The Citizen, 2011-03-10, Page 16PAGE 16. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, MARCH 10, 2011.
Habitat for Humanity looks forward to 2011
Contract could provide enhanced policing for area
Taking it to
the ice
Dawn Conrad was
one of the featured
performers at Friday’s
Blyth Skating Club’s
winter carnival, per-
forming her solo routine
for those in attendance.
(Vicky Bremner photo)
Walton residents
celebrate birthdays
‘Stops Along the
Way’ nominated
By Maureen Logel
Habitat for Humanity Huron
County (HFH HC) is planning
another busy year. In a recent
interview, board chair Maureen
Logel looks back and reflects on the
affiliate’s accomplishments in 2010,
and she looks ahead to another busy
year in 2011.
Looking Back on 2010
The highlight of 2010, as it is each
year, is the actual construction of
another Habitat house. “I am proud
to say that yet another family now
has a decent and safe place to live,
thanks to the efforts of the countless
volunteers and community partners
who made the Seaforth build
possible,” says Logel. The
groundbreaking ceremony in the
spring was moving, and this event
included many members from area
churches, service clubs, businesses,
the trades, as well as interested
members of the public. “The Ward
family brought their newborn
daughter home to a safe, healthy
environment as their new Habitat
house was completed in the fall.”
The affiliate’s retail operations
also saw growth over the past year.
The Habitat ReStore in Goderich
celebrated its first anniversary and a
second ReStore is now open in
Exeter. Dustin Stewart was hired to
oversee ReStore operations. His role
is evolving and “he has met every
new challenge with professionalism
and dedication to Habitat’s
mission,” Logel says.
The ReStores in both Goderich
and Exeter are very successful as the
result of an outstanding
commitment from the volunteers
who work there and from the
support of the community at large.
ReStore operations help the
organization fund most operational
costs of the affiliate so all funds
donated can go directly to pay for
building homes. The ReStores also
help the environment by reusing and
recycling goods. Through Stewart’s
leadership, HFH HC will continue
to attract good quality building
supplies and furniture for resale.
“Support from area youth is also
an important element of Habitat,”
Logel says. Student chapters at
South Huron District High School in
Exeter and at St. Anne’s Catholic
Secondary School in Clinton have
both raised money for Habitat for
Humanity Huron County. Money
has been raised by the students at
both schools through fun events and
the popular coffee houses held in
Exeter. In addition, young people
are involved through the high
school’s co-operative education
program. Students from South
Huron and Goderich District
Collegiate Institute are learning
about retail operations and Habitat’s
mission through their work
experiences in the ReStores.
Looking Ahead to 2011
Logel is a dedicated volunteer
who has been involved with Habitat
for Humanity Huron County for four
years. “I began as a member of the
Fundraising Committee and became
chair in April of 2010. “I believe in
the Habitat mission. The poverty in
Huron County is often hidden, but it
is persistent. The major role of our
Board of Directors is twofold. We
provide opportunities for the
community to help with the
construction of homes by
fundraising, volunteering, and
providing gift-in-kind support. We
also provide an accessible and
confidential application process.”
Information about applying for a
Habitat home can be found at
www.habitathuroncounty.ca or by
calling 519-612-1612.
The board is currently working on
a new strategic plan for 2011 and is
working on a five-year, long-term
plan for the affiliate. The build in
2011 will be in Brussels and it will
be the priority of the organization
this year. This build is dedicated to
the memory of Henry Exel, and it
will be a tribute to his contributions
to the Habitat mission in Huron
County. Henry Exel was a popular
board member who died in a tragic
accident this fall. The Brussels build
will be a tribute to him, and the
community is rallying behind the
project. Interested individuals in the
Continued from page 1jurisdiction of the bylawenforcement officer, were not
enforced to the full extent of the law
by the OPP under the current
agreement.
“This was about a year ago and I
was getting calls at home at 4 a.m.,”
Barnim said. “The OPP did respond
two or three times that night, but
essentially they said they would
make requests, but couldn’t enforce
anything because we hadn’t entered
into a contract.”
Hummel said hearing that “upset”
him and he also went so far as tospeak for Staff Sergeant ShawnJohnson, who was in attendance,
who has applied for the position of
Huron County Detachment
Commander, saying that no doubt
Johnson would be upset to hear that
as well.
Hummel said that shouldn’t have
been the case and if Barnim was
willing to provide specifics, he and
Johnson would be more than happy
to investigate the situation further.
Barnim also asked about the
impact of high fuel prices on the
agreement. He was told that therewould be no direct impact, but as faras the entire OPP, every fluctuation
of 10 cents in gas prices means a
fluctuation of $250,000 throughout
policing in the entire province, he
was told.
The rate of fuel in the agreement is
mandated by the provincial
government, Barnim was told, and it
hasn’t been updated since 2008.
Prior to 2008, it hadn’t been updated
for some time, and the inclusion of
higher fuel costs in the 2008
agreement was the reason for the
spike in costs that municipalities willremember that year, Hummel said.
Lobb was concerned with the
breakdown of wages billed to the
municipality, especially under a
Section 10 contract where an
additional position would be added.
After doing the math, Lobb said
that each of the eight officers
suggested for the municipality
would earn in excess of $125,000
per year by her math.
The proposed contract would be a
five-year deal that would expire in
2014. The contract includes a wageincrease for officers just over fiveper cent. The agreement would
include no wage increase in 2013
and 2014. However, Hummel said,
as far as a wage increase after the
five-year agreement elapsed, he
wouldn’t be able to comment as
he said it would be “pure
speculation”.
Entering into the agreement will
be discussed at future meetings with
the deadline for a decision on a new
contract now less than six months
away.
Stops Along the Way, the three-
times-a-year visitors’ guide to
Huron County has been nominated
for an award from the Ontario
Community Newspaper Association
(OCNA).
The magazine is one of three
finalists in the Best Vertical Product,
up against much larger publishing
companies, the Georgina Advocate
and Orillia Today in a category
to celebrate additional
publications that extend the
market of the community
newpaper.
North Huron Publishing Company
Inc., the community-owned
company that publishes The Citizen
and The Rural Voice, has been
publishing Stops Along the Way for
20 years, but in recent years it
adopted an all-colour magazine
format and last year dressed it up
further with glossy covers.
The magazine is assured of, at
worst, a third-place prize. The
awards will be presented at the
OCNA’s Spring Convention and
Awards Gala from May 12 – 14 in
Niagara Falls.
Continued from page 7
hard can that be? The students are
finding it is a little more
complicated than that, but most are
enjoying the experience. Helping
the students this week on behalf of
the Brussels Curling Club were Jo-
Ann McDonald, Mary Bernard,
MaryAnn Bernard and Ernie and
Annette Lewington.
Celebrating birthdays this past
week include Adam and Owen
Ryan, Sandra Butler, Debra Fraser,
Melissa Glanville, Dean Hackwell,
Ruthann Hoegy, Andy Pethick,
Nicole Stevenson, Brian Wilbee,
John Braecker, Kaleigh McCallum,
Neil McDonald, William
Ringgenberg, Jerry Zwep, Ruth
Axtmann, Fred McClure and
Marianna Ryan. Happy Birthday to
all.
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Continued on page 22