Waterford Today | Waterford's free weekly newspaper

If your idea of a good day out includes running, kayaking and cycling in the midst of some of the most beautiful scenery the country has to offer then The Waterford Adventure Race on Saturday May 21st is for you. If you haven't already explored the hidden gem that is West Waterford with its beaches, castles and mountains, this is the perfect opportunity.

The race comprises three runs through a wood, up a mountain and skirting the banks of the Blackwater river totalling 14km, a 42 km by bike over three stages taking in breathtaking mountain views of the Vee in the heart of the Knockmealdowns, and a kayak from Lismore downstream 6.4km to Cappoquin.

Waterford Adventure Race organiser Alan Ryan says the event has something for athletes of all levels. "There will be competitors who will push themselves to the limit

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Get clicking for a photography competition as part of the 2011 Bealtaine Festival for over 55s which is being celebrated across the City's Libraries. The winner will receive a prize of €100 from Bank of Ireland. Simply submit a photograph based on the theme of this year's festival 'Push the boat out, whatever the sea' and hand it in to Central, Ardkeen or Brown's Road Library. All entries are to be submitted by Wednesday 25 May 8pm to Central Library, 5.30pm to Ardkeen Library and 6pm to Brown's Rd. Library.

Bealtaine is a National Arts Festival celebrating creativity in older age. It takes place countrywide during May and involves hundreds of events in every art form. There is a month long programme of events running at Central, Ardkeen and Brown's Road Libraries. Call into your local library for a programme.

Booking is

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A ‘Minding Yourself as a Parent' Talk for Parents will be held in St. Brigid's Family and Community Centre. The Launch of the Directory of Parent Supports and Services

In Waterford City will also take place on the same evening. (The directory was commissioned by Waterford City Childcare Committee in partnership with St. Brigid's FCC and Waterford Area Partnership, prepared by Community Consultants Ltd and funded by FAS.)

The ‘Minding Yourself as a Parent' talk will be presented by Parent Mentor Sheila O'Malley.

Sheila is a parent of three daughters who is a regular Parenting correspondent for Irish newspapers and magazines as well as a regular contributor to Radio and TV3 on parenting topics. St. Brigid's has had the privileged of hosting parent's talks by Sheila in the past which were well received and enjoyed by all who attended.

The Talk will explore how

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with John D Owens M.V.B. veterinary surgeon.

Riverstown Business Park, Tramore Ph 051 393630

Email: anipetsvetclinic@gmail.com

Dental disease and how it affects your pet

Dental disease is a very common problem in pets; in fact, one study showed that 80% of dogs and cats aged over three years suffer from some degree of dental disease. It varies widely in its severity, ranging from a mild build up of plaque or gingivitis to a large amount of tartar, tooth decay or painful mouth infections.

The symptoms of dental disease include:

- Halitosis (foul smelling breath)

- Gingivitis (painful, inflamed gums)

- Plaque build up (soft, yellow material on the enamel)

- Tartar accumulation (harder, brown material that comes after plaque)

- Mouth pain (rubbing at mouth with paws, difficulty eating)

- Irritability/aggressiveness when touched around the mouth area

Gingivitis causes the gums to become undermined and detached from the tooth surface, meaning

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Stan Phillips Clairvoyant - Numerologist - Astrologer

To make an appointment for a personal reading at

The Athanaeum House Hotel, Christendom, Ferrybank

Tel: 085 - 7355683 or log onto stan@readingsforlife.com for an online reading.

Aries: March 21 – April 20

Be careful of disagreements that are purely about scoring points. These situations are scarcely worth more than a hill of beans, and are probably the cause of more problems in this world than the international financial crisis and global warming put together! So make an effort to discover that which connects, rather than divides you. Compromise after all, doesn't really have to be painful.

Taurus: April 21 – May 21

Check all arrangements when setting out upon a journey to make sure that you are headed to the correct destination, that everything is in place. Maybe times as well, to be sure that you have chosen

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The National Jobseekers Roadshow, an initiative designed to assist the thousands of jobseekers throughout Ireland has seen an overwhelming demand from jobseekers, getting five times more attendees pre-registering than there are spaces and has had to change some venues. The roadshow which was launched recently by rugby star Rob Kearney and Anne Heraty, CEO of CPL Resources plc started in Dublin on Friday 13th May until Monday, 23rd May 2011. The Roadshow is a series of free talks around the country where jobseekers can learn how to prepare a great CV, brush up on their interview and presentation skills, learn how to stay positive and motivated when dealing with unemployment and have all their questions answered by leading career specialists.

The roadshow will travel around Ireland from Friday 13th May to Monday 23rd May 2011 and will comprise of a whistle-stop

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By Bill Sones and Rich Sones, PhD

Q. Some sentences don't make sense when written but do when spoken. Can you think of any?

A. "There are three TOOs in the English language" is an example which when heard readily suggests "to," "two," and "too," says Anu Garg in "The Dord, the Diglot, and an Avocado or Two." There are also some puzzles that work better when spoken, such as "What word begins with a T, ends with a T, and is full of T?" Did "full of T" tip off the mystery "teapot"?

Q. Are you smarter than your calculator? For example, can you solve 2 + 3 x 5 = ?

A. It's easy to see that 2 + 3 = 5, and 5 x 5 = 25, says Keith Gregson in "Understanding Mathematics." So is this the answer? If you take

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Pages from The Past - Waterford News March 1916

St. Patrick's Day was celebrated in the Protestant Cathedral by an afternoon service. A special feature of the occasion was the playing of the hymns by the band of the 5th Royal Irish Lancers under the baton of Mr. Bradley, Bandmaster. The attendance was large and Benediction was imparted by the Lord Bishop of Cashel after which, the entire congregation rose and sang ‘God save the King'.

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On Tuesday last, Rev. O.J. Fisher, M.A. T.C.D., was ordained Deacon in Christ church Cathedral by Right Rev. Dr. Bernard, Archbishop of Dublin. Rev. Mr. Fisher has won numerous prizes in Celtic Studies. He is a son of Mr. Harry D. Fisher and received his early education in Bishop Foy's High School.

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Last Friday, St. Patrick's Day, procession had some excellent specimens of local craftsmanship including, a

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SPECSAVERS Waterford has announced that its customers can now benefit from a potentially lifesaving health-assessment service, thanks to the installation of state-of-the-art digital retinal screening in all of its 39 stores across Ireland. Digital retinal screening is conducted with a fundus camera, a specialised microscope which takes a digital image of the eye's retina that can be used to screen for a number of underlying conditions such as diabetes, and can detect sight-threatening, and in some instances life-threatening, conditions such as brain tumours. The service is offered at no additional cost as part of a standard eye examination for customers aged over 40 or in cases where the optician or a GP recommends it.

Garvan Mulligan, store director at Specsavers, says: ‘Specsavers is delighted to offer this service to our customers in Waterford. The fundus camera can play a vital role

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For the second year running, GIY will be getting Ireland growing at the country's largest garden event, Bloom, taking place in the Phoenix Park from Thursday 2nd until Monday 6th June. GIY is a not-for-profit organisation which aims to make home grown food the norm. Recent research states two thirds of Irish people have considered starting their own vegetable garden, but over 30% admitted that they do not know where to begin – GIY can show you how!

Come see the Edible Map of Ireland, created with the help of the GIY network of 100 groups and 10,000 GIYers across Ireland. The map is a giant sized raised bed with 32 different types of vegetables – one for each county. Be amazed at just how many

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It's the month of May, the Cuckoo is calling and the bluebells have bloomed. If you're tempted to get outdoors this month and enjoy the wonders of nature why not join one of the walks being hosted by the Comeragh Mountains Forum on Sunday May 22nd in the Comeragh Mountains. Three walks have been organised for Coumshingaun, the Nire Valley and the Boolas and will be led by guides knowledgeable on the flora, fauna, landscape and local history of the area. The walks are ideal for a family Sunday afternoon and a great opportunity to explore the natural heritage of the Comeragh Mountains.

For Coumshingaun Walk which will be led by Dr. Stephen McCormack and Dr. Eugenie Regan meet at the Curra fitness centre, Old Road, Kilmacthomas at 12.

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Suicide TALK –Suicide Awareness in our Community

A Suicide Awareness event will be taking place on Wednesday 25th May in Dungarvan CDP, Mitchell Street from 7 - 9.30pm. It will be presented by Agatha Lawless from the HSE, All are Welcome. Please contact the Community Forum Office for more information.

Rural Broadband Scheme - Apply now!

The government has announced they are taking applications from now until the end of July 2011 from people interested in getting broadband in rural areas. This is important for a great many people in County Waterford as we have several areas where broadband is difficult or impossible to get. So make sure you get your application in. You can check on the map (See link below) to make sure you are in an area that is eligible and you can either apply online or print off the

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Did you know that the average daily water consumption per person in Ireland is over 148 litres? That's enough water to fill almost 2 baths. As our country grows and develops, there is a growing demand on our water supply. In order for us all to enjoy our reserves we need to be more aware of water conservation, particularly in our gardens during the summer months.

Tips to Conserve Water in your Garden this summer:

1. Don't Hose that Path

Paths, patios and driveways must never be hosed as this wastes water. Use a yard brush, a rake or an outdoor blower for cleaning.

2.Collect Rainwater

Collect Rainwater in a water butt fed from your gutters but always make sure to securely cover large containers for safety. Never use a sprinkler system in your garden.

3. Watering Cans.

If you have to water plants do so in

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Ferns and allies - Ferns

Think back 10 –12,000 years to the end of the last ice age. Now, think back some 18,000 years to before the beginning of this era. Now imagine this cycle happening in a successive way for a million years, then 10 million years and 100 million years and ask yourself a question – ‘was there any wildlife in Waterford at that time'? The short answer to this is ‘yes'! How do we know you may well ask and the short answer again is that ‘it is still here'! As elsewhere, the local wildlife is made-up of two main groups – flora and fauna. The local fauna that weathered the successive ice ages is represented here by such orders as dragonflies and woodlice and other primitive macro organisms. However, a prerequisite of their presence is the flora

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As part of the Mayors Health Day Happy Heart Waterford are holding a walk today, Wednesday, 18th May 2011. Meeting at The Millenium Plaza, The Quay at 12 noon.

Route: Waterfront Slí (3.7km) All are welcome. For further information contact: Happy Heart Waterford Tel: 051 876023; Mob: 087 2037112.

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