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News
Huron East plans ratepayer meeting
for "disgruntled" Grey residents
By Susan Hundertmark
Expositor Editor
Huron East will hold ratepayer meetings throughout the
municipality, beginning Sept. 28 in Grey ward, in
response to a group of Grey citizens who held a recent
meeting to discuss de -amalgamation.
Mayor Joe Seili told council Sept. 7 that he "busted in"
on a meeting the previous Thursday of
"disgruntled ratepayers who felt they were
being mistreated in the Molesworth area."
Both Grey councillors Mark Beaven and
Alvin McLellan had been invited to the
meeting of a dozen ratepayers but Seili had
not.
"This group would like to take Grey ward
back," Stili said, adding that Kay Wise, of
Hensall, who's leading the fight to separate
Hensall from Bluewater, was in attendance.
Stili said had, unkempt roads, a decrease
in road construction and the lack of a sign
calling Molesworth a part of Huron East
were all among the complaints at the
amalgamation.
"We could end up with quite a crowd if you're talking
about de -amalgamation," he said, suggesting that the
Brussels arena might be a more appropriate location than
Ethel or Cranbrook for the meeting.
But Brussels Coun. David Blaney responded that Grey
ratepayers aren't going to like meeting outside their area.
"I'd sooner end up with a crowded meeting. Let's at
least give them the respect of holding it in
Quoted
'We need a
ratepayers'
meeting so that
everyone gets:
the right story,
the true story,' --
Huron East
Mayor Joe WE
meeting.
"It's tough to communicate with some areas of Huron
East and councillors aren't getting called about a lot of
issues," said Seili.
However, he added that he believes angry ratepayers
have some misinformation about council's spending and
the sharing of resources throughout Huron East.
"We need a ratepayers' meeting so that everyone gets
the right story. the true story," he said.
"We have to do all five wards and take this show on the
road so ratepayers have a chance to talk to councillors,"
said Seili.
Deputy -Mayor Bernie MacLellan wondered if there is a
big enough facility in Grey to hold a meeting about de -
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their own ward," said Blaney.
Grey Coun. Mark Beaven said he agreed
with the Grey ratepayers that some of their
concerns were "very legitimate."
"There's a feeling in Grey that when they
think of Huron East, they think of
Seaforth," he said.
But, Beaven added that the ratepayers
didn't realize that the municipality of
Howick, which did not amalgamate with
any other municipalities, is paying more
taxes while all of Huron East is paying less
than before amalgamation.
"We had the woman from Hensall
admitting that she couldn't see what the
problems were compared to Bluewater," said Beaven.
"I believe that once the facts are known, they won't be
thinking of de -amalgamation. We'll be proud members of
Huron East," he said.
Tuckersmith Coun. Larry McGrath said
deamalgamation is unlikely anywhere in Ontario since the
province isn't listening to those in Hensall or Chatham -
Kent who want to deamalgamate.
"We've been told there's no money for
deamalgamation. The writing is on the wall for anyone
listening - they're going to legislate us into one -tier
eventually. And, if you start to divide now, they'll run
you over," agreed Seili.
A dozen Grey residents
explore de -amalgamation
By Susan Hundertmark
Expositor Editor
While they've got no ill feelings towards
the rest of Huron East. a dozen Grey ward
residents are looking into the prospect of de -
amalgamating from the rest of the
municipality.
"The feeling is we've lost our identity.
People were always so proud of the township
but you don't see that now. We liked it the
way it was," says Dianne Diehl. one of the
organizers of two informal de -amalgamation
meetings held recently in Grey.
"This isn't a vendetta against any other
communities. This is just how we feel," she
said.
Calvin Semple, another organizer of the
de -amalgamation meetings. said a dozen or
more taxpayers from Grey are researching
separating from Huron East because they're
"unhappy with the way money is being
spent."
"We don't feel like we're getting a bang for
our buck. We're seeing them spend money in
the southern part of Huron East and we're
seeing government that is top-heavy with
administration," he says. citing a full-time
fire chief and an economic development
officer as new positions on the municipal
payroll since amalgamation.
As well, Semple says Grey residents arc
not happy about paying for services. such as
the Seaforth arcna and the Vanastra daycare
centre, that they don't use. And, he says it's
unfair for the rest of the municipality to pay
for services. like the new Grey fire truck, that
they don't use.
Both Diehl and Semple say they see a
decline in community spirit since
amalgamation.
"People are paying more taxes so they
figure why should they do anything for free."
says Semple.
Diehl says the people in the northern end
of Grey, like Molesworth, are feeling left out
of Huron Eat.
"Molesworth had to push to be included in
the municipality's webpage and they were
asked by town hall if they were sure they
were part of Huron East. They've been left
out of numerous things," she says.
So far, Semple says the group is "just a
bunch of coffee drinkers sitting around and
figuring out if de -amalgamation will work."
But, he says a public meeting, still
unscheduled, is planned to gauge whether
other Grey residents share the same feeling.
"If the public supports it, we'll push for it.
If not, we'll drop it," says Semple. .
The group has already met with Kay Wise,
of Hensall, who is actively seeking
deamalgamation for Hensall from Bluewater.
"She gave us some ideas but their situation
is a little different. We're all rural here and
what's good for a town isn't necessarily good
for a rural area," says Semple.
While Semple acknowledges that the
province gave local municipalities no choice
but to amalgamate, he says drumming up
public support to resist amalgamation four
years ago might have made more sense.
"We didn't even get a vote on this. Maybe
we need to start saying no to the province. if
enough people start screaming. they'll have
to listen," he says.
Egmondville woman waits
to hear from family after
hurricane Ivan hits Jamaica
From Page 1
before i went to bed last night
Monday afternoon.
While the Category 5 storm
near the capital city Kingston
just below 225 kilometres
per hour, Lammcrant is
confident that her family,
who live 100 miles away
from Kingston near
Montego Bay, is safe.
"i heard my family was
prepared and I'm sure i
would have heard if
anything really had had
happened," she
"Not knowing is worse
but you just have to trust in
the Lord - He will bring us
through. He always docs."
Lammerant, who has
lived in Canada since 1986,
said she returned to Jamaica after
hurricane Gilbert in 1988 and was shocked
by the damage.
"I cmuld not believe the damage. There
were well-built cement houses with the
roofs blown off and some houses that just
weren't there anymore. My mom's home
was partially damaged and i went back
she said
hit Jamaica
with winds
and helped to rebuild," she said.
She also vaguely remembers a hurricane
hitting Jamaica when she was three and
lived with her grandmother.
"The house was just blown away." she
recalled.
Lammcrant has been
calling cousins in Ontario to
find out if they've heard
anything about their relatives
in Jamaica.
A cousin, who works
every summer in Exeter as a
seasonal worker, told her
he'd gotten through to
family briefly Sunday
morning.
"Some of the farm
workers could he going
home to nothing," she said.
As well, she heard from a
cousit'i in Toronto that there
was lots of rain and washed out roads.
"You get a lot of conflicting reports and
the news doesn't have that much detail.
Just sit back and wait - that's all I can do."
"We have an old saying back home - if it
doesn't cost your life, it costs nothing
because roofs and windows and houses
can be replaced," she said.
Quoted
'We have an
old saying back
home - if it
doesn't cost
your life, it
costs nothing,' -
Joyce Luun l*rOnt
of Egmondv*.