Photo: Richard Cadman and Scott Takala

It was another successful year as close to 500 participants converged on the point in Sydenham to take part in the Sydenham Tri/Du and Run. Once again, the weather cooperated and organizers made just one major change in the event - moving the turn around to the Point, instead of at Sydenham High School, which allowed for a smoother transition for the athletes. The course, designed by race director Richard Cadman and Scott and Marianne Takala of Sydenham, is proving to be a popular one in the area due to a very scenic and flat run along the Cataraqui trial, and a fast swim in the protected bay of Sydenham Lake.

Cadman says he sees no reason why the race is not here to stay. “We'd love to see it become a regular part of our annual calendar of events. And it benefits Sydenham since the event really showcases the town, which is great for tourism, and really helps make Sydenham a destination.”

It was no surprise that local multi-award winning triathlete, Scott Takala, who won third at the World’s in Australia in 2009 and first in 2008 in Vancouver, won the Sydenham event for the third consecutive year. He was the first to cross the finish line in the Olympic-length triathlon, which consisted of a 1500 metre swim, a 44km bike portion followed by a 10km run. He finished with an impressive time of 2:03:57.

After the race, Scott said that the heat, humidity and lack of wind had made for a very hot and difficult race. That plus the fact that he was feeling a bit sick prior to the race, led him to think that he wasn't going to take first place again this year. “Sometimes though, you can have your best race when you’re not feeling 100%. Racing is also very much a mental challenge, and thankfully nothing bad happened during the race to throw me off in that respect, which really helped. Most importantly is the fact that that I was again running in my home town with the local crowd cheering me on at every turn, which was a huge inspiration and a big help.”

Scott will be competing again in the K-Town race on the August long weekend, the Canadian Nationals in Kelowna on the third weekend in August, as well as for the Pan American Cup. Currently Scott is continuing to train as an athlete while working full time in Kingston as micro seismic analyst.

by Wilma Kenny and Jeff Green

Velo-Quebec sets its sights on Sydenham

Quebec has been promoting cycling in urban and rural Quebec for 40 years, and since 1994 Velo-Quebec Voyages has been organizing bicycle tours in Quebec, the US northeast and around the world. Tours range from 1-2 days to 30-day cross-continent cycling marathons.

This year, among the 70 trips being organized there is a 7-day Grand Tour of Ontario, which will start and finish in Brockville. Many of the Velo-Quebec tours include stays in hotels, but this one has a tenting option. The itinerary includes a planned stopover in Perth and if arrangements can be made with South Frontenac Township and the Limestone District School Board, it will also include a night at the Point in Sydenham on August 7.

Ashley Brown, the relatively new recreation co-ordinator for South Frontenac, was approached by Velo-Quebec about the event back in October, and she met with representatives from Velo-Quebec and Sean Lehman from Sydenham High School. She first informed council about the planned tour in December.

As Ashley Brown pointed out in her report to council, the impact on Sydenham would be large, because the stopover in Sydenham would take place on August 7, in the middle of the summer season, and there could be as many as 2,000 riders and 250 employees and volunteers.

Among the considerations for the township that she noted in her report were: the need for a liquor license for the bistro marquee tent that will be set up at The Point; the use of municipal equipment and services; excessive noise potential at The Point; The Point being closed to the public during the event; public concerns over usage of the park; and security concerns.

Potential benefits include an economic boost for local business, short-term employment for youth, and the promotional impact of exposing Sydenham and South Frontenac to 2,000 new visitors.

In making her presentation to council on January 18, Ashley Brown said she had just learned that the high school can’t be used because of construction planned for the summer, and that any further planning had been put on hold until the board decides whether or not Loughborough Public School would be available.

Councilor Bill Robinson expressed concern about the effects of having a beer tent for 2,000, and commented on the way another event, the Sydenham triathlon. obstructed roads last summer.

Councilor Vandewal asked what other local feedback there had been related to last year’s triathlon.

“The football field’s underground sprinkling system could be damaged by tent pegs,” said Mayor Gary Davison. Councilor John McDougall asked Ashley Brown to consider contacting communities where Velo-Quebec tours have overnighted to get their reactions to the event.

Budget time’s around the corner...

As a reminder to the new council of the next big challenge, much of the January 18 meeting addressed budget-related issues. Vicky Leaky, an accountant with KPMG, reviewed the 2009 audit. She explained that this audit had been delayed due to the huge task of assembling an inventory of all the township’s tangible capital assets, from trucks and tools to land and buildings, along with current values and depreciation rates, where relevant. She reported that the books were in good order, and raised no concerns or issues with township management. (For an auditor, this amounts to strong praise for a job well done.)

Mayor Davison followed with his thanks to CAO Orr and the department heads for their work.

Later, Treasurer Deb Bracken gave a brief year-to-date review of the 2010 budget: so far, all departments except waste management are coming in within budget, and the garbage overage was anticipated, due to the inclusion of Bedford, and other changes to the system. She added that nothing can be finalized yet, “for the bills still are coming in with every mail.”

Public Works Manager Mark Segsworth presented a multi-year plan for upgrading roads and bridges, based on an assessment of the township’s more than 800 km of roads. He discussed some of the benefits of a long-range plan, which could be changed to adapt to needs, and which has the primary goal of preserving the township’s considerable investment in its roads and bridges. The plan attempts to equalize expenditures over the four districts, and recognizes that road reconstruction is the best time to also upgrade existing related infrastructure such as sidewalks, guard rails, paved shoulders and types of surface treatment. Council gave conditional approval of the 2011 roads and bridges construction program in order to allow the roads department time to prepare to tender out this year’s work as soon as possible.

Verona Community Improvement Plan - Council passed a motion giving the green light for a consultant to begin work on the plan.

Photo: Day of Caring team (in green) at the SFCSC's new Grace Centre with the SFCSC's executive director David Townsend and fundraising chair Jennifer Linton

On June 10, a team of 10 green T-shirted employees from Bombardier Systems of Kingston descended on Southern Frontenac Community Services’ (SFCSC) new Grace Centre in Sydenham, which was formerly Grace United Church, to assist with the renovations there. It was the first time that the United Way's annual Day of Caring took place in South Frontenac.

The Day of Caring is a project that connects volunteers from area-based businesses with community groups in need. Marie Mackenzie, the campaign director of the United Way of KFL&A, was at the Grace Centre for the Day of Caring and said, “We're so happy to be able to be offering the Day of Caring program here in South Frontenac. We like to be as inclusive as we can and of course anything we can do to help the non-profit agencies in the area is always a good thing.” The Bombardier team spent five hours sanding, staining, painting and tending to the grounds and gardens at the building, which SFCSC purchased 13 months ago. The organization’s executive director, David Townsend, estimates that renovating the centre will cost a total of $350,000.

The renovation project began after an on-site sale, at which buyers purchased much of the original furnishings in the 150-year-old church, including the pews. The project has been broken down into four main phases.

Phase one, which will be completed by the end of July, will include removing the church steeple, and replacing and upgrading the septic system, kitchen facilities and the kitchen’s fire suppression system.

Phase two, which is to be completed in December 2011, will include converting the former church sanctuary into a 1200 square foot gymnasium to facilitate the SFCSC's new partnership with the Kingston YMCA and the Kingston Seniors’ Association to offer various seniors activities and fitness programs. New offices and a lunch area will also be built where the church’s former altar sat.

Phase three will include replacing the former electric heating system with a hot water boiler system; making the entire building wheel chair accessible; upgrading the parking lot; and outfitting the offices with new modular office furniture and equipment. The final phase, which is projected to take place in five to seven years, will include the construction of a new building on the one-acre lot adjacent to the church, which will house other community groups and agencies. “Ideally we'd love to build an admin wing where we could house all of the agencies in the surrounding area”, Townsend said.

Presently SFCSC runs its services from two separate locations, and Townsend highlighted the pluses of acquiring the new, larger space. “We have outgrown both of our facilities in Harrowsmith and Sydenham and the new building will not only allow us to house and deliver all of programs from one building, but will also provide us with a much-needed opportunity for growth. We can now look at creating new programs like the hot meals and the diners club programs. We are also hoping to be able to offer a permanent home to the Sydenham Lions Club as well,” he said. He also pointed out that the main gymnasium section of the centre will offer a large community space for groups or individuals wishing to hold special fundraisers or community events.

He emphasized that the new centre, once it is paid for, will save the SFCSC money since they will be operating from a single facility that they will own outright.

However, as expected, the new centre also has its challenges. “The biggest challenge by far will be raising the $350,000 for the project in the next two years,” Townsend said. That figure is based on the quotes that he has received on the renovations to date. The SFCSC regularly raises $100,000 a year through various fundraising events and in an effort to increase that amount over the next two years the organization has hired Katharine O'Hara as a new fund development coordinator. “She will be working with the community to develop individual gifts and sponsorship opportunities to support the project.”

Townsend admits that he hesitated at first about acquiring the former church, but said after doing the research he understands the huge overall benefit. “Basically we are getting a building that would cost $2 to 2.5 million to build new for a mere 15% of that price. I also feel that raising the money in this community is very achievable, especially understanding the benefit to the community as a whole. The community will not only be able to benefit by having all of our service and programs located under one roof but will also have a facility that they can also use for their own purposes. When you look at it overall, it's a win for us, a win for the seniors, a win for the community, and a win for continued growth in South Frontenac.”

Individuals interested in viewing the new facility are invited to attend the SFCSC's Annual General Meeting at the new Centre on June 22 at 8:00 AM. A continental breakfast will be served at 7:30 AM followed by the meeting and a tour and talk about the new facility.

Sydenham traffic woes

“My attention soon shifted from our wounded pet to concern for the safety of the vet, his assistant and my husband. The passing cars were so close they splashed us with our dog’s blood, and none of the traffic even slowed down.” Christine Sinclair, who lives with her husband and three small children on Rutledge Road just west of Sydenham, made a powerful plea for council to address the issue of speeding along Rutledge Road.

Both she and one of her neighbours have had crashed vehicles land on their front lawns: “We don’t allow the children to play in front of the house any more.” Sinclair herself had her vehicle struck from behind while she was stopped, waiting to turn into her drive: the other driver admitted he had been speeding, and had not seen her car. “Why is such speeding going unchallenged?” she asked. Admitting she had no answers to the problem, Sinclair asked Council to give serious consideration to possible options, such as: lowering the speed limit, better enforcement, education, or traffic calming devices. She gave council a list of concerned neighbours.

Public Works Manager Mark Segsworth confirmed that traffic and speeding is a problem throughout the township: he gets complaints every week.

Earlier in the meeting, Joe Galloway, planner for Frontenac County, had summarized a recent study, which projected population and housing growth over the next 25 years. In brief, he confirmed that South Frontenac’s growth rate was greater than either Kingston or the province, and is projected to remain so. He also noted that the majority of housing development continued to be outside the existing hamlets, with the majority of residents commuting to Kingston for work. The study’s parameters did not include corresponding traffic increases. (The entire report can be downloaded from the website: directionsforourfuture.ca. )

Segsworth hopes to bring a report to the August council meeting, addressing some of the township’s traffic issues and concerns.

What’s a Hamlet?

Mark Segsworth reported that the CFCDC has provided funding for a village beautification project again this summer. The township has hired a student for eight weeks, to paint, plant and clear weeds in Harrowsmith, Sydenham and Battersea. This service is available to businesses that are willing to provide paint and materials.

Discussion of this program and Verona’s Community Improvement Plan proved too much for Councilor Del Stowe, who plaintively asked why “Bustling Burridge” was not included in the list of township hamlets. CAO Orr said it was not presently recognized in the official plan as a hamlet, but council could choose to pass an amendment. Deputy Mayor Tinlin said that one definition of hamlet (British) was “a community without a church.” Further research suggests that in Canada, a hamlet is “an unincorporated community within a larger municipality.” Councilor Ron Vandewal asked whether a hamlet could ever lose its status. No one seemed willing to address this.

Photo L-r: 1st row - Padraig Brady, Carson Snider, Jack Hammer, Jacob Watson, Jacob Snider, Ray Whitehead, Brennan Brady, Owen Deyo; 2nd row - Vince Pople, Nick Cordeiro, Seth Silver, Simon Cook, Justin Jones; 3rd row - Nicholas Baker, Sheldon Tryon, Owen O’Meara, Jamie Ferguson, Carter Compton; back row - Coaches, Trevor Irwin, Matt Rennie, Karl Hammer, Scotty Darling, Jeff Brady

Spring football has been a Sydenham tradition ever since Jim Latimer started up a youth league several years ago, and this year the Sydenham footballers took a step forward by joining up with the Thousand Islands Football League. Games were played at The Point in Sydenham, at Lasalle High School in Kingston and in Gananoque.

There were two Sydenham teams in the grade 5-7 age group, and two at the grade 8-9 level, plus a Myte team for students in grades 2-4. And it was the Mytes team that showed everyone the way, going undefeated throughout the season and winning the end of season tournament as well.

Since the spring leagues are all geared towards high school football, this all bodes well for the Golden Eagles for the year 2016 and onwards, when the first of the ‘011’ Mytes will hit grade 9.

The teams’ coaches, like in so many other kids’ leagues, were drawn from the ranks of parents. Matt Rennie, Scotty Darling, Karl Hammer, Trevor Irwin, Jeff Brady, all former footballers themselves, came together to teach the youngsters some of the basics of the gamy they all love, and some of it seems to have sunk in.

“When Matt Rennie and I first played football, our coach at Sydenham High School was a man named Glen Foster. One thing we both took away from that experience was that he made football a lot of fun for us, and that is something that we tried to bring to the Mytes this year,” said coach Karl Hammer. “We also wanted to develop the kids as human beings and teach them how to play the game and how to respect the game.”

In addition to finding out that a number of the Sydenham Mytes are extremely athletic, Hammer said he was surprised at how physically strong some of the kids are. “Mostly it was all about the kids having fun,” he said, “and since the kids came from not only Loughborough, but Elginburg, Perth Road, St. Patrick’s and other SHS feeder schools, I expect when the word gets out we will have two Myte teams in the league next year.”

Photo: Sam McKay, Siobhan Weatherby, Beth Lyons, Nicola Edward and Chris Henderson

Having a buddy in high school can often make for cherished life-long memories and it is for that reason that Chris Henderson, an educational assistant at Sydenham High school, introduced the “Best Buddies” program there three years ago.

Best Buddies is a national charitable organization dedicated to “enhancing our communities through developing one to one friendships between individuals with intellectual disabilities and other students in the schools. "The program is grounded in the belief that friendships are important in the development of all individuals and are a medium through which they can become part of the community,” Chris Henderson said.

She says that the program has been slowly evolving over the last three years and encourages School to Community students “to develop friendships outside of theír regular classrooms and enables them to better integrate into the regular stream of the school. It‘s all about positive integration and friendship is one of the best ways to allow for that integration to occur.”

Sydenham was the first school in the Limestone district School Board to adopt the program and Henderson recalled “being hooked” three years ago when a Best Buddies supervisor gave a presentation at the school.

What makes a good buddy? “Dependability by far is the most important thing, along with a willingness to take the necessary time“, Chris said. Buddies are required to make contact with the student they are paired with at least once a week and the goal is to develop a socially appropriate and mutually enriching relationship. Many of the Buddies are also peer tutors in the School to Community classrooms. Because of the tutor relationship, Buddies spend ample time together doing school work but they also share lunches, celebrate festive dinners at Easter and Christmas at the school and participate in other school activities. Grade 12 student Paul Allison and School to Community student Tyler MacComish are buddies this year. Tyler enjoys the program and says the time he gets to spend with Paul is "really great." Tyler is also the advocate for the program and will be traveling to Ottawa in September to be part of the Best Buddies annual conference.

For Paul the program is equally as rewarding. "I enjoy the fact that I'm able to give opportunities to another student in the school and it’s rewarding to feel that you are making a difference the life of that student." One of the things that might stop other students from getting involved is a feeling that with academics and other extra-curricular activities, they do not have the time to participate in the program. However, Paul stresses that "Any time that you can give is well worth it and will make a difference."

Another challenging aspect of the program is the funding, which comes solely from school fundraising efforts. Henderson and her team raised some money at the school’s annual fashion show, where cupcakes baked by the buddies were sold during intermission. She says, “The bottom line is that it’s expensive to do any social activities outside the school especially because of transportation costs. We do our best to try to raise the funds to allow the students to get out and enjoy certain social activities together. Ideally we‘d love to have regular outings at least once a month, but funding limits that.”

Last year the students traveled to Toronto to see a Blue Jays game and this year funds are being raised to attend a Toronto production of the Lion King. Planned fundraisers for the rest of this school year will include regular weekly barbeques once the weather warms up. Volunteers will also be selling tickets for a school-wide raffle that will take place on May 16 and which offers a number of prizes including two tickets, hotel accommodations and Via rail transportation to a Tragically Hip show in Toronto; a golf package at the Rivendell Golf Course in Verona; Cineplex movie tickets; and a $100 gift certificate to the Keg.

Anyone interested in finding out more about the Best Buddies program or in making a donation can contact Chris Henderson at the school at 613-376-3612.

Photo: Artist John Redmond

Ottawa artist John Redmond's solo show at Sydenham's Mill Street cafe is as visually pleasing as it is historically interesting. His acrylic works, which can be classified as abstract expressionist, each contain a fluidity that demonstrate a painter who has been evolving and mastering his craft into his very own personal style.

John, who has been painting since he was a kid and professionally since 1991, describes these recent works as done in a “pour, drip and splatter” technique in the vein of Jackson Pollock. He says they are “a way of putting a lot of emotion onto the canvas.”

Painted in acrylics on primed, stretched and mostly unframed canvases, these more than 35 works range in size from a few inches up to a few feet. Most are coloured, except for a few black and white pieces. Regardless of size, all are gorgeous, flowing, fluid compositions, reminiscent of the lustrous glazed surfaces that one might encounter on ceramics of an eastern persuasion.

Often raised like slip on clay, the very tactile surfaces undulate between pock marked, mottled and smooth, and their colours range from watery to intense, matte to shiny, making the viewer want to reach out and touch them.

Some of the works look like other-worldly land and water scapes where an underlying layer of thick acrylic paint has been worked up in stages to create surfaces that hearken to the sea, the ice and other expansive landforms. The works are untitled, allowing the viewer the freedom to interpret the imagery however they like. “I usually don't put titles on my work since I don't want to confine anyone’s ideas as to what they might represent. But for me they are all about the beauty of nature.”

The Eastern aesthetic apparent in many of the paintings is not a coincidence, since John studied Eastern religions as an undergraduate and continues to be interested in Eastern ideas and philosophies.

On a very different tangent but equally worthy of note are the historic photos of John's family that he included in the show, which are interspersed amongst the paintings. On a earlier visit to Sydenham John uncovered his family roots, which are thick throughout the Sydenham area. Many of his relatives are buried at the Sydenham cemetery. As John points out in the show’s notes,

“Great, great great Grandpa William Redmond, wife Nancy Barrett and their combined families lived on the just north of Sydenham on the east side of Rosedale Rd, halfway between Alton Rd and Freeman Rd.” John's great great grandfather, also named John Redmond, who came to Frontenac county from Hollyfort, County Wexford in Ireland, was postmaster in the area in 1894. He was responsible for the naming of Holleford and his farmstead is now owned by John's cousins, who still farm it to this day.

John is also related to “Jack” John Henry Foster Babcock, Canada's oldest surviving veteran of WW1, who passed away in Feb. 2010. John says that all of his family history is one big reason he wanted to show his art at the Mill Street Gallery.

The Café & Gallery’s co-owner, Pat Dawson, is thrilled to have an artist who not only makes work of such a high calibre but who also has roots in the area. The show will run until May 29, 2011.To see more of John's work visit www.johnrredmond.blogspot.com

Regular Saturday night dining will resume at the café on April 30. The owners are also planning regular community shared dining experiences that will run on Friday evenings. The themed dinners will include flavours from Morocco, India, and more. Contact Pat Dawson at 613-376-1533; This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Photo: The “36” on the scoreboard for Sydenham’s Senior Golden Eagles marked a high point in what proved to be a great seventh installment of Sydenham’s Annual Bubba Bowl

There was much to celebrate at this year’s seventh annual Bubba Bowl, the double-header evening football match at Sydenham High School, which took place on October 18.

Bubba Bowl continues to attract thousands of fans. Not only were the two games played for the first time under the newly installed permanent field lights but it was by far the best weather the event has seen since its inception seven years ago. Bubba Bowl is named for Alex (Bubba) Turcotte, a grade 12 student and former player with the Sydenham Golden Eagles who passed away in his sleep 11 years ago. The event was the brainchild of Jim Latimer, head coach for the Junior Golden Eagles.

Both junior and senior Golden Eagles teams blasted their Bayridge opponents on Thursday night in two back-to-back games, which made this year’s Bowl definitely one to remember. From the outset when the juniors took to the field it became clear that the Golden Eagles were out to win. Both games proved to be extremely one-sided in the Eagles’ favor, likely due to the fact that Bayridge’s teams only had a few coaches out.

Sydenham’s junior assistant coach, Gord McLellan, said that the lack of coaches on the sidelines for the junior Blazers game definitely put them at a disadvantage. “We have five or six coaches compared to their two, which makes things very difficult for them. It's almost impossible to have a team of 35-40 players and to do a good job with so few coaches. We definitely had the edge."

That being said, Sydenham’s juniors did their part too. Brodie Latimer scored two touchdowns in the first quarter, with Monnier scoring the third, bringing the score to 20-0. In the second, quarterback Leslie scored a touchdown and O’Brien another, with Whitehead getting the two conversions plus a 3 point field goal bringing the score to 37-0 at the half. In the third both Latimer and Monnier scored again closing the third with a huge lead. In the last quarter O' Brien scored again but Bayridge made one final drive near the game’s end with Crozier scoring a touchdown and Barrett kicking the convert for another point, bringing the final score to 52-7 for the Golden Eagles.

Sydenham’s seniors’ game followed pretty much the same pattern, with Babcock scoring the first touchdown in the first quarter and with Pat Vanderholst following with two more in the first half. Dearborne scored the last touchdown in the first half, bringing the score to 29-0 at the end of the second quarter. It was during the third quarter and following Aubertin’s touchdown, when the seniors were leading by 36, that Sydenham’s coaches made the decision to freeze their points on the scoreboard at 36 in memory of Alex Turcotte, who wore the number 36 when he played for the Golden Eagles. The Eagles continued to blast the Blazers right up until the end when Pennock scored the final touchdown of the game, which left the Blazers licking their wounds with a final score of 57-0. Sydenham’s seniors are now tied for second place with five wins and one loss. They will play away at Holy Cross today, Thurs. Oct. 25 at 2pm. The Juniors, who have 3 wins and 2 losses, will also play at Holy Cross later in the afternoon at 3:45pm.

Photo: Leslie Myles of Sydenham and managing director of the LLF will be climbing to Base Camp Everest in the 2012 Mt. Everest Climb For Kids to raise funds for school kids locally and globally

It will not be the first time that Leslie Myles of Sydenham has climbed mountains to raise funds for school kids. In January 2009, Myles, who is the managing director of the Limestone Learning Foundation, summited Mount Kilimanjaro in Kenya in the Kili Climb for Kids. In the process she raised over $60,000 for the Amani Children's House in Tanzania, a home and safe haven for homeless children in that country.

In mid-November Leslie will once again be strapping on her hiking boots and heading this time for Kathmandu, Nepal where she, along with 13 other Canadian climbers, will be embarking on a 12-day trek to the base camp of Mount Everest, which lies at an elevation of 17,598 feet.

Myles has been training regularly for the trip and is currently collecting donations and pledges to raise funds for school children locally through programs offered through the Limestone Learning Foundation (LLF) and globally for children in Nepal through the Sir Edmund Hillary Foundation. The funds raised for the latter charity will be used to help build a high school in the Solu-Khumbu region of Nepal.

“I feel so lucky to be able to be doing something like this", Leslie said when I interviewed her at Loughborough Public School on October 19. “Not only do I personally get to enjoy the adventure and journey to the other side of the world and the climb itself but I also get a chance to see the culture, to see how people live in Nepal and to better understand what the children there are most in need of.” She says she is a real adventure seeker who loves traveling, physical fitness and the great outdoors but more importantly, “By far the biggest motivation for me is the opportunity to give back to school kids both here and there and to have a chance to make a difference in their futures .. I'm so honored to be able to do this kind of work. I love to be able to help kids both here and around the world.”

Donations will be used to support the various creative programs offered through the LLF, the charitable arm of the Limestone District School Board, which enhances student programming by attracting donations and grants for innovative learning projects in local schools. Monies donated to the Sir Edmund Hillary Fund will be used to complete the building of a high school in Nepal that serves 150 students. The new school will enable the grade 11 and 12 students to study science, one area of study that has been sorely lacking there.

Myles, who has been on the LLF board of directors for 11 years prior to becoming its managing director last year, said that this kind of work suits her to a tee. She recalled that in the 1960s, after his team successfully crossed a mountain, Sir Edmund Hillary asked one of the Sherpas, “If there is anything I can do for the Sherpa people, what do you think that would be?”

To which his Sherpa friend replied, “Our children have eyes but are blind and cannot see. We want you to open their eyes by building a school in our village.”

In that same vein Myles and her climbing team are helping children both locally and globally to see a bigger and brighter future.

Tomorrow, Friday October 26, Leslie will be giving a presentation at the Sydenham Legion from 5:30-10:30pm. Join her for an evening of food, entertainment and fun to raise money for her Everest trip. Come hear about what she is doing to prepare for the trip and what the money raised will support both here at home and abroad, in Nepal.

Anyone wanting to make a donation or a pledge for the climb can do so locally by visiting www.limestone.on.ca/llf/. Global donations can be made to the Sir Edmund Hillary Fund by visiting www.thesiredmundhillaryfoundation.ca

Photo: Family Storytime at Sydenham Public library

On September 14 Brianne Peters, a programming librarian for the Kingston Frontenac Public Library, led the first Friday morning “Family Storytime” session at the Sydenham Public Library for an enthusiastic group of moms and their children. The sessions take place Friday mornings at 10 a.m. and will continue for 11 weeks with a short break after the sixth week.

Parents are encouraged to bring their children of all ages to the sessions whose goal is to promote early literacy. The sessions include stories, songs, puppet play, musical instruments and more, and offer up everything a young child needs to experience about language, specifically reading and writing, before they actually learn how to read and write. The program uses the early literacy initiative called “Every Child Ready To Read”, which promotes five important skills: reading, writing, thinking, playing and talking, and the program incorporates all of those skills in each session. 

“By coming to these programs children will learn those basic five skills so that when it comes time for them to start school, they have that important basic foundation in place and will be ready to learn how to read and write,” Peters said.