The Scoop // February / March 2015

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thescoop.ca The FEBRUARY / MARCH 2015 SCOOP celebrates rural life Bon Echo Inn Local Archaeology The Wool Shed Shirley Paints Playing Eisstockshiessen

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The Scoop is a quality magazine that has been celebrating rural life in the Ontario communities north of the 401 and south of Hwy 7, since 2005.

Transcript of The Scoop // February / March 2015

Page 1: The Scoop // February / March 2015

thescoop.ca

The FEBRUARY / MARCH 2015

SCOOPcelebrates rural life

Bon Echo Inn

Local Archaeology

The WoolShed

ShirleyPaints

PlayingEisstockshiessen

Page 2: The Scoop // February / March 2015

2 THE SCOOP • February / March 2015

Celebrates rural lifeFounded in 2005 by Richard Saxe

PUBLISHER / DESIGNER & AD SALES

Karen [email protected]

EDITOR

Angela [email protected]

CONTRIBUTORS TO THIS ISSUE

Jerry Ackerman, Jordan Balson, Sally Bowen, Liz Coates,

Catherine Coles, Diane Dawber, Mary Jo Field, Glen Goodhand, Alyce Gorter, Karl Hammer Jr.,

J. Huntress, Cam Mather, Blair McDonald, Angela Saxe, Grace Smith, Terry Sprague, Robert Storring, Chad Taylor,

Stella Thompson

HOW TO CONTACT US

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COVER PHOTO

Karl Hammer Jr., founding member of the Kingston and Area Ice Stock Club, on Elbow Lake. Photo by Richard Saxe.

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Here’s The Scoop...By Angela Saxe

Peace on Earth and Good Will to Men is a common holiday greeting found on Christmas

cards, posted on church signs and sung in Christmas carols. Angels fi rst spoke these words to the terrifi ed shepherds who were tending their sheep. The angels had come to announce the birth of the Messiah and to herald in a new age, a time where there would be peace among people and nations. A little over a month ago, the holiday spirit of hope, generosity and the willingness to respect and honor others was pervasive but that spirit disappears quickly and we’re left to wonder if it truly exists beyond a caption on a card. The murder of seventeen people in Paris; the annihilation of villages in Nigeria, the continuing violence in Syria and the continuing violence of racism in the United States makes us wonder if it’s possible for humans to ever treat others with good will.

Every major religion in the world follows the Golden Rule. This rule or ethical code is one of reciprocity: one should treat others as one would like others to treat oneself. Jesus addresses this rule by saying: Do to others what you want them to do to you. Meanwhile in Islam, Muhammad says: Wish for your brother, what you wish for yourself and in Judaism the Torah says: You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against your kinsfolk. Love

your neighbor as yourself. But you don’t have to be religious to follow the Golden Rule for as Greg M. Epstein, a Humanist chaplain at Harvard University says: “Do no harm to others is a concept that essentially no religion misses entirely. But not a single one of these versions of the golden rule requires a God.”

So if every religion and philosophy shares the same code of behaviour, why can’t we live in peace?

A possible answer can be that treating others well only applies to those who share our value system, our religion, our race and our ethic identity. It’s the “us” versus “them” mentality that sees only diff erences and feels fear and mistrust of anyone who is not like us. This mind set can happen in western, modern states like Nazi Germany or in the former Yugoslavia or it can happen in less developed countries as Canadian peace keepers witnessed in the savage civil war between the Hutu and the Tutsi in Rwanda. History is fi lled with examples of people breaking the Golden Rule.

I believe that the Multicultural policy initiated by Prime Minister Trudeau’s government decades ago is responsible for the relative peace in our country. It safeguarded other people’s customs, languages, and religions. We didn’t force “others” to assimilate but we encouraged them

to work together to make Canada a country that treats everyone with “good will”. Visit any workplace today and see people from diff erent parts of the world working together or look at our children’s generation: intermarriage between people of diff erent race and religion is not uncommon.

Let’s not kid ourselves: we’re not perfect. Canada has to address the systemic racism towards the First Nations people and the unfathomable disappearance and murder of young native women. We have to pay close attention to our political leaders who benefi t from the “fear and distrust of the other” – the federal government under the Conservative party should be ashamed of its dismal record of taking in refugees from Syria.

It’s too easy to break the Golden Rule so we must be wary of those who seek to manipulate us into withholding good will from people who are diff erent from us. Maybe this will help to create a more peaceful world.

The SCOOP

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writers and

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person who loves to write or

take photos?

Well then join our team and

have fun making The Scoop

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Contact Angela Saxe:

[email protected]

Page 3: The Scoop // February / March 2015

February / March 2015 • THE SCOOP 3

And the Winner is…By Grace Smith

The New Year is marked by many things: the official start of winter, the end of the school

break, and most importantly, the beginning of awards season.

If you’re a celebrity junkie and pop culture lover like me, awards season is the time for you. It’s the time of year when we celebrate our favourite music, the best movies of the year, our long time TV favourites and newcomers, and the fashion trends amongst the stars.

For some of us, we lap up everything even remotely associated with awards season. This includes the various nomination announcements, the magazine articles putting forth their predictions, the red carpet, and the awards shows themselves.

Between January and February, we pop culture addicts have plenty to drool over. Many award shows take place during this time: the People’s Choice Awards, the Golden Globes, the Grammys, and the Oscars to name a few. There something for everyone, whether you’re into celebrities in general, TV, music, or film.

The Golden Globes were especially entertaining this year. The Globes are meant to celebrate the best of television and movies and usually serve as a laid-back party for the stars invited. And this year, they didn’t disappoint.

Amy Poehler and Tina Fey were back for their final hosting gig and they were as funny as ever, cleverly (and lightly) mocking the A-listers attending. Other highlights included George Clooney’s acceptance speech for his lifetime achievement award (which was only outshone by his lovely wife, Amal, and her white gloves), Gina Rodriguez winning Best Actress for a TV Series Comedy or Musical for the new, Jane the Virgin, earning the CW their first Golden Globe ever, and Michael Keaton’s win for Birdman, a movie that vaguely mirrors his own life.

The Golden Globes serve another purpose as well: to prepare movie

lovers for the Academy Awards, perhaps Hollywood’s most prestigious awards show. This year, the Oscars will take place on February 22nd and they’re sure to dazzle. With the nominations being announced recently, the show is shaping up to be quite entertaining.

There are several large stories brewing concerning the Oscars and its contenders. The one that’s been brewing the longest is the story behind Richard Linklater’s Boyhood, a movie that was filmed over twelve years to genuinely depict the joys and pains of growing up. Also interesting to note is that with her nomination for Into the Woods, Meryl Streep has earned her unprecedented 19th nomination. That woman is awesome.

Also awesome in this year’s Oscar race is the Best Original Song category in which The LEGO Movie picked up a nomination for “Everything is Awesome.” Those who have seen the movie will definitely remember the incredibly catchy song. Another mainstream hit earned a big nod when Rosamund Pike picked up a Best Actress nomination

for her role as Amy Dunne in Gone Girl, the dark thriller based on Gillian Flynn’s novel of the same name. There are plenty more stories and many more fantastic movies that will be represented at this year’s Oscars.

So remember that winter isn’t all about sledding, skating, and hot chocolate. Awards season is the perfect way to forget about the freezing temperatures and the endless shovelling, if only for an evening or two. Winter friends playing in the snow in Yarker. Photo by Lena Koch.

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Ten Years – Holy Cow!The April/May 2015 issue of The Scoop will mark ten fantastic years of publication – a miracle in

today’s publishing world!

Please consider writing and letting us know what you think of us: our triumphs and our misses. Do you have suggestions or ideas for us to consider, or would you like us to do more of what we’ve been doing?

Do you have any anecdotes about The Scoop you’d like to share with our readers?

And if you were ever featured in The Scoop, why not drop us a line and let us know what you’ve been up to over the years?

We’d love to hear from you.

Please write to Angela Saxe, the Editor at [email protected].

Terry Burns graced the cover of the first Scoop issue in April/May 2005.

10YE

AR

S

2005-2015

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4 THE SCOOP • February / March 2015

North of Kaladar: An excerpt of the book, The Oxen and the AxeBy J. Huntress

The 1975 anthology The Oxen and the Axe, published by Madoc Review Ltd. is a

collection of historical accounts, tales and poems written by descendants of families who lived in the north area of the Lennox & Addington county from Kaladar to Denbigh, bounded by the Addington Road and Mazinaw Lake.

The Oxen and the Axe mentions the Bon Echo area with its “high red cliff ” many times. The aboriginal pictographs found on the rocks rising out of the waters of Lake Mazinaw became a tourist attraction by the late 19th century. The fi rst to develop the area as a tourist destination was an American couple Dr. and Mrs. Price. Weston Price was an ambitious, persistent and visionary dentist from Cleveland, Ohio— he had seen Bon Echo in the 1890s before his marriage and at that time he began to buy properties overlooking the lake. In 1899 he and his bride came to see Bon Echo on their honeymoon. He hired an architect to draw up plans for an Inn and the frame building took two years to complete. However, only 28 of the 50 sleeping rooms were fi nished and ready for occupancy in 1901. The Doctor had also made plans for a tower suite, outbuildings, a courtyard with a sliding roof, etc. It was to be a “Grand Hotel” situated in very beautiful nature and host to summer tourists, business people, and temperate persons with strong religious beliefs. In later years artists and writers would be allowed residency when Merrill Dennison was owner.

Flora Denison, the suff ragette/business woman from Toronto was the second owner, renaming the Bon Echo Inn to Denison’s Inn in 1910. Her son Merrill was the third proprietor from 1921 until a late 1930’s fi re destroyed the main buildings; in 1959 he donated his lands and properties to Ontario for a provincial park.

* * *

Excerpt from Early Days at Bon Echo, by Merrill Denison

Consider, too, the actual location of Bon Echo itself—20 miles from the nearest railroad and 40 miles from

the nearest market town in which food and building materials could be obtained. However, mileage does not fully tell the story because of the condition of the Addington Road between Kaladar Railway Station and the site chosen by the Prices to build Bon Echo Inn. Such roads were maintained for only a few years by the government, after which they were left to the settlers who had taken up lots along the road.

…the dauntless doctor had only two things working for him: an abundance of felled timbers left from lumbering days and a plentiful supply of local help who would work for as little as one dollar a day. Price had to solve a variety of other problems before he could begin to build. He had to locate a portable sawmill and move it there; he had to build a house where the workmen could live and he had to erect a stucco cottage where he and his wife could live while work went on.

Another problem was the condition of the site itself. Many fi res had swept the Mazinaw area, the last big one near Harlowe, occurring in the 1880s. Second growth of birch and poplar had grown up but the ground beneath was a tangled mass of charred stumps and deadfall timber.

All this had to be disposed of before construction could begin, but there existed an even more pressing problem—that caused by the raising of the level of Lake Mazinaw to facilitate lumbering operations. A dam had been built in the 1860s at

the out head of the lake, causing serious erosion. There the damage was so bad that some means of arresting it had to be devised if the beauty of the shore were not to be destroyed entirely.

The Doctor’s solution to the problem was simple and ingenious. He collected hundreds of logs that had drifted to the shoreline, had them towed to where they were needed, sawed to the proper length and rolled under the eroded bank to form a retaining wall.

At that time, a main building had been constructed and along with it, fi ve cottages, a separate staff house, tent platforms with special service buildings. There was a boathouse in which a fl eet of 25 rowboats, canoes and launches spent the winter and two large docks, fl anked by covered pavilions on both lower and upper lakes. There also was a laundry, an icehouse, a combined water – tower and workshop with quarters for the staff on the upper fl oors. In addition, Dr. Price had found time to build a rustic bridge across the Mazinaw Narrows and an iron stairway to the top of The Big Rock.

A serious calamity happened when a high wind swept down the lake and fl attened the wood frame of the main building (it had no cross bracing). The Doctor simply viewed the tangled wreckage and told the workmen to salvage what they could and begin the job of rebuilding the large Inn.

The Prices operated Bon Echo Inn until 1910, when they sold it to Mrs. Denison shortly after the death of Donald, their only child. They visited Bon Echo again in the 1920s.

The author wishes to thank Cora Reid for the loan of The Oxen and the Axe. The book is still in print and for sale through Amazon or the Cloyne Pioneer Museum and Archives.

Bon Echo, looking northward from the porches of Bon Echo Inn, circa 1903. Photo courtesy Lennox & Addington County Museum and Archives, N-2948.

A Bon Echo boating party circa 1903. Photo courtesy Lennox & Addington County Museum and Archives, N-2946.

Page 5: The Scoop // February / March 2015

February / March 2015 • THE SCOOP 5

Do You Remember…The One-Room Schoolhouse?By Glen Goodhand

On November 30, 1971, the Regional Director of Education, Robert Rist,

addressed over 1000 people at the opening of the I.E. Weldon Secondary School in Lindsay, Ontario. His keynote theme may be summarized in these words: “We must seek out again that quality that we had in the one-room school house that we appear to have lost in some schools today. By that I mean something which causes a child to want to learn, that causes a teacher to think about children fi rst, and that intangible dimension which creates a group of people interested in the thoughts, feelings, and aspirations of others.”

His speech was made during an era when such local institutions were being closed one after another, and pupils were being transported to larger multi-class facilities. The familiar S.S. #18 (or whatever number)—referring to a particular school “section” in townships was fast disappearing.

For many who either heard or read his sentiments there was cause for a chorus of amens; he was right on target with his assessments. No cosmopolitan set-up has ever come close to replacing the atmosphere of those community learning centres.

Each day started with the reading of the Bible, repeating The Lord’s Prayer, and singing God Save the King (Queen). In some instances it concluded with the singing of Now The Day Is Over.

Silence reigned supreme. No one spoke out loud except when asked a question by the teacher, or in response to permission granted to address him or her.

For serious off enses, there was no hesitation to apply corporal punishment in the form of strapping the hands—usually repeated at home for daring to defy the rules and disobey the one in charge. But a more common retribution was to be sent to stand face-fi rst in the corner for as much as 15 minutes—thereby being forced to contemplate one’s misdemeanor—or being sentenced to stay after school (or during recess).

The one-room schoolhouse meant all eight grades were confi ned to the one common space. Usually starting on one side of the room, grades were seated in a progressive order—grade one through grade eight. Normally assignments were handed out in that same order, with a stern warning to other classes to remain quiet until their turn came; or to tip them off about a test which was coming—and so, to get prepared. It stretches the imagination how, for instance, when the grade threes were reading out loud or a grade seven student was concentrating on his clickety-clack writing on the blackboard, the rest could concentrate on their own work.

And so this arrangement continued from nine in the morning through to that long awaited four o’clock in the afternoon, fi ve days a week. Enjoying a ride either to or from this bastion of education was a rare thing. Rain, snow, or shine, even the youngest hoofed it both ways. The hardship of walking has often been enhanced with the tongue-in-cheek boast about “Walking four miles to school and back—uphill in both directions”—a claim which prompts the “now” generation to roll their

eyes in irritation.

Mary, John, and Peter, or Dick and Jane were the usual primary readers for novices while the senior classes memorized poems like “The Solitary Reaper”, “The Lady of Shallot”, or “The Highwayman” intended to exercise the retaining power of the mind.

Recess, everyone’s favourite subject, meant a rousing game of Bally Over, Prisoners Base (a blight on a slow runner’s pride), or Fox and Goose (in the winter),

gave respite from the strain on taxed brains.

The visit of the much-feared Inspector; endless Christmas Programme practice until every part was perfect; being forced to write with one’s right hand, if being a south-paw was one’s lot; and Arbour Day, when classroom regimen was swapped to tiding the grounds—were all part of the routine which made that unique part of growing up a fundamental part of education in the one-room schoolhouse.

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Page 6: The Scoop // February / March 2015

6 THE SCOOP • February / March 2015

The Music of a CommunityBy Cam Mather

Recently Michelle and I went to a concert in the village sponsored by the Tamworth/

Erinsville Community Development Committee. We enjoyed a wonderful trio of women called Trent Severn. (trentsevernband.ca)

We’ve been lucky to hear great musicians in our little village. The concerts are held at the local Legion Hall which sounds, well, pretty small town. Organizer Mark Oliver says: “The musicians who have played hear love the acoustics and sight lines of our Legion. I think they also like how ‘responsive’ our small town audience can be. Not in a rowdy, drunken kind of way. The venue is small enough that everyone can see the performers and the performers can see us!”

Trent Severn are exceptionally talented and they play multiple instruments, so as they change instruments between songs they like to tell stories about where the songs come from. There’s lots of time for banter and humor with the audience which makes it a very up close and personal kind of experience.

Tamworth is very fortunate to have a number of great retail businesses for a village of 700 or so people. We have a bank, a grocery store, a liquor store, a pharmacy, a bakery, several restaurants and of course, my favorite – a hardware store. So when Emm Gryner commented between songs that she was at the hardware store that afternoon, I obviously had to make sure it was in fact THE Tamworth Pro Hardware, which it was. My night was made. Emm Gryner shops at the same hardware store I do! She also later thanked the woman who works in our liquor store for ‘carding’ her; which I assumed meant asking for her I.D. to ensure she was of legal drinking age. Only in Tamworth!

On Saturday night Emm Gryner played a bass ukulele which was very cool, as well as guitar. Laura C. Bates played the fi ddle and produced sounds I’d never heard from one before. She was the fi rst violinist to receive a Bachelor in Jazz and Contemporary Music from Humber College, but when she plays folk music, it seems more like a fi ddle.

Dayna Manning played guitar and periodically switched to a banjo, and I just love banjo.

Trent Severn is a very Canadian band. They sing songs about their experience of living in Canada, and this really improves their connection with the audience.

The Tamworth crowd was most appreciative of them visiting our humble village and bringing some warmth on a cold January evening, so they got a prolonged standing ovation. Some might argue that the audience did this to elevate our blood fl ow before we all went out to start our cars in below zero temperatures. I think it was genuine appreciation.

For an encore Trent Severn returned without their instruments. They did an acapella version of “O Canada,” which they had performed in front of the Canadian Parliament buildings in Ottawa last Canada Day. You can listen to it here: trentsevernband.ca/o-canada (the a cappella version

is the third selection down the list) Heck, you can even listen to it in French! So Canadian!

It was such a lovely way to spend a cold winter night. Such a uniquely human experience. We really must do it more often.

Trent Severn in concert in Tamworth. Photo by Barry Lovegrove.

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Page 7: The Scoop // February / March 2015

February / March 2015 • THE SCOOP 7

Lessons LearnedBy Blair McDonald

Well, I did it. I fi nally gave in to one of the biggest peer pressures since moving

to BC over four years ago – skiing. I guess it was only a matter of time before I bowed to the pressure. After all, it’s the little things that get to you: the puzzled looks of co-workers when they ask what I do all winter, or the look of disappointment when I can’t comment on whether or not I think the Sundowner run is better than the Sunrise. BC is one of the few places in Canada where you have to justify your reasons for not skiing in the winter. If there is a mountain, there is someone coming up and down it on a continuous loop – in the winter, it’s on skis, and in the summer, it’s on bikes. With good reason, adventure lemmings abound.

While it wasn’t a New Year’s resolution, I do kind of feel that I’ve ticked the box on “Taking Up Skiing” in 2015. Besides a trip with Mr. Perry’s Grade 6 class to Dacre many years ago and a weekend run at Mont Tremblant on a high-school National Lampoons-style adventure, 2015 marked my return to the slopes.

There have been some great things said about skiing. Political funny man P.J. O’Rourke confi rms all of our fi nancial anxieties with the sport/hobby: “The sport of skiing consists of wearing three thousand dollars’

worth of clothes and equipment and driving two hundred miles in the snow in order to stand around at a bar and get drunk.” For others, like satirist Erma Bombeck, the sport is nothing but an accident waiting to happen: “I do not participate in any sport with ambulances at the bottom of the hill.” Given the number of students who come through my door on crutches every winter semester, her fears ring true.

But enough with the negative. Skiing is more than hype out here; it’s a way of life. Having grown up in Ontario, there really is nothing like skiing down these beautiful mountains. Much like golf, I’ve always thought of skiing as an individual sport, but where it succeeds is in the way that it can transport you from your everyday problems and connect you with the strange and marvellous powers of nature. Riding the chairlift the other day and watching everyone pass below, I mused on how it surely is a strange human activity.It seemingly has no other essential purpose than personal enjoyment and challenging both our physical body and the natural environment. After all, if there is anything to be learned from skiing, it is the wisdom in the following: “Skiing is a dance and the mountain always leads.”

A Canadian WinterBy Jordan Balson, Grade 12, Napanee District Secondary School

Once again, it’s winter! Whether you love it or hate it, you know that you’ll have to

embrace it. I love our long, Canadian winters; they’re more than just cold temperatures and snow, they force us to slow down and breathe in the fresh air and think without all the hustle and bustle of busy summer days. And really, it’s hard to fi nd a more relaxing time than in the dead of winter.

Whether or not you enjoy winter is all a state of mind. If you approach the seasons the right way, you can learn to love and make the most of them all – even winter. The famous writer Anton Chekhov wrote that “People don’t notice whether it’s winter or summer when they’re happy” and I think it’s true. Winter keeps on coming, and whether or not you like it, some amazing things happen during winter. For example, there are winter strolls in the snowy countryside, ice-skating on frozen ponds, and even just those simple days where you stay in with a blanket and warm drink. Not to mention the snow days when school buses are cancelled!

The French writer and philosopher Voltaire wrote that Canada was just “a few acres of snow,” but I think it’s the snow and our long winters that make our country great,

and I’ve lived in a lot of diff erent places. When I lived in Florida, I missed the snow the most. Stifl ing heat in February just isn’t winter to me. Everyone loves the idea of going down south when the snow arrives, but I really came to miss the Canadian winters. When I lived in British Columbia, on Vancouver Island, it only snowed a few weeks a year (with more than enough rain the rest of the time). But every time it did snow, even when there was barely any on the ground, it seemed like a snow day, and those were the days that I loved the most! I’d run outside and make a snowman, and even if it melted the following week, or sometimes even the next day, it was the best.

Our winters have forged Canadians into the people we are today. I hope we’re able to slow the impact we’re having on our environment and on climate change soon, so that we get to keep experiencing our cold winters for a long time. Because a Canadian winter just wouldn’t be the same without snow.

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The Stone Mills Fire Department is holding a Blanket Drive. We are looking for blankets to use at emergency calls. If you have

any blankets you would like to donate please drop them off at the Township of Stone Mills municipal office. Thank you,

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Ba mhór ag Cumann na Gaeltachta cur in iúl go bhfuil féilirí pleanála le fáil ar ordú. Is tionscadal tiomsú airgid É faoi choinne GHaeltacht Bhuan Thuaisceart an Oileáin Úir. Taispeánann grianghraif an fhéilire tírdhreach Cheanada agus Éireann, go háirithe áiteanna sa Ghael-tacht. Rinne S2 Architecture, faoi stiúir Linus Ó Murchú, an dearadh mar dheon-achán. Is é $20 an cóip an costas (nó $20 S.A.M.), móide $5 postas (Ceana-dach nó Meiriceánach). Thig ordaithe a chur trí ríomhphost do:

Cumann na Gaeltachta is pleased to announce that 2011 planning calendars are now available for order. This is a fundraising project for the Permanent North American Gaeltacht. Photographs feature landscape in Canada and Ireland, especially Gaeltacht areas. The calen-dars have been generously designed by S2 Architecture in Calgary, under the direction of Linus Murphy. The cost is $20 Canadian (or $20 American), plus $5 postage (Canadian or American). Orders may be placed by email to Siobhán Ní [email protected]

Cheques payable to: An Ghaeltacht Bhuan

Send to:Siobhán Ní Mhórdha1 Kennedy Street, Apt 2.Kingston, ONK7M 2G8

1 Bedroom Apartment for rentMain floor of rural home. Kitchen, Living room, open concept - 12 windows with beautiful views. Private entrance, yard and driveway. Bell Satellite TV included. Refer-ences. $550 plus heat. 613-478-6349

Christ Church Tamworth invites you to a YULETIDE LUNCHEON

and BAKE SALE at the Tamworth Library Tuesday,

December 14 from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. A homemade lunch will served with loving hands and there might even be some

entertainment for your enjoyment and pleasure. So come on down bring a friend to help kick off this

festive season.

PLEASE TELL OUR ADVERTIS-

ERS THAT “I SAW IT IN THE SCOOP” AND THAT ADVER-

TISING WORKS.

RobeRt WRight booksAntiquarian Booksellers’ Association of Canada International League of Antiquarian Booksellers

Hundreds of new arrivalsFri Sat Sun, 11 am - 4 pm379-2108Now open for the season.

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book shopQuality Second Hand BooksBridge Street East at Peel, Tamworth

The Scoop DECEMBER 2010 - JANUARY 2011 Page 14

CarpentryLicensed Carpenter

Home Phone Cell Phone(613) 379-5171 (613) 483-8432

G.F. Frizzell

THE CLOYNE AND

DISTRICT HISTORICAL

SOCIETY

Continue to meet and work on the

preservation and presentation of local

history even though the museum is

closed for the season.

Archive information and photos

are accessible on our website and

questions can be e mailed to us

anytime. cloynepioneermuseum.ca

Everyone is welcome to join us on the

3rd Monday of the month @ 1 p.m. at

the Cloyne Hall.

Page 8: The Scoop // February / March 2015

8 THE SCOOP • February / March 2015

February is L&A Library Lover’s Month!By Catherine Coles

February is L&A Library Lover’s Month and we’ll have plenty going on at our branches

to simultaneously celebrate our libraries, Valentine’s Day and intellectual freedom.

Intellectual freedom is a right that should never be taken for granted. This has been brought to the media forefront in recent months in light of the Charlie Hebdo attack in Paris, where employees of a satirical magazine were gunned down by Islamic extremists for publishing off ensive depictions of the prophet Muhammad. Intellectual freedom is the hallmark of a free and democratic society and this incident proved that when it comes under threat on a large scale, people will take notice.

But what about other small, everyday occurrences that have the potential to wear down on intellectual freedom? Even in Canada, a progressive country by world standards, books and magazines are sometimes banned at the border. Schools and libraries are regularly asked to remove certain titles from their collections and free expression on the Internet is often under attack.

Freedom to Read Week (February 22-28) is an annual event intended to remind and encourage people to reaffi rm their commitment to intellectual freedom. The County of Lennox & Addington Libraries, in accordance with the laws and principles governing libraries, does not take this commitment lightly.

We strive to keep our collection as well-rounded as possible in order to serve the needs of all our patrons – and sometimes this means including items that may be considered controversial. Our purpose is to open up access to information/ideas and only place restrictions when they are deemed necessary by Canadian law.

The fact that the library community advocates for your right to intellectual freedom all of the time, and not just when there is media frenzy, is just one reason to be a “library lover.” What is the main reason why you love your library? Do you appreciate a particular children’s program? Our large print

collection? Perhaps it is the staff member that always goes above and beyond to fi nd you a good book to read? Visit your local branch this month and let us know by writing down a quick love note on a heart that we will provide. All of the hearts collected will then be displayed at the branch as Valentine’s decoration.

Other ways we’ll be celebrating this month include “Be My Valentine” Pinterest Parties at the Amherstview Branch on February 10th and Napanee Branch on the 11th, both at 2 p.m. This is a drop in craft program for adults. There will be supplies provided for you to create a homemade valentine that will impress your special someone – plus refreshments! From February 15th to the 21st, all of our branches will be running “Blind Date with a Book” where our patrons can check out a surprise title (a few clues will be provided). If you need a push to step outside your reading comfort zone, defi nitely pick up one of these wrapped books from your local branch. Finally, our social media accounts will be sources for daily library love (and banned book inspiration) as well.

Visit our website at www.countylibrary.ca for up to date information on our programs and services. I hope to see you out and about at our branches!

Catherine is the Manager of Library Services at the County of Lennox & Addington. You can reach her by email at [email protected] or by phone at 613.354.4883 x. 3237.

Frontenac County’s SesquicentennialYou are now living and

breathing in the County of Frontenac’s 150th Anniversary

Year.

Over the past 150 years, the Frontenacs have enjoyed a storied history and have been a rugged, challenging, and sometimes dangerous home to resourceful and hardworking neighbours and friends. Though some of today’s landscapes would be unrecognizable to our great-great grandfathers, the residents of this region still possess their innovative, resilient, and community-minded spirit. And that spirit is being passed onto the next generation, taking pride in growing their own gardens, tending small herds of livestock, working from home so they can spend more time outdoors, and recognizing the importance of preserving our natural environment.

It’s our past, present and future, and we are proud of it.

Celebrate this once-in-a-lifetime milestone with us on August 28th, 29th, and 30th, in Centennial Park, Harrowsmith. The County will be hosting a three-day, Country Fair style showcase and invites you, your family and friends back home to celebrate our brave heritage and bright future.

The weekend will include:

• Opening Ceremonies • Fireworks

• Plowing Match• Beer Tent & BBQ• Heritage Ball • Parade• Live Music• Strongman Competition• Historical Re-enactment• Heritage Displays• Family Activities• Vendors

A full schedule of events is being fi nalized now and should be

available this spring. For now, mark the weekend on your calendar and invite your friends and family to the Frontenacs to celebrate the County’s 150th

Anniversary, your ancestors, and our slice of Ontario.

MONDAY - SATURDAY 9 - 5CLOSED SUNDAY

26B Richmond Blvd., Napanee613 354 6400

Page 9: The Scoop // February / March 2015

February / March 2015 • THE SCOOP 9

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Meet Shirley MillerBy Stella Thompson

Amherst Island artist Shirley Miller has recently self-published a collection of

her art depicting life on the island. Her book holds a hundred pages of colour reproductions of watercolours, paintings in either oil, acrylic or pastels as well as some of her poems. Shirley has been making art for most of her life and has been giving art lessons for the past twenty-six. Anyone interested in taking her Friday afternoon classes or buying one of her books can contact her at: 613.389.2588 or email her at [email protected]

“Everyone who has ever come to the

Island has wanted it to stay as it is, even me, and I came here in 1964. The roads were still all gravel and it was not unusual to meet a horse and sulky. The blacksmith still held court on the corner. The telephone was privately owned and manned 24 hours a day by Ada Filson. The general stores, Neilson’s and Glenn’s carried everything one needed as long as the boat ran. The post offi ce in Glenn’s Store was run by Leslie, Irene and Herbie Wires who also delivered the mail.

At Neilson’s store, Fred and Maurice Hogeboom carried screen for fi xing your door, paint, even televisions

as well as some other unusual items like stays for your corset. The gas pumps were out in front and just to the east.

The Royal Bank came over on Wednesdays only enabling the islanders to do their banking

since very few people worked on the mainland. George Bierma still made cheese in the old cheese factory and most people farmed. Christmas concerts, suppers and dances were held in the Victoria Hall. Teena and Ross Filson ran Rossena’s Café in the old brick building that stood where Stella’s Café is now.

While driving the school bus for many years, I would take photos of Island scenes taking advantage of the morning and afternoon light. I didn’t always have a good camera but I tried to capture some of the special moments that bring back fond memories for so many people.

The book contains a collection of some of the better images I have gathered with the help of our daughter Carol Bernier.”

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Detail from one of Shirley’s watercolours.

Page 10: The Scoop // February / March 2015

10 THE SCOOP • February / March 2015

A Natural ViewKeeping and Using It in the BackyardBy Terry Sprague

I found another bag of garbage thrown carelessly into the trees at the lookout where I stop

occasionally; it overlooks the island where I live on the Bay of Quinte. The bag had been torn open by marauding animals and its contents were strewn over a wide area under the red cedars where it had been tossed. This bag was very disturbing as it contained almost 100% recyclable items – plastic bottles, glass jars, and plastic bags, some of them flapping ignominiously from the tree branches, and others snagged onto nearby vegetation. The recycling depot was only four kilometres down the road. A year earlier, a trailer load of discarded lumber had been dumped over the high embankment. It joined a miscellany of rubber tires, cupboards, chairs and mattresses that earlier had been sent over the edge and allowed to tumble down the forested hillside. We have to wonder why this dumping even occurred when a convenient transfer station is located just down the road. However, it does happen with disturbing frequency, wherever there is a dead end road, a pull over spot or some other remote nook or cranny. We are a wasteful society, extremely so. If this had been our waste lumber, we would have reclaimed and saved what we could, and sawed up the rest of it for our outdoor wood-fired barbeque. In the forty years we have lived at our current location, recycling or reusing everything that we can has become routine for us. Very little on our two-acre lot ever goes to waste. We simply don’t produce garbage. Well, not much of it anyway. One bag every six to eight weeks from two people and one Shih-tzu is the best we can do, and we feel guilty about that frequency. It has little to do with saving a few dollars here and there. It is something we have always practised. It just seemed like the responsible thing to do, from day one. Why should someone else take care of garbage that we create? The secret is not to produce it in the first place, or

at least, as little as we can. Brush and trimmed limbs are never taken to the transfer station. Instead, they are put through our wood chipper every fall to be used as mulch or compost in our gardens, or added to a brush pile that we have created for birds and other animals. Kitchen waste is composted, much of it returning to the garden whence it came. I have even developed a presentation, “Backyard Magic – Getting the Most from Compost”. Audiences are amazed when I show them how easy it is to compost. I give them a list of the items that can be turned into black gold – everything from the usual recommended items to the unorthodox that are seldom considered as fodder for the composter – paper towels, facial tissues, and shredded paper – anything that will rot. In this presentation, I dispel the myth that compost smells. If done properly, composters do not emit an odour. So, it is not necessary to hide the composter in the northwest corner of the property as though it were something that is shameful. Composters that require hiking boots to reach are seldom used to their fullest potential. Our three composters are located right at our back door, and are usually going full tilt all the time, accepting any kind of refuse that will break down. Our secret has always been not to produce garbage in the first place. It does require selective shopping, a challenge these days when so many things are hideously over packaged. Still, much of this can be recycled, if we just take a little time to sort and prepare it properly. Mind you, my wife does gets a little carried away, carefully washing the cans and plastic containers as if they were her fine china. Recycling doesn’t require that homeowners go to that extent, but by the same token, recycling facilities don’t want to see food encrusted containers either.

Everything that is created on our two-acre lot remains on our lot, if it is possible to do so. It just makes sense not to waste. One must wonder with our burgeoning population where all

our garbage is going to end up eventually, if society continues to waste as it has through the years. The late Doug Sadler, who was way ahead of his time with some of the comments he made in his column in the Peterborough Examiner, once said, “The end of the earth will not come by fire or flood – it will come by being buried alive in disposable diapers, fast food containers and products built to last only a few years.” Leaves on our two-acre lot are also mulched with our recycler lawn mower and forced back into the ground to serve as fertilizer. We find that the leaves mulch better if left until they are dry and crisp causing the leaves to break down into almost a fine dust. It just makes sense to make use of this free material. To see residents irresponsibly dumping garbage and garden waste along roadsides, hiking trails, and over embankments is discouraging and an insult to those who toil yearly to keeping our environment clean. Unfortunately, those responsible for littering and dumping garbage will never change by merely telling them that we prefer not to have their garbage in our communities. What is needed is education on how some of these materials that normally get cast aside, can actually work for us. Manufacturers must learn too, that if they don’t start acting more responsibly with their packaging, then we’re simply not going to buy their products. Nothing sends a message faster than turning around and walking away and doing business elsewhere. Despite our admirable efforts at recycling the plethora of electronics on today’s market, it is sad that modern products are not built to last. A refrigerator that my parents bought in 1950, continued to soldier on faithfully until the farm was sold in 1976. Then it returned for an encore at their new home in Picton as a spare in their basement for another 25 years! A refrigerator my wife and I bought in 1999 lasted barely a decade and was picked up by Hydro

One’s Great Appliance Roundup. The sales clerk at the store where we purchased our replacement calmly stated that appliances simply are not built to last more than a few years. That is really sad considering how far we have come with technical advances. Meanwhile, helpful Internet websites are replete with suggestions on how to reuse items that would otherwise be tossed into the garbage, from using egg cartons for starting garden seeds, using dustpan dust as mulch for potted plants, to using old broken crockery as part of the mixture for a concrete garden path or to mosaic a bird bath. If one used all the suggestions I found on a few randomly picked websites, no one would ever have a bag of garbage again! It’s a case of acting responsibly and always being mindful of where our garbage ends up after it leaves our homes. There are so many ideas out there that can be applied to everyone’s property in an effort to keep our discarded items in our own backyard and out of the landfill. Certainly, the truck load of discarded lumber at the lookout could have enjoyed a more useful afterlife than sliding down a privately owned shoreline embankment. For more information on birding and nature, check out the NatureStuff website at www.naturestuff.net. Terry Sprague lives in Prince Edward County and is self-employed as a professional interpretive naturalist.

Getting the most from compost. Photo by Nola Sprague.

Pruned branches can be made into compost with a wood chipper. Photo by Terry Sprague.

Page 11: The Scoop // February / March 2015

February / March 2015 • THE SCOOP 11

PlayingEisstockshiessen By Karl Hammer Jr.

Picture this scene – a frozen lake, snow cleared to reveal long lanes of hard ice, two

teams of players taking aim and hurling a heavy, round-bottomed stock down the icy lane, the sounds of cheering echoing across the winter landscape. No, this isn’t taking place in a rural Alpine area, the game these friends are playing is “eisstockshiessen” and the place is Elbow Lake north of Sydenham village.

The popular game of “eisstockshiessen” is played in many countries in Europe and elsewhere, with clubs competing in domestic and international tournaments. In Canada, the sport is called Ice Stock Sport and it is played wherever there’s a vibrant Austrian and German population. So it is not surprising that the Canadian Ice Stock Federation is located near the Kitchener Waterloo area where many people can trace their ancestry back to Germany and Austria. As a first generation Canadian, I believe that it’s important to be proactive and keep alive a game that has cultural significance to my family. My Opa (grandfather) and his generation of Austrian Canadians once came together to play the game because it provided them with comfort and companionship as they worked hard to build their lives from scratch in their new home in Canada.

As a consequence of my parents’ separation my childhood home had to be sold. One day I stopped by to collect some items that my parents didn’t want or need. That day I took home some beer steins, schnapps glasses and a few other trinkets that represented my parents’ German and Austrian culture. While rummaging in the basement I stumbled upon my dad’s “eisstocks” or ice stocks.

For me, they were a symbol of our culture and I was excited by the thought of sharing a new experience with friends. As I drove home that day with the eisstocks in the back of my truck, my mind slipped into the waters of childhood memories.

It’s 1983 and it’s a cold winter’s day. I’m about six years of age and I’m playing hockey with my cousins on the Prohaska Pond west of Elginburg. On another area of the pond, our dads are hurling their eisstocks. As the eisstocks smash and crash against each other, the tings, clinks and clangs fill the air in equal share to the laughter and yodelling calls of friend and foe. On the edge of the pond stands a hut where swirling smoke slowly dances out of the exit hole of a tiny wood stove pipe. Inside the little hut, the intense and unforgettable smell of “gluh wine” steams from a pot sitting on top of the wood stove; the men venture into the hut for a little “warming of the spirits”!

As I resurfaced from the cherished memory, I wondered why my dad and his peers had stopped playing a sport that at one time seemed so integral to winter activity in our area. The last time I could remember seeing eisstockshiessen played was in the early 1990s.

At some point the loss of culture began to matter and to tug at me. I’m a proud first generation Canadian, yet I’m passionately conscious of my connection to my ancestral homelands. While I was growing up, the Austrian International Club (and later the Edelweiss Haus), was like a second home since my parents were active members. I performed with the Junior Boys from the Austrian Alps doing the dance known as the “schueplattle” for the

many functions typical of a cultural club. Yet, today both clubs are gone and the buildings repurposed. The colourful wall mural of an Austrian couple performing a traditional dance, that had once graced the front of the Austrian International Club building for over forty years, has now been painted over. I can’t help but ponder the image of Canada as a mosaic: being a Canadian, while keeping ones cultural roots. The pull to assimilate into Canadian culture is like the paint roller that whitewashes over the symbols of one’s identity until one day all that is left is the trinkets and things you stumble upon in the basement.

The first winter after I brought home the old eisstocks from my parents’ home, I began to toss them at my in-laws’ place on Gould Lake. Although I didn’t know it then, that day marked the slow rise of eisstockshiessen out of the endangered species list in Kingston and area. I called my dad, other family members and players of old (now older) and slowly we rediscovered the beauty of this sport. In time new players arrived to play.

Ice Stock Sport is easy and fun to play. It shares many common elements with curling and bocce and has been referred to as Bavarian curling. The size of the playing surface is similar to a curling surface and the object is to get one team’s stocks (they have a gliding surface to which a stick is attached) closer to the target, called a daube, than the other team’s. In this respect the strategy is similar, but the major difference is that the daube is movable within the “house” which measures 3m by 6m. If the daube is moved out of the house, it then needs to be replaced in the centre of the house. Two teams of four players eventually each take six turns throwing the stock during the course of one game. The points are gained

by being closest to the daube after all four players have thrown their stock. The technology of this sport has made it possible for us to play on asphalt or on concrete surfaces using special plates so we can play throughout the year. An eisstock is virtually indestructible and “holtzstocks” (wood stocks with a steel band to absorb the contact) from the late 50s are still used today. Modern stocks with interchangeable plates appeared in the 1970s. Unlike other sports that require upgrades and new parts and pieces, once you have an eisstock – you have it forever. Essentially the sport has grown so quickly in popularity that every eisstock in the Kingston area is probably in use again and used stocks have been brought in from Austria to keep up with the growing interest.

We now have the Kingston and Area Ice Stock Club and the decade-long journey to get to this point has been an important one for me. The re-emergence of eisstockshiessen in the Kingston area is much more inclusive; there’s more female representation and youth are encouraged to play. Most importantly, we also have a player with an exceptionality playing the sport. Participants, of all abilities, of all ages from 11 to over 70 can play and compete together in a sport that balances fun and competition. We have original players who are now in their 70s playing alongside kids who are just over a decade old. This brings me back to the importance of not only sharing one’s culture, but actively sharing it with others. If we don’t, the mosaic metaphor is no longer valid and the ways that we describe Canadian society will no longer ring true.

To learn more about the Kingston and Area Ice Stock Club, please visit their website at kingstoneisstock.webs.com

Kingston and Area Ice Stock Club players on Elbow Lake. Photo by Richard Saxe.

An assortment of ice stocks brought to a game. Photo by Richard Saxe.

Page 12: The Scoop // February / March 2015

12 THE SCOOP • February / March 2015

The Wool Shed at Topsy FarmsBy Sally Bowen

The Wool Shed at Topsy Farms now shelters beautiful pure wool and sheepskin products,

but it hasn’t always been so. It appears to be just a scruff y farm outbuilding, built far too close to the road by today’s standards. However you can’t tell its heart or history by its faded covering.

It was built about a century ago, with a double purpose. The south portion was designed to store great blocks of ice, cut by hand from the lake, and stored with layers of sawdust helping to insulate it. That supply was vital as the only source of refrigeration in those days.

The north portion of the small structure was the milk house, used for cooling the cows’ production of the day, destined to be picked up by horse and wagon or cutter, to be delivered to one of the Island cheese factories.

The Eves family lived here for many years, planting the huge black spruce trees and raising another generation. (Our eldest son now lives in the bungalow built next door for retiring mom/grandmother, Peachy.) They had electricity by then but they still used the milk house portion for awhile. Eventually the shed was just used for storage.

When Topsy’s fi rst group of commune members arrived at the recently abandoned farm, the shed became a crammed storehouse, then a much-needed tractor repair workshop. Maybe the machines couldn’t all fi t in, but the tools and mechanic/farmer were sheltered.

When the commune amicably separated, former members were repaid, and the impoverished members who stayed on were fed one winter by the candle production housed in the Shed. At some stage, there was also a production of tin

creations for the Dandelion commune, made by recycling old cans into something resembling useful art.

Once our new workshop was built, the Shed became a music centre for our

younger son, and other friends including the son of the Scoop’s editor. It sheltered a drum set and speakers, providing some privacy for teenagers. The budding musicians travelled from their high school in Napanee, made glorious noisy experiments with suffi cient autonomy (but not too much) from the older generation.

University years enabled yet another evolution. Four coats of high quality primer and two more coats of paint covered most of the music group’s “creative writing wall” and the Wool Shed evolved to its present glorious new life.

About 1200 sheep are shorn annually – the fl eece being one of the most renewable resources that exists. It is transformed in P.E.I. to a high quality, all-Canadian wool made into blankets and throws, yarn, wool and many hand-crafted products. Sheepskins and lambskins are added to the off erings, as well as unbleached cotton stuff ed bedding.

The heart of this old building beats strongly.

For more information contact Topsy Farms at 613.389.3444 or 888.287.3157 or visit their website at topsyfarms.com.

Inside The Wool Shed. Photo credit Megan Balogh.

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Page 13: The Scoop // February / March 2015

February / March 2015 • THE SCOOP 13

Waste... NotBy Mary Jo Field

Would you agree with me if I said we have become a throw-away society? It

is so easy to bundle up anything we consider old or surplus or useless or dirty and take it to the dump or put it at the roadside for pick up.

Would you also agree that this is not a particularly good thing? Once placed in a landfill, garbage breaks down very, very slowly. Many landfills are nearing their capacity and we have all heard the controversies about expanding landfills with their leachates, monitoring requirements and impacts on the environment and property values.

Would you like to help reduce the amount of trash sent to landfills? Estimates vary from 20% to 35% but it seems everyone agrees that kitchen and yard waste account for a large portion of what ends up in our dumps. And there are so many reasons to deal with our own kitchen garbage and our lawn and garden trimmings right in our own backyards.

Our ancestors recognized the benefits of returning to the soil that which we cannot immediately use. I remember my grandmother dutifully taking the coffee grounds and tea leaves outside and scratching them into the soil beneath her bushes. At the cottage, we would simply take the potato and carrot peelings and pitch them into a small depression about 50 feet away. This was composting at its most basic, I suppose, but we were not the first to do it. Apparently there are references to compost on stone tablets from 1000 years before Moses; and the

Bible, the Talmud and Shakespeare all mention it. More recently Cam Mather, in his 66-chapter book The All You Can Eat Handbook, says of his chapter on compost, “If you read only one chapter of this book, this should be it.”

Composting is the process of using decomposition to turn organic matter into a nutrient-rich gold mine. When you make use of your kitchen “waste” and your garden “waste”, nutrients are put back into the nutrient cycle rather than being bagged and taken away. Honestly, I cannot imagine how many more bags I would have to drag to the dump if I did not put all that stuff into our compost piles. So there are two more reasons to engage in composting – less stuff filling up our landfills and fewer bags to drag to the dump.

Right away, I think I need to emphasize that the volume of waste you put into your compost piles is much greater than what you end up with. Do not worry about mountains of rotting waste accumulating in your back yard. In winter, when the whole decomposition process slows down almost to a halt, the pile continues to shrink daily even as you continue to add to it. In our household, where we generate at least a 20 litre bucket of vegetable and fruit waste every 2 or 3 days, we end up with a pile approximately 3

ft. x 3 ft. x 3 ft. from October through April. No big deal.

Compost is the end result of the decomposition process. Anybody who has any kind of garden, even plants in pots on a condo balcony, can use finished compost. Fertile soil is the foundation of growing healthy plants; compost is the foundation of fertile soil. Compost improves the structure of any type of soil, whether it is sandy, silty, loamy or clay, making it easier to work with for both planting and weeding. It provides nutrients, thereby reducing (indeed eliminating) the need for chemical fertilizers, and research has shown that healthy soil increases a plant’s resistance to pests and diseases, reducing the need for pesticides. It adds to the soil’s ability to hold water, reducing the need for irrigation. You can probably tell I have a reverence for compost. The poet Andrew Hudgins in his ode to compost (yes, really) calls it “a leisurely collapsing of the thing into its possibilities”. Oh, the possibilities!!! The process is completely natural, the result is free, and it is the absolute best thing for your garden.

Over many years I have been a big proponent of composting, including when we lived in Cabbagetown in Toronto where we kept one of those black plastic bins on the parking pad at the rear of our 19 ft.-wide lot. And I have heard lots of reasons for not composting, ranging from too much work to smells to attracting unwanted critters. Let me just say these are all manageable issues. You just have to want to. And it is worth it.

I could go on and on and get into how to build a compost bin and what to put in it vs. what not to put in it,

but there is loads of information available in books and on the internet. I just wanted to suggest that you not waste your waste. Because it isn’t waste – it is the start of something great.

In addition to the “keep it short” and the “lots of information elsewhere” reasons, I don’t want to get into any more detail because the GrassRoots Growers is planning another interesting event in February. In November, 2014 John Wise talked about organic growing of perennial food plants and emphasized the importance of the top 12 inches of soil. In February we will hear from Titia Posthuma, the owner of Ravenscraft Produce in Maberly. Titia has been selling her amazing salad greens and other organic produce at the Kingston market for many years. She will share her extensive knowledge of soil and how to build up your gardens in a talk entitled “The Inner Workings of Soil”. Watch our website for the final date and location, as well as a request to submit questions you might have for Titia. There will also be a free seed exchange at the February event, so bring along any seeds you want to share, labeled and securely packaged.

GrassRoots Growers really wants to continue to offer events on a free admission basis. But we do have costs, and they do seem to be increasing. We put out a donation jar at each event and are very grateful for any amount offered: loonies and toonies happily accepted, or more if you wish.

Later in the Spring we hope to host Peter Fuller, of Fuller Native and Rare Plants. And don’t forget the annual GrassRoots Growers seedling and plant sale, which will be held on Saturday, May 23rd, at the Lions’ Park in Erinsville.

Tamworth/Erinsville GrassRoots Growers is a community-based group. Our mission is to encourage interest in local and organic gardening for both the home garden and the market garden; to raise awareness of issues surrounding food production; to improve our practical knowledge of all aspects of plant life; and to provide networking opportunities for gardeners. We welcome new members. Visit our website at te-grassrootsgrowers.weebly.com

DON’S SATELLITECall: 613-328-6811,

for more donssatellite.ca

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Xplornet’s Xtreme 5 plan, starting at $49.99. Call for more info.

LANE

Veterinary Services

Serving Pets & Farm Animals

Mon, Tues, Thurs: 8:30am-5pm

Wed: 8:30am-7pm

Fri: 8:30am-4pm

Sat: 10am-1pm

www.lanevetservices.ca

(613) 358-2833 or 1-888-832-1904

“Prevention is the Best Medicine”

211 McQuay St. off Cty. Rd. #6

(between Colebrook & Moscow)

RR#3 Yarker, ON K0K 3N0

Emergency Service By Appointment

Since

1 9 8 3

www.lanevetservices.ca [email protected]

Page 14: The Scoop // February / March 2015

14 THE SCOOP • February / March 2015

We provide a box of freshly-picked, organically-grown produce every week for

16 weeks during the growing season. Pick up locations in

Tamworth or Napanee.

CSA

Looking for Local Food?

TA M WO RT H FA M I LY DAY

W E E K E N D E V E N T

Magic S how w ith B ob Dri scol l

SAT U R DAY, F E BRUARY 14 AT 2 P.M.

TA MWORT H LI BR ARY

Refreshments • Free Admi ss ion

Fun for A ll A geS

The Old Man and The LakeThe old man looks out over the lakeNot “the” lake – it was and is HIS lake Not just a generic lake among the hundreds in the county.

The lake had always welcomed him. As an infant, he fell overboard and was plucked to safety by his Mum. Years later, when he fell through the ice, his Mum whippedhim. Now he understands.

The lake welcomed him, as a young boy, complete with alder pole, fi sh hooks,and fresh bait (a few worms, crabs or frogs), he rowed the fl at-bottomed boatout to the best fi shing spots. If it rained, there was shelter below an overhangon the Big Chief rock.

When his uncle came, they always fi shed together, calling each other “Bass”Ackerman and “Bullhead” Ludlow.

The lake welcomed Bullhead on the last day of his life.Fishing alone on a cold windy day, he toppled overboard as he stood up to pull in one more fi sh.He stood among the weeds for a night and a day in the lake that he had loved for so long a time.

Bass wrote a poem for Bullhead:

He was a Fisherman

Chocolate bars for every kid in the store, a cheery so-long to the storekeeper,a last rest and an early morning 15 mile trek over the deep-rutted spring roadsto Lake Five — spiritual home these many yearsDearest sister and nephew’s family wave a cheery so-long,The aging man steers the old car towards the lake.

Brisk breezes keep the water cold and the boat in motionA little dangerous for a heavy man with heavy clothes when he stands to pull another fi sh into the boat

But what a catch, what a catch! His best ever and his favourite kind.Happy yelps as he fl ops each fi sh over the edge.

A long day later they found himstanding, framed with seaweeds,his spirit loose among the watery creaturesbefriended and caressed by what he lovedso consistently.

Never an unkind word, said the woman who held his heart.My best life-long friend, said his sisterA devout and happy man, said the neighboursWelcome! said the fi sh

And chocolate bars for every kid in the store.

The young boy returned — – now an old manand built his fi nal home on the lake shore.When he wakes, he looks through the windows Relishes the white pines and birches that surround the cottageDelights in the fresh beauty of the lakeHolds the many memories he treasures.

By Jerry Ackerman, Fifth Depot Lake

Do you experience sore shoulders, tight hips, or an aching back?

The practice of yoga helps these issues.

It releases tension from the body, and promotes a sense of well being.

Classes in Amherstview, Bath, Bellrock, Centreville,

Enterprise, Kingston, Newburgh, and Switzerville.

613-358-YOGA

[email protected]

www.yogatogo.ca

ALL LEVEL YOGA CLASSES WITH JACKIE ARE FUN AND RELAXING

W&S Environmental ServicesApproved by the Ministry of the Environment

Phone: 613-379-5872Cell: 613-483-8441

[email protected]

SNOW PLOWINGGARBAGE PICKUP & RECYCLABLES

LARGE ITEMS PICKUP

Seniors receive 10% discount

[email protected]

[email protected]

www.moorepartners.ca 613 • 379 • 5958

TA M WO RT H FA M I LY DAY

Page 15: The Scoop // February / March 2015

February / March 2015 • THE SCOOP 15

FREE CLASSIFIEDSFree to private individuals or not-for-profi t community groups. To place an ad, phone 613.379.5369 or email [email protected].

FOR SALE: Kindling. World’s Best Kindling from right here in Tamworth! $10 for a 12”x16” box. Buy 5, get one free. 613.539.2831.

LOOKING FOR Loblaw’s Green Bins or NO FRILLS plastic totes. We are looking for the plastic totes previously sold by Loblaw’s or No Frills. If you have one you aren’t using please call 613.539.2831.

FOR SALE:‘You Pick’ Blueberry Operation in Tweed area. Well established blueberry bushes, business and large customer base, land with view of lake. Realize your dream of owning a local food business with immediate income in a fantastic location. 613.478.5070.

WANTED: Poets to share their poems. Call me at 613.375.8256 or email me at [email protected]

Answers to the crossword on the Puzzle Page (page 17):

SHARBOT LAKE FARMERS MARKETFARM VENDOR

INFORMATION SESSIONWednesday, February 25, 6:30 – 8 p.m.

Employment Centre, St. Lawrence College – 1099 Garrett Street, Sharbot Lake

Have you enjoyed the market experience and considered applying to be a farm vendor yourself? If so, you’ll want to know that Sharbot Lake Farmers Market (SLFM) is off ering an information session for potential farm vendors. This is your opportunity to meet and ask existing vendors your questions and discover the benefi ts of vending at Sharbot Lake Farmers Market.

SLFM will be entering its fi fth season in 2015 and is located on beautiful Sharbot Lake Beach. SLFM off ers local products from within 100 km of Sharbot Lake. Our Market season runs from Victoria Day Weekend through Thanksgiving Weekend.

To pre-register (free), please contact Mary de Bassecourt, Market Manager, at [email protected] or at 613.375.6576.

Hastings Stewardship Council’s Winter Speaker Series MIKE BURRELL – CITIZEN SCIENCE BIRD PROJECTSThursday, March 5 – 7 p.m.Mike Burrell is the Ontario Important Bird Areas Coordinator for Bird Studies Canada, Canada’s leading science-based bird conservation organization. He will speak on various citizen science bird projects, including eBird Canada, Christmas Birds Count, Project FeederWatch, Breeding Bird Atlases and more.

JOHN AND JANET FOSTER – STORIES FROM THE WILDThursday, March 19 – 7 p.m.For more than forty years, John and Janet Foster have been telling stories about Canada. Their fi lming assignments for CBC, TV Ontario, and the Discovery Channel have taken them all across this land, from coast to coast, up into the High Arctic and Greenland, and south to the Antarctic Peninsula. Through their fi lms and public slide shows, they have always shared their own passion for wild places, the beauty of Canada’s landscapes, and the diversity of our wildlife.

In this new presentation, they are once again storytellers, sharing recent and personal stories, drawn from wildlife encounters on their rough old farm in Hastings County, and from adventures in some of their favorite locations – like Algonquin Park in all seasons, Nova Scotia’s Annapolis Valley, and among the huge icebergs along the shores of Newfoundland.

PAM SANGSTER – LOCAL GEOLOGYThursday, April 2 – 7 p.m.Regional resident geologist for southern Ontario with the Ministry of Northern Development and Mines, Pam will help us learn more about the geology of this area and why it has some unique geological features. Location of all eventsAll our speaker events will be at the Huntingdon Veteran’s Memorial Hall, 11379 Highway 62, in Ivanhoe, Ontario, just north of the Ivanhoe cheese factory. An entrance fee of $5.00 per person (or a donation) will help cover costs. Children are free, and refreshments will be provided.

CANADIAN

HEARING

SOCIETY

February – April is all

about improving personal

communications through

technology.

The Canadian Hearing Society

is raising awareness about

communication barriers with

strategies and tips for the Deaf,

deafened, and hard of hearing

community! Our doors are open to

the public. Come meet with one of

our staff during our hearing care

clinics, try out communication

devices we offer, and for the months

of February until the end of April,

we are offering 15% off all amplifi ed

phones. Amplifi ed phones can

improve conversations through tone

adjustment and increased volume

control. For more information call

613.544.1927 / TTY 1-877.817.8209.

TAMWORTH LIONS

ANNUAL YARD SALE AND

E-WASTE COLLECTION DAY

MAY 23, 8 A.M. – 1 P.M.

TAMWORTH ARENA

If you have any old electronic

waste recycle items (like TVs or old

computers from after Christmas)

or old clothing, please keep them

and recycle them in May at our

e-waste and clothing collection

site at the arena. This helps out the

environment and the Tamworth

Lions Club at the same time.

Thank you!

INDOOR CO-ED VOLLEYBALL @ TAMWORTH ELEMENTARY

SCHOOLOctober 3 – May 15,

from 7 – 9 p.m.Call to register 613.379.5870 or email [email protected] YOU ON THE COURT!

Feb 27 – Mar 1 – Belleville Downtown DocFestFourth annual documentary fi lm festival in downtown Belleville

For information visit www.downtowndocfest.ca or call 613.849.1976

Winter artwork by Grade 4-5 class at Tamworth Elementary School. Photo courtesy TES.

WISHES

SCOOP READERS

A WONDERFUL

HOLIDAY SEASON

Page 16: The Scoop // February / March 2015

16 THE SCOOP • February / March 2015

KIDS & PARENTSL&A County LibraryPrograms & EventsFOR KIDS & FAMILIES

Puppy TalesAmherstview, Wednesdays @ 10:30 AMNapanee, Wednesdays @ 10:30 AM

StorytimeAmherstview, Tuesdays @ 10:30 AMBath, Fridays @ 11 AMCamden East, Mondays @ 10:15 AMNapanee, Mondays @ 10:15 AMTamworth, Thursdays @ 11 AM

BabytimeAmherstview, Mondays @ 2 PM

Lego ClubAmherstview, Thursdays @ 6:30 PM & Saturdays @ 10:30 AMBath, Wednesdays @ 6:30 PMCamden East, Wednesdays @ 6 PMNapanee, Tuesdays @ 6 PM & Saturdays @ 10:30 AMOdessa, Saturday @ 2 PMSouth Fred, Thursdays @ 6:30 PMTamworth, Saturdays @ 10:30 AMYarker, Tuesdays @ 6:30 PM

Reading BuddiesSessions will run Mondays @ 6 & 6:30 PM and Saturdays @ 10 & 10:30 AM at Amherstview & Napanee Branches.

FOR ADULTS

My Family Tree ClubNapanee Feb. 6, Mar. 6 @ 10 AM

Avid Readers Book ClubCall the Amherstview Branch 613.389.6006) for a list of upcoming dates/times/themes. 613.389.6006

Co� ee Club Book ClubCall the Bath Branch for upcoming meeting information. 613.352.5600

Novel Readers Book ClubCall the Napanee Branch for upcoming meeting information. 613.354.2525

National Film Board ScreeningsAmherstview, February 9, March 9, April 13 @ 10 AMBath, February 9, March 9, April 13 @ 6 PMNapanee, February 11, March 11, April 15 @ 10 AM

Computer ClassesAmherstview Branch, Tuesdays @ 2 PMNapanee Branch, Wednesdays @ 2 PM

Tech TalksAmherstview Branch, Mondays – Thursdays @ 2 PMNapanee Branch, Mondays – Thursdays @ 2 PM

SPECIAL EVENTS

February Is Library Lovers Month

1-7: I ♥ My LibraryJoin us at any branch and participate in our heart shaped display

8-14: Be My Valentine Pinterest PartyTuesday @ 2 PM in AmherstviewWednesday @ 2 PM in Napanee

15-21: Blind Date With a Book

22-28: Freedom to Read Week

March Break Madness

All events take place in Amherstview @ 10:30 AM, and Napanee @ 2:00 PM

March 16: Art Attack

March 17: Little Ray’s Reptile Show

March 18: A Great PJ Party and Stuffi e Sleepover

March 19: Magician Peter Mennie

March 20: It’s All About Hockey

Principal’s MessageBy Chad Taylor

A new year has started at Tamworth and Enterprise Schools and I couldn’t be

more proud of how the last year ended. Both Christmas concerts were a huge success thanks to the hard work of staff and students. It was amazing to see the enjoyment in the students’ faces as they performed.

In 2015 we will focus on critical thinking skills and building the growth mindset in our schools. One of the key messages that we are

sending out to students is that it is okay to make mistakes as long as we learn from them and to look at diff erent ways to solve problems whether they are academic or social.

Thanks again for your tremendous community support!

Chad is the Principal at Tamworth Elementary School and Enterprise Elementary School. You can reach him by email at [email protected]

Playgroup Do you want to: Have fun with your child?

Meet other parents and children? Expose your child to new experiences in a safe environment?

Play, sing, laugh, share, and try new things?

Then, come along and try our playgroup. We have a great space, lots of toys, and as part of our playgroup time, we do craft, circle and have a singing time. Anyone is welcome - we have Moms, Dads, Grandparents and Caregivers who bring children.

Where? Located in the multi-purpose room at the rear of Sheffield Camden Community Centre (Arena), 713 Addington Street, Tamworth

When? Monday mornings from 9.30 am to 12 pm

Cost? FREE

For more information:

613-336-8934 ext 257 or 613 354-6318 ext. 27

Terrific Toddler

Do you have a terrific toddler that is running your life? As your child

enters into toddlerhood, they gradually discover they are not the centre

of the universe and that's a frightening and frustrating revelation. Your

child wants to be in control and have things done their way. They are

annoyed at having to follow rules, and they are frustrated that they can't

make their body do all the things that they want it to do.

Do you find yourself asking what is appropriate behaviour for a toddler?

Many parents have a hard time with this stage. This workshop will cover

developmental stages, discipline tips and normal behaviour for your

terrific toddler.

Monday February 23, 2015

10:00am-12:00pm

LARC’s Early Years Centre

1178 County Rd #8

Napanee

For more information or to register call

Jennie or Trish 613-354-6318 ex 23

Childcare is available if you register one week in advance

KFPL ProgramsBy Liz Coates

Viva Voce Passions is happening on Wednesday, February 11 at the Central

Library from 7-9 p.m. and we are looking for youth (ages 13-30) storytellers, jugglers, dancers, musicians, etc. to participate. Teens can get volunteer hours.

Y2K, the Library, and the Boys and Girls Club are collaborating to bring you Respect the Pink on Wednesday, February 25 at the Central branch from 3:30-7 p.m. There will be anti-bullying workshops, youth speakers, giveaways, and pizza! This event is especially exciting because it’s created and led by youth. Anyone aged 12-24 can register through the Library’s website but agencies are

encouraged to bring groups of youth, just confi rm with me fi rst.

In addition to these exciting events, we are always happy to host classes or youth groups at the Library for a customized tour. We can demonstrate our 3D printer, book talk exciting reads, bring out board games, PS4, giant Jenga, and more. We can try to arrange this at your closest Library branch but if transportation is an issue, I’m happy to come to you.

Liz is the Teen & New Adult Services Librarian at the Kingston Frontenac Public Library. You can reach her by email at [email protected].

Page 17: The Scoop // February / March 2015

February / March 2015 • THE SCOOP 17

PUZZLE PAGENew York Times Crossword

http://www.dailysudoku.com/

very hardDaily Sudoku: Thu 29-Jan-2015

(c) D

aily

Sud

oku

Ltd

2015

. A

ll rig

hts

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rved

.

9 2 53 86 1 39 2 3 12 4 5 8 9 6

1 6 7 85 4 3

2 92 6 5

http://www.dailysudoku.com/

Mike Nothnagel / Will Shortz ©New York Times

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13

14 15 16

17 18 19

20 21 22

23 24

25 26 27

28 29 30 31 32 33 34

35 36 37 38

39 40 41 42

43 44 45 46

47 48 49 50

51 52 53 54

55 56 57

58 59 60

61 62 63

Across

1 John of colonial Jamestown

6 The first "A" in N.A.A.C.P.: Abbr.

10 Bag

14 "Tosca," for one

15 "Get out of here, fly!"

16 Surrounding glow

17 Completely uses up, as a credit card, with "out"

18 Dana Scully's sci-fi partner

20 Prowling feline

22 Nissan sedan

23 Letter-shaped, threaded fastener

24 Washed-up person

25 Course in which to conjugate "amo, amas, amat ..."

27 "We ___ please"

28 Dull pain

29 Autumn

31 When repeated, bygone newsboy's cry

35 Con's opposite

36 Mystery quality ... or what 18- and 55-Across and 3- and 32-Down have?

38 Snakelike fish

39 H. Ross ___, candidate of 1992 and 1996

41 Party giver

42 U.S. military vet

43 Ancient Greek city with a mythical lion

45 Learn secondhand

47 Having insurance

50 Large, at Starbucks

51 Twigs for baskets

52 "If I may ..."

55 Owner of the farm where Woodstock took place

57 Contest submission

58 Writer James

59 Vases

60 Have the wheel of a car

61 Transmit

62 Jab between the ribs, say

63 Mob

Down

1 Capital of Italia

2 Milky white gem

3 "Superman" villain

4 Something for nothing

5 Start of a billboard catchphrase meaning "close to the highway"

6 Equally plump

7 Photographed

8 "Red" or "White" baseball team

9 Courteous rejection to a woman

10 House style with a long pitched roof in back

11 Actor Murphy of old westerns

12 Middle of an Oreo

13 Designer Donna

19 Coat named for an Irish province

21 Steep drop-off

24 Sword handles

25 Northern Scandinavian

26 Field unit

27 It acquired Reynolds Metals in 2000

30 Sighed with satisfaction

32 Cowboy who sang the title song from "High Noon"

33 ___ Park (Queens neighborhood)

34 A, in Arabic

36 Nissan S.U.V.

37 None of the above, on a survey

40 Like two jacks in a deck of cards

42 Take away from, as profits

44 Goof

46 Tangle up (in)

47 Unconscious states

48 Missouri river or Indian

49 Reindeer teamed with Prancer

50 Esther 8:9 is the longest one in the Bible

52 Play a practical joke on, slangily

53 Talking horse of '60s TV

54 Brontë's Jane

56 Miracle-___ (plant food)

©2008 WWW.PRINTABLES4KIDS.COM This puzzle is for personal use only and may not be sold or duplicated for sale. 

Get more free printable activities for kids of all ages at www.printables4kids.com.

Page 18: The Scoop // February / March 2015

18 THE SCOOP • February / March 2015

Fit for Life By Alyce Gorter

The ad soliciting clients for a one week boot camp triggered a surprising reaction in me but

one I found hard to defi ne. Although personal fi tness appeals to me, having to hustle off somewhere to achieve it does not. It was only after puzzling over the matter for some time and carefully considering the points in the ad that I was able to identify my reaction – nostalgia. I suddenly realized I was raised in a boot camp!

My father was 6’ 4” in height with about two thirds of that height composed of legs. Since he did a lot of walking in his normal work day routines of trapping, wood cutting, etc., those body proportions were probably ideal – each step covered a lot of ground. Everywhere he went he walked with “a purposeful stride”. Never, to my recollection, did he meander, ramble, amble or stroll. He never carried the walking wounded or slowed his pace for the weary. If you wanted (or more or less told) to accompany my father, you hustled. On the positive side? He never jogged or ran.

Although we didn’t understand it back then, Dad was way ahead of his time. With two daughters and three sons available for conscription, he provided equal opportunity and co-ed courses. And he never had to worry about keeping his “clients” motivated. We knew there were

unseen horrors lurking in every shadow, behind every rock, waiting to catch the scent of a frightened child should one of us lag behind. And, although it was usually only one child that would be pressed into duty, if there happened to be more than one on the trail, we encouraged each other with inspiring phrases like, “You had better hurry up or the wolves will get you!”

The ad for boot camp claimed to combine exercise with behaviour modifi cation to achieve (fi tness) goals. Dad used the same type of program –to achieve his goals. Plato said, “Human behaviour fl ows from three main sources: desire, emotion and knowledge.” Our desire was to get back home safely; our emotion was the fear of never having that desire fulfi lled (coupled with the fear of the unknown) and we had the knowledge that anything less than our best hustle would result in the realization of our worst fears. If our personal fi tness resulted from all of this, it was only a by-product of the plan.

We all survived into adulthood – more or less sound. The two, who as children most frequently accompanied Dad on his “walkabouts”, still retain a devout love of the woods, a strong desire for adventure and an appreciation for all that the forest contains – yes, even those fearsome things. They also walk with “purposeful stride”.

The author’s father on one of his “walkabouts” with his grandson. Photo by Alyce Gorter.

OFFICES44 Industrial Blvd.Napanee

14 Concession St.Tamworth

CONTACTDirect: 613-379-2903Offi ce: 613-354-4347Toll Free: 1 866-233-2062

[email protected]@century21.ca

Robert StorringBroker

5 ALMOST NEW APPLIANCES included in this completely renovated Napanee home. Features 3 bedrooms, kitchen/dining area, good size living rm with patio doors to deck. Pretty well everything is new from insulation to siding, windows, bathroom and kitchen. Double garage is large enough for workshop and is insulated. A great buy at $187,500. MLS 15600781

COUNTRY HOME is ideally set up for anyone who needs a granny suite for inlaws or kids returning home. Main level is 4 bdrms, 2 bath, open Kit/dining/living rm and family rm. Lower is kitchen/dining, living rm with gas fi replace/stove, 2 or 3 bdrms and full bath. Ground level walkout to above ground pool, decks and patio. Below replacement at $289,900. MLS 15600774

THERE IS NO COST TO LIST A PROPERTY, WE TAKE THE RISK

You only pay when it sells!

CALL ME TODAY!

HOMES • COTTAGES • FARMSBUSINESSES• VACANT LAND • LOTS

Because of a brisk market I am in short supply

of listings of all types.

You may be sitting on an unknown amount of money that could be

working for you.

With years of EXPERIENCE I can off er an EXPERT opinion of value and PERSONAL SERVICE.

CHALK WELL DRILLING LTD.Established since 1922

Wells for home, farm & industryRotary & cable tool drilling

• Prompt service• Free estimates• Pump installations & service• Wells decommissioned &

abandoned

ALL MAJOR CREDIT CARDS ACCEPTEDLicensed by the Ministry of the Environment

RR 6 Napanee

[email protected]

• General excavation - land clearing, basements, retaining walls, trenching, etc.

• Septic systems - design and licensed installer• Landscaping• Trucking - sand, gravel and topsoil• Demolition - buildings, barns, etc.

For all your excavating needs call RICK at

Phone: 613-388-2460Cell: 613-561-6585

Email: [email protected]

Page 19: The Scoop // February / March 2015

February / March 2015 • THE SCOOP 19

La SendaEco Store & Naturopathic Clinic46 Dundas Steet East, Napanee

613.308.9077

Your individual path to optimal health.

Cat Prints and FigurinesBy Robert Storring

Have you ever wondered about the lion’s head on the former hotel building in the village

of Tamworth or the female terracotta figurines on the house across the street from the hotel, or the cat prints on many of the bricks used in buildings around the village?

Most of the bricks used on buildings in Tamworth were produced at the Brick yard which was then located on the present site of 23 Concession Street today. The brick yard was owned by Sampson Shields who built my former house at 4 Ottawa Street (now Robert & Laurie Wright home and the site of the Tamworth Bookshop) as well as the Tamworth hotel. This probably explains why 4 Ottawa St has a 1 ½ story brick garage and a brick outhouse. It is said that Mr. Shields produced the lady’s head figurines, (there are three over the arched portico and front window of house) and the lion’s head on front of

hotel building but he refused to sell anything like those to anyone else.

I have been told that the house at 2 Ottawa St was built by Mr. Shields for a daughter and if you notice there is some fancy brick work above the window openings. The cat prints were apparently the result of cats walking on the soft bricks while they were left to set in the sun. You can see some cat prints on the back of the garage (now the Bookshop) around the back door of the house next door, on the former Rogers’ house on Rogers Road, and on the south side of the A-1 Corner Store. If you look long and hard I am sure you will find many more on other buildings.

Just a little bit of village history that I know of – hope you get a kick out of it!

Lady’s head figurine on the brick house at 4 Ottawa Street in Tamworth. Photo by Robert Storring.

Health PursuitsBy Diane Dawber

We hear so much about diet and vitamins in the media so when we go to the store

and stare at the puzzling selection of diet books and supplements, we wonder which is right for us? Now you can learn the tools that the people at Health Pursuits use to figure out an individual’s needs.

The founding members of the non-profit organization had an urgent need for answers since they had a variety of difficult-to-deal-with chronic illnesses such as Fibromyalgia, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Multiple Chemical Sensitivity, Arthritis, Asthma, Osteoporosis, etc. Since 1996 they have read piles of books on vitamins, diet, environment and movement, trying the strategies in the books and meeting once a month to discuss results.

One diet strategy has been successful for all of them – a rotational eating plan to help them reduce inflammation and identify what foods might be causing problems. They have a book greatly simplifying the strategy for use as an on-going life style, A New Spin on the Rotation Diet, which is in its second edition and fourth printing.

In the first six years, they spent a quarter of a million dollars, collectively, trying to figure out which vitamins, minerals and other supplements would help each of them – without great success despite blood work, questionnaires, testing machines, muscle testing etc.

The crowning jewel in their achievement is The Health Pursuits Nutrient Test Kit. Since 2001, they have been trying out a new kind of test for vitamins, minerals and other supplements, and judging whether the nutrients it suggested for them had changed symptoms. Very happily, it did, does.Luckily, you do not have to

spend years and a small fortune experimenting as the members of the Health Pursuits group initially did. The non-profit Health Pursuits Nutrient Scent test gives you results, in an hour, on 56 carefully selected vitamins, minerals, amino acids and other nutrients.

People may have the same symptoms but the pattern of their results on the Nutrient Scent Test can be completely different and indicate widely differing problems. Is fatigue the issue? Might be a thyroid issue, gluten sensitivity, stress, or even a mitochondrial problem. The Nutrient Scent Test gives you important clues to take to your medical practitioner.

One joy for the Health Pursuits non-profit organization is that children can take the test and even find it fun. Parents of children with autism, ADHD, failure to learn, failure to thrive, failure to behave, have had much success using the Health Pursuits Nutrient Scent Test to figure out which routes to take. One autistic three-year old was non-verbal until the test suggested a gluten-free diet. Now, as long as his diet is gluten-free, he speaks very well, much to the surprise of his Occupational therapist and his church’s pastor. His siblings with autism and ADHD have also had success shaking off violent episodes and stomach aches. Their Mom is losing several pounds a month regularly. Just imagine the social and economic impact of that one family’s success. There are many other success stories.

Which brings us to mental health issues which are also positively affected by the right diet and supplements. A medical journalist and publisher, who used the kit, identified low iodine and used the suggested kelp flakes to improve her thyroid hormones. As a side effect, her depression lifted. Her husband, who is a psychiatrist, was

amazed and investigated — with the conclusion that he was impressed with the kit’s effectiveness.

Why haven’t you heard about the olfactory Nutrient Test? The main reason is that businesses (supplement companies, medical practitioners, etc.) cannot easily make a lot of money. The kit mainly saves money –for individuals, their insurers and the health care system. Back then, the only ones willing to invest the time and personal money in developing these tools were the people who needed them the most, the ill and disabled. Recently, a Toronto clinic has begun a study comparing the test kit results to the results of expensive genomic testing.

So why haven’t you heard more about Health Pursuits? In 2013, the Ontario Trillium Foundation granted the organization $50 000 to increase their capacity to help. Now, they have a number of consultants, Kingston area and

other locations, who have been trained and use the strategies to help themselves. These people are available to teach others, administer the Nutrient Test and support the process of improving health over several months at very reasonable rates. Family or group tests rates are available to make it even easier.

To access, Health Pursuits consultants, call 613.389.0909 or visit www.healthpursuitsgroup.com. To read more about olfactory research go to www.nytimes.com/2014/10/14/science/smell-turns-up-in-unexpected-places.html. You can reach Diane Dawber at the Health Pursuits support group in Kingston by email at info@healthpursuitsgroup .com.

Diane, behind a Health Pursuits promotional display. Submitted photo.

Page 20: The Scoop // February / March 2015

20 THE SCOOP • February / March 2015

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