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6 stouffville suntribune thursday dec 12005 0m stouffville bm suntnbune a metroland community newspaper 34 civic ave 3rd floor stouffville on l4a 7z5 publisher ian proudfoot editor in chief advertising director distribution director marketingpartnership debora kelly retail flyer sales circulation director business manager nicole fletcher barry black debra weller robert lazurko advertising director director circulation york region printing director production classified real estate systems general manager interactive media events management lynn pashko bob dean john futhey gord paolucci editorial how can anyone oppose openness who would argue against open gov ernment the type of government that doesnt sneak behind closed doors every time something sensitive or politically embar rassing surfaces certainly there are issues that need to be discussed outside of the glare of pub lic scrutiny for the good of taxpayers they include buying or selling property legal affairs and personnel matters such as disciplining a town employee under the municipal act those are the only issues councillors should discuss in private but the definition of what falls within those categories can become murky in some cases municipal councillors have discussed their own salaries in the com fort of a private session arguing its a per sonnel matter in other cases less weighty but possibly embarrassing topics have been debated in secret theres little private citizens or reporters can do to pry open the closed door when they think councillors are overstepping their rights under the municipal act and there are no penalties when municipalities keep taxpayers in the dark but a champion for open government may be on the way in the form of a pri vate members bill called the transparency act introduced by sarnia- area mpp caroline di cocco the bill is expected to go to its final reading soon perhaps the most important part of ms di coccos bill is a provision to apply consequences for going into private ses sion illegally currently a citizen who believes coun cillors are breaking the rules mst sue the municipality a prospect that can cost thousands of dollars and hours of per sonal time pitting david against goliath is no way to empower citizens under the transparency act residents would complain to the provinces privacy commission which could impose penal ties if private meetings were found to have been held improperly it would at least help keep local politicians honest but some york region politicians including aurora mayor tim jones bristle at the suggestion private meetings arent always on the up and up we get elected supposedly with the trust of residents to make things happen this act assumes guilt before innocence mr jones contends and perhaps aurora council has never abused the situation but its this kind of reaction that makes citizens wonder why their elected officials would oppose being monitored and penalized if rules are broken christmas around the world 5anta parade letters to the editor legion should be given space in new memorial park i noticed activity taking place in the parking lot north of the royal canadian legion branch 459 in stouffviue earlier this fall upon closer examination i determined the cenotaph and memorial garden surrounding it are undergoing some renovation as they were looking a little derelict and neglected lately i was glad to see they were receiving some much needed attention and although i was heartened to find these efforts are being spearheaded by a group of volunteers i was more than a little disappoint ed to learn from them their actions were neces sitated by the fact that the town lends little or no support to the creation or maintenance of this most deserving of monuments and when the corner of main street and ninth line gets fixed by york region and the town of whitchurchstouffville the legion itself may find itself in a mighty precarious position to say nothing of all the other homes and businesses affected by those improve ments to realign the intersection some homes and business are already close enough to the street to give a new meaning to the phrase drivethrough seeing as the legion is already bursting at the seams and has no surrounding space for the kind of activities it would like to hold per haps this is the right time for the town to offer up some space in the new memorial park to allow the legion to expand its facilities at the very least it should free up space to allow for a proper cenotaph to be built that might properly reflect the contribution made by veterans the stouffviue suntribune welcomes your letters all submissions must be less than 400 words and must include a daytime telephone number name and address the stouffviue suntribune reserves the right to publish or not publish and to edit for clarity and space write letters to the editor 34 civic ave po box 154 stouffviue l4a 7z5 email jmasonyrngcom or fax 9055137525 editorial production managing director new editorial editor manager business flyer sales 9055131717 suntnbune jim mason jmasonyrngcom pam nichols pnicliolsyrngcom dawna andrews dandrewsyrngcom fax9055137525 advertising a york region newspaper group community newspaper administration advertising managing director 9055131717 classified the suntribune published every thursday arid saturday is office manager vivian oneil classified manager ann campbell real estate mike rogerson l80o7433353fax 9058531765 a member of the metroland printing publishing and distributing ltd a whollyowned subsidiary of torstar corporation metroland is comprised of 70 community voncilyrngcom acampbcllyrngcom mrogcrsonymgcom distribution 9055131717 publications across ontario the york region newspaper group includes the liberal serving richmond hill and events management retail manager thomhillvaughan citizen the economist sun markham shows manager staceyallen cavxgai miitol the erabanner newmarket aurora stouffvffle suntribune georgjna advocate york rcgton business times north of the bonnie rondeau sallcnyrngcom aumbovdumtxr coonc city yortuegkmcom and york region printing brondcauymgcom in light of the importance of the sacrifices made by these men and women it is only fit ting their monument be in a place where citi zens can remember and appreciate their con tribution to our freedom every day of the year not just nov 11 considering everything the veterans and legion have done for stouffviue including being one of those organizations everyone turns to when some worthy cause needs to be funded it is high time we return the favour as the town considers community input for the future of memorial park i hope that due consideration will be given to holding true to its name memorial park and as for those who decry war memorials as glorification do well to heed these words of king george v upon viewing the massed graves and memorials in flanders belgium i have many times asked myself whether there can be more potent advocates of peace upon earth through the years to come than this massed multitude of silent witnesses to the desolation of war hugotkroon bethesda off the top with jim mason forecast calls for smiles on santas parade route santa was dodging puddles and watching the snow melt on stouffvilles main drag tuesday could be a messy one jimmy the man said during a scouting mission in advance of saturday afternoons stouffville kinsmen parade in his name but it will be a good one am snow or whatever always is the children make it that way maybe it was the upcoming feder al election or the oncoming busy ness of the holiday season but santa sensed tension in the good citizenry of whitchurchstouffville maybe the parade will get them in the christmas spirit he said he remembers a parade here in the late 1930s a real reindeer unconfirmed reports ay it was rudolph pulled santa from ringwood to the fire hall then locat ed in the heart of downtown firefighters handed out candy to the children who followed the sleigh there are fastfood restaurants with drivethroughs sports bars bank machines and traffic lights on the route now not that santa stops for red lights but some things dont change even with all the new people moving into stouffville its the same people i see doing all the communi ty work he said and over the last few years some of those fine people have passed away i wonder if theyll be replaced santa may wear red but thats not an endoresement of the martin liberals hes a man of the world a friend to all and he will not get into election predictions so he wont say if any mps will be replaced but he says theres a mes sage behind the madness of cam paigning during the holidays santas really happy about the election he said a glint visible in his eyes it means lovely gifts to the chil- dren and adults no not political patronage or sudden funding for federal projects in whitchurchstouffville but if the children watch how the candidates treat each other over the next two months theyll know how not to act try putting that one under the tree mr claus see you saturday forecast calls for smiles jim mason is editor of the sun- tribune