HomeMy WebLinkAboutTimes Advocate, 1994-10-5, Page 12SOMETHING FOR EVERY POINT OF VIEW
Page 12 Times -Advocate, October 5, 1994
Your Views
Letters to the editor
Mayor 'sets record straight'
"...we really can feed both our
body and our soul."
Dear Editor:
Before any further misconceptions are drawn, I
would like to try to set the record straight regarding
our infrastructure grant and the work proposed at
the Main and Sanders corner. If your readers will
follow this explanation to the end, there should be
no further debate on what will happen, just on
whether it should happen or not.
Let's start with the comment that should inflame
some, and it went like this as 1 recall, 1 say
$2,000,000 because nobody knows how much it is
going to cost'. Excellent, let's say, then 5 million
dollars or 95e. Who knows? And that is the point.
In fact, however, we do know!
In the spring, Council decided to hold a public
meeting to sample the community as to where indi-
viduals thought Exeter should be headed and how,
in effect, we could spend close to 3/4 of a million
dollars in infrastructure grant. To be fair, however,
we spent about 1/3 of it on public works projects
(roads, sewers) that we believed were a high priori-
ty, before we even went to the people.
Although several councillors had strong feelings,
as to where the balance (about $560,000) should be
spent, 1 announced at the public meeting that our
minds were not closed and we would listen to ideas
and decide in the very near future. There were over
one hundred and fifty people in attendance. They
were divided into eight groups to discuss themes,
priorities and the future. Five of the groups told us
that we should he looking at 'the heart and soul' of
our community and that the focus of attention
should be where the Old Town Hall and the Library
are located.
Even though there were several other ideas raised
as well, the message came through loud and clear,
do something for Exeter that you can see and that
will give us some focus. Council would be hypocrit-
ical and foolish to ignore the message, especially
when we asked for direction.
But, being strong-willed characters, we debated,
voted, debated and voted. In the end, it was decided
that we would submit an application to spend up to
$560,000 to restore and enlarge the Old Town Hall
as a first phase in rehabilitating 'The Corner'. A re-
corded vote was asked for, and the motion passed 5-
4. All of us voted as we are entitled to by law and
must when a recorded vote is asked for. (As mayor,
I believe, it would have been stupid and even arro-
gant of me to vote against a proposal endorsed by a
public meeting.)
Council voted to submit the application, not indi-
viduals, and when the appropriate bylaw was pre-
pared, all councillors supported it.
Alternatives are presently being examined as to
what should be done about our library services, but
we don't expect even to consider those possibilities
until next year. •
Another major question remains: why not stay in
the building we are presently renting? Since I have
been mayor, we have always practiced and demon-
strated fiscal restraint and sound economic manage-
ment - and the record is open for all to see - and
there is no need to change that philosophy now. In
the first place, neither the Old Town Hall nor the
present municipal offices are handicap accessible,
and they must be in the very near future. We would
then have to spend in excess of $100,000 total on
both buildings to comply. We would then be in the
position of trying to find a tenant for the Old Town
Hall, and the Town would become, in effect, a land-
lord, something that makes no economic or philo-
sophic sense whatsoever. We have been asked by
the Heritage committee to return to our roots, and
many visitors have called at the Old Town Hall be-
lieving our municipal offices were there.
When I think back over the years, I remember op-
position to every 'worthy' project we've undertak-
en, from the arena, the new fire hall, ball diamonds,
to the parks. In the early years, we laid miles of new
roads to eliminate the dust problems, miles of drains
to reduce the number of flooded basements, miles of
sidewalks to ease pedestrian traffic. We have spent
many millions on the services of this town and we
will spend hundreds of thousands of services again
this year, but it is time to look at what makes Exeter
what it is - its culture, its athletics and its 'heart and
soul'. This issue should not divide us; we really can
feed both our body and our soul.
Bruce Shaw,
Mayor of Exeter
Bells on cats, please
"Cat owners may think that
they're doing their pets a favour
by letting them roam but they
really are not."
Dear Editor:
I am writing this for the attention of cat owners.
Would you be kind to the wild birds and put a bell
on your cat's collar. There is a brownish cat with a
pink collar terrorizing my bird feeder. Last week it
was busy eating a dove and didn't see my dog and
almost didn't make it to the fence. if you want your
pet to be ripped to shreds (as it did the dove) then
continue to let it roam free. .
I have a fenced yard for my dog, I walk her on a
leash, clean up after her and buy a license for her. I
also spend a lot of money to feed the birds. I think
its terribly unfair that cat owners can let theii pets
roam and deposit their mess in my flower beds and
children's sandboxes.
Cat owners may think that they're doing their
pets a favour by letting them roam but they really
are not. They face many dangers out there.
Oh, yes. I do like cats. I had one for seventeen
years.
Fran Ritchie,
Exeter, Ontario
Steckle on right track
We should think of the victims
and stop molly coddling the no-
good thugs
Dear Editor:
Paul Steckle's recent well written letter on corpo-
ral punishment is excellent, and popular with any
thinking person. It reflects the feelings of Mr. Steck-
le's predecessor, MP Murray Cardiff, who also sup-
ported such views.
As a matter of fact, Mr. Steckle sounds remarka-
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bly like a Conservative! Perhaps he has seen the
light, and will become a real Tory.
Although corporal punishment is advocated, it is
not spelt out. The death penalty should be restored
for brutal crimes and the lash for rapists and child
molesters. It would certainly deter the perpetrators!
We should think of the victims and retribution,
and stop molly coddling vicious no-good thugs. Just
stop and think of the horrible end the victims faced,
their last view of life.
Your truly
J.M. Gibson (Gibby) Gibson
Exeter
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