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COLUMN 9 | Stouffville Sun-Tribune | Thursday, December 22, 2016 'Mrs. Claus' nears 3,000 knitted baby blankets To a wide circle of friends she's Luella Lewis. To thousands of young mothers, she's Mrs. Claus. This remarkable Whitchurch-Stouffville lady, now 90, continues to knit baby blankets for delivery to several area hospitals including MarkhamStouffville; Richmond Hill and Newmarket. To date, she's completed 2,800 with a target of 3,000 by her birthday in May. Luella (Harper) is a native of Goodwood, daughter of Howard and Lucy Harper and one in a family of three boys and two girls. A sister Mary lives in Brampton. Luella's father operated a potato farm west of the hamlet. He also delivered mail, travelling the route by horse and cutter during winter months. Luella had a half-mile walk to a tworoom public school, now a private residence. The playground was divided, she remembers, with the boys on one side and girls on the other. Softball was a favourite sport. Instead of inside washrooms, two unheated outhouses were utilized. As a young girl growing up, she attended Sunday school and church in Goodwood. After her husband, the late Harold Lewis, built a house some distance to the north, she's attended worship services at Vivian. She still drives, including shopping trips to Uxbridge and Stouffville. Visits to Stouffville's Care and Share Shoppe are weekly highlights she's enjoyed for more than 30 years. From there, bits and pieces of materials are obtained for her quilting hobby. It was eight years ago, while in Stouffville, she spotted a store window poster requesting people to knows, such tokens are scarce as hens' teeth, especially for seats close to the ice. Admittedly, I'm a New York Ranger fan, but I can live with the derision of switching alliance one night in my life. Cards vs. computers With the current popularity of computers, those closest to the seasonal scene keep saying emails and other electronic devices will soon overcome the age-old practice of Christmas card sending. Don't you believe it. At least not in WhitchurchStouffville. The last time I approached the postal bureau at Shoppers Drug Mart, the lineup was more than 30 customers long. With stamp-seekers arriving faster than departing. As I watched from the sidelines, I found it amazing the patience practised by a lone clerk behind the counter. Not only did she handle cards and parcels with serenity but took the time to turn dozens of frowns upside down. That's good public relations. I deposited two cards in the letter box minus stamps. Later realizing my error, I shamefacedly requested the container be reopened to rectify the mistake. Which she did, without a single sigh of consternation. That's also good public relations. While not opposed to emailed greetings, they can't compare with cards, especially those with messages attached. These reflect sincerity. All hold a special place in our home where they'll remain until long into the new year. I can only hope my few will be treated with similar respect. 7 deadly mistakes that will cost you thousands when you sell your Stouffville home in 2017 STOUFFVILLE - A new report has just been released which reveals 7 costly mistakes that most homeowners make when selling their home, and a 9 Step System that can help you sell your home fast and for the most amount of money. This industry report shows clearly how the traditional ways of selling homes have become increasingly less and less effective in today's market. The fact of the matter is that fully three quarters of homesellers don't get what they want for their homes and become disillusioned and worse - financially disadvantaged when they put their homes on the market. As this report uncovers, most homesellers make 7 deadly mistakes that cost them literally thousands of dollars. The good news is that each and every one of these mistakes is entirely preventable. In answer to this issue, industry insiders have prepared a free special report entitled "The 9 Step System to Get Your Home Sold Fast and For Top Dollar" . To hear a brief recorded message about how to order your free copy of this report call toll-free 1-800-353-1021 and enter 2000. You can call any time, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Get your free special report NOW to find out how you can get the most money for your home. JIM THOMAS Roaming Around provide baby blankets. With a Singer sewing machine available and eyesight keen enough to thread a needle, Luella accepted the challenge. Twenty-eight hundred blankets later, she's still going strong. In addition, she's also completed queen-sized blankets for eight grandchildren. One of her daughters, Pat, resides with her and a son, Tom, lives near North Bay. A second son resides in Uxbridge. She has 14 great-grandchildren. Luella says she often receives letters from young mothers expressing thanks for her thoughtfulness. While unexpected, personal responses are much appreciated. How long will her kind deeds continue? "As long as my eyes allow," she replies. Luck of the draw On Dec. 12, Patrick Leblanc, general-manager of the O'Neill Funeral Home, assisted by wife Nicole and daughter Chloe, hosted a Christmas social, including dinner and entertainment, at Stouffville's Royal Canadian Legion. It was a gala event with more than 40 staff and family members attending. For Jean and I, the evening's highlight was a lucky draw in which we were winners of two Toronto vs. Dallas hockey tickets dated Feb. 7 at the Air Canada Centre. As everyone This report is courtesy of Ian Walterhouse Salesperson Century 21 Leading Edge Realty Inc. Not intended to solicit buyers or sellers currently under contract. Copy right © 2016 advertising feature This holiday season, your donation will help those living with Alzheimer's and their families live beyond the disease to cherish this joyous time of year. She was...She is... Who she is now is as important as who she was. Alzheimer Society of York Region taught our family that changing the dialogue around Alzheimer's was the key to living more meaningfully. While we remember who mom was, we also cherish who she is and make the most of the time we have together. Change the dialogue for more than 15,000 people living with Alzheimer's in York Region. To donate or to learn more, visit changethedialogue.ca. Give to Alzheimer Society of York Region at changethedialogue.ca Change the Dialogue Local: 905-726-3477 Toll Free: 1-888-414-5550 Charitable registration number 10670 5429 RR0001 Notice of Amendment to the York Region District School Board Education Development Charges By-law TAKE NOTICE that on the 13th day of December, 2016, the York Region District School Board (the "Board") passed the Education Development Charges Amending Bylaw, 2016-02, which amends the 2014 Education Development Charges By-law 2014-02 of the Board. AND TAKE NOTICE that any person or organization may appeal the said amending by-law to the Ontario Municipal Board under section 257.74 of the Education Act by filing with the Secretary of the Board on or before the 23rd day of January, 2017, a notice of appeal setting out the objection to the amending by-law and the reasons supporting the objection. The appeal may not raise an issue that could have been raised in an appeal under section 257.65 of the Education Act of the 2014 Education Development Charges By-law 2014-02. The said amending by-law comes into force on December 18, 2016 and increases the education development charge on residential development to $5,416.00 per dwelling unit and the education development charge on non-residential development to $0.90 per square foot ($9.69 per square metre) of gross floor area.These rates will come into effect on March 1, 2017. No other amendment to the 2014 Education Development Charges By-law 2014-02 has been made in the amending by-law. A complete copy of the amending by-law is available for examination on the Board's website: www.yrdsb.ca or in the Planning and Property Development Services Department at the offices of the Board, located at 60 Wellington St W, Aurora, ON L4G 3H2. For further information, please contact Trina Sprayson, Manager, Accommodation Planning, Tel: (905) 727-0022 ext. 2429, Fax: (905) 727-1931, Email:Trina.Sprayson@yrdsb.ca. yorkregion.com MORE ONLINE Read all our published letters at yorkregion.com l Loralea Carruthers Chair of the Board J. Philip Parappally Director of Education