Photo top left: Along the parade route there was lots of anticipation, then smiles and cheers as the floats made their way through the village. 

Photo top right: a group of youngsters catch their first glimpse of Santa in Harrowsmith

 A week of vastly fluctuating temperatures made for a wide range of conditions at this year’s Santa Claus parades, which took place in South, Central and North Frontenac on Dec 1 & 2. But in spite of the weather, all the parades were well organized and attended. While parades in Harrowsmith, Sydenham and Sharbot Lake for the most part took place under clear skies and average temperatures, parade goers and participants in the Parham/Tichborne parade had to pull out wet weather gear for their trip down Road 38, where above normal temperatures and constant rain made for a long, wet ride. 

In the north, for the Plevna/Ompah parade, whose organizers at one time claimed it to be one of, if not the longest parade route in North America, participants had a chillier time as they traveled after sundown from the township offices in Plevna all the way to the Ompah Community Centre in a ride took them close to an hour and a half. Kudos to all of the various parade participants and sponsors who this year contributed a plethora of colourful floats and whose time and efforts have once again made for a memorable and festive kick off to the upcoming holiday season.

 Photo bottom left: The Plevna Pioneer Club's float was all aglow at the after dark parade that traveled from Plevna to Ompah this year. 

Photo mid: riders Shannon Gray and Denise Nedow all decked out for the Parham/Tichborne parade

Photo bottom right: The Sharbot Lake Farmers Marketeers dressed as snowmen for the parade on Saturday.

Photo by Michelle Ross

While politicians debate and debate some more about the location of a new fire hall and/or ambulance station the volunteers continue to serve the community.

On July 5 the Ompah firefighters and EFR team staged a pretend jet ski accident on Canonto Lake to practice water rescue and emergency care procedures. After arrival at the shore access point, suiting up, and preparing equipment to access the injured person in the water rescuers paddled out to the inured person in a special rescue boat. After returning to shore rescuers lifted the collared patient to a backboard for transportation in a rescue trailer via ATV to the waiting (pretend) air ambulance.

On July 9, 20 firefighters from Plevna, Ompah, and Snow Road stations participated in a wild fire fighting training exercise. Following Ministry of Natural Resources guidelines and overseen by Carl Hertendy, the firefighters practiced wild fire fighting procedures in a 5 acre area of the gravel pit located in Robertsville. A team of firefighters from Denbigh was also on hand to help out and advise.

Many thanks to these dedicated volunteers who commit their time to insure they are fully prepared for emergency events.

Ompah library committee still wants their 2 hours

Marily Seitz and Janice Arthur came to a meeting of North Frontenac Council this week seeking further support in their battle to restore two hours a week to service at the Ompah branch of the Kingston Frontenac Public Library.

When the Plevna branch was closed for almost two years due to mould problems in the Clar-Mill Hall where it had been housed, Ompah's hours were upped from six to 10.

“During that time frame use at the Ompah branch doubled,” said Marily Seitz.

A new Plevna branch was constructed in what had been a portable classroom at Glenburnie, which was relocated to Plevna, and the new branch includes an enhanced computer area. In order to encourage use at the Plevna branch, the library board decided to open it for 10 hours a week, and cut the Ompah branch’s hours back to four a week, two less than it had before the Plevna branch was closed.

The Ompah library users want those two hours back, but several appeals to the library board have fallen on deaf ears.

“North Frontenac Council and Frontenac County Council have sent recommendations to the library board and they have not been responded to. Two motions to reinstate two hours were rejected by the library board,” said Marily Seitz. “We feel that we are taxpayers too and we are not receiving the library services we are entitled to.”

A petition asking for a return of the hours, signed by over 100 Ompah residents, was also sent to the library board.

“What happened with the petition?” asked Councilor Fred Perry.

“The library devoted staff time to vetting the list, and they determined that only 24 of the people who signed were library members and therefore they discounted it,” said Marily Seitz.

One member of Frontenac County Council sits on the board of the Kingston Frontenac Public Library (KFPL) and the council also appoints two community members. When the new four-year community appointments were made last fall, Paige Cousineau, a member of the Ompah Library users group, was one of the appointees, along with Sydenham resident Wilma Kenny. The county council member on the library board is John Purdon from Central Frontenac.

“So what do you want done now?” asked Mayor Bud Clayton. “We could restate our position by affirming our motion asking for the hours to be reinstated, and be prepared to look at further steps.”

“I think you will have to be prepared for further steps,” said Seitz. “Library staff say it will cost $3,000 more a year for two more hours and if the library won't budget for it maybe North Frontenac can.”

Other items from North Frontenac Council -

Business Development Association formed – Councilor Betty Hunter informed council that the first meeting of a new business group has taken place. The first thing they looked at was the township’s business directory, which requires an update. More meetings are planned and Hunter said that the Addington Highlands committee might be approached to work with North Frontenac. A second meeting is planned for March 29 (see Northern Happenings).

Policing Advisory Committee: Two members of council and one member of staff attended a meeting in Smiths Falls with the OPP Regional commander Gerry Salisbury. Councilor Gerry Martin reported that he felt better informed about how the OPP is funded by local tax dollars and provincial dollars, and said that once a policing advisory committee is up and running the township may be able to have more input into the strategic planning direction at the Sharbot Lake detachment.

The township received a letter from Bob Bateman from Shabomeka Lake about maintenance on an un-maintained township road that runs between two pieces of private land that is used extensively in the summer and periodically in the winter by seasonal residents. Township CAO Cheryl Robson proposed that the township respond to Bateman with a letter stating that the township is not going to do maintenance on that piece of road and that in order for him to do it he must demonstrate that he has obtained $2 million in liability insurance. Mr. Bateman will be invited to a meeting the township is setting up with a number of residents that have issues with maintenance on pieces of un-maintained township roads.

New deputy chief: The township has appointed Denis Bedard as Deputy Fire Chief for the Ompah station.

Bear Wise: the township has applied for funding from the provincial Bear Wise program to cover most of the costs for a 2,600 square foot solar-powered electric fence to deter bears at the Plevna waste site on Buckshot Lake Road. The grant would pay $18,244, leaving about $2,000 in in-kind costs for the township, such as for brushing, removal of trees, etc. along the fence line.

Photo: Rev. Raymond Klatt breaks the sod as Ron Lemke, at left, and others look on by Katie Ohlke

A once-retired church bell will soon be ringing out a new call to worship on Highway 506 near Plevna, and if all goes as planned, its melodies will be heard by this Christmas.

Members, friends, and well-wishers of the River of Life Christian Fellowship gathered on June 12 for a ground-breaking service at the building site of their new church.

Ron Lemke, Chair of the Board of Trustees, gave a brief history of the fellowship and outlined the plans for the building.

About two and a half years ago, a group of Christians in the Plevna area, who had been attending other churches father afield, such as the Vennachar church and various Perth churches, began meeting together at the home of one of the group’s couples.

Among them was the Rev. Raymond Klatt, who had pastored at various area churches and retired in 2005. However, when he and his wife Marjorie moved back to Plevna, they and the others felt the need for an evangelical church in their own area and the group began fundraising for the project.

They took their name from the Biblical text, John 7:38, “Whoever believes in me …rivers of living water will flow from within them”.

Almost immediately, the vision started to become a reality when Reuben and Joyce Lemke told the fellowship that they would donate however much land was needed for the church. Then, over the following years, enough money came in to survey the lot and hire an architect.

Ron Lemke said it was hard to keep up as things started to happen - “It is incredible what the Lord has done here.” He also said that the reason for the new church is to point people to the “meaningful purpose that God can bring to their lives.”

At first, the group did not know what denomination the church should belong to, but decided on the Wesleyan Church of Canada, and the church’s Superintendent of the Central District, Rev. Don Hodgins, was the guest speaker at the sod turning.

Coincidentally, Rev. Hodgins had ministered in the area about 35 years ago, as the pastor of the Pineview Free Methodist Church in Cloyne, and had seen the need then for an evangelical church in Plevna.

Mayor Bud Clayton brought greetings from the township, and said that at a time when churches are closing, it is refreshing that a new one is being built.

The plans are for a 47ft. x 47 ft. building with a 120-seat sanctuary. The church will also have a drive-through canopy and a tower that will house the bell from a closed Anglican church in Morven, Ont. The group has taken out a mortgage for $300,000, but already has $80,000 in their building fund.

Rev. Klatt will be the church’s pastor. At present the group has three Bible studies and the average attendance for the month of May was 38 in their morning services

After the ground-breaking service a lunch was held at the community hall in Plevna.

The little United Churches in Ompah and Plevna were filled with song and stories on Sunday afternoon, May 19, as members and friends of the former congregations commemorated the long history of their beloved churches.

In December, after the painful decision to close the pastoral charge at the end of 2012, the church buildings were officially deconsecrated, but timing and weather did not allow for a full commemoration at that time. People in the church and in the broader community wanted an opportunity to come together again to remember and honour the many people and events that make up the rich heritage of the United Church in this area.

The May long weekend provided that opportunity, and close to a hundred people came – past and present residents, both year-round and seasonal, family members, former ministers and student ministers who had served the charge, and United Church representatives from nearby and farther away.

Before each service, people gathered to exchange greetings and view the photo displays posted on the walls. Then everyone settled into the pews to hear two pieces of choral music sung by the Ompah Community Choir, which regularly practised in the church after being started in early 1997 by then-student minister Kathy Walton.

The music continued with hymns throughout each service – traditional favourites chosen in advance by members of the congregations. They were accompanied by Don Timmins in Plevna and John Inglis in Ompah, where Richard Emery followed in his father's footsteps by leading the singing.

Brief histories of the churches were read, dating back to the 1880s, when the Plevna church was built. Its 75-dollar cost was offset by members purchasing seats for $4 apiece! A few years later, the Ompah church was built using working bees and donated lumber. In 1896, the minister for the combined "mission" earned a yearly salary of $145. Not much money, but lots of people – the combined congregation numbered 441 in 1925 when the United Church was formed.

Shared memories formed the heart of the commemoration events, as people recalled sad times and happy ones, childhood experiences, special occasions and wonderful people, bringing forth laughter and tears. Rev. David Spivey, who retired (again) in 2011 after five years serving the charge, offered a moving reflection, reminding us that although the buildings will no longer be there for us to gather in, the church itself is the people, "the Body of Christ", and we continue on in the Spirit. There were also messages of hope and affection from a number of former ministers, and from representatives of the United Church Presbytery and Conference to which the pastoral charge belonged.

The afternoon concluded with a lovely lunch prepared by the neighbouring congregation of Emmanuel Pastoral Charge (Cloyne, Flinton and Northbrook) – a heartwarming example of the caring and solidarity that are at the core of the church.

Afterwards, the organizers – Betty Kelford, Helen Forsey and Betty Hunter, named as a planning committee in December and later joined by Ellie Leakey and Ed Rohr – were very pleased with the dual event. They said it was "a lovely way to say a faith-full goodbye to our little churches as we move into the future."

"If I had two wooden legs they'd be knocking together up here," was how Bonnie Ray described her nervousness in giving her testimony at the River of Life Christian Fellowship's first anniversary.

Since Bonnie had been introduced by the church's pastor, Rev. Raymond Klatt, as "driving off on an ATV", those who don't know her and didn't have her in full view did not at first realize that she was only partly joking. Bonnie does have one "wooden leg", a prosthesis that has been adorned with a beautiful feather painted by local artist Gabriela Klaessen.

Bonnie was the main speaker at the new church's first anniversary celebration on May 12. She described how God helped her through the accident that caused the amputation of her leg, and the long healing process that followed. More recently, for five years she and her husband Paul provided their home as the meeting place for a group of local Christians, who eventually were able to build the new church.

Since its opening last May, the church has already grown. Attendance has doubled from when the group used to meet in the Rays' home, and thanks to generous donations to the building fund, a substantial portion of the church's building loan has been repaid in one year.

The accomplishment of so much in what is a relatively sparsely populated rural area gave the congregation much to celebrate at the anniversary service, which was also a Mother's Day celebration. There was special music by Garry and Denise Frizzell of Tamworth with their son Nathan, and the church's worship team, Ken and Freya Gibson, Ron Lemke, and Lois and Jack Weber. Another highlight was the blowing of a traditional shofar by Don Steen. The shofar is a trumpet made from a ram's horn, which was used in Biblical times. The service was followed by a bountiful fellowship lunch with an anniversary cake made by Elaine Gunsinger.

River of Life is located at 7064 Road 506, Plevna. For information, phone Rev. Klatt at 613-479-0059.

Emotions were running high at the 50th Anniversary celebrations that took place at Clarendon Central Public School in Plevna on April 13. Over 200 past and present staff and students, along with friends and family gathered at the school to reunite, celebrate and share their feelings about their time spent at the small rural school, which has served the community for 50 years.

At noon, a special ceremony headed up by co-chairs of the 50th anniversary committee, Brenda Martin and Heather White, recognized the efforts of those who have helped to make the school a lively and loving educational institution over the past five decades.

Visitors were first addressed by the school’s current principal Dave Allison, North Frontenac Mayor Bud Clayton, and School Trustee Ann Goodfellow. A special anniversary message from former CCPS student Erin Gunsinger (Ibey), who graduated from the school 25 years ago in 1988, highlighted CCPS's important role in the community. She spoke of the rapid changes in the world since her graduation, that it has become a global village and said, “That is not such a bad thing.” In her words, “As annoying as the lack of privacy might be, when it comes down to it, small communities like Plevna still exist because the people here come through for one another.”

She spoke of her childhood growing up in Plevna and the wealth of outdoor opportunities she experienced. She spoke of the school and reminisced about her favorite memories: crazy carpeting, tubing and skiing in winter, walking the old log monkey bars in the playground, and huddling around the school’s cutting edge Commodore 64 computer. “I went to CCPS in the days when kids got to ring the bell, run the ditto machine and hoist the Canadian flag up the pole. We sang O Canada and recited the Lord's prayer every morning”, she recalled. She marveled at how the school has managed to thrive despite “enduring times of economic hardship and radical change. One of the foundations of this community is its school. It's something that we all have in common and it stands as a testament to the enduring spirit of this unique remote rural village and the tough and resourceful, good-hearted people who live here.”

The ceremony continued with a rousing video of current students singing the old CCPS school song, and a plethora of special anniversary mugs and other mementos were presented to former staff and students.

Throughout the day, visitors reminisced about their time at CCPS while perusing the five specially designated “decades” classrooms, which were decorated with school nostalgia and memorabilia. Former student Jody Spingle, who graduated from CCPS in 1988 and who now works in construction and project management in Ottawa, is fondly remembered as a former tether ball champion at CCPS. She said, “It's great to reconnect with students and teachers that I haven't seen for 25 years. I have such fond memories especially of the teachers here and my school days here are one thing that I would never change.”

Gina Kellar (Gore), who graduated from CCPS in 1973 and still resides in Plevna, came to see her old teachers with her husband Rick, who received recognition as a graduate of the first class of 1963.

Brenda Martin said she was thrilled with the exceptional turn out and was pleased to see so many former students and staff. “Many of the teachers who taught here in the '60s and '70s didn't think that they would ever come back to the school, so for them and some of their former students the day has really meant a lot.”

Martin said that these anniversaries can tend to be so emotional because, “People have very formative memories from their school days and for me as a teacher and principal you get really attached to your students.” Kudos to all who made for a very special day that will long be remembered in years to come. Those interested in purchasing a commemorative year book of the 50th Anniversary celebrations and/or a DVD highlighting the day’s events, contact the school at 613-479-2264.

It is no surprise that the plans for a 50-year anniversary celebration at Clarendon Central Public School (CCPS) in Plevna began with two women who both have had a long and rich history there.

Heather White, an early graduate and former caretaker at the school, and Brenda Martin, one of the school's former principals, began thinking about a 50-year anniversary celebration close to a year and a half ago. The two formed a committee to organize the event, which is open to everyone and will take place at the school on Saturday, April 13 from 10am - 4pm.

The event is to remember and celebrate the beloved community school whose motto continues to be “Working Together, Learning Together, Growing Together”. Construction began on the school in 1961 and was completed in 1963 when it was officially opened. Clarendon Central would end up replacing 14 smaller schools in the surrounding area, including the Ardoch, Plevna, Fernleigh and Ompah school houses. John Walton was the school's first principal and its first teachers were Elinor (Burke) Black, Gail Wilson and Ernest Young. In 1988 plans were underway to add a gymnasium to the school, which was completed in 1992.

To this day the school continues to serve students and their families with a continued dedication to the arts, new technology, and hands on skills.

Brenda Martin was school principal from 1984-88 and headed up the silver anniversary celebrations in 1988. She spoke of what the school has meant to her over the years. “I was always impressed by the many talented students who attended the school over the years. So many of them were incredibly talented in the arts and technology areas and they really benefited from the many artists who came to the school to teach them a number of different skills, like wood working, tie-dying and mask making.” Many of those objects will be on display at the event.

Martin also spoke of the intimacy of the school because of its size, which is just under 100 students in total from kindergarten to grade 8. “Clarendon Central is a very unique little country school and teaching there was always been such a joy because the curriculum for the entire school could be so easily integrated.”

She recalled some of her favorite memories, which included bringing the students to her cottage where they learned about outdoor education: ice fishing, snow shoeing, native traditions and more. "I remember when the students paddled canoes down the Mississippi River to pick wild rice; it was such an intimate experience and I'm sure some of those students still carry with them some of those memories to this day.”

Martin is hoping to re-ignite some of those memories at the upcoming anniversary celebrations, where classrooms will designated by the various decades and special activities and events will be taking place in each location. Visitors will see displays of old photos and will be invited to participate in a number of special activities like trivia challenges, sock hops and other events from school days gone by.

In the '60s room pictures of the various old schoolhouses that CCPS replaced along with examples of furniture and school equipment from that era will be on display. The later years of the school will focus on new technology at the school including its smart boards and computers. Hungry visitors will be able to enjoy a '60s style cafe with hotdogs, hamburgs and sodas. There will also be a raffle for a number of special hand made items by former students, which include an oak blanket box by Brian Lemke, an original painting by Gleva Lemke and an original sketch by Carrie White.

At noon, a ceremony will take place with a welcome by current school principal Dave Allison, LDSB trustee Ann Goodfellow and North Frontenac Mayor Bud Clayton. There will also be available for purchase a 50th Anniversary year book titled "Remember When" and orders will be taken for a special DVD recording of the day's events.

Organizers hope to see everyone come out to help celebrate this special event at CCPS.

Clarendon Central Public School in Plevna will be celebrating its 50th anniversary on Sat. April 13 from 10 a.m. -4 p.m. Everyone is welcome whether you attended the school or not. For community members who moved into the area in retirement, you might wish to see how the little country school evolved. In the Sixties Decade room there will be a display about the schools that amalgamated prior to the construction of CCPS.

Photos still misssing! Students from the sixties and seventies do you have at least one photo to share? It might not be one taken at school, but one from home when you were school age. The Decade room organizers have worked very hard to put together great displays and we do not want to miss seeing your cute or funny face. Please contact Heather @ 479-5549; Mona @ 479-2868; or Cindy @ 479-2561, if you can loan any photos or items from the 60's and 70's.

The Committee has arranged parking at the back lot of North of 7 for all visitors. A shuttle will take you to the school and return you to your vehicle as needed. Because the school parking lot is so small, we ask that the limited spaces at the school be reserved for those with mobility issues. Parking along the highway is always discouraged for safety reasons.

A memorial wall has been organized by Marily Seitz (479-2855) to remember those former staff and students who passed away. She has collected a photo, years they were at the school and birth and death dates. If you have not been contacted by now about your loved one, please check that Marily has the information.

The fundraiser to cover anniversary expenses is the sale of raffle tickets. Prizes are: Sunbonnet quilt and quilt stand, an oak blanket box, a painting and a sketch. Other items from the committee will be sold as close to cost as possible. These include: a full color yearbook (also available on DVD), coffee mug and anniversary cards.

Please support your local school as it celebrates 50 years of educating children.