News Leader News for November 27, 2006
WATCH OUT FOR TOWN TICKETS
New bylaws being passed by Town Council could see local residents shocked by being issued violation tickets.
Under the regulations of the Community Charter, the Town has the right to establish bylaws enforced by issuing violation tickets. This will become a source of revenue for the Town, as fines are hefty. Traffic
The first bylaw to be passed concerns traffic, with the minimum fine of not less than $250. This includes ignoring speed reduction zones near schools and playgrounds, dragging or skidding objects on the street or road, driving on a sidewalk, tethering animals to lamp standards or trees or poles along the sidewalk or using a sleigh, bicycle, roller blades or skateboard on the sidewalk, defacing any structure along the road or street, jaywalking, driving through a crosswalk while a pedestrian is on the crosswalk, littering, and selling goods on the sidewalk or road without a business license from the town. Parking
Parking violations come under this bylaw, too. You could be fined for parking a vehicle at the road or street side for more than 72 hours, sleeping in a parked vehicle, angle parking in a vehicle more than 7 meters long, and all of the usual parking regulations such as not parking along a curb painted yellow (watch out you post office sneaky parkers). Further, you cannot park a vehicle at the side of a road or street for the purpose of selling it and you cannot park your trailer on the street. Dogs
The second new bylaw involves domestic animals. It is a tough piece of legislation and will no doubt yield a lot of revenue until people learn to abide by the law. For example, if your dog poops on the sidewalk and you leave it there, you could be looking at a $100 fine. If you do not exercise your dog, or if you fail to provide it with shelter, you could pay a fine of $500. If you take a dog from its home unlawfully, you could be fined $500. If you are harbouring more than two dogs, you could be fined $150, and if your dog is a barking fool, you could be fined $100.
These new bylaws will come into effect at the first Town Council meeting in December. At that time, there may be further new bylaws. When a new bylaw is adopted, citizens may review the regulations and penalties by asking for a copy of the bylaw at Town Hall.
COUNCIL SUPPORTS COMMUNITY KITCHEN
Town Council has lent support to a second phase of an application for a community kitchen. The application was submitted by Communities for Kids, a local organization trying to create a Family Centre for Princeton, to be located in the former cultural centre downtown, known now as Kenley Hall.For the past two years, members of Communities for Kids have been discussing how to bring a Family Centre to Princeton. The community kitchen will be a place where parents, and parents expecting a child, can learn how to prepare nutritious meals for a family, and for an expected family. The community kitchen is not to be confused with any organization offering charity meals. The community kitchen will be part of the family supportive programs to be held in the Family Centre.
The Family Centre concept has wide support within the community.
Why have a Family Centre?
Beatrice Bibby, a Communities for Kids member, says, "It's not easy to raise kids these days."The Family Centre will provide information and help to parents who want to do the best job they can of raising their children.
"The Family Centre idea is to give support to families to raise happy, healthy children," Bibby told the News Leader.
The facility to be used needs a lot of work to make it a warm, inviting environment, and to offer a modern kitchen. The application is for $35,000, but this will not be enough.
Communities for Kids will be going to the community for kitchen appliances, furniture and things like comforters on which to lay visiting infants and toddlers. More information about the Family Centre will be made available in the near future.
