by Bruce Stapley

Marlene Lumley is banking on the attraction of having a home town computer training centre for Stouffville residents and businesses.

 The former clerical secretary and office manager has opened Maple Key Computer Training Centres at 37 Sandiford Dr., the west end building that houses the town offices.

“My husband and I would be driving to Markham year after year imagining all these people driving out of Stouffville to Toronto to take computer training courses, and I said, ‘Why not have one  here?’” explained Marlene.

She opened the centre in early September, offering one and two day classroom training sessions in Excel, spreadsheet programs, Project Management, Power Point, Access and other business related applications. “I’ll eventually expand to include Photoshop, Illustrator and more.”

Marlene has two trained instructors working for her, and her current courses run on week days. She has two fully equipped classrooms, and clients can take home a student manual so that they can repeat the exercises taught during the course.

Marlene said she will adapt her programs in response to people’s needs. “We are going to bring in some introductory courses on weekends in November. If there is enough demand we could also have evening courses”

She has received many calls from seniors looking for an introduction to the world of computers. “I’m going to come up with a plan for them, maybe a two hour workshop, with prices less than our regular prices for the full courses.”

____________________

After two decades at the helm of Stonehouse Travel, Sally Thomas has passed the baton

to 12 year Stonehouse employee Lynne Underhill. Lynne took over the Main Street business in September when Sally decided to work in her home town of Uxbridge.

“I’m slowly coming up to retirement but this is much more fun than retiring,” said Lynne. “I really enjoy the people who come into the office, and the people I work with.”

Lynne, who got into the business because of her interest in personal travel, said today’s travel agent must be service oriented and well schooled. “It’s not just vacation packages anymore,” she said. ”It’s more individual travel, but they need someone to put it all together so it will be care free.”

Agents must write tests to become qualified, said Lynne. “Today’s travel client is much better informed so the travel agent must be better informed than ever.”

Valerie Hembruff and Kim Macaulay will continue as employees at the agency.

________

Downtown Stouffville’s best kept secret is open for business. The Café Athena, billed by entrepreneurial young owner-operator Nick Papas as “a Mediterranean inspired destination in Stouffville’s town square,” is serving up fancy European coffees and  a ‘tapas’  menu, consisting of  original appetizers and sweets. Nick’s Greek specialties are made on the premises from family recipes and include such timeless favourites as spanikopita.

Located underneath the recently renovated Stouffville Fine Furniture in the heart of the downtown business section, the stylishly decorated café is open Tuesdays till Fridays from noon till 8pm, closing a little earlier on Saturday and Sunday. “I’m playing it by ear with the hours until spring,” says Nick, who hopes to make hay with his outdoor patio located directly beside Nineteen on the Park.

_________

Ron Brown has moved his delightful Clocktower Studio and Art Gallery to the main floor of the  mini-plaza at 20 Freel Lane, behind the Candlelight and Memories/Stouffville Free Press building. The 73-year-old artist and former structural/architectural draftsman is now located in Unit 10, to the west of Compass Insurance. If you haven’t seen his work you owe it to yourself to check it out. It includes pen and ink, watercolours and oils depicting Ontario landscapes as well as works based on seaside towns he is forever visiting in New England, British Columbia and Southern California. He also enjoys painting structures of a historical nature.

Ron originally opened the studio in the old town office building in the early 2000’s along with the likes of noted Stouffville artist John Roberts.  He is open by appointment or by chance, so make a point of visiting Ron’s studio  as well as fellow artist Pam Wright’s Stouffville Picture Framing shop nearby on Main St. when you feel like being inspired by breathtaking local art.

_____________________

Lisa Ronco is taking it underground. The veteran of 17 years in the  hair styling business, who made her name at Headlines Salon and Spa on Main St. before a short stint at FAME International in the Giant Tiger plaza, recently opened a hair studio in the basement of her Stouffville home. What’s big in hair care these days? “The old Hollywood Glam look is back, darker colours are big” says Lisa. “It’s the Lauren Bacall look.” Lisa hopes her loyal clients will follow her to her new location.

Categories: Features
Tags: