HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2010-06-17, Page 6PAGE 6. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, JUNE 17, 2010.
Message framed by editorials
Condition of Brussels Cemetery questioned
THE EDITOR,
For the past several weeks your
commentaries have had a continuing
and developing theme, which when
you string together frame a message
which should resonate not only in
Huron County, but across Ontario.
Two of your most recent editorials
are particularly poignant, “A
Misused Community Asset” (June
3), and “Local Control Lost” (June
10). In the former, you raise the
question: To whom do schools
belong? And in the latter, you make
reference, “he who pays the piper,
calls the tune.”
Of the former, I too have
wondered about the issue of
ownership of these schools. So who
indeed does own these assets? Is it
the Avon Maitland District School
Board (AMDSB), their bureaucrats
and trustees, or is it we the taxpayer?
I thought AMDSB held dominion
over the administration of these
assets (or so I read)- somewhat like a
conservator. Although as a
conservator of community-based
education and assets, the record
doesn't seem to lack credibility. And
through this conservatorship, they
also seem to hold sway over the
economic well-being of a
community; but without the
accountability. Due to their
“community-based education” and
asset-management decisions they
can act with impunity. Does that
seem reasonable? What are their
responsibilities to these
communities? And equally
important, what are their liabilities?
Data-based decisions marked
exclusively by remote bureaucrats
surely cannot be the only solution to
the funding dilemma. We, as
taxpayers, can also read the data (see
AMDSB website), and it seems that
there was, and is greater room for
debate and challenge.
As for a comment to your latter
column, “Local Control Lost”; if as I
believe, we the taxpayer “pay the
piper”, shouldn't we then be calling
the tune? You mention that trustees
are in a “tough spot” (but how about
the people in the communities that
their decisions affect?) and that these
trustees are generally well-meaning
people (and again, how about the
people in those communities?).
However, the fact that the Ministry
of Education has, as a whole, spent
excessively- I've read well over $100
million for retiree relief teachers just
in the last year alone, should be of
concern to all taxpayers (including
those here in the Avon Maitland
school district). That fact alone will
cost taxpayers both in the short term,
as well as the longer term, in more
ways than one. Since “double-
dipping” also allows for the padding
of pension payments at an ever-
increasing cost, it’s no wonder these
well-meaning people are in a “tough
spot” as it relates to funding.
While other jurisdictions are
siphoning, the AMDSB is closing
schools least deserving of closure,
putting communities and quality of
education at risk. The expression, “if
you find the hole getting deeper,
shouldn’t you stop digging?”
certainly applies in this exercise.
I think we’re still waiting for the
final costs of this proposed new
school, as well as the costs of the
infrastructure improvements. And
the final kicker, who pays for a
school we can't afford?
We shouldn’t expect government
to be perfect, but we most certainly
must expect them to be accountable
to the people, all the people.
Greg Sarachman, Blyth.
THE EDITOR,I have received several complaintsand inquiries about grass aroundstones at the Brussels Cemetery. We
can no longer spray since the Liberal
government banned spraying on
private property and citing
cemeteries in particular.
Our finances are thin due to a
decrease in interest rates. Perpetual
care is intact and there is a
substantial amount of money that is
being invested, but due to the
economic times, interest rates are
down to three to four per cent, which
cuts into our revenue, compared to10 years ago, when interest rateswere eight to 10 per cent. Rising operating costs and
decreased revenue have resulted in
less monies to do the same, or more,
work, with no spraying allowed and
more manual labour to trim the
grass.
Please bear with our frustrations
as we attempt to complete the work.
Yes, the grass around the stones has
gotten ahead of us, but we will
endeavour to catch up with the rate
of growth we have experienced this
spring due to the sunshine and rain.We also have a student lined up tocut the grass.How can you help?
• Cash donations to the cemetery
to help offset the increased costs of
trimming the grass.
• If you have a family member’s
stone at the cemetery that needs the
grass trimmed, please feel free to
trim the grass around the stone. No
one will condemn you for doing this
and you may even feel good about
it.
• Because we cannot spray, weeds
tends to grow out of control. If youcan see a weed of this sort, pleasepull it out and feel good about it,instead of complaining about how it
looks.
• Cemetery plots cost $500 per
space. If you are contemplating
securing your last resting place,
purchase your plots before June 30
to avoid the new Harmonized Sales
Tax. If spots are purchased, $200 of
the plot cost goes to perpetual care,
which will build in value and
eventually increase our revenue and
help offset costs. If our deficit continues, the cost ofplots may have to increase.We are very proud of our
cemetery, the volunteers and the job
our employees do for the
community. We are also frustrated
with the lack of revenue, increase in
operating costs and government
regulations (spraying), but bear with
us as we work through those
frustrations.
Doug Sholdice
Volunteer Chairman
THE EDITOR,
Canadian Blood Services will be
present at the Dungannon Tractor
Pull on Saturday, June 19 from 2
p.m. to 7 p.m. to blood type
interested participants at no cost.
Canadian Blood Services is
hoping to raise the community’s
awareness of the need for blood and
blood products, as well as inform
participants of upcoming mobile
blood donor clinics coming to the
area this summer.
Find out what percentages of
Canadians have your blood type,
what blood groups can you donate
to, and what blood groups can you
receive blood from?
If you are seventeen years of age
and older and interested in finding
out what your blood type says about
you, I look forward to meeting you.
Marisa Gatfield
Canadian Blood Services.
presents
“UP” by Disney Pixar
Friday, June 18
Gates open
at 8 pm
Movie at DUSK
Belgrave
Community Centre
on the Lawn
(Rain ~ inside the Arena)
EWPS Parent Council
FAMILY MOVIE NIGHT
DONATIONS to help cover costs and to support Paul
and Kim Coultes with the Nicaragua Medical
Mission. Also accepting non-perishable food items
for the local food bank.
Beverages and snacks will be available for purchase
from the 2010-11 EWPS Gr 7 & 8 students.
For more info. contact EWPS 519-357-2960
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Come and see all the beautiful colours in our greenhouses!
INCORPORATING
GARDEN DÉCOR WORKSHOP
June 19th 9:00 am
We are partnering with Nature’s Nest to
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Composters
for Father’s Day
Letters to the Editor
CBS clinic in Dungannon