Although Federal Green Party leader Elizabeth May will not be part of the federal leaders’ debates, May has announced her party’s platform for this year’s election and will be taking that message across Canada, begin-ning with an old-fash-ioned whistle-stop tour that kicked off with a rally at Toronto’s Union Station last Friday mor-ning and will end with another rally in Halifax on Sunday. Prior to her departure May unveiled

her party’s platformwhich includes a suite of measures designed to be economically vi-able, create jobs, ad-dress poverty, protect our health care system, increase support for youth and seniors, re-spond to the climate crisis and clean up the environment.

“I think we need more vision, more cooper-ation and a willingness to find solutions in this country. That is Can-adian,” said May during her mid-morning stop at Brockville’s VIA Rail sta-tion last Friday.

It was standing room only at CJ’s Banquet Hall in Brockville last Thurs-day evening, as more than 200 friends, family members, colleagues, and fellow parishion-ers gathered to celebrate 104.9 JRFM announcer Bruce Wylie’s 40th year on the air, all of it with the same station. From his arrival to Brockville, from Toronto in 1971, as

a rookie reporter, ready for his ‘big break’, to his current and longtime gig as 104.9’s beloved and award-winning morning show co-host, Wylie has proven to be one of a kind. In his nearly four decade long career, which was briefly interrupted in the 1980s, during his two-year stint as the sta-tion’s sales manager and program director, Wylie has earned a reputation for his uniquely per-sonal style of reporting,

a trademark that was most apparent when the region, along with all of eastern Ontario and parts of Quebec and northern New York State, spent days, and in some cases, weeks without electri-city as a result of the ice storm. During that time, Wylie became a lifeline, and a voice of comfort for hundreds of people. Later that year, Wylie was recognized for his tireless and impassioned cover-age of the crisis with the

Ontario Broadcasting As-sociation’s Broadcaster of the Year Award.

“What I discovered during the ice storm was how important radio was,” said Wylie.

“I just opened the phone lines up and let people talk.”

Since then, Wylie has become more than a pur-veyor of music and local news. He has become the voice of Brockville, com-parable to none.

“Mr. Brockville” celebrates 40 years in broadcasting

THE

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Bruce Wylie and his family. From left to right, Winston Wylie, Vera Wylie, Bruce Wylie, Andrew Wylie, with father, Dan Wylie, Tom Wylie, and Kate Wylie, in arms of Eileen Wylie. (Missing from photo is Ben Wylie, who lives in Asia.)

ERIN CHRISTIE PHOTO

By Erin ChristieObserver Staff Writer

WYLIE continues on page 5

Surrounded by more than 50 local supporters, Federal Green Party leader Elizabeth May, flanked by Leeds-Grenville Green Party candidate Mary Slade (left), ad-dresses a crowd of supporters at the Brockville VIA Rail Station last Friday morning. ERIN CHRISTIE PHOTO

By Erin ChristieObserver Staff Writer

Green Party leader visits Brockville

MAY continues on page 4

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Brockville’s ‘Dream Team’ led by Shawn Daw-son, and made up of sev-en area residents reached the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro on Friday, April 8th.

The group, shown posing with other team members from the Ot-tawa Valley area, reached the top with the group intact, leaving no one be-hind.

Team members in-clude; Dawson, Tim Ross, Stuart Spurrell, Bob Van-Blitterswyk, Ray Wheeler,

Jan Smith, and Susan Brister along with 12 other members from the Ottawa area. The group totaled almost 60 mem-

bers including guides, cooks and others.

Pick up next week’s Observer for more on the Dream Team.

Dream Team conquers Kilimanjaro

JoAnne Systma didn’t want to climb Mount Kili-manjaro for any particu-larly spiritual reason. She wanted to climb it because she could. The Mallory-town resident, wife, moth-er, and community activist was merely looking for her next big challenge, and she found it in Tanzania on a recent ten-day trek to the 15,100-foot summit with 17 other Canadian men and women and their Tanzanian guides. Of course, Systma did have an ulterior motive, she and her group were scaling Af-rica’s highest peak in sup-port of Care Canada’s 2011 Climb for Care, a demand-ing fundraising event aimed at pushing people out of their comfort zone while raising awareness for the empowerment of women and girls in the fight against poverty. To that end, it was only fit-ting that the proposed date upon which Systma and her group aimed to conquer the summit was March 8th, International Women’s Day, something that Systma said, became more poignant as the group “got closer to the top”.

“I was basically out of my comfort zone from the beginning,” explained Systma, adding that pri-or to the climb, she was also required to fundraise and participate in public speaking engagements,

both things that she has always found terrifying.

“Somehow I did it though, and now I’m not afraid. But then came the mountain. They tell you it’s a tough climb, and I had never attempted any-thing like this before, so naturally I was nervous. The first few days I said to myself, ‘it’s not really me doing this’. But as we got closer and closer to the summit, I realized that it WAS me doing this, and that not only increased my confidence but it enabled me to enjoy the effort.”

Systma continued that her enjoyment was com-pounded by her travelling companions.

“I’m told that our group was one of the largest and

most diverse that Care has ever seen. It was a real cross-section of people in terms of fitness levels and age range (24-64), which made for some interesting conversations, but despite our differences, the thing that brought us together was the cause. “

Over all she says, the entire experience was more than she could have hoped for.

“We all started to form little groups, and I bond-ed with two women in particular, and we came to be known as the three mamas. I hope I don’t ever lose touch with them. If you were religious, you could say they were my angels.”

For Care the 2011 Climb

proved to be the most mo-mentous in its history as this year’s group was not only the largest, but broke records by surpassing their own expectations as well as their fundraising target of $85,000, reaching a grand total of $87,000, all of which will go to-wards Care’s distinctively proactive programs such as, vocational training for Afghan women, Mothers Matter, Cambodia Lit-eracy, Zimbabwe Com-

munity Garden, Women and Climate Change, and MALI “Good Health Con-cerns us all”.

Before the climb, the group also had the op-portunity to witness these programs in action when they visited a village Sav-ings and Loan operation.

“I was amazed to see what a great program it was. The loans are given with an interest rate of 10 per cent, and the borrower has three months to pay it

back. In a land where no credit is available, it’s the best deal going. It’s not just economically sound but it provides these women with independence, the majority of them spend the money on education.”

Systma describes her experience as “both re-warding and inspiring.”

“It really restored my faith in humanity to see the results of people’s generosity in action, and know that we can make a difference.”

On March 8th, after an arduous ten-day trek, Systma and her group reached the summit.

“I didn’t know what to expect when we reached the top. Some people had some epiphany moments, some felt that the journey had come to an end, but for me, it was more like, what’s next? I didn’t feel like it was over. I felt more like this was just the be-ginning of something.”

If asked to distil the ad-venture into a few words, Systma says, “Ordinary people can do extraordin-ary things”.

“You don’t have to be rich, you don’t have to be famous, you don’t even have to be fit. You just need a goal.”

Kilimanjaro climb; a ten-day trek to self-discovery

Page 2 WEDNESDAY, APRIL 13, 2011 THE OBSERVER

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Systma and her group at the 15,100 foot summit of Mount Kilimanjaro in March.

By Erin ChristieObserver Staff Writer

THE OBSERVER WEDNESDAY, APRIL 13, 2011 Page 3

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Mayor David Hen-derson and city hall em-ployees were greeted by sunny skies and t-shirt temperatures during the 4th annual Mayor’s Mini Makeover, held last Fri-day morning on the public land behind City Hall. The Makeover, runs concur-rently with the Business Challenge as a kick-off for the upcoming city-wide effort on Saturday, April 30th.

“It’s a great thing for the city because not only does it get the job done, but it draws attention to the

need,” said Henderson, adding that an additional benefit of the Clean-up is that it’s a perfect activity for high school students looking to accumulate community service hours.

Citywide cleanup co-chairman, Larry Journal, said that the purpose of activities such as the makeover and business challenge is to increase participation in the clean-up at the end of the month.

“The hope is that the participation of commun-ity leaders will encourage the community at large to

buy in,” said Journal. “We’re still looking for

groups and organizations and individuals to sign up and adopt a park,” he added.

To register call (613) 498-2111, Ext. 401, or by e-mail to cleanup@ee-centre.com

Information is also available at www.face-b o o k . c o m / b ro c k v i l l -ecleanup. Gloves and garbage bags will be dis-tributed during registra-tion at city hall from 4 to 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday, April 19.

Mayor’s mini makeover helps kick-off citywide clean-up

Page 4 WEDNESDAY, APRIL 13, 2011 THE OBSERVER

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Surrounded by nearly 50 enthusiastic support-ers, including Leeds-Grenville Green Party candidate, Mary Slade, May briefly summarized her party’s campaign plat-form, calling her visit a “rally for democracy”, and seizing the opportunity to invite disenchanted Con-servative, Liberal and NDP

supporters to go Green this election.

Prior to May’s arriv-al, Slade addressed the crowd, highlighting her party’s proposed three-year budget deals with “the issues nobody is talk-ing about.”

“It’s dealing with cli-mate change, which I have not heard from anyone

else, and it’s dealing with the social issues -with pov-erty, childcare, youth debt and unemployment.”

According to the latest polls, the Green Party of Canada is garnering be-tween six and nine per-cent of support from Can-adian voters, and is in a statistical dead heat with the Bloc Quebecois.

Erin Christie Photo

MONDAY, APRIL 11

Armed RobberyOn the 11 of April 2011 at 10 p.m. a

male entered McDonalds Restaurant on Parkedale Avenue. The male had his face partially covered, was armed with a weapon and demanded money. He obtained a quantity of cash and fled on foot. There were no injuries reported during the incident and the type of weapon cannot be disclosed at this time. The investigation is con-tinuing by members of the criminal investigation branch. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Brockville Police at (613) 342-0127 or Crimestoppers.

SUNDAY, APRIL 10

Indecent ActCharges are pending against a 58

year-old male who was observed per-forming an indecent act in a North End parking lot. The male was observed in his vehicle performing the act on the

10th of April at 12:35 p.m. The male is from the London area and is known to police. If anyone has information re-garding this please contact Constable Steve Rogers at (613)-342-0127 or con-tact Crimestoppers.

Impaired on ScooterA 58 year-old male operating a

scooter was arrested for impaired driving, over.08 and driving while dis-qualified after being involved in a col-lision on the 10th of April, 2011. The accident occurred at 8:30 p.m. at Jef-ferson Drive and Stewart Blvd. The male is from Brockville and will ap-pear in court at a future date.

House Party Leads to Arrest On the 10th of April 2011 at 8:45

p.m. officers responded to a party on Brighton Crescent. At this time three males between the ages of 20 and 26 were arrested for various offences in-cluding Breach of Probation and Pre-vent Breach of the Peace. They were released with future court dates.

POLICE BLOTTER

Managing Your MoneyDebt danger! – know the warning signs and solutions

If your debt load is heavier than you want it to be, you are not alone. According to Statistics Canada, Canadian household debt-to-income ratios have reached rec-ord highs – ranging above 148 per cent1, which means that Canadians owe $1.48 for every dollar of disposable income they have. Here are a few strategies for lighten-ing your load.

Take charge of your cards. A high credit card limit can be a benefit or a trap – if it influences you to buy more than you can afford. Spend more than you can pay off each month and the interest – often at rates more than 20 per cent – really builds up on the balance.

The key: pay off your credit card bal-ance each month. You’ll avoid debt and take full advantage of any reward points offered by your card(s).

Check your impulses. That giant TV certainly looks great – but do you really need it?

The key: Think before you buy, weigh your options and make prudent purchase decisions. You’ll avoid escalating debt and lingering buyer’s remorse.

Take command of your life. Establish a realistic strategy for saving toward your most important life goals.

The keys: First, reduce ‘bad’ debt (credit cards). Explore debt consolida-tion and a monthly debt reduction plan. Second, start an emergency reserve fund, perhaps in a Tax-Free Savings Account (TFSA). Third, protect your income and family with life, critical illness, and dis-ability insurance. Fourth, fund your chil-dren’s education with Registered Educa-tion Savings Plans (RESPs). And a very important fifth, fund your retirement by contributing to a Registered Retirement Savings Plan. You can even pay off some of your debt or add to your savings with

the tax refunds you’ll get.Protect your credit rating. Be sure the

information in your credit report is ac-curate by checking it at least once a year and reporting any inaccuracies. (The two major Canadian credit rating/reporting agencies are Equifax Canada, Inc., www.equifax.com. and TransUnion Canada, www.transunion.ca.)

The keys to maintain a good credit score:

• Establish a credit history by, for ex-ample, applying for a credit card that you use for monthly expenses and paying off the balance each month. Married couples should have credit arrangements for each spouse so they have their own credit his-tory.

• Be careful about co-signing another person’s loan. By doing so, you accept re-sponsibility for the debt and the informa-tion is included on your credit report.

• Pay bills on time. Pay just one day late and it appears on your credit report as a late payment. It’s better to pay the min-imum than miss a payment.

• Limit your credit. Every time you apply for credit it is noted on your credit history, even if you never use it.

Lightening your debt load, saving more, planning for a financially secure future – whatever your goals, your profes-sional advisor can help you get there.

1The Daily, Monday, December 13, 2010

This column, written and published by Investors Group Financial Services Inc. (in Québec – a Financial Services Firm), pre-sents general information only and is not a solicitation to buy or sell any investments. Contact your own advisor for specific ad-vice about your circumstances. For more information on this topic please contact your Investors Group Consultant.

This was certainly the message that resonated as guest after guest took to the podium to honor not only Bruce Wylie the popular radio show host, but Bruce Wylie the man; dedicated father and hus-band, loyal friend, and fer-vent community activist, and as the evening went on, the distinction be-tween the two became less apparent.

“If you lived on the sun, you might not notice how bright it is,” Wylie’s son, and the station’s program director, Dan Wylie, told the audience.

“It can be like that with my dad. I’m around him all the time so the extra-ordinary has become or-dinary to me, but when I look around tonight and see all the people here, not to mention all the people that called into the show this morning, it reminds me how lucky I am to have him as my dad, and how lucky we are to have him in this community.”

“Bruce knows how to bring out the best in people, and he knows how to give people credit,” add-ed Wylie’s wife of 34 years, Eileen.

“And another import-ant thing to know about

Bruce is that no matter how busy he is, and he IS busy, he has always had time for the boys and my-self. He was always there and we’re so proud of everything that he has ac-complished.”

Wylie’s longtime friend and collaborator, Peter Dunn, of the Brockville Arts Centre, echoed Wylie’s sentiments.

“He’s the ultimate com-munity activist,” said Dunn.

“He’s just got this infec-tious energy, and he won’t take no for an answer. Once he sets his mind to doing something, you can consider it done. And he’s done a lot for this com-munity, he’s Mr. Brock-ville.“

Wylie’s numerous ac-complishments were palpable in the speeches that followed, which were delivered by Wylie’s par-ent’s, Winston and Vera, Senator Bob Runciman,

Leeds-Grenville MPP and MP, Steve Clark and Gord Brown, who brought greetings from Parliament, Brockville City Mayor David Henderson, 104.9 JRFM President, Chris Gordon, and 104.9 JRFM Vice President and Gener-al Manager, Greg Hinton.

The evening was capped off with a speech from Wylie himself, who said he was “humbled by the recognition”.

“I have so many people to thank but I don’t think people want to be here all night,” quipped Wylie.

“I have to thank my wife and my family because I couldn’t have done any of this without them, and I have to thank everyone I have had the opportun-ity to work with over the years. This began as a job, but it’s the people that have made it a career, one I hope to have until they take the microphone away from me.”

THE OBSERVER WEDNESDAY, APRIL 13, 2011 Page 5

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The third annual Empty Bowls Luncheon and Live Music fundrais-ing event is moving to the Brockville Memorial Centre on Saturday, April 16th. Once again, sav-oury soups created by local chefs will be served from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. in handcrafted bowls made by local potters. All proceeds from the event will benefit Loaves and Fishes, a local restaurant providing hot meals each weekday for only $1 per meal. Children under 10 eat for free. The hours are 4 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Monday to Friday. The restaurant, formerly of Perth Street, relocated to 25 Front Avenue West (lower parking lot en-trance) two years ago in order to serve its grow-ing clientele. The bright and spacious restaurant seats 70 and is a support to people with limited or very little income. It is also a place where people who live alone can go and socialize while also hav-ing a low-cost meal.

“You can’t live on min-imum wage and when you have to pay for heat and hydro, there’s not much left for food. Some-times there’s nothing left for food. People have come in and used our

facility to get over a bad patch, but there are some that have been coming since I started working here,” said Loaves and Fishes administrator, Irene Selkirk.

“There is a great need

for this service in Brock-ville, and that need is in-creasing every year,”

Selkirk continued that though the restaurant opened 12 years ago, due to the economic downturn, over the past five years, its nightly at-tendance has doubled. Currently the restaurant serves approximately75 people each night, or about 375 people each week. In 2009, she said, Loaves and Fishes served 15,709 meals and in 2010, this number jumped by more than 2,200 to 17,913 meals.

Empty Bowls is the charity’s major fund-raiser, raising more than

$9,000 in 2010, and this year organizers are hoping to surpass the $10,000 mark.

“We require nearly 300 volunteers and ap-proximately $10,000 per month to operate,” said Selkirk.

“Food donations help keep the restaurant going. We have also been very fortunate with private donations. The churches and service groups are very good to us and so are local farmers.”

Soups are being made by chefs and cooks from the Buell Street Bistro, Bud’s on the Bay, Brock-berry Café, Kelsey’s, The Georgian Dragon, Santa Fe Grill and Beverage Co., and Loaves and Fishes. Bread is being donated by Real Canadian Super-store, Tait’s Bakery and Brett’s ValuMart. Star-bucks is supplying coffee. There will be live enter-tainment.

Tickets are $25 (and include the bowl) and can be purchased from the Scotiabank on King Street, Picket Fence Fab-rics, Echo Clothing Com-pany, from board mem-bers or by contacting Loaves and Fishes at (613)-345-6498.

Tickets for children under 12 are $5 and chil-dren under five eat free but does not include a pottery bowl.

Empty Bowls helps fill local stomachs

WYLIE continues from page 1

“There is a great need for

this service in Brockville, and that need is increasing every year,”

Loaves and Fishes administrator, Irene Selkirk

Leeds-Grenville MPP Steve Clark, right, joined members of the Ontario PC Caucus last Wednesday in wearing their tartan in honour of the 20th anniversary of Tartan Day in Ontario, which was last Sunday. The day is the result of a resolution by Bruce-Grey-Owen Sound MPP Bill Murdoch, which was unanimously approved in the Ontario Legislative Assembly. “While it may appear to be a skirt to some, my kilt represents a proud history,” said Murdoch. “A descendent of the battle garb worn by Roman soldiers, the kilt is an an-cient form of dress used by Scots. It has come to represent resolve and determination, qualities Ontarians and Canadians hold dear”. From left to right; Sarnia-Lambton MPP Bob Bailey MPP, Parry Sound-Muskoka Norm Miller, Wellington-Halton Hills,MPP Ted Arnott, PC Leader Tim Hudak, Renfrew-Nip-issing-Pembroke MPP John Yakabuski,Bruce-Grey-Owen sound MPP, Bill Murdoch, Simcoe-Grey MPP Jim Wilson, York-Simcoe MPP Julia Munro, Lanark-Frontenac-Len-nox and Addington MPP Randy Hillier, and Leeds-Grenville MPP, Steve Clark.

SUBMITTED PHOTO

By Erin ChristieObserver Staff Writer

The ObserverEDITORIALPage 6 WEDNESDAY, APRIL 13, 2011 THE OBSERVER

THE OBSERVER EDITORIAL

After 40 years, it’s easy to think we know Bruce Wylie, inside and out. In preparation for his recent trib-ute, the Observer sought out some of Wylie’s nearest and dearest friends, colleagues, and family members, in search of some lesser known facts about Mr. Wylie. Read on, you might be surprised at what we found out.

He’s a musician“A lot of people don’t know this

about Bruce, but he plays the piano, and he’s not bad either.”

–Peter Dunn, Manager, Brockville Arts Centre.

He’s got a ‘green thumb’“He’s a great gardener. He enjoys

working in his garden and he growing his own food.”

–David Beatty, CEO, Canarm Ltd.

He knows how to “Rock and Roll”

“Bruce loves singing along to most of the music on 104.9 JRFM. If he doesn’t know the words, he’ll try his best to hum the tune.”

–Chris Holski, News Director, JRFM

He’s not afraid to dance“Bruce loves to dance. We have

caught him dancing in his seat or tap-ping along to whatever we’re playing on more than one occasion.”

–Grace LaRose, Promotions Direc-tor, JRFM

He knows how to spread holiday cheer

“It’s no secret that Bruce loves Christmas, but what some people might not know is that he plays Santa

Claus at our Christmas party every year, no matter what. And he does it well. He’s knows how to get people into the spirit of things.”

–Jim Kafensakis, owner, operator, Luna Restaurant.

He met a Beatle“Bruce actually interviewed John

Lennon. Apparently it was around the time of the ‘bed-in’ in Montreal.”

–Liam Fargey, Producer, JRFM

He always puts his family first“No matter how busy he gets, no

matter what is going on in our lives, he has never, ever forgotten a birth-day or an anniversary. “

–Eileen Wylie, wife, 34 years

“He’s a Diet Coke fiend!” “Bruce loves his Diet Coke. He’ll

order it whether you have it or not! “–Rhianna Robins, morning show

co-host, 104.9 JRFM

People consider him to be a one-man information source“He actually gets calls at home

from people asking if he knows what tomorrow’s weather is going to be like or if the school busses are running. I think that because he’s kind of got his finger on the pulse of everything that happens here in Brockville, people just expect him to know everything.”

–Dan Wylie, son, Program Director, 104.9 JRFM

He put the “Rock” in Brockville “Out of a staff of 270 people, many

of whom have been with the com-pany for many years, Bruce has been here the longest.”

–President, 104.9 JRFM

Ten things you didn’t know about Bruce Wylie

Everyone has an opinion during election time

I have recently received an influx of emails, comments and ‘letters to the Editor’ over the past few weeks concern-ing the election from citizens holding a broad range of be-liefs and ideals.

It is election time, and with the way this election has come about, it isn’t hard to understand that people will have very strong feelings about the current government, and what is to come in this year’s election.

The Observer welcomes letters from everyone and will be posting as many letters as possible over the coming weeks, but this comes with direction. Incomplete rants and overly aggressive letters without clear direction and viable argu-ments will not make it through to publication.

If a letter is submitted with a clear point and solid facts that are directly speaking to the issues involved, it will be published. Personal rants don’t qualify in the above man-date. I understand that there will be a considerable amount of emotion going into writing these submissions and that gives them personality, but keep it tasteful and profession-al, please.

This is a very consequential time for our country and the citizens need to get their messages out there to the public. Think of what you would like to see in our future govern-ment and what you don’t like with our current politicians or candidates and formalize your views. Tell us about the election and the campaigning process and what you do or do not like about the current format. What would you change, if anything, what works, what is addressed and what needs to be addressed.

If you feel it is time for a change, what is the change and why? Who do you think will do the best job for our coun-try and its 30 million plus citizens? Who will represent the masses and who is going to represent only a certain group?

What do you think about how the election came about? What it fair, needed, and was calling this election in the best interest of the country? What does the government need to do to ensure that something like this doesn’t happen again?

This is the time for you to get your voice and views out there. Don’t be shy and write us at adeluis@slpprint.ca or fax @ 613-342-8773.

Austin de Luis

The toppings are end-less: sausage, pepperoni, cheese, peppers, tomato sauce, you decide.

Looking for a fun and easy way to make your next party an event to be remembered, have your own build-your-own-pizza party. It’s like a fondue only with pizza.

You can always buy the packaged doughs at your favourite supermarket and that is ok, however even more fun and not all that difficult is making your own.

Here is our recipe from school

1 cup warm water 85 to 90 degrees Fahrenheit

1 tbsp instant yeast1 tsp sugar2 tbsp oil your choice olive, or vegetable1 tsp salt2 cups all purpose flour

• Proof the water, yeast, sugar, and oil together

• Add flour and salt combine until a ball forms put on the table and knead until a smooth soft dough ball. Be careful in adding flour if it is sticky as this will make the dough too stiff and hard to work with. Just lightly dust your hands with flour to work the dough. Cover and let stand for 20 min. the dough should rise to double in size. This will make a 16 inch pizza or two 8 four 4’s you get my idea.

Now make it your own! Your imagination is the only thing stopping you here; add some dry basil

and oregano to the flour. If you can find fresh moz-zarella try it with olive oil and garlic on the crust with sliced plum tomato. Greek olives, with feta cheese, or goat cheese will make

a great pizza. I don’t really have the room to go on, but I think you can find your own way on this one.

Remember to have fun because cooking should be fun!

If there was ever a food to make your way, pizza is it!

Spring has finally ar-rived and with it a breath of fresh air at the LCBO by way of a new white wine. Not only a new wine, but also a new wine varietal, at least to me. Argentina’s La Puerta Torrontes 2009 (CSPC# 197970, $8.95) is the wine and it shouldn’t be missed.

Torrontes is the name of the new-to-us varietal and its back-story is quite in-teresting. It came as quite a surprise that Torrontes is the most planted white grape in Argentina and has been for quite a while. It is also the only grape considered indigenous to Argentina.

For years it was thought to be a clone of the simi-larly named Torrontes grape found in the Galicia region of Spain. However studies have shown that it is actually a cross be-tween Muscat d’Alexandrie and the relatively ob-scure Criolia Chica. Mus-cat d’Alexandrie is widely planted around the Medi-terranean and known for

being exuberantly aromat-ic, a characteristic it has passed on to Torrontes.

Until recently most Tor-rontes based wines have been consumed locally in Argentina and the prevail-ing opinion was that most were not very good, lacking focus and generally flabby. Then they began to receive

the attention and premium handling the grape’s qual-ities warranted and we may have the next super-star grape.

This story is reminiscent of other grapes such as Pi-not Grigio, Carmenere and Malbec. Countries wish-ing to make an impression on the world stage (think Chile, Argentina, and even Canada) concentrate on producing wine made from internationally recognized varietals such as Cabernet

Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir. It gives consumers a benchmark against which to judge the wines and there is a readymade fam-iliarity with the grapes.

Once they have estab-lished a reputation for producing quality wines they can introduce lesser-known grapes to consum-ers ready to try something different. This adventurous approach to wine wasn’t

always the case in North America and is one of the reasons we are seeing all of these wild and wonder-ful new grapes and wines. Thank goodness!

To give you a point of reference Torrontes might best be compared to a quality Riesling, Gewurz-traminer or Pinot Grigio; similar, but not the same. The first thing you’ll no-tice is the wonderfully ex-pressive nose. You can ex-pect a bold blend of floral (jasmine definitely and some honeysuckle and rose), citrus, fresh peach

and green apple aromas.La Puerta falls into the light to medium bodied range, but the depth of flavour and mouth feel al-lows it to come across as slightly heavier, say firmly medium bodied. In doing research into Torrontes I found many references to the fact that the palate is fairly simple. That cer-tainly isn’t the case with La Puerta. Yes it doesn’t match the complexity of Sancerre

or Chablis, but not much does and certainly not at this price point!

The main com-ponent of the pal-ate’s flavour profile is delicious, fresh

white grapefruit. Almonds, melon and peach flavours, along with a soft, herb-aceous spice complete the very impressive palate. Add lots of zesty citrus fruit and a lengthy finish and you have a very impressive newcomer.

La Puerta is an eminent-ly versatile food wine. We had it with pork and then chicken. It will also nicely accompany shrimp, shell-fish, mussels, oysters, Thai or Chinese food.

Try a bottle before everyone else learns the se-cret! Enjoy!

THE OBSERVER WEDNESDAY, APRIL 13, 2011 Page 7

THEFINE PRINT

by Dennis Stein

OFF THE VINE

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Constructed in 1900, the Brockville Armouries building is one of the few examples in Ontario of a community militia build-ing constructed of stone, instead of brick. The building itself is a beauti-ful testament to the city’s proud heritage rooted in 19th century architec-ture.

The beginning of the Brockville Rifles found its start even before con-federation, founded in 1796 as the 1st Battalion Leeds Militia at Eliza-bethtown. Later, during the war of 1812, people living here changed the name to Brockville, after Sir Isaac Brock, the Brit-ish General. It was dur-ing the war of 1812 that the regiment, made up of citizen soldiers, fought in the Battle of Chrysler’s Farm, and the capture of Ogdensburg.

The group was re-organized several times, contributing to forces in many battles such as the Boer War, in 1899, and fighting valiantly with other units in World War I. One hundred and five members of the Brock-ville Rifles were killed or died from wounds in the First World War, 10 offi-cers and 95 men.

Following this, the unit was again reorganized

into the Brockville Rifles. The unit also joined forces with the Stormont, Dundas, and Glengarry Highlanders, landing on the beaches of Normandy on D-Day in World War II. They were the first allied force to enter Caen. After the war, The ‘Brocks’ were converted several more times to serve different roles, until 1959, when the group returned to its current designation.

The Brocks generally train at either CFB Peta-wawa or CFB Kingston, but can be seen on oc-casion performing urban training here in Brock-ville. The rifles train a minimum of one night per week, and one week-end per month, and some of the Brocks are on, or training for, deployment to Afghanistan...

The Brockville Rifles represent a very proud group of men and women, who serve this country, and share in the pride of a unit which has contributed to many battles, received many awards, and helped in peacekeeping efforts around the globe. This pride is reflected in their motto, “Semper Paratus” or “Always Ready”.

Semper ParatusTorrontes: Lots to like about new arrival

The main component of the palate’s flavour

profile is delicious, fresh white grapefruit.

MAKE IT YOUR WAYby Peter Yeardon, O.C.T. Red Seal

It’s spring in Korea! Finally!

While I know our win-ter was nothing like it is back in Canada, it still felt like a cold, long, miserable winter filled with snow, cold, and no colours any-where. Now, the trees are starting to bloom, and the brown and grays of winter are being replaced with greens and yellows as the Gingko trees bloom. Spring is definitely in the air. And so is the pollen.

When I first moved to Japan, I couldn’t under-stand why people were using respiratory masks as if there had been a SARS breakout in down-town Tokyo. For the long-est time, I was confused and annoyed at how mis-informed the Japanese were, didn’t they know those little cloth bits over their faces would do noth-ing to stop germs from getting in, and would just be a breeding ground for their own germs? I was opposed to the idea, to say the least. Finally, after nearing my third spring in Asia, I’m starting to understand why they wear them, and it’s not always because they don’t want to get sick.

In Japan, Hay Fever can affect over 40 per cent of the population. The culprit behind this is the Japanese cedars that were planted after the destruc-tion from World War II. Chosen for their growth speed, no one considered the high levels of pollen that they give off, with one of the most densely popu-lated cities just down-wind. For the most part, the masks that we see in the news when show-ing a germ-fearing Japan are used to protect from pollen. Of course, those who are sick do wear the masks as well, more to protect the people around them, rather than to pro-tect themselves.

In Korea, our situation is a little different. We don’t have giant forests of cedars, but we have yellow sand. This sand is super fine dust that comes from the deserts of Mongolia and China, and crosses eastbound, spreading over the Ko-reas and some parts of Japan.

This may not seem like a problem, but this dust passes over one of the most industrialized areas on earth. As this dust trav-els over China’s factories and industries, it picks up a cocktail of pollutants,

viruses and toxins, in-cluding sulphur, asbestos, and pesticides. This giant yellow cloud of dust, aller-gies and other fun things then des-cends upon South Korea. Much like how we watch pollen reports, people follow the yellow dust re-ports. Most keep masks with them, and during bad storms, people are often asked to stay inside if possible.

The one advantage Korea has with their yel-low dust storms is that you can see them coming. With pollen, you know

it’s everywhere, and just keep the mask on all the time. A yellow dust storm looks like the smoggi-

est day you can imagine, except the weather isn’t nearly as hot and humid as it looks. A quick check out the window is enough to know if you should have a mask with you.

It took me a while, but I finally understand the Asian love of masks. To-day, the sky looks more

like cement than blue sky, so I have my mask for my commute. At least they know how to have fun in this situation... my mask is a puppy face!

Rebecca Bredin is an English

teacher for a public school in South Korea. When she isn’t monitoring the air quality index, she writes about pop culture and her time in Korea at http://www.ablogabroad.com

Examining mask culture in Asia

Page 8 WEDNESDAY, APRIL 13, 2011 THE OBSERVER

The ObserverOBSERVATIONS

SOEULSEARCHING

by Rebecca Bredin

I was looking around at ideas for an Earth Day related article when it hit me. Considering that we are on the cusp of what some people think of as the greatest season of all, BBQ season, this article is timely.

Growing up sur-rounded by good food was a blessing. I remem-ber my parents saying that no matter how tough times were, we would al-ways have enough food to eat. They stayed true to their commitment, raising a plump daugh-ter who also bit into their philosophy. Dad was a butcher by trade, and Mom planned and hosted functions in the hospitality industry. Needless to say, grocer-ies were everywhere. The cupboards of both the house and cottage were always stocked with the yummiest foods. Hearty stews and lasagnas were prepped on a weekend basis and barbeque was the staple of our diet in the spring and summer. “If you’re too full to eat anything else, then finish the meat on your plate and leave the rest”, my dad would say.

One of the most un-usual Earth Day related reports that I have come across examined the contribution of cattle produced methane to the Green House Effect. That’s correct. A very, very small wedge of the pie chart involves organically produced gas. When dis-sected even further, the hair-like wedge is found to be generated by the bovine population. Had this report been released and discovered several years ago, it would have made for an interest-ing discussion at home. I chuckled to myself when I pondered Dad’s reaction to the reports of how cattle farts are being monitored.

One report stated that cows, both beef and dairy, release approxi-

mately 250 to 500 L of methane per day into the air. This equates to about 2 per cent of global warming over the next 50 to 100 years. There seemed to be quite a bit of literature related to this topic. According to Wikipedia, cattle belch methane accounts for 16 per cent of the world’s annual methane emis-sions to the atmosphere. The livestock sector in general, primarily cattle, chickens, and pigs pro-duce 37 per cent of all human-induced meth-ane.

Speaking of human induced methane, what type of quantities do we produce as a population? Let’s not let the animals take all of the credit, we own a slice of the graph too.

Some experts say that the solution lies in diet-ary issues, change the in-gredients, and we change the product. Early re-search has found a num-ber of medical treatments and dietary adjustments that help slightly limit the production of methane in ruminants. I suppose this holds true for hu-mans too.

Returning to issue at hand, approximately how much does operat-ing your barbeque alone cost the environment? If you use charcoal, you may want to switch to gas. It’s cleaner and more efficient, and produ-ces about one third of the carbon emissions as briquettes do. Charcoal comes from wood waste, but has a byproduct that is disposed into landfill. To expert grillers, gas is lacking in the character, the flavour and the ex-perience. Gas or wood, it’s a “chicken or egg” situation based on per-sonal preference.

If you haven’t already done so this year, get to it, fire up the grill! For all of the environmental shame that it is, it re-mains a rite that is rooted as far back as the cave-man. So go ahead, hud-dle around the fire and make food good, “green” meat isn’t good for you anyway.

‘Meat’ the Barbecue on Earth Day

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As this dust travels over China’s factories and

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THE OBSERVER WEDNESDAY, APRIL 13, 2011 Page 9

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What started as a pro-ject given to the students of the Hospitality and Tourism program at TISS, quickly evolved from fic-titiously planning a trip, to jumping on a flight and heading overseas. On March 8th, 2011 a group of 22 students, and sev-en teachers and parents made the trip to Italy.

The trip, which organ-izer Peter Yerdon hopes to make into an annual event, had the group tour-ing all across Italy and its most historical and cul-turally rich regions. The group visited nine dif-ferent cities including; Milan, Verona, Venice, Florence, Piza, Assissi, Pompey, Sorento and finally Rome.

The trip to Italy, one

of the world’s most re-nowned countries in the culinary arts, was aligned with the Hospitality and Tourism programs eight (8) key sectors; food and beverage, transportation, travel services, tourism trades, accommoda-tion, adventure tourism, events and conferences, and attractions. “This was a great trip and I think everyone had a great time learning and experiencing the culture of another country”, said Yerdon. “We all learned more on the trip then we ever could have in the classroom”.

Students Luke Millar and Sara Kelsey reiter-ated Yerdon’s sentiments in regards to the experi-ence and learning hands on about the culture, food and regions of Italy. “The whole trip was amazing”,

said Millar, adding that the group not only learned about Italy but about each other during the 10-day trip. “We learned to ap-preciate what we have at home”, said Kelsey. “They take the time to enjoy life, rather than running from one thing to another”.

The food and tourism aspects of the trip were the main focus for the group, and they didn’t leave Italy disappointed. “The attention to detail they put in preparing their food is unbelievable”, said Yerdon.

“They make things that we buy already prepared from scratch. Everything was done so differently than we are used to over here”, added Millar.

The group has built a bond after their time together that has carried over into their everyday

lives. “Most of us weren’t close friends before the trip. We became friends and will

now always share a com-mon bond”, said Kelsey.

The program has already

begun plans to prepare for next year’s trip to New York City.

From TISS to Italy – sharing tastes and learning cultureBy Austin de LuisObserver Editor

Students from Brockville Collegiate Institute dom-inated the St. Lawrence region during this year’s Reach for the Top playoffs, an annual trivia-testing challenge held at BCI last Friday afternoon. Both the junior and senior teams took top honours by de-feating St. Mary Catholic High School, by a score of 310-300, and Seaway District High School 220-190, respectively. A total of nine Leeds and Grenville schools took part in the senior competition, with six involved in the junior matches. The junior winner will have bragging rights and the senior team moves on to the provincial finals in Toronto in May.

Reach for the Top Brockville Collegiate

Junior Team (top photo)

From left to right-Back Row-Brandon McEachern, Justin Fairbanks, Nick Shepard, and Brie Fraser. Bottom Row-Helen Wang, Vasha Doguparty, and Sarah Shires.

Reach for the Top Brockville Collegiate

Senior Team(bottom photo)

RFTT senior team poses with their traditional cham-pionship trophy bowl filled with Smarties. From left to right-Back Row-Leah Collett, Dana Fan, and Jeffrey ToltenBottom Row- Cherry Weng, Kendal Rooney,Emily Townshend, Stephanie Feltmate, and coach, Tara Campbell. (Missing from photo is co-coach, Jackie Gardiner)

ERIN CHRISTIE PHOTOS

BCI dominates Reach for the Top playoffs

Building product manufacturers have come a long way

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“Synthetic products are a huge advancement for the building industry,” says Mark Clement, con-tractor and host of MyFix-ItUpLife radio show. “In particular, products like DaVinci Roofscapes slate and shake roofing tiles are made of polymer and have a 50-year warranty. And, fiberglass doors, ur-ethane millwork and vinyl windows are all great ex-amples of products con-structed for low-mainten-ance ease combined with very impressive product warranties -- plus they look great!”

If you’re constructing a new home, start by paying special atten-tion to the basement. By requesting precast wall panels you can add valu-able living space to your home. Superior Walls ( w w w. s u p e r i o r w a l l s .com) offers Xi insulated concrete wall systems that are custom created for homeowners and in-stalled in less than 24

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Moving up the house, vinyl windows are crafted for maximum energy ef-ficiency and low main-tenance. One manufac-turer, Simonton Windows (www.simonton.com), offers a limited lifetime warranty for their durable products. Vinyl windows and doors offer excellent thermal performance for year-round comfort and

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Select a fiberglass entryway system married with urethane millwork and you’ve chosen more building products meant to last. Therma-Tru Doors (www.therma-tru.com) offers a wide variety of reliable, energy-efficient fiberglass door systems. Each door is constructed of durable fiberglass with a polyurethane foam core, can be ordered ENERGY STAR qualified and provides five times the insulation of a wood door. Best of all, fiber-glass doors will not rot, split or crack, plus they will not rust, dent or ding.

Page 10 WEDNESDAY, APRIL 13, 2011 THE OBSERVER

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CONSTRUCTION continues on page 10

The challenge in choosing exterior colour is to find the

right balance between standing out and fitting in.

Often the biggest col-our decisions have been made by the time you get to choosing exterior paint colours: the brick, the stone elements, and your roof. To help you see these materials as colours, match each of them to a paint chip. This is a quick and effective aid to de-veloping your home’s ex-terior palette. Add a paint chip for the roof and you are ready to go.

Next, choose your main trim colour, and when you do, be ex-tremely wary of white. There is very little white in nature so stark white can look artificial and in-elegant. Be sure that any whites you use are what designers call “toned” whites. These look off–white or warm grey as paint chips but will still look very white against brick and stone. They’re softer and more pleasing to the eye.

Make the laws of colour perception work for you when assigning colours to the architectural fea-tures of your home. Light things grab our attention and they also tend to look big (which is why some of us favour black work-out clothing). Take stock of your facade and assign the brightest trim colour to its most attractive trim features, such as decora-tive mouldings, window sashes, brackets, and col-umns.

If you want to calm your façade then the rule of thumb is to reduce contrast. Tone down your trim with natural–looking neutrals in a deeper range of colours.

Make the details you want to be less visible recede with a warm off–black. These shadow col-ours help create harmony in your palette.

Sometimes, toning down unattractive fea-

tures won’t be enough. To make utility doors, down–pipes and truly un-sightly things disappear, you need outright camou-flage. Use the colour that you matched to your main building material (brick, siding), as the colour for all ugly things.

Dramatic or eye–catch-ing accent colours should always be used sparing-ly. The front door – the welcome to your home – should be prominent, so this is where you can break loose.

If you prefer a mono-chromatic palette, add

drama by choosing a real-ly dark door colour which will look handsome in a gloss finish.

Generally, there are three rules for garage doors: Always avoid bright colours. Always avoid high contrast with the domin-ant colour in your palette. Never match them to your front door.

For shutters, you need to choose between blend-ing them in and making them pop. To blend, use your shadow neutral. For pop, match your shutters to your door colour. This will draw more attention to your home so be sure your façade is up to it.

Invest in the highest–quality exterior paint you can afford. Painting the exterior is expensive, or time–consuming – usu-ally, both. Look for an ex-terior paint that’s backed by the strongest warranty you can find. At a pre-mium of about $10 to $15 per gallon over standard exterior paints, this is a modest incremental in-vestment set to deliver a big return.

www.newscanada.com

THE OBSERVER WEDNESDAY, APRIL 13, 2011 Page 11

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Backed by a limited life-time warranty, these doors create the tightest seal possible, creating an ener-gy-efficient envelope that stabilizes interior temper-atures and helps decrease the home’s energy costs.

While all areas of a home’s exterior can take a beating from severe weather and harmful ultraviolet rays, the roof is easily the building prod-uct that is most subjected to the elements. To make sure your roof overhead can protect your family and home, investigate the benefits of polymer roof-ing tiles.

“The DaVinci slate roofing tiles on my home

resist fire, impact, wind and other weather con-ditions,” says Clement. “These tiles have their col-ors blended completely throughout each piece and will resist fading over time because of the UV protection built into each tile.

All of these products are a sound investment for a new home and when remodeling an older, cher-ished home. Doing your research up front to find the best products in the marketplace will result in many savings - on long-term maintenance, utility costs and repair or pre-mature product replace-ment.

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Choose and match exterior colours on your home

But they’re playable

Waiting for grass to grow isn’t every bodies favorite past time and neither is sloshing about on wet golf courses, but while course conditions are a shade different from their usual green-ish hue, it hasn’t stopped hundreds of golfers from enjoying an early start to their favorite sport.

Mild weather and good drainage has allowed golf courses to easily absorb the usual spring thaw. And some courses, that use permeable covers to protect their greens from the harshness of winter, are in great condition.

This is in no small measure to the dedica-tion and education of the superintendents and their staff. The world of golf has undergone many changes in the past three decades and nowhere is this more evident than in the realm of the turf grass industry.

Golfers, not only the “well heeled” members of private clubs, want plush fairways and smooth greens to play on. They have been spoiled by the usual course conditions and have come to ex-pect an environment that is not only esthetically pleasing to the eyes but also with fewer insects.

This is in large part to the research and edu-cation that have made turf grass management into a sophisticated sci-ence. With better under-standing and greater communication, super-intendents have more information available to

combat problems when they arise and the means to repair them. It has also brought about a change in attitude in dealing with chemicals.

No longer is there an indiscriminate use of pesticides. Instead, for example, to control the insect population, many clubs have turned to nature by installing bat boxes. And as word spreads of their success more are doing the same.

Many of today’s super-intendents define them-selves as environment-alist, horticulturist or simply as turf grass man-agers. While some golf course architects have described them as pro-tectors of architectural integrity and design. Al-though one could almost

categorize them as “Cur-ators of Nature,” because, after all, isn’t it natures own beauty that they are trying to enhance and protect.

A leading authority on the indiscriminate use of pesticides is Dr. Thom-as Watscheke of Penn State University, who de-scribed it this way, “Pesti-cides are dose related. Like (table) salt, without any you are a corps, too

much and you are almost a corps, but in the right proportion, you will re-main healthy.”

In the hands of know-ledgeable people, chem-icals can be administered in the correct propor-tions with little danger to the environment. At the same time, overuse or abuse is simply a waste of money and does noth-ing to improve the condi-tions of the golf course.

Page 12 WEDNESDAY, APRIL 13, 2011 THE OBSERVER

The ObserverGOLF

Ph: 613-342-7122 or Toll Free 1-877-342-7122 Online Sales www.brockvilleartscentre.com

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New clients always welcome

Despite the possibil-ity of some inclement weather, the golf season in the region is fast com-ing upon us and it won’t be long before it will be in full swing. In prep-aration for the coming season, golfers should take care to ensure they give some thought to s t r e t c h i n g before hitting the links.

F o u l weather and poor condi-tioning can take a toll on golfers enjoy-ment of the game as well as lead to in-juries that might hinder your play-ing ability in the future. Dress appro-priately for the outdoor conditions and start a simple exercise routine that will allow you to limber up the muscles in your back and legs as well as your joints.

Toe touching, trunk twist, squats, and wrist flexing —that can be simply performed by holding a club straight in the air using your regu-lar grip and allowing it to fall slowly from side-to-side— all help the muscle of the body to stretch. These actions should be performed slowly and smoothly and should avoid any jerking action that might actually hurt rather than stretch the muscle.

At the range prior to making your tee time, take some mini swings using your wedge or higher numbered clubs (number 9, 8 or 7-iron) and ease your way up to a driver. No one would begin running a mara-thon, knowing the strain it will exert on your body, well, taking a driv-er and using a full swing to hit the ball can cause you needless aches and pains.

Another thing you should be aware of, if after hitting golf balls at a practice facility or on a golf course you feel pain, it usually indicates that you might be holding the club incorrectly or even over swinging.

The golf swing should be a fluid motion that allows the club-head to make contact with the

ball in the course of its action. The hands play a very im-portant role in your abil-ity to strike the ball. Too much or too little grip pressure can cause the ball to go in a var-iety of direc-tions.

N i n e t y percent of

all swing-faults can be traced back to the way a golfer holds the club rather than any other particular action that takes place. The hands are the only link to the club, so it goes that more slices or pushed shot (the ball turning away from where the golfer is standing) and hooks or pulled shots (turning toward the position of the golfer) are directly linked to grasping the club.

While many golfers pay little mind to the way they hold the club, they would do wise to give it more attention. Reading instructional books from the local li-brary or a visit to their local professional to get some assistance in this regard should help.

With your hands in a good position on the club, you will surprise yourself at how much freer and faster the club-head will move through the impact zone. This will lead to longer shots with higher trajectory while giving you a smoother swing with less likelihood of injury.

Loosen up for enjoyment

By Tim McKeownObserver Contributer

Too much or too

little grip pressure

can cause the ball

to go in a variety of

directions.

Golf courses aren’t 40 shades of green

Here is a creed that a retired superintendent had printed on the back of his business cards. It describes simply how he viewed his work and what it meant to the environment.

“Oxygen Giver”• A blade of grass. It has no moving parts. Yet in its growth

process, it takes polluting gases from the air and returns pure oxygen.

• The sturdier the plant the more the purification. In fact, actively growing on a plot 25-feet square releases enough oxygen to sustain life day after day for a grown person.

• Every lawnmower is making a worthy contribution of life-sustaining greenery.

THE OBSERVER WEDNESDAY, APRIL 13, 2011 Page 13

The ObserverBRAVES

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Donations AcceptedFree Admission

Braves Kenny Matheson and Justin Gilbert will be two key returning players for next year, as the team looks forward to next season. PHOTOS BY AUSTIN DE LUIS

The Brockville Braves capped off a good season, where the team finished third overall in the CJHL in what was supposed to be a rebuilding year after losing 12 quality players from the year before.

Brockville entered the season having lost their entire first line, their top five scorers, their starting goalkeeper and a handful of veteran defensemen. The rebuilding process, which begins during the season, was a daunting task for the coaching and scouting staff. “We knew we had several quality players to replace for the upcoming season”, said Head Coach Todd Gill about recruitment head-ing into the 2010-2011 season. “The scouting staff did an exceptional job finding players that were ready to step right into the league”.

It was a good year con-sidering the loss of sev-eral all-stars and a total personnel changeover of 12 players. The team still battled for the league’s

regular season title and finished the year with over 90 points, amass-ing a record of 44-15-0-3, eventually bowing out to a tough Cornwall Colt squad in the semi-finals of the playoffs. “I’m very happy with all the team accomplished this sea-son”, said Gill. “We did feel that we could have gone even further, but the team should be proud of the season they had”.

The Braves open their prospects camp this com-ing weekend and will be looking to replace their eight graduating players from this season. The camp currently has over 60 players attending.

The core group of play-ers are returning, starting with both goaltenders; Justin Gilbert and William Betts. Figuring out who is the starter will be a tough job, but a problem that any coach would gladly accept.

Sebastien Gingras and Scott Dawson will lead the returning defence-men, with Adam Strumas, Shane Riddell, and John Keane shoring up the blueline.

Up front leading scorer and MVP Maxime Du-mond along with veterans David Roy, Mike Skakum, Matt Chartrain, Kenny Matheson, Chris Roll, Anthony Bada and James Keane give Brockville a solid front line that in-cludes scoring, toughness and grit.

Scouting this summer has a different purpose than last year, with the staff looking for pieces to

fill in some gaps rather than replacing the biggest positions. “We have six spots open at this point”, said Gill, adding that the team has several highly touted prospects that will be evaluated over the coming months to gauge their progress.

After the prospects camp this weekend, the coaching staff will be preparing for their sum-mer camp, which will

be held in July, just over one month before official training camp begins.

The Brockville Braves are looking for billet fam-ilies for the upcoming

season. Anyone inter-ested in billeting players can contact Krista Gill at 613.213.3270 or email brockvillebraves@ripnet.com.

Solid returning core for Braves next seasonBy Austin de LuisObserver Editor

Scott Dawson and William Betts are two of Brockville’s returning veterans for the 2011-2012 season.

Page 14 WEDNESDAY, APRIL 13, 2011 THE OBSERVER

The ObserverCOMMUNITY

The 4th annual Yo-gathon had a great turn-out on Saturday, bring-ing in roughly $3,000 for Loaves and Fishes, with over 240 total partici-pants. The event, held at Premier Fitness included several classes from dif-ferent instructors for all levels of experience and age.

Organizations Whit-nee Denard-Paul, Dan de Luis, and Julie Morel thanked their supporters who donated facilities, door prizes, silent auc-tion items and their time to make the event a true success. “We were ex-tremely pleased with the turnout. The support ex-ceeded all expectations”, said de Luis.

Choosing Loaves and Fishes, a local restau-rant that offers meals for the less fortunate was an obvious choice for the group. “Loaves and Fishes feeds the people of Brockville and the surrounding area, so we knew that all money raised would be going to people who are close to us and it would effect the community of Brockville directly”, said Denard-Paul.

The event has grown substantially since its beginning in 2008. Last year’s numbers saw less than 100 participants and less than half the money raised in this year’s fund-raiser. “The turnout was unbelievable”, said Den-ard-Paul. “It’s amazing how much people can accomplish when they come together for a good cause”.

Maria Radha D’Costa gathers a group of yoginis for a pose during the kids class on Saturday afternoon at Premier Fitness. PHOTO BY AUSTIN DE LUIS

Yoga charity event a

huge success

ReprintsGet your favourite

photos printedfrom the Observer

Call 925-4265

5x7 $10tax included

8x10 $15tax included

By Austin de LuisObserver Editor

Call 613-342-8777

THE OBSERVER WEDNESDAY, APRIL 13, 2011 Page 15

The ObserverJUST FOR FUN

crossword

LIBRA - Sept 23/Oct 23 Libra, opportunities to further your

education present themselves in the coming days. Think about these opportunities carefully before making any decisions.

SCORPIO - Oct 24/Nov 22 Scorpio, until you settle down, expect

your finances to be in a bit of disarray. It may be good to sit down with a planner and work through the bigger issues.

SAGITTARIUS - Nov 23/Dec 21 Unless you open up to others, you

won’t be making many friends this week. Try to explore other opportunities for socialization, Sagittarius. It could get lonely.

CAPRICORN - Dec 22/Jan 20 There’s more to you than you let

others see, Capricorn. Sometimes leaving a little mystery can be a good thing. But don’t let it get in the way of relationships.

AQUARIUS - Jan 21/Feb 18 Don’t hold out on someone who

has been counting on you, Aquarius. When you look at your schedule, you will find you have time to fit everything in.

PISCES - Feb 19/Mar 20 You may have to do a little damage

control, Pisces. This week simply swallow your pride and get things done.

SEE PAGE 17 FOR ANSWERS

WorD search- Arthritis -

ARIES - Mar 21/Apr 20 Aries, it’s hard to concentrate this

week but you have to try to devote your attention to the task at hand. Avoid distractions and focus on the job that needs to be done.

TAURUS - Apr 21/May 21 Taurus, you’re itching for a change

but you don’t know whether it should be a career change or a change in location. Think it over a little more.

GEMINI - May 22/Jun 21 Gemini, a cloud of uncertainty

is looming over an important relationship. There’s no surefire way to know if this person is a keeper. You can only hang in there.

CANCER - Jun 22/Jul 22 Cancer, just when you thought you

had your mind made up something changes your entire line of thinking. Embrace this new line of thought.

LEO - Jul 23/Aug 23 Leo, return to your comfort zone to

ease some nerves and concerns. Take a calm, methodical approach to life this week and reap the rewards.

VIRGO - Aug 24/Sept 22 Virgo, take some time to yourself the

next few days because the coming days figure to be hectic. It’s time to start thinking about a vacation.

CLUES ACROSS1. Gibbon, e.g.4. Ballet step7. Earth’s center11. Fish bait15. Zilch16. Attorneys’ group:

abbr.17. Peak18. Bligh’s direction19. Unbeliever21. Highway vehicle22. Carson’s

predecessor23. Hearing-related24. Flit about26. Smother28. Work for nine30. Wire thickness31. Editor’s word32. Apparel35. Long gun39. Thin, crisp biscuit42. Long time period44. Vermin45. Small sword46. Doc48. Among49. Black, to poets50. Fantasize52. “Casino” action53. Parakeet’s

enclosure54. Eyeshade55. Tarry57. Make ____ of58. Banquet59. River mammal60. Composition62. Hermit66. 2002, e.g.

68. Old, decrepit horse

69. Large in capability

74. Virtuous77. Mimicking bird79. Hold up80. Aggravate81. Clinton’s VP84. Performing86. Fan’s favorite87. Spoonbill’s kin88. Sturgeon’s

output89. Animal skin90. Type of meat91. Deep breath92. Have a sub93. Steward offering

CLUES DOWN1. Negatively

charged atom2. Mottled3. Tiny and delicate4. Slangy abode5. Retired6. Deli purchase7. Medieval fortress8. Ajar, in poetry9. Unit of radiation10. Live11. Elk12. Norwegian ruler13. Factual14. Scant20. Crystallized water25. Raised border27. Gull’s cousin

29. Sycamore, e.g.31. Beer mug33. Show up34. Lowest point36. Outskirts37. Following38. Anesthetic39. Ohio River

tributary40. Highest point41. Dandy43. Spotted wildcat45. Edit again46. Laser’s kin47. Freud’s concern48. Need51. Headdress56. Piece of news58. Shoe occupants61. Me63. Tangle64. Come what ____65. Disregard67. Protection70. Suited to the

occasion71. Special skill72. Villain73. Met production74. Grain storage bin75. ____-and-go-

seek76. Healing succulent

plant78. Sulawesi ox82. Geisha’s sash83. Apparatus85. Defeat a bridge

contract

Page 16 WEDNESDAY, APRIL 13, 2011 THE OBSERVER

The ObserverCOMMUNITY

By Jeff Morris

Big Brothers and Big Sisters of Leeds and Gren-ville has officially opened its new office in Kempt-ville.

The expansion of Big Brothers and Big Sisters of Leeds and Grenville was made possible by a $127,600 grant form the Ontario Trillium Founda-tion. The new office, lo-cated in the North Gren-ville Municipal Centre, will service youths in North Grenville, Edwards-burgh and Merrickville, and will take pressure off the organization’s Brock-ville office.

Representatives from Big Brothers and Big Sis-ters of Leeds and Gren-ville, along with Leeds-Grenville MPP Steve

Clark, Betsy Heately of the Ontario Trillium Founda-tion, and Councillor Terry Butler were on hand for the official opening.

“I’m delighted to an-nounce the Ontario Tril-lium Foundation has pro-vided this grant to assist Big Brothers Big Sisters of Leeds and Grenville in expanding its services into this rapidly growing part of my riding,” said Clark. “The great work of Big Brothers Big Sisters is going to make a positive difference in the lives of children and families in North Grenville, Edwards-burgh and Merrickville.”

The funding from OTF will be used over the next two years to increase ac-cess to mentoring support services for children and youth in the North Gren-

ville area by establishing the new satellite office in Kemptville. The new of-fice and staff will create a stable source of commun-ity support for their men-toring programs.

“Having an office and staff in Kemptville will enable our agency to do a more effective job of recruiting volunteers to mentor children,” said Jane Fullarton Executive Director of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Leeds and Grenville. “We are thank-ful for the Ontario Tril-lium Foundation’s com-mitment to supporting children’s programming in North Grenville and area.”

For more information please visit their website www.mentoringmatters.ca.

The ribbon was cut at the new Big Brothers Big Sisters location in Kemptville this past week.

Green Conference& Trade ShowThursday, April 21, 2011

11:30 am - 4:30 pmSt. Lawrence College

Presented by Brockville and District Chamber of Commerce and1000 Islands Region Workforce Development Board

Lunch and Keynote address with Harry French, OSEA 11:30 amMembers $25 – Non-members $30. To register call (613)342-6553

Mini-Presentations and Trade Show throughout the dayBusiness After 5 – Green Trade Show 5pm-7pm

All Candidates Meeting

Monday, April 18, 20117:00 pm - 9:00 pm

Brockville Arts CentrePresented in association with the City of Brockville

Gord Brown, Mary Slade, Marjory Loveys, Matthew Gabriel

All welcome | No charge

Sponsors: The Observer, 104.9 JRFM, Procter and Gamble,St. Lawrence College, Ricoh Canada, Four-O-One Electric, Hendrix

Big Brothers and Big Sisters officially open Kemptville office

LOCATED IN THE HEART OF HISTORIC BROCKVILLE

• Giant Garage Sale - Brockville General Hospital Auditorium. Friday, April 15, 8:00 am-3:00 pm.

• Jason’s Marauders Breakfast - Sunday, April 17th, 9-noon. Grenville Snowmobile Club, 4901 Charleville Road, of Maynard. All Proceeds to Juvenile Diabetes Research. Everyone Welcome, plan to attend.

• Brockville Cycles. Alan Medcalf will speak at the Brockville Climate Action Group meeting, Sunday, April 17 at 2 pm at the Brockville Public Library. 613 345-2712.

• All Candidates Meeting, Monday, April 18, 7-9:00 pm. Brockville Arts Centre. Presented in association with the City of Brockville. Candidates participating: Gord Brown, Mary Slade, Marjory Loveys, Matthew Gabriel. All welcome, no charge.

• Film Brockville is presenting its 8th movie of the 2011 season, director Mike Leigh’s latest endeavor, Another Year. Our film is showing at the Galaxy Cinema on Wednesday, April 20th at 7:00 pm. For more information check out our website at www.filmbrockville.ca

• Green Conference and Trade Show - Thursday, April 21, 11:30 am-4:30 pm. St. Lawrence College. Presented by Brockville and District Chamber of Commerce & 1000 Islands Region Workforce Development Board. Lunch and Keynote address with Harry French, OSEA 11:30 am. To register call 613-342-6553. Mini-Presentations and Trade Show throughout the day.

• The Great Cloth Diaper Change - Help set the world record for the number of cloth diapers changed simultaneously! 12 noon, Saturday, April 23 at the Brockville Public Library. A great chance to try cloth diapers. Door Prizes and more. For more information & to register, go to www.bumsawaydiapers.com or call Kristie at 613-213-8685

• Multicultural Festival. Brockville Memorial Centre. Friday, April 29, 5-11 pm. Saturday, April 30, 11 am-10 pm. www.brockvillemulticulturalfestival.com

• Rummage Sale - Saint Lawrence Anglican Church, 80 Pine St, Brockville. Saturday, April 30th, 9-11:30 am. Men’s, ladies, children’s clothing, dishes & small household items, plus books and many more items.

• St. Paul’s United Church, Prescott. Spring Smorgasbord supper Tuesday, May 3, 4-6 pm. Tickets or information 613-925-5629.

• St. Vincent de Paul Hospital, Brockville Annual Luncheon will be held on Wednesday, May 4th at C.J’s Banquet Hall, Chelsea St, Brockville. Social Hour - 11:30 am. Lunch at 12:30 pm. RSVP to 613-342-5515 before April 28th.

• Saturday, May 7, 8:30 to noon Annual Spring Rummage Sale and Flea Market at Athens United Church (beside ADHS).

• Sunday, May 8, 7:00 pm “Faithful Friends” old-time country gospel and sing-a-long at Athens United Church. Tickets available at the door. Bring Mom for a fun musical evening.

• Shout Sister Community Women’s Choir meets every Wednesday in Brockville from 7 to 9 pm. New members always welcome. Please visit http://shoutsister.georgettefry.ca for more information.

• Brockville and Area YMCA Hot Lunches, 345 Park Street, Brockville. Every Wednesday 11:30 am-1:00 pm. January 12-June 8. Different cooks, different menus each week. Take-out available. Info: www.brockvilley.com or 613-342-7961 x30.

• Birthday Parties at the Brockville and Area YMCA. Make your child’s birthday extra special at the Y! This 2-hour party includes a specially decorated room, fun activities, meal of choice and one hour of pool or gym time. Available Friday evenings, Saturday and Sunday afternoons. For more information call 613-342-7961 or go to www.brockvilley.com

• Open Mic with Robert Graham featuring Robert Graham on piano, singers from St Lawrence College Music Theatre Program and special guests. EVERY Friday night at Buds on the Bay 8:30 pm to 12:30 am. More info at www.robertgraham.org

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“Your Highness”, the new stoner-fantasy-comedy starring Danny McBride, James Franco and Natalie Portman, is one of the worst movies I have seen in years. It is so bad, that it makes Sky-line, the last movie I se-verely trashed, look like high art.

The movie opens, as do so many fantasy films, with a disembod-ied narrator reciting the kingdom’s history from a large leather-bound book. The story is about two brothers. Fabious (Franco) is a knight who embarks on winning adventures. Thadeous (McBride) is a lout, who hangs around the castle, chasing skirt and getting high. The story is going to put the brothers on a great quest to stop an evil wizard who intends to sacrifice a virgin in exchange for ultimate power. The setup sounds great, but sadly promises so much more than this movie delivers.

“Your Highness” is directed by David Gor-don Green, (Pineapple Express). The screenplay is written by Danny Mc-Bride, one of the stars of Green’s last film, who is also one of the executive producers. As he is also the star of “Your High-ness” I am guessing that this was his chance to prove to himself and the world that he could play a leading man. This mis-take should haunt him for the rest of his life. Ego, pot, and delusion are a dangerous mix.

James Franco, coming off one of the worst Oscar hosting jobs in history, has hit another all-time low. When we first see him as Fabious, he has just come back to court from another success-ful quest, bringing with him his rescued bride-to-be and the head of a

Cyclops. All is well until he opens his mouth. He recites his bad dialogue with a terrible accent that is just not funny. For just under two hours the audience is subjected to the torture of having to see Franco embarrass himself over and over again.

Natalie Portman is the only saving grace in an otherwise abysmal waste of time. She shows up half-way during the proceedings as a woman on a life-long quest to avenge the death of her family at the hands of an evil wizard. She plays the role straight, which adds the only real hu-mor to the movie. She is young, beautiful, and a killer with both the bow and the blade. She gets the only real laughs as her dialogue and actions seems so incongruous to the small woman she is. When she talks of re-venge, the scenarios that pour off her tongue are intended to shock; and shock they do.

The movie is a fan-tasy quest, peopled with dwarves, evil witches and a wizard, sword wielding knights, and half-naked maidens. Even though the editing was terrible, and the fight scenes all came off as messy blurs, I found many of the special effects quite

impressive. There is a scene where our intrepid heroes find themselves trapped in an arena, fighting off a five headed snake monster from the sand. This looked like a tip of the hat to the stop-motion animation work of Ray Harryhausen. There was another scene where the heroes take on a Minotaur in a laby-rinth. This also worked quite well as the monster looked incredibly real.

“Your Highness” is a dog of a film that should have never seen the light of day. It fails as both a fantasy film and a stoner comedy. There are so many great films in both genres that have stood the test of time and de-serve to be seen. For fan-tasy comedy, check out “The Princess Bride”. For stoner classics, check out the “Harold and Kumar” films and “Pineapple Express”. If you see one movie this week, skip “Your Highness” and see anything else. You’ll be happy you did.

Page 18 WEDNESDAY, APRIL 13, 2011 THE OBSERVER

The ObserverFILM

Tickets & Performances at Brockville Arts Centre

613-342-7122www.brockvilleartscentre.com

The Nylons

Sat.June 118:00 pm

AlexCubaThurs.

June 168:00 pm

The best small jazz

festival in

Canada

Presented by

HAVE YOU HEARD OF LEEDS & GRENVILLE’S BEST KEPT SECRET?

Mackenzie’sLawn Care Services

– –

Your Highness an abysmal waste of timeVIEW FROM THE OUTSIDE

by Tom Allnutt

Your Highness, directed by David Gordon Green, stars Danny McBride as Thadeous, the loutish younger brother to Fabious (James Franco). Together they embark on a rescue mission to save Belladon-na (Zooey Deschanel) and meet Natalie Portman, the avenging warrior, on the way.

THE OBSERVER WEDNESDAY, APRIL 13, 2011 Page 19

We thank our board and volunteers as well as all other volunteers on

this National Volunteer Week!

We couldn’t do it without you!

Youth Volunteer Corps of Brockville

Computers for Job Success

105 Strowger Blvd., Brockville613-498-2111

www.employmentbrockville.comwww.eecentre.com

Employment and Education Centre

About Volunteer WeekThe theme for National Volunteer Week 2011 is Volunteers: Passion. Action. Impact. “In 2011, we want to highlight the true contribution of volunteers in our society,” states Ruth MacKen-zie, President & CEO, Volunteer Canada. “Canada’s 12.5 million volunteers are agents of social change and their effort, skills and time serve as the foundation for all community services.”

“Volunteers are coaches, mentors, advocates, activists, champions, administrative staff, board members, disaster relief workers, firefighters and so much more,” says MacKenzie. “Volunteer Canada is proud to say thank you to these incredible Canadians and we look for-ward to celebrating their work during National Volunteer Week.”

National Volunteer Week is a week-long celebration whereby registered charities, not-for-profit organizations and volunteer centres pause to thank and recognize their volunteers. National Volunteer Week takes place April 10-16, 2011.

The event was originally developed in 1943 as a volunteer recruitment effort to enlist women for wartime voluntary service. In the late 1960s, National Volunteer Week was revived and has since grown to engage volunteer-involving organizations from coast to coast to coast.

Thank your VolunteersNational Volunteer Week is a Canada-wide celebration during which to thank our Volunteers. Countless organizations salute their Volunteers during this week-long event. The Mayor’s Walk is a perfect opportunity for organizations to piggy-back their event and say Thank You to deserving volunteers.

Page 20 WEDNESDAY, APRIL 13, 2011 THE OBSERVER

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Rick Beer, Agent

522 King Street West

Brockville, ON K6V 3T2

Bus: 613-342-9076

rick.beer.j13s@statefarm.com