Chth120116

OPP in Brief

tions about how it would work and who is in charge. Meanwhile, county council awaits a detailed report from its own Emergency Services Chief Doug Socha. Council’s next meeting will see the formal induction of the new warden.

Turn off your phone or switch it to silent mode before you get in the car Put it in the glove compartment (lock it, if you have to) or in a bag on the back seat Before you leave the house, re-

Pastor: Rev Jeff Hackett Family Ministry: Andrew Lacey Children’s Ministry: Bev Graham Sunday School: 10:00am Morning Service: 11:00am Evening Service: 6:00pm

SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIST 613-473-5332 • 137 Elgin St. Madoc (beside High School) (Wesleyan & Free Methodist)

Saturday 9:30am: Bible Study Classes for Children, Youth & Adults Saturday 11:00am: Worship Service Tuesday 6:30pm: Bible Study at Church A Warm Welcome to Everyone

COMMUNITY PENTECOSTAL Stirling • 613-395-5381 Senior Pastor Rev. Darren Snarr 10:30 am Sunday Worship

ST. JOHN’S ANGLICAN

Christmas Trees! Skootamatta Tree Farm "Choose & Cut"

115 Durham St. N Madoc • 613-473-4746 Rev. Michael Rice Sunday Service & Sunday School: 10:30am 2nd & Last Sunday - Communion Other Sundays - Morning Prayer A Warm Welcome Awaits You!

ST. ANDREW’S PRESBYTERIAN 55 Victoria St., Tweed • 613-478-2380 9:00am: Morning Worship Rev. Stephen Brown Everyone Welcome

Open Weekends until Christmas 2800 Upper Flinton Road The Yanch Family 613-336-8774

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NORWOOD PENTECOSTAL 705-639-2187 • npc@nexicom.net

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The regional board of education has a mandate to operate the school system in the best interests of taxpayers, but Hastings County Council thinks it should also have a say – at least when it comes to closing schools. Reports that the board of education is considering closing several schools throughout its two-county region inspired a lively debate in county council. Members recalled other school closures in some of their areas and the impact on their communities where schools are also used for social and community events. Some councillors could sympathize with the board having to make the best of a bad situation when it comes to budgeting, but they also want input into the pressing need to close some schools and what options might be available. Their concern is not so much about education and its costs the welfare of communities they represent. Leading the concerns was CarloMayo Reeve Bonnie Adams. Noting that a meeting had been held in Belleville to discuss the board’s accommodation problems, “We did not receive any notice of it,” she told her fellow councillors, adding, “There are three schools in the northern region that could potentially be impacted by the board’s decisions.” There was some comfort from Marmora and Lake Mayor Terry Clemenson that it will take months

of consultation before final decisions are made, but others pressed for immediate action, to deal directly with the Minister of Education and also to arrange talks with the board. Mayor Jo-Anne Albert of Tweed said her town still has bitter memories of the closing of the high school there some years ago. “It does impact a community when you close a school,” she said. Warden Rick Phillips agreed that a letter be sent to the minister and also to arrange discussions with the board of education. Council also discussed a new policy announced by the provincial government to allow firefighters to be upgraded in their qualifications as paramedics. County CEO Jim Pine advised that the province’s paper on the issue has already raised alarm bells in the Association of Municipalities of Ontario. “This would potentially mean a significant increase in fire budgets, which are 100 per cent funded by municipal taxes,” he noted. The costs could arise either from training costs or increased pay to match new requirements or both. Reeve Tom Deline of Centre Hastings pointed out that his community already pays about $60,000 a year for fire training costs and that could rise dramatically. Pine acknowledged that in its position paper, the province spells out that rural municipalities could opt out, but “There are still many ques-

Norwood Minister: Rev. Roger Millar 9:30am: Worship & Sunday School All are Welcome

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BY JACK EVANS

ST. ANDREW’S PRESBYTERIAN

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County council wants a say on potential school closures

LOCAL CHURCHES

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Brett Mann/Metroland

CHRIST CHURCH ANGLICAN 154 Kent St., Campbellford 9:00am: Worship Service and Sunday School A Warm Welcome to Everyone

ehyanch@gmail.com • www.skootamattatreefarm.webs.com

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Teachers and staff from Tweed Elementary School went Christmas carolling on the main street again this year as part of “All Dressed for Christmas”, the holiday celebration brainchild of Tweed resident Linda Akey. Here they bring the Christmas spirit to the By The Way Coffee Shop. Tweed Music Festivals and the Gateway Youth Jazz Ensemble also brought their music to the seasonally decorated downtown stores.

Put the cell phone down Madoc – Police warn a quick chat on a cell phone while driving has expensive consequences. On Nov. 25, 2016 at 9:50 a.m. a member of Central Hastings O.P.P stopped a tanker truck travelling on Highway 62 near Ivanhoe in Centre Hastings after the driver was observed talking on a cell phone. The 43 year old male driver of Shannonville was charged with Drive With Handheld Communication Device under the Highway Traffic Act. This offence carries a fine of $490 and three demerit points. Central Hastings OPP encourages drivers to focus on the important and complex task of driving and to use any of these tips to avoid driving distracted:

cord an outgoing message that tells callers you’re driving and you’ll get back to them when you’re off the road Some apps can block incoming calls and texts, or send automatic replies to people trying to call or text you Ask a passenger to take a call or respond to a text for you If you must respond, or have to make a call or send a text, carefully pull over to a safe area Silence notifications that tempt you to check your phone

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Drunk on the bus Madoc – Provincial police had to pluck a drunken passenger from a bus here last Friday. On Nov. 25, just after midnight, members of Central Hastings OPP received a complaint of an intoxicated man being rowdy and bothering other passengers on a Greyhound bus at Highway 7 in the Municipality of Centre Hastings. Officers removed a 22 year old Barrie man from the bus and subsequently charged him with being intoxicated in public.

THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF LATTER-DAY SAINTS 8700 County Road #30 Trent River 705-778-2633 Sacrament meeting: Sunday 10am A family church - All are welcome!

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Getting into the Christmas spirit

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