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Lakeshore Advance, 2012-11-21, Page 17Wednesday, December 14, 2011 • Lakeshore Advance 9 BLUEWATER COUNCIL Construction on Bayfield Ilbrary complex to begin next spring Vanessa Brown QMI Agency Bluewater council is hopeful that the new Bayfield library complex will be open for business by this time next year. At their Dec. 5 council sleeting, councillors accepted Lon- don architect Brad Skinner's final design blueprint, and voted to begin, preparing tender documents. Construction is expected to start in April or May 2012. "I would love to see that building opened up for the Christ- mas weekend in Bayfield, if possible," said Bluewater Mayor Bill Dowson. "I think that would stake our people very happy." According to Skinner's estimation, however, the $1,2 mil- lion building - which will house a new library branch, post office, and public washrooms - likely won't be in operation until February 2013. Ile needs about four months to put fin- ishing touches on his design and prepare construction draw- ings before construction starts around May. Ile said the new building will take approximately 10 months to construct, which pushes the end date to February 2013. Bayfield Ward Councillor Geordies Palmer saki he's thrilled that the project will conte into fruition next year. lin extremely pleased," 11 ' said. "It's taken 25, 31) years to just get washrooms. So anything we do now is such a big plus." Members of Hayfield's service clubs and library patrons should welcome Palmer's next project update. "It's nice to be able to say the staff has been given approval to go forward with the architect to finalize the drawings, and have them ready to bring back tender documents for coun- cii," he said. During last Monday's council session, Skinner presented councillors with two revised design options to choose from. Both incorporated residents' suggestions made during an August public meeting. Council chose his second plan, which decreased the size of the library by about 100 sq. ft., added a second stall in the women's public washroom, added a janitor's closet for stor- age in the public washrooms and another In the building washrooms, and moved the parking and loading area from behind the existing library branch to behind the new build- ing.'Ihere are designated parking spots for library staff, jani- tors, and post office staff. Stanley East Coun. Dave Roy argued there should also he parking for archives building staff, hut was met with FREE PUBLIC SKATING Join Bev for a Christmas Open House at the Gemini Sportsplex in Strathroy on Monday December 19th Enjoy free skating from 4 - 5 pm and from 5 - 6 pm enjoy some refreshments and entertainment • from Strathroy's very own Shelly Rastin, olfm•yamw.nao. Bev Shipley, MP Lambton-Kent-Middlesex Phone: 519-245-6561 or 1-800-586-4614 Visit Bev on the web at: www.bevshipley.ca opposition. "Archives and the library are separate... 'they've (archives) always used the street, so 1 guess they'll carry on using the street," Dawson said. "We're accommodating that larger building and the people that want to use the library building, and that's our concern." Skinner's design also includes a courtyard in the front of the building and a reading garden in the rear. County librarian Meighan Wark said library staff prefers the first option because it has more library square footage. She added more room is necessary for popular summer pro- gramming, but Skinner's second blueprint, which was approved, will work also. Ai I'm really excited to be here, I'm looking forward to the next few months... and getting to know you, and hopefully keeping you on a steady course until you get a new administrator." -- heather Adams, interim chief administrative ofjie('r. Coun. Palmer motioned to move forward with the second option so as not to disrupt the trees and greenery behind the existing library, he said. Also, he felt the interior of the build- ing seemed to flow better in Skinner's plan b. There is currently no grant money for the $1.2 million project. Mayor Rowson announced in September that a $934,000 federal grant had been denied. interim (;AO Bluewater has accepted the appointment of !leather Adams as its interim chief administrative officer. Bluewater Heritage Committe Presents: Unveiling of Heritage Plaque Historic Zurich Hotel and Drawing of Zurich Lion's Club 50/50 Draw Ili support of Heritage Hay Township Hall Renovations SMILEY'S PIZZA & PUB Zurich, Ont. SUNDAY DECEMBER 18, 2011 4:00 Refreshments A by Council unanimously voted to hire Adams, who has more than 30 years experience working in government, during its Dec. 5 council meeting. "I'm really excited to be here," Adams said. "I'm looking forward to the next few months... and getting to know you, and hopefully keeping you on a steady course until you get a new administrator." Adams will stay on for about three or four months, she said, while council works with its consultant Nigel Bellchamber to hire a permanent CAO. Adams spent about half her career working in provincial government ministries, including the Ministry of Municipal Affairs, Ministry of Environment and Ministry of Energy. Before retiring, she was an administrator at the municipal level for 14 years, she said, serving as clerk, treasurer, eco- nomic development officer, airport manager and public works supervisor. She worked for the Township of Terrace Bay, the City of Sarnia and Aylmer, among others. She currently lives in Chatham -Kent, and will commute to Bluewater where she will work for three days a week, said mayor Bill Dowson. "I'm very comfortable that she has a lot of qualifications and abilities to do what we want to do for the next few months," Dowson said. I le added her experience with setting up regulations and budget deliberations will be helpful as Bluewater will wade into those waters in the coming months. Choices for Seniors Information on Independent Living A Family Meeting During the Holidays For most of us, winter holidays are wrapped up with family traditions. But for many families this year, holiday visits will include the realization that their senior loved one's condition is chaIngiIn),;. The house isn't as spotless as Mont has always kept it. Maybe Dad - ways so Conscious of his pel'sonal grooming - looks as if tie hasn't shaved in a few days. Its hard to accept that our parents aren't as self-sufficient and strong as they once were. But we can turn t hat concern into action, supporting their desire to be safe and healthy while preserving the greatest independence possible. While everyone is together for the holidays. it could be a good time for a family sleeting about the right care solution. If you are worried that living independently is becoming too great a. challenge for your loved one, but he or she prefers to stay at home, in-home personal care is an excellent solution to provide security and peace of mind when you Can't be there yourself. You can arrange for a qualified home care agency to send a caregiver every day of the week, or occasion- ally as needed. The agency may begin with a health care needs assessment and find a solution that is right for your loved ono and that also brings peace of mind for you. During the holidays and year-round, the peace of mind that comes from proper homo health care can be a gift for everyone! Sponsored by: Landa Coletta Executive Director Retire -At -Home Services Tel: 519-294-8855 www.retireathomehpm.com RETIRE-AT-RA/1E Yourfealth. YourHome. YourChotee.