The Wilmot girls prepare to play in the Rangers' Hockey Appreciation day at the Kitchener Auditorium

The Wilmot Wolverines Atom 1 team will show off their game on local TV on Jan. 28.

The Wolverines played their special televised game at the Kitchener Auditorium on Jan. 15 during Hockey Day in Ranger Nation.

That game first aired Jan. 21 on Rogers TV in the Kitchener area. Two more replays are scheduled for this Saturday at 12 p.m and 6:30 p.m.

The Atom Wolverines applied back in October to be part of the second annual Hockey Day at Rangers Nation, a celebration of minor hockey for Major Atom House League hockey players from Waterloo Region.

The free day is designed to give players 10-year-old players a Rangers game day experience, complete with a centre-ice video scoreboard running for the fans. After the game, players also received a gift package and meal.

During the Kitchener vs. Kingston game that night, on Jan. 15, teams could see Hockey Day highlights on the video display.

Back row, from right: Peter Lade (past Optimist president), Brianna Smith, Andrea Sherk, Drew Bryant, Rachel Wolley, Krystina Hobbs, Brad Smith (past club president). Front row, from right: Melodie Shantz, Mason Wagner, Nicholas Smith, Zac Berry, Jaden Barnard. Absent: Heidi Shantz.

The New Dundee Optimist club honoured the community’s young people by handing out its annual Youth Appreciation Awards Jan. 24. Ten youth received plaques in a ceremony at the New Dundee Community Centre.

The Optimist Youth Appreciation Awards recognize positive attitude, strong work ethic, respect and compassion for others, not necessarily top abilities. Winners were nominated by teachers, ministers, youth group leaders or coaches.

This year, the New Dundee club also awarded its annual $1,500 Youth Scholarship to Krystina Hobbs for volunteer services in the community. The scholarship goes to a New Dundee student moving into post-secondary education.

Steve McDonald was the 2012 recipient of the Adult Hero Award, which is given annually to a resident of the community who made a significant contribution through their volunteer activities over many years.

Aaron Shantz (right) and Mathieu Sanderson play a doubles match at Waterloo-Oxford's new ping pong club.

Each week after classes end, the hollow sound of a plastic ball bounces down the halls of Waterloo-Oxford District Secondary School.

The school has started a new ping pong club this academic year. The group meets each Thursday, form 3 to 5 p.m. Around a dozen students usually show up each week to play one-on-one or doubles table tennis at the free club.

Math teacher Catalin Popovici oversees the games. He found the tables in storage at the high school, and bought paddles and balls to start the club this year.

If there’s enough skill and interest, the school could have a competitive team some day, he said: “I’m dreaming about a team but I have to be honest with myself.”

Moving up to the next level will require more practice and planning, so for now the ping pong games are just a fun activity.

“We try to let the stress out of our mind,” Popovici said. “They’re really enjoying it.”

Jaden Goetz prepares to serve the ball during a hallway ping pong game.

Waterloo-Oxford District Secondary School faced a tough opponent Jan. 19 in a senior boys’ basketball game against Waterloo Collegiate Insitute.

The Crusaders fell 69-39. Jesse Dodgson scored 15 points in the losing effort.

After this game, W-O is ranked for 11th in the 16-team league with a 4-6 record. WCI is 8-2 and is tied for second.

New Hamburg's Mark Brenner shovels snow outside his workplace, Riverside Brass on Waterloo Street, after heavy snowfall on Jan. 19

It may not have been a record-setting blizzard, but it felt like plenty of snow after a mild winter. Environment Canada announced snow squall warnings in southern Ontario today, as roads became slippery and car accidents abounded.

As the skies cleared this afternoon, residents in New Hamburg and Baden were outside to clear their driveways and sidewalks.

Dust was shaken off of snow blowers and shovels as winter finally gave Wilmot a reason to use them.

Sir John A Macdonald made an appearance at his own 197th birthday party, making frequent toasts.

Grade 8 students at Wellesley Public School celebrated Canadian History in a new way this week.

Students dressed up in Confederation-era suits and gowns, danced the minuet, ate historically-appropriate food and performed tributes to Sir John A. Macdonald.

Finally, the man himself arrived. Wellesley teacher and actor John Settle played the part of Macdonald, complete with a Scottish accent and frequent toasts to Canada’s prosperity.

Students used their skills to create art, wood-working, and live music for the celebration.

Teacher Joanne Aitken planned the historical party to celebrate the life and times of Canada’s first prime minister, Sir John A Macdonald.

Macdonald’s birthday was Jan. 11, and the famous politician would have been 197 this week.

Sir Adam Beck's one-year anniversary was staged as a birthday party for the school's mascot, Lightning.

It has been exactly one year since Baden’s newest school, Sir Adam Beck Public, began classes.

On Jan. 10, 2011, the new gymnasium hadn’t been fully completed yet, so teachers and students raised the Canadian flag and sang the national anthem outside on a chilly winter day.

This week, the school gathered in that now-familiar gym to mark their first year of existence. Students were delighted to sing along with Lightning, the school’s black horse mascot, and share their favourite things about Sir Adam Beck.

Over one hundred kids showed up to skate with their Jr. C hockey heroes.

The event was in partnership with the “Let’s Read” program, which supports literacy.

Here are a few photos from this afternoon public skating session:

Christmas came early for the Royals as they easily defeated the Goderich Pirates 9-1 on Dec. 23 in the WOAA senior men’s hockey league.

Goals in the first period came quickly from Wes Kropf, then two goals from Andrew Oesch and two more from Tyler Townsend.

Goderich managed one goal in the first. Royals assists came from Tyler Roth, Chad Swartzentruber, Kevin Brenneman, Ruben Smith, Mike Saunders, Townsend and Kropf.

Early in the second period, Smith scored from Geerts followed by Oesch completing his hat trick with an assist from Swartzentruber.

In the third period, the Royals were unrelenting and Dan Kalbfleisch continued the scoring with Roth and Townsend assisting. Geerts scored unassisted with his first goal for the Royals as the newly-acquired player finished the evening.

In the team’s next game, on Dec. 27 against the Tillsonburg Thunder, the Royals started fast again, as Tyler Roth blasted the puck past Brandon Rohrer within 40 seconds of the opening faceoff. Assists went to Kyle Roes and Townsend.

Tavistock defenceman Brenneman received a 5 minute penalty for slashing after being kneed by one of the Tillsonburg player that was missed by the referee. That set the tone for the second period, and the Royals had a man in the box for 19 of the 20 minutes.

The Royals took on that adversity and came back with a shorthanded goal from Kirk Rioux assisted by Reid Yantzi. With six minutes left in the second, Yantzi followed with a goal from Saunders and Kropf assisting.

Oesch and Swartzentruber also scoring in the second, with assists coming from Rioux, Smith and Saunders. The Thunder also managed their only goal in the second period, with Tyler Lamb getting the point.

In the third period, Jeff Roes with Oesch and Marcus Yantzi finished the scoring for the Royals. Evan Groenestege’s stellar performance in net gave the Royals the win with unbelievable goaltending.

The Royals played superbly, fending off the Thunder and maintaining their first-place standing in their WOAA senior AA division.

A crew of young carolers visited the Independent’s office this week to entertain staff with some favourite Christmas tunes.

This seasonal music won’t be around for long, so we’ll do our best to enjoy it while we can. Will you go out caroling this year?