March 30, 2018

Our favourite weekends are long weekends, and this long weekend is especially sweet. Tomorrow is the annual community Easter egg hunt! Come out to the Park Centre to meet the Easter bunny and to fill your baskets with delicious candies. The hunt starts at 10am sharp, so get there a bit early to be sure you don’t miss the eggcitement!

Team Fergmeijer started raising chickens right around this time last year. We didn’t intend to, but there was that one Easter egg that never got found…

We are pleased to be the first to announce a new series of sculptures being planned for the township! Like previous works, these will be crafted by local artists, but unlike last year’s installations, these sculptures will highlight some of the contemporary history of Billings. The pieces will include a bronze geyser to be installed at the corner of Beach Street and Main Street near the pump house. Also, a collection of wooden structures that mimic natural roosts for native fowl that will be located in a variety of places around the village with the largest being located at the Lebar hill lookout. The crowning glory of the collection will be an abstract sculpture that celebrates the installation of the wonderful sculptures on the sculpture trail. We look forward to seeing these amazing works. Come out on Sunday, April 1st for the ribbon cutting ceremony at the municipal office.

You can take the kid out of Kagawong, but you can’t take the Kagawong out of the kid, so a very happy birthday goes out to Micki B who turns 29 on Saturday!

Mac ‘n’ Brew is back! As a kick off to the Green Living Expo, join the Billings Go Green Committee and the Recreation Committee on Friday, April 20 at the Park Centre. Doors open at 5:30pm, with supper served at 6:15pm. $25 gets you a homemade mac ‘n’ cheese supper, a beer or a glass of wine, and a talk by a guest speaker. Save the date!

The Green Living Expo continues Saturday, April 21 from 12 noon until 4pm at the Park Centre. More details on activities coming soon!

The euchre results are in! Last week’s results are: 1st Place - Jim Langtree & Fred Pickard; 2nd Place - Doris Tustian & Elve Lloyd; 3rd Place - Graham & Sheila Fogal; 4th Place - Dave James & Laurene Hollaway; Most Loners - Tie - Ken Richard & Jim Henderson and Doris Tustian & Elva Lloyd; Low Score - Donna Beam & Barb Bright; Door Prize - Cam Ross.

Though winners for the Team Fergmeijer Sandhill Crane challenge were announced last week, many have told us that they still haven’t seen or heard the elusive bird of spring. In order to try and woo the cranes to migrate faster, a Sandhill Crane coo-ing competition will be held Sunday, April 1 at dawn at the Kagawong River.

Have a great week!

March 23, 2018

Spring has officially sprung and rather than obsess over getting our bodies ‘summer ready’ Team Fergmeijer has embraced our natural shapes. We say farewell to the winter insulation layer, and hello to our spring rolls! Besides, scales can’t measure sexy!

We have a winner! Paul D was the first to spot a sandhill crane, while Willa W was the first to make a recording of the crane’s melodic coo!  No word on what past champion Peter has seen or heard lately. Perhaps he decided to retire while he was on top?

The Billings library continues to offer computer classes each Tuesday and Thursday this month. Classes run from 1:00 - 3:30. Bring your own laptop, or use one of the library computers. Contact Bob at bobcat100@gmail.com or 705-662-8215 to pre-register.

Happy Birthday to Sharon J who has completed another marathon around the sun and turns 29 today!

While many people feel this time of year is ideal for decluttering, we at Team Fergmeijer are not really into spring cleaning. Mind you, we’re not really into summer, fall, or winter cleaning either.

Look out Kagawong Gobble Brigade, soon there’ll be a new gang in town. To avoid butting heads with them, you might want to consider negoatiating territory rules. They may seem udderly harmless, but they might be the ones to instigoate conflict, so don’t let them get your goat if they make derogoatory remarks or try to make you the scapegoat of their antics, for goatness sakes.

Mac ‘n’ Brew is back! As a kick off to the Green Living Expo, join the Billings Go Green Committee and the Recreation Committee on Friday, April 20 at the Park Centre. Doors open at 5:30pm, with supper served at 6:15pm. $25 gets you a homemade mac ‘n’ cheese supper, a beer or a glass of wine, and a talk by a guest speaker. Save the date!

The Green Living Expo continues Saturday, April 21 from 12 noon until 4pm at the Park Centre. More details on activities coming soon!

Team Fergmeijer is super excited… new playground equipment is coming to the township! As a wise man once said, there’s no point in being grown up if you can’t be childish sometimes.

Have a great week!

March 16, 2018

Shamrocks and Shenanigans for all - Saturday is St. Patrick’s Day! How can you tell if someone if having a good time on St. Patrick’s day? Because they’re Dublin over with laughter!

Snowmobile trails are now closed on Manitoulin, and snowbirds are starting to return home from southern climes. That means spring is ticking ever closer… time for the annual Team O’Fergmeijer Sandhill Crane Challenge! Who will be the first to spot (or hear!) the melodic coo of the Sandhill Crane?? Email us at kagawong@live.ca to report your sighting.

The Billings library continues to offer computer classes each Tuesday and Thursday this month. Next week tackle some of the more advanced elements of Microsoft Word. Classes run from 1:00 - 3:30. Bring your own laptop, or use one of the library computers. Spaces for all sessions are limited, so contact Bob O’Cacciotti at bobcat100@gmail.com or 705-662-8215 to pre-register.

These are happy days at the O’Maranger household, as Baby O’Poppy made her grand entrance into the world. Congratulations Meg & Matt!

Fun St. Patrick’s Day Fact: even though there is a Limerick County in Ireland, limericks were actually invented in England. But we’re not that fussy. Local poet Jamie O’Ward submitted the following to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day:

There once were two lasses who wrote;

Over a quality column, they’d gloat:

“Journalism, devine!”

“Our writing is fine!”

“Though we’re sometimes apt to misquote...”

Tai Chi and Zumba were on hiatus this past week, as teachers and students enjoyed March Break. Regularly-scheduled Park Centre activities (Tai Chi with Chris O’Theijsmeijer on Tuesdays at 6:30pm and Zumba with Casey O’Boisvert on Thursdays at 7pm) start up again the week of March 19.

Happy Birthday to Sharon O’Jackson who is turning 29 next week. We raise a green beverage to you, lassie! Another local who will be out for a craic this week is Patrick O’McColman. He’s not olagonin about turning 29, and may consider going out on a leash tonight to celebrate, as long as he doesn’t come home locked out of his tree like a monkey who forgot his keys or he might feel scundered in the morning.

Speaking of GREEN: The O’Billings Go Green Committee invites you to take part in the Plastic Purge Challenge! Check out their blog (https://gogreenkagawong.wordpress.com/) for more information. Also, the Green Living event is just around the corner! The committee is looking for people who are doing cool green things to present. If you’ve got any suggestions, contact a Go Green committee member.

Our final piece of advice for you this weekend: Never iron a four-leaf clover… you don’t want to press your luck. Have a great week!

March 9, 2018

For those time travel fans out there, this weekend is the time you look forward to twice a year. Daylight saving time has us all setting our clocks forward on Sunday. Of course, for some people, this time of year is a bit like every new version of Facebook: no one asks for the change, it messes everybody up, and just when we finally get used to it, they change the darn thing again!

The Billings library continues to offer computer classes each Tuesday and Thursday this month. Next week tackle some of the more advanced elements Excel. Classes run from 1:00 - 3:30. Bring your own laptop, or use one of the library computers. Spaces for all sessions are limited, so contact Bob at bobcat100@gmail.com or 705-662-8215 to pre-register.

In her continuing efforts to disprove the ‘blondes have more fun’ adage, Susan S was invited to Toronto to meet Ontario’s Lieutenant Governor! She represented 4elements Living Arts and their community partners in accepting a 2017 Lieutenant Governor’s Ontario Heritage Award  for excellence in conservation for their ‘Billings Connections Trail: Nature. Art. Heritage’ program. Way to represent Billings!

The first signs of spring (Tuesday’s snow notwithstanding) mark the start of the annual Team Fergmeijer Sandhill Crane Challenge! Who will be the first to spot (or hear!) the melodic coo of the Sandhill Crane?? Email us at kagawong@live.ca to report your sighting.

Last Saturday, the Kagawong Folk Roots Collective played to a packed house in Gore Bay (at least half of which was from Kagawong!). Thanks to everyone who came out to support Lyons Memorial United Church!

Tai Chi and Zumba are on hiatus this coming week, as teachers and students enjoy March Break. Regularly scheduled Park Centre activities (Tai Chi on Tuesdays at 6:30pm and Zumba on Thursdays at 7pm) start up again the week of March 19.

Local environmental enthusiast Jamie Ward says “think GREEN, yo!” The Billings Go Green Committee invites you to take part in the Plastic Purge Challenge! Check out their blog (https://gogreenkagawong.wordpress.com/) for more information. Also, the Green Living event is just around the corner! The committee is looking for people who are doing cool green things to present. If you’ve got any suggestions, contact a Go Green committee member.

We’re pretty sure the hour we lose this weekend was the hour we intended to spend at the gym this week. All well. Maybe next year.

March 2, 2018

This week seemed to be the start of one of the most challenging times of the year: it’s sweater weather when you leave the house in the morning, but by mid-afternoon it’s so warm you are risking heat stroke. Not that we are knocking sweater weather. As Billy Idol famously said: ‘It’s a nice day for a light sweater. It’s a nice day for a cardigan!’

The Billings library continues to offer their popular Computer Basics course! Sessions are each Tuesday and Thursday from 1:00 - 3:30 starting February 27th until March 8th. Bring your own laptop, or use one of the library computers. Advanced sessions on Microsoft Word, Excel and Powerpoint start March 13th. Spaces for all sessions are limited, so contact Bob at bobcat100@gmail.com or 705-662-8215 to pre-register.

Team Fergmeijer was extremely saddened to hear of Jacqui Gordon’s passing last week. Our sincerest condolences to the extended Gordon family.

Last week’s euchre tournament saw Ken Pepper & Judy Parkinson take first place. Second place went to Graham & Sheila Fogal, while tied for third place was the team of Fred Pickard & Jim Lanktree and the team of Brad Parkinson & Bill Traynor. Ken Pepper & Judy Parkinson tied with Brad Parkinson and Bill Traynor for Most Loners, while the low score went to Candy Tracy and Bob Cacciotti. Ken Pepper took home the door prize. The Thanks to the Parkinson crew (Brad, Bill, Ken, and Judy) for the kind donation.

As it’s just the beginning of March, there’s pretty much guaranteed to be at least one more good storm. Safety first! If we knew what hatches were, and knew how to batten them, we would.

When you see something, it’s called a “sighting.” What is it called when you hear something? There have been several hear-ings of geese recently, which means the Team Fergmeijer Sandhill Crane Challenge is just around the corner! Who will be the first to spot or hear our token bird of spring? Be the first to notify us of your sighting (or hear-ing) for a special mention here, and also the opportunity to say “neener-neener” to local crane enthusiasts Willa and Peter.

Happy birthday to Sandi H who turns 29 right around this time every year.

Tomorrow night The Kagawong Folk Roots Collective is presenting an evening of music starting at 7pm at the Lyons Memorial United Church in Gore Bay. Tickets are $10 which includes an evening of music, desserts, and a hot beverage. Come out and sing along!

This warm weather has us thinking GREEN! If you are, too, the Billings Go Green Committee invites you to take part in the Plastic Purge Challenge! Check out their blog (https://gogreenkagawong.wordpress.com/) for more information. Also, the Green Living event is just around the corner! The committee is looking for people who are doing cool green things to present. If you’ve got any suggestions, contact a Go Green committee member.

Tai Chi will be starting up again Tuesdays in March (6:30pm at the Park Centre), with a special introductory session for true beginners on March 6. No fee to join, but donations are collected to support the Billings Recreation Committee

Getting back to the weather, always remember: sweater weather isn’t just a phrase, it’s a lifestyle. Have a great week!