$30 million funding partnership to help accelerate diabetes research

Pictured following Monday's announcement about a $30 million partnership between the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation Canada and the federal government are, from left, Nadine Ahrens, University of Waterloo president David Johnston, Harold Albrecht MP Kitchener-Conestoga, The Honourable Gary Goodyear MP for Cambridge and Minister of State for Science and Technology and Minister Responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario, and New Hamburg's Lesley Schnarr and Michael Schnarr.

The Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) Canada announced a $20 million partnership with the federal government designed to speed advances in finding a cure for the disease that affects over three million Canadians.

The two-year partnership will be matched by a contribution of $10 million from JDRF to accelerate diabetes research by implementing a clinical trial network for diabetes research.

The hope is southern Ontario will become an international centre for the development and commercialization of treatments, cures, and medical technologies to improve the lives of people living with diabetes and its complications.

New Hamburg’s Leslie Schnarr was at the University of Waterloo with her son Michael when the announcement was made Monday.

Michael, 14, was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes in 2003. He was named JDRF’s 2009 youth ambassador and has been working with politicians in Queen’s Park and Ottawa to increase awareness and funding for the disease.

Leslie Schnarr says diabetes too often gets “swept under the rug” as more prominent, life-threatening illnesses take precedence for government funding.

“They realize the importance of JDRF,” says Schnarr, adding this funding is crucial for them to make headway to find a cure. “This was huge today.”

Michael Schnarr has been able to meet with several key players in Ottawa with the help of Kitchener-Conestoga MP Harold Albrecht, who was at Monday’s announcement.

Jaspa’s Journey

New Dundee author Rich Meyrick was at the New Hamburg Library last week reading from his book Jaspa’s Journey: The Great Migration. Last week was Canadian Children’s Books Week, in which Canadian authors were being promoted. Meyrick was also named a finalist in the Best Books 2009 Awards.  Aimed at kids 9-14, Jaspa’s Journey is the story of a 500 mile, dangerous migration of two million animals. The main character, Jaspa, is a Giraffeses, a distant relative of the giraffe which could fit in the palm of your hand. For more information visit Jaspa’s website at www.jaspasjourney.com.

Police want public’s help identifying robbery suspect

Oxford OPP have released surveillance video images of a suspect in the robbery of the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce (CIBC) in Plattsville on November 10.

At 2:43pm a lone male entered the bank on Albert Street and approached a teller who said the man displayed a knife and demanded money. The teller gave the man an undisclosed amount of cash and the suspect then fled the bank.

The investigation has resulted in surveillance photos of the suspect and a description of the vehicle associated to him.

The suspect is described as a white male, approximately 170 cm (5’7”) tall, between 25 and 30 years old, and having a medium build. The suspect was wearing a blue coloured baseball cap, faded dark-blue coveralls with a darker coloured rectangular patch over the right breast pocket (possibly where a tagged has been removed), a black t-shirt and sunglasses.

The investigation has also put this suspect in a light coloured mini-van with tinted windows that was parked around the corner from the bank on Mill Street.

Anyone who knows who this man is, or has information on this bank robbery, is asked to contact the Oxford OPP at 519-688-6540 or Crime Stoppers 1-800-222-T.I.P.S. (8477).

The investigation is continuing.

Fire fighter orientation day

It isn’t everyday one has the opportunity to chop the roof off a car,drive a fire truck, or willingly go into a burning building.
But members of Wellesley council, township employees and members of the media had just that chance on Nov. 15.
The Township of Wellesley fire department organized an orientation day to familiarize people with what fire fighters do. Fire chief Andrew Lillico, who was hired earlier this year, organized the day.
The day begin at 10 a.m. with a history lesson of fire fighting.
Then, attendees were given a full fire suit and split into groups.
The first stage was a simulated auto extrication. One brave fire fighter sat inside a car destined for the scrap yard while the new recruits learned how the jaws of life work.
The heavy hydraulic equipment is capable of wedging open doors and cutting through to reach trapped victims.
Everyone had a chance to see speciality tools to break windows and reach victims of car accidents.
Following a lunch break, the next station involved taking a fire truck on a quick spin around the training facility.
The drive ended at a pond, where the fire fighters were able to make a pitch to council about the benefits of purchasing an upgraded hose for faster refilling of the tanker truck.
The freshly filled truck was then taken to a controlled burn building.
Those who dared enter the building were given resperators and sent inside with trained fire fighters. Inside, a demonstration of how a thermal imaging camera works was offered, along with techniques to control heat and fire with a water hose.
For more photos, go online to www.nhindependent.wordpress.com.

Remembrance Day

Veterans and their families gathered on Nov. 11 in New Hamburg to remember the fallen.

A dance fundraiser

Centre Stage Dance Studio held a fundraiser this past Sunday. Dancers served lunch at Boston Pizza on Ottawa Street from 11 a. m to 4 p. m. The restaurant offered 20 per cent of the proceeds to the studio.

The dancers are trying to raise cash to send 85 dancers to Ottawa in July of 2010 for a national competition. The studio is trying to fundraise $40,000.

Pictured are Kim Stemmler and Karen Clinton with a sign. The girls in the five-person group shot are Olivia Barber, Sarah Johnson, Tess Zehr, Sarah Bowman and Alexa Bender.

Lest we forget

Helen Ehrat contacted the Independent with photographs of a family relative lost in action over Burma in World War 2. Jack Guest, who lived in Toronto but visited New Hamburg regularly, was shot down. He was a member of the 215 Squadron. Along with the photo, Ehrat also still has a letter written to “Cousin Lizzie,” detailing how he looks forward to coming home and introducing her to his new wife. She also showed us this Victory Bond from World War 1.

Murder at Castle Kilbride!

Here are a few images from the recent theatrical production at Castle Kilbride, Where there is Smoke, There is Murder. The production, written by local playwright Teresa Brown, was performed last weekend.

Tavistock holds mock emergency exercise

Tractor fire

A tractor caught fire at about 2 p.m. on Oct. 20, destroying the farm implement. No word was available on the cause or if anyone was injured.

Book detailing the life of New Hamburg founder William Scott released

First-time author Marie Voisin signs copies of her biography of William Scott and his Extended Family during a book launch party last week at her New Hamburg-area home. The home, known as Campfield, is the former country home of William Scott, a pioneering businessman credited with being the founder of New Hamburg. His other former home is The Waterlot.

Voisin became fascinated with the history of Campfield shortly after moving there 14 years ago.

A wealthy man in his native Scotland, William Scott, Lord Campfield, had immigrated to Canada around 1832. Following the tragic death of his wife, Scott and his family moved to New Zealand in 1867 to start new lives.

Marie and her husband Greg travelled to New Zealand and Scotland to complete research for the book and have since been in touch with several of Scott’s descendants in Canada and New Zealand.

William Scott and his Extended Family was self-published through Volumes Publishing in Kitchener. It is available at Upper Case Books in New Hamburg.

New Hamburg historian Ernie Ritz, who helped Voisin with her research, spoke during the book launch.

A hefty pumpkin

This pumpkin is the smaller sibling to an 800-pound pumpkin that was entered in the Rockton’s World Fair this past weekend. Grown just outside of New Hamburg, this pumpkin was a labour of love for grower John Matessa. For more details, see next week’s issue of the Independent.

Accident on Highway 7/8

An SUV rolled over on Oct. 7 around 9 a.m., blocking the east-bound portion of Highway 7/8 near Queen Street.

Air ambulance responded to the scene, along with Baden fire fighters, OPP and ambulance.

The SUV rolled and landed on its side in the east-bound lane.

The male and female occupants were trapped. After an air-ambulance arrived police reported that one person was without vital signs.

Vital Signs report sheds light on quality of life in Waterloo Region

The third annual Waterloo Region’s Vital Signs report, issued today by The Kitchener and Waterloo Community Foundation and the Cambridge and North Dumfries Community Foundation, shines a light on our progress as a community.

We are one of the safest communities in the country, we use less water, we recycle, and more of us are now using the transit system, to highlight a few.
However, much like the past two years, there’s more to the story than meets the casual eye.

Waterloo Region’s Vital Signs also describes a community that, while surrounded by cultural opportunities, does not attend events or visit museums or galleries nor does it invest as much in the arts in comparison to creative communities like Toronto, Ottawa, or Hamilton.

And, Health and Wellness continues to be an area of concern for the Region. Obesity is on the rise, our activity levels are declining, we are not eating enough fruits and vegetables, and we don’t have sufficient doctors for the number of people living here.

This year’s report found that while overall our poverty rates are declining (yet trending toward provincial and national numbers), our poverty rate for the elderly is on the rise. In addition, the report highlights that we have fewer child care spaces available for our families and that we lag behind the province with our investment in child care overall.

The report also suggests that Waterloo Region is well on its way to becoming a large, urban centre. While still faring better than Ontario and Canada, we are slowly trending toward provincial and national averages and experiencing more of the challenges associated with urban living.

Waterloo Region’s Vital Signs is part of a nation-wide community foundation initiative coordinated by Community Foundations of Canada and based on Toronto’s Vital Signs® developed by the Toronto Community Foundation and first published in 2001. Today, 16 community foundations are releasing their own local Vital Signs report cards.

Waterloo Region’s Vital Signs report highlights success and opportunity for Waterloo Region on several fronts:

· We divert more waste through recycling, composting, e-waste, and re-using building supplies in comparison to Ontario.

· The amount of treated water used in Waterloo Region was only 73 per cent of the median amount used in Ontario – which shows us that we are cutting back on our water use.

· We have more people giving to the causes they care about the most than seen across Ontario and Canada. And those donations tend to be larger.

· After falling behind for years, more of us are taking the bus to get to our destinations.

· Although it went down between 2007 and 2008, the Composite Learning Index score for the Region was still higher than both Ontario’s and Canada’s scores.

· Violent crimes and hate crime are well below the provincial and national percentages and the Crime Severity Index – the index that measures the level of personal impact of crimes committed – is also lower.

· Our employment rate is higher here.

· And, more of our residents are actively working or looking for a job as noted by the participation rate.

But the report also shows us that we have a number of areas in which we need to improve:

• We have fewer people employed in cultural industries.
• Investment in arts and culture is lower in Waterloo Region than in other creative communities.
• The income gap between our richest and our poorest is getting larger.
• Health and Wellness continues to be an area of concern as noted by our rising obesity rates, declining activity levels, the fact that we don’t eat enough fruits and vegetables and we don’t seem to have enough doctors to service our growing community.
• While overall poverty rates are declining, there are still a number of seniors in the Region feeling the affects of poverty in contrast to the trend seen across Ontario and Canada.
• Child care investment is lower here and we have fewer child care spaces than seen across the province and country.
• We have slightly fewer high school graduates here.
• And fewer of our residents have completed post secondary education.
  

“The release of our third Waterloo Region’s Vital Signs report continues to be both a celebration and a reality check,” says Jane Neath, Executive Director of the Cambridge and North Dumfries Community Foundation. “Our hope is that it will continue to raise awareness of important issues and stimulate debate so that we can all work together to improve the lives of our families, neighbours, and friends and make Waterloo Region an even better place to live, work, play, and grow.”

Bright’s Walters Family Band plays Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium tonight

The Walters Family Band, whose dinner show in Bright has been a hugely popular attraction for fans of country music for over seven years, will step onto a stage tonight that many of their idols have walked on before them. The Walters Family will perform at Nashville’s premiere performance hall the Ryman Auditorium.

About 300 local fans will be bused down to see the Walters perform in Nashville.

“It’s a dream come true!”, says Kimberly Walters, one of the Walters members. “We have realized a lot of dreams in our career, but this is one of the biggest. We are truly honoured to have the opportunity to grace the stage of The Ryman.”

The Walters Family performance at the Ryman parallels the 84th Birthday Celebration of The Grand Ole Opry. The historic Ryman Auditorium is Nashville’s Premier Performance Hall. With the coming of the Grand Ole Opry show in 1943, the Ryman found its identity as the Mother Church of Country Music.

Built in 1892 by riverboat captain and Nashville businessman Thomas G. Ryman, the Ryman Auditorium has been hosting the world’s most celebrated artists and entertainers for over a century, incuding pioneering performers such as Bill Monroe, Hank Williams and Patsy Cline.