The Hub October 2016 | Page 4

CONNECTING There are a lot of things that come to mind when thinking of October in Windsor-Essex. Apple orchards, pumpkin patches, the leaves just starting to morph into a brilliant palette of reds, golds and browns. Days that are mild enough for shirt sleeves lead to evenings and nights of sweater weather. The sound of baseball fans bickering over teams racing toward the pennant, and the look of optimism on hockey fans’ faces this early in the season. Market stalls over-flowing with the bounty of the county. Thanksgiving and “homecomings.” It makes the month a natural fit for expressing gratitude, so that’s exactly what we did in this issue of The Hub, sharing with you what we and several of our readers appreciate most about living in Windsor-Essex. And although October is a great month for expressing an attitude of gratitude, we hope you’ll work on finding things to be grateful for all year ‘round. Elsewhere, you’ll find more great features, a guide to both Thanksgiving AND Halloween fun, and of course, our regular columns and jam-packed calendar. Just because the days are shorter, doesn’t mean there’s any less happening in our dynamic region. Have a great month! Shelley The sun hasn't shown its face in this neck of the woods, both literally and figuratively, for more than three days . Torrential rains, flooding, heartbreak and dreariness closed off the month of September with a powerful statement. Whether that statement says " Climate change doesn't leave anyone untouched" or " You've got to learn to expect the unexpected" depends on your point of view. The result, however, remains the same. We buck up, clean up and carry on. Those may sound like harsh words to thousands of Windsor Essex residents who've spent the last few days pumping water from basements, dealing with insurance companies and sorting through personal mementoes salvaged from the mess. At face value, they are, but they don't preclude the countless offers of assistance, words of encouragement, hugs, handshakes and a willing shoulder to cry on. No matter the hardship, Windsorites know how to carry on. Through layoffs, job losses, plant closures and the occasional tornado, we've learned that we are never alone. Being fortunate enough to live in a politically stable and geographically, a safe distance away from war-torn regions of the planet, we also realize how fortunate we are in the whole scheme of things. As October approaches and with it our traditional day of Thanksgiving, we are forced to reflect on our sense of gratitude, despite the circumstances. Yes, disasters happen, but we have a caring community with social programs in place to offer assistance. Whether the strife is due to Mother Nature's whims or human failings, we come together and try to leave no one behind. In this issue of The Hub we talk about our foster care system, the power of gratitude and suggest several places we can celebrate Thanksgiving in the company of our neighbours. Yes, we buck up, clean up and carry on, but no one said we had to do it alone. Eva Please direct advertising or subscription inquiries to [email protected] Managing Editors Eva Antonel Shelley Divnich Haggert Rabiul Biplob,, Angelica Haggert, Brett Henderson, Lyndi-Colleen Morgan Windsor Essex County Health Unit Connect With Us! [email protected] facebook.com/thehubwindsoressex @TheHubWE 4 The HUB -October 2016 Copyright 2016 The Write Side Up Inc. & Audacity Design Group Inc. No portion of this publication may be reproduced in any way without the written permission of the publishers. The Hub is published 11 times a year by The Write Side Up Inc. & Audacity Design Group Inc. Articles and advertisements in The Hub do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the magazine. We do not assume responsibility for statements made by advertisers or editorial contributors. The acceptance of advertising does not constitute an endorsement of any product, service or information being advertised. We do not knowingly present any product, idea or statement which is fraudulent or misleading in nature.