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THURSDAY, OCTOBER 26, 2006 THE NEW TANNER 13 CAPSULE ???????? ROCKWOOD PHARMACY 178 Alma Street, Rockwood ON (519)856-9486 Yehudi Menuhin, the famous violinist once said that expectant mothers should sing to their unborn child during pregnancy if they want the child to grow up contented and well balance. If singing isnt your forte, try some soothing Mozart orchestra music as an alternative. If you have trouble swallowing tablets or caplets, take them with some carbonated water. It seems to move the medications down more easily than plain water. Also taking meds with yogurt can also be helpful especially for the elderly. There are some medications that cause sweating as a side effect. Although its not life threatening, it can be quite aggravating. Included in this list are anti-depressants and opiates (those narcotic-based medicines that are used for sever pain.) Check with your doctor and pharmacist if you are concerned. There have been more confirmed cases of measles in England and Wales so far this year than in any year in the past decade. The largest outbreaks of the disease are in areas where the uses of MMR (Measles, Mumps. Rubella) vaccine is lower. Medications are like applesthey wont keep forever . Clean out your medicine cabinets today and get rid of all those rotten apples. You can bring these old medications to Mary and Maija, your pharmacists, for safe disposal. The Corporation of the Township of Guelph/Eramosa A Remembrance Day service will be held on: Date: Saturday, November 4th, 2006 Time: 10:45 a.m. Location: The Cenotaph (at Main Street South and Guelph Street in Rockwood) Residents are cordially invited to attend the service at the Cenotaph. A service and refreshments will follow at the Rockwood Fire Hall, located at 5141 Wellington Road 27. QUALIFIED TEACHERS Education Finance Plan Available from $120 per month READING WRITING MATH STUDY SKILLS HOMEWORK SUPPORT COLLEGE AND UNIVERSITY PREP 27 Woodlawn Rd. W. 160 Kortright Rd.W. (Hartsland Market Square) Tel: 823-5711 Fax: 823-5781 I tried everything to help my son with s chool. I wish wed tried Sylvan first. If your child is struggling in school or just not being challenged enough, call Sylvan today. Our personalized programmes and individual attention can help with reading, math, study skills and ACT or Provincial Test Prep. Why Wait? Call Today. NOW EN ROLLING FOR FALL ??????????? ????????? ? ???? ?????????? ??????????? FOR F QUALIFIED Education Finance Plan Why Wait? Call Today. ??? ??? ? ??? ? ? ?? ??? ?? ??? ????? ????? ?? ? ???? ?????????? ????? ?? ?? ?? ?? ??? ?? ??? ? ?? ??? ? ? VERRRY SCARRRY: This house on Main St. South in Rockwood is sure to creep out even the bravest trick-or-treaters on Tuesday night. - Rebecca Ring Photo Clerk parries queries about Vote-By-Mail By Rebecca Ring At the last council meeting, Councillor Teressa Gibson- Smye questioned township clerk/CAO Janice Sheppard about Vote-By-Mail pro- cedures. Gibson-Smye and Mayor Martin voted against the new system when it came before council last spring, while McCrae, Foote and White voted in favour. Gibson-Smye had questions from her constituents and after reading the procedure manual. First, she asked Sheppard who has the final say according to election legislation. Sheppard replied that she did with other support staff. Gibson-Smye then asked if duties have been delegated to other staff and has training been completed. She answered that it is in pro- cess and not a lot of training is needed. Gibson-Smye asked if the ballots are counted at the post office before transporting them to the township office. Sheppard said no, they are picked up by two election officials [staff members] then put in a locked room until they are opened. Gibson-Smye asked when staff will test the tabulators (which count each vote), as candidates and scrutineers are allowed to be present. Shep- pard said this has not been booked yet because they are very busy and it will be on short notice. Regarding Sheppards re- sponses, Gibson-Smye said, Her answers were very vague. Two months have gone by since the deadline for the system to be in place and all this will be done at the last minute. Short notice to witness the tabulator test- ing is difficult because most people are not available on a moments notice. Gibson-Smye said she voted against the new sys- tem because costs were not detailed enough nor were potential problems fully re- searched. She said there was not enough data to make an informed decision. The cost of the Vote-By- Mail system is estimated to be $24,250. The cost of the polling station method in 2003 was $16,600. Changing to the system was initiated by Sheppard to try to create processes that are efficient and accountable. It is the re- sponsibility of the Municipal Clerk to conduct an election, to ensure a broad spectrum of the electorate has every opportunity to vote, and to provide encouragement to the electorate to vote. According to Sheppard, the cost increase is justified as the vote-by-mail system is intended to increase voter participation, claiming an in- crease in some municipalities by 20 to 50%. Voter turnout in the last municipal election here was about 30%. It elimi- nates the need for advance polls, accessibility issues, parking and transportation issues, and voting stations, therefore, less election personnel required and less administration (considerable time is spent on recruiting and training election staff). According to Sheppard, despite the overall higher cost, the cost per voter should be cheaper if there is an ac- tual increase in participation. Sheppard said, vote by mail with tabulators is more expensive at $24,250 versus $16,600 in 2003 but if you look at the cost per voter it is less expensiveThe Township has approximately 9,840 electors. The voter turnout in 2003 was 30%, with the cost per elector being $5.78. If the voter turnout is 50% for the 2006 election, the cost would be $4.92 per elector. According to the numbers Sheppard provided, the cost per elector in the 2003 election was $5.62, without inflation factored in. If voter participation remains at 30% using the mail-in system, then the estimated cost per voter would be $8.21. All-candidates meeting... other areas. White said, This is a red herring. He admitted that council meets with staff all the time on county road tours, etc, and chat in the parking lot, adding there is nothing funny going on. Martin said, What I swore to is that you cannot have a majority [of council] meet- ing outside. Im not saying in parking lotseverybody does that. Meetings break regula- tions and oaths. White rebutted saying the issue is laid out in the mu- nicipal act and a quorum is not allowed. After being elected, I did meet on several issues at the Whistle Stop but since then have cancelled this. Les, Dave and I met to see a law- yer and the others withdrew because of conflict. He ended by hotly saying that he would rather stick to the issues like the 22% tax hike. Outgoing Councillor Les Foote stood up and said the times he thinks they were seen meeting were at lunches with staff after road tours, to which Smye and Martin were invited. He said Smye could not go and Martin left in a rage. He personally attacked Martin saying that he needed anger management training. John Thompson, who sup- ported Les Foote by saying he should be allowed to speak as a long time council mem- ber, questioned Gibson-Smye about her residency and ex- penditures, accusing her of spending more money on conferences than anybody else and not getting permission from council first. Gibson-Smye explained that she is not a resident of Guelph/ Eramosa since amalgamation borders put her across the road from the township. She explained that she pays taxes here, as she owns a business in Rockwood. She told him he was not accurate regarding expenditures and permission. She said she has a passion for learning and said when she goes to conferences it is not only to expand her own knowledge, but to represent the township to the best of her ability. She asked him for specific examples for her to look into but he had none. She said as a resident in one town- ship and a business owner in another, she had the added advantage of seeing how two different municipalities work, saying I see it as win/win. Remuneration and expense reports submitted to council for 2004 and 2005 show that Gibson-Smye reported more than McCrae and Foote and less than White in 2004 and 2005. Statements for 2006 are not yet available. ROCKWOODThe Miller Continued from page 12