Fall golf is here!

Golf Tips
By Cameron Rankin

Fall is the best time of the year to play: the courses are quieter, the weather is cooler, course conditions are improving after an especially dry hot summer, and the green fees are usually less, so get your last few games in before the weather breaks.
Fall is a good time to take stock of your game and get ready for next season. I would check your equipment first. Grips are the first thing to look at. Worn grips or smooth grips will rob you of distance; look into replacing them or give them a good cleaning with Comet or Ajax (powder form). Remember to check that putter grip.
Regarding your game, do some statistics on your next few rounds. The following would be a good start:

Department How Many?
Fairways hit: 6
Greens hit in regulation: 9
Total # of putts: 32
Chip & putt greens: 2
Chip & two putt greens: 7
Penalty Shots: 2

Keep it simple to start. Try and identify your weak areas and work on them this fall and be better prepared for next season.
Good Golfing.

Christine’s on the River (Port Franks) hours wrong in ad

Please note the operating hours for Christine’s on the River in Port Franks are incorrect in this week’s Grand Bend Strip.

The hours should read:

Tuesday to Thursday - 3 to 10 p.m.
Fridays - 12 p.m. to 12 a.m.
Saturdays and Sundays - 12 p.m. to 10 p.m.
Closed Mondays

The Strip apologizes for the inconvenience.

Style 101

www.flickr.com

Browse photos from our September 12 issue Style 101 fashion spread above or view the photos as a slideshow

Photos by Casey Lessard. Clothing courtesy Lynda and Scott Bogart at Big Reds Clothing Co. in Exeter. Hair by Becky Carter at To Dye For in Exeter.

The first day back is the toughest

View from the Strip
By Casey Lessard

Anjhela and I went back to school last week, and it was pretty stressful for both of us. Anjhela commutes to London, and I’m commuting to Toronto; however, the stressful part was not the drive but the first day of school.
This was my sixth “first day,” and I think it might have been the hardest. It’s a lot harder when 100 students are looking at you – and expecting you to say something brilliant.
Being an instructor (I teach photography for journalism students at Humber College each Thursday) carries a great deal of responsibility, and I don’t want to be the one instructor everyone thinks is a hack (I’m sure you’ve had one at some point). It took me a few hours to get into the swing of things, but being an instructor of a skill I know well has already taught me a lot about myself and the education process.
Anjhela is a mature student at the University of Western Ontario, and I’m really proud of her accomplishments so far. She was worried about getting in and then about finding her way around the campus, but she already seems to have the hang of it. From the stories she tells me, life experience does pay off in a post-secondary environment. I am confident she’s going to do very well.
I’m going to do what I can to help Anjhela, and with my class occupying a day a week, some aspects of my daily work at the Strip will suffer. Please be patient – I’m going to try my best to continue producing the quality you expect from this paper. Don’t be surprised if I take a week or two off this winter.
* One person who will not be back to school this year is Sam Marshall, a Grade 10 South Huron student who died last month. If you’d like to take part in a memorial for Sam, the service starts at 2:15 p.m. Thursday, September 13 in the high school’s small gym.

Now where did I leave my…? Lessons in absent-mindedness

Advice from mom
By Rita Lessard

Absent-mindedness: I’m quite sure you’ve had occasion to experience this malady at some time or other in your lifetime. This problem has no age barrier - it happens to everyone.
Last garbage day is an example of my experience with preoccupation. I work at night now, so I put out the recyclables before I leave for work. This past Tuesday I made several trips. I usually put the garbage out when I get back because the dogs and cats will sometimes get into the garbage bags and make a mess. So after three trips I grabbed my purse and got in my car and I was good to go. I was about to look for my keys in my purse but my purse wasn’t anywhere to be found. Now I know I grabbed my purse, so back in the house I went, searching. After five minutes or so I was getting ticked so I went outside to look around. Then I thought, maybe it’s in the blue box. Well, hello, there it was - right at the curb where I put it. I shook my head and chuckled. You know what I mean.
This forgetfulness happens to other people too. When I worked at the local hotel I saw many sights. Picture this: a very inebriated lady came out of the washroom and unbeknownst to her she had toilet paper sticking out of her slacks. Believe me it happens. So being the concerned person I am I said, “Excuse me lady,” and I started to tell her she’s dragging, but since she was rather drunk she turned to me and said, “What the blankity-blank is your problem?” So I rolled back my eyes and said, “No problem,” and let her go on her way. Darn if that wasn’t a sight.
Tom can be absent-minded, too. After I spent several days in the hospital having our first son, Tom came to pick us up and take us home. Before we left we had to sign some forms and gather up our luggage and gifts, etc. I handed the baby to Tom for a minute while I made some last minute arrangements. For some reason or other Tom set the baby on a nearby bench (as usual I wasn’t paying that much attention). After a while we were ready to go. Out we marched to the car. Tom helped me in and put the luggage in the trunk, and we were good to go. Wrong! I turned to him and said, “Pardon me, are you forgetting something?”
He looked around like he had lost his keys and said, “I don’t think so.” I replied, “You fool. What about the baby?” Although he can’t run very fast today he certainly had the ten-yard dash down in no time that day.

The ten-miler: army takes physical education to a new level

Keeping the Peace
By Tom Lessard, C.D.

At 27 C.O.D. (the Central Ordnance Depot on Highbury Avenue in London), the only physical training I ever did was playing hockey in the London industrial league. Every Friday afternoon we had a practice at the fairgrounds arena. Our coach was an Indian sergeant who enjoyed his wine. We each took turns every week to go to the Brights wine store at Dundas and Adelaide to pick up at least a half dozen bottles of Katawba at about 50 cents a bottle. At every shift change, before we hit the ice he handed us the bottle to take a drink. When the two-hour practice was over, we were in pretty good shape.
I wanted to go to Germany. The only way I could get there was to take a posting with 1 R.C.R. (at Ipperwash), which was rotating in 1962; I grabbed the chance.
Being corps personnel, we were exempt from a lot of the training that the infantry did, with the exceptions being range firing and a bit of drill, until someone in Ottawa came up with the idea of a ten-miler. I’d never heard of such a thing but was soon to find out what it was.
I was told to get my packs, draw my rifle and report to the rec center. We were formed up, had our names checked off and our packs inspected. Everything I had in my pack was brand new since, being on the quartermaster staff, I had two of everything.
At timed intervals we were sent off in small groups. Off we went out the front gate and down the side road to the beach. Running in the sand with the extra weight was pretty demanding. After a few miles we finally left the beach and headed up the winding hilly road to Port Franks and Highway 21.
I was beat and hollered ahead that I wasn’t going any further. That was a stupid thing to say because the next thing I knew the guy behind me shoved his rifle muzzle into my back and hollered, “Nobody in my group quits!”
I eventually made it back to camp but I didn’t have the strength to carry anyone for the100 yards portion of the ten-miler, so Jack Crowe said he’d carry me. He gave me his rifle, which happened to be the one he used to prod me back at Port Franks camp. Off we went. I don’t know which was worse, carrying or being carried. Next we had to climb a wall and then jump a ditch. We completed everything with time to spare.
That was an example of life with 1 R.C.R. I had a great 11 years with a wonderful group of people.

What’s new for 2007 at SHDHS

By Casey Lessard

The biggest change at South Huron District High School this year is a five-period schedule for Grades 11 and 12. It means their schedules will rotate, with some students sitting in class while most of the school is having lunch. Some days, students will have lunch as their first or last period.
“In a couple of areas we have too many classes for the eight sections that we had before. For some of our tech classes (especially digital audio editing), we needed a shop for nine or 10 periods when in the old system we only had eight. So instead of cutting classes and having kids not get the courses they wanted, I decided to add a period to each day in each semester.”
Reaburn is doing his part to ease the burden and give students more course choices.
“Ever since I became a vice-principal (13 years), I’ve taught a class every year but one. I think it’s helpful for principal to do that. I got into this to become a teacher and when I got into administration that is the one thing I missed was the classroom contact with the kids. So I choose to teach. Often I do it to allow one more class to be run in the timetable. It does help keep me in touch with the kids.”
With an enrolment of 832, South Huron will have a few more bodies than last year, but overall, enrolment has remained relatively steady at about 800 students.
Five new teachers came on board this year: Evelyn Elder (social science), Heather Foran (career studies and students’ success), Matt Weston (technology), Jacqui Vercruyssen (communications technology) and Nick Seebach (science). Funding for the school’s only new course offering (Native studies) was announced in June.
The school is doing what it can to make sure students are always in touch with their long-term goals.
“There’s more emphasis on helping the student plan his or her career,” says guidance counsellor Barb Poole. “They now take a compulsory course in grade 10, which is a half credit in career studies. It also helps them select their courses for Grades 11 and 12 once they get some idea of what they want to do post-secondary, whether it’s go directly to work, go to university, do an apprenticeship or go to college.”
Eventually the school will have to designate a high skills major, similar to a major at university. Each school in the board will have one, and Reaburn is currently monitoring pilot projects across the board to find the right fit.
“You can focus on a particular area,” Reaburn says, “for example, construction technology, and kids will do a number of courses in construction technology and they may take a co-op placement that’s connected to construction technology as well. There’s a high skills major in manufacturing, one in agriculture, one for arts and culture. The kids will get a designation on their graduation diploma, a red seal, that indicates that they have a high-skills major.”
Until then, the staff is focused on teaching all students the importance of good life skills.
“Character education is something that has come to us in the last couple of years,” says vice-principal Petra Goetz. “Fairness, honesty, empathy, respect, integrity, courage, optimism, compassion, perseverance, and responsibility. We’re always talking with the kids about those things.”
Sometimes that doesn’t work, and students are welcomed into Goetz’s office.
“I’m very much of the philosophy that discipline also has a component of compassion to it, but also framing it for the student so that they can see that their action has had a ripple effect on other people.”
If a student is having trouble, Poole says they should approach an adult they trust.
“The biggest thing students should know is that they should be open to asking questions and asking for help. We want them to be aware that we are here to support them whatever their need. We can hook them up with tutors if they have academic concerns. We don’t necessarily have all of the answers here but we are able to refer them to other services in the area, in the county and in town.”
Goetz emphasizes the importance of attendance.
“Parents have to let their children know in a clear and understood message that they need to attend school regularly until age 18, until they graduate or at that point they can choose not to attend. That’s just the law.”
Reaburn has a simple list of suggestions for students to enjoy their time at South Huron.
“Work hard,” he says. “Get involved. Don’t let things pile up. Stay on top of things. Keep yourself organized. Use your time wisely. And make the best of the opportunities that you have.”

Parson’s Predicament tickets on sale

The Parson’s Predicament
October 19 (8 p.m.), 20 (8 p.m.), 21 (2 p.m.) – Huron Country Playhouse II
Fundraiser for Grand Bend United Church, produced by the choir
Post-performance Dessert by UCW Tickets available at Tender Spot and Sobey’s. $15 adult, $10 student

Story by Casey Lessard

The hottest ticket in town this month will be for the Grand Bend United Church production of The Parson’s Predicament, which is expected to sell out well before its mid-October performances.
“It is so hilarious,” says co-director Carey Eddy, who is collaborating with Paul Seagrave, who wrote the music for the play by the late Brian Hornick almost 25 years ago. “It’s a very, very funny play.”
The one-act show contains seven scenes, and is about a young man who is invited to become a minister at a church. Unfortunately, the church has the wrong address, and their invitation to him is sent to his grandfather, a reverend who lives in a rest home.
“Our reverend, Harry Disher, plays the role of the young parson,” Eddy explains, noting the grandfather is portrayed by the slightly older Don Tedford.
The two are joined by a cast that has benefited from performing in previous fundraising productions. Most are choir members, but there are members of the congregation and non-members also.
“The experience they’ve had and the success the church has had has made them into very competent actors on stage. When you take a group of people who are not on the young, young scale, it’s fantastic when they can do something new.”
Audiences get a kick out of it, too.
“(Community theatre) is so important,” Eddy notes. “People love it. They love seeing people they know performing. And we have it at a professional theatre (Playhouse II), so we’re very fortunate. This has happened because of Paul Seagrave and Bryan Beattie, both members of our church.”
Eddy also credits the Huron Country Playhouse for its contributions to making the church’s efforts shine. “Simon Day designed the lighting, so it puts you in such a professional light.”
The lights go out after the 21st, so if you’re hoping to get a seat, you should act quickly.

Let’s clean up our act!

The impact of litter on wildlife

Living in Balance
By Jenipher Appleton

Forty years ago I chanced upon a grim scene. It was while exploring with a school friend on a wooded peninsula at the eastern end of Three Mile Lake in Muskoka. Above us something large was swinging from the limb of a poplar tree. A cursory investigation revealed the unfortunate, upside-down carcass of a great horned owl. He was at least two feet high and his huge yellow eyes were still open.
Disturbed by our discovery, we elected to solicit the counsel of my father, the landowner. He managed to climb a few lower limbs, high enough to untangle some silk cord fishing line from a branch and lowered the beautiful bird to the ground. Clearly saddened by the sight, Dad theorized that some local fishermen, who frequented the nearby rocky point, had likely been careless in their cleanup. Perhaps the unsuspecting owl had landed to sample some fish remains and inadvertently stepped on a length of cut fishing line. The line then tangled around one of his talons. Then the owl may have landed in the poplar, where the line managed to become wrapped around the branch. When he took off from his perch, the great horned owl didn’t get any further than the length of line and likely starved to death. A sad end to the life of what is possibly our most powerful owl. Dad carefully and silently buried that great horned owl. My friend and I conducted a simple funeral.
Many people do not give a second thought to the impact that various kinds of litter can have on wildlife. A piece of chewing gum can choke a curious bird. The plastic rings that hold a six-pack of cans are frequently seen lying by the roadside. These rings have been well documented as being the culprits in getting tangled around the beaks and necks of waterfowl, making it impossible for them to eat. By the way, my family always picks up the plastic rings and takes them home to be cut into small pieces and disposed of properly.
I shudder when I see people allowing helium balloons, strings attached, to go sailing into the vast unknown. These can become lodged in trees with their strings dangling down, possibly causing the entanglement of any wildlife which inhabits the tree.
An unfortunate blue heron was recently the victim of someone’s carelessness as it became entangled in some fishing line and a lure along the Thames River in London. It was ensnared by its beak, and the line was then attached to one of its wings. Fortunately, it was rescued and delivered to the animal shelter in Mount Brydges. The offending lure has been removed and the bird is recovering from starvation and shock, as well as its injuries. Hopefully this majestic bird will make a full recovery before it is returned to a questionable environment. The amount of litter along the Thames is completely unnecessary.
We need to be accountable for our actions. Litter is litter. Let’s clean up our act and encourage others to do the same.

Jenipher Appleton is an educator with a special interest in wildlife and birds.

September 2007

Saturday, September 1
Grand Bend Motorplex
THUNDER BY THE BEACH WEEKEND - Thunder Series, TD/TS, PMRA Pro Mods, Jets & Night of Nitro Show

Saturday, September 1
Grand Bend Speedway
1/2 scale racing: V8ST & LMS Invitational, 6.5 & 9 MS, 4-Cyl (rain date: September 3)

Sunday, September 2
Grand Bend Motorplex
THUNDER BY THE BEACH WEEKEND - Thunder Series, TD/TS Championships, PMRA & Show Cars.

Tuesday, September 4
7 p.m. - Grand Bend Legion
Bingo

Wednesday, September 5
8 a.m. - 1 p.m. - Gill St. Parking Lot, Grand Bend
Grand Bend Farmers’ Market

Friday, September 7
5-7 p.m. - Grand Bend Legion
Meat Draw

Friday, September 7
8 a.m. - 1 p.m. - Forest
Forest Farmers Market

Friday, September 7
Grand Bend Motorplex
Fastpixs T&T

Saturday, September 8
2 p.m. - Grand Bend Speedway
Travelin’ Series

Saturday, September 8
Grand Bend Motorplex
Earl Hardy Trucking Big Rig race (rain date: Sunday, September 9)

Saturday, September 8
Grand Bend Speedway
1/2 scale racing: JCAR Series - JLM, MT, 6.5 & 9 MS

Saturday, September 8
Parkhill Legion
Golf Tournament

Sunday, September 9
Grand Bend Speedway
1/2 scale racing: Street Stock Invitational, 440, 4-Cyl

Wednesday, September 12
7 p.m. - Kimball Hall, Forest
Kiwanis Meat Bingo

Wednesday, September 12
8 a.m. - 1 p.m. - Gill St. Parking Lot, Grand Bend
Grand Bend Farmers’ Market

Friday, September 14
Grand Bend Motorplex
Fastpixs T&T

Saturday, September 15
8 a.m. to 2 p.m. - Goderich Courthouse Park
Harvest Festival
The Goderich Farmers’ Market welcomes community groups, fine artists, musicians and crafts people as they celebrate the harvest in this unique outdoor market. The Bandstand in the Park hosts free live performances.
Contact (519) 440-0871, bia@goderich.ca, http://www.goderich.ca/bia

Saturday, September 15
Grand Bend Motorplex
Windsor Weekend & ERD Big Dog Q8

Saturday, September 15
Grand Bend Speedway
1/2 scale racing: JLM, MT, 440, 4-Cyl (Final Points)

Sunday, September 16
Grand Bend Motorplex
Windsor Weekend

Wednesday, September 19
8 a.m. - 1 p.m. - Gill St. Parking Lot, Grand Bend
Grand Bend Farmers’ Market

Friday, September 21
Exeter, South Huron Rec. Centre
Exeter Fall Fair
Friday evening entertainment, ambassador, parade, horse, sheep and goat shows. 4-H calf exhibits, school division, pet show, midway etc. See you at our fair! Admission: - $4; Secondary School - $2; Elementary School and under - free.
Contact Norma Cockwill (519) 235-2000

Friday, September 21
Grand Bend Motorplex
Fastpixs T&T

Saturday, September 22
10:30 a.m.
Pinery Park
The Great Canadian Shoreline Cleanup: The TD Canada Trust Great Canadian Shoreline Cleanup is one of the largest conservation initiatives of the Vancouver Aquarium. What started over 12 years ago as a small beach cleanup by four Vancouver Aquarium employees has now grown into the second largest cleanup in the world. Meet in the Pinery Visitor Centre at 10:30am to help us keep our beaches beautiful and our lake healthy.

Saturday, September 22
9 a.m. to 5 p.m
Clinton, Victoria and Albert Streets
Clinton Scarecrow festival
Scarecrow contest, craft vendors, children entertainment, musicians, in store specials, horse and wagon rides.
Contact Sue Walden (519) 482-8801

Saturday, September 22
Exeter, South Huron Rec. Centre
Exeter Fall Fair
Friday evening entertainment, ambassador, parade, horse, sheep and goat shows. 4-H calf exhibits, school division, pet show, midway etc. See you at our fair! Admission: - $4; Secondary School - $2; Elementary School and under - free.
Contact Norma Cockwill (519) 235-2000

Saturday, September 22
Grand Bend Motorplex
Thunder Series, Jrs & 7.90 Championships Stock/Super Stock

Saturday, September 22
Grand Bend Speedway
1/2 scale racing: 6.5 & 9 MS, V8ST & LMS Invitational (Final Points)

Saturday, September 22
Pinery Park
The Great Canadian Shoreline Cleanup
The TD Canada Trust Great Canadian Shoreline Cleanup is one of the largest conservation initiatives of the Vancouver Aquarium. What started over 12 years ago as a small beach cleanup by four Vancouver Aquarium employees has now grown into the second largest cleanup in the world. Meet in the Pinery Visitor Centre at 10:30 a.m. to help us keep our beaches beautiful and our lake healthy.

Sunday, September 23
Exeter, South Huron Rec. Centre
Exeter Fall Fair
Friday evening entertainment, ambassador, parade, horse, sheep and goat shows. 4-H calf exhibits, school division, pet show, midway etc. See you at our fair! Admission: - $4; Secondary School - $2; Elementary School and under - free.
Contact Norma Cockwill (519) 235-2000

Sunday, September 23
Grand Bend Motorplex
Thunder Series Championships, Jr race, Race of Champions

Wednesday, September 26
8 a.m. - 1 p.m. - Gill St. Parking Lot, Grand Bend
Grand Bend Farmers’ Market

Friday, September 28
Grand Bend Motorplex
Fastpixs T&T

Saturday, September 29
Exeter, Baldwin Street/Main Street
Community Thanksgiving Celebration - Farm to Table Feast. Farmers market and restaurants present Taste of Huron County. Children playground, entertainment, fund raising Thanksgiving service with special music and dinner. Contact Friedhelm Hoffmann (519) 227-4045
Saturday, September 29
Grand Bend Motorplex
Octoberfast

Saturday, September 29
Grand Bend Speedway
1/2 scale racing: GRAND BEND FALL CLASSIC Open Wheel Modified Invitational, 440 Shipway Memorial (suspended 440s only) 6.5 & 9 MS, JLM, MT, 4-Cyl (Time Trials & Features) (rain date: September 30)
Sunday, September 30
Exeter, Baldwin Street/Main Street
Community Thanksgiving Celebration - Farm to Table Feast. See Sept. 29

Sunday, September 30
Grand Bend Motorplex
Octoberfast

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