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                          Issue #04  Feb. 18, 02

Stolen Autos Update

    On October 30, 2001, Boston Bar RCMP with the assistance of members of the BC Auto Theft Task Force and the "E" Division Auto Theft Unit executed a search warrant at Joe's Repair Shop located North of Boston Bar.  A 1994 Jeep Cherokee stolen from Coquitlam  and a GMC Safari van stolen from Surrey were recovered.  Both vehicles had been stolen in July 2000.  Both vehicles had their VINs switched with wrecks of similar vehicles.  One of these wrecks was located on the property.  Two local men were charged with numerous offences related to this investigation.  Both men had registered the vehicles in their own names and had been using them as their own personal vehicles.  Both men plead guilty to several of the charges and have since been sentenced.
    On February 5, 2002, GLEN ALLEN STEIN, age 38, plead guilty in Hope court to one count of possession of stolen property over $5000 and one count of unlawful storage of a firearm.  He was fined $2000.  An additional victim surcharge of $300 was also levied and he received 12 months probation in relation to the first charge.  On the second charge he was also put on probation for 12 months and an additional victim surcharge of $100 was levied.  He was also prohibited from possessing any firearm, crossbow, restricted weapon, ammunition or explosive substance for a period of 2 years.  He was also ordered to complete 50 hours of community work service as part of his probation.  Mr. Stein is the owner/operator of Joe's Repair Shop.
    On the same date, ROBERT LEE GLASS, age 42, plead guilty to one count of take  motor vehicle without consent of the owner.  He was sentenced to one day in jail, a victim surcharge of $100 was levied and he was put on probation for 12 months.  He was ordered to complete 75 hours of community work service as part of his probation.


--------------------------------------------Tax Savings---------------------------------------------       
 Courtesy of Mark Schartner of M S TAX SERVICES, Chilliwack BC 604-792-9225

Q: " I got married in July of 2001, do we have to file as married and how will that affect my, and my new husband's taxes?"
A: Yes. As of December 31, 2001 you are definitely married, and must report it.
It can affect you in several ways, depending on your situation.
a) If one of you has less than $6923.00 net income the other can claim a dependent married deduction. If the low-income earner has under $630 the claim is worth $1560. The value of the claim goes down by 23.3% of the spouse's income over $630 until at $6923.00 it disappears completely.
b) No matter what both incomes are, CCRA calculates the TOTAL FAMILY income to determine your Child Tax Benefit and GST amounts so any amount of net income over 25,000 (both of you included) reduces those benefits.
c) Also in either case, if you already had any children, neither of you will be able to claim the Equivalent to Spouse amount, because now you have a real spouse, even if the income is too high to claim as a dependent.
Q: "How much does it help my tax situation to give to charities?"
A: On the first $200 you save 23.3% of your donation off your tax payable. On the full remainder (over $200) you actually save 45.7% - which is more than you'd save buying RRSP's. Of course you pay twice as much as you would, just paying the tax, but the money goes to your favourite organization. Donations must be made by Dec. 31.
Q: How much do I save buying RRSP's and is it really worth it?
A: Depending on your situation, you can save a little or a lot. With the drop in the tax rate, you also save less on your deductions. If your income is above $60,000 you'll save 41.7% on any RRSP's you buy. $417 per $1000 purchased.
If your income is above 30,000 you'll save 32.5%. If your income is below 30,000 you will only save 23.3%.   Of course you will pay tax on whatever tax bracket you're in when you withdraw it. So, if you are purchasing RRSP's in the lowest tax bracket, it's important to also put your tax savings into the RRSP and deduct that to. It's also important to know that if your total retirement income is going to be over 30,000 you are going to pay the higher tax brackets to withdraw it. Don't let that stop you from investing, though. Just remember that it's not always beneficial to register it as an RRSP. For a more detailed analysis of your particular situation, call me or your tax preparer.
Q: My tax preparer told my wife that we couldn't write off the children!!! Did he fall off his porch?!
A: NO! Don't write him off. Remember when we used to get $35 per month for "Family Allowance?" Have you noticed how much your "Child Tax Benefit" has increased? Over 400%. What CCRA did was eliminate the deductions and significantly increase the non-taxable monthly benefits. This is a much better system for monthly expenditures on your children.   Of course, if you are a single parent you still have the "Equivalent to spouse" deduction, which saves you $1560.
QUESTIONS POSTED FROM THE FRASER CANYON EXPRESS WEBSITE
WWW.MEMBERS.TRIPOD.COM/CANYON_EXPRESS

GET FIT FOR SUMMER!

By Patti Beable-Cowley----BPE., BCRPA Fitness Instructor

     Over the last few days with the change in weather from doom and gloom to sunshiny days I have found myself looking forward to the endless days of summer sunshine that the Fraser Canyon has to offer.   I look forward to the opening of Almer Carlson swimming pool, and the day when the water at Blue Lake is again warm enough to swim in, or at least the sun is hot enough that the crispness of the lake is inviting. The thought of the hot sun beating down as I work in my garden, or the idea of playing outside with the kids, is suddenly rudely interrupted by the realization that along with those wonderful summer days, also comes shorts, halter tops, and of course the dreaded bathing suit.
     This is usually the exact time of year that I begin to contemplate the importance of getting fit for the summer. Of course, I do know that I should be trying to stay fit and healthy throughout the year.   However, I, like everyone else seem to always find other things far more important.    So I am left with the Jump into Spring fitness routine. There are several people in this town that I see walking on a regular basis.  I stopped  one of these people just the other day to tell them that they have inspired me. So here I am writing this column to help inspire others to also get fit for the summer.   I decided to call a friend and co-worker at the Hope Recreation Centre; Registered Personal Trainer and Fitness Consultant, Kim Richardson.   Kim suggests that first and foremost there is the importance of cardiovascular training.   This includes activities to increase your heart rate and burn off extra body fat. The best activity for this is walking.   Not only does it increase your heart rate but it is also inexpensive and you can include you children by taking them in the stroller or having them ride along beside you on their bicycle.   If getting outside is not your pot of tea, then Kim suggests investing in a good cardio video, such as step, low impact aerobics, or even Ti Bo.  These activities also take care of the cardiovascular component of a regular fitness routine. Next on the list is Strength training, you need to train your muscles and bones to get and stay strong.   Wonderful activities to do in your own home include squats, lunges and abdominal exercises such as crunches.   Kim wants to remind us that there is no such thing as spot training, therefore we must do the cardio to increase our heart rate (get sweaty).   Then, while we are sweating we need to do the muscle training to increase strength and improve muscle tone to look better in our bathing suits.   Finally we must remember to stretch out our muscles after any workout routine.   This will increase flexibility and decrease any chance of injury.   Kim's suggestion for this is to purchase a beginner Yoga tape.  Yoga targets both strength and flexibility If you have never done Yoga, it is good to know that it is not easy.   It is hard work but the benefits pay off.   If you are interested, a good series of Yoga tapes is put out by Living Arts.   If you're thinking about Yoga but you don't know what to expect, Kim teaches Yoga classes at Hope and District Recreation Centre. These classes are Tue.& Thurs. mornings at 9 am, and Mon.& Thurs. evenings at 5 p.m.   Kim is also available by appointment at (604) 869-2304 , to help you reach your fitness goals. If  Hope is too far for you to go, aerobics are also offered in town at Boston Bar School, Mon and Wed evenings at 6:30 p.m.  You can also always join us down at Family Place as we will soon be re-implementing our twice weekly walks.   If you are interested please call (604) 867-9204.
      I hope that this has given you some ideas as to how to start the task of getting ready for summer.   Remember that the more fit you are, the more energy you will have, and the more you will be able to enjoy what summer in the Fraser Canyon has to offer.


Boston Bar North Bend Enhancement Society
Chairperson's Report for the Annual General Meeting- Feb.13, 02
Condensed version
    
    The year 2001 has been a busy year with a shuffle in the board of directors, and new people becoming involved in the interests of the Society.  Our largest project this year has been the CAP C Project, or as most people are familiar with, the Family Place Drop-in.  We've overseen this project now for about 7 years, and despite a few burps in employee transitions, it is back up and running.  In April of 2001, we hosted a fundraiser for the Community Hall to help with the cost of operation.  Community members pooled together various food dishes to provide us with a wonderful potluck dinner, after which time Branwen Patenaude presented us with a glimpse into history with a slide show pertaining to the Gold Rush Trail.  We look forward to bringing Branwen back again in the future, to share more of the pieces of the past with us.  We thank the community again for donations given to this cause.  In Early April, Ron Faris from Victoria came in to provide is with information pertaining to one particular group of grants available at that time that addressed rebuilding communities through a learning approach.  The Hazeltons in northern BC and Lumby (just east of Vernon) are current recipients of these grants and have proven just how communities can turn around despite the crippling effects of mill closures and industry shut down.  Although little was understood as to the impact something like this might have on Boston Bar, I still feel that these areas are worth looking into to promote growth in our area.  We do have so much to offer.        
         May brought the May Days festival, and although downsized from previous years, was fun indeed!  The Society managed to finish giving the front of the Family Place building a new facelift  with help from a lot of great people.  They would be listed if room allowed!
    During the course of the summer, an anonymous donor sent the Society an incredible donation to help with our plight regarding the community hall.  Once again, may I say that we are indeed blessed with individuals in this community that will go that extra mile for all of us.  
    In September, we experienced a few changes in the Family Place environment with Gina Coutts moving on to bigger and brighter things.  She has been a wonderful asset to this community for a number of years and it was sad to see her go.  Pat Clelland pitched in to help Margaret at Family Place Drop-in until a permanent replacement could be hired.  so, we thank you Pat .
Numerous contacts have been made in the region from Boston Bar to Chilliwack and new services  and projects will be coming into play soon.
    We do acknowledge various other visions that need to be fulfilled,  For example, the picture boards in the Harrington Park need badly to be upgraded.  Prior to the winter, discussion took place with the Boston Bar School to find out if there was a possibility of incorporating a school project (art or history, for example) with new picture boards.  Any other ideas are most welcome.  The situation with the CN station has also been a priority with the Society, Ernie Clelland has been working feverishly on this matter, and hopefully we will be seeing developments soon .  A surprising request from Armstrong came in recently asking us if the CN Station was for sale.  We are looking for community response to this one.
    Finally, I thank everyone for his or her steady and cheerful support as I finish off this busy year.  I'm missing everyone already, and I haven't even left town yet...but you will all be in my heart always.  I've always loved Boston Bar, and felt that being cradled in the valley between the mountains was like being nestled within God's hands.  This is a special community and I wish you all well today, tomorrow and always.  Thanks, everyone.
                                                                                                        Warmly,  Debbie O'Rourke