OMYA Annual Water-Taking Report.
On February 21, OMYA will present to the public its annual report on the water-taking from the Tay River during the past year. Dr. Edgar Watt, Professor Emeritus of Civil Engineering at Queens University and a specialist in hydrology and water resources engineering, will present his analysis of the data in relation to the terms of the company’s water-taking permit. The presentation will be held at the Glen Tay School on the Harper Road on Thursday, February 21 starting at 7 PM. GBCLA president, Taro Alps, and our water resources expert, Joe Slater, both plan to represent the association.
Winter Lake Views Magazine:
If you paid dues for this year and your mailing address is current, you should have received the association magazine during December. It is chock full of information and several extremely humorous articles. If you have any questions about the mailing or your membership, please contact Edie MacNinch at emacninch@sympatico.ca. You may also view the magazine on our website at http://www.bobsandcrowlakes.ca/. In addition, please advise Edie if you would like to review the magazine on-line in the future and not receive a printed copy. This would save the association substantial printing and mailing costs. We would alert you by email when the magazine is posted on the website.
Bobs Lake Public Boat Launch.
In the late fall, David Hahn, Bedford District Councillor, asked the South Frontenac Council to approve, fund and construct a public boat launch at the entrance to Buck Bay. Neither the association nor the landowners in the immediate area had been formally notified of this action in advance. Upon learning of the proposal, we raised numerous concerns about the location, cost, maintenance and lack of adequate public notification. As a result, the council tabled this proposal until it could be studied further and the public provided an opportunity to review the plan. We anticipate the proposal will be considered again this spring. Taro Alps plans to distribute additional information and a survey later this month to obtain your views.
Police Liaison Officer Position Cancelled.
South Frontenac Township recently reviewed its contract for police services. In so doing, because of the cost, it decided this month not to continue the part-time police community liaison position. This individual had been the primary interface with lake associations, had advised community watch programs, and provided on-going incident reports. We expressed our concern about the loss of this valuable service. In response to the concern raised by the Buck Lake Association, Councillor Del Stowe replied, “Although I voted to not pay 52,000 dollars for a position that is part time 16 hours, I am open to paying someone to do the job as a liaison. I just cannot justify a position that requires us to pay according to a provincial formula especially when the position is unique to South Frontenac. Come up with some alternatives that cost less. Perhaps we should tender for a position that could be paid for through the Township.”
Credit Card Currency Exchange Fee Refunds.
This item is for our US readers. There is a class action lawsuit regarding the credit card fees charged on foreign currency exchanges. You may be eligible to receive a refund under the terms of the suit. The period covered is from 1996 through 2006. You may apply for perhaps a $25 refund by registering, or alternatively, you could apply for potentially more by either indicating the number of days out of the country or actual foreign credit card expenses during those years. Visit www.ccfsettlement.com or call 1-800-945-9890 for more information and to register. The deadline for registering for a claim is May 30, 2008. If you submit information via the Internet, confirm your browser for the site includes “https” to ensure security.
U.S. Border ID Requirements.
This is from the Washington Post on January 22. “[T]he Department of Homeland Security is pushing to tighten identification requirements at U.S. land borders starting Jan. 31, when it no longer will allow Americans or Canadians to enter the country by presenting a driver’s license or declaring their citizenship.” The article continues, “Beginning January 31, the United States will no longer accept declarations of citizenship at the border. U. S. citizens 19 and older must present proof of both identity and citizenship. Identification documents must include a photo, name and date of birth. Acceptable documents include a passport, ‘trusted traveler’ card, military ID with travel orders or, when available a pass card or an enhanced driver’s license. Otherwise, both a government-issued driver’s license and a birth certificate or other citizenship document is required. People 18 and younger will be required to present proof of citizenship, such as a birth certificate.”
The Bobs & Crow Lakes Foundation.
The Foundation is a charitable organization established in 2005 to preserve and enhance the quality of the environment around our lakes for present and future generations. To help raise funds for projects, volunteers are planning an auction on Saturday evening, August 2nd at the North Frontenac Arena. There will be fabulous food, music, prizes and amazing auction items. In addition, we encourage you to contribute to the Foundation. Contributions are tax-deductible for both Canadian and U.S. residents. Donations may be mailed to the Bobs & Crow Lakes Foundation, c/o Alexander Cameron, P.O. Box 482, Verona, ON K0H 2W0.
High-Speed Internet in Lanark County.
Lanark County has received provincial funding and is partnering with Storm Internet to bring high-speed internet service to most rural areas of the county by this summer. They are holding informational meetings during February. Gaps in service will be closed by erecting towers or micro-networks where the demand exists. You may receive further information by contacting the Tay Valley Township or Storm Internet at 1-866-257-8676. How about a similar initiative in Frontenac County???
Around the Lakes.
Winter residents report a lot of snow and active weather this year—several storms with more than 30 cm of snow. There was a thaw in mid January, and there had been rain as well. There was enough rain that the RVCA was concerned about downstream flooding, but that did not happen. Because of the winter weather Heather Irving advised, “Please check all your places carefully and your trees & let your neighbours know. We had two horrendous wind/hurricane style storms in the past weeks. I have two trees & a shed gone; some folks have chimneys that are three concessions over. Many trees snapped but not down, plus assorted TV aerials broken/bent.” She also indicated, “I can say that the ‘Ice Hogs’ are now out in full force towing their huts and assorted other stuff (wood, wine, beer, toilets, stoves, coolers, sleds, toboggans, dogs, etc., Reports are that the ice is from 8 to 12 inches (if one is inclined to believe that!) Two Pickerel and a pike caught in my channel so the scuttlebutt says.” Diane Stevens reported, “At the feeder we’ve had a flock of Redpolls – one time we estimated about 80, but usually it is more like 30, and we’ve also had several sighting of a male Cardinal, which is most unusual at our location.