by Betty Hunter

Once again this year we will be having planned events at the North Frontenac Star Gazing Pad. This facility is located at 5816 Road 506 between Ardoch and Fernleigh. The Pad will be available for your own group viewings once the ARCAL Lighting System has been installed at the Helipad adjacent to the Star Gazing Pad; we hope in the very near future.

The first event is being held on May 16 with a rain date of May 23. As I write this, the weather forecast is looking very good for the 16th. If you have not had the opportunity to attend one of these events let me inform you of what goes on:

Our “amateur astronomers” have been star gazing since they were young and have decades of knowledge of the dark skies and all we can see. They are our guides and teachers for these events. They bring their telescopes with them so everyone has the opportunity to see what they are talking about. It is a great interactive evening with very enthusiastic and knowledgeable teachers.

The event of May 16 twilight will start around 9pm and will start with viewing Venus and Jupiter which provides a breathtaking showing on its own. As the sky continues to darken more stars and galaxies will appear.

As written by one of our friends “This time of year the Milky Way lies right on our horizon in the evenings, so we will have to wait a few months to enjoy its treasures. Its absence now gives us an unobscured look at other galaxies besides our own. In other words spring is the Season of Galaxies. The spring constellations, especially Virgo, Coma Berenices and Leo are home to scores of galaxies of all sizes and shapes. Even though most of them are more than 50,000,000 light years away, they are well within reach of small telescopes. So they will be our main focus on the 16th.”

This event will start around 9pm and continue until all participants have left (our astronomers are accustomed to being up all night). These events are for every member of the family and provide an amazing opportunity to learn about our beautiful night skies.

There is an outhouse facility on site. Bring your lawn chairs, binoculars, telescopes (if you own one), warm clothing (as it cools down and gets damp as the evening moves on). You will also require insect repellants as the bug season has started.

Come on out and bring a friend. You won’t be disappointed. Hope to see everyone there.

by CF Soccer Association

The Central Frontenac Soccer Association is getting ready for another great season. Baseball and soccer will be held at separate times throughout the spring and summer again this year, so that more children have the opportunity to participate in both sports.

The Central Frontenac Soccer Association is a youth organization for girls and boys ages 3-18 (as of July 1) serving Central Frontenac and the surrounding area. Games will be played weekday evenings beginning in July through to the September with a final tournament. Soccer is an excellent way to promote physical activity, socialization and team play for children.

The Soccer Association will be holding an in-person registration in the lower level of the Sharbot Lake Family Health Team on Saturday, May 23, from 1pm - 4pm. There will be refreshments. We will also be holding an equipment swap this year. So bring all of your unused cleats, shin pads, etc. and you may be able to exchange them for different ones the day of registration. Also, if anyone has any jerseys from previous years, please return them. If you cannot attend the registration day, you may pick up a form from Lynette Whan, Elizabeth Bigelow or Lindsay Lowery-Beattie.

Registration forms can be mailed with payment to the address provided on the form by June 19. Fees for one child are $30. That allows for 7 weeks of play, the tournament, and awards. Receipts will be issued upon request.

NEW - Are you interested in volunteering as a coach or assistant coach for your child's team? Coaches and Assistant Coaches will receive free player registration for one child. We need coaches in

order to have a team for your child! Training and support is provided.

VOLUNTEERS are needed to make this another exciting season. There are many volunteer opportunities including coaching and refereeing and little to no experience is necessary. The committee will be holding clinics for training. We also welcome new members to the committee. If you are willing to support the league in any type of volunteer capacity, please contact Lynette at 613-279-2366 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or Lindsay Lowery-Beattie at 613-279-1079 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Ciao Giro Italia! Adios Vuelta a Espana! Au revoir Tour de France! The Tour de South Frontenac Cyclefest is about to take the cycling world by storm.

Well, the goal of the first ever event offered up by the nascent South Frontenac Rides Committee is not to identify the best cyclist in the world, but a more down to earth effort at promoting cycling in the township and introducing four cycling routes that start and finish in the Village of Sydenham. These routes will be featured in the first edition of the South Frontenac cycling route map.

The idea of a family-oriented cycling event to kick off the cycle route mapping project, which has been identified as an inaugural project by the four-month-old committee, was brought forward at a meeting in March.

“I was sceptical about it at first,” said Ross Sutherland, the rookie council member who got the South Frontenac Rides started by calling a meeting in January and now serves as the committee secretary.

“But the committee has 12 active members and they were just really keen. So we tried it and thanks to some really good organizers on the committee we have put together four diverse routes. We are optimistic that it will be a good event, as long as the weather co-operates.”

Running from 10 am to 3 pm on June 7 from the Loughborough Public School parking lot, the Cyclefest includes a skills rodeo, free helmet and bike repair advice, and a free BBQ in addition to the introduction of the cycling routes. There is a 13 km family-friendly route around Sydenham; a scenic Millhaven Creek route that is 35 km long and relatively flat; a more hilly Desert Lake loop (also 35 km.) and a shorter but more adventurous Little Long Lake route, much of which runs over un-paved, un-maintained township roads.

“We have learned a lot about mapping routes by putting these four together, so the event has already brought benefits,” said Sutherland.

So for cyclists of all ages, June 7 is a date to mark on your calendar. In 20 years when the Tour de South Frontenac has become a bucket list event for cyclists to attend, you'll want to say you were at the first one.

Barry Smith is lucky to be alive following a vicious attack that took place at Land O' Lakes Rescue/ Petting Farm in February and left him with eight broken ribs, a punctured lung, a broken pelvis and five broken vertebrae. Smith, who along with his wife Donna operates the farm on Road 506 near Cloyne, was attacked by the family's nine-year-old bull, a Holstein that Barry himself rescued when it was just three days old.

Donna said that the bull, known as Mickey Moo, had up until that day “been a very friendly animal”. After Barry rescued the bull nine years ago, he bottle fed it himself until it was able to eat on his own.

The attack occurred at approximately 4:30 pm on Family Day, February 16, when Barry as usual was putting the farm animals to bed for the night. Donna said that while he was opening the gate to let the bull into the barn, a nearby truck back-fired, startling the horses located in an adjacent enclosure, which likely in turn agitated the bull, causing it to crash into the electric fence. This sent it charging into the same area where Barry, who had his back turned at the time, was located. He was struck down to the ground by the bull, which then repeatedly tossed and flipped him into the air, after which time, using its head, it continued to ram him into the ground. Eventually Barry was able to pull himself under a nearby truck for cover. According to Donna, the bull also attempted to lift the truck off the ground while Barry was still lying underneath it, unable to move. “I don't know what happened to that animal but it seemed at the time like it really wanted to see my husband dead.”

Barry's 15-year-old daughter Darian, who had been in the barn at the time of the attack, heard her father's screams and ran out. She tried to get the bull off him by repeatedly hitting it with a stick but to no avail. Thinking her father had been killed, she ran to the house and called 911.

Donna said it took about an hour's time and many frantic attempts to get the bull safely enclosed, which she was finally able to do with the help of her children. It was only after that that the emergency responders could finally reach Barry, who by then was not only seriously injured, but also hypothermic. According to Donna he said that he “could not feel his legs”.

Barry was then rushed to the Lennox and Addington County Hospital, where his condition was eventually stabilized. He was then transferred to Kingston General Hospital, where he underwent surgery to repair his broken pelvis. He remained there in ICU for a week, and two weeks later was transferred back to the Lennox and Addington hospital, where currently he is undergoing physiotherapy and is in a wheelchair. He is still unable to walk since he is not allowed to put any weight on his left side while his pelvis heals.

The bull has been removed from the farm.

The incident has obviously left the entire family shaken and while Barry is now able to visit his home on the weekends, it will no doubt be a long while until he is back on his feet. In the meantime Donna said that she, her children and a number of neighbors are working extra hard to keep the farm going. They are still planning to open it up as usual for the May long weekend. Prior to that time they are asking any interested volunteers to help assist them with the annual clean up of the farm grounds in preparation for the busy upcoming season. The clean up will take place on Saturday & Sunday, May 2 & 3. Anyone interested in helping can contact Donna at 613-336-0330.

It is not often that one sees great grandmothers attending hockey games at the Frontenac Community Arena, but great grandmother Barb Stewart of Verona had three very good reasons (and then some) to be there on the afternoon of March 22.

Barb, along with a number of other family relations, were sitting rink side to watch Barb's three grand daughters, 10-year-old cousins, Sophie Norman, Jenna Norman and Taylor McParland, showing their skills out on the ice. The girls, who play, respectively, defense, left wing and goalie for the Atom Girls Frontenac Fury team, were facing off in an exhibition game against the Kingston Ice Wolves (blues) and it just so happens that they are not the only three representatives of the Stewart family on the team. The girls are coached by Barb's eldest grandson Jason Norman, father of Sophie and son of Barb's daughter Linda.

In all, the game attracted four generations of the Stewart family to the arena, which over the decades has been a family hub for this large, multi-generational hockey-playing family.

Hockey indeed runs deep in their blood. Barb in fact is likely one of the only great grandmothers in the area who can boast three great granddaughters on a single team. And it seems no coincidence that the three girls play the exact same positions of their own family hockey mentors. Mallory Garrison, mother of goalie Taylor said the family's love of hockey comes honestly. “Taylor's grandfather Tom played as a goalie in his days on the ice and Taylor, who just started playing this year was asked in her second practice if she wanted to have a try at it. She really has a knack for it, which she likely gets from her Grampy.”

Barb told a funny story of how Taylor called her up on the pone after one of her games and said, “I took over Grampy's spot.” Grampy, Barb’s son Tom Stewart, played goalie for years at the arena and Barb recalled one season in which he won 17 straight games.

Sarah Norman, wife of coach Jason and mother of Sophie, said her daughter has been playing for five years and also comes by her talents honestly since her dad played defense on numerous Frontenac teams since he was seven years old.

Jenna, who has been playing for three years, not surprisingly plays left wing, the same position her dad Greg played for years. It is no wonder that the cousins definitely held their own out on the ice. Though the Fury lost the game 1-0, Taylor made impressive saves - too many to count - throughout the game and received multiple high fives from her team mates. Both Jenna and Sophie also played solidly.

The girls’ parents and relatives are thrilled to have the cousins playing together regularly at least two or three times a week. Naturally, the games are a great excuse for the whole family to get together on a regular basis.

The Fury will play this weekend in a Kanata tournament, which will wrap up their season for the year. The team had eight brand new players and three novice players this year, and had a great regular season. They finished as finalists in their Newmarket tournament, got to the semis in the Ice Wolf Tournament and finished in fourth place in their own league tournament.

The three girls if they choose, could end up playing Frontenac hockey together for years to come and no doubt it will not be the last time that their great grandmother Barb turns up to watch them and feel, naturally, very proud.

By Dave Linton

On February 14, long time Southern Frontenac Community Services volunteer Dave Linton skied the 51 km Gatineau Loppet to raise awareness of the importance of daily physical exercise for seniors and seniors programming at the SFCSC. However, due to extreme weather conditions he was unable to finish. Below is his account of the race.

Participating field of 86 women and 459 men. 63 women finished; 23 women did not finish (36.5%).398 men finished; 61 men did not finish (15.3%) Non- finishes for the total field…84 (15.4 %). Fastest time…3hrs.20 min…Slowest time…8 hrs…(approx.)

70+ age group: In the field of 18 there were 6 non- finishes (33.3%)

In the previous 14 years of competing (and finishing) in this event, I do not recall non-finishes ever exceeding three percent. Cold air presented breathing problems in climb areas (wind chill of -38C). Cold dry snow presented glide problems. Fresh and blowing snow presented issues with grip wax. When waxes are not working, energy expended is vastly increased. With extremely cold temperatures, running out of energy created a dangerous situation for many. Skiers depend on their energy to generate body heat, and therefore wear less warm clothing. Running out of energy meant they could no longer stay warm; Hypothermia became a real issue. Over-dressing creates the issue of dehydration because of excessive perspiration, which also robs the energy bank. Knowing your body, your physical capabilities and limitations, and knowing what the weather is going to throw at us is so important when deciding what to wear on race day (given that this trek takes around 5 hours for us recreational skiers). I think all of the foregoing contributed to the high number of non- finishers…but maybe one more larger contributing factor: lack of knowledge, and lack of respect for a formidable foe who can become so hostile to those who have not prepared adequately.

Two weeks of physio was not sufficient to cure tendonitis of an Achilles tendon, and even though I would probably be skiing at half power, I felt I was fit enough to enter and complete this race. However, due to brutal conditions, it took me three hours to reach the 20 km. check point. All skiers are required to arrive at the 30 km time gate within four hours of start time, or face disqualification. So rather than ski another 10 km in less than enjoyable conditions, only to be disqualified, I declared myself out of the race to officials at the 20 km check point. Three of us non-finishers shared a van ride from a nearby parking area. The big (40-yr- old) guy in front lost energy enough to stay warm (hands and feet frozen) The woman beside me was in dire condition, suffering from extreme hypothermia…incoherent speech…frost bite… loss of equilibrium…shaking violently and continuously. I pulled the blanket she had been given up over her shoulders. In spite of her condition, she was able to stutter her thanks. In fact, my act of kindness was a comfort to me, because it helped me to keep my disappointing failure to finish in perspective. It reminded me, that on our ultimate epic journey, it is not the length of the journey, or how long it takes to get there that is so important, but rather the quality of the sojourn, and the foot prints we leave…. Maybe next year.

Registration is now open for Frontenac Soccer Association's (FSA) Recreational Youth Summer Soccer League. This league, offering weekly games scheduled between May 4 – July 30, 2015, is for players between the ages of 4 and 21 years. Fees for the 2015 season are $90 per player for U5 through U8 divisions and $105 per player for U10 through U21. To register and/or find out more information, please visit the FSA's website www.frontenacsoccer.com. Registration is now open and a spot can be guaranteed until April 4. Registration after April 4 is on a first-come, first-served basis until we've reached capacity. Sign up early (before April 4) for the early bird discount and to avoid disappointment!

Organizers of the first ever Ride For Dad snowmobile event in the Ontario Federation of Snowmobile Clubs' (OFSC) District 1, which took place at the Snow Road Snowmobile Club on February 28, were thrilled with the turn out. The event is a fundraiser for the fight against prostate cancer and attracted 93 registered riders of all ages from Kemptville, Kingston, Brockville, Smith Falls, and Perth. A large number of local riders participated as well. Among them were five-year-old Cooper and his dad, Philip, of Snow Road, who were participating in their first ever Ride For Dad.

It was also the first Ride for Dad for Dave Burns, a member of the Kemptville Snowmobile Club, who himself is a survivor of prostate cancer. He was diagnosed six years ago and has been cancer free since undergoing surgery and treatment. He attended the event with his wife Heather and three other couples from Kemptville.

The trail ride was a145 km loop (with an optional short cut) that stretched east to Perth, and north to Hopetown, with a lunch stop at the Civitan Club in Lanark. The $30 registration included lunch and registrants were automatically entered into a draw for close to 80 prizes donated by local individuals and businesses. These included a wide range of snazzy riding gear, original stained glass art, a number of gift baskets and more.

The event was sponsored by Crain's Construction, W.A. Robinson Asset Management and the Sharbot Lake Pharmacy. Members of the club put on a spaghetti dinner following the ride for the riders and the community at large.

Junior Snow Road club member Brandon Crain and Shelby Knight initiated and organized the event, which by the end of the day had raised over $5,000 in pledges.

Alice Gilchrist, a member of the club, who also participated in the ride, said that it was a huge success. “Frontenac and Lanark counties have gorgeous scenery and great trails with lots of hills and turns and riders always comment on how great the trails are here.”

Scott Buckley, governor of the OFSC District 1 and also its current president, said that District 1, which is home to 26 clubs and stretches from Napanee to Calabogie and east to the Quebec border, offers up 4000 kilometres of trails and is the largest of the 16 districts in Ontario. Buckley was pleased to see the event take place in the district, which he said is home to over 10,000 permit holders and hundreds of volunteers. "It's nice to see the event taking off here and we're very happy to be able to offer organized snowmobiling in the area,” he said.

Buckley cited the dedication of the hundreds of volunteers who put in thousands of hours to sign and groom the trails and said he is also very grateful to the many private landowners whose generosity allows for the amazing network of trails in the area.

“There is no way that the OFSC could afford to pay for all of the free help that we get through volunteerism,” Buckley said.

More than 400 tickets were sold at the Frontenac-Addington Trappers Council's annual fishing derby on February 28. The weather cooperated for this year’s event, which since its inception over a decade ago has been taking place on Big Gull Lake near Henderson. The derby is perhaps more about getting together with family and friends than about strictly fishing. Everyone who bought a $10 ticket, whether they caught a fish or not, had a chance to win over 70 prizes donated by local individuals and businesses, which were given out in random draws throughout the day. The grand prize of a Hummingbird Ice 35 Sonar Flasher, which was donated by the council, was up for grabs to all ticket holders.

For those who came to fish, landing a pickerel in the 40-50 centimetre slot size won them a chance at a number of other big ticket items also donated by the council, including a Poulan chain saw, an 8 inch power auger, an air compressor, a portable ice shack, a two door gas smoker, an 8 gun cabinet, a 500 pound capacity sleigh and more.

Wilf Deline, who has been president of the council for close to a decade and on the executive for close to 30 years, organized the event with the help of his wife Debbie and numerous volunteers. An on site canteen offered up hot meals, and for the kids, who fished for free, there was an endless supply of free hot chocolate, snacks, special prizes and trophies.

Wilf Deline said that the derby takes place on Big Gull Lake because it is central and is also a great lake for fishing. Proceeds from the derby go towards supporting a number of the council’s projects and programs, which include local school scholarships, and their many ongoing conservation projects that include supporting and maintaining local spawning beds, winter deer feeding and more. Anyone interested in trapping, hunting and fishing and who might want to learn something new is welcome to attend the council’s meetings, which take place usually at the Henderson hall.

Deline, a fourth generation trapper who has been hunting, fishing and trapping for decades in the area, said that he has become “the go-to guy” for those with questions and when I visited he was fielding numerous questions about the local lakes, the price of fur and the thickness of the ice. Wilf said it comes with the territory and he is more than happy to oblige.

For more information about becoming a member, upcoming meetings and more visit www.trap.org and visit them on Facebook.

For those adverse to the idea of plunging into an icy Sharbot Lake in February, reversing the old adage of “better late than never” to “better never than late” might fit the bill more. But that was not the case for the 32 Polar Bear plungers who leapt from the docks of the Sharbot Lake Marina on February 22 into the frigid waters below at the Frontenac Heritage Festival's fifth annual Polar Bear Plunge.

The Plunge was originally scheduled for February 15 but had to be rescheduled due to bitterly cold weather that day.

Paddy O'Connor and Janet Gutowski emceed the event and announced the winners in a number of categories. Head Polar Bear Mark Montagano, who heads up the Plunge, raised the most funds ($1300) and Liberal party candidate for Lanark-Frontenac-Kingston, Philippe Archambault and his wife Melanie, who were dressed to the nines in the Liberal party colours, together raised $1020. Art Holloway raised $870 and by the end of the day a total of $8,000 was raised.

The proceeds from the event will fund numerous local causes, which include programs at the Child Care Centre, the school council at Granite Ridge and the Alzheimer's Society.

This year’s Plunge brings the total raised by the event over five years to close to $40,000.

Other plungers recognized this year included hula dancer Linda Harding-DeVries, who won for best costume. The youngest plunger was 11-year-old Osten Gibson who joined his dad Darren, and the oldest plunger was Karen Burke.

The event continues to attract more and more plungers every year and Mark Montagano made mention of the many key players whose efforts allow the event to take place. They include Bill Young and his team of fire fighters and paramedics; Richard, Gill and Dawn of the Sharbot Lake Marina; staff of Central Frontenac Township; Cox Bus Lines and of course the many brave plungers and their enthusiastic supporters.