The Hodgepodge Lodge - Shawn Loughlin editorial

This has been an angry space as of late. Have you noticed that? A bit angry. My wife certainly noticed. She suggested that I’ve really been on one lately, and that was even before last week’s column, which might have been the most on one someone on this page has been since Denny wrote a column on it. You remember Denny’s column - it was the most on one anyone’s ever been since beings were first on one, which is confirmed as being the opening scene of 2001: A Space Odyssey, in which those primordial monkeys were most certainly on one in the face of the Monolith.

 

(Having said that, a lot of you people really liked Denny’s column and his relentless anger directed towards Morris-Turnberry and North Huron Councils, so, perhaps, dear readers, it is not me who is on one, but, rather, all of you.)

 

Anyway. So begins the search for something positive to write about. The world seems to be descending into chaos, one war at a time, and I can’t even write about my daughter anymore because you people complain about that too. (Easy, big fella - you’re starting to descend the downward spiral of negativity that leads to the satisfying release of being on one.)

 

Even the non-war-and-death news is kind of depressing. Christine Sinclair is retiring from international competition. What a legend and she’ll be missed, but more on that next week.

 

Alright... back to the drawing board. 

 

Well, we handed out our Citizen of the Year Awards - or at least named the winners - so that was neat. While senior citizens are a large and important part of this community, it was nice to see some winners who took aim at projects that will benefit future generations. A lasting impact is something that means a lot more to me now that I am a father of two. (Watch it....)
Speaking of the Citizen of the Year Awards, we’ll be having an in-person event to celebrate the winners. Come out, it’ll be a nice night.

 

What else is there to talk about? For sports fans, this is about the best time of year, with every major sport out there doing its thing. The World Series is ready to go and professional football, basketball, hockey and soccer are all in full swing. So, cheers to all who celebrate.

 

Looking back at the past year’s output from The Citizen, it was a good year. So there’s that. 

 

Publisher Deb Sholdice and I went through the year’s issues (October 2022 to September 2023) to find submissions for the provincial newspaper awards and it just felt like a good 12 months in which there was always a good story to read or a great picture to remember.

 

We have some new blood circulating in the editorial department with Scott and he seems to be settling in quite nicely - in fact, it was neat to see him evolve in those newspapers. From mid-January until the end of September, he grew and improved and learned more and more about the community as he went.

 

But, enough about us here at The Citizen.

 

Meeting Place Organic Farm celebrated 50 years of stewardship with a special on-farm dinner on Saturday. Meanwhile, the week before, James Eddington - joined by Peter Gusso and Frank Ihrig - sold out one of four Feast on the Farm days at Eddington’s home farm. As a food-lover, seeing amazing events happen like that, right in my backyard, is so encouraging and we’re lucky to have all that we do all around us in Huron County.

 

Meanwhile, this Halloween, I think we’ll be taking Tallulah out to trick-or-treat properly for the first time (rather than just our block). That’s exciting. So, if you see a little girl dressed as George from Peppa Pig and her little brother as George’s dinosaur toy and two adults as Mommy and Daddy Pig - that’s us.