Perhaps it was the perfect ice, snow and weather conditions that attracted over 120 riders, who came to participate in the 4th annual Sharbot Lake Snow Drags on February 15. The event is put on by the Oso Recreation Committee. It was revived in 2011 after a long hiatus and is a popular annual event for riders from as far away as New York state and Quebec, as well as from all over Ontario including Petawawa, Belleville and Burlington.

Organizers have made a couple of changes in the classes year and added a new ice track, a four-stroke single-cylinder class and a vintage class in order to attract more riders. Also new was the addition of a third lane on the snow track, which made for more exciting races both for the participants and the hundreds of onlookers who watched from behind the orange safety fences. Participants were awarded trophies at a special ceremony at Oso Hall after the races. The biggest prizes of the day went to the Kings of the Snow and Ice tracks who each took home a whopping $300 cash prize. A roast beef dinner followed the awards ceremony

Over 40 volunteers from various community groups assist with the event and take on the numerous tasks involved, which include preparing and grooming the tracks, manning the start and finish lines, registering the riders and more. Spencer and Heather Robinson donated their time and services to set up the ice track, as did Mitch Cox and Dennis Scott to set up the snow track. Volunteers Jim MacPherson, Spencer Robinson and Art Starkey announced the races. The Sharbot Lake and District Lions provided the on site canteen.

Charlene Godfrey, who was manning the registration site along with Cathy MacMunn, said that the event is mostly about attracting visitors to the area. “We will put the extra proceeds we make back into the event but our main goal is to draw visitors to the area, who in turn support our local businesses by gassing up, eating meals here and often staying overnight for the event. Our goal is to put on a quality and well-organized event that is fun and entertaining for everyone who comes out”, Godfrey said. Judging by its ongoing success year after year, the Snow Drags will be bringing visitors and snowriders to the area for a long time to come.

This year’s Frontenac Heritage Festival was another success and as it unfolded over the weekend.

At the opening breakfast, guest speaker Eric Wagar highlighted the history of Central Frontenac with a focus on the areas that he knows best. Following his speech Dean Walsh and Janet Barr of Community Living-North Frontenac presented a cheque for $500 to members of the festival committee, Mayor Janet Gutowski and Councilor Tom Dewey. On Friday night the crowds swelled to record numbers for the talent show, which was emceed by Gary Giller and Jim MacPherson. The two presented a diverse line up of local talent and that included many newbies to the Oso Hall stage, including singers Xavier Gomez from Northbrook, Adrian O'Connell from Arden, the comedic hillbilly trio comprised of Megan, Milosh and Mike (photo right), and a impressive selection of young musicians from the area including fiddle virtuoso Jessica Wedden and Lucas and Natalie Reynolds. There were also memorable performances by the Land O'Lakes Cloggers and the St. Pierres.

On Saturday in Arden, sizable crowds turned out for the Fur Traders’ Camp Re-enactment, which was moved this year from the Crow Lake Schoolhouse to the Arden Hall and featured the old time pioneers Mike Procter, Bob Miller and Ray Fletcher. There was also a wide variety of other attractions, including displays by the Kennebec Trappers Association, and the Kennebec Historical Society, miniature horse wagon rides, children’s games, a BBQ lunch, skating and demonstrations. A number of new events were added to the line up in Arden including demonstrations by chain saw sculptor Robin Deruchie of Cloyne, which proved very popular. Those who headed north enjoyed a myriad of winter games and activities courtesy of the Kennebec Lake Association.

The snow sculpture contest was moved this year to the Railway Heritage Park in Sharbot Lake but only drew one entry, as people probably preferred to create their snow sculptures on home turf.

The Polar Bear Plunge, on the other hand was a huge draw as always. Spectators, who were cozy in their own winter gear, enjoyed seeing others bite the bullet and take the icy plunge into the waters of Sharbot Lake. The plungers did not disappoint. They appeared in colorful costumes that delighted the crowd and together raised $10,137 for three local causes including the Child Centre, GREC's school council, and the Alzheimer Society (see the Polar Plunge article). Saturday night events were also well attended. The dinner and dance at the Sharbot Lake Legion and the Slocan Ramblers at the Crossing Pub attracted full houses. The 17 vendors who participated in the craft show, which was moved this year to St. James Major from Oso hall, would have liked a larger turnout, but those who shopped were appreciative and receptive to the diverse range of products for sale by local makers who create in a wide variety of mediums.

Another popular site, the Fall River Road Pioneer Log Home, which has been restored by Dr. Peter Bell, allowed festival-goers to step back in time. Visitors enjoyed being driven to the building in Bill Lee's horse-drawn wagon and were greeted by the strains of a bagpipe, played by local musician Gordon Wright. Once inside the circa 1840 home, which is filled with museum-quality artifacts, visitors were offered mulled cider and home-made scones. Adding to the heritage atmosphere were artisans Jean Clair demonstrating quilting and Beth Abbott demonstrating spinning.

On Monday runners and walkers took part in the Heritage relay, which drew 34 runners.

The festival's photo contest had as its theme "Frontenac Landmarks" and drew many entries. Congratulations to winners: Andrea Dickinson - 1st , Kyle Cryer – 2nd and Taylor Babcock – 3rd. All the entries are posted at sites.google.com/site/frontenacheritagefestival/home/photo-contest/2014

Hats off to the members of the Heritage Festival committee and to the countless volunteers who continue to make Central Frontenac a destination in February.

OPP Constable Lori Lobinowich was just starting her day shift on a cold, dark Saturday morning last week when she received a call from the dispatch centre to tell her that a woman in labour was about to arrive at the detachment to meet an ambulance that was to take her to the Smiths Falls hospital.

Just then a car pulled into the parking lot of the detachment, which is located on Hwy. 7, near the junction with Road 38.

A little over a half an hour earlier, Cindy Thompson had woken up at her home on Burke Settlement Road, about a 15-minute winter's drive north of Sharbot Lake off Road 509. Her sixth child was two days late. She had been to see her doctor the day before and everything seemed fine; they were going to wait a few days for the baby to come.

“I felt pain, and then I realised it was labour pain, not the Brackston-Hicks contractions that I had been having, but real labour,” she recalled later.

She told her husband John it was time to go to the hospital, and got herself to the car. By the time he got there it was clear the labour was progressing pretty quickly.

They hadn’t yet reached Road 509 when John called 911.

Fifteen minutes later, Constable Lobinowich hustled out of the office to meet the car.

“The door opened and there was the baby,” she said later. “We had the paramedic on the line and he said to get the baby indoors. It was minus 15 that morning, so between John and I we somehow got Cindy and Kyra into the detachment.”

The logical place to bring them was the holding cell in the small detachment office, so that’s where they went.

Because of that the story of the baby "born in the jail cell" hit the national media early this week.

Within minutes some local firefighters arrived on the scene as first responders and then paramedics arrived at about 6:45. They cut the umbilical cord and made sure everything was in order before transferring Cindy and baby Kyra first to the Perth campus and finally to the Smiths Falls campus of the Great War Memorial Hospital where the regional obstetrics ward is located.

The next morning, Cindy and Kyra (whose second name is Winter and who weighed over 9 lb. at birth, for the record) went home to join brothers Aaron (15) Tyee (11) Marshal (6) and sisters Nadie (4) and Aurora (almost 3).

“That will be all for us,” said John Davis.

Constable Lobinowich was working the day shift this week, so on Tuesday morning Cindy, John and Kyra had a much more relaxed visit to the detachment to take some photos for scrapbooks and present the baby to the detachment staff. Kyra slept through the whole visit, flash photos and all.

Cindy took the opportunity to thank Lori Lobinowich again.

“I was just glad I was able to help,” said Lobinowich.

On February 6, staff from Northern Frontenac Community Services held their first fundraiser of 2014 for the United Way at the Child Centre in Sharbot Lake. Guests enjoyed generous helpings of chili that was made and donated by members of the NFCS staff, and during the meal guests also had an opportunity to bid on a number of home-made pies that were auctioned off.

The United Way funds a number of the services that NFCS provides free of charge to the community, including their Family Counselor program, which offers in home or in office counseling to families in Central and North Frontenac who require help to get them through family-related life struggles including bereavement, separation, divorce and more.

The United Way also funds NFCS' Youth Services programs, which this past year were able to run thanks to a one-time $20,000 United Way Community Investment grant. The grant helped support NFCS programming for youth leadership development, after-school programming and life skills development programs.

Currently NFCS has applied for more permanent funding from the United Way to support their youth programs on an ongoing basis and they will find out if that grant was successful in March.

Don Amos, the executive director of NFCS, said that in addition to the funds raised from their numerous United Way fundraisers, this year all the NFCS staff are also donating a percentage of their salaries to the United Way Campaign through their Employee Deduction Plan, an effort that Amos was very proud to announce. “The fact alone that every single employee in our agency is donating to the United Way campaign on a regular ongoing basis as well as taking part in these fundraisers is a testament of how the staff here realize the importance of the United Way in our area and the support that the United Way has given to our organization,” Amos said when I spoke to him at the recent fundraiser. Amos stressed the fact that without the funding and support from the United Way much of their programming for youth and families in the area would not be possible.

Maribeth Scott, who is the manager of children and youth services at NFCS, said that NFCS staff are making year-round efforts to raise funds for the United Way “to make these programs work for the community.”

Upcoming in May will be the annual NFCS United Way yard sale, which will coincide with their Great Outdoor Adventure at St. James Major Catholic Church. Later in the fall NFCS will hold their annual spaghetti dinner fundraiser and they are also planning a Chinese dinner/quarter auction that will take place this fall. Details will be announced at a later date. Amos said he was pleased with the turn out for their most recent fundraiser and wished to thank NFCS staff, guests and donors for making the event such a success.

Close to 50 seniors showed up for the special Heart 2 Heart event put on by the occupational therapists who are running the very popular seniors' fitness program at the Medical Centre in Sharbot Lake. After a hiatus the program was reinstated a few months ago thanks to staff at the Sharbot Lake Family Health Team.

The Heart 2 Heart event wrapped up one recently completed session of the fitness classes and it was organized by the two occupational therapists, Charlene Feakins and Stephanie Lackey. The event included a number of outdoor winter activities including skating, cross-country skiing, and pole walking. A number of seniors who attended also had the opportunity to snowshoe for their very first time. A bonfire was lit near the beach and following the activities participants dined on an exceptional potluck lunch inside the common room at the medical centre. Charlene said that the response to the program has been overwhelming and she was pleased with the turn out.

Also in attendance at the event were ten occupational therapy students from Queens University, some of whom gave demonstrations on how to shovel snow and chip ice safely, without causing unnecessary stress and strain to the body. Charlene wants to remind all seniors that a new series of seniors' fitness classes will begin on February 25 and will run for eight weeks, until April 15 at the Medical Centre in Sharbot Lake.

The classes take place on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 9am, 11am and 1:15pm. Judging by the excitement and camaraderie of the group and its leaders, seniors fitness in Sharbot Lake is alive and well. To register for the upcoming classes call the Sharbot Lake Family Health Team office at 613-279-2100.

Members of the Frontenac Masonic Lodge and the Sharbot Lake Legion joined forces for the first-ever Robbie Burns Dinner at the Legion, which took place on January 25 and was a sold-out event.

Bill Bowick, who is the Master of the Frontenac Masonic Lodge No. 621, initiated the idea for the event after a member suggested having a dinner. Bowick then approached Legion president Dave Whalen thinking that the Legion would be an ideal place to hold it. “The Legion is not only a great service club but they are better set up with the facilities to put on an event like this,” Bowick said.

Dave Whalen said that he was on board from the get-go. “My mother is from Aberdeen, Scotland and I love everything Scottish and have been there a number of times. When Bill asked me to partner with him for this I jumped at the chance.” Whalen credited Bill and Rosemarie Bowick, and his wife Kathleen for organizing the event.

Robbie Burns, who was born January 25, 1759, was a very well known Mason who made numerous Masonic references in his poetry. He was regarded as a pioneer of the Romantic movement. He inspired the founders of both liberalism and socialism as well as contributing to the value systems of Freemasonry. He influenced the leaders of the French and American revolutions, many of whom were Masons. His birthday is celebrated across Canada and around the world and he has become a cultural icon to Scots everywhere.

The celebrations in Sharbot Lake got underway with over 80 guests in fancy attire sipping beverages and snacking on hors d'oeuvres as volunteer cooks for the evening, Kathleen White, Peggy Muldoon and Sharon Quinn, managed the seven pots on the stove. They served up a meal that included cock-a-leekie soup, roast beef, haggis, mashed potatoes and turnips, and for dessert, sticky pudding with toffee sauce and ice cream.

A number of Masons assisted with the meal. Former master of the Frontenac Masons, Simon Spanchak, obtained the haggis, which were made by expert haggis maker Kalvin Holland of Kemptville. Haggis is a traditional Scottish dish made with oatmeal, and the lung, heart, kidney and liver of a sheep, which is all stuffed into a sheep's stomach. Mason Bill Kennedy of Kingston made the cock-a-leekie soups, one of which was made with pheasant and the other with wild turkey. Both included prunes, leeks, onions, carrots, and pearl barley.

Prior to everyone tucking in, Legion piper Jeff Donnelly “piped in the haggis” with his version of "Highland Laddie", after which Bill Bowick made a toast to the famed Scottish delicacy.

The evening included numerous toasts and readings of Burns's poems, and was dedicated to the late William “Scotty” Meldrum, who was the founding president of the Sharbot Lake Legion, and also the first member of the Frontenac Masonic Lodge to be appointed officer of the Grand Lodge of Canada. Meldrum, who was a resident of Sharbot Lake, originally came from Scotland and after arriving in Canada he enlisted and served at Passchendaele.

The two clubs shared the profits from the event, with the funds going to the Legion's Bursary Fund and to the Canadian Blood Services. Judging by the sold-out event, it will not be the last time that the two clubs join forces to celebrate Robbie Burns Day. Whalen said he would definitely be on board should he be asked again next year. “It's a great opportunity for both service clubs to benefit from helping each other," he said. Whalen said that in his nine-year history at the Legion it is the first time that the two organizations have come together to put on an event.

The Center Stage Café will be back in action with live music at the Sharbot Lake Legion on the 3rd Thursday of the month for February, March and April. The house band (Feral Five), as well as playing its own eclectic repertoire, will host a number of local guest performers over the three-month period, showcasing a variety of musical genres. The evenings will run from 7 – 9:30 p.m. with a cash bar as well as a pot of coffee provided for those interested in liquid refreshments while enjoying the music. If past performances are any indication, the cover charge of 2 toonies should be well worth the price of admission.

Thursday, February 20th will start things off on a Country theme with guest performers Dave McCullough, well known for his time as the singing bass player with Red Rose Express, and Mitch Barker, ever popular for his wonderful renditions of “ol’ country” tunes.

As a change of pace, Thursday, March 20th will highlight everything from Blues to Jazz to Rhythm & Blues with the odd show tune thrown in by featuring two newcomers to the Center Stage Café spotlight. One of the guest performers will be the accomplished flutist, Ann Archer (and company), who will also bring along her newly acquired saxophone. The other performance on that same evening will feature the powerful vocals of Andrea Jones accompanied by partner in crime, Logan Murray, on guitar, and the very talented Julia Schall.

Thursday, April 17th will end the series on a Folk/Pop music theme with guest performers Brian Robertson (and company), and Rob and Nancy Moore back by popular demand, both acts having delighted Center Stage Café audiences in the past.

If you enjoy live music and are looking for a way to spend a Thursday evening over the winter months, come and join us!

The Sharbot Lake Property Owners’ Association have revised the website to make it even more accessible and it is still at www.slpoa.ca. We invite all residents, whether members of the association or not, to take a look. Tell us what you think about the site and please join the conversations about the various topics that are raised.

I would like to draw the readers’ attention to one section of the website in particular, the section that focuses upon the Environment. To do the best we can to protect and enhance the environment in our beautiful part of the province the executive of the association needs all the help they can get!

To get to that particular section:

1. Use the internet browser that you prefer and type in www.slpoa.ca.

1. The association’s website will appear. Go to SLPOA forums (located in the banner along the left side), and click on it.

2. Scroll down to “Environmental Issues”, and click on it.

3. You will now see a number of headings. I want to elaborate and invite your participation for two of these in particular.

“The Story of a Lake” (click onto it) sets the stage for an extensive – and endlessly ongoing – dialogue among us regarding the origins, the current status, and the future of the lake itself. Our Environmental Issues Coordinator, Rem Westland, has already contributed information drawn from our 2013 Lake Plan and from other documents. You will see that the topic is set up with an introductory chapter (The Story of a Lake) and then highlights each following chapter in turn. We invite you to add your knowledge to what is already captured in this story. We welcome as much information as you may have regarding any aspect of the lake that gives the Village of Sharbot Lake its name.

The way to provide input is to first register with our webmaster. All you do is click the “registration” icon (top right of the page) and follow the instructions from there. Your user name will be recorded and you will get a password. Every time you want to add information to the topics/chapters of interest you just type in your user name (box furthest to the left), password (second box in) and click “Log in”.

The second heading of special interest is “General Issues”. After you click onto that heading you will see a number of listed topics, some of which already have been taken on by people whose names are indicated. The first topic to click onto is “Coordination of Issues”. This describes the organization of the section and provides a long list of potential topics for “champions” to take on. I am sure, once the conversation is started that the listed topics only scratch the surface.

There are a great many environmental issues of concern to all of us, whether we are seasonal or permanent, on the water or inland, private citizens or business people. We are asking that individuals contribute to the topics already listed (steps to follow are set out above) or propose new topics of concerns so that we can work together on the environmental issues that concern all of us. We on the SLPOA executive hope to see dozens of Environmental Issues being explained and regularly updated by dozens of individuals who use our website to communicate broadly throughout our community and with the world.

“Age is only a number”. “You're only as old as you feel”. “The more you move the more you can”.

All of us have heard these adages. Some of us might even have heard them in the doctor's office. Now our answers of, "But I don't live three blocks from the gym”. “The lake is a trifle cold these days" and the favourite, "I'm on a fixed income and a membership instead of hydro is not an option" hold no water. We live in the catch basin for the Sharbot Lake Family Health Team - Medical Centre and are blessed because of it. For the last few months the centre has been sponsoring Fitness Classes for seniors. The twice weekly classes are conducted by two expert, energetic Occupational Therapists, Charlene Feakins (Tuesdays) and Stephanie Lackey (Thursdays). There are three different classes on each of those days to better accommodate our busy schedules. Each class focuses on cardio, bone and muscle health, finishing with a proper cool down and relaxation. Charlene and Stephanie are experts at modifying the pace of the activities to the group as well as encouraging individual adaptations for every exercise. Balance and flexibility for everyday living are the goals. The music is chosen with our pasts in mind and it is not unusual to hear more than a little humming or singing through the huffing and puffing. The atmosphere is energetic, up beat and forgiving. No matter how you were feeling when you walked into class, you are smiling when you leave.

Over this last session there have also been informative presentations by some of the other medical centre personnel. The dietitian, Saman Iqbal, told us about a number of helpful good meal tips to keep us on the course to healthy living, and nurse practitioner, Brenda Bonner, enlightened us on the differences between osteo and rheumatoid arthritis and suggestions for coping with them.

Western medicine is oft criticized for its focus on illness. As our grandmas were found of saying, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure." The medical centre has put its money where its mouth is. Now it's time for you to Walk The Talk. The next session begins February 25, 2014 and they are FREE. Register for classes at the front desk or at an Outdoor Winter Fun day that is being held at the medical centre starting at 11am on Tues. February 11. Bring your skates, skis, snowshoes, poles, etc. There is a potluck at noon

It wasn't exactly easy or smooth, but on Sunday afternoon, January 5, the Limestone District School Board received an occupancy permit for Granite Ridge Education Centre.

The next morning, the school was ready to receive students, although the fact that the first day of school ended up being a snow day was not unwelcome to staff, who were still setting up their classrooms and work stations.

Tuesday morning ended up being the real opening day of Granite Ridge, and although there were still trucks parked outside, some of the trades-people were still finishing up their work, and the wind was howling as the students made their way from the buses to the front door, it was a very bright and happy day for the Limestone District School Board and families in Central and North Frontenac.

Principal Heather Highet welcomed the secondary students in the new cafeteria, which for the moment is open to the school's full-sized gym. Trustee Ann Goodfellow and School Board Director Brenda Hunter were on hand as well. Heather Highet talked briefly about the layout of the school and then the teachers led the students off to their new home rooms.

One of the major features of the school is the surrounding environment. There are very few spaces in the school that do not have at least one or two windows to the outside, and natural light infuses all the classrooms.

All of the technology in the classroom is another feature. There are SMART boards in every class, and the in-class sound systems are integrated directly into the teachers' own computers. Not only is the sound quality good, but the walls to the hallways are insulated so the sound stays in the class.

While Tuesday was the first day of classes after the break and secondary students have exams to prepare for, some of the younger elementary teachers were starting the new year by taking their students on tours of their big, new school.

Granite Ridge includes classrooms for all of the secondary school programs that were available at the former Sharbot Lake High School, including a wood and auto shop, music, art/fabric art room and a kitchen class.

Added features and upgrades from the previous school include a 6,300 square foot gymnasium, two separate change rooms, a fully equipped weight/powerfit room, a cafetorium with a 1,000 square foot stage, seating for 250 for concerts and performances, and a retractable wall that will open up to the gymnasium, allowing for large assemblies and events to permit seating for over 600.

While the school is up and running now, it will take some time for all of the moving in to be completed. The library is still filled with boxes of books, for example, which is something that will be sorted out in a matter of days. It will take longer to remove the former Sharbot Lake High School building and complete the landscaping plan that will make full use of the surrounding landscape.

Fortunately, few students were complaining about the lack of outdoor recreation areas on the first day of classes at Granite Ridge. Somehow the -20º temperatures and high winds made the students happy to explore inside, within the building itself.

The public will be invited to view the new building sometime later this winter.