Our Lady of Mount Carmel church celebrates 150 years as a parish July 18 with a mass, music, games, and a barbecue chicken dinner. Anyone interested in attending the 5 p.m. dinner must buy their tickets before July 4, the caterer’s deadline for attendance numbers. You can do so by contacting Judy Steeper (519-294-6639), Fran Roelands (519-294-6710), or Cecile Muller (519-238-8536). Tickets are $15 for adults and $10 for children under 10.
Free activities require no tickets, and include refreshments and cake after the 2 p.m. mass. Souvenir pens will be given to each family after the mass, and live Christian music, face painting, and old-fashioned games will include sack races, wheelbarrow races, three-legged races, bean bag toss, relay races, etc.

Here’s your chance to mingle with local artists and enjoy an evening out: artists at the Sunset Arts and River Road Galleries, located west of Purdy’s on River Road, invite you to their 2010 gala opening June 25 from 4 to 9 p.m.
Grand Bend Strip publisher Casey Lessard is among the artists selling art at Sunset Arts this summer. His photo of tundra swans mid-flight is one of the works featured in his Casey365.com project from 2009.

The Grand Bend Studio Tour runs May 1 and 2 in studios and galleries across the area. This year’s roster includes: Adelaide Glass (Linda Rupp), Anne Luxton, Barb McKnight, Barry Richman, Bill Nieuwland, Bliss Studio, Casey Lessard (I’ll be at Pine Dale and Sunset Arts), Christopher Grimes, David Bannister, Debra Bailey, Fran Roelands, Gallery Algo, Helga Otton, Jack Winn, Josy Britton, Kristyn Watterworth, Laura Jones Wright, Mary Lynn Fluter, Michael Billett, Patricia Downie, Sunset Arts, and Teresa Marie. Admission is free to all.
The best place to start is at Baillie’s Framing, where you can find maps to the various locations, including the River Road strip of galleries, Pine Dale Motor Inn, Bliss Studio in Port Franks, and various home studios.

Photo and story by Casey Lessard

A sight to see, thousands of tundra swans are now back at the Thedford Bog behind the Lambton Heritage Museum. The bog is a natural staging area for the swans, who are on their way from Chesapeake Bay, Maryland, to cooler climates in Canada’s North for the summer. The trip is 6,500 km, so it’s understandable they’d want to stop for a rest and some food. Here, that includes the grains left in the fields from the fall harvest.
To celebrate the annual migration, the Lambton Heritage Museum (on Highway 21 south of Greenway Road) hosts the Return of the Swans festival. With displays, videos, and other resources, the museum is a good home base to learn more about North America’s smallest and most abundant swan.
For the month of March, the Lambton Heritage Museum is open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.. Admission is $5 for adults, $4 for seniors/students, $3 for children, and $15 for the family.
The best source of updates for people interested in watching the birds is the museum’s website, http://www.returnoftheswans.com, which has a migration report that is updated daily with locations where the birds are gathered. If you don’t have internet access, you can also call 1-800-265-0316.
If you go
Dress warmly and bring binoculars. If you plan to take photographs, here are some tips from the publisher:
- Assume you will need a long telephoto lens (at least 300mm). The birds are pretty far away, but there are locations where they fly over a road to move from field to field, and here you need only about 100mm. This is where I stand because you can capture them coming at you, and then over you. Just watch out for small falling objects.
- Remember to look behind you. If they fly toward you and over, they will come back later.
- Use a fast shutter speed (1/1000 or faster). These birds flap their wings quickly, so if you want sharp images, you need to freeze that motion. I try to get to about 1/4000 if I can. Can’t get that high? You might need to raise your ISO (but if it’s daylight, try to avoid higher than ISO 800)
- Use a slow shutter speed with a tripod. Breaking the rules can get some interesting motion photos. This works best in lower light.
- Use your burst mode or continuous shooting mode. You’ll want to take a rapid series of shots to get one you like. There are times when you wait five minutes for 20 seconds of action.
- If you use continuous shooting, make sure your focus is set to Servo AF, which means the camera continues to focus as long as you hold the shutter button down. Remember that the birds are constantly changing your focal point.
- Shoot at your highest resolution. You will have to crop most of these photos later.
- Bring lots of memory cards or film. You will shoot a lot, and you might get a couple of good shots from the whole day. It’s worth it, though.
- Try to arrive early. The light will give you good texture and colour, and you might be the only one there.

Sunday, March 21
2 to 4 p.m. – Trivitt Anglican Church, Exeter
Celebration launch of Bach Music Festival of South Huron and Bach’s 325th birthday. Concert, birthday cake and door prizes. Free to attend. RSVP to bachmusicfestival@bellnet.ca or 519-235-2565.

A teaser of what’s to come in July 2011, the Bach Music Festival of South Huron’s celebration launch will feature organist Janet Heerema and cellist Christine Newland. A year of concerts and special events for area residents and visitors from across Ontario will culminate in the first week-long international festival July 11 to 17, 2011.
The goal of the series is to attract music aficionados to South Huron as an important and accessible location for concerts, and the caliber of the music is expected to enhance the local economy. For more information, contact executive producer Louise Fagan at l.fagan@rogers.com or call 519-851-0393. Everyone is welcome to attend the celebration launch March 21 to get a taste for what is in store for next year’s festival.

Linked fundraisers result in first hair cuts since birth, father’s death

Inspired by a desire to help raise money for residents of Haiti recovering from January’s earthquake, Ashlan Hollingsworth, 4, of Parkhill had her first ever hair cut at the hands of Rachel Michielsen of Beauty ‘n’ the Beach salon in Grand Bend. The $560 she raised went to support The House that Jack Built, a charity named in Rachel’s father Jack’s honour.

Her sister, Jessica Michielsen, also got a cut; she raised $12450 by cutting her dreadlocks, growing since Jack’s death in 2005. The money goes to Baptist Haiti Mission’s fund to rebuild Haiti.

Cutting Jessica Michielsen’s Dreadlocks from Casey Lessard on Vimeo.

Friends and family gathered Sunday, February 28 at the home of Jessica Michielsen to help her cut her dreadlocks for a Haiti earthquake fundraiser. Jessica cut her hair for The House That Jack Built, the charity named in honour of her late father, the builder Jack Michielsen of Arkona. The House that Jack Built builds homes for needy families in Haiti. In the wake of last month’s earthquake, the fund needs to be filled to help as many families as possible.
Jessica has been growing the dreadlocks since 2005 as part of the process of grieving their father. Each dreadlock was worth $100, and with 50 dreadlocks available, Jessica exceeded her $5000 goal, raising $8000 for the fund.
Jessica invites interested donors to make a long-term commitment, and says fund managers, registered charity Baptist Haiti Mission Canada, will be on hand to discuss monthly withdrawals; any sized commitment is welcome.
Since the earthquake of January 12, Jessica says donations The House that Jack Built fund have exceeded $16,000. Donations are collected by registered charity Baptist Haiti Mission Canada and donations over $10 are receiptable.

The House that Jack Built
Baptist Haiti Mission Canada
P.O. Box 11
602 Wellington Ave.
Wallaceburg, ON.
N8A 4L5

Photo by Casey Lessard

Welcome Wagon is once again rolling out the red carpet for area brides, showcasing wedding vendors at their annual Bridal Showcase at the South Huron Recreation Centre this Tuesday, February 23.
Brides and grooms attending the show will be treated to displays and fashion shows, and have the chance to win prizes that include a diamond pendant from Bakelaar Jewelers in Exeter, and a honeymoon sun vacation courtesy Today’s Bride magazine. The first 100 brides will receive a gift bag.
Participating vendors include photographers, cake makers, gown stores, and many more. Doors open at 6 p.m., and admission is free. To register, visit: http://www.welcomewagon.ca or call 1-866-873-9941.

Submitted by Tim Cumming, Ausable Bayfield Conservation Authority

Tickets to the Conservation Dinner usually sell out quickly but now there is extra reason to purchase tickets early, according to the volunteer dinner committee.
Patrons who purchase their gala dinner tickets before February 22 will be eligible for an ‘early-bird’ prize draw where they may win a limited edition print by artist Gary Corcoran. The print is of a beautiful nature painting entitled Winter Sylvan – Downy Woodpecker.
The 21st Conservation Dinner is a local success story with donors, patrons and volunteers working together to support environmental health through accessible trails, commemorative woods, fish stocking for youth, conservation education and other conservation initiatives. This year’s gala charitable dinner and art auction takes place on Thursday, April 15, 2010 at the South Huron Recreation Centre in Exeter.
Tickets are $50 per person and patrons received an charitable gift receipt for half that amount. For tickets, talk to a Conservation Dinner committee member or phone 519-235-2610 or 1-888-286-2610.
The gala Conservation Dinner includes a live auction of art and other unique items, a silent auction, special raffles and general raffles. Local individuals and businesses wishing to sponsor auction items or contribute donations to the event are encouraged to contact Ausable Bayfield Conservation.
For information on the Conservation Dinner visit conservationdinner.com