July 19, 2023

Would you like to join my ‘Rock Club’? Bonnie Wilson (foreground) is sharing her OZ garden and art space with women, teens and children this summer. Christine Boyd, daughters Leah, Hannah and her son Nolan joined Bonnie’s club on Sunday. Olivia is in the back painting ‘tuned bottles’ of which she has mastered playing. Bonnie can accommodate up to six adults and children for creative fun that includes painting rocks, garden ornaments, glass and other small crafty ideas. She has a good supply of paint, paper, art supplies and small rocks to start but you can bring your own rocks and items to paint. You can find Bonnie on Facebook, please message her to plan a date and time. Sunday afternoons 12-3 p.m. or Mondays 10 a.m. – 12 p.m. or 1-3 p.m. It is possible she can accommodate other days. Only on good weather days.

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PVNC Catholic District School Board Trustee vacancy

The Peterborough Victoria Northumberland and Clarington Catholic District School Board is seeking candidates for the position of Catholic Trustee to fill a Board vacancy and represent separate school rate-payers for the City of Peterborough. The appointed trustee will serve with the PVNC Catholic District School Board until the end of the current term of office in November 2026.

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We are all stewards

Provincial Crown lands are owned by the government on behalf of the province’s residents. These lands may be used for various purposes, including resource extraction, conservation, recreation, or development. However, governments can change their policies and priorities over time, which may impact the management and use of Crown lands.

In some cases, economic, social, or environmental factors may lead to discussions or debates about the use or disposition of Crown lands. Governments might consider different options, such as selling or leasing the lands, altering their management strategies, or designating them for specific purposes. However, any significant changes to the status or management of provincial Crown lands would typically involve public consultations, legislative processes, and adherence to legal frameworks.

When the Orono Forestry closed in 1996, 633 acres were retained as Crown lands owned by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry (MNR). After the nursery’s closure MNR started to sell off parcels of the property to private individuals. Concerned that all the property would suffer the same fate, a number of locals interested in maintaining the property approached the MNR proposing to act as stewards. This led to the formation of the Orono Crown Lands Trust; a board consisting of volunteers who donated their time and effort to lay the foundation for the trust as we know it today.

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100th Anniversary Memory Wall

The Newcastle Community Hall 100th Anniversary Committee is inviting everyone to bring in their memories and share them on the Memory Wall. Deanna Frost, member of the 100th Anniversary Committee came up with the idea after a conversation she had reminiscing about her wedding. Bring your photos, post cards, memorabilia on July 29. The Memory Wall will be inside the Community Hall.

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Fresh produce in Newcastle

The Village of Newcastle has another great option for farm fresh produce. Sarah Clark, owner of her newly formed company, Clark Produce, is set up just outside the plaza at 282 King Avenue East. The young entrepreneur has been gardening for years, and has for the last couple of years set up a stand to sell the fruits of her labour; beans, potatoes, zucchini, tomatoes, berries in season, as well as her own jams, jellies, pickles and baked goods. It has become a full-time job for her. “When I’m not here or in the garden, I’m in the store (Clark Meats) doing the baking,” she says. Brother Josh Clark is a huge help, both on the retail side at their stand and at home working on their vegetable plots. Other produce is available as well, and as Sarah says, “we like to keep it as local as possible.” Hours of operation are Fridays from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Saturdays 9 a.m. till 4 p.m. Often the produce is harvested the very morning it goes to their well-stocked market stall. Tough to get any fresher than that, unless you grow your own.

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Orono Horticultural Society’s Annual Bug Walk in Orono Park

On Saturday Entomologist Matt Bergeron educated bug enthusiasts on the creepy crawlies in our neighbourhood. Matt Bergeron started his talk showing us how we can tell insects are present. Here he is showing the group a ‘cluster gall’. This is not a flowering body. This is the tip of the plant that has been galled. A midge has burrowed in the stem and it’s causing the plant to grow this fleshy thing that keeps it safe. Cluster gulls usually have a lot of other things hiding it. Often it makes a little micro habitat for beetles and other things that want to breed in there.

Matt showing how he collects insect species for viewing. A little dollar store container rigged with some tubing and some suction power.

Getting to know the bugs in our neighbourhood. They were all fascinating but one in particular, Matt caught a Scorpion Fly. He told the group that a Scorpion Fly is in its own weird little group. Its tail looks like a little scorpion tail but it is not a stinger. It is in fact ‘the male part’ [keeping it kid friendly]. Scorpion flies have a really interesting behaviour called nuptial gifting. The males, in order to go on dates with the females, need to bring a nuptial gift. So, Scorpion flies are actually scavengers, they’ll eat dead in-sects. But the male will go around and try to find the biggest piece of food they can and they’ll give it to the female or else she won’t go out with him.

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