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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2003-04-23, Page 15THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, APRIL 23, 2003. PAGE 15. UCW Presbyterial gathers in Stratford FROM BELGRAVE The Huron-Perth Presbyterial of United Church Women hosted an April event in Central United Church Stratford, on Monday, April 14. Women gathered from across the presbytery to hear about the work of the Canadian Food Grains Bank, and also happenings in Iraq. The theme of the meeting was Love Your Neighbour. The junior choir of Central United Church entertained with several musical numbers early in the program. Guest speakers for the evening were David and Kathryn Mayberry of Ingersoll who are resource co­ ordinators of the CFGB. They brought with them Donald Manda from Malawi. Kathryn spoke of the amount of shipments made to Third World countries, especially Afghanistan where there has been severe drought. A season ends The Seaforth junior ringette squad enjoyed a solid season and took a bronze medal. Back row, from left: manager Sarah Cox, coach Jim Finlayson. Next row: Andrea Finlayson, Ashley Flanagan, Lindsay McNichol. Second row: Katie Nigh, Cassandra Morrissey, Katie Williamson, Erica Dietz, Kali McMahon, Diane Murray. Front: Lesley Cox. Absent: assistant coach Bill Flanagan. (Photo submined) Well done The Seaforth Tween ringette team had a very successful season winning three gold medals and three silver medals. Back row, from left: trainer Kim McArter, Brittany Flanagan, manager Patti Hendriks, Kelly Anne Verberne, Heather Allison, Marie Nigh, coach Marg Flanagan. Next row: Nicole Williamson, Lacey McArter, Sarah Finlayson. Second row: Lindsay Nash, Kristin Flanagan, Jodi McIntosh, Kristen McArter. Front: Brittney Hendricks. Absent: trainer Brenda MclntOSh. (Photo submitted) Donald was able to give first-hand accounts of the effect of the shipments of grain and corn to Malawi, as he is the director for overseeing the distribution in Malawi. He spoke of how the drought had affected the people of Malawi, how they had quit going to school, quit going to work, quit going to church, and had given up hope. Once the food was distributed, the children started back to school, the parents started back to work and the churches once again had people attending worship. Over $480 was raised for the CFGB through the offering. He thanked the women for being a neighbour to those in need in Malawi and anywhere the shipments go. Muriel Coultes of Belgrave chaired the meeting. During the worship she called on Alan Slater of St Marys who had spent two weeks in Baghdad as a member of the Canadian Peacekeepers, just before the break out of the war. He spoke of the plight of the ordinary citizens whom they met, and talked to while he was there. In Spring thaw brings farmer back to council for answers By Janice Becker Citizen staff A controversy which first floated to the surface in the spring of 1996 has returned. Morris resident Keith Elston, Lot 7, Cone. 3 was once again faced with ice flows atop his fences when the spring thaw released flood waters. After witnessing a Morris- Tumberry Twp. employee remove ice from below the Elevator Line bridge at Stone School Rd., Elston requested meetings with both the Maitland Valley Conservation Authority (MVCA) water resources co-ordinator Brian Luinstra and Morris-Tumberry council to discuss the recurring damages. He took his fight to council last Tuesday, showing documentation he has which dates back to 1964 telling of the bridge reconstruction and “natural” river flooding outlet over Cone. 2/3, Browntown Rd. According to his documents, when consideration was first given to replacing the bridge, it was design to allow increased water and ice to flow through in the spring. However, those involved at the time said Browntown Rd. should be left unchanged to prevent future problems. The long-time farmer of the land south of the river, Elston said his woes began when the former Morris Twp. decided to raise Browntown Rd. This roads project was undertaken in 1994 to alleviate the frequent flooding and washing out of the roadway in the spring. According to modeling for flood waters completed at the time of the project, the redesigned bridge, built more than two decades earlier just downstream of Elston’s property, was considered large enough to handle the redirected How of the raised roadbed. This fact was refuted by Elston, saying that ice was never taken into consideration when the project engineer and the conservation authority looked at the work prior to the 1994 reconstruction. During his meeting with Luinstra two weeks prior, Elston was told ice could not be accounted for as there was no way to model what it would do. the northern part of Iraq where they had visited, the farmers were already starting to plant their crops, even though they had been unable to sell any of their grain inside Iraq last year because of the orders from the government, and could not sell any outside of Iraq because of the American embargo. Their grain just went unused that they didn't use for themselves. Another statistic he gave was the fact that 25,000 mothers in Iraq have assisted births every 10 days, and after the start of the war those 25,000 J. Grasby wins high The shoot party was held at the Community Centre on Friday, April II. Winners were: high lady, Jane Grasby; second high lady, Ivy Cloakey; most shoots, Lillian Appleby; low, lady. Merle McFarlane; high man, Gordon Bosman; second high man, Nell Johnston; most shoots, Jim Coultes; low man, Jack Taylor. There were five table of euchre in “This is internationally-accepted hydrological modeling,” said Luinstra. “I’m just talking from a scientific perspective.” Though told.by Elston that Morris council had asked for information on ice flows, Luinstra said MVCA looks at water and flood plains. “That is our mandate.” Elston also argued the fact that the ice was jammed under the bridge and was stopping the flow this spring, thereby causing both water and ice to back-up onto his prop­ erty. Though Luinstra did not visit the site at the time of the ice accumulation when the townshio employee cleared the river, he said, from the pictures he was viewing, there was no jam as water was clearly still flowing through the bridge. Elston did not agree (MVCA advice had been sough' at the time of the project, but as MVCA does not have fill regulations in Morris, Luinstra said there was little that could be done.) During his meeting with council, Elston said his family had been “promised” in 1994 there would be no change to the water flow with the road raised, that other roads would not be flooded and it would not threaten the bridge. “But you blocked nature’s straight run and it caused a problem. You went against 1964 and 1967 engineer’s reports,” he told council. Mayor Keith Johnston, a Morris Twp. councillor when the work was undertaken, said that although he and another councillor had voted against the project at the time, “majority rules”. The board of negotiation and Ontario Municipal Board hearings which followed Elston’s first claim in 1997 were discussed. Councillors said they abided by the OMB hearing recommendations which determined the raising of the road had not caused the flooding. Elston asked council to explain the situation this year and why an employee had removed ice, noting the river was blocked. Johnston and Turnberry Ward Councillor Jim Nelemans, who visited the bridge this spring, said the river was blocked in one section mothers would have nowhere to go and no one to assist in deliveries, because of the hydro being cut off, and no. clean water. Because the communication system had been destroyed, Slater had no way of knowing if the other peacekeepers who had stayed behind were safe or not. Those attending from the Belgrave area were Gloria Dow, the president of the Huron-Perth Presbyterial; Joan Pederson, Elsie Palmer, Barbara Anderson and Muriel Coultes.001 play at the card party on Wednesday, April 16 at the Women’s Institute Hall. Winners were: high lady, Laura Johnston; second high lady, lyla Elliott; lone hands, Lois Chamney; low lady, Audrey Vath; high man, Ross Taylor; second high man. Bill Somerville; lone hands, Jim Coultes; low man, Walter Elliott. The next euchre is Wednesday, April 23 at 8 p.m. of the bridge, but water was flowing through the other. That is why the ice was removed, to prevent a problem. The job was completed in 15 minutes, said Johnston. “We thought we were doing the right thing by moving the ice out, but who says it wouldn’t have cleared itself,” said Johnston. “How can we predict Mother Nature?” When Deputy-Mayor Bill Thompson asked what had happened to Elston’s fences prior to the road being raised, Elston said “nothing” as the natural flow was over the road at a level five feet lower than it is now. “We had permanent fences for 30 years and now they have been temporary since 1996.” This fact was questioned by Johnston, asking had they had never flooded in 100 years? Elskn agreed there had been flooding, but they had never been taken out Dy ice. “The river now flows west instead of north and our farm is used as a reservoir until other roads flood.” When asked what he expected council to do, Elston said he wanted compensation for the damaged fences and clean-up required after flooding. He also suggested another 16-foot expanse to the bridge so there would be no build-up of ice. Councillors noted that everyone with flood plain has to clean up in the spring. Nelemans said that the assessment value of Elston’s property had already been lowered more than once, which should cover compensation he is requesting for fence damages. Elston also wanted council to admit what the problems had cost township residents since the raising of the road. Noting that costs are covered by insurance, Johnston said the legal costs to go to the OMB hearing was $58,003, “all caused by you,” he said, indicating Elston. “You are accusing us of everything and if we hive to go to court, we will,” said Johnston. Council later passed a motion stating that any future correspondence or contact regarding this matter would be referred to the township lawyer.