A L M A G U I N F O R E S T E R News ALMAGUIN FORESTER, Thursday, April 24, 2008 PAGE 2

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KatrineFamily BaseballMeeting to elect new executive

May 4, 2008 – 10:00 a.m.Katrine Community Centre

Annual Spring Cleanup to followEveryone Welcome

Bring your rake and shovel.

Powassan’s11th AnnualEntertainment ScheduleSaturday, April 26, 2008Stage 1 (Main St. south of King St.)9:00 - 10:05 a.m. - Klassic Kountry with special guests9:30 a.m. - Phil Gauthier - Fiddle Music9:50 a.m. - Craig Nesbitt - Rural Roots fame10:05 a.m. - Opening Ceremonies10:20 a.m.-12 noon - Klassic Kountry with special guests10:45 a.m. - Patsy Ford – North Bay’s “Misty”11:25 a.m. - Bart Hammar – Voice of Johnny Cash11 a.m. - 12 noon - Callander Legion, Br. 445 Callander Pipe Band marching on Main St.12 noon - Pancake Toss/ Town Crier Announcements1:00 - 4:00 p.m. - The Gibbings Family – Powassan’s Homegrown Band with special guests1:00 p.m. - Terry “Elvis” Chisholm – Elvis, Vince Gill, Roy Orbison Tribute Artist2:05 p.m. - Gil Amell & North Bay Country Dancers3:00 p.m. - Wayne Miller, Jr. - Elvis Tribute Artist and as Johnny Cash

Stage 2 (Main St. at Stillar’s Electric) 9:00 -10:30 a.m. - Kjary – Traditional Andean Rhythms from Ecuador, Peru & Bolivia11:00 a.m. - West Coast Lumberjack Show (Across Main St. from Stillar’s)11:30 a.m. - 12:45 p.m. - The Last Days Sorrow Band - Youth Band

Sounds of Nolan Giesler & Eddie Tofflemire1:00 p.m. - West Coast Lumberjack Show 1:30 - 2:30 p.m. - The Stover Family – Old-Time Country & Fiddle Music3:00 p.m. - West Coast Lumberjack Show3:30 - 4:00 p.m. - KJARY

Shows/Demonstrations9:00 & 11:30 a.m., 1:30 p.m. - Sheep Shearing (Main St. near Glenn Pharmacy)10:30 a.m., 2:00 p.m. - Scottish Heavy Events (Lion’s Park beside Sportsplex)11 a.m., 1 & 3 p.m. - West Coast Lumberjack Show (Memorial Park Dr. E at Main)

New DSSAB top administratorBY SARAH BISSONETTE

PARRY SOUND - Janet Patterson is the new top social services administrator.

The Parry Sound District Social Services Administration Board (DSSAB) appointed Patterson, its long-time chief financial officer (CFO), as its chief administrative officer (CAO) on Thursday night.

Her predecessor, Mark Fisher, announced his resignation last month, after 17 years in the position, before leaving for another position in New Brunswick. His resignation officially takes effect April 24, and Patterson’s full-time appointment starts the next day.

Board chair Rick Zanussi recommended Patterson’s promotion. He wasn’t able to attend the regularly scheduled Thursday night meeting, but said her appointment was a unanimous decision.

“She really has her fingers in all the programs we run and has an unparalleled, in-depth knowledge of the organization and the programs it provides to the community and the board,” he said.

Zanussi said Patterson has previously stepped into the position during the 16 years she been the organization’s CFO, including when Fisher took a two-year secondment.

Board member and Parry Sound councillor Jamie McGarvey supported Patterson’s succession and said it was a natural progression. He praised her ability to explain the budget to people and recalled the accolades for her he heard during Fisher’s secondment.

“Not being on the board then, I did hear, through other people in the community, she was handling herself very well,” he said.

This is McGarvey’s second term on

the board.Patterson said she is pleased with

her new appointment after being the organization’s “second in charge” for so many years. She said her time as CFO has given her a solid knowledge of the organization.

“I think my plan is to carry on as usual. We are a strong organization and have lots of great staff who are working in the organization now and if I can help make the organization a great place to work in, then I think I’m doing a great job.”

Since Fisher’s resignation last month, Patterson has been the acting CAO as well as the CFO. If a person isn’t hired before Patterson officially takes on her new role next week, she’ll continue on as the acting CFO as well, said Zanussi.

The board hasn’t met to discuss hiring a new CFO yet.

No move for Perry’s offices

Janet Patterson

BY KEELY GRASSERStaff Reporter

EMSDALE – Perry Township’s municipal office will be staying put.

Council passed a resolution at last week’s meeting resolving that township headquarters would remain at their current location on Old Government Road in Emsdale until the new Almaguin Highlands Information Centre (AHIC) and township office is built.

The decision was made “in accordance with new costing information received,” according to the resolution.

This comes after months of discussion planning went into moving the office from its current location to the current AHIC building. Council had originally decided to move the office into unused portions of the AHIC, because the old office was aging and it was thought they would either pay the same or less to run the township office there.

Mayor Bill Core previously said council planned to have the town’s administrative offices upstairs, with council chambers and offices for the building and bylaw departments downstairs.

The township issued a request for quotations, listing electrical upgrades, plumbing repairs, construction of walls, installation of interior and exterior doors, drywall installation and finishing, drywall repair, painting and cleaning as part of the job.

They also planned to create a laneway from

the AHIC’s parking lot to the north side of the property, where a small parking lot was planned.

Core has previously said that the budget for the renovations and move was a maximum of $15,000.

Councillor Mary Ann Love said that council didn’t want to start renovations until they had found out exactly how much the move would cost.

“We didn’t want any surprises when it was tax dollars (funding the move),” she said.

And in the end, the pricetag was higher than expected.

She didn’t comment on how much more it was going to cost, saying only that it was “enough that is was a definite.”

Love said they decided only to move if it would cost the same or less than running the township office separately.

“I’m glad we didn’t rush anything,” she said. “In the end, in less than two years, we’ll have a brand new office.”

She’s referring to the new AHIC centre, which will be built on Hwy. 11 near Fern Glen Road. It’s part of a swap that will see the Ministry of Transportation (MTO) take the current AHIC building in exchange for building Perry Township a new centre that will host both the AHIC and township office.

Love reported that the township is keeping an open dialogue with the MTO and that the timeline for completion still is in place.

It’s expected, she said, that the new building will be completed in late 2009 or early 2010.

Councillors decide to stay put for another couple of years until new information centre is built

Send us your fishing photos! The Almaguin News/Forester is planning a Fishing Guide and would like to fill it with pictures of folks fishing during the spring and summer. E-mail them to tpender@metrolandnorthmedia.com or drop them off at our office by May 2.

Fish photos needed Sundridge-Strong fire chief cancels permits

due to dry conditionsBY ANDY CAMPBELL

Staff Reporter

SUNDRIDGE – There might still be snow in spots, but fire departments are already thinking about dry weather and forest fires.

Sundridge-Strong firefighters responded to their first grass fire of the year on the afternoon of April 20. Located behind Almaguin Highlands Secondary School, the fire spread to a tree, getting inside the wood. Firefighters cut the tree down to properly extinguish it, and wet down the surrounding area.

Chief Wayne Beavis said that the recent sunny spell dried things out very quickly, raising the fire risk.

“We’re already up to high,” he said following the fire. “We’ve cancelled all fire permits. A few more days without rain and it would be up to extreme, and then it’s a total fire ban.”

While that might seem strange to some considering the rapid snow melt and recent flooding, Beavis explained that moisture on the ground is not the important thing.

“Underneath might be soaked, but the top part is very dry, and that’s what is going to burn.”