The new owners of the Verona IGA, Clint and Andrea Reid

Just a few weeks after their move to Verona, Clint and Andrea Reid, the new owners of the Verona IGA, have taken hold of the reins of a new business and a new life for themselves and their family.

The fact that it already feels like home after a few short weeks is proof to them that they have made a very good decision.

Born and raised in Peterborough the Reids are experienced grocery store operators. They owned and operated an IGA in Omemee for nine years and prior to that operated the Foodland store in Norwood, ON for a decade.

Clint admits to learning the business “the hard way from the bottom up” starting out at 14 and slowly working his way up to a full-time position at an Oshawa Food City. After that he worked in promotion for Food City in Toronto for a number of years until he decided that he wanted to get into the independent side of the business. That decision led Clint and his family first to Norwood, then to Omemee, and just three weeks ago to Verona.

While raising their two daughters Amanda and Mackenzie, Andrea Reid had also worked, first running her own daycare business and later working full-time at PepsiCo, Quaker Oats in Peterborough while also working part-time at the Omemee store.

With their two daughters grown and enrolled in college and university programs, the Reids, who have always wanted to live in the country, jumped at the chance when the recent opportunity to purchase the Verona IGA presented itself. Andrea recalled, “We immediately fell in love with the area when we came to see the store. The decision to move here involved myself and Clint but also our kids. When they came out here they also fell in love with it. I think we were all ready for a change.”

Taking on a former family business in a small community is also something the Reids are very familiar with and understand the intricacies of.

Clint said, “We really wanted to put all of the staff here at ease immediately and for them to know that we were counting on everybody to be a part of this. That was the same approach we took in Omemee, which was also a family-owned store and we had wonderful success there.”

According to Clint one important factor when stepping into a former family business like the Brooks’ is to build on what has already been established. Clint explained, “This business is very solid. The challenge will be taking something that is running well and trying to make it our own. Whenever you get into an ownership change the hardest thing is to realize that everyone tends to do things a little differently.”

That being said the Reids do have a couple of future plans for change in the works.

Clint explained, “We are definitely going to make investments into the business. We are currently planning a bit of a face lift with a focus on quality and freshness and we plan to put some new equipment into the store. We are hoping to have a grand opening in April, which I think the community will really enjoy.”

When I probed the Reids regarding a possible name change Clint replied, “I think it’s very important that we keep the community name “Verona” as the business name so right now it will be the Verona IGA.” The Reids are extremely pleased with the overwhelming reception they have received from the community, which has included numerous gifts and cards.

Clint said, “ I had really great relationships with all of the businesses and social groups in Omemee and that is something that I am also looking forward to here. I also believe that it’s part of our obligation as a local business to support local community events.”

The store staff have also been very accepting and Andrea said, “Since I have been working here for the last week I feel like I have known the people for years, which really says a lot.”

So from here on in it is business as usual at the Verona IGA. The only other change the Reids are considering is getting a dog. In Andrea’s words…“Everyone here seems to have one.”

South Frontenac and the Verona Medical Centre

Members of South Frontenac Council were all in favour of the township owning the Verona Medical Centre a few weeks ago. Although they still are, come members are finding the details hard to get their heads around.

At a Committee of the whole meeting on Tuesday Night, CAO Wayne Orr presented a report outlining some of the issues relating to municipal ownership of the clinic.

Most of the discussion centred on the choice of management model. Although there seemed to be general preference to have the management provided by a non-profit community board, not all Councillors agreed.

Councillor John Fillion commented: “Once you have a Board, you get a lot of ideas and opinions, and the whole thing spirals right out of control.” Councillor Larry York wondered how much the Board members would have to be paid.

John McDougall, speaking on behalf of the Verona Find-a-Doc Committee, was emphatic that as a non-profit Board, none of the members would receive remuneration.

He said it was possible in the future that the Board might decide to hire a property manager, but if so, the cost would be factored into the tenant’s rent.

The matter will come back to Council for resolution.

Highly Sensitive Groundwater Areas:

In response to an earlier request of Council, Township planner Lindsay Mills presented a map outlining areas in Southern Ontario where the quantity and quality of the groundwater supply is considered to be of concern. This includes most of the land south of the shield: Mills noted that four particular areas in South Frontenac are rated highly sensitive. Two are in Portland, one east of Hartington and the other south of Harrowsmith along Road 38. The main area in Loughborough district is south of Sydenham, in the vicinity of Stagecoach Road. Mills recommended that when development is being considered in these four areas, a hydro geological study should be done as part of the consent process. Deputy Mayor Vandewal questioned the accuracy of the designations, because none of the areas with dug wells are noted. Councillor Robinson said that as long as a well could pump 3-5 gal/min for six hours, it qualified for a CMHC mortgage, and that should be where the municipality’s responsibility ended.

“Why do we need to be concerned?” he asked.

Councillor Hahn said it was also important to find out what impact a new well or wells might have on existing wells in the neighbourhood.

Lindsay Mills reiterated that is important to be aware of potential water problems in these highly sensitive areas, when planning development.

Composition of Sustainability Committee

Councillor York said that since Bedford had two council members on the Sustainability Committee, he would like to be appointed as a second representative from Storrington.

Bedford Councillor Del Stowe said that he had asked to be part of the committee while it was developing plans for extending waste pickup to Bedford, and now that this was underway, he would be happy to leave the committee.

This led to a wider discussion of the whole question of township committees: their purpose and composition. Some felt the whole issue should be left to the new Council; others suggested the present Council should review the committee structure, and make recommendations to next year’s Council. They agreed to conduct a committee review in September.

Speed Limits on Township Roads

In September, Public Works Manager Mark Segsworth had approached Council with a recommendation to develop standardized criteria, which could be used to evaluate requests for reduced speed zones. At that time Council directed him to search the records for a previous policy. Meanwhile, the Transportation Association of Canada (TAC) has published (Dec 2009) guidelines, along with a program that evaluates various criteria such as: curves, intersections, adjacent land use, width of lanes, parking, pedestrian and cyclist exposure, roadside hazards, etc.

This makes it possible to quickly, objectively and consistently evaluate the speed limit appropriate for any given area, according to Mark Segworth. He recommended Council adopt the TAC guidelines for use in responding to requests for speed limits in the Township, particularly on secondary roads where the speed limit defaults to 80km/hr unless posted otherwise.

“The OPP have been extremely supportive of his efforts to develop an objective approach to addressing speed issues,” he added.

Ron Vandewal objected that the speed limits were too low already, and seldom obeyed. Del Stowe asked whether this would be administered proactively or reactively.

Mark Segsworth said that while it would probably be good to become more proactive, the township doesn’t have the resources to be much other than reactive. “The Township needs to demonstrate due diligence: probably we aren’t resourcing that function as well as we should.”

Councilors Fillion and Robinson were opposed to adopting a speed limit policy, fearing it would lead to unnecessary additional expenses. Councillors Stowe and Hahn spoke in support of the policy. No agreement was reached.

Two local Verona businesses and a Kingston charity event manager will be joining forces this weekend to host a day-long Charity Street Party on Saturday, May 22. All money raised will go to the "Child Development Centre" at Hotel Dieu Hospital.

Walker Street in Verona, a one-block-long street intersecting Road 38 in the middle of Verona will be closed to provide the venue. Road 38 will not be affected. The event will feature free admission and parking, live rock bands, and an all-day BBQ. While visitors are enjoying the food and music, they can have their car washed across the street.

Each of the sponsors of the event will have their own role to play. Verona Convenience Pizza and Sub will provide refreshments and a hamburger, hotdog, and sausage barbecue. Vaughan's Automotive will host the charity car wash, and The Forgotten Idols Group, a charity event manager, will arrange the entertainment. The Party starts at 12 noon and will go until 9PM.

Bands scheduled to play will include "Rock Bottom" and "Rubber Neck". The organizers hope to announce more bands at the opening of the party on Saturday.

Tax receipts will be available for donations over $20. All proceeds will be donated to the Hotel Dieu Hospital for the Child Development Centre (CDC). The CDC provides services for Kingston and area children who have neurological/physical or developmental disabilities or impairments.

For more information on the Verona Charity Street Party, or for an interview, please contact Kim or Gord Lanoue at 613-542-6541.

Gord and Kim Lanoue of the Forgotten Idols Charity Group help organizations and individuals raise funds for worthy causes

Organizers of the Charity Street Party held in Verona on May 22, Gord and Kim Lanoue, founders of the Forgotten Idols Benefit Concert Group, along with Aziz and Naseem Murji of Verona Convenience & Sub and Vaughan’s Automotive, hosted a charity fundraiser for the Child Development Centre (CDC) at Hotel Dieu Hospital in Kingston. The day included a BBQ, car wash and live entertainment that included local bands Rock Bottom, Rubber Neck and 12-year-old singer Mary-Lynn Neil of Kingston.

The Lanoues’ group, which has been up and running for four years, helps organizations and individuals raise funds through the aid of local musicians. In the past they have held events for the Kingston Food Bank and Habitat Kingston. They also organize private charity parties for families who have lost their homes to fire and other unforeseen disasters.

The Lanoues’ youngest boy, 12-year-old Jacob, has cerebral palsy and epilepsy and so this benefit for the CDC is an especially meaningful one for them. Members of the Verona community came out and enjoyed a day of food fun and live music for a very worthy cause.

Anyone interested in hiring the Forgotten Idols group can contact the Lanoues at 613 542-6541. For more information visit theforgottenidols.com

Brenda Kerr of Maple-Lim Farm

Vendors at the Frontenac Farmers Market in Verona enjoyed their first week outdoors and many vendors have set up shop in the New Donna Clarke Memorial Pavilion there.

The structure was built as a partnership between the Frontenac Farmers’ Market and the Verona Lions Club in memory of long-time Lions Club member Donna Clarke who left a bequest to the Lions to fund the project after her passing. The project also received generous support from the Frontenac Community Futures Development Corporation and it was completed in January.

The space is ideal for vendors who can back up their vehicles to the pavilion and set up with ease.

Vendor Judy Dumbleton of Judy’s Jams, Jellies and Jarfuls was pleased with the new digs. “Everyone is very happy to be outside enjoying the beautiful weather and the new pavilion makes setting up a lot easier.”

Saturday’s market vendors included the usual suspects and their array of fresh and local products: Maple-Lim Farm’s fresh meat and produce, D&D Garrett’s maple syrup products, baked goods, veggies and bedding plants from Sands Produce, tie dye clothing by the Tye Dye Lady, ecologically raised pork products by Haanover View Farms, ready to eat middle eastern dishes by Memories of Alexandria, jewelry by Debbie Harris and Sharlton cards by DSahron Sole. The South Frontenac Natural Environment Committee was also holding their annual tree sale in the pavilion and the Lions manned their kitchen, serving up meals.

Kaye Traynor of Kaye’s Klubhouse set up a craft corner for kids in one corner of the pavilion and was advertising her weekly summer camps for children aged 6-12, which she will be running this year at the Bellrock Community Hall.

The Donna Clarke Memorial Pavilion’s official opening will take place on Saturday May 29 at 8:45 am, a regular market day and all are welcome to attend.

The Frontenac Farmers’ Market is held every Saturday morning from 9-1pm and is located at the Verona Lions Centre, 4504 Verona Sand Rd. For more information visit www.frontenacfarmersmarket.ca

“Sisters by Heart” salutes women and the many hats they wear

Coinciding with Mother’s Day, "Sisters by Heart", a women’s group in Verona, held “Hats Off to Women” at the Free Methodist Church on May 10.

Over 100 moms, daughters, sisters and friends gathered for an evening of entertainment celebrating and recognizing all of the different hats that women wear as we go through our daily lives both in and outside the home.

Highlights of the evening included the video of the Mom Song, musical entertainment by Melissa Stott and Darlene Snider and guest speaker Sarah McNamee, a graduate of New Life Girls Home, a residential Christian program located in Consecon, Ontario geared to older teens and young women struggling with various problems like drug and alcohol addiction, self abuse and eating disorders.

McNamee, now a mother of four, spoke about her experience as a resident at the home and how it changed her life. A portion of the proceeds of the event were donated to the home.

Sisters by Heart is open to all women in the community and they hold four regular events per year. For more information contact Evelyn Snider at 613 374-2587

Public Works Issues

Public Works Manager Mark Segsworth reported purchase of a rubber-tired excavator, which will also have a brushing attachment. After test driving machines from the three lowest bidders, staff recommended the third lowest bid ($263,290) as the best unit for cost and functionality.

Council approved the bid of Roadlast Sealing and Asphalt Maintenance to complete the crack sealing work on Sydenham Road. Segsworth said the process should extend the life of this heavily used road by ten years, before it will need a full re-paving. He said that while the surface ‘looks bad’, the skid resistance of the road has increased significantly. This, combined with the shoulder paving, has greatly improvedthe road’s safety. He reminded Council, “Our (Township road) needs greatly outweigh our resources.”

Metro Line painting was awarded the road painting tender on the basis of their excellent performance last year.

Portland Dump

Council agreed “To direct the Public Works manager in conjunction with AECOM to follow up on the process to amend the Certifi cate of Approval for the Portland Dumpsite to allow for the receipt of brush.”

Council also agreed to purchase land adjacent to Portland dump from Robert Leonard for the sum of $116,075.

Verona Health Services Council also agreed to establish the Verona and District Health Services Committee as a committee of the township, separate and distinct from the Verona Community Association.

Members of the Wednesday Breakfast group of Verona offer their assistance at RKY Camp. Photo courtesy of Peter Bedoukian.

The RKY Camp, located on the shore of Eagle Lake near Parham and operated by the Rotary and Kiwanis clubs of Kingston and the Kingston Family YMCA, happily received a little help from a group of gentlemen well known for their generous community support and service.

On a recent sunny Wednesday and with summer camp season fast approaching, 11 members of the Wednesday Breakfast Group of Verona, a.k.a. the Romeos, donned hard hats and proceeded to demolish “Scotty’s cabin”, one of the old camper cabins that is being replaced as part of the RKY’s new refurbishment program.

Denny Buchanan, one of the Verona group’s members who is also a Rotarian, was approached by fellow Rotarian Mary Kloosterman who is also the executive director of the Kingston YMCA. Denny recalled, “Mary told us about the project and we thought we could help out.” He joked, “and because 80% of us are nice guys-we offered our services.”

The job took less time than expected; by noon the 11 members had accomplished their mission and what remained of Scotty’s cabin was just a pile of rubble.

Camp director Ryan Underhill described the camp’s refurbishment plan, which hopes to engage local community groups (like the Verona gentlemen) and other associations to assist with the refurbishment project, which is still in its early developmental stages. The 3 to 5-year project is aiming to replace many of the older, original camper cabins, some of which were built in the 1930s. The 80-year-old camp is replacing them with new, pre-fabricated wheelchair accessible cabins, which the Verona group and others plan to help assemble.

Ryan explained, “We have added new cabins in the past and now have reached our maximum capacity for new buildings. So now we are in the process of starting to replace the older ones.” He continued, “The plan will also include redeveloping our programs and is also looking to engage the community and local groups in all aspects of the project and create new community partnerships, which is how the Verona group of gentlemen ended up here helping out."

The camp has 29 buildings which include 13 camper cabins, 7 staff cabins, an infirmary, a number of programming cabins and the Churchill Centre, which was built in 1935 and was the original dining hall. It now acts as the main arts and crafts building.

The camp, which serves 145 campers throughout their regular summer camp, also runs programs for local school students and other groups.

For more information please contact Ryan Underhill at 613-546-2647 ext. 236

Strong Support for Verona Medical Centre

In February, John McDougall came to Council on behalf of the Verona and District Health Services Committee of the Verona Community Association. He spoke of the Verona community’s decision to purchase the Verona Medical Centre as an incentive to attract a doctor who would take over the clinic on Dr. Dempsey’s pending retirement. McDougall noted that the province’s discontinuation of the rural doctor incentive package has added to the difficulty of attracting a doctor to the Verona clinic, which serves 2200 South Frontenac residents. One of the possibilities raised in that discussion was the development of a township health services support policy.

This week, McDougall, Don Coleman and Jim Lansdell returned to hear Council’s discussion of their proposal that the township assume ownership of the medical centre, with all expenses being covered by a lease negotiated with the doctor or doctors.

Council was unanimous in their support of the general concept, and directed the CAO to bring a detailed report on the various issues and details that would need to be addressed. All agreed that the present community association would not be expected to manage the building.

McDougall was delighted that council also seemed willing to consider matching community fundraising dollar for dollar. Tax receipts would be issued through the township. The topic of the Verona Clinic will be brought to a regular council meeting for formal decisions.

Assistance Program for Upgrading Private Lanes

Public Works Manager Segsworth advised that the township’s assistance program for upgrading private lanes had been successful, but not heavily used last year. He recommended it be repeated this year. Under the program, resident associations that apply to the township may have up to 50% of their road upgrading expenses refunded. Applicant roads will be inspected both before and after the work is done, and the roadwork has to have been fully paid for before the rebate will be issued. Segsworth emphasised that the purpose of the program is to make private lanes safely accessible to emergency vehicles, and priority will be given to those most in need of improvement. The program is for shared lanes, not driveways. Councilor Robinson expressed disapproval of the program, saying that often, some residents along a lane are unwilling to share the costs of roadwork. “We’re biting off more than we can chew,” he said.

Segsworth said the township left sharing of costs up to the road associations to sort out, and repeated that all work had to be fully completed as agreed, and paid for, before the township would give the rebate. Application deadline is July 9; complete program details are on the township website.

Annual report re waste disposal sites

Guy LaPorte of AECOM presented his annual review of the township’s waste disposal sites. All sites are environmentally monitored: the MOE has shown particular concern about the surface water impact of the Portland site, referring to it as “an island of waste.’ Deputy Mayor Vandewal reminded Council that they had agreed to set up a brush disposal site, but had not done so yet.

From left to right Ian Wilson, Lions Bazil Gillespie, Wayne Conway (President), John McDougall and Judy Conway. Absent from photo Jim Lansdell.  Photo taken by Louise Day.

The Verona Lions Club donates $10,000 to the University Hospitals Kingston Foundation Children’s Wing.

In 2009, the Verona Lions Club received a generous legacy gift upon the passing of one of its very active members, Donna Clarke. Ms. Clarke had enjoyed a very full and rewarding career as an educator with the Frontenac County Board of Education and it was her wish that her legacy gift be used by the Verona Lions Club for the benefit of local children.