Authors wanted! (No special skills necessary.)

You don't have to be an experienced blogger or a computer geek to post on this Manitoulin community blog. Just send an email message to gnox -at- xplornet (dot) com saying you'd like to be an author here, and the administrator will send you an ‘invitation’. This will include a link that you can click on, which will take you to a Google page (since Google is the provider of this free blog space).

The next step is to create a Google ID (if you don't already have one), which is also free and easy to do. Click on the link you will see for creating a Google ID. This will open a page where you enter your existing email address, and create a password (for your future security as a user of this service. Make a note of the password so you don't forget it – you will need to ‘sign in’ with it in order to post messages on the blog. That way you never have to enter your email address again, and it remains hidden from the public.)

After confirming your email and password, you will need to enter a code which is presented on the page in a distorted but legible form. (This is another security measure, designed to exclude automatic spamming machines, which can't translate these pictures into letters or numbers.) Then you have to click on the box which says that you accept the terms of use of this service; and finally, click the ‘submit’ button.

If you've done all this successfully, you should be taken to a ‘Dashboard’ page, where you can enter the name that will show on the blog as the author of your posts. Most people simply use the name they ordinarily go by, but you can use whatever you want (i use ‘gnox’). By the way, once you have this password-protected ID, you can use it to post comments on this or any blog hosted by Google, or start a new blog yourself, without having to go through the security filter again.

You can bookmark your Dashboard page and use it when you want to post something on the blog. You can also ‘Sign in’ from the blog site itself, or click on the ‘New Post’ button which appears in the blog window if you are already signed in. This opens a box that you can type your message into (or copy-and-paste it into, if you already have the text on your computer). This entry page is pretty self-explanatory, but there's also a ‘Help’ button if you need it.

I look forward to having a wider range of authors here! Besides, once you're an author, you can more easily use this space as a ride board, which was in fact its original intention back in 2007. But i'll explain that in a later post.

One last technical tip. You might wonder why i give my contact address as gnox -at- xplornet (dot) com rather than the usual format with the ‘@’ symbol and real dot. This is a disguise to elude machines programmed to collect addresses from the Internet by recognizing the normal email address format. If you put your address on the Internet in that normal format, eventually you will get more and more spam sent to that address. The format disguise works pretty well at avoiding spam; hence i don't have to use any of those spam filters which often block a lot of legitimate email along with the spam.

New vegetarian eatery

The trend toward vegetarianism is part of the transition toward a healthier, more sustainable way of living, and Islanders now have a new source for vegetarian treats: The Island Chill, located next to the Rock Island Mini-Golf at the corner where Hwy. 540 in Kagawong turns toward Gore Bay. Starting next week, it will be open Sunday—Friday, 11:30 am to 7:30 pm (closed Saturdays); 282-8215.

The Island Chill offers a casual, friendly atmosphere, with a charming outdoor patio and menu options that are light & satisfying, and bursting with fresh flavours. We never deep-fry and we have cholesterol-free options. Our food is prepared on-site using only the best ingredients! We may be small – but we're big on taste!

Farmers' Markets in full swing now

The season for local produce was somewhat delayed by the cool spring, but has finally arrived! All of us Islanders who care about food quality (and food security) should be supporting the Farmers' Markets in Gore Bay every Friday morning, Mindemoya Saturday morning, or Little Current Tuesday afternoon. For exact times see the Manitoulin Farmers' Market Association website.

Also check out the brand new website of local producers Chuc and Linda Willson: Our Garden.

next Transition Town meeting: July 12

from Heather Thoma:

Thank you to all of you who attended the introductory Transition Town meeting in June, a lot of positive energy and ideas were generated, taking several pieces further after our various winter discussions.

The next Transition Town meeting for our region will be on Sunday July 12, at 5:30 pm, at Café in the Woods. The plan is to start with some discussion for maybe an hour, then break for a potluck, and continue after dinner to finish by 9 pm.

I will summarize the notes from the chart that evolved during the last meeting and send them out before this next meeting, to all who attended in June, and to anyone else who would like them.

Rough goals for this next meeting so far include:

1. clarifying an overall vision;
2. clarifying some initial priority areas for education and/or activity;
3. determining what extent of coordination is best suited and how it will be carried out, and by whom;
4. determining whether ‘Transition Towns’ or some other name/title is most appropriate for the direction/needs of our communities (if in fact any name is appropriate or needed).

This is probably more than enough to start us off, but any other ideas for this, or future, meetings are welcome.

Feel free to pass this info on to others who would like to be engaged in this process. Please RSVP (interwovenness -at- yahoo (dot) com) whether you will be attending, and also if you would like to participate but aren't able to attend this particular meeting.

Here is a brief summary of the intent of Transition Towns, and a few website resources:

Transition Towns are

focused on reducing our community-wide dependency on fossil fuels while increasing local resilience and self-sufficiency in food, water, energy and all other aspects of life, while encouraging community building and wellness. Transition Towns are made possible by regular people in the community taking action towards positive change, and are shaped and guided by all who are able to participate, in whatever capacity they can.

We seek to create as well as to connect, building a new model of grass roots transformation while helping to bring existing groups and individuals together to work towards a common goal of local resiliance in the face of a fragile food and energy system that we recognize as being threatened by economic, political and natural forces.

Links:

1. Transition Towns
2. Transition Guelph
3. Transition Town Peterborough

July 10-12: Kagawong Park Centre transformed into giant book store

Kagawong – It’s a feast for readers of all ages. It’s the biggest book store Manitoulin has ever seen. For three days, July 10-12, the Kagawong Park Centre will be transformed into a gigantic book store with over seventy writers represented in a diverse showcase of Northern Ontario literary talent. Book lovers will have an opportunity to meet publishers and to hear poets, novelists, short story writers and essayists share readings from their works.

Sudbury based Your Scrivener Press, a pioneer in Northern Ontario book publishing, will be participating in the unique event sponsored by the Manitoulin Writers’ Circle. Publications by Manitoulin/North Shore poet Charlie Smith and by former Expositor editor Diane Sims will be available for purchase. In addition, internationally renowned writer and broadcaster Bruce Meyer will launch his latest collection of poetry entitled Mesopotamia. Other Your Scrivener authors include Colin Hayward, Roger Nash, Sean Costello, Richard DeMeulles, Peter McEwen, George Case and Monique Chenier.

Mystery writer Linda Kennedy of Sudbury is sure to be a big hit with her parrot companion at the book fair. Kennedy has penned a series featuring our fine feathered friends including Bird Watching, Love Birds and Birds of a Feather.

Karen Trenouth, also of Sudbury, will present her intriguing take on the Jack the Ripper tales in Epiphany of the Whitechapel Murders. Visitors can also pick up Mamma Mia! Good Italian Girls Talk Back by Rosanna Battigelli of the Sudbury Writers’ Guild.

Readers will identify with many of the antics and foibles of family life in Blair Sterling’s collection of stories. The Blind River author’s memoirs are called Spittin’, Scratchin’ and Adjustin’ and Other Stories of Family Fun. Espanola author George Bois also joins the line-up.

Robert and Valerie Nielsen of Stoney Creek will travel to Manitoulin to share works published by Potlatch Publications. Titles include Green Light, James Parsons and his Magnificent Month of Adventures, Athlete’s Foot or How I Failed at Sports, Canadian Children’s Annual, Never Leave Your Head Uncovered – A Canadian Nurse in World War Two, One Man’s War and a selection of Potlatch humour.

Also joining the festivities will be George Straatman, owner of Amberdias Publishing of Timmins. He will be marketing The Converging and Mark of the Demon. Parry Sound’s Julie Boucher will bring her mystery Driftwood’s Secret and a children’s story entitled Small Fry on the Magnetawan. And Manhattan’s irrepressible Bonnie Kogos will offer a sneak preview of her upcoming book about Manitoulin and Manhattan.

Perhaps the prize for longest distance travelled to reach the Northern Book Fair should go to Gail Anderson-Dargatz. She has driven to Manitoulin with her family from Sorrento, British Columbia. The internationally acclaimed author is best known for A Rhinestone Button published in 2002, A Recipe For Bees which was a finalist for the Giller Prize in 1998 and The Cure For Death By Lightning, also a Giller finalist in 1996.

Manitoulin will be well-represented at the book fair as well with Kenjgewin Teg Educational Institute, Vincente Belenson, Ted Smith, Ann Beam, Anong Beam, Marion Seabrook, Linda Willson, Buck Longhurst, Betty Eley, Merdick McFarlane, Dylon Whyte, Jack Whyte, Dave Lawson, Bill Caesar, Kate Thompson and Sheila McDermid.

The Northern Book Fair is just one component of the 10th anniversary celebration of the Manitoulin Writers’ Retreat in Kagawong. The fair runs Friday 6 to 9 p.m., Saturday 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Sunday 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Everyone welcome.

More on the Transition Town movement

A general description, from Peterborough, ON which was Canada's first TT:

The Transition Town movement is focused on reducing our community-wide dependency on fossil fuels while increasing local resilience and self-sufficiency in food, water, energy and all other aspects of life, while encouraging community building and wellness. Transition towns are made possible by regular people in the community taking action towards positive change, and is shaped and guided by all who are able to participate, in whatever capacity they can.

We seek to create as well as to connect, building a new model of grass roots transformation while helping to bring existing groups and individuals together to work towards a common goal of local resiliance in the face of a fragile food and energy system that we recognize as being threatened by economic, political and natural forces.

Another introductory description can be found at Guelph's Transition site.

Transition Manitoulin: Saturday, June 6

Pardon the lack of activity here lately – a symptom of my personal energy shortage, i guess.

The main relevant event so far in this cold month of May has been the opening of the Farmers' Markets for the season. There are some changes from past years – the Saturday morning market in Mindemoya is not in the Arena this year because of construction going on there, and the Little Current market is now on Tuesday afternoon. I hope to post a more complete schedule here when i have all the information together.

Meanwhile, a potentially major event in the Transition movement on the Island is coming up on Saturday, June 6th. Sally Ludiwig and Chris Mills are coming up from Transition Guelph to give a presentation, starting at 5:30 pm followed by a question-and-answer session. The evening will also include a potluck dinner and time for informal conversation. It's expected that it will conclude by about 9 pm. It's all happening at the Ski Club/Café in the Woods on Hwy 540 between Little Current and Honora Bay. Anyone interested is welcome to come (the venue will hold about 80 people). This will be a good chance to hear what's happening in an Ontario community where the transition has begun to self-organize.

More details coming soon, i think …