Want to see something cool to kick off the New Year on a memorable note? Well a performance by a musical duo from Claremont, Ontario just might give you your fix to last the year.

Dropping by the city of Oshawa are Outside The Lines, a two-piece band comprised of Ted Wright on acoustic guitar, blues harp, & vocals, and John Frechette on percussions. The duo will be performing at Oshawa’s Tartan Tavern, which is located along 555 Rossland Road, on the 3rd of January, 4 in the afternoon to 7 in the evening.

The band has an affinity for roots and blues, citing influences like J Cale and Blackie and the Rodeo Kings.

It’s a night of good music and merrymaking as Outiside The Lines performs covers from artists like Neil Young, Eric Clapton, The Beatles and The Allman Brothers. In fact, as long it’s got a good beat and melody, Outside The Lines promises to do what they can, even playing the odd stripped-down pop song!

So, don’t forget to mark your calendars and head to the Tavern for a memorable musical experience!

For more info on Outside The Lines, log on to www www.myspace.com/outsidethelinestunes.

2010 might be a problematic year for education officials in the Durham area, as around 300 teachers from Durham College might resign from their posts next year.

Due to failed negotiations between Ontario’s college and the union representing the province’s teachers, the Ontario Public Service Employees Union, a strike vote has now been scheduled to take place on the 13th of January 2010. If the vote is supported by more than 50 percent, teachers and other educators could be leaving their jobs to protest soon afterwards. Furthermore, the strike vote will be affecting both full-time and part-time teachers.

In the past, teachers from Durham College have gone on strike at least three times – in 1984, 1988, and more recently, in 2006. According to one teacher, all three strikes have lasted about 3 weeks.

To ensure that things remain orderly and safe for the public, officials have drawn up strike contingency plans which include proper picket management and crowd control. The plan also calls for the staff of the University Of Ontario Institute Of Technology (which shares the school’s Oshawa campus) to be treated with respect at all times.

For up to date reports on the vote, students can log-on to the school’s official web site.

To be one of the first few to receive Canada’s new Sacrifice Medal is an honor. But to Oshawa native Rick Kurelo, being bestowed with the medal gives him a bittersweet feeling of pride and sadness.

A sense of pride in serving Canada during times of war, and sadness when reminded of his injury and thoughts of his fellow-soldiers who died in battle – men and women whom he believes deserve the honor much more.

The Sacrifice Medal is an award that honors soldiers who were injured or killed in the line of duty.

According to Kurelo, the award is something he’s not really keen on receiving. But he feels it’s a good move for the Canadian government to give back to those injured and killed while serving their country. The medal is a significant step forward in recognizing these heroes.

Due to military rules and restrictions, the nature of Kurelo’s injuries are unknown to the public. All the soldier had to say was that he was wounded in enemy action while deployed in Afghanistan. Today, Kurelo says his health is back to normal, and that “feels normal”.

The solider received the medal in a ceremony held 3 weeks ago on December 2.

On Sundays, Oshawa parishioners usually see a throng of people by the steps of the St. Phillip the Apostle Catholic Church awaiting mass. This week was a little a different to say the least, as most of the City’s churchgoers were caught off-guard from what awaited them at the church’s entrance.

Instead of the usual smiles from fellow parish regulars, what greeted the churchgoers were police tape, and a sign on the door that read ‘No service due to fire’. A fire had broken out in the early morning of Christmas Day, with police suspecting arson to be the reason behind the tragedy.

Oddly enough, most of the church’s regulars were unaware of what had happened to the parish. This is probably due to the holiday rush and the fact that the fire was quickly contained after being reported.

Local authorities received a call about a fire on Oxford Street in the early hours of Christmas. Upon arriving at the scene, police found broken windows which they suspect the arsonist/s used to get inside the church.

The fire was immediately put out, and an estimate on the damages is currently being put together. Luckily nobody was injured in the blaze.

Police and fire officials are now investigating the church grounds for any possible leads.

For the coming months of January and February, Oshawa’s public libraries have something great in store for adults in the region.

To kick off the year on a strong note, public libraries in the city will be offering a wide range of programs scattered on various dates, aimed at drawing in more adults to the libraries.

The McLaughlin branch, which is located on Bagot Street, will be holding a special movie night on the first Wednesday of each month at 7 in the evening. Aside from film showings, residents can also pick from the public library’s various book clubs.

Here’s a look at the activities other libraries have to offer.

Jess Hann Public Library:

• Wii pool party on February 24 at 7 in evening
• Durham College Job Connect to be held every Tuesdays and Thursdays from 1 to 4 in the afternoon

Northview Public Library:

• Movie matinee every Thursday of the month at 2 in the afternoon
• Film showings on selected Tuesday evenings
• The Harlem Renaissance, a lecture studying the creative movements of Black American artists and writers in the past to be held on January 30

These and many more are happening throughout the public libraries of Oshawa. Don’t forget to mark your calendars.

Every Canadian knows that the winter season is practically synonymous with ice skating and hockey, and this year is no different.

With many people across the country eagerly bringing out their mitts, skates, and everything else needed to conquer the ice, all that’s needed to have fun is a good location or venue to skate.

Fortunately, Tim Hortons—yes, the doughnut and coffee shop we just love—has decided to team up with arenas in Oshawa and the Durham Region to hold free skates for the holidays.

That’s right free! In this tough economic climate, every penny counts, and spending for fun and recreation can sometimes take a backseat to other necessities.

Skating and hockey enthusiasts will be pleased to know that these free skates will be held during the entire winter season and hosted in locations scattered throughout Durham and Oshawa.

Check out some of these free skate locations with corresponding dates below:

• Blackstock Arena, on the 27th December, from 2 to 4 in the afternoon
• Donevan Recreation Complex, on the 28th of December, from 1:30 p.m. to 3:20 p.m.
• Pickering Recreation Complex, on the 28th and 29th of December, from 1 to 3 in the afternoon

So what’re you waiting for? Mark your calendars and get your skates ready!

While they say there’s hope, stakeholders are keeping a tight lid on news about the future of the Oshawa harbor. So far, no word has been released by Oshawa officials on the negotiations on a deal between the feds and the City – leading many to wonder if things are going to get better any time soon.

In a special meeting held last week on December 18, the Oshawa council came to an accord on the terms on land ownership, land use, and governance of the city’s waterfront.

The deal is aimed at finally fixing years of discord between the Oshawa government, the Oshawa Harbor Commission and the federal government. The disagreement has primarily been over the region’s harbor lands. The meeting also sought to resolve a lawsuit filed over the harbor in 2006.

According to a local media outlet, a few sources who knew the happenings of the meeting came to them with information and details on the proposed settlement. However, neither of them went on record for fear of compromising the deal, which still has to be made official.

Word has it that construction of a marina, boat launch and trails will be taken care of by a private sector investor. There has been no word from the City regarding this rumor.

Durham’s Humane Society gets a great Christmas present this year in the form of funding from the government.

The animal shelter’s Oshawa building was badly destroyed by a fire late in 2008, tragically killing 100 animals it housed during the time. To rehabilitate and breathe new life into the organization, both federal and provincial governments in the region have decided to provide funds for the construction of a new facility totaling at $1.394 million.

This is welcome news to the grief-stricken employees of the Humane Society in Durham. Karin Martens and her team of workers & volunteers were overjoyed upon hearing the news, saying that after going through such grief and suffering, the funding for a new shelter serves as the perfect gift for Christmas.

Martens believes she won’t be alone in celebration, as hundreds of community members were affected by last year’s tragedy.

Funding is being provided via the government’s infrastructure stimulus package that aims to help municipalities and cities create jobs through infrastructure undertakings.

Construction is set to begin before the 1st quarter of 2010 ends. Officials expect the groundbreaking to take place on April 1. The project is scheduled to end before Christmas of next year.

John Cannito thought Christmas would be ordinary this year. Little did he know that he was about to receive a big present. And when we say big, we mean BIG.

When given the keys to his newly purchased bungalow home from his realtor Stuart Smith, Cannito discovered that his entire house had been gift wrapped. All 1700 square feet of it.

How’s that for something fancy?

The best “present” of all according to Cannito, is that his gift-wrapped home was for the sake of raising money for a charity his realtor wanted to help out.

Smith had made a promise before the holidays, saying that he would literally gift wrap the home he would close closest to Christmas Day.

That home belonged to Cannito.

The realtor is raising money and collecting donations for the Pregnancy Help Centre on Drew Street in Oshawa. Milk formula, diapers, clothing, and toys are currently in need, and many have stepped up to help the cause.

Smith admits to having had a hard time wrapping the house. What he thought would be a simple task for his team comprised of family and friends actually took some hours to complete.

As for Cannito? He was pleased with the wrapping, and looks to let it stay before unwrapping it, probably on the Big Day itself.

To crack down on dogs causing public disturbance, Oshawa’s city officials have come up with a plan to obtain a court order that literally keeps them from barking too much.

Residents in Oshawa, particularly those along Verdun Road and Oshawa Boulevard, have had enough of the incessant barking of two dogs belonging to one home in the area. The loud barking is keeping residents up all night, causing stress and problems amongst them.

Over a dozen locals have called Oshawa’s politicians and offices. The City bylaw department, which is tasked with handling public disturbance complaints, has received the most phone calls so far, with many asking for the dogs to be taken out of the community right away.

However, Oshawa’s City bylaw officers are unable to take action – as of now anyway.
The law states that courts have the authority to order the removal of dogs from a home or neighborhood under certain situations, like animal cruelty. However, too much barking or noise isn’t a valid reason.

Some City councilors are going in for the kill, proposing that irresponsible owners who have a history of dogs who bark too much, be prohibited from owning dogs, period.

With the City Council taking the bull by the horns so to speak, it looks like these Oshawa residents might have some hope after all.