february 2, 2012 issue

20
St.Thomas/Elgin February 2, 2012 Volume 7 No. 39 519-633-1640 • www.theweeklynews.ca Real Estate Brokerage Nick Visscher Broker of Record Call/text 519-933-4714 www.elginwebsite.com Three bedroom brick ranch. Main floor laundry, double garage. Mint condition. 111 Southgate Parkway $248,900 Hand wash and dry, shampoo, vacuum, clean vinyl, glass treatment, vehicle wax, paint sealant, fabric protection. Monday to Friday 8am-6pm, Saturday 8am-3pm 175 South Edgeware Rd., St. Thomas 519-631-6420 Put the NEW back into your vehicle! VALENTINE GIFTS FOR YOU AND YOURS VALENTINE GIFTS FOR YOU AND YOURS GIFT CERTIFICATES AVAILABLE! Calling all artists! International designer to teach course in St. Thomas by Mickey Reid Have you ever wondered why artists choose one paint colour over another? Moe Shier, an internationally known designer and teacher of realistic wildlife art, will be vis- iting Romantic Designs Artist Studio this Saturday for a free demonstration of paint proper- ties and colour theory. “This demo will help even the newest of painters to have a better understanding of the properties of paint,” says Moe. She will be returning March 3 and 10 for a two-day interme- diate level acrylic workshop to teach the technique she uses to paint a kitten called ‘Blue Eyes.’ Dan and Sharon Brassard, owners of Romantic Designs Artist Studio, say they are hon- oured to have Moe share her talent with the St. Thomas community. IF YOU GO… Colour Theory Demo When? Sat. Feb. 4, 10am-1 pm Where? Romantic Designs Artist Studio, 120 Wellington St., St. Thomas Cost? Free More info? 519-860-6851 Artist Moe Shier with one of her paintings called ‘Dressed to Win.’ (Photo by Mickey Reid) But aldermen want more information about renovating current facility A special St. Thomas city council meeting was held Jan- uary 25 to hear about upcoming plans for the new police head- quarters building proposed for a site the city bought last year on Third Avenue. After five years of research and planning by Rebanks Pep- per Littlewood Architects, Inc., president John Pepper pre- sented his needs assessment and concept plan, including a cost estimate. He explained the steps that had been undertaken since 2007 to evaluate options, con- sult with police services staff, purchase a site and develop a conceptual plan. He also provided two cost es- timate options: Option A at $17 million and Option B at $14 mil- lion (with a firing range and some indoor parking removed). He said that ancillary costs, if going with Option B, would bring the final price tag to $19 million. Treasurer William Day ex- plained that the cost would mean a rise in property taxes between 3.3 to 5.4 percent, de- pending on 10, 15 or 20-year repayment rates. He reminded council that the city is still pay- ing for the Timken Centre, the debt of which will be discharged in July 2015. Although alderman Tom John- son asked John Pepper to re- peat the reasons why the current police building was not a candidate for renovation, al- dermen Jeff Kohler and Mark Cosens questioned why the Colin McGregor Justice Building was not being renovated in- stead of building new. They asked for a report from staff outlining the state of the St. Catharine Street building. Director of environmental services, John Dewancker, wondered why council mem- bers were asking about this again. “We are well into taking a direction toward a new build- ing and now you asking us to go in a whole different direction.” Mayor Heather Jackson- Chapman also emphasized the lack of space and contaminated soil of the current building, as well as new disaster-proof stan- dards that would have to be met. Because council members felt they had not had enough time to review the report since they had only received it that afternoon, CAO Wendell Graves recom- mended that members read the report thoroughly and send him any questions so that all con- cerns could be addressed to- gether at the next council meeting February 6. Building committee member Dave Warden said that an open house is being planned at the police station in the near future for the public to see the situa- tion for themselves. Architect John Pepper [inset] presents his report to St. Thomas city council February 25. [Above] Concept plan for the proposed St. Thomas Police Services headquarters. New St. Thomas Police headquarters plan unveiled

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Page 1: February 2, 2012 Issue

St.Thomas/Elgin

February 2, 2012Volume 7 No. 39 519-633-1640 • www.theweeklynews.ca

Real Estate Brokerage

Nick Visscher Broker of Record

Call/text 519-933-4714www.elginwebsite.comThree bedroom brick ranch. Main floor

laundry, double garage. Mint condition.

111 Southgate Parkway $248,900

Hand wash and dry, shampoo, vacuum, clean vinyl, glass treatment, vehicle wax, paint sealant, fabric protection.

Monday to Friday 8am-6pm, Saturday 8am-3pm 175 South Edgeware Rd., St. Thomas 519-631-6420

Put the NEW back into your vehicle!

VALENTINE GIFTS FORYOU AND YOURS

VALENTINE GIFTS FORYOU AND YOURS

GIFT CERTIFICATES AVAILABLE!

Calling all artists!International designer toteach course in St. Thomasby Mickey Reid

Have you ever wondered whyartists choose one paint colourover another?

Moe Shier, an internationallyknown designer and teacher ofrealistic wildlife art, will be vis-iting Romantic Designs ArtistStudio this Saturday for a freedemonstration of paint proper-ties and colour theory.

“This demo will help even thenewest of painters to have abetter understanding of theproperties of paint,” says Moe.

She will be returning March 3and 10 for a two-day interme-

diate level acrylic workshop toteach the technique she usesto paint a kitten called ‘BlueEyes.’

Dan and Sharon Brassard,owners of Romantic DesignsArtist Studio, say they are hon-oured to have Moe share hertalent with the St. Thomascommunity.

IF YOU GO…Colour Theory DemoWhen? Sat. Feb. 4, 10am-1 pmWhere? Romantic DesignsArtist Studio, 120 Wellington St., St. ThomasCost? FreeMore info? 519-860-6851

Artist Moe Shier with one of her paintings called ‘Dressed to Win.’ (Photo by Mickey Reid)

But aldermen want moreinformation aboutrenovating current facility

A special St. Thomas citycouncil meeting was held Jan-uary 25 to hear about upcomingplans for the new police head-quarters building proposed for asite the city bought last year onThird Avenue.

After five years of researchand planning by Rebanks Pep-per Littlewood Architects, Inc.,president John Pepper pre-sented his needs assessmentand concept plan, including acost estimate.

He explained the steps thathad been undertaken since2007 to evaluate options, con-sult with police services staff,purchase a site and develop aconceptual plan.

He also provided two cost es-timate options: Option A at $17million and Option B at $14 mil-lion (with a firing range andsome indoor parking removed).He said that ancillary costs, ifgoing with Option B, would bringthe final price tag to $19 million.

Treasurer William Day ex-plained that the cost wouldmean a rise in property taxesbetween 3.3 to 5.4 percent, de-pending on 10, 15 or 20-yearrepayment rates. He remindedcouncil that the city is still pay-ing for the Timken Centre, thedebt of which will be dischargedin July 2015.

Although alderman Tom John-son asked John Pepper to re-peat the reasons why thecurrent police building was nota candidate for renovation, al-dermen Jeff Kohler and MarkCosens questioned why theColin McGregor Justice Buildingwas not being renovated in-stead of building new. Theyasked for a report from staff

outlining the state of the St.Catharine Street building.

Director of environmentalservices, John Dewancker,wondered why council mem-bers were asking about thisagain. “We are well into takinga direction toward a new build-ing and now you asking us to goin a whole different direction.”

Mayor Heather Jackson-Chapman also emphasized thelack of space and contaminatedsoil of the current building, aswell as new disaster-proof stan-dards that would have to bemet.

Because council members feltthey had not had enough time toreview the report since they hadonly received it that afternoon,CAO Wendell Graves recom-mended that members read thereport thoroughly and send himany questions so that all con-cerns could be addressed to-gether at the next councilmeeting February 6.

Building committee memberDave Warden said that an openhouse is being planned at thepolice station in the near futurefor the public to see the situa-tion for themselves.

Architect John Pepper [inset] presents his report to St. Thomas city councilFebruary 25. [Above] Concept plan for the proposed St. Thomas Police Services headquarters.

New St. Thomas Police headquarters plan unveiled

Page 2: February 2, 2012 Issue

Delivered to over 31,000 addresses - WEEKLY2 February 2, 2012 - St. Thomas/Elgin Weekly News www.theweeklynews.ca

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An unexpected boostSteve Williams (right), on behalf of the Don & Hazel Williams Charitable Foundation, presents Lori Wall of Fresh StartMaternity Supports with a cheque for $2,750 January 30 for projects at the St. Thomas not-for-profit organization.Lori says she was thrilled when Steve phoned to say he wanted to perform a random act of kindness for her organization.

Page 3: February 2, 2012 Issue

St. Thomas/Elgin Weekly News - February 2, 2012 3Delivered to over 31,000 addresses - WEEKLY www.theweeklynews.ca

B E l O N G

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Page 4: February 2, 2012 Issue

If you:• Are available to work in a service environment

from April until October• Are customer service oriented• Have knowledge of the game of golf (an asset)• Are looking for desirable work environment and flexible work

schedule.Positions are available in the following departments:• Pro Shop: Shop, Back Shop & Starter• Clubhouse: Servers, Line Cooks, Dishwasher and

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high school and university students.

Should you not be able to attend that day, pleasefax your resume to (519) 631-3222 OR email to

[email protected] can see most job descriptions at

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*“Two Week Free Trial When One Week Is Paid” offer applies to the fi rst payment only on new agreements entered into through February 11, 2012, when offer ends. This offer cannot be combined with any other promotion. Ownership is optional. Free-rent offers will not reduce total rent or purchase-option amounts. See Store Manager for com-plete details. †“Enter for a Chance to Win an HDTV” sweepstakes requires no purchase or rental to enter. Open to residents of Canada who are 18 years of age or older at time of entry, except employees of Rent-A-Centre (“Sponsor”), any of their affi liate companies, subsidiaries, retailers, sales representatives, distributors, advertising agencies, promotional suppliers and the immediate families and household members of each. Void where prohibited. To be qualifi ed as a prize winner, selected entrant must successfully complete the Canadian Skill test administered by the local store manager and abide by Rent-A-Centre guidelines. To claim a prize, the potential winner must fi rst correctly answer, without assistance of any kind, a mathematical skill-testing question at a mutually agreed-upon time. The question must be answered correctly within a predetermined amount of time. In the event that it is not answered correctly, the selected person will be disqualifi ed and an alternate winner may be selected. Entries must be submitted on or before drawing on 1/28/12. Drawing will be held 1/28/12. One (1) Grand Prize - a 42” Panasonic HDTV (Approximate Retail Value for Panasonic TC-P42X3: $1,247.48). Rent-A-Centre reserves the right to substitute a prize of equal or greater value. Odds of winning depend on number of entries received. You may obtain a copy of the offi cial sweepstakes rules by sending a self-addressed stamped envelope to: Rent-A-Centre Sweepstakes Rules Request (Dept. RAC), 15851 Dallas Parkway, Suite 725, Addison, TX 75001, USA by 1/20/12. Void where prohibited. **To restart an agreement on a returned product, Rent-A-Centre will retain your payment records for two years. Thereafter, simply bring in your last payment receipt for reinstatement. Delivery and set-up are included and RAC services and maintains the merchandise while on rent; set-up does not include connection of gas appliances.

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Delivered to over 31,000 addresses - WEEKLY4 February 2, 2012 - St. Thomas/Elgin Weekly News www.theweeklynews.ca

They’re United Way mindedEmployees at GKN Sinter Metals in St. Thomas are donating $19,041 to Elgin-St. Thomas United Way’s 2011 campaign. The money was raised last year throughbake sales, chili cook offs, poor boy luncheons and buck-a-week campaigns. At thecheque presentation January 26 were (from left) Connie Sanders, Bev Love, AnneCummings, Cathy Rozell, Len Parkins, Michelle Traubenik, Jennifer Wise, United Wayexecutive director Paul Shaffer, Craig Mansell, Judy Heil, Ron Charlton and GKN Sinter plant manager Kristina Schmitt.

Page 5: February 2, 2012 Issue

St. Thomas/Elgin Weekly News - February 2, 2012 5Delivered to over 31,000 addresses - WEEKLY www.theweeklynews.ca

• Stocks & Bonds• Insurance• GICs• Tax Vehicles• Mutual Funds• Full Service Financial

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Financial Planning• Insurance*130 Centre Street, St.Thomas ON N5R 2Z9Tel: 519-631-4724 Fax: 519-631-0557

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Are your books up to date? Have you had your Annual Financial Review? Don’t stress...

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Call or See Terry Metcalf or Jerry Nevill today2002 CHEV AVALANCHE 4 X 4

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Teens asked to createCanadian history videos

by Carrie Ford

Are you a student in Grades7 to 12 and looking for a cre-ative outlet? Would you like tolearn more about local history?Then a video contest launchedthis month by the SouthwestOntario Barn Quilt Trails com-mittee might be just whatyou’re looking for.

The aim is to create a videothat touches on a theme ortopic identified at any of the lo-cations of the Southwest On-tario Barn Quilt Trails. Some ofthe topics in Elgin County in-clude the Highlander Scottishsettlements, the Fenian Raids,the role of First Nations in theWar of 1812, the UndergroundRailroad, Colonel Thomas Tal-bot, and many more.

Your challenge is to plan, filmand edit a video relevant toone of the themes on the trail.The video should be two to fiveminutes in length and shouldinclude a list of all participantsand their roles. Students mustbe in Grades 7 to 12 to be eli-gible to participate. There are

plenty of prizes to be won!Good luck students!

You can also follow us andthe progress of the contest onFacebook and Twitter.

MORE INFO…Barn Quilt Video Contestbarnquilttrails.ca

Barn Quilt Video Contest

ANNUAL GENERALMEETING

The Annual General Meeting of the St. Thomas Downtown Development Board

will be held on Wednesday, February 8, 2012 at 7 pm. at the

CASO Station, 750 Talbot St., St. Thomas. All members within

the BIA area are encouraged to attend.   Be sure to be there to offer your

comments and suggestions toward shaping our future.

Important NoticeTo all St. Thomas

Downtown Business andProperty Owners

[email protected]

An example of a barn quilt on the Ford family Farm off Highway 3 in WestElgin. (Photo by Jan Row)

A little boy at a wedding looks at hismom and says, "Mommy, why does

the bride wear white?"His mom replies, "The bride is in

white because she's happy and thisis the happiest day of her life."

The boys thinks about this and thensays, "Well then, why is the groom

wearing black..."

Page 6: February 2, 2012 Issue

Delivered to over 31,000 addresses - WEEKLY6 February 2, 2012 - St. Thomas/Elgin Weekly News www.theweeklynews.ca

St.Thomas/Elgin

A Community Newspaper, published by Carroll Publishing, Inc.15 St. Catharine St., (Lower) St. Thomas, N5P 2V7

519-633-1640 Fax: 519-633-0558

Terry Carroll - Publisher: [email protected] [Ext. 25]Nancy Kelly Carroll - Sec./Treasurer: [email protected] Gebert - Editor: [email protected] [Ext. 26]Rebecca Smallman - Circulation: [email protected] [Ext. 33]Linda Axelson - Sales: [email protected] [Ext. 27]

Chris Heil - Sales: [email protected] [Ext. 23]Doug Golding - Sales: [email protected] [Ext. 24]Laura Bart - Office Manager: [email protected] [Ext. 21]Jim McHarg - Creative Dept: [email protected]

Locally owned and operated member of St. Thomas & District Chamber of Commerce, St.Thomas Executives Association, Ontario Community Newspapers Association, Canadian Media Circulation Audit

CMCAAUDITED

Member:

editorialpageSt.Thomas/Elgin

Dorothy Gebert

Build new or renovate old?

I couldn’t believe my ears. At aspecial St. Thomas city council

meeting January 25, after architect John Pepperhad gone through his presentation of the ration-ale and concept plan for the new police head-quarters building, two aldermen began askingwhy renovating the current building wasn’t beingconsidered as an option instead of building new.

I think others in the room on council, on staffand in the gallery were wondering why on earthJeff Kohler and Mark Cosens were raising theissue after hearing the architect relay in great de-tail why staying in the building on St. CatharineStreet was not feasible.

As Mayor Heather Jackson-Chapman remindedeveryone, that option had been considered anddismissed a long time ago. As director of envi-ronmental services John Dewancker said, we’vealready gone a long way down the path towards

a new building – almost five years. Why are wegoing back and re-thinking a decision made along time ago?

In some ways I can understand why aldermanKohler wants a more specific report on the oldbuilding. Maybe he knows we all have shortmemories and need to be reminded why the cur-rent building is not an option – especially whencouncil was just presented with a very big pricetag for a new building. It would make anyonewant to question why we need a new policeheadquarters.

So asking for a report outlining in detail what itwould cost to retrofit the current building mightbe a good heads up for council and residentsalike. As alderman Kohler said, if the costs endup coming in just as high as a new building, hecan swallow the price of a new building with aclear conscience.

So I think it’s a great idea that council is plan-ning to hold an open house to present the con-cept plans to the public at the police station.Residents will see for themselves why a newbuilding is needed.

Terry Carroll

Reinventing United Way

Years ago, I had lunch withChamber of Commerce presi-

dent and CEO Bob Hammersley to find out moreabout United Way, and he told me two things I’venever forgotten.

The first was that “This is a United Way com-munity,” by which I think he meant . . . more bluecollar than white, people coming together, and ahistory of generous giving.

The second had to do with United Way fundrais-ing. Bob said, “I think they have their own sys-tem.”

He was correct on both counts.The basic United Way fundraising structure is

volunteer-based and has been cloned (andsometimes modified) by all kinds of otherfundraising organizations. The sincerest form offlattery is, in fact, imitation.

One of the great tools of United Way fundraisinghas been payroll deduction in what is known asthe workplace campaign. Employees agree tohave a few dollars deducted every pay period,

companies make a contribution or even matchthe giving of employees, and United Way distrib-utes the proceeds, less expenses, to memberagencies via a panel of community volunteers.

But things change, as they always do.While it’s safe to say that this still is, in many

ways, a United Way community, several largemanufacturing workplace campaigns have dis-appeared. With the closing of the Ford and Learplants alone, United Way lost about $150,000 inannual giving.

Other charities have raised their profiles duringthis same period. Breast and prostate cancerfundraising and awareness campaigns now runin October and November, once considered“United Way season.” The St. Thomas Elgin Gen-eral Hospital Foundation raises approximately $1million annually, plus much more in major capitalcampaigns. And there are many other strongfundraising campaigns, including those by mem-ber agencies outside of the fall United Wayfundraising period.

While bringing people and organizations to-gether for the common good is important, therubber hits the road for United Way when it raisesdollars for member agencies. The next UnitedWay campaign starts today.

Community Snapshot

Let’s get movingMargie and Craig Cole, along with their Terrier pup, try cross-country skiing in Pinafore Park Sunday. “We haven’tdone as much skiing as we would have liked to,” admits Craig, due to the lack of snow this year.

(Photo by Brian Wilsdon)

The talk around the watercooler this week will likely beabout the disappearance of OldAge Security.

People who have been payingOttawa for most of their livesprobably feel that they deserve

some degree of security in their old age, andthey wonder what “adjusting” the payment willmean. CBC’s Kevin O’Leary says the term actu-ally means that the payment will be killed out-right.

When the announcement came out, it wasmeant to impress rich people at a conference inSwitzerland. Maybe they were impressed, butthere were a lot of people on this side of the At-lantic that were not.

The only people made happy by the an-nouncement were the opposition parties. Itmeans that the recovery of the Liberal Party is

going to happen a lot sooner. And though it maynot be a disaster for the Conservatives on a Mul-roney scale, the Harper majority will disappearbefore the O.A.S. does.

It is always easier to get bad news from some-one you don’t like, but that doesn’t mean thathe is wrong. Our pension schemes are very ex-pensive and under more demand than ever be-fore. Like the Ponzi scheme that it is, the thingwill eventually implode.

There is a great deal of wisdom in settingaside 20 percent of your paycheck for youreventual retirement. If Ottawa can’t take care ofyour needs in old age, you had better rely onyourself.

Still, the move is politically unpopular and itwill be interesting to see how quickly the smug-ness will exit the Prime Minister’s Office. Hemight even change his mind over this one, butO.A.S. as we know it is very likely doomed. If notthis year, then very soon, under this or some fu-ture government.

Editorial by Ric WellwoodGuest

Secure no more

Page 7: February 2, 2012 Issue

St. Thomas/Elgin Weekly News - February 2, 2012 7Delivered to over 31,000 addresses - WEEKLY www.theweeklynews.ca

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[email protected]

Pick up your February issue at news stands

and restaurants across Elgin

Read previous issues online: www.theweeklynews.ca

Hear ALL The HITS!Tickets ONLY $25

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T W N S P E C I A L F E A T U R E

Dear Editor:The Toronto Star recently

published an article about theOntario Senior Safety Linebeing at risk of closing.

I would like to draw attentionto the local impact of the po-tential loss of this SeniorSafety Line (SSL).

This 800 hotline, while oper-ated out of the Toronto area, isan important resource avail-able to seniors in troubleacross Ontario. Many seniorsfrom right here in Elgin Countyhave used the SSL to helpthem deal with issues of ElderAbuse.

The Elgin Elder Abuse Re-source Committee (EEARC)has supported this line since

its inception three years ago.EEARC is a network of organi-zations that work with seniors,and our network has commu-nity seniors as well. Our pur-pose is to raise publicawareness of Elder Abuse,provide education to serviceproviders and the generalpublic, and provide a consul-tation process for those deal-ing with issues of Elder Abuse.We are seeing more and morecases of elder abuse. As Coor-dinator of this EEARC commit-tee, I would like to state thatwe feel this SSL can have amajor impact in supporting theestimated 1,200 seniors inElgin County who are beingabused. It can provide infor-

mation and referral, as well asadvice and emotional supportto those seniors, or their con-cerned family and friends whocall the SSL.

On behalf of EEARC, I wouldlike to request that potentialdonors, as well as governmentbodies, consider funding thisvital safety link for seniors.Your donation right now willhelp maintain the functioningof the Ontario SSL, until morelong-term, stable funding canbe acquired.

Contact the Ontario Networkfor the Prevention of ElderAbuse at www.onpea.org orby phone at 416-916-6728 tomake a donation. Thank you.

Bonnie Row, CoordinatorElgin Elder Abuse Resource

Committee

Letter to theeditor

St. Thomas Police are investi-gating vehicle entries onWellington Street. Sometimeovernight on January 2, two ve-hicles parked in an under-ground parking lot at 430Wellington Street had their sidewindows smashed. Stolen was$500 worth of fishing tackle ina canvas bag. Damage to thevehicles was $800. Value of thistheft is $3,000. Anyone with in-formation is asked to contactCrime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.

Page 8: February 2, 2012 Issue

Delivered to over 31,000 addresses - WEEKLY8 February 2, 2012 - St. Thomas/Elgin Weekly News www.theweeklynews.ca

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Portside Gallery’s annualminiature art show now onby Anita LaRue

When we think of somethingminiature many things come tomind, but usually art it not oneof them. To create beauty on asurface which is no more than16 square inches is nothingshort of astounding.

Ron Jackson, a local artist as

well as a carpenter from PortStanley, will be showing two ofhis miniatures at the PortsideGallery’s 10th annual miniatureshow and sale, running Febru-ary 1-29.

Ron’s love of art began at theage of eight. He recalls usingnature as his safe haven froma childhood that at times wasincredibly difficult. When lifebecame tough, Ron would re-treat to his basement and drawor escape to nature to findpeace.

“All these experiences gaveme a love of nature,” Ron ex-plains. It was in these mo-ments, in the quiet that natureprovided, that he found hisstrength, and his creative sidewas nurtured.

One of Ron’s vibrant minia-ture paintings, called ‘Beloved,’created with a Celtic flair, willbe shown along with the workof 40 other gifted artists.

Pat Curtis, a member of thePortside Cooperative Gallery aswell as a talented artist herself,is thrilled to be a part of sucha creative display of miniature

art. “One hundred miniature

paintings from various localartists ranging from Port Stan-ley, St. Thomas, London, Mid-dlesex, Oxford and Kent will beon display through the monthof February,” Pat says.

Kevin Bice, a prominent Lon-don artist, will be judging thedisplay. A $100 award will begiven for the best in show andthree ribbons for honourablemention.

The opening reception will beheld Sunday, February 5 withfood and beverages beingserved. This is a perfect time tomeet the artists whose workwill inspire and astonish theviewer’s senses with their tiny,detailed masterpieces.

Port Stanley has a wonderfulreputation for inspiring the cre-ative hand, with extraordinarytalents such as the late PaulSchleusner and JonathonHayes, whose brilliant paint-ings are well known to manyacross the county. The traditioncontinues with the helping

hand of the Portside Gallery. The definition of miniature is

much more than just some-thing small, for it is not the sizeof a painting that makes theartist, it is their enormous heartand vast soul which createssuch beauty.

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Small but brilliant Artist Ron Jacksonwith his miniaturework called ‘Beloved,’one of the entries inthe Portside Gallery10th annual miniature show. (Photo by Anita LaRue)

IF YOU GO…Miniature Art ShowWhen? Feb. 1-29 from 11am-5pm, with receptionSun. Feb. 5, 1-4pmWhere? Portside Gallery, 187 ½ A Main St., Port StanleyCost? Free admissionMore info? 519-782-7066

Page 9: February 2, 2012 Issue

St. Thomas/Elgin Weekly News - February 2, 2012 9Delivered to over 31,000 addresses - WEEKLY www.theweeklynews.ca

by Amelia Bainbridge

STEGH request for fundingSteve Knipe, President of the

St. Thomas Elgin General Hospi-tal Foundation, and Dr. Rob Blackrequested council’s support infundraising for hospital redevel-opment. “The hospital hasserved us well and will continueto do so, but the 1950’s design isoutdated and inadequate,” saidDr. Black. The Foundation isseeking $13 million for the rede-velopment process that includesplans for a new building, renova-tions, and relocation of services.The Foundation requested $4.5million from the county over thenext several years. “Everyonethat I’ve heard from the city andthe county is very supportive ofthe hospital project,” said War-den Bill Walters. Council will forman ad-hoc committee to considerthe distribution and accountabil-ity of the funds.Elgin County Museum 2011 Annual Report

Elgin County Museum CuratorMike Baker presented councilwith the museum’s annual re-port. “Attendance is up to about1,800, which is an improvementof about 100 over the previousyear,” said Baker. There are plansfor a barn quilt project, a com-memoration of the war of 1812and an upgrade to the sharedcollections database. Exhibitionsin 2011 included ‘RememberingJohn McCrea’ from January 8 toApril 9, ‘Patterns from the Past:Hooked and Woven Textiles’ fromApril 16 to September 3 and‘Changing Gears, Elgin CountyIndustry in the 20th Century’from September 17 to December23. Library Union Database testing

Elgin County Library Coordina-tor Sandi Loponen reported thatthe Ontario Library Consortium(OLC) is exploring the option ofhosting the data of their 22member libraries on a sharedunion database. Loponen notedthat the database has several

unresolved issues including pos-sible privacy violations, addingworkload in finding information,and losing customized descrip-tions of bibliographic informa-tion. “We think that this decisionhas been rushed and that thisproject is not well planned,” saidLoponen. Elgin County Librarieswill take part in a test uniondatabase but may consider otheroptions for data hosting if theshared program goes forwardwith unresolved issues.Hospital Redevelopment Ad-Hoc Committee

Councillor Jim McIntyre andCouncillor Dave Mennill volun-teered to represent the county onan ad-hoc committee regardingthe request for grants for St.Thomas Elgin General Hospitalredevelopment. The committeewill also include Warden Bill Wal-ters, St. Thomas Mayor HeatherJackson-Chapman and twomembers of St. Thomas Citycouncil. The committee will con-sider the amount of the contribu-tion, the period over which fundscan be raised, and the countyand city’s role in building processcommittees. “In response tothose two individuals volunteer-

ing it should be noted they areboth former wardens. I think withsomething as big and importantas this it shows a strong com-mitment on our part to makingthis work,” said Councillor DavidMarr.City/County hockey game

St. Thomas and Elgin Countywill compete in the 2012 Mayor’sCharity Hockey Challenge at theTimken Centre on Sunday, March4, 2012, at 2:30pm to raisefunds for the United Way Cam-paign. Donations will be ac-cepted at the gate for the UnitedWay.St. Thomas-Elgin Public ArtCentre

Laura Woermke, Executive Di-rector of the St. Thomas-ElginPublic Art Centre presented theArt Centre’s annual report tocouncil. “In 2011 the Art Centrewelcomed 11,485 individualsthrough our doors through spe-cial events, exhibitions, facilityrentals, children’s programs andadult programs, which is a smallincrease over 2010,” said Wo-ermke. Membership increased in2011 by 8%. Programs coming in2012 include ‘Identity Transfer: anexploration of self-portraits’, theGreat Beginnings Elementary/Secondary school exhibition, andthe Artist2Artist series featuring anumber of local artists.

Request for grantsThe 2012 request for grants

from Elgin County contains$66,248 in grant requests, an in-crease of $10,873 over 2011. Di-rector of Financial Services JimBundschuh reported that 2011was an unusually low year forgrants. Some increases this yearinclude the International PlowingMatch Legacy Scholarshipadding $5,000 to the grantbudget and $500,000 was addedas an installment on the St.Thomas Elgin General Hospital’srequest for $4.5 million. “I’m fullysupportive of the St. ThomasElgin General Hospital but I wantto make note that in Bayham it-self, 95% of the residents use theTillsonburg hospital,” said Coun-cillor Paul Ens. “There are ongo-ing projects at TillsonburgHospital as well.” Elgin County ten-year businessplan

Director of Financial ServicesJim Bundschuh reported on up-dates to Elgin County’s ten-yearbusiness plan for 2012. The planhas been moved out to 2021 andcontinues the county’s goal of

maintaining service levels, real-izing an affordable tax increaseand using reserves moderately.“For the next nine years we’recontinuing with a 4% tax in-crease as was previously pro-posed. We’re doing that despitethe fact that we’re seeing further

pressure from Ford on the prop-erty tax,” said Bundschuh. Effi-ciencies in the plan will allowthe tax increase for 2021 to bereduced to 2%, and thecounty’s municipal position in2021 is improved over lastyear’s plan.

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Page 10: February 2, 2012 Issue

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Delivered to over 31,000 addresses - WEEKLY10 February 2, 2012 - St. Thomas/Elgin Weekly News www.theweeklynews.ca

A winning teamThe East Elgin Synchronized Skating Club won gold in the Synchro Caperscompetition January 22 in Newmarket. Members of the team include: (kneel-ing) coach Lois Hathaway, (second row) Lindsay Ketchabaw, Sara Shrubsall,

April Ricker, Sandra Davie, Lisa Freeman, Laura McKnight, (back Row) RobinCoatsworth-Puspoky, Michelle Clark, Theresa Klachan, Jamie Pake, ChrisWhittaker, president and team manager Jim Hathaway and Casey Brown.

(Photo courtesy of the East Elgin Community Complex)

Page 11: February 2, 2012 Issue

St. Thomas/Elgin Weekly News - February 2, 2012 11Delivered to over 31,000 addresses - WEEKLY www.theweeklynews.ca

Take Notice that tenders are invited for the purchase of the land(s) describedbelow and will be received until 3:00 p.m. local time on 29 February 2012, atthe Southwold Township Office, 35663 Fingal Line, Fingal, Ontario N0L1K0.

The tenders will then be opened in public on the same day as soon aspossible after 3:00 p.m. at the Southwold Township Office, 35663 FingalLine, Fingal.

Description of Lands:

Roll No. 34 24 000 006 13400 0000; 11645 Sunset Rd. St. Thomas; PIN 35159-0187(LT) Part Lot 46 Concession NWNBTR Southwold as inE172953 except D77 & D911; Southwold. File 10-04

Minimum Tender Amount: $29,609.31

Tenders must be submitted in the prescribed form and must be accompaniedby a deposit in the form of a money order or of a bank draft or chequecertified by a bank or trust corporation payable to the municipality andrepresenting at least 20 per cent of the tender amount.

Except as follows, the municipality makes no representation regardingthe title to or any other matters relating to the land to be sold.Responsibility for ascertaining these matters rests with the potentialpurchasers.

This sale is governed by the Municipal Act, 2001 and the Municipal TaxSales Rules made under that Act. The successful purchaser will be requiredto pay the amount tendered plus accumulated taxes and the relevant landtransfer tax.

The municipality has no obligation to provide vacant possession to thesuccessful purchaser.

Note: HST may be payable by successful purchaser.

For further information regarding this sale and a copy of the prescribed formof tender visit www.OntarioTaxSales.ca, or if no internet available contact:

Ms. Suzanna DielemanTreasurerThe Corporation of the Township of Southwold35663 Fingal LineFingal, Ontario N0L [email protected]

SALE OF LAND BY PUBLIC TENDER

THE CORPORATION OF THE TOWNSHIP OF SOUTHWOLD

New brain injurygroup in St. Thomas

Chances are you know atleast one person who has abrain injury. Currently, there areover half a million people livingwith a brain injury in theprovince of Ontario. The inci-dence of brain injury is greaterthan that of breast cancer,spinal cord injury and HIV/AIDScombined, yet it continues tobe the most misunderstood,misdiagnosed and misman-aged disability.

For the majority of people,the first time they learn aboutthe effects of brain injury iswhen a loved one, a friend orthemselves has been injured.Many people feel isolated anddon't know where to turn forunderstanding, information

and acceptance. The road torecovery can often be a longand frustrating journey for boththe injured person and thefamily.

Support groups offer manybenefits including education,information, emotional andpeer support. Having the op-portunity to simply talk withsomeone who has 'been there'and understands how you arefeeling is invaluable to most.

For several years, residentsof St. Thomas - Elgin Countyhave had to travel to London orWoodstock to attend a braininjury support group, but thatis about to change. A localgroup is now being organizedin St. Thomas by the Brain In-jury Association of London &Region and will meet on thesecond Wednesday of each

month at The Real CanadianSuperstore in St. Thomas.Local residents, Sandra DiMeoand Julie Willsie, host thegroup and welcome guestspeaker Glenn Warren to thenext meeting on February 8 todiscuss Disability Tax Creditsand the benefits of the Regis-tered Disability Savings Plan.

This drop-in group is open toanyone living with brain injury,whether it is the injured per-son, family members, friendsor caregivers.

IF YOU GO…Brain Injury Support GroupWhen? Second Wednesday ofeach monthWhere? The Real CanadianSuperstore CommunityRoom, 1063 Talbot St., St. ThomasCost? FreeMore info?www.braininjurylondon.on.ca

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Page 12: February 2, 2012 Issue

Delivered to over 31,000 addresses - WEEKLY12 February 2, 2012 - St. Thomas/Elgin Weekly News www.theweeklynews.ca

Mark Your Calendars!Relay For Life - St. Thomas

June 1-2, 2012St. Joseph's Catholic H.S.

Team Captain Rally & Recruitment MeetingEveryone Welcome! Bring a Friend! Learn about What's New for

this Year's Relay! Tuesday, February 7, 2012 at 6:30 p.m.Knights of Columbus Hall, 265 Wellington Street

St.Thomas/Elgin

Register your team today at relayforlife.ca/stthomas

or contact the Elgin-Middlesex Unit at 519-432-1137

or call Jerry O'Brien at 519-637-0675

Ford workers give one last donation to United WayShane MacPherson and Dennis McGee of CAW Local 1520 and Cindy Aquilina, co-chair of the Ford United Waycommittee, present Paul Shaffer, executive director of Elgin St. Thomas United Way, with a cheque for $18,028.89 atthe United Way Touchdown meeting January 30. The money comes from proceeds of United Way events before theplant closed in September. Paul Shaffer also announced that although the 2011 campaign goal of $700,000 had notbeen met, the $575,720 that was raised exceeded expectations.

East Elgin to have access tobusiness support programs

The County of Elgin will fully fund a one-yearpilot project to operate a satellite office of theElgin Business Resource Centre (EBRC). The of-fice will be located at the Elgin Innovation Centrein Aylmer and will service eastern Elgin County.It will open in early March.

The EBRC is a community based, not-for-profitorganization that supports local business com-munities and encourages entrepreneurship andeconomic growth through access to capital,business services and project support.

“The EBRC satellite office will be dedicated tohelping business owners and entrepreneurssucceed in today’s ever-changing business mar-ket,” said Mike Streib, president of EBRC. “Thesatellite office will offer assistance to those look-ing to open a business, formulate a businessplan or make changes to an existing business.”

The County of Elgin has partnered successfullywith the EBRC in the past on several initiativesincluding the Elgin St. Thomas Small BusinessEnterprise Centre (SBEC), the Innovation Centrefor Entrepreneurs (ICE) and the Youth Entrepre-

neurship Program (YEP).“It is of particular importance in these chal-

lenging economic times that the County contin-ues to undertake programs and initiatives tosupport and cultivate local business develop-ment and entrepreneurship,” said Elgin CountyWarden Bill Walters. “This is another example ofthe County’s Economic Development departmentforming partnerships that will enhance eco-nomic growth.”

There is a strong demand for the services thatthe EBRC provides for Elgin County residents. Bysupporting the development of an EBRC satelliteoffice in Aylmer, the County will ensure that newand existing business will have greater accessto support services to help them thrive and grow.

The Elgin Innovation Centre at 516 John StreetNorth in Aylmer offers an advantageous location,ample space and a variety of amenities neededfor the new office.

“The Elgin Innovation Centre is pleased to bethe new home of the EBRC office in Aylmer,” saidJack Baribeau, co-owner of the Elgin InnovationCentre. “Their presence will help grow localbusinesses and promote innovation in the area.”

EBRC satellite office to open in Aylmer

Sledge hockey goes international

Members of the Sledge TeamOntario (white jersey) playedagainst the Russian NationalSledge Hockey Team January 26 at the East ElginCommunity Complex inAylmer. The Russians won 6 to 1.

(Photo courtesy of the EastElgin Community Complex)

February Issue available now. To book advertisingfor our March issue, deadline is February 13.

Call Greg Minnema at 519-633-1640 extension 22

February Issue available now. To book advertisingfor our March issue, deadline is February 13.

Call Greg Minnema at 519-633-1640 extension 22

Page 13: February 2, 2012 Issue

St. Thomas/Elgin Weekly News -February 2, 2012 13Delivered to over 30,000 addresses - WEEKLY www.theweeklynews.ca

Hours: Mon. – Thurs. 9-5:30 Fri. 9-9 Sat. 9-9 Closed Sundays

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Even if we are not always in-spired or at our best during thecold months of winter, there isa lot we can do to stay cre-ative, fresh, alive and happy.Just follow these simple tipsand beat the winter blues: • Wear layers of clothes ratherthan heavy pieces to avoidfeeling weighed down. • Make the most of the sea-son: wrap up and go for a briskinvigorating walk or try a win-ter sport. Adapt exercise rou-tines to the winter conditions.Keep moving. • Learn something new. Starta hobby. Developing an inter-est in something new willmake you feel good duringthose long winter months. • Wear bright colors, even ifeveryone is wearing darkearthy tones. Colour will giveyou a real lift. You might besurprised at how many of yourfriends and family will admireyou for bringing color into yourlife and wardrobe.

• Bring colour into where youlive. Paint a room with brightcheerful colors. Bring flowersinto your home, fresh whenpossible, dried or even artifi-cial ones when it’s not. Sur-round yourself with beauty. • Take a few minutes for your-self and ask yourself: “Whichcolour do I need?” Then, imag-ine you are bathing and float-ing in that color. When ready,breathe the color deeply allthrough your body. This shortexercise is guaranteed tomake you feel great. • If the sun is not shiningwhere you are, visualize inyour mind a beautiful sunnyscene. Feel the warmth of asunny day and breathe deeplythose good feelings all throughyour body until you feel full. • Feed yourself a diet of posi-tive news (avoid watching orreading horror, disasters, vio-lence, crime, etc). Invite andallow love into your life. If youare alone, keep working onloving you and the rest will fol-low.

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Central CommunityHealth Centrelaunches newmobile unit

The Central CommunityHealth Centre (CCHC) islaunching a new mobile bus tobring health promotion, well-ness programs and services tothe smaller communitieswithin Central Elgin and South-wold Townships.

“We want to break down bar-riers to health care,” says Ju-dith Wiley, CCHC executivedirector at the official launchJanuary 25. “This vehicle willallow us to get out to peoplewho can’t easily get to our Tal-

bot Street location.”The CCHC provides primary

health care for people living inSt. Thomas, Southold Townshipand Central Elgin who do nothave a primary health careprovider. The Centre also offerssocial work services, chi-

ropody, community outreach,health promotion, and dieticianservices and programs.

Funded by the London HealthIntegration Network, the vehi-cle took nine months to design.

“It’s a total medical clinic

equipped as a doctor’s office,”Judith says. It includes storage,a washroom, sample compart-ment, sink, refrigerator, seat-ing, and a multi-purpose chairthat turns into an exam bed,chiropody chair and dentalchair. “But we won’t keep nar-cotics on board,” she says.

The vehicle is fully accessiblewith a wheelchair lift and willbe driven by trained volun-teers.

Although there is no scheduleyet, Judith says they plan tohave the bus on the road for aminimum of three days a weekwith one day out for mainte-nance.

“There are not many of thesearound the province,” says Ju-dith. “So this is a prototype forother community health cen-tres.”

Doctor’s office to go

“...this is a prototypefor other communityhealth centres.”

Lucinda Gregory of the Central Community Health Centre (left) and Marcia Tavernese of the Grand River CommunityHealth Centre demonstrate the multi-purpose chair in the new mobile unit at the vehicle’s official launch January 25.

Page 14: February 2, 2012 Issue

Delivered to over 30,000 addresses - WEEKLY14 February 2, 2012 - St. Thomas/Elgin Weekly News www.theweeklynews.ca

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Green Screening, otherwiseknown as keying, is the op-tion to have yourself in frontof any background you wantas part of your video.

With modern video editingsoftware, making a singlecolour transparent is easy andopens up a world of possibil-ity for those who are inter-ested in completelyimmersing the viewer in theirbrand.

Want to show your logostaggered and rolling behindyou as you speak? Or per-haps it would be better tohave a sweeping view ofyour store front or show-room. The sky is the limit asto the types of marketingstrategies that can be em-ployed.

The only danger now, froma business perspective any-way, is having too much funwith it.

Want to walk on the moonanyone?

To enhance the profile ofyour business with video,contact:

BizBio Studio - 53 St. Catharine Street, St. Thomas, Ontario, N5P 2V9Tel: 519-851-8614Email: [email protected]

"Your Full ServiceVideo Production

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Your Business Needs VideoYour Business Needs Video Bryan BakkerOwner of bizbio.tv

Bob Ball inducted into ElginAgricultural Hall of Fame

As part of the Elgin Federa-tion of Agriculture (EFA) AnnualBanquet on February 4, thefarm and agribusiness com-munity of Elgin County willgather to celebrate the life ofRobert (Bob) W. Ball, thenewest inductee to the ElginAgricultural Hall of Fame. 

Bob was born in Detroit in1929, but raised in this areauntil age six by his aunt. He

moved back to Detroit with hisfather and completed his edu-cation in Detroit and Florida. 

Upon graduating high schoolin Florida, he moved back toStraffordville to his uncle’sfarm. Due to French languagerequirements in Canada, Bobwas restricted from pursuingthe higher education he de-sired.  He was self-taughtthrough extensive attendanceat meetings and conferences,reading books and research

publications.  He also con-ducted on-farm trials thattested fertility, plant varieties,pest control and managementpractices. He managed severalfarms, including feedlot beefand cow/calf operations.

Bob began marketing fertil-izer in the 1950s and workedwith the Delhi Research Sta-tion and Dr. Ray Lockman,helping tobacco growers in-crease yields.  In the early1970s he purchase a blenderand introduced bulk fertilizerblending to the region. He alsomentored dealers across On-tario and Quebec on how to setup and operate blenders asthey became standard in theindustry. 

Bob also introduced customapplication and anhydrous am-monia and was a strong pro-ponent of soil testing todetermine crop needs. He in-troduced aerial infra-red pho-tography to pin-point and help

diagnose crop problems andammonia injection of cornsilage.  Bob passed away in2008.

Other features of the EFAbanquet include motivationalspeaker Robert McNaughtonand presentation of the ElginCounty / Kettle Creek Agricul-tural Conservation Scholarship

and Elgin Business ResourceCentre / Elgin Federationof Agriculture Ag-BusinessAward.

The Elgin Federation of Agri-culture Annual Banquet andAwards will be held at the St.Anne’s Centre on MorrisonDrive in St. Thomas.   

HUSKY EVENING SPECIALSSunday – Roast Beef Dinner with Yorkshire Pudding, includes soup, yourchoice of potato and vegetable. Mondays – Meatloaf Monday! Buy 1 meatloaf dinner at the regular price andreceive the 2nd meatloaf dinner at ½ price.Tuesday – Liver and Onions! Buy 1 liver and oniondinner at regular price and receive the 2nd liver &onion dinner at ½ price.Wednesdays – All You Can Eat Pasta! $8.99 includes aslice of garlic toast and a side salad. Three differentpastas & sauces to choose from.Thursdays – ½ Roast Chicken Dinner includes soup,your choice of potato and vegetable.Fridays - Fish & Chip Dinner includes soup, your choice of potato and vegetable.Ask your server for details.

Exit 195, Highway 74 & 401Home of the Big Canada Flag

519-644-0200

Local farmer to be honoured

Robert (Bob) W. Ball (shown herein a corn field) will be inductedinto the Elgin Agricultural Hall ofFame February 4.

(Photo courtesy of the Elgin Federation of Agriculture)

Reach over 31,000 addresseswith your word ad...

now that’s reach! Call ustoday at 519-633-1640

Page 15: February 2, 2012 Issue

Health issues citedas reason for work

by Amelia Bainbridge

Central Elgin Director ofPhysical Services Lloyd Perrinupdated Elgin County Councilon the status of the east sideservicing area project at theJanuary 24 council meeting. Afinal environmental assess-ment has been completed onthe project, and Perrin reportedthat the first phase of work canbegin in 2012. The project willupgrade the sewers, water-mains and storm sewers in theCentennial Avenue area.

“The assets we have outthere have reached the end oftheir useful life. We’re not justdealing with sanitary sewers,we’re dealing with water-mains and proper storm sew-ers. The drainage in the areanow are open ditches and un-dersized municipal drains,”said Perrin.

The project will include apumping station at CentennialAvenue and Talbot Line andsewer upgrades in the area ini-tially, and later sanitary sew-ers, the replacement ofwater-mains where required,proper storm sewers and theurbanization of curbs, guttersand sidewalks.

The objective is to serviceresidents with septic systemsin the Coulter Avenue, LawtonStreet and Centennial Avenueareas.

“We have an issue in thatarea with respect to failed sep-tic systems, we literally haveeffluent that is running out onthe surface of the ground,”said Perrin.

The total project cost is$24,317,862, with ElginCounty’s share being$3,753,000. Perrin said theproject is the largest ever un-dertaken by Central Elgin, and

he requested Elgin County’sfeedback.

“It’s become a health issuemore than anything else. Cen-tral Elgin and this council haveno choice but to move for-ward,” said Warden Bill Wal-ters.

Elgin County Director of En-gineering Clayton Wattersnoted that other capital proj-ects will have to be re-arranged to fit the $3,753,000project cost.

A full report on the projectwill be prepared and discussedby Elgin County council in Feb-ruary.

Oxford-Elgin Child & Youth Centre

We provide skilled counsellors who workwith children, parents and the entire familyto help them experience life from a newer,

stronger and more positive perspective.

From Hope to Cope

300 South Edgeware Rd.,Unit 1 St. Thomas

(519) 637-8170 Toll Free 1-877-539-0463

“Providing Counseling for Children and Youth in Oxford and Elgin Counties”

ww

w.o

cyc.

on.c

a

VON C O M M U N I T Y S U P P O R T S E RV I C E S

VON Middlesex-Elgin Hospice and Bereavement

Volunteer Servicesprovide a shoulder to lean on

through the journey of anillness and support and

compassion during the grieving process.

DignityCompassion & Comfort

For more information, call519-637-6408 or

1-800-201-0909 or visit us at175 South Edgeware Road

JEFF YUREKM.P.P. Elgin-Middlesex-London

CONSTITUENCY OFFICE750 Talbot St. (CASO Station) Suite 201 – 2nd floor,

St. Thomas, ON N5P 1E2519-631-0666 Email: [email protected]

Availableto assist

you

44267 ELM LINE, ST. THOMAS519-631-4801

SUPPORTERS OF SERENITY HOUSE HOSPICE

COMPETITIVE RATESHOTLINE SERVICE

COMPUTER INVENTORY

Serenity House Hospice Grand OpeningT W N S P E C I A L F E A T U R E

Wednesday, February 8th, 2012between 2:00p.m. and 7:00p.m.

At our new location in the CASO Station750 Talbot Street, Second Floor, Suite 202

Serenity House Hospicehas moved to better serve

the community

Central Elgin installing sewers

Joe Preston getsSunday morningradio show

MP Joe Preston is taking tothe local airwaves. Partneringwith 94.1 myFM, “Joe andFriends” premieres Sunday,February 5 at 7:30am.

The 30-minute weekly pro-gram will cover Updates fromParliament, The Mailbag andFeature of the Week, which willinclude discussions withfriends from Parliament, re-gional leaders and local politi-cians.

“I’ll be up early, ready to meetwith friends and discuss thelocal flavour to national is-sues,” said Joe Preston, MPElgin-Middlesex-London. “Graba cup of coffee, and join in.”

Constituents may email Joe aquestion for the show at:[email protected]

or by mail: 2-24 First Avenue,St. Thomas, ON N5R 4M5

“...Central Elgin and thiscouncil haveno choice but to moveforward...”

One friend complained to another, "All my husband and I do anymore is fight. I've been so upset, I've lost

20 pounds." "If it's that bad, why don't you

just leave him?" asked the second friend.

"I'd like to lose another 15pounds first."

St. Thomas/Elgin Weekly News -February 2, 2012 15Delivered to over 30,000 addresses - WEEKLY www.theweeklynews.ca

MP goes live

Page 16: February 2, 2012 Issue

Delivered to over 30,000 addresses - WEEKLY16 February 2, 2012 - St. Thomas/Elgin Weekly News www.theweeklynews.ca

Natural Gas and DishwasherHookups

4th Generation BusinessSince 1962

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519-633-0107

SERVICE TOALL MAKESTHE HAIR CELLAR

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MEN $12 WOMEN $25Come in and see how you

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Chris HoganCOMMERCIAL INSURANCE

Powered by The Mortgage Group™Tony Milles, AMP

Mortgage Agent

See Tony for all your mortgage needs

[email protected]

www.omacstthomas.com3-9 Princess Ave., St.Thomas,

ON N5R 3V3

New Location Now Open

To make sure you don’t miss this valuable advertising opportunity: call us at 519-633-1640

St.Thomas/Elgin

Picking acolourscheme

Question: I need to paint the inside of myhouse but have no idea how to begin choosinga colour scheme.

Answer: Selecting colours for a home is thenumber one question we get as designers. Theoptions are endless and where does one begin?The process can be quite complicated at times,depending on what is existing in the room thatmust be worked around, or how to connect thehouse to find a flow and balance. Sometimescolours are not as necessary as the need to in-corporate different textures. The desired feeland outcome for the room is the first question

to be answered. Below are a few pointers andideas to get you started.

• Take colours from a rug. A rug is the foun-dation of a room. Draw colours featured in a pat-tern rug to create a cohesive look.

• Be inspired by art. Art adds personality to aroom. If choosing wall colour from your artwork,go one or two shades lighter to ensure the artwill pop.

• You are sure to love your room if you chooseyour favorite colour to be the base of thescheme. If this colour is a bold hue, balance itwith white, off-white or one harmonizing shadethrough the accents and secondary elements.

• You can never go wrong when you stick toclassic combos – blue and yellow, green andblue, red and brown. To jazz up a classic combo,accessorize with punchy accents.

• Use window treatment fabric to set a colourscheme in your room. Draw from the fabric’smain hues, then distribute those hues through-out the room with pieces of furniture and acces-sories.

• Be inspired by colours featured in a collec-tion, such as pottery, etc. Display your collectionin a spot everyone will see.

• Pick shades from a colour-filled pillow. Tomake the pillow the feature piece in the room,choose a light tone for the wall colour.

• Charming vases, frames, and other acces-

sories offer inspiration in their lively hues. Besure your accessories are showcased promi-nently in the room to support the scheme.

• Serene, cozy, vibrant – pick hues based onthe way you want to feel when you walk into theroom. For example, relaxing off-white and lightblues used in a bedroom present a calming at-mosphere. Make a list of the words you wantassociated with this room, then pair those words

with colours that come to mind to create theperfect scheme.

• As wallpaper continues to make its come-back, consider it as the foundation of a colourscheme. If your wallpaper is really bold, use itto dress up one wall, then paint the other wallsa coordinating colour.

Send your questions to Renée at [email protected]

Ask an Interior Stylist

Renée CarpenterJENNINGS FURNITURE & DESIGN

West Village St. Thomas

Page 17: February 2, 2012 Issue

Drop in Recreation atthe YWCA, 16 Mary St.W. Free ProgramEvery Monday, Tues-day & Wednesday, 4-5pm. Ages 5-12.

Red Cross BabysittingCourse, Classes inFebruary & March.

Contact us at theYWCA at 16 Mary St.W. 519-631-9800.

The St. ThomasLadies' Choir hasstarted its Spring sea-son.  The choir prac-tices Monday eveningfrom 7:15-9:30pm at

First Christian Re-formed Church. No au-d i t i o n s .519-633-2659.

Shedden, Free drop inplaygroup for children0-6 and their care-givers. Every Monday,9:30-11:30am, Key-stone Complex, TalbotLine. OEYC 519-631-9496.

Art Gallery of LambethS t u d i o s ,Children's/Adult ArtPrograms, pottery,printmaking, clay, tex-tile arts,drawing/pa int ing,mixed mediaparent/child programs,birthday parties 519-652-5556.

Lyons, Free drop inplaygroup for children0-6 and their care-givers. Every Thursdayfrom 9:30-11:30am at

South Dorchestercommunity hall, 49431Lyons Line. OEYC519-631-9496.

Port Stanley Public Li-brary shows the workof wildlife artistsMargo Oborne andSharon Veldstra, portphotos by SharronRussell, through Feb-ruary.  302 BridgeStreet. 519-782-4241.

Do you have sparetime during the day?VON is in need ofMeals on Wheels andTransportation Volun-teers.  For more infor-mation call519-637-6408.

February 2 - ThursdayEuchre Games &Dessert, 7 pm at St.Andrew's UnitedChurch, 60 West Ave.Everyone welcome.For info: 519-631-4558.

Elgin Federation ofAgriculture’s AnnualBanquet & Awards,February 4, St. Anne’sCentre, social 6pm,dinner 6:30pm. $25ppadvanced tickets only,available from office519-633-0114.

GLOW Girls LeadingOthers Wisely. Intro-ductory meeting Feb. 4

7:00 pm. Call for loca-tion and more infor-mation.  519 2073331.

February 7 - Tuesday,Creating into a Mys-tery/Prayer ShawlGroup 10:30 am at St.Andrew's UnitedChurch 60 West Ave.For info 519-631-4558  Everyone is wel-come.

St. Thomas Youth Choirinvites new members,ages 12-19, to our re-hearsal Tues., Feb. 7.Free pizza after! Nocost, no obligation.Fun. 7:30-9:00 pm, St.Andrew's UnitedChurch, 60 West Ave.

Brain Injury SupportGroup meeting everysecond Wednesday.Next meetingWed.  Feb.8, 6:30–8:30pm. CommunityRoom, Real CanadianSuperstore, 1063 Tal-bot St, 519-642-4539.

Serenity House Hos-pice invites you to itsGrand Opening at newSt. Thomas location,Suite 202, 750 TalbotStreet, February 8, be-tween 2 and 7pm.519-637-3034.

February 8 - Wednes-day, Bible Ques-tions10:30 am –discussion and reflec-tion on Biblical stories,St. Andrew's UnitedChurch 60 West Ave.For info 519-631-4558. Everyone is wel-come.

February 8 - Wednes-day, Kicker's  6 pm - 7pm St. Andrew'sUnited Church , 60West Ave.  for childrenages 5-13. Please callfor info if attending thisevening 519-631-4558.

Grab 'n' Go Chicken

Divine Dinner, Take OutOnly, Friday, February10, St. Mark's UnitedChurch, 38 AldboroughAve. Pick-up 4-6pm.$10 at the door.

Feb. 10, Beef Supper,Odd Fellows & Re-bekahs Hall, 54 MooreSt. Doors open 4pm,serving 5-7pm. Adult$10, child 6-12 $5,under 5 free. Ticketsat door, eat in/take out.519-631-3494.

St. Thomas Commu-nity Christian SchoolAuction Fundraiser.Feb. 11. Silent auction3:30-6pm. Dinner 5-6pm, Live Auction6pm-close. Dinnertickets $25 reserve bycalling 519-633-0690.

February 11, Saturday,Victorian Tea and BakeSale 2-4 pm, St. An-drew's United Church,60 West Ave. Free WillOffering in support ofGrowing Youth. Every-one welcome. 519-631-4558.

Ham & Turkey Bingo,Sunday, February 12.Doors open 12:30pm.St. Thomas Legion, Br.41. 24 John St. Every-one welcome.

Parkinson SupportGroup, Meeting, Tues-day, February 14, 2-4pm, Knights of Colum-bus, 265 Wellington St.Info: 519-631-9313.

TOPS OpenHouse,  February 14,10-11am, Royal Cana-dian Legion. We are asupport group to helpyou shed those un-wanted pounds.  Deb-bie 519-207-1076.

St. Thomas Seniors'Centre, Italian DinnerNight, Wednesday,February 15. Doorsopen at 4:30pm, Din-ner at 5:00pm. Tickets$10 Advance, $12 atthe door.

Aylmer CommunityTheatre presents Bed-side Manners, Thurs-Sat Feb 16-18  8pm,Sun Feb 19 matinee

2pm, Thurs-Sat Feb23-25 8pm. Adults$15 Students $10.519-773-3372.

February 16 - Thurs-day Euchre Games &Dessert, 7 pm at St.Andrew's UnitedChurch, 60 West Ave.Everyone welcome.For info 519-631-4558.

Friday, Feb. 17 Soup &Sandwich Lunch Cen-tral United Church,11:30 – 1:00 P.M.Soup, Sandwich,Dessert & Beverage.Express Lunch - NoWaiting. Reserve atable 519-631-3503.

Port Stanley YouthGroup annualSpaghetti Supperfundraiser, February 17from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.at St. John's Presbyte-rian Church, Port Stan-ley. Tickets $8.00 foradults, 519-782-3971.

Col. Talbot Branch 81,Royal Canadian Le-gion, 211 John St. N.,Aylmer; chicken andcabbage roll dinner,Feb 18 at 6 p.m. $10per person.

Mixed dart tourna-ment, Feb. 18, AylmerLegion, 211 John St. N.Registration 10:30a.m. Start 11 a.m.

Destination Church 1stAnniversary OpenHouse Sat., Feb. 18 1-4 pm., 388 Talbot St.Banquet 6 pmPrincess Banquet Cen-tre. Tickets at 388 Tal-bot St. or call519-207-2676 by Feb.15.

Family Day in Down-town Sparta, February20, 11am-3pm. Funand games for thewhole family, free hot-dogs for the kids (con-ditions apply). Forinformation 519-775-0054 or 519-775-2313.

Pancake Supper Tues.Feb. 21, 5 – 7 at St.Hilda’s / St. Luke’s An-glican Church, 185Elm Street, St. Thomas.$6 adults, $3 children.Pancakes, sausages,beverage, dessert.

Tuesday Feb. 21 Pan-cake Supper at CentralUnited Church, St.Thomas. First Seating4:30. Second 6:00. En-tertainment by KimLadd. Advance Tickets631-3503 or 633-3249.

February 21 - Tuesday,Creating into a Mys-tery/Prayer ShawlGroup 10:30 am at St.Andrew's UnitedChurch 60 West

Ave. For info 519-631-4558. Everyone is wel-come.

February 21 - PancakeSupper, with realmaple syrup, 5-7 pmat St. Andrew's UnitedChurch, 60 West Ave.Free Will Offering. Info519-631-4558. 

Wed., Feb. 22, ElginDistrict Women's Insti-tute Winter Picnic atSouth Dunwich Hall,Wallacetown, 12noon.  Reg. DieticianCathy McPhersonspeaker - HeartHealth.  519-631-0433.

February 22, Wednes-day, Kicker's 6 pm - 7pm St. Andrew'sUnited Church, 60West Ave. for childrenages 5-13. Please callfor info if attending thisevening 519-631-4558.

Port Stanley LionessesChili Cook Off, FridayFebruary 24, Port Stan-ley Arena. Doors open6pm.  Tickets at PortStanley Home Hard-ware.

Art Gallery of Lambethhosting 2nd AnnualMarch Miniature  Ju-ried Show and Exhibi-tion,

Advertise your community event here - WEEKLY! FREE OF CHARGE!

Please email your non-profit event [email protected] before Monday at 10am

(25 words or less). No web addresses or email addresses please. Limit of one listing per organization per day. Space permitting .

No attachments please.

St.Thomas/Elgin

Community Bulletin Board• Inform • Buy • Sell • Find •

yourpages

St. Thomas/Elgin Weekly News -February 2, 2012 17Delivered to over 30,000 addresses - WEEKLY www.theweeklynews.ca

Pickup and delivery available 226-234-6229

and also Chinese ATV’s, Dirt Bikes Yard Equipment and Snow Blowers

Maintenance and repair of outdoor power equipment

www.elginrepair.com

We would like to extend aheartfelt "THANK YOU"to everyone who donatedto us in 2011. We are forever grateful to all ofyou. We are still in needof assistance, but appreciate what we havereceived in the past.

THANK YOU

PETS/FRIENDS FOR LIFE519-631-5757

NOW OPEN SUNDAYS

Mon.-Fri. 6am-3pm Sat. 7am-3pm

FOR ALLDAY

BREAKFAST!

43743 TALBOT LINE, ST. THOMAS (AT MAPLE LEAF HOTEL)

8am - 2pm

AYLMER FURNITUREAND APPLIANCESOpen Mon. – Sat. 8-6

429 John St. N. (Tall building behind Beer Store)

519-773-3991Delivery can be arranged

Local moves by D&M Moving

SALEMATTRESS LIQUIDATION

Over 80 New Mattress Sets!Single, Double, Queen & KingSingle 2 pc. Set from ......$229Double 2 pc. Set from ....$279Queen 2 pc. Set from ......$299

CORPORATION OF THE TOWNSHIP OF SOUTHWOLD

2012 GRASS CUTTING TENDER

For the Supply of Labour and Equipmentfor the Cutting and Trimming of Grasson municipally-owned properties(excluding roadside) within theTownship of Southwold.

Sealed bids clearly marked as to contentswill be received by the Clerk untilFriday March 2 @ 4:00 pm, local time.

Tenders may be obtained from ourwebsite www.twp.southwold.on.caand/or during regular business hoursfrom the Township AdministrationOffice, 35663 Fingal Line, Fingal, ONN0L 1K0 Ph: 519-769-2010 Attn:Scott Woolley, Public WorksSuperintendent.The lowest or any proposal not necessarily accepted

Knox Presbyterian ChurchHincks Street at Wellington Street

519-631-2414Minister: Rev. Mavis Currie

Organist and Choir Director: Dr. W. D. CarrollFebruary 5, 2012 10:30amSermon: “Hoarders Part 3”

We’re Celebrating 175 Years of ServiceCOME AND WORSHIP WITH US,

EVERYONE WELCOME

Worship Services

Corner of Southwick & Wellington

Trinity Anglican ChurchThe Church with the Purple Steeple

Wednesday Morning Eucharist 10:00am

Sunday Services9:00am Holy Communion [BCP]

10:30am Holy Eucharist and Sunday SchoolRev. Jawn Kolohon officiating

Please Join Us Phone: 519-631-7000

14 St. Catharine St., St. Thomas519-631-5757petsfriends4life@hotmail.comwww.petsfriends4life.org

Remember your animalfriends . . . with a bequest

in your will to

Continued on next page

Page 18: February 2, 2012 Issue

Feb 28-April 7. Open Call toartist of all media. DeadlineFeb 24. Call for info 519-652-5556.

St Anne's Council ofWomen, 43rd Wine andCheese Party presents“Those Dancing Feet”.Friday February 24 andSaturday February 25, StAnne’s Centre. Tickets:$15, 519-631-3640.

February 24, Meal andMovie, Movie "The Help"6.pm at St. Andrew'sUnited Church, 60 WestAve. Everyone welcome.For info and to attend519-631-4558

Annual Indoor Yard Sale,St. Thomas Seniors' Cen-tre, Saturday, February25. Doors open at 8amand will run until 12pm.

Breakfast served allmorning. 225 Chestnut St.

Legion Jamboree, Wed.Feb. 29.  5-6:30 Soup &sandwich, 7-11 Jam-boree. St. Thomas Legion,Br. 41. 24 John St. Every-one welcome.

Feb. 29, Lenten LunchNoon Hour Recital Pro-gramme, featuring BobTowers. Trinity AnglicanChurch. Church with Pur-ple Steeple. Lunch follow-ing, Soup, Sandwiches,Dessert. Cost $7

Port Stanley Public Librarydisplays paintings byGuild artist Sandra Eng-land and port photos bySharron Russell throughMarch.  302 Bridge Street.519-782-4241.

YWCA Home Alone Safely,

learn the basic skills to besafe while alone in thehome. Ages 9-12. Mar 6-Apr 3. Contact us at theYWCA at 16 Mary St. W.519-631-9800.

March 7, Lenten LunchNoon Hour Recital Pro-gramme, $7, featuringGerald Vreman. Trinity An-glican Church. Churchwith Purple Steeple.Lunch following, Soup,Sandwiches, Dessert.

March 14, Lenten LunchNoon Hour Recital Pro-gramme, featuringRochelle Baughman. Trin-ity Anglican Church.Church with PurpleSteeple. $7, Lunch follow-ing, Soup, Sandwiches,Dessert.

March 21, Lenten LunchNoon Hour Recital Pro-gramme, $7, featuringJanis Danowski. Trinity

Anglican Church. Churchwith Purple Steeple.Lunch following, Soup,Sandwiches, Dessert.

Avoiding Farm Succes-sion Planning Minefieldsworkshop, March 22, 9-4pm, Elgin Business Re-source Centre, 300 SouthEdgeware Road, $50pp.Register by March 16.

519-633-7597 ext 326.

March 28 Lenten LunchNoon Hour Recital Pro-gramme, $7, featuringAngus Sinclair. Trinity Angli-can Church. Church withPurple Steeple. Lunch fol-lowing, Soup, Sandwiches,Dessert.

Port Stanley Public Libraryshowcases the paintings ofGuild artist Robin Baratta

and port photos by SharronRussell through April. 302Bridge Street. 519-782-4241.

April 4 Lenten Lunch NoonHour Recital Programme,featuring Wayne Carroll.Trinity Anglican Church.Church with PurpleSteeple. Lunch following,Soup, Sandwiches,Dessert. Cost $7

BOOKSNEW COPIES OF CRIMENOVELS – Award nomi-nated Snow Candy (setin St. Thomas Elgin),and Body Contact, byTerry Carroll availableon-line atcarrollgroup.ca.

COMPUTERSWILSDON COMPUTERSERVICES - Basic setup,operating system in-stall/upgrade, internetsetup/repair, Tune-Up,recommended safetysuite, rescue disc, datatransfer, data backup.In-Home service avail-able. Call Sara or IanWilsdon 519-633-9638.

FOR SALEDOUBLE BOX & MAT-TRESS $39.00 set,Queen Box & Mattress$60.00 set. PhoneAylmer 519-773-3991.FURNITURE, FURNITUREand more furniture forsale at Aylmer Furniture,429 Talbot St. N. (TallBuilding behind TheBeer Store).APPLIANCES, APPLI-ANCES and more appli-ances for sale at AylmerFurniture and Appli-ances, 429 John St. N.(Tall building behind TheBeer Store).

HORSESHORSE AUCTION, Satur-day, February 11, 2012,10:30am. Eight yearold bay, thoroughbred,mare (broken), saddle,bridle and tack.Ridgeview Farm. 45644

Sparta Line, Sparta.519-775-2458.

SERVICES OFFEREDALCOHOLICS ANONY-MOUS – Drinking is yourbusiness. Helping you tostop is ours. Call 519-633-0430 or Write P.O.Box 220001, St.Thomas, ON N5R 4P5.

VALENTINE’S GIFTSVALENTINE'S DAY is fastapproaching - Don't gofor the same old box ofchocolates thisyear...get somethingunique and sweet in-stead! Heart-shapedcakes, cheesecakes,cookies, and more. Con-tact Sweet Treats by An-drea today at226-268-3633 orwww.sweettreatsbyan-drea.comSINGING VALENTINES!SEND one to yourSweetheart on Feb.14th. Call ValentinesCentral 519-471-3941or [email protected] forinformation & to order.

VEHICLESWELL MAINTAINED2005 SEL Ford Taurus,sun roof, e-tested, certi-fied. Asking $4,300.Call 519-207-0176 or519-860-9595 today.

WANTED TO BUYPORTABLE WASHINGMACHINE with spinneron side, wringer wash-ers, and small SingerPortable sewing ma-chine in black case.Phone 519-773-3991.

St.Thomas/Elgin

• Inform • Buy • Sell • Find •

yourpagesClassified Word Ads:

$8plus HST

for 25 words (32¢/word after 25 words) 15 St. Catharine St., Lower, St. Thomas:

Next Deadline is Monday, by 10am : email [email protected]

519-633-1640 ext. 21Prepayment Required

Just

Attention Non-profit groups,send us your

Community Billboards:(25 words or less per item by text email,

no attachments or email/websites in ads please)

to [email protected]

Community Bulletin Boards continued from previous page

Delivered to over 30,000 addresses - WEEKLY18 February 2, 2012 - St. Thomas/Elgin Weekly News www.theweeklynews.ca

BOOKER, KRISTINE MICHELE ELSIE OF St. Thomaspassed away on Wednesday, January 25, 2012 at theage of 59. Private family service. Williams FuneralHome.CAVERLY, WM. R. “BILL” of Malahide Township passedaway on January 26, 2012 in his 96th year. A funeralservice was held January 30, 2012. H. A. Kebbel Fu-neral Home.COLWILL, MARJORIE “MOLLIE” NOEL of St. Thomaspassed away on Monday, January 23, 2012 in her 93rdyear. Memorial Service was held January 28, 2012at St. Andrews United Church, Hamilton. Williams Fu-neral Home Ltd.DEMPSEY, ELLERY “EL” of Aylmer passed away Saturday,January 28, 2012 in his 81st year. A funeral servicewas held Feburary 1, 2012. H. A. Kebbel FuneralHome.LEGG, BEV of Aylmer passed away Saturday, January28, 2012 in his 82nd year. A funeral service was heldFebuary 1, 2012. H. A. Kebbel Funeral Home. LEHNEN, DORIS MARIE (MORLEY) of St. Thomaspassed away January 27, 2012 at age 90. In accor-dance with her wishes there was no funeral service.Shawn Jackson Funeral Home.MACHAN, CATHERINE “KAY” (CROSTHWAITE) of St.Thomas passed away on Sunday, January 29, 2012 inher 96th year. A funeral service was held on February1, 2012. Shawn Jackson Funeral Home.

McLAUGHLIN, ROBERT (“BOBBY”) of St. Thomaspassed away on Tuesday, January 24, 2012. A funeralservice was held on January 27, 2012. Williams Fu-neral Home Ltd.MORRISON, DUNCAN, of Aldborough Township passedaway on Friday January 27, 2012. A funeral servicewas held on January 31. West Lorne Chapel of Den-ning Funeral Directors Ltd.PALMER, JOHN EDWARD KENNEY of Boxall passedaway on Saturday, January 28, 2012 in his 73rd year.A funeral service to celebrate Ken’s life was held Feb-ruary 1, 2012. Williams Funeral Home.SMITH, OSCAR MORLEY of Port Stanley passed awayon Wednesday January 25, 2012 in his 69th year. Fu-neral service was held January 28, 2012. Williams Fu-neral Home.WATTS, CHRISTOPHER N. “CHRIS” of St. Thomas passedaway Friday, January 27, 2012 in his 95th year. Nopublic visitation or funeral service. Private interment ofcremated remains. Sifton Funeral Home.

SIFTONFUNERALH O M E

Sifton Family Owned Since 1926We offer a full range of funeral planning options

519-631-1160118 Wellington Street, St. Thomas

DEATH NOTICES

Get Action!Place yourad today!

519- 633-1640

www.theweeklynews.ca

St.Thomas/Elgin

St.Thomas/Elgin

Page 19: February 2, 2012 Issue

St. Thomas/Elgin Weekly News -February 2, 2012 19Delivered to over 30,000 addresses - WEEKLY www.theweeklynews.ca

Something To Think About...

An old Ha-sidic rabbi onhis deathbedonce said,"When I wasyoung, I setout to changethe world.When I grew

older, I perceived that this wastoo ambitious so I set out tochange my state. This, too, I re-alized as I grew older was tooambitious, so I set out to changemy town. When I realized I couldnot even do this, I tried tochange my family. Now as anold man I know that I shouldhave started by changing my-

self. If I had started with myself,maybe then I would have suc-ceeded in changing my family,the town, or even the state –who knows, maybe even theworld." (as quoted in FamilyTies That Bind;  A Self-HelpGuide to Change through Familyof Origin Therapy by RonaldRichardson)

Everything that we can man-age to do, usually starts outsmall. You do not pay off yourhouse overnight. You do notlose 50 pounds in a week. Youdo not raise your children in amonth. Most things worthwhiledoing start off relatively small. 

Our rabbi's comments are re-ally quite brilliant – although alittle too late for him. Instead of

fixing everyone else and every-thing else, we need to focus onourselves. I'm not sure that ex-cessive navel gazing is helpful,but a healthy "Wow, I need towork on this attitude" is verybeneficial.  

Novelist George Eliot  wrote:"The strongest principle ofgrowth lies in the humanchoice." 

We all have a choice when itcomes to who we are, how wereact, how we dress, how wespend our money, or whetherwe clean our kitchens up eachnight. Good choices will changeus into being betterpeople. Let's start small – let'sstart with ourselves – and whoknows what we could thenchange! 

Start with me

Pastor Cusick: ww.stpa.on.ca� The Corporation of the Municipality of

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��������Property Tax Due Dates – Interim Tax Installments Tax bills for the interim instalment of 2012 property taxes are in the mail. Taxes for non-

capped classes, such as residential and farm, are due February 24th and April 25th, 2012.

Taxes for capped classes are due February 27th and April 26th, 2012.

Did You Know that Property Taxes Can be Paid Monthly? Some people find it more convenient to pay their property taxes monthly. They say it is

easier to budget for smaller monthly amounts rather than the four larger instalments each

year. Others like not having to worry about due dates. These people have signed up for the

Municipality’s Pre-Authorized Payment Plan. To learn more about the Pre-Authorized

Payment Plan, view the “Online Forms” menu on the Municipality’s website,

www.centralelgin.org or phone 519-631-4860 Ext 2.

TURN DOWN THE HEAT. TURN UP YOUR SWEATER.

February 9th is National Sweater Day

Sweater Day is back! Central Elgin is supporting this year’s National Sweater Day. On

February 9, we encourage you to put on a sweater and lower your thermostat to take action

on climate change. Show your support by wearing the brightest sweater you own. For more

info visit www.sweaterday.ca.

Please Do Not Shovel Snow Onto Roadways Property owners are asked not to shovel snow onto the travelled portion of municipal streets

and roads. This snow could cause drivers to lose control of their vehicles. Persons placing

snow on the travelled street or roadway can be fined under the Highway Traffic Act.\

GREEN APPLE FOR 2012

2012 Garbage Bag Tags Remember to use your new green apple coloured 2012 Garbage Bag Tags. If you have not picked up your 2012 tags, they can be picked up during normal business hours (Monday to Friday, 8:30 am to 4:30 pm) at the Central Elgin Municipal Offices in the Elgin County

Administration Building, 450 Sunset Drive. Garbage with purple 2011 bag tags will no longer be collected.

Proof of residency is required to pick up your garbage tags. If you are a tenant and wish

to pick up tags for the property you rent, a letter from your landlord is required. Persons

unable to pick up their tags can authorize in writing a friend, neighbour or family member to

pick up their tags. Farmers must provide proof of a valid Farm Business Registration number

to obtain additional tags.

Tender FS12-01 Belmont Fire Station Addition The Municipality of Central Elgin invites tenders for the addition of a one storey post-disaster

structure and exterior wood deck with related alterations to the existing first floor of the

Belmont Fire Station. For further information, visit www.centralelgin.org. A mandatory site

meeting will be held on Friday, February 3, 2012 at 10:00 am at the Belmont Fire Station,

206 Caesar Road, Belmont. Tenders will be received until 11:00 am on Friday, February 17,

2012. Tenders may be obtained for a $125.00 non-refundable fee from G. Douglas Vallee

Limited, Consulting Engineers, Architects & Planners, 2 Talbot Street N, Simcoe, ON. The

lowest or any tender may not necessarily be accepted.

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For more information or entry forms, contact Terry at 519-633-1640 (ext. 25)

[email protected]/Elgin Proud to be an

Event Title Sponsor

THE KIWANIS CLUB OF ST. THOMAS PRESENTS

TRIVIATONIGHT

Saturday,April 14

6:30 - 10:30pm at Memorial Area, St.ThomasTEAM OF 8 ONLY $260

PUT A TEAM TOGETHER AND JOIN US FOROUR EXTREMELY POPULAR TRIVIA NIGHT!

HOT SNACKS,COOL BEVERAGES,AND CHANCES TO WIN

LOTS OF GREAT PRIZES!

Page 20: February 2, 2012 Issue

Delivered to over 31,000 addresses - WEEKLY20 February 2, 2012 - St. Thomas/Elgin Weekly News www.theweeklynews.ca

Visit elginmall.com formore exciting offers!

S T O R E D I R E C T O R YBentley .................................................................. 637-8021Charm Diamond Centre..................................... 637-8020Dairy Queen / Orange Julius ............................637-2542Dorlene...................................................................637-1255Elgin Mall Dental Office .....................................637-1811Elgin Travel & Cruises.........................................633-6300Experts Tailoring & Alterations.........................852-1035Flair Jeans & Alterations ...................................633-4794GNC.........................................................................637-0023Galaxy Cinemas ...................................................631-2261GoodLife Fitness .............................633-8475 & 631-1501

Hairmasters...........................................................633-2440Hallmark.................................................................633-7675K&K Locksmith.....................................................631-4110Knockout Fashions..............................................633-0530La Senza.................................................................637-6250Magic Nails...........................................................631-3413Mags, Smokes & More ......................................633-9773Metro......................................................................633-8780Northern Reflections ..........................................633-4853OMAC Mortgage .................................................637-1850Payless Shoe Source .........................................637-7796Rayna......................................................................633-4944Rogers Wireless ..................................................637-0384

Riverbed Aqua Massage...................................207-3225Smithbooks............................................................633-4717Sport Mart .............................................................631-4006St Thomas Town & Country Realty..................................................207-3000Stitches ..................................................................631-4600Subway ..................................................................631-0331Suzy Shier..............................................................633-1336TD Canada Trust...................................................633-4640Tan Jay ...................................................................633-5524The Perk.................................................................631-3242Wok Express.........................................................637-6426Zellers.....................................................................633-4645

Mon-Fri 9:30am-9pm • Sat 9:30am-6pm • Sun 12pm-5pm • elginmall.com

RETIREMENT CELEBRATION for Jeannie Brown Store Managerof Dorlene, February 25. Come andmeet the New Store ManagerLindy Wasyliniuk. Jeannie wouldlike to take this opportunity tothank her valued customers fortheir friendship.SCOUT AND GUIDE WEEK February 19 - February 25 Come in and enjoy the Scout andGuide displays throughout themall.  There will be informationavailable as well.  Cub car raceswill be in the later part of theweek.

The mall will be CLOSED on

Monday, February 20 for Family Day

RAYNA Come and see our New SpringArrivals Summer and Winter

Clearance sale on nowELGIN TRAVEL

Italy Packages $985 - 7ntsAir & Hotel Includes roundtrip flight

from Toronto, 5* CristoforoColumbo hotel accommodation,

and daily breakfast. Based on dbl,taxes $430pp

Departs June 15 or 22nd. Contactus at 519-633-6300

or email [email protected] OF THE LIBRARY

The Library Friends’ Shopis in love!

For the month of February,all Romance books are on sale:

Romance Hardcovers 75¢ Romance Paperbacks 50¢

Harlequin Romances 15 for $1.00Shop Hours: Monday to Saturdayfrom 9 am to 3 pm Proceeds fromthe Library Friends Shop are do-

nated to St. Thomas Public Library.