The children dressed in African dress and sang several songs for the congregation at Parham United Church.

On Friday March 5, several churches in the area observed the World Day of Prayer, an ecumenical event that was started in 1922.

The service for the 2010 World Day of Prayer was written by the Women of Cameroon. Its theme, “Let everything that has breath praise God”, urges us to praise God even in, or especially during difficult times in our lives. An introduction to the service says, “Even Cameroonians who are orphans, handicapped, HIV/AIDS infected persons know that God accompanies them ‘in the valley of the shadow of death’. Cameroonians who struggle to make a living like taxi men and the market women who are called bayam-sallams also praise God.”

The service spoke frankly of the seemingly insurmountable problems in Cameroon: exploitation of children; the low status of women; modern-day slavery and sex trafficking; gross human rights abuses, violence and torture by the government, among many other serious problems, but through it all there resounded a vibrant hope and thankfulness.

The service was accompanied by a video of everyday life in Cameroon that showed the beauty and potential of the country and made the service very real to the Canadian participants. Writing the service took years of work, with the writers having to overcome difficulties of language and transportation.

In Parham, the service was held at the United Church, with the participation of the Anglican and free Methodist Churches. In preparation, the Parham United Church Sunday school had been studying Cameroon and had made musical instruments, which were featured in a display. The children dressed in African dress and sang several songs for the congregation. 

This month, the Hinchinbrooke School of Rock celebrated the arrival of new musical and video equipment, thanks to a generous grant from the Limestone Learning Foundation.

The Hinchinbrooke School of Rock has come a long way from its humble beginnings in the winter of 2005. What started as a casual lunch hour gathering of four intermediate students has blossomed into a structured extra-curricular music program which meets two days a week and involves almost 20 students. This would not have been possible without the assistance of the Limestone Learning Foundation, which over the years has provided the School of Rock program with over $5000 to purchase musical instruments, as well as recording and video equipment.

Students in the School of Rock are taught how to play one (or more!) instruments while learning rock music - from ACDC and Deep Purple, to The Troggs and Bob Dylan. Students have even begun to write and record their own music. Watch for details about our upcoming end-of-the-year show in late May, as well as a CD of original music.

Hinchinbrooke Public School would like to send a HUGE thank-you to the Limestone School of Music. Thank-you for bringing music to the North!

Now in its 118th year, the Parham Fair i for many continues to be a finest representation of everything that a good old-fashioned fair should be, attracting on average over 3000 visitors over three days.

This year president John Waddingham of Godfrey recalled attending the fair when he first moved back to the area and remembers “absolutely falling in love with it.” For him it’s the “same kind of fair I remember growing up with and because it has something for everyone, it does a great job in bringing the whole community together.”

This fair is offering all of the staples that participants and visitors have come to know and love. For the agricultural enthusiasts there is the heavy horse and wheeler pull draws, along with the horse, cattle and poultry shows. For rodeo enthusiasts the western games and races. Animals lovers can watch the reptile and various pet shows. For kids there is the finger lickin' fair fare, the midway, countless games including the Tug-O-War and for music lovers a line up of bands including Jim Patterson Band from Kingston, the Parham Gospel Singers and on Friday night the beloved Ambush will once again open up the fair. For gardeners, bakers and crafters the Palace as usual will be the place to be where literally hundreds of entries in a wide array of categories will no doubt cram every nook and cranny.

Back by popular demand will be the greased pig competition, a favorite with the youngsters; the lawn mower races, which this year will be held in the main ring and of course Sunday's ever popular Demolition Derby.

New this year will be a display by the OPP, and organizers are also bringing back the all day volleyball tournament. This year organizers are making entry forms easier to access and they can now be found online at www.parhamfair.ca

Organizers are still in need of volunteers and anyone who has even just one hour of time to spare is encouraged to get involved.

For those new to the area the Parham Fair is an especially memorable introduction to the area and one that you will not soon forget.

This year’s fair will take place on August 27, 28 and 29th with opening ceremonies beginning on Friday at 6:45pm. For a full schedule of events please visit www.parhamfair.ca

Photo: Enjoying the midway at Parham Fair.

One way or another, all outdoor events are captive to the weather, and summer fairs are no exception.

Torrential downpours did their best to dampen spirits on the Saturday of the Parham Fair last year, which also happened to be the only day of the Maberly Fair. This year not only was the weather spectacular on Maberly Fair Day, it was ideal for the entire three days of the Parham Fair.

Both fairs were heavily attended this year, and with no rain delays all of the events went off without a hitch, although Bessie the cow was a bit slow in doing her business at the Maberly Fair, but more about that later.

In Parham the festivities began on Friday evening with the Town Crier, Paddy O'Connor, Mayor Janet Gutowski and Fair President John Waddingham participating in the opening ceremonies. A good crowd came out for one event with a long history at the fair, the horse draws in the main ring. A newer tradition, but one that has proven to be extremely popular, a performance by the band Ambush, attracted a huge crowd on Friday night.

Saturday was agricultural day once again, and one of the new events this year at the Palace was a silent auction. Participants bid on a number of items including various gift certificates, and garden ornaments, all of which were donated by local area businesses.

The horse and cattle shows also took place on Saturday morning. Congratulations are due to Gary Allen, Megan Farrow, Ashley McCaffery, and Haley Larmon-Code, who along with their horses won the various high point horse show categories at the fair.

The greased pig competition once again attracted a large crowd and participants ages 7-13 all received ribbons. The western games were well attended and the final race of the day, the Dolly Pardon, was the comical highlight as usual.

This year’s new Reptile Show intrigued youngsters and was a successful new addition to the fair. The lawn mower races once again thrilled visitors and though this year a number of rollovers made the competition more exciting, thankfully there were no injuries to report.

On Sunday the demolition derby drew record crowds.

All told, the weekend was another great success, with new events like the reptile show and all-day volleyball ensuring that there was indeed something for everyone.

128th Maberly Fair

Photo: Winner  and still champion of the heavyweight Zuchinni race competition, Max Bumstead.

Visitors at the 128th edition of the Maberly Fair especially enjoyed the horse show, kids’ games and musical entertainment by the Tebworth family, as well as the 2nd Annual Zucchini Races. Nine-year-old Max Bumstead of Maberly successfully defended his title again this year with his car he named Racer.

The sunny, warm weather brought a relaxed feeling to the busy fair day, and the old and new styles of agriculture mixed together in an atmosphere that is unique to this corner of eastern Ontario at the far west of Lanark County.

The day ended with the Maberly Fair’s first ever Cow Pie Madness event, a type of 50/50 draw that saw 100 participants each purchase a $10 square on the Cow Pie Bingo board. Dave Campbell donated Bessie for the event. Bessie was fed straw and grain all afternoon to prepare her for her $1000 pot plop, half of which (the money that is) was to be taken home by a winner and the other half to be donated to the Maberly Agricultural Society. The large crowd had thinned out considerably after waiting for two hours for Bessie to do her business.

At the end of the day two lucky winners were declared, as Bessie's first plop landed on a line between two squares. Congratulations to Anne Thomlison and Barb Wheeler, both of Maberly, who split the $500 prize.

Also congratulations to Whitney Lewis of Perth, who won the Big Ben Memorial Award of $100 that was given by Team Millar Brooke. This award is presented to the person who has the most overall points in the horse show.

With the sunny weather and an effort to offer new events in their lineups, both fairs were events to remember.

Central Frontenac Talks Zoning

by Julie Druker

The township’s planner, Glenn Tunnock, made a presentation to council regarding the Comprehensive Zoning By-Law, which highlighted a number of changes that have been made to the by-law and the reasons behind them. A public meeting followed and two members of the public raised their particular concerns. One of them, Derek Moodie, had purchased a piece of land that had an exception to the bylaw on it, which he requested that council reconsider.

After much discussion, council members weighed in with their own concerns.

Councilor Gary Smith requested clarification on just what kinds of buildings are allowed on waterfront lots. Tunnock responded that all buildings must be 30 meters back from the shore line, though viewing stands and gazebos can be built 15 meters back, and storage facilities might fall under either designation depending on the circumstances.

Councilor Guntensperger raised concerns about the development of docks on marsh land, the overall 60% increase in allowable dock size, and the increase in road frontage, all of which he said are “contrary to my beliefs as to what is appropriate for the protection of the waterfront in this area.”

Tunnock pointed out that the natural vegetative area along shorelines has been increased in this proposed bylaw to double what it was under the former 2002 bylaw, from 15 meters to 30 meters.

As far as the increase in the permitted size of docks, Tunnock pointed out that an increase allows people to access the water in certain circumstances and said, “When you look at the package of shoreline management tools that has been put in place, we will have achieved if not surpassed provincial regulations. This will go a long way in protecting the shoreline.”

Councilor Purdon questioned the time-line of the proposed Zoning Bylaw, which is slated to be approved at the next Council meeting on September 28.

This concern was reiterated by various members of council and Mayor Gutowski, who suggested that a task force be struck to iron out the details of the by-law. The task force would include councilors, members of the public, and the planner.

After further discussion, a motion was passed allowing council to set aside a special future meeting to work on the bylaw.

In the words of Councilor Gary Smith, “This will allow Council a final kick at the can before the new council takes over.”

Backfilling Wetlands?

Councilor John Purdon brought to council's attention a response written by the township’s CAO, John Duchene, to a letter received from the North Frontenac Non Profit Housing Corporation. The letter complained about the filling in of wetlands at 1068 Clement Road, the location of a garage owned by resident Roy Sepa.

Duchene’s response to the housing corporation said the township did not really have jurisdiction over Sepa’s actions.

Council felt that Duchene should have consulted the Mississippi Valley Conservation Authority before responding to the letter, and after much discussion council passed a motion to seek the opinion of the Mississippi Valley Conservation Authority on the matter.

Parham fairgrounds and canteen

A motion was passed by council to support an application under the Eastern Ontario Development Program (of the Frontenac Community Services Development Corporation) for $10,000 to assist with the reconstruction of the Parham fairgrounds canteen building. A subsequent motion was also passed to grant $2000 to the Parham Fair Board with an additional amendment requiring that the fair board provide financial information to council.

A sad farewell to the Flyers

It was with uniform sadness and regret that council passed a motion to accept a letter from the Frontenac Flyers announcing they are folding, ending the tradition of Junior C hockey at the Frontenac Arena.

Works summary disappoints some on CF Council

by Jeff Green

At their first Committee of the Whole meeting taking place in the heat of an election campaign, a report by Treasurer Judy Gray about road and bridge construction that was contracted out over the past eight years did not show what some councilors wanted to see.

The report was prepared as part the township’s efforts to quantify their physical assets as part of a provincially mandated program called PSAB (Public Sector Accounting Board.)

It was only presented to Council as an information report, but what it showed was that the amount of contracted out construction was highest in Olden District ($1.69 million) and Hinchinbrooke District ($1.65 million) a bit lower in Kennebec District ($1.53 million) and substantially lower in Oso District ($1.04 million) over that time frame.

The results don’t jive with the opinion held by some councilors that Oso district receives the lion’s share of public works expenditures.

“This is sort of like throwing a hamburger at a pack of dogs,” said Councilor Norman Guntensperger, “it’s bound to start a fight. I don’t think reports like this, that only include partial information about road work, are very useful.”

“I think this is valuable,” countered Councilor Frances Smith, “it shows that we have a big township and we have spent a lot of dollars over eight years. I think we should feel good about what we’ve done.”

In addition to the money that was spent in the four districts, a large amount, $6.75 million was spent on downloaded roads, the bulk of that money being the $6.1 million that was spent on the rebuild of Road 38 in 2006.

Minor changes at dump site – A site visit by Sarah Dick, of the Ministry of the Environment, to the former Elbow Lake dump site, which is now being operated as a transfer station, resulted in a ruling that a new sign must be put up by the end of this year.

While this was not of great concern to Council, Mayor Gutowski pointed out that when she attended a waste management session at the recent Association of Ontario Municipalities conference, she learned that there are only 81 approved dumpsites in the province.

“This brought home to me how difficult it is to start up a waste site. We are lucky enough to have three approved sites, which is a lot when you consider how many municipalities there are in Ontario. We are going to have to make sure that we make an effort to reduce, re-use and recycle because when those sites are full they will not be replaced.”

To that end, Public Works Manager Mike Richardson recommended that the township’s waste management committee, which has met sporadically over the past four years, be encouraged to meet regularly when the new council starts up next year.

Mould issues surface at Mountain Grove Public Library

At a site visit on July 21 by staff and management from the Kingston Frontenac Public Library to the Mountain Grove branch, musty odours were identified. In the summary of the report prepared after that visit, it was also noted that “delaminating plaster finishes and staining in the common areas of the building” were identified.

An environmental assessment was done by Pinchin Environmental Ltd., which made nine recommendations, among which were the installation of a dehumidifier, which has already been initiated, as well as a number of further improvements.

CAO John Duchene said that the library staff “did not raise that many alarm bells, except that we need to do some further investigation, and because of the age of the building, asbestos is always a potential issue.”

Councilor Norm Guntensperger was less optimistic. “The endgame is what jumps to mind here. Mountain Grove needs a library and if in the end this is not a usable facility, I think the township needs to assure the public that we are committed to maintaining a library in Mountain Grove … the fire hall was constructed in such a way as to permit for renovation for a new library. We should look into that.”

“Council should proceed with caution until the future use of the existing building is determined,” said Mayor Gutowski.

Good year for construction – After an off year in 2009, 2010 is shaping up to be a better year for construction in Central Frontenac.

To date, permits for 26 new homes have been taken out, and the total value of construction, according to permits as of the end of August, is $5.357 million - over $2 million more than was the case at the same point in 2009, and about $200,000 more than 2008.

The total for August alone was $1.73 million, which according to Chief Building Official Ian Trickett was the most in any month in the history of the township.

“Did the August total include the seniors’ housing project?” asked Mayor Gutowski.

“I don’t know off-hand,” Trickett replied, “but even if it did, we are still more than holding our own this year.”

Photo: back row l-r, Laurie Love, Judy Cooke, Cory Thompson, Marie Vinkle and Nancy Thompson. front l-r Michael Thompson, Candy Thompson

Family friends and supporters from the community went to bat last weekend to raise fund funds for 22-year-old Kurt Thompson, a former Tichborne resident who was critically injured in a car accident on Crow Lake Road on Sept. 28 just before 4PM.

Thompson, who had been working at Cavanagh Construction in Ottawa for a number of months, suffered multiple internal injuries and numerous broken bones when the car that he was driving left the road and hit a rock cut. He had to be extricated from his vehicle and was then air lifted to Kingston General Hospital where to date he has undergone numerous surgeries. He is now currently in stable condition in the ICU at KGH.

I spoke to his uncle Michael Thompson and his aunt Judy Cooke in Parham on Saturday and Michael informed me of Kurt's current condition: “He will definitely have to undergo more surgeries and though he is doing remarkably well considering the seriousness of his injuries he still has a long road of recovery ahead of him and will likely be in the hospital for a number of months.”

Following the accident two of Kurt's first cousins, Laurie Love and Cory Thompson, decided to organize the ball tournament in support of Kurt who is well known around the community as an accomplished athlete who plays hockey for the Westport Rideaus and ball in Sharbot Lake. The entire family joined forces to make the event happen and the tournament took place at the Sharbot Lake and the Parham ball fields on Oct. 16 and 17, with 14 teams and close to 150 players participating. Teams each donated $150 and additional funds were raised through canteen sales, various raffles and personal donations. As of Monday morning a total of $6,000 had been raised for Kurt and his family.

The funds will be geared to Kurt’s needs once he is home from the hospital. The family was touched by the outpouring of support from the community and Michael Thompson said, “It's times like these when you really appreciate a community like this and are truly grateful for your family and friends. Judy Cooke said, “Right now everyone's just taking it one step at a time, one day at a time.”

Kurt's cousin Cory was pleased with the turnout and the outpouring of support. “Kurt's a great guy, loves kids and is a great athlete and really just a big teddy bear but he's also a fighter and he's been battling back hard and every day he is getting better,” he said.

The family wishes to thank everyone who came out to participate as well as members of the Central Frontenac Fire Department/Sharbot Lake and EMS personnel from Parham, who responded to the accident.

Anyone who missed the tournament but would still like to donate can contact Cory Thompson at 613-539-1125 or Laurie Love at 613-374-5696.

Photo: Ron, Sandi and Mikey share a Halloween scare at their home in Parham

Halloween revelers looking for a fright were sure to have gotten theirs in Parham, where residents Sandi Blair and Ron Zuther go all out every Halloween.

This year was their grandest and scariest display yet. Every year Sandi and Ron deck out their home located just south of the Parham General Store on Road 38 with various creepy Halloween scenes, and a cast of characters from well-known horror flicks. On hand this year were Jason from Friday the 13th, Michael Myers from Halloween, the coal miner from My Bloody Valentine, the little clown from the movie It and Jack the Pumpkin King from Nightmare on Elm Street. If that were not enough, a five-headed hydra plus a wide array of other ghouls and goblins hanging from trees or lurking in the darkness add to the fright.

For Ron and Sandi it is the one time of the year they can indulge their love for everything creepy. “This is our third year in Parham and we just love doing it.”

Their efforts do not go unnoticed and Halloween revelers from far and wide will often make a special trip from as far away as Verona and Sharbot Lake. And it is not just a treat that they are after, but more that pleasantly perturbing Halloween scare that only the most committed Halloween enthusiasts will go so far out of their way to provide.

With the goal of “ramping up” public exposure for the business he opened in 2003, Paul Scott, owner of the Sumac Centre, is hoping to attract the attention of businesses, groups and individuals looking for a place to hold any kind of event in what can only be described as a very special place.

Located on a 586 acre property between Parham and Mountain Grove, on the shores of a private pristine lake, the center's two-storey, 6000 square foot lodge took Scott and his design team eight years to plan. Their meticulous attention to detail has created a center that places its natural surroundings front and centre while simultaneously offering up a fully functioning indoor space equipped and furnished with all of the modern conveniences that any small and large group may require.

Scott, who up until now was running the center on his own and entertaining usually one or two groups a month, recently hired on a co-director, Victor Heese, and business partner, David Campbell, with the hopes of increasing his business.

“We are now entering a new phase at the center and have made many changes to it. Now we want the public at large to know that we are here and open for business”, Scott said when I interviewed him and Heese on November 2.

The lodge's main floor, which is100% wheelchair accessible, boasts a series of huge passive solar windows that offer a panoramic view of the lake and surrounding woodlands. Outside, just 30 meters away, a dock protrudes into the lake, and a few canoes and a rowboat are beached close by. Just beyond, a fire pit stands lined with benches. The center's “great room” functions as the central hub of the building and it includes ample living and dining space. The room encompasses a fully equipped kitchen, a large gas stove, a large central island with three built-in sinks, and cupboards and cabinets filled with utensils and dishes for groups keen on cooking for themselves. A large, screened-in porch equipped with a barbeque invites outdoor cooking.

Photo:  l-r, Victor Heese with his daughter Natsuki and Paul Scott in the kitchen at the Sumac Centre

For those who prefer to have some or all of their meals provided, Heese and his wife Naomi offer a diverse catered menu with dishes that include locally sourced ingredients and much of their own home-grown veggies and herbs. Equipped with audio/visual equipment, the great room is perfect for businesses and or corporations, groups or individuals wanting to hold conferences, seminars or workshops. Also on the main floor is the center's largest guest room, complete with an office area and an ensuite bathroom.

The remaining seven guest rooms are located on the second floor. They are all simple, clean, bright rooms each with a twin bed, their own sink, and with adjoining washrooms between them that offer up shampoo, soaps, hair dryers and even an iron and board, for those needing a last final pressing. A large conference room on the second floor can easily accommodate 15-20 and it houses folding chairs and tables and a handy kitchenette. It connects to a second storey deck where guests can lounge. The center offers a high-speed wireless connection, and last but not least is the “quiet room”, a cozy second-storey hideaway for guests who want to get away from the crowd. This room is windowed on three sides and seemingly hangs amongst the tall pine trees that surround it.

Scott and his team are transforming the center's 2000 square foot basement into a multi-purpose room perfect for yoga retreats and art or craft workshops. There are also plans for a whirlpool and sauna. Scott says he hopes to host a wide array of clients for events that may include weddings, family reunions, church groups, corporate retreats and workshops, high school and university groups, couples and individuals just looking to get away from it all.

Sumac Centre is located on a private lane. It has ample parking and is open throughout the year. Anyone wanting more information can visitwww.sumaccentre.ca or call Paul Scott at 613-335-3417.

Reba McEntire may have been the headliner at the big country music show at the K-Rock Centre in Kingston on Sunday, but for Emily and Ben Baillargeon of Parham the real treat was the opening act, Canadian County star Gord Bamford. And now Gord Bamford is a fan of Emily and Ben.

Ben and Emily's mother. Melissa Hannah, missed the first run of tickets for the hotly anticipated show, and only found out on Friday afternoon (October 25) that another block of tickets had come available. She snapped them up and the family was starting to enjoy the show from seats near where Gord Bamford's stage crew were standing, when one of the crew members approached Melissa.

“He asked me if my son would go up on stage when Gord sang one of his songs, which is about his [Gord's] son. Ben is shy, so he said no. But then Ben said that he would go up if Emily went with him. The crew member said that would be fine. When the time came it looked like Ben might back out of it, but then he said he was scared but he was going to go up anyway.”

Emily and Ben were on stage while Gord Bamford sang a song about his own kids, who also happen to be a boy and a girl similar in age to Ben and Emily, who are 8 and 10 respectively and go to Granite Ridge Public School. Ben was pretty shy on stage but Gord Bamford took a shine to Ben and Emily, even though Ben said he was not interested in baseball when he was offered a baseball glove as a gift.

In the end both children were given signed guitars and cowboy boots.

“He was really generous, and really nice to them. It was the last show in a month-long run and he said he was really looking forward to seeing his own kids again so he was very interested in Ben and Emily,” said Melissa.

After the show Melissa, Bob, Ben and Emily spent the night in Kingston, and overnight and the next day they were stopped by people who had seen or heard about the show.

“Everyone seemed to recognize the kids and kept talking about how great they had been,” said Melissa.

By Tuesday the kids were back at school and everything slowly returned to normal, but they will remember their brush with fame for quite a while.

A number of festive parades took place this past weekend across the county and the warm weather seemed to attract more than the usual numbers of parade goers, who this year did not have to battle the usual December cold.

The Sharbot Lake parade (photo right) was the longest in recent memory, with particiaption from many businesses and organisations, a marching band, and the Perth Community Band

In Harrowsmith the parade followed its usual route from Centennial Park to the cross roads and back and parade goers who lined the streets were not disappointed. 

On Sunday In Parham,a short delay caused by a train passing through the village, did not dampen the spirits of the many participants in the 8 kilometre long parade. Floats, float riders and a wide assortment of animals were all decked out in festive attire to welcome the holiday season.