Fire inspector moves up to deputy chief position

A familiar face around town and the Leamington Fire Department was named the new deputy chief — public education and training.

Fire inspector Mike Ciacelli began his new post on Monday.

Ciacelli has been with the local fire department since 1993, as a firefighter, and most recently, fire inspector.

"Mike will bring a good public education background and knowledge of the community to the department," said Fire Chief Chuck Parsons. "He has the skills to ensure that the department can continue to provide the high quality programs that the public expects."

He is the graduate of the Public Fire and Life Safety Program and is currently completing the Company Officer and Fire Prevention Officer programs.

Ciacelli has been an associate instructor at the Ontario Fire College and has developed several fire safety programs for the municipality.

In addition, he has been involved in emergency management exercises and has an extensive background in emergency communications.

As the new deputy chief — public education and training, he will be responsible for conducting fire education in the community, training fire staff and responding to emergency calls.'

Arts Centre calling for submissions

The Leamington Arts Centre is calling for submission for their upcoming Miniature Art Show and Sale.

The show will run November 9-Decmber 3 with the opening reception being November 18 form 7-9 p.m.

It's an all medium exhibition, open to all 2D visual artists. All artwork must be under 16 inches on the longest side (not including the frame, reasonably sized frames please.)

All artowkr must be priced to sell for under $99. The gallery will take a 20% commission for members and 215% for non-members. Memberships are available at the gallery or online.

Download your entry form at www.leamingtonartscentre.com or pick up one at the gallery. $10 entry fee per piece with a limit of up to three pieces.

The deadline for entries is Saturday, November 5 at 4 p.m.

Legion News

27 Erie Street North Phone Number 519-326-0073

We are open Monday and Tuesday nights for darts. Wed and Thursday we are open noon till 6 pm. Friday 11 am to close, and on Saturday noon to 6pm(approx).

Every Friday night we have a fun darts, and the cost is $2. The Last 3 week of winners were Sept. 30th Simp, Barb and Paul. The Oct 7th winners were Bill and Richard, and the winners on Oct 14th were Becky and John.

We have the Junior Darts Program starting at 9 am till 11:30 am on Saturday mornings. The cost is $2, and the children get a pop and hotdog. No equipment is necessary or experience. Let the kids have some fun.

Our Sports Officer, Tim is having a Dart Tournament on Saturday, October 29th. Cost is $5, registration starts at noon and start playing at 1 pm. There is a sign up sheet for the Zone Darts being held on Saturday 19th. Get you teams and doubles in before it is to late. If you want to play singles also sign up for that, If there is more than 4 people, Tim will hold a play-off to see who will play. It's $5 dollars per player per event. Sorry this is for Legion Members only. Winners will go on to District.

The Poppy Officer, Mike mailed out letters to the businesses about wreath laying for Remembrance Day. Make sure you contact him. If anyone would like to purchase a wreath for Remembrance day please contact Mike Hicks at 519-322-5894. Poppy boxes will be going out October, 29th if anyone would like a box please contact the Legion. Our Remembrance Day parade will form up in the municipal parking lot on John Street behind the Legion and will march to Dieppe Memorial Park and then march back to the Legion. If you plan on marching in the parade please be at the municipal parking lot around 10:15am November 11,2011 and the parade will march off at 10:30am November 11,2011. Any questions about the parade please contact Mike Hicks.

POPPY CAMPAIGN IS NOVEMBER FRIDAY NOVEMBER 4TH AND SATURDAY NOVEMBER 5TH. REMEMBER YOU SOLEMN OBLIGATION. SIGN UP AT THE LEGION.  To read more go to www.leamingtonpostandshopper.com.

Plans underway for 2011 Jingle Bell Run

For the past 16 years, Ken Knapp Ford in Essex has ushered in the holiday season by

hosting the Jingle Bell Run, Walk and Wheel. Hundreds of people from across Essex County

gather together to celebrate and kick off the season with an event that promotes physical

fitness and community spirit, while raising thousands of dollars for Community Living Essex

County in support of over 600 people with an intellectual disability. The 2011 Jingle Bell

Run will be held on Sunday, November 13th beginning at 10am in Essex at Ken Knapp

Ford in beautiful downtown Essex.

The Jingle Bell Run/ Walk and Wheel in support of Community Living Essex County

continue to make adjustments to improve upon its reputation as of the most anticipated

runs in Essex County. The event includes chip timing for participants to ensure quicker,

more accurate times and safety for all runners and walkers.

The event features a 5-km run/walk, or 10km run and attracts an interesting and

enthusiastic mix of people. As a "points" event for WRACE (Walkers and Runners Across

the County of Essex), athletes compete for medals in the various categories alongside those

who simply challenge themselves to complete the route, or others out for a brisk walk with

family and friends.   To read more go to www.leamingtonpostandshopper.com.

LDMH gets additional 1.68 million for each of next two years

Leamington District Memorial Hospital is getting even more help for their Assess/Restore program ongoing at the hospital.

The Erie St. Clair LHIN announced October 6 that, in addition to the funding support for the current fiscal year for the 10 Assess/Restore beds, the hospital will be receiving funding in the amount of $1,168,000 for each of the next two fiscal years to allow for continuation of the program.

The program is designed to provide additional therapies and support to allow patients to return home and avoid future readmissions to an acute care bed. By providing additional therapies and nursing support along with pharmacy support patients can avoid the designation alternative level of care (ALC) and prolong waits in the hospital for a long term care bed. The program has been instrumental in decreasing long-term care home wait lists in the Windsor-Essex area.

Your Invitation to... Leamington Rotary Clubs Christmas Gift Show

The Leamington Rotary Club invites you to their Christmas Gift Show, Saturday November 19th from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday November 20th from 11 a.m. - 4 p.m. at the Kinsmen Recreation Complex (249 Sherk St., Leamington). Featuring unique gifts for everyone on your shopping list - toys, childrens wear, art, crafts, christmas decorations, jewellery, baked goods, floral pieces and more. Admission is $2.00 (donation to Rotary), children under 12 are free. Proceeds will go to Rotary charities.

Driver sentenced to five months in death of Kyle Peters

Leamington Post

The hit-and-run August 31, 2010 that took the life of Kyle Peters of Leamington, has resulted in a five month sentence for the driver of the car that hit him.

Peter Martens Schmitt of Harrow had pled guilty to leaving the scene of an accident.

The accident occurred on Highway 3 east of Leamington at about 9 p.m. on August 31 of last year. Kyle was riding his bike west on the highway when struck from behind by a west-bound vehicle. He died early the next morning.

The driver of the vehicle, which later turned out to be Schmitt, left the scene. Schmitt turned himself in the next day.

The 15-year-old Peters was a dedicated member of the Caldwell First Nations and was training to perform sacred ceremonies. His death left a void in the Caldwells that may be difficult to fill.

Schmitt will be subject to probation after he is released.

Gabriele’s Southpoint Capitals Peewee Majors Bring Home Silver at the Whitby Thanksgiving Tournament

The Gabriele's Southpoint Capitals Peewee Major team finished with silver in a tough draw at the Whitby Thanksgiving Tournament. In game one of the tournament, the Capitals were fresh off the road battling Toronto traffic to make it to the Oshawa Arena in time for the game.

Facing a favourite in the Minor Hockey Alliance of Ontario Peewee Division, the London Bandits, the Capitals fell victim to a tough 6-2 loss. With the score 3-0 in the second period, Darrin DiMenna and Luc Ribble were able to net a pair of unassisted markers to come within one. Late in the second the Bandits restored a 2 goal lead. Penalty trouble in the third led to two power play goals against Southpoint making the final score 6-2. Without putting too much stock in the score, Tyler Dillen had a promising performance in net for the Capitals.

In game 2 on Saturday afternoon, the Caps were determined to put yesterday's game behind them. A highly ranked Barrie Colts team, that had beaten Southpoint's previous opponent 4-2, wanted to show off their stuff to the Capital's fans. Gabriele's Capitals would have none of that though, as they finished off the first period with a 4-1 lead and wouldn't look back from there. The game finished off 8-1. Scoring for the Caps were Brennan Hancock (3), Rory DiNiro, Brett Enns, Dawson Iles, Evan Loveless and Jack Hannigan. Assists went to DiNiro (2), Loveless, Hancock, Jessica Jeffery, Iles, Hannigan, Bret Predhomme, Reggie Evans and Ryan Wall. Cristian Santos put in a solid performance in net for Southpoint.

Game 3 Sunday morning at the Don Beer arena in Pickering featured the Webster Cyclones (New York) trying to get their first win of the tourney against the Capitals. With another solid performance in net Tyler Dillen managed to get his first "donut" of the year as the Caps beat the Cyclones 5-0. Scoring for Southpoint was DiNiro (3), Jeffery and DiMenna. Assists went to DiNiro (2), Wall, Hancock, Predhomme and Camden Driedger.

The final game in the round robin on Sunday night required the Capitals to win versus the Richmond Hill Stars if they wanted to control their own destiny and move on to the semi final game Monday morning. A long layoff between games had the Capitals come out pretty flat against the Star as they got down 1-0 early in the second stanza. The Capitals quickly replied with an end to end solo effort by Ribble to knot the game. Late in the second Southpoint was able to make it 2-1 with a goal by Loveless from Hancock and Evans; however the Stars capitalized on a late power play to make it 2-2 with 7 seconds to go between periods. Midway through the third period the Caps Hancock scored the game winner. Unfortunately for the Caps Hancock fell victim to a Checking From Behind call late in the third period which saw him lost for the remainder of the tournament. Thankfully, the Richmond Hill player was able to get up after a minute down on the ice. Santos played solid in net for the Gabriele's Capitals.  To read more go to www.leamingtonpostandshopper.com.

Old fashioned campfire at Pelee Saturday

Cool autumn air has settled in and darkness fills the night - it is the perfect time to warm up around a good old fashioned campfire at Point Pelee National Park.

Join park staff at the DeLaurier Homestead for a toe tapping sing-a-long, tales from Pelee's past and stargazing in a Dark Sky Preserve. Don't forget your mug for some toasty hot chocolate.

The campfire is on Saturday, October 22 from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at the DeLaurier Homestead and Trail (10 minutes past park entrance gate) .

Cost of the program is included with park admission and pre-registration is required for groups.

Cost: Program included with park admission; pre-registration is required for groups

Remember todress for the weather and bring a flashlight , bring lawn chairs as seating is limited. Blanket are recommended. In the event of inclement weather, the event may be cancelled. On the day of the event, please call 519-322-5700 for an update. Dark Sky Nights at Point Pelee National Park start November 25 2011. For the best stargazing, bring your telescope or binoculars.

For more information on fall and winter events at the Park visit www.parkscanada.gc.ca/pelee or contact them at 519-322-2365 ext. 200.

Jeff Warkentin memorial volleyball this weekend

A charity volleyball tournament will be held this weekend at UMEI Christian Highschool in honour of the late Jeff Warkentin.

Warkentin passed away September 24 at the age of 32 after a very sudden and short bout of bacterial meningitis. He and his family had just returned home to Pincher Creek, Alberta following a six-year term of service for the Mennonite church in Africa.

He was a graduate of East Mersea Public School and UMEI before pursuing a post-secondary education at the Canadian Mennonite University and the University of Manitoba.

Jeff excelled at volleyball and had an anormous gift for embracing life and people. He leaves behind his wife Tany and three young children.

The volleyball will run from 9 a.m. to 6p.m. and will be an adult open 6-on-6 co-ed tournament with three males and three females per side.

Cost for the tournament is $150 per team with proceeds going to the Warkentin Family Fund.

For more information contact Jim Konrad at 226-202-0405 or log on to www.shop.velocityvolleyball.ca

Local dentists fulfill their dream, open practice

Mark Ribble, Leamington Post

For Leamington native Ryan Georges and his wife Suzanne Dainty, the completion of their dental building at 19 Robson Road brings their careers full circle.

The two met at the University of Western Ontario shortly after they started school there in 2000, and they both graduated in 2004.

"We have always worked very well together," says Ryan.

Upon completion of their education, the two spent a year in hospital residency in London, which prepared them in many ways for their blossoming careers.

"The residency exposed us to a lot of things we may not have seen otherwise, and gave us a perspective that is surgical-based with many traumas and extractions," he added.

The couple then began their general practice in 2005 in this area and spent the past few months operating out of Dr. Rob Brissette's Wheatley office while their location was being built.

"We can't thank Dr. Brissette enough for letting us use his office, and while we were doing that, Jim Liovas and his contracting crew did a great job on our building," said Ryan.

Suzanne is glad to finally get moving on their practice, as they juggle two children and family life as well as getting their practice off to a running start.

"We've been waiting for a long time to get this going and it's nice to be up and running," she says.

Ryan graduated from Cardinal Carter Secondary School and Suzanne is originally from Whitby, Ontario.

When asked about their location choice, they are thrilled to be by the lakefront. The vacant lot they built on was once home to Stewarts Drive-In until the late sixties and has sat idle ever since.  To read more go to www.leamingtonpostandshopper.com.

Annual Life ‘N Style Expo this weekend

Leamington Post

The annual Life 'N Style Expo will be held this weekend at the Leamington Kinsmen Recreation Complex.

Over 50 vendor displays, expo specials, demos, free samples, speakers and presentations in a wide array of topics will help you to make good choices in life.

Admission is $4 per adult with those under 18 free.

A draw for a grand prize of a $600 travel voucher from CAA Leamington will be held.

The expo kicks off with a free yoga class Friday at 5:00 p.m. , just prior to the doors opening for the expo ayt 6:00 p.m.

At 7:00 p.m. a demo from Alpha Laser will help you de-stress your busy life.

From 7:30-9);; p.m. a fashion show by 12 Leamington boutiques, along with wine and food, will wrap up the evening.

On Saturday, the expo continues with vendor displays, demos and many door crasher sales with several prizes to be won at various booths. There will also be kids interactive displays and a different speaker on the complex stage every half hour.

For more information, call the complex at 519-322-2337

Theatre needs your votes

Mark Ribble, Leamington Post

The Bank Theatre and Meeting Place in Leamington is in the process of extensive renovations and the Sun Parlour Players are pushing hard to help the cause.

They've entered the theatre into the Aviva Insurance Community Fund competition and they are hoping for enough votes to get through to the finals and win the $100,000-$150,000 prize for the renovation of the venue.

There are three rounds to the competition. People who register for free online can cast 15 votes over the course of each round.

Round one is over today (October 19) at noon and as of last Thursday, The Bank had garnered over 800 votes. That total needs to rise if the local project is going to win the competition.

Ursula Tiessen and Suzanne McCaig are both heavily involved in keeping the votes coming in and they hope they can get all of Leamington on board for the next couple of rounds, propelling the local idea into the semi-finals and then the finals.

The Aviva Community Fund puts aside $1 million each year to help worthwhile community projects and the playground at Essex Public School was one of last year's winners.

"It's all about the votes," said Tiessen.

She and McCaig have directed all of their Facebook and real-life friends to the Aviva page so they can register and vote.

The Sun Parlour Players, meanwhile, continue to rehearse in the basement of The Bank and hope that someday real soon, they will be able to perform in front of a packed house.  To read more go to www.leamingtonpostandshopper.com.

4-H News

4-H 'Grow it Big' Club

By: Alexandra Lockley

The 4-H 'Grow it Big' club visited Sun Parlour Honey. We learned a lot about the importance of bees! There are 60-80 thousand bees in a hive box and 1 box takes care of 1 acre of orchard. That hive will make about 100 pounds of honey per year. There are not enough wild honey bees to pollinate our food, and the Apiaries take hives of bees to orchards and other farms that need them to pollinate their plants. Apples that do not have good pollination will be small and misshapen. There are different types of honey and we sampled buckwheat honey, it is dark in colour and is made from buckwheat flower. We would like to thank Sun Parlour Honey for the tour and all the information we learned about bees. Our next meeting will be October 21 at the 4-H Halloween Party where we will be celebrating our Clubs Achievement and will be bringing the pumpkins we have been growing. See you all there!

4-H Vet & Animal Friends Club

By: Alexandra Lockley

On September 30th, the 4-H Vet Club had its Achievement Day. Everyone brought their pet and we spoke about how we named our pet, when we got them, how we feed them - then we had to answer questions from the audience about our pets. We had rabbits, dogs, cats, guinea pigs and even a turtle. We learned a lot and enjoyed the club. We are looking forward to next year.  To read more go to www.leamingtonpostandshopper.com.

4-H Art Club "The Barnyardigans"

By: Juliana Willemsma

The 4-H Art club met on Oct 1 at our leaders' home in Leamington. We opened the meeting by saying our pledge. Then each member introduced himself/herself. Our executive is: president - Nic, secretary - Savannah, Press reporters - Juliana and Hanna, treasurer - Nic, photographer - Becca and decorating co-ordinator - Charlotte.

We discussed what we would be doing for the club. We will being decorating a float and entering it in the Kingsville Migration Festival Parade. It will be used to advertise 4-H in our community. Our theme will be "Migrating Barnyard Animals". For the rest of the meeting we discussed our float. Our next meeting will be on Oct 7th. We will decorate the float at this meeting.

On Oct 7th the 4-H Art Club met to decorate our float. We said our pledge. Then we decorated a hay wagon. At the back of the wagon we made a barn. On each side we have a banner that says Essex County 4-H. We placed hay bales around the sides. We stuffed a sheep and cow costume to place on the float.

We decided what barnyard character each member would be. Charlotte and Hanna will be scarecrows. Nic is a rabbit, Juliana is a horse and Savannah is going to dress up like a pig. This week we have to make our costumes. Each member will also have a pair of wings. We are inviting other 4-H members to join us on the float. Our next meeting is at the parade on Oct 15th at 10:30 am.

Essex County Author To Receive E. J. Lajeunesse Award

by C. Scott Holland

Few people in Essex County have reflected on area history and culture the way author Joseph Byrne has done in his books.

Byrne is the recipient of this year's E. J. Lajeunesse Award which is given annually by the Essex County Historical Society in memory of Reverend E. J. Lajeunesse. Lajeunesse wrote "The Windsor Border Region" which stands as the only definitive work covering the French period of early Essex County.

For many years, Lajeunesse was a French teacher at the University of Windsor. Byrne is not only an author of four books, but is a civic activist as well. He obtained a Masters of Geography and a law Degree both from the University of Windsor.

His books detail his love of farming in and around Essex County's communities plus local sports and politics. HIs books reflect life and culture as seen throughout the county. "Senses of Autumn", "Of Great Character" and "White Snow Blackout" have all sold well and his fourth and forthcoming one is about one of Essex County's premier young hockey players, Jim Mahon.

Mahon died tragically just as his hockey career was starting draw great interest from NHL scouts. The official presentation will take place on Thurs., Oct. 20 at Season's Bistro in LaSalle with reception at 6:30 pm and dinner at 7 pm.

Mr. Byrne will also be the guest speaker. Tickets are available at: 519-734-7725.

Cardinal Carter Corner:

The Cardinal Carter Cougars have had a busy few weeks as we move into the second month of school.

On September 28th Mrs. Young, Mrs. Longpre and Ms. Mastronardi accompanied grade 10 English students to Stratford where they were entertained by an amazing performance of William Shakespeare's Twelfth Night. Sir Toby and Sir Andrew were the crowd favourites, bringing excitement and humour to the production.

On Tuesday, October 4th, Cardinal Carter held its annual Student Vote event. The mock election was a huge success with results reflecting the sentiments of students across the province who voted for a NDP minority government with a Liberal opposition. Final tallies gave the win to Aleksandra Navarro (NDP), followed by Paul Watson (Liberal), Holly Sullivan (Green) and Rick Nicholls (PC). Many thanks to Mr. Antonuzzo and his students for providing information about the various party platforms and for organizing this very important event.

The Cross-country team has been busy running all over the county. All runners improved their times at the "Thrill on the Hill" meet at Malden Park and are looking forward to the upcoming WECCSA meet on October 20th. Cross country coaches Mrs. Ramsay and Mr. Frias are setting great examples for the student runners. Mrs. Ramsay ran the Amherstburg half marathon in September and both Mr. Frias and Mrs. Ramsay ran the Detroit Marathon on October 16th.The Co-op Department reports that most co-op students are currently working in their placements, enjoying the great opportunity to put their knowledge into practice. This semester, students are gaining valuable experience in the areas of construction, horticulture, dentistry, hospitality, law, medicine, computer science and many other fields. If you are interested in hosting a Co-operative education student in the future, please contact Mrs. Gava-Zompanti at 519-322-2804 ext. 25. Grade nine students will soon have the opportunity to experience career education as the annual "Take Your Kids to Work" event will take place November 2nd. This nation-wide initiative encourages all grade 9 students to spend the day at a pre-arranged workplace in order to gain insight into potential career paths and an appreciation for the world of work.

What's Coming up at CC?It's Dance-o-logy time again! Our Cardinal Carter dance classes, club and team have been busy practicing their dance moves to the inspirational music of Michael Jackson for this year's upcoming show entitled "Moonwalk". Feeder school students will also continue to be involved in the Dance-o-logy production. The show will run three nights this year: December 7th,8th,and 9th, with ticket sales beginning November 1st. Don't miss out on this annual favourite!  To read more go to www.leamingtonpostandshopper.com.

Blue-green algae fills harbours along Lake Erie

Mark Ribble, Leamington Post

Many residents have noticed the appearance of algae on the surface of Lake Erie waters in the past week or so and Environment Canada, among other agencies, has issued statements explaining the phenomena.

The Cyanobacteria algae is in full bloom this time of year and health and environmental organizations caution residents not to swim, bathe in or drink the water.

The algae was prevalent in Kingsville Harbour and at Leamington Municipal Marina last Thursday and the warm weather contributes to the bloom.

The algae thrives in areas of shallow, warm water and one key factor is availability of nutrients such as phosphorus and nitrogen.

Runoff of fertilizers and industrial effluent can elevate the levels of nutrients in the water.

According to Environment Canada, you need to be cautious about entering or drinking the water.

Symptoms of human health effects from contact with the algae can include itchy eyes and skin, or may include diarrhea, headache, fever and vomiting if ingested.

They also caution not to eat fish caught in an area where a blue-green algae bloom has occurred.

In an email from the Chatham-Kent Health Public Health Unit, test results have confirmed the presence of the blue-green algae blooms in Lake Erie.

Taking Steps raises another $51,000

Mark Ribble, Leamington Post

Hope, inspiration and a sea of pink enveloped the Leamington Kinsmen Recreation Complex as about 350 participants took part in the 6th annual Taking Steps Against Breast Cancer 5k walk/run on Sunday.

Despite the cool temperatures and intermittent rains, the 50 volunteers had things running like clockwork and over $51,000 was raised this year.

Over the six years, the Leamington contingent has now raised $232,000.

Event co-ordinator Deb Jones –Chambers was especially moved by the pink ribbons she noticed displayed throughout the town.

"We truly appreciate the community support with the pink ribbons," she said.

Breast cancer survival rate is over 88%, the highest it's been in over 30 years, according to Judy Lund, Manager of the Essex County Unit of the Cancer Society.

"Know your body and any changes that occur in your health and address those issues with a physician," said Lund.

Early detection is still the key to survival. Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women and it's the second leading cause of death for women, despite the encouraging survival rate.

Lund urges women to talk about mammograms and make sure they have regular examinations.  To read more go to www.leamingtonpostandshopper.com.

Getty takes fourth in Ofssa golf

Leamington`s Alyssa Getty,14, a Grade 9 student at Kingsville District High School fired a five over par 77 to take 4th place at the Ofsaa girls' golf competition in Kanata.

In less than ideal conditions, cold, windy and torrential rain, and on the third hole of the day, Getty hit a three-wood into the woods and her ball landed on a tree stump.

She then punched out to the fairway and watched the wind take her next shot into a fairway bunker, where she hit a good shot out of the bunker. only to overshoot the green and climb a hill and land on a cliff of rocks. Getty then had to take an unplayable lie as a large boulder was wedged directly behind her ball.

Getty then took her two clubs' lengths only to land behind a tree at the back of the green, where she chipped around the tree and landed a foot away from the hole for a seven on a par five.

Before teeing off on her next hole, Getty reached into her back pocket and pulled out a piece of paper — a message of good luck, signed by her entire geography class and her teacher, Joanne Plumb.

Whether it was the support of her classmates and or just her determination, Getty charged back — going from four over, to just one over, through the next 14 holes.  To read more go to www.leamingtonpostandshopper.com.

Flyers Edge LaSalle 4-3; Lose 3-2 To Maroons

by C. Scott Holland

Playing five games in eight nights has helped and hindered the Flyers.

Last Wednesday night in LaSalle, they battled their county rivals and took home a hard-fought 4-3 decision. The victory vaulted them into a first-place tie with the St. Marys Lincolns.

Then on Thursday at home against Chatham, the Flyers outplayed and outshot the Maroons but lost the nail-biting contest 3-2.

It was a scoreless game in LaSalle until midway through the second stanza when former Flyer player Jon Woelk slotted the first goal for the Vipers.

A few minutes later the Vipers took a 2-0 lead while on a man advantage.

The Flyers rebounded to cut the score to 2-1 when Tyler Quigley assisted on Alex Seguin's powerplay marker at 14:59.

The third period had several momentum shifts but started with the Flyers hushing the Vipers crowd. Quigley and Seguin linked passes to Ron Soucie who drilled the tying goal 19 seconds into the frame. Jarred Dennis set up Matt Ogden's go-ahead tally at 5:11 and the penalty-filled contest remained close until LaSalle tied the score at 11:50.

Memories of last season's first-round playoffs were evident and the rivalry between these two clubs escalated another notch in this meeting. Leamiongton had 13 penalty infractions for a total of 28 minutes while the Vipers amassed a whopping 25 infractions for 64 minutes. Despite all the penalties, the extra-man was not really any advantage as the Flyers were one for 12 on the powerplay and the Vipers one for five.

The game-winning goal came at 18:11 when Cheyne Matheson and Matt Ogden assisted on Alex Seguin's second goal of the game. Flyers netminder Darien Ekblad got the victory while Jordan Dekort, a Wiindsor Spitfires prospect, took the loss. Against Chatham at home last Thursday, the Flyers and Maroons played a speedy (two hour), entertaining match. As the trend has been during many of the team's recent games, they fell behind early.  To read more go to www.leamingtonpostandshopper.com.

The 14th annual Leamington Mersea Historical Society Heritage Awards

Mark Ribbe, Leamington Post

The 14th annual Leamington Mersea Historical Society Heritage Awards were presented last Friday night at the Rhine Danube Club in Leamington.

Society President, Nellie Jenkinson and Emcee Paul Bunnett-Jones, presented the awards to six recipients worthy of upholding Leamington's heritage in different categories.

The Heritage or Historic Family award winner went to the Charles Hairsine family. Mr. Hairsine was born in Yorkshire, England and came to Canada in 1818, settling in Mersea Township. Their descendants continue to live in the area and Sue Thomson was there on behalf of the family to accept the Dr. Robert and Bess McGirr award from Rob McGirr.

The Heritage Restoration or Preservation winner was Hillman United Church. On August 14 of this year, the church celebrated 114 years in existence. The cornerstone was laid on August 18, 1897 on land donated by Ellis Hillman Sr. with 400 people attending at the time. Many from today's congregation attended the awards dinner, including Lawrence Hillman, who can boast of seven generations of the Hillman family attending the church.

The Society also awarded two posthumous awards this year for Heritage or Historic Contributions and those went to Audrey Nicholson and Janette Mulholland.  To read more go to www.leamingtonpostandshopper.com.

Roma Club salutes founders

Mark Ribble, Leamington Post

Leamington's Roma Club is celebrating 50 years and recently, a group consisting mostly of the daughters of the founding fathers held an appreciation dinner for the founders of the Roma Club on October 8.

No less than 174 people are on the original founders list and the hope of the dinner was to help spark in interest in the younger generation as the Roma Club's founders continue to get older.

In 1961, at the Village Inn, then known as the Auto Stop Hotel, a family party sparked a debate about the need for the members of the Italian community to have a venue of their own, and thus the dream was born.

Each founding member put up $1000 of their own money to get things started.

They procured property on Seacliff Drive in a warehouse, where Gino DiMenna was elected as their first president. The current president is Frank Gabriele.

About 200 people showed up for the event, which also featured the Honourable Eugene Whelan as guest speaker. He was presented with a special plaque as an honourary Roma member for his support and help in the early years with getting the club up and running.

About 50 surviving founding members attended the event.

Bikesmart Program Launch and Bike Drive Event

The Youth & Family Resource Network of Essex County is holding a bike drive event to launch their new Bikesmart program. The program provides job skills, leadership training and volunteer opportunities for youth. Donated and unwanted bicycles from the community will be reused and refurbished and made available for men, women and children as affordable transportation options. Bikesmart will also offer a full service repair shop.

The Youth & Family Resource Network received a grant of $157,400 from the Ontario Trillium Foundation to fund Bikesmart for the next three years. Partnerships have also been established across Essex County with EWSWA (Essex-Windsor Solid Waste Authority), the O.P.P., and the Salvation Army Leamington. "Community relationships are important to ensure the success of Bikesmart," said Jenna Foley, Executive Director of the Youth & Family Resource Network of Essex County. "This program is designed to open doors, whether by helping youth obtain transferrable job skills or making transportation affordable for someone to pursue prospective education or employment options. Bikesmart is about providing opportunities," stated Foley.

The Bike Drive will be held on Saturday, October 22, 2011 from 11am-4pm in the parking lot of the Essex Civic Centre, 360 Fairview Avenue in Essex. Bikesmart staff will be onsite accepting donations of new and used bicycles, bike parts, and tools at the event. Members of the community are invited to donate or come to learn more about the Bikesmart program.  To read more go to www.leamingtonpostandshopper.com.

Flyers shine in showcase; edge Chatham in shootout

by C. Scott Holland

Playing three games in four nights is tough on most teams, but the Leamington Flyers handled their three game stint nicely as they collected points in all three. They won two of the three after dropping a tough overtime decision to London last Thursday.

On Saturday they journeyed to St. Catharines to play in the Showcase Weekend against the Fort Erie Meteors.

The Flyers won the contest 7-3. On Sunday they played in Chatham and beat the last-place Maroons 4-3 in a shootout.

The four point weekend moved them into a third-place tie. Saturday's game did not start the right way for Leamington, but after getting behind 2-0 in the first, the Flyers eventually exploded for seven unanswered goals.

First-period checking-from-behind penalties assessed to Flyers Kyle Bowman and Ron Soucie certainly affected the team. But after head coach Tony Piroski took a delay of game prior to the start of the second frame and the Meteors tabbed a third goal, the Flyers' Alex Seguin opened the flood gates with the first of his three tallies.

Seguin initiated the offense at 11:18 and 90 seconds afterward, Brett Babkirk and Mitchell Amante combined with Cheyne Matheson who drilled a powerplay marker. Seguin continued his prolific game when he slotted the handiwork of Chris Scott Jarred Dennis at 14;35 and then took a Brett Langlois feed to deftly pot a shorthanded goal at 16:53. Up 4-3 in the third, the Flyers received goals from Jarred Dennis, Matt Ogden and Jakob Henrikson Leamington outshot the Meteors 41-19 and starter Colin Greeley picked up the win.

An early Flyers lead evaporated in Sunday's game at Chatham, but the Flyers salvaged it in a shootout as they nipped the Maroons 4-3.

Alex Seguin and Tyler Quigley assisted on Tony Spidalieri's powerplay goal at 3:26. The Maroons tied the contest by the 14 minute mark of the first and the Flyers offense went to work to forge a 3-1 lead. Brett Babkirk sent a pass to Chris Scott who slotted the second Flyers' tally at 14;04 then Matt Ogden and Brett Langlois got the puck to Cheyne Matheson in the frame's dying seconds and Matheson beat Chatham starter Conner MacKinnon.  To read more go to www.leamingtonpostandshopper.com.

Warnings from Environment Canada website

Windsor - Leamington - Essex County
10:42 AM EDT Wednesday 19 October 2011
Rainfall warning for 
Windsor - Leamington - Essex County continued

Heavy rainfall today and tonight.

A deepening low pressure system currently over Eastern Kentucky is moving north towards Southern Ontario today. Areas of rain, in advance of the low, are spreading across Southern Ontario today and will work their way into Eastern Ontario by this evening.

Rain will become heavy at times this afternoon in Southwestern Ontario and this evening over south Central Ontario giving total rainfall amounts of up to 50 mm by Thursday morning. The rain is expected to taper to scattered showers Thursday morning as the low continues to move north across Southern Ontario into Southwestern Quebec.

In addition, strong east to northeast winds are developing in advance of the low as expected. Widespread winds are forecast to be 40 to 50 km/h with gusts up to 70 km/h possible. For regions along the western shore of Lake Ontario, where wind warnings are in effect, sustained wind speeds of 60 km/h with gusts to 90 km/h are expected to begin this evening. Winds are forecast to diminish Thursday morning.

Motorists should be prepared for low visibility at times in heavy rain combined with strong and gusty winds which will make driving conditions difficult.

Environment Canada continues to monitor the development of the situation closely. Refer to your local public forecast for further details. 


Chatham-Kent - Rondeau Park
10:42 AM EDT Wednesday 19 October 2011
Rainfall warning for 
Chatham-Kent - Rondeau Park continued

Heavy rainfall today and tonight.

A deepening low pressure system currently over Eastern Kentucky is moving north towards Southern Ontario today. Areas of rain, in advance of the low, are spreading across Southern Ontario today and will work their way into Eastern Ontario by this evening.

Rain will become heavy at times this afternoon in Southwestern Ontario and this evening over south Central Ontario giving total rainfall amounts of up to 50 mm by Thursday morning. The rain is expected to taper to scattered showers Thursday morning as the low continues to move north across Southern Ontario into Southwestern Quebec.

In addition, strong east to northeast winds are developing in advance of the low as expected. Widespread winds are forecast to be 40 to 50 km/h with gusts up to 70 km/h possible. For regions along the western shore of Lake Ontario, where wind warnings are in effect, sustained wind speeds of 60 km/h with gusts to 90 km/h are expected to begin this evening. Winds are forecast to diminish Thursday morning.

Motorists should be prepared for low visibility at times in heavy rain combined with strong and gusty winds which will make driving conditions difficult.

Environment Canada continues to monitor the development of the situation closely. Refer to your local public forecast for further details.