December Fox Talk
Digest
VOLUME 6, ISSUE 12 2000
Deadline for Submissions:
1st of each month
Editors: Maurice & Ruth Dean
147 Foxboro Drive

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Articles:
Owners Leasing
Recreation Centre

Events:
Calendar
Upcoming Events
Past Events

Social:
Seasons Greetings
Care Committee
Social Com.
Christmas Recipes

Notices:
Appointment
Decorations
Angel Tree

Christmas and Elections

Oh! Finally it's December. The last two months have been so hectic it's no wonder so many are heading south for a break. First we have had our own, individual, condo elections, well certainly some of us had. The electioneering was quite fierce but, we are pleased to note, without any of the mudslinging that has characterized some other campaigns. Then even more difficult decisions had to be made for the municipal election. What a barnburner it was too. Fortunately the stress was eased to some degree as our ward representative ran unopposed.

The "grand finale", to cap it all, was the federal election. So exhausting! So much debate and intensive coverage of the "issues" it was difficult to keep up to speed. To quote the old tentmaker -

Myself when young did eagerly frequent
Doctor and Saint and heard great argument
About it and about
But evermore came out by the same door as in I went.

Our region followed the Ontario wave although, based on reports of a local all candidates meeting, we rather doubt that the incumbent received many votes from our friends in the neighbouring community of Morningside.

A pleasant surprise at the polling station was to find it very capably managed by Maue Court neighbours Val Grant and Mary Boucher. At the time we attended folks from Foxboro Green were besieging Val and Mary. They moved us through so well that perhaps they should be sending out their r�sum�s to Florida. We haven't heard any complaints about spoiled ballots at our station.

Of course the timing of all these stressful political events was completely wrong. We simply cannot sit back and relax in December. A key social event of the year, the Christmas Dinner, is scheduled. It is such a popular event that it is spread over three evenings. The ink was barely dry on the sign up sheets before two of them were fully booked - and there are some that think this community is deserted in winter! This is a far cry from the first Foxboro Green Christmas dinner in 1995 attended by some fifty residents who enjoyed a fine meal at Marian's Country Cupboard, Hawkesville.

Merry Christmas, Happy New Year
Seasons Greetings
from your Fox Talk editors

Community Calendar

December 2000
Wed. 6th ?? Toyota Plant Tour
Thurs. 7th 9:30 a.m. Rec. Centre Com. Mtg.
13th, 14th & 15th ?? Christmas Dinners
Sun. 31st ?? New Year's Eve
January 2001
NO HAPPY HOUR IN JANUARY
Sun. 7th 2 p.m. Decorations Down Party

Upcoming Special Events
Marg Macdonald

Toyota Tour-December 6th

We have filled yet another Toyota Tour. This time everyone who wishes, and is able to come, has a position on the tour. At least thirty will also go out to the Pioneer restaurant for dinner afterward. Should be a great afternoon.

Christmas Dinners

The response is terrific and the tickets will be available in early December.
A member of the Special Events committee will be calling you regarding the purchase of your tickets.

I'm sure that a great time will be had by all on each of the three evenings.

New Year's Eve

We will bring in the New Year with visiting, dancing, eating and general good fun. There will be a sign-up. There is no charge but those attending will be asked to bring finger food so everyone will have the energy to dance the year away. Look for the sign-up soon.

Decorations Down-Sunday January 7th

This date is reserved and again we will gather at 2 in the afternoon to bring in all our decorations and store them until next Christmas. Please mark this on your calendar. We will provide goodies after the work is done. We'll have a great time working together.

Past Events
Marg Macdonald

LCBO Presentation

Fifty-four lucky residents attended this marvelous event. Rick Grebinski and his team presented information about and samples of various products that they have available in their store in New Hamburg.

Not only did we have wine served in fluted glasses but smoked salmon, caviar, pate, cheeses and other lovely goodies to accompany the different drinks. Doreen, the assistant manager of the store was key in the preparation of the hors d'oeuvres served.

A big thank you to the New Hamburg LCBO. Many said that it was one of the best events ever.
Weekenders Fashion Evening Beryl Boughey

The fashion show was well attended and was a great success. Our eight models were Mary Boucher, Margaret Leppington, Lil Good, Charlotte Burnstine, Barb Koerber, Liane Trottier, Blanche Douey and Sue Baker. They showed the Weekenders Fall Collection to perfection.

Music and refreshments were served to the audience while they waited for the show to begin (thanks to Audrey Euler and Irene Allison). The evening ended with those in attendance trying on some of the clothes and experimenting with different styles and looks.

The fashion show benefits all Foxboro as we reap 10% of the profit!

These are the only pictures that turned out. I understand that the film got jammed in the camera.

Our models from top to bottom are Blanche Douey, Mary Boucher, Sue Baker and Margaret Leppington.

Decorations Up!!!
Marg Macdonald

Have you noticed how gorgeous our community looks for this Christmas season? New bows, increased lighting of our trees, theme changes inside the Recreation Centre create a festive atmosphere. Doreen and Dick Dean, Rita and Don Hill and Barbara Lashbrook deserve our recognition for their creativity. And in spite of the change of date we had an excellent turnout to assist. We missed our Xmas music (our musician Helen Lumby was unable to come on the Friday).

The hot spiced cider made by Elaine Simpson was a big hit after working outside in the cool air! Didn't we have a good time? -yes siree! And, we were so lucky that we couldn't do it on Sunday as it poured all day. We would have been so miserable!

Craft Corner CANCELLED
DUE TO LACK OF INTEREST

Special Events Committee Appointment

Ruth Cooke is our new chairperson, effective December 1st, 2000. Ruth brings new ideas to our committee and our committee loves new ideas!

Marg Macdonald will become secretary. Pat Tibbles and Barb Lashbrook will leave Special Events. Thank you Pat and Barb for your contributions over the last 3 years. Marilyn and Frank Abthorpe, Elaine Simpson, and Lil Good have recently joined us. We are always happy to welcome enthusiastic, fun-loving volunteers.

Keeping In Touch
Care Committee

Welcome cards were given to Lenore and Archie Watt, Pearl Battley, Jim and Anna Mae Zister and Harriet Denstedt.

We extend our sympathy to Ann and Herb Reiser on the death of their daughter-in-law. The community has sent a donation to the liver foundation. We also expressed our sympathy to Donna Stover on the death of her father.

Joan Roberts and Larry Skitch continue to amaze us with their progress following hip replacements. Joan is back at bridge (not winning yet) and Larry walks to the "Rec" Centre and has done some light shovelling. Keep up the good work!

We thank all members of our community for keeping us up-to-date on illnesses and injuries, so that we may offer help to anyone in need.

For newer residents if you hear of anyone who could use some assistance, Marg Macdonald and Eileen Fairweather are the people to phone. If we are not at home please leave a message and we'll return your call.

Angel Tree
Our Community Gives

Have you selected an angel off the angel tree or out of the angel box? If not, do get down to the mail room and get your angel! Your unwrapped gift should be placed in the big Christmas box under our enormous Christmas Tree in the Recreation Centre. The Wilmot Family Resource Centre is looking forward to our help in making Wilmot Township a happier place this Christmas. Cheques are also welcomed. Please make your cheque payable to the Wilmot Family Resource Centre and deliver it to Marg Macdonald, 155 Foxboro Drive.

Thank you for your participation!

SOCIAL COMMITTEE
THANK YOU

We would like to thank the Social Committee for their financial support over the holiday season. They have paid for the new Christmas Decorations, and for the food and beverages served at our decorating parties.

We have new table cloths of oil skin in both red and green which were made by Beryl Boughey. These will be used at our BBQ's, Happy Hours and Christmas Dinners. These too have been paid for by the Social Committee. Thank you.

Fundraiser
We would like to express our thanks to everyone who attended the Avon display and purchased Christmas ornaments. The Community is $70.00 richer through your participation.

Isobel Smith and Joyce Morrison

Owners Leasing or Loaning Their Home
Graham Macdonald

The Board of Management is considering a draft policy regarding temporary residents or tenants. A tenant includes a person living in a home at Foxboro Green for care taking purposes in the absence of the owner(s). It also includes people with whom an owner may be exchanging homes for a vacation. There does not have to be a formal written lease and no money needs to change hands for the occupant to be deemed a tenant.

Our Declaration contains the following clause (Article IV, 3):

No Homeowner shall lease his or her Home unless he or she causes the Tenant to deliver to the Corporation an agreement signed by the Tenant to the following effect:

I, ............., covenant and agree that I, the members of my household and my guests from time to time, will in using the home rented by me and the common elements, comply with the Condominium Act, the Declaration and the By-Law(s) and all the Rules and Regulations of the Condominium Corporation and the Foxboro Green Association during the term of the tenancy.

Further, the Declaration defines:
Home Occupant: means any Homeowner, any Homeowner's spouse, child or children, invitee, servant, guest, or tenant.

The Owner shall ensure that the tenant completes a form of Agreement, available from the Property Manager, prior to taking up residence. The completed and signed agreement shall be acknowledged by the signature of one of the Owner's condominium directors, as well as the signature of an officer of the Homeowners Association. The form of agreement shall be that approved by the Association from time to time.

A tenant has all the rights of an Owner in regard to usage of the home and the common elements. A tenant does not have the right to attend or to vote at any meetings of the Owner's Condominium, or of the Homeowners Association unless the tenant holds the proxy of the Owner, in which case he or she may attend the meeting and vote.

An Owner who has leased his/her home must advise his/her Condominium Directors and the Homeowners Association of his/her address for service during the period of absence. This requirement may be satisfied by notifying the Property Manager. Forms for winter or vacation addresses are available in the mail room or from the Property Manager.

NOTES:

1. Guests are defined by the Declaration. The rules for the Recreation Centre require that a resident must accompany his/her guests at all times while using the Centre. In this rule resident includes a Tenant.

2. A person, other than another resident, visiting a Home for care taking purposes in the absence of an owner or a tenant,
has no rights to use the common elements except for purposes of access to the home.

3. Occupancy of a home is limited to 2 persons, unless written authorization is obtained from the Township of Wilmot. The Homeowners Association should be advised of this authorization.

4. No Condominium may make rules to limit the use of the Common Elements. The Association is empowered by the Reciprocal Agreement between all the condos to make and administer the rules.

5. The Condominium's insurance coverages are not affected by an owner leasing the unit, provided the Agreement is signed by the tenant. The owner should contact his/her own insurance company to determine the effect of leasing on his/her contents, betterments and improvements, and liability insurance coverages.

Recreation Centre Report
Ron Donaldson

Eric Plevka has been appointed Acting Chair and Convenor of the recreation Centre Committee during Ron Donaldson's absence from December 15th, 2000 to March 31st, 2001.

Have a safe, happy and healthy holiday season. See you in the Spring!

Foxboro Green's Drinking Water
Graham Macdonald

Region of Waterloo Presentation
On Thursday, November 2nd, Olga Vrentzos, in charge of water quality, and Frank Smith, Supervisor of the Mannheim Water Treatment Plant, gave an information presentation and conducted tours of our water treatment plant. The meeting was attended by an estimated 60 residents all armed with questions and eager to learn.

Our water system is presently fed by two drilled wells, with a third to be placed on stream very soon. Two wells are located between 106 and 110 Golf Links Drive, while the third is on the grassed area adjacent to the gravel emergency access road off Erb's Road. One well can easily supply all the water requirements of the community. In 1999 the average daily consumption was 78 cubic meters (17,158 Imperial Gallons). Pumps in the wells deliver raw water to the Water Treatment Plant (the larger stone clad building near the tennis court) where the water is chlorinated to disinfect and kill any microbiological organisms and to precipitate iron and manganese. The chlorinated water is held in a storage tank to ensure adequate contact time for the chlorine, and then passed through a large filter bed containing anthracite which is periodically backwashed. This filter removes the precipitated materials and any other solid particles. Booster pumps, one for each well, arranged to back each other up, deliver the water under 80 pounds per square inch pressure to the community water mains, with the pressure maintained by bladder type reservoirs.

The whole process is continuously monitored by a computer data link to the Mannheim Water Treatment Plant which is manned 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Backup pumps can be started from there. Water quality sensors for both the raw water and the chlorinated water give a continuous readout at both locations with alarms for out of range parameters. Operators visit our plant every 3 or 4 days for regular inspection and maintenance. The Ministry of the Environment has recently inspected the plant and expressed their satisfaction with the operation.

Water quality is excellent and we are assured that it is perfectly safe and drinkable as it enters our homes. It is, however, extremely hard and is high in total dissolved solids (TDS), which is typical of most ground waters. It is for this reason that most of us, if not all, have a water softener in our homes. The Ontario Drinking Water Protection Regulations require that such high TDS be reported because individuals who require a low sodium diet may be affected. Consequently we also have, in every home, a reverse osmosis (RO) filter unit which removes almost all of these chemical components from a small portion of the water for drinking purposes from the small faucet in your kitchen. Residents should be aware (read your Condo Declaration) that these RO units are an exclusive use common element, and that the homeowner has an obligation to maintain, repair and/or replace this unit at his/her own expense.

Also of interest is that our water naturally contains fluoride, a proven tooth decay preventative, in quantities approximating those required to give that protection. Fluoride is not removed by the treatment plant but may be removed by the RO unit.

Since the Walkerton water contamination debacle, much attention has been focussed on tightening up both the regulations and their enforcement. The Region's responsibility for water quality ends at the point that water leaves the treatment plant. The underground distribution piping between the plant and our homes is owned by the Condominiums in common (read your Condo Declaration) and the Homeowners Association, on behalf of the condos, is responsible for maintenance and repair of these pipes. As well, there are now mandatory sampling and testing requirements for distributed water. The Association, with the assistance of the Property Manager, is presently establishing a means of complying with the new regulations, as a priority.

Questions ranged from dishwasher problems to emergency back up. While we have no emergency power supply on site, the region has several portable diesel generators which can be deployed to our site and quickly connected to power the system in the event of a prolonged power failure. Olga, Frank and their staff are to be thanked most sincerely for their presentation and the clear manner in which our questions were answered, as well as for providing us with an essential water supply that we all take for granted.

A big "THANK YOU" to Ron Donaldson for organizing this seminar and for hosting the session.

Special Christmas Recipes

Pauline's Appetizers . . . Pauline Tickner
1 loaf of white bread thinly sliced
OR
12 English muffins cut in half across width then into four
1/2 lb. of nippy cheddar cheese, shredded
8 slices bacon, fried crisp and crumbled
4 oz. package of slivered almonds
1 onion, finely chopped
1 cup mayonnaise
salt and pepper if desired (I don't)

Preheat oven to 400 � F.

Remove all crusts if using bread and spread each slice with mixture of all other ingredients. Cut bread into strips or shapes. If desired, freeze on a baking sheet, place in plastic bags and store in freezer until needed.

To serve, bake for 10 mins. or until brown (cheese is bubbly). The muffins make 40 pieces, they can be halved again if dainty pieces are required.

Cheese Crisps . . . Marilyn Abthorpe
1 cup butter or margarine (at room temp.)
1/2 lb. McLaren's Imperial Cheese (at room temp.)
1/4 tsp. Tabasco sauce
1/2 tsp. Worchestershire sauce
Pinch cayenne
11/2 cups all purpose flour
4 cups Rice Crispies cereal

Blend margarine, cheese, Tabasco, Worchestershire sauce, cayenne, flour with mixer and then add cereal and stir until well coated.

Drop by teaspoon onto a cookie sheet that has been sprayed with Pam.

Bake in 350� oven for 15 minutes. Makes between 5 and 6 dozen.

Great as cookie (especially for diabetics) or as hors d'oeuvres.

Notice
After Dec. issue of Fox Talk we will revert to one recipe per month. Please keep them rolling in.

Christmas Cake . . . Marion Magnan
6 oz. Brazil nuts, whole
6 oz. dates, whole
1/2 lb. red cherries
1/2 lb. green cherries

Stir

Sift together over above ingredients
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 tsp. salt

Stir thoroughly to distribute evenly the flour mixture on the fruit.

Beat 3 eggs and add to above and mix.

Grease loaf tin - line with brown paper - grease brown paper.

Put mixture in loaf pan. Pour corn syrup over top (just enough to glaze). Bake in 300� oven for 1-11/2 hours. Cool in pan. Remove and wrap in wax paper.
Store for two or three days before slicing.

Sticky Date Cake . . . Mary Boucher
21/2 cups chopped dates
13/4 cups water
Cover and bring to a boil. Remove lid, gently boil for 5 mins. while stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and add:
4 tsp. baking soda
Let stand for 20 mins.

Mix:
2 cups All Purpose flour
3 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. ginger

Beat together:
1/3 cup butter
11/3 cups sugar

Then add, one at a time while beating:
3 eggs

Beat in flour mixture then stir in date mixture. Pour into 9x13 pan and smooth top. In a water bath on a cookie sheet, bake at 350� for 20 mins.
Continue baking for an additional 30-35 mins. at 325�.

Toffee Sauce
3/4 cup butter
2 cups brown sugar
1 cup whipping cream OR 1 can of Carnation 2%
1/2 tsp. vanilla
Boil gently for 5 mins. DO NOT BOIL HARD OR IT WILL CURDLE.

Optional:
1/4 cup of Jack Daniel's whiskey may be added at the end.

Serve hot sauce over warm cake and vanilla ice cream.

Editor's Note: Hope that this is the recipe that Mary normally uses, as she gave us three different versions of the same recipe. Have been unable to contact her before going to print.

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