Inside: Grand Bend Strip ceases publication with a swimsuit issue

• 2010 Swimsuit Edition models
  Karl Weselan Age: 42 I live in: St. Marys Occupation: Dentist 1. To me, Grand Bend is: a great place to both relax with my family on the beach, visit my wonderful in-laws and stay active with some beach volleyball 2 I don’t tell many people that I: secretly wanted to be a gigolo, but that didn’t quite pan out… ...
• 2010 Swimsuit Edition stores
  The Grand Bend Strip 2010 swimsuit edition included contributions from the following vendors: Cover (Gina Phouttharath): Endless Surf 29 Main Street, Grand Bend Summer hours: M-Th 11AM-9PM, F-Su 10AM-9PM 519.238.2813 From the owner: Carries a variety of surfboards, stand up paddle boards, wakeboards, skim boards, long board skateboards and kite boards. Also accessories for these sports, such as wet suits, ...

The post Volume 4 Number 3 first appeared on Grand Bend Strip community newspaper.

Inside: South Huron music department goes to Ottawa and comes home with percussion gold; plus, pictures from the SHDHS prom.

• South Huron’s sounds of success
  School bands bring home gold, two silvers, and big awards from MusicFest Canada Story and photos by Casey Lessard They’re the best percussion ensemble in Canada, and they’re right here in our backyard. Led by music director Isaac Moore and coach Dave Robilliard, South Huron District High School’s percussionists won the Zildjian Outstanding Percussion Section Award at ...
• Percussion powerhouse
  SHDHS, Jon Gill named best in Canada Jon Gill (right) of Grand Bend is a member of the 2010 Zildjian Outstanding Percussion Ensemble of the year (below), and winner of the Zildjian Outstanding Percussionist Award. As told to Casey Lessard Photos by Casey Lessard When we won in 2008, it was the first time in six or seven ...
• Canadian icon stars in Paul Ciufo murder-mystery at Blyth
  A Killing Snow runs June 23 to August 13 and features Patricia Hamilton of Green Gables fame Patricia Hamilton is a Canadian icon best known as Rachel Lynde in Anne of Green Gables and Road to Avonlea. A long-time stage performer at Shaw Festival and other theatres, she makes her Blyth Festival debut in Grand Bend ...
• You will fall in love with Sweet Charity
  If Thursday’s opener is any indication, Sweet Charity is sure to please crowds at the Huron Country Playhouse. Starring Stratford legend Cynthia Dale as hopeless-in-love dancer-for-hire Charity Hope Valentine, the cast is rounded out by a line of women whose talent bursts from their barely-there costumes. Their necessary sex appeal is only effective because they ...
• Country Legends coming to Playhouse
  Drayton Entertainment continues its tradition of tributes to popular music, this season bringing Country Legends to life at the Huron Country Playhouse. The Alex Mustakas show sold out last year in Penetanguishene, bringing a fusion of classic country, gospel and bluegrass music, dance and comedy to the Grand Bend stage. Among the highlights are songs ...
• Order your Mt. Carmel 150th dinner tickets now
  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 ...
• Letters to the editor – June 16, 2010
  To the editor, I cannot believe all the fuss about the proposed beach volleyball. In 2001, the Canada Games committee held their beach volleyball tournaments here in Grand Bend. Everyone enjoyed these games and they were a huge success, with great results and participation by many volunteers and spectators. We believe that beach volleyball can be held ...
• How to start a new life
  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 ...
• How it all began
  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 ...
• We are all to blame for this
  Alternative View By Lance Crossley Last month, I took a mid-year review of how I was faring with my 2010 prediction that states would face serious insolvency issues. We found evidence that this is indeed happening in the form of the Greek debt crisis as well as a number of other Euro nations that are dancing with ...
• You should put a saddle on that thing
  Fido… Come… Sit By Yvonne Passmore Yes, I have a Great Dane and you don’t know how often I’ve heard that line. Great Danes can stop traffic quicker than a beautiful woman. Officially, he’s the height of a miniature horse. I could put a saddle on that thing. When I walk Zuma, I hear the usual references ...
• Carnival for a cure
  South Huron District High School held its seventh annual Relay for Life for the Canadian Cancer Society June 11. The overnight walking relay raised $40,000 this year, bringing the total raised by walkers and their sponsors to $250,000 over the years. Next year’s relay runs June 10-11 with the theme of “Somewhere Over the Rainbow”. Above: prostate ...
• To Do List – June 16 to July 13
  Community/Charity Grand Bend Nursery School is now offering five sessions a week of the Early Learning Program, a FREE high quality program designed to help prepare young children for school. If you have children 2.5 to 4 years old and reside in Lambton County, call Grand Bend Nursery School at 519-238-8514 Tuesdays 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. – ...
• Sunset Arts and River Road gala opening June 25
  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 ...
• A sure winner for a burger weekend
  As we head into the fourth annual Grand Bend Burgerfest weekend, James shows you how to make his signature burger. Warning: it packs some heat! Recipe by James Eddington http://www.eddingtons.ca Eddington’s Burger Ingredients 2 lbs medium ground beef 1/2 cup bread crumbs 1 tbsp butter 1 small red onion, diced 3 tbsp minced garlic 3/4 cup plain yogurt 1 tsp sea salt 1 tsp black pepper 2 tsp Dijon mustard 1 tbsp horseradish 1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce 1 tbsp soy ...

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Volume 4, Number 1 – May 19, 2010

Inside: PVB beach volleyball, Larry Whiting’s quest to stop youth suicide, Cole Martin in a War Amps CHAMPS PSA, and high school plays

• Who’s to blame?
  View from the Strip By Casey Lessard I feel a level of simpatico with Mark Reilly. We’re not friends, not business partners; I met him once and talked to him on the phone once. But I know how he probably feels: he just wants to run a business in Grand Bend within the rules established by the ...
• Strip brings home OCNA hardware
  The Grand Bend Strip and publisher Casey Lessard took home more awards than any other newspaper in Ontario Friday, May 14 at the Ontario Community Newspapers Association gala held in Toronto. Here are the results and judges’ comments: 3rd place – General Excellence (best overall paper), circulation under 1,999 Note: Top marks in 4 of 11 categories, ...
• Pro beach volleyball
  Why you’ll see PVB on the beach this summer PVB Enterprises runs Canada’s largest independent beach volleyball camps. When one of owner and former national team member Mark Reilly’s club players, Taylor Ivey, and her parents Charlie and Katrine invited him to Grand Bend, an idea was born. Reilly proposed developing a program in Grand Bend similar ...
• Residents say: NO beach volleyball
  Ed Fluter is a Grand Bend resident and representative of a new community association supported by many residents in the area. Fluter and his group oppose the PVB project – and any others – using the public beach for commercial purposes. The Grand Bend Strip spoke with him shortly before Monday night’s council meeting. Interview and photo ...
• How Lambton Shores got out of its PVB contract
  And why council still wants to see beach volleyball in Grand Bend this summer Interviews performed by Casey Lessard in advance of May 17 council meeting Gord Minielly, Mayor Years on council: more than 25, mayor since 2006. Position sought in October 2010: none Did you support the initial proposal from PVB? Yes. Do you support the contract the way it was ...
• Larry Whiting’s race to prevent youth suicide
  Grand Bend Speedway team in memory of his late son is a way to help others Larry Whiting formed the Derik Whiting Foundation in memory of his son, who took his own life in 2006 at age 24. Derik was an avid racer at the Grand Bend Speedway, and Larry Whiting has started a race team ...
• Amputations can’t slow down this CHAMP
  Watch for Cole Martin, 9, of Zurich in his second War Amps TV PSA Cole Martin of Zurich is a fun-loving nine-year-old who loves to play soccer and swim. He’s also a double amputee appearing in his second PSA for the War Amps Child Amputee program. Cole was born with only three toes and missing parts ...
• Greece is only the beginning
  Alternative View By Lance Crossley As we are nearly halfway through 2010 – scary, I know – I thought it would be a good time to see how my New Year’s predictions are panning out. In my December 2009 column, I wrote the following: “My 2010 predictions can be summed up in one word: “insolvency”. To be insolvent ...
• Reflecting on mom
  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 ...
• The Maple Leaf forever?
  Living in Balance By Jenipher Appleton Do you stand tall and proud for the Canadian National Anthem? Do you sing it out with a sense of pride in your country? If you are wearing a hat, do you remove it? Apparently we are living in a time when many people not only avoid singing the anthem, some ...
• Sparks are flying in the bedroom
  Fido… Come… Sit By Yvonne Passmore http://www.FidoComeSit.com I’m lying in bed, roll over and feel a chill. I pull up my low quality but warm, fuzzy polyester blanket to my neck and the sparks begin to fly. I smile thinking and reminiscing about my younger days and sharing a room with my sister. Way back then, the blanket ...
• Dale stars in Sweet Charity
  Stratford actor and screen star Cynthia Dale is coming to the Huron Country Playhouse next month. Dale, star of CBC’s Street Legal and frequent stage presence at the Stratford Shakespeare Festival, hits the stage June 9 to 26 as the title character in Sweet Charity. Set in New York in the 1960s, Sweet Charity is Neil ...
• To Do List – May 19 to June 14
  Community/Charity Grand Bend Nursery School is now offering five sessions a week of the Early Learning Program, a FREE high quality program designed to help prepare young children for school. If you have children 2.5 to 4 years old and reside in Lambton County, call Grand Bend Nursery School at 519-238-8514 Tuesdays 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. – ...
• Roasted red pepper and tomato bisque
  Recipe by James Eddington Eddington’s of Exeter 527 Main Street, Exeter 519-235-3030 http://www.eddingtons.ca This is a simple little recipe that I hope will inspire you to plant some peppers and tomatoes this spring. If, as I do, you lack a green thumb, no need to fret; they are easy to grow. I bought the seeds, followed the instructions on the ...

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Volume 3, Number 15 – April 15, 2010

Inside: Slim Gordon, beach life in April, and Jolene Unwin remembered.

• The ballad of Slim Gordon
  Some of you may recognize the name Murray “Slim” Gordon Lewis from his long and storied career as a musician in Ontario and across North America. For others, like the editor’s parents, he was your insurance salesman. Slim Gordon, as he was called, was born in 1926 in Yarmouth County, Nova Scotia. Today, he lives alone ...
• Vision of the future
  View from the Strip By Casey Lessard I’ll admit that I don’t spend a lot of time in downtown Grand Bend in the winter. My home base is in Parkhill, and I am usually heading in the other direction, to Toronto, during the school year. That’s why it was interesting to visit the strip April 2. The day ...
• Being a trillionaire isn’t all it’s cracked up to be
  Alternative View By Lance Crossley Your faithful editor, Mr. Casey Lessard, recently gave me 100 trillion dollars. Seriously. Following a dinner we had a few weeks ago in Toronto’s Bloor West neighbourhood, in which I proposed that the United States is firmly on the road to hyperinflation, Casey kindly sent me a rather fitting gift: an authentic ...
• Open door policy
  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, ...
• Good game: Jolene Unwin’s legacy
  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 ...
• Fashion’s faux pas
  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 ...
• The Grand Tour
  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 ...
• Horned Lark: resident of the open country
  Living in Balance By Jenipher Appleton In early March, while visiting Fort Rose Maple Company, I spied a horned lark from my perch on the hay wagon. It was skittering across the expanse of diamond-crusted snow, and at first glance the bird’s black collar suggested it might be a meadowlark. This idea was quickly dismissed when I ...
• To Do List – April 15 to May 18
  SHDHS Cabaret All members of the community are invited to attend South Huron District High School’s Music Department 2010 Cabaret concerts. The concerts will take place in the large gym on Saturday, April 17 at 7:00 p.m., and Sunday, April 18 at 2:00 p.m. Each day will be a totally different program. This informal, relaxed environment will ...
• The match game part two
  Fido… Come… Sit By Yvonne Passmore http://www.FidoComeSit.com It’s been a few weeks now and my friend, her children, and Chloe are settling in. Of course, now come all the issues of having a dog with children. My friend is learning the delicate balancing act of incorporating a dog as a member of a family. She now deals with ...
• Seasonal rhubarb chutney with baked brie
  Recipe by James Eddington Eddington’s of Exeter 527 Main Street, Exeter 519-235-3030 http://www.eddingtons.ca Photo by Casey Lessard The great thing about a chutney is that is can be used in so many applications. It makes a fantastic topping for chicken, pork tenderloin, fresh fish, etc. Once you’ve established your chutney base, you can also “pear” your fruits to each season. Ingredients 1 ...

The post Volume 3 Number 15 first appeared on Grand Bend Strip community newspaper.

Volume 3, Number 14 – March 18, 2010

Inside: High School Musical auditions for Huron Country Playhouse, Paint Ontario, Fran Roelands is conservation dinner feature artist, and more.

• We’re all in this together
  High School Musical Presented by Drayton Entertainment Huron Country Playhouse May 19 to 30 Tickets: $39 for adults, $20 for under 18 Box office: 1-888-449-4463 Photos and story by Casey Lessard Aiming for fame, more than 100 teenagers joined auditions in Exeter and Guelph for Drayton Entertainment’s summer presentation of Disney’s High School Musical, which runs at the Huron Country Playhouse May ...
• The nature of her art
  Fran Roelands is ABCA feature artist 21st annual Conservation Dinner Thursday, April 15 South Huron Rec. Centre, Exeter Tickets: $50 Phone: 1-888-286-2610 http://www.conservationdinner.com West McGillivray watercolour painter Fran Roelands is this year’s Ausable Bayfield Conservation Dinner feature artist, and is offering her painting, Along the Banks of Mud Creek (above), to this year’s auction. The painting depicts a late winter scene at ...
• Reflecting on Ontario’s beauty
  Story and photos by Casey Lessard After winning Best in Show at Paint Ontario several years ago, Josy Hilkes Britton used her cash prize to buy a canoe. Her ensuing paddling excursions resulted in Reflections, Britton’s second Paint Ontario Best in Show painting. “That’s how I get inspired in the first place, canoeing,” Hilkes Britton said after ...
• Strip leads at OCNA awards
  The Grand Bend Strip leads all community newspapers in Ontario with eight nominations for this year’s Ontario Community Newspaper Awards, including best overall paper (a first for the paper) and photographer of the year for Casey Lessard, a two-time runner-up for this award. The paper also recently won two national awards, first prize ad design ...
• Blown away
  View from the Strip By Casey Lessard This is the time of year, it seems, when good things start happening. We’ve just recovered from the Olympics with its thrilling ending, the snow seems to be gone for good, and our chihuahua can now handle a walk that lasts longer than three minutes. But here at the Strip, we ...
• Why thinking is a bad thing
  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 ...
• Daylight losing time
  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 ...
• The swans are back in town
  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 ...
• Grand Bend Community Foundation returns to granting
  After suspending grants for a year because of the global economic downturn, the Grand Bend Community Foundation returned to the business of giving money to support community projects in 2009. The foundation gave four recipients a total of $38,500: The Friends of the Pinery Park, Our Lady of Mount Carmel School, and Grand Bend Home ...
• Bach Festival coming to Exeter
  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 at 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 ...
• To Do List – coming events for March 18 to April 14
  Community/Charity Grand Bend Nursery School is now offering 5 sessions a week of the Early Learning Program…a FREE high quality program designed to help prepare young children for school. If you have children 2.5 to 4 years old and reside in Lambton County call Grand Bend Nursery School at 519-238-8514 Tuesdays 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. – Port ...
• History is anything but dull
  Living in Balance By Jenipher Appleton Have you ever met someone who makes you wonder at his or her energy and enthusiasm? Someone who is passionate about something and follows through on this passion with unremitting effort? When these people share their enthusiasm with others, they can really make a positive difference in society. One such individual is ...
• The match game, part one
  Fido… Come… Sit By Yvonne Passmore http://www.FidoComeSit.com Many of you were touched and saddened by my last article about those beautiful, retired female breeding dogs that my friend and I assessed for a potential addition to her home. What seems to have saddened those who contacted me is the fact that what this breeder was doing was not ...
• Hair-razing
  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 ...
• Show a Playhouse professional Huron hospitality this summer
  Story by Casey Lessard Drayton Entertainment is gearing up for the summer season at the Huron Country Playhouse, but needs your help finding accommodations for its cast and crew. More than 100 people will need a place to stay for their time here, which can range from five weeks to the whole summer. “It’s a great way ...
• The sweet heat of Shanghai noodles
  Recipe by James Eddington Eddington’s of Exeter 527 Main Street, Exeter 519-235-3030 http://www.eddingtons.ca Photo by Casey Lessard This is always a fun dish, and it has a little sweet and a little heat to get you going. Note: Three of the ingredients are available at Foodies in Grand Bend. I found the combination of the 3 sauces make for a truly unique ...
• Cutting Jessica Michielsen’s dreadlocks
  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 ...
• Grand Bend Strip leads OCNA nominations with eight
  The Grand Bend Strip leads all community newspapers in Ontario with eight nominations for this year’s Ontario Community Newspaper Awards, including best overall paper and photographer of the year for Casey Lessard. The top three entrants were announced March 1; winners will be announced at the OCNA’s annual conference in Toronto May 14. The Parry ...

The post Volume 3 Number 14 first appeared on Grand Bend Strip community newspaper.

Volume 3, Number 13 – February 18, 2010

Inside: Julie Forrest communicates with animals, scenes from the Grand Bend Winter Carnival, and more!

• The art of animal conversation
  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 ...
• Here comes the bridal showcase
  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 ...
• Lance Bedard on a roll in 2010
  It’s already been a big year for Zurich musician Lance Bedard, most recently nominated for best Pop Artist/Group of the Year in the London Music Awards. The nomination and growing radio play are early highlights of 2010 that Bedard and his band hope to build on as the year progresses. They are currently wrapping up ...
• ABCA conservation dinner
  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 ...
• Learning the ropes
  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 ...
• Understanding my moods
  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 ...
• To Do List – February 18 to March 17
  Community/Charity Grand Bend Nursery School is now offering 5 sessions a week of the Early Learning Program…a FREE high quality program designed to help prepare young children for school. For children 2.5 to 4 years old who reside in Lambton County. Call Grand Bend Nursery School at 519-238-8514. Tuesdays 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. – Pt. Franks Comm ...
• It’s easy for us to find a rough-legged hawk
  Living in Balance By Jenipher Appleton While cross-country skiing in the field behind our property, I have frequently been treated to the majestic sight of a soaring rough-legged hawk (Buteo lagopus). During summer, they can be regularly seen in their flight patterns over farm country and can be easily mistaken for a red-tailed hawk, golden eagle or ...
• How not to raise a family
  Fido… Come… Sit By Yvonne Passmore http://www.FidoComeSit.com Recently I had the great displeasure of helping a friend of mine try to find an older dog to adopt. She was concentrating on retired breeding females, which brought us to the scene of the crime. As we turn into the driveway, we encounter a beautiful private setting lush with trees. A ...
• Drayton High School Musical auditions are this weekend
  Area high school students will hit the stage at the Huron Country Playhouse this summer as members of the chorus of Disney’s High School Musical May 19 to June 5. Auditions for Avon Maitland, Bluewater, Huron Perth and Lambton Kent District School Boards take place this Sunday, February 21 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. ...
• Michielsen girls cutting hair for Haiti
  By Casey Lessard Sisters Rachel Michielsen-Gray and Jessica Michielsen are running two hair-cutting fundraisers this month to benefit a charity honouring their father, the late builder Jack Michielsen of Arkona. Rachel, a hairdresser at the Beauty ‘n’ the Beach salon, will be cutting hair this Saturday, February 20 at the salon’s temporary location, 20 Ontario Street South ...
• Eddington’s contemporary Italian pancetta chicken
  With sun-dried tomato polenta and pan roasted zucchini Recipes by James Eddington Eddington’s of Exeter 527 Main Street, Exeter 519-235-3030 http://www.eddingtons.ca Photo by Casey Lessard I am often asked, what is a supreme breast of chicken? A supreme breast of chicken is boneless except for the drumstick of the wing, and the skin remains. A butcher can prepare this, or you can ...

The post Volume 3 Number 13 first appeared on Grand Bend Strip community newspaper.

Volume 3, Number 12 – January 21, 2010

Inside: Who wins in ARC process?, photos from Pinery Provincial Park toboggan hill and World Religion Day, and Carla Johnston goes to India.

• Future South Huron Accommodation Review Committee meetings
  February 4 Hensall Public School February 25 Stephen Central Public School March 4 ARC makes recommendations to board
• “We will not make everyone happy”
  2008-09 school populations Source: AMDSB.ca Zurich – 148 (110% of capacity of 135) Exeter – 303 (74% of capacity of 409) Stephen – 171 (68% of capacity of 250) Hensall – 152 (58% of capacity of 262) Usborne – 117 (52% of capacity of 227) Avon-Maitland District School Board superintendent of operations Mike Ash is the chair of the Accommodation Review Committee ...
• Hensall rep: “I don’t want to ship my kids to Exeter”
  Joan Bradley is the vice-chair of the Hensall Public School parent council. All three of her daughters attend the school. As told to Casey Lessard With my children, part of the deal when we moved here was that they did not want somewhere they would have to ride the bus. They wanted to have a school close ...
• “Closing Exeter PS is an option”
  Laurie Russell is the chair of the Exeter Public School parent council. As told to Casey Lessard Emotions are running rampant. No one wants their school closed. The reality is one or two schools have to close. It’s just the reality. To come up with a decision that everyone agrees with is not an easy process. In Hensall ...
• “I will go for the best education for students”
  Trustee Randy Wagler has unenviable task of deciding schools’ fate Randy Wagler is one of nine trustees who will make the final decision about which school(s) to close. He is a chemical engineer and product manager for Honeywell, and his five children attended Exeter PS and South Huron DHS. As told to Casey Lessard I haven’t made up ...
• Our poker king retains his crown
  Richard Webb wins second Canadian Poker Tour title Story and file photo by Casey Lessard Canadian Poker Tour champion Richard Webb will retain his crown after winning the championship this weekend in Calgary, Alberta. The Grand Bend resident beat the tour’s 50 best players, and wins a second $100,000 contract that pays for his travel and entry ...
• Giving women a better future
  Summer resident Carla Johnston set to spend winter, spring in central India A summer resident of Grand Bend, Carla Johnston is known to many in the area as the daughter of Chris Bregman, manager of the Grand Bend Chamber of Commerce. Johnston is finishing her last semester at F.E. Madill Secondary School in Wingham before flying ...
• War is the new peace
  Alternative View By Lance Crossley In George Orwell’s 1984, the ruling party’s three slogans were “War is Peace; Freedom is Slavery; Ignorance is Strength.” If you need any evidence that an Orwellian world is already upon us, you need to look no further that the awarding of the Nobel Peace Prize to US President Barack Obama – ...
• ROTF not LMAO
  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 ...
• New Year’s hangover
  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 ...
• Grand Bend Public School wheelchair accessible playground is a go
  It was one year ago this month that it was decided that the Grand Bend Home & School Association would start fundraising for a new wheelchair accessible playground for the children of Grand Bend Public School and the youth of the community. The goal was $70,000, daunting to say the least. It was through grant ...
• Poetry for the Soul
  Living in Balance By Jenipher Appleton What’s wrong with a little memory work anyway? In past decades, a requirement of learning English in Canadian elementary schools was a certain amount of memory work. It usually was in the form of poetry. One would be asked to choose a poem and commit it to memory; the teacher would ...
• Can’t we all just get along?
  Fido… Come… Sit By Yvonne Passmore http://www.FidoComeSit.com Well, apparently not. Over the holidays my youngest dog, Chiclet, had what most people would consider a bad encounter with another dog. While we were visiting with my parents, a friend stopped by with her dog. Now, I’m not sure what exactly happened to create the fireworks but there was an explosion ...
• Grand Bend Winter Carnival 2010
  Friday, February 5 6 to 9 p.m. – GB Public School Sobey’s Drive-in Movie Night. Build your own car and come to the movies. Ages 12 and under. 8 p.m. – Various Locations Opening Ceremonies. Torch Relay beginning at Municipal Parking Lot across from FINE A Restaurant. Lighting of the Flame at Paddington’s. Saturday, February 6 9 a.m. – Grand Bend ...
• Winter To Do
  Sunday, January 31 1 to 3 p.m. – Morrison Dam, Exeter Winter Wonderland snowshoeing event ABCA education staff will be leading a guided hike on snowshoes. Participants will travel by snowshoe on the South Huron Trail while learning about trees and animal life in winter. The cost is $5 per adult to join in on the guided ...
• Playhouse needs teens for High School Musical
  Drayton Entertainment is looking for area teens to be members of the chorus for Disney’s High School Musical, which runs from May 19 to June 5 at the Huron Country Playhouse in Grand Bend. Open auditions will be held on Sunday, February 21 at South Huron District High School in Exeter from 10 a.m. to 1 ...
• Feed a Super Bowl army with pulled pork sandwiches
  You don’t need much to fill their bellies with this affordable – yet gourmet – dish Recipe by James Eddington Eddington’s of Exeter 527 Main Street, Exeter 519-235-3030 http://www.eddingtons.ca Photo by Casey Lessard Looking for something more romantic? “Take a flight this Valentine’s Day” from our February 2008 issue. This recipe is intended for a slow cooker. If you do not own a ...
• How to help Haitians
  I traveled to Haiti in 2005 with Baptist Haiti Mission Canada, the Canadian arm of the largest mission based in Haiti. If you are interested in helping people recover there, I encourage you to donate to Baptist Haiti Mission. They are currently accepting donations to their The House That Jack Built fund for rebuilding homes, ...
• Let’s start a national debate
  Public policy and regulation among subjects of winter Partners in Learning discussions The winter season of Partners in Learning, a discussion group that meets at the Southcott Pines clubhouse, runs Wednesdays from Jan. 13 to Feb. 10 and then March 3 to 31. This season’s topics include Science, Serving the Public Interest?; Has Big Brother Gone ...
• Grateful for 2009
  View from the Strip By Casey Lessard With the mediocre weather and mediocre economy we experienced this year, it’s tough not to feel glum. I’m happy, though, (for the most part) with how 2009 went here. No health problems this year. Missed the swine flu this time around. Angela is almost done school. Well, for now, anyway. We got a ...

The post Volume 3 Number 12 first appeared on Grand Bend Strip community newspaper.

Volume 3, Number 11 – December 17, 2009

Inside: Who killed Jason Pearson?, the fight to keep Zurich Public School open, and Partners in Learning launches winter session.

• “Someone knows something.” Who killed Jason Pearson?
  Police seek driver, family seeks closure after Jason Pearson’s death near Grand Bend during Not So Pro volleyball weekend Originally from Regina, Saskatchewan, Jason Pearson of Waterloo was an avid volleyball player, and serious about taking part in Grand Bend’s Not So Pro tournament each year. After the first day of competition at this year’s event, ...
• The fight to save Zurich Public School
  Accommodation Review Committee community representative Tom Roes tells Casey Lessard that Zurich Public School should stay open. And that Hensall and Usborne should, too. Will the school board listen? Recognizing declining enrolment in area schools, Avon-Maitland District School Board is currently reviewing the need to close schools, including Usborne Public School near Exeter, and Zurich and Hensall ...
• Let’s start a national debate
  Public policy and regulation among subjects of winter Partners in Learning discussions The winter season of Partners in Learning, a discussion group that meets at the Southcott Pines clubhouse, runs Wednesdays from Jan. 13 to Feb. 10 and then March 3 to 31. This season’s topics include Science, Serving the Public Interest?; Has Big Brother Gone ...
• Grateful for 2009
  View from the Strip By Casey Lessard With the mediocre weather and mediocre economy we experienced this year, it’s tough not to feel glum. I’m happy, though, (for the most part) with how 2009 went here. No health problems this year. Missed the swine flu this time around. Angela is almost done school. Well, for now, anyway. We got a ...
• Happy, uh, New Year
  Alternative View By Lance Crossley My wife always makes fun of me after reading my columns because, as she says, “they are always such downers”. I can’t really argue with her on that one. But in my defence, I really am trying to call it as I see it. Anyway, she’s going to love this one. So ...
• Dung on twigs, etc.
  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 ...
• Lighten up, Tom!
  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. ...
• Some choice four-letter words
  Fido… Come… Sit By Yvonne Passmore http://www.FidoComeSit.com At this time of year I have a few: C-O-L-D, S-N-O-W, D-A-R-K, W-I-N-D, W-A-L-K. The more miserable the weather gets, the happier my dogs become. I love the mildness of the summer. It’s warm, the sun is shining and my dogs are lazy. The older I get, the more I appreciate lazy ...
• A Christmas meal they’ll never forget
  Yes, this year you will actually roast chestnuts on an open fire, and then create a delicious soup Recipes by James Eddington Eddington’s of Exeter 527 Main Street, Exeter 519-235-3030 http://www.eddingtons.ca Chestnut soup 4 cups chestnuts, peeled and skinned 3/4 cup equal parts diced celery, carrots and onions 6 cups chicken stock 1 cup heavy cream 2 tbsp olive oil 2 tsbp butter pinch garlic pinch allspice pinch cinnamon Salt and pepper to taste Preheat stock pot on medium heat, add ...

The post Volume 3 Number 11 first appeared on Grand Bend Strip community newspaper.

Volume 3, Number 10 – November 19, 2009

Inside: The contentious Lambton Shores Zone 3 (dunes) sewer debate, Chamber of Commerce entrepreneur of the year award, and Darlene O’Rourke runs 2010 Winter Olympic torch

• A tough decision
  View from the Strip By Casey Lessard I’m sure Gord Minielly is ready to let someone else be the front man (or woman) for the municipality after last month’s meeting to discuss the Lambton Shores sewer project. It’s a tough job and he has to do it. You can imagine why his health has suffered; more than ...
• When will our bubble burst?
  Alternative View By Lance Crossley Here in Canada, we seem to think we are immune to a housing bubble, so it was interesting to see the Globe and Mail – usually a real estate cheerleader – at least question the logic of why we continue to experience a booming housing sector amid the greatest economic crisis since ...
• A few surprises
  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 ...
• Deserving tributes
  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 ...
• “We have to go ahead.”
  Lambton Shores mayor wants low-pressure sewers before infrastructure funding runs dry The Lambton Shores sewage treatment plant and Zone 3 sewer network could be the last project mayor Gord Minielly is involved in before he retires. Casey Lessard sat down with the mayor to discuss the projects. Why is this project necessary now? We just spent a big ...
• “Stop the sewage plant and stop the sewers”
  Southcott Pines resident Dr. Carl Belke retired from Brandon University after 31 years teaching chemistry. Dick Matzka has cottaged in Southcott for 58 years. Neither is in favour of the sewer project proposed. What are your concerns? Dick: There are two major concerns. One is the expenditure the township plans on making. Two is that they keep ...
• Richard Webb: Low-pressure should be the last choice
  Industry professional thinks septic tanks are fine, gravity next best option Richard Webb of Stewart Webb & Sons has been installing, repairing and replacing septic tanks and sewer line connections for more than 20 years. His family has been in the excavating business for more than 75 years. The Strip asked the Southcott Pines resident for his ...
• Work-life balance key to entrepreneurial success
  The Grand Bend Chamber of Commerce named its 2009 Entrepreneur of the Year and Business of the Year at its annual general meeting November 12. Colonial and Gables won the business award, while Paddington’s Pub owner Jen Gaukroger won the entrepreneur honour. Interview and photo by Casey Lessard What makes you successful as an entrepreneur? I’m trying desperately ...
• Dashwood firefighter carries a flame for Olympic spirit
  Darlene O’Rourke taking part in torch relay Story and photo by Casey Lessard This is one flame Dashwood firefighter Darlene O’Rourke won’t want to put out. O’Rourke is on her way to Summerside, PEI this week to take part in the 2010 Winter Olympic torch relay. She will run the torch November 22 at approximately 5:56 p.m. O’Rourke ...
• Everything old is new again
  Fido… Come… Sit By Yvonne Passmore http://www.FidoComeSit.com Of our three dogs, Viva is the oldest. She’s just approaching nine years old and is a great little Golden Retriever. From that first day driving her home in the car, she had a strange confidence. She calmly looked out the window without a whimper and without much excitement. She walked into ...
• Sandra Regier steps up her business
  Zurich photographer opens shop in Exeter above Village Vines Story and photo by Casey Lessard One of our favourite area photographers, Sandra Regier, opened a studio and office above Village Vines in Exeter in July. Regier hosted an open house Friday to show the new place, which is a photographer’s dream. The former apartment has two floors: ...
• Investing in high school music
  SHDHS receives $10,000 CARAS instrument grant Story and photos by Casey Lessard Music students at South Huron District High School are blowing new horns after the school’s music program received a $10,000 equipment grant from the Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (CARAS). “You’d be surprised how much equipment costs,” says music director Isaac Moore. “We were ...
• American woodcock: unique woodland species
  Living in Balance By Jenipher Appleton The back section of our three-acre property is an expanse of wonderful thickets, shrubs, and hedgerows. In late October, while walking just before dusk, Fergus the Lab managed to flush up a stocky, short-bodied bird with a very long beak. I knew immediately that it must be an American woodcock (Scolopax ...
• To Do List – November 19 to December 16, 2009
  Community/Charity Grand Bend Nursery School is now offering 5 sessions a week of the Early Learning Program…a FREE high quality program designed to help prepare young children for school. If you have children 2.5 to 4 years old and reside in Lambton County call Grand Bend Nursery School at 519-238-8514 Tuesdays 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. – Port Franks ...
• Restaurant style French onion soup
  Recipes by James Eddington Eddington’s of Exeter 527 Main Street, Exeter, 519-235-3030 http://www.eddingtons.ca You may have heard that onions can kill the H1N1 virus, but that’s just a myth. Still, a warm soup like this is good medicine for your body and soul during cold and flu season… Caramelized onions (This is the base for the soup.) 4 tbsp butter 4 tbsp vegetable oil 6 large Spanish ...

The post Volume 3 Number 10 first appeared on Grand Bend Strip community newspaper.

Volume 3, Number 9 – October 21, 2009

Inside: Parkhill Fall Fair, Trivitt church celebrates 150 years, and Grand Bend enters the CBC SongQuest contest.

• A tribute to the best
  View from the Strip By Casey Lessard In the wake of Thanksgiving, it’s important to take a moment and consider what we’re thankful for. I’m thankful for the support I have for the work I do here and at home, support that comes from readers and my family. I also want to send a message of thanks to ...
• Trivitt reflects on past and looks to the future
  Father Brad Dunbar has been rector of Trivitt Memorial Church in Exeter and St. John-by-the-Lake in Grand Bend for the past two years, and recently presided over Trivitt’s 150th anniversary celebrations. As told to Casey Lessard Photos by Casey Lessard Trivitt has begun to recognize that we live in a post-Christian era. The days when everyone went to ...
• Dreamin’ Grand Bend
  Story by Casey Lessard Painting by Helga Otton After a trip to Cuba, an inspired Helga Otton returned to Grand Bend with plans to document the town in the way Caribbean artists do. The result is Dreamin’ Grand Bend, a surreal collage of favourite Grand Bend landmarks painted in acrylic on canvas, as seen at left. “I put ...
• The end of the almighty dollar
  Alternative View By Lance Crossley I have said this before, but future generations will write about our time as a turning point in history. One major event that is attracting too little attention is the decline of the American dollar. To understand the importance of this we must first understand the dollar’s privileged status as the world ...
• The bottom line on sewers
  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 ...
• Meet me at the beach
  Fido… Come… Sit By Yvonne Passmore http://www.FidoComeSit.com With fall officially upon us, Mother Nature had decided to grant us with some wonderful summer like days. With vacation season over and the kids back to school, it was a perfect time for us to take advantage of the now quiet beaches. My dogs love the beach. They can run ...
• Two sets of Legends hit Playhouse stage in summer 2010
  Story by Casey Lessard Disney sensation High School Musical will kick off a musical summer at the Huron Country Playhouse as Drayton Entertainment prepares for the 2010 season. The playbill also includes Sweet Charity, Country Legends, Cagney! and the world premiere of Dance Legends. The playbill “offers something for everyone,” artistic director Alex Mustakas said in a ...
• Doin’ it for the kids
  After learning that the annual Kause for Kids fundraiser was cancelled after seven successful years, Jen Gaukroger at Paddington’s decided last week to revive the event as Bikes for Tykes November 7. “There’s not a lot going on in Grand Bend in November,” Gaukroger says, “and when you get 600-700 people coming in and supporting our ...
• Refuge from autumn’s chill
  Recipes by James Eddington Eddington’s of Exeter 527 Main Street, Exeter, 519-235-3030 http://www.eddingtons.ca Editor’s note: James looks back to fall 2007, when these recipes were first published in the Grand Bend Strip. We’ve revisited it, and this time, you can get a glimpse of how delicious this meal looks (you’ll have to make it to see how great it ...
• Bingo! I’m thankful
  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 ...
• We gotta get out of this place
  If you’re looking for a spooky evening out as Hallowe’en approaches, there’s nothing spookier than walking around alone in the dark in a corn field. If you’re looking to share in this tension-building thrill, take a friend to the Sunrise Corn Maze at the Sunrise Garden Centre on Highway 4 south of Centralia (just south ...
• How to ensure a Happy Hallowe’en
  Living in Balance By Jenipher Appleton October 31 is upon us. The shops have had their Hallowe’en wares on display for weeks now, and the children are beginning to make their plans for costumes and trick-or-treat destinations. Heaven help us parents, grandparents, and teachers alike! Hallowe’en is a wonderful time for people of all ages to indulge in ...
• To Do List – October 21 to November 18
  Community/Charity Grand Bend Nursery School is now offering 5 sessions a week of the Early Learning Program…a FREE high quality program designed to help prepare young children for school. If you have children 2.5 to 4 years old and reside in Lambton County call Grand Bend Nursery School at 519-238-8514 Tuesdays 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. – Port ...
• The quest to immortalize Grand Bend in song
  Inspired by Brian Dale’s Miss Grand Bend, a group of radio listeners is fighting to win CBC’s Great Canadian SongQuest Story and file photos by Casey Lessard Only days remain to vote for Grand Bend (or its competitors) in CBC Radio 2’s Great Canadian Songquest, a contest to choose one town from each province to be immortalized ...

The post Volume 3 Number 9 first appeared on Grand Bend Strip community newspaper.