#column

Ron Davidson

Sep 30, 2022
2 min

Pine Ridge Garden Club News

HELEN NICOLAOU, Special to The Standard Autumn is beautiful, and there are many shrubs and perennials which will continue to bloom until after frost. Look to garden centres for their variety of mums and autumn planters to spruce up your front entry. Some great deals on nursery stock may also tempt you. Autumn gardening season has us cleaning up the spent annuals and trimming back the perennials in preparation for the winter months. Remember to leave seed heads as winter food

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Nature suffers from short-sighted decisions

Ron Davidson

Sep 29, 2022
3 min

Nature suffers from short-sighted decisions

I have never sat on municipal council, nor have I ever been a politician of any stripe. But I have dealt with municipalities and politicians for decades, both vocationally and avocationally. I understand the constraints of time, authority and money which bind them when making decisions. Generally, I respect those decisions as long as they are well thought out and include consideration of public input. One example comes to mind, where the Township of Scugog planned and built a

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Ron Davidson

Sep 29, 2022
2 min

Leafs predictions

Another NHL hockey season is approaching quickly, which means it is time for me to make some predictions regarding the Toronto Maple Leafs. As longtime readers of this column will remember, in the past, I’ve made predictions about what players will make the team out of training camp, potential player-specific accomplishments, as well as team accomplishments. For full disclosure, last year, one out of my three predictions ended up coming true. I may not always have the most su

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Ron Davidson

Sep 22, 2022
3 min

That Tastes Yucky!

Lip-smacking good – crickets, earthworms, caterpillars, even some bees and wasps – yummy if you’re an insectivore that is! That’s what they call a creature which eats bugs. I spend a lot of time looking at stuff. Sometimes I understand what it’s doing and sometimes I don’t. Recently, I have been plagued by Japanese Beetles who feast on every plant I love (and for some reason they avoid those plants I dislike) WHY? I was thinking with, the world-wide decline in insects why doe

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Ron Davidson

Sep 22, 2022
2 min

Write it Down

Aging is inevitable and unstoppable by any scientific means. Living life to the fullest is, of course, the best way to experience this ride. However, I recently began to wonder what happens to all the experiences one encounters, throughout one’s existence. I decided to begin a project next year, to document all of the interesting, humorous and sometimes sad experiences which have taken me through life’s journey. Every day, events from the past are triggered, by something some

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Ron Davidson

Sep 15, 2022
3 min

Long live the Queen!

Cearra Howey, Special to the Standard It was already almost 25 degrees when my dad and I awoke around 5 a.m. on a sunny and hot July 4th, 2010. Although I would call myself a morning person, I am not a 5 a.m. morning person. This day was different, though. Why you ask? Well, we were going to Toronto to see the Queen! My excitement and anticipation continuously grew during the drive into the city. By the time we got a spot along the barricades in front of the Cathedral Church

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Ron Davidson

Sep 15, 2022
2 min

Political vacancy

In my last couple of columns, I’ve written about the state of different levels of government across Canada. But, following the now complete Conservative Party of Canada leadership race, there is still one trend which surprises me. A few political party races seem to be either moving at a snail’s pace or garnering very little fanfare or interest. I’ll start with the currently open job for the next Ontario provincial Liberal leader. Steven Del Duca resigned from this position i

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Ron Davidson

Sep 15, 2022
2 min

See where the wind takes you

Travelling is, of course, a pastime many of us enjoy. One way to get the most out of your adventure is to plan many of the details well in advance. I try to cover all the bases, including possible mishaps, and for the most part, I do. Sometimes, however, things just go awry. I took a road trip (it seems that is what people are doing everywhere) to Canada’s east coast. I have had the pleasure of visiting Atlantic Canada numerous times, and each visit is a new experience. There

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Finding Grace by Tina Y. Gerber-McCurley

Ron Davidson

Sep 9, 2022
2 min

Finding Grace by Tina Y. Gerber-McCurley

How does one find grace in the face of adversity? I feel it’s an ongoing learning process we can improve at, regardless of age! Perhaps, I should start at the beginning. On Mother’s Day, I hurt my back, which was debilitating. I couldn’t sit, stand, or lay down for more than 20-minute intervals. Every day, my pain increased, as well as my crying and vocal complaints to my husband. My pain seemed unbearable and debilitating. I found no relief after visiting the ER and my docto

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Ron Davidson

Sep 7, 2022
2 min

Falling back into exercise

Movement for life by Lauren Walker, All Fit/All Ages Gym I hope your summer was enjoyable! For those of you getting back into the exercise routine, starting on the right foot is important. If it’s been a few months since you’ve exercised, let’s remember common sense. You’re not going to be where you were before summer started. Let’s start with where you are now and go from there. Take it easy – The biggest mistake is jumping right back into exercise. It’s a good way to get hu

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Ron Davidson

Sep 7, 2022
3 min

The Plight of the Monarch

I started talking about the Monarch Butterfly in my last column and how it had recently been added to the list of endangered species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. The Monarch is one of the few insects which everyone recognizes immediately, and is a good symbol for action, as it stirs emotions in all of us. This can only lead to good things, but only if we truly believe we will make concerted efforts as individuals, businesses, organizations, and gover

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Ron Davidson

Sep 7, 2022
2 min

Let’s go to the EX

I love the jingle the Canadian National Exhibition uses and has for as many years as I can remember. It is, of course, a cover of ‘At the Hop,’ but it still gets my feet tapping and my lips moving. I recall, when I first came to Canada, how going to the EX was the thing to do before that dreaded return to school day. Tommy and I were each given $5 by our parents and told to have a great day at the CNE. Of course, that included the TTC to get us there. Rides were about a dime

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Ron Davidson

Sep 1, 2022
2 min

Bridge the divide

In the last few years, I have noticed a shift in the way people across Canada view and react to politicians and politics. There is more volatility, political conversations have become more personal and people have seemed more divided than I’ve ever seen in my lifetime. The latest example was the verbal harassment Canada’s Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland received just recently, when she made a visit to Grande Prairie, Alberta. For those who don’t know, a video surfaced

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Ron Davidson

Aug 25, 2022
2 min

The Core of the Matter – Part 2

This week we’ll look at the factors which effect your core strength. Your mental, physical and emotional well-being also come in to play. Nutrition Ninety percent of your success in the gym comes from what you eat. Processed foods such as sugar, wheat, gluten and dairy are big offenders. This can cause an imbalance in your gut and therefore effect digestion, nutritional uptake and abdominal wall function. In general a food intolerance can cause constipation or the opposite. A

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Ron Davidson

Aug 25, 2022
3 min

Another one bites the dust!

Long known to be in serious decline, the Monarch Butterfly has thrilled us through generations! Once we were aware they were in trouble, we naively thought, let’s plant more milkweed, and all will be good. While this did help some small local populations, the impacts we as humans impose, worldwide, on natural systems far outweigh the small benefit of a few conscientious people planting flowers. Deforestation on their wintering grounds and here at home, wide-scale habitat loss

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Ron Davidson

Aug 19, 2022
2 min

Slow Races

I have to admit, over the years, I’ve become a bit of an election junkie. I love to follow polls to see which leader or candidate is in the lead, and I enjoy seeing which local members of communities run for political positions. Municipal elections, specifically to me, are more exciting, as they are both more unpredictable, given the candidates aren’t tied to a political party and feature more local issues. Usually, these elections feature many more candidates than a provinci

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Ron Davidson

Aug 19, 2022
3 min

DOUG MCLATCHY: COLLECTING IT ALL

Many people collect different and unique mementos, be it Royal Doulton figurines, car coins from Jell-O packages or stamps. The joy of collecting can be very rewarding. Usually, the rewards achieved are in the satisfaction of amassing numerous items, but for Doug McLatchy, it has become a lucrative business. Doug is a sports enthusiast and quite an athlete who has one of the largest sports memorabilia collections. Born in New Brunswick, at the end of WWII, this son of a prope

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Ron Davidson

Aug 11, 2022
2 min

Danger, Will Robinson

I remember as a kid, watching Lost In Space, and seeing the robot zip all over the spaceship, bringing food, drinks and information to Will Robinson. Never in a million years, did I expect to live in a world where this actually happens. Of course, I have heard of robots helping in hotels with reception, and even delivering goods, but most of this was taking place in the Far East, where technology is king. You can imagine how shocked I was to see this happening in Durham Regio

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Ron Davidson

Jul 21, 2022
4 min

MATTHEW SOMERVILLE: AN APPLE A DAY

Before I begin this article, I wanted to clarify a comment in last month’s Story Behind the Person, which featured Dr. Steve Russell and the Oak Ridges Hospice. The hospice is required to fundraise operational dollars each year, as the Ministry of Health only provides a portion of the operating costs annually. The MOH funds less than half of the yearly operating funds required. I may not have been clear in that aspect. Starting a new business at any time, is a difficult task,

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Ron Davidson

Jul 21, 2022
2 min

Three, Two, One, Blastoff

Space exploration has certainly changed in the past 60 years. Those of you old enough will remember Alan Shepard rocketing 190 km into space, an unbelievable feat at the time. No sooner had he touched down than John Glenn flew around the world three times in only five hours, making him a hero and his name a household word. President Kennedy decided, the Americans had to beat the Soviets to the moon, and laid down an ultimatum to ‘get it done!’ We all know, a few years later,

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