www.OBSERVERXTRA.com ® Monday March 31 st 315 Arthur St. S. Elmira | 519-669-4640 WITH SPRING IN THE OFFING, THE FOCUS SHIFTS TO FOOD COMMENT PAGE 10 LIVING HERE PAGE 24 03 | 29 | 2014 VOLUME 19 | ISSUE 13 SHARING HIS PASSION FOR READING CELL: 519-897-7707 | CELL: 519-505-0073 | EMAIL: [email protected]SWIMMING POOLS PATIOS • DRIVEWAYS STAIRCASES • GARDENS Elmira’s No Frills store is on the chopping block. The chain’s 232 Ar- thur St. S. location is one of three No Frills stores in Canada that Loblaws Companies Ltd. will be di- vesting after its acquisition of the Shoppers Drug Mart Corporation at the end of the month. The $12.4 billion pur- chase, approved by the fed- Competition Bureau orders sale of No Frills store As part of deal for Loblaws to purchase Shoppers Drug Mart, Elmira is one of two Ontario locations that has to go WILL SLOAN eral Competition Bureau, will lead to the closure of either Shoppers or No Frills outlets in communities that have both. Fourteen Shoppers locations will be sold across Canada, but only three No Frills. “We’re expecting the di- vestment process will take several months,” said Kev- in Groh, vice-president of corporate affairs and com- munication for Loblaws. “We’ll begin the process of finding a purchaser once the deal is closed, which we expect will be March 28. But the process we expect to take several months." Paul and Adele Hender- son, owners of the Elmira No Frills store, declined to comment. In response to the im- pending loss of the store, Woolwich council will send a letter to the Competition Bureau asking the agency to reverse its decision. The letter will focus on the already-limited number of grocery markets in the township, the unique travel limitations on those using horse-drawn buggies as transportation, and the po- tential economic impacts. The United Food and Commercial Workers Union estimates that the decision will affect more than 120 unionized No One last salute The Elmira Sugar Kings bade farewell to their fans on Sunday after losing to the Waterloo Siskins in the second round of playoffs. The Kings battled the Siskins to seven games in the semi-finals, falling 3-1 in the last match. [WILL SLOAN / THE OBSERVER] Business will continue at the 232 Arthur St. location until a buyer is found. [WILL SLOAN / THE OBSERVER] NO FRILLS | 9
Transcript
www.OBSERVERXTRA.com
®
MondayMarch 31st
315 Arthur St. S. Elmira | 519-669-4640
WITH SPRING IN THE OFFING, THE FOCUS SHIFTS TO FOODCOMMENTPAGE 10
Elmira’s No Frills store is on the chopping block. The chain’s 232 Ar-thur St. S. location is one of three No Frills stores in Canada that Loblaws Companies Ltd. will be di-vesting after its acquisition of the Shoppers Drug Mart Corporation at the end of the month.
The $12.4 billion pur-chase, approved by the fed-
Competition Bureau orders sale of No Frills storeAs part of deal for Loblaws to purchase Shoppers Drug Mart, Elmira is one of two Ontario locations that has to go
WILL SLOAN eral Competition Bureau, will lead to the closure of either Shoppers or No Frills outlets in communities that have both. Fourteen Shoppers locations will be sold across Canada, but only three No Frills.
“We’re expecting the di-vestment process will take several months,” said Kev-in Groh, vice-president of corporate affairs and com-munication for Loblaws. “We’ll begin the process of
finding a purchaser once the deal is closed, which we expect will be March 28. But the process we expect to take several months."
Paul and Adele Hender-son, owners of the Elmira No Frills store, declined to comment.
In response to the im-pending loss of the store, Woolwich council will send a letter to the Competition Bureau asking the agency to reverse its decision. The
letter will focus on the already-limited number of grocery markets in the township, the unique travel limitations on those using horse-drawn buggies as transportation, and the po-tential economic impacts.
The United Food and Commercial Workers Union estimates that the decision will affect more than 120 unionized No
One last saluteThe Elmira Sugar Kings bade farewell to their fans on Sunday after losing to the Waterloo Siskins in the second round of playoffs. The Kings battled the Siskins to seven games in the semi-finals, falling 3-1 in the last match. [WILL SLOAN / THE OBSERVER]
Business will continue at the 232 Arthur St. location until a buyer is found. [WILL SLOAN / THE OBSERVER]
NO FRILLS | 9
2 | NEWS THE OBSERVER | SATURDAY, MARCH 29, 2014
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Worried about the po-tential noise, Woolwich council this week turned down a request for a board-ing kennel near Maryhill.
The decision sided with a staff recommendation against plans for a 50-dog boarding kennel at 1183 Bietz Rd. The site’s proxim-ity to the Bridgeport Rod & Gun Club, a kennel across the road and another oper-ating on nearby Hopewell Creek Road raised the possibility of more noise complaints in an area that already has its share, coun-cillors decided.
Speaking at Tuesday night's committee-of-the-whole meeting, applicant
Noise concerns see Woolwich deny bid for Maryhill-area kennel
STEVE KANNON Robert Varga agreed noise would likely be the biggest issue. He argued, however, that there’s already more racket from the gun club and nearby baseball dia-monds, which he called the largest source of noise.
A pair of other issues raised in a report by clerk Christine Broughton – part of the property being in the floodplain, and concerns about staffing numbers – were addressed by Varga. On the former, he said an inspection by the Grand River Conservation Author-ity revealed no concerns. As for staffing, while the current business plan does not include hiring staff, how much help he’ll need will depend on demand.
“If we do need help, we’ll hire either family or other employees,” he said.
Responding to a ques-tion from Coun. Bonnie Bryant, Varga said he’s had no formal training as a dog handler, but has some ex-perience from helping out his neighbour, who oper-ates a kennel.
He noted that two other busy kennels in the area are an indication there’s a demand, adding the loca-tion is ideal, being central to Kitchener-Waterloo, Cambridge and Guelph.
“It is a good area to build.”
His argument resonated only with Coun. Allan Pof-fenroth, the lone vote in fa-vour of Varga’s application.
Poffenroth pointed out that there are already other noisy operations in the vicinity.
Broughton responded that the kennel could con-tribute to the cumulative noise, perhaps drawing even more complaints from neighbours.
Bryant, who represents the ward, said she hears the complaints, noting that noise from the gun club carries into the village of Maryhill.
With a formal decision to be voted on at next week’s council meeting, Varga was advised he could return with a new plan that ad-dresses the noise concerns in order to ask councillors to reconsider.
Good food is funda-mental to good health. It’s no surprise, then, that food will play a key role in activities related to Wool-wich Healthy Communities Month in April, as the pop-ular A Taste of Woolwich event gets things rolling on April 7.
Among those singing the benefits of local food is the Elmira and District Hor-ticultural Society’s Barb Finn, who runs the Junior Garden Club.
“It’s amazing how inter-ested the kids are week to week when they arrive at the garden. The first time it is completely brown. Each week they see how read-ily the natural world can respond to not only the sun and the rain but also their cultivating,” she said, hop-ing to get kids out again this year.
“A big part of the theme is inspiring young people to come up with their own recipes and grow their own food,” notes Joy Finney of Woolwich Healthy Com-munities.
“There’s so much con-cern right now in terms of health. Some people are suggesting that we are cre-ating a food environment that supports unhealthy behaviour rather than healthy behaviour; it’s re-ally about wanting to turn
Food a focus of Woolwich Healthy Communities MonthSpring’s eventual arrival will help promote a more active lifestyle, getting us outdoors and putting the spotlight on the start of the growing season
ELENA MAYSTRUK
that around and create an environment where we are reminded just how fresh and delicious local product can be.”
A Taste of Woolwich will introduce visitors to other activities planned for the month ahead with demon-strations by the Junior Gar-deners Club and presenta-tions on healthy lifestyles and workplaces.
About 25-30 local produc-ers will be rubbing shoul-ders with visitors at the event, a chance to find out where and how to buy lo-cal. Sixteen-year-old Colin Rier a chef at the Butterfly Conservatory Café will be holding a cooking presenta-tion with help from Winter-bourne’s Mac and Coleton Benham. Mac Benham, 10, also developed a recipe book and a blog called On-tario Future Foodies.
The month’s activities bring to the forefront the region’s overall focus on health, Finney said.
“One of the concerns in the Region of Waterloo is that we have a really low level of people being physi-cally active,” she said.
Especially in the town-ships, health efforts are focused on stimulating less dependency on cars.
“That’s part of the reason they put the walking track into the [Woolwich Memo-rial Centre]; it’s just ways to try and encourage us to be physically active. That’s one of the reasons the on-road cycling group got going and the Woolwich Trails Group.”
Despite being surround-ed by local produce, only 63 per cent of rural residents met the daily fruit and veg-etable requirement of five
to 10 servings, according to a survey completed by the Woolwich Community Health Centre in 2010.
Next month’s activities will strive to find strength in numbers, Finney said.
“I find that when I link up with people that have similar interests and enjoy doing things together – I meet a friend and we go walking every morning – it really helps me find people with similar interests and to do things with them. That’s part of the purpose of Healthy Communities, to try and create a place where people can connect.”
On tap this month are also the annual Trees for Woolwich tree plant-ings, which will continue throughout the summer. The group has planted more than 9,000 trees around the township since 2011. This year a Quilt Block Challenge asks groups and residents to submit a piece of fabric for a quilt featuring trees. Rules of the challenge and more information on Woolwich Healthy Com-munities activities through out spring and summer can be found on www.healthy-woolwich.org.
The eighth annual ver-sion of A Taste of Wool-wich takes place from 5-8 p.m. at St. Teresa of Avila Church (19 Flamingo Dr.) in Elmira.
Tree plantings, cleanups, food events and more are gearing up as part of Woolwich Healthy Communities Month in April. [OBSERVER ARCHIVES]
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A decade ago, Rachel Dyck’s mother saved the strings program at St. Ja-cobs Public School. After funds were cut, Evelyne Dyck volunteered to teach her son and other interest-ed Grade 7 and 8 students how to play the school’s small collection of violins, violas, cellos and double bases.
When she passed away last year, her two daughters and a friend – all gradu-ates of the program – took over teaching duties in her memory. Now, facing ongo-ing repair costs for the in-struments, Rachel Dyck is partnering with the school and some surprising gradu-ates of the improvised pro-
Saying traffic and parking issues are already a problem, residents of an Elmira neighbourhood are concerned about plans for a new subdivision on an adjacent piece of land.
Birdland Developments’
Neighbours fear even more traffic woes with new subdivisionBirdland Developments proposes 141-unit residential project for Elmira’s south end
STEVE KANNON proposal for a 141-unit subdivision in a westward extension of South Park-wood Boulevard had about 35 residents out to a pub-lic planning meeting on March 25.
The developer is request-ing official plan and zoning changes to about 32 acres
of an 85-acre parcel that runs between Listowel Road and Whippoorwill Drive in Elmira’s south end. Some 29 acres at the north end of the property, near the woodlot on Whip-poorwill, would be home to the residential develop-ment. The other three acres
would contain a stormwa-ter management pond on a spot adjacent to Listowel Road.
Current plans for the subdivision call for 141 units: 84 single-family homes, 24 semi-detached houses and 33 townhouse units.
The property and other land surrounding it has long been earmarked for development. The official plan amendment would al-low for the increased den-sity on the site, while the zoning would be changed
SUBDIVISION | 9
ELENA MAYSTRUK
Camryn Cloostra and Emma Mewhiney participate in the St. Jacobs PS strings program saved by Rachel Dyck’s mother a decade ago. An April 3 concert will raise money to keep it going. [ELENA MAYSTRUK / THE OBSERVER]
gram to put on a fundraiser and show next month.
“I think she just decided it would be a good thing for the school to still have a program so she said she would volunteer to make it happen,” Rachel Dyck said of her mother’s project. “My brother actually didn’t join, which is kind of fun-ny, but she did it anyway.”
When the Trans-Siberian Orchestra’s electric vio-linist Mark Wood visited Elmira for a show in 2009, the program made it pos-sible for the St. Jacobs strings group to join him onstage with EDSS and Park Manor players.
“It allows kids to develop skills that they wouldn’t ordinarily get to develop. Reading music, for one,
is huge. It’s like a whole other language that a lot of people don’t really speak anymore, but I think it’s very beneficial and very fulfilling.
“I think to have kids follow through with the commitment and see that they can actually do it is why having a performance especially is really cool,” she said.
Even a member of El-mira’s Stained Glass Army, guitarist Mitchell McCloy, is a graduate of the St. Ja-cobs strings program. SGA had success in 2012-2913 with a national competi-tion that earned the boys several recording and pro-motional perks along with a trip to perform in Quebec.
“I think my mom really
appreciated his enthusi-asm for the program and she saw him as someone who loves music and I think he’s pursued that,” Dyck said.
St. Jacobs PS students will play several songs dur-ing the concert along with several guests including McCloy and the Kitchener-Waterloo folk duo Quiet in the Land. Former principal Geoff Lewis, now a folk musician, will also make an appearance.
“I think he was the prin-cipal my mom originally approached. He’s going to play classic tunes on his guitar,” Dyck said.
She doesn’t know what the future of the program
A play area in Wellesley Village would be more wel-coming to children with accessibility issues under a plan presented to town-ship council this week by the Wellesley and District Lions Club.
The current playground does not meet the needs of the area's disabled chil-dren. The community’s splash park, offers some accessibility but along with being inaccessible to kids with certain mobility devices, it’s a seasonal fa-cility, representatives told councillors in a delegation Tuesday night.
“As a club we went for-ward to investigate this need. We went out and spoke to parents of chil-dren who were experienc-ing barriers within Welles-ley and moved forward to create a subcommittee … it has good club support, but we’ve also drawn in five or six community members who have an interest in being part of this project,” said accessible playground committee member Jenni-fer Kays Sommer.
At least three Wellesley families have children who are unable to use most of
Lions propose accessible play area in WellesleyCouncil endorses the direction undertaken as service club looks to get the new project underway
ELENA MAYSTRUK the play equipment avail-able to them in the village due to physical or develop-mental disabilities, Kays Sommer added. Letters from the families, asking for consideration of the Lions’ proposal were given to councillors with sugges-tions for the addition of ‘quiet corners,’ sensory sta-tions and safe swings.
The project is still in its early stages, with the com-mittee looking for endorse-ment in principle of the project from council. The Lions also asked for per-mission to pursue fundrais-ing efforts in coordination with township staff. Once the facility is built, the club would like the municipality to accept it as a donation.
Councillors were shown artistic renderings of what an accessible playground may look like near the vil-lage’s existing play area at the downtown community centre park. They were subsequently asked to comment on the direction the Lions are taking.
“I certainly support the concept,” said Coun. Jim Olender. “Where I maybe have a problem is the soc-cer fields there. We may
PARK | 5 MUSIC | 9
4 | NEWS THE OBSERVER | SATURDAY, MARCH 29, 2014
2238 Floradale Rd., Floradale 519-669-2142(south of Florapine Rd., at Ruggle’s Rd.) What makes people appreciate dining at Bonnie Lou’s Café in Floradale is the warm, welcoming environment, combined with truly tasty “home cooked” meals, in the nostalgic atmosphere of a late 1800’s general store setting. Owner Bonnie Martin opened Bonnie Lou’s Café on May 7, 2009, and continues to offer the best in guest service and menu selection. This charming restaurant can provide spacious seating for up to 60 people with ample parking. The décor consists of original hardwood flooring, taupe painted walls, tongue & groove wood and embossed tin ceiling, shelves filled with product packaging from yesteryear. Sit at sturdy wood tables with comfortable press-back chairs. Bonnie Lou’s Café features many locally made fresh baked goods made on the premises including butter tarts, muffins (including a diabetic muffin), carrot cake, cheese cake, and popular pie slices including choices like coconut cream, and lemon meringue. Renowned for tasty soups and freshly prepared sandwiches, the café is open for breakfast, lunch, and diner (with take-out available). They also host private parties with a home cooked buffet style meal on Saturday evenings. As of May1st, they will be open Thursday and Friday evenings offering homestyle diners (roast beef, chicken, etc.) Bonnie Lou’s Café caters to the salad lovers with a selection including Greek, Caesar, pecan tossed, Mandarin romaine, and mixed greens. Sandwiches available on homemade bread include egg or tuna salad, grilled cheese, smoked turkey, ham & Swiss, BLT, chicken salad, and bag sausage (pork), plus specialty sandwiches such as melts, panini, club, and wraps. They offer diabetic and gluten free options. Everyday there is a daily special consisting of either chicken pot pie, ham & cheese quiche, chili, and more. Bottom line: Bonnie Lou’s Cafe kindly lacks the loud blaring music and frantic feel, but still has the atmosphere of “Home cooked” food, good cheer & hospitality.
22 Church St. W., Elmira 519-669-5537 Hardware store shopping is a great experience in that they offer the variety, competitive prices, and make shopping easier than traversing an immense box store. You can also earn Aeroplan Miles with your purchase! With a history as a hardware store dating to 1879, Elmira Home Hardware has been serving the area for 135 YEARS. At the present site since 1974, the business has been under current management since March 2004. The store is one of over 1,060 stores under the Home Hardware umbrella and is 100% dealer-owned by Krista McBay. Elmira Home Hardware features nationally recognized brands as well as many Home-brand private label products created by leading manufacturers, such as Benchmark tools. This store showcases home improvement supplies, hardware and fasteners (including bulk bins of nails), plumbing and electrical products, paints, cleaning supplies, small appliances, lawn and garden equipment and supplies, barbecues, auto accessories, housewares, giftware, and toys galore. Other offerings include sporting goods, hunting-camping-fishing supplies, work wear, bottled water, V-belts, pulleys, and a 2,000 square foot Farm Supply Department. They also offer audio-video products, telephones, computer accessories and electronic gadgets. Also in-store are wood stoves from Drolet, plus repair parts and maintenance supplies for your wood stoves. Customer support at Elmira Home Hardware includes: key cutting; rope, cable, electrical wire and chain cut to size; and paint mixing and colour matching. Their Lighting Gallery with 26 foot long display features table and floor lamps, hanging pendant lighting, gorgeous wall sconces and more—in styles and finishes from traditional to contemporary. At the front of the store operates “Blind Ambitions” which provides custom draperies, blinds, verticals, venetians, roll shades, and California shutters. It is operated by an interior decorator ready to customize your home’s needs.
For Nuts,Confectionery,Gifts & More
3011 Sawmill Rd.,St. Jacobs
(Regional Rd. 17& Hwy 86)
519-664-2400 Home of the Canadian peanut, Picard’s is a pioneer in agri-diversity, from farm production to retail sales. Picard’s family business has been producing peanuts in Ontario for over 3 decades. Best known for great taste and superior flavour, Farm Fresh Ontario Grown Peanuts and other specialty products from Picard’s have become a favourite among local residents and visitors to the area. Picard’s retails four types of peanuts from the Ontario Valencia, Jumbo Cocktail, Extra Fancy Redskin to Old-time Spanish peanuts. Roasted Cocktail are available in 16 different flavoured peanut styles from Salt & Vinegar to Ranch to “Cheddar & Bacon”. Picard’s has introduced unique creations such as jumbo cocktail nuts coated with a crispy potato chip covering again in over 12 flavours, all sampled daily to the curious customer. Their Extreme Kettle Chips are available in 6 varieties each in larger 220g packages or the quick nibble 50g bags, and in March of 2012, they launched their new “beer-washed Taters”. The business also processes and sells jumbo cashews, honey roasted nut specialties in almonds, cashews and pecans, and blends trail mix & other dried fruit mixes. Sweet temptations include milk chocolate covered nuts and dried fruits like almonds and pecans to blueberries and cranberries, peanut brittle, sponge toffee, and over 16 types of fudge. If you love Swiss Style Milk Chocolate, Dark or White Chocolate, try Picard’s almond or blueberry bark, caramel & pecan clusters, thick-coated pretzel Q’s, plus chocolate covered ginger and sponge toffee’s. The freshest dried fruits and raw nuts are always in stock. Popcorn lovers can find various Ontario grown popcorns, plus seasonings such as white cheddar and cheddar cheese. Other store offerings include local jams, honey, maple syrup, Wellesley apple chips, greeting cards, bird feeders, Slap Ya Mama Cajun seasonings, 8 types of Aunt Lena’s jams, and Picard’s very own hand-scooped premium ice cream. Yes they also make ice-cream in delicious fruit and confectionery combinations. Think of Picard’s for gift boxes and baskets, plus tasty foods and unique treats for your family and guests this Easter. Remember with the sale of the Windham Centre, Morriston, Woodstock and Fonthill stores in 2012 – Picard’s Original products are now only available at the stores located in St.Jacobs, Talbotville, Waterdown and Niagara-on-the-Lake.
Making People Smile For Five
Years
2239 Floradale Dr., (across from
Bonnie Lou’s Café) Floradale
519-669-9761
Sunshine brightens everybody’s mood, but Ontario is not exactly known for clear skies year-round, especially in Winter. Luckily for locals in the area, Floral Fusion is one of the best places to find fresh flowers year round. In fact, they have fresh flowers delivered to their store DAILY. With this kind of convenient accessibility to some of the freshest, most beautiful flowers, it’s easy to brighten those rainy and snowy days with fresh floral arrangements and gifts. Few things generate a higher “smile factor” than a beautifully arranged bouquet. In fact, flowers from Floral Fusion are the ideal way to convey your personal feelings, whether it’s expressing your love, thanks, gratitude, sorrow or best wishes for a healthy recovery. Delivery is available to the whole greater K-W area. Whether it’s a bridal consultation to make your dream day a reality, sympathy arrangements, or you need floral arrangements and gifts for corporate needs and special occasions, Floral Fusion can do it all with Satisfaction 100% Guaranteed. Visit the showroom at Floral Fusion to experience the pleasant scents and natural beauty of fresh cut flowers, long stem roses and exotics, or beautiful silk arrangements. They also offer gifts & accents like candles, jewellery, and many unique vases. Don’t forget them for Easter (April 20th) for your Easter Lilies, and other Easter table floral centrepieces. Owner Sheri Clemmer and the staff at Floral Fusion bring you service, selection and value, plus your satisfaction is guaranteed. Phone them or visit them on Facebook.
The Right Choice For Floor
Covering Solutions
17-A Industrial Dr.Elmira
519-669-3933
Under the direction of owner Paul Zimmerman since May 1st of 2004, Zimmerman Custom Flooring has been providing expert flooring advice and exemplary customer service. The team of knowledgeable experts, design–savvy flooring consultants and passionate craftsmen tackle the most demanding flooring projects and most unique decors. Whether it’s resurfacing one room in the home, a set of stairs, or bringing increased value and style to an entire home, Zimmerman Custom Flooring has the right selection of products for the job. The 10,000 square foot showroom of Zimmerman Custom Flooring offers a wide range of quality flooring products from some of the world’s best flooring manufacturers. Their displays features selected ranges of hardwood, carpet, vinyl, laminate, ceramic, porcelain and natural stone tile. Take the relaxed in store experience with you when you leave with available take home samples. The Mirage Hardwood flooring gallery at Zimmerman Custom Flooring offers the world’s finest hardwoods with styles, colour palettes and quality that are unsurpassed. All Mirage hardwood flooring is produced in Canada using the finest-quality hardwood from certified, responsibly managed forests. Advanced nanotechnology-based finishes make Mirage floors the most wear-resistant in the industry. The experts at Zimmerman Custom Flooring will come to your home and provide custom in-home measuring and free estimates, plus a professional installation.
315 Arthur St. S.,(Foodland Plaza)
Elmira519-669-1350
www.petvalu.com
With a warm, welcoming shopping experience, Pet Valu is your destination for knowledgeable, friendly advice and the best pet care products available. Steve & Melanie Robbins, proud owners of the Elmira Pet Valu store, invite you to come in and meet their team of pet experts. The store has been operating in Elmira since opening March 12, 2013. They will help you navigate the selection of wholesome, natural and holistic premium pet foods, teach you how to read the ingredient panel and find a food that you and your pet will feel good about. Maybe it’s a grain-free formulation or a varied rotational diet that could be the perfect solution. Their experts will help you determine if your allergy-prone pet would benefit from a single source protein diet or a vegetarian recipe. Have a finicky cat? They will help you find the food he’ll find irresistible. Wondering about ‘raw’? Their pet experts have the answers you need. A few of their featured brands include: Pronature, Taste of the Wild, Natural Balance, Nature’s Variety, Royal Canin, and Blue Buffalo. They carry numerous lines of pet food made locally including Nutram (Go Natural!, Now Fresh, and Performatrin Ultra). Housebreaking accident? Flea problem? Hip and joint pain? Not using the litter box? They have the solutions – safe and effective products. When you shop with Pet Valu, you benefit from the buying power of over 400 stores across Canada. They know all about fun, too! Pet Valu has one of the largest selections of toys, treats and accessories in Canada. Other offerings include bowls, colourful collars and leads, training aids, cozy pet beds, litter, travel cages, soft sided carriers, pet barriers for vehicles, cat activity centres, and supplies for birds, fish and small animals. You’ll always find a solution at Pet Valu. They look forward to seeing you soon!
A Truly Full Service Centre
NEW LOCATION63 Union St. Elmira 519-669-8502(near First St.) www.elmiraautocare.ca When you deal with Elmira Auto Care Centre for factory scheduled maintenance and repairs that require immediate expert attention, you are assured of licensed technicians who remain current with automotive technology. With over 25 years experience, owner Phill Cloutier and the staff will explain technical data into terms that everyone can understand. Founded in 1980, Elmira Auto Care Centre came under the direction of Phill on November 1, 2011. They are moving to their new location on April 1st, 2014. A well-maintained vehicle or fleet that lasts longer with fewer breakdowns, lower emissions and uses less fuel begins with a well-equipped automotive repair facility. Phill and his staff will recommend only the repairs that are necessary or suggest the next anticipated service interval. Their many services include electronic tune-ups, fuel injection work, lube-oil-filter service, climate control, brake work, exhausts, shocks & struts, front end work, M.T.O. safety inspections, as well as No Drip rustproofing, batteries, tires and towing. As an auto dealership alternative and NAPA AutoCare Centre, this local business is staffed by licensed technicians providing diagnostic services and corrective repairs with NAPA Auto Parts that meet O.E.M. specifications to fulfill new vehicle warranty requirements. The manufacturer is still obligated to honour valid warranty issues. NAPA Auto Parts are backed by a nationwide warranty. The people at Elmira Auto Care Centre fully realize the inconvenience of motorists being without a vehicle. Their goal is to provide prompt, efficient service at a fair price to keep your vehicle on the road.
25 Industrial Dr., Elmira 519-669-2632(at Oriole Pkwy. E., Elmira Plaza) www.cooperators.ca The Co-operators has worked hard to achieve their mission of financial security for Canadians and their communities. The philosophy of people helping people dates back to 1945 when a group of Canadian farmers wanting to protect their families worked together so they could build a more secure future for all and offer insurance based on fairness, integrity and value. These founding principals continue today at The Co-operators, although the company is now owned by 32 co-operatives and similarly structured organizations. They have grown to become the largest 100% Canadian, multi-product insurer. They are recognized as one of the Best Employers in Canada that is also community-minded. The Co-operators has over 650 service outlets, most of which are owned and managed by people from the communities they serve. Qualified, experienced agents, like Allen Morrison of Allen Morrison Insurance Inc. in Elmira, invite you to call for a no-obligation quote on your automotive, home and business insurance. They can also handle your farm, group and travel insurance. A full range of investment and life insurance products is also available to cover your needs now and in the future. The Co-operators assures their customers of competitive premiums, backed by prompt, fair claims settlement. They are proud to offer a 24-hour emergency claims service through their toll-free number. When it comes to auto collision claims, the Enhanced Service Program from The Co-operators helps speed up the repair process. Find out for yourself why The Co-operators has almost 70 years of success in the Canadian insurance business and over 1 million clients.
www.picardpeanuts.ca
www.floralfusion.ca
Nostalgically Charming
NEWS | 5THE OBSERVER | SATURDAY, MARCH 29, 2014
POLICE BLOTTER
Woolwich reaches deal with KWHS
Finding themselves back where they started, Woolwich councillors have approved the original deal worked out between township staff and the Kitchener-Waterloo Humane Society.
Woolwich will pay the organization $15,000 this year for animal shelter services, the price increasing by 1.5 per annually in the five-year agreement.
The new contract provides a flat fee for sheltering up to 250 animals per cent year. It replaces a deal that dates back to 1966, one that both parties
agreed needed to be updated, with KWHS maintaining the old fees don’t come close to covering costs.
Wavering on the expense, a signifi-cant jump from the $6,000 billed in 2013, council asked bylaw enforcement staff to look at other options, along with trying to negotiate a lower price with Humane Society.
In a report introduced at Tuesday’s council meeting, bylaw enforcement officer Tony Wood said there are no other organizations interested in or qualified to provide legally mandated shelter services. Nor was the Humane Society willing to renegotiate the terms of the contract, he added.
In a 3-1 split, with Mayor Todd Cowan opposed, councillors voted to move forward.
Wellesley council pay for 2013
Wellesley councillors received a total of $77,438.90 in salaries, expenses, pensions and mileage costs in 2013, according to the remuneration and expenses memo released by township treasure Theresa Bisch on March 18.
The province of Ontario gives munici-palities until the end of March to make public remuneration and expenses of council members and local boards.
Mayor Ross Kelterborn received a salary of $17,409.48, $254.88 in benefits and $2,199.96 in mileage costs. In the same categories, each of the four councillors received $11,069.96 in salary, plus mileage allowances of $800.04. Shelley Wagner and Herb Neher received $372.80 in benefits, while Paul Hergott and Jim Olender received $154.34.
Kelterborn claimed $193. 83 in expenses; Wagner, $2,071.25; Neher, $1,678.87; Olender, $2,856.93; and Hergott, $2,239.42.
A total of $1,636.86 was received by members of the Committee of Adjust-ment in pay and mileage: $459.36
for Joyce Barker, $415 for Eugene Bersenas, Mary Lichty-Neeb, $392.50 and Denis Weber, $370.
The township’s recreation committee chairs – Bev Baechler (Heidelberg) Dan Bender (Hawkesville), Janek Jagiellowicz (Wellesley Village), Melanie Martin (St. Clements), and Lorie Sebben (Linwood) – received a total of $480 for the meetings each attended throughout the year.
Gravel tender contract awarded
Woolwich will spend $136,000 this year to upgrade nine stretches of
M A R C H 1 9
12:00 PM | The driver of a Dodge travelling northbound on Arthur Street in Elmira ran a red light at Whippoorwill Drive and hit a blue Dodge. There were no injuries, but the driver was charged with ‘fail to stop for red light.’
M A R C H 2 0
7:53 AM | Police were contacted by a business owner after they learned their com-mercial property on Joseph Street
gravel road in the township.Meeting this week, councillors
awarded a contract to Donegan’s Haulage to supply and place some 14,700 tonnes of gravel at a cost of $9.21 per tonne. The company’s was the lower of two bids.
Roads slated for sections of new gravel include King Street North, Allemange Place, two stretches of both New Jerusalem and Scotch Line roads, Weeby Place, Oriole Parkway Extention and Peel Street.
All told, 14.7 kilometres of township roads will be upgraded in this year's program. That covers about 12.4 per cent of Woolwich's gravel roads.
Safety Village now accepting nominations for outstanding kids The Waterloo Region Children’s Safety Village will host its annual Chil-dren’s Hero Awards on May 31. The awards are held ev-ery year on the last Sunday in May and nominations are now being accepted with a deadline of April 16.
Children residing in Waterloo Region, from ju-nior kindergarten through Grade 8, are eligible for an award. Some may have assisted their classmates, parents or friends and have performed at a level be-yond expectation.
The event aims to rec-ognize heroic behaviour, good citizenship, or out-
standing safety deed of kids while they contribute to a safer community. Five to ten children will be rec-ognized at the ceremony, to be held at the safety village near the Waterloo Regional Police Service headquar-ters (200 Maple Grove Rd., Cambridge).
All winners will receive a trophy and a certificate of achievement. The heroes and their families will at-tend a ceremony and lun-cheon to celebrate.
If you know of a deserv-ing child that you wish to nominate, you can find in-formation online at www.waterlooregioncsv.com.
in Breslau had been broken into, resulting in the theft of a circular saw. The investigation is ongoing.
M A R C H 2 2
4:03 PM | A 29-year-old woman driving northbound in the 800 block of Katherine Street in Woolwich Township lost control of her Ford Taurus and struck a guardrail. She was subsequently charged with ‘careless driving.’
Renderings of what an accessible playground may look like, including accessible swings and rubber matting, by Recreation Playsystems of St. Clements. [SUBMITTED]
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have to move it around.” “Certainly soccer teams
use that area to stretch out and warm up, so absolute-ly, whether the path takes a different [route], whether there’s path around the existing structure with features along it; we’re certainly open to meeting whatever needs are there with all of the different groups,” said Kays Som-mer.
Coun. Herb Neher sug-gested creating an in-clusive, fluid design that perhaps incorporates or builds around existing equipment.
“Do you not want to integrate as much as pos-sible as opposed to keeping things apart? If you were to proceed with this, to integrate them more?” said Neher.
Kays Sommer seemed receptive to that idea. “Yes … everybody is going to use these structures; all of the kids are going to pile onto that big disc swing – and I think that’s one swing that we for sure want in there. I agree with you.”
Suggestions for the
PARK: While project is in early stages, council sees its meritsFROM | 3
design include paths that will weave through new and existing play equip-ment. Kays Sommer also referenced Elmira’s Kate’s Kause playground for its accessible rubber matting. A costlier if more wheel-chair accessible option than gravel or mulch, the material may be incorpo-rated as part of accessible paths of for the base of the play equipment.
Mayor Ross Kelterborn wanted to know the scope of financial contributions
the township would be asked for. With the 2014 budget passed there are no public funds available for the project. However, the club asked to be considered for donations in the future as the approximately two-year project continues in 2015. Several club mem-bers also provided input on the new playground for the township’s new recreation master plan, said Kays Sommer.
The majority of the building funds will likely
come from grants, with fundraising efforts similar to those undertaken for the slash park project. It’s still early to talk about exact amounts, Kays Sommer said.
Councillors were unani-mous in their support for the project’s concept, rec-ommending that the club work with the Wellesley recreation committee on future plans. Discussions on municipal donations may be revisited in the fu-ture, council agreed.
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from agricultural to the proposed uses, explained director of engineering and planning Dan Kennaley.
Explaining the rationale for the increased density on the site – to 44 units per acre from the 38 in the current official plan – a planning consultant for the applicant said the higher number reflects changes to provincial and regional policies in force since the township last updated its guidelines.
The proposed density of the project is right in keeping with targets under Ontario’s Places to Grow Act, said Douglas Stewart of Stantec Consulting. Any-thing less and it would be “challenging to get regional planning support.”
Residents’ concerns about increased density were largely related to the poten-tial traffic problems they see arising from the project. Specifically, with South Parkwood Boulevard the only access point, more con-gestion is predicted. As well, smaller lots would worsen an already bad situation with on-street parking.
South Parkwood resident Ron Campbell suggested the developers look at addition-al access points to reduce
the “potential for gridlock.”His concerns were
echoed by neighbour Bill Scott, who argued that turning from South Park-wood to Arthur Street is al-ready difficult at times. In order to make a left turn to go north, he added, many current residents use Pin-tail Drive to get up to Whip-poorwill Drive, making the case for a traffic signal at the end of South Parkwood Boulevard. As well, there should be a permanent outlet to Listowel Road.
He also called for the township to maintain the current density levels for the property, dropping the number of homes to 117
from the 141 proposed, say-ing that would reduce the expected traffic conges-tion.
Coun. Julie-Anne Her-teis, who lives in the neigh-bourhood, confirmed the traffic woes, including the lack of on-street parking. With even higher densities in the proposed new subdi-vision, with homes having more cars than space, the problem could worsen.
“Where are people going to park?” she asked.
Acknowledging the issues at play, Stewart said the provincial legislation and regional policies don’t leave much leeway when it comes to densities. Even though
SUBDIVISION: Neighbours want to see additional access routeFROM | 3
the region’s township’s have lower density targets than the cities, the numbers are still higher than some of the older neighbourhoods, with smaller lots a part of the mix.
“The proposed plan tries to provide a broad range of sizes ... within the policy re-quirements,” said Stewart.
Tuesday night’s meeting was an information ses-sion only. Council made no decisions, and won’t do so until a recommendation report is brought forward by planning staff at a later date. In the meantime, the township will be accepting input from the public, said Kennaley.
holds with its three instruc-tors in the middle of their post secondary educations. Some students pick up the instruments as a hobby, others hope to play in high school and take private les-sons from Dyck.
“The group we have right now has been pretty committed. Usually violin
Frills workers in Elmira and Blenheim, Ontario.
“Our highest priority is ensuring our members are treated fairly during this process,” said Kevin Benn, secretary treasurer for UFCW Canada Local 1000A. “We will be monitoring the situation closely to deter-mine the appropriate course of action once more infor-mation becomes available.
“The information we have is that both stores will operate, business as usual, until buyers are found.”
Pearl Sawyer, president of the Local 1000A, added in a statement, “We con-tinue to stand shoulder to shoulder with our mem-bers. … We will continue to ensure that the rights of
our members are fully ex-ercised under their union contract and the Ontario Labour Relations Act.”
The Elmira store opened in 2006 without the town-ship’s blessing, an irony not lost on director of engi-neering and planning Dan Kennaley as Woolwich now moves to try to keep the place in operation.
When the No Frills opened, there were already three other grocery stores: another one was not part of the township’s master plan for food stores in Elmira.
A year prior, Woolwich had allowed Sobey’s Inc. to build a Price Chopper (now the site of a Foodland store) by transferring space allocated for the west end of town to the south. Along with the IGA store down-
town, that gave Sobey’s two locations. The third was Sel-by’s, an independent operat-ing in the Birdland Plaza.
In developing the site at 232 Arthur St. S., Loblaw found the one feasible site to get back into a market. Although the company purchased the building from Elmira Stove Works, the site was once home to a Loblaw operation. Opened in 1976 as a 24,000-sq.-ft. Zehrs store, it was con-verted to a Mr. Grocer fran-chise in 1990 before closing two years later. Zoning on the property had never changed, however, allow-ing for the site to be reborn as a food store.
Because it was a legal use, the township had no way of blocking the devel-opment despite the con-
cerns expressed by Kennal-ey’s predecessor about the size of the grocery market in Elmira.
Although the event pre-dated his arrival in Wool-wich, Kennaley said he’s familiar with the history. The grocery issue contin-ues to arise, with Sobey’s having sought expansion at the Foodland site and Walmart expanding its gro-cery offerings.
For now, if the No Frills does close without another grocery operation taking over, Elmira will be down to just one supermarket. That’s why the township will be writing its appeal to the Competition Bureau.
“It’s funny how things have come around,” said Kennaley of the turn of events.
NO FRILLS: Township to make appeal to Competition BureauFROM | COVER
MUSIC : Volunteer efforts have made the program possibleFROM | 3 lessons are pretty expen-
sive so it is cool that the kids have an opportunity to play.”
The program is run by three university students (Dyck attends the Univer-sity of Waterloo, her sister Rebecca, the University of Toronto, and friend Lind-say Mewhiney, Wilfrid Laurier University) and has touched a number of lives,
Dyck said. Her father Gerry Dyck has offered support, as has the current school principal in planning the concert.
“We thought, no matter what happens to the pro-gram it would be nice for these instruments to be in good condition.”
The instrument repairs, paid for through a private donation, were done by
Riedstra’s Violin Shop owned by Henry Rieds-tra. His mother was the first music teacher at the school, Dyck said.
The hour-and-a-half concert takes place at St. Jacobs PS on April 3. Doors open at 6 p.m. with a 6:30 p.m. start. Donations will cover instrument repairs and future maintenance of the strings program.
Site plan shows proposed layout and street network for Birdland Development's 141-unit residential subdivision in Elmira. It was noted philoso-pher Jiminy Cricket who advised that if you wish upon a star, your dreams will come true. Twelve-year-old Elmira resident Lucas Harrison didn’t exactly wish upon a star, but thanks to the Sunshine Foundation, he’ll be spend-ing a week in Disneyworld beginning April 7.
The Sunshine Founda-tion of Canada helps pro-vide “dream” experiences for children physical dis-abilities and life-threat-ening illnesses. Harrison previously visited the Happiest Place on Earth in 2012, when he was among 90 kids on ‘the Dream List’ who spent a whirlwind day in Orlando (departure: 6 a.m.; return: 2 a.m.).
“It was a blast – I had a great time,” said Harrison. “I’m looking forward to this just a little bit more, because last time we didn’t really get to go on the rides, and I’m going with my mom.”
The possibility of the trip was hatched when mother Angela Harrison (now a
A little Sunshine sees Elmira boy headed for DisneyworldFoundation makes it possible for 12-year-old Lucas Harrison to visit Orlando’s feature attraction
WILL SLOAN
volunteer with the Sun-shine Foundation) called to register an address change. Discussing the Dream List, she learned that her son could be eligible for a big-ger prize.
“The woman I spoke with said, ‘I realize Lucas has been on the Dream List, but he’s never had a personal wish. He still qualifies for a personal dream. I’m going to send you the applica-tion,’” explained Angela Harrison, Lucas’ mother.
“I talked to Lucas, and he said he’d like to go back to
Lucas Harrison received his prize at a ceremony March 22 at Conestoga Mall. [WILL SLOAN / THE OBSERVER]
SUNSHINE | 24
10 | COMMENT THE OBSERVER | SATURDAY, MARCH 29, 2014
COMMENTJOE MERLIHAN PUBLISHER
STEVE KANNON EDITOR
PUBLICATION MAIL AGREEMENT NUMBER 1004840 | ISSN 12039578
THE VIEW FROM HERE
WORLD VIEW / GWYNNE DYER
WORLDAFFAIRS
OUR VIEW / EDITORIAL
DONNA RUDYSALES MANAGERELENA MAYSTRUKREPORTERWILL SLOANREPORTER
PAT MERLIHANPRODUCTION MANAGERJAKE STALLARDGRAPHIC DESIGN
FOOD. IT GETS MORE than a few mentions in this week’s edition. Not a big surprise, as it’s a central part of the life of each and ev-ery one of us.
There is, of course, the matter of the potential loss of a grocery store in Elmira. There is something ironic in Woolwich attempting to keep the No Frills in operation despite Loblaws’ end-run around the township’s plans in order to open the store in the first place. Whether an appeal to the Competition Bureau will have any effect at all remains to be seen, but there is a case to be made-for looking at Elmira's situation.
On a more general note, food’s connection to our health and well-being – an emphasis on local food – will be front and center as Woolwich Healthy Commu-nities Month gets going next week.
With A Taste of Woolwich, the organizers hit on a range of issues at play for a healthier and more sustain-able future, as food comes with economic, health and environmental impacts. Generally, the more local the food, the better the outcomes on all fronts.
The goal of the event is to showcase what’s available locally, to demonstrate how incorporating local food into our diets needn’t be a chore and to have some fun doing it.
From a marketplace through to cooking demonstra-tions, the emphasis will be on what local food can do for you. While it’s early yet for local produce, except for greenhouse operations such as Floralane Produce, there are meats, grains and dairy products available year-round.
Local food does tend to cost a little more, but con-sumers benefit through fresher food and there’s a mul-tiplier effect on the economy, as every local agricultural job supports another four jobs.
The more educated people are about the benefits of local food, they’re more likely to pay a bit more for it, say proponents of the local-food movement.
On the whole, we’re increasingly conscious about the quality of food we buy for ourselves and our families. We’re also more aware of what it costs the environment to have food transported thousands of kilometres to ap-pear at local grocery stores. Then there’s the direct cost: soaring fuel prices have been reflected in what we pay at the checkout counter, not to mention the biofuels debate and the impact on grain prices.
As well, we know farmers are under incredible finan-cial pressures, and that even as retail prices climb, that doesn’t always translate into more cash for produc-ers. The more chances farmers have to sell directly to consumers or to reduce the number of middlemen, the greater their share of the food dollar, which is tradition-ally small.
In this climate, projects such as the Buy Local! Buy Fresh! program offer consumers food that is local, or-ganically grown and offered up through co-operatives that see farmers get paid directly for their goods, among other examples.
For most urban dwellers, food is something found on store shelves – how it got there is the same kind of mystery behind the lights turning on when they flick a switch. In Woolwich and Wellesley townships, strad-dling the divide between rural and urban, agriculture remains an everyday part of life. Events such as A Taste of Woolwich let everyone get a closer look at that real-ity.
Food policies play a central role in everybody's life
Crimea is going to be part of Russia, and there is nothing anybody else can do about it. The petty sanctions that the United States and the European Union are currently impos-ing have been discounted in advance by Moscow, and even much more serious sanctions would not move it to reconsider its actions. But Vladimir Putin still has to decide what he does next.
One option, of course, is to do nothing more. He has his little local triumph in Crimea, which is of consid-erable emotional value to most Russians, and he has erased the loss of face he suffered when he mishan-dled the crisis in Kiev so badly. If he just stops now, those sanctions will be qui-etly removed in a year or two, and it will be business as usual between Moscow and the West.
If it’s that easy to get past the present difficulties in Moscow’s relations with the U.S. and the EU, why
What happens next depends on Putin's paranoia levelwould Putin consider doing anything else? Because he may genuinely believe that he is the victim of a West-ern political offensive in Eastern Europe.
Paranoids sometimes have real enemies. NATO’s behaviour since the col-lapse of the Soviet Union, viewed from Moscow, has been treacherous and ag-gressive, and it doesn’t require a huge leap of the imagination to see the European Union’s recent policy in Ukraine as a con-tinuation of that policy.
After non-violent revolu-tions swept the Communist regimes of Eastern Europe from power in 1989, the Soviet president, Mikhail Gorbachev, made a historic deal with U.S. president George H.W. Bush. It was unquestionably the most important diplomatic agreement of the late 20th century.
Mikhail Gorbachev agreed to bring all the So-viet garrisons home from the former satellites, and even to allow the reunifica-tion of Germany – a very difficult concession when the generation of Russians that had suffered so greatly at Germany’s hands was
still alive.In return, the elder
president Bush promised that the countries that had previously served the So-viet Union as a buffer zone between it and Germany – Poland, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Romania and Bulgaria – would not be swept up into an expand-ing NATO. They would be free, but NATO’s tanks and aircraft would not move a thousand kilometres (five hundred miles) closer to Moscow.
It was a wise deal be-tween two men who understood the burden of history, but they were both gone from power by the end of 1992 – and Gorbachev had neglected to get the promise written into a binding treaty. So it was broken, and all those countries were in NATO by 2004 – together with three other countries, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, that had actually been part of the Soviet Union itself.
NATO’s eastern frontier is now only 120 km (75 miles) from Russia’s sec-ond city, St. Petersburg. The Russians were burned again when NATO encour-aged the secession of Koso-
vo from Serbia (a handy precedent for Crimea’s secession from Ukraine), and once more when NATO got Moscow’s agreement to an emergency military in-tervention in Libya to stop a massacre, and expanded it into a campaign to over-throw the ruler, Muammar Gaddafy.
To Russian eyes, what has been happening in Ukraine is more of the same. If Putin believes that, then he thinks he is already in a new Cold War, and he might as well go ahead and improve his position for the coming struggle as much as possi-ble. Specifically, he should grab as much of Ukraine as he can, because other-wise the western part will be turned into a NATO base to be used against him.
Crimea is irrelevant in this context: the Russian naval bases there are nos-talgic relics from another era, of no real strategic val-ue in the 21st century. What Putin does need, if another Cold War is coming, is con-trol of the parts of Ukraine where Russian speakers
DYER | 12
Ordering the closure of one of Elmira's two grocery stores, perhaps NON-Competition Bureau is a better name for the federal agency.
COMMENT | 11THE OBSERVER | SATURDAY, MARCH 29, 2014
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HIS VIEW / STEVE KANNON
EDITOR'SNOTES
THEIR VIEW / QUESTION OF THE WEEK
Taxes may be a necessary evil, but perhaps we should aim for less evilness
There’s nothing like tax season – income tax filing, first instalment of property taxes – to bring out your inner libertarian. It’s one of the many times we hate governments, but the timing also lends itself to thinking about why it is we pay taxes.
Libertarians would argue taxation is theft. From a certain perspec-tive, it is. You either pay your taxes or risk having your property and your liberty stolen from you by the state. That’s true whether you don’t believe in the state or if you sim-ply object to how some of your money is used (you may see the constant waste, entitlement and poor decision-making, for instance).
The big-picture view would take in a debate between the free-market libertarianism of philoso-pher Robert Nozick, for example, and The Social Contract of Jean-Jacques
Rousseau. Where politics are in-
volved, there are plenty of reasons to be upset about paying taxes: governments of all stripes waste con-siderable amounts of our money. Incompetence, patronage, graft and out-right theft still exist. From ORNGE and the gas plants to municipal hiring and the LRT, from robocalls to the endless stream of federal propaganda spend-ing, there is no shortage of examples at all levels of government.
In looking at those kinds of expenditures, paying your taxes becomes hard to stomach.
That said, the bulk of the tax money collected by governments goes into providing us with servi-ces. From water pipes and roads to health care and education, these are things we opt to pay for collect-ively. That’s not the kind of thing we hear from pol-iticians, especially those in never-ending election mode where the goal is one-upmanship.
The reality is we need to pay taxes. Even the most extreme libertar-
ians see some kind of state function, typically for policing, the legal system and national de-fence – all of which re-quire taxation.
Taxes allow us to pool our resources so that we can afford to have things that would be impossible if we had to pay as in-dividuals. If only those families with kids current-ly in school paid for the education system, for in-stance, the costs would be prohibitive. Multiply that by a host of government services, and it’s clear that we’re better off acting col-lectively.
Too often, however, “tax” is used as a dirty word in political debates. Each of us feels overbur-dened by taxes, and there’s some merit in that. Each of us can find examples of programs and services we’d rather not fund, mak-ing it easy to gripe about wasted tax money. Truth is, we’re generally much better off for what our tax dollars buy us.
That’s not to say things can’t be improved. Plenty of our money is genuinely wasted and funnelled into
the wrong pockets. And politicians must be dis-abused of the notion that taxpayers are a bottomless well. That’s especially true given the huge infra-structure deficit, the fund-ing for which has been given short shrift ... other than lip service.
Hundreds of billions will be needed to repair and replace crumbling water systems, bridges, electrical grids and a host of other hard services we take for granted. That means more of our tax dollars will have to be directed that way at a time when an aging population will be demanding ever-more health-care and re-lated services. Tough deci-sions are coming, the kind we’ll have to keep in mind while reviewing both spending and tax policy. We’re going to need more, not less money. Some pro-grams will have to go. New spending plans may have to be scrapped. And, most importantly, tax give-aways and the shifting of the tax burden to individ-uals, largely in the middle class, will have to stop.
There’s one big prob-
lem, however: we don’t trust politicians. We don’t trust them with our money. We don’t trust them to be ethical. We don’t trust them to do what’s right for us. In that vein, a survey from a couple of years back found 95 per cent of re-spondents felt politicians were disconnected from the wants, needs and goals of average Can-adians. Not surprisingly, the poll found the major-ity of us don’t trust elect-ed officials. And, in keep-ing with this thread, most of us felt we were paying too much for too little, not getting value in return for our taxes.
Yes, we expect much from our government, all the while not trusting that they’ll do actually do it. At least not without making a mess and lining their own pockets at our expense.
Therein lies a conun-drum. Nobody appreciates paying taxes, but we do enjoy what the taxes bring us. We want all kinds of services, so we have to pay for them. Reasonable people recognize that fact.
But what we want to see is good value for our money, which means focusing on what’s essential, and not using our money to ben-efit a few. By that I don’t mean outright corruption and financial boondoggles – though we don’t want those either – but jacking our taxes simply to pay more to themselves and the wider public sector or spending on their own pet projects, not on what the public wants.
Politicians are quite happy to go on promising us the world, while simul-taneously claiming to reduce taxes ... and to be fair and honest. We know all of that’s a fairytale, yet we do nothing about it, even at election time. Like we know we should eat better and get to the gym, we’re sure we deserve better. But it’s easier to sit on the couch while the weight gets packed on ... and the opportunists are clearing out the rest of the house.
Still, we’ll pay our taxes, grumbling all the way. Knowing full well the pub-lic good ain’t what it used to be.
Do you think Wellesley could use an accessible playground?
It gets kids out of the house. I have two couch potatoes myself.
» Dave McBay
Yes. I know there are a few disabled kids here.
» Katie Lee
I think it’s a great idea.
» Amy Haid
Absolutely, we’ve come to the splash park and we love the playground in Elmira.
» Sharon and Seth
I think it’s an excellent idea.
» Gerry Evans
"Are we afraid of progress? Is improved transit not a good idea? Is planning for the future suddenly something we fear?" Larry Lootsteen | 8
12 | COMMENT THE OBSERVER | SATURDAY, MARCH 29, 2014
THE MONITOR VERBATIM THIS WEEK IN HISTORY
NATIONAL VIEWDYER: Putin must know Russia can't win another Cold WarFROM | 8
» Statistics Canada
are a majority or nearly so: not just the east, but also the Black Sea coast. But he shouldn’t occupy western Ukraine, because he would face a prolonged guerrilla war if he did.
This is all extremely paranoid thinking, and perhaps it never passes through Putin’s mind at all. But if it does, then he knows that he has just over two months to make up his mind.
If Putin allows Ukraine to hold the scheduled na-tional election on May 25, then even the preposterous
pretext he has been using for the past month to jus-tify his meddling – that he is intervening to protect Russian-speakers from a “fascist junta” in Kiev – will vanish. So we should know fairly soon which way he is going to jump.
My money says that Pu-tin will stop with Crimea, because he’s not that para-noid, and because he un-derstands how weak Russia is economically and how quickly it would lose a new Cold War. He has already saved his face; why run fur-ther risks? But I have been wrong in the past, once or twice.
Expenditures on policing totalled $13.5 billion in 2012, up 2.8% over 2011 when controlling for inflation. With the exception of 2011, constant dollar spending on policing has been increasing since the late 1990s. Nova Scotia was the lone jurisdiction to report no change in spending on policing in 2012. Spending rose in all other jurisdictions, with increases ranging from 1% in Ontario and Quebec to 13% in Nunavut.
» New Democrat MPP Paul Miller is calling on Ontario's Auditor General to investigate why Pan/Parapan Am security contracts went to a U.S.-based firm with previous admission of security licence violations
“Whether it's the cost of security, cost of golden parachutes for fired executives, or the cost of hiring former McGuinty political staffers, every time we look at the Pan/Parapan Am Games, the costs keep going up."
» From the Mar. 29, 2008 edition of the Observer
In a case of deja vu, Waterloo Region’s unseasonably cold temperatures were causing trouble for local maple syrup producers, who were experiencing slow sap flows just weeks before the Elmira Maple Syrup Festival, though organizers promised there'd be enough for the big day. There was a lot less sap flowing out of the trees due to cold air and little rain.
YOUR VIEW / LETTER
LRT is part of the changing timesTo the Editor, In his column last week, Steve Kannon writes, “If we’re to move away from our dependence on con-ventional energy sources, we’re going to have to go down the road less trav-elled. In the near term conservation is the most important factor.”
He pictures a future for Ontario in which we halve our electricity use through conservation, and simul-taneously transition from fossil fuels to renewables. He believes this will save money in the long term, as gas and oil become more expensive but wind and solar come down in price.
I’m with him so far.But, if he was the writer
of the editorial in the same issue, he fails to apply the same logic to transporta-tion.
Light rail transit will al-low thousands of people to conserve energy and shift away from filling a car with gasoline. Less driving or no driving is becoming the trend for many city dwell-ers, especially the young.
The world is changing. The landscape of the future will be one of wind tur-
bines in the countryside, solar collectors on barns, churches, and public build-ings, and LRTs in our cities.
By accepting these healthful trends and mak-ing the necessary big in-vestments in them, we’ll save in the long term. And we’ll also stand the best chance of saving our peace-ful and productive famous Waterloo farmland.
So bring on the LRT.
ELEANOR GRANT | WATERLOO
Time to move forward with the LRT
To the Editor,I am so sick of the likes of Dave MacDonald and the editor of this paper calling for a referendum on the already approved LRT. I’d like to ask, to what end? If the people say ‘yes,’ we’ll have wasted a ton of money for nothing. If the people say ‘no’ then what? Cancel the project? Guess what? It will cost millions in pay-ments and legal fees and likely lawsuits.
Sounds like a great plan doesn’t it? Oh boohoo we don’t like the process, the cost, that everyone can’t use it or we might have to wait to use it. So taxpayers
in growing cities shouldn’t chip for transit improve-ments in one part of the city? Really? So we don’t all have to chip for the overall plan? We all do that on all sorts of things every single day. Should we have a ref-erendum on salting? How about one on flags?
Alternatives? More buses? Great, so let’s have even more vehicles causing gridlock as we continue to grow at a pace.
Are we afraid of prog-ress? Is improved transit not a good idea? Is plan-ning for the future sud-denly something we fear? I’d rather have an LRT now that we can expand and grow rather than just more of the same. It makes sense to do these things ahead of further growth rather than waiting for things to get worse and make it even harder and more expensive to do later.
Is the process perfect? No. Is the price going to be perfect? No. Is the plan per-
fect? No.Do you really want to
wait for our politicians to be perfect? Then nothing will ever get done. And how do you please everyone? You can’t.
I am also upset with Mayor Doug Craig for his endless complaining on this. Cambridge will need this just as much as the rest of the region. As we contin-ue to grow, we need ways to both provide reasonable public transit options and ways to keep more cars off the road. This will go a long way towards that future. Embrace it and stop whin-ing. It’s exciting. It’s neces-sary. Now.
LARRY LOOTSTEEN | CONESTOGO
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SPORTS | 13THE OBSERVER | SATURDAY, MARCH 29, 2014
SPORTSHOCKEY / JUNIOR B
Kings bow out of playoffs in the seventh gameAfter staking a 3-1 series lead, Elmira was unable to win just one more, allowing Siskins to advance
WILL SLOAN
GALEA | 15KINGS | 14
AUCTION | 15
Sports memorabilia up for grabs at fundraising auction WILL SLOAN
OPENCOUNTRY
Sitting here typing this is a real pain in the ... elbow
Here’s a bit of a confes-sion. I haven’t done much in the way of outdoors activities all winter except for ice fishing. OK, that’s not exactly true; I’ve shot my air rifle at targets a few times and snowshoed on more than a few occasions too. Sadly, however, there have been too few instances when I waded through two feet of snow in the yard to uncover a frozen target in order to practice with my longbow.
That is, until yesterday.That’s when I bought
a new target, got my bow ready and went to it. And here’s what I discovered. I am still shooting well enough, but the back of my elbow hurts when my form is off.
There are plenty of rea-sons for the back of my el-bow hurting. But I narrowed it down to two. The first: I probably sat at this desk, typing away for too many days this winter. The sec-ond: I jigged for lake trout on a whole lot of mornings too.
Naturally, I ruled out the
NOT SO GREAT
OUTDOORSMAN /
STEVE GALEA
In control of the series, with their fate in their own hands, the Sugar Kings were unable to finish off the down-but-not-out Waterloo Siskins. Elmira’s second-round foes came back from a 3-1 series defi-cit to force a game-seven showdown at the WMC that didn’t go the way the host team wanted it to.
They started their sec-ond round of playoffs with a loss. Then they hit their stride with three consecu-tive wins. All they needed was one more win to make it to the finals, but instead, the Kings suffered three losses to the Siskins – dash-ing their hopes of con-tinuing the battle for the Sutherland Cup.
After handily defeating the Brampton Bombers in the first round of the GOJHL playoffs, the Kings certainly faced a greater challenge heading into the semifinals. While the Elmira team ranked ahead of Waterloo in the regular season standings (second and third place), the Siskins beat the Kings all six times they were matched before the playoffs.
How could the Kings win three games in a row, and then lose the same amount?
How do you raise money for a community arts fes-tival? As with most of life’s questions, the answer has something to do with Don Cherry.
When Paul Knowles, ex-ecutive director at the New Hamburg Live arts festival, was looking for ways to cover its $65,000-plus bud-get. The idea was hatched to hold a silent auction
for sports memorabilia, and through friends in the Anglican Church, Knowles found a connection to Can-ada’s favourite plaid-suited pundit.
“When he’s not doing ‘Rock ‘Em, Sock ‘Em Hock-ey’ he is a devout Anglican, and I know he’s a very com-munity-minded guy,” said Knowles. “I contacted an Anglican priest who knows him and asked if he’d sim-ply pass along the request
to Don. … About two weeks later a box arrived at our front door with a bunch of Don Cherry autographed memorabilia.
“We said, ‘That’s pretty cool – now how can we build on that?’ So we started making every con-tact we could – talking to people who might know people.”
Thus began the three-month process of accu-mulating autographed
keepsakes from a diverse group of athletes such as hockey players James Re-imer, David Clarkson and Adam Henrique, golfer Greg Norman, the Toronto Blue Jays, the Kitchener Rangers (who donated a team-signed jersey), and Hall of Fame netmider Ken Dryden (who rarely auto-graphs memorabilia).
“I had a friend who played in the NHL many years ago, and he hap-
pened to still have a con-tact with Ken Dryden,” said Knowles. “I do travel writing, and I happened to be at the Honda Classic two weeks ago, so I certainly worked the room.”
He continued, “And then because we’re a not-for-profit, and because we have established a reputation as a community festival, some of the places we contacted like the Toronto Maple Leafs very generously came
through. We got a box in the mail that’s an auto-graphed stick by the entire team this year.”
Also among the two dozen items: a signed jersey from the Kitchener rangers, and an inscribed copy of “A Great Game” by someone named Stephen Harper. Knowles hopes the money raised will help fund a concert for the de-
“I guess if I knew, we probably would be on the winning side tonight,” said head coach Jeff Flanagan after Sunday’s deciding game.
“I think the difference was, in the three games that we won, we had qual-ity scoring chances, and in the last three games, we weren’t able to achieve those. We didn’t make east-west passes like we talked about; we didn’t always have a net-front presence; we had a few chances to score and they didn’t go it.”
However, he added, “Our guys worked extremely hard tonight, and we can’t ask for any more effort.”
Indeed, in both of their final two games, the Kings showed that even when they were down, they weren’t going to roll over. Consider the March 22 game in Waterloo, which the Kings lost 7-3. For most of the game, Elmira took a pounding, with Waterloo scoring once in the first period, four times in the second, and once more at the beginning of the third.
But starting with Brodie Whitehead’s goal at 5:48 in the third (assists: Eric Pala-zzolo, Adam Brubacher), the boys caught some mo-mentum. Cash Seraphim
Kings goalie Hayden Neuman faced an onslaught from the Waterloo Siskins Sunday. The Waterloo team beat Elmira 3-1 in game seven of their playoff series. [WILL SLOAN / THE OBSERVER]
14 | SPORTS THE OBSERVER | SATURDAY, MARCH 29, 2014
(Zac Coulter) followed with a goal at 6:10, and Adam Campagnolo (Cass Frey, Mitch Wright) scored at 11:07. While Waterloo man-aged one more goal at 17:57 on an empty net, the Kings actually outshot their rivals 48-45.
“It was a testament to our players in order to rise to the challenge, in order to begin to come back,” said Flanagan.
Something similar hap-pened on Sunday at the WMC. The Kings were out-
shot 15-7 in the first period, and Waterloo scored two goals in the second. But at 9:39 in the third, Brad Kobryn (David Savery, Seraphim) put one past the Siskins’ goalie and had Sugar King fans hoping for a comeback. Hopes were dashed at 19:35, when Wa-terloo again scored on an empty net; the final score was 3-1.
“I think special teams is definitely the difference in a series,” said Flanagan. “We couldn’t score in our power play, and they did a
KINGS: Unable to close the deal after 3-1 series lead, Kings now await next season
FROM | 13
WOOLWICH WILDCATS
Novice: LL #1Mar 22 vs. LL #4LL1: 3 LL4: 1Goals: Tyson Bauman, Tyler Morrison, David TaylorAssists: Tyler Morrison, Owen Tettman, Tyson Bauman x2, Nathan Martin
Mar 23 vs. LL #4LL1: 3 LL4: 1Goals: Tyson Bauman x2, Nathan MartinAssists: Riley Snider, Owen Tettman
Atom: LL #2Mar 22 vs. AyrWoolwich: 1 Ayr: 6Goals: Rowan SpencerAssists: Ryan Curtis
Mar 23 vs. AyrWoolwich: 1 Ayr: 4Goals: Corbin Schmidt
Atom: LL #4Mar 21 vs. Twin CentreWoolwich: 7 Twin Centre: 2Goals: Ben Fretz x3, Matthew Yorke, Adam Pauls, Cole Brubacher, Josh MooreAssists: Cole Brubacher x2, Andrew Buehler x2, Malcolm Sager, Ben Fretz, Patrick Perry
Mar 22 vs. Twin CentreWoolwich: 4 Twin Centre: 0Goals: Ben Fretz x2, Matthew Yorke, Adam PaulsAssists: Malcolm Sager, Patrick Perry, Adam Pauls, Andrew Buehler, Cole BrubacherShutout: Jordan Wang
PeeWee: AEMar 20 vs. HespelerWoolwich: 2 Hespeler: 0
Goals: Ryan Belanger, Tyler HorstAssists: Zac Pickard, Ben Weigel, Ryan Parrott, Hunter Schmitt
Mar 22 vs. HespelerWoolwich: 2 Hespeler: 3Goals: Ben Weigel, Travis WeberAssists: Kyle Deyell x2, Ryan Belanger
Mar 23 vs. HespelerWoolwich: 2 Hespeler: 1
Goals: Jake Good, Zac PickardAssists: Jake Good
Bantam: BMar 22 vs. BlythWoolwich: 0 Blyth: 3
Bantam: LL #2Mar 20 vs. New HamburgWoolwich: 4 New Hamburg: 1Goals: Tegan Schaus x3, Noah Rawlinson
Assists: Noah Rawlinson x2, Mike DeVries x2, Alex Berry
Midget: LL #2Mar 19 vs. BeverlyWoolwich: 3 Beverly: 3Goals: Connor Runstedler, Luke Charter, Colin HartwickAssists: Spencer Inglis, Colin Hartwick, Dan Rennie, Luke Charter, Connor Goss, Blake DoerbeckerShutout: Brad Schopp
Midget: LL #3Mar 22 vs. LL #1LL3: 4 LL1: 1Goals: Austin Horst, Calvin Cressman x2, Tristen WhiteAssists: Colton Williams, Jacob Cornwall, Calvin Cressman, Tristen White, Nick Berlet
PEEWEE’S WIN TRI-COUNTY CHAMPIONSHIP
On March 23, Woolwich Wildcats PeeWee AE won the tri-county championship against Hespeler. Woolwich won three out of four games, and their season was 36-5-5. Goalies: Nick Lee, Ryan Martin First row: Hunter Weigel, Brendan Gilles, Jackson Hale, Jake Good, Ryan Belanger, Mackenzie Willms, Corbin Kaufman. Top row: Travis Weber, coach Kyle Holtom, Ben Weigel, asst coach Mike Weigel, Ryan Parrott, Tyler Horst, Hunter Schmitt, Kyle Deyell, Zac Pickard, asst coach Fred Hale, trainer Dave Lee. [SUBMITTED]
THE SCORE
Kings forward Adam Campagnolo (above) faced off against the Siskins, and Zac Coulter (right) tried to outskate his rivals at the team’s last game of the 2013-14 season. [WILL SLOAN / THE OBSERVER]
really good job in their power play. That definitely was the dif-ference.”
It’s been a long road for the Sugar Kings, who ended the regular season with a 34-10-5 record – which was good for second place in the Midwestern Confer-ence behind the Kitchener Dutchmen. With Flanagan wrapping up his first year as coach, does he have any goals for 2014-2015?
“Win the Sutherland Cup.”
ATOMS WIN DIVISION CHAMPIONSHIP
On March 22, Woolwich Wildcats Atom LL#4 won the Grand River Local League Atom Division A Championship, sweeping their weekend series with Twin Centre in two straight games (7-2 and 4-0). Standing: Terry Kraemer (asst. coach), Dan Pauls (head coach), Andrew Buehler, Cole Brubacher, Adam Pauls, Ben Fretz, Patrick Perry, Malcolm Sager, Josh Moore, Rob Sager (trainer), Josh Sager, Matt Lukas (asst coach). Kneeling: James McCormick, Matthew Yorke, Zach McMurray, Tristan Kraemer. Front row: Jordan Wang. [SUBMITTED]
MORE SCORES | 23
SPORTS | 15THE OBSERVER | SATURDAY, MARCH 29, 2014
second one. There’s no way it could be that.
The good news is that the pain in my elbow doesn’t prevent me from shooting. In fact it helps. So long as my shooting form is correct, I don’t feel any pain at all. But the minute I am mis-aligned, it tells me so in no uncertain terms.
Once I figured this out, I began shooting consistently well yesterday. The same can’t be said of typing this column today.
It hurts especially when I hit the Q key. Ouch!
Personally, I find this a bit ironic. Here I am – a guy who spends an awful lot of winter drilling holes in the ice, snowshoeing and shov-eling back decks – nursing a typing injury. A typing injury – not exactly what you’d expect from an out-
doorsman, huh?I know, it just doesn’t
seem right. But that is the way it is at this juncture in time.
I suppose I could try to do something about it. Perhaps wrapping my elbow in a tensor bandage or utilizing better ergonomics while typing until this pain goes away.
But the truth is I’m not sure I want it to go away. I mean this is actually help-ing me maintain better archery form. And the end result is that I am shooting very well. Why would I want to change that?
I think you can agree that a shooting pain in your el-bow is a small price to pay for that kind of peace of mind.
At the very least, I’d like that pain to last until the end of turkey season so
I don’t miss any gobbler that makes the mistake of passing within range. With that in mind, I’ll continue working from the same poor ergonomic position. And I’ll keep shooting so that my form keeps me safe from the shooting pain I get when I change it ever so slightly.
Hopefully, this will trans-late into me associating bad form with a pain in the elbow. There’s nothing like a bit of discomfort to make you change your ways.
If that’s the case, I’ll be happy.
The only thing I know for certain, however, is that I like shooting my bow; I like shooting my air rifle; I like snow shoeing, hunting and fishing. And I need to write in order to pay for all these things.
Nevertheless, writing is still a pain in the elbow.
GALEA: An upside to this painful development FROM | 13
velopmentally challenged … but don’t expect the si-lent auction to become an annual tradition.
“This is going to be a one-off,” said Knowles.
“When someone like Don Cherry comes through, you don’t want to go back and bug them again next time.”
The Sports Memorabilia Auction will take place at the Wilmot Recreation
Centre (1291 Nafziger Rd.) on April 4, 4-8 p.m. New Hamburg Live will return for its sixth season June 2-8; more information is available at newham-burglive.ca.
AUCTION: It’ll be a one-off eventFROM | 13
LAST CHANCEto get a rebate for a high efficiency toiletToilet Replacement Program discontinued as of June 30, 2014
www.regionofwaterloo.ca/water
All approved toilets purchased before June 30, 2014
will qualify for a rebate until the end of 2014.
See store representative or program application for details or call 519-575-4021.
WAITING FOR SPRING TO ARRIVE
With the cold weather stalling spring sports, Jessica Harnack, Kirstin Kramer and Chantelle Weber hit the EDSS cardio room in preparation of track and field meets. [ELENA MAYSTRUK / THE OBSERVER]
FRIGID TEMPS NO DETERRENT
Subzero temperatures didn’t stop the Waterloo Region’s hardiest cyclists from taking part in the Steaming Nostril, the first bike race of the season. The event kicked off at the WMC on March 23. [WILL SLOAN / THE OBSERVER]
16 | VENTURE THE OBSERVER | SATURDAY, MARCH 29, 2014
VENTUREFOOD FOR THOUGHT/ OWEN ROBERTS
FIELDNOTES
OPENINGS / NEW ON THE MENU
Another grill ready to be fired up
It’s a chilly, sunny Sunday afternoon in down-town Kitchener – nothing too unusual outside, given the lingering winter. But inside, up the staircase of the storied Walper Hotel and through the doors of the second-floor terrace ballroom, the atmosphere is warm and inviting, and the activity is anything but usual.
Onstage, solo singer-gui-tarist and music teacher Adrian Jones, a command-ing figure, provides a back-drop of tasteful, spirited versions of thoughtful songs – Hallelujah, Wheat Kings and One, among them.
In front of him a differ-ent kind of show is under-way. There, on the hard-wood ballroom floor, 250 curious guests are lining up at more than a dozen food stations which are being steadily replenished with something seldom seen at the Walper – that is, someone else’s cuisine.
On this day, manage-ment has relaxed what area entrepreneur Anne Marie Heinrichs says is an our-kitchen-only food policy, so she and her chef Paul Pinarello from Taste
Serving up sustainable suppers: from farms to the table
FOOD FOR THOUGHT/ OWEN ROBERTS
ROBERTS | 16
Veterans of the industry, couple is set to open a new Harvey’s/Swiss Chalet combo in Elmira
WILL SLOAN
Beginning March 31, Peter and Gale Waurechen hope to make your hamburger a beautiful thing. [WILL SLOAN / THE OBSERVER]
Peter Waurechen has worked at Harvey’s res-taurants for 31 years. When a 14-year-old gets his first job at a fast food chain, he typically doesn’t expect to be working there three decades later, but as he and his wife Gale prepare to open the new Elmira loca-tion, he’s found that he’s never been able to stray too far from the sizzle of a fresh burger.
“I started when Harvey’s was still doing fresh-cut fries and charcoal under the grill, rather than gas,” says Peter Waurechen. “One of my first jobs was filling the charcoal at four o’clock. I’d come in and start cutting French fries and basically work until two in the morning.”
Waurechen got his start at the chain’s King and We-ber location in Waterloo; when the owner sold it, Waurechen followed him to Kitchener at Highland and Westmount, eventually taking the business over. “My wife and I met, got married, and basically the rest is history,” he says.
The sizzle of the grill … the warmth of the flames … the taste of the meat … all these things are sensuously highlighted in any num-ber of Harvey’s restaurant commercials. Waurechen, however, insists that the “flame-grilled burgers, fresh toppings, and ability to have a burger made the way you want it” (to quote from official marketing) aren’t the key ingredients of a successful restaurant.
“It’s customer service,” he says. “Especially in a town like this, if they see that the owners are in the restaurant, it builds back loyalty.
“You can do all you want with the registers, and how many of this and that you’ve sold, but if you’re not going to be actually in the restaurant, and talk-ing to the guests where the guests can see you …”
But when a chain be-comes as ubiquitous as Harvey’s, does it become too big to fail?
“It’s not that it’s too big to fail,” he says. “They do a lot of research into loca-tions before they go up. They’re picky on who they choose as franchisees; you have to qualify to be a fran-
chisee, not just financially but you’ve got to be able to do the job. You’ve got to be evaluated to make sure you can do the job.”
The Waurechens, who live in Waterloo on the edge of St. Jacobs, say that they’ve been eyeing Elmira for a while. “We know quite a few people in Elmira, and we’ve always been told over the years, ‘You should do one in Elmira,’” says Peter Waurechen. “Our other restaurant was almost a half-hour drive from our house to get in every morn-ing. We’re in Elmira all the time, and we saw the amount of traffic.”
“And the people are so friendly,” adds Gale Wau-rechen. “Not that Kitchen-er’s not, but it’s a very nice
town.”Thus began
the long process of selecting, ap-proving, and build-ing on the site.
“This one was supposed to happen almost three and a half years ago, but it kept getting delayed, delayed, delayed,” says Peter Wau-rechen. “Finally, we sold that one because we were told in the spring it was go-ing to start, but it was de-layed a little bit again, and now finally it’s happening.”
The new venture will of-fer a different challenge for the Waurechens: it is part of a new strategy by parent company CKE Restaurants to combine Harvey’s and Swiss Chalet. Peter Wau-rechen says the head office
has fig-
ured out a way
to combine Harvey’s fast-food ambience with the more upscale Swiss Chalet brand.
“The idea is, where a town wouldn’t neces-sarily support a full-size Swiss Chalet or a full-size Harvey’s, they put them together. The Swiss Chalet is still on porcelain plates, but you order at the coun-ter and they will deliver it to the table. It’s basically two businesses in one.”
The Harvey’s/Swiss Cha-let opens March 31 in the Foodland plaza.
Get in on the Action! Place an ad in the Observer today: 519-669-5790 | [email protected]
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VENTURE | 17THE OBSERVER | SATURDAY, MARCH 29, 2014
Fine Foods can introduce the community to a bold new and unique service, called From The Farm To My Table.
As the name implies, From The Farm To My Ta-ble is intended to cater to people who not only can’t get to the farm to supply themselves and their fami-lies with homegrown food, but as well, don’t have time to prepare it if they did. Heinrichs hopes they’ll in-stead buy meals from her.
So what’s so unique? Well, to start with, chef-prepared local food meals. It’s the first time I’ve heard of such a service – I don’t recall anyone taking such measures to muster a small army of top-name local suppliers, and then deliver their products to consum-ers’ doorsteps.
The suppliers are among the best that the area has to offer. At the Walper, gluten-free specialists Portions from Guelph of-fered up something tasty and very different: butter chicken, without butter or flour in the recipe. They also served gluten-free cupcakes. Cindy and Mike Wilhelm of Dragonfly Gar-
den Farm from Chatsworth brought in the meatiest pork sausage imaginable – made without wheat filler – along with green beans perfectly cooked in bacon and onions. And local food pioneer Rowe Meats showed why its beef rivals all others in taste, at a chef station located right in front of entertainer Jones. Top marks to him for stay-ing focused on his music.
With From The Farm To My Table, though, it’s as much about the way the food’s grown as it is about the food itself. Heinrichs is determined to work within some pretty restrictive boundaries to maintain her definition of sustain-ability.
For instance, organic food. From The Farm To My Table is all organic, which Heinrichs considers a sustainability require-ment. Onstage at the Walper, she spoke openly against modern farming approaches to pest control, crop protection and live-stock production.
To me, that’s unfor-tunate. I’m not against organic food. But organic farming versus conven-tional farming is a very
old, very tired slugfest that has driven a stake into the farming community’s heart. Many farmers too are weary of the fight, and are satisfied co-existing as long as one’s prac-tices don’t impinge on the other.
And think about it: po-sitioning any food grown locally, in Ontario or any-where in Canada as bad or inferior because it’s not organic casts a disparaging light on a whack of farmers – in fact, on most of them, because few farmers are organic.
I’ve never met a serious farmer who didn’t consider himself or herself to be sustainable. People wrestle with a precise definition of the term, but overall, it’s easy to describe – that is, farming in such a way that the operation will be environmentally sound, productive and profitable, now and for generations to come. It doesn’t say organ-ic or otherwise. It doesn’t have to.
I admire From The Farm To My Table, and I’m wait-ing for the day it becomes more inclusive. Mean-while, I wish it a successful launch.
ROBERTS: Group shows there are plenty of tasty options available from local producersFROM | 15
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April 5th
To break a furnace is human; to fix it, divine. EDSS students Brady Erb, Cole Burkhart and Brodie Altman proved their tal-ent for technical on March 8 when they walked away with medals at the Heat-ing, Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Institute of Canada’s HVAC competi-tion in Toronto.
The secondary school competition invites stu-dents across the province enrolled in technical elec-tives to test their mettle against the best and bright-est. Participants are judged by a panel of industry representatives, and high-scoring students win prizes.
“We did a service on a furnace, and then a written test and a mock interview for a job,” said Brodie Alt-man after returning from Toronto. “The interview caught us off guard – we didn’t know there was going to be an interview. We don’t know the individual scores for things, but we feel like we did pretty good.”
“We also installed a thermostat, and did wiring practice,” added Cole Bur-khart. “Since the beginning
EDSS students earn medals for their technical prowessWILL SLOAN of the year we prepared.”
The Grade 12 students have been enrolled in tech-nical studies courses since Grade 10. EDSS technol-ogy teacher Randy Dyck believes the curriculum – which includes co-op training in senior year, and an opportunity to test for a G3 technician’s certificate – leaves students uniquely qualified.
“They’ll actually have an opportunity to work with employers in the related area of their interest,” said Dyck. “It really allows them to see what it is they’re working with, and at the same time really gain a lot of great experience with these employers and the work experience they’re getting from the program.”
When asked what it takes to succeed at the HVAC competition, Burkhart re-plied, “Practice. You have to know the equipment and be comfortable with it.
Dyck added, “It’s always the keen desire and inter-est in what you’re doing. Even by the mere fact that they’ve now taken what would be their second or third year in a row of what would be an elective in that area, in the heating
and cooling, therein lies that first love: they enjoy it, they like doing it, they’re keen in it.”
Cole Burkhart, Brady Erb, and Brodie Altman earned high marks at the Heating, Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Institute’s HVAC competition in Toronto. [WILL SLOAN / THE OBSERVER]
18 | THE ARTS THE OBSERVER | SATURDAY, MARCH 29, 2014
THE ARTSON STAGE / LIVE MUSIC
Like the road, Fred Eaglesmith keeps on goingA fan favourite with an ever-changing crowd, the singer-songwriter’s work ethic sees him tour prolifically
WILL SLOAN
“We were out for 75 days straight and we played 64 shows in those days,” says Fred Eaglesmith from his home in Vittoria, On-tario. “I just got back on Monday, and I’ve been gone from the 10th of January. … Lots of us came home and said, ‘Geez, I could have stayed out.’ We’re so alive right now.”
“Is it true you perform 300 shows a year?” I ask.
“It’s about 250. I was up over 300 one year – in the early 2000s I was up to 310 or something. Two years ago I did 270; last year I was around 260, 250. I’m trying to slow down a little bit.”
“How do you keep it fresh?”
“Y’know, the longer I go, the fresher it is. There’s no ambition in our career. In other words, we don’t want to be anything other than what we are. When I was younger, I wanted to do ‘the thing,’ and as I get older …”
He voice drifts. “Y’know, we’re one of the very last full-time travelling rock and roll shows left in North America, or the world. There’s something really amazing about that, be-cause I never thought it would be me.”
Fred Eaglesmith’s back-story makes him sound like the platonic ideal of a trou-badour. Legend has it that young Frederick Elgersma, a teenager from Caistor Centre, hopped a train to Western Canada and began singing songs about hard times in rural Ontario. Across 18 studio albums and thousands of live con-
certs that have made him “mid-level famous,” he has become one of the busiest troubadours in Canadian music.
“The other word for ‘work ethic’ is ‘addict,’” he laughs. “I had a meeting with a friend of mine. I said, ‘When do we ever quit and sit on the beach?’ He said, ‘You and I may never be able to do that. It’s not in us.’”
He continues, “I really sort of resented my peers who just hung around Star-bucks and waited for the government grant to come in. I really believe in the work ethic of rock and roll. It’s hard to do it, but I can do it, and I don’t take the government’s money, and I don’t use Kickstarter, and I make a living, and I proudly employ almost 10 families who make a living on rock and roll without the gov-ernment.”
“Is it true you work on as many as 130 songs at any given time?” I ask.
“Yeah. At least. I counted ‘em last year. I work on about 150 songs all the time. Last fall, I painted about 75 paintings, and since last fall I’ve written 173 different poems and stories. My friends think I’m a freak.”
In April, The Fred Eagle-smith Show hits Kitchener and Elora, and after that he’s embarking on a string of ambitious concerts that will take him across On-tario.
“What happened is, the demand has gotten big-ger. Usually we’ve tried to ignore it, but what’s happened is, we have a
big western tour this sum-mer, and the big theatres are calling saying, ‘Hey, you haven’t been here for years, can you come?’ That eliminates a lot of the little places we play.”
“Do you prefer the big halls?”
“Oh no, I prefer the little places. I like a small hall, in a little town. I like to be the Saturday night band, you know what I mean?”
For a time, he attracted a fanbase that some wags called “Fredheads,” but he says his audience has shifted with his style. No two Eaglesmith albums are exactly alike – last year’s Tambourine, a throwback to ‘60s rock and R&B, was far different than its 2012 predecessor, the minimalist 6 Volts.
I ask, “When people have performing artists they like, they tend to want them to do the same thing over and over. You don’t run into that?”
“Oh, I run into it all the time,” he says. “I would be a millionaire if I just stuck to one thing. I could have gar-nered fans and never lost them. But every five years is a complete turnover of fans.
“As I get older, I’m less in-hibited about what people think of me. After 50, you just don’t care anymore. I’m a better artist now.”
Fred Eaglesmith will be performing in Kitchener on April 3 at the Royal Cana-dian Legion Polish Branch 412 on April 3, and in Elora on April 12 at Legion Branch 229. Tickets are $30 at the door or $25 advance at www.fredeaglesmith.com.Canadian music legend Fred Eaglesmith performs upwards of 250 shows a year, including two upcoming gigs in Kitchener and Elora. [SUBMITTED]
PUTTING ON
A SHOW? Showcase your creative events here!
Concerts, theatre productions,art tours and more …
Advertise it with a banner in the Observer Arts section.
The show must go on! Place an ad in the Observer today: 519-669-5790 | [email protected]
CLASSIFIED | 19THE OBSERVER | SATURDAY, MARCH 29, 2014
CLASSIFIEDCLASSIFIED DEADLINE:THURSDAYS BY 10AM
ADDRESS20-B ARTHUR ST. N., ELMIRA, ON N3B 1Z9
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Come Join Our Team!
Manufacturing Team MembersManufacturing Team Members must be capable of working in a fast paced automotive
manufacturing environment. Experience in robotic welding, injection molding or assemblyin the automotive industry will be considered assets.
Must be able to work overtime and rotating shifts (days & afternoons)Wage rate is $16.50 - $20.00 per hour
Please submit a current resume to [email protected] and address “Manufacturing Team Member” in the subject line Fax: 519-880-4185
Toyota Boshoku is a world class automotive interior parts supplier. We are recruiting for the following position at our Elmira facility:
PART TIME BOOKKEEPER
NEEDEDThis position could potentially include fielding phone calls, pricing, and processing customer orders, leading to full time employment. Bookkeeping and computer skills an asset.
Send resume to [email protected], fax to 519-638-3730 or apply in person at:
7806 SIXTH LINE, DRAYTON
Automotive Technician Position AvailableBusy well equipped automotive service shop is taking
applications for an experienced technician with automotive / medium duty truck certification to join our team. The successful applicant must be a self starter, have a clean
driver’s abstract and possess good diagnostic skills with clean work habits.
Previous work experience will determine remuneration. Please contact us in person with resume between the hours of
10 am and 3 pm Monday to Friday at 3 Elora Street, South Alma, or email resume to [email protected].
Local Property Maintenance Company is looking to hire
YEAR ROUND TEAM MEMBERSDuties include: Operating grass trimmers and lawnmowersOperating snow removal/salting equipment
Must be able to work in a very fast-paced environment and be willing to work on call 24/7 during the winter season. Clean drivers abstract required.
Competitive wages offered. Please fax resume to 519-669-9819 or email [email protected]
Auctioneer’s Note - There will be TWO Auction Rings ... Come Early or Miss the Deals!
MORE UNITS ARRIVING DAILY!! No Buyer’s Premium or Penalty!
HELP WANTED
REGISTERED ECE NEEDED for daycare in Conestogo. Morn-ings, or split shift available. Start date: June/July, Rate: $15 per hour to start. Email resume to [email protected]
HELP WANTED
WORK WANTED
CAREGIVER AVAILABLE: STAY in the comfort of your own home. I’m available to do personal care, prepare meals, laundry, light house keeping, drive to appointment etc. Call 519-206-0225
MAN LOOKING FOR work. Delivery driver P.T. or F.T., drywall repairs, taping, Cali-fornia spray, trim carpenter. Ph 519-669-5866, Don.
EVERGREEN SEEDLINGS, 8-16 inch size. $40 per bundle of 25. HST included. Buy 10 get 1 free. Colorado Blue Spruce, White Spruce, Norway Spruce, White Pine, White Cedar. Pick up at 8109 Wellington County Rd. 8, Mapleton Twp. (1 km NW of Drayton) on April 26th or by appointment. To order call Lorne @ 519-638-3589.
FOR SALE
FABRICS AND NOTIONS sale for Cozy Quilts (Clara Showalter). 7762 Wellington County Rd 8, 2 miles east of Drayton. Sat. Mar. 29 40% discount, 10 - 5. Mon. Mar. 31 50% discount, 10 - 5; Tues. Apr. 1 50% discount, 10 - 8. In store specials daily. Cash or cheque only. 519-669-2148; 519-669-2218; 519-669-2488.
GOING OUT OF Business. All merchandise greatly reduced. Everything must go! Great deals, sale on now! Gramma B’s Craft Den, 1 Union St. Elmira.
SPRING SALE AT Countryside Fabrics & Books. Mar. 24th - April 4th. Open Mon., Wed., & Fri. Books & Consignments - TAX FREE. Quilt tops $10.00 off, Fabrics etc 10% off. 7418 Rd.116, Rt 1 Linwood.
AUCTION
SAT. MARCH 29 at 10:00 AM - Property auction of a one hoist mechanics garage and office and triplex situated on a half acre lot with many updates to triplex and garage. To be held at 761 Sawmill Rd in Bloomingdale for Jerry and Sons Car Sales Ltd. Jantzi Auc-tions Ltd. 519-656-3555. www.Jantziauctions.co
WED. APRIL 9 at 10:00 AM - Clearing auction sale of household items; furni-ture; antiques; tools; and; miscellaneous items to be held at the St. Jacob’s Com-munity Centre in St. Jacob’s for a Waterloo estate with additions. Jantzi Auctions Ltd. 519-656-3555. www.Jantziauctions.com
AUCTIONS
FRI. APRIL 11 at 5:00 PM - Toy auction of approx. 350 toys including farm; precision; tractor trailers; banks; cars; literature; and memorabilia to be held at the St. Jacob’s Com-munity Centre in St. Jacob’s for a local collector. Jantzi Auctions Ltd. 519-656-3555. www.Jantziauctions.com
FARM EQUIPMENT
SEED DRILL - 5100, mechani-cal lift, 16 run, grass & fertiliz-er. 50 cow stalls, good shape. 2” pipeline, surge with one touch automatic take offs. 6 plastic calf hutches. 519-595-425.
AUTOMOTIVE
2008 GMC SIERRA Z71 1500 4WD $15,000. Colour: Black. 4.8L V-8 cylinder, 177,000 km. Plastic bed liner. Comes with tri-fold tonneau cover. Excel-lent condition. Well main-tained. Non-smoker. Two key FOB’s, AM/FM stereo, CD player, air conditioning, dual air bags, power windows, power seat, rear defrost, cruise control, cloth interior, centre arm rest, child safety locks, leather wrap wheel, power door locks. Call Ian 519-897-1301.
RENTALS
36 MEMORIAL AVE. Elmira. 2BR APT. May 1st. Only $825 + utilities + $25 for parking. BBQ for tenant use, Coin operated laundry. Please call 519-744-3711.
ELMIRA - 3 Bedroom apart-ment, close to downtown, no smoking, no pets, laundry facility on site. $950.00/mth plus utilities (about $150 $175/mth). Available April 1. 519-669-8074, email [email protected]
ELMIRA DOWNTOWN ONE Bedroom, no smoking or pets. References required. $575 + hydro (heat included). Immediate. 519-669-5431 or 519-669-8582.
ENJOY LAKE HURON with your family this summer at our water-view cottage on 5.5 acres. Now booking weeks at our family cottage near Red Bay, 25min north of Sauble Beach. Details at www.rentmycottage.snap-pages.com
LOST & FOUND
FOUND - BINOCULARS on Snyder Ave. N. near Victoria Glen, Elmira, last Friday (Mar. 21). 519-669-3244.
COMING EVENTS
TOP 5 BRA Shopping Secrets. Free seminar. Friday, April 11, 10 a.m. Clock Tower Wellness Centre, Elmira. 519-835-0310 [email protected]
MAKING A PITCH FOR A PARK
Jennifer Kays Sommer of the Wellesley and District Lions Club asks township councillors to support an idea for a new accessible playground in Wellesley Village during a presentation Tuesday night. [ELENA MAYSTRUK / THE OBSERVER]
20 | CLASSIFIED THE OBSERVER | SATURDAY, MARCH 29, 2014
www.UniTwin.com | 519.886.2102QUICK LOCAL SERVICE | 245 Labrador Dr., Waterloo
TROPHIES | CUPS | PLAQUES | MEDALLIONS
RIBBONS | NAME TAGS | NAME PLATES
DOOR PLATES | CUSTOM ENGRAVING
RECOGNIZE OUTSTANDING EFFORT!
www.UniTwin.com | 519.886.2102QUICK LOCAL SERVICE | 245 Labrador Dr., Waterloo
TROPHIES | CUPS | PLAQUES | MEDALLIONS
RIBBONS | NAME TAGS | NAME PLATES
DOOR PLATES | CUSTOM ENGRAVING
RECOGNIZE OUTSTANDING EFFORT!
AUTOMOTIVE SERVICES
TIRE
35 Howard Ave., Elmira
519-669-3232
WHERE TIRES ARE A
SPECIALTY, NOT A SIDE LINE.
Farm • Auto • TruckIndustrial
On-The-Farm Service FAX: 519.669.3210
519.669.8917AFTER HOURS
101 Bonnie Crescent,Elmira, ON N3B 3G2
Complete Collision Service
519.669.8330 Call Us At519-669-3373
33 First Street, EastElmira, ON
BODY MAINTENANCE AT:
RUDOW’S CARSTAR
COLLISION CENTRE
THOMPSON’SAuto Tech Inc.Providing the latest technology
to repair your vehicle with accuracy and confidence. Accredited Test
Preventative MaintenanceLimbing and tree pruningPreventative MaintenanceLimbing and tree pruning
T S D
ALMA, ONTARIO | PHONE: 519.846.5427Murray & Daniel Shantz
For digging through frozen ground! And light demo where clean up as you go is a benefit.• Trenching• Excavating• Demolition• Back fill compaction plate
INTRODUCING OURHYDRAULIC BREAKER BUCKET
1-800-668-4695519-778-7730 (cell)
BLOWN CELLULOSE (attic insulation)PROTECTIVE COATINGSSPRAYED IN PLACE POLYURETHANES
22 | CLASSIFIED THE OBSERVER | SATURDAY, MARCH 29, 2014
HOME, SWEET HOME.
REAL ESTATE LISTINGS
3 Arthur St. S., Elmira | 519-669-5426
Paul Martin
519-503-9533
SALES REPRESENTATIVECALL DIRECT
www.homeswithpaul.ca
Alli Bauman
519-577-6248
SALES REPRESENTATIVECALL DIRECT
www.elmiraandareahomes.com
MarciaThompson
ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT
Solid Gold Realty (II) Ltd., BrokerageIndependently Owned and Operated
Call your Woolwich experts today and book a FREE NO-OBLIGATION HOME EVALUATION. WHO IS REPRESENTING YOU?
Palmerston – Move in & enjoy the summer in your new Home. Solid 1.5 storey brick 3 bdrm, 1.5 bath home w/detached sngl car garage. Recently remodeled master & both baths. New roof 2010, orig hrdwd flrs, double French drs & spacious rms throughout. Lots of character & space for young or growing family. 3 decks, children’s playground & huge private/fenced & beautifully landscaped backyard make this property ideal for entertaining or simply enjoying some family time. MLS 1417276. Call Paul or Alli direct.
SPRING IS COMING!
LUXURIOUS CONDO!Kitchener – Featuring controlled entry in welcoming lobby. Casual Elegance in this updated 2 bdrm, 2 bath, condo complete w/sep DR & in-suite laundry. Excellent location w/easy access to 401, shopping, Conestoga College & close to trails. Well maintained building w/indoor pool, exercise rm, party rm, sauna & underground parking! Recent updates: Laminate flooring, Baths 2013, Kit cabinets 2009. All appliances incl’d. Just move in & enjoy! MLS Call Paul or Alli Direct
$176,900$176,900
Breslau – Located on 3.15 acres. Enjoy sunsets from your bckyrd haven. Tree lined private drive. Complete w/main flr LR, FR w/wood fp, eat in kit & sep DR. Main flr bdrm w/kitchenette & 3pc ens. Side entrance ideal for home office/business. Master bdrm w/8ftx8ft walk in closet & 3pc ens. Fin'd basement featuring lg bar & location for wood stove. Bsmnt bath incl sauna, whirlpool. 648sqft unfinished bonus room above garage. TLC Required. MLS 1414121. Call Alli or Paul direct.
APPROX 2700SQFT HOUSE$654,900$654,900
$179,900$179,900$415,000$415,000
Elora – Freehold townhouse w/double garage situated on corner lot backing onto Elora Cataract Trailway. Large eat-in kitchen w/ceramic tile & abundant w/maple cupboards. Bright Living room w/hardwood floors, corner gas fireplace, 2 storey ceiling open to stairs & 2nd floor hallway. Fantastic master bedroom complete w/ensuite & lg walk in closet. Second floor laundry. Bright Finished basement w/recroom, bedroom & bathroom. 2300sqft + finished space. A must see home. Prepare to be impressed. MLS 1414406. Call Alli or Paul direct.
Remax Solid Gold Realty (II) Ltd., BrokerageIndependently Owned and Operated
Bert MartinBROKER
DIRECT: 519-572-2669OFFICE: 519-669-5426
LEASE SPACE! Five units from 118 s/f to 2400 s/f. Multi-use. Located in a busy plaza only 15 minutes to K-W. All units have central air and can be modified to suit your needs. Lots of free parking and some store front. MLS. Call Bert for details.
Your referrals are appreciated!
BROKERAGE
R.W. THUR REAL ESTATE LTD.45 Arthur St. S., Elmira
www.thurrealestate.com519-669-2772JULIE
HECKENDORNBroker
Res: 519.669.8629
TRACEYWILLIAMS
Sales Rep.Cell: 519.505.0627
BRAD MARTINBroker of Record,MVA Residential
Res: 519.669.1068
CALL FOR YOUR FREE MARKET EVALUATION
85 ACRES FOR SALE – Wellesley Township. Workable land, recently tile-drained @ 30’ centres. Road frontage at front and back of farm. MLS $1,600,000
GREAT BACK YARD – backs to a walking trail! Spacious kitchen w/lots of cupboards & w/o to composite deck w/vinyl & glass. Main flr. washroom. Upper level laundry. Rec. room w/full walkout, kitchenette, 3pc. bath & office in lower level. Dble driveway. Well maintained. New MLS $319,900.
LOCATION – Desireable Southwood Park. W/O from oak kitchen to the patio. Con-venient side entry from private driveway. Central air. Spacious fin. rec. room. & 2pc. washroom in lower level. 3 bdrms. A great starter home. EXCL $284,900.
STUNNING CENTURY HOME – loaded w/character! Natural woodwork & staircase. Hdwd. floors. Pocket doors. Oak kitchen, formal D.R. Cozy L.R. w/gas fireplace. Main flr. fam. rm. w/custom built-ins. Two staircases to upper level. Private master suite w/ensuite bath & dressing area. Updated main bathrm. Floored attic. 200 amp. serv. Detached oversized garage. Private, professionally landscaped yard. Expect to be im-pressed! MLS $539,900.
CONESTOGO – This raised bungalow is in a qui-et area, close to school and downtown. Walkout from D.A. to patio. Stone fireplace in the L.R. (w/parquet flr) and a gas fireplace in the rec. room. Newer floor in games room. 5 pc. bathrm. (en-suite privilege) 1.5 garage (extra deep!). Dble. driveway. MLS $395,000.
OPEN HOUSE | Sun Mar 30th | 2-3:30pm6 Elgin St., Conestogo
®REALTY LTD., BROKERAGE
INDEPENDENTLY OWNED AND OPERATED
Dale R. KellerSales Representative 17 Church St. W., Elmira • 519.669.1544 (Business)
Numerous quality features abound. Soaring cathedral ceiling in great room and gourmet kitchen, arches, pillars, hardwood and ceramics, 3 gas fireplaces. Must be seen to appreciate all this beautiful Drayton home has to offer. MLS
For info on these or any other real estate enquiries, Call Dale
Custom Bungalow | $434,900
CLASSIFIED | 23THE OBSERVER | SATURDAY, MARCH 29, 2014
REAL ESTATE LISTINGS THE SCORE » CONTINUED FROM PG. 14
226-818-5311 | verdonehomes.com
Visit our Model Home at 46 Bedell Drive, DraytonMon., Tues. & Wed. 1-7pm | Sat. & Sun. 1-4:30pm | or by appointment
Independently Owned & Operated, BrokerageElmira Real Estate Services
100YEARSSINCE 1913
Call for your FREE Market Evaluation.
www.elmirahomes.ca Robin Hansford-CurrieSales Representative
Bonnie Brubacher Monique RoesSales Representative
Shanna RozemaBrokerBroker of Record “Helping you is what we do”
We support Woolwich Community Services through
2013HAPPYSPRING!
6 YEAR OLD SEMI$272,900 WELLESLEY Don't miss out on this home! Just move in and enjoy, open concept main floor, bright kitchen w/3 appliances overlooks the dinette with walkout to backyard backing onto greenspace, 3 bdrms, 3 baths including master ensuite, 1.5 car garage, double driveway. MLS
$279,900 Beautifully maintained freehold town home. Offers 3 bdrms, 2 baths, ceramic foyer and kitchen/dinette, 5 appliances included! Neutral decor throughout, large living room with walkout to deck/13, c/air conditioning/13, garage with access to rear yard, front porch living steps to downtown. MLS
PRIVATE 13 ACRES$629,900 NEAR DRAYTON Absolutely a must see property! This one of a kind Pioneer log homes is surrounded by nature. Enjoy views of rolling hills, spring fed pond & wildlife from your covered front verandah. Exposed logs, tongue & groove, cathedral ceilings, loft are features inside plus gorgeous kitchen & finished walkout basement. MLS
OPEN HOUSE | SAT MAR 29TH 2-4 pm29 Porchlight Drive, Elmira
$365,900 Brand new 1570 sq.ft 4 level sidesplit. Many lovely features, open concept layout, plenty of sunlight from large windows, living rm has hardwood fls, ceramic throughout the spacious dining area & maple kitchen, 4 stainless appls., gas fireplace in the family rm, walk-up to yard, 2 bdrms + den, 3 baths including a master ensuite, garage & dbl drive. MLS
OPEN HOUSE | SAT MAR 29TH 2-4 PM150 Brookmead St., Elmira
PRICES FROM $333,900 Beautifully appointed Executive Bungalow-loft freehold town homes, 1286 sq.ft-2046 sq.ft, loft options, gourmet kitchens w/island/breakfast bar, hardwood & ceramic flrs, gas fireplace, master ensuite, double garage & driveway. Visit our model for plans & prices. EXCLUSIVE
OPEN HOUSE | Sat & Sun 2-4 pmBUILDER BONUS UNTIL APRIL 8TH $8000 IN FREE UPGRADES!
170 Ridgeview Drive, Drayton
PEEWEES WIN IN NEW HAMBURG
The Twin Centre Stars PeeWee team won the B Championship at the New Hamburg Optimist Tournament. Front row: Jaden Palermo, Linden Jantzi, Caleb Eggert, Isaiah Siewert, Lucas Economides, Ben Hayden, Austin Roth, Jack Koebel. Back row: coach Zeno Economides, Dawson Stevenson, Josh Carere, Jack Wolf, Will Edwards, Colby Van Bargen, Adam Hehn, Tyris Patrick, coach Brent Wolf, Coach Tom Carere. [SUBMITTED]
Mar 23 vs. LL #1LL3: 4 LL1: 4Goals: Jacob Cornwall, Ryan DeVries, Nick Berlet, Noah ReitzelAssists: Vince Dally, Noah Reitzel, Calvin Cressman, Jacob Cornwall, Colton Williams
PeeWee: LLMar 20 vs. KitchenerWoolwich: 1 Kitchener: 1Goals: Maddy WatersAssists: Monica Wang
Bantam: BMar 23 vs. BlythWoolwich: 2 Blyth: 1Goals: Mikayla Weber, Abby Ziegler, Dana Schaffner (SO)Assists: Morgan Douglas, Leah Bauman
TWIN CENTRE STARS
PeeWee: LL #1Mar 8 vs. WoolwichTwin Centre: 5 Woolwich: 6Goals: Conall Gillett x2, Jack Wolf x2, Colby VanBarganAssists: Ben Hayden x2, Tyris Patrick Isaiah Siewert, Dawson Stevenson, Jaden Palermo, Colby VanBargen
Mar 19 vs. WoolwichTwin Centre: 8 Woolwich: 2
Goals: Jack Koebel x2, Austin Roth, Jack Wolf, Ben Hayden, Tyris Patrick, Dawson StevensonAssists: Jack Wolf x2, Caleb Eggert, Jaden Palermo, Jack Koebel, Colby VanBargen, Dawson Stevenson, Isaiah Siewert, Conall Gillett
HOCKEY TOURNAMENTS
PeeWee: LL #1New Hamburg Optimist Club Tournament
| Mar 23
Game 1 vs. New HamburgTwin Centre: 2 New Hamburg: 3Goals: Jack Wolf, Tyris PatrickAssists: Jack Wolf, Josh Carere, Ben Hayden
Game 2 vs. PlattsvilleTwin Centre: 4 Plattsville: 1Goals: Tyris Patrick x2, Austin Roth, Adam HehnAssists: Caleb Eggert, Austin Roth, Colby VanBargen, Ben Hayden, Isaiah Siewert
Game 3 vs. ArthurTwin Centre: 4 Arthur: 0Goals: Isaiah Siewert x2, Jack Wolf, Tyris PatrickAssists: Colby VanBargen x2, Jack Koebel, Dawson Stevenson, Ben Hayden, Caleb Eggert
ST. JACOBS STUDENTS PUT SOME POP INTO THEIR FUNDRAISING
St. Jacobs PS students are on their way to raising more than $500 for Free the Children through a lunch-time popcorn sale that will continue next week. Front row: Ben Witmer, Tyler Newton, Brodi Waters, Seth Horst, Ian McGregor, Billy Whitmore. Middle row: Kate Hersperger, Kerr Dittmer, Esther Rogojan, Sydney Cronin, Fiona Lehmann. Back row: Rosie Martin, Shae-Lynn Martin, Cailyn Wilkie, Emily Winfield. [ELENA MAYSTRUK / THE OBSERVER]
24 | CLASSIFIED THE OBSERVER | SATURDAY, MARCH 29, 2014
FAMILY ALBUM
BIRTHDAY IN MEMORIAM
DEATH NOTICES
ANNIVERSARY
OBSERVER PUZZLE SOLUTIONS
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COLLINS, L. RUTH | Passed away peacefully on Monday, March 24, 2014 at Twin Oaks Nursing Home, Maryhill.
KOCHER, FLOYD FRANCIS | Passed away peacefully at Heritage House, St. Jacobs, on Friday, March 21, 2014, at the age of 89 years.
PAUL, JOSEPH EDWARD | Peacefully on Sunday, March 23, 2014, at age 90 after a long journey. Local relatives are his son Kenneth and his wife Christine of Elmira.
Happy 70th BirthdayApril 3, 2014
Love Gurli, Cathy, Karen, Owen, Jackson and family
Richard Bolender
Congratulations to John & Millie
Sanders on your 55th Anniversary!!
March 28, 2014Love from your family and friends.
Daryl Metzger
We speak your name with love and pride. We smile with tears we cannot hide. We thank you for the years we shared, the love you gave, the way you cared. We think of you in silence, we often speak your name. Now all we have is
memories, and your picture in a frame.
One year has passedMarch 28, 2013
Love in our hearts foreverKate, Scott, Sheldon, Wilma, Kaitlin
FREE WELL CHECK-UPFOR WELL OWNERS
To book a free well visit that fits your schedule, call REEP at 519-744-9799.
Email: [email protected] Website: reepgreen.ca Bookings are limited.
Do you have questions about your well water?FREE WELL CHECK-UP FOR WELL OWNERS Do you have questions about your well water?
Do you know how to extend the life of your septic system?
The Well Aware program offers free and confidential advice to rural homeowners. A free home visit with a trained water guide is a chance to discuss issues and solutions specific to your property. You get the information you need to ensure a consistent and safe supply of water in your home.
Show you how to assess, maintain and improve your well Demonstrate how to take accurate water samples and deliver a sample for testing Discuss how to avoid costly repairs to your septic system Help you recognize and address potential risks to your water supply Offer tips on conserving water Give you a package of useful information and local contacts Send you a full written report you can refer to in years to come
We are not inspectors or government agents. The mission of the non-profit Well Aware Program is education: providing information to help you take action to protect your well and water. This is an Ontario-wide program, run in the Waterloo Region by REEP, the Residential Energy Efficiency
To book a free well visit that fits your schedule, call REEP at 519-744-9799. Find out more on our website: reepwaterlooregion.ca
The Well Aware Program is supported by Public Health of Waterloo Region, the Grand River Conservation Authority, The Ontario Groundwater Association, The Association of Professional Geoscientists, Green Communities Canada, and the Ontario Ministry of the
A trained Water Guide visits your home to help you assess the well and septic system. You receive a report with personalized recommendations for your property.
The Well Aware Program is supported by Public Health of Waterloo Region, the Grand River Conservation Authority, The Ontario Groundwater Association, The Association of Professional Geoscientists, and Green Communities Canada.
SUNSHINE: Return to Disneyworld will allow much more time to check out all its offerings
FROM | 9
WHO SAYS EVERYONE DOESN’T DESERVE A
WHOLE LOT OF EXTRA ATTENTION?
One more year before teenage drama!
We know the only drama in your life will be on a stage. Good luck with being 12.
Happy Birthday Buddy
Love Mom, Dad, Finn and Billy (cutest dog ever!)
Disney for more than one day, because it’s really too much to do in one day.”
A few months later Lu-cas received word that his wish had been granted, and on March 22, he pre-sented with the ticket at a ceremony at Conestogo Mall (the plane leaves on April 7, and he won’t be back until April 13).
“I’m basically looking forward to the rides and the shows,” he said.
Based in London, On-tario, the Sunshine Foun-dation began in 1987, and in its inaugural year sent 203 children to Disney-world. Since expanding nationwide in 1990, it has granted more than 34,000 ‘dreams.’
“It’s a wonderful char-ity,” said Harrison. I can’t get over the amount of stuff that they do. You just see dollars you donate actually put to work.”
More information on the foundation can be found at www.sunshine.ca.
GO AHEAD, MAKE THEIR DAY.FAMILY ALBUM ANNOUNCEMENTS IN THE
OBSERVER IS ICING ON THE CAKE!
OBSERVERXTRA.COM IS UPDATED EVERY FRIDAY BY NOON.
On April 7, Lucas Harrison departs for a weeklong stay in the Happiest Place on Earth.
LIVING HERE | 25THE OBSERVER | SATURDAY, MARCH 29, 2014
LIVING HEREHELPING HANDS / BETWEEN THE PAGES
Happy anniversary to the Elmira Maple Syrup Festival. The sap is run-ning and we were fortunate enough to be included in the celebration thanking all the volunteers for their contributions and valuable time. That commitment is giving throughout the year and that is worth celebrat-ing.
We were finally able to work with Ninutik as a spe-cial treat for our guests. The fresh maple taffy wrapped around five-year-old ched-dar, gouda and blue cheese was so simple and yet unex-pected. It’s been three years since I first connected with Ninutik designer Richard Brault and I am so glad he was able to come and share his craft. Finding some-thing you are passionate about and make a living at is a challenge, but his niche in maple is inspiring. This is part science-specific and but also creative. Com-munity events bring us the opportunity to see so many familiar faces and smiles and share what we have been up to.
This week I made a French Toast Bake for a lo-cal employer who’s ordered breakfast regularly for his team for the past seven
A tasty treat in keeping with the season
CHEF’S TABLE | 27
ELENA MAYSTRUK
Winterbourne’s Cole-ton Benham, like many boys, had trouble reading at a young age. Having discov-ered that linking his inter-ests to the choice of reading material boosted his reading skills, he’s been eager to help others.
At school, the Grade 4 student’s strong suit has always been math, said his mother Jenny Benham, but he surprised everyone when he started a reading pro-gram of sorts for boys just like himself.
Books 2 Boys aims to get young boys to read and, more importantly, enjoy it. Benham gets in touch with families of young boys through contacts and his Books 2 Boys Facebook page. Then, via letters, encourages them to give a variety of books a chance depending on each child’s reading ability and inter-ests.
At his own home, books are a sought-after staple. Benham is always increas-ing his collection with trips to the bookstore to buy children’s favourites such as those in the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series. Canadian books about hockey (Rink Rats, Brady Brady) are nu-merous: as a sport loved by many boys, it’s a good genre to start with, he said.
“If you like hockey that’s all you need. [The books say] ‘Get outside! Get outside! Build something!’”
His mother’s friend got him in touch with a school in northern Canada where many kids don’t have a di-verse collection of reading material. Now, he’s sending
Young Winterbourne boy works to encourage others who also have trouble getting into reading
a package of books to the students. He is also in touch with a boy in Toronto who doesn’t like to read. Benham recommended books for him and sent encourage-ment.
Concerned with the statistics on boys’ literacy, Benham’s family offers full support.
“Coleton has done a lot. He’s done a food drive, he helps out with local hockey and he said ‘Wouldn’t it be great if we could start writ-ing these letters to other boys, to get the names of boys who aren’t reading?’ He always writes a letter to say why they should be reading these books,” his mother explained.
While it’s a novel ap-proach, the issue Benham is tackling is anything but
new. Numerous studies demonstrate the gap be-tween young female and male readers with boys lag-ging behind in their early years.
In 2013, Today’s Parent Magazine quoted a Universi-ty of British Columbia (UBC) study which showed parents spending more time on liter-acy activities with daughters rather than sons, suggesting that for some children the gap begins at home. Girls are already ahead in literacy entering the first grade, the study stated.
The Ontario Ministry of Education funded an inqui-ry project to address the gap called the Road Ahead. A 2009 report looking at data from 2005 to 2008 showed boys were underachieving in literacy according to Edu-
cation Quality and Account-ability Office testing. Girls in Grade 3 scored 68 per cent in reading and 74 in writ-ing versus boys who scored 55 per cent and 59 per cent respectively. In Grade 6 reading and writing, girls scored 73 and 76 per cent while boys scored 60 and 58 per cent.
The project argued for eight improvements to approaching boys’ perfor-mance in literacy including increased social interaction, greater choice in reading material, focused and pre-cise instruction for teachers, and instruction that uses a variety of material to keep boys’ interested.
Benham’s goal now is to get in touch with more kids through his Facebook page, also called Books 2 Boys.
When it comes to the true joy of reading, it’s not just about the boys, he added.
“There’s one girl in my class who doesn’t like to read that much but she’s good at it. Lots of girls don’t like to read but they are good at it.”
This weekend Benham will give back locally to the Woolwich Minor Hockey team he volunteers with. As a gift to mark the end of the season, Benham is giving out Brady Brady books to the players; the Canadian series of hockey-inspired children’s books by Mary Shaw and Chuck Temple were created to encourage reading. The authors have even donated several auto-graphed copies and Benham plans to give them out this Sunday.
CHEF’S TABLE/ DIERRE ACHESON
RECIPENOTES
20 Oriole Parkway E., Elmira, ON N3B 0A5 Tel: (519) 669-1082 Fax: (519) 669-3084
“Did you know, just like you have to install system updates for your home computer, the computer in modern vehicles also need to be updated? Feel free to ask us about available updates for your vehicle.” – Cody
Auto Care Tip of the Week
Coleton Benham created Books 2 Boys as a result of his own struggles with reading and now encourages boys to give a variety of books a chance. He’ll be handing out books to some young WMHA players this weekend. [ELENA MAYSTRUK / THE OBSERVER]
For the love of books
26 | LIVING HERE THE OBSERVER | SATURDAY, MARCH 29, 2014
KleensweepRugs and UpholsteryCarpet Care
COLLEEN
“A GOOD JOB DONE EVERY TIME”
T. 519.669.2033Cell: 519.581.7868
•Mattress Cleaning•Residential•Commercial•Personalized Service•Free EstimatesWest Montrose, ON
SUBMIT AN EVENT The Events Calendar is reserved for Non-profit local community events that are offered free to the public. Placement is not guaranteed. Registrations, corporate events, open houses and the like do not qualify in this section.
PLACES OF FAITH | A DIRECTORY OF LOCAL HOUSES OF WORSHIP WHEELCHAIRACCESSIBLE
NURSERYPROVIDED
SUNDAYSCHOOL
HEARINGASSISTED
• Natural Nutritional Supplements• Lifestyle Choices• Weight Loss Program
HOT BEEF SANDWICH $7. Royal Canadian Legion, 11 First St., Elmira; 6 p.m. Takeouts available - call 519-669-2932 to place order for pick up Friday.
MARCH 29
SCOTT WOODS (CANADIAN FIDDLE champion) presents “Old Time Jubilee” at Calvary United Church, St. Jacobs at 7 p.m. Advance tickets only $25 and can be purchased at the church office Tues. - Fri. 10-2, or call 519-669-5912 in Elmira or 519-885-5012 in Waterloo. Refreshments will follow concert. Calvary Church is wheelchair accessible and has hearing assisted.
BETHEL MENNONITE YOUTH HOMECOMING, May 3 & 4. For registration information www.bethelyouthhomecomin.wix.com/bethelyouth or call 519-846-0180.
WELLELSEY AND DISTRICT LIONS Club Folk Music Night, Wellesley Community Centre, 1000 Maple Leaf St., Wellesley. Doors open at 7 p.m. Come and enjoy a night of fold, blues and jazz featuring Sam Turton, Jane Lewis, Jesse Turton and Adam Bowman. Silent auction, cash bar and light snacks will be provided. Proceeds will be directed to Wellesley Public School parents council for classroom improvement.
VISIT THE WTHHS HISTORICAL Room at the Old School, 1137 Henry St., Wellesley, on Saturday, March 29 between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. and enjoy displays and interesting historical facts about Wellesley Township. Free admission.
APRIL 1
CAREGIVER COFFEE HOUR – meets on the 1st Tuesday of the month (Sept. to June) 10-11:30 a.m. at Chateau Gardens, 11 Hebert St., Elmira. This support group is offered in conjunction with the K-W Alzheimer Society. For more information, call Lorraine at 519-664-3794, ext. 229.
APRIL 2
HEALTH EDUCATION SESSION - Atrial Fibrillation: Causes, Consequences and Treatment, Dr. Zuzanna Majewski, MD, Woolwich Community Health Centre. 10:15-11:15 a.m. at Woolwich Community Health Centre, 10 Parkside Dr., St. Jacobs. Everyone welcome! No fee, no registration. For more information call 519-664-3794.
APRIL 3
THE LIONS CLUB OF Elmira Bingo – 7 p.m. at Elmira Lions Hall, 40 South St., Elmira. All proceeds go to support the many projects of the Lions Club of Elmira. For more information call 519-572-2669.
THE ST. JACOBS PUBLIC School extracurricular 7/8 Strings Program is hosting a concert on Thursday April 3 at 6:30 p.m. to fund-raise for instrument repairs. Along with music from this year’s strings group and some program alumni, the evening will feature performances by former St. Jacobs PS principal Geoff Lewis and KW Folk duo Quiet in the Land. Refreshments will be sold. Tickets cost $10/person and will be available at the door. For details call 519-664-2272.
THERE’S AN APP FOR That, 1:30-3 p.m. or April 10, 6:30-8 p.m. Join our Telemedicine nurse at Woolwich Community Health Centre and learn how to use your tablet, smart phone or computer to enhance your health. You will learn how to download programs/apps that will help you better manage your chronic health concerns and be healthier in 2014. Held at WCHC, 10 Parkside Dr., St. Jacobs. Call 519-664-3794 for more information.
CAREGIVER SUPPORT GROUP – Meets on the 1st Thursday of the month (Sept. to June), 10-11 a.m. at the Woolwich Community Health Centre, 10 Parkside Dr., St. Jacobs. Join this informal group of caregivers who are acquainted with the struggles you experience. For more information, call Lorraine at 519-664-3794, ext. 229.
APRIL 5
WELLINGTON COUNTY 4-H ANNUAL Spring Beef BBQ, silent & live auction. Dinner 5:30-7:30 p.m. at Alma Community Centre, Alma. Adults $14, children 8 yrs and under $7; 4 yrs and under free. For tickets contact: James 519-669-2025.
APRIL 7
A TASTE OF WOOLWICH, 5-8 p.m., St. Teresa of Avila, 19 Flamingo Dr., Elmira. Get to know your local food producer. Ask questions about how local food is grown, processed and retailed. Taste-test local food samples and buy quality artisan foods. Make it a family event and bring your children. Everyone welcome! No charge, donations welcome. For more information call Joy at 519-664-3534, ext. 230.
Emmanuel EVANGELICAL MISSIONARY CHURCH Worship Service Sundays 10:45am
519.669.5030
47 Arthur St., S. Elmira • 519-669-3153www.thejunctionelmira.com
Visit www.thejunctionelmira.com for more details.Kathryn Smith (ARC Ministries) will be our resource person.
Zion Mennonite Fellowship-The Junction-
Not sure how to Communicate especially in times of Conflict?
Join us at The Junction (Zion Mennonite Fellowship)
Sundays in March 9:30-10:30
LIVING HERE | 27THE OBSERVER | SATURDAY, MARCH 29, 2014
ACROSS1. Pizazz6. Fertile grounds13. Tree juice16. Have a cow17. Small, herbivorous beetle18. Get a move on19. Principal20. Interpersonal chemistry21. 1973 Supreme Court deci-sion name22. Something to believe in24. ___ Solo of “Star Wars”25. Down time26. Supernatural30. Bank deposit31. Breastplate32. G clef34. Genetic stuff35. Rookie36. Utter37. Blokes38. Rocks at the bar41. Summer shade43. Massage locale45. Lamb’s mother46. Mother Teresa, for one47. Judge50. Little toymaker
52. Bronx Bomber54. Big galoot55. “Spy vs. Spy” magazine57. “Dig in!”59. Dr. Frankenstein’s workplace60. Kid’s query61. Dude62. It’s served in spots64. Corpse67. Crackpot68. Piston’s movement71. Lone-Star State74. Remote location75. Some sorority women76. Wrong77. Economic stability group78. Balloon filler79. ___ green80. ______ Wrestling Mask83. More capable88. Be nosy89. Pre-marriage contract90. Not all there91. Donkey92. Iron collar93. Run out, as a subscriptionDOWN1. TV monitor?
44. Alexander Keith’s brew47. Cattle48. “Go team!”49. Links rental51. A Mufti’s ruling53. Button material56. Perform58. Mark of perfection63. ___ Spumante65. Alias preceder66. “Amen!”67. Dissenting vote68. Half mask69. Waste lumber70. Serf71. Indian semi-classical vocal music72. Decorative jugs73. Roentgen’s discovery74. Half a dozen78. Actinon80. Automobile sticker fig.81. Big time82. Appropriate84. Scarf of feathers85. Chop (off)86. Lt.’s inferior, in the Navy87. Deli bread
Find yourself without a corkscrew? Try using a book instead ... well, maybe
Q. How do you open a wine bottle with a book? Please be sure you’re sober before trying this one.A. This method actually works, insists Mark Levi in “Why Cats Land on Their Feet and 76 Other Physical Paradoxes and Puzzles.” “I tried this myself, hav-ing been stimulated by a combination of scientific curiosity and the lack of a corkscrew, not necessarily in that order.”
Start by pressing a book against a wall, then strike the bottom of the bottle against the book while
holding the bottle with a towel and wearing pro-tective glasses in case of breakage. With repeated strikes, the cork will inch out bit by bit to the point that you can pull it out by hand.
What drives the cork out of the bottle, Levi explains, is “wine hammer,” simi-lar to “water hammer” in plumbing, or “hydraulic shock.” The bottle acceler-ating into the wall causes compression of air inside the bottle that acts as a spring to slow the wine and drive it back into the cork. “In effect, we are hitting the cork from the inside, using wine as the hammer.”Q. Truth be told, isn’t it more work to concoct a lie than to tell the honest truth?
A. As the term “concoct” might suggest, the business of deception is hard work for the human brain, says Adam Hadhazy in “Dis-cover” magazine. Brain imaging stud-ies show that lying takes greater mental effort, and that children’s ability to fib has to wait for their overall cognitive development. As Northwestern Univer-sity psychology doctoral candidate Xiaoqing Hu put it, “Honesty is our default mode. When telling a lie, you have to inhibit the hon-est response and activate a dishonest one.”
Yet when people re-hearse how to tell better fibs, they get better at it. When test subjects were told to answer personal questions such as their
birth date, they were slower to respond when they were lying. But after they were told the purpose of the experiment, they learned how to lie faster and to fake their identity quite well. Soon, “they were as quick to lie as to tell the truth.”Q. When might you jump off the roof of a tall building and hit the ground below but live to tell all about it?A. This dramatic question occurred to French noble-man Marquis d’Hervey de Saint-Denys in the late nineteenth century, and his answer to himself was to do the jumping in a lucid dream, says David Robson in “New Scientist” maga-zine. In a lucid dream, you become aware you’re
dreaming even as the dream unfolds, with the possibility of taking charge and actually directing its actions to some degree. As Saint-Denys studied dreams, he realized that pre-sleep focusings on potential topics could help determine which dream events might ensue. Us-ing this mind control and conditioning, it wasn’t long before he was lucid dream-ing every night. Besides the pleasurable encounters and adventures, he experiment-ed with the way the mind constructs dreams–from the inside.
In his famous jump-off dream, Saint-Denys was walking along the street, then entered the tallest building he could find and climbed to a window in its
highest room. He paused to admire the “perfection” of the scene below and then jumped. Confusion fol-lowed, but within a minute he was back on the ground in front of a cathedral, ap-parently unscathed, among a crowd gathered around a dead man. “They told me that the man had thrown himself from the cathedral tower,” he wrote, “and I saw his body being carried away on a stretcher.”
In the words of dream researcher Allan Hobson, “There’s no doubt Saint-Denys was a pioneer of hu-man consciousness.”
ABOUT THE AUTHORS Bill is a journalist, Rich holds a doctorate in physics. Together the brothers bring you “Strange But True.” Send your questions to [email protected].
OBSERVER CROSSWORD PUZZLER
STRANGE BUT TRUE / BILL & RICH SONES PH.D.
WEIRDNOTES
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3 tbsp brown sugar1/4 cup maple syrup1 tbsp vanilla1 loaf day-old French bread or multigrain bread
Apples 3 gala apples, peeled, cored and sliced 3 tbsp brown sugar1 tsp cinnamon 2 tbsp melted butter
Topping1/4 cup brown sugar1/2 cup oats1/4 cup butter1 tsp cinnamon 1/4 tsp ground ginger
Butter a 9x13 pan, then
years. To keep things new and yummy, many guests will allow us to create a menu for them. This is the ultimate compliment as they just trust we will create something great that will be enjoyed. I sure hope they enjoy this one.
Roasted Apple French Toast Bake5 large eggs1 cup 10% cream1 cup milk
CHEF’S TABLE: It just might be the toast of the dessert table
layer in the bread;Whisk eggs and sugar
together, add the cream, maple syrup and whisk some more until combined;
Pour the custard mix over the breads, be sure all the bread is coated in the custard. Allow to stand for 1/2 hour;
Toss apples in brown sug-ar, butter and cinnamon. Place on parchment-lined pan and roast in oven at 350 F until tender;
Once the apples are cooled, place on top of the French toast;
In a bowl, combine but-ter, oats, cinnamon and gin-ger into a crumble and add
FROM | 25
SUDOKU CHALLENGE
HOW TO PLAY: Fill in the grid so that every row, every column and every 3x3 box contains the numbers 1 through 9 only once. Each 3x3 box is outlined with a darker line. We’ve started you with a few numbers already placed in the boxes.
to the top of the casserole;Bake in oven at 350 F un-
til puffy and golden;Let stand, serve warm
with local maple syrup.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR Never Enough Thyme Catering Inc. was created with one thought in mind ... to create more thyme! Enjoy our food shop, specialty cakes and catering. 83A Arthur St. S., Elmira. Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.
28 | BACK PAGE THE OBSERVER | MARCH 29, 2014
COUPON EVENT
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Subject to additional terms and conditions found at saveonenergy.ca. Funded by the Ontario Power Authority and offered by Waterloo North Hydro. OM
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