Matson Insurance Brokers (MIB), now a division of Insurance Specialty Brokers (ISB) of Kingston, will be celebrating the opening of their office in Sharbot Lake on Wednesday, May 15, between 12 noon and 4 p.m.

The office has, in fact, been up and running since the beginning of the year, and the partnership between the two brokerages started a year before that.

Older yet, much older, is the tradition of service to the community that dates back to 1965, when Ewart Matson bought the business and moved it to the front room of the house on Queen Street in Arden.

Forty-eight years later, a lot has changed in the local community, but they need for a full service insurance broker hasn't.

“We've always been able to provide service to our customers, and that's what keeps them coming back, generation after generation,” said Sherry Scott, the granddaughter of Ewart Matson, who runs the Sharbot Lake operation with her mother Marilyn. Marilyn took over from Ewart in 1998.

“We work with many different insurance companies, companies that understand and are committed to the rural market, and that's why we can offer the kind of service that people find useful,” she added.

ISG is also a community-based company. In an industry that has become dominated by larger regional and national corporations, they serve and are based in the greater Kingston market. The affiliation with Matson's enables them to reach out into the countryside as well as keep their focus on their Kingston-based clientele.

Both MIB and ISG were already serving as brokers for Wawanesa, but they each had a number of other companies they work with. Clients at the new MIB/ISG office in Sharbot Lake now have access to The Dominion Insurance, Lanark Mutual, Echelon, Optimum Frontier, Farmer's Mutual, Economical, Aviva and Intact, among others.

“It has been a really good fit for us,” said Dave Fraser, the General Manager of ISG.

“We believe that each and every client deserves personalized insurance service for their home, cottage, boat, auto, business or farm, and those values are shared by MIB,” he added.

The move from Arden to Sharbot Lake has not changed the way Sherry Scott sees the business, although, she said, “it has given me some more space back at home. People have always known where we are, and there might be an added convenience for some by us being located in Sharbot Lake, but our clientele is scattered far and wide. Please feel free to come and visit us at our new spacious office,.”

MIB/ISG invites the public to visit their new office, which is located at 1021B Elizabeth St, in Sharbot Lake on May 15. There will be cake and coffee as well as a special draw for a brand new gas BBQ, and the first 100 guests will each receive a free gift.

To reach Matson Insurance, call 613-279-2925.

Since it was first produced in English on Broadway in 2009, “God of Carnage” has been an unlikely hit. It's about two couples who meet at one of their houses to talk about their sons, 11-year-old boys who got into a fight after school. Although it is not referred to by any of the characters, there is an underlying sense that the conflict that spurs the action in the play is something that would only be important in a modern context, and only among a specific social class.

What the play is really about is how the thin veneer of civility can be broken down between and among the two couples. While “Carnage” is a comedic romp through the wasteland of modern marriage, the interactions between the characters ring true. Although we laugh, it is not always comfortable laughter, perhaps because the characters are a bit too much like us. “God of Carnage” is the final North Frontenac Little Theatre production at the Sharbot Lake High School Cafetorium. It stars well-known NFLT actors Karen Steele, John Stephen and Martina Field, and introduces Rob Bell as Alan. Directed by Kelli Bell. “Carnage” runs from Thursday to Sunday. See the ad on page 2 for details.

On April 22, after donning blue gloves and with garbage bags in hand, bands of students from Sharbot Lake Public school spread out through the village of Sharbot Lake and did their fair share of garbage gathering in a special community clean up event in celebration of Earth Day.

The event was organized by SLPS teacher Danielle Harding who teaches the grade 3/4 class at the school. The students from grades one through six were divided into multi-aged groups led by older students and were supervised by staff and volunteers. The groups fanned out through the community and picked up trash and recyclables that were gathered at designated spots and were later collected by township staff. Harding said that the event, which has been running for years at the school, is a great opportunity for students to pitch in and help to keep the community clean.

“The students get a sense of the importance of keeping their community clean and the event really drives the point home that we should not litter. We hope that that idea and practice becomes ingrained in them and that they will think twice before littering.” Harding said that the amount of garbage students are seeing in the community is becoming less and less over the years. “I think that overall people are thinking more about not littering and that students especially as they are getting older have been thinking twice about it.”

The students appeared more than pleased to be undertaking the task at hand and Harding said that the kids really enjoy being outside and feeling like they are contributing to a worldwide event. The students were also encouraged to bring garbage-free lunches to school for Earth Day.

“Last in, first out” was how Caitlin Norwich-Stevenson, a Public Education Coordinator with the Alzheimer Society, described the memory loss that accompanies Alzheimer disease. She was referring to the fact that people with Alzheimer’s lose their most recent memories first. This was during an informative presentation that she gave about Alzheimer’s Disease and related Dementia on April 17 at the seniors’ complex in Sharbot Lake.

Caitlin explained to the audience that although the terms Dementia and Alzheimer’s are often used interchangeably, they are not the same thing. Dementia is not a disease but a set of symptoms that include loss of memory, understanding and judgement, and changes in mood and behaviour. Dementia is related to a number of different diseases and can be reversible or irreversible. Reversible dementia can be caused by medications, infections or nutritional disorders, among other things.

The prime cause for irreversible dementia – over 65% of cases – is Alzheimer’s Disease, but other causes include Lewy Body disease; Pick’s disease; Parkinson’s; head trauma; and Korsakoff Syndrome, which is linked to substance abuse.

Severe brain changes take place with the onset of dementia – the person looks fine but their brain cells shrink and are replaced by plaques; tangles develop and choke brain cells, and the death of brain cells leads to increasing cognitive impairment.

After describing dementia in general, Norwich-Stevenson then concentrated on Alzheimer’s. While memory loss is its most famous hallmark, there is no single test for the disease.

She described normal forgetfulness, in which people are aware of the date and time but will temporarily forget people’s names and the location of things. However, they will recall them after a time.

With Alzheimer’s, the memory loss is severe and affects day-to-day functions. Among other warning signs are: difficulty performing familiar tasks; disorientation of time and place; problems with language, judgement, understanding and abstract thinking; and changes in mood, behaviour or personality.

Caitlin said that a person with Alzheimer’s can take as long as 27 seconds to understand and respond to what is said to them – which she said doesn’t seem like a long time, but if you’re waiting for the person to respond, it’s a long time.

Getting a diagnosis is a lengthy process and usually involves evaluating the person’s mental health status.

While there is no known cure for Alzheimer’s, certain medications may slow down its progress in the early stages, which is why the Alzheimer’s Society is working very hard to educate the public about the disease in the hopes that early intervention could help some patients.

Caitlin said that although the memory deteriorates, the person’s emotions remain intact and it is important to continue to consider those emotions and respect the person.

The stresses of dealing with Alzheimer’s are severe, not only for the person who has the disease but for caregivers as well. There are painful decisions to make and families are exhausted, scared and frustrated.

Most of the participants in the seminar have family members with Alzheimer’s and Caitlin told them that while it is a difficult journey to watch, it is important to try to find the positive things about their respective situations.

On that note, one participant related that he has found it to be a very rich experience listening to his father’s memories of his earlier life. “I never knew any of that about my father,” he said.

Another participant said that whereas her mother spent her whole life worrying about her children, those worries have now slipped away from her.

A tip that was shared by participant Donna Hollywood was for caregivers to don the same coloured clothing to reassure the person being cared for, as they can become anxious when having to deal with many different caregivers. In Caitlin’s words, people with Alzheimer’s “don’t do change well”.

One member of the audience asked for advice on how to take charge of their parent’s financial affairs and Caitlin said one strategy is, rather than telling the person they’re no longer capable of managing their own affairs, to ask the person to teach them what they know about finances.

Another participant asked about violent behaviour and Caitlin said that she will be holding more seminars in the future to give help with specific problems like that.

Anyone who needs help or has questions is welcome to contact Caitlin at 613-544-3078 ext 203; toll free: 1-800-266-7516; This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

The Alzheimer Society holds a support group on the first Wednesday of each month from 1 to 3 p.m. at the United Church hall in Sharbot Lake, and on the last Thursday of the month, 7-9 pm at the Grace Centre in Sydenham.

For more information, visit www.alzking.com.

Members of the community are being invited to participate in a special, first time ever spring community clean up event courtesy of staff at Community Living-North Frontenac. The event, which is being organized by Ryan Wood, Community Activity Support Worker at CLNF, is designed “as a way for our agency to give back to the Sharbot Lake community, and to clean up within the city limits of Sharbot Lake,” he said. Staff at CLNF will be supplying protective plastic gloves and garbage bags to participants, who are invited to meet at the CLNF offices on Elizabeth Street in Sharbot Lake on Saturday May 4 at 9am. The event will continue until 1pm, at which time CLNF staff will be offering up a free BBQ lunch at their office site.

Executive Director of CLNF Dean Walsh said he hopes to see the event become a regular annual one and that it is “a great way for CLNF staff and local residents to promote, engage in and give back to the community.”

Mr. Wood has provided general safety information for participants, who he stresses should: avoid picking up litter on either side of Road 38; have one member of the group always watching for traffic; always wear the safety gloves provided; wear bright clothing, cross streets with extreme caution; and work on one side of all streets at a time. Children under the age of 13 must be accompanied by an adult and children must be supervised at all times. Sunscreen and hats are recommended and participants should avoid handling any animals, syringes/needles, all of which should be reported to CLNF staff. All broken glass should be wrapped in newspaper or placed in a bucket. For more information about the first ever Sharbot Lake Trash Bash event contact Ryan Wood at 613-279-3731.

In 1986, Anne Howes, who was then Anne Ferguson and then in her early 20s, started up a small bakery at her mother’s Sears Catalogue store next to the Brewer’s Retail store near the junction of Highway 7 and 38.

“I thought it would be a good business and that I would have some time off in the winter months,” Anne recalls.

She was partly right.

The Rising Bun was a successful business from the start, but the part about time off didn’t work out nearly as well.

Twenty-six years later, after buying the property from her mother, Theresa Ferguson, and expanding the business to include a tea room/restaurant and a range of sweet and savoury baked goods, rotisserie chicken and take out salads, Ann Howes sold the building and property early this spring.

A Subway will be opening in the next few months, after the building is extensively renovated.

The Rising Bun has been for sale for 4½ years.

“I really wanted to sell it as The Rising Bun; that was my intention,” Anne Howes said, “and I was even willing to stay on to train the new owner, teach them my recipes and work with them for up to a year.”

A number of potential buyers did come forward, but according to Howes, those with restaurant experience couldn’t handle the financing, and those with money didn’t have restaurant experience. In the end there never was a proper fit, and last fall, a group from Brighton brought up the idea of buying the property for a Subway Restaurant. While that original inquiry did not lead to an offer, another buyer eventually came forward and the sale was completed.

“It took me a while to get used the idea of the Rising Bun not continuing at that location, but after this amount of time, it was time for me to sell. It will also be the first franchise restaurant in Sharbot Lake, which is something, and it will also provide local jobs, which is also something,” said Anne Howes.

Because it is a Subway taking over, Anne was able to keep the Rising Bun as a business name in case she wants to keep a business going in some fashion, and even before any changes have been made at her former store, she has already moved The Rising Bun into a new direction.

She is baking bread three days a week at Local Family Farms in Verona, where it is being sold as Rising Bun Bread, and she will have a booth at the Sharbot Lake Farmer’s Market on Saturday mornings starting on the Victoria Day weekend. There is no word yet on whether Rising Bun Chelsea Buns will be available at the market.

“They're kind of messy to make, and I’m not sure if I have the space to make them right now, so we’ll have to see,” she said.

Selling the building is certainly the most drastic change to the Rising Bun over its history, but there have been a number of other changes over the years.

Until 1992, the bakery was located in a small corner of the building, which also housed a used furniture showroom in addition to the Sears outlet. In 1992, the furniture was removed and tea room and restaurant were opened, with the Sears outlet remaining in place. It was then that the Rising Bun really took off, and became a very popular spot for lunches for the next 20 years. Customers were attracted to daily soups and specials, and Rising Bun sandwiches, pies and squares. While the summer has always been busier in the bakery, the lunch hour traffic was steady throughout the week year round

When Theresa Ferguson retired from running the Sears outlet about 8 years ago, the dining area was changed and a new counter was put in, as well as a rotisserie oven. Take out chicken and salads became part of the take-out menu at that time.

Two winters ago, after the business had not sold, Anne decided to close between Christmas and May 1, and although she was worried that she might lose customers, she found them waiting for the bakery to re-open each year.

“It has always been a good business and I’ve always enjoyed a lot of community support,” said Anne about closing, “but after 26 years of getting up in the middle of the night to have bread ready for the morning, it is time for a change.”

No, it’s not the name of a tool or the revival of a heavy metal band.

It’s the name of a gruelling 1200 km bicycle ride that follows the same basic rules as the Paris-Brest-Paris (PBP) Randonee, one of the oldest bicycle races in the world, which dates back to 1891. The PBP is still run today, although not as a race, but more as a rally. Riders have 90 hours to complete the race, and can only receive support at specified control points along the route.

Randonneurs Ontario is a bicycle club that is affiliated with the Audax Club Parisien, the organizing body of the PBP. Just like the Audax club, Randonneurs Ontario organises a series of qualifying races, Brevets, in distances of 200, 300, 400, and 600 km. In order to qualify for a 1200 km event riders must either complete a full Brevet series in the year of the 1200 km event, or a 1200 km in the preceding year.

Once every four years Randoneurs Ontario organize the Granite Anvil, which is named for the shape of the course, and the fact that the course features a long stretch of road within the southern portion of the Canadian Shield, a.k.a. the Frontenac Spur.

The course starts in Oshawa, then heads northwest through Newmarket, Vaughan, Caledon and Orangeville, before turning north-east to Georgian Bay and Collingwood, Wasaga beach, and Midland then heading towards Bancroft. The route then runs through Haliburton and the Madawaska Highlands before heading towards Denbigh. It hits Frontenac County at Vennachar, then follows Buckshot Lake Road to Road 506, and down Ardoch Road to 509, then onto Road 38 and into Sharbot Lake. It follows 38 to Harowsmith before turning off on the Wilton Road towards Napanee. It takes Highway 2 at that point on its return leg back to Oshawa.

One of the control points in the route is at the Sharbot Lake beach, where riders were expected on August 24. As the control point monitors explained, the riders take their own pace. Although they were scheduled to stay over in Bancroft on Friday night and reach Sharbot Lake on Saturday afternoon, the first couple of riders came through at 9:00 am on Saturday, having ridden through Bancroft to Plevna on Friday.

Just after 1 p.m., Ken Bonner, a cyclist from BC, came through the control point at Sharbot Lake. He said he had started his ride from Bancroft at midnight, after a four-hour sleep. Bonner, who is a veteran rider and is in his 70s, found the 220 km stretch from Bancroft to Sharbot Lake particularly difficult.

“You never seem to get away from the hills in the entire distance,” he said. When he was told that the next section, down 38 to Harrowsmith and across Wilton Road towards Napanee, was relatively flat and was downhill over all, he did not seem convinced.

“They said the elevation in Bancroft is 400 feet and Sharbot Lake is 200 feet, but I seem to have been climbing all night and day,” he said, as he sipped a half a can of coke that organizers gave him.

Although he needed help climbing up the short embankment by the bandstand at the beach back to his bike, Ken Bonner managed to get on his bike and whiz off onto the highway. He said he was going to ride straight through to Oshawa without stopping.

Sure enough, he arrived in Oshawa at about 8:45 am on Sunday morning, 76 hours and 45 minutes after starting the Granite Anvil. He averaged 15.76 kilometres per hour, including sleep and rest time.

There were 47 riders who attempted the course, and 44 of them completed it within the allotted time.

For those who are interested in taking on the next Granite Anvil, there is ample time to train. The event runs every four years. For further information, go to randonneursontario.ca

Josh Goodfellow first came to Sharbot Lake High School as a student. He returned fully grown, and accepted a position as an Educational Assistant on a casual basis, and started work in the School to Community classroom. Josh has a strong commitment to the well-being of all students and to the school community. He has worked as an effective member of the school team in many capacities at the school; in the School to Community program, as an Educational Assistant in the school’s LitFit class, a new and unique

program for grade 9 boys with behavioral and academic struggles, as a member of a professional learning team with teachers, and as a member of the school’s coaching staff, to name a few. In each of these roles, Josh’s support for all students is genuine, invaluable and always goes above and beyond his formal role.

Josh takes a lead in the School to Community program in several areas. He was instrumental in planning for and fund-raising for the school’s Snoezelen room. He

single-handedly raised over $10,000 for it. Josh helps to coordinate the school recycling program, involving the students in a meaningful way at every stage, and he works alongside the students in the greenhouse and community garden, assisting them in learning to cultivate plants and vegetables. Through his work in the School to Community program, he has become familiar with, and works closely with, several community agencies that support the students and their families.

Last year, Josh welcomed the opportunity to work in the school’s LitFit class with a group of very challenging grade 9 boys. His work involved supporting their skill development in self-control, conflict mediation, literacy strategies, and healthy living habits. Josh thrived in this program and the classroom teacher found his input and

leadership with the students to be invaluable. Several of the boys now have a positive rapport with Josh and rely on him when situations become challenging. This has had a very positive impact on the tone in the school.

Josh attends staff meetings on a regular basis and participates in professional learning opportunities. This year he joined a learning team on differentiated instruction to enhance the strategies he uses when working with and supporting students. Josh also gets involved in the extra-curricular activities at the school, coaching or assisting the coach, in all sports. As a result of this involvement, there are many students who seek out Josh for support of social and emotional situations. He is empathetic, compassionate, very grounded, and professional in his creative and effective approach to students. Josh readily responds to medical emergencies as a member of the school’s First Aid team. As well, he competently steps in to support the Principal, Vice-Principal, and teacher-in charge during sensitive or high risk situations that can arise in a high school with students or parents. Any time that Josh has taken on this role, he does so professionally, appropriately, and always using sound judgment.

The Sharbot Lake family is very fortunate to have Josh in their midst, with his numerous contributions to the school community, his passion for helping students, and his warm and ready smile for everyone.

The Limestone District School Board is proud to honour Josh Goodfellow with an Outstanding Service Award.

It's official. Loblaws has sold their Sharbot Lake Freshmart store to Mike Dean's Super Food Stores, a company based in Winchester, Ontario. A press release confirming the long anticipated purchase was released late on Monday.

“Mike Dean’s Super Food Stores is pleased to announce the purchase of the existing grocery store property, grocery store operation, and valued staff members located at 1039 Elizabeth Street, Sharbot Lake to now operate as Sharbot Lake Market” the release says.

In an accompanying note, Gordon Dean, the son and partner of company founder Mike Dean, said, “We anticipate a two week outright closure followed by a re-opening of the remodelled fresh department only area within 14 days. A full update, remodel, and reopening of the complete store is expected by May 24th.

It has been less than a secret that something was happening to the Freshmart store in Sharbot Lake. Since January 1st the store had been cutting down on its stock. By mid-February banks of freezers had been emptied out and even the shelves of canned goods were thinning out, amid reports that an offer to buy the store had been made in mid-December and was awaiting final sign off by both parties.

Although it was run as a franchise store by Chuck Belcher of Crow Lake, the Sharbot Lake Freshmart did not have the same corporate structure of other grocery stores in the region, such as the Northbrook, Verona, and Sydenham Foodland stores and the Plevna Freshmart. In those cases the franchisees own the building where the store is located, and operate them under buying agreements with large grocery corporations. Upgrades and rebuilds of those stores have taken place in recent years, undertaken by the franchise owners.

In Sharbot Lake, Loblaws Inc. owned the building, and two successive franchise owners had been unable to convince the company to invest in, upgrade or modernize the facility. The business has suffered as a result.

That will all change with the purchase of the property by Mike Dean’s Supestore. Plans are already underway to expand the store to the rear of the property.

The Deans are not affiliated with any of the national chains. They do all their purchasing directly from producers, and also do some private labelling through the Nancy's Fancy trademark.

There are Mike Dean's Superstores in Winchester, Chesterville, Vankleek Hill, Bourget, and a recently opened store in Almonte. They have a warehouse in Winchester that supplies the entire store network.

The Dean family will be bringing a rural Ontario family- run business sensibility to Sharbot Lake, with a focus on competitive pricing. Opening a store in Sharbot Lake is part of a north and westward expansion of Mike Dean’s Superstores, after opening their Almonte store just last month.

This latest purchase marks a further evolution of the grocery business that goes back several decades in the same location.

The store was at one time affiliated with IGA, and then M&M. John and Erlene Lee, who owned a competing Red and White store in the building that is now occupied by the St. Lawrence College Employment Centre, bought the store in 1980 and moved their food store to the larger building a few months later.

The Lees were affiliated with National Grocers, the parent company of Loblaws, and they ran the store as a Valumart until they sold the building and the business to National Grocers in 1993.

It was run as a Valumart and then a Freshmart under Brett Harvey for 12 years, before Chuck Belcher took over eight years ago.

The North Frontenac Little Theatre play God of Carnage, by Yasmina Reza, will be performed at Sharbot Lake High School Auditorium on Thurs., May 2; Fri., May 3; Sat., May 4 at 7:30 p.m. and at a 2 p.m. matinee on Sunday, May 5.

The play is centred around two boys, Henry and Benjamin, one of whom, while playing in the park, accidentally hit the other boy in the mouth, breaking a tooth. Henry's parents have invited Benjamin's parents to their home for the evening to discuss the situation hoping to prevent this kind of thing from happening again.

Alan Raliegh, Benjamin's father, is a lawyer who works for a drug company and is always on his cell phone. He would much rather be working on his case than be at this meeting. Alan is played by Rob Bell who appears for the first time on stage with NFLT and he's really enjoying the experience.

Alan's wife, Annette, tries very hard to be friendly with the Novaks and to discuss the problem civilly. Martina Field, a veteran actor with NFLT, plays Annette. She has acted in a number of plays including The Wizard of Oz (as the Wicked Witch of the West), Annie, Oliver and Midsummer's Night Dream. She also helped with sets for Midsummer's Night Dream.

Michael Novak, Henry's father, has been quite successful in the plumbing wholesale business. While he is interested in discussing and resolving the issue, he would like to do so in a straight forward matter-of-fact way. John Stephen, a long time member of the theatre group, plays the role of Michael. John appeared in last fall's show, Tom Sawyer, as Old Joe and previously in Maple Lodge and Opening Night, among others.

Veronica Novak, played by Karen Steele, is an author whose idea it was to meet with Benjamin's parents to try to iron out the situation with their sons. She attempts to keep the others on track by bringing the discussion back to the facts as she sees them. Karen has acted in a number of plays over the years, including Maple Lodge, Beyond Reasonable Doubt, Noises Off and Opening Night. She has also directed a couple of plays. All four actors are having a lot of fun with their roles this time.

The play is directed by Kelli Bell, who recently directed Sara's Getting Married but this is her first time directing her husband, Rob (on stage, that is). Kelli has also performed in some plays, including Maple Lodge, Beyond Reasonable Doubt, The Wizard of Oz and Opening Night.

While the evening begins with the two couples conversing logically and amiably about the situation, before long irrational arguments begin and angry words are thrown back and forth. As the evening wears on things get more intense and one begins to wonder if things would have turned out better if the boys had been left to work out the situation on their own. Do they end up with an agreeable solution? To find out how this ends you will have to see the show. See you there.

Caution: The play contains coarse language and is not recommended for children.