Fall back on Sunday, November 2. That is, turn your
clocks back one hour. Or - heh, heh - turn the sun forward. It has always
puzzled me why this time change is called Daylight Savings Time. It doesn't
really save light; it just shifts it. It adds an extra hour of evening sun, but
subtracts an hour of morning sun.
Why do we do it? And especially, why did we start doing it the first
Sunday in November instead of the last one in October?
We're told it saves energy, but, in fact, any electricity savings are
eaten up by gas expenses as people use their extra hour of evening light to go
shopping. That's what Michael Downing says. He wrote Spring Forward: The Annual
Madness of Daylight Saving Time. The whole time change thing seems to be a
marketing ploy, he says. If people see the stores on their way home from work
before dark, they're more likely to stop and shop. That's why the US Chambers
of Commerce has lobbied for DST over the years.
And who lobbied to change the "fall back" hour to November? It was the
candy stores. An extra hour of light on Halloween evening means an extra hour
of trick-or-treating. An extra hour of trick-or-treating boosts candy sales.
Are we suckers, or what?
MENTAL
ILLNESS
At the Eaton Valley Community Learning Centre (CLC) in Bury, at 7 to 9
p.m. tonight - Wednesday - the topic is "How Best to Communicate with a Loved
One with Mental Illness." It's a videoconference of a roundtable discussion
hosted by a psychologist, Dr. Camillo Zacchia, and it's hosted by Action on Mental
Illness (AMI-Quebec). All are welcome. No fee. Info: Kim Fessenden,
819-872-3771.
BULWER
IN THE CARDS
At the Bulwer Community Centre on Jordan Hill Road, Military Whist is
planned for this Thursday at 2 p.m. A hot supper follows, with beef stew,
mashed potatoes, cole slaw, Caesar salad, rolls, angel food cake, ice cream and
fruit toppings. Fee: $5 for whist; $10 for both whist and supper. To reserve a
table of four, or a place for one, call Roberta Sylvester (819-889-2608) by
Monday, October 20.
MUSICAL
REVUE
This Friday at 7 p.m. is the musical revue "Honouring our Veterans and
War Brides in Melody and Song" put on by the Eaton Corner Museum at the Bulwer
Community Centre, Jordan Hill Road, and featuring local luminaries in music and
theatre. That includes soloist Grant Taylor, one of only two World War II
veterans living in our area. Entrance is $8, or free for those arriving in
uniform. It's a benefit for the Museum.
And go into training now for the Museum's annual spaghetti supper. It's
planned for Saturday, November 22.
FARM
FOOD & PAPERWORK
The Quebec Farmers' Association is presenting a videoconference entitled
"Drowning in Paperwork? Organizing your Office and Paperwork Better" on
Thursday, October 30, from 7:30 to 10 p.m. at the Eaton Valley CLC in Bury. The
CLC is located at the far end of the Pope Memorial School. This event is the
first in the QFA's "Farm Food Forum" series on the last Thursday of each month.
Info: Kim Fessenden, 819-872-3771.
HALLOWEEN
IN BROOKBURY
Halloween lives at the Brookbury Community Centre, 571 Route 255 North.
It's a party on Friday, October 31, at 7 p.m. Costumes will be judged. Prizes
given. Games played. Pot-luck snacks shared. "The age group is babies to
adults," says Brenda Bailey. "Just come and have fun!" Info: 819-884-5984.
HALLOWEEN
IN NEWPORT
Halloween hangs out in Newport QC, too, at the Municipal Hall, 1452
Route 212, Island Brook. Newport's Loisirs 4 Horizons recreation committee
invites both young and old to a party on Friday, October 31, from 4 to 8 p.m. On
the menu are soup, pumpkin pie, snacks and beverages. For ghosts and goblins,
little and big: candy. Come in costume or not; with children or not. Admission
is free. "Friendship and celebration are the order of the evening, in a
Halloween ambiance with music and decorations," says Loisirs 4 Horizons
chairperson Francine Rouleau. Info: 819-875-3895.
SCHOOL
BOARD ELECTIONS
School board elections are on November 2. Did you get a notice to vote
for a school board commissioner? Was it for the French school board in your
area? Would you prefer to vote in the Eastern Townships School Board elections?
If so, you have to ask.
In any case, it's too late now to get your name on the ETSB voters' list
for this year's elections. The deadline was October 14. If you are not sure
whether you are on the ETSB electoral list, you can contact the ETSB Returning
Officer, Pauline Lazure, at 819-868-3100 ext. 55204 or elections@etsb.qc.ca.
And you can ask how to get on the ETSB electoral list for the next elections.
Presuming school boards still exist at that time.
For that matter, you may also wish to pay your school taxes to the ETSB
instead of to the local French school board. Unless you have a child currently
attending the ETSB, the default mode is that your taxes go to the French school
board. If you wish them to go to the English school board, you need to
specifically request this. Request forms are available from the ETSB at
819-868-3100.
Now here's some news to take the knots out of your knickers. It just so
happens that almost all of the Haut-Saint-François is in the ETSB Electoral
Ward No. 11. This ward doesn't have an election this time around because our
candidate is unopposed and has already been acclaimed. She is Mary Ellen Kirby.
Congratulations, Mary Ellen!
But if you live in Ascot Corner, you're in Ward No. 8, and you have a
choice of three candidates - Gordon Barnett, Steve Côté, and Douglas Sullivan.
Happy voting.
PILLS
Medications can be a life-or-death matter. If you or a loved one takes
pills, you probably know a bit about risky situations resulting from improperly
taking meds.
Here's a two-part webinar about the safe use of medications. It's
organized by the Care-Ring Voice Network with the support of the Canadian
Generic Pharmaceutical Association. A panel of experts promises to answer
questions that will help with medication management. Questions about when one
can stop taking the prescribed pills, what to do about side effects, or what to
do if your loved one refuses to take their meds.
The two sessions are planned for Wednesday, November 6 and 19, at 7 p.m.
To participate, register in advance either at careringvoice.com, or by phone at
1-866-396-2433, Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. If you have any questions,
contact Rachel Garber at 819-300-2374 or hcs@cabhsf.org.
CAREGIVER
WELLNESS
Susan Macaulay is author of the fascinating blog
myalzheimersstory.com. She was on CBC Radio recently, and is coming to
Cookshire on Friday, November 7, from 1:30 to 4 p.m. She will share images,
videos and music, and lessons she has learned from her experience caring for
her mom, who has been living with progressive Alzheimer's disease over the past
five years. The presentation is organized by Mental Health Estrie, and is
offered in collaboration with L'Appui Estrie and the English-speaking
caregivers' groups of the Centre d'action bénévole du Haut-Saint-François
(volunteer action centre). It will be in the 2nd floor activity room
at the Manoir de l'eau vive, 210 Principale E., Cookshire. No fee. Info: Rachel
Garber, 819-300-2374 or hcs@cabhsf.org.
CHURCHES
Anglican: Sunday services are in Bury,
with Sunday school, at 9:30 a.m., and Cookshire at 11 a.m. (819-239-6902).
Baptist: In Sawyerville, the worship
service is at 9 a.m. in French, and 11 a.m. in English. Sunday school is at 10
a.m. in English and French (819-239-8818).
United: Sunday worship is at Cookshire
United at 9:30 a.m., and at Sawyerville United at 11 a.m. On October 26 at 3
p.m. is a welcome service for Rev. Tami Spires, student minister, at the
Trinity United Church in Cookshire. All are welcome. Info: 819-889-2838 (listen
to message or leave one).
Do you have news to share? Call 819-300-2374 or email ra.writes@gmail.com by October 27 for publication November
5, and by
November 10 for November 19.
