ACNA April 2013 Newsletter

Alpine CommunityNeighbourhood

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Alpine Community Neighbourhood Association Newsletter April 2013 Page 1 of 6Contact: Graham Jeffery, 519-578-9603, [email protected] or Anne Zeiger - [email protected]


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ACNA NEWSLETTER April 2013CONTACTS: President of ACNA, Graham Jeffery, 519-578-9603, [email protected] or

Vice President of ACNA Anne Zeiger - [email protected]: http://alpine-cna.blogspot.com/

Thank You Neighbour!This acknowledgement is for people who may not get the recognition they deserve for their efforts to help or improve the community. We would like to thank Ralph Geimer, for lending a hand to his neigh-bours. Mr. Geimer filled up his snow blower with gas and helped several people who struggled with the effort of shoveling after a heavy snow storm this year.

Thank you Ralph!

If you know anyone that is deserving of a Good Neighbour Acknowledgement, please contact Graham at [email protected] or 519-578-9603.

Earth Day Community Cleanup - Saturday April 27th, 2013Every Spring, people in the neigh-bourhood get together and spend a morning cleaning up many of the local public areas. It really makes a difference! Public areas include the parks, along the edge of many of our roads and under the high voltage

power line that crosses our neighbourhood. Please meet us behind Alpine School between 9 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. Participate as long as you wish. We will have free bags, gloves, coffee and T-shirts! There we will collect what you have picked up and make sure it is properly disposed of. If the weather is bad that Saturday, we will clean up the next day - Sunday the 28th. Keep an eye on our blog and Facebook pages for updates. We look forward to seeing you there!

Community Garage Sale - June 1st, 2013Garage sale fans will come out to a street or neigh-bourhood if they know there are a number of sales held at the same time. On June 1st, we encourage individual residents to hold their sales on that day. We support this through ads in Kijiji and postering in the neighbourhood. In the past we have had as many as 30 sales at the same time.

If it rains hard that day, we'll resched-ule to June 8th. Our blog and Face-book pages will keep you posted. So let's raise a little money and de-clutter

the home!


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A message from Paul Singh, Councillor - Ward 6

To Ward 6 residents: I challenge the Ward 6 neighbourhoods to participate in the upcoming 20 Minute Makeover on Friday, April 19. Thousands of residents and businesses from across the city will participate at 2pm for 20 minutes in picking up litter. Pick a favourite street, park, or trail, then gather a group and register with the city at www.kitchener.ca - keyword search "20 Minute Makeover" - to get free bags and gloves while supplies last. If you let me know when your clean-up is planned, I will make a point of joining you. I would love to see how many bags of garbage we can gather! There are so many ways to celebrate Earth Day throughout the year! Take up a personal challenge to de-crease your carbon footprint this year. Some of these ideas will help. Turn your car off while you are in the drive-through line-up, or better yet, take the bus or walk sometimes to your destination; plant a tree; turn your thermostat down before bed, or when you go on vacation; choose recycled products or prod-ucts with less packaging; bag your lunch in reusable containers. If you don’t recycle, start with your bottles, cans, and paper. For more ideas and information visit www.earthhour.org. Over the past two years, through conversations with residents at community meetings, I have received numerous suggestions about a variety of improvements/changes that residents would like to see in Ward 6 and the City of Kitchener. It is important that I am aware of your feelings on the topics that are impor-tant to you, so I may best represent you when voting on these issues at council. That is why I have had a survey included with this newsletter. Your completed survey can be dropped off at the Country Hills Community Centre. The survey has also been set up online at www.surveymon-key.com/s/ward6 The survey offers you an opportunity to express your level of satisfaction and feedback on core city ser-vices, your engagement with city staff, and further improvements you would like to see on your street. I would very much appreciate you taking a few minutes to answer these questions and let me know how you feel. This year I will be sending one or more of the following: a monthly e-newsletter, media release e-news-blasts, and e-community event updates. If you would like to receive one or more of these updates on matters relating to your neighbourhood, Ward 6 and citywide issues, please email me at [email protected] with the subject heading “Update Me”. I will add your e-mail to my subscription list. I look forward to discussing any other questions or concerns you may have for Ward 6 or other city-related matters.

Dear Neighbourhood Residents,

My best wishes for a happy New Year to the residents of the Alpine Community! I hope everyone had a safe and

happy holiday season.

As the 2013 budget was approved by council on January 19, and I wrote this letter in late December for the print

deadline, I am not able to report the final budget increase, but can direct you to our website www.kitchener.ca to

find this information. I can tell you, that I did not give my support to the budget if the increase was above the rate

of inflation.

After considering the capital and operating budgets last December, many options were proposed to get the budget

in line with inflation. The suggested cuts at that time would have impacted our service levels; therefore, I

proposed an option to lower the tax rate without affecting service levels.

The Kitchener Operations Facility’s solar roof was partly funded through LEAF and supplemented with stimulus

funding from the government. Since coming online in 2011, the solar roof has been generating significant

revenue, which was being used to pay back the money borrowed from the LEAF fund. In 2012 council had

decided to discontinue the LEAF program, and was considering how to distribute the remaining funds.

I took the opportunity during the budget process, to suggest that revenues from the solar roof be diverted to help

lower the tax base, rather than directing it back to the discontinued LEAF fund. I was very pleased when council

unanimously approved this suggestion, which lowered the tax rate for 2013 by approximately 0.35 percent; a

significant achievement.

Now two years in office, I have greatly valued and enjoyed my time in this role as your ward representative. I

have also appreciated getting to know and working closely with the Alpine Community Neighbourhood

Association (ACNA) executive. It continues to amaze me how much they are able to do in helping to improve

and engage our community with the limited resources they have.

Please join me in thanking the ACNA for their dedicated and selfless efforts to bring this community together, in

order to make this neighbourhood a safer and more enjoyable place to live. The countless hours they volunteer to

the newsletter and event planning are much appreciated, and I celebrate with you as you head into your 6th

year of

operation.

Stay involved and be informed! Receive the latest news at City Hall and in the ward by sending me an e-mail

titled, “Update Me,” to receive my new Ward 6 E- Newsletter. I welcome your feedback on the information you

will receive.

If you prefer to meet and chat in person, I am still available on the third Wednesday of each month at the

Chandler Mowat Community Centre from 7-7:30pm, and the Country Hills Community Centre between 7:30-

8:30 pm for a chat. This is a great opportunity for you to meet with me and share your comments, concerns and

suggestions. I can always be reached at the office 519-741-2793, by email [email protected], or follow me

on Twitter @paulsinghward6.

Sincerely,

Councillor Paul Singh – Ward 6


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During our regular May 6th meeting at Alpine Public School (7 p.m. in the library) we hold our Annual General Meeting. We will elect our 2013-2014 Association Presi-dent and the rest of the executive group. All residents of the Alpine area are invited to participate and vote.

Meet your Catholic School TrusteeCatholic School Trustee Anthony Piscatelli will be at our June 4th meeting (7 p.m. in the Alpine Public School library) to listen to our thoughts and concerns on mat-ters dealing with Catholic Schools (like Our Lady of Grace school). He will also talk about his role as a Trustee. Feel free to come and make your opinions heard.

An Appeal From a Four-Legged Neighbour!

Hello fellow dogs residing in the ACNA area:I am so sorry! So embarrassed! I cannot believe it has come to this. I have to admit to everybody... my owner doesn't pick up after me! It's awful. We go out late at night and I think my owner thinks nobody sees us. Sometimes I even have to go on the sidewalk and my owner still doesn't pick up. I just about die. I see all the other owners with their

bags and I am so jealous. Imagine if nobody picked up? All the dogs in this neighbourhood? It would be awful, and smelly, and dirty. Just once I wish my owner would walk in someone else's dirt and realize how disgusting it is. I know kids play in the park too and that is especially thoughtless. Some poor little toddler that can barely walk. Just wants to get to the swings. And the forest path! Don't get me started.

Anyway I just wanted to say that my owner does not reflect me. If I could I would pick it up myself be-cause I want to keep the neighbourhood clean and nice for everyone. Hey , if you see us tell your owner to say something. Maybe then my owner will realize we're not being good neighbours and people are noticing! Thanks, Fido (Too embarrassed to leave my real name)

Spring Cleaning Chore ChecklistCleaning ChecklistsBy Cynthia EwerEditor, Organized HomeMarch winds blow, telling us that Spring is on the way!Warming breezes scour the last of winter from house and garden. Spring rain awakens the earth and calls forth new life. Meet the rising sap with a new broom. Spring clean indoors and out to prepare home and hearth for the return of warm weather. Our Spring cleaning chore checklist will help you take care of important seasonal chores and welcome Spring to an organized home:Around The House:Schedule a family garage clean-out. Create efficient storage for sporting goods, camping equipment, recreational vehicles, and garden tools. You'll have the jump on summer fun!Inspect, clean and repair outdoor furniture.Tour house exterior and grounds. Make a list of any needed seasonal maintenance.Inspect the roof for winter damage: leaks, missing or broken shingles or tiles. Arrange for any needed repairs early; roofing contractors can be hard to find during summer's construction season.


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Use a sunny Saturday to scrape, prime and paint peeling spots on trim or woodwork. You'll protect wood against Summer's heat and moisture--and prevent a more difficult paint job come fall.Clear away any remaining dead foliage and weeds from beds and lawn. New growth will be protected from damage or disease.Begin major Spring landscaping projects. Spring's the time to put in shrubs and trees, but check with your local extension office for specific planting recommendations for your area.The Inside Story:Changing seasons, changing clothes. Hold a family wardrobe check as you bring out warm-weather clothing. Sort winter clothing for discards and donations before you store.Hold a garage sale! Declutter house and garage to turn trash into cash. Build your yard sale savvy here.Pick a weekend and enlist the family for Spring cleaning. Many hands make light work! Reward the team with dinner at a pizza parlor.Wash windows inside and out.While at the window area, check drapes and window treatments. Vacuum any dust; send dirtier drapes to the cleaners.Move furniture and vacuum beneath it.Arrange for a spring inspection of cooling systems. Don't wait for the first hot day! Air conditioning firms will give better service when they're not busy.When the weather warms, deactivate heat system humidifiers. Check the system manual for instructions on how to power down for the summer.Drain sediment from hot water heaters. ...................................submitted by Roberta NessMagicTwo guys entered a chocolate store. As they were busy looking, the first guy stole 3 chocolate bars. As they left the store, the first guy said to the second guy: "Man I'm the best thief, I stole 3 chocolates and no one saw me. You can't beat that." The second guy replied: "You want to see something better? Let's go back to the shop and I'll show you real stealing." So they went to the counter and the second guy said to the shopkeeper: "Do you want to see magic ?" The shopkeeper replied: "Yes."The second guy said: "Give me one chocolate bar."The shopkeeper gave him one, and he ate it.The second guy asked for a second bar, and he ate that as well.He asked for the third, and finished that one too.The shopkeeper asked: "But where's the magic?"The second guy replied: "Check in my friend's pocket, and you'll find all three bars of chocolate." .........submitted by Dennis Haid

What can you do to be more involved in your neighbourhood?- Come out to our monthly meetings. We enjoy getting together. We plan events, discuss issues of con-cern, exchange information.- Tell us what you want in this newsletter, suggest a topic, or write something yourself; perhaps an inter-esting story you want to share.- Pay a tribute to a special neighbour, through the newsletter, blog or Facebook page.- Get involved in our events - like our Earth Day Cleanup, or Halloween Food Drive.- Join our Facebook page and contribute there.- Help us deliver the newsletter. It's a volunteer effort! Four times a year and no more than a few dozen for each person to deliver.

Call Graham at 519-578-9603 or email [email protected] for details on any of these.


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Our Annual Garden Contest

Each year, two or three mem-bers of the Neighbourhood Association enjoy getting out and looking at front gardens in our community. Not only do we enjoy seeing them, but we select one as the most beauti-ful. We choose a new winner each year, which we publicize on our blog and in this news-letter. The past winners are 112 Geneva, 6 Lucerne and 14 Gracefield. Many people work hard to make their properties beautiful. We appreciate your effort!

Save Money on Your Kitchener Utilities Bill!

Most people receive a regular bill from Kitchener Utilities charging a stormwater user fee. You can re-duce that fee if you retain rainwater on your property using one or more of the following methods - rain barrels, cisterns, infiltration galleries, rain gardens, and permeable pavers.

You can learn more about these techniques and how you can reduce your stormwater fee by completing a residential credit application form online at the City of Kitchener website.

You can find that web page at http://www.kitchener.ca/en/liv-inginkitchener/Stormwater_Credit_Application_Residential.asp

You can also download and print a copy of the application if you are unable to complete the online application. Copies of the appli-cation are also available at city hall. Paper copies of the application can be submitted by mail or in person to:

City Hall, 9th floor200 King St. W.PO Box 1118Kitchener ON N2G 4G7

Some important numbers:

Emergency! - Call 911 if there is an immediate risk to the safety of people or property, like a crime in progress, medical emergency, fire, or serious motor vehicle collision.

Call the police at 519-653-7700 for non-emergency situations, like theft from a vehicle, property damage where suspects have fled the scene, a motor vehicle collision where no inju-ries are reported, and general inquires.

For Alpine Public School property issues, please call Bestel Security at 519-749-3838

For Our Lady of Grace School property issues, you can call the Catholic School Board facilities depart-ment at 519-578-3660 x 5555.


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Alpine Community Neighbourhood Association - Who Are We?We are the neighbourhood association for the area bounded by Block Line Road, Homer Watson Blvd, Strasburg Road and Ottawa Street. Anybody living within these boundaries is welcome to join. We vol-unteer to ensure a better social, economic and business climate in the neighbourhood. We publish this newsletter, organize events, hold an annual food drive, provide our neighbours with useful information, and focus on problems in the neighbourhood. We meet once a month during the school year, usually the first Tuesday of each month, in the Alpine Public School library, at 7:00PM. Feel free to come to a meeting! For more information, call Graham Jeffery 519-578-9603.

ACNA is on Facebook. Look for our group under the name “Alpine Community Neighbourhood Asso-ciation” and join up. The group page will provide notification of upcoming events and provide a link to our blog, where you can learn more about ACNA and our neighbourhood.

There will be Earth Day celebrations at the Huron Natural Area - 801 Trillium Drive - on Saturday April 20th between 1-4 p.m.

Activities Include:- Live demonstrations of birds of prey by the Canadian Raptor Conservancy- Build and take home a Bird Box (limited quanti- ties)- Tree planting, crafts and other activities including live animals- Activities about the Neutral Nation Archaeologi- cal Village

Alpine Community Neighbourhood Upcoming Meeting Dates

Our next two regular monthly meetings are held at Alpine Public School at 7 p.m. in the library. Please come on time to be let in as the main door is locked during the evening. Share your ideas, views and concerns about our neighbourhood at any of our meetings.

May 6th - includes our Annual General MeetingJune 4th - Catholic School Trustee Anthony Pisca-telli will be joining us to hear your views.

Why did the can crusher quit his job?Because it was soda pressing.

What does a mermaid wear to math class?An algae-bra

Have you read the book about anti-gravity?I heard it's impossible to put down.

Did you hear about the two guys who stole a cal-endar?They each got six months.

2 fish were in a tank...One says to the other "How do I drive this thing?"

I went to a seafood disco last month...And pulled a mussel.

Something for Everyone

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ACNA April 2013 Newsletter