December 15, 2011
Vol. 11, No. 50
$1.00 incl. GST.
The
Furnace Broker 8109 Hwy 38, Godfrey ON
building centres
Yourway
Dual Fuel Models Available
Home Centre
Complete Line of Paints
Mon-Fri 8am-5pm Sat 8am-4pm, Closed Sun Northbrook 613-336-2195
Your independent community newspaper since 1971
Concentration
School board hopes to break ground for new Sharbot Lake school in the spring
by Jeff Green rustee Ann Goodfellow, along with Limestone Board Manager of Facility Services David Fowler, and Manager of Planning Wayne Toms, brought the preliminary drawings for the new Sharbot Lake Kindergarten to Grade 12 school to Central Frontenac Council’s Dec. 13 meeting. The school will be built in the parking lot of the current high school over the next 20 months. The L shaped, three-storey design is very similar to the one that was presented in July and has been further refined by the project’s architect. The school will be a 69,000 square foot building, including a full gym and an adjacent cafeteria/auditorium, all located on the second floor of the building. “Our plans are to build a school that will accommodate 220 secondary and 239 elementary students, which will open its doors in September of 2013,” said David Fowler. “We are awaiting approvals in the winter and are hoping to go to tender and then break ground in the spring. It will be exciting to put this facility in the community.” Among the features of the current plan are the ability of the wall between the cafeteria/auditorium and the gym to be removed to open up a large space for community use. “If it were all opened up, there would be space for up to 1,000 people,” said Ann Goodfellow. In line with provincial policy, all levels, and all the rooms in the building will be fully accessible. Care has also been taken to ensure that younger students are kept in a separate space from the older students. It will also have classrooms for special needs students on all three levels. Mayor Janet Gutowski said, “I can tell you that the whole community is really looking forward to this. I’m very proud that we will have the first school in the Limestone Board that has been specifically designed as a Kindergarten to grade 12 building, and that it is a true partnership between the school board and the township.”
Circulation: 9177 households
613
or
374-2566 1-888-674-2566
T
RETIRE
YOUR TANK
Architect’s drawing of new school - view from the northwest
AND REAP THE SINCE 1970
REWARDS Only ONE more edition in 2011! SINCE 1970
WITH THE...
Please note that our last edition of 2011 will be published on Thursday, December 22. Please send in your notices, articles, and ads for our regular edition by 4pm, Monday December 19. Our office will close for the holidays at 4:30 p.m. on December 21 and re-open on January 9, 2012. After a two-week break our first edition of the new year will be January 12, 2011. SINCE 1970
Members of the Blue Skies Community Fiddle Orchestra were working hard at their first ever performance under new Director Cindy McCall at the Festival of Trees in Sharbot Lake last Friday, December 9. The orchestra will perform at their annual post holiday concert on Sunday, January 8 in the Maberly Hall. For a list of prize winners from the Festival of Trees, go to page 10.
New works manager about to make his mark in North Frontenac by Jeff Green
Jim Phillips has kept a low profile since taking on the role of public works manager in North Frontenac a couple of months ago. Philips was hired after a summer-long search took place, a search that became necessary after the abrupt (and involuntary, the News has learned) retirement of John Ibey in the spring. But as North Frontenac Council begins the 2012 budget process, Phillips will have a higher profile, with council at least, as decisions are made about roads and other projects for 2012. In a 2011 projects report that was presented to a Council meeting on Monday, December 12, Phillips listed a number of projects that did not get completed this year and outlined briefly how he plans to revisit them in the new year. He made the point that the vacancy and hiring of a new public works manager was mainly responsible for a relatively high number of projects being carried over to the new year, although there were other reasons as well. “Some of the projects would have a significant impact on the 2012 budget,” said Chief Administrative Officer/ Treasurer Cheryl Robson. One of those projects is the replacement of the Folger Road bridge. A consultant’s report had estimated the cost of the replacement at $650,000, which would have eaten up much of the 2011 construction budget. Monies were budgeted in 2011, using the township’s gas tax rebate funds, to use an alternate technology, which was to cost only $72,550 and be completed by township employees instead of outside contractors. “Upon review, it appears that the cost to design and construct the new concrete abutments may be understated. A review of the full scope of this project is planned for the 2012 budget,” Phillips wrote in his report to Council. Construction on the River Road to replace a 6’ culvert had been planned at a cost of $24,000, using a more simplified approach than was recommended by AECOM Engineering for $345,000. “A review of the scope of this project is also planned for the 2012 budget,” said Phillips. Council approved up to $50,000, to be taken from the roads reserve fund, for repairs to the back wall of the Clar-
When you upgrade an older, steel tank, to a corrosion-resistant or corrosion proof storage solution!
& Get
$125 back*
Leonard Fuels Ltd.
Offer expires December 31, 2011.
Hartington • 613-372-2112 • 1-800-543-7884 $125 BACK ON QUALIFYING OIL STORAGE TANK MODELS leonardfuels@persona.ca Since 1948 HEN YOU UPGRADE TO A MODERN STORAGE SOLUTION!
You’ll also take advantage of: Longer equipment life • Enhanced warranties of up to 30 years satile, space-saving designs • Worry-free storage with non-corrosive secondary
Mill Sand/Salt storage building, “but it now appears that reinforcement of the side walls may also be warranted and that will most likely exceed the budgeted amount,” Phillips said. Other smaller projects that were not completed include the retrofit of the Ompah fuel storage tank and pump, for which $10,000 was budgeted. However, a contractor quote exceeded that amount. Money was also put aside for the North Frontenac portion of the Skootamatta Road, a boundary road with Addington Highlands, for repairs and preparation for paving, but the $40,000 for Skoottamatta Road was diverted to fund work on Big Gull Lake Road. “Is it fair to say that you are reconsidering some of the projects from last year that did not go ahead?” asked Councilor John Inglis of Jim Phillips. “I just wanted to have a thorough look at everything before making recommendations,” Phillips responded. EODP heavily subscribed – Anne Prichard from the Frontenac Community Futures Development Corporation (FCFDC) made a presentation to Council about the Eastern Ontario Development Plan (EODP) and opportunities for funding support for municipal projects. The first funding applications will be due on February 6 for projects that are to commence in April of 2012. There were two earlier deadlines, November 14 and November 28, to allocate funds for 2011. Although the application timelines were very tight since the program was not announced until November 3, Prichard reported that applications came in for four times the amount that was available. “We are pleased that people are aware of this program and are ready to jump on it,” she said. 2012 funds will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis by the volunteers who make up the FCFDC Board. Concerns about MNR funding cuts – Deputy Mayor Fred Perry, who will be attending the 2012 Good Roads Conference on behalf of the township, asked whether there was interest on the part of council to put a submission together for a 15-minute meeting with a minister from the provincial government at the conference. Perry said it might be an idea to
Continued on page 2
Built to Last. Priced to Sell.tm
MS 170 Gas Chain Saw
with Free Wood-Pro™ Kit
8109 RD. 38, Godfrey, ON K0H 1T0
Tel: 613-374-5604
Fax: 613-374-5263 l.d.powersports@xplornet.com www.stihl.ca
22995
$
Model MSRP Sale MS 180 C-BE $329.95 $299.95 MS 230 $379.95 $349.95 MS 250 $429.95 $399.95 MS 250 C-BE $479.95 $449.95 MS 261 $649.95 $599.95 MS 290 $479.95 $449.95 NEW MS 291 C-BE $549.95 $499.95 MS 362 $779.95 $749.95