CHEERS: To Doug Cameron of Charlottetown, who at age 84, scored two holes-in-one this summer in the span of several weeks at Belvedere golf course. Proud son Gordie notes that for the last few years, his dad’s golfing goal has been to beat his age and this summer he surpassed that a number of times, once scoring a 77. Doug is also well known in curling circles across the Island. Congrats to Doug.
JEERS: To the UPEI men’s hockey Panthers for their inability to use the boards or glass to clear the puck out of their zone; and their abysmal efforts on the three-on-three overtime format. In a pair of tough weekend home losses, the Panthers were continuously victimized by firing attempted clearing passes above both boards and glass and into the netting, resulting in costly delay of game penalties. In Friday’s 4-3 OT loss to St. Mary’s, the Panthers were nursing a well-deserved 3-2 lead late in the third when they were assessed a delay of game, allowing the Huskies to tie it 3-3 on the powerplay. St. Mary’s then completely outclassed UPEI in OT, swooping in on a defenceless Matt Mahalak on innumerable breakaways, including two on none and mind-boggling three on none attacks. With 16 seconds left in OT, the Huskies finally capitalized on one of those unopposed clear breakaways.
JEERS: To oblivious jaywalkers who are too busy using their iPhones to even bother looking for approaching vehicles before brazenly sauntering into intersections and crosswalks. Drivers are not mind readers and don’t know when or where pedestrians might suddenly walk right into approaching traffic. One recent example saw a person standing on the median who glanced up, looked back down at his phone, and then stepped off the curb into road - still thumbing the phone. An approaching driver had to brake to avoid hitting the person, who continued looking down at his phone for the entire walk across three lanes of traffic.
JEERS: To die-hard smokers who ignored the new tobacco-free policy at the Bell Aliant Centre facility – which makes the entire property smoke-free. Effective last Wednesday, the facility, including all parking lots and entrances, will prohibit any tobacco products from being consumed, including chew products and electronic cigarettes. That didn’t stop some smokers from flaunting the rule on the weekend near a main entrance to the Bell Aliant Centre. Patrons entering and exiting the complex still encountered second-hand smoke.
CHEERS: To the 34 P.E.I. paramedics recognized with the Governor General’s Emergency Medical Services Exemplary Service Medal during a ceremony Thursday at Government House. The Medals recognize those persons in high-risk professions who have dedicated themselves to preserving Canada’s public safety through long and outstanding service. The medal presentation marks the first time in the history of paramedic profession on P.E.I. that the Medal has been awarded. The awards are national in scope and are part of the Canadian honours system.
CHEERS: To Andrew ‘Spider’ MacNeill who was profiled in a segment last weekend on the Rogers Hometown Hockey Tour’s visit to Charlottetown. The equipment manager for the QMJHL’s Charlottetown Islanders earned well-deserved recognition for his accomplishments on the journey to the game he loves.
CHEERS: To the province for providing free flu shots for all Islanders this season. With the free shots and various locations and ways to access those shots, there is no excuse for Islanders not to take health precautions. There have been at least five lab-confirmed flu cases this fall, consistent with early season cases being seen in other provinces. Islanders are encouraged to get vaccinated early to protect themselves and their loved ones. Flu shots are available free of charge across the province from pharmacists, family physicians or nurse practitioners, and Health P.E.I. public health nursing flu clinics.
