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03 | 01 | 2018 VOLUME 23 | ISSUE 09
ELMIRA BIA LOOKS TO BOOST ITS REVENUES VENTURE PAGE 15
COMMENT PAGE 6
WOOLWICH MAKES SHORT WORK OF COUNCIL VACANCY
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WOOLWICH / COUNCIL
Woolwich picks former councillor to fill vacant seat Julie-Anne Herteis to take Ward 1 spot for the remainder of term, the quick choice of three current council members STEVE KANNON FORMER WARD 1 COUNCILLOR JulieAnne Herteis will step into the vacant Elmira council seat. She’s to be sworn in March 6, replacing Scott Hahn, who resigned in January. Herteis was selected by the five remaining councillors from among 10 candidates at a special Woolwich council session Tuesday night, winning three of five votes cast on the first ballot. The other two votes went to Dan Holt, the first runner-up in the 2014 municipal election. The voting process lasted only minutes in what appeared to be an orchestrated effort that placed Herteis’ experience above all other considerations. Eight of the nine candidates, who had previously made written applications outlining their bids for the seat, made pitches to councillors who listened but asked no questions of any of them. Along with those from Herteis and Holt, applications were received from township residents Kathleen Bailey, Kevin Betts, Ron Campbell, Sujeet Chaudhuri, Linda Cooper, Jacqueline COUNCIL | 4
The ceremonial first tap, held last Friday at Snyder Heritage Farms, was the formal kickoff to the syrup season. Amongst those attending were OMSPA past-president Terry Hoover, MP Harold Albrecht, Mayor Sandy Shantz, Snyder Heritage Farms co-owner Kevin Snyder, regional Chair Ken Seiling, EMSF chair Kim Dixon and MPP Michael Harris. [FAISAL ALI / THE OBSERVER]
First tap makes syrup season official Mild weather already had the sap running as ceremonial event ushers in 2018 harvest FAISAL ALI THERE WERE A FEW drops in the bucket at last week’s ceremonial first tree tap, but it might have just been the rain. Still, the weather that morning did nothing to dampen spirits at Friday’s event, which featured a hearty breakfast laden with the sweet stuff, as producers and politicians celebrated the region’s maple syrup season, already well
underway. This year’s ceremony was held at Snyder Heritage Farms. “The season’s just nicely started. I’d say we’re like a week in to the season and it usually lasts six weeks,” said Terry Hoover, past president of the Ontario Maple Syrup Producers’ Association (OMSPA) and current president of the association’s WaterlooWellington local, who spoke at the ceremony.
The winner of the best maple syrup award was also formally announced at the event, with the Elmira Maple Syrup Festival committee going with Cleon Weber of Riverside Maple Products. The Wallenstein-based producer has the especially sweet distinction of unseating the winner of the past two years, Maple Tap Farms. Weber, for one, is convinced his syrup really is the best out
there – and he would know. The syrup producer practically grew up in the sugar bush, and had the trade passed down from his father, who also tapped trees. “But I think there’s not many people producing syrup that don’t think they have the best,” he added modestly. As is customary with the award, Weber’s Riverside Maple Products will be the exclusive MAPLE SEASON | 2
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