Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/18982
The Review-Mirror November 4, 2010 –3 Electronic voting system had several advantages except for last-minute backlog •Contined from page 1 Voters in Rideau Lakes using the mail-in ballot may have had less time to make their decision because of the time con- straints of a mail-in ballot but they still could have hand-delivered their ballot or voted Oct. 25. Electronic voting took Danny Roantree has been playing the organ and leading the choir at Seeley’s Bay United Church for fifty years, a ministry which is being celebrated on November 21 by the congregation with a special service at 11:00 a.m. Music has always been a big part of choirmaster’s life •Continued from page 1 “I told someone he’s the glue that holds everything together. Ministers come and go but he’s been there fifty years,” said choir member Barb Donaldson who with other choir members is organizing this month’s celebrations. Like many rural church- es the Seeley’s Bay church’s congregation has shrunk. Sometimes the often 16-member choir outnumbers the people in the congregation, said Donaldson. “People come up and say the music is just won- derful. We just think you should honour someone who has done something like this for somany years. It’s a musical ministry all these years,” she said. This fall the choir’s time with Roantree has been more limited. Choir mem- bers have been practicing special music for the November service under the direction of Gary Bracken and have been giving Roantree the boot each Friday night to keep the music a surprise for their performance later this month. When Roantree began with the choir in the 1960’s the choir included members of his grand- mother’s age, including his own grandmother. When the choir was no longer viable with one generation it disappeared for a time. “It has renewed itself. At one point we got some kids going and started a junior choir. We used to have a full force of kids up there and had three or four adults,” said Roantree. Roantree grew up in the Seeley’s Bay area but spent part of his youth on Hwy. 2west ofGananoque where he got his first piano lessons at age 11 or 12 from teacher Ann McClement. The lessons continued with the minis- ter’s wife, Mrs Sunter when his family came back to Seeley’s Bay and continued with a teacher in Elgin with whom he fin- ished his grade 8 Royal Ontario Conservatory exams. Grade 9 and 10 at See- ley’s Bay was followed by grade 11 at Lyndhurst and his two final years of high school at a brand new Rideau District High School followed by teach- ers college in Ottawa. “I don’t know what it was but I’d always wanted to teach. My mother’s two younger sisters were both teachers, “ he said. Through his career in education he taught music as well as a host of sub- jects and ages through public school. His calling to teach has continued with the choir which he introduces new music to each year after getting some introduction to new choir music at annual read through sessions of con- temporary choir music. Along with new organs through the years he’s seen three different hymn books reflecting changes in society and the church. Language in hymns which was once accept- able has become uncom- fortable for a contempo- rary congregation. Along with dost and hath, gender references to God and other language not deemed to be inclusive enough have disappeared. “Some of this good old music, if it doesn’t have the right words you have to change them or not do them anymore,” he said. The church choir, which numbers more than a dozen on most weeks, has been a joy for Roantree. Members of the group are hoping donations will be made to the church’s steeple restoration fund in honour of Danny. The steeple of the 130 year old church will be removed this month and the entrance to the church will be rebuilt in anticipation of restoring the steeple to the church after repairs are completed. “They are such a good group. We have such a good time and we’re such good friends. I don’t dread choir practice unless I’m not prepared. When they look good, I look good,” laughed Roantree. “It surprises me it’s fifty years. I don’t know where the time has gone. It’s been a wonderful life,” he said. place for eight days from Monday October 18 to 8:00 p.m. on Monday October 25 for voters in Tay Valley, Leeds and the Thousand Islands. In Leeds and the Thou- sand Islands about 1900 voters had already cast their vote by Friday, Octo- ber 22. By the start of elec- tion day Oct. 25 a little over 2,200 had voted but Monday the remaining 1,000 were cast through the day, including 700 paper ballots which were offered to electors only on Election Day. With the electronic sys- tem candidates could access which voters had already voted and within hours of polls closing could make an effort with a well organized campaign to encourage their support- ers to exercise their right to vote. While the majority of Rideau Lakes voters had already been received by the Friday before Election Day more than a third of the electors who eventual- ly participated in Leeds and the Thousand Islands voted during the last four Thank You I would like to thank every- one who supported me in the North CrosbyWard during the October 25th election. I will endeavour to live up to your expectations. Sincerely Ron Pollard Royal Canadian Legion days of the election. In South Frontenac almost more than two thirds of the voters who eventually participated, 31.7 per cent, had voted by Monday morning with 12.4 per cent of the elec- torate making their choice on Monday. South Frontenac, Leeds and the Thousand Islands and Tay Valley all extend- ed their voting times to increase participation after users were frustrated by slow response times of the Intelivote system after their system proved inade- quate for the volume of clients on their system. The promise of shortly after 8:00 p.m. results wasn’t met because of the delays by Intelivote. Rideau Lakes candi- dates had a long wait for results in 2006 but this year thanks to the use of tabulating machines to count the votes, results were in shortly after 9:00 p.m. Leeds and the Thousand Islands election’s combi- nation of paper and elec- tronic ballots brought results to candidates after 11:30. South Frontenac candi- dates learned their fates after 9:00 p.m. To all my supporters and volunteers in North Crosby It’s been an honour and a pleasure to serve you for the past two terms of Council. Thankyou, JoeMcNally THE ROYAL CANADIAN LEGION Rideau Lakes Branch 231 POPPY FUND Balance as of 1 October 2010 Revenue for period: October 20, 2009 - September 20, 2010 Expenses - including purchase of material related to Remembrance Day Disbursements - Rideau District High School (annual bursary X 2) $2531.10 $1914.33 - Prizes for Remembrance Day Contest (posters & essays) $475.00 - Rideau Perley Veteran's Hospital Foundation A. Therriault Poppy Chairman Legion Branch 231 $633.41 $500.00 $500.00 - Kingston Hospital Cancer Research Foundation $600.00 Total: Legion Branch 231 $2075.00 B. French President SANTA CLAUS PARADE SAT., NOV. 27TH Westport Lion’s Club PANASONIC Upper Rideau Branch 542 10099 Co. Rd. 10,Westport, ON. Announcing ... Our ‘Westport, The Christmas Village’ Line up at St. Edward’s starting at 1 p.m. Parade starts at 2:00 p.m. Antiques, Horses, Floats and more, are welcome. The Lions float will be collecting non-perishables for the Westport Food Bank. St. Ed’s CHURCH Monday, November 15th - 7:30 p.m. JACKPOT FEATURE GAME: Flat Screen Package • 42” Panasonic® Flat Screen TV •Shaw Direct Motorola HD Receiver •Panasonic® DVD/CD Player •Bonanza: $100 •2-Line: $75 • Canteen, Popcorn & Free Coffee Our thanks to duncan s TV & APPLIANCES MAIN Call Dale Lyons at 273-2064 for more information or to confirm participation. RIDEAU SPRING BEDFORD