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Thursday, 08 February 2007 07:08

Arden_seniors

Feature Article - February 8, 2007

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Feature Article - February 8, 2007

Arden Happy Gang Seniors

The Arden Happy Gang Seniors started the year off by electing as new vice president Rick Brown, since Lynn Smith's term had come to an end.

Then in February they held a St. Valentine's dance, which was a Senior's Games Fundraiser and may I add that a nice bit of money was raised for that purpose--proof of how popular the Seniors' sponsored dances are.

When plans were made to revamp the kitchen, the Seniors were there to help out financially and some came in to help paint the walls a beautiful sunshine yellow shade. The whole project was led by Dianne Nicolson who is always ready to roll up her sleeves to tackle the next project.

The Arden Seniors are well named as "The Happy Gang” as most of their meetings are full of hilarity, not least of all due to the recording secretary Audr Tompkins and her cohort Betty Garnett, who among other things is the treasurer; not to mention President Jack Patterson, who always has a joke to tell.

However, in spite of, or maybe because of that, a lot gets done. Trips are arranged, theater tickets are booked and charitable donations are made.

One of last year's trips was to Fort Henry's Tattoo, where Ron Henry found out how honest people still are.

He was one of our members who attended the event, and after getting home he realized that he had lost his wallet somewhere. After getting back to Kingston the following day and checking at several places where he had been, he finally made his way to Fort Henry where he was greeted by the ticket vendor with the words “Hallo, Ron Henry”. Someone had found his wallet and turned it in with nothing missing. What a lucky break that was.

In the spring the Seniors went right through the town and picked up as much of the litter as they could. It was a one-day cleanup, but some of our members continue with this job on a semi-regular basis.

I would be remiss if I did not tell you that the bazaars, dances and other fundraisers all are done to aid some charity or other.

Last year’s donations included the Heart and Stroke Foundation, the Cancer Society, Northern Frontenac Centre, the Snowsuit Fund, the Festival of Trees and the M.S. Foundation; also financial aid to some of the seniors who needed it to help defray expenses connected with the Seniors Games, which were held in Portage la Prairie in the summer of 2006.

And they did us proud, bringing back 17 medals.

The winners were Norma and Bill Pringle, Jim and Barbara Kirkland, Diane and Jack Nicolson, Doug Smith, Peter Smiley, Tom Christinsen, Marg Smith and Si and Pat Tucker.

We had a piano concert which was very well received and was the brainchild of Larry Lightstone.

The Oktober Fest dance was a great success with an "Old Geezers Idol Search" to the great amusement of all. There was a barbecue and at the end of the year a Christmas dinner, which had to be rescheduled because after all the preparations were made, the power went off, never to return again until the following day. But in spite of this misfortune the Seniors rose to the occasion and the dinner on its new date was a great success.

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Published in 2007 Archives
Thursday, 15 March 2007 06:42

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Feature Article - March 15, 2007

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Feature Article - March 15, 2007

Two dumps to close in Central FrontenacbyJeffGreen

The Arden and Elbow Lake dumps will be closing within the next six weeks.

At their meeting on Monday night, March 12, 2007, Central Frontenac Council decided to stop residents from tossing their garbage over the hill at both locations by the end of April, but they are hoping to have the approvals in place to turn the Elbow Lake dump (in Hinchinbrooke ward) into a waste transfer station by the time it is scheduled to close on April 20th.

Arden residents will have to travel to the Olden dump as of April 30th.

The decisions to close the dumps came about when an ad hoc committee on recycling delivered their report to council. The report said that the Hinchinbrooke site “is rapidly nearing capacity (estimated to be about 1 month) and that conversion of this site to a Transfer Station needs to proceed immediately. This conversion requires application to MoE for approval, and decisions will be required around how the site is to be operated.”

In the case of the Arden site, the report says that during a site visit with the township’s consultant on March 7, “it was agreed that the site ‘in theory’ could accommodate garbage. However the remaining capacity is only available over the southern portion of the site and complete filling of this area will soon present real operational challenges relating to both dropping off recyclables and dealing with recyclables.”

The committee recommended that the Arden site be closed to the public, and the remaining space used up by dumping waste that will be transferred from the Hinchinbrooke site once it closes.

Council has discussed the fate of the two dumps periodically over the past two years. Some councilors were surprised at the timing of the closure of the Arden dump, which was not expected until the end of 2007 or early in 2008.

Councilor Gary Smith from Kennebec Ward said that he thought a transfer station had been discussed for Arden as well as Hinchinbrooke, but interim clerk John DuChene said he has seen no record of that.

“It is unfortunate for the people of Arden that their dump will be closing and they will have to travel to Olden. Not everyone will be pleased,” said Mayor Janet Gutowski.

Recycling contract – Faced with a demand by their recycling contractor, MANCO, that they purchase larger bins, the township has decided to seek another contractor. MANCO will continue to haul recycling until the end of March, and the township has found another hauler that will then take over on an interim basis.

“This will give us the opportunity to assess the costs of new bins, and consider other options. We can then go to tender for our recycling needs,” said John Purdon of the recently formed recycling committee. Purdon also reported that the township has a long way to go with its recycling program.

“I did some internet research, and found in a report from Waste Diversion Ontario that of the 24 municipalities in our geographical and size category, we ranked 17th in 2005, so there is room for improvement,” he said.

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Published in 2007 Archives
Thursday, 11 October 2007 13:18

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Letters - October 11, 2007

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Letters - October 11, 2007

Letters

October 11Scams, Ina Hunt-TurnerDr. Cronk Flies Home, Jim & Vivian AmbroseScams

For a long time I have felt like I was out of the loop. I hear of other people getting fake e-mail letters from exotic countries telling them of millions of dollars left in dormant accounts or money that people cannot access unless someone from this continent sends them some money first, after which they will share in the enormous profits. Since I never got one of those letters, I felt ignored and wondered if it would ever happen to me.

Well, the wait is over, folks. I too have finally made it to the "Suckers Hall of Shame". I received an e-mail last week, presumably from a person in Switzerland, telling me of all the dormant accounts in their banks and asking if I would like some of the money left there by holocaust victims. I hope that other people receiving a similar letter will stop and think about this; for a number of years the holocaust survivors have been fighting the Swiss banks for money that rightfully belongs to them and which the Swiss banks illegally took, assuming that all the Jews would be killed. So, believe me, there are no dormant accounts there and please be warned that this is another scam. Do not believe this person who portrays himself as Iulian Bacesku. He is after your hard-earned money, and if you believe him, I know of a bridge in Arden that I would be willing to sell you

Ina Hunt-Turner, Arden

“Dr. Cronk flies home to Parham – 1916.”

Dr. CronkWe are enclosing a picture with the above caption on the back. I believe that it is a Curtiss JN Jenny, which was used during the First World War by the American Air Force, and probably also, the Canadian. There is a man standing in the background wearing the military uniform, probably the pilot, or Dr. Cronk? We would like to get in touch with anyone that has information re above.

Jim & Vivian Ambrose,Hampton ON

Published in 2007 Archives
Thursday, 28 August 2008 07:17

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Feature Article - August 28, 2008

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Feature Article - August 28, 2008 Arden’s Batik ArtistBy Ina Hunt Turner

Sarah Hale is truly one of a kind. Or at least one of a very few.

She first became interested in batik when she spent a year in Japan after receiving a degree in English Lit. at Colby College in Maine. She was at that time already a painter and batik interested her very much. After she settled in Arden, she had the opportunity to pursue batiking as an art form and a business. She wanted to try to combine landscape art with batik and she has successfully accomplished that, one of the very few batik artists to do so. She often features the rocky scenery found right here in Arden. In order to create her beautiful work, a very intricate process of waxing and dyeing is involved. Sarah's pieces have been displayed at major art shows in Toronto and Ottawa and have been bought by collectors worldwide.

She recently completed an MCS degree at Regent College specializing in Christianity and the Arts.

Her studio is located at 1029 Elm Tree Road in Arden and her business hours in the summer are Tuesday-Saturday from 10 am-5 pm. Feel free to browse because there is a lot to see. As well as her larger showpieces, the studio has Sarah's originals on smaller gift pieces, greeting cards and miniatures.

Also, this weekend, Sarah will be participating in the Inroads Craft Tour

Published in 2008 Archives
Thursday, 28 August 2008 07:17

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Feature Article - August 28, 2008

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Feature Article - August 28, 2008 "Memories of Arden" Book launchBy Jeff GreenMother's Day in Arden, around 1918

A 100-page book of historical photographs taken over the past 110 or so years in the village of Arden will have its official release this weekend, as part of the Inroads Studio Tour.

The book, entitled “Memories of Arden”, is a collaborative effort between Dave Johnston and Sarah Hale. Johnston, whose parents Max and Jean Johnston collected pictures during their years in Arden, has been cataloguing the extensive collection over the years, and he selected some of his favourites with the intention of putting a book together so they might be available to the public. Sarah Hale offered to help, since she has experience in the technical aspects of putting a book together, and the result is now hot off the presses.

As the book demonstrates, the years between 1900 and 1940 were the commercial heyday of Arden, when the village was a commercial centre complete with a doctors’ offices, a dentist, hotels, three mills, a funeral home and more.

It was the change in transportation that led to the commercial decline of Arden, as far as Sarah Hale can tell. “Between the advent of the automobile, and then the closing of the railroad in the ’60s, Arden went from being a commercial to a social centre,” said Sarah Hale.

Even as Halladay's General Store closes for good this weekend, Sarah Hale points out that Arden probably doesn’t have any less of a population than it did 100 years ago. “People don’t shop here anymore, but they still live here,” she said.

“Memories of Arden” is split into five groups of pictures: the business district, transportation, homesteads, schools, and churches. There is text accompanying the pictures, but it is the photographs that are the heart of the book.

David and Lorne Johnston will be on hand this weekend on the porch of the old Arden Hotel. They will have a computer slideshow set up and will be available to talk about the history of Arden, and to sign books.

“Memories of Arden” sells for $15.

The Inroads Tour runs all weekend, from 10-5 each day. Brochures are available throughout the region. For information, call 613-335-2073.

Published in 2008 Archives
Thursday, 14 August 2008 07:18

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Aug 14/08 - Arden Millpond Clean Up

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Feature Article - August 14, 2008 Arden’s Mill Pond Clean-upBy Jeff Green

Cam Arndt and his nephew Quinn help clean up the mill pond

It may haven been 15 years in coming, but after a few hours of concerted effort by some dedicated volunteers, the Arden Mill Pond is once again an attractive place to swim for area children and adults.

“The undergrowth built up over time and makes it impossible to swim in. That’s why it used to be cleaned out every two years or so, but it’s been building up for 15 years now,” said Jack Nicolson, the chair of the Kennebec Recreation Committee, the group that initiated the clean up.

There were several bureaucratic hoops to go through first, including approval from the Quinte Region Conservation Authority, which oversees the Salmon River. The river flows through Arden.

Harry Stinson from the conservation authority was on hand to lower the logs under the bridge at the foot of the pond, thus lowering the water enough so that people and boats and rakes, shovels, and forks could get in and dig out the grass-like undergrowth. There was also plenty of mud to clean off the shoreline.

After four hours of hauling and digging and cleaning rocks with pumped water, during which time tire rims, dolls, toy trucks, bottles, scissors, and even a lucky penny were found (but no bodies we are glad to report), Harry Stinson put the logs back and the pond filled up again, this time with clear water.

Arden has a swimming hole again, thanks to the Rec. Committee and a group of volunteers who answered the word-of-mouth call to action.

Published in 2008 Archives
Thursday, 18 September 2008 07:15

Arden_wesleyan

Sept 18/08 - Arden's Wesleyan Church Turns 80

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Feature Article - September 18, 2008 Arden Wesleyan Church turns 80By Julie Druker

Pastor Vernon Scott and Ruth Oliver entertain at the Arden Wesleyan Church's 80th anniversary celebration

The Arden and Community Wesleyan Church, formerly known as the Standard Church of Arden, celebrated its 80th Anniversary this past weekend. Approximately 45 members of the community gathered on Friday night for the gospel music of “Clear View“, the local singing Matson family, whose youngest member, three-year-old Kaylee wowed the crowd.

Guest speaker Alvin Lasher of Wilton, pastor of the Arden Church from 1965-67 spoke on Friday night and reminisced about his years spent there. He lived in the parsonage, built in 1961 by Melvin Scott and as a 19-year-old pastor, admitted to being rather “green”.

He recalled just getting out and knocking on people’s doors and always receiving a warm reception.

Pastor Lasher showed the gathering a handmade quilt embroidered with the names of the congregation back then that he and his family received when he left the church, a 40-year-old treasure he has kept since then.

The anniversary celebration continued on Saturday. Pastor Vernon Scott and church members set up a large army tent in the field adjacent to the church where parishioners and locals enjoyed a BBQ, plenty of home-made pies and Verna Cowdy’s famous home made donuts.

Saturday’s outdoor celebration recalled the style and feel of the first historic religious “camp” or “tent” meetings held in Arden, the first of which took place in July of 1926 and lasted for one full week.

Pastor Scott explained, “The meetings would last about a week long and everyone would camp out and there would be a guest speaker. At these meetings people would make a commitment to Christ. It was from this first meeting in 1926 that a nucleus was formed, a group of people who in fact went on to form the Standard Church in Arden”.

The rest of Saturday afternoon was relaxing and informal and proved to be quite a musical gathering as pastor Vernon Scott sang old gospel favorites on the guitar and was joined by Ruth Oliver, also on guitar, and Gordon Wright who rushed home to grab his banjo and his book of 193 original gospel songs.

Later that afternoon, members of Sweet Water, a gospel group from Winchester, Ontario, arrived early for their evening performance. They quickly joined the tent meeting that was underway, carrying over their instruments and playing right along.

Minus the cars, and the plastic chairs, this casual gathering of local folk felt like what some of those meetings from the past must have been like.

Sunday night the celebration continued on with musical guests Heaven Bound and a speech by current Pastor Vernon Scott.

Church member Connie Tryan helped organize the event and both she and the pastor were pleased with the outcome.

The theme for the anniversary was the past, present and future of the church and each guest speaker addressed those ideas.

Pastor Scott explained how “the anniversary celebration is important since it reconnects people to the church and lets us see how many different people in the community in the past and present have been involved with it.”

As an outsider, for me it is the gospel music and the many aged guests that brought it all together, the past, present and the future. Many thanks to Pastor Scott, Connie Tryan and all of the guests and parishioners at the Arden and Community Wesleyan Church and also to all the musicians who joined in and helped to make that Saturday afternoon church meeting a very memorable and enjoyable one.

Anyone interested in looking further into the history of the church should read Bessie Wagar Seiter’s “History of the Standard Church of Arden, Ont., Canada”. A one-time resident of Arden and the youngest daughter of Norman Wagar, a former pastor of the church, Bessie travelled far and wide around Arden and the surrounding area to complete a short but detailed history of the church and its development from the first meetings to what it has become today. Copies are available at the church. Anyone interested in musical events happening at the church is encouraged to visit www.ardenchurch.com.

Published in 2008 Archives
Thursday, 19 November 2009 08:47

Letters: November 19

Artden Should Be First in Line for 2010 Budget, Patrick Maloney

Re: KFL&A Public Health Unit & Septic Inspections, Gary Evans

Memory Lane, Sydenham, Joannne Ankers

Arden Should Be First in Line for 210 Budget

The quote from Mayor Gutowski at the end of your article about the Arden refurbishment delegation (Central Frontenac Council, Nov.12/09) pretty much sums up the absurd disconnect that we are battling.

Arden is dying the death of a thousand cuts. First the railway, then the school, then the seat of local government, then the roads department, then the last store and the ongoing neglect by the new amalgamated township as upgrades go first to Sharbot Lake then dribble out everywhere else, but not to Arden and Kennebec.

“A new road will not make Arden sustainable. A new school or a new grocery store will do that,” Gutowski is quoted as saying.

Arden and surrounds pay enough local taxes to “sustain” Arden quite nicely, as it did pre-amalgamation, if those funds ever made it back from Sharbot Lake. The vital infrastructure repairs highlighted by the Arden delegation, which should have been addressed long before now, will allow Arden to once again present a respectable face to any prospective entrepreneurs who would consider re-establishing a village store. Gutowski’s mention of a school is remarkably silly and trivializes the issue, which was perhaps her intent.

Nobody who lives here expects to return Arden to its heydays of the last century or the one before that. People continue to live here; there is a thriving seniors’ group, a famous choir, a well-respected artisan group (two of whom have been producing their craft in Arden to wide acclaim for over 30 years), the Legion, two churches, a library, a post office and a busy community centre that provides space for a broad range of activities.

Mayor Gutowski wants to focus upon increasing assessment (like a pyramid sales scheme with Sharbot Lake at the top) but can’t quite figure out the connection between selling something that looks like crap and selling something that’s got a new coat of paint. Here’s a tip, Madame Mayor: the dilapidated roads and sidewalks and bridge guardrails are the “crap” part.

All we’re asking for is our fair share of the pie that we have been paying into for the last 10 years. Kennebec joined amalgamation debt free and with reserves in the bank. We are not now, nor have ever been, the poor cousin at the table. The same cannot be said for all of the other 3 townships. Council has spent at least $1.5 million on capital improvements everywhere else but we can’t even get our sidewalks and pavement fixed.

We presented a list of necessities that would bring Arden back to the 20th century, then we included a few ideas, such as solar pv panels on the community hall (that not only pays for itself in 10 years but then pays the building’s ongoing operating costs) which would bring us into the 21st century. Value-added with no depreciation for a guaranteed 20 years.

We pay our share and we want our share: value-retained and value-added. We’ll start with value-retained. Barring that, we’ll be active during the election next November.

Patrick Maloney

Re: KFL&A Public Health Unit & Septic non-inspections 

News that the Kingston & Frontenac Health Unit intends to no longer provide its expertise and resources to properly review and issue permits for new septic system installations in Addington Highlands Township (Addington Highlands Council, Oct 22/09 and Addington Highlands Council, Nov 5/09) is a very real concern. Is the Health Unit really that short-staffed, or, is it positioning itself to get out of all septic system related work, (given the apparent desire by the Frontenac townships to press ahead with re-inspections of existing septic systems, with the very dubious claim that the Ontario Building Code provides the authority for such programs too)?

The KFHU website points out that their installation inspection service has been historically provided to eight municipalities, (including AH), each of which contribute a portion of the health unit operating costs, (shared with the province).

Is Addington Highlands the only loser? Why now, and without prior consultation? The area is thinly populated, with virtually no commercial tax base and sits smack on the Canadian Shield – providing a real challenge to find any suitable area for a suitable septic leeching bed, especially on waterfront properties, (of which there are many – owned by seasonal residents, like our family). Tax revenue is derived in large part from recreational land use – exactly the resource at risk if improperly designed or installed septic systems become the ‘new norm’.

Sure, all levels of government and their agencies are struggling to provide mandated services, but public health is not a ‘frill’. There should be no doubt after the Walkerton tragedy, that the installation and operation of septic systems are, indeed, a matter of public health. Regulations under the Ontario Building Code set out the criteria for installation of a proper septic system, but any regulations are subject to interpretation. As an autonomous body, with the training, skills and legal authority under the Ontario Health Protection Act, a local health unit is the obvious choice to issue septic system permits.

What will happen if the Health Unit does pull out? The township has indicated they will ask the local building inspector to do the job. Sorry. No joy here. Like many rural townships, AH can only afford a part-time individual, who is already overworked trying to cover an existing workload that spans hundreds of square kilometers. Small wonder that the local council continues to be tempted to ‘turn a blind eye’ to any type of development that could bring in much needed tax dollars – just to provide basic services that most urban dwellers take for granted.

I hope Dr. Gemmill, the Medical Officer of Health, will take up this issue with his provincial masters before making a final decision that will further disadvantage the already under-serviced residents of Addington Highlands.

Gary Evans

Re: “Bear Shock”, Frontenac News, Nov. 5/09

I just wanted to clarify my position after reading the responses (Letters, Nov 12/09) to my letter to the Editor from November 5th. I appreciated all the heartfelt responses and opinions on bear hunting, and found the variety of opinions very informative. I wanted to make it clear that I am not against hunting -- in fact, I grew up in Northern Ontario in a "hunting family" - our main source of protein throughout the winter months was moose meat.  Seeing that hanging, dead, gutted bear did 'shock' me, because I have never seen that before- I don't think it means I have to move to "another part of the country"!  I honestly thought that a bear hanging out in the sun for 7 or 8 days in those very warm temperatures would not be edible, and it was therefore strung up on the highway for the travelling public to see as a trophy. 

Andrea Dickinson

 

Published in Letters
Thursday, 12 November 2009 08:47

Central Frontenac Council - Nov 10/09

Arden wants to be first in line for 2010 Central Frontenac budget

“We certainly can squeak,” said Ardenite Patrick Maloney when Central Frontenac Councilor Bob Harvey said the squeaky wheel gets the grease.

Maloney was heading a delegation from the Village of Arden to a Committee of the Whole Meeting of Central Frontenac Council on Tuesday afternoon, November 9.

The delegation brought along a detailed written list of improvements they would like to see made to Arden to halt what they called a “serious decline”.

“Arden lost its remaining grocery store last year, a cornerstone business, and with the crumbling sidewalks and the roads in the state they are in now, it is unlikely to attract a new one,” Maloney said.

In their letter to council, a group of 16 residents, many of whom were in attendance at the meeting, noted that Kennebec district is the largest source of tax revenue for Central Frontenac, and said, “Whether it is a fair assessment or not, perception is reality, and the shabby, run-down look of a community like Arden with its crumbling sidewalks and crazy-quilt road repairs sets the tone for the surrounding area and adversely influences vacationers as well as potential year-round residents and entrepreneurs alike.”

“We lost our township and our roads department with amalgamation, and now we have lost just about everything else,” Maloney added.

In addition to rebuilding the sidewalks and resurfacing village roads, the list of requests includes repairing or replacing the guardrail on the bridge in the middle of the village, re-instating yearly street cleaning and brushing, improving signage, refurbishing the recreation field, installing solar panels at the Kennebec hall, and retrofitting the street lights with energy-efficient bulbs.

In their 2009 budget, council did consider a proposal, put forward by Deputy Mayor Gary Smith, to do some paving and sidewalk repair in Arden, and several thousand dollars was put in the budget for that purpose. In the final budgeting meeting that money was removed from the budget in order to mitigate against other expenses.

“Your timing is very good,” Mayor Gutowski said to the Arden delegates, “because we will be looking at our 2010 budget soon and your request will be on the table from the start.”

Gutowski then said that there might be some opportunities through Frontenac County and its Integrated Community Sustainability Plan for community development projects to be funded.

Deputy Mayor Gary Smith countered that, “All of the things listed here are our responsibility and we don’t have to wait for the county. We have it in our means to take the lead in all of this. I look forward to hearing the costing from our public works manager.”

Kennebec Councilor Jeff Matson said, “When it comes time to do the budget it will be our job to squeeze this in there somehow.”

“If we need to we will be back to remind you about it,” said Maloney.

Much later in the meeting, the subject of Arden came up again.

During a debate between Mayor Gutowski and Deputy Mayor Smith over the County Integrated Community Sustainability Plan, Smith lamented that too much money was being devoted to consultants’ reports.

“We should get off the consultants and get onto the hard pavement,” Smith said.

Gutowski responded by saying, “A new road will not make Arden sustainable. A new school or a new grocery store will do that. The planning to improve assessment is what will help to sustain the village. We need to identify areas of growth and do the work to promote them. That is what places like Arden need.” 

E-waste recycling is coming back – A meeting is scheduled for Friday of this week concerning establishing an e-waste disposal bin at the Elbow Lake transfer site south of Parham.

Once Public Works Manager Mike Richardson is brought up to speed on what procedures the township needs to put in place for storing the material and delivering it to a provincial depot, the program will be able to be up and running.

Waste site hours changing – At the request of dump site attendants, winter dump hours are coming back. Between early November and mid-March, while Eastern Standard Time is in effect, waste sites will be open from 8 am to 5 pm. During Daylight Savings Time, the hours will revert to 9 am to 6 pm. This is being done to eliminate the after dark dump hours that are currently in place. The change will take effect on December 1.

Fire department needs $10 Grand extra – Fire Chief Mark MacDonald, flanked by his two new deputy chiefs, Art Cowdy (administration) and Bill Young (operations), made a presentation to the Committee of the Whole on the recent activities of the department.

MacDonald reported that the Live Fire training centre near the Olden Fire Hall has been used twice this fall, and will be used again this month. So far, 48 firefighters have attended training there.

He also reported that 214 homes were visited under the smoke alarm program. Fifty-six new smoke alarms were installed and 12 batteries were replaced as part of the program.

MacDonald also wanted to let the public know that although fire permits are not required for outdoor burning between November 1 and March 31, burning is only permitted from two hours before sunset until two hours after sunrise.

Finally, MacDonald reported that vehicle repairs have gone way over budget this year, a situation he attributes to faulty inspections by the repair shop that the department has been using for the past couple of years. A more thorough inspection from a repair shop that the township used several years ago has shown that many pieces of equipment had faulty brakes and steering columns. “I’m happy we found these problems before anything happened,” MacDonald said, “but it has put us $10,000 over budget, which we would like to take from reserve funds.

Deputy Mayor Gary Smith said “I think you should be able to find some money from elsewhere in your budget to cover this.”

“We have looked but all of our budget lines are pretty tight,” said MacDonald.

“I think this is a reasonable request,” said Mayor Gutowski. “In the time Mark MacDonald has been fire chief there has never been a request like this. I think it is clear this is a special case, and with all the department has accomplished this year, I have no problem with this request.”

“I agree. I have no problem with this,” said Councilor Norm Guntensperger, “I am comfortable with what the department is doing.”

A motion to transfer the money from reserves was approved, with Deputy Mayor Smith and Councilor Bill Snider voting against it.

Crow Lake sign – After a long debate, council approved a new sign for the Crow Lake schoolhouse, using $700 in grant money that was left over after siding was put on the building. Council put one stipulation on their approval: that the township logo and name be included on the sign.

Published in CENTRAL FRONTENAC
Thursday, 08 October 2009 09:34

The Godfreys of Arden, Ole Kennebec

Photo: Irene Monds and Linda Godfrey

On September 12, 2009, a long-time dream of mine was realized when 80 people gathered for a Godfrey family reunion at the Arden Legion.

I started researching my family’s genealogy to pass the time while awaiting surgery. Through the internet, I connected with others who were also searching and someone sent me an old newspaper clipping of Herbert Godfrey and Herbert Bell beside the grave of my great-great grandfather, John J. Godfrey, on the old Godfrey homestead. 

My brother Robert, his family and I, along with our cousin Marjorie Godfrey Burton, made our first trip to Arden in July 2007 but did not find the stone. However, I did find out that Mr. and Mrs. Monds owned the property that John J. Godfrey and Eliza Boomhower once owned. The farm is on the east side of Arden Road, across from Bill Pringle's home, which is the old homestead of Peter Mosier (1816) and Mary Boomhower (1821). It has been said that wherever the Godfreys went, the Mosiers went too. 

I then decided to organize a reunion, which was held on September 12. We discovered that all the Godfreys could not only cook well, they also like to eat, and we had enough food to feed an army. The matriarch of the family is Isobella Godfrey Tice, 83, who is the daughter of Ashley and Mary Godfrey, and loves music and dancing! The reunion was the most amazing and moving experience in my life.

Some of the group drove to the Monds’ residence and they were so gracious in letting us roam the property. We found the original icehouse, root cellar, and old barn. Mrs. Monds enlightened us about the farm and the people of Arden, and her husband Earl told us where we would find the grave of our great-great grandfather. The next day we returned and found the stone, on which is written: John J. Godfrey, died Nov. 30, 1878, age 57 yrs. A loving friend, a father dear/a tender parent lieth here/Great is the loss we here sustain.

Bill Pringle said he used to play there as a boy and that there was another stone beside it. We didn’t find the second stone, but will return in two years to look for it. I know that Mary Belanger, John Godfrey, Philip Godfrey Sr., James John Godfrey and perhaps Eliza are also buried there and I would like to do something about preserving the cemetery.

In my research I found a memoir written by Ruby Brown of the Heath clan in Arden, which states that Arden is a "little bit of heaven on earth". I call it Mystical Arden, and it truly is "heaven on earth". The stars in the sky glisten and pristine lakes abound. Many family roots come from this tiny town and it seems to have a special place within their hearts as well as mine.

As I gazed out over Kennebec Lake, I thought of how much my family wanted to go back to Arden. They often spoke of Ole Kennebec and their memories. My aunt used to tell of horse-drawn sleigh rides on the cold winter nights. They would be home playing cards and they could hear the sleds racing by and they could tell by the bells who was winning.

Arden isn't big now, nor was it back in the 1800s, so everyone married their neighbours; thus, all of Arden and its families’ histories were celebrated on Sept. 12. I can promise you it will not be the last gathering; I am already working on the next one for 2011.

We would like to thank everyone for attending and for the wonderful food. We would also like to thank Earl and Irene Monds and Bill Pringle for all their help, and the wonderful people from the Legion in Arden who were so gracious to us, especially Angie Deline, who did a great job in assisting me. 

 

Published in CENTRAL FRONTENAC
Page 10 of 16
With the participation of the Government of Canada