|
Editorial Page
The opinions expressed on this
page are those of the contributors, not necessarily those of the
Walden Community Action Network. Anonymous Letters will not be
accepted.
Send correspondence to
Info@Walden-Can.com
The Fight to Keep
R.H. Murray PS Open
As a vital
resource for our communities- now & in the future!
As Co-Chairs and long-time residents of Walden, Richard Bois and I (and
our spouses) spent 2 hours on Friday night, in the Beaver Lake Sports
and Cultural Club, attending the R.H. Murray Community/Parents Meeting.
Cathy Stadder-Wise, Chair, R.H. Murray School Council & member of the
ARC-Sudbury West had invited us to attend.
We went to listen and to learn ‘first-hand’ what the west-end
communities & parents think about the Rainbow Board’s Administrative
Council’s recommendation on December 17,2007 to close R.H. Murray PS.
What we witnessed was a hall filled with parents (several children),
grandparents, residents- young and old- from Beaver Lake, Nairn, Penage,
Whitefish, Worthington & other communities in Walden plus MPP Gelinas,
School Trustee Santala, School Trustee Fox, several ARC-Sudbury West
members, and the media.
What we heard loud and clear, is that the communities and parents will
fight to keep R.H. Murray PS (the only elementary school in over 400
square kilometers west of Lively to Espanola) open- as a vital resource
for their communities- now & in the future! They support the ARC-Sudbury
West Options- all of which recommended keeping R.H. Murray PS open! They
will do everything they can to keep R.H. Murray open for their children
and their children’s children.
We learned that:
a. Members of ARC-Sudbury West were surprised on Dec. 18, to hear the
announcement of Jean Hanson’s Administrative Council recommendation to
close R.H. Murray. This recommendation utterly disregards the three
Options developed by ARC members. We were told that in all three, five
sets of schools- with five sets of parents, teachers and principals, had
reached consensus that R.H. Murray is an important resource to the
community and therefore should be kept open.
b. Mr Price, a former Project Manager at INCO – with 35 years of
experience evaluating and implementing projects on budget and on time-
is in the process of evaluating the ‘numbers’ in the five School
Valuations- as posted on the website. He is appalled! The bottom line of
his 45-minute power point presentation is that the figures don’t add up!
Significant reference information and costs are missing. And he is not
yet finished with his evaluation!
c. Throughout what should have been a celebration of Christmas holidays,
the Parent Council and the communities have been busy coordinating their
campaign to fight the closure of R.H. Murray PS. They have been: sending
letters to parents; booking the Beaver Lake Hall; sending letters to the
Editor, websites, and to residents; doing interviews for radio, TV and
newspapers; phoning and emailing Trustees and politicians and holding
planning meetings. With the final decision by the Rainbow Board to be
made on Feb.18th they are encouraging everyone to get involved and to
continue lobbying by contacting the Trustees to
express their desire to keep their children educated at R.H. Murray.
They will be
exploring all possibilities!
Walden-West communities should not have to
fight to keep R.H. Murray open.
The final ARC-Sudbury West Report - developed during the nine months’
ARC process- although not pleasing to all community members, was a
creative & viable alternative to the status quo. Each of the three
Options recommended R.H. Murray remain open.
Walden-Can continues to strongly support ARC Option A!
”… Represents the committee’s response to input provided by the
community at public meetings…A majority of the committee supports this
option as the preferred choice…consideration for the future through a
new green school l[which] addresses the facility concerns at the two
schools with the most pressing issues- George Vanier (with its actual
physical condition) and Jessie Hamilton (over enrolment without space to
grow)…also responds to the enrolment pressures at the secondary school
by providing potential for growth by developing a Grade 7-12 focus
through moving Grade 7 and 8 students…recommending that FI be provided
Grade 7 –12…having Copper Cliff students feed into the secondary school
in Lively…also responsive to community’s desire to have a school located
in each community (Whitefish, Lively and Copper Cliff)”
From Nov.12, 2007 ARC-Sudbury West Report
The Director, however, has chosen to ignore vital aspects of this
thoughtfully produced report and has indicated that her wishes are
otherwise.
If the Rainbow Board supports her recommendations as opposed to Option A
in the ARC Report- the preferred choice of the committee and the
community- I feel they will have made a mockery of all the agonizing
done by the ARC-Sudbury West members and all of the parents, individuals
& community groups (including Walden-CAN) that conscientiously worked
within the Ministry guidelines – in each step of the process.
If a plan was already conceived, there was no reason for our schools &
communities to be part of the ARC process. The Sudbury West
accommodation review would not be a democratic process – but an exercise
in showmanship! Telling us that the Ministry insists that this ARC
process be followed is not a good enough answer!
On February 19th we’ll learn who makes the decisions impacting the
future of our rural schools in the outlying communities of CGS- the
School Trustees, the Administrative Council or the Ministry.
Value to our students and value to our communities should outweigh
value to the school board.
Note: The final opportunity for public input is at the January 21st
Board Meeting in Council Chambers at Tom Davies Square. Deadline for
Briefs is Jan.11
For more information check
www.Walden-CAN.com See our Beaver Lake page, ARC-Sudbury West
page, Letters page or
www.URSudbury.com or
www.rainbowschools.ca
Gwen Doyle, Co-Chair, Walden-CAN
March 3/07
Letter to the Editor:
One Interchange- 2 Locations Proposed
for Southwest
By-Pass Four-laning Project
One
Interchange – 2 Locations Proposed for the Southwest By-Pass Four-laning
Project: The two Interchange alternatives proposed are: Fielding/Kantola
Rd and Southview Drive. Regardless of where the Interchange is built,
there will be collector roads, running parallel to the By-Pass – on
north & south sides. However, after construction there will be no access
on to the Southwest By-Pass – except at the one Interchange.
The
Fielding/Kantola Rd. Alternative, in our opinion, is the preferred
option.
Access to the Southwest By-Pass is
vital for:
-
Emergency Services
(fire, police, ambulance) to:
-
Large
residential population south of By-Pass
-
Industrial
sector along Fielding Rd.
-
Daily Travel east
or west along By-Pass by:
-
Large
residential population south of By-Pass
-
Industrial
sector along Fielding Rd.
-
CGS road
maintenance/snowplowing, garbage/blue box collectors etc
-
Utility
services suppliers
-
Tourist &
year-round public access to Fielding Memorial Park:
-
The Bird
Sanctuary
-
The
Trans-Canada Walking Trails
-
Special Events
held at Fielding Memorial Park
If the residents of Walden
don’t speak up, in support of the Fielding/Kantola Rd. Interchange - at
the Thursday, March 8/07, Public Information Centre 2, from 4 –8pm at
the Countryside Arena – they could lose access to the Southwest By-Pass
at that location.
If you are unable to attend the
March 8 Public Information Centre 2 and/or want further information,
check
www.sudburyswbypass.ca to contact the Project Team.
One of the questions we should
ask is: What is the cost – MOT capital dollars, MOT/CGS long-term
maintenance and life-style – of constructing 2 Interchanges VS
constructing two 2-lane collector roads on the north and south sides of
the Four-lane By-Pass and one Interchange?
Concerned citizens of
Walden,
Lucy Lambert and Les Burford, 692-
5530
Re Policing or lack there of
Walden Senior Citizens and Pensioners’ Inc.
P.O. Box 488
15 Kin Drive,
Lively, ON
P3Y 1M5
Dear Walden-CAN Executive,
It has been brought to my attention by the Seniors of Walden
area that they have many concerns about policing.
(1) Vandalism (private property, Senior’s Centre, Anderson farm)
(2) Break and enter
(3) Theft of property (hanging plants this summer)
(4) Concerns for safety
(5) Speed of police response
A year ago at this time I came before the Walden-CAN with these
concerns. You responded by having Constable Zuliani and Chief
Davidson before the committee. They stated that Walden had a low
crime rate so the policing was sufficient. I would like to keep
the crime rate low by having more police presence. We all know
parking police cars in front of the store front does not deter
criminals.
I am sure there are more than Seniors interested in this matter.
(1) Business owners
(2) All property owners
(3) Parents with small children and teenagers
(4) Walden-CAN as representatives of the public
This summer numerous fires were started at the Anderson Farm
Museum. This site is a meaningful treasure for the citizens of
Walden and the City of greater Sudbury. If we were to lose any
building on this site it would be a loss of public pride,
tourism and business for our community.
I respectively request that Walden-CAN set up a task force to
investigate policing in the Walden area, before our safety
deteriorates further.
Sincerely,
Mary Frances Barr, President, Walden Seniors and Pensioners Inc.
Intersection HWY 144 and Regional road 24
At the Jan. 8th board meeting of the Walden
Seniors and Pensioners', concern was expressed about the lack of
lighting at the junction of HWY. 144 and Regional Rd.24.
As you approach from Chelmsford to make a left turn to 24 or
make a right or left onto 144 from 24 the lack of light, we
believe is hazzard.
This matter was presented to Terry Kett some time ago, with
little result. (This may not have been his fault)
A flashing red light has been installed on Regional Rd. 24 but
this does not solve the problem. I believe we all know to stop.
We just want to be able to see better. A Street light on the
corner would let travellers on 144 see the intersection as well
as those on 24.
If there are others who feel the same way, please notify us so
we can make a unified attempt to correct the situation.
Let's do this before we have a serious accident.
Sincerely,
Mary Barr
President of Walden Seniors and Pensioners'
Phone to the Centre 692-5591
Home phone 692-7109
Penage/Panache
I have noticed on the main web
page the different communities, well Penage is a Hotel in
Whitefish and the lake is spelled "Panache`" as Lake
Panache` which is named by the Whitefish Lake Native Indian
Elders. I was once told by Mr. Felix Sky an elder that has
passed away but years ago he told me that Panache` means
'beautiful waters' or ' rough waters'. So for the word 'Penage'
in the community of Whitefish is a Hotel not the lake community.
As I am fully aware of the proper spelling I wish for it too be
changed to the proper spelling of Panache`. It is also a proper
name of a 'parfum' in France.
gord lundgren
Lac Panache`
Policing in Walden?
As I
arrived for work on Saturday morning, Nov.11th, I was
informed that there had been a break & enter in the business block. This
building contains our pharmacy as well as a convenience store, hair
salon, tanning spa and several apartment units. The break-in had
occurred the night before.
After checking the rest of the building, I made a call to the Police in
Sudbury, after trying in vain to reach an officer at our local office.
This call was made prior to 11:00am Saturday morning, and I was
told that an officer would be dispatched when one became available,
although I did explain that we were not sure if the person had in fact
left the building.
An officer arrived to investigate after 6:00pm Monday night!
During those two days, I was informed that a vehicle parked next door
had also been vandalized the same night as our break-in.
In my opinion, this response time does not seem adequate, especially
considering the accessibility and vulnerability of both business and
residential tenants to this crime! Unfortunately, this type of response
from our “local” police force is not uncommon now. Our local officers
are now spending most, if not all of their shifts covering other areas
of the city, often due to staffing shortages in other areas of the city.
Frequent calls are being made from businesses in the area, as well as
citizens at our Library/Seniors Centre, with absolutely no response from
our police officers.
The citizens of Walden are currently paying for a service that is not
being provided, despite the fact that a huge (and growing) portion of
our local taxes is being spent on policing.
The concerns, complaints and safety of the residents of Walden are not
being addressed adequately by our police service and its time that this
change. Perhaps a local panel or action group could be established, to
work with our police force to address our current level of policing. The
Citizens of Walden deserve the proactive, visible and available police
service that we’d had for decades.
Sincerely,
John Palys
Owner- Lively Pharmacy (692- 3214)
|
