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THE NEW TANNER THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2010 14 The ALS Society of Canada FAMILY DAY WEEKEND WINTER DODGEBALL TOURNAMENT Rockwood Naturopathic Clinic presents Have a family fun day while raising money for two organizations in need, ALS Society and Parkinsons. Registration forms will be available on the clinics website at: www.rockwoodnd.com FUN, FOOD, PRIZES, and EXERCISE! What could be better than the satisfaction of knowing you are help- ing out those in need in our very own community. DATE: Sunday, February 14th, 2010 TIME: 11am - 2pm PLACE: Rockwood Naturopathic Clinic 4200 25th Side Road See www.rockwoodnd.com for directions PHONE: 519-853-2443 OPP investigate B&Es Break & Enter Two laptops and a neck- lace were stolen during a break-in at a residence on the Third Line of Er- amosa Township last Wednesday. Wellington OPP responded to a re- ported burglar alarm and found that the front door had been forced open. Anyone with infor- mation is asked to call 1-888-310-1122 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222- 8477. Speeder arrested The driver of a car trav- elling at 105 km/h in a 50 km/h zone was named Speeder of the Week by Wellington OPP who ar- rested him last Thursday on Wellington Road 52 in the Town of Erin. A 38-year-old Erin man was charged with racing a motor vehicle and speed- ing. He appears in court on March 17. Rockwood res ident celebrates 90th birthday By Frances Niblock There is no magic elixir to ensure living a long life, but Rockwoods Sytske Drijber believes that good genes, good health and a positive outlook helped her reach her 90th birthday. My mother lived until she was 90, so maybe thats why I have as well, Drijber, who described herself as an old work horse said recently as she accepted cards, cakes and flowers from her friends to mark her nine decades. Im birthdayed out - its been a week of cards and flowers and calls from friends to wish me well - Ill be writing thank you cards forever, Drijber said. I arrange it so I go out every other day and each of the organizations I be- long to found out it was my birthday so there are beautiful flowers every- where in my home - its been sensational and over- whelming. Born in Holland, Drijber immigrated to Canada as a small girl with her par- ents after WWI and settled on the prairies. The family eventually moved to the Puslinch area. She trained as a teacher and began her career in a one-room school, but decided she didnt want to teach after students in Hamilton swore at her. So, I joined the army. I was going to join the Can- adian navy, but was told that Dutch were anxious for Dutch people to join up so I joined the Dutch army with a guarantee of going overseas, Drijber said, adding after training she was based in Australia and worked in Japan until it surrendered. She then was stationed in Indonesia. There were bullets fly- ing there because they wanted their independence. I served for two years until I got married and was de- mobilized, Drijber said, adding she became preg- nant and was sick because of the heat and was sent home to Canada where she stayed until her Dutch husband was demobilized in Holland. They lived in Holland for several years before coming to Canada and settled in Guelph and then Rockwood area. Her hus- band was also a teacher who taught math at Acton District High School. Drijber had six children - five boys and a girl who was murdered in 1973 when she was a teenager travelling through war-torn Rhodesia, now called Zim- babwe. Im a Christian and a really believing person and both my husband and I had no bitter feelings - we were able to forgive this person and move on, Drijber said. For a decade until the 1980s, Drijber worked as a reporter for the for- mer Eramosa Community News but stopped when her husband became ill and she cared for him until his death. I love writing and knowing what was go- ing on in our community - it kept me busy and in- formed and was such fun. Im a very happy and posi- tive person, maybe that has helped me live this long. Dont be a victim Wellington OPP would like to remind property owners of some crime preven- tion tips to help reduce the incidents of break-ins to your home or cottage. For both seasonal and full-time residents located in the County of Wel- lington, the incidents of Break and Enter are of concern. Being an owner of a residence or cottage in the County of Wellington, you sometime prefer an ele- ment of privacy. This element of privacy can be a wonderful feature; however it may make your residence and cottage more vulnerable to crime. Another problem that police face is determining ownership of recovered stolen property. When an offender is caught with stolen property and the property cannot be positively identified, charges cannot be laid. We must have a victim to prove a crime. Property that cannot be identified cannot be placed on the police computer system, adding to the difficulty for officers to prove the theft. Keep your eyes and ears open for sus- picious vehicles and persons in the area of your residence. Be seen but dont confront possible suspects. Record the license numbers and descriptions of suspicious vehicles and record detailed descriptions of occupants of suspicious vehicles, and contact your local police agency to report these observations. Make would be thieves visible by re- moving large bushes around your home entrances and dont hide keys in secret places. Instead leave a duplicate with a friend or neighbour. Mark your valuables to help discour- age their theft. This provides a way to easily identify stolen property for de- terrent purposes, the identification mark should be easily identifiable. Record the contents of your home or cottage on paper or using a video cam- era and record the serial numbers of your property and remove expensive articles from your cottage when away for extended periods. NINE DECADES: Rockwoods Sytske Drijber credits good genes for her lon- gevity. Drijber celebrated her 90th birth day recently. Submitted photo.