Next week, Mitch Stack of Petty Harbour will head to Memorial University for first year studies with a plan to gain entrance into the engineering faculty. The move will follow a summer full of learning, but in a different venue.
The 18-year-old shortstop is one of 24 young softball players from across Canada invited to participate in national training camps leading up the selection of Canada’s entry in the world softball championships next summer. With exposure to high level competitors and coaching, this past month’s camp in Fredericton, New Brunswick was ripe with learning opportunities, Stack confirmed.
The camp followed the national softball championships where Stack played for Newfoundland’s Under 18 team as did his younger brother Mark, who flew back from the Under 16 nationals in Saskatchewan to bolster Newfoundland’s lineup in Fredericton. Ferryland’s Shane Kavanagh was also on the Under 18 provincial squad.
“We gave it a good run and made it to the playoffs,” said the elder Stack, who was voted as the All Star shortstop of the tournament.
Stack greatly enjoyed the training camp for the national team. The 24 invitees roomed together at a University of New Brunswick dormitory and were bused back and forth to the playing grounds every day.
“There was a lot of team building and team bonding stuff,” said Stack.
The camp also featured training and instruction on defensive play, batting practice, technical instruction and games against a local senior men’s team.
“The coaches were a great group of guys,” said Stack, citing each of the three senior hands drawn from across Nova Scotia, Quebec and Saskatchewan who will prepare Canada’s team for the world tournament next summer.
“They really know a lot about the game,” said Stack, who noted his game in the local intermediate and senior leagues, where he plays against fellows much older than himself, will likely improve as a result of the camp. “They give you different (game) situations and scenarios that really help you when you come home. And playing at that calibre with guys from Quebec and Ontario and Saskatchewan, who are all real good ball players, you feel more confident when you come home,” he said.
Stack and the 23 other hopefuls will gather in Kitchener, Ontario next June for another camp which will lead up to the final team selection about a month before the world championships in Michigan.
Stack tries to be a team leader when he is at the diamond, supporting each player’s efforts and keeping their spirits up. He also has enough maturity to be aware of areas of his own game that he would like to work on. “I’d like to improve on my mechanics of playing shortstop, learning a few more things to make me quicker on my feet and move faster and get more outs,” he said. The national training camps are helping with that, he acknowledged.
The start of school in September won’t mean the end of Stack’s softball training. He said he is fortunate enough to participate in winter training with well-known local softball stars Ryan and Shane Boland, Sean Cleary and others from Newfoundland’s senior men’s team. Just listening to those guys talk about aspects of the game is also an education, he said.
Cape Broyle Sea Products lands research money
Cape Broyle Sea Products Ltd. is receiving $30,157 through the provincial government’s Fisheries Technology and New Opportunities Program to help achieve efficiencies and long-term viability of its sea cucumber operation.
“Cape Broyle Sea Productsis committed to advancing the sea cucumber business in the province and we greatly appreciate the provincial government's support,” said senior manager Edgar Coffey. “We believe this project will help us further develop our product line and improve efficiencies as we move forward.”
The funding will allow the company to hire consultants to analyze current technologies and processes. The work will include a market analysis to determine detailed customer product specifications, physiological research and investigation of alternative sea cucumber processing methods to remove the tentacles; productivity evaluation to determine ways to streamline operations; and an investigation of new processing technologies in other jurisdictions.
“Our seafood industry is valued at approximately $1 billion per year and investments we make in improving processing operations for emerging species, such as sea cucumber, help to optimize return on investment for processors and create additional opportunities for harvesters,” said Fisheries Minister Vaughn Granter."
“Sea cucumber is a species that holds tremendous opportunity for our seafood industry on both the harvesting and processing sides,” added Ferryland MHA Keith Hutchings, a former minister of fisheries who now serves as Minister of Municipal Affairs. “This funding will help Cape Broyle Sea Products Ltd. improve their operations and productivity and help them to better identify and meet the demands of the market.”
Improvements to processing technology resulting from this project are expected to be beneficial to all processing operations in the province using the same technology to process sea cucumber, he added.
Business award a shining accomplishment for young car detailer
He’s only 17 but Matthew Howlett of Petty Harbour – Maddox Cove already has nearly four years of experience as an entrepreneur. This past summer, he received an Outstanding Venture Award from the province’s Youth Ventures programs, which helps young people start their own businesses.
“Matthew runs a car detailing business from his home in Petty Harbour,” said Celtic CBDC executive director Loretta Ryan. “CBDC Celtic is proud to support Mathew’s entrepreneurship though our lending program (Kick$tart loans) and our Youth Ventures Program.”
Howlett too is pleased, if a little surprised, with the award. He started his company after attending car shows with his Dad, cleaning up the engine blocks and interiors of classic automobiles owned by eagle-eyed collectors. The business continues to grow. Howlett reckons he spends three or four days a week during the summer detailing cars. He also works at McDonald’s Home Hardware in the Goulds.
Howlett is a big advocate of self-employment for young people. “It’s a great experience,” he said. “It helps you get involved with your community more and helps you learn about financials and how to grow a business using your money properly.”
It also helps with developing people skills, he added.
The CBDC helped him a lot, not only with a grant, but particularly with advertising, Howlett said.
This fall, Howlett is hoping to enter a two year nursing program, but intends to keep the car detailing business going on the side.
The award, which was presented during a ceremony held at the Sheraton Hotel in St. John’s earlier this month, was a surprise, he admitted. “I wasn’t really expecting it,” he said. “It was all worth it in the end.”
Local softballers show how to 'Crush' it
The Southern Shore Crush Under 12 team finished second out of 12 teams to capture the silver medal in a provincial Slo-pitch tournament held recently. The Crush lost to Carbonear in the final. The team consists of Tanner Hawkins, Owen Brothers, Ian O,Driscoll, Adam Whelan, Kyle Goodridge, Ty Power, Jordan Harvey, Owen Coady, Ronan Houlihan, Griffen Crane, Ashton Harvey, Ryan Frizzell and coaches Dean Houlihan, Clyde Harvey, Robin Harvey and Jerome Whelan.
St. Bernard's to get more modular classrooms
The Eastern School District has received approval to attach a set of modular classrooms to the side of St. Bernard’s Primary in Witless Bay.
Approval for the application was given at this past month’s public council meeting.
“Are these going to permanent?” asked councillor Ken Brinston, drawing laughter from some of the people in the chamber.
“I’d rather not answer that question,” said Mayor Sébastien Després.
“They tend to last much longer than anticipated,” allowed councillor René Estrada.
The last time the school board applied to install a “temporary” classroom at the Kindergarten to Grade six school, the town placed a three year time limit on the unit to be followed at that time by a review, said Després.
“If we don’t put a deadline, they become permanent,” he said.
Council also stipulated that the next time the school board plans to add a modular classroom, it consult with the town first.
That didn’t happen this time around. “No consultation was carried out,” Després noted.
“We’ve got to have it,” councillor Albert Murphy said of the extension to the school, “unless we put them up in the Church.”
Després suggested the motion on the books calling for public consultation be amended to say the town will inform residents about the project.
“To me it makes sense to approve for a period of three years with room for renewal,” Després added.
The two new units will take up space currently used as a playground.
The enrollment at St. Bernard’s is expected to increase by several students in September to a projected count of 349 children. It’s one of the few schools in the province to see its teacher allocation increase, by one full teaching unit.
Ferryland MHA Keith Hutchings recently announced the region will get a new middle school, but no details were furnished. They are expected to come this fall as part of the PC Party’s re-election campaign.
Two Goulds karate clubs clean up at big tourneys
Two different martial arts schools in the Goulds cleaned up in the medal count at separate international tournaments recently.
Fourteen students from Alex Foley’s Academy of Martial Arts participated in the ISKA World Championships in Orlando, Florida, the second largest martial arts tournaments in the world. The students ranged in ages from 6-16 years, with belt colours from yellow to red.
Representatives from some 38 countries participated in the tournament.
The other group of 25 competitors, from Rick Windsor’s Cabot Taekwon-do Club based in the Goulds Rec Centre, won 33 medals in London, Ontario.
Member Rhonda Johnson, a teacher and mother of four girls who also practice Taekwon-do, was part of the 43 member crew from the Goulds club who went on that trip.
“It was excellent,” Johnson said.
This year’s event actually built on a trip the club made last year to Oakville, Ontario to participate in a major tournament. “Last year we had 15 go, including parents,” Johnson explained.
The experience was so positive, a parent committee got together and initiated a big fundraising drive so more children and parents could attend the tournament this year, which included athletes from all over Canada and the United States.
Johnson herself won a medal at this year’s tournament. The club won a trophy for being the Most Supportive School.
“Although not everyone received a medal, every single student worked very hard and represented our school extremely well,” said Johnson.
A contingent of about 45 people, including athletes and parents, represented Foley’s kenpo karate club in Disney for the Orlando tournament.
“It was my first time organizing something like that,” said Foley. “We were fundraising for it all year and the kids did a lot of work. We got down there and their minds were blown… The whole goal for me was to get them down there and get them the experience. So now they’re back and they’re motivated and they know what they have to do for the next one. So I think that part was accomplished… So it was a pretty huge experience for them.”
Foley’s athletes trained three to four times a week before the tournament. At the event itself, the team members cheered wildly whenever one of them was in a competition, he noted. A number of the participants got hurt during the tournament. “But it was just small stuff, like a hurt ankle or shin, or bruised ribs,” said Foley. “Nothing got broken.”
Foley himself was supposed to compete, but had to bow out because of an injury involving his sciatic nerve.
Next year, Foley is hoping to take a team to the Irish Open in Ireland, also one of the biggest karate tournaments in the world.
The medal winners and finalists among Foley’s team included: Zack Connolly, 1st place advanced clash sparring, 3rd place advanced point sparring; Ryan Bennett, 1st place intermediate clash sparring; Evan Parrot, 3rd place intermediate clash sparring; Isabella Lee, 3rd place intermediate point sparring; Landen Lee, 3rd place novice point sparring; Thomas Power, 2nd place advanced clash sparring; Hailey Vickers, 2nd place intermediate point sparring, 3rd place intermediate clash sparring; Aaron Peddle, 3rd in 7 years boys novice point sparring; Gabrielle Williams, 1st place in intermediate clash sparring; Emily Peddle: finalist in intermediate point fighting and clash sparring; Liam Janes, finalist in novice point and clash sparring; Isaac Slaney, finalist in beginner point and clash sparring; Amber Williams, finalist in beginner point sparring; and Faith Patey, finalist in intermediate continuous and point sparring.
The Cabot Taekwon-do medal winners included Jeff Butt, Patterns Gold, Sparring Gold; Aaliyah Churchill, Sparring Gold; Colleen Churchill, Sparring Gold; Mary Clarke, Patterns Bronze; William Bidgood and Michael Deir, Patterns Gold, Sparring Bronze; Thomas Deir, Patterns Gold, Sparring Bronze; Dylan Elliott, Sparring Gold; Kelly Elliott and Mikayla Fennelly, Sparring Gold; Alex Johnson, Patterns Silver, Sparring Silver; Elizabeth Johnson, Sparring Bronze; Rhonda Johnson, Patterns Silver, Sparring Gold; Alyssa Little, Sparring Silver; Arielle Little, Patterns Bronze, Sparring Gold; Kenny Matchett and Kathy Ricketts, Patterns Bronze, Sparring Silver; Lauren Pennell, Patterns Gold, Sparring Gold; Colleen Stack, Patterns Silver, Sparring Gold; Jacob Stack, Sparring Silver; Connor Stack, Sparring Silver; Olivia Wilson and Riley Wilson, Sparring Silver; Jamie Whitten, Patterns Silver, Sparring Silver; Benjamin Winsor, Patterns Bronze, Sparring Gold.
Cape Broyle student wins McCain scholarship
An 18 year old graduate of Baltimore High has won one of the most coveted scholarships in Atlantic Canada.
Olivia Carew of Cape Broyle was accorded the $16,000 Harrison McCain scholarship based on her academic performance in her final year of studies as well as other requirements, including leadership ability and a demonstrated willingness to work to fund one’s own education.
The scholarship was named for one of the most powerful businessmen in the region, the former co-owner of McCain Foods, who passed away in 2004.
Showing the entrepreneurial and hard work attributes that McCain characterized, Carew has been working summers since she was 14 as a waitress at the Riverside Restaurant. She was nominated for the scholarship by her school. Applicants have to attain at least an 80 per cent average in their studies. Carew had an average of about 86 per cent this past school year.
“She’s a hard little worker,” said her mom Susan Carew, who understandably, is pretty proud of her daughter, who tutors other students and is also a talented singer. “She’s a well-rounded girl… She’s marvellous.”
In September, Olivia plans to take the first year university courses at Memorial University that are necessary to enter the School of Pharmacy. That shouldn’t be too difficult. Her best subjects are many students’ most difficult ones – math and chemistry. “I’d rather that stuff than the study subjects,” she said, laughing.
For a long time, Carew was thinking she would study engineering, but changed her mind. “I really want to help people, more than anything,” she explained. “Engineering is a good job, but it doesn’t give you a chance to help out people, if you know what I mean.”
Carew said she has a cousin who is a pharmacist and that has influenced her choice too.
Along with the $4,000 a year from the McCain Foundation, Carew will get tuition vouchers for her hours spent helping other students with math and science through the Tutoring for Tuition program.
Along with performing in school concerts – she likes to sing country songs – Carew has also been a perennial member of Baltimore’s basketball and softball teams.
She admits to being a bit nervous about moving to St. John’s this fall to attend Memorial University. “It’s going to be a big change, going from 300 students to however many thousand are out there,” she said.
But Carew is excited and said she is thankful to her school for nominating her for the scholarship.
Road work, speed bumps, finances on busy council agenda
Once council got past its arguments earlier this month over how to resolve conflict of interest matters when it comes to revoting on the town plan, it managed to clear away a sizable agenda full of business.
Topping the list was a decision to hire a consultant to compile a topographical survey and develop a conceptual design for a proposed redevelopment of its recreational grounds off Southside Track.
The work, valued at some $6,060, is necessary for the town, along with the Bay Bulls to Bauline Athletic Association, to apply for a federal grant to redevelop the park.
The town and the BBBAA are proposing to contribute $50,000 each towards the project and will ask Ottawa to chip in the other one third of the funds for the $150,000 redevelopment.
Council approved a motion at this past month’s public council meeting to hire the consultant. “The first step in doing this is to make an application and a necessary part of the application is to have a conceptual design drawn up and a topographical survey done,” said Mayor Sébastien Després. “In order to apply for funding we need much more detail, plus schematics and once they’re done we’ll always have them. Right now we don’t even have a drawing of where our pool is, we don’t even have a survey.”
In fact, the town doesn’t own the land where the nearby community centre, christened the Puffin Centre last summer, is located. The town tore down the old Rec Centre two years ago and built a bigger one in its place, but has yet to receive an occupancy permit. For a while, the approval was delayed because of issues with the septic field. Then it emerged the town had never obtained a Crown Land grant for the site where the centre is located. The town and provincial government are waiting on a survey as part of the next step in the process of transferring ownership of the land.
New worker
Council is finally getting around to hiring an additional maintenance worker for the summer. Money for the position was earmarked in this year’s budget.
Mayor Després said a job description will be drawn up by council’s public works committee and the finance committee will be empowered to establish the pay.
Councillors Albert Murphy and Ken Brinston, who were elected to council in late February, after the budget was prepared, asked how long the person will be employed.
Després wasn’t sure.
“There is lots of work for him,” said Murphy, who seconded the motion to approve the position.
In the black
Council has had a meeting with its accountant, said finance committee chairman René Estrada, and has some $365,000 in reserve to cover expenses for the rest of the fiscal year.
“It was a very interesting meeting and we can see where, if we have to, we can cut corners here or there,” Estrada said.
He noted council has decided to start preparing its annual budget a little earlier than usual, with discussions on the 2016 financial blueprint set to begin in October. By law, municipalities in the province have to submit their budgets to the provincial government for approval by the end of the previous year.
The big variable in the budget every year, Estrada pointed out, is the cost of snow clearing. “Once we get into November we start hitting the snow season,” he said. “And of course that takes a big chunk, as it has this year. However, we’ll have to see how the weather is shaping up at that time.”
Legal bill
One of the items in this month’s payables register was a $5,400 legal bill from law firm Stewart McKelvey for advice given to the town during its recent deliberations concerning allegations of conflict of interest against three councillors.
“It’s obvious that it has to be paid,” said councillor Brinston, who made the motion to pay the bill.
Cemetery cleanup
A group of senior citizens in the town are cleaning up the old cemetery behind the Town Hall and planning to take imprints of the information contained on some of the oldest stones.
But they’ve also encountered a bit of a mystery. Councillor Kevin Smart, who is a part of the town’s heritage committee, said the cemetery doesn’t seem to have a name.
“That’s surprising, but it’s true, I’ve never heard a name for it,” said Mayor Després.
Smart said the committee has consulted old church papers to find a record of people who have been buried there, “but it’s very difficult to find it.”
Speed bumps
Speeders in Witless Bay had better beware: council is about to try out some speed bumps.
The move comes at the urging of councillor Brinston.
“I was sitting on my brother’s front deck the other day and a vehicle was coming down the road and I can guarantee you it was doing at least 100 or 110 kph,” said Brinston. “It was flying. I know we’ve had this discussion in the past. I think we should really, really take a look at some of the trouble spots we have here in the community and see what we can do.”
Brinston suggested the town look at using temporary speed bumps, such as the ones located around Stavanager Drive in St. John’s that are removed before winter snow clearing operations begin.
“It’s only a matter of time before someone gets hit and killed,” Brinston said, adding the turn near the mayor’s house on Harbour Drive is also a dangerous spot where some people navigate it like they’re driving in the Indy 500.
“It’s a blind hill in front of my house and I’ve seen cars going 140,” Després agreed.
“How good are they?” asked councillor Smart, referring to the temporary speed bumps.
“They’re fantastic,” said the mayor. “They’re just expensive. But it is worth looking into.”
Brinston agreed. “What is the cost of somebody’s life?” he argued.
Mayor Després suggested council investigate the prices of the speed bumps and that the public works committee draw up a list of specific places where they should be installed. “I’ll warn you that once you install five, you’re going to get requests for 50,” he added.
“My big concern right now would be up around the playground,” said councillor Murphy. “I’ve met cars and trucks up there flying.”
Fishermen’s Road is also bad Brinston said, as is Gully Pond Road. “Dean’s Road is another one,” he noted. “People walk these roads … and it’s a ticking time bomb as far as I’m concerned… We’ve got to take care of the residents, we’ve got to take care of the community.”
Murphy argued council should install the first two speed bumps near the playground on Southside Track and then look at other problem spots.
“That’s a good idea,” Després said. “Install one, see how it works, not spend much money, and if it works, install more.”
Murphy then put forward the mayor’s idea as a motion, which was seconded by councillor Smart. Put to a vote, it passed unanimously.
Ferryland's old stone Church in for upgrade
By Annette Mooney
for the Irish Loop Post
This year marks the 150th year anniversary of Holy Trinity Church in Ferryland.
When it was consecrated in September of 1865, it marked the last of the five stone churches built under Bishop John Thomas Mullock. The other four were constructed in Torbay, Kilbride, Blackhead and St. Kyran's.
The original name of the Ferryland Church was Holy Family, and it had taken two years to complete. The cornerstone was laid on May 31, 1863, and for the next two years, the people of Ferryland rowed back and forth from Stone Island in Calvert gathering the stone needed to build the church. This was no small undertaking for men who had families to support, let alone building a stone church. It was beautifully decorated with stained glass windows over the altar and statues on either side.
Fr. James Murphy, the parish priest at the time, who was instrumental in having the church built, was indeed a proud man on the day of the consecration.
What a day Sept. 10th, 1865 was! According to an account dated Sept. 14, 1865, in The Newfoundlander, a prominent newspaper of the period, a large group from the Catholic Institute in St. John's travelled up to Ferryland on The Diamond, a vessel similar to a steamboat.
Landing at Carter's wharf, they were given a rousing welcome with flags, streamers, volleys of gun shots and even a marching band. These Institute members were indeed on a mission, as the paper's account reads, "they were there to secure, as far as possible, a regular discharge of the duties of religion, and a strict observance of the laws of morality by the combined aid of religious practices, intellectual advancement, and social reunions."
Now, they had a job, didn't they? This account in The Newfoundlander is well worth the read, not only for historical documentation, but for its literary style which has long since fallen by the wayside. Other parts of the article talk about the large attendance by the people of Ferryland and neighbouring parishioners; many whom had given "handsome financial donations." These included two protestant gentlemen from Ferryland and the Messr. Cashin from Cape Broyle who gave 100 pounds; in addition to donating two of the three stained glass windows over the altar.
The decades following the consecration saw many other features added to Holy Trinity including a three-story tower which was not completed until 1898, and which was also built with stone from Stone Island.
According to an article in The Telegram dated Aug. 17, 1898, the tower could have been completed much earlier, but "Fr. Vereker, P.P. will have nothing done to any property, church or otherwise, unless he's got the money to plank down."
In 1927, the grand marble altar, purchased from Rome, Italy, had a tablet installed containing the names of the men from our area killed in World War 1. The inscription in Latin reads: Their bodies are buried in peace, but their names shall live from generation to generation (Eccl.XIV.14).
The Grotto, located next to the entrance of the church, holds statues from the wrecked vessel, the S.S. Torhamvan, which ran aground in Ferryland on Oct. 29, 1926. The people of Ferryland have always been cognizant of the role religion has played in their historic lineage. Lord Baltimore, who arrived in Ferryland on July 23, 1627, founded the first Catholic Colony in North America, and envisioned that Colony of Avalon as a great missionary outpost in the New World.
Over the past 70 years, Holy Trinity Church has seen numerous changes: some necessary; some mistakes. In 1995, a group of concerned residents founded the Holy Trinity Restoration Foundation with the hope of returning the church to its original state and preserving it for future generations. With funds from a weekly TV bingo, memoriam donations and government funding, the foundation has renovated the exterior, erected new stained glass windows, and completed landscape work on the grotto. The tower will be the last part to be restored.
On Sunday, August 16 at 11 o'clock, Fr. Ken Walsh, the present Parish Priest, will celebrate a special Mass to mark this milestone of 150 years. This will be followed by a social at the Southern Shore Folk Arts building. All are welcome.
Ottawa funding high speed internet upgrade in region
Improved high-speed Internet services are coming to an additional 13,500 homes across the province, including in this region, thanks to an investment this summer by the federal government.
The local communities that will get the service upgrades include Admirals Beach, Aquafort, Bay Bulls, Branch, Cape Broyle, Colinet, Fermeuse, Ferryland, Fox Harbour, Gaskiers – Point La Haye, Long Harbour – Mount Arlington Heights, Mount Carmel – Mitchells Brook – St. Catherine’s, Placentia, Portugal Cove South, Renews – Cappahayden, Riverhead, St. Joseph’s, St. Mary’s, St. Vincent’s – St. Stephen’s – Peter’s River, Trepassey and Witless Bay.
Everyday tasks that were once done in person, such as shopping, communicating, learning and banking, are now done online, noted Rob Moore, the Regional Minister for Newfoundland and Labrador and Minister of State for ACOA. “The Government of Canada is delivering on its commitment to rural Canadians to connect an additional 280,000 households in rural and remote regions of the country to high-speed Internet at minimum speeds of five megabits per second,” he added. “Much of this will be completed by the time Canada celebrates its 150th anniversary in 2017.”
Last summer, the government invited Canadians to provide feedback online to help better determine areas in need of high-speed Internet access, Moore said. Once information was received from individual Canadians and governments across the country, Industry Canada invited Internet Service Providers (ISPs) to submit proposals for funding to build wireless or wired infrastructure.
