Eagle 2008 February

February 2008
Vol. 17 Issue 6

Welcome all to the E-Eagle making it's first -not quite- solo flight! As mentioned for the past several months, the BMC is eliminating the bulk mailing to local area residents, replacing them with an emailed version. We are aware that many of our residents do not have access to email so we have arranged for hard copies of the Eagle to be made available at many of the local stopping places, including Clover Farm Grocery, Brookfield Bakery, Pharmasave, Roops Esso/Tim Hortons, the Sportsplex, both churches, Terry's Pizza, as well as deliveries being made to Sunrise Crest and the senior's apartments on Brandt Lane. We hope this experiment is successful and those who wish to receive an actual paper copy Eagle are not unduly inconvenienced by our effort to speed the Eagle to people more quickly, to save on postage, and to reduce the number of trees killed in the name of paper making. As mentioned in past issues, please provide your address if you wish to receive the Eagle earlier, to BMCeagle[@]live.ca using the subject "fly the BMC Eagle to me", or write to the Eagle at the address showing at the top of the page. Thank you.

The January meeting of the BMC saw guest speaker Kevin Sangster of BMO Nesbitt Burns explain to the gathered Club Men the underlying reasons for the recent dramatic fluctuations in the stock markets. It was interesting to watch some of the Clubmen mentally calculating the effect on their portfolio from the massive swings of the TSE and other indices. The February gathering will be the BMC's anniversary meeting - marking 71 years since the formation. As has become standard, the men will sit down to a wonderful supper prepared by Hurricane Heidi's Cafe at 6:30 PM in the Baptist Church auditorium. As usual, all are welcome to join for the meal and the program; the only advisory is if you have not been a regular attendee, please call Frank at 673-3093 and reserve your spot, so the correct number of meals can be ordered. The fee is a minuscule $10, and it's guaranteed that all will receive a meal with a much higher value than that. Please feel free to come to the anniversary meeting on Monday, February 18; note the special time at 6:30 PM, and please call Frank to reserve your meal.

The Sportsplex is a very busy place - on the Curling Club side a successful 20 team Prime Time (70 and over) Bonspiel was held with teams from all over Nova Scotia, including some of the province's curling royalty, attending. The club will also be hosting a "Stick Bonspiel" - if you haven't seen this version of curling which allows those who may have difficulty getting into the hack to continue the roaring game, drop up to the Sportsplex and watch - it may be time to get back into the game! From the hockey side the Brookfield Bantam AAA Elks won the Norseman Tournament in Montague PEI - coaches of this squad are Joel Dawe, Doug Bernard, and Danny Nolan. The Brookfield Junior B Elks are in a fight to the finish for a play-off spot in the Nova Scotia Junior B league. Andrew Gordon, grandson of Brookfield native Anne and the late Reverend C. Earle Gordon, recently netted two hat-tricks for the American Hockey League Hershey Bears. He will graduate from St. Cloud State University this spring. It was just last year at Ladies Night that Anne, her son John and granddaughter Joanna came and renewed friendships with many Brookfielders as special guests of the BMC. Former Brookfield Junior High School Bobcat Tyler Veenhuis of South Branch was named Atlantic University Sport Athlete of the Week for his starring role with the UNB men's volleyball team. The observant readers who trusted the Eagle's advice in the January edition enough to place some wagers, are much richer today after three underdog victories by the New York Giants. Refer to the January Eagle for this tip, which occurred before the G-men scored tough road wins in Dallas and Green Bay, before vanquishing the heretofore undefeated New England Patriots in Superbowl XLII. Jack Roop and the Eagle remember who doubted Eli Manning's gang as recently as December (right, Ricky!).

From Ecum Secum comes the happy news that former Elk shortstop Dana and his wife Deena Jewers are the proud parents of a baby girl. Grandmother Donna Jewers is ecstatic! Dana is active in curling and the minor ball program on the Eastern Shore. Former Brookfield Golf Club Champion and Shaw Cup stalwart Mike Penny and Billy Jo Huey were blessed with a baby boy. Grandpa Victor Penny put a 9 iron in the crib! Ron and Gail (Archibald) McLellan's son Brad (and Sylvie Basque) became parents of a baby boy, Aaron in Bathurst, N.B. The ever young Gwen Archibald is the happy great-grandmother. Darrell and Gail Wright, long time Shortt's Lake summertime residents newly moved into their permanent home on the Upper Brookfield Road, were blessed with a grandson - Brandon Daniel was born to their son Dana and Tara Wright of Cole Harbour. BMCer Danny MacDonald celebrated his 80th birthday in fine style, with a family celebration that had a person in attendance for each of Danny's years on this sphere. Sid and Margie Johnson's daughter Lauren is engaged to Springfield, PEI dairy farmer Tyler Howard. Lauren is studying Veterinary medicine at UPEI. Mark (Turtle) Campbell and Sarah Maynard were married on the beach in the Dominican Republic and, upon their return, hosted a very nice reception for friends and family at the Curling Club. Ernie and Helene Maynard made the trip for the nuptials, as did Uncle Robert and Aunt Dorene Matheson. Anitra and Dave Whidden vacationed in Cuba.

The community was hit with a figurative cyclone when Rosie Swale-Pope descended on Brookfield. This high energy Welsh woman has walked (and run) around the globe - leaving her home in the UK over 4 years ago, she has travelled on foot across Europe, the breadth of mother Russia, and from Alaska all the way to Brookfield. She was befriended by Gully, Gab, Win, Ruth, Donna and Myrna Matheson on the Alaska Highway, in August 2006, and they have tracked her progress, which ended with a gala community greeting at the Brookfield Fire Hall. This woman transcends what any of us might think of as conventional energy levels, and she thrilled the throng with tales both humorous and chilling of her peregrinations. Many of the crowd marveled at the cart she has pushed and pulled along the way, which also serves as her sleeping accommodations in temperatures so far below zero, many of us could not imagine running out to the mail box. Many citizens asked to make donations to her cause, but Rosie would have none of that, instead directing same to the Colchester Hospital Foundation fund and other local charities. She did get to luxuriate in Win and Ruth's bath tub before embarking on the final stages of her trip the next day which were to take her across Greenland(!!!!) and Iceland, before returning home to Wales. Just before press time, Rosie called and thanked again those here who treated her so well. She was due to move on to Iceland the next day. Thanks to those who coordinated an outstanding Brookfield welcome on very short notice! Congratulations to the volunteers at the Brookfield Curling Club who hosted and gave curling instruction to 30 immigrants to Canada from Korea, Japan, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and China. They came under the leadership of Marion Lindsay (Art and Roberta's daughter) and her immigrant assimilation program through the Metro YMCA. Though there were language barriers, the smiles and good nature transcended hurdles. Thanks to helpers Sherry Cole, Lyle Carter, Lisa Henderson, Darrell Westerman, Joyce Barak, Trish Schollmeier and Susan MacDonald.

While speaking of travellers - Win and Ruth's daughter Sarah Matheson flew to San Antonio, Texas; she was a passenger on one of the planes that had the near collision above Newark, New Jersey. Andrew and Becky Roop enjoyed their vacation on the Mayan Riviera. Donnie Locke has moved into the apartments on Brandt Lane.

The BMC and the Eagle acknowledge very generous donations from Carol (Dennis) Haverstock in Port Hawkesbury, who sent a nice note saying how she keeps in touch with her roots in the Brookfield-Middle Stewiacke area via the Eagle; and from her winter lodging in Mesa, Arizona a nice contribution from Beth (Retson) Brogan. Doug and Marian Kenrick also aided the cause. We thank all of you for your kind support.

If he didn't have bad luck...Chipper VanTassell suffered a nasty broken leg playing hockey with the Cruise Missiles. Roberta Lindsay has had a hip replacement operation in Halifax - we hope both are up and about ahead of schedule, although rehab for both will the significant. Tom Hatton was also hospitalized. Dale Fisher is home after his double bypass heart surgery during which veins were removed from his legs, and used in the reconstruction. His rehab consists of lots of walking, complete with vigorous arm swinging, all while talking out loud! Any who see Dale should not think he's lost it, he's just following doctor's orders!. Jean Cameron (Kathy Patton's mother) is in the Coronary Care Unit in Charlottetown Hospital, but due to be released very soon.

As predicted, we missed including some of the visitors over the holiday season - Montrealer Donna Ross, daughter to Club Man Austin Ross, Gene and Marion Retson's sons Duncan and Dan from Ontario, and Allison Johnson home to visit Margie and Sid, from Connecticut. Rob Carter came from Montreal to Lyle and Susan's who; by the way, did not go to Alberta. Nice to see June Breidell, mother of Carrie (Allinson) Hingley in Brookfield for a visit from BC via Mexico.

A couple of Club Men lost family members - Ches Brown's wife Marjorie passed away, as did Delbert Comeau's sister, Ginny Banks of Torbrook Mines in the Annapolis Valley. Former Pleasant Valley resident and Elks hockey stalwart of the early 50's, Bert Phillips passed away, as did former resident Eddy Dennis, brother to Clarence among others. Master Mechanic Jack Toole, star of Brentwood and Alton Orioles ball teams, passed away in Brentwood. Annie Nelson, formerly of Pleasant Valley, and mother of ten, passed away in Truro. We extend sympathies to all who have lost loved ones.

In late January, a Blood Donor clinic was held at Knox United Church hall - this came about after representatives from Lafarge arranged a meeting with Canadian Blood Services (CBS), and the interest from employees helped CBS decide that Brookfield might be a suitable venue. In the past this community, led primarily by the BMC, was legendary for participation in blood drives going back to World War II The clinic was opened to the community, and in the end more than double the expected donors contributed. There were numerous first time donors, so these were not merely siphoned off from other clinics, and the CBS hopes to make Brookfield a regular clinic site. Lafarge will continue to sponsor these, and pay for the rental of the hall and publicity posters, etc. A special thanks goes to Lynn Matheson who assisted for the arrangements of the hall and to all blood donors. The Eagle will list information on the next clinic to be held here, or for more information visit the CBS website at www.blood.ca or call 1-888-2 donate.

The Brookfield Community Assembly, with the help of other area interested citizens, have completed the Brookfield and area community plan. This document which hopes to map the community's future in several areas, will be available in print and on the Brookfield website in the near future. An Open House will be held in March (date TBA in the March Eagle) to give all an opportunity to review the report , and to plan follow-up action. The BCA thanks the many who helped develop the plan and to those who will continue to enhance and supplement it. One subset of the community plan that is already in the advanced stages is the Emergency Planning Group, and they pass along the following notice: 72 hours - Is Your Family Prepared? Do you know what to do in an emergency? Do you have supplies on hand in case of severe weather? To learn more about your responsibilities in an emergency, and what resources are available at the local, municipal, provincial and federal levels, come to an information session on February 27, 7:30-9 PM at the Brookfield Fire Hall. Learn how to create your own Emergency Plan and kit of supplies. Call 673-2451 for more info. The South Colchester Minor Hockey association has landed a prestigious plum; they will host the Mainland Midget AAA league championships February 29- March 2. The Elks team, coached by Kevin Murphy, are indeed a title contender, and the rival Truro Bearcats will enter as the number 1 seed. This is a chance to see some very good hockey from 15-17 year olds. Many of the players in the tournament will no doubt be in Junior Elks uniforms next season.

Please feel welcome to join the BMC at their Anniversary Dinner and meeting on Monday, February 18. The meal is served at 6:30 PM, again please call Frank (if you are not a regular attendee), to reserve your spot.

The Eagle