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M e e en teermeremameen Mae > t CC OO OO O AApppe C .i «um 4 â€" THE COLBORNE CHRONICLEâ€" Thursday, May 1, 2008 d ® ® b : The Colborne Chronicle | e Cl S 1 O C a e ) Published by | ® * Osprey Media Publishing Inc. F | ‘N/ I I ns ‘N/ I I Publisher: Don MacLeod \ 1 1 P.0. Box 208, 11 King Street East To the Editor: Colborne, Ontario KOK 150 o 0 ‘ ‘ Once again, our community finds ourselves in an emotional and conâ€" Tel: 905 355 2843 t 4 troversial situation regarding the Keeler Centre. Our elected officials Fax: 905 355 1639 J | who we have elected have made a tough decision to discontinue a caterâ€" Our eâ€"mail address is ing business. f s 4 chronicle@belinet.ca : The previous council wrestled with the issue since the operation started. In their wisdom, be it right or wrong, they dismissed the previâ€" isnn o _ o o oi i n en nc ie ie e To ous manager, hired a new one who was made aware of the problems and | was given a mandate to fix the problems, relieving the taxpayers of havâ€" L h E d â€" | ing to pay the losses. Now, going on two years later, the problems appear j ette I‘ tO t e ItO r to be still here with no fix in sight. t | ; Having said that, let‘s look at the issues troubling our community, o which are emotional â€" the loss of Donna Rusaw as an employee along R h k with her support staff and the centre becoming a white elephant. On the e ln C Osure contrary, I believe we have created an opportunity for Ms. Rusaw to become an entrepreneur. Ms. Rusaw‘s passion is food and catering and it * ® is no secret she has a private catering business. \ 0 cate I’ln SerV’lce | The facilities for the Rotary Room are not changing and the kitchen | « | remains in place. Ms. Rusaw will have the opportunity to cater to any | group large or small, special occasion functions, private weddings, etc., | To the Editor: C N hiring who she wishes to work for her, creating her own menus, her own Thers hay b. th it hi m & prices without the interference of management, council or any taxpayer, Peliove it neceessa(:;riooke:; ihvgzfll)igctofn(ti plibsllilcbisv‘;trzsg‘s)ggfi‘;‘]‘é’ but I )j _ | and an opportunity to build a lucrative business for herself â€" not tied to t 3 1 â€" i 4 "s j & I am writing to add my name to the list of those who decry the closure | 1‘ alrli(;hlé:.eler Genike enleriopdomicslel. uhichoyeriwheteverishs $ tlhfiggigl?; Centre lliotarty. Loon c_agerlingfservxce_ maneâ€" ¢ â€" As for the Keeler Centre, nothing changes. Sill the same great place a emacs i om one longâ€"time resident 0 Colborne who just last week | , offering the same service for the users, an opportunity to choose a caterer attended the centre five times for various social events. This is just one | , of their own choice. I believe this creates a win/win situation for everyâ€" . resident in one week enjoying the facility. one _ All to whom I‘ve spoken consider this to be a wrong move. I believe | ; | A 114 3 f j i d Ts % s for council, it relieves them of the pressures of operating a business ;?gffi?%gcaeg%‘g dl;lrlftslpresintt form, with its .dtedlcated.alnd competent | . which is better served by private enterprise; relieves them of employees uen it thisclorin hau gsse 0 our community. We will miss it very and the administrative cost of the same; gets them out of running a busiâ€" i wonudcrnts tt%erepvea:io phenmsurer a ; & ness which, in some cases, actually competes with some taxpayers in the NOX no public input or discussion on this matter I community; will reduce insurance costs; an opportunity to adjust salaries before making such an arbitrary decision? I do realize we have elected | and be in line with other municipalities, owning and renting a facility; " council to make decisions for us, but we expect these decisions to be reaâ€" and not having to answer to the taxpayérs about using tax dollars supi sonhed and comrilon sense ones and this seems to me to have been done porting a losing business rather secretively. * it 4 : i § f 5 f ; § As for the taxpayers, it would be a comfort in knowing their tax dollars 3 ma SI et)htu}fi{s tfggitlftveil; ;fégceeg:;;re 01;?”?5? a}ts l_ossf(lf that 1ndeeg1 is the are not subsidizing the users of the Rotary Room. History very clearly o Richwoenein dykee aad mani\pz ou(; le 2 “g 0 ?:lrl community, one tells us government bodies â€" municipal, provincial or federal â€" should. aas 2 nanage ourselves and not allow sundry other not be involved in operating business. They are always inefficient, and Organizations to use the facility without our control over food and beverâ€" | . annually we can always see that, as their answers are always the same: gaâ€" ~â€"mec en > | i i : i ; We subsidize the ice time, and this is fine, but that is to the benefit of f ;fii;fiffiifg fggu?’trhg;‘;feg’fe: e eepasre pande nothing excent pay on]thc;r‘lIee%seggefgit(glg;tg ‘éfigfigfi tlzjfl’-lta?/% 2;‘.15 ufle the ml‘k to skate. $ As a supporter of the Keeler Centre, I believe this situation now gives # i nctagime nictna ve enjoyed several occasions at the | . everyone, the service clubs, the hockey leagues, the figure skating clubs, | f{eer;fgafg I‘-Il a]llrtl)%v e’lgrtl e?cy aertléi Vq\(fig(siér;%:tell)%l:)ratlo}ls, rrlIe;norlalgfiNew ; the Firemen‘s Association and other community groups, an opportunity fobe soreadiiv.available fous, Seasions, I tear. will now, to be creative in their fundraising attempts and the freedom of choice. . \ If the managers of our community who voted or proposed this move | notllfi}r]:; giggrz};gl:llliglllnsofi%fi;fii;%?tfifiigwe ie i o u § are reading this, I would ask you to revisit your decision; rethink and | P Gary Warner / Colborne then trash the idea. To me, at least, it makes no sense. f P I | "Too costly" and "poorly managed", I believe, were reasons given for its projected closing. Hmmm. I can think of another way. Reduce redunâ€" f dant town staff jobs (why do we have a tourism coordinator? I actually | | The Colborne Chronicle believe the Keeler Centre staff are better at that). And what exactly is a | + Director of Community Services? We had one last year and he was also | $ 4 oo â€" Posuserr/Crnerar head of the Keeler Centre so two for the price of one. But, he was disâ€" 2 k ManaceEr missed. Ken Wood, if you are out there listening, I think you were lucky gs | m x 1_ Don MacLzop to have escaped this madhouse. We also have the highest salary levels 4 & us ?fi!i !’ | (| for a community with the least population in the county. | : | Af ts / [ sAE .. Mauny h]gARTIN’ â€" John Wood / Cramahe Twp. | â€"| e se Eooo yc C= um , 4 | : Lh Pm 1‘ » EILEEN Aroves, f EDtTOR F Bob Owen Colleen Parnell Maxagige Lo‘ $ Editor Sales : Representative 122