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4 Friday, October 20, 2017 brooklintowncrier.com WORSHIP DIRECTORY WORSHIP DIRECTORY Burns Presbyterian Church 765 Myrtle Rd West (just 4 minutes north of Brooklin) 10am Worship, Kids Zone Fun & Nursery Care "Discovering God, Sharing God's Love" 905.655.8509 www.Burnschurch.org St. Thomas' Anglican Church 101 Winchester Road East Sunday Services: 8:30 and 10:30 am Sunday School & Nursery Program (10:30am) Wednesday 10:00 a.m. Communion and Healing Service 905-655-3883 www.stthomasbrooklin.ca Brooklin United Church 19 Cassels Rd. E. Sunday Services at 10:30 am Sunday School & Nursery Care www.brooklinunited.ca 905-655-4141 Come catch the Spirit! Renaissance Baptist Church of Brooklin 40 Vipond Road (Just West Of Library) Sunday Worship & Kids Program 10:30 a.m. 905-655-4554 www.brooklinrbc.ca We're here for Brooklin! Our Brooklin Kids By Leanne Brown A Brooklin Toddler's Random Thoughts "We have to share because mommy and daddy have two kids." Last month, a Vancouver father, who'd spent two years training his four kids, ages seven to 11 how to safely ride the bus to school, was reported to B.C.'s Children's Ministry. Social workers put a stop to it. The incident sparked a nation-wide debate about the nature of parental supervision and the government's role. I have to be honest, I'm on the fence. On one hand, I personally would not let my child ride a Toronto bus without an adult. But I also saw his side. He felt his kids capable - two years of training, after all - and the bus did take them door to door. Are we suffocating our kids by not letting them roam on their own? Are we hurting independence and creating nervous, needy children? Or are we just being realistic and cautious? It's a delicate balance. We parents tread that line throughout our children's lives. When do you loosen the reins and let them do things on their own? When do you keep them close? Stretching limits My eight year old is constantly trying to stretch her boundaries. She wants to go places on her own. Sleepaway camp just strengthened this desire. She's perfectly able and happy to explore neighbours' backyards and ride her bike down the street to her friend's house. We're okay with a little bit of stretch. I desperately work to strike that balance between letting her roam on her own and being responsible. Some of her friends are starting to walk to school in groups. I struggle with this when I see children walking to and from the bus or school in our quiet suburb. While it reassures me that parents feel confident in our community's safety, it still makes me uneasy. Strangers have reportedly approached children close by. It's easy to worry. The home reno trucks, delivery vans and other unrecognized vehicles that drive through my neighborhood always have me taking a second look. I know there may be convicted sex offenders living too close for comfort, but in reality they aren't all out to attach our children. Seeking independence But being able to roam a little teaches valuable life skills. Independence builds confidence and self-sufficiency. It also helps them to be more aware of their surroundings, which they typically don't do with parents. My co-worker has a teen with a new driver's license. Last week she let her daughter drive the car to school. Her daughter got there safely though she also took an unauthorized lunch hour trip to the mall with friends. Mom wasn't impressed. She started to worry where else her teen would go. In the larger scheme of things, the two block detour to McDonalds wasn't a big deal. It was rather the "not telling mom" that bothered her. I get that. It doesn't matter what stage your children are in. At some point, you will have to let them go, even if just a little. It's okay if this scares you. It means you're doing it right. When to let your kids roam alone? Community Calendar If you have a community not-for-profit event you would like included in the calendar, please email it to editorofBTC@gmail.com with the subject line "calendar." Priority will be given to Brooklin events. Some editing may occur. Sat., Oct. 21: 8 am - Noon: Hazardous Waste Drop Off in Port Perry At municipal boat launch (parking lot), 2 Old Rail Lane, Port Perry. Free. Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) and Municipal Hazardous and Special Waste (MHSW) only. Wed., Oct. 25: 7 - 9 pm: Brooklin Horticultural Society meeting Speakers Gary & Diane Westalke on "Some of our Favourite Garden Mistakes". Meeting will feature "Pumpkins, Pies & Photos Show". At Brooklin United Church, 19 Cassels Road, East Fri., Oct. 27: 4:00 - 5:00 pm (4th Friday of each month) Teen Leadership Council at Brooklin Library Whitby Library's Brooklin Branch seeks Teen Leadership Council members to share ideas & assist with special events and programs. Grade 9-12 students earn community service hours. Snacks provided. No registration required. For information, email teenservices@whitbylibrary.ca. Sat., Oct. 28: 4:30 - 6:00 pm: Brooklin Zombie Walk hosted by Optimist Club of Brooklin At Grass Park. Join the legion of the undead as we wander Brooklin in search of brains! Please bring a donation for the food bank and join in games, a zombie make-up demo, costume prizes and, of course, our walk! Pre-register at brooklinzombiewalk.com. Sun., Oct. 29: 7 pm: Brooklin Pub Quiz Night $15 per person for a team of 4-8 but teams of 6 are best. Team gets a platter of wings and fries and a mug of beer. Winning team receives a $10.00 gift certificate per person to the Brooklin Pub. All proceeds to Pulmonary Hypertension of Canada. Hints: 1. Four Freedoms 2. Cockpit of Europe Mondays: 6:30-7 pm: French Family Storytime: Children and their caregivers can join Madame Sue for weekly French Family Storytime! A half hour of French stories and songs, with a dash of English! Drop in at Central Library's Children's Program Room Tuesdays: 7:25 pm: Brooklin Toastmasters Club Practice public speaking at Brooklin Community Centre & Library. Contact John Johnstone at jajhj@sympatico. ca or phone 905-683-4439 or Patricia Romano at promano257@outlook.com or phone 905-626-7055. 1st & 3rd Tuesdays Community Care Durham (CCD) Basic Foot Care at St. Thomas' Anglican Church. 905-668-6779 Wednesdays, till end of Oct., 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Whitby Farmers' Market in Celebration Square, Whitby Public Library, 405 Dundas Street West. Visit whitby.ca/farmersmarket for more information. Mon.-Fri. CCD delivers hot or frozen meals. To order: Karen Andrews 905-668-6779 Ben Delvecchio Awarded Piano Gold Medal A grade 6 student French immersion student at St Leo's Catholic school, 11 year old Ben Delvecchio is the Ontario recipient of the Gold medal award from the Royal Conservatory of Music for his grade 6 piano and theory. There will be a recital and awards ceremony in November. He completed his Royal Conservatory of music grade 6 piano last June and is now working on his grade 7 level. He started playing at age 6 years and has been under the tutelage of Simone Lesley of Oshawa. When he was 9, he com- pleted his Grade 6 theory scoring 94%. The award recognizes the highest piano and theory marks in Ontario. He has already moved on to grade 8 theory which he completed last December with a score of 93%.