Barrie Clulow

Winter Driving

In her post Dress For The Ditch earlier today Kathy addressed some of the things that should be in your emergency kit in your car.

Now I would like to show the silly and the serious side of winter driving.

Are you ready for it?

Some Folks Just Don't Get It

Have you ever driven down the road behind some one who is obviously not prepared for winter driving. They poke along because they do not have good tires or they are constantly scraping the inside of the widow because their defroster does not work. Some drivers are just not prepared for winter driving and then there are some who just should not drive in the winter.

A Bus Drivers Tale

Picture this - On a trip through northern New York State with snow blowing across the road at just high enough off the ground to obscure the vision of the cars on the road.

Your driving down the Interstate with the wind blowing the snow across the road, at times limiting visibility to a few feet, you have just passed a bus on the inside because he is traveling in the outer lane which is fairly clear. After passing you pull back out into the outer lane and proceed merrily along on your way.

Every once in a while you see the road ahead obscured by the blowing snow and in the rear view mirror you can see the top of the bus over the snow blowing across the road. He can see over the blowing snow but you can't. You round a corner and suddenly you hit a wall of white so thick you can't see a thing in front of you, what do you do?

If you have been paying attention you know there is only the bus close to you and he is traveling in the same lane you are. If you slow down and pull over to the right the bus will likely pass you safely. If you slow down and the bus does not there is a good chance you will be through the white out before he catches up to you. What would you do?

This particular driver panicked slammed on the brakes and sat, stopped dead, in the middle of the lane waiting for the snow to stop blowing.

As the bus rounded the corner the driver could see the snow blowing out between two patches of trees, but not the stopped car in the blowing snow between them. He started to slow down. He could see over the snow and the road was clear ahead of the blowing snow. The car had been far enough ahead that he should have been gone and around the next corner out of sight. Still he slowed down but would it be enough.

At the very last minute the driver saw the roof of the car through the blowing snow. Automatically he applied just the right amount of pressure on the brake peddle to avoid a skid as he swerved and narrowly missed the car. Only the driver and the passenger directly behind him knew how close they had come to mayhem on the highway that day. The rest of the passengers, had to be told why the bus had swerved so abruptly. The people in the car were lucky, This Time!

You and "YOUR" Property Tax Bill -- My Prescription Provided Pain Relief

By now you should have paid your final tax bill for the year and it likely hurt because it was up substantially from last year.

The question is - did you pay more than your fair share or less?

I felt I was going to be paying more than my fair share. The big red flag for me was that my assessment jumped 34.33%, more than double the average increase, while the average home's assessed value went up just over 14% .

While it is unlikely anyone who felt their home was under assessed would appeal their assessments many who felt they were over assessed took the time to do a little research and fought for some fairness in their assessment and the resulting tax bill.

For me it was a matter of going to the assessment open house to see if my Assessment Was Fair and Equitable. I was not surprised to find that there was no information available and that it really was only an opportunity to talk with an assessor to explain why I thought my assessed value was incorrect.

Luckily I went prepared and the assessor was willing to listen. She took my information as presented and told me she would review my assessment back in the office to verify my points.

Including several phone calls over the next little while I spent about 3 hours of my time before I agreed to the new assessment that she offered by way of minutes of settlement, this avoided the necessity of filing and going through the time consuming process of an appeal.

THE BOTTOM LINE

• My total assessment was reduced by $38,000
• My Savings the first year $129.34
• My savings over the four years $1,293.37
• My time was worth over $400.00 an hour.

My savings in this example over the four years is based on the four year phase in of our new assessments assuming the mill rate does not go up.

Wait For It - It Gets Better

• If we assume a mill rate increase of 3.5% annually that savings gets better.
• My Savings the first year $129.34
• My savings over the four years $1,386.31
• My time was now worth over $462.00 an hour.

My savings in this example over the four years is based on the four year phase in of our new assessments assuming the mill rate goes up 3.5% a year.

The Real Bottom Line

I won't really know for another three years until all the mill rates are set.

Stay Tuned --- .

It will be interesting to watch what happens to

"Your" Property Tax Bill

With the phasing in of the province wide
re-assessment affecting your 2010 property tax bill.

The Eleventh Hour Of the Eleventh Day - Remembrance Day

In remembrance of all who put themselves in Harms way so that we could,
and continue too, be able to enjoy the freedoms we enjoy today.

In Flanders Fields

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved, and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

"Two minutes on November 11th"

As you watch the video watch the man at the cash register. Our children learn much by example and it saddens me that the actions of the man at the counter is typical of the example some set.

Terrys anger towards this man for trying to get the clerk to wait on him and the bad example he was setting for his daughter was channeled into a beautiful piece of work called, A Pittance of Time.

"Terry Kelly recorded the song A Pittance in Time" and included it on his full-length music CD, "The Power of the Dream"

."..... I feel her awakening to what was, I feel the private hell of our fallen heroes and their families, and of our soldiers who are living and dying overseas, today. I remember my own father, a veteran. I remember! " ... from an article by Matthew Clulow after viewing the video

DAY IS DONE

National Waste Reduction Week October 19th to the 25th

Visit www.wrwcanada.com for suggestions on wastes reduction for your home.

There is a frequently asked questions section "What Should I do with?" and links to a few other informative sites such as GreenerChoices.org The site has many links that will take you to information on waste reduction information, activities and more all across Canada.

Fire Prevention Week Oct 4th - 10th

The Fire that Sparked a Tradition ... Chicago, 1871

Did you know that the Great Chicago Fire led to the establishment of fire Prevention Week.

Did you know the great Chicago fire lasted 2 days October 8th and 9th in 1871 and killed more than 250 people, left thousands homeless and burned more than 2,000 acres was the catalyst for fire prevention week.

This fire forever changed the way public officials viewed fire safety. To commemorate the event on its fortieth anniversary fire officials felt the most appropriate way was to inform and educate the public and since 1922 Fire Prevention week has been observed on the Sunday through to the Saturday that October 8th and 9th falls on.

To learn more about the history visit. The Great Chicago Fire and the Web of Memory, a virtual exhibition