ALMAGUIN NEWS, Wednesday, December 19, 2007 - Page 5

Thanks

to all our customers

We wish you all a very Merry Christmas

and a Happy New Year

SUNDRIDGE AUTO TECH384-7960

Peace . . . Joy

May this season bring to mindthe Spiritual feeling

of Christmasfrom the Staff at

Arnstein IndustrialEquipment Ltd.Fred S. Culin Limited Hwys. 17 and 11 South

North Bay, Ontario

Merry Christmas andHappy New Year

Merry Christmas andHappy New Year

479 Main St., Powassan 724-2531

GARLAND’SService Centre

Gloria SchimmelSalesRepresentative705-382-5555H: 705-382-1797

rethatworks@hotmail.com 300 Ontario St., Burk’s Falls

Wishing you and your family a

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year

Brokerage

from Terry & Louise Ford & Staff of

and Ruth Watt & Staff of

DUCK�ROCK�RESORT389-3322

DUCK�ROCKFAMILY�RESTAURANT

389-1120 Dunchurch

SENDING WARMHOLIDAY WISHES YOUR WAY

Here’s Christmascheer to all our friendsand patrons. We thank you for your loyalty and good will, and we hope your holidays will be a time of high happiness, deep contentment, gifts galore!

Dean & JanKerry, Harry, Matt, Dean & Maxine

Griffi th Bros.SERVICE CENTRE LTD.

386-2272HWY. 11, SOUTH RIVER, ONTARIO

Season’s Greetings to All

As we enjoy the symbols of the season – the tree,

the decorations, the music and more – we would like

to add our best wishes for a joyous holiday.

Almaguin HighlandsCommunity Living

GoodTidings

Celebrate a safe & warmholiday season

with family & friends.

Many thanks for yourvalued patronage!

Cox’sGeneral Store

21 Main Street, Sundridge

384-1126

The Cox Family

Sledge hockey team burns Powassan firefightersLaurel J. Campbell

Staff Reporter

POWASSAN – It was a hockey game like no other ever held in the Sportsplex when the Powassan volunteer firefighters challenged the North Bay Ice Breakers sledge hockey team to a game on Saturday, Dec. 15. This is the first time sledge hockey, a game with similar rules to regular ice hockey but geared for the disabled, has been played at the Sportsplex.

Despite fire chief Bill Cox’s boasting prior to the game that he was working on his upper body strength in order to manoeuvre his hockey sledge on the ice, his efforts and his firefighters advance game workouts, proved for naught. The North Bay team sled circles around the Powassan players, leaving the Powassan team a burnt

out shell suffering a 7 to 2 loss. “This is a lot harder than it looks,” said Cox at intermission.

Firefighter Barry Lamb added “I don’t think we could beat this team even if we were on skates. They’re just too good.”

Perhaps if the fire fighters had of concentrated less on muscle building and more on balance, they would have come

off looking better and landing more goals. “It’s hard to keep those sledges upright,” said Cox as his

players continually toppled over on the ice, often requir-ing the referee’s help to right themselves.

Ice Breaker coach Dan Selin could only laugh at the firefighters’ efforts, having previously warned Cox “your firefight-ers can train all they want, but my team will still beat the pants off them.”

Selin’s team took pity on the chal-lengers in the final period, pulling their own goalie and sending him to assist the Powassan goalie in his net. Even that proved fruitless as the Ice Breakers

saved the puck from their empty net and glided down the ice to score on the hapless Powassan team.

With close to 200 attending the game, it was hard to determine just who the Powassan fans were supporting. While they cheered the firefighters’ two goals, they were on their feet in support of hometown boy Ice Breaker Justin Byers as he landed the puck squarely in the Powassan net.

“This is just brutal,” said Chisholm firefighter Ray Ford, who joined his Powassan comrades in the fruitless attempt to best the North Bay team. Ford struggled throughout the game to keep his sledge upright and spent more time lying on the ice than going after the puck.

Even bending the rules —Powassan somehow snuck eight players onto the ice at one point in the game — right from the start the team lacked momentum and often seemed confused and disoriented.

One spectator was heard to comment, “it’s a good job our firefighters do better with flames than they do with ice.”

Selin called the game a “huge success,” while admitting his team had the since they knew how to play on the tricky sledges. “It’s not about winning, it’s about the wonderful opportunity the fire department has given the Ice Breakers by inviting them to play in Powassan,” he said. “They have no idea what a great favour they have done for these kids by allowing them to play in a new venue and by promoting sledge hockey in the area.”

Prior to the game the Powassan legion made a donation of $500 to the North Bay District Sledge Hockey Association, which helps finance the Ice Breakers.

“This is such a wonderful sport for young people who otherwise wouldn’t be able to play hockey,” said Legion president Jim Thompson. “Once the legion became aware that this opportunity was out there for our disabled youth we wanted to help promote and support it and encourage other groups to do the same.”

The Powassan fire department had their donation boot on dis-play at the door raising $700 at the event. The money will be split between the sledge hockey association and the fire department, with firefighters intending to donate their share back to the Ice Breakers.

PHOTOS BY LAUREL CAMPBELL

DOUBLING UP: With the Powassan firefighters losing 1 to 4, the North Bay team generously volunteered its goalie to help Powassan protect its net. But even two goalies couldn’t stop the Ice Hawks from slipping one in from the side to score — yet again.

THEY SCORE!: Powassan fire chief Bill Cox scuttles for safety as the North Bay sledge hockey team gets yet another one into the Powassan net.

TUMBLED: Even the efforts of Chisholm firefighter Ray Ford to assist the Powassan team prove fruitless to Powassan ever leading the game, primarily because, Ford, like many of the Powassan firefighters, couldn’t keep his hockey sledge upright.

Only a few days of school left before the Christmas holidays start, so be sure and get your cookbooks from the school or the library. It’s a simple gift for only $10. Remember that the school is hosting their annual Christ-mas Concert on Thursday, Dec. 20, 6:30 p.m. in the school gym. Everyone is welcome.

The Dunchurch/McKellar United Church Christmas Eve service is in Dunchurch this year beginning at 7 p.m. Regular service is Sunday at 11 a.m. On Sunday, Dec. 30 coffee and muffins will be served before church at 10:15 a.m.

In legion news:Bid euchre results for Monday, Dec.

10 are as follows: First, Ken Woehl with 260; second, Joy Warnholtz with 257; third, Eileen MacDonald with 251; moon shots, Ken Woehl with two and Shirley Keating with one.

Cribbage results for Thursday, Dec. 12 are as follows: First, John Love with six wins and 113 points; second, Phyl-lis Sands with five wins and 229 points; third, Wayne Kenney with three wins and 410 points.

Euchre results for Saturday, Dec. 15 are as follows: First, Melinda McMur-phy with 73, second, Bea Charron with 67; lone hands, Elizabeth Hamilton with four.

The Christmas Special meat draw results are as follows: Turkeys winners, Julie North, Hank Hobson, Jerry Rob-son, two, Bea Charron; Ham winners, Harvey Morris, two, Jan Hill, Melinda

McMurphy and Dennis Rowntree.The legion would like to thank every-

one for supporting the meat draws this year. With all your continued support the legion will be able to donate to various local projects throughout the year.

The first meat draw of the new year is Saturday, Jan. 5 at 4 p.m. Come out and play some euchre at 1:30 p.m. and stay for the horse races after the meat draw.

Are you ready for the legion’s New Year’s Eve dance and party on Monday, Dec. 31? The party starts at 8 p.m. and doesn’t end till 1 a.m. after we herald in the New Year. There will be a DJ, party favours and a light lunch all for only $15 per couple.

The branch would also like to extend the most sincere wishes for a merry Christmas and a happy, healthy and prosperous new year for everyone.

The Women’s Own Resource Centre (WORC) in South River will be closed from Dec. 14 through to Jan. 2, 2008 and would like to wish everyone happy holidays.

Have you ever wanted to start your own business or expand an existing one? Starting Jan. 8, 2008 the WOR will be having their Entrepreneurial Skills Training Course. This course is for 10 weeks, one day a week, for two hours. There are also in-depth one-to-one appointments available. For more information or to register please call the office at 705-386-9672.

That’s all the news for this week. If you have an event or announcement you would like to see in this column for the Jan. 2nd edition, please send it this week by 6 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 20 to ankirocks@zeuter.com or phone 389-3768.

Ring in the new year at the legion danceThis week in

Dunchurchby Shelly Heffernan