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The Times Advocate, 2008-11-19, Page 66 Times -Advocate Wednesday, November 19, 2008 OPINION&F'ORUM NEWS Supporting Food For Children For many years, Queen- sway Retirement & Nursing Home has supported various works such as the Al- zheimer s Society and the Heart and Stroke Foundation. We continue to seek opportunities to support worthwhile causes. Canadian Food For Children (CFFC) has come to our attention over the past year and we believe it is a cause that deserves our time and assistance. Canadian Food For Children was founded in 1985 by Dr. Andrew Alexandra Simone M.D. FRCP. It began by send- ing much needed supplies to Mother Theresa s Foundation and has grown to sending at least one container per week to 42 countries in Africa, Asia and South and Central America. Last year they sent a total of 447 containers to their partner missions. Queensway has decided to promote a drive to help the CFFC in its charitable work. We invite you to participate in this project. Donations of non-perishable food, clothing, medical supplies, small non -electric tools and household items are gratefully accepted. Cash donations are also ac- cepted as it costs $4,000 to ship each container. Donations can be dropped off between Nov 14 - 23 in the Retirement Home Activity Room. JULIE GRIMMINCK Retirement Home Director Water rates still include inequities What are you really going to be charged for water? On Sep. 2 council received a report entitled Water and Wastewater Rate Study Rate Option Findings. This re- placed an earlier report for recommended water rates. The earlier report recommended that rates be based on a per living unit charge plus a small cubic metre (cm) consump- tion charge. This proposal drew so much opposition that it was scrapped. Council directed staff to produce a new rate by- law, specifying that it also was to be a on a per living unit basis, which did not make any sense at all. At the Sept. 2 meeting I addressed council saying that the new proposal needed an open meeting for public input. I got permission to speak to the Oct. 20 meeting where I pointed out some of its inequities. During my talk I asked what the fire protection portion of the rate was. I was told, council is not here to answer questions! No public meet- ing. Refusal to answer questions. I guess they want us to shut up and pay up. Nov 3, council received the final report. It is an expanded version of the Sept. 2 report. There are no changes to rate structure. The proposed rates were printed in the T -A in September. How many of you took time to figure out what your water bill would be under the new plan? The bylaw will have nine charge levels with eight different base charges for water connection, water debt repayment and sewage connection. This makes up the front end load (FEL). The consumption charge is to be $1.76 per CM for water and 68 cents per CM for sewage, or $2.44 across the board. I live in an apartment, so my FEL will be $123.60. The last water bill showed that the average unit used 15.8 CM. So 15.8 x $2.44 equals $38.55, plus $123.60 equals $162.15. Or $10.26 a CM. If I lived in a single family dwelling (SFD) that bill would be $203.34, or $12.87 a CM. Two people in an apartment using 32 CM would have a bill of $201.68 or $6.30 a CM. Same pair in a SFD would have a bill of $242.88, or $7.59 per CM. If the same pair in a SFD used 40 CM due to home laun- dry, etc., the bill is $262.40, or $6.56 a CM. If the SFD has five residents who use 80 CM the bill is $360, or $4.50 a CM. Now some non-residential figures. First example is a small store or a professional office. Non-residential 38 MM line (1 1/2 inch) has an FEL of $186.10. If they use 10 CM the cost is $210.50 or $21.05 a CM. If they use 20 CM the cost is $234.90 or $11.77 a CM. Second example is a larger operation with a non-residen- tial 50 MM (two inch) connection and an FEL of $204.50. If they use 100 CM the bill is $448.50, or $4.48 a CM. If they use 300 CM the bill is $936.50 or $3.12 a CM. Larger still with a non-residential 100 MM connection (four inch) FEL is $634.60. If they use 1,000 CM the bill is $3,074.60, or $3.07 per CM. If they use 1,500 CM the bill is $4,924.60 or $2.86 per CM. Quite a variation in actual per CM rate. Where does your bill fit in? This is just one of the ineq- uities in the bylaw. Staff were to include a fire protection charge in the bylaw for water mains and fire hydrants even though mains and hydrants have been part of the devel- opment charges for years. It also appears that the largest landlord in town, the Exeter Villa, has been exempt from the per living unit charge. With council s refusal to answer questions, and an over- all lack of information on how the charges were derived, it looks like council is determined to adopt this bylaw, warts and all. ROBERT DRUMMOND Exeter Grieving workshop Thursday As the holiday season approaches most of us anticipate the celebrations with joy. For people who have lost a loved one, the Christmas season may be a dreaded time. As griev- ing people we realize our sadness everyday but other peo- ple s happiness reminds them of their sorrow and empha- sizes their loss. Colourful decorations, holiday advertising, parties and social gatherings leave a hollow ring. In well meaning en- couragement, family and friends may push the griever into celebrations they may not be ready for. To support people during this holiday season the VON Palliative Care Volunteer Program is hosting a Hope for the Holidays workshop Thurs., Nov 20, at the Lions Youth Center on John Street in Exeter. The workshop will run from 1:30 3:30 p.m. with an opportunity for those who are grieving to share with others, learn about grief and explore coping strategies that can help make the season meaningful in spite of our losses. There is no cost to participate in this program. Everyone is welcome. For further information please contact Kim Winbow at 519-235-2510 or email Kim.winbow@von.ca KIM WINBOW, Exeter Reader enjoys Seniors Focus I often sit down and read your Seniors Focus section to look for information to pass onto seniors in my region. Thanks for sending me the stories they are great and at the level where we all understand them and can use the information to keep healthy. I will use them for my VON Congregate Dining (Lunch Out) Service this program invites seniors to come out for lunch (transportation is provided when needed) fol- lowed by an educational segment or just a fun social time. We encourage fragile seniors that are not able to get out on their own to come out to keep active both socially and mentally and to help with health education. Thanks again. NORMA WRIGHT Co-ordinator, Senior Support Services, VON Canada Check out Arc Angels Have you ever made a stop at Arc Angels on Main Street in Dashwood? Try it out! It is a well-run, well -organized thrift shop. They have shoppers as far away as from To- ronto and Kitchener. There are many great volunteers who all do an awesome job running this store. The benefits from the store are returned to the clients of Community Living South Huron, which is the building next door to Arc Angels. The store has given loads of smiles to many individuals connected with Community Living. At a meeting last Monday night a suggestion was made to close the store. The consensus from the majority of the people in attendance at the meeting was, No, do not close the store. I believe by listening to the sales figures that this store is a needed business in the community. Most companies suffer- ing layoffs and closures are due to the automobile industry, wages and benefits and changing times. That cannot be the case with Arc Angels as everyone who works at Arc Angels works for nothing as a volunteer. It is because of the clients, customers and volunteers that I believe this store should stay open. Volunteers, whether you are a contributor of goods, a purchaser of goods or a worker, the community does work together because it is the whole community that has made this store such a great success. It is my hope and prayer that the store stays open. Stop in, have a look and say hello to the volunteers. DIANNE FINKBEINER cooking with memories BY DEBBY WAGLER GRIIIIRM WAFER CEIADY THIS IS A TRADITION AT THE WAGLER'S ANO I AM PROBABLY THE NUMBER ONE EATER OF THE TREAT! I CAN'T MAKE TOO MUCH OF IT UNLESS I GIVE SOME AWAY AS IT WANTS TO BE EATEN!!! RANDY, MY HUSBAND, AND I HAVE GREAT FRIENDS THAT WE GET TOGETHER WITH. WE OFTEN SHARE A MEAL AND PLAY GAMES OR GO TO THE BEACH, WE LOVE TO TALK AND LAUGH. DEB MADE THIS CANDY AND GAVE IT TO US AS A GIFT. IT IS GREAT AND THE VARIATIONS MAKE IT CREATIVE AND DIFFERENT EVERY TIME. EXPERIMENT AND ENJOY! 1 cup butter 1 cup brown sugar BOIL FOR 2 MINUTES ON THE STOVETOP. LINE A 1 0 BY 155 INCH COOKIE SHEET WITH FOIL. PLACE GRAHAM WAFERS OVER THE WHOLE TRAY. POUR THE SAUCE OVER THE WAFERS AND BAKE AT 400 FOR 8 MINUTES. WATCH IT DOESN'T BURN! TAKE THE PAN OUT OF THE OVEN AND SPRINKLE WITH SEMISWEET CHOCOLATE CHIPS. BAKE ANOTHER 2 MINUTES. TAKE OUT OF OVEN AND SPREAD THE CHOCOLATE. LET COOL AND HARDEN AND THEN BREAK INTO PIECES. STORE IN A CONTAINER IN THE FRIDGE. Variations: a) use premium plus salted crackers b) after spreading the melted chocolate and while still warm put chunks of white chocolate chips, skor toffee bits, nuts and/or semisweet chocolate chips on top. Cool and break into chunks. Use a combi- nation or one of these toppings. c) melt white chocolate chips separately and drizzle over semisweet chocolate. Good stuff!! REGIONAL WRAP Lobb sworn in OTTAWA Newly -elected Huron -Bruce MP Ben Lobb was officially sworn into office on Parliament Hill Oct. 30. The Goderich Signal -Star reports that Lobb has already set up his office in Goderich at former MP Paul Steckle s constituency office. He also plans to open an office in Port Elgin, in addition to his Ottawa and Goderich offices. Lobb said the transition so far has been smooth. Panther Profile Well, winter is definitely here now and on a completely unrelated note, this week is our Murder Mystery Week at school. Who killed Emmett? Students can examine the evidence and make their guess at the office; was it Mr. Colbourne? Mr. Weston? Or the infamous Leanne Hoffman? It could be any one of our eight suspects you decide (you don t really decide, we already have, you just guess). Mid-term reports will come out this Friday which means we are slowly but definitely making our way through the semester. In music, we had our pops concert last Sunday featuring the Grade Nine, Intermediate, Senior, Red Jazz, White Jazz and Black Jazz bands as well as our Percussion Ensemble. Music Students can now look toward playing when we tour the pub- lic schools, in the Santa Clause parade and at our Christmas concert Dec. 3. JACE DOUGALL Grad photos take place all week next week and grads should also pay attention for visit- ing universities and colleges. Grad students can also now apply to colleges and universities on- line (students going to university need to go to guidance to get their pin numbers to do so). That s all for this week; I hope everyone is en- joying the snow and also that there is still snow to enjoy when this column comes out.