By the way, did you hear:

• The Sept. 20 Mill Springs Village Come Home to Mill Bay community block party saw developers Fraser McColl and Gerald Hartwig present the Mill Bay Fire Department with a cheque for $20,000 toward a highway interceptor light. Percussion band Chikoro entertained the residents, while Alex and Noah Bonin organized the children’s activities including bird house painting, a nature scavenger hunt, and sponge and bucket relays.

• Recent Frances Kelsey Secondary grad Rosie Child took riends Ty Cooke, Emily Clark, Haley Panek and Kirsten Gellein on the Great Lake Walk with her earlier this month to raise moaney for the Lucy Child Memorial Scholarship in memory of her mom, who died of breast cancer. Gellein was also fundraising for Thomas Kay, the young local rugby player who is recuperating from cancer.

• Rotary District Governor Harold Alexander and his wife Marnie from Castle Rock, Washington was recently in town to address the Duncan Rotary. Among the local Rotarians present were Richard Calverly and Roger Painter of Mill Bay and Duncan Rotary Club President Dag Waddel. Past District Governor Dick Drew and wife Aline returned to Cowichan from their home in Maple Ridge to attend.

• John Vogelgesang of RONA is another one beaming about his firm’s contribution to the community. This year marked the 10th-annual RONA Contractors Golf Tournament at the Cowichan Valley Golf & Country Club, where RONA’s Duncan staff raised funds with special challenges for various charities. Manager Jim Allair held a “Beat the New Store Manager” challenge to raise $457 in one challenge alone to assist Big Brothers & Sisters.

• Duncan calligrapher Betty Locke has her ornate envelop on display at the National Association of Letter Carriers’ headquarters in Washington, D.C. until Oct. 1, 2010. Locke gained an honourable mention in the American letter carriers’ recent Graceful Envelope Contest.

• Violet Hayes, community services director of the Cowichan Salvation Army asks us to spread the following message: ““In the event of an emergency in BC, The Salvation Army is responsible to provide volunteers who will meet and greet evacuees at reception centres. We need trained volunteers for the Duncan area.”

Training goes Oct 3 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Call 250-746-8669 to register.”

• One of Whistler’s — and Canada’s — best chefs is taking her champion culinary skills to the Okanagan Fall Wine Festival.

On Oct. 3, Melissa Craig, executive chef at Whistler’s Bearfoot Bistro, will display her culinary skills and passion for local cuisine at Black Hills Estate Winery. Craig grew up in Duncan and her family still lives here.

Exciting things happening for you, your friends or your family that you want to share with your community? Send us a quick email at editor@cowichannewsleader.com. We’d love to spread the word.