Wednesday, October 11, 2006 · Page 8 From: Her Desk Drawer Simplicity is what makes this classic Ontario dessert so great. It's easy to prepare and makes a comforting, delicious ending to any meal. If you like, serve with healthier frozen vanilla yogurt, or ice cream or lightly whipped cream. For ginger lovers, add the full amount. Apple Cranberry Crisp 8 1 cup 1/2 cup Peel and core apples; slice into thin wedges. In large bowl, stir together apples and cranberries. Turn into 11x9 inch baking dish. In bowl, stir together flour, rolled oats, sugar, ginger (if using), cardamom and cinnamon. Using fingers, work in butter until pea-size crumbs form. Sprinkle over fruit. Bake in 350º oven until bubbling around edges, topping is set and deep golden brown, about 1 hour. Check after 45 minutes. If topping is becoming too dark, cover loosely with foil. Let stand for about 10 minutes before serving. 1/2cup 1/2 cup 2 to 4 tbsp 1/2 tsp 1/3 cup Ontario Apples Ontario Cranberries, fresh or frozen all purpose flour or 1/4 cup each all-purpose and whole wheat flour large-flake rolled oats packed brown sugar finely minced candied ginger (optional) each ground cardamom and cinnamon butter, cut into chunks Eight-year-old Woodslee boy races motocross in Montreal BY DANIEL SCHWAB WOODSLEE For evidence of how dedicated the Meloche family is to the sport of motocross, all it takes is a peek inside their garage. From wall to wall, dirt bikes of all sizes are crammed next to one another, each belonging to a different family member. They have also constructed a small track behind their house in Woodslee, where Joanne, 17, Eric, 14, Daniel, 10, and Carl, 8, routinely take their bikes out to practise. On Sept. 30, Carl had the opportunity to race on a very different kind of track Quebec's Olympic Stadium during the 29th annual Montreal Supercross. In front of more than 50,000 spectators, Carl rode with 14 other youngsters during the KTM Junior Prestige Race. The decision to apply for the race came when Carl and his mom Laurie were shopping for motocross gear at Xtreme Sports in Tecumseh. Laurie said she found out about the event only days before the application deadline. They even had to fax Carl's information to Montreal because there wasn't enough time to mail it. Carl had to fit the selected criteria for riders, including a height restriction of less than 52 inches and a maximum weight of 70 pounds. He also had to have a good report card. The Grade 3 student at St. John The Evangelist School boasted of having three As. Within weeks, the family was notified that Carl was one of 15 applicants selected out of more than 60 entrants from Ontario, Quebec, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick. Carl, Laurie and her husband Pat then packed up for the 12-hour drive to Montreal. There was no need to bring Carl's Honda 50 or any gear. The KTM sponsors of the race provided every rider with a bike to use. He was also given a new jersey, helmet, goggles, gloves and vest to keep. On the day of the race, with Pat on the sidelines as Tom Bain Elect ayor For M office in political r 20 years · Ove ears yor for 6 y Deputy Ma cil · ounty Coun years on C · 19 es D sidents · Keep Tax safety of re health and e e · Ensure th ls of servic resent leve ipal roads) · Raise p and munic ns, county ai ent (i.e. waterm ic developm ue econom areas · Contin creational uild more re future problems ·B you on · Work for Seven WCU members share in meat draw Christopher Goetz is this year's winner of the Woodslee Credit Union's Annual Meat Draw Oct. 7. Goetz was awarded with 1/7 of a steer and 1/7 of a pig the WCU acquired during the Harrow Fair's 4-H Club auction this year. He is a member of the Essex WCU branch. This was the 16th year the WCU supported the 4-H Club. The free raffle was held at every branch of the WCU. Each winner received an equal portion of beef and pork. Other winners include Linda Bridgen from the Amherstburg branch, Leo Durocher in Belle River, Robin Wilson in Harrow, John McLister in Kingsville, Terry Fick in Leamington and Linda Reder in Woodslee. Carl Meloche, 8, poses with his Honda 50 dirt bike at his home in Woodslee Oct. 4. Carl was one of 15 youngsters in Canada selected to participate in the KTM Junior Prestige Race at Olympic Stadium in Montreal. RK TO... I WILL WOown A vote for Bain is Lakeshore's Gain! Website: www.tombain.org the mechanic, Carl was given the chance to practise twice before the main event. "He was excited ... we were all excited," Laurie said. "It was a once in a lifetime experience for him to race in front of all those people." Carl said he didn't take much notice of the crowd. "I was just looking at the ground," he said. "I had to." Laurie admits that the mounds of dirt and hills on the Olympic Stadium track made her "a little nervous" while she watched her son race. "It was a lot different than the fields he's used to," she said. "We were all excited everybody made it and nobody crashed." "I crashed in practice," Carl added, smiling. "You get to learn how strong you actually are. If you fall and don't cry, you know you're strong." The race lasted less than seven minutes, and Carl crossed the finish line in the middle of the pack. "He got to be a pro that day," Laurie said. Carl also got the chance to meet some of his favourite professional motocross racers such as Ronnie Renner, Jean Sebastien Roy and Matt Barnes. Next Sunday, the family will be racing in Granton, Ont. Traveling to different tracks around the province on weekends is a regular routine for the Meloches. Recently, they have been meeting with other local motocross enthusiasts in an effort to bring a full-sized track to the area. "We've been trying to promote motocross around here because there's no tracks close by," Laurie said. The nearest useable track is in Wheatley, Pat added. "The sport has grown 150 percent in the last two years," he said. "People don't realize how big it is. We spend a lot of money out at tracks every weekend. There are between 300 to 400 riders at a venue at any one time. There is potential for a lot of revenue there that could be coming to this area." Marty O'Hara, co-owner of Xtreme Sports, has met with Pat and other motocross fans about creating a site for a track. O'Hara said part of the problem plaguing the idea is that for some people, there tends to be a negative stigma surrounding the sport. "People have this impression that motocross is a gang activity or for hooligans but it's really a family sport," O'Hara said. "(The Meloches) are a prime example of what motocross can do for a family."