• Young Family Wins $500 Gift Certificates In December Mystery Shopper Contest at Cousin Vinny's
     
 

MAGIC HANDS AT MOUNT MAUNGANUI
by Tracy Pepper

Tracy Pepper is a young lady who grew up in Farmdale, on Morrie Court . She now lives in New Zealand in a beach town called Mount Maunganui where she has opened up a Massage Therapy Practice in her backyard garden. Tracy is writing a book about her battle with cancer. I want to thank Tracy for sharing this story with us and for providing each and every one of us with a truly inspirational and remarkable story. Let me warn you that you may want to have a box of Kleenex handy if you read this whole story and go to the link below:

HAPPY 25TH LIFE-IVERSARY TO ME...by Tracy Pepper

Today is May 3rd. I can never forget this day. In some ways it's more important than my birthday. Life as I knew it changed on May 3rd, 1985 . Twenty five years ago, on this day, I was diagnosed with terminal cancer.
 
My life leading up to that day was fairly ordinary. I was the youngest of five children in a family that was pretty self absorbed. My mom raised us all solo. I only saw my dad once a year when he was passing through to see his mates and if I was lucky he'd take me out for breakfast at a dingy old diner where one of his girlfriends worked. I had a free and easy childhood with very few rules or boundaries. I was virtually invisible. I could do what I wanted. I came and went as I pleased. No one seemed to notice if I wasn't around. In fact, everyone seemed happier when I was away.
 
Then on May 3rd, I made my mark. I secured my place on the family map... or so I thought. Surely they'd notice me. Surely they'd love me. Surely they'd talk to me. Surely they'd include me.
 
I'll never forget that day or the year that followed. I had been suffering from stomach pains for months - years even. They were worse at night and I'd wake up crying. I learned that when I woke others up, they got grumpy... so I'd quietly sneak into my mother's room and lie at the end of her water bed on my tummy. The warmth of the water bed soothed my pain. Occasionally when I complained at breakfast that I felt sick and I couldn't eat anything, my mom would take me to the doctor. I was diagnosed with growing pains and a school phobia which didn't really make sense since I was really tiny and I absolutely loved school.
 
On May 1st I was in school doubled over with pain. I couldn't stand up, the pain in my stomach was so intense. My teacher, Mrs. Labelle rang my mother to come pick me up. We went straight to the doctor who happened to be away that day so we saw another doctor. He thought it might be appendicitis and told us to go straight to the hospital. CLICK HERE FOR THE REST OF THE STORY

  

A SPECIAL WISH TO ALL MOTHERS
Submitted by Shirley Baxter


Since this Sunday, May 9, 2010 is Mother's Day, I want to wish a very Happy Mother's Day to all mothers, grandmothers and great-grandmothers who receive this weekly newsletter. I would also like to thank my good friend, Shirley Baxter, for sending me the following little story that is truly appropriate as we reflect upon the important role mothers have in making a difference in the life of their children. Take time to read this little story and please forward this email to all of your friends, especially those friends who are mothers.

Invisible Mother......

It all began to make sense, the blank stares, the lack of response, the way one of the kids will walk into the room while I'm on the phone and ask to be taken to the store.

Inside I'm thinking, 'Can't you see I'm on the phone?'

Obviously, not.

No one can see if I'm on the phone, or cooking, or sweeping the floor, or even standing on my head in the corner, because no one can see me at all.

I'm invisible. The invisible Mom . Some days I am only a pair of hands, nothing more: Can you fix this? Can you tie this? Can you open this?

Some days I'm not a pair of hands; I'm not even a human being. I'm a clock to ask, ' What time is it?' I'm a satellite guide to answer, 'What number is the Disney Channel?' I'm a car to order, 'Right around 5:30 , please.'

I was certain that these were the hands that once held books and the eyes that studied history and the mind that graduated summa cum laude - but now they had disappeared into the peanut butter, never to be seen again.. She's going; she's going; she is gone!

One night, a group of us were having dinner, celebrating the return of a friend from England ..

Janice had just gotten back from a fabulous trip, and she was going on and on about the hotel she stayed in.

I was sitting there, looking around at the others all put together so well. It was hard not to compare and feel sorry for myself.

I was feeling pretty pathetic, when Janice turned to me with a beautifully wrapped package, and said, 'I brought you this.'

It was a book on the great cathedrals of Europe .

I wasn't exactly sure why she'd given it to me until I read her inscription:

'To My Dear Friend, with admiration for the greatness of what you are building when no one sees.'

In the days ahead I would read - no, devour - the book. And I would discover what would become for me, four life-changing truths, after which I could pattern my work:

No one can say who built the great cathedrals - we have no record of their names.

These builders gave their whole lives for a work they would never see finished.

They made great sacrifices and expected no credit.

The passion of their building was fuelled by their faith that the eyes of God saw everything.

A legendary story in the book told of a rich man who came to visit the cathedral while it was being built, and he saw a workman carving a tiny bird on the inside of a beam. He was puzzled and asked the man, 'Why are you spending so much time carving that bird into a beam that will be covered by the roof? No one will ever see it.' And the workman replied,

Because God sees'

I closed the book, feeling the missing piece fall into place.

It was almost as if I heard God whispering to me, 'I see you. I see the sacrifices you make every day, even when no one around you does. No act of kindness you've done, no sequin you've sewn on, no cupcake you've baked, is too small for me to notice and smile over. You are building a great cathedral, but you can't see right now what it will become.'

At times, my invisibility feels like an affliction. But it is not a disease that is erasing my life.

It is the cure for the disease of my own self-centeredness. It is the antidote to my strong, stubborn pride.

I keep the right perspective when I see myself as a great builder. As one of the people who show up at a job that they will never see finished, to work on something that their name will never be on.

The writer of the book went so far as to say that no cathedrals could ever be built in our lifetime because there are so few people willing to sacrifice to that degree.

When I really think about it, I don't want my son to tell the friend he's bringing home from college for Thanksgiving, 'My Mom gets up at 4 in the morning and bakes homemade pies, and then she hand bastes a turkey for three hours and presses all the linens for the table.' That would mean I'd built a shrine or a monument to myself. I just want him to want to come home. And then, if there is anything more to say to his friend, to add, 'you're going to love it there.'

As mothers, we are building great cathedrals.. We cannot be seen if we're doing it right.

And one day, it is very possible that the world will marvel, not only at what we have built, but at the beauty that has been added to the world by the sacrifices of invisible women.

Great Job, MOM!"

 
Parents & Children Have Until The End of March To Register For Minor Soccer At the Hanmer Valley Shopping Centre

MINOR SOCCER REGISTRATION SCHEDULE ANNOUNCED AT THE HANMER VALLEY SHOPPING CENTRE

Fridays
6 to 9 p.m.		 Saturdays
10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
February 26 February 27
March 5 March 6
March 26 March 27
   The Valley East Soccer Club held their first weekend of registrations at the Hanmer Valley Shopping Centre on February 26 and 27. This was the earliest that the club has ever held registrations so the turn-out was not as busy as usual for the first nights of registration.

   The club expects a large crowd to register the weekend of March 5 and 6 so parents who want to sign up their children should come early.

   The club is expecting to register about 1800 children and adults in their program for the summer of 2010, making it still one of the largest minor soccer associations in the north.
 

 Members of Confederation's Evolutionary Band Give Evidence Of How Music Program Prepares One For Life's Challenges

Veronica Ranger (Grade 12) 

Kayla O'Hearon (Grade 12)
Jasmine Wagg (Grade 11)

Three members of Confederation Secondary School's Evolutionary Band were the special guests on THE LEARNING CLINIC on Monday, February 15, 2010 during the 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. time slot. Veronica Ranger, currently attending the "Victory Lap" in Grade 12 (for those of you who may not be familiar with that term, she has already graduated but has chosen to return for a 5th year to add some courses to her transcript) is one of the Lead Singers with the band and also does background vocals for some of the songs. She has been a band member for all five years and is also able to play the trumpet, sax and trombone. Kayla O'Hearon, also in Grade 12, has been with the band for all four years of high school and is in her 3rd year playing the guitar. She spent her first year with the stage crew. Jasmine Wagg, a Grade 11 student, is in her 3rd year with the band. She started out with the stage crew and has now been a bass player with the band for the past two years. During the show the girls discussed many of the transferable skills that they have developed as members of the band. They rehearse four nights a week for two hours after school in preparation for a performance tour which begins some time in March. The tour includes an out-of-town trip where they put on several performances for a variety of audiences. 

The girls also explained that the entire band will be out looking for pledges for their annual "Play-a-thon" which will be held at the school in the "sanctuary" on Saturday, February 20, 2010. The band needs to raise about $140 per member in order to cover the expenses of performing on tour this season. Therefore, if you are approached by any member of the band, please give them your support. This is a music program that is doing wonders for the overall development of each and every member of Evolutionary.

If you are interested in finding out how to download the radio show, click here for the instructions >>>>

FACTS ABOUT EVOLUTIONARY BAND

The following information has been provided by Mr. Norm McIntosh, Director of Evolutionary Band and a Music teacher at Confederation Secondary School.

In its 30th year of existence, Evolutionary is located at Confederation Secondary School.

Evolutionary is a 24 piece rock band which includes 4 vocalists, a 7 piece rhythm section, 3 trumpets, 4 trombones, 2 alto saxes and 4 tenor saxes and is supported by a 16 member stage crew.

Evolutionary is the musical ambassador for Action Sudbury. They are Northern Ontario ’s official No Drinking and Driving Band. At every performance they distribute Contracts for Life (approx. 6000 per year). Evolutionary participate in community events including the Rainbow School Board’s ‘Reading Rocks’ program. 

Band members range in age from 13 to 19 years old and must complete an audition and interview annually in order to be earn a place in the band. Successful applicants sign a year-long contract. Students in Evolutionary receive a high school music credit for their participation. All students who participate in this program are expected to carry a full timetable and to maintain passing grades in their other subjects. 

Evolutionary is completely self-supporting. All expenses for transportation, and the purchase and repair of musical instruments and equipment are covered by student fund-raising and sponsorship. The band rehearses 4 nights a week from September to March.

Evolutionary tours from March until June, performing in front of over 8,000 students per year. Venues include other schools, public events and opening for professional acts. Performances include a high energy, choreographed show with an exciting light display including lasers, strobes, smoke machines, intelligent lighting and orbitrons. Shows are approximately 75 minutes in length and include 16 songs including a selection of top 40 hits such as Shinedown, Hinder, Green Day, 3 Days Grace,  Rolling Stones, Queen, Bryan Adams, AC/DC, Foo Fighters, Linkin Park, Nickleback, Kings of Leon.

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE RECENT HISTORY OF THE BAND

                                       2009 - 3 Days Grace attends a Fall rehearsal, invites EVO to their concert

                              - Zack Werner (Canadian Idol Judge) brings a film crew north to see Evolutionary

                               - Jake Gold (Canadian Idol judge) attends Mother’s Day Concert              

                     2008 -Rock band, Hedley, surprises Evolutionary by dropping into their rehearsal, invites EVO to their concert

                              - Evolutionary was  recognized as Junior Citizens of the Year at the Community Builders Awards of Excellence for the City of Greater Sudbury

- Evolutionary completes “House Party” video recorded at Ostara Studios, May 2008

                  2007 - Recording artist, Suzie McNeil (Rockstar INXS) gigs with Evolutionary at a rehearsal

                             - Evolutionary is the subject of  a full length documentary, “Face the Music”

                              - Evolutionary sets the Guinness World Record for “Deepest Concert Underground” at CVRD Inco’s North Mine, 3400’ level

                              - Denise Donlon, founder of Much More Music, attends an Evolutionary concert in Toronto

                              - The Tragically Hip drop  in on an Evolutionary rehearsal, Keshia Chante attends EVO concert

                     2006 -EMI Music Co. President, Deane Cameron, and  CARAS Director of Music Education, Srinka Wallia attend an Evolutionary tour concert in Maple, Ontario

                                - Recording artist and Juno nominee, Skye Sweetnam attends Evolutionary’s Reading Rocks concert

                                - The Trews drop on the band during sound checks and jam with them

                      2005 -Notable music industry professional, Bob Ezrin, record producer of Pink Floyd The Wall/Canadian Music Hall of Fame inductee attends Night Concert

                             -State-of-the-art recording studio is officially unveiled at Confederation Secondary School

                    2002 -Evolutionary receives $10,000 from Junos/CARAS for new musical equipment and appearS with recording group, Sloan, on a taped segment on the Juno Awards

               2001 - Mike McCarty, president of EMI Music Publishing Canada, attends an  Evolutionary concert

FOR A PHOTO STORY OF AN OUTDOOR CONCERT PERFORMED BY EVOLUTIONARY AT THE HANMER VALLEY SHOPPING CENTRE

 

Skating Excursions With Class Provide Children, Parents and Grandparents With An Opportunity For Fun And Exercise

Hailee (5), an S.K. student at Ecole Catholique Elementaire Jean Paul II, and her father, Ryan, have a chance to skate with the class during "Skating Day" at the Ray Plourde Arena in Val Caron.

There is nothing like dozens of young children skating on the ice, especially when many of them are still learning how to balance themselves on these "blades of steel". The scene at Val Caron's Ray Plourde Arena was chaotic at best, but everyone truly enjoyed themselves. The younger boys and girls were in good hands as many parents and grandparents donned the skates as well and offered their encouragement. Students from older grades were also on the ice to help with the children from the younger grades.

CAW - LOCAL 598 RATIFY THREE-YEAR AGREEMENT WITH XSTRATA WITH 93% ACCEPTANCE VOTE

Mine Mill Local 598 - Canadian Auto Workers
GREATER SUDBURY AREA WELCOMES AGREEMENT AS A SIGN OF HOPE FOR STEELWORKERS
It was a long hard marathon session, but at approximately 5:00 a.m., Monday, February 1, 2010, there was a huge sigh of relief felt across the Greater Sudbury Area as the bargaining teams representing Xstrata Nickel and CAW/Mine Mill Local 598 signed a tentative agreement for a new Collective Agreement, averting strike action by the membership.

On Tuesday, February 2, 2010, 876 of the 1080 members of Sudbury Mine, Mill & Smelter Workers Union, Local 598/CAW voted to accept the agreement with an overwhelming 93% margin. A total of 813 voted yes while only 63 voted no.

The main details of the agreement included:

  • a $2,500 signing bonus to all active and laid off members;
  • a wage increase of $0.20 per hour in the third year of the contract;
  • a $0.27 cola fold in from the previous contract and the COLA rolled into wages each year;
  • a retirement incentive of $10,000 per employee for eligible employees who voluntarily elect to retire with an unreduced pension during the life of the agreement;
  • a 30 and out plan with a $3,450 monthly pension;
  • several benefit improvements, including up to $1,000 in laser eye surgery;
  • a $500 payment to low income pensioners and widows

Also included in the agreement is a Nickel performance bonus in addition to a modified existing nickel bonus system (based on a higher floor price).

There were several other staffing provisions in the agreement, including a guarantee that if a person was promoted to a staff position, he would maintain all of his seniority rights in production & maintenance for up to two years.

Both sides are very pleased with the results of the negotiations which were punctuated by a positive communication atmosphere throughout. It was clear that both sides wanted an agreement.

Now the city waits for Vale Inco and the Steelworkers to settle their dispute.

    

Larry Berrio Co-Hosts THE LEARNING CLINIC Three-Hour Live Talk Radio Show With Robert Kirwan on February 8, 2010

Larry Berrio, a resident of Valley East and who is recognized as one of Sudbury's most exciting performers in the music industry, shown in front of his decorated truck on the right, was the co-host of a special 3-hour live talk radio show on Laurentian University's CKLU 96.7 FM on February 8, 2010. The program is called THE LEARNING CLINIC and is on every Monday from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. It is hosted and produced by Robert Kirwan, Publisher of Valley East Today and owner of The Greater Sudbury Learning Clinic, his private practice as an Education, Training and Career Planning Consultant. Kirwan is shown on the left.

Berrio welcomed the opportunity to do the show with Kirwan, only two days after the official launch of his new video, "Rock Town", which was released during a grand ceremony at Science North on February 5, 2010. The launch was attended by 350 people, all who were there to celebrate the launch of the video ROCK TOWN which was dedicated to all miners and people working in the mining industry.

Kirwan first met Larry Berrio in June 1997, just before he released his very first CD, "Living A Dream" which was the start of his career as country music entertainer. Before that, Larry was the owner of a company called "Larry's Graphics". Music was a part-time job until he released "Living A Dream". A copy of The Vision Paper which carried the article, can be found at the end of this article.

During the radio show, Larry Berrio shared his life story with listeners and explained what young people can expect if they want to follow his path in the entertainment industry. THE LEARNING CLINIC is a program that provides students and parents with information that may help them in making important life decisions with respect to education and career development. In addition to bringing in groups of students from area secondary schools, Kirwan also invites people such as Larry Berrio to appear on the show to talk about some of the challenges and offer some suggestions regarding their own careers.

During the show on Monday, February 8, 2010, Larry Berrio talked about how his new video was produced, explaining how he was able to secure funding from supportive people in the Greater Sudbury Area. He also played his hit song, "Rock Town", and explained the story behind that recording. Rock Town is expected to be extremely popular with the over 2 million people across the country who are involved in the mining industry. 

Berrio also announced that he will be the "headliner" at the Knights of Columbus Country Fair which is held every July at the K of C fair grounds in Hanmer. For now, he will be doing an extensive "radio tour" across the country promoting his CD, RPM. 

Jeff Sheppard, Larry's manager who resides in Kitchener, was also called during the show. He explained some of the plans that are in place for the spring and summer as they get ready for a major awards show that Larry will be playing at this summer. The show will be broadcast across the country and will give Berrio the exposure he needs to take his career "over the top".

Larry Berrio has been compared by many as a "younger Garth Brooks". He has a passion for entertaining live at concerts and outdoor festivals, and still gets a rush when he has a chance to play in one of the country bars in Sudbury or across the country. "I love being close to the fans, and you really get close to them in a bar. The fans just love being able to talk to Larry following the show and he always finds time to speak to them and make them feel special. Larry also explained why he deliberately selected ten songs for his new CD that are all fast-paced. He stated that he wanted to be able to perform every one of his songs live on stage. He said that when people come out to a show they want to see a high-energy entertainer. They don't come out for slow songs.

Larry gives a lot of credit for his success in the music business to his parents, Oliver and Judy Barriault, of Val Caron. Oliver was interviewed over the phone during the show and expressed his pride in what his son has been able to do. Oliver worked his entire career with Inco, so he was especially thrilled when Rock Town came out. "Larry's song really captures what it means to be a miner. There is nothing like the camaraderie you find with a group of miners. It is something that this city was built upon and it is what newcomers notice the most. The people here care for each other and welcome you with open arms." 

If you missed the show, you can download the entire three hours by going to the archive section of www.cklu.ca Select February 8 from the calendar and put in the starting time as 17:15 ( which is 5:15 p.m. using the 24 hour clock). Put 180 minutes as the duration and save the show as an mp3 file on your computer. You can then play it with your media player. 

It has been a long, hard road for the past 12 years for Larry Berrio. He now has his second CD under his belt, a fantastic video, and has also produced the theme song for a national hunting show called, "In The Rough" which is carried by Global every Sunday morning. The theme song of the same name is also on his new CD, RPM.

If you want to find out more about Larry Berrio, visit his web site at www.larryberrio.com 
 
ARTICLE ON LARRY BERRIO FROM JUNE 4, 1997
Written in The Vision Paper by Robert Kirwan

 

Hospice Palliative Care Volunteer Training Offers Local Residents A Chance To Take Part In A Rewarding Experience

Jeannette Carrier, Volunteer Coordinator of Warmhearts Palliative Caregivers of Sudbury/Manitoulin, and one of her volunteers, Jean Manuael, were seen at area malls recently selling raffle tickets on a beautiful Valentine Sweetheart Basket. Here they are shown at the Hanmer Valley Shopping Centre.

They were also letting the public know about the work that the members of the Sudbury/Manitoulin Palliative Caregivers do in the community. They do a lot of fund-raising and public awareness, but their main mission is to improve the quality of life for people who are going through end-of-life challenges, regardless of illness. You can find out about their work by visiting the web site at www.warmhearts.ca 

If you are interested in working with the Sudbury/Manitoulin Palliative Caregivers, you can take part in a 30 hour training course which starts on  and April 9 (French) and April 16, 2010 (English).

 

Valley East Facebook Group Growing In Popularity As Hundreds Of Current & Former Residents Use The Internet To Keep In Touch
Valley EastThe popular social network site, Facebook, now has a special group section that will allow current and former residents of Valley East to keep in touch with a click of a mouse. Valley East is a group that was created during the second week of January and had grown to over 700 members by February 9.

Each day more and more people are joining up as the word spreads and "friends" of "friends" are invited to join. The Valley East Today Online Newspaper is also being distributed to members of the new group which will make this site even more valuable, especially to those who now live in far away places. 

For example, one of the members is Sandra Umney, shown in the photo on the right, who many of you will remember as Sandra Laliberte. Sandra graduated from St. Anne School in Hanmer in 1979 and is now teaching english in a secondary school in the UK. Sandra discovered her former teacher, Robert Kirwan, through Facebook after being out of touch for over thirty years. Many local residents will remember Sandra and now have a chance to communicate with her through the Facebook group.

If you would like to become a member of that group, just go to the top right hand side of this page and click on the Valley East Face Book Group button, or click on the button below. If you are not currently a member of Facebook, you will have to join. There is no cost to join Facebook and it will definitely be something that will have you wondering why you didn't join a long time ago.

Student Group Plans On Promoting Safe Driving All Year Long

If you would like to read hundreds of stories that have been published over the years on Valley East Today, visit the Living History Archives by clicking on the button below. Stories go back for up to six or seven years with plenty of photos that will bring back memories.

 

NEWS & VIEWS is a special section of Valley East Today that will be devoted to summarizing events and issues that will have a major impact on our community. We do not intend to make this a "Current Events Section" since that is best left up to daily and weekly news publications.

 

READERS’ FORUM has been created as a special section of Valley East Today where readers can express their opinions on any topic they wish or pose questions to the editor and other readers. We hope that this section will result in a healthy exchange of opinions from local residents on issues that they find important. If you wish to participate in READERS’ FORUM, all you have to do is send an email to the editor. Click on the box above to enter.
Austin Powell and Amanda McCutcheon, both Grade 11 students at Confederation Secondary School, were special guests on The Learning Clinic Radio Show, hosted by Robert Kirwan on Laurentian University's CKLU 96.7 FM in December. The two are members of the Ontario Students Against Impaired Driving Group from Confederation Secondary School and were representing over 40 fellow students who have joined the group which was started by Teacher Supervisor, Ashleigh McBain in the fall of 2009.  During the show they spoke about how it was the death of three young teenagers in a tragic accident in Valley East on June 21, 2009. Steven Philippe (16) and Jazmine Houle (15),  who both attended Confederation secondary school, were walking along the side of Hwy 69N in Hanmer with their friend, Caitlin Jelley (15), when all three were killed by an impaired driver. Students at the school have shown tremendous support for the activities being organized by the OSAID group as the students try to raise awareness among community members of the need for people to be more sensible when it comes to driving while being impaired in any way. They stated that while alcohol is often the root cause of accidents where impairment is a factor, cell phones, loud passengers, medication, and a long list of other things that can reduce one's ability to focus on driving.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.
Mother of Two Young Children Decides To Venture Forth Into The World of Business In Search of a More Balanced Lifestyle
Melanie Giroux, a mother of two young children, Caleb (4) and Noah (6 months) has been working for almost ten years. She graduated with a diploma in Social Work from Collage Boreal and subsequently worked in that field for a couple of years. For the past seven years she has been working as an Educational Assistant for one of the local school boards. During that time, her and her husband, Dan, have enjoyed life raising their two children in Valley East, where both her and Dan were born and raised.

Now, Melanie and Dan want more from life. They want to enjoy their children and long for a more balanced lifestyle. Hence, Melanie has decided to explore some options for starting a home-based business so that she can help contribute to the family income and still be available for her children as they grow up.

On January 30, 2010, Melanie set up a display at the Hanmer Valley Shopping Centre to see if there is a need for a Party Planning Service in Valley East. Her party planning services would involve all aspects of planning a party from invitations to decorations to entertainment. Types of parties planned would include birthday parties, theme parties, anniversaries, Christmas parties, baptism/christening, graduations, etc. She would also plan children's parties that would include invitations, loot bags, balloons, cutlery and plates, napkins, games and/or craft projects.

As part of her survey, Melanie interviewed shoppers to find out if such a business venture would be viable and to determine how much people would pay for these services. Whether Melanie starts up the party planning service or not will be decided by the feedback she receives from her surveys. However, what Melanie has decided is that she definitely wants to start her own business. She just needs to decide what that business will involve. You can download a copy of the survey by clicking here>>>>. You can also call Melanie at (705) 969-8251 for more information.

Melanie was also be the special guest on THE LEARNING CLINIC, a live talk radio show that is hosted by Robert Kirwan on CKLU 96.7 FM every Monday evening from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. THE LEARNING CLINIC is a show that deals with education and career development. Melanie appeared on the show on Monday, February 1, 2010 from about 6:15 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. She shared her story about how people her age are now beginning to consider small business start-ups as a viable option to working as an employee for the rest of their life. She moved to Valley East from Timmins at the age of 2 and plans on raising her children her as well. After graduating from Ecole Secondaire Catholique l'Horizon in Val Caron, Melanie obtained a Diploma in Social Work from Collage Boreal and a Youth and Child Worker Diploma afterwards. She has spent the past six or seven years working as an Education Assistant and will continue to do so after her maternity leave ends. Her goal is to set up a home-based business on a part-time basis and eventually build it up to the point where she may be able to work part-time or devote full-time to the business. If you happen to miss the live broadcast of the show, you can go to the web site at www.thelearningclinic.ca and find out how you can download the entire show onto your own computer. 

Hanmer Valley Shopping Centre Continues To Provide Central Communication Site For Community

The community bulletin boards in the east wing of the mall are filled with notices, posters and information in general about organizations, schools and churches. Shoppers stop by frequently to read the notices. Local schools are always invited to set up information display exhibits in the hallways. Here Ecole Notre Dame lets the public know about their kindergarten registrations in the spring.

Georgette Bergeron Seeks Help From Local Residents To Help Rebuild Mission In Haiti Following Devastating Earthquake

If You Want To Help Georgette, Read The Article Below and Contact Her For Information.
Georgette Bergeron is well known in Valley East as the President of the Cercle Missionnaire de la Vallee, which was established in 1991 by a group of persons in the Valley who had the desire to help the less fortunate not only in the region, but also in Haiti. Since that time, Cercle Missionnaire de la Vallee has been sending supplies to Sister Therese Lamoureux m.c.r. at Cardinal Leger Hospital in Sigueneau, Haiti. She in turn has been distributing the goods to those in need to help with schools, hospitals, housewives and their families, crafts-men and crafts-women and gardeners just to name a few. Funds raised have paid for a number of houses or their repairs, and for some wells. Unfortunately, Sigueneau is located just 30 km to the west of Port-au-Prince, and was hit hard by the recent earthquake. The convent, hospital and warehouse which was used to store the goods shipped to the mission were all destroyed and must now be rebuilt. Georgette has a full shipment ready to be sent once the word is given that the sisters will be ready to receive it. Now, what is needed most are donations of money to help reconstruct the facilities and give the less fortunate hope in this desperate time.

The earthquake in Haiti has brought world-wide attention onto the plight of Haitians. However, Georgette is quick to point out that there were major problems even before the earthquake hit. She stated that Haiti is not only the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere but it is also the only one that falls into the category of a "third-world country". Haiti is also the second most food insecure country in the world. Remember that this was all before the earthquake.

Haiti has a population of 10,000,000. Things are so bad that life expectancy is only 49 years, and a child born in Haiti has a 21% chance of dying before his/her 40th birthday. 59% of the people are illiterate and over 500,000 children have no school to attend. In addition, over 300,000 children are forced into slavery. 78% of the population has a yearly salary of less than $730 and only 28% of the population has access to safe drinking water with 46% of the population being considered as undernourished. The entire country has only 60,000 telephone lines for a population of over 10,000,000. This means that there are only 3 phones for every 500 Haitians. With respect to crime, consider that the National Penitentiary was built to hold 400 prisoners. However, there are 3330 prisoners in the facility, and 90% of the prisoners have not had a trial.

This is a country that needs help. If you wish to make a donation to help Georgette and the Cercle Missionnaire de la Vallee help the Haitians, give her a call at 969-2192 and she will tell you how you can be of assistance.

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