Army worms invade Clarendon cornfield: A legion of army worms munched its way through 50 acres of corn on the 12th line last week, decimating Calumet Island farmer Philippe Dumouchel’s crop.

“I didn’t notice them until yesterday,” property owner Glen Atkins, who rents the field to Dumouchel, said Monday.
Atkins said he went to the field Sunday and saw the infestation of worms, the leaves had been stripped to the spine, leaving only the stalks for worm fodder.

As bad as they were in the ‘70s and in Dumouchel’s field now, Atkins said the numbers are slim compared to an infestation he witnessed in the early 1960s.

In Virginia in 1962, there were so many army worms on the roads, they were causing car crashes Atkins said.
Agronomist Vincent McConnell said he is not certain why the worms appear when they do and that it is unusual they would appear n a wet, cool season.

“The important thing is to keep an eye on the field”, he said. “If it’s critical, see if its economical to spray.”

Millennium masterpiece highlights parish picnic: There was something different at St. Charles Borromeo’s parish picnic this year. A large, square shape about 20 feet high and just as wide stood beside the Recreation Association Hall with a black cloth draped over top of it.

Ottawa artist and summer resident of Otter Lake, David Yeatman painted the outline from old photographs of Otter Lake and set it up at last year’s picnic to allow the people of the community to paint the remainder of the mural.

The millennium committee showed their appreciation for the work done on the mural by presenting him with a set of 92 per cent sterling silver millennium coins.

The mural will be set up in the centre of town at the intersection of Hwys. 301 and 303 on a piece of land donated by Kathleen Blanchfield.

Mayor Terry Richard spoke for the committee: “I think its going to be a beautiful centrepiece for the town,” he said.

The mural is dedicated to the log drive and depicts some men working. The other sections of the mural include a log cabin, which used to be a depot, now known as the Collins’ place; the old log mill, the Jonston Bros. Store; the old St. Charles Borromeo Parish, which burned down in ‘81 and a team of horses pulling a load of logs.