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Tuesday June 24 2008
 
Dear Editor,
I’m reading the cover story to the June 13 issue of The Banner and I am forced to ask myself, why am I reading about this mindless drivel? Kids going to Island Lake P.S. are having problems crossing the highway. Ok, I have kids I understand ... but I thought the school board originally had buses providing safe transportation for the same kids across the same road?
Then I remember, the kids were not using the provided buses (as reported by the Orangeville Banner et al), so the parents complained. The school board then had the provincial government lower the speed limit in the area and stationed a crossing guard there.
Now we have a problem with the solution they wanted and were granted. Ok, how about we provide buses to transport kids across the road safely? No wait, the parents don’t want to deal with that. Hummmmm... How about a tunnel under the road? How about a bridge across the road? Or even better a large cannon to shoot the kids.... no that is silly.
How much time and effort do we have to waste on this issue? Both the municipal and provincial government have spent time, effort and money to resolve this issue.
Pick an option and deal with it.
I also find it interesting that the local paper makes no reference in this article to the previous issues about this intersection as I have. Good job reporting the facts!
Rob MacPherson,
Orangeville



Dear Editor,
I just read with interest that June 1 to 7 was proclaimed “Access Awareness Week” in Orangeville by Town councillor Gail Campbell. To help celebrate, Orangeville Transit was offering free transit for persons with disabilities. That would be wonderful if it included everybody with disabilities, and not only those in wheelchairs.
In my profession, I work mainly with seniors, some in wheelchairs, and some that rely on their walkers to get around Orangeville.
The buses will only lower their ramps for wheelchair patrons, leaving those with walkers on the sidewalk, physically unable to get on the buses. It’s impossible to ask a 100 pound 80-year-old to carry their walker up four stairs to get onto the bus and apparently, for legal reasons, the bus drivers are unable to help them. There has to be a solution to this problem.
We’re denying hundreds of seniors the opportunity to explore and shop in our great town. If we’re going to be “accessible”, let’s go the extra mile for everyone. Hoping that there’s a solution to this problem
Sharon Foote,
Orangeville



Dear Editor,
The 2008 Orangeville Blues & Jazz Festival was our most successful yet. The town came alive with excitement after a long, hard winter.
The fantastic music, great weather, and large crowds of happy people made for a truly memorable weekend. I am very proud of our talented and dedicated board members who work for months ahead to organize all the great events over the weekend.
We could not do this without all of our 100 volunteers in the bright orange shirts who seem to be everywhere helping out and acting as goodwill ambassadors for the town. They work miracles all weekend long to make things run as smooth as they do.
Our heartfelt thanks goes out to the generous sponsoring businesses and music venues, individual sponsors, Orangeville BIA, Town Of Orangeville, Farmers Market, Orangeville Seniors Centre, Royal Canadian Legion and the Government Of Ontario.
Finally I would like to express thanks to my wife Norma and my family for supporting my efforts to create the festival over the last six years. We are all blessed to live in such a beautiful town. Orangeville is the place to be on the first weekend of June!
Larry Kurtz,
Festival Director