The Chatham Voice, Jan. 5, 2017

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Hope optimistic over CRTC ’Net ruling

a news conference.

Hope called the decision “an important step.”

“We are finally seeing Chatham-Kent Mayor Randy Hope lauds a re- the national regulator cent federal decision in taking significant steps to regards to Internet cover- support connectivity for rural Ontario,” he said. age in rural Canada.

The CRTC, in a ruling “I see the government is listening. h a n d e d down Dec. “We are finally seeing Now maybe people 21, said the national regulator broadband taking significant steps will get in tune with Internet what we’re is a basic to support connectivtrying to telecommu- ity for rural Ontario. I do.” n i c a t i o n s see the government is The “we” service. As listening. Now maybe to which a result, the people will get in tune Hope renational ferred is r e g u l a t o r with what we’re trying the effort in told Ca- to do.”

Southwestnadian In- - Mayor Randy Hope ern Ontario ternet providers to start work on to improve high-speed increasing Internet ser- Internet access for smallvice and speeds in rural er communities. The Western Ontario Warparts of the country.

“The future of our econ- den’s Caucus, for which omy, our prosperity and Hope has been the chair, our society — indeed, the initiated the SouthWestfuture of every citizen — ern Integrated Fibre Techrequires us to set ambi- nology (SWIFT) project to tious goals, and to get on improve Internet connecwith connecting all Ca- tivity to 350 communities nadians for the 21st cen- across Southwestern Ontury,” Jean-Pierre Blais, tario.

Continued on page 2 chair of the CRTC, said at

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From left, Cpl. Sidney DeLong, Cpl. Leif Kiyoshk, Pvt. Sebastian Smith and Pvt. Matthew Duquette of the Essex and Kent Scottish Regiment help deliver food packages for Chatham Goodfellows Dec. 21. More than 1,370 families received toys and food from Chatham Goodfellows this year. The porchlight campaign raised over $41,900 and the street sales campaign raised over $31,500.

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THURSDAY, JANUARY 5, 2017

News

C-K in ‘gray’ area in terms of funding for SWIFT project Continued from page 1

Despite the work done by the mayor, Chatham-Kent isn’t one of those communities, because the $180 million in provincial/ federal government funding is coming through the New Building Canada Fund’s Provincial-Territorial Infrastructure Component – Small Communities Fund. Only municipalities that have a population of fewer than 100,000 are eligible for this funding, so Chatham-Kent doesn’t qualify.

As a single-tier municipality, none of the communities in Chatham-Kent could apply separately, unlike numerous communities located in one of the many counties in the region that are eligible.

Regardless, the recent CRTC announcement has Hope enthused.

“From the SWIFT perspective, hopefully it will be in the marketplace and doing a lot of stuff by early 2018,” he said.

Hope understands how Chatham-Kent could be left out of the SWIFT funding.

“It’s one of those things. Everyone made an application and funds were applied to commu-

nities under 100,000 in population,” he said. “We’re approaching the government, looking at creative ways for doing it with SWIFT.” He added Chatham-Kent isn’t alone in being left out of funding to improve Internet access for citizens, as there are large urban centres that are already covered, and soon the smaller communities will be as well, leaving a hole with the small cities, such as C-K. “In between, there is still the grey area. The goal is to clean all those gaps up. We’re part of that gap,” Hope said.

Until the Dec. 21 CRTC ruling, only local landline telephone service was deemed essential by the CRTC. New goals set by the telecommunications oversight body for providers is to offer all customers, regardless of location in the nation, download speeds of at least 50 megabits per second (Mbps) and upload speeds of a minimum of 10 Mbps. Also on the table will be the option of unlimited data plans.

An estimated two million Canadian residences – nearly one in five – don’t have access to

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such levels of Internet. According to the CRTC, the objective is to cut that to one in 10 by 2021, and to provide at least that level of service to everyone in the country over the next 10 to 15 years.

Hope said offering broadband Internet across all of Chatham-Kent would only further entice people to live here.

“Everything from education, to your home, to small business – Internet is one of the key values today,” he said. “People want to live in a more reasonably cost-effective community and do their work or schooling. Everything would be at their fingertips.

“The sky becomes the limit as soon as you have the total reliability.”

As technological advancements are made, more people are working remotely, or even from home, Hope added. He said reliable Internet is changing the demographics of business, as companies don’t need the large boardrooms, and can have smaller property footprints, saving them real estate costs in the process.

According to a CBC report, to achieve the goals outlined by the CRTC, the governing body will require pro-

Contributed image

The CRTC, the federal ruling body over telecommunications, recently announced broadband Internet is a necessity for everyone in the nation, regardless of geographical location.

viders pay into a fund that’s set to grow to $750 million over five years. The companies will be able to dip into that fund to help pay for the infrastructure needed to extend high-speed service to areas where it is not currently available.

The fund is similar to one that subsidized the expansion of local landline telephone service in years past, the CBC continued.

Providers used to pay 0.53 per cent of their revenues, excluding broadband, into that fund. Now they’ll pay the same rate on all revenues, including broadband.

Blais said competition and the broader base of revenues for the fund would keep the cost from being passed on to consumers.

Small providers will also be able to access the fund to build infrastructure.

Lloyd Bag’s Alex Rayment, Howard Rayment and Mark Allot are seen here picking up their new 2017 Ram Big Horn 4x4 Pickup from Luce Cools. This is their 6th vehicle purchased from Luce.

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Top silly calls to local cops in 2016 From farts to phone numbers, 911 calls had it all this year in C-K

The Chatham Voice

The Chatham-Kent Police Service recently released its list of top silly calls they received over the last year.

According to police officials, the service releases this information to reinforce the importance of calling them when you see crime taking place, or suspicious activity or have concerns that something

may be criminal in nature.

“This list clearly demonstrates that when people don’t know who to call, they call the police,” Const. Renee Cowell said in a release. “We are asked to wear many hats during a shift, like landlord, referee, 411 operator, just to name a few.”

Here are the top-10 silly calls for 2016, in reverse order: 10. Police officers are

Chatham Voice file photo

Emergency Communications Operators Centre training officer Brian French and his coworkers were kept busy in 2016, sometimes just trying to keep from laughing when fielding some off-the-wall 911 calls from local citizens.

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8. The police assist a lot of people over the course of a year, but they can’t do everything.

Someone inquired whether police could help with the temperature in his apartment, and forwarded a photo of his thermostat via social media.

7. Another issue police could not help with this past year occurred when a woman called 911 distressed that the only channels coming in over her cable TV was French.

She doesn’t speak it.

6. Police had to be sent to a residence to settle a heated dispute between two neighbours over the ownership of a jar of peanut butter.

No word on what happened to the jam.

5. Just as a call to the police can’t get you the answer on newspaper delivery specifics, such a call won’t help you with specific phone numbers either.

Police say someone likely confused 911 with 411 after the communications centre received an emergency call for the phone number of the local Kentucky

Fried Chicken restaurant.

4. Police aren’t lawyers or paralegals. One woman called 911 to ask if it was legal to trap squirrels that were in her backyard and take them to a nearby farmer’s field.

No word on how she planned to keep them in that field.

3. Most good criminals have a plan. And that usually involves making sure there is no one around to witness your crime.

So when this thief broke into his neighbour’s apartment, he certainly didn’t expect to see the tenant standing there holding a baseball bat. The only thing he could do was high-tail it out of there.

Oh, and during his hasty retreat, he lost a boot.

No worries; he sent his girlfriend back to retrieve it.

2. This past summer, police say officers pursued a man following a commercial break-in. During the foot chase, the man started throwing away property, something police see quite often.

What they do not often see, however, is pink uri-

nal cakes. That’s what they say the man was discarding as he tried to flee police.

Once apprehended, the man said he only used the cakes as hockey pucks.

1. Topping the list this year is the case of concerned friends. Police say a Chatham woman posted “He’s trying to kill me” on social media, and after they couldn’t reach the woman, they contacted the cops.

Officers were dispatched to check on her well-being. They found her safe and sound, but more than a little embarrassed.

It seems the Facebook post related to her husband’s rather smelly farts.

Cowell said obviously, police have some more public education effort ahead of them.

“We will continue to educate citizens on the importance of calling of 911 and more specifically what instances should be considered an emergency,” she said. “There are times when our non-emergency number should be used instead.”

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trained to have knowledge on a variety of subjects.

One of them, however, is not who delivers the London Free Press in specific neighbourhoods.

Judging by the number of phone calls The Chatham Voice receives each week in regards to flyer delivery by the company that owns the Free Press, we at this newspaper understand how the police can get frustrated by receiving calls that have nothing to do with them. We do, however, happily give out contact information, but it is not our fault if you wind up in voicemail limbo.

9. People who call 911 really need to give as much information as possible, and the people who take down the information need to as well. Police say a caller notified emergency communication personnel that his wife’s purse had been stolen.

But there was one problem. The call taker left out the word “purse.” This caused a lot of concern for those who read that the caller’s “wife” had been stolen over an hour ago.

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PAGE 4

News

THURSDAY, JANUARY 5, 2017

Sally Ann misses target The Chatham Voice

Contributed image

Some folks offered up some hilarious excuses for putting the pedal to the metal.

Best speeding excuses of 2016

ments are actual quotes that Chatham-Kent Police You may think police Service officers have rehave heard it all in terms ceived from drivers who of excuses for speeding. were stopped for speedYou may be right. ing: The following state• “I have something wrong with my Call me today for your FREE battery and I Credit Check and Mortgage Analysis was trying to charge it fast.”

• “I just washed my truck and Crystal Robinson | 519-365-9198 Brokerage #10287 crystal.robinson@mtgarc.ca Agent#M16001046 I was trying to The Chatham Voice

dry it off.”

• “I was practicing my lines for a play and must have been pushing on the gas pedal.”

• “The speedometer is in miles per hour and that’s why I was going 80 mph.”

• “I am just keeping up with traffic (there was no other traffic around).”

• “I had to pass the truck because it pulled out

in front of me (no truck around).”

• “I have a vibration in the car when driving at high speeds and I was trying to figure out what it was.”

• “What 60 km/h zone?”

• “This is an old car, there’s no way I could have been going that fast.”

• “I’m not in a hurry, just late for an appointment.”

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The Salvation Army Chatham-Kent Ministries came close to their Red Kettle campaign goal, falling just short, with almost 94 per cent or $421,401.51 of their $450,000 goal.

Salvation Army Capt.

Stephanie Watkinson said it was only through the support of the whole community that they were able to come so close, from donating financially through the kettles and mail-in campaign, or whether community members gave of their time volunteering in various roles.

“Thank you to the many businesses and organizations that stepped up during the Christmas season to assist us in many ways. Thank you for the businesses that allowed us to have our Red Kettles in your locations. Thank you to the many people that organized toys and food drives. Thank you to the large number of volunteers who stood by our kettles to help us in collecting the needed funds,” Watkinson said.

“While we are hopeful that the shortfall will be received in the next week, all programs will be closely examined to see where savings can be found without directly affecting client assistance,” Watkinson said. “It is our plan to do smaller fundraisers for particular needs throughout the year. Our

first fundraiser is partnering with Raising The Roof Campaign to sell hats and socks. These funds will be used to assist with programs and services for prevention and addressing the issue of homelessness.”

She said more information on Raising The Roof campaign will be coming later this month.

Donations enabled the Salvation Army to assist more than 900 families with food hampers and provided toys for over 1,000 children this past Christmas and will help them continue providing assistance to those in Chatham-Kent with the basic necessities – food, clothing, shelter and furniture.

Donations also assist individuals and families with life-skills classes, community gardens and support children and families.

“The need in our community for assistance with everyday necessities is a year-round need, not just at Christmas time. We ask you to continue to support the work of The Salvation Army year round as we continue to meet the needs of our neighbours, friends and families,” Watkinson added.

All funds donated throughout Chatham-Kent are used in their local area.

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THURSDAY, JANUARY 5, 2017

PAGE 5

News

Parry Bridge closed this week

By Mary Beth Corcoran mary@chathamvoice.com

The Parry Bridge on Keil Drive in Chatham will be closed to cars and pedestrians for five days – Jan. 3 to 7 – this week while a non-structural issue discovered during recent construction is addressed.

According to Adam Sullo, Director of Engineering and Transportation for Chatham-Kent, during the recent rehabilitation of the Parry Bridge, it was noted that the latching mechanism that connects the two centre spans was wearing more than anticipated, which was causing more vertical movement noticeable to drivers and pedestrians.

Although there were no structural concerns, and the latch mechanism was mechanically sound for five or 10 more years, staff and the contractors looked at several options Sullo said.

“In order to reduce movement, stabilize the bridge and reduce wear, it was determined that the mechanism should be replaced,” he said. “We didn’t want to wait and have it cost three times as

much later when we had the contractor in place.”

The fabrication of the latch mechanism, however, would take six to eight weeks, so at that time, Sullo said they decided to complete the structural work and re-open the bridge based on the timeline committed to the public. Now that the part is ready, and a plan for how to replace the latch has been decided, the bridge will be closed to make that happen.

“The best way to replace the part is to open the bridge, but we aren’t keen on doing that. Historically, once the bridge was open, it was hard to close it and have it align properly. Anyone who has been in town for a while might remember the problems with having the bridge open for hours,” Sullo noted.

The contractor and consultant made 3-D models first and came up with a detailed plan to replace the latch while the bridge is closed.

“There has been a lot of planning involved. This wasn’t anticipated when we started construction;, it was discovered during construction and we didn’t want to have to do

Bruce Corcoran/The Chatham Voice

The Parry Bridge in Chatham was closed for most of the summer, and reopened to the joy of commuters in town for the fall, but now it will be closed again until the end of the day Jan. 7 to allow the replacement of a latching mechanism.

The closure started at 7 this again in a few years at a much higher cost,”T:10”a.m. on Jan. 3 and is expected to end Jan. 7 at 6 Sullo explained.

p.m.

Sullo said the municipality appreciates the

patience of area residents while the rehabilitation project is completed.

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THE CHATHAM VOICE

PAGE 6

This is how it’s done No one is ever happy when a major thoroughfare is closed. It can be annoying and inconvenient.

In the case of the Parry Bridge closure this week, the municipality did it right. Once staff knew there was a problem with the latch mechanism that made for more noticeable movement when crossing the bridge, they took the time to get all the facts, come up with a detailed plan, and make sure the time the bridge was closed was at the least inconvenient and shortest in duration.

That’s how it should be done.

Why that same approach didn’t apply to King Street in front the Boardwalk on the Thames condo project – where Chatham drivers finally have both lanes open after three years – is an excellent example of the difference between staff being left alone to do their job on a municipal asset and political jockeying with a private business owner.

Not just anybody would have been allowed to get away with blocking a municipal road for three weeks let alone three years, and while the city wants to encourage and help business succeed and thrive, there has to be a line drawn between assistance and political interference.

Rob Myers and Dan Warrener have worked miracles downtown in far less time and with far less inconvenience, keeping the best interests of fellow businesses and residents in mind.

With the Everlast Group, not so much. But we want and need them to succeed – to finish the project, sell the condos and contribute to a vibrant and prosperous downtown. Sooner rather than later would be nice.

So they could take a lesson from the CK engineering department about how to gather facts, make detailed plans and get it done with the least possible impact on surrounding people and businesses.

We didn’t get our Christmas miracle, but maybe 2017 will be the year we can say the downtown Chatham condo project was finally finished and we can all celebrate.

That project, when completed and all units sold, has the potential to transform the entire downtown, injecting life into the core and opening up a diversity of retail and service industry potential.

Letters to the editor policy

The Chatham Voice welcomes letters to the editor.

Our preferred method to receive letters is via e-mail to bruce@chathamvoice.com (use “Letter” in the subject line).

The Chatham Voice reserves the right to edit letters to the editor for brevity and clarity.

All letters need to be signed.

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The publisher of this newspaper, CK Media Inc., reserves the right to clarify or refuse any advertisement based on its sole discretion. The publisher reserves the right to reject, discontinue or omit any advertisement without notice or penalty to either party.

Liability for errors or non-insertion is limited to the amount paid for the cost of space occupied by the error. Claims of errors must be made prior to the next publication date.

THURSDAY, JANUARY 5, 2017

Opinion

Cash in on crows, don’t kill them Sir: Almost 20 years have passed since I have made a comment on the annual influx of crows.

At the time, the same complaints that are being aired (once again) show that the more time changes, the issues remain the same.

At that time, when I wrote a letter to the editor, I pointed out that people who were doing the complaining did have the

right to complain about the huge number of crows and the mess the were making in the area by going after the garbage that was (at that time) stacked out front of their abode (which now is not the problem as everybody has a big bin for the garbage which the crows can’t get into) and businesses’ complaint about damage

to their roofs, which was a legitimate complaint, and I pointed out that other area’s of North America had similar problems but turned it around to make some good out of something not so good.

For instance in New York State, the have a Crow Festival to celebrate the return of the crows, and it is a moneymaking

venture which brings in a lot of money for the businesses that support it.

You can look it up and see the scope of it.

Now, our travelling mayor wants a cull or at least suggesting that there be one.

I suggest we turn this around and try to make money on it for Chatham, and its citizens.

Jim Daley Chatham

Capitol needs more bookings Sir: With the recent announcement that the municipality would once again be taking over the operations of the Capitol Theatre, there was once again people taking to social media to voice their displeasure with the decision.

This chorus of detractors has been present since well before the theatre opened its doors, and the negativity has not ceased as time has passed.

The general argument appears to be based on the idea that the theatre was a waste of money to build, and will never make money for the city.

These individuals are

certainly entitled to voice their concerns but they are failing to see the overall issue with the theatre and seem to be blaming the actual construction of the theatre versus the operation of the building.

If you take a look at the website, through the first six months of the year for 2017, the theatre is booked for 22 days. So for a period of six months the building will only be operational for a less then one month.

This is the overall problem. No business can succeed if they are only operating for this short of

a time frame every six months. As an avid concert attendee, I am disappointed with every concert announcement I see as artists from all genres are booked to play rooms of similar size to our theatre and yet there is very rarely an opportunity to see the artist in this city.

Of course there is always the issue of cost associated with booking talent as well as tour itineraries that may not make it feasible to host artists on every tour, but if the theatre is to be successful, there has to be more of an effort to get

artists, productions and speakers into the venue.

If you fail to spend money to get the shows in, you will fail as a theatre.

The Capitol Theatre should be a tourist attraction but if nobody wants to travel to Chatham-Kent to see a show, there will never be money brought into the city.

A theatre is meant to be vibrant, exciting and most importantly used.

An empty building does nothing but cost money and allow for negativity to breed.

Brian Stewart Chatham-Kent

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THE CHATHAM VOICE

PAGE 7

News

CK jobless rate continues to drop The Chatham Voice

Unemployment in Chatham-Kent dropped for the ninth straight month, according to end-of-October statistics released

by Chatham-Kent Economic Development Services.

Although the jobless rate dropped only slightly from 6.2 per cent in September to 6.1 per cent in October, the larger picture shows a 2.9 per cent decline for the first 10 months of 2016.

The 6.1 per cent figure is a full 1.6 per cent low-

er than October of 2015 and is the lowest October number during the last decade, according to acting director of economic development services Stuart McFadden.

He said 2016 has been a pretty exciting year for the municipality.

“We’ve posted a steady decline due to the companies that believe in our community, the workers

who fill the jobs and the municipality doing whatever it can to facilitate a favourable business climate here,” McFadden noted.

C h a tham-Kent

“We’ve posted a steady decline due to the companies that believe in our community, the workers who fill the jobs and the municipality doing whatever it can to facilitate a favourable business climate here.”

CAO Don Shropshire said the continuing trend demonstrates that council’s focus on job creation is paying dividends.

“Council has estab-

lished its goals of jobs, people and health so the fact that this is the lowest October total in the last decade means a lot,” he said.

“It goes hand in hand with the decline in our social caseload so the two combined are a good indication we are heading in the right direction.”

DCC mural GOODWILL GAVE ME A FRESH START… remains in storage for M the moment

By Mary Beth Corcoran mary@chathamvoice.com

The Downtown Chatham Centre mural, taken down in 2014, will be stored until a new indoor home can be found for it in Chatham.

In a report to council recently, Jeff Bray, manager of parks and open spaces, updated council on the search for a new location for the mural.

It was first installed in 1989, donated by Henry and Lila Faubert as a memorial to their son, Larry, who died with muscular dystrophy.

The mural, made up of 350 tile pieces and created by Canadian artist Cliff Kearns, is an aerial view of Chatham and the surrounding countryside. Due to vandalism and its outside location and cold winters, Bray said in the report the mural adhesive holding it together “contributed to the mural’s deterioration.” It was removed in sections from the DCC at the request of owner Dan Warrener, and stored.

In 2014, Bray said, with the Faubert family, an alternate location of Kings-

ton Park was decided as an appropriate site.

In 2015, Chris Snedden, director of artistic programming at the London Clay Art Centre was hired to evaluate the mural’s condition and re-location recommendations.

Snedden’s assessment put a cost of replacing damaged tiles at $16,000 and said an outdoor location would only result in the same kind of damage due to winter freeze/ thaw cycles. He strongly suggested an indoor location at a cost of $65,000.

He estimated an outdoor location would cost about $123,000 to build a base to hold the 720 kg, 7-metre-by-3-metre mural.

Bray said, to date, they have not found an indoor public location that has the space for the mural and recommended it be left in storage until an appropriate location can be found.

The report also recommended that an interpretive panel depicting the mural’s history at a cost $8,000 be considered during the 2017 budget process.

Council approved the recommendations.

oataz spent two years as a teenager in a United Nations Refugee Camp. While living in the camp, he was provided with food and books, but little formal education. After graduating from high school he immigrated to Canada. At first he knew very little English, but he worked hard and graduated from St. Clair College with an International Business Diploma. In 2005, he graduated from the University of Windsor with a Degree in Business Administration. Moataz returned to Palestine to care for his ailing father but came back to Canada in 2014. Despite nine years of work experience in consulting and project management, he could not find work. For two years, he applied for advertised jobs, met with job placement agencies, and followed up on referrals. “It was very difficult to remain confident,” Moataz explains.

He had an immediate response when he approached Goodwill. “They are very professional, helpful and considerate. Goodwill gave me a fresh start and an opportunity to join a nice team.” Moataz has just been promoted to Assistant Store Manager and he is excited about his future. “I know how

- Stuart McFadden

it feels to need a chance. I want to help people who need help, and I can relate because of my personal experience.”

He looks forward to growing and developing as a Team Leader with Goodwill.

HAPPY NEW YEAR – GOODWILL INDUSTRIES EKL

As we start a new year, I like to remind our community of our history and how far we’ve come. Goodwill Industries in Sarnia was founded in 1933 as the Family Services Guild, and its original purpose was to supply food hampers to the needy. The following year, they began collecting used household goods and clothing and training people to mend and repair these goods. In 1939 they opened the first Goodwill thrift store at 176 Victoria Street. In 1959 Goodwill turned its focus to helping people with barriers to employment find work, and since 1995 we have been providing employment services to everyone in our territory.

Happy Birthday

Goodwill has responded to the ever-changing needs of the people in our communities and has adapted

to our friends at Chatham Voice www.goodwillekl.com

to ensure that our programs remain relevant. One thing that has remained the same is our commitment to helping people become more self-sufficient. Our employment and training programs are the focus of our mission: Changing People’s Lives Through the Power of Work. We are proud of the work we continue to do in the communities we serve, and we couldn’t do it without the support of the people in Essex, Kent and Lambton counties.

Our success is directly related to our donations. Our vision is clear: You Donate. Someone Works. Thank you for taking a moment to read Moataz’s story and we thank him for sharing it.

We are proud to have him as a part of our Goodwill family.

• To find out more about Goodwill Industries EKL and how you can help to change people’s lives, please contact Kevin Smith: Goodwill EKL Corporate Office 1121 Wellington St., Sarnia, ON N7S 6J7 Tel: 519-332-0440

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THE CHATHAM VOICE

PAGE 8

THURSDAY, JANUARY 5, 2017

Life

Of feedback, cough drops and food!

I love feedback from readers, and two such folks stopped by recently at the paper to share insight and treats.

The first was longtime reader Janice Lally. She popped by before Christmas to deliver a tray of brownie men. Shaped like gingerbread men, these guys were oh-so tasty!

Thanks for thinking of us, Janice.

For those of you who don’t know, Janice is a genius in the baking department. She has delivered treats to us at various times over the years, and they get gobbled up by staff very quickly.

A reader, whose name I neglected to get, caught me by surprise recently.

I thought she was in to enter the Christmas Quiz, as so many folks came by that day to do so, but she actually wanted to speak to me.

The woman asked how my cold was – I had mentioned my persistent cough in recent columns.

And she dropped off a package of Horehound candies – hard candy drops she swears by when she has a cough.

My cold was in great

Bruce Corcoran decline at the time of the visit, but others at work were fighting illness, so the candies came in quite handy.

The woman also urged me to get outside and grill, as she is a fan of reading about my barbecuing exploits.

Well, I have to let her know about Christmas Day, then. I scooped up a nice cut of prime rib the week before Christmas, and fired up the Big Green Egg on the 25th to cook for six people.

The prime rib was just over two kilograms, about 4.5 lbs. I gave it a light rub of olive oil, spread several cloves of crushed garlic over it, and liberally dusted it in Dizzy Q’s Cow Lick Steak Spice. On top went a sprig of rosemary.

I set the Big Green Egg to 240 F on indirect heat, and placed a drip

pan on the plate setter (what turns the Egg from barbecue to oven). But underneath the pan, I placed four scrunched up pieces of tin foil to lift the drip pan off the plate setter slightly to keep the contents from burning.

I like to use drip pans to catch what comes off the meat during indirect cooking. In this instance, I also wanted to use the drippings to make gravy, hence the foil balls to elevate the pan to keep things from burning.

Into the drip pan went about two cups of beef broth, and more crushed garlic, as well as a sprig of rosemary.

The grill went into place above, and onto that went our prime rib. Every half hour or so, I would add more broth. You can only imagine how intoxicating the aromas were that escaped when I opened the Egg each time.

As the meat cooked, I took a dip in our hot tub, relaxing in quiet as it seemed no one in the neighbourhood was outdoors on such a fine day.

I had only a few crows as companions.

In less than four hours,

the prime rib was cooked to about 132 F internal temperature, nice and medium rare, so I pulled it off the heat, wrapped it in foil and then a towel, and placed it in the cold oven in the kitchen.

Meanwhile, my wife and sister-in-law took charge, doing up the mashed potatoes, green beans, cauliflower, broccoli and gravy.

We all ate well that night, but I think one piece of roast made it to the fridge as an official leftover.

One thing about doing a prime rib low and slow – it looks less done than it actually is. The meat was a wonderful pink throughout, with the exception of the outer smoke ring. My nephew politely asked for cuts that weren’t still alive, while the rest of us enjoyed it all. He got the end caps.

Ruthie to the rescue

Loyal Chatham Voice reader Ruth Draper is on board with the efforts to raise funds for the new animal shelter for Chatham-Kent.

Ruth transformed into

g n i m a g Your tion! destina PLAY - O! ER. O T S Y A W E R TT MO E JUST GOT BE

TH!!

HANGED, W GO OR PLAY BO IN B R WE HAVEN’T C E P A P Y OR PLA MPUTER BINGO O C Y LA P N 0pm, A C YOU : 10:00am, 1:0 S E IM T N IO S S SE aily pm, 9:30pm D 3:30pm, 6:30 s! ions of Friday Midnight Sess

Bruce Corcoran/The Chatham Voice

Brownie men invaded The Voice offices recently, but hungry staff members managed to, um, eliminate them.

“Ruthie” to hang out with some cute cats and dogs to put together a couple of videos urging people to donate to the shelter. They’re quite cute.

Great job, “Ruthie!”

Hall needs a name change

We all know people who just won’t let some things go.

I’m one of those people, and the thing I can’t let go is the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.

To me it’s simple. It uses the term “rock & roll” in the name, so, therefore, it should enshrine only rock & roll musicians and contributors.

In reality, the place should be called the Pop Music Hall of Fame, as

in popular music, because the committee regularly inducts people who have oh-so-little to do with rock & roll music.

So this year, Tupac will be inducted. Tupac?

Please.

He was a rapper, not a rocker.

Tupac goes in with some worthy folks – Joan Baez, Electric Light Orchestra, Journey, Pearl Jam and Yes. Some great groups and performers there, and with longevity.

Tupac is not alone in the list of head scratchers who have been enshrined in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.

I honestly don’t understand rappers in the rock hall.

Continued on page 9

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THE CHATHAM VOICE

THURSDAY, JANUARY 5, 2017

Local man wins big in GMC contest

By Bruce Corcoran bruce@chathamvoice.com

Jeff McKay was just hoping for a few bucks more for his tradein when he visited Heuvelmans Chev/GMC in Chatham Dec. 22.

What he instead received was up to $35,000 towards a new vehicle.

KcKay took part in GMC’s Connect & Win event. He brought his 2011 GMC Sierra pickup in for appraisal, and with the help of salesperson Larry DeFraeye, he hit the vehicular jackpot. McKay won one of 17 vehicles GMC is giving away across Canada.

McKay couldn’t believe his good fortune.

“I just came in to get my trade in appraised,” he said. “I knew they had the contest going on and I took

a shot in the dark.”

That shot hit the bull’s eye.

“Any cash value would have been nice,” McKay said.

While he had a variety of options in front of him, he was leaning towards a pickup.

“I’ll probably go back into a truck,” he said. “I might as well get full value on the prize.”

McKay said he likes GMC products, and the folks at Heuvelmans.

“They treat me well,” he said.

DeFraeye, who has been at Heuvelmans for 32 years, said when they learned McKay had won, staff throughout the dealership went wild. Dealer principle Scott Heuvelmans agreed, “This is what we all dream about,” he said of giving a top prize in a GM contest to a local customer.

More pop than rock

Continued from page 8

Rap isn’t rock, regardless of how talented or famous the MC or DJ is.

Grand Master Flash and the Furious Five, Public Enemy, and N.W.A. don’t belong in the hall, in my opinion, either.

Run-D.M.C. is an interesting one.

They were pioneers of hip hop, and did some crossover work, covering Aerosmith’s “Walk This Way,” while doing a video with that band’s Steven Tyler and Joe Perry.

It’s not just rap music and performers with which I have issue.

What about country?

Johnny Cash – I love the Man in Black’s music, but he’s more country than rock. Ditto for Linda Ronstadt and a host of other country performers in the rock hall.

How about pure pop artists?

Madonna – huge name in the music industry, but a person who sings and dances, performing pop music, not rock.

Myles Davis was a jazz musician.

Yet he’s in the rock hall, despite the fact that the bio on the hall’s own website admits he never played rock & roll or R&B. Great musician, wrong hall of fame.

The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame is a heck of a place to visit in Cleveland, friends tell me. But as for its induction process, it’s a mix of popularity, favouritism and off-the-wall obscurity picks.

I realize I should just see it for the pop music sham that it is, but I just can’t let go. In the meantime, I’ll listen to some Rory Gallagher, Iron Maiden and Thin Lizzy – performers who are deserving of a place in a true Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.

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PAGE 9

Life

Bruce Corcoran/The Chatham Voice

Larry DeFraeye, left and Scott Heuvelmans, right, of Heuvelmans Chevrolet-GMC celebrate with Jeff McKay over McKay’s winning of a vehicle in GMC’s Connect & Win contest.

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THE CHATHAM VOICE

PAGE 10

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THE CHATHAM VOICE

THURSDAY, JANUARY 5, 2017

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Joscelynn and Ted are overjoyed to announce the safe arrival of Malia on November 17, 2016 at the Chatham-Kent Health Alliance. Extending a sincere thank you to Dr. George Jacob and the wonderful nurses and staff that aided in her care.

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January 8, 2017 2 p.m. – 4 p.m.

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A large thank you to my sons David & Michael Houle and their cohorts in crime - Betty Heather and Judy Shea.

They surprised me with a surprise birthday party for my 80th birthday, but it was really 81, boys got it wrong!

I could not believe the number of friends who filled the room at the A.L.C. Many thanks to all who came, the cards, gifts and beautiful flowers.

The afternoon ended with a musical number by David, Michael & Nick on guitars - “Twist the Night Away” from my past.

May God Bless all of you - Thank you, you made my day and 81st birthday!

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PAGE 11

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O’HARA, Kathleen “Kay” (nee O’Hagan) Kathleen “Kay” O’Hara (nee O’Hagan), a resident of Chatham, passed away on Thursday, December 29, 2016 at the Chatham-Kent Hospice surrounded by her loving family in her 95th year.

Kathleen, born in London, was the daughter of the late Hugh & Mary O’Hagan.

Loving wife to the late Gerald “Bud” McDermott (1944) & the late Michael O’Hara (1996).

Beloved mother to Betty & Gerry Brasier of Blenheim, Maureen & Bob Belisle of St. Joachim, Beverley & Jack Bailey of Chatham and Terry & Roxanne O’Hara of Chatham.

Grandmother of Scott & Dorothy Brasier of Warburg, Alberta, Judy & Bob Murday of Courtney, Alberta, Pamela & Russell Daniel of Olive Branch, Mississippi, Jackie & Roland Ouelette of Windsor, Lisa & Derek Stewart of Toronto, Kim & Doug Gaughan of Windsor, Ryan & Bonnie Bailey of Whitby and Angela & Wayne Nichols of Georgetown.

Great-grandmother of 12 great-grandchildren.

Predeceased by granddaughter, Linda Prevett (2005), and brothers, John, Wilfred, Hugh, Louis & Alan O’Hagan and sisters, Adelaide Wright, Agnes Sherman & Edith Halsall.

Kathleen was a loving, supportive, compassionate wife, and mother to her many children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. She was very active in the St. Joseph Catholic Church community, enjoyed needle pointing and was an avid fan of every sport.

Family received friends at McKinlay Funeral Home, 459 St. Clair Street, Chatham on Monday, January 2, 2016 from 2:00 - 4:00 p.m. and 7:00 - 9:00 p.m. Vigil Prayers were held at 6:30 p.m. Church visitation was held on Tuesday from 9:30 a.m. till the Funeral Mass at 10:30 a.m. held at St. Joseph Catholic Church, 180 Wellington Street, Chatham. Fr. Greg Bonin officiant. Burial in Maple Leaf Cemetery followed. Donations in lieu of flowers may be made to the Chatham-Kent Hospice Foundation in memory of Kathleen. Online condolences may be left at www.mckinlayfuneralhome.com.

McKinlay Funeral Home 459 St. Clair Street, Chatham 519 351 2040

Check us out!

CHATHAMVOICE.COM This week’s answers

Crypto Quote Answer There is a good deal to be said for blushing, if one can do it at the proper moment.

- Oscar Wilde

NORWOOD: Helene (nee Robbins) A resident of Chatham passed away at the Chatham Kent Health Alliance on Friday, December 23, 2016 at the age of 93. Helene was the daughter of the late Fred & Olive Robbins of St. Thomas, ON. Loving wife of the late Lyle Brown (1985) and the late Eric Norwood (2005). Predeceased by her brother Bruce Robbins.

Loving mother to daughter Diane Cameron (Brown) and husband Bob Cameron and predeceased by son Tom Brown (1972); step daughter Norma Willis; step son in law Steve Breen and wife Corny; step grandmother to Nic Willis Mark Breen and Michael Breen; nephew Wayne Robbins and wife Arlene; sisters in law Connie Brown, Jewell Brown and families and great niece Jennifer Newham.

Sadly missed by the Hanemaayer family, Bernice, Karie and Lynne, Nathan and Deb, Ella, Brya and Sylvie, Kyle and Injung, Noah and Kailey. They were very Special to Helene.

“Paws”atively missed by her cat Molly and her granddogs Ben, Micke and Sadie.

Helene was a long time member of the First Presbyterian Church of Chatham and the Margaret Strang Auxiliary. She volunteered for Meals on Wheels since 1979.

Helene was a Registered Nurse, having graduated from the Public General Hospital in Chatham in 1944 and then later was asked to work for Dr. W.F. Charteris and Dr. Richard Charteris. She was a huge Blue Jays fan with her own jersey and hat.

Helene was always there to help a friend and always had a friendly smile for everyone. She was truly a remarkable woman and will be greatly missed by so many!

Cremation has taken place. Family received friends at the Funeral Home on Wednesday, December 28, 2016 from 2:00 - 4:00 p.m. and 7:00 - 9:00 p.m. A Funeral Service in celebration of Helene’s took place at the Funeral Home at 11:00 a.m. on Thursday, December 29, 2016 with Rev. Mike Maroney. A private family interment followed at Stewart Cemetery, Merlin.

As per Helene’s wishes, memorial donations made to the First Presbyterian Church, Chatham or a charity of your choice would be appreciated.

Online condolences may be left at www.mckinlayfuneralhome.com McKinlay Funeral Home 459 St. Clair Street, Chatham 519 351 2040

Puzzles found on page 10

PAGE 12

THE CHATHAM VOICE

THURSDAY, JANUARY 5, 2017

News Winter contest at library The Chatham Voice

Friday, January 6, 2017 • Ted will entertain in the West Lounge at Meadow Park, Sandy St., Chatham at 2:00pm.

• Chili Luncheon at BR.243 Royal Canadian Legion, Ridgetown. Sponsored by the Legion Ladies Auxiliary from 11:00am-1:30pm. $7.00.

Saturday, January 7, 2017 • Stuart Wicks will perform in the West Lounge at Meadow Park, Sandy St., Chatham at 2:00pm.

Sunday, January 8, 2017 • Merlin Legion Jamboree with host band “The Marquis”. 3:00pm-7:00pm.

Admission $5.00. 2 Stanley St, Merlin.

• Knights of Columbus Community Breakfast at the Spirit and Life Centre, 184 Wellington St. West, Chatham.

9:00am-12:30pm. $7.00 includes all you can eat 2 meats, hash browns, scrambled eggs, french toast or pancakes, toast & fruit cocktail. $4.00 for children 6-12, children under 5 free.

Monday, January 9, 2017 • The Chatham-Kent Film Group presents the Australian award-winning film “The Last Cab to Darwin”. Showings at 4:00pm and 7:00pm. Capitol Theatre this month. $10 cash or use your membership card. 519-359-8455.

Tuesday, January 10, 2017 • Book Club from 2:00pm-4:00pm at Tea Connection, 15 King St. E., Chatham. Call for more details 226-6710081.

Wednesday, January 11, 2017 • Blood Donor Clinic at the Spirit and Life Centre - St. Josephs site, Chatham.

1:00pm-7:00pm.

• Taoist Tai Chi Open House at 6:30pm.

Community of Christ Church Gymnasium, 174 Faubert Dr., Chatham. Beginners class starts after the open house. www.taoist.org/sarnia or anethelosen@gmail.com.

• Michael Semineuk will entertain in the West Lounge at Meadow Park, Sandy St., Chatham at 2:00pm.

Saturday, January 14, 2017 • Saturdays at 7 presents “Duelling Keyboards, Round 2” at St. Andrews United Church, 85 William St., S., Chatham at 7:00pm. All are welcome! Doors open at 6:30pm. Free will offering ($10/suggested Adult donation). For info check www.standrewschatha.org or call 519352-0010.

Sunday, January 15, 2017 • Merlin Legion Breakfast - Eggs, bacon, sausage, ham, potatoes, french toast, pancakes, dessert, juice, coffee and tea. $10.00 Kids eat 1/2 price. 10:00am1:00pm. 2 Stanley, Merlin.

• Bingo at BR. 243 Royal Canadian Legion, Ridgetown. 2:00pm-4:00pm.

Entry fee is $10. Includes 4 cards. Jackpot $200.

Monday, January 16, 2017 • Come and explore the fascinating history and stories of the Chatham-Kent Barn Quilts. Special guest speaker is Chair of this organization, Heather Loucks. 7:30pm at Trinity Anglican Church, 59 Ellen St., Blenheim.

Saturday, January 28, 2017 • The Active Lifestyle Centre is hosting the 2017 Snowflake Ball, Silent Auction, Dinner and Dance with live music by the Shake Band. Early bird tickets are $40/person until January 11, 2017 and then $50/person. Call today 519-3525633.

PAWR at the animal shelter phone number for lost and stray pets and issues at the dog parks: 226-996-9969 daytime. Emergency and after-hours number: 519-784-6146. Animal Cruelty and neglect cases call direct 310-7722 or 310-SPCA. Submit your coming events to bruce@chathamvoice.com or michelle@chathamvoice.com

The Chatham-Kent Public Library staff invite you to escape the winter blues by enjoying a library book, magazine, or movie and earn ballots to win a prize pack from the CKPL Shop and a copy of CK Reads’ chosen title: Girl Runner by Carrie Snyder.

Participants can earn a ballot for every three items checked out from CKPL’s teen and adult collections from Jan. 9 to Feb. 28. Choose to read or listen to books, ebooks, eau-

diobooks, magazines, digital magazines or playaways, or watch DVDs as part of your winter library experience.

This year, the grand prize includes a prize pack from the CKPL Shop and a copy of Girl Runner by Carrie Snyder. The grand prize draw will take place March 3. In addition, each library branch will draw one lucky participant in each community for a gift bag of library goodies.

For more information please visit the CKPL website at www.ckpl.ca or call 519-354-2940.

OBITUARIES

Bernard Gagnier 87, Monday, December 19, 2016 Hinnegan-Peseski Funeral Home

Timothy Sheppard 62, Monday, December 26, 2016 McKinlay Funeral Home

Ivan Paul Van Den Enden 25, Thursday, December 15, 2016 Hinnegan-Peseski Funeral Home

Constance “Connie” Burk 65, Sunday, December 18, 2016 McKinlay Funeral Home

W. Joyce Hereygers Saturday, December 24, 2016 Hinnegan-Peseski Funeral Home

Jim Wilson 82, Tuesday, December 20, 2016 McKinlay Funeral Home

Bernadette Reaume 82, Friday, December 23, 2016 Hinnegan-Peseski Funeral Home

Jacqueline “Jackie” Ray 78, Wednesday, December 21, 2016 McKinlay Funeral Home

Leo Gaiswinkler 88, Tuesday, December 27, 2016 Hinnegan-Peseski Funeral Home

Sydney James “Jim” Frampton 62, Thursday, December 22, 2016 McKinlay Funeral Home

Mr. Lloyd Robertson 100, Sunday, December 18, 2016 Alexander & Houle Funeral Home

Eugene Jewell 85, Thursday, December 22, 2016 McKinlay Funeral Home

Mr. Ronald Kirby 66, Sunday, December 18, 2016 Alexander & Houle Funeral Home

Gerald Hathaway 67, Friday, December 23, 2016 McKinlay Funeral Home

Mr. Gordon Willcox 68, Monday, December 26, 2016 Alexander & Houle Funeral Home

Helene Norwood 93, Friday, December 23, 2016 McKinlay Funeral Home

Mrs. Elva McEwan 90, Wednesday, December 28, 2016 Alexander & Houle Funeral Home

Mary Watson 86, Saturday, December 24, 2016 McKinlay Funeral Home

Johanna Petronella Wielhouwer 81, Wednesday, December 28, 2016 Denning’s of Chatham

Mona Doucet 63, Tuesday, December 27, 2016 McKinlay Funeral Home

Bella Halliwell 74, Thursday, December 22, 2016 Blenheim Community Funeral Home

Kathleen “Kay” O’Hara 95, Thursday, December 29, 2016 McKinlay Funeral Home

Harry Smith 79, Tuesday, December 27, 2016 Blenheim Community Funeral Home

See full obituaries at www.chathamvoice.com

Antje “Ank” Postma Thursday, December 29, 2016 Blenheim Community Funeral Home Robert Whitcroft Monday, December 26, 2016 McKinlay Funeral Home

459 St.Clair St., Chatham • 519-351-2040 76 Main St. E., Ridgetown • 519-674-3141 141 Park St., Blenheim • 519-676-3451

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