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.

  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.

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.

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.

   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. 

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.

   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”.

   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.

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.

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