APRIL 1 - APRIL 30 2017 - ISSUE 8

SHoRT FUSE Better, faster, stronger - Londonfuse.ca is back! By LondonFuse

Hello London! We’re ever so delighted to be back online with a brand new website. There were countless efforts put in and so many wonderful people involved. It has been truly triumphant and we hope you love it just as much as we do. We thought it was the perfect time to highlight all this hard work because so much of it came from our wonderful volunteer contributors. In addition to that, April marks Volunteer Appreciation Month (with the official nation week falling between April 23-29). In other words, this is

The staff of Short Fuse celebrates the launch of the new and improved londonfuse.ca by making it rain LondonFuse stickers. Friday, March 17 marked the triumphant return of our website, which proudly features the work of our many wonderful volunteer contributors. Read, enjoy, comment.

photo by Robb Doyle

one of our favourite months throughout the whole year. With the new website, we now have the capacity to bring even more quality,

volunteer-driven content to the London community on an increasingly regular basis. What this also means is we now have the ability

to train and promote even more volunteers. We’re focused on giving people essential, new media skills, while providing

them a beautiful platform on which to showcase their learnings. We’re in another phase of LondonFuse, and we can’t wait to change and grow with our contributors and community. So, to open this Volunteer Issue, we’d like to extend a hearty thank you to all of our past and current contributors. Without every single one of, LondonFuse would cease to exist. That sounds dramatic, but it’s true, we’re here because of volunteers and shout that from the rooftops at every single chance we get. Thank you darling Contributors, without you, we’d be nothing.

LondonFuse volunteer month spotlight: Sara Mai Chitty By LondonFuse

Here at LondonFuse, we have the immense pleasure of working with so many incredibly talented, creative, and downright awesome volunteers. This is something we think about often and that we like to highlight at any chance we get. Then sometimes there’s a volunteer that comes around and becomes absolutely integral to an organization. For LondonFuse, this person is Sara Mai Chitty. Starting all the way back when Fuse put out its first call for interns in January of 2012, Sara has now been with us for more than five years! We really couldn’t be any luckier.

As a graduate from the journalism program at Western University, she has written for several well established publications and has contributed more content to LondonFuse than anyone who has ever been involved. Sara had this to say about her time with LondonFuse: “LondonFuse was instrumental in launching my career as a journalist. They gave me an incredibly flexible opportunity to create a diverse and prolific published portfolio. Through this platform I was able to discover the limits and subtleties of my craft, and push myself in new directions. Because of Fuse I have met lifelong friends and built strong

relationships within the community and industry, which I will treasure forever.” And Sara, we will treasure you forever! Your hard work and dedication is a rare thing and you’ve made Fuse better because of it. In your new ventures with Journalism for Human Rights, we wish you all the best and are so excited to see the amazing things you’ll do (even if it means we miss you so much while you’re away for eight months at a time up north!). From the very bottom of our hearts, thank you Sara. Thank you for your hard work, creative approach, and infectious smile. Without you Fuse wouldn’t be the same.

London Fuse 211 King Street, London ON, N6A1C9

APRIL 1 - APRIL 30 2017 - ISSUE 8 - PAGE 2

INNER FUSE You don’t need a face for radio to get on the air

A good attitude and a desire to learn are all it takes to start

By LondonFuse

photo courtesy of LHS facebook page

Animals can save the world, and you can too

Make some furry friends at London Humane Society

By Nicole Borland

I’m of the firm belief that if everyone got to interact with an animal, everyday, this world would be a better place. Alright, there are allergies or extreme fears to take into consideration, but for the most, animals calm us down and make us happy. Similarly, but conversely, let’s think about how much better we can make an animal’s quality of life, simply by being present. It can be tough to have the adequate funds or time for pet ownership. But, how about this... Become a volunteer at the London Humane Society! What a thought - the best of both worlds.

They offer adorable services such as dog walking, cat socializing, and rabbit care. The London Humane Society had this to say about the value of volunteering with them: “In addition to the personal satisfaction of knowing that you’re contributing to the well being of animals, you’ll gain valuable experience, contacts, and the pleasure of working with others who also care deeply about animal welfare.” Sound delightful? I think so. Now I’m all for dog walking (experience with large breeds is a must), so would anyone like to join me on the cat socializing and rabbit care front? Those lovely furry babes could always use more help so get yourself over to londonhumanesociety.ca and apply! See you there!

If working at a radio station is your dream, 94.9 CHRW, located at Western University’s UCC, is a good place to start. Whether you are interested in newscasting, producing promotional content, or hosting your own radio show, there are many unique volunteer opportunities. LondonFuse caught up to some CHRW volunteers about what makes a great candidate. “Someone who’s committed and wants to show up. Doing a radio show is not easy. Working in the library here is not easy, so it takes time. If you want a good show, you got to work at it. You got to have a love for it, right? We’ve been doing our show for 10 years and once the fun’s out of it, we’re not doing it.” - John Vandertuin, co-host of Shakin Katz Radio for almost 10 years. “A great volunteer is someone who is engaged and interested and wants to be here. I think that’s the basics of it, because those people are the ones who come in on a regular basis, that

take initiative, that ask questions, that just do stuff. I like helping those people too, because obviously, if they want to be here and learn more, I am happy to teach them more and show them new things because they get excited about learning and I get excited about teaching them stuff.” - Jennie Malone, Marketing Coordinator since June 2016

“If you’re really lucky, you get someone with whom the thing that they are volunteering to do, is what they were made to do anyway. If it’s a web developer, somebody who does content, somebody who does graphic design or art, does music or works with sound, or records or is a super computer nerd or whatever... They were born to do it and they know they were born to do it, and they’re going to do it,” - Timothy Glasglow, Station Manager since September 2016 If you’re interested in volunteering, visit chrwradio.ca or stop by Room 250 at Western’s University Community Centre for more information.

Five reasons why you should donate blood from a donor By Jamie Ryan

1. From walking through the door to eating your cookie and drinking your juice at the end, the entire process for whole blood donations generally takes less than half an hour. 2. The staff at London’s permanent blood clinics are some of the nicest people you will ever meet, so nice that you won’t even feel the needle! 3. If you don’t know already you’ll get to learn your blood type and RH

level. They’ll also tell you how your iron levels are doing (so eat your spinach and blueberries prior to). 4. The maximum you can donate whole blood is every 56 days; who doesn’t have roughly three free hours a year to save a life? 5. You truly are helping to save someone’s life. Whole blood, platelet and plasma donations are used during surgeries, as transfusions for ac-

cident victims, cancer patients, and sufferers of diseases like aplastic anemia. It can only take half an hour to change someone else’s life. There you have it. Give blood donation some thought. In just one hour, you could help change, or maybe even save a life.

IT’S FRESH It’s LOCAL

We’ve all seen the advertisements and heard the commercials letting us know there’s always a need for blood donations, but have you ever stopped to actually think about why you should donate blood? As someone who has voluntarily given blood 19 times in my life, I’ve pondered this a lot. Here are my thoughts:

TOURS • TASTINGS • TAP ROOM • RETAIL STORE 130 Edward St., St. Thomas • 519-631-1881

Open 7 days

www.railwaycitybrewing.com a week

London Fuse 211 King Street, London ON, N6A1C9

APRIL 1 - APRIL 30 2017 - ISSUE 8 - PAGE 3

inner fuse

Not sure where to volunteer? Consider yourself volun-told

Antique chic

Restoration volunteers take time out from fixing old farm machinery for a quick photo at Fanshawe Pioneer Village.

-submitted photo

Want to be a pioneer in the 21st Century?

By Gerard Creces Have you heard the one about the blacksmith, the gardener and a bunch of retired farmers? Each and every one is a volunteer at Fanshawe Pioneer Village. For most Londoners, the name alone conjures up images of school field trips when actors (known as historical interpreters), relived the days of yore by performing routine chores of the day amid a well-preserved setting. However, it’s not just actors that bring FPV to life – in fact, only about 70 of the village’s 168 volunteers are interpreters. Rather, the bulk of volunteers provide vital behind-the-scenes labour. Retired farmers with connections to the rural history of the area volunteer their time for upkeep and restoration of old farming equipment. The Tri-County Heritage Club restores old horsepowered equipment in the woodshop. “A lot of these folks either grew up working with tools like this or working with things that are similar,” said Interpretation Coordinator at FPV, Alison Deplonty. “They

grew up on farms and work either around the farm industry or had connections to it.” Even the village’s blacksmith does his part in the off-season, making fixtures and replacement parts for period displays. “We don’t outsource,” said Deplonty. “Everything you see here was made here.” Volunteer interpreters follow their own interests, Deplonty said. Those who have an aptitude for woodwork, for instance, can learn in the wood shop. People interested in textiles shadow their more experienced counterparts. Others help tend animals, the orchards, and even the medicinal garden behind the doctor’s office. Some come out only a couple times a year while others lend their time a few times a month. “Our volunteers really make FPV the place it is,” she said. “Without them the staff would not be able to do the things we do.” It really just takes a passion for heritage and working with people, Deplonty said. If you are interested in volunteering at FPV, you can get started on their website: fanshawepioneervillage.ca

Graphic by Sammy Roach. More volunteer opportunities are available at pillarnonprofit.ca.

Get yourself checked out By LondonFuse

Volunteerism is a great way to meet people, make a difference, and change your own outlook on life. But, it’s not as easy as just declaring your intentions and showing up for work. Step number one for volunteer positions - especially those working with children, the elderly or people with disabilities - is getting a police check. There are two checks generally associated with volunteer work – the Police Information Check, which is for volunteers who are not directly responsible for people, and a Vulnerable Sector Check for those who are.

Checks are done through the London Police Services. Application forms are available online at londonpolice.ca. There is a cost involved, so prepare to pay a fee. Police checks for volunteers are just $15. However, to qualify for the volunteer rate, you need a letter of intent from the organization you will be volunteering for. (Ironically, you can’t pay for a check with a cheque.) Once you submit your application, be prepared for a bit of a wait. The LPS is currently dealing with a backlog, even as requests keep coming in. Results are mailed to your home address and no, they don’t do rush orders.

London Fuse 211 King Street, London ON, N6A1C9

APRIL 1 - APRIL 30 2017 - ISSUE 8 - PAGE 4

Short Fuse -we let the dogs out-

WORD UP

Good for a chuckle...

ACROSS 1 – Unfortunate event 7 – Where spiders’ babies gestate 11 – Price is Right pegboard game 12 – Most appropriately 13 – Circle with a ghost problem 14 - 17th century French philosopher Charles ____ 15 – Certain CPU error 16 – Type of weed 18 – Cobbler’s job 20 – The future of law enforcement? 23 – Connections 26 – Submerged or crowded 27 – How the perfect short sleeve shirt fits? 30 – Solar prefix? 31 - ____ P. Worrell 32 – Spotted 33 – Secret romances DOWN 1 – Provincial reps 2 – Now ___ ___ me down... 3 – Releases the hounds on 4 – Retail chain pronun-

ciation? 5 – Alias acronym 6 – Sleeveless top 7 – Place for unused thread 8 – Line on a fax cover sheet (abbr) 9 – IV times XXXVIII 10 – Link with

12 – About 4,046 square metres 17 – Group of seven painters, literally 18 – Fiddlers’ need 19 – Haunting repetition 20 – Cheerleader output 21 – One in debt? 22 – It can be round or

How about giving money to volunteers rather than Impark? By Nicole Borland

This sounds mighty fine, doesn’t it? Yes, yes it does. I’ll start by asking, what do you know about the Kiwanis Club Of Middlesex? For quite some time, I only knew the Kiwanis as a music festival I participated in every year as a child. But it’s oh so much more. The club is particularly for people who are retired or are about to retire. They have socials with each other as well as plan programs and events that benefit our community, focused main-

ly on children. The Kiwanis Club fundraises yearround. Can you guess what their most successful course of action is? Volunteer parking lots! You might ask, what’s a volunteer parking lot? The Forest City Kiwanis Club has an agreement with the owners of two parking lots downtown (London Life at Clarence and Dufferin and Centennial Hall at Clarence near Central). Kiwanis volunteers supervise and collect fees from parking during down-



By the puzzlor

square 23 – With ‘term’, hungry bugs 24 – Settle in comfortably 25 – Tennis divisions 28 – Bruins’ legendary #4 29 – Doesn’t matter which

THANKS TO OUR PARTNER:

town events. This venture is by far their most profitable. The parking revenue goes directly back into the organization’s programming and events. Next time you’re out and about downtown, instead of fighting for street parking or giving an arm and a leg to a private company, consider offering the nice older gentleman from the Kiwanis Club a cool $5 and park all day / night in the name of a great cause!

LONDON ARTISTS’

STUDIO TOUR 2017 Fri., April 21, 7 to 9:30 p.m. Sat., April 22, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sun., April 23, noon to 5 p.m.

Booklets with maps are available at Museum London, Library Branches Online: www.londonstudiotour.ca Contact: Beth Stewart 519 668-6743 A PROUD PUBLICATION OF

Advertise with us!

For ad sales/rates contact: Harina Mokanan [email protected] 519-777-3650

FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA: SUBSCRIBE TO OUR ONLINE LISTINGS: [email protected]

London Fuse 211 King Street, London ON, N6A1C9