While Council did approve $1,500 to help the Malcolm and Ardoch Lakes Association get started with its battle against Eurasian milfoil and seems amenable to a further $10,000 to hire a grad student for the project at some time in the future, one of the potential weapons for the battle didn’t get approved. Council decided that boat wash stations represented more potential issues than they might solve, not the least of which is cost. “Didn’t we already decide this (boat wash stations) is too expensive?” said Coun. John Ingles at Friday’s meeting. “To me, it would be too expensive,” said Mayor Ron Higgins. “And how would you police it? “Would we have to have an attendant?” “The concern was that it would become a car…

Emcee Bill Cox welcomed residents, staff, board members, family and friends as they gathered on the lawns of Pine Meadows Nursing Home in Northbrook last Friday afternoon to celebrate its 25th anniversary. Pine Meadow is a 64-bed facility. “I don’t know how this happened, I haven’t been on staff here for 17 years,” joked Cheryl Hartwick, now board chair of Land O’Lakes Community Services. Hartwick noted that four employees, public service workers Nancy Gaylord and Tony Boomhouer-Wilson, office co-ordinator Christine Bolduc and RN Anne Grahm-Aholu, have been there for the duration. “There have been four administrators and over the years, there have been $1,339,749.10 in donations,” she said. And, she took the time to share one of her “pet peeves.” “When people say ‘Pine Meadows,’…

North Frontenac Council and the Township Committee of Adjustment went through its proposed new Zoning Bylaw page by page last Friday at a special meeting that lasted well into the afternoon. “I think it’s good to get these things cleared up,” said Coun. Gerry Martin after the meeting. “We’re dealing with a lot of history here and many of the items go back a long time.” Essentially, Council was pleased with the document enough to schedule an open house for the public to review changes and provide a final round of feedback on Oct. 27 at 10 a.m. Then, there will be a public meeting Nov. 23 at 1 p.m. (following the regular Council meeting) to finalize passage of the document. Council did pass a…

After hearing from a delegation concerning the infestation of Eurasian milfoil on Malcolm Lake, North Frontenac Council passed a number of bylaws and resolutions at its regular meeting last Friday in Plevna. First up was changes to its Fees and Charges Bylaw and Building Bylaw to reflect a new fee structure recommended by the building department. The new fees are intended to recognize different types of construction including unique projects and the conjecture is that more than 50 per cent of new permits will feature lower costs and thus encourage reporting of smaller projects. The new bylaws also include provisions to allow residents to protest their fees and request an audit of costs involved when there is a disagreement. Council also passed changes to speed…

Since all of the positions for North Frontenac Council (Mayor Ron Higgins, Coun. Fred Perry, Wayne Good, Gerry Martin, Vernon Hermer, John Inglis and Fred Fowler) have been acclaimed, as well as Limestone District School Board trustee Karen McGregor and French Language Public School Board (Le Conseil des Ecoles Publiques de L’Est de L’Ontario) trustee Rachel Laforest, you might think there’s no election coming to North Frontenac Township this October. Not so fast. In the Algonquin & Lakeshore Catholic District School Board, Leslie Ford is challenging incumbent Wendy Procter and, in Le Conseil des Ecoles Catholiques de Langue Francaise du Centre-Est, Michel Charron is challenging incumbent Diane Burns. What that means is Clerk/Planning Manager Tara Mieske still has to go through the election planning exercise,…