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HomeMy WebLinkAboutTimes Advocate, 1994-02-09, Page 30Page 30 Times -Advocate, February 9, 1994 „rm. _„11 Your Views Letters to the editor Response from OFA "Agriculture biggest business in Huron County" Dear Editor: In response to your editorial on February 2 "OFA Should Recon- sider" I think some of your statements need to be corrected. You wrote that the OFA is "too busy counting their new found monies because of a huge increase in membership". With only 30 percent of the registration forms returned to date the OFA or CFFO will not know their exact membership until well into the year. With businesses having 90 days from the date of their registration dead- line to apply for a refund, it will be mouths before membership numbers are known. For years, OFA has had a stable membership of 20,000. Stable funding is a risk for every general farm organization. No one can predict what the final membership numbers will be. A committee has already been formed to look at the OFA's future structure and its relationship with commodity organizations. If peo- ple want the benefits of the general farm organizations, they should be expected to pay. If you are a member then you have a vote and a say in a grassroots organization. As far as press releases go, the OFA is trying to cut administration costs like every other business. If this paper has received so many press releases in the past why was it not printing the information in past issues? Agriculture is the biggest industry in Huron County and will be for a long time to come. Maybe your paper should reflect this. If this paper wants information on the OFA, its policies or its fu- ture plans, ask this organization. The Ontarian's for Responsible Government are not spokesmen for the OFA and never will be. We have an office in Vanastra, a fieldman, head office in Toronto and directors in this community and had 1400 members in Huron in 1993. We are not hard to find if you want to check your facts next time you write about this. Sincerely, Gerald Johns Director of the Huron County Federation of Agriculture Teacher/staff Appreciation Week LUCAN - For the seventh year Home and School Associations across Canada are celebrating Na- tional Teacher/Staff Appreciation Week which will be held Febru- ary 13 to 19, 1994. National Teacher/Staff Appreci- ation Week was started in 1988 by the national parents' organiza- tion, the Canadian Home and School and Parent-Teacher Feder- ation. It's a way to give parents and others concerned with chil- dren and their education the op- portunity to join in nation-wide demonstrations of support for Canada's schools and their teach- ers/staff. Teacher/Staff Appreciation Week has become established as an annual celebration in support of teachers and other members of the school staff such as school secretaries, school nurses, teacher assistants, guidance counsellors, custodians and bus drivers. The Biddulph-Lucan Home and School Association recognize that for good schools and excellence in education, it is essential that competent and caring educators have the support and involvement of parents and community. Lucan street under fire LUCAN - Council members arc expected to decide the fate of the much maligned Duchess street re- construction program at the regular meeting on February 15. A 12 person delegation from Duchess street attended a recent meeting bringing along a 374 name petition opposing the installation of a culvert which would make Duch- ess a through street. The delegation was happy that the sewers had been extended and the watermain upgraded. They would also like curbs, gutters and asphalt paving, but instead of a cul- vert would prefer a cul-de-sac. Reeve Tom McLaughlin in- formed the delegation that the present pedestrian bridge is not ad- equate since it has no engineer's stamp and does not meet M.T.O. standards. Deputy reeve Harry Wraith said he was upset with the wording of the original petition in which the group claimed the cost of the cul- vert to be $90,000. He felt that poli- ticians often cater to special interest groups and most often these are bad decisions. One of the delegation, Mrs. Claire Anderson said she had changed her mind since December of 1992. At that time she said she Would be satisfied with tar and chip road cover, but now is in favour of proper curbs, gutters and pavement. John and Lisa Kernick were also in attendance and disputed the claim by Anderson that no one on Duchess street wants the culvert. They asked Anderson if there would be a big change in her life- style if the culvert went in and who is now maintaining the pedestrian bridge. George Mawdsley and Myths Brady stated that they main- tain it. Wraith asked if the pedestrian bridge was to be put in, would area residents be willing to pay for it • through a local improvement Chitrge and was told by Anderson, "We do not feel that it would be fait since a lot of people in the vil- lage presently use the bridge. McLaughlin said good planning was taken into account when coun- cil made their decision to install the culvert, but Anderson countered that Kent and Market streets can adequately handle any increased traffic due to development. The reeve went on to say that he had called some people who had signed the petition and was told by some that in these tough economic times council should stop all pro- jects and others wanted their namcs taken off the petition after hearing clarification of the issue. Wraith's final comment was, "Developers of the Wilberfoce sub- division were forced to put in a cul- vert on the Gibson Crescent exten- sion because it made good planning sense. It seems irrational to have two sections of the same street sep- arated by a drain when we have the opportunity to join them." Later in the meeting, the duchess street discussion was reopened. Reeve McLaughlin said council has two options. It will either be to fin- ish the street as planned with cul- vert, curbs, gutters, sidewalk and pavement or finish the street with an engineered pedestrian bridge and cul-de-sac. Councillor Reg Crawford asked, "What will the cost of the pedestri- an bridge and cul-de-sac be? Will it end up costing the same as putting in a culvert and making Duchess a through street?" Johnston was instructed to check into M.T.O. standards regarding guard rails and cul-de-sacs and get an independent review of estimates for the pedestrian bridge and cul- de-sac. If Duchess street becomes a through street the proposed Mid- dlesex County enhanced 911 emer- gency system will be much easier to operate. If the street remains as now, it would have to probably be renamed for the 911 system to be possible. IN THE NEWS Your Views Letters to the editor OFA needs funding " ...1 do get tired of carrying the freeloaders that get the same benefits from the work of OFA as I do at no cost to them." Dear Editor: I read your article in regard to the activities of O.F.A. in regard to Bill 91. I am very disappointed that you did not feel it necessary to do further research and get both sides of the situation. It seems to me that media people are not responsible to anyone for what they say in their articles. I have been a long time member of O.F.A. and have no intentions of asking for a refund, however I do get tired of carrying the free- loaders that get the same benefits from the work of O.F.A. as I do at no cost to them. Sincerely, Harry F. 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