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Huron Expositor, 2002-02-06, Page 5Fiddling around Mondays throughout February. fiddlers and country musicians will be gathering in the afternoon at St. Columban Parish to perform for anyone who'd like to come out and enjoy the entertainment. Residents from Maplewood Manor in Seaforth joined the group on Feb. 5 for the first of the weekly gatherings. Scott Hilgendorff photos News Bruce Eisler, Jim Delaney and Lou Rowland were among the fiddlers who joined the fun. More than a dozen musicians turned out to perform. Marg Beuermann and Maxine Marks two -Step to one of the . fiddle tunes played Monday afternoon at St. Columban Parish Hall. Tom Melody (left) on guitar, helpd organize the weekly event. Seedling support offered by Stewardship Council Assistance with seedlingcosts will be offering this spring through the Huron Stewardship Council and Ausable Bayfield Conservation Authority as they try to help landowners interested in planting trees or shrubs that will create or enhance natural corridors. Natural corridor projects could include linkages between existing woodlots or establishment or enhancement of wildlife corridors, stream bank vegetation and windbreaks/ shelterbelts. Healthy landscapes need to have linkages to allow for genetic material to exchange and adapt. In other words, plants and animals need to move around to survive; even more so when changes. in land use and climate put stress on native habitats, making adaptation very critical. When you look at The landscape of southern Ontario, it is generally a patchwork of isolated forest "islands." Linkages between theses "islands" are of critical importance in allowing plant and animal movement throughout the area. Linkages provide other benefits, including wind protection for crops or farmsteads, reduction of soil erosion and enhancement of water quality. Currently, prices for appropriate nursery stock have risen as the province no longer subsidizes tree seedling production and farm incomes are typically down. To help landowners make the long term commitment to the future of tree planting and corridor establishment, the Huron Stewardship Council and Ausable Bayfield Conservation Authority have developed a partnership to subsidize the cost of nursery stock for a limited number of sites in 2001. The subsidy is at a rate of 30 cents per seedling to a maximum of $300 per site for qualifying projects. The project has received funding support from the Canada Millennium Partnership Fund and Ontario Stewardship. This program is open to landowners in all of Huron County and those portions of Perth, Middlesex and Lambton Counties included in the Ausable Bayfield Conservation Authority watershed. Since funding is limited at this point, there will be a review of applications and selection of sites based on how the various projects fit Snowmobile dealers sold out last month as season booms From Pogo 1 . adding that it's hard to judge how much more. Both local snowmobile dealers say they were sold out of new snowmobiles about a month ago but still have a handful of used snowmobiles for sale. "It's been an excellent season. We're normally lowering our prices this time of year to get rid of them but we didn't have to do that this year," says Paul Brooksbank, of Vincent Farm Equipment. Brooksbank says Vincent's sold more snowmobiles than anticipated and had to go to other dealers to fill demand. "It's been some time since we had this good a year," he says. Susan Van Dorp, part-owner of Middegaal Pools and Sports, says snowmobile sales are the best they've been in three years and she's seeing a lot of new people getting into snowmobiling for the first time. "We were pretty happy to see the snow this year. It's nice when it comes early because it makes people keen." she says. Siegner predicts that the snowmobiling season could easily last into March but adds that the local snowmobiling club could end up in the red this year since fees paid by trail members may not go far enough to pay for the grooming if the season continues much longer. "There's a nice base all packed down and the snow keeps coming at the right times," he says. Long-time snowmobiler Dorothy Williamson, of Seaforth, says she's put more miles on her machine this winter than she has during the past three years. "This year is the best it's been for six years. It's just excellent in the whole area," she says. She and her husband Ron, who have been snowmobiling for 20 years, have been out on • their snowmobiles every weekend since December, recently taking a 10 -hour trip up to Listowel, over the New Hamburg and back to Seaforth. "We haven't been able to do that in recent years. We've had to trailer to northern Ontario last year. past year's season was only three weeks long mood S fatth," she says. Williamson says she and her husband are still planning more weekend trips and hope to be snowmobiling into March. "We were getting a little depressed the other day with the rain but now it's snowing again," she says. Siegner says the 13-W Trailblazers won't know until the end of the season if the number of trail passes this year surpassed last year's number and says it's hard to know how many people are using the trails. "The trail system is so vast and you can go so far before running out of snow that there's not as much traffic out there but that's probably because other years, snowmobilers were confined to such a small area before running out of snow," he says. Siegner says he knows of some snowmobilers who travelled from Strathroy to Algonquin Park on their snow machines without needing to use trailers at all. "The trails are excellent across the province. You can go anywhere you want to go in the province, except Maybe the fibrottto area," he says. the goals of the program. Applications will be accepted up to Feb. 28 or possibly beyond, depending on interest and available funding. The funding applies to appropriate native shrubs and trees, so here is an opportunity to diversify, beautify, add timber value and improve growing conditions on your land. T1111111111/110N DVOOfrOw, Potinsory 7, 1001-4 • as Environmentally Responsible Manure Management CUSTOM MANURE INC. ▪ Injection System az Low Boom Top Spreading ZURICH 236-7468 atrix Valentine A sa Give her candy or perfume. But what she really wants is a Matrix Day of Beauty. It's the ultimate expression of love. She'll look and feel beautiful. Reserve an appointment now. I X., Do sometki�foryoursetf... Do something or your Fwspita THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 15th • Book your cut & style, perm, colour, manicure pedicure, facial, massage or reflexology treatment on Thursday, .Feb. 15 and all proceeds from that date will be donated to the Seaforth Community Hospital to purchase Diabetic and Cardiac Teaching Aids (regarding salt and fat content in food value $600.00). 1 1 II i FREE DRAW for 2 - $50.00 GIFT BASKETS Draw date Feb. 15th 527-0780 Full Service Salon 59 Main St., Seaforth DIDMEM YOU KNOW we think retirement should be fu n At Clinton Community Credit Union, we have trained investment professionals to help you save money for your future. Personal attention to your hopes and dreams, investment options like GICs and mutual funds, make us an option that saves you money. Visit us to discuss how we con help you reoch your financial gaols. 48 Ontario St, Clinton Tel. (5 I9) 482-3466 • Mon. - Thurs. 9am - 5pm Fri. 9am - 8pm 118 Main St N., Exalter Tel. (519) 235-0640 Mon. • Thurs. 9am - Spm Fri. 9am - 8pm 165 Main St W, Dashwood Tel. (519) 237-3777 Tues. I Oarn - 3pm Fri. 2pm - 7pm ' A different way of banking." Clinton Community Credit Union Limited