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HomeMy WebLinkAboutHuron Expositor, 2000-06-28, Page 1414 -THE HURON EXPOSITOR, Jun. u, 2000 Sports Remembering Red and Flo 1 couldn't help thinking about the movie "A Wonderful Life" last week while attending the funerals of two Seaforth residents. Each person was connected to our family and the golf course in a different way and their passing opened up a flood of memories and stories. On Wednesday I looked around the funeral chapel and saw people I hadn't seen in years, people who had come to say farewell to Roy "Red" McGonigle, who had been our arena manager seemingly forever. Young people and the elderly attended and regrouped later to reminisce and laugh about the times spent at the old Seaforth rink, the Lions Pool and Teen Town. Red and his wife, Hazel, were a permanent fixture at the arena. It didn't seem to matter whether it was day or night. Hazel was in the booth and Red was somewhere around the building. They were a management team long before the management of community centers and arenas became so complicated. Red and Hazel didn't have any children of their own - just every kid in town with a pair of skates, a quarter on Friday nights and a dime on Saturday afternoons. My allowance was thirty-five cents a week back then and it didn't take a lot of mathematical planning to figure out where it would be spent. An extra bit of money would buy me some jujubes and Hazel always saved me the bags with the most black in them. I was always a pretty well behaved kid at the rink. I couldn't be an official "rink - rat" because girls just didn't do that back then. However, I know I was an official rink rat because of the way that Red and Hazel looked after me while I lived at the rink. Red taught me to stand at attention when the national anthem was being played after skating. The national anthem was a signal that skating was over and the ice was going to be cleaned. Red insisted you stand at attention and often if I took one last spin around the ice before heading to the exit, he would be waiting to whack me on the butt with the broom. When I passed my referee's test and was encouraged to practice on By Carolanne Doig boy's skates to strengthen my skating, Red allowed me to skate at the rink alone with one row of lights on and my brothers helping me go from figure skater to referee. We were not alone. Just like the old arena manager in Scott Young's book "Scrub on Skates," Red allowed many of our local skaters the opportunity for more ice time with a trade-off for work around the rink. Times were different then and it was much easier for an arena manager to make such decisions. Rink rats abounded and would happily sweep the seats, clean the ice, and take out the garbage, for an extra hour of shinny. Perhaps one of the reasons we had such excellent skaters was because of our arena manager. Figure skaters, hockey players. referees - all remember Red. Dad, Jack McLlwain, Ron Driscoll, Don Morton, Ray Anstett and all the other Seaforth Beavers have endless stories to tell about Red at the rink. Red loved hockey and' loved the players. He couldn't allow refreshments in the dressing rooms but never seemed to mind them carrying in a well -stocked first aid kit. They would sit for hours after the games and have "not so instant replays." They told stories and jokes and built up friendships that have lasted over the years. One night Red got up in the wee hours of the morning, noticed the lights still on at the rink, put his boots, mitts and hat on and,headed across to turn out the lights, cursing the Heavers all the way for leaving the lights on. Voices told him the dressing rooms weren't .empty. There on the bench, still telling stories, sat Dad and Eddie Dolmage. Sometimes we forget that Red also worked at the Lions Park and Pool in the summer and at Teen Town upstairs in the arena on Saturday nights. Red will be missed at the rink, at bingo and around town, but he certainly won't be forgotten. On Friday the clubhouse was decorated with flowers and photographs reminding us of another member of our community who passed away last meek. Flo Smith was our oldest living member. Flo and her husband, Brad, joined the golf course as soon as it was built. Their entire family has played golf out here over the years and now, third generation descendants come to their "home" club from as far away as Milwaukee. Flo was a tiny little woman and in the days when the tees were unwatered and rock hard it was all Flo could do to get the tee into the ground. For that reason, oneeof her friends presented her with a tiny mallet which Flo kept in her golf bag just for teeing up the ball. Flo was a member of the "Goofers", a group of lady golfers that played every Wednesday, alternating between here and Bayfield. Jean Stewart, Bunn Longstaff, Mary Box and Mary Hart were some of the other members df the group. They loved their golf and their curling and enjoyed each other's company all year long. Flo's husband Brad, owned Bell Foundry in Seaforth, where incidentally, Red and Hazel McGonigle worked before they became custodians of the arena. .' Flo and Brad raised four children in Seaforth and were very community minded. Bell Foundry, later Robert Bell Industries, and now Boilersrnith is a going concern and continues to be the place of employment for many Seaforth natives, ,under the direction of Flo's only son, Charlie. At one time, the company even made a little golf car called the BellFore. Interestingly, Corinne Smith met and married Robert Bell who jokingly tells people that not many fathers-in-law would name a company after them. There are now thirteen grandchildren spreading their wings out into the world. One is a lawyer at the D.A.'s office in Milwaukee, one is an. Olympic hopeful, another a greens superintendent and another a nurse, all influencing the world in their own way.' Last summer. Flo played her final round of golf at our local club. She enjoyed the sunny day with her grandchildren. We were fortunate to get her picture for our calendar and in December, Flo willremind us that one's life can have a ripple effect, on so many people in a community. Flo and Red - two different people, two wonderful lives. Tennis lessons start in July The Seaforth Recreation Department will once again be . hosting Tennis Lessons with Hank Binnendyk for Youth and Adults, beginners and advanced players. Youth Beginner will be held each Tuesday morning from 9 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. and Youth Advanced will be held from 10:30 a.m. to noon. • The Youth Lessons will be nine weeks long beginning on July 4 and the registration fee will be $30. Adult beginner will be held on Wednesday evenings from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. and the Adult advanced follows from to 9:30 pm beginning on July 5. The Adult lessons will be 10 weeks long and cost $40. For more information or registration please call the Recreation Office at 527- 0882. Co-op centre having annual meeting The Seaforth Childrens's Co-operative Centre would like to invite all families to its Annual General Meeting on June 29 at the Seaforth Lions Park. The Meeting will be at the pavilion from 6:45 p.m. to 7 p.m. Everyone is invited to go swimming from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. For more information please contact the Centre at 527-0682 Three -on -three basketball planned The Seaforth Recreation Recreation preview Department will be hosting a 3 on 3 Basketball Challenge July 28 and 29 at the Seaforth and District Community Centres. The "Hoop It Up" atmosphere is coming to Seaforth this summer and it's time for you to get involved. Young or old, big or small, bench warmer or pro, grab three of your friends and challenge players from throughout this area to a game. Registration fee will be $60 per team and each player will receive a free t -shirt, player packages, guaranteed three games and prizes for each age division. Registration forms can be picked up at your school, or various locations around town or at the Recreation Office inside the Arena. For more information please contact Sean Ludwig at 527-0532 or call thf; Recreation Office at 527-0882. Shuffleboard Senior Shuffleboard continues every Wednesday afternoon at the Seaforth and District Community Centres from 1:30 p.m. to 4 p.m.. Last weeks winners were: Ladies: Catherine DeCorte - 341, Wilma Pennings - 289 and Helen MacKenzie- 281 Men: Ken Preszcator - 309, Cor DeCorte - 302 and Ken Lingelbach -263. Library The Seaforth Library invites all adventurers to come be a part of "Wilderness Bound, Adventure Found" 2000 Summer Reading Program. This program will be held at the Seaforth Library each Friday mornings from 9:15 to 10:15 am from July 7 to Aug. 25. Registration fee is $5 or pay- as-you-go, $1 each time. Come join in the stories, songs, games and crafts. All children ages 5 to 12 are welcome. Call the library at 527-1430 to register or for more information. Fitness is fun The Seaforth Recreation Department will be starting another Fitness session in July. Fitness is Fun will be held on Tuesday mornings from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. with Drusilla Leitch and Step Aerobics with Kae Hubberts will be held on Wednesday evenings from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. The moming classes will be held for six weeks and registration fee will be 524. The evening step classes will be 10 weeks and the registration fee is S40. To register or for more information please call the Recreation Office at 527- 0882. WAir KNECHTEL irk Food Markets HOT SUMMER SAVINGS Prices in effect until Friday, June 30, 2000 Boneless Skinless CHICKEN BREASTSOr Boneless Centre ac PORK LOIN ROASTS 144 agappf from Seaforth Food Market We will be closed Saturday, July 1st. 9 9 ■ Ib. Selected Varieties - 2 L PARLOUR ICE CREAM Selected Varieties - 2L COCA COLA, SPRITE CANADA DRY SOFT DRINKS Selected Varieties - 355 ml. MINUTE MAID PUNCHES or NESTEA ICED TEA 2/9 Selected Varieties -- 1 L KRAFT MIRACLE WHIP 99 Product of USA - 15 Ib. Average WHOLE WATERMELONS 49 ■ . Kelloggs Cereals 375-525 g. FROOT LOOPS, CORN POPS, FROSTED FLAKES, MARSHMALLOW FROOT LOOPS Our Compliments Selected Var. -- 907 g.-1.36 Kg. FROZEN BEEF BURGERS 99 ■ Selected Varieties -- 500 g. KRAFT SINGLES 2?9 Selected Varieties - 475 ml KRAFT , SALAD DRESSING 499 TRY FRESH ITEMS DAILY FROM OUR HOT DELI Values in effect until closing Friday, June 30, 2000 KNECHTEL AIM Food Markets SEAFORTH KNECHTEL FOOD MARKET Your Neighbourhood Food Market for Quality Service & Value We mwve the right 10 Kmit quantities to normal family. requirements. STORE HOURS! Monday -Wednesday - 8:30 a.m.-8:00 p.m. Thursday & Friday - 8:30 a.m.-9:00 p.m. Saturday - 8:30 a.m.-8:00 p.m. Sundays - 10 a.m.-500 p.m. 5% DISCOUNT FOR SENIOR CITIZENS EVERY WEDNESDAY