Reporters cover many topics; sad topics, happy topics, topics that make people cry and topics that make them angry. No matter, journalists are required... Full Article
Reporters cover many topics; sad topics, happy topics, topics that make people cry and topics that make them angry. No matter, journalists are required to write stories in an unbiased way save for the occasional exception here and there.
My name is Joanne Jordan; I am a 47 year old wife and mother of three sons, 26 year old twins and an 11 year old. I grew up here in Fall River, as did my mom. My father moved here when he was only 20 years of age and lived here until he passed away last September. I raised all of my children here, in the community I love.
Because I live in the community whose news I cover, many stories are of personal interest and importance to me, and there are times I would like to give my own personal view. That is especially true about subjects having an impact on this neighbourhood and on the residents, especially the children who call this community home. Now, finally, I will be able to share and discuss my opinion with readers from time to time.
“The Way I See It” is the new column created just for me. It is a place where I can freely discuss things, good and bad. And of course as always, I look forward to your comments.
I have chosen to begin my column with a pleasant, community based article – the topic – the Keloose Fair.
When the Keloose Fair began more than 35 years ago, it was an extremely popular event right from the start; residents and visitors alike would flock to the Windsor Junction Community Centre for the weekend-long community celebration. It was a chance to get out and have a bit of fun, but it was also an opportunity to mingle and chat with old friends and neighbours, and a chance to meet new ones.
After a year or two the name of the celebration was changed to “Keloose”, meaning Fair by the Lake. The small summer festival was usually packed during both Saturday and Sunday, and included kiddie rides, the dunk tank, a bingo, the occasional beer tent and more. There was even a Miss (and later a Mr.) Keloose pageant.
As a young girl of fourteen I loved the pageant idea, and I and a lot of my friends lined up to enter. Like the participants in this years first Keloose Idol contest, I have reserved bragging rights regarding the evening I was crowned the first Miss Windsor Jct. Community Centre (prior to the name of the fair being changed to Keloose). It was an experience I will always treasure, for me, it was downright thrilling. That, like some of my best early memories, are from my teen years and the Keloose celebrations we enjoyed so long ago.
As always, this years Keloose Planning Committee was made up of community volunteers, that ever-necessary group of people who organize, fundraise, and orchestrate the Keloose celebration. In short, without them, there would be no Keloose at all. With this thought in mind, I decided to join the 2009 Keloose Planning Committee and help where I could. Although the Keloose has always been a very positive thing, sadly, over the years it has gotten smaller, and many of the games and activities have fallen by the wayside.
And so, when the first meeting was called, looking for volunteers to form the 2009 Keloose Planning I felt compeeled, I knew I had to sign up. It was time for me to give back, no matter how big or how little.
By the beginning of the New Year the group was busy planning the 2009 Keloose Fair Celebration, holding their first meeting in February. Life-long community resident Sandra Carr was among the volunteers.
Each year the Keloose Committee is led by one person, usually the largest financial contributor. But unlike years gone by, this time no one stepped forward to take the reigns; to actually lead the committee and be the official organizer for the event. Time was passing and work needed to begin in order to be completed by the time the Keloose was held. Carr soon found herself reluctantly heading the committee, having been “volunteered” to the post by the rest of our group. She agreed to organize, carry out the responsibilities, and hold the position, but only until an official organizer was found.
Perhaps it was nostalgia; perhaps a few of this year’s committee members simply wanted to turn back time – if only for a short while – but the committee made the decision to put forth a big effort and to attempt to revive the excitement and community participation of the Keloose celebrations of years gone by. Little did we know what a big job that would be.
Over monthly, then bi-weekly and weekly meetings, the plan for the celebration was hatched. Ideas were tossed out and hashed over; decisions were made and letters were drafted. Soon the volunteers were out delivering them, visiting potential sponsors in the hopes of raising funds. Plans were put into motion and they grew even bigger and better as time went on. The dunk tank and bingo were brought back and a fishing derby was planned. The original Mr. and Miss Keloose pageant was considered, but in keeping up with the times a Keloose Idol contest was decided upon instead and was soon in the works. An official organizer never was found, but thankfully Carr stayed on and continued leading the effort despite having a heavy schedule.
When the first Keloose Fair took place it was sponsored by then-resident Paul Pettipas of the Nova Scotia Homebuilders Association. Pettipas looked after it all with help from his business associates, contacts, and friends. Mr. Pettipas and a group of helpers did everything, including the fundraising for the fantastic fire-works display. For those who don’t know, the fireworks we so love to watch do come with a large price-tag – this year’s display cost around $16,000. Mr. Pettipas has since moved from this neighbourhood, and the responsibility to organize and fund the Keloose shifted to the Community a number of years back.
Just like prior year’s, there was no funding in place when the 2009 Keloose Planning Committee began it’s endeavour; they began with zero dollars in the bank but a lot of heart, determination, and ideas. Money was raised through hot dog sales, ticket sales, and through donations from both businesses and individuals. The volunteers worked tirelessly, giving up weekends and putting a lot of miles on both their vehicles and their feet doing what was necessary in order to have the annual community Keloose celebration take place. The committee members knew a lot of children and their parents would be disappointed if the festivities did not materialize.
Susan Casey and her staff from Scotiabank in Fall River took part in the fundraising and gave a huge donation, matching the funds raised by the Keloose Planning Committee to a stunning maximum contribution of $5000. A number of other generous sponsors also came forth and donated funds. Combined with the smaller amounts donated and raised the committee managed to come up with the total amount needed, a small miracle. No doubt, without the kind generosity of the many businesses and individuals who gave, there would have been no Keloose.
I think most folks who attended this year’s celebration would agree it was a great time. From the adult dance and the sound of Dave and Confused, to the entertainment for the kiddies, everyone had fun. Which brings me to the point; until I volunteered and worked on the Keloose Planning Committee, I honestly had no idea how much work is required to pull off the annual summer celebration. I had always taken it for granted, but now I know it takes a lot of time, energy, and money to bring it all together.
This being said, I hope others in the community also realize how much work goes into planning a celebration like the Keloose Fair, and I hope individuals will think about stepping forward and offering whatever they can to make the Keloose Fair weekends of years to come take place. Yes, volunteering does take up a large amount of your time; and yes, there is much to do to get ready for a fair like the Keloose, but my own experience this year tells me it is all worth it. The children have a great time, as do the adults. Neighbours and friends can take the opportunity to reconnect; sports enthusiasts can enjoy some great entertainment in the form of baseball (maybe more if those involved decide to add something new too); in short, it is a great chance for some quality family time as well.
I would like to thank Sandra Carr for the great job she did in organizing this years Keloose; without her I am not sure where the committee would have been. The same can be said of those who volunteered for the Planning Committee; the work they did and the efforts they put forth are nothing short of admirable. But seeing the kids having so much fun during the Keloose weekend confirmed my feeling that it is a job worth doing.
And the fireworks – the crew who set them up, working none-stop in that Sunday’s intense heat, simply put, those guys deserve a medal. It was insanely hot, there was not even a breeze, but Jim Malone and the rest of the fireworks crew worked diligently until everything was ready for the show that night – a show that was absolutely spectacular.
Hopefully those who attended the Keloose weekend and/or fireworks will recognize the efforts that go into making it all happen. The donations from sponsors, the prizes made available for games, the time given by those who worked the events that weekend – each and every aspect is imperative to making the Keloose weekend a reality.
Watching folks enjoying the Keloose pre-fireworks show organized by the School of Performing Arts, and the fireworks display itself, I found myself wondering how many people out there in the audience realized just how many months of planning, how many hours of pounding the pavement, how much time sending emails and making phone calls, went into making the final outcome a success.
This year’s committee raised over $19,000 for the 2009 Keloose celebration. Next year will require just as much, if not more. As a member of this community, I want to say that although it was a lot of work, it was all worth it. The feeling of satisfaction seeing the faces of the kids and yes, even the adults, is enormous.
So next year, even if you cannot help out directly by volunteering, I hope you will remember that you can still help the cause. When you see people selling hot dogs at Sobeys, buy one; when you get a letter asking for a donation, give — every little bit helps, no matter how large or small. If you are asked to buy a ticket for a draw as part of the fundraising efforts, please remember, the Keloose and the fireworks show are the end result of it all. Without each and every one of these things coming together it will not happen. It can’t happen.
The reality of life today is that it takes money to do these things, a lot of money and a lot of determination. So, if you would like to see the Keloose take place in the future, and if you have a bit of time to volunteer and you think you have what it takes to get the job done, then I’d like to encourage you to consider joining next year’s Keloose Planning Committee. The Way I See It, we are all able to give in some way or other; I promise, the great feeling you will get from giving to or volunteering for your community celebration is priceless.
