(To view our November/December 2016 issue of ClubWEST online, click here.)

“Either write something worth reading or do something worth writing.”
– Benjamin Franklin

If you happen to see any of Maggie Weatherdon’s videos online
it is very easy to see this young lady has something special.

Having played virtually every sport under the sun at one
time, I have been lucky to play with some really good athletes.

The good ones, the real standouts, have a manner, a way they
move, that is simply better, cleaner, quicker and more powerful
than the others.

Maggie has that.

To a complete and total layman such as myself, it is still clear
she floats as she moves. Her lines are crisp and unwavering. It
really is remarkable to watch.

She has big goals, and why not!? She has talent and drive so
why shouldn’t she push the envelope to see just how far she gets.

And top of all that, she is a very sweet girl so I am sure I speak
for the whole community, Maggie, when I say, “Go for it!”

Don’t look back. Keep on going until you reach your dreams.
See the Benjamin Franklin quote above? You can be the person
who will “do something worth writing”.

At the other end of the career scale, we have the good Rev.

Barry Jones who retires this month.

Rev. Jones is another person I met early on, back in the mid-
90s, in this community. He shows up at tons of events, always
part of the community as a whole.

He practices what he preaches, literally.

The metaphor used by Rev. Jones – and picked up by one of
my favourite writers Joanne McDonald – noting that crushing
grapes is what needs to be done in town to bring people together
for the common good, exemplifies his decades of effort.
His parishioners noted they will miss him greatly and,
indeed, the whole town will because people like Rev. Jones just
do their thing in the background. They don’t seek limelight.

They just help out and get things done.

We could use 1,000 more just like him.

Thanks for your years of service to your church and the community,
Rev. Jones.

To put a wrap on this issue, I just have to give some props to
Chef Jan Stulp. Regular readers of ClubWest will know Chef
Jan has been writing here for a long time. Behind the scenes,
what readers don’t see is the thought and attention to detail
this man fusses over (in a good way) to bring the community
interesting choices, using local ingredients wherever possible.

His effort is certainly appreciated by me and I sure hope
readers make use of his creations!

Publisher, ClubWest Magazine
Mike Williscraft

(To view our May/June 2016 issue of ClubWEST online, click here.)

“Either write something worth reading or do something worth writing.”
– Benjamin Franklin

Anyone working in a journalistic capacity has favourites when it comes to topics covered.

When the May edition for ClubWest started coming together back in mid-March a perfect trifecta unfolded for me – horses, history and food – three of my faves.

How cool is it to not only get a gig in your chosen field, but then you get the honour of being a participant in one of Canada’s true iconic events: the Royal Canadian Mounted Police’s Musical Ride. Lucky Lindsay Williamson!

I have not seen the Ride since I was a small child when they made a stop in London, Ont.

Working with the horses at my childhood summer camp, Forest Cliff – just south of Grand Bend, a nine iron from Kettle Point to be specific – and getting into harness racing at 13, I have always been a lover of the equine set.

And when May rolled around, I knew a visit to Vik’s Meats to meet up with Joe Herbinger was in order. From the first time I met him, at a rain-soaked fundraiser last summer, I had been waiting for barbecue season to roll back around. May long weekend coming up, sausages on the grill, mmm, I can taste them already!

The timing of the Friends of Lincoln’s History inaugural house tour was undeniable, too. There are just so many unique and amazing historical stories to tell in Lincoln, I must say this is about time this kind of event was developed. It’s a natural.

Grimsby has had great success running a similarly styled event alternate years. I am sure Lincoln’s will follow suit.

You talk about people who love their work? A local woman who studied criminology obtains a gig with the RCMP and gets to participate with the Musical Ride; a young man from Germany who goes into his trade right out of high school, moves to Canada for a year and stays for 35, and; a group of dedicated history buffs in Lincoln who seek to tell the stories of yesteryear through a living history – all great examples.

These were the exact kinds of stories we set out to tell when this publication was launched just under two years ago.

In that time we have become the only six-time-per-year publication that comes out when we say it will. Readers and advertisers know, like clockwork, the first Monday of alternate months all year, ClubWest will hit the streets. We appreciate every bit of dedicated support we have received and look forward to telling more of these kinds of stories in our July edition. Enjoy!

Publisher, ClubWest Magazine
Mike Williscraft

Publisher, ClubWest Magazine
Mike Williscraft