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Locally owned community newspaper from the heart of Niagara. Reporting on events in Fonthill, Fenwick, Ridgeville and North Pelham. www.thevoiceofpelham.ca
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Wednesday December 16, 2015 85¢Vol.19 No.41
www.thevoiceofpelham.ca
by ZACH JUNKIN The VOICE
Kinsmen HostAnnual SeniorsDinner
The 18th Annual Santa Claus Parade was held in Fenwick on Saturday, and the streets were packed with with onlookers. While a number of groups took part in the festivities, from Town officials to youth sports clubs, the star of the show was the one and only Santa, who swapped his reindeer for a JohnDeer in order to ensure the former are rested come the 25th.
PELHAM PANTHERSThe Pelham Panthers hosted Fort Erie in their regular season Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League home game last Friday at Pelham Arena.Page 8
FAITH PAGESaying “Happy Holidays” allows people to express the sentiment of a holiday greeting without inadvertently offending someone who is not a Christian or doesn’t celebrate Christmas.Page 11
PELHAM’S INDEPENDENT NEWS SOURCE FROM THE HEART OF NIAGARA
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The Fonthill and District Kinsmen host-ed their 54th annual Seniors Dinner at Old Town Hall last week, much to the delight of all those who attended.
It was an evening of good food and good laughs that provided a hot meal and live musical entertainment, all at no cost to the patrons. Santa himself even made an appearance to hand out presents to attendees, kindly donated by the South Niagara Hearing Clinic.
Councillor John Durley, who was pres-ent as a representative of the town, had no shortage of praise for the Kinsmen: “It’s just fantastic and we are pleased to death to have a group like the Kinsmen who can put on such an amazing func-tion to honor so many seniors.”
Pelham’s most prolific sports figure, Marlene Stewart Streit, was one of two women granted an honorary membership at The Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews earlier this month.
The Royal and Ancient Golf Club is arguably the most prestigious golf club on the planet. It sits next to the first tee at the Old Course in St. Andrews, which is widely considered to be the home of golf, hosting the sport as early as the fifteenth century.
Ontario will soon intro-duce legislation in an at-tempt to increase protec-tions for consumers who use high-cost alternative financial services, such as payday loans, instalment loans, rent-to-own ser-vices and cheque-cash-ing services, and to better protect those with debts in collection.
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NRPS- Since July of this year members of the Ni-agara Regional Police Service, Guns, Gangs, and Grows unit has been conducting a drug inves-tigation involving the sale of marijuana. Police identified one main per-son who was responsible for distributing marihua-na to several different people within the Niaga-ra Region.
The investigation came to a conclusion on Decem-ber 13th, when members of the Niagara Region-al Police Service Guns, Gangs, and Grows Unit, Morality Unit, 1 District Street Crime Unit, PAVIS
Niagara and Toronto Marijuana Traffickers Arrested
Unit and Toronto Guns, Gangs, and Grows Unit executed several search warrants throughout Ni-agara Region and Toron-to.
On October 27th, 2015 a search warrant was ex-ecuted on a Vine Street, St. Catharines apartment building, where 49-year-old David Bennett was ar-rested and charged with Possession of a Controlled Substance for the Purpose of Trafficking and Posses-sion of Proceeds of Crime.
On November 17th, 2015 a search warrant was ex-ecuted on a Martin Ave-nue, Niagara Falls home, where 34-year-old Jarrett Burchard was arrested and charged with Posses-sion of a Controlled Sub-stance for the Purpose of Trafficking, Possession of Proceeds of Crime, and Trafficking in a Con-trolled Substance. Also charged with Trafficking in a Controlled Substance was 29-year-old Andrew Lipischak of St. Catha-rines.
On December 1st, 2015 a CDSA search warrant was executed on a Mer-ritt Street, St. Catharine
home, where 30-year-old Andrew Deweese was charged with 3 counts of Possession of a Con-trolled Substance for the Purpose of Trafficking, 1 count of Trafficking in a Controlled Substance, 1 count of Possession of Proceeds of Crime, and 1 count of Breach of a re-lease order. Also charged was 22-year-old Natalie Timco of Niagara Falls with 2 counts of Posses-sion of a Controlled Sub-stance.
On Sunday December 13th, 2015 Police executed 6 CDSA search warrants to bring this investigation to a conclusion. Search warrants were executed on homes on Strada Bou-levard, Kirk Street, and Vine Street St. Catharines. Chrysler Avenue in Niag-ara Falls , and Trethewey Drive in Toronto.
Charged is 46-year-old Lan Ma of St. Catharines with 1 count of Possession of a Controlled Substance for the Purpose of Traf-ficking, 1 count of Traf-ficking in a Controlled Substance, and 4 counts of breach of his previ-ous release order. Also charged is 50-year-old Thi
Nguyen of Toronto with 1 count of Possession of a Controlled Substance for the Purpose of Traffick-ing and 1 count of Pos-session of the Proceeds of Crime. Also charged is 22-year-old Than Pham of Toronto with 1 count of Possession of a Con-trolled Substance for the Purpose of Trafficking. Also charged is 60-year-old Michel Lalonde of St. Catharines with 1 count of Possession of a Con-trolled Substance for the Purpose of Trafficking, 1 count of Possession of Proceeds of Crime and 1 count of Unauthorized Possession of a Firearm. Also charged is 20-year-old Julian Castillo of St. Catharines with 1 count of Possession of a Con-trolled Substance for the Purpose of Trafficking, and 1 count of Possession of Proceeds of Crime.
As a result of this inves-tigation Police seized a total of 59.5 pounds of marihuana with a po-tential street value of $270,000.00, $2,400.00 worth of cocaine, fentanyl patches, a small amount of heroin and $15,850.00 in cash.
www.thevoiceofpelham.ca It’s myVOICE, Wednesday December 16, 2015 Page 3
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Across2. Hosts of the annual Seniors DInner.5. Potential community centre construction manager.8. Pelham’s Director of Planing and Development.9. ND is a Doctor of _____12. Haist Street school.13. This trail is dedicated to preserving a footpath along the es-
carpment.14. Panthers’ Goalie in the fi rst win of the season.16. This village hosts Pelham’s Santa Clause Parade.17. Preferred sport of Marlene Stewart Streit.18. This forms a natural border to the South.20. Drainage Superintendent.21. The design of this Fenwick Library has been the subject of
recent debate.23. Has been called ‘The Founder of Fonthill”24. This 6km trail runs from Fonthill to Welland.
Down1. This local school is taking part in the international Hour of
Code.3. This school will be amalgamating with Pelham Centre.4. This Fund connects New York City children with more pastoral
locales.6. The Jr. B Team has been training with this former Olympian.7. New Vietnamese restaurant in Fonthill.10. The Cadets are raising money to visit here.11. Director of Public Works.14. Pelham’s Fire Prevention Offi cer.15. Western Town border.19. Recently Celebrated 5 year anniversary in downtown Fonthill.22. Recently concluded international climate talks.
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Page 4 It’s myVOICE, Wednesday December 16, 2015 www.thevoiceofpelham.ca
ZACH JUNKIN, [email protected]
WARREN MASON, Advertising and [email protected]
TARJA BARTON, Creative [email protected]
LORI GRETSINGER, Office [email protected]
“Then you will know the truth,and the truth will set you free.”- John 8:32
www.thevoiceofpelham.ca
209 Hwy 20 East at Rice Rd., Fonthill, ON L0S 1E6 Monday to Thursday 8am-2pm • 905.892.8690
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LETTERS TO THE EDITOR are welcome provided the submission contains the writer’s full name, signature, address and telephone number. Names only will be published. Names will not be witheld. The newspaper re-serves the right to change, condense or reject any contribution for brevi-ty or legal purposes. All material in this publication is protected by copy-right. Reproduction is prohibited without express, written permission of the publisher. ADVERTISING: The VOICE of Pelham regrets any errors or omissions that appear in advertisements in this newspaper, however, we will not be held responsible for more than one incorrect insertion or for any damages beyond the amount of space which contians the error. The VOICE is independent, locally owned and operated.
Original bandshell design used courtesy ofTodd Barber Forestgreen Creations.
EDITORIAL
NRPS - On November 27, 2015 the Niagara Regional Police Service (NRPS) requested the assistance of the public to locate the owner of stolen Canadian Forces Military Medals. The NRPS seized the medals on September 24, 2014 while executing a search warrant at a Niagara Falls hotel.
Minutes after posting the Facebook message to the public, NRPS received phones calls from retired Canadian Forces Veterans offering assistance to locate the owner of the medals. Information received from the retired Veterans aided the NRPS to connect with the rightful owner of the medals.
Police were provided with further information regarding the original theft of the medals and commenced an investigation of the incident. Police investigation of the theft is on-going at this time.
On Thursday December 10, 2015 members of the NRPS delivered the medals to Active Service Canadian Armed Forces, Major Rachel Morrell. Major Morrell serves as a Physician in the Canadian Forces where she is Head of the Military Medicine Section at the Canadian Forces Environmental Medicine Establishment based out of Toronto, Ontario.
“I am very happy to receive my medals that were found by the NRPS,” said Major Morrell “I never expected to have them returned, and am very grateful they persisted in tracking me down. The medals are important reminders to me of my service to Canada”
The return of Major Morrell’s medals was a collaborative effort on the part of the NRPS Evidence Management Unit and the Niagara Falls Detective Office. The NRPS would like to thank the public and retired Canadian Forces Veterans for their assistance to re-unite Major Morrell with her medals and honour her service to our country.
Canadian Forces Medals Returned to Owner
Major Rachel Morrell, NRPS Media Relations Constable Phil Gavin
Ontario is taking action to better protect Ontarians against diseases that can be prevented by vaccines.
The province’s new strategy, Immunization 2020, will strengthen Ontario’s publicly funded immunization program over the next five years. As part of the strat-egy, Ontario will be proposing changes to the Immu-nization of School Pupils Act that, if passed, would include stronger requirements for school vaccine ex-emptions.
“Immunization protects all of us from serious diseas-es that can be spread in schools and in our communi-ties,” said Dr. David Williams, Ontario’s Acting Chief Medical Officer of Health. “They’re also a way for us to protect those who cannot protect themselves, especial-ly young children and those who cannot be vaccinated because of medical conditions. Immunization 2020 will help strengthen the effectiveness and efficiency of On-tario’s immunization system, and better support the health of all Ontarians for years to come.”
Under the proposed legislative changes, parents and guardians who are considering not to immunize their children would need to participate in an education ses-sion delivered by their local public health unit in order to obtain a vaccine exemption for non-medical reasons. If passed, the proposed changes to the Immunization School Pupils Act would come into effect for the 2016-17 school year.
Ontario Strengthening Provincial Immunization Program
To the sounds of fiddlers playing,And Christmas in the airWe entered in the old town hall,The smiles were everywhere.
Toes, they were a-tappin’And fingers matched their beatBright poinsettias lined the stageAnd soon great food we’d eat.
For this was a special eveningThat our Kinsmen do provideNow 54 years and counting!And they take it in their stride.
The they served us all with broadest grinsA delightful Christmas feastSo Rachel and I must thank these folksWith plaudits, at the least.
The Kiara on the ViolinJohn Durley on the ‘mic’Humourous jokes by host Len DoyleWhat was not to like?
Then Santa, oh, dear Santa,With Dr. Hillier’s gifts to shareSitting on his lap was fun,Like a child without a care.
hese humble men work tirelesslyFor you, for me, for usDoing good for all Fonthill (and District)Without the slightest fuss.
They’re a credit to our hometownIn ways that matter mostWe seniors reap the benefitsSo I’ll propose a Toast!
I’m proud to salute our KinsmenFor the work they do each dayFor the citizens of Fonthill and DistrictSo I’m sending thanks their way!
As part of the Immuni-zation 2020 strategy, the province will also:• Seek to offer addition-al vaccines and catch-upprograms to children andyouth through school-basedclinics;andincreaseaccess to vaccines foradultsandseniorsthroughsettings like CommunityHealthCentresandhospi-talsbeforeapatientisdis-charged.
• Launchapubliceducationcampaign on the impor-tance of immunization, sopeoplecanmakeinformeddecisions based on factsandevidence.
• Work to make access totravel vaccines as conve-nient as possible to thepublic by exploring waysfor pharmacists to givetravel vaccines in localpharmacies.
• Create online resourcesthat provide the latest re-searchaboutvaccines,vac-cine-preventablediseases,immunization programs,andadviceonhowtohavepositive immunization ex-periences for parents andkids.
• Look at ways to improvepublic reporting on localvaccine coverage rates(such as by public healthunits, schools or schoolboards).
• ExplorewaysforOntariansto get their immunizationrecords through a secure,online portal. Ontario willalso explore ways to linkPanorama to other elec-tronic record systems tobetter collect and analyzevaccinecoverage.
• Develop a comprehensivemechanismtomonitortheperformance of Ontario’simmunization system andprogress in carrying outthe20actions in Immuni-zation2020.
Strengthening Ontario’s publicly funded immu-nization program is part of the government’s plan to build a better Ontario through its Patients First: Action Plan for Health Care, which provides pa-tients with faster access to the right care; better home and community care; the information they need to live healthy; and a health care system that is sus-tainable for generations to come.
Actions Include Stronger Requirements for School Vaccine Exemptions
Kudos Kinsmenauthor SHIRLEY LAZARETH
www.thevoiceofpelham.ca It’s myVOICE, Wednesday December 16, 2015 Page 5
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Christmas is almost upon us once again. The Voice would like to personally wish all the very best this Christmas.
It is a joyful time for many but for some it is a struggle, a time of missing loved ones who have passed, dealing
with a crushing health diagnosis, family confl icts, economic or other challenges. Feelings of despair often seem magnifi ed during times when others are happiest.
If you feel these challenges are becoming insurmountable, please call someone for support.
These are just some of the resources available:
Distress Centre Niagarawww.distresscentreniagara.com
St. Catharines/Niagara Falls: 905.688.3711Port Colborne/Welland: 905.734.1212
Beamsville/Grimsby: 905.563.6674Fort Erie: 905.382.0689
The Distress centre is a 24-hour hotline for people who are depressed, distressed or in crisis.
Kids Help Phonewww.kidshelpphone.ca, 1.800.668.6868
Kids Help Phone is a 24-hour crisis hotline and website to connect young people to a counsellor.
Pathstone Mental Health Crisis Linefor Children and Youths
www.pathstonementalhealth.ca, 1.800.263.4944
COAST (Crisis Outreach and Support Team)1.866.550.5205
Mobile crisis intervention service providing immediate tele-phone counselling, and if necessary, on-site crisis intervention.
https://niagara.cioc.ca
Christmas Greetings and Help Resources
More than 100 seniors att ended the event, and Durley noted that a number of people had to be turned down due to the size of the facility. “I understand that they had some calls for more people, but there is not enough space.”
Kin Kevin Twomey confi rmed that some folks had to be left off the list and that a bigger space would be ben-efi cial, but was quick to applaud the Town’s involve-ment and generosity in Kinsmen activities to date: “We’re very grateful to the Town,” he said. “It’s an ex-cellent facility, we’ve just outgrown it.”
Durley hopes that the potential new community cen-tre will solve this and similar issues in the future. “We want to have meeting rooms like this, where if we have to we can go bigger or smaller,” he said. “We use the term ‘cradle to grave’. We want to have young folks being able to take part, middle aged folks, folks that are young at heart- we want everyone to have a place to go, and we’re moving forward to accomplish this goal.”
The Seniors Dinner is made possible through the var-ious fundraising endeavors undertaken by the Kins-men throughout the year.
continued from page 1
Kinsmen Dinner
Page 6 It’s myVOICE, Wednesday December 16, 2015 www.thevoiceofpelham.ca
The students at Glynn A. Green School recently collected toys for Rose City Kids Christmas stockings. The school runs a club called Kids Helping Kids which organizes fund raisers for various charities in the community and globally. Pictured: the Kids Helping Kids club with all the toys collected. PHOTO CREDIT: Glenn A. Green Staff.
Kids Helping Kids
On Tuesday, December 8th, Tan and Rose Do, along with their daughter Lyn Vo, celebrated the grand opening of Pho Dau Bo, their new restaurant on Highway 20 in Fonthill. When the doors opened at noon, the dining area quickly filled with eager custom-ers, while friends, family, and even the Mayor stopped by to congratulate them on the new business.
Tan and his family are excited to be a part of the town, and look forward to provid-ing a dining experience unique to the area. “We think that people from Fonthill and the surrounding area will really enjoy what we have to offer,” said Rose. “At the same time, more and more people are coming from places like Toronto and Missis-sauga seeking peace and quiet, and bringing their dining tastes with them. Pelham is a popular destination and so we wanted to bring Vietnamese food here.”
The Pho Dau Bo franchise has several locations in the region. Pho Dau Bo specializ-es in Pho, a Vietnamese noodle soup popular the world over, as well as a number of other rice and noodle dishes.
Pho Dau Bo BringsVietnamese Cuisineto Fonthill
Caption: Mayor Augustyn congratulates owner Tan Do at the grand opening ofPho Dau Bo Vietnamese restaurant in Fonthill last week. PHOTO CREDIT: Zach Junkin
by ZACH JUNKIN The VOICE
www.thevoiceofpelham.ca It’s myVOICE, Wednesday December 16, 2015 Page 7
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THE VOICE OF PELHAMCreative DirectorTarja Barton
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Proof Date Dec. 10, 2015
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Color InfoCMYK (full colour)
Due DateFriday, Dec. 11
Rundate(s)Dec. 16, 2015
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Patti Faggin of The Café on Main is always on the lookout for new community minded projects, so when one of her customers, Kim Cousineau, approached her about using the Café’s herb garden to make mint jelly, Patti quickly recognized a chance to help others. Now the two are working together to use the project as an opportunity to raise money for the less fortunate.
Jelly Made with ‘Pelham Care’by ZACH JUNKIN The VOICE
The Café on Main is selling homemade mint jelly to benefit Pelham Cares. PHOTO CREDIT: Zach Junkin
“We have created mint jelly made with ‘Pelham Care,’” said Patti. “These little jelly jars will be sold at The Cafe with 100% of the proceeds going to Pelham Cares.”
The small business owner had been mulling over potential charitable projects when Cousineau, who frequently volunteers with her church and with Wellspring Niagara, offered to make the jelly.
“As soon as I saw the finished product, I thought, ‘made with Pelham Care!’,” said Patti.
She feels that people everywhere need to keep the less fortunate in mind, especially during the holiday season. “I personally, believe that we need to look back to a time when people shared their bounty and very little, if anything at all, went to waste,” Patti said. “I also believe that together we can achieve much more than individual efforts and an excellent example of this is the recent Pelham Food drive and the ongoing work of Pelham Cares.”
If this year is successful, Patti and Kim hope that the mint jelly project can become an annual event for the Café.
Page 8 It’s myVOICE, Wednesday December 16, 2015 www.thevoiceofpelham.ca
SPORTS
The Pelham Panthers hosted Fort Erie in their regular season Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League home game last Friday at Pelham Arena. Hoping to repeat the winning performance against Thorold Blackhawks in the previous home game, the Panthers started with a shortened bench but quickly fell prey to Fort Erie’s speed and teamwork. The Meteors started the scoring barely a minute into the game, and by the end of the first had added another two unanswered goals to give themselves a 3-0 lead.
Despite some impressive plays in the second and near equal shots, Pelham was not able to score while Fort Erie prodded the bear with another 2
goals. The bear for Pelham came in a variety of forms, one of which was Caleb Mussat. Mussat, who saw little ice time in the first two periods, had a few shifts in the third to help make a difference. In his first shift out, a crisp cross-ice pass to Jeffrey Venzon – who quickly found the back of the net – helped put Pelham on the scoreboard. Mussat added a second goal for Pelham on a power play opportunity, assisted by Riley Hollowell and Liam Little. The success of the 5-on-4 play was a welcome credit to Pelham’s mediocre power play, and if this goal production is sustained it will certainly change Pelham’s game prospects.
While Pelham came away with a winning third
period performance, the goal deficit from the first two periods was insurmountable and afforded Fort Erie a 6-2 final. Pelham goaltender Stephen (Will) Harvey, who made some exceptional saves, was awarded third star of the game. The games other two stars were Anthony Passero and Manny Manns of Fort Erie.
The Panthers are at home Tuesday December 15 when they host the league leading Caledonia Corvairs (7:00pm). Fans please note there is no regular home game this Friday December 18 – the Panthers will be visiting the Niagara Falls Canucks at the Gale Centre (7:30pm).
Home Winning Streak Eludes Panthers
by PANTHERS STAFF
Panther’s winger Caleb Mussat (14) picked up a goal and an assist against Fort Erie in last Friday’s GOJHL Junior B game in Pelham. PHOTO CREDIT: Fabian Hoggard
continued from page 1
continued from page 1
Marlene Stewart Streit Receives Prestigious Honorary Membership
Whether on the hardwood or at Tim Horton’s, CC’s Dugout is a team that sticks together. Last week they continued to play well as a team as Jason Bray, Eric Labonte, Pat Dyson, and Danny Weiss all hit for double figures, with Weiss leading all scorers with a game-high 29 points.
For the past almost thirty years, Weiss has been putting up 3-pointers and sinking baskets on fast breaks. At the end of last season, he was second on the NBA all-time scoring list with 6,237 points averaging just over 20 points per game. The SigSigns just couldn’t stop him. Bray scored his 14 points mainly from about 10 – 15 feet out using his smooth jumper. Eric Labonte on the other hand, always had a quick look at his feet as he shot from the 3-point arc scoring 9 of his 14 points from beyond the arc. Pat Dyson, normally another 3-point threat, seemed to
get most of his 14 points from underneath the basket. Mike Christian led the supporting cast of Dugouts with 6 points on three eight-footers. Sean Racher hit a trey in the third quarter to give him 3 points and 3 personals. Evan Kenney, the target of many a pass in the second half, hit on 1 of 2 foul shots. John Raso played steady defense and brought the ball up and dished to the aforementioned scorers.
For Signature Signs, old-timer Peeter Kupper kept criss-crossing through the key, ready for a pass when one was available. He scored regularly throughout the game, pulling down 6 rebounds and dishing for 3 assists as well as scoring a team-high 15 points. Veteran John Schmidt came to life in the fourth quarter, scoring 7 of his 9 points and getting fouled routinely. However, he sank only one of his attempts from the charity stripe. His
defense was solid boxing out the beefcake when Old Greybeard was off. Team organizer Bernie Amyot had his glasses on and scored 8 points the old-fashioned way, two at a time. One of them was a fast-moving rebound that surprised even Bernie when it went in. Curmudgeon of the Game, Old Greybeard, Joe Seliske boxed out the likes of Bray and Labonte keeping the SigSigns paint free of any Dugout intrusions. He scored his basket off of a nice feed from Jack Randall. He also got two assists himself, as well as 9 rebounds. Commissioner Emeritus and NBA founder Jack Randall, upped the record for oldest player to score a point, by sinking a foul shot in the first quarter. Age to beat now? 75 years! Rangy septuagenarian Dave Dick, pulled down an amazing 10 rebounds (for his age) and still was able to run around a lot.
Weiss Dominates as CC’s Dugout Paints Signature Signs 81 - 35
The club drew international attention in September of 2014 when it voted to allow female members for the first time. Earlier this year the club announced its initial honorary female members, including Princess Anne, Annika Sörenstam, and Louise Suggs. Today, only nine women hold that distinction, including Streit.
“I am absolutely delighted to be invited to join such a historic and prestigious institution in golf. I would never have dreamt of this all those years ago when I started out playing golf but I have enjoyed every moment of it,” Streit told a club reporter. “I am extremely proud and grateful to receive this honour and it means a great deal not just to me but to Canadian golf as a whole,”
Born in Alberta, Streit moved to Welland, and then Fonthill, with her family as a young girl. After a brief stint as a caddy in order to earn money for her first set of clubs, Marlene quickly began to dominate the golf scene. She would eventually become the most successful Canadian amateur female golfer ever, and the only golfer in history to have won the Australian, British, Canadian, and U.S. Women’s Amateur tournaments.
In 2004 she was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame, and in 2006 she became a member of the Order of Ontario.
“Our government is com-mitted to protecting con-sumers, and that includes protecting Ontarians from a cycle of personal debt,” said David Orazietti, Minister of Government and Consumer Services. “Strengthening consum-er financial protection ensures our province’s financial marketplace is
fair, safe, and keeps con-sumers well informed.”
If passed, the Alternative Financial Services Stat-ute Law Amendment Act would make amendments to the Payday Loans Act, Consumer Protection Act and the Collection and Debt Settlement Services Act that would increase
protections for consum-ers. Some of those pro-tections would include increased information be-ing made available at al-ternative financial service providers and a cap on the rate of cheque-cash-ing services
Furthermore, consum-ers using rent-to-own
services would benefit from a grace period for repayment and consum-ers using instalment loans would be certain that the costs of option-al insurance would not be excessive. At the same time, consumers who are repeat payday loan borrowers would have the option of a longer re-
payment period while consumers with overdue debts would benefit from expanded rules against unfair collection practices from businesses that pur-chase and collect overdue debts
There are over 800 li-censed payday lenders and loan brokers in On-
tario. A 2015 survey of 500 payday loan borrow-ers found that 18 per cent took out 10 or more pay-day loans in the last year and slightly more than half used payday loans to cover recurring expenses.
Payday Loans, Debt Collection
www.thevoiceofpelham.ca It’s myVOICE, Wednesday December 16, 2015 Page 9
Electrical
ACB ElectricalFenwick
Alex Bover-Master Electrician-ECRA #7003130
Service Upgrades • Energy Efficiency UpgradesTroubleshooting • New Wiring & Re-Wiring
Commercial • Industrial • Residential
tel: 905-892-4988 cell: 905-714-2145 for urgent calls
Email:[email protected]
Heating & Cooling
We Service All Makes And Models
Concrete Supplies
(905) 262-2000 or Toll free 1-800-881-1628cottoninc.ca
Niagara’s Complete Concrete Contractor
LandscapingLANDSCAPES Inspired By Your LIFESTYLE
799 Balfour St, Fenwick 905.892.6908
www.dekortes landscaping.com
Renovations
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• Interlocking
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Design & PlantingOffice 905.892.4510
Cell 905.641.8203
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Bill Nieuwenhuyzenby
Plumbing
We offer Drain Snaking, Hydro Scrubbing and Video Inspections
Automotive
JEFF PIETZ278 Canboro Rd W. Ridgeville
905.892.4271
Plumbing
residential • commercial • farmLicenced plumber & gas fitter with 25 years experience905-386-6483 • 905-651-8558
www.joesplumbingniagara.ca
Landscaping
• Landscape Design & Construction • Interlocking Stone • Natural Stone • Retaining Walls • Ponds & Water Features • Mini Excavator & Bobcat Services • Free Estimates
Steve Van Lochem NPD • 905-892-2188874 Hwy #20 West, Fenwick • www.naturesownidea.com
Plumbers
ROBERT WILLIAMS PLUMBING & HEATING LIMITED330 MOORE DRIVE, RR 1, RIDGEVILLE 905-892-2655 1-800-676-4029
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Bi l l De Bruin905.892.8608
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Edging • Planting Mulching • Grass Cutting
Garden Maintenance New Sod & Repair
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905.732.2344 618 South Pelham Rd., Welland
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Holidays can be busy and joyous times but holiday decorations and new toys can bring risks along with festive cheer. Stay safe by knowing how to manage the health or safety hazards of holiday items you bring into your home. Minimize your risks by following the safety tips on this page.
Holiday Trees• When buying a real tree, make sure it’s fresh (you can tell if the needles are hard to pull off ). Water the tree daily once you bring it indoors for decorating.• Place the tree away from high traffi c areas and doorways. Make sure the tree is well-secured in a sturdy stand.• Place the tree away from heating vents, radiators, stoves, fi replaces and burning candles.• Keep metal, sharp or breakable tree ornaments with small removable parts away from young children.• Dispose of the tree as soon as the holidays are over, or as soon as the needles start to fall. Dispose of it according to local regulations--most municipalities have tree recycling programs.
Holiday Toys• Read and follow the age labels, warnings, safety messages and other instructions that come with a toy. Check for contact information of the manufacturer or importer if you have any concerns.• Dispose immediately all toy packaging like plastic bags, plastic wrap, foam, staples, ties and protective fi lm. A child can suff ocate or choke on these items.• Ensure batteries are not accessible to children and are properly installed by an adult.• Supervise children at play and teach them to use their new toys safely.
HOLIDAYSAFETY TIPS
Page 10 It’s myVOICE, Wednesday December 16, 2015 www.thevoiceofpelham.ca
SPAN (Single Person Association of Niagara) is a social club since 1982 for mature singles who meet and mingle at Iggy’s Pub,115 Hwy 20, Fonthill, every Tuesday from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Off ers members a monthly calendar of social activities. Further information, call Lynie @905-788-0359 TF
Weekly Euchre every Friday evening, 7:30 pm – 10:00 pm, North Pelham Youth Hall, 1718 Maple Street, Fenwick (Just north of Tice Road); $3./person, prizes awarded. TF
Pelham Community Church 461 Canboro Rd., Fenwick Wednesday Worship & Communion Service First & Third Wednesday of every month @ 2:00 p.m. TF Ridgeville Bible Chapel AWANA program is Tuesday evenings from 6:30 to 8:00 at 418 Canboro Rd, Ridgeville for children 3 to Grade 9. TF
Gingerbread House Con-test Lunch with Santa, Saturday December 19, 12 noon – 2 p.m. Fonthill Le-gion 905-892-6293 N19-41
Fonthill Legion, EVERY FRIDAY 4-6 pm, serving a great dinner. $10. Includ-ing coff ee/tea and dessert. Take out orders available, call 905-892-6293. N19-41
Event Submissions Standards If your organization is hosting an event that would be of interest to the community, you may submit an events profi le by sending your community events information to offi [email protected] Some restrictions apply. Event submissions that meet the acceptability standards of The Voice of Pelham will then be posted until the date of your event. The Community Events Calendar is updated weekly. Please provide as much notice and information as possible including the date, time and description of your event. The Voice of Pelham reserves the right to edit for space.
A Cappella Niagara Men’s chorus meets Tuesdays at 7:00 PM at the Welland Community Wellness Centre, 145 Lin-coln St. Come and sing! Gus 905-228-0858, Bob 905-892-2336. TF
TGIF CRAFTING: Drop in with your portable craft and enjoy time with other crafters. Fridays from 1- 3:30. $2. Pelham Public Li-brary. www.pelhamlibrary.on.ca. 905-892-6443. TF
COMPUTER TUTOR & GADGET CLINIC “One-to-One Help” with a vol-unteer tech tutor. Includes use of laptop or BYOG (bring your own gadget). Saturdays 12:30 – 3:30. Register and pay ahead in person. $5.00 per 1/2 hour. Pelham Public Library. www.pelhamlibrary.on.ca. 905-892-6443 TF
Join us for a Celebration by Candlelight at Church of Christ, 765 Welland Rd., Fenwick Wednesday Dec. 23 at 7:30 pm.
FONTHILL HERALDSeeking copies or archive of past issues of the Fonthill Herald? Other periodic publications produced within Pelham of any vintage also wanted. Contact D. Holman 905-892-8690 TF
HELP WANTED
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COMMUNITY EVENTS CLASSIFIED
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Warren Mason ADVERTISING COORDINATOR
905.892.8690THE
VOICE
Get your I Love Pelham souvenirs at J&J Florists, top of the hill, 67 Canboro Rd,www.jandjfl orists.com TF
Lost on Dec 8 at Kinsmen Christmas party, Pelham Old Town Hall - Ladies navy single breasted pea coat size 14, with backdrop belt and in its place owner found a ladies navy double breasted pea coat size 16 with belt on each side. Call 905-892-2472. P19-41
FOR SALE
LOST
Page 14 THE VOICE of Pelham Wednesday, August 27, 2014 www.thevoiceofpelham.ca
CLASSIFIEDSCOMMUNITY Events
Burke’s MasonryBricklaying, tuckpointing,
step repair, granite coatings, brick slices 905-682-7061. P18-28
Excavating contractor. Water, sewer upgrades, foundation repair, water proofing, drainage systems, quarry stone supply, place-ment. 905-384-1972. P18-23
Josh DeHaan Flooring“For all your flooring needs”
We offer in-stock specials:
pre-finished hardwood flooring solid, engineered from $2/ft2
laminate flooring from $.89/ft2
carpet and vinyl flooring from $4.95/yd2
fibre flooring from $1/ft2
ceramic tile from $.89/ft2
...and other specials!
Call us to see the products that are available & visit our
showroom.
Phone: 905-892-7898Fax: 905-892-4811 No Sunday Calls, Please
•
•
•
••
TF
Services
PLACE YOUR
GARAGE SALE
AD WITH US!
VINYL INTOCASH!
START TO
“TURN”YOUR
Garage Sales
7 SPRUCESIDE CRESENT FONTHILL. Christmas items, crafts, household, clothes and more, very rea-sonable, SATURDAY AUG. 30, 8AM-3PM P18-27
Yard & Shed MOVING SALE, Large collection of Christmas and holiday decorations and household items, SAT. AUG. 30, 8AM-1PM 625 METLER RD, NORTH PELHAM P18-23
why not
CALL...905.892.8690
PAPER ROUTES AVAILABLEPANCAKE,PICKWICK • 97 PAPERS
BERKWOOD, BEECHNUT, KATHY, VISTA, DEVERARDO (SOUTH)• 96 PAPERS
BROCK, DONAHUGH,SHALDANE,PETRONELLA • 109 PAPERS
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BUSINESSES.FONTHILL E. L. Crossley Churchill Natural MeatsShoppers Drug MartFonthill LibraryTown of PelhamCafe on MainBeamer’s Pro HardwareSobey’sMcDonald’sFonthill LegionTim HortonsSemenuk’sPic’sKlagers
Keith’s RestaurantTarget StorePennzoil Quick LubeLazy LoonPharmasaveAvondale Store
FENWICKAvondale StoreFenwick Sub ShopGolden GrillDevries Fruit FarmRidderikhoff Meats
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PELHAM LIBRARY’S COMPUTER CLINIC“One-to-One Help” with a volunteer tech tutor. Get help with web browsing, webmail account set-up, e-books, social media, editing and sharing your photos and more. Includes use of laptop or BYOG (bring your own gadget). Saturdays 12:30 – 3:30. Register and pay ahead in person. $5.00 per 1/2 hour. Visit www.pelhamlibrary.on.ca or call 905-892-6443 for more details.
FONTHILL BANDSHELL PRESENTS DE TEMPS ANTANSince 2003, Éric Beaudry, André Brunet and Pierre-Luc Dupuis have been exploring and performing time-honoured melodies from the stomp-ing grounds of Quebec’s musical past. Using fiddle, accordion, harmonica, guitar, bouzouki and a number of other instruments, our three virtuosos blend boundless energy with the unmistakable joie de vivre found only in traditional Quebec music. Show runs from 7-9 p.m.
PELHAM LIBRARY CARD MAKING WORKSHOPMake six cards with fall themes, learning a variety of techniques. Materials are provided. At time of registration, please enquire about tools needed. Tues., Sept. 16 10 – 12:30. $10. Please register ahead. Visit www.pelham-library.on.ca or call 905-892-6443 for more details.
FABULOUS FENWICK LIONS FISH FRYTasty treats with funds heading straight back into the community. Haddock, french fries and much more. Runs Sept. 9 from 4-7 p.m.
PELHAM MINOR HOCKEY EQUIPMENT SALEBuy, sell or trade used equipment at the Pelham Arena. Aimed to provide cheaper options for players in this upcoming season. Runs Sept. 6 from 9-12 in the morning.
PELHAM MUDFESTMen and women will be back in the mud as the second run on the year is held at Bissil’s Hideaway.
NIAGARA REGIONAL EXHIBITIONRodeo, games and live entertainment headline this years exciting event. It runs from Sept. 11-14 at the Welland Fairgrounds.
BIG MOVE CANCER RIDEThe Big Move Cancer Ride is a non-competitive ride taking place on Sept. 7. Proceeds for the Big Move stay in Niagara and support the Walker Fam-ily Cancer Centre.
WALKING CLUBInterested in walking in Pelham? Join them Tuesdays at the Pelham Arena from 9-10 am and Thursdays at Fonthill Bandshell for 9-10:30 am. There is no fee for this program. For more information, please contact [email protected] or call 905 892-2607, ext 329.
HAMPER DAY FOR PELHAM CARESPurchase fresh fruit and vegetables at the Market or bring a non-perishable food item to fill the hampers at the Pelham Farmers Market on Sept. 4.
COMMUNITY EventsEvent Submissions StandardsIf your organization is hosting an event that would be of interest to the community, you may submit an events profile by sending your community events information to [email protected] Some restrictions apply. Event submissions that meet the acceptability standards of The Voice of Pelham will then be posted until the date of your event. The Community Events Calendar is updated weekly. Please provide as much notice and information as possible including the date, time and description of your event. The Voice of Pelham reserves the right to edit for space.
Portable sawmill service I will come to your home or farm and custom mill your logs. Firewood & lumber also available. Call Rob Patterson, 905-401-4948 [email protected]. TF
What is YourHome Worth?Thinking of making a move? Call me for a complimentary and confi dential home
evaluation.Christa Fraser
Sales Representative
905.357.9700Toll Free
1-855-357-9700TF
SERVICESCONGRATULATIONS
Fruit farm looking for sea-sonal help April 1, 2016 till Nov 31, 2016. Appli-cant must be able to work long hours in any weather conditions and weekends. Lifting 50 lbs comfortably is required. Jobs include pruning, planting trees, thinning and picking. Must have own transportation. Please drop off resumes at 825 Canboro Road, Fen-wick, ON. P19-42
Supportyour local
service clubs
THE VOICEIs looking for an ad sales consultant with print-me-dia advertising sales ex-perience. Base plus com-mission position. Reliable transportation is required. Apply by email to [email protected]. No phone calls please. TF
905.892.8690
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At the age of thirteen figure skater Audrey Morrison of Fonthill has achieved three of the highest disciplines in the sport. Audrey has passed her Gold Skills, Gold Freeskate and Gold Dances, now making her triple gold. Audrey is a competitive skater competing at the Pre-Novice level. Audrey’s home club is the Niagara-on-the-Lake Figure Skating Club. Many thanks to her base coach, Carol Ann Woodland and her dance coach, Brian Gula.
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BUSINESSESFONTHILL
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Fonthill LibraryTown of Pelham
Cafe on MainBeamer’s
Pro HardwareSobey’s
McDonald’sFonthill LegionTim HortonsSemenuk’s
Pic’sJ & J Florists
Keith’s RestaurantTarget Store
Zee Lube Express CareLazy Loon
PharmasaveAvondale Store
FENWICKRidgeberry Farm Avondale Store
Fenwick Sub ShopGolden Grill
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VOICE905.892.8690
When forty winters shall beseige thy brow, And dig deep trenches in thy beauty’s fi eld,Thy youth’s proud livery, so gazed on now, Will be a tatt er’d weed, of small worth held: Then being ask’d where all thy beauty lies, Where all the treasure of thy lusty days; To say, within thine own deep-sunken eyes, Were an all-eating shame and thriftless praise.How much more praise deserved thy beauty’s use, If thou couldst answer ‘This fair child of mine Shall sum my count and make my old excuse,’ Proving his beauty by succession thine! This were to be new made when thou art old, And see thy blood warm when thou feel’st it cold.
-Shakespeare Sonnet 2
THE VOICEOF PELHAM
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www.thevoiceofpelham.ca It’s myVOICE, Wednesday December 16, 2015 Page 11
To advertise inPlaces of Worship & Events
CALL 905.892.8690
Bethany Christian Reformed Church1040 Balfour St., Fenwick, ON L0S 1C0
(905) 892-8980
Concordia Luthern Church105 Welland Rd. Fonthill, ON L0S 1E4
(905) 892-8877
Fenwick Church of Christ765 Welland Rd., Fenwick, ON L0S 1C0
(905) 892-5661
Fenwick United Church1050 Church St., Fenwick, ON L0S 1C0
(905) 892-3081
First Presbyterian Church602 Metler Rd., Fenwick, ON L0S 1C0
(905) 892-4716
Fonthill Baptist Church1414 Pelham St., Fonthill, ON L0S 1E0
(905) 892-3925
Fonthill Congregation of Jehovah’s Witnesses1369 Rice Rd., Fonthill, ON L0S 1E0
(905) 892-4680
Fonthill United Church42 Church Hill, Fonthill, ON L0S 1E0
(905) 892-6433
Glad Tidings Church of God1 Pancake Lane, Fonthill, ON L0S 1E0
(905) 892-5122
Holy Trinity Anglican Church1557 Pelham St., Fonthill, ON L0S1E0
(905) 892-6011
Kirk on the Hill Presbyterian Church1344 Haist St., Fonthill, ON L0S 1E0
(905) 892-3729
Pelham Community Church461 Canboro Rd., Fenwick, ON L0S 1C0
(905) 892-5922
Pelham Evangelical Friends Church940 Haist St., Fonthill, ON L0S 1E4
(905) 892-6881
Ridgeville Bible Chapel418 Canboro Rd., Ridgeville, ON L0S 1M0
(905) 892-3347
St. Alexander’s Roman Catholic Church50 Pelham Town Sq., Fonthill, ON L0S 1E0
(905) 892-3090
St. Ann’s Roman Catholic Church834 Canboro Rd., Fenwick, ON L0S 1C0
(905) 892-6123
Places of Worship and Events
CELINE DION Oh Holy Night
THIRD DAY What Child is This
FOR KING AND COUNTRY Into The Silent Night
HILLSONG O Rejoice
Weekly Favourite Songs
Happy Holidays?by PASTOR DANIEL CALCAGNO Glad Tidings Church of God in Fonthill
In the month of December alone, Buddhists celebrate Bodhi Day, Hindus celebrate Pancha Ganapati, African Americans celebrate Kwanzaa, Jewish people celebrate Hanukkah, Christians celebrate Christmas, and some people choose not to celebrate at all. In our multicultural society, it would be diffi cult to know for sure which of these holidays a person observes. As a result, it has become commonplace to greet each other with “Happy Holidays” rather than “Merry Christmas.” Saying “Happy Holidays” allows people to express the sentiment of a holiday greeting without inadvertently off ending someone who is not a Christian or doesn’t celebrate Christmas.
For me and for most people, Christmas is a family gathering, gett ing presents, watching Christmas movies, and enjoying delicious food. During the Christmas season, it’s a joy to sing carols, decorate our homes with lights, and watch those classic TV specials. People also tend to be more charitable, and the spirit of peace is more prevalent, than at other times of the year.
However, there is nothing about these customs that requires a person to believe in the biblical story of Christmas. To Bible-believing
Christians, celebrating the birth of Jesus is the reason for the season. But would it surprise you to know that the early church didn’t celebrate Christmas? The Gospel writers Matt hew and Luke certainly recorded for us the story of the birth of Jesus; however, there is no record of the early church celebrating the birth of Jesus as a holiday, and there is no instruction in the entire Bible telling us to do so. The historical reality is that Christmas, as a holiday, was developed many centuries after the birth of Jesus. In fact, the chosen date and many of the customs originally came from Roman culture, not from the Bible!
Out of all of the holidays celebrated this time of year, the Bible actually tells us that Jesus participated in Hanukkah! Two hundred years before Jesus, the Land of Israel was occupied by the Seleucid Empire. Its king, Antiochus IV, overtook the Temple in Jerusalem and desecrated it, and ordered the people of Israel to abandon their religion and assimilate into Greek culture. Miraculously, the Jewish army was successful in driving out the invaders, and the Jewish people were sovereign over their land for the fi rst time in centuries.
The Hanukkah story reminds us how important it is that we be free to live
our lives as we choose, and to express our religious beliefs as we see fi t. If you wouldn’t appreciate having someone else’s religion imposed on you, then we shouldn’t seek to impose our religion on others in return. When it comes to how we greet each other during this season, the best thing to do is to employ a litt le empathy and treat others the way we would like to be treated. Saying “Happy Holidays” doesn’t have to simply be about being politically correct; it can be about being empathetic and recognizing that people diff erent from you exist in the world. It’s about recognizing that, in life, we sometimes need to modify our behaviour depending on where we are and the people around us.
Thinking about how others feel and recognizing that everyone has a right to live their lives how they see fi t is how we can honour the spirit of the season. It’s not about betraying who you are or what you believe in; it’s about demonstrating tolerance and building trust, so communication becomes possible and we are able to understand each other. If we begin thinking along these lines, we will truly experience happy holidays!
Please join us for aCELEBRATION
BY CANDLELIGHT
CHURCH OF CHRIST765 Welland Road, Fenwick
•To hear the birth story once again•To sing seasonal songs
•To reach out to God through prayer
WEDNESDAYDECEMBER 23, 7:30 PM
Christmas Services In Pelham
Pelham Community ChurchDecember 24
4:00pm - Service for families7:00pm - Lessons and Carols.
10:00pm - Communion
Bethany Christian Reform ChurchDecember 24
6:00pm - ServiceChristmas Day
10:00am - Service
Fonthill United ChurchDecember 20
9:30am - Christmas Choir CantinaDecember 24
9:00pm - Candlelight Communion ServiceDecember 27
9:30am - Joint Service at Fonthill United ChurchJanuary 3
11:00am - Joint Service at Fenwick United
Fenwick United ChurchDecember 24
7:00pm - Family Christmas Eve ServiceDecember 27
9:30am - Joint Service at Fonthill United ChurchJanuary 3
11:00am - Joint Service at Fenwick United
Holy Trinity ChurchDecember 24
5:30pm - Christmas Eve Service10:00pm - Christmas Eve Service
December 2510:00am - Christmas Day Service
St. Alexander ChurchDecember 245:00pm - Mass8:00pm - Mass
12:00am- Midnight MassDecember 259:00am - Mass
11:00am - MassDecember 315:00pm - Mass
January 110:00am - Mass
Church Of ChristDecember 23
7:30pm - Celebration by Candlelight
Page 12 It’s myVOICE, Wednesday December 16, 2015 www.thevoiceofpelham.ca
Christmas was not always a holiday in Pel-ham, but that began to change in the ear-ly1800’s. The first German and British immi-grants might have been far from home and the Christmas traditions they’d grown up with, but in their new land, they still found ways to celebrate and to keep those tradi-tions warm and alive.
Pelham piecesfrom our past
At the very least, almost every home would make the holiday a time of feasting. Many women began to bake for the holiday weeks ahead of time. The Christ-mas goose was fattened and the plum pudding was left to age in the pot until Christmas Day.
Months before Christmas, children and adults would begin making gifts in secret for family members (corn husk dolls, sachets, carved wooden toys, pillows, foot-stools and embroidered hankies). Scarves, hats, mitts and socks had to be knitted. Girls were able to knit be-fore they were six years old. Boys would make boxes for presents.
Though perhaps modest, early Pelham residents made every attempt to decorate their homes for the holidays with whatever natural material looked attractive at the bleakest time of the year. No matter how brown and dead the rest of nature seemed, evergreen boughs were considered special because they remained fresh and were symbols of continued life. In the absence to holly, residents often used wintergreen and cranber-ries, which grew in profusion in nearby swamps. Al-though these berries were usually buried deep under the snow, children eagerly looked forward to finding the biggest and brightest branches and bringing them home to mother.
Christmas trees were still a rarity in most Canadian homes, at least those with British roots. The Christmas tree was a German tradition and would not become popular in the English-speaking world until the late 1840’s. It was after an image was published showing Queen Victoria and Prince Albert celebrating the hol-iday with their family and Christmas tree that the tra-dition caught on.
The first families of Pelham would not have had a big Christmas tree because homes were small - usually only 3 rooms. Trees were decorated with pine cones, nuts, and berries. Figures or dolls made out of straw and yarn, cookie dough ornaments and gingerbread men, scraps of fabric, and paper or popcorn chains may have also adorned the trees.
Christmas Eve was a night for singing carols and tell-ing stories in front of the fireplace. Christmas Day the whole family attended church and returned home to a
wonderful meal. Christmas dinners were an important part of the celebration, and were often planned months in advance. The menu may have included roast goose or wild turkey stuffed with sage and onion, home cured ham, mashed potatoes, applesauce made from their own orchards, stewed red currants and plums, mince pie or an assortment of cakes.
Ease of travel over the frozen roads, and free time from the demands of farming also made this an ideal time for visiting and celebrating. Games, such as Blind Man’s Bluff, Hide the Slipper, Twenty Questions and Snapdragon were popular forms of entertainment. It was a simpler time: people enjoyed visiting friends and neighbors, sharing a meal, singing, dancing, sledding, skating or going for sleigh rides. Because of the senti-mental feelings associated with the season, Christmas was also a popular time for weddings.
By the mid 1800’s children began waiting for Father Christmas and the receiving and sending of brilliant-ly coloured Christmas cards became more popular. Residents of Ridgeville, Fenwick and Fonthill, enjoyed the carollers who roamed from house to house. Sing-ers were often rewarded with treats such as roasted chestnuts, mulled apple cider, mincemeat tarts, or real sugar plums.
Though many things have changed in the past 200 years, the pleasure of gathering with family and friends at home or community events will always be what we treasure and remember most about Christmas.
Join us next time as we recount the ‘joys’ of buggy and sleigh travel in Pelham.
Pelham, Pieces from our Past is a joint effort created by Car-olyn Botari, and Gary and Rosemary Chambers, all mem-bers of The Pelham Historical Society.
Information is gathered from articles in the Pelham Histor-ical Calendar Collection, books and newspaper articles on file in the Pelham Library, as well as verbal accounts from family and friends.
They are always looking for interesting stories and old pho-tographs showing Pelham as it used to be, and can be reached at [email protected]
For all the planning we do during the holidays, the last couple of weeks be-fore the big parties and family gath-erings can trip up the best of budgets. Perhaps what’s needed is some last-minute tricks to keep overspending to a minimum. Here are a few ideas to get you through.
Track your spending. If you’re close to the upper end of your budget and you’re not quite sure what’s hap-pened, go through those receipts. Maybe you and your partner or spouse are shopping independently, spend-ing too much on gas, meals out or failing to coordi-nate on the items you need. Maybe the kids are adding items to their lists at the last minute. It’s toughest to say no to kids, so see if there are adult gifts, decorating items or seasonal specialty food you really don’t need to purchase. In other words, if your budget is tight, identify the expenses you can alter and adjust your spending plans.
Don’t ignore the cost of returns. Some retailers are strict about return policies on a host of items, which makes it doubly important to save all your receipts. If you’re giving gift cards, make sure the recipient has the purchase receipt in case the card doesn’t work. If you’ve bought items online, make sure you keep crit-ical return information and package return stickers in case you need them. However, take one additional step with shipped returns – see whether the seller is charging you more for their convenient shipping la-bel option than shipping the item back locally in your own packaging. Finally, keep restocking fees in mind – some retailers charge in excess of 10 percent of the item’s cost to accept a return, particularly for electronic and mechanical purchases that involve heavy packag-ing. Ultimately, the best time to check return policies is before you buy, but if you do have to return items, consolidate those trips to save time, gas and money.
“Piggyback” the purchases of others. If you have a large gift list for loved ones or family, be a nosy shop-per. Maybe your sister is finally giving her movie freak husband the room-sized flatscreen he’s always want-ed. Maybe your nieces and nephews are getting expen-sive dolls, toys or technology items that require clothes or software of some sort. If you are trying to cut your holiday budget, check in with loved ones to see if you can supplement these expensive gifts with accessories that might be easier on your budget and appreciated just as much. Pitching in for a couple of outfits for the expensive doll – rather than having to buy the expen-sive doll itself – saves you money, gives your loved ones a break on the subsequent purchases they’ll need to make and the recipient gets more of what he or she wants. A win-win all around.
Watch out for theft. All the smart shopping in the world won’t lessen the headaches from thieves who target your packages, personal and online data or the contents of your wallet. Fast-approaching holidays and busy schedules can leave us tired and distract-ed, so keep a close watch on potential risk for identity theft, package theft from cars, homes and apartment vestibules. If you take public transportation, use extra caution to keep your money, purchases and personal technology hidden from thieves.
Bottom line: Don’t let the last, busy weeks of the hol-iday season knock you off budget or threaten your fi-nancial security in other ways.
Nathaniel Sillin is a financial expert who directs Practical Money Skills for Life a free, award-winning financial edu-cation program.
DON’T LET THE LAST-MINUTEHOLIDAY RUSH CRUSH YOURBUDGETby NATHANIEL SILLIN
Brian Cosby of the OPP Auxiliary presented $960 in Sobeys gift cards to Lori Grande of Pelham Cares on Monday. This was in ad-dition to approximately 1,349 lbs of food, the result of their annual Food Drive at the Fonthill Sobeys on December 5th.
OPP Help Fight Hunger
