Young woman’s act of kindness touched our hearts
Sir: We would like to thank the valuable employee of a busy Sarnia coffee shop who helped us out recently.
We were looking in to see if a table was available inside, but many students from the high school were already lined up and waiting, so we decided to go elsewhere.
But before we reached the car a young waitress came out and asked us what we would like.
We ordered a sandwich and coffee, and a few minutes later, there she was, handing us our order.
When I tried to pay her she said, “No, thank you. I don’t have a grandmother anymore. This is just from me – enjoy!”
What a beautiful act of kindness.
These two great grandmothers would like to say “Thank You!” to her.
You made our day.
Marion Lawton
Gwen Johnson
Sarnia
COVID-19 vaccines are safe
Sir: The Sept. 23 letter from George Stanko “How safe are COVID -19 vaccines?” regurgitates debunked misinformation from the Internet.
The dangerously misleading claim that vaccines are leading to many deaths in recipients is nonsense. His claim is based on the U.S. Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS). When the messenger RNA vaccines made by Pfizer-Biontech and Moderna were initially released under “emergency use authorization,” doctors were required to report to VAERS the deaths of any patients from any cause following vaccination. This was done out of an abundance of caution and exceeded normal reporting criteria.
For example, if vaccinated patients subsequently died from a heart attack or stroke, physicians were asked to report these deaths to VAERS. However, analysis of death rates from heart attack or stroke has failed to find any increase in deaths from these conditions following vaccinations.
The messenger RNA vaccines have protected many millions of people in multiple countries from serious disease and death by COVID and have been shown to be extremely safe. Everyone who has received a vaccination can now feel confident that, although they may not be completely protected from infection, they are protected to a high degree from serious illness and death.
It is irresponsible to perpetuate the lie that these vaccines are killing people and the deaths are somehow being covered up. It is also disheartening to see Coun. Margaret Bird refuse to be vaccinated and misleadingly refer to the vaccines as untested and experimental (Sarnia Journal Sept. 23). Coun. Mike Stark is to be congratulated for making the motion requiring councillors be vaccinated and lead by example.
We need common sense leadership to get us out of this pandemic by promoting widespread vaccination, and we do not need misinformation and conspiracy theories aimed at causing fear and confusion.
Allan McKeown
Sarnia
Neighbours not consulted on intersection bump-outs
Sir: I live near the corner of Indian Road and Errol Road, where two years ago the city installed those yellow bump-out curbs near Errol Road School.
City council has decided to make them permanent without any input from the neighbours. They said after one year they would get the neighbours’ input. This was not done.
These bump-outs have devalued the value of neighbouring properties. And to add insult, council recently agreed to put up traffic lights at the nearby intersection of Indian and Cathcart Boulevard, where there is no school.
Council approved the bump-outs without public input and this little project of theirs has not succeeded. But they will not remove them, and snow removal around them is a disaster. Thank you,
Marnie Mackenzie
Sarnia
We need more data before lowering speeds citywide
Sir: Why is there such a great need to lower the speed limit in Sarnia?
Why is city council considering lower speeds around schools at all times, when schools become ghost towns once the final bell rings?
Why wouldn’t changing the speed limit be based on time of year, like we do with on-street parking?
The report to council argues that lower speeds citywide would make the typical driver wary of going faster, and that other cities are doing it.
I don't think these are compelling arguments when we don’t have real local data. The pilot Community Safety Zones should be used to determine whether lower speed limits would have benefit.
Why doesn’t Sarnia Police pick a Zone and enforce the speed there and see if there are fewer accidents.
Is getting the data not worth the time? Or is this just a way to justify automated ticketing machine?
Right now, we don't have any real Sarnia data on effective Community Safety Zones, which is a shame.
I think the proposal to drop the speed limit is bad, but council needs to collect the data to make an informed decision before impacting everyone's commute time.
What’s more, placing ‘Slow Down’ signs on boulevards where there is no actual need devalues their ability to work in the proper context. People should remove any signs that aren't needed.
Simon Langford
Sarnia