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06 | 29 | 2013 VOLUME 18 | ISSUE 26
ORGANIC FARM GROUP PLANNING A BUS TOUR VENTURE PAGE 12
COMMENT PAGE 6
PLENTY OF RISKS TO WEIGH IN BIG PIPELINE DEBATE VANDALS STRIKE SEVERAL BUILDINGS IN ELMIRA
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Council OKs parking ban for Elmira street
Portion of Snow Goose Crescent will see changes as township reacts to safety concerns raised by residents STEVE KANNON
Waterloo Regional Police are investigating an outbreak of vandalism that hit Elmira the night of June 20. The graffiti, which included racist and pro-drug messages, was found the next morning outside the Woolwich Memorial Centre, Bolender Park, Foot Foundation, and Elmira’s Home Hardware. [WILL SLOAN / THE OBSERVER]
Crime prevention requires multi-faceted approach, WRCPC group tells Wellesley councillors WILL SLOAN Stopping crime begins with stopping the cause of crime – that’s the message that defines the Waterloo Region Crime Prevention Council, according to a presentation to Wellesley council on Tuesday night. Outlining the WRCPC’s accomplishments as it enters
its the fourth and final year, community representative Frank Johnson delivered a presentation amounting to a greatest hits summation of the group’s anti-crime initiatives. Among the most visible programs has been THINK!, a social media etiquette campaign the
group has introduced in the region’s schools (the acronym, which kids are encouraged to ask themselves before tweeting anything, stands for “is it True, Hurtful, Illegal, Necessary, Kind?”) Some initiatives have been focused more on fostering a positive community environment than
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specifically eradicating crime, including the Volunteer Today program (pairing youth with positive adult role models) and the “Say Hi” campaign, which encourages students to get to know their peers by saying “hi.” The WRCPC will be expanding this initiative CRIME PREVENTION | 2
Safety concerns trumped convenience as Woolwich moved to prohibit parking on a portion of Snow Goose Crescent in Elmira. This week’s decision by township council frees up space around a school bus stop and community mailbox, a spot where parked cars cause a bottleneck, some residents say. Reacting to complaints from neighbours, the township proposed to prohibit parking on both sides of a stretch of Snow Goose Crescent running 29 metres south of Kingfisher Drive, ultimately opting for no parking within nine metres of the stop sign on the east side of Snow Goose, and no stopping within 29 metres of the intersection on the west side. The changes reinforce longstanding provisions in the provincial Highway Traffic Act prohibiting parking within nine metres
of a stop sign – a sign will be installed on the east side of the road – and clears the area around the mailbox and bus stop. Addressing councillors at Tuesday night’s meeting, Snow Goose Crescent resident Scott Willard, representing some of his neighbours, said the street is often filled with parked cars right to the intersection, causing visibility and turning problems, particularly for the school bus. “There are days where the bus cannot get curbside,” he said, adding it’s unacceptable to have kids getting off the bus in the middle of the road. “This has been an ongoing issue for the eight years that I’ve been there.” His concerns were echoed by neighbour Kelly Meissner, who said parked cars would block the view of drivers if kids in the area dart into the street. “It’s a safety issue,” she PARKING | 4
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