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Home My WebLink AboutGoderich Signal Star, 2011-08-24, Page 7.1081- Star • Wednesday, Au i ust 24, 2011 nal Star 150-1SSUE X !SHED WEEKLY -- EST. 1880 final Star Publishing 0 Huckins St erich ON H7A SXS 9-524-2614. .goderichsignalstar:c ore= SUN MEDIA ,we.��.n.c� SYKES *fisher SHINER .rtising Manager QUE IMRLBURN D CRECES 1; Subscr$pions BUTT JOHNSTON ounting SHRWR .e Manager 144 sy MCIVOR :y Std tbowesnet.com t ; '-Obowe3riet.conl + Nve8net ,core .-;-tichadsebowesnet.coM is ria! deadline Friday at 2 pm ' IPT1ON RATES ADVANCE: COPY $42 plus GST $39 plus GST S218 80 plus GST $395 60 plus GST 51.25 Inekidirq GST Is Moil Agreement 4(X)64683 JRN UNDELIVERABLE: CANADIAN ADDRESSES: T1ON DEPARTMENT Huckins St . Goderlch ON NIA 3X8 non-dMrvorles or delivery concerns 524-2614 EMAIL starsalesabowesnel.com . Signal Star shall not be liable for failure an ad for typographical errors M publication the extent of the cost of that porton o1 the ad the error occurred The Godertch Signal -SW the right to rejecl or edit any advertisement. h Signal -Star is a proud member of the Ca- muntty Newspapers Association (CCNA) and • Community trsMNpapslssAssociation tocwy. nowledge the flnandal support of the inane of Canada through the t:anlddlan . nl Pund (CPF) for our puhtithing activities. Canada Mambo M Mr man Community rwMapap.r llaaoncraran and Me erd rin Community n ity Nyossepe s Aasowlon editorial Long road to recovery begins ie day after The sober reality of the devastation of the tornado that struck Goderich is slowly settling in. it's a sad reality. . The town was devastated by an F3 tornado that took a destructive path tough the centre of town Sunday afternoon, destroying the business section of the community and leaving hundreds homeless in the wake. People are remembering what was termed the cyclone of 1995 that caused extensive damage to the townlin a brief fury of sustained wind. There were no injuries in that weather event and the community rebounded with the help of local and area residents and government. Help came from everywhere and people responded in kind and genemus ways in true Huron fashion. Sadly, this catastrophic weather event took a life, that of Norman Lab- erge of Ludc now who was killed near the Sifto Salt mine while on duty. As sad as the new of his death is concerned, ft is remarkable that more lives were not lost and that the extent of injuries appears to be limited. At least that's what was known at press time. This town has been dealt a devastating blow. Again. But a state of emer- gency was declared from the outset and the municipality made prudent and quick decisions. The first responders reacted to the emergency and pieces were set in motion to help the homeless, the injured and those who may have been trapped in the pains left by the storm. People were recruited and can- vassed the town door by door to make sure that the elderly and others were not injured or trapped in their own homes. Other quickly and gener- ously opened their homes to people or brought in food and needed sup- plies to the emergency shelter. The situation was well hi hand and police and emergency crews secured the town and the buildings, ensuring the safety of residents. A visibly shaken Mayor Deb Shewfelt called the tornado "the most devastating event in my lifetime; adding that it inflicted catastrophic damage to the town. The primary concern is for the residents of Goderich and their continued safety. • People's lives have been tuned upside down, their hopes and dreams destroyed. But tearful reunions on impassable roadways littered with uprooted trees, damaged vehicles and downed hydro lines, serve as testament to what is ltnportant in all of this. That people and their loved ones are safe and together. Emergency serves have set up full security in the downtown cone to protect businesses until a recovery plan is formulated. Any and all citizens needing assistance, shelter and food are asked to go to the Knights of Columbus Centre where members of Salvation Army, Red Cross and Victim Services are available to offer support. The willingness to help is amazing. People are going to the centre to offer their services in anyway, only to be told that time is needed to complete an assessrnent of the situation and put a recovery plan in place. Help will be needed, Be patient. The road to recovery will be a long and arduous. We have to stay positive and committed to the task. We have to be resil- ient and help people rebuild their hopes and dreams. We will have to be generous in spirit and resources to get this task completed. We will have to work together and we will have to work hard. We will have to help neighbours and friends. We will need help from others and It will be offered. The Prettiest Town in Canada has taken a blow. But we are not down for the count. The sun came up the day after the tornado of August 21, signaling the first day of the new Goderich. DS letters to the editor Insanity of Green Energy Act must be stopped To the editor, The media reported on August 8th in Tillsonburg that Premier Mc Gufnty stated that Ontario has some of the most aggressive standards when it .comes to the placement of wind turbines. The premier is quoted saying "Our chief medical officer of Health for Ontario tells us that wind turbines and solar panels do not compro- mise our health". a) Ontario's Chief Medical Officer of Health did NOT con- duct evidence based scientific research. In contrast, Dr. Robert Mc Murtry claims that evidence based scientific investigation is required, in order to establish what the safe setback distances are (if there are any) for the place- ment of turbines in Ontario. b) Did you know that currently the placement and setback dis- tances of turbines are based on computer modeling (Le. turbines are not situated using evidence based scientific research)? c) Ask why the Ministry of the Environment doesn't have the means necessary to enforce the 40: dBA audible noise sound lhn - its and thereby enforce the Green Energy Act Regulations - regula- tions which are part of the "aggressive standards" that are supposed to protect Ontario citi- zens and their health. MOE insiders admitted this problem during the approvals process for the Shelburne area wind projects - as revealed in the media by a leaked MOE memo earlier this summer. d) Ask wh' he Green Energy Act and its Regulations don't contain provisions to protect Ontario Citizens against the dan- gers of low frequency, noise and infrasound. Ask why the removal of these provisions from the Leg- islation was supported by tur- bine proponents. e) Did you know that the Min- ister of the Environment has publicly admitted the shortcom- ings of his Ministry's inability to correctly monitor audible noise, low frequency noise and infrasound? f) In light of the aforemen- tioned, foremen-tioned, ask why the Renewable Energy Act approvals process is allowed to continue. Dr. Robert McMurtry has pub- licly stated that anything that disturbs sleep (Le. audible noise, low frequency noise or infra - sound) is a nuisanct., Lack of sleep compromises a person's itnrnune system and their .abili- ties to function and to reason - the slippery descent towards declining health begins. Healthissues already exist in Ontario communities like Rip- ley, Shelburne and Norfolk County. Ask yourself why homes and farms in these areas are cur- rently abandoned and/or are for sale. If turbines don't compromise health then why after 2 years of the GEA's existence does the MOE currently employ an out- side consultant in an attempt to establish uniform standardsfor monitoring audible noise? Why onlyy now is the MOE starting to research low frequency noise and infrasound? Should they not have had these answers ear- lier in this decade -before start- ing out? The current government claims that Green Energy is "emissions free". Turbines can emit noise; and the facilities used to transmit turbine power to the grid (i.e. overhead and underground power lines, trans- formers) can emit electrical pol- lution (Le. stray voltage, irregu- lar sine waves aka "dirty electricity") The Premier has publicly quoted David Suzuki as saying that public and polidcal opposi- tion to Green Energy is "insanity". Ask yourself should it not be the insanity of the Green Energy Act that ought to be stopped? • Sincerely, W. Dean Trentowsky Mitchell LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Signal Star welcomes letters to the editor. Letters must include the writer's full name, address, daytime phone number and signature (for verification). Anonymous letters will not be published. We reserve the 44 it toedit all editorial submissions including letters for clarification. and length. Letters must be signed and be in good taste and follow the laws of libel and slander. 4