6 ? THE SUBURBAN, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 20, 2010

Meet our Contestants

COTE VERTU Sari Katz - 50

Being newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, I need help! I always thought I was invincible but when I found out I was diabetic it was like a death sentence. I became depressed and scared - more scared for my son as his grandmother passed away from diabetes. I need help?. I need to learn how to exercise properly and eat a balanced diet. Not only do I need this for me but for my son so he won?t feel as if the diabetes will kill me. I need to be able to show my son that by losing weight and eating a balanced diet I will be around for a long time to come and I need this challenge for me - to prove to myself that I can achieve the goals I set forth and defeat this disease. Winning this contest would mean the world to both of us.

CHABANEL Lisa Finiffter - 43 NEL Corrine Suppère

I work full time and have 2 kids with very busy schedules. I am constantly trouble shooting at both work and home and solving everyone?s problems. I bake and cook 3-4 times a week. I do my own house cleaning. I?m married 19 years and we have a very ?healthy? marriage. So why am I writing to you? It seems I have neglected myself in this whole perfect picture. I have easily put on 20 pounds in these past 2 years and am very close to falling into depression. (not clinical). I love a challenge and would love the opportunity for someone to invest in me and push me back to where I should be. My goal is to be in top shape by my 44th birthday. V

See next week?s for updates on the contestants

NEWS & ANALYSIS

Hampstead passes $21 million budget, Gonshor votes against

By Joel Goldenberg The Suburban Hampstead council passed its 2010 budget last week, amounting to $21.1 million ? $8.89 million of which will be the town?s contribution to the island-wide agglomeration council. Hampstead?s local tax increased 1.6 percent, but its agglomeration share ? similar to other demerged municipalities ? increased 12 percent, leading to a combined property tax increase of 6.4 percent. For a homeowner whose house is evaluated at the average $784,638, this means he or she will pay $10,593 this year, compared to $9,953 last year. In general, the property tax is $1.35 per $100 valuation, compared to $1.26 per $100 valuation in 2009. The majority of council voted to pass the budget, but councillor Abe Gonshor ? the sole member of mayoral challenger David Sternthal?s team to be elected to council, voted against. Hampstead?s financial state was a major election issue, with Mayor William Steinberg saying the town was in good shape and Sternthal?s team saying it was not. A meeting is soon to take place between Hampstead?s auditors, Sternthal?s auditors and treasurer Charles Ohayon. ?I did not change my feelings of how we should run a budget or operate a town,? Gonshor said. ?During the bitter election campaign, the Sternthal team did garner the support of some 40 percent of the population, and raised the serious increases in administration costs and existing recreation department costs, and the number of administration personnel is out of control and, in some opinion, [resulted in] irresponsible spending. This rather pertinent issue was never addressed by the mayor and his team in the election process. ?Since the election, I have repeatedly attempted to deal with this issue.? Gonshor also said he asked that competent professionals review the town?s proce-

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Councillor Abe Gonshor . dures and effectiveness in human resources and employer/employee relations, and the conducting of labour negotiations; that ?all recreation programs and events be reviewed and expenses evaluated ? specifically ?events that only benefit a small group of Hampstead residents; and that past borrowing also has to be reviewed. ?We cannot continue to hide our heads in the sand and hope the debt will somehow go away instead of steadily increase....In the three budgets prior to this one, there was a serious overestimation of revenues and underestimation of expenses. In practice, this resulted in operating losses financed by borrowing... I will not support a budget that does not address my concerns.? Councillor Jack Edery, in charge of the finance portfolio on council, responded: ? On the human resource issue, ?there are things that are not perfect ? this is not a town which is running on 100 percent efficiency, and there are decisions that See HAMPSTEAD BUDGET, page 10

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