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April 2014

Looking for a fun low cost night out in our neighbourhood? The comedy production Leading Ladies will be at Lester B Pearson High School on April 10, 11 and 12 starting at 7 p.m. It is set in 1958 and has been described as being a little like the movie “Some like it hot”. Tickets are $7 and can be purchased in the office or at the door.

Gloucester High School will be having their musical production, Zombie Prom, on May 1, 2 and 3 starting at 7 p.m. It has been described as a satirical version of the movie “Grease”. Tickets are $10 and can be purchased in the office or at the door.

Why not go out for dinner at one of the local restaurants before hand and make it an evening of dinner and the theatre.


GCGC Registration for Gymnastics Spring Session is OpenRegistration for the Spring Session of our Recreational Programs is now on! Classes began on Saturday, March 22, but we still have a few more spots and can accommodate your child. Check out our programs and download the registration form today at www.gcgc.ca. Conveniently located in Beacon Hill on Canotek Road. Choose GCGC for fun, fitness and friendships!


BH's Beacon Learning Centre Fundraising Rain Barrel SaleRainBarrel.ca is pleased to partner with BLC. The Beacon Learning Centre is a not-for-profit, early childhood centre that provides a nurturing, inspiring, and creative program to help children build confidence and awareness of their growing abilities and the world around them. It provides an environment that builds the foundation for character development and ignites a quest for life-long learning. Funds raised from this sale will support enrichment activities, giving the children enhanced opportunities to learn about their natural world. Parents hope, through this fundraiser, to model the importance of environmental responsibility and stewardship. The rain barrel sale is scheduled for Saturday April 26, 2014 and distribution will take place at 10:00 – 1:00 at The Beacon Learning Centre 2379 Ogilvie Road. Only barrels ordered in advance are guaranteed to be available.

Prices begin at $55.00 per barrel. A variety of optional items including flexible downspout pipes, downspout diverters, rain barrel stands, dispensing hose and additional lengths of overflow hose can also be purchased. Please bring your receipt to the sale event to claim your products.

Call (613) 741-3422 or email director@beaconlearningcentre.com for information not available on the website or if you need assistance with online ordering.

http://rainbarrel.ca/BLC/

Company of Fools Theatre!Hello BCHA!

I wanted to give you an early head's up that we have applied for a permit to perform in Appleford Park on Wednesday August 6th.

This year's production is " As You Like It " directed by Scott Florence.

Moving forward we will provide you with additional information and if you are still willing, ask you to once again help with the distribution of our post card/handbill.

Cheers,
Your friends at a Company of Fools Theatre!


So if you're willing to help us spread some of the Bard's culture in our neighbourhood, please contact the BHCA, president@bhca.ca, and we'll give you some advertisments to deliver in your neighbouhood.

Glebe Little League Registration Now Open Interested in signing your son or daughter up for recreational baseball this spring?

Glebe Little League offers spring house league (May and June) and summer competitive (July and August) programs for boys and girls aged 5 through 18 years.

Glebe Little League serves residents of the Glebe, Centretown, Lowertown, Old Ottawa South, Old Ottawa East, Sandy Hill, Vanier, Rockliffe and Gloucester.

Registration forms as well as details about programs, eligibility and contact information are available online at www.glebelittleleague.ca

Evaluations will be held indoors at the dome in Blackburn Hamlet this April

Sign up now – the season starts in May!
 

Xbox Tournament – Gamework: the Beta Test Gamework is a Canadian video-game tournament organization and also the name of our tournaments that will be held across the country. First tournament…Ottawa!!!

Our initial Xbox tournament – Gamework: the Beta test – is being held in Ottawa in April 26th & 27th, 2014 at Earl Armstrong Arena.

Registration is now open to the public!

Don’t wait too long, spaces are going quickly!

Please visit www.gamework.ca for more information

This site also provides information about the official location, tournament dates, rules & regulations, prizing information and much more. We welcome your feedback as well…

Welcome to Gamework, we’re excited to be the future of gaming tournaments in Canada!
 

Clean-Up the Capital in Beacon HillBeacon Hill Spring Clean-up 2014 *NEW LOCATION*

Join in on Saturday, May 24th at 9 a.m. Ski Hill Park on Laverendrye Drive. Rain or shine.

This is the 4th annual Beacon Hill Spring Clean-up. It is our community's opportunity to make the neighbourhood shine, either by collecting litter, helping to clean up graffiti, or by safely disposing household batteries. It is a wonderful community building exercise that also affords high school students valuable volunteer hours.

NEW LOCATION THIS YEAR. Meet at Ski Hill Park (Zeller's Hill for long-time residents) on Laverendrye Drive in behind the Beacon Hill Shopping Centre at 9:00 am. For more information, contact Shannon at shanhaggerty@gmail.com or 613-742-0109.
 

Ottawa Bird Countottawabirds@sympatico.ca

Ottawa Bird Count is offering a free bird song course this spring and thought your community would like to participate:

http://www.eventbrite.ca/e/chirps-tweets-and-trills-learn-your-local-bird-songs-tickets-10716396029
 

Canada Day FIREWORKS & Picnic in the ParkWe're starting to prepare for our Canada Day festivities. If there's any help you'd like to donate, please contact us at president@bhca.ca.

Also, we'd like to ask you for some monetary help with the events we put on. Since they are free to anyone and everyone, a small donation would ensure that we could put on a great family picnic, and a phenomenal fireworks show minutes from home.

Please click through to www.BHCA.ca to donate (Right side menu).
 
 

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Fun Stuff

At this rate...

 

10 Things Restaurants Aren’t Telling You

http://www.urbanspoon.com/blog/2013/12/10-things-restaurants-arent-telling/

Whether it’s recycled wine or made-up wait times, Urbanspoon’s peek behind the scenes exposes secrets from restaurant staffers to help patrons make more informed decisions when dining out.

Read on for the complete list of ten things restaurants won’t tell you:

1. Those specials don’t come cheap. Your server may wax poetic about the day’s special, but understand that they may be incentivized to do so. Specials are often designed to drive higher check averages, with larger tips and managerial prizes awaiting those who sell them to diners.
2. The second cheapest bottle of wine is marked up the most. Restaurants realize that many people won’t order the least expensive wine (no one wants to look like a cheapskate!) so they often go for the second cheapest. That’s exactly why it’s often the most marked-up bottle on the list.
3. Hold the lemon. Sliced lemons for water and iced tea are often kept, usually unwashed, in a container by the kitchen’s exit. Waiters and bussers will grab the lemon slices with their bare hands; studies have shown that up to two-thirds of restaurant lemons are contaminated with bacteria.
4. Wait times are made up. Ever wonder how your favorite restaurant comes up with that 50-minute wait time? Many restaurants put their least experienced employee at the door, and best guesses are made based on the average customer dining time and restaurant environment. But hostesses everywhere know the real story – wait times are often arbitrary.
5. We know more about you than you think. Whether you avoid eye contact and pleasantries or are a chatty Kathy, waiters have insight into your personality before you even order. That overly nice male customer? He’s probably on a first date – or even out with someone who’s not his significant other. And, your waiter also often knows that those “allergies” you claim are just as likely to be overly dramatized claims to ensure an offending food stays off your plate.
6. Ordering coffee at night? It’s probably decaf. When a customer orders regular coffee and the restaurant is out, chances are high that they’ll get served a cup of decaf. It’s time-consuming to start and wait for a pot of coffee, so staffers pour what’s available. Since many restaurants only brew decaf in the evening, it’s even more likely that you’ll get the switch.
7. The less busy we are, the worse your service will be. Employees take advantage of a slow restaurant by getting their side work done early and playing around with coworkers. They’re not on a fast-paced routine like they are on a busy night, so they forget to check in on the tables they do have as often.
8. Your half-empty bottle of wine won’t be tossed down the drain. Instead, it will often end up being served by the glass to patrons the following evening or given to the kitchen to make vinegar.
9. Homemade doesn’t mean what you think. Sure, that homemade dessert might actually be homemade – just not necessarily in the restaurant you ordered it from. And homemade dressings? Those can be store-bought, with one or two added ingredients to make them seem fresh.
10. Upscale restaurants have fancy menu designs for a reason. Menus that list prices in a neat column down the right side allow customers to compare prices and pick cheaper items. Fancy restaurants will put the price immediately next to the dish, in the same cursive font as the description, so it’s harder to distinguish each item’s price. Leaving the dollar sign off of the cost also prevents patrons from focusing on money.

 

An Illustrated Account of the Great Maple Syrup Heist

Well worth the read. Also, someone is making a Hollywood movie about it!

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Consideration for this Newsletter provided in part by:

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This Newsletter also sponsored in part by Councillor Tim Tierney