Letters: Jan 12

Re: Festive Meal For Sharbot Lake PS, Sharbot Lake PS

Poor Coverage

Could you explain why the Frontenac News has one picture of one float for the entire coverage of the Santa Claus parades and festivities?

With so many of the community members involved in the parade, and the Lions Club putting forth so much effort and work to get the event together and down the street, why would there not be pictures and comments on the entire parade and the festivities afterward at the town hall, the Parham parade and any other activity taking place in the area.

Not even a picture of the Santa Claus float!?

As many people don't even get identified for their participation it would be nice for there to be random photos, around the parade and at the community hall. Perhaps a list of the floats, which so many people work on to make the parade fun and colorful, so people would feel that the community does appreciate what is being done on their behalf.

Many people are shut in and cannot come out to events. It would be nice for them to be able to see what is happening in the community, see some fun and colorful photos, when they read the community paper.

Also, re the Central Frontenac Railway Heritage Society's latest fundraiser; there were more than two people who performed - where are their pictures? Let the community members who don't participate, who won't get involved see that there are fun things going on out there, and perhaps they might change their mind and support activities and events within their community.

Ben Long

Re: A Festive Meal for Sharbot Lake Public School

The Dec. 22 article, “A Festive Meal for Sharbot Lake Public School”, contained a number of errors about the sponsorship of the school’s dinner. We apologize for the mistakes. The correction is below.

The Royal Canadian Legion, Branch 425, donates money each year to help pay for this meal. As well, Martin’s Bus Service donates their bus and bus driver to transport the students to and from the dinner. Because of their combined generosity, the dinner is a gift to the students. The dinner has been a tradition for Sharbot Lake Public School since 1997 and we appreciate being able to gather at the high school cafeteria to hold our celebration. For many years Dianne Lake created a beautiful meal for us and now Ilona Cox has capably taken over and the tradition carries on. Students and Mr. Allison, our Principal, presented thank you cards to the Legion, Martin’s Bus Service, and Mrs. Cox for their role in our dinner celebration.

Sharbot Lake Public School

Re: Property Standards

Because you are financially challenged does not mean you are lazy. Give me a break. The property standards bylaw has nothing to do with first class citizens or second class citizens! You dare to suggest (Pitting neighbor against neighbor, Editorial, The Frontenac News, Dec 8/11) that because I don't have as much money as some, that I am lazy and don't care about how my home and yard appear. Keeping a clean home and area has nothing to do with money.

Seems like a property standards bylaw is the only way to get people who don't care, or are too lazy to clean up the area around their home, to do it! Try selling a house in an area where the house next to you is just a huge mess and dirty. Of course people are concerned about the monetary value of their property; why wouldn't they be? In order to buy another place you have to be able to get enough money to buy elsewhere.

The idea that this community is so much more cohesive or tolerant of each other than any other community, and that everyone in rural communities gets along no matter what, is ridiculous.

We all know what the reaction would be if we went to our neighbor and said, "Could you clean up your yard - it looks similar to the dump, reflects badly on the rest of the community, stinks and encourages rodents." If you don't know what the reaction would be, try it - and have the police on speed dial.

Your statement if you don't like the mess, well too bad, just live with it, suggests that any of us who would like to have a community that looks nice, is clean, inviting and welcoming, should just move out. Perhaps this is the kind of attitude that has kept the growth of Sharbot Lake stagnated for so long!

Let the bylaw officer earn his money. Surely the bylaw officer will have enough authority to decide whether it is a legitimate complaint or not.

The phrase "Back off government; get off our land" in this situation is just asking for disputes. Giving some people just one more reason not to do anything to help our communities grow.

Ben Long