COMMUNITY FOOD BANK REPORT
by Marilyn Sheppard
On behalf of the Food Bank we would sincerely like to thank Rev Sheppard
for the great effort he put in to the walk-a-ton on June 23rd
from Portugal Cove to the Avalon Mall. This is the third time he has taken
it upon himself to do this for the Food Bank, and this year has exceeded
last years pledges by exceeding $2000.00. From all of us here at the Food
Bank we would like to thank him very much for the work he has done( and
continues to do) for us over the past three years. He is one of the hardest
working and dependable volunteers that we have. Thank you our friend, we
hope your life will be as prosperous as you have helped to make this Food
Bank. We can assure you that your efforts and good deeds has not gone
unnoticed. THANK YOU
A special thank you to those who walked with Rev; Bruce Richards, Fabian
Mooney(son), Constable Tony Griffiths of the Holyrood RCMP and his wife
Carla, Grace Sheppard and Sarah Mooney(granddaughter),
Sergeant Ron Andrews of the Bell Island RCMP for following us in the
Police car and for taking care of the media and all paper work that was done
for the walk. Thank you to Jim Walsh(MHA) for being there to start the walk,
Millie Reese for driving Rev’s truck, the captain of the Ferry for blowing
the horn to start the walk, Ed Sharpe’s Convenience Store for all the
refreshments along the way, Tammie Taplin(daughter), Christine Tulk, Clara
Hammond and Shirley Murphy for being at Bell Island, Portugal Cove and the
Avalon Mall collecting donations. And a big thank you for those who made
pledges. It is this team who have made this walk the most successful one to
date.
BELL ISLAND DAY
Bell Island Day was a very successful one for us this year. We certainly
exceeded our expectations. This year was the most profitable one in the
history of the Food Bank. Again thank you to all our dedicated volunteers
and all the supporters this Bell Island Day.
We would like to thank the following people who helped us on Bell Island
Day;
Floaters-Eileen Power, Marilyn Sheppard
Jail and Bail-Ros Verge, Cindy Gear, Irene Delahunty, a special thank you
to our* lady officer* Clara Hammond.
Dunk Tank-A very special Thank You to Gerald and Lorraine Kitchen( not
only for building our dunk tank, but also for assembling it on the field and
running it for us that day.)Rev Sheppard, Grace Sheppard, Gerald Hynes.
Plinko Board-Shirley Murphy and Sarah Mooney
Spin Wheel-Sandra Sweeney , Lori Bickford and Allen Crane.
Ticket Sales-Marg Crane and Mary Dunne
Grab Bags- Christine Tulk, Sarah Inglehart and a Thank You to Cathy Tulk
for helping us set up.
Tug O War- Dawn Inglehart and Dick Rees
Horse Shoes- Tammie Taplin and Paul Lewis
We would sincerely like to thank our exceptional volunteers that braved
the icy cold water of our dunk tank, a few bruises and cramped feet. They
are as follows-
MHA Jim Walsh, Joey Somerton, Billy Somerton, Shelly Abbey , Tammie
Taplin and Doug Bussey,(who also gave his holiday time to help us set up)
There was also some kids who went in the dunk tank for us, however at the
time of doing this piece for the news letter their names were not available.
If any of those people would like to submit their names we will put it in
the next time.
Also a special thank you to Cyril and Barb Mooney(Toronto) for taking
time out of there vacation to help us set-up for Bell Island Day, also for
helping us to clean up afterwards.
We would also like to thank those who entered our tug-o-war and horseshoe
tournament.
Winners of the tug-o-war are as follows: Ricky Clark—Todd Tobin—Patty
Williams—Joey Bartlett—Rob Conners and Allen Noseworthy.
Horseshoe tournament----1st place–Leo Martin–Joey Purcell, 2nd
place–Paul Lewis-Eddy Peach, 3rd Place–Dave Drover–Pat
Hutchings. Congratulations to you. Thank You guys (what would we do without
you.)
A special thanks to Tom Spracklin, Browning Harvey, Coca-Cola Bottling
Ltd.,Penny Mazda, Dodge City, Hickman Motors, Saturn, Tom Woodford, Wabana
Boys and Girls Club, Henry Crane, Fred Somerton and Wabana Town Council.
Bell Island Day tickets on the Light House was won by Noreen O’Brien of
Ontario.
Spin # 263 ticket # 64
Barbecue was won by Betty Dwyer of St. John’s spin #262 ticket # 33
Boat was won by Eileen Power of Bell Island spin #261 ticket #30
CONGRATULATIONS TO THE WINNERS !
WABANA BOYS’ & GIRLS’ CLUB
by Leona Ezekiel
One of the highlights of the year so far has been the Wabana Boys’
& Girls’ Club Alberta Exchange. Through the YMCA (Youth Exchange) we
were able to have 18 members and supervisors from the Airdrie Boys’ &
Girls’ Club visit our island and St. John’s and surrounding areas from
May 3rd to May 9th.
From June 21st to June 27th we were able to take 10
members of the Wabana Boys’ & Girls’ Club to Alberta. In a matter of
one week we visited fantastic sites in Airdrie, Calgary, Banff and Edmonton.
Our members visited museums, the Saddle Dome, Calgary Tower, Rodeo, sulfur
Hot Springs, plus many more wonderful and exciting places. We visited the
West Edmonton Mall and the rides and wave pool made for a very enjoyable
time for our members.
The members who attended this exchange were: Lisa, Melissa and Jessica
Barnes, Barry and Sean Hammond, Shane Gear, Ashley Arnold, Rhonda Ashford,
Jeff Verge and Glenn Fowler. Supervisors: Leona Ezekiel of the Wabana Boys’
& Girls’ Club, Mr. Trent Langdon of the Boys’ & Girls’ Club of
Newfoundland and Labrador office.
We would like at this time to say a sincere THANK-YOU to the YMCA,
without whom this could not have taken place, the Board of Directors of the
Wabana Boys’ & Girls’ Club and the bingo committee’s for their
special bingo on the exchanges behalf. To MHA Mr. Jim Walsh who went looking
for and received some monies for the exchange ensuring that an enjoyable
time was had by all the members, and helping us do so much more. Members of
the Airdrie Club who made us feel so welcome and Karen Bannick for being a
perfect host and tour guide. To the people of Bell Island, who purchased
tickets, attended bingo and gave donations, many thanks for making our trip
such a great success.
On a personal note, I would like to say thank- you to the members for
being such good travel buddies, to Jackie McIsaac of Provincial Office for
her assistance, and our board of directors for their continued support. The
parents of the participants, who entrusted their teenagers into the care of
myself and Trent, and I must say taught their children what it is to be well
behaved young people in a strange city. Most of all a sincere thank-you to
Trent Langdon for doing so much of the paper work and without whom this
exchange would not have become a reality. Trent, you’re a great organizer
and a great friend.
A thank-you to the Men’s Slo-Pitch League which donated $1250.00 to the
club after the Larry Dunn Memorial Tournament
WABANA TOWN COUNCIL NEWS
by Mayor Gary Gosine
Council wishes to thank all the individuals and
organizations who took part in the Bell Island Day activities. All groups
involved had a good day financially and there were plenty of opportunities
for others to participate. People are encouraged to consider getting
involved next year and to start planning now to participate in 2002.
KATIMAVIK
A sincere thank you from council is extended to all the
Katimavik members. Excellent work was performed all around our island and
many worthwhile projects were carried out. They will be all heading back to
their respective homes early August. We wish them well in all their future
endeavors.
Residents are encouraged to contact their MHA, the
minister of Works, Services and Transportation or whatever government
official they feel who can assist in getting funding for pavement for our
island in next year’s budget. Bell Island has definitely been left out of
the picture for far too long when it comes to pavement. A commitment from
Government is needed before it is too late again for next year. Make your
views known. Almost all main streets and many side roads are in desperate
need of pavement.
ATV owners are advised that concern has been expressed
about young persons operating ATV’s around town. ATV owners should respect
private property and obey the rules regarding ATV operations. The RCMP will
be enforcing the Act to put a stop to persons operating ATV’s improperly.
A boil order still remains in effect for persons using the
town’s water supply. Efforts are still ongoing to secure funding to have
our pumping stations chlorinated.
A warm welcome is extended to all our visitors and
tourists who are visiting with us this summer. Two of our most visited sites
...No.2 Mine/Museum, and Lance Cove Beach have seen increased traffic this
year, and many other sites as well.
THE RECOVERY CENTRE
by Penny Moore
THE CENTRE
The Recovery Centre is a provincial impatient non-medical
detoxification service which is operated by the Addictions Services Branch
of Community Health, St. John’s Region. The 20 bed unit is a free service
offered to adults who are suffering from intoxication and withdrawal from
alcohol and /or other drugs.
The non-threatening, non-judgmental environment of the
Recovery Centre supports individuals as they begin the rehabilitation
process. The program offers attempts to address physical, psychological and
social needs through individual/group counselling, education and self help
meetings. Referrals can be made to the appropriate addictions service for
continued treatment.
ADMISSION
Individuals can be admitted to the Recovery Centre 24
hours a day. Admission to is open to men and women sixteen(16) years of age
and older who are intoxicated or a re experiencing symptoms of withdrawal.
Admissions may be self referrals or from community agencies such as the
Royal Newfoundland Constabulary, RCMP, social services, hospital emergency
units, and physicians. The client is encouraged to stay up to 6 days at the
Recovery Centre, however length of stay will be determined by individual
needs. Clients may have a maximum stay of two admissions per month.
For further information, please contact:
Supervisor
The Recovery Centre
St. John’s Community Health
Building 532, Pleasantville
P.O. Box 13122, Stn. A
St. John’s, NF
A1B 4A4
Ph 738-4980
Fax 738-4985
For those interested there is also an addictions counselor
here on Bell Island. To contact the addictions counselor, phone 488-2701.
POLICE FILES
by Cst. Scott Stephenson
- On July 2nd culprits entered a van parked on
Grammar Street and stole a cell phone, pager, change and a commuter pass
(#71) for the Bell Island Ferry.
- Person or persons yet unknown whom obviously have
nothing better to do caused damage to the Salvation Army Cemetery on July 3rd.
-In the early morning hours of July 8th,
unknown suspect(s) smashed a window of Chris’ Snacks parked near the Post
Office. No entry was gained into the trailer.
-The Wabana Boys’ & Girls’ Club had a brick thrown
threw a side window sometime overnight between July 9th and July
10th.
-Just after midnight on July 11th a truck was
stolen from a residence in West Mines. The truck was located a short time
later in Grebe’s Nest. There were some tools taken from the truck by the
culprits, however some have been recovered. Police have suspects in the
matter and the investigation is continuing.
-A 57 year-old Bell Island man was arrested for causing a
disturbance by being drunk after police were called to FOODLAND on July 13.
Upon arriving police found the man sitting outside the store in an
intoxicated state and cursing and swearing at the customer’s. He is to
appear in court in August.
-Police have charged a 49 year-old Lance Cove man with
assault after an altercation on Lance Cove Beach on June 30th.
The man will appear in provincial court in August.
-An altercation on July 15th in a restaurant
resulted in police arresting 38 year-old Bell Island man. The man will be in
court to face charges of assaulting a police officer, cause disturbance by
fighting, resisting arrest, breach of probation and mischief.
-A 16 year-old Lance Cove youth was charged for operating
his ATV in an unsafe manner. The incident was reported to Police on July 23rd.
-A rock was thrown through the front door of a home on St.
Pat’s Lane in the early morning hours of July 26th.
-The Co-Op Bakery was the victim of vandalism during the
first couple of weeks of July. The incident was reported to police on July
27th after two windows were smashed by rocks.
-A 15 year-old Bell Island girl will be appearing in court
after being charged un der the Liquor Control Act. She was caught by Police
on July 28th walking on Compressor Hill with an opened bottle of
beer.
POLICE OFFICER FOR A DAY
Here are the essays that were written by the winners of
Police Officer For A Day:
The Role of a Police Officer
by Colin O’Keefe
I think the role of a police officer is about protecting
people and stopping bad people. They are nice to kids and they come in and
show us movies about police. Some police are undercover. They pull over
people if they are drinking and driving, do not have their seat belt on and
going over the speed limit.
The role of a Police Officer
by Santanna Bickford
The role of a police officer is a very important job every
community needs a police officer even in a community where hardly any crime
is committed at all. A police officer is a very helpful man or woman. They
help you when you are in danger, they stop breaking and entering in stores
and homes, they help cleanup debris that’s left from accidents to keep
your community and/or environment clean, they make sure that people follow
the rules and laws of the road, they make sure that people have a licence to
drive a car, a quad, or a motorcycle, they teach people and children about
second hand smoke and drugs, they also watch for and catch drunk drivers. So
now you know what the role of a police office is so I hope everyone now
knows that a police officer is a really wonderful person.
Police Officers are cool.
GOOD DEEDS
by Cst. Scott Stephenson
I received this from another RCMP member I worked with in
B.C. and thought it was a pretty good story to pass along;
One day, when I was a freshman in high school, I saw a kid
from my class was walking home from school. His name was Kyle. It looked
like he was carrying all of his books. I thought to myself, "Why would
anyone bring home all his books on a Friday? He must really be a nerd."
I had quite a weekend planned (parties and a football game with my friends
tomorrow afternoon), so I shrugged my shoulders and went on.
As I was walking, I saw a bunch of kids running toward
him. They ran at him, knocking all his books out of his arms and tripping
him so he landed in the dirt. His glasses went flying, and I saw them land
in the grass about ten feet from him. He looked up and I saw this terrible
sadness in his eyes. My heart went out to him. So, I jogged over to him and
as he crawled around looking for his glasses, and I saw a tear in his eye.
As I handed him his glasses, I said, "Those guys are jerks. They really
should get lives." He looked at me and said,"Hey thanks!"
There was a big smile on his face. It was one of those smiles that showed
real gratitude.
I helped him pick up his books, and asked him where he
lived. As it turned out, he lived near me, so I asked him why I had never
seen him before. He said he had gone to private school before now.
I would have never hung out with a private school kid
before. We talked all the way home, and I carried his books. He turned out
to be a pretty cool kid. I asked him if he wanted to play football on
Saturday with me and my friends. He said yes.
We hung all weekend and the more I got to know Kyle, the
more I liked him, and my friends thought the same of him..
Monday morning came, and there was Kyle with the huge
stack of books again. I stopped him and said, "Boy, you are gonna
really build some serious muscles with this pile of books everyday!" He
just laughed and handed me half the books.
Over the next four years, Kyle and I became best friends.
When we were seniors, we
began to think about college. Kyle decided on Georgetown,
and I was going to Duke.
I knew that we would always be friends, that the miles
would never be a problem. He was going to be a doctor, and I was going for
business on a football scholarship.
Kyle was valedictorian of our class. I teased him all the
time about being a nerd. He had to prepare a speech for graduation. I was so
glad it wasn't me having to get up there and speak. Graduation day, I saw
Kyle. He looked great. He was one of those guys that really found himself
during high school. He filled out and actually looked good in glasses. He
had more dates than I had and all the girls loved him. Boy, sometimes I was
jealous. Today was one of those days. I could see that he was nervous about
his speech. So, I smacked him on the back and said, "Hey, big guy,
you'll be great!" He looked at me with one of those looks (the really
grateful one) and smiled. "Thanks," he said. As he started his
speech, he cleared his throat, and began. "Graduation is a time to
thank those who helped you make it through those tough years. Your parents,
your teachers, your siblings, maybe a coach, but mostly your friends. I am
here to tell all of you that being a friend to someone is the best gift you
can give them.
I am going to tell you a story." I just looked at my
friend with disbelief as he told the story of the first day we met. He had
planned to kill himself over the weekend. He talked of how he had cleaned
out his locker so his Mom wouldn't have to do it later and was carrying all
his stuff home. He looked hard at me and gave me a little smile.
"Thankfully, I was saved. My friend saved me from doing the
unspeakable." I heard the gasp go through the crowd as this handsome,
popular boy told us all about his weakest moment. I saw his mom and dad
looking at me and smiling that same grateful smile. Not until that moment
did I realize it's depth. Never underestimate the power of your actions.
With one small gesture you can change a person's life. For better or for
worse.
THIS IS A TRUE STORY!
COURT NEWS
by Cst. Scott Stephenson
-A 20 year-old Bell Island man appeared in court on July
18th and plead guilty to a charge of Theft Under $5000.00. He
received a sentence of probation, and a $50.00 fine.
-Police have charged a 19 year-old Bell Island woman with
theft stemming from an incident on June 21st. The woman stole a
bike from a yard. She will be appearing in court in August to answer to the
charge.
-A 33 year-old Bell Island man appeared in court on July
18th and entered a plea of not guilty to a charge of uttering
threats. He was charged after an incident on May 27th .
-Two young males aged 14 and 15 will be appearing in court
on mischief charges. The two smashed the windows out of a van which was
parked on Bennett St.
VANDALISM
by Cst. Scott Stephenson
Recently there have been quite a few incidents involving
vandalism. For those responsible you must feel that you have made such an
enormous contribution to the community.
Do you ever think of the consequences that is the result
of your actions. Think about it for a moment, the money that has to be spent
on repairing what gets damaged could be better spent on other things that
might benefit all. If you feel it necessary to throw a few rocks at
something, than walk over to the cliff and throw them in the ocean.
If anyone has any information on incidents involving
vandalism please come forward. All information will be treated as
confidential.
You may also call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-363-TIPS.
All calls to Crime Stoppers will remain anonymous.
CLOSING
by Cst. Scott Stephenson
If you have any comments or
suggestions about this newsletter, or wish to discuss a police matter our
office is located on Memorial St.
You may contact us at the following:
Telephone (709)488-3312 Toll Free 1-800-709-RCMP
Cell *7267
Fax (709)488-2311
E-mail:
sstephen.BDIV_BEL.BDIVH Q@rcmp-grc.gc.ca
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