Purple Grove news

Congratulations and best wishes to Hannah MacDonald, Ripley-Huron Fall Fair ambassador, who was crowned Ambassador of the Fairs at the CNE, Sunday! Hannah will be at the CNE for the entire event, representing the agricultural societies and fairs of Ontario! Congratulations to all those young people as you continue to represent your communities!

Summer is flying by and our local agricultural societies are busy finalizing plans and hosting their annual fairs! Plan to attend these events. They are great celebrations, showcasing the hard work our 4-H members and young people have dedicated to their animal projects and the talents of so many of the folks in our communities! Plus, there’s some great food and you meet up with a bunch of your friends that you don't see from one fair season to another!

Congratulations to the Ripley Agricultural Society for the grant it received from the Nuclear Waste Management Organization (NWMO) for a sensory space as an addition to our fair. Society president James MacDonald, and Angela Taylor of Community Living of Kincardine and District were available for photos last week, with NWMO representatives Vanessa Liu and Lauren Schierz making the presentation. Ripley-Huron Fall Fair books are available at Pollock Electric, Collective Co., and Hensall Co-op if you are looking for them. The agricultural society’s Facebook page is the place to check out the details on the 4-H light horse show and other updates and programming of events. Also, the society is hosting another Canning Course, on Sunday, Oct. 6. To register, you must click on the link on the Facebook page.

Family and friends gathered at Dunsmoor Park in Kincardine, last Sunday, for a celebration of life for the late Vicki Dore and recognize her musical talents and influence on our lives.

We also extend our sympathy to the families and friends of Helen MacKenzie, Roy Elliott and Doug Kennedy. We cherish the memories and the lives of these special people and their contributions to our communities.

The Purple Grove Women’s Institute met at the home of Marilyn Reid last Wednesday and reviewed the Tweedsmuir Books containing the local history that we have of our community. Cheryl Bridge chaired the meeting. Photos were identified and the scrapbooks of local news items were read and enjoyed. During the business portion, we discussed the Sept. 4 trip to the Blyth Theatre; those attending are to meet at the Ripley-Huron Community Centre at 12:30 p.m. and we'll car pool. Dianne Simpson has a few tickets yet if you would like to join us! Also, we made plans for the Saturday of Ripley-Huron Fall Fair, in the social room, with coffee, tea, water, cookies and muffins. Donations of muffins or cookies are gratefully accepted. Bren de Leeuw attended the Grey County W.I. Rally in Meaford, Wednesday last week.

The South Bruce 4-H Beef Club was at the Teeswater Fall Fair, Saturday. There were lots of agricultural displays, cattle classes, horse events and snowmobile, truck and tractor shows, and Sunday evening, the combine drag races! Events went on in spite of the pouring rain! Congratulations to the Teeswater Fair executive for hosting a great fair!

The Paisley Antique and Steam Show was on at the Paisley Heritage Farm and was a terrific show again, featuring John Deere tractors and equipment.

Birthday wishes to Charlie Smith, Sarah Lotton, Carla Arnold, Willem Harris, Patrick Farrell, Lane Farrell, Danica Farrell and Dale Ferguson! Happy Wedding Anniversary greetings to Ashleigh and Spencer Harris!

The Ripley Food, Art and Craft Show, Saturday, was well-attended and enjoyed by all. It's just an amazing display of the talented artisans and entrepreneurs in our community! Congratulations to all those vendors and organizers for another great event!

Wray and Roxanne hosted a Thompson family gathering, Saturday, at their home in Ripley. Joan and Carman Locke of Timmins were visiting in the area for the family reunion.

Next weekend looks as if it's going to be busy again, with Lucknow’s Music in the Fields, and the Massed Band and Marine Heritage Festival in Kincardine. Maybe we'll see you there!