My street looks like a moonscape
Sir: I could not agree more with your editorial regarding the sorry fact of city councillors abdicating their responsibility for city street maintenance.
I work hard at maintaining my home and spend time, effort and money in keeping my most expensive asset in top shape and good working order.
I also pride myself in presenting a home with curb appeal through attractive landscaping and a well-manicured lawn.
But the curb appeal stops at the curb. Look beyond it and it would appear that my neighborhood is on the proverbial south side of the tracks. My street looks like a moonscape!
My house was built in '62 and I presume the street hasn't been paved since. Most of my neighbors also take pride in their homes' appearance. But the condition of the street is embarrassing and makes the neighborhood look shoddy.
It's too bad city councillors don't seem to understand that. It's time to open the purse strings and do what's right for our neighborhoods!
Councillors need to keep up their end of the bargain in keeping our neighborhoods attractive and pleasant places to live.
Fraser Williams
Sarnia
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We should lower our flags in unison
Sir: While boating under the Bluewater Bridges on Father's Day I noticed that the American and Canadian flags to my left, in Port Huron, Michigan, were at half-mast.
I wondered briefly why that would be the case and assumed it was a tribute to the shooting victims in Orlando, Florida. I then looked to my right to see that the equally majestic flags of both countries in Point Edward had not been lowered.
I'd like to suggest that we lower the flags on the Canadian side to half-mast any time our neighbours do so, and make them aware so they have the opportunity to do the same, and inform us of when their flags will be lowered.
The flags are a symbol of our solidarity and friendship, and I think we would all see the strength of that bond more clearly if we could look on each other’s shores and know they are with us in our time of mourning.
Mark Moran
Bright’s Grove
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Coverage of SCITS graduation appreciated
Sir: Thank you so very much for your coverage of the SCITS graduation ceremony on June 19, in the June 16th edition of the Sarnia Journal.
The photography by Glenn Ogilvie was, as usual, superb. The blue and white he captured said it all to me.
I was in the auditorium on the night of the graduation. Two highlights were the Valedictorian speech given by Daniel Marr, and the presentation of a diploma to 84-year-old Reginald Learn.
The applause and cheering he received as he walked across the stage was heard by all the neighbours around the school, I’m sure!
Once again, I thank you for your coverage of a very special evening in the history of a very special school.
A proud grandmother of a SCITS graduate, 2013.
Mary Ettinger
Sarnia Journal
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Road extension must be stopped
Sir: The compelling case for preserving the nature trail north of Exmouth as a treasured community asset has been expressed in The Journal by myself and others.
This letter addresses the utterly flawed design of the Rapids Parkway extension from the perspective of traffic flow.
Exmouth Street intersections had 53 accidents in the period from January to September of 2015. Exmouth beat London Road (47) for the distinction of having the highest number of accidents in the city.
The Parkway extension needlessly adds more vehicles to this situation – needlessly because many of the drivers do not have business on Exmouth and are just passing through.
It’s irresponsible to add more traffic to this situation when people are already getting hurt.
Rapids Parkway residents who may be tempted to welcome the extension from an access perspective should give consideration to the extra traffic that will be coming their way.
If the extension is built, the shortest route from Twin Lakes to the Quinn Drive retail area will be through your subdivision. Substantial additional traffic will be passing through, once again in an area where it has no business.
The Rapids Parkway extension is a very bad idea and its implementation needs to be stopped.
Andrew Brennek
Sarnia
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Is the White Hoodies campaign a joke?
Sir: In response to the June 23 front-page story "Rolling Up Your Sleeves," some thoughts come to mind:
1 - Wearing a White Hood on Fridays? We have another organization that begins with K and ends with K with a K in the middle that wears White Hoods.
White Hoodies is just acute poor taste, or is it intentional? So are the Mavericks with White Hoodies the neo K...? Or is this a joke?
2 - Supporting any kind of agenda that is solely gender focused is myopic. If we are ever going to address this never ending issue of social injustice related to gender from inequality, bias, prejudice; we need to appreciate gender neutrality rather than an emphasis on gender division and victim mentality perpetuation. It is a new progressive policy to refrain from supporting any kind of organization that is solely based on gender.
3- There is an ancient samurai iota of wisdom: "Before blindly leaping to the aid of the weaker, know this that even the weak are capable of much insidious evil.”
John Goodsmith
Sarnia