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The Citizen, 2018-02-22, Page 3A Mickey Mouse operation Visitors to the Family Day breakfast hosted by the Blyth Legion, Legion Ladies Auxiliary and Blyth Lions Clubs on Monday were able to order some specially -shaped pancakes prepared by Jim Button and Mel McBurney. (Denny Scott photo) World Day of Prayer now set for March 3 From Marilyn's Desk By Marilyn Craig Call 523-9318 Happy birthday to Sharon Jackson, Robbie Lawrie, Bayfield and Shirley Giilck, Kitchener, who celebrate Feb. 22; Heidi (Craig) Martin, Gowanstown, Feb. 24; Aimee Townsend and Sharon Bromley, Feb. 25; Elsie Walsh, Huronview, Feb. 26; Joann MacDonald, Feb. 28 and our village barber, Dana Weber who celebrates every four years on Feb. 29. Belated birthday wishes to Renska Ribbink- Daer, who celebrated her birthday on Feb. 10. The Blyth Swinging Seniors February meeting is on Wednesday, Feb. 28, at the Blyth Legion Hall with a potluck lunch at noon. Come out and enjoy the fun and fellowship. Heidi Martin, Doug Craig, Deb, Fred, Jon and Quinton Hakkers and Dave Craig all helped me celebrate my birthday by treating me to supper at Cowbell Brewery. The World Day of Prayer for both men and women is on Saturday, March 3 at the Blyth Christian Reformed Church at 10 a.m. Come and join the rest of the world in prayer. That miracle of Divine grace wrought in the soul (Arthur Pink) Not by works or righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit. Titus 3:5 Regeneration is that miracle of Divine grace wrought in the soul... which enlists the affections Godward, which brings the human will into subjection to the Divine, and which produces a real and radical change in the life. That change is from worldliness --to godliness; from disobedience --to obedience. At the new birth, the love of God is shed abroad in the hart by the Holy Spirit, and that love is manifested in a dominating longing and sincere purpose to please in all things, the One who has plucked me as a brand from the burning. There is a greater difference between the genuine Christian and the deceived professing Christian --than there is between a living man and a corpse. None need remain in doubt, if they will honestly measure themselves by the Holy Word of God. Ah, dear readers, the test is fruit! Not knowledge, not boastings, not orthodoxy, not joy --but fruit; and such "fruit" as mere nature cannot produce. It is the fruit of the Vine --namely, likeness to Christ, being conformed to His image. May the Holy Spirit search each one of us. A Grace Gem Submitted by: Immanuel United Reformed Church, Listowel, ON 519-291-1956 THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2018. PAGE 3. FDNH rebuilding reserves By Denny Scott The Citizen North Huron Council recently issued a pre -audit Fire Department of North Huron (FDNH) reconciliation report to the municipalities the department services. The report, presented at North Huron Council's Feb. 8 budget meeting, included a lot of good news according to North Huron senior staff members. Director of Finance Donna White explained that there is a surplus for the overall department spending for 2017 thanks in part to revenue recovered through HST returns and compensation recovered by Firemark, a company that recovers firefighting costs from insurance companies. White explained that the FDNH budget includes two reserves, one for future capital and an operating reserve to cover particularly heavy call times. The capital reserve has been drained in recent years with equipment costs and was actually overdrawn in 2017 due to purchases. After a deposit of $70,000 in this year's budget, the reserve will sit at $41,576.49. The operational reserve will sit at $45,265.54 after being overdrawn in 2016. By adding funds recovered and including a transfer to reserves, the surplus will be at $45,265.54 in the budget. The operational reserve is capped at $50,000 with any surplus earned after that distributed back to the municipality's partner municipal- ities. Similarly, if that account is overdrawn, like it was in 2016 when the FDNH faced more calls than ever before, the reserve borrows from North Huron and is paid back through budgets and surplus over time, White explained. "In 2016, we had cost overruns due to calls," Deputy -Chief Matt Townsend said. "That year we also incurred fairly significant surprise costs" Townsend pointed to the liner on the department's tanker truck being replaced, a $17,000 expense, as one of those costs. In 2017, call volume was down from 2016 and, despite some cost overrun, the department came in under budget according to Townsend. He said that, so far 2018 has been on par with last year. "However [estimating calls] is like rolling the dice," he said. "We never do know." Councillor Trevor Seip asked several questions about the operational reserve before suggesting that, with renegotiations with Morris-Turnberry and Central Huron this year, it may be worthwhile increasing the $50,000 cap in light of the 2016 call volume. "That's a discussion for us to have Notice of Closure when we renegotiate," he said. The document provided to North Huron and its partner municipalities in the FDNH is unaudited, meaning it could change when the municipal audit is carried out later this year. FROM BLYTH BUY? SELL? TRY CLASSIFIED Broken Washer? Blyth Laundromat 191 Westmoreland St., Blyth 519-523-9687 of the CIBC Blyth Banking Centre effective Thursday, September 20, 2018 at 5:00 pm. The CIBC Blyth Banking Centre at 442 Queen St., Blyth, ON NOM 1H0 will be closing on Thursday, September 20, 2018 at 5:00 pm and relocating to the CIBC Wingham Banking Centre at 14 Victoria St. E., Wingham, ON NOG 2W0. If you have any questions or concerns about the closure of this banking centre, please don't hesitate to ask for information at the banking centre or call us at 519 523-4247. You are invited to a Community Meeting. CIBC will be hosting a community meeting to answer any questions and discuss alternative banking options as a result of the CIBC Blyth Banking Centre closure. The meeting will be held on Thursday, April 19, 2018 from 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm. The meeting will be convened at the Blyth & District Community Centre, 377 Gypsy Lane, Blyth, ON NOM 1H0. At CIBC we are focused on meeting your financial needs. While the CIBC Blyth Banking Centre will no longer be in operation after September 20, 2018, you will be able to bank with us using your mobile device, online, or by phone, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. We would be pleased to show you how to use these services to make your day to day banking easier. CIBC You may wish to contact the Financial Consumer Agency of Canada (FCAC), which has the authority to ask CIBC to hold a formal meeting between the bank, representatives of the FCAC and interested parties in the vicinity of the branch, in order to exchange views about the closure of the branch. The FCAC may require the bank to hold such a meeting if the bank has not consulted the community in the area affected by the closure well enough to ascertain the views of interested persons in the community with regard to the closure, or an individual or community representative from the area affected by the closure, has submitted a written request for the meeting to the FCAC, and that request is not frivolous or vexatious. For more information you can contact the FCAC at 1 866 461-FCAC (3222) or visit www.fcac-acfc.gc.ca.