Lunch to benefit S. African student

Fundraising event will be held in Keene on Oct. 20

Keene residents have an opportunity to help a Trent University student from South Africa and, by extension, other youth from the poorer parts of her country. Noni Dube has been awarded four years of tuition at Trent University to learn business and media studies.

When she finishes her degree, she plans to establish an organization to help youth in the townships of South Africa with college and university applications, provide them with work experience and learn about opportunities in and outside South Africa.

Meanwhile, it is a struggle for Noni to meet living expenses in Canada. A pay-what-you-can lunch will be held at Keene United Church, Oct. 20, at 12:15 p.m.

Bottle drive

A Special Olympics bottle drive is underway at the Assumption Parish, run by the Knights of Columbus. Drop off your empty liquor, wine and beer bottles in the trailer at the front of the Assumption Parish Hall on Keene Road. Please remove the tops from the bottles first.

And don’t forget, pop can tabs are being collected to benefit the Seeing Eye Dog program.

Reminders

• Thursday, OSM Food Cupboard noon to 2 p.m. and 4 to 6 p.m. Keene United Church

• Keene Pumpkinfest, antique car show and corn maze, Oct. 19

Keene Centre for the Arts

• Peterborough blues musician Alan Black performs Friday at 7 p.m.

Farmer’s journal

Otonabee farmer John Graham Weir kept journals from 1880 until 1925.

1916 Oct. 8, Sun

This has been a lovely warm day. Going to church this morning the dust was very disagreeable. The automobiles were out in droves.

1916 Friday October 13

I was working in the new cow stable. This evening we had a visit from Rev. Mr. Peever and Mr. Fife and three young ladies. They came in a car.

1916 Oct. 17

Very heavy rain last night and a very great windstorm. Mr. Parkin’s store and dwelling house at Downer’s Corners was burned last night. Everything burned clean out.

1917 Oct. 18

I commenced to harvest our mangolds.