Lightning strike sparks house fire

 

In a March 2nd press release, the St. Lawrence Parks Commission (SLPC) announced the return of Farran Park to its portfolio of parks and day-use areas following the expiry of its lease on March 31st with the Township of South Stormont.

The Township of South Stormont has operated the park since 1990. A separate lease agreement between the SLPC and South Stormont remains in effect until 2022 to provide free waterfront access for residents through Lakeview Park. 

In the July 25, 1990 edition of The Leader, it was reported: “At its July 18 meeting, the St. Lawrence Parks Commission decided to open doors for business entrepreneurs to participate in operating the parks which were closed this spring due to restructuring.”

The parks in question included Brown’s Bay, Charlottenburgh, Farran, Grenville, and Nairne.

In a follow-up article, the October 10, 1990 edition of The Leader reported that the SLPC “received 14 proposals from public and private sectors for the five parks it closed earlier this year in a cost-cutting measure.”

One of the proposals came from Osnabruck Township (now known as South Stormont) for both Farran and Nairn.

“On an agreement with the Commission, Osnabruck Township operated Farran Park this summer (1990) from July to Labor Day, realizing a profit of $4,000.”

“The Township is looking at a lease to operate both parks for between 30 to 50 years for a nominal fee,” the 1990 article continued. “They wish to extend the camping season to the end of September, and upgrade facilities starting with water and electrical sites in both parks, and improve the boat launching area at Farran.”

The March 2012 SLPC release revealed that in 1991 the SLPC entered into a lease agreement with the Township of South Stormont for the operation of Farran Park.

The SLPC lease required the Township to reinvest a portion of the profits of the campground into the maintenance and capital refurbishment of the park in lieu of higher rent payments to SLPC. 

This has resulted in an estimated $500,000 investment in the campground’s infrastructure.

It was also revealed that, in February 2012, the SLPC Board voted to reassume operation of Farran Park, effective April 2, 2012 with the option of considering any future proposals that the Township may choose to submit during the coming year. 

Darren Dalgleish, GM & CEO of the SLPC, said, “the municipality should be proud of the job it has done operating the campground over the past 21 years. Now that the lease has reached its end and with SLPC in the process of revitalizing the campgrounds, it’s the right time for the SLPC to reassume operation of the park.”

In the same release, SLPC acting chair, Ron Eamer said, “the SLPC is committed to maintaining and growing Farran Park as we reintegrate it into the Commission’s network of parkland. The camping sector is poised for significant growth and we see a very bright future ahead for Farran.”

Further to that, SLPC Parks and Recreation Manager Lou Seiler added, “we will accommodate current guests and all planned special events at Farran Park.”

“We have decided to ‘grandfather’ the seasonal camping fees and daily campsite fees that were established by the Township in 2011 for the upcoming 2012 season,” continued Seiler. 

“Coupled with this will be the new benefits of access to other attractions which represents tremendous value to residents and guests.”

[…]

“This school has fantastic energy. I am deeply impressed with the staff keenness and relationships with the students,” said Kelty Grant, who has assumed her duties as the new principal of Iroquois Public School. “The children are really friendly. I go out in the yard and the kids are happy to see me and to talk to me. That stands out in my mind.”

For Grant, who grew up in Ingleside and attended Rothwell-Osnabruck, coming to Iroquois was a little bit like coming home. She is familiar with the area and with the Upper Canada District School Board for whom she has worked in teaching and administrative capacities since 1992.

Principal Grant received her B.A. at Queen’s University in Kingston, and took her teacher training at McGill University in Montreal. She began her career as an elementary/primary teacher. 

“My first five years in education were spent teaching at the Kanatakoa School, which is part of Awkwesasne, affiliated with UCDSB,” Grant said. “I taught kindergarten, grade three and grade five there and loved the experience. From there I went to Memorial Park, then to Morrisburg Public School where I taught part time.”

Later, Grant split her time between Vincent Massey and Viscount Alexander serving as a vice principal and an acting principal. She brings extensive classroom and administrative experience to her position at Iroquois.

Grant has a family with two children and two step-children and makes her home in Ingleside. 

Although she has only been principal since the late summer, Kelty Grant is delighted with the enthusiasm for teaching and for learning that she sees among teachers, students and parents.

She also praises the support of the custodial and secretarial staffs at the school. She laughed that custodians have already had to cope with wasps in the primary playground.

“IPS teachers have a deep focus on the curriculum,” she said. “They’re willing to experiment and to try different approaches to learning. I find that very progressive. I find they also have a lot of interesting ideas which they are very willing to share. That helps to move a school ahead.”

Grant is already looking forward to the first professional learning community at the school where the staff will examine EQAO results (out soon) and analyze on-going strategies for improvement. She is hoping that the school has succeeded in getting a PRO (Parents Reaching Out) grant  which will help set up a new program designed to help parents develop family literacy, to work with their children at home.

“I’m still getting to know the needs of the school, still discovering what teachers are seeing in their classrooms,” she said. “Then I will have a better idea in what directions to move.”

Grant is aware of some of the priorities at IPS, such as Take Home Reading Programs, the acquisition of more SmartBoards and the need for new playground equipment. Traditions like monthly assemblies, concerts and special events will continue. 

“The most important thing I believe is that every child can learn,” she said. “It’s my job to create an environment where that can happen. All subjects are important. You must develop the whole child.”

[…]

 

The Municipal Property Assessment Corporation (MPAC) released the numbers for local property assessments on December 6th.

This year, South Dundas is seeing a 1.19 per cent increase. The average home in South Dundas will see a 5.48 per cent increase.

According to South Dundas Treasurer Shannon Geraghty, “the 5.48 per cent provided by MPAC represents the increase in assessments from 2011 to 2012 due to the four-year phase-in by MPAC. Therefore, from 2011 to 2012 the average increase in assessment for property owners could be approximately 5.48 per cent.”

The four-year phase-in was introduced by MPAC in 2008 and began in 2009. According to MPAC: “To provide an additional level of property tax stability and predictability, the market increases in assessed value between 2005 and 2008 will be phased-in over four years.”

“The 1.19 per cent is based on a combination of the loss in assessments and the new growth within the township,” Geraghty explained.

“Assessment loss arises from property owners appealing their assessments and thus the decision by MPAC to reduce the assessment creates an assessment loss overall for the township.”

“The 1.19 per cent growth component results in approximately $15,000 to $30,000 in new tax revenue for the 2012 year.”

Geraghty predicted, “this number (1.19 per cent) should be favourable to the residents of South Dundas as it shows a small growth within the community which we hope we can continue to build on.”

“As far as 2012, the increase in tax revenue will be included in the 2012 bottom line during the 2012 budget.”

When asked if there was anything readers should know or understand, he offered: “The overall outlook at tax rates and how much an owner will pay in 2012 is difficult to predict until we have a better forecast on revenue and expense projections, which are completed in the 2012 budget.”

[…]