Letters: August 12

Fractured district approach costly, John Sherbino

Re: Clear garbage bags in Central Frontenac, Brenda Piat

North Frontenac fails to understand social service, Bud Clayton

Re: Clear garbage bags in Central Frontenac, Norm Landry

Canadian pride? Jean Goodwin

Prison farm success story, Carol Pepper

Fractured district approach costly

It’s not without irony that a prime example of democracy in action doesn’t look good for rural Ontarians. The majority of the province’s population lives in cities and the additional members of Parliament designated for the next federal election will represent those large and growing areas.

One outcome of that representation-by-population will be that the voice of rural Ontario will be even fainter.  Although many in our aging population will retire to the countryside, the majority will not.

Generally, rural home prices are lower than those in the cities, but infrastructure and municipal services costs are not. In South Frontenac there are fewer folks to pay for a kilometer of road than in Kingston.

Although costs will rise and funding from all levels of government will dwindle or at best not keep up, there is one important thing future councils can do to slow the growth of taxes and maintain services - PLAN AHEAD.

Taking each issue as it arises and dealing with it from a fractured district approach will, in the end, cost us our collective shirt. That’s Crisis Management.

Council has been receiving excellent advice from the township professional staff. They have recommended amalgamation of services for cost efficiencies, and planning studies to anticipate not only where development might take place, but also where it should take place to make the best use of the infrastructure. If understood and given due consideration, these informed recommendations can save taxpayer dollars down the road. If ignored and shelved until a crisis arises, the fault is with Council, not the studies or staff. There are examples in Ontario and elsewhere where these basic planning recommendations have been ignored at cost.

Another important concern is that the skills required to be an effective municipal councilor have changed in the past twenty years, and the responsibilities of elected officials will become more complex than they are now.  A successful council will be open to new ideas, not stuck in the past, fighting over turf. In the long run, if the township is weak, the districts can’t flourish.

Provincial and federal downloading now require considerable financial understanding on the part of our elected officials, as well as increased understanding of technology and science.

The recommendations placed before Council by the township staff have to be understood financially and technically before councilors can make informed decisions. While it is the responsibility of the staff to fully explain their recommendations, it is surely the responsibility of Council to fully understand them before acting. It is impossible for a council to attempt to prepare for future needs if it can’t understand the present. That’s where we come in. To protect ourselves and our families’ futures we have to be sure that the people we elect are not only able but willing to learn what has to be learned; willing to accept that things have changed and will continue to change; and willing to work together and with the township staff to see that our dollars are wisely spent.

Evoking the “good old days” just doesn’t cut it. We might not like what’s coming down the road, but we might want to prepare for it.

John Sherbino

Re: Clear garbage bags in Central Frontenac

Dear Council Members;

I am writing to you in regard to the decision to change from bag tags to clear bags marked with the name of the township for disposing of our garbage at the township landfill sites.

If we will still be allowed to line our wastebaskets with bags that will in turn be put into larger clear bags, it seems like an unnecessary increase in expense cost to replace the bag tags with clear bags. This increase could only be justified if the township landfills are definitely being used frequently by people not residing in any of the districts in Central Frontenac.

If, on the other hand, people would have to empty all their garbage out of opaque bags into the clear bags to allow perusal of the contents, it feels like an invasion of privacy. Our garbage can be very personal, which most people would be reluctant to have on display. We are always being advised not to dispose of identifiable information in our waste that could possibly make it easier for identity theft, but some people continue to put this type of information in the garbage. Clear bags would not help to eliminate this problem.

If this change is being made in order to police the garbage we are putting into the landfills, will the attendants stop everybody as they come in to examine the bags for recyclable items? Will the attendants open the bags to remove those items or will residents be forced to do so? ..and what about garbage from public locations such as halls, parks and service stations? Any recyclable items in these bags would probably be contaminated and in need of cleaning to prevent mould, which spoils all the recycling items in a bin. Will people be refused entry into the site if there are recyclable items found in their bags, which means they have spent money on a bag you will not accept? In frustration, some people may find another spot to get rid of it.

Before making a decision to replace bag tags with marked clear bags more thought needs to go into it. The purpose of doing this needs to be clarified and the impact carefully considered. Would the change be justified or worthwhile?

Brenda Piat, Crow Lake

Re: North Frontenac fails to understand social service

Some time ago I was asked, as a director of Land of Lakes Community Services (LOLCS), to approach the municipalities of Addington Highlands and North Frontenac for a modest funding module. With North Frontenac I was not successful. That in itself did not disappoint me, I can understand fiscal restraint.  What did disappoint me was the reason given for their refusal: "Social service is a part of higher government, and I should take my request to the County of Frontenac". This is true, but the lack of understanding of fundamental services within the borders of North Frontenac by the council and staff is what disappointed me the most.

Social service is an idea, backed by legislation, which says that the unfortunate in our community can expect help from the community at large. In our case the community at large has been deemed to be the County of Frontenac. Community service is a voluntary and unpaid service to the community. A community service organization such as LOLCS, is a group of folks who get together, vote in a board of directors who approach all levels of government for funding to supply services required by members of the community in which they reside. This difference is what has escaped the thinking of North Frontenac Council and I find that very disturbing.

Social service does not provide the same service as a community service organization does, and that is a fact. Maybe next time our dart will hit the right spot on the dart board.

Bud Clayton

Re: Clear garbage bags in Central Frontenac

I agree wholeheartedly with Mike Procter's comments (Letters, August 5, 2010)  concerning clear garbage bags. Who keeps coming up with these bright ideas? And how well thought out is this proposal?

I presently recycle, that is, when the bins are not so overly full that stuff ends up in the tip anyway. Further, in addition to Mike's points, how is this to be enforced? Will one dump attendant be expected to check every bag for contraband items? Will he be supplied with a metal detector in the event that someone (horror of horrors) secretes an empty can of peas in the middle of a bag? And if this happens, how can the unfortunate attendant make this stick? Come on, folks, get off our backs!

Norm Landry

Canadian Pride?

There was a huge amount of work put into the Sydenham Point Canada Day celebrations. Thank you all. The fireworks were once again outstanding. The live bands were amazing. However, I am wondering how many people, besides the few I have spoken to about this, were upset as I was at the final band, Still Standing’s choice of the last song: “Sweet Home Alabama”. Why such a ‘tight band’ would choose an American song to wind up a Canada Day event is beyond me. They have done this same song as a last one for 2 years in a row now! We love you guys but what were you thinking? We were celebrating Canada Day together. Where was your Canadian pride, eh?

Jean Goodwin

Prison farm success story

It’s all about our personal stories. My story this week took me in the direction of the SaveOur PrisonFarms rally that took place over the last two days at the Frontenac Institution. Fighting the reluctance to get going, I threw my sunhat, water bottle and cow bell into the car and headed to Kingston. I bought the bell in Switzerland when I was in my teens. Who knew I would use it forty odd years later to try to save a prison farm?

Now that two days of a last ditch effort to stop the closure of six prisons farms across Canada are over where do we stand? We now know some of the outcomes of the campaign to Save the Prison Farms. Is there a way to measure success and failure? The leadership behaved with great courage and integrity, and did everything of a peaceful nature possible over the last year to bring an end to the crazy idea of shutting down the farms. In the end, fine people had to put their bodies on the line. This makes me cry. This is a sad day. We need to care about this.

What do we know? We know that the farm ran successfully for 100 years plus. How many things can we point to today that do that? The dairy herd had been carefully developed over this time. Inmates gained valuable employment and trade skills; they learned about teamwork, punctuality and reliability and more. They received rehabilitation and therapy. We were safer with the farm than without it.

Nine people were arrested on Sunday, and fifteen people were arrested on Monday. I personally saw arrested among others, an 87-year-old woman, a 14-year-old girl, and a farmer with his donkey. Stormy, the donkey was later seen nibbling on grass behind police lines. To the best of my knowledge, all are released, most with charges of public mischief. For more detailed accounts and information, go to SaveOur PrisonFarms. ca.

Back to my story. Long ago, on my very first teaching assignment, a grade 7/8 class of 46 students, I had a heck of a time with the behavior of some of the students. Among them was John Leeman. I knew from the moment I laid eyes on this little guy with the charming smile that he was trouble with a capital T. Well I heard him speak at a gathering at Sydenham Street Church, many weeks ago now. It was the same John with the charming smile. Only now he is telling us of his experience with the prison farm and how important it is to save it. How getting up very early in the morning was required to care for and work with the animals, how learning to work as a team with the farmers was important. He experienced beginning to end, planting crops and putting away the harvest for the winter, caring for sick animals and helping the mothers who were giving birth to their calves. Learning empathy. We were safer with the farms than we are now. John has been working for five years now operating heavy equipment, and speaking out publicly to help people understand why we need to save the farms. I have worked in adult education for a long time now, and I know a success when I see one.

Carol Pepper