SUCCINCT

The Central Elgin Ratepayers Association fosters and advances the interests of the ratepayers of the Municipality of Central Elgin (Belmont, Yarmouth and Port Stanley), specifically focusing on:

- Evaluating matters relevant to property taxes and municipal services in Central Elgin and Elgin County;

- The retention of the desirable features of Central Elgin;

- Fostering financially sound projects which are to benefit the Municipality as a whole.

www.riecker.ca

web site www.riecker.ca

We recently returned from a spring break holiday stay at the Tresure Island in Las Vegas.

This city never sleeps nor does it stop growing. I was amazed at the changes since we were there last.


A huge new complex is being built between the Bellagio and Monte Carlo resorts. The CityCenter will feature ARIA, a soaring 61-story, 4,004-room gaming resort; non-gaming luxury hotels including Vdara Hotel and Las Vegas’ first Mandarin Oriental; Veer Towers, the development’s only strictly residential buildings; a $40 million Public Fine Art Program; and Crystals, a 500,000-square-foot retail and entertainment district. Vdara, Mandarin Oriental and Veer Towers will include approximately 2,400 residences total. The Harmon, a luxury 400-room boutique hotel, is slated to open at CityCenter in late 2010.

Meanwhile, the headlines in the papers reflected that the combination of out-of-control expansion and one upmanship, misguided corporate policies, and the effects of the recession have caused some of the largest casinos in Nevada to teeter on the edge of bankruptcy. The state Gaming Control Board is scrambling to get ready for any gambling operators declaring themselves bankrupt, so as to minimize damage to the local economy.

It was all too much for me to comprehend,so we just spent time in the afternoon around the pool relaxing and people watching.

Happy New Year.