OPP announces end of Festive Ride program

The OPP has just concluded its annual Festive Ride Program. The force has listed the results of its efforts in the press release below:

(ORILLIA, ON) –In the ongoing effort to educate the motoring public about the dangers attributed to drinking and driving, Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) officers were out in full force and checked over 1,174,224 vehicles on OPP patrolled roadways during this year’s Festive R.I.D.E. (Reduce Impaired Driving Everywhere) initiative.

This year’s initiative was conducted from November 27 through to January 4, 2010. In the process, OPP officers issued 432 administrative driver’s licence suspensions (ADLS) for criminal code related drinking and driving offences and a further 709 ADL suspensions for a Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) in the .05 and .08 range. OPP laid a total of 5,329 charges as a result of this year’s initiative, 298 of which were for impaired driving, over .08 BAC or for refusal to comply with a demand to provide a breath sample. The remaining 5,031 charges were for other Criminal Code, Highway Traffic Act, or Liquor Licence Act offences.

Comparatively, during the 2008 Festive R.I.D.E., OPP officers checked 884, 729 vehicles, made 319 arrests for criminal code alcohol related offences and issued 1,137 ADL suspensions.

New to this year’s Festive R.I.D.E. program was the Ontario legislation which increased driver’s licences suspension periods issued for a BAC between .05 and .08. Previously considered in the “warn range”, the legislation introduced in May 2009 prescribes that drivers now subject to a licence suspension which gradates from a minimum 3 to 7 then 30 days for that level of BAC.

“While it appears that the message is slowly getting across to drivers, there are still people who think they are sober enough to drive when they aren’t”, said OPP Commissioner Julian Fantino in response to the 2009 statistics, “the only truly safe level of alcohol consumption for drivers is none”.

While the Festive R.I.D.E. program is over for another year, the OPP wants to remind motorists that drinking and driving is never a good mix. Regular OPP R.I.D.E. programs continue throughout the Province all year long.

News from the Board

The Kawartha Pine Ridge District School Board announced the following administrative changes in its weekly newsletter:

Jennifer Leclerc, an accomplished educator and currently a Student Achievement Officer at the Ministry of Education, is KPR’s new Superintendent of Teaching and Learning. With over 23 years of experience in education and a doctorate in curriculum, teaching and learning, Jennifer also has held leadership positions with the Durham Catholic District School Board and York University. She will begin her new job January 11.

In addition, Director of Education Rusty Hick has announced senior administration is being restructured, effective February 1. The duties formerly held by the superintendent of operations will be spread among senior administration. The total number of superintendents will remain the same, however. There will be five superintendents directly responsible for schools, with each one also assuming some system-wide responsibilities.

Follow the link for the Castleton Public School Reunion

The Castleton Public School Reunion is on Facebook. If you are a former student at the school and want more info go to Castleton School Reunion

New school update

Thanks to the efforts of Cramahe Now reader Lisa Meekes, our readers can get updates on the building of the new Northumberland Hills Public School being built in Castleton. Check the blog periodically as we add Lisa's latest photos.

These ones were taken at the end of November.

Jamboree campsites going fast

The available campsites for the 6th Annual Auction Barn Jamboree are going fast. Organiser, Gary Warner reported late in December that 75% of them have already been pre-booked.

Mr. Warner advises potential campers to get their registrations in early to avoid disappointment. Email him at gwarner@eagle.ca.

Householders beware

It's no fun returning home to find that someone has broken in and stolen valuables. The OPP report below recounts one break in this week in Cramahe Township.

On the 2nd January 2010 at approximately 3:04pm, the Northumberland OPP were dispatched to a break and enter at a residence located on Sunny Hill Drive in Cramahe Township. Culprits gained entry through the garage door and once inside made off with televisions and computers.

The owners confirmed to Cramahe Now that the thief or thieves used a multi-frequency garage door opener to get into the garage which was connected to the house. From there the criminal(s) went through the house and removed the electronics.

While grateful that no malicious damage was done to the house or furnishings, the owners do have some advice to offer. Keep watch over your neighbours' properties. If you notice anything suspicious, including strange vehicles, call your neighbours and the police.

Blessing Cupboard opens in renovated quarters

The Prospect Missionary Church on King Street East in Colborne humbly epitomises the ideals of its faith. For many years it has provided for the needy and less fortunate in the community, allowing them maintain their dignity while supporting their basic and spiritual needs.

The press release below is a reminder of the tremendous good that is being done by the minister, and congregation of the church, and by others in the community who work without fanfare for the love of those around them.


"For over thirty years Prospect Community Church located at 75 King Street East in the beautiful village of Colborne has counted it a privilege to serve the community with food and clothing from our Blessing Cupboard.

With access to the Food Distribution Center, we have been able to feed hundreds of people per month. The Blessing Cupboard and the food bank located in the Colborne United Church are open alternating Tuesdays. The Blessing Cupboard is also open every Sunday from 11:30 A.M. – 12:00 noon.

Our Blessing Cupboard has been located in the basement of the church which made it inaccessible for those unable to use stairs. That didn’t stop the Blessing Cupboard workers from running up and down the stairs to make sure those folks received the groceries they needed.

It is with great pride and joy that we announce that on January l0th at 11:l5 A.M. we will cut the ribbon for the new Blessing Cupboard. Yes, you guessed it, we have renovated, insulated, installed cupboards and painted a brand new Blessing Cupboard accessed at the rear door of Prospect Community Church on ground level. There are no stairs to navigate.

May God bless the family at Prospect Community Church for their labours of love to feed the hungry in our community and maintain their dignity for Jesus sake, for the next 30 years and beyond."


Rev. Barbara-Anne Ramer

Repatriated Canadians return home

The cold was bitter on the bridges. For some it was a two-hour wait. But wait they did and the crowds grew in anticipation of the sombre parade down the Highway of Heroes.

Five hearses led the stream of black vehicles one after another and another and another...

And then they were gone. Five Canadians who gave their lives in a far away conflict protecting civil rights in the hope that one day the Afghanis will live without threat to personal freedom.

For more photos Repatriation photos

Obituary - Walter Leigh

For many years Walter Leigh has been a fixture at the Remembrance Day ceremonies in Colborne. The former sailor will be missed by the many who enjoyed his wit and his positive outlook on life.

Walter died on January 1. He was 86.

His story was published in the Colborne Chronicle on May 19, 2005. Excerpts are included below:

Like most young men of his era, Walter (Wally) Leigh responded to his sense of duty and enlisted to fight in World War II. And like many others who followed him into the enlistment lines, he lied about his age, entering the forces before he was 18. But unlike many, Wally Leigh was able, by chance or by luck, to dodge death in his six years of service.

Britain declared war on September 3, 1939. Wally and his friend, Tommy Revell, enlisted a day later. Wally's announcement to his parents, Walter and Louise, got a mixed reaction. Louise declared she'd tell the military that her only son was barely 17. Dad responded that fate had stepped in -- the boy would go to war.

More than once fate stepped in again and the affable, self-effacing boy from Barking, Essex, returned to his family after six years in the navy.

In those years aboard the corvette, Vetch, and the escort carrier, Trumpeter, the young seaman sailed the coast of Africa, performed convoy duty in the North Atlantic, dropped soldiers for the invasion of Sicily, observed the slaughter at Dieppe and sailed on the last convoy to Murmansk. During his service he was mentioned in dispatches and commended for his bravery and accuracy as a gunner.

When interviewed in 2005 at age 82 , Wally continued to see his life as one rich with good fortune.

His war experiences definitely bore that out.

to read the rest of his story Walter Leigh

Good luck Kashif

Kashif King-Anderson accepts best wishes from David Jones and a card signed by many of his customers.

He wasn't with us long, but for those who met Kashif King-Anderson, he left a mark. The 21-year-old entrepreneur took over Colborne Eastside Variety in February, 2009, determined to make it a viable business.

His enthusiasm, warm smile and genuine concern for his customers won over many and his business grew.

But life in the world of business is a road with many bumps. He watched his gas sales grow until irregular deliveries left him without product. Some of his customers went elsewhere where they could rely on gas every time they rolled up to the the pumps.

He paid his bills on time, he had a security deposit, he phoned and even visited his supplier to try and resolve the delivery problem. After three months, when it appeared to be unresolvable, he decided he had to move on.

He is now working for an international firm in Hong Kong promoting its products with athletic groups.

We wish him well.

Anna Moore has been managing the business since he left on December 12.

Cramahe resident offers free seminar

Public speaker/singer/actress, Heather Stubbs, will give a free, 2-hour seminar on public speaking from 2 – 4 pm on Saturday, January 16 at the Cobourg Public Library.

All speaking is public speaking,” says Heather, “unless you’re alone in a room, talking to yourself! There’s nothing magical about speaking well in public. The skills are simple and learnable. The only problem is, hardly anybody teaches them!”

Heather has been performing since early childhood, learning not only the art of singing and acting, but also the skills of stage presence and flair. “Good public speaking is like a performance. You need the inner skills of self-confidence and butterfly-management, as well as the outer skills of looking good and sounding good on stage. Put those two aspects together, and you’ve got a great presentation.”

“Upgrade Your Personal Impact”, the January 16th free seminar, will be an excerpt from Heather’s all-day, 6-hour workshop, “SPEAK UP! How to Talk With Confidence So People Listen”. “Participants will learn and practice several skills right there in the seminar. Among other things, we’ll look at using energetic body language to make the right impression in those critical first 10 seconds. And we’ll practice eye contact. If you don’t look your audience in the eye, you can’t make a connection with them. The connection is what gets them to listen to you.”

Heather writes a bi-weekly newsletter, “Tips on Talking” with helpful articles on effective speaking. The articles are published on her blog, www.tipsontalking.com.

The January 16 seminar is open to anyone from teens to adults. If you plan to attend, please reserve your seat by calling Heather at 905-344-5045, or by emailing heather@skilltime.ca.

Levee at Legion was busy

It was a busy afternoon at the Colborne Legion on January 1 as area residents dropped in for the annual levee. Food, fun and casual conversation filled the room as people came and went.