ACNA Newsletter - January 2013

Alpine Community Neighbourhood Association

ACNA Christmas Decoration Contest 2012 Two members of ACNA went out one not-sochilly night early in December and out of all the beautifully decorated homes chose a winner for our 2012 Christmas Lights competition. It is 483 Strasburg Road, which is pictured to the left. Our competition picks a new winner every year, so maybe next year will be your turn! Thanks goes out to all the residents who lit up their homes this December. Your efforts really make a difference in the neighbourhood.
CONTACTS: President of ACNA, Graham Jeffery, 519-578-9603, gwjeffery@rogers.com or Vice President of ACNA Anne Zeiger - azeiger@rogers.com Website: http://alpine-cna.blogspot.com/ Alpine Community
ACNA NEWSLETTER January 2013
Neighbourhood Association
Halloween Night Food Drive - Too Much Rain! Hurricane Sandy lingered in the region long enough to prevent us from going door to door to collect food for the Waterloo Region Food Bank this year. However, we did manage to collect 179 pounds of food, mainly due to the efforts of Joe and Sandra at 52 Lucerne, who collected food while entertaining people with their haunted house display. Their efforts alone accounted for 144 pounds of our total. We thank them for what they contributed in 2012 and look forward to their Haunted House in 2013.
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Alpine Community Neighbourhood Association Newsletter January 2013 Contact: Graham Jeffery, 519-578-9603, gwjeffery@rogers.com or Anne Zeiger - azeiger@rogers.com
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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 Facilitys 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 7:308:30 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 paul.singh@kitchener.ca, or follow me on Twitter @paulsinghward6. Sincerely,
Councillor Paul Singh Ward 6

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Our Regular ACNA meetings in the next few months are

on February 5 , March 5 and April 2 . These meetings are at Alpine Public School, in the Library, at 7:00 pm. start the meeting.
Please come on time as the school doors have to remain locked after we
How to get a refund when a trip turns toxic
Punta Cana, Dominican Republic: If things go wrong with your holiday you have to take charge. Courtesy Frommers By Ellen Roseman | Tue Oct 30 2012 You take a package tour to Cuba, only to find that the hotel is overbooked. When you cant find other rooms that meet your standards, you fly home the same night. Can you get a refund? What if the tour operator and travel agent wont give your money back? What are your chances of winning in small claims court? Jean Claude and Carol Garofoli failed to get a refund from Air Canada Vacations and SellOffVacations. com after finding themselves in such a dilemma. They went to small claims court and won. But Air Canada Vacations appealed the decision, saying the judge erred in saying a tour operator had a legal duty to supervise its contractors on a daily basis. The higher court agreed with Air Canada Vacations and ordered the couple to pay $9,500 in legal costs for the appeal. This was on top of the refund they were awarded ($4,178.79) and would not receive. Many readers asked me about the Garofolis story. What did they do wrong? What remedies are available to others who take a package tour that doesnt meet their expectations? Here are tips for ticked-off travellers in pursuing a complaint. Dont make a hasty return. You have to ask the tour operator to help you find something that satisfies you. Tour companies provide a phone number for a local representative in your documents (paper or electronic). Write down the number before you go. Keep the travel agents number handy, too. Jean Claude Garofoli, then 70 years old, said he was tired of standing around and his legs gave out on him. When Cuban hotel staff refused to contact the tour company, he decided to book a flight home right away. Now he knows he should have done things differently: I would tear the place apart until I could find an Air Canada Vacations representative. Dont give up when you are ignored. The Travel Industry Council of Ontario, known as TICO, ensures that travel agents and tour operators comply with the provinces Travel Industry Act. Michael Pepper, TICO registrar, read the superior court judges decision and was surprised to find no mention of the Ontario law. He thinks the couple may get a refund, even two years after their failed vacation. In a case of overbooking, tour operators are supposed to offer alternative accommodation acceptable to a consumer or offer a refund. And theyre supposed to document that, Pepper said. The Garofolis hadnt heard of TICO before, despite its advertising campaigns. Once
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I introduced them, they felt better about their chances of recovering their costs (if not the tour operators legal costs, which they still have to pay). You can call TICO at 905-624-6241 or 1-888-451-8426. Or send an email to tico@tico.ca. Bookmark the website to find which travel companies are registered and which are not. (Youre covered by a compensation fund only if you deal with a registered company.) In a dispute, you can refer to regulation 40(1), which lists among the events requiring notice and offer of refund or replacement: The accommodation is changed or the standard of the accommodation is changed. Make sure you have travel insurance. The right policy can help if you run into unexpected snags while on holiday. You can shop around on your own or buy coverage from a travel agent, even when booking online. Many credit cards offer travel insurance benefits. You can check out the coverage at the ComparaSavewebsite. Look for trip interruption coverage, which can give a refund if you have to return early. Going to small claims court is still an option. But you have to research your rights under the law and prepare a good case. Phil Allchin had a similar bad experience in Cuba with a last-minute change in hotels. He said he won an 80 per cent refund in small claims court after doing his homework about a tour companys obligations under Ontario law. So, dont despair if a trip turns toxic. Contact the tour operators local rep and contact TICO once you return. If all else fails, do your best Perry Mason act in small claims court. But be prepared, as this legendary TV lawyer was, for all possible arguments that may be used against you. Ellen Roseman writes about personal finance and consumer issues. You can reach her ateroseman@thestar.ca or www.ellenroseman. com RESOURCES: http://www.moneyville.ca/article/1280022--tico-can-help-when-tour-companiesmake-last-minute-changes-roseman .......submitted by Roberta Ness Snow Clearing - Let's Do Our Part! It's not just a City of Kitchener bylaw, it's good practice to keep our sidewalks safe for people who may have difficulty getting around. Homeowners have to clear the snow and ice from the sidewalk in front of their home within 24 hours after the snow stops falling. If you do not, the City may do it for you, and then bill you for the work, possibly as much as $500. If you are physically unable to clear the sidewalk in front of your own home you may contact one of the following agencies to get help (eligibility rules and fees might apply): Community Support Connections/Meals Wheels and More - 519-772-8787 Working Centre - 519-513-9225 House of Friendship - 519-742-8327 If you call 519-741-2330 to report someone's unshoveled walk to the City's bylaw office, wait until 24 hours have passed since the snow stopped falling, before you make the call. Winter Parking Rules - No parking is allowed between 2:30 a.m. and 6:00 a.m. on City of Kitchener streets between December 1st and March 31st each winter. - During or after a substantial snowfall over 8 cm, the City may declare a "Snow Event" - a day when no parking will be allowed on any street for a full 24 hours. Snow Events are publicized in the media and on the City's website. - During a Snow Event, if your vehicle is found to impede snow clearing, it can be tagged and towed somewhere nearby, and you will be fined $80 and charged towing fees. You can also be fined even if there is no towing. Owners of towed vehicles can call 519-741-2330 to locate their vehicles.
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Public Skating Near the Alpine Area

The closest outdoor rinks to the Alpine Community are will be at... - Country Hills Community Centre - 100 Rittenhouse Road - Chandler Mowat Community Centre - 222 Chandler Drive - Elmsdale Park - 83 Elmsdale Drive These outdoor rinks are maintained with the generous efforts of dedicated volunteers. Depending on the weather, these rinks may be temporarily closed. If a rink has a "Closed" sign posted, please do not skate until it reopens. Nearby indoor rinks with public skating programs are the Lions Arena, 20 Rittenhouse Road and the Activa Sportsplex, 135 Lennox Lewis Way. Here are some times for public skating until mid-late March 2012. A full schedule, along with any news of temporary closures, can be found on the City of Kitchener Website http://www.kitchener.ca/en/livinginkitchener/ArenasAndSkating.asp http://www.kitchener.ca/en/livinginkitchener/public_skating_schedule.asp Free Family and Seniors Skating - Activa - Wednesdays 10:00 - 10:50 am (except Mar 13) - Activa - Fridays 10:15 - 11:05am (except Jan 18, Feb 8, 22, Mar 15) - Lions - Tuesdays and Thursdays 10:00 - 10:50am (except Jan 15) Free Community Skate - Activa - Mondays 4:15 - 5:05pm (Except Jan 7, 14) - Lions - Thursdays 4:00 - 4:50pm Free Adult Skate - Lions - Tuesdays and Wednesdays 12:00 - 12:50pm Free Senior's Skate - Activa - Fridays 11:15am - 12:05pm (except Jan 18, Mar 15) - Lions - Tuesdays 11:00 - 11:50am (except Jan 15) Public Skating with Admission fees - Activa - Saturdays 8:00 - 9:50pm - Lions - Saturdays 1:00 - 2:50pm (except Feb 9) Fees are Adults $6, Children and Seniors $4, Family $12
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Explore Nature in the Winter

The Kitchener Natural Areas Program provides opportunities to educate people about the plants and wildlife around us, especially in our wilderness parks. Here are two events they are running this winter... Winter Wildlife Tracking Sunday, January 20, 1 p.m. - Meet at Huron Natural Area, 801 Trillium Dr. Learn how to recognize some of the common winter animal tracks and enjoy a leisurely hike through the forests and fields of the Huron Natural Area. Dress appropriately for the outdoor hike. Free - all ages welcome! Note: Washroom facilities will not be available. Owls in Kitchener's Natural Areas Saturday, February 23, 7 pm - Meet at Huron Natural Area, 801 Trillium Dr. in school portable. Spend an evening learning about the different owls that live in Kitchener's Natural Areas. We will begin with an indoor slideshow about owls and their habitats and behaviors. We will also go for a night hike to call and look for owls in the Huron Natural Area LIMITED SPACE - REGISTRATION REQUIRED! Call: 519-741-2600, ext. 4177 Note: Washroom facilities will not be available. 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 volunteer 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 Association 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. It's winter now in Canada, And the gentle breezes blow, Fifty miles an hour, At thirty-five below. Oh, how I love our Canada, When the snow's up to your butt, You take a breath of winter, And your nose is frozen shut. Yes, the weather here is wonderful, So I guess I'll hang around, I could never leave Canada because I'm frozen to the ground.
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ACNA Newsletter - January 2013

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ACNA Newsletter - January 2013

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Alpine Community Neighbourhood Association

Alpine Community Neighbourhood Association

ACNA NEWSLETTER January 2013

Councillor Paul Singh Ward 6

Our Regular ACNA meetings in the next few months are

Public Skating Near the Alpine Area

Alpine Community Neighbourhood Association

Explore Nature in the Winter

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