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Get naked. Or not. Even if you were too shy (or smart) to pose naked for the Perth and District Chamber of Commerce’s 2009 nude calendar, you can still be part of the experience. Organizers have already confirmed the 12 "highlighted" businesses – meaning those whose owners will pose naked – but chamber members and potential new members can place an event or promotion in the calendar. The members’ rate is $25 plus GST, with potential members getting a spot in the calendar for $35 plus GST. The calendar will be finished by October, with a vernissage (which, for those of you who don’t know – and I was one of those – is the opening to an art show, from the French word for "varnishing") at Code’s Mill on the Park on Oct. 2. The opening will unveil the 12 portraits and the calendar, which organizers hope will be a popular Christmas gift in Perth this year. For more details, call Madeline, Casey or Brittany at the chamber of commerce office at 613-267-3200 or e-mail welcome@perthchamber.com. I was looking through the chamber’s latest newsletter the other day, and I see that Madeline Bouvier visits chamber members every week to get to know what they offer to the community. There’s a photo of her feeding calves at a horseback-adventure business, which reminds me of a regular feature in a magazine I read sometimes called Country Woman. The editor spends "a day in the country," with photos and story about the country business, most often run by a woman. Maybe we should have a regular feature like that. We could send out Editor Ian on interesting excursions – but if it was related to the chamber, would he have to shed his clothes? Host families needed for Canada World Youth exchange Japanese students will come to Lanark County this Sunday for a two-week stay, with enough host families finally found for the exchange. For the past seven years, students from Ritsumeikan Uji School in Japan have visited Lanark County to improve their English skills and learn about Canadian culture. In fact, their experience in Canada is part of the graduation requirement for their high school. Now that would be cool, although too prohibitively expensive for most schools around here. Imagine having to take a two-week trip halfway around the world in order to graduate! Anyway, the students needed host families until this week, but local people came through, and the hosts are set. I know Brenda Watson, who is the office manager for the Courier, has taken a Japanese student every year, and her experience has always been positive. Even in two weeks, she gets attached to the girls she hosts, and there are tears and hugs as the students head home. For more information on the program, check out Muskoka Language International’s website at www.mliesl.com. Candielya Jackson, the project supervisor for Perth’s Canada World Youth exchange, let us know recently that the Perth-Honduras group still needs a couple more host families. The program starts later this month, with the Canadians heading to Honduras for three months, and they’ll return to Perth on Nov. 15 to stay until Feb. 1. Candielya says they hope to find one family in Perth and one in the Smiths Falls area. If you’re interested, give her a call at 613-267-6077 or e-mail cjackson@cwy-jcm.org. Stars and s’mores at family campout Stargazers can head to the Middleville Fairgrounds this Saturday for a moonlight family campout, with astronomy professionals showing campers how a telescope works and viewing the sun, the moon and Jupiter. That’s assuming, of course, that clouds don’t obscure the sun, the moon and Jupiter. What are the odds? But we’ll assume that the Middleville Kids’ Club, which is hosting the campout, has some sort of deal with the rain gods that will keep the sun shining and the moon bright. The gates open at 3 p.m., with games, activities, crafts and a campfire with "moon pies," a.k.a. s’mores. Bring a lawn chair and a cooler of snacks for the evening, or bring camping gear to stay overnight. If you have your own telescope or musical instrument, you’re encouraged to bring those along, too. It costs $5 per person for the evening, with camping included in the price. All proceeds will benefit the kids’ club and the Middleville Community Centre. To register, call Sharon at 613-256-6285. Wooden tokens wanted We got an e-mail through our website from a Canadian coin collector who has lived in Ireland for the past 12 years. Darryl Atchison’s six-year-old son, James, has decided he wants to collect Canadian wooden tokens, and got a listing of known pieces from a friend of the family’s. That listing includes two Perth-area tokens. The first was issued in Perth by Tay-Towne Cleaners, and the second was issued by the Balderson Cheese Co. in Balderson. Darryl said they had contacted the cheese company to see if any tokens were still available, but they had none. If anyone can help out Darryl and James, you can e-mail Darryl at atchisondf@gmail.com or send him a letter at 2 Willow Close, Ballea Woods, Carrigaline, County Cork, Ireland. |
