Posts Tagged ‘beckwith’
Carleton Place weekend guide: November 25 – 27
Carleton Place weekend guide: November 25 – 27
Check out the weekend guide below to find out what is going on in your community.
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 25
Une Heure de Conte en Francais
10:30am – 11:00am
Our French Storytime is back for the fall! Join us weekly for fun French stories, songs, and more. We also do a colouring page each week. This is the perfect session for children learning French, those in French immersion, and for families who speak French at home. No registration is necessary, and all ages are welcome. We will decide on the level based on the attendance.
carletonplacepubliclibrary@gmail.com
Mary Poppins
7:30pm
The Mississippi Mudds present “Mary Poppins”, a spoonful of musical magic! Tickets available at Hallmark, CP. Thursday evening show $15, all other shows $20.
Carleton Place Town Hall
175 Bridge St.
jsx4@rogers.com
613-250-2803
Mississippimudds.com
Lanark Laughs
8:00pm – 10:00pm
Stand-up Comedy
The Waterfront Gastropub
12 Bell St, Carleton Place
613-257-5755
http://thewaterfrontgastropub.ca/
DJ Whisper
10:00pm – 2:00am
The Waterfront Gastropub presents top 40 dance music.
The Waterfront Gastropub
12 Bell St, Carleton Place
http://thewaterfrontgastropub.ca/
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 26
Breakfast with Santa
10:00am – 3:00pm
Have breakfast with Santa at CPHS. Contact the school for details (613) 257-2720
Carleton Place High School, 215 Lake Ave W, Carleton Place
Christmas Craft Show
10:00am – 3:00pm
Over 40 exhibitors. Lunch counter by Ashton United. Holiday fun pop-up photo booth fundraiser for Furry Tales Rescue. Cash donations will be collected for the Lanark Co. Food Bank
Beckwith Public School
1523 9th Line Beckwith
613-253-0427
Itty Bitty, Teenie Tiny Art Show & Sale
10:00am – 4:00pm
Arts Carleton Place. Original works for under $100. Small canvases, fused glass art, photography, pottery, wood and stone pieces, jewellery, exciting mixed media works, coffee and treats from Ginger Café
CP Canoe Club
179 John St., Carleton Place
613-253-1838
http://www.cpcanoeclub.com/
Mary Poppins
2:00pm
The Mississippi Mudds present “Mary Poppins”, a spoonful of musical magic! Tickets available at Hallmark, CP. Thursday evening show $15, all other shows $20.
Carleton Place Town Hall
175 Bridge St.
jsx4@rogers.com
613-250-2803
mississippimudds.com
Acoustic Saturdays
3:00pm – 6:00pm and again at 9:00pm – 1am
The Waterfont Gastropub presents acoustic saturdays.
downtowncarletonplace@gmail.com
12 Bell Street, Carleton Place
Queens Live Music
4:00pm – 8:00pm
Live Local Band
downtowncarletonplace@gmail.com
Queen’s Hotel
142 Bridge St, Carleton Place
Santa Claus Parade
5:00pm
Theme: Candyland Christmas. Non-perishable food items will be collected for Lanark County Food Bank along the parade route. Register a float for $20.
Downtown Carleton Place
Bridge Street
613-451-1979
Music at the Moose
9:00pm – 11:30pm
he Thirsty Moose have great live local music
downtowncarletonplace@gmail.com
The Thirsty Moose Pub & Eatery
20 Bridge St, Carleton Place
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 27
Itty Bitty, Teenie Tiny Art Show & Sale
10:00am – 4:00pm
Arts Carleton Place. Original works for under $100. Small canvases, fused glass art, photography, pottery, wood and stone pieces, jewellery, exciting mixed media works, coffee and treats from Ginger Café
CP Canoe Club
179 John St., Carleton Place
613-253-1838
http://www.cpcanoeclub.com/
Mary Poppins
2:00pm
The Mississippi Mudds present “Mary Poppins”, a spoonful of musical magic! Tickets available at Hallmark, CP. Thursday evening show $15, all other shows $20.
Carleton Place Town Hall
175 Bridge St.
jsx4@rogers.com
613-250-2803
Mississippimudds.com
Music at Gastropub
3:00pm – 6:00pm
Check out the Waterfront Gastropub for some great live music with Redneck Limousine
downtowncarletonplace@gmail.com
12 Bell Street, Carleton Place
Hunger Stop food bank to host chef challenge fundraiser Sept. 19 – 21
Submitted
editiorial@pdgmedia.ca
Across Canada, one in 10 people do not have reliable access to a sufficient quantity of affordable, nutritious food. Food Banks Canada has designated Sept. 19 to Sept. 23 has Hunger Awareness Week.
Almost 700 people (from Mississippi Mills, Carleton Place and Beckwith) use the Lanark County food bank, The Hunger Stop, every month. Thirty-six per cent of those people are children and over 8 per cent are seniors. The Hunger Stop is having a Master Chef Cook Off during Hunger Awareness week to bring attention to the needs of those less fortunate and help fund efforts within the community. All funds go towards the purchase of perishables such as milk, eggs, yogurt, cheese and meat.
The event will be held on Sept.19, Sept. 20 and Sept. 21 from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. in the community kitchen, upstairs at Mitchell’s Independent Grocer (455 McNeely Ave., Carleton Place). Each night a different well-known area chef will be performing.
Each chef will “shop” at the Food Bank two hours before heading to the test kitchen. The chef will only be allowed to select the quantity and type of items that are allowed for a family of four. Each chef will receive one pound of meat for the entrée and some fresh produce (if available).
The challenge is to create a three-course meal (and anything else they choose) in the time allotted, using the ingredients from the food bank.
Come find out how to use basic, simple ingredients to create a tasty, amazing meal. Learn cheats, substitutions, and innovative ways to stretch your grocery dollar. Audience interaction is encouraged.
On Sept. 19, Roger Weldon from Generations Inn in Beckwith will be taking the spotlight, with Rob Slack from Slackoni’s in Carleton Place on Sept. 20, and Wendy Barbaro from Mill Street Crepe Company in Almonte on Sept. 21.
Admission by monetary donation.
The Hunger Stop is also running an online silent auction. Please check out the list of auction items at http://bit.ly/2bbiY5a and place a bid.
Winners can collect their items from the Hunger Stop at 5 Allan St in Carleton Place the week of Sept.26 during open hours. Smaller Items can be shipped for additional cost – larger items must be picked up. Payment can be made in person by cash or cheque (made out to Lanark County Food Bank), or via secure online payment using PayPal (account not required). Items will be available for viewing starting Sept. 5.
The Hunger Stop greatly appreciates the support of Mitchell’s Independent Grocer for the use of their kitchen and their support.
Photo Credits: Submitted
Celebrate Lanark County’s bounty at harvest festival
Submitted
Want to get fresh with a local farmer? The fourth annual Lanark County Harvest Festival will give everyone a chance to do just that.
This outdoor event, slated for Sunday, Sept. 11 at Beckwith Park (1319, 9th Line, Beckwith), will celebrate the county’s bounty of the harvest featuring local producers, food seminars, cooking demonstrations, children’s activities, local musicians, historical displays and more. This year, we celebrate the 200th anniversary by showcasing the people, products and projects of Beckwith, Drummond/North Elmsley, Perth and Tay Valley.
The Lanark County Harvest Festival is an opportunity for people to meet our local farmers and purchase local food and other locally made products. The county has a unique blend of producers, passions and food.
The festival will run from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. and is a collaboration of several local groups, including Lanark Local Flavour, Lanark County Farmers’ Markets, the Lanark County Museums Network, the Lanark County Agricultural Advisory Working Group, the Township of Beckwith, and Lanark County.
In 2016, the collaboration among four Beckwith Churches will continue to deliver the popular “Harvest Church Supper” of traditional stew including lamb stew, vegetable stew, beef stew and gluten-free stew (not to mention pie of all kinds). Some of the participants are growing the ingredients, and others are sourcing local ingredients. It is “stew good to miss.” Tickets are $12 and will be sold in advance (online at Ticketsplease.ca) or at the door for the supper, taking place from 4:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. in the main arena building following the Harvest Festival. The program includes cooking demonstrations featuring local chefs who will present information about cooking with local ingredients. The renowned “Bowes Brothers” are returning as the musical entertainment; and children’s activities (weather permitting) such as a petting zoo, bouncy castle, and face painting, can be expected.
“The event provides a perfect opportunity for local producers to connect with visitors and residents,” adds Marie White, Lanark County tourism manager. “The benefits of local food are becoming ever more popular. This festival is a good time to celebrate by sharing food, stories and laughter.”
“Beckwith Township is pleased to be the host municipality for the Lanark County Harvest Festival,” says Richard Kidd, Beckwith Reeve. “Our staff has been working very hard with partners to ensure the event is a huge success. It is a tribute to our agricultural past and future.”
This annual event supports more than 55 local businesses and six farmers’ markets, as well as developing a new business network for the county’s producers. “We hope to continue to create employment, build on the customer base and encourage lots of visitors to come to Lanark County,” states festival founder Bill Dobson, Montague Reeve.
“Along with the 200th celebration, Lanark County will be celebrating its 150 years” adds Gail Code, Lanark County Warden. “We invite you to join us on centre stage for the cake cutting ceremony at noon.
Bat building passion turns into a pitch for funds to upgrade Cuban bat factory
By Dianne Pinder-Moss
dianne@pdgmedia.ca
When Bill Ryan and his wife Nora first started holidaying in Cuba approximately 10 years ago, they wanted to show their appreciation of the staff at the resort in which they were staying.
Aware that Cubans are huge baseball fans, Bill collected baseball gloves from his co-workers, purchased some balls, and using an old lathe he had been given, he decided to handcraft some children’s baseball bats.
“I thought this might be something they could use,” he says. “They did. They loved it.”
Ryan continued to make bats to give to the children of the resort workers each year and took them down with them when they vacationed. This went on for five or six years, he says, but then things changed in 2009.
The self-avowed hobbyist handyman had an opportunity to present a bat he had made and decorated with Cuban images to Ricardo Alarcon, then president of the Cuban National Assembly. The presentation took place at a dinner following an international conference hosted by Queen’s University on the 50th anniversary of the Cuban Revolution, in which Alarcon had spoken about the “Cuban Five.”
“Gerardo Hernandez Nordelo led a group of agents to Miami to monitor exile groups who, for years, planned and executed terrorist attacks on Cuba and its people,” Ryan says when asked about the Cuban Five. “While all received long prison sentences after their arrest and conviction, Gerardo as leader was given the harshest — two life sentences plus 15 years.”
As a follow up to the dinner, it was suggested that Ryan consider making bats for the families of the Cuban Five. He took up the suggestion and, in December 2009, was invited to deliver the bats to some of the family members in Havana. That’s when he and Nora first met Adriana Perez O’Connor, the wife of Hernandez Nordelo.
“When we met her, she had a conversation with Gerardo on the telephone and I spoke with him,” he recalls. “We started writing back and forth in early 2010 and became friends.”
Through that friendship, Hernandez Nordelo started providing Ryan with ideas for various projects. For instance, when his favourite team won the 2010 Cuban National Series, he asked Ryan if he could make a trophy bat to mark the occasion. He did and has continued to do so for the winning team each year.
Trophy bats with their trademark logo of the Cuban Five campaign — a stylized five based on a design created by Hernandez Nordelo — and other markings and drawings burned onto the wood have also been given to Cuban star players and a wide variety of people. One was sent to U.S. President Barack Obama in 2010. “It contained the signatures of 50 Cubans and 50 Canadians asking for the release of The Five.”
Ryan’s basement of his Beckwith home serves as his workshop. “In an 11-hour day, I can make and decorate eight bats,” he says.
Maple is his preferred wood of choice, but finding quality wood has always been a challenge for him, so he bought a sawmill in the Carleton Place area to ensure a ready supply. Two homemade solar kilns set up in his backyard are used to dry the 3 x 3 x 36-inch maple squares after they are cut.
In 2012, Ryan and Hernandez Nordelo formalized the project under the name of Cubacan. At the same time at Hernandez Nordelo’s suggestion, Ryan started making bats for players to use in the Cuban ball league. While the bats were originally intended for batting practice, they have been used in regular play for the past few seasons. They were also used by the Cuban team during last year’s Pan Am Games in Toronto.
Over the past five or six years, Ryan estimates he has made more than 900 bats, 600 having been given to teams in Cuba. Earlier this year, the Cuban sports ministry purchased 200 bats from him for distribution throughout the ball league. All league teams are now using his bats. The remainder are trophy bats.
“Ninety-nine per cent of the bats, I gave to Cuba,” he says, adding that the bats sold to Cuba were sold for less than for what Cuba pays for the wood to manufacture the bats there. “I’m not in this for the money.”
In December 2015, Ryan was finally able to meet him in person in Havana. “We continue to work together,” he says.
The pair’s current project is focused on improving the quality of the bats now made in Cuba, as well as increasing the production capabilities. Ryan is determined to make this happen after touring a bat making factory in Havana in December and observing how rudimentary the equipment was. One worker had been using the same lathe for 50 years.
“They asked me, what can I do to make them better bats and more bats,” he says. “As soon as I got back, I started looking into it.”
After ruling out a CNC lathe used by most major bat manufacturers because the almost $250,000 price tag and the electronic components, which are not suited to the Cuban environment, its predecessor, a hydraulic copy lathe, was found to be a better fit.
“We are going to buy one of the used hydraulic lathes and all the equipment they need to support it,” says Ryan.
The approximately $60,000 budget for the project will cover the cost of the copy lathe, as well as finishing lathes, saws, proper lighting, safety equipment, shipping and setup costs.
Cubacan is partnering on the project with the Canadian Network on Cuba, an umbrella organization of all the Cuban solidarity groups in Canada. In addition, Ryan says they will be reaching out to trade unions who have historically supported Cuba and the many Canadians who visit Cuba each year. The Valley Woodturners has offered technical support and knowledge.
Perth Councillor Jim Graff hopes Ryan will address town council about this fundraising project in the near future to see if council can help. If that occurs, his hope is that council will respond favourably, not only for sporting reasons, but to put Perth on the Friends of Cuba list.
Ryan hopes to have the fundraising completed by the end of this year so that the shipping and installation of the equipment can take place in 2017.
The impact this project will have on the Cuban factory and its workers is underscored by Ryan. “For them, they make between 6,000 and 8,000 bats a year now,” he says. “They will have the capability to make 20,000 bats a year.”
Ryan and the Cubacan project are looking for donations. Supporters can donate by contacting Ryan by phone at 613-284-0254 or by email at cubacanbats@gmail.com, or donate online.
Beckwith Township to make a splash with new pad for kids
By Dianne Pinder-Moss
dianne@pdgmedia.ca
Amanda Wagorn, mother of three, sees how much her kids enjoy playing at the splash pad at Riverside Park in Carleton Place and the Beckwith Township resident says she would love to have a facility like that closer to home. So, she is doing her part to make that a reality in the township as a member of the Splash Pad/Playground Fundraising Committee.
The committee, which was formed in early 2016, has been working to increase awareness and fundraise for the installation of a splash pad and playground structure at Beckwith Park. The initiative is being undertaken as a legacy project to mark the township’s 200th anniversary this year.
Reeve Richard Kidd, who is also part of the committee along with Councillor Faye Campbell, Matthew Guetta, Shannon Guetta, Kelly Bowles, Melissa Kidd-McDaniel, Krista Newton and staff representative Cassandra McGregor, says having a splash pad at Beckwith Park has been a topic of discussion for the past four years.
Beckwith Township not only being one of the fastest growing municipalities in Lanark County but also has one of the youngest populations, with an influx of families with young children. He believes there are many pluses to the project.
Kidd says a splash pad would enhance the township’s day and sports camps, which attract up to 100 children a day each summer. In addition, with the number of organized sports taking place at the park such as soccer, football and baseball, the facility could be used by the younger siblings of those participating in these activities, he noted.
“More and more people are coming to use the trails,” he added. “We thought this would be a good thing for young families to come and use at their leisure.”
For her part, Wagorn thinks the project would be a beautiful addition to the park. “It would create a community gathering spot where parents with young children can come and meet one another,” she said. “With the community growing so quickly, it would be nice for new neighbours to get to know one another while their kids play.”
As part of the research for the project, committee members have looked at neighbouring municipalities such as Carleton Place, Perth and Smiths Falls, which already have splash pads. However, Kidd stresses that Beckwith’s splash pad will be unique from others in the area in that it and the playground structure being installed will reflect the township’s rural character. With this in mind, the roof of the play structure will be shaped like a barn and the slide section will resemble a tractor.
“It definitely will have a country feel to it,” the reeve said. That includes the choice of rustic colours such as green and brown.
The splash pad and play structure will replace the existing ones at the park. The estimated pricetag for the two is $300,000. The township has set aside $100,000 in reserves for the project and is exploring possible grants to assist with the cost.
As well, the committee is doing some of its own fundraising. Already, more than $1,500 has been raised through operating a canteen at the March Meltdown, hosting a pancake breakfast at the Lilac Festival and a paint for play event in mid-May. Another fundraiser being planned is a family picnic at Generations Inn on Sept. 18.
Likewise, the committee has developed a sponsorship package for those who would like to support the initiative. Starting at Acorn ($50-$249), the sponsorship levels continue up to Bird ($1,000 plus).
Public feedback of the project have been nothing but positive, according to Kidd. “They think it is a good addition,” he said.
Posts Tagged ‘beckwith’
Carleton Place weekend guide: November 25 – 27
Carleton Place weekend guide: November 25 – 27
Check out the weekend guide below to find out what is going on in your community.
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 25
Une Heure de Conte en Francais
10:30am – 11:00am
Our French Storytime is back for the fall! Join us weekly for fun French stories, songs, and more. We also do a colouring page each week. This is the perfect session for children learning French, those in French immersion, and for families who speak French at home. No registration is necessary, and all ages are welcome. We will decide on the level based on the attendance.
carletonplacepubliclibrary@gmail.com
Mary Poppins
7:30pm
The Mississippi Mudds present “Mary Poppins”, a spoonful of musical magic! Tickets available at Hallmark, CP. Thursday evening show $15, all other shows $20.
Carleton Place Town Hall
175 Bridge St.
jsx4@rogers.com
613-250-2803
Mississippimudds.com
Lanark Laughs
8:00pm – 10:00pm
Stand-up Comedy
The Waterfront Gastropub
12 Bell St, Carleton Place
613-257-5755
http://thewaterfrontgastropub.ca/
DJ Whisper
10:00pm – 2:00am
The Waterfront Gastropub presents top 40 dance music.
The Waterfront Gastropub
12 Bell St, Carleton Place
http://thewaterfrontgastropub.ca/
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 26
Breakfast with Santa
10:00am – 3:00pm
Have breakfast with Santa at CPHS. Contact the school for details (613) 257-2720
Carleton Place High School, 215 Lake Ave W, Carleton Place
Christmas Craft Show
10:00am – 3:00pm
Over 40 exhibitors. Lunch counter by Ashton United. Holiday fun pop-up photo booth fundraiser for Furry Tales Rescue. Cash donations will be collected for the Lanark Co. Food Bank
Beckwith Public School
1523 9th Line Beckwith
613-253-0427
Itty Bitty, Teenie Tiny Art Show & Sale
10:00am – 4:00pm
Arts Carleton Place. Original works for under $100. Small canvases, fused glass art, photography, pottery, wood and stone pieces, jewellery, exciting mixed media works, coffee and treats from Ginger Café
CP Canoe Club
179 John St., Carleton Place
613-253-1838
http://www.cpcanoeclub.com/
Mary Poppins
2:00pm
The Mississippi Mudds present “Mary Poppins”, a spoonful of musical magic! Tickets available at Hallmark, CP. Thursday evening show $15, all other shows $20.
Carleton Place Town Hall
175 Bridge St.
jsx4@rogers.com
613-250-2803
mississippimudds.com
Acoustic Saturdays
3:00pm – 6:00pm and again at 9:00pm – 1am
The Waterfont Gastropub presents acoustic saturdays.
downtowncarletonplace@gmail.com
12 Bell Street, Carleton Place
Queens Live Music
4:00pm – 8:00pm
Live Local Band
downtowncarletonplace@gmail.com
Queen’s Hotel
142 Bridge St, Carleton Place
Santa Claus Parade
5:00pm
Theme: Candyland Christmas. Non-perishable food items will be collected for Lanark County Food Bank along the parade route. Register a float for $20.
Downtown Carleton Place
Bridge Street
613-451-1979
Music at the Moose
9:00pm – 11:30pm
he Thirsty Moose have great live local music
downtowncarletonplace@gmail.com
The Thirsty Moose Pub & Eatery
20 Bridge St, Carleton Place
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 27
Itty Bitty, Teenie Tiny Art Show & Sale
10:00am – 4:00pm
Arts Carleton Place. Original works for under $100. Small canvases, fused glass art, photography, pottery, wood and stone pieces, jewellery, exciting mixed media works, coffee and treats from Ginger Café
CP Canoe Club
179 John St., Carleton Place
613-253-1838
http://www.cpcanoeclub.com/
Mary Poppins
2:00pm
The Mississippi Mudds present “Mary Poppins”, a spoonful of musical magic! Tickets available at Hallmark, CP. Thursday evening show $15, all other shows $20.
Carleton Place Town Hall
175 Bridge St.
jsx4@rogers.com
613-250-2803
Mississippimudds.com
Music at Gastropub
3:00pm – 6:00pm
Check out the Waterfront Gastropub for some great live music with Redneck Limousine
downtowncarletonplace@gmail.com
12 Bell Street, Carleton Place
Hunger Stop food bank to host chef challenge fundraiser Sept. 19 – 21
Submitted
editiorial@pdgmedia.ca
Across Canada, one in 10 people do not have reliable access to a sufficient quantity of affordable, nutritious food. Food Banks Canada has designated Sept. 19 to Sept. 23 has Hunger Awareness Week.
Almost 700 people (from Mississippi Mills, Carleton Place and Beckwith) use the Lanark County food bank, The Hunger Stop, every month. Thirty-six per cent of those people are children and over 8 per cent are seniors. The Hunger Stop is having a Master Chef Cook Off during Hunger Awareness week to bring attention to the needs of those less fortunate and help fund efforts within the community. All funds go towards the purchase of perishables such as milk, eggs, yogurt, cheese and meat.
The event will be held on Sept.19, Sept. 20 and Sept. 21 from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. in the community kitchen, upstairs at Mitchell’s Independent Grocer (455 McNeely Ave., Carleton Place). Each night a different well-known area chef will be performing.
Each chef will “shop” at the Food Bank two hours before heading to the test kitchen. The chef will only be allowed to select the quantity and type of items that are allowed for a family of four. Each chef will receive one pound of meat for the entrée and some fresh produce (if available).
The challenge is to create a three-course meal (and anything else they choose) in the time allotted, using the ingredients from the food bank.
Come find out how to use basic, simple ingredients to create a tasty, amazing meal. Learn cheats, substitutions, and innovative ways to stretch your grocery dollar. Audience interaction is encouraged.
On Sept. 19, Roger Weldon from Generations Inn in Beckwith will be taking the spotlight, with Rob Slack from Slackoni’s in Carleton Place on Sept. 20, and Wendy Barbaro from Mill Street Crepe Company in Almonte on Sept. 21.
Admission by monetary donation.
The Hunger Stop is also running an online silent auction. Please check out the list of auction items at http://bit.ly/2bbiY5a and place a bid.
Winners can collect their items from the Hunger Stop at 5 Allan St in Carleton Place the week of Sept.26 during open hours. Smaller Items can be shipped for additional cost – larger items must be picked up. Payment can be made in person by cash or cheque (made out to Lanark County Food Bank), or via secure online payment using PayPal (account not required). Items will be available for viewing starting Sept. 5.
The Hunger Stop greatly appreciates the support of Mitchell’s Independent Grocer for the use of their kitchen and their support.
Photo Credits: Submitted
Celebrate Lanark County’s bounty at harvest festival
Submitted
Want to get fresh with a local farmer? The fourth annual Lanark County Harvest Festival will give everyone a chance to do just that.
This outdoor event, slated for Sunday, Sept. 11 at Beckwith Park (1319, 9th Line, Beckwith), will celebrate the county’s bounty of the harvest featuring local producers, food seminars, cooking demonstrations, children’s activities, local musicians, historical displays and more. This year, we celebrate the 200th anniversary by showcasing the people, products and projects of Beckwith, Drummond/North Elmsley, Perth and Tay Valley.
The Lanark County Harvest Festival is an opportunity for people to meet our local farmers and purchase local food and other locally made products. The county has a unique blend of producers, passions and food.
The festival will run from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. and is a collaboration of several local groups, including Lanark Local Flavour, Lanark County Farmers’ Markets, the Lanark County Museums Network, the Lanark County Agricultural Advisory Working Group, the Township of Beckwith, and Lanark County.
In 2016, the collaboration among four Beckwith Churches will continue to deliver the popular “Harvest Church Supper” of traditional stew including lamb stew, vegetable stew, beef stew and gluten-free stew (not to mention pie of all kinds). Some of the participants are growing the ingredients, and others are sourcing local ingredients. It is “stew good to miss.” Tickets are $12 and will be sold in advance (online at Ticketsplease.ca) or at the door for the supper, taking place from 4:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. in the main arena building following the Harvest Festival. The program includes cooking demonstrations featuring local chefs who will present information about cooking with local ingredients. The renowned “Bowes Brothers” are returning as the musical entertainment; and children’s activities (weather permitting) such as a petting zoo, bouncy castle, and face painting, can be expected.
“The event provides a perfect opportunity for local producers to connect with visitors and residents,” adds Marie White, Lanark County tourism manager. “The benefits of local food are becoming ever more popular. This festival is a good time to celebrate by sharing food, stories and laughter.”
“Beckwith Township is pleased to be the host municipality for the Lanark County Harvest Festival,” says Richard Kidd, Beckwith Reeve. “Our staff has been working very hard with partners to ensure the event is a huge success. It is a tribute to our agricultural past and future.”
This annual event supports more than 55 local businesses and six farmers’ markets, as well as developing a new business network for the county’s producers. “We hope to continue to create employment, build on the customer base and encourage lots of visitors to come to Lanark County,” states festival founder Bill Dobson, Montague Reeve.
“Along with the 200th celebration, Lanark County will be celebrating its 150 years” adds Gail Code, Lanark County Warden. “We invite you to join us on centre stage for the cake cutting ceremony at noon.
Bat building passion turns into a pitch for funds to upgrade Cuban bat factory
By Dianne Pinder-Moss
dianne@pdgmedia.ca
When Bill Ryan and his wife Nora first started holidaying in Cuba approximately 10 years ago, they wanted to show their appreciation of the staff at the resort in which they were staying.
Aware that Cubans are huge baseball fans, Bill collected baseball gloves from his co-workers, purchased some balls, and using an old lathe he had been given, he decided to handcraft some children’s baseball bats.
“I thought this might be something they could use,” he says. “They did. They loved it.”
Ryan continued to make bats to give to the children of the resort workers each year and took them down with them when they vacationed. This went on for five or six years, he says, but then things changed in 2009.
The self-avowed hobbyist handyman had an opportunity to present a bat he had made and decorated with Cuban images to Ricardo Alarcon, then president of the Cuban National Assembly. The presentation took place at a dinner following an international conference hosted by Queen’s University on the 50th anniversary of the Cuban Revolution, in which Alarcon had spoken about the “Cuban Five.”
“Gerardo Hernandez Nordelo led a group of agents to Miami to monitor exile groups who, for years, planned and executed terrorist attacks on Cuba and its people,” Ryan says when asked about the Cuban Five. “While all received long prison sentences after their arrest and conviction, Gerardo as leader was given the harshest — two life sentences plus 15 years.”
As a follow up to the dinner, it was suggested that Ryan consider making bats for the families of the Cuban Five. He took up the suggestion and, in December 2009, was invited to deliver the bats to some of the family members in Havana. That’s when he and Nora first met Adriana Perez O’Connor, the wife of Hernandez Nordelo.
“When we met her, she had a conversation with Gerardo on the telephone and I spoke with him,” he recalls. “We started writing back and forth in early 2010 and became friends.”
Through that friendship, Hernandez Nordelo started providing Ryan with ideas for various projects. For instance, when his favourite team won the 2010 Cuban National Series, he asked Ryan if he could make a trophy bat to mark the occasion. He did and has continued to do so for the winning team each year.
Trophy bats with their trademark logo of the Cuban Five campaign — a stylized five based on a design created by Hernandez Nordelo — and other markings and drawings burned onto the wood have also been given to Cuban star players and a wide variety of people. One was sent to U.S. President Barack Obama in 2010. “It contained the signatures of 50 Cubans and 50 Canadians asking for the release of The Five.”
Ryan’s basement of his Beckwith home serves as his workshop. “In an 11-hour day, I can make and decorate eight bats,” he says.
Maple is his preferred wood of choice, but finding quality wood has always been a challenge for him, so he bought a sawmill in the Carleton Place area to ensure a ready supply. Two homemade solar kilns set up in his backyard are used to dry the 3 x 3 x 36-inch maple squares after they are cut.
In 2012, Ryan and Hernandez Nordelo formalized the project under the name of Cubacan. At the same time at Hernandez Nordelo’s suggestion, Ryan started making bats for players to use in the Cuban ball league. While the bats were originally intended for batting practice, they have been used in regular play for the past few seasons. They were also used by the Cuban team during last year’s Pan Am Games in Toronto.
Over the past five or six years, Ryan estimates he has made more than 900 bats, 600 having been given to teams in Cuba. Earlier this year, the Cuban sports ministry purchased 200 bats from him for distribution throughout the ball league. All league teams are now using his bats. The remainder are trophy bats.
“Ninety-nine per cent of the bats, I gave to Cuba,” he says, adding that the bats sold to Cuba were sold for less than for what Cuba pays for the wood to manufacture the bats there. “I’m not in this for the money.”
In December 2015, Ryan was finally able to meet him in person in Havana. “We continue to work together,” he says.
The pair’s current project is focused on improving the quality of the bats now made in Cuba, as well as increasing the production capabilities. Ryan is determined to make this happen after touring a bat making factory in Havana in December and observing how rudimentary the equipment was. One worker had been using the same lathe for 50 years.
“They asked me, what can I do to make them better bats and more bats,” he says. “As soon as I got back, I started looking into it.”
After ruling out a CNC lathe used by most major bat manufacturers because the almost $250,000 price tag and the electronic components, which are not suited to the Cuban environment, its predecessor, a hydraulic copy lathe, was found to be a better fit.
“We are going to buy one of the used hydraulic lathes and all the equipment they need to support it,” says Ryan.
The approximately $60,000 budget for the project will cover the cost of the copy lathe, as well as finishing lathes, saws, proper lighting, safety equipment, shipping and setup costs.
Cubacan is partnering on the project with the Canadian Network on Cuba, an umbrella organization of all the Cuban solidarity groups in Canada. In addition, Ryan says they will be reaching out to trade unions who have historically supported Cuba and the many Canadians who visit Cuba each year. The Valley Woodturners has offered technical support and knowledge.
Perth Councillor Jim Graff hopes Ryan will address town council about this fundraising project in the near future to see if council can help. If that occurs, his hope is that council will respond favourably, not only for sporting reasons, but to put Perth on the Friends of Cuba list.
Ryan hopes to have the fundraising completed by the end of this year so that the shipping and installation of the equipment can take place in 2017.
The impact this project will have on the Cuban factory and its workers is underscored by Ryan. “For them, they make between 6,000 and 8,000 bats a year now,” he says. “They will have the capability to make 20,000 bats a year.”
Ryan and the Cubacan project are looking for donations. Supporters can donate by contacting Ryan by phone at 613-284-0254 or by email at cubacanbats@gmail.com, or donate online.
Beckwith Township to make a splash with new pad for kids
By Dianne Pinder-Moss
dianne@pdgmedia.ca
Amanda Wagorn, mother of three, sees how much her kids enjoy playing at the splash pad at Riverside Park in Carleton Place and the Beckwith Township resident says she would love to have a facility like that closer to home. So, she is doing her part to make that a reality in the township as a member of the Splash Pad/Playground Fundraising Committee.
The committee, which was formed in early 2016, has been working to increase awareness and fundraise for the installation of a splash pad and playground structure at Beckwith Park. The initiative is being undertaken as a legacy project to mark the township’s 200th anniversary this year.
Reeve Richard Kidd, who is also part of the committee along with Councillor Faye Campbell, Matthew Guetta, Shannon Guetta, Kelly Bowles, Melissa Kidd-McDaniel, Krista Newton and staff representative Cassandra McGregor, says having a splash pad at Beckwith Park has been a topic of discussion for the past four years.
Beckwith Township not only being one of the fastest growing municipalities in Lanark County but also has one of the youngest populations, with an influx of families with young children. He believes there are many pluses to the project.
Kidd says a splash pad would enhance the township’s day and sports camps, which attract up to 100 children a day each summer. In addition, with the number of organized sports taking place at the park such as soccer, football and baseball, the facility could be used by the younger siblings of those participating in these activities, he noted.
“More and more people are coming to use the trails,” he added. “We thought this would be a good thing for young families to come and use at their leisure.”
For her part, Wagorn thinks the project would be a beautiful addition to the park. “It would create a community gathering spot where parents with young children can come and meet one another,” she said. “With the community growing so quickly, it would be nice for new neighbours to get to know one another while their kids play.”
As part of the research for the project, committee members have looked at neighbouring municipalities such as Carleton Place, Perth and Smiths Falls, which already have splash pads. However, Kidd stresses that Beckwith’s splash pad will be unique from others in the area in that it and the playground structure being installed will reflect the township’s rural character. With this in mind, the roof of the play structure will be shaped like a barn and the slide section will resemble a tractor.
“It definitely will have a country feel to it,” the reeve said. That includes the choice of rustic colours such as green and brown.
The splash pad and play structure will replace the existing ones at the park. The estimated pricetag for the two is $300,000. The township has set aside $100,000 in reserves for the project and is exploring possible grants to assist with the cost.
As well, the committee is doing some of its own fundraising. Already, more than $1,500 has been raised through operating a canteen at the March Meltdown, hosting a pancake breakfast at the Lilac Festival and a paint for play event in mid-May. Another fundraiser being planned is a family picnic at Generations Inn on Sept. 18.
Likewise, the committee has developed a sponsorship package for those who would like to support the initiative. Starting at Acorn ($50-$249), the sponsorship levels continue up to Bird ($1,000 plus).
Public feedback of the project have been nothing but positive, according to Kidd. “They think it is a good addition,” he said.
