From country to bluegrass to old school rock ’n’ roll, the local band, primarily a six-man unit with a rotating cast of guest stars, plays anything its individual members are into.

“We can play for any type of crowd,” said Dave Soehner, guitarist, vocalist and one of the leaders of the band.

The Bad Bongwater Boys consists of a core of local musicians joined by a rotating roster of guests. Back row: Eric Brubacher, Aaron Poffenroth, Jonathan Sauder and Dave Neigh. Front, Ryan Baer, Matt Wood and Dave Soehner.

“As a band, we’re playing so many styles of music; we started off playing bluegrass music but now we’ve moved into all kinds of folk and older blues.”

Playing its own modified renditions of known rock songs as well as covering its own material, the band keeps it wide and varied: one show’s set list might feature a totally different sound from the next.

“We have sets of bluegrass music, sets of acoustic rock music, sets of folk music, and blues music,” said Soehner.

While the variety in musical genres reflects the band members’ shared and individual tastes, it also gives The Bad Bongwater Boys the ability to play a wide variety of gigs. Their vast repertoire allows the Boys to perform at bluegrass, rock, folk and blues festivals.

“Everybody kind of brings a different dimension to the music,” he said of his bandmates.

The local outfit features a regular band of six members from Elmira, Wellesley and Waterloo – Ernest Cunningham, Alex Brubacher, Aaron Poffenroth, Ryan Baer and Johnny Sauder – as well as a supporting cast of additional musicians, including Dan Bossenberry, Dave Bossenberry and Taylor Poffenroth. These days, the band’s sound is the product of eight musicians playing the  banjo, mandolin, fiddle, upright bass, and a percussion section which consists of a stripped down conventional drum kit – with a bass drum, snare and high hat – a washboard, and stringed instruments covering rhythm in addition to melody.

Bands like Old Crow Medicine Show, The Grateful Dead and The Band are among some of the local act’s influences.

Although the Bad Bongwater Boys have been together for about a year and a half, several of the band’s musicians have been playing together informally for years. It all started when a group Elmira youngsters searching for something to do found music.

“Growing up in Elmira, there’s not really a lot to do, so you’ve got to kind of figure out things to do: we always played music, since we were 10 years old,” said Soehner, who sings and plays the guitar and the mandolin for the band.

“There are so many possibilities … there’s nothing to do growing up in Elmira, but there are so many good musicians that are coming out of this town.”

Soehner started with rock and punk and then moved on to other sounds.

“I’ve gotten into everything since then, like blues, folk, bluegrass.”

Those musical tastes are ever-growing: Soehner recently returned from a five-month trip that took him to Peru, Bolivia, Ecuador and Colombia, where he absorbed everything around him, relishing the different cultures and, particularly, the music. He even picked up a charango, a South American stringed instrument resembling a lute.

“We don’t have it in a  performance yet, but we’re always trying to find a new way to add something else in,” he explained, noting that it’s likely just a matter of time before the charango makes an appearance in one of the band’s songs.

The old farm machine, which was donated to the Waterloo County Steam Threshers’ Reunion Committee, was recently restored, rebuilt and revamped and now it’s as good and new.

“It looks like it would be coming off the factory line back in the fifties or early sixties when it was built – they really did a great job on it,” said committee member Gary Froese. “It’s totally restored.”

The old machine was donated and so too were new parts and labour.

The Oliver tractor will be auctioned off at the event and the garnered proceeds are destined for the Gospel Echoes Team prison ministry.

Needless to say, organizers are hoping for good weather and a great turnout.

“A well-attended auction always brings you more money,” said Froese, noting that before the tractor was stripped down, repaired and repainted, it looked like a typical worn farm tractor several decades old. But after the volunteers got their hands and tools on it, the machine now looks as good as new.

“This one definitely does not need any work to it … you could take the tractor out and do whatever you want with it – it’s field ready or show ready or whatever.”

Also on tap at the event will be an all colour tractor show, displays of past and present Waterloo County industries, steam threshing displays, antique tractors, wagon rides (courtesy of Froese and his team of heavy horses), a children’s bouncy castle, plowing displays, a tractor run, gospel singing, and a wide variety of local foods.

The three-day event takes place at Amsey Metzger’s farm, R.R. 1 Wallenstein, 7590 Line 86.

For more information, call Metzger at 519-698-2944.

Emergency responders conducted CPR on the victim, whose body lay on the street in front of the Short Stop convenience store, but to no avail: the man was later pronounced dead at Grand River Hospital in Kitchener.

Emergency workers attempt to revive Archie McKee, 82, at the Church Street, Elmira scene where he was struck by a pickup truck while crossing the road. He was later pronounced dead at Grand River Hospital.

The victim has been identified as Archie McKee.

Although the investigation continues, police believe that neither alcohol nor excessive speed was a factor in this collision. The driver of the pickup was not injured in the collision.

No charges have been laid at this time, said police spokesman Olaf Heinzel in a statement.

A portion of Church Street, from Arthur to Walker streets, was closed for part of the day as the police traffic branch investigated the scene.

“Anybody who hasn’t already spoken with police is asked to call us,” said Constable Scott Griffiths.

Anyone with information is asked to call the traffic branch at (519) 650-8500, ext. 8856 or e-mail traffic@wrps.on.ca.

But while he has a lifetime of experience working with wood as a building trades carpenter, it’s only in the last 15 years or so that he’s been carving creations of a more artistic kind.

“A little bit of everything,” says Erb in describing his selection of carvings.

Erb, who showcases and sells his creations at local festivals – he plans to attend a festival in Blythe in the coming weeks and the Apple Butter and Cheese Festival in Wellesley in September – is currently working on a wooden steam engine. The approximately two-foot (0.60-metre) creation is made of local walnut and maple wood.

He’s working against time to be able to showcase the piece at the upcoming festivals, which he says are great for learning.

“You learn a lot by talking to people.”

With large, strong and steady hands, Erb is meticulous with his work: just a quick glance of a wooden moose sculpture reveals fine grooves resembling animal hair etched out of the soft wood.

His creations have caught the attention of many people, with word-of-mouth spreading news of his handiwork. Through a local contact, Erb was asked to create some wooden carvings for the altar at St. Clement’s Roman Catholic Church. His creations have also caught the attention of the township, which is thinking of commissioning his services for the purpose of beautifying a tree near the gazebo in Wellesley.

“He gave me the grand tour of his place, and it’s just amazing the stuff that he has there,” says Wellesley Mayor Ross Kelterborn.

“It’s not amateur stuff – unbelievable. He does deserve some recognition.”

Retiring after some 42 years as a carpenter – a career he got into at the prompting of his father-in-law – Erb was then able to pick up the hobby of woodcarving. In his trade, Erb, who was born a few miles outside of Wellesley, was unable to spend too much time carving. But his retirement freed up some time and now he carves “quite a bit” in his home shop.

“I just wanted to do it, just start,” he says.

It seems the desire runs in the family, as his brother also carves, using the facilities of the seniors’ workshop in neighbouring Wilmot Township.

“We just enjoy doing it.”

This will be the subject of Out Of The Dark: A Solar Information Night which will be held Aug. 13 at the Waterloo Memorial Recreation Complex.

Organized by Community Renewable Energy Waterloo (CREW), a non-profit group, and the Residential Energy Efficiency Project (REEP), the session will teach homeowners how they can harvest free energy from the sun. Visitors will learn about the Solar Initiative for Distributed Energy (SIDE), a program which includes a bulk purchase of solar technology options which generate domestic hot water or electricity, subsequently reducing energy costs paid by homeowners.

Crucial to the program is the fact that the installations of the solar technology are made easy and seamless, with all permits and incentive applications managed by CREW’s preferred installers.

All homeowners need to do is review a contract and sign up.

The idea is to make the purchasing process as simple as buying a car. The difference, of course, resides in the fact that solar panels provide a return on investment, last for decades and reduce air pollution.

“It makes buying a solar energy system for your house as simple as buying a car,” said Ted Sherk, coordinator of the SIDE initiative.

“It’s basically about reducing all the barriers and making it easier and getting you the best possible price. … Our mission is to provide affordable and environmentally friendly solar energy.”

Targeting residential homeowners, small businesses, faith groups and cooperatives, the SIDE project offers a number of options which will be addressed and explored at the information session on Aug. 13. Solar installers will be on-hand to give demonstrations and answer questions regarding these technologies, and various solar technologies will be discussed, including solar panels that generate electricity (photovoltaic or “PV”) and others that heat water (solar thermal).

The event will also feature guest speakers including Jed Goldberg, president of Earth Day Canada, who will speak about community solar bulk purchases and how homeowners, churches and small businesses in the region can work together towards a future that is environmentally, socially and economically sustainable. In commemoration of the great blackout of 2003, the event will underscore the importance of energy consumption in homes and provide information on grants available through energy-saving renovations and upgrades.

Visitors to the event will get a chance to learn how feeding electricity generated through solar power into the grid can help save on energy costs through the province’s Green Energy Act. While electricity typically costs homeowners 6¢ per kWh, the provincial government currently pays 42 ¢ per kWh to homeowners who produce electricity with their solar photovoltaic (or “PV”) panels and feed it into the grid.

Soon, under the Green Energy Act, this rate is expected to double to a rate of 80.2¢ per kWh, dramatically  reducing the time it should take homeowners to pay back the initial investment in the system to only 10-12 years, with a return on investment of eight to 11 per cent.

Although solar panels play an important role in the shift towards the production of clean energy and the reduction of energy costs, people must also play a crucial role.

“Solar power and conservation should always be used together – installing a solar system is like the crowning achievement that you can do after you’ve done as much as you can to conserve,” said Sherk, noting that most homes can achieve at least a 25 per cent reduction of energy consumption through home energy audits and basic efficiency upgrades such as installing energy-efficient light bulbs.

“The cheapest kilowatt hour is the kilowatt hour saved … it’s cheaper to turn off the lights rather than buy a solar energy system to generate electricity,” said Sherk.

For more information, visit www.crewzone.ca and www.reepwaterlooregion.ca.

For Bonzai Design Group of Elmira, in ‘Bonzai’ exists a similarity between the ancient art of growing and cultivating aesthetic miniature trees and branding in today’s consumer driven world.

“Branding is really no different than that – you can’t just turn around one day  and say ‘I want my brand to be this and do it overnight; you have to really work at the different touch points and all the different areas within your business to establish that and it takes years to do that,” said Iles Guran, creative director at Bonzai Design Group – recently moved from Church Street to its new Arthur Street storefront location – likening the process of cultivating a miniature tree to that of creating a solid brand and trademark.

Darlene McMurdie and Iles Guran of Bonzai Design Group in Elmira are looking to help local businesses define themselves and their products through their branding. The graphic design company recently moved to its new Arthur Street location.

“Nowadays there’s so many commodity products in the market it’s really hard to differentiate yourself,” said Guran, noting that in a  market glutted by countless types of beers and automobiles, for example, it is crucial to help clients differentiate themselves and their products from the competition.

That is Bonzai’s objective, to help the client build a brand that will help consumers understand the importance and value of creating an image that sets them apart from the competition.

“We try to help clients identify a real, unique difference and then bring out a story – and by story I don’t necessarily mean a fictional type story – I just mean really explaining to the consumer what it is that you do and why they should buy from you.”

The Elmira business offers corporate clients services in graphic design, or as Guran puts it “visual communications.”

Bonzai helps clients establish, define or perfect their branding and its presentation to potential customers. That may include designing or redesigning catalogues, logos, websites or packaging.

“However you interact with your consumer or your client, we design and help you define all those touch points so that you develop a coherent story and message and brand out to the world.”

Currently working with Drayton Entertainment, Bonzai has also done work for Samsung, Royal Bank, and GE. Bonzai has also done work for smaller companies around town including Schaaf Foods in Waterloo.

One of the things that makes Bonzai unique, said Guran, is that the company does not focus on niche markets, whereas other companies do. That diversification helps keep the company fresh and on edge.

“We find that by doing all kinds of different work it really keeps us open to new ideas and new influences,” he said, adding that the company is now seeking business from smaller local companies, starting with Elmira and then branching out through the townships and into the Kitchener, Waterloo, and Cambridge areas. Guran said that Bonzai is working to spread the word that to acquire professional graphics services, local companies can hire local help rather than venture out to Toronto.

Bonzai’s recent move to the downtown area reflects growth and a capacity for further growth in the company’s business. Having grown from a one-man company, Bonzai now also employs Guran’s colleague Darlene McMurdie, and will likely hire another employee in the fall.

In an economic climate where downsizing seems to be the norm, some agencies like Bonzai appear to be picking up more business, said Guran. Some clients are turning to smaller agencies for their marketing needs as they deal the same marketing needs but also with smaller budgets. And often, it’s the smaller agencies which are “a little bit more cost-effective yet quicker and more agile to compete in this type of economy.”

Some 40 riders and their passengers departed from  the Arthur Street location July 25 on a 220- kilometre ride to honour Wilkin. They were also raising money to support access to minor hockey for children in the Elmira area through a memorial fund set up in his name.

Carolyn and Doug Weber get ready to roll at the Randy Wilkin Memorial Ride in Elmira July 25. Some 40 riders took part, raising about $1,700 to help families in need meet the costs of participating in minor hockey.

Wilkin, a driver with Cherrey Bus Lines of Drayton, was killed near Fort McMurray, Alberta last July when the bus he was in collided with a truck. He had been in the province to transport workers between their camps and their job site in the oil sands.

Described by many as “a big teddy bear” who was always up for a laugh, Wilkin was also active in the community. Through his work with the Elmira Sugar Kings, Wilkin served as a team director, treasurer, and helped out with equipment, drove the team bus on occasion, and assisted at fundraisers. He   was also involved with organizing the Ride with the Kings fundraising event.

“He’d do anything for anybody. That’s just the kind of guy he was – anybody was in trouble or needed something or whatever, he was always there to help,” said Ron Arndt, a long time friend of Wilkin who, along with friend Neil Freeman, organized the Randy Wilkin Memorial Ride.

“It didn’t matter where you were,” he said, recalling a bike trip with Wilkin in which the two men encountered a young man who was injured while riding a four-wheeler. Wilkin, who was trained in first-aid, was quick to help out.

“He’d seen this happen and, bang, he was over there. He didn’t know the guy from anybody – that’s the kind of guy he was.”

To honour Wilkin, a hockey fan and community-minded person, it was important for those organizing the ride to include his  passions in last weekend’s fundraising event.

“What we’re raising now is going to people who can’t afford to put their kids in [hockey] and the kid wants to play. That’s what it’s going to go for. And it’s staying in the community. That was one of the main things,” said Arndt.

“It’s not to be shipped out somewhere, it’s staying right here.”

The cost of entering the ride, which was attended both by family and friends, was $10 per rider and $5 per passenger. More than $1,700 was collected through registration fees, T-shirt sales and donations.

“Everything that we had for food, it was all donated – everybody donated,” said Arndt.

The 220-km trek took the cyclists from Elmira to Heidelberg, Millbank, Drayton, near Minto, Grand Valley, Fergus, and back to Elmira.

And if the weather prognosticators have it right, they might have to wait longer than this weekend.

Keith Marcy, a Valens-area farmer selling at the Elmira Produce Auction, says the wet weather hasn’t worked wonders for his strawberry and raspberry crops. While the quality of his crops has been good, the cool weather has delayed their harvest, and the frequent rain has made it difficult to harvest raspberries.

“It’s not looking good. Our current model, the one operating now from mid-July to mid August was showing in southern Ontario that it was going to be normal, even warmer than normal to normal and wetter than normal, and it certainly has been wet recently,” said Dave Phillips, senior climatologist with Environment Canada, adding that the government agency will issue a new statement today (Saturday).

“The problem is that when I look at the preliminary stuff, it’s showing colder than normal and colder and wetter than normal, so this misery continues.

“It’s almost as if we can certainly write off July – there’s nothing left. I take a look at the Waterloo Region area … Saturday looks great but then it looks like more and more rain and cool weather, so this system, which is just hovering over us is just spoiling our summer. Normally, it hangs around for two weeks and then it goes away for six weeks. It’s a feature of our climate, but not like this. Not just day-in and day-out, week after week, month after month – this cold low is just spinning around and giving us nothing but Canadian air,” said Phillips, noting that  precipitation values are “all over the place.”

Already, Toronto and the Waterloo Region have been wetter than usual. Although this summer’s rainfall hasn’t set any actual records, cooler and wetter weather than is typical of July has prevailed. For the month of July, afternoon temperatures have been significantly cooler than normal: about three degrees colder than the average.

“(It’s) colder this year and wetter … 1992 is always considered the year we cancelled summer, well, boy, it’s going to come a close second to this one,” said Phillips.

All the cool and wet weather, of course, is having a significant effect on local agriculture – but it’s not all bad.

Yet.

“At this particular point in time there are very few crops that have been negatively impacted yet, so it’s all kind of conjecture,” explained Peter Johnson, a soil and crop specialist with the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA).

Different plants deal differently under specific types of weather, so while some are thriving, others are struggling under the wet and cold temperatures. Still others are experiencing mixed results.

“The winter wheat crop was initially negatively impacted over  the winter and the early spring with very tough conditions, but these cool conditions of late have actually had both a positive and a negative implication,” said Johnson.

On the positive side, wheat crops prefer cooler temperatures, which extend the grain fill period and consequently help boost the yield. That said, wheat doesn’t like the frequent rains showers that are resulting in higher levels of a disease called fusarium, which causes toxins in the grain, making it unfit for human consumption.

“We don’t know for sure whether it will be at high enough levels to cause a problem, but certainly it is something we are paying attention to,” said Johnson.

Hay crops are also reacting with mixed results to recent conditions. The cool, damp weather has meant that yields of second cut hay and even later first cut hay have been “very, very good.” But because of the frequent rains, it’s been virtually impossible to harvest that hay in good shape.

Farmers are also having trouble harvesting spring cereals.

“These frequent showers are really causing some havoc and all the crops are late. For the spring cereal crop, even though it looks excellent because of the cool temperatures, harvest is probably delayed by two weeks.”

Soybean crops are also late, and have suffered badly as a result of the cool temperatures and lack of normal root development.

The cold temperatures, wet weather, and cold nights in particular, are resulting in yellow beans and plants that are flowering later than expected. The late flowering translates into some lost yield potential but soybean growers could still have “a very good crop if we have a good August and early September,” he noted.

“We’re not out of the game yet, but every day that goes by where we continue with these conditions we get more and more under the gun for things to catch up, and that’s particularly true with regards to the corn crop.”

Fruits such as melons and cantaloupes, and even tomatoes, which need ample sun, are sitting on the plants, not maturing. Leafy crops such as lettuce and spinach, however, are doing well with the cool temperatures.

Strawberries came some two weeks late, and though the quality was good, some growers, including Valens’ Keith Marcy, saw their  strawberry yield down 20 per cent from previous years because of a late May frost.

The cool weather has been good for his raspberry crops, but the frequent rains have made it difficult to harvest the berries.

“We also have a pick-your-own business and when it is raining or looking like it’s going to rain, people don’t come,” said Marcy.

Conceding the obvious point that farmers cannot choose their own weather, Johnson noted that ideal weather for the months of August and September would include: temperatures of 30 degrees during the day, and 22 degrees at night; and roughly one inch of rain a week in a single rainfall (i.e. an overnight rain that delivers one inch of total precipitation). That said, all farmers can do is hope for good weather and deal with what comes.

“What happens will be what happens. That’s what we want, that’s what we need if we’re really going to come out of this crop year where we’d like to. [Plus] no frost before, at the very earliest, the 10th of October,” said Johnson.

Nelson Wideman, general manager of the Elmira Produce Auction agrees.

“I think it’s good that we can’t control the weather. We just take it as it comes, and normally we’ve been blessed with enough to eat, so, we might as well grin and carry on. We need sunshine and we need rain,” he said.

“We’re so prone to complain about the weather but really we should be thankful that we do have enough to eat.”

The new initiative will complement the school’s existing dog guide programs, which include canine vision, hearing ear, special skills and seizure response.

“It’s definitely a huge benefit, for not only the foundation, but also for the new age demographic that we’re going to be able to help – this is opening up a huge window of younger children that will be able to benefit from this service as well as their parents,” said Melissa Eckersley, the organization’s manager of communications.

“Autism assistance dog guides help not only the children but the parents cope with that disability; from studies that we’ve seen, the dogs really make a huge difference in their lives.”

Apprentice trainer Matt Scott of the Lions Foundation of Canada Dog Guides works with Jay, an 18-month-old black lab/retriever cross, at the Breslau facility. In September, the foundation will launch a new training program to provide dog guides for people with autism.

Up until the recent announcement that the Lions would train dogs to help people dealing with autism, the organization trained the canines to work with people who are blind or visually impaired, for people with hearing disabilities; and for those suffering from seizures or other medical or physical disabilities.

It appears that there has always been a demand for Dog Guides for people living with autism, but only with recent changes and funding has the Lions Foundation been able to go beyond referring applicants to other organizations and actually train dogs at the Oakville and Breslau facilities.

“Now we’ve grown and we’ve undergone renovations here at the school so that we can accommodate another type of dog guide program being trained here,” said Eckersley of the area breeding and training centres.

The organization recently retained the services of Chris Fowler, a well known figure in the autism assistance dog guide world. Fowler, who has worked throughout the world with other schools building similar programs, was crucial in helping the Lions implement their own.

The first class of dogs trained for the new program is expected to graduate in January.

The dogs are bred at the Oakville and Breslau facilities and then fostered for a year by volunteer families. After that point the dogs return to the facilities for a four to six month training period. Each trainer has approximately six to eight dogs in his or her “string.”

On an annual basis, The Lions Foundation provides some 120 recipients, nation-wide with dogs. It costs approximately $20,000 to train and accommodate one dog, which is then donated to the person it will aid.

Nineteen-year-old Irene Kuepfer of Millbank died after being struck by a cube van on Chalmers-Forrest Road, near William Hastings Line. She was airlifted to London Health Sciences, but later succumbed to her injuries.
The accident occurred about 1:15 p.m. when Kuepfer was struck by a cube van as she was riding southbound on what was described as a homemade scooter.

Emergency crews work to stablilize a 19-year-old Millbank woman struck by a cube van on Chalmers-Forrest Road in Wellesley Township. Transported by air ambulance to London, Irene Kuepfer later succumbed to her injuries.

The driver of the vehicle, a 60-year-old Millbank man, was also southbound at the time.

Charges are pending, although police did not release any further details this week. They have not yet determined the cause of the collision.

Because the tragedy occurred in a “rather isolated area,” police are hoping that anyone who may have seen either one of the vehicles prior to the incident will come forward.

“Any information relating to the incident right now would be helpful,” said WRPS spokesperson Olaf Heinzel.

“Anything around that time period, we would certainly appreciate a call.”

This was the second fatal collision on Wellesley and Woolwich roads in close succession; 16-year-old Dani Tillich of Maryhill died July 16 from serious head injuries sustained in a collision July 8 while crossing Sawmill Road near Parkside Drive in St. Jacobs.

Police are appealing to drivers and pedestrians to exercise caution when travelling area roads.

“It’s a very tragic event, obviously, for our community. We ask for anyone who may have information to call us. We would like to reiterate and send a message to all road users of the importance of making safety the top priority: awareness of other vehicles and other road users is the top priority, and we’d like to finish our summer up with as few incidents as possible,” said Heinzel.

“We’ve had a number of incidents in our region in these past few weeks and probably too many already where people have either been seriously injured or died. Our appeal is to the general public to slow down, make safety their top priority and give driving their full attention.”

The investigation is continuing and anyone who may have witnessed this collision is asked to contact the Waterloo Regional Police traffic services branch at (519) 650-8500, ext. 8856 or by e-mail at traffic@wrps.on.ca.