Don "Sharpie" Sharp, Peterborough Petes Director of Merchandise Announces Retirement After 14-Year Tenure

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Don ‘Sharpie’ Sharp can ride off into the sunset, finishing off a 14-year career as the Peterborough Petes director of merchandise as he is retiring, announced on Monday afternoon.

Photo courtesy of the Peterborough Petes.

Sharp has held the role of running the Petes Store since 2009 and is set to retire for June 29. His last year with the team ends with an OHL Championship that was won back on May 21 against the London Knights in a six-game series.

He assumed the role after 24 years in men’s wear as the owner of the Barclay in downtown Peterborough. Sharp has been involved with the organization for over 50 years, joining the club as a season ticket member in 1967.

“There isn’t a single Petes fan, or hockey enthusiast in our area, who hasn’t been impacted by Sharpie’s dedication to the Petes,” said Burton Lee, Petes executive director of business operations. “Sharpie greets every fan with a kind demeanour and expert service, and has built the Petes Store into one of the premier sport retail operations in the country, personally outfitting hundreds of thousands of fans and minor hockey players with the iconic Petes logo. We know he’ll still be spending lots of time at the Memorial Centre but Sharpie will still be missed.”

The Petes are searching for a new applicant to fill the vacancy. The job posting, including application details, can be found online. Applications will be accepted until June 22 at 11:59 p.m.

The Petes would like to thank Sharp for his dedication to the team for the past 14 years and are excited to welcome him back to the PMC as a fan for the foreseeable future.

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Electric City Culture Council Announces Bierk Art Fund Bursary Recipients

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The Electric City Culture Council (EC3) has announced that two $1,000 Bierk Art Fund (BAF) Bursaries have been awarded to local high school students Zijian (Suzanne) Tian of Lakefield College School and Ava Cummings of Thomas A. Stewart Secondary School.

photo courtesy of ec3, facebook.

Tian will pursue studies at Parsons School of Design in New York, and Cummings will attend Durham College’s Animation Program.

The BAF is an endowment fund at the Community Foundation of Greater Peterborough (CFGP), established to recognize arts champion and supporter Liz Bierk, and to honour the contributions she and her husband David Bierk have made to the arts in Peterborough.

EC3 says that many people from many walks of life have contributed to this fund over the years, and it has now grown large enough to support the Bierk Art Fund Bursary Program, which provides two bursaries of $1,000 each to graduating high school students living in the City or County of Peterborough.

These students’ works demonstrate great promise and artistic, showing a serious commitment to pursuing further studies at the post-secondary level in the visual or media arts.

Tian was born in Shanxi, China, and continued her high school studies at Lakefield College School. She has been accepted at the Parsons School of Design, and will pursue a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in their Fashion Design program. She works in media such as watercolour, 3D print, pottery, photography, collage, and fashion design, and says her dream has always been to become an artist.

Ava Cummings is graduating from the Visual Arts Program at Thomas A. Stewart Secondary School and will be attending Durham College for 2D & 3D Digital Animation. Between her love of drawing and her fascination with animated episodic productions and feature-length movies, Cummings says she feels drawn to the animation industry.

The Bierk Art Fund Bursary Program application process asks students to present their art portfolios to an assessment committee/panel of local artists and arts professionals. This year’s panel was comprised of professional artist and educator Cyd Hosker, and AGP Curator Fynn Leitch, who were impressed by the talent and potential demonstrated by Zijian (Suzanne) Tian and Ava Cummings.

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Photos: Opa! Greek Festival Booms After Three-Year Hiatus With Dance and Traditional Cuisine

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Over 2,000 people came and went at the return of the Greek Festival from a three-year hiatus, held at the Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church on Sunday. Traditional Greek favourite meals such as souvlaki, gyros, baklava and Greek salad were served at the event. Dancing, a kids’ fun zone and live entertainment were the amenities offered during the festival.

Police Investigating a Bus Colliding Into a Building Near Jackson Creek Park Gates

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Peterborough Police Service are investigating a bus crashing into a building near the Jackson Creek Park gates that occurred Friday night.

File Photo.

At roughly 9 p.m. Friday, officers located a school bus that had hit a building near the Jackson Creek gates.

It was discovered that the bus’s parking brake was released, causing the bus to roll down the hill into the building.  No injuries were reported during the incident. 

Police believe an 11-year-old and a 12-year-old were involved but charges have notbeen laid at this time.

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In-Car Camera System Now Equipped In Peterborough Police Cruisers

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The Peterborough Police Service’s In-Car Camera System is now operational in all marked and some unmarked cruisers, announced on Monday.

Roughly 25 vehicles are currently equipped with the cameras.

An audio and video-recording device is for front-facing activity outside the vehicle and within the prisoner-control area of the rear seat according to a press release.

When the cameras are activated, 30 seconds of footage are captured beforehand to provide additional context. Audio recording is not triggered at that time.

Camera activations are either automated or manual. Once they record, officers must disclose any reason why they have deactivated the camera. They must also notify anyone if they are being recorded.

“This is important technology for your police service as it will help with transparency, accountability, efficiency, and effectiveness,” says Chief Stuart Betts. “But most importantly it’s about safety for the community and safety for officers.” 

The system also features an Automated License Plate Reader that notifies officers of drivers and/or vehicles that should not be on the road.  

“The Peterborough Police Service is committed to ensuring the safety of its citizens and have developed a series of Frequently Asked Questions,” adds Chief Betts.  “We have also developed a webpage with a feedback form. I have worked in an organization where this type of technology was used, and it proved to be invaluable as a source for capturing events that take place on our roadways. It’s hard to dispute something when it’s captured on video. In terms of accountability, I have used it to verify or refute claims of officer behaviour.”

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Lakers Bounce Back With 12-8 Road Win Over the Cobourg Kodiaks; Peterborough Moves to 3-1

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The Peterborough Century 21 Lakers rebound from their home opener loss and snag a 12-8 road win against the Cobourg Kodiaks at the Cobourg Community Centre on Sunday night.

The Lakers have been undefeated on the road this season after three games. Photo courtesy of the Peterborough Lakers.

Blake McDonald and Thomas Whitty make their season debuts for the Lakers. Caleb Creasor, Adam Thistlethwaite, Nick Webb, Mike Robinson and DJ Clark were call-ups for Peterborough.

Peterborough for a second-straight game saw their opponents strike first. Scott Dominey kickstarted the scoring for Cobourg 2:58 into the game. The Lakers kicked into high gear with a four-goal run 52 seconds after the first score. Hoggarth nabbed two power play goals as did Austin Hasen. Josh Currier had an even-strength goal and the Lakers were up 4-1. The tables turned however as Cobourg scored four goals of their own after the run to Peterborough’s one (by Jordan Stouros) and the game was knotted up at five apiece after the first.

Both teams were evenly contested again during the second period. Holden Cattoni continued his scoring ways, following up his five-goal Thursday night with another on a four-minute power play to open up the stanza. Tanner Buck and David Anderson (on the power play) tacked on a pair of goals for Cobourg to take a 6-5 lead. Turner Evans threw an underhand shot to tie the game for the Lakers 1:42 after the Kodiaks took the lead. Aaron Woods pulled Cobourg ahead again on thepower play with seven minutes left in the second but Clark got one back for the Lakers, his first career Major Series Lacrosse goal. The game was tied 8-8 going into the third.

The Lakers had clamped down defensively while continuing their offensive prowess in the final period. Currier got a hat trick, scoring two goals. Clark scored his second of the game and Tatie Cattoni got on the scoresheet for a 12-8 score. Peterborough kept Cobourg scoreless in the third and the Lakers walked away with the 12-8 win.

Landon Kells gets the win in net for the Lakers and move to 3-1-0. Peterborough is second in the league behind the Six Nations Arrows but have a game in hand.

The Lakers continue to play on the road as they will hit the outskirts of Hagarsville to take on the Arrows at the Iroquois Lacrosse Arena on Tuesday night. Opening faceoff is scheduled for 8 p.m.

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StoosNews Spotlight: Check Out The Business Beat This Week Featuring On Your Journey, Carrot Bacon, Peterborough County and GreenUP

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PTBOCanada is delighted to be running StoosNews columns each week here, spotlighting new businesses and startups in Peterborough and the Kawarthas. Here is this week’s edition…

After 40 years working as a Registered Nurse and caring for palliative and long-term care patients, Tracey Wilson is launching a new business, On Your Journey.

It offers end-of-life doula care services, advanced care planning and end-of-life education and workshops. Wilson is using her own personal experience with loss and grief combined with her professional experience to help people with the end-of-life journey to provide people with dignity and integrity and to ensure no one dies alone. Connect with Tracey through onyourjourney.ca.

Peterborough-based startup and Innovation Cluster client Carrot Bacon is shaking up the plant-based snack industry with two new products — Beet Jerky and Onion Cracklings.

Their investments into their line of crispy whole-plant jerky are attracting attention as they have begun making deliveries across the US and recently secured a $100,000 grant to fuel innovation and job creation. Check out the delicious Carrot Bacon products locally at Sobeys and Jo Anne’s Place or at carrotbacon.org.

Congratulations to Peterborough County on winning the prestigious Professional Development Award from the Canadian Association of Municipal Administrators for its ‘Prime for Lean’ initiative.

Peterborough County is recognized for developing a culture of continuous improvement. The program was established in partnership with the Ontario Municipal Leadership Institute and WSCS Consulting to develop a customized training program focused on core principles and methodologies of lean six sigma, change management, and project management.

Seeing a need in the community, the GreenUP Store & Resource Centre is expanding its offerings including a larger bulk refill station for household products for people looking to reduce their use of single-use plastics.

They also now carry Feather Friendly window tape to reduce bird collisions. GreenUp offers sustainable home goods, ecological cleaning supplies, rain barrels, composters and serves as a drop-off for hard-to-recycle items like disposable razors and coffee bags. Check them out at 378 Aylmer St. N. or at shop.greenup.on.ca.

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Homeless Man Recovers Missing Barbeque For Local Restaurant; Business Owner Asks Public For Essentials To Donate

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Homeless man Mike Noble selflessly recovered a missing barbecue for Taso’s Restaurant & Pizzeria and owner Taso Hatzianastasiou is asking the public to donate essentials to help the good Samaritan in a Facebook post created Thursday.

Noble beside the previously missing catering barbeque stored in the back of Taso’s. Facebook photo.

Hatzianastasiou had discovered his barbecue was missing last weekend and often uses it for catering. He says Noble discovered it at a ‘tent city,’ got into a fight and dragged it back to the restaurant for him according to a Facebook post.

This was not the first time that Noble has aided Taso’s. He often helps the restaurant on a regular basis according to Hatzianastasiou.

“Mike always helps me in the mornings with anything I need, cleaning, unloading my truck,” explained in the Facebook post. “He never asks for money, just food and clothes. I try to help him in any way that I can.”

Hatzianastasiou is asking that the public to donate items such as clothing (medium or large for shirts) rubber boots, running shoes (size 12), a tent, a sleeping bag and a pillow but reminds everyone that Noble does not have a lot of storage space available.

During Hatzianastasiou's public outreach, he wanted to help destigmatize any negativity toward homeless people, especially toward Noble. The latter has struggled with mental health issues and has been homeless for a few years said Hatzianastasiou.

“He’s a very good guy and gets approached by people in the wrong way because of his mental breakdowns,” he explained. “He’s a kind man. Polite and always trying to bring you up.”

All donations can be given to Taso’s which is located at 287 George St. N.

“My ultimate goal is to find this man a place he can live,” concluded Hatzianastasiou.

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City of Peterborough’s Rain Garden Subsidy Program Providing Resources and Funds for Local Garden Installation

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The City of Peterborough’s Rain Garden Subsidy Program, delivered in partnership with GreenUP, provides eligible property owners with educational resources and up to $1,000 toward the cost of installing a rain garden.

photo courtesy of the city of peterborough.

“Currently, only 25 per cent of the City of Peterborough’s stormwater is filtered for pollutants before entering natural waterways, such as the Otonabee River or Jackson Creek,” says Councillor Joy Lachica, chair of the City of Peterborough Environment and Climate Change Portfolio. “Rain gardens are an important part of a greener stormwater management strategy by reducing the amount of polluted runoff entering local waterways, which keeps the watershed healthy and can also reduce the risk of localized urban flooding.”

There are many options for tailoring the size and style of a rain garden, but they all function the same due to their bowl shape. This bowl shape collects water from roofs and other hard surfaces. These gardens use plants and fast-draining soil to absorb and filter water that would otherwise flow straight into storm sewers.

To function properly, rain gardens must be designed and located in a particular way. That’s why this subsidy process provides support for property owners, including design templates, educational resources and on-site consultation from GreenUP staff.

“We know folks can be intimidated by the idea of designing and building their own rain garden, but it’s doable with a bit of support,” says Hayley Goodchild, coordinator with GreenUP’s Neighbourhood and Residential programs. “That’s why GreenUP has partnered with the City to support this subsidy program. We help applicants through the process, step-by-step.”

This year, the maximum subsidy amount is $1,000 per garden, and GreenUP  provides up to two on-site visits to advise on design and construction.

Goodchild says the number of subsidies is limited and are awarded on a first come, first serve basis.

Interested property owners can begin their application process using the link, or by contacting Curtis Mei at 705-742-7777 ext. 1507.

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U16 Minor Petes Ben Radley Commits to Brantford Bulldogs to a Standard Player Agreement

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Peterborough Elite Court Sports U16 AAA Petes defenseman Ben Radley has signed with the Ontario Hockey League’s (OHL) Brantford Bulldogs to a Standard Player Agreement.

Photo courtesy of the OHL.

Radley was taken in the third round, 58th overall. He was the third U16 Minor Pete to be drafted into the OHL and joins Petes teammate Joshua Avery (who was drafted before him in the same round).

The Iroquois native had 14 goals and 32 assists for 46 points in 36 regular season games with the Petes. He had three goals and assists during that playoff run in eight games. He had a goal and an assist in six games at the OHL Cup. Radley won the Ontario Minor Hockey Association Championship with the Petes in his final season.

“We are excited to receive a commitment from Ben Radley.” said Matt Turek, Bulldogs interim general manager. “Ben brings all the tools we look for in a Bulldog to the table. On the ice, his skating, vision and ability to process the game are all beyond his age. Off the ice, Ben carries himself with that same maturity that makes him a great all-around addition to our group.”

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