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Wednesday, 25 March 2020 13:11

Maple syrup a hobby made for self-isolating

Tom Revell loves his maple syrup . . . and he loves making it.

So, when a friend gave him an evaporator back in 2014, he couldn’t wait to fire it up behind his garage on Bauder Lane.

Fast forward to 2018. Revell was starting to get seriously into this new hobby and realized that some of his neighbours were interested as well.

“We went up to Perth and bought this unit,” he said.

The next thing you know, Revell was set up with neighbours Jamie Niedbala, Rob McDougall and Cory Sauve and they were running about 125 taps on 2 kilometres of lines, along with another 85 single taps.

“It’s set up for a sense of community,” he said. “I love the outdoors and I love syrup.

“Never will we make a dime out of it but I don’t care and I love it.

“It’s about big chilli suppers with friends and family.”

Self isolating due underlying health issues of his own, from his job where he works with kids with mental health issues, he’s more or less thrown himself into the syrup-making genre.

“I’ve been in here 12 days out of 13,” he said. “I’ve lost my internet because my kids are back home from university early.

“But I can come out here and listen to music, and even do a little socializing.”

“The socializing is nice too,” said Jamie Niedbala, who is one of Revell’s neighbourhood bandmates in this little endeavour. “I do love being in the outdoors and producing our own food.

“We use the syrup in a lot of baking, marinades, preserving and such.

“Plus it’s a bit of a throwback to earlier times and a sure sign of spring.”

His son, Aidan, who’s now in Grade 8, has seen the operation grow.

“I was pretty young, only four, when it started so pretty much then all I did was follow along,” he said. “But now I’m big enough to carry pails as we still use only buckets because our land is pretty rugged.

“But taking stuff from trees, watching the whole process and now we have it on our tables — It’s cool.”

Revell agrees.

“I built this for fun,” he said. “And it is.

“I love to look back and see kids in the wagon.”

They do sell a bit of syrup here and there (“we even have people coming and asking for it now,” he said) but any money they get goes to pay off the equipment they’ve had to buy.

“This year, we should have gotten all that money back,” he said. “Next year, we’ll be donating a lot of syrup to worthy causes.”

Published in SOUTH FRONTENAC
Wednesday, 25 March 2020 13:09

Activity to try while young kids are home

Here is an activity you can try while kids are home waiting for covid19 to subside.

Try growing some easy vegetables/fruits from scraps. This activity and may spark your child’s interest in gardening.

Some of the easier vegetables you try from scraps are: Romaine lettuce, celery, green onions.

Romaine lettuce, onions, celery : take the stump cut about 1-2 inches from the end of the vegetable. Fill a container halfway with water, set the stump side down in water, please in a sunny window and watch for new growth, which will start within a few days. Change the water every couple of days. For those of you on town water, keep some water on hand that has sat for at least a day to reduce the chemicals that would have been added to water. After about 3 weeks I could will see new roots start to appear on my lettuce. At this point when roots are a few inch long you can place it in soil water and continue to watch it grow. Or cut off the small amount of lettuce which did regrow and enjoy.

Hopefully during this time your kids would have been excited with watching the regrowth occur.

Have fun and stay safe.

Written by Judy Wall A member of the Lanark County Master Gardeners.

Photo taken by Judy Wall

Published in Master Gardeners

There were 120 registered participants and 30 walk-ons as ice fishing for kids took front and centre Sunday on Sydenham Lake.

“I’d say there were about 100 parents on the low side,” said organizer Clint Lawrence. “Some parents brought three or four kids.

“But all told, we’ve had about 400 people here through the day.”

Lawrence, who described ice fishing as his “winter hobby,” said last winter Will Trousdale asked him to “consider organizing” some kind of kid’s ice fishing event.

“I put some feelers out and it seemed like many folks liked the idea.”

He said Karen Brawley stepped up to the plate to recruit sponsors and volunteers.

“Dan Ball told me they had about 50 participants for the summer derby,” she said. “So, we planned for 40.

“That sold out and like four days.”

(“Sold out” is metaphorical. This event was free for participants and spectators.)

So, as things started to take off, they recruited participation from the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forests, the Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters, Ducks Unlimited and Delta Waterfowl. Local businesses donated prizes and Coun. Ross Sutherland donated hot dogs. The Limestone Organic Creamery donated 35 litres of chocolate milk for hot chocolate.

“It seemed like a good idea and once we learned we could do it, it was ‘we got this,’’ Brawley said. “This community cares.

“We’ll do it again . . . just not next weekend.”

Lawrence agreed.

“We’re going to have less trouble financially next year,” he said.

Student volunteer Liam Gutherie said he wasn’t much of a fisherman but was “having lots of fun” handing out hot dogs.

“The only thing I usually catch is seaweed,” he said. “A friend’s mom told my mom about this and she volunteered me for it.

“But I’m glad she did because this is a great way to get volunteer hours.”

Lawrence said they also took in quite a few donations for the food bank, of both un-perishables and cash.

(Editors note – 265 pounds of food were collected as well as $130 in cash)

He said the majority of participants were locals but they did have a few from outside the community.

“We told people that we would cater to the local community but we wouldn’t say no to anybody,” he said.

He said they’re already planning for next year and considering opening it up to older youths after the main kids event concludes.

For those interested in such things, the majority of fish caught were perch. There were three pike, one of which was about two pounds.

Published in SOUTH FRONTENAC

There are several differences between curling and crokicurl, one of those being that these days, most curling is done indoors.

But, relatively new sport that it is, corkicurl is still played outdoors and as such is at the mercy of the weather.

But it won’t always be, said organizer Rudy Hollywood, who plans to keep Saturday crokicurl going at the ballfield parking lot in Sharbot Lake whenever the weather cooperates.

“This (the rainstorm) will just be an extra flooding,” Hollywood said. “Not the worst thing that could happen.”

Hollywood said the rec committee just bought a new liner for the rink and new rocks, so he’s been looking forward to trying them out.

“The new rocks are concrete and steel and as such they have to be stored outside or they’ll melt the rink,” he said. “We bought a freezer to store them in and we’ll be putting a combination lock on it so people can play whenever they want.”

He put a caveat on that by saying “people over 10 or with adult supervision.” The rocks themselves weight about 20 pounds and are tough for children to handle.

“There are sticks that can be used to shove them,” he said.

He said the game was “fairly successful” last year and they’ve grade the rink for this year.

“We’re planning on having a registered tournament on Heritage Weekend this year,” he said.

“We even have push sticks so you don’t have to get down,” said Joan Hollywood. “We’d just like to have people come out and have fun.

“Anything to get people out and moving.”

“You don’t have to play a whole game,” Rudy said. “We often have subs.”

Come to think of it, there is one other major difference between curling and crokicurl.

“The only problem is we don’t have a facility where the losers can buy the winners a drink,” he said. “But we’re working on having the canteen only.

“Hot chocolate is still a drink.”

Published in CENTRAL FRONTENAC

Author Jean Rae Baxter introduced participants from the fall sessions of Telling Your Story: the Seniors’ Writing Workshop Series Tuesday afternoon at St. Andrews Church Hall in Sharbot Lake.

The series is part of an ongoing program put on by the Kingston Frontenac Public Library that consisted of five sessions as well as a polishing session in which the aspiring writers wrote memoirs.

“A memoir is not the story of a life,” said instructor Jean Rae Baxter, who has written several historical fiction pieces for young readers as well as murder mysteries. “It is a story from a life.

“It’s usually a significant story from that life and can be anywhere from four to 4,000 pages. It’s usually around 400 pages.”

Tuesday’s stories weren’t that long but were, in Baxter’s words “something you yourself have lived.”

First up was Bhawani Nadarajah, who is originally from Sri Lanka but has lived in many places as her father worked for the UN.

She told her story of going to school in Somalia with her siblings for six years in the ’70s.

“My brother was very protective of his little sisters,” she said. “If anybody tried to bully us, they usually went home with a bloody nose.”

Mary de Bassecourt wrote about growing up on a farm in Upstate New York during the ’50s and ’60s with several entertaining anecdotes including how she would disappear in tears to her room whenever the family sold a puppy. Baxter praised her story for being not only a personal recollection but also an account of days gone by and how a way of life is probably gone forever.

Peter de Bassecourt’s story was also entertaining. It was about being one of the younger guys who was allowed to join the older 16- and 17-year-olds on a trip to Mount Loupgarou north of Montreal. That in itself wasn’t all that special but the fact that they went in a beat-up old pickup truck with no brakes was quite humourous.

The final story was probably the most poignant.

Karen Bryson was a flight attendant in 2001 when the 9/11 attacks happened.

She began by talking about how airport security was quite lax when she began in the business, even to the point of managing to sneak about the Concorde while it was parked on the tarmac in Barbados.

Things changed though and her account of what it was like being in the air when the attacks on the World Trade Centre happened and what happened when her crew was forced to land in Winnipeg for three days might make a good movie of the week.

Published in CENTRAL FRONTENAC
Wednesday, 20 November 2019 12:11

COFA Deer Contest

For the third straight year, there were more than 90 entries for the Conservationists of Frontenac Addington Deer Contest.

This was the 19th annual event which is co-sponsored by the Bishop Lake Outdoor Centre (weigh-in hosts) and the Frontenac and Addington Trappers’ Council.

When the bell rang signifying the end of the weigh-ins on Sunday, there were 97 deer this season, surpassing last year’s total of 94.

The biggest buck was 218 pounds, from Brooke Hawley of Cloyne. The runner-up buck was 212.7 pounds, from Will Parks of Belleville. The biggest doe was 145.2 pounds from Ed Yanch of Flinto adn the runner up was 130.5 pounds from Terry Tryon of Kaladar. Winners receive a trophy and $200. Second place finishers receive $100.

Todd Boutilier won the grand prize draw (for all weigh-ins) of a Browning ABIII 270 WIN with 3x9x40 Tasco Scope valued at about $939.

There a numerous other draw prizes and the winners of those will be contacted shortly, said contest organizers.

“It’s mainly sponsored by COLA, we just lend them some space,” said Dennis Black of Bishop Lake Outdoor Centre. “This has been increasing the last four years and we’ve had hunters from as far away as Oshawa, Ottawa, Renfrew and Pembrooke.

“But the greatest amount of hunters come from within 30 minutes of here.”

COLA treasurer Doug Tocher thanked all the volunteers such as Fred Perry, Lauder and Pat Smith, Marie Anderson and Debbie Robillard who helped with the weigh-ins as well as all the local businesses and individuals who donated prizes.

Published in ADDINGTON HIGHLANDS
Monday, 18 November 2019 11:48

Arden rink restoration update

As 2019 draws to a close, the Kennebec Recreation Committee though that this would be the appropriate time to give all of Arden and update on the fundraising for the Arden Rink Rebuild.

As most of you are aware, the first Fundraising event of the year took place February 2019, at the outdoor rink. Cory Lynn and Cody Matson approached their aunt and uncle with this ridiculous idea of inviting folks to an All-Night Skate-A-Thon. Through the magic of social media and word of mouth, dozens of people showed up to skate and join into the spur of the moment Silent Auction. When the 24+ hour ended, and the cash was counted the money collected totalled $3182.00. This fabulous start fired up the Committee, and future events were planned for the year.

The Summer Trivia night brought in another $1124.00, and by now there were other donations, from private citizens totalling $906.65 plus a generous donation by the Arden Seniors for $500.00.

Not wanting to lose the momentum, plans for the Recreation Committee’s Annual Italian Night took wings. When all was said and done the Italian Night raised an additional $2535.00, and donations continued with the addition of $140.00 from the Family Fun Day event and individual donations totaling $3100.00.

In order to begin the rebuild, it was determined that the initial amount needed was approximately $17,000.00. To help you with the math, our total came in, slightly under, at $11,500.00. Unfortunately, the funds needed for the entire project will exceed $30,000.00.

So, how does the Township of Central Frontenac fit in. In a perfect world, it would step up and do the rebuild, but this is not a perfect world, so other action is required to provide a great place for youth and their families to spend winter months. A grant through Hydro was been applied for and some funding has been asked of the township.

The one thing that everyone must understand, is the funds necessary and the work to be done, is not determined by the Recreation Committee or any members of the same. The grant requested was done on behalf of the Committee but by the Township, as will the Companies that will eventually do the work required. Those companies are required to answer a tender posted and the Township grants that tender, according to the bid.

Will there be another Skate-a-thon in 2020? That has not been determined as yet, but plans are already being made for new fundraising events next year. If you have any ideas regarding fundraising, let us know or just join in, we’d be delighted!! Please remember, if you would like to donate to this worthy cause a cheque or cash, designated for the rink repair, can be made to the Township Office or to any member of the Committee. With every donation a tax receipt will be issued, upon request.

Stay tuned and look forward to 2020 as much as we do. Happy winter everyone.

Published in CENTRAL FRONTENAC

“Some of these guys were racing before I was born,” said Bill Day, who, besides hosting and announcing the Bill Day Memorial Snowmobile and ATV Grass Drags at his family farm near Harrowsmith is also the head of Snowmobile Drag Racing of Eastern Canada, the sanctioning body for events like this.

“We had a little hiccup with the organization a couple of years ago but I think we’ve got it straightened out so we’ll keep rolling out with this.

“It was just dropped on me, so it’s what I do now.”

And some 200+ entrants and their families are glad he does.

On the Saturday of Labour Day weekend, there were 50 classes racing. On Sunday, there were another 41.

“On Saturday, we raced until dark,” he said. “It was pretty hectic but we had a lot of people to help out.

“We even had someone hit 123 mph in 500 feet.”

Indeed, many of the races feature speeds in excess of 100 mph.

But these aren’t your regular snowmobiles.

“There are a lot of mods,” Day said. “Most change the chassis and lower the sled  . . . change out the suspension.

“And then there are the tracks themselves, many with different picks and chisels depending on conditions and classes.”

He said many of the competitors have driven 12-14 hours just to get here.

“For the pros, there’s a 100 per cent payback of their entry fee, plus awards for finishes,” he said. “For the amateurs, there’s a chance to win $250.”

But there’s more to it than just the races.

While you can’t even hear the engines roaring from Harrowsmith/Rutledge Road, there is an impact on the community and it’s something Day is keenly aware of.

“There’s an impact on the filling stations and restaurants and we’ve also started adding vendors to the race venue,” he said. “This is all for people and we’re all working together in a very small community.

“And, I want to see people have fun.”

Published in SOUTH FRONTENAC
Wednesday, 14 August 2019 12:44

Summer mini beer review

It’s been a hot summer, and the Ontario brewing industry has responded. It is still difficult to get a true sense of everything that is available in Ontario because new breweries are still springing up pretty often, and our distribution system is not ideal, to put it politely

LCBO outlets, particularly the larger ones, seem to have the largest selection of beers from the craft brewers around the province. With the ever-expanding styles of beer that are being produced by the brewers, many with ideosyncrratic labels and obscure names, it is often hard to know what to buy.

My wife Martina, who knows a thing or two about the taste of beer, has developed a habit of buying one or two cans of up to dozen varieties of beer when she visits LCBO stores in large and small centres. Then, over time, we check them out and try to remember whether at least one of us liked them or not.

Over the last few years the craft brewing industry has been working hard to develop summer beers. These are beers that are refreshing and full of flavour, nothing too heavy and malty. They are sometimes low in alcohol as well, making them good choices for a hot summer afternoon drink, or to accompany a summer bbq.

One of the pleasant surprises this summer is by Spearhead, an established brewery that moved to Kingston a couple of years ago. Their flagship beer is the Hawaiian Pale Ale, which is a pretty good choice at any time of the year, flavourful and not quite as hoppy as many of the Pale Ales that dominate the brewing landscape

But the beer that they like to call “Summer in a Can” is their Chardonnay Summer Ale. It is brewed partially from juice from Chardonnay grapes, and is called a beer/wine hybrid. The alcohol level is 4.3%, so it is not quite a light beer but getting there. It is kind of a perfect summer beverage, living up to the ‘summer in a can’ hype as far as I am concerned. It is fruity but not sweet, tart but not sour.

I’d never heard about Yuzu, which is an Asian citrus fruit that looks like a lemon but is reported to be not quite as sour. It is used in asian and global cuisine. There is a brewery/restaurant in Toronto called Godspeed that is devoted to a Japanese aesthetic. They brew a Saison beer that is called Yuzu, which and now Muskoka brewery has put out “All Eyes n Yuzu”, a pale ale with a slightly sweet citrusy flavour coming from the asian fruit. It has some hoppiness at the end but is more fruity than bitter. Another summer beer to remember, only available until October, according to the breweries’ website.

Bring on the DDH - DDH stands for Double Dry Hopped, I looked it up. Adding hops to beer later on in the brewing process, dry hopping, brings more flavour but not more bitterness to the beer. They also make a beer that is hazy rather than clear, with grapefruit flavour and an aroma pine. Collective Arts brewing called Hazy State, which is a low in alcohol (4.1%) and they have Life in the Clouds (6.1%) and finally Surround Sound, a DDH DIPA (Double IPA) at 8.2%, my favourite, good for a summer evening and probably best shared given the alcohol (1 500ml can is equivalent to two and a half standard bottle of beer, or 3 light beers.)

Published in General Interest

OPP Sargeant Cynthia Savard told the Whig Standard that a group of children whop appeared to be about 11 years old, tied telephone cable to a tree on one side of the K&P trail and extended the cable across the trail and tied the other end of the cable to a tree on the opposite, creating a potentially severe safety hazard for trail users. the cable was about 5 feet in the air.

The incident took place at about the 59 kilometre mark on the trail, where it passes next to Duncan Lake, just south of Fish Creek. Although the trail is motorised from Craig Road north, it is not motorised in the short section that passes next to Duncan Lake. Motorised traffic (ATV’s and snowmobiles use a detour over Oclean Lane for that 500 metre stretch.

A resident who lives nearby saw the kids installing the cable and called a tail volunteer. The OPP were called and they cable was removed. No one was injured.

A video of the cable across the trail is posted on the K&P trail twitter feed.

Published in CENTRAL FRONTENAC
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