Shea joined the News in September of 2013, at the tail end of a career in marketing that started when he worked in radio with CKWS in Kingston for over 30 years. He had great success as the Manager of the Land O'Lakes Tourist Association in the early 2000's and worked for the City of Kingston as well before joining the News. In addition to his sales role at the News, he brought marketing insights that were invaluable. We wish him well as he prepares for a summer at his Chippego Lake cottage.

Kate Turner, a relative newcomer to the area, who lives in Arden, has taken on the job of sales representative at the News. Kate will be continuing to travel around the territory each week, and can be reached through the News office at 613-279-3150 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

She will be focusing on special features and web advertising in addition to weekly ad sales. We welcome her to the team.

Marcel Giroux has been a busy guy since he came to Sharbot Lake High School to teach French and Gym in 1956.

The school he came to was eight years old and it was already showing signs of being too small for the demands of the local community. A few years later, with the baby boomers hitting high school, the school was expanded during a two-year period in which Marcel served as the interim principal.

“The high schools were under the supervision of Frontenac County at that time and the public schools were under the townships. The problem in the high schools was overcrowding. When Sharbot Lake High School was expanded in 1962 it was built on the premise that it would be 100 students in grade 9; 70 in grade 10; 40 in grade 11; 30 in grade 12; and 20 in grade 13,” he said.

Most jobs only required a grade 10 education at that time, but that changed to grade 12 just as the baby boomers were coming through.

“The school was built for 240 students and 380 students showed up in September. We had that problem for years.”

In the late 1960s the push was on to close one room schools and establish larger public schools. Marcel, who was the head guidance counselor at SLHS by that time, a position he held until his retirement in 1988, visited those schools every year to talk to the grade 8 students who were going to come to SLHS the next year. He supported closing the one room schools and expanding Hinchinbrooke, Sharbot Lake, and Clarendon Central Public Schools, and building Land O'Lakes Public School.

“People have a romantic view of one-room schools, but the reality was that of the 14 that were in our townships, one or two were good, most of them were pretty poor, and a couple of them were horrendous. The good ones had established teachers and financial support from the township and community. But that was rare. I remember visiting a school that was being taught by a young girl who had just graduated from high school herself. She was taking chalk out of her purse in the morning because she had to supply it herself. That's the kind of thing that went on.”

In 1969 the Frontenac School Board was established. It included two rural high schools, Sharbot Lake and Sydenham; Lasalle High School in Pittsburgh Township and Frontenac High School in Frontenac Township. The Kingston and Frontenac Board merged sometime later. Eventually Lennox and Addington schools were added and the Limestone Board was established.

Marcel Giroux was elected to municipal council in Oso Township in the fall of 1972, and he had an ulterior motive for seeking office. Within six months of his election he was holding meetings with representatives from three neighboring townships to talk about building an arena, a project he had wanted to make happen for a long time.

“We realised quite quickly that between the four of us we were only big enough to build half an arena. The people in Portland Township were also thinking about an arena and they concluded they were only big enough to build half an arena. So we all got together.

“Portland came up with ten acres of land bordering the boundary road with Hinchinbrooke and we developed a plan and eventually got it built. I remember that since it was built closer to the south than the north and people from Kennebec and Oso had to drive further, it was agreed that Portland would pay 52% of the costs and the other four townships would pay 48% of the costs.”

One of the reasons for the long-term viability of the arena, in Marcel's view, was staffing.

“Jim Stinson was the first manager and he ran that place very well for 40 years. That's probably why it has been so successful.

When Marcel retired from teaching on a wintry Friday in 1988, he took it easy for a day, and then on the Sunday formed a committee to start working on building a new Catholic Church in Sharbot Lake. The congregation had outgrown the 45 seat, unheated church on Road 38 and Elizabeth Street by the mid '60s but for a variety of reasons no new church had been built.

“We had 80 people coming to mass in the winter and 300 in the summer. We said mass in the parking lot of the beer store one Sunday, in the bar at the hotel, in the township hall, until we eventually started holding mass in the high school for 15 years, but we needed a church of our own."

The property where the church is now located had been purchased for $2,500 in 1962, but over 25 years had passed and the congregation had $22,000 in their building fund.

In 1988, freshly retired, Marcel was in a position to jump in.

“The reason it happened then and not before was that Father Brennan, who was new and enthusiastic, had just come to our congregation, and there was also a new bishop in place. Suddenly the things that were in the way disappeared. A two-year fundraising campaign raised over $430,000 and the church took back a mortgage for $169,000 and a new church was completed in 1992.

One of the best fundraising activities was spearheaded by Doris Onfrachuk. A half-finished waterfront cottage was purchased for $60,000 and was then finished using volunteer labour and donated materials. $100 raffle tickets were sold and $132,000 was raised.

In the late 1960s the push was on to establish a Frontenac County Library. In order to make that happen, according to Ontario regulations at the time, the majority of the townships in the county, representing over 60% of the population, needed to establish branches. Pittsburgh and Frontenac townships already had branches in place, and they represented 70% of the population. What was needed, however, was for seven of the other 14 townships to get on board.

Different people took on their own councils to convince them to start up a library branch. Marcel was involved in Oso Township, but as he tells it, the success came from the fact that when a petition asking for a library to be established was brought to Council, the first three names on the petition were those of wives of council members, and the fourth was the name of a woman who was sitting on council herself.

“They had no choice; it was brutal,” Marel recalls. The first branch in Oso was a not much more than a set of shelves in the United Church Hall in Sharbot Lake.

Efforts in other townships were equally efficient and in 1969, 12 of the 16 Frontenac townships joined together to form the Frontenac Public Library.

When municipal amalgamation was about to take place, it became clear that since Pittsburgh and Frontenac townships were joining with Kingston, the Frontenac Public Library was no longer going to be viable.

Marcel was the chair of the Library at the time, and representatives from each branch began meeting in September of 1996 to work out the details of establishing the Kingston Frontenac Public Library.

“We met monthly for a while and then bi-weekly, each time taking on a problem that needed to be solved - and there were many. We had different labour agreements than the city, a different computer system, different procedures. But by the time amalgamation took place, we had all the legal agreements in place, and all the politicians in Kingston and the four new townships had to do was pass bylaws establishing the KFPL - and they did."

While it seems like Marcel Giroux has spent his whole life on public projects, he has also been a husband to Pam since 1968, and is the father of four adult sons.

It turns out the idea of combining the chief administrator and public works manager’s roles in Central Frontenac came from the individual who ended up filling both roles.

Both positions were advertised at the same time. Jim Zimmerman, who was at loose ends after losing his management position at the City of Belleville just after the new council had been sworn in, saw the ads and responded by sending a resume and a covering letter to Central Frontenac.

“I suggested to them that there might be some savings for them if the two positions were combined, and that it might make them more competitive as well,” said Zimmerman, from his new office in the Central Frontenac administrative building in Sharbot Lake. Since he has both Public Works, Public Administration, and private sector management backgrounds, Zimmerman's suggestion also created an opportunity for himself, although he said, “I understand there were a number of qualified candidates for the position when it came time to interview for the job.”

After selling his shares in his company, Integrated Central Solutions, a company that worked on retrofits and system management in buildings that were used by high tech firms in Ottawa, he took a job with the new City of Ottawa dealing with wastewater.

He then moved into senior municipal management, taking the public works manager job in Marathon. During his two years there he also filled in as CAO on occasion. A senior public works job in Innisville, south of Barrie, followed. He then worked as a consultant with AECOM engineering for a time, before deciding to come back into the municipal world with Belleville last May.

“In a lot of ways Central Frontenac is a similar township to Marathon. It's a similar size and has similar infrastructure. But there is a lot of opportunity here because Central Frontenac is not that far from a number of population centres. It can be promoted as an attractive place to set up home-based businesses,” he said.

He does not plan any immediate changes to the way the township operates. However, he said he will be looking at all the job descriptions to find out if they need updating and will also be developing standard operating procedures for the public works department.

“I don't know how everything here works yet, so the first thing to do is find out, and find out what needs improving and work with our staff to make those improvements.”

Central Frontenac Township is not a unionized environment and Zimmerman said there are considerable advantages to it staying that way.

“We need to make sure that staff are comfortable and that they clearly understand what management expects from them. At the end of the day you want people to be enthusiastic and committed to their work and you want to ensure they have a healthy work-life balance as well,” he said.

He is also enthusiastic about the growing collaboration between the Frontenac townships, and said he looks forward to continuing those efforts.

In terms of roads and road maintenance, which he realises is a major concern of ratepayers, he might be bringing in something that he has done elsewhere, the use of reclaimed asphalt to create what he calls “poor man's paving” for gravel roads.

“You can apply the material on the roads, and when it is compacted it bonds with the material in the road. It is then covered with a slurry. I've had success with that in the past. The best part is the materials are cheap, even free,” he said.

Fourteen seniors attended a CPR workshop on March 30 at the Anglican church hall in Sharbot Lake. Headed up by Mark Powell, a local paramedic who works with Frontenac Paramedic Services, the presentation included a plethora of information on administering basic First Aid, like how to apply bandages, dressings, splints, slings and wraps. Other topics included how to identify and treat choking, stroke, heart attacks, bee stings, and nose bleeds and other kinds of bleeds. When I visited, the group was learning how to administer proper CPR and guests were also shown how to use a defibrillator.

Powell said that though the session was not a certified First Aid/CPR course, he was able to pass on a lot of important and helpful information to the seniors, who may not have been totally up to date on the most recent changes to basic First Aid and CPR training techniques. “The main idea is that, 'You can't do what you don't know’ and now that these seniors do know and are up to date on the latest techniques, they can now react to an emergency situation in a more informed and effective way.”

Vikki Newlove, community support service coordinator with Northern Frontenac Community Services (NFCS), who was present at the workshop, said that the session came about through a grant that NFCS received from the Seniors Community Grant Foundation whose goal is to provide information sessions to seniors in the community. Newlove said she and other staff from NFCS spoke to various local seniors groups through the Seniors Community Advisory Network, which is comprised of representatives from the various local seniors groups of Central and North Frontenac. Those representatives in turn advised NFCS staff of the kind of workshops that would most benefit themselves and their members. “We did not want to do a full First Aid/CPR course since most of the seniors have already done that in the past but we just wanted to do a review and allow seniors to have their personal questions answered”, Newlove said. Similarly because many of the First Aid/CPR techniques have changed in recent years, Newlove said that it is important that seniors are kept up to date of those changes. Seniors were also made aware of the numerous defibrillators that are located in the village of Sharbot Lake. Newlove said she was pleased with the turn out to the workshop, which included participants from Ompah, Plevna, Mountain Grove and Sharbot Lake.

Serving breakfasts to over 100 Saturday morning diners has been a regular happening for the Sharbot Lake and District Lions over the last few months. Lions member, Linda Zwier, who has been heading up the monthly event said, “This is one of our best fundraisers and it makes us feel good because people are really getting something for their money.”

This year was the first that the Saturday morning $7 all-you-can-eat breakfasts have taken place regularly at the Oso hall and they have attracted on average over 100 diners each time. For members of the community, the breakfasts became not only a great way to start their weekend but also a chance to enjoy a meal and socialize with friends and relatives. ”People have started to attend regularly on the last Saturday of the month and I think that that is because we started advertising for them.”

Now that the breakfasts have come to an end for the year, the Lions are focusing on a number of other upcoming fundraisers. On Sunday, April 26 the Lions will be holding their annual Spring Jamboree Country Music and Dance event at the Land O' Lakes Public school in Mountain Grove. The event, which will be hosted by Fred Brown and his band, will feature many notable musicians including local young fiddler Jessica Wedden, Debbie McLean, Charlie Lemmon, Lyle Van de Bogart, Paige Rombough and the beloved Old Habits. The $10 ticket will include light refreshments, and numerous door prizes. The fun begins at 1PM and tickets can be purchased by contacting Dawn Hansen at 613-375-6318 or Linda Zwier at 613-335-2053. Something new this year for the Lions is a huge community yard sale that will take place at the Oso hall on Saturday May 16, coinciding with the first Saturday of the Sharbot Lake Farmers Market. There will be 25 tables for rent at a cost of $15 per table. The yard sale is a great opportunity to get rid of unused and unwanted items that have been gathering in basements, cupboards and sheds over the years. The Lions will be serving a light lunch at the yard sale for a reasonable cost and will hold their usual 50/50 draw. Because it is happening indoors, the sale will go on rain or shine. Interested vendors can contact Linda Zwier at 613-335-2053.

Zwier also would like to remind the public about the Lions bottle shed that is located at the Crow Lake waste site on Wemp Road, where members are collecting empty beer and liquor bottles. Visitors to the site can drop off their empties at any time during regular hours. To date the Lions have collected over 20,000 empty cans/bottles at a value of over $2500.

Proceeds from the Saturday breakfasts 50/50 draw were donated to the Crow Lake Community Association and while their regular breakfasts have now come to an end, the Sharbot Lake and District Lions are working hard to find new ways to raise funds for the many services and programs that they support, and which benefit the local community.

Many area students and graduates looking for summer employment opportunities attended the first ever Student Job Fair at the St. Lawrence College Employment Service Centre in Sharbot Lake on March 19.

Staff at the center, who organized the event, were well prepared in advance and pointed students in the direction of a number of local opportunities currently available to them. These included positions at a number of local summer camps, private campgrounds, grocery stores, restaurants, provincial parks as well as a number of maintenance and marketing positions.

Two local employers attended the event in person. Donna Longmire of the Township of Central Frontenac was advertising a number of student employment opportunities, which included four public works and three waste management positions and was accepting applications and resumes for both.

Similarly, Rachel Hosseini, owner and manager of the Subway restaurant in Sharbot Lake was looking to fill seven full and part time positions. She carried out a number of initial interviews with students at the center and said she will be following up with secondary interviews at the restaurant, which she described as a fast-paced, friendly and professional environment.

Ashley Barrie, resource specialist at the employment center, said that summer employment early in a student’s working life is invaluable to them. “Summer employment is very beneficial and can not only help students acquire a number of new skills, but also encourages networking for future job opportunities while they learn the various responsibilities that come with paid work. Summer employment also provides students with pocket money when they return to school in the fall.”

Barrie stressed how early summer work experiences teaches students the qualities they need to be employable. “Learning how to be reliable, punctual and about customer service is very important. Summer jobs can also help long term by giving students something concrete on their resumes after having worked for credible employers, which is also something that can set them apart and give them a leg up.”

Karen McGregor, coordinator at the center, said that early work opportunities also help students “narrow down their career path” and that a summer job can help them pin point what kind of job or career they are looking for long term. “A summer work experience helps make students more successful at their future job interviews as well as helping them to define their strengths and interests for future employment. In rural communities like this, where often there is not a lot of other regular activities for students in the summer months, working is something that can occupy their time productively”. McGregor also made mention of a number of the programs available to employers that can help subsidize the pay for student workers.

For students and employers who missed the job fair, Ashley Barrie is continuing to take employer/ participant information and registrations at the Sharbot Lake location. Staff’s advice to students? “Don't wait. Employers are already hiring for summer positions.” There is also a job board up at the centre that is regularly updated. For more information contact Ashley Barrie at 613-545-3949 ext. 1891or visit www.employmentservice.sl.on.ca

A double feature puppet show put on at the Sharbot Lake branch of the Kingston Frontenac Public Library on March 20 attracted over 40 visitors - youngsters, parents and grandparents.

The show, which was in part celebrating World Puppetry Day (March 21) also provided entertainment to youngsters throughout the county at the tail of the March Break. The show was presented by two members of the programming and outreach staff at the KFPL, Brenda MacDonald and Huda Shaltry. They presented two performances, the first titled “The Mightiest”, based on a children’s picture book by Keiko Kaszo and the second, the traditional classic, “The Princess and the Pea” by Hans Christian Andersen.

Youngsters gathered around the festive satin-clad puppet theatre, which was set up in one corner of the library, and enjoyed the unfolding dramas. Many of the more uninhibited children offered up their comments as the plays unfolded.

Children love puppet shows and MacDonald said that she loves to see youngsters “light up” when watching the performances. She explained that the shows are another special way to bring literacy to youngsters. “Puppet shows are a special thing that children don't get to see every day and a new way to present a story to them - they offer up a new way for children to interact,” she said when I spoke to her prior to the performances.

Shaltry added, “A puppet show provides a new creative outlet for children and is a performance art that children, who may tend to be a bit shy, can still get involved in. It is a way that they can also be comfortable performing.” She added that a puppet show is a low cost, highly entertaining production that requires no technology and licensing. “It just requires our hands, our voices, the puppets and our portable theatre.”

MacDonald had been touring the show to various branches of the KFPL during the week of the March break to hundreds of youngsters.

While the youngsters thoroughly immersed themselves in both performances, I was especially intrigued by the older-style puppets that were used in the second performance, The Princess and The Pea. These colourful, hand-crafted puppets are made of papier-mâché and are meticulously painted. They hearken back to puppets and shows that I had a chance to see when I was a child.

For puppet enthusiasts, World Puppetry Day is celebrated every March 21 and according to Wikipedia was begun by Dzhivada Zolfagariho, who in 2000 at the XVIII Congress of the Union Internationale de la Marionnette, (UNIMA) in Madgeburg, proposed the idea. Two years later, at a meeting of the International Council of UNIMA in Atlanta, the date of the celebration was decided and the first celebration took place in 2003.

Sara Carpenter, head librarian at the Sharbot Lake branch, was thrilled with the turnout for the special march Break event. “It's so great to be able to have had the performance here and we are hoping to have another one here again this summer. We are also hoping that the children who attended the show will be encouraged to come back to the library and enjoy what we have to offer them.”

Out with the old; in with the new

Cathy MacMunn, one of the few original Central Frontenac Township employees still working for the township, was seated next to Mayor Frances Smith at the start of a Council meeting on Tuesday afternoon. Although she has been seated next to the mayor on a number of occasions in her role as deputy clerk or interim clerk, it was her first meeting since she was given a promotion to the role of clerk/planning manager.

Meanwhile, at the staff table at the back of the hall, the interim Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) of the township, Steve Silver, was sitting next to the newest staff member of Central Frontenac Township, CAO/Public Works Manager, Jim Zimmerman.

“Steve has been a great help to us. He came here when we had difficulties and smoothed things over very well. But I must also say that I hope we don't see him working for us again,” said Frances Smith, in reference to the fact that Silver, a retired CAO at the County level, has taken on only short-term contracts for townships in transition from one executive officer to another over the last couple of years.

Next week, in fact, he will take on an interim role at Fairmount Home in place of its ailing administrator, Julie Shillington.

Frances Smith then said, “We welcome Jim Zimmerman, who will be with us for a long time, I hope.”

For his part, Zimmerman said he is looking forward to returning to his own rural roots, since he was raised in a small Eastern Ontario village, Frankford.

“I really look forward to working with all of you,” he said.

Remuneration report for 2014

As required, the township released a report detailing how much Central Frontenac politicians were paid in 2014. Former Mayor Janet Gutowski received the most money, $11,264 for 11 months as mayor, and Frances Smith received $9292 for 11 months as councilor and one month as mayor. Former deputy mayor, Jeff Matson, received $8,425 for 11 months on the job, while returning council member Tom Dewey received $8398 over 12 months. Outgoing councilors Guntensperger, Millar, Purdon and Fox received $7,885 over 11 months, and Philip Smith, who was appointed to Council during the year and was then re-elected, received $5,439. Newly elected councilors Cindy Kelsey, Victor Heese, Jamie Riddell, Bill MacDonald, Sherry Whan, and Brent Cameron all received $483 for the month of December.

Co-operation with North Frontenac

Frances Smith reported that a joint meeting with North Frontenac Council, which was held last week, was a success, and led to an arrangement regarding the building departments, which may lead to a combining of the two departments if it is a success. North Frontenac will be hiring a building inspector, and the two townships will make joint use of that person in addition to Central Frontenac Chief Building Official Jeremy Neven.

“We'll see how this works for a year, and then decide whether to move further, said outgoing CAO Steve Silver of the arrangement.

60 zone on Road 38

A proposal by Councilor Brent Cameron to slow the maximum speed to 60 km/hr on a stretch of Road 38 that runs from the municipal garage at Godfrey to the junction with White Lake Road because of a sharp bend in the road was referred to staff for comment and will come back to Council after that.

No payment for damage caused by heaving culvert

A Mr. Hamilton, who lives near Arden, asked the township to reimburse a $500 repair bill for damage done to the bottom of his car when he passed over a culvert that had heaved through the surface on his road.

A staff report acknowledged that the road had heaved, and said it is a common issue on that particular road in the spring time. The report recommended not paying the $500 repair because, it said, Mr. Hamilton has lived in that location for 10 years and should know that the road heaves.

“I would hate for us to do this,” said Councilor Bill MacDonald. “People would come out of the woodwork looking for money if we did.”

The story of Northern Frontenac Community Services (NFCS) actually started five years before the corporation was formally established in March of 1975.

In November 1970, a group of citizens met in the Anglican Rectory at Sharbot Lake to discuss problems shared by residents in the eight northern townships of Frontenac County - problems such as decreasing population, economic difficulties, lack of social services and limited community spirit.

The group hosted a public meeting at Sharbot Lake High School on February 2, 1971. Agreement was reached that the ‘sense of community’ had to be revitalized. In earlier years, the railroads had provided a link between hamlets, villages and small rural settlements, and the passing of that era contributed to residents’ isolation.

A "Communication Group" was formed and in March 1971 the first edition of the North Frontenac News - a mimeographed, single sheet paper - was printed and distributed free of charge.

During that year, a Local Initiatives Program Grant was obtained to develop office space and room for any public group to hold meetings in the rectory basement.

In 1972 another grant was received for assistance in development of community initiatives. Continuing their efforts as facilitators who assisted community members in taking responsibility for community problems, the group developed a proposal for multi-service centre funding.

Two workers were hired to analyse organizational and social service issues in North Frontenac. The first of many senior citizens’ clubs was organized; the Children’s Aid Society was encouraged to work at the facility; and a part-time federally funded employment office opened. In response to the results of a questionnaire, the Communications Group facilitated the development of a summer swim program that was co-sponsored by the townships and the Sharbot Lake and District Lions Club.

With Ministry of Community and Social Services’ funding approval in 1973, the members established a Management Council and opened office space in the refurbished former rectory.

During the winter of 1973-74, a group of citizens, including some Management Council members, was brought together to discuss another vital concern. St. Lawrence College funded a worker to conduct the study, which ultimately resulted in the formation of the North Frontenac Association for the Mentally Handicapped, now known as Community Living - North Frontenac.

Finally, on March 20, 1975, North Frontenac Community Services became incorporated. It was the first multi-service centre in the province. Its stated aims were that: (1) the residents of North Frontenac have ready access to a full array of social services and that these be coordinated, appropriate and effective; and that

(2) citizens be encouraged and assisted to participate in community development and the solving of common problems.”

From 1976 to 1982, several new services and positions were created, including the Senior Citizens’ Home Support Program, the Adult Protective Services Program, and the first Coordinator of Volunteers. During that same period, under the guidance of Queen’s University law students, a community legal worker provided services that included summary advice, advocacy, and information for residents of North Frontenac. Identification of the need for these and more extensive legal services resulted in the establishment of Rural Legal Services, which is now known as the Legal Clinic-Sharbot Lake. The position of family counsellor was started in 1979 to provide assistance for individuals and families.

A small group of women began to advocate for local services to enhance the lives of children and their parents in 1983. With community support, they started a drop-in centre and toy library at Sharbot Lake the following year. Then, after acceptance of their proposal for funding, they opened a Child Care Resource Centre, with the program administered by NFCS. They purchased a van, some supplies and equipment, hired two workers, then began outreach programs at township halls. Eventually, as service requests increased and survey results were tabulated, they developed a proposal for funding of a multi-service child care centre that would be the hub for services in the North Frontenac area. The committee members actively participated in all aspects of planning for the Child Centre and celebrated its grand opening on March 21, 1991 during a heavy snowstorm.

In 1995, provincial government philosophy changed and moved away from support of multi-service agencies. Administrative funding was removed from NFCS and a letter from the Ministry of Community and Social Services provided advice as to how to close down the agency in an orderly fashion. In spite of the extreme challenges presented by this action, the agency's demise never came about.

Twenty years later, Northern Frontenac Community Services (the name was changed after municipal amalgamation in 1998, when North Frontenac no longer meant 'north of Verona') is stronger than ever. Even with the ups and downs caused by the advent of all-day kindergarten in the last couple of years, the day care centre, located on the bottom floor of the Child Centre building continues to thrive, and provides care for a number of children and families with particular physical and social needs.

For the last 10 years, the Child Centre has carried out the role of an Ontario Early Years Centre, providing parent and early childhood education, including playgroups in communities throughout Frontenac County. A youth program has been up and running for five years, and it is also active throughout the county.

The nature of the service delivery has changed over the past 20 years as well, in the children's and adult services wings of NFCS. A number of services are offered by the agency in collaboration with affiliates who have office space in the NFCS Adult Services building, such as Ontario Works, Frontenac and Addington Children and Family Service, Frontenac Community Mental Health Services, Pathways for Children and Youth, and others.

The United Way has come on board as the funder of family and youth services, and the Local Health Integration Network funds community support services such as Meals on Wheels, etc.

“We like to describe ourselves as a cradle to grave organization,” said long-time board member and current Board Chair Linda Chappel. “Whatever the age group, we provide services, either with our own programs or in collaboration with others.”

While there are many funders behind the NFCS banner, from government ministries and departments to charitable foundations, community groups and individual donors, from the point of view of the residents of Frontenac County, the services are all provided by caring individuals, and the community activism that brought NFCS about 40 or 45 years ago keeps it going to this day.

If people need service and don't know who to call, they can call the Child Centre at 613-279-3260 or Adult Services at 613-279-3151

By Jeff Green

Katie Doran, the education and support co-ordinator with the Alzheimer Society of Kingston, Frontenac, Lennox and Addington, will be facilitating a support group for caregivers on the first Tuesday of each month at 1 pm at the Seniors’ Centre at the United Church in Sharbot Lake. The first meeting takes place on April 7.

“The Alzheimer’s Society is here to support people through their journey with the disease or those who are caring for someone with the disease,” said Doran.

Doran said she will be bringing information with her to the support group meetings and will be prepared to make presentations, but that the participants will really determine what kinds of topics are addressed and how.

“My role tends to be that of a facilitator. There are so many common experiences that caregivers face that they tend to take the group in the direction that is most useful for themselves.”

In addition to running the group, Doran, who has been working with the Alzheimer’s Society since last June and is partly responsible for services in the rural areas, hopes to raise the profile of the society in Frontenac County, which has flagged a bit in the last couple of years.

“We run a number of programs and provide a lot of support and referrals,” she said. “The emotional side of care-giving is something that we pay particular attention to.”

Among the programs that the Alzheimer’s Society has championed is a music program. People with dementia often respond to music and the society offers an i-pad with earphones, pre-programmed with music chosen by the individual and/or their family. The service is offered for free, including the loan of the i-pad.

There is also a drop-in centre at the society’s headquarters in Kingston, but in Frontenac County the option of home visits by Doran or one of her colleagues is more popular, because of the isolation.

Anyone who is interested in the Sharbot Lake support group can call the Alzheimer’s Society for details at 613-544-3078 or can just show up at the seniors’ centre in April 7.

There is an ongoing support group out of the Grace Centre in Sydenham as well, which meets on the last Thursday of each month at 7 pm.