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Lakeshore Advance, 2013-02-13, Page 5letters to the editor An open letter to Lisa Thompson, MPP Dear Lisu, Your recent letter to the local papers has prompted Isle to put pen to paper. Your continuing diatribe regarding wind power leads me to believe that you are hying blown in a sin- gle direction, Tess than inconsequential of the greater issues facing our society. You have obviously not, or chosen not, to give a voice to issues which will have an enduring conse- quence tp the people of 1 luron Bruce, including job oppor- tunities and economic development that result from wind farm initiatives. Maury local contractors could he building roads, doing site excavations, concrete forming, and laying the foundations for these structures. Eating and lodging establishments would be busy providing a home away from home for those involved in the projects. Long term jobs for it number of families could be provided by government initia- tives through wind power, and let's not forget about the landowners who will realize considerable revenue from th ' leasing agreements. On another front, the municipali- t ll be sharing in tax revenues which are considerable. A this leads to a shared benefit to all taxpayers within a given municipality. Never have I heard you comment or share your views about the municipalities which have shown interest in hosting the repository site for nuclear Waste. 1 have also never heard you mention the irresponsi- bility of your federal cousins in shorting the process of envi- ronmental assessments 011 such projects as XI, pipeline to two years, and then beginning the process of expropriation of lands where an unwilling landowner fails to cooperate. 'There is not a single wind tower proposed, or operational, where there is not approval and signature given by the land- owner for such all undertaking. 1 could continue to site comments and actions on your part which contribute to the annoyance of many of your constituents. Your efforts would be better served if you instead chose to look at the total issue, and not semantics such its ivhether perception of noise and symptoms are linked to actual health problems. l and quite surprised that a national inquiry Inas not been called for. in 1985 I served as 1 iuron County Warden. During that year, the issue of building it transmission line south through 1 Iuron County brought together many irate farmers in com- mon cause to mushy. I was invited to exercise my authority as Warden to attempt at shutting down this project. 1 did not, and in due course the line was constructed and people con- tinue to enjoy, for the most part, uninterrupted electrical service. In the past twenty seven years, I have not heard from a single individual about this perceived, unsightly albatross which was thrust into our community. Life goes on and so will life after \e have our wind farms in place and operating. Beware, winds of change have a cause and effect, and some day just as those winds brought you to your position, those w "e- can bring you down from your lofty mantel of self- 111Vns .tance. Your constituents are watching. Sincerely, Paul Steckle An Annoyed Constituent Grand Bend Library is hosting an eDownload library tutorial blitz The (rand Bend Library is hosting an eDownload Library Tutorial Blitz. EDOWNLOAD LIBRARY TUTORIAL BUTZ SATURDAY FEBRUARY 16, 2013 -- GRAND BEND LIBRARY Colne (earn how to access free elooks and eAudiohooks from our eDownload Library. Bring your device to one of our sessions and receive help setting it up. SCHEDULE: 9:30 - 10:30 Sony Reader 10:30 - 11:30 Apple Devices (iPad, iPhono, Touch) 12:00 - 1:00 Android Tablets and Blackberry Playbook (Galazy, Nexus, Vox, ARC, etc.) 1:30 - 3:00 Koho o -Ink Readers (Geo, Touch, Mini, etc) Wednesday, February 13, 2013 • Lakeshore Advance 5 Big Brothers Big Sisters Step Up to Strike Out Bullying BIGS South Huron 1 happy Anniversary Big Brothers Big Sisters of Canada! 'I'Inis year marks 100 years of mentoring children in our com- munities. One way we want to celebrate the power of mentoring is to help kids iuui communities by mobilizing Cana- dians to fight bullying by getting involved in Bowl for Kids Sake, Big Brothers Big Sisters signature annual fundraising campaign. From February through April, hun- dreds of Iiig Brothers Big Sisters agen- cies across Canada will be hosting local howling events to celebrate 100 years of mentoring and raise funds to support local mentoring programs. Concerned people from all walks of life will be com- ing together to help ensure that every child in their coiiiniunities Who need a mentor will have one. Everyone can make a stand against bullying by sup- porting Bowl for Kids Sake. Big Brothers and Big Sisters are one of society's best defences against bullying. 'these volun- teer mentors not only reduce the inci- dence of bullying and help kids deal with its harmful effects, but they also help ensure that children and teenagers intervene \hen they witness acts of bul- lying. It's all about self-confidence and caring about others: qualities that greatly increase prospects for a happy, successful life. Big Brothers liig Sisters of South 1 Loren provides a variety of mentoring services to children and teens in South 1 iuron, North Middlesex, and Nortel 1.anlbton counties. This year we are hosting Bowl for Kids Sake at Lucan Lanes on March 3rd and at Zurich Lanes on March 8th and 10th. Friends, family, co-workers, local businesses, local churches, politicians and media are asked to put teams together and help to raise funds for Big Brothers Big Sisters of South I luron. The teams compete at local bowling centres to bowl and have fun in support of Big Brothers Big Sisters mentoring programs for local children and youth. If you would like to donate to our Bowl for Kids Sake campaign or volun- teer to fundraise, simply visit www. shhbbs.on.ca or contact our office for more information 519-237-3554 or cw(,) shhbbs.on.ca. We invite everyone to step up to strike out bullying in their com- munities by getting involved. New Year's resolution to quit smoking? don't give up yet Nichele Steenbeek Grand Bend CHC Each January, thousands of Canadi- ans snake the resolution to quit smok- ing, saying, "this will be the year." 11owever, by the time February ' arrives, anally people have forgone their deci- sion to quit Or made excuses to post- pone their quit attempt for another year. But it doesn't have to be this way. Thanks to recent developments in the area of smoking cessation, the time to quit has never been better. An increase in resources available for quitting has made it a hot topic for many smokers who have been con- templating the decision for years. The government has made reducing the amount of smokers a priority in Can- ada, and has funded new programs aimed at improving quit attempts. Programs such as "Smokers 1 lelpline" and "On the Road to Quitting" can he very helpful. And although "Driven to Quit" has taken a hiatus for this year, organizations such as the Lung Asso- ciation and the Canadian Cancer Society continue to offer support in it variety of ways. One of the most important things that smokers should remember when attempting to quit is that quitting is a process, it's not an event. Most smok- ers will experience 6 to 10 quit attempts before successfully quitting. however, each attempt brings a per- son closer to the goal of becoming smoke-free because it allows people to recognize tvhat strategies have worked for them in the past. Quitting smoking is the hest thing you can do for your health, and it's never too late to experience the benefits of it smoke- free life. Locally, staff at the (rand Bend Area Conlnlunity health Centre have developed it number of resource's to help community members on their journey to becoming smoke-free. Iliev offer individual ('ounseling as well as group programs, and can con- nect clients and community members to other resources available' in the area. They have also partnered with the 1 a111hto11 County l leak h Unit this February to provide education and sup to five weeks of free nicotine replacement therapy to interested smokers. This "Stop on the Road" event will he held at the Community 11eallh Centre o11 Monday, February 25th from 6:30-9:30pin in (rand Bend. You must pre -register by call- ing the health Unit at 1 -800-38;- 2882. Bluewater Biz Mark Cassidy What should we call it? This year is shaping up to he an interesting one for the village of 1 lensall. The Friends of the Upper Room which sounds like some kind of a secret society from a Dan Brown novel are plan- ning for the 100th anniversary cele- bration of the 1iensall 'Town Hall. And a new Parkette will be built this year. Expect shovels to hit the ground this spring. The revitalization of I len- sail's commercial district will take time and a lot of hard work. The Par- kette is a small but positive step in the right direction. With any luck the Parkette will become a catalyst for change beyond the physical transfor- mation of an empty lot. Now about that name. The new Parkette could hear the name of a famous resident of I Iensall. the name will help brand and identify the village so it should be someone deserving of the honour that lived In the community. it could be a former politician a local artist or a local businessperson who was well known and contributed to the com- munity. Anyone looking to make a suggestion on the Parkette's mune is asked to email Mark Cassidy at m.cassidyetown.hluewate'r.on.ca or call 519-236-4351 extension 239.