The first day of spring will officially arrive on March 20th.

I saw the sign at Trotter's on Highway 11, asking residents to 'Think Spring', so I knew it couldn't be too far away. Also known as Spring Equinox, the date is chosen when daylight and night are approximately 12 hours each. This year, this falls on March 20th. Of course, spring is also the time of year when we've experienced some of our worst storms and flooding. Still, I can't wait for it to come. I'm counting the days.

Library news: The Churchill branch manager, Debra Mann. The phone number is 456-2671 and the e-mail is churchill@innisfil.library.on .ca. The branch is closed on Sundays, Mondays and Fridays.

Movies ($2 for a ticket, $1 for snack and drinks): Madagascar 2 will play on Tuesday March 17th at 1 p.m. during March Break. Watch for all the March Break activities being offered at branches of the Innisfil Public Library.

The Churchill Community Play Group meets Tuesday mornings at 9:30 a.m. at the Churchill United Church on Highway 11. Please call Kim for information at 456-1859.

Euchre: Bid euchre at St. Peter's Anglican Church on Wednesdays at 1 p.m. Everyone is welcome to drop by any Wednesday and join in the fun. Light refreshments are served. Call 458- 1801 for details.

The Parish of Churchill and Cookstown welcomes their new incumbent, Reverend Matthew McMillan, who will hold his first service at both churches on Sunday March 1st. They welcome Fr. Matt to the parish and invite everyone to come and wish him well. A farewell luncheon was held at St. Peter's Anglican in Churchill on Feb. 22nd for Canon Jeremy Van Lane, who was interim minister from October to February. We thank him for his expert guidance while the selection and interview process took place. The parish wishes Canon Jeremy well as his retirement commences.

Youth groups: The Parish of Churchill and Cookstown Junior and Senior youth groups are now in full swing. The junior group, called COOL is for participants aged eight to 13, and meets in St. Peter's Anglican Church parish hall every Thursday evening from 6:30 to 8 p.m. The next meeting will be held Feb. 26th. Please call Pam for all the details.

The senior youth group, for ages 12 to 18, meets at St. John's Anglican in Cookstown every second Sunday afternoon from 12:30 to 2 p.m. The next meeting will be announced. Please contact Pam Gervais at 735-3484 for all information. We encourage all youth to attend.

World Day of Prayer is celebrated on Friday March 6th at the Gilford United Church, starting at 1 p.m. This year, the service is written by the women of Papua, New Guinea. Everyone is invited to come to the church and join in the service. Call Ann at 458- 4756 for information.

Celebrating Elvis: Well known tribute artist Terry Chisholm will be performing at Stroud Presbyterian Church on March 14th, beginning at 7 p.m. Tickets are $20 each, and all funds go towards the installation of an elevator at the church. Stroud Presbyterian is located at 2180 Victoria Street. Call 431-1282 or 431-2490 for ticket outlet information.

Poor Tom: March 28 from 7 to 10 p.m. at the Grange Hall in Lefroy. Meet Wanda Stride from Newfoundland and Susan Luke from Virginia. They've been playing together since 2002, mining their classical backgrounds to create a fresh, lively sound all their own. To begin, enjoy some local talent. Once again, we will honour Earth Hour by switching to candlelight. Tickets are $10 in advance and $12 at the door. For tickets, call Andrea at 436-7171 or Patti at 436-3575. For more information, visit www.lefroyunited.ca.

Innisfil Bridal and Events Show: This show will be held at the Grange Hall in Lefroy on March 7. The show, for brides and their entourage, will be from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. and will showcase wedding products and services from area businesses. This event is also great for anyone who wants to make their next anniversary or birthday party a memorable event. Get information on wedding and event decorating, accommodating those extra guests, pampering yourself right here in Innisfil and, of course, where to get that perfect dress at an economic price. There will be door prizes and handouts, so come on out and see what's available in your area. In these economic times, you'll be glad you checked it out. See you there. For more information, contact Andrea at simcoeliving@rogers.com or 436-7171 or Patti Rodgers at 436-3575 or thepatrodgers@ gmail.com for more information on these events.

Sending get well wishes and many 'hellos' to Fred Zielke. You just can't keep a good man down. Also, we send 'hellos' to Margaret Scott, Margaret Hindle, Helen Fairhead and Joni Saunders. We're thinking of you all.

Smile: A man with a piece of paper in his hand comes into an office, where another man is sitting next to a shredding machine.

"Do you know how to operate this thing?" he asks. "I have an important paper here and I want to make sure this is done right."

"Sure," the other man answers. "Just put the paper in here and press this button."

The first man does so, saying, "Great. And where do the copies come out?"

If you have any news/items for this column, please contact me at 436- 9769 or e-mail lagerow@rogers.com. Please be advised that, in order for items to be included in this column, they must be submitted by 5 p.m. on the Sunday before the newspaper is scheduled to be printed.