The "Keep The Spirit Alive Contest" was only introduced to the community during the month of June, and already it is picking up momentum as residents not only like the idea of winning valuable prizes, but they also are thrilled about the fact that they can do their small part to help improve the overall community spirit in Valley East.

   Three community-minded local businessmen have teamed up to begin a “Keep The Spirit Alive Campaign” and they are inviting all residents to help them spread the message that Valley East is a great place in which to live!

   From left to right in the photo: Mike Lemieux, owner of Hanmer Home Hardware, Robert Kirwan, Publisher of the Valley East Today Community Web Site and Online Weekly News Magazine, and Ken Desjardins of Desjardins’ Food Basics announced the launch of the campaign during a press conference which was held at the Hanmer Valley Shopping Centre.

   In explaining the purpose of the initiative, Kirwan explained, “We want to let everyone know that Valley East is a town where you can still find that “old style community spirit” mixed with a modern lifestyle that fits right in with the 21^st Century. There are a lot of good things happening in Valley East and it is about time that the rest of the people in the City of Greater Sudbury knew about it too! Furthermore, it is also time to let the rest of the province know that if anyone is looking for a place to live and raise a family, or a place to retire within the City of Greater Sudbury , they need look no further than Valley East .”
  
   In order to help get this message out to the rest of the “world” the people of Valley East are being asked to take part in a massive communication strategy using the power of the internet. 

   Everyone participating in this campaign will have a chance to win a “Grand Prize” consisting of 100 Lotto 649 tickets for the New Year’s Eve Draw on December 31, 2006 . What a way to celebrate the New Year by winning the big prize with one of those tickets!

   Runners up will receive other valuable prizes, including “two” mountain bikes donated by Hanmer Home Hardware, $300 in groceries from Desjardins’ Food Basics, More prizes from other local merchants may be announced in the coming weeks before the contest ends. 

   In order to qualify for these prizes, all you have to do is register to receive the Valley East Today Weekly Online News Magazine. Every month from July until the end of December, ten names will be drawn at random from all of the people registered to receive the publication. Those ten people will qualify for our final draw which will be held on Christmas Eve. The winners will be announced in the December 26 issue of Valley East Today!

   Once you register, the Valley East Today Online Weekly News Magazine, which is currently being received by over 2000 people, will be sent directly to your email address every Tuesday.  Not only will you qualify to win the 100 Lotto 649 tickets or other runner up prizes, but more importantly, you can help us  “Keep the Spirit Alive” by forwarding Valley East Today to everyone on your own personal mailing list. By using the power of the internet, we can let tens of thousands of people know about Valley East every week.

The Confederation Secondary School Chargers played their first home game of the season on Friday, September 15, 2006 at 1:30 in the afternoon at Confederation. They demolished their opponent, the Secondary School North Stars by a score of 34 to 0.  Confederation is beginning its 5th year in the 8-team league, and to its credit, already holds one City Championship which was captured during its 2nd year of operation. 

The complete schedule for the 2006 season for Confederation is as follows:

REGULAR SEASON
Friday, September 15	1:30 p.m. at Confederation against Sudbury Secondary
Friday, September 22	7:00 p.m. at Queen's Athletic Field against Lasalle
Friday, September 29	7:00 p.m. at Queen's Athletic Field against St. Charles
Wednesday, October 4	3:30 p.m. at Confederation against Loellen
Friday, October 13	3:30 p.m. at Confederation against Notre Dame
Wednesday, October 18	3:30 p.m. at Confederation against Lockerby
PLAYOFFS
Semi-Finals October 25 to 28	The teams will be divided into two divisions for the playoffs with the top four in one division and the bottom four in another. Semi-Finals will be played between October 25 and 28 with the winners advancing to the finals of their respective divisions.
Finals Friday, November 3	The two final games will be played at Queen's Athletic Field with the bottom four division meeting at 4:00 p.m. and the City Championship Game at 7:00 p.m.

The draw was held in conjunction with the Valley East Charity Days Event which will took place on Saturday, September 9, 2006 at the Centennial Arena. 

Less than 1200 tickets were sold on the automobile at only $20 each, making this one of the best chances of the year for such a draw. The proceeds from the sale of the tickets will be donated to several local parishes in Valley East.

Every 100th ticket also produced $50 in cash for the holder. Those winning numbers were: 1000; 1142; 493; 727; 639; 119; 915; 566; 930; 775; and 789

Besides providing nail and make up services, Louise also owns and operates Glamorous You School of Nail & Make Up Artistry.  "We are very happy to be able to set up our facilities at one of the nicest shopping centers in the Greater Sudbury Area," Louise declared. "The mall is clean, friendly, and has a very attractive, classy atmosphere. Those are all qualities that are important to the industry I am in and we feel that Glamorous You will be an excellent addition to the mix of stores in the mall."

It is expected that many more young people will take an interest in a career in Nails and Make Up Artistry now that Glamorous You will have a much higher profile in the community. The School of Nail and Make-Up Artistry has graduated 150 students since opening in 1993, and this is a career that is definitely becoming more and more popular.

When you can work on a girl to prepare her for a wedding or a graduation or a very special occasion, and when you see the transformation that takes place right before your eyes, you come to understand why this career is gaining in popularity among people who want to find an outlet for their creativity.

One of the main advantages of earning a certificate from the School of Nail and Make Up Artistry is that this gives you a skill that can be used anywhere in the world. Many hairdressing shops, health spas, and personal improvement centres are in need of well trained, creative artists who can provide this added service to their clients. Your potential for success as a specialist in nails and make up is only as limited as your imagination. Many graduates work for other salons or companies, but others work for themselves and contract out their services to individuals and groups. This self-employment has many benefits, not the least of which means that you can balance your career and family much easier when you are working for yourself.

When you visit the new location of Glamorous You in the Hanmer Valley Shopping Centre, you will be able to speak directly with Louise to find out more about the school and the elements of the course.

Selecting a career that you will enjoy is one of the most important decisions you will ever make. It is something that requires careful thought and consideration. It is also something that you must have a passion for and want to do for the rest of your life.

Stop by and see if the School of Nail and Make Up Artistry by Glamorous You is what you have been looking for to get into one of the most rewarding careers today. Call Louise for more information at (705) 969-0000.

When it comes to people who are new to the community, there are two business owners who tend to meet them all. Of course we are referring to Mike Lemieux, on the left in the photo, who along with his brother, Mag Lemieux, own Hanmer Home Hardware, and Ken Desjardins, (on the right in the photo) owner of Desjardins' Food Basics.

"Everyone moving in to a new home or apartment has a need for cleaning and repair supplies as well as start-up groceries," explained Mike Lemieux. "So Ken and I decided that we would put together a basket of 'goodies' to give as a gift to all newcomers to Valley East as our way of saying 'Thank You for choosing our town' and to give them a hand with settling in."

Ken Desjardins owns and operates one of the busiest grocery stores in the entire City of Greater Sudbury, so he has definitely noticed the impact of new home owners in the community. "When it comes to stocking up the shelves after moving into a new home, we know it is expensive. We also know that those first few days are days when you are constantly discovering additional items for your shopping list. The Hanmer Valley Shopping Centre is a great place to come to pick up just about everything you need to make your move complete, so we wanted to say thank you for your support."

Anyone who has moved into a new home; purchased an older home; or moved into an apartment in the Towns of Valley East or Capreol since July 1, 2006, is encouraged to drop in to see Mike Lemieux at Hanmer Home Hardware in the Hanmer Valley Shopping Centre. He will answer any questions you may have about the community and make sure you receive your gift basket. Several other mall merchants will be adding to the gift basket with items of their own, including Dixie Lee Restaurant which will be providing you with a $25 gift certificate so that you can eat out after your move in.

For More Information on the Welcome Home Gift Basket
Call Mike Lemieux at (705) 969-7000
or email Robert Kirwan at robert@kirwan.ca 

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