Feature Article - December 6, 2007

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Feature Article - December 6, 2007 Christmas CelebrationsSanta Claus Parades took place just about everywhere last weekend: Harrowsmith, Parham/Tichborne, Sharbot Lake, Ompah/Plevna, Kaladar and Denbigh. Above Majorettes from the Kaladar parade. Below: Mini ATV rider reaches for some candy in Sharbot Lake. Photos: Meghan Balogh

Below left: Mater from the movie 'Cars', sponsored by Cornell Auto Sales of Wilton, joined the Harrowsmith parade. Below right: Colleen and Bill Kendall leading the carol sing at the Verona Tree Lighting.Photo: Louise Day

Below left: Santa Claus in the Harrowsmith parade. Below right: Snow didn't stop the North Addington Education Centre's secondary music class as the serenaded the elementary division las Friday, during the annual jingle Bell Run.

Letters - January 10, 2008

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Letters - January 10, 2008 LettersDecember 20Re: Hillier’s stand on Uranium Mining, Gail kennedy, Harrowsmith. "RE Randy Hillier on Uranium Mining"

My husband is a supporter of Randy Hillier, having watched him for four years before being convinced Randy was not just another "politician", the clincher being at a Verona “Meet Randy Hillier" meeting, when before introducing Mr. Hillier, he asked Randy what he should say, and received the answer, "Say anything you want as long as it is the truth."

That statement sealed his loyalty, and dedication to Randy Hillier, further enjoined by witnessing his cool calm attitude, courage, and defence of our rural people.

As to the comments in John McEwen's misinformed letter to your paper, Randy Hillier was the only one that night in Verona who had the courage to tell the truth about the Robertsville fiasco and not kowtow to political correctness, as the other three candidates did, falling all over themselves in the process. Mr. Hillier, also attacked the Mining Act as the real problem, which allows prospectors legal right to stake claims and mine private property, and he was the only one to take a stand on this, a stand he has always taken, long before the Robertsville fiasco occurred.

While it appears to be that John McEwen and his cohorts fear landowners organizations, he might be pleased to know that such attempts at discrediting Randy Hillier and using the police in failed attempts to intimidate people into silence have only had the opposite effect, a fact that shall soon present in the very near future.

Gail Kennedy, Harrowsmith

Feature Article - February 28, 2008

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Feature Article - February 28, 2008 Positive Outlook for Verona Medical Services by Inie Platenius

About 60 people came out to hear the Verona District Medical Services Committee report on its progress with keeping Verona in the health care loop. Surveying the full hall in the afternoon session, Chairman John McDougall began by telling people that at last year’s inaugural meeting, the many support players from Kingston “couldn’t believe the level of support” that people showed here. It was clear from both the attendance and the crowd’s response that the support is still with us.

Dr. Laurel Dempsey began the session with “modestly good news”. A mid-career doctor with ties to the area (cottage on Bob’s Lake and family in Kingston) is very keen to join the Verona practice. Dr. Susan Derrick already practices here sometimes as a locum, and as her husband, a first class stationary engineer, has found a position in the area, she is ready to move from Oshawa. Although Doctor Dempsey “hasn’t stopped biting [her] nails yet”, this is welcome news in a climate of doctor baiting that often sees communities spending hundreds of thousands of dollars in perks to attract physicians.

At present, Dr. Connie Townsend has been acting as locum in the busy clinic, and if Dr. Derrick does join, Dr. Townsend would be able to finally take a full retirement (this is her second call out of retirement, to Verona’s great benefit). Since Dr. Dempsey does not intend to retire right away, the clinic would then have two permanent physicians on staff. That, however, does not end the search. Dr. Dempsey will retire at some point, and the clinic will definitely need another doctor (in fact, three doctors is not too many for Verona). To fill this need, the committee - and especially Drs. Dempsey and Wilson – are constantly on the lookout. They talk with Queen’s doctors who are finishing their residency – especially those who were not initially trained in Canada and need to give five years to an under-serviced area, which thanks to an initiative by Frontenac County’s Diana Britana, is what we are.

They also offer “A Week in the Country” to first year medical students at both Queen’s and Ottawa U. as a taste of the joys of rural practice. “We have lots to attract doctors,” says Dr. Dempsey. “We’re not interested in chucking money at docs to get them here.”

This approach is echoed in the rest of the committee. The 4 by 6 foot display board that committee member Jim Lansdell presented shows a vibrant community full of outdoor activities, cultural events, and proximity to major urban centres. He reported that the display, created by local artist Donna Larocque, was unique in last fall’s recruitment fair, where slick corporate media-produced displays were the norm. “The only way we could have made [the display] any more rustic would have been a beaver on one end and a moose on the other,” grinned Jim.

Doctors may well be coming to Verona without big monetary bribes, but that doesn’t mean the community won’t need money. The big fundraising thrust will revolve around the medical clinic itself. The building began as a leased facility, owned by a group of local residents, but for many years has been owned and managed by the doctors who practice there, first Dr. Day and now Dr. Dempsey.

This arrangement will not meet the needs of any of today’s doctors because gone are the days when buying your building was your retirement package. Docs want a “turn key” operation where they don’t have to worry about maintenance and upkeep. Two options for this are: private investor(s) buy the building or the community raises the money to buy the clinic and leases it back to the doctors. At the moment, both options are open and the committee has budgeted $200,000 towards making one of them work.

You can see the full budget and much more about health care in Verona on the Verona Community Association’s website: www.veronacommunity.on.ca. Click on Medical Information on the side menu. Then check the side menu on the medical page for the information you want.

One fascinating bonus of the information meetings was a report from Family Practice Nurse Carolyn Goodberry on the changing role of the family practice nurse. We learned that patient triage is one of their major jobs, and that the process begins right in your call to the clinic. How urgent is the situation? How soon does the patient need to be seen? Carolyn and her colleague Marg Kelsey constantly make these decisions. “So, when you phone the clinic and think you’re talking to a secretary,” says Dr. Lynn Wilson, “you’re not. You’re talking to a nurse. The only secretary in our clinic is me” (as the administrator of the five-practice Rural Kingston Family Health Care Network).

By contrast, the only hospital nurses who do this kind of triage are emergency specialists. Carolyn also explained that certain medical procedures can be formally delegated from the doctor to her nurse. Such things as the diagnosis of and prescribing for clear-cut syndromes like cystitis can be done completely by the registered family practice nurse, and it looks like much more of this kind of assessment will be possible in the near future. And guess what? Family practice nurses are also in short supply, so the health services committee has to put that on its list of things to monitor!

Although we’re some way from assuring all the needs of Verona’s health care future, the news from this meeting is positive. The strong commitment from Drs. Dempsey and Wilson and their whole team, coupled with the dedication of the Health Services Committee, particularly chairman John McDougall, give hope that we will not be left behind in the scramble to keep our rural family practice viable.

Feature Article - April Fools

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Feature Article -April Fools Biosphere Reserve Promotes Local Sustainable TourismBy Wil McKenny

In a recent press release, a UN spokesperson has made a rather unique suggestion for South Frontenac Township. After a number of brainstorming workshops which have focused on the development of sustainable tourism in areas within the designated Biosphere Reserve, they have found one idea coming to the forefront ahead of all others.

As a result of this recommendation, the recreation committees of Portland and Loughborough districts have agreed to hold a trial period this summer during which the public beaches at both Sydenham and Verona will permit suit-free swimming.

A proposal to use the beaches in Storrington district for this activity has been rescinded for safety reasons, because, as Mayor Davidson said recently, “The sun always shines in Storrington district.”

It is hoped this plan will attract tourists who might otherwise not consider venturing to Ontario. The Land O’ Lakes Tourist Society is a partner to this project, and is planning a marketing campaign in France under the slogan “Les Lunes sont nues Frontenac.”

Feature Article - April 17, 2008

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Feature Article -April 17, 2008 Verona Drugmart:A fortuitous Circumstance By Jeff GreenSome things are meant to happen.

In 2001 Hany Girgis, a pharmacist by training and a businessman by inclination, emigrated to Canada from Cairo, Egypt.

“I wanted to move to a more advanced country,” he recalls, “and I chose to move to Canada.”

Hany Girgis moved to Kingston and it took him a few years to get settled, learn English, and receive his pharmacist certification.

“I was doing odd jobs, trying to make a living, and it took a while to find time for the courses I needed to complete,” he said.

When he did get his license early in 2005, Hany worked as a supply pharmacist in Kingston and quickly realized that if he was going to own his own pharmacy, he would likely have to look to a rural community because the city was tied up with large chain pharmacies.

In the summer of 2005 he opened an independent pharmacy in Seeley’s Bay.

Meanwhile back in Verona, a pharmacy that had been open for many years had long since closed down and was becoming a distant memory, but Doctor Dempsey from the Verona Medical Centre knew there was a strong desire in the community to bring one back, so she gave Hany Girgis a call and asked him if he might be interested in opening a second pharmacy.

He agreed to come to a meeting, and it’s fair to say that the Verona Pharmacy was born at that meeting.

On May 9, Hany met with Bev Brooks, Ken Harper, Jim Landsdell, John MacDougall, Aziz Murji, Inie Platenius, Chad Van Camp and Andrew Asselstine for lunch at Rivendell golf club.

“I felt like I was more than welcome at that meeting,” Hany remembers, “people talked freely and honestly with me.”

To this day, he has kept a sheet of paper he had at that meeting, where he marked down some of the products that people at the meeting told him would be popular in Verona.

They include cosmetics, cough and cold medicine, grooming materials and all kind of items a full service pharmacy should carry.

“I promised the people at that meeting that I would open a store that people would be proud of.”

Less than 11 months after that meeting at Rivendell, the Verona Drug Mart, located beside the Local Family Farms Store, opened to the public.

“We had a soft opening on April 3, and I thought the business would start slowly and grow. It surprised me how many people came right over and transferred their prescriptions and supported me. It has been very busy already.”

The Verona Drug Mart will have its grand opening on Saturday, and true to his word Hany Girgis will begin giving back to the community right away. Among other festivities and a ribbon cutting, he will be hosting a fundraising BBQ with all proceeds going to the medical recruitment campaign.

There are two staff members already working at the pharmacy, and there will be a relief pharmacist coming in, since Hany will continue to run the pharmacy in Seeley’s Bay as well.

When asked what he does on his time off; he paused for a second, then said, a bit sheepishly, “I’m working most of the time, but I really like to work”.

He also likes Canada. Even though his mother, sister, and brother in-law live in California and have encouraged him to move there, he said he finds Canadians to be “warmer and more relaxed”.

With the addition of pharmacy, Verona continues to progress as a commercial center. Another of the empty storefronts that dotted Main Street a few years ago is alive once again.

Feature Article - June 19, 2008

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Feature Article - June 19, 2008 Where’s the Beef? Local Family Farms in Verona… that’s where!By Julie Druker

4H Club member Darcy Clow of Godrey with his family's breed of Charolais beef cattle.

Dave and Kim Perry of Local Family Farms in Verona thought it might be wise to celebrate their store’s 1st year anniversary with a special event. So when the The Frontenac Cattleman’s Association and Kingston radio station KIX 93.5 decided to team up for a “Local Beef Promotion Day”, it made perfect sense to offer their store as the venue.

As director of the Frontenac Cattleman’s Association and a beef farmer himself, Dave Perry is all for the benefits of home grown beef. “When you see the abundance of American beef products being sold in local grocery stores, you realize how unnecessary it is when there is higher quality, healthier and tastier beef available from right here in the count,y that is processed locally as well.”

Volunteer Andy Smith of Verona flipped the triple A burgers on the BBQ in the parking lot. After sampling one (made from Kim and Dave’s stock of Black Maine-Anjou steers, which are locally processed at Quinn’s Meats in Yarker), it is easy to see (and taste) why local beef deserves promoting.

Kevin Bovey and Polly Walsh, both 4H Beef Club leaders (the four “h”s being head, heart, hands and health), organized the young members present at the event, “who will likely become the province’s future beef cattle farmers.” The young 4H Club members learn the ins and outs of beef cattle farming and spent the afternoon demonstrating roping techniques on Woody, a sawhorse stud.

A 4H Beef Club member for seven years, 17-year-old Darcy Clow of “Bel-Char Farm” in Godfrey has been around beef cattle all of his life. He spends his summers along with his parents Oliver and Lynda Clow haying, getting ready for shows and helping with calving in the spring and winter. At one of the pens set up for the event, he showed off his family’s stock of French Charolais, a breed known for their “triple-purpose power of draft, milk and meat.”

“Big G” and “Mathews” from the morning radio show of KIX 93.5, a country music station, interviewed the “Who’s Who” of local beef farming and broadcast the event live.

The Ontario Federation of Agriculture (OFA) and the National Farmers Union (NFU) were represented as well. Peter Dowling, past president and currently director of the NFU, set up a display and answered questions.

Inside the store free samples of slow roasted, dry rubbed and marinated locally grown beef were gobbled up by shoppers. Apron clad Kim Perry took a well-deserved break from baking strawberry, rhubarb and cherry pies, and told me how Scott Celeste was up in the thunder and lightening the night before, slow cooking the meat used for the samples that day.

Having savoured the flavour of these delectable samples of beef, I will most definitely remember the next time I am shopping for meat to ask my butcher: “Was this beef raised in Kingston’s countryside?” Or better yet, I’ll just head out to Local Family Farms in Verona where I will find a huge selection of meat and produce, all locally grown, raised and processed and support the good, healthy and tasty cause of “food less travelled.”

WINNERS: Charolais Steer Weight: Jennifer Bennett guessed 990 lbs. Weight was 995 lbs. Black Maine-anjou calf age: Simon Gowdy guessed 130 daysand was dead on!

Feature Article - June 26, 2008

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Feature Article - June 26, 2008 Verona Lions celebrate new hall renovationBy Julie Druker

Wayne Conway unveils the "Trillium Grant" plaque to Nina Jenkins of the Ontario Trillium Foundation

On Friday night about 100 people gathered for a banquet in the newly renovated hall of the Verona Lions Club to celebrate the completion of the renovation project. The Verona Lions wanted to thank the Ontario Trillium Foundation and the many community volunteers and the local contractors who helped this project come to fruition.

The $150,000 renovation project received a $75,000 grant from the Ontario Trillium Foundation, which was used to: update the old electrical heating system to high-efficiency propane; install a brand new cooling system; combine two kitchens into one that meets all fire and safety codes and includes a fire suppression system; and install industrial propane ranges with a new dishwasher.

The grant was received in July of 2007. The work could not start until December, however, since the hall remained quite busy up until that time. The renovation took three months to complete

Nina Jenkins, a representative from the Trillium Foundation who volunteers with the grant review team for Quinte, Kingston and the Rideau regions of Ontario, was present for the unveiling of the plaque recognizing the Trillium grant. She was “pleased to see how happy everyone is with what they have accomplished and to see the whole thing come together.”

The OTF had no trouble realizing how the renovation would improve the hall, making it more “rentable” and better equipped to provide the wealth of services it currently provides to the community. The hall is the only venue in the Verona area available for large, catered community events. It will be better equipped to hold elections, public meetings, blood donor clinics, training programs, weddings, art shows, auctions and dances.

The Verona Lions, who have been serving the community for 60 years, held the banquet to also thank those community volunteers who are so important in making these kind of projects happen. Lions member Inie Platenius, said, “We can’t do everything ourselves internally so we have a group of between 70 and 75 volunteers from the community that help us out. This dinner is our way of saying thanks to them.” None of the money used for the banquet comes from community donations. Rather the Lions raise it internally throughout the year at their meetings with 50/50 draws and fun auction activities.

While the crowd mingled, the evening began with a slide show demonstrating the progress of the renovation from start to finish. After that Kim Perry of Local Family Farms in Verona catered a fabulous dinner that consisted solely of home-grown meat and vegetables and home-baked pies for dessert.

Lions member Wayne Conway presented awards to community volunteers whose building skills were heavily relied upon to complete the work involved in the renovation. At the end of the night Wayne himself was presented with the “Lion of the Year” Award by club members for his outstanding work and dedication to the club and the project..

It was definitely a night to celebrate. The hall looks and feels great. It is money well spent on a project that will continue to serve the community in so many different, positive ways for more many years to come.

Feature Article - June 19, 2008

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Feature Article - June 19, 2008 South Frontenac Volunteer of the Year awards

Wayne Conway, Walter Freeman, Steve Amey

In a break with tradition, South Frontenac Council is celebrating three volunteers of the year for 2008 instread of four, and in keeping with the council's goal of breaking down the district barriers, the volunteers are no longer designated to the different districts. This year’s recipients were Walter Freeman, Wayne Conway, and Steve Amey.

STEVE AMEY: A lifelong Sydenham resident, Steve Amey has been a recreation and Canda Day committee volunteer for years, but he is best known for his role in the Sydenham baseball scene.

He has been involved in the maintenance of and improvements to the ball diamond at the Point, and for fourteen years he has given unconditionally to Sydenham minor softball. He has served as president, and has coached one or two girls' teams at a time.

During his years at Sydenham minor ball there have been up to 140 children playing in the league, a tribute to his commitment to the children and young adults of his home village.

WAYNE CONWAY: Anyone who has attended a public event in Verona over the last several years has met Wayne Conway. He was the guy parking cars, helping out at the gate, or whispering in someone’s ear to tell them where they should be going next.

A relative newcomer to the area, Wayne, along with his wife Judy, have been involved in a big way with the Verona Lions Club, of which he is currently president, and with the Verona Festival Committee, of which he is currently the manager.

These have not been quiet times for the Lions Club; Wayne has been called upon to oversee every aspect of a $150,000 hall renovation, and the Verona Festival is a premiere attraction in the region that has grown since since its inception 13 years ago. It is a completely volunteer run event. To keep a handle on all of the details of these two major roles is no easy task, expecially for a volunteer, but Wayne has managed to do it with enthusiasm.

Wayne is being celebrated for his ability, as a newcomer, to join the commuity and affect change for the better while respecting tradition.

WALTER FREEMAN: Walt Freeman is a third generation farmer in the Battersea area. He is active in his local church, of which he has been the organist and choir director for 16 years. He was also a member of the Rob Roy Pipe band for 19 years, and is being recognised for being available to provide musical entertainment for virtually any social function in the community for many years. He was also one of the founding organisers of the Battersea Pumpkin Festival.

Walt donates his time and talent to any worthy cause and does so humbly and without fanfare.

Oct 30/08 - First Impressions: Verona

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Feature Article - October 30, 2008 First Impressions of VeronaGreat restaurants, they love Local Family Farms, but where is McMullen Park?By Jeff Green

“I think we scared a lot of people when we came. They might have thought we were from MPAC,” said one of the First Impressions team from Havelock about the visit they paid to Verona back on July 29.

The 10-member team had nice things to say about their visit to Verona when they presented their findings to a meeting at the Verona Lions Hall last week, but they did have some concerns. Among the concerns were some that can’t be dealt with by the members of the Verona Community Association, who were on hand to hear the results.

The visitors found that many of the homes on Main Street are located close to the street, that the businesses in the hamlet are a bit too spread out, and that Verona does not have public water and sewer systems. The location of houses on Main Street cannot exactly be changed, and the township politicians in the room visibly cringed when water and sewer were mentioned.

But there were other suggestions that could be adopted. The Havelock visitors found that Verona is blessed by having a picturesque lakefront park in McMullen Park, but they did not notice any signage on the main street directing people to it. “The beach is a hidden jewel,” said one of the Havelock visitors, “There are not many communities that have that kind of asset, and you should let people know where it is.”

In a related vein, the Havelock people mentioned that a public boat launch might be an asset. There are in fact two boat launches in Verona. “I guess that points out that we need signage for boat launches as well,” said association member Inie Platenius.

Among businesses that the Havelock people particularly appreciated were Jitterbugs, Local Family Farms, Verona Computer and Satellite, Bravo and Mom’s Restaurants. “These innovative stores are a great asset. They are attractions that can draw people back. They make Verona a good tourist destination,” said Shirley Patterson, one of the Havelock people.

Patterson also noted that there is a lack of parking in Verona.

Havelock, which will be receiving their report from the Verona First Impressions crew on November 5, is a village that is familiar with the advantages and challenges of having a major highway running through its centre. It is located on Highway 7 about 40 km east of Peterborough, and is larger than Verona; however, it has faced some similar issues.

With all those cars and trucks flowing though - bound, in Havelock's case, either for Peterborough, Ottawa, or cottage country - how can they be enticed to stop? Businesses located off Highway 7 have a particular problem attracting customers from this traffic.

By establishing a chamber of commerce and working with OMAFRA (the Ontario Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Rural Affairs) Havelock has seen some improvement in its business prospects.

“We don't really have the same goals as they do in Havelock,” said Debbie Lingen, who coordinated the First Impressions project for the Verona Community Association. “Some of the things they were worried about there, such as the availability of natural gas and sewer and water, are not really priorities for us.”

But the Havelock crew did confirm some concerns that Lingen said the Verona Community Association was already aware of, particularly the signage.

Lingen said when her family moved to Verona two years ago they did not know that there was a waterfront park in the village, until “one day a couple of months after we moved, when we stumbled upon McMullen Park.”

Since OMAFRA and the Community Futures Development Corporation were the sponsors for the project, Lingen thinks the VCA might be able to go to them for help paying for improved signage.

VCA members were particularly happy about the number of local people who attended the meeting, and the ideas that they brought forward to help improve the community.

Oct 30/08 - Walleye Released in Verona Lakes

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Feature Article - October 30, 2008 Walleye fingerlings released into Verona area lakesby Inie Platenius

Kyle Reynolds of MNR White Lake and Winston Midddleton of Howes Lake counting walleye.

For many years now, Verona and area have been served by a group of dedicated volunteers who tap into the Community Fisheries and Wildlife Involvement Program (CFWIP) to increase the walleye population in our region. CFWIP is a Ministry of Natural Resources initiative, which in this case, helps volunteers to hatch and rear walleye for release into local lakes. Floyd Deyo, retired teacher, dedicated sportsman and conservationist is the driving force behind the Verona group, and he gave us the update on this year’s activities.

The work began with a meeting in Westport of volunteers from Verona, the Westport Outdoor Association and the Napanee Rod & Gun Club, joined by representatives from the Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters (OFAH) and representatives from the Kemptville and Kingston MNR. After some discussion, the volunteers decided to form an umbrella association to deal with their common concerns.

The walleye program hatches fry (baby fish) and rears them in special ponds to the fingerling stage before releasing them into local lakes, and one of the group’s priorities was to repair and upgrade the rearing ponds, some of which were over 20 years old. The group received several thousand dollars in grants from MNR and OFAH to complete repairs to several ponds, including local ones provided by Lloyd Lee and the Babcocks. These improvements should make for a substantial increase in fingerling production next year.

Another major decision was to have the Westport group collect and incubate the walleye eggs and then distribute the fry to the other groups for rearing. The way this happens is that in mid-April, several male and female are captured, stripped of milt and eggs, and then released back into the stream they came from. The fertilized eggs then go into hatchery jars until early May when the fry hatch and are released into the rearing ponds – this year in the Babcock pond near Hartington, a Napanee pond and two in Westport. The Babcock pond produced 1085 fingerlings of three inches or longer. The Westport ponds had some early problems, but in the end produced 550 two-inch fish. The group had agreed that each year the stocking would emphasize a different lake, and this year all the fingerlings went into 13 Island Lake (thanks to the use of Terry and Karen Mullens’ pontoon boat). Although 13 Island Lake has a couple of potentially good breeding streams, for some reason it has no natural reproduction of walleye. In addition to the Westport-hatched fish, the MNR White Lake Fish Culture Station provided several thousand fingerlings which were released into 13 Island, Howes and Verona (Rock) Lake, courtesy of Winston Middleton and Dave Salmond.

In late June, 750 fingerlings went into the pond near Rivendell Golf Club’s 18th hole, which has been used many times to grow advanced (larger size) fingerlings. These fish prey on the pond’s naturally occurring minnow population and 258 of them grew to a whopping four to seven inches before being harvested for release into lakes.

Floyd says, “Raising walleyes is something like cheering for the Maple Leafs. Wait until next year.” But with the rearing pond repairs, more production capacity should produce a bumper crop. If you want to join the project along with Floyd and volunteers Lloyd Lee, Winston Middleton, Bill Norman, Neil, Bill, Stan and Vincent Babcock, John Chabot, Earl Brown and Dave Salmond, call Bill at 613-372-2265, Lloyd at 613- 374-2179 or Floyd at 613-374-2869 and get in on the fishy fun.