NOT A SMOKING GUN BUT WORRISOME NEVERTHELESS - WOOLWICH OBSERVER

There are two very worthwhile articles in yesterday's Woolwich Observer. I might add that I read the Observer week in and week out. I particularly enjoy the Editorial opinions of Steve Kannon as he pulls no punches regarding the sad state of democracy both in Canada and around the world. I have worked very hard for many years to get along with everybody at the Observer with varying levels of success at varying times. Pre-Covid, Joe Merlihan was usually quite willing to have a chat in his office unannounced and I have on a number of occasions complimented Pat Merlihan for stances he's taken at Woolwich Council. I have also kept to myself a single moment of perhaps a too candid comment by Patrick at his request. Steve I have complimented here many times. I also know and respect their father through a mutual friend when Marty was a teacher at Elmira District Secondary School. .................................................................................................... Way back in 1995 it was suggested to me that the brand new Woolwich Observer was owned/funded ? by Donny Martin (Martin Feed Mills) and other Elmira industrialists who were very upset with Bob Verdun and the Elmira Independent. While I don't recall Uniroyal Chemical's name being explicitly stated, I had that impression and considering that Bob was routinely suggesting jail as an option or perhaps not tarring and feathering of senior Uniroyal staff; the impression in his paper was that the most extreme actions would have been completely appropriate under the circumstances. So as to leave no wrong impression, I felt then and even more in hindsight that he was right. ...................................................................................................... The one article yesterday was the Observer's Editorial titled "Elmira bypass a key part of revitalizing the core". The other was titled "Biogas plant operator expects little impact from approved changes". The Editorial suggests that "A bypass route that would take through traffic, particulaly trucks, off of Arthur St. and through, say, an industrial area on the east side of town would do wonders." Very few Elmirians would dispute the need for a bypass to get heavy trucks along with their noise and toxic diesel fumes out of the downtown. Also in fairness the Observer did mention that the Township "...has looked at options on the west side of Elmira.". They did not mention however that those options have been rejected by the Township. The other article primarily described an expansion of Woolwich Bio-Gas in Elmira's north end (Martin Lane area) but also described the east side bypass running from the south end of Union St. (near Arthur St.) and running northwards on the east side of town through the Martin and Stroh farms among others, then rejoining Arthur St. north via Kenning Place. Interestingly this Observer article mentioned that this east side bypass would be "...perhaps as part of a future expansion of the north-side industrial lands.". ...................................................................................................... The problem for me arises if indeed there are shareholders (or outright owners) of the Observer with skin in this game and the Observer are not advising their readers about that. An unbiased reader certainly would want to know if their local paper was in any fashion promoting local planning and development decisions that favoured shareholders etc. of that same newspaper. Besides my recollection from 25 years ago there has been the very recent Comment on Wednesday October 21 in this Blog from a reader with a long, local history in town. That commenter clearly accuses local, well known industrialists and developers of being shareholders of the Observer and hence the Observer are pushing their agenda in their newspaper. Personally I would like to know if that opinion is accurate or not. If so it would explain a mostly hands off policy regarding Uniroyal/Crompton/Chemtura and Lanxess especially say in the last fifteen years. If not I am still perplexed as to why the Observer have not stepped up and done their duty in keeping the public informed over the last five and a half years since the Elmira Independent shut their doors leaving the Woolwich and Elmira public in the dark regarding Chemtura/Lanxess and the RAC and TAG committees. There have been huge developments and public scandals exposed at TAG (Technical Advisory Group) that have NOT seen the light of day due to zero media coverage.