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r v . , ?. urhamrc gion.com THE CANADIAN STATESMAN ♦ March 15,2006 ♦ Page 7 B Clarington Community h; -r X Hi o.i WELCOME. .<<^5 TQ • ' NEWCASTLE V 1.1. L A G f: Esl. 1856 A weekly in-depth look at the communities that shape Clarington porui AT ION. ; 6 «°c,Ctr! FARMER'S MARKET SUNDAYS 10 'M ' ' NEWCASTLE ARENA g ir-- Hvïtf, clowning around at this Carnival . Newcastle skating club puts on the ^greatest show E 'ôn ice BY IZABELA JAROSZYNSKI Staff Writer NEWCASTLE - With a &v,th£tne in place and costumes on srjprçter, the stage is being prepared 'T'foÇthe greatest show on earth. On April 8, the Memorial Arena in Newcastle will be transformed into a Big Top - complete with lions, tigers, elephants, and perhaps perhaps even a clown or two. With the theme of this year's Carnival Carnival set as the circus, the skaters , from the Newcastle Skating Club iprfepare for a day of clowning around on the ice. Fpr more than 25 years now, Hhe Carnival - a chance for local skaters to showcase their skills - has been a tradition in the vibrant ... ^community. LsHelen Page is the current Carnival Carnival chairwoman, responsible ;fror coordinating volunteers and :|Jbringing the whole show togeth- is my favourite part of the |$totr," she says. Ms. Page has JjjfBen involved with the skating club board of directors since 2000, serving as treasurer for two years and president for three. 'Jâé challenge with the carnival, Bishe says, is to get everything -fflrganized. "It is a lot of work," she ^says. "But there is nothing more «Rewarding then watching those .jads' faces as they come off'the $e after performing. They are tjfnazed." i fthe shock of seeing the arena £vt»'mpletely transformed is part of ||femagic for the kids, she says. ÿ£s§ut to get that done takes work. Carnival volunteers create the backdrop for the ice, decorate ill U.H $ ' ft i*5F* Jason Liebregts/Metroland Durham Region Media Group Participants in the Kids Skate program practise their skating at Newcastle Memorial Arena as they prepare for Carnival 2006, a one-day fundraising show by the Newcastle Skating Club being put on April 8. the rink with lights, and prepare decorations for the annual theme. Ms. Page says that in the past, arena staff have also painted the ice to add to the effect. And while she contemplated the possibility of involving real animals in the Big Top act, . the high cost of insurance and the: logistics • . quickly , dashed, that hope. Instead, she, says,,, it is better to let the children shine as the primary primary attraction. Approximately 130 children ■-- aged 3 to 16 - will take part in this year's show. Each child needs to be measured for a costume, which are ordered through a company company in Markham. For the first time in eight years, the carnival will return to its original two-show format, with one afternoon show and one evening show. Ms. Page is hoping this will encourage more parents to volunteer. That way, she says, parents parents can volunteer for one show and then sit back and watch the second show, while those who .caught'the first one can come back stage to help. •' With five dressing rooms, Ms. Page says most of the help is needed in assisting small children to get into their costumes and keep- ■ ing the kids occupied in-between their turns on the ice. "We need every single parent in the club to volunteer," she said when asked how many volunteers it takes to make the show a suc cess. The carnival is a fundraiser for the Newcastle Newcastle Skating Club, which teaches children basic and more advanced skating skills. The skills are applicable to figure skating, hockey and ringette. A certified CanSkate club, the organization offers three,levels of instruction. The beginners, aged 3-5, start in the KidSkate program where they learn to get comfortable on the ice. The next level are the CanSkaters, which is Skate Canada's learn-to-skate program designed for beginners of all ages. More advanced skaters graduate to the STAR- Skate program which offers an opportunity to develop fundamental figure skating skills in the areas of ice dance, skating skills, free skate and interpretive interpretive skating. Also on offer is the action-packed, high energy CanPowerSkate program geared to hockey and ringette skaters focusing on balance, power, agility, agility, speed, and endurance. In addition to the sale of tickets, the club raises money through a Carnival program booklet. The booklet contains each skater's name and which routine they are involved with, as well as pages of advertising from local businesses. businesses. Ms. Page says the advertising not only helps to raise money for the club, but bolsters the relationship the club has with the community. "Community involvement is so crucial to a small club like ours," she says. "The community here is very supportive." The skating club is currently enjoying a renaissance with parents parents and children in the. community. community. After seeing the enrolment numbers decrease over the years, Ms. Page says the club is on an upswing again. A government grant in 2004 helped the club in its rebuilding . efforts. And with more young families moving into the community community each year, Ms. Page hopes the club - and with it the annual Carnival - will gain in popularity. In previous years, Ms. Page said the themes included Cruise Around the World, Night at the Movies, Broadway, and her personal personal favourite, Disney on Ice. "That was one of the best shows we have ever done," she said. With all the possibilities of'the circus, this show is sure to top the list as well. Ms. Page says the key to the club's successful shows is community community involvement and volunteers. volunteers. "When you have people behind • you, you can do amazing things," she says. legion recognized for its fundraising efforts by | ~f: DURHAM - The Region has «en recognized by the United Way if; Ajax-Pickering-Uxbridge with the 005 Public Sector/Education Award. S The honour is awarded to a pub- c-sector organization that demon- trated a campaign that was enthusi- stic, covered the entire organization, • □nd demonstrated a full co-operation and partnership between management management and staff. The campaign had r a v -'$120,000 goal, which the Region •'"Exceeded. i-' u; The 2005 campaign saw an 11 per 1 cent increase over what had been raised in previous years. Staff =•-.organized bake and Christmas plant b's^tles, dress-down days, and a com- ||'.edy festival to raise the funds. Regional Round-up Kens and notes liwn around Duribn "We were extremely proud to have been recognized by them," Durham Durham chief administrative officer Garry Cubitt said. He made special mention of Gary Asselin, who works in the finance department and headed up the initiative. initiative. "He has demonstrated commitment, commitment, leadership and enthusiasm second to none," Mr. Cubitt said. Hospital letter DURHAM - Durham wants the Rouge Valley Health System's board of directs to report to regional council about its services. The Region passed a motion in December 2005 to withhold $3.5 million million previously approved, by Durham council for capital expansion at the Rouge Valley Ajax and Pickering hospital hospital site, until council is satisfied with the services provided. "I thought the answer was pretty clear, you are not getting the money until you come to council and satisfy us," Roger Anderson said. Pickering Mayor David Ryan assured council a recruitment com mittee is active,, a pediatrician has been hired and talks with obstetricians obstetricians are ongoing. A motion passed to again invite the chairman of the board and chief executive officer to appear before council and update them at the next meeting. Also, the Region is working on meeting involving the minister of health, area mayors and Mr. Anderson. Anderson. . Invasive trees DURHAM - Steps can be taken to manage and control invasive tree species in Durham Region forests. The Lake Simcoe Region Conservation Conservation Authority was granted approval to use herbicides to manage and control the spread of.invasive tree species in the red pine plantation in the Durham Region Forest. Environment Canada is sponsoring sponsoring the invasive alien species partnership partnership program as various alien tree and shrub species have become established throughout the Lake Simcoe Simcoe watershed. The species have the potential to displace natural species. The program includes cutting or the girding of certain trees, followed by the application of herbicide to ensure the tree or shrub won't regen-, erate. „ Reaching Your Goals Freedom 55 Takes Careful Planning Financial That's Why We're Here to Help. •Individual life insurance *GICs & mutual funds •Group insurance •Group retirement plans •Mortgages •RRSPs& RESPs •Disability insurance •Business insurance •Travel insurance •RRIFs, LIFs & Annuities QUADRUS, 'lw*M iMfihmt Stnten LM. * hki «I in ma v, Dwight and Deria Hickson Financial Security and Investment Representatives 5 King Ave., Newcastle (905) 987-5372 "KRAC0"4âfri CARPENTRY & CONTRACTING Complete Carpentry Service • Custom Built Homes • Renovations •Additions «Designing William & Rudy Kraayvanger 905-623-1101 ■;h To Advertise in Clarington's Best Professionals Call 905-579-4400 and ask for Sheri-Lyn at ext. 2271 or Loretta at ext. 2231 Adwitsw ih Spirit! 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