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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2015-02-12, Page 20PAGE 20. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2015. Snowarama set for Londesboro Feb. 14 At time of reporting, John Lyons is a patient in University Hospital in London awaiting a decision regarding the spot on his foot that has become infected. This Saturday, Feb. 14, is the 11th annual North Huron Snowarama in support of kids with physical disabilities. The 130-kilometre run on the North Huron trails starts at the Londesborough Community Hall. It is organized by the North Huron Trail Groomers and all monies raised assist families in Huron County. Breakfast for riders and community folk who wish to offer support will be cooked up by the Londesborough Lions Club from 9 a.m. to noon. Information and registration forms are available at the Londesborough post office and from Nicole at 226- 378-6666 and/or Audrey at 519-237- 3419. The Happy Gang Seniors had their first gathering of 2015 on Wednesday, Jan. 28 at the Londesborough United Church. They were entertained that day by Anne Riley. On Wednesday, Feb. 25 the group will have as their guest an OPP officer who will speak to them about how to spot a scam and how to deal with them. The community is invited to attend either for the 12:30 p.m. pot luck or at 1:30 p.m. to hear the speaker. The group welcomes new members to their gatherings of fun, food and fellowship. By BRENDA RADFORD Call 523-4296 PEOPLE AROUND LONDESBORO NEWS FROM LONDESBORO Geronimo! What do students naturally do at recess when they have a big pile of snow? Make their way down it. By sled, by crazy carpet or by, you guessed it, plummeting through the air, students at Hullett Central Public School are no different. Shown watching their friends leap into the unkown on Monday are Kaden Huether, back left and Brayden Radford, back middle. In the air are, from left: Ryan Cowan, Quaid Kerr and Rylee Chalmers. (Denny Scott photo) MacLellan calls for push back on county salaries Huron East Mayor Bernie MacLellan says he thinks it’s time for Huron County to push back on salary increases and union demands from county staff as councillors face another tough budget year. At Huron County Council’s Feb. 4 meeting, he addressed a document filed with council by Jane Anderson, the county’s senior manager of Human Resources. Anderson informed council that the county’s five-year job evaluation would have an impact of just under $300,000 on the 2015 budget. In Anderson’s report, she told councillors that across 11 departments, a total of 106 job titles were evaluated, resulting in 46 employees seeing increases for a total of $297,529. The increases ranged from four per cent to 14 per cent in one case, all in addition to the county-wide two per cent cost of living adjustment increase that is given to staff every year. In Homes for the Aged, five employees saw increases with a total impact of $36,888 on the 2015 budget; Library saw four employees receive increases with an impact of $36,932; Museum had three employees see increases for an impact of $14,420; Planning had 17 employees see increases for an impact of $112,767; Social and Property Services had eight employees receive increases for an impact of $31,379; Human Resources had two employees with increases for $8,890; Administration and the office of the Chief Administrative Officer saw two employees receive increases for a total impact of $14,155; one employee in the Treasury department was saw an increase of $8,241; one Information Technology employee was increased $6,219; one Public Works employee saw a $14,310 increase and in Emergency Medical Services, two employees received increases that impact the budget by $13,328. Ashfield-Colborne-Wawanosh Reeve Ben Van Diepenbeek said that many of the increases are mandated by provincial pay equity, so there wasn’t much council could do about it. Chief Administrative Officer Brenda Orchard, however, corrected him, saying that there is no law mandating the increases and that pay equity is legislation that was enacted to ensure that male and female employees were being paid comparably for doing the same job. Orchard also assured council that job evaluation isn’t done every year, but every five, so the good news is that the county doesn’t have to increase wages, beyond the cost of living adjustment, for another five years. MacLellan, however, wasn’t quite as thrilled, saying that 46 employees receiving an average pay increase of $6,000 looked to him like the county “dropping the ball” on wage increases. “I really have a concern with this,” MacLellan said. He added that when considering the figures, he looked at it from a ratepayer’s point of view, saying that the wage increases were starting to get away from the county. With the economic downturn in recent years, he said, many private sector employees have gone for five or seven years without a raise, but yet at the county level raises are being handed out every year without questions being asked. “I think we’re pricing ourselves out of range here on services that could be provided another way,” MacLellan said. Van Diepenbeek specifically questioned the Emergency Medical Services (EMS) department saying that it felt “top-heavy” to him and that it needed to be investigated further when he sees a department with as many management positions as it does that commands $9 million per year in wages and benefits. The exact cost, according to Blumhagen’s documentation, is $9,053,782, which includes an increase in the salaries and benefits section of the budget of $724,934, or 8.52 per cent. The report stated that the 2015 budget includes an increase in the collective bargaining agreement, an increase in non-union wages, a “noted” increase in sick time ($138,211 in 2013, compared to $266,987 in 2014) and an increase in overtime ($213,640 in 2013, compared to $322,917 in 2014), resulting in an increase of $579,124 to the budget. Council also approved the hiring of two new staff members, resulting in an increase to the 2015 budget of $145,810, for a total increase of $724,934 in the 2015 over the previous year’s EMS salaries and benefits budget. No action was taken as a result of the discussion, but budget deliberations were scheduled to continue at Huron County Council’s Feb. 11 meeting. By Shawn Loughlin The Citizen “Finding Strength” was the title for the message by Rev. Fletcher at Londesborough United Church on Sunday, Feb. 8. The senior choir offered a lively version of “What a Friend We have in Jesus” as their morning anthem. This hymn was written by Joseph Scriven who once lived in the Clinton area. John Jewitt introduced the anthem with a short biography of Mr. Scriven. The discussion with the children gathered at the front for their time with Terry centred on eagles. The children recognized that eagles are big birds with large wingspans that soar gracefully in the sky. Terry told them the story of the eagle who as a baby fell out of his nest and was raised by a farmer with his chickens. The eagle never flew, pecked for seeds and thought he was a chicken. However, the farmer was convinced he should get the eagle out of the chicken flock. After several unsuccessful tries, the farmer threw the eagle into the air at the top of a cliff. The bird caught an air current and flew off. Terry remarked that when we spend time with others we can forget how special we really are, just like that eagle. But we are all special and need to be what God intended for us. In his message to the adults Rev. Fletcher noted that sometimes just getting through the day and/or coping with the difficulties of life requires a great deal of strength. What we need to realize is that God meets us every day in all the circumstances of our lives. Persons who find themselves in exile or in suppressive or trying times through the ages as the Jews did, have always demonstrated great faith in their God. They resolve to wait to feel the winds of God blowing; to await His direction. When one waits for the spirit of God to direct our lives, like the eagle, one flies stronger, higher and longer on the right path. If the faithful watch, wait and listen for the winds of God they will be carried to a future filled with God’s blessings. God knows what is good for each of us. The supporting scripture passage was Isaiah 40:26-31. The responsive psalm was Psalm 147. One will need to set their alarms a little earlier next Sunday. Londesborough United Church will hold its morning service on Feb. 15 at 9:30 a.m. Be sure to pick up your annual report from 2014 that day so you can read it in advance on the annual meeting on Feb. 22. The Londesborough UCW will meet in the church basement on Monday, Feb. 16 beginning at 7:30 p.m. Everyone is invited to movie night at the church on Saturday evening, Feb. 28. The movie, Faith like Potatoes will be shown at 7 p.m. REPRINTS OF PHOTOS taken by Citizen photographers are available to purchase. ALL ARE IN COLOUR 4x6 - $4.00 5x7 - $5.00 8x10 - $8.00 Phone to order ~ 519-523-4792 or 519-887-9114 ‘Faith like Potatoes’ to be shown Get wedding advice and tips, see a case study and read about local brides on the Brides in Huron section of our website www.northhuron.on.ca