The
DAILY GRILL Restaurant
July Dinner Specials Available after 4:00PM 1/2 Rack BBQ Rib Dinner $13.25
Chicken Souvlaki Dinner $14.99
Homemade Stuffed Bacon & Cheddar Burger with Fries $9.99
615 Davenport Rd., Waterloo | 519-886-4752 | Hours: Mon. - Sat. 7am-9pm; Sun. 8am-8pm
BOOK US
FOR WEDDING & CORPORATE FUNCTIONS www.threebridgesbanquethall.ca
635 Hawkesville Rd., St. Jacobs
519-664-3041
07 | 12 | 2014 VOLUME 19 | ISSUE 28
INSPIRING STORY FOR ASPIRING RUNNERS SPORTS PAGE 11
COMMENT PAGE 8
TALK OF MEDIA MERGERS NOT IN THE PUBLIC'S INTEREST
Ward 3’s Bryant seeks Woolwich mayor’s seat
Linwood neighbours say “neigh” to horses in the village
Councillor cites the need for new leadership in tossing her hat into the ring, making it a three-way race so far STEVE KANNON
STEVE KANNON A horse is a horse, of course, of course. That is, of course, unless the horse is one of your neighbours. Some Linwood residents aren’t too keen to have a couple of horses stabled in their residential neighbourhood, showing up at Tuesday night’s Wellesley council meeting to voice their concerns. Ervin Albrecht of 5209 Ament Line is seeking a zoning change to allow the horses to be kept in the settlement area. He’s planning to build a 400-square-foot extension to an existing garage on the property to house the animals, which would be used as a primary means of transportation. In a presentation to council, township planner Geoff VanderBaaren said Wellesley has no provisions for permitting horses in settlement areas, unlike neighbouring Woolwich and Perth East townships that have blanket clauses in their bylaws for just such cases. Instead, site-specific changes to the zoning bylaw would be required. Among the regulations he recommends for such an amendment are controls on manure storage LINWOOD | 4
www.OBSERVERXTRA.com
Back in the saddle again Cowboys got bucked and chucked from horses and bulls at the second annual Mapleton Rodeo held last weekend in Moorefield. See more pictures on page 11. [WHITNEY NEILSON / THE OBSERVER]
A ward councillor for the past four years, Bonnie Bryant sees room for improvement at the head of the council table. With that in mind, she’s now vying for the mayor’s job up for grabs in the fall election. The Maryhill resident will be taking on incumbent Todd Cowan and former Ward 1 councillor Sandy Shantz. First elected to her Ward 3 seat in 2010, Bryant focused on the challenging gravel pit debate that proved to be a big influence on that election. With the issue largely resolved now, she said this week it’s the fundamentals that will be in play this time around – things like integrity, openness and fiscal responsibility. “I think we need some strong leadership,” she said, noting the administration should focus on making Woolwich “an even better ... place to live, work
and play.” As there are no big controversies on council’s plate – nothing like the gravel pits, slots/casinos or Walmart development that riled up the public in previous debates – Bryant said good governance itself is the priority. That’s especially true of dealing with the township’s infrastructure deficit. “We need to be fiscally responsible ... with all the projects ahead.” That means setting priorities for spending tax dollars and getting the public onside, and even more involved, with the choices. “We have to engage the public,” she said. “Where do they want to see their taxes spent?” She knows, however, that community engagement is something of an uphill battle when fewer than a third of us even bother to show up for an election MAYORALTY | 2
for veneer! 2 Kitchener: 68 Webster Rd.
LOCATIONS
behind ToysRUs
519.894.9997 Waterloo: 650 Weber St.N.@ Benjamin 519.888.9992 www.StoneLandscapes.ca