Lakeshore Advance, 2013-01-09, Page 1716 Lakeshore Advance • Wednesday, January 9, 2013
Former pilot opens
computer -teaching store
CONTINUED FROM > PAGE 2
still conduct public speaking engagements on teamwork and
leadership based on my Commanding the Snowbirds, my
appearances in three wars and 1 get to weave my technology
into the multimedia presentations.
With his 16 year old son they play hockey in the commu-
nity, "Ile for the Midget team from Zurich and 1 play for the
Rusty Blades from Ilensall. "We both also play pick up on
Sunday nights in Zurich. My wife Mersa Robinson is actively
involved with the St. Joseph historical society and enjoys
working with them. We live in the old Organ factory Bed and
Breakfast, a Canton house that was built in 1896 and so our
historical roots are deeply planted in the community."
"We have family in London and Greenway anti we have
both always loved this area. It was a dream of ours to move
here and live and So we mad(' our dreads come trill last
year. 1 stumbled upon the listing of the Organ Factory lied
and Breakfast while we lived in Caledon and so we made
arrangements to visit as soon as 1 saw the listing. We fell in
love with the property the minute we laid eyes on it and we
are still thrilled to live in this community and in this house.
Hours of Operation?
We will he predominantly open during the day, during the
week but flexibility is the key to small business and we will
continue to adapt to our customer needs. 10 fact, even
though we are not technically opening until February,
demand was such that I agreed to make some house calls in
January to help people out with their new devices. We will be
accepting appointments its our store between 9 ant and 4 pm
daily from Monday to Friday. We are considering putting on
Saturday morning workshops for Wad and iMac and may
look at some evening classes depending on demand and
group size.
People can either bring in their own devices and we can
teach them on those or, they can use some of our devices in
the store. "Using our in store devices, we are set up to accom-
modate up to 3 students at a time and can teach IPad, iPhone
and iMac as an individual device or how to integrate the
devices using 'Cloud and Apple IDs." People can book
appointments by phoning our business number or they can
book right online using our appointment calendar.
"We are thrilled to be able to offer this great new and
unique service to people its the area. We hope that people in
the community will find our service a valuable addition to
the local business community"
For more information check out www.mac-teacher.com or
call 519-871-7431.
10( )1 11O1 Si:
RI ti I'.'\[!RAN]
Thanks for a great yearl
We've gone on holiday but we will
be back for valentine's Day
& Winter Carnival
February 14th at 9aili
Former council members weigh in on Year in Review
CONTINUED FROM > PAGE 5
use the "debt" issue to cast dispersions
on the previous Councils and cause
needless fear and concern with resi-
dents. We wonder when the perpetual
critics of the previous Councils will
acknowledge that the manageable debt
incurred to replace aging recreational
facilities, aging and inadequate water
supply in Arkona, Thedford and (rand
Bend, to provide much needed potable
water to our rural residents and to
replace thousands of meters of 80 to 100
year old watermains, was wise and
prudent?
• Ad 1 Loc Sewer Committee
Although the Ad floc Committee
members represented both points of
view on this important issue, the report
itself was apparently written in secrecy
by those members who declared their
total opposition to sewers. The report
was never presented to the committee
before it came to council. 'Three of the
writers were members of the former
"Ione .i Committee" that fought the
introduction of sanitary sewers.
'throughout this committee process, no
staff or professional expertise was
"allowed" to come to the table. As a
result those opposed to sewers got what
they wanted - destruction of the Sewer
Master I'llIi) a11i(1 the assurance that a
high density residential area along the
environmentally significant Lakeshore
will remain in the past and on septics.
'lie West Bosanquet Sewer Master Plan
also remains on the shelf. Environmen-
tally responsible and future oriented...
we don't think so. And neither does
Golder Associates Engineering, Dillon
Engineering or Dr. Branfirune of the
University of Western Ontario's Earth
Sciences Department, or 1)r. William
Robertson of the University of Waterloo,
but what do these experts know? '[here
Was complete refusal to further research
and to question in detail any one of these
experts!
• Sewage Treatment Plant
Unfortunately numbers some give,
don't match up with the 'Treasurers' but
let's not let that get in the way.1.aunbton
Shores has supposedly reduced the cost
of the STF from $26 million to 18 million
and in the process garnered somewhere
between 100 to 200 cubic meters of addi-
tional capacity. That, for those who (10
not follow the STF saga, is sure not very
much! In addition to the need for greater
sewage capacity for future economic
development, the purpose of the 2006
Master Plan (process started in 2004)
was to get zones 3 and 4 off septics in a
phased in approach over the next 20
years. The "new" plant plan will not
accommodate zones 3 and 4. Council
has removed this area from the plan. No
one will come off septics. In addition we
do not know if this new version, that
does not remove any residences from
septic systems, will get the Build Canada
funding . Lambton Shores is still waiting
for that answer . There is no agreement
in place, 50 % of the capacity of the origi-
nal plan, and the need to hire a new
engineer to do a new design. Interesting
that sotne councilors have chosen to hail
off the Sl'E committee. Someone should
ask why? Other questions : Lambton
Shores is getting very small growth from
this new version for a very high cost...
why? Why are spending millions of dol-
lars to get nothing. If we aren't going to
solve the zone 3 & 4 problem and get
growth potential why are we doing
anything?
• The (:onlnlunications Survey- is
another claimed achievement of the
2010 council. Of the 12,000 Or so people
who live in Lambton Shores, Council got
responses from 105 of them! 105 out of
12,000! Council must be so thrilled to
have received this invaluable and long
awaited response from the public, it will
no doubt affirm the "new direction" in
which Council is going. We also Lind it
interesting that the Deputy Mayor lauds
the success (tithe Communications Sur-
vey evert though it has never been pre-
sented to Council, but that seems to be
consistent with the other committee
work this Council Inas assigned. We recall
when Council received the report of the
famous A(1 11oc Cuiilllittt't' on Sewers
report, one member of Council declared:
"It's an excellent report -hut I haven't
read it yet'.
• Development Charges -
Some councillors present distorted
view of facts by not informing residents
that the so called big break for industry
and commerce Development Charges,
will mean that those costs will be shifted
onto the hacks of residential taxpayers!
'there may be some confusion amongst
newer councillors with the DC. This
reduction won't help fill the empty stores
downtown - it may attract new but they
art' not typically in the core areas as there
is no land, unless there is a redevelop-
ment. As for the residential DC -. the cal-
culated charge was $11,019.00 however
council chose to reduce it to what the
charge has been for the last 5 years
$9,985.00 will $1,034.00 reduction
attract new houses? We must all be
aware -- any or all reductions shift the
costs of capital projects to another
means - either tax rates or water and
wastewater rates OR the residential tax-
payers. Some developers will be happy.
Residential taxpayers should not be.
•Other achievements: (:IB, Blue Flag
Beaches, Grand Bend Ball Diamond,
Rotary Trail Paving, Arkona sidewalks
etc etc -Correct us if we are wrong but
hadn't Lambton Shores participated In
and achieved outstanding results from
Communities in Bloom prior to this
Council? Sante for Blue Flag and these
other long planned capital projects and
partnerships. Lambton Shores must be
thankful that the hae(ien Brown Foun-
dation took the lead on the Arkona
Splash Pad project! Hadn't the previous
Council identified the potential for a
splash pa(1 in this location ( and splash
pacts in other locations) through it's
Community Improvement Plan strategy.
If you check you will see that all of these
"achievements" were initiated by the
previous so called dysfunctional Coun-
cils, but this is not the first or likely last
time that this Council will slam the pre-
vious Councils and then take credit for
its initiatives! Should we mention that all
these initiatives (of the previous Coun-
cil) helped strengthen our local
economy.
• Building permit increases- We are
not sure how Council helped with the
building permit increases. It is rather
strange that some councillors would
make this claim in one breath and then
in another claim there is no growth in
Lambton Shores. In fact there has been
the c1a1111 by So1111' of them that Lambton
Shores is losing growth. 'that argument
helps when you don't want any sewers
in zone 3 and 4 and want to significantly
reduce it major infrastructure project.
The Deputy Nlayor also seems t() have
forgotten that she was opposed to
increasing Building Permit fees, prefer,
ring instead to have residential taxpay
pick up the tab.
• Council opened a new "X Park " in
Forest.'Ihis was a downsized version of a
facility and there were no partners. 'I his
is the first amenity 111 Lambton Shores
that is 100% taxpayer funded... •$50,000
allocated. Maybe this is the new direc-
tion 111) partners, 11O grants.' To be Stare
it has attracted the kids and given them a
Venue to Islay and recr'eate, hut is this
really the best we could (1o'? We don't
have a skateboard park as was originally
requested, and we don't have a UNIX
Park but we now have something called
an "X Park': which when you look at it is
a pretty good description -"x" being an
unknown factor. We have a slab of black
asphalt and some black prefabricated
ramps and some fencing. When talking
to the kids it was intended to serve, their
only comment is that "it's too small for
the bigger kids" and it isn't much of a
park for avid skateboarders': Did this
council ask the appropriate questions
(that former councils would ask) -"is it
something that can serve all the kids
who might want to use it?: "is it In the
right location?': "will it be attractive and
be seen as an asset to the community?';
"is there sufficient funding to do it right?
"are there some possible partners? Are
there available grants? This is a prime
example that illustrates the difference
between previous Councils and this one.
Rather than listening to expert opin
seeking out grant money, taking on pc..:
ners and getting community input into a
project that looks at the long term and
meets a wide range of user needs, and
enhances a community, they created a
park that in some aspects fails the com-
munity. Some on this council say that
previous councils did things backwards
and that the municipality needs to be
taking on full funding for these projects.
Once again, that must be the "new
direction':
This is not an exhaustive list. Sour
grapes from a bunch of " has beens "
some will say. 'those residents who have
recently been attending council (meet-
ings are beginning to see how things
work in Lambton Shores now and many
of them will agree with the comments
above.
Without pre(1ju(1ice.
Shirley Andraza, Ruth Illman
Gord Minielly, Gerry Rupke, Mark Simpson