Tuesday, April 6, 2010

Tax Increase Considered


Homeowners in Fort Frances could be faced with a 2-point-4 per cent tax increase.
But a decrease in the education portion of the tax bill and a change in assessment could result in some residential ratepayers paying less.
Mayor Roy Avis says he's pleased with the figure.
"I was hoping for two per cent," says Avis, "but at 2.4 per cent it's well within the scope of what we wanted to accomplish this year."
However, taxes could increase another one per cent if municipalities vote in favour of a change in how share the costs of social services administered by the Rainy River District Social Services Administration Board.
That vote comes next week.
Councillors also trimmed the capital budget by about 57-thousand dollars at their budget meeting last night.
It includes holding off on replacing the stage at the Townsend Theatre, installing new light standards on Scott Street and painting of the overpass on Portage Avenue.
The town is proceeding with an upgrade to the water system at Sunny Cove Camp, improvements to its recycling building and the purchase of equipment to help firefighters better identify hazardous materials.

Relay for Life Meeting


The planning for this years Relay for Life in Fort Frances begins tonight.

Committee member John Homer says anyone interested in being a part of this year's fundraiser for the Canadian Cancer Society is invited to a meeting at the La Place Rendez-Vous.

"What the meeting is for is anybody who wants to put in a team," says Homer, "or wants to know anything about Relay for Life, if your a business and you want to sponsor, if you want to volunteer or be a committee member. It's open to anybody."

Tonight's meeting begins at 6 p.m.

Relay for Life will happen June 25 at Pither's Point Park.


Contact North Study

Contact North is having more than just an educational impact in northern Ontario.

A Lakehead University study says the distant education and learning network generates between $9 and $16 million to the economy.

President Maxim Jean-Louis says that is impressive.

"It was really internally for us at Contact North to have a good sense of what impact that we've having," says Jean-Louis. "Also we wanted everyone in the region (to understand the impact) because the reason why Contact North is providing these services is to stem the out-migration."

Contact North has 94 access centres, including one in Fort Frances, creating 245 full-times

Golf Season Opens


It's an early start to the golf season in Fort Frances.

Kitchen Creek open its fairways to golfers for the first time yesterday.

President Faye Flatt says it may be the earliest opening ever.
Flatt says green fees are also being lowered to reflect the early opening.
The driving range at Heron Landing is also open with the rest of the course to open at a later date.

Weekend Fire

A garage and house were destroyed in a weekend fire in Alberton township.

It occurred on Hill Road Saturday afternoon.

The exact cause is not know, but fire officials say it started in the garage with the wind fanning the flames to two vehicles parked outside and the nearby home.

About about fourteen firefighters from Alberton were joined by another ten from the LaVallee township fire department in battling the blaze.

New C.A.O.

The City of Kenora has appointed from within as its new chief administrative officer.

Karen Brown, the city's manager of finance, replaces Bill Presentanz who is retiring in August.

Brown has been employed by the city for the past eighteen years.

Stolen Bikes Handed Out

Some Ontario children will be getting bicycles once allegedly stolen by a Toronto theft ring run by former bike shop owner Igor Kenk.

He was sentenced to 30 months in jail last December after pleading guilty to bicycle theft and to six drug possession charges.

Police are distributing about 70 bikes and more than 1,000 bike parts and locks today to a pair of Toronto centres for at-risk youth.

Experts will help kids assemble and repair the pieces into complete bikes, which will then be donated to the community.

About 300 bicycles and parts are also being sent to a native agency in Thunder Bay and North Spirit Lake, north of Dryden.

Motorcycle Safety


With warmer weather, more people will be taking their motorcycles out for a spin, but Ontario Provincial Police are urging bikers to be cautious.
The warning comes after a man died in a motorcycle on the weekend in southern Ontario while street racing.
Police says officers will be keeping an eye on sport motorcycles speeding and driving dangerously.