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«a*» i? iwencKi I •'■At-itssa ■■■■■'4 *1 -.'rrx# I -."4 If aa=JS«KI h k*Æ iMk'ÊÊÈb' MsœaâJŒ&Smïsr <4a r^f A « S5>Btl Wednesday, September 30, 1998 COMMUNITY CALENDAR • LIFESTYLES • SPORTS • COMMUNITY CORRESPONDENCE • TV LISTINGS New Ice Pad Opens Just in Time by Jennifer Stone Staff Writer Just after 12:40 p.m. last Friday afternoon, the first goal ever was scored on the new ice pad at the Garnet B. Rickard Recreation Complex in Bowmanville. The goal was scored by a team from Goulding Park in Toronto, against Uxbridge. Both teams were part of the Laing, McHardy and Rohr "AA" Early Bird Tournament held last weekend at the Rcc Complex. The game began about 12:30 p.m., about half an hour after its scheduled start. The delay ensured that the final touches could be put on the new facility. vara lournam i Fsrs f Originally, tournament games had been scheduled to be split between the original ice pad at the Rec Complex, and Darlington Arena in Hampton. But ice problems at Darlington, meant scrambling to complete complete construction at the Rec Complex. "My guys have been putting in a great effort," says Joe Caruana, director of Clarington's Community Services Department. "The guys were going 24 hours a day for 10 days" to get the arena to the point where hockey could be played. "These guys have done an excellent job," says Terry Lynch, vice president president of the host Clarington Toros hockey league. "If it wasn't for them, we wouldn't be here." The new, almost $4.5 million ice pad, features six new dressing rooms, including a fully wheelchair wheelchair accessible shower and change area, The building's accessibility is further enhanced by wheelchair-friendly viewing viewing areas. While the ice is ready, construction is not quite complete. :"■< ■ m, I FINISHING TOUCHES -- The Zamboni does a final flood of Bowmanville's newest ice surface before hockey players take to the ice. The new ice pad at the Garnet B. Rickard Recreation Complex was opened for business last Friday. FIRST FACE-OFF -- Community Services Director Joe Caruana does the honors for the first face-off ever on the new ice pad at the Garnet B. Rickard Recreation Complex in Bowmanville. The first game, played between Goulding Park and Uxbridge, was pushed back by half an hour in order for finishing touches to be put on the new rink. The second ice pad is part of $4.5 million worth of renovations at the Complex. "We really needed another couple of days to be happy with things," says Caruana. When the building is complete, visitors will enter through a new main entrance at the south end of the complex. Inside will be a new foyer and kiosk. Seating capacity for about 300 is available inside the new arena. The ice pad, like the original rink at the Complex, is National Hockey League regulation size. Caruana says by next year, there should be year-round ice at the Complex. The new ice pad will be open this week for evening use. Full use will start next week, if all goes as planned, adds Caruana. HOME TEAM LOOKS ON -- Members of the Clarington Toros novice hockey team check out play on the new ice pad at the Garnet B. Rickard Recreation Complex. It was opened just in time for the first game of the Laing; McHardy and Rohr Early Bird Tournament last Friday. Looking on are (front) Andrew Moore and Danny Arnott; (middle) Brett Chapman, Josh Sullivan, and Justin Bowles; and (back) town employee Steve Parker and Toros rep Rick Lefort. NET WORKING -- Community Services Director Joe Caruana (middle) helps out as two Rec Complex employees put the net on the new ice surface at the Garnet B. Rickard Recreation Complex. FOSTER FAMILIES -- The Lions Foundation Dog Guide School is grateful to foster foster families like the Messers, of Orono, (above) who volunteer to train specially bred pups in their homes until they are old enough to attend the school in Oakville, Dogs who graduate will be matched with a blind, deaf or physically disabled master. You can meet the Messers and several other local foster families at the Newcastle Lions Club Walk-a-Dog-a-Thon set for this Saturday, October 3. Walk Supports Working Dogs by Lorraine Manfredo Staff Writer In a few weeks, the Messer family of Orono will say farewell to the pup they've been raising for the past year. But, as a foster family with the Lions Foundation Dog Guide School, they knew the eight-week-old golden retriever they adopted last fall would one day head off to guide school in Oakville. Dogs who graduate from the school (and not all do) arc then matched with individuals who arc blind, deaf or who use a wheelchair. "We really have no right to him" says 12-year-old Sarah. Messer, gazing down at Flint stretched out snoozing at her dad's feet, All dogs are the property of the Lions Foundation. The school in Oakville is solely supported by donations donations from Lions Clubs across Canada. Investment in a single dog can be in the thousands of dollars. For instance, the cost to fully train a hearing hearing guide is roughly $4,000. It costs $6,000 to train a canine vision dog, and up to $10,000 for a special skills dog, But it's volunteers like the Messers who are the frontline workers for the program. Foster families across the country take specially bred puppies through that often frustrating formative first year in a dog's life. During this time, they teach important lessons such as house-training, no jumping on guests, walk, sit, and stay. For these future guide dogs, basic training has to be more than learning not to chew the waterbed and understanding simple commands. It entails frequent exposure to the busy environments environments in which their handicapped masters will find themselves. So, the Messers have taken Flint to hockey arenas, shopping malls, grocery stores, up and down escalators, escalators, to elementary schools, seniors' residences, and even downtown Toronto. Having a cat and dog of their own was a training advantage for Flint, says Ron Messer. "Retrievers arc bred for hunting. It's good to get them used to cats and other dogs, for instance, so • when they are out with their handicapped master they 1 don't take off after another animal." Other breeds that the Foundation trains include Labs, Shepherds and standard poodles. A total of 27 dogs graduated from the school in 1996, followed by 58 in 1997. Training Flint was a pleasure for Ron and his wife, Nikki. It was their love of animals that got them interested interested in the first place, Nikki explains. To qualify, they had to fill out questionnaires and forms, meet foundation officials and tour the school. "We just wanted to do something helpful for others," says Nikki. To those who arc interested in fostering, she has this advice: "You have to be prepared to give them your time, Continued on page 5 Fourth Annual Walk-a-Dog-a-Thon is Saturday, October 3 in Newcastle