CHURCHILL NEWS
by Linda Gerow

St. Patrick's Day honors St. Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland. We celebrate St. Patrick's Day on March 17th each year, whether we are Irish or not! Americans march in parades, dance the Irish jig and gather to sing Irish songs. People wear green in memory of Ireland, the Emerald Isle and wear shamrocks, clover with three leaves. St. Patrick was born in Wales, studied religion to become a priest and then went to Ireland to teach the people about God. There are many wonderful stories about St. Patrick, some true and some not true. The most famous legend is that he drove the snakes out of Ireland. This did not happen but the Irish will tell you that you cannot find a snake throughout the whole country of Ireland. Happy St. Patrick's Day everyone!

March Break is now in full swing; kids are home and having a blast outside, not to mention all the great activities that are going on around our community. The malls and the libraries are all offering many different events for all ages. Of course, there are those who have flown away to a nice warm spot but if this weather keeps up, we'll do alright for ourselves right here at home. Have a great time everyone. Library events are:

Library News: Churchill Branch: 2282 4th Line, Churchill, Ontario: (705) 456-2671 "Due to staffing shortage, Innisfil Public Library Board will temporarily change the Churchill Branch Wednesday hours to 1-8 p.m. and all Churchill programmes will be CANCELLED for the current Winter Session. We thank our customers for their understanding and patience. If in doubt, please call ahead to 705-456-2671 to confirm open hours. However, we do offer the following:

Movie Madness: @ the Churchill Branch: Happy Feet! Into the world of the Emperor Penguins, who find their soul mates through song, a penguin is born who cannot sing. But he can tap dance something fierce! March 13th at 4:30 p.m.

Night at the Museum (G) A newly recruited night security guard at the Museum of Natural History discovers that an ancient curse causes the animals and exhibits on display to come to life and wreak havoc. Saturday, March 17, 1:00 p.m.

MARCH BREAK @ Your Library: Registration begins on March 6th. Out read! Out play! Out party! Join in the reality T.V. adventure this March Break:

Be part of a reading expedition! Help your team be the first to the top of the mountain by reading! The team that reads the most during March Break will reach the summit first! Runs Sat. March 10 to Sat. April 7: Check out your teams progress at your local branch.

S c i e n s a t i o n a l Ssssnakes... Did you know that a poisonous rattle snake makes its home in Ontario? Find out about the snakes that live in our province: where they live, what they eat, and how important they are to local eco-systems. You'll even have the chance to touch one of these amazing creatures! This program is for independent children to attend unaccompanied. As always, parents of children age 8 or under must remain in the library while their child attends the programme. Churchill Branch: Wed, Mar. 14th: 2:00pm...Ages 4+, Cost $5.00.

Gross Factor: Can you stomach the Gross Factor?Teams will go up against each other in this icky competition of stunts and stomach churning challenges. Prizes will be awarded to the winners! Food will be part of this programme. Please notify staff of any allergies. Parents must sign a permission form for this programme. Churchill Branch: Ages: 7-12 Thurs., Mar. 15th 2:00pm Cost $2.00

Junior Youth Group: Parish of St. Peter's and St. John's (St. PJ's) hold their weekly meetings at St. Peter's Anglican church in Churchill from 6:30-8:00 p.m. each week. All youth aged 9-13 are welcome to join. Call Pam at 705-735- 3484 for information.

Senior Youth Group (ages 13-18) meet every second Sunday at St. John's Anglican church in Cookstown for lunch and bible study at 1:00 p.m. All high school aged youth are welcome to join. Please call Pam at the above number for all information and meeting dates.

Euchre: Euchre is held every Wednesday afternoon at St. Peter's Anglican church parish hall beginning at 1:00 p.m. Call Reg at 705-456-6801 for information. All proceeds go to the church Building Fund.

The Gilford and District Horticultural Society hold their meetings from March to November each year at the Churchill Community Centre. The meetings are usually held on the second Monday of each month at 7:30 p.m. and there is often a guest speaker. If you have any questions, please contact President, Kathy at 905-853-8785.

Ham and Scallop Potato Supper: The Churchill United Church is having its annual ham and scallop potato supper on Saturday, March 17th from 5-7 p.m. There will be lots of great food and fellowship and apparently the 'largest leprechaun in the Town of Innisfil!! That alone is worth the price of a ticket. Adults are $12 and $6 for kids. A family can eat for $30. Don't miss out on this great annual event.

Branch 547 Lefroy Belle Ewart Legion News: Karaoke is coming back March 16 for five weeks of singing and fabulous prizes. Prizes total $1,000. Registration is 8:30 p.m. with the contest starting at 9 p.m. There will be a St. Patrick's theme the first night, followed by a dance.

Monday night darts begin at 7 p.m. and last about 3 hours. You don't have to be a member to join in the fun.

Thursday Euchre continues from 1 p.m. There is regular and bid Euchre, followed by snacks.

Saturday Meat Draws: Come out Saturday afternoons and get in on the meat draw. Everyone is welcome. There are good cuts of meat, and the tickets are only $1 each. What a bargain! You can't win if you don't enter. This is lots of fun so see you there.

Attention Veterans: The Legion Service Officer is coming to the branch in March. Please call Jack at 458-1966 for an appointment. It is all strictly confidential. He can discuss VIP, Pension adjustments or whatever else you may wish to talk about. Good things can happen.

St. Patrick's Day Celebration: The Innisfil Beach Gardens in Alcona are having a St. Patrick's Day celebration on Saturday, March 17th from 2:30-4:30 p.m. featuring "North of 50" for your musical enjoyment. Everyone is welcome to attend.

Chili Challenge: The Ladies Auxiliary, Royal Canadian Legion, Branch 547 are challenging you to a Chili cook-Off on March 24 from noon to 3:30 p.m. Bring a pot of chili and let the public decide who is the best cook. Come on in and get a bowl, bun water and ballot for only $4. Anyone wishing to enter a pot of chili please contact Bev Pring at 456-0704 or Dianne Hubbard at 431-5344.

Ham and Scallop Potato Supper: St. Peter's Anglican Church is having a ham and scallop potato supper on Thursday, April 26th, 2007 from 5-7 p.m. All tickets are $10. Don't miss out on this scrumptious meal.

Smile: A man stumbles up to the only other patron in a bar and asks if he could buy him a drink. "Why of course," comes the reply. The first man asks. "Where are you from?" "I'm from Ireland," replies the second man. "You don't say, I'm from Ireland too! Let's have another round to Ireland." "Of Course," replies the second man. Curious, the first man then asks: "Where in Ireland are you from?" "Dublin", comes the reply. "I can't believe it says the first man. "I'm from Dublin too! Let's have another drink to Dublin." "Of course," replies the second man. Curiosity again strikes and the first man asks: "What school did you go to?" "Saint Mary's," replies the second man. "I graduated in '62." "This is unbelievable!" the first man says. "I went to Saint Mary's and I graduated in '62, too!"About that time in comes one of the regulars and sits down at the bar. "What's been going on?" he asks the bartender. "Nothing much," replies the bartender. "The O'Malley twins are drunk again."