THORNTON NEWS
by Cathie Miller

Have you made a visit to our recently improved library yet? They have added a new Community Room and expanded the library into the former board room. Everything has been dusted and cleaned and all the walls have been given a fresh coat of paint, thanks to the hard work of the library staff and volunteers, The Thornton Area Action Committee and community members.

In the new Adult Fiction area beside a sunny window, new leather chairs invite you to sit down and look through a magazine or read the first few pages of a book before taking it home. The new Community Room has it own entrance so that it can be accessed without disturbing activities in the library or after hours.

Many thanks go out to Willy & Len Vanderpost, Gord & Shirley Turner and Burt Marling for their hours of work outside the library planting and digging, improving the gardens and putting down new stone.

This new Community Room really was built by the community so stop in and see what happens when a community works together on a project.

The first long weekend of summer is here and that means that yard sale season has officially begun. On Friday, May 18 and Saturday, May 19 stop by and don't forget to stop by the vacant lot on Barrie Street and visit the yard sale in support of the Thornton Library. You will find something for everyone. There's still time to make a donation of good used items, just call Willy at 458-9290.

Speaking of garage sales, everyone who is a garage sale aficionado knows that Cookstown's Wing Ding is one of the areas biggest and longest running community garage sale around. This year it will be held on June 2 and 3 featuring countless garage sales, food booths and antique & craft vendors.

The Cookstown Curling Club will be the site of a beer garden featuring local bands; a good place to rest your feet, have a cool drink and enjoy some of our local talent.

Arise, Shine, Your Light Has Come, an evening of music at Trinity United Church on Friday, May 25 at 7:30 p.m. Come out and enjoy an evening of traditional and contemporary music featuring Abby Marling, the Choir at Trinity and Friends. Call 458-4396 for further information. Admission is free will offering.

During the month of May, The Huronia Rose Society will be selling rose bushes at the Barrie Farmer's Market on Saturday mornings from 8 a.m. until noon.

The roses are hardy Ontario grown bushes that will grow well in our climate. For more information call 705-728- 7719.

Registration has begun at the Essa Township Offices for the Summer Blast Day Camps both in Thornton and Angus. The camps will run Monday to Friday (except holiday Mondays) from 8 a.m. until 4 p.m. with late pickup until 4:30 p.m.

The camps feature a weekly field trip to fun places like the Toronto Zoo, Santa's Village and Rounds Ranch. New this year is a weekly visit to Loose Moose Magic Village Water Park, lots of fun on a hot summer day. A special registration date has been set for Tuesday, June 5 from 5 until 7 p.m. at the Thornton Arena.

For more information call Essa Parks and Recreation at 424-9770. Summer Blast Day Camp schedules and registration forms can be picked up at both Essa Public Libraries or found at www.essatownship.on.ca

The Living Faith Community Presbyterian Church will be hosting a Raising the Roof concert to raise funds for the new church they are building in Baxter. The concert and barbeque will be held at the Baxter Public School parking lot starting at 3 p.m., Sunday, May 27.

The entertainment will be provided by gospel singers Celeste Zugec and Harold Wicks and the Living Faith Praise Team.

The concert is free and freewill donations will be kindly accepted in baskets placed about the event.

As always, if you have any news, meetings, anniversaries or special occasions, I'd be happy to write about them. You can email me at thorntonnews @rogers.com or call me at (705) 458-0869 or drop it off at 25 Robert Street.

Bye for now…..