In 1934, the Olden Pioneer’s Monument commemorating the 80th anniversary of the actual settlement in Olden was located next to the Mountain Grove four crossings. Relocation for the second time came in the early 1950’s with a road change. The plaque was moved to the top of a high rock at the four crossings. After receiving permission from the Central Frontenac Township, there has now been a third relocation. The Plaque is at the base of the rock, rather than being at the top, in order to create an accessible viewing place.

There were many volunteers who made this possible. One volunteer was Dale Meeks who donated his time, heavy lifting, and an antique iron wheel. Bill Wolf donated his time and his John Deere for site preparation. Bill Uens and Nic Smith gave their time and heavy lifting as well. Lyn and Arlene Uens designed and fabricated a frame for the plaque as well as a concrete base to hold the wheel design. Curtis Trailers Kaladar donated the steel. A big thank you goes out to all the volunteers. Please come out to the site to see it for yourself!

The Central Frontenac Minor Softball Association kicked off the 2017 season Saturday in Mountain Grove with its registration session.

Association president Kurtis Jackson said the on-field season will get underway in mid-May, depending on field conditions and the weather and continue into mid-August (the bantam and junior men’s teams schedule go a little longer).

They’ll be fielding six mixed teams and one girls bantam team this year with seven home games and six away games. Home games are played in Sharbot Lake, Parham and Mountain Grove. Away games can be as far away as Lansdowne and Gananoque.

“We’re affiliated with the Kingston Area Inter-Community Softball Association,” Jackson said. “All of the teams except Grasshoppers play away games.”

They have the players all lined up but they could still use some coaches and even more important — umpires. There is a training session scheduled for April 22 and if you’re interested, call Annette Grey-Jackson at 613-449-0060 for details.

The Association is also planning a volleyball tournament fundraiser for April 8 at GREC. Call Christine Teal at 613- 375-6525 for more on that and/or visit the Association’s Facebook page.

This year’s executive is Kurtis Jackson, president, Ryan Beattie, vice-president, Leanne Cowdy, secretary, Christine Teal, treasurer and Annette Grey-Jackson, equipment/umpires.

Area reps are Marcie Asselstine, Sharbot Lake, Owen Tryon, Parham and Jamie Riddell, Mountain Grove.

Central Frontenac Mayor Frances Smith and Kingston Frontenac Public Library Board Chair Claudette Richardson cut the ribbon officially opening the brand new Mountain Grove Library last Friday. The library, which is attached to the fire hall, was made possible through a $110,000 grant by the federal Ministry of Innovation, Science and Economic Development under the Canada 150 Community Infrastructure Program. “We all need books, we all need to read and we all need to learn,” said Smith.

As history books, however complete and comprehensive they may be, tend to be rather dry reads.

But Marion Sly Hart’s new offering, Hart to Heart, My Life in Poems is not one of those.

Make no mistake, it is a history book, the history of the Mountain Grove area and particularly its people. But it’s told more in the style of a memoir, with the unique twist of being primarily poems, most of which consist of rhymed couplets. And, it’s a very easy read, with many interesting historical photos and the inclusion of Hart’s family tree, which incidentally can be traced back to the Pilgrims and the Mayflower.

She has a rich cultural history with Mohawk, Scottish and English ancestry on her father’s side and Algonquin, French and English on her mother’s.

But Hart was born, raised, married and raised her family in Mountain Grove and therein lies the focus.

She’s been working on the book “since 1983 at least” compiling some of her dad’s stories in three ring binders and writing her poems from them and other source material.

For those who don’t know Hart, from her writing style you may be surprised to learn she didn’t get her Grade 12 until she was 36. She did however supplement this with several writing and word processing courses.

But, she freely admits she doesn’t know just how she writes her poems and prose.

“Most days, I can’t put two words together,” she said. “When I get writing, it just comes.

“I think it must come from the Lord.”

Her book should be an interesting read to anyone with Mountain Grove connections. She weaves many names, incidents and histories together and although told from her perspective, her poetic stories should strike many familiar notes.
And they’re told in a rather welcoming folksy style.

In particular, her account of the train bringing her grandfather, who had been killed in a hunting accident, home to Sharbot Lake makes one feel like they were standing on the platform with her on that day many years ago.

Hart credits Bill Willis with helping her get the book actually published and former Frontenac News editor Jule Koch with inspiration, writing tips and encouragement.

Most of the original run of 200 soft-cover books (176 at last count) have been “spoken for” (ie sold) but copies will be available at Pharmasave in Sharbot Lake and Shabot Obaadjiwan Smoke Shop. There’s a book signing planned at the Cardinal Cafe during the Heritage Festival as well as the Mountain Grove Seniors meeting Feb. 8 and the Bedford Jam in Glendower Hall Feb. 25.

As well, copies have been donated to GREC and Land O’Lakes Public School and the Kingston Frontenac Library has two copies, on in its local authors section and one in its archives.

$1 from each book sale will be donated to the Food Bank.

Meghan Robinson, a local artist and dancer, along with storyteller and musician Laurie Clark, gave kids at Land O'Lakes Public School (LOLPS) a fun and musical introduction to hula hooping on Monday morning.

Robinson, who lives in Clarendon, taught students the basics of “hooping” while Clark, who lives in McDonald's Corners, played a wide range of instruments, creating different soundscapes for Robinson to interpret with her hula hoop.

Robinson started the workshop by dancing while Clark told an Algonquin tale, with musical interludes, that got the kids excited to try the hooping themselves.

The students really took to the lessons and were dancing around the gym in no time, spinning the hoops around their arms, hips, and necks and laughing out loud, all the while trying to impress the teachers by their newfound dance skills.

started hooping 4.5 years ago and has since started offering courses in the area. A couple of teachers from LOLPs took Robinson's course and thought it would be a great idea to bring her to the school to workshop the dancing with the students.

This hooping workshop was part of Blue Skies In The Community, an outreach program that has been fostering the arts, artists, and musicians in the area since 1988.

Blue Skies In The Community has been responsible for Sheesham and Lotus, Craig Cardiff, and ukelele master James Hill visiting LOLPS in the past and performing for the kids.

Thanks to guest photographer Tyson Ross for taking some of the photos for the article.

About 1855, Daniel Scott and Phoebe Parks, of American Loyalist families, came with their young family up the Salmon River from Hay Bay and Sheffield and settled on the river just below the current Arden town site. They made a livelihood there and other places in Kennebec and their children had families there and many remain today, living happily with an ever-greater extended Scott family, marrying with other settlers and later arrivals. Other Scotts arrived about the same time and have also stayed here.

In the 1860s and 70s, two Cox families arrived from St. Giles, Quebec and settled in the Mountain Grove area; a third family stayed in Quebec. They had emigrated from County Monaghan, Ireland early in the 1830s. They farmed and thrived in Olden and Kennebec and joined in marriage with other families in the area, and many continue to enjoy lives here in Central Frontenac.

Other Scotts and Coxes together with other families have moved to other parts of Ontario, Western Canada and the United States in search of new jobs, livelihoods and other opportunities. In the early 1900s we saw large numbers of our ancestors leave to take up farms on the Prairies. Although some have returned and some come back for holidays, some emigrant Coxes and Scotts have never been back and have lost touch with kin who have stayed to look after our homelands.

For many years some of us 'from away' have thought about coming back for a Kennebec and Olden reunion. Some of us have worked together on family history and have been able to reconnect somewhat in that way. While we have thought about gathering, many of our elders and family knowledge carriers have passed on, taking all their experience and wisdom with them. Every year it’s too late to meet and learn from some of our history carriers. We need to get together now!

So, although it’s last-minute, a small group of us have decided to begin the important process of gathering family together Saturday, October 15 and Sunday, October 16. We call out to all Kennebec Scotts and Olden Coxes and their related families to gather back in their homelands to get to know each other, to visit and share our stories, our family histories and our place in it and to have some family fun!! Please bring your old family pictures, film, Bibles, memorabilia and keepsakes. Come prepared to share your stories - humorous and serious!

The gathering is free and open to all with an interest in getting together and sharing our family experiences and history. We will visit the old family home sites and trails. On Saturday Elders Leigh and Dale Scott will guide us around the Daniel Scott and Phoebe Parks sites. Cox descendants will show us around the Cox family homesteads. We will have lunch together, on Saturday at the Arden Legion and on Sunday at the Mountain Grove Community Hall, and give thanks to the generosity of family who have stayed here and kept the homelands and the home fires burning while the rest of us were away.

We will have family histories available for you to study, change and add to with your own family tree. Kellie Cox Love and other genealogists will be with us to help. Family pipe major Reg Scott of the Kalamalka Highlanders Pipe Band, who was born here in Arden, will call us to gather, celebrate our ancestors at the old homesteads and salute them at the burial grounds.

We invite you to join us at this inaugural Kennebec Scott and Olden Cox gathering October 15 & 16. For information please contact:

Harvey & Evelyn Scott; This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.; 780-675-4158

Reg & Heather Scott: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.; 250-545-4280

Sherri Scott: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.; 613-335-3759

Kellie Love: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.; 705-439-2983

On September 26, Land O' Lakes Public School hosted its 10th annual Timber Wolf Run. North Addington & Granite Ridge Education Centres, as well as Prince Charles and Clarendon Central Public Schools sent students from grades 1 to 8 to participate with the Land O' Lakes students.

Jen Meulenaar, the Grade 1/2 teacher and running coach for Land O' Lakes Public School, organizes the Timber Wolf Run along with the help of staff, volunteer parents and former students. “This is a great chance to get the northern schools and southern schools together to have some fun and get some exercise,” Meulenaar said. “The kids always enjoy it.” This year, the students of Land O' Lakes also learned about Terry Fox and raised $84 for the Terry Fox Foundation.

In preparation for the Fort Henry Regional Meet next Thursday, students from grades 1 and 2 ran 1km; grades 3 and 4 ran 2km; and grades 5 through 8 ran 3km (distances approximate) up and over the hills behind the school.

The results were:

GRADE 1/2 Girls: 1. Savanna Rose PCPS; 2. Lexie McCullough GREC; 3. Poppy Miller PCPS

GRADE 1/2 Boys: 1. Jackson Mosher LOLPS; 2. Parker Beeg CCPS; 3. Talan Stubinski PCPS

GRADE 3/4. Girls: 1. Chloe Saunders LOLPS; 2. Natsuki Ono LOLPS; 3. Cassie Tryon LOLPS

GRADE 3/4 Boys: 1. Logan Chiasson GREC; 2. Ryder Mallett LOLPS; 3. Drake Thomas PCPS

GRADE 5/6 – Girls: 1. Rylee Beattie GREC; 2. Julia Cuddy NAEC; 3. Alexus Wagner NAEC

GRADE 5/6 Boys: 1. Vann Thomas PCPS; 2. Lincoln Elliotte PCPS; 3. Josh Rowe PCPS

GRADE 7/8 Girls: 1. Lexus Cochrane PCPS; 2. Heidi Riddell LOLPS; 3. Katie Tryon LOLPS

GRADE 7/8 Boys: 1. Braydon Dunham GREC; 2. Mason MacDonald PCPS; 3. Gregory Ross CCPS

Nominees have been announced for the 2016 Canadian Folk Music Awards, with fiddler Jessica Wedden being nominated in the category of Young Performer of the Year. Submissions for the CFMAs were received from across Canada there are a total of five nominees in each category.

The nomination was based on the song on her first CD entitled “Fiddling is My Passion”, which was recorded at the age of 12, just three and a half years after she started to play the fiddle. To qualify for this category, the entrant must be under 19 at the time of recording. Jessica is presently 14 years old.

She is from the Sharbot Lake area and started playing fiddle with the Blue Skies Community Fiddle Orchestra. She then broadened her learning experience with private lessons from professional fiddler, Cindy Thompson of Almonte. To date, , profiled in Celtic Life magazine from Nova Scotia, and has performed at the 2016 Havelock Jamboree, Ottawa’s 2015 CityFolk Music Festival, Perth's 2016 Stewart Park Music Festival Youth Showcase and the 2016 Almonte CeltFest. Fiddling is her passion!

Wedden is one of three local musicians nominated for CFM Awards this year.

Frontenac News contributing reporter and man about town in Mountain Grove, Jonas Bonnetta, of Evening Hymms has been nominated as Emerging Artist of the Year for his third release, Quiet Energies, from 2015.

Finally, the decorated Elphin-based singer/songwriter David Francey, a three-time Juno Award winner, has been nominated for Contemporary Album of the Year for Empty Train.

Thirteen-year-old Blayne Thompson from Mountain Grove plays left field for the Peewee Napanee Express baseball team. The Express played in the Eastern Canadian Championships in Bellechasse, Quebec, which were held August 25-28, and they won the tournament.

Blaine had been playing in the Central Frontenac League until this year when he decided to try out for the Express. He has been travelling to League games and tournaments all summer. The qualifying tournament for the championships took place in Stratford.

Francis and Linda Manion and Sharbot Lake Pharmasave have sponsored him, helping to cover some of the tournament costs.

The Express were undefeated in the tournament.

Central Frontenac Council paid their annual visit to Mountain Grove, meeting at the Olden Hall on Tuesday afternoon, May 24.

Tax sale success

Treasurer Michael McGovern brought some good news to Council regarding the recent sale of properties for which back taxes were owing. The sale was completed on May 12.

Of the eight properties on offer, one was redeemed by the owner through the payment of the outstanding taxes; five were sold, and two did not receive any bids. Of the five properties that sold, all of them went for substantially more than the reserve bid, including one that sold for over $165,000 and another that sold for over $213,000.

The total haul for the township, some of which needs to be shared with Frontenac County and the Ministry of Education, who were owed taxes on them, was over $600,000.

McGovern said that another sale will be held in the fall.

Tulips for Canada 150

Council decided to support a proposal by Villages Beautiful to do special plantings of red and white tulips around the township in honour of Canada's 150th anniversary next year.

Float Trailer

On the recommendation of Public Works Manager John Badgley, Council approved the purchase of a tandem axle float trailer for $26,500 from Float King. The float will be painted red, the township's colours, at no extra cost. The bid was the lowest of five that were received.

Crosswalk for Crow Lake

Karen and Dan Lahey from the Oaks Cottages on Crow Lake Road came to Council in support of a written request they had submitted, asking that a pedestrian crosswalk be established in the village of Crow Lake.

Pointing out that the 40 km/hr speed limit on Crow Lake Road in the village is not adhered to, and that their guests as well as others on the north side of the road need to cross the road to access the lake, they asked that the township take action.

Mayor Frances Smith said that before deciding how to proceed, the township needs to solicit the opinion of the public works department, and a motion to refer the matter to Public Works was passed. The matter will come back to Council in June, however, so any changes that are made will be in place for the summer season this year.

Seniors' month proclaimed

The township proclaimed June as Seniors' Month in honour of the contributions made by seniors to the local communities. On June 28, the Central Frontenac Seniors of the Year, one from each district, will be announced at a council meeting in Sharbot Lake.