Tickets can be purchased online at www.actorstheatreofwindsor.com, or by phone at 519-252-6579 or 1-800-387-918. Tickets can also be purchased at the door at Migration Hall two hours prior to performance.

I think we’re getting a little carried away with days of observance. I am not talking about official days that are steeped in culture or tradition, or things like World Kindness Day because we all need to be a little more kind these days. What I want to know is what happened to us along the way that we felt the need to pay attention to things like soup and rodents? Last month we had Clam Chowder Day, National Open An Umbrella Indoors Day, and my favorite, International Sword Swallowers Day. (I wasn’t aware there were enough people crazy enough to honour those few people who are crazy enough to stick a blade down their gullet.)

Squirrel Appreciation Day is every January 21st. I don’t appreciate squirrels. I don’t hate them, but I don’t think I really need a day to say “Hey squirrel, when you are done scaring away all the pretty birds and chattering away in the tree, come here so I can appreciate you.” Besides, what happens if one inadvertently runs in front of my car and I can’t stop in time on that particular day? That’s not very appreciative, plus I would feel awful. These are mostly ‘unofficial observances’ and I realize that half of them are jokes, but sometimes I think that they’re designed to titillate us because we are becoming a society that seems to get bored easily. Can’t a day be JUST a day? Do we need somebody somewhere devoting time (and in some cases a website) making up some inane and obscure observance like ‘Take Your Houseplant For a Walk Day’? That’s coming up July 27th. Your fern will be mighty pleased.

Regardless of these silly days, what I am looking forward to is Earth Day on the 22nd. I hope you will observe that day as my family will, because that is an important issue. (And okay, while I’m at it I will admit that I will support International Talk Like A Pirate Day in September, but solely for the reason that I can get away with walking around in public with my fingers in my mouth saying “I was born on a pirate ship”.)

Cardinal Carter Corner

Mid-term report cards go home April 27

“Discovering the Workplace” is a Grade 10 experiential learning course that provides students with the opportunity to discover and develop essential workplace skills and habits. Students in the course experienced their first taste of the world of work at the end of March during a half-day job shadow with local businesses

Leamington Br. 84 Legion news

By Pat Simpson, PRO Branch 84

The General Meeting was held April 7. The membership authorized the President’s Committee to proceed with the process to lease a property in the Municipality of Leamington. The April General Meeting was our nomination meeting. Nominations will be opened again at the May meeting scheduled for May 5, so please plan to attend and support your Branch.

There was a smaller than normal turnout for the Winston and Jean Wales Annual Dart Tournament, but a great time was had by those in attendance and several new teams entered the tournament. For the team event: 1st place was Oliver Jones, Betty Vigneax, Dan Homick and Theresa Butts; 2nd place was Anne Dwyer, Doug Innes, Lisa Turner and Jim Simpson; and 3rd place was Scott Montague, Tina Pawlak, Clayton Middlebrook and Linda Stocking. Doubles: Oliver Jones and Betty Vigneax, and Doug Innes and Anna Dwyer placed 2nd. Tim Nantais, our Sports Officer, would like to thank Van Shires for running the tournament again. Thanks to Karen and Bill Robinson for operating the kitchen, and to Kaye Winger and Bob and Heather McKee for all the food preparation. Also thanks to Lisa Cowen-Tehonchuk for volunteering at the bar and running the meat draw. It was nice to see Shelley Desnoyers at the Branch during the tournament that is held in honour of her mom and dad. A great co-operative effort made the tournament a success.

As of April 7 our total membership for 2010 is 141 – please make an effort to pay your dues.

The President announced several seminars that will be held for Leadership and Finance.

Special thanks to Mount Carmel-Blytheswood School Write-On Club for their wonderful Easter eggs and chocolates. They were on display at the Branch during the dart tournament and the general meeting.

Comrade Lisa Turner will be coordinating a project to collect Tim Hortons Gift Cards to send to our troops in Kandahar.

The District Convention will be held April 17 and 18 in St. Thomas. Our colour party will attend the Parade on April 18.

Join us on April 14 for the Senior Social.

Fun darts are held every Friday evening at the Branch – come out and join in the fun.

Executive Meeting: April 21 at 7 p.m. General Meeting: May 5 (Election Night) at 7 p.m.

and organizations. The students will continue to gain valuable insight into potential career paths as they complete three Work Experience Blocks in April, May and June. We would like to express our appreciation to the following employers for their partnership in this program: Arby’s, Canadian Tire, S.E.C.C. Child-Minding, Computer Design, Dr. Bailey’s Dental Practice, First Choice Haircutters (Erie Site), Four Season’s Driving School, Home Hardware, Jacob’s Flowers, Leamington Chrysler, Leamington Montessori, Pizza Hut, Ruffin’s Pet Centre, Shopper’s Drug Mart, Wal-Mart, and Warehouse One.

What else are we up to at Cardinal Carter? The Student Services Department at Cardinal Carter will be hosting a Mental Health Aware-

ness Evening on May 13th at 7:00 p.m. in our school auditorium. Join presenters Carol Mueller from Alive Canada, Community Crisis Centre of Windsor-Essex County, Beth Lyster from the Canadian Mental Health Association, and Jodi Pearce from the Teen Health Centre, to learn more about the nature of mental health issues and the support available in our area. A variety of mental health topics will be discussed including anxiety, anger management and depression.

Students in the Specialist High Skills Major Program are pleased to welcome Betty Jean Crews, president of the Ontario Federation of Agriculture, as a guest speaker on April 20th.

Cardinal Carter students will be participating in a variety of contests during the month of April. On Friday,

April 8, select students in grades 9, 10 and 11 wrote the University of Waterloo Fryer, Galois and Hypatia math contests. On Tuesday, April 13, the Begbie National History Contest was written, and on April 29 the Biology Competition will be held. In addition, students in the Enriched Grade 9 science program have entered “Canada’s Greenest School” contest. Look for their music video submission at www. canadasgreenestschool.ca, or find their video “Cardinal Carter is Going Green” on YouTube.

A reminder to parents/ guardians that April 23rd is a Professional Development Day; mid-term report cards will be going home April 27th, and Parent-Teacher interviews will be held from 5:00 – 8:00 p.m. on Thursday, April 29th in the gymnasium.

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

Eagle vs. wind turbine

A dead bald eagle was found about 40 metres from an industrial wind turbine in Norfolk County last year. The eagle’s body was sent to Bird Studies Canada and then to the MNR. An examination of the carcass showed it had injuries consistent with a sudden impact while toxicology tests indicated it was otherwise healthy.

MNR representative Ron Gould stated: “It may take several years to conclude conclusively.”

One healthy eagle out of a total of only nine nesting pairs in Norfolk County may be unsustainable. This wind facility has been operating only a year. Thousands more turbines are proposed along the north shore of Lake Erie and the number of deaths can only increase.

Why are we experimenting with an endangered species?

The tips of these blades are travelling at speeds of 200 mph, sweeping the size of a football field. Eagles naturally soar on wind currents, as they always have. But the MNR blames the eagle for being “careless”.

The mortality of one bald eagle from a nesting pair is most likely the loss of a nesting site and increases the mortally chances (which are already high) for eaglets if killed during the nesting season. Bald eagles mate for life.

Killing or even harassing a bald eagle is supposed to be a chargeable offence. What sort of investigation was done to ensure proper mitigation was in place? Well, you see, the CEO of International Power who owns this turbine also happens to be the Executive Vice President of the Liberal Party of Canada, Mike Crawley. Judge for yourself. Maureen Anderson, Amherstburg

Hoops 4 Heart at LDSS raises $400

On Friday, April 9 approximately 60 students at Leamington District Secondary School took part in the first Hoops 4 Heart, a basketeball tournament organized by Exercise Science students to raise money for the Heart & Stroke Foundation of Ontario, Windsor Essex County Chapter. Organized by Exercise Science teacher Brandon Boyko and Mike Malmberg, the event had collected $360, with pledges still coming in. The tournament not only raises money for Heart & Stroke, but also emphasizes the importance of exercise and good heart healthly activities.

OBITUARY NOTICE

Jacob Holiga

Jacob Holiga, 83 years, passed away peacefully, surrounded by his family, on Sunday, April 11, 2010. Beloved husband of Rose (nee Keller). Dear father of Rob and wife Sue. Loving grandfather of Ashley and Matt Holiga. Dear brother of Katie Kutzman, and brother-in-law of John Keller and Annie Keller. Several nieces and nephews also survive.

Jake served as an usher at St. Joseph’s Church for over 25 years, was a member of Leamington K of C Council # 4501, and retired from the H.J. Heinz Co.

Visiting at the Reid Funeral Home & Reception Centre, 14 Russell Street, Leamington (519-326-2631), on Wednesday from 2-5 p.m. and 7-9 p.m. K of C Council #4501 and Parish Prayers on Wednesday.

Funeral Mass to celebrate Jake’s life held from St. Joseph’s Church, 310 Sherk Street, Leamington, on Thursday, April 15, 2010 at 11 a.m. Interment Lakeview Cemetery, Leamington.

Memorial donations may be made by cheque to the Heart & Stroke Foundation. Friends may send condolences at www.reidfuneralhome.ca.

SE Leamington study referred to municipality

The Essex Region Conservation Authority has referred the Sustainable Management Strategy for Southeast Leamington to the Municipality of Leamington for consideration.

“ERCA’s role has been to guide the study process, provide technical and scientific support and information, to coordinate community consultation, and to support the development of a number of options for the long term, sustainable management of this area,” explained Anthony Leardi, ERCA Chair. “ERCA has also secured the funding for this extensive process, primarily from outside sources, to aid the Municipality of Leamington. We have been extensively involved with this process since we are the local agency with a mandate related to flooding.”

There has been an active history of flooding and erosion problems in this area. However, the threats are now much more serious than ever before because of the degradation to infrastructure that has not been adequately addressed since the last flood cycle, and because of the ongoing shoreline erosion and deepening of the lakebed. Of particular concern is that there are close to 200 homes in the low-lying areas behind the degraded dykes. Many homes and access roads could be flooded to substantial depths in the event of breaching of the dykes.

While ERCA administration recommends that an alternative land use, such as outlined in Concept E, is the best long term, sustainable management strategy to eliminate the significant flood and erosion hazards in Southeast Leamington, it is recognized that the decision for the future management of this area is a municipal role and responsibility.

“ERCA is not forcing or dictating any solution,” Leardi continued.

A range of options have been developed by Baird and Associates, internationally recognized consultants for providing engineering and technical services for design of structures that interact with the world’s oceans, lakes and rivers. Concept E, the most recent alternative land-use concept, proposes addressing the flood hazard within the interior lands by removing the homes from the most severely flood prone areas, naturalizing substantial portions of the interior lands, and constructing a secondary flood control barrier to protect the remaining flood hazard areas to the west. This concept has the added benefit of providing the existing residents along the east shore between Hillman Marsh and Point Pelee National Park with an acceptable emergency route and some shoreline erosion protection.

A detailed estimate of costs required to protect and maintain the current land uses over 25 years indicates that

Golden Years mini golf

By Ralph Butler

Sixty-two players met for mini golf on Thursday, April 8. The first place team, Wayne Reid, Evelyn MacVoy and Frank Lasi, shot a 5 under par 235.

One stroke back for second place prize was Liz Scratch, Dorothy Harrow and Gerry Wilkinson.

Third place cash went to Bill Mayville, Stu Folster, Gioanna Day and Tom Hyatt with 238.

Two teams come in with 1 under par 239s, just out of the money.

there would be significant costs borne by the Municipality of Leamington and the local benefiting residents due to a lack of government programs available for the type of work needed. The cost per acre for benefiting landowners ranges from $4,000/acre to $33,000/acre, while the cost to the Municipality has been identified as ranging from $9.6 million to $23.9 million. The residents and the municipality have indicated that the repairs to maintain existing infrastructure are unaffordable.

“Our goal has been to ensure that the Municipality has the best information available to them,” Leardi concluded. “ERCA will continue to work with the Municipality of Leamington to support and assist their efforts and continue collaborative discussions with all stakeholders.”

ERCA and the municipality must continue to comply with Provincial planning policies associated with shoreline flooding and erosion hazards when addressing public safety and related matters in considering requests for permits in this hazard-prone area.

Friesen-Harder - Eva and David of Wheatley, a boy on March 24, 2010.

Bianchi - Linda Bianchi and Kyle Acres of Leamington, a boy on March 25, 2010.

Malott- Angela Malott and Tony Vanzetten of Leamington, a girl on March 27, 2010.

Wilson - Debra and Robert of Kingsville, a girl on April 3, 2010.

The Stork Report is sponsored by

For the low round, a 69 was carded by Gerry Wilkinson, with Frank Lasi following with 73 and Marie Lasi shooting a 75. Tom Hyatt and Pete Daudlin dropped 77, Ralph Butler and Liz Scratch 78s, and 79s for Mary Ann Vickery, Harry DeWaard, Tom Bondy, Carolyn Campbell, Gioanna Day and Gary Honey. Even par was shot by Don Ribble and Moe Scratch.

Six holes-in-one dropped for Frank Lasi, while four fell for Jean Sennett, Don Ribble, Pete Daudlin and Gerry Wilkinson. Three went down for Art Sweet, Marie Lasi, Claudette DeWaard, Gary Honey, Murray Knox, Tom Bondy, Neil Quick and Evelyn Wilkinson. A pair of aces showed for John Murphy, Carolyn Campbell, Moe Scratch, Liz Scratch, Ruth Slote, Gary Pillon, Shirley Thiessen, Ethel Ferguson, Ralph Butler, Audrey Knox, Barb Arner, Wayne Reid, Laurie Hylton, Steve Vigh, Linda Walsh and Betty McManus. One ace fell for Bill Mayville, Gioanna Day, Gayle Hyatt, Donna Bileti, Carol Hylton, Fred MacVoy, Lloyd Honey, Iggy Arner, Madeline Butler, Winnie Moore, Nancy Hill, Eva Kah, Barb Murphy, Donna Wiebe, Doug Vickery, Mary Ann Vickery, Cami Keith, Bill Taylor, Rose Taylor, Eleanor Brook, Carolyn Daudlin, Bill Roubos, Annie Mae Leslie and Dorothy Harrow.

We look forward to seeing you on Thursday, April 15 at 9:30 a.m. at Colasanti’s.

FOR RENT SERVICES

Two bedroom apartments in Wheatley. Phone 519-3268259. tf

Large 2 bedroom apartment with living room and family room, redone with new kitchen and bath, $650 per month plus utilities. Deposit required. Call 519-326-9261. tf

Large 3 bedroom apartment, fridge, stove, dishwasher, A.C., $810, utilities included. 2 bedroom, $650, utilities included.519-326-7275. tf

RENOVATIONS:

Eavestroughing, decks, siding, windows, complete renovations, Gutter Cleaning Systems, furniture refinishing. Call Bill Siddall 519-8253931 tf

ELECTROLUX SALES & SERVICE: Complete line of vacuums and shampooers/ floor polishers. Will provide free estimate on Central Vac installations. Contact Dan Bailey. 519-825-7698. tf

Rational CPC102 ClimaPlus Combi Oven (electric), QTE probe, 10 stainless steel shelves, 10 perforated baking sheets, self cleaning, dry steam cooking. Call 519796-6322. mar24-ap14

Dining room suite, 9 pc includes buffet, solid wood. Asking $500. Call 825-7138. ap7-ap14

Colorado Spruce Trees, 18” tall, in 2 gal pots, $5 each. 519-322-2471. ap7-ap21

Part-time Bartender Needed! 130 Erie St. N., Leamington, ON N8H 3A2, 519-326-3740. Must have smart serve. Drop off resume or email to info@rhinedanubeclub.com ap7-14

STUDENT

HELPWANTED

Student Summer Employment

CARD OF THANKS

EVADEBERGH

T.O.P.S. - Take Off Pounds

Sensibly. Group meets every Monday 6 p.m. at Wheatley United Church. Call Elaine at 519-825-7993 or visit website: www.TOPS.org. Everyone welcome. tf

Call 519-825-4541 to place any of your special announcements or e-mail sun@mnsi.net

PRINTING: Business envelopes, invoices, flyers, business cards, custom print jobs, whatever your printing needs, call Rick at The Wheatley Journal for quick and economical service. 519-825-4541. tf

DISCOUNT COMPUTER REPAIRS - 519-818-8194, repair all makes, virus removal, no charge for service calls. Free p/u delivery, laptops $300 up. ap14-14 COMPUTER SERVICES

TREESFORSALE!

Evergreens, Colorado Blues and Emerald, and Black Cedar, Sky Rockets, Weeping Cypress, thousands to choose from , $11 - $14. 519-324-9665. ap14-may19

SELF STORAGE

SELFSTORAGE - Inside and outside storage, 24 hour access and security. Asize for every need. Pay for 6 months, get 1 month FREE. 16 First Concession Line, Wheatley 519-791-1464. 12-21

Please send resume by April 19 to: Wheatley Harbour Authority P.O. Box 610 Wheatley, ON N0P2P0.

Interviews to be conducted Sat. April 24 at Harbour Office, 21 Kay Ave. ap7-14

The family of the late Eva Debergh wishes to express our heartfelt thanks to our relatives, friends, neighbours, and caregivers for their help and support. We sincerely appreciate all the visits, food, card, floral tributes, charitable donations and words of sympathy. Thank you to the Sun Parlor Home for the care and kindness they have given Eva for the last 3 1/2 years. The Step Down Care unit of L.D.M.H. showed great compassion during those last few hours. Father Feurth, the CWL and the church choir made her final service so personal. The Staff at Reid's Funeral Home helped us during this difficult time in our lives with their caring, sensitivity and proficiency.

Thank you to any we may have missed. We shall not forget her soft, sweet, quiet manner. She put her family and others first. She has left us with a lifetime of memories which will always keep her with us.

From Engel Debergh, Yvonne Friesen, Diane Isley, Patti Adamson and families.

ARIES - Mar 21/Apr 20

It is crucial to pay attention to your feelings, Aries, otherwise you will act without thinking about potential consequences. This week, keep your head out of the clouds.

TAURUS - Apr 21/May 21

You have to hold on a little longer, Taurus, to get the things you want the most. The reward will really be worth it if you have just a little more patience this week.

GEMINI - May 22/Jun 21

You won't be able to keep still this week, Gemini, and it could be troublesome at work. You want to get up and go, but you have to sit and get many things done.

CANCER - Jun 22/Jul 22

Cancer, you may resent others this week for wanting too much from you. Instead of holding in your feelings and feeling the fire burn inside, let others know that you're overwhelmed.

LEO - Jul 23/Aug 23

Work matters take a backseat to responsibilities at home. This will be OK in your book, Leo, seeing as you've been in tune with your domestic side lately.

VIRGO - Aug 24/Sept 22

Abusy week with plenty of chances to feel satisfaction put you in a very good mood, Virgo. You aren't even concerned with what others think of you for a change.

LIBRA- Sept 23/Oct 23

Libra, you are so good at providing what others need that sometimes you don't pay attention to what you need. Take some time for yourself the next few days.

SCORPIO - Oct 24/Nov 22

Scorpio, rather than doing your tasks in the same way you always do, find a new way to attack problems. You may find a new perspective on daily chores is refreshing.

SAGITTARIUS - Nov 23/Dec 21

Although you're tempted to forget about responsibilities this week, Sagittarius, you may want to buckle down and get to work instead. The reward will be much greater.

CAPRICORN - Dec 22/Jan 20

Something wonderful comes into your life this week, Capricorn. It could be a rekindled romance, some found money, or even just a chance to kick back and relax.

AQUARIUS - Jan 21/Feb 18

It can be very busy this week, Aquarius, especially if you take on everything yourself. Rather, delegate some chores to others to lighten your load for a few days.

PISCES - Feb 19/Mar 20

You are probably tired of the grind, Pisces, and ready for a change this week. Bring Aries along for the ride.

FAMOUS BIRTHDAYS

APRIL11 - Joss Stone, Singer (23)

APRIL12 - Claire Danes, Actress (31)

APRIL13 - Tony Dow, Actor (65)

APRIL14 - Loretta Lynn, Singer (75)

APRIL15 - Seth Rogen, Actor (27)

APRIL16 - Ellen Barkin, Actress (55)

APRIL17 - Victoria Beckham, Singer (35)

Representing Southpoint

Congratulations to Southpoint Midget B Travel Girls – Shailyn Waites, Carleigh Manning, Kayla Lindsay and Jillian Iles – for representing Southpoint at the WOGHL All-Star Midget B/BB Games in Aylmer recently. Proudly taking part as Assistant Coach for this big event was their Southpoint Coach Dave Manning, who was very impressed with the girls’ accomplishments. Ending with a 3-3 tie game and being amongst several skilled players from the WOGHL League, the Southpoint girls exhibited great talent and managed to take part in all three of the goals. The first goal to get their team in the game was scored by Southpoint’s Shailyn Waites and assisted by Jillian Iles, the second goal was assisted by Jillian Iles and Shailyn Waites, and the third goal to tie the game was assisted by Kayla Lindsay. Amongst three goalies sharing periods for their team, Carleigh Manning’s goaltending abilities shone as she battled an outstanding period in net. Pictured left to right are Shailyn Waites, Jillian Iles, Carleigh Manning and Kayla Lindsay with coach Dave Manning.

Many changes for 17th annual Hospital Foundation Golf Tourney set for Wednesday, June 2

By Sheila McBrayne

The 17th annual Charity Golf Tournament for the Leamington District Memorial Hospital Foundation is looking forward to some format changes to better serve its loyal participants.

“The majority of our golfers are business people, so we’ve changed the start time from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., so that they can do ‘some work’ before enjoying themselves for the afternoon,” explained Ross Barnwell, Foundation Director of Development. When the tournament started early in the morning, many golfers were done early and had a couple of hours before the dinner portion of the tournament. By having a 1 p.m., shotgun scramble format, golfers will be done golf with less time to wait before they go to the Seacliff Inn for the steak BBQ dinner at 5 p.m. This is the second year at the Seacliff, after many years of support from Jose’s Noodle Factory.

LEAMINGTON DISTRICT

The location and price of the tournament have not changed. The tournament is Wednesday, June 2 at Erie Shores Golf Course and is $130 per player or $520 for a foursome, which includes 18 holes of golf, cart, dinner, a golf gift, dinner, a chance at a big raffle prize and a $40 tax receipt per player.

The annual golf tournament is one of the Hospital Foundation’s big fundraisers for the year, usually raising approximately $30,000 through registrations and sponsors. This year, the funds raised at the golf tournament are earmarked for the purchase of new and replacing cardiac equipment. “Early diagnosis and stabilization are crucial in a cardiac emergency. The first few hours can aid in the overall outcome for a patient. We need the right equipment to do that. That’s what it’s all about. We need state-of-the-art equipment for our cardiac team,” said Barnwell. The tournament proceeds will kick off a larger fundraising campaign for this much-needed cardiac equipment. Equipment replacement is expected to begin this year at LDMH.

This year the golf tournament also has an official spokesperson in Dan Amicone, a Windsor-based architect who can tell Leamington residents first-hand how important the cardiac equipment at LDMH is to him and the community. Amicone was in Leamington visiting a friend in December 2008, when slight contractions in his chest soon turned into an ambulance ride to LDMH Emergency Room.

Sponsorship opportunities

Barnwell notes other changes to the golf tournament this year include special sponsorship and golf packages for local businesses. Hole sponsors range from gold ($500), silver ($300), and bronze ($150). Sponsorship packages are available to fit any budget. The tournament is looking for one platinum sponsor of $5,000, which includes a foursome of golf, large company banner at the registration table, company logo on all marketing materials, introduction at dinner, sign on tee and complimentary gift. The tournament also needs gold sponsors of $2,000 which include a foursome for gold, sign on tee, company logo on marketing material, and acknowledgement at dinner.

The tournament also needs two $1,000 sponsors, which will have your company logo on half the golf carts. Another $1,000 sponsor is needed for the putting contest. A sponsor of $750 is needed for the Beat the Pro Contest. At this par 3 hole, the pro Kyle Stewart will take his shot and if any of the golfers in your foursome come closer to the hole than Kyle, each golfer receives a sleeve of balls. There are two hole-in-one chances. One hole is for $10,000 and the other is a large golf prize.

“We’ve always emphasized the fun, it’s a really good time with a good meal and all for a good cause,” said Barnwell, who has been with the Foundation for 11 years. “We know there are a lot of golf tournaments for some good causes, but we hope businesses and people will see the importance of this tournament for the entire community,” said Barnwell.

“We’re really excited about the changes, we’ve really had good ideas and input this year for the tourney. We have some new golf committee members that have helped revive some of the energy back into the tournament,” said Barnwell. Committee members include: Peter Neufeld, Debbie Scott, Matt Snoei, Debbie and Geoff Dunmore, Paul Bunnett-Jones, John Ferguson (chair), Kyle Stewart and Ruth Anne Pettapiece.

Registration forms are available at Jose’s Noodle Factory and Seacliff Inn. Also, registration and sponsorship information are available on-line at www.ldmh.com and follow links to the Foundation. Registration is limited to 144 golfers and registration cut off is May 28.