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Wednesday, March 13 • 2013
Vol. 5 • Issue 73
Kootenay River bottleneck studied See Page 5
Local students take the Eco-Challenge See Page 15
‘We have no money’ Our Daily Bread soup kitchen is in desperate need of financial donations to continue providing hot meals and social support for people in need
Presents
TIGHT
Windfalls keep taxes steady GREG NESTEROFF
and
Nelson Star Reporter
BRIGHT
Our Daily Bread feeds 50 to 70 people per day at their 812 Stanley Street location. They offer a 22-meal card for a donation of $20 by regulars and area people. This generates $7,300 annually but doesn’t cover the cost of a $4 plated meal that’s on offer for 90 cents.
Nelson’s parks, police department, library and several arts and cultural groups are all poised to receive more funding this year if city council adopts its provisional budget as presented. The draft document, which also calls for a two per cent residential tax increase along with water, sewer, and electricity rate hikes, was presented at an open house Monday. Chief financial officer Colin McClure explained the city expects $385,000 in new revenues from a variety of sources, including $140,000 through an arrangement with Regional District of Central Kootenay areas E and F to fund park maintenance. That money will be reassigned from debt payments about to be retired on the fields, built jointly by the city and rural areas. Nelson Hydro is also projecting an extra $125,000 dividend to the city. In a letter to customers, general manager Alex Love said 2012 was an “exceptional” year due to the extended spring freshet, which provided enough water for the city’s Bonnington
Story continues to ‘ODB’ on Page 12
Story continues to ‘Library’ on Page 8
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Kirsten Hildebrand photo
Pastor Jim Reimer joins Laverne Wohler (left) and Lil Schoeber (right) in the kitchen at Our Daily Bread as they work to prepare a meal for up to 70 people. Reimer worries as the kitchen is running out of money needed to put the food on the table. KIRSTEN HILDEBRAND Nelson Star Reporter
F
or Pastor Jim Reimer, the prayer “give us this day our daily bread” has taken on new meaning. The soup kitchen Our Daily Bread, operated as a ministry of Kootenay Christian Fellowship for just over 10 years, is “dangerously close to being broke” which
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would put an end to hot nutritious meals for the poor, disenfranchised, elderly and homeless. “I am concerned because we have no money,” says Reimer. “We had a 50 per cent drop in donations in one year.” In 2010, donations to Our Daily Bread totalled $65,753. In 2011, they totalled $64,574 but in 2012, they only topped out at $33,601.
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