Zephyr & Sandford News

by Pat Asling

A long weekend with a special day on either end! I hope you all had lovely valentines activities and family time together. The weather was warmer which no doubt suited most people but not those skiers and other outdoor sports enthusiasts. Then maybe, they were all inside watching the Olympics!

A couple of local events scheduled for Valentine's evening were cancelled. No explanation was given for the cancellation of the RAD dance at the Legion. The dance at the Zephyr Hall was cancelled due to insufficient interest. Maybe some people had planned to go to the RAD dance, who knows but the dance, the silent auction in support of Edwards Animal shelter etc all cancelled.

On March 7th, the Lions Club is planning a pancake breakfast from 8 to 10 a.m., costing $5. The usual donations of non-perishables, pop tabs, milk bags, eye glasses are requested. Plus, there is a new one, donations towards a chemo chair for kids at Scarborough Centennial Hospital, $1200! On top of all that, they are reviving the silent auction for the Edwards Animal Shelter. Donations of auction articles to be included are requested! Looking ahead, they are planning another BBQ on May 24th, along with a seasonal Spring market (speak for your booth now) and pony rides. The next spaghetti supper will be on March 14th.

Don’t forget Yukyuks will be at the Sandford Hall on Saturday, February 28th. Remember, Heather Moore is looking for new ideas for the group to present to the Sandford Community. On Tuesday, the Community Care lunch group met at Douglas Crossing and enjoyed another stellar meal. Jonathon Van Bilsen presented more photographs of his latest trip to Egypt. We had seen some of these at the Port Perry Villa but this was a new selection and was enjoyed.

There were several birthdays this week. Happy birthday to ‘ Uncle Don’ Cordingley, beloved of my nieces and son! Don has some mobility issues but still gets out to supervise his workers and hasn’t lost his sense of humour. Brothers David and Paul Risebrough both celebrated their birthdays, although by several years. David and wife Judy have returned from a fantastic three-week trip to Australia and New Zealand. Wonderful things and places were seen. I have been there, but birding, so not much else. Greetings also to Jackie Leppard. Jackie and John farm north of here. With one son off to college and the second not far behind, they will soon be empty nesters. Donna Lapp Shier celebrated again. I always recall the Lapp family, many years ago now, living around Sandford and being part of our church. Dwight and Deborah Clements enjoyed a few days skiing in Quebec, a yearly tradition. Adele Boy spent a very pleasant short staycation with friends in Toronto.

Some happy, some sad! I don’t think I mentioned Ed Vincent's passing. Ed was not from here (the Sunderland area), but he spent a lot of time in our area as an electrician. He wired both my homes and many others around the township. He always did a great job and was fun to have around! It was a great shock to many as they learned of the sudden passing of Bob Noble at 91, hale and hardy two days before! Bob was born and raised on the farm at the corner of Sandford Road and 6th, along with his siblings and parents, Alex and Lila. When we bought the Lubinski farm in 1964, the Noble farm and ours were the only ones. Now there are several more, taken from the Noble property, I expect. (Banjo Cider is the original buildings). On the corner of Sandford Road and 7th lived the Barton family, Wallace and Mary and their children, one of whom was daughter Yvonne. I was fortunate as a newcomer to have the Bartons and Nobles as neighbours. As a classic tale, Bob married the girl next door. They married in 1956 ( 70 yrs) and lived in town when I arrived, but Yvonne worked in the bank and was a sorority sister. I met Bob in many ways, as he worked many jobs and as a firefighter for 25 years. Funnily enough, when the Bartons sold the farm to the Freeman family, Bob’s son Gerry repeated the process by marrying Nancy Freeman. In the last few years, Gerry and Nancy built a home on 23. Bob and Yvonne had been living in Lindsay for some years, but recently moved into an apartment with Gerry. Sadly, Bob did not get much time to enjoy it. His celebration of life will be Saturday, February 21st, from 1 to 5 p.m., at Low and Low. I was also recently told of the passing of Steve Snodden. Steve was not from here but was well known in the area. Growing up, there was a Snodden family just up the road from us, farmers and truckers, I believe, and I think they were related. I recall, when I was maybe six or seven, going to our school Christmas concert on a very snowy night, roads partially blocked. I think we went in our sleigh, but on the way home, we were delivered in a stock truck driven by Mr. Snodden!

Genealogy in person or Zoom on Thursday night and the following Tuesday, North Durham Nature, on Zoom only, with the speaker talking about the many types of whales around the world, a fascinating subject. Yes, and it’s dues time for most organizations.

Coming up in the next few weeks are several celestial events, including an eclipse. Hoping for clear skies. Next week at church, we are honoured to have Rev Dr. William Fritz as our leader; always a great pleasure to hear him speak! All are welcome at 10 a.m.