Letters: July 24

Re: Taxes Well Managed, Leo Ladouceur

What Happended to Customer Satisfaction, Bill Deacon

Re: Democracy Iin Action, Inie Platenius

Hoops and Nests, Edward Kennedy

Vandalism & Discrimination in Northbrook, Sonja Alcock

Re: Taxes well managed

Mr. Bill Deacon’s wrote a very nice complimentary Letter to the editor and I am certain Township Councillors appreciated his praise for the smooth well maintained roads in Ward 1. His comments did have some ratepayers slightly confused since we all wished we lived in a township where taxes are so wisely managed and roads are so well maintained.  Towards the end of his letter we were surprised to find out that the much envied township Bill was referring to “was us” -- North Frontenac.  

Residents of Wards 2 and 3 would like to know where this smooth paved country road is so they could just for once enjoy a peaceful bump free ride.  Contrary to what Mr. Deacon may have experienced in Ward 1, so-called “paved” roads in most of the Township are both rough and full of potholes. It would be unthinkable to drive over them at normal highway speeds.  

Personnel in the Road’s Department are not to blame.  They do there best with whatever Council provides in money and resources. As an example, the Township follows a simple annual maintenance cycle for Canonto and River Roads. It fills the potholes twice a year with layers of cold patch so that drivers can experience the amusement park excitement of maneuvering over the tall speed bumps.   When the cold patch disintegrates the speed bumps become even bigger and deeper pot holes than those we started with.  If ratepayers complain the Township will simply tear off the pavement and return the road to gravel.  Simple and cheap.

Thanks Bill for telling us about this.  The next time we hear that often asked question “I wonder what the Township does with all the tax money it collects?” we can reply “It spends some on a mystical well maintained road somewhere in Ward 1”.

Leo L. Ladouceur

What Happened to Customer Satisfaction

I have discovered something not familiar to other Townships that I have lived in.  I don't know if it is just me or is there a different method of communicating in Central Frontenac.  Apparently if you phone contractors /service people in this Township to perform repairs and/or do some work; a number of things happen.  The first: they won't or don't call you back!  Second: when they do work they leave you hanging on for months, when the job should only take a few weeks.

Plus the work performed is substandard by any stretch of your or my mind.

Everyone that I have spoken with in the Township has experienced the same phenomena.

Before I retired I coordinated several contractors on several projects and the contractors were fighting to get and complete the work required.

But I guess it must just be me!

I will admit that a few good contractors/service people have stepped up to the plate and successful completed the work and left no stone unturned to satisfy the customer.

I believe that is my RANT, what ever happened to customer satisfaction? If you have a similar RANT, please write to the Editor.

Ian Whillans

Re: Democracy Iin Action

Congratulations on a terrific issue (July 17) particularly the editorial about transparency in our local councils.  You highlighted a very important piece of the democratic process when you pointed out that if councillors thrash through the issues in public, we voters get valuable information.  It’s a point that we all too readily ignore because we want things to be neatly packaged and certain, and we are more and more conditioned to think that’s normal.   But that’s not how we come to make informed decisions nor how we gain good information about either our representatives or the issues they face.

Another aspect to your argument is that we have somehow been conditioned to think that it’s a terrible thing for a representative to change his mind (I can safely say HIS mind because I live in South Frontenac).  I would much sooner vote for a person who listens to many sides of an argument and, after careful weighing of what he hears, changes his vote than one who stubbornly holds to a position in the face of all evidence.
Keep up the insightful reporting.

Inie Platenius

Hoops & Nests

Your July 17/08 issue (Central Frontenac Council) chronicled the apparent struggle of a property owner to acquire a severance and the many hoops he has had to jump through.  For the record I am opposed to any more development on St. Andrews Lake as it is a small lake, and has more than enough, but the description of the continuing saga is irritating and engenders anger in many.

I would focus on the Species at Risk Act, and the latest nonsense this individual has to not only abide, but also legally has to fund as well as comply with.  The Eastern Black Rat Snake is reported to be in the area of the proposed development, and as such, takes precedence over the right to build a house.

I am very familiar with the area in question and I wonder if in fact, this snake has "nesting habitat" in that specific locale.  I have seen this snake in a variety of areas, including marsh, swamp, highland, and flat areas.  It appears to be adaptable to any/all of such areas, and to have a biologist come in to determine if there is any "nesting habitat" there, is downright ridiculous.

Imagine that a Loggerhead shrike is found on the edge of a field a farmer has just tilled, making ready for seeding.  If a Loggerhead shrike nest is discovered in the vicinity, the farmer is subject to the following penalties for not giving the bird an area of non interference for a distance of 400 meters, or 1230 feet circumference.  This includes, but is not limited to seeding his field

Edward Kennedy

Vandalism & Discrimination in Northbrook

Sometime last Thursday night (July 17)  some mindless vandals thjough it would be a fun thing to desecrate what our society considers sacred ground…our local burial site.  Northbrook awoke to approximately 88 tombstones pushed over in the United Church Cemetery.  This is not just a “fun prank” it is something that does not sit right with anyone in the deepest core of our beings.  Who in their right mind would do such a thing? 
And then the blame game begins.  Some say, “Oh it’s those kids who have been seen running around town at all hours of the night.”  Others say, “Has to be so-in-so.  Just the thing they would do.”  And then there are some who take matters in their own hands and decide they know exactly who did it and why, and that is the reason I am writing today.

On Friday night, some mindless vandals decided to teach those at Camp Gesher a lesson. They thought it would be fun to show up and scare young children, who have come to the camp for the summer vacation, and their counselors!  Mindless, drunk and vengeful youth on ATV’s thinking they are going to do “justice for all” but in reality they have put shame on our community. And why… because some one said, “Oh it was those drunk Jewish Camp Gesher people who were at the hotel the other night, who vandalized our cemetery.”  No proof, just accusation.

It is important to know something about Jewish culture before one begins to accuse them of such a disgusting crime as to desecrate a burial site.  Jews honour the dead.  It is against their beliefs to even think of doing anything of this sort. Yet, they have been blamed.  

We have a Police Department.  Let them do their jobs. They did regarding the Camp Gesher incident, and cleared them from any involvement with the crimes committed to our cemetery.  And the Police did even more, they apologized to the leadership of the camp for the shameful acts of discrimination that was shown towards them!   We have a group of children who are scared out of their wits because of this.  We have concerned leaders at the camp scared of what will happen next to their camp, or to them.  We have scared innocent people living amongst us because someone thought they were right in the blame game!

I am appalled that our cemetery was desecrated, but I am ashamed of the behaviour of some  in our community who would attack innocent people because of their religious beliefs, the colour of their skin, or that they are different from us in any way shape or form.    We are supposed to be a peaceful, loving and accepting country.  Maybe it’s time we act it.

Sonja Alcock