HomeMy WebLinkAboutHuron Expositor, 2014-12-31, Page 9Wednesday, December 31, 2014 • Huron Expositor 9
Favourite memories of 2014
% We asked folks around town to remember what
made 2014 a special year for them. Whether it was
personal or professional, everyone had something
great to remember about the past year
When asked to consider
one favourite moment or
memory of 2014, I would have
to say that it is difficult to nar-
row it down to just one. There
are so many great things that
have happened over the past
year, and I feel very fortunate
to have spent that time at Sea -
forth Public School as a part of
this community.
At school, we had lots of
things to celebrate - partici-
pating in the first wave of the
AMDSB Next Generation
Learning project where stu-
dents in Grades 7 and 8 were
provided with iPads, the
arrival of our Mexican guests
in the Spring, graduation in
the early summer and the
end of the 2014 school year,
as well as the first day back
to school this fall.
To be honest, each day
something great happens in
our buildings and, if any-
thing, we don't get enough
opportunities to share with
families and the community
just how incredible our staff
and students really are.
Jeremy Brock
2014 was a busy year for the
Seaforth Agricultural Society
with a few new faces on the
Board and a few new events.
The Redneck Farmer Games
in August was a hit. Six teams
of four competed in a number
of silly yet challenging games
for the title. As a spectator, the
Log V Race and Mud Pit Belly
Flop were my favourites. We
all had a good laugh.
The Expositor captured
some great moments. Plans
are in the works for a bigger
and better games next year.
Another highlight of the
year was seeing the new roof
on the historic Round House
completed. The Homecraft
ladies had been working
hard to raise the funds and
the community's contribu-
tion was so great to see.
Angela Eckert
From start to finish, 2014
was a wonderful year. Janu-
ary started with the birth of
our second granddaughter,
Katelynn Greene. A happy
wee soul, she and her sister
Charlotte have brought us
such joy over the entire year
especially since they've
recently moved to St. Marys.
In the fall of 2013, the
Great Lakes Storm Remem-
brance committee held
weekly events to commemo-
rate the worst weather-
related disaster in Canadian
Great Lakes maritime his-
tory. It culminated in a three
day weekend in November.
As a committee member I
was the descendant liaison
for the mariners lost in the
storm. In the spring of 2014
our committee received two
awards, a Huron County
Heritage Award from the
Huron Arts and Heritage
Network, followed by the
Dorothy Duncan Award
from the Ontario Historical
Society. As if this weren't
enough recognition, the year
was capped with our com-
mittee receiving the 2014
Governor General's History
Award for Excellence in
Community Programming.
On Nov. 3, in Ottawa, His
Excellency the Right Hon-
ourable Governor General
David Johnston presented
the award at Rideau Hall. In
the afternoon we attended
the House of Commons
where we were recognized
by members of parliament
with a standing ovation. Our
local MP, Ben Lobb, gave us
a personal tour of the Parlia-
ment Buildings.
I know I'll look back on
2014 with much gratitude
and so many memories.
Kathy Pletsch
My memories from 2014
include a very busy year at
the Huron East council
table, the opening of the
newly renovated Brussels
Library, dealing with the
wind projects entering or
setting up in Huron East,
the newly renovated Grey
fire hall and the municipal
election where four new
faces joined our council. I
personally was re-elected
in the Grey ward and am
privileged to serve for
another four years. Person-
ally, my wife Pam and I
welcomed another grand-
child to our family. We had
three grandsons; Lane,
Nate and Nolan, and now
we have our first grand-
daughter, Natalie.
Alvin McLellan
Like most communities in
Canada, much of how we
identify ourselves is through
hockey. Local players, local
teams and the role we play in
it makes up so much of who
we are.
One of my favourite mem-
ories of 2014 was when it was
announced the Goderich
Pirates Sr. Mens' hockey team
would be moving to Seaforth.
Coming back under the Cen-
tenaire banner, the team was
met with plenty of excite-
ment, skepticism and a lot of
first game anticipation.
The Centenaires had a lot
of years in Seaforth as a Jun-
ior Hockey team and most
people shared memories of
nights at the arena, tough
seasons and incredible high
ones, but the name alone
brought back a lot of differ-
ent memories.
When the team first
stepped out on the ice on
opening night, Oct. 4, it
seemed everyone in town
had come out to share in the
return. Many wore jerseys or
old jackets and kids snuck
out into the dressing room
area to see the players. Peo-
ple huddled around old pho-
tos in the Blueline Club as
the Cents battled Milverton
into overtime.
It was both new and old; a
great moment for the
community.
The team continues to
work toward becoming con-
tenders, all while receiving
some of the best support in
the league. People drop in
Saturday nights to see how
the Cents are doing and the
coffee shop usually has
someone chatting about a
player, score or what they
think the team should do.
Opening night is special
for each year for every team,
but for the Cents back it was
special for the whole town.
Brett Lee
While 2014 seems to have
flown by so quickly, in review
of the year I realize that it has
been full of unforgettable
events, heartwarming ges-
tures, and new memories for
me to cherish in the years to
come. Seeing the opening of
the new Rehabilitation unit at
the Seaforth Community Hos-
pital showcased the hard
work and talents of all the
individuals I have had the
pleasure of working with. I
look forward to all that we will
accomplish together in 2015
At home, I have been
eagerly listening to news from
both my son Alexander, cur-
rently on a four-month trip to
southeast Asia and my daugh-
ter Meagan, working in the
Ottawa area on co-op. It cer-
tainly feels a lot emptier at
home with both of them away,
but hearing about all their
endeavours fills me with pride
and admiration of the amaz-
ing adults they are becoming.
I know that 2015 will come
with even more adventures
to look forward to and that
we will be able to accom-
plish all that we set our
minds to with dedication, a
positive attitude and com-
mitment to our town and the
people that we care about.
Penny Cardno
The year 2014 held a cou-
ple of special surprises for
me personally that I will
happily deposit into my
bank of memories. In March,
my husband and I were
returning from a nice dinner
out when he stopped in
momentarily at a friend's
house to run an errand. The
next thing I knew I was
0o aoliso'xauoanuupo ea
whisked into a crowd of
friends who all shouted out
"surprise!" My wonderful
friends had planned a sur-
prise birthday party to cele-
brate my 40th birthday. After
months of planning, these
special friends had managed
to genuinely surprise me
and host the most wonderful
party complete with games,
decorations, food, cake and
photos of us throughout the
years. Never had I felt so
loved and I will never forget
that night. Life is for cele-
brating. Life is for times
spent laughing with friends.
This is the good stuff we look
back on and remember.
My next little surprise was
announcing to family and
friends that the Pelss family
is growing. We are expecting
another baby in June 2015
and couldn't be happier. For
me, life is about family,
friends, and celebrating the
good times.
Naomi Pelss
2014 was an amazing year.
We were blessed to add
another member to our fam-
ily. Gibson arrived and is
very loved. He's currently the
youngest employee on Main
Street in Seaforth.
As a member of the Sea -
forth Ag society, we planned
and hosted our very first
Redneck Farmer Games
competition and it was so
much fun to watch our brave
redneck farmers do the chal-
lenges we gave them. We
had so much fun we already
picked a date for 2015.
As a business owner on
Main Street, it's been
another successful year. I
have to thank the many fan-
tastic customers, we are
looking forward to celebrat-
ing 10 years in March 2015.
Kendra Jewitt-Redegeld
My favourite memory
from 2014 was the gradua-
tion of our daughter Janine
from the University of
Ottawa Faculty of Medicine
in May.
It didn't seem that long
ago that she was still in
high school but now after
eight years of University,
she was graduating as a
Doctor and was preparing
to start her Residency in
Newfoundland. It was a
pretty proud moment for
us, she had put a lot of work
into it and we view it as
quite an accomplishment
as there isn't anyone in our
family with any significant
medical background.
Brad Knight
For me, my favourite
memory of 2014 was run-
ning and winning a seat in
the 2014 municipal election.
The experience was very
gratifying for me from the
support and encouragement
I got from people in my
ward. Whether it was talking
to the voters on their front
porch or having a cup of tea
with them at the kitchen
table, the whole process of
campaigning was a gratify-
ing experience. I am looking
forward to representing our
ward for the next four years.
Raymond Chartrand
Have a happy and safe holiday season