A WORD FROM THE MAYOR
The municipal elections have been set for 23 March 2014 and, if there is a second round, 30 March 2014.
In keeping with article L.52-1 of the electoral code, this editorial will be kept short and this issue will only contain general information.
Emile Eitel
MUNICIPAL COUNCIL MEETING OF 17/02/2014 IN BRIEF
- The council authorises the sale of plot no. 2 in the Petite-Suisse municipal area at €3,000 per are.
- The council waives its right of pre-emption on the sale of a built property at the place called Armskehle.
- The council authorises the mayor to sign an agreement with Mrs Claire Pelzer to rent the village hall at €12 per session for yoga classes.
- The council approves the 2013 management and administrative accounts, which show the following results:
General budget (M14)
| Expenditure | Income | Surplus | Deficit | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Operating | 300,090.86 | 308,376.83 | 8,285.97 | – |
| Investment | 310,132.51 | 496,065.51 | 185,933.00 | – |
| Total | 610,223.37 | 804,442.34 | 194,218.97 | – |
Note: the surplus is this large because, among other things, income includes €171,733 from the bridging loan the municipality took out to cover the cost of making Waldeck Castle safe. The municipality has paid all the expenses for this operation and expects to receive the last grants, totalling €37,074, in the coming weeks. It will then repay the €171,733 bridging loan without putting its finances at risk.
Water budget (M49)
| Expenditure | Income | Surplus | Deficit | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Operating | 67,168.71 | 48,839.85 | 18,328.56 | |
| Investment | 2,987.22 | 28,780.00 | 25,792.78 | – |
| Total | 70,155.93 | 77,619.85 | 7,463.92 | – |
Note: although offset by the investment surplus, the operating deficit is €18,328.56 because water consumption – and therefore the income from water sales – keeps falling year after year, while the cost of maintaining the installations (pumping station, treatment plant, reservoirs, networks, etc.) stays much the same. Overall, the result is still very slightly positive, at €7,463. Fortunately, the water budget has a reserve of nearly €90,000, which would allow us to deal urgently with unexpected repairs if necessary. The situation is still positive, but fairly fragile.
DIARY
- 6 March: monthly meeting of the Seniors’ Club, general meeting
- 9 March: Seniors’ Club outing to Offwiller
- 21 March: general meeting of “La Vigilante”
- 23 March: municipal elections
- 29 March: CIA meeting
SENIORS’ CLUB
The Seniors’ Club is organising an outing to Offwiller: a visit to the Maison du Village (museum), followed by a Celtic tradition – throwing flaming discs to drive away evil spirits. Date: 9 March 2014.
CLEAN-UP DAY 2014
After the success of the joint clean-up day organised in spring 2013 by Mouterhouse, Philippsbourg, Baerenthal and Eguelshardt, the event will be held again.
12 April 2014 – meet at 8am in the car park of the Rapin village hall.
Volunteers should bring boots, gloves and safety vests. Lunch will be offered by the municipality of Baerenthal and served in Baerenthal. To book meals, participants are asked to contact the Town Hall by post, e-mail or phone by 28 March at the latest. Thank you for taking part and for signing up for the meal.
YOGA
New at the salle Rapin: from Friday 21 February 2014, provided enough people sign up, Claire Pelzer will hold a yoga class every Friday from 10am to 11.30am.
Hatha-Vinyasa yoga, a dynamic, energising and detoxifying yoga as well as a restorative, balancing postural yoga – or else Yin/Relaxing yoga. Take your time. Done to music, it is calming, loosening and balancing.
First session free. Beginners welcome.
FOREST WALKS
Quite a few people in Eguelshardt regularly go walking in the forest, alone or in small groups, to keep physically and mentally fit.
At the request of one of them, the “Friends of the Pays de Bitche Forest” association and the municipality could help these nature lovers get together, widen the circle, discover new and varied routes and organise outings – whether simple discovery walks or more or less brisk sporting walks.
Anyone interested can contact the Town Hall by phone before 1 March. The Town Hall and the association will then hold a meeting for them on a date to be announced.
HOST FAMILIES
The CEI association (Centre d’échanges internationaux) is looking for volunteer host families for young people from abroad who want to improve their knowledge of French language and culture. Throughout their stay they will live with a family and attend the secondary school nearest their host family.
For more information, contact Mrs Murielle Pelletier, 54630 Richardménil, tel. 03 83 26 38 74.
NIGHT-TIME GAME COUNTS
On 13 and 20 March and 9 and 16 April 2014, the ONF, the ONCFS (national hunting and wildlife office) and the FDC (département hunters’ federation) will carry out night-time deer counts, using binoculars from the roofs of vehicles fitted with spotlights.
If you see such operations in our valleys on these dates between 8.30pm and 2.30am, there is no need to call the gendarmerie. This is not poaching.
IDENTITY CARDS NOW VALID FOR 15 YEARS
From 1 January 2014, identity cards are valid for 15 years.
For cards issued before 1 January 2014, no action is needed: the validity is extended automatically, and the date on the card will not be changed. New identity cards issued after 2 January 2014 will be secure (laminated).
For under-18s, however, the card will remain valid for only 10 years.
MILITARY EXERCISE IN A BUILT-UP AREA
At the request of the Colonel of the 16th Chasseurs Battalion, the mayor has authorised a military unit due to deploy to the Central African Republic to carry out an exercise on 24 and 25 February 2014 in the residential enclave of Hoffeld and Rennfeld: rue St Simon, rue du Waldeck and rue des Chalets.
Thank you to our residents for putting up with the inconvenience of this exercise, so that our soldiers – who defend our security, our freedom and peace in the world – can train in an inhabited area.
2014 MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS
On 23 and 30 March 2014 you will elect your municipal councillors for 6 years, by direct universal suffrage. You can vote if you are over 18, French and on the electoral roll of your municipality. EU citizens over 18 who are on the supplementary electoral roll can also vote. If you are not available on polling day, you can give a proxy at the police station, the gendarmerie or the district court where you live or work.
In our municipality of fewer than 1,000 inhabitants, councillors are elected by majority vote for individual candidates. Unlike in previous elections, you can no longer vote for someone who has not declared themselves a candidate. The list of candidates will be displayed in your polling station. Finally, you must present your voter card and an identity document in order to vote.
WALK AND SPECKFEST AT THE SHOOTING RANGE
At the invitation of the “La Vigilante” shooting club, about a hundred nature lovers met at the shooting range in the Schindelkehle on Sunday 9 February. The bravest walked 8 km to the hamlet of Waldeck.
Everyone then gathered around two big fires to enjoy pea soup the way we make it here, and grilled bacon. Good spirits all round.
The president, Mr Christmann, tells us that La Vigilante will hold its general meeting on Friday 21 March 2014 from 8pm in the shooting range clubhouse. All members and supporters are warmly invited.
INTER-ASSOCIATION: GET-TOGETHER
On 31 January the Eguelshardt Inter-Association held a get-together evening over tarte flambée. The atmosphere was friendly and convivial.
Note that this year the Inter-Association will revive the tradition of the Midsummer bonfires, which it has decided to hold on 14 June.
