Antoinette Perry officially takes office as the province's 42nd Lieutenant Governor on October 20 at the Tignish Parish Centre. It will be an historic day to welcome the new Lieutenant Governor as she takes the oath in her home community. The ceremony will help connect the vice regal office with all Islanders.
JEERS: To U.S. vice president Mike Pence who made a staged, public production on Sunday about leaving the Indianapolis Colts’ NFL game with the San Francisco 49ers “because (President Donald Trump) and I will not dignify any event that disrespects our soldiers, our Flag, or our National Anthem.” Pence, who defends the 2nd amendment rights to bear arms which results in the continuous slaughter of innocent Americans, such as the recent Las Vegas shootings, is upset because NFL players exercised their constitutional right to freedom of speech and expression to protest the shooting of innocent black men by police. Pence and Trump are the ultimate hypocrites who criticize players for involving politics and sports, but have no issue using sports for political gain. Trump later tweeted that he ordered Pence to leave if any players protested during the anthem, confirming it was nothing but a cheap political stunt. It seems Pence can stage a protest, but not the players.
CHEERS: To the immense legacy of two lengendary P.E.I. community sports volunteers and supporters. Ken Dunn of Morell spent his lifetime supporting athletes - young and old - in Morell and area in hockey and baseball as coach, executive member, volunteer and organizer. The lights at the Morell baseball field shone brightly throughout the evening in salute as hundreds filed into the adjacent parish church for visitation. Dunn died in late September after a lengthy, courageous battle against cancer. The other is Paul Gallant of Summerside, the longtime Cahill Stadium and Eastlink Centre announcer, official, volunteer and organizer who died suddenly last week. He was a key member of innumerable national, regional and provincial tourneys – including two world fastball events - involving hockey, baseball and softball. His visitation takes place Wednesday, with funeral on Thursday. Both will be sorely missed.
JEERS: To dog owners in Charlottetown who refuse to obey the Dog Control Bylaw which requires pet owners to keep their animals on a leash and pick up after them. Parks and Recreation staff has noticed that some pet owners have been allowing their pets to run in City parks without a leash, specifically at the Longworth Sports field. There also seems to be a number of people not picking up after their animals.
CHEERS: To all Charlottetown residents and businesses who will help celebrate the city hosting Rogers Hometown Hockey, by helping to “Paint the Town Red.” They are being encouraged to “decorate storefront displays, windows, doors, houses, and/or cars in red to share your enthusiasm for this exciting event.” Rogers Hometown Hockey’s stop in the capital will include a two-day festival at Queen’s Wharf, Oct. 21-22. It will feature live entertainment, local celebrities, prize giveaways, NHL alumni and a multitude of free activities for the whole family to enjoy, including an outdoor viewing party of the Vancouver Canucks vs. Detroit Red Wings broadcast nationally on Sportsnet and hosted live in Charlottetown by Ron MacLean and Tara Slone. The City Hall bell tower, Holman Grand Hotel and Confederation Centre of the Arts will be lit up in red from Oct. 17 until the event ends on Oct. 22.
CHEERS: To Warren Grove entrepreneur Mike Beamish, the recipient of an Ignition Fund grant which helped his Deep Roots Distillery create a new line of buckwheat whiskey. This year, 10 grants are being awarded to Island companies that are starting up or working to commercialize new products. Beamish says his grant helped his distillery expand its market share while supporting local farmers. Buckwheat is beneficial to potato farmers, especially as a rotation crop that aids in soil health and reduces certain pests – and as it happens, it makes a very fine whiskey.
CHEERS: To Morgan King, a UPEI honours science student in chemistry and biology, has been selected for a prestigious Killam Fellowship at Clemson University in South Carolina. The Killam Fellowships program is offered by Fulbright Canada - the Foundation for Educational Exchange Between Canada and the United States of America. King is an exceptional student and the recipient of a number of scholarships who plans to become a research scientist. The mandate of Fulbright Canada is to enhance mutual understanding between Canadians and Americans.
EDITOR'S NOTE: Wording of the first "jeer" corrected to reflect the fact that U.S. Vice President Mike Pence did not leave the stadium during the national anthem, but some time afterwards.
