Wednesday, October 11, 2006 · Page 3 Councillor honoured for years of public service BY SARAH FISHER Ward 4 Councillor Peter Timmins is being recognized with an Ontario LongService Award. The award is given to municipally elected officials with 25 or more years of public service. Timmins has been a municipal representative since 1980. "First off they wanted me to run for mayor," Timmins said about how residents in the area encouraged him to enter politics. "I said, `No, I'd like to try council first.' So I ran for council and served from PETER 1980 to 1982." From 1984 to 1998 Timmins served as the mayor of Harrow. After amalgamation, he was the deputy mayor of Essex from 1999 to 2000. He is a farmer with cash crops as well as cattle, and has property in three different municipalities in Ontario, including Ottawa and Dresden. Timmins said he received a notice in the mail within the last month from the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing about the award. Essex town administrators nominated him, he said. "It's nice that they do recognize you," he said. Mayor Ron McDermott said Timmins' length of service is uncommon in politics today. "There are not many more people like him in the whole county that are still reigning," McDermott said Oct. 9. "... It's almost a thing of the past that someone would stay in office that long and serve their community for such a long time. It's tremendous." Timmins was unopposed in the filings for the municipal election Nov. 13. He was acclaimed as the councillor in Ward 4 at 5 p.m. Sept. 29. "Municipal council is the closest to the people," Timmins said. "Sometimes you TIMMINS have to make decisions that people may not like, but you have to make decisions based on common sense and for the good of the people." Timmins studied forestry at the University of Toronto and graduated in 1964. He worked for the Provincial Department of Public Highways and was part of the surveying team for a portion of Highway 401. For 31 years he worked at the Agriculture Canada Research Station in Harrow studying insects. Timmins said he couldn't say for sure if he would continue to pursue a position on town council. "We'll see what the future brings, who knows," he said. For All Your Financial & Insurance Needs... See Us Today! ESSEX K of C FISH FRY TO BENEFIT THE ESSEX AREA FOOD BANK FRI., OCT. 13, 2006 AT HOLY NAME CHURCH . . . . . . . . . . 4:30 `TIL 7 P.M. PICKEREL DINNER . . . . . EXTRA PIECE OF FISH . . CHILDREN (UNDER 10) . CABBAGE ROLL DINNER . HOTDOG POP AND CHIPS .$10 .$15 .$7 .$8 .$2.50 DPM INSURANCE GROUP Phone: (519) 776-6457 TRAVEL WITH CONFIDENCE WWW,FORSYTHTRAVEL.COM 29 Talbot Street North, Essex, Ontario Kingsville residents urge council to be leery of wind turbines BY SARAH FISHER KINGSVILLE Essex town administrators are interested in how our neighbours are handling offers from windgenerated power companies. Kingsville town council hosted a public meeting Oct. 4 to hear from residents about recent offers regarding wind turbines. The day before, Minister of Natural Resources David Ramsay announced crown lands located in Lake Erie near Kingsville, Leamington and Ruthven would not be used by Southpoint Wind Power. The proposal would have allowed 119 turbines to be placed off the shoreline. The decision was welcomed by many residents in the community who are leery turbines may appear in other locations in Kingsville. "Proponents of wind power don't want you to know about wind power," David Lee, a local engineer, said to the panel of town councillors. "Here are the facts that are slowly being revealed around the world ... . The erratic fluctuations of wind destabilize the existing fuel source. Wind turbines operate ineffectively between 11 and 49 km/h. They also operate ineffectively on smog days." Essex Chief Administrative Officer Wayne Miller attended the meeting at Migration Hall. Approximately 10 different companies have expressed interest in Essex as the future location of their wind turbines. The town's official plan does not currently address the issue. The meeting may give Essex some information about forming its policy, Miller said. "I found the main presentation extremely interesting," Miller said Oct. 6. "I will certainly forward the information to council and we'll see what we can do to get a response from government about the data provided, including the European experience regarding the environment and economic viability." Miller is seeking a response from government about Bill 51 that was drafted by the McGuinty government in 2005. Lee mentioned the proposal in his speech and said if it passed it would give the provincial government total control over private sector energy operations regardless of any objection by a municipality. Any mention in a town's official plan would be moot if it passed, Lee said. Lee also commented on the turbines' effect on wildlife. He said studies in Europe show turbines affect the migration patterns of birds. SEE DANGERS, PAGE 5 Established in 1948 · OT 0046911 76 TALBOT ST. N. 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