| Feb 03, 2005


Letter February 3, 2005

Letters February 3, 2005

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Roads

There has been much discussion in the paper recently, and even before that, about the state of the roads in Central Frontenac. It leaves the impression that no one really knows the state of the roads, or at the least, that everyone seems to have a different opinion.

May I suggest an easy way to have everyone on the same page? It is called the Minimum Maintenance Standards for Municipal Highways and is available at http://192.75.156.68/DBLaws/Regs/English/020239_e.htm. The Ontario Good Roads website at www.ogra.org is also very informative.

This Regulation sets out the minimum standards of repair for municipal roads (referred to as highways in the act but includes all roads) in the areas of routine patrolling, snow accumulation, icy roadways (depending on class of the road the time given to treat the ice varies from 3 hours to 16 hours), potholes, shoulders, signs etc.

Whose_christmas

Since Central Frontenac recently contracted out a Roads Study, all the information about the current state of our roads should have been captured. I would expect the Road Study is not a secret so someone should be able to ask about any road and be told the 'class' of the road (or given the relevant information needed to determine the class of the road - namely the speed limit and the traffic count). The standards then dictate certain characteristics of the road and hence you can determine if the road meets the standards. The Roads Study should identify the roads that do not meet the standard and I would expect that there is a 'plan' to address these road deficiencies and bring them up to standard. Hopefully the priority given to the roads in this plan is a combination of 'class' and how deficient the road is. I would expect that this plan is also public information.

With roads being a major expense and responsibility for municipalities, more and more municipalities are looking for software tools to help them keep on top of the situation. Road Management software can capture the current state of the road, compare these characteristics to the 'standard', identify when the road doesn't meet the standard, allow the information to be updated when road work is performed, and allow the municipality to create and keep up-to-date a 5 year maintenance plan. If the software is web based, councillors could have access to the latest roads information and hence getting an answer wouldn't need to involve calling several other people.

- Art Dunham

Re: Mayor bashing

After reading successive letters from whiners and complainers I would like to commend the Mayor and Council on the fine job they are doing. It's a difficult dance being a politician these days, and dealing with confrontational constituents must try one's patience. The business of budgeting and running the township is decidedly more complicated now than most of us could possibly imagine. Thank you Mr. Mayor and Council for taking on this civic responsibility. We, the silent majority, appreciate the work you do. And let us not forget that complaining about the roads is a time- honoured tradition in Central Frontenac. I know this to be true, because my husband was Reeve of Oso Township back in the 80's.

Pamela Giroux.

Re: Legalizing Marijuana

We now have punks on the streets burglarizing, terrorizing and robbing innocent citizens who have worked all their lives trying to be decent law-abiding people.

Now we get some frenzied punk who needs more drugs to assuage his own useless habit (chosen by himself). They wont work or apply themselves to useful lives but prey on other peoples hard-earned advantages. They dont get caught or punished properly because the evil web has saturated our whole society.

What are we doing about it fault-finding about trivial matters instead of taking action by writing our government, protesting to higher authorities to prevent legalizing this curse. God help us all. Will they legalize other drugs in the future because of the need of heavier drugs? We need more authority with our police force and courts to rid ourselves of this.

Legalizing drugs is no solution. If they cant afford drugs now, how can they afford them even if they are legal?

Muriel Phillips

Thoughts about the legislation that has been brought before the government for marriage between same-sex couples:

Marriage is the union between a man and a woman, excluding all others. Lets listen to what God says in His Holy Word:

Genesis 1: 27 God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he them, male and female created he them.

Genesis 2: 21 - and the rib which the Lord God had taken from the man, made he a woman and brought her unto the man.

I Corinthians 7:2 Nevertheless to avoid fornication let every man have his own wife and let every woman have her own husband.

Romans 1:18; and 1:24, 25, 26, 27 tells us that unions of same sex are wrong and Gods judgement will be upon them.

Marriage is mentioned in the Bible 589 times. Marriage between man and woman was God ordained.

If this paper is passed, God help us all.

Oh, Canada. Beware!

- Muriel Phillips

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