The 8^th Annual Valley East Sports Hall of Fame induction was held on Sunday, December 4, 2005 at the Howard Armstrong Recreation Centre. The four people who were added to the prestigious assembly of individuals bring the total number of Hall of Fame members to thirty-seven. Barry Newell, who unfortunately passed away a little over a year ago, was selected as an entry in the Volunteer Category. Accepting his award was his wife, Bev Newell, second from the right in the photo. Mr. Rick Walker, owner of Consbec Inc. was inducted in the Sponsor Category. He was represented by his oldest son, Richard, shown on the far left. Leo Bertuzzi, on the far right, was selected in the Amateur Category. And, finally, Jeff Walker, 2^nd from the left, was chosen in the Professional Category.

   Ron Dupuis was the master of ceremonies for the event. He explained that, “This year’s inductees were selected based on their outstanding contributions to sports in Valley East . They were chosen because of the difference they made in our community and the impact they had on young people’s lives. They were and still are, excellent role models for our young.”

   Dupuis, along with Dan Yachuk and Henri Lebouthilier, form the Hall of Fame Committee.

   Barry Newell, this year’s Volunteer inductee, will best be remembered for his work with young hockey officials. In his role as Referee-in-Chief of the Valley East Minor Hockey Association, he personally trained and nurtured many excellent young boys and girls. He always made sure that when a referee or linesman stepped onto the ice that person was absolutely prepared to handle the job. Barry also “backed up” and showed support for his officials in difficult situations. This writer will always remember one incident back around the year 1995, when my youngest son, Marty, was refereeing a house league tournament game at Centennial Arena. Marty refused to allow an entire coaching staff from starting a game because he had watched them drinking in the community hall upstairs during the game before. While the decision caused much commotion and hostility towards this young official, Barry Newell stood by the decision and showed total support for his official. The game proceeded with replacement coaches, and Marty continued to develop his skills, both on and off the ice. Today Marty is a referee in the Ontario Hockey League and a police officer with the Peel Regional Police. Barry Newell’s influence on Marty had a lot to do with the kind of person he is today.

   Anyone who has lived in Valley East , or in the Greater Sudbury Area for that matter, will recognize the name, Leo Bertuzzi, who is a very worthy selection to the Sports Hall of Fame. Leo was involved a great deal in hockey during the early years and was a generous sponsor through his business, The Woodland Hotel, which once stood where the current Pizza Hut plaza is now located. While the Woodland will be remembered in many different ways by local residents, one cannot forget that Shania Twain once “sang” on the stage there and also that it was the original site of the Valley East Boxing Club, which continues to this day at the Ray Plourde Arena. Leo’s fame in sports was in the boxing ring, where he fought as a Middleweight all over Ontario . He is also a member of the Canadian Boxing Hall of Fame. During his acceptance speech, Bertuzzi left a very important message for the young people in the audience, “When you learn how to work hard today, you’ll work hard for the rest of your life because it’s in your heart.”

   Rick Walker, who is known for the company he founded, Consbec Inc., is also recognized as the person who brought ‘AAA’ Midget hockey to Valley East . He has always given generously to the Consbec ‘AAA’ Major Midget Club, ensuring that the talented young boys who progressed through the ranks of the Valley East Minor Hockey Association and the Valley East Progressive Hockey Association would have a place to showcase their talents and have an opportunity to move on to higher levels. Indeed, many have gone on to play in the Ontario Hockey League and other professional leagues around the world. While Rick and his wife, Judy, were out of the country during the ceremony, his three sons, Richard, Jeff and Trevor, along with his six grandchildren were all on hand for the presentations.

   Jeff Walker, a person who was a member of the first every Valley East Consbec ‘AAA’  Midgets, was induced in the Professional Category. Jeff showed a great deal of talent on the blue line from a very early age. He played for the Peterborough Petes of the Ontario Hockey League, where he was a finalist in the Memorial Cup during the 1992-93 season. While with Peterborough , his defense partner was none other than Chris Pronger. Jeff was also drafted by the Detroit Red Wings and took part in several training camps. He decided to put off a professional career in order to pursue his education at the University of New Brunswick and upon graduation became a supervisor with his father’s company, Consbec, where he continues to develop his career in the mining construction business. Jeff is a person who demonstrates the same kind of characteristics both on and off the ice. He carries himself like a professional and gives 100% in everything he does. During his acceptance speech, he gave credit to three individuals for having a huge impact on his life. Those people were Steve Richardson, Dan Lafrance and Ron Masciangelo.

1998 INDUCTEES

Marcel Moncion

Richard Tasse

Ron Duguay

Frank St. Marseilles

Andrew Brunette

Amanda Maurice

Melissa Junkala

Hilda Kingsley

Wilfred White

1999 INDUCTEES

Jack Paquette

Darryl Lafrance

The Lions Club

Kelly Thompson

Lucien Chevrier

2000 INDUCTEES

Mike Corneau

Eva Lanctot

Rolly Bariault

Leo Burns

2001 INDUCTEES

Peter Obonsawin

Emery Parent

Sean Venedam

2002 INDUCTEES

Henri Lebouthilier

Debbie Tranchemontagne

Roland Mallet

Arthur Hawley

Kiley Hill

Karen Cowling

2003 INDUCTEES

Dan Frawley

Rebecca Paul

Ken and Sandra Desjardins

Gaetan and Gaetanne Poitras

Serge Parenteau

2004 INDUCTEES

Val Mazzuca
Jimmy Jefferson
Gerry  Trottier
Jeff Domonsky

2005 INDUCTEES

Rick Walker
Barry Newell
Jeff Walker
Leo Bertuzzi

The remainder of the people in the photo include the 2006 inductees. Ken and Bonnie Davidson were inducted in the Sponsor Category as owners of the Tim Horton's Franchise in Val Caron. Eric Larochelle, 3rd from the right, was inducted in the Amateur Athlete Category, and Gabby Laberge, 2nd from the right, was the 2006 Volunteer Inductee.

Hilda pointed out how devoted Gabby has been over the years, especially in her fund-raising role with the Valley East Cobra 'AAA' Midget Hockey Club. 

"Gabby is most deserving of this award," Hilda explained. "She works full time and still volunteers at the Elizabeth Centre. On top of that she spends countless hours with me as we try to raise money for the hockey team. She goes to all of the hockey games to watch her grandchildren and never misses a midget game, helping me collect tickets and 50/50 tickets. Many people who know Gabby will recall how she handles the stress of hockey games by knitting. She has developed a skill for keeping her eyes on the flow of the game and never missing a stitch.

Ron Dupuis called Eric, "A true Valley East boy. When you have talent you will get noticed."

He explained that Eric was a star player with the Valley East Cobras before moving over to play with the Rayside Balfour Sabrecats. After being drafted by the Oshawa Generals in the spring of 2000 he ended up going to Guelph where he made it to the Memorial Cup finals. He was traded to the Sudbury Wolves, but an ankle injury three games into the schedule ended his hopes for a long-term hockey career.

Today, Eric is attending Cambrian College in the Millright program and will be graduating in the spring of 2007. He expects to continue to be involved in hockey in some capacity in the future.

Valley East held the Junior Boys and Girls championships, with the boys at Chico's Bowl in Hanmer and the girls at Bonaventure Lanes in Val Caron.

According to Sheilagh Mayers, "This is the best of the best. It is all about scratch bowling with no handicaps. What you score is what you get."

A total of 320 hotel bedrooms were booked for the tournament this year. Many of the teams arrived by bus because of the lack of available air transportation.

THE STATE OF BOWLING TODAY

"Bowling is facing the same kinds of challenges that most other youth sports are facing," explained Sheilagh Mayers. "The numbers are going down, but the enthusiasm of those who remain is increasing."

When asked why they thought the enrolment is decreasing, Marlene Hyatt replied, "There are just too many options for young people today. They have so much to do and keep busy with that bowling just doesn't seem to fit."

Sheilagh went on to explain, "Parents today work all day, and many have to travel for an hour or more from work to home. Once they get home, they often just feel like sitting in the house and relaxing. The last thing they want to do is go out to a bowling league. Nevertheless, we find that the smaller communities are holding their own with respect to league enrolment. It seems as if bowling is still very much a social activity in smaller communities."

Indeed, when one looks at the cost of bowling, it is definitely one of the most economical forms of recreation around. But when deciding to commit to a 30 week bowling season, many people are simply not willing to set aside one night a week every single week for on activity. Most need some flexibility to adjust to work or personal schedules.

"Everyone you talk to has bowled at some time in their life," stated Sheilagh. "And it seems as if the seniors are coming back to the game in huge numbers. This will certainly have a positive impact on the numbers of Young Bowlers in future years as they model their grandparents. Today's young parents, however, are finding it difficult to sign up for a league."

Despite the hectic schedules, most people do find time to participate in open bowling, attend the odd bowling party, and/or take part in a "Glow In The Dark" bowling fun event. It seems as if more and more people are turning to bowling as a form of entertainment instead of a form of recreation or competition.

On a positive note, Sheilagh has noticed that more parents seem to be getting directly involved with their children in the Youth Bowling League environment. They are helping with coaching or just being there to watch their children participate. This parental involvement is good for any organization.

To find out how the bowlers fared in the Nationals, go to

www.bowlcanada.ca

BONAVENTURE LANES CHALLENGE LEAGUE
ONTARIO SPECIAL OLYMPICS

All of the students helped out during the year as part of their Community Volunteer Program, but as indicted by Claude, "They all earned far more hours than they needed, but all wanted to remain with us for the entire year. They loved helping out with the bowlers and were absolutely fantastic."

"Roy will collect cans about four or five days a week, and then he comes over to my place to help me crush them," explained Claude. "He is remarkable." 

Indeed, the day after the Annual Banquet, Roy was back out, walking from door to door collecting cans for next year.

This year each of the participants were presented with their own Special Olympics Jacket thanks to the money raised by the pop can collection.

  The North Eastern Hockey League has grown from humble beginnings to become a significant part of the Greater Sudbury Area hockey scene. As with most minor hockey organizations, the ultimate championship at stake every year is that of the most senior, in this case, the Major Midget ‘A’ Division, which is seen as the culmination of the development of players over the years.
   This year, that ultimate championship was earned by the happy faces of the group of competitors in the photo, namely, Valley East ’s Bran Kor Trophies who defeated Nickel Centre in the finals.

   But, according to head coach, Dan Ross, who has been involved in coaching minor hockey for over 20 years, this was much more than just a hockey championship, “This was a group of young boys that were put together during a draft of all of the eligible players available in September to form one of five different Valley East teams that all played in the North Eastern Hockey League. There was nothing special about these boys when they were selected, but as the year progressed, I could tell that this was not just another team. This turned into the kind of ‘Dream Team’ that I doubt I will ever see again.”

   In fact, they were not even considered to be the strongest of the Valley East clubs in the beginning. However, after several practices and games, and after a lot of strategic planning, Ross and his coaching staff was able to find the right mix to create a hockey club that “believed in themselves and believed in a system”.  That system revolved around defense first and taking advantage of opportunities as they presented themselves.
   “We showed the players that if they concentrated on defense, and really focused on preventing goals, the opportunities would come to score themselves,” explained Ross, who as a martial arts instructor lives by the philosophy of focusing on defense as opposed to offense, but when it comes to going on the attack, it is best to use your opponents strength to his disadvantage. “We then made sure that the system was air tight in defending our own zone. When we got over the red line, we turned the boys loose. As a result we were very successful, and as the season progressed the players just seemed to jell. It has been a remarkable journey!”

   Their season record is indeed amazing! First place during the regular season and round-robin playoffs followed up with the championship banner. Gold medal winners of three tournaments at Verner, Capreol and in the prestigious Renagades. The final icing on the season will be a tournament in Scarborough on Easter Weekend.

   Besides head coach, Dan Ross, the rest of the management team included: Assistant Coach, Scott Forbes; Trainer, Bob Bertrand; Manager, Bob Belerose;  and Assistant Manager, Lynda Flintoff.

Sara Waters Sets Her Sights On Team Canada

During 2004-2005, Sara was a member of the Whitby Belle 'AA' team which competed in the Central Ontario Ringette League. This was the highest level at which that a girl her age could compete in the province. That meant juggling her time between classes at Laurentian University. Just about every weekend of the season, Sara was on the road to Southern Ontario to play in about 50  league and tournament games for Whitby. On top of that, Sara was also a member of the Laurentian University varsity ringette team.

This year, she will face the same grueling  schedule as she graduates to the National Ringette League and will play for one of the four Ontario teams in that league. She will be playing for Richmond Hill, Waterloo, Gloucester or Cambridge. She will also be a full time student in the Liberal Sciences program at Laurentian and will once again play on the varsity team.

At the age of 19, Sara, who has been playing since she was 4 years old,  is considered a top future prospect for the Team Canada National squad. She has the size, speed and experience that will make her a valuable addition once she has a couple of seasons of play in the NRL under her belt.

"Ringette is really a great team sport," explained Sara. "You have to pass the ring to get it from zone to zone, so you don't see any players trying to hog the ring. And with no body checking allowed the game is much faster."

Sara doesn't have dreams of making "millions" of dollars from playing ringette, but she is proud to be on the leading edge of making the sport more popular. She also wants to be very much involved in promoting the sport through coaching and assisting in the administration of the minor organizations.

"Last year was the first year for ringette at Laurentian, and we are hoping to see the league grow in numbers during the next few years," Sara declared. "We are also working on getting the sport recognized by the Olympic Committee and perhaps one day soon Team Canada will be playing for a gold medal. That is one of my biggest goals. To play on Team Canada in the Olympics." 

During the summer months Sara plays fastball with the Sudbury Minor Girls Softball Association to keep in shape.

Local fans can see Sara in action in November when her team travels to Valley East for an exhibition game and skills clinic in mid-November.

          It seems lately by the luck of the draw or somebody up there wants me to stick around a little longer. Last Friday the 7^th of September I was involved in my first ever serious car accident and I still wonder this morning how I survived the head on crash that totaled both vehicles involved .I received a few cracked ribs and partially fractured  right knee cap. I’m still alive and would rather not go into details of this accident since it gives me a negative feeling and in life one should always be positive in the face of adversary.Suffise to say that the young lady and new born baby involved in this accident are very well.

           On with sports. The Secondary schools are about to open their season in both football (regular and flag ) and ladies basketball will open the` season on Monday September the 17^th on several fronts. While I recuperate from my personal injuries but am still able to move around I’ll be up and about covering several of these games (especially the ones involving Valley East teams) still  positively have photos in my next fourth edition of the Sports Line (on Wednesday September the 19^th).

             Up coming this Saturday September the 15^th in the Hanmer ball field at approx 8:30 P.M.   Ill be the 2^nd Annual All-Star Classic Extravaganza.

              It will pit the defending game champions from 2006 (we won 7-6 ion bottom of the 7^th frame. This year’s game is very very special as it will involve the recognition of the legends of fastball from the last four decades. A few of these men are household names such as metro Sheryl ,Enzi Bavalaqua , Booker Thomas to name just a few.

               Just come out on Saturday evening and you will see facing each other they 50 best fastball players in Northern Ontario .

        I’ll have a full report on this special game and its surrounding special events plus some comments on the openers on football and basketball

     KEEP HEALTHY! TAKE WALKS! DO SOME EXERCISES!!!

         I for one certainly had a busy, interesting week including the Labor Day Weekend holiday.

              As the first day of school (I’m a retired teacher now for three years) approaches my mind wonders to those years when the night before almost each and every year, I would get butterflies in my stomach the night before in anticipation of the new` students which were about to be given to me and excite me to be able to pass on my knowledge of physical education to each and every one of them.

                My week started off most interestingly with the second game of the Rick McDonald Memorial Fastball League  championship final best of five series of which I’m the Commissioner  (see attachments for the resume of the first two games as well as the up dated playoff standings ).It continued with more excitement about the 2008 North American Fastball Championships for men which will be held in the Greater City of Sudbury and more  specifically in Valley East and Capreol between July 17^th and 20^th inclusively for the Summer of 2008.Some more then 40 top teams from across  this great land of us and the USA and New Zealand will invade our area .You will be observing the top fastball athletes in the world. You people are in for a treat of which you’ve seen before.

                     On Saturday September the 15^th at the Hanmer ball field you will be witness to the top 50 players All-Stars in fastball from Northern Ontario when the North Shore All-Stars are pitted against the  Rick McDonald Memorial Fastball  League All-Stars 2^nd annual fall classic. In 2006 the local squad won an exciting nine inning affair 7 to 6. (Check the attachment for explanation of the evening).

                         On the labor day weekend  I witnessed some exciting men’s fastball in  the 21^st annual  World Senior Men’s Fastball Championships in North Bay  where three of our local teams took part and gave a very good account of themselves(check the attachment for a resume) .

                            As the weekend ended, I was officiating in the Joe McDonald Football League at Lilly Creek. Just two minutes before half time in my first game I twisted my ankle and had to go to emergency in order to check for a possible fracture which was not the case. How your past seven days since mine was were very busy and interesting ads I prepare to relax and golf on the first day of school with 120 other retirees at the Pinegrove Golf Course on Highway 69 South.

       Have a good week!! Watch for children as the 2007-08 school year gets underway on September the 5^th and see you next week!!!

        In my next edition there will be photos included and more information on the up coming All-Star Classic Extravaganza.

                 After a hibernation and absence of several months dating back to the early and late part of Fall 2006 , my Sportsline is returning and with a lot more information and photos then before. I will be explaining to you my regular readers as well as the new ones , the best avenue to follow if you’re interested in sending me material (including photos)  of several sports events on and about our Greater City of Sudbury region and I will endeavor to include them in my sporsline if possible on a regular  basis.

                    As I turned to the ripeful age of a young 60 year old back on August 12^th, I came to realize that life doesn’t have to stop and send you to the pasture just because you’ve hit the sixth decade of your existence on this earth. If you’re able to do certain things that  your aging body still permits you to accomplish well then go for it and enjoy because far it to believe you’re just going to stay home and wither away like the Autumn leaves after they hit the damp ground an early frosty October. Well enough philosophy and let’s get to the crunch of the present situation and what you’re interested in – the sports minor and major in and about Greater Sudbury .

                       I’m not sure about you people but I’ve certainly had an active past few months in my second year as Commissioner of the Rick McDonald Memorial Fastball League. We are presently well into our playoff round and to be exact the championship final best of 5 series .As expected, it is a classic between the same two 2006 finalists and if what I observed in game one on August the 15^th in Whitefish Lake First Nation Reserve we are once again in for a treat or all present and returning fastball fans.

                   In the opener between the defending 2006b champs the Pickerel River Cardinals and this year’s first place finishers during the regular season the Dog House North Stars, it took some nearly three hours to complete a most exciting titanic battle between two league arch rivals. In the end the North Stars came from behind in the of the seventh inning to dramatically defeat the Cardinal 8-7 to take a 1-0 lead in the best of five league championship. The Dog House North Stars took and early 4-1 lead through the opening few frames and seemed well on their way to an easy opening game victory until the sleeping giant that the Cardinals are combined with several mental and fielding errors (the several periods of showers from a full clouded sky didn’t help the situation) saw themselves behind the eight ball losing 7-5 going into the bottom of the 7^th frame. Here is `where the dramatics occurred. With two outs , and runners  on both first and second bases through a base on balls and hit by pitch , substitute Randy Denis for injures Troy Chatwell came to the plate and brought the count to a full 3-2 . Eric “e-train” Abitong (as he’s known) having as great playoff run at 3-0 with a 2, 97 ERA threw in a rise ball asked for by catcher and brother Bucky Abitong but it wouldn’t react the way he expected coming out of his hand and stayed flat permitting Dennis to promptly sit on it and slam it to the left field fence just out of the left fielder’s reach for a stand up triple bringing in both runners and knotting the game at 7-7. Catcher Rob Cardinal came up to bat and looking to bring in the winning run sitting on third base just 65 feet away and  after the count went to 2 and one he hit the next pitch through the left side infield just past the short stop to score the winning run from third base . What a first game before a very large appreciating crowd of fans in Whitefish Lake . The series continues Monday night at the Rick McDonald Memorial Sports Complex in Azilda –game time 8 P.M. . If you can’t make it and that would be ashamed the third installment of this series goes right back to Whitefish on Wednesday night thev29th of August at the regular 8 P.M. slot under the lights. At the moment  games four and five (if both necessary ) are scheduled in this way – game four will be played on Wednesday  September the 5^th in Whitefish and game five in Azilda at the Rick McDonald Memorial Sports Complex on Monday September the 10^th at 8 P.M. There seems to be a long period of time between many of the games in the series but for good reasons. Game four (if necessary) only goes  goes on the 5^th of September since many of the North Stars leave Sudbury on Thursday the 30^th of August to participate in the Senior (35 and older) Worlds in North Bay over the Labor Day weekend holiday of September and there will be no games on Labor day  on Monday September the 3^rd . We also usually play on Thursday’s in Garson at the Lorn Brady Memorial Park but ion request of the Dog House if it goes the distance, they would prefer playing that final tilt on their home ground base of Azilda. I hope this has not confuse you in planning your attendance of these games if you so desire.

                             Over the past few weeks there have been also some more exciting happenings in softball/fast pitch for both ladies and men..

                               In the second annual Northern Ontario Fastball Championships on August 17^th to the 20^th in Azilda, the Greater Sudbury Nickel Selects under the leadership of veteran head coach Judy Dunn and the Dog House North Stars under the direction of veteran manager and former city councilor Jim Sir Illnitski and playing coach James Jr Illnitski both retained their titles after late surges from their opponents to win both in the seventh inning dramatics. The Ladies took a high scoring affair 17-11 over the Manitou in Mindy Creek squad while the North Stars squeezed and exciting come from behind 7-6 victory over the Kaboni/Wiki Tigers from Manitoulin Island . During that same weekend , Eric “e-train “ Abitong player /pitcher in both  the Rick McDonald Memorial Fastball League’s Pickerel River Cardinals and the North Shore  F.A.N.S ‘s Sagamok Rider Dawgs participated in the World  Fastpitch Champioships with a Minnessota team in the USA’s Wisconsin State and made a very good account of himself going in his three outings (two  full games and one relief) for 17 innings of pitching 1-1 and a fantastic ERA of 0,00 ( no earned runs were scored against him).Eric also became the proud father of his second child when baby Nelly a 8 lbs 4 ounces came into the world while he was away in  Southern Ontario over this past weekend’s All Ontario Native Championships for Ladies and Men’s Fastball.In the All-Ontario’s Eric and his teammates from the Pickerel River Cardinals  came two outs away from participating in the tournament’s championship game losing a heartbreaker in the semis  5-3 on a fielding error charged to their first baseman .The Cardinals went 3-2 in the tournament .Aaron”sixer” Owl the North Stars pitcher (12-1-1 ERA of  3,04 during the regular season) also p[participated in the same tournament with Garden River team out of the Sault and they lost in the  quarter finals after going 3-0 in the round robin section. All in all both pitchers made an very good account of themselves and when they face each other in August 27th’s second game, one would expect two tired pitchers who’ve played a lot of ball and traveled extensively lately but both these young men in the prime of their pitching careers   (Eric is 31 and Aaron his approaching his 27^th birthday) both thrive on many games and seem to get better the more they pitch. If both stay healthy we should be in for some pitching clinics in this Championship  Final series where presently   Aaron stands at 3-0  and an ERA of 4,37 while Eric is 3-1 and an ERA of 2,96 .

                           In Brampton over this past weekend the minor girls select bantams  the Greater Sudbury Sharks ,  under the direction of veteran pitcher and Cambrian College’s Shield Ladies Fastball  program  head coach participated  Mickey Chartrand ,in the twelve team  house league provincial championships . Out of twelve teams and being a brand new participant the girls were seeded 12 out of 12 participating teams and were not expected to do that well but certainly made a good  account of themselves and  received some great experience while they were there. They lost all three games where they had to face last year’s defending champions and #1 seeded St Thomas losing 12-5 where their opponents scored 8 runs in one inning to make the difference. After a long waiting period and the  same rain problems we faced  here they took on a powerful Whitby team and were trounced 20 to 5 .In their final outing on Sunday morning at 8 AM ,they eventually lost 14-8 . All and all it was a great learning experience for the young 12 and 13 year olds as Mickey Chartrand expressed delightfully.

                           I already officiate fastball, slo pitch and basketball and now as a young 60 year old you’ll be also seeing me this coming Fall of 2007 on the pits in football starting this coming Labor Day  Holiday weekend  in the Joe McDonald Memorial Football League as it gets underway. In one of those Labor Day weekend days, I will also in North Bay as and observer and official in the annual 35 and older Men’s World Fastball Championships.

                              A major fastball tournament for men is coming up in July of 2008 –the North American CranktyJoe’s/Molson Canada Fastball Championships with  from several parts of Canada and the USA participating in this four day extravaganza which will be played out of Valley East’s   Hanmer ,Centennial and Capreol ball fields. I would mark my 2008 calendar for July 17^th to the 20^th and expect to be watching some of the finest   athletes and pitchers in men’s fastball exhibit their great sporting abilities during this most prestigious tournament a first one being played in the Greater City of Sudbury- you will be in for a treat.

                             There are two up coming important officials meetings in the next couple of weeks:

    A] Basketball: On Sunday August the 26^th present and new officials 2007-08 local meet at Cambrian College in room 3420 for 7 P. /M. On September the 28^th to the 30^th our local association will be hosting all five provincial associations of basketball officials for the annual provincial AGM.

     B] Football: first association official meeting for present and interested officials goes Tuesday August the 28^th 7 P.M. at the Lockerby Legion.

                              Already three tournaments for Secondary students have been announced. On September the 14^th and 15^th at Lo-Ellen Secondary Scholl its Doug MacKay‘s annual early tournament for Junior and Senior girls. You may call Doug at 524-2838 for more details and particulars. On October the 25^th and 26^th the 5^th annual ladies Junior and Senior Air Time tournament go. You may reach either Charlie Ketter at 897-6579 cell 561-6579 email cketter@persona.ca or Roger Legendre 969-7268 cell 6977795 or email er_legendre@sympatico.ca .  On November the 30^th and December the 1^st it’s the 12^th annual Jaak Valiots’s Memorial basketball tournament for Junior and Senior boys. Same contacts as above. A league for ladies competive basketball(in hibernation for a year) is being revive with games starting g in early or late November 2007 and going till early o0r late April 2008 .You may contact Roger for this by looking at the above information concerning basketball and football.

   Roger Legendre, Commissioner of The Rick McDonald Fastball League has announced that men’s fastball will indeed be returning to Valley East next summer. In fact, the league will be holding their Annual All-Star Classic game during the “Last Chance Slo-Pitch Tournament” which is scheduled for the Hanmer and Centennial ball fields the weekend of September 14-16.
   The All-Star Classic will be played on Saturday night, September 15 at 8:30 p.m. at the Hanmer Ball Field beside the Lion’s Den.
   Valley East is expected to field a team in the Rick McDonald Fastball League next year. Legendre will have more information about the team during the winter months.
   Even bigger news was released by the league in that a major international fastball tournament will make its debut on July 17, 2008 .
   The First Annual Cranky Joe’s / Molson Canada Fastball Championships will be held in Valley East with teams from all across North America expected to be in town to compete for over $20,000 in prize money, including a $10,000 first place prize for the tournament champions. All games will be played at the Hanmer, Centennial and Capreol ball fields. Legendre expects to see some of the best fastball players in the world competing in this tournament.

The Valley East Skating Club will be presenting their annual skating carnival on Sunday March 4, 2007 at 1:00 pm at Centennial Arena in Hanmer. This is always one of the most spectacular events of the year in this community, with the arena jam packed with appreciative spectators. This year’s theme is Disney Through the Ages.  Approximately 180 skaters from Valley East will be performing in this show.  Skaters have been practicing for several weeks to make this great performance.  Children ranging in age from 3 to 18 with a wide range of skating abilities will be entertaining the audience for the afternoon.  This is the culmination of years of skill development for many of the skaters and it is a chance for them to demonstrate their talents in front of an appreciative audience. Several of the more experienced skaters have competed in many competitions over the years and have won several medals for their accomplishments.  If you are new to Valley East , or if you have never been to one of these skating events in the past, take time this Sunday and see what you’ve been missing. Come out and enjoy an afternoon of local talent.  Admission is only $4.00 per person and children 5 & under are free.  For more information about the Valley East Skating Club and the programs they offer, visit www.vesc.ca.

The purpose of OSAID is to make students aware of the choices they make when drinking and to make responsible decisions. The students from Confederation will be raising money all year long to send representatives to a provincial conference in Toronto on the first weekend of May 2010. There they will take part in developing leadership skills and be trained in approaching peers and the community with the issues and seriousness of impaired driving.

For more information you can go the the Confederation Secondary School web site or contact Ashleigh McBain at the school during normal business hours.

  The 200 Wolf Squadron of the Royal Canadian Air Cadets were at that Hanmer Valley Shopping Centre for their first tag day of the year.

On behalf of the 200 Wolf Squadron we would like to thank Val Mazzuca and Bob Kirwan for allowing us the opportunity to hold our tag day in their establishment.  We’d also like to thank all the many patrons of the Hanmer Valley Shopping Centre on Dec 11, 12 & 13^th for their very generous support.  We raised in excess of $400.00 in the Hanmer Valley Shopping Centre alone.

Thank you again for your very generous support.

The Cadets even took time out to say hello Santa and Mrs. Claus.

IN THE PHOTO: Sgt Robert Bolger, Corporal Joshua Bolger, Corporal Aaron Anderson, and Corporal Austin Anderson

The Old Man
by Danica Tremblay Dhinel

Dear Mr. Kirwan:

   My friend recently told me a story about an elderly man who frequently comes into her store and gives every woman he sees working a single rose. The man told her the story of why it is he does this. He told her that a few years ago his wife passed away. However while she was still alive he had never bought her roses. His wife asked him many times to buy her some but he had never thought of doing it. Once she had passed on he regretted not buying her any and felt guilty. Now, every once in a while when he thinks of buying his wife roses he enters my friends store, buys a bouquet and passes them out to the women.

   When my friend told me this story I began to think deeply on my own life and all the things I should or could do for the ones I love while they are still around. Little things to show them that I care and that I’m thinking of them. Many of us go through life not thinking that these simple gestures could mean the world to someone. Not much thought has to go into them, just simple things like leaving a note to remind someone you’re thinking of them; telling those around you that you love them: paying for a stranger’s coffee when you’re ahead of them in line at the drive-thru; calling someone up to see how their day is going or maybe buying someone flowers on any given day just to show you care.
  
   Like this man, many of us don’t realize the things we should have done differently while our loved ones were still around. We shouldn’t wait till they are gone to realize we should have told them we loved them more often, or spent more time with them, or we should of gotten them those flowers they wanted so badly. Don’t wait till it’s too late. Tell your wife or husband or mother or father, brother or sister that you love them. Give them a hug; send them e-mails or a card, call old friends up just to see how they’ve been. Don’t let the people you care about most slip out of your life, because one day they will be gone and you will spend your life regretting.

   I have not had the pleasure of meeting this kind man but his story will remain in my heart forever. I am deeply saddened by his story but somehow it brings a new light to my heart. He realized his mistake too late and now he is trying to repay the debt he feels he owes. I believe everyone can relate and learn from such a story, and I hope some if not all will find it in themselves to slow down and start making the little things count, cause in the end, it’s what matters the most.

Danica Tremblay Dhinel

Dear Danica:

   What a beautiful story. It truly gives you hope for mankind when you know that there are people in the world like that elderly man. I am also glad to see that you are back to writing, and I do indeed remember you. You have a tremendous talent for communicating your feelings. I wish you the best of luck in your current endeavours and I definitely encourage you to write often.

Robert Kirwan

All of these activities cost money, and it is up to each member of the band to do their individual part to help raise the necessary funds. One of the major fund-raisers of the year is a raffle which will produce eight winners of beautiful prints by Gordon Drysdale. Students, such as Hailey Chinn, above, are responsible for using their creativity and initiative to find ways of selling tickets to the general public. Hailey is one of the students who have been seen selling tickets on the prints at the Hanmer Valley Shopping Centre recently. Hailey, who is in her second year with Evolutionary, is a member of the crew and is responsible for the sound board. “I’m not very good at performing or being in front of an audience, but I love music and wanted to be part of the band. When I got an opportunity to be part of the crew I took it and I love every minute of my experience,” Hailey explained. Besides the lead singers and instrument players, there are a lot of people needed behind the scenes to make sure that the set is properly constructed and the sound comes out just right. The nice thing about Evolutionary is that it provides so many young people with a first hand experience in the music industry so that they have a better idea of whether or not this is the kind of career they would like to pursue after high school.

If you have a chance to purchase tickets on the Gordon Drysdale prints, or if you wish to help the band out with a donation of any size, just contact Confederation Secondary School   and ask to speak to Norm McIntosh.

   This summer, travel back to the 1960s with Lock and Keynote’s production of the original musical, Rock Around the Nation! Lock and Keynote Productions aims to encourage and facilitate the artistic growth of young people in North-eastern Ontario and rural communities. For the past three years, we have held musical theatre day camps in Cochrane , ON and Cornerbrook, NLD for children aged 8-18. Our camps are run by young working professionals who not only have a passion for the arts, but a passion for children. Each year, a new script is developed, incorporating a wide range of classic and contemporary Broadway songs. In addition to learning skills in dance, drama, and singing, we believe that by participating in theatre, children develop confidence, creativity, and learn the value of teamwork. Now entering our fourth season, we are excited to bring our philosophy to Sudbury .

The Musical Theatre Summer Intensive For Youth will be held at Arts North, at 7 Cedar Street in Sudbury from July 20 to 31 with performances on July 31 and August 1. The cost to participate is only $300 per person.

   This year’s artistic team includes musical director and founding member Shari Porter, director and playwright Vikki VanSickle, and Sudbury native Sarah Williamson as choreographer. Sarah studied dance at Diane Boulais Dance Studio de Danse in Valley East before moving to Toronto to pursue her career as a dancer. After joining the Lock and Keynote team as choreographer in 2008, Sarah decided to bring Lock and Keynote Productions to her hometown.

 This year’s show, Rock Around the Nation, is a rollicking romp set in the 1960s. The sleepy town of Happy Hills is about to get all shook up, when famous girl group The Belles decide to do a live broadcast on the popular television show Rock Around the Nation from Happy Hills city hall. Jam packed with dancing, singing, and everybody’s favourite hits from the 60s, Rock Around the Nation is sure to make you stand up and sing For more information, or to register, please visit our website at www.lockandkeynote.com or visit www.artsnorth.ca. 

SPECIAL RADIO INTERVIEW: The Learning Clinic, a weekly radio talk show that is hosted by Robert Kirwan on CKLU 96.7 FM, will feature several members of Lock and Keynote Productions on Monday, June 15, 2009 from 6 to 8 p.m. If you want to find out more information on the program, or if you want to listen to a discussion about Education and the Arts, then be sure to tune in for the show.

Neil Lindenbach, owner of Neil’s Independent Grocers in Hanmer, has always bent over backwards to provide support to local schools in Valley East and Capreol. Individual classes are welcome to visit the grocery store during special times of the year to use the Community Room and go on group tours.

During the Halloween Season, many classes took advantage of the invitation, including Ecole Catholique Jean Paul II of Val Caron. Here we see Madam Renee Brunet helping one of her Junior Kindergarten students, four-year old Hailee Kirwan, during a pumpkin carving session in the Community Room. Madam Brunet’s class took part in a two-hour field trip to Neil’s Independent Grocers which included a tour of the facility, pumpkin carving and treats. Hailee and her classmates even got to bring the pumpkins home as souvenirs of their day at the grocery store.

   Two new residents of Valley East who moved here from Marathon , Rene and Diane Brunelle, shown on the right in the photo, were more than happy to give up a few minutes of their time recently to help out a group of Laurentian University students with one of their projects.

   The students, from the left: Melissa Kirkey, Danielle Roy and Courtney Conaty, are all in the 2^nd Year of a four-year Bachelor of Commerce Program. One of their major assignments for the year is the development of a new product that could be brought to market. In order to determine the viability of their product they are required to conduct interviews with potential customers to gather information that will be beneficial in their marketing efforts. They decided to conduct their survey at the Hanmer Valley Shopping Centre.
   The product created by the group was a “pack of greeting cards designated to a particular person and containing all the cards that would be needed for the occasions throughout the year”.

   Two other members of the group, Justin Sawicz and Michelle Goneen were present for the photo. The entire group will be appearing on The Learning Clinic, a local education radio talk show on CKLU 96.7 FM on Monday, November 17 at 6:00 p.m. to share their thoughts about the Commerce Program at Laurentian. Any secondary school student who might be interested in enrolling in this program in the future should listen to the show or pick it up on their computer off the web site at www.cklu.ca .

   Jasmine McTiernan and Lindsay Aubin, both Grade 9 students at Confederation Secondary School , spent the whole day at the Hanmer Valley shopping Centre on Saturday, March 29. However, they weren’t there to spend money – they were there to help raise money for the Canadian Cancer Society by selling daffodils to kick off Cancer Awareness Month. The time spent will also go towards their 40 hour community service requirement that is part of their Secondary School Diploma Program.

   Even though they are only in their first year of high school, the two girls have indicated that they are already beginning to think about what they will do after Grade 12. Lindsay is pretty certain that she wants to enter a career in radiology after having spent a day shadowing the head of the X-Ray Department at the Sudbury Regional Hospital . Jasmine is still undecided, but is considering a few of her options.

   Both girls attended Valley View Public School and have continued with the French Immersion program at Confederation. When asked what the biggest difference was between high school and elementary school, both girls indicated the same things. “You are more responsible for what happens to you in high school. The teachers are always watching what you do in elementary school but now we are left on our own a lot more. We have to make sure we do things ourselves without being told all the time.” They also find that there is much more social time to interact with other students in high school.
 
   Lindsay has already put in her 40 hours of service even though she still has three years of high school left. She has done things like helping with the Rick McDonald Park in Azilda, the flu clinic and now selling daffodils. Both Lindsay and Jasmine indicated that they have always loved volunteering their time for good causes and were glad to do their small part for the Canadian Cancer Society.

Shown in the photo, from left to right, are: Carrie-Ann Castilloux, Marie Rose, Dominique Leroux, Renee Bertrand, Nathalie Lebeau, Lynn Aubuchon, Charlene Quesnel, and Fatima Sankoh.

The girls are all part of the 4 year French language nursing program at the school.

433 Centennial Drive, Hanmer, Ontario
Across from the Centennial Arena
(705) 969-5188