Hometown St. Thomas Magazine / Boomers & Beyond ELGIN Magazine

Our local legion is raising funds to help them. They do some amazing work, if you can assist please do!

Notice from Southwest Public Health. If your workplace is essential and your employees can't work from home SWPH is now accepting pre-registration. They are asking workplace leadership to go to https://www.swpublichealth.ca//covid19-vaccine-pre-registr to register. SWPH would like to remind people that this is only for workplaces not individuals to register for their vaccines.

Hi folks, it appears the Air Fest solute to essential workers we wrote about in April's edition of Hometown St. Thomas has been postponed due to the province wide lockdown. Please find the official announcement below. ANNOUNCEMENT - POSTPONEMENT OF SALUTE TO ALL ESENTIAL WORKERS Following the announcement of the provincial stay-at-home order, the board of directors met immediately to discuss the safety aspects of the salute, which was scheduled for this Saturday (April 10). F...Continue reading

Here are the answers for April's Crossword.

Hey Folks, one of the joys of creating our own Crossword is that it is always original. one of the drawbacks, is human error. Seems in this months Baseball Crossword a few of the clues got left off! Here is there full list of clues. Across... 2 Rocket Roger (7) 4 Broke Home Run record with 70 (7) 7 Dodger Lefty youngest in HOF (6) 8 The Sultan of Swat (4) 10 Hammerin Hank (5) 12 Pitching Award (5) 14 Padre great (5) 16 Catcher who is always good for a quote (5) 19 First unanimous HOF inductee (6) 21 The Rajah Roger (7) 23 The Big Unit (7) 25 Dodger great catcher became paralized (10) 26 Where have you gone Joe (8) Down 1 Yankee Great Mickey (6) 3 Brewer traded to Blue Jays in 93 (7) 5 Nick named the Georgia Peach (4) 6 His card is the most valuable in exstance (6) 9 All time stolen base leader (9) 10 First Blue Jay in HOF (6) 11 First African American to play MLB (8) 13 Him and his dad hit back to back dingers (7) 15 Pirate great who died in plane crash (8) 17 The Ironman (6) 18 Yankee great short stop (5) 20 Now know more for ALS (6) 22 Known simply as Ichiro (6) 23 Mr October (7) 24 Considered one of the best pitchers, Satchel (5)

Tomorrow is the last chance (send to me by 9 PM) to enter our Hallmark Christmas Movie Bingo. Simply watch a Hallmark Holiday movie, fill in your card and email them to [email protected] for your chance to win 1 of 3 $25 Purely Wicked gift cards just in time for Christmas!! So put on the Hot Cocoa, grab a fuzzy blanet and enjoy!

Good day folks, if you are a knitter who has some extra wool and would like to make some warm hats, mittens, scarves, blankets for those in need (or already have a some ready to donate) please email me at [email protected] or give me a call at 519-495-7177 and I would be happy to pick them up and drop them off for you to one of our local charities (Salvation Army, Grace Cafe, Community Cupboard in Port Stanley etc.). It may not be too cold out yet, but it is coming!

This morning the draw for the "Gift Card Tree" was held at STEGH. The Housekeeping team at STEGH has been fundraising for the past 15 years in support of local Christmas Care. This year the team raised $4100.00 for Christmas Care!! For the past five years, fundraising efforts have focused on the organization of a Gift Card Tree. STEGH employees from various departments donate gift cards, and raffle tickets are sold for the opportunity to win the lot of gift cards. Due to the incredible support this year, three separate draws will take place. This morning Peter van der Westen (Board Chair) drew the winning tickets. One winner (Sara Rick) took home $850 in gift cards; another (Jennifer Kohler) $425 in gift cards; and the third winner (Kara Stacey) received a beautiful basket and a holiday sign.

The spot the Santa's contest ends Dec 15th, make sure to get your guesses in for your chance to win a $50.00 Briwood Gift Card (This goes for Boomers and Hometown, they are each seperate contests!) Also the Hallmark Movie Bingo contest also closes Dec 15th! Make sure to get your compleated bingo cards in for your chance to win one of 3 $25.00 Purely Wicked gift cards! To enter any of our contests email [email protected]... MERRY CHRISTMAS from Hometown St. Thomas and Boomers & Beyond!

Southwest Public Health has sent an open letter to our communities. Southwestern Public Health’s vision is healthy people in vibrant communities. A vibrant community is one where people are mentally and physically healthy, the land is fertile, and businesses succeed. It is a community where people come together to support one another, learn from one another, and celebrate with one another. We imagine this vision of community is one on which we all agree.... Over the past nine months we have seen community division about the best way to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. This division is not surprising. We each approach challenges from different educational, religious, political, and familial perspectives. Our ways of seeing the world are held deeply within us, and in times of stress, we hold on tighter to what we believe to be true. We are writing this letter because we believe we need to conserve our energy for the long months ahead, rather than spend it in disagreement. As communities and as individuals, we have choices to make. We can choose to meet our neighbours with patience and understanding. We can choose compassion for those who are struggling during this difficult time; we can choose self-compassion if we find ourselves in difficulty. It is now time to focus on what we can agree on: We have a common desire to protect the community we love. COVID-19 affects some people more than others; we are concerned about our most vulnerable. Having strong, connected, supportive communities protects our health and well-being. We each have actions we can personally take that will reduce the spread of this virus in our communities. At the end of this pandemic and there will be an end we will again gather in comfort and in ease, at hockey arenas, and school barbecues, at worship, and at weddings, knowing we did our best to protect and care for the communities that we love. To see their posting go to: https://www.swpublichealth.ca//an-open-letter-to-the-commu

Not only do the smiley face cookies taste good, but they also do a lot of good!

It is almost Halloween!! Make sure to get your children entered into our Halloween Costume contest by Nov 2nd for their chance to win 1 of 3 gift cards from The Ice Box St.Thomas ($50 1st place, $25 for 2nd and 3rd). Simply email a picture of your little ghost or goul to [email protected] for their chance to win! HAPPY HALLOWEEEN Everyone!!!

Hey Folks, Christmas Bazaar's are still happening this year. However, many will be online. If you have a Bazaar coming up, send us the info ([email protected]) and we are happy to share the info to our social media followers! Just like this one for Central United Church. Central United Church in St Thomas is still holding their annual Bazaar, but it has a new look. We’ve gone online to bring you the same unique, handmade and often one of a kind items. We still... have amazing gift baskets, sewing & knitting, attic treasures, Christmas décor, artisan jewellery and much more. New items are added regularly so check back frequently. We offer curbside pick-up and online payment for your safety and convenience. You can find our bazaar at www.centraluc.ca/shop. Check it out Today! Now is the time to start your Christmas shopping or just buy something nice for yourself. Also, watch for our Online Silent Auction which will be launched in November. For information contact us at [email protected]. See more

Robbie Martin has been a volunteer for countless community events. Recently, Robbie's Bike was stolen from his home and a call went out to help Robbie find or replace his bike. And the community he has supported for so many years stepped up big time. Today Robbie was given a brand new bike from his friends at the Summer Fest (Knights of Columbus), with whom he has volunteered with for the past few years. And the Summer Fest team were just the first to volunteer. After his st...ory had been shared over 200 times through social media there was a long list of organizations and individuals ready to help Robbie the way he has helped his community. Today Robbie was delivered his brand new wheels by his friends at the St. Thomas Fire Department. The full story will be in our December issue of Hometown St. Thomas Magazine!

Don't forget folks, Hometown St. Thomas is having a kids Halloween Costume contest. Simply email your kids photo to us at [email protected] for their chance to win. Trick or Treating or not is no reason not to have some Halloween fun! There is $100 worth of The Ice Box St.Thomas gift certificates up for grabs! Enteries must be received Nov. 2nd.

SouthWestern Public Health Medical Officer of Health Dr. Joyce Lock says Trick or Treating may proceed, because of the relatively low amount of COVID-19 cases in the area. However, Dr. Lock does caution I recommend families pay close attention to our COVID-19 cases as we lead up to October 31st and adjust plans as needed. From Southwestern Public Health, advice to manage COVID-19 risks on Hallowe’en: Stay home if feeling ill or if you have mild symptoms. Only go out tr...ick-or-treating outside and with members of your immediate household. Trick-or-treaters and people handing out candy should wear a face covering. Do not congregate or linger at doorsteps and line up two metres apart if waiting. Whether collecting or handing out treats, wash hands often or use hand sanitizer. Use tongs to hand out treats; do not leave treats in a bowl for children to grab. A costume mask is not a substitute for a face covering and should not be worn over a face covering as it may be difficult to breathe. Consider incorporating a face covering into your child’s costume instead. SWPH Also recommends alternative Halloween activities like staying at home and watching a scary movie, virtual pumpkin carving contests etc. They also recomend Individuals who have health concerns and those aged 65 or older should avoid in-person Hallowe’en activities, such as handing out candy or visiting family members.

Hi Folks, our family LOVES Halloween! With all the uncertainty around Halloween this year we at Hometown St. Thomas and The Ice Box wanted to give your kids a reason to get dressed up, even if trick or treating is not happening. We are having a Costume Contest. Simply send a picture of their child in their costume to [email protected] by November 2nd for their chance to win. 1st prize is a $50 gift certificate to The Ice Box, 2nd and 3rd prizes are $25 gift certificates to The Ice Box. The Ice Box St.Thomas Send in your pics, and lets all have a fun, safe and spoooky Halloween!!! See attached for more details.

The October issues are starting to hit mailboxes today, and will be in stands tomorrow for pick up! We are very excited to be able to bring you all of these great issues, including bringing back Boomers & Beyond!

The St. Thomas-Elgin Public Art Centre has a call out to local artists. The St. Thomas-Elgin Public Art Centre will be having a Miniature Show and Sale from November 14th - December 19th. You can submit your art to be included in the exhibition. They are accepting all kinds of art, but have size restrictions. Submission deadline is October 31st, 2020. For more information go to www.stepac.ca.

Southwestwern Public Health has sent out notification of a confirmed case of COVID-19 at Mitchell Hepburn Public School. The source of infection is known; the virus was not contracted at the school and close contacts are being notified of their potential exposure by public health officials. The rest of the school community will be notified with next steps by the school administration. The name of the student or employee will not be released to protect their privacy. Our Inf...ectious Disease and School Health Teams are working with the school to take the steps necessary to limit the spread of infection and support families through this process, says Dr. Joyce Lock, Medical Officer of Health for the region. We will update you with more information as it is available.

Folks, It's hard to believe it is almost October already! In case you missed this awesome new business, check out our story in our September issue on Lux Spa!! Speaking of missing it, sadly, we listed their number as a 519 when it is actually a 226. So if you would like to call Heather to book a service please call 226-374-9952. https://online.flippingbook.com/view/713556/18/

Stop by and grab a slice and a pop outside of Holy Angels as Yureks celebrates their 57th anniversary. Min. $4 donation is all you need with the money going to a Violence Against Women services, Elgin County.

Hey Folks, Come join in the celebration of Yureks 57th annivesary with Pizza and Pop! Location, Holy Angels Church Parking lot (across from Yurek Pharmacy). All they ask is that you make a minimum donation of $4 that will go to Violence Against Women, Services Elgin County. Physical distancing and health regulations will be in place. Come on down between 11 and 2 today and help celebrate an amazing businesses, have some pizza and help a great charity!