The majority of this Mayor’s Message will be to clarify some of the January 26 th Olds Albertan articles. The front page headline and subsequent opening comments of the article imply that there is the possibility that the Town of Bowden will have a significant tax increase. THIS IS NOT THE CASE. Our preliminary budget numbers indicate a 2 to 2.5% tax increase. The number crunching is far from over, but I expect this to be a worst case scenario. A 1% tax increase equates to roughly a $7,000.00 revenue increase to the town. A 1% tax increase is approximately a $20.00 yearly increase on the average residential tax bill depending on the assessed value of your property. Contracting out many of our municipal services has resulted in significant savings for the Town of Bowden. We have been proactive in many of our efforts to reduce expenditures. Last year we were successful in saving approximately 15% on our insurance costs. We are still waiting to hear the amount of our Municipal Sustainability Initiative (MSI) grant. This is a grant that all municipalities receive from the provincial government. This annual grant is the source of our largest amount of revenue (other than taxes). The new provincial government has not been very forthcoming with information and this really complicates our budget process. One paragraph of the article is 100% factual. This paragraph states “the town is looking for every way it can to keep costs down for our taxpayers”. Town Council and administration are committed to being efficient and cost effective. There are still pieces of the annual budget that need to be finalized. Some of the required aspects are out of our control. We do not expect the annual budget to be finalized until the end of February or early March. The second page article on hiring a new Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) is essentially correct. The Town’s operations have evolved significantly over the last few years, which will change the CAO’s duties. Contracting out services and being on regional commissions has had a significant impact. Town Council did discuss the wisdom of hiring a part time Chief Administrative Officer, but decided we needed a full time position. We will be interviewing four applicants on February 3 rd and hope to have the successful candidate in place very soon. There will be a Resume Writing Workshop from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. at the Bowden Public Library on February 17 th . Hoping that you have a wonderful Family Day on February 15 th . Warm regards, Mayor Robb Stuart The New Year’s Eve Family Dance was a HUGE success! Thank you to our community and sponsors for all of your support. -Expanding Horizons
Transcript
The majority of this Mayor’s Message will be to clarify some of the January 26th Olds Albertan articles.
The front page headline and subsequent opening comments of the article imply that there is the possibility that the
Town of Bowden will have a significant tax increase. THIS IS NOT THE CASE.
Our preliminary budget numbers indicate a 2 to 2.5% tax increase. The number crunching is far from over, but I
expect this to be a worst case scenario. A 1% tax increase equates to roughly a $7,000.00 revenue increase to the
town. A 1% tax increase is approximately a $20.00 yearly increase on the average residential tax bill depending on
the assessed value of your property.
Contracting out many of our municipal services has resulted in significant savings for the Town of Bowden. We have
been proactive in many of our efforts to reduce expenditures. Last year we were successful in saving approximately
15% on our insurance costs. We are still waiting to hear the amount of our Municipal Sustainability Initiative (MSI)
grant. This is a grant that all municipalities receive from the provincial government. This annual grant is the source of
our largest amount of revenue (other than taxes). The new provincial government has not been very forthcoming
with information and this really complicates our budget process. One paragraph of the article is 100% factual. This
paragraph states “the town is looking for every way it can to keep costs down for our taxpayers”. Town Council and
administration are committed to being efficient and cost effective. There are still pieces of the annual budget that
need to be finalized. Some of the required aspects are out of our control. We do not expect the annual budget to
be finalized until the end of February or early March.
The second page article on hiring a new Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) is essentially correct. The Town’s
operations have evolved significantly over the last few years, which will change the CAO’s duties. Contracting out
services and being on regional commissions has had a significant impact. Town Council did discuss the wisdom of
hiring a part time Chief Administrative Officer, but decided we needed a full time position. We will be interviewing
four applicants on February 3rd and hope to have the successful candidate in place very soon.
There will be a Resume Writing Workshop from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. at the Bowden Public Library on February 17th.
Hoping that you have a wonderful Family Day on February 15th.
Warm regards,
Mayor Robb Stuart
The New Year’s Eve Family Dance was a HUGE success! Thank you to our community and sponsors for all of your support. -Expanding Horizons
Corrie Monk Family and Community Support Services Coordinator. FCSS is located at the Olde Library, 1700 17th Avenue. (403) 224-2207 or Email: [email protected] Facebook: FCSS Bowden.
Take a Break
NEW! “Take a Break”, Connecting
Moms for Conversation, Support and
Encouragement. Beginning on Monday,
February 29th and the last Monday of the
months to follow, there will be a free
supper for Moms who parent on their own
or whose spouses/partners work away.
After the family meal, the kids will
participate in a children’s program of
crafts and activities while moms “take a
break”, enjoy girl talk and let someone
else do the cooking and the dishes for a
change! The place is Bowden Evangelical
Missionary Church, 2207 20 Ave.
For more information or to register
contact Nina at 403.559.4040,
Corrie @ FCSS, 403.224.2207,
Gaye @Bowden Grandview School,
403.224.2264.
Good Food Box
If you are interested in economical and healthy produce for yourself and/or your
Facebook at FCSS Bowden for info on Bowden’s Good Food Box, monthly fruit
and vegetables delivered to town at low cost. There are also pamphlets
available at the town office that explain how to get set up. This is a great
program, especially now given the rising cost of food.
Money Wise Are you constantly surprised that
there’s too much month left at
the end of the money? Are you
and your family having to make
hard financial decisions due to
the downturn in the economy?
Have you ever seen Gail Vaz-
Oxlade on the TV show Til Debt
Do Us Part? Here’s her useful
website that has a variety of
different budget worksheets
including household, debt
repayment, info specifically for
students and much more.
http://www.gailvazoxlade.com/
resources.html
Affordable Housing Are you interested in affordable housing in our community? There will be a Habitat for Humanity Presentation on Wednesday, February 24 at the Bowden Friendship Centre. A reception with light refreshments will take place from 6:30 – 7:00 with the presentation to follow. Please see the ad on page 5 of the newsletter.
Fun Facts About Valentine’s Day The popular medieval folk belief that birds choose their mates on February 14 made doves a favorite symbol for Valentine cards. The dove was sacred to Venus and other love deities and was known for choosing a lifelong mate.
Valentine candy “conversation hearts” have a shelf life of five years..
Approximately one billion Valentine cards are sent each year around the world. An estimated 2.6 billion cards are sent during the Christmas holidays.
On Valentine’s Day 2010, 39,897 people in Mexico City broke the record for the world’s largest group kiss.
Started by a group of feminists, “Quirkyalone Day” is celebrated on February 14 as an alternative to Valentine’s Day. It is geared toward people who “resist the tyranny of coupledom.” Another alternate
Valentine’s Day celebration is SAD (Single Awareness Day), which reminds people that they don’t need to be in a relationship to celebrate life.
Teachers receive the most Valentine’s cards, followed by children, mothers, and wives. Children between the ages of 6-10 exchange more than 650 million Valentine cards a year.
On Valentine’s Day, many people buy flowers. Different colored roses have different meanings. Red means love, yellow means friendship, and pink means friendship or sweetheart. Red carnations mean admiration, white carnations mean pure love, red chrysanthemums mean love, forget-me-nots mean true love, primrose means young love, and larkspur means an open heart.
In Germany, girls would plant onions in a pot on Valentine’s Day, and next to the onions, they placed the name of a boy. They believed they would marry the boy whose name was nearest the first onion to grow.
Richard Cadbury produced the first box of chocolates for Valentine’s Day in the late 1800s.
Red hearts are a ubiquitous Valentine symbol. Red is traditionally associated with the color of blood. At one time, people thought that the heart, which pumps blood, was the part of the body that felt love. In fact, when the Egyptians mummified their dead for burial, they removed every organ but the heart because they believed the heart was the only part of the body necessary for the trip through eternity.
DIAL 2-1-1
211 Alberta is here to help you find the right community and social services. You can dial 2-1-1 to speak to an Information & Referral Specialist, or search our online community resource directory at www.ab.211
Search for information on: • Financial & social assistance • Housing & utility help • Food assistance & meal programs • Seniors’ services & home care • Parenting & family programs • Government program assistance • Disability support services • Volunteer organizations • Newcomer services • Mental health support
Amethyst is a semiprecious stone and is the traditional birthstone for February. It is a violet variety of quartz often used in jewelry. The name comes from the Ancient Greek, a reference to the belief that the stone protected its owner from drunkenness. The ancient Greeks wore amethyst and made drinking vessels decorated with it with the belief that it would prevent intoxication.
We take your bottle donations. Please drop them off inside the door when we are open. Or, drop them directly at the
Olds Bottle Depot. A HUGE THANK YOU for your donations!
Contact Bowden Public Library: 403-224-3688
bowdenlibrary.prl.ab.ca or on Facebook:
Bowden Public Library
Moms & Tots
Wednesday 3:30-4:20pm
Shinny
Friday 5:00-6:20pm
Sunday 2:30-3:50pm
Public Skate
Friday 6:20-7:20pm
Sunday 3:50-4:50pm
Ice Rental
Contact Gary at 403-559-7123
or leave a message at
the Igloo 403-224-2445
We would like to offer a
sincere apology to Pat &
Judy Doll for misspelling
their last
name in the
January
Edition of
Your Town
BOWDEN THRIFT STORE The Bowden Thrift Store is open every Wednesday &
Friday from 1-4pm, located at the back entrance of
the Museum at 2201 -
19th Avenue.
Bowden is a ChooseWell Community - Again! What does that mean?
Communities ChooseWell is a program funded by the Alberta Recreation and Parks Association that supports Alberta communities in their endeavours to help their citizens make healthier choices and become more active.
Being a ChooseWell Community means that each and every one of us has access to: Opportunities for seed grant funding for community based projects. Opportunities to connect with a network of Wellness Champions across Alberta. Education Opportunities – including free webinars, workshops, monthly newsletters, and more. Access to health and wellness related resources to help make your community a healthier place.
What has ChooseWell meant for Bowden? Bowden has been a ChooseWell member for 6 years. Over the years we have received assistance and support in
various forms for projects such as the community garden, community action park, Canada Day celebrations, movie in the park and the Bowden summer garden market.
If the above is of interest to you, and you are interested in healthy living for yourself, your family and your community, please contact Corrie Monk at (403) 224-2207.
Directions: 1. Beat eggs, milk and salt together in a shallow dish. 2. Heat your griddle or heavy skillet. 3. Dip bread into egg mixture until covered - let excess drip off. 4. Place dipped bread into griddle/skillet until brown (about 2
minutes), then flip repeating on other side. 5. Remove from griddle/skillet repeat with other slices. 6. Sprinkle with icing sugar, and add toppings as you desire. Source: Foodbankscanada.ca
Stretching Our Food Dollar Locally - FRUGAL TIP OF THE MONTH Frozen fruits can be a lot less expensive than fresh and they can be just as nutritious. Here's why: as most frozen fruits are frozen shortly after they're harvested, they're allowed to fully ripen, which means they're chock full of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, and freezing "locks in" their nutrients. Because freezing preserves food, no unwanted additives are needed. Check the labels to find single word ingredient lists--simply the fruit itself with no added salt or sugar.
Economic Development News Each month we will be providing business profiles of local businesses in Bowden. Some of the businesses featured you will recognize; others may
be new to you. All of us can take part in our community’s growth and success by supporting these merchants. Are you a local business that would like to be featured in an upcoming edition of the newsletter?
Contact Jade Prefontaine at the Town Office for details, 403-224-3395. Remember that by shopping local, we all win!
We are a husband and wife team that have been in business together since 2011. We are a family
based company; our oldest child at the age of 14 works along side us at every large event we do.
Our two younger children are jumping at the chance when they get to join us.
Between the technical skill of being a red seal chef, and the organization of being parents, we
feel we make the best team. We offer many different menu options and we are able to think “out
of the box” to make all our catered events extra special. We cater to specific dietary needs such
as vegan and gluten free. We really enjoy taking on challenging catering jobs that other cooks
have turned down.
It is our plan is to have our new kitchen open in the Bowden Place Mall for the 1st of March, with
our Grand opening date to follow shortly after that.
We will be offering cooking class starting in the month of March. Classes will run the first 3 weeks of
every month. There will be a beginner class on Tuesday afternoons,
intermediate class Thursday afternoons, advanced class on Thursday
evenings, and a kids class will be offered for the months of July and August
Callie Cocke has been selected to play in the 2016 Alberta Winter Games with the Zone 4 female hockey team. The Games will take place in Medicine Hat from February 13-16.
Callie started playing hockey in Bowden at the age of 4. Since then, she has kept a very impressive profile in her hockey career.
Here is a brief overview of what she has been up to:
Callie has played with the Red Deer Chiefs female team and received the Top Chief Award.
She spent one year with the Olds Female Atom Grizzlys, who won the league champions that year. In the 2014/2015 & 2015/2016 hockey season, Callie has played on the Innisfail Pee Wee
“A” Flyers, an all boys (except Callie) team. She appreciates the level of competition that the boys team creates. They won the Zone 4 Championship!
When she is not playing hockey, Callie plays Volleyball & Basketball with the school.
Did we mention that Callie is 12years old? Such an outstanding accomplishment with a fiery dedication to her sport! We can all take pride in her achievements as a citizen of
Bowden, and strive to match her passion in our own endeavours.
What an AMAZING achievement! Congratulations Callie, we will all be cheering for you!
