HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2010-10-28, Page 16PAGE 16. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2010.Wind turbine meeting proves contentious
An important day
McDonald Home Hardware Building Centre in Brussels celebrated the opening of its new
building supply warehouse, fitted with the first 100 kilowatt AC solar roof project in Ontario with
an open house on Saturday. The open house featured a charity barbecue with proceeds going
to the Brussels Skating Club, clowns, face-painting and refreshments. Just after the open
house began, the ribbon was cut for this state-of-the-art structure. From left: Dale
MacPherson, director of retail operations for Home Hardware; Michael McDonald; Jennifer
McDonald; Home Hardware CEO Paul Straus; John McDonald, Merilyn McDonald and area
sales manager for Home Hardware, Wendy Culp-Wing. (Ken Warwick photo)
Concern over the timing of a
meeting between municipalities
interested a low-frequency noise
(LFN) bylaw associated with wind
turbines is unwarranted, says Huron
East clerk-administrator Jack
McLachlan, who guarantees that the
meeting will take place before the
deadline set by council.
Members of Huron East Against
Turbines (HEAT) spoke to members
of Huron East Council on Oct. 19,
the last council meeting before the
Oct. 25 election. They were
concerned that a meeting between
Huron East and other municipalities
interested in an LFN bylaw would
not happen by the Nov. 15 deadline
set for the meeting earlier this year.
HEAT co-founder Gerry Ryan was
concerned over correspondence he
received from Huron East staff,
asking him about potential legal
costs associated with the drafting of
a LFN bylaw by HEAT’s lawyer.
McLachlan, however, was directedto consult with Huron East’s lawyerin regards to who should draft thebylaw, Huron East’s lawyer, or the
lawyer representing HEAT.
Because a decision on the legal
representation hadn’t been made
prior to the election, Ryan said he
was concerned that the meeting
wouldn’t happen in time to make the
Nov. 15 deadline. McLachlan,
however, guaranteed that the
meeting would occur by the
deadline, saying there was plenty of
time to do what needed to be done
by then.
Ryan said that the other
municipalities that were interested in
meeting, Central Huron was one of
the three, would have to delegate
someone to send, which would have
to happen at a council meeting. All
of these steps, he said, would take
too long, resulting in a post-deadline
meeting.
McLachlan, however, assured him
once again that would not happen.
Ryan cited the motion passed by
Huron East Council on Oct. 5 to getother municipalities involvedimplying that swifter action couldhave been taken.
McLachlan said that Huron East’s
lawyer is in the midst of preparing
for the meeting, which is an
important aspect of the process.
Ryan wanted the municipality to
set a date for the meeting so that the
other municipalities could schedule
to attend it.
Ryan’s request for swift action,
however, didn’t sit well with some
councillors, who felt they had done
all they could do up until the
meeting.
“We’re not lawyers, [our lawyer]
will make that decision,” said
Councillor Bill Siemon in regards to
the choice of lawyer to write the
bylaw. “That’s got to come from
him.”
McLachlan said that Huron East’s
lawyer must be allowed time to
prepare for the meeting, otherwise
the meeting will be pointless.
“The lawyer has to be prepared for
the meeting. There’s no point to themeeting if he’s not prepared,” hesaid, adding that if the lawyersrushed through the process, Ryan
would be “embarrassed”.
The question then came up as to
whether the three municipalities
who responded positively to the
letter were willing to commit
financially, or whether they just
wanted more information. Ryan then
asked McLachlan to retrieve the
letter that was sent out to
municipalities to clear up the issue.
Some councillors, however, felt
that enough time was spent on an
issue that council had done its due
diligence on, and that it was time to
move on.
“I think we’re quite happy with
where we are,” said councillor Les
Falconer. “We need our ducks in
order for this meeting.”
He added that with just under a
month from the time of the Oct. 19
meeting until the Nov. 15 deadline,
that there was still plenty of time to
pull a meeting together among three
or four other municipalities.
“I don’t think Jack has to go
downstairs [to retrieve the letter sent
to municipalities] and I think we’ve
spent enough time on this,” Falconer
said. “Three weeks is plenty of
time.”
Mayor Joe Seili, in his lastmeeting as mayor, agreed, sayingthat everyone involved has otherissues to focus on, not just wind
turbines.
“Wind turbines are not the
solicitor’s only case,” Seili said.
“He’s aware we have to have a
meeting before Nov. 15 and that
he needs to be ready for that
meeting.”
Mike Neut visited Hullett Central
Public School with a strong message
earlier this month – bullying needs
to be stopped.
Neut shared the story of his son’s
death in 1998. Although no charges
have ever been laid, he believes
strongly that his son’s death was
caused by bullying.
Reports from an inquest into the
death of Miles Neut (Mike’s son)
state that he was found hanging from
a coat hook in a bathroom at his
school, St. Agnes Catholic School in
Chatham.
Despite testimony that one boy
had known about, and potentially
caused Miles to be on the hook,
blame was never placed on anyone
for the event and the coroner’s
inquest determined that Miles
death was due to undetermined
causes.
The inquiry report did suggest
several changes to schools to prevent
this kind of tragedy from happening
again, and Neut has, since then,
worked tirelessly to spread that
message. Some of these changes
include hooks that won’t hold the
weight of a student, advising
students to only wear necklaces that
will break under the strain of a
body’s weight, washroom doors
being propped open in washrooms,
better supervision of students and a
change in how youth are questioned
by police.
Since then, Neut has travelled
across Canada and the United States
telling students that his son’s death
could have been prevented if people
would stop bullying where they
found it.
Neut addressed bullying, and
different versions of it that have
come into being since he started his
campaign, including bullying over
the internet and through the
telephone.
He called on the students to not be
a part of the bullying problem by not
allowing it to happen to themselves,
and by not allowing it to happen to
others. Using his experience as an
example, he spoke to the children,
stating that bullying can end
someone’s life, whether the bully
intends it to or not.
“School is supposed to be a place
of learning, fun and friends,” Neut
said. “Not a place of bullying where
people do inappropriate things.”
The Ethel euchre was held on
Monday, Oct. 18.
Winners were: share the wealth,
Viola Adams and Allan Martin;
high, Edna McLellan and Allan
Martin; lone hands, Sharon
Freeman, Marguerite Beirnes and
Adrian Verstoep; low, Helen Cullen
and Jean Dewar.
The next euchre is Monday, Nov.
1 at 8 p.m. This will be the last
euchre for 2010.
ROYAL CANADIAN
LEGION - BRANCH 420
BLYTH
The Poppy Campaign money collected
in 2009 was $4,161.56
THE FOLLOWING IS A REPORT
OF THE POPPY ACCOUNT
POPPY ACCOUNT
Bank Balance Sept. 30/09 $2964.35
Collected in 2009 Campaign 4161.56
Total $7125.91
EXPENDITURES
Poppy Supplies 714.05
Printing & Advertising 491.06
Posters, Poems & Essay Contest Prizes 505.00
Parkwood Hospital Visit &
Bursary (Veteran's Comfort)
& Charitable Foundation 2245.87
$3955.98
TOTAL RECEIPTS $7125.91
TOTAL EXPENDITURES 3955.98
BANK BALANCES SEPT. 30/10 $3169.93
Poppy Chairperson Donna Govier would like to thank all
who made the 2009 Campaign the success it has been, final
calculations indicate gross receipts approaching $4,161.56
earmarked for service to veterans and their families. As the
2010 campaign approaches it seems appropriate to thank
all who donated during the door to door canvass last
November. A special thanks to all the businesses and
organizations for their continuing support:
The Legion has a supply of canes, crutches, wheelchairs,
walkers, raised toilet seats for any person in our district
who may require the use of them. A special thanks goes
out to the Legion and Ladies Auxiliary members and
any others who have assisted in making this one of the
best poppy campaigns ever. Poppy Week will go from
October 30th to November 11th.
Yours truly,
Poppy Campaign Chairperson Donna Govier
By Denny Scott
The Citizen
Bullying discussed at Hullett
Euchre
held in
Ethel
By Shawn LoughlinThe Citizen