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25th ANNUAL MAPLE SYRUP FESTIVAL Affordable family fun from March 11 to March 19 and March 25/26 weekend at Purple Woods Conservation Area Hosted by the Central Lake Ontario Conservation Authority, the Syrup Festival will be open daily from 9:30 a.m, to 3 p.m. General Admission: $2/Adults; $1/Seniors and Children (12 & under); $5/Family (general admission does not include pancakes or wagon ride). Over the March Break families can enjoy a walk to our sugar shack. Along the way check out demonstrations on syrup production that reveal secrets as to 1 how maple syrup was made over 400 years ago to the modern methods today. Take a horse drawn wagon ride, and don't forget pancakes with 100% pure maple syrup! (Bring your own reusable plates and utensils.) utensils.) As part of the Festival's 25th anniversary celebration, various artists will be hosting displays/demonstrations. displays/demonstrations. Directions: Purple Woods Conservation Area is located north of Oshawa at the southeast corner of Simcoe Street and Coates Road (10th Concession Road.) For more information contact the Authority office at (905) 579-0411 or visit our website at www.speedline.ca/cloca CLARINGTON PUBLIC LIBRARY Who want to be a MiL.er, well, a PRIZE WINNER! Come to the Clarington Public Library during March Break for a mind-bending game of Trivial Pursuit! Call your local branch to register. Tuesday, March 14 - 2:30 at Bowmanville Branch. For ages 11-14 Wednesday, March 15,10:30 at Courtice Branch and 1:30 at the Clarke Branch. For ages 6 to 10. Thursday, March 16, 10:30 at the Bowmanville Branch and 2:30 at the Newcastle Village Branch. For ages 6 to 10. OPTIMIST CLUB OF NEWCASTLE VILLAGE Thursday, March 9 - FAMILY FLICKS featuring "Pokemon - The Movie" at Newcastle Community Hall 7 p.m. (doors open 6:30) Admission: $2/person Friday, March 10 - MUCH MUSIC VIDEO DANCE at Newcastle Community Hall from 6-8:45pm for 10-14 year-olds then at 9:15-12 for 14-18 year-olds. Admission: $5.00 Monday, Mardh 13 - BABYSITTING COURSE -11 yrs old and up at Newcastle Community Hall. Must pre-register by calling Bridget at 987-1863. Tuesday, March 14 - FREE SKATING - ALL AGES, Newcastle Arena, 11 am -1 pm Wednesday, March 15 - FREE BOWLING - ALL AGES, Newcastle Community Hall Bowling Lanes from 1pm to 3pm Thursday, March 16 - FREE SKATING - ALL AGES, Newcastle Arena, 11 am to 1 pm Friday, March 17- FREE SWIMMING, Bowmanville Pool, 10am to 11:30am Crossroads Christian Assembly - March Break Madness For boys and girls ages 6-11 are invited to take part in daily activities during the March Break March 13-17 daily from 10am until 12:30pm. Movies, snacks, games, prizes. Day trips also planned include bowling and a visit to local sugarbush. Registration is only a loonie each day, plus costs for bowling and sugaibush. To register your child please call 987-9955 or the registrar at 786-2089. Crossroads is located at 978 North Street, Newcastle. . March Break at Darlington Nuclear Information Centre March 13 -17, 9 am to 3pm. Experience the Culture of the First Nations; See your favourite movies; Leàm the ways of the pioneers; See signs of spring on the waterfront trail. It's fun! Its educational! It's free. For more information call Darlington Nuclear Information Centre at 1-800-461- 0034. Children must be accompanied by an adult. Monday - First Nations, Experience the Culture: 9:15am and 1 pm - Presentation by Chief Top Leaf-Aboriginal life 500 years ago; 10am and 1:15pm-Life through stores and ceremonies of Curve Lake First Nation; Make a dream catcher/ Learn Native music and dance with "The Drum"; Take part in "The Tobacco Ceremony" Tuesday - Favourite Flicks: Grab a bag of popcorn and sit back and relax! Limit 110 people. First come. Showing at 10am - Tarzan ; Showing at 1pm - Inspector Gadget Wednesday - Early Settlers Experience life in the 1800's with experts from Pickering and Bowmanville Museums; 9:30am - Presentation on early life in Durham Region; 10am - Hands-on displays with samples to take home (Sheep to Shawl, Stenciling, Candle Dipping, Rope Making, Laundry); 1pm & 1:30pm - Repeat of morning program. Thursday - Signs of Spring: 10 - 2:30; All activities will be on the Darlington Waterfront Trail (Park Road access): Hike the trails; Signs of spring exploration with Nature Trails Unlimited; Horse drawn wagon rides with Earl Cochran; Hot Chocolate and yummy treats; Please dress warmly. Friday - Fun with Flicks: Limit 110 people. May the luck of the Irish be with you! Be sure to wear green! Grab a bag of popcorn and sit back and relax! 10am - The Wizard of Oz (original digitally remastered!); remastered!); 1pm - Fly Away Home Places I've Done Time Clifford Francis A story for Stephen I was going to write about races horses, but last night I was talking to ' Stephen Grundy from back Leskard way, and he thought I should write about girls. 1 said 1 could, and I would. I .told Stephen all girls are pretty, but some are prettier than others. He readily agreed. Summer at. the Orono Forestry was always an interesting interesting time. June was when university students were hired for the summer. One year, several young ladies were hired and one girl in particular took a shine to me. Some of the older adult ladies warned her of my behaviour, but that did not deter her one little bit.' She would spend the summer summer trying to change me: Her name was Sandra Sunday, and her father was a minister. Sandra attended Bringham - Young University in Utah, and was following in her father's foot steps. She was studying to become a minister. minister. Two weeks after we started dating we came to an agreement. She would come to one of my Friday night parties, if I would visit her mom and dqd in Belleville the following Sunday. No one would believe 1 was dating a minister's minister's daughter, let alone a girl who was studying to become a minister. Sandra had, and still has beautiful, big, brown eyes, and when the car loads of crazy's started arriving on Friday night, they got bigger and bigger. I must give her credit, she did better than I thought she would. If things fazed her, she didn't show it, and she was still intent on saving me. The following Saturday night, I was to race a horse I had bought at Kawartha Downs ' Raceway , in Peterborough. The horse's name was 'Medic" and he was well named. When we were unloading him, the wind blew the top door of the trailer trailer shut, and it spooked him.. Medic bolted backwards and the trailer door struck me in the face. I was cut for ten stitched over the eye, 12 IT PAYS TO ADVERTISE under the eye, a broken nose, cracked cheek bone and two black eyes. I arrived back from the hospital in time to see him win and cash in a few tickets, but I had paid the price. Also, I had the trip to Belleville to look forward to the next day. In the morning, I caught the bus in Newcastle for Belleville. When I arrived, I hired a taxi to Sandra's mom and dad's home north of Belleville. I saw the mailbox with the name The Reverènd Arthur S. Sunday on it, and 1 thought, what a perfect name for a minister. When I looked at his initials, I wondered if he was? ,Sandra and her dad met me at the door. When Sandra saw my face, her mouth flew open, and I thought she was going to cry. She thought I had been in a fight, and truthfully truthfully I wish I had been. Sandra's dad wag charming charming and so was her mother. I met her aunt also and she looked like a boiled beet. Sandra had warned me, that if I lied, her dad would know straight away. No one in her family drank alcohol, so when her dad asked me about drinking, I was truthful. I told him I was a recovering alcoholic, I just didn't tell him 1 was recovering from the night before. The next question Rev. Sunday asked me, was about my intentions toward his daughter, were they noble? I looked down and then up real quick and said a silent prayer, "please one time Lord," and then I answered him, "they were." The sky didn't fall in and he seemed happy with my answer. After that I was totally at ease, and told them of all tfye good thing I had done in my life. Some things I conveniently left out, but it was a wonderful àfternoon and a gréât dinner. Before I left, everyone had to examine my cowboy hat with«the rattle snake band and my alligator cowboy boots. I told them I had kiljed both animals with my bare hands, and again the sky didn't fall in. . Sandra went back to Utah in the fall and she said she would miss me like a shoe, and she did. Sandra became a minister and married a minister. minister. They now live up in London. When she needs some cheering up, she phones me and she always says, "I wonder who converted who?"