Congratulations to Scott Martin
If you are following Scott Martin's caddying career, you will be happy to know that he was caddying for George McNeil this weekend at the Puerto Rico Open. He was filling in for George's regular caddie and as luck would have it, George rallied late in the final round and birdied his final three holes at Trump International to win the tournament. According to Scott, it has happened quite frequently when a caddy takes a week off for some reason that a replacement caddy ends up on a winning bag. It was a great weekend for Scott whose luck with finding a regular position has not been great this year. This win may help him get that regular bag but if not the pay cheque from the win should ease the pressure for a bit. In his spare time, he is still starring in the Caddie Show on TourPlayers.com with an episode every Thursday. Check it out out here. Great job Scott and good luck finding another winner soon.

Laval West Group on Facebook
If you are from Laval West and enjoy Facebook (which everyone from LW seems to), you might want to check out the Laval West Survivors group. It currently has 235 members and many photos from the golden days of the Garden City. My first 'real' exposure to Laval West was in 1968 when we were shipped to Immaculate Heart of Mary school for grade 7 as no school in Two Mountains was 'accept' Catholics. I guess the group is named Survivors for the people who managed to survive growing up on the wrong side of the tracks. By that, I mean not in Laval-sur-le-lac. Click here to go to the LWS Facebook site. For you people who don't use Facebook, there is a LTM Alumni group in Yahoo. Click here to get there. This group has been in existence for many years before Facebook was born.

Squidjigger Tickets 70% Sold
The tradition continues as the 3 member band, Squidjigger, is coming to Two Mountains for the 'green' weekend. On Friday March 16, they will be playing at the Heritage Social Club. The Moran Academy dancers will be kicking off the show before the band takes into high gear. This should start off your St Patrick celebrations well if you haven't started already. Visit Squidjigger's website here to find out more about the band and click here for all the details of the evening. Tickets must be purchased in advance.

Diane (Kit) Prickett - 1956- 2012
From the Ottawa Citizen: PRICKETT, Diane (née Kit) February 25,1956 - February 26, 2012
Loving wife, mother, daughter, sister, aunt, friend and neighbour, passed away peacefully into the beautiful, blue sky morning of Sunday, February 26th under the extraordinary tender and loving care of the volunteers and staff at the Maison Mathieu Froment-Savoie in Gatineau (Hull) after an 18 month courageous battle with cancer. Diane had an amazing propensity for friendship, hope, love, kindness and generosity, a loving smile and a comforting integrity. A truly decent, strong and thoughtful woman, she was always welcoming and supportive, with a sense of humour that helped all of us along. She will be sadly missed by her family and many friends here and around the globe. A Memorial Service will be held at the Aylmer United Church, Saturday, March 17, 2012 at 1:30 pm. In memoriam, donations in her memory to Médicins Sans Frontière, The Stephen Lewis Foundation, the Oncology department of the Gatineau Hospital, the Maison Mathieu-Froment-Savoie or the Aylmer United Church would be greatly appreciated by her and her family. To view her online obituary please click here.

Signs of Spring - Changing the Clocks and Registering For Drive For The Cure
This Sunday morning it's time to Spring Forward your clocks. It also a sign that you should register for the 12th edition of the Dan Klimas Drive For The Cure Golf Classic. Although the official deadline to enter is May 1st, the spots are filling up fast. The tournament this year is Thursday June 28, 2012 at the Fontainebleau Golf Course. It's your chance to play a great course while supporting a great cause. Don't delay register before the clocks move ahead. Click here for all the details.

New Old Victories Posted
I have posted 4 old 'The Victory' newspapers from 1967 and 1971. I have improved the quality quite a bit since my first postings. The link is on the top right and the words New Post are written beside the dates of the new editions.

Lions Club 2nd Annual Blood Drive
The Lions club is holding it's 2nd annual blood drive on Tuesday March 6-2012 between 1:30pm and 7:30pm. The location is be the Veterans Hall. 141 Grand Moulin. Deux-Montagnes. The blood drive is organized by Hema Quebec and the members of the Lions club will be there to hold your hand, provide support, and serve you refreshments. Please support this worthwhile cause. For information call Linda Hogue at 450-473-2388 . Last year, the Lions collected 97 pints of blood and their target this year is at least 10 more that that.

If You Want to See 2mopaul.com in French Click here.
If you read French, you might get a good laugh how Google translate works. It sometimes is pretty good but sometimes the words they choose are quite funny.

Back From an Amazing Trip
As you probably noticed from the new splash screen, we were away again and just got back. The picture of Smokey Bear and I is just outside the entrance to the Grand Canyon. Did you noticed the package on Smokey? We spent the last three weeks in various parts of Nevada, Arizona and Utah and we did some amazing hikes and caught up with family and friends. It was definitely the most varied vacation that we have ever taken. From sitting in front of a slot machine, to going 600 feet deep in a dark cave, climbing over 2000 feet up steep mountains and driving almost 4,000 kilometres, every day was different and interesting. Although we were We didn't really get away from the the cold as a few times we noticed that it was warmer back home than where we were, even when we were a few hundred feet from the Mexican border in Nogales. As usual, we kept an online travel log with many pictures while we were on the trip. This is how we document our trip for ourselves to look back at in the future. If you are interested, the trip is the first entry when you click on the globe in the 2mOpaul.com above.

Deux-Montagnes Softball Registration March 10 and March 17
The DMSA will be holding their annual softball registration for both Junior and Adult leagues March 10 and March 17 from 10am to 2pm at Olympia Park. All information can be found on their website www.dmsa.ca.

Saturday February 25th  Annual Seniors Day
The Lions' Club Annual Seniors Day will be held on Feb 25th at the Veterans Hall 141 Grand Moulin. The doors will open at 12:00 and admission is free. As in previous years, there will be many Bingo prizes, door prices and entertainment by various artists. A delicious meal will be served by the Lions together with refreshments.
This event is made possible by a Grant from the City of Deux-Montagnes, and over the years has become an event that Seniors look forward to attend.

There May Be a Few Tickets Left for 4 Korners Night of Improv
The comedy troupe Have Improv Will Travel is coming to town for a show on Saturday March 3rd. The troupe features an all star collection of improv comics and promises to deliver an off the wall, hilarious impromptu act. The show will be held at the Veteran's Hall and is only $20 a person. Come and support a worthwhile organization and have many laughs in return. To buy or reserve your tickets call 450 974-3940. Click here for more info. 

February/March Express is Out
For those of you who do not receive an e-mail when the Two Mountains Express is published it is available here. The Express used to be mailed out to all homes in Two Mo but to cut expenses, only 1000 copies are printed and distributed in bulk in various locations. If you are reading this, you probably don't need to know where those locations are. The spring activity program from Leisure and Community Services Department is also available here.

Mikael Kingsbury Still Hot on the Moguls
Although he didn't make it to 7 in a row, Two Mountains' Mikael Kingsbury bounced back to win the Moguls competition in China. He is having a stellar year so far and it doesn't look like he can be stopped. Here is the latest news on Mikael's accomplishments.

Klimas Ball Hockey Tournament Raises $3200
Today was a second Saturday in a row with perfect weather, this time for the 'Score For The Cure' Ball Hockey Tournament. Eight teams battled for supremacy on a excellent ice surface that was in jeopardy over the last few weeks because of weather. In the end, $3200 was raised for Cancer Research and everyone had a great time. Click Here for Pictures more added courtesy of Richie Klimas.

Robert (Bob) Bérubé
On January 28, 2012 after a courageous battle with lung cancer. Much loved husband of Barbara, devoted Dad to Shawn and Jesse. Brother to Allen (Colette), Debbie and the late Harry. Visitation at Guay Funeral Home, 146 rue Saint-Louis, Saint Eustache, Sunday Feb 5th from 2 to 4pm. In lieu of flowers please give to the charity of your choice. Link to online obituary. Our sincere condolences to Barbara, Shawn and Jesse.

Valentine's Supper and Dance at the Heritage Social Club
On Saturday February 11th, you are invited to a Valentine's supper and dance. The entertainment will be provided by 5 O'clock Shadow and your $15 will also get you a BBQ steak cooked by chef Gary Mitchell. All the info is here. If you find that you couldn't dance at this event, you might be interested in a social dancing lesson. That will be given on Sunday March 4th at 3:00pm. See the details here.

Score For The Cure, Saturday February 4th for 8:00am to 6:00pm.
This Saturday, the “Score for the Cure” ball hockey tournament will be held once again at Richie’s “Klimas Center Backyard Rink ”. The tournament aims to get members of the community to come together for a fun day of old time ball hockey while raising funds for research into cancer. There will be 8 teams taking part made up of current residents and those with long-time ties to the area. There will be plenty of refreshments and food available, as well as raffle tickets sold for great prizes including tickets to a Habs game in March. Drop by to see the athletes in action. The rink can be found at the corner of Regent and Normandie streets in Two Mountains.

Join the Push to Rename the Laval West Arena.
If you are not on Facebook, you might not be aware that there has been a petition to have the boring name of the Laval West Arena changed to honour one of Laval West's premier hockey players, Hartland Monahan. 'Hartsey' as he was know to everyone, played 340 games in the NHL between 1975 and 1981. A petition with over 900 names was already sent to the City of Laval but it seems to be dragging a little. If you are on Facebook, a group has been set up to show support for the name change. To join the group, click here.

Lions Club Carnival on a Perfect Day
Saturday January 28th turned out great after a day of freezing rain and many power failures. With the temperature around 0ºC and the sun shining, the day could not have been better. With lots of activities for the kids and the bigger kids, the Lions Club volunteers played a great part in keeping everyone entertained. There was also plenty of 'free' food and even a friendly meatball competition between the Shamrocks Soccer organization and the Deux-Montagnes Softball Association (DMSA). The ballots were very close when I left. For pictures, click here.

Holy Family Fundraiser An Immense Success
The Raise the Roof spaghetti supper featuring the showing of the Montreal-Toronto game was attended by 150 people. The event raised almost $3500 to finance the reroofing of the rectory of the church. $410 of that money came from pledges to Fred Beaudoin who promised to come out of the Habs closet and sport a Maple Leafs jersey. He tried hard to look like a Toronto fan but as the Canadiens scored he found it hard not to cheer the 3 - 1 victory for the Bleu Blanc Rouge. Glenn Hogan did a great Coach's Corner between the first and second period which was more entertaining than the real thing. A great time was had by all and soon Father Cyril McNeil will be sleeping under a brand new roof. For pictures of the event, please click here.

Janice MacHaffie R.I.P.
Janice passed away on January 20th after a battle with Cancer. The L.T.M.H.S. Class of 73' graduate had been living in Vancouver for a few years. Her smile and laughter will surely be missed by all the people whose lives she touched. My condolences to the family and her close friends.
Funeral will be held at Forest Lawn Memorial Park, 3789 Royal Oak Avenue, Burnaby at 7:00 pm Friday January 27th. In lieu of flowers, donations to the Canadian Cancer Society will be accepted with thanks. Angela Girard has graciously offered her home to host a gathering after the ceremony. Below is the obituary from the Montreal Gazette: 

Born on February 26, 1956 in Montreal, QC and passed away in Burnaby, BC on January 20, 2012. Predeceased by her parents David and Janet MacHaffie. Lovingly survived by her sons Barry (Mai), Justin and Matthew and Auntie Marie. A Celebration of her Life will be held in The Chapel of Forest Lawn Funeral Home (3789 Royal Oak Avenue, Burnaby, BC) on Friday, January 27, 2012 starting at 7:00 pm. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation in Janice's memory to the Canadian Cancer Society or the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation. Condolences may be offered at www.forestlawn-burnaby.com. Click here for her online guestbook
 

Cooking Skills Challenge for Agapé
Once again, Cathy Bobkowicz is organizing  a fund raiser for the local food bank Agapé. This year's format is a cooking skills team competition. It involves 5 teams of 3 to 5 people. Last year Cathy raised over $800 for the food drive and she wants to beat last year's total. The event is Friday February 17th at the Legion Hall. For all the info, please click here.  

Lions Club Puts On the Annual Carnival
Once again the Deux-Montagnes Lions Club will be running the annual winter Carnival. It will be held at the Olympia Park starting at 11:00 am till 5:00 pm on Saturday January 28th. There will be many activities for young and old. including sleigh rides, broom ball games, snowmen building competitions, golf on snow. The Lions will be serving Hot Dogs, Hot Chocolate, Chilli, Soup, coffee and tea, and of course Maple Sugar on snow will be available and it will all be served free of charge thanks to a grant from the City.
We look for your support in attending in great numbers to make this a truly festive event. Love to see you there. Following the days activities, there will be a spaghetti dinner at the Veterans' Hall on Grand Moulin at 6:00pm. The fee is only $10. Click here to go to the Lions Club Website.

A Few People Have Warned Me About This
So I thought I would pass it on. Apparently there have been a few home invasions in the area in the last little while. The common thread is someone bringing a pizza and having the wrong address and then forcing their way in the door at gun point. Even if these facts are not correct as stories get told and retold, you should never open the door to strangers. Just be careful, the world has changed and people are desperate. If you see strange behaviour around your house, don't be afraid to report it. Our policemen and women are there for that purpose.

Scott Martin Hosts The Caddie Show
Many of you know Two Mountain native Scott Martin who has been caddying on the PGA tour for well over 10 years. Scott has started a new project. It's an online show called the Caddie Show and it's part of a website called tourplayers.com. There is a new episode every Thursday. It's an inside look at the caddying profession and it promises to be really entertaining. Check it out at this link. In the future, you will be able to access it through Scott's link on the left of this page. Congrats on your new venture Scott. Looking forward to your new episodes. You can view promotional video below.

 

4 Korners Night of Improv
The comedy troupe Have Improv Will Travel is coming to town for a show on Saturday March 3rd. The troupe features an all star collection of improv comics and promises to deliver an off the wall, hilarious impromptu act. The show will be held at the Veteran's Hall and is only $20 a person. Come and support a worthwhile organization and have many laughs in return. To buy or reserve your tickets call 450 974-3940. Click here for more info. 

Come Meet Author Colleen Baxter Sullivan
The 4 Korners Family Resource center in association with Women's Time Out is holding a 'meet the author' session on Thursday February 2 at 1:00pm at the Veterans' Hall on Grand Moulin. Come and discover her journey to becoming a writer and the 'person she has become today'. She has had her second book published and I am sure she is working on a third. Her books will be available to purchase. Click here for more info.

Deux-Montagnes' Mikaël Kingsbury Dominates World Freestyle Moguls
19 year old Mikaël Kingsbury of Two Mountains is on a tear on the FIS World Freestyle moguls circuit. He started the season with 2 wins and is now poised to take another title this weekend close to home at Mont Gabriel. He will surely be cheered on by his family and friends as he competes in this 'local' venue. His two wins this season were in Finland and France in December to kick off the FIS World Cup season.
Good Luck Mikaël! 
Read more in this Gazette article.

To see him in action (and interviewed) after winning in Meribel France, Click here.

Raising the Roof for Holy Family Rectory - Sold out
On Saturday January 21st, Holy Family Parish is having a Show Your Colours Spaghetti Dinner to raise money for the repairs needed on the rectory roof. They will be presenting the Montreal Canadiens vs. the Toronto Maple Leafs game on the big screen and you are encouraged to show your colours. The supper is at 6:30 as the game starts at 7:00. The cost is only $9 for adults, $5 for kids and under fivers get a free meal. The price for a family is only $25 and of course that does not include the grandparents and in-laws. If you want to reserve your place to eat and watch this epic game, Please call Lynn Fougere at 450 473-2163 between 9 and noon on Mondays, Wednesdays or Fridays. There will also be a raffle and door prizes. Click here for more details.  You never know, but the Holy Ghost of Father Lowe might show up at some point if the Leafs are trailing in the games.

Hotmail/Windows Live Email Account Hacking
In the past few weeks I have received spam for 5 or 6 legitimate contacts, all of them Hotmail users. The message subject varies but the content usually contains a link in large letters that says 'Click here to read this message' or 'Click here to watch the attached video'. Whatever you do, especially if you are a hotmail or a Windows L ive user, do NOT click to read the message. Here is what basically happens. Once you click the link, it asks you for your e-mail password to view the message. Once you provide that, it captures your password and then the fun starts. Either right away or some time later it uses your password to access your entire contacts list and sends all of your contacts that same e-mail to trap other people. This type of e-mail is called phishing as it fishes for your password and since you often use your e-mail address as a user id in other online, there is a potential for someone hacking into your other online accounts. Here are a couple of tips on how to handle this situation.
1) Never click on a link in an email that doesn't look quite right
2) if by mistake you do, once you get to that link NEVER provide your e-mail password to anything but the 'legit' login screen of your e-mail provider
3) Hotmail accounts are constantly hacked, make your password difficult and don't use that same password anywhere else. (in the past few months, I have changed all my passwords in all my online accounts and they are all different. It's not easy to do, but if someone finds a password of mine, it will only work in one place.
4) Your passwords should always contain a mix of letters and numbers and even special characters and be at least 8 characters long.
5) If you think you have been hacked, change you password immediately.
6) Even if you have up-to-date security on your PC, it won't always help to protect you from entering this type on info. Education and awareness is the way to eliminate this type of hacking. You can read this article on Wikipedia to learn more about phishing. It's a jungle out there so be careful. By the way, the links on this website are always legitimate, not always interesting but legitimate.

6th Victory Now Posted and a BBQ
Since there is not much going on in Two Mountains in early 2012, I have 2 other Victories posted from December 1966 and August 1967. I was sort of shocked by the front page of the 1966 edition. It pictures a show that the St-Eustache-sur-le-lac Elementary. You have to see it to believe it but if that show was put on in the last 20 years, Two Mountains would make international headlines. Check it out, it's the second picture in that section. 
There IS one event coming soon. This Friday (the 13th), Ron K's BBQ Steak magic is happening at Pub Deux-Montagnes. If you are one of those people who are craving a steak cooked on a BBQ in the middle winter, this is the chance for you. The cost for a large steak and all the trimmings is only $20. You should call to reserve a spot at 450 598-6998 so that you are not disappointed. It's also Chuck's first 2012 Karaoke night.

Click play above for one minute of relaxation and wishes for the New Year
The video is the birds around our feeders on Christmas Day. James Taylor provides the soundtrack.