Increasingly, weekly newspapers are adopting the “you scratch my back, I’ll scratch yours” business model. In other words, if you want coverage in their editorial pages about an event that’s being held in the near future, you must first buy an ad. Pre-event coverage is considered publicity. However, reporting on an event after the fact is news… unpaid content that can be used to fill the spaces between the paid ads.
So it’s refreshing to see that, of late, the Glengarry News has become even more supportive of upcoming community events. I believe an unwritten social contract exists between a small weekly newspaper and the community it serves. Residents must support their local paper through paid subscriptions and by patronizing its advertisers. And the paper must, in turn, champion the community by acknowledging that volunteer groups often can’t afford paid advertising.
Euchre on Friday
As always, the DRA’s April euchre luncheon falls on the same day as the museum’s Annual General Meeting, which seems to work out well. The euchre gang warms up the seats and fills the hall with good cheer… and the friends of the Glengarry Pioneer Museum come in on their heels to top off the day.
By this point in the spring, our “soup season” is usually over. And Friday’s menu reflects this. Linda Burgess and I will bring in trays of fresh sandwiches and dessert expert Sandra Daigle will provide the sweets.My fingers and toes are crossed that the warmer temperatures promised for this weekend will actually materialize. The entrance fee for this afternoon of food and fun is only $5.00. So please join us at 19053 County Road 24 from 12:00 noon to around 3:30 PM.
Potluck and plaques
As last week’s Glengarry News has already plowed this field quite thoroughly, I wont go into great detail about this Friday’s Glengarry Pioneer Museum Annual General Meeting and Potluck Supper. However, I do encourage you to attend. Candidate for Deputy Mayor, Carma Williams, will provide brief update on the North Glengarry’s Arts, Culture and Heritage Committee. This will be followed by the presentation of two well-deserved commendations: Dorothy, Stewart and Douglas Irvine of Lochiel as joint recipients of the coveted “Pioneer” award and Dunvegan’s Peggi Calder forthe equally prestigious Volunteer Certificate of Appreciation.
The evening usually gets underway around 5:30 with a meet & greet. Then the potluck line-ups usually form at 6:00 PM. One hour later, as dessert and coffee are being enjoyed, a short business meeting will be held to approve the budget and Board of Directors for 2018-19.
The meeting is open to anyone who wants to attend. All the organizers ask is that you bring a main dish, salad or dessert.In case I didn’t mention it before, the event will be held at the Dunvegan Recreation Hall, located at 19053 County Road 24.
Last picture show
The last film in the DRA’s “Saturday Night at the Movies”series (before returning in the fall) will be Hidden Figures. Set in the early 1960s, the movie is based on the true life stories of three of the African-American female mathematicians, known as “human computers”, who made the complex calculations required for astronaut John Glenn’s launch into orbit and his safe return to earth.
First released in January of last year, the movie has grossed $234,874,979 worldwide. Which means, in theory, a whole lot of people have seen the film and loved it. You can judge for yourself by dropping into the DRA hall, 19053 County Road 24, at or slightly before 7:00 PM on Saturday night. While the DRA will provide the obligatory hot-buttered popcorn, it’s up to you to supply any other refreshments and a comfy cushion or chair. There’s no formal admission, but donations towards the new playground equipment will be gratefully accepted. Remember, this is not intended as a family event; the idea is to provide a grownup’s night out close to home.
Pastels to peddlers
No column would be complete without a wee touch of history. And this week’s source is my recent visit to the Glengarry County Archives in Alexandria. I was there to top up my supply of images taken by 19thcentury photographer, Duncan Donovan. I use them for things like Glengarry Pioneer Museum award certificates. While there, archivist Allan J. MacDonald, shared a number of recent treasures he had unearthed.
The first was a piece of documentary art donated by Les Wert of Williamstown. The earliest known depiction of a Glengarry scene, the pastel sketch shows the hamlet of Breadalbane and is signed and dated by A.C. Cross, 1835. While not fine art, it is a charming snapshot in time. I must confess I hold a warm spot in my heart for Breadalbane. Like Dunvegan, its name is invariably mispronounced… “bread-al-baine”, instead of “bre-dal-bin”. If I had a loonie for every time I’ve heard our hamlet’s name mispronounced “done-veegan” (like we’re a hotbed of former vegetarians), I’d be rich.
The other curiosity that Mr. MacDonald showed me was a peddler’s licence from September 28, 1928. Issued by the United Counties of S.D.&G to A.N. McIntosh of Stormont County, it specified that Mr. McIntosh was a “dealer” (of what, it’s not clear) and that he drove a 20 HP automobile. What makes the licence truly unique is its form. Instead of paper, the document is printed on leather, hand cut in the shape of a pear. It also has a hole at the small end, with a loop of what looks like shoelace. I suspect the cord enabled Mr. McIntosh to hook it on a coat button or hang it inside his auto.
The origin of the word “peddler” is uncertain, but it is possibly an Anglicisation of the French or Latinwords for “foot”, used to describe a petty trader travelling on foot. Through the ages, peddlers have offered folks living in small villages and the countryside with the convenience of door-to-door service for goods only available in larger population centres. As late as the 1980s, peddlers continued to serve rural communities like Dunvegan. They would arrive on our doorstep every few months with a freezer chest on the bed of their pick-up filled to the brim with boxes of gourmet seafood, steaks and other foodstuffs. As Terry quipped when she proofread this, “it’s too bad they don’t still do this.” But a peddler’s licence is probably too dear these days.
You are NOT alone
If you’re dealing with a loved one who suffers from bipolar, schizophrenia, depression, BPD or another serious mental health issue, I have some good news. The Cornwall & District Family Support Group — with the encouragement of the Glengarry Memorial Hospital — is hoping to offer support meetings in Alexandria.
By sharing the ups and downs of caregiving and taking strength from each other, members can learn how to better cope with the “roller coaster” of mental illness. A support group offers a way to unburden oneself amongst people who understand the challenges of being a caregiver. Doing so can help one gain some control over an otherwise chaotic life experience.
The first meeting will hopefully take place on Tuesday, May 8th… assuming enough people are interested. To register, call 613-527-1201 and leave a message. Someone from the Cornwall & District Family Support Group will get back to you with the meeting’s location and other details.
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