December Newsletter 2014

                 Season’s Greetings                                                                                                                                                                         

The Town Council would like to wish everyone in our town a very, Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! May it be a safe and enjoyable one.  

                                                                                                                                                                       

   

                Christmas Office Hours 

 During the holidays the Town Office will be closed from December 23^rd , 2014 to January 5^th, 2015. 

Please try and take care of any business you have with the council before the office closes.  The Town Councilors and Staff will only be available in case of an emergency.

                Safety Tips for Christmas

                                                                                                                                               

Here are a few helpful tips to help make our holidays a safe and happy one:

v  Throw out all packing materials like Styrofoam pellets, ties, plastic bags, and wrapping. Children can choke or suffocate on them.

v  When buying a real tree, check to see that it is fresh.  Water tree daily.  Make sure the tree is well secured in a sturdy stand. Place tree away from any source of heat.

v  Metal tree ornaments and decoration should be kept away from young children.  They may contain lead that can be harmful to young children if they put them in their mouths.

v  When decorating your home, only use indoor lights inside and outdoor lights outside.  Check the light strings and extension cords for frayed or exposed wires, loose connections or broken light sockets. Do not overload electrical outlets. Turn off holiday lights before you go to bed.

v  Have your chimney cleaned and inspected at least once a year.  Make sure that your chimney is working well so that wood smoke  does not come into the room.

v  Make sure you have working smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors in your home.

v  Please do not drink and drive.  Walk or arrange to be picked up by someone else.  You are not only a danger to yourself but a danger to everyone in the community when you drink and drive.           

                                                                                                                                             

                   Garbage Collection 

    

    The garbage collection days will change during Christmas. The garbage will be collected on Monday December 22, 2014 and Tuesday December 30, 2014.

S               Snow clearing Regulations

      

(a)    During the period of December 1 to May 31 it is illegal to park any vehicle on a street or highway under the jurisdiction of the Town Council of Parsons Pond, between the hours of 12 midnight and 8:00 a.m.

(b)   It is illegal to throw, push or otherwise deposit snow or any other material onto any street or highway (which would also include all street reservation and ditch areas).

Violators may be ticketed for each occurrence.

Your cooperation is greatly appreciated.  These regulations are in place for everyone’s safety.

        Municipal Taxes

For residents that have paid their municipal taxes, the town council want to thank you. For residents that are in arrears, please make every effort to pay your taxes. The town depends on taxes for day to day operations. If taxes are not paid, then that will affect our snow clearing, garbage collection ect. Deadline to have taxes paid is October 31 of each year.

November  Newsletter 2014 

     

Remembrance Day Service                                                                                                                                                                      

Tuesday, November 11^th, 2014 there will be a service held for Remembrance Day.  It will be at the Community Center starting at 10:30 a.m., and then proceeded to the Anglican Cemetery for remainder of the service. The Mayor will lay a wreath in tribute.  May we never take for granted what these people do for us.   Following the service there will be finger foods at the Community Center sponsored by the Town Council. 

                                                                                                                                                                        

Municipal Taxes                                                                                                                                                                                           

   We would like to thank those of you that have made an effort to pay your taxes.  For those of you that still owe taxes please make an effort to make payment.  The deadline for unpaid taxes were October 31 2014 . 

Community Enhancement Project                                                                                                                                                            The Community Enhancement project will begin Monday November 10, 2014. Any Senior or persons with disability, there will be workers available to assist in daily chores.                                                                                                                            

 Moose Skins

 It has been brought to the attention of the Town Council that moose skins have been dumped near the fishing sheds. It is illegal to dump waste anywhere except  in a designated waste site.

Boil Water Advisory 

The boil water advisory was lifted as of Friday October 31^st, 2014.  We would like to thank you for your understanding during this time.

Wreath Project

This will be the second year of the handmade holiday wreath  project. If  anyone is interested in this project or buying a wreath, please contact the Town Council Office. 

October  Newsletter 2014

Fire Prevention Week 

This is Fire Prevention Week Please check all smoke detectors and fire alarms to make sure they are working proper; keep your chimney clean to prevent creosote buildup. Always change your furnace filters on a regular basis.

Long Range Waste Site

The Long Range Waste Site is opened from Tuesday to Saturday 8:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Anyone that need to dispose of any garbage can do so on these days.

 Emergency Preparedness

We would like to remind the residents of Parsons Pond to be prepared for adverse weather.  Here are a few simple tips to help you prepare for this time of year:

• ·       Watch for warnings and advisories
• ·         Follow local weather forecasts
• ·         Prepare and maintain an emergency kit-be ready to cope on your own for at least 72 hours.   Develop an emergency plan, remember the specific requirements of pets or any person in your household with a medical condition, mobility issues, or other specific needs
• ·         Be aware of all local emergency numbers
• ·         Understand your insurance policy
• ·         Ensure sump pumps are in working order
• ·         Keep all household drains free from debris
• ·         Secure patio furniture, yard tools, or playground equipment, and remove dead trees and branches which may be affected by heavy winds
• ·         Consider installing a hard-lined phone in your residence as cordless phones will not work in a power outage
• ·         Do not touch or attempt to move downed power lines; advise your utility provider immediately instead
• ·          If you become aware of flooding on streets or observe areas where culverts are blocked, contact municipal officials to advise them of the situation as soon as possible. More details on personal preparedness can be found at www.gov.nl.ca/fe or at www.getprepared.ca. 

  

September  Newsletter 2014

 Civic Address                                                                                                                                                                                             

                                                                                                                                                                                            .                            This is a reminder to residents of Parsons Pond, all households has to have numbers displayed on their homes before December 31^st 2014 before 911 come into effect.

This is necessary in case of an emergency. The Ambulance, Fire Truck, and Police will need this information before 911 is put in place.

Please contact the town office Monday to Friday 8:30 A.M. to 3:00 P.M. to confirm your civic address                                                                                                                           

  
Property Taxes

 We would like to thank those of you that have been paying their municipal taxes. If there is anyone that don’t drive and would like for the town clerk to pick up their payments, you may contact the town council office.

Any resident that has not made any effort to pay their taxes, it will be sent to the collection agency and this will affect your credit rating. If your taxes have to be collected through the collection agency there will be additional charges. This is very costly which takes away from other services the town could be providing with your tax dollars. If you would like to set up a payment plan please visit or contact the town council office .All municipal taxes are due by October 31, 2014.

Tree House Family Resource Centre

The Tree House Family Resource Centre will be starting Thursday September 18^th at 1:00 p.m.in the Anglican Church Basement Parsons Pond.

Liquor License

 The town would like to inform all residents if you are planning on booking the town hall for kids, adult birthday parties, or anniversary parties you have to let the town manager know at least a week in advance. There has to be a special events license applied for through the Newfoundland and Labrador Liquor Corporation before any one of those events can take place at a licensed establishment.

Canada Flag

The Canadian flag at Hillview Park has been removed from the flag pole. If anyone know where the flag is at or know of anyone who has taken it down, please contact the town council office.

August 2014

Bus Shelter

There have been reports that tourist are using the bus shelter for a washroom. This is not acceptable; our kids have to wait in the shelter for the school bus. If this problem continues the bus shelter will have to be moved to another location.

Lift Station

The lift station had to be repaired due to being tampered with. This has been an unexpected cost to the town. Please do not through cloths or rags in the lift station.

Plane Wharf/Hillview Park

There are reports that kids have been seen on the plane wharf spinning out on their dirt bikes. This is unacceptable. The wharf is being repaired; we should try and take care of it.

There has also been a window broke at the canteen building at Hillview Park and garbage being thrown around, there are garbage cans at the park where garbage can be disposed of.  If you see or know of anyone damaging property or throwing garbage around please contact the council office.

Parsons Pond Summer Festival

The Parsons Pond Summer Festival was very successful again this year, Thank you to all the volunteers and supporters and participants.

A list of winners from the festival buttons are:

1^st draw          Swing                    Ward Blanchard

2^nd draw         Fireplace/Grill       Emma Goosney

3^rd draw          Fire Pit                   Shaye Biggin

4^th draw          BBQ                      Conner Caines

5^th draw          Lawn Chairs        Johnny Blanchard

6^th draw          Lawn Ornament  Otto Payne

50/50 draw      $4000.00               Calvin Inglish        

Congratulations to all the winners!             

July 2014

Garbage, Trees and Shrubs

There are garbage, trees and shrubs being thrown out on the point. There are tourist that visit this site and this does not give them a good impression of our town. Please take pride in our town and keep it clean and tidy. The Long Range Waste site is opened Wednesday and Saturday if any garbage need to be disposed of. 

Lift Stations 

There are still Issues with rags and cloths  being thrown in the lift station. This has caused the pump to keep shutting down, this effects everyone on this lift station. Please do not flush these kind of things down your toilet. If this continues it will end up costing the people more money if the pumps have to be replaced.

Summer Fun Program

The Summer Fun Program has started for this year.  The Summer Fun Swimming will be going ahead again this year.  The bus will be leaving from Hillview Park starting Wednesday, July 16th at 11:30 am.  If you are interested in your child attending there are consent forms at the Town Office or can be picked up from RJ Blanchard or Brandi Lewis. Children under six must be accompanied by an adult.  The fee for the swimming will be $5.00 per child.  Consent forms must be passed into RJ and Brandi before a child can board the bus to go to Rocky Harbour. On Fridays, there will be various activities for the children in the community to attend at Hillview Park. The activities start at 1:00 pm. 

Long Range Waste Management 

The office for The Long Range Waste Management has moved to Daniels Harbour .Anyone with concerns or issues please call Daniels Harbour Town Council 709-898-2300.

Parsons Pond Summer Festival

The Parsons Pond Festival begins July27-Aug3. There will be lots of entertainment and Fun throughout the week for everyone. 

Canada Day

Canada Day Celebration was a great success.  Thank you to the people of the community who participated in this celebration.

Town of Parsons Pond P.O. Box 39, Parsons Pond,  NL  A0K 3Z0 Telephone:  (709)243-2564    Fax:  (709)243-2254 Brenda Biggin, Mayor  /  Robin Payne, Deputy-Mayor  /  Blanche Thornhill, Town Clerk/Manager Wayne Bennett, Regional Maintenance  /  Arch Payne, Part-time Maintenance Mike Verge, Fire Chief  /  Angela Thornhill, Recreation

June Newsletter 2014

Survey Results

We would like to thank everyone who participated in our town survey.  We feel that it was a great success.  The results of our survey are as follows: 

 Number of Residents by Age Range: 

                                                                       0-12 Years-37

13-18 Years-14

19-35 Years-52

36-54 Years-98

55-64 Years-60

65-74 Years-44

75+ Years-37

Total Residents-342 Surveyed

We did not received data from 11 households.  The data collected is essential when applying for funding for our community.  We are now working with Western Health to provide gift baskets for seniors.  These baskets will be free and delivered to the doors of a select age group.

Lift Station

The Lift Station on Springhill Drive was plugged and sewer was unable to run through properly.    Several times in the last few months the Lift Station has been plugged with mop heads and rags.  We would like to urge people flushing these down their toilets that this not only affects them but everyone located on that lift station.  We are asking that residents be more careful with what they are flushing.  Thank you.

Flushing Water Lines

The Towns water lines will be flushed from Monday June 9 2014 to Friday June 13 2014.  At times you may experience low water pressure.  Water is still on boil order until further notice.

Parsons Pond Volunteer Fire Brigade

Parsons Pond volunteer fire brigade and firettes would like to thank everyone who helped with the bake sale.   A $525 donation was donated to the Janeway telethon,from the proceeds of the bake sale.

Waste Management

The Long Range Waste Management Site is now open to the public Wednesdays and Saturdays from 8:00 am to 4:00 pm. 

We would like to remind residents that there is a limit of six bags per household.

You are not permitted to put your bags of garbage in another household container.  We are receiving complaints that people are putting their waste in other people’s containers without permission.  This is not permitted.  If there is more than one household in one container inform the town office so they can notify the garbage collector.

   

Student Employment

We have applied for funding and will be accepting resumes for summer 2014. Please submit your resume with your level education to the town office.

Central Development will also be accepting resumes.  Please forward resumes to their office if you are interested.

May 2014

Student Employment

We have applied for funding and will be accepting resumes for summer 2014. 

Please submit your resume with your level education to the town office.

Central Development will also be accepting resumes pending funding. Please forward

 resumes to their office if you are interested.

Youth Ventures

The Youth Ventures Program is up and running again this year as of April 28/2014. 

Contact will be made with schools and councils starting on May 5/2014. If you know

 a student between the age of 12 & 29, who will be returning to school in September 2014

 that is interested in starting their own business please tell them about our program. Contact 

Cathy Payne at 243-2744.

Annual Spring Cleanup

The town of Parsons Pond will be holding their annual spring cleanup from Monday, May 

12 to Saturday, May 17/2014.

PLEASE NOTE:

·         All garbage must be secured in boxes or garbage bags in a proper manner and placed at 

y    our curb.

·         This cleanup does not include old car/truck parts or tires—the waste site is open 

      Wednesdays and Saturdays for those items.

·         Council would like all residents to do their part and help beautify the town by cleaning/tidying

      their property and surrounding areas.

·         For garbage pickup please contact the council office at 243-2564 or Dexter Payne at 243-2286.

     Theatre Newfoundland & Labrador

TNL will be hosting a Neddy Norris Night on July 31^st/2014 at Parsons Pond Lounge.

Admission:   Adults $27.00

                   Students $15.00

If you would like to purchase tickets early due to limited space, you can contact Brenda Biggin 

at 243-2553 or Stephanie Keough at the Town office at 243-2564.

Civic Address

Everyone in Parsons Pond has a civic address. The town council is asking that everyone make 

their address visible to your street by putting your number on your house.

This is necessary in case of emergency. The ambulance, fire truck and police will need information

 once the 911 implementation is put in place.

Please contact the town office Monday to Friday from 8:30 am to 3:00 pm to confirm your civic 

address.

Snow Clearing 2013/2014

We try our best to provide the best snow clearing through our town. In saying that our tax dollars pay for this service.

The winter of 2013/2014 has been long and hard, which meant we had to go $10,000.00 over on our budget in snow clearing this year. This is why it is important to collect all outstanding taxes.