Interfaith raises $19,000

The annual Interfaith Giant Silent Auction raised over $19,000 this year despite a blustery spring storm.

“It was a successful fundraiser,” said director Bill Roth.

He said he was pleased to see participation from MP Harold Albrecht, MPP Leeanna Pendergast, Mayor Wayne Roth and four area fire chiefs.

The kids area was well received, although the new breakfast was slower than hoped for.

“Next year we’d expect more,” he said.

The sale raised about a thousand dollars more than last year.

Storm causes widespread damage

Saturday’s late afternoon storm snapped this pine tree at Nancy and Louis Silcox’s home in New Hamburg. The storm also smashed apart Ed Crawfords 80-foot concrete silo on Township Road 12 near Bright. Send your photos of storm damage to editor@newhamburgindependent.ca and we’ll post them here.

The Fix is On

Park space litter poses a hazard

Someone living near what is supposed to be a developer-maintained green space on Theodore Schuler Boulevard in New Hamburg called the Independent on Earth Day to complain about garbage and dead trees littering the space.
She said the park was being weeded last year and about a dozen evergreen trees had been planted, but it seems the developer has since neglected to maintain the park. The homeowner suggested children could use the space instead of having to walk across busy Waterloo Street to use the sports field at Forest Glen School.
After a visit to the green space, which connects to the Bier Crescent playground, it’s apparent why the homeowner called to voice the concern.
Children were playing just beyond the field that was littered with crumpled packaging, scraps of paper and plastic, broken toys, glass bottles, an old rain boot, splintered pieces of wood and tires propped up against a backyard fence. Most of the trees planted in the park have died and the sharp needles on the dried stumps could pose a hazard for children playing nearby.
The Independent called Wilmot Township to determine who is responsible for maintaining the space. Planner Andrew Martin said according to the subdivision agreement, the developer must maintain the space for a period of two years once facilities and recreation staff are able to inspect the park and determine the standard of maintenance required.
That inspection has not taken place, Martin said.
Once the two-year period is over, the township will assume maintenance of the park.
A message left on voicemail at the Ontario Numbered Company run by the Markham-based developer who owns the park was not returned by press time.
The Independent will continue to follow up and report on any action taken to address the park cleanup.
If you have a concern, or question about something in a public space that is broken, in disrepair, is an eyesore, or poses a hazard, contact the Independent and we’ll look into it and write about it here and on our blog.
The Independent wants to help make our communities the best they can be, so drop us a note, give us a call, or send a message detailing your concern and its location.

Donation to Making Waves for MS

The Hillcrest Mennonite Church Youth Group, the “Hillcrest J-FROGS” made a cheque presentation for $300 to Making Waves for MS on Tuesday night.

Interfaith Giant Silent Auction this Saturday

The 22nd annual Interfaith Community Counselling Giant Silent Auction is this Saturday.
A pancake breakfast will run from 8 a. m. to 10:30 a. m., with a cost of $3.
One of the biggest new events is a large book sale.
There will be a few events throughout the day.
From 12 p. m. to 1 p. m., there will be a variety of kids events. Erick Traplin will perform, clowns will entertain, and a kids auction table will be set up.
From 1 p. m. to 2 op. m., the New Hamburg Citizen’s Band will perform.
And at 2 p. m., a live auction of pies and other items will take place.
All proceeds will go towards Interfaith, a non-profit organization which counsels individuals, couples and families through life issues.
Interfaith Community Counselling Centre is located in New Hamburg, and serves residents from Wilmot, Wellesley and neighbouring townships Perth East, Blandford-Blenheim and East-Zorra.
The auction takes place on April 25, from 11 a. m. to 4 p. m. at the Jacob Street arena.
For more information, phone Interfaith at 519-662-3092.

Independent staff collect three OCNA awards

New Hamburg Independent reporter photographer Tim Murphy and managing editor Doug Coxson attended the Ontario Community Newspaper Association’s Better Newspaper Competition in Toronto on Friday where they were up for three awards. The staff of the Indy collected three second place finishes, including second for general excellence in their circulation class, second for best photo layout and second for best tabloid front page. Here Tim and Doug stand with OCNA president Abbas Homayed.

The OCNA awards capped off another great year for the Indy. In total the newspaper collected 10 awards for work in 2008, including three first place finishes for environmental writing and photography at the national and international level.

Local bookstore owner honoured

Upper Case Books owner Kristen Hahn was recently awarded for her efforts to promote DC Comics. Hahn and her staff created a window display that beat out 20 other entries across Canada. She received a Watchmen poster, a Batman figure and an autographed copy of the graphic novel Watchmen, signed by co-author David Gibbons.

Skills winners

Waterloo-Oxford sent a number of students to the annual Technological Skills Canada competition at the end of March. Students competed in photographing, electrical wiring, cabinet making, fashion design, plumbing, website design, landscaping, job skills and television production. Eight students returned with medals. Pictured are Stephanie Baril, Nic Nabrotzky, Bradeon Horst, Dylan Henderson, Tyler Weiss and Zach Bowman. Absent from the photo are Jesse Phipps and Ellie Slavik.

Tim Murphy, Independent staff

Waterloo Street reconstruction to begin Monday

Wilmot council has approved the Region of Waterloo’s decision to award the tender for Waterloo Street reconstruction to Network Site Services at a cost of $3.2 million.
The project was first recommended in 2004 following a water distribution study that identified the Waterloo Street watermain as infrastructure in need of replacement due to its age, history of breaks and to improve the operational efficiency of the system.
A recent CCTV inspection of the sanitary sewer revealed structural deficiencies in the section between Huron and Arnold streets.
The Region of Waterloo will be reconstructing the street this summer, allowing the township to go ahead with replacement or repair of the watermain, sanitary sewer and sidewalks along the stretch from Huron to 370 metres north of Laschinger Boulevard.
Wilmot’s approved budget for the project included $1.22 million for the replacement of the watermain and sanitary sewer and $50,000 for sidewalk repairs. The actual cost of the township portion, including costs related to tender prparation, contract administration, site inspection is estimated at $1.1 million.
Network Site Services was the lowest bidder on the project, which attracted interest from 11 companies.
Construction is scheduled to commence on April 20 at the Huron Street end of Waterloo Street.

Work along Waterloo Street will be completed in four stages and wrap up in early November: Huron Street to Shade Street, Shade Street to Steinmann Street, Steinmann to Hostetler and Hostetler to 370 m north of Laschinger Boulevard.
Waterloo Street will be completely closed to through traffic for the duration of the construction in each stage, with traffic detoured to Nafziger Road, Highway 7/8, Peel and Huron Streets. Access to local residences, businesses and the local intersecting streets will be maintained with short-term disruptions affecting access when contstruction activities are occurring directly at these addresses and side streets.
Senior project manager with the Region of Waterloo, Don Pletch, said an information newsletter will be distributed to residents on Waterloo Street this week, outlining details such as access, parking, garbage pickup and a pre-construction survey for residents to fill out.
A survey company has been hired to photograph all buildings in the vicinity and document structural deficiencies prior to road construction getting underway.
Notification of water service shut down will be delivered two days in advance.