The three-year-old tradition of raising funds to send local kids to camp continued at Arden's Circle Square Ranch on October 19. Over 20 riders saddled up to participate in the ranch's third annual Ride-a-thon, an event whose goal is to raise funds to subsidize children who might not otherwise have a chance to attend summer camp.

The fundraiser was started by Dwayne and Cindy Matson, former directors at the ranch for the past five years, who this September were forced to step down due to Dwayne's health issues. The couple have since passed the reins over to Anne and Andrew Douglas, the ranch’s new co-executive directors, who took the helm in September. The Douglases decided to continue the tradition of the Ride-a-thon and it was their first fundraiser in their new positions.

The Circle Square Ranch runs in the summer months as a Christian faith-based sleepover camp for children ages 6-18 and in the other months it runs as a retreat centre for any groups and organizations looking for a peaceful place to gather. The ranch, which is spread over 300 scenic acres, offers horseback riding, a high ropes course, a waterfront beach area, plus all of the usual camp activities. The summer camp offers a unique wilderness camping experience to children from all kind of socio-economic and non-faith or faith-based backgrounds. Proceeds from the Ride-a-thon fundraiser help to subsidize children from higher risk backgrounds, who would not be able to afford to attend the camp, by offering them camper scholarships.

“Children who might not otherwise get a chance to experience nature, swim in a lake or ride horses are able to get a week-long camping experience here, which for many can be a very transformative experience”, said Anne Douglas. Andy Douglas spoke of one camper who attended the camp through a scholarship in the past, a youngster who had serious health issues and had been in and out of the hospital for over nine years. However, she wanted to experience camp for the first time. “She really thrived when she was here; it was an incredibly positive experience for her and was amazing to see,” Andrew said.

Anne spoke highly of the ranch’s summer camp staff. “We have a phenomenal staff here, kids who teach the campers a number of skills and who also mentor them. Leadership building is also a main focus and we have a Leaders In Training program for older campers as well.”

At the Ride-a-thon fundraiser the Douglases invited Dwayne Matson to lead the longer of the two trail rides that were offered to participants. Beginner riders were offered a shorter one-hour trial ride on the ranch property. Participants collected pledges prior to the event and the end goal was to raise $2,000 or more in pledges, which would fund four individual camper scholarships. Riders who collected the most pledges won a number of impressive prizes donated from local businesses and individuals. The day ended with a festive chili dinner in the ranch’s main dinning hall. For more information about Circle Square Ranch visit their website at www.csranch.ca/arden, email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call 613-335-5403.

By Brian Robertson

NFLT veteran Pam Giroux walked up to the stage, picked up her award, delivered a short acceptance speech, and then burst into song: “Overture, light the lights, this is it, the night of nights!” And the ‘night of nights’ it certainly was for Pam and the four other 2014 NFLT Lifetime Recognition Award honourees - Doug and Lynda Boulter, Craig Godfrey and Karen Steele - as the North Frontenac Little Theatre’s second annual Lifetime Recognition Awards Evening was celebrated last Saturday, October 4 with a flourish of praise and appreciation.

The NFLT Hall in Tichborne was resplendent in autumn decorations and a variety of paraphernalia honouring the recipients. Fred Langton, a next door neighbour who gave extensively of his time and resources to ensure that essential services were all in place for the big evening, had a chance to tour the finished product with his wife Cindy, and both were in awe of the transformation to a formal banquet hall that had taken place.

Emcee Brian Robertson’s opening monologue included the sharing of a dream he had had in which The Frontenac News editor Jeff Green and reporter Julie Druker were both moonlighting as gossip columnists for the National Enquirer, submitting articles to the mother company in LA. about the humourous activities of our NFLT celebrities.

Each award presentation was prefaced by an informative and entertaining video montage produced by Wendy Parliament, NFLT videographer and photographer. The short films included excerpts from interviews conducted in the summer by Brian Robertson with still shots and videoclips, (often hilarious), from show footage, highlighting the recipients’ stories of their history with the Little Theatre.

The honourees spoke with the fondest, (and at times with the most sorrowful), of memories of their individual journeys with NFLT. Doug Boulter, (actor and director), and Lynda Boulter, (actor and costume mistress), recalled the tragedy of the passing of actor and teaching colleague Maurice Lowery during the production of ‘Oklahoma’ in 1987.

Pam Giroux, (wearer of all hats including actor and set painter), was recognized not only for her involvement in over 30 NFLT productions throughout the years, but also for the fact that her four children and husband Marcel eventually followed her into the arena making a considerable mark on the theatre company’s legacy.

Craig Godfrey, (actor, house manager, producer), spoke of his longstanding involvement with the troupe, (dating back to 1980), quipping that if you were male you automatically got the part, referring to the fact that there seems to be a perennial shortage of male actors available for productions.

Karen Steele, (actress, director and a former president of NFLT), spoke of how the Little Theatre was such a wonderful diversion for both her and her family, giving them an enjoyable break from the routine of daily life.

If there was one overriding message from all honourees, it was that the North Frontenac Little Theatre is a place where you make lifelong friends, form family-styled ties, and build community with fellow actors and audience members alike.

Congratulations go out to each of this year’s Lifetime Recognition recipients and we look forward to many more entertaining productions from our very own community theatre, NFLT. Check the NFLT website for links to the Recognition Evening video presentations.

The MERA Schoolhouse in McDonalds Corners will once again be filled with audience-pleasing classical music as the third annual series of Blue Jeans Classical Sunday afternoons begins again. All performances start at 2 p.m.

This series of classical performances is aimed at bringing professional musicians to play in the intimate space of the MERA Schoolhouse. As part of the relaxed atmosphere, the players will be introducing their repertoire, discussing their instruments and answering questions from the audience.

On Sunday, October 19, Gertrude Létourneau and Garry Elliott will be offering an intimate concert of virtuosic and passionate pieces for the flute and guitar. Gertrude and Garry have performed together since 2007, presenting their brand of lyrical music to a wide range of audiences. Gertrude plays the flute and sings, and Garry masterfully plays a Oskar Graf-built classical guitar.

On Sunday, November 9 Cecilia Ignatieff brings more than 30 years of professional playing and teaching to her MERA concert, where she will offer a wide-ranging repertoire from Scarlatti to Scott Joplin. After many years as collaborative pianist with other musicians and vocalists throughout Ontario, Cecilia now lives in the Lanark Highlands and is excited about sharing her passion for music with a local audience.

On Sunday, December 14, MERA presents "Music for Double Reeds and Piano". After wowing the MERA audience at the very first Blue Jeans Classical music event several years ago, Richard Hoenich is returning with his musical friends and teaching colleagues to present a wide array of memorable pieces. This afternoon promises to be a rich musical experience with a trio of very experienced musicians, pianist Michel Szczesniak, oboist Barbara Bolte and bassoonist Richard Hoenich.

Tickets are $22 in advance or $55 for a three-concert series, and are available from Tickets Please at 39 Foster St. In Perth (Jo’s Clothes), by phone at 613-485-6434 or online at www.ticketsplease.ca. Tickets can be reserved at Tickets Please and picked-up at the door. Teenagers are free.

Photo:

by Marilyn Barnett

In this day and age of plastic and metal baskets most children have no idea that a basket can be made by hand using natural materials. Baskets are a very good craft to teach children as the only tools they need are their hands. The basketry project is being organized by MERA Schoolhouse in McDonalds Corners and spearheaded by Ankaret Dean. Funding is provided by The Basketry Network, a group in Toronto, now defunct, whose purpose was to encourage and teach basketry throughout Ontario.

Members of MERA are volunteering to go into the local schools in Lanark Highlands, Perth and Tay Valley and teach children in grades 3, 4 and 5 how to make a small basket to take home. Each basket is made using round reed and dyed in bright colours and woven in the traditional manner.

MERA hopes to visit all the local schools. Local organizations who would be interested in basket making may contact MERA at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. if your group would like to learn how to make a basket. Visit www.meraschoolhouse.org for more information about MERA's ongoing community arts programming.

Ilana Landsberg-Lewis, the daughter of Stephen Lewis and co-founder and executive director of the Stephen Lewis Foundation, inspired listeners at an information session that took place at Trinity United church in Verona on September 27. She was joined by Graham Coultas, director of the Grandmothers to Grandmothers Campaign, which since its inception in 2006 has seen more than 240 grandmother groups form across the country. New groups are still forming all over the world and fundraising efforts to date have reached $21 million. The money has gone directly to grassroots organizations run by and for African grandmothers, who have been left to single handedly support and care for millions of African children orphaned by the HIV/AIDS pandemic.

The Verona event attracted members from the local Grandmothers-by-the-Lake chapter as well as members from grandmothers groups in Belleville, Kingston, and Quinte. Landsberg-Lewis, who is a labour and human rights lawyer and who actively advocates for the rights of women, is someone who understands first hand the challenges facing African grandmother groups. Her in-depth understanding stems in part from her eight years working at the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM) where she worked as an advisor for the Convention to Eliminate All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW). She has traveled the world assisting grassroots women’s groups to stop female genital mutilation as well as other forms of violence and discrimination.

The session in Verona included the screening of a new film put out by the Stephen Lewis Foundation titled “African Grandmothers Tribunal; Seeking Justice at the Frontlines of the AIDS Crisis”. The documentary was made at a tribunal, which took place in British Columbia in September 2013, and where six African grandmothers spoke of the specific challenges that face them. The film has been shown to three Canadian grandmothers groups and next month will be made available from the SLF as part of the kit so that other grandmothers groups worldwide can see first hand the importance of the fundraising work they do. The information gleaned from the tribunal was made into a special report that says, “It’s time to recognize that African grandmothers at the forefront of the HIV and AIDS crisis must have their human rights respected and protected.”

At her talk in Verona, Landsberg-Lewis highlighted how far the African grandmothers have come in just eight years as well the shift that is now taking place in their fight. “There is a new dimension of the work that is unfolding right now. The African grandmothers are beginning to work and advocate for their own human rights while continuing to care for the orphans and trying to sustain the communities that support them”, she said.

She also said that on the one hand, while so much has been achieved in the last eight years, there is not only an excitement but also a legitimate fear at this time. “The fear is that just at the moment when things are beginning to turn around, the international community will walk away too soon and the betrayal of Africa will continue and deepen. That would be a tragedy of epic proportions given how much these African grandmothers and their communities have not only risen to that challenge, but have transcended it beyond belief.”

Landsberg-Lewis became visibly moved during her talk and later explained, “On the one hand you feel outrage at the injustice of it all but on the other hand it is also very moving to watch the triumph of the human spirit over such adversity in this way. It's very, very powerful.”

Adele Colby, chair of Grandmothers-by-the-Lake group, was thrilled to host Landberg-Lewis in Verona. “Getting her here was a coup. She is the heart and soul of the Grandmothers’ Campaign and is the one who has all the knowledge and also feels so passionately about it.”

I will leave the last word here with the African grandmothers themselves who addressed the 2103 Tribunal in Vancouver. Only they can say best what exactly they want and need in their fight to sustain the millions of orphaned children in their care and the communities that support them. The following is a excerpt from the report as given on the website of the Stephen Lewis Foundation.

“It’s time to support our organizations fully, and put systems in place to address our needs and the needs of the children in our care....It’s time to recognize our contribution to the survival of our communities, and the expertise we have developed to do so, by giving us our rightful place and voice wherever decisions are being made. We will not let the AIDS pandemic defeat us, nor destroy our communities, but we cannot prevail alone.”

To find out more and/or to see a trailer for the film, visit www.stephenlewisfoundation.org and www.grandmotherscampaign.org

By Connie McLellan

Every year from the last Friday in October to Remembrance Day on November 11, the Legion conducts the “Poppy Campaign”. Canadians have donated money to support the services we provide and to clearly show their recognition of the debt owed to so many Canadians who gave their lives for our freedom.

In Canada, the Poppy has stood as a visual symbol of our Remembrance since 1921. The reason for its adoption was due, in no small part, to Lieutenant-Colonel John McRae and his famous poem “In Flanders Fields”, written in May 1915. The Poppy was officially adopted by the Great War Veterans’ Association as its “Flower of Remembrance” on July 5, 1921. The poppies were first made in 1922 by disabled veterans and the work provided a small source of income for them and their families.

Each November poppies blossom on the lapels and collars of over half of Canada’s entire population and this single act ensures that our memories of those who died in battle will remain strong. The Poppy stands as our visual pledge to “Never Forget” those Canadians who have fallen in war and military operations and it forges a bond between people of all ages, not only within Canada but around the world. Donations to the Poppy Campaign raise more than $14 million for the support of veterans and their families. During the campaign some 18 million poppies and 70,000 wreaths, crosses and sprays are distributed across Canada and overseas annually.

So come this November, when you see one of our many Legion volunteers out there no matter what the weather, wearing a poppy, please give generously. Always remember those who have gone before and are responsible for the freedom we now share. “Lest we Forget”

(Information from the Royal Canadian Legion website)

Last weekend the Frontenac Society of Model Engineers (FSME) held a "Golden Spike" ceremony as they drove the last spike to complete the loop of their track in Battersea, just in time for the Battersea Pumpkin Festival, which is coming up on October 4. The dedicated group of model engineers worked numerous hours to complete the mission. The club welcomes new members. For further information contact the club president, Phil Ibbotson at hThis email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or visit www.trainweb.org/fsme/

BY J.J. (Red) Emond

As ordered, the sun shone, people brushed off their old clubs, corn was husked, the barbeque was lit and the game was on for the first Land O' Lakes Lions' Charity Golf Tournament. The event took place at Hunters Creek Golf Course where staff readied the grounds, welcomed competitors, supplied all with great food and beverages for what proved to be better than expected tournament. Adding to the excitement was the fine music provided free by John Fradenburgh of Spill the Beanz along with Clarence Berube and Chris Whiteman. The beat was such that normally painful hips were swinging and dancing to the sound of old time favourites.

This event could not have been successful without the generosity of merchants and people living in and out of the area. Games such as putting, chipping and bean bag throwing added to our revenue. Some winners even returned their winnings to help boost our profits over our financial goal of $1,500. That goal was exceed by $363 and will further be increased once we auction off the few gifts that didn't get claimed.

This tournament was put together quite rapidly to help the Cloyne food bank meet its ever increasing needs. We heard they were desperate, and the community jumped in. The committee elected to forgo giving prizes to the lowest score tournament winners so that cash could be added to revenue. Instead, their names would be published nation-wide. Hence, the foursome led by very capable Heather Machan and assisted by Lois Emond, Bruce Cooke and Dan Myers provided distance and accuracy to card a respectable tournament record of 3 under par. Their names will be inscribed on our yet to be designed golf trophy.

Folks, we were touched by the generosity of all who helped us put this together. You may think you played a very small part; but believe us, that's what is expected from people of such small communities. Together we can make a difference. In this case, you are helping feed the less fortunate and for this we say: Thank You.

Geri Teeter was Drew Cumpson's neighbor for 11 years when he lived on Buck Bay in South Frontenac. She watched him grow up over the years and recalled him as “a wonderful young man who treated people exceptionally well, was always very polite and who just loved young kids.” Drew became a quadriplegic after suffering a body surfing accident while he was volunteering in Peru in 2011, and Teeter felt moved to do something for him. Months ago an Indiegogo campaign was set up to raise $35,000 to help cover the costs associated with a surgery to have Drew fitted with a diaphragmatic pacemaker, which will allow him to breath easier and could eliminate his need for a ventilator.

The campaign officially ended on August 27 after successfully raising $37,638, more than the initial $35,000 goal; however Teeter still felt the need to contribute to what she believes will be the ongoing medical costs for him and his family. With that in mind, Teeter and fellow members of the congregation of Cole Lake Free Methodist Church, Jean Freeman and Cheryl Silver, organized a bake/yard sale fundraiser on September 13. Members of the church and the local community donated all of the goods and a steady stream of visitors attended the event. The three ladies were thrilled with the generosity of the attendees, many of whom made generous extra cash donations to the cause. By the end of the day over $625 was raised. Those who missed the event and who would still like to make a donation can call Cheryl Silver at 613-374-3250.

Over 90 paddlers from across the province endured the less than ideal weather conditions at the Ontario Canoe Kayak Sprint Racing Affiliation’s (OCSRA) O Cup Fall Classic event, which took place at the Point in Sydenham on an unseasonably cold and rainy September 13. The classic was hosted by the Sydenham Lake Canoe Club (SLCC) and 92 paddlers competed in a number of 200 metre canoe and kayak races as well as open and masters events. The event also included a 6000 metre team pursuit race open to paddlers of all ages.

The fall classic was the fourth race in the OCSRA's Ontario Cup series and it was a chance for paddlers to gain points that could lead to their joining the Ontario paddling team. The SLCC to date has 60 members, and thanks to a grant from the Frontenac Community Futures Development Corporation that the club received in November 2013, it also now has a nationally sanctioned regatta course, which menas that major paddling events can now take place on Sydenham Lake.

Five paddlers from the SLCC competed on Saturday. Sebastien L’Abbe placed fourth in his heat in the 200metre K1 under 14 event. In the same event Ian Ramzy tipped his kayak and unfortunately was disqualified. Twin brothers Nicholas and Mathieu Symons, who competed in the under 12-200metre K1 event, placed fifth and sixth in their heats respectively. George Willes placed 2nd in his heat in the Boys K1 200m

Helen Parfitt, SLCC vice-commodore, explained that for the SLCC paddlers the event is not really about winning or even placing since the majority of the paddlers are quite a bit younger than many of their competitors. “The benefit of this event for our younger paddlers was to have the opportunity to compete on “home turf” and to have one additional opportunity to compete with paddlers from all across Ontario. Our young paddlers have had only one All-Ontario competition to date so our aim was to see how they fare ‘racing up’ with older paddlers in the U15 events”.

That being said, one Sydenham paddler, Genevieve L'Abbe, who is currently a member of the Ontario Team and who competed on Saturday as a member of the Ottawa River Canoe Club, placed first in the U 17 women's K200 event and her result will go towards her Ontario team's ranking status. Genevieve also raced in the 6000m team pursuit event and though her team did not place in the top three, it looks as though L'Abbe as a solo paddler is poised to make waves.

The seven clubs who participated on Saturday were Balmy Beach, Richmond Hill, Cobourg, Gananoque, Carleton Place, Ottawa River, and Sydenham.

One of the primary concerns of those competing, coaching, officiating and observing on Saturday was trying to stay warm. Prior to their races the Symons brothers chose to paddle around in their boats in an effort to keep their muscles from tensing up. One coach told me that wearing the right clothing is key. “It's all about layers and choosing the right kinds of fabrics. Wool is good, cotton is a no-no,” one coach said.

This year’s Ontario Cup was won by the Balmy Beach Canoe Club of Toronto, who took home the highest number of points overall. Saturday’s event attracted over 160 visitors to Sydenham and organizers wish to thank the many generous local sponsors and volunteers. For more information visit www.sydenhamlakecanoeclub.com