HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Times Advocate, 2004-02-04, Page 3Wednesday, February 4, 2004
Exeter Times–Advocate
3
EarlyYears Centre settles
in at new Exeter location
By Mary Simmons
TIMES -ADVOCATE STAFF
EXETER — The Early Years Centre in
Exeter has a new home.
An open house Jan. 31 invited people
to see the centre's new location in the
Relouw Early Childhood Learning
Centre on Victoria Street.
Program staff member Rhondi
Turenne said the new location should be
convenient for everyone. She said there
is more parking space than the former
downtown location.
Turenne said the centre is not a
babysitting service. It is a time for par-
ents and caregivers to come with their
children and play with them.
All the programs are free and have
been designed to promote early literacy.
The centre is open Monday to
Saturday from 9:30 a..m. to 11:30 a.m.
On Mondays Toddler Time takes place
in the morning for 1 and 2 year olds.
and in the evening from 6 p.m. to 7:30
p.m. it is Rhyme Time. Also on Mondays
the Rural Response for Healthy
Children's toy bus is available.
On Tuesdays it's time for Story Fun.
On Wednesdays children participate in
the ABC -123 program, using phonics
games, stories, songs and crafts to pre-
pare pre-schoolers for kindergarten.
On Thursdays it's Baby Time. The new
program is available for parents and
babies from birth to one years old.
Siblings are also welcome to take part
as parents learn interactive games and
songs to play with the baby.
On Fridays children can take part in
Move and Groove. Singing, dancing and
making crafts is the agenda for the
morning. Every other Friday the Music
Around the World Program comes to the
centre. Registration is required, The
program will be available Feb. 13 and
Feb. 27.
On Saturdays the Play and Learn pro-
gram is available. The play group offers
developmentally appropriate activities
for children ages 0-6.
Community programs are also held in
Dashwood at the Zion Lutheran Church
on Tuesdays from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.,
at the Zurich library on Tuesdays from
1:30 p.m. to 3 p.m., at the Hensall
library on Tuesdays from 10:30 a.m. to
12 p.m. and at the Stephen Township
municipal office on Wednesdays from 10
a.m to 11:30 a.m.
Fire budget presented to council
$180,000 and the 1985
van at a cost of $100,000.
Johnston also presented
VARNA — Bluewater a five year forecast of
council heard what it will equipment that should be
cost for fire services in replaced in the municipal -
2004 Monday night. ity:
The budget for Bayfield, • Bayfield 1975 tanker
Hensall, Brucefield and $181,392, 1984 tanker
Zurich fire departments (2005)
was presented by Dave • Zurich buy-out
Johnston, president of the pumper $168,200 (2005)
Bluewater Fire Chief's ($80,000 in reserves for
Association. buy-out)
The requested budget • Zurich 1981 rescue,
for 2004 fireservices in $81,689 (2006)
Bluewater has been • Hensall 1979 rescue,
pegged at $691,992.35 on $86,663 (2007)
total operating expendi- • Brucefield 1987
tures of $406,800.00, total tanker, $192,438 (2008)
capital expenditures of Ten thousand has also
$362,958.00 and total rev- been allotted to building
enue of $77,765.65. maintenance, much of
As well as the budget, which will go to repairs
Johnston gave an overall for the Hensall fire station.
report to council on fire Johnston told council the
services in Bluewater.
The municipality has a
combined complement of
78 firefighters, 22 in
Bayfield, 18 in Brucefield,
20 in Hensall and 18 in
Zurich, who responded to
86 calls in 2003.
Of the operating expense
portion of the budget,
$159,144.73 covers wages
and benefits, with a
request to increase the
hourly rate from $15 an
hour to $16 for training
and fire call rates.
The change would mean
an overall increase of
$2198.99 in training
wages and a budgeted
increase of around $2,213
in fire call rates, depend-
ing on call volume. There
will be no increase in the
firefighter's base wages.
Johnston pointed out the
fire service has not
requested or received any
increase in the base or
hourly fire call rate since
Bluewater was formed.
Items intended to be
purchased under the 2004
capital budget include
replacements for the
Brucefield Station's 1984
pumper at a cost of
By Pat Bolen
TIMES -ADVOCATE STAFF
Bluewater fire service is
investigating the potential
of invoicing insurance
companies as part of cost
of service recovery for
"high ticket" supplies uti-
lized at fire scenes such as
foam extinguishing
agents.
He emphasized though
while the fire service is
looking for ways to reduce
costs in no way does it
want to invoice insurance
companies for basic ser-
vices which would deter
property owners from
requesting the assistance
of the fire department.
After hearing the report,
council thanked Johnston
for preparing the budget
and passed a motion to
include it in the 2004 bud-
get deliberations.
Andrea Rader
Registered Massage Therapist
4`' `.. V c:' V K, cc ,
`Give your sweetheart a
gift certificate she will love
on Valentine's Day.
476 Main St. Exeter 235-3722
iott'S
x8Ya
St Auction Inc.
The Auction has cleared
out all our older stock.
Come in and check out
this week's New Load.
Fri. 10 - 6, Sat. 9 - 4, Sun. 12 - 4
Bayfield Rd., Clinton 482-9364
Amber Laws tries out some of the toys at the EarlyYears Centre's open house in
Exeter Jan. 31. The centre has moved to its new location in the Relouw Early
Childhood Learning Centre. (photo/Mary Simmons)
Living in
W
H
1
m
V!
1
m
Style
WIt
vtoov
CE
VI
r
H
VI
J
at FREE ESTIMATES r
y PROFESSIONAL INSTALLATION rig
190 THAMES
ROAD EAST
EXETER,
ONTARIO
1-866-285-5516
235-1652
Hardwoods * Laminates
Ceramics * Carpets * Vinyls
BIC SAYINCS
ON ALL
TORLYS
UNICLIC
LAMINATE
B
FEB. IST
EGINNING
1
m
VI
by TORLYS
1
m
H