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Home My WebLink AboutLakeshore Advance, 2013-02-27, Page 44 Lakeshore Advance • Wednesda , Febru : 27, 2013 opinion www.lakeshoreadvaflce.corn Llkosboro Ailvaneo PUBLISHED WEEKLY P.O.BOX 1195 58 Ontario St., North Grand Bend ON NOM 1TO phone: 519-238-5383 fax: 519-238-5131 email: lakeshore.advance@sunmedia.ca SUN MEDIA A Quebecor Media Company NEIL CLIFFORD Publisher/ Advertising Manager nell.cliffordOsunmedla.ca LYNDA HILLMAN-RAPLEY Editor Iakeshore. advancensuntnedia.ca MARK STEPHEN Advertising Sales mark.stephen@sunmedia.ca JULIE HARRISON Typesetting/Classifieds Iakeshore.ads@sunmedia.ca www.Iakeshoreadvance.com SUBSCRIPTION RATES ADVANCE: Regular $42,00(40.00 , 2.00 GSI) Online subscriptions avallable—same rates Publications Mall Agreement No. 40064083 RETURN UNDELIVERABLE CANADIAN ADDRESSES TO LAKESHORE ADVANCE CIRCULATION DEPARTMENT P.O.Box 119558 Ontario St. North Grand Bend ON NOM 1 TO For any non -deliveries or delivery concerns: phone: 519.238.5383 e -mall: Iakeshore.advanceesunmedla.ca Changes of address, orders for subscriptions, and undeliverable copies (return postage guaranteed) are to be sent to Lakeshore Advance at the address indicated here. Advertising le accepted on the condition that in the event of a typographical error, the portion of the advertising space occupied by the erroneous Item together with a reasonable allowance for algnature, will not be charged for, but the balance of the advertise- ment will be paid at the applicable rates. Wo acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada through the Canadian Periodical Fund ((:PF) for our publishing activities. Canada AOCna Nempe a Me a amiond11* Ontario Community Niemeyer' AAmooddenn Column Karen was as sweet as the candy she sold It was Valentines Day that I heard a friend was being taken off life support. She was only 52 with two chil- dren and two grandchildren. I was not surprised when 1 heard Karen was donating organs—that wdS so like her. 1 remember thinking what it wonderful Valentines gift for three strangers. Looking hack to when 1 met Karen Robertson, 1 first recall her smile- then the big hair. Anyone Who knew (rand Bend's downtown in the late 1970s and 1980s knew there was it sweet scent as you walked the strip. The nut and candy store was the culprit, a store filled with sugary sweets and the smell of candied nuts drifting through the window onto the street. 'That is where Karen worked. Inside bright red candied apples, chocolate fudge and candy floss filled the counter and shelves. Something else you could always count on- was Karen waiting to help you. She was a teen with big hair and an even bigger smile. She wore a lot of yellow -that personified her—such a sunshiny personality. 1 would be walking down the street and she would smile. 'That is how we met. Everyone has that friend who was a born mom. 'That was Karen. She cared about all her friends and had a heart of gold. Some years later she had a beautiful daughter Sarah. During those days she was (rand Bend's star babysitter where many of those kids, now adults have posted their condolences stating she Wits the "best sitter ever." Karen later married 'h)ny she had a Boll 1.tlke. Sarah is now a mother herself and her and husband Chris have two little boys; Braise and Weston and of course that made Karen a very proud grandmother. She fought her lung problems for many years and heat the odds for more than a decade. On Valentines 1)ay when Karen's Wilily Sent out word that 111,9 tillw Was near and she 1votlld be donating organs anyone close to her Was not surprised. She was just that kind of woman who would want to help someone else. She fought though and her fight ended five days•later when she died February 19th. A celebration of Karen's life will take place on Saturday, March 2, 2013 from 6-10pm, at the Princess Banquet I lall (Elgin labour Temple) lower I lall, 18 Princess Avenue, St. Thomas. As an expression of sympathy, donations may be made to Canadian Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation, 47 Squires Bakers lane, Markham ON 1.3P 3G8. A. MIL - LARD GEORGE MINERAL 1I0ME, entrusted with arrangements 519-433-5184. Online condolences, mem- ories, and photographs shared at tvww.amgth.com 12282 letters to the editor Grand Bend Sewage project funding from Building Canada- a farce 'Ihe proposed plans to modify and down- size the proposed Grand Bend Area sewage treatment project has made the nearly $15 million in funding from the Building Can- ada Fund a farce and our Federal and Pro- vincial MP and MPPs should be screaming foul! The original basis of the project was for three municipalities, Lambton Shores, South Huron and Bluewater to build a sin- gle new sewage treatment faculty capable of treating the sewage generated by these communities. The primary impetus for the project was submitted to the Building Can- ada Fund was that the three communities were going to remove nearly 5000 homes currently serviced by aging and failing pri- vately owned septic systems . Many systems are currently seeping raw sewage into Lake Iluron. Most of them are discharging Nitrates into the lake. Others would have been replaced in a phased in process as funding became available. Now the project has been drastically modified to appease local special interest groups to a point where it no longer fulfills the objectives for which the original grant was approved . Instead of 3 municipalities there are only 2. Instead of removing nearly 5000 septi( systems there will be virtually none replaced. Instead of meeting the future needs of these commu- nities only a small fraction of that growth will be met! What is going on? 1 low can the Building Canada Fund and MI' Bev Shipley and MPP Monte McNaughton, both repre- sentatives of the supposedly fiscally respon- sible Conservative Parties continue to sup- port such a blatant waste of taxpayers dollars. If the project funding is approved the Auditor General should be called upon to investigate! Shirley Andraza Ruth Illman Gord Minlelly Gerry Rupke LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Lakeshore Advance welcomes letters to the editor, Letters must include the writer's full name, address, daytime phone number and signature (for verification. Anonymous Tetters will not be published. We reserve the right to edit all editorial submissions Including letters for clarification, style and length. Letters must be signed and be in good taste and follow the laws of libel and slander. All the very best to John Byrne On Friday, Feb 15th, there was a wonder- ful gathering at the Forest legion to provide a warm thank you and best wishes to John Byrne, recently fired Chief Administrative Officer of Lambton Shores. Many of John's friends from all regions of the Municipality, staff colleagues and C0111- nlunity representatives who worked with John on many projects over the years, gath- ered to express their ongoing support and their collective indignation at his sudden and as yet unexplained discharge from a position to which he brought experience, understanding and leadership. John has been an incredible staff member who with zeal and commitment helped immensely to bring I.ambton Shores to where it is today. It remains a mystery why such a snutll group of people, elected to serve the best interest of the Municipality, lacked the insight to recognize and appreci- ate all that John has (lone and would con- tinue to do for our community. Hopefully, a person with close to John's attributes will be found to succeed him. It alight take until 2014 for that to happen. Don Coates - Forest