January 05, 2008

NEWS | 1

The Observer | Saturday, January 05, 2008

Region’s economic outlook linked to what happens in U.S. ..................... »12

BABIES »28 VOLUME 13, ISSUE 01

SATURDAY, JANUARY 05, 2008

www.ObserverXtra.com

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Water and sewer rates to begin steep increase Region plans to double cost to customers over five years

PHOTO | VANESSA MOSS

STEVE KANNON

CHILD’S PLAY Brooke Davenport, 10 (front), and Jessica Townsend, 10, took full advantage of their winter holidays Wednesday by testing out the slopes at the Elmira Golf Club.

Expect double-digit increases in the cost of the water coming from your tap and swirling down the bowl this year, as Waterloo Region charts a course to double water and sewage rates over the next five years.

For 2008, regional water rates will rise 9.9 per cent, adding $12.72 a year to the average household bill; wastewater rates jump 14.9 per cent, an average cost of $14.98.

The large increases are necessary because of rapidly rising costs, including capital upgrades and new monitoring protocols demanded by the province, said Nancy Kodousek, the region’s director of water services.

In Woolwich, where water and wastewater services are managed by the township, the actual impact will eventually be decided when council sets the 2008 budget.

In Wellesley, the region runs the water and sewage services.

As wholesale rates from the region have grown dramatically, Woolwich has tempered the increases by juggling its own rates. Last year, for instance, the water rate rose just three per cent, while waste-

water rates remained flat. The result was an annual increase of about $6 per average household.

This year may be a different story, however, suggested director of finance Richard Petherick.

“Rates will increase in 2008 – it’s a given.

Last year, we were able to shield some of those impacts for 2007, but that’s not likely possible [again].”

Increases from the region as well as higher costs for testing and monitoring mean larger jumps are likely, though councillors have yet to debate that portion of the township budget, he added.

Woolwich’s position today was aided by the decision to plan for future increases in previous years’ budgets. In 2005, the township implemented a 10-year plan, as demanded by the province.

Bill 175, the Sustainable Water and Sewage Systems Act, requires municipalities to run those services on a cost recovery basis. Additional costs and paperwork are expected under Bill 195, the Safe Drinking Water Act that followed the Walkerton tragedy.

New rules meant Woolwich had to begin collecting enough through its fees to pay See WATER »05

Maple syrup producers have something to cheer about VANESSA MOSS As local residents cursed yet another blast of snow this week, maple syrup producers cheered.

Lots of precipitation means their trees will have enough soil moisture to pump sap when the syrup season rolls around in March.

New Dundee producer Bob Richmond predicts that if the weather continues to cooperate, yields could reach an average level this year, which would help counteract last season’s roughly 40-per-cent drop in output in this area.

Weather predictions and moisture comparisons will be just two of many topics on the agenda as the Waterloo-Wellington

Ontario Maple Syrup Producers Association (OMSPA) hosts its annual information day Jan. 10 at the St. Jacobs Community Centre.

Richmond explained that maple syrup production is an evolving field and the info event showcases new equipment and techniques.

In the Waterloo-Wellington area, maple syrup yields are

among the highest in Ontario, even though most of the operations are small (around 1,000 trees), Richmond said.

The other two big Canadian producers are New Brunswick and Quebec, with the latter generating the majority of the world’s supply.

Richmond has been in the business for about seven years and has 900 taps on 600 trees.

learn to ski or snowboard week

Normally, he aims to produce one litre of syrup per tap, but last year that number was cut in half due to the short spring.

Temperatures in late February and March are key factors affecting maple syrup yields, he said. With only about 12 good production days available over a six-week period, the Weather Network is a manufacturer’s See SYRUP »05

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2 | NEWS

The Observer | Saturday, January 05, 2008

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NEWS | 3

The Observer | Saturday, January 05, 2008

LEADING OFF

“It often ends up going somewhere that you hadn’t expected, so it’s always an adventure.”

Jane Buyers

KEEPING IT INTERESTING Jane Buyers displays some of the various projects she has on the go in her art studio in Elmira. Her recent Region of Waterloo Arts Fund grant will allow her to create a catalogue showcasing PHOTO | VANESSA MOSS some of her sculptures.

Art in the making

Waterloo Region grants help Elmira residents with their artistic pursuits another area resident is excited to start her second production in a row funded by the region.

Arlene Thomas will use her $8,350 to produce Johann Wolfgang von Goethe’s “Faust” (Part 1) in English and German through her Shadow Puppet Theatre in Elmira.

She and co-founder Mat Kelly plan to adapt the original script to include English narrative and perform it at various locations in the fall.

This old art form uses the puppets’ shadows to tell the story; in this theatre’s case, classical tales.

“It’s different from traditional puppets because it’s all black and white and it’s all shadow andTHE it has the ability to not SERVING TOWNSHIP alwaysFOR lookOVER like a15children’s YEARS production. It’s got a really interesting range,” Thomas said.

Both Thomas and Buyers qualified for the grants after a two-step application process determined their projects were among those “most apt to succeed.”

Or, in other words, they have artistic

VANESSA MOSS Jane Buyers spends a lot of time in her garage, but not because she likes working on cars.

The Elmira resident uses that space as a studio to create sculptures, drawings and other works of art that she sells and displays in galleries throughout Ontario.

Currently, she is working on a special project made possible by the Region of Waterloo Arts Fund that strives to “make art happen” in the area, said chair Judith Stephens-Wells.

Buyers’ $2,500 grant is one of 13 – totaling $70,770 – approved by regional council for the fall round; it allocates arts funds twice a year.

Since its inception five years ago, the arts fund has been a success, StephensWells said, having awarded around $655,000 so far.

While this is the first time Buyers has benefited from this particular grant,

Familiar Faces !

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merit, will benefit the people of Waterloo Region, will contribute to the vibrancy of the arts and cultural sector in the community and are viable, Stephens-Wells said, adding that preference is given to projects that could not be produced at all or with such a high quality without the Arts Fund.

In Buyers’ case, her plan is modest, but nonetheless important.

She will use the money to create a catalogue of her recent show at a public gallery in Stratford that will include text to put the art in context.

“Any exhibition is time-based – it’s on for a month, … but the time that I spent making the work that was in the show was years, so a catalogue helps to extend the life of the work because it is a permanent record and can go a lot of places so that a lot more people can have access to the work,” she said.

The Elmira artist has been creating sculptures and works on paper since 1974. She uses various materials to make pieces that represent recogniz-

able objects like clothing, architecture and tools.

“The work always refers to human activity, human culture, but it’s not images of people.”

Her Stratford exhibition featured strictly clay items modeled after books, which is fitting considering she is also a teacher in the fine arts department at the University of Waterloo.

Based on the number of people who visited the Stratford exhibit, Buyers considered it a success and she is anxious to start putting the catalogue together.

This is just one of many new ventures she has planned for the future to “keep her interested.”

“I think most artists have the same experience: you start out, you’re excited by an idea that you want to explore and then the work at a certain point takes on its own kind of development. It often ends up going somewhere that you hadn’t expected, so it’s always an adventure.”

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4 | NEWS

The Observer | Saturday, January 05, 2008

» FROM THE EDITOR | STEVE KANNON

What happens when death hits close to home Year-end reviews in the media typically recount the names of those celebrities and other notables who passed away during the year. I’m always amazed at how many have in fact left us, and always taken by those I hadn’t realized had died until I read the list.

In 2007, for instance, we lost Yvonne De Carlo (Lily Munster on The Munsters), Ron Carey (Officer Levitt on Barney Miller) and Tom Poston (second banana on many shows, including Newhart). Of course, there were others, such as Boris Yeltsin, Benazir Bhutto and noted historian Arthur Schlesinger, Jr., but the deaths of people I watched regularly on TV, particularly in my childhood, seem much more tragic and meaningful.

Apparently, I’m not alone.

Those of us born in the TV age, that is since the Second World War, grew up with a wide social circle invented by Hollywood and beamed into homes round the clock. In many ways, we’re more attached to the people we see on TV than in those around us – our Friends are more real than our friends, in some instances.

And when they die, either as actors or characters, the grief can be as real as if somebody close to you had died.

While movies had launched the notion of celebrity, our attachment grew in leaps and bounds with television, which

brought them into the intimate confines of our homes. The phenomenon is linked to the suburban growth that followed the war.

Television families “helped ease what must have been for many Americans a painful transition from the city to the suburb. But more than simply supplying a tonic for the displaced suburbanites, television promised something better: it promised a mode of spectator pleasure premised on the sense of an illusory – rather than a real – community of friends,” according to Lynn Spigel, a professor in the School of Communication at Northwestern University in Illinois.

“It held out a new possibility for being alone in the home, away from the troublesome busy-body neighbours in the next house. But it also maintained ideals of community togetherness and social interconnection by placing the community at a fictional distance. Television allowed people to enter into an imaginary social life, one that was shared not in the neighbourhood networks of bridge clubs and mahjong gatherings, but on the national networks of CBS, NBC and ABC.” Beyond just reacting to television, the growth of celebrity worship and attachment is also well studied as a sociological and psychological development.

There is a certain irony in that the more crowded and populated our cities become, the more isolated we are from others. That’s especially true as fami-

lies become smaller and more prone to spreading out across large distances.

For professor Michael C. Kearl of the Department of Sociology and Anthropology at Trinity University in Texas, “the rise of celebrity also corresponds with a public increasingly devoid of total relationships with others, individuals’ connectedness with others and the broader society dampened by the anonymity of urban life, reduced civic involvements, increasing rates of singlehood and living alone, and by the instrumental relationships demanded by the workplace and marketplace.”

Celebrities are seen as living more interesting, glamorous, or important lives. Thus the public may know more about the celebrities’ stories than they do of those of their neighbours and associates.

“The grief over the death of a national leader can be understood in terms of feelings of loss of some father figure or of the symbol of a people. Broadly shared emotions produce a sense of community. Political regimes have long understood this and have capitalized on

the power of state funerals as a mechanism by which to enhance social solidarities and to reaffirm the legitimacy of the power structure.

“But the grief over celebrities … is another matter. Here the sense of loss is more like that of a friend because these are not so much role models as reflections of who we are or who we want to be. These are individuals whom one has paid to see or who have been frequent televised ‘guests’ in one’s home.”

We spend more time with fictional characters – and the actors portraying them – than we do with many of the real people in our lives. When old aunt Cora, who you saw occasionally at family functions over the years, passes away, you’re likely to feel little, if anything at all. It seems that’s not the case if the actor you watch daily in reruns shuffles off this mortal coil. People who don’t shed a tear at a family funeral might bawl like babies over the death of a character on TV or in the movies.

Or, like me, perhaps you spent more time with the residents of 1313 Mockingbird Lane than those in Red Square.

» ABOUT FACE

Cassie Clement, 18 Lives in Maryhill, works at concession stand in St. Jacobs arena What do you do when you’re not working?

School (Fifth year at Elmira District Secondary School); listening to music; hanging out with friends.

What is the best concession stand food?

The tarts.

Worst?

The popcorn.

What do you like best about the job?

“I can do my homework while I’m working.”

How have you been spending your Christmas holidays?

With family, working.

Best Christmas gift?

A digital camera.

What did you do for New Year’s Eve? Went out with friends.

What will you do after high school?

“Go into an archeology program [maybe at Wilfrid Laurier University].”

Favourite school subject?

“History. It’s cool [learning] the stories behind some of the stuff that’s around today.”

Goals for 2008?

“Do good in school.”

Most looking forward to in 2008?

“Getting my braces off.”

NEWS | 5

The Observer | Saturday, January 05, 2008

» LAW & ORDER

Buggy destroyed after being rear-ended by van

»» December 26

»» December 27

Riverside Drive West reported that, at some point overnight, someone had taken the decorations from the outside trees and scattered them around the yard.

The vandals also chopped down a tree. There are no suspects.

7:30 AM A resident of Elmira’s

1:15 PM The Esso station in St.

8:20 AM A Carriage Hill Trail, Elmira resident reported the loss of a wallet in the core of Elmira. The man’s, brown wallet contained personal ID and some cash.

Jacobs reported a gas drive-off of $40. The suspect was caught on video, and police are in the process of tracking the party in question.

7:45 PM As the result of a traffic stop on King Street near the farmers’ market, an area resident was charged with ‘operate motor vehicle no licence’ and ‘operate commercial vehicle, no driver’s licence.’

»» December 28 9:50 AM A resident of Arthur Street reported the loss of licence plate, 395 3NK. 11:00 AM Three Elmira residents reported the attempted thefts of vehicles from their homes. On Pintail Drive, a white Chevrolet Avalanche was the attempted target; on Burlwood Drive, it was a Ford F150; and on Aspen Crescent it was a 2007 Chevrolet Avalanche. Police have no suspects.

7:30 PM A Toronto resident visiting a home on Centre Street in Elmira discovered their car had been the victim of a hit-and-run.

The vehicle suffered $500 damage to the driver’s door. Police recovered white paint that had been transferred to the black vehicle. There are no suspects.

»» December 29

5:19 PM A Mill Street, Elmira resident reported a suspicious person on a bike had gone behind some bushes, picked up a bag and disappeared. The suspect was described as a white male, about 15 or 16 years old, 5’4” in height, wearing a brown sweater with a hood and blue jeans. When officers arrived, they were unable to find anything.

»» December 30 8:45 PM Police received two calls about a disoriented dog at the corner of Arthur Street and Listowel Road. The shepherdcollie mix, mostly black, was taken to the humane society.

9:02 PM A report of a drunk and problematic man brought police to the 5800 area of Line 86. The man was arrested and held on one count of breaching his probation, which prohibited him from drinking alcohol.

»» December 31 1:14 AM A 19-year-old man was picked up at a Tanager Street residence and held in custody after being charged with ‘intoxicated in a public place.’

9:36 PM A resident of a Duke

PHOTO | JOE MERLIHAN

The wreckage was spectacular but no one was seriously injured when a van crashed into the back of a horse-and-buggy rig Dec. 28 on Crowsfoot Road near Halm Road in Woolwich Township.

The incident occurred about 5:25 p.m. when a 2008 Chevrolet Uplander driven by a 42year-old Cambridge man struck the back of the “coach-type” buggy as both vehicles travelled west on Crowsfoot Road. The 49year-old driver of the buggy, the vehicle’s lone occupant, was thrown from the buggy, which was destroyed. He was subsequently transported to Grand River Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. The horse was removed from the scene alive, with undetermined injuries.

The driver of the van, along with an adult and two child passengers, were not injured. The Cambridge man was charged with ‘careless driving.’ His vehicle suffered severe front-end damage.

SIDESWIPED A Breslau man was riding this snowmobile westbound on Park Avenue in Elmira Wednesday night when he skidded through the stop sign at Snyder Avenue and hit the side of an Elmira woman’s car. No one was injured, and no charges were laid.

Street, Elmira retirement home reported a quantity of jewelry and some cash had been taken from her room. Other residents reported seeing a suspicious male party in the complex. Subsequently, other residents reported the theft of some items from their room. Police are asking for

anyone who has any information to contact division 3A.

»» January 1 3:05 AM A traffic stop on Hampton Street in Elmira saw police charge a 15-year-old resident with ‘drive non driver’s licence’ and ‘operate vehicle wrong way on a one-way street.’

Water: Capital spending grows Syrup: Good season expected » From cover

for future upgrades and repairs to the water and sewer infrastructure in the township, rather than financing the costs through general coffers.

Three years ago, council bumped the bimonthly service fee for wastewater by almost 60 per cent, and usage rate by six per cent.

The sizeable increase in the service charge for sewage accounts was

put in place to help build up a reserve fund, from which future work will be funded. Woolwich must put aside more than $950,000 each year to pay for scheduled water and sewer infrastructure projects. By 2015, the township will need to spend more than $6 million to upgrade its underground inventory. As well, significant growth in the population will mean new systems and

increased demand for services – the number of customers for both water and sewer is expected to grow by 50 per cent in the next decade.

At the regional level, where the bulk of the costs are incurred, council is preparing to spend $938 million on infrastructure over the next decade. That’s almost twice as much as was forecasted just two years ago, said Kodousek.

Styles

» From cover

best tool at that time of year.

“When the season comes, it comes with a bang. It could be freezing and howling wind and then all at once, two days later, the sap’s running. So you really need to be ready to go.”

Ideally, the season should consist of frosty nights (-5/-6C) and sunny days (5/6C), which allow the trees to release the sap

freely.

If March is too cold to start and then suddenly turns warm like it did last year, the season is delayed. Then, as temperatures start rising over 16C, the trees bud and the sap turns bitter.

So, for now, Richmond and his fellow producers have their fingers crossed as they prepare their trees and equipment for spring.

They will spend the next two months check-

ing their lines, removing dead or diseased trees and selectively thinning out areas of the bush that are taking nutrients away from stronger specimens.

“You spend almost as much time setting up and cleaning up as you do working,” he said.

The OMSPA Information Day on Jan. 10 at the St. Jacobs Community Centre is free for members and $15 for non-members. It runs from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

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6 | NEWS

The Observer | Saturday, January 05, 2008

The year in review:

Looking back at some of the top news stories of 2007

2007 • 2007 • 2007 • 2007 • 2007 • 2007 • 2007 • 2007 • 2007 • 2007 • 2007 • 2007 • 2007 • 2007 • 2007 • 2007 • 2007 • 2007 • 2007 • 2007 • 2007 • 2007 • 2007 • 2007 • 2007 • 2007 • 2007

Police arrest suspect in bank robbery

A 26-year-old Listowel man was arrested Jan. 8 in connection with the robbery of the Royal Bank in Elmira.

David Thomas Raycraft was picked up in Listowel with the assistance of the Ontario Provincial Police.

Drunk driver jailed for Maryhill woman’s death

A Toronto-area man was sentenced to 15 months in jail for killing a Maryhill woman while driving drunk in 2004. Birju Rampaul, 63, pleaded guilty to impaired driving causing the death of Brenda Steffler, 46, on Nov. 21, 2004.

Township to adopt twin-pad plan

Previously split on the viability of twin ice pads at a new rec. complex in Elmira, members of the Woolwich Recreation Facilities Steering Committee voted unanimously for that option in a meeting Jan. 24.

Floradale station gets room to grow

Woolwich Township reached a deal with the Grand River Conservation Authority to purchase three acres of land on Florapine Road, the future home of a new station for the Floradale Fire Department.

Brothers grab fistful of medals for Woolwich gymnastics club................ »14 Tales from the trailer park

»19 VOLUME 12, ISSUE 08

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2007

www.woolwichobserver.com

PRICELESS

Woolwich looking at 3% tax hike for 2007 Water rates also pegged for 3% increase; wastewater fees to remain unchanged STEVE KANNON Homeowners will take a threeper-cent hit on the township portion of their property taxes in 2007 under a plan that this week won Woolwich council’s tentative approval.

The increase would mean an

additional payout of approximately $12 per year on a home at the average assessment level of $183,000.

The increase would support a proposed operating budget of $8.3 million, said actingtreasurer Richard Petherick.

The proposed increase would see a 1.5-per-cent jump in the

general tax levy; the remaining 1.5-per-cent jump represents a special capital levy for recreation projects – some $65,000 for the reserve fund earmarked for Woolwich’s extensive, township-wide recreational facilities program.

That program was put in place in 2005.

Also approved Tuesday night was a water-rate increase of three per cent, to $1.03 per cubic metre from $1. That represents about a $6-per-year jump for the average household.

The wastewater rate is to remain the same at $1.27 per cubic metre.

The three-per-cent prop-

erty figure was pared down from a staff proposal of 3.46 per cent, deemed too high by councillors given a growth in revenues from a 5.91-per-cent jump in the township’s tax base. That assessment growth represents major residential and industrial expansion in See TAX HIKE »02

» FIT FOR THE FUTURE

New walking track brings in $250,000 DESIREE FINHERT

A FRIENDLY DONATION Daughters Katelyn (left) and Kandis stand with their dad Larry Farr and a photo of their mother Dawn at Elmira’s only walking track at EDSS Feb. 21. This week, the Fit for the Future campaign received a $250,000 anonymous donation from a group called the Friends of Dawn Farr earmarked for the walking track to be built as part of the new multi-use recreation facility in Elmira.

An anonymous donation has put fundraising for Elmira’s planned multi-use recreation facility over the $2 million mark. The latest support of $250,000 comes from unidentified persons known as Friends of Dawn Farr and is earmarked for the 250-metre indoor walking track.

“It’s a pretty big honour especially being anonymous. The people who donated it certainly did so for the right reasons and not for glory. I surely can’t thank them enough,” said Larry Farr, Dawn’s husband.

The donation comes nearly two years after the 44-year-old Elmira resident was killed when the car she was driving crashed head-on with a transport truck on Arthur Street, south of Listowel Road, June 30, 2005.

Prior to her death, Dawn Farr was a long-time supporter of the Elmira Sugar Kings, a member of the Kings Booster Club and a host to billeted players. She was an advocate of a new See DONATION »02

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Regional taxes up 2.58%

The average household in Waterloo Region faced an additional $33.10 on the regional portion of its tax bill in 2007, after councillors approved a 2.58-per-cent tax hike.

(Woolwich Community Services)

Woolwich proposed 3% tax hike

Province ponies up $2 million

Woolwich homeowners learned Feb. 20 they were facing a three-per-cent jump in the township portion of their property taxes. The tentative changes approved by council amounted to $12 a year on a home assessed at the average level of $183,000.

The financial picture for a new twin-pad rec. complex in Elmira got clearer when the province agreed to kick in $2 million. Funds were made available from the Ontario Infrastructure Projects Corporation’s Rural Infrastructure Investment Initiative.

Woolwich signs deal with unionized workers

Hwy. 7 gets the go-ahead

Woolwich Township reached a deal with its 18 unionized workers, approving a contract for a threeper-cent raise over each of the next three years. The deal also called for adjustments of 0.9 to 3.18 per cent to bring local wages in line with workers in comparable municipalities.

MARCH

Wintry weather lashes Woolwich

March came in like a lion, as freezing rain and high winds downed hydro poles in St. Jacobs and Elmira Mar. 2. Customers were left without power for hours.

Post vacates Conestogo

With the closing of Conestogo Variety, the post office

NOW ACCEPTING NEW PATIENTS

In its budget of Mar. 22, the province approved plans for a new Hwy. 7 linking Kitchener and Guelph, a plan in the works for more than 30 years.

Wellesley opts for 3% tax jump

Wellesley councillors, meeting Mar. 27, approved a three-per-cent hike in property taxes, an increase of $19.41 per year on the average home assessed at $203,000.

Cancer claims active community volunteer

Jim McLeod, a longtime volunteer with a range of community groups, succumbed to cancer Mar. 27 at his home in Elmira. He was 58.

APRIL

Kings fall to Cambridge in Cherrey Cup final

East steps down; Haddaway named new coach

Following the end of the season, John East stepped down as coach of the Elmira Sugar Kings after four years in the job, saying he wanted to spend more time with his family. The team subsequently announced the hiring of Geoff Haddaway, formerly with the Kitchener Dutchmen, as the new head coach.

Play captures Newfoundland’s First World War tragedy......................... »20 Elmira Home Hardware takes home the hardware

»15 SATURDAY, APRIL 14, 2007

www.woolwichobserver.com

A festival of taste for Woolwich

Woolwich renews lease for site near farmers’ market

DESIREE FINHERT

STEVE KANNON Woolwich will continue to operate visitor services in St. Jacobs, renewing a lease with Mercedes Corp. for the “yellow house,” a refurbished farm home at 844 Weber St. N. adjacent to the farmers’ market. While the two-year-old arrangement has been deemed successful, services will not be expanded this year.

As with last year, the facility will be open seven days a week, with a staff person on site four days a week – Tuesdays and Thursdays, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturdays, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., then a flex day to be determined by tourist traffic.

The current setup is sufficient, councillors decided this week. There will be some tweaking, however.

Reacting to a report from the student who staffed the facility in 2006, they recommended establishing ties with The Mennonite Story at visitor centre in downtown St. Jacobs: many visitors to the township visitor information centre (VIC) express an interest in the Mennonite culture.

AN APPLE A DAY For Steve MONTDY-AD-WLOB-bnnr-Feb21 2/21/07 2:50 PM ...Page 1 Martin of Martin’s Family Fruit Farm, eating locally grown food is a key ingredient in mainRather than encourage “Mentaining a healthy lifestyle. Local produce will be in the spotlight during the Taste of Woolwich event next week.

See TOURISM »02

N

PRICELESS

» BUY LOCAL

Council visits tourism plan

L DE O PE M O W NO

A three-hour food festival may not be enough time to enjoy the smorgasbord of local treats and local talk during A Taste of Woolwich next week, but it may be enough to start a couple of trends.

Touting the tagline Buying Local Food = A Healthy Community, organizers are looking to educate people about the benefits of buying local products while tantalizing taste buds with the same.

A few savoury delicacies and some solid discussions will be used to encourage people to spend food money locally in support of the community. The event will be held at Woolwich Community Centre Apr. 16 from 5 to 8 p.m.

Family restaurants such as At the Crossroads, Cedar Barn, Stone Crock and Three Bridges Restaurant will be serving meal samples made from local products.

Organic food chef Heidi Scheifley will be giving a cooking demonstration while discussing the taste and cooking benefits of moving away from big-box grocery stores.

The family event will be augmented with panel discussions, speeches and hands-on activities for kids.

Bringing the various aspects together will be keynote speaker Steve Martin of Martin’s Family Fruit Farm.

“There is a reason why local food is not being grown to the extent that it could be: generally speaking, it doesn’t pay to grow it,” said Martin, who sits on the executive of Foodlink Waterloo Region.

Martin will share his thoughts on the importance of buying local from a vaSee TASTE »06

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Health concerns forced the resignation Apr. 13 of Dave Gosnay, Woolwich’s long-serving director of engineering and planning.

With the township for 19 years, he had been fighting a debilitating illness in recent years.

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Graham and LuAnn Snyder returned Apr. 16 from a seven-month fundraising tour of North America’s National Hockey League cities. The Elmira couple drove a 37-foot recreational vehicle across the continent raising funds for the Dan Snyder Memorial Foundation.

An Elmira man’s best friend returned home Apr. 18 after going astray for almost 15 weeks. Jurgen Mannhardt never gave up hope when his one-yearold pal Charlie went missing in January. The owner spent some $4,700 and covered 7,000 kilometres searching high and low for Charlie, who was eventually found by a Fergus family.

MAY

Maryhill centre underway

Construction of a new community centre got underway at Maryhill Heritage Park with a sodturning ceremony May 2.

The project was the first of a heavy slate of new facilities set to be built by Woolwich Township.

NEWS | 1

The Observer | Saturday, April 14, 2007

VOLUME 12, ISSUE 14

Snyders return home from NHL odyssey

Charlie makes his way home

After winning the first two rounds of the MidWestern Junior Hockey League playoffs, the Elmira Sugar Kings fell in four straight games to the Cambridge Winter Hawks during the battle for the Cherrey Cup. The final game was an 8-1 loss Apr. 5.

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The Waterloo Region District School Board approved $750,000 to improve the sports fields at Elmira District Secondary School. The decision called for a $450,000 regulation-size football field and a five-lane cinder track to be built on part of the former Elmira Raceway lands.

A further $300,000 was earmarked to revamp the existing sports field.

PHOTO | RORY STANLEY

A fire Jan. 7 destroyed New Hamburg’s historic grandstand. Damage was pegged at $400,000. Police deemed the fire suspicious.

NEWS | 1

The Observer | Saturday, February 24, 2007

EDSS to field new track

The month that come in like a lion left like a lamb, much to the delight of organizers of the Elmira Maple Syrup Festival.

Cool, clear weather saw more than 70,000 take to the streets of Elmira Mar. 31.

Lake

Suspicious fire destroys New Hamburg landmark

A raging barn fire kept emergency crews on scene for nine hours at the site of a Breslau butcher shop Feb. 12. No one was injured, but the fire destroyed the structure, a workshop and storage facility for B and R Farm Ltd. at 2784 Victoria St. N. Damage was pegged at $300,000.

Weather smiles on EMSF

Cone stogo

Police started off the new year investigating a daylight robbery at the Elmira branch of the Royal Bank.

The suspect made off with a small quantity of cash.

He entered the bank at 6 Church St. W. about 1 p.m.

Dec. 30, handing the teller a note requesting money.

No weapon was seen, and nobody at the bank was harmed.

On-farm business goes up in flames

outlet there closed its doors Mar. 9. Canada Post was unable to find another suitable retail site prior to the closure.

to

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FEBRUARY

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JANUARY

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Rec. campaign goes public

Special events in Elmira and Breslau May 12 launched the public portion of the Fit for the Future campaign, the drive to raise $5.6 million for a series of new recreational facilities in Woolwich.

JUNE

Charities reap record haul from EMSF

A good day for maple syrup in March translated into a good day for area charities June 13, as the Elmira Maple Syrup Festival handed out more than $40,000. It was the organization’s largest payout of proceeds from the festival, especially satisfying after a few years of poor turnouts.

Walk this way

Woolwich unveiled an aggressive plan to expand construction of new sidewalks in the township. Meeting June 19, councillors discussed earmarking $80,000 in each of the next five years to build new walkways. The money would be above and beyond the usual sidewalk repair and replacement budget of $50,000.

NEWS | 1

The Observer | Saturday, June 09, 2007

Battle is on over the future use of terminator seeds.................................. » 14 Elmira teen makes the grade testing for black belt

»19 VOLUME 12, ISSUE 22

SATURDAY, JUNE 09, 2007

No one’s answering Bamberg’s phone calls

www.woolwichobserver.com

Cuts on horizon for Woolwich rec. projects Majority of councillors call for sharper pencils as costs soar past budgeted amounts STEVE KANNON

Weimar Line residents unable to dial for assistance as phone woes continue to aggravate MARC MIQUEL HELSEN Longstanding telephone service problems in the Bamberg area took on an urgent tone last week, as a resident was unable to summon help when he needed it.

Residents of Weimar Line in Wellesley Township continue to experience trouble connecting with Bell Canada and making the provider understand the nature of their phone troubles.

They’ve endured months of poor phone service, with lines that click noisily, cut out intermittently and simply become inactive.

ON HOLD Frank Nixon of Bamberg sent “On the weekend Bell Canada a petition with approximateit finally happened: ly 80 signatures of residents of Weimar there was a health Line who have had endless phone woes issue. One of my since October 2006. His letters and calls neighbours tried have gone largely unheeded by the phone to call his sister for company. help and the phones weren’t working … the next day when the family dropped in to see him he was taken straight to the hospital,” said Weimar Line resident and former Wellesley councillor Dusan Cizman.

See ON THE HOOK page »06

PRICELESS

» FIT FOR THE FUTURE

Lancers take stock

LOCAL STARS Wilber Force lead singer Dan Bossenberry performs during EDSS’ Lancerstock Wednesday. The annual concert held on the back field of the Elmira high school took on a fairground feel this year with cotton candy and a dunk tank on hand. See story and photos on page 7.

Cuts appear in store as Woolwich councillors grapple with runaway cost increases for a slate of township building plans. At issue is an attempt to fit a $32-million square peg into the $26.8-million round hole that is the budget for seven construction projects.

The $5.2-million shortfall represents the gap between current cost estimates and the amount of budgeted financing the township has in place to pay for the work.

The Elmira project, the Woolwich Memorial Centre, currently has a budget of $22 million, up substantially from the $12 million originally forecast – even without the addition of a second ice pad, the project would still be set at $18 million. The latest construction estimates put forward at Tuesday’s council meeting show the project at $23.3 million.

While smaller in scale, the six other projects are all experiencing cost overrun issues.

Originally expected to cost $2.5 million, the new township administrative offices may cost $3.9 million. The Breslau community centre’s original budget of $925,000 has been revised to $2.2 million.

Some $1.3 million is earmarked for a new fire station in Floradale, due to open in March 2008, up from the original forecast of $360,000.

At the only project underway, the Maryhill Heritage Park Community Centre, the original budget of $350,000 swelled to $876,000, though actual tendered costs came in under

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Woolwich reaches Winterbourne deal

Winterbourne residents officially got some recreational space in the community June 19, as Woolwich councillors approved an agreement with Foundation Christian School. The deal formalized the public’s longstanding use of what used to be the Winterbourne Public School site.

Pools to be fenced in

Woolwich adopted its first pool fence bylaw, mandating that pools deeper than 37 inches (94 centimetres) be enclosed by a fence of at least five feet (1.52 metres) in height.

JULY

Farmer dies following bull attack

A Floradale-area farmer died July 5 after being gored by a bull. Edward Martin, 46, succumbed to his injuries shortly after an ambulance rushed him to hospital. He had suffered severe chest trauma.

Elmira Juniors advance to nationals

The Elmira Advance Millwrights Juniors advanced to the national fastball tournament in Prince Edward

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NEWS | 7

The Observer | Saturday, January 05, 2008

NEWS | 1

The Observer | Saturday, July 14, 2007

Region aims to boost redevelopment of brownfield sites......................... »10 Exhibition match helps mark anniversary in Linwood

»16 VOLUME 12, ISSUE 27

SATURDAY, JULY 14, 2007

www.woolwichobserver.com

PRICELESS

» PROVINCIAL POLITICS

Dan Snyder Memorial Golf Tournament

New riding gets ready for provincial election Conestogo resident vies for Liberal nomination

PHOTO | MARC MIQUEL HELSEN

MARC MIQUEL HELSEN

LOOKING FOR THE RIGHT SPOT Richard Smit sizes up the green before getting ready to putt at the fourth annual Dan Snyder Memorial Golf Tournament held at the Elmira Golf Club Monday. See story on page 12, more photos on pages14-15.

With a provincial election on the horizon, local parties are mobilizing to get their nominations in order for the new Kitchener-Conestoga riding. Only the Tories have a candidate in place, with Liberals working on a nomination meeting next week.

The NDP and Green Party have yet to field their choices.

The current riding home to voters in Woolwich and Wellesley townships – Waterloo-Wellington – will be no more when Ontarians go to the polls in October. At that time, the local riding becomes Kitchener-Conestoga, based on boundaries seen in past federal elections.

The provincial Liberals will be one step closer to choosing their candidate when they meet July 17 at the Stone Crock in St. Jacobs for a nomination meeting. Among the hopefuls is former EDSS vice-principal Leeanna Pendergast.

While the upcoming election marks the first time Pendergast will run for provincial politics, the Conestogo resident is confident her 20 years of experience with the

regional school board will provide her with a solid foundation as well as inspiration for the electoral campaign.

“My first focus, obviously, is public service – that’s who I am,” she told the Observer. “That’s what I have grown accustomed to my whole life: public service. This is a chance for me to represent Kitchener-Conestoga.”

As an administrator at a number of regional schools, including Elmira District Secondary School, Waterloo Oxford and Jacob Hespeler, where she currently works, Pendergast said that representing her constituents at the provincial level is just a natural progression of events – a continuation of her commitment to public service.

“When I was a classroom teacher I was looking out the door thinking, ‘what are they doing at the admin level?’ As an administrator, I was looking out the door thinking ‘what are they doing at the provincial level?’ Having done that I’m now looking out the door, not just at education at the provincial level, but saying ‘what are we doing in the other issues that affect See ELECTION »05

Region backs yellow ribbon campaign

Emergency vehicles will sport decals supporting Canadian troops; councillors sidestep issue of war MARC MIQUEL HELSEN Coming soon to an emergency vehicle near you: yellow ribbons of support for Canadian troops.

The symbols will being showing up on police cars, ambu-

lances and fire trucks now that Waterloo Region has sanctioned the practice.

Perhaps looking to avoid bitter debates that surfaced in other cities such as Toronto, the region acted in advance of any complaints to establish a policy.

This week, regional councillors

and counterparts in the three cities joined a chorus of municipalities across the country endorsing the yellow “support our troops” ribbons on emergency vehicles.

In that vein, Waterloo regional police endorsed a ribbon design of its own.

While no one has requested that the region – which usually adheres to a policy prohibiting public support for any group – affix the symbols of solidarity onto regional ambulances, Chair Ken Seiling last week polled councillors about the issue. The majority endorsed the

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ribbon campaign. Consequently, decals will be placed on 25 ambulances across the region as of Aug. 1.

Wellesley Mayor Ross Kelterborn was among the regional councillors who voted in favour of affixing the decals.

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Hockey mixes with golf in Elmira

For the fourth time in as many years, the weather smiled on Elmira as it hosted the annual Dan Snyder Memorial Golf Tournament. More than $90,000 was raised as 144 golfers – including Ron MacLean and Dany Heatley – took to the links at the Elmira Golf Club July 9.

Police see link between two Elmira robberies

Two robberies in Elmira July 13 and 17 were likely linked to the same suspect, Waterloo regional police deemed. In the first incident, a woman making an after-hours drop-off at the Royal Bank was approached by a man who subsequently grabbed the deposit and fled. In the second case, a man entered the Mac’s Convenience store on Arthur Street brandishing a knife and demanded money and cigarettes from the clerk.

Riverside Drive work approved

Having re-tendered the job, Woolwich council awarded a $2.1-million contract to Terracon Underground Ltd. on July 25 for the reconstruction of Elmira’s Riverside Drive. The total was $300,000 above the township’s budget, but substantially less than the $3.1 million that was the lowest bid in the first round of tenders. Work got underway in mid-August.

Wellesley plans to expand administration building

Plans for an expanded administration building in Wellesley got going July 31 as councillors approved the hiring of Totten Sims Hubicki to prepare architec-

tural drawings. The township set an initial budget of $600,000 for the planned 3,272-square-foot addition to the existing 3,290-sq.ft. building.

AUGUST

Tibetan monks set up shop in St. Jacobs

An air of peace and serenity descended on St. Jacobs as the Church Theatre hosted eight Tibetan monks from the Drepung Gomang monastery. Their visit, part of a Canadian tour, included workshops on making butter sculptures, sand painting and dance forms.

Woolwich firefighters answer the call

A report to council detailed a 15-per-cent jump in calls handled by the Woolwich Fire Department through the first half of the year.

Drive to end family violence

More than 100 people took to the links and raised $12,500 in support of the family violence prevention program at the 13th annual Jeanne Renault Golf Classic Aug. 16. Held at the Conestoga Golf and Country Club, the event was hosted

by Woolwich Community Services.

SEPTEMBER It’s his lucky day

Elmira’s Paul Cooper, 62, won $4 million in the Sept. 7 draw of Lotto Super 7.

Fair ambassador claims tiara

Holly Dammeier, 17, was crowned fair ambassador Sept. 11 by the WellesleyNorth Easthope Agricultural Society.

New school in store for Floradale

Students and teachers at Floradale Public School got some good news Sept. 18, as the Ministry of Education announced a new building is in the works. The province allocated $4 million for the project that will see a new school built for September 2009. The existing building was deemed too small and cramped.

Feting a centenary

The United Church in West Montrose held a special celebration Sept. 23 to mark its 100th anniversary.

New director on Woolwich staff

with 14,446 (37%).

Dan Kennaley, formerly the manager of planning policy for the Town of Caledon, was named Woolwich’s new director of engineering and planning as council met Sept. 25. His appointment, effective Oct. 15, followed the retirement of long-serving Dave Gosnay due to health issues.

As easy as ABC

Great weather saw thousands turnout in Wellesley Village for the 32nd annual Apple Butter and Cheese Festival Sept. 29.

OCTOBER

Revamping an Elmira intersection

A site plan submitted to Woolwich council Oct. 2 called for a major change to the northeast corner of Elmira’s main intersection.

Six properties near the corner of Arthur and Church streets, including the former Dreisinger Furniture and Voisin Motors sites, are to be combined to allow for the construction of a new retail outlet, likely a Shoppers Drug Mart.

Wellesley daycare gets $500K boost

A daycare centre slated to open in Wellesley Village in January got a financial boost from Waterloo Region.

The upper-tier government set aside $558,380 from the $2 million it had received from the province’s Best Start funding program.

NEWS | 1

The Observer | Saturday, October 13, 2007

Irish dancing gets contemporary makeover in Tapeire ............................ »21 Full-cycle weekend for Kings

»15 VOLUME 12, ISSUE 40

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2007

www.woolwichobserver.com

PRICELESS

Pendergast part of Liberal majority Kitchener-Conestoga follows the trend as Liberals return for another term in office

GOOD RUN Tory candidate Michael Harris congratulates Leeanna Pendergast on her victory late Wednesday night.

MARC MIQUEL HELSEN & VANESSA MOSS It was a close contest that ran late into the night, but Leeanna Pendergast emerged as the victor in the new riding of Kitchener-Conestoga, part of the Liberal majority returned to Queen’s Park Wednesday night.

Garnering 16,316 votes (41.8% of the total), Pendergast was followed by Conservative Michael Harris with 14,446 (37.0%); New Democrat Mark Cairns came in third with 4,542 (11.6%).

Voting was rounded out by the Green Party’s Colin Jones with 2,802 (7.2%), Len Solomon of the Family Coalition Party with 509 (1.3%), Larry Stevens of the Libertarians with 245 (0.6%) and Freedom Party candidate David Driver with 147 (0.4%).

Just less than half (49.4%) of the riding’s 78,960 eligible voters turned out to cast a ballot. That was consistent with the story across the province, which set a record low for voter turnout.

See RESULTS »02

W

PHOTOS | MARC MIQUEL HELSEN

Island after qualifying with a second-place finish at the Junior A championship in Cobourg July 7-8.

HAPPINESS IS ... Liberal Leeanna Pendergast was all smiles Wednesday night after winning the Kitchener-Conestoga riding.

First-time MPP will represent new riding Pendergast sees learning curve as she gets ready to join government MARC MIQUEL HELSEN & VANESSA MOSS Commentators were quick to call a Liberal majority in Wednesday night’s provincial election, but it was too close to call for most of the night in the newly formed riding of Kitchener-Conestoga. It made for a tense time for the two prime combatants, Liberal candidate Leeanna Pendergast and Tory Michael Harris.

In the end, Pendergast came out on

top, taking 16,316 votes to Harris’ 14,446.

Arriving at the election-night base, the Edelweiss Tavern in Kitchener, at approximately 11:30 p.m., Pendergast walked into a room full of boisterous supporters who had anxiously watched polling results on television. With her family nearby, Pendergast made her way through the throng and took the stage full of “thank-yous” and accolades for her family, her supporters and her campaign team.

“I want to assure you that for the next four years, the dedication and the hard work you saw in this campaign will move forward with me and with our team on your behalf.

[We’ll] work towards a stronger Ontario, a smarter Ontario with publicly-funded schools; a healthier Ontario, an Ontario with an economy; and a greener Ontario that supports families. The infrastructure that we need is families to grow and to prosper because at the end of the day, we all go home. That’s there waiting for See RIDING »07

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Pendergast part of Liberal majority

First-time candidate Leeanna Pendergast of Conestogo emerged victorious in the new riding of Kitchener-Conestoga, part of the Liberal majority returned to Queen’s Park Oct. 10. Garnering 16,316 votes (41.8% of the total), Pendergast was followed by Conservative Michael Harris

Maryhill community centre opens

Maryhill residents were in a celebratory mood Oct. 14 as the Heritage Park Community Centre threw open its doors, the first in a series of new recreation facilities to be built in Woolwich Township.

Yard work is now the law

A proposed new “clean yard” bylaw was unveiled at Woolwich council Oct. 16, making it quicker and easier to assess fines and force the cleanup of unkempt properties. The target is debris, long grass, excessive weed growth and derelict vehicles. The new rules give the township authority to set and enforce standards for the appearance of individual properties.

Breslau residents face dry wells

Concerned about a lack of action, Breslau residents went public with their concerns about wells drying up in the core of the village. Homeowners near to the Riverland subdivision under construction in the south end pointed to the development as the cause of the woes – some two dozen saw their shallow dug wells run dry. The outcry set off an investigation by Woolwich Township that continued through the rest of the year.

Wellesley shoots down amalgamation talks

With amalgamation talks floating around Waterloo Region once again, Wellesley councillors moved to quash the notion, voting Oct. 30 in favour of a City of Cambridge motion shooting down the aspirations of the Citizens for Better Government.

NOVEMBER

CPAC member launches appeal against Chemtura

Plans for a new ammonia treatment facility at Chemtura Canada were put on hold pending an appeal to the Environmental Review Tribunal by a member of the community watchdog committee that advises the Elmira chemical company.

Alan Marshall got the ball rolling on what would be some drawn-out infighting

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Fighting arises over the hill

Petition in hand, residents of Elmira’s Robb Road came to Woolwich council Nov. 6 looking for support in a dispute over a large berm created in their backyards. The homeowners sought action on an eight-foot (2.5-metre) pile of earth that cut up to 16 feet off their yards. The builder said the grading had been part of the deal all along, while residents claimed they were never informed the berm would be installed.

Suspicious death in Maryhill

The body of Robert Rempel, 49, was found on a Maryhill farm Nov. 11. The death of the man, a transient known to police, was deemed suspicious. The investigation yielded no solution by year’s end.

A sprint to the finish

The Woolwich Recreational Facilities Foundation kicked off its “take a seat” campaign at a special event Nov. 14 at the Elmira Arena. The group charged with raising $5.6 million for an assortment of new rec. facilities in the township is selling seats at the Dan Snyder Memorial Arena that will be built as part of the new Woolwich Memorial Centre in Elmira.

Girl, 8, pulls brother from river

An eight-year-old Drayton girl was lauded after pulling her younger brother from the Conestogo River Nov. 18. Kaylin Stuckless grabbed onto Gavin Dolson-Stuckless after he fell through a thin layer of ice, while four-year-old brother Brandin Soehner went for help. Kaylin and Brandin were nominated for OPP lifesaving awards.

Council parks No Frills expansion

Homes beat out cars Nov. 20, as Woolwich council turned down a bid to expand parking at the No Frills store in Elmira.

Councillors turned down a bid by Loblaw-linked Do-

etrail Incorporated to tear down the house at 244 Arthur St. S. and subsequently incorporate the one-acre property with the adjacent grocery store, bumping parking to 191 spaces from the current 86.

WICC gets new home as deal closes

Woolwich Counselling Centre (WICC) found itself a new home Nov. 30 when the deal closed on its bid to purchase the former St. Aidan’s Church on Arthur Street in Elmira. Purchased and renovated at a cost of $432,000, the new site provides needed space as the organization outgrew its 30-year home at St. James Lutheran Church.

DECEMBER

Sweeping fee hikes for Woolwich services

Fees for everything from recreational activities to cemetery services were hiked substantially for 2008 under a plan approved Dec. 4 by Woolwich council.

New fire hall in works for Floradale

Floradale firefighters were all smiles Dec. 11 as Woolwich council awarded the contract to build a new fire hall on Florapine Road.

Gateman-Milloy Inc. of Kitchener won the $1.2-million contract to construct the facility, slated to open in the spring.

Work underway on rec. complex

Minor sports participants got out the shovels Dec. 12 for the official groundbreaking ceremony at the site of the Woolwich Memorial Centre in Elmira. The $23-million multi-purpose facility – including twin ice pads and a pool – will open in September 2009.

Rescue van battle comes to an end

As the year was winding down, Wellesley council put an end to the drawnout saga of the Linwood fire station’s rescue van on Dec. 18. After much debate, councillors opted to go with township fire chief Dave Geil’s plan to recommision Wellesley Village’s old 1977 rescue van as a stopgap measure, rather than sinking more money into Linwood’s failing 1982 model.

A new vehicle could be in place as early as 2009.

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8 | OPINION

The Observer | Saturday, January 05, 2008

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» EDITORIAL

Time for some political resolutions Here we are a few days into the new year.

Have you broken any resolutions yet?

Did you make any in the first place?

What is it about a new calendar year that makes us eager to reinvent ourselves, if only a little bit? The coming of a new year is seen as a fresh start and a time for deciding what needs to be changed and where to go next. It’s for these reasons that so many people make new year’s resolutions to accomplish things such as to exercise more, quit smoking, pay off debt, save more money, complete projects, get organized, further education, lose weight, and the like.

Perhaps there’s an endless optimism that we can change, that we can be better – which, of course, recognizes that we all have something in our lives that we wish to alter. Psychologists tell us this is normal human behaviour, adding that the tough part is actually following through on the impulse for self-improvement. In other words, fantasizing about a better you, about an idealized version of you – most of us can actually picture ourselves that way – will remain just that: a fantasy. Unless, that is, we are willing to work hard to make the dream a reality.

As individuals, we’ve been performing this ritual for centuries – for some of us, resolving to do the same thing, such as exercise more, is indeed a yearly ritual, but that’s another story. Can this sense of renewal be extended to a wider venue – say, to a community as a whole?

We’d certainly like to believe our politicians think so. While 2007 wasn’t overly trying, there is plenty of room for improvement in 2008 where our leaders are concerned. It’s hardly inspirational to settle for ‘there weren’t as many screwups as usual.’ Is this the year we’ll see real change for the better, with policies that favour the electorate and not the elected?

Optimism, at least in part, is at the root of the decision every time we elect a government, a chance that something will actually change. That politicians seldom make a difference doesn’t seem to completely eliminate that sense of “maybe this time” when we go to the polls.

This is perhaps the same hopefulness that gets us to put down some money on lottery tickets: we can dream of what we’ll do with the riches – a one-in-amillion chance – until the results come in and dash those hopes … but there’s

» VERBATIM “Most Canadian provincial economies are heavily tied to their exports. Whether they’re exporting in oil or in non-resource type goods, a recession in the U.S. would obviously spell bad news.”

TD Bank economist Derek Burleton discusses oil at $100 a barrel

always the next draw.

Unlike the winning lottery numbers, however, we have control over our resolutions and whether we stick to them.

To a lesser extent, especially given the decreasing voter turnout, we have some control over our politicians – at least enough to throw the bums out. (That they are replaced by a new group of bums is, again, another story.)

Many of us make resolutions casually, only to just as easily break them. We then rationalize our actions. In our jaded age, we’re equally blasé about the same lack of follow-through from our elected officials – in fact, we’ve come to expect them to lie, cheat, break their promises and to otherwise act in a self-serving manner. (Such has certainly been the case with the “new” government currently installed in Ottawa.) That doesn’t mean, however, that we just accept the status quo.

Maybe this year’s resolutions should include expecting more from our politicians (are you listening, Stephen Harper, Dalton McGuinty?). Maybe our political leaders should resolve to do what’s right, to make us all better, if only once in their current term.

» THE MONITOR By the time most Canadians rolled up their sleeves to begin a new year of work, Canada’s best-paid 100 CEOs had already pocketed the national average wage of $38,998 by 10:33 a.m. Jan. 2. They earn that amount every 9.5 hours.

Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives

OPINION | 9

The Observer | Saturday, January 05, 2008

» HARD TALK | RAFE MAIR

Vancouver a city state on the Fraser Over the past two years, I’ve been privileged to act as facilitator for Metro Vancouver (something akin to regional government).

I’ve chaired some 25 meetings relating to the Livable Region and how it is impacted by issues such as transit, crime, density, economic development, employment and so on.

I have probably listened to more than 100 presentations and, as importantly, listened to so-called stakeholders. It’s been an awesome experience, and has given me a great opportunity to get an overall look at how the region functions, and some of the challenges it faces.

In a way, Metro Vancouver is like a federal system, with the component parts being like provinces and Metro Vancouver the federal government. But there is a major difference: in Canada, the federal government permits provinces to act within their constitutional boundaries, while in B.C., municipalities are never permitted to forget that they are children of big mama in Victoria.

Before I started doing this exercise in power-making, I would have favoured a more centralized scheme for Metro Vancouver. Now I’m not so sure. These issues are often debated, with the proamalgamation folks going on about duplications and economies of scale.

The issue has surfaced most recently is the context of calls for a regional police force. West Vancouver, New Westminster, Delta and Vancouver have their own police forces, while the balance use RCMP.

Always at the back of the mind of those dealing with this issue is the fact that it’s not been a great decade for the police in Canada, what with the Morin, Marshall and David Milgaard cases, where police perjury sent three men to jail for murders they did not commit; taser deaths; questionable handling of drunks; Friday night police drinks parties in the wardroom; and so on.

Whether we would be better served by a region-wide Metro Vancouver police force is for others to debate.

When I think of municipal issues, I find myself less worried about how we govern ourselves, but stew over this basic question: where the devil does it all end?

There are two projects that have caught my eye. The obvious one is the expansion, upgrading and dramatic changing of the Sea-to-Sky Highway, which runs right through where I live in Lions Bay. There is no question that the current road is a dangerous highway, but were it not for the 2010 Olympics, much could have been done to make it safer by modest changes and better policing.

What now will happen is a series of developments along the highway, and considerable expansion of Squamish.

On the axiom “Build it and they will come,” it will not be long before the new four-lane highway is no better at handling the traffic than the present one.

Delta will be similarly impacted. The Municipality of Delta is one of the oldest, if not the oldest, farming community in British Columbia. The South Fraser Perimeter Road will have a substantial impact on sensitive environmental areas, and as “progress” continues, more people will arrive and

roads and other infrastructures will need expanding and upgrading.

I’ve dealt with this problem before, and will only touch upon it now: government environmental impact studies are a cruel farce. By the time the government orders them, the deal has already been done and consultations with the public are about as fair as “show trials” used to be behind the Iron Curtain.

Metro Vancouver has been guided by a Livable Region Strategic Plan since 1996, when it was adopted with the support of all municipalities. The Province of B.C. has recognized the plan under the Growth Strategies Act. The primary goal of the plan is to help maintain regional livability and protect the environment in the face of anticipated growth.

The four main strategies of the plan are: Protect the Green Zone: The Green Zone protects Greater Vancouver’s natural assets, including major parks, watersheds, ecologically important areas and resource lands such as farmland.

It also establishes a long-term growth boundary.

Build complete communities: The plan supports the public’s desire for communities with a wider range of opportunities for day-to-day life. Focused on regional and municipal town centres, more complete communities would result in more jobs closer to where people live and accessible by transit, shops and services near home, and a wider choice of housing types.

Achieve a compact metropolitan region: The plan avoids widely dispersed development, and accommodates a significant proportion of population growth within the “growth concentra-

tion area,” in the central part of the region.

Increase transportation choice: The plan supports the increased use of transit, walking and cycling by minimizing the need to travel (through convenient arrangement of land uses), and by managing transportation supply and demand.

Why not give democracy a chance?

My essential question is this: what happens when senior governments want to do something that one of the component local governments of Metro Vancouver either isn’t fussy about or simply disapproves of – such as the overpass at Eagleridge Bluffs near Horseshoe Bay, or a massive undertaking such as expanding Deltaport, including a highway that endangers wildlife preserves and threatens agricultural land?

At present, when the provincial government decides to do something, it does it. Then, as an afterthought, it gets an environmental assessment. That the project will be approved is a foregone conclusion of nearly all B.C. environmental assessments. There is very little ability for the public to stop, amend or slow down Victoria’s pet projects.

The questions I raise are easily dealt with by business groups like boards of trade or chambers of commerce. “We must have progress,” they say. “If you don’t go forward, you’ll wind up going backwards.” And, of course, “Jobs!

Jobs! Jobs!”

Surely the time has come to finally face the elephant in the room and set some sort of standards for growth.

How big do we want to be? Do we really want to continue growing bigger and bigger and let future generations See MAIR »09

» INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS | GWYNNE DYER

Bhutto never was the answer to Pakistan’s woes Benazir Bhutto did five years of hard time in prison, much of it in solitary confinement, after her father, Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, was overthrown and hanged by the worst of Pakistan’s military dictators, General Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq. But she was a woman who liked her privileges and her luxuries, and she was never a very effective politician.

I got to know Benazir Bhutto a bit in the mid-1970s, when she had finished her degree at Harvard and was doing graduate work at Oxford University.

She actually spent much of her time in London, in a grand flat she kept just off Hyde Park.

If you knew a lot of people in town who took an interest in Middle Eastern and subcontinental affairs (I had been studying at the School of Oriental and African Studies), and you weren’t too old or too boring, you were likely to end up at her flat once in a while, at what some would call a salon but I would call a party.

A fairly decorous party as those things went in ’70s London, to be sure, with everybody showing off their sophisticated knowledge of the region’s

politics and nobody getting out of hand, but definitely a party. The hostess was well informed and quite clever, and she obviously had money coming out of her ears. We knew her dad had been prime minister of Pakistan before Zia overthrew him, of course, but she was neither a serious scholar nor a budding politician.

She seemed more American than Pakistani in her style and attitudes, but beneath the Radcliffe and Harvard veneer she also seemed like thousands of other young upper-class women from Pakistan and India who were floating around London at the time.

They called one another by girlish nicknames like “Bubbles,” they didn’t take anything very seriously (including their studies), and they seemed destined for a life of idle privilege.

Then Benazir Bhutto went back to Pakistan in 1977, just about the time that Zia had her father sentenced to death in a rigged trial. He was hanged in 1979, and Benazir was thrown into jail for five years. But when she came out after Zia died, she was already the head of the party her father had founded, the Pakistan People’s Party, and by 1988 she was prime minister.

She was only 35.

She was prime minister twice, from 1988-90 and 1993-96, and was removed from power both times on corruption

charges. The charges have never been proved in court, but the evidence of kickbacks and commissions, especially to her husband Asif Zardari, whom she foolishly made investment minister, is pretty overwhelming. But that was not the real problem.

The problem was that she never seemed to have any goal in politics, apart from vindicating her father by leading his party back to power. At the start she was hugely popular, but she wasted her opportunity to make real changes in Pakistan because she had no notion (beyond the usual rhetoric) of what a better Pakistan would look like. Pakistan is already pretty good for her sort of people, so it should not surprise us that there was almost nothing to show for her years in office.

If she had become prime minister again, which was a quite likely outcome of the current crisis, there is no reason to believe that she would have done any better this time. Her assassination just makes it harder to solve the crisis at all.

Benazir Bhutto’s party, the PPP, has no alternative leader with national visibility. The other major opposition party leader, Nawaz Sharif, is equally compromised by his past failures, and is currently planning to boycott the elections originally scheduled for Jan. 8, but pushed back to Feb. 18. Ex-gen-

eral Pervez Musharraf, who had himself “re-elected” president in October and imposed emergency rule in order to dismiss the supreme court judges who would have ruled his “election” illegal, is totally discredited and unlikely to last much longer.

The most probable outcome is a new period of military rule under a different ruler, simply for lack of a good alternative. It is pathetic that a country the size of Pakistan should have so few inspiring or even promising candidates for high political office.

The vast majority of Pakistan’s politicians, and of the people who run pretty well everything else in the country apart from the armed forces, are drawn from the three or four per cent of the population who constitute the country’s traditional elite. It is a very shallow pool of talent, made up of people who have a big stake in the status quo and a huge sense of entitlement.

Look east to India, west to Iran, or north to China, and by comparison Pakistan’s political demography is absolutely feudal. So long as that remains the case, it is absurd to imagine that democracy will solve Pakistan’s problems. I admired Benazir Bhutto’s courage and I am very sorry that she was killed, but she could never have been Pakistan’s saviour.

10 | OPINION

The Observer | Saturday, January 05, 2008

Mair: People need a voice in democracy » From page 09

worry about congestion in every sense of that word?

Common sense tells us that there must be some point at which we say, “Enough is enough!”

But shouldn’t we know, at this critical juncture, where the Gateway Plan will have such an impact, look down the road and anticipate what new stresses will come after Gateway?

Do we keep encouraging new arrivals to settle in B.C. without any plans as to how they and future immigrants will be accommodated?

Ought not the public be given an opportunity to deal with this vexatious problem, before decisions are made?

I realize that democracy is difficult for a government to deal with. But just for the hell of it, why not give it a chance?

» OBSERVER Q&A

What is your New Year’s resolution?

“To start running so I can run a five-kilometre race in March.”

“None. I didn’t even make it to the New Year.”

“Learn to play hockey.”

“Help people more.”

Tracey MacDonald

Greg DeRose

Allan McMurray

Randy Thoman

» LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Thoughtful gesture shows the spirit of Christmas is indeed still alive To the Editor, The Christmas spirit is still alive. On the Saturday before Christmas, we went to the stockyards. We also went for breakfast at about 7:30 a.m. to the Cedar Barn.

While at the restaurant, we started chatting with the couple beside us. We had never met before. We

just chatted. They left and we wished them Merry Christmas. We then proceeded to request the bill and, to our astonishment, they had paid our bill.

What a kind gesture! We don’t know who they are, but if we do meet again we will return the favour.

Linda & John Gerth Via the Internet

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12 | BUSINESS

The Observer | Saturday, January 05, 2008

BUSINESS

CTT sees strong economic outlook for region in 2008 STEVE KANNON Waterloo Region’s economy has been booming, with more the same expected for 2008, although economists are keeping an eye on the fragile U.S. economy, to which Canada’s is so closely tied.

A recently released report by Canada’s Technology Triangle Inc. found the region is one of the most robust areas in the country.

It’s ranked in the top quartile of many of the key metrics, when compared to the 27 Canadian Census Metropolitan Areas (CMAs).

The report showed high employment and participation rates reflecting a healthy number of jobs, with Waterloo Region having the fourth highest participation rate and the fifth highest employment rate in the country.

Waterloo Region’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP or the value of finished goods and services produced) also reached an estimated $21.5 billion in 2006. The nearly 41-per-cent growth in GDP from 1997 to 2006 ranked sixth among Canada’s 27 metropolitan areas.

“Canada’s Technology Triangle’s economic distinction lies in its consistent and solid performance in this wide range of economic indicators,” says John Tennant, chief executive officer of Canada’s Technology Triangle Inc (CTT).

Record employment numbers were also reported. The number of people employed in Canada’s Tech-

nology Triangle reached 251,400 in 2006, an historic high, and an increase of almost 27 per cent over 1996. The proportion of the labour force employed in manufacturing also remained exceptionally high at almost 25 per cent, second only to Windsor.

Significantly more people were attracted to Waterloo Region, over CMAs of similar size, with Waterloo Region’s net-migration reaching 22,582 people between 2001 and 2006. The 2005 median employment income of $31,100 was the fourth highest in Canada.

The region also has an excellent track record in attracting new people and talent. As noted in the report, the Kitchener CMA attracted the sixth strongest flow of net new migrants per capita between 2002 and 2006.

Also, in terms of population growth between 2002 and 2006, Waterloo Region ranked fifth among the 27 CMAs, with the Kitchener CMAs population growth at 8.9 per cent versus a national average of 5.4 per cent.

The diversified nature of the local economy bodes well for Waterloo Region, given some uncertainty about 2008, said Tennant.

“The region’s strength helps us tack well when the economic headwinds blow strongly.”

Specifically, a downturn in an already faltering U.S. economy could mean some rough patches ahead. The Canadian dollar has already soared against the green-

back, hurting manufacturers and other exporters. A growing debt and trade deficit – not to mention the ongoing fallout from the subprime mortgage crisis – mean the U.S. economy is unlikely to rebound any time soon.

“Those factors leave us vulnerable to pressures in various sectors,” he said.

To that end, he welcomed Ontario government incentives for business, including $650 million to promote green manufacturing, including biomaterials and biofuels. An additional $500 million has been earmarked for biotechnology, health care, pharmaceuticals, information and communication, and digital media. Each of those sectors provides an opportunity for Waterloo Region, with its hightech reputation and post-secondary institutions. A new school of pharmacy in Kitchener will only add to the mix.

Supportive of corporate tax breaks that have already been announced, Tennant called on both the federal and provincial governments to go even further. Accelerated depreciation allowances would help businesses to invest in new equipment to boost productivity even further – a necessary step to remain competitive.

“Changes, especially alternative energy and green manufacturing, are an opportunity for the region to position itself,” he said, noting the area has the expertise to excel in the information technologies.

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The Observer | Saturday, January 05, 2008

» FOOD FOR THOUGHT | OWEN ROBERTS

Mobilize to capture opportunities, farmers told Farmers are starting to get people’s attention, thanks to the awakening that agriculture significantly impacts the things Canadians care about most: health and the environment, as well as safe and reliable food.

But now, farmers need to mobilize themselves and think strategically about how to make consumers see the light, or the opportunity will be lost.

That’s the word from global farm leader Jack Wilkinson, in his retrospective year-end address to the 100 farm organizations and millions of farm families around the world represented by the International Federation of Agricultural Producers, of which he’s president.

Wilkinson, a northern Ontario farmer, has over the years gone from being head of one of the most powerful provincial farm groups in Canada, the Guelph-based Ontario Federation of Agriculture, to lead the biggest farmers’ group anywhere on the planet.

And he’s not happy about what he sees. He’s not satisfied that farmers around the world are getting a fair shake, and he regularly says so, in clear terms. For example, in his year-end address, he wonders how anyone can expect world hunger to be reduced if farming isn’t lucrative

enough for farmers to produce food.

It’s not unlike the position the Ontario federation has taken on profitable agriculture – that is, there’s nothing wrong with farmers making some money. If people realized the many services farmers’ provide, they’d be less cranky about paying the real cost of food production.

And that’s what Wilkinson’s onto.

He believes that with agriculture just starting to register in many peoples’ minds as a conduit to better health, a cleaner environment and a sustainable food supply – the recent interest in the pursuit of locally grown food, for instance – there’s a golden opportunity for the industry to make some headway on consumers’ eyes. It has a big chance to take its image from respectable, where it now stands, to essential, which is where it should be.

In part, that means an increasing and immediate commitment to communications, says the international federation. It’s pounding the table for not necessarily more news releases and stories, but rather, for more strategic messaging. It wants farmers to pay more attention to specifically what their organizations want to achieve, and proceed with the appropriate communications. “More profile” is one approach, but a better one is “More profile specifically aimed at showing how Ontario farm produce is good for your health,” or something similar reflecting the environmental or food safety advan-

tages to consumers and the general public.

Again, this is all consistent with the provincial federation’s drive for one voice for farming, so messages and campaigns targeted for stakeholders such as the public, politicians and the media are as efficient as possible.

It’s a lofty goal given the fragmentation in farming, but if ever it was attainable, now’s the time to try.

There’s really no time to waste.

Ontario’s grocery retail bloodbath, as shown in a report by the Guelph-based George Morris Centre, is seeing consumers inching towards

patronizing big box stores, not local food vendors. That realization indicates that while farmers have captured the imaginations of some of the public through the local food movement, many consumers are not aware that supporting farmers in their region is much better in the long term than giving all their food business to giant chains.

If farmers take Wilkinson’s advice and capitalize on their new profileraising opportunity, explaining the folly of bargain-basement food pricing may be one of their most useful strategic approaches.

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14 | SPORTS

The Observer | Saturday, January 05, 2008

SPORTS » MINOR HOCKEY

» JUNIOR DEVELOPMENT

Productive weekend as Jacks post two wins

Woolwich Wild Atom girls win Jason Cripps Memorial Tournament in Kitchener

Victory over first-place Delhi satisfying as regular season begins to wind down

PHOTO | VANESSA MOSS

VANESSA MOSS

WILD ABOUT WINNING The Woolwich Wild Atoms placed first in the Jason Cripps Christmas Tournament Dec. 30 at the Kitchener Auditorium. Front: Alyssa McMurray. Middle: Autumn Campbell (left), Ciara Hea, Jaycee Kaufman, Rachel Weber, Brooke Davenport, Megan Chapman. Back: head coach John Davenport, Hannah Weber, Marlow Schott, Megan Thoman, Cassidy Bauman, assistant coach Steve Chapman. Missing: Jessica Schopp, Bryn Doering, trainer Patti Schopp, assistant coach Greg Kaufman. fun.” to the wire,” Davenport said.

VANESSA MOSS The talented goalie said she While winning isn’t uncommon for the team – it sits sec- loves making really great saves The girls’ dressing room was ond in the league – beating and practiced hard to prepare abuzz with excitement at the highly competitive squads for the tournament. This inSt. Jacobs arena Wednesday posed a unique challenge, es- cluded watching her NHL idol night as the Woolwich Wild pecially for the girls in their Roberto Luongo to see how he reacts in different situations.

Atoms celebrated their recent first year of hockey.

This tournament gave them a Looking back on her recent victory.

In a clean sweep of five games, chance to work on their skills accomplishments, McMurray the nine- and 10-year-olds in new arenas and with lots of said the whole tournament was a success, but the final match placed first in their division fans. “[I enjoy] watching the girls up was most rewarding. at the Jason Cripps Christmas “Because we got trophies at Tournament Dec. 30 at the learn and improve and … have fun,” Kaufman said, adding the end of the game.”

Kitchener Auditorium.

With this victory under their “They were very excited, ob- that the girls banded together viously, and jumping around, to put up a strong fight each belts, the girls are now preparthrowing their gloves. It was round and benefited from good ing for their playoff season just a feel-good day,” said assis- goaltending by Alyssa Mc- that kicks off this Saturday.

Murray and Cassidy Bauman. tant coach Greg Kaufman.

“Every game was a nail-bit- “I think they all had a great Jason Cripps Memorial Tournament Results for Woolwich Wild Atom Girls er,” added head coach John time.”

Game 1: 2-1 over the Kitchener Bobcats Outside the dressing room beDavenport. “They played every Goals: Brooke Davenport x2 fore practice Wednesday night, Game 2: 1-0 over the Waterloo Raven #1 game hard.”

That drive was especially im- Hannah Weber said she en- Goal: Brooke Davenport (Megan Chapman) portant in the final game as the joyed playing with her friends Game 3: 3-2 over Fergus Mustangs #2 team held a tie until 14 seconds and felt the whole tournament Goals: Megan Thoman, Megan Chapman, Brooke Davenport (Jessica Schoopp) before the final buzzer when was really fun.

Game 4: 1-0 over Fergus #1 McMurray agreed, noting Goal: Megan Chapman (Jessica Schoopp) Megan Chapman secured a 2-1 that the most important as- Game 5: 2-1 over Waterloo Raven #2 win.

“Every game was right down pect of goaltending is “having Goals: Megan Chapman x2

With just 14 games left in their regular season, the Wellesley Applejacks made the most of two home games last weekend, beating the Port Dover Sailors 8-3 and the Delhi Travellers 5-4.

“In both games, I thought we played really well,” coach Kevin Lobsinger said of the results.

While Saturday night’s win against Port Dover was sweet, Sunday’s victory was even more satisfying because of the latter team’s league standing. Port Dover is in last place with 14 points and Delhi is ranked first in the McConnell Conference of the Southern Ontario Junior Hockey League with 44. Wellesley’s 33 points puts the team in the middle of the pack.

“When you can knock off the first-place team, that’s a good game,” Lobsinger said. “You had to play a good, solid game.”

And not rack up too many penalties, which the team has been steadily working on the last few weeks. The focus has been to decrease penalty minutes without compromising other aspects of the sport.

“We can still skate and hit hard and play an extremely physical game and not take penalties. ...

There were a couple really big hits [against Delhi]. Chris Armstrong, he stepped up in the neutral zone and absolutely tattooed a guy with his head down [and got] no penalty. He did it perfectly clean – referee never called anything. So, right now the big thing for us is just getting it into our mind to keep our feet moving and stop reaching because those are still the penalties we’re getting.”

In the first period Saturday, Wellesley went 15:51 before racking up its first of only seven penalties on the night. The players spent the rest of the time in the opening frame scoring three back-to-back goals at 1:33 on a power play (Brock Gerber from Will Metske and Pat Doyle), 2:07 (Matt Snyder from Metske) and

at 18:53 (Brett VanGerwen from Trevor Nissen).

The points kept coming in the second when Brady Hauck scored on a pass from Scott Litt and Mike Fisher on a power play at 0:24. Port Dover managed to get two between the posts that period, but Wellesley fired back with goals at 9:57 by Snyder from Ben Jefferies and two near the end of the second by Hauck (Scott Hanley, Jefferies) and Fisher (Hauck, Kurt Atchison).

With the Jacks up 7-2 going into the third, Port Dover gave a last effort at 8:25 with a point on a power play, but Wellesley cranked one in at 13:48 (Jefferies from Shawn Fitzpatrick) to secure the 8-3 win.

Coming up with solid victories like that one hasn’t been easy for the Jacks so far this season, but with many of the guys in their last year of junior play, Lobsinger said the players might be starting to appreciate the importance of these seasonending games.

“There’s going to be seven guys whose hockey’s done and if we’re waiting until February to turn it up and start playing, that could be too late. It’s time to turn it up and start playing now so this way we can extend some of these guys’ Junior hockey careers as long as we possibly can.”

That was the message the coach and general manager Dave Litt put forward during the team’s dry-land practice Wednesday night and their words carried the team forward to Sunday afternoon.

Wellesley took the first point of the game against Delhi as Atchison scored from Metske and Doyle.

The Travellers netted two in the second before the Jacks tied things up at 11:36 (Jefferies from Atchison).

The play turned sour for the home team in the third as Delhi took two quick points making it 4-2, but Wellesley wasn’t willing to give up. The players scored See JACKS »17

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SPORTS | 15

The Observer | Saturday, January 05, 2008

Âť THE NOT-SO-GREAT OUTDOORSMAN | STEVE GALEA

The itch for ice fishing often leaves you doing rash things As much as I hate to admit it, it’s time to prepare for ice fishing. I’m not talking about the preparation of equipment – heck, that part is easy. Ice fishing is – despite what tackle manufacturers are trying to imply these days – the simplest of angling sports. Essentially, a twig, hook, minnow, and line can put you in the game.

No, the preparation I’m referring to is purely mental.

Sometime within the next day or two, I need to convince myself that there’s nothing I’d rather do than sit on an overturned five-gallon pail atop a frozen lake in the dead of winter. That, of course, doesn’t take much convincing.

Especially since I’ll take the experience to the next level by jigging a lure or watching a line as a minnow tugs

feebly on it. But despite the way this has been glamorized by the media, there are times when I wonder what people like me see in it.

Admittedly, ice fishing can be awfully exciting, especially when you’re fighting a good trout. Unfortunately, these moments remind me of what an old British professor once divulged to my freshman class regarding sex – that being, “The position is undignified, and the pleasure purely momentary.�

Despite this, I’m slowly building my enthusiasm towards hundreds of wasted hours on the hard water. When I’m there, life slows down – much like my heart rate and metabolism.

On the ice, I get to think deep thoughts like “Do they celebrate Kwanza in Kwanzet huts?� Or “How many roads must a man walk down, before he finds out where he left his car?�

There are other equally poignant moments too – most of those occurring long after my brain thaws out.

The point – if there must be one – is that ice fishing kind of grows on you, often like an allergic reaction. You get the itch early on, and before long it begins to drive you crazy. After that, you spend a lot of time making rash decisions.

Of course, ice fishing can also be dangerous, especially early in the year.

I’ve found myself floundering in cold water twice during ill-fated expeditions. Luckily, each of these instances occurred in late July. True, accidents happen, but that didn’t stop me from feeling like an idiot when the divers couldn’t recover my hut.

In any case, I’ve experienced enough good times on the ice to get enthused about it all over again. Just the other day, a diehard angler I know told me that the rainbows are biting really good right about now.

Since my wife and I were shopping at the time, I knew I couldn’t just drop everything and leave right there and

then. That’s why I tried dropping some things. Apparently, that doesn’t work either.

I guess what I’m saying is that I’m now fully engaged in ice fishing mode.

As soon as I finish this column I’ll go to the box where I keep all of my ice fishing gear and I’ll sort it out. I’ll change lines on reels, assess what tackle I need to buy, add a few new lures to my list, and make sure my rods are sound.

Then I’ll go to the shed where I keep my augers and spuds and I’ll check them too. And sometime this week, I’ll chase a few rainbows.

Perhaps this just substantiates the resilience of the Canadian outdoorsman. Or maybe it just proves that an angler’s memory is short. Either way, it works for me.

On a more serious note, the new fishing regulations are out and many changes are in effect. Get a copy, study it, and make sure you ’re doing things right.

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16 | SPORTS

The Observer | Saturday, January 05, 2008

Players gearing up for what comes next as prospects game approaches VANESSA MOSS Two Elmira Sugar Kings have more than just regular season games on their minds these days as they prepare to play in the prospects game Jan. 21 in Stratford.

The event, which replaces the all-star game, will feature top players from the Mid-Western, Western and Golden Horseshoe Junior Hockey League conferences, all battling for the attention of American college and Ontario Hockey League scouts in the stands.

Defenceman Trent Brown and goalie Dan Morrison are two these hopefuls who were nominated by the Kings and then selected by a league panel as players with the potential to move up in competition level.

“It’s a pretty big honour to be chosen,” said Kings general manager Keith Stewart. Especially since this year the prospects will be up against players from all three leagues instead of just their own.

“I think it will be good. It’ll be the top players from the whole Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League,” Stewart said. “[The scouts] can see them all in one place at one time.”

Both Brown and Morrison are pumped, albeit a little anxious about taking on guys from 25 other teams.

“It’s exciting. It’s nice to be recognized as a prospect obviously and hopefully I play well because I know there’s going to be a lot of scouts there – just nervous and excited I guess,” Morrison said.

“It’s what I wanted to do at the beginning of the year; it was a goal of mine,”

said Brown.

At 18-years-old, Morrison and Brown still have two years of Junior B eligibility left, so college scouts might wait a year or two before picking them up, if at all. It depends on what players they need at what time, Morrison explained.

“It’s nerve-racking,” he said of the season-long process that involves scouts attending regular, showcase and playoff games throughout the year.

“This [prospects game] isn’t just a door- die thing: there are other games that they can come to.”

Despite the tough competition for spots, Stewart said the two have a shot.

“We regard Dan as the top goalie in the league … and the same thing with Trent Brown: he’s one of the top defencemen in the league.”

To prepare for the upcoming showcase, Brown and Morrison plan to keep it simple and stick to their routines.

“I’m playing against a lot of the best people in Ontario, so I don’t want to go out and try to do too much,” Brown said.

While both players are leaning towards business as a major in college, Brown is seriously looking at the Rochester Institute of Technology whereas Morrison is keeping his options open.

“Any NCAA school would be great. …

If I could just go and play Division One hockey, that would be my goal. “[It] would be one of the biggest accomplishments of my life.”

The prospects game takes place Jan. 21 at 7:30 p.m. at the Allman Arena in Stratford.

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SPORTS | 17

The Observer | Saturday, January 05, 2008

Jacks: Coach sees commitment Âť From page 14

three in a row to beat the first-place team (VanGerwen from Hanley; Chris Armstrong from Hauck and Dan Berwick; Fisher from Atchison). “We scored right off the ‌ face off and that was a huge boost for us because it showed we weren’t going to lay down and die,â€? Lobsinger explained.

It also helped that the boys were well rested for both weekend games after the coaching staff advised them to cut down on late nights. “One of the things we talked about was the nights before games, you don’t need to go out and party every night before a game and all of a sudden on Saturday, I’m hearing from a couple different par-

ents how they were shocked on Friday night that their kids were home by eight, nine o’clock, which was great. That’s the kind of commitment we’re looking for.�

The team will need this dedication if it hopes to reach the season-ending goal of being 13-3. “That gives us a legitimate shot at being in first place,� Lobsinger said. “Hopefully these guys are starting to realize that time is ticking and if we still want to catch Tavistock, St. George, first, second place, the clock’s getting shorter.�

The Jacks hit the road this weekend, starting Friday night in Tavistock and tonight (Saturday) in Hagersville at 7:30 p.m.

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Woolwich #2 3 Woolwich #3 1 Goals: Conor Jansen (Zachary Goetz, Lucas Bauman), Brock MacDonald (Adam Cook), Jordi Baird (Jacob Hahn, Zachary Goetz) Woolwich Wildcats Minor Atom A Dec. 22

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Woolwich 3 Belleville 2 Goals: Kyle Bauman, Adam Brubacher, Mckinley Ceaser (Jake Moggy, Kyle Bauman, Adam Brubacher, Mckinley Ceaser) Final Woolwich 5 Whitby 1 Goals: Adam Brubacher, Kyle Bauman, Jake Moggy, Mackenzie Shantz, Matt Townsend (Kyle Bauman, Jake Moggy, Matt Townsend, Matt Schieck x2, Mitch Kernick) Woolwich Wild Girls Atom C Dec. 22

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Dec.29

Dec.30

See SILVER STICK »19

Dec. 28

Rangers 6 Niagara Falls #2 0 Goals: Riley Runstedler x2 (Bryce Sellers, Mack Willms), Brendan Knipfel (Zach Pogue, Keanan Stewart), Keanan Stewart x2, Mach Willms Shutout: Ethan Wilkie

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Woodstock 6 Woolwich 3 Goals: Luke Baleshta, Kyle Hanley, RJ Good (Kyle Hanley) Game 2 West Mall 3 Woolwich 0

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Woolwich 2 Waterloo Rumble Ravens 2 Goals: Caitlin Pickard, Morgan Hanley (Rosemarie Hartman) Semi-final game Dec. 30

Waterloo Rocket Ravens 2 Woolwich 1 in 4th overtime period Goal: Jaimee MacDonald (Rosemarie Hartman, Caitlin Pickard) Woolwich Novice LL#1 Niagara Falls Tournament

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Woolwich Novice LL #3, P.I.B. Panthers Dec. 29

Woolwich 8 Plattsville #1 Goals: Bradley Hale x2 (Daniel Carr, Mathew Uhrig), Justin Taylor (Cameron Brown), Cameron Brown, Mathew Uhrig (Bradley Hale), Devin Williams (Liam Hartman, Eli Baldin), Liam Hartman, Daniel Carr Woolwich Boys Major Atom A Dec. 22

Woolwich 7 Elora 2 Goals: Bradley Mathieson, Grant Kernick x3, Matthew Leger, Evan Martin, and Bailey Nickel (Nathan Schlupp, Grant Kernick, Nicholas Pavanel x3, Jason Gamble x2, Cole Conlin, Matthew Leger x2,Bailey Nickel) Hespeler Minor Hockey Olympics Tournament Dec. 29

Woolwich 2 Saugeen Shores 1 Goals: Harrison Clifford, Alex Uttley (Nathan Schlupp, Cole Lenaers) Woolwich 2 Ayr 0 Goals: Matthew Leger x2 (Alex Uttley x2, Cole Lenaers) Shutout: Carson Kyte Dec. 30

Woolwich 3 Hespeler 2 Goals: Grant Kernick, Alex Uttley and Nick Pavanel (Nick Pavanel, Matthew Leger, Cole Lenaers) Tournament Final Woolwich 4 Ayr 0

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SPORTS | 19

The Observer | Saturday, January 05, 2008

Âť From page 18

six years, the coach said.

Many of the boys have been playing together since they were five or six and with two practices a week â&#x20AC;&#x201C; one on ice and one off â&#x20AC;&#x201C; and 38 games so far this season, the players have had plenty of time to hone their teamwork skills. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I think they were all fairly happy [about the win]. They all worked hard.â&#x20AC;?

Last year the players were not eligible for the international stage because they were minors, but they did make it to the Silver Stick finals, only to lose in the last game. This time around, they stepped it up and fought to defeat Whitby 5-1 in the tournament final on Dec. 30. â&#x20AC;&#x153;They worked together as a team to win that last

game and they seemed to put it together when they needed to.â&#x20AC;?

The coach also admitted that the players got some much-needed breaks when they werenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t quite playing up to their potential. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The other team wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t out of the game until we got a few goals back to back.â&#x20AC;?

Despite having new trophies to display on their shelves, the Woolwich boys canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t stop to enjoy the moment for too long.

Besides the international tournament to prepare for, some of them may also be gearing up for their Junior B hockey years.

Those coaches will start seriously looking at the Peewees next year, but some may already be on the lookout for young talent.

PRESSURE POINT THERAPY COMPLIMENTARY WORKSHOP WITH DR. BRYAN LAWRENCE, D.C.

Pressure Points are Areas of Stored Stress on a Nerve Pathway You Will Learn How to Find & Treat the Pressure Points For:

s &!4)'5% s (%!$!#(%3 s ,/7 "!#+ 0!). s .%#+ 0!). s 3).53 !,,%2')%3 s !2- !.$ 72)34 0!). #ARPEL 4UNNEL 3YNDROME

s .5-".%33 4).',).' !RMS ,EGS

Learn how gentle, light touch will assist your body to promote improved health. "Address the Cause. Not the Symptoms."

When: Wednesday, January 9TH, 2008, 6:30 - 8:30 pm Where: 30 Dupont St. E., Suite 204, Waterloo 0ARTICIPANTS ARE ASKED TO BRING A NON PERISHABLE FOOD ITEM TO BE DONATED TO THE LOCAL &OOD "ANK

PHOTO | submitted

Silver Stick: Hard work the key

GOLD AT SILVER TOURNEY The Woolwich Major Peewee A team won a Silver Stick qualifying tournament in Brampton Dec. 30. Front: JP Reitzel (left), Mitch Kernick, Travis Bauman, McKinley Ceaser, Matt Townsend, Mackenzie Martin, Kyle Bauman. Middle: Evan Buehler, Mackenzie Shantz, Jake Moggy, Eric Hanley, Adam Brubacher, Zach Smith, Matt Schieck, Garret Good, Eric VanGerwen. Back: head coach Newt Diefenbacher, trainer Matt Devitt, assistant coach Rod Townsend, assistant coach Dan Balog.

VOISIN CHRYSLER QUALITY, CERTIFIED

USED VEHICLES

AL ENT R Y L DAI

D LOA

2007 DODGE CALIBER SXT/SPORT

2.0L 4-Cyl. CVT. Auto Trans. Fully Loaded Including Heated Seats, Alum. Road Wheels. Only 17,000KMS. $18,900 $17,900

4X4

EE! ST S U M

2004 DODGE RAM 1500 SLT QUAD CAB 4X4 5.7l Hemi, Auto Trans. 20â&#x20AC;? Chrome Clad Wheels, P. driver Seat, Box Liner, Tonneau Cover, Plus All SLT Features. Only 61,387 kms. $25,900 $24,900.

EX

Call 519-746-6022 - Space is limited

ED

C TR A

LE A

N

2005 CHRYSLER 300C 5.7L MDS HEMI All 300C Appointments including P.Sunroof. with only 20,326 kms. Finished in Magnesium/LT. Gray Leather Int. $27,900 $25,900 M FRO OSE O H C 3 TO

Computers for Adults

at the Region of Waterloo Library

2002 DURANGO SLT+ 4.7L

V8 Auto Trans. PS.PB.PW.PDL. Fr. & Rr. Air Cond. 7 Passenger, Tilt Steering, Cruise Control, AM/FM Cass/CD Player, Leather Interior, Heated, Driver/Passenger Seats, Power Driver/Passenger Seats. Finished in Black/Silver Gray Interior Only 106,500kms., $15,900 $14,900.

Pre-requisite: Beginner Course or equivalent

AT ST. JACOBS BRANCH

E SAV

$$$

2004 DODGE RAM 1500 SLT QUAD CAB 4X4

5.7l Hemi Auto OD, ALL SLT Features Plus P.Driver Seat, Off Road Pkg. Chrome Tube Step Bars, Hard Folding Tonneau Cover, Tu-Tone Paint, Only 59,525kms $26,900 $25,900

DV

YS DS

TEM

2007 DODGE GR. CARAVAN SE 3.3L V-6 Auto Trans. PS.PB.PW.PDL. Tilt Steering, Cruise Control, AM/FM CD Player Radio, PWR.Driver Seat, FR&RR. Heat/Air Cond.

Alum. Road Wheels, Stow N Go Seating, Balance of Factory warranty, Finished in Linen Gold/Taupe Interior, Only 34,800kms. $19,900 $18,900

SH A

RP

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January 9 to February 27, 2008 $125 for an eight session course INTERNET s 4O SEARCH THE )NTERNET USING SEARCH ENGINES AND ADDRESS BAR s !NTI VIRUS INFORMATION

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2003 DODGE CARAVAN SE

3.3L V6 Auto Trans. Air Cond. PS.PB.PW.PDL. Tilt Steering, Cruise Control, AM/FM CD Player, SXT Appearance Pkg. Quad Seating, Roof Rack, Keyless Entry, P.Heated Mirrors.

Finished in Satin Jade/Taupe Interior. Only 94,566kms. $11,900 $10,900.

2005 DODGE GR CARAVAN SE 3.3L V6 Auto Trans.PS.PB. PW. PDL. Tilt Steering, Cruise Control, Fr & Rr Air Cond. AM/FM CD Player, Alum Road Wheels, P.Drivers Seat, DVD Entertainment System. Stow N Go. Finished in Black/Gray Interior Only 53,170kms. $16,900 $15,900.

2007 JEEP COMMANDER LIMITED 5.7L MDS HEMI

Previous Chrysler company vehicle, fully loaded including leather, 3 sunroofs, finished in black with only 14,000 kms. $39,900 $38,900

CA L L O N E O F O U R PRO F ES S I O N A L SA L ES R EP S TO DAY: R AY FR ED ER I C K , J O H N I V I N E Y, C O L I N K RO PF

Register at the St. Jacobs branch library 29 Queensway Drive, St. Jacobs

519-664-3443

Brought to you by Region of Waterloo Library & St. Louis Adult Learning Centre

519-669-2831 361 ARTHUR STREET SOUTH, ELMIRA â&#x20AC;˘ www.voisinchrysler.com

20 | CLASSIFIEDS

CLASSIFIEDS

ÂťCONTACT US

Âť

The Observer | Saturday, January 05, 2008

Telephone....................519.669.5790 Toll Free .......................1.888.966.5942 Fax...............................519.669.5753 Email............................info@observerextra.com

ÂťPLACING A CLASSIFIED AD

ÂťCLASSIFIED RATES

ÂťADVERTISING POLICY

Classified ads can be obtained in person, by phone | fax from Monday to Thursday 8:30am5pm 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.

20 Word â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Residential........................ $7.50 20 Word â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Commercial..................... $12.00 Extra Words....................................20¢ | 30¢ Bold Headline.................................$1.00/line

All advertising is accepted subject to the Publisherâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;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 Observerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s responsibility, if any, is limited to the charge for the space for one insertion only.

HELP WANTED

ADVANCE MILLWRIGHTS INC. 21

$%3)'. &!"2)#!4)/. ).34!,,!4)/.

Howard Ave. Unit 3 Elmira, Ontario N3B 2C9

(519) 669-4200 FAX: (519) 669-4659 Do youTEL: take a logical and systematic approach to EMAIL: adv.mill@rogers.com problem solving?

Advance Millwrights Inc. is an established millwrighting Are you ina Elmira motivated selfinstarter who pride company involved the feed mill,takes fertilizer and in their bulk foodwork? industries. Due to increased sales, applications are being accepted for self-motivated and experienced

Advance Millwrights Inc. has been servicing the aggregate, feed FITTER/WELDERS mill, fertilizer, food, and foundry industries since 1992. We are looking to add the We offer a competitive benefit package following to our team of skilled employees:

in a growing company.

CONSTRUCTION MILLWRIGHTS Please submit resumĂŠs in confidence to: & MILLWRIGHT APPRENTICES adv.mill@rogers.com or fax: (519) 669-4659

Requirements:

s 3TICK WELDING EXPERIENCE

s -UST BE MECHANICALLY INCLINED

s !BILITY TO WORK WITH MINIMAL supervision

s %XPERIENCE IN AN AGRICULTURAL environment would be an asset

7E OFFER A COMPETITIVE WAGE BENElT AND 2230 package.

0LEASE FAX RESUMES TO 519-669-4659 or email to brads@advancemillwrights.com

ADVANCE MILLWRIGHTS INC.

HELP WANTED

HELP WANTED

CAREER OPPORTUNITY M & G Millwrights has designed, manufactured and installed custom process & material handling equipment for the food, animal feed, aggregate and automotive industries since 1967.

Dedicated to providing exceptional service and support to our employees and clients; we are currently seeking the following dynamic individual to join our growing team.

CNC NESTER/DRAFTER

Advance Inc.self is anstarter established millwrighting Are youMillwrights a motivated who takes pride company in Elmira involved in the feed mill, fertilizer and in their work? bulk food industries. Due to increased sales, applications are being accepted for Inc. self-motivated experienced Advance Millwrights is based in and Elmira, Ontario.

We service the Aggregate, Feed & Grain, Food and FITTER/WELDERS Foundry industries throughout Ontario. We would like to toaour team of skilled Weadd offer competitive benefit employees package by filling the following positions: in a growing company.

Please submitFITTER resumĂŠs inWELDER confidence to: adv.mill@rogers.com s YEARS EXPERIENCE IN A CUSTOM FABRICATING environment or fax: (519) 669-4659

s !BILITY TO READ AND INTERPRET BLUEPRINTS s !BILITY TO COMPLETE SHEET METAL LAYOUTS s !BILITY TO WORK WITH MINIMAL SUPERVISION

MECHANICAL DESIGNER/ DRAFTSPERSON

s -INIMUM REQUIREMENT IS COMPLETION OF A #OLLEGE Diploma Program in Mechanical Design/Drafting s 0ROlCIENT IN THE USE OF !UTO#!$ )NVENTOR s 3TRONG -ECHANICAL APTITUDE AND ATTENTION TO detail s %XCELLENT COMMUNICATION SKILLS BOTH WRITTEN AND verbal 7E OFFER A COMPETITIVE WAGE BENElT AND 2230 package.

0LEASE FAX RESUMES TO 519-669-4659 or email to brads@advancemillwrights.com

Need Help Paying Off Christmas Bills?

Want $100 worth of FREE AVON Products?

Want to try something NEW? Call Now!

Janet Larcombe, District Manager 1-866-826-6963 | www.avon.ca

www.stoltzsales.com We are ' Making Tracks' towards an exciting future. Stoltz Sales & Service is a growing and dynamic farm equipment dealership and we want you to become part of our Team. We are looking for energetic, outgoing individuals with a positive attitude who can deliver a high standard of customer service to our valued customers.

We are looking for two individuals to fill the following positions.

Agricultural Sales Person

We require a sales consultant to sell new CaseIH farm equipment, used equipment, Lawn and Garden and numerous other shortline brands. This person needs to be customer service oriented and have a good understanding of the business of farming.

Mechanical aptitude and computer skills would be assets.

Part Counter Person

Responsibilities

We require a person who enjoys dealing with people. Having a mechanical aptitude, customer service skills, problem solving capabilities, parts counter and agricultural experience are all attributes that would be an asset.

s .ESTING mAT PATTERNS FOR CUTTING ON #.# PLASMA TABLE s "ASIC #!$ LAYOUT FOR GENERATION OF mAT PATTERNS s #REATION OF "ILL OF -ATERIALS FOR SHOP FABRICATION s 3OME PURCHASING DUTIES

Please drop off a resume to Carson Brown at 6805 Line 86 Elmira or email cbrown@stoltzsales.com or call 519-669-1561

Requirements

s !BILITY TO USE #.# NESTING SOFTWARE s )NTERMEDIATE !UTOCAD SKILLS s !BILITY TO USE -3 /FlCE APPLICATIONS s %XPERIENCE IN THE METAL FABRICATION INDUSTRY s +NOWLEDGE OF SHEET AND PLATE STEEL s 3UCCESSFUL APPLICANT WILL POSSESS STRONG ORGANIZATIONAL skills and attention to detail

$%3)'. &!"2)#!4)/. ).34!,,!4)/.

21 Howard Ave. Unit 3 Elmira, Ontario N3B 2C9

Do youTEL: take a logical and systematic approach to (519) 669-4200 FAX: (519) 669-4659 EMAIL: adv.mill@rogers.com problem solving?

is growing to serve you better

%XPERIENCE WITH 3IGMANEST AND 6ISUAL -ANUFACTURING software is an asset. ! DIVERSIlCATION OF DUTIES IS ANTICIPATED DEPENDING ON ABILITIES

M&G MILLWRIGHTS LIMITED P.O. Box 247 Elmira, ON N3B 2Z6 Attention: Human Resources or Fax: 519-669-1450 or Email: bob@mgmill.com

7E THANK ALL APPLICANTS FOR THEIR INTEREST BUT ONLY THOSE CONSIDERED WILL BE CONTACTED

HELP WANTED

TECHNICAL SERVICES ASSISTANT & BROILER CARE COORDINATOR REQUIRED Do you believe that you have what it takes to accept a new challenge every day? Has animal nutrition and feed manufacturing intrigued you?

Do you have the desire to push your own limits and strive to be the best? If so, then Wallenstein Feed & Supply Ltd. needs you to join our dedicated team!

We currently have an opening to cover a one year maternity leave on the Technical Services Team and a permanent position as a Broiler Care Coordinator.

Please forward you resume to ruthseiling@wfs.ca or by fax to 519-669-3560. For more information please see the Employment Opportunities page of our website at www.wfs.ca. Only those selected for interviews will be contacted.

FOR SALE

AUTOMOTIVE

Snowblower

2002 Chrysler Intrepid 2003 Dodge Caravan

- 7ft, 3ph single auger, manual chute, excellent, 519-699-5399. W I N T E R B L O W OUT. Limited time only.

All wallpaper and borders must go. Starting at $1.99. Everything on sale. Elmira Decorating 5 Church St. E. Elmira, 519-669-4310.

AUTOMOTIVE

SE - V6, auto, fully loaded Sport. 3.3L V-6 auto. trans. including driver p. seat. air, tilt/cruise, PW, PDFinished in silver/gray in- locks, one owner, finished terior, only 101,400 kms. in I.Red. 96,000 kms. $7,750. Voisin Chrysler, $10,900. Voisin Chrysler, 519-669-2831.

519-669-2831. 2002 Dodge Durango 2 0 0 4 D o d g e R a m SLT + 4X4- 4.7L V8, auto, 1500 SLT 4X4 Quad full load including leather Cab. 5.7L Hemi, auto od, interior. Rr. air & 3 rd seat. all SLT features plus off Finished in black/silver gray road package, tow packinterior. Only 106,500 kms age, tonneau cover, plus PETS $14,900. Voisin Chrysler more. Only 59,525 kms.

519-669-2831. $26,900. Voisin Chrysler, Mega Mutts unique 519-669-2831.   2002 Dodge Durango once a year in-home class SLT + 4X44.7L V8, auto,  2006 Chrysler PT Cruis2007 session. 6 weeks $225 limited space. Pre-regis- full load including leather er - 2.4L. auto trans., fully interior. Rr. air & 3 rd seat. loaded incl. aluminum road ter, Holly Teahan Finished in black/silver gray wheels. Finished in bright 519-669-8167 & SERVICE interior. SALES Only 106,500 kms silver met. Only 39,566 www.megamutts.com $14,900. Voisin Chrysler kms. $13,900. Voisin 519-669-2831.

Chrysler, 519-669-2831.

CHILD CARE

REQUIRED

Child

care required Attention Work From - in our home for 2 chilHome. Up to $5000 a dren (under 4). Part time month part time, $5000 schedule. Starting anytime + full time. between February and www.incomefromhome.ca April. Contact Tania at Part time person for pi- 519-210-0244. geon breeding farm. Flexible hours. Duties include AUTOMOTIVE feeding, cleaning, catching vaccinating and various  1999 Pontiac Sunfire others. Near St. Jacobs, - 4 door, black, 4 cyl, automatic. 120,000 kms.

519-664-0024.

Very clean, economical car. $2500. Phone CHILD CARE 519-885-6339. Daycare available -  2003 Chevrolet SubQuality childcare. ECE di- urban LT 4X4 - 5.3L, ploma. lunch and snacks, V8, Vortec auto trans., educational programming, fully loaded, including indoor and outdoor activi- leather interior, 3rd ties. Call Heather seat, rear air, alum.

519-210-0195. road wheels, finished in white/gray int. 165,000 FOR SALE kms, $17,900. Voisin Mitsubishi 50â&#x20AC;? T.V. for Chrysler, sale, $800. 519-669-4696. 519-669-2831.

AUTOMOTIVE 2007 SALES & SERVICE

2007 FORD EDGE V6 Fully loaded Finished in Red, 16,000km, $26,900.

2007 TOYOTA CAMRY CE Auto A/C, Finished in Blue, 59,000km $19,500.

2006 FORD E250 CARGO V8, Finished in White, 16,000km $17,900 2006 FORD FOCUS 2X5 HTBK Finished in Yellow, 43,000km $12,500 2006 FORD F150 XLT 4x4 Supercrew, Finished in Silver, 60,000km $21,900 2005 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN Sto N Go, Finished in Silver. 57,000km $14,500 2005 FORD ESCAPE XLT Finished in Black, 72,000km $12,900 2003 FORD FOCUS WAGON 5 Spd Trans, Finished in Silver, 130,000km $7,995

47 Northside Dr., St. Jacobs, ON

519-664-2281

CLASSIFIEDS | 21

The Observer | Saturday, January 05, 2008

Community Information Page THE TOWNSHIP OF WOOLWICH "Proudly remembering our past; confidently embracing our future."

P.O. BOX 158, 69 ARTHUR ST. S. ELMIRA, ONTARIO N3B 2Z6 WEBSITE: www.woolwich.ca

NOTICE OF APPLICATION AND PUBLIC MEETING Tuesday, January 29, 2008 7:00 p.m.

Township Council Chambers 69 Arthur Street South, Elmira Regarding Proposed Plan of Subdivision 30T-07704 (Elmira Industrial Land Inc.) TAKE NOTICE that the Council of the Township of Woolwich has received a request from the Regional Municipality of Waterloo to give Notice of Application and hold a Public Meeting for the Draft Plan of Subdivision for Elmira Industrial Lands Inc. on Tuesday, January 29, 2008 at 7:00 p.m. in the Council Chambers of the Township Offices located at 69 Arthur Street South, Elmira, pertaining to a proposed plan of subdivision, pursuant to Subsection 4 (1) of Ontario Regulation 544/06 of the Planning Act, RSO 1990, c.P. 13, as amended.

Description of the Proposed Plan of Subdivision: Regional File No.: Municipality: Location: Settlement: Owner / Applicant:

30T-07704 Township of Woolwich 270 Union Street Elmira Elmira Industrial Land Inc.

This draft plan of subdivision proposes the creation of 4 lots and 1 block (potentially to be further subdivided into 3 lots by part lot control), on a culde-sac. The lands are located on the north side of Union Street and will be developed on full municipal services (see Map 1).

Any persons may attend the public meeting and make written and / or verbal representation either in support of or in opposition to the proposed amendment.

APPEALS: If a person or public body does not make oral submissions at the public meeting or make written submissions to the Regional Municipality of Waterloo in respect of the proposed plan of subdivision before the approval authority gives or refuses to give approval to the draft plan of subdivision: a) the person or public body is not entitled to appeal the decision of the Regional Municipality of Waterloo, to the Ontario Municipal Board; and b) the person or public body may not be added as a party to the hearing of an appeal before the Ontario Municipal Board unless, in the opinion of the Board, there are reasonable grounds to do so.

Individuals are requested to submit a written outline of any oral submissions made at the Public Meeting to the Town Clerk.

NOTIFICATION: If you wish to be notified of the decision of the Regional Municipality of Waterloo in respect of the proposed plan of subdivision you must make a written request to the Regional Municipality of Waterloo, Attn: Rob Wells, 150 Frederick Street, Kitchener, Ontario N2G 4J3 For the reason that the Regional Municipality of Waterloo is calling the public meeting, additional information regarding Plan of Subdivision 30T-07704 is available at Planning, Housing and Community Services Department, Regional Municipality of Waterloo, 150 Frederick Street, Kitchener, Monday to Friday between 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Dated at the Township of Woolwich this 5th of January, 2008.

Jeremy Vink Senior Planner

SAFETY PRECAUTIONS Driveways and sidewalks are not the only things you need to shovel this winter. The recent snowfall has prompted the Woolwich Fire Department to remind residents to clear snow around fire hydrants, exit doors, stairways, fire escapes and furnace vents for easy access. Vent pipes from direct vent furnaces can get buried by snow and could cause a safety problem. Take a few minutes as well to clear your natural gas meters. Some carbon monoxide problems in the home have to do with warming up vehicles in an attached garage. At no time should a vehicle or any fuel equipment (BBQ) be operated in an attached garage.

A Message from the Woolwich Fire Department

TEL: 519-669-1647 or 519-664-2613 PLAN/ENG: 519-669-8706 FAX: 519-669-1820

AFTER HOURS EMERGENCY: 519-575-4504

RECREATION WINTER PROGRAMS All Programs start week of January 7th, 2008 ADULT FITNESS

Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays (8 weeks) 7:00 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 8:00 pm at Park Manor School

ADULT BADMINTON

Mondays and Thursdays (14 weeks) 8:15 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 10:15 pm at Park Manor School

ADULT VOLLEYBALL

Tuesdays (15 weeks) 8:15 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 10:15 pm at Park Manor School

BALLROOM DANCING

Tuesdays 8:30 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 9:30 pm and Wednesdays 8:45 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 9:45 pm at Park Manor School (8 weeks)

YOGA

Mondays and Wednesdays (8 weeks) 7:00 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 8:30 pm at Park Manor School Library

PILATES

Tuesdays and Thursdays (8 weeks) 7:00 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 8:00 pm at Park Manor School

LINE DANCING (NEW)

Thursdays (6 weeks) 5:00 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 6:00 pm at St. James Lutheran Church, Elmira

Register at Recreation Office, 69 Arthur Street South, Elmira or Call 519-669-1647 or 519-664-2613 ext. 259 for more details.

The Township reserves the right to cancel classes if there is insufficient registration.

COMMITTEE OF ADJUSTMENT NOTICE OF HEARING January 28, 2008

On Monday, January 28, 2008, at 7:00 p.m. the Committee will meet in the Council Chambers of The Municipal Offices to consider the following applications. All persons interested in the applications may attend and may contact Ms. Beverly Metzger at 519-669-1647 (ext. 243) regarding meeting details. Email: bmetzger@woolwich.ca.

You may make written submissions in favour of or opposition to any application by mailing your comments to: Township of Woolwich, Attn: Jeremy Vink, P.O. Box 158, 69 Arthur Street South, Elmira, ON N3B 2Z6 or Fax 519-669-4669 or Email jvink@woolwich.ca.

CONSENT APPLICATIONS B02/08 to B15/08 (Brian and Julie McLaughlin) PROPERTY: 50 Dolman Street, Breslau, Plan 588 Part Erb Street, GCT Part Lot 14, Plan 58R-5286 Part 1 PROPOSAL: The applicant is requesting permission to: s SEVER A STRIP OF LAND MEASURING APPROXIMATELY BY METRES "LOCK AND CONVEY IT AS A lot addition to the abutting residential property at 44 Dolman Street (Application B02/08); s CREATE NINE VACANT RESIDENTIAL LOTS RANGING IN AREA FROM TO SQUARE METRES WITH FRONTages of 13.5, 15 and 21 metres (Lots 1 to 9) (Applications B03/08 to B11/08); s SEVER THREE IRREGULAR SHAPED PARCELS OF LAND RANGING FROM TO SQUARES METRES IN AREA (Blocks 11, 12 and 13) and convey them as lot additions to Blocks 209, 229 and 230 of the Empire Communities residential subdivision to create three vacant residential lots (Applications B12/08 to B14/08); and s SEVER A PARCEL OF APPROXIMATELY SQUARE METRES AND CONVEY IT TO THE 4OWNSHIP OF 7OOLWICH as an Open Space block (Block 14) (Application B15/08).

In total twelve new residential lots will be created by the applicant, which will be on full municipal services and front onto Dolman Street (extension), when Empire Communities develop their adjacent plan of subdivision.

A 4.5 metre wide easement in favour of CN Rail is located across the rear of the entire parcel abutting the rail line. The proposed twelve residential lots noted above are zoned Residential One Unit â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Medium Density (R-2A) with site specific provisions. The proposed conveyance to the abutting property at 44 Dolman Street is zoned Settlement Residential (R-1) with site specific provisions. The proposed Township block is zoned Open Space (O-2) with site specific provisions. The proposed retained property at 50 Dolman Street has a dual zoning of Settlement Residential (R-1) and Residential One Unit â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Medium Density (R-2A) with site specific provisions. The retained parcel is approximately 4,200 square metres in area and contains a single family dwelling and detached garage.

Further information about the applications may be obtained from Engineering and Planning Services at 519-669-8706 or 519-664-2613 (Ext. 246).

DATED this 5th day of January, 2008.

Jeremy Vink, RPP, MCIP Senior Planner Engineering & Planning Services

22 | CLASSIFIEDS

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A cross

1. Controls 4. Seeds that yield oil (2wrds) 11. Investment 16. Baseball bat wood 17. Broked off abruptly 18. Northern perennial with purplish-white flowers 19. 10 C-notes 21. Gone bad 22. Smithers and ___ 23. “___ only” 24. Distant 25. Upward stroke in conducting music 26. Notorious B.I.G. aka Biggie ___ 30. Quintessence 32. Freshwater Altantic fish 35. “... ___ he drove out of sight” 36. Dust remover 37. Amscrayed 38. Come together 39. ____ hairs 42. His “4” was retired 43. Altogether 45. Alkaline liquid 46. Pronoun in a Hemingway title 48. Be a busybody 50. Right-hand person 54. ___ Today 57. Unfasten 60. “Spy vs. Spy” magazine 61. Building type 65. Pandowdy, e.g.

66. Absorbed, as a cost 67. Charlotte-to-Raleigh dir.

68. Aggravate 69. Referee type 71. The easing of tensions or strained relations 73. Light ringing sound 74. Craze 75. Order between “ready” and “fire” 76. “... or ___!”

80. Like Eric the Red 81. On the move 84. Bagpiper’s wear 85. Pakistani river 86. Castle or manor house 88. ___-tac-toe 89. Assail 90. Tighten 91. Addis Ababa’s land: Abbr.

D own

1. “Unimaginable as ___ in Heav’n”: Milton 2. Far from ruddy 3. Loafer, e.g.

4. Alright, approved, hunky-dory 5. ___ and outs 6. Drink from a dish 7. Loot 8. Long stories 9. Evasive 10. “Silent Spring” subject 11. A lack of drunkeness

A. The odds here are determined by the ratio between the number of National Hockey League (NHL) players and the number of guys aspiring to make it, says Alain Hache in The Physics of Hockey. Let’s use Canadian statistics, since Canadians are a slight majority (about 55%) in the NHL and almost every Canadian boy has put on a pair of skates and shot a puck at one time. In all, there are about 400 Canadians in the League so that’s 400 successes out of about 3.3 million potentials in the 20-35 age group, or 1 of every 8,300. But realistically we shouldn’t count them all since not all kids have the same opportunity or interest. Now if you eliminate a quarter of the kids, the odds go to about 1 in 6,000. “In other words, 0.02% of all serious amateur hockey players eventually make it to the big league. Not as bad as we thought! In fact, it’s far better than the chances of winning a big lottery.”

Still, the chances of becoming another Wayne Gretzky or Mario Lemieux (who shows up about once a decade) are more like 1 in 2.5 million, posing lottery-like odds.

So keep your eye on the prize of just making it to the NHL, staying heartened by the 1-in-6,000 figure, as you practice, practice, practice.

A. Serious mountain climbers have long known that thin air and reduced oxygen to the brain can bring on acute mountain sickness at altitudes above 2,500 metres (8,000 feet), say Sandra Aamodt, PhD, and Sam Wang, PhD, in Welcome to Your Brain. At these heights, “mountaineers report perceiving unseen companions, seeing light emanating from themselves or others, seeing a second body like their own, and suddenly feeling emotions like fear.”

Neural structures in and near the temporal and parietal lobes of the cortex can be affected, triggering seizures that elicit intense religious experiences, such as feeling that one is in heaven or in the presence of a Supreme Being. Generally, such visions are associated not only with mountains – Moses encountering a voice from a burning bush on Mount Sinai – but with other remote areas such as deserts where environmental conditions and stresses are extreme.

53

60

65

72

unconscious -- and he dropped the ball.

More ludicrous was a 1916 toss from an airplane at 400 feet by Brooklyn Dodgers trainer Frank Kelly. He pretended to launch one toward manager Wilbert Robinson below, though in reality he had substituted a red grapefruit. “When the fruit exploded on impact, its red contents drenched Robinson, who cried, “It broke me open! I’m covered with blood.”

36

49

68

71

»» Q. You’ve been playing amateur hockey for years but wonder now about your chances of making it to the pros. Wouldn’t it be easier to win the lottery and get rich that way?

45

64

67

Odds are you won’t play in the NHL, but better than lottery win

41

44

56

» STRANGE BUT TRUE | BILL & RICH SONES

31

40

48 55

15

30

39

47

62

29

35 38

14

25

34

37

13

22 24

26

12

18

23

61

8

17

19

32

7

76 82

83

77

78

79

84 87

88 91

12. Believe in 13. Deductive 14. One of the family 15. “Star Trek” rank: Abbr.

20. “Back in the ___” 25. Fourth in a series 27. O. Henry’s “The Gift of the ___” 28. “Absolutely!”

29. Airs 30. Moray, e.g.

31. ___ roll 32. Cultivate 33. “@#$%!,” e.g.

34. “Do ___ others as...”

39. Backgammon piece 40. “Fiddlesticks!”

41. Oolong, for one 44. ___ probandi 47. Ornamental flower, for short 49. Stop by 51. Mosque V.I.P. 52. Computer info 53. “Our Time in ___” (10,000 Maniacs album) 55. Most glossy 56. Blood carrier 58. Farm call 59. Fall (over) 61. Disobeyed a zoo sign?

62. Buttercup family member 63. Holds back 64. Arthur Godfrey played it 69. The Outer ____ - please stand by 70. Hunt for 72. Arise 73. Hyperion, for one 75. Advil target 77. Dietary, in ads 78. Buttonhole, e.g.

79. Carve in stone 80. Bird’s beak 81. Appear 82. Certain intersection 83. ___ Claire, Wis. 87. Opposite of down

SOLUTION FROM LAST WEEK B A S E S T

O C T R O I

B A R N U M

T S A R

R U N E

A N T E

I M P E L

T E R S E

A R I S E

B Y S W R I O N G I O F S T N T B R E O E R T M P B A T H N O R M O D E M B A T L Y I N O V A T E I N E S E R

C O O T S E A R O N N T E R A T P A S S C L A T T U L T R A R Y O B A B U E I R E U N T C S S Y L A T S E S E A E N T E R S E A M P O Y S

A C I N I

D R O O P

S E N S E

E I L N D A T U N U E I L I T G A N P R I T I T A D E

R A N I

R O T C

E A T S U P

D R I E S T

C I T E

C A T A R R H

»» Q. From how high up might a dropped baseball be caught by someone down below?

A. In 1908 a couple of major league catchers nabbed baseballs tossed from atop the 555-foot Washington Monument, says Jearl Walker in The Flying Circus of Physics. Thirty years later, Cleveland Indians catchers Frankie Pytlak and Hank Helf waited beneath Cleveland’s Terminal Tower as balls were dropped from 700 feet up (213 meters). They wore steel helmets for protection as the balls reached an estimated 140 mph (225 km/h). Helf caught the first ball, claiming there was nothing to it, but the next five for Pytlak went astray. One bounded up to the 13th floor and was fielded by a police sergeant after its third bounce. “On the sixth try, Pytlak made his catch and shared the record.”

In 1939 Joe Sprinz of the San Francisco Baseball Club tried to catch a ball dropped from a blimp 800 feet or more up; on the fifth try, he gloved one but the impact drove hand, mitt and ball into his face, fracturing his jaw in 12 places, breaking five teeth and knocking him

»» Q. What bizarre sight might a climber see from atop a high mountain?

»» Q. There are 56 known species, including browns and blacks of various shades, their teeth growing 4-6 inches per year – at least they would if not constantly worn down from gnawing on pipes, cement, brick, wood, bones for dinner. A female can mate 500 times in a six-hour period, and a pair of browns could produce 2,000 descendants in a year if unchecked.

Flush one down the toilet and it can tread water for three days and survive, or it could fall 50 feet and land uninjured. Its favorite city eats are scrambled eggs, macaroni and cheese, cooked corn. Absent these, its own feces will do in a pinch for nutritional value. Killing one or many was popular sport for man and dog in 19th-century London, with one 13-pound bull terrier doing in 100 in 5 1/2 minutes. “Drats” has nothing to do with them, being a short form of “od rat,” a euphemism for “God rot,” a sort of profanity. Owing to their skill at stowing away on ships, they enjoy a nearly worldwide distribution. Haven’t you already guessed this anagram and palindrome for “star”?

A. Oh, rats! (Liza Lentini and David Mouzon of Discover magazine.)

» BY THE NUMBERS | SUDOKU EASY

MEDIUM

9 7 2 5 1 3 5 9 5 1 8 8 6 4 7 9 6 1 9 8 4 2 1 5 8 2

4

1 9

2 6 9 3 1 7

2

6

4 7 3

1

9

2 1

6 3 8 7 9 1 7 6 3

3 9 6 9 4 7 3

HARD

4 5 1

9

7 8 5

2 8 4

3 6

7

9 1 9 5 8 2 6 4

2 8 1

HOW TO PLAY: 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.

REMEMBER: you must not repeat the numbers 1 through 9 in the same line, column or 3x3 box.

Find the answers to this week’s puzzles on page 27. ©2007 Cathedral Communications Inc.

CLASSIFIEDS | 23

Âť

The Observer | Saturday, January 05, 2008

SERVICE PROS ACCOUNTING

Telephone....................519.669.5790 Toll Free .......................1.888.966.5942 Fax...............................519.669.5753 Email............................sales@observerxtra.com

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Tel: 519-669-5537

LONG DISTANCE? CALL 1-866-669-7607

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

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(Bloomingdale)

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Steve Co.

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at

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THIS SPACE THIS SPACE FOR RENT FOR RENT

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24 | CLASSIFIEDS

SERVICE PROS PLUMBING

YOUR

PLUMBING & HEATING SPECIALISTS!

C.J.

BRUBACHER LTD. 19 First St. E., Elmira

519-669-3362

renovations

GLASS SERVICES

t. 519.669.5790 1-888-966-5942 f. 519.669-5753 sales@observerxtra.com

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°

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ST. JACOBS

RENOVATIONS

SIGNS | SCREEN PRINTING

»

The Observer | Saturday, January 05, 2008

Superior Salt Products

Softener Salt & Ice Melts

Fast, Friendly Service

M O T O R S

WE WANT YOUR SCRAP VEHICLE!

Tug it, Tow it or Tell us where it is...

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40 Memorial Ave, Elmira

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

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Minister: Rev. Dave Jagger Sunday Worship: 10:55am

%$ 4eg[he Fg! Abeg[ 6[heV[ BYÐVX ($, )), (()#

Check out our website www.woodsidechurch.ca

ÄBhe `\ff\ba \f gb _biX _XTea TaW _\iX Ul 6[e\fgÇf gXTV[\aZfÅ

‘‘

As Jesus entered upon his adolescent years, he found himself the head and sole support of a large family. Within a few years after his father’s death all their property was gone.

Pg 1395 para 1

The Urantia Book

36 Hampton St., Elmira

SERVICES DIRECTORY

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

%## 5TeafjT__bj 7e! 8_`\eT 519-669-1296

‘‘

or

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IMPACT YOUTH: Fridays, 7:30pm TWENTY20: Sundays, 7:00pm (2nd & 4th Sundays monthly)

Pastors Steve & Beth Fleming

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

JOIN US

SUNDAYS AT

10:30AM & 6:30PM 290 Arthur St. South, Elmira • 519-669-3973

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B M C Pastor: Mary Mae Schwartzentruber Sundays - 9:45 am Family Worship Service Christmas Eve Service 7pm

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5 First St., Elmira • 519-669-1459 Services at

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“A family of caring believers...”

Sunday Worship 10:45 am Sept 9 - June 29

2 First St., Elmira • 519-669-5030 Welcome to

CALVARY UNITED St. Jacobs

Upbeat Family Worship & Sunday School 10:00 am

Wheelchair accessible • Nursery Care provided • Hearing Assisted

48 Hawkesville Rd. • 519-664-2311

»

CLASSIFIEDS | 25

The Observer | Saturday, January 05, 2008

HOME HUNTING ®

Coach House Realty Inc. Brokerage

t. 519.669.5790 1-888-966-5942 f. 519.669-5753 sales@observerxtra.com

SOLID GOLD REALTY (II) LTD., BROKERAGE

TEL. 519-669-5431

8 Arthur Street South, Elmira

R.W. THUR REAL ESTATE LTD. 45 ARTHUR ST. S., ELMIRA

519-669-2772

BROKERAGE

DOWNTOWN ELMIRA

9 Rental Units - 1 commercial, 8 residential (2 & 3 bedroom) Addition built in 1992 (7 apartments) Prudent Investment opportunity generating income of $73,000 per year!

Easy rental area near shopping & services. $679,000.00 MLS

LEON MARTIN Broker

BERT MARTIN Broker

PAUL MARTIN

Sales Representative

4-B Arthur St. S., ELMIRA, N3B 2M5 519-669-5426

BRAD MARTIN Broker of Record MVA Residential

Res: 519-669-1068

JULIE HECKENDORN Broker Res: 519-669-8629

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

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

Paul Robb Broker, Coach House Realty Inc., Brokerage 519-669-5431 or 519-669-8582

Coach House Realty Inc. Brokerage

OFFICE PHONE: 519-343-2124

159 William St., Palmerston (Across from Home Hardware) DR

AY T

$399,999

ON

SALES REPRESENTATIVES:

Edith McArthur * 519-638-2509 Marg Sorensen * 519-343-4489 Kathy Robinson * 519-343-4816

OPEN HOUSE SAT. JAN 5, 2 - 4 9 Raising Mill GT, Elmira BACKS ONTO GREENBELT Kitchen & dinette include lots of oak cabinets, two walkouts to 12x20 deck. Lvng rm with gas fireplace, lrg foyer, 2pc bath, oak rail stair leads to mstr bdrm w/cathedral ceiling & dual closets, 5pc cheater ensuite & 2 more lrg bdrms, finished recrm, 3pc bath, c/a, laundry, lrg utility/storage rm in basement. Contains MLS Virtual Tour. MLS $278,500. Please call Paul.

TIMELESS BOARD & BATTEN HOME on a sizeable lot in the delightful village of Kurtzville. The back yard enfolds you with its enchanting trees. 7 new double hung windows, new well in 07, deck, detached workshop with hydro. Only 10 minutes from Listowel. MLS $89,000. Please call Leon for more information.

MUNICIPAL WATER & SEWER! Only 5 minutes from K-W this recently renovated bungalow offers, Hi/eff gas furnace, c/a, new roof, flooring and siding. MLS $167,900.

Please call Bert

NEW PRICE! Older home near downtown offers three bedrooms, two bathrooms, eatin kitchen, formal dining & living rooms, walk-up attic, some new flooring and garage w/workshop. MLS $215,000. Please call Bert.

WORTH THE DRIVE TO DRAYTON!

Don’t miss this spotless, inviting home. Ready for you to move right in. Entertain! Exercise!

Relax! Enjoy! This has it all. 3 + 2 bedrms, 3 baths, cathedral ceilings, hardwd flrs, fireplace, bar area, exercise room, walkouts to decks, fully finished basement. Call Marg Sorensen to view 519-343-4489 MLS 0744073

VICTORIAN HOME FOR SALE - ELMIRA $239,000 Built in 1907 (100 years old) Beautiful Double Brick home, features 4 bedrooms & 2 baths. Stunning oak trim woodwork, oak pocket doors, and solid oak spiral staircase.

Also 5 stain glass windows, new ALE furnace, new windows, new roof, ES T A V PRI new driveway, new double porch.

Large lot (66x132) Two blocks from downtown. Close to schools & shopping.

Park like, fully fenced yard. Call for an appointment 519-591-3428.

YOU'LL BE IMPRESSED! - Open concept 4 level backsplit backs to greenspace. Huge family room w/ gas F.P. & walkout. 4th bdrm. (or games rm. in lower leve). Large kit. w/vaulted ceiling. Hardwood in L.R. 2 baths. Cac. A must see. MLS $294,900

BUNGALOW - Lovely maple kitchen with ceramic floor. Laminate flrs.

Spacisou D.A. w/walkout to covered patio. Main flr laundry. Rec room, 3 pc. bath, games rm. bdrm & office in lower level. Deck & aboveground pool. Fenced yard. Garage MLS $302,500.

WELL MAINTAINED - 4 bdrm. brick home, close to schools & downtown.

Hardwood floors. Huge kitchen.

Main flr. laundry, den & 3pc. bath.

Replacement doors & windows. Gas furnace. Central air. Detached dble. garage. MLS $269,000

COUNTRY LIVING - near Macton. Ideal for the hobbyist - detached SHOP (potential for storage w/large overhead door). Cozy bungalow w/newer addition. 4 bdrms.

2 baths. Spacious dining area. Main flr. family room & L.R. Finished bsmt.

MLS $344,900.

HUGE CRESCENT LOT - Custom built bungalow backing to wooded area & greenbelt. Main flr. family rm. w/gas f.p. & walkout. Remodelled ensuite bath. Large D.R. Games room, office & 3pc. bath in bsmt. Oversized dble. garage. Long stamped concrete drive.

MLS $424,900

NEW HOME (TO BE BUILT) - 2164 sq.ft. Upper family room AND living room. Open concept main floor.

3 baths (ensuite) Walkin closet.

Walkout from large kitchen. Main flr. laundry. Dble. garage. Quality constructed. (Other plans available).

MLS $345,000.

SOLD SOLD SOLD

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 Excl.

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

ELMIRA Helping You is What We Do. REAL ESTATE 519-669-3192 Please Contact One of our Professionals.

Independently Owned & Operated, Brokerage SERVICES

FREY REALTY LTD., BROKERAGE

BONNIE BRUBACHER Broker of Record

SHANNA ROZEMA Broker.

DARREN ROMKEY Sales Rep.

LAURIE LANGDON Sales Rep.

PARADIGM HOMES OFFERS THE MODEL HOME FOR SALE $342,895, Other plans being built, spacious 2 storeys- open concept bungalows, all custom kitchens, fireplaces, ceramics and 10 Roberta Street, Elmira more. Please call to book MODEL OPEN SAT & SUN 2PM - 4PM an appointment. MLS GREAT OPPORTUNITY $159,900, Spacious home offering 3 bdrms, 2 bthrms, separate dining room, main floor laundry, laminate flooring, goodsized yard w/deck, close to schools & amenities! MLS

DALE KELLER Sales Rep.

MONIQUE BRUBACHER Sales Rep.

DEBBIE YEOMAN Sales Rep.

519-669-1544 17 Church St. W., Elmira 24hr pager: 1-866-873-1876 email: frey@golden.net web: freyrealty.com

Len Frey

Mildred Frey

Wendy Taylor

SALES REP*

BROKER OF RECORD***

BROKER**

PICTURESQUE COUNTRY PROPERTY $499,000, ONLY 10 MINUTES FROM ELMIRA - Spacious

bungalow with unique characteristic, generous room sizes, potential in-law suite, walkout basement, open concept kitchen/great room with amazing view of property. MLS

OPEN HOUSE - MAPLETON Sun., Jan. 6, - 2:00-4:00PM

SPACIOUS BACKSPLIT SEMI

$209,900, ELMIRA 4

level backsplit on large lot, kitchen/dining room w/walkout to deck, family room with office space, 3 bedrooms, main bath redone, newer flooring and windows. MLS

www.Royallepage.ca/Elmira | Elmira@Royallepage.ca | 90 Earl Martin Dr., Unit 1, Elmira

OPEN HOUSE - ELMIRA Sat,Sun., Jan. 5 & 6, - 2:00-4:00PM

Lisa D. Edwards SALES REP*

7448 WELLINGTON ROAD 11, MAPLETON $354,000 Country living at it’s best in this 3+1 bdrm, 2 bath bungalow all on 5.7 acres. Large open concept eat-in kit. and famrm. Finished basement and exceptionally large 2 car garage for all your toys. Presently set up as small hobby farm with fenced paddock. Shows “AAA”. MLS. CALL WENDY*** OR LISA* TO VIEW. 67 CHURCH STREET, ELMIRA - $259,900 Completely updated 3 bedroom bungalow.

Brand new kitchen cupboards, newly finished basement, 100 amp service, new windows, garage door, flooring and roof. Walkout to patio and fenced yard. Walk to downtown. MLS. CALL LISA EDWARDS* TO VIEW.

25 TALLWOOD DRIVE, WEST MONTROSE - $649,000 Gorgeous custom built home (1.59 acres) backing onto the Grand River. 3+ bdrms, 4 baths, great room with cathedral celing, & 2 gas fireplaces. Country eat-in kit. w/ oak cupboards & island. Main flr. laundry, upOPEN HOUSE - WEST MONTROSE per level den/office. This home has it all. MLS. CALL WENDY*** TO VIEW. Sun., Jan. 6 - 2:00-4:00PM

»

26 | CLASSIFIEDS

EVENTS CALENDAR “A GOOD JOB DONE EVERY TIME”

Kleensweep Carpet Care

Constructive

Ideas.

FREE CONSULTATION

3435 Broadway St. Hawkesville 519-699-4641 www.freybuildingcontractors.com

JANUARY 8

MATERIAL HANDLING & PROCESSING SYSTEMS

»» Caregiver Coffee Hour – Woolwich Community Health Centre. Topic: Dealing with guilt. If you are caring for a family member who has Alzheimer’s disease, this may be of interest to you. From 10-11:30 a.m. at Chateau Gardens, Elmira. Call Lorraine Weber at 519-664-3794, ext. 229.

JANUARY 9

»» MOPS – Mothers of Pre-Schoolers will meet for the first time in the new year at Living Waters Community Christian Fellowship, 45 Hicks St., New Hamburg; $5 per family, per visit. For more details call Cheryl Wagler, 519662-1807 or Shelly Brenneman, 519-662-9133. »» Line Dancing – Royal Canadian Legion, Waterloo. Beginner to intermediate levels, 6-10 p.m.; $7; 19 Regina St. N., Waterloo; 519-669-5951.

JANUARY 11

• Design • Installation • Custom Fabrication

MILLWRIGHTS LTD.

519.669.5105

P.O. BOX 247, ROUTE 1, ELMIRA

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

Farm

»» Close Connection – Waterloo North Presbyterian Church. Concert of oldfashioned southern gospel music performed by lively, all-female quartet. 685 Highpoint Ave. at Northfield Drive and Westmount Road. 7 p.m. Wheelchair accessible. Nancy Ostermann at 519-884-7058 or the church at 519-888-7870.

519.669.5377

25 Industrial Drive, Elmira, ON N3B 3K3 Bus.:519.669.2632 Fax: 519.669.4282

Business

JANUARY 6

COMMERCIAL 24 • Truck & Trailer Maintenance CARDLOCK FUEL DEPOT HOUR • Cardlock Fuel Management

Come see our showroom at:

Allen Morrison Insurance Inc.

Group

T. 519.669.2033

»» H.U.G.S. Program – Woolwich Community Health Centre. Topic: How to cope with a bad day. From 9:15-11:15 a.m. for parents and their children (zero to five years). Barb Dyszuck from KW Counselling; 10 Parkside Dr., St. Jacobs; 519-664-3794. »» Movie Night – St. James Lutheran Church, Elmira. Featuring: Amazing Grace starting at 7 p.m. Everyone welcome. Free.

Email: • Total Denture Care Travel allen_morrison@cooperators.ca www.cooperators.ca • Same Day Service Disability on Repairs and Relines • Metal Partial - Soft Relines •Since Implants 1987 - DentureTech •Since DENTURE SPECIALIST 1995 - Denturist

$%.452%

DENTURE Vinolea Jahandari DD

• ELMIRA Total Denture Care • Same day service on and relines 15repairs Memorial Ave., Since 1987 - DentureTech • Elmira Metal Partial - Soft Relines 1995 - Denturist BankSPECIALIST of Montreal) • (Behind DENTURE

519.669.1535 KITCHENER

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

Jahandari DD NANCY 519.669.1535 KOEBEL ELMIRA

15 Memorial Ave., Elmira

Bus: 519.895.2044 ext. 217 Home: 519.747.4388

(Behind Bank of Montreal) KITCHENER

Individual life insurance, mortgage insurance, 519.744.9770

business insurance, employee benefits programs, critical illness insurance, disability coverage,

RRSPs, RESPs, RRIFs, LIFs and Annuities.

Suite 800, 101 Frederick St., Kitchener

JANUARY 12 24-HOUR EMERGENCY SERVICE

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

»» Saturday Night Dance – Royal Canadian Legion, Guelph. Country Motion, 8 p.m.; $5 for non-members; 919 York Rd., Guelph; 519-822-1565.

JANUARY 14

»» Teen coffee house poetry evening – Kitchener Public Library. Share your poetry with other teens ages 12 to 18; 7:30 p.m.; 85 Queen St. N., Kitchener; 519-743-0271.

JANUARY 16

New to the Community?

Do you have a new Baby?

It’s time to call your Welcome Wagon Hostess.

Elmira & Surrounding Area If you’re not long distance to Elmira, you are welcome to a visit.

elmirawelcomewagon@sympatico.ca

BE PREPARED THIS WINTER

JANUARY 18

»» Robbie Burns Dinner – Royal Canadian Legion, Elmira. Steak pie and all the trimmings, $6 per person. First-come, first-served starting at 6 p.m. downstairs; 11 First St. E., Elmira.

SANYO CANADIAN

MACHINE WORKS INCORPORATED

JANUARY 20

»» Concert by The Chapelaires – Waterloo North Presbyterian Church; 685 Highpoint Ave., Waterloo, 3-7 p.m. Free-will offering. Nancy Ostermann, 519-884-7058, general public inquiries phone, 519-888-7870.

JANUARY 23

33 Industrial Dr., Elmira 519.669.1591

RETAIL STORE STORE RETAIL

s %LECTRICAL 3UPPLIES s .EW 6ACUUMS s 6ACUUM 2EPAIRS s 0ARTS !CCESSORIES s !LL MAKES AND MODELS 9 CHURCH STREET EAST, ELMIRA

519.669.8362

»» Author! Illustrator! – Kitchener Public Library. With Sean Cassidy, 10 a.m. for Grades 1 to 3; 85 Queen St. N., Kitchener. Reserve at 519-743-0271, ext.

258. »» Author! Illustrator! – Grand River Stanley Park Library. With Sean Cassidy, 1:30 p.m. for Grades 1 to 3; 175 Indian Rd., Kitchener. Reserve at 519-8961736. »» Line Dancing – Royal Canadian Legion, Waterloo. Beginner to intermediate levels, 6-10 p.m.; $7; 19 Regina St. N., Waterloo; 519-669-5951.

JANUARY 26

»» Spaghetti dinner and salad bar – Royal Canadian Legion, Elmira. Tickets purchased in advance at the Legion, call 519-669-2932. Adults $10, children five to 10 years $4, under five years free. Two sittings: 5 p.m. and 7 p.m.; 11 First St. E., Elmira.

Submit calendar listings to info@observerxtra.com

519-669-5551

AUTOMOTIVE

AUTOMOTIVE

»»2007 Dodge Gr. Car-

» »Will pick up your unwanted or scrap car or truck. I will pay you up to $140 for your full-size scrapper. Call Brad @ 519-572-0987 for quick and free removal.

van SE - 3.3L V-6, auto, full load including p.driver seat, alum. road wheels, rear air, Stow N Go. 4 available. $18,900. Voisin Chrysler, 519-669-2831. »»2007 Dodge Gr. Carvan SE - 3.3L V-6, auto, full load including p.driver seat, alum. road wheels, rear air, Stow N Go. 4 available. $18,900. Voisin Chrysler, 519-669-2831.

RENTALS

»»2

Bedroom Apartment near downtown Elmira. Call 519-669-5798.

AUCTION Monthly PUBLIC Vehicle

AUCTION to be held at

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

Sat. Jan 12th 9:30 am

90+ Police, Government, Repo, Bankruptcy, Fleets & Others

1 - 04 Ford Crown Victoria 1 - 03 Buick LeSabre Ltd 1 - 02 Ranger Edge SC 4x4 5 - 02 Chev Impala’s 4 - 01/02 Ford Taurus SE’s 5 - 01/02 Chev Impala LS’s 1 - 01 Chev Astro LS Wgn 3 - 01 Chrysler Intrepid SE’s

2002 Olds Alero 2001 Hyundai Accent 2000 BMW 323i 99 Saturn SL-1 99 Chev Cavalier 97 Chev Lumina 97 Lincoln Towncar 94 Lincoln Towncar Limo

PARTIAL LIST ONLY!!

ALL Police Vehicles Come DIRECTLY From The Police Departments Including Cars From The Kidney Foundation!!

No Buyer’s Premium!!

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

VIEWING: Friday, Jan 11th, 2008 - 1:00 pm to 5:00 pm

M.R. Jutzi & Co

www.mrjutzi.ca SHARON GINGRICH 519.291.6763

»» Line Dancing – Royal Canadian Legion, Waterloo. Beginner to intermediate levels, 6-10 p.m.; $7; 19 Regina St. N., Waterloo; 519-669-5951.

112 Bonnie Crescent, Crescent Elmira r ra

97 Chev 2500 Express Van 1 - 2000 IHC 4700 /w 24’ Van 1 - 93 Ford LT9000 Dump S,P,W 95 GMC 2500 Vandura Van 88 Ford E350 Mini Bus 2 - 87 IHC/Ford SA Dump, P/W’s 97 Chev CK3500 c/w JERR-DAN Police Tow Truck (80kms)

JANUARY 13

»» Hungry man’s Breakfast – Royal Canadian Legion, Elmira. All you can eat: adults $5, children five to 10 years $2.50, under five years free; 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.; 11 First St. E., Elmira.

of major brand computers

Investments

Allen Morrison, Agent/Owner

Life

Cell: 519.581.7868

Elmira’s LARGEST selection

DENTURE

Auto

West Montrose, ON

FOR SALE

COMPUTERS LAPTOPS MONITORS and SERVICE

Home

Rugs and Upholstery

•Residential •Commercial •Personalized Service •Free Estimates

COLLEEN

Since 1987 - DentureTech Since 1995 - Denturist

The Observer | Saturday, January 05, 2008

DEATH NOTICES ASMUSSEN, Edna (nee Koch)

PETZNICK, Robert Irvin (Bob) –

– Passed away at Leisureworld in Elmira on Sunday, December 30, 2007 in her 100th year.

Formerly of Kitchener and Fordwich, passed away suddenly at his residence in Vernon, BC on Thursday, December 27, 2007, just one day prior to his 84th birthday.

Local relatives are son Randy Petznick and his wife Chris of Elmira.

BROWN, Ruth (nee Geiger)

519-669-2884

21 INDUSTRIAL DR., ELMIRA

Elze’s

Wonderful Wines

A Fine Wine Establishment 29 Church St. W., Elmira

519.669.0799

519-648-2111

Hazel

– Of Palmerston passed away peacefully at the Royal Terrace Nursing Home on Tuesday, UBERSCHLAG, Ruby Illeen December 25, 2007, in (nee Blake) her 94th year.

Formerly of Breslau, Local relative is her passed peacefully at half-sister Jean Fogal Lisaard House, Cambridge, of Elmira. on Sunday, December 23, Wonderful Wines 2007, after a courageous ERB, Wilfred J. and dignified battle with – Passed away peace- cancer. The family honfully to his eternal oured Ruby’s wishes to rest, at Freeport Health keep her illness private.

Centre, on Monday, December 31, 2007, after ZEHR, Mary Magdalene a courageous battle – Passed away peacefully, with complications on January 1, 2008 at from leukemia. Wilfred Cambridge Country Manor, of Waterloo, formerly after a brief illness. of RR2, Wellesley in his Local relative is her sister 73rd year.

Ginger of West Montrose.

CLASSIFIEDS | 27

The Observer | Saturday, January 05, 2008

FAMILY ALBUM

birthday

THANK YOU

you got to be kidding look who is 80

thank you

Charest, Bob To all our friends, family, business associates, support groups, and endless helping hands. To Henry Walser Funeral Home, the police force, our fire department, ambulance attendants and some I may not have been aware of who were present and still are. Thank you is not enough to express the love and gratitude myself and my family feel for all of you. The help and support financially, emotionally and physically has been and continues to be overwhelming and astounding. We have an angel at every fingertip for all of our needs. It is a debt of gratitude and reciprocated love that at this time seems impossible to repay. Trust that I shall return it and “pay it forward” as my new life begins and continues. You are all held in our hearts as our angels. We are incredibly blessed. Our feelings are hard to express in words. God bless and keep you all for always and always. Bob did love and would have loved you all.

Janet Tschirhart Charest and family

nelson horst

best wishes from your family stag & doe

birth notice

Dear Gale Presbyterian Church

Elijah is a big brother!

I just wanted to send out a big “thank you” for a wonderful New Year’s Eve gourmet dinner that you prepared this year!

From the professional and efficient “delivery guys”, to the festive and decorative way our dinners were wrapped, to the delicious meal, it was greatly enjoyed by all! The kids, especially thought the gummy worms were a hit! Much work, creativity and effort went into this dinner, and I want to express gratitude to all of the volunteers involved. It started out our New Year’s celebration on a great note(thanks to the horns!) and we hope that you will consider offering this event again next year!

We’ll definitely be return customers!

Darrell and Liza (Stephenson) Brubacher, give God the glory for the safe arrival of Autumn Joy, born Tuesday December 25th, weighing 8lb. 11 oz. and measuring 22.5 inches. Thank you to our family and friends for your prayers and support as we anxiously awaited Autumn’s arrival.

IN MEMORIAM

Michael MacKenzie We remember you, Mike, as you remain in our hearts and minds since your tragic death on Jan. 5th, 2001. Your presence of spirit continues to heal us.

Remembered always. Matthew, Kurt, Leanne and Christopher.

Kindest regards, C. Knicely

birth notice

thank you

stag & doe party

EASY

» SUDOKU

SOLUTIONS

9 5 3 2 8 7 1 4 6

1 5 4 6 3 7 9 2 8

3 2 6 8 9 1 5 4 7

6 7 2 5 1 4 8 3 9

4 3 9 7 6 8 2 1 5

5 1 8 3 2 9 6 7 4

2 4 3 9 8 6 7 5 1

2 4 1 5 6 3 9 7 8

5 7 4 1 3 9 8 6 2

1 8 9 7 2 6 4 5 3

6 3 2 8 4 5 7 1 9

3 2 7 9 5 4 6 8 1

4 9 5 6 1 8 2 3 7

8 1 6 3 7 2 5 9 4

9 6 5 1 7 3 4 8 2

7 8 1 4 5 2 3 9 6

7 5 6 2 3 4 8 1 9

1 9 8 6 5 7 3 2 4

4 3 2 8 9 1 5 6 7

3 6 7 5 4 9 1 8 2

9 2 4 1 8 6 7 3 5

5 8 1 3 7 2 4 9 6

6 1 5 7 2 3 9 4 8

8 4 3 9 6 5 2 7 1

To celebrate the upcoming marriage of

Lindsey Sokolwski & floyd martin on

MEDIUM

HARD 8 9 7 2 4 5 1 6 3

7 6 8 4 9 1 3 2 5

2 7 9 4 1 8 6 5 3

friday, january 11, 2008 at lion’s hall, elmira from

8:00pm to 1:00am Tickets available at 519-669-0240 or 519-669-5829 and at the door (must be 19 or older)

Peter, Kary and Big Brother Jonathon Thiessen of Parker are pleased to announce the safe arrival of Sophia Mary Thiessen, weighing 8lbs, on August 25, 2007. Proud grandparents are Lynne and Peter Robinson of Elmira, Derwyn and Marg Allen of Mount Forest and Magaretta Thiessen of Linwood.

The Redekop family is so thankful and appreciative to the: Floradale firemen, Paramedics and ambulance crew, Doctors and nurses and all the staff at Grand River and St. Mary’s hospital, Floradale Mennonite church family, and our own families and friends who cared for and prayed for Fred and the rest of our family before, during, and since Fred’s heart attack and surgery. And we are most thankful to God for the extra grace, strength, and love given to us throughout this experience.

We wish many blessings for all of you.

WOOLWICH OBSERVER IS PLEASED TO PRESENT THE 2007...

BABIES

Carter Keith Snider

Andrew Jacob Snyder

Caleb Giles Snyder

PARENTS

PARENTS

PARENTS

July 21, 2007

July 03, 2007

November 11, 2007

Sophia Mary Thiessen August 25, 2007 PARENTS

Steve & Joy SIBLING Riley

Ben & Kim Snyder SIBLINGS Nathan & Alison

Steve & Kim Snyder

Peter & Kary BIG BROTHER Jonathon

St. Jacobs

Waterloo

Milton

Parker

Lily Thompson

Owen Mitchell Weppler

Cara Faith Wideman

Evan James Woods

VISIT THE CLASS OF 2007 www.ObserverXtra.com

»

More Babies on page 28

July 14, 2007 PARENTS

March 31, 2007

February 27, 2007 PARENTS

November 22, 2007 PARENTS

Amy & Greg Thompson

PARENTS

Shane & Pam Weppler

Steve & Christa Wideman

Nathan & Deanne Woods BIG SISTER Paige

Elmira

Elmira

Elmira

Elmira

28 | BACK PAGE

The Observer | Saturday, January 05, 2008

WOOLWICH OBSERVER IS PLEASED TO PRESENT THE 2007...

BABIES Liam Allen Baechler February 06, 2007 PARENTS

Tanesha Lynn Bauman March 21, 2007 PARENTS

Cameron Ryan Beisel February 10, 2007 PARENTS

Hunter Keith Bender November 21, 2007 PARENTS

Julia Lorene Bingeman

Samuel Robert Nisbet Brown

December 09, 2007 PARENTS

May 18, 2007

Jeff Baechler & Jessica Binkley

Eddie & Sherilyn Bauman

Ryan & Melanie Beisel BIG SISTER Mackenzie

Dale & Andrea Bender SIBLINGS Blythe & Avery

Andrew & Alissa Bingeman

PARENTS Carson & Joanne SIBLINGS Quinn & Josie

Kitchener

Elmira

Elmira

St. Clements

Elmira

Elmira

Claire Catton

Allison Kathleen Curry

Ezavier Nicholas Dowell

Sara Jean Forwell

Aleenah Marie Green

PARENTS

PARENTS

PARENTS

PARENTS

Kayleigh Sydney Futher

June 22, 2007

January 24, 2007

January 21, 2007

June 28, 2007

May 06, 2007

April 19, 2007 PARENTS

Morgan & Jenn Catton BIG BROTHER Evan

Adam & Kristen Curry

Nick & Christine (Fraser) Dowell

Amy & Derrick Forwell

PARENTS

Shawn & Kimberly Green

Shawn & Toni Futher

Heidelberg

Kitchener

Elmira

Elmira

Elmira

Aleenah brings much enjoyment into our lives. Our little angel blesses us every day.

Mitchell Robert Arthur Hollman

Declan Johnson

Kennedy Nicole Kelly

Will Robertson Kennedy

PARENTS

PARENTS

PARENTS

Jordyn Ellie MacDonald

October 31, 2007 PARENTS Jennifer & Peter BIG SISTER Gracie

August 17, 2007

May 27, 2007

March 21, 2007

Conestoga

Kara Jean MacPherson June 18, 2007

September 01, 2007

PARENTS

Shawn & Jocelyn Johnson

Jeremy & Carey Kelly

Robert & Marj (Gingrich) BIG BROTHER Aden

PARENTS

Tim & Kyla MacPherson

GRAND PARENTS Gary & Darlene Burns | Judy & Bram Hollman

Vaughan & Tracey

Elmira

Elmira

Calgary

Elmira

Elmira

Graydon Randall Earl Martin

Mikala Mitchell

Jakob Kryn Noot

Maggie Grace Ropp

Mirella Katharine Sandelli

Lexington Bradley Schofield

October 25, 2007

February 11, 2007 PARENTS

February 04, 2007 PARENTS

March 12, 2007 PARENTS

St. Jacobs

Jason & Patti Noot BIG SISTER Victoria

Greg & Dana (Logel) Ropp

Proud Grandparents Derek & Kelly

Winterbourne

Elmira

PARENTS

Richard & Leslie Mitchell

Christine & Greg Martin Elmira

July 13, 2007 PARENTS

Rob & Krista (McLeod) Sandelli

VISIT THE CLASS OF 2007 ONLINE AT www.ObserverXtra.com

June 15, 2007 David & Christina BIG BROTHER Lochlain Lonsdale PARENTS

GRAND PARENTS Elburn & Linda Bradley | Dale & Roberta Schofield

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More Babies on page 27