Advice from Mom
By Rita Lessard

The most popular month for people to get married is June. I suppose people figure if April showers bring May flowers, then June will bring good weather that is neither too hot nor too cold. This is a good time to start a new life with someone you love.
It has been said that white is a colour that symbolizes happiness and good luck. Black on the other hand, would symbolize bad luck and unhappiness. I can understand why so many brides choose to wear white, so why do the grooms wear black? You’d wonder, wouldn’t you? Wearing earrings will bring the bride good luck provided they are not pearl earrings. Maybe the groom can get on this bandwagon and change his luck with a nice pair of earrings. Apparently, for every pearl a bride wears, her husband will give her a reason to cry. Great! After 47 years of marriage I find this out.
Most animals that you see on the way to church are good luck, including lambs, doves or toads. Even birds that fly directly over your car are good luck. It’s bad luck, though, if a pig crosses your path or bats fly into the church. Your old bat of an Aunt Gretchen doesn’t count.

Things we think we know!

• The red coral of the Mediterranean is actually blue.
• The grey whale is actually black.
• The Caspian Sea and the Dead Sea are both actually lakes.
• The Douglas fir is a pine tree.

Found in the classified ads

• Beautiful 6-month-old kitten. Playful, friendly, very affectionate. Or handsome 32 year old husband. Personable, funny, good job, but hates cats; says he goes or the cat goes. Come see both and decide which one you’d like. (Rita: I guess that honeymoon is over.)
• Amana washer – owned by bachelor who seldom washed.
• For sale: Cows, calves, never bred; also, a gay bull.
• Georgia peaches – Californian grown, 89¢/lb

Quotables

• Golfer Elaine Johnson once drove a ball that hit a tree, bounced back and landed in her bra. “I’ll take two stroke penalty,” she said, “but I’ll be damned if I’m going to play the ball where it lays.”
• Rita Rudner: My grandmother was a very tough woman. She buried three husbands, and two of them were just napping.

Happy Father’s Day to Tom and all my sons who are fathers. To Casey – an honourable mention for looking after his two dogs.

Keeping the Peace
By Tom Lessard, C.D.

It was early November 1953 when my fellow apprentice soldiers and I arrived in Montreal by train. It seemed to us a huge city. We were staying at the Royal Canadian Ordnance Corps on Hochelaga Street, and after debarking from the bus, we were taken to the administration building to be documented. My name was listed as Thomas John Lessard, and not the way it should, John Thomas Lessard. I tried to explain the error and was told by the clerk that it was on all my paperwork and would take too much time to rectify. He said, “This is the army. Live with it.” As a result, I have been correcting it all my life.
Carrying on, we paraded to the quartermaster stores to be kitted out with uniforms, bedding, schoolbooks, rifles, etc. Our medical was set for the next day.
We made our way to the barracks, which was a two storey, typical military structure. Ours had classrooms upstairs and downstairs, along with a laundry room, dormitory style bedrooms, our own administration offices and NCO quarters.
It wasn’t until the next day that we discovered the worst thing about our camp. After we were rudely awakened in the morning, we were told that we had 10 minutes to get cleaned up, dressed and get outside to parade to the mess hall. When we stepped out the door and into the crisp November air of Quebec, we were greeted with one of the most God-awful smells any of us were to meet the rest of our lives. Situated a couple of blocks away was an Imperial Oil refinery neatly on the west side of the fences. A couple of the weaker stomached youngsters turned around and went back into the building, only to be quickly escorted out again. The mess hall was a couple of streets west of where we were, which made the oily stench worse — as if that were possible. Anyway, we struggled through the smell. That was the first of my experiences with army mess halls, and the food was actually very good. Being 16 years old we had pretty good appetites, and were even allotted extra rations.

Last Monday, my wife (her name is Rita, and she’s cute) and I took at drive to Londesborough to try to find the hall at which we would be going for a wedding reception the next Saturday. Since there were no restaurants in town we carried on to Bayfield to DJs. Everyone I know is aware of this establishment. I remembered my sister telling me that an old school chum lived in this town. We looked him up and, sure enough, after 60 years we met again. Being older now, we each have minor medical problems, but still are pretty chipper. As he had to visit his doctor, we had a short but wonderful meeting. Like mine, his wife is in pretty good shape. We both chose our life partners very well.

Happy birthday Donald Dinney, Christopher, Will, Connie, and Olivia Lessard.
Congratulations to Liette Clarke and Jeff Burton, who have a new baby girl.

Advice from Mom
By Rita Lessard

Happy belated Mother’s Day to one and all. What a great station in life it has been for me to have the privilege and fortune to have been able to attain. I hope it has been as wonderful an experience for others as it has been for me. Being a mother has been a roller coaster of emotions, but for me it has been the best time of my life with absolutely no regrets. It is an honour to have raised five great and successful sons. Thank you boys for all you’ve achieved to make me happy and proud to be called your mother. This past weekend I was specially proud and delighted to attend an awards ceremony where Casey won eight awards for the Grand Bend Strip. What a thrill that was. Way to go, Casey!

As mothers, we don’t get much time to relax, but occasionally we let the housework slide and watch a game show or two. One day, I was talking to my neighbour and she was saying how her husband came home from work one day to find the house in complete disarray. There she was plopped in front of the TV. “So that’s what you do while I’m at work?” he said, smirking. “I just happened to have it on,” she lied. The jig was up the next day when the family was watching the prime minister giving a speech. As he stepped out of his car and waved to the cheering crowd, her son shouted, “Look, mommy, he won the car!”

As mothers go, I always considered myself a half decent housekeeper. I enjoyed playing games with the kids, so that was my excuse for not being 100 per cent perfect in that area. My friend, on the other hand, was a bit of a cleaning fanatic. The one Friday night her teenagers had a party down in the recreation room, and she was not too happy about the mess they made, so she made them clean it up. As she watched them work, it was clear that she was completely dissatisfied with their cleaning efforts and she let them know. Finally the son, exasperated with having to do it all over, reached for a broom and asked, “Can I use this, or are you planning to go somewhere?” Wow! How brave was that?!

From Reader’s Digest:
All mothers have intuition. The great ones have radar.
Raising kids is part joy and part guerilla warfare.
Just be kind and good to your children. Not only are they the future of the world, they’re the ones who can sign you into the home.

Hints from Woman’s World:
Like to round off that gas purchase to a nice even number? Don’t bother. Adding fuel after the pump’s auto shut-off kick actually doesn’t get you any extra. The tank needs a bit of room for gas to expand, and any extra fuel evaporates into the car’s vapor collection system. What’s worse, it could cause poor engine performance. Wow, who knew? If this is true, it’s a lesson for me.

While you’re gardening carry a quart size spray bottle filled with a couple of drops of liquid dish soap and water. If you see bugs attacking your flowers, give them a hefty squirt and they’ll fly away.

Jolene Unwin of Crediton died October 9, 2007 after the car she was driving rolled on the gravel road near her home. She was a month shy of her 20th birthday. To remember Jolene, Jim and Donna Unwin organize an annual hockey game involving family, friends and the London Devilettes, a team she was about to start playing hockey with before her death.
This year’s game was held March 27 at the South Huron Recreation Centre in Exeter. Funds raised this year go to the Critical Care Unit at the London Health Sciences Centre, where Jolene spent her last moments.

As told to Casey Lessard
Game photos by Casey Lessard

Donna: She was almost born on Friday the 13th. She would stay up late at night, wouldn’t go to bed even when she was a baby. She’d be up in the morning at six o’clock when Jim would go to work. She just never wanted to miss anything.

Before she played hockey, she was a member of the Exeter Starlights Baton for two or three years, and she also played baseball. When she was in Grade 8, that summer she said, “I’m going to play hockey next year and I’m going to be a goalie.” Sure enough, they didn’t have one, so that’s when she started playing hockey and went into net.
Jim: I coached her for three years. I liked to see her play hockey because she always played road hockey out here with the boys, and she was the goalie. I tried to get her to use her glove hand a lot. I’d fire tennis balls at her all the time. The first year she played goal, she was voted to go to the all-star game.
Donna: With the hockey, because of her size, the first time she was skating around against Parkhill, the girls commented that the net was taller than the goalie. But she surprised them all.

As she was going through school, she was an artist right from the start. She was always drawing stuff or making stuff. She made her own doll outfits. As she got older, I don’t think she ever went anywhere without her sketchpad. That’s why we’ve got all these pictures here. If she got depressed, she would draw a picture and that would help her out.

Finding her way
Donna: She had just got her license in June, just before she started her course at Fanshawe College. She had taken a year off school and was here all the time. When we were away, she did a lot of cutting grass and taking care of the house. She’d help the boys with their homework if they needed it. It was weird to have her out of the house.
Jim: I didn’t want her moving to London, but it was nice for her to move on.
Donna: And she moved in with friends, two of them her best friends. It wasn’t like she was going off to be with people she didn’t know.
She came home on Thanksgiving Saturday and picked up Jacob to bring him up to Kincardine, to our place up there. My mom and dad, and aunt and uncle were there and we had Thanksgiving there. Jacob had a project, so she brought him home on Sunday and took him into town to a friend’s place.
For some reason, she came back here rather than going straight back to London. She lost control of the car on the gravel road. It was freshly laid gravel. They had just done it the past week. When Jacob come home from where he was doing his homework, that’s when we found out about it.

As soon as the police called us, all they said was we had to get to London. The hospital called and said we had to get there right away. They wouldn’t say anything about her condition. The police told us they don’t condone speeding, but we should get there as fast as we could. You have a feeling when they say that, that there’s something terribly wrong.

Jim drove and I was calling everyone so my mind wasn’t dwelling on what was going on. When we got to the hospital and they told us, it was very, very hard.
They were asking us to do organ donations. We decided to do that, and at about 11:30, they tested her and her brain was still alive, so they kept her on life support. Then at about three o’clock, she had no blood pressure and I heard one of the nurses in back say that if that keeps up, the organs won’t be any good. So we decided then to shut the machine off and there was no use to put her through any more. It was hard to do.
We turned the machine off and watched her pass away. I spent a little time with her and we came home. One of the longest days of our lives.
Jim: It still hurts. I go talk to her every day at the cemetery in Crediton. Every day.
Donna: We still struggle with it, even now. It’s going to take us a long time to get over it.
You just go a day at a time. That’s why we do this game to keep her memory going. Her friends have been a good support. I don’t really remember a lot of it because you go through on autopilot. It gets a little easier, but not much. There’s always things you know you’re not going to be able to do.
I don’t think she would want us to dwell on it. She would want us to get over it. But that’s not the way things are. I know she wouldn’t want us to be upset about it all the time. But it’s not that easy.

This year’s game raised about $6,000 for the LHSC Critical Care Unit. Jim would like to see the game grow to include a match with former NHL players. In addition to this fundraiser, Jim’s employer donates money for a scholarship in Jolene’s memory to help students interested in art or sports who need financial assistance to attend school.

Advice from Mom
By Rita Lessard

What’s with this weather already? A couple of nice, sunny days, and then it’s spoiled with cold and frost. Twice this past week I had to scrape the ice off my windshield. It’s half a wonder why people get sick when one day we’re wearing shorts and the next it’s back to the sweaters and winter jackets.
Well, we have to wear clothes anyway, but do you ever wonder why we do it to ourselves? Generation after generation of women has willingly exposed themselves to the high risk of pantyhose strangulation, girdle-induced respiratory arrest and turtleneck gagging. What kind of sick people punish themselves like this?
Men, too, continue to punish themselves. Just look at the necktie. Where did that idea come from? Perhaps from watching too many westerns? Some bright eyed designer must have been watching a hanging one day and thought, “Now there’s an idea that could really catch on!”
At least it stays tight. Contrast that with pantyhose, a nylon half-body suit that fits like a tourniquet but gradually loosens throughout the day until it folds at the ankle like ribbon candy? Not pretty, but we love it.
Spandex is another thing. I’ve seen both sexes wearing it, and believe me, I honestly think some people wearing it these days are seriously violating the spandex rules of engagement. You know who I’m talking about.
High-heeled shoes are another bad fashion idea. Backaches, bunions, sore feet, fallen arches, etc. Come on, people. Give it up! Sweats, socks, running shoes and sensible walking shoes are our reward for enduring decades of fashion abuse. Embrace them.
Bottom line is, clothes and other apparel shouldn’t punish us. I may be showing my age, but considering I just celebrated my 69th birthday, I feel I’ve earned that privilege. Even though people say I don’t look a day over 68, I am what I am. Thanks for the thought anyway.

Thank you to my husband, sons and daughters-in-law, my sister Joan, brother Peter and brothers Bill and Richard, as well as my friends Deb and Roy for the cards and gifts for my April 5th birthday. Your kindness is overwhelming.

Lighter notes
Someone once told me to marry a man your own age. As your beauty fades, so does his eyesight.

Guilt: the gift that keeps on giving.

Overheard at Tim’s?
A woman walked up to the manager. “Are you hiring any help?”, she asked.
“No,” he replied, “we already have all the staff we need.”
“Okay,” she said, “then would you mind getting someone to wait on me?”

Touché.

Keeping the Peace
By Tom Lessard, C.D.

My military career of 18 years took me to many places I probably would never have gone on my own. When I joined the RCOC in 1953 at the age of 16, I was sent to Montreal, where the ordnance corps school was located. For a kid that young who had never been away from home, it was quite an exciting experience. One of the best times was when we had to do our qualifying on the rifle. We had to take a bus to Mt. Bruno off the island and into the Gatineau hills. Beautiful country.
After completing my training, which took almost two years, my first posting was to 27 COD on Highbury Avenue in London. For the first two months, I was living in Wolseley Barracks, but was told that I had to move out and find a place on the economy (in other words, an apartment or a rooming house). One of the older guys showed me a rooming house on Hale Street, just a ten-minute walk from work. The lady who ran the place had two small children and 21 boarders whom she fed and housed. She found room for me on the third floor (at one time the attic) with seven other tenants, all army. We ate and lived – and caroused – together. It was a very interesting time. They certainly taught me a lot, about half of which they shouldn’t have.
A little more than a year later, the Suez Crisis occurred. Up on the notice board, a request for volunteers was posted. The first name to be entered was yours truly. Off I went to Egypt for the better part of a year. Six months after I returned, there was a request on the board for a storeman to go out to Wainwright, Alberta, as increment attached to the RCEME workshop for a three month summer exercise. I got the job, but when I reported in, I was told that I would be the C.O.’s batman-driver. That was a pretty cushy duty. It was a surprise for me to find out that my brother-in-law Sam was stationed in Calgary with the Queen’s Own Rifles, at whose camp we bunked before heading north to Wainwright. I didn’t realize until then that my sister was living there; they showed me a great time.
Back to London. The next year I was back to Alberta again. Another good summer.
I wanted to go to Germany and the only way to get there was to get posted to the 1st battalion, the Royal Canadian Regiment stationed at Ipperwash. I didn’t even know where that was. I soon found out and was pleasantly surprised to experience one of the best camps I was ever to live in. The other in consideration was Lizard Flats in Cyprus.
While with the battalion, I had three years in Germany, two tours in Cyprus, two summers in Petawawa, one in Gagetown, winter exercises up north, and a month in Jamaica. If not for the army, I wouldn’t have gone on an upgrading course in Montreal, where I met my future wife. She travelled with me to Germany, where we married and had our first two boys. Rita turned 69 earlier this month (happy birthday).
Happy birthday this month to Bob and Jessica. I hope everyone is enjoying this beautiful spring weather. It’s nice to be alive.

Advice from Mom
By Rita Lessard

Daylight saving time: is this a good thing or a bad thing? Whether it started in the First World War or it started the First World War, I don’t know. All I know is that we’re denied an extra hour of sleep. That’s not a pretty thing, especially in respect to my regular Monday morning customers. Most of them are a little cranky first thing anyway, so you should see them when they haven’t had enough sleep.
I think it all comes down to a lack of patience. They say the great thinker Socrates had a lot of patience, but I think Rodin’s model for the sculpture, The Thinker, had more. I have a lot of patience, but I don’t think I could pose in that position for too long. Brr! Get me my Snuggie already.
Most people today don’t have the patience for people who stand around thinking. For instance, when you come into Tim’s and you’re standing in line waiting to place your order, you’d think you would know what you want by the time you’re in front of me. Not necessarily true! Don’t get me wrong. I think it’s fine to be a thinker and stand around contemplating life, but the customers behind you don’t have the same patience as I do. Heck, it’s not as if I’m going anywhere.
I guess thinkers are a dying breed. At a stop light, when the light turns green, that’s no time to sit daydreaming or even thinking. When you hear that horn beeping behind you, you’d better get moving, sister! See what I mean? No patience.
There are so many places you have to stand in line and practice patience. In the bank and the grocery store, that’s a sure thing. For heaven’s sake, you don’t want to ever hold up the line thinking at an all-you-can-eat buffet. Geez, grab the check and go already. People have no patience when they’re tired or hungry, so quit your thinking and move on before you give yourself a headache.

St. Patrick’s Day
Everyone is Irish on St. Patrick’s Day, even though St. Patty himself wasn’t (he was a British missionary). For most Irish-Americans, this holiday is partly festive and partly religious. Many Irish came to Canada and the United States and brought their saint and traditions with them. In fact, today there are more people of Irish descent than there are in Ireland.
St. Patrick’s name is found all over Ireland, where it is used for town names including Kirkpatrick and Kilpatrick, and family names such as Kirkpatrick and Fitzpatrick. That name, Fitzpatrick, was my mother’s maiden name. Mom hated the colour green, and always told me never to buy anything green, but I couldn’t because green is my favourite colour.
The Irish, who have the shamrock as their symbol, believe good and bad things come in threes. Three tasks, three wishes, three brothers, three sisters. How odd is that? I come from a family of seven, and have three brothers and three sisters. Then mommy, daddy and baby make three.

O’Casey
Getting back to Irish names, sometimes Casey would upset me and I’d say, “Oh, Casey, stop doing that.” Guess I said it enough that some people thought his name was O’Casey, which is a great Irish name.

Inspired by the holiday
A man in New Zealand was arrested for setting his underwear on fire and riding through town on a motorized bar stool. The charge? Driving without a license.

A snatch-and-grab thief in London decided to see how much he could scoop from the display window of a jewelry store. But first he had to break the window, so he pried a manhole cover off the street and hurled it through the window. He grabbed the jewelry and took off running. He might have gotten away with this crime had he not fallen, you guessed it, down the open manhole.

They say you can catch more flies with honey than with vinegar, but what are you going to do with all those flies?
Happy 80th birthday to Joan Smith.

Keeping the Peace
By Tom Lessard, C.D.

(Editor’s Note: Please remember that these are memories of a time long ago, and the activities described in the following story are neither condoned nor recommended.)

My buddy “Bobbie” and I were walking back to the barracks one summer evening when, out of the blue, he says, “Let’s go to Port Huron.”
The canteen was closed and the hotel in town would be closing at midnight. With Ontario being on daylight saving time and Michigan on standard time, the bars were going to be open for a while, especially considering some of them stayed open until 2 a.m. in those days.
Away we went. With very few OPP around and the speed limits higher than today, it didn’t take too long to get to our destination. At the bar we went to, there were already a number of Canadian military enjoying some time off. We closed the place.
Bobbie was in pretty rough shape as we got to the car and took off. I was able to hold my liquor better than he could, but he still wouldn’t let me drive. About halfway home, he turned his head to barf out the window, and sure enough, t was closed. You can just imagine the mess.
Undeterred, we continued home. We pulled into the parking lot at the rear of the camp, turned off the motor, and staggered to the barracks. It was about 4 a.m. by this time, and we had to be up at 6 a.m.. Because we didn’t leave camp by the front gate, we didn’t bother getting passes, which I suppose meant we were AWOL, but we never got caught on any of our excursions.
The afternoon was very warm and sunny, and we didn’t get back to the car until after duty at 4 p.m. Our first mistake was opening the doors. The odour and flies were enough to make us throw up, but neither of us did.
We had to haul our rears back to the shack and get a bucket, soap, rags and tools. The door panel had to come off, and the glass had to be taken out. With the sun shining on the car all day, it was like an oven inside and Bobbie’s heavings from the night before were caked on the door, glass and floor. I’m sure we didn’t get it all off because the smell lingered for what seemed like forever. It took us until about 10 p.m. to get the car cleaned as best we could and put back together.
We were sweaty and smelly, so we we drove down to the beach and cooled off in the lake. We were thirsty and I remembered that I had picked up a six-pack in Port Huron. I don’t know why it hadn’t exploded from the heat, but it was still intact. When I opened a can, the beer shot into the air and left me with about half a can of warm liquid. Undaunted, I drank it up and grabbed another. Bobbie wasn’t interested. I wonder why.

Thanks to Gary D. for all the help you gave me and Rita during my rehab this winter. You are very much appreciated.

Crediton area rancher Julie Forrest is an animal communicator, which means she speaks with animals, expressing their thoughts to the people who take care of them. Forrest speaks to the animals – large or small – telepathically, and says they have a lot to say. She has used this skill to train the many horses and cattle on her farm, which are used as professional athletes on rodeo tours across Eastern Canada. Casey Lessard sat down with Julie Forrest, and invites you to sit back, open your mind and hear what she has to say about her work.

As told to Casey Lessard
Photos by Casey Lessard

I have communicated with animals since I was a kid, and I always thought everyone did. I didn’t realize it was a special gift or that I was different from anyone else. I always heard their voices. I’ve always heard them talk. People would say, I wonder what they’re saying and I’d say what they were saying. Everyone would laugh and I thought they heard it too, that it was no big deal. Then a friend of mine and I went away for the weekend to a course about 16 years ago, and it ended up being a telepathy course. I thought, I do that, but I didn’t know that was what it was called. I had always done it for family and friends, but from there I started doing it for other people. I came out of the closet.
It was a very big social issue. People asked me, what makes you so special that you think you can talk to animals. But what I get from the conversations, it’s definitely a validation to the owners that that is their animal.
They say one in 10 people can talk telepathically if they choose to focus. I can do people, but I choose not to for the simple fact that people are so hung up on themselves and the social or religious whatever. People are more critical.
Animals say what they need to say. They don’t sugarcoat anything and they tell you like you need to hear it. End of subject. It’s not usually opinionated things. They’re telling the truth because animals show our truths.
I always ask the animals to describe their essence, to tell me something that the owner knows they always do. It’s not like I go and tell them that they like to roll over and have their bellies scratched. Every animal’s different. Their response validates to the owner that it is their animal. Then we ask them their problems and what’s going on.

An ongoing conversation
They can hear you all the time. Animals speak telepathically, so whatever you picture, they’re also able to pick that up. People say dogs can always sense when you’re afraid of them. Chances are pretty good that when you walk away from that dog that you’re thinking in your mind, please don’t bite me. You’re picturing this dog coming from behind and grabbing you, so you have actually given that dog permission to do that. You’re giving him that visual image.
The level of a conversation from an animal is so much higher than we can imagine. They have so much more knowledge of the universe than we do. Some can be extremely deep.
The owners will write up a list of questions they want to ask the animal and I sit down and write out the conversation so they have a copy of it and I always have a copy. I’ll read it back to the person and see if there are any other questions from that. It’s important that the animal is able to convey what they want their owner/guardian to know or understand about their problems. I always read it back first to be sure it’s explained on that proper level, the way they want it. You could put out a piece of paper and 10 different people could read it 10 different ways. That’s why I always want to interpret it the way it is meant to be interpreted.
Every animal has its own voice. Some have accents. I did a horse that had a really strong English accent with ye and thee, and it’s important to put that in the conversation as I hear it because it means something to the owner. He ended up being shipped here from England. They all have different personalities the same as we do, so of course, they’re going to have different voices the same as we do.
They speak English. I’ve done some from Quebec that are raised French and I ask them to come to me in a universal language that I can understand. There may still be the odd French word in there and I write it down as it sounds because I don’t understand French, but the owner will know what it means.
There’s none that are ever too shy to talk. As soon as you’ve given them that opportunity, it’s like, ‘Oh my God, I can finally be heard. Yes! They’re getting it. I can convey what I want them to know.’ Animals all already speak on that level, and that’s why we have so much more to learn from them than from each other.
The only animals that are really hard to work with are chickens and emus. I’ve done every other animal and they’re thrilled to be able to talk. I’ve done seven or eight pages of a conversation. Small animals like a cat or dog can take anywhere from 30 or 45 minutes to an hour. Some conversations with horses and dogs can take from two to four hours. I did a conversation with one horse that had hopes of being a Pan-Am horse racer and heading to the Olympics, and we talked for four and a half hours. That was almost a whole notebook. We wanted to make sure everything was covered.

Communication and rodeo
I’ve been riding since I was three and showing competitively since I was seven. When Ed and I got together, he decided he wanted to do a more manly thing, so that was the rodeo and we’ve been together for 16 years now. We started off just competing in steer wrestling, barrel racing, and roping events, and it’s been about nine or 10 years now that we’ve been the stock contractors for the rodeos for Eastern Canada. We supply the stock (steers and calves) for the rodeos for steer wrestling, team roping, breakaway roping, tie-down roping and junior steer riding. That covers five of the seven mandatory events.
We have always integrated the two businesses, communicating and rodeo. With the average calf-roping horse, it typically takes a full two years to train them to do that. I can do it in three to six months because I can talk to them and tell them, “This is what I want you to do. This is your job. Do you understand?” If I can’t explain what I want verbally, I show them a picture. I show them an image of, for example, “I want you to do a sliding stop when the rope becomes tight on that calf, and you have to face up to that calf and be in control.” Then I’ll ask them, “What’s the best time for your rider to get off? When you’re squatted or just as you go to stop? That rider has to come off and you’ve got to help send him off. Do you like the rope where we have it positioned on your face? ‘No, I don’t like it there, I want it lower.’” Then it hooks underneath instead of coming by his eye. Different things like that.
We can really tell him, “When the gate cracks, you’ve got to follow that calf out.” Other people have to keep drilling it and drilling it, whereas I can talk to him and tell him what we need him to do, “Now what do you need us to do to make it better for you?” It makes for a better relationship and a faster training process. It makes everyone happier.
Not all horses want to do that type of job. You could spend a full two years on a horse and it’d never be able to step up to the plate to be that champion horse or do the job to the best of its ability because it doesn’t want to do that. We’ve had some like that. That’s fine. We change their career or we sell them to somebody who’s going to be compatible with that animal.
All our stock has to be trained prior to going to the rodeo. You can’t just pull a cow out of the field and say, you’re going to go and do this, so they’re trained so their muscles are stretched equally as well to ensure they don’t get hurt. It’s inevitable that at some point, some of them may get hurt, but we’ve had a really good record of not many getting hurt. You lose more from a sickness in a barn; we look after our rodeo stock very well. It’s our livelihood. It’s mandatory that they are looked after; it’s no different than our horses. They are athletes, so they need the best care and upkeep because we’re traveling. It’s nothing for us to travel 2100 km in a weekend. We leave on a Thursday, go to Quebec for an 18 hour drive, show there, travel all night another 12 hours to another rodeo, and from there another 10 hours home.
I get lots of emails saying, “If you’re an animal communicator, how come you’re promoting the sport of rodeo? That’s cruelty to animals.” It’s not. It gives them a career. It’s no different than us having a career or the horses having a career. If those cattle are not used for rodeo, their only other option in life is to be in our freezer. These animals have a career for two or three – and some even four or five – years depending on what they’re doing. They follow the ranks up, starting with calf tie-down, then breakaway, then steer wrestling and team roping, and then to junior steer riding. If they’re good and like what they’re doing, they keep on going. Otherwise, most of them are butchered before they’re two years of age. Now they have a career. Being longhorns, they’re extremely smart animals.

We can learn so much
I don’t believe there’s any such thing as a stupid animal. Animals are the same as people. You can be an old soul or a young soul. If you get a dog that doesn’t listen, it’s because their either don’t associate with their name, or because they’re a very young soul and it’s your job to teach them the ways of the world. You get some, that old soul that picks up things so quickly and is so intelligent and that’s because they’ve been here many times. An animal’s purpose in life is to be taught and to teach. To help us along the way.
There’s so much that animals have to offer. Beavers build a dam that we have to blow up with dynamite. Why couldn’t we learn how to build something that strong? Birds build nests that can withstand tornadoes. Spiders’ webs are the strongest substance in the world. Ants build colonies that don’t destroy our land. People are destroying our natural resources and destroying different animal species for our own selfish, ignorant purposes. People are using monkeys for their gall bladders and eating their brains for a delicacy.
They show us so much, like unconditional love, responsibility, not to be so endeavoured into ourselves and to think of others. Animals are a huge part of our lives. Our kids can grow up and move out, but our animals are still here.
I’ve always been the type of person who gets along better with animals than I do with people. I always believe that animals have so much more to share with us than the average person does with each other.
They’ve proven that a lot of animals – for example, gorillas – can speak by hand language. Animals whose owners are hearing or speech impaired learn those hand signals and know what they mean.
Most people only use eight to 10 per cent of our brains. A lot of people are so caught up in our social and cultural structures that we’re not open enough to accept other forms of communication. Telepathy can be done through audio, pictures, feelings, or colours.
When I first started, there were a lot of skeptics. People would say, ‘I’m going to let you talk to my horse just to prove that you’re wrong.’ And I did that in the beginning to prove that I was talking to their animal. I did that for the first two years, but now I don’t have to prove myself to anybody. If you want my services, you’ll ask for it. These days, there are a lot of people who do believe in it, and are looking for methods to help their animals other than pharmaceuticals.

Lessons from furry friends
It’s just kept me very humble and not judgmental. Through the eyes of the beholder, it has made me realize that I’m equal with everybody. I don’t ever think I’m better than any one else. We’re all equal, and we have to be equal to coincide with everybody. I am not my dogs’ master. I may be their guardian and I am looking after them, but we are all equal. We have to learn from each other and teach each other.
Every conversation with an animal is new and fresh. It never gets old. I love my life and I love what I’m doing.

Julie Forrest offers animal communication sessions for $75 for small animals (cats/dogs, etc.) and $125 for large animals (horses/cows, etc.). To learn more, visit http://www.julieforrest.com or call 519-234-6130.

Keeping the Peace
By Tom Lessard, C.D.

Arriving at Camp Ipperwash in 1960, I was directed to the battalion orderly room, where I was greeted and my name entered on the battalion nominal roll. After all the paperwork was completed and I was told about my assignment to headquarters company, I was directed to that office, where all the routines and paraphernalia were explained to me. After pointing out where I would be working, at the quartermaster stores, I was then told I would be living in H Block 26B. The glimpses I had of the camp as I was arriving that morning led me to think he said Stalag 26B, as I was certain that camp resembled this one. Undaunted, I stumbled around and finally found the hut that was to be my home until we left for Germany in the fall of 1962.

The voice of God
My bed was located right beside a window. I dumped my gear and headed for the Q.M. stores. As I was walking across the parade square, I heard a loud voice come over the air. “Halt! Where are you going?!” I thought it was God and almost fell to my knees. “To find the Q.M. stores, sir!” I replied. “Turn right around and march off the parade ground: NOW!” he said. Of course, I obeyed, and later found out that my first thoughts were very close to the truth; the regimental sergeant major is god of the battalion and the parade square is his holy domain.

Fitting right in
I found the Q.M. stores and reported in. By now, it was almost closing time, so the clerk quickly introduced me to everyone available, gave me a quick glimpse of the stores and told me to follow him. He led me outside to the parking lot and we drove to the wet canteen without even asking if I drank or not. The canteen wasn’t open yet, but that didn’t deter him. He just dragged me around to the back door, pounded a couple of times, and we were admitted. Since the bar was legally closed, and you never knew when the orderly officer or anyone else with authority might come along, the bartender took us into the walk-in cooler where we had a couple of pints before supper. Talk about being taught the ropes; I was learning very quickly.
After supper, I was asked to join two of the guys on a tour of Thedford. First stop, just inside the village, was the Legion. It was located off the main road and back in quite a piece so the residents wouldn’t complain about noise or other things that might go on in an establishment that served booze. After a glass or two, we went to the next watering hold, the Thedford Hotel, which would some time later be renamed The Pink Elephant. In those days, it was a jumping joint.
You may not remember, but there was segregation in those days. Every hotel was separated into a men’s room and a ladies’ and escorts’ only room. The only way to get into the ladies’ room was to have one of the women invite you over. There were times when one of the soldiers who lived in town would go home, pick up his wife, and bring her down so we could all drink on the women’s side.
To add to the fun, there were apartments above the hotel and most of the Main Street stores, and we knew many of the married couples who lived there. We had many a party up there in the days when I was stationed at Ipperwash with 1RCR.
A year later, I married Rita in Germany on February 8, 1963. We celebrated 47 years last week. With love, Tom.

Advice from Mom
By Rita Lessard

By the time you read this article, I will have started my Lenten fast. Shrove Tuesday, better known as Pancake Tuesday or Mardi Gras (Fat Tuesday), will be the last hooray for me as I will give up the goodies until April 3, the Saturday before Easter Sunday. Forty days of sacrifice. By now my friends are accustomed to my habit of doing this and bear with me as my moods can change from the lack of sugar. Thank you to everyone for being so patient.
Chinese traditions
February 14 rang in the Chinese New Year, and this is the year of the tiger. To usher in luck and prosperity, the Chinese exchange money in small red envelopes. For the best karma, they hand out cash in even numbers, the number eight being the luckiest.
I really enjoy reading my daily horoscope, and I usually read Casey’s as well. A few weeks ago, I was reading Casey’s and it said he would do well in pursuing a career in communications, journalism, or photography. How freaky is that?
The Chinese horoscope uses animal signs based on the year the person was born. This is a fun thing; as you look at this lineup, you may see some traits that relate to you according to the year you were born. Enjoy!

Tiger (1914, 1926, 1938, 1950, 1962, 1974, 1986, 1998, 2010) – Passionate, powerful, love luxury, and loyal to friends and family.
Rabbit (1915, 1927, 1939, 1951, 1963, 1975, 1987, 1999) – Diplomatic, romantic, can turn a profit, and love to try new things.
Dragon (1916, 1928, 1940, 1952, 1964, 1976, 1988, 2000) – Extroverted, like to learn new things, optimistic, inexhaustible.
Snake (1917, 1929, 1941, 1953, 1965, 1977, 1989, 2001) – Great intuition, wise advisor, love live, lots of youthful energy.
Horse (1918, 1930, 1942, 1954, 1966, 1978, 1990, 2002) – Determined, talented, encouraging, live in the moment.
Sheep (1919, 1931, 1943, 1955, 1967, 1979, 1991, 2003) – Make friends easily, creative, artistic, elegant, nurturing.
Monkey (1920, 1932, 1944, 1956, 1968, 1980, 1992, 2004) – Verbal, expressive, witty, enjoy the spotlight.
Rooster (1921, 1933, 1945, 1957, 1969, 1981, 1993, 2005) – Outspoken, opinionated, confident, ambitious, can easily inspire people.
Dog (1922, 1934, 1946, 1958, 1970, 1982, 1994, 2006) – Protective of loved ones, good with money, always lend a hand to those in need.
Pig (1923, 1935, 1947, 1959, 1971, 1983, 1995, 2007) – Humble yet confident, honest, usually in the right place at the right time.
Rat (1924, 1936, 1948, 1960, 1972, 1984, 1996, 2008) – Problem solver, value independence, have great people skills.
Ox (1925, 1937, 1949, 1961, 1973, 1985, 1997, 2009) – Loyal friend, hate surprises, practical, tend to distrust authority

My fair valentine
Donna: He’s so romantic, every time he greets me, he starts with “Fair lady.”
Joyce: Romantic, my eye! He used to be a bus driver!

Happy birthday to my grandson Jonah & Molly McCann (March 4), Robert Peter (February 24), and my granddaughter Abby (March 12).

Keeping the Peace
By Tom Lessard, C.D.

“I’ve fallen and I can’t get up!”
Those were the words that came out of my mouth the day I slipped and fell on the ice next door. I had been to town in the morning and walked in and out of a number of stores with no problem. Then I went home.

When I got there, I noticed that the BRA truck had come and gone, so I gathered up my blue box, threw it onto the porch. Then I reached for my neighbour’s to do the same, but walking across the driveway, I didn’t notice a small patch of ice covered with a light film of snow. Sure enough, I hit it with my prosthetic leg. Down I went, and looking back on it now, I think my leg must have landed on the cement step.
What now?
I lay there contemplating what to do. Rita had worked all night, so I thought she would be upstairs in bed, but I called her name a number of times anyway. Luckily she was still up; she ran out and tried to help me up, but my stump was too sore. She ran in, got a blanket, rolled me onto it, and dragged me over to the porch, which had a railing. I still couldn’t get up, so she went inside and got my wheelchair. She laid down a rug, rolled the wheelchair onto it, and engaged the brakes. I crawled backwards and inched my way up. She pushed me to the steps and, because we don’t have a ramp, I had to use crutches to make my way into the house while Rita brought the chair in.
My stump was swelling rapidly, and I asked Rita to fetch some ice. I called Tele-Health, and the nurse said I should go to the emergency room in Exeter for an x-ray. It took us an hour to get outside, into the car and to the hospital; we arrived at 2 p.m.
The waiting room was empty, so I reported to the reception. The doctors were in a meeting until 4 p.m. or so, so we waited until a new receptionist came on duty at 3 p.m. She sent a nurse out to take me into triage, where she took my blood pressure and sent me back to reception to be documented. I was wheeled into examination at 4 p.m. The doctor had a look at my knee and arranged an x-ray.
After the x-ray, the doctor returned to tell me that the results were inconclusive because the swelling was too hard to see through. He was going to make arrangements at Strathroy hospital for a CAT scan as soon as possible.
The next day, the orthopedic specialist’s nurse called at 10 a.m. and asked me to be at the hospital by 11:15 a.m. That was impossible because Rita wouldn’t be home until 11, and the hospital’s an hour away, so she scheduled me for 1:30 p.m. the following day.
The test done, the doctor told me I have two faint cracks in my femur, put my leg in a half-cast, and sent me home. Can’t walk for three months!

It’s an odd coincidence that exactly 35 years prior to the accident, Rita also spent December 16 at South Huron Hospital. It was a much happier event, though, as she was giving birth to our last child, Casey.

Advice from Mom
By Rita Lessard

Christmas has come and gone and, on the whole, I imagine most people were pleased with the presents they received. Some people are hard to please, resulting in the regifting concept. Every year, my mother disliked the presents my brother Richard and I gave her, which I thought was fine because by March she would forget who gave her the gifts and would ask me to take them off her hands.
Tom and I did were blessed to receive many gifts this year. There were, however, a few glitches. Tom got some underwear without a pee hole (the latest fashion, apparently) but they weren’t really for him. Nevertheless, he is keeping them, so good luck, Mr. Pee Pee Pants.
Tom also got one of those hearing aids advertised on TV, but apparently it doesn’t work. I received a car starter, which was quite exciting, but I had to return it because it didn’t have all the parts to install and would take an additional $200 to get it working. The rest of our gifts were wonderful and I am thankful to have such a generous family.
I had a customer tell me that the gift she gave her husband was a bit of a disappointment. She said she bought him an SUV, which made me think, Wow! That’s a great gift. That was until she said, “Yeah, Jack was a little sour with my idea. Who wouldn’t appreciate an SUV – socks, underwear and Viagra?” You can’t please everyone; try again next year.
I don’t know why we aggravate ourselves by making New Year’s resolutions. My resolution was to abstain from making resolutions. I do better at Lent, when I give up all sweets. It’s only for 40 days, so it’s easy to manage than torturing myself for 365.
Here is a New Year’s belief, Scottish or Irish. A tall, dark and handsome man brings good luck to your home, as long as he isn’t flat-footed. Similarly, the first person you meet walking down the road signifies your future. If it’s a child, you’re lucky, but if it’s a gravedigger, not so much.

Since Tom fell and broke his leg last month, I won’t be going on any trips this year, which means I can put my language lessons on hold. They say that English is one of the hardest languages to learn, and these signs seem to show that’s true:
In a Japanese hotel room – “Please to bathe inside the tub.”
In a Finnish hostel – “If you cannot reach the fire exit, close the door and expose yourself at the window.”
In a Copenhagen airport – “We take your baggage and send them in all directions.” Such honesty!

Amid the holiday rush, the Christmas airline traveler was curious and asked why there was a mistletoe hanging over the baggage counter. The clerk replied, “It’s so you can kiss your luggage goodbye.”

Happy birthday to Mike (Jan. 24) and Glenn (Feb. 19). Happy anniversary to my husband of 47 years (Feb. 8). Happy New Year to my family, friends and neighbours!

Advice from Mom
By Rita Lessard

Merry Christmas to one and all. This is one of my favourite times of the year. Most people are happy and cheerful at this time as they enjoy the company and goodness of their family and friends. At this time, I would like to share some Christmas trivia with you.

I’m sure most people are familiar with the traditional 12 days of Christmas. The Aussies interpret the song differently; here is the final verse:
On the twelfth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me,
Twelve goanna goin,
Eleven snakes a-sliding,
Ten dingoes dashing,
Nine wombats waddling,
Eight koalas clinging,
Seven emus running,
Six ‘roos a-jumping,
Five opals black,
Four great galahs,
Three parakeets,
Two cockatoos,
And a kookaburra up a gum tree.

I’m not familiar with some of these words; sorry, I’m from Montreal, so I don’t profess to know everything.
Let’s kiss under the what???
Did you know that the word mistletoe is an Anglo-Saxon word meaning dung on a twig? Apparently it was thought that life could spring spontaneously from dung. Mistletoe groups on tree branches, and since bird droppings are commonly found on tree limbs, the words mistel (meaning dung) and tan (meaning twig) thus blend to give you dung on a tree. True story.
Hey, it’s not as if you’re eating the stuff, just kissing under it, for heaven’s sake.
Apparently the tradition of midnight mass on Christmas originated in the belief that the Christ child was born at the stroke of midnight.
These trying times
Christmas can be frustrating sometimes. My greatest frustration was hiding the gifts so my kids would be surprised on Christmas Day. This, I’m sure, didn’t happen as long as Mike was around. It was amazing how he knew exactly what everyone was getting. Believe mem, I would wrap everything and code it some way or other, and that didn’t matter. I almost think he unwrapped and rewrapped everything. Since I’m not the sharpest knife in the drawer at this busy time of year, he got away with it for years until one day the cat was let out of the bag and I found out. From then, I took all the gifts to a neighbour’s house and didn’t bring them home until Christmas Eve.
If you have this problem and you don’t want to store your stuff at a neighbour’s, you might want to try this: use different wrapping paper for each member of the family. Gifts can be left in plain sight under the tree and no one will know which is theirs until it comes time to open them. No gift tags necessary!

Some people think that Christmas is like a day in the office: you do all the work and the fat guy in the suit gets all the credit.

Happy birthday to my brother Richard (27th) and my son Casey (16th), and happy anniversary to Bill and Christine (15th).

Overheard (as told by my friend Frank): Things are still bad in the banking industry. The other day, a lady went to the bank and asked the teller to check her balance, so he reached over and gave her a push.

Keeping the Peace
By Tom Lessard, C.D.

It all began about the middle of November. The weather was perfect for the harvesting of corn and beans, and the planting of winter wheat. Also, it was ideal for the installation of Christmas decorations. Dark evenings became brighter and brighter. First, one resident put up a couple of lights. His neighbour then, not to be outdone, put up a few more. Just like clockwork, the fellow across the street sees his chance to outdo the Joneses and erects lights and blown-up Santas or Scrooges. Sure enough, everyone gets in on the game and pretty soon we don’t require street lights. The majority of the houses have been well laid out, but as is to be expected, some go way overboard. I would imagine this lighting will take a downturn when the so-called “smart meters” come into use.

Electrical problems II
I looked forward to attending the annual lighting of the park in Exeter on a nice evening at the end of November; last year’s lighting was cancelled because of snow. It was disappointing, then, that it wasn’t better organized this year. The donated hot chocolate from Tim Horton’s must have been picked up too early because it was lukewarm, but it was appreciated and polished off nonetheless. The entertainment had a rough time getting the sound to work and so were set back half an hour. When they were able to get started, the countdown to the lighting began, 5-4-3-2-1. Nothing. Soon, the lights did come on. Actually, half of them lit and were followed by a loud bang. Eventually all came on, prompting oohs and ahhs from the kids. We couldn’t sing the two songs that followed because we didn’t know the words. Before the scheduled end time, I followed a large number of revelers to our cars.

The fix is in
This week, we were visited at our old municipal offices by a large delegation of electrical contractors. Maybe the work on our new community centre will begin soon. I’m looking forward to the completion of our recreational facilities in about 2011. If it turns out the way it’s planned, it will give Crediton and area residents something to cheer, deservedly after the mess we put up with these past few years.
I was hoping the new sewers would end the smells that sometimes permeate my house and those of my neighbours, but it seems that someone is still sending paint thinners and sewage into the storm drains. The smell of the thinner was so strong that I called the South Huron offices to send someone out. A man arrived, checked my house and basement, and went out front and lifted the manhole cover. He sniffed and said, “Yep, that’s paint thinner.” I asked him what I could do about it, and he told me to shove a rag into the drain hole, which I did. After a couple of days, the odour was gone. We still get occasional sewage stink through the house, but I’ve never heard back from South Huron. I don’t expect I ever will. Maybe when everyone west of me is hooked up, I won’t have that problem.
Merry Christmas!

Advice from Mom
By Rita Lessard

My wonderful sister Joan treated Tom and I to Remembrance Day dinner at the Grand Bend Legion November 7. We had a great time and the meal was, as usual, superb. Thanks, Joan.
On Wednesday November 11th, Tom and I were out again to celebrate Remembrance Day. This is such a solemn occasion and I always get teary-eyed when I hear the sorrowful sound of the bagpipes and when I sing ‘O Canada’. After the ceremony, we enjoyed some fellowship and a great luncheon provided by the hardworking Legion staff. Thank you so much. It was just swell.

A free lunch
On the lighter side, I heard this veteran telling a story while on leave after a year-long tour of duty in Korea. He said that his first craving when he got home to Canada was a meal at McDonald’s. Much to his surprise, the cashier took on look at his uniform and refused his money. “Thanks,” he said. “Sure,” she replied, “we never charge bus drivers.”

Blind man’s bluff
I’m not sure whether his second story was true or not, but you can be the judge:
Two female privates are ordered to paint the general’s office. They are warned not to get paint on their uniforms, so they lock the door, strip off their clothes and get to work. An hour later, there’s a knock at the door. “Blind man.” Seeing no harm in allowing him in, the privates open the door. “Hi,” says the man, “where do you want the blinds?”

Roadside assistance
On a more serious note, if you travel or commute in the winter, it is worth taking a little extra time and make sure you have an emergency kit in the trunk. You might want to include the following things:

• a good scraper;
• snow brush;
• blanket;
• hats & mitts;
• matches and candles;
• canned fruits and nuts, and a can opener;
• traction mats;
• small shovel;
• help sign and Call Police sign;
• and jumper cables.

Now would be a good time to do this, while the weather is still nice.

Bumper stumpers
When I was in a variety store a while back, I saw some bumper stickers. I’ll share them with you.
I have good brakes. Do you have good insurance?
I may be slow, I’m ahead of you.
If you can read this, I’ve lost my trailer.
Out of my mind – Back in five minutes.

Happy Birthday to Bill and Katie Lessard.

Keeping the Peace
By Tom Lessard, C.D.

I was privileged to attend the Grand Bend Legion’s Remembrance Day dinner on Saturday November 7.
My first order of business was to purchase a nice cold beer at the bar. Next was to find where Rita was sitting. My sister-in-law Joan, who volunteers at all of the occasions, directed me to the table, which was right in front of the head table. I’m usually the type who goes to church and sits at the back, so I felt hemmed in sitting in the front: too far from the bar. I felt embarrassed getting up and walking down the middle aisle for refreshments and back up to my seat with all the people eyeing me, so I didn’t. One beer to last me all through the evening? I don’t think so.
Anyway, after the guest pastor said grace, we made our way to the food tables. Legion members and guests are always so friendly and laid back at these functions. Even though everyone is hungry, no one pushes or complains if things don’t go as smoothly as they would like. Once the super volunteer ladies had everything in place, the lines began to move. Plates were filled – some with lots of food and others with less, depending on the individual. I just said, “Keep it coming,” because I didn’t have to cook it. The beef was cooked like no restaurant can do it. These ladies – God bless them – know how to put on a meal that has no equal.
After we were filled with food we were treated with the guest speakers thanking the veterans and those who never made it back to Canada. One speaker made reference to a Canadian who had travelled to France and at immigration he was asked for his passport. Fumbling for it in his pocket, the French officer said, “Don’t you Canadians know that you have to have your passports ready when you come to France?” The Canadian replied, “The last time I was in France was at Dieppe in 1944 and none of you Frenchmen stayed around to check my passport.”
The guest of honour was a young RCR corporal who had recently returned from a tour of duty in Afghanistan. This soldier did himself proud in his presentation. He shows us slides depicting the environment in which he served: pretty desolate. The conditions reminded me of my tour in the Gaza Strip in 1957. He spoke of the living conditions his unit was forced to put up with. The temperature change between day and night can be very disturbing. The ground does not absorb the heat like it does in Canada and therefore, it can drop from 50 C at noon to 15 C at 4 a.m..
He stressed that he and his comrades try very hard to represent Canada well to the locals, sometimes succeeding and sometimes not. They do think that they are making a difference.
Every year the Legion is making improvements to educate Canadians of the importance of remembering those who have and still do give their lives for all of us. I witnessed this in the number of school children attending the cenotaph ceremony on Wednesday.
I have one request: one of my uncles was torpedoed twice in the North Atlantic while working as a boiler man in a convoy heading for England. He was a civilian, but was never recognized by the government. We need to consider changing the rules for how civilians serving in the theatre of war are recognized for their contributions.

Keeping the Peace
By Tom Lessard, C.D.

(Continued from last issue)
The saga of the sewers continued throughout the town with no end in sight. Rumours abounded that the sewers would be finished by December, and the road paved the following year. These optimists must have been talking about another town.
Once the sewers were laid and some paving done, we were told we could hook up. One resident, whose house is situated about 70’ back from the road, was having a bathroom installed in his basement. This required digging deep to make a hook up. The engineers must have misread his instructions because the hook up did not even come close to the sewer intake, which was much higher. The only solution was to dig up the road and put a new intake connection lower down on the main sewer. Unfortunately for the resident, his water was shut off so they could lay the pipes, and his septic tank had already been detached, so he and his wife had no bathroom facilities. The authorities told him to rent a “porta-potty”. Instead, he moved to his trailer for a few days.
For about a year, because of the sinkholes and settling of the roadway, we enjoyed a feeling of driving on a motocross track as we traveled to and from our home. Another year went by with no trucks or tourists going through town, which meant no business for our local gas bar and variety store.
To add to our woes, an inspector found cracks in our new bridge, and it had to be closed for repairs. Detours again.
When hook up time arrived, we were told we had nine months to complete the process, which involved getting estimates from different plumbers and contractors.
The best estimate for our house was $1500, while others were quoted $3000. Our contractor was quick, neat and clean, and took just over three hours to complete the job for $1400. Other people had estimates of as high as $9500. After contacting our contractors, they ended up saving close to $7000. Perhaps there was some greed involved? Some residents are still not hooked up.
Last July, we received a notice saying we had to choose how to pay for the sewer service: either cash up front, or over 20 years at six per cent interest. We had two weeks to comply. The deadline was on a Monday. One of my neighbours was away on holidays and didn’t get the notice until the Sunday before the deadline. Not enough time to arrange for the cash. Another senior citizen arrived at the municipal office the day after the deadline with money in hand and was told she was too late.
To add to her misery, this woman has been trying to sell her beautiful home for quite some time, but prospective buyers are turning away because of a messy property across the street. The same thing is happening in the east end of town, where a neighbour’s yard is littered with cars, trucks, machinery and household articles.
We are pursuing a way to bring to the attention of all residents the bylaws referring to keeping their residences and yards in neat, tidy and good repair. Bylaws are accessible at www.town.southhuron.on.ca under By-Laws: Property Standards 41-2002. Have a look, and then look at your own properties. Pat yourself on the back if you’re up to date.

Advice from Mom
By Rita Lessard

I hope everyone enjoyed the Thanksgiving holiday. We were lucky to celebrate this holiday twice: once with our sons Bill and Casey, their ladies, our two grandsons, my sister Joan and my brothers Richard and Bill. Then on Monday, we went to London and celebrated with Tom, Connie, Christopher and Katie. We have so much to be thankful for, and I’m sure everyone is grateful and gave thanks on Thanksgiving.
About two weeks before Thanksgiving I was lucky and won the jackpot at the Tuesday night Bingo. For this I gave thanks everyday. In fact, I’m thankful any day that I can get out of bed and take nourishment. I give thanks everyday, not just one day of the year. Although I was overjoyed with my winnings at Bingo, in my excitement I dabbed my slacks with my Bingo dabber. But I didn’t despair because I’m always doing research for my column. I discovered that if you have ball point ink that you went to remove, aerosol hair spray will do the trick. I figured it would work that same way with the dabber ink.
Try this technique: hold a rag under the fabric to blot the ink that comes through on the other side. Aim and spray. Then, put the clothing in the wash. The alcohol in the hair spray is what does the trick. It will also work on your hands, leather or plastic. This really works.
Any alcohol-based products seem to be able to to double duty. For instance, alcohol-based mouthwash can be used for more than swishing in your mouth. It also keeps your plants healthy. Fill one part mouthwash to three parts water in a spray bottle. Spray directly on your plants’ leaves and into the soil. Works like a charm. Have a small cut you need to disinfect? Dab the area with a mouthwash soaked cotton ball.
Looking forward
Hallowe’en is our next holiday. On this occasion, I kinda go nuts with decorations and sprucing up the yard and house. I really need to be careful and not buy goodies too early because I usually get things I like and the temptation can be a bit much.
Here’s an idea: if you use real pumpkin for your jack-o-lantern, try sprinkling some cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg on the inside of the lid. The heat of the candle will make this combination smell like pumpkin pie.

Watch your diet
Since Hallowe’en can play havoc with your diet, one needs to be careful. That brings me to my joke of the week. Jim grabbed his plate and walked up to the party buffet for the fourth time. “Aren’t you embarrassed to go back for so many helpings?” asked his wife. “Not a bit,” he replied. “I keep telling them it’s for you.”

Advice from Mom
By Rita Lessard

Did you know that happy people are healthier than people who are always ticked off or negative? Maybe that’s why I’m so healthy. The happiest – and healthiest – time of my young life was when I was in school, so it must be true.
Some of my teachers didn’t appear all that healthy. Take, for instance, my Grade 10 history teacher Miss Carter. Now there was a case of unhappiness if I ever saw one. I’m not sure what her problem was, but I assume her students were at the root of her unhealthiness. Seeing as history was a study course, and a bit of a boring one at that, most of the students weren’t too ambitious. I recall the one day after we got our test results that Miss Carter was quite upset because most of the test results were pretty bad. I’m not bragging here, but my score was the highest in the class: 65 per cent. The next highest was 50 per cent, so I can understand why she was frazzled. That day must have brought her to the end of her rope because she said we all drove her nuts and if we didn’t smarten up, she was going to jump out the classroom window. Being the class clown, I jumped up and opened the window. She was too stressed to notice my offer, but my classmates got a chuckle out of it. That’s one case where humour can save your life.

Casey’s advice last week suggesting students should attend every class was right on the money, but sometimes I think teachers would prefer parents kept their children at home. My friend Diane had two sons who she admitted were kids from hell; they never gave her any rest. We all lived in the same apartment building in London, and Joey and Junior were always doing something that drove everyone nuts. Joey enjoyed hanging off the third floor balcony, which always gave us heart attacks. Junior wasn’t a daredevil, but he must have had a bladder problem because he was always peeing in the apartment stairwell.
The boys were in school for about a week, and I asked Diane how the boys liked it.
“Not too bad,” she said, “but I’m a little upset today.”
“How so,” I asked. “I’d think you’d be overjoyed to get a bit of a reprieve.”
“Well, I am,” she replied, “but I just got a call from Joey’s teacher complaining about his behaviour in class. Can you imagine the gall she has? He’s only been back to school and already she’s whining.”
I asked why that surprised her.
“It doesn’t surprise me,” she said, “but what annoys me is that I had Joey all summer and I never called her once to complain that he was misbehaving.”
The poor woman had a point.
Teachers, hang in there and keep smiling. Some days have to be better than others. Stay happy and healthy.

The Sunday school teacher was describing how Lot’s wife looked back and was suddenly turned into a pillar of salt.
“My mother looked back once while she was driving,” little Jamie contributed, “and she turned into a telephone pole.”

Keeping the Peace
By Tom Lessard, C.D.

Not long after Crediton’s bridge repair was finished and traffic resumed (but not back to the amount we had before the bridge was condemned), tenders were requested from all companies vying for contracts involved in the sewer project.
Finally, the shovels hit the ground. No financial aid was available with no prospects of any in the future; once you start to dig, no grants are available and you are on your own.
Slowly, the main drag was excavated, leaving the town a mess and traffic delayed and rerouted. “It’ll all be completed in a year,” we were told; fortunately for them, they didn’t stress which year that would be. There were plenty of engineers, foremen, heavy equipment operators, and even some labourers on the job from morning until night.
Daily, they ran into unforeseen snags: underground springs, sinkholes, and unknown pipes and wires were among the surprises. By the time they were halfway through town, Centralia was almost completed (by a different company).
As the project continued up to my area, as I was sitting on my porch reading a book and resting my feet and legs on cushions, I was suddenly pelted by rocks and water hurtling toward my house. I had to scramble to get my shoes on, pick up the cushions and chair and my book, open the door and squeeze inside. It was quite a chore and damp to boot.
I looked out my window to see what happened, and saw five people laughing at my stumbling efforts while standing over a hole on the north side, watching the eruption from the water line. Someone told me they didn’t realize there was a line at that location. It just so happened that I was the only one on the street sitting outside watching the entertainment, which led me to suspect that the break was planned.
What goes around, comes around. Later that year, they were working on a manhole in front of my sidewalk and the men needed some water. One of the crew went to the side of my house, took down my hose, brought it to the hole and tried to turn it on. Nothing happened. So, back he went to turn the tap up to full blast. Still nothing. I watched him return to the hole and hollered to Rita to run downstairs and turn the water on. You should have heard the hollering from the hole – no one was holding the hose! My turn to laugh.
To be continued…

Did you know that Exeter’s new radio station, MyFM 90.5 is on the air? Rita and I have listened for a couple of days and so far found it pleasurable. Easy listening music, local news, and talented DJs. Keep up the good work, MyFM.

Advice from Mom
By Rita Lessard

On Tuesday, August 18, Tom and I attended the annual chicken barbecue for the Crediton Zion Church. This event is always well attended, and a lot of fun with plenty of food and good fellowship. It’s so nice living in a small town, knowing so many people and hearing the stories about the health and welfare of the many friends one has acquired over the years. I find that a lot of gossip is spread at these affairs, and although the women probably hold the record for being gossipy, the men seemed to be just as good. As a matter of fact, I was listening to a conversation with two very humorous gentlemen.
“So Gerry,” the one man said. “I met Gladys the other day on main street.”
“Oh, ya,” Gerry replied. “I hear she hasn’t been feeling too well.”
“I don’t know about that,” said the other fellow. “When I mentioned that I had heard about her being bedridden, her reply was, ‘Hardly. I haven’t been bedridden since my husband died five years ago.’”
That Gladys always was a cracker.

Sports injuries
My best regards for a speedy recovery for my young friend Tanya, who fell off her bike and now has her arm in a sling. It’s so sad because she will be out of action for a while; there go her golfing and slo-pitch seasons.
My mother was quite active in her day, but wasn’t exempt from injuring her limbs. I recall the evening she had a bowling date and put her knee out.
This was a fluke of an accident. As she was wiggling into her girdle, she somehow veered right when she should have gone left, and snap, the knee went out of place.
“Darn,” she exclaimed, “this will never do.” Always quick thinking, she just gave her knee a good whack and put it back in place. There, good as new, and she went on to bowl the best game of the season. Feisty, that mother of mine. Lord only knows how she could bowl in that contraption in the first place. I guess fashion was important. Comfort must have been secondary. You certainly wouldn’t want to pass gas. It wouldn’t have anywhere to escape. Like they say, “Nowhere to run. Nowhere to hide.”

This week’s tips

Keeping the Peace
By Tom Lessard, C.D.

It all began many many moons ago. This is the saga of the bridge, sewers and roads.
“We need a new bridge,” they said. “And your septic systems are shot, and have to be replaced by sewers.”
Detour signs began going up, which meant there would be no entry or exit at the east end of town. Jordy’s Gas Bar immediately felt the brunt of this move as there was no through traffic. This detour had one positive effect on the town. The “race track” (the main road) was virtually shut down and there was no loud truck noise. One negative effect was that, as my wife and I have to clean the Huron Park Post Office, we were obliged to go down Parr Line to Mt. Camel Road and turn left at Airport Line to get to Huron Park (quite the detour).
We took up residence in Crediton on November 8th, 2002; first-time home owners we were. Two weeks later, we received a notice in our front door inviting us to a meeting at the town hall that would explain everything we needed to know about the upcoming installation of sewers. No one had told us of this project prior to this. It was a bit of a shock to find out that it was going to cost us up to $20 000 per lot. From what I have been told by many residents of the town, this sewer project had been in the planning since 1995. Prior to amalgamation there was, so I’ve been informed, $1 million in a fund in the Stephen Twp. budget for just such a project, but that money disappeared when we were taken over by South Huron. At the meeting we were told that requests had been made to COMRIF for federal and provincial assistance to cover two-thirds of the cost, leaving us to pay the remaining third. This would have been no real hardship to most Creditionites. It sounded good, especially to those whose septic tanks were in bad shape. We organized the citizenry of both Crediton and Centralia after we were told that there would be no COMRIF funding because the fund had been depleted.
The push was on. Signs were made up with “No Grants. No Sewers” inscribed on them. Most of the households of both villages attended the next council meetings to voice our displeasure with the powers that be over their caving in to the MInistry of Environment to push the sewers through without any financial aid coming in. I even had sign boards, which I wore, and paraded around in front of the town hall. It didn’t do us a lot of good. It was no money out of councillors’ pockets (all residents of other towns), so they didn’t seem to be bothered by our woes. Projects will proceed with utmost speed.
Thank God for Diane Faubert Tripp. She took it upon herself to make an appointment with the provincial Finance Minister, who was going to be in Goderich. From him, she received $1 million to be shared by the homeowners in both villages, amounting to $3500 per house.
You get a get a gold star in heaven for your efforts, Diane.
To be continued….
Happy Birthday Millie Lessard and Patsy Gray. You both look just as pretty as you did 60 years ago. Love you both.

Advice from Mom
By Rita Lessard

“Hello, Complaints Department. Rita speaking. How may I help you?” This is my new line, and I feel justified in saying this because anytime there’s a complaint, it is inevitably addressed to me. Some people have an ear for music; I have an ear for complaints. I can live with this role, but sometimes the complaints are a bit much.
For instance, take the beautiful warm weather we’ve had in the last few days. Would you believe people are complaining it’s too hot? I swore in May, June and July that I would slap the first person who complained about the sunny weather. However, I’m not generally a violent person, so I had to restrain myself a few times. Enjoy this weather people because I’m sure it won’t last that long.
Working with the public I have people complaining all the time. I have one customer who gets a large coffee with four milks and three sugars, and then complains that the coffee is cold. For a few weeks this was an ongoing complaint, so I created a science experiment – there a science to making coffee – to solve this problem. The next time this order came in, I put four small milks in the coffee, nuked it and then give the customer a couple of take out milks on the side. Problem solved. One happy customer.
After many years of marriage, my friend Bev complained that her husband Ted was no longer as romantic as he once was. For instance, the other day she and Ted were walking through the park and noticed a young man and a woman sitting on a bench passionately kissing. Inspired by the way the man was kissing his partner, Bev turned to Ted and asked him why he didn’t do that. Ted replied, “Dear, I don’t even know that young woman.”
Some complaints can be fixed and others can’t. You have to pick your battles. Customers think I’m a soft touch because they always come to me or they’ll call and ask for me. This is fine because I lead them to think that the customer is always right whether they are or not. It’s much easier to make them happy by apologizing for the wrongs done to them than it is to argue and waste time. Replace their order and offer them a free donut and let them be on their ways. Easy night!
Some helpful hints on some common complaints:

• Keep counters cat-free – If your kitty loves to jump onto your counter, try this trick. Put a few aluminum baking pans on the top of the counter – the noise will stop your cat doing it again.
• My friend Sharon’s dog encountered the wrath of a nasty skunk. Her mother suggested she get a small bottle of peroxide, mix it with half a box of baking soda and a tablespoon of dish detergent. Brush this mixture on the dog and rinse with warm water. I hope this works. I just got this problem solver about and hour ago, so I hope it worked for Sharon.
• With the nice weather come the mosquitoes, and other insects. Pin a used fabric softener sheet to your skirt or clip some to the bottom of chairs and tables. The bugs will fly elsewhere.

Happy birthday to my daughter-in-law Christine – August 15th.

P.S. The next issue will have the results of Sharon’s dog’s dilemma.

Tales from the 2009 Lessard reunion

Keeping the Peace
By Tom Lessard, C.D.

My Sunday morning began at 2:45 a.m. when I woke to a bright light shining through my main floor bedroom window. I first thought that someone had forgotten to turn off the ballpark lights, which are directly across the street from my house. I got up and looked out the window and saw a black pick-up truck sitting in the park driveway. While I watched, the truck pulled out and drove away. The strange thing about this incident is that our main street had just had new curbs poured on Friday afternoon. There were pylons posted across the entrance to the park, and on either side of the curb were ditches across which the average vehicle would not dare to traverse. This person did, driving over and flattening the pylons. At seven a.m. when I crossed the road to water the Communities in Bloom planters, I put the pylons back up in their original locations and went back home. After breakfast (about an hour later), I went back out to sit on the porch and read a book. I glanced across the road and saw that, lo and behold, the pylons had been moved off the roadway and another nut had driven in and out again. These pylons are regarded about as much as the stop sign at Crediton Rd. and Airport Line. Lots of people don’t stop. Many don’t even slow down.
Anyway, at 11 a.m. Rita and I loaded into her sister’s van and headed out to Wildwood Park near St. Marys for my family’s ninth biennial reunion. The rain was so heavy on the Kirkton Road that I thought we might have to pull over. By the time we arrived at the campground, the rain had slowed to a drizzle. Thankfully, the area we rented had a pavilion.
It was great to once again see all of our brothers, sisters, nieces, nephews, cousins and in-laws. One cousin came from Houston, Texas; other family members came from as far away as Calgary. Mike’s in-laws came from Sudbury and camped for the weekend.
The sun came out and brought the heat and heavy humidity that we often see this time of year. The games began with all types of fun for everyone. I entered the water balloon toss, but was quickly ejected (arthritis set in and I dropped the balloon. This is my excuse and I’m sticking to it!). My grandson was my partner for the next game, and we won second prize.
I was sitting in my chair having a beer and watching all the antics going on when Ryan approached and asked me to be his partner for the three-legged race. He told me to stay where I was, and lend him my artificial leg. That was easily done. He took my leg and with my sister’s help, he tied it to his leg. He didn’t realize how heavy it was until the race was over. It was the easiest medal I’ve ever won.
My sister Pat made a beautiful large cake with a portrait of my father and his nine sisters in the icing. One half of the cake was made white, and the other chocolate, so you could have a choice.
There were draws for plenty of prizes which family members donated to raise money to cover the costs of the 2011 reunion. As is tradition, the day ended with a family photo.
A wonderful time was had by all. Parting is such sweet sorrow.

Happy anniversary to Tommy and Connie. Happy birthday to Brenda MacDonald.

Advice from Mom
By Rita Lessard

Last week, our son Glenn brought his daughters Olivia and Abby for a two day visit. Since Tom has been having trouble with his leg, he stayed home while we went to Grand Bend for a great time on the new and improved beachfront. Tuesday night we went to the Star-lite Drive-In in Shipka to see the latest Harry Potter movie. I have never had the chance to see any of these movies, so it was quite a treat.
At the drive-in, Glenn impressed me with his ingenuity. In the past when we went to the drive-in, we always had to put the windows up because of the mosquitoes and other pesky insects that would invade us. Before Glenn went to the movie, he bought some window screening, cut out the pattern of his windows, and just before the movie started, he taped the screening to the open window. We all enjoyed an insect- and condensation-free night with the breeze flowing through the screening. What a neat idea.
Glenn’s pretty smart. He also gave me a tip for my coffee-drinking customers. He said that in order to prevent spilling his coffee while he’s driving, he inserts the lid tab inside the cup instead of the outside, thus drinking the coffee as opposed to wearing it. I guess it works because I suggested this trick to a lady customer who asked for a straw to drink her coffee, and she said a truck driver told her that that was what he did. Who knew?

Gardening hurts your knees?
Make kneepads with newspaper. After you’ve read the Grand Bend Strip, save it and use it in this way (Ed: Mom! My precious paper!). Fold enough newspaper to make a thickness of one inch, wrap tightly with a cloth or plastic bag and seal the open ends with duct tape. Voila. Knee pads!

Outdoor tools rusty?
Metal tools left on a damp lawn or stored in a humid garage can quickly develop rust. To clean them, dip the metal portion in a pot of cider vinegar for 24 hours. Remove and wipe with a clean dry rag. Rust will come off easily.

Our society is too automated
Have you ever noticed that when a traffic signal turns green, it automatically activates the horn of the car behind you?

Found in The Sun magazine:
Pete was telling a friend that he had just lost his job. “Why did the foreman fine you?” the friend asked in surprise.
“Oh,” Pete said, “You know how foreman are. They stand around with their hands in their pockets watching everybody else work.”
“Sure,” replied his friend, “But why did he let you go?”
“Jealousy,” answered Pete. “All the other workers thought I was the foreman.”

Keeping the Peace
By Tom Lessard, C.D.

My family moved from Windsor to Waterloo in 1944 because my dad was starting a new job. Since my siblings always told me that I was adopted and that I was a German, it didn’t sit too well with me living a German community during World War II. But I struggled through it.
It was winter when we arrived, and we had seen no snow in Windsor. What a pleasant surprise. As I was only seven years of age, I wasn’t very tall and the snow piles were over my head. Our house was on a hill on Allen St. W., so it was no problem to fly down the street on our sled for about three blocks.
Most of the schools had outdoor rinks. If we wanted to skate or play hockey, we had to scrape the ice, and sometimes help to flood. There was a shed with a potbelly stove where we could thaw out our skates, as well as our feet, which were usually frozen after a short time on the ice. Our school had a hockey team, and when I was old enough, I tried out and was accepted as goalie. I also played in the bantam team. I wasn’t the best, but I put in a good effort. Our house was on a corner, so on the side street Bill Lavigne and I played a lot of shinny – almost everyday. Winter was a wonderful time of the year, even though I had to do a lot of shoveling and ice chopping.
Summer was good, too. Kitchener had an outdoor swimming pool that which was quite far from our home, but if we left early enough, we’d get there for opening. Most of our time at the pool was spent lying on our towels, soaking up the sun so we could get a sunburn. We knew that after the peeling of our skin was over, we usually ended up with a tan. Nobody told us about the perils of cancer.
One time, my older brothers took me to Waterloo Park to swim in the lake. I didn’t know how to swim yet, and could only dog paddle for a short distance. I got out too far to get back. Luckily Billy Armstrong saw me and dove off a platform and rescued me. From that experience, I forced myself to quickly learn how to swim.

Sunday, the Lessards will enjoy a biennial tradition as my siblings and their families meet at Wildwood Park in St. Mary’s for a reunion.

Advice from Mom
By Rita Lessard

Congratulations to my young friend Tanya, who has accepted a marriage proposal from her boyfriend Rubin. The happy couple will soon be out searching for the right engagement ring. I hope Rubin is prepared to spend a bit of cash. When Tom purchased my ring, it cost him $200, but that was 47 years ago and I imagine the prices have gone up since. And this is just the start of the money spending thing.

Made of money? Yeah, right!
Did your mother ever say to you, “Do you think I’m made of money?” or “Do you think money grows on trees?” Well, I always knew the answer to both of those expressions was no because there was no way I was getting money out of my mother. First of all, we lived in a poor neighbourhood with very few trees, and if you looked at my wise mother, you knew she wasn’t made of money. Not that she was cheap; she just didn’t have any. They say a fool and his money are soon parted, but my mother was no fool and therefore, there was no parting with her money.

Criminal activity
I’ve often heard the term drug money. They must be talking about the health care system, because if you don’t have a good drug plan, you’ll certainly be out of luck and money very quickly when you have a problem. Drug money must be pretty lucrative for doctors, now that they’ve become the best providers of drugs. I think it’s fair to say that unless you’re blessed with good health, you’ll need lots of drug money.
I’ve always been a big fan of money laundering schemes. I recall doing my son Bill’s laundry one day when I came across a $20 bill. Eureka! However, my happiness was short-lived after Bill realized he’d left the money in his pocket, shouting down the stairs, “Ma, did you find the $20 I left in my pocket?” What else could I do but reply emphatically, “Yes, Bill.”
Bill has always kept a good eye on his money. He’s very generous, be he ponders every purchase he’s going to make and seems to enjoy dickering to get the best deal. No fool, that boy!
Most people trust their money to the banks, and that’s a good thing for my son Glenn, who is a banker. I always knew that would be the business for Glenn. I recall a time when he was three years old and he had a dime in his hand. I said, “Glenn, give mommy that money.” He stubbornly replied, “No.” As I approached to retrieve the darn coin, he shoved it in his mouth and swallowed it. His first deposit! Who knew? He could have gone into the sanitation business, considering he was a devil to potty train, but I guess banking won out in the end.

You don’t know your math
Bill and Glenn seem to have a pretty good handle on the money situation; perhaps they take after me, because I can spend and save as good as the best of them. I remember when I was young, I was asked a math question: “Rita, if you have $2, and you asked your mother for $4, how much would you have?” “Oh,” I replied, “that’s easy. Two dollars.”
“Huh,” was the reply, “that’s wrong. You certainly don’t know your math.”
“Oh yeah?” I said. “Well, you certainly don’t know my mother.”

Advice for the week:
Having trouble sleeping? Try eating pitted fruit like cherries, plums, peaches, etc.

Keeping the Peace
By Tom Lessard, C.D.

I think it was 1969 that word came down from the top that the battalion was going to fly to Jamaica for a month of jungle training. This was during the month of March, as I recall.
After all the paperwork was done, we held QM parades to issue jungle gear, suntan lotion, and anything else the army felt we would require.
You won’t believe the job that was set aside for me! Bobby Somerville and I were to run the wet canteen under the supervision of Sgt. Joe Crosky. No climbing mountains or sweltering in the jungle for us.
Anyway, we trucked to the London airport and were loaded onto Hercules aircraft. Man, Oh Man! They are a beautiful piece of military equipment. We were seated in bucket seats along the walls, as in the centre were vehicles and other gear. We had a super flight with good weather. Over Florida, the pilot took the plane down so that we could see the coastline and all the sandy beaches.
Arriving in Jamaica, we were greeted at the Kingston airport. Because of an upcoming election, no one was allowed to go into the city (too much trouble brewing).
We were marched to awaiting Buffalo aircraft, which are a smaller version of the Herc, and transported over the mountains to a banana plantation in the northeast sector of the island. The Buffalo can land on a very short runway, which it had to do.
The plantation, we were told, belonged to a Canadian who allowed the government to use it. Our tent was situated under palm trees right at the edge of a beach. What a great spot. I had only seen places like this in the movies.
If we wanted to go to town, we had to get a pass and hop a truck to Port Antonio, which was only about a half hour drive. Bobby and I had to go there a few times to pick up supplies of ice or dry-cleaning. There was generally a cruise ship in the harbour. Some of the guys had a field day as shopkeepers took Canadian Tire money at par.
That month was probably the easiest and most relaxing during my career. We were not very happy about leaving, but could not complain too much since we had missed a month of Canadian weather. Most of the guys had acquired a pretty good tan and looked relaxed.
The army in those days was a pretty good experience. Next up: getting ready for a second tour of Cyprus.

Great news for Crediton, where federal and provincial funds will be matched by South Huron for a total of $900,000 to make a sports complex and community centre. The money will join Ontario Trillium Foundation funding and community fundraising to build the project. The project should be done within the next two years.

Molson Canadian Rocks gave $1,000 to the project. McCann expects the event will raise the last $10,000 needed from the community portion of the funds.

Advice from Mom
By Rita Lessard

Finally, summer has arrived and all of the children have completed another school year. Hopefully all the students had a successful year and will enjoy the summer.
The parents, on the other hand, have the unenviable task of keeping all of those kids occupied. Most mothers work, so they have the big job of sending the kids to babysitters or camp or whatever other programs are available. Fortunately, I was able to be a stay at home mom for quite a few years so I could enjoy the summers with the boys.
For a few years, we had a day program called SPARKS run by Steve Wuerth and Lynn Farquhar. These two young people were the finest I’ve ever had the pleasure to meet. Their skills as organizers and entertainers were phenomenal. The kids had a very fun time playing sports and games, doing crafts and going on field trips. The cost was minimal, so nobody felt it was a hardship to participate. I volunteered my services when I could and had a fun time doing so.
My guys were always kept busy; they never said they were bored. Maybe they were smarter than the average bear because anyone who complained of boredom was put to work. Perhaps those people, considering the busy hot summers we used to have, looked forward to going back to school in September. Like that ever happened. That said, sometimes I think kids would prefer to be in school because they never say they’re bored there. Why do we subject them to all of the time that they have to stay home; after all, the poor darlings must be bored out of their minds.
There are so many good things to do in the summer, if and when we get it. I think it’s a little late this year because I haven’t seen too many really hot days yet. Maybe it will last a little longer this year, say past November.
I look forward to summer food, such as fresh fruits and vegetables, and because we can be more active, we don’t tend to gain as much weight. I’ve often heard the expression, “give me a ball park figure,” and thought it meant a rough idea of the cost of something, so I was quite amused when my friend said her husband had quite a ballpark figure, meaning he was quite chubby because he loved hot dogs and beer. Who would have thought?

Car sickness advice
Heading on a summer road trip? Many people, especially children, experience car sickness, and apparently this is caused by a disturbance in your inner ear that throws off your sense of equilibrium. Apparently not moving your head is calming to your inner ear and will make you feel better.
When the boys were young, we traveled quite a bit, but they never had car sickness because as soon as we were out of Exeter, they were asleep. I was, too. Having a portable DVD player is a great way to entertain kids on a long trip, but it’s the last thing you want for car sickness. Playing games that encourage the sufferer to look out the window are far better. My granddaughter Abby gets car sick a lot, so this tip is for you, Glen. For more, check www.momsminivan.com

A joke
The young couple invited their parson for Sunday dinner. While they were preparing the meal, the minister asked their son what they were having. “Goat,” the little boy replied.
“Goat?”, asked the startled man of the cloth. “Are you sure about that?”
“Yep,” said the youngster. I heard Pa say to Ma, “Might as well have the old goat for dinner; today’s as good as any other day.”

Keeping the Peace
By Tom Lessard, C.D.

On a warm, sunny day in November 1957, some of us were told to pack our gear (what little we were allowed to take out of the country) as we were leaving for home. It didn’t take long as I’m sure most of us had been ready to go since day one.
When the big day came, we were driven to El Arish, where there was an airport that had been used by the air force since we moved to the Gaza Strip. On the tarmac awaiting us was a C119 (flying boxcar), in which we were to fly to Naples, Italy. Boarding the plane, the only seats to be found were “bucket seats”, the same as you see parachutists use. Talk about luxury! Our in-flight meal was a boxed lunch consisting of a sandwich, a juice drink and an orange to tide us over.
Once in the air, we could look out at the brownish white desert on one side, contrasted by the beautiful blue Mediterranean Sea. I don’t recall exactly how many hours it took to cross to Italy, but it was about six. We flew between mountains into a valley in which Capodichino Airport is situated. Gorgeous scenery.
Transport awaited us to take us to a hotel used by the U.N. as a rest area for the troops. The accommodations were quite a contrast to what we were used to, coming from a tent in the desert with outdoor plumbing and a washstand in the open with shower stalls. The hotel’s fantastic rooms had real soft beds, carpets, a super dining room with decent meals, and it was situated in a place named Garibaldi Square. You could put the whole town of Exeter in the square and still have room left.
We had four days to explore before we were to continue our journey. I hired a calèche (horse-drawn carriage) for a few hours the first day, sent the driver to purchase a bottle of good Italian wine and to show me around. The square was spared during the Second World War, it seems, because the buildings are old and the architecture is beautiful. After a year in the desert, the noise of the city was almost overpowering.
The second day, I joined a tour bus and traveled to Pompei. This city was destroyed when Mount Vesuvius erupted. It was completely covered and most of the people killed. The parts that had been excavated by the 1950s showed a lot of what life was like in the old days of the Roman Empire. It must have been quite a city.
I spent the rest of my time wandering around Naples. The day of our departure, we were taken badk to the airport for the final leg of our journey to Montreal. Our airplane was called a North Star. Guess what! Bucket seats and box lunches again. When we got airborne we were told that the pressurization was on the fritz and we would be flying below 8,000’. Since we left most of our clothes in Egypt because of posible diseases being carried in them, all I had on was a pair of shoes, no socks, pants and a shirt, no shorts and a beret. The plane was cold as it was November and there was no heat. We stopped in Gibraltar for refueling and headed for Goose Bay, Labrador. While there, we were informed that the weather had closed in Montreal, but it might be clear by the time we got there. Luckily, the weather was fair enough for us to land in a snow squall.
We cleared customs while we shivered and were given passes and train tickets to our hometowns. At the time, my home was Waterloo. When I stepped off the train in Kitchener, it was four below and snowing. I still had no clothing, so comingoff the desert five days before, it was a bit chilly. The best way to warm up, I figured, was to go directly to the Station Hotel and help the bar sales.
A few hours later I hired a cab and walked into the house. You should have seen the look on my parents’ faces.

Advice from Mom
By Rita Lessard

For the first week in June, I had the pleasure of babysitting my granddaughter Katie, age seven, and my grandson Christopher, who will be 17 on June 26. My main charge was the seven year old, but I was responsible to keep an eye on Christopher also.
Before my daughter-in-law left, she told me to keep a look out for activities that could arise with the appearance of Christopher’s girlfriend; it was a big job, but I figured I was up to the challenge.
The first night I met the girlfriend was quite uneventful as they watched TV under the seven-year-old’s supervision. I wasn’t really concerned as my grandson assured me that the girl wasn’t his girlfriend, but rather a friend who happened to be a girl. I think the sweet little girl thought differently, considering the way she clung to him like a coat two sizes too small. Girls are probably more romantic and slightly clingier. Christopher’s a sweet and handsome guy so he will probably have quite a few “friends” before he settles down. He’s only 17 so he’s got a while to go. I hope he doesn’t break too many hearts along the way.

Maybe times have changed. I remember when I was young and available that if a guy held your hand, he was yours. I recall going out with this very handsome guy a couple of times and then I ditched him. My mother almost broke out in a rash when she found out, she said, “For heaven’s sake, Rita, why did you ditch that lovely guy, Bob? He seemed so respectable.”
My reply was, “Of course he is mom, he’s thrifty, doesn’t drink or smoke, has a very steady job, a very lovely wife and three well-behaved children.” Call me crazy. Such a catch.
With another fellow I met, I told him I wasn’t looking to get involved with any one particular guy at the time.
“Lucky for you, Rita,” he said, “I’m not exactly known for being particular.” Another rash for mom. Lucky Tom came along and solved the problem for both of us.
I was talking to a young person the other day who told me she had two boyfriends. I thought that was irregular, but she explained to me that her first boyfriend complained that she wasn’t affectionate enough so she picked up a second one. I guess that’s alright because, as my grandson says, they’re just friends who happen to be girls or boys.
A while ago, I asked a friend why she married her husband despite the fact that they didn’t seem to have too much in common. She agreed, but noted that opposites attract. “I was pregnant,” she said, “and he wasn’t.”

Humour fix
Here’s a joke my friend Frank told me:
A doctor and his wife were having a big argument at breakfast. “You aren’t so good in bed either,” he shouted, and stormed off to work. By mid-morning, he decided he had better make amends and phoned home. After many rings, his wife picked up the phone.
“What took you so long to answer the phone?”
“I was in bed,” she said.
“What were you doing in bed this late?”
To which she answered, “Getting a second opinion.”

Some people say marriage is nature’s way of keeping people from fighting with strangers. Quite true. Good luck to all the people who are getting married this year.

Happy birthday to Christopher (17 on June 26), Will (4 on June 26), Connie (June 30), Olivia (16 on July 1).

Keeping the Peace
By Tom Lessard, C.D.

“Hey, Tom! Have you ever been to Tillsonburg?” No. But I’ve been to Jerusalem.
It happened while I was stationed with the UNEF in the Gaza Strip. Somehow my name came up on a list of possibilities of taking a tour of the Holy Land. (I think someone organized a push to get rid of me for a while, and when push comes to shove, you shove.) I accepted the opportunity.
We boarded an Egyptian aircraft at El Arish, which is an airport in the Mediterranean Sea not far from Rafah (in the Gaza Strip), where we were stationed. Except for black robed Bedouin women, we had seen no other females. Because we were foreign military and the war had recently ended, women were not allowed to show themselves in public while we were around.
Boarding the airplane, it was a pleasant surprise to see attractive, well endowed, smartly dressed young ladies offering us pillows and refreshments. What a shock to the system after months away from life’s delights.
Due to the turmoil between Egypt and Israel, the fact that we were aboard an Egyptian aircraft meant we were not allowed to fly over Israeli territory. Instead, we had to fly south across the Sinai desert, up along the Persian Gulf across part of Jordan and into Jerusalem. We were put up in a hotel between the old and new parts of the city. Yes, it had a bar.
The next day, our tour guide took us to see the mosque called the “Dome of the Rock”, the Holy Sepulchur, the street best known as the Way of the Cross where Jesus carried his cross to Calvary. We also toured Bethlehem and the Wailing Wall.
The next day, we hopped on a bus to see the River Jordan, where John the Baptist baptized Christ. From there, we headed to Jericho and the Dead Sea. After picking up some souvenirs and tasting the local wine, we donned our swimsuits and dove in. It’s true that you can’t sink in the Dead Sea! It’s 1300 feet below sea level and there is no outlet for the water, so it evaporates and leaves the salt. I found out by experiment that I could lie down in the water with a tray beside me holding a newspaper and none of us sinking.
I would heartily recommend that trip. I’m sure a lot of changes have been made over the last 52 years, but most have to be for the better.

You know it’s going to be a bad day when your twin forgets your birthday. Happy birthday to Will, Christopher, Connie and Olivia.
Hurry back to health Diane!

South Huron District High School’s music department spent four days from May 13-16 in Chicago as part of an experimental type of band trip. The Strip’s Casey Lessard tagged along.

Story and photos by Casey Lessard

“Two years ago in Cleveland, I met Benjamin Washington by happenstance,” says South Huron music teacher and band director Isaac Moore, speaking of Chicago King College Prep High School’s band director. “He needed a bass amp and I needed a trumpet, so we ended up talking and exchanging instruments for an hour or so. Because of that, we ended up talking about where each of us was from and how neat it would be if we tried to do something together. ”
Each year, South Huron’s music department takes a trip, but most of the recent trips have been for competitions.
“We could have done that again this year. But I wanted to give the kids a varied experience; we had never gone to Chicago, and a lot of kids were interested in going there.”
Sixty-six members of the band joined the trip, along with eight chaperones. The visit to America’s third largest city included sightseeing, a trip to the famed Chicago Symphony Orchestra and the Sears Tower, and lots of music. The band performed all day its second day, starting with a master class at a college for music teachers, followed by a jazz combo performance at Buddy Guy’s Legends bar. Then it was off to King College Prep for an afternoon and evening collaboration, which started with watching the one of the city’s best marching bands practise.
“Our marching band is everywhere, winning competitions,” says Benjamin Washington. “We’re like the Soul Train of Chicago. Just last year, we opened for the Stone Temple Pilots concert, Wynton Marsalis dropped by and played with us here. [U.S. President Obama’s house] is about three or four blocks from here. Marching around in the summer time, we would pass by it. I didn’t even know he lived there until the presidential election.”
Whether Obama ever noticed King’s marching band or not, percussionist Joe Pavkeje of Exeter found it valuable to see how King’s musicians perform, bobbing their heads while playing.
“It showed we could be doing a lot of things we’re not doing. Not that we’re not doing enough, but they have a different style that I thought was interesting. They really got into their music, which helps them with their stage presence. It makes them sound better. If they’re more into it, it makes it more enjoyable for everybody.”
While Pavkeje noticed the contrasts, Moore hopes he also noticed the similarities.
“We often think these major cities are better than what we’re doing here. Rural schools are have not and city schools are have. It shows the kids how special this school is and gives them perspective on how great they’re doing and how wonderful the music they’re doing is.”
Kristy Pavkeje is thankful for the experience, and knows who should get the credit.
“It’s a really high quality program. If you look around (elsewhere in our region), we seem to be more dedicated or something. A lot of that is due to Mr. Moore. He knows how to get the most out of this program for us. With the SHSM (Specialist High Skills Major) program (in Arts & Culture), it looks good when you go to university or college, and he worked hard to get it at the school.”
For Moore’s part, he notes he couldn’t pull it off without the overwhelming support of the community.
“The community is so, so important to what we’re doing here. They support our concerts to show our kids that what they’re doing is important. The fact that we have this extremely supportive community and excellent tradition of music at this school, it’s a machine that doesn’t seem to stop. Every day I come here, I don’t know who I’m thanking, but I’m thanking someone.”
Moore is eager to show the music program’s supporters what King College Prep is doing, and hopes Washington is able to bring his students to Exeter next year.
“Having the opportunity to see their marching band and the enthusiasm they have for music, it was infectious. Our kids loved watching their band perform, and this community would love seeing it, too. It’s really fun to watch.”
Washington is on board, too, and hopes it can happen.
“It gives the kids the opportunity to see children from other areas and see we’re doing the same thing,” he says. “I’m sure Mr. Moore is saying the same things: you’ve got to practise, you’ve got to listen, you’ve got to watch the rhythms. It gives the children a chance to see that what I’m trying to provide for them is what others are trying to do as well.”
Looking back on the trip, Moore hopes his students got enough time to interact with their Chicago counterparts.
“The students said the best part of the trip was socializing with students from the other school, and you can’t plan that. It would have been nice to have more time for that. It’s through that social bond that they see that we’re doing the same things here.”

Sign at a pool: The P is already in Pool, so please don’t add yours to it.
Sign on a lawn: What leaves your dog’s behind, please don’t leave behind.

Advice from Mom
By Rita Lessard

Waste! How is it that we have so much waste? I suppose it’s simple enough to figure out. As a wasteful society, we have way too much stuff. I was talking the other day about recycling when I was at Curves, and Anne Armstrong claimed to be the queen of recycling. I told her she should join forces with Tom because he’s the absolute best when it comes to recycling; at least, I can’t keep up with him. I usually put most of the paper and cardboard on the counter and let him get on with his pastime. Perhaps he should give lessons on this very important subject.
Waste is so abundant that people not only waste stuff, but they also waste time, energy and opportunity. At work, people waste time and the boss’ money. Not too long ago, I heard a worker complaining about how dumb their boss was. What they don’t realize is that they’d be out of a job if their dumb boss were any smarter. In this economy, they really should watch their mouths, which are usually working overtime while their minds are on vacation.
On March 4, we were blessed with a new grandson, Jonah, a little brother for Will and a second son for Bill and Christine. Kids are so great and very smart. I recall bragging one day about how smart one of my sons was because he was able to walk at nine months. My neighbour looked at me and said, “You call that intelligent? When my Sara was that old, she let me carry her.” Right! So much for being proud.
Well, it doesn’t matter because all of my sons have been able to stand on their own two feet and it’s especially nice when they walk in the house and say, I love you mom. I wonder if Sara can do that. Meow!
Thoughts for the month: keep smiling, be cheerful and good luck to all the students who are getting ready to finish their school year. Make us proud!

Dandelion solution
I suppose we had better get used to the colour yellow on our lawns. Although green is my favourite colour, I can live with yellow now that the ban on pesticides has been issued. That’s a good reason for the family to pull together and make a summer project of pulling weeds. It’s been suggested that hot water and vinegar will get rid of dandelions. It’s up to you!
Have fun and enjoy the summer.

Keeping the Peace
By Tom Lessard

The time came to get out of the desert, so a two-week leave in Beirut, Lebanon was set up for us.
We trucked to Gaza City to catch a Greek yacht for our journey. I seem to recall that there were 20 of us on the boat. We set out to sea in the Mediterranean at about 10 a.m. on a bright sunny day. Around noon, we were served lunch. Grouper floated in olive oil and a huge garden salad with a beer to wash it all down. The meal didn’t sit too well with me, so I went to the head. It consisted of a stall with a hole in the floor and two railings to hang onto. The rolling motion of the boat made it quite a humourous event.
By 3 p.m., we were pulling into Beirut harbour, and after passing through customs we spotted a store that sold liquor. A bottle of C.C. could be had for $1.50, so two buddies and I purchased a case, which should have lasted the duration of our stay.
A bus took us through Beirut up the mountains (5000’) to a resort hotel called the Beit Mery. It was a wonderful restful accommodation for us. The air that high up was cool compared to the city.
We stored our gear in our rooms, got cleaned up and then went to the front desk, where we left most of our money in a safe. Lebanon was a very inexpensive country coompared to a lot of the places I had visited. Being Canadians with the United Nations, we were treated very well. Some of the people in Beirut didn’t think much of the American military (following the 1958 Lebanon crisis).
Beirut at the time was the financial capital of the Middle East, and was a beautiful city. Fantastic clubs and restaurants abounded. We tried to go to all of them but unfortunately there were too man for the short time we were alloted.
One day, I walked on my own into a market full of shops and people. Big mistake, going alone. I was swarmed by about 20 kids. Some kept me busy while others picked my pockets. The cops had to rescue me. I was given a dressing down and turned over to the United Nations after spending more than three hours in protective custody.
Another time, we were sitting in a bar having a drink and a look around, when out of nowhere appears a gang of Brazilian soldiers. As they walked by our table, one of them reached out and grabbed my buddy’s beret. We took off after them and ended up on the street in a brawl. Along came the cops again. Another visit to the local lock-up and another recovery by the U.N. We never did get the beret back.
At the end of our holiday, we were getting ready to leave and we were told to hurry up as there was trouble at the airport; it seems the Americans were involved in some kind of skirmish. We hurried and left behind a beautiful country with some wonderful memories, all courtesy the Canadian people and the United Nations.
Happy belated birthday to Brittany & Joan!

Community/Charity

Tuesdays
10 a.m. to 2 p.m. – Pt Franks Comm Ctr
Kids Matter every Tuesday. Join us as we Crochet sleeping mats out of milk bags to send to the children in Africa and South America. Bring your lunch, scissors and a #7 crochet hook. Call Peggy Smith at 519-296-5834 for details.

7 p.m. – Grand Bend Legion
Bingo

Fridays
5 to 7 p.m. – Grand Bend Legion
Meat Draw

Wednesday, May 27
Grand Bend Horticultural Society.
Plant sale.

Tuesday, June 2 to 20
Huron Country Playhouse
Oliver! For tickets, call 519-238-6000.

Wednesday, June 3
Grand Bend Horticultural Society. Bus Tour to Sipkens, Degroots, Sarnia parks, Forest Glen Herb Farm and mystery spot as shown on separate flyer.

12:30 p.m. – Grand Bend Legion
Grand Bend Golden Agers Luncheon. Guest Speaker, Casey Lessard. Shuffleboard every Mon. & Thurs. at 1:00 p.m., Euchre every 2 & 4 Wed. at 1:30 p.m. New members welcome!

Tuesday, June 9
9:30 a.m. – Grand Bend Legion
Grand Bend Women’s Probus meeting. Annual General Meeting. Annual reports and voting on the new slate of officers will take place. Refreshments and fellowship will end the Probus year until September.

Friday, June 12
Huron County Playhouse Guild presents an Evening with David Chilton, author of the Wealthy Barber. For tickets contact Val at 519-236-4404 or HCP Box Office at 238-6000. Tickets $25 and include a copy of “Eat, Shrink and Be Merry”.

Tuesday, June 16
10 a.m. – Grand Bend Legion
Grand Bend Men’s Probus Club Meeting.

Wednesday, June 17
1 to 5 p.m. – Grand Bend CHC
10 year Anniversary Celebration of Midwestern Adult Day Centre. Speakers, music from the Grand Bend Beach Boys, open house and refreshments

Arts & Entertainment

Thursdays
1 to 3 p.m. – Grand Bend Art Centre
Open Painting. Cost is $10 – bring a project and materials and paint with various artists.

Fridays
1:30 to 3:30 p.m. – GB Youth Centre
Grand Bend Drum Circle. Contact Anita at the Youth Centre or call 519-238-8759.

To May 30
Arts Project, London (Dundas St. between Richmond and Clarence)
South Huron DHS Visual Arts students present a variety of art (paintings, drawings, sculptures, prints and mixed media pieces) created by students in grades 9 through 12. http://www.artsproject.ca

Saturday, May 30
3 to 6 p.m. – Grand Bend Legion
Live Music with Midlife Crisis

Saturday, June 6
2 to 7 p.m. – Bliss Studios, Pt. Franks
Opening for Lead and Feed the Creation, featuring work of Sarah Westgate and Ryan Thomson. Runs to June 25. All welcome.

3 to 6 p.m. – Grand Bend Legion
Live Music with The Persuaders

Saturday, June 13
3 to 6 p.m. – Grand Bend Legion
Live Music with Cactus Jam

Health & Fitness

Mondays
8 to 9 a.m. – GB Lion’s Pavilion
Workout for Your Life. $8 per class; $5 for spouses and students. Call Beth Sweeney, (519) 238-5555.

8:45 to 10 a.m. – Grand Bend Legion
T.G.I.F. (Thank God I’m Fit) exercise class with Elinor Clarke 519-294-6499. $3 per week; all fees go to charity

6 to 7 p.m. – McNaughton Park, Exeter
Workout for Your Life. $8 per class; $5 for gym members, spouses and students. Call Beth Sweeney, (519) 238-5555.

6:45 to 8 p.m.
Anne’s Yoga Works studio, Port Franks
Yoga Classes, info and registration call Anne 519-243-3552. Beginners welcome. 

Tuesdays
9 a.m. – Pt Franks Community Centre
Healthy Lifestyle Exercise Program. Sponsored in part by Healthy Living Lambton. Cost: Free!! Everyone welcome. Contact Cindy Maxfield at the GBACHC, 519-238-1556 ext 6 to register.

Wednesdays
8 to 9 a.m. – GB Lion’s Pavilion
Workout for Your Life. $8 per class; $5 for spouses and students. Call Beth Sweeney, (519) 238-5555.

8:45 to 10 a.m. – Grand Bend Legion
T.G.I.F. (Thank God I’m Fit) exercise class with Elinor Clarke 519-294-6499. $3 per week; all fees go to charity
 
10 to 11:30 a.m. – Grand Bend Legion
Line Dancing

6 to 7 p.m. – McNaughton Park, Exeter
Workout for Your Life. $8 per class; $5 for gym members, spouses and students. Call Beth Sweeney, (519) 238-5555.
7 to 8 p.m. – Parkhill Leisure Club
Yoga Classes, info and registration call Anne 519-243-3552. Beginners welcome. 

Thursdays
9 a.m. – Pt Franks Community Centre
Healthy Lifestyle Exercise Program. Sponsored in part by Healthy Living Lambton. Cost: Free!! Everyone welcome. Contact Cindy Maxfield at the GBACHC, 519-238-1556 ext 6 to register.

Fridays
8 to 9 a.m. – GB Lion’s Pavilion
Workout for Your Life. $8 per class; $5 for spouses and students. Call Beth Sweeney, (519) 238-5555.

8:45 to 10 a.m. – Grand Bend Legion
T.G.I.F. (Thank God I’m Fit) exercise class with Elinor Clarke 519-294-6499. $3 per week; all fees go to charity

Monday, June 1
7 p.m. – Grand Bend CHC
Alzheimer Caregiver Support. A great monthly facilitated group program that provides education and support to caregivers. Please contact the Alzheimer’s Society of Huron at 1-800-561-5012 for details. Last meeting till fall.

Tuesday, June 2
9 to 10 a.m. – Grand Bend Catholic Church or Port Franks Comm Centre
Walking for Wellness. Each Tuesday and Thursday. Contact Cindy Maxfield at GBACHC 519-238-1556 ext. 231.

Thursday, June 11
12 to 4 p.m. – Grand Bend CHC
Community Health & Safety Day. FREE Car seat check, BP clinic, cooking demonstrations, information on low cost things to do this summer for fun, tips and strategies to help you deal with the current economics along with contact information, stress reduction, home safety, falls prevention & checklists, refreshments and door prizes.

Advice from Mom
By Rita Lessard

Thanks to my sister Joan, I was the happy recipient of a very leisurely holiday in Punta Cana for 10 days.
I don’t know about Joan, but for me, it was a very pleasant vacation and a much needed rest with plenty of sunshine – a respite from the frigid weather that you unfortunate souls had to endure the last part of March and the first week of April. I was quite surprised to see snow when I came back, but now as I look out it is sunny and warm. Hopefully we’ve seen the last of the white stuff.
The secret to a successful trip is preparation before you leave. For instance, the most important thing is getting your passport. When I renew my passport in two years, I will be on my fourth application. Still, It doesn’t matter how many times you apply: the government will still put you through the same crap. Even though these jokers know that my mother’s maiden name will never change, or that my birth month, day and year will never change, they still insist I give them the same information every time I deal with them. I know they know who I am: over the years, I’ve had a social insurance card, birth certificate, and filled out income tax forms, etc. You can see why I’m surprised I have to go through so much to convince these people who I am.
I suppose it’s quite a cash grab, though; when I first applied forty years ago, the passport cost me $5. Now they’ve raised the stakes, so be sure you save some extra vacation money for the passport.
In the past, you could smile when you got your passport picture taken, but not today. No smiling! If you don’t look like a criminal, you can’t leave the country! I supposed they figure you’re ticked off after all the bull they’ve put you through.

Speaking of which, this vacation was my first time encountering the dreaded Montezuma’s Revenge, or as some people call it, the tiki trots; in plain English, diarrhea. For the first week or so, it was a stop and go situation. In case the reading public is ever plagued with this condition, here are some helpful hints:
- Drink plenty of fluids.
- Eat foods like mashed carrots, chicken broth, crackers, dry toast, bananas, Jell-O, apple sauce.
- Stay away from dairy, except yogurt.
- Also avoid explosives like beans, cabbage and Brussels sprouts.
- Try to maintain a bland diet until your condition passes (maybe that’s a bad way to say it. Correction: until you’re relieved of the ring around the bowl).
If you are lucky enough to be able to travel outside Canada and unlucky enough to encounter the Katmandu Quick Stop, take comfort in something like Imodium, or as some people will say, “put a plug in it.”

Not to worry, though; I’m back in good stead, and just in time to congratulate Casey for winning his newspaper awards. You’re the best, signed your prejudiced mother.

Keeping the Peace
By Tom Lessard

With Rita away in the sunny Dominican Republic, I was reminded of my trip to the Middle East when I was 19. There I was in January 1957, debarking from an aircraft carrier in Port Said, Egypt and embarking on a new experience. We boarded trucks to travel down the Suez Canal during the crisis that had started months earlier. We were headed to Ismailia and the junction of the Sweet Water Canal, which runs to Cairo and the Nile River.
About 30 miles along the Sweet Water is the village of Abu Sueir, which has an air force base. This is where we spent the first couple months of our tour. What was left of the Egyptian army had a unit station on the air base, and we camped on the other side of a fenced-in area.
One night when I was on fire picket, I happened to come to a gate along the fence line that separated our camp from that of the Egyptian air base. As I turned the corner to check the other side, I startled an Egyptian sentry, who lowered his rifle – with bayonet fixed – and walked right into me, stabbing me in the stomach. Luckily, I was wearing my great coat because it stopped most of the thrust and I suffered only a slight wound. I was able to continue my patrol, and when I passed my tent, I stopped for a few minutes to clean the wound and put a bandage on it before continuing the duty. The potential for an international incident meant there was no way I was about to report that goof-up.
This mission was where we were introduced to Stella. The beer, that is, in quart bottles. They came in wooden cases like the old Coca-Cola ones, and sat outside in the heat with no coolers to chill them. The beer was skunky, but because it was all we could get, we had to put up with it. It took about a week or so to get accustomed to it, but by then it started to taste pretty good.
Our opportunity at playing tourist saw us take a bus tour to Cairo. Driving by bus along the canal and seeing the way people lived was like stepping back in time to the days of the Pharaohs. The Egyptians used the canal to wash their clothes, bathe, and brush their teeth using their fingers. We passed a prison with the chain gangs working outside. We also saw 15 men pulling a dhow (a single-masted sailboat) up the river. The dhows are loaded off freighters in the Suez Canal at Ismailia. These men walked along the bank pulling the dhow to Cairo – against the current.
When we reached Cairo, as we stepped off the bus we were met by a woman trying to sell us her baby for about $0.50; she said should couldn’t afford to feed the baby and herself. We sure didn’t need a baby, so we all chipped in and gave her some money to buy what she needed and went on our way.
Because of the war, Cairo was very quiet. Very few people or vehicles were about, nor were boats traveling down the river.
As all tourists do, we went for a camel ride around the pyramids of Giza and the Sphinx, and watched a man run up and down the pyramid. These monuments are amazing pieces of construction. The blocks are so immense, it makes you wonder how people could move them and place them into position. I realize it took years and incredible manpower, but it’s still hard to fathom.
Our next tour was to Mount Sinai. We traveled south on the Sinai desert by Jeep, stopping at small oases to rest and refresh ourselves. There is a lot of history at Mount Sinai, where Moses was said to have received the Ten Commandments. It is a very hot and dry area in the desert, and leaves me pondering how the Jews survived all their years wandering here. We were met by monks who gave us a choice of going up the side of the mountain by basket or making the long climb to the monastery itself.Being in good physical condition, most of us chose to climb while a few of the older (and obese) men rode the basket. This mode of transportation involves a basket secured by a long rope attached to a pulley situated at an opening in the monastery wall and operated by monks inside. It was pulled up and brought inside so that intruders couldn’t use it when raiding.

Children in Crediton recently celebrated another Christian tradition, with the annual Easter egg hunt held Saturday. Seven hundred eggs were strewn across the ball diamond and park areas. Some of the eggs had papers with numbers on them inside. If you found one of these, each represented a correspondingly numbered prize. Every child received a hot dog and other treats, and super weather meant a great turnout.

Advice from Mom
By Rita Lessard

What a glorious sunny day! This past Friday, March 6, the warm sun was shining and the promise of nice weather appeared to be our reward for enduring such a bitterly cold three months of icy temperatures. But, alas, it was short lived; I went to start my car early Saturday morning and it was back to scraping the ice off. Then came the rain, but I’m not one to despair as my mind is on my plans to go to Punta Cana on March 23. Thanks to the generosity of my sister Joan, I’m able to go somewhere that will thaw me out.
I’ve been packed for at least three weeks, so I guess you could say I’m eager to go. I probably won’t get much of a tan, but with any luck my freckles and age spots will make it look like I belong. Joan will be quite tanned as she’s been around. Let me rephrase that: she’s a seasoned traveler and she loves the sun.
Regardless, if I get a tan or not I’m looking forward to going. I’ve packed the necessary supplies like sunscreen, after-sun lotion, insect repellent, and of course, Imodium and extra underwear – just in case the bottom falls out. You can never be too careful, you know!
Everyone tells me I deserve a rest, so I’m looking forward to a nice holiday with my best friend and sister. Perhaps I can do something about the washed out look that seems to have attacked my person. One more reason to take a sunny holiday.
Since I’ll be flying, I’m going to leave you with a final note of a joke heard from my friend Frank. At an airline ticket counter, a small boy with his mother told the agent he was two years old. The man looked at him suspiciously and asked, “Do you know what happens to little boys who lie?” “Yes. They get to fly for half price.”
Happy birthday to my granddaughter Abby, who will turn twelve March 12, and to my daughter-in-law Val who will be… older on March 27. All the best, girls!

Editor’s Note: Happy birthday, mom! Enjoy your vacation – you deserve a break!

Keeping the Peace
By Tom Lessard, C.D.

Frankenmuth, Michigan is a beautiful little town on I-75 between Saginaw and Bay City. The big attraction is a Santa’s Village, but it is also known for having a variety of excellent restaurants and parks. It also has its very own brewery, from which you can purchase buckets of beer of various sizes at a convenient window without even entering the building. I know, because this was my first stop.
How did we get there? Well, as usual, we purchased tickets from the Albatross and of course that was the embarking area. Those days, the bar was closed on Sundays, but it amazed me how much liquid flowed. When bar crowds don’t have to drive to their destination, they naturally enjoy their spirits.
The bus arrived and off we went. This trip, we had no problems at the Sarnia-Port Huron border. We stopped at a restaurant shortly after crossing the border and had a snack. From there to Frankenmuth it’s about two hours, a pleasant bus ride of rolling countryside and small towns and villages. The only different between that part of Michigan and our part of Ontario is the license plates.
When we arrived at our destination, the heat got to me and I took a little nap under a tree while the rest of the gang spread out. I awoke after a short time to find a parade passing a block away. My wife disappeared somewhere leaving me without funds. Wandering around, I met my buddy Gig and we hooked up together to watch the parade. When it was over while searching for the rest of the busload, we stopped at the brewery where Gig treated for a couple of buckets. After a time we carried on downtown. We were passing a hotel when, all of a sudden, there was a commotion and the next thing we knew the troopers were escorting old Lawrence out of the establishment. We approached them and asked what the trouble was. It seems that Lawrence was giving the employees a hard time and creating a disturbance. We told them that he was with us that we would look after him. They were kind enough to agree after giving us a warning. Off we went with Lawrence between us until we came to a pretty little shaded park where we propped him against a tree. By this time we were dry again. Gig spotted a store a short ways away and took off. He came back with a brown paper bag containing two bottles of wine. It reminded me of our days in Cyprus on the second tour. Anyway, we didn’t take long disposing of the grapes, ensuring that Lawrence had only a couple of sips each round.
The sun was heading west by this time, so we headed back to the rendezvous with the bus. My wife and her friends were there to greet us. Off we went home. I never did get to see Santa.
Congratulations Bill and Christine, who welcomed Johan Robert March 4, a little brother for Will. Happy Birthday to Rita, April 5!

Keeping the Peace
By Tom Lessard, C.D.

I was born in Windsor, Ontario in 1937, the seventh child. I had three brothers and three sisters.
My mother was very handy with the sewing machine and needle and thread. She would get hold of Maple Leaf flour bags, take the stitching out, bleach the bags and then join them and make pillow cases, sheets, underwear and curtains. A lot of the time, the bleaching wouldn’t remove all the wording, so the shorts would have the Maple Leaf logo still visible.
My father was a tool and die maker and a part-time car racer at Detroit and Port Huron tracks. He built a house on Riberdy Road, out by the airport in Sandwich East. It was a two-storey building with a semi-detached garage and a good-sized Victory garden.
Everyone was urged to have their own garden during the war. In the summer, as the crops ripened, I’d take a salt shaker and start at one end of the cucumber row, pick a cuke, wipe off the prickers and eat and eat until I was full. When the tomatoes were ready, I’d take on the task of wiping them on my pants or shirt, lick them, add salt and enjoy the taste of fresh vegetables. My sister dug into the onions, which she loved and I didn’t.
Wartime meant rationing. Every family or eligible person received a ration book and coupons with which to purchase meat, butter, gasoline, tires, etc. Every Sunday, my dad would have his bacon and eggs for breakfast. If we were lucky, we’d get the drippings, in which we’d fry bread. It was a real treat. Butter was in very short supply so we’d use lard on our bread. My grandfather, who had a house across the street, would invite one or two of us over for breakfast. It consisted of porridge with ice cream on it. Mmm good.
In the back of our property, there was a huge farm owned by the Walker family, on which they grew acres and acres of cattle corn. When the corn was still edible, we’d pick a few dozen and set up a table on Walker Road (the main street leading to downtown Windsor) and sell it. We’d tell everyone that it was Golden Bantam corn. I understand that one of our customers was Mr. Walker himself.
When there was no corn in the fields, we were able to witness the coming and going of military aircraft of all shapes and sizes either in training or heading to the war zones. Once in a while the “air raid” sirens would go off and we’d have to pull all the blinds down and turn off all unnecessary lights until the “all clear” sounded.

Our home was about five miles from the Detroit river, where there was a 30-foot diving tower and a beach. I remember my oldest sister telling me about the time she and my second oldest brother had 26¢ between them to get there and back and to have a treat. The bus to the beach cost 5¢ each to get there, and 5¢ each to get back. That left a nickel for popcorn.
When they reached their destination and were walking out to the pier, a lifeguard stopped them and asked where they thought they were going. “To the diving tower,” they replied. He pointed to a spot in the river and told them that if they could swim there and back, they could go to the diving tower. They were about 10 and eight years old at the time.
Well, they were good swimmers and had no trouble completing the task, so he allowed them to continue to the tower. When it was time to go home, instead of taking the bus they spent the fare on food and walked the five miles home. It was late when they arrived and my worried parents asked why they were so late. They replied, “You always tell us to take our time getting home.”

To the Crediton Community Centre committee: Thanks for all the work you’ve done and for a great effort in raising the money required to renovate the hall!
Jim: Hope you get well soon!

Advice from Mom
By Rita Lessard

Finally, the old year of 2008 is gone and we welcome in the New Year of 2009. I certainly hope the old year was pleasant enough for everyone and hopefully 2009 will bring much happiness. As we all realize with every passing year that we are getting older, it seems at times things don’t really change.
For instance, with clothing, history has a way of repeating itself. I remember years ago when my kids were young and I was a stay-at-home mom, I didn’t get out of my pyjamas until at least nine o’clock in the morning. As a matter of fact, after the kids went off to school I would scoot over to my friend Joanne’s place for tea, stay a while, and didn’t get dressed until I was ready to do my housework. Looking back on this habit I can appreciate it when the young people stay in their pyjamas all day; they even go to school, do their shopping and all their other fun activities dressed this way. I must admit I was never that bold, but one has to give the kids credit; they don’t seem to worry how they dress, whatever is the fashion: pyjamas, low rise pants, pretty underwear and short- or half-shirts. I really do worry about their cheeks and backs being exposed to the elements.
Like I say, times don’t really change that much. I recall my mother harping on me about always dressing warmly and she was always going on about wearing a hat in the winter time. As she said, heat rises so if you wore a hat, you certainly wouldn’t be cold. When I thought about it I decided to say to her, “So ma, if I wear a hat I could go out without my pants and I’d be perfectly fine.” Not so. I got a good clout for that comment. Kids, I recommend you get those hats on, especially if you don’t cover the rest of your assets.
I also worry about the cats and dogs out in the cold of winter. At this time of year, cats like to snuggle up in a warm place such as a car engine. You might save a cat’s life by honking your horn before starting your car.
My friend Tanya was concerned with her cat’s hair balls; someone told me if she added a teaspoon of vegetable oil to her cat’s daily meal, this would help prevent the situation.

Happy birthday Michael Lessard on January 24.
P.S. I apologize to Mae and Bill Brennan, who last week were forced to witness me putting my garbage out in my pyjamas. Force of habit. All the best in the New Year.

By Casey Lessard

The end is near for Crediton’s only retailer, and its owners hope that end refers to construction on the town’s only bridge and main road, not the end of their 15-year business.
“There are no guarantees,” says Diane Faubert when asked if the business will survive to the January bridge repair completion date. “We don’t know. We’re going to try.”
Jordy’s Gas Bar, one of the few businesses in the village, has been hit hard by three years of road construction caused by sewer installation; this year’s discovery that the bridge had a crack was the straw that threatens to break Jordy’s back.
“I’ve taken a leave of absence from my bus,” Faubert says, “I’ve laid off my (three part-time) employees, I’ve unplugged a couple of fridges and freezers to cut back. We’ve cut back our hours because there just isn’t enough business. It’s pretty tough.”
“We became aware in late 2006 that it’s the same type of bridge that collapsed in Laval, Quebec,” says Acting Director of Public Works Dave Laurie, who notes they’ve been keeping tabs on the bridge since then. Repairing the bridge was Huron County’s least expensive option, estimated at $430,000.
“The bridge was built in the mid-50s, and it was a design that was popular, the cantilever beam design. We had done some repairs earlier in 2006 to address other issues, and early this summer realized there’s a crack in one of the beams critical to supporting the bridge. It probably was a flaw in the bridge from the time it was built. Luckily it’s the only one of that type we have in Huron County.”
Traffic is rerouted around Crediton at Parr Line until next month. Consolidated Sign & Lighting is at the Parr Line end of Crediton’s main street, and its lit sign is visible from the detour.
“It’s not an issue for us,” says Consolidated’s Larry Eveland. “I’d rather see it happening rather than not happening.
“We’re just lucky our bridge isn’t the one that collapsed and killed somebody. It had to be fixed before someone got hurt.”
The discovery of the crack is important to public safety, but an unlucky case of bad timing for Faubert, whose business has already suffered from construction that deters traffic en route to Grand Bend and the Motorplex.
““We used to get a lot of Motorplex traffic, but they don’t want to go over rough roads,” Faubert says. “After three years of this, I don’t have any financial savings or extra money to tie me through. I have another month and a half to go. I’m taking it day by day and hoping that I’ll survive this.”

Advice from Mom
By Rita Lessard

Since I won’t be writing another column until the New Year, let me take this opportunity to wish all my friends and relatives a very Merry Christmas and all the best in the New Year. Also thanks for your support to Casey’s Grand Bend Strip. I’m sure this has been a very challenging 20 months for Casey but in the long run, quite rewarding. I hope next year we’ll continue providing fun news that will entertain you and make your days lighter and brighter.
As I venture out to do my Christmas shopping, I have to stop and wonder why some mothers insist on taking their young children shopping with them. These little darlings don’t seem to like these excursions too well, or at least that’s the impression I get when I hear these kids crying and rubbing their eyes. Whatever they want, they have to wait for Christmas to come. If they stop their crying, they may get it, but if they keep driving their mothers nuts, perhaps they’ll get something they don’t want.
And what’s up with these mini shopping carts for the kids? Here the little ankle biters have a vehicle to ram into the backs of your legs. And then the screaming and the crying starts again, only this time, it’s the mothers doing the screeching.
I recall when I would go shopping with my mother, and sure enough she’d bravely lead the way while I pursued her with that big shopping cart. You can bet I never missed an opportunity to get her in the legs. The funny thing was, it always seemed to be her bad leg. I guess I wasn’t smart enough to do it on her good leg. For some reason, I was the only one that went shopping with her. I’m sure I don’t know why I was the chosen one. Then again, nobody said you had to be smart to be in my family; I guess my brothers and sisters knew better.
For the longest time, I truly wondered if I was “The Chosen One” because every time my mother was upset, she’d call me “Jesus Rita”. Like the time she tripped and fell on her long fur coat and I had a tough time helping her up. She said, “Jesus Rita, would you stop your laughing and help me up?” A Catholic woman and all! Whew!
I can see where one would get confused with their names. When Casey was young and I got annoyed or excited with him, I said, “Oh Casey! What are you doing?” I guess I called him Oh Casey quite often. One time Casey’s friend Tracy Price came calling on him, and when I answered the doorbell, Tracy said, “Hi Mrs. Lessard, can Oh Casey come out to play?” And like a dummy, I didn’t correct her. I just said, “Oh Casey, Tracy’s here for you.”
Happy birthday Casey on December 16, and Merry Christmas to one and all.

Keeping the Peace
By Tom Lessard

On the 16th of December, 1974, at the South Huron Hospital maternity ward, a cute little guy named Casey Kyle Baxter Lessard was brought into this world. In those days the mother and baby stayed in the hospital for a few days. In the interim, Father Moody visited Rita and Casey and inquired as to his names. Rita told him and his reply was, “They aren’t saints’ names!”
“No,” said Rita, “but we are going to baptize him with the name John,” to which the good Father asked, “Which Saint John?”
“Why Saint John the Baptist,” replied mom. This pleased the priest very much because that was the name of the saint from which his name was derived.
I went to pick up Rita and Casey on the fourth day. We bundled into the car for the trip home. There was a detour along the way because I had promised the staff and customers at the Club Albatross that I would stop in on my way home. Well, they were ecstatic at seeing mom and baby.
I believe it was Alice who suggested that someone phone in the birth announcement to the Times-Advocate newspaper. When asked what the baby’s name was, she gave a list of all the staff and patrons’ names. The girl at the T-A said she couldn’t print that many names for a baby, so we settled on his given ones.
This boy grew up quickly with a super personality and a quick and generous smile. His brothers Tom, Glenn, Mike and Bill were very good to Casey and helped us much in teaching him all he needed to know.
Following grade school at Mount Carmel and high school in Exeter, he entered the University of Western Ontario. While there he became interested in radio, television and journalism. Moving on to study journalism at Fanshawe College, he started developing his interest in photography. A few years later, he returned to school for photojournalism at Loyalist College in Belleville.
His last job as an employee was with the Haliburton and Minden newspapers, at which he was praised for his professionalism. “Enough of working for someone else,” he said, and set up a small business of his own, which everyone now knows as the Grand Bend Strip.
I hope you will all join me and my family in wishing Casey a very happy, prosperous 34th birthday and future. Keep up the good work, and as Santa would say, Ho, ho, ho, Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night. P.S. that includes you, too, Anjhela. Love Tom and Rita.

Advice from Mom
By Rita Lessard

I suppose by now the kids who were out trick or treating have slowly come down from their sugar high. Most people enjoy this holiday because it gives them time to act silly by dressing up in their favourite costumes and partying; sometimes we need an excuse to do that.
My family always enjoyed this occasion to get candy and also to give out the goodies. I recall the time when I was a teenager that, because I was older, I volunteered to take my neighbours’ daughter Suzie out. My older sister stayed home and she would hand out the stuff. Before I left the house, she told me to make sure that I stopped in to our house before I dropped Suzie of because she would save some favours for us. So, after an hour or so, Suzie got a little tired and we quit. But then I remembered my sister telling me she would save us something, so we stopped by and got something from my house.
When we got to Suzie’s house, her mother said, “Rita, why don’t you stay a while and you can sort through the bags and Suzie can share some of the stuff with you.” I agreed to do so, and although Suzie’s not to keen on the idea, she eventually agrees. I have a bit of stuff in my bag that some of my friends gave me, so I’m really not that interested in taking too much and I tell Suzie this, so she says “Okay.”
I’m going through her stuff and I come across a piece of candy I think is fudge, so I say to Suzie, “Oh wow, I would really like to have that fudge. What do you say?” She says, “I don’t think so. I want it.”
I reluctantly let her have it and she decides she’s going to eat it right away while I’m sitting there drooling. She puts it in her mouth and then right away spits it out and yells, “Ew! That’s gross!” So I pick it up and look a little closer. It’s not fudge after all, but a piece of liver that’s nicely wrapped in cellophane.
I knew right away where the liver came from, considering my family had liver for supper that night. As soon as I get home, my sister knows the gig is up just by the look on my face and the evidence in my hand. I’m calling her an ugly witch, which was appropriate for the occasion, and I tell her that her trick backfired because Suzie ended up getting her so-called treat. She was a bit remorseful, but she was still laughing and cackling like the witch she was and she headed off to bed singing Trick or Treat! I never did pay her back.

Birthday greetings
Happy birthday to our son Bill (Nov. 15) and our granddaughter Katie (Nov. 22)!

Keeping the Peace
By Tom Lessard

In the spring of 1958, there was a posting on the board for an increment to go to Wainwright, Alberta for three months attached to the RCEME (Royal Canadian Electrical and Mechanical Engineers) workshop. Of course I applied, and was accepted. I boarded the train in London and met up with the unit in Toronto. The CNR, in its wisdom, gave us our own car along with a porter.
In those days it was generally accepted that most of the men were not averse to having a beer or two. We had a number of Korean and WWII vets with us, a couple of whom tried to teach us younger fellows how to drink. At Sudbury, we had a stopover of a couple of hours while we waited for the cross-Canada train to link up with us. First thing we did after disembarking from the train was to hop a cab and head for the beer and liquor stores to load up. We were going to be on the train for at least two and a half days, so we didn’t want to run dry, but that is what happened.
The porter got word that CN detectives were going to board the train at Fort William (now Thunder Bay) looking for booze, so we collected money and lists from all the guys. They elected me to do the shopping; I got off at the station, jumped into a cab, drove to the appropriate stores, loaded up and headed for Port Arthur (10km down the track).
Arriving at the station, I watched our car for a pre-arranged signal from our porter. It wasn’t long before I got the okay to pull up to the train, unload our booze, pay the cabbie and get on board.
We went our merry way to Calgary and our marshalling area. Calgary had only one drawback for me. At the time, I was a Legion member. One day at about 1 p.m., one of my buddies and I were looking for something to do when we spotted a Legion branch downtown. Hoping to play some pool or darts, we entered the building. We were met at the door and were asked what we wanted. We told him and he asked if we were members of this particular branch. I told him that I was a member back in Ontario. No good. He then asked if I knew any member of this branch. I said no. “Sorry, if you’re not a member of this branch, then you are not allowed in unless signed in by a paid up member.” By the way, we were in uniform. So much for western hospitality.
Despite this experience, I was so impressed by what a beautiful country we live in. I had hitchhiked across in 1956, but had never been able to see it the same way as from a dome car. The north shore of Lake Superior has to be one of the most spectacular sites in our land. The flora, fauna, tunnels and wild animals are breathtaking. I have been all over the States, to Europe and the Middle East; put them all together, and they run a distant second to Canada.

2008 Federal Election
Candidate profiles
Huron-Bruce

Dave Joslin
Christian Heritage
Brussels
519-887-9337
joslin@wightman.ca

Age: 54
Hometown: Burlington
Status: Married

College: Georgian College, Owen Sound
Concentration: Welder
High School: M.M. Robinson, Gr.12

Employer: Cleaver-Brooks
City/Town: Stratford
Position: Fitter-Welder

Activities: hiking, biking
Interests: philosophy, theology, political theory
Favorite Music: variety
Favorite TV Show: don’t watch TV
Favorite Movie: We Were Soldiers
Favorite Book: The Lord of the Rings
Favorite Quotation or Motto: Contra Mundum

About Me: Kathy and I have been married for 32 years. We have four children and have lived in Grey Twp. for twenty years.
Dave Joslin did not respond to the five questions posed by the Grand Bend Strip.

Age: 56
Hometown: Farm outside Lucknow
Status: Married to Fran

Education: University of Waterloo
Concentration: Honours Environmental Studies
High School: Goderich District Collegiate Institute

Employer: Self – Meeting Place Organic Farm
City/Town: Lucknow
Position: Farmer

Activities: Farming and farm organizations, With Fran, I lead couples enrichment workshops and teach holistic management courses.

Interests: renewable energy, hiking, canoeing, holistic management, woodworking, rotational grazing, workhorses.

Favorite Music: old rock and roll
Favorite Book: Small is Beautiful – Economics as If people mattered
Favorite Quotation or Motto: Live every day as if it were your last but in a way that will not negate the future.

About Me: I’m the husband of Fran and we are the parents of two grown daughters. We are members of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers). We have been farming near Lucknow for 35 years. We have revitalized an uninhabited hilly farm into Meeting Place Organic Farm and have built up a small meat retail business. We have been active in farm and community organizations. We helped start and build the Ecological Farmers Association of Ontario. I am a past president of the Huron County Federation of Agriculture and am currently president of Local 10 of the Ontario National Farmers Union. I was elected to three terms as a trustee on the Huron County Board of Education. I served as Elmer Buchanan’s executive assistant when he was Minister of Agriculture and worked with the farm community to develop what became the Environmental Farm Plan program and stable funding for farm organizations. We have worked to make our own farm environmentally friendly and sustainable.

Birthday: Feb. 18, 1962
Hometown: Clinton
Status: Divorced
 
Education: Finished grade 10
Concentration: Working hard
 
Employer: Little Rock Farm Trucking
Town: Walkerton
Position: Truck-driver
 
Interests: camping, motorcycles (a Harley),watching/learning from people, driving thru countryside, watching thunderstorms from dry place
 
Favourite Music: classic rock, some country
Favourite TV show: don’t have favorite T.V show
Favourite Movie: Enjoy most movies that are based on true stories
Favourite Book: Been awhile since I had time to read a good book other than the Bible
Favorite Quotation or Motto: “Early bird gets the worm” still haven’t figured what I would do with it when I do get it; or “When dealt lemons, make lemonade.”
 
About Me: As Independent, I will be free of party, to work for the constituent. And that folks is how democracy works. Thank you.
Dennis Valenta, your independent choice.

Birthday: September 10, 1076
Hometown: Clinton
Status: Married

College/University: Lee University in Cleveland, Tennessee
Concentration: Business Administration
High School: Central Huron Secondary School

Employer: Desire2Learn Inc.
City/Town: Kitchener
Position: Purchasing Manager / Cost Analyst

Activities: golf, baseball, mountain biking
Interests: investing, politics, fitness
Favorite Music: rock
Favorite TV Show: Saturday Night Live
Favorite Movie: The Usual Suspects
Favorite Book: Warren Buffet Portfolio
Favorite Quotation or Motto: Carpe Diem “Seize the day”

About Me: I was born and raised in Clinton, Ontario and currently reside in Holmesville. The Lobb family is a seven-generation Huron County family. I attended Lee University in Cleveland Tennessee on a baseball scholarship and graduated with a degree in Business Administration. I worked at Wescast Industries for seven years and currently work for a software company called Desire2Learn as the Purchasing Manager and Cost Analyst. I also still help with our family auction business Lobb Auction as an auctioneer on the weekends. I enjoy playing golf and outdoor activities.

The Strip asked all of the candidates five questions related to federal issues in our ridings.
The Green Party did not return our questionnaire by press time, and the Christian Heritage Party’s Dave Joslin did not respond to these questions.

Huron-Bruce

What is the most pressing issue facing your riding, and what do you plan to do about it if elected?
Greg McClinchey: There is no such thing as one issue that is most important in an election. Elections are never about any one issue. Elections are about Canadians selecting the people who will help guide our nation’s path in the years ahead. Anyone who would try to tell you that elections can be distilled down to a single issue are trying to sell you an overly simplified version of their marketing plan. Elections are a time when citizens should engage in the process, talk to neighbours and discuss issues with those seeking office. Citizens should make their candidates talk about the issues that are discussed in the milk house, around kitchen tables and at coffee shops. It is not for political parties to tell local citizens what an election is going to be about – the flow of information should be running from the constituency to Ottawa and not the other way around.
Tony McQuail: When I first ran federally in 1980 we said we should be using the windfall profits of the oil companies and invest them in energy conservation and renewable energy. We didn’t do it then and we are now heading into a perfect ecological and economic storm composed of three interconnected components – peak oil, climate change and environmental collapse. These are real problems that are shaking the underpinnings of our global casino financial economy. So the biggest challenge facing Huron-Bruce and the rest of the world is to make the transition from the global casino economy to an ecologically sustainable economy that uses our local resources to shift away from oil, reduce our contribution to climate change and manage our natural resources in an ecologically sustainable fashion so that we have secure local livelihoods. During this election I have been “test driving” a rural ride share concept that could let us halve our gas use and transportation costs now with our existing vehicles. If elected I would work with our community to develop local solutions and then work in Ottawa to get pilot project funding and support for local initiatives. I would also support the New Democrats plan to cap carbon emissions, make large polluters pay, and use that money to help communities develop green technologies and green collar jobs. Developing a local economy that will offer secure jobs in a sustainable community can be the result of developing a green economy.
Dennis Valenta: LACK OF REPRESENTATION would be the most pressing issue in this (or any) Riding (except where there is an Independent already) as we are not tied to the party and free to work for the very people whom not only elect MPs but pay their wages.
Ben Lobb: I believe that the most pressing issue facing our riding is the economy. If elected, I believe we need to continue to keep taxes low, keep our budget balance and keep paying down our national debt. I would also fight to keep industry and manufacturing jobs in the riding. Just a few days ago the Volvo plant in Goderich announced that it would be closing doors and heading south of the border. This will leave many people without jobs. We need to invest in retraining these individuals so they can develop new skills to re-enter the workforce.

What is the biggest environmental issue facing your riding and what will you do to address it?
Greg McClinchey: Greenhouse gas reduction is important but so is the long-term health of the Great Lakes. So often we fail to address the dire need for a national water policy. I am proud that the Liberal Party has identified Great Lakes health as a priority and I eagerly look forward to working to help make certain that the Lakes get the attention that they deserve.
Tony McQuail: Climate change will affect agriculture, tourism and the global economy. The New Democrats cap and trade plan would limit carbon emissions from Canada’s largest polluters and invest in renewable and green technologies to assist the families around the kitchen table to save money and reduce their carbon emissions. For more details see:
www.ndp.ca/platform/environment/
Dennis Valenta: Two things come to mind about the environment: garbage and Bruce Power/heavy water/lake. No I’m not going to promise to get rid of either. I do think federal government should always be watching, not hindering but enforcing regulations to keep our source of power safe for those that produce and use it.
I think we should be looking at incineration, as a practical way of getting rid of our garbage.
Ben Lobb: This riding borders one of the Great Lakes; I believe protecting this freshwater reserve is a concern for many residents in Huron-Bruce. The Conservative government is investing $48 million dollars to clean up eight areas of concern on the Canadian side of the Great Lakes. We will continue to work with our neighbors to the south to protect this natural resource. We have also restated our commitment that Conservatives are strictly opposed to the export of bulk water.
I also believe Canada, along with the rest of the world, needs to tackle climate change. That is why we have introduced tough mandatory targets for industry right here at home. Canada will also play an active role in negotiations to develop a new international agreement on climate change with contributions from all major emitters, including the United States, China and India. We should be seeking to ensure that global emissions are cut at least in half by 2050.

Do you believe your riding needs federal infrastructure funding, and if so, what will you do to bring it here?
Greg McClinchey: I am a local councillor so I struggle with this question each and every day. The answer is unreservedly YES! Infrastructure renewal is one of the most pressing issues we face today. In some communities, such as Hensall, Crediton and Belgrave, people are being forced to pay thousands of dollars from their own pocket just to have fresh water to drink. This reality is bankrupting business and it is forcing people from their homes. This is unacceptable. If the Harper government would stop making foolish choices like cutting the GST (something which offered little help to the average Canadian), perhaps we would have the fiscal capacity to help people update their infrastructure without forcing hard-working Canadians to leave their homes. Infrastructure must be a national priority and must not be shuffled off to the municipalities or to private homeowners.
Tony McQuail: Yes, and also federal funding to support the retooling of existing manufacturing in the riding so that we can produce the emerging green technologies and parts for the small and low- and no-emission cars that we are proposing in our green car strategy. I would work with local municipalities and industries to identify needs and opportunities. I would represent these to Ottawa and seek to find the appropriate programs and departments from which to obtain support.
Dennis Valenta: Yes. Let’s remember, any money that Federal Government has IS OUR MONEY!!! The taxpayer has earned the right to spend their money as they see fit, and I will voice that opinion until we in Huron-Bruce get our fair share. That would be total amount of cash, divided by total number of ridings equals amount per riding
Ben Lobb: I believe that infrastructure is an ongoing issue. Last year the Conservative government implemented the Building Canada Plan. This plan is a $33-billion, seven-year plan to contribute to a competitive economy, a cleaner environment and strong and prosperous communities. Last year alone, the Conservative Government invested money in wastewater treatment and water systems in four municipalities in Huron-Bruce. If elected I will fight to bring more money to this riding to provide cleaner drinking water, safer highways and expanded public transit. This will mean new projects, construction and jobs for the riding of Huron Bruce.

What will you do to stimulate the economy in your riding?
Greg McClinchey: The current infrastructure deficit in Canada is about $123 billion. Imagine the economic boom that would take place if the federal government was serious about dealing with crumbling water systems, roads, sewers, etc. Mr. Harper’s cutting of the GST by two per cent cost the federal government about $12-billion per year. Had we put that money towards infrastructure it would have completely renewed our national infrastructure in 10 years and it would have touched off the largest national construction effort in our history. It would have employed hundreds of thousands of people for a decade. Innovate out-of-the-box thinking like this is what our country needs. Not shortsighted policies designed to buy votes.
Tony McQuail: In the post=petroleum economy, we need to stop thinking of “stimulate” and “growth”. These have been the watchwords of the speculative bubble economies of Wall Street and Bay Street. The economic assumptions underpinning these words were made possible by a century spent squandering the planet’s oil reserves that had taken millions of years to accumulate. Wall Street and Bay Street have “stimulated” themselves to economic collapse and “grown” the economy to the point of cannibalizing nature. If we are going to have a future we can be proud to pass on to our children, we need to think about how to stabilize our local economy so that it is durable and frugal and meets the needs of the families around the kitchen tables across Huron-Bruce for now and into the future. I’ve spent the past 35 years of my life helping farmers shift to more ecological forms of farming that offer them greater stability and control of their lives. I’ve also been studying ecological economics and holistic management and would work with the people of Huron-Bruce to do serious sustainability planning. The New Democrats platform includes provisions for improvements to EI and transitional funding to help individuals and communities shift from old employment and technologies into the green collar jobs in the emerging economy.
Dennis Valenta: Bring community college to riding, which helps keep youth in riding. Have schools teach farming/manufacturing/tourism, whatever. Eliminate government red tape so industry can prosper. Look at building better four-lane highway to connect us to major centres.
Ben Lobb: I believe that we need to keep our spending focused, our budget balanced and our taxes down to protect the living standards of Canadian families at a time of global economic uncertainty. We need to keep industry in the riding, attract new industry and invest in retraining initiatives so those that have lost their jobs can develop new skills to re-enter the workforce and hopefully into a higher paying job. To help attract new industry, the Conservative government has committed to reducing corporate taxes and by 2012 Canada will have the lowest corporate tax rate among the G7 nations.

Tourism is an important industry in our readership area. Do you believe the federal government should fund arts and culture projects, and if so, what kind?
Greg McClinchey: The Harper Government recently announced dramatic cuts to arts and culture funding and I feel that this is a tremendously shortsighted policy. Tourism is essential to the survival of places like Grand Bend and Blyth and cutting culture is cutting tourist attractions. Also, tourism is a major industry in Canada – worth billions of dollars. Cutting the arts is yet another serious blow to Ontario’s economy; an attack that we could have done without. The Liberal Party is opposed to any such cuts and would reverse the move without hesitation. Tourism needs to be bolstered – not slashed.
Tony McQuail: Yes. We would restore the arts funding arbitrarily cut by the Harper Conservatives. Increase public funding for the Canada Council for the Arts. We believe in supporting local theatre and festivals and community arts programs. We would also develop a strategy for funding, supporting and preserving Canadian museums, historic buildings and heritage lighthouses.
Dennis Valenta: Yes I do. Only the ones that would draw people to spend their money to see! Government should be run like a business, not in competition with, but like, and it will thrive.
Ben Lobb: I think we should engage Canadians in their communities through the expression and celebration of local culture. The economic impacts of tourism in this riding are important to a strong economy. The Conservative government provides $2.3 billion annually to arts and culture and has increased the funding by eight per cent over the previous Liberal government. The Conservatives have committed $100 million to our national museums and national art centers to address operating and infrastructure pressures. Just recently, the Conservatives awarded almost $100,000 for Southampton’s 150th anniversary celebration, which included performances by local artists and musicians.

Advice from Mom
By Rita Lessard

Since we are preparing to go to the polls for another election, I suppose my column this week should reflect on the matter. Like most people I’m not too sure who I want to vote for, but I will vote and hopefully my choice will be a wise one. I suppose you can view politics like a dating game – those you date and those you marry. The question is, do you want to date or just fool around for a while?
Sometimes marriage and politics can be similar; at the start of either you make promises like loving, honouring, and sometimes obeying. But as time goes by, these promises are hard to keep and eventually some of us get disillusioned and want to change partners and try to go with someone else with a better plan. I know all politicians have to make all these promises in order to get votes, but the time has to come eventually when they have to keep at least some of these promises and quit fooling around.
Taxes are a big issue with any election; like death, there is no escape from either one, but at least death doesn’t get any worse.
October tips

Singing my praises for vinegar again. Everyone seems to know if your dog gets too close to a skunk and gets sprayed you should use tomato juice liberally to get the smell out. Well, you can use vinegar as well, and get the smell out just as effectively. It especially is better if your pooch is white because if you tomato juice the poor dog will be either red or pink. I’m sure this would embarrass Brutus immensely. Vinegar is cheaper, too.

Do you have a fear of flying? My friend Margaret told me she got this tip from a pilot. Once you’re seated on the plane, cross your ankles and place your hands on the armrest with the palms of your hands upright. This relaxes you and your fears apparently will subside.

Tips for tastier burgers: replace bread crumbs with potato chips (any kind you desire). Quite yummy!

Or, how to get into real trouble

Keeping the Peace
By Tom Lessard

Many years ago, there was an upcoming municipal election looming. I resided in Huron Park where there was probably the largest number of voters in Stephen Township. I was pretty well known as a helper, a doer and a goer in the community, therefore, I was approached to run as a candidate. My backers said no one else in Huron Park would runagainst me. Ha ha. When it came time to declare our intentions to run, three Park residents submitted their names. Well, you can guess the outcome; none of us got in.
The next time I was asked to run in an election was with the UAW. I was at the time an employee at one of the union plants. The UAW committee was dominated by mainly women. We were not very pleased with the situation and felt that there was enough dominance at home. Since we couldn’t do anything about the homefront, we thought there was a chance to change things at the union level. Guess what? I won. Whoop dee doo.
There was only one small problem. I had no idea how to do any of the objectives of a president. I tried but to no avail and had to resign and send the job back to the ladies. I began to take courses with the UAW to learn what unions are intended to do for the workers.
One course I took at Port Elgin (which is the UAW school) was a women’s course; there were two males and 128 women. Boy, did I learn a lot.
I was later involved in some intense negotiations, which at times were scary. One set was held in Stratford. The deadline was set for Sunday at midnight. All day at a motel, with the company reps in one room and four or five of us in another, an arbitrator moved back and forth between the rooms bringing offers or rejections for the two teams. The men back at the plants had barrels, signs, picket duties and wood for burning all set to go.
At about 11:30, word came down that the company people wanted to see us in their negotiating room. Up we went. They were all smiles and we were told they had accepted all of our demands. Then the party began.
In the 40 years that I have lived in Stephen Township, I have never been approached by a federal or provincial candidate to give them my vote. I have had correspondence with parliament members and did go with a delegation to see Carol Mitchell in Goderich about funding for our sewers, which were being shoved down our throats.
We finally got some help but not by politicians but by the super efforts of one of our residents. She went and talked to the provincial finance minister and somehow got us $1-million, which worked out to about $3,500 per household. As I resident, I thank you for that.

In the London Free Press two weeks ago, how to reach your federal party:
Conservatives – www.conservative.ca
Liberals – www.conservative.ca
Who are they backing?
Since Rita and I always use our right to vote, we are going to do so a little differently this time. We don’t know any of the candidates, but we do have favourite colours. Mine is red and hers is green. Now our ballots are not a secret.

View from the Strip
By Casey Lessard

It’s a bitter pill to swallow, but – like it or not – Grand Bend area residents will soon be tying into a municipal sewage system. Many people aren’t aware of the impending costs that are associated with the process, but with figures in the tens of thousands of dollars, they need to start planning now. Perhaps you’re one of them.
Crediton faced this crisis two years ago, and the fallout still has residents talking. Just recently, they faced a deadline to pay cash (about $10,000 per lot plus hookup costs) or face mandatory financing at more than five per cent for 20 years; many thought the day would not come, and missed an opportunity to reduce their costs by finding private financing on their own.
While you can’t stop the provincially mandated process that is well on its way, if you live in the area affected by the proposed sewage system (Grand Bend, St. Joseph, and Dashwood), you can start saving your pennies and talking to your bank. The cost isn’t set yet, but you can bet (based on other communities’ experiences) it will be in the five-figure range for most. Do you have that kind of money underneath your mattress? Didn’t think so.
The situation is worst for the residents of Dashwood, who will have to pipe their waste into Grand Bend, and it’s quite a distance. The cost to do so will be between 20 and 30 per cent of their home values for many.
Home values will increase accordingly, residents are told. Tell that to homeowners in Crediton, where home values haven’t changed much and the home sales market is flooded. Don’t be surprised if you see the same situation in Dashwood some day soon.

Advice from Mom
By Rita Lessard

The word fall has so many meanings. As the season turns, we can look forward to the changing of colours and the cooler weather. In its other form, the term is not as pretty as the season. My little friend Garrett Steffler had a fall last Thursday and the doctor glued the cut together. It’s amazing what they can do today to lessen the occurrence of scars. My guys were not so lucky as every one of them has at least one scar.
This falling business must be hereditary. My mother, for instance, was a fallen woman; no, that’s not right – I should say she fell a lot. That’s better.
My mother used to wear high-heeled shoes and a long fur coat, and I do believe that was her major downfall. I think her troubles started when she was about two years old and she fell down a flight of stairs and broke her nose; I think she tripped over her diaper that time.
It’s not exactly hereditary that my husband Tom has fallen and broken his nose several times, but our son Tommy had a broken nose and two black eyes when he got hit by a swing at the age of two. Falling backward, he also got a crack on the back of his head as he landed on a rock. Talk about bad luck!
Having children is the greatest thing, but this is one project that doesn’t come with a manual of instructions. It’s relatively simple when they are small babies; if all goes well, you just feed them, water them, and then you can put them down to rest. Once they get on their feet, however, you are presented with a whole new ball game; that’s when the fun begins in earnest.
I realize that young mothers are anxious for their children to grow up; be patient and enjoy them when they are small and having small troubles, because the bigger they get, the bigger the trouble.
So take heart Ashley (Garrett’s mom): your son will be fine and hopefully not have too many falls. You can take heart in the fact that Tommy’s fall didn’t do too much damage: he graduated at the top of his class in Grade 8, and while accepting awards at graduation, didn’t fall off the stage once.
(Editor’s note: Mom, you forgot to mention the scar on my forehead, a result of Bill pushing me into the dining room cabinet at age 3. I can still remember the bloody drive to South Huron Hospital and Dr. Gans stitching me up. Ah, the memories!)

What to do when you have to go

Keeping the Peace
By Tom Lessard

At Protective Plastics Limited in Huron Park, we built fiberglass reinforced plywood panels, roofs, and doors for the trucking industry. You didn’t need to be on dope to work there because after a day in the plant you were pretty well flying.
As in other companies, PPL had its share of entertainers. For instance, while standing atop 50’x11’ roofs, grinding at the excess resin, all of a sudden the air supply would stop. You’d check the grinder and the hoses and then holler for someone to turn the compressor back on. “It is on,” someone would reply. It wasn’t until you were frustrated that someone would pop up from under the trolley that the mold was on and yell, “Surprise!” The son of a gun was under there crimping the hose to stop the air supply.
Over in plant #5, there was only one washroom. One morning about an hour in the shift, one of the employees had to go. He got to the washroom only to find it was occupied. He told the occupant repeatedly to hurry up, but to no avail. He finally couldn’t wait any longer and ran to the next building to do his business. The stall stayed occupied all day meaning that the others had to travel to do their thing. When you looked under the stall door, there was a pair of boots with coveralls down on the top of them, so you surmised that it was truly someone in there.
What had happened was a prankster entered the stall and placed the boots and coveralls to look as though there was someone there, locked the door and crawled out underneath and went to work.
Another time, he put a pair of boots at the toilet facing the back wall, took off the tank cover, disconnected the water hose so that the water kept running (to make a sound as if someone was urinating), exited the same way as before and carried on as if nothing was amiss.
There are many humourous stories of the fine crews that made their living in those plants in Huron Park, and the atmosphere was such that you were happy to get to work each morning to find out what was going to happen that day.

Advice from Mom
By Rita Lessard

Even though summer doesn’t officially end until September 21, it ends for most of us when the kids go back to school. Personally, I think I’ll take it easy for the two weeks we have left, and hopefully we’ll have some sunny days so I can relax in the sun, watch the neighbourhood kids get on the school bus, and reflect on the happy faces of parents who watch their little darlings trudge on their way to the great task of learning.
It has never been easy for most parents to see the little ones off, but as time goes by I’m sure they welcome the departure, especially when the young people reach Grade 6 or 7 and are more independent, and are hopefully still going to school whether they want to or not.
I realize that schooling isn’t always easy, especially learning the English language. Take, for instance, some of the following sentences:

With all the words in our English language, it’s half a wonder we are so very confused. Some other words to consider: polish, desert, row, sewer; all have different meanings when used as a noun or verb.
Mathematics is yet another great challenge. I wonder whether students are taught how to count, subtract, multiply and divide in school these days because I notice it’s often not a strong suit for many of the young people I work with. It’s been quite a while since I’ve been in school, so I imagine the teaching methods have changed. Regardless of how you are taught, an education is very important, so stay in school as long as you can; you’ll never regret it.
Congratulations to our very dear friend Bill Papineau of London, who celebrated his 80th birthday this weekend.

Advice from Mom
By Rita Lessard

According to the dictionary, old means having lived or existed for a specific time, so even if you are two, three or sixty, you are old. So if you think you’re old, you can feel better knowing it’s true and that you’re not alone. As the old saying goes, it’s a mind over matter thing; if you don’t mind, it doesn’t matter.
Just for you, I created an old alphabet for this column.
Two old aged people kindly agreed to live with an old bat of a mother-in-law, who brought along her old cat and old dog, who all ate from old earthenware dishes. The old fart of a husband was always complaining about the old greasy food while wearing his old hat – which made him look like an old idiot – while the old juices spewed from his old kisser, which resembled an old lemon that seemed to have been permanently set on his old man face. Perhaps this was because his old nag of a wife constantly reminded him of his old ogre of a mother that she had to put up with ever since she moved in when she got her old-age pension years ago.
The mother liked to be treated like an old queen and much to the wife’s distress, she had a hard time adjusting to their living arrangements. One of her main concerns was the fact that if the old lady sat too long on her old rump, she would get old sores on her old tush and this would make her oh so old ugly to live with and then they would probably never get to fulfill their old vacation plans because they’d be stuck trying to find someone to look after the dear old soul. She imagined going in their old Winnebago to places where they would buy postcards to send with old xxx’s and old “Yes, we are having a great time” notes, and finally getting all the old zzz’s that they’d hankered for all those years. Whew! Enough already with the old alphabet.

Helpful hints
I haven’t given any in a while, but here are a few:
Never wash windows on a sunny day – they will dry too fast and leave streaks.
Bee sting – rub a slice of onion to ease the sting.
Mosquito bites (this is old advice that I gave previously) – dab vinegar on bites to relieve itching.

Reminder:
The 2nd annual Bill and Helene Regier memorial golf tournament is Sunday, September 7. Golf is $100 per person, or if you don’t golf, you can attend the dinner for $25 per person. Plus buy tickets for a “wheelbarrow of cheer”. For info: 519-237-3593.

Crediton hosts a Harvest Family Fun Day September 6 at the park. Lots of entertainment, fun and games, and plenty of good food. Get your tickets for the top prize of $5200 worth of gas in aid of the town’s building fund.

(excerpted from Tom Lessard’s column)

Keeping the Peace
By Tom Lessard

Back in the good old days – the early 70s, that is – there was a company in Huron Park by the name of Hall Lamp. It was a large employer that produced taillights and mirrors. The company used most of the industrial park’s hangars.
In the southwest corner of Plant 3, the shipping department was staffed by two very competent forklift drivers and a clerk typist who knew virtually everything there was to knw about shipping, especially how to get those shipments across the border by car, truck or airplane. Her name was Julie.
Now in that office there was a baseboard that ran around the perimeter; it was about 5” high by 3” wide. Along the baseboard ran one of Julie’s pets – a mouse. She would place peanuts, candies or whatever she had left over from her lunch on the baseboard. You could walk in almost any time during the day and watch that mouse chomping down on the goodies.
A year passed and Julie felt it was time for a birthday party for her pet. Arrangements were made at the Club Albatross, decorations were purchased, a cake was made and invitations were sent to all management personnel and a few workers who we knew could get away. The mouse had a mouse house that we took to the bar, in which it had a TV set, a portrait of Mickey on the wall, and a sofa with two little mice seated watching a Disney “Mickey Mouse show”, probably Annette and the Mouse Club.
The day arrived and everyone gathered at the Albie on the dance floor. Tables were set and balloons and hats were provided. A toast was made and everyone sang “Happy Birthday”. Then we ate and imbibed a little more while presents were opened. It was a wonderful party. S/he got lots of neat gifts, mostly food.
One day a stray cat arrived on the shipping office doorstep. It was a cute little dirty furry mess. Julie, the animal lover, took it into her domain. It had to have some place to stay so a house was provided with a blanket, a bowl and a litter box; we called it “Julie’s cat house”. Of course, with a little imagination, you can figure out what we called the cat.
We had a lot of fun with that cat and it got along well with the mouse. An elderly foreman, Vic, would take the cat home every weekend for a cleanup. He rigged up a length of twine and tied a foam seal from a Chrysler taillight to use as a leash and would take the cat for a walk through the plant. The women on the lines loved that cat.
One day Julie set the cat on her desk and he pawed the electric typewriter. The words that appeared on the sheet of paper made us realize we had been calling him the wrong name. Apparently his name was OIY OIY.

Come on out to the Crediton Harvest Family Fun Day September 6 at the park. Lots of entertainment, fun and games, and plenty of good food. Get your tickets for the top prize of $5200 worth of gas in aid of our building fund.

Keeping the Peace
By Tom Lessard

Hey kids, who wants to go to the beach?
That was a stupid question to ask on a hot summer’s day. I ended up with nine kids loaded into my good-sized car. I put some pieces of cardboard in the trunk for the sand dunes and off we went. In those days, there were no restrictions on seatbelts or number of people in a car.
We arrived at McPherson’s corner and turned west. Just behind the restaurant there’s this huge dune, where we pulled over. The kids jumped out, grabbed the cardboard and climbed the hill. Going down is fast and easy. There should be a skilift erected to take you back up. The kids don’t mind the climb, but I did it once and quit.
After they had worn themselves out, it was back in the car and off to the beach. Someone spotted a store in Port Franks, so we had to buy popsicles. You have to keep kids happy, and the popsicles kept them quiet for a little while.
At the beach I gave them all instructions about staying close together and keeping close to shore. I stood at the edge of the water and kept counting one to nine continuously so I didn’t lose anyone. An hour or so of swimming and it was back to the dune for another hour or so, then back to the beach. I must have ended up with enough sand in my car to fill a sandbox. We had a great day and all arrived home safe and sound.

Kids aren’t the only ones who like to play in the water. The Optimist Club of Huron Park periodically held dances in the rec centre on the industrial side. One night in particular, we had a good crowd and everything was proceeding well until time to close. As a member of the setup and cleanup committee, I looked around for my helpers. Most of them had disappeared.
I did a lot of cursing, but it didn’t bring them around. Finally they began to show up. It seems they had slipped through the side door, gone into the dressing room to strip, and then went skinny dipping. One person kept a lookout while the rest had a good time. I found out that this had been going on for some time.

Be sure to get your tickets for the Crediton Community Centre building fund draw. You could win $5200 worth of gas. Watch for sellers in your area.
Plus: Remember to purchase your tickets for the Crediton Roast Beef Dinner held on August 19th –5:15-7:15 at the Recreation Hall in Exeter.

Advice from Mom
By Rita Lessard

I know we have had a bit of rain in the past couple of weeks, but when it’s sunny and warm after the rain, it is quite wonderful. And although we complain about the rain, my view is, at least we can take consolation in the fact that we don’t have to shovel that stuff. As everyone knows, we are truly blessed to have so much clean and safe water.
I remember when I was young, we were very fortunate to have running hot water. For some reason, though, we didn’t have a sink in our kitchen, so when we washed the dishes we had to get the hot water from the bathroom tap, put it in a basin and then we’d get down to doing that dreaded task. My sister Carol liked watching TV at that hour, so she chose to dry the dishes, which she could do when the commercials were on. I was okay with this plan.
One night I decided to play a trick on Carol. As soon as she left the room for the umpteenth time, I started to take the clean dishes out of the cupboard and dip them in the water and put them on the rack for her to dry. This went on for a while, and because she was so engrossed in her show, she didn’t take notice of what I was doing. Finally when she came to her senses she said, “Gosh. It seems like there’s no end to these darn dishes.” I just smiled and shrugged and said, “Oh well, it’s our job, so we may just as well get it over with.” Naturally, I’m thinking how much longer can I keep up with this farce!
Well, I was soon to find out. I didn’t realize her TV show was over and she had come back into the kitchen. There I was doing the dirty deed and she caught me red-handed taking the clean dishes out of the cupboard. “Aha,” she says, “so this is what you’ve been doing!”
I kind of grinned and did the shrug thing again and said, “Whoops!” Well, you can imagine that she was thoroughly ticked. “That’s okay,” she says. She took the remaining dishes out of the basin, put them on the drain rack and then to my utter shock, she picked up the basin of dirty, soapy water and ceremoniously dumped it over my head. From that day forward, I convinced my mother that it might be a better idea if we all take turns doing the supper dishes – alone.
This trick taught me a good lesson because when my sons grew up and were able to do the dishes, they each had their own night to do the dishes, but definitely solo. I guess my sister didn’t appreciate my sense of humour, but what the heck, if you don’t have a sense of humour, it’s quite likely you don’t have much sense at all. Enjoy the water and keep safe this summer.

Happy 50th anniversary to Bill and Mae Brennan, who celebrated this past weekend with family and friends.

A South Huron man is in stable condition at a London hospital after suffering a gunshot wound to the abdomen. The shooting happened Saturday morning at a residence on Parr Line. Police are still investigating, but say the victim and shooter knew each other. James Gould, 64, of South Huron faces attempted murder and firearm charges and will make a video court appearance Monday morning.

Advice from Mom
By Rita Lessard

Shut your mouth and eat your supper!
How often have you heard that said, and when you stop to think about it, can you really do that? What the heck were our mothers thinking?
I remember my father saying, “If you put the food on your plate, you have to eat it.” My brother Bob hated peas, but nevertheless he would always put them on his plate and he couldn’t leave the table until he ate them. That wasn’t too smart. I, on the other hand, didn’t normally take something I didn’t want to eat, but if I did, I was smart enough to make sure I had a ready pocket to hide what I didn’t want. (It’s a good thing I liked creamed corn.) We couldn’t afford a dog, so we always envied the skinny kids with their fat dogs.
Sometimes my mother would confuse me, for instance whenever I wouldn’t eat my dinner, she would say, “Eat your dinner. Do you realize that the poor starving kids in China would give their right arm to have that meal.” If I couldn’t eat my mother’s cooking, why would I subject the poor kids in China to eating it? They’ve suffered enough; why would I add to their plight?
I know I’ve heard other mothers saying this, too. I say stop it, send some money to the mission and leave us out of this eating business. Most mothers worry too much when it comes to their kids’ eating habits, but believe me, kids will eat when they’re hungry.
Many foods we consume are very good for us, and others not so. Do you notice that the rich sugary foods we so love are said to be fattening and not so good? On the other hand, fruits and vegetables are very good to eat. Working at Tim Horton’s, I’m often tempted to indulge in the sugary paradise. For about the last seven years, I have always brought my own break food, which basically consists of fruits, veggies and granola. These foods keep me alert and full of energy so I can stay on my feet.
Some people suffer health problems because of what they eat. A common complaint is heartburn. My son’s mother-in-law suffered with this ailment for several years until someone suggested she take the root of ginger, soak it in hot water, let it steep for 10 minutes, and then drink it. Apparently this works; it certainly would beat taking drugs all the time. That’s all for this week, folks!

Advice from Mom
By Rita Lessard

You really have to pay attention to labels and commercials. Sometimes they don’t make a heck of a lot of sense. I’ve been told, if you can’t pronounce the ingredients, the product more than likely isn’t good for you.
I get a kick out of some of the drug commercials that tell you the produce will solve your health problems, and then they go on to tell you that the side effects of the drug could cause you to have headaches, diarrhea, cramps or nausea, and maybe all of the above. Sure, sign me up for that one!
Here are a few examples of labels that caught my eye:
Label on a box of rat poison – “Warning: may cause cancer in laboratory mice.”
Label on air conditioner – “Avoid dropping air conditioner out of window.”
Label on a cardboard sunshield for a car – “Do not drive with sunshield in place.” Really!
Attached to a portable stroller – “Caution: remove infant before folding for storage.” Oh, please!
I do declare, do these people really think before they put these labels on?
Summer is here at last and so are the bugs, including the pesky mosquitoes. I got bitten several times the other day and I doused myself with vinegar. It’s fast, cheap, and believe me it works. No more itching or stratching. Vinegar also works on a sunburn.
Enjoy the nice weather, stay healthy and happy!

Keeping the Peace
By Tom Lessard

During the years I worked (mostly part-time) as a waiter and bartender at the Club Albatross in Huron Park, there always seemed be someone ready to cause some kind of annoyance.
I recall one night I was working along when two men and a woman came in, sat down and ordered drinks. We became chatty and were having a bit of a time telling jokes, etc. Other patrons began arriving so the three got up to leave. They said, as they were heading out, “We’ll see you later.” I replied, “I hope so.” Little did I know it would be so soon.

The bar quickly filled up to almost overflowing. We had two bartenders, three waiters and two doormen on duty. Business was brisk when all of a sudden, every door in the building was opened and in poured 38 OPP officers.
This was shortly after 9 p.m. They blocked all the doors and had officers inside the washroom. After closing the bar, they began to send people into the dining room to be checked for ID and whatever else they were looking for.
At one table on the dance floor, they found a 14-year old girl with a glass of beer. She was dolled up to look like she was in her 20s. When she entered the building with three other patrons, she immediately went to the women’s washroom while her friends found a table and ordered a pitcher of beer and three glasses. After a short time, the teenager made her way to the table. One of the friends went up to the bar and got another glass. No one served the girl, yet the waitress in her area was charged with serving a minor.
The OPP overlooked a number of minors in the room where I was working. Maybe it was because the three undercover cops who were in earlier gave me a break for being so friendly with them.
People were getting antsy after a while because they couldn’t leave and weren’t able to get a drink. One fellow stood up and gave the Nazi salute and hollered, “Zeig Heil! Zeig Heil!” Well, the cops rushed over and ordered him to sit down and shut up.
Another man (a local company manager) got up and started to leave. Four cops confronted him, telling him he wasn’t allowed to leave and that he had better sit back down. He told them that he had come in to have a drink and if he couldn’t get one here he would go somewhere else where he could drink. They insisted that he would not be allowed to leave until the raid was over. He became so adamant that one of the inspectors came over to find out what the commotion was all about. After assessing the situation, he told the officers to let him go. I don’t think anyone else was allowed to leave.
The sting stunk. They didn’t nail anyone else. Since the bar didn’t reopen that night, we lost a lot of revenue and because we couldn’t sell any drinks, we lost all of our potential tips. All the raid did was create a disgruntled crowd of patrons and animosity toward the OPP. And it must have taken a big chunk out of the police budget: 38 personnel and their vehicles don’t come cheap.

Want $5200 worth of gas from any Esso station? Every Crediton citizen is selling tickets to the gas draw, with proceeds going to the Crediton Community Centre building fund.

The inevitable day has arrived.
I had hoped I would be able to continue to provide the Grand Bend Strip newspaper for free indefinitely, but after thinking long and hard this spring, I realize that the only way for the paper to publish this winter is to ask for your support.
Like you, I value the ability to learn more about the people who live and work in this community. I love meeting you and capturing your memories for the paper. This is what I feel I can bring to this community, and I want to stay here.
I also feel it’s important to bring to light some of the problems that exist here, and the challenges we face in this community. I’m willing to put the work into creating quality journalism here, but I can’t do it alone.
The Strip will continue to be free until the end of the summer, which on most people’s calendar is the Thanksgiving weekend. After that, it will be available only to Strip Club VIP members. Even the website will be restricted to VIPs. I have yet to decide whether the exclusivity will continue next summer.
I promise to make membership worthwhile, and hope you will contribute to surveys to improve the paper, and take advantage of special offers from our advertising clients.
For more information about club membership, please see our subscription page.

Advice from Mom
By Rita Lessard

People say and do the craziest things. Since we had such a cold winter, I said if I ever heard anyone complain about the heat, I would surely slap them. Well, I’ve got my dukes up and I’m ready because – would you believe it – people are complaining already. Usually they say, “I don’t mind the heat so much, but it’s the humidity.” Well, they say it’s hot in hell; I wonder what the humidity is like down there. Hopefully I’ll never find out.
When newfies invite you over for a meal, they say if you come over they’ll put on the pot. I was not familiar with this expression, so when my newfie friend invited me to her house and said she’s put on the pot, I was a little reluctant to accept. I said to her, “Look Jackie, I don’t mind having the occasional drink or two, but as far as the pot goes, I’m not really into that kind of stuff.” Jackie thought that was quite funny, and after a brief explanation and a chuckle, I did go and have a great newfie meal.
Did you know that there’s a law in Nova Scotia that forbids you to water your lawn if it’s raining? Wow, really!
People not only say the darnedest things, but they also do them. My brother Richard is a real sweetheart, and used to travel a lot between Montreal and London by bus or train. Unfortunately he was prone to motion sickness, and on one occasion when he was taking the train, he did get sick. He went to the washroom and threw up his lunch (maybe he shouldn’t have eaten). At the same time, he upchucked his false teeth. Well, he was quite upset, so he finds the train conductor and tells him that they need to stop the train so he can retrieve his teeth. The conductor laughed and said, “Sorry, once your teeth end up on the tracks, there’s no way we can find them.” In the meantime, the man is just howling. Needless to say, Richard was gumming it for a while.
My sister Joan and my brother Tom have always said that I was the naïve one in our family, but I think Richard shares this malady with me. Richard was visiting me one summer and many times my neighbour Gloria and I needed to go shopping; Richard would babysit for us. On the first occasion, Gloria and I went into town and Richard stayed home and entertained the kids. After a few hours, Gloria and I returned and – as we were coming up the street – we could see Richard and the kids on the lawn having a great time. I turn to Gloria and say, “Would you look at those guys having such a great time? I wonder where they got all those white balloons.” Gloria looks and almost faints, and says, “Oh my gosh! Those aren’t balloons; those are my husband’s condoms!” Whoops! He must have bought them by the gross because we sure had a mess of them to clean up. Where’s Casey when you need a photographer? Oh, that was before his time.
Thanks to Casey for taking me to the Huron Country Playhouse to see Sorry… I’m Canadian. What a great, hilarious show. A must see for all, especially if you’re Canadian. We certainly are a funny lot and I would hope we are proud to say we are Canadians.

Keeping the Peace
By Tom Lessard

Even though I spent 18 years in the army, I was never trained as a fighting man. My first two years were spent doing some foot drill, learning how to be a storesman and getting more education. Next, I was posted to London’s 27 C.O.D., where I worked in shipping, loading and unloading trucks.
After a couple of years there, I wanted to go to Germany. The only way I was able to go there was to get a posting to 1RCR in Ipperwash. I grabbed the chance and ended up in the clothing credit department, where I stayed for the next eight years (Rita and I were married in Germany, and our two eldest sons were born there). Since I had been with the battalion so long, I figured I might as well transfer and I became a member of the regiment.
A few years later, in 1970, we shipped out to Cyprus. I was still not a trained infantryman.
One night, at 11 p.m., my buddy and I headed out to do eight hours on an outpost that we had never seen before. The men we were replacing were in a hurry to get back to camp, so they didn’t have time to bring us up to date on what was expected of us or what – if anything – had been going on in the area. A Turkish attachment was 100 yards to our front, and the Greeks were 100 yards to our rear.
About an hour into our tour, my buddy became sick and ended up in a corner of the outpost. He couldn’t move, so he would be unable to ride the bike or walk back to camp by himself. I couldn’t leave the outpost unattended, so I was of very little help to him. I tried to call back to base, but our phone was out and our radio battery was dead. It seems the previous crew was in such a rush to get out that they neglected to tell us about the equipment problems, and forgot to mention it to anyone back in camp. The outpost had no communications, and a sick soldier moaning and groaning.
About 3 a.m., I noticed a lot of movement on the Turk side and none on the Greek side. I didn’t know what to do as I couldn’t contact anyone back at base for assistance and as I mentioned this was my first time at this outpost.
I figured I should even the sides, and walked down to the Greek post and asked for someone who spoke English. A sergeant appeared and I told him that the Turks were moving up more troops. I then went back to my station and watched for any Greek movements. Sure enough, there was a rush of troops, so I went to the Turks and told them to watch for the Greeks moving up.
At 7 a.m., when our relief arrived, I told them about our night and equipment problems and explained that I would make out my report and get them new gear sent out. I loaded my buddy on the bike and pushed him back to camp.
When I reported to the orderly sergeant and told him of my problems, he said they were just beginning; the company commander wanted to see me. The CC wasn’t very happy. He told me that the British and UN headquarters were reporting that the Turks and Greeks were on the alert, getting ready to go at it. I explained what happened and that I wasn’t trained to handle the situation; I said I just wanted to even the sides and that my partner was of no use.
I almost became an item in the history books as the man who started the next Battle of Cyprus; turns out the movement on the Turkish side was just a normal shift change.

Advice from Mom
By Rita Lessard

As we get older, times change. The children become adults and some adults become children. When I was younger, my parents were the authority figures; these days, there is still authority in the family, but in some instances it seems that it rests in the hands of the children. Perhaps this is because the young generation of parents today are in such a hurry for their children to grow up. What’s the big rush? Let kids be kids; they’ll soon be adults and they’ll remember their childhood with fond memories.
One thing I’ve learned from growing old, the kids to whom I gave advice now give advice to me. How very strange; perhaps I didn’t do too bad of a job along the way!
Most people don’t appreciate change unless it jingles in their pocket, but there will always be change, hopefully for the better.
The other day I was speaking to a group of ladies and we were discussing how wedding showers and baby showers have changed. Nowadays, what we used to give as wedding gifts are now the gifts we give at showers, and baby showers are just as expensive.
Regardless, I’ve always enjoyed going to showers, especially baby showers. My fondest memory of a pregnancy is that of Mike’s wife, Val. We were very excited as this would be our first grandchild.
One day Glenn, Val and I were sitting around chatting and of course Val was telling Glenn how eager she was to have the baby and Glenn – who is very kind and gentle – was smiling and saying how he was looking forward to being an uncle and on and on went the conversation. Then Val got really excited when the baby started kicking and she said to Glenn, “Would you like to see my baby?”
Glenn replied, Sure, so Val lifted her blouse and Glenn looks and says, “Wow, twins!”
Much to Val’s astonishment, it was this moment when she realized she wasn’t wearing a bra and the blouse went too high. Who would have thought Val was a flasher?
Canada Day is Glenn’s daughter’s birthday, so happy 15th birthday Olivia, and happy 141st birthday Canada!

Keeping the Peace
By Tom Lessard

After living in Lizard Flats for a few months, the monotony of the same routine and weather day after day with very little excitement, we waited for something interesting.
It just so happened that two corporals living in the signals shack had a disagreement resulting in one throwing the other out – lock, stock and barrel. A complaint was made that Corporal J. was fooling around on Corporal G. with the latter’s donkey. Corporal G. filed for a divorce.
A court was set up on the patio of the junior ranks canteen. Sergeant T. was asked to preside as judge and to hear the case. He was agreeable and set up court during the noon hours.
Both complainant and defendant acquired lawyers. A court clerk and bailiff were assigned to court duties. Also, there were MPs in attendance. Each day after lunch, the judge allotted a certain amount of time for the sessions.
As soon as the complaint was read, the defendant became belligerent and charged after the complainant, knocking over a table and taking a swing. Quickly, the MPs restored order. Each side’s lawyer presented his client’s case and charges were made by both.
Numerous times over the next couple of weeks, the judge had to quiet things down to try to restore order in the court. As the days went by, word got around to the rest of the battalion and the gallery increased to overflowing. It was the best entertainment on the island.
But as all good things must come to an end (it seems some people just can’t take a joke), in the middle of the trial it was brought to our attention that the company commander had received mail from some wives at home who wanted to know what the devil was going on over there.
The trial was quickly dispensed with, and everyone went back to their normal duties. The donkey was never brought to court, and the two belligerents – to the best of my knowledge – never did reconcile.

Grand Bend Strip – June 11, 2008 – SHDHS Prom 1545

Originally uploaded by CaseyLessard

Lauren Haberer of Zurich and Marcus Haccius of Shipka were named South Huron District High School’s 2008 Students of the Year at the June 6 prom, held at the school’s small gym. For more about the winners and nominees, see:

Katie Anderson
Lauren Haberer
Janita Pfaff
Carly Schroeder

Dimitris Fragiskatos
Marcus Haccius
Bryce Halpenny
Kurt Van Osch

Advice from Mom
By Rita Lessard

Where does the time go? Here we are again nearing the end of another school year. Education is so very important today. Unless you have at least your Grade 12 diploma, you would be hard pressed to get any kind of job, unlike in my day, so many eons ago, when if you had at least your Grade 7 you were considered literate. In Quebec, where I grew up, you started high school in Grade 8 and were done in Grade 11, and then you were considered quite educated.
Times have changed for the better. As far back as I can remember, people have asked the age old question of kids: what would you like to be when you grow up? A few years ago, I clipped out the following joke from a magazine:
All the children had been photographed and the teacher was trying to persuade them each to buy a copy of the group picture.
“Just think how nice it will be to look at it when you are all grown up and say, ‘There’s Jennifer, she’s a lawyer,’ or ‘That’s Michael, he’s a doctor.’”
A small voice from the back of the room rang out, “And there’s the teacher, she’s still old, nasty and wrinkled.”

People make mistakes all the time, and as much as I hate to admit it, I’ve made many mistakes. Sometimes I know I drive my sister nuts. She always says I’m smart, but for quite some time there was a word in my vocabulary that I was saying wrong. The word was regardless, and I was always saying irregardless. Joan let me get away with this for a while, but she couldn’t take it anymore and corrected me on it. Wow. Who knew?
I have a hard time correcting people and perhaps many others do to, but I guess sometimes you’ve got to bite the bullet and say something.
My mother became a widow at the young age of 47. After my father’s death and a decent period of time had passed, she started dating again. Men really enjoyed her company because she was a lot of fun and quite jolly. Sometimes my mother had a bit of a problem with words. One time, when she was visiting the doctor’s office, the doctor suggested she was going through menopause. Well, my mother was very indignant about this news and said, “We’ll I’ve been a widow for three years now, and I can assure you I have not had a pause between men.”

Final words of wisdom: Stay in school and get all the education you can. Someone once said, Knowledge is power. How very true.

Keeping the Peace
By Tom Lessard

Sunday morning. Club Albatross, Huron Park. Hockey game in Detroit.
Most of us arrived at the club early as usual. About three hours ahead of bus departure time.
As there were 45 passengers, quite a bit of alcohol was being taken with us. While we were waiting, it was only natural for us to sample some of it. This went on until bus time.
Where was the bus? Phone calls were made to the bus company. The bus had left the yard on time and should have been here by now. An hour or so later, the bus pulls up to the door. It seems the driver didn’t know where Huron Park was and ended up in Vanastra. This was only the first time he got lost on this excursion.
We loaded onto the bus with only a part of the original supply of refreshments and headed for Sarnia. By the time we crossed the border, we were getting very low on booze.
Just outside of Port Huron, we had the driver pull over so we could restock. With that done, we carried on.
Most of us had never been to the Joe Louis Arena in Detroit, so considering the shape some of us were in, it was inevitable that something would happen.
As we were departing the bus, one of the fellows tripped over a case of beer that had been left in the aisle and he broke a finger.
Once inside the arena, a few of us got separated from the group and arrived late to our allotted seats. It seems that one of the older gents slipped on the cement steps and bounced on his butt a number of times before he could get stopped. He was hurt, but how badly wasn’t evident until we were leaving. He had a difficult time the rest of the way home.
The weather was terrible when we left Detroit. A vote was taken to cross at Windsor and visit our friend Scott at the Recess Tavern in Tilbury. He, his wife and staff were very welcoming during our stay. I was hungry and went next door to a restaurant. On my way back to the bar, I slipped on some ice and cracked my head on a brick wall.
We headed out for home and it wasn’t long before the driver, unfamiliar with the area and disoriented because of the weather, became lost again. Jimmy P. had to take over the wheel and drive the rest of the way home.
When we arrived back in Huron Park, most of the guys were met by wives or others to take them home or to the emergency ward in Exeter. Altogether, seven of us sustained some sort of injury. Overall, a great trip. Score of the game? Who knows?!

Student of the Year nominees
Biographies and photographs submitted

Katie Anderson
Katie Anderson has had four memorable years at South Huron District High School.
Academically, Katie has been on the honor roll every year. This year as part of her biology class she was able to participate in the Envirothon, and after winning Huron Perth, went on with her team to take part in the provincial competition.
Katie joined the intermediate band in grade nine and has continued to play the tenor sax in the concert and black jazz bands, and wind ensemble. In grade ten she was able to travel with the band to Ottawa, and then to Cleveland in grade eleven.
This year Katie was co-head of SHDHS chapter of Habitat for Humanity. She helped put on two coffee houses, which allowed performers to showcase their talents and raise money for Habitat all at the same time.
Katie’s fondest memories of high school will be her participation in sports. For all of her four years, she was a member of the cross-country, soccer and track teams. This year, she placed sixth at OFSAA for cross-country and is heading to Hamilton this weekend for OFSAA track. In grade ten and twelve, Katie was also a member of the badminton team and placed third this year at Huron Perth in mixed doubles.
Next year Katie is heading to McMaster… where she will hopefully run faster, and pursue a career in science.

Dimitris Fragiskatos
Dimitris Fragiskatos has been attending SHDHS for the past four years. He would like to thank his fellow classmates for his nomination for student of the year.
Dimitris has been involved in many sports at South Huron including badminton (where he quickly learned it was not a sissy sport), tennis, cross-country, basketball and his favourite, soccer. His soccer team, this year, has been especially successful moving on to WOSSA and hopefully OFSAA. Dimitris feels sports have largely influenced his amazing time at South Huron. The coaches of his teams have helped him learn many new skills that he has been able to apply on and off the field. He also enjoyed many quotes from coach Henry Bonsma, including, “ If you want to play like a baby you deserve to be on the bench in your cradle”. Everyone loves the ‘intensity coach’. Dimitris also tried to give something back to the school community and the community at large by being involved with student council and participating in community events. Relay for Life being the favourite.
Another contributing factor to the great time Dimitris has had at South Huron has been his peers. Over the years as he matured and watched his peers mature they continue to share many laughs and enjoy high fives/pounds from each other. His peers have created so many great memories from the start of high school all the way to the near end. He enjoys being able to look back together with these people and consider some of the foolish acts they’ve done and say “Hey it’s cool, it makes a good memory”.
Many great teachers have also contributed to positive memorable moments! Dimitris is happy he can say that even though he sometimes did not focus on his academic work as much as he should have he was still able to create a relationship with his teachers. Relationships that allowed him to visit them during their spare time and have talks and a laugh or two. Dimitris would like to thank all of the great ladies in the office for sharing time with him. He could happily call these moments in the office “bonding moments” rather than “detentions”.
Dimitris is currently working at his family’s restaurant, Kate’s Station, and he also works at Gregus Millworks where the employees there have interesting thoughts on Dimitris’ new haircut.
Dimitris plans to attend Fanshawe College in the fall where he will be taking the Construction Engineering Technology course. Dimitris is the proud son of Jayne and Nick Fragiskatos and he is also proud to be a resident of Hensall.
Dimitris will always remember how South Huron was a great school. Great because of the people he saw everyday, and he wishes the best of luck to all of these people.

Lauren Haberer
Lauren is honoured to have been nominated for Student of the Year this year. Throughout high school, Lauren has taken advantage of many aspects of the “SHDHS experience”. She was a proud panther on the field hockey, volleyball, badminton, and rugby teams, and was especially honoured to travel to OFSAA for field hockey in grade 9. Lauren has been an active member of Student Council, the school bands, the Relay for Life Committee, the Habitat for Humanity Committee, and the Peer Tutoring program.
Next year, Lauren will be attending the University of Ottawa for political science. Looking back over the past four years, Lauren realizes that taking part in these activities has really influenced who she is today. Lauren will miss the friends, teachers, coaches, and extra-curricular activities at South Huron, but is looking forward to beginning a new adventure next year.

Marcus Haccius
Marcus is honored to have been nominated for Student of the Year when South Huron has so many awesome students to choose from. Carpe Diem is one of his favourite phrases and translated means ‘Seize the Day’. Marcus tries to live each day to the fullest by trying new things and new ideas. High school has been an incredible experience for him, and he has enjoyed every minute spent inside South Huron walls.
Many of his fond high school memories will be of the Panther sports teams. Rugby was a new game for Marcus, and he enjoyed learning the rules and slowly reducing the amount of pain he felt after each game. Playing badminton for the school team was a wonderful contrast to rugby, mostly because it placed a net between Marcus and his opponents. He also learned many things through his Reach for the Top experiences, both junior and senior level.
Being on Student’s Council always kept Marcus busy around the school. In the past four years he hasn’t missed many Panther activities, either by organizing or participating in them. These include Terry Fox Runs, Thirty Hour Famines, PAWS Days, gaming tournaments, dances, and many other happening events.
Marcus’ fondest memories revolve around South Huron’s drama program. He enjoyed four years of playing major roles in four different school productions, and is extremely grateful to all the other thespians for making his drama experience a treat.
Next year, Marcus has been accepted into the Beal Musical Theatre Program, and will study there full time. After Beal he plans to attend University, then to pursue a career in dramatic arts.
Marcus thanks all Panthers for four amazing years.

Bryce Halpenny
Being the youngest of three kids, Bryce watched a sister thoroughly enjoy the arts and a brother that thoroughly enjoyed athletics. Bryce decided that he would try to participate in as much school life that South Huron had to offer while maintaining a strong academic standing. This ultimately led to his participation in five bands throughout his high school career. His talent and passion for music was proven when he was asked to play senior band in his second year of high school and lead trumpet in his last two years.
Athletically Bryce has participated in volleyball and badminton and has won four awards in grade 10 and 11. He also participated in a London competitive volleyball league. He has also volunteered at an elementary school volleyball camp for four years held at South Huron. Bryce has been a team player and a competitive athlete each year and athletics has been an important part of his high school life.
Bryce’s extra-curricular activities have made high school life fun and interesting but they never interfered with his academic performance. He maintained honours every year and was top male student one year. Being part of a variety of activities throughout the school has aloud him to have a wide social circle and he is proud of the close friends that he has made in high school. Bryce will be going on next year to the University of Western Ontario for engineering.

Janita Pfaff
Janita Pfaff is happy to be nominated by her peers for Student of the Year. As a panther, she has a diverse profile. Academically, Janita is proud of the honour roll status she has achieved all four years at South Huron District High School. She was an avid member of both the field hockey and rugby teams throughout her high school career, and had the honour of being co-captain of the field hockey team this year. Janita has been an enthusiastic member of the Students’ Council as grade representative in grades nine and ten, as well as Deputy Premier and Formal Chair this year. Janita has also played major roles in the school’s drama productions in grades nine and twelve, as well as sang and played guitar in the Variety Show in grade eleven. She participated on the Envirothon Team that placed first in the Huron-Perth division in her senior year. Outside of school, Janita enjoyed being a member of the Our Lady of Mount Carmel Youth Band. She is proud to be employed at the Exeter Villa for over two years. This experience will help her in the Bachelor of Science in Nursing program at Western-Fanshawe this fall. Janita would like to thank the staff, her coaches, and peers at South Huron, as well as her parents, Dennis and Marian, for helping her get the fullest experience at S.H.D.H.S.

Carly Schroeder
Carly is honoured to be nominated for Student of the Year by her peers. Through the years, she has been involved in South Huron’s many activities and clubs. She enjoyed a short stint in rugby, soccer, and OSAID. Carly has contributed to two school productions, “Return to Eden” and “The Variety Show.” She was chosen to attend both the Ontario Educational Leadership Centre and the Rotary’s Seminar for Tomorrow’s Leaders. Throughout her 4 years, Carly has been dedicated to South Huron’s field hockey team, giving her the opportunity to go to OFSAA 1 year, and WOSSA 4 years. Along with this, Carly has earned a place on the Honour Roll and the top mark in music for the past 3 years. Music has dominated Carly’s life all through her time at South Huron. She has been a part of the music program for 4 years, in which she participated in 8 different ensembles/bands, including both concert and jazz bands, the percussion ensemble and the saxophone quartet. Along with this, Carly earned a spot in the National Concert Band, in which she was proud to represent South Huron, working with 53 other young musicians from across Canada. Also at the Nationals in Ottawa, she received an honour award while competing with the school’s concert bans. Carly is continuing her education in music this fall, at the University of Western Ontario. Carly would like to thank her parents, Steve and Brenda Schroeder of Dashwood, for all their love and support.

Kurt Van Osch
In his four years at SHDHS, Kurt Van Osch has been extremely active on many sports teams. In grades 9 and 10, Kurt played on the volleyball, basketball and soccer teams. In grade 10, Kurt also joined the track and field team. Some of his accomplishments included winning a bronze medal at WOSSA volleyball, competing in triple jump and shot put at WOSSA and winning Huron Perth in soccer. Furthermore, Kurt made the Honour Roll in grade 9 and received Junior Athlete of the Year in grade 10. In grade 11, Kurt played on the volleyball, soccer, track and field, hockey and badminton teams. Kurt made a WOSSA appearance in shot put. At the end of the year, Kurt was awarded the Team Leader Award in hockey, Most Offensive Player in soccer, Rookie of the Year for badminton, and also Senior Athlete of the Year. This year Kurt was on many successful teams. He played on the golf, volleyball, hockey, badminton, and currently the soccer team. The volleyball and hockey teams were able to make a WOSSA appearance; winning a WOSSA gold medal in hockey, allowing Kurt the amazing experience of competing at OFSAA. Kurt also won third place at Huron Perth badminton. Presently, Kurt is helping his soccer team compete at WOSSA, in the hopes to go to OFSAA once again. In his spare time, Kurt attends classes, and through his marks, was able to receive acceptance to the University of Guelph for Business Agriculture. He also participates in school activities such as the Terry Fox Run, Relay for Life, and many others. Kurt has enjoyed every minute of his high school career and will always have great memories of his time spent and the people he has met at SHDHS.

Keeping the Peace
By Tom Lessard

Years ago Bill Brady, the announcer for CFPL 980 radio, ran a fundraiser for Sick Kids called “The Bunny Bundle.”
Listeners of all ages found different ways of raising money. The fundraiser ran for years.
One night, after work at the Dufferin, the staff was sitting around having a well-earned staff drink. I happened to mention that I was looking for a way to raise money for the cause. One of the waitresses’ husbands (a farmer) was there to pick her up. He stated that he had an old rooster that he didn’t want, and if I wanted it I was to come out to his farm later in the morning and help him catch it.
I arrived at his farm at about 10 a.m. We used an old cabbage crate (which still had a few leaves in it) to put the rooster in for transporting it. I drove back to the hotel and installed the crate on top of the bar piano. The rooster didn’t seem to mind. Next, I went across the street to the little grocery store and purchased six eggs. These I also put on top of the piano.
I started selling tickets at noon for a quarter each, and by 5 p.m. I had raised $99. The draw was made. A fellow in the bar won the first prize: the first half-dozen eggs a rooster ever laid. The second prize – the rooster – went to a fellow who lived in Huron Park but had left earlier. So I loaded the crate and rooster into my car and drove over to the winner’s home, knocked on the door and waited.
His wife came to the door. I told her that her husband had won the rooster. She said, “What the heck am I supposed to do with that thing?”
I suggested she could sick it on him when he got home, and quickly left.
We received a certificate of appreciation from the charity in the mail a week later, but I have no idea whatever happened to the rooster.

True stories from the front lines of motherhood

Advice from Mom
By Rita Lessard

Motherhood. What a great adventure it has been for me; I wouldn’t change my station in life for anything. Mothers come in all shapes and sizes – physically and mentally. My mother was a self-taught woman of her generation. Although she didn’t have a lot of formal education, she was quite smart in my eyes. She was fortunate enough to read and write, and she read a lot and became quite smart. As clever as she was, she used to say the darnedest things. For example, she’d say, “If you fall out of that tree and kill yourself, don’t come crying to me.”
My mother was quite concerned about conserving energy. She was always saying, “Shut that door. Do you think I’ve got the money to heat the street?” Sometimes I think she got a little confused. For instance, she’d say, “Would you look at the dirt on the back of your neck?” Oh yeah, mom!
As a mother, I had a hard time leaving my kids in the care of a babysitter or even in Tom’s care. I just couldn’t get enough of the joy of their presence. On one occasion, I went away for a day and left Tom in charge of Tommy, who was about two, and Glenn, who wasn’t quite a year old and still in diapers (the cloth ones). So I said to Tom, “You might want to give Glenn a bit of prune juice as he seems to be slightly constipated.” He says, “Yeah, yeah, go already. We’ll be fine.”
Off I go and have a lovely time. When I get back, I asked Tom how the day went and he says, “Well, it wasn’t too bad, except for Glenn’s condition. Since you told me to give him some prune juice for his constipation…” Yes? “Well, he liked it so much, I filled his bottle up and he drank the whole thing. First thing I know, he’s getting rid of his constipation and he’s got it all over himself, it’s in his hair and straight down to his toes. It’s like a volcano all over the place. But he’s fine and happy and I got the mess cleaned up, but I think you might want to get rid of some of the clothing because that purple isn’t coming out.”
My God, sir, he could have killed him! It all worked out, though (literally), because Glenn’s still around to tell the tale.
I hope everyone had a great Mother’s Day. Keep smiling and enjoy every moment of your children’s lives (good or bad). They don’t stay young forever and before you know it, they’re parents themselves. Vengeance can be sweet!

Keeping the Peace
By Tom Lessard

A lot of life spilled through the doors of the Dufferin, most pleasurable, but some not so.
I remember one time early in July of 1970 or 1971, Gig, Des and I planned what we thought was a funny prank. The 12th was coming soon (Editor’s note: July 12, 1690, Protestant King William III – on his white horse, as the legend goes – and his armies defeat the Catholic Jacobites at the Battle of the Boyne), and knowing there were a couple of Irish Catholics who enjoyed a drink or two in the pub, we dreamed up a surprise. My job was to rent a white horse from a farmer down the road. Gig was to play King Billy and Des was to play a drum.
Fortunately the two Irish gentlemen were in the pub when the day arrived. When we brought that horse inside the front door and out the back, all hell broke loose! These gents came running out and started pelting the three of us with stones from the parking lot. Little did we know that the man who owned the horse was visiting the garage across the street. The farmer hollered at us, “Get that horse back to the barn and don’t ever rent another from me again!” The two gentlemen were gone when I got back from taking the horse home.
King Billy and his entourage not only got stoned by the poor Catholic boys, but we helped to empty one of the bar’s kegs. We were happy go lucky RCR soldiers, so we enjoyed the day and started planning future pranks.
If you enjoy this newspaper, please write the publisher or email him. Contact information is on the bottom of page two. Also, if you have a story, don’t be shy. Happy Victoria Day everyone!

Are you a previous parishioner of St. Peter’s Roman Catholic Church in St. Joseph? Join St. Peter’s 135th Anniversary Celebration! Saturday, July 12th features an evening of local entertainment. An outdoor mass will be celebrated Sunday, July 13th at 10:30 a.m. followed by lunch. Enjoy this opportunity to view historical displays, reminisce, and renew old friendships. There will be various activities for the children. In order to accommodate everyone, advance registration is recommended. For more information and to register call Monique 519-236-7817, Dennis 519-236-4755 or visit www.bluewater.dionet.ca.

Advice from Mom
By Rita Lessard

As some of you may know, I celebrated my 67th birthday on April 5, and although I’m aging, it’s really not so bad. As long as I am able to get up in the morning and take nourishment, it all works out; the prunes help a lot, too.
My young friends at Tim Horton’s are usually concerned about me because I’m still working, and they are always asking me when I’m going to retire. I smile and my response is, “If I can help it, never.” I really enjoy being occupied, and until I find something better do to with my time, I’ll just stay put, and since I don’t feel a day over 65, my young attitude sees me through the good and the very seldom bad times.
I find as of late that I am shrinking; I view that as a good thing. Since I am the oldest and slowly getting to be the shortest at work, this definitely works in my favour because, unlike my younger counterparts, I have no problem retrieving dropped things, whether I’ve dropped them or not. It seems I’m the only one who has the strength and the aerobic ability to do this task. Don’t get me wrong, the young people I work with are super; they just don’t have the experience or stamina to keep up. I’m confident, however, that once they reach my age, they’ll be in shape and perhaps as capable as I am.
I would like to take the time to thank my family and friends for all the birthday cards and presents. I especially want to thank my sister Joan (who is always so generous) for the trip to Toronto to see Dirty Dancing, and also to Sid Reaburn, who shared in this gift. We all had a wonderful time, and dinner after the performance (which took place in a train car), was simply delicious. As usual, we ate too much; oh well, back to the gym (or Tim’s) for a week to work it off.
Thanks also to Marg Clarke (such a lovely person), who sent me a lovely card and an angel pin for my Tim’s hat.
Think of Grace
As a final note, it has been brought to my attention that Grace Hodgins appreciates your thoughts and phone calls. If you know Grace, she would love to have you drop in and visit with her in her home.

Until the next time, stay – and think – young, wear your support hose, and invest in a good pair of shoes. You’re going to need them if you want to keep up with me!

Send a thought to: mom at grandbendstrip.com or P.O. Box 218, Grand Bend, ON N0M 1T0

Keeping the Peace
By Tom Lessard

In April of 1968, Rita and I moved our family from London to Huron Park. There were five of us from 1 RCR who moved at the same time, and we were told that we could choose any house that we wanted. A one-and-a-half storey house rented for $58 per month at a time when oil was 17¢ per gallon. We moved in, and we lived there for 35 years.
In Centralia, there was a hotel owned and operated by Jim and Marg Cook. It was a going concern. There was only a “Ladies & Escorts” room, which meant that if a man was by himself, he would either have to get someone from the L&E room to sponsor him, or he could sit in the small lunch room on the north side. If he chose the latter, he had to buy something to eat. I had a small plate of cheese and crackers and dill pickle for which I paid 50¢; I never ate it. The cook wrapped it in Saran wrap, put my name on it and kept it in the walk-in. Whenever I came in for a beer, I paid the 50¢ and they put my plate in front of me.
In October of ’68, I was hired to work part-time as a waiter in the Ladies & Escorts lounge. Having no experience at waiting tables, the boss assigned me to one group of 15 people who came in every Saturday night. In those days, you were not allowed to serve any more than one glass of beer per person at a time. When the glass was empty – and not before – you would serve another. The matron of this group looked after the money and did the ordering for everyone. I didn’t make any tips but I learned fast.
As Huron Park quickly filled with mostly army families (80 in all) and industries opened, liquor rules relaxed and the bar picked up a lot of business.
The boss asked me if I wanted to learn how to pour draft beer. I said I would love to. There were two taps: one ale and one lager. Ale was the largest seller in those days so we’d load 15 ale and five lager per tray unless otherwise asked. Jim put a tray on the counter and showed me how to hold a glass in each hand and open the tap. I filled one and stood there mesmerized unable to figure out what to do next. The draft kept pouring and Jim just told me to put the glass upon the tray. I did so and then with my free hand I shut off the tap. He showed me again and the next time I caught on and soon had 20 on the tray.
From then on, it was a piece of cake. Next came the training on how to carry a tray with 20 draft on it. The manager Scott showed me how to spread my hand so that there was some flexibility and spring in it. I always had good balance so it wasn’t long before I could make my way up and down the rows of tables, dropping off drinks and collecting empties and making change.
In the following years, bottled beer and liquor came into the area and the Central Hotel and the Shillelagh bar in Lucan, the Dufferin in Centralia, Les Pines in Exeter, and the Dashwood Hotel all worked together, and were all busy watering holes. If we ran out of liquor or beer, all we had to do was phone around to see who had extra and send someone around to collect it. They’d do the same if they were short. The only one remaining today is Les Pines, now called Gar’s in Exeter. Before liquor became popular in bars, we were selling between 20 and 25 kegs of beer per week, and at one point had 23 people working at the Dufferin.

Keeping the Peace
By Tom Lessard

For some reason, I had driven myself to work at Wolseley Barracks in London instead of travelling with my normal carpool (five of us from Huron Park usually rode together).
It started to snow in the morning and by noon, reports coming from the radio indicated the weather was going to get worse. I told my boss I was going home early, and Highway 4 at #22 was still open, so I headed out.
The wind and snow were getting worse as I passed Arva and reached open country, but I persevered. By the time I reached Ilderton Road, the drifting and blowing were causing whiteouts and building up so much that I had to plow through some of them.
By the time I got to the north end of Birr I could go no further. The road was blocked such that I couldn’t go back or forward and had to abandon my car. In those days, we carried our winter gear with us so I put mine on and left the car in the middle of the road and headed back into Birr.
I didn’t have far to go before I noticed – through the blinding snow – the Birr meat shop. Reaching the shop I found that there were already a number of people stranded. The shop was warm and had plenty of coffee brewing. There was also a radio on with the weather report repeating regularly. It was then I discovered that the OPP had closed Highway 4 about 10 minutes after I left London.
The meat shop was not very big. To try to make ourselves comfortable, we used what furniture was there and emptied some of the shelving to enable ourselves to lie down; we figured we would be stranded there for quite some time.
The next morning word got through that the army was sending armoured personnel carriers loaded with blankets and bedding for all the people stranded at St. Patrick’s school between Elginfield and Lucan. I dressed as warmly as I could in my winter gear and went out to the road to await them; I waved them down and climbed aboard. After unloading at the school, I was informed that they were not allowed to go any further north, so I asked them to drop me off at the restaurant in Elginfield.
The place was packed.
There were a couple of other soldiers in the crowd. We were told that the water pipe was frozen, so we volunteered to melt snow and make soup. Supplies were running out and a call for help went out to the Shillelagh bar and restaurant; they sent skidoos with milk and bread.
Later that day, a tracked 16-passenger military vehicle – on loan to the OPP – arrived heading north, and took a few of us to the Legion in Lucan. The fellow operating the hall and bar wanted to go home but couldn’t without someone taking his place. I was working part-time at the Dufferin Hotel in Centralia at the time, so I contacted my boss Scott McNair, and asked him to track down Carl Stuckless, who managed the Lucan Legion. Soon after, Carl called to say I could take charge and keep the hall and bar open. I ran tabs for all the stranded – most of whom were from Centralia and Huron Park – and Scott promised to guarantee the tabs, saying he would collect the money we owed.
It was several days before the weather cleared, and we were all transported home. It was quite the adventure, but I arrived to find I wasn’t the only one who had a story to tell. Our oldest boys, Tom and Glen, had spent five days with Marlene Jeromkin because they couldn’t get home from Mount Carmel school. It was quite a storm!
Do you have a tale to tell? There are plenty of stories out there. Don’t be shy!

Advice from Mom
By Rita Lessard

Brr! It’s been a long time since we’ve had a winter this cold. Perhaps that accounts for the bad mood many people have been in. It seems people have more to complain about when the weather is so nasty.
My mother never appreciated our foul moods or our whining and complaining. I can still hear her saying, “Quit your crying or I’ll give you something to cry about.” Then came the Whack! I was smart; I learned to be the most cheerful of my mother’s children.
My sister’s mother in-law didn’t like people complaining, either. Her son – my brother-in-law – was a hard man to please, so he always had something to whine about. While he was still living at home and working, his mother would pack him a lunch every day. He especially liked bologna, but sometimes his mother had to give him something different when she ran out of that staple. Of course, whenever she put something different in his sandwich, she knew she was in for a hard time and a scream-fest.
One day, without bologna for his sandwich, she decided enough was enough; she would put his whining to an end. Blessed with a fine sense of humour, she grabbed a powder puff (those beige, rubbery makeup sponges) and put it between two slices of bread with all the dressings, and packed it with the rest of his lunch. I can only imagine his surprise and aggravation when he tried to sink his teeth into that lunch. That’s a good time to start making your own lunch!
While I’m on the subject, my sister had a co-worker who was a bit of a lunch thief, especially when it came to sweets. Whenever one of the girls brought sweets into work, the goodies would disappear. They couldn’t prove who was taking them, so they set a trap for the culprit.
The night before, one of the girls baked a bunch of brownies and used chocolate Ex-Lax for the icing sugar on the ones they were setting as a trap. The next day, sure enough, the fellow took the bait and grabbed all the goodies. After the Ex-Lax kicked in, he was mysteriously absent from work for a day or two. The “treat” either cleaned up him or cleaned his behaviour of stealing other people’s goodies.
Soon Easter will be here and I will have completed my Lenten fast of refraining from sweets. Yes! (Ed.: now I have an idea for a sweet “treat”)
Happy St. Patrick’s Day and Happy Easter to all.

Anniversary a time to reflect on the joys of life

Advice from mom
By Rita Lessard

February is the month for love and sweethearts as we celebrate Valentine’s Day this week. February is also the month Tom and I celebrate our anniversary, celebrating 45 years February 8th. I imagine in this day and age, that’s quite a feat.
Tom and I got married in Germany, where Tom was stationed with the army. We had to get married twice: once at city hall (the legal ceremony), which we did in the morning, and then the religious ceremony in the afternoon.
We did have a few snags that day. For instance, I forgot to order the flowers, the bakers dropped the cake, and Tom dropped me when he was carrying me over the threshold I only weighed 105 lbs., so I don’t know how that happened; maybe it was the champagne or the beer, which were very cheap in Germany. As a matter of fact, liquor was cheaper than coffee in those days.
Despite the rough start, through the good and bad, sickness and health, richer or poorer, we’re still together.
We’ve had many blessings over the years, and the best of all was the great gift of our five sons, Tom, Glenn, Mike, Bill and Casey.
When Tom Jr. was in university and short on Christmas funds, he made us three family albums and described all of his brothers as he perceived them.
Casey was labeled Mr. Brain; when you look at Casey, you can see in his eyes his intelligence and the joy and happiness he has and gives to people.
Bill was Mr. Hockey or Mr. Sports; Bill loves sports and he was and still is quite an athlete. There was a time when I think he wanted to be a professional hockey player, but in the end he decided on a career in computers.
Mike was Mr. Lover. Mike loves life, and he especially loved the women; as a matter of fact, he had a girlfriend in kindergarten (Marion Steffans), who was the light of his life. Mike is always smiling and when you’re talking to him, even his voice smiles. From the time Mike was only a few days old, he smiled all the time. I kid you not! Maybe he was a comedian in a former life.
Glenn was labeled Mr. Ambition. This is very true; Glenn was always a hard worker and never afraid to get his hands dirty. When he was 10 years old, he helped me clean offices in Huron Park and in the summers, we cleaned the college for the hockey school. He made some money and that made him happy. By the time he was 17, he bought his own car with his savings. Although he was a metallurgist when he came out of college, he ended up in the banking business, which proved to be quite profitable. Tom was right when he said Glenn was Mr. Ambition because as of today, he has owned and sold six houses; not too bad for a 43 year old (as of February 19).
Tom described himself as an all-around great guy (Editor’s note: of course!), and this is so very true. Tom was my first child, and one of my greatest joys. Tom loves to play games; from the time he was 13 years old until he was 19, he played scrabble with me three or four times a week. He was always a good sport considering I beat him a lot. He’s gotten smarter over the years and I imagine it would be quite a challenge to play him today. Tom’s a super dad, a sweetheart of a husband, a great son-in-law (according to his father-in-law), a very kind, gentle, giving and caring son, and I might as well throw in handsome and distinguished man, too. So yes, an all around great guy.
So much for all of the sweethearts in my life. Happy anniversary Tom, happy birthday Glenn, and happy Valentine’s day to all of you!

Keeping the Peace
By Tom Lessard

Many years ago, I had the good fortune of working for a window and door company on Highway 4 southeast of Centralia. At one time during my employment, I was given the task of building plastoramic picture windows. My department was very large in area because I needed room to build windows such as four 5’ by 6’ units with sliders, side-by-side. With the trim, etc., they measured close to 25’ wide by almost 8’ high. I had to do most of the assembling on the floor.
In my spare time, I ran draws and a newsletter. My boss told me that as long as I could produce 12 good units a day, I could spend the extra time selling draw tickets and finding stories for my newsletter. Every Friday, during our afternoon break, I held the draws and we usually had about 13 prizes. You had to be present to collect your prize, so very few people ever took Friday afternoon off.
One day, one of the other workers came to me holding a dead mouse in his hand.
“What in the devil are you doing with that?” I asked.
“This was found in the women’s washroom,” he replied.
I told him to leave it with me, and as a reporter (for the newsletter), I would investigate.
Well, during my search, I found out that the mouse had had a heart attack, supposedly after seeing one of our elderly female employees with her pants down in one of the stalls.
I felt that it would only be right to hold a wake and a funeral for the mouse, which we called Elmer.
Since I had extra room in my area, I set up a small table and draped it in purple cloth. I had an empty “T”-nail carton, which I filled with a block of Styrofoam. After cutting a portion out of the foam I laid Elmer to rest and placed the coffin on the table. One of the employees gave me a box of Kleenex for the mourners, which I also placed on the table. Two unlit candles appeared from someone else, and to top it off, I had a visitation book for guests to sign.
So many people came to pay their respects that the coffin was on display for three days. At lunch hour on the fourth day, I had a minister perform the service; two mourners and four pallbearers attended the coffin. We proceeded outside the building where a plot had been dug. A cameraman took pictures of the burial and the cross.
Elmer will live in infamy.

Happy 45th anniversary to my dear wife Rita!

Ryan VanValkengoed, 17, of Crediton went missing after leaving a friend’s house a short distance from home the evening of January 11. Police divers found his body in the Ausable River Monday afternoon. Ryan was the oldest of three sons of Bob and Lorie VanValkengoed, owners of Advanced Auto Parts and Salvage and Lorie’s Advanced Hair Care.

As told to Casey Lessard

Bob VanValkengoed: He was very responsible. With this incident, we knew there was a problem right from the start.
Lorie VanValkengoed: We were hoping this was the first time he did something out of character. But it wasn’t.

Lorie: When we first got married, we were probably married about a week and I remember saying to Bob, “Let’s have children right away,” and him saying, “Yep.” As a woman, I thought there were about 15 more sentences that needed to go with that, so I waited a week and asked again, and he said, “Yep.”
The hardest time Ryan ever gave us was giving birth. He was 19 days overdue. He was due December 9, and Christmas Eve, the doctor told me to come see him. I said, “You have no idea. If you put me in the hospital over Christmas, I guarantee I will make your life a living hell.” He said he just wanted to make sure I would make it through Christmas.
On December 26, we went into London to be induced and on December 28 at 2:32 in the morning, he was born by Caesarean section.

Bob: It’s the only time in his life he’s been late. He was pretty good otherwise.
He was always a good kid. I went to London three or four times a week, and every morning I had to get up at 5 o’clock and he would get upset if I didn’t wake him up. He wasn’t even two years old. So I would wake him up and put his work clothes on and we would go to work. He would sleep on my lap. We would take a load of products to London, and I always remember going to the restaurant for breakfast. At that age, he was just so busy fooling around or crawling under the table. We would drop off scrap at Zubick’s and every time he would get a chocolate bar. For years, if I didn’t wake him up, he would just be so grumpy that I didn’t wake him up.
After that, he was always in the shop. He was blonde as snow, but he’d come out of there covered in black from oil and mud.
One day I was working and I had bought an electric car for him. He wasn’t two yet, and I looked over; he had hooked a set of chain falls (for pulling engines out of cars) onto the electric car and it was sitting eight feet off the ground.
Lorie: He was interested in possibly taking over the business (Advanced Auto). We just talked about it over the holidays.
Bob: It was in his blood. He liked it. He could print invoices and take care of the business end of it. I always checked and there was never a time when he forgot something. And if someone came after hours, he would tell them, “I’ll deal with you this time, but you shouldn’t make this a regular habit.” He was good at training his customers. He was a real businessman.

Lorie: School was never an interest for him. He wanted to run his own business. One day, I got a call from the school saying Ryan had skipped. I asked him when he got home, and he said, “Yeah, I skipped.” I asked what he did, where he went. “To the cafeteria.” I said, “You skipped school to go to the cafeteria?” He said he was talking with the principal Jeff Reaburn. They were talking about starting your own business. So I called the school and said, “My son skipped, he was talking with the principal, so please give him detention.”
He was a thrill seeker. One day, he fell out of a tree on the property and he came to the shop and said to Bob he fell. He was walking and talking, and Bob said, “You look good to me.” We found out later he had fallen 30’. His first cousin said he landed and looked fine but started crying because he couldn’t find his shoe. It wasn’t the fall that hurt him.
Bob: We always had golf carts or dirt bikes. All the kids rode around on this one golf cart. I told someone that we went through 50 gallons of gas in one summer.
I bought him a new dirt bike in the spring, and he always wore a helmet. I was raised with a bike and I still ride without a helmet. But Ryan always wore a helmet. I always said, “What did I say to him to convince him to wear a helmet?”
Lorie: I cut hair out of my home, and I was with a client one day and Ryan was at the top of the stairs. Ryan asked if I could come up the stairs. I said I was busy – I think I was doing a colour. He called Jacob instead. Ryan had wiped out severely on his dirt bike. Jacob, to help Ryan had wrapped his wounds in toilet paper. It took me about two days to pick the toilet paper out of the wounds as it healed. To this day, he had scars (and he was proud of every one of them).
Bob: He was in bed three days, and Jacob took his meals up to him.

Lorie: All of us were very close with Ryan. He connected with each one of us in different ways.
Bob: Just a great guy to be around. Some of my hired help aren’t around this week because they’re taking it very hard.
Lorie: Ryan had a good group of friends.
Bob: [He didn’t like big parties.] Even on a Friday night, he was never comfortable if there were more than five people.
Lorie: The only time he liked that was for concerts. In fact, I have a $600 bill on my credit cards for Linkin Park.
Bob: He would take matters into his own hands and order tickets. One day he called me and said he needed (continued on p.4) (cont’d from p.3) $900 on my credit card. I said, “What are you doing?” He said, “We’re going to see Motley Crue and Aerosmith.” He said the tickets were $150 a ticket and if he got six guys to go he could get a limo lined up. He was 15 when he did that. He was organized and knew what he liked.
Bob: He was very thrifty. He came from the movies one night and said, “Dad, I got free popcorn.” I asked how he did that. He said, “It was easy; I just went into the garbage bag and grabbed an empty bag and told the guy to fill it.” I said, “Don’t you find it gross to grab a bag out of the garbage?” He said, “Do you think I’m that stupid? I told the guy I needed a new bag!”

January 11
Bob: Lorie had gone to the States for a business meeting for the weekend. I was with the boys myself. I woke up at about 12:15 a.m. I went and checked him out and he wasn’t there. So I laid down again and kept getting up again every couple hours. All of a sudden, at 5:45 a.m., he’s still not there. I thought maybe this was the first time he slept over at a friend’s house. I had to take one of the other boys to hockey practice and on the way, I called the shop but got no answer. He would sleep out in the shop sometimes. I kept thinking he was staying at one of his buddy’s places. I had breakfast with a friend of mine that morning before 8 o’clock, and through the morning I kept trying to call a couple of his friends and got no answer.
Finally I got through at 2 o’clock when I called his cousin. His cousin said, “Oh, Ryan should have been home.” There were five or six people at the house he was at Friday, and Ryan was one of them. That’s when I started getting scared.
In the meantime, one of my nephews drives over here and he’s concerned. That’s when I called the police and told them it was very out of character. I thought they would just fill out a missing person’s report, but he took it very seriously. Within hours they had the dogs out and police officers all over the place. It was on the news Saturday night.

January 12
Lorie: I was at a big conference, and one of the ladies called my room Saturday night. She told me Bob had been trying to get in touch with me. I looked at my friends and to
ld them, “It’s not good.” He wouldn’t call me for anything unless it was very serious. I phoned home and when I came downstairs, my one friend said, “You look like you’re going to be ill.” I kind of half-smiled and said, “Ryan’s missing.” A couple other friends gathered around and asked, what do you want to do, do you want to sit down, what can we do for you? I said, “Actually, I’d like to breathe for a minute.”
I sat and collected my thoughts, and one friend who had disappeared showed up and said, “We’re packed and ready to go.” It was a surreal ride home. We were about four hours away and I think we did it in two-point-five. The closer we got to home, the more it started to sink in.
Bob: From Saturday afternoon to Monday, we hardly slept. You doze off for a few hours here and there. I sat in the chair in the kitchen, and from that chair, I could see the door to see if anybody was coming in, I could see the road to see if anyone was coming there, and I could look at the clock. For three days, I kept looking at the clock, the door, the window.
Everyone was helping. Even people I knew didn’t have their driver’s license were driving around trying to find him.
Lorie: Two officers, Ralph Christmas and Jeff Adkin, were in charge. They sat with us, they gave us minute-by-minute updates. We had many people call offering to volunteer. The police had to treat it as a possible crime scene, so volunteers couldn’t come in. They tried to get a helicopter from Orillia, but it was grounded due to fog, so local pilots took officers up and did an air search. There were at least a couple of planes. There were numerous neighbours and their kids out looking. From young to old and everybody in between.

January 14
Bob: The police found some of his belongings by the tree by the river. They said that’s the last trace of where he’s been. Monday afternoon, they found him about 25’ from the bridge. The autopsy said he had drowned.
My brother-in-law didn’t want to be the one to tell us, so he asked a neighbour to do it, and all he said was, “It’s not good news. They found him.” And we knew.
The house was full of company – friends and family and relatives. And it was devastating. I’ll never forget that.

Lorie: The O’Briens had taken the kids for two nights and took their kids out of school to keep them company. Before the news spread, I went to tell my boys. They had some questions and some tears.
I called Const. Adkin and told him I was ready to come and see Ryan, so I got to spend some time with him before he left. That was a really good time.
Lorie: You couldn’t sit and write enough thank you cards. The first one would go to the police officers, then the professionals who did the search, the pilots who volunteered, the volunteers, the fire department.
Bob: The phone calls, the food. I’ve never seen so much food in my life.

Lorie: I’ll miss the stupid stuff. Folding laundry and making three piles.
Bob: Four people for supper, not five.
Lorie: It seems like it’s a lifetime away. I’ve told everybody there’s part of me that believes I knew this was coming. I don’t know if it’s just concern for a child normally or something more than that, but I’ve prepared for this for years because I believe the day he was born, the day of his death was pre-planned.
Bob: I wouldn’t have believed it was this bad to go through something like this. You keep blaming yourself and wonder what you did right, and your mind is racing with what went wrong.
Lorie: But if we had to change one thing, there’s nothing we could change. For a teenager, he was good.
Bob: We just feel it’s a big dream and everything’s going to go away and be back to normal.

Principal’s Page
By Jeff Reaburn

Last week was a very difficult one for students, staff, and families of the South Huron community as we struggled to come to grips with the loss of one of our students, Ryan VanValkengoed. Ryan was a fun-loving student with a great sense of humour who was well liked by all who knew him, and his death has caused us much sadness. The huge number of students, staff, friends, and community members who attended the visitation and funeral attests to the positive impact that Ryan had on our lives. He will be deeply missed.
We will be meeting with students this week to plan a memorial service for Ryan, which will be held early in the new semester to celebrate his life and share our thoughts and stories so that we may keep him alive in our hearts and in our memories. Further details regarding the memorial will appear in next week’s column.
Final exams for Semester One courses run from Fri., Jan. 25 to Wed., Jan. 30, with a P.A. day Thurs., Jan 31. Semester Two begins Fri., Feb. 1. The exam schedule is posted on our school website as well as in classrooms throughout the building. In the event of a snow day during exams, that day’s exams will be moved to the following day and the whole schedule will be moved back by a day. Students are advised to take home study materials in advance of exams so they have notes and texts for study purposes in case we have bad weather.
The end of the first semester also means that it is time to start preparing for next year’s course selection. Our guidance staff have already visited our public feeder schools and provided Grade 8 students with a course calendar and other materials needed for selecting courses for Grade 9 next year. Unfortunately, this year we have not been permitted to send our staff to the Catholic elementary schools; however, we are able to make our course selection materials available to students in these schools and they and their parents are most welcome to attend our Grade 8 Night presentation next month. The same holds true for Grade 8 students in Grand Bend Public School.
Our Grade 8 Information Night and Open House will be held on Wed., Feb. 13, with a snow date of Wed., Feb. 20. The evening will commence with an informal tour of the school at 6:45 p.m. Students and parents will have the opportunity to see our facilities, meet our staff and some of our students, see examples of the great learning opportunities and extracurricular activities, and ask questions about courses and programs. At 7:30, we will have a more formal presentation in the large gym.
Students in Grades 9 to 12 have already received course calendars and pathway planners to assist them in choosing courses for next year. We encourage parents to sit down with them to review the materials and help students to make wise choices for next year. The Pathway Planner is a very informative document that provides excellent information about course selection as it relates to various post-secondary options, from the workplace and apprenticeships to college and university. Course selection for current students starts February 7. Any students who have questions or are uncertain about their choices are encouraged to consult their guidance counsellors.

Advice from mom
By Rita Lessard

I hope your Christmas went well. Tom and I were fortunate to celebrate on two occasions: once at our son’s place, whose wife is a great cook; and at my brother’s home, where we had another good meal and lots of fun. Of course, that’s what Christmas is about: family and merriment.
I received many lovely gifts. Casey thought I gave him some very useful presents, one being a new iPod. This surprised him because he hadn’t asked for one; I made a mistake when writing down his list. I didn’t know he already had one, and I bought him one that was better. I suggested he could take it back, but he decided to keep it, which was good for me because he gave me the one his brother gave his last year; I’m happy because I use it everyday when I go for my 3km walk.
I wonder sometimes if all the noise and sounds we hear have any bad effects on our hearing, but for centuries we’ve all had occasion to have what we call selective hearing. For example, how is it that the kids can always hear the ice cream truck coming up the road, yet they can’t hear you when you need the garbage taken out or the dishes done? Deaf again! If you were to pass gas a hundred yards away, you can bet your pay cheque they’d hear that.
As we welcome in the year 2008, let’s hope that by now most of you are not struggling with New Year’s resolutions. May I suggest that, instead of aggravating yourself with resolutions, you just resolve to do things one day at a time? Just for today, live the next 12 hours and tackle one problem for that day and not a whole year of problems. Just for today, learn something useful and make a change just for that day.
Although I’m giving this advice, I must confess I told my coworkers that this year I was going to be less critical. Hopefully I can stick with this resolution. Aim for the short-term instead of the long-term.
Regardless of the promises you’ve made to yourself, let’s hope 2008 will bring health and success to you all.

P.S. Thank you to the Crediton firemen for putting up the Christmas lights in the park.

Police have recovered Ryan VanValkengoed’s body from the Ausable River in Crediton. The 17-year old, whose family lives near the river, disappeared after leaving a friend’s home Friday; his route took him over the river. OPP divers found Ryan’s body early Monday afternoon.

Huron OPP are looking for help to find 17-year old Ryan VanValkengoed of Crediton. The teen was last seen at about 11:30 Friday night walking home from another Crediton residence. He did not arrive home.
Foul play is not suspected, but Huron OPP are concerned about Ryan’s wellbeing. The Emergency Response Team and the canine unit are assisting in the search.
Ryan VanValkengoed is described as 5’10″ with a slim build. He has short blond hair and was last seen wearing baggy “skater” type pants and a light grey jacket.
Anyone with information is asked to contact CRIME STOPPERS at 1-800-222-T.I.P.S. (8477) or the Huron OPP at 1-888-310-1122.

Advice from Mom
By Rita Lessard

I really love Christmastime. Unfortunately, we celebrate it in a season that, at times, is not so pleasant, especially when the snow is flying and the visibility is so bad you end up in the ditch, which is what happened to my sister and me on Monday, December 3. Fortunately, a Good Samaritan from Hensall came by and gave us a ride to Huron Park, where we made arrangements for a tow. Thank you, kind sir.
I can easily forget about the weather and concentrate on this glorious and happy occasion. As the years go by and we are getting older, times change but our memories are still with us. The hustle and bustle I experienced when the boys were young are no longer. I have many good memories, so I will share a few with you.

When your kids outsmart you
I always considered myself a fairly smart person, but when you’re smart and have children, they tend to be smart, too. As it turns out, some of them can outsmart their parents.
I’m not saying all of my sons were devious, but our son Mike was always curious and he outsmarted me every year when it came to peeking at the Christmas presents. Every year I would use a different mode of operation. I’d hide them, but he’d find them. Then I changed tactics and used different coloured paper for each kid or I would number-code them or letter-code them.
Well, none of these methods worked. Mike didn’t care that I was so smart and organized because he didn’t really take the time to figure out what I was doing; he just opened all the presents and saw what everyone was getting and rewrapped them. I didn’t learn this until many years later, but I can honestly say I had fun trying to outsmart him, and I miss the excitement of doing all that shopping and gift-wrapping. Now our Christmases are more sedate but fun and the memories are still good.

Watch out for that tree
Putting up the tree was always a fun family affair; it wasn’t always a masterpiece, but it was the joy of doing something together. The one year, we were a little concerned about putting the tree up too soon because we had a cat and we figured it would either knock all of the bulbs off or, worse yet, just knock the whole tree down. We’re a trusting family, so we decided to give the cat a break and put up the tree anyway. Now Tom, our wise leader, didn’t agree and thought we should wait until Christmas Eve so the tree would be safe. This was one argument the kids and I won; the tree went up early and we were in the spirit of Christmas.
A week before Christmas, all the decorations were on the tree and the house was decorated and all was going just swell. Tom decided to celebrate early and shared some Christmas spirits with the neighbours. It was rather late when he got home, and being the considerate guy he is, he didn’t want to disturb us non-partygoers. He sneaked into the house and kept the lights off. He didn’t need to worry because the cat was there to guide him through with his watchful eyes. (I’m told cats can see in the dark, so like they say, Lead on MacDuff, and the cat did.) Soon enough, we heard this awful crash and it wasn’t Santa. No, it was Tom toppling into the tree. Holy cow, wasn’t that a sight? I got up to investigate and sure enough, the fool was ensconced in our lovely tree. I helped him up and he grinned sheepishly. I said, “I guess you were right, Tom, about putting the tree up so soon.” In the years after that, we didn’t have the cat, but Tom was still around, so we had more fun Christmases to look forward to.

On a final note, I noticed that our little village of Crediton doesn’t have its tree decorated and our Santa and reindeer aren’t up this year. It was lovely to look out my window and see this display. Thanks to Jordy’s, we have a wreath erected on her sign. Maybe if I talk to the right people, we can do something festive next year.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to one and all. Thanks for taking an interest in reading Casey’s paper (I love that man) and see you next year!

Keeping the Peace
By Tom Lessard, CD

I spent Christmas 1967 stationed at Lizard Flats outside Nicosia, Cyprus, which had at one time been used during the Jewish exodus from Germany to Palestine. It was pretty run-down and in a way reminded us of Ipperwash.
A sergeant oversaw the junior ranks canteen. During the holidays, he would allow only one song to be played on the jukebox: “Green, Green Grass of Home.” Not a very cheery song for the young soldiers spending this time of year away from home. I’m sure the bartenders spent a lot of time mopping up the tears.
I was fortunate to be involved with organizing a Christmas party for the sick children’s hospital. It was the only place on the island where Turks and Greeks mingled. We sent home for toys, goodies and clothes for the kids, and got quite a load. We got one of the guys to dress as Santa, loaded up a couple of vehicles, and made our way to the hospital. The kids were waiting for us. Well, I was never so thrilled and choked up as when I saw the delight in those kids’ faces. They had a wonderful day, as did we.
I wonder if, after 40 years, any who are still alive remember that day. I do, and will never forget those little guys.

Advice from Mom
By Rita Lessard

I don’t know how everyone else feels about winter, but as far as I’m concerned I am not really looking forward to it. I’m not sure when this all came about, but it probably started when I realized that those fancy high-heeled shoes had to be replaced with the more sensible oxfords, the lovely shaping nylons had to be traded in for support stockings, and of course, there’s the cutesy bikini underwear that was taken over by the nice warm bloomers. So you can see where I’m coming from; yes, it’s called getting older, dear.
Getting old is inevitable, and since I’m in pretty good shape, I’m sure I’ll be fine, but as far as winter goes, if we prepare for it, maybe we will manage.
Here are some tips to consider:
- Take care that your car is properly equipped with the necessities in case you get stuck in bad weather. Examples: blankets, flashlights with batteries, candles, matches, booster cables, extra clothing, sand, salt, non-perishable food, etc.
- Get a tune up as soon as you can, and always make sure you’ve got plenty of gas in your tank.
- I suppose a cell phone would also be handy. I don’t have one, but Christmas is coming, so maybe someone will surprise me.
- Perhaps you’ll want to check your shovels or snowblower out also. Either way, keep safe and stay out of the ditch.

Hint: As I was struggling to open my door, which had frozen up, one of my coworkers suggested I put vegetable oil on the rubber on the inside of my door so I’d have no problem opening it. This seals out the water. Try it!

Thanks for all your support!
Sorry that my article is a little brief, but I wanted to concentrate on a more important issue, that being my thank you to my friends, neighbours and area business owners who made Tom’s benefit dance such a success. The support and kindness we received was incredible.
First and foremost, I would like to thank Debra McNair and Corry Price for organizing the event, the Huron Park-Centralia Lions Club for sponsoring it, and Li’l Audrey for providing the great music.
These businesses donated their support: Canadian Tire, Exeter; Iceculture, Hensall; Hansen’s Independent, Exeter; Scotty’s Pizza, Huron Park; Exi-Plast, Huron Park; Gnutti, Huron Park; Fast Photo, London; Country Corners, Exeter; Gar’s Bar, Exeter; Hayter’s Turkey Products, Dashwood; Foodland, Exeter; SAAN, Exeter; Aunt Gussie’s, Grand Bend; Bob’s Advanced Auto, Crediton; Jordy’s, Crediton; Malibu Restaurant, Centralia; Exeter Lions Club.
The following people donated money or prizes: Mike & Val Lessard, Sue and Wayne Foote, Doug and Keli Nethercott, Frank and Bridgitt Dubarry, Herman and Joan Minderlein, Pat Gray, Nancy Zettel, Bob & Millie Lessard, Bill & Anne Lacourtois, Brenda & Dave MacDonald, Deb & Doug Mason, Sid & Jeff Reaburn, Jeff & Jamie Weir, Rosemary Stewart, Tim Glavin, Ken Jones, Gary Sauder, Diane & Yvonne Wells & Lisa, Terry & Corry Price.
Thank you to all the people who helped at the door and with games, lunch and at the bar.
Special thanks to my sister Joan McCullough, who is way too generous with her help and kindness.
Last but not least, to Casey, who provides me with the opportunity to thank everyone in his paper.
Thank you all for your kindness and support. Thank you very much to the people who attended or bought tickets to the event. I apologize if I have missed anyone; to everybody who contributed, your efforts and time were greatly appreciated.

Thank you,
Tom and Rita Lessard

“I’m going to walk over on my artificial leg. And maybe get up and do a slow dance with somebody.”

Benefit and dance for Tom Lessard
Saturday, November 3 – 8 p.m. to 1 a.m.
Crediton Community Centre
Sponsored by Centralia-Huron Park Lions Club. Age of majority required. Lunch provided.
Entertainment by Li’l Audrey.
Admission: $5.
Tickets: Corry Price (519) 228-9907 or Debra McNair (519) 235-0158.
Proceeds will offset costs associated with leg amputation Tom received this summer. An artificial leg costs (after government help) at least $2000. Tom could need three in total.

As told to Casey Lessard
Photos by Casey Lessard

Tom Lessard: The pain was out of this world. I’ve never gone through pain like that. Some of it was the gout, but that was just in the toe. The rest of the pain was just a constant screaming pain. Even morphine didn’t work. I had constant pain in my leg 24 hours a day. It was excruciating.

It all started in 1988. I used to go back and forth to Exeter on Fridays. Then my leg started cramping up in my calves. I went to Dr. Gans, and he didn’t know what the heck it was. He was treating me with cortisone and all this other stuff for almost a year. Finally, he said, “You ever been tested for cholesterol?” I said no. “Well, let’s get you tested.”
It was way up. “All right,” he says, “let’s get you on this stuff,” and he put me on Zocor. He got me an appointment with Dr. Mike Sweeney here in London. I got down to him and he said, “I’ll tell you what. You smoke?”
“Yeah, I’ve smoked for 40 years.”
“Well, you either quit smoking or I’ll take your legs.”
I said, “Well, that’s easy enough, I’ll quit smoking.”
Smoking dried out the arteries and took away the elasticity they need. The cholesterol builds up in there. That’s hereditary from my mother and father, but back then we never knew.
The doctor said, “We’re going to put artificial arteries in your legs between your groin and your knees. We’ll do the one this time…”
I said, “Can you do them both?”
“It’s quite an operation,” he said.
I said, “Let’s do them both.”
I got in on the 16th or 17th of December, they did both my legs, and I had some heat down there and the pain was gone. It was December 25th when I got out.
He said, “I’ll guarantee it five years.” That worked along pretty good until about 2002 (14 years later), and then I had problems with my left leg. It started going crampy and all sorts of funny little things. So I went in and they gave me an angioplasty and sort of scraped out the inside of the artery, so that fixed my left leg.
Then in 2004, the same thing happened in my right one. They did that one, but then I got a fungus in my toes. That was about a year and a half ago, at the beginning of 2006. My family doctor tried to treat it but it kept getting thicker and thicker and thicker. Then I got what seemed like gout in my big toe.
At first, they said, “Just stick a piece of cotton batten in between your toes,” so I did that for a week and it didn’t work. So I went to a clinic and the doctor there said, “You’ve got gout.”
She sent me over for x-rays and blood tests, and sure enough, that’s what it was. I got this gout treatment, but nothing was healing properly. My toenail fell off. The foot started swelling up and problems in my right calf again.
I went to see my specialist, but I had a hard time getting to see him. Finally I did, and they hauled me in and that was February of this year. They did an artery bypass from my groin right to my ankle.
After it was over, they took the stitches out a little early and in my calf, there were five or six of them and it didn’t heal properly. They treated that for six months.
I’d go to the specialist and they kept taking pieces off my heel. Then I had an ulcer down there, the toenail was gone, and it was getting black. Finally, they said, we’ll take your toes off. This was the last week of June.
They took the toes off and part of the heel, and two days later when they took the wrapping off, I looked down at my toe and my foot was all black. They took off the rest of the leg to the knee the next Friday.
I came out of the operating room and I felt like a million dollars. I hadn’t been in my bed since October – I couldn’t sleep in my bed because it was too painful. I went 31 days with no sleep in that stretch between October and July.
I played pool the other day with the therapist. I had the leg on and you go around the pool table and see how long you can stand and move around. Also, we played shuffleboard last week. You try to stand for half an hour without too much pressure or getting too tired.
My leg feels better, but I’ve got a job to do at the post office. I like to go visit my friends at the bar. I’d like to go shopping, running to town and back. I can’t rake the lawn or do anything outside, which I always liked to putter around. A lot of the time I can’t even sit out there because I need someone to make sure the doors open for me.
I’ve lost my home life for the time being, and when I’m home I can’t do much. I have to ask Rita, “Can you take me out?” Then we have to get the wheelchair out and the walker and get down the steps. Then we get to where we’re going and it’s a big chore. So I very seldom even ask her.

They say if you’ve had gangrene, it’s a 50 per cent chance you’ll lose your other leg in five years. I had gangrene, so 50 per cent; that’s not bad odds. I’ve had 70 years (his birthday is October 27), and I went 20 years on a five-year promise.
If I have to lose the other one, what can you do about it? If you don’t want to live, you just say leave it on and let the gangrene take you. But I’m not going through that because that gangrene is deadly.

I think it’s very nice of these friends and neighbours to hold this benefit. I’m not going to turn them down. If they raise some money for me, I can certainly use it. We don’t have a lot of money.
I want to walk over there (to the benefit). I’m going to walk over on my artificial leg. And maybe get up and do a slow dance with somebody.

Advice from mom
By Rita Lessard

With all of this nice warm weather we’re experiencing, you would think that a winter sport such as hockey would be the last thing on our minds but since we usually spend money for the kids when they go back to school, we might as well add to that the expense of hockey registration.
I don’t imagine families do any fundraising to offset the cost of registration, which in turn pays for ice time and other hockey needs. Fortunately for us, when our five sons were playing we had a fundraising committee that raised lots of money that helped out a lot.
These days, I realize parents haven’t got the time or the energy to raise money in the fashion that we did. Although I was always at the arena, I never quite watched a complete hockey game. Usually I was working in the food booth, but that wasn’t my only excuse. Once the fans got going with their screaming and hollering, I couldn’t stand it and I would make myself scarce.
I realize hockey is a rough sport, but fans are sometimes more violent than the players on the ice. I remember one game in particular when we experienced the wrath of the fans.

Coming out swinging
(Note: names have been changed to protect individuals’ identities)
Jack’s parents and grandparents never missed a game. They really enjoyed watching Jack play and he was a very good player but they got a little carried away with their screaming and hollering. Grandma was the worst. She was quite feisty and she really didn’t appreciate it when Jack was in a scoring position and a player took a penalty to foil him. Joe seemed to be in the penalty box a lot, which wasn’t always a bad thing because most of the time he was there for stopping Jack from scoring.
This time, granny notices Joe’s jersey number after one such incident, and her vindictive mind brews a plan.
Granny waits a little bit until the game is over. As always, when the game is over, it is a custom for the players to line up and shake hands in a friendly manner; all things good or bad are forgotten. Not quite this time.
All of a sudden, Granny makes an appearance on the ice heading straight for Joe. Holy cow! With her purse as a weapon, she gets on the ice and starts swinging like Willie Mays. Since she doesn’t have skates on, she’s not too steady on her pins and eventually she goes down. She ended up breaking her wrist and she was taken off the ice on a stretcher – screaming, of course. We couldn’t shut that woman up.
If you can imagine how shocked we were at this performance, the fact that she was wearing a skirt when she went bottoms up was quite comical. Not too pretty!
Although Joe was startled, he wasn’t hurt. Grandma ended up getting a penalty: she wasn’t welcome at any more of Jack’s games.

Reach out and touch someone
You know, it truly is amazing how times have changed. I was listening to the news the other day and in some schools, the kids are not allowed to touch each other in any manner – no embracing, no hand shaking, no playing tag. It saddens me to think my grandchildren are denied this act of affection. If that were the case in the real world, I’d probably be locked up by now. I encourage you to take a chance and hug somebody today.
And remember, keep your stick on the ice and granny off the ice.

You won’t hear from mom for a while – not because she’s locked up, but because the Strip doesn’t publish again until Nov. 21. Read more advice then.

Advice from mom
By Rita Lessard

Thanksgiving – what a great holiday. This is a wonderful time of year to celebrate and reflect on all the many gifts and blessings we have received throughout the years. Since I’ve lived quite a few years, my blessings have been numerous.
I am especially thankful for my neighbours, my first family, friends, and last but not least, my husband and five sons.
My siblings – whom I consider my first family – are very special indeed. I keep in touch with my brothers and sisters as much as I can. My sister Joan, who lives in Shipka, is very kind and generous to Tom and me, so to her I say thank you on this Thanksgiving Day.
A couple of months ago, I was talking to my neighbour and she was quite astonished that I had raised five sons and lived to tell the tale. I told her that having five boys was the best thing that ever happened to me.
“Well,” she said, “I had two sons and I find that boys are so dirty.”
My response to her was, “Yes, you’re probably right, but I made sure that my guys were clean as they had to take a bath or shower every night,” to which she said, “Whatever!”
I think the idea of taking a bath every night backfired on my son Glenn on one occasion. Glenn and Tom Jr. (my oldest boys) had an opportunity to visit and have a camp-out at a neighbour’s farm. Since we’re basically town folk, this was quite an adventure.
Instead of having their bath the night before, I made the boys take their bath before they left for the farm. Tommy was okay with it, but Glenn put up quite a fuss. He insisted he was going to get dirty anyway, so what was the point? I prevailed and the boys were freshly bathed when they set out.
When they got to the farm with a group of other kids, they were quite excited to see the animals and the farm machinery and the rest of the makings of the farm. After they were there they were allowed to explore a bit, which was a lot of fun.
Glenn decided he’d like to go up in the hayloft and see how that felt, so up he went. He got walking around and everything seemed fine. Then, all of a sudden, he stepped in a hole and fell through the loft into the cows’ toilet. He was covered in manure.
Was he ever ticked! Glenn thought he would get dirty at the farm, but not this way. When he came out of the barn smelling like dung, the kids thought it was quite funny. Off he went to the bathroom for – you guessed it – another bath.
So yes, boys do get dirty, but you can always clean them, and this is another thing I am thankful for.
Count your blessings this year, and be ever so thankful today and every day.

Advice from mom
By Rita Lessard

Fall – what a great time of the year. Not too hot, not too cold. Standard time is approaching and thus we’ll fall back an hour. The word fall is used in so many ways, for example, fall in love, fall out, fall from grace, fall back, etc. This column will address the physical act of falling.
Tom has had many falls in his lifetime. My first experience with Tom’s falling problem was when he was attempting to carry me over the threshold. Isn’t that the perfect time to trip and fall? I only weighed 105 lbs. at the time, so that couldn’t have been the problem. I ended up falling on top of him, and I think the fall knocked him out. I ended up dragging him over the threshold – there was no way he was going to get away from me. I was a little feisty even at that time.
When we moved to Huron Park, Tom would ride his bike back and forth to work or to the local pub and he sometimes didn’t get home in one piece. He was in and out of the ditch; I believe he had a balance problem. One Friday night, I was watching TV with the kids and we heard this big bang on the side of the house. Sure enough, it was Tom on his bike, so I said to the kids, “Your father’s home.” The kids looked out the window and said, “Yep, you’re right, mom.” He seemed to be fine, but I suggested he should either get his brakes checked or his eyes checked.
After we had five kids, we needed a bigger house, so we moved across the street to a four-bedroom. The layout of the new house was a little different. In the old house, the bathroom was on the main floor, but in the new house the bathroom was upstairs. The night before we moved in across the street, Tom and a couple of our boys decided to camp out in the new house (they slept in sleeping bags in the living room). It was Friday night, so Tom was a little tipsy. In the middle of the night, Tom woke up and had to go to the bathroom. Thinking he was in the old house, he made a left and then a right turn to go to the bathroom. Unfortunately, in the new house, this was the way to the basement. He opened the door and stepped in, or rather dropped in, because the next thing he knows he’s falling down the stairs. I swear Tom has seven lives because all he got out of the fall was a bloody nose. He did manage to get back upstairs without peeing himself and went back to sleep, not going to the bathroom until the next morning. Amazing!
One more story about falling: my friend, who has false teeth, was out shopping in the mall one day and was checking out the cosmetics and smelling the various perfumes. Suddenly, she had a sneezing fit, and before she knew it, her teeth fell out of her mouth. As the kids say, wouldn’t that bite? Hoping no one noticed, she delicately picked them up and went about her business.
I hope you enjoy this nice fall weather and if you have to fall, do it on your knees in church, where at least you have padding.

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.

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.

Advice from mom
By Rita Lessard

Laundry problems – I’m sure we’ve all had them to some degree or other.
For instance, how is it that we always seem to lose one sock or forget to take things out of the pockets? And how in the drying process do socks and underwear end up in your pant legs? Who knows!
Since last October, my husband Tom has had some major problems with his right leg, and with all the pain and suffering he had to go through it was a very trying time. The end result was the doctors decided to end the pain and amputate his leg on July 7. Tom is doing very well and now he’s ready to have an artificial leg.
On Thursday we had a meeting with a group of people to get him into Parkwood hospital so the process of getting him fitted for a new leg can begin.
We had a question and answer period and filled out a bunch of forms and the group explained what we can expect once Tom is in the hospital. Once the technical stuff was done, the doctor wanted to see Tom’s stump.
Tom was wearing long pants and on the stump part he had the pant leg pinned up – all his pants are now like this – so he unpinned the pants to show the doctor his stump. As he did this, a piece of material fell to the floor.
Since everyone was talking or looking at the stump, nobody paid any attention to what was on the floor. Nobody, except of course me, but I was distracted by the nurse who started asking me something. Suddenly, the doctor looked down and asked, “What is that?”
Tom thought he was talking about his stump and it kind of fazed him, but I spoke up and said, “Is that your underwear, doctor?” He replied, “I don’t think so.” Then Tom looked down and said, “That’s my underwear. How did it get down there?”
Meanwhile, everyone was choking with laughter. Tom was undeterred as he delicately bent over and picked up the underwear and stuffed it in his pocket.
I apologized because I do the laundry so it was my fault the underwear got stuck in the pant leg thanks to the pins. At that point, it didn’t really matter because everyone wanted to leave to laugh out loud.
The doctor finally got a hold of himself and said, “Well, I guess you’re good to go.”
All in all, the meeting went well. As soon as a bed becomes available, Tom will be admitted, and I’m sure he’ll be in a ward this time. Good luck, Tom.

Keeping the Peace
By Tom Lessard

In 1953, I was having a difficult time at my high school, St. Jerome’s in Kitchener. It was an all boys’ school. My grades were bad. I missed a lot of classes and didn’t appreciate the teachers. I’d rather hang out at the pool halls or be caddying at the golf course. I made pretty good money caddying during the summer and setting up pins in the winter, which allowed me to buy my cigarettes, etc.
My 16th birthday was at the end of October, at which time my mother – who was fed up with my shenanigans – told me that if I wasn’t going to go to school full time she would take me to the army recruiting office in Kitchener. It so happened that there were openings for the apprentice-training program. All you had to be was 16 years old. I signed up and my mom co-signed. I received my call up in mid-October. Enclosed was my train ticket and meal tickets to get me to Sunnybrook in Toronto for my physical. About a week later I was ordered to report to the Royal Canadian Ordnance Corps School in Montreal (train and meal tickets again provided).
The apprenticeship included two years education Military Basic Training and group one trades training.
We were the RSM’s favorites in the camp and we could do no wrong. There were officer-training courses going on at the same time; they received all of his wrath.
The majority of the apprentices were borderline troubled kids. But the mess of us turned out all right depending on how you decipher ‘all right.’ Our pay was $49 per month less $17 deduction that included income tax and paying for a blue blazer, gray slacks, white shirt and regimental ties ($5 per month from J.P. Morgans Department Store). We could leave camp during the first year so we didn’t use our civy clothes until second year. It wasn’t much pay, but beer in the taverns was only ten cents a glass, so on Saturday nights a group of us would climb the fence behind the barrack block, take a bus most of the way downtown and find a tavern where no other servicemen were hanging around. Because we were in uniform and the Korean War was just over no one questioned us about age. Two dollars went a long way. No one in our group could handle more than ten glasses at one sitting. We stuck close together and made sure no one got left behind. Getting back over the fence caused a few of us some tears in our clothing but we could always find an excuse when questioned as to why our pants or jackets were sewn up. During the week we had homework sessions from 7 to 9 p.m. but our weekends were free unless we screwed up. There were regular forces N.C.O.C. who trained us in the military aspects of our courses and who also monitored the barrack block. Civilian teachers looked after the academic training.
The two best parts of my two years there were the firing ranges at Mount Bruno outside of Montreal and our driver-training course. Our driving instructor was a WWII vet Sgt. He was quite a guy. Every morning we had to do a thorough inspection of our 3-ton stake truck. The Sgt. insisted that we drink a couple drops from our radiators and taste it to ensure it was antifreeze. We were only kids and didn’t know any better. It was always drilled into our heads never to question a superior. So we didn’t and we tasted the poison.
Most of our driving was done on the back roads of the island where every afternoon coffee break just happened to occur outside a tavern (the Sgt. loved his beer). Anyone without money had to stand guard over the vehicles. As we progressed and became familiar with the trucks and the rules of the road he took us downtown. We never had an accident or a ticket driving during our whole course. It being 1954, there wasn’t near the traffic there is nowadays. It was a great training experience.
When I graduated in 1955 I was posted to 27 Central Ordnance Depot on Highbury Ave in London. I billeted in K Block at Wolseley Barracks, where the 2nd Battalion Royal Canadian Regiment was camped.

Advice from mom
By Rita Lessard

Nurses deserve a lot of credit. They’re doing the best they can. Sometimes I’m sure their patience is stretched with some of their patients. I say, keep up the good work.

A model patient
Since Tom has been in and out of the hospital for the last five months (eventually losing his leg below the knee due to circulation problems), we’ve witnessed all the good work nurses do. I suppose it helps if the nurses have great patients like Tom; at least, Tom said that the nurses were singing his praises as a very nice patient and they were sorry to see him leave.
On the ride home from his surgery, Tom said he was surprised he didn’t get an award.
I thought that was a little much. I’m sure he wasn’t so special that he deserved an award. I asked him, “Why would you get an award?”
He said, “Well that’s what I wanted.”
I said, “Well, not everyone gets an award. That’s stretching it.”
Tom said, “Yeah, but it’s very lonely in a room without other people.”
That’s when I realized he wanted in a ward, not an award. I almost peed my pants, I was laughing so hard.

Honesty is the best policy
Honesty is the best policy, but I’ve never understood the impulse to be honest when it serves no purpose other than to hurt someone.
Say, for example, your friend is showing off her new baby and this child is as ugly as dirt. Surely, you’re not going to tell her that! Better to say, “How lucky for you. I hope he’s healthy.” Now isn’t that better?
Sometimes people want you to be dishonest. Another example, my friend purchased something at the store and when she got her change back, the cashier had made a mistake in her change to my friend’s advantage. She told the cashier this and the cashier responded very indignantly, “I don’t make mistakes.”
So my friend walks away, but she feels bad and puts the extra change into the box for the poor at the church.

Lessons in honesty
Be honest with your kids and they will trust you.
Be honest with your boss: eight hours pay equals eight hours work.
Bosses: If an employee has the decency to give you notice of resignation, resist shortening their remaining hours as revenge. You can be honest, too.

Keeping the Peace
By Tom Lessard

About 14 years into my military career – by this point the late 1960s – I was working in the quartermasters stores in Wolseley Barracks as a clerk for the RCR. I’d just come off a court martial, got a $25 fine and was promoted to corporal rank – back-dated six months – all in the same orders parade.
About 11 a.m., a call came through for me to report to the theatre. No one knew why, so I cleaned myself up and marched directly over there. When I arrived, there was a line of about ten other personnel waiting in the hallway, so I joined them. A while later the regimental sergeant major marched in and called us to attention before he moved down the line checking to see if we were properly dressed.
When he finally got to me, he seemed perplexed and said, “What are you doing here, Lessard?”
I replied, “I don’t know, sir. I was told to report to the theatre with no explanation. Sir!”
He responded with, “I’ll see about that.”
After a short time, he called us to attention and proceeded to march us onto the stage, where we were halted and turned left to face – of all things – a full house of our comrades.
I was stunned, to say the least. Some were looking at me and chuckling. I found it hard to keep a straight face.
Next on the agenda was the adjutant who inspected each soldier. When he got to me, he asked the RSM, “What is Lessard doing here?”
The RSM replied, “I’m not sure, sir, but I’m checking into it.”
The next thing I know, the commanding officer is presenting me with the Canadian Decoration (C.D.). My buddies were still chuckling at this turn of events.
After the presentations were over, we were marched out of the theatre and dismissed. The RSM stopped me and told me that he would get back to me about how I got the medal. He never did.
[I had qualified for the medal a couple years before this (you need 12 years of service, which I had already served), but by the time they got enough people to do a parade, it had been so long that people were confused about why I was getting it.]
After being dismissed, I paraded myself over to the canteen and knocked back a few while we all had a good laugh.

Story by Casey Lessard

Police say you should keep your car and house doors locked if you live in Huron or Lambton counties after OPP issued a Canada-wide warrant for a man they believe killed another man in Windsor and dumped his car in Grand Bend. It’s believed 22-year-old Jesse Norman Imeson hitched a ride to Crediton, where police spent the weekend searching. The search was called off, but it’s believed Imeson could still be in the area.

Imeson is described as 6’1″, 200 lbs., with very short – almost shaved – brown hair, brown eyes and numerous tattoos on his arms.

If you see Imeson, don’t approach him as he is considered armed and dangerous; call police immediately at 911, Cell *67 or 1-888-310-1122.

Information courtesy http://www.crimealerts.net

Advice from mom
By Rita Lessard

I hope you’re all enjoying your summer holidays. I suppose you’re out there swimming and playing different kinds of outdoor games and sports. Not to be a nag, but I truly think it would be a good idea for you to take a break now and then from the physical exercise to get some mental exercise. Grab a favourite book or two and read, even if the books have a lot of pictures. I used to read comic books; I don’t know if they’re that popular today. Regardless, grab anything with the written word and enjoy it. If you’re reading this, you’ve obviously got the idea. You might just find something of interest elsewhere in here for you.
Please keep safe and remember safety, especially if you’re around water. Always swim with a friend.
If you’re a bike rider, my friend Alice McNair tells me that kids and adults tend to ride on sidewalks or the wrong side of the road. She’s among many who find this irritating, so if you have access to a bicycle path, please use it. Some older people have a low patience threshold. I think mine has been tested in the last few months, what with the heat, sitting in traffic because of the construction in Crediton, and helping take care of Tom; I may just lose it one of these days! So far, so good, but look out – I may just blow!

You can write Rita at: mom at grandbendstrip dot com

Advice from mom
By Rita Lessard

One night (a long time ago) I was out with my girlfriends and I ended up at the Dashwood Hotel. This was my first visit to this hotel so I wasn’t familiar with the layout. After enjoying a few drinks I needed to use the washroom and I asked my friends where the women’s room was. They pointed to a hallway. When I got there both signs said men’s.
Apparently the “wo” fell off the women’s room but I remembered the girls had said it was the door on the right. I went in and was confronted with an unusual looking toilet. Determined to figure out how to use the contraption, I backed up into this thing (without removing my clothes) to see how it would fit if I sat down. As I was doing this, a guy walked in and said, “Do you realize that this is the men’s washroom?”
I had to think fast so I said, “Of course. I’m just in here making sure everything is in working order.” I marched myself out of there, back to my so-called friends who were laughing their guts out.
I guess the moral of this story is to look before you pee or is that look before you leap?

Hint for hot day
When you go grocery shopping, take a cooler with ice in it so you can keep frozen and perishable food cold.

Food safety tips
Harmful bacteria can be on any food. To prevent this follow these steps:
1. Chill food as promptly as possible.
2. Clean your hands and kitchen surface often.
3. Separate foods. Don’t cross-contaminate.
4. Cook thoroughly. Use a meat and poultry thermometer for your own safety.
- Sheila Tiedeman

By Rita Lessard

I hope you proud Canadians have a great July 1st. We have so much to be thankful for; I especially enjoy my freedom.

Now that the nice weather is here you have no excuse not to get in better shape. Walking is the easiest form of exercise and the cheapest; start out slow. Cycling is also good. Make it a family activity.
No sitting around watching TV. Save that for a winter sport. Eat lots of fruits and vegetables and buy locally.

Parents: Want to keep tabs on your kids, especially around water? Tie bells on them. I used to tie bells on my kids’ shoes so I always knew where they were. Mind you, you might want to get rid of them when they are about 16… the bells, I mean. Then again, maybe not.

Congratulations to all you scholars out there, I hope you all did well. At least if you did your best, that’s progress. There’s always next year.

Advice for Students:

Stay in school as long as possible. Get a degree. Consider a trade school – people are crying for tradespeople.
P.S. If you want to enjoy your summer, don’t ever tell your parents you’re bored. They’re bound to find something you’d rather not do.

Compiled by Rita Lessard

Happy Father’s Day to all the fathers out there, especially to Tom and my sons Tom, Glen, Mike and Bill.

Fathers: Don’t wait until you’re a grandfather to enjoy children. Wake up and smell the diaper and change it! Make changes in your life early. You’ll never regret it.

Mothers: Don’t ever say, “Wait until your father gets home.” My mother always said that and I grew to fear my father. My father died when I was 13 and I never did get to know the true man.

Respect your child, listen to your child, and discipline your child. Explain to your child why you want them to do certain things and don’t say, “Because I said so.”

Pet Peeves

People who don’t use the left turning lane when they want to turn left. Instead they stay in the driving lane and hold up traffic.
- Deb McNair

Pet owners who don’t clean up after their dogs.
- Alice McNair

People who drive behind you with their high beams on. Try driving behind a cop car doing that and see what happens. I assure you, you’ll get pulled over.
- Anne LeCourtois

Knuckle crackers, nose pickers, and body grabbers (their own, of course). What’s with these ball players always grabbing their crotch and spitting?
- Joan McCullough

Tailgaters-Either pass or back off. If I can see your eye colour you’re way too close!
- Diane Faubert

Service people who chew gum when they are serving you. Food and beverage people are the worst. For heaven’s sake lose the gum. You look like a cow chewing its cud. Not pretty!
- Rita Lessard

Joke of the Week

It was a lovely summer day and my new sister – a five year old from Romania – was helping in the garden. As we worked she practiced her English by heartily singing songs she’s been learning from children’s TV shows.
“You sing wonderfully.” I remarked. “Someday you can sing at my funeral.”
“Sure,” she eagerly replied. “Can I sing, ‘It’s a beautiful day in the neighbourhood?’”
- Josh Siemen, Reader’s Digest

Uses for Vinegar

- Before conditioner, use vinegar and water to rinse your hair.
- Wash your windows with vinegar and water – it’s cheap and streak-free
- You can also keep glassware dishes from streaking by adding 3 tablespoons of vinegar with your detergent. Wash glassware separate from dishes.
- Earl Proulx, Yankee Magazine

Helpful hint

Having a hard time getting a lid off? Try rubber gloves or sandpaper. It works for me.

Keeping the peace
Tom Lessard, former UN peacekeeper

It’s Christmas Day 1956, and I’m on leave at home in Waterloo. I had to leave at noon, so we had an early Christmas dinner. I hitchhiked to London (my parents didn’t want to drive in the weather). My last ride got me right to the CN station.
Being Christmas day the station was empty and I had a few hours to wait for the train. While I was sitting there, a gentleman wearing CN overalls came over and asked me where I was going. I said, “I’m going to Egypt.” He sat down and we chatted for a while. He looked down at my kit bag and he said, “Lessard. Do you know Warren Lessard?” I said, “That’s my father.” He said, “I’m George Cooper. I’m your uncle!” He had been with the merchant navy and had been torpedoed, and was living with his family in London. I didn’t know I had an uncle in London.
I get on the train heading for Kingston, where I was going to meet up with RCEME (Royal Canadian Electrical Mechanical Engineers) workshop – I was RCOC (Royal Canadian Ordinance Corps). We were forming there in a couple days to take a troop train to Halifax. With a troop train, especially with guys going overseas, there’s always some hanky-panky going on.
We didn’t have too much until we got to St. John, New Brunswick. The CO said “There’s a 45 minute stop in St. John.” We could go out as long as we were back in 45 minutes. It was a pretty dry town in those days, so we got a taxi and had him take us to somewhere where we could get a drink. He took us to a house where they had wine and other stuff. Of course time slipped away and we had to rush out and get a taxi. By the time we got back to the station, the train had departed. We wired ahead to hold the train. They did and we took the cab and caught the train 25 miles down the road. We got on the train and the MPs were waiting for us. They took us down to the CO. It wasn’t a formal orders parade – it was just a chat. He gave us a choice of either working our way across on the ship or he’d throw the book at us. We all said we’d work our way across.
We got to Halifax and all these troops were there – Queen’s Own Rifles and the Royal Canadian Regiment. We found out they were not going. Egypt did not want Royal infantry there, but we were non-combatant support personnel.
We got on the ship, the aircraft carrier Magnificent. We sailed out of the harbour New Year’s and we hit a storm for a day or so. That upset a lot of people’s stomachs. The waves were so high they were on the flight deck. One of my jobs was to inspect the chains holding down the 240 vehicles we had on the deck. That didn’t take too long, so I had quite a bit of spare time. We get out of the storm and two days later – near Bermuda – the CO came along and found me sitting reading a book on my bunk.
He said, “You’re not working Lessard?” I said, “Yes, I’m finished, sir.” He said, “Well, Sargeant Major, we need some more work for him.” So I had to clean the heads.
Every day we were out there and had our grog. We’d go down and meet and they’d pour us our grog in our mugs. A lot of my buddies didn’t drink, so we carried Coke bottles in our back pockets and as they were going by they’d fill them up. We made sure our jackets were covering it and we’d wander off and have ourselves a little party.
We carried on to Egypt, and got to Port Said. British and French warships were in the outer harbour; the Egyptians had scuttled a number of ships in the mouth of the Suez Canal so no one could use it. We anchored off the port. We weren’t allowed off the ship until we had our United Nations armbands and hats.
In the meantime we started to unload the ship into barges – rations and all the other things. They wanted someone to guard each of the barges overnight – it would be a long shift. He put me in charge of one of the barges (I had volunteered). Unbeknownst to me the barge was full of Black Label, Labatt’s India Pale Ale and Dow beer. He said, “Lessard, drink as much as you want, but you’d better be sober in the morning.” I did my duty – I drank my beer and I was fairly sober in the morning. We got our UN equipment and we were taken down to our new base at Abu Suwer and that was on the sweet water canal that runs between the Suez Canal and the Nile River.

Tell us your military story: write us (Box 218, Grand Bend, N0M 1T0), e-mail (web at grandbendstrip dot com), or call (519-614-3614).

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 20x20x20 – 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).

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

By Rita Lessard

How tea bags can help you

For dry skin
Bathe in green tea. Just throw a few tea bags under a running faucet and the antioxidants will rehydrate your skin.

Tidy cats
Allow used tea bags to air-dry, then add the contents to kitty litter. Tea’s antibacterial properties neutralize odour.

Natural deodorizer
When cooking with fish or garlic, wipe the palms of your hands with wet tea bags after handling the food. Odours will disappear.

No more rust
After washing, wipe cast iron pots and pans with used tea bags. The tannins in the tea create a rust preventing layer.

- From Women’s World magazine

Stress busters

Review your purpose – remember why you are doing what you’re doing.
Take stretch breaks – if you’re overwhelmed, take five minutes to walk the dog or smell the coffee (that’s easy for me because I work at Tim Horton’s).
Listen to your intuition – there have been times when I have wondered what to do in a situation and I trusted my intuition. It’s always worked for me.
Rub your feet and hands – there are points in your feet and hands that, when rubbed, will relieve stress. I tell the girls at work to do this when they have headaches. I do it, too, because I know it works.

Quotes of the week

You make a living by what you get, but you make a life by what you give. – Anonymous
Live to learn and you will learn to live. – Portuguese proverb