Tam Heather Curling & Tennis Club. NEWSLETTER Volume 19 Number 3 January, 2015

Transcription

1 730 Military Trail, Toronto, Ontario, M1E 4P NEWSLETTER Volume 19 Number 3 January, 2015 Inside this issue: Manager s Message 2 Day Ladies 3 Day Ladies..cont d 4 Day Ladies..cont d 5 Little Rocks 6 Mixed Report 7 Chef s Corner 8 Valentine s Menu 9 Tennis Liaison 10 Mixed Seniors 11 Ice Report

2 Volume 19, Issue 3 Page 2 Manager s Message... Farewell to 2014 Welcome 2015 Our annual New Years Eve Gala was again a success as members and friends partied till midnight and beyond. Appetizers, a 4- course meal with wine, good music, dancing, party favours and prizes led up to the magic hour, complete with complimentary champagne. An enjoyable time was had by all. If you weren t here, you missed a fun evening. Make it your New Years resolution to attend the next New Years Eve Gala. Speaking of fun events, to anyone planning an upcoming wedding, birthday, anniversary, reunion, retirement, business meeting, or any other type of gathering, consider hosting your event here at Tam. Janet will be happy to discuss your requirements. The Club was busy over the Christmas period. During that time, we performed a major maintenance on our curling ice and hosted the annual TCA Junior Bonspiel. On the first weekend of January, Tam also played host to the OCA Women s Best Western and Men s Fairfield Marriott zone playdowns. Then, a week later, it was time for the TCA Goldline Men s Championship, the largest men s curling tournament in the world, celebrating its 120th anniversary this year. Toronto area curlers have been competing in this event every year since It even pre-dates the Grey Cup and the Stanley Cup. Tam Heather had 33 teams entered in this year s Goldline, more than any other club. Many of the participants in these events complimented our Ice Technicians on the speed and curl of our ice. Job well done guys. Other changes since we spoke last have included the introduction of a new draft beer, Cracked Canoe. If you haven t already given it a try; I encourage you to do so. New brushes were installed on the tennis bubble revolving door. Escaping air around the old brushes was preventing the exterior door from closing properly. The new brush/rubber edging fixed the escaping air problem, but made the door very, very hard to turn. Trimming and lubricating did little to resolve the problem as the door appears to be off-center. So, until this centering problem can be resolved, the old brushes have been put back on. My apologies to anyone who may have experienced difficulty accessing the bubble during this period. We have reached our maximum of 50 participants for the January 31 Advanced clinic with Richard Hart. The registration board is still up as we are continuing to take names for a waiting list (in case of cancellations) and for a possible 2 nd session. If there is sufficient interest, a 2 nd session may be added at a later date, depending on Richard s availability. Speaking of clinics, I want to take this opportunity to welcome the 25 new curlers who joined Tam after taking the 7 week Co-ed Clinic. Lastly, in compliance with Toronto Municipal Code Chapter 709, Smoking by-law, which stipulates that no person shall smoke within a 9 metre radius surrounding any entrance or exit of a public building, the ashtrays have been relocated to the north-east corner of the west parking lot and to the north-east corner of the building by the east entrance. That s it for now. See you back here next month. Doug

3 Volume 19, Issue 3 Page 3 DAY LADIES May the luck of the Curling Fairies be with you in 2015 The Day Ladies Christmas Spiel & Lunch - Tuesday December 16th There were 14 teams competing and the final game ended up with a tie for first place and for the High 1-Game winner. First Place Tie Winners: Barb Grierson s team of Marion Taylor, Sue Wood, Cathy Larkin Mel Crossley's team of Joanne Brennan, Karen Albert and Gay McKellar I understand that Barb Grierson was using the stick for the first time, so it looks like she s got it working well! 3rd place Winners: Pauline Kiely's team of Mary Worrall, Gail Slocum and Debi O'Hearn High 1-Game Tie Winners: Sue Voss s team of Chris Hughes, Carol Skewis and Cindy Hafner Shirley Matsunaga s team of Pam Elliott, Dianne Mathieu and Shirley Samis. Congratulations to All!! Prizes: the first four teams and high one-game winners got $ prizes. There was also a raffle table which consisted of prizes with a Christmas/consumable theme. There was a lovely Christmas meal of lasagne and salad and everyone enjoyed the event. Special Report on the Day Ladies Christmas Donation As is our custom at our Christmas spiel, we passed around the gift bag for donations. This year the recipient of our funds was Neighbourhood Links Support Services which is a non-profit social services agency operating in East Toronto around the Danforth/Dawes area. This came about because one of our Tam curlers (Lorie Fairburn) works there and had 2 corporate sponsors for their December 18 th Christmas dinner cancel out at the last minute. She sent a request to her fellow dragon boaters asking for volunteers and financial assistance. Dianne Mathieu, Debby Granger and Sandra Bruce volunteered to help out. Because the event was so close to our yule time spiel, our day ladies were asked to help out with the funds we would collect. Everyone was more than generous and we gave Lorie a cheque for $505 for Neighbourhood Link. And as there are never enough hands, Arlene Klinck and Melanie Goldhar volunteered to come and help out at the dinner, along with BW curlers (and dragon boaters) Michele Ratsch and Lorna Higgins who brought her daughter Vanessa, and, Pat Lyons and his grandsons Quentin and Andrew and several non-curling dragon boaters. As a result, there were enough volunteers that the majority of the regular volunteer staff could sit and enjoy the delicious meal with their guests. It was a festive event with approximately 125 dinners served, music and song. We all had a lot of fun and it was great to be involved in an event that we supported...cont d on page 4

4 Volume 19, Issue 3 Page 4 DAY LADIES...cont d comment: What a wonderful contribution to our local community of time and money by all those involved - kudos to all. The following is a Thank You Letter from Senior Link Foundation to the Tam Day Ladies for their generous support...cont d on page 5

5 Volume 19, Issue 3 Page 5 DAY LADIES Bonspiel Report - Those Tam Gals have been out there on the bonspiel circuit - curling up a storm and dazzling the crowd with their charm and good looks!! Report by Sandra Bruce - one of those charming Smurfettes!. Tam Heather was well represented at the Fenelon Falls Ladies Spiel on Saturday January 10 th.along with BW teams Gregory and Jackson We were represented by our very own SMURFETTES - Costumes by Christine Hughes and Marilyn Dixon - Gales of laughter from Linda Epping & Sandra Bruce A great day, good fun and new friends SPECIAL DATES AHEAD: Wednesday January 28, 2015 Day Ladies Annual Invitational Bonspiel JOURNEY ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS Our very imaginative, talented and hard working Bonspiel Committee has been meeting since August making plans to recreate the elegance of 19th Century train travel on the Orient Express as it travels across Europe from Paris to Istanbul. Fourteen out-of-club teams and two Tam teams of Debi Granger and Joyce Meredith are entered and the curling promises to be exciting - so if you re interested in coming out to watch some of the curling, the first game starts at 9:30 and the second game at 1:00 Significant Dates to Come: Thursday January 29, 2015 Tuesday February 10, 2015 Tuesday April 7, Last Game of Thursday First Draw - Day Ladies/Venerables Valentine Spiel - Day Ladies Closing Other News: It is with sadness that we announce the passing of: Shirley Greenwood: GREENWOOD, Shirley Ellen - On Monday, December 29, 2014 at the Lakeridge Health Centre in Port Perry, at age 75. Shirley (nee Leek), beloved wife of Tom Greenwood of Port Perry. Loved mother of David Greenwood and his wife Vicki of London and Lynette Gray of Whitby. Tom and Shirley Greenwood were charter members of Tam Heather and they and their families curled at Tam for many years. Tom Greenwood is a Past President of the Tam Board of Directors. He and Shirley left Tam when they retired and moved to Port Perry in the 1990 s. John Meredith: MEREDITH, John Michael March 6, 1930 December 23, It is with heavy hearts that we announce the passing of John after a lengthy battle with Alzheimer s. Loved deeply by his wife Joyce of 52 years and his children, Todd (Lori), Patricia Bannan (Larry) and Stephen (2011) (Nancy). Fun-loving grandpa of Tyler, Devyn, Meredith, Carly, Jeremy and Matt. Dear brother of Gary (Ruth), Molly, Theresa (Ron), Catherine (2010) (Norm), Bill (2000), Joan (1990) (Carl). Loved brother-in-law of Lynda (Paul 2005), Carrie (Dave), Carol (Bob), Ron (Sylvia 2014) and Danny (2012) and his many nieces and nephews. Many thanks to the Trilogy Long Term Care nursing staff and PSW s for their comforting care and Mariannie s prayers. A memorial service will be held at St. Andrew s Presbyterian Church at a later date. If desired, a donation could be made to the Alzheimer Society. Dorothy Hart

6 Volume 19, Issue 3 Page 6 LITTLE ROCKS The Little Rocks Section this year has thirty two curlers in total with fifteen brand new curlers. They practice on Sundays from 11:45am to 1:00pm. Many Little Rockers have participated in bonspiels this year and have done very well. In November, Mahra Harris, Logan Shaw, Ben Cook and Grammarco Tagliola represented Tam in the Annandale Spiel. Also in November, Mahra Harris, Logan Shaw, Thomas Fernandez and Ali Fernandez played in the Unionville Spiel. At the beginning of the New Year, Logan Shaw, Martin Mitgang, Alex Raczka and Andrew Raczka played in the East York spiel. On January 17 th, two teams participated in the Bayview Future Champs bonspiel. Both teams made it to the third game and finished in the top eight out of twenty teams. On January 24 th, Mahra Harris, Logan Shaw, Oliver Szalamin and Caroline Cook will be at Donalda. On February 15 th, we will be having our annual Family Day mini spiel where the teams are made up of two Little Rockers and two family members. Tam Heather will be hosting the annual Stewart Wheler Memorial Little Rocks Bonspiel. This is an exciting day because almost all of our Little Rock curlers participate in this event. The Little Rockers are having a terrific season. We are hoping that all our Tam members will be supportive of our Section when our Little Rock curlers will be selling raffle tickets during the month of February. The winner will receive a broom signed by Canada s Olympic Gold Medal Winning Teams, Jennifer Jones and Brad Jacobs. Beth Harris

7 Volume 19, Issue 3 Page 7 MIXED REPORT Status of Mixed Section Twelve (12) new curlers joined the Mixed Section from the clinic this year. We are now up to 68 teams spread over 9 divisions for the second draw. A warm welcome to the Section to our new curlers! The Happiness Is Bonspiel February 28th It s now time to get ready for our next Mixed Spiel. Happiness Is coming up on Saturday, February 28 th. Have you signed up yet? There will be three six-end games and your registration fee covers eye openers, lunch, dinner & dance and a raffle ticket (plus other fun stuff). Don t be disappointed it promises to be a great day! Register now! Registration forms are available on the Mixed bulletin board by the men s locker room and can be submitted to the office. Casino Fun Night January 23rd Our ever-popular Casino Fun Night is scheduled for Friday, January 23 rd. You don t need to be curling that night to come out and try your luck. The games will begin after the first evening draw at 9:00 p.m. It s a great way to try your luck and win some interesting prizes. Jitney Status Spaces are going fast with limited availability at 9:00 p.m. for a few of the dates. If you haven t reserved, now is the time to do so. This is curling strictly for fun. Put a team together.. bring your family and friends and introduce them to curling. There s curling, snacks and a DJ. At $ per sheet of ice, it s the best deal in town. Sign up, come out and have a great time. If you have some extra guests coming who may not be curling but would like to party afterwards you can order extra munchies (at a reasonable cost) by speaking with Damiano at least one week in advance of your jitney date. Contact Heather Darroch at hdarroch@hotmail.com.to book your ice or for more information. ETIQUETTE ON THE ICE Keep the Game Moving As soon as the opposition has thrown their rock, the next person up to throw should prepare themselves in the hack. All players except the skips and the lead whose turn it is to throw first in the next end, should clean up as quickly as possible. The lead who throws first does not help clean up instead they prepare themselves for the start of the next end. It is common courtesy for the skips to order the rocks for the next end during the course of play to minimize the clean-up required at the end of each end. Every little bit keeps the game moving. If you have any questions or items for our newsletter, please feel free to speak to any one of the Mixed Committee members or us at mixed.curling@tamheather.ca Dianne Mathieu Mixed Committee

8 Volume 19, Issue 3 Page 8 Chef s Corner What a wonderful time everyone had at the New Years Eve party. A total of 120 people danced and laughed the night away into the New Year. It was a great success and hopefully we can continue to do it again next year. Let's not forget that Valentine Day is just around the corner. Neil and I have put together a menu that will have your taste buds jumping for joy. We will be celebrating Valentine Day on Sunday February 8th. Not on the 14th like other establishments. We feel we will receive more bookings on a Sunday and besides, now you can celebrate it twice. Please be sure to make your reservation as space is limited. We will be having two sittings, one at 5pm and the other at 7pm. BOOK NOW!!!!!!!!!! Be sure to check out our menu on the following page. Sunday Prime Rib Dinner has been a success this season with people taking advantage of the great value. We actually had to turn people away who didn t have a reservation, as we were fully booked. Our next Prime Rib Dinners will be January 25th and February 15th and 22nd. So please try to make a reservation for our Sunday Prime Rib Dinner. Many thanks for your patronage. Damiano and Neil

9 Volume 19, Issue 3 Page 9 Valentine's Menu 2015 $24.95 Starters Oyster Rockefeller Oyster on the half shell topped with spinach, green onions and butter sauce Or Warm Asian Soup Savoury broth with angle hair pasta basil leaves and bean sprouts Salad Mixed greens with cranberries, toasted pecans and shaved parmesan with maple vinaigrette Entrees Pork Tenderloin Bacon wrapped seasoned pork tenderloin with grainy mustard sauce or Glazed Salmon Sesame glazed grilled salmon with garlic shrimp All entrees are served with duchesse potatoes or seasoned rice and grilled medley of vegetables Coffee or Tea Dessert $3.95

10 Volume 19 Issue 3 Page 10 Tennis Liaison New Year s Eve at Tam was a huge success!! Many folks came out to enjoy a great meal, that Damiano, Neil, and staff had especially prepared, for our eating pleasure. The DJ provided terrific dancing kind of music, and always had a full floor of enthusiasts strutting their stuff. As well there were spot dance prizes, to enhance the experience a little. If you missed this event, make a note to attend next December 31 st. An excellent meal is planned for Valentine s Day which is soon approaching, so be sure to sign up for that, as soon as possible, before space is filled up. See the notice elsewhere in this newsletter, and on the webpage, or, enquire at the office. Welcome to those tennis players who have just signed on for the Winter/Spring session... we hope that you enjoy your time on the courts, and at the club. Among those new to the club, are some players from the University of Toronto, Scarborough Campus, students and faculty. We are truly pleased to have them join us. As well, our community outreach will embrace some players from the high school across the street, St. John Paul II. The leagues continue to be well served, despite the exodus of a lot members heading south. Safe travelling! And for the rest of us, just enjoy the hitting! Angela Boorne

11 Volume 19, Issue 3 Page 11 MIXED SENIORS Here it is, halfway through the season already - where did the time go? To report on the Christmas bonspiel, the big winner was Gary Dale, with team mates Karen Albert, Cathy Ford and Fay Burnett. The Big Candy Jar guess, at just one candy out, was Arlene Klinck with a guess of 156. Winners of the 50-50, worth $49.00 (OK so it ain't Lotto 69) were Annette Boyle and Terry McFarlane. This spiel has officially been named the Miller Christmas Bonspiel, in honour of the many years that Monte and Muriel Miller played with the seniors. They were presented with a very impressive trophy plus a card signed by all the members, each of whom added their own remarks. A truly remarkable career for two remarkable people. At the guest table were the honoured guests, Ruth (wife of Henry Gibbs), Grace Bishop and yours truly, plus Phyllis Wilson who is finally up but not exactly running. It was great to see her. Representing our league at the New Year's Eve Gala were the aforementioned Don and Grace Bishop, Bill and Leslie Sanford and their guests, Frank and Marian, Bill Leigh and his delightful companion Marielle, she of the lovely French accent and the kindly ole coach and the trophy wife. It must be noted that also in attendance were Bess and Ed King, who to my knowledge, never left the dance floor - way to go guys. Also Helga and Don Draper and Cam Cowan and his lady Carol. Betty Murphy Mixed Seniors

12 Volume 19, Issue 3 Page 12 ICE REPORT Continuing with our themed articles, this one will give you information on the major maintenance that we perform on the ice over the Christmas break every year. We will break down the whole process into three major steps, along with a couple of final steps at the end of the article. The Cut Many of you have probably noticed a red machine sitting at the top of the staircase leading from the ice pad down to the basement locker rooms, this is our cutter. Basically, this machine runs along the entire ice surface and cuts down the ice thickness to our desired amount. Usually we cut between a quarter inch to half an inch off our surface. The Burn After the cut, the ice is left very jagged and uneven. We use our burner to melt the top layers of the ice in order to both smooth and clean deep below the surface. All the dirt that the burner gets to will float to the surface while the ice is freezing and allows us to scrape it off when the surface becomes ice again. The Flood The burn is not a leveling tool. It is purely a cleaning step, as well as to smooth the surface from the cut. Once we have the ice smooth and clean after the burn, we need to flood which will level the ice as close to perfect as possible. We will go through the steps to level it perfectly in our final steps. Final Steps After the flood, the ice will still not be perfectly level, but it will be close. The final steps are to scrape and pebble using certain patterns to even out hills or valleys that we know are in the ice. We will go through a little more about scraping patterns in our next article. And, the final step is to re-texture our rocks. We will explain more about texturing rocks in a future article. What you should know, is that after the texturing of rocks is complete, their running surfaces are very sharp. Because of this, you may notice that your rocks are picking up the opposite turn. For this not to occur, it is extremely important that you put enough rotations on your rock when you deliver it. The OCA (Ontario Curling Association) recommends that you put between 2.5 and 3.5 rotations on your rock for the complete length of the sheet. If you have less than 2.5 rotations, your rock will probably pick up the opposite turn. Don t forget, that if you have anything you would like us to write about in these articles, please come and have a chat with any of the ice technician team. We look forward to your feedback! Nick Samoy, Jason Leneeuw and Luc Barber Tam Heather Ice Technicians