Curling at the local club has ended for
another season. The ice is out, and aside from summer maintenance, fundraising,
the occasional rental and a few executive meetings, the club will be quiet
until October. Some end-of-the-season results follow.
Congratulations to the North Dundas
High School curling team. Dave Lillico, Shane Latimer, Geoff Spruit and Callen
Arnold won the provincial championship recently, and we are also proud of their
coach, club member Ian Wilson. It is worth noting that the last team from that
school to take provincial honours was also coached by a club member, John
Wilson, Ian’s father. In addition, hanging from our lounge walls are banners
won by students of Seaway District High School, coached by another senior
member, Sid Morrell. This club is blessed with some fine curlers, but also,
members who go out of their way to pass on their love of the game.
Cudos are in order for
the Tuesday Night Men’s champion team, led by Robert Houze, who defeated Joe
McCooeye’s foursome. The Thursday Night Competitive winners were Craig
Harriman, Robert and Graham Houze, and Alan Brunt, defeating Bob Bergland, John
Allison, and Sam and Josh Laurin.
Thursday a.m. saw the Daytime Mixed curling champions declared. They are Doug Brannan, Susan McIntosh, Jim Locke and Robert Martin. In the final Daytime Men’s draw, for the Lorne Kincaid Trophy, Martin Schneckenburger, Arnold Barkley, Ron Brown and Art Carkner took home the hardware. Finally, the Friday Night Mixed winners were Wally McDonald, Bob Fortin, Walter Reid and Lyse Scharfe.
Neil Williams took a large number of
candid shots at the fund-raising bonspiel last weekend, and left some fine
pictures (and the disk) for members. At a dollar a shot, his effort has so far
raised another eighty dollars for the club. Thanks again, Neil!
The club champion foursome of Bobby
Robichaud, Travis McMillan, Luke Whitteker and Connor Woodmass, our
representatives in their Zone Championships, were one of eight teams in the
playdowns in Cumberland over the weekend. They defeated the Winchester champions
and tied the R.C.M.P. reps. Unfortunately, they lost the tiebreaker, and will
not advance to Regionals. Well done anyway, fellows, and good luck next year in
Bantams!
Playoffs abound for our
folks, as the Tuesday night men’s final was on at the club last night. It
featured the Robert Houze and Joe McCooeye foursomes. Tonight the competitive
league final has Craig Harriman’s team doing battle with Bob Bergland for the
men’s club championship at 7:00 p.m. Should be quite a game.
Last Saturday, Walter
Reid, one our executive members, organized and ran a highly successful
fundraising bonspiel at the club. The event featured twelve teams, chosen at
random, and changed liberally during the competition, a silent auction, a draw
for a basket of goodies and a delicious pot luck supper. The event raised
fifteen hundred dollars, not including the refreshments that people purchased.
Walter wishes to thank the Subway Restaurant, prize sponsors, pot luckers, the
kitchen, bar, and ice staff, and everyone who made the day such a resounding
success. Since we have a little space today, perhaps we could mention the
competitors. Who knows, maybe they’ll buy extra copies of the paper for their
friends, children or even grandchildren! The draw winners were Dave King, Ron
Toonders, and Paula and Sam Locke, and Don O’Brien, Bob Burgess, Dwight Gilmer
and Peter McCooeye. Other fine teams included Doug Brannan, John Toonders,
Joanne Baker and John Marston, Martin Schneckenburger, Claire Locke, Al
Gowanlock and Janice Toonders, and Mahlon Locke, John Allison, Wally Baker and
Cathy Marston. Then there were John C. and Tony Toonders, Art Carkner and Wendy
Casselman, Gerry Thompson, Ken Wilson, Sandra Beckstead and Jim Casselman, as
well as Sid Morreell, Susan McIntosh, Glenn Cougler and Lyse Scharfe, Ray
Benoit, Dave McIntosh, Alice Thompson and Dorothy Culkin. Finally, there were
Neil Williams, Bob Fortin, Greta McGann and Anjo Norg, John Lyon, Keith
Brannen, Ron Brown and Leon Quenneville, and Jack Dikland, Kathy Norg, Len Bellamy
and Peter Swank.
On Friday last week, the
daytime mixed curlers hosted three teams from Kemptville. Morrisburg won two of
the games, and hosted the visitors to lunch, followed by the usual round of
good wishes and stories. Our reps were Steve & Alice Thompson, Walter Reid
and Cathy Marston, Len Bellamy, Cheryl Thompson, Keith Brannen and Sandra
Beckstead, and Doug Brannan, Betty Locke, Susan McIntosh, Dorothy Culkin. The
final game for the mixed is on this week, and that result and all other finals
will be in the season’s final column next time.
There’s
so much curling on television these days that one hesitates to comment. It’s
been highly entertaining, of course, and more than a little humbling. Finally,
there are still a few spots for the club’s closing banquet next Saturday. Good
curling to all!
Congratulations to Morrisburg’s Little
Rockers! At the Granite Bonspiel recently, Bobby Robichaud, Travis McMillan,
Luke Whitteker and Connor Woodmass took first place. Then, on Sunday, our young
curlers hosted their own bonspiel. Twelve teams were entered from eastern
Ontario and western Quebec, and a team from Montreal came away with top
honours. However, a Morrisburg trio, Luke Whitteker, and Connor and Anna
Woodmass placed second. Well done! And thanks again to Sydney Schnurr, who
somehow finds time to make all of this a reality.
At the City of Ottawa
Men’s Bonspiel, Robert Houze, Joe McCooeye, Mike Perry, and Bev McQueen played
seven games, and were eliminated in a one-point battle by a team from
Buckingham. They were competing for the Ottawa Senators Trophy. Sid Morrell,
Neil Williams, Raymond Benoit and Don O’Brien played five games in the Senators
division, and were eliminated by an R.A. team in the Moosehead division.
The club’s competitive
league regular season finished last Thursday, with John Wilson’s and Larry
Cooper’s teams in the top two spots. This earned them a bye to the semi-finals.
Joe McCooeye finished third, while Craig Harriman’s team squeaked into sixth
spot. Chris Barkley and Bob Bergland square off tonight at 7:00 to determine
the winners of the 3 vs. 6 and 4 vs. 5 teams. These winners play in the
semi-final games tomorrow night at 7:00. Why not drop in at the club and watch
some exciting curling as the teams move toward the club championship.
Three senior men’s teams
from Cornwall played three from the Morrisburg club in a friendly bonspiel last
Wednesday. Morrisburg won two of the games and hosted the visitors to a
substantial lunch afterwards. Gerry Thompson, Dave King, Brian Fawcett and
Keith Brannen were good hosts, while John Lyon, Steve Thompson, Walter Reid and
Leon Quenneville, and the foursome of Martin Schneckenburger, Arnold Barkley, Ron
Brown and Art Carkner played so well they had to buy drinks for the visitors.
A senior ladies team
finished fourth in the Grandmothers’ Bonspiel in Winchester last week,
splitting their games. Cheryl Thompson, Betty Locke, Alice Thompson and Barb
Rabideau enjoyed their meals and their visit to the prize table as well.
Morrisburg hosted the Dundas County Hospice Bonspiel last Saturday. The charity raised over $1000.00 and Reina DeJong thanked those who helped make the day so successful, including a large number of local curlers. In the first draw, Wally McDonald, Steve Thompson, and Cathy and John Marston finished first over Alice Thompson, Susan McIntosh, Walter Reid and Joanne Baker. In the second draw, Doug and Derek Brannan, Geoff Parkins and Tim Markou finished first, ahead of Ian Wilson, Mike Staebler and John and Kathi Wilson. Perry’s Auto Body entered a team of novice curlers and won the hearts of other competitors with their good-natured enthusiasm.
Good luck to Ian Wilson’s
North Dundas curlers in this week’s provincial finals. Don’t forget to sign up
for this Saturday’s spiel and the windup banquet. Good curling to all!
The
City of Ottawa men’s bonspiel, the largest in the world, begins today.
Representing us in the Senators’ division (over age 65) are Sid Morrell, Neil
Williams, Raymond Benoit and Don O’Brien. Why not drive to the Uplands air base
and watch them begin their week this afternoon at the Hylands Club? They are
guaranteed four eight end games, while the younger men must play ten end games.
There’s plenty of curling going on
farther afield. Congratulations to Ottawa’s Muriel Potter and Les Rogers of
Edmonton, Canada’s representatives at the world senior championships. Our
Canadian champions at the junior level are doing well in their world curling
final. And fans are enjoying some unusually fine curling this week at the
Brier, the Canadian men’s championships. Wouldn’t it be nice to see the Ontario
and Alberta champions in the final on Sunday? Finally, this weekend sees the
women’s world championships get under way. With several former world
title-holders in the mix, our Canadian ladies will be in tough.
At Winchester on Sunday,
two teams from each of Russell, Metcalfe, Morrisburg and Winchester the Little
Rock Big Four Championship. After a very successful day, the evening’s ‘A’
final was an all-Morrisburg affair. In an exciting match, Bob Robichaud, Travis
McMillan, Luke Whitteker and Connor Woodmass won out over Connor McIntosh,
Mitchell Collins, and Liam and Denzil Barkley. Congratulations to all eight
curlers, and their coach!
Some of the daytime ladies
were at Prescott last week for a friendly bonspiel. They played a game in the
afternoon, and then repaired to the lounge for refreshments. Dorothy Culkin,
Cathy Marston, Sue McIntosh, Betty Locke, Sandra Beckstead and Cheryl and Alice
Thompson were among the local curlers making the trip. Prescott will make a
return trip at the end of the month.
On Saturday, our club was
the locale for the annual Easter Seal Bonspiel. The overall winners were Martin
Schneckenburger, Len Bellamy, Ron Brown and Glenn Cougler. Winners in their
draw were Wally McDonald, Raymond Benoit, and John and Cathy Marston. The
organizers, prize donors, and sponsor, the Morrisburg M & M Food Store,
deserve special credit for making the event a success, and raising over $1200
for a fine cause.
Sunday saw the final
two-person bonspiel of the year played. In the ‘C’ final, Al Black and Steve
Boucher won out over Bobby Jack Hart and Mike Perry, while Dave King and Keith
Brannen prevailed in the ‘B’, over Sue and Dave McIntosh. In a very tight ‘A’
final, John C. and Ron Toonders won the ‘A’ title, defeating Alice and Steve
Thompson on the last rock as Steve came up light his final take out. Thanks to
Bobby for organizing these events, and the New Centennial Dining Lounge for
sponsoring them. A new plaque donated by the Morrisburg Building Centre was
unveiled, and winners in the three divisions received small replica plaques
designed by Laine Brannen.
Nationally,
the Canadian women’s championship, the Scott Tournament of Hearts, wound up
Sunday, with B.C.’s Scott prevailing over Team Canada, and we look forward next
to the men’s championship, beginning this weekend.
Three of our senior men’s teams
played a friendly match at Prescott last Friday. Bill Magee’s and Doug
Brannan’s foursomes won their matches, while Don O’Brien’s quartet lost an
exciting duel on the game’s last rock. As always, the competition was
good-natured, and finished with the usual meal at lunchtime and the drive home.
Winner of the senior men’s Jim Fraser
trophy in the last twelve-team draw of the year was the undefeated team of Pete
Zeran, Arnold Barkley, Jim Locke and Robert Martin. With some off on holidays,
this last draw, which began on Monday, will have fewer teams and a less
competitive bent to it. The plan is to have curlers rotate positions for some
of the games to give everyone a chance to call the shots.
Walter Reid drove Steve Thompson, Dave
King and Art Carkner to a twenty-four team bonspiel in Maxville last Tuesday.
They triumphed in their draw, and returned just in time for Dave’s evening
game. Our second foursome included Pete Zeran, Bob Bedingfield, Earl Jeacle and
Karl Duncan. They enjoyed the fast and swingy ice, which took some getting used
to, and they didn’t like it quite as much as their opposition.
Betty Locke, Alice Thompson, Sandra
Beckstead and Dorothy Culkin spent last Wednesday at Maxville also, playing
teams from Cornwall and Hudson, Quebec. After a fine lunch and a close match
with Hudson, the ladies drove home, packing their prizes.
Last weekend saw the Zone playdowns in
mixed and senior mixed curling at our club. Although no local teams were
entered, there were a couple of familiar names, with Spence Cooper, now curling
out of the Ottawa club, here, as well Ken Sullivan from Russell, who was
eliminated in his third match. Allaire, of Ottawa, won the ‘A’ final, and in
‘B’, Cooper defeated R.C.M.P.’s Salari, to also move on to Regionals.
On the senior side, there were just three
teams entered, Randy Garland, the perennial Ottawa C.C. representative, and two
teams from Navan, Norm Clement and Bob Rodney. Garland defeated Clement to
become the ‘A’ champion, and Clement was the
‘B’ winner. These two move on to the regional championships at Hylands
on March 11 &12, while the mixed go to Land O’ Lakes on the same dates.
Sunday saw some real
competition for the t.v. remote button, with the big Newfoundland/Labrador
cashspiel’s finale competing with the early rounds of the ladies’ Tournament of
Hearts. The final was an all-Alberta event, Randy Ferbey defeating Kevin
Martin.
Congratulations to our
Canadian representatives at the Olympics. Shannon Kleibrink won the bronze
medal and Brad Gushue the gold.
This weekend sees two
bonspiels at the local club. Those who might like to rent the facility are
advised to call Walter Reid at 652-4508, to reserve. Good curling to all!
Two men’s teams represented
the club at Metcalfe last weekend at the double-rink four club men’s
competition being held there, the Merkley. After the evening banquet, the four
top teams went out on the ice for the finals. In the ‘B’ division, Morrisburg’s
Craig Harriman, Mahlon Locke, Joe McCooeye and Al Black lost a squeaker to a
strong Winchester rink. In the ‘A’ final, Robert Houze, Bob Bergland, and Sam
and Josh Laurin triumphed over the Metcalfe pretender. Next year, Morrisburg
will play host to this yearly event.
Last Wednesday, Morrisburg
hosted the equivalent competition for senior men. Once again, Morrisburg’s two
teams made it to the evening finals. In the ‘B’ championship game, Pete Zeran,
Bob Bedingfield, Earl Jeacle and Karl Duncan lost to Graham Hicks’ Metcalfe
foursome. Our ‘A’ division reps fared better, defeating Russell’s J.P. St.
Pierre for the trophy. Congratulations to Sid Morrell, Jack Dikland/Don
O’Brien, Raymond Benoit and Gerry Thompson. Sid, who was also convener for the
event, thanked both the volunteers who did the catering for both meals and
those who donated food. The seniors were able to turn about four hundred
dollars over to the club as a result.
Last Monday, Wally
McDonald, Sue McIntosh, Len Bellamy and Sandra Beckstead split their matches at
a senior mixed bonspiel in Perth, as did Gerry and Cheryl Thompson and Jim and
Betty Locke. Wally’s foursome had better luck, though, as their combined
purchases of 50/50 tickets won the two draws that were held. They felt so lucky
that they also shared later in the purchase of lottery tickets. If the team is
still around, it may be that their lottery numbers didn’t come up.
Once
again last weekend, the club was busy with two bonspiels, arranged by club
members. Our thanks to them and their guests for having their outings at the
Morrisburg club. This weekend, the Senior Mixed Zone playdowns are in town.
Don’t miss the Saturday start; this should be the best curling of the year at
our club.
This week, volunteers are
giving lessons to three groups of school children. While these activities
provide some extra money for the facility, our main interest is to bring
curling to more young people’s attention. It is a sport that people can play
over a lifetime, and a knowledge of the game opens more vistas to people when
events such as the Canadian and Olympic Championships are played.
By the way, our Canadian
champions’ struggles at the Olympics have a silver lining, for the point can be
made that it is our coaching and promotion of the sport world-wide that has
brought teams from other nations to a higher level. Good curling to all!
Two of Morrisburg’s novice girls’ teams
had a great time at a Brockville bonspiel last weekend. Haley Van Allen, Laura
Taunton, Dana Van Beilen and Michaela Goodenough won their first game handily
but came up against tough competition for their next two games, losing both.
Logan Patterson, Stephanie Venema, Carly Smith and Rebecca Van Beilen lost two
squeakers by 3-2 scores, but blew away the opposition in their third game. Well
done, ladies!
Morrisburg men’s teams
have been busy recently. The news of their triumphs in Prescott arrived too late
for inclusion last week, but Bob Bergland’s foursome, undefeated in three
matches, placed second overall. With Bob were Josh and Sam Laurin and Allen
Black. Congratulations, fellows! Robert
Houze, Craig Harriman, Larry Cooper and Mahlon Locke were our other foursome
and won at least one of their contests. Many of the same curlers are off to the
two-team Merkley competition this weekend. Hopefully we’ll have the results for
you next week.
Ian Wilson’s high school men’s and
women’s rinks were at it again at the club last week. Teams from Cornwall,
Russell, North Dundas and Seaway competed in the all day event. They’re using
the bonspiel as a tune-up for the playdowns in Cornwall, and those expected to
dominate showed their skills with some high-calibre shot-making. Two of the
area weeklies made it to the event, and hopefully they’ll have pictures and
details of the results.
In
senior competition, Sid Morrell, Raymond Benoit, Don O’Brien and Jack Dikland
were in Lancaster last week for a bonspiel. They curled well, splitting their
games in a tough field. Today, two of our senior men’s teams will be hosting
Russell, Winchester and Metcalfe in an all-day event. Should be some good
matches for interested spectators, with the finals going on in the evening,
after their banquet.
In
provincial results, we were saddened to hear that Bryan Cochrane, who once
curled out of our club, didn’t make it to the Ontario Championship’s final
match. As curlers may have heard, Glenn Howard’s rink defeated the Wayne
Middaugh foursome in the final match on Sunday to advance to the Brier, March
11-19 in Regina. Most of the other provincial champions have been declared,
including Kevin Martin for Alberta, winning out in that province for the first
time in years.
Our Canadian curling
champions are in the thick of things at the Olympics, with Shannon Kleibrink
and Brad Gushue carrying our colours. We’ll be following thos matches with
interest.
The club is busy on both
days this weekend, with local private rentals. And finally, two of our local
senior mixed teams are at Perth this week, and we’ll have their results next
time. Good curling to all!
Last Wednesday, two of three senior
men’s teams played off for the honour of representing our club at the
double-team, four club Sullivan Bonspiel which Morrisburg will host next
Wednesday. Sid Morrell, Neil Williams, Don O’Brien and Raymond Benoit took an
extra end in a seesaw battle to defeat the team of Jack Dikland, Wally
McDonald, John Wilson and Al Gowanlock. Sid’s team will represent us, while
Jack will play off against Pete Zeran’s foursome this morning to determine the
other representative.
The men’s competition, The
Merkley, identical in format, will be played in Winchester this year. Four
teams were interested in playing for Morrisburg, and the playoff has been
completed. Robert Houze will lead one of the foursomes, while the other is yet
to be announced.
On Saturday, Ian McGillis, with some other
hard-working volunteers, looked after an OCA Colts Zone Playdown held at the
local club. Age is not a barrier in this division; a limit on the years of
experience of the curlers is the qualifying factor. On the men’s side, Jean
Charlebois of Cornwall, Mike Aprile of the Ottawa Curling Club and Kevin Baker
of Cornwall entered teams. Baker won the ‘A’ Division. For the women, Jen Baker
of Cornwall, Carol Fraser of Alexandria and Mitch Baker of Cornwall competed
for the right to go to the Regional Playdowns. Mitch won ‘A’ honours. Our best wishes go to the Cornwall teams, who
will represent our Zone at the next level.
This Friday, Morrisburg is the site for
another high school curlers’ bonspiel, ably run once again by Ian Wilson. If
the last event these students played is any indication, spectators are in for
some top-notch shotmaking in the all-day event.
Jack Dikland reports that
our insurer, Brister Insurance, will donate a third camera for our final sheet.
Hopefully the last monitor will be up and running shortly, so that our
spectators can ‘get in the game’ from the warm side of the glass behind every
sheet of ice.
The Ontario men’s curling
finals, leading to the Brier, the Canadian Championships, began on Monday.
Local favorite, Russell’s Bryan Cochrane, curling in it for the final time,
according to his mother, is pitted against favored Glenn Howard. Glenn lost the
championship Sunday afternoon at the Canada Cup in B.C., on Kevin Martin’s last
rock of the final, and immediately boarded a flight back for the Ontario
championships.
The new heater over the ice
has been installed and should keep us warmer for our two-hour constitutionals.
And finally, a rental at our club this weekend sees Grumpy’s Sports Bar on the
ice for another evening of energetic curling. The old curling club will be busy
for these last few weeks of the season and the club looks forward to all of
those rentals and bonspiels. Good curling to all!
In Parnell Trophy
competition for the senior men, Sid Morrell, Neil Williams, Don O’Brien and
Raymond Benoit and the team of John Lyon, Gerry and Steve Thompson and Keith
Brannan emerged victorious in their playoffs against Pete Zeran, Karl Duncan, Earl Jeacle, Dave Salsman and the other
challengers, Jack Dikland, Wally McDonald, John Wilson and Al Gowanlock teams.
Then on Friday the visitors journeyed to Prescott to compete for the trophy.
John Lyon’s foursome overpowered a Lancaster quartet, while Sid Morrell, with
Jack Dikland substituting for Don O’Brien, triumphed over Prescott. In the
second game, John Lyon lost 8-6 to the same Prescott team, the defending
champions, while Sid Morrell won his second game, and had the trophy presented
to him by Prescott.
Thursday saw competition for the Hugh
Hutchison trophy, commemorating Robbie Burns Day. This is a local senior men’s
bonspiel, involving all teams in the league. This year we have twelve teams,
and each foursome played two six-end games. John Lyon, Ted Herriman, Ron Brown
and Gary Foss won both of their matches, and finished first, two points up on
Don O’Brien, Raymond Benoit and Glenn Cougler, who also won both of their
contests. John Wilson, Len Bellamy, Don Hutt and Art Carkner tied with Wally
McDonald, Arnold Centen, Eric Johnson and Doug Jarvis for third, with Sid
Morrell, Steve Thompson, Reg Wild and Paul Dobry right behind. Bill Magee, Karl
Duncan, Martin Schneckenburger and Walter Reid came in fifth. This was the
second year without haggis, but with poetry recitations, stories, and taped
music, the Scottish flavour of the day was maintained. The senior men made a
donation to the club that will pay for a ‘back pack’ pebble can, an improvement
over the current type of pebbler. Sid Morrell has volunteered to construct a
stand for storage and filling for the new device.
On Saturday, the club was
the scene of another fine rental bonspiel, and the charity event went off well,
with help from a number of volunteers.
This coming Saturday, an
Ontario Curling Association event, the Colts Playdowns, will be held at the
club, and as always, spectators are welcome, and volunteers needed. Later in
the month, the OCA Senior Mixed Zone Playdowns will be held here, and we hope to
have a local team competing in the event.
In Winchester on Saturday, the ladies played for the Broder Cup. Nancy Barkley, Carolyn Beckstead, Kathy Norg and Susan McIntosh won their first game against Russell and lost their second to Winchester by a single point. Anita Cooper, Paula Locke, Leanne McCooeye and Carol Dawley won their second game and defeated a Russell team after the banquet in the ‘B’ final. Well done, ladies!
The men’s equivalent competition, the Merkley, comes up in February in Metcalfe, and four teams are vying to represent our club. Foursomes led by McCooeye, Houze, Gallinger and Black begin their elimination schedule on January 30th. Good luck to all.
The seniors at the club have been busy.
The Senior Mixed Invitational Bonspiel is on today at the curling club, with
three local teams entered. We’ll have the results next time.
Last week, Wally McDonald
took Susan McIntosh, Len Bellamy and Sandra Beckstead to the White Elephant
Bonspiel in Carp. They had an exceptional day, winning both games and coming
home with the top prizes. Well done, folks!
Then, on Tuesday, Ian
Wilson hosted a bonspiel for the Upper Canada School Board’s High School
curlers. Sixteen mixed, boys’ and girls’ teams competed, from Cornwall
Collegiate Vocational, Char-Lan, Glengarry, Holy Trinity, St. Lawrence, North
Dundas, Russell, and Seaway High Schools. They’ll be back here for another
bonspiel on February 10th before heading to Cornwall at the end of
the month for the playdowns for the Ontario High School championships.
Pete Zeran, Raymond Benoit,
Karl Duncan and Earl Jeacle traveled to Lancaster for their annual Footstool
Bonspiel on Wednesday. This competition has three draws. Pete’s team won both
of their games and brought back cash prizes, but just missed getting their
names on the trophy.
On the following day, Sid
Morrell, Don O’Brien, Neil Williams and Wally McDonald competed in a bonspiel
at R.C.M.P. They faced tough competition, teams from the Ottawa and Navan
Curling Clubs, but returned home to prepare for Monday’s playoffs.
Four senior men’s teams,
skipped by Sid Morrell, Pete Zeran, Jack Dikland and John Lyon competed for the
two positions we are allowed for the next Parnell Cup competition in Prescott.
We’ll have the results next week.
And on Thursday, Doug
Brannan, Alice and Steve Thompson and Sandra Beckstead traveled to Richmond for
a senior mixed bonspiel there. It was a learning experience, playing the
overall champion first, and then losing to their second opponents on the last
rock. They enjoyed the day, and made it to the prize table.
Thursday sees the annual Hughie Hutchison/ Robbie Burns Day spiel, and we have the Broad Charity rental at the club on Saturday. Good curling to all!
Three local senior mixed teams entered a Russell bonspiel last week.
Jack Dikland, Susan McIntosh, Wally McDonald and Sandra Beckstead split their
games, while Steve and Alice Thompson, Len Bellamy and Dorothy Culkin finished
out of the prize money, but enjoyed the delicious hot meal between games. In
the late draw, Gerry and Cheryl Thompson, and Betty and Jim Locke had a
challenging day as well, but enjoyed the fellowship and hospitality Russell
always provides.
Wednesday brought the
ever-popular Bernie Brunt Memorial Bonspiel, our senior men’s invitational
competition. Teams from Eastern Ontario and West Quebec competed, with Graham’s
Prescott foursome taking the trophy in a squeaker, while Dumontier’s Cumberland
quartet ended up a close second. Winchester, Brockville, Rideau, Navy, the
R.A., Buckingham and Cornwall were also represented. Thanks to Doug Brannan,
who, with his able committee, organized and ran this successful event again
this year.
In local league play,
Sid Morrell’s senior men’s team went undefeated in the current draw to win the
Bowman Trophy. Assisting Sid were his teammates, John Wilson, Jim Locke and Art
Carkner. Worthy of note was the effort by the Don O’Brien foursome, whose sole
loss was to the championship quartet. Competition in the twelve-team league is
already underway for the Bowman Trophy.
Bobby Jack Hart
organized another two-person spiel on Sunday. Thanks to a new sponsor, the
competition will be known in future as the Centennial Pizza and Dough Spiel.
Thanks are due to McDonald’s Restaurant as well, a secondary sponsor for the
event. As usual, winners were declared in three divisions. ‘C’ Division saw
John and John C. Toonders victorious over Steve and Alice Thompson. Moving up a
level, Bobby Hart and Mike Perry pulled off a win against Dave and Susan
McIntosh to take ‘B’ Division honours. And finally, in the battle of the
undefeated teams, in the ‘A’ Division final, Derek Tupper and Keith Brannen
eked out a victory over Wally McDonald and Raymond Benoit. The finals
especially were close, hard fought affairs, and the spectators were treated to
some fine shot making. Bobby thanks those who helped him run the event, and
hopes to arrange another one for next month.
Apologies to Dave King, who really was in the Kemptville Bonspiel last week, rather than Dave Salsman, as reported in error. We’re told that some of our curlers played in Brockville over the weekend, and another team was in Carp on Monday. Perhaps we’ll have more details on them next week. In the meantime, good curling to all
Three of our senior mixed teams traveled
to the new five-sheet club in Kemptville last week. Doug Brannan, Cheryl
Thompson, Tony Toonders and Leon Quennville, Dave Salsman, Betty Locke, Sandra
Beckstead, and Jim Locke, as well as Wally McDonald, Alice Thompson, Susan
McIntosh and Walter Reid competed there. Wally McDonald’s team won their game,
and our curlers, as well as two Russell foursomes, joined their hosts for a
tasty meal in the well-appointed dining room afterwards.
On the same day, our two club champion
senior men’s teams played for the Parnell Cup in Cornwall. The four winners
from the first game played the four losing teams after lunch, and won again.
The competition was keen, and Pete Zeran, Karl Duncan, Earl Jeacle and Dave
Salsman missed the trophy by two points. Our other quartet, John Lyon, Gerry
and Steve Thompson, and Keith Brannen dropped matches to last time’s champion
Prescott team and a strong Cornwall foursome. The other Prescott group won the
championship by a single point. Better luck next time, in Prescott, fellows!
Saturday saw our local club hosting the
annual Heart and Stroke Bonspiel. Bob Ruddock, the organizer, reported that
about $1800 was raised for the charity, and he thanked the volunteers and the
many individuals and businesses that sponsored the event with prizes and
donations. Bob looks forward to renting the club at the same time next year for
another bonspiel. A fine effort, Bob, and we thank you! Finishing first overall
were Neil Williams, Martin Schneckenburger, Al Gowanlock and Ted Herriman. The
‘All Heart’ team: Karl Duncan, Pete Zeran, Earl Jeacle and Al Porter, finished
a close second, with ‘The Heart Stoppers’: Alice Thompson, Susan McIntosh, Dave
Salsman and Maureen Robertson finishing third. ‘The Avengers’, made up of Wally
McDonald, Jack Barkley and Kathy and John Marston finished fourth. Gord’s
Bombers’ were next: Larry and Diane Gallinger, Randy Veinotte and Gord Hahn.
The ‘Loonie Toons’: Ron, John, John C. and Tony Toonders were next, followed
closely by the ‘Klondike Mushers’: Dave McIntosh, Ron Brown, Gretta McGann and
Dorothy Culkin. ‘The Transplants’: Don O’Brien, Kathy Johnston, Margaret
Reynolds and Art Carkner were next. Tied for the final position: The Heart
Fits’: Betty Locke, Walter Reid, Sandra Beckstead and Jim Locke, and the ‘Hot
Shots’: Bobby Robichaud, Travis McMillan, Jack Dikland and Connor Woodmass.
Special commendations to Art Carkner, who survived being out all night before
the charity event, and to Jack Dikland’s team of Little Rockers, who adjusted quickly
to the double-weight rocks the adults use. They are undefeated so far in
bonspiels at their level.
Wally
McDonald, who, along with Martin Schneckenburger, approaches businesses for
adverising signs for the rink, reports that two new signs are being raised.
They are provided by the Upper Canada Pharmacy and Dr. Morrow’s Morrisburg
Chiropractic. M & M Meat Shops has recently added their sign, and the
Morrisburg Building Centre’s was added last fall. We encourage members and
others to frequent these establishments, and the many others whose signs
already adorn our club, for needed goods and services. Without these fine
corporate citizens, the club would be hard-pressed to stay in business. Good
curling to all!
The ice at the local club is newly flooded,
and the curling leagues are in full swing again. We begin today with some
unfinished business from before Christmas.
The first draw in the Tuesday night
men’s league is complete, and the trophy winners in the six-team league are
Robert Houze, Derek Tupper, Sam Laurin and Dave King. Congratulations, and best
of luck to all in the final draw.
Champions in the first draw for the
six-team daytime mixed league are Doug Brannan, Cheryl Thompson, Dave Salsman
and Gary Foss. The group finished their first draw with a catered turkey
dinner, presentation of the Bradford Trophy to the winners, and a few stories
from Cheryl Thompson, the coordinator. Our thanks to the ladies who decorated
the club and set up the tables for the banquet.
We don’t have the results yet for the
ladies’ daytime and evening leagues. Because of smaller numbers, they’ve been
organizing friendly matches and exchanges with women from other clubs. There is
no additional charge for these out-of-club competitions, and it can be a lot of
fun, curling with new people in different locations. For those who would like
to curl in either league, please contact Alice Thompson at 543-3134 for the
Tuesday afternoon league, or Kathy Johnston at 543-3237 for the Monday night
league.
The Thursday night competitive league
has just the one draw for the entire year, so the winner will be announced at
the end of the season. In recent years, the club champions have come from this
group. Who knows, maybe another league champion will challenge the winners this
year.
Over the Christmas break, four senior
men’s teams played off to decide our two entrants in the Parnell Challenge in
Cornwall this Friday. In the first match, John Lyon, Gerry and Steve Thompson
and Keith Brannen defeated Sid Morrell, Neil Williams, Don O’Brien and Raymond
Benoit. In the other elimination game, Peter Zeran, Karl Duncan, Earl Jeacle
and Dave Salsman bested Wally McDonald, Jack Dikland, John Wilson and Al
Gowanlock. Best of luck to John’s and Pete’s teams in Cornwall.
For those who felt they had missed the chance to play in the Two-person-bonspiel, your luck has changed. The New Year’s Day date has been scrubbed, perhaps because of anticipated difficulties. (‘The morning after the night before’ syndrome?) At any rate, the new date is Sunday, January 15, so if you’d like to enter a team, sign up in the lounge at the club or phone Bobby Hart at 535-2225. You need not be a member to play, and there are still a couple of openings. Bobby will have the details.
Three mixed seniors teams travel to Kemptville on Friday for a friendly
match there. We’ll have results for you next time. Finally, the Heart and
Stroke Bonspiel is on at the club this Saturday, and as of Monday, the
organizer, Bob Ruddock, reported that there were still a couple of openings. If
interested, give Bob a call at 543-3863 for details. That’s about it for this
week. Good curling to all!
The curling season at the
Morrisburg club is winding down for the Christmas break, but there are a number
of events on which to report. Firstly, four of our senior men entered a
bonspiel in Metcalfe recently. Sid Morrell, Neil Williams, Raymond Benoit and
Don O’Brien played a team from the Granite club in their first match, losing by
a single point. After lunch, they defeated another city team, this time from
the Rideau club. Their victory was enough to vault them into the prize money.
Well done, fellows!
Betty Locke and Susan McDonald pulled
off a fine Christmas bonspiel on Friday night, with twelve teams battling for
the trophy and the champions’ prize money. The organizers picked the teams at
random, but the matches were close. It was a good way to wind the curling down
for the Christmas break. In addition to the competition of the matches, there
were draws to the button following the games, again for generous prize money.
The draw winners were announced at the end of the evening, with ‘take home’
cups being awarded to Dorothy Culkin, Dwight Gilmour, John Toonders, Jack
Dikland, Wendy Casselman, Joanne Baker, Claire Locke, Bob Fortin, Raymond Benoit
and Greta McGann. The champions from the early and late draws, those with the
highest score, will have their names engraved on the trophy. They are Pete
Zeran, Wally Baker, Keith Brannen and Walter Reid, and in the late draw, Wally
McDonald, Bob Fortin and Sam Casselman. Thanks to Betty and Susan and their
committee for the evening, including the fine meal: vegetables and dips,
lasagna from our M and M Meat Shop, as well as chili from our local Subway
Restaurant. It was a pleasant affair, made all the better because it brought
curlers together from all of our leagues, curlers who seldom get a chance to
compete, and to socialize with each other.
A few of the leagues will continue play this week, but most will take time off until January. The daytime mixed league completes its first draw on Thursday and closes with a catered turkey dinner. We’ll have the results of their first draw in the initial week of the new year, as well as the Tuesday night men’s results, and the two winning teams for the January edition of the battle for the senior men’s Parnell Trophy. Four teams will play off over the holiday to decide our entrants. Finally, we have another two-person bonspiel on New Year’s Day, arranged by Bobby Jack Hart, and the annual Heart and Stroke Bonspiel on Saturday, January 7th. Bobby Jack tells us he has an opening or two left in his bonspiel, so give him a call if interested. Good curling and happy holidays to all!
December 14, 2005 CURLING NEWS
Some
of the Morrisburg club’s senior men visited Prescott for a bonspiel last
Wednesday. One team, skipped by John Lyon, split their games. John had Wally
McDonald, Jack Dikland and Bill Magee with him as they triumphed over an R.A.
team from Ottawa, but lost to the Kingston foursome that ended up in first
place. Well done, fellows!
Our other
representatives, Bob Bedingfield, Pete Zeran, Dave Salsman and Earl Jeacle, won
their first match against a strong Brockville quartet, and then met a second
team from Kingston after lunch. It was a nail biter and came down to a final
difficult angle bounce off a rock in the outer ring. The opponents’ rock was
buried behind guards and our skip’s Brier-type shot just missed. Teams from
Ottawa and other centres ensured a high level of competition, but our heroes
came home with attractive team sweaters as prizes, on a very satisfying day for
all concerned.
Wally McDonald had a busy
week, also taking a senior mixed team to Manotick on Friday. Curling with Wally
were Susan McIntosh, Jack Dikland, and Sandra Beckstead. They won both of their
games, against Carleton Heights and Kemptville, and finished with the high
point total on the day, taking the championship.
Over the weekend, Canada’s
men’s and women’s representatives for the curling event at the Winter Olympics
in Turin were selected in Halifax. It was an incredible week, with twenty of
the best curling teams in the world vying for only two positions. We likely saw
some of the older curlers for the last time on the national stage. While it is
sad to see them fade away, there are some superlative athletes, many of them
former Canadian and world junior champions, to take their place. Shannon
Kleibrink from Calgary, who was defeated by Sandra Schmirler’s unbelievable
shot in her previous bid for the Olympics, won this time on her own last shot.
It took a perfect draw to knock off the young former junior champion from
British Columbia, Kelly Scott.
Winnipeg’s Jeff Stoughton,
former Canadian and world champion, lost on Sunday to Brad Gushue,
Newfoundland’s Canadian and world champion, who was strengthened by the
addition of Russ Howard. Gushue will represent us at the Olympics. It may have
been the best curling match ever played, for while there were few ‘circus’
shots, there was a precision and skill level from both teams that is seldom
seen. It’s too bad we can only send one men’s team.
This Friday evening our club is holding its Christmas bonspiel. Betty Locke and Sue McIntosh report two full draws for what sounds like an interesting event. Besides the prizes, rumour has it we’ll be warming up afterwards with chili. All the details will be
available next week.
Several new members have signed
up for after Christmas, and we welcome them to the club. Many of our curlers take
time off in the cold weather for trips south or to the west coast, so we’re
doubly happy to see these replacements.
Betty Locke, Susan McIntosh, Cheryl
Thompson and Sandra Beckstead visited Lancaster last Tuesday for a Senior
Ladies’ bonspiel. They reported a fine day of enjoyable curling, and played
teams from Point Claire and Hudson, Quebec. As usual, the curling was of a high
calibre and the meal one of the highlights of the day.
Keith Brannen and three
of the Thompsons, Cheryl, Alice and Steve visited Smiths Falls on Thursday for
a senior mixed bonspiel. They had a good day, winning their first game against
a Manotick foursome, but losing after a delicious, filling meal to the eventual
champions, a fine team from Perth. Keith curled well, and he showed equal
dexterity in drawing his own ticket to win a set of dishes. It was a very
pleasant outing for all, not the least of which was the stop at Hersheys for
chocolates afterwards.
On Saturday and Sunday, the Morrisburg
and Winchester Curling Clubs played host to the Branch Doug Washer Junior
Playdowns. Men’s teams from eastern Ontario and western Quebec were eligible,
and sixteen rinks entered. Top notch curling was evident throughout, with keen
competition on both days. Thanks to our local volunteers who staffed the club
for the event here, including Greta McGann’s group, who looked after lunches
and the Saturday night banquet. Thanks are also due to the Toonders’ M and M
food store, who kindly sponsored our club’s evening meal. Officials and teams
had praise for our club, its facilities, and the ice. For the record, the
Winchester entry made it to the ‘A’ final Sunday afternoon, but lost to a
Carleton Heights quartet in a hard-fought match.
Visitors
enjoyed the fine shot making and the Olympic qualifying curling matches on
television.
Sign up sheets are posted in the lounge
for the next two-person bonspiel and for
Betty Locke’s Christmas Spiel, replacing our Turkey Spiel this year.
Good curling to all!
Two Little Rock teams traveled to
Manotick last weekend for the first of many bonspiels they will enter this
year. Cameron McIntosh, Anna Woodmass, Christina Robichaud and Logan Patterson
won their first, but dropped close second and third games. Bobby Robichaud,
Luke Whitteker, Travis McMillan and Connor Woodmass had better luck, winning
all three games, one by a wide margin, to win the overall title on the day.
Well done! We look forward to hearing of your future competitions, and
hopefully playing in the Big Four and the Little Big Four matches match later
on.
On
Wednesday the Morrisburg Curling Club played host to the Women’s Invitational
Bonspiel again. Unfortunately, they were short one team, and organizer Alice
Thompson had to enter a foursome in the competition. Betty Locke, Alice
Thompson, Susan McIntosh and Dorothy Culkin won their first match against
Prescott, but after a delicious home cooked meal, dropped their second to a
strong Cornwall foursome. Ann Chick’s Brockville team finished tied for first and
after a tie-breaker, claimed the A.C. Casselman Trophy. In the second draw,
Russell’s Sharon Carrigan won the trophy with two decisive wins. One of their
players had taken ill, and local curler Cheryl Thompson filled in and helped
them to victory. As always, the volunteers made the day and the coordinator of
the event was appreciative of their efforts.
Saturday
saw the Morrisburg Curling Club host the men’s Founders Bonspiel. Again this
year, Dave Cassell’s Strader Motor Sales sponsored the event. Rinks from
Vankleek Hill, Brockville, and of course, the usual strong contingent from Prescott
competed. As well, President Joe McCooeye had to field a local team to complete
the draw. Helping him in his mission were Bobby Jack Hart, Wally Baker and Josh
Laurin. The team curled well, but dropped their matches to Brockville’s Warner
Bischof and John Thompson, who both finished in the top five on the day. Dave
Cassell’s foursome finished up a strong second to the overall winner,
Prescott’s Garry Wright. His team’s names will be inscribed on the venerable
Founders Trophy this year. Bonspiel Coordinator Joe McCooeye offered thanks to
Donna Dillabough and her kitchen crew for the fine roast beef dinner, and to
the other volunteers who helped ensure the day’s success.
The Club will be busy again this week. In
addition to regular league curling, the Daytime Mixed League hosts three
Russell teams today, Wednesday. Also, the Branch Junior competition is being
held here on Saturday and Sunday. This will be the biggest event the club hosts
this year, and more volunteers are still needed for the event. A sign-up sheet
is available in the lounge. Good curling to all!
The senior ladies were at it again last
week. Alice and Cheryl Thompson, Sandra Beckstead and Dorothy Culkin went to
Brockville for an all-day event. They enjoyed their long day and came home with
prizes and happy memories.
Cornwall held a one-game
bonspiel, and Bob Bedingfield, Pete Zeran, Karl Duncan and Earl Jeacle dropped
a tight game to a Hawkesbury foursome. Raymond Benoit, playing with his former
Buckingham team, defeated the other Hawkesbury quartet to finish in the money.
Two senior men’s quartets
each split their games in a Winchester bonspiel. Bob Bedingfield, Pete Zeran,
Earl Jeacle and Karl Duncan, and Jack Dikland, John Wilson, Dave King and Al
Gowanlock were our representatives.
Sid Morrell, Raymond
Benoit, Don O’Brien and Neil Williams braved the storied Buckingham Club for a
bonspiel. They were impressed with the calibre of play, and lost each of their
games by just one point. We learned that some of their senior men play in the
Ottawa Curling Club’s super league, by the way.
On Wednesday, two senior
mixed teams visited Russell for a friendly competition. Doug Brannan, Steve and
Alice Thompson and Dorothy Culkin, as well as Len Bellamy, Sandra Beckstead,
Keith Brannen and Susan McIntosh enjoyed their competition, the sociability,
and the fine lunch that followed.
Sid Morrell took Gerry
Thompson, Dave Salsman and Keith Brannen to Navan’s senior men’s bonspiel on
Thursday. They tied their first game with Cityview and won their second over a
Navan team.
Friday saw Doug Brannan,
Steve and Alice Thompson and Sandra Beckstead in Kemptville for their inaugural
mixed bonspiel. The team had trouble with the new ice, but enjoyed the
hospitality, the fellowship, and their prizes.
Morrisburg sent two mixed teams to the
Gamble Bonspiel in Russell. Craig Harriman, Carolyn Beckstead, Mahlon Locke and
Wendy Casselman dropped two close games, while Ian and Kathi Wilson, with Marc
and Jane Boire won their first contest, but lost their second to the eventual
‘A’ champion Winchester foursome.
On the same day, Bobby
Jack Hart organized our first two-person bonspiel of the season. In ‘C’
division final, John and John C. Toonders prevailed over Doug Tupper and Anjo
Norj. The ‘B’ division playoff featured Kathy Norg and Greta McGann besting
Derek and Colin Tupper. ‘A’ division saw Bobby Jack Hart and Mike Perry
victorious over Keith Brannen and Dave King. There’s another competition on
January 1st.
Finally, our club was the
location for a very pleasant staff party, with some keen curlers, on Sunday.
There are still a few open dates before Christmas. Good curling!
Four
of the Morrisburg Curling Club’s women competed in Cornwall’s 24-team bonspiel
last Monday. Alice Thompson, Susan McIntosh, Sandra Beckstead and Dorothy
Culkin defeated an Alexandria rink in the morning, but fell to a Prescott
foursome in the afternoon. Our group finished behind the top three rinks, but
came home with good prizes, and will be back at it again this week in
Brockville.
Two local senior mixed
teams entered a Prescott bonspiel last week. Jack Dikland, Susan McIntosh, Wally
McDonald and Sandra Beckstead defeated their competitors, two North Grenville
rinks, in the early draw. In the late draw, our other team, Steve and Alice
Thompson, Jack Barkley and Dorothy Culkin lost to Kemptville’s representatives
7-5 in the morning, and were also defeated in the afternoon by Grantley. Their
opponents were both former winners of the Prescott meet.
The senior men had their
playoffs recently to decide our representative in the Parnell Trophy
competition. Sid Morrell, Don O’Brien, Neil Williams and Raymond Benoit will
carry our colours, courtesy of their wins in two hard-fought games. Bob
Bedingfield, Pete Zeran, Karl Duncan and Earl Jeacle, as well as Jack Dikland,
Wally McDonald, John Wilson and Al Gowanlock will be on the sidelines this
time, but will be around to cheer our representatives on later this month in
Morrisburg.
On
Saturday two local mixed teams will be competing in the Gamble event in
Russell. This is always a high-calibre competition and local aficionados are
invited to cheer on the Ian Wilson and Craig Harriman foursomes.
Last week, four of our curlers
competed in a two-day bonspiel at the Granite Curling Club in Ottawa. Cheryl
Thompson, Betty Locke, Sandra Beckstead and Susan McIntosh played a Granite
team in their first game, and in a thrilling finish, the home team won by a
single point in the last end. After lunch, our foursome met a Carleton Heights
quartet, but came out on the short end of a one-point game. The ladies repaired
afterwards to the Navy Club for a reception, where our team learned that in
spite of their close games, they had just missed the final day’s competition.
They reported it was a first-rate bonspiel, with high calibre competition. Well
done! Four of our ladies are competing this week in another big bonspiel, this
time in Cornwall. We’ll have the details next time.
Competition for the Parnell Cup is on
again this month. Morrisburg, as hosts, are allowed only one senior men’s team,
but three are interested in representing us, so a playoff is required. Sid
Morell, Bob Bedingfield and Jack Dikland’s teams will play off to decide who it
will be.
Russell is hosting the Gamble Mixed
Bonspiel this month as well, and we are allowed to send two teams. So far, Ian
Wilson and Craig Harriman have indicated interest, but if a third foursome
challenges, a playoff will be required there too.
A Friendly match between two Russell and
two Morrisburg senior mixed teams will take place later this month, with a
return visit to follow later.
Port Hawkesbury, Cape Breton was the
scene last weekend for ‘The National’, the first Grand Slam of Curling
competition this year. Some of the best men’s curlers in the world competed,
including foursomes from six provinces and seven countries. One of the
semi-finals Sunday featured Glenn Howard against Wayne Middaugh. Glenn took the
game to an extra end and forced Wayne to make a perfect draw to the button to
outpoint him. In the other match, Pat Simmons, the Saskatchewan champion who had
been knocking off big name teams to get to the final, did it again, with a
thrilling upset of the Randy Ferbey rink.
Then on Sunday night, the finalists did battle for the $28 000 cash
prize and the title. The ice had changed from the afternoon, and Simmons’
runback style got him into trouble. He fought back to keep the game close,
finally tying it in the ninth end, but Middaugh scored in the tenth to get the
win.
The 2007 Brier will be held in Copps
Coliseum in Hamilton, where they hope to surpass the Ontario attendance record
of 154 136, set in Ottawa at the last Ontario venue, in 2001. In other news in
the Ontario Report, Jenn Hanna of Ottawa won Calgary’s Thanksgiving Bonspiel,
defeating Jan Betker in the final, to win $14 000. They’ve been busy, getting
to the final in the Shorty Jenkins spiel in Brockville, where Anne Merklinger
also did well. Sounds like Hanna may be a favourite to win the Ontario
Championship this year.
Locally, we’ll have highlights of our club’s Thursday night executive
meeting next time. There was no winner in Morrisburg’s House of Gold
competition last week, so the entry money carries over until this Friday. Good
curling to all!
Many of our club members volunteer their
time in curling matters. Two of them continue their responsibilities outside
the club in new positions this year. Ian McGillis is now the head official for
the Ontario Curling Association, while Alan Brunt takes over as the OCA’s
Second Vice President. Our congratulations and thanks to them both.
Closer to home, on Saturday we spotted
some of our senior men at work replacing the carpet in front of the ice. Our
appreciation to Bill Magee, Neil Williamson, Sam Casselman, Dave Salsman, and
any others involved at various times through the day.
Our perennial volunteer Sydney Schnurr
reports that she has sixteen new little rockers and eighteen returnees, with
Jack Dikland, Nancy Skakum and two juniors asssisting with the coaching. -No
word yet on a volunteer coach for the bantam/junior curlers.
Have you ever heard of
the Limestone Bonspiel? Bob Bedingfield, Peter Zeran, Raymond Benoit and Karl
Duncan played last weekend in the 24-team event in the one hundred and
eighty-five-year-old Royal Kingston Club. Bob’s team dropped a close game to
one Ottawa team, and then bowed to a foursome from the Ottawa Curling Club in
the well-maintained old building. Raymond reports that it was a great day, with
high-calibre competition, which included a team from Albany, where our men have
curled before.
We’ll have other results
next time. Locally, Bobby Jack Hart is organizing another two-person bonspiel
at the club for Saturday, November 19th. The entry fee is twenty
dollars a team, which includes pizza, with games getting underway at 10 a.m.
and finishing by 4:00 p.m. There are cash prizes in three divisions, and the
sign-up sheet is posted in the lounge.
For those who have never
attended the World Men’s Curling Championship, why not book a trip to the 2006
site, Lowell, Massachusetts, April 1-6? The site is less than thirty miles from
Boston, and the city is rich in history, having been designated one of the
USA’s National Parks.
By the way, the CCA has
renegotiated its contract with the CBC for television coverage of major events.
It looks as though Ray Turnbull, Linda Moore and Vic Rauter will handle TSN
coverage through the week, with CBC’s Don Whitman, Mike Harris and Joan
McCusker taking over for the weekends. Sound familiar?
Keep an eye out for the
twenty teams competing this fall to represent Canada in the Olympics as the
men’s and women’s representatives. Some of note include Jennifer Jones, Sherry
Middaugh, Jan Betker, Brad Gushue, Glenn Howard, Kevin Martin, Randy Ferbey and
John Morris. Any favourites so far?
Finally, the MCC
Executive meets this Thursday, and we’ll have the highlights next week. Good
curling to all!