The Citizen, 2011-10-20, Page 6PAGE 6. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, OCTOBER 20, 2011.
Harvest for Hunger
deemed a success
Writer responds to deputy-reeve’s claims
Come together
The three major service groups in Brussels came together on Friday to hold a joint pub night
fundraiser to collect money for the Goderich and Area Disaster Relief Fund. The event raised
nearly $5,000 for the cause, funds that will be matched on a 2:1 basis by the provincial
government. From left: Lisa Glanville, Brussels Legion; Gerry Wheeler, Brussels Optimists;
Ron Clarkson, Brussels Lions Club; Jason Crawford, Brussels Optimist president; Rick
McDonald, Brussels Legion; Gerry Exel, Brussels Lions Club president and Jo-Ann McDonald
first vice-president of the Brussels Legion. (Vicky Bremner photo)
THE EDITOR,
Until now I have been reluctant to
make a comment with regard to the
current situation regarding North
Huron Councillor David Riach and
my call for his resignation. However
many people have asked why I have
not addressed his comments in the
press and so I am compelled to
respond.
On Oct. 3 I registered a complaint
with the North Huron Council
regarding his conduct under the
proposed Code of Conduct and also
a possible breach of civil law. I asked
for his resignation and Reeve Neil
Vincent proposed an investigation of
the matter under Chief
Aadministrative Officer Gary Long
and I accepted that and have been
satisfied until now to await the
outcome of this investigation and
the public announcement of the
results.
Councillor Riach decided that he
would rather try to justify his
disgraceful conduct and defend
himself in the public forum where he
was free to make unsubstantiated
claims and counter accusations
implying that he had been betrayed
and that others were lying.
He makes claim in one newspaper
that he called to complain that he
was unhappy with a sales call that I
made and in another newspaper that
his wife was unhappy. In fact I never
made a sales call to him but went to
him, as I did to every business in
Blyth, to offer him the opportunity to
take part in a promotional t-shirt for
the businesses in Blyth for Thresher
Reunion weekend.
When I was there, he asked me if I
could supply him with shirts with his
business name on them. I offered to
show him some samples that I had in
the van and then supplied him with
the information and a website for
him to look at in order to make his
decision and then left without any
order. He had in fact approached me
last year and asked me the same
thing at election time and I let the
inquiry lapse then because I found
the timing and the motivation of the
request to be suspect.
The next day he e-mailed me an
order which I put in process. That
was on Aug. 5 and yet Riach did not
complain until five weeks later on
Sept. 9. If he or his wife was so upset
on Aug. 4 why did he order on Aug.
5 instead of just taking his business
elsewhere?
I was in touch with him several
times during the next three weeks to
show him artwork for his approval
and subsequently delivering his
finished Blyth promotional shirts
and on another occasion his own
shirts. During this time he had ample
opportunity to cancel his order or
complain and even to refuse to take
delivery if he so chose. None of
which he did.
That is until Sept. 9 the day after
he read a rather tongue-in-cheek, but
unquestionably cynical, commentary
that I made on a local website about
the conduct of a council meeting on
Sept. 5. The Wingham Free Press is
an open blog on the internet on
which anyone can post.
Riach was obviously incapable of
understanding the humour involved
and took offence to being referred to
as a “flying monkey”. However
instead of making his views known
by posting a comment to the site or
even responding directly to me by e-
mail or phone (both of which he has)
he chose instead to attack me by
calling my employer and attempting
to use his perceived power as a
North Huron councillor to level a
complaint about me using his
purchase as justification.
It was obvious, however, that his
complaint was not about the product,
and if about me was rather late and
lame and that the true purpose was to
complain about my political
pursuits and he, as well as all of the
council, being insulted by my
comments.
Riach also claims that he felt he
was entitled to some sort of
confidentiality with regard to his
phone call. However on the same
day Sept. 9 he was heard making the
same statements to one of the
newspaper reporters and several
other people at the opening of the
Emergency Services Training
Centre. Obviously it was not the
content of his statements that he
wanted to be confidential but the fact
that he was doing something wrong
and understood that by calling my
employer. Otherwise why would he
be seen making those statements to a
reporter – or did he request
confidentiality from that reporter
and the others present also?
Riach has admitted what he did in
public but yet fails to understand the
serious nature of his actions. In fact
he continues to imply that I am
lying, that my employer is lying and
that he was betrayed. This is why I
have asked for his resignation
because he just does not have the
capacity to understand something as
simple as this. How do you expect
him to be able to deal with the
complexities of managing a
municipality? The only thing he is
able to do effectively so far is fill in
his meeting compensation and
mileage requests.
Cry on little man, cry on.
Bill Knott,
Blyth.
THE EDITOR,
Thanks a million!
On behalf of the Canadian
Foodgrains Bank, we want to
express our sincere gratitude to all
those who took part in the “Harvest
For Hunger” on Oct. 5.
We particularly want to thank the
120 combine operators who, like the
good shepherd that left 99 sheep in
the fold to seek the lost one
(Matthew 18, 12-13), quite literally
left thousands of acres behind to be
part of something that wasn’t just
big, but was very good.
In doing so, they not only
demonstrated their confidence in
their own abilities and management,
they reminded us all of the power
of community – of coming together
in unity. This was not just a
harvest of soybeans – it was a
harvest of the gifts and talents that
they so generously brought to the
table.
While we know many of the
combine operators won’t have time
to read this during this busy harvest
season, it is our hope and prayer that
they will all have a safe and
successful harvest. Please be
careful – we need you all. In the end
it is farmers, here and everywhere,
that feed the world!
Again, our sincere thanks to all
who took part in the Harvest For
Hunger. When we think of the 160
acres, the 120 combines, the 11
minutes and 43 seconds it took to
harvest the crop (a world record for
soybeans), the hundreds of very
good people who volunteered and
the more than $250,000 donated to
the Canadian Foodgrains Bank to
feed the world’s hungry, we can only
say it was a very good day. Thanks
be to God!
David and Kathryn Mayberry
Ontario Resource Co-
ordinators
Canadian Foodgrains Bank
Ingersoll
✂✂
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Flu Clinic Line:519-482-3416 ext. 2511
or toll free 1-877-837-6143 ext. 2511
www.huroncounty.ca/health
Get your flu shot early this year.
Influenza starts circulating in Huron County
in early fall. This year’s flu shot will give
you the protection you need and help stop
the spread of infection to others.
Pu
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Those especially at risk for serious illness or death or
spreading the virus to others are:
• Children 6 months to 5 years of age • Those 65 years and over
• Anyone with a chronic illness • Health care workers
What you need:
• Wear short sleeves • Having a driver’s licence or
• Have something to eat before coming OHIP card with you will speed
• Be prepared to wait for 15 minutes after up your registration
Clip this ad and post it on your fridge for reference.
Brussels Community Centre
800 Sports Drive, Brussels
Wednesday, November 30th @ 3 pm - 7 pm
Clinton Legion
95 Kirk Street, Clinton
Wednesday, October 26th @ 3 pm - 7 pm
Monday, November 21st @ 3 pm - 7 pm
Crediton
Stephen Central School
70042 Goshen Line, RR #2
Crediton
Saturday, November 5th @ 9 am - 11 am
** Grand Bend Community Health Centre Clinic
Exeter Legion
316 William St. S., Exeter
Wednesday, November 2nd @ 6:30 pm - 8:30 pm
** Grand Bend Community Health Centre Clinic
Hensall
122 King St., Hensall
Thursday, November 10th @ 5:30 pm - 7:30 pm
Thursday, December 1st @ 5:30 pm - 7:30 pm
** Grand Bend Community Health Centre Clinic
Goderich Suncoast Mall
397 Bayfield Road, Goderich
Wednesday, November 16th @ 3 pm - 7 pm
Seaforth Community Centre
122 Duke St., Seaforth
Monday, November 7th @ 3 pm - 7 pm
Wingham - FE Madill
231 Madill Drive, Wingham
Wednesday, November 2nd @ 3 pm - 7 pm
Monday, November 28th @ 3 pm - 7 pm
Letters to the Editor