It’s more than just a rink
Less than a month into the curling season the Middleton Curling Club is busy, busy, busy.
In fact, that is the difference between being just a rink and being a “club.” A club has activities on all sorts of levels and inspires a different level of involvement and commitment.
Some of the volunteers who look after maintenance have been busy all year, some of the ice-makers were busy for months before there was any ice, and the group running the Christmas Fete auction all had “homework” over the summer.
Now that the season is in full swing, the team bonspiels have begun at other clubs and the first one this past weekend was the Holly Spiel at the Glooscap Club in Kentville. Dawn Spidle with her team of Emily Neily, Barb Eaton, and Christine Spidle represented Middleton and won the B Division in the final draw on Sunday. But it was not as easy as that sounds. In one game the team was down 0-7 after three ends – not an easy thing to come back from. It takes a lot of focus and determination to come back from odds like that but they persevered and ended up winning the game 9-7.
Back at MCC the weekend began with a boisterous and well-attended Chase the Ace on Friday night. The Ace stayed tucked in the deck and the game will continue this Friday.
There were no games being played on the ice over the weekend, but the Curling Clinic was held on Sunday and Ian Reesor and Bob Clattenburg had their hands, and the sheets, full. The clinic is for both learning curlers and also those returning to curling or wanting to practice their skills when not in the pressure of a game situation. Anyone
Whether returning for good, or visiting, Berwick always seems to draw people in.
Barb Hughes, Mona Saulnier and Linda Bennett, of Halifax, came to the Valley to attend the funeral of Maurice Scotney on Nov.15. They were also dinner guests of their cousin Marjorie Saunders. Eleanor Zwicker, a local resident, was also a dinner guest the same day.
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Madelyn Wiles, Morristown, left the area Nov. 11, returning Nov. 18. She went to visit her son and family – Jason, Nicole, Trent and Maeve - in Madison, Connecticut.
*** wishing to know more can contact the club (see below).
While the clinic was on, the Fete Committee was busy with the final embellishments on the gingerbread fantasies for this year’s event on Saturday. Every year there are a few new projects as well as the old favourites. The weather may be challenging to drying gingerbread and sometimes projects change as they progress, but there is nothing that cannot be fixed with icing and more candy!
The Christmas auction of gifts and crafts is open from 8 a.m. on Dec. 2. The draw for prizes is at 7:30 that night with winners contacted if not present. But the auction is not all there is to the Fete – there will be curling in progress starting at 10 a.m. and continuing all day plus a bake table with seasonal favourites and guess what – gingerbreads!
More details at www.middletoncurlingclub.com
There were five tables of 45s in play at the Rebekah Hall on November 18. Prizewinners were first, Betty Jean Smith; second, Grace Lutz; third, Roxie Redden; fourth, Rupert Reeves; 50/50, Roseanne Kaizer and door prize, Marjorie Murphy.
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At the South Berwick Community Centre on Nov. 21 there were six tables of 45s in play. Prizewinners were first, George Baptie; second, Arthur Salsman; third, Betty Jean Smith; fourth, Carol Garland; 50/50, Shirley Rogers and the door prize went to Arthur Salsman.
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Coming up Dec. 1 at the Berwick Library:
Book clubs for adults are from 10 to 11:30 a.m. (If this is Freedom ; Kidz Book Club, ages nine to 14 is 6 to 7 p.m. (The Adventurer’s Guide to Successful Escapes); Book Talk for Teens, ages 15 to 18 is between 7 and 8 p.m. (Airborn).