January 26, 2018

The weather this week has been snow joking matter. I mean, we know it’s winter and snow is going to fall weather we like it or not, but that ice storm was snowbody’s idea of a winter punderland. One half of Team Fergmeijer spent hours just peering through the window during the storm. After it got dark, the other half finally decided to let them in. As our loyal readers may have guessed, this is shaping up to be a pun-heavy week. It can be fun, we promise! But if you start to get cold feet or feel like you are about to have a meltdown, just slip past this part. And to those of you who are cold enough to say we should stop with the puns altogether, we say ‘when hail freezes over!’

Happy birthday to the fathers of Team Fergmeijer who both turn 29 this week. The Fergmeijer column literally wouldn’t have been possible without you. We’d also like to recognize Jenna C’s 29th trip around the sun. Congratulations!

If you're alone and get too cold you might become ice-olated. If you are looking for a reason to get out of the house, join the Billings Recreation Committee tonight at the Park Centre for Cabin Fever Games Night!  From 7-10pm, join fellow Kagawongians for an evening of grown-up fun with board games and cards, including Euchre 101 - learn to play so you can cross one off your bucket list. And you will be ready to join in the Wednesday tournaments! Canteen will be available, admission is by donation to the Food Bank.

February is right around the corner… and you know what that means! WINTERFEST! Come out for some winter fun on Saturday Feb. 10, from 10am-2pm at the Kagawong Park Centre. Enjoy olympic-themed games, a bonfire, snow mountain, ice rink (weather pending), kids’ games, maple taffy, dog sled demonstration, Billings Fire Dept. information station, and vintage snowmobiles. Inside the Park Centre, you’ll find delicious treats at the Snowflake Café, serving chili, sausage, hot dogs, hot and cold beverages, and desserts. There will also be an activity/warm-up station available inside. Don’t miss it!

The next 4elements winter event is a Full Moon Ski/Snowshoe and Fire, Wednesday, January 31 at the Maple Ridge Trails (6304 Hwy 542) in Mindemoya. Meet at 7pm to depart on the ski/snowshoe part of the evening; admission is by donation.

The library is offering beginner and advanced computer classes for anyone who wants to increase their confidence with basic computer skills, word processing, spreadsheets, and slideshow software. Courses are offered each Tuesday and Thursday from 1:00 - 3:30. Next week’s topic covers Powerpoint for beginners. Spaces are limited, so contact Bob at bobcat100@gmail.com or 705-662-8215 to pre-register.

Scientists in the far north are often nominated for the Snowbelt Prize, but Euchre awards are much easier to come by! Euchre continues every Wednesday night at 7:30pm at the Park Centre. Last week’s tournament results are as follows: First place had a tie between the teams of Ken Pepper & Rita Parkinson and Bev Picard & Sally Langtree. Brad Parkinson & Bill Traynor came in third, with Doris Tustian & Elva Lloyd coming in a very close fourth. There was another tie for the Loners title: Brad Parkinson & Bill Traynor and Bev Pickard & Sally Langtree. Low score prize goes to Candy Tracey & Phyllis Cacciotti, and the door prize went to Eva.

Don’t forget: Zumba has resumed regular Thursday classes and the Kagawong Fitness Club (KFC) is also open 24/7 for members to run, lift and stretch to their hearts’ content.

Hear that? The hills are alive with the sound of music! Manitoulin Secondary is pleased to present the beloved classic, The Sound of Music. Show dates are February 15, 16, 17, with the curtain rising at 7pm each night. Tickets available at the door, or at select pharmacies.

We know that the fame that comes with this column is sleeting, so we’ll leave you with one last piece of advice: Those who experiment with thin ice will achieve a breakthrough. Have a great week!

January 19, 2018

Team Fergmeijer has had a wonderful time visiting and catching up with Kagawongians since Christmas. Everyone was excited to tell us what Santa brought them! Barb E got the newest Justin Bieber album, while Susan S conveniently got a pair of noise cancelling headphones. John B gave wife Mary an electronic key tracker with smart phone app. Most people use it to find their lost keys; John uses it to keep track of Mary. Brad M’s favourite gift this year was a new pair of sunglasses - it gets bright out there in the subdivisions. Willa W and Peter G both have brand new high powered binoculars for bird watching. It’s going to be another close call this year for the Fergmeijer Sandhill Crane Challenge! Perhaps the most excited with his gifts this year was local classic toy enthusiast, Jamie Ward. He told us “I got a yo-yo, yo!”

In other local news, for those who haven’t heard, iconic Harbour Island has recently be purchased by the Chandler family! This is definitely a long-term project, but it’s exciting to imagine what it can be in the future.    

Happy birthday to Susie D who turns 29 on Tuesday. She’ll be celebrating with a G&T on the beach in Florida, we’re sure.

The library is offering beginner and advanced computer classes for anyone who wants to increase their confidence with basic computer skills, word processing, spreadsheets, and slideshow software. Courses are offered each Tuesday and Thursday from 1:00 - 3:30. Next week’s topic covers Excel for beginners. Spaces are limited, so contact Bob at bobcat100@gmail.com or 705-662-8215 to pre-register.

Don’t forget: Zumba has resumed regular Thursday classes and the Kagawong Fitness Club (KFC) is also open 24/7 for members to run, lift and stretch to their hearts’ content.

Mark the calendar! Manitoulin Secondary is pleased to present the beloved classic, The Sound of Music! Show dates are February 15, 16, 17, with the curtain rising at 7pm each night. Tickets available at the door, or at select pharmacies.

Still struggling with the idea of resolutions in the new year? Try taking some inspiration from the family pet: eat more stuff that makes you feel good, poop frequently, greet everything, pick fights with shoes and pillows, smell things that look interesting, be less scared of vacuum cleaners and strangers, run outside and yell more, forget what you are doing and nap instead, be nice to nice people, fart without shame, and worry less about things you can’t eat or play with. Of course, you are free to pick and choose from the list and implement them as you see fit. Have a great week!

January 12, 2018

Happy New Year! Team Fergmeijer couldn’t settle on a single resolution this year, but at least we have it narrowed down to 4. New Year’s Resolution #1: Be more awesome than last year. So far, so good on this one. Not to brag or anything, but so far this year, we haven’t missed a single newspaper deadline!

 

Team Fergmeijer has been told recently that we need to put more community goings-on in our weekly column. On that note, Ruth was seen out for lunch at the café with Barb last week. They definitely did not talk about Susan while they were there. After they left, Ruth went to the post office and chatted with Mike for several minutes while waiting for her Walmart delivery to be processed. Meanwhile, Barb went straight home and sorted her receipts in her wallet, humming the latest Justin Bieber song, and then sat down to read the reviews on the new Trump book. We weren’t sure how detailed the community goings-on need to be. Here’s hoping we didn’t overdo it. In related news, it’s tougher than it looks to tail someone in a town with no traffic in order to find out what they are up to.

Several Kagawongians celebrated birthdays over the last couple of weeks. John F, Beverly W and Darren Hayden all celebrated their 29th birthdays. Harrison N is a bit of an anomaly, turning 22 last week.

New Year’s Resolution #2: Be more optimistic. May your cup always be half full… of your favourite beverage

Rain, snow or shine, the Kagawong Canine Society continues to gather every Sunday at 1pm with more and more dogs and their humans joining in the fun.

The library is offering beginner and advanced computer classes for anyone who wants to increase their confidence with basic computer skills, word processing, spreadsheets, and slideshow software. Starting next week courses are offered each Tuesday and Thursday from 1:00 - 3:30. Next week’s topic covers computer basics. Spaces are limited, so contact Bob at bobcat100@gmail.com or 705-662-8215 to pre-register.

New Year’s Resolution #3: 1280 x 1024

The town’s water system was disrupted for a couple of hours this week. It’s not completely clear what the cause of the mini geyser was, but Team Fergmeijer has some theories. Half of us believe it was a new fountain art installation, but the other half figures it was KGB (Kagawong Gobble Brigade) sabotage as revenge for their many (delicious) comrades lost over the holiday season.

If getting in shape was one of your resolutions this new year, have we got options for you! Zumba resumes next week with Casey’s regular Thursday classes. The Kagawong Fitness Club (KFC) is also open 24/7 for members to run, lift and stretch to their hearts’ content.

New Year’s Resolution #4: Eat more healthily. But first, we have to get rid of ALL the junk food in the house. It’s a lot to eat in one weekend, but we are dedicated to a healthy lifestyle in 2018. Have a great week!