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Share your prom memories and photos with our readers

I’ve been to three proms, and they just keep getting better. The first time was 15 years ago at South Huron District High School, and it was fun, but nothing like the year after. That year, I got to have dinner with my best friends (see photo at right), get my hair poofed back (okay, it always looked that way), and win Student of the Year honours.
Last year was my third time at a prom, this time taking photos for the Haliburton newspaper. I spent many hours following a group of young adults as they celebrated their year and the future. That night resulted in two newspaper awards, and I helped preserve memories for people in that community.
I would love to hear what your prom memories are. If you are still with your high school sweetheart and have made it work after all these years, send me a photo of your prom (it wil l be returned if it’s on paper – call me if you need me to pick it up in person) and tell me about your memories.

Casey Lessard
Publisher/Editor

Keeping the peace
By Tom Lessard, former UN peacekeeper

I was over in Cyprus in 1970 for a six-month tour. I was with the Delta Company, 1 RCR. I came off the outpost – I had been on the night shift – and I had a couple sandwiches and went into the shack, which was a bombed out schoolhouse. And my buddy Freddy is there and he’s down and out. Right out of it. I asked what was wrong and Freddy says, “Well, somebody stole my wallet.”
I said, “What was in it?” and he said 15 pounds. Fifteen pounds was a lot of money in those days, but his ID card and all his other stuff was in it, too, so I said, “Well what are you doing with it?”
He said the red caps are out looking for it – that’s the British military police. I said, “Well, I’ll go out and see what they’re doing.”
I found them and they were at our outhouse – a three-holer. I said, “Well, did you find the wallet?” and they said, “Yep.” Shone the flashlight down and said, “There it is right there.”
I looked down and said, “Well, are you going down to get it?” They said “No, we’re not getting the d@3^ thing… you want it, you go down and get it yourself.” So I said “All right.”
I went and got four guys, 50’ of rope, I got my respirator, and we took the seat cover off – it’s a corrugated box about 20×20x20 – and two guys got on one side of the wall and two other guys – one on each side of the hole – and we tied a rope around my feet. I had stripped down to my shorts and had just the respirator and a flashlight. They tied my feet and lifted me over the hole. I went down in and as I got past the corrugated steel, I hollered out, “Anybody else down here?”
Well, for Pete’s sake, they started laughing so much they dropped the rope. But I saw the wallet and as I went kerplush, I grabbed the wallet in my hand.
They hauled me out of there and as I got out it must have been 80 or 85 degrees anyway. As soon as they got me out, they just left me and took off. They couldn’t stand the stink and the sight of it.
So I undid the ropes, I called out for Freddy, gave him his wallet, he grabbed it, took his ID card out and threw it right back down in.
I went down to the canteen, which is right at the bottom of the building in the basement. I went in and had a couple of beer and everybody took off. Then I went and had a few showers and that was the end of that.
Six months later our time was up and they do an assessment. Sgt. Ivy, who was my platoon sergeant, wrote down under Tom Lessard: ”Volunteers to get himself in sh!t.”

Were you in the military? We’re sure you have at least one story to tell about your time that others would love to read.
Write us a letter (Box 218, Grand Bend, N0M 1T0), send us an
e-mail (use link at top or bottom of page), or call us (519-614-3614).

Interests
Politics (life-long Liberal), Hollywood memorabilia (her late husband got her interested in Marilyn Monroe), reading (“we have a tremendous library here”) and being active (Grace does aerobics three times a week, golfs, and walks Ivy Mist). Grace also heats meals for Lambton Elderly Outreach.

How she met her husband
I went to a Liberal convention in the 50s by myself and that’s where I met Bill Bragg; he was a reporter for the Toronto Star. Someone introduced me because I didn’t know anyone. We went to lunches together, then to meetings, then we went swimming together.
A week after I got home to Hamilton, I got a letter. It was from Vauxhall Drive in Scarborough. I didn’t open it because I had just bought a Vauxhall and I thought it was an ad.
Then about a week later, I got a call from Bill and he asked whether I got his letter. I said, “Oh!” and then I read it.
We were married September 15, 1959. Bill was originally from St. Mary’s so he knew this area. We started bringing the kids here. We had a cottage for years and we sold it when I retired at 55. He was 60. That was 20 years ago.

Can’t beat the Bend
I love Grand Bend because we can walk to anything we need. Everything is handy. I walk to the beach. It’s just so calming. You don’t have to be bored here. It’s a great community.

Exercise has been a big help
I had a mini-stroke four years ago. I’ve had jaw, breast and colon cancer. The benefits of exercise have been really good for my health problems. I feel quite good now.

Compiled by Rita Lessard

Natural flea busters
How it all Vegan cookbook
Brewer’s yeast: 1 tsp or 1 tablet a day. Note: some animals are allergic to brewer’s yeast; watch for itchy patches. Consult your vet.
Garlic: Most animals love garlic when mixed with food.
Calendula ointment or oil: An excellent repellent that helps with itching.
Vinegar: A ratio of 1 tsp of vinegar to 4 cups of water in their drinking water helps keep your pets free of fleas and ticks.

Flea Pet Spray
This spray is a natural way to eliminating fleas that is not harmful to humans, pets or the environment.
1/4 tsp eucalyptus or wintergreen essential oil
1 cup water
Add oil to spray bottle filled with water.

Spray your house with a fine mist – the carpet, furniture, car, pet’s beds – everywhere. Fleas hate the aroma and run for cover. Spraying your pet is also a great idea. Spray areas three times a week all year round, but especially during summer, the peak flea season.

Stress busters
Do your best, then stop – Maybe somebody else could do better, but don’t worry about that. Realize that sometimes your best is the best you can do. Don’t worry about what somebody else thinks.
View problems as opportunities – If you’re stressed out because of a problem, see it as an opportunity. For instance, whenever my husband needs me to do something, instead of seeing it as a stressful situation, I see it as an opportunity to help him.
Make someone laugh – Laughter is the best stress breaker, absolutely. If I’m laughing I’m not under stress, and it really is good for me and others. I like to make people laugh; it relieves my stress and it relieves theirs too.

Quotes of the week
Intelligence: Spotting a flaw in a boss’ character.
Wisdom: Not mentioning it.
- Vernon McLellan, Wacky Wit

You know how people always say the customer is always right? Well, after 35 years of serving the public, I can hardly wait to be a customer. Just to be right once.
- Rita Lessard

Teacher’s tenure equals half of Mt. Carmel school’s age

Story and Photos by Casey Lessard

“To come over the horizon on that highway, it’s just a great feeling. You’d think that would wear off after a while, but it hasn’t.”
Gloria Miotto Wilks is talking about her daily commute from north of London to Mt. Carmel, which she has made for the past 25 years. The senior staff member, Miotto Wilks has been a teacher at Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Catholic school for half of the school’s life.
“[I feel] very young;” she says, laughing. “Younger than 50! It definitely makes you think about time and time passing. But I’ve always thought about it very positively and it’s been a super positive experience. I don’t look at it as an aging thing. I look at it as fun and learning.”
Staff and students are preparing for the school’s 50th anniversary this weekend, with a special mass Sunday at the church followed by an open house at the school. It will be a chance for past students and staff to reminisce and talk about their time at the school with other guests. The occasion brings back fond memories of Miotto Wilks’ first trip to the school. Her first class was a 5/6 split, and she came prepared.
“I had come from Toronto and had done my student teaching in a very difficult area,” she recalls. “There were a lot of racial issues in the early 80s, and it left a very bad experience at my last teaching post. I came here thinking I’d better come in here charged. I remember I put my long hair into a bun to look older and sort of strict, and when I walked into the classroom, I had one of the most fantastic classes I’ve ever had and even looking at them now, they’ve done wonderful things. I let my hair down the second day.”
Fast forward 25 years, and Miotto Wilks is still learning every day. Technology funded by the government has helped the process along.
“In the last five years I probably learned as much or more than I did in the previous 20. The government has given us lots of money and our board has tapped into that for literacy and numeracy. In the last five years, the philosophy of teaching has changed. We always did new things to a certain extent, but philosophically the growth has been more in the past five years.”
After starting out with Commodore computers, “We now have two smart boards, we have a computer lab, and each classroom is outfitted with two computers. If I had to say an area where I’d like to grow, that would be it. As computers were coming to the fore, I was busy with my kids at home and I’m not a technical person by nature. There definitely is a place for it. The kids type their homework and do a lot of their research on it.”
Even such basics as the 3Rs have changed.
“When you were a little kid, a math book had a lot of numbers on the page and a lot of it was skill building and facts. Now, there are a few numbers, but much more problem solving types of activities. I know for parents it was a big learning curve for them to figure out what the question was asking. I’ve even had that problem as a teacher. We’re making kids more cognizant of the fact that they’re thinking. Reading is thinking, so I’ll stop in the middle of a lesson and ask, What are you thinking about? What have you asked yourself while you’re reading? Also a lot of sharing of ideas; a lot of group work. It’s not quiet anymore.”
Miotto Wilks has taught Grades 3 to 8 and had a French homeroom for nine years. But unexpected moments have created the fondest memories.
“I remember I met a boy in the mall – I taught music and not that great; I play the guitar. This boy came and stopped me, he’s now 20 and he graduated from Fanshawe and he came and hugged me. He said, ‘Remember teaching us Simon and Garfunkel songs, that was so cool! Whenever I play those songs as a DJ I think of you.’”
And Miotto Wilks will never tire of seeing her students succeed.
“I was teaching Grade 7/8 at the time, a very bright class, and one gal was awesome and two years ago I got an invite from her parents. They had a little graduation party at their family farm and they really wanted me to come. So I did and she was thrilled that I came. She wrote me a beautiful thank you note with a picture of her as a doctor in it.”
So with her own success translating to her students, what will she do for an encore? Although Miotto Wilks doesn’t keep track of the exact number, she could retire within the next 5-7 years.
“I am not one to sit around and not do much, so the thought of retiring makes me feel sad. I need to be busy, so I might volunteer with the men’s mission. I don’t know if I’ll supply or not. I think once I’m finished I might be finished. Doing nothing is not a choice for me.
“I love coming here every day. People ask me, Are you tired of it? I say, No, it’s a new day for me every day.”

50th anniversary

Our Lady of Mt. Carmel School, Mt. Carmel
Sunday, June 3
11 a.m. – Celebratory mass
12:30 p.m. – Open house

Contact: Principal Mike Bruneel
(519) 237-3337
http://mtcarmel.hpcdsb.edu.on.ca/

Mass
- Guests from school board speaking and local, provincial and federal governments presenting certificates

Open house: School open for community members, past students and staff to look around and reminisce
- Food available
- DJ playing music from 50s
- Photos from the beginnings to now on display
- Silent auction to help offset event costs

“There’s a lot of buzz about the event in the community. Most of the response has been from past students who are looking forward to coming back to the school. We’re looking forward to having the whole community come out and celebrate the past, present and future of the school.” – Mike Bruneel

Grand Bend Farmers’ Market launches dining partnership with local restaurants

This summer, when you eat at local restaurants you can choose to eat local produce as part of your meal. Each week one restaurant will feature a dish or dishes from the Simply in Season cookbook. The recipe used will feature a fruit or vegetable in season that week in our area, and your serving will contain produce grown locally.
For a list of participating restaurants, visit the farmers’ market Wednesday mornings or contact Doug Smaill at Huckleberries on Main Street in Grand Bend.
Each week’s participating restaurant and featured recipe will also be advertised in the pages of the Grand Bend Strip.

Take advantage of home-grown goodness at the market just east of the main strip

Grand Bend Farmers’ Market
Gill Road Parking Lot
Wednesdays until October
8 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Story and Photos by Casey Lessard

If you want a little taste of Europe, head to the Grand Bend Farmers’ Market Wednesday morning. Sure, there are no cobble stone streets, but the Gill Road parking lot market can easily compare for the quality of food products available for sale. Plus, you don’t have to fly all the way to Europe for the experience.
“I love it,” says Elaine Ste. Marie, who enjoys being reminded of her visits to farmers’ markets in Europe, where she lived for seven years. “Last year I must have bought flowers every week.”
Staying home is also good for the environment.
“All of this food product has traveled very little distance,” says Christine Bregman of the Health Nut, who was shopping for flowers. “There’s more food value in locally grown foods. If I have to choose, I choose local. Local organic is optimum. Local is next. Then organic after that.”
There’s also the direct benefit of buying from the grower.
“It’s a better profit for our farmers and neighbours,” she says, “and the fact is the quality is better.”
Expertise is also the market’s strong suit.
“I can tell people what variety of asparagus they’re buying,” says vendor Melody Arnhold. “Then there’s the advantage of incredible freshness – we picked this morning and are selling it today.”
Market manager Doug Smaill notes there are key economic benefits.
“A study was done by Farmers’ Markets of Ontario and found that for every dollar spent at a farmers’ market, $3 was spent in town on supplemental products. That might be a meal at a local restaurant or whipped cream for berries. Our farmers brought in $100,000 last year so we figure that translated into $300,000 for local businesses.”
This is the second year for the market, but already there are hopes it will become a permanent fixture with a roof over the vendors’ heads. That would help keep the food even fresher and prevent the vendors and customers from wilting, too. Anywhere from 700 to 1,000 visitors go through the market each week in the summer.

The basics

What is available: Fresh local produce, meats, flowers, honey, baked goods, organic products and some crafts.
Bring cash: no machines here, but ATMs nearby at TD Canada Trust or Bank of Montreal.
When to come: If you like it busy, 10:30 a.m. is the peak time. “The locals come here after getting their mail and going to the bank,” market manager Doug Smaill says. But if you want only the freshest food, get there bright and early. Some of the produce is picked that morning and brought straight to the market.

Casey makes these for me on Sunday mornings and I LOVE them! – Anjhela Michielsen
Adapted from How it All Vegan cookbook

1/2 cup rolled oats
3/4 cup cornmeal
3/4 cup flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 cup apple sauce
2 eggs or egg replacer equal to 2 eggs
1 1/2 cups milk or rice milk

In a large bowl, stir together the oat flakes, cornmeal, flour, baking powder, and cinnamon until evenly blended. Add the apple sauce, eggs, milk and stir until “just mixed.” For each pancake, pour 1/4 to 1/3 cup of batter onto a hot non-stick pan or a lightly oiled frying pan and cover with a lid. Let sit on medium heat until the centre starts to bubble and become sturdy. Flip pancake and cook other side until golden brown. Repeat process until all the batter is gone. Top with almond butter, apple butter and real maple syrup.

Makes eight pancakes, or enough for two healthy eaters.

Golf Tips
By Cameron Rankin

Most recreational golfers’ are rushing to the 1st tee from work after a short or long commute and they wonder why their round starts off so badly.
Golf course owners and operators throughout the world would ideally like all players to arrive 10 to 15 minutes before their tee-times. This gives you time to check in for your official tee-time and organize a golf cart rental if required, plus pay for your green fee etc.
Additionally if you could give yourself another 15 to 20 minutes before you tee-off you could hit a small bucket of range balls. Start by doing a few stretching exercises; some practice swings then start hitting some balls. Start with some short wedge shots to set your swing tempo for the day, then move to some fuller swings with some mid and long irons and if you have time finish off with some driver shots. Remember to leave time for some chip shots and putts to give you an idea of the pace of the greens for the day.
Give yourself this time and I guarantee you will start off your round with lower scores.

Cameron Rankin is a member of the CPGA and British PGA, and the head pro at Sand Hills Golf Resort between Port Franks and Thedford.