August 15, 2009

NEWS |

THE OBSERVER | Saturday, August 15, 2009

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Elmira Bantams capture provincial softball title.........................................»16 Pork farms facing tough times

»11 VOLUME 14, ISSUE 32

SATURDAY, AUGUST 15, 2009

www.ObserverXtra.com

Wild weather continues

IN THE AfTERMATH The arrival, finally, of summery weather also meant some unstable conditions. The storm which tore through the region Aug. 9 left 1,000 customers in the Bloomingdale area and another 850 in Waterloo without power for several hours. The storm also damaged trees in Elmira, including this one in Bolender Park. Inset: a large maple branch crashed into the Riverside PS playground, warping the bench; Ethan Warren pulls a load of branches along Riverside Drive.

Woolwich sees 4% tax hike next year

Township looks to maintain current service levels; half of increase part of payment for rec. facilities STEVE KANNON It’s early in the process, but Woolwich is eyeing a four-percent tax hike for next year.

If that stands, the average homeowner would pay an additional $20 a year on the municipal portion of the tax bill,

rising to $517 from $497. The local share represents about a fifth of the overall tax hit, with half siphoned off by Waterloo Region and 30 per cent by the school boards.

The four-per-cent figure was part of a discussion Tuesday night as councillors got the 2010 budget process underway.

That represents a two-percent tax increase and the twoper-cent special levy for Woolwich’s slate of new recreation facilities. Next year is the final one for the extra charge.

Along with the tax proposal, finance director Richard Petherick reported the township posted a small surplus in its

2008 fiscal year, audited statements for which were tabled this week. After an operating deficit of $111,000 was offset by a capital projects surplus of $133,000, Woolwich was left $22,000 to the good.

For 2010, Petherick recommended that council maintain current levels of service,

building on this year’s budget of $33.7 million – $10.2 million in operating expenses, $18.3 million for capital projects and $2.7 million for water operations.

A two-per-cent hike in the general levy would cover an inflationary increase in See TAXES page »06

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2 | NEWS

THE OBSERVER | Saturday, August 15, 2009

PHOTOs | joni miltenburg

Woolwich set to declare 11 sites surplus It was a fair day in Drayton A RIP-ROARIN’ TIME Eric Deckers sends the sand flying during the Drayton Fair truck pull Aug. 9. At left, Easton, Tanner and Kayden Coverdale take in the spectacle.

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It’s in with the new, out with the old as Woolwich looks at dumping some of its real estate holdings. The properties up for discussion include the old Floradale fire station on Ruggles Road – replaced by a much larger facility on Florapine Road – the former administration building on Arthur Street in Elmira and the soon-to-be vacant Elmira pool, which could be mothballed as early as next month when the Woolwich Memorial Centre opens.

Also on the list of potential surplus lands are the old Woolwich Township hall on Sawmill Road in Conestogo and a former gravel pit in Maryhill, as well as a few odds and sods such

as old road allowances.

Meeting this week, township council gave notice of its intent to declare the 11 properties as surplus on Sept. 8.

Director of finance Richard Petherick said many of the smaller parcels are landlocked parcels of value only to neighbouring properties. Those adjacent to school properties, for instance, are likely to be purchased by the school board.

The larger properties, however, are being counted on to help finance the township’s recent building spree. Any money realized from the sales will offset some of the costs of new recreation facilities. Property valuations will be included in packages prepared for the Sept. 8 council meeting.

• 1924 Sawmill Rd., Conestogo – old township hall • 69 Arthur St. S., Elmira – former administration building • 18 Ernst St., Elmira – indoor swimming pool • 5 Ruggles Rd., Floradale – former fire hall • Former Maryhill gravel pit lands, Maryhill (between 1220 and 1230 Maryhill Rd.) • A portion of Arthur St. N. • A small piece of land at the end of Woolwich Street South, by Fountain Street, Breslau • A small piece of land on Princess Street West, adjacent to St. Jacobs Public School • A small piece of land at Klinck Street and University Avenue, adjacent to Elmira District Secondary School • An old road allowance on Northfield Drive, at Balsam Grove Road • About 1,000 square metres of land near 1248 and 1190 Kramp Road, east of Shantz Station Road

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Former town hall and swimming pool among larger holdings to be put up for sale to recover costs

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» NEWS |

THE OBSERVER | Saturday, August 15, 2009

LEADING OFF

“When you get up there and you’ve got that freedom, it’s just amazing.”

Heather Gregory

UP, UP AND AWAY Former EDSS student Heather Gregory holds up her pilot’s license. Gregory flies out of Thompson, Manitoba for Perimeter Aviation.

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PHOTO | JONI MILTENBURG

She finds the sky’s the limit

Formerly rebellious St. Jacobs teen lets her ambitions take flight on the way to a career as a pilot JONI MILTENBURG In high school, Heather Gregory stood out from the crowd.

She pierced her nose, wore black combat boots and a studded collar, and spiked her blue hair into a six-inch mohawk.

Her former classmates would hardly recognize her now, in a neat white shirt with a dark tie and epaulets, her blond hair tucked under a headset.

Gregory, 24, is a commercial pilot flying out of Thompson, Manitoba with Perimeter Aviation. Last week she returned home to St. Jacobs for a short visit with her family.

Gregory has loved flying since she was a little girl going on family trips, but she didn’t always want to be a pilot.

“I wanted to be an archaeologist, computer graphics

EE RY FR IVE L DE

designer, fashion designer, all kinds of different stuff,” she said. “When you wish for stuff when you blow out your candles, I always wished to fly, but not as a pilot. I didn’t think I could do that. It didn’t dawn on me that you could.”

It was her dad, Ken, who got her thinking about sitting in the pilot’s seat. He had always wanted to be a pilot, and for her 18th birthday he bought her a certificate for a flight at what was then the Waterloo Regional Airport. An instructor handled the takeoff, then let her take the controls. Gregory loved it.

“When you get up there and you’ve got that freedom, it’s just amazing,” she said.

With her dad’s help, she enrolled in flying lessons and washed airplanes to help pay for them. She dyed her hair

blond and wore it parted down the middle to hide the shaved sides of her head.

Even though she loved being in the air and toyed with the idea of getting her private license, Gregory still wasn’t thinking of flying as a career.

It wasn’t until she was finishing her last semester of classes that she discovered Conestoga College had an aviation program.

Gregory was one of two girls in her class of 20. There aren’t many female pilots, and Gregory said her parents are proud of her for doing something a little different. She credits her parents, especially her dad, with supporting and encouraging her down a solid career path.

“I wasn’t doing badly in school or anything, I just didn’t know where I wanted

W • O • O • L • W • I • C • H

to go and could have gone a lot of bad directions,” she said.

“If it wasn’t for [my dad], I wouldn’t have gotten to do any of it. … Hopefully I can get on with Air Canada and pay him back with flights.”

After graduating, she worked for Adler Aviation, doing everything from dispatch to charter quotes to washing airplanes. The only thing she didn’t do was fly for the company. Disappointed, she quit after six months. On the advice of an Air Canada pilot (a fellow member of Canadian Women in Aviation) she took her dad’s camper van and toured across Ontario, handing out resumes and applying for jobs.

She didn’t have much luck in northern Ontario – most companies do a lot of float landings and she didn’t have her

float rating – and finally ended up in Winnipeg.

Former classmates told her not to bother applying at Perimeter, but Gregory didn’t listen and is glad she didn’t.

“I walked in there and I immediately met the chief pilot, got a tour, came back for an interview, and they hired me.

[They] told me to go home, get my stuff and come back and they’d put me in whichever department needed me.”

That department ended up being stores, where she was responsible for handing out tools to the mechanics. After a year on the ground, they offered her a spot flying out of Thompson. Gregory jumped at the chance to get up in the air.

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4 | NEWS

THE OBSERVER | Saturday, August 15, 2009

» FROM THE EDITOR | STEVE KANNON

Real accountability comes with serious conseqences While taking in the blues festival in Kitchener last weekend – a great event, and one of the few times anyone ventures downtown – I got an up-close look at the work that’s disrupted King Street all summer. The project, budgeted at $8.8 million, is the classic case of putting lipstick on a pig.

At the end of all that work, the downtown will be no more attractive to the mass of residents who stay away in droves.

Just down the street, the new public square in uptown Waterloo is another ill-considered project. The sea of cement, immediately adopted by skateboarders and few others, has become a standing joke, and not only because of the flimsy plastic chairs and the rusty bell, a piece that rivals the hideous giant worm in front of the courthouse on Frederick Street.

At $2.3 million, however, the civic square is an exceedingly expensive joke.

Both are visible projects foisted on a public that can now do little but grumble over the money wasted. The same is likely to be true of a much larger money pit in the offing: light rail transit.

As with RIM Park and a host of other projects – well-intentioned or not – in the region, residents will have to live with the mistakes of the politicians, and the payments that will drag on for years.

If the work proves useless or, in the

case of the train, an ongoing sinkhole, residents will simply pay and pay, with no way of exacting justice from the politicians and bureaucrats who made such poor decisions.

Ideally, the public would have a legal recourse: the ability to press criminal, or at least civil charges against those responsible. In the near-term, however, it’s extremely unlikely we’ll be able to hold politicians and bureaucrats liable, no matter how much they screw up, says Michael Cochrane, partner in the Toronto law firm Ricketts, Harris LLP. Cochrane has made a study of attempts to hold politicians legally accountable for their actions. Specifically, his book Strictly Legal: Things You Absolutely Need to Know about Canadian Law looks at two lawsuits in which the public attempted to make politicians keep their promises.

The first, the so-called “fudget budget” in B.C., was a suit that alleged the NDP government of the day knowingly made false statements about the 1995-96 and 1996-97 budgets during an election. The second was a lawsuit launched against Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty alleging he broke a written promise he made in the 2003 election by instituting a health-care premium.

Neither case was successful, but both were an indication of Canadians’ increasing willingness to use the courts to do what other avenues have failed: make politicians accountable.

That seemingly vain hope was one of the driving factors behind the emergence of the Reform Party, which called for more autonomy for MPs,

more plebiscites and referendums and greater use of recalls to make politicians responsible to their constituents, Cochrane says.

That movement, if not the party’s political bent, struck a chord with many people. However, those efforts have enjoyed only limited success. There’s a long way to go before the type of legal action we’d like to see is even on the horizon.

Politicians are reluctant to put in place even the most innocuous forms of accountability. Recall votes, more common south of the border, are seen as some kind of “political harassment,” and few elected officials want the public to have anything more then infrequent elections as a method of controlling them – lip-service democracy.

While lawsuits and jail terms, however deserved, are unlikely in the near term – politicians write the rules to serve themselves, not the public – the goal will be to push politicians and bureaucrats to state specifically the consequences if their promises and projects go awry.

At that point, the public might actually have some recourse for the poor decisions, Cochrane says.

“We’ve got to pin these guys down.

We’ve got to get specific [guarantees] from them.”

The goal is to have them commit to consequences up front. They pitch a project to the public – say a light rail transit system – then agree in writing to face the repercussions if the project goes over budget, fails to function as promised or flops completely.

“You have to ask them to commit: ‘Would you consent to litigation against the city, the region and to you personally if this doesn’t work out?’” he says.

“Will you consent now to a commission of inquiry? Will you commit now to referendum? Will you commit now to a recall vote?”

In short, are you as eager to bet your job, your savings or your freedom on this project as you are willing to bet the public’s money?

This is the ideal we need to pursue.

If we ever got there, I’m willing to bet there’d be a whole lot less waste, and a much larger turnover of politicians and bureaucrats. The savings in golden handshakes and pensions alone would be worth the price of admission.

Jeff Gruneberg

Favourite hiking trail around here?

Around here would have to be the Floradale dam, the Lions Trail. I prefer Algonquin Park though.

Is windsurfing as scary as it looks?

Only if you’re pushing the limits of what you can handle; I’m far from an expert. If you’re out and trying to turn back and the wind’s wrong, that’s tricky.

Is there anything you’re looking forward to right now?

Hiking in the fall in Algonquin Park.

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NEWS |

THE OBSERVER | Saturday, August 15, 2009

The south end of the township will see some additional roadwork shortly as Woolwich council this week awarded a $492,000 tender to Cox Construction to repave portions of Chilligo Road and Menno Street. The project is to be completed by Sept. 30.

Steed and Evans Ltd., meanwhile, will get $173,000 to resurface Danube Drive and Vienna Crescent in Heidelberg, and a portion of Parkside Drive in St. Jacobs. The work is scheduled to be done by Oct. 2.

More roadwork still to come

Still in the midst of this year’s construction season, Woolwich is already working on next summer’s traffic delays, approving engineering contracts for two major road projects in Elmira.

Meeting this week, councillors awarded $55,000 to Gamsby and Mannerow Ltd. to provide engineering services for next year’s reconstruction of Snyder Avenue between Church and First streets. The company’s bid came in $70,000 under the budgeted amount of $125,000. However, a chunk of the savings were immediately eaten up with the contract for engineering services for the reconstruction of a portion of Riverside Drive, Samuel, Herbert, William and Ann streets.

Stantec Consulting was the winning bidder at $125,000, $18,000 more than the $107,000 in the budget.

Fine with fine for fire

A $750 fine for an unapproved fire will stand, Woolwich council decided Tuesday night, unmoved by a plea from the homeowner.

Shortly after moving to at residence on Line 86 – his first home in the country – Martin Kumbera was burning some scrap materials on June 5 when firefighters from two Woolwich stations responded to multiple 911 calls reporting a house on fire. As he had not obtained a burn permit, he was assessed a fine of $750.

Upon learning that Kumbera had heard from a coworker, a Maryhill firefighter, about the burn permit requirement, councillors deemed the fine appropriate, noting the response had cost the township far more than $750.

A sound buy

Keeping in sync with the audio equipment installed in the Dan Snyder Memorial Arena, council has approved spending $27,000 with DM Services to outfit the Jim McLeod Memorial Arena.

The two projects combined came in at $28,000 less than the $110,000 budget for that part of the facility.

» NOW ON THE SHELF

Elmira author celebrates first book Initial release was a long-time coming for Nan Forler, a teacher at St. Jacobs PS JONI MILTENBURG On Tuesday morning, Nan Forler’s kids greeted her with breakfast in bed. On a slice of toast, her daughter Maia had used a template to sprinkle sugar in the shape of a bird.

It wasn’t her birthday or a belated mother’s day present; they were celebrating the release of her first book, Bird Child.

The release has been a long time coming. Forler wrote the story in 2001 and it was finally accepted by a publisher two years ago. Then the publisher started to go under and Forler was advised to pull the book out. The setback proved to be a temporary one; within a week it was accepted by Tundra Books and the process of editing and illustrating started.

Sitting in the backyard of her parents’ home in Elmira, the house she grew up in, Forler said it was hard to take in the finished book.

“When it actually came, it was really surreal,” Forler said. “After you’ve looked at it so many times, it’s hard to get your head around it.”

A primary teacher, For-

PHOTO | JONI MILTENBURG

Paving the way

ON THE RIGHT PAGE Nan Forler displays some of the artwork from her new book , Bird Child. Its release marks her entry into the publishing world.

ler started writing 15 years ago. Her first story was about a little girl in her class who died of cancer, a death that affected Forler deeply.

In the years since, Forler has written about 15 children’s books, 50 kids’ poems and some adult poetry. She’s also written a coming-of-age Mennonite story in the form of 12 narrative poems.

Her first published work is about a bird-like little girl whose mother

teaches her to look up and see the possibilities beyond, and how she confronts a schoolyard bully.

Forler said standing up to injustice is a common theme in her stories.

“As a teacher you just see that so much and you often feel powerless yourself to make a difference.”

As powerful as the story are the striking illustrations by François Thisdale. Using his daugh-

MARC MIQUEL HELSEN Old will be new again at the 15th annual Steam Threshers Reunion Aug. 27-29, as a completely restored Oliver ’55 tractor produced in the 1950s makes its debut, ready for auction.

The old farm machine, which was donated to the Waterloo County Steam Threshers’ Reunion Committee, was recently restored, re-

built and revamped and now it’s as good and new.

“It looks like it would be coming off the factory line back in the fifties or early sixties when it was built – they really did a great job on it,” said committee member Gary Froese. “It’s totally restored.”

The old machine was donated and so too were new parts and labour.

The Oliver tractor will be auctioned off at the

event and the garnered proceeds are destined for the Gospel Echoes Team prison ministry.

Needless to say, organizers are hoping for good weather and a great turnout.

“A well-attended auction always brings you more money,” said Froese, noting that before the tractor was stripped down, repaired and repainted, it looked like a typical worn farm tractor several decades old.

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ter as a model, Thisdale combined photographs with watercolour paintings and digital manipulation to illustrate the pages.

When the advance copy of the book arrived at their house in north Waterloo, Forler’s kids were enraptured. Her son Dillon took the book off the mantel to read it over again 10 times that day, and her daughter started typing out a sequel.

“She wanted me to take

it to my editor,” Forler laughed.

Forler said her kids are her biggest fans. Every Christmas she gives them a binding of all her writing for the year, and she includes a few stories about them. They’re also honest editors.

“The story I was writing lately, my son said ‘That dad sounds awful.’”

Right now, Forler is enjoying the bustle of promoting her first book. She’s slated to do readings at the Toronto Public Library and the McNally Robinson Booksellers store in Toronto.

Plans are also underway for the official launch, which will be held at Conrad Grebel College in Waterloo Sept. 19.

Forler’s husband Kevin Coates is a music teacher, and they plan to recruit their students to perform music and act out the story.

Forler has just completed another children’s story and her editor has her working on a novel.

Having one book published by a company as respected as Tundra gives her an edge toward getting other books published.

“It’s still going to be a bit of a climb but certainly to get your foot in the door is an amazing thing.”

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But after the volunteers got their hands and tools on it, the machine now looks as good as new.

“This one definitely does not need any work to it … you could take the tractor out and do whatever you want with it – it’s field ready or show ready or whatever.”

Also on tap at the event will be an all colour tractor show, displays of past and present Waterloo County industries, steam threshing dis-

plays, antique tractors, wagon rides (courtesy of Froese and his team of heavy horses), a children’s bouncy castle, plowing displays, a tractor run, gospel singing, and a wide variety of local foods.

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6 | NEWS

THE OBSERVER | Saturday, August 15, 2009

Pit applicant asks for speedier process Developer of gravel operation near Conestogo challenges need for peer-review studies STEVE KANNON Concerned about delays and extra costs, a developer seeking to open a gravel pit near Conestogo wants the township to drop its demand for more studies.

Woolwich is currently asking for outside reviews of seven of the eight reports concerning the Hunsberger pit submitted by Hunder Developments in support of its bid for a zone

change to allow the aggregate operation. Questioning the need for peer reviews, planning consultant David Sisco called on township council this week to speed up the process.

“We are simply frustrated and somewhat at odds with staff ’s requests,” he said in council chambers Tuesday night. “We’re not trying to circumvent the process … we’re asking for some reasonableness,” Sisco added, saying

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Woolwich’s demand for peer reviews amounts to duplication as many of the reports are being scrutinized by other agencies, including the Region of Waterloo and the Ministry of Natural Resources.

Director of engineering and planning Dan Kennaley, however, dismissed that assertion, saying those reviews are more perfunctory, with the agencies relying on the credentials of the experts submitting the original reports. As well, those other bodies don’t share information in any detail with the municipality, providing no foundation for Woolwich to judge the gravel pit application.

“Peer reviews are a very important part of the planning process,” he said, calling Woolwich’s process one with “tough but fair rules.”

Tougher rules were exactly what councillors approved last year with

the new aggregate policy, known as official plan amendment 13 (OPA 13). That policy is at the heart of an Ontario Municipal Board hearing initiated by another gravel pit applicant, Capital Paving, which is looking to open a large operation near West Montrose. That company, too, has complained about the pace of its application and the peerreview requirements.

While sympathizing with the applicant’s concerns about the pace, Coun. Mark Bauman said it’s important to follow the process established by the township.

In response to a question from Bauman, Kennaley said the peer review process isn’t automatic, but considered on a case-by-case basis.

Hunder Developments has been asked for seven peer reviews, as has Capital Paving. The two are the most contentious of five gravel pit applica-

tions now being studied by the township. Another, Kuntz Topsoil, Sand and Gravel’s proposal for a pit at Jigs Hollow Road, north of Conestogo, has been asked for two reviews. The remaining two, expansions of existing operations, will not require any peer reviews.

With the Hunsberger application, the township has already sent three of the reports – air quality, traffic and visual impact – out for peer review. After this week’s request from the developer, the other four are now on hold, Kennaley explained.

Sisco noted that his client had not been informed that three reviews had already been requested, and had not agreed to the expenditure, which he estimated at $30,000 for all seven reports demanded by the township.

In a related matter, councillors discussed a

request from the Bridge Keepers, an organization opposed to the Capital Paving gravel pit, to provide the public with all information related to the application.

Chief administrative officer David Brenneman said current policy is to make all documents related to the zone change application available to the public.

However, because of the OMB appeal, some of the files related to legal issues will remain confidential.

He also reiterated township policy that staff would not meet individually with any of the parties to discuss the zone change application, saying “it’s not appropriate” to talk about the issue outside of an open and public meeting. The idea is to ensure that no one is seen to be given preferred status.

“There shouldn’t be individual, one-on-one meetings with anyone.”

Labour council calls for EI reform STEVE KANNON Woolwich councillors want some time to reflect before wading into the Employment Insurance debate.

Asked this week by the Waterloo Regional Labour Council to pass a resolution in support of EI reform, councillors deferred the matter until they could investigate issues more deeply before taking a position.

The labour organization is calling for stan-

dardized qualification and payment options across the country: working 360 hours to qualify for benefits, extending the duration of payments to at least 50 weeks, provide an additional year of benefits when national unemployment exceeds 6.5 per cent, and increase benefits to at least 60 per cent of normal earnings.

Currently, the system is a hodgepodge, with qualification hours and duration of benefits differing dramatically across the

country.

Years of prosperity and a strong labour market in this region mean workers must put in 700 to 900 hours before qualifying for EI; if eligible, the unemployed can collect for only 27 weeks, the labour council’s Doug Butler said in council chambers Tuesday night.

“Seventy per cent of applicants in this zone don’t quality for EI,” he said, adding welfare rolls will continue to grow due to those who

don’t qualify for EI and those whose benefits will run out long before the economy improves.

“The poverty rate in this region will grow.”

An improved EI system, he said, could act as a real stimulus to the economy, as opposed to the projects that have been slow to get going.

After the presentation, Coun. Mark Bauman called for a staff to look into the resolution before bringing it back to a future council meeting for discussion.

Taxes: Budget process gets underway » From cover

expenditures for next year, he said, noting this would allow the township “to essentially hold the line.”

Councillors seemed in general agreement with the target, although Coun. Murray Martin suggested staff look at only the two-per-cent capital levy, freezing other increases.

A six-per-cent hike for 2009, coupled with four per cent for 2010, makes an average annual increase of five per cent in the last two years, far above inflation and extra burdensome in a recession where people are losing their jobs, he said.

“I took a lot of flak from people last year,” he added of the six-percent tax hit.

More amenable to Petherick’s proposal, Coun.

Mark Bauman said a status-quo budget could work.

“Four per cent, for me, is the cap on what the budget has to be,” he said of the upper limit on next year’s tax increase.

Coupled with a forecast for the lowest assessment growth in five years – 2.5 per cent, down from a high of 5.91 per cent in 2007 – the township will be hardpressed to maintain levels with a four-per-cent

hike, but it should be possible, said Petherick.

The budget process is somewhat constrained by the fact more than 50 per cent of costs are tied to staffing. The current three-year contract, which expires next year, provides for a three-percent pay raise. When contract talks begin later this year, he expects a much sharper pencil to be used, with much lower rates.

Even at four per cent, however, residents are still likely to protest against the tax hikes given the economic conditions, suggested chief administrative officer David Brenneman. “Four

per cent is not going to sit well with the public.”

That despite a forecast – based on four per cent in Woolwich and two per cent elsewhere – that shows only North Dumfries residents would pay less than Woolwich taxpayers – $344.07 versus $516.56 – on the municipal portion of property taxes. Wellesley Township residents would pay $705.11; Wilmot $595.03; City of Waterloo $876.76; Kitchener $933.36 and Cambridge $938.79.

Nearby municipalities outside Waterloo Region are also forecasted to be higher: Centre Wellington at $659.03 and Mapleton Township at $721.62.

NEWS |

THE OBSERVER | Saturday, August 15, 2009

» LAW & ORDER

7

The tactics, not the message, proved wrong August 5

»»

August 6

4:45 PM | A The driver of a Chrysler, a 41-year-old Welland man, was travelling south on Union Street in Elmira when, while approaching South Field Drive to make

was struck from behind by a vehicle driven by a Kitchener man, 52. The lead vehicle suffered minor damage, while the second car was demolished. The Kitchener man was subsequently charged with ‘careless driving.’

A 45-year-old Elmira man was arrested Tuesday afternoon after harassing some Woolwich Township employees at the administration building on Church Street West.

He was said to be complaining that the municipality was wasting his money and taxpayers’ money. a left turn, his car was struck from behind by a Jeep being driven by a 25-year-old Elmira man, who was later charged with ‘careless driving.’

»»

August 7

4:48 AM | Residents of a College Street, Elmira address were awoken by an intruder who entered their home, picked up some items and tossed them into the backyard. There were also some minor scratches to the car parked in the garage. Nothing was taken from the home.

Police continue to investigate, believing the suspect – an older male – may be known to the residents.

11:00 AM | A resident of Line 86, near Halm Road, reported that some time overnight, a car entered the ditch in front of the home, damaging the fire address sign. Some plas-

»»

PHOTO | joni miltenburg

»»

10:25 AM | A 17-year-old Elmira man driving on Scotch Line lost control of a 2007 Nissan Murano while rounding a bend, hit the gravel shoulder and rolled over. The vehicle was demolished. The driver was charged with ‘careless driving.’

12:00 PM | A theft of copper was reported from a hydro installation on Reid Woods Drive, near Floradale Road.

Value was estimated at $600.

7:00 PM | Two men were detained after going door-todoor in Elmira selling what was purported to be art from Israel. A resident who bought a piece of art later became suspicious and contacted police, who apprehended the men and some 20 pieces of art, which were found to have been purchased in Toronto.

The Elmira man got his money back. The men were determined to be Israelis studying in Canada and not authorized to work in this country. They were turned over to officers from the Canada Border Services Agency.

Only minor injuries were sustained in a collision on Lobsinger Line near Wagner’s Corners on Aug. 7. A 46-year-old Kitchener woman was stopped to turn left when a motorcycle also travelling southbound pulled out to pass a long line of cars and subsequently struck the woman’s car as she turned. The collision remains under investigation. »» August 8 tic debris, possibly parts from remains under investigation. a Mazda, was found at the 1:45 PM | A black Husky 10:19 AM | Someone attempted scene.

Genesis bike was found and to break in to a home on Mus1:24 PM | A collision between a turned over to police. It can be covey Drive in Elmira at some car and a motorcycle brought claimed by its rightful owner point overnight. A muskoka chair was pulled over to the police to Lobsinger Line. The at the Elmira detachment. car, driven by a 46-year- 9:56 PM | An 18-year-old Wal- side of the house as a way to old Kitchener woman, was lenstein man was caught on gain entry to an upper-floor stopped to make a left turn. radar travelling 130 km/h in window. The arm of the chair The motorcycle, a 2002 an 80 km/h zone on Kressler subsequently broke. The inHonda, was also travelling Road. The driver was arrested vestigation continues. southbound when the rider and charged with ‘stunt driv- 11:48 AM | A two-vehicle colattempted to pass a line of ing.’ Police remind residents lision took place at the roundcars, subsequently striking that anyone clocked speeding about in St. Jacobs. The driver the car as it turned left. Only by more than 50 km/h over of the lead vehicle, a 45-yearminor injuries were reported, the posted limit will have their old Kincardine man, was but both vehicles sustained car seized and impounded for slowing as he approached the roundabout when his car severe damage. The collision seven days.

August 10

4:20 AM | A break-and-enter occurred after a brick was thrown through the glass of the front door at Perks Coffee House on Industrial Drive in Elmira. The incident occurred within two hours of the time of the report. A small amount of money was taken, with some change found at the spot where the culprits exited the building – the cost of the damage done far exceeded the proceeds of the crime. Police have suspects, and the investigation continues.

»»

August 11

8:20 AM | A gray 2005 Dodge Ram pickup truck was stolen from a Schummer Line residence some time overnight.

The truck is believed to have been taken some time between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m.

6:00 PM | Two bicycles were stolen from the driveway of a James Street, Elmira home.

Described as hybrid bikes, one black and gray in colour, the other red and white, they had been taken some time within the previous 24 hours.

Pilot: A career that opens a whole new world of experiences » From page 03

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On the reserve, a fourlitre jug of milk costs $18. Because the cost of flights is subsidized by the government, it’s cheaper to fly into Thompson and buy supplies there, and then fly back.

Gregory’s favourite part of flying up north is the terrain; they’re allowed to fly 500 feet above ground, and she’s seen caribou, bears, and what she thought was a IA ad_Purse Sale:Layout wolf.

She’s also had some less

1

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8/11/09 1:03 PM Page They had to make the passengers stand along

1

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Gregory plans to spend another two and a half years in Thompson; she wants to get upgraded to captain and build up

hours flying as a captain before moving on to a bigger airline like Jazz or Air Canada. She would like to come back to this area to be closer to her family, but like a good pilot, she’s open to going anywhere.

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8 | COMMENT & OPINION

THE OBSERVER | Saturday, August 15, 2009

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» EDITORIAL

Taking a new tack on taxes

Coun. Murray Martin had it right when he suggested Woolwich aim for zero in choosing a tax-increase target for 2010. Of course, that would still mean a two-per-cent hike, the amount earmarked for a special levy to fund recreation capital projects.

Initial budget discussions held this week indicate council is likely to maintain the status quo, looking for an additional two per cent, assessment growth and stimulus programs to keep the cash flowing. As we’ve noted before, that stance only delays the inevitable, as cuts are coming.

Driven by the recession, the federal government is throwing around billions of dollars for infrastructure projects – though it can be argued there’s more talk than money, with some reports saying less than 25 per cent of promised cash has reached its targets – as is the province. When the economy picks up, that tap will be shut.

Then both governments will begin cuts to address soaring deficits. There will be less cash for municipalities.

In the longer term, local governments will have to tame out-of-control property tax increases, while tackling aging infrastructure such as water and sewer pipes, roads and bridges. It’s these hard services, some of them essential, that will be the

priority, forcing cuts to soft services such as recreation and social services.

In the end, staffing is going to be a key issue. Labour costs make up more than 50 per cent of the budget – significant savings will come only with cuts here. There’s no need to be draconian, but wage and hiring freezes as well as attrition are likely to be required to get spending back in line.

Governments of all stripes have been guilty of unnecessary bloating, taking on more and more functions without thought for the long-term implications. There is also a tendency to forego reviews of programs and spending to see if each item is still needed – once instituted, they become entrenched and part of each year’s baseline.

The argument is made that the public has come to expect the level of service now offered, plus, of course, whatever new addition is contemplated, which will become next year’s status quo. Certainly the public can sometimes be unrealistic: we can’t have both more program spending and lower taxes (unless we’re willing to follow the U.S. model of ever-increasing deficits).

More and more, however, we’re seeing higher costs – i.e. taxes – without any commensurate increases in the level or quality

» VERBATIM “North American governments are trying to fake climate action by subtly agreeing to carbon emission baseline years other than the international standard of 1990.

The Canadian government targets a 20% reduction below the 2006 level which only amounts to a 3% reduction below 1990.”

Andrea Harden-Donahue of the Council of Canadians on the Three Amigos summit

of service. At best, we’re paying more for more of the same.

This is the heart of the conundrum that must eventually be addressed: public sector spending is outstripping the productive sector’s ability to pay. As the former depends entirely on the latter, the gap must inevitably cause upheaval as we question the value-for-money scenario: what are we getting for the cash we pour into the system? And how often can governments keep going to the well before it runs dry?

At some point, local politicians will have hard decisions to make. Not just how to keep increases to two per cent, but how to cut by many times that amount. In the long run, the system we’ve developed is untenable, but the crisis will come long before that. A series of hikes that drove property taxes and fees to egregious levels leaves no room for hitting the beleaguered residents with still more taxes to make up the shortfall. The only recourse will be to begin cutting staff and programs, sustaining only those services where taxpayers see actual value for their money.

Before the crunch comes, politicians would be well advised to begin scaling back now.

» THE MONITOR In the U.S., 18,000 people die each year, an average of almost 50 a day, due to a readily identifiable reason. The culprit? Lack of adequate health care Democracy Now!

COMMENT & OPINION |

THE OBSERVER | Saturday, August 15, 2009

9

» HARD TALK | RAFE MAIR

Create a parliament for grownups who represent us What is the principal concern people have about how our governments are run?

I venture the thought that it’s lack of accountability of the MP or MPP to his constitu-

ents.

We constantly see our elected representatives, very soon after they’re elected, representing the capital to the constituents, not the other way around. We know why that is, of course: party discipline. Because of the enormous powers he has, a leader can force MPs to vote as he dictates.

I’m going to prescribe the medicine that would cure our parliamentary disease. The reforms I propose wouldn’t cost a nickel nor would they require any constitutional changes.

Let’s start with the legislature or House of Commons itself. Churchill once said “First we shape our buildings, then they shape us.” And he was right. Our legislative chambers follow the design in Westminster, developed centuries ago where the government sits to the right of the speaker and directly across, at a distance of two sword lengths, sits the opposition. This was because, under the British system, this design amply demonstrated the divisions of the country at large. This has meant that, in a polarized province such as ours, the interior design of the chamber encourages verbal sword-play, not rational debate.

When the United States devised its system, it created a chamber in the manner of a horseshoe; meaning that however much heat there is to an issue, the room is designed to accommodate debate, not barracking, to serve as a deliberative chamber, not a boxing ring. Not that the design of congress eliminates unparliamentary behaviour. But it does encourage good manners and orderly process.

Ours, on the other hand, with government members nose to nose with the opposition, encourages anger and misbehaviour. So I say, redesign our legislative chamber so as to encourage not only “good government” but “peace and order,” as well.

My second proposal is simple. Our legislative chamber seating arrangements are such that each party is in its own cohesive clique and thus has its own cohesive cheering section. I say sit every member alphabetically according to constituency. This would eliminate cheering sections and put members where they would have no choice but to become more independent in thought and deed and, even more important, it would create a sense of comradeship.

For my last recommendation, let me pose this question. If you were to be deprived of one or the other, would you put saving free speech ahead of the right to a secret ballot? An unfair example, perhaps, but I wager you would say that the most important right you have is to be able to vote without pressure or hindrance.

Let’s at least acknowledge that the secret ballot is a fundamental tenet

of a free country. This right, which we so jealously guard, is denied to the people we send to the provincial capitals or Ottawa. Why? The answer invariably given is along the lines of “we want to see how the bastards have voted.” This is very silly when you think about it, since you know precisely how your member will vote in advance, in accordance with the orders given by the premier or prime minister to the Whip to enforce. A secret ballot would eliminate that nuclear bomb-like power possessed by the leader.

But wouldn’t this mean that the government wouldn’t be able to govern, never being sure that they controlled the house? Of course it would be able to govern. It would simply have to take the time to convince members that the policy is good for the people.

Those members right now must do as exactly as they are told (or else!) but my proposal would restore their right of independence. This would mean, briefly put, that MPs on the government side especially, would actually have a hand in setting policy, drafting and voting on legislation It would change government, that’s for sure. No longer could the government be certain that parliament will approve their budget with only a token, set piece sort of opposition. The prime minister would have to ask for money instead of telling the house that the government members will support him because he has them by the political testicles. He would have to convince his caucus, not rely upon their sheep-like devotion to leader

and party.

MPs should not be “nobodies” as the late prime minister Pierre Trudeau called them, but important, dignified and powerful representatives of the constituencies from which they are elected.

I’m not suggesting that every vote be a secret one. Many issues are unopposed or not serious enough to warrant a secret ballot. I would require that a secret ballot would only be ordered upon the wish of, say, 30 per cent of the members.

I would also stipulate that except on the budget or a confidence motion, the government wouldn’t fall because it lost a vote. That tradition went out with Lester Pearson who lost a vote while on vacation, came home and then held a vote of confidence which passed. British prime ministers, especially since Margaret Thatcher, wouldn’t dream of calling an election because the government lost a vote other than on the budget or of confidence.

With my three proposals, especially the last one, your MPs and MPPs would become men and women of importance and an integral part of the system, not trained seals.

Legislation would be more carefully researched.

Money would be spent more judiciously.

This wouldn’t make the system perfect. That’s impossible. What it would do is make the commons or legislature more responsive, and responsible, to the wishes of their constituents.

Isn’t that what we all want?

» INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS | GWYNNE DYER

Can Murdoch model rescue the newspaper industry?

Can Rupert Murdoch save the newspaper industry by making people pay to read the news online? Probably not, though his reputation as a financial wizard (he is many times a billionaire) has bewitched a lot of people into believing that he can. More importantly, does the newspaper industry as a whole need to be saved, or is this largely an American problem?

The “Dirty Digger” declared last week that he would start charging for the online content of all his newspapers, including the New York Post and T he Times and The Sun in London, before next June. In the United States, where many if not most big-city dailies are in a financial “death-spiral” (as one editorial page editor put it to me last year, explaining why she was taking the buyout and retiring early), the whole industry prayed that he was right.

Murdoch’s reputation as a master of the media universe is so high that even his competitors hope that he can make it work.

“I believe that if we’re successful, we’ll be followed fast by other (print) media,” he said, and that’s perfectly true. But past experience argues that he won’t be successful:

there are too many free alternatives.

When the first newspapers began putting their content on the web 15 years ago, they made it available free in the belief that the online version would supplement rather than replace the highly lucrative print editions, and in the hope that eventually online advertising would provide a healthy new stream of revenue.

But the online versions did cut into the print readership, and online advertising rates never rose to match those of the print editions. In the past couple of years, online revenues have ceased to grow entirely.

So when the recession came along, most American newspapers were already in a very vulnerable position, and now many are at death’s door. I’m getting used to lawyers’ letters from U.S. dailies explaining that they are now in “Chapter 11” (bankruptcy protection), and so I can forget about what they owe me for the column as I am not a secured creditor. (However, they can pay me for articles I send in the future – the law is strange that way.)

Now, here’s the odd thing. Large numbers of journalists have also been laid off by their papers in other countries, because advertising revenues and the actual physical size of most papers both shrink in a recession. But this column runs in papers in almost 50 other countries in every continent except Antarctica, and not

one of them has declared bankruptcy.

You can’t explain it by saying that internet use has been lower in all of those countries. In fact, the United States has only recently caught up with most other developed countries in the proportion of its population that is online. A likelier explanation for the American disaster is what happened to the U.S. newspaper industry in the 1980s and 1990s.

It was a time of “greed is good” in American capitalism, and newspapers were still profitable in those decades. The old family owners were bought out by chains that sought returns of 10-15 per cent a year, far more than the former owners had ever expected. The new owners’ first priority was to keep the share prices up, requiring that they keep the profits high, so they started cutting costs – and the biggest cost in running a newspaper is the journalists.

There are few newspapers in the United States that employ even half as many journalists as they had 15 years ago. Yet news-gathering was and remains a highly labour-intensive business. In effect, the new owners and managers gutted the content in order to maintain their high profit margins. Now most of them are out on golf courses, and the newspapers they ran are on the rocks.

Since many U.S. newspapers are also saddled with huge debts because

of those take-over deals, the papers were in no shape to withstand the cash famine of the recession. Nor is it obvious how charging for newspaper content online is going to transform their finances now, even if they don’t simply drive their current viewers away to the many free sites. It’s late in the game, and they just cannot raise enough money through increased internet revenue to transform their catastrophic balance sheets.

Elsewhere in the developed world, most newspapers will probably start charging for their websites too: Murdoch is right in thinking that the competition will follow his lead.

And elsewhere, that will win newspapers some further time to think about how they deal with the new reality, for it is very unlikely that we will be getting our news on paper in 20 or 30 years’ time. But for many American papers, it is too late now.

Where does the news business go from here? Blogs and “citizen journalism” are not the answer: serious news-gathering costs serious money, and there has to be a business model that supports it. Whoever comes up with the solution will be the new Bill Gates, but we may have to wait a while. As American internet guru Clay Shirky said recently, the immediate future may consist of “decades of random experimentation, much of which will fail.”

10 | COMMENT & OPINION

THE OBSERVER | Saturday, August 15, 2009

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THE OBSERVER | Saturday, August 15, 2009

BUSINESS

Pork industry taking on the latest hurdle

PHOTO | JONI MILTENBURG

Swine flu label hurt industry already reeling from series of setbacks; producers look at local options

11

MAKING ENDS MEAT Ontario pork producers such as Eric Schwindt, who operates a farm north of Elmira, are facing an uphill battle to find profits this summer.

JONI MILTENBURG After three years of losses, it looked like the pork industry was finally set to rebound this spring. Summer is typically a time of higher prices and experts were predicting that farmers would break even or even turn a profit. Then the H1N1 influenza virus made headlines around the world as “swine flu.”

“Swine flu was a kick in the pants we didn’t need,” said pork producer Eric Schwindt, who finishes about 1,000 pigs a year at his farm north of Elmira and works full time for Genex Ontario, a swine breeding company.

“I talk to a lot of producers every week and they’re all wondering how they fit into this business,” he said.

The H1N1 virus followed three tough years for pork farmers.

In 2006, swine circovirus hit herds in Ontario and Quebec;

in 2007, the soaring Canadian dollar made Canadian pork less competitive on world markets; and in 2008, production costs went up as fuel and feed prices climbed.

“In business, you can sustain a period of loss for a period of time, and the pork industry [is] … used to a cyclical marketplace, but this has just been a succession of events that are negative and it’s lasting for years,” said Wanda Jeffray, chair of the Ontario Pork Producers Marketing Board.

The impact of H1N1 was direct and devastating. Prices immediately dropped $20 to $25 per pig, and Ontario Pork estimates Ontario hog farmers lost $9 million in the four weeks following the outbreak of the virus.

Producers and public health officials rushed to reassure the public that H1N1 couldn’t be contracted from eating pork, and the message seems to have gotten through to Canadian consumers, Jeffray said.

The problem is that Canada exports some 50 per cent of its pork, making the industry vulnerable to changes in world markets. When H1N1 broke, countries such as China, Russia and South Korea used the virus as an excuse to slap restrictions on Canadian pork.

Although some of those restrictions have now been lifted, the industry is still suffering.

Heading into the fall, the picture looks just as bleak.

“Farmers are faced with almost guaranteed losses and severe losses to the point of $40 per pig,” said Martin Misener, swine veterinarian at Linwood Veterinary Services.

“The big concern, as we head into the fall and winter, is if this H1N1 starts to show up with any kind of frequency, what kind of an impact will that have?”

The one bright spot for local farmers is the development of niche markets. Jones Feed Mill in Linwood has partnered with

Genetiporc on a humane pork initiative; Grand Valley Fortifiers is supporting a natural pork initiative and there are organic programs getting off the ground.

“Our local community is extraordinarily well-suited to that kind of production,” Misener said. “[They] tend to be smaller farms, quite well set up to handle a more expensive kind of production.”

Pork producers have been lobbying the federal government for relief for hog farmers, and they’re waiting on an announcement of what form that assistance will take.

While government loans will help in the short term, in the long term there will have to be a wholesale change in the Canadian pork industry. Ontario Pork is pressing for a shift away from commodity production toward a value-added product that would be distinguished and priced higher.

“There will always be com-

modity production in Ontario, but not such a large part of the portfolio,” Jeffray said.

For Misener, part of the problem is that until recently, the urban community was largely unaware the pork industry was struggling. To that end, he spent $15,000 of his own money to produce a commercial promoting the Canadian pork industry.

For Misener, it’s important to promote not just the product, but how it’s produced. He explains that family farms have gradually disappeared in the U.S. over the past 20 years, to be replaced by large corporate entities.

“It’s these kinds of crises that tend to push an industry in that direction,” he said. “I think that would be a big loss to Canadians.

“I think it’s extremely important to get as much awareness out there and promote the industry for what it truly is, and that’s a family-based industry.”

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12 | BUSINESS

THE OBSERVER | Saturday, August 15, 2009

» FOOD FOR THOUGHT | OWEN ROBERTS

Ombudsman asked to settle flu moniker Pork farmers and the CBC newsroom just can’t see eye to eye on what to call the H1N1 flu, popularly (but erroneously, say some farmers) dubbed swine flu. So now, the corporation’s ombudsman is being asked to settle the matter.

On the farming side, the charge is being led by Gordon Sloan. He’s a semi-retired provincial employee who lives in Guelph but has agricultural roots and farm relatives near Chatham.

Sloan is attempting that which has eluded others – namely, getting farmer-friendly terminology accepted at the highest media level, in hopes that

other scribes will follow.

There’s a lot at stake. Most Canadians get healthrelated information from the media. If readers, listeners and viewers are constantly subjected to the term swine flu, it’s likely to take hold in their psyche.

Sloan says that leads to unjust bias against pork.

In fact, he (and many others in agriculture) maintain the term swine flu is contributing significantly to the depressed pork market. Farmers who raise pigs haven’t made any money in at least two years, and he says the prospects are dismal as long as the swine flu moniker, not to mention the affliction itself, lingers in the minds and bodies of Canadians.

Sloan argues that the World Health Organization adopted the term H1N1, so media should have done

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the same. When the disease first appeared, confusion reigned supreme. Popular terminology was up in the air – you may remember the search for an appropriate name even led to Mexican flu.

But the World Health Organization is struggling to manage media activity on this disease, all the way from its source to its treatment. For example, on its website, the organization says it knows some media have expressed concern about the flu vaccine safety. “The public needs to be reassured that regulatory procedures in place for the licensing of pandemic vaccines, including procedures for expediting regulatory approval, are rigorous and do not compromise safety or quality controls,” it says.

Geez, doesn’t that sound like “Trust me, I’m from the government”?

The media is supposed to be independent of the government, so CBC and others are forging ahead.

Sloan sent me an e-mail he received from Esther Enkin, executive editor of CBC News, in which she acknowledged the industry’s many challenges. She claims the CBC “would not deliberately set out to make it worse.”

But, she says, the pork industry’s woes run deep.

Soaring feed costs, the recession, new U.S. labeling regulations, currency fluctuations, changing consumption habits and import restrictions imposed after the flu outbreak, all contribute to reduced demand for pork.

“It is not at all clear that the term “swine flu” has had a significant, or any, effect on what appears to be a longer-term trend resulting from substantial and quantifiable causes,” she adds.

I don’t buy that. There is nothing neutral about the term swine flu. Have the country’s major media outlet associate any emerging disease with a specific commodity and see what happens to sales.

But in the news business, do you stop using a term because it injures?

No. In theory, you are not beholden to anyone. You only stop it when the term is wrong.

CBC’s Enkin claims the term swine flu is accurate and clear. However, she acknowledges the disease does indeed contains genetic elements of bird flu and human flu too.

Sloan disagrees with Enkin’s interpretation of what’s right, and has taken the matter to the CBC ombudsman.

At best, he says, the CBC’s policy is undermining the reputation of the pork industry. At worst, he adds, it may be the proverbial straw that takes the industry down.

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14 | SPORTS

THE OBSERVER | Saturday, August 15, 2009

SPORTS » RIDIN’ THE RAILS

Skateboarders get equipped in Wellesley Arena will be temporary skate park until the ice goes back in for season

JONI MILTENBURG When stores in the Village of Wellesley close their doors and store owners head home for the night, a new set of patrons arrives: skateboarders, practicing ollies and grinds on the steps and railings around town.

In a few weeks, those skateboarders should have their own space to practice, on equipment set up in the arena.

“It’s really exciting that this dream of a skate park is finally happening,” said Karla Wilker of the youth advisory committee.

A skate park has been on the wish list for at least three years, when the youth circulated a petition in support of the idea. The committee surveys the schools each spring, and a skate park comes up every year.

Wilker said she doesn’t know exactly how many skateboarders there are in Wellesley, but it’s Business sport.

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LETTIN’ IT SLIDE Trevor Olender does a boardslide on a homemade handrail in his driveway. Skateboarders in Wellesley should soon have proper equipment to practice on in the arena. year the committee hosted a free skate day with some borrowed equipment and 70 kids turned out.

While a permanent skate park isn’t on the 04/03/09 Page will 1 books 10:22 yet, AM there

be five or six pieces of equipment for kids to skate on, including a fun box, quarter pipe and rails.

“An outdoor park … at this point is kind of out of the question because

of the cost,” said Coun.

Jim Olender, who has been leading the charge to get the equipment.

Olender’s son Trevor is a skateboarder, and Olender learned that kids were skateboard-

| JONI

MILTE

NBUR

G

ing on the steps of stores, the library and the arena because there was nowhere else for them to go.

“The kids have absolutely nothing to do in these small centres,” he said.

Olender is a director of the Wilmot Family Resource Centre, which runs an indoor skateboarding program in the old New Hamburg arena, and he asked the WFRC to launch a similar program in Wellesley. The agency couldn’t get enough funding to run the program, but they were able to get some money to put towards equipment.

The youth advisory committee got a mini grant from the Lyle S. Hallman Foundation, and the Wellesley recreation services board also chipped in.

The plan was to have the equipment in place at the beginning of July, but the purchasing was held up. Now they’re hoping to get things in before school starts, so the kids can get a few weeks of skateboarding before the ice goes in.

The idea is to share the equipment with Wilmot. There is no ice in the old New Hamburg arena, so that facility can be used yearSee SKATEBOARD »15

SPORTS |

THE OBSERVER | Saturday, August 15, 2009

» THE NOT-SO-GREAT OUTDOORSMAN | STEVE GALEA

15

No ducking out on the right to bare arms The other day, I met a fellow who was wearing a sleeveless shirt. That, in itself, was not too remarkable, at least not in my circle of acquaintances. What was extraordinary was that he had a beautiful and fairly new tattoo of a leaping rainbow trout displayed alone and prominently on his shoulder. It was a simple but elegant bit of pen and ink but also the outward mark of an independent and truly free spirit.

Which is why I quite naturally assumed that he was a bachelor. So imagine my surprise when mere minutes later, his partner showed up and stood by his side.

Needless to say, that got me wondering too.

I mean how would you initially explain something like this to your wife?

After all, a tattoo is permanent and not to be taken lightly. More than that, it’s meant to depict something significant and near and dear to the wearer’s heart.

In my mind, it should send a clear message to the world that says this is what I believe in; this is my reason for living; this is what keeps me emotionally strong and grounded; this is who I am committed to for the rest of my days. In short, it should say, without any room for doubt, that this thing etched and inked into my very being is my one true love. Either that or it should be a really cool mermaid, hopefully positioned so that her torso undulates when you flex.

Choose wrongly, as I believe this fellow obviously did, and feelings could get hurt. More than that, a delicate

nose could get put out of joint – and by that I mean yours. After all, she has to look at this every day you’re together and I can’t help but think that, on some level, she’d be resentful.

A trout? This, of all things, is what my acquaintance chose to honour?

Don’t worry though. The moral of the story was not lost on me. In fact, I found this encounter to be highly educational on a number of levels. Permit me to explain.

His simple act, which was meant to demonstrate an innocent love of the outdoors, was, in fact, an object lesson for all of us. I mean when his wife approached, it was easy to see that she was disappointed with his choice of tattoo. Though she never said it, I think it was quite apparent that she had hoped he would return from the tattoo parlour with something far more romantic for all the world to see

– an emblem of a man’s true love, if you will.

And, for good reason too.

After all, it looked as if they had been together for several years, presumably through the good times and bad like all married couples. And, in the brief time we met, she seemed very supportive of him and quite considerate too. For his part, he also showed a level of comfort and affection that led me to believe that another tattoo choice would have been far more appropriate – no matter how pretty that trout was.

Look, I’ll be the first to admit that I’m not the most sensitive guy. But you didn’t have to be a mind reader to see what she was thinking. After mulling the whole thing over, I had to reluctantly agree with her too.

I mean would it have killed him to get a duck?

Skateboard: Equipment will be loaned to Wilmot over winter » From page 14

round. The equipment from Wellesley could be loaned to Wilmot for the winter months, eliminating the need for storage space.

“There’s no sense in this material sitting in storage if we can work

out some arrangement where we’ll loan it to [Wilmot] in the wintertime and maybe they loan us some pieces back in the summer,” said Steve Bader, who sits on the recreation service board.

Bader said the equip-

ment that is being purchased could be installed in a permanent skate park if the township opts to go down that road in the future.

“We’re kind of taking it baby steps at a time … because of sheer dollars in terms of putting

in a permanent facility as well as having everything in place in terms of insurance and staffing.”

When the equipment arrives, the arena will be open a few afternoons and evenings a week. Volunteers from

the recreation service board will supervise, and Bader said there’s the possibility of a summer student position being created in the future.

The youth advisory committee is planning to run a concession

stand to raise a few dollars, and Wilker said the few weeks they have this year will be a good trial run.

“It’ll be a good learning experience for what we’ll have to do next year to make it a whole summer venture.”

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16 | SPORTS

THE OBSERVER | Saturday, August 15, 2009

PHOTO | SUBMITTED

Aquaducks come home with five medals in tow

AND THE WINNER IS ... The Elmira Bantam boys’ softball team claimed the provincial championship in Cobourg last weekend. Back row: assistant coaches Rob Martin and Eric Brubacher, Jordan Schnarr, Rob Davison, Dalton Taylor, Andrew Brubacher, Pat Quinn and manager Kim Schnarr.

Front row: Jordan Moore, Alex Albrecht, Jake Martin, Matt Hanley, Daulton Wagner and coach Mike Hanley.

Elmira Bantams win provincial championship JONI MILTENBURG The championship game proved to be the closest as the Elmira squad claimed the Ontario Amateur Softball Association provincial Bantam ‘B’ boys’ title last weekend.

After rolling through their first three games, Elmira was locked in a 2-2 tie with Oshawa after six innings. Oshawa had defeated them at the previous tournament in July, but this time the Elmira squad came out victorious, bringing home the gold medal.

“We just happened to

squeak out one more run at the end of the game.

Kind of an exciting finish to the weekend,” said coach Mike Hanley.

Elmira started the tournament, hosted in Cobourg, with an 11-6 win over Campbellford. Next they faced Wiarton, a team they usually lose to, and won 5-2. Elmira won their third straight against Oshawa 8-4, sending them straight through to the final, where they ultimately faced Oshawa again.

It was a banner weekend for the team’s pitchers, Andrew Brubacher and Jordan Schnarr. Both put

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uniforms this year,” Hanley commented. “Normally Elmira doesn’t look as good as some of the other teams, but we can beat ’em.”

Claiming the championship was a nice crowning finish to a solid season.

Elmira placed second in the league tournament held on the long weekend, finishing behind a skilled Stratford team that is off to the nationals.

There wasn’t much time to celebrate winning the title after the game; they had to rush back to Elmira where the fire truck was waiting to parade the team around town.

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up a solid performance on the mound and on the plate; Schnarr had 10 hits in 13 at-bats.

Catcher Jake Martin also had a good weekend, catching all four games.

The team played with a short bench this weekend; normally they have 13 players, but three were away on holidays.

The team has a core of players that have played together for a number of years. There’s also a few new recruits this year; Kitchener couldn’t field a team, so three boys from Kitchener joined Elmira this year.

“We actually got new

The Elmira Aquaducks brought home five medals from the SWORSA finals held Aug. 8 at the University of Guelph.

Leslie Quinn and Alex Nicholson claimed gold, Jordan Lemp brought home a silver and Carmen Read and Allison Moser won bronze at the meet.

Nicholson also set a new SWORSA record of 0:32.57 in the 13 and 14 girls 50m butterfly.

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THE OBSERVER | Saturday, August 15 , 2009

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• Without power, a full upright or chest freezer will keep everything frozen for about two days.

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• If in any doubt, throw it out, especially foods such as meat, fish, chicken, eggs, dairy.

Heat or Cold

• Call or visit elderly or ill friends and neighbours who may be suffering from the heat or cold.

• People at greatest risk include the elderly, infants and young children, the chronically ill and the disabled.

Water

• Emergency Services is working to ensure the safety of the water quality.

• Conserve water - do not water your lawn or wash your car, avoid doing laudnry.

Communication

• Cordless phones don’t work during power outages. Have a “land line” (phone with a cord) handy to make calls to family, friends or your hydro company during a power outage.

• Keep a battery opperated or hand crank radio easily accessible. Tune into local media for extended outages. During emergency outages, the hydro companies communicate the nature, extent and estimated time to get their system back to normal to the local media to keep their customers informed.

• If you see a pole or lines down, a tree or branches on a hydro line, hear a loud bang or see anything unusual that may have caused the outage, please contact your hydro company to report those details. It may be important information that helps the hydro crew identify the cause of the outage.

• Please be patient during an outage. Your hydro staff is working to restore power to your home in a safe and efficient manner.

www.cooperators.ca

Home Auto Life Investments Group Business Farm Travel

R001363230

17

18 | EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS

THE OBSERVER | Saturday, August 15, 2009

Customize a survival kit

Are your batteries fully charged & ready to go?

Keeping a survival kit could save a life. Customize the kit to fit your needs, but generally a kit should include the following:

BE PREPARED

Water – Have enough to last for three days.

Food – Portable foods with a long shelf life are ideal.

Flashlights and Batteries Radio – Hand cranked models are best.

First Aid Kit – Make sure to include extra prescription medication that you may need.

Bedding and Clothing A Phone – Don’t forget to include an extra charger.

Maps and Information – Make sure you have a list of contact phone numbers available.

Registered to ISO 9001, 14001

Sulco Chemicals Limited

Manufacturers of Sulphuric Acid and Sodium Bisulphite

Put an

in place for your family and practice it.

Be Prepared For All Situations Weber’s Fabricating Ltd.

Generators Inc.

QUALITY POWER SOLUTIONS

We have batteries for just about everything • Automotive/Farm & Commercial • Motorcycle/ATV/Garden Tractor • Marine & RV Deep Cycle w w w.batteriesexper t.co

3044 Sawmill Road

519-664-3711

®

Registered battery drop off centre with .ORG

m | ww w.retpower.com

105 Lexington Rd. Unit #11, Waterloo

St Jacobs, Ont., N0B 2N0

60 First St. E. • 519-669-5166

Genco

emergency plan

519.747.BATT (2288)

Restorations Inc.

Full Service Insurance Restorations throughout Southwestern Ontario

Save yourself the headache...

DIESEL | PROPANE | NATURAL GAS | SOLAR

SALES & SERVICE Glenn Bowman, President 6259 Line 86, RR#1 West Montrose

tel:519-669-2008 | 1-800-221-3432 24 HOUR SERVICE 519-585-4795

Service with Commitment and Integrity since 1997

Providing Emergency Services 24 hrs a day, 7 days a week

1-888-647-3334 The Township of Woolwich as part of their Public Education for Emergency Planning have posted information entitled, “Tips for Dealing with High Winds and Severe Rainfall” on the Township Website. Refer to www.woolwich.ca and then click on News Releases.

• Water Damage Clean up & Drying • Odour Control • Mould Remediation • Trauma Response • Fire Damage Board up • Content Cleaning

Kitchener Guelph

• Smoke Damage Cleaning • Sewage Clean up • Break-in Damage Repairs • Temporary Structural Repairs • Asbestos Remediation • Content Pack Out

Phone: 519-885-3334 Phone: 519-823-6200

Fax: 519-885-2219 Fax: 519-823-6300

www.firstresponserestorations.ca

For further information contact the Township of Woolwich Fire Department 519-664-2887.

The Restoration Specialists you should call

®

Be prapared for the things life throws at you.

Elmira Insurance Brokers

45 Arthur St. S., Elmira

519-669-5484

Our Policy - Your Protection • Since 1927

CLASSIFIED DEPT. HELP WANTED

Work around your family’s schedule, not just ours.

We take care of our employees™ flexible shifts • competitive compensation • growth opportunities apply today

Fulltime Monday to Friday Evenings & Nights Apply in person.

45 Industrial Drive, Elmira or fax:

519-669-4620

HELP WANTED

Looking for a mature person with good social skills, friendly & motivated. We are filling 2 part-time positions (12-20 hours per week). Must be able to work Thursday and Friday evenings and Saturdays.

Job description: waiting on customers, writing orders, pricing stock and small general duties. Ideal position for a male student.

Apply in person with resume to W.C. Brown and Sons - Men’s Clothier 18-24 Arthur St. S., Elmira,

W.C. BROWN & SONS MENS CLOTHIER • TAILORS • DRY CLEANING & ALTERATION SERVICES • COMPANY UNIFORMS

UPTOWN ELMIRA | 519.669.1152 | www.brownsmenswear.co m

HELP WANTED

List your own classifieds online for FREE at: ObserverXtra.com

BY THE NUMBERS

HEALTH CARE

FOR SALE

Lose Weight Now! For over 28 years and in 70 countries, Herbalife is currently helping 60 million people worldwide live healthier lives through good nutrition and diet programs. Whether you suffer from allergies, menopause, diabetes or whether you ar e looking for a weight-loss program that works, we have scientifically proven products that can help you. Since I’ve been on the Herbalife program, I have gained incredible amount of energy and I’ve lost weight. I feel absolutely fantastic, and you can too! Name, John.

Nutritional Health Success Coach, email: bwmfg@ bellnet.ca or phone 519669-4719.

Power Fist 2 ton speed lift folding engine crane like new - $195.00. Forney Torches with hose and gauges - $95.00. 3 Shelf Glass table 52�x20�x20� $90.00. Panasonic Surround Sound system - 6 speakers $199.00.

519-669-5607.

FOR SALE

HELP WANTED

Green Valley Health and

Herbs has a part time position available immediately, approx. 30 hours/week.

Experience in the natural food industry a plus but willing to train the right candidate. Please send resume to greenvalleyhealth@ gmail .com or 9A Church St. E., Elmira, N3B 2K7.

NEW MATTRESS SETS all sizes, great quality, great prices! Household items, pots, dishes, Tupperware, footwear, toys, baby items, large selection of good used “Living Booksâ€?.

Many items on sale - up to 50% off ! Nearly New Centre, 5116 Ament Line, Linwood. (519) 698-0088.

Tues - Friday 9-5, Sat 9 - 3. Corn Silage - approximately 400 tons. Stored in upright silo. Call 519-570-8989. Livestock For Sale - Sheep - 1 Clun Forest Ram, 7 mixed breed sheep, 1 - Feb. born ewe lamb. West Montrose, 519-669-3956. (leave message). Dis N Dat Treasures open every Thurs. and Fri., 10-6. 15 Dunke St., Elmira, 519-669-5005. China Dishes - set of 24 dinner & dessert plate, mug soup bowl, off white.

519-669-2109.

EASY

Âť

CLASSIFIEDS | SERVICES | REAL ESTATE | FAMILY ALBUM |

THE OBSERVER | Saturday, August 15, 2009

COMING EVENTS

ELMIRA INDOOR MARKET SATURDAYS

519.669.5790 | 1.888.966.5942 FAX | 519.669.5753 EMAIL | sales@ObserverXtra.com

COMPUTERS

SERVICES

Grants Hands On Therapy

8am-1pm

519-577-3251

Over 12 vendors

Wanting to buy alfalfa off the field. 519-699-4184 or 519-575-8441.

SHOPPING VILLAGE

ELMIRA OFFICE CLOSING

PETS

Vendor inquiry - 519.669.0334

Oct 30 - 2009

HAY & STRAW

Cockapoo Pups - nonshedding, non-allergenic, vet checked, first shots.

519-595-7933. Free - Kittens, suitable for pets or barn cats.

Phone 519-669-3956, West Montrose.

WANTED

Senior Looking for 1 bedroom ground level apt. in Elmira. ALL utilities preferred. Ph 519-669-9298 after 4 p.m.

AUTOMOTIVE

ÂťÂťâ€˜88 Chev P/U. 3/4 ext. cab, long box. 5.7L, 5 speed std, lots of spare parts. $1600.00 o.b.o.

519-496-1665. 2001 Dodge Caravan Sport. 3.3L V6, auto, fully loaded 7 passenger van.

170,000 kms. finished in inferno red/taupe interior.

You Certify You Save. $4,500. Voisin Chrysler 519-669-2831. 2002 Dodge Gr. Caravan Sport. 3.3L V6 auto.

Full load including alum., road wheels, rear heat/ air, pwr, driver seat. One owner. never seen winter. Only 108,900 kms. $7,900. Voisin Chrysler 519-669-2831.

Refreshments Served 10 CHURCH ST. WEST

AUTOMOTIVE

RENTALS

1980 Chev Box - 8ft, Country

Bungalow fro rent 5 minutes south of Elora. No smoking, no pets. $1200.00 per month plus utilities. Appliances included. 519-846-9217. Elmira - 2 bedroom town house. Please, no smoking, no pets. $875. plus utilities. Suitable for quiet tenants. Call 519-743-7479, one parking space included. Main Floor, 2 bedroom bungalow. $900 + utilities.

Appliances, parking & garage included. Sept. 1 possession 519-669-1731. Moorefield - One bedroom apartment, furnished, laundry, facilities, parking, electric heat, cable TV, no pets. Adult building, references. $695.00 inclusive, first and last.

519-638-3013. Wellesley - House For Rent 3 bedroom, 11/2 baths, $900 + utilities.

Parking included. Available Sept. 1. Call 519656-3098 ext. 26.

great cond. $550.00 o.b.o. 1986 5.0 engine 100 km, $200.00 o.bo.

519-698-0097. 2005 Dodge Caravan SE. 3.3L V6, auto, fully loaded 7 passenger van.

One owner, all original.

Only 90,000 kms. Finished in butane Blue/gray interior. All this for only $9,900. Voisin Chrysler 519-669-2831. 2 0 0 6 D o d g e R a m 1500 Quad 4X4 SLT. 5.7L MDS Hemi, auto, all SLT options including trailer tow group, box liner, pwr. driver seat. Only 73,000 kms. Finished in Mineral gray/gray interior. $22,900. Voisin Chrysler 519-669-2831. 2006 Dodge Ram 1500 SLT Mega Cab 4X4. 5.7L Hemi, auto. All SLT options. Including trailer tow package, trailer tow mirrors, tow hooks, box liner, pwr driver seat and more.

One owner. Only 64,000 kms. $24,900. Voisin Chrysler 519-669-2831.

REAL ESTATE Wanted to purchase Linwood - 2 Storey, 5 1996 - 2008 import vehicle bdrm, 2 bths, main fl launneeding repairs. Any condry, formal living & dining dition. Call 519-837-3843. on large lot. $184,500.00.

519-698-1046.

HOW PLAY:

Elmira’s LARGEST selection of major brand computers

COMPUTERS LAPTOPS MONITORS and SERVICE Come see our showroom at:

112 Bonnie Crescent, Crescent Elmira r ra

519-669-5551

AUCTIONS Snow Plows/Dumps * Const & Turf * Tractors

MEDIUM

19

TO

Fill in the grid so that every row, every column and every 3x3 box contains the numbers 1 through 9 only once. Each 3x3 box is outlined with a darker line.

You already have a few numbers to get you started.

PUBLIC MUNICIPAL & EQUIPMENT

AUCTION — to be held at —

BRESLAU AIRPORT ROAD AUCTION COMPLEX 5100 FOUNTAIN ST. N., Breslau (Kitchener)

Sat. AUG 22nd 9:00am 2- 99 Freightliner FL80 TA Dump Plows 2004 GMC 2500 HD Pickup 3- 00/02 GMC 1500 Pickups 94 IHC 4900 TA c/w 52’Bucket 2001 GMC Savana 2500 Van 84 CAT 950B 4wd Loader 97 Ford F350XL 4x4 Dump c/w Plow CASE 60XT Skid Steer 3- 94/97 Ford/GMC Pickup & Crews MF 253 Diesel Turf Tractor 2- BROS Diesel Packer Rollers Komatsu/Clark (P) Yard Forklifts 4- TA/Tri Aluminum Dump Boxes (16’/20’) * 3-Slide In Water Tanks Trench & Plate Tampers * 4- BOMAG Double Rollers * Line Painter 3-Slide in Sanders * 4+ TA/Tri Landscape Trailers * Water Pumps 5+ Stihl Concrete Saws * NEW Tanaka Gas Drills * Chainsaw *Generator Mowers * Weed Trimmers * 2-Billy Goat Lawn Vacs *Bandsaw Stihl HS80 Gas Hedge Trimmer * Mariner 9.9hp Outboard * Welders Pressure Washer * Scaffolding * 20+Torch Carts * Power Hack Saw Drafting Equipment * Elec Test Equipment * King 8� Jointer * Tri-Stands 3Pth/PTO-> 3+ Rotary Mowers * Cyclone Spreaders NEW- 40’x60’ Greenhouse Complete (Heaters, Fans, Grates, Vents, Etc.)

PARTIAL LIST ONLY

No Buyer’s Premium or Penalty!!

VIEWING: Friday August 21, 2009 - 1:00 pm - 5:00 pm

TERMS: $500 Cash Deposit on Each Vehicle or as announced

M.R. Jutzi & Co www.mrjutzi.ca

519-648-2111

SERVICES

GARAGE SALES

No Time To Clean? 2 women with 10 years experience in the cleaning business will clean your home or office in Elmira and surrounding area. Responsible and reasonable rates. Call 519-6698017 days or evenings.

Garage Sale - Sat. Aug. 22, 7a.m. 38 Brookmead St., Elmira. 16 piece china set, wooden clothes drying rack, Tupperware, coffee table, window air conditioner, solar lights, old window frames, fans, toys and games. H u g e D o w n s i z i n g Sale. Sat. Aug. 15, 7 a.m. - 12 p.m. Household, clothes, desks, Kids’ toys, furniture, daybed, camping, organizing things, more. 7 Duke St., Elmira (beside Home Building Centre). Moving Sale Aug 22, rain date 29th. Furniture, bedding sets, new bike, toys, household items.

108 Barnswallow Dr., Elmira, 8 a.m. - 12:00. M u l t i T u p p e r w a r e Consultants inventory sale. Friday August 21, 1 - 8 p.m. 350 Arthur St. S. Elmira.

GARAGE SALES

ESTATE SALE on site at 80 Oriole Pkwy, Elmira.

Friday and Saturday, August 14 & 15, 9 a.m - 5 p.m.

All household items including furniture, antiques, dishes, and tools. Prices as marked, reasonable offers accepted. House is also for sale, $247,000. For more house information email linda.sanmiya@hartlinggr oup.com 142 Brookmead Street Elmira, August 21st & 22nd.

Four piece reclining sectional with sofa bed, vanity with sink and countertop, computer desk, chain link fencing and rail, etc.

AD RATES | Residential 20-Word Ad $7.50 Extra Words 20¢/word | Commercial 20-Word Ad $12.00 Extra Words 30¢/word | Bold Headline Add $1.00 /line | Display Ads are quoted individually.

PLACING A CLASSIFIED ADVERTISEMENT | Classified ads can be obtained in person, by phone | fax from Monday to Thursday 8:30am-5pm or Friday 8:30am-4pm. Email queries to classifieds@woolwichobserver.com 24/7 - email will be replied by next business day. All classified ads are prepaid by Visa | MasterCard | Debit | Cash | Cheque unless on account. Deadline is Thursdays by 10am.

ADVERTISING POLICY | All advertising is accepted subject to the Publisher’s discretion.

The Publisher will not be responsible for damages arising out of errors in advertisements beyond the amount paid for the space occupied by that portion of the advertisement in which the error occured. Please check your ad on the first day of publication. The Observer’s responsibility, if any, is limited to the charge for the space for one insertion only.

20 | CLASSIFIEDS | SERVICES | REAL ESTATE | FAMILY ALBUM

THE OBSERVER | Saturday, August 15, 2009

Community Information Page THE TOWNSHIP OF WOOLWICH

P.O. BOX 158, 24 CHURCH ST. W. ELMIRA, ONTARIO N3B 2Z6 WEBSITE: www.woolwich.ca

"Proudly remembering our past; confidently embracing our future."

The Council of the Township of Woolwich passed a new Dog Control By-law on November 14, 2006. The following are key points for dog owners:

TAKE NOTICE THAT the use of off-road vehicles such as ATVs, 4x4s and motorbikes is not permitted on any property without written permission of the property owner, including Township of Woolwich property or park area. Permission of a tenant of the property is not sufficient. Charges under the Trespass to Property Act, R.S.O. 1990, CHAPTER T.21 may be laid against persons found trespassing. Breslau is an area of significant concern with respect to people using off-road vehicles on property without permission. The lands bordered by Fountain Street, Menno Street, Greenhouse Road and Kramp Road are being monitored for trespassing by the Waterloo Regional Police and the Township of Woolwich.

Questions about the use of off-road vehicles in the Township of Woolwich may be directed to the Enforcement Action Line at Extension 6106.

• Every owner of a dog must license and register such dog with the Township of Woolwich by April 15th or within 21 days of becoming the owner of a dog.

• The tag must be attached to the dog any time that it is off the property of the owner.

• All dogs must have a current rabies vaccination and the appropriate documentation showing proof of vaccination.

• At any time that a dog is off the owners property it must be leashed and under the control of a responsible person.

• The owner of a dog or person in control of a dog except a Guide Dog must remove and dispose of in sanitary manner excrement left by the dog anywhere in the Township.

REmINDER Don’t Burn Outdoors Without a Permit – Burn Permits can be obtained at the Township Office.

wOOLwICH FIRE PREVENTION TEAm By-law 89-2007

• No person may keep more then three (3) dogs on one property without a kennel license.

• The owner of a dog shall not permit such dog to make any clearly audible noise which is likely to disturb the inhabitants of the Township.

Fees & Charges for responding to approved and unapproved fires:

b)

no “permission to light fire” form signed by the Fire Chief, District Chief or designate; $700.00

The by-law also includes regulations for kennel operations and fines for all offences. Some of the fine amounts are: Allowing a dog to run at large $195.00 Failure to procure a dog license $195.00 Failure to remove dog waste $345.00 Failure to produce evidence of a rabies inoculation $345.00

failure to adhere to the requirements of Section 4 of by-law 72-2001 or loss of control of an approved fire that requires the attendance of the Fire Department. $700.00

Please contact Amanda Bonney at (519) 669-6009 or abonney@woolwich.ca for a copy of the by-law or a complete fine schedule.

FAMILY ALBUM Birthday

Birthday

Birthday

FAMILY ALBUM

Share The Good News!

HAPPY 1st BIRTHDAY

Cohen

from all the “kids”

With a Family Album Ad in the Observer

» Anniversary » Birthday » Engagement » Stag & Doe » Thank you » Birth Notice » and a lot more....

The family of

For as little as...

Kay Maher

23

$

invites you to an OPEN HOUSE to celebrate Kay’s

Happy Birthday

90 Birthday th

August 14th Love Mommy & Daddy

»

More found on page 26.

Birthday

Brody thinks it’s funny that Papa Bill is going to be 75.

AFTER HOURS EMERGENCY: 519-575-4504

ANImAL CONTROL By-LAw 75-2006

PUBLIC NOTICE REGARDING OFF-ROAD VEHICLES

a)

TEL: 519-669-1647 or 519-664-2613 FAX: 519-669-1820

Sunday, August 30, 2009 (the actual day!) at the Royal Canadian Legion (upstairs) 11 First St. E., Elmira 2 - 4 PM Your presence is a treasured gift

+GST

HAPPY BIRTHDAY HEATHER!

Call

519.669.5790 ext 104

August 15th Love Parker, Finn & Pat

IN PRINT | ONLINE IN PICTURES | IN DEPTH

THE OBSERVER | Saturday, August 15, 2009

HOME HUNTERS First Time Buyer? Buy with Paul and receive a Complete buyers package

Support your local schools. Buy or list your home with Paul.

OPEN HOUSE 15 MEADOWLANE DRIVE, KITCHENER SUN AUG 16, 2-4 PM

$369,900

$339,900

$349,000

EMAIL: paul@remaxsolidgold.biz

DIRECT....519-503-9533

HOME ....519-669-3074

BROKERAGE

519-669-2772 www.thurrealestate.com

WOW! 12.9 ACRES. 2800 sq. ft. bungalow, 4 bedrooms, main floor master bdrm, main floor laundry, patio/deck, hot tub, walkout basement, detached workshop, backs on to greenbelt, waterfront property. MLS.

$639,000

ELMIRA Why buy a Resale Home when you can build your dream home on this 50’ lot. Hardwood & ceramic throughout main floor, maple kitchen cabinets, 4 bedrooms, master has walkin closet and ensuite.

$369,000

MODEL HOME BY VERDONE. Custom built bungalow w/ ‘loft’, mn flr master, luxury ensuite, hardwd flrs., 10’ ceilings, great rm w/ 4 walkouts backing onto greenspace, open kitchen with pantry and breakfast bar. $30,000 in upgrades.

$489,900

Introducing...

HURON HOMES INC.

BRESLAU 2100 sq. ft. almost brand new beauty! Open concept mnflr, large kitch. (upgraded cabinets), extra large patio dr, 3 large bdrms, loft area on second flr, master ensuite boasts large windows, whirlpool tub and walkin closet.

$359,000

45’ and 50’ lots available in Elmira. Several plans available in bungalow or 2 storey models, or will build to suit.

Solid Gold Realty (II) Ltd., Brokerage

45 ARTHUR ST. S., ELMIRA

R.W. THUR REAL ESTATE LTD.

21

$189,000

OFFICE ...519-888-7110

What’s your Home worth?

Call Paul for your Free Market Evaluation

DON’T MISS THIS HOME. Basement consists of large finished recrm. (roughin for bar) 2pc. bath & storage rm. Main flr. offers hardwd. throughout (ceramic in foyer) open concept, 2nd flr. family rm, ensuite.

Fenced backyard w/ recently built pergola and stone patio

RECREATIONAL LOT! 6.5 acres on the Conestogo River. Excellent camping and/or seasonal property ideal. Services (gas, telephone, hydro) available at road side Line 86. MLS.

SALES REPRESENTATIVE

Solid Gold Realty (II) Ltd., Brokerage Independently Owned and Operated ADDRESS: 180 Weber St. S., Waterloo

FAX | 519.669.5753 EMAIL | sales@ObserverXtra.com

ELMIRA Retirement at its best, Let Huron Homes build this beautiful bungalow for you. It features 2 bedrooms on main floor and if you like 2 more in the basement, along with a large recroom.

Double garage. backs on to green belt.

KITCHENER This gorgeous backyard with inground pool is all you need. Roof ‘05, ceramic tile & carpet lower level/marble bar, 3 pc bath ceramic shower/glass door all in 2009. air/furnace ‘09. hardwd ‘01. wood & electric fireplace. Kitchen ceramic/island.

Paul Martin

519.669.5790 | 1.888.966.5942

WELLESLEY Lovely century home in the quaint villiage of Wellesley. Completely renovated, gas fireplace, old pine floors. Cathedral ceiling in Master Bedroom.

Patio/deck, Main floor laundry .

$209,000

»

CLASSIFIEDS | SERVICES | REAL ESTATE | FAMILY ALBUM |

Independently Owned and Operated

BRAD MARTIN Broker of Record

JULIE HECKENDORN Broker MVA Residential Res: 519-669-1068 Res: 519-669-8629

ALLI NORRIS Sales Rep. Cell: 519-577-6248

BILL NORRIS Sales Rep. Cell: 519-588-1348

4B Arthur St. S. Elmira • www.remaxsolidgold.biz

TRACEY WILLIAMS Sales Rep. Cell: 519-505-0627

OFFICE: 519-669-5426

DIRECT: 519-572-2669 EMAIL: bert@remaxsolidgold.biz

BERT MARTIN, BROKER

$18 open House | sun Aug 16 2-4pm 93 AnDreWs Dr., DrAyton

DrAyton 2-storey - backing to parkland! Eat-in kitchen w/ island & w/o. Finished bsmt w/gas fireplace. C/A and vac.

Shows well! mLs. $284,900.

inDustriAL spAce - Approx.

10,000 sq.ft. divided btwn - 2 bldgs. 20’ and 12’ ceiling height.

Lots of yard space. Office.

Seller will rent one bldg back from new owner. neW mLs. $329,900.

greAt fAmiLy Home 4 level backsplit offers a huge kitchen w/ open concept to family room w/ stone fireplace & lge. windows.

Office & den in lower level. 2 baths.

Dble. Garage, concrete driveway neW mLs. $349,000.

mAture Lot backs to greenspace.

Main floor family room, office & laundry. Walkout bsmt. w/ sliding door & extra-high ceilings.

Inground pool. large deck w/ hot tub. Most windows updated. neW mLs $399,000.

7,5

00

GREAT STARTER! This home located in a quiet neighbourhood offers an eat-in kitchen w/walk-out to patio and fenced yard with mature trees, three bedrooms, two bathrooms & rec room. Updates include windows and patio door. MLS. Call Bert to view.

LEASE SPACE! Approximately 2,000 s/f of commercial space in busy plaza only 10 minutes to Waterloo. Currently setup as offices and warehouse. Zoning allows numerous businesses. MLS. Call Bert for information.

Your referrals are appreciated!

PRIVATE SALE - DRAYTON 4-pLeX centrally located in St. Clement’s. 1/3 acre lot w/ nice gardens. Let your new rental income pay your mortgage! Easy to rent! neW mLs. $311,900.

BAcking to fArmLAnD custom built bungalow, better than new!

Hardwood/ceramics. Open concept. W/o to partially covered patio. 3rd bdrm & bthrm finished in basement. mLs $389,000.

pArk-Like grounDs. 11 acres, mixed bush, pond! Lovely updated bungalow w/ great room. Min’s from Elmira/K-W & Guelph. mLs $595,000.

investment property 5 plex, always fully occupied!

Lots of parking. Shows a good return on your investment! mLs $479,000.

FREE ONLINE CLASSIFIEDS AT 1614 Sq. Ft., 3 Bedroom house on large country lot (0.6 acres) Many resent upgrades including: all newer vinly windows, floors and paint.

Call (519)638-5087 for more Info or for an appointment to view.

22 | CLASSIFIEDS | SERVICES | REAL ESTATE | FAMILY ALBUM

THE OBSERVER | Saturday, August 15, 2009

519-669-1544 24hrs 17 Church St. W., Elmira www.thefreyteam.com

Independently Owned and Operated

Independently Owned & Operated, Brokerage

90 Earl Martin Dr., Unit 1, Elmira N3B 3L4

ELMIRA REAL ESTATE SERVICES 519-669-3192

BONNIE BRUBACHER Broker of Record

SHANNA ROZEMA Broker.

DARREN ROMKEY Sales Rep.

LAURIE LANGDON Sales Rep.

DALE KELLER Sales Rep.

MONIQUE BRUBACHER Sales Rep.

THIS WEEK'S FEATURE PROPERTIES THE FREY TEAM

Len Frey

Mildred Frey

SALES REPRESENTATIVE

BROKER MANAGER

5,0 0

Mary Lou Murray

BROKER**

SALES REPRESENTATIVE

wendy@thefreyteam.com

frey@golden.net

$ 64

Wendy Taylor

marylou@mmrealestate.ca

OPEN HOUSE | SAT AUG 15, 2-4 PM 15 SPRING ST., DRAYTON

0

$332,250 | Model Home Bungalow

tastefully decorated home features hardwood flooring throughout main level, maple and oak cupboards, stainless steel fridge and stove, main floor laundry, shaded deck and covered front porch, wood stove and tons of country charm! NEW PRICE.MLS.

including upgrades and appliances. 2 Storey 1775 sq ft $326,700 and 2 Storey 4 Bedroom 1950 sq ft $336,000 in process to be built. Visit our open house for details.

MLS.

BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY

ALL THIS COULD BE YOURS!

$97,500 MOOREFIELD | Located in

$389,000 DRAYTON | This home features

the heart of downtown Moorefield.

This property is zoned commercial/ residential. Needs some TLC but has great potential. MLS.

WEST MONTROSE | Pride of ownership throughout this custom built executive Bungalow. 17’ ceilings, infloor heating on both levels, gourmet kitchen with built-in appliances, lots of windows overlooking a large entertaining deck & large backyard.

Part finished walkout basement with extended family potential and more! MLS Call Mary Lou.

ceramic and hardwood floors, upgraded lighting, front porch, landscaped and fenced yard, custom kitchen with island, tool shed and partially finished basement.

MLS.

PARKLIKE SETTING

GREAT STARTER HOME

$394,500 MOUNT FOREST | New Listing

$122,000 LISTOWEL | This home is

,9 0 0

00

NE

IS T WL

on a quiet street close to Medical Centre and Hospital. The home is a custom build bungalow with a fully finished basement, ceramic and hardwood floors. NEW MLS.

on a large lot and features main floor laundry, 3 bedroom, 2 baths, deck and two sheds. MLS.

Unique 2 storey home approx. 2500 sq.ft. in a country setting. Large living area with oak kitchen & island. Large garage and workshop. Sliding doors to rear deck and above ground pool. Sale will be subject to severence of side lot.

MLS Call Mildred Frey.

OPEN HOUSE - SUNDAY AUG 16 | 2-4PM 7205 Sideroad 18, Goldstone

6 ,0 $ 23

ELMIRA RACEWAY ESTATES

COME TO THE COUNTRY

$199,900 DRAYTON | This quaint,

OPEN HOUSE - 72 Covered Bridge, West Montrose SUNDAY AUG 16 | 2-4 PM

9 $ 34

OPEN HOUSE | SAT & SUN, 2-4 PM 42 ROBERTA ST., ELMIRA

PALMERSTON

HORSE LOVERS

$189,600 PALMERSTON | Affordable

$454,000 | 2.11 ACRES, 1 acre paddock,

well maintained 3+ Bedroom Bungalow backing onto farmland. Several updates completed, windows, flooring. Nice deck off kitchen. MLS.

ING

3 box stalls, double garage/workshop with loft. Beautifully appointed log home with finished walkout basement. You won't be disappointed. MLS.

FLORADALE BUNGALOW

EARL MARTIN DRIVE

$8.00 Sq Ft | NEEDING A LOCATION FOR YOUR BUSINESS. 1350 sq ft. 22'

$254,900 | Retirement or starter. 3 OPEN HOUSE - 8 Riverside Dr. Elmira SUNDAY AUG 16 | 2-4 PM

Bedrooms, country kitchen, spacious living dining, rec room with gas fireplace.

Walkup to double garage. MLS.

$289,900 Elmira-Lovely older home with wood floors throughout. Lots of character. Newer kitchen. Formal LR/DR. English garden and deck.

Updated 4pc. main floor bath w/ whirlpool. MLS. Call Mildred Frey.

Great 3 bedroom, 2 bath starter located on mature, tree lined street. Walking distance to junior public school and downtown. Updated kitchen, wiring, plumbing. Roof done in 2007. Great rear yard for the kids. Backs to greenspace. MLS. Call Wendy Taylor to view.

ceiling height in Bay with 12' overhead door, front office 3-year building. MLS.

ELMIRA CHURCH STREET PROPERTIES

BEAUTIFUL LARGE BUNGALOW

$379,000 MOOREFIELD | This property is Located at the edge of town and backs onto open fields, finished top to bottom, oversized double garage with walkdown to basement. The lot is nicely landscaped and has trees. A pleasure to show. MLS.

$279,000 per property | Looking for

an investment 21935 sq. ft. of land and buildings. Add to or rebuild. Zoning for Residential Duplex, apartments, row houses and more. MLS.

CENTURY SCHOOL HOUSE

$347,000 | Just like the olden

days, a mature setting and original exterior charm. Open the doors and see a magnificent transformation of architectural design and uniqueness.

MLS.

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

Elmira@royallepage.ca www.royallepage.ca/elmira

LEON MARTIN

Solid Gold Realty (II) Ltd., Brokerage | Independently Owned and Operated

LOTS FOR SALE Country Lots with high speed internet access, 40 to 45 minutes from K/W or Guelph. They are located in the small hamlet of Carthage. Individual well and septic. Great opportunity to build your own house or get us to customize a home for you. For more information please call Leon MLS.

New three bedroom bungalow on half acre lot with highspeed internet access. Don’t miss this opportunity to own a little piece of country. $311,900. MLS. ADDRESS: 4-B

Arthur St. S., ELMIRA • EMAIL: leonmartin@remax.net DIRECT: 519-503-2753 • OFFICE: 519-669-5426

519-570-4447 519-722-4497

Office: Cell:

victor@victorelgawly.com www.victorelgawly.com Independently Owned and Operated

FANTASTIC UPGRADES Built by Virina Homes, 4 bdrms, 3 baths, 2 storey home. Main flr formal dining rm, 2nd flr laundry. M/ bdrm with luxurious 5 pc ensuite. Natural stone tiles (Travertine) & maple hrdwd flrs, stairs & railing. Gourmet Maple kitchen family rm with corner gas fireplace. Modern lighting throughout, TARION Warranty. 2350 sq. ft. 50’ lot frontage. MLS. $420,000.

ING FER F O

Victor Elgawly Jim Reitzel Sales Representative Broker of Record

ES NC LIA P AP EE FR

OPEN HOUSE

SAT & SUN 1 - 4 PM 34 CORAL GABLES CRES., ELMIRA

You’ve come to the right place to find a home!

TEAM

McNeil

CURIOUS ABOUT YOUR HOME’S VALUE IN THIS CURRENT MARKET?

CALL US TODAY FOR A FREE CURRENT MARKET EVALUATION

TWIN CITY REALTY INC. BROKERAGE

519-579-4110 OFFICE

www.elmirarealestate.ca

sold@clickthathouse.com

Warren McNeil - Sales Representative

0 ,90 9 1 $4

OPEN HOUSE | Sat & Sun 1-4PM MODEL HOME - 51 Ridgeview Dr.

Call to view by Appointment MODEL HOME for sale! Priced well below replacement! Gorgeous 3 bedroom, 2 bath bungalow featuring c/air, c vac, gas fireplace, luxury ensuite, m/f laundry, sep. dining room, stunning kitchen w/pantry, hardwood & tile floors, Partly finished basement. Unbelievable value 30 mins to K-W. A must see. MLS.

Melanie McNeil - Sales Representative

Build Your Dream from $299,900

OPEN HOUSE | SAT & SUN 1-4PM MODEL HOUSE VIEW BY APPOINTMENT

51 RIDGEVIEW DR. DRAYTON Large Lots only 30 minutes from Waterloo, Only 4 lots left! Model Home available for sale, 10 plans to choose from, Quality standard features include: 9’ ceilings on main floor, 200 amp service, Fruit Cellar, Ceramics, Ensuite & Main or Upper Laundry

Peri Moyer - Client Care Manager

00 9 , 79 $3

NEED LOTS OF SPACE? Rarely found oversized

backsplit with double garage & big backyard.

Features 3+1 bedrooms, 4 bathrooms, super spacious kitchen with island open to huge family room. Lower level finished with recroom, bedroom & bath. Lots of space for a growing family. Much bigger inside than it appears. A must see!

SERVICE PROS AUTOMOTIVE

AUTOMOTIVE

THOMPSON’S

Auto Tech Inc. Providing the latest technology to repair your vehicle with accuracy and confidence.

21 HOWARD AVE., ELMIRA (Behind the old Trylon Building)

BICYCLES

20

With an expert spring tune up $

parts extra

5 from each

$

tune up goes to “Fit for the Future” fundraiser campaign.

AUTO CLINIC 21 Industrial Dr. Elmira

519-669-7652

STORE HOURS: M-F: 7-8, SAT 8-6, SUN 12-5

“ The Small Business Advantage”

Advantage bookkeeping

• Personal Tax Returns • Accounts Receivable/Payable • Complete Payroll Services • PST • GST • Reconciliations, Commissions, Year End, Etc. • New Business Start-Ups • On-Site Service Available

208 Arthur St. S. advantagebookkeeping@rogers.com

519.210.0191

CONCRETE FOUNDATIONS

CONCRETE

MARWIL CONCRETE CONSTRUCTION Residential & Agricultural Driveways • Sidewalks •Curbs Finished Floors • Retaining Walls • Short Walls

Call For An Estimate

Willis Martin Drayton, ON

519-638-2699

WEICKERT& MEIROWSKI Concrete Foundations Limited

YES... WE DO RESIDENTIAL WORK!

6982 Millbank Main St., Millbank 519-595-2053 • 519-664-2914

THE REAL DEAL P L A C E S O F FA I T H

AUTOMOTIVE

RUDOW’S CARSTAR COLLISION CENTRE 24 Hour Accident Assistance

101 Bonnie Crescent, Elmira, ON N3B 3G2

LOCAL CHURCH

SUNDAYS, 8:30 & 11:00AM WEDNESDAYS, 7:00PM (with Childrens’ Programs)

Ex-Addicts • Dynamic Music • Powerful Testimonies 200 Barnswallow Dr., Elmira • 519-669-1296

Pastors Steve & Beth Fleming

ELMIRA

Minister: Summer Worship Rev. Dave Jagger June 28 - Sept. 6 10 a.m. at Trinity Sunday School During Worship

Visit our website at: www.wondercafe.ca 21 Arthur St., North • Church Office 519-669-5560 “Our mission is to love, learn and live by Christ’s teachings”

RUDOW’S CARSTAR COLLISION CENTRE

SPECIALTY, NOT A SIDE LINE.

519-669-3373

AFTER HOURS

33 First Street, East Elmira, ON

33 First Street, East Elmira, ON

519.669.8917

GROSHAW BROS. CARPENTRY 519-669-5588 (cell) 519-897-6238

CONSTRUCTION

GENERAL CONTRACTING

commercial • industrial • Concrete removal & replacement • Siding work up to 66’ high

RR#1 Elmira

Farm • Auto • Truck Industrial • On-The-Farm Service

35 Howard Ave., Elmira

519-669-3232

AIRPORTS CHAUFFER SERVICES We will drive you and your party(ies) in YOUR CAR To the airport, return your car to your driveway and pick you up on your return.

Waterloo Int’l. $20.00 – Pearson $45.00 Hamilton - $35.00 Buffalo - $105.00 One – Way Trip Cost - Plus your gas Book early – avoid disappointment

519-590-3098 CUSTOM FRAMING

CRANE

CONSTRUCTION INC.

Marty Trapp

Call Us At

CHAUFFER SERVICE

Custom Homes • Cottages • Additions • Shingling + Siding

JOHN GROSHAW 7449 8th Line Drayton, ON

ARE A

•Pole Structures •Remodeling & restoration

519-846-9066 fax: 519-846-9319

ORTLIEB CRANE & Equipment Ltd. • 14 ton BoomTruck • 35 ton Mobile Crane

519-664-9999 ST. JACOBS

YOU NAME IT: WE FRAME IT! E L M I R A

PHOTO 57 Arthur St. S., Elmira

519-669-FILM

24 Hour Service 7 Days A Week

www.elmiraphoto.com

To place a Service Pros ad contact: ads@ObserverXtra.com or Call 519-669-5790

SERVICES DIRECTORY

HEARING ASSISTED

WHEELCHAIR ACCESSIBLE

NURSERY PROVIDED

SUNDAY SCHOOL

Welcome to

Calvary United St. Jacobs

Upbeat Family Worship & Sunday School 10:00 am

Wheelchair accessible • Nursery Care provided • Hearing Assisted

IMPACT YOUTH (GR 7-12): Fridays, 7:30pm TWENTY20 (GRADS & TWENTIES): Visit www.kcf.org/twenty20 for details

Trinity United Church

WHERE TIRES

at

519-669-3373

FAX: 519.669.3210

building relationships with God, one another and the world

Check out our website www.woodsidechurch.ca

Body Maintenance

1-800-CARSTAR

SUNDAY, AUGUST 16, 2009

Sunday, August 16, 2009 10:00 am Teen Challenge Choir

automotive

AUTOMOTIVE

519.669.8330

carpentry

22 Church St. W., Elmira

Tel: 519-669-5537

AUTOMOTIVE

Complete Collision Service

BOOKKEEPING

BICYCLE SALES & REPAIRS GET YOUR BICYCLES READY

EXPERT ADVICE | QUALITY SERVICES LOOK UP A PROFESSIONAL.

23

TIRE

Accredited Test & Repair Facility

519-669-4400

»

CLASSIFIEDS | SERVICES | REAL ESTATE | FAMILY ALBUM |

THE OBSERVER | Saturday, August 15, 2009

850 Sawmill Rd, Bloomingdale 744-7447 www.kcf.org

Sundays @ 10:30am Life Lessons for the iPod Generation This week: iServe REACH WITH LOVE. TEACH THE TRUTH. SEND IN POWER. 290 Arthur St. South, Elmira • 519-669-3973 www.ElmiraAssembly.com (Across from Tim Horton’s)

48 Hawkesville Rd. • 519-664-2311

Overly Needy Sundays @ 10:30am John Mahood PS

5 First St., Elmira • 519-669-1459 www.elmiracommunity.org

Bloomingdale Mennonite Church Sundays - 9:45 am Family Worship Service 11:00 am Sunday School for all ages

1151 Snyder’s Flat Rd., Bloomingdale • 519-745-2411 www.bloomingdalemennonite.com

“Making Faith Live” Sunday Worship 9:30 am - 10:30am

2 First St., Elmira • 519-669-5030

St. Teresa Catholic Church

No God, No Hope; Know God, Know Hope!

Celebrate Eucharist with us Mass times are:

Sat. 5pm, Sun. 9am and 11:15am

19 Flamingo Dr., Elmira • 519-669-3387

Âť

24 | CLASSIFIEDS | SERVICES | REAL ESTATE | FAMILY ALBUM

WORD-UP

SOLUTION FOUND ON PAGE 26

THE OBSERVER | Saturday, August 15, 2009

A cross 1. “All My Children� vixen 6. Marienbad, for one 9. Russian country house 14. Honeydew, e.g.

15. Embrace 16. Sicker 17. 2nd largest Russian city 20. Carpenter’s machine 21. “General Hospital,� e.g.

22. “You stink!�

23. Cost of living?

25. Capital of RhĂ´ne 27. The capital of Pakistan in the north on a plateau 31. Christmas ___ 35. “The Matrixâ€? hero 36. Brickbat 37. Communicated in the form of words 38. Camp beds 40. Extended family 42. Computer info 43. Money paid out 45. Disease cause 47. “The Sweetheart of Sigma ___â€?

48. State of partial darkness 49. Spiritually converted 51. “Hold it right there!�

53. Copter’s forerunner 54. “___ we having fun yet?�

57. Coastal raptor

CREATED EXCLUSIVELY FOR THE OBSERVER

Š2009

SERVICE PROS CARPET CARE

CUSTOM COVERS & REPAIRS

59. Glorify 62. Poor 66. Mixes up 67. “Tarzan� extra 68. Fountain order 69. Brilliant or conspicuous success 70. Big Apple inits.

71. Second person singular present tense of may

D own 1. Dash lengths 2. “Get ___!�

3. Hip bones 4. Against 5. A song of devotion 6. “___ Cried� (1962 hit) 7. Places 8. Ancient 9. Throw or cast away 10. Priestly garb 11. Association 12. “My ___!�

13. Cornstarch brand 18. Fine 19. 2004 nominee 24. Alpine transport 26. Doofus 27. With your identity concealed 28. 1988 Olympics site 29. Kind of ticket

TO PLACE A SERVICE PROS AD CONTACT: ads@ObserverXtra.com OR CALL 519-669-5790

Read’s Decorating Renovating?

Let us do the clean up

15% OFF

•Ratches, Hooks, Straps, Webbing etc. •Canvas, Vinyl, Polyester, Acrylic Fabrics

General Repairs

519.595.4830

RENOVATION CLEAN UPS!

Poole, ON

Call for Details Coupon holds no cash value. Valid July, August, September 2009.

• Carpet & Upholstery Cleaning on Location • Area Rug Cleaning Drop-off and Pick up Service • Bleached out Carpet Spot Repair • Janitorial • Grout Cleaning • Carpet Repair & Re-Installation • Pet deodorization • Floor Stripping

SERVICE DIRECTORY

THIS SPACE FOR RENT Call Donna at ext 104

519-669-7607

LONG DISTANCE? CALL 1-866-669-7607

LAWN & GARDEN MAINTENANCE

Book your summer projects now!

Murray & Daniel Shantz ALMA, ONTARIO

PHONE:

519.846.5427 FAX: 519.846.5134

GLASS SYSTEMS INC.

Specializing in Paint & Wallcoverings

1600 King St. N., Bldg A17 St. Jacobs, Ontario N0B 2N0

FREE ESTIMATES

For all your home decorating needs

• Store Fronts • Thermopanes • Mirrors • Screen Repair • Replacement Windows • Shower Enclosures • Sash Repair

TEL: 519-664-1202 / 519-778-6104

27 Arthur St. S., Elmira

FAX: 519 664-2759 • 24 Hour Emergency Service

lANDSCAPING

HOLISTIC SERVICES

Elmira E Elm lm Holistic Solutions

E.H.S

Susan Nikyuluw R.N.C.

NEW LOCATION 115 Bristow Creek JULY 1, 2009

• Reexology Therapy • Polarity Therapy • Bio impedance & Diet Analysis • Detox Programs / Detox Mud Wraps • Hot Stone / Chair Massage • Lymphatic Drainage Massage • Jin Shin Acupressure

519.669.5790 | 1.888.966.5942 www.ObserverXtra.com LAWN MAINTENANCE

For appointments or information please call Susan at

519-500-1087 OR 519-210-0150 LAWN MAINTENANCE COMMERCIAL & RESIDENTIAL SERVICES

ER RS OVYEA 10

> Excavating > Trenching > Backfilling > Fine Grading > Post Holes Augered

ST. JACOBS

• Nutrition & First Line Therapy

www.completecarpetcare.ca

ROB McNALL

COMMERCIAL • RESIDENTIAL

519-669-3658

Lawn Maintenance Landscaping Snowplowing Ice Control

Complete Lawn Maintenance

Telephone

Snow Plowing & Removal 27 Brookmead St., Elmira

519.669.1188

519-669-9081

Jeff Basler Owner|Operator

Mobile

519-505-0985 ever-green@sympatico.ca

We call Elmira home but we service the surrounding area.

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PAINTING

GLASS SERVICES

DECORATING SINCE 1961

Boat Covers | Air Conditioning Covers | Small Tarps Storage Covers | BBQ Covers | Awnings & Canopies Replacement Gazebo Tops | Golf Cart Encolsures & Covers

30. Bud 32. A kind of hemp 33. Club consisting of a heavy stick (often bamboo) bound with iron 34. Assassinated 37. A small movable scale that slides along a main scale 39. Lento 41. “Lulu� composer 44. Emily Dickinson’s home 46. Human actions and institutions are economically determined and class struggle is needed to create historical change 49. A loose fitting jacket; originally worn in India 50. Exclamation upon capturing the elusive 52. Crumb 54. ___ line (major axis of an elliptical orbit) 55. Campus military org.

56. “... there is no ___ angel but Loveâ€?: Shakespeare 58. Catch a glimpse of 60. “Comme ci, comme çaâ€?

61. The basic unit of money in Albania 63. Baseball stat 64. P.I., e.g.

65. After expenses

GLEN

BIRMINGHAM PAINTING & DECORATING

INTERIOR & EXTERIOR PAINTING • WALLPAPERING OVER 40 YEARS EXPERIENCE!

519-669-1131

CLASSIFIEDS | SERVICES | REAL ESTATE | FAMILY ALBUM |

THE OBSERVER | Saturday, August 15, 2009

» STRANGE BUT TRUE | BILL & RICH SONES

25

Our DNA may actually allow for more peace

urge to war?

A. The premise sounds pretty fatalistic but it overlooks that peacemaking too is programmed into our DNA, says John Horgan in Scientific American magazine.

Emory University anthropologist Frans B.M. de Waal studies primates and notes that while lethal conflict occurs among chimpanzees -- our closest genetic relatives -- they reconcile after fighting by hugging, mouth and hand kissing, mutual grooming, food sharing. Among humans, reconciliation also takes place when conflicting parties stand to lose more if their relationship deteriorates.

As international economic interdependence has grown over the last century, lethal hostilities have shrunk. For

example, although the European Union has not created love between Germany and France and other former adversaries, it has greatly reduced the likelihood of war.

In fact, stresses Harvard’s Steven Pinker, levels of international violence are much lower in our era than before the advent of modern states some 10,000 years ago. Ethnographic evidence suggests 30% or more of members of tribal societies died from group violence, 10 times greater than the proportion of Europeans and North Americans killed by war-related causes even “during the cataclysmic 20th century.”

Stable governments have played a part, as have mass media and travel in boosting international understanding and empathy toward those beyond our immediate family and nation.

“This may be the best news of all: civilization, which has often been blamed for war, is actually helping us achieve peace.”

Q. What’s one of the newer, more enlightened ways of dealing with shoplifters? a) more police on the

premises b) drug treatment c) patrol canines passing as “seeingeye” dogs d) rearrangement of merchandise e) mirrors stationed to make offenders feel “on display” A. The surprising answer is b), treating compulsive shoplifters with an antiaddiction drug called “naltrexone,” says Constance Holden in Science magazine.

People pinching a tube of lipstick or a necktie may experience a rush “similar to a cocaine or heroin high,” says University of Minnesota psychiatrist Jon Grant. Naltrexone blocks the same brain receptors used by opioids though its effect on kleptomania needs more research. Still, in one eight-week study of 25 previously arrested kleptomaniacs, two-thirds had complete remission of their symptoms, suggesting an overlap between compulsive stealing and addictions in the broadest sense.

Q. There’s more to a tasty pretzel than meets the watering mouth.

How much more?

A. The word “pretzel” comes from the Latin “Pretiola” for “little rewards,” say Richard Hartel and Annakate

SERVICE PROS PAINTING

PAINTING

Over 15 Years Experience

20 years experience

Mike

free estimates interior/exterior painting wallpapering & Plaster|Drywall repairs

PLUMBING

YOUR

PLUMBING & HEATING SPECIALISTS!

C.J.

PAINTING

519-669-2251

519.669.9160

Cell: 519.998.4094

36 Hampton St., Elmira

BRUBACHER LTD. 19 First St. E., Elmira

519-669-3362

Steve Co.

Plumbing and Maintenance Inc.

R O O F I N G

• Specializing in residential re-roofs • Repairs • Churches

ELMIRA

519-669-3652

SERVICE

SEPTIC

AMOS

For all your Plumbing Needs.

Steve Jacobi

Serving Elmira and Surrounding Area for over 30 years!

CallSCOTT sCottSEILING seiling FOR for your CALL YOUR free FREEestimate.

ESTIMATE. BooKHAVE noW for your summer installation BOOK NOW! YOUR ROOFING DONE BEFORE WINTER OFFICE

519.698.2114 • 519.746.4544

SIGNAGE | VINYL & DIGITAL

Inspections for Real Estate Septic System Repairs & Restoration Catch Basin Cleaning

Signs & Banners • Free Estimates •Tree Trimming and removal • Aerial Bucket Truck • Stump Grinding • Arborist evaluations • Fully insured and certified

Waterloo Region • Wellington County

519-648-3004

or

www.biobobs.com

STUMP REMOVAL

Vehicle Lettering

thestumpguy.ca Serving Waterloo Region

519-664-2142

BILL SCHENKEL

519-664-1809

Logos & Graphics Large format printing

1600 King St. N., Unit #18

ST.JACOBS

FAST, FRIENDLY SERVICE AT COMPETITIVE PRICES!

TOPSOIL

TREE REMOVAL LOCNEW ATI ON

• Affordable Stump Grinding • • Chemical-free & environmentally friendly • • Fast Friendly Service- Every time! •

www.remingtongraphfix.com

Decals & Safety Stickers

519-896-7700

Triple Mix • Top Dressing Screened Top Soil • Sands Gravels • Natural River Rock NEW N IO LOCAT

889 Bridge St. E. Waterloo (Corner of Bridge & McMurray)

Pick-up or Delivery

519-888-1007

SELF STORAGE

Various sizes & rates

CLEAN • DRY • SECURE

Call

In Business since 1971 • Fully Insured

graphfix ltd.

Septic Tank Cleaning

»

FAX | 519.669.5753 EMAIL | sales@ObserverXtra.com

RESIDENTIAL • COMMERCIAL • INDUSTRIAL

24 HOUR SERVICE

(Send STRANGE questions to brothers Bill and Rich at strangetrue@cs.com)

519.669.5790 | 1.888.966.5942

ROOFING

PLUMBING

Hartel in Food Bites: The Science of the Foods We Eat. Tradition has it that an Italian monk in the early 600s rolled up leftover bread dough, then looped the skinny rope into a half knot, supposedly to imitate the shape of arms folded across the chest in prayer. Pretzels used to be shaped by hand but now are done with extruders, by the thousands.

As for their unique brown exterior, before baking they are dipped briefly into lye, a strong alkali often made by soaking charred wood chips in water.

The lye dip degrades starch in the flour at the pretzel’s surface-- which reacts in the heat of the oven to produce the color-- yet is too brief to affect the white interior.

“What else is lye used for? It breaks down protein in lutefisk to give the jelly-like consistency. And as the active ingredient in drain cleaners, it breaks down hair and grease in a clogged drain. Yummy!”

INC

Q. If conflict is genetically programmed into our DNA, what hope do we humans have of ever taming the

T R

E

E

519-669-4964

100 SOUTH FIELD DRIVE, ELMIRA

SAWMILL

TOWING

Portable Sawmill Got Logs?

Need Lumber? call

519.648.3056

Franks Planks

TOWING AND RECOVERY

CASH PAID

FOR YOUR UNWANTED SCRAP VEHICLES CARS, TRUCKS OR VANS WE PAY CASH WITH FREE TOWING PLEASE CALL

519-568-8666

WINDOW COVERINGS •Removal of Trees or Branches of Any Shapes or Sizes in Almost Any location •Climb with Ropes to Avoid Injury From Spurs •Hedge trimming •Branch Chipping •Stump Grinding •Based in Floradale

519-669-1836 Thomas Martin

raperies & Blinds • Curtain Hardware Custom D

40 Memorial Ave, Elmira

519-669-8309

EVENTS CALENDAR Âť

26 | CLASSIFIEDS | SERVICES | REAL ESTATE | FAMILY ALBUM

FAMILY ALBUM Continued from page 20

ANNIVERSARY

“A GOOD JOB DONE EVERY TIME�

Happy 25th Anniversary Doug & Donna Trimble

Kleensweep Carpet Care

West Montrose, ON

T. 519.669.2033

August 18, 1984-2009

Cell: 519.581.7868

519.669.5105

P.O. BOX 247, ROUTE 1, ELMIRA

Congratulations

24-HOUR EMERGENCY SERVICE

Joshua R. Brubacher on your graduation from the University of Victoria with your Bachelor of Laws Degree in June 2009. Josh will embark on his law career at Blake, Cassels, & Graydon LLP in Vancouver this September. We are proud of you and wish you all the best.

Love mom and dad (Sue & Bruce), Janna and Mark

TOTAL HOME ENERGY SYSTEMS

RESIDENTIAL & COMMERCIAL

YOUR OIL, PROPANE, NATURAL GAS AND AIR CONDITIONING EXPERTS

11 HENRY ST. - UNIT 9, ST. JACOBS

519.664.2008

DEATH NOTICES McKEE, Archie Maxwell

SPITZIG, Gordon

SANYO CANADIAN

MACHINE WORKS INCORPORATED

ÂťPUZZLE SOLUTIONS ( 5 , & 0 ( / 2 6 $ , 1 / $ 7 5 , 6 / $ 1 ( 2 & 2 7 6 2 8 7 / * / 2 2 : $ 5 ( 3 2 9 ( 6 7 , 5 ( & / $

$ 1 7 + ( 0 6 $ 0 + ( 5 6 7

6 3 $ + 8 * 3 ( 7 ( 5 ( 6 2 $ 1 7 / < $ % $ ' / $ 0 9 7 5 , % ( * ( 5 < % 2 5 1 2 $ * , 5 1 ( ( 7 < 6 7 5 $ 3 ( 1 < &

' , 6 3 2 6 (

519-699-4641 www.freybc.com AUGUST 15

 Kidspark Storytelling, games, music, puppet show, 11 a.m. â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 5 p.m., free admission, Victoria Park, Kitchener.

AUGUST 19

 Maryhill Peach Social at the Maryhill Community Centre beginning at 5 p.m.

BBQ fare served with fresh salads, homemade shortcake topped with fresh peaches and ice cream. Beverages available. Face painting, silent auction and fun social time. Rain or shine. Call Dolly at 519-648-2416 or Sandra at 519-648-2939 for more information.

0 $ 5 ; , 6 0

33 Industrial Dr., Elmira 519.669.1591

RETAIL STORE STORE RETAIL

 Crossover Junction Showcase. Free concert. Bluegrass-gospel at itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s best; 7 p.m. Gore Park Bandshell, Elmira.

AUGUST 28

Bus.:519.669.2632 Fax: 519.669.4282

Business

FREE CONSULTATION

After Hours Emergency Services: 1-800-465-2667

Farm

â&#x20AC;˘ Total Denture Care Travel

Email: allen_morrison@cooperators.ca

www.cooperators.ca â&#x20AC;˘ Same Day Service Disability

on Repairs and Relines â&#x20AC;˘ Metal Partial - Soft Relines â&#x20AC;˘Since Implants 1987 - DentureTech â&#x20AC;˘Since DENTURE SPECIALIST 1995 - Denturist

Denture

DENTURE Vinolea Jahandari DD

â&#x20AC;˘ ELMIRA Total Denture Care â&#x20AC;˘ Same day service on and relines 15repairs Memorial Ave., Since 1987 - DentureTech â&#x20AC;˘ Elmira Metal Partial - Soft Relines 1995 - Denturist (Behind Bank of Montreal) â&#x20AC;˘ DENTURE SPECIALIST

519.669.1535 KITCHENER

FREE CONSULTATION 519.744.9770 ELMIRA â&#x20AC;˘ Total Denture Care KITCHENER 519-669-1535 â&#x20AC;˘ Same Day Service519-744-9770 15 Memorial Ave., Elmira (behind Bank of Montreal) on Repairs and Relines â&#x20AC;˘ Metal Partial - Soft Relines â&#x20AC;˘ Implants â&#x20AC;˘ DENTURE SPECIALIST

Elzeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Vinolea Jahandari DD

 Kids Day at Waterloo Buskers Carnival â&#x20AC;&#x201C; childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s entertainment, activities, 12-5 p.m.; free admission. King Street, Waterloo.

Wonderful 519.669.1535

AUGUST 29

(Behind Bank of Montreal)

 Much Music Retro Dance for National Service Dogs. Wellesley Community Centre, 8 p.m. â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 1 a.m. Tickets $12 single, $20 couple. For tickets and more information call Tammy at 519-656-1038.  Keg Turkey Dinner, Baked Potato and vegetable; $6. Elmira Legion, 11 First St. E., Elmira; 6 p.m.

SEPTEMBER 1

ELMIRA

15 Memorial Ave., Elmira

Wines

A Fine Wine Establishment

KITCHENER

519.744.9770

29 Church St. W., Elmira

519.669.0799

 Caregiver Coffee Hour will meet at Chateau Gardens from 10-11:30 a.m. in the activity room. Kathy Hirsch from Home Instead will speak on the topic of â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Communication Strategies for Alzheimer Care.â&#x20AC;&#x2122; For more information, call Lorraine at 519-664-3794 or Cara at 519-742-1422.

SEPTEMBER 2

 Wellesley Township Caregiver Group will meet at the health centre in Wellesley from 2-3:30 p.m. Paul Kett and Anne Fowler will present the topic â&#x20AC;&#x153;Reaching Out for Assistance.â&#x20AC;? For more information, call Lorraine at 519-664-3794 or reception at 519-656-9025.

New to the Community?

Do you have a new Baby?

Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s time to call your Welcome Wagon Hostess.

Elmira & Surrounding Area

SEPTEMBER 6

 Rev. Robert will be sharing his testimony: how he became a Christian and what led him into the ministry. An evening interspersed with gospel music and hymn singing featuring Toyosi at the grand pianol; 7 p.m., free-will offering. Waterloo North Presbyterian Church, wheelchair accessible. For more information, call 519888-7870.  Wellesley and District Lions Club Annual Fishing Derby at the Albert Erb Conservation area at the Wellesley Pond; $5 fee per angler, catch-and-release policy in force. Registration begins at 8:30 a.m., derby underway by 9 a.m., concluding by noon. Lunch booth on site, prize table, cash will be awarded for tagged fish, and trophies will be awarded in five categories. For more information please contact Chris Larochelle at 519-656-2716 or e-mail chrisandlaurie@cwisp.ca SEPTEMBER 11

 Hillbilly Dance â&#x20AC;&#x201C; DJ Gary Cooper; $8/person or $15/couple. Royal Canadian Legion, 11 First St. E., Elmira. 8 p.m. Tickets sold in advance of event.

SEPTEMBER 12

$ & + $ / / ( 5 % 8 5 * % 2 2 1 ( $ / 6 5 % $ / ' $ 7 $ & + , * $ , 1 2 7 2 / & . ( 1 + $ . ( $ < 6 7

MEDIUM EASY

EASY MEDIUM

3435 Broadway St. Hawkesville

SHARON GINGRICH 519.291.6763

elmirawelcomewagon@sympatico.ca

SEPTEMBER 7

â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Suddenly on Thursday, August 6, 2009 in his 83rd year of Elmira. â&#x20AC;&#x201C; It is with deep regret we announce the passing of our father, Gordon Spitzig of Conestogo. He passed away comfortably at the KW Health Centre on his 84th birthday, Saturday, August 8, 2009.

25 Industrial Drive, Elmira, ON N3B 3K3

Group

AUGUST 23

MILLWRIGHTS LTD.

Allen Morrison Insurance Inc.

Investments

Cardlock Fuel Management

â&#x20AC;˘ Design â&#x20AC;˘ Installation â&#x20AC;˘ Custom Fabrication

Allen Morrison, Agent/Owner

Life

AUGUST 16

MATERIAL HANDLING & PROCESSING SYSTEMS

DENTURE

Auto

 Drayton Christian Reform Church Fundraising concert; 4 p.m. Six bands, by donation. Bring lawn chairs; food tent, rain or shine. Proceeds going to help fund trip to the Dominican to build a school.

GRADUATION

Since 1987 - DentureTech Since 1995 - Denturist

Home

Truck & Trailer Maintenance

COMMERCIAL 24 CARDLOCK FUEL DEPOT HOUR

Love from all your family!

Skilled craftsmanship. Quality materials.

CONSTRUCTION STARTS HERE.

Rugs and Upholstery

â&#x20AC;˘Mattress Cleaning â&#x20AC;˘Residential â&#x20AC;˘Commercial â&#x20AC;˘Personalized Service â&#x20AC;˘Free Estimates

COLLEEN

THE OBSERVER | Saturday, August 15, 2009

â&#x20AC;˘ Electrical Supplies â&#x20AC;˘ New Vacuums â&#x20AC;˘ All Vacuum Repairs â&#x20AC;˘ Parts & Accessories â&#x20AC;˘ All makes and models â&#x20AC;˘ Hand Vacs to Central Vacs

 Pancake Breakfast at the Alma Community Hall from 8 a.m. â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 11 a.m.; $4/adult, $2/child. All proceeds to the Alma Community Recreation Association (ACRA) playground fund. For more information, contact Doug at 519-846-0764.  West Montrose Cultural Heritage Landscape presentation, 7 p.m. in the West Montrose Covered Bridge. Should this popular tourist stop be protected as a cultural heritage landscape (CHL)? Does a recent application for a gravel pit near the bridge threaten CHL? Dr. Robert Shipley of the University of Waterlooâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Heritage Resources Centre presents findings based on a multi-year study of the area. Presented by BridgeKeepers. Contact: info@bridgekeepers.ca.

Summer is Coming!

21 Industrial Dr., Elmira

NANCY KOEBEL

Bus: 519.895.2044 ext. 217 Home: 519.747.4388

SEPTEMBER 17

 Woolwich Caregiver Group will meet at the health centre in St. Jacobs from 10-11:15 a.m. Discussion will be on â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Adapting to Changes in our Loved One.â&#x20AC;? For more information, call Lorraine at 519-664-3794.

Individual life insurance, mortgage insurance, business insurance, employee benefits programs, critical illness insurance, disability coverage,

RRSPs, RESPs, RRIFs, LIFs and Annuities.

9 CHURCH STREET EAST, ELMIRA

519.669.8362

519.669.2884

Submit calendar listings to info@observerxtra.com

Suite 800, 101 Frederick St., Kitchener

W

T:10.25”

CLASSIFIEDS | SERVICES | REAL ESTATE | FAMILY ALBUM |

THE OBSERVER | Saturday, August 15, 2009

27

WE BUILD CHAMPIONS.

2009 9 Dodge Dod Journey

2009 Dodge Grand Caravan dge G Canada’ss

S Minivan 1 Selling

#

√

Canada’ss

2009 Dodge Ram 1500

1

#

Selling S Crossover √

HIGHEST SCORING OF ANY TRUCK IN THE 15 YEAR HISTORY OF THE TQI STUDY °

25 YEARS OF MINIVAN LEADERSHIP AND INNOVATION

JUST

0

ANNOUNCED Purchase a 2009 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN CANADA VALUE PACKAGE for *

Made in Canada!

PLUS GET

19,998

IN CL UD ES

$

CONSUMER CASH DISCOUNT OF

1 SSELLING MINIVAN

#

7.5599%

APR

†

APR

NOW

Purchase Financing for 36 months

6,500

$

◆

HWY: 8.4L /100 km

(34 mpg) Δ CITY: 12.6L /100 km (22 mpg ) Δ

• 175 hp 3.3L Flex Fuel V6 engine with automatic transmission • 3rd row Stow ’n Go® seating • 4-wheel disc brakes with ABS • Electronic Stability Program (ESP™) with Traction Control • AM/FM/CD/MP3 stereo with 4 speakers • Advanced multistage front air bags and side-curtain air bags • Air conditioning

T:14”

CANADA’S S

WAS W

%

√

2009 DODGE GRAND ND CARAVA CARAVAN CANADA VALUE PACKAGE NHTSA 5 Star Frontal and Side Impact ‡ 2nd and 3rd row Stow ’n Go® seating available on SE Stow ’n Go® & SXT models

Dual DVD system available on SXT models

Available 2nd row power windows

CANADA’S MOST POWERFUL LIGHT DUTY PICKUP TRUCK Ω

JUST

0

ANNOUNCED NHTSA 5 Star Frontal Impact ‡

Purchase a 2009 DODGE RAM 1500 QUAD CAB® SLT 4x4 for

PLUS GET

28,488

$

*

WAS W

7.5599%

APR

NOW

%

†

APR

Purchase Financing

IN CL UD ES

for 36 months

CONSUMER CASH DISCOUNT OF

7,500

$

◆

WITH MDS FUEL SAVING TECHNOLOGY

• 390 hp 5.7L HEMI® V8 with MDS and VVT • 5-speed automatic transmission with Electronic Range Select (ERS) • Air conditioning • 4-wheel disc brakes with ABS • Power windows, locks and heated mirrors • Electric shift, part-time 4WD • Class IV hitch receiver • SIRIUS ™ Satellite Radio • Segment exclusive** five-link coil spring rear suspension • Electronic Stability Program (ESP™) with Trailer Sway Control

Quad Cab has Best-In-Class†† interior volume

Segment exclusive** five-link coil spring rear suspension

RamBoxTM Cargo Management System available on Crew 1500

WE ARE BUILDING A NEW CAR COMPANY. COME SEE WHAT WE’VE BUILT FOR YOU. VISIT YOUR NEIGHBOURHOOD CHRYSLER, JEEP® , DODGE RETAILER OR CHRYSLERCANADA.CA

Wise customers read the fine print: *, †, ♦ These limited time offers apply to retail deliveries of selected new and unused 2009 models purchased between August 1st and August 31st, 2009 from participating retailers. Retailer trade may be necessary. Offers subject to change without notice. See participating retailer for specific details and conditions. *$19,998 Purchase Price applies to 2009 Dodge Grand Caravan (24F) only and includes $6,500 Consumer Cash Discount. $28,488 Purchase Price applies to 2009 Dodge Ram 1500 Quad Cab SLT 4x4 (25G+ XFH) only and includes $7,500 Consumer Cash Discount. See participating retailer for complete details. Prices exclude freight ($1,400), licence, insurance, registration, any retailer administration fees and other applicable fees and applicable taxes. Retailer trade may be necessary. Retailers may sell for less. †0% purchase financing for 36 months available through Royal Bank of Canada and Scotiabank on selected new and unused models to qualified customers on approved credit. Example: Dodge Grand Caravan (24F)/Dodge Ram 1500 Quad Cab SLT 4x4 (25G + XFH) with a Purchase Price of $19,998/$28,488 financed at 0% for 36 months equals monthly payments of $555.50/$791.33; cost of borrowing of $0 and a total obligation of $19,998/$28,488. Excludes freight ($1,400), licence, insurance, registration, any retailer administration fees and other applicable fees and applicable taxes. Retailer trade may be necessary. Retailers may sell for less. ♦ Consumer Cash Discounts are manufacturer to retailer incentives which are deducted from the negotiated price before taxes. Discount amounts vary by vehicle. See your retailer for details. ††Based on Automotive News segment, full size extended cab pickups. **Based on Automotive News full size pickup segmentation. ΩRam 1500 offers the most powerful V8 under 6.0 litres in its class. ° Dodge Ram 1500 Winner Strategic Vision’s 2009 Total Quality Awards® For Best Full-Size Pickup Ownership Experience. See Strategic Vision’s website (www.strategicvision.com) for additional information about the study. √Based on January through May 2009 R.L. Polk sales total registrations. ΔBased on 2009 EnerGuide Fuel Consumption Guide ratings published by Natural Resources Canada. Transport Canada test methods used. Your actual fuel consumption may vary. ‡Based on U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) scoring system for 2009 model year Dodge Grand Caravan and Ram 1500. ™SIRIUS and the dog logo are trademarks of SIRIUS Satellite Radio Inc. ®Jeep is a registered trademark of Chrysler LLC.

Black + PMS 185 (red) / NAA 0AA0 / CMYK 100Y + 100M / Adlitho 75

PROUD SPONSOR OF AMATEUR HOCKEY ACROSS CANADA

INCLUDES 1 YEAR PREPAID SUBSCRIPTION

28 | BACK PAGE

THE OBSERVER | Saturday, August 15, 2009