The Times Advocate, 2007-08-29, Page 11Wednesday, August 29, 2007
Times—Advocate
11
Practical programs
available
EXETER — A couple of weeks ago I wrote about
examples of teamwork between local government
and communities. This week I'd like to take it one
step further and describe three practical programs
provided by the Ministry of Agriculture, Food, and
Rural Affairs. If you're interested in any of these
three programs, visit www.ontario.ca/rural for more
information.
Rural Economic Development (RED)
Program
The purpose of the Rural Economic
Development Program is to invest in pro-
jects that support rural economies. Its
focus is on three areas: health care access,
community revitalization and skills train-
ing. The program is quite similar in its
goals to the Huron Economic Development
Matters program that I mentioned in the
last article. As the purpose of RED is to fos-
ter teamwork, only affiances between busi-
nesses, community organizations and
municipalities or any combination of are
encouraged to apply.
Funding is available up to 50 per cent of
the project's cost. The funding covers
expenses such as marketing material, specialized
training costs, professional fees, renovations or spe-
cialized equipment. The application process involves
a pre -proposal, where applicants are notified if their
project fits the program's criteria; a full application,
which provides the complete details of the proposed
project; and the selection process, where applica-
tions are assessed. Recommendations for approval
will be based on factors such as project feasibility,
demonstrated need, commitment level and financial
viability.
Community Exchange
First Impressions Community Exchange is a unique
program that allows communities to receive feed-
back from tourists, residents and potential investors.
Two communities exchange volunteer groups to visit
and reveal their "first impressions" on a communi-
ty's appearance, services and infrastructure. This
style of review is similar to a secret shopper, as the
unannounced visits provide communities with
impartial feedback with a fresh point of view.
Visiting teams are made up of residents of all ages
with a variety of backgrounds and occupations to
ensure there are a mix of perspectives. Once they
return, the team prepares and presents a report on
their findings and the other exchange community
responds by completing the same process.
Fortunately, the costs of the exchange only include
travel fees and meeting expenses, so this program is
affordable to most communities.
Seaforth and Petrolia have already completed an
exchange and are pleased with the results. Other
participating communities have found great
results such as businesses that feel more
confident in the services they provide and
residents that have a greater admiration for
their community.
Downtown Revitalization
Downtowns are important parts of our
communities. They add charm and are a
reflection of our cultural history. They are
social areas where people can gather to
shop, to eat and enjoy some entertainment.
However, downtowns have changed in
response to the rise of e-commerce, big box
stores and rural population decline. In an
effort to address these trends, the province
has equipped communities with resources
to develop a strategy to revitalize their downtowns.
For example, two assessment exercises are available
online that help determine a downtown's perfor-
mance. A co-worker and I completed one of the
assessments with Exeter's downtown in mind, and
the results indicated that performance is reasonable,
but could benefit from some selective revitalization
initiatives.
What would you like to see in your downtown? A
quick poll in the office revealed a variety of requests:
small movie theatre, ice cream shop, antique store,
bakery or deli. I'd like to hear what you think —
send me an e-mail at
t.russell@town.southhuron.on.ca with your ideas.
Coming up: Details about an upcoming presenta-
tion by economic development consultant Nancy
Ross
TRISTALYN
RUSSELL
SOUTH HURON
PLANNING
ASSISTANT
Pastoral care appreciated at Queensway
HENSALL — Bob Heywood with his Gospel music
drew a capacity crowd Sunday afternoon as many resi-
dents had their family members and friends turn out to
enjoy the music with them. With his seemingly effort-
less singing of numerous old time hymns while accom-
panying himself on his accordion Bob is a favourite of
Queensway residents. He is appreciate for sharing his
talent while accepting nothing other than a thank you
for his performances.
August birthdays were celebrated at the monthly
birthday party held Thursday evening following Senior
Diners. Marie Flynn and The Huron Strings provided
musical entertain-
ment for the
evening and had
the dance floor full
on several occa-
sions with revelers.
Each birthday cele-
brant wore a fresh
corsage or bouton-
niere to identify
them.
Pastor Harry
Freilink of the
Exeter Christian
Reform Church led
worship Tuesday
afternoon with
Belva Fuss as vol-
unteer pianist. We
were pleased to
have retired minis-
ter Rev. John
Zwaan sit in on the
service as he has
consented to be
included in our
schedule of clergy
who provide pas-
toral service at
Queensway.
Residents also
benefited from
massage with Lori
Burt R.M.T., exer-
cise class, euchre,
r
Avon = VOT.
1.1 Maitland
Fairness
Honesty
Empathy
Respect
Integrity
Courage
Optimism
Compassion
Perseverance
Responsibility
I
Cultivating
`. Character
L
coffee and current events, restorative care, manicures,
breakfast group, and ice cream parlour throughout the
week.
Coming events
Thurs., Aug. 30 - 5 p.m. Retirement Home Family BBQ
Tues., Sept. 4 - 9 a.m. Volunteer Auxiliary Meeting
Sun., Sept. 9 - 2 p.m. Grand Parents Day Tea Party
Wed., Sept. 12 - 7 p.m. Audibly
Awesome Barbershop Music
Tues., Sept. 18 - 2:30 p.m. Farewell
Party for Pastor Elly Van Bergen.
School Year Calendar 2007 - 2008
Avon Maitland Public Elementary & Secondary Schools
School Holidays
Back to School: Tuesday, September 4, 2007
Thanksgiving: Monday, October 8, 2007
Christmas Break: December 24, 2007 - January 4, 2008
March Break: Friday, March 7 - Friday,14, 2008
Good Friday: March 21, 2008
Easter Monday: March 24, 2008
Victoria Day: Monday, May 19, 2008
Last Day of Classes
June 26, 2008 - Elementary Schools
June 18, 2008 - Secondary Schools on Exam Schedule 4 & 6
June 19, 2008 - Secondary Schools on Exam Schedule 5 & 5
Professional Activity Days (P.A. Days)
Wednesday, October 3, 2007
Thursday, November 1, 2007
Friday, December 7, 2007
Thursday , January 31, 2008
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
Friday, June 27, 2008
Secondary Exam Days
4 & 6: January 25 - 30, 2008 and June 19 - 26, 2008
5 & 5: January 24 - 30, 2008 and June 20 - 26, 2008
Clip & Save
ti
For more information on Avon Maitland Public Schools
visit our new website at: www.yourschools.ca
email us at: info@fc.amdsb.ca
or call toll free at: 1-800-592-5437
Geoff Williams Jenny Versteeg
Director of Education ChaJ
POLICE BRIEFS
Missing water trampoline
BLUEWATER — A large floatable trampoline went
missing from a cottage on Egerton Beach Road in
Bluewater between Aug. 17 at noon and Aug. 18. The
trampoline is described as black and red and is valued
at approximately $2,000. The trampoline was either
taken or it blew into the water with high winds.
cooking with memories
BY DEBBY WAGLER
SLOW COOKER DINNER
OF HAM AND POTATOES
SOMEHOW IN THE LATE SUMMER WE GET READY FOR A
HEARTY MEAL THAT IS WARM AND FALL TASTING. THE
FOLLOWING RECIPE FOR HAM AND SCALLOPED POTATOES IS
A NICE TREAT TO MAKE US HAVE SOME COMFORT FOOD ON
A RAINY DAY!
6-8 slices of ham
8-10 medium potatoes thinly sliced
2 onions peeled and sliced thin
Salt and pepper to taste
1 cup grated cheddar cheese
I can cream of celery or mushroom soup
Toss potatoes in 1/2 tsp. cream of tartar and I cup water.
Drain. Put half of ham, potatoes and onions in cooker.
Sprinkle with salt and pepper then cheese. Repeat the layers.
Spoon undiluted soup over the top. Cover and cook on low
8-10 hours or on high for 4. Enjoy a wonderful creamy supper
tomorrow night!
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