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VOLUME 2, ISSUE 9 WEDNESDAY, MARCH 2, 2011 FREE

The audience watched in amazement as the world-renowned singers, dancers and acrobats of the China Broadcasting Performing Arts Troupe brought their homeland’s fascinating history to life on the stage of the Brock-ville Arts Centre last Wed-nesday night. The show, entitled, ‘Carnival; China Style’ was the stunning centerpiece of the Chi-nese and Canadian Herit-age Cultural Association and the China Cultural Development Associa-tion’s (CCCDA) Chinese New Year Gala celebra-tion, the City’s latest move in a string of endeavours geared towards creating cultural understanding and promoting its move toward diversity.

Such diversity, ex-plained City of Brockville Director of Economic De-velopment, David Paul, ‘is the primary first step towards advancing an ag-gressive immigration at-traction and recruitment strategy, which will in turn, enhance the cultur-al diversity of the region’.

“The success of to-night’s event and the re-ception proceeding it, is an open demonstration of that diversity we’re

striving for,” said Paul, adding that building re-lationships between na-tions at the local level, is the key to creating oppor-tunities in sectors such as economic development, education, tourism and culture.’

CCHCA founder and chairman, Peter Au saw the event as ‘a moment worth seizing’ in terms of building a better global village.

“Good relationships

lead to good things,” said Au.

“We are building cul-tures and building bridg-es. In doing so, we will also bring more peace and prosperity to the world. Though our cultures may seem different, we do share a universal lan-guage, culture. In sharing our cultures we can em-brace our strengths, and there is no telling how far that will take us.”

Au continued, thank-

ing a slate of area mayors, dignitar-ies, industrial lead-ers and investors that have played key roles in the cultural initiative, including program coordinator of the Leeds-Grenville Immigration Portal, Matthew Raby, owner and CEO of multi-national manu-facturer, Canarm Ltd., city councillor

Celebration shares culture, builds bridges

FREE

f area gnitar-

lead-vestorsed keyulturalcluding rdinator

GrenvillePortal,

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By Erin ChristieObserver Staff Writer

CELEBRATION continues on page 4

The stage was lit up with

bright colors and amaz-

ing feats, as the Chinese

National Broadcasting

Performing Arts Troupe

wowed a packed crowd

at the Brockville Arts

Centre last Wednesday.

Great music, dancing

and ballet-acrobatics

kept the audience in

awe throughout the

performance. The show,

a part of Brockville’s

continuing outreach

program to increase

cultural awareness was

a huge hit, with the two

shows totalling over

$1,100 in ticket sales.PHOTOS BY

AUSTIN DE LUIS

Chinese New Year Gala

wows crowd

Your FREE Guide to Area Homes Inside!

The Board of Directors for the new Brockville and Area Sports Dome As-sociation (BASDA), met with City council in an emergency operations committee session on Monday, looking for ap-proval to bring the project to the council chambers on March 8th.

The board passed with full support from the Operations committee, something that has cre-ated an air of excitement for the members of the newly formed group of community leaders. “We are very happy to see the full support of the com-mittee and are looking forward to meeting with the full council”, said Pro-ject Manager and former councilor Gord Beach. “Step one is complete”.

The board will now meet with council, looking for approval on a 10-year, renewable lease for Me-morial Park, the property east of Laurier Hill, where the outdoor ice-surfaces currently exist. The skat-ing area would be relocat-ed to the north-east cor-ner of the property, where the smaller parking lot exists now. The city would lease the land for a fee of $2 annually.

BASDA will not be ask-ing for any funds for con-struction or maintenance from the council, just the lease for the land in which it will be built.

The board met ear-lier with Director of Oper-ations Conal Cosgrove in their search for the prop-erty that best suits the project. “We feel we have a great spot”, said Beach, adding that the visibility

and existing parking are other key factors in choos-ing this location.

If the project get’s coun-cil approval, fundraising plans will be planned out. The ‘dome’ would strive to

be open for October 2012, and fundraising efforts would begin contingent on the approvals being met on March 8th. “Once we can show what we are planning to build and where it will stand, we can

begin raising the funds we will need”, said Beach.

The complex will be something unique for the area, housing a soccer pitch, two tennis courts, a track and driving range.

Sports Dome eyes Laurier land parcel

On Saturday, March12th hosts, Master of Ceremonies Bruce Wylie and performer A.J. Benoit (with his Blarney Show Band) are inviting resi-dents for an evening of ‘old fashioned fun and trad-itional Irish music, with proceeds going towards the Brockville Cardio-vascular Program. Found-ed through the vision of several medical person-nel, the Brockville General Hospital Board of Govern-ors, and the Brockville and District Hospital Foun-dation, offers recovering cardiac patients access to information, individual-ized programs of exercise, education, and counsel-ling, with the assistance of a multi-professional team

that includes a kinesiolo-gist, a dietician, a nurse, a respiratory therapist and a pharmacist. Currently, the program, which is free to those who are referred, operates on an annual budget of $130,000 per year, all of which is cur-rently provided through corporate and private do-nations.

Since launching the program in 2009, it has seen considerable suc-cess, graduating 185 pa-tients and an additional 30, through the home care segment.

“In terms of providing real benefit and quality of life to our clients, our suc-cess rate is 100 per cent,” said Brockville internist Dr. Jay Bhatt, one of the key players in the creation of the BCP, adding that the appeal and success of the

program can also be at-tributed to its geography.

“Normally people would have to travel to Ot-tawa or Kingston to access these kinds of services, so for them, having a local program is very important to our patients, in terms of travel time and wait

times.” “We all know someone

who has been touched by heart disease in some way, so a program like this is a pretty important part of this community and it’s also free of charge,” noted local business owner and event sponsor, Peter

Hoogendam, adding that the event’s organizers hope to raise ‘at least 10 to 12,000, in support of the BCP’.

Performer and organ-izing committee mem-ber, A.J Benoit, echoed Hoogendam, adding that the concept of a St. Pat-rick’s Day celebration for the fundraiser seemed an obvious choice, one the organizing committee hopes, will attract a crowd.

“St. Patrick’s Day is al-ways a good time,” said Benoit. “I think people can expect to have a great

evening knowing the pro-ceeds are benefiting a wonderful program that literally touches the heart.”

The party will con-tinue with an “After Show Celebration” downstairs at “The Mill” restaurant, with more entertainment, courtesy of the Blarney Showband, an Irish sing-song, and of course, green beer.

Tickets are currently available at the Brockville Arts Centre box office at (613) 342-7122, or online at www.brockvilleartscentre.com for $22.50 (+HST).

St. Patrick’s Day celebration aims to touch the heart

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 2, 2011 THE OBSERVER

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To cap off Heart Month, BGH Internist, and driving force behind the highly successful Brockville Cardiovascular pro-gram, Dr. Jay Bhatt, gave an entertaining and informative presentation on Heart Health at the Wedgewood Retire-ment Resort, last Thursday afternoon. Bhatt’s one-of-a-kind presentation was filled with humour, anecdotes and enter-tainment, all of which Bhatt later explained, was the key to keeping people interested in a healthy and active lifestyle.

ERIN CHRISTIE PHOTO

By Austin de LuisThe Observer Editor

DOME continues on page 5

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David Beatty, Manager of External Relations for Parks Canada, Pam Buell and President/ Executive Director of CCCDA, Rudy Gao.

Au also thanked mayors David Henderson (Brockville),

Bill Sloan, (Edwardsburgh-Cardinal), Economic Develop-ment Manager (Smiths Falls), Bob Cheetham, MPP Steve Clark, MP Gord Brown, and former TLTI mayor and chair-man of the Canada-China 1000 Islands Friendship Agree-ment, Frank Kinsella.

For Kinsella, who spear-headed the initial trips to China and the subsequent Friendship Agreement that followed, the success of this initiative is highly personal.

“I’m very proud to see how this has evolved,” said Kin-sella.

“There is so much to bene-fit from in this relationship, for both countries.”

Brockville City Mayor David Henderson echoed Kinsella, touting the importance of cul-tural enrichment.

“I think we would all agree that we need people to come

live and work here in Brock-ville and the way to do that is to continue to foster a wel-coming climate for other cul-tures,” explained Henderson.

“By diversifying ourselves, we can only enrich Brockville, it makes us better, and it’s our future.”

CELEBRATION continues from page 1

Brockville City Mayor David Henderson, (left), joined former TLTI Mayor and Canada-China 1000 Islands Friendship Agreement, Chair, Frank Kinsella, (right), in rolling out the welcome mat for visiting Chinese community members and dignitaries at the highly successful Chinese New Year Gala celebration held at the Brockville Arts Centre, last Wednesday evening.

ERIN CHRISTIE PHOTOS

Dedicated canvassers, Brian Mabee, Rhea Roan-tree, Cheryl Brown, Col-leen Kelly Jansen, Angela Viau and Denise Lewis are just a few of the com-munity-minded recipi-ents recognized for their outstanding service at this year’s annual United Way Volunteer Recogni-tion Breakfast, held at CJ’s Banquet Hall last Friday morning. Joining the dedi-cated canvassers were a number of devoted busi-nesses and individuals, including; Lee Groom-bridge, Patty Plaeschke, who were recognized for their ‘above-the-board’ canvassing efforts with the ‘Outstanding Canvass-er Awards’. In the indus-trial sector Proctor and Gamble was recognized for its record donation of $207,000 with the ‘Out-standing Spirit Award’.

In the finance sector, new donor, Brockville

BMO on Wall Street was recognized with the ‘Out-standing Achievement Award’ for not only meet-ing, but surpassing their fundraising objective with a 420 per cent increase in giving, the ‘Municipality of North Grenville’, was awarded the ’Municipal Sector Award’, while MP Gord Brown and his con-stituency staff were recog-nized with the ‘Outstand-ing Campaign Award’ for the $102,000 raised through their annual charity hockey game.

The Boys and Girls Club collected two awards, one for facilities man-ager, Brian Mabee, in the ‘Outstanding Canvasser’ category, and one as the’ Outstanding Agency’ for having the largest year-over- year increase in do-nations. In the Education Sector, the Upper Can-ada District School Board was given the ‘Outstand-ing Campaign’ nod with Excellence awards being given to Lorie Second of

St. Francis Xavier, Ruth Mitchell of Toniata Public School and John Kings-bury of Brockville Collegi-ate Institute.

After a brief absence from United Way, EI Du-pont Canada, was recog-nized for their remarkable campaign with a ‘Busi-ness Development Sector Award’. Brockville General Hospital and Sherwood Park Manor received ac-colades for their infec-tious spirit during this years’ Live United Cam-paign, earning each of them a ‘Spirit Award’. In the ‘Provincial Sector’, the 1000 Islands Charity Ca-sino was honoured with the ‘Provincial Award’, for their increase in giving of 31 per cent.

In the Foundation Sec-tor, Municipal Property Assessment Corp was recognized, and in the Core Sector, UW President Shawn Souder presented Invista Canada Co. with the ‘Core Account Sector Award’, for their increase

in giving of 287 per cent. Souder also presented ‘outstanding corporate canvassers, Shell Canada Productions Limited and Proctor and Gamble with ‘Outstanding Canvasser Awards’.

In the Media Sector BNTV Brocknews media industrialist, Dale Elliott, was honoured for his ex-tensive coverage of the UW’s campaign journey of 2010. The UW also pre-sented a number of new awards this year, includ-ing the ‘Community Hero Awards’ to a number of or-ganizations, which went to the Gravel Doctor and Brockville Honda, as well as Bob FM, 104.9 JRFM and 96.7 YES FM.

“It’s been a difficult year but thanks to everyone who is here today, we were able to meet our object-ive, with a grand total of $978,237.00,” announced UW Executive Director, Judi Baril.

“We could not have done it without you.”

United Way surpasses fundraising goal

(Left) The United Way Board celebrated a successful cam-paign, having raised an impressive $978,237.00. From left to right-United Way Intern, Melissa McCabe, Youth to Youth Board President, Jenny Knapp, Business Development Coordinator, Crystal Sled, Gifts In-Kind Coordinator, Joan Hodge, Leeds-Grenville Immigration Partnership Program Coordinator, Matthew Raby, Financial Services Manager, Tanya Noyes, Accounts Manager, Jenny Waite and Executive Director, Judi Baril. ERIN CHRISTIE PHOTO

From left to right, City of Brockville Director of Economic Development, David Paul, Chinese and Canadian Heritage Cul-tural Association founder and chairman, Peter Au with program coordinator of the Leeds-Grenville Im-migration Portal, Matthew Raby. All three men were key players in a slate of dedicated activists, indus-try leaders and area digni-taries who worked to bring this initiative to fruition. “The success of tonight’s event and the reception proceeding it, is an open demonstration of that di-versity we’re striving for,” said Paul, adding that building relationships between nations at the local level, is the key to creating opportunities in sectors such as economic development, education, tourism and culture.’


More than 421 people traded in their sneak-ers, pumps, and boots for bowling shoes in sup-port of local children at the Big Brothers Big Sis-ters 2011 Bowl for Kids Sake, held at the Brockville Bowling Centre last week-end. The annual event proved a huge success for the agency, generating more than $42,000, which will be used to assist the agency in their continu-ing efforts to provide vital programming for the 160 area children who rely on BBBS, and its 150 each de-voted to brightening the lives of children and pro-viding a friend where one is needed.

“We are very pleased with the turnout and the level of community sup-port,” said BBBS executive director, Jane Fullarton. “And we’re thrilled that this has proven to be such

a successful event. It’s events like this that pay for things like our Calabogie trip, where we’ll be tak-ing the kids tubing or our trip to the Canadian Mu-seum of Nature in Ottawa,

a, these are things that some of the kids might not get to do, and because of people’s generosity, they can. Essentially the people are helping kids get to be kids.”

Bowl for Kids Sake campaign BIG success

Adding this training facility will give area ath-letes the means to train year long, giving Brock-ville a competitive edge it has been lacking in the past. Typically, area resi-dents would have to trav-el to Ottawa or Kingston for such a facility.

There are obvious benefits for several lo-cal organizations to be able to train in a state-of-the-art facility in Brock-ville through the winter months. Soccer, base-

ball, rugby, tennis, golf, and track are the initial benefactors, with po-tential for others in the future. Artificial turf will cover the soccer pitch and tennis courts, while the track could be made of several possible syn-thetic materials.

The ‘dome’ could give rise to several new win-ter leagues, for summer sports. Indoor soccer leagues that have trad-itionally been played in school gyms will now

have proper fields, as will training for rugby as well as giving the Bunnies and other little league base-ball teams the chance to train all winter. “This will give the athletes in the area an edge that bigger cities have always had access to”, said Beach.

The facility would not only be limited for sport-ing events, but could also be rented for venues such as concerts, the Farmer’s Market and other pos-sible events.

The world’s oldest service club celebrated their 106th anniversary on February 23rd. Rotary International was found-ed in 1905 by Paul Harris in Chicago.

The idea was simple, ‘recapture the friendly spirit I felt amongst the business community in the small town in I grew up in’, said Harris. The name came from a rotat-ing meeting schedule his community and the busi-nesses had regularly.

Some of Rotary Inter-national’s achievements over the past 106 years

include; the Rotary Foundation, founded in 1916, helping draft the UN Charter in 1945, the Ambassadorial Scholars program, which is the world’s largest privately funded scholarship pro-gram, Group Study ex-change program, Health Hunger and Humanity grants program, and their tireless efforts to help diminish polio globally, which included raising over $120 million US, to vaccinate all the children in the world.

Rotary Brockville Anniversary

Brockville’s chapter of Rotary was formed in

1921 and will celebrate their 90th anniversary in September.

The Rotary Club of Brockville has had many achievements over the last nine decades. The inaugural project was setting up an entity to help abolish the spread of tuberculosis in 1921.

Other projects over the past 90 years include; the donation of funds to purchase the first ever motorized ambulance in 1927, donating $15,000 to St. John Ambulance for the purchase of a new vehicle in 1985, the Vic-torian Order of Nurses program which needed a vehicle to make house

calls in 1929, sponsoring the Air Cadet league in 1943, the creation of a swimming pool for the old Memorial Centre in 1956, and helping fund the new field house at Memorial Park in 1991 for the 1000 plus kids that use the facility each year.

Two major projects that Rotary have been a intricate part of are; the ongoing initiatives at Camp Merrywood and the Canadian Aid for Chernobyl.

“We are blessed to be a part of such worthy projects”, said Brockville Rotary President Janet Eaton, adding that Rotary

will continue to support both projects in the years to come.

A big initiative for Ro-tary Brockville in 2011 is the possible regenera-tion of Rotary Park. A committee made up of several Rotarians has formed and is looking to allocate funds from the two clubs (Brockville and Thousand Islands), to go towards several fea-tures and remodeling the existing park. A couple new features would pos-sibly include; a roof over the skating surface and a splash pad.

The Rotary Appro-priations committee has also recently approved

the allocation of $20,000 annually over the next five years for the project. These monies will help in the process of apply-ing for the Trillium grants needed for the rejuvena-tion.

With 90 years behind Rotary in Brockville, Eaton knows the import-ance of linking the past with the present, while keeping an eye on how to build for the future.

“In the past 90 years we have created a great foundation”, said Eaton. “We would like to see the younger generation of community leaders join Rotary and make the fu-ture just as successful”.



In accordance with our commitment to excellence in policing service in our community and following the retirement of the current Chief, the Brockville Police Services Board is searching for a CHIEF OF POLICE.

The Board is seeking an individual who will continue the tradition of trust, respect and involvement in our community. Working with the Board, and with the support of staff, volunteer and community groups, the incumbent will direct the policing needs in our vibrant and changing City.

Candidates will demonstrate knowledge of and experience in municipal policing in Ontario with a minimum of ten (10) years’ experience in the policing environment including at least three (3) years of progressive responsibility in a senior management role.

The successful candidate will be of exemplary character, innovative and possess the core competencies: education and knowledge related to the Police Services Act; financial management and fiscal control; highly developed interpersonal skills which are demonstrated within the service network and externally with media and community relations; excellent written communication skills.

A letter of application with a comprehensive resume, including references, should be submitted to: Chair David Henderson c/o Brockville Police Services Board One King Street West P.O. Box 5000 Brockville, ON K6V 7A5Or email: [email protected]

The envelope is to be clearly marked PRIVATE and CONFIDENTIAL and must be received not later than 16:00 hours on March 21, 2011.

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Celebrating Rotary’s anniversary and a history of giving

BBBS Board members celebrated another successful Bowl for Kids Sake, at the Brockville Bowling Centre. From left to right; Board treasurer, Melinda Condon, Board President and Kemptville Ribfest Chairman, Bruce (Mr. Ribfest) Nor-man, BBBS director Jane Fullarton, event Master of Cere-monies, Phil Deary, Brockville Ribfest Chairman, Jim Vezina and Board Vice-President, Amber Woods.

ERIN CHRISTIE PHOTOS

Brockville City Councillor, David Beatty aims for a

strike for the City’s team at Bowl for Kids Sake, held

at the Brockville Bowling Centre last weekend.

By Austin de LuisThe Observer Editor

DOME continues from page 2

The ObserverEDITORIAL WEDNESDAY, MARCH 2, 2011 THE OBSERVER

THE OBSERVER EDITORIAL

The Editor,The current Council must justify the

reason for their haste and explain why they voted to immediately terminate Mr. Morris, without apparent regard for the resulting cost to taxpayers and the de-stabilized administration of this Township. Many area residents are shocked to hear that the Council of the Township of Leeds and Thousand Islands dismissed the Chief Administrative Officer (CAO), Malcolm Morris, at a ‘special’ meeting on February 24th. This is stunning news because Mr. Morris has an outstanding reputation from his previous work for the City of Kingston, he was given a very positive per-formance review for his work in this Township on October 21st, 2010, and commun-ity groups and residents at-tending Council meetings, have observed that Mr. Mor-ris has shown himself to be a balanced, knowledgeable and professional representa-tive on municipal matters.

The big question is “how” Council conducted them-selves as a public body be-cause they represent you and me. Council making the right choices for the commun-ity depends on having the right informa-tion. Did our Council have the right pro-cedural and process information when they terminated the current CAO? They did have a written legal opinion which indi-cates that this was a premeditated act by some of Council but no lawyer was present to temper their zeal.

This dismissal raises a series of import-ant questions that Council must answer. Why the haste in doing this? Was the dis-missal procedurally fair? The Statutory Powers Procedure Act requires Council to

act differently than they did. The Mayor calls an in-camera meeting on Tuesday, Feb. 22nd and later informs the Clerk and the CAO that they are not to attend the meeting. The CAO is requested to make a presentation at the Thursday, Feb.24th meeting, leaves and finds out Friday that he is dismissed.

What is the resultant management situation at the Township? There will now have been 3 CAOs in less than 3 years. With a mostly new and inexperienced Council

in place, a 2011 budget and other key operating deci-sions required, how will this decision add to productivity, efficiency and effectiveness of our Township? Citizens just want a state of calm and responsible management? Individual Councillors can be held accountable for their actions by asking; “How did you vote to terminate the CAO?””Why did you vote the way you did?” Some will try to hide behind that this is an action of Council done in camera.

You have a right to know how your councillor voted

on this issue. One response is “We adhered to his contract”. Yes, but dismissal “with-out cause” costs three months gross sal-ary with benefits, the need to hire a “Head Hunter” to fill the position and the costs go on and on. Some people will publicly pro-claim that this Council will run TLTI effi-ciently and bring it back to financial stabil-ity. How does the termination of the CAO without regard to due process accomplish efficiency and financial stability? Council is elected to consider, decide and act, but should not put the taxpayers at risk as they have done by this action.

Frank Kinsella

Kinsella questions CAO’s departure

Hope to bring the cup home As a life-long hockey fan growing up in the country that start-

ed the sport, it has been a frustrating 18 years since a Canadian team last won the Stanley Cup.

In 1993, the Montreal Canadiens hoisted Lord Stanley’s Cup, completing a streak of 9 of 13 winners being north of the border. Since that day, there have been almost 10 Canadian teams reach the finals, but all have come up short, leaving a sour taste in the mouth of many fans around the country.

As a Toronto Maple Leaf fan, I haven’t had much to cheer about over my lifetime, but over the past two decades I have become a Leaf fan first, while supporting all other Canadian teams. Every year, I watch the playoffs begin without my team included and jump on the band-wagon for the other existing teams in Canada.

It doesn’t matter to me which team wins, as long as that team resides in Canada. I understand that almost half of every team’s players, and sometimes more, come from Canada, but the fact remains that the organizations do not.

This year is much like years past with half of the country’s six teams in good position entering the stretch run of the regular season, but with the other half struggling to get back in the play-off race. Edmonton and Ottawa are all but assured of hitting the golf courses early, with Toronto in contention for the eighth spot in the Eastern conference. Calgary is battling in the highly com-petitive Western conference, currently sitting in the final playoff spot, while Montreal sits in sixth in the East, and Vancouver is leading the way in first place overall.

Vancouver is a safe bet to be in the post-season, with Mont-real in good shape and Calgary and Toronto needing results in the final 20 games. This could leave us with anywhere from two to four playoff participants, which is not the ideal ratio, with 16 post-season teams in total. Gone are the days when three out of the four finalists were Canadian based teams, along with the dynasty’s from Montreal, Edmonton, and Toronto.

Toronto, Ottawa and Edmonton seem to be getting on the right track as of late, but all three still have a long way to go, be-fore they are considered contenders. Vancouver seems to be our best bet this year, but Montreal and Calgary would be the squads that no team would prefer seeing in the opening round.

I know it may be difficult for a Leaf fan to cheer for Montreal or vice-versa, or a Oiler fan to cheer for the Flames, but as a Can-adian, I think there isn’t any other option. This is our game in terms of the quality of players and we have always dominated the international game, all the while having no recent success in the Stanley Cup playoffs. Several close calls have raised excite-ment this past decade, but until there is an all-Canadian final, I won’t count any chickens.

Go Canadian Teams Go!Austin de Luis

Colours filled the stage at the Brockville Arts Centre last Wednesday night as the Chinese National Broadcasting Performing Arts Troupe hit the stage. The show was one of a kind for Brockville, and wowed the capacity crowd of citizens and dignitaries from around the region. PHOTO BY AUSTIN DE LUIS

What is the resultant

management situation at the

Township? There will now

have been 3 CAOs

in less than 3 years.

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

A friend of mine sent me a Youtube link with the message, “Thought you may be interested this is what my son is up to”. The link was to the video “The Poverty Song” and featured a Brockville boy attending Dalhousie University in Halifax. I viewed it and went about my daily business. As I have stated in earlier writings, I am discov-ering something about how I learn. Not until I have a personal connec-tion do I gain context. When this happened, I revisited this video and truly absorbed the mes-sage. My personal con-nection came in a cof-fee drive through line looking for change after ordering two coffees. I barely scraped together nickels, dimes and pen-nies from my purse, my passenger’s wallet and the old standby ashtray penny repository. My children were home for reading week and I had doled out $10 for this, $15 for that and some registration needed to be paid. I was already low on cash due to the extra provisions I proactive-ly purchased for their friends dropping by for visits to reconnect over lunches and dinners. I wanted to be prepared with food and drink to treat the university and college students looking

for the comforts of home. So I experienced this one isolated moment, when I was living like the poor students “living on nick-els and dimes” but then I viewed the video again to realize these students are living like this the entirety of their school terms on top of the huge amount of student debts they are carrying. The amateur video, an end result of a song origin-ally written for a local tal-ent contest, features Iain MacNeil, son of Judy and Jim of Brockville. When you view the video, he is the talented ginger, ball cap wearing piano player.

The video has now gone viral and stories about it have appeared in the Halifax Chronicle

Which can be viewed at http://thechronicleher-ald.ca/Front/1229090.html and the U.S. based Huffington Post http://www.huff ingtonpost .com/2011/02/18/the-student-poverty-song-_n_825126.html

Rather than restate the observations of the articles, check it out for yourself. Send it to par-ents with children in post secondary or students themselves. I thought this was the end of my ex-perience with the student poverty situation but oh no, another connection was yet to occur.

This week my assist-ance was requested by an employer whose em-ployee was attempting to navigate the Ontario Stu-dent Assistance Program (OSAP) with his son. The employee’s son a recent high school graduate was trying to take short term technical training as a heavy equipment operator at a Southern Ontario Community Col-lege. He applied for and was accepted to the pro-gram, tuition alone cost-ing approximately $9000. His approved student loan was $3000 in total. The son did not qualify for a student line of credit without a guarantor due

to the parents’ low in-come level. They had no one to act as guarantor. No financial assistance by government training programs were available because of the young mans age and situation. So this was the end of the road, and I am not sure if the timing will be in place again, for this young man to revisit and experience post secondary educa-tion.

Can the students make the most of their educa-tional opportunities liv-ing below the poverty line saddled with burgeoning debt? They have a long work life ahead of them and these are supposed to be their carefree years. We worry about having enough workers to sup-port the pension system that will need to support us. Have we created an education system that is conducive to develop the talent and thinkers to carry our economy for-ward into the next years and beyond?


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So, we did it again. We have added yet another member into our family. Introducing Sadie- our 12 week-old female brindle Boxer. At least this time I brought a female into the house. Joey, our fawn Boxer turned one and it was time to get him a live-in girlfriend!

Since Sadie has been here, life has been very entertaining for all of us. They have never ending energy, but when they rest, it is very sweet to see them cuddle together for a nap. The most fascinat-ing part- but not surpris-ing is that she is a fifth of his size, but is already Ruling the Roost. She is eating out of his dish, taking snacks directly out

of his mouth, and trying to butt in front of him for affection. You go girl! No matter what species and what age we females are, we fight to be in charge.

Things we never really considered before bring-ing another dog into our lives was, the landmines on our property will now double, and so will our dog food purchases. Back to house training and freezing outside in the middle of the night while you wait for the puppy to relieve herself! Cuddling with 2 dogs on my chair in the evening is a little tight, but will all be worth it in the end. They are just adorable.

With two of our three children out of the nest, our home was much too quiet. So now, we are back to three. The good news is, two of them will not need an education fund!

TheObserver OPINIONS

Today we continue the journey of our roast chick-en, from oven to soup pot, with the appropriate wine matches. When last we saw our bird it had been the main course for a meal or two and was ready for transformation. Everyone has their own take on this, whether chicken salad, hot or cold chicken sand-wiches or other delights.

Lets consider two pos-sibilities, chicken in a cream sauce or chicken salad. These offer two contrasting flavour pro-files, the first full and rich, the second light and crunchy. Both provide the perfect opportunity to trot out your favour-ite Sauvignon Blanc. The tangy flavours and racy

acidity of your typical Sauvignon will match the fresh, crunchy texture of the chicken salad and contrast with the full flavoured cream sauce.

Two Sauvignon that we’ve dis-cussed will per-form quite nice-ly. New Zealand’s Silver Point Sau-vignon Blanc 2009 (CSPC# 187013, $12.95) and California’s Seaglass Sauvi-gnon Blanc 2009 (CSPC# 173575, $13.95, King St. LCBO) of-fer great quality, plenty of fresh tropical fruit fla-vours and have the structure to nicely complement our creamy chicken dish. They will also perform yeoman

duty with a dish such as chicken breast with mustard sauce.

The final destination

of our chicken is the soup pot for a hearty chicken soup with lots of root vege-tables, possibly pasta, and flavour boosting herbs and spices. Now you prob-ably haven’t given a lot of consideration to match-ing a wine to your home-made chicken soup, but why not? It actually lends itself to a number of vastly different, but successful, matches.

A full-bodied red, such as a bold and fruity Grenache from France’s Rhone region or Spain (where its known as Gar-nacha) will partner nicely with our soup. The bright, earthy flavours of Pinot Noir will spotlight the earthy flavours of the root vegetables in this hearty mixture. A rich, creamy Chardonnay or a crisp, fruity Chenin Blanc will provide wonderful part-ners for those who prefer

a white wine selection.Other variations on

our chicken theme, such as barbecued chicken, stuffed chicken breast and spicy varia-tions will have to wait for a future column. We’ll finish this look at wines and chicken with a candidate from Argentina that will nicely match our roasted bird through all the stages of its evolution. Graffigna Centenario Pi-not Grigio Reserva 2009 (CSPC# 164756, $12.95) is the latest in a series of wonderful Argentin-ean Pinot Grigio that are threatening Italian dom-inance of the field.

The nose is open and enticing with grassy, herbal notes joined by ripe citrus, nectarine and spicy aromas. It is slightly fuller in body than most Italian Pinot Grigio, which seems to

be a characteristic of the Argentineans I have tast-ed. The palate is moder-ately complex and has great structure.

You can expect to find white grapefruit, peach, apricot, pear and citrus fruit with a slight min-eral quality and a dash of herbal spiciness on the palate. There’s plenty of food friendly citrusy acidity balancing the rich fruit flavours. The zippy citrus finish has great length and a very refresh-ing quality.

Graffigna can certainly be enjoyed by itself and it will brighten up our roast chicken at any stage of its journey, but it is nothing if not versatile. You could team it up with light sea-food dishes, fresh water fish, shellfish, roast pork, Asian cuisine and sea-food and pasta recipes. Enjoy!

More chicken dishes and wine partners

Page 14 WEDNESDAY, JULY 7, 2010 THE OBSERVER

The Observer VOICE

Unfortunately, we havespent a lot of time at theBrockville GeneralHospital this past monthwith our son. It has beenvery frustrating to be toldover and over again to goto Ottawa or Kingston byeveryone. The peoplethat are saying it have noidea of the excellent carethat our son has beenreceiving. The nurses onthe second floor havebeen incredibly caringand positive, eventhough they are extreme-ly short-staffed. Stayingat the hospital overnightwith even less staff on,they never get a break.Unfortunately, with theshortage, which I don’tunderstand, as there areplenty of unemployed

nurses, the patients donot get the care that theyneed. Unless a familymember is with thepatient at all times, theyneed to wait to be helpedfor little things, thatwhen you are in thepatient’s position are bigthings.

My husband and I havebeen helping differentpatients in the sameroom as our son withthese little things – likepulling up their blanket,or getting an extra blan-ket because they arecold, or pushing a table

closer to them, adjustingtheir beds.The nursesjust don’t have the timeto be there as they arewith other patients doingmore critical nursing.Another example is anolder gentleman, whowas in the same roomanother time. His mealswould come, the nurseswould set him up in hischair, and he would justsleep through the wholetime. What he reallyneeded was someone tofeed him, as he had nostrength to do it himself.Again, the nurses justdon’t have enough timeto be able to give him thecare he needs. When theydo have a moment, theywill help as much as theycan. I never see any

nurses sitting, or relax-ing. All I have seen isthem running from oneroom to the next trying todo the best they can.They have been wonder-ful with our son given thecircumstances, and weappreciate them greatly.

Another irritating thingabout people’s com-ments is their scepticismof a new, young surgeonin town, which we havebeen very impressedwith. Dr. Somani hasbeen diligent, cautious,knowledgeable, caringand has treated us andour son with the greatestrespect. He has beenlooking out for our son’sbest interest from thefirst day he met him, andwe trust his judgement,

explicitly. He has treatedour son as a person, notas a case in a file.

In my experience,small town hospitals giveyou better personal care.When I was in Montreal,in the West Island, peo-ple always said the samething. Don’t go toLakeshore Hospital; godowntown to the biggerhospital. Well, for me,that wasn’t true. In mylife, I had been admitted12 times for surgery orother reasons to theLakeshore Hospital andBrockville General, andin Montreal’s RoyalVictoria reputable teach-ing hospital. My childrenhave been in these hos-pitals also. The only timeI had a horrible unac-

ceptable experience wasin the bigger hospital-The Royal VictoriaHospital in Montreal. Allmy other times, I hadexceptional care.

People need to learn tobe patient, and lookaround to see what theproblem is, before doingany blaming. It’s not thenurse that is in front ofyou that is causing yourdelays. It is caused bysome bureaucracy far-ther up, that need tocome into these hospi-tals and see how thesecut backs are affectingthe patients. Is a hospitalnot supposed to be allabout treating patients?Or is it all just aboutnumbers on a spread-sheet?

THE O’GRADY

FILESby Monica O’Grady

I was thinking about EdSullivan this evening. It’sSunday, dinner is doneand there’s nothingentertaining on televisionon Sunday night anymore. Cartoons andmade for TV movies don’tseem to scream out"watch me". The showCriminal Minds justcreeps me out. The cur-rent barrage of amateurstrying to be professionalsvia shows such as So YouThink You Can Dance(Canada) and AmericanIdol are a little too dra-matic for my tastes.Having the loser standthere to be humiliated fortwenty minutes before hisor her name is called is abit harsh, in my opinion.Along with millions ofother North Americansback in the 60s, I used torush home on Sundaynight to watch The EdSullivan Show. That’swhere you found every-one at eight o’clock onSunday night. That’swhere the entertainmentwas.

Every week was differ-ent yet every week wasthe same. The guestschanged, the format did-n’t. There was someonefor everyone. If you werea comedy fan you werealways in luck. There wasa comedian pretty muchevery week. Rich Little,Alan King, John Bynerand Frank Gorhswin wereall on there. Ed was goodat introducing new talentand he was particularlyfond of comedians, eventhe raunchy ones likeGeorge Carlin. Bet youcan’t guess which come-dy act was on his showmore than any other?Well, it’s Canada’s ownWayne and Shuster.

If you were a Broadwayenthusiast you too werein luck. There would besongs from current hitsperformed by the cast,

scenery and all. I alwaysloved it when RobertGoulet came on so I couldhear Ed butcher hisname......"Right here onour stage, from Canada,young RobertGoooooolet." Cracked meup every time.

I suppose there werefolks out there whoenjoyed watching theplate twirlers, the tum-blers, the assortment ofjugglers, the knife throw-ers, the magicians, liontamers and the otherweirdos (my opiniononly, of course) who Edmanaged to scrape upeach week. That time Ireserved for pouring aCoke because the com-mercials were few and farbetween back then andthere wasn’t that muchtime during the realbreaks to do much.

Ed had some verystrange yet much lovedacts who were semi-regu-lars. There was TopoGigio, the creepy littlemouse who used to ask ofEd, "Eddy, kiss me good-night." and much to ourhorror and delight Ed, thestalwart, no expression,no personality Ed, wouldplant a big fat one onTopo Gigio’s little roundcheek. Not my favouriteguest - probably due to anaversion of rodents in anyform. There was the guywho talked to his handand also had a box andthe box used to say, "Saygood-night. Good-night."Kind of funny in a strangeway.

There were the stan-dard ballad singers whocame on. Steve Lawrenceand Eydie Gorme, thehusband and wife teamwho I thought had to bethe happiest couple onearth, were regulars. Thesurprising Gomer Pyle,out of character andbeing himself, JimNabors, with his unbe-

lievable voice. Somehowthough, it was alwayshard to take him serious-ly, and he was alwaysGomer Pyle impersonat-ing a real singer. I remem-ber the night Greg Morris(the guy on MissionImpossible who did allthe intricate twiddling ofobjects that eventuallyblew up) was on the showto sing. After the orches-tra had played the open-ing stanza at least threetimes, Greg finally, out ofstage fright, talked thewords instead of singingthem. Ed Sullivan showwas live so there was notaping, retaping, lip-synching, it was all realand in the moment. Myfavourite of the old timeballad singers was JackJones, one of the best andunderrated singers of histime. He had a perfectpitch voice, was pretty tolook at but sang fairly dullsongs most of the time.Mel Torme was anotherguest - poor Mel, who hadno chin, and sang in astyle that irritated me noend - but he had talent. Ijust didn’t like the FrankSinatra wannabes.

The big build up of allthese comedians, tum-blers, knife throwers,Broadway acts and balladsingers was the inevitableand much anticipatedrock and roll act. Ed neverdisappointed. He likedbeing on the cutting edgeof his time and showingcurrent trends and rockcertainly was cutting edgeand a very current trend.On his show he had Elvis(he was not actually therefor the initial ‘unveiling’of Elvis, having been hos-

pitalized at the time ofElvis’ first appearance),he had the first Americansighting of the Beatles(something he orchestrat-ed and was proud of), RoyOrbison, The Dave ClarkFive (most appearancesby a rock and roll groupdue to their clean cutappearance), The Mamasand Papas, Sonny andCher, The Rolling Stones -they were all there. Hebanned The Doors aftertheir first appearance. Wewere treated to them all.

Ed Sullivan started outhis career as a boxer whobecame a sports writer.From there he moved tobe a real competitor ofWalter Winchell. Walterwas a famed columnistwho wrote from a table atThe Stork Club in NewYork about the comingsand goings of New York’srich, famous and infa-mous, basically a gossipcolumn. Ed, when hecame up against Walter,outdid him in spades. Hetook a table at The ElMorocco night club andbecame more famousthan Walter ever was andoutlasted him.

Ed always had a kind ofdour expression with noactual talent or actingability. It was said of himby comedian, Alan King,"He will last as long assomeone else has talent."He had an inert under-standing of what the pub-lic wanted and he gave itto them. His show airedfrom 1948 - 1971, andremains one of thelongest running varietyshows in television histo-ry. At the end of each showhe told us who nextweek’s guests would be.The anticipation stayedwith us all week.

It’s Sunday night, andI’m twiddling my thumbsbecause there is nothingon television. I miss TheEd Sullivan Show.

Observations of a Baby Boomer... Ed Sullivan

By Catherine Durnford-Wang

There has been a lot ofdiscussion in the medialately over the concept of“junk science” What isthis, and why should webe concerned?

Junk science usuallyrefers to the mis-applica-tion of science, in theform of studies, tests etc.to support a point of viewthat under close scrutinyis not supportable basedupon the true scientificevidence.

An example: there arethose who believe thatman-made climatechange is not real, andthat there is no reason toworry. This is junk sci-ence, because these peo-ple, and they are many,will examine a small partof the evidence whichmay support this view,while ignoring the morenumerous and reliabledata which contradict it.In true science, all data isreviewed and considered,and if a particular set ofdata does not fit thehypothesis, it is not dis-carded or ignored, butstudied further. It may bethat data was not collect-ed properly; it may bethat unknown factorsaffected the data, or itcould be other factors.The point is, the data isnot ignored but high-lighted for further study.

Often those whoadvance junk scienceusually have anotheragenda. This viewpointcan cloud their objectivi-ty and make it easy forthem to dismiss data orevidence that does notsupport their position.This is often encounteredin areas such as climatechange, as mentionedabove, certain areas ofenvironmental studies,so-called alternate medi-cine, areas related to evo-lution, and many areaswhere subjectivity mayplay a role. Most of these

topics are things of whichthe public may be awareand on which they likelyhave an opinion.

What can the averagereader do to discernwhen they are beingconned with junk sci-ence? Look at the evi-dence. Ask how it wasderived. Check to see ifthere was any evidencethat did not support themain hypothesis, andhow was it considered.Within the science com-munity many words havebeen written about non-conforming data; the keypoint is that in true scien-tific studies it is neverignored.

Another key issue withjunk science is… was thedata peer-reviewed? Thatis, were other scientists,experts in the field, con-sulted and did they agreewith the conclusions?This is one of the key ele-ments in how scientifichypotheses are refinedand how data is gathered.

Junk science is not tobe confused with a non-standard viewpoint thatmay be another way oflooking at a problem or aset of data, as long as thatprocess is carried outwith true objectivity andrigor. Galileo certainlywas not doing junk sci-ence when he provedthat the Earth and theknown planets orbitedthe Sun, rather than vice-versa. His views cost himdearly but he was vindi-cated eventually, and hisdata and observationswere of high quality forthe day.

So… as an interestedobserver, you can ask thequestions, challenge thefindings, debate the conclusions. If the personadvocating a positiondoes not agree to this orgives evasive answers, beon the lookout for junkscience and take it with agrain of salt.

Junk Science - The New PerilBy Rod CharltonContributing Writer

OFF THE VINE

by Russ Disotell

ANOTHER VOICE

Karen MacDonald-Hurley

‘The Poverty Song’ sing-a-long

And we did it again!

I recently did a mar-keting presentation to a group of potential entre-preneurs in Prescott. I am flattered that they are willing to lend an ear to what some people would consider quite boring. I don’t; in fact, I find it fascinating. As most of you business owners al-ready know, it’s a big risk, a BIG one. Being self-employed can be chal-lenging. It’s like flying an airplane. Some days are high, some days are low, but most of them lie somewhere in the mid-dle. Those are the times you find yourself cruis-ing along at an altitude of self- satisfaction, fueled by entrepreneurial ener-gy. I asked my current circle of entrepreneurial friends, ones who have already spread their risk-taking wings, to supply me with the top three reasons why they’d never go back to working for another company be-sides their own. Here are the results. Read along, you may decide that this is a flight worth taking yourself.

Control, and a true feeling

of responsibility“I answer to no one”.

Well, with most entre-preneurs, we know that this is not necessar-ily true. If you are con-tracting, you are always “answering” to a con-tact for that company. Whether it’s a Project Manager, a Human Re-sources Representative, or a Senior V.P. of “What-ever” department, you are still being direct by

the client. Be it the cus-tomer who wants their construction project done right and on time, or the editor who set the deadline for your first submission, they are still in somewhat control of your actions. If you wish to look at it from an opti-mistic perspective, they give you the direction, you apply your skill, and they guide you to an end product for which you get paid – if you meet the requirements. The difference with be-ing in control as an entrepreneur is that you have the choice of which jobs you will ultimately take on. Do you want to work for Mr. X, or do you want to work for Group Y? You choose. Would you like to create Pro-ject A, or contribute to Project B? You decide. It is up to you, and no one else. COOL!

Flexability, enabling you to guide your

growthThe second most

popular reply was the ability to do what you want when you want to do it. If you can work on a project before you take the kids to school, you can. You can now schedule your calen-dar around your most important things, like family, or other obli-gations. You can be at home and work until 10:00 p.m. if you need to.

There is one caveat here. You have to know when to turn it off. In order to be your best for family, friends and clients, you must know when your breaking point is, back off of it marginally and use this point at a cut off for your work. Work needs you at home, but so does your family. Learn where your line is and try not to cross it very often. There are al-ways exceptions, so just use caution and your own judgment. Be your own good boss.

Tax Breaks, find them and use them to your

advantageFinally, the last most

important issue was that of taxation. Before you leap, consult with an accountant about starting out. They may not charge you for this initial session, and their advice during this time could be worth its weight in gold. Bring a pen and paper and jot things down. If you find their advice helpful, consider making them your financial guru.

Be prepared before you take this journey. Like getting ready for a trip, and taking a flight, make sure you have done your homework. Being prepared will de-crease your chances of disappointment. After all, you want it to be as memorable as possible. Ultimately it is up to you, and that is why you are considering this trip, isn’t it?


The ObserverOPINION

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OPTIMIST

by Cyndy Robinson

So you want to buy a new car. The salesperson shows you a nice-looking model. But you cannot find the price anywhere. “So how much is this fine car?” you ask. “Don’t worry, this is a great car and after you buy it your future will be secure and safe. Just give me your credit card and we will take care of you,” the salesperson responds. He speaks with authority. He says that he has your best interests at heart. So do you sign? Of course not.

We all understand that no matter how good the sales pitch, we need to know the cost before we make a decision. Should governments operate any differently?

When I go door to door in Leeds Grenville, many people tell me about need-ing to be extra-careful with their finances in these troubled times. They are certainly not signing off on any major purchases with-out taking a hard look at the cost.

But what if someone else is spending your money - your government for instance? Shouldn’t Canadians have a right to know the full cost of their decisions?

During my 10 years in the Prime Minister’s Of-fice I read many Cabinet documents and every single one included the cost to government and to the taxpayers , of the action being proposed. The value that taxpayers would get for money spent was a major concern of the Ministers under Liberal leadership.

It is simply common

sense. Governments, like families, cannot hope to balance their budgets un-less they know the cost of their decisions.

The size of this fed-eral government’s debt is growing rapidly. As tax-payers, we expect those responsible to take extra effort to assess every deci-sion and to make sure that every dollar spent – every increase in our debt – is worthwhile. And we ex-pect to be informed.

The Harper Govern-ment tells us that the costs of many of their proposed crime bills are either “too difficult to estimate” or the estimates are “confiden-tial”, or the provinces will end up paying so we need not provide a cost.

This begs the question: Has the government not figured out the costs? Or are they refusing to level with us? As Steven Harper used to say, “there is only one taxpayer”, and that is

you and IThe government must

provide cost estimates to our decision-makers – and to all of us. Some of Harp-er’s proposed crime legis-lation may make us safer. However, other proposals will require the building of mega prisons – costing bil-lions to build and to oper-ate – at little or no value to our society.

For example: one of Harper’s proposal sets a mandatory jail sentence for young people growing as few as five marijuana plants, lumping them together with drug traf-fickers and criminal gangs with huge grow-ops. What will it be the cost of this measure? Harper will not say.

But Hugh Segal, a Con-servative Senator, esti-mates the cost of jail-time at $147,000 per inmate - per year – so the financial cost is clearly significant.

This bill carries a moral as well as financial cost. After time in prison, em-ployment opportunities for these young people will be limited - for the rest of their lives.

Liberal members of parliament oppose sign-ing off on legislation with-out knowing the costs and assessing its value. They are in sync with the people I speak with while “out and about” in Leeds-Grenville.

Marjory Loveys is the Federal Liberal Candidate in Leeds-Grenville. To com-ment or for more informa-tion on Marjory Loveys, Federal Liberal Candi-date for Leeds-Grenville. Visit her online at Marjor-yLoveys.ca

Just sign here, don’t worry about the cost...

Do it! Three Reasons to start your home-based small business

OUT AND ABOUT

by Marjory Loveys

As taxpayers, we expect those responsible to

take extra effort to assess every

decision and to make sure that

every dollar spent – every increase in our debt – is

worthwhile. And we expect to

be informed.


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asks, “Are You Ready?”Whether you are a

small businessperson running your own business or a human resources professional responsible for many employees, know-ing how to create a culturally-aware and diverse workplace has become increasingly important in the 21st century.

With that in mind, a group of local not-for-profit agencies is offering the “Are You Ready” workshop on Tuesday, March 1 from 9 a.m. to noon at the Employment and Education Centre (EEC) in Brockville. This seminar will in-crease awareness of building a culturally-diverse workforce. The workshop is free and is delivered by staff from Algonquin College

For more informa-tion or to register, con-tact (613)-382-7462.

On March 8th, the members of Brockville Women in Business are calling on all area women to help

celebrate International Women’s Day at their monthly network-ing luncheon, held at CJ’s Ban-quet Hall, from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. To mark the occasion, BWB has invited award-win-ning journalist, CTV weekend news anchor, Kimothy Walker

to be the key-note speaker. Walker’s speech, entitled ‘Turn-ing Personal Power into Powerful Business’, will outline her career and successes while inspiring others to strive to achieve their own dreams.

For more information or to register contact BWB at bwb-group-at-gmail.com

Pre-registration is required. Cost is $20.

SUBMITTED PHOTO

CTV news anchor to appear at BWB luncheon

TFSA time – can’t touch this!!!Lisa Bell, Senior Financial Consultant

Uh, oh – you somehow missed the March 1 deadline for RRSP contribu-tions on your 2010 tax return. What to do now to save on taxes and help achieve your retirement and other fi-nancial goals? Easy – TFSA yourself. There’s no deadline with a Tax-Free Savings Account (TFSA), it’s a great place to invest your anticipated tax refund, and it’s a tremendously flex-ible way to achieve tax-free savings growth.

Here’s how it works:• With TFSA eligible investments,

you put your money in and you get your money out at any time for any purpose, tax-free. You can invest in your TFSA eligible investments any time you want, up to your maximum contribution level.

• The current maximum TFSA con-tribution is $5,000 per person, per year. This means that beginning on January 1, 2011, you were able to con-tribute another $5,000 to your invest-ments held within a TFSA in addition to any amounts carried forward from your 2010 limit and any withdrawals made in 2010

• You can make a gift to your spouse to make a TFSA contribution and transfer your TFSA assets to your spouse upon death.

• With investments held within a RRSP, you get a tax deduction for your contributions but all withdrawals are taxable. With TFSA - eligible invest-ments, there is no tax deduction for your contributions but you do not pay tax on investment growth or with-drawals. All TFSA investment earnings are totally tax-free and will not trigger clawbacks on federal tax credits or benefits programs such as the Guar-anteed Income Supplement, Old Age

Security Benefits, Age Credit, GST Tax Credit or Canada Child Tax Benefit.

• There are no age restrictions on a TFSA and there is no limit on how much contribution room you can carry forward – fill it up any time you want.

TFSAs – can’t touch this!!! Well, ac-tually you can and that’s what makes TFSAs such a flexible investment choice:

• Say you need $15,000 for a down payment on a vacation property. Just make a $15,000 tax-free withdrawal from your TFSA eligible investments.

• You can re-contribute the $15,000 after January 1 of the year following the withdrawal without affecting your other eligible contribution room.

• If you had taken that $15,000 out of your RRSP eligible investments, you would have needed to withdraw up to $27,800 to pay taxes (assuming a 46 per cent marginal rate) and come up with the $15,000 needed for your down payment – and you would have lost that RRSP contribution room.

Deadlines, schmedlines – a TFSA can work for you any time of the year. Ask your professional advisor about how to maximize your TFSA … and all your other investment strategies.

This column, written and published by Investors Group Financial Services Inc. (in Québec – a Financial Services Firm), presents general information only and is not a solicitation to buy or sell any investments. Contact a finan-cial advisor for specific advice about your circumstances. For more infor-mation on this topic please contact your Investors Group Consultant.

Contact the Advertising Department today

613-342-8777

omesYour FREE Guide

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The Brockville Novice B1 Braves captured their 3rd tourney title of the year by winning the South Grenville tournament last weekend.

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Game 3Brockville Jr. Braves - 9, Petawawa Terminators - 0GoalsGavin White 3,

Cameron Karasiuk 2, Evan Henderson, Dylan Wren, Andrew Pitts, James Mayotte Shutout - Brandon WhiteGame AwardsDylan Wren, Cameron Karasiuk

Semi-FinalBrockville Jr. Braves - 3, St. Isadore Eagles - 1GoalsGavin White, James Mayotte, Garrett HoughGame Awards James MayotteOwen Davy

Final Brockville Jr. Braves - 4, South Stormont Selects - 3 GoalsGavin White 3, Evan HendersonGame Awards Brandon WhiteCole Jelly


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The ObserverSPORTS

Atom Angels begin

playoffs The Brockville Procter

and Gamble Atom House Angels started their playoffs this past weekend, with dis-appointing results. Having had such a successful regu-lar season, the Angels were looking forward to compet-ing for the playoff title in their league. However, the Ottawa District Women’s Hockey Association de-cided to move the team up to compete in the C Competitive league for the playoffs. Despite their best efforts, the girls were out-played in both games. On Saturday, the Angels lost 5-0 to Clarence Rockland. On Sunday, the girls travelled to Gloucester to play the Stars, and again lost 5-0. Both games could have been much more lopsided, as both opponents’ teams had superior numbers and su-perior size and experience. Next playoff action takes place next Saturday vs. Rus-sell in Embrun. The final home playoff game takes place on Tuesday, March 8 in Cardinal at 7:00 p.m.

Novice Braves win third tourney title

Team members are front row (L to R): Cole Jelly, Dylan Wren, Brandon White, Gavin White, Owen Davy, Evan Henderson. Back row: Cameron Karasiuk, Garrett Hough, Braden Robinson, James Mayotte, Clark Moore, Mat-thew Worden, Andrew Pitts. Coaches: Dave White, Steve White, Geoff Mayotte.


Memorial Centrewww.brockvillebraves.com

Brockville Braves

7:30 pm

Carleton PlaceBrockville Braves

Friday, March 4

BRAVES TRIVIA QUESTION

Name one of two Brockville natives that wore both the ‘C’ and #24 for the Smiths Falls Bears.

First caller to answer correctly gets 2 Braves tickets to this Friday’s game. 613.342.8777

The Brockville Braves edged out the Ottawa Junior Senators on Friday night in their lone con-test of the week.

The game didn’t start the way the hosts would have planned, but the Braves picked up the in-tensity over the last 40 minutes, and escaped with a 4-3 victory.

After falling behind 1-0 in the first period, Maxime Dumond scored a pair of goals, his 20th and 21st of the year, put-ting the Braves ahead 2-1. Ottawa tied the game minutes later, before Mike Skakum restored Brockville’s lead with his 18th of the year, and fifth in his last five games.

The Senators tied the game again in the third period, but Kyle Arm-

strong’s 17th of the cam-paign proved to be the game winner as Brock-ville held off a late charge in a chippy third period for the win. Justin Gilbert

played well in goal, stop-ping 30 of 33 shots he faced for the victory, his 24th win of the year.

The Braves received multi-point games from

Dumond (3), David Roy (2) and Skakum (2).

With only three games remaining of the regular season schedule, Brock-ville is poised to finish in

third spot in the league. At this point, their first round opponent would be the Nepean Raiders, but that could change this week, with Carleton Place sitting only two points ahead of the Raid-ers in the standings.

Brockville rounds out

the regular season with three games this week. A trip to Ottawa on Wed-nesday, March 2nd, a home game versus Carle-ton Place on Friday and a trip to Hawkesbury on Sunday. Game time on Friday night is 7:30 p.m. at the Memorial Centre.

Braves edge out

OttawaBy Austin de LuisThe Observer Editor

Braves goaltender Justin Gilbert makes a glove save during Brockville’s 4-3 win last Friday night against Ottawa. The Braves didn’t play their best, but held off the Senators, who are battling for the final playoff spot in the CJHL. PHOTO BY AUSTIN DE LUIS

The Observer BRAVES HOCKEY

Playoffs looming versus Raiders

The Braves sit in the #3 seed... and will play the Nepean Raiders in the first round... Unless the Nepean Raiders can catch Carleton Place Canadians for the 5th seed (they are currently two points behind and DO NOT hold the tie breaker) it looks like Nepean will meet the Brockville Braves in the first round the playoffs. Raiders d-man #23 Cameron Odam and Brockville Braves F #55 James Keane grapple during a fight earlier this sea-son at the Steve Yzerman Arena. MIKE CARROCCETTO PHOTO



The talented and dedi-cated ‘triple-threats’ of the St. Lawrence College Musical Theatre Perform-ance program rehearse their dazzling final num-ber from their upcoming production, New Faces, at the College on Monday evening. The show, now in its fifth year, is an annual musical review directed by celebrated local musi-cian/actor, Alex Fleuriau Chateau and performed by the program’s first-year students, and fea-tures music from Broad-way hits such as Funny Girl, Mame, Cats, A Chorus Line, Annie, and

Guys and Dolls. “There is definitely

something for everyone,” noted the show’s musical director, Chris Coyea, adding that unlike previ-ous years, where more solo acts were prevalent, this year’s show will con-tain more ‘big musical theatre numbers inter-spersed with solo and small ensembles.’

“The show is about introducing our first-years to the community and getting the students acquainted with the local stage. Hopefully, people will continue to watch them grow and progress.”

Coyea continued that with 30 students in the program, ‘this years’

group is one of the lar-gest they have ever had as well as one of the most promising.’

“We have a really

strong group this year. And if they’re this strong now, I can’t wait to see what they’ll be like by their third year,” he mar-

velled.Tickets are now sale at

the Brockville Arts Centre by phone at (613) 342-7122 or online at www.

brockvilleartscentre.com Friday March 4th,

2011 at 8:00 p.m. $15.00 Adults + HST$10.00 Students +HST.

New Faces introduces new talent from SLC programThe St. Lawrence College Musical Theatre Performance program rehearses ‘New Faces’, a brand new number for the first year students. ERIN CHRISTIE PHOTO


Recent hospital emer-gency room surveillance across the tri-county and surrounding regions indi-cates an increase in illness resembling Norovirus (previously called Nor-walk virus) affecting many people in the region. In response to this increase, the Health Unit’s message is simple wash your hands frequently to prevent get-ting ill if you are ill, stay home and remain there until you’ve been symp-tom-free for 48 hours.

This virus is a major cause of gastroenteritis (commonly referred to as “stomach flu”) in children and adults and can cause outbreaks in nursing

homes, hospitals, schools, day care centres and food premises. The symptoms of Norovirus illness usual-ly include nausea, vomit-ing, diarrhea, and some stomach cramping.

The Leeds, Gren-ville and Lanark District Health Unit is reminding residents to be cautious

and to limit the spread of gastro-intestinal illnesses through good hygiene and staying home when sick. While the symptoms usu-ally do not last more than two or three days, a person can still pass the virus to others for up to 48 hours after symptoms have dis-appeared.

The Leeds & Grenville Branch of the Ontario So-ciety for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (OSP-CA) will hold its 9th An-nual Telethon on Sunday,

April 17, 2011, from 1 to 6 p.m.. The Telethon will be broadcasting again from Wall Street United Church in Brockville, with the strong support of TV Cogeco. These organiza-tions have come together several times in order to benefit the animals of Leeds & Grenville. Our 2011 goal is $20,000.

Marianne Carlyle, Branch Manager for Leeds & Grenville says:

“This year, we want to create a higher aware-ness for all the services that the centre provides.

We will again be running our very popular Critter Camps during the school breaks: Tuesday and Wed-nesday, March 15 and 16, and again for 2 weeks each in July and August. This gives the children an opportunity to interact with all types of animals, and gives them a sense of responsibility for the care and nurturing of all animals. There is an edu-cational spin to the camp, incorporated with fun and games.”

Each year the chal-lenge of meeting the funding requirements for the shelter is daunting and the possibility of re-ducing services is a reality. The Telethon is our major fundraising event of the

year and without it, the Leeds & Grenville Branch of the OSPCA would be hard pressed to continue providing care for animals that have been abused, neglected or abandoned. Last year, the shelter housed over 1300 animals from the community.

We would welcome any business or individual who would be interested in helping to sponsor our event so that we can reach our goal, in exchange for recognition throughout our campaign. As usual there will be satellite lo-cations around Leeds & Grenville for easy dona-tion drop offs. Please check the website at www.leedsgrenville.ontariosp-ca.ca for specific details.

In a continued effort to expand his outreach into the riding, Leeds-Grenville MPP Steve Clark, has pledged to make members of his staff available to the public at more of his constituency offices, in north and south Leeds County. Beginning on March 4th, Clark’s con-stituency assistant Dar-yl Dingman, will be in available every Fridays in the Westport office, located at the Town Hall (30 Bedford St.), from 9-11 a.m. and in the Gananoque office, at the Emergency Services

Building (340 Herbert St.), from 1-3 p.m. Dur-ing these hours, Ding-man will offer advice and information ‘about anything to do with the provincial govern-ment, including family responsibility, birth certificates and driver’s licenses.’ Staff will also assist with questions re-garding issues such as hydro bills and health care.

“One of the major challenges we face in a large riding like Leeds-Grenville is transporta-tion,” noted Clark. “The fact is, not everyone can get to Brockville, so I understand that it’s im-portant to bring my staff

closer to where people live.”

In addition to the north and south Leeds locations, Clark cur-rently operates satel-lite constituency offices in Kemptville, at the North Grenville Muni-cipal Complex, from 9-11 a.m. and at Pres-cott Town Hall, from 1-3 p.m. every Wednesday.

Clark’s constitu-ency office in Brock-ville remains open at 100 Strowger Boule-vard from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday-Friday. The office can be reached at 613-342-9522 or 1-800-267-4408 and by email at [email protected].

Clark reaches out to constituents

Village of Westport Mayor Bill Thake was hon-oured in the Ontario Legis-lative Assembly today by Leeds-Grenville MPP Steve Clark for his remark-able 50 years of continu-ous service on council.

Clark delivered a Mem-ber’s Statement during the afternoon session that highlighted Thake’s com-mitment to public ser-vice. Thake was acclaimed Mayor of Westport in last October’s municipal elec-tion, which guaranteed he would achieve his golden anniversary in elected of-fice.

Thake and his wife, Marlene, were introduced in the Legislature by Speaker Steve Peters. They were joined in the gallery by more than three dozen municipal leaders from across Leeds and Gren-ville, all of whom were introduced by MPP Clark.

“I’m delighted that so

many mayors, council-lors and municipal staff could be here today. It was a special day for all of Leeds-Grenville and an opportunity to celebrate Mayor Thake’s incredible record of public service,” said Clark.

The MPP hosted a noon hour reception for the vis-iting delegation. Members had their photo taken on the main staircase with Speaker Peters and were greeted by Ontario PC Leader Tim Hudak and PC House Leader John Yakabuski.

Hudak praised Thake for his outstanding com-mitment to public service, which he said makes him a “true inspiration” to all Ontarians.

During the reception, Thake was interviewed by Sean Mallen, host of Global TV’s Focus Ontario program.

Thake was moved by

the tremendous turnout from Leeds and Grenville.

“I’m amazed that there were so many people from all corners of the two counties here today,” said Thake. “Being able to

share this occasion with so many friendly faces from home made it a very spe-cial day for Marlene and I.”

In his statement, Clark noted Thake is the long-est-serving head of a mu-

nicipality in Canada. He was first elected to West-port council in 1961 and then became Reeve (now Mayor) in 1969.

He has also served a re-cord four terms as Warden

of the United Counties of Leeds and Grenville. Re-cently, the United Coun-ties honoured him by pre-senting the first ever Bill Thake Economic Develop-ment Leadership Award. He also has a room named in his honour at the United Counties headquarters on Central Avenue in Brock-ville.

“I can think of no one more deserving of having a moment in the spotlight than Mayor Bill Thake,” stressed Clark. “I felt it was important to give this statement in the Legisla-ture today to make sure that all of Ontario knows about his incredible leg-acy.”

Added Clark, “It was a very proud day for me as MPP to have the op-portunity to stand up and recognize Bill and Mar-lene Thake on behalf of everyone in Leeds-Gren-ville. They are a wonder-ful couple who represent the finest values of family, leadership and commun-ity service to which we should all aspire.”


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Marlene and Mayor Bill Thake, left, accept a congratulatory scroll from Ontario PC Leader Tim Hudak and Leeds-Grenville MPP Steve Clark at Queen’s Park on Monday. Hudak called Mayor Thake’s record of public service an inspiration to all Ontarians.

PHOTO CREDIT: JAY MILLINGTON

Clark pays tribute to Mayor Bill Thake’s half-century of serviceThree dozen Leeds and Grenville municipal officials at Queen’s Park honour Westport mayor, wife Marlene


SPCA appeals through telethon

Prevention key to reducing norovirus spread



PoliceBLOTTER

Free, no obligation consultation

Beat the Spring rush!Details remain sketchy

regarding two recent car colliisons in Brockville. The first, at Stewart Blvd in the area of the 401 Hwy, involved two vehicles. The Brockville Fire Dept. was required to remove one driver, both drivers were transported to hospital with undetermined injur-ies. The collision remains

under investigation with no names being disclosed. Brockville Police Service encourages members of the public who may have witnessed the collision to contact them. The inves-tigating officer is J. Cullen

In the 2nd collision at Central Avenue at Or-mond Street, a three-vehicle accident occurred

with no significant injur-ies to report, No further details were available as the accident was still under investigation.

The Brockville Police Service encourages mem-bers of the public who saw the accident to con-tact them. The investigat-ing office is P. Murphy

Get a free grocery tote bag for your fruits and veggiesMarch is Nutrition Month and the goal of this year’s campaign is to encourage people to eat more vegetables and fruit. The nutrients in fruits and vegetables can help prevent many chronic diseases such as heart disease and cancer. However, the 2007/2008 Canadian Community Health Survey showed that nearly 61% of people living in Leeds, Grenville and Lanark do not con-sume enough. This year’s campaign provides practical tips about how to make fruits and vegetables part of your family’s meals and snacks. “The best way to increase your intake of vegetables and fruits is to take small, simple steps,” explained Unit dietician, Dianne Oickle.

“Try adding fruits or vegies to the meals and snacks that your family already eats. When look-ing at your lunch or din-

ner plate, half of your plate should be covered with vegetables.”

Oickle continued that eating produce can be done on a budget by pur-chasing it in season or frozen, either of which can help save money.

“Growing your own fruits and vegetables, or joining a community garden are also good op-tions. If you have a gar-den, grow an extra row of vegetables and donate it to the food bank as many food banks do not have

access to fresh produce.” Wondering where to

start? The Leeds, Gren-ville and Lanark District Health Unit has resour-ces that can help. Contact the Health Unit’s Health Action Line at 1-800-660-5853 or (613)-345-5685 and ask to speak to a Registered Dietitian.

Visit the Health Unit website atwww.health-unit.org/nutrition and find out how you can get a free grocery tote bag, quantities are limited so act now.

March 1st, 2011Update to Car Shoppers

The Brockville Police are identi-fying the car shoppers arrested in Brockville’s North End yesterday morning. They are 21 year-old Lance Dandy and 21 year-old Shi Debay both from Oshawa. The investiga-tion also led officers to a second vehicle that was stolen from the Dur-ham area. Both males were turned over to the Durham Regional Police. The males are charged in Brockville with:

-Possession of Property Obtained by Crime under 5000

-Possession of Property Obtained by Crime over 5000 x 2 (vehicles)

-Lance Dandy is also charged with 5 counts of Breach of Probation

-Shi Debay is also charged with possession of an unauthorized weapon (knife)

The vehicles recovered are a late model Chevrolet Blazer and a late model Chevrolet Uplander.

Car Shoppers ArrestedDuring the early morning hours

of the 28th of February, members of the Brockville Police Service were alerted to suspicious persons in the North end of Brockville. As a result officers located two adult males from the Durham area. These males were found in possession of a num-ber of items believed to be stolen from vehicles. Also located in close proximity was a stolen vehicle from the Durham area. Both males are currently in custody and will be ap-pearing at a bail hearing. The males were located at Kensington Avenue and Laurier Blvd. Any person who may have had items removed from their vehicle is asked to contact de-tective Graham Coe at the Brockville Police Service 613-342-0127.

February 27th, 2011Male Found Asleep on Roadway

On the 27th of February at 1:35 a.m. the Brockville Police were alert-ed to a male laying on the road on Pine Street. Officers responded and found a 22 year -old male asleep on the roadway. He was intoxicated at the time and arrested as he has out-standing conditions not to drink al-cohol. He was held until sober and released with new charges. He will appear at a future court date.

February 26th, 2011Disturbance at King and BroadOn the 26th of February at 2:40

a.m. officers responded to a disturb-ance at King Street and Broad Street. At this time a 26 year-old male from Brockville was arrested for being in-toxicated in a public place. He was held until sober and released. Drug Warrant Executed

On the 26th of February at 10 p.m. members of Project Islander exe-

cuted a warrant under the controlled drugs and substances act at 245 King Street East. Members of the Brock-ville Police Emergency Response Team and CIB assisted in the search. As a result two Brockville males who resided in the apartment complex were arrested and charged with drug related offences. A 37 year-old male was released from custody with a future court date and several condi-tions. A 52 year-old male was held for bail and will appear in court to-day. Project Islander is a Joint Drug Task Force comprised of the Brock-ville Police, the OPP and the Ganan-oque Police.

February 25th, 2011Vehicle Stolen from Perth Street

Police are seeking the public’s as-sistance in locating a vehicle stolen on the 25th of February in the early morning hours. The vehicle is a Beige 2003 Pontiac Grand Am with Ontario Licence BJNZ 701. The vehicle was stolen from the 200 block of Perth Street. Any person with information is asked to contact the Brockville Po-lice or Crimestoppers.

Domestic Assault Charges LaidOn the 25th of February at 2:00

p.m. officers responded to a domes-tic disturbance at 850 Kyle Court. At this time a 26 year-old male was ar-rested and charged with assault and uttering threats. He will appear at a future court date.

Disturbance Leads to ArrestOn February 25th at 2:30 a.m. of-

ficers attended to King Street at Vic-toria Avenue and observed a male causing a disturbance. The 24 year-old Brockville male was arrested for breaching an officer in charge under-taking and was arrested. He will ap-pear at a future court date.

Male Arrested after Breaking Window

On the 25th of February 2011 at 2:40 a.m. police attended to 1315 Kensington Ave after receiving a call of a male breaking a window. Police located an 18 year-old male from Brockville and arrested him for Mis-chief. The male required a number of stitches in his hand and was treat-ed at BGH.

February 23rd, 2011Theft from Vehicles ReportedOn the 23rd of February at ap-

proximately 2:20 a.m. members of the Brockville Police attended to the area of Davison Ave regarding suspi-cious activity. Upon arrival officers were directed to a vehicle which had all of its doors open. A check of the area revealed further vehicles with doors ajar and their dome lights on. The suspects had fled the area. Po-lice would like to remind residents to secure their valuables and lock their vehicles.

It is here! The official 2011 Brockville and 1000 Islands Visitor Guide is available.

The guide made its debut over the last week-end in February at the To-ronto Outdoor Adventure Show. In the next sev-eral months, Brockville Tourism with the help of volunteers is scheduling and making deliveries of the guide to businesses throughout eastern On-tario. The goal is to have the Brockville and 1000 Islands Visitor Guide in as many guest rooms, reception and waiting areas, restaurants and service centres and any other business interested in promoting the regions’ assets.

New this year to the guide is the addition of visitor packages. “We are encouraging local busi-nesses to collaborate to offer incentives and itin-eraries to entice visitors to explore our region or for an extended stay. “commented Kim Barr, Tourism Manager. The visitor packages and the Festival and Event Calen-dar are a great resource when entertaining visit-ing family and friends.

“We are truly fortun-

ate to live in the beautiful 1000 Islands, the region is a delight for photog-raphers” said Kim Barr. The guide photo credits acknowledge the work of both amateur and pro-fessional photograph-ers. Local photographer David Mackie is credited with providing the cover photo. The front cover

photo of Tunnel Bay captures the essence of Brockville harbour on a summer evening.

Copies of the 2011 Brockville and 1000 Islands Visitor Guide is available at the Brock-ville and District Tourism Office, 10 Market Street West, Monday to Friday, 8:30 am to 4:30pm.

2011 Brockville and 1000 Islands Visitor Guide ready for distribution

Health Unit advises: eat your fruits and vegetables


Two collisions in Brockville


The ObserverJUST FOR FUN

crossword

Don’t be greedy. Right now you need to be much more careful about everything concerning your diet. You must also avoid wasting your money, otherwise you will regret it in the future.

You have the impression that everything is taking on huge importance for you. The Sun brings you a better way of seeing and analyzing everything that you have to live through. You really love feeling creative.

You’re very thoughtful, asking yourself many questions about how you can improve the way you live. This is taking up a lot of your time, and you are in a phase where everything can easily tire you. Try to have more confidence in yourself.

You are really surprised by the behaviour of someone you are friends with. This makes you thoughtful. You will be required to understand several things very soon.

Due to the influence of Planet Neptune, you will need to be careful before signing anything that will commit you in the short or long term. Ensure that what is asked of you is legal and honest.

Pay careful attention to questions concerning family matters, especially in the area of finances. You need everything to be experienced in a positive manner, and what you do has a lot of value on a human level.

SEE PAGE 16 FOR ANSWERS

WorD search

Learn to be aware of everything surrounding you, especially if it concerns personal matters. Don’t believe everything you hear. Think things through.

The Moon causes you to treasure everything you experience with the person you love. You give a great deal of importance to happiness in your emotional life. Look forward to experiencing some extraordinary things.

Planet Mars causes you to be very direct in everything you have to say. It’s possible that you will need to make yourself understood about certain things which are essential to the people with whom you work.

You are very sure of your own judgement and this encourages you to live in a better way. However, avoid making up your mind too quickly about what you think of others. This could cause you to make some mistakes.

Planet Pluto causes you to make a lot of progress in everything you begin, and you feel concerned about some events that are happening around you. You will need to be very dynamic in order to be useful to a person who will need your support.

You really love making everything more attractive. You want things to be wonderful, and seeing them that way brings you happiness. You are thinking about living closer to nature, which will make you feel peaceful.

1. Spread6. High seas10. Radiant15. Bellowing16. Spoken18. Horse sound19. Explosive20. Present21. Leg joint22. Messy stuff23. Zip25. Splash lightly27. Driving school

student28. Fairy-tale

monster29. TV-reception aid31. Style34. Stage work36. Quickly

assembled home40. Chablis or sake41. British composer42. White weasel43. Inclined44. Bill settler45. Unearthly46. Epochal48. Go blond50. Right-minded51. Private53. ____ printer55. Hit hard58. Impostor60. Priest’s platform61. Remedy62. Character on

“Seinfeld”63. Panorama64. Culture medium65. Equilibrium

67. At the top of69. Aperture72. TV letters73. Waste allowance74. Where to get a

massage77. Water monster79. Courtyards81. Fax’s ancestor83. Of a region84. Cowboy’s ride85. Bring out86. Valentine shape87. Nerve network88. Defy authority

1. Crooned2. Huey, Dewey,

and Louie3. Newspaper

section4. It has a drum5. Awry6. Courteous7. Skin cream

ingredient8. Charged atom9. Word with power

or energy10. Collected

sayings11. Ladies’ dates12. Regard with

favor13. Look at

amorously14. What time?17. Loved person24. Difficult

experience

26. Smoker’s tool28. Half of two29. Belladonna lily30. Lateness in

remittance31. Actress Aulin of

“Candy”32. Mouth edge33. Insect’s feelers35. Venerable37. Pyromaniac38. Tropical bird39. Queen ____44. Part of PTA47. Official recorder49. Vittles50. Mazatlan shawl51. Deep anger52. Nada54. Drench56. Old Danish

money57. ____ capita59. Nurture60. Lindbergh, e.g.61. Tuna tin66. Hustle68. Riverbank clown69. Persian king70. Ancient

instrument71. Patent

predecessor?73. Color74. Oscar, e.g.75. Small pup76. Jump for Kwan78. High, in music80. Mourn82. Night before a

holiday

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The Observer CLASSIFIEDSPlace your ad 613-342-8777 • 613-925-4265 • Fax 613-342-8773 • www.morris-group.ca/classified-adds

Brockville ObserverClassified Advertising RatesAll Classified Advertising Payable In Advance

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AnswersJUST FOR FUN

FOR SALE“TOO COLD and snowy to go shopping? Well, let it snow! Let it snow! Let it snow! Your online department store is now open for business. Quality merchandise at affordable prices for every taste and occasion. Go to: www.judysventures.com to start your shopping experience.” (cs3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10)

Looking forfull-time and part-time school crossing guardsThese positions are for 3 hours per day. Must have a clean criminal record and be able to pass a criminal CPEC.

Please drop off resume to:Don Jackson – Supervisor164 Perth StreetBrockville, OntarioPh: 613-342-8749Cell: 613-340-9504

HELP WANTED

ANNOUNCEMENTPLACE AN ANNOUNCEMENT in the Brockville Observer, call 613-342-8777. Deadlines Monday by 3:00 p.m. for the Wednesday edition. Cash, visa or mastercard. All prices are subject to H.S.T. The Brockville Observer is not responsible for pictures left here over 6 months. Please pick up your photographs as soon as they appear in the paper. (nc-8tf)

COMING EVENTSST. PATRICK’S DAY LUNCHEON at St. John’s Anglican Church, Prescott. March 16, 2011, from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Live Entertainment. $6.00 each, chil-dren under 5 free (cs-9)

WILLIAMSBURG ODDFELLOWS Hall - Bullhead Feast, Sunday, March 6th, 11:00 am to 3:00 pm. Cost $12. per person. (psmc8,9)

HELP WANTEDLOOKING FOR adult carriers. Car preferred. Call Bob at 613-925-1439 (nc)

IMMEDIATE POSITIONS available at a busy local spa. Esthetician, Gel Nail Technician, and Registered Massage therapist. For further information please contact Tamra at 613-498-4728 or 613-340-5115. (cs9,10)

COMING EVENTSFOOD-FOR-ALL FOOD BANK - Annual General Meeting Wed-nesday, March 2, 2011 at 7:00 pm. Guest Speaker Dr. Paula Stewart, Medical Officer of Health, Leeds, Grenville & Lanark District Health Unit. Oddfellows Hall, 454 Henry St. W. Prescott, Ont. Everyone welcome. Light refreshments. (cs-8,9)

WILLIAMSBURG ODDFELLOWS Sunday, March 13, Matt Hayes & Ole Friends 2-6 pm & supper to follow. Sat. March 26 Cas-tor River Boys 8-12 pm & light lunch. (psmc,9)

CHURCH SUPPER - Thursday, March 3rd, 4:30-6 pm. Take-out available. Anglican Hall, Cardin-al. (psv-9)

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Every so often we come across someone that is so well suited for their job, that you couldn’t imagine them doing anything else, and that is certainly the case with Leeds-Grenville Immigration Partner-ship, Program Coordinator, 29 year-old Matt Raby. His winning smile and his warm, easy nature make him the perfect fit for an organization that aims to create a welcoming and inclusive environment for newcomers to Canada and the area, in short, to help make this world a better place. Here, Raby reflects on global economics, ‘Utopia’ and the importance of ‘super awesome D.J. skills’ as he answers Ten Ques-tions for The Observer.

Do you have a motto?“Ohslo-ohslo” I don’t even know where it came from

really, but my friend Evan Slade and I started saying it in high school with the meaning “you win some, you lose some”. Repeating this simple mantra in tough situations helps remind me that some things are out of my control, and the only thing I can control is my reaction, so it bet-ter be positive!

What book are you currently reading or what book do

you recommend?“Why Mexicans Don’t Drink Molson”, by Andrea Man-

del-Campbell. It’s an excellent insight into Canada’s pos-ition in the global marketplace, and some of the reasons that we are not always as competitive as we might be.

What characteristic do you most admire in others?Positivity.

What characteristic do you most deplore in others?Negativity.

Whom do you most admire, living or dead?My parents, Ted and Linda. The work ethic, passion

for life, and selflessness that they both embody is an in-credible inspiration to me, every day. They have given me the roots I need to stay grounded, and continue to grow.

What do you do in your free time?Write to-do lists. Haha no, seriously, in my free time

I like to stay active playing sports like baseball, football, snowboarding, squash, etc. I also enjoy exploring out-doors, and travelling to experience new cultures and meeting new friends, as much as possible.

If you could change one thing about yourself, what

would it be?My physical need for sleep… I’d love to have 6 - 8 more

hours daily, to enjoy life! What talent would you most like to have?Super awesome DJ skills. I have a pair of turntables

and love scratching and mixing records for entertain-ment, I’m just not quite quick enough to do the really impressive tricks like beat-juggling (literally “juggling” between two pieces of music, one on each turntable in order to make a whole new piece of music).

Who is your favourite hero of fiction?Raphael Hythloday, the traveller in Sir Thomas More’s

‘utopia’. He travelled the world, learning from other so-cieties and cultures, and then endeavored to share what he learned with his fellow countrymen and beyond (in his own way).

What is your most treasured possession?The memories I’ve made with my family and friends

(and, some strangers… I travel solo a lot and have had some great times with whoever is sitting/standing beside me at a particular moment!).

Ten Questions

with MATT RABY

Crystle Mazurek, with her husband John, left, greet a fan at Friday’s book signing at Taits Bakery. Her book ‘Mommy, when are we going home?’, accounts for her time spent in India, the country of her birth. Mazurek lived in India from age 2 – 6, and has made several return visits to her native land, including a six-month stretch in 2004. The India Village fund, which Mazurek founded has grown from smaller initiatives like providing one scholarship in 2003, to over 350 today. “Returning home after being away for so long really opened my eyes”, said Mazurek. “I have decided to dedicate the rest of my life to this cause”. PHOTO BY AUSTIN DE LUIS


The ObserverFILM

Serving Brockville and the surrounding communities613-342-8773

51 King St. W. Brockville 613-498-2200LOCATED IN THE HEART OF HISTORIC BROCKVILLE

• Ham and Bean Supper sponsored by Florence Nightingale Chapter #5, Order of the Easter Star, Brockville. Friday, March 4th, 4:00 pm-6:30 pm. 5 Wall St. Brockville.

• Darts – Steak Shoot, Brockville Legion, 180 Park St., Brockville, Sunday, March 6th, Registration 11:30 am-12:30 pm, play starts 12:30. Two-player teams, luck of the draw. Open to the public. Info: 613-342-9654 after 6:00 p.m.

• Pancake Supper, St. Lawrence Anglican Church, 80 Pine St., March 8th, 5-7 p.m. Pancakes, sausages, dessert and beverage.

• Pancake Supper Tuesday, March 8th, 4:00 pm-6:30 pm. at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, 374 Stewart Blvd, (next to Swish Chalet), Brockville.

• Celiac Self Help Group Meeting - Tuesday March 8th, 7 pm. 42 George St Brockville (side door), United Way Board Room. For more information call Orma at 613-342-1298.

• Film Brockville is presenting its fifth film of the 2011 season, BIUTIFUL. BIUTIFUL directed by Alejandro González Iñárritu and starring Javier Bardem is showing at the Galaxy Cinema on March 9th, at 7:00 pm. Tickets are $8.00. For more information check out our website at www.filmbrockville.ca

• Brockville Women’s Network - Thursday, March, 10 Brockville Country Club. Networking 5:30 p.m. Dinner 6:30 p.m. Members $28.00. Guests $35.00. Guest Speaker: Karen McDonald-Hurley. Topic: “Developing and Opportunity Mindset”. Please RSVP by 12 noon Wednesday, Mar., 09, 2011 Kim Fenn 613-924-0165 [email protected]

• The CWL of St. Francis Xavier Church is having a St. Patrick’s Day Tea and Lunch on Saturday, March 12, 11 am- 2 pm at St. Francis Xavier School on the corner of John & Church Sts. There will be a bake sale also. Come out and celebrate St. Patty’s Day and listen to some Irish music!

• St. Patrick’s Roast Beef Dinner and Entertainment. Sunday, March 20. St.Mark’s Parish Centre, Edward St. Prescott. Social Hour 4:30, Dinner served 5:30. Entertainment by Fiddlers Plus. Tickets must be purchased in advance. Call 613-925-2207.

• Events at MacJohnson Wildlife Area. General Meeting Of Friends of MacJohnson Wildlife Area. Tuesday, March 22nd, 7 pm- 9 pm. Commonwealth Public School, Pearl Street, East, Brockville. Additional information 613-345 -1990.

• Scott Woods - Live in Concert at Wall Street United Church, 5 Wall St., Brockville. Thursday, March 31 at 7:00 pm and will benefit Our Kenyan Kids. Tickets are available at Wall Street United Church by calling 613-342-5401 ext. 21 or email: [email protected] for tickets

• Brockville and Area YMCA Hot Lunches, 345 Park Street, Brockville. Every Wednesday 11:30 am-1:00 pm. January 12-June 8. Different cooks, different menus each week. Take-out available. Info: www.brockvilley.com or 613-342-7961 x30.

• Brockville and Area YMCA Youth Night. Drop in program designed for kids from grades 1-8 who are looking for a safe, supervised place to learn new games, meet new friends and enjoy programmed activities. Activities vary weekly and may include swimming. Saturdays 6 to 8 pm. Jan. 15 - June 11. No Youth Night Feb. 19, Mar. 19, Apr. 23, May 23.

• Birthday Parties at the Brockville and Area YMCA. Make your child’s birthday extra special at the Y! This 2-hour party includes a specially decorated room, fun activities, meal of choice and one hour of pool or gym time. Available Friday evenings, Saturday and Sunday afternoons. For more information call 613-342-7961 or go to www.brockvilley.com

• Open Mic with Robert Graham featuring Robert Graham on piano, singers from St Lawrence College Music Theatre Program and special guests. EVERY Friday night at Buds on the Bay 8:30 pm to 12:30 am. More info at www.robertgraham.org

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I AM NUMBER FOUR, the latest science-fiction, super-hero, teen drama to fly out of Hollywood is an action packed adven-ture. This is a story that must have looked great on paper, but doesn’t pan out as a film.

The movie stars Alex Pettyfer as John Smith, a teen alien living on Earth. As in most teen dramas he looks to be too old for high-school, but that doesn’t stop him from hanging out, mak-ing friends, enemies and falling in love. This alien may look like us, but come a certain age (ob-viously some time after puberty), he develops powers that make him super-alien. In this case, John has hands that light up like flash-lights which he is eventually able to use as weapons of mass destruction.

The plot has John as number four of nine aliens hiding out on planet earth. Their job is to discover their powers, unite as a force and kick nasty alien butt. As most people have gleaned from the ad campaign, numbers one to three have been killed, and our hero is next on the bad guys’ list. Will they succeed in killing him?

Of course not, how else could you milk the movie for the many sequels they are hoping to get out of it. Considering he is four of nine, that guarantees, if the audience warrants it, the possibility of five sequels. I hate it, when a movie is sold as a one-of story only to find it is the beginning of a saga.

The love interest for our alien friend is his co-star, Dianna Agron. She, as in so many teen dramas, is way too old for the part. She cannot act, so no doubt got the gig because of her involve-ment with the ubiqui-tous TV show and music franchise, Glee. Why teen movies don’t hire teen leads is beyond me. Surely there are many young, talented actresses out there dying for a part.

The villains look cool. They are nasty bald aliens in trench coats with Maori style tattoos on their heads, gills on their faces and bad teeth. They decimated John’s home world and are now on Earth to kill its heroes and take over our planet. They are as card-

board cutout as any villains I have ever seen. They look nasty, have bad at-titudes and big guns, but are hopelessly inept. Even though they were given lines, they were not given personalities. In movies that feature bat-tles between heroes and vil-lains, it is the bad guys who usually steal the show. In I AM NUMBER FOUR this is not the case.

One highlight was the introduction of Aussie accented heroine, Num-ber Six. She is a take no prisoners super blonde bad-ass who already controls her powers and rides a mean red motor-cycle. She is all world-wise DC Comics’ Super-girl to our hero’s naïve and late to his powers Superboy. Right near the end of the movie, she shows up to help save the day and set up the plat-form for the sequel.

I AM NUMBER FOUR has all the best and the worst elements of the

genre thrown in the mix. This is sci-ence-fiction meets super-hero, by way of Twilight. Substi-tute aliens for vam-pires. Since I didn’t buy the lead or his earthly girlfriend, their love story left me cold. This is John Hughes teen angst territory with-out the fun. Alien meets high-school girl and falls in love. Because they are so different, and he is being hunted by bad-guys, their rela-tionship is doomed. Can they stay togeth-er? Will they overcome

their differences and live happily-ever-after? Will Number Four and his

alien friends survive at-tack and save us all? Stay tuned.

VIEW FROM THE OUTSIDE

by Tom Allnutt

“I am Number Four” is sci-fi meets super hero by way of Twilight


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