Bruins crush MoJacks in playoff series opener
by Roger Varley
In a match-up that most Uxbridge Bruins fans relish, the Bruins opened their semi-final playoffs against their arch-rivals, the Port Perry MoJacks, with a 6-1 win at the arena Monday afternoon.
The best-of-seven series resulted from Port Perry’s defeat of the Clarington Eagles in their mini-series to determine who would face the Bruins. With neither team taking advantage of home ice, the MoJacks downed the Eagles two games to one. Then, having played three games in four days, the MoJacks entered the arena for their fourth game in five days.
With almost 400 fans in the seats, the Bruins, sporting brand new yellow helmets instead of their usual black helmets, started the game in a business-like manner and took a four-goal lead before Port Perry even hit the scoreboard.
Daniel Giorgio opened the scoring near the midway mark of the first period after taking a perfect pass from Toby Cooper. Jackson Savery followed with what proved to be the game-winner two minutes later, assisted by Matthew Hunter and Justin Bennett.…continue reading…

Provincial agri minister visits Uxbridge farmers
by Roger Varley
About 30 members of the North Durham farming community gathered at Brooks Farms last Thursday to meet with provincial Agriculture Minister Ernie Hardeman and Pickering-Uxbridge MPP and Treasury Board president Peter Bethlenfalvy.
The farmers, who were all selected and invited, represented a mix of farming activities, as well as the Ontario Farmers Association and the agriculture advisory committee. Also on hand were Mayor Dave Barton and councillors Pam Beach and Willie Popp. Barton and Bethlenfalvy developed the list of who would be invited.
The meeting was closed to the media, but Popp said some of the subjects raised in the close to two-hour roundtable discussion included rural Internet and natural gas distribution, the costs of doing business, red tape, access to funding and federal/provincial inspections. He said the farmers voiced frustrations and disappointments.…continue reading…

The Cosmos nominated for two provincial awards
The Uxbridge Cosmos has been nominated for two Better Newspaper Competition (BNC) awards, which are sponsored by the Ontario Community Newspaper Association (OCNA).
Finalists for the BNCs were announced last Thursday, and the Cosmos was named a finalist in the Community Service category for its series of articles based on Doug Griffiths’ book “13 Ways to Kill Your Community.” Each of Griffiths’ book chapters were reviewed by Cosmos writers Roger Varley and Lisha Van Nieuwenhove, then measured against the reality of the situation in the Township of Uxbridge. The series culminated in a presentation from Doug Griffiths, as well as a summary piece in the paper on how well Uxbridge fared compared to Griffiths’ book.…continue reading…

Award-winning music benefits popular scholarship
Abby Zotz, winner of the LA Music Critics’ award for Best international Artist 2018, is bringing her musical talent to Uxbridge to support the Uxbridge Music Scholarship Trust (UMST). Zotz will perform alongside Anne Gringras, Joel Saunders, Anna Marie Therrien, Bryden Chernoff and Chris Sunders at a fundraiser concert this Saturday, Feb. 23, at St. Andrews Chalmer’s Presbyterian Church at 7:30 p.m. Ted Barris will MC the evening.
Her recently released solo CD, “Local Honey,” features original music with social and environmental themes, and has received accolades from across North America.…continue reading…

Udora getting in its Yuk Yuk’s this Saturday night
Beat the February blahs by laughing it up this Saturday night in Udora.
The Udora Community Hall Board is hosting a Yuk Yuk’s Stand-Up Comedy fundraiser for the hall; the
night promises three outstanding performers.
First on the bill is comedian Keith Pedro. Pedro was recently featured on Kevin Hart’s “Laugh Out Loud” network, and has toured the globe sharing his wit with many different audiences, from Montreal’s Just For Laughs comedy festival to CBC’s Halifax Comedy Festival.
Also on the programme is Juliana Rodrigues. Rodrigues began performing stand-up at the age of 15, and only five years later is reportedly gaining popularity in the Toronto comedy scene. In May 2017, the Canadian Press did a segment about her journey entitled, “Canada 150: On stage with a Teenage Stand-up Comedian,” and since then, she’s become a regular performer on some of the most prestigious comedy shows in the city.…continue reading…