July 29, 2016

Kagawong has recently become home to Squirtle, Jigglypuff and Pikachu, but most of us are still drawn most to the great beaches, incredible waterfall, and beautiful river paths. Come on out and enjoy summer in the village!

Bluecoats Danelle and Kaitlyn from Science North brought some serious science to the market pavilion last Friday, with dozens of activities for kids of all ages. From the toppling towers, and building a dinosaur, to shocking your friends, and checking out different types of animal skulls, everyone attending had a great time and came away just a little bit smarter. Special thanks to the Billings Library for organizing the event!

Speaking of... the Billings Library has a new entranceway! It’s now easier than ever to visit your friendly neighbourhood librarian and check out some summer reading, or listening (they have audio books!), or watching (they have DVDs!). Even with the construction the library is officially open for business 5 days a week, Tuesday to Saturday, from 9am to 12noon and 1pm to 5pm throughout July and August.

The Park Centre was transformed on Saturday into an enchanted mystical fair with vendors from far and wide. It was a wonderful day for all participants.

The summer fun continues with Farmers’ Markets every Wednesday starting at 10am at the pavilion in Kagawong. Check out goods from local farmers, artists and crafts-people. There are some amazing vendors there every week, but get there early to get the best stuff.

Lots of birthdays to mention this week! Meredith Noble turned 29 this week, as does Beth Gordon just today! Another Kagawong fixture celebrated last week: Mike Coomes, otherwise known as MBB (Mary Buie's Brother) did NOT turn 29, he turned 70! His son and family snuck into town from England in order to surprise MBB, along with most of Kagawong, at a party on Saturday. It was just as loud, silly and entertaining as one might expect.

4elements Living Arts and Manitoulin Streams’ River School continues to deliver fun summer programs to both children and adults along the Kagawong River. Check them out on Facebook or visit them at 91 Main Street to find out more details.

The next big events in town include History Day on August 11th, presented by the Heritage Centre, and the community potluck on August 3rd. Stay tuned for more details!

Kagawong welcomed back author Stephanie Malo and family this past week as they explored the Island and visited friends. Stephanie’s book “Stopping to Smell the Flowers” can be found at the library.

Our best wishes go out to Ruth as she navigates single handedly for the next few weeks. Get well soon!

Team Fergmeijer would like to apologize for misspelling HawgEaters last week. They say we learn from our mistakes, which is why we’re trying to make as many as possible. Soon we’ll be geniuses! Have a great week!

July 22, 2016

Despite several attempts on Monday, the OPP helicopter was unable to find an appropriate landing area at Riverside or HogEaters to drop in for a quick bite. Council can likely expect a petition for the installation of a helipad in the coming days.

What is the best day to go to the beach? SUNday! Unless you’re in Kagawong, and then ANY day is the perfect day to stroll the village and spend some time by the water. The summer fun continues with Farmers’ Markets every Wednesday at the pavilion in Kagawong. Check out goods from local farmers, artists and crafts-people. There are some amazing vendors there every week, but it’s a good idea to get there early to get the best stuff.

Summerfest was a resounding success last weekend with an impressive number of people playing, socializing, shopping, and just enjoying our village. The Flat Head Fords concert was definitely a highlight of the day drawing crowds on land and water to enjoy the music and to shake a leg! The Recreation Committee did a wonderful job planning and organizing the entire event.  A big thank you goes out to them, as well as to the many volunteers who put in their time on the day to make it all happen.

If you haven’t heard, Kagawong has a new theme song! Check out the Kagawgong Facebook page to hear it. Local songwriter Jamie Ward says, “I wrote it, yo!”

It’s a busy week for birthdays! Best wishes go to Ardiss Fenske as she celebrates 29 years, and Jen Cichon who (conveniently enough) is also turning 29 this week. Willa Wilson also turns 29 this coming Monday! ...or is it Tuesday? We can never keep track. Many happy returns! There are also a plethora of Ferguson-related birthdays to celebrate: Craig, Jen, and Emma all turn the big 29 this week (next week in Emma’s case but she'll be on the road and out of reach of a copy of The Recorder so this week it is!).

4elements Living Arts and Manitoulin Streams’ River School continues to deliver fun summer programs to both children and adults along the Kagawong River. Check them out on Facebook or visit them at 91 Main Street to find out more details.

Stand back, we're going to science the heck out of this place! Today (Friday, July 22nd) bring the kids out to the Park Centre to play and learn alongside the Bluecoats from Science North. There are interactive science experiences from 10:30am until 1:30pm and as well as a live show at 12:30pm that promises to entertain and amaze. For more information contact the library at billingslibrary@vianet.ca

Speaking of the library, have you seen the work being done on the deck and stairs outside? Very exciting stuff, though no deck and no stairs made getting in to work on Monday a bit of a problem. Contractor Rob said he could probably get the librarian hoisted up and in the door, but she wisely decided not to attempt it. Despite the construction the library is officially open for business 5 days a week, Tuesday to Saturday, from 9am to 12noon and 1pm to 5pm throughout July and August.

As always, the Kagawong Canine Social Club meets on Sundays at 1pm. The park is open 24/7 for the enjoyment of pups and people.

Team Fergmeijer was at the library this week. We asked the librarian where we could find books on paranoia. She said, “behind you!”

July 15, 2016

In these lazy days of summer, Team Fergmeijer has come up with the perfect exercise plan: every morning, we do ten sit-ups. That may not sound like a lot, but there are only so many times you can hit the snooze button. And apparently chasing the ice cream truck doesn’t count as a fitness program.

A very happy birthday goes to Arik and Ethan who both celebrate on the 21st! Surely they BOTH can’t be turning 29, but at least one of them is.

The summer fun continues with Farmers’ Markets every Wednesday at the pavilion in Kagawong. Check out goods from local farmers, artists and crafts-people. There are some amazing vendors there every week, but it’s best to get there early to get the best stuff.

And don’t forget SUMMERFEST coming up on Saturday, July 16 (tomorrow!). Get out your poodle skirts and your plaid pants - the theme this year is Retro! Activities in and around the village (and there will be lots of them) will have a bit of a 50s & 60s feel as we step back in time and celebrate the good ol’ days. There will be something for everyone, including a scavenger hunt, BBQ, kids’ games, the Running of the Balls, and great food like ice cream, pie and cotton candy. Cap off the evening with a free concert on the dock by the Flat Head Fords - a retro band from southern Ontario. A full program with times and listings is in this week's Expositor.

The River School is off to a fantastic start! 4elements Living Arts and Manitoulin Streams have teamed up to deliver great summer programs to both children and adults along the Kagawong River. Come prepared to get your feet wet and your hands dirty! For more information, phone 705-282-0444 or email patricia@4elementslivingarts.org.

On Friday, July 22nd, reconnect with your inner nerd and join the Bluecoats from Science North from 10:30am until 1:30pm at the Park Centre for an interactive science experience! There’s a live show at 12:30pm that promises to entertain and amaze. Being the huge nerds (and all-around fans of science) that we are, Team Fergmeijer can’t wait to see what they cook up. For more information contact the library at billingslibrary@vianet.ca

The library book and bake sale was a huge success, and a big thank you has to go out to all the volunteers who helped to haul books, bake goodies and make lunch. It was truly a community effort. If you missed the sale, never fear - many books are available from the Friends of Billings Library table at the market on Wednesdays. Stop by, they also have sweet treats and cool drinks, with all the funds raised going to the library.

Speaking of the library, they are officially open for business 5 days a week, Tuesday to Saturday, from 9am to 12noon and 1pm to 5pm throughout July and August. Pop in, say hi to summer student Emily, use the free wi-fi, or check out all the changes upstairs and down.

John and Mary had granddaughter Charlotte (and her parents Rob and Kathryn) home for a visit. They made several grand tours of Kagawong in John’s classic car, at Charlotte’s insistence. Seems that little Buie might turn out to be a bit of a motorhead. Even after a short visit it was clear that she definitely has her daddy’s grace and her momma’s sass.

Jamie and Jean Ward also have family visiting this week. We would include more information on who it is and what they are getting up to, but they keep closing their curtains.

Missing your weekly euchre fix? Check out the July 20 euchre tournament at the Park Centre. Bring a partner and your competitive spirit!

As always, the Kagawong Canine Social Club meets on Sundays at 1pm. The park is open 24/7 for the enjoyment of four-legged residents and tourists as well as their two-legged companions.

As we mentioned earlier, Team Fergmeijer has been working to be as healthy as we can this summer. This time of year is great for fresh veg and fruit. In fact, we had a salad for dinner last night! It was mostly just tomatoes and croutons. Well, really, just one big round crouton. And a lot of cheese. Okay, it was a pizza. We’ll try to do better tomorrow. Maybe a fruit salad. With lots of grapes. All grapes. Fermented grapes. In liquid form. We’re having wine for dinner tomorrow. Cheers!

July 8, 2016

They say you don’t know what you’ve got until it’s gone, so Team Fergmeijer decided to see if anyone is paying attention. Yeah, that’s what we did. We certainly didn’t forget the early deadline last week if that’s what you were thinking.

Last week was all sorts of patriotic and we hope all you hosers donned your toques and enjoyed some maple syrup on your beavertails with your double-doubles on Canada Day! Some patriotic words of wisdom: remember, blood is thicker than water, but maple syrup is thicker than blood, so technically pancakes are more important than family.

This week we welcome back to all the summer student workers across the township as they kick off another busy summer! You all make our community an awesome place.

Happy belated birthday to long-time Kagawongian, Shirley Park, who has reached the wise and wonderful age of 29 this month. The Parks had another reason to celebrate recently; congratulations go out to Marilyn and Kirby Park on the birth of their second grandchild. Lily arrived safely, with mother Tahnee holding up like a champ and father Chris having not passed out in the delivery room (as far as anyone is telling, anyway).

Between the all the bake sale, book sale, yard sale, car wash, farmers’ market and BBQ craziness this past week, no wonder people flock from all over the island to visit! The fun continues with Farmers’ Markets every Wednesday at the pavilion in Kagawong. And don’t forget SUMMERFEST coming up on Saturday, July 19!

On top of all that, registration is still open for River School - a partnership between 4elements Living Arts and Manitoulin Streams to deliver a series of summer programs for kids and adults along the Kagawong River. Come prepared to get your feet wet and your hands dirty! For more information, or to register, phone 705-282-0444 or email patricia@4elementslivingarts.org.

In other news, sightings of a large, sarcastic orb were reported along the road to Maple Point during the long weekend. According to UFO cognoscente Jamie Ward, “It was wearing a jaunty hat and cursing about facebugs, yo.”

Weekly euchre games at the Park Centre have gone on hiatus for the summer, but you can still get your game on with two tournaments; one on July 20th, the other on August 17th. Bring a partner and your competitive spirit!

Cards not your thing? Prefer 4-legged friends over 2-legged? Then come out to the Kagawong Canine Social Club every Sunday at 1pm to socialize with other dog lovers. If you can’t make Sunday, don’t panic; the park is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for canine capers any time.

With the arrival of the nice weather, a lot of people are talking about whether or not they have their ‘summer bodies.’ Team Fergmeijer’s not so different. We’ve got our summer bodies; they’re under our spring rolls. Just kidding! Actually, Team Fergmeijer’s summer bodies are the same as our winter bodies, they just have more popsicles in them. Have a great week!