If memory serves me correctly, when the foursome known as Skjelliphetti: A Conspiracy of Sound, were asked for an encore following their set, I believe it was the first time any guest band at the Center Stage Café had been asked for one.

Skjelliphetti performed a generous selection of original material at the first Center Stage Café of 2015, which took place at the Sharbot Lake Legion on January 15.

Led by 18-year-old fiddler and vocalist, Japhy Sullivan of McDonalds Corners, the band’s repertoire consists of tunes described as a mix of Celtic, funk, pop, classical and jazz. Difficult to classify, the music does not fit into any specific genre and for that reason alone the work of these young musicians is even more exceptional. Their polished and well-rehearsed sound stems from the fact that they have been playing together as a group for the past three years.

The band is comprised of Japhy Sullivan on fiddle/vocals, Noah Sullivan on bass, Phil Schleihauf on drums and Maddie Field-Green on keyboard. They recently opened for Kate Weekes at the Full-Circle Theatre in Perth.

Japhy Sullivan, who has been playing fiddle for nine years, began composing his own music after his first year playing fiddle with the Blue Skies Community Fiddle Orchestra, when the conductor, Carolyn Stewart, encouraged orchestra members to write their own songs. His tune “Sea Dog” was played by the BSCFO and was included in Thursday’s set. It started as a slow, dirge-like Celtic solo on fiddle but then quickly erupted into a faster-paced fling that with the addition of Noah Sullivan's funky bass line, continued to build along with a steady drum beat, ending right back where it started, with Japhy's soulful repetition of the lone melody line.

Japhy said that before he became a fiddle player/composer, he always made up “little ditties” of his own to sing. “I always knew that I wanted to sing as well as play fiddle”, he said, “but it took me a while to get to the point where I was comfortable doing both.”

Two original tunes at Thursday’s performance featured Japhy on both fiddle and the mic, the first titled “Of An Evening” demonstrated his wide vocal range, his earnestness and sensitivity as a singer in a soulful lament that was perfectly balanced by Maddie's subtle and accomplished piano accompaniment.

In “A Magpie”, a haunting cabaret-sounding tune that recalled 1930s Berlin, Japhy's hypnotically suspenseful solo was buoyed by Noah’s snakey bass line, a solemn marching beat on drums and an eerie tinkling of the upper notes on the keyboard. The band is almost as much fun to watch as they are to hear and it's easy to see that a successful performance depends on band members watching closely for cues of upcoming rhythm and key changes, which, thanks to Japhy, are plentiful, fast and furious. The music is complex, multi-layered and very accomplished and Japhy admitted that he composes music that “plays to his strengths”. However, he said that more recently he has been inviting the other band members to compose their own parts. In an effort to “keep things interesting”, he said he often likes to improvise on top of what the band is doing, which “keeps everyone on their toes”. Asked about his musical influences, Japhy said that they are numerous and varied but named Canadian fiddler Oliver Schorer first and foremost.

For those who missed the Sharbot Lake concert, Conspiracy of Sound is part of a double bill along with singer/songwriter Shawna Caspi and will be playing at the MERA School house on Sunday, January 25 at 2pm. Tickets for the show can be purchased at Jo's Clothes in Perth at 39 Foster Street or by calling 613-485-6434 or online at ticketsplease.ca.

The Township of Central Frontenac is excited to announce that Sir John A. Macdonald himself will be participating in the 9th annual Frontenac Heritage Festival, which runs from Fri. to Mon., Feb. 13 - 16 with the official opening taking place at Railway Heritage Park in Sharbot Lake on at 6:30 pm. Members of the public are invited to come out and meet Sir John A., along with Town Crier Paddy O'Connor, and local dignitaries. A short ceremony will include a black powder salute acknowledging Sir John A's 200th birthday, and Frontenac County's 150th Anniversary. We will also celebrate our proud First Nations heritage with singing and drumming. Visitors will be able to keep warm by the bonfire and enjoy hot chocolate throughout the proceedings.

For more information visit www.frontenacheritagefestival.ca where you can

download our full event schedule and see pictures and videos from previous years. There's something for everyone and all activities are free to attend.

"I have fond memories of my travels on the K&P from Sharbot Lake to Kingston. My last trip was especially peaceful." -a quote from Sir John A. (a.k.a. Paul Dyck)

Gray's Grocery, a long-standing business located at the junction of Highway 7 and Road 38, has been making changes over the last year by adding meat from Gilmore's Meats of Harrowsmith and changing the layout of the store.

The store's owner, Jonathan Desroche, has been working lately on building an in-store bakery and this past Monday the bakery opened for business.

“Ever since the Rising Bun Bakery closed, people have been looking for fresh baked breads, pies and tarts, and homemade breakfasts and lunches,” Desroche said when interviewed at the store last week.

He was waiting for a final visit from a KFL&A Public Health inspector to sign off on the kitchen and said that he anticipated opening on January 12, which he did.

Although the product line will be enhanced in the coming months, Gray's Bakery is already offering breakfast sandwiches as well as loaves of bread, pies and other treats. With the cold weather this week, they also sold Beaver Tails

They are contemplating adding items such as pizza later this winter.

The new asset to their grocery business is being run by family members as well as new employees.

“With fresh-baked goods, Gilmore's Meats, local honey and our own relishes and sauces, along with the cold cuts and Wilton cheese we have always offered, things are going well for the future,” said Desroche.

The bakery, which has been busy since opening this week, will only increase in popularity in the coming months.

“We think we complement everything else that is available in Sharbot Lake,” said Desroche.

For years now, Ms Schall's grade eight graduates have been making a trip to Montreal to celebrate their graduation while taking in all the special sights and educational experiences that that wonderful city has to offer. This year will be no different and in mid-June, 29 graduating grade eight students from the Granite Ridge Education Centre (GREC) in Sharbot Lake will be boarding a VIA train to Montreal where they will be spending two nights and three days.

To raise funds for their travel expenses, a bottle drive fundraiser was held on Jan. 9 & 10.

The trip is a combination of education and fun and for many of the students it will not only be their first visit to a major Canadian city but also to French Canada. While in Montreal the students will be getting around on public transportation, and will be navigating the local subways and buses while also practicing their French and enjoying the many sites in the city. They will be touring Old Montreal, taking an exciting jet boat tour of the Lachine Rapids to the location of the city's first and oldest settlements, and will also visit the Biodome and the Olympic City. A trip to La Ronde, the city's famed amusement park, is also on the itinerary.

While Schall has made the trip many times over the last seven years, one event continues to be her favorite. “Personally for me the highlight of the trip is always the night hike that we take up Mount Royal where we walk up to the top of the mountain and look out over the huge expanse of the city, which is lit up by city and traffic lights and with the blackness of the St. Lawrence River in the background.”

To date the students have raised $4,000 towards the trip and are hoping to raise a total of $11,400, which will cover the transportation, accommodation and food costs for all the students.

Ms. Schall said that the trip is an important one for graduating students, many of whom form very strong bonds with their fellow classmates nearing the end of the school year, prior to moving on to high school. “This can be a very intense and emotional time for these graduating students, and the trip gives them a chance to bond further and also presents some new challenges to them; challenges like navigating their way through the city, looking at city maps and having to problem solve in a number of relevant ways in an environment that is new and challenging and unknown.“

Schall added that the trip also is a kind of initiation for the students into the bigger, broader world they will entering upon graduation in June. “These students will be entering a new school atmosphere where they will have more freedom and will be required to show more responsibility as a result of that freedom. This trip represents an initiation into that bigger world; it offers them a chance to be more independent while literally seeking out their own personal paths, which is something they will have to be doing more and more of as they move on through life.”

Those who missed the bottle drive fundraiser will have other opportunities to donate to the trip, including at a volleyball tournament that will take place at the school on Sat. January 17. For more information about how to become involved in the tournament contact Tina Howes at 613-375-8152.

A broomball tournament is also being planned for February at the Tichborne rink. Keep an eye out in the Northern Happenings for the date and time.

2% - 2.5% budget increase set as target in Central Frontenac

At their first meeting of 2015 on Tuesday, January 13, Interim Central Frontenac CAO, Steve Silver, outlined for council how the budget process will be undertaken this year,

Staff will meet late in January once the year-end numbers for 2014 are in, and will consider their needs, “keeping in mind both service levels and potential savings due to lower fuel costs,” he said.

A day-long council meeting will be set for early February for the different department heads to present their draft budgets to council, and a proposed overall budget will be presented in early March.

“It would be useful for the process if Council gave staff a budget target. That way each department can either reach the target, or if they can't, provide options for changes in service levels to meet the target for council's consideration,” he said.

Mayor Frances Smith recommended a target of a 2% increase, and Councilor Sherry Whan agreed. Councilor Tom Dewey revised the figure to between 2 and 2.5% and that figure was agreed to by most of the rest of Council.

CAO, PWM hiring processes undertaken

After a meeting of the ad-hoc human resources committee, Steve Silver presented proposed advertisements and job descriptions for the Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) and Public Works Manager (PWM) positions. The deadline for applications for both positions was set for February 6 in the hopes of filling the positions by early April.

Septic reinspection

Eric Kohlsmith from the Mississippi-Rideau Septic System office reported on the voluntary septic reinspection program for 2014, which focused its efforts on the village of Sharbot Lake. The village was chosen this year because there is a high density of septic systems on the lake and its west basin is classed as a trout-sensitive lake.

The target for inspections was 38, and 24 were completed. Three hundred and fifty-five property owners were approached by letter. Of the 24 systems that were inspected, 10 were given a clean bill of health and 14 needed at least minor work done on them. None of them required replacing.

Council decided to renew the program for 2015, and will be hearing later in the year from a township-based committee which will be proposing a mandatory system, whereby property owners who are approached will have no choice but to participate in the program. Mississippi-Rideau is prepared to undertake such a program for the township, but in order to do that they would have to become the body that does all septic inspections in Central Frontenac. Currently, septic approvals for new or modified systems are done by Kingston Frontenac Lennox and Addington Public Health, who also offer a mandatory re-inspection service.

Construction starts sneak over the $5 million mark with late year surge.

Thanks to a busy December in which permits for $645,000 in construction value were issued (as compared to $113,400 in December 2013 and $41,700 in December, 2012, the total construction value for 2104 reached $5.3 million, down from $5.7 million in 2013 and $5.9 million in 2012. Permits for 11 new residential units and three new seasonal units were sold in 2014.

The total revenue of the department was up by about $1,000 from 2013 at just under $70,000.

Chief Building Officer Jeremy Neven also presented a report about building code enforcement in 2014. He issued 23 orders for non-compliance, most of which were for building without a permit. Of those, 10 cases were resolved voluntarily and one file resulted in a prosecution.

Safety boot allowance

On the recommendation of interim CAO Silver, council approved a pilot project whereby the township will provide a $120 allowance for all full-time public works staff and all full and part-time waste site staff to buy approved safety boots. The project will cost up to $2040 if all eligible staff members take advantage of it.

By Lesley Merrigan

There has been a low rumble throughout North and Central Frontenac around the changes with Relay For Life, the largest fundraiser in our area for the Canadian Cancer Society. The first change is at the unit office, with a new manager, Doug Kane and fundraising coordinator, Barb Revelle. These two leaders have helped the current leadership team in the Frontenacs transition to the new policies and procedures that will increase the success of this fundraiser.

The greatest change is with the Survivors’ Reception. Survivors will be treated to a very posh Relay Reunion to be held sometime in April. It will be open to all unit survivors at a location to be announced soon. They will have their very own event at which they will be celebrated and given the opportunity to network with other survivors in the area. More details on this unique event will be available early in February. If you are a survivor or know someone that is, please call 613-384-2316 and get your name on the guest list.

The most exciting event change is the timing. The 2015 event will be held Sat. June 20 beginning at 12 noon instead of Friday night at 7pm. It will run until midnight. This change will enable more participation as everyone will be rested and able to be active during the 12 hour fundraiser. Registration for the event is open now and the cost to register is as follows: Until January 31- $10; Feb 1 until April 30 - $25; May 1 – June 20, $35. You can register online at www.relayforlife.ca as well as by contacting Christine Teal at 613-375-6525.

Please join us at our Relay Kick Off on Friday January 23 at the Royal Canadian Legion in Sharbot Lake in the lower area for information and registration. We will begin at 7pm and all are welcome.

The changes have not been easy but the reason behind them is to make registration universal across the Province of Ontario and to allow leaders to do more accurate forecasting for needs at their events. Teams are still made up of 7 to 10 folks with a minimum individual fundraising goal of $150 each.

The day’s event will still include numerous entertainers and great music as well as team events and challenges and some other ideas that the committee is throwing around. We are still working out the details but one thing will always remain the same: this is the largest fundraiser to make the largest difference in the fight against cancer, and there is no doubt about it….Relay For Life creates more and more cancer survivors each year! If you have any questions or concerns, feel free to contact Lesley Merrigan at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., 613-279-3144, or call the unit office at 613-384-2316.

By Bill Bowick

Frontenac Masonic Lodge will be hosting a Robbie Burns dinner in Sharbot Lake again in 2015. This year it will be co-hosted by the Central Frontenac Fire Department and held in the Soldiers' Memorial (Oso) Hall. There will be kilts and pipes and good food. There will be toasts and music and ladies and gentlemen in their best dress.The menu will feature a roast pork dinner accompanied by cock-a-leekie soup, Scotch eggs, sticky pud'n for dessert and, of course, the haggis. There will be a cash bar with some premium Scotches and a DD which we hope no-one will need.

There will be the traditional toast to the haggis plus other Burns favorites and an open mike for anyone who wishes to contribute. The music will include a fiddle orchestra with a program of Scottish tunes as well as the pipes and some opportunities to sing. It should be a full evening of fun and fellowship for all.

The dinner will be held on Saturday, January 24 starting at 6pm. Tickets are $20 per person and must be purchased or reserved in advance. Contact Bill Bowick 613-279-3341; This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or

Bill Young at 613-539-9956, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

This year's annual Christmas Open House at the Child Care Centre in Sharbot Lake on December 6 was very well attended. Staff from Northern Frontenac Community Services transformed the centre into a festive holiday hub for the entire family. Santa was on site speaking to youngsters about their Christmas holiday wish list and was also available for family photos. Youngsters had a chance to wrap a special gift for their caregivers in “Santa's Secret workshop” and there were numerous activities for the kids, including face painting, a plethora of Christmas crafts and cookie decorating plus refreshments for all. The event was enjoyed by hundreds of members of the community, many of whom later made their way to the Sharbot Lake Santa Claus parade. NFCS staff entered their festive “Frozen” themed float, which was a sure-fire hit and capped off their generous contributions to this year's memorable holiday festivities.

For close to 15 years now, the Festival of Trees has sparked off the holiday season in Central Frontenac as well as raising funds for two important organizations. Once again, hats off to the members of Villages Beautiful, their dedicated crew of community volunteers and the countless generous donors whose efforts once again magically transformed Oso hall in Sharbot Lake into a festive wonderland of holiday sights and sounds. Admission is a donation to the food bank and from Dec. 11 - 13, hundreds of visitors of all ages attended this year's festival, whose theme was the "Traditions of Christmas".

The beauty of the Festival of Trees is its ability to engage so many people from the local community -from those who either help run and organize it, to those who donate and /or perform at it, and finally to those who wouldn't miss it for the world, and who come every year to enjoy it.

The festival is the main fundraiser for Villages Beautiful, and the proceeds are used to spiffy up our villages and hamlets with fresh plants, shrubs, trees and flowers in the spring.

What is truly amazing about the festival is the great lengths that donors will go to to make their entries not only memorable but much sought after. On the day before the festival's opening, many donors cram into Oso Hall to decorate their trees, assemble their gift baskets and hang their wreaths, artworks and gingerbread creations and other theme-related offerings.

This year's entries were as usual, top notch and very creative, and the stellar line up of talented singers and musicians brought the hall to life over the duration of the festival. Congratulations to all of the winners and here are a few pictures highlighting some of the special memories from this years Festival of Trees.

Staff at the Treasure Trunk in Sharbot Lake will be raffling off their gigantic Christmas holiday gift stocking, which they have filled to the brim with Christmas goodies for the entire family. The stocking includes brand new gifts items that have been donated by businesses and individuals from the local community, including brand new flannel pajamas, slippers, hats, scarves, mittens, New Year's Eve crackers, numerous games, toys and crafts for youngsters, plus body lotions, jewelry and more. The draw will take place at noon on December 19 at the Treasure Trunk. Proceeds from the raffle will help to fund a new CLNF video titled “We Are the Champions”, which was created for Community Living by local videographer Jesse Mills and shows how Community Living-NF assists members of the community with its many diverse programs. Janet Barr, vocational instructor with CLNF at the Treasure Trunk, said the raffle is the first one of its kind. Tickets cost $2 can be purchased at the Treasure Trunk up until the day of the draw. Holiday shoppers looking for special gift giving ideas should note that the Treasure Trunk is also selling a wide range of special Christmas-themed holiday gift baskets and gift certificates for the upcoming holiday season. The Treasure Trunk is located at 1171 Canon Road in Sharbot Lake and is open until December 24, Monday to Friday from 9 am-3pm. It will be closed from Christmas Day until New Year's Day.