No time left for you

Someday I might get back to this ....

Tornado tragedy

One of the heroes of this tragedy, 14-year-old Zach Jessen, with Governor Chet Culver. Zach threw himself on top of another boy to shield him from flying debris.

This weeks tragic tornado in Iowa that took the lives of 4 Scouters has spawned literally thousands of news articles and opinion pieces ... from as far away as Australia. This is the best I found.

WE NEED MORE BOY SCOUTS

It's hard to imagine the pain facing love ones of the four Boy Scouts who were killed when a twister ripped through their camp in Iowa this week. Don't forget them. They are: Aaron Eilerts, 14, Sam Thomsen, 13, Ben Petrzilka, 14, and Josh Fennen, 13.

This was the loss of four boys who were likely to become extraordinary men - the kind who would become leaders in their communities and put others ahead of themselves. How would anyone know this? Because they were Scouts, meaning they were statistically likely to succeed. There's no shortage of cadets, at the Air Force Academy as well as the other service academies, who were Boy Scouts. Many of them were Eagle Scouts, the pinnacle of Scouting's ranks.

Boy Scouts organizations are a genuine gift to the United States and other cultures of the world. They teach boys and young men to be prepared, instilling in them the life skills to live as men - real men who can survive hardship, build fires, change tires, handle guns and knives, and help people in need. They live by the Scout Promise, which says, "A Scout is trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean and reverent." That sounds like good folks to have around.

When an assassin tried to kill Maldividan president Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, Boy Scout Mahamed Jaisham risked his life, got between the president and the attacker, and saved the president's life. Boy Scout heroics are common, though most don't make news.

Moments after the tornado turned their camp to shreds, it was evident how the Iowa Scouts had been prepared to serve. They immediately began putting their training to work, digging through rubble to free and tend to their injured peers. While most children understandably would have panicked, the Boy Scouts went to work. Some broke into an equipment shed, grabbed tools and a chainsaw, and began clearing fallen trees from the road so parents and rescuers could get to the scene.

The boys who died can never be replaced. But their deaths should bring attention to the need for more Boy Scouts, in a culture that's suffering from an abundance of weak men, barely prepared to care for themselves. More Boy Scouts, like the four who died, would make our future world a much better place.

As word broke on Thursday evening of the tragedy I googled the campsite and found an email address for the director of communications for the BSA area to let him know, on behalf of our group that we were thinking of them.... much to my surprise he responded within a couple of hours that he appreciated the gesture.

Rest in peace boys.

Cross-posted from the Second Smiths Falls Scout website

Reaching for a new height

The kiddies and I attended the somewhat washed out fly-in breakfast at the Smiths Falls-Montague airport Sunday ... no matter, we were treated to a great performance by Bob Hanson and his crew, as well as a great meal at a great price.

In other local flying news, the local club has announced in The Record News (I'd link but they STILL don't have a website !) they are building a new clubhouse to replace the one lost by fire two years ago.

The plan is impressive -- a two-story 4000 square foot building complete with an Elite Pro simulator for the flight school, an overnight room and an observation deck. Also included in the plan is the construction of a new hangar to house a small interactive museum for the kids.

Kudos to the club for their ambitious plan -- and nary a mention of asking for tax dollars to finance the project. In fact, the club intends on raising the money from within, use a local contractor to frame and finish it off over the winter themselves.

How refreshing .... I wonder how many hockey moms will be wielding paint brushes to finish off the new arena ??

Sorry, couldn't help myself.

She has all the makings

to be the biggest "star" ever to come from Smiths Falls .... watch for it. A female "Tiger" ... perhaps to finally give the LPGA the respect it deserves.

Brittany Henderson of Smiths Falls was not to be denied her first CN Future Links title yesterday.

At the Stratford Country Club, the 17-year-old junior shot an even-par 72 to win the girls title at the CN Future Links Championship to win by a commanding five strokes over Jennifer Kirby of Paris, whom she had been tied with entering the day.

Henderson, who's due to play in a CN Canadian Women's Tour event in London, Ont., this week, finished with a 3-over 219 total.

Here's a profile of Brittany from the 2007 Spring Flagstick magazine.

Wash, rinse, repeat

Regularly you'll hear crime stories from the area that go something like this :

Vehicle stopped on the 401 for speeding nets illegal cigarettes (or pot or goods from a break-in,etc ).

I sure didn't expect to see this story repeated any time soon .... less than two months later, it has.

Six people face charges after Ontario Provincial Police discovered a marijuana grow operation containing 1387 plants when they responded to a report of a break-in on Waba Road in Mississippi Mills on Monday.

This should not be an embarrassment

.... sadly, it is.

The kiddies and I have recently taken up geocaching as another hobby. If you haven't heard of it, basically you use a hand-held GPS unit to find "treasure" hidden just about everywhere. It's a great hobby that gets you out hiking and finding places you never knew existed.

There are over 2000 caches hidden within 100 km's of Smiths Falls. Some of the interesting local ones are an old alloy factory near Port Elmsley, one at the Mill Pond Conservation Area, one at the intersection of the 45 & 76 parallels in Montague and "the Poonamalie Monster" (this one has a riddle to solve to get the final waypoint !).

As you might have guessed there is also one at the old CN bridge in Smiths Falls. From the cache description:

Be careful about feeling around under stuff. The locals have smashed many beer bottles here.


Beautiful. Not local teens or yahoos ... locals.

Me. You.

Ya'd think between the Town Crews or Parks Canada or the Smiths Falls Police this situation could be remedied .... sadly that's not the case. A local geocacher who blogs his finds visited over the weekend .... here is his impression of our fair town:

You have to be really careful though, as the locals think this is a grand place to throw beer bottles.

Sounds like a job for my Cubs ... only the rest of the year is booked up.

To, two, TOO !!

Here's a hint .... if you are going to mount an 8ft sign in your front yard, you might want to ensure you have the correct grammar on it.

Just so you don't look like a bloomin' idiot !

"This was a murder of morality."

"My daughter's action made us aliens in our own land. But we have managed to redeem our honor. She paid for her ill-gotten action."

Among the Jat caste of the conservative northern state of Haryana, it is taboo for a man and woman of the same village to marry. Although the couple were not related, they were seen in this deeply traditional society as brother and sister.

"From society's point of view, this is a very good thing," said 62-year-old farmer Balwan Arya, sitting smoking a hookah in the shade of a tree in a square with other elders from the village council or panchayat. "We have removed the blot."

Cave dwellers.

Fame and fortune ...

if you can tell me what the fork this is:


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Fishy business

A quick post .... reaction to the final report released Tuesday on the assaults on Asian Anglers.

The final OHRC report ... even more lop-sided than the preliminary. It's all whitey's fault ... I dunno, but the report seems to me to be every bit as racist as, well, you know. Racial profiling training for conservation officers ... WOW.

Building Barbara Hall's empire one racist community at a time ... it's a subscriber Globe piece, but you can read it (and all newspapers) for free on the pwsgc website.


Bob Runciman isn't worried ...

"I don't give it much credibility. They draw conclusions without having any sort of point-counterpoint or testimony for the defence," said Runciman.

"They are tarring the community without any documented evidence."

Runciman said residents of Westport and the Rideau system "are overwhelmingly good people" who care about their fellow Ontarians and Canadians.

"Just don't lose any sleep over the conclusions of Barbara Hall," he said.

We seem to have more than our share

of this kind of story around the Falls ....

Dozens of cats, chickens and ducks in need of immediate medical care were seized from a poorly-ventilated house in the Smiths Falls area after an investigation into an alleged case of "animal hoarding."

A human rights complaint for the OHRC

I'm wondering ... Since there now appears to be the human right not to be offended ... how long can it be before Barbara Hall and crew -er-

Sniff this one out.

"You're in a dorm with 30 people, no windows open, people are farting, you're breathing in their farts, it's just really, really inhumane,"

He's talking about Ottawa's Innes Road detention facility .... but it's not isolated. I had a chum who did 90 on the weekends at Burritts Rapids a way back for a driving offence. That was his biggest complaint too.

Sounds like a solution is forthcoming though ... cuz, ya know -- jail isn't about punishment anymore.

"Our goal is to treat our inmates in a humane manner," Mr. McGetrick said. "We're not out there to punish them just for being in the institution."

When city people come out to the country

they complicate everything ...


On a farm the .22 calibre solution to varmint problems is simple and effective, but you can’t shoot around a marina. Boaters are by and large peaceable creatures who have no desire to do violence to a warm-blooded animal who shares their tastes in food, drink, and accommodation. So the racoons thrive.

Did I ever tell ya about the citiots that moved in across the road from my buddies century-farm ?

They complained to the Township .... about that awful smell.

Blues legend Colin James

is coming to Smiths Falls with the Olympic Spirit train.

Fox News and the Vancouver Sun ???? (and nobody else) are reporting that on October 16th the train will stop in good ol' SF.

Beginning in September 2008, the Spirit train will stop in communities across Canada for day-long celebrations where families can meet Olympic and Paralympic athletes and will have an opportunity to interact with Olympic and Paralympic partners.

CP also announced Canadian recording artist Colin James and his Band will be the musical headliner for the 2008 Spirit Train.

The Spirit Train will unite Canadian communities under its maple leaf banner to create momentum for the Olympic spirit over the next three years. The 2008 tour includes Metro Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Saskatoon, Winnipeg, Thunder Bay, Sudbury, Toronto, Smiths Falls and Montreal.

From the Spirit Train website:

It's a full day of fun when the Spirit Train pulls into your town.
Meet Olympic and Paralympic athletes.
Experience Olympic-themed events the whole family will enjoy.
Travel through time with the Olympic Games History Wall.
Feel the rush of performing an Olympic sport in the Sound Dome.
Try your hand at sledge hockey, test your start skills in a real luge, and pose like an Olympic ski jumper to create memories you can download to share with family and friends.
The fun doesn’t stop there: Spirit Train musical headliner Colin James & The Little Big Band will have you dancing with their unique brand of high energy boogie.
Sharing the Spirit Train stage will be 18 year old world class Métis fiddler Sierra Noble, along with many more various local and First Nations musicians.

And a bit 'o' the man hisself ...

It's gonna be a bloodbath

For political junkies this is something akin to Game 7 of the Stanley Cup play-offs - Mark Steyn will be facing off against the sock-puppets on TVO's The Agenda tonight at 2000hrs. If host Steve Paikin allows Steyn some breathing room (and that's a BIG IF) I have a funny feeling Steyn's gonna make the Osgoode Hall graduates sound like the kids who rode the proverbial short bus to class.

UPDATED: Chickenshits. For some reason the Kids in Osgoode Hall need more time to debate a man they have been slamming in the media for four months now. I missed it last night ... the hayfield in front of my house took priority ... I'll be watching the show here tonight.

RELATED: Listen to Steyn's 23 minute interview with Steve Madely on CFRA yesterday.

Also related: Macleans tells Elmo ... screw you, jihad this. With Ted's warchest ... I'm thinking it's not gonna be pretty.

"any settlement at this point would have to be approved by human rights authorities in Ottawa, and would thus involve an implicit acceptance on our part of the jurisdiction of human rights commissions to regulate the content of print media publications in Canada. That is an unacceptable precedent."

Not hard to tell

the high school year is coming to a close.

Desperate parents from all over have been hitting this post heavy in the past week.

Too late --

they are likely already leaking. The only questions are ... how much poop in the Rideau will be enough? And WHEN will Dolt ante up the cash ?

Engineering consultants have advised Merrickville-Wolford Township that recent inspections indicate that three sewage holding tanks serving the village “are most likely leaking due to corrosion.”

A statement issued by the township today said the engineers’ report confirms years of statements that failure of the sewage tanks was imminent. The testing confirms there is rapid deterioration of the tanks in the small township system “and indicates the contents are most likely leaking into the surrounding ground,” the report says.

Too bad the strip mall in Iroquois won the Liberal lottery --

$1.1 million nearby South Dundas Twp. was granted in provincial restructuring funds to spruce up a shopping plaza in Iroquois.

In order for the project to qualify for the public funds, South Dundas council is acquiring ownership of the pedestrian walkway and canopy outside the mall stores.


Of course, you have to elect a Liberal to get cash for the really important stuff.

That's where Merrickville went wrong. Partisan politics of the most disgusting kind.

A ray of hope ?

Sounds like Mayor Dennis Staples is hinting there maybe be some sunshine ahead:

Staples says he is still optimistic Rideau Regional could be used as a health care facility that would benefit people of the area.

Meanwhile, there could be good news ahead for Smiths Falls concerning the fate of the Rideau Regional Centre and the Hershey Chocolate plant, both slated to close within a year.

Staples said yesterday six or seven organizations or individuals have expressed a serious interest in either acquiring or exploring alternate uses for the facilities.

In a few short years

of Dolton rule Ontario goes from being the economic engine of the Country to sucking on the tailpipe of equalization payments.

Good job, Dolt.

Scouting is REAL

environmental action !

Wow ... what a week 2nd Smiths Falls Beavers, Cubs and Scouts have had !

First off, all groups signed onto the annual Pitch In! to clean up the Town of garbage pigs have left laying around for the weekly meetings. Really ... I believe it's a disgusting character flaw to leave crap laying around. I had my children conditioned by 2 that littering was unacceptable. Period.

Anyhow our kids did a great job of cleaning up the assigned locations .... to the tune of about 120 hours combined. GREAT JOB !

Just imagine how spiffy the Town would look if each minor hockey team put an hour and a half in repaying the community a bit for the mucho deneros they receive ... and ya, that's a challenge.

This weekend the Cubs held a fundraiser for our big year-end trip .... and holy freakin' holy. Grand-slam is an understatement. This year we decided to get seedlings from Ferguson Forest Center in Kemptville and sell them for 2 bucks a pop at some fine business locations in Town. A really big Thanks !!! to those who allowed us to peddle our wares ! Well ... we initially ordered 300 to sell and ended up running very early Saturday morning for another 400. SOLD OUT .... early Sunday. So, with the trees that were purchased for Cubs to plant there are over 1000 new trees in Lanark County.



Does this look like a dump?








It is, or was .... and you'd never know .... save for the signs and test well heads. For the past 15 years, Scouting groups in Lanark County have been reforesting the old Drummond/North Elmsley dump. We're just about done completely rehabilitating the land back to deer paradise. Next weekend there's 300 more going in, and that's just the Smiths Falls group !











And now, the reward. I'm really looking forward to this .... overnight in the barracks at Fort Henry in Kingston !!

No classroom experience will equal the excitement and fun of the Soldiers' Overnight Program. It is by far the premier learning experience we have to offer. Immerse your students into the lifestyle of Fort Henry's garrison, exposing them to actual routines of the 1860's. In essence, your students will become soldiers for 21 hours at the Citadel of Upper Canada. Your students will be provided with an Interpreter to teach and guide your class in their experience as soldiers in the British Army in 1867. The following is a list of activities that your students will participate in. These will be much more in depth to allow your students to immerse themselves in the living history and fully appreciate the experiential learning:

* Guided Tour
* Issued uniforms
* Muster
* Schoolroom
* Fatigues
* Barrack Room Inspection
* Ghost Tour
* Flag Raising and Lowering
* History Hunt /Historical Detectives