In a move to make Port Hope’s police force perform better on mobile operations, the town’s interim police chief recently sent a proposal for special funding from government worth $95,000 to have a “multi-purpose micro-station” at their disposal.

Though it may sound like a building or some sort of fixed structure, this multi-purpose micro-station that Chief Emory Gilbert is referring to is actually a special van with an elevated roof that allows people to stand on it – perfect for police officers looking to have a great vantage point for surveillance duty and the like.

These specially equipped vans are manufactured by auto-giant Mercedes, Gilbert said. He made his recommendation to members of the Port Hope Police Services Board at their most recent meeting.

If Chief Gilbert’s request is approved, then the cost of the van would be taken from the Proceeds of Crime fund. According to the Chief, the vans would be fully operational for at least 5 years, and would cost around $4000 a year to maintain.

The special van would be used as a mobile command center during large outdoor events, and would give officers a good elevated view to observe crowds.

Gilbert said he’s crossing his fingers for the request to be approved. He expects a final decision to be made around the time summer begins.

Despite being a community with a steadily growing population, Port Hope is still a little inaccessible, causing problems to visitors and residents alike. In a move to solve this problem, the region’s Accessibility Advisory Committee, or AAC, is seeking help from council to make Port Hope a more accessible community, especially for those who live in the area.

There’s been some good news though.

AAC chairwoman Selena Forsyth spoke to council on Tuesday and said that the organization is very pleased with the current service buses used to provide access to the municipality in Ward 1. She congratulated council and noted that improvements would not have been possible without their cooperation.

However, the provincial government of Ontario recently passed legislation to make all communities in the province more accessible, especially to those with disabilites.
This means that Port Hope officials will have to add new measures to accommodate individuals with special needs. Special buses will have to be modified for those unable to use the regular ones.

Forsyth hopes that Port Hope understands this, and provides mobility for all its citizens, disabled and not.

Changes could be effective as early as 2011. With Port Hope’s track record, this development doesn’t seem to be a major problem for the municipality to solve.

Retired Port Hope residents Vince Parbery and Fred Saman have made a small tradition of standing watch on the Victoria St. Bridge over Highway 401 each time there is a repatriation of a Canadian soldier killed in action while serving in Afghanistan.

According to both of them, they started doing this around the time Canadians began to gather on bridges in 2002 to honor the dead by waving flags and watching the hearse pass by on the Highway of Heroes.

They say they became friends through regular meetings on the Victoria St. Bridge, fondly calling it their own bridge as the years went by. Parbery says it’s only right that they spend hours standing on that spot. That bit of waiting is nothing compared to what soldiers are doing in Afghanistan, he added.

Every time a soldier is repatriated, both Parbery and Saman set up four Canadian flags and a big banner with the words “Support Our Troops” written on it. 

And despite the large crowds gathering at the bridge on repatriations, not a sound can be heard when the hearse and following vehicles actually pass underneath, Parbery says.

Both Parbery and Saman feel that paying tribute is their way of thanking those who’ve fallen for the sacrifice they’ve made.

Residents in Port Hope are currently being encouraged to donate blood to Canada’s Red Cross to help save a life. Each year, thousands of Canadians need blood, and sometimes, there are shortages of rare blood types

It’s also worth noting that at one point in their lives, thousands of people in the country have needed a blood transfusion to stay alive. Indeed, setting aside a bit of your time just might save a life in the future.

This is something Stu Linton, a resident of Port Hope, understands by heart. For years, he has donated blood many times – in fact, he just “celebrated” his 144th blood donation this Monday, giving blood at the donation clinic set up at the Port Hope Lions’ Recreation Centre.

Linton said he started to donate blood as a way of honoring one of his nephews who was suffering from the blood condition, hemophilia. The first 100 donations are apparently for him, while the next 100 (he plans to go beyond 200) are for himself.

For those interested in helping out, it’s not too late! You can still donate blood and save lives by heading to the Port Hope Lions’ Recreation Centre on February 15, 2010. You can call the local Red Cross to set an appointment.

After what seemed like an eternity, the clean-up of Port Hope’s low-level radioactive waste will finally get off to a start this week.

Buildings situated at 192 and 196 Toronto will be demolished a bit earlier, instead of the scheduled spring date, this according to Bob Neufeld, manager of stakeholder relations with the Port Hope Area Initiative Management Office or PHAI MO.

He added that if the weather permits, work will begin by as early as this week.

The dilapidated buildings have become an eyesore and have shown signs of disrepair, prompting officials to do something about them. Neufeld said they will be taken down to make way for an access road connecting Toronto Road and a soon-to-rise low-level radioactive waste treatment facility, which will take the place of the existing Welcome Waste Management Plant.

The demolition will be carried out by JMX Contracting Inc. under the supervision of Public Works and Government Services Canada to ensure proper security and safety of the public.

Indeed, this development is a great step in the right direction. The problem of radioactive waste in Port Hope has been around for years, with officials seemingly unable to act on it until now.

Canadians are buzzing about the ABC TV series “Happy Town”, which has a good roster of Canadian actors. Even better, many of the series scenes from the pilot episode were shot in the picturesque town of Port Hope, Ontario, an area that’s presently covered in snow due to the winter season – perfect for the show, which is set in Haplin, a relatively small town in Minnesota. Other small communities in Canada also played host to the series’ cast and crew.

Although Happy Town’s biggest names include the likes of Sam Neill and Steven Weber, a good number of Canadian actors are also in the cast.

According to the show’s executive producer Josh Appelbaum, many TV shows are often shot in Vancouver, but due to undisclosed reasons, they chose to go to Toronto instead. But since the city is too urbanized for Happy Town’s setting, they had to explore the outer areas, eventually ending up in quaint town of Port Hope.

He adds it’s a great place to shoot in, especially since it’s rarely seen on United States television.

As for what the show is about, we’ll leave you to find out. The series premieres on ABC on March or April this year, so don’t forget to watch it.

Port Hope’s 2010 budget may have increased compared to last year, but according to Liz Araujo, Port Hope’s finance chief, it took a lot of hard work to get the budget down to a 5.9 percent, or $792,100 increase.

In a meeting held just recently, Araujo brought council members up to speed and asked for suggestions on how to improve the budget.

She notes that the increases for each department aren’t really significant or “damaging” so to speak. It’s the departments where revenues were low last year that are really applying pressure on the budget.

Council members deliberated in shutting down some items that were being funded by the municipality to reduce the budget. However, some councilors pointed out that removing these services would deal a big blow to Port Hope.

For example, a few councilors suggested taking down the flashing beacon at Port Hope’s Lakeshore & Wesleyville Roads in order to save $9000. But Council member Bob Fudge said taking it down would affect community members in the area who rely on it for safety purposes.

There were plenty of suggestions during the meeting and ideas went back and forth among the town’s councilors. Araujo said she had noted all recommendations and will be presenting an updated proposal on the next council meeting taking place on the 26th.

While the holidays may be over, the provincial government still gave special late gifts to six organizations and groups in Port Hope that consistently encourage the public to live healthy and active lifestyles.

Just last week, Ontario’s Healthy Communities Fund subsidized close to $20,000 for the Port Hope Parks, Recreation and Culture’s ‘Opening Access Across the Ages’ initiative, which is headed by the program’s director Brenda Whitehead.

Northumberland-Quinte West Master of Public Policy Lou Rinaldi, announced the news to a group of representatives who gathered for a meeting. According to her, Port Hope is one of the few communities in the region that consistently promote the importance of health and wellness. She hopes that the grants encourage the groups to continue the great work their doing.

One of Port Hope’s notable community projects was the construction of a fully accessible playground which is presently a haven for families and those engaging in outdoor activities.

Port Hope Mayor Linda Thompson comments that the money will be a great help for groups who provide these services and to the community. The grant will have a profound effect on those who work tirelessly to help the public, she adds.

Indeed, $20,000 will go a long way in sustaining existing health and wellness programs, as well as in creating new ones for the initiative.

In an effort to provide milk to Port Hope families that need it, staffs from the local Health Unit are raising funds for the Milk for Moms health and nutrition program based in Northumberland County.

The program, which was created in 2000, provides vouchers that can be exchanged for a free bag of milk to expecting mothers and less fortunate families with kids less than 12 years of age. Other agencies in Northlumberland have lent a hand by helping raise funds and the like. Each month, vouchers are distributed to families in the region, which can be redeemed at pre-selected stores in the area.

So far, Health Unit employees have collected over $500, which they raised through donation campaigns and fundraiser draws they held in the last few weeks of 2009. According to one of the program’s organizers, providing milk keeps in line with the Health Unit’s goal of spreading the importance of good nutrition. Raising funds for Milk for Moms is an avenue for them to lead by example, she added.

The Milk for Moms program is a service under the wing of the Northumberland Child Development Centre, which receives funding from the Northlumberland County and communities under it like Port Hope.

After being closed for a number of hours, Port Hope’s eastbound lanes on Highway 401 are back in business and ready for the passage of motorists.

On Wednesday last week, a flatbed trucked flipped over on Highway 401 at around 5 in the evening. The transport was hauling pipes to Montreal, which scattered all over the surrounding areas after the flatbed flipped over.

The result was an ugly mess of metal tubes scattered all over the place. Each tube weighed around 2,000 pounds, and those that rolled off the road destroyed dozens of trees in their path. All eastbound lanes on Highway 401 were immediately closed following the accident.

Making things more complicated, the flatbed spilled over 300 liters of fuel, prompting Port Hope officials to call the Ministry of Environment for immediate clean-up measures. Fortunately, Port Hope firefighters were quick to arrive at the scene to contain the fuel and make sure it would not cause further damage.

As for the driver, he was lucky to walk away without any injuries after such a big accident.

Authorities on the site were amazed and thankful that no other motorists were killed or seriously hurt in the accident. They suspect that the flatbed’s cargo shifted, causing the mishap.