Town of Fortune
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The Fortune TellerSeptember 2007 Email: fortell2002@hotmail.com Website: http://townoffortune.ca |
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Residents of the Town of Fortune are hereby advised that due to the large volume of bulk garbage and the rising costs associated with transporting to the Waste Disposal Site at Molliers, effective August 8, 2008 the Town will be strictly adhering to the bulk garbage regulations. 'Bulk Items' mean heavy or bulky items such as stoves, refrigerators, dishwashers, clothes washers, clothes dryers, furnaces, boilers, bed springs, furniture, fencing, boxes, and barrels and similar items. But Shall Not Include: car parts, rubber tires, scrap metals, concrete, brick, earthy materials, or materials removed from a residential unit or any other form of structure as the result of repairs, renovations and or replacement/deletion, whether or not the work was performed by the occupant or by a contractor. Such as:(i.e) installing of gutters, siding, windows, roofing, etc., Such materials referred to herein shall be the occupants or contractors responsibility for removal and proper disposal at the approved or designated site by the Town or Incorporation. Please Note: The number of bulk garbage collections per household per year will be limited to two (2). Residents may review the Sanitation & Waste Regulations in their entirety at the Town Office between 8-am to 4-pm. Fortune Town Council FOR THE WEEKS OF SEPTEMBER 8TH -13TH AND SEPTEMBER 15TH- 20TH The Town of Fortune would like to advise its residents that regular garbage collection for all areas of the town will be picked up on Friday September 12 and September 19, 2008 for these weeks only. Residential Garbage will not be picked up on the regular Tuesday and Wednesday schedule for these two weeks. The Town will be using a compactor on a trial basis to determine cost efficiency for the collection of residential sanitation and waste removal. Fortune Town Council Those of us who do the sport diving thing think at times where are the best places for the dive? Anywhere in Newfoundland is good; we have pristine waters and lots of rugged shore line that makes for a perfect day to do a dive any where you are, whenever you want to do it. Fortune has a lot to offer to the underwater site seeker. Why, just around the head of the western pier we have the famous oven. This may sound strange to someone who never heard of the oven. Well it’s a natural cave that’s carved out of the Cliff close to the waters edge. It doesn’t look like very much as you pass by, but take a closer look and you will find you can get in there, even by a good size boat, when the tides are right and get out to sit on the beach in a natural cave. Once you are in there, if you are a diver, there is another opening that you can see underneath the water that you could visit anytime, to get to this cave to see its beauty; because when the tide is high the mouth of the cave is under water and that entrance is closed to visitors by boat. I have been through the back entrance to come up inside while the main opening is covered with water. What a strange feeling – at first you are inside looking out at a wall of water that is a natural doorway; you are inside standing on the beach with your regulator out breathing the bit of heavy salty air that’s trapped inside. For the diver that’s never done cave diving be sure its not spring tides, as at that time the cave is flushed off to capacity and there is no air to breath only what’s in your scuba tank. Caution should be the key word here and never go into any cave without a good dive buddy who has done it before and knows the danger of water surges and confusion as water moves back and forth in holes. Further up along the shore line there are great overhangs in the cliffs underneath the water. Here marine life is in abundance. Fish that feed on the shell fish are hiding in their homes with great mounds of shells outside the doorway. The wolf eel lives here and should not be petted. He is a dirty bluish gray in color and ugly. Divers beware - he doesn’t like to be touched. All kinds of underwater flowers are out in bloom reaching upward for that ray of sunlight that they crave. I have seen three kinds of mussels in this area – the horse mussel, the blue mussel, and the razor mussel – all of which are good eating. A few scallops find their way to the sandy beds. Sea urchins are abundant and should be avoided if you are close to the bottom and kneel down; those spines from the sea urchin finds their way inside the wet suit into the skin and can be very painful for a few days after the pleasure of the dive is over. There’s lots of beauty that we all don’t see in and around Fortune outdoors. To be continued … Photos of the entrance to the 'Oven' may be seen HERE The Fortune Head Interpretation Centre will continue operations into early Fall. Weekly business hours will be posted at the Centre each week until closing. If there is a group or individual that would like to view the exhibits or Gift Shop following the closing, you can call 832-2810 to arrange your visit. Fortune Head ECO Friends is extending an invitation to local artisans/craft people for any suggestions or ideas for quality home-made merchandise and will be seeking individuals that are interested in doing some knitting for the 2009 season. Please contact Business Manager, Linda Collier, at 821-2810 or visit the staff at the Interpretation Centre who will forward your name/idea. By Fannie Taylor Summer has slipped away so fast and we’ll soon be back to our monthly meetings for the winter. Unfortunately our trip to Frenchman’s Cove Park had to be cancelled for this year, due to weather and some of our people are always working – but – there’s always another year if God spares us. We look forward to seeing everyone again. Our first meeting is scheduled for the last Monday in September – you will be notified by phone as soon as something is definite. A number of people are wondering if there are any vacancies in our group – I suggested they contact Captain Charlene and she can advise them of some. Pray for all people – remember our Troops, and keep your sun shining. By Joanne Pierce The S.A. Sunday School will hold a meeting on Friday, Sep 12 at 6:30 pm in the basement of the church. Parents of children up to and including age 8, who are interested in this program (Sunday School) are invited to attend this meeting. Please do not bring your child to the meeting. Our regular program starts on Friday, Sep 26 at 6:30 pm. We are looking for some new leaders for our Friday night program (Sunday School) to work with children up to age 8 ... if you are interested, please contact Joanne Pierce at 832-2675 or Captain Charlene Hillier at 832-1884. Thank you to our Sunday School kids and parents who participated in the Fortune Summer Festival Parade on July 12. By Joanne Pierce Registration for the Mime Troop will be on Wednesday, Sep 10 at 6:30 pm. Practice will be held on Wednesday evenings beginning at 6:30 pm for Juniors and 7:15 pm for Teens. We welcome anyone in grade 3 and up. Registration is free. For more information, call Joanne Pierce (832-2675) or Diane Butt (832-0357). We hope to see you on Sep 10. Thank you to all Mime Members who participated in the Fortune Summer Festival Parade on July 12; and to anyone who supported the Mime Troop at the Balloon Burst / Lollipop Tree Booth on Fortune Day, July 19 ... your support is greatly appreciated. Joanne & Diane would like to say great job and thank you so much to four of our Mime Members, (Jennifer Stacey, Heidi Kearley, Jonni-Lynn Caines & Steven Caines) for singing two lovely songs, Concrete Angel and Jesus Take The Wheel at the Outdoor Gospel Concert, hosted by the Fortune Salvation Army on July 13. By Greg Dominaux Another season of exciting Pirate hockey will soon be here! It’s time to dig your equipment out from the back of the closet, see what fits and what doesn't and get yourself ready to hit the ice. The executive team has started their work in preparation for the year ahead and looks forward to another successful and fun filled season of Pirate hockey. Stay tuned to your email and our website www.sport.ca/unitedtowns for further updates and information about the upcoming year including start dates, schedules, registration dates and locations, tournaments, games and our used equipment exchange. Our United Towns Pirates Novice Team is also still looking for a team rep. Anyone interested in this position is asked to please contact any member of the executive - all contact information can be found on our website. By Ronald W. Tew Bittersweet! Those were my feelings when I sold Tewsday, my forty-foot Island Packet blue water sailboat to Jake Weymouth of Fortune, Newfoundland. Eleven years of extensive sailing were enough for my wife, and the time had come for Cap’n Ron to think ‘day sailer’. July 19, I met Jake and his friends Tom Douglas and George Riggs, crew for the 2,000 mile journey from Titusville, Florida, near Cape Canaveral, to Fortune, Newfoundland. They lacked the tans we who live in the southern United States expect but appeared congenial in spite of their distinct accents. When they were excited, they talked very fast, and I decided I would have to listen faster if I wanted to understand them. It occurred to me that when we were underway, I would be the one with the accent. After spending Sunday stowing gear and provisioning for the trip, we left Monday morning in the Intracoastal Waterway (affectionately known to U.S. sailors as 'the ditch') for Ponce Inlet at New Smyrna, Florida, some thirty miles north. Halfway there, when George momentarily looked away from the channel markers, I felt a telltale bump signaling the boat’s draft now exceeded the water’s depth. We were aground. Weeks earlier, while talking to Jake on the telephone, I had mentioned running aground. “The boat’s been run aground?” he said, panic in his voice. Running aground must mean something different in Newfoundland. 'Jake, anyone who tells you he’s sailed the Bahamas or the ICW and has never run aground is lying on at least one account,' I said. 'Besides, the bottom in Florida waters is mud or sand. Not a problem.' For three days we alternated between great sailing and no wind whatsoever, while steering around scattered afternoon thunderstorms, as constant in summertime weather forecasts in the southeast as gale force winds are in the winter North Atlantic. Only two of the thunderstorms caught us, providing the crew an opportunity to learn how to reef Tewsday’s sails. They also kicked up the seas, the size of which is directly related to the anxiety of the boater. Tom insisted the five foot waves I was looking at were three meters. Dark clouds, thunder and lightening and a steep chop will do that to you when you’re over a hundred miles from the nearest land. The third day out, the generator quit. Running the generator two hours a day is essential to keeping the refrigerator and freezer cold and the batteries charged when sailing, so this was a big concern, necessitating a course change to Beaufort, North Carolina. Ashore Jake talked with a mechanic who suggested we follow the fuel lines and change all filters. It was embarrassing for me to find a filter I had never changed buried between the engine and generator. With a new filter, the generator ran better than ever. While in Beaufort, refueling and additional provisioning were deemed necessary. We had spent over three hundred dollars in Titusville for provisions and in four days were out of everything but canned goods. Another three hundred was spent on this shopping trip. Reviewing what we had bought, I discovered that a disproportionate percentage of our provisioning budget went to liquor. Obviously the Newfoundland climate creates a need for more human anti-freeze than I was accustomed to, but I adapted. As Tom pointed out, the daily ration of grog is a sea tradition. Leaving Beaufort, the boys (a Newfoundland expression) wanted to take the ICW to Norfolk, Virginia. We motored all day long, running aground three times, two with Jake at the helm. Now that he is experienced, the idea of running aground in the ICW no longer sends him into a frenzy. If nothing else works, just wait on the tide. Our first day in the ditch was hot without a breath of breeze, calling for a swim when we reached our anchorage in Bonner Bay. Tom and Jake went below to change to swimsuits, something I Ron found unnecessary in this secluded sound. Tom and I bounded over the lifelines into the warm water while Jake cautiously climbed down the ladder. A reasonable amount of razzing helped him overcome his timidity the next time we anchored. George, our inveterate log and journal keeper, finished documenting the day’s non-events in time to take his swim as the three of us were drying off. As an additional jab at our courageous captain, George jumped over the side. Tom Douglas can fix anything. I believe he delighted in something not functioning properly as it gave him an opportunity to pull out the tool box. George, in addition to minutely documenting the trip, was our chef. He prepared every meal during the three weeks I was aboard. With one exception, they were all outstanding. Prior to coming to Florida, George and Tom had spent two weeks riding ATVs and camping on the ‘tracks’ in Newfoundland. Confusing life aboard Jake’s floating condominium with camping, George had purchased several cans of Vienna Sausage. I told him that as a child I had eaten this stuff while my father was in the service, but after WWII he got a job and Mother took them off the list of things we ate. Sardines and kippers cut up on salads are fine, but no Vienna Sausage. George did all the cooking and bartending during our three weeks together. Tom did all the cleaning up afterward. Jake and I . . . actually, I don’t know what we did. Well, Jake did spend hours studying the charts along with George. Of course George did; the charts were paper and required a pencil to plot our position hourly. Cap’n Ron’s feelings were that when you’re going five miles an hour, plotting one’s position every three hours was often enough. I was along for the ride and managed to finish five paperback novels between eating and sleeping. That was pretty good considering how after breakfast we snacked on trail mix, fruit and jerky until lunch. At three every afternoon, George brought up a plate of grapes and cherries and a round of beer to hold us until happy hour at five, which was followed almost immediately by dinner. Tewsday’s crew was well fed. Navigating the ICW involved two days in a canal through the Dismal Swamp. During that time we were attacked by hordes of black flies, survived a severe thunderstorm and transited two locks, both of which opened at nine a.m. and three p.m. We arrived at the first lock at ten after nine and sat until three in the afternoon before we could continue. Motoring through Norfolk, homeport for the U.S. Atlantic Fleet, the exposure to both Navy vessels and a variety of tankers and container ships was exhilarating. Leaving Norfolk, we met a Panamax ship, the largest ship able to transit the Panama Canal. A U.S. Coast Guard inflatable roared up to us and insisted we move to starboard as he thought we were too close to the ship. (This story, submitted by Ronald W. Tew of Pensicola, Florida, will continue next month… Ed.) Editorial by Paul Tulk After reading an article called 'A Little Good Fortune,' in the May-June 2008 Issue of the Union Forum, I have to respond out of respect for some of our area residents who have bent over backwards since the closure of our plant in 2005. I am more than pleased to see the gates of the plant open, and to see people returning to work after a three-year shutdown. I also hope that everyone who wishes to return to the operation gets a chance to do so. We all know that for the operation to work, it has to have a steady flow of raw material to provide a steady flow of work, and a dedicated work force which I am sure the area can supply. In the article 'A Little Good Fortune,' Ben Baker and the FFAW are really trying to make themselves smell like a rose, and present themselves as being really involved in the Fortune fish plant since it closed in 2005. There is absolutely no doubt that the truly dedicated involved people; those who were trying to place an operator in the Fortune facility were the Concerned Citizens Committee, the Town Council, and the Former FPI Employees’ Committee. And the person who deserves the most praise for his hard work, dedication and leadership is Mr. Jake Thornhill. There is also an article in the book called 'Things Have Gone Quite Well,' which tells the success story of Cook Aquaculture’s salmon operation in Harbour Breton. It was our Earl McCurdys and Ben Bakers who interfered last year and drove away this very successful operator from our area. After all the hard work and dedication from our committees of getting Cook interested by offering a possible bargaining agreement, and getting the infrastructure work resolved. This involved the redirection of the town’s sewer system, harbour clean-up, installation of a filtration system, and funding approval from the government to help with the cost. These things were all done through committees, under the leadership of Mr. Thornhill. (Not Earl McCurdy or Ben Baker.) When these types of people try to make themselves look like a rose on the backs of someone else, look deeper and you will find the thorns just below the rose. I believe in giving credit where credit is due, not for someone coming looking for it. The next time you see one of those committee members that have worked for you the past three years, especially Mr. Thornhill, say thank-you for your time and dedication. The best of luck with the salt fish operation. (Editor’s Note: This editorial was submitted earlier but there was no August edition, so it was held over for Sept.) Girl Guides Of Canada is looking for leaders this coming season, 2008. At present there are no leaders for the 1st Fortune Sparks, Brownies, or Guides. Anyone interested in being a leader, may contact Marguerite Hillier at 832-2993. |
Home / Administration / Location / Facilities & Services / Attractions/ Organizations / Contact
Photo Gallery / Historical / Fortune Teller / Links / Fortune Head Ecological Reserve
Miss Teen Southern Nfld. Pageant / Fortune Volunteer Fire Department / Harbour Authority of Fortune