OSCA POTLUCK SUPPER
On Saturday March 6th OSCA reinstated a tradition. The many volunteers who help the Association with our programs and activities throughout the year gathered at the Firehall for a potluck supper to celebrate community voluntarism.
These are the folks who coach softball, soccer, volleyball, run the pottery studio, help with the After Four Program, assist us on registration nights, write articles for, publish and deliver the OSCAR, work for ECOS, sit on the Board and various Board Committees, help out on the membership drives, assist us in our fund-raising efforts, serve up hamburgers at our June BBQ etc. etc. Adults and children alike were treated to the magic of Chris Pilsworth and had plenty of great food and drink. OCDSB Trustee Lynn Graham was there as were City Councillor Inez Berg and Regional Councillor Clive Doucet. Inez made the occasion special by bringing a huge chocolate cake inscribed with well wishes from one of our local favourite bakers, Cakes By Tatiana at 1202 Bank St. The celebrations were organised by our Program Committee headed by Lora Lindsay. Those helping out with various aspects of the event were:
- Suzanne Ledbetter,
- Shari Orders,
- Bob Adamyk,
- Dinos Dafniotis,
- Rob Karuna, Kate Fawkes,
- David Bouse,
- Carolyn Inch, and
- Deirdre McQuillan.
Many people also helped clean up at the end of the party. Thank you all. We plan to do it again next year.
Firehall Renovation and Expansion
Work continues on a long-term plan to renovate and build an addition to the Firehall. Architects Bob Webster and Bill Semple have come up with some preliminary drawings to reorganise the way we use space in the current building and to possibly build an addition about half way along the West Side. Such an expansion would add nearly 3,000 square feet to the current 6,100 square foot building. Initial cost estimates are in the $500,000 range or about $150,000 less than the figure cited in the plan by the joint City/OSCA Committee. We are under no illusion that it will be easy to secure City funding of this magnitude and we will work towards the goal over time. As it turned out, City staff recently informed us that, had we decided to move our Community Centre to 214 Hopewell Avenue (now 214 Brewer Way), we would have also faced funding difficulties. The $430,000 required to upgrade the 214 facility would not have been available in the City's current budget. Elsewhere in the paper, you will find information on our proposed clean up and face-lift of the Firehall. Please consider giving us a hand in the work.
"The News - Glebe and Ottawa South"
By now, you may have seen the new commercial newspaper covering events in our area and the City at large. Pat Hitsman, the paper's Editor, met with the OSCA Board to explain how they intend to report on activities in our neighbourhood. With professional reporters and a plan to publish every two weeks, the paper hopes to do more in-depth reporting of events and provide more timely stories than we can with OSCAR as a monthly paper. OSCAR Editor Peter Hecht and his small hard working staff depend on volunteers to write articles and to deliver the paper. We also depend on our local merchant advertisers. We hope that area merchants stand by us recognising that they too live or work in Old Ottawa South. While we are somewhat concerned that the new paper might negatively impact on our advertising base, we wish The News well. Any additional coverage of life in our community is welcome. We believe that both operations can coexist. You can help by mentioning to our advertisers that you saw their ad in the OSCAR.
4th Annual Media Extravaganza
If you get this paper before the event on Saturday April 17th, you may still be able to join us at 8 PM at the Firehall. If any tickets remain unsold, they will be available at the door ($12.00). I guarantee a fun filled evening enjoying music, tall tales, gossip and great food and drink as we are entertained by talented neighbours employed in the local and national media. Please bring a donation for the Food Bank.