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Serving the Mapleton Community
Community News Volume 44 Issue 36
Drayton, Ontario
1 Year GIC - 2.05% 3 Year GIC - 2.80% 5 Year GIC - 3.05% Daily Interest 1.75%
Friday, September 9, 2011
Spaling looks forward to coming NHL season by Chris Daponte DRAYTON - Nick Spaling says he has recovered from offseason shoulder surgery and is excited about the 2011-12 NHL season, which opens on Oct. 6. “I should be ready to go for camp [on Sept. 16],” he said in a recent interview from his parents’ home in Drayton. Now entering his third year with the Nashville Predators, Spaling will head south on Sept. 9 or 10 to join his teammates. He spent much of this spring and summer recovering from surgery to repair a torn labrum suffered near the start of the playoffs last season. But on Aug. 24 he said he had been working out and following his usual summer regimen for several weeks.
NICK SPALING Prior to his first two seasons in Nashville, during which he would eventually score eight goals and nine assists, Spaling’s main focus was making the NHL squad. Continued on page 2
Council leery of July 1 support with few details by David Meyer MAPLETON TWP. - The township parks, culture and recreation committee did not have much luck at council with its recommendations on Aug. 16. Council rejected outright one of the three committee recommendations, and sent a second back for more details. The latter motion read the committee “supports and promotes activities for July 1, 2012.” Councillors had indicated at a previous meeting the committee needs to be more specific with its recommendations, and that was again the case. Councillor Mike Downey asked council, “What support? Moral? Ten thousand dollars?”
He alluded to a past incident of misunderstanding and said, “Once bitten, twice shy.” Chief administrative officer Patty Sinnamon told council it simply needs more information from the committee. Downey noted last year was the 10th anniversary of Mapleton Township and the local Rotary Club got involved in the celebrations. Sinnamon said if a group wants to get involved in leading those celebrations that would be great, but in the meantime, council should get clarification of the committee’s intentions. The only recommendation from the committee that council approved was to accept the committee’s minutes.
Important building - A Drayton Legion official says a lack of active members, a problem with which Branch 416 has struggled for years, almost forced the closure of the Elm Street building earlier this summer. photo by Wilma Mol
Lack of active members threatens survival of Legion by Chris Daponte DRAYTON - Earlier this summer, members of the Drayton Legion voted to keep Branch 416 alive, but problems remain at the branch that could threaten its future survival. Vice president Phil Moore acknowledged club members considered closing the Elm Street branch, but he denied rumours the building was going to be condemned. “There is no problem with the building,” he said. He explained issues at the Drayton Legion also have nothing to do with the size of its overall membership - the
club currently has 52 members - but more with the lack of active members. “We’re getting the same old people doing all the work ... Nobody wants to run it,” Moore said, noting the Legion has had the same executive for four or five years. He explained monthly events at the Legion such as euchre tournaments and dinners are generally well attended, as are general meetings - but the rest of the time, it’s the same handful of members doing all the work. “We can’t get anybody to run the bar or anything,” said
Moore, who was once in the militia and has been a member at the Drayton Legion for 31 years. He stressed there is nothing structurally wrong with the building, which once served as a hotel, although he admitted the Legion does need some work, particularly updated washrooms. “There’s a whole bunch of money to be spent, but there’s no money there,” he said. “A lot of people have just given up.” From time to time the Drayton Legion struggles financially with everyday
costs, Moore said, adding a few members have put their own money into minor repairs or purchases for the branch, never asking for reimbursement. “You get a little sick of it after a while,” he said solemnly. “It’s an ongoing problem.” In fact, many Legions across the country are facing similar problems. A dwindling number of veterans, an aging membership and older buildings often result in the bulk of the workload falling on fewer and fewer members. The problem can be amplified in smaller communities such as Drayton. Continued on page 8
Township is seeking provider and installer for new water meters by David Meyer MAPLETON TWP. Council here has approved a request for proposals for the provision and installation of meters for 925 water customers. The tender also seeks a cost for the installation of backflow prevention devices. The township agreed it would also consider proposals for a handheld metering system or one that collects data by using a tower. Finance director Mike Givens told council there is still some hesitation in the urban areas about water meters and their benefits. The main selling point for many is they pay only for the water they use. Givens specifically directed council to two sections of his
report. One stated all proposals must include a public education program for the promotion of the project. The contractor will propose a program and then execute it. As a minimum, the contractor must inform the customer why the township is implementing a water meter program and the benefits of it, provide meter reading instructions and explain how to detect leaks. The other section dealt with the connections of the meter to a property owner’s system. The contractor must install and use material that conforms to the current provincial plumbing code and be in accordance with the manufacturer’s published instructions. The contractor shall not receive any extra payment for adapting any existing water
Main St. W. Palmerston
Sept 17th Celtic Fury presents “Irish Fire” Canada’s own Lord of the Dance. Shows at 2pm and 8pm, tickets at Home Hardware (Palmerston & Harriston), Blooming Dale’s (Drayton), Capri Hairstyling & by calling 519-343-4036. The theatre will be closed for cleaning and a volunteer break from September 2nd reopening September 23rd for regular weekend movies.
For more info call 519-343-3640 or visit www.norgantheatre.com
service line and internal plumbing to different service lines to accommodate water meter installation. But, Givens stated in the request for proposal, “if the service is too corroded, is not accessible to permit a meter installation, requires a complete replacement or is deteriorated to such an extent that major replacement is necessary and thereby prohibits a meter installation, the proponent shall notify the premise owner that they should arrange to have the required work done. “The proponent shall ensure that the premise owner understands that the repairs are to be done at the premise owner’s expense.” After Givens explained the details of the request for proposal, councillor Neil Driscoll
asked, “Anyone hooked into the [municipal water] system would have a meter?” Givens said, “Correct,” and called it the “most equitable” pricing policy the township can use. Mayor Bruce Whale asked if the meters would be outside of homes. Givens said they would be inside. Whale then asked, “And you can read that?” Givens said North Perth is able to read 2,500 similar water meters in two hours, and he added the readers would not have to enter the homes, but there could be cases where readers fail to pick up the readings. The township, with the help of the successful bidder, will prepare a letter to households that will introduce the com-
Weekly Wag
r, u’ll live foreve Dream as if yo ’ll die today. live as if you n- James Dea
pany to locals. The letter is designed to generate good will towards the contractor. After that letter, though, it will be up to the successful contractor to contact the homeowners. The township is requiring three contacts: - delivery of the letter, which will invite the homeowner to call the company and arrange an installation appointment (that letter will also include a 24-hour emergency repair telephone number); - send installation crews out to the areas to conduct installations, attempt to contact those who did not call to make an appointment and leave a package at the door of places where no one is home; and - call premise owners and make appointments, and send
BILL’S
reminders and final notices directly to homeowners or tenants that are not responsive (that letter should clearly state the contractor has been unsuccessful in attempts to contact them and should instruct the premise owners to phone for an appointment within a twoweek time span). After three contact attempts, the contractor will advise the homeowner the installation cannot be completed. At that point the contractor will have fulfilled its obligation. If the township is able to arrange an appointment during the operation phase of the contract, the contractor will perform the installation. Council approved the request for proposals. The deadline for the bids is Sept. 14.
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