When Christine Herman gave up the Dunvegan rural mail route in 2012, the over one hundred year-old tradition of having our letters and parcels delivered by someone who lived in our community came to a grinding halt. That’s not to say that Christine’s replacement, Tren Robertson, wasn’t an excellent carrier. He was. Nevertheless, he hailed from Cornwall. And, regardless of how elastic our borders can be sometimes, that’s not Dunvegan.
That’s why I was delighted to learn that Dunvegan’s mail delivery has come full circle… in so much as the person who took over from Tren is once again a Duveganite.
Her name is Sandra Bockus. She and her husband, Robert Raso, moved here from Montreal in 2011 and bought Iona and Paul Luscombe’s hilltop property, just a hop, skip and a jump down the road from our place. The couple has three children: twin daughters, Robyn and Samantha, and a son named Ronfred. If you’ve never met a “Ronfred” before, it may be because the lad was named after his grandfathers, Ronald and Frederick.
I asked Sandra how they came about choosing Dunvegan as their new home and was told that they didn’t have a particular place in mind, just as long as it was close to the Quebec border. Most of her family still resides in Quebec. “We toured all around North and South Glengarry,” Sandra said. “We just fell in love with this house because of the location and landscape. It was the last house we visited on a day-long house hunting expedition.”
In hindsight, it’s almost like Sandra was destined to be our carrier. She had applied to work for Canada Post in Quebec, and had been accepted for part time work. However, she moved before she could start. Shortly after arriving in Dunvegan, she was hired as Christine’s “ergo” (i.e., ergonomic) helper… a fancy name for the person who puts the letters in the mailbox. Once she was familiar with the route, she would even replace Chrisitine when she needed time off.
When the Dunvegan position became available, Sandra threw her name in the hat, but didn’t get the route. So she became an OCR (On Call Relief) carrier, working as a replacement all over the region, including Hawkesbury, Ottawa and Cornwall.
In time, she landed a route of her very own in Alfred. But, when the Dunvegan route opened up again, she applied because it was so close to home. And she got it. “Even though I miss my co-workers and clients from Alfred,” said Sandra, “I am very happy to be doing this route.” And we’re glad to have her.
Social at the kirk turns FOUR
This year marks the fourth that Dunvegan’s Kenyon Presbyterian Church will host the 21st century version of its annual Outdoor Social. This year, the popular event will take place on Tuesday, July 4th from 6:30 to 9:00 PM. And the line-up of performers is an exciting one, with The Brigadoons, Fridge Full of Empties, James Nixon and a plethora of step dancers, Highland dancers and young musicians.
In addition to great entertainment, the organizers have arranged for a Bouncy Castle and other activities just for kids… plus a Bake Table, Lemonade Stand and a Snacks & Lunch Counter, to help with their fundraising efforts.
Admission to this night of fun and fellowship is only $10.00 for adults. Children 12 and under are FREE… and the maximum price for a family is $25. Remember to bring your own lawn chairs, or a blanket you can spread out on the grass. In the event of rain, the concert will be held in the church. And the site is wheelchair accessible.
It’s a “collector” call
As I wrote the headline above, I wondered if “collect calls” even exist anymore, given the advent of cell phones and bargain-basement long distance rates. So I checked, and it would appear one can still reverse the charges… in other words, have the person receiving the long distance call pay for it… from landlines and pay phones. It’s interesting to note that while Mother’s Day wins with the highest number of actual phone calls, the most collect calls are made on Father’s Day. Who would have guessed?
But this next bit of news isn’t about collect calls… or anything to do with telephones, for that matter… unless of course you collect them. Why… because the Glengarry Pioneer Museum is looking for collectors of collectibles who would like to showcase their compilations at the “What’s It Worth?” event on August 19th.
If you’re an avid collector of virtually anything — matchbooks, milk bottles, left-handed screwdrivers… you name it — and want to share your passion with the world, the museum will provide you with table space under the pavilion. Please contact the museum at 613-527-5230.
Everyone I’ve spoken to about it is really excited that the GPM’s popular antique appraisal day (sort of like a mini Antique Roadshow) is returning. And to put a cherry on top of the day, the organizers are asking antique car and tractor enthusiasts from far and wide to bring the pride of their collection to Dunvegan. I’ll have more information on the event itself, as we get closer to the 19th of August
Euchre report card
This month’s DRA Euchre Luncheon was even more of a cooperative effort than usual. I had to attend a meeting in Toronto on Euchre Friday, so I left the event in the capable hands of Ann Stewart and Linda Burgess. And, as Nicole Bourbonnais from the Palace was on vacation and unable to chauffer the usual contingent from Alexandria, Barb Newman kindly brought them to Dunvegan… and Jim Tilker drove them home.
While not a record-breaking crowd, I’m told the event attracted four full tables of players. Ann Stewart awarded “50/50” prizes to Gabrielle Meloche, Eileen MacGillivray and Jenny Laforest (whose name was drawn twice).
As for “Top Scores”, 1st prize went to Jenny Laforest, 2nd prize went to Helen Bellefeuille and 3rd prize went to Claire Van Putten. The Door Prize was awarded to Eileen MacGillivray. And the “Most 4s” players were Eileen macGillivray, Michel Bourbonnais, Claire Van Putten and Phyllis Terry.
The next DRA Euchre Lunch is scheduled for Friday, July 21st. So as not to break with tradition, it will be held in the DRA Hall at 19053 County Road 24 from 12:00 noon to around 3:30 PM. Admission is only $5.00 and includes delicious pre- and post-game lunches.
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