by Dennis Gannon
On the evening of July 9, the weather was perfect in our community. The brief rain showers had stopped, the sun came out and the temperature was just right. All that made it a great night to watch a movie under the pavilion. About a dozen families with their children along with their snacks enjoyed the first movie night of the year. Everything worked out well and thanks to the Chapman family for making it happen. The next movie night will be on Wednesday, August 6. The movie title will be released closer to the date. It will be a “Hot Summer Night” type of event as members of the Springwater Fire and Emergency Services will be present. The kids will have the opportunity to use their skills to put out a fire, handle a fire hose and to top it off get soaked when the firefighters turn the hoses on them. Mark it in your calendar now and watch for more details.
Usually not much happens in the village that gets the community on alert. That changed last Monday night. While not confirmed, it is suggested that a routine traffic stop by the OPP was anything but that. Occupants of the vehicle fled and numerous police officers were called to search for them. Patrol officers, canine officers and tactical officers were out and about searching in the back yards of homes throughout the community. It is believed several people were taken into custody and there has been no confirmation about charges or arrests at this time.
With that activity occurring the Anten Mills Community Facebook page was busy with individuals attempting to join. It is great that people want to join the page hopefully to see what a great community this is and a few were granted access. There are questions that need to be answered before the administrators will approve them. If they aren’t fully answered then the individual will be automatically declined. As this is a private group, the administrators carefully check the individuals out in order to ensure that they are legitimate and not scammers. There have been a number of requests to join as they indicate that they recently moved into the village which is wonderful. If you are suggesting that someone join the site, make sure that they know all questions are to be answered and that their connection to the community should be fully answered.
The township has reported that the work on the community centre is going well and that it will be completed in time for the 150 celebration on Saturday, September 13. The hall will be completely painted, new flooring installed along with a new ceiling and lighting.
Sponsorships and donors for the event are still available. All proceeds will go to ensuring that this is an event that will be remembered for generations. In 1968 over 400 people attended a reunion with the closing of the school which has become our community centre. Organizers are hoping to have many more attendees as this is a combination family day, reunion and celebration. Those who sponsor or donate will be recognized in the booklet that is being produced. If you are interested in participating contact the committee by email, antenmills150@gmail.com. With production taking sometime, there is a cutoff deadline of August 1.
Work will soon begin on resurfacing and repairs to Wilson Dr. just south of the community. Nursery Rd has had its work completed and a section of Rainbow Valley Rd is to begin. While there may be some inconvenience for the short term the benefits will be worthwhile. Caution and patience will be rewarded with a smooth road.
If you have an announcement, birthday wish or would like people to know about your business then the community signboard on Wilson is the perfect place to get your message out. Send an email to antenmillssign@gmail.com and Roslyn will do her best to help you. Proceeds from the use of the sign support the community events hosted by the Anten Mills Community Recreation Association.
When the Anten Mills CRA anniversary garden was created it was hoped to be a place where people could enjoy the beauty of the plants and further support the pollinators. The garden is blooming wonderfully and the pollinators are coming. From July 25 to August 3, the Monarch Mission is looking for people to report their sightings of the Monarch Butterfly. To find out more about how you can help, go to the Monarch Mission website, https://www.mission-monarch.org
In season, fruit and vegetables are important to help us with our health. Strawberry season is wrapping up and blueberries should begin any day now. To get your local and great blueberries, there is no better and local location than Clarke’s on Nursery Rd. They have pre picked and pick your own. They are open in the morning and late afternoon most days with the exception of Saturday when they are at the Barrie farmers market. Check them out.
That’s all for this week. Brian’s story this week is a combination of a local gathering location and a young man who became a country music star. THANKS for READING,BE WELL and STAY SAFE.