Councillor responds to last week’s letters

Dear Editor,
The purpose of letters to the editor is to spark debate, express one’s opinion, and possibly inform the public about a matter which the community is unaware, or present to the public a subject the press has failed or neglected to report. Ex-Mayor Armstrong had every right to express his opinions. If some citizens didn’t find his remarks appropriate, they have the right to respond. They are also entitled to make their opinion public. I now wish to use my right to express my opinion on their remarks.
Mrs. Ruff, I believe you should realize and appreciate that in a case of this type, the amount of information that the Council and Administration can disclose when faced with this type of action is very limited. Ex-Mayor Armstrong and the previous council acted in the appropriate manner by not releasing any details thus far. In this case of the lawsuit against the Town, it is my opinion that the local press has made a decision to not report this important story. If the citizens didn’t know about the lawsuit, don’t blame the previous council and Ex-Mayor Armstrong; you should inquire from the local press why they have ignored this.
Mrs. Stamler, your comment “it was his actions and the last council that led to a series of unfortunate events “is an interesting statement. I may be incorrect but this seems to say to me you may have more information or knowledge surrounding this situation than other members of the public. Perhaps you would like to elaborate further and tell the citizens what actions exactly of Ex-Mayor Armstrong and his council you are referring to and from whom you received the information. If you strongly believe what you said is correct and I certainly don’t question your sincerity, please back up your assertions with facts.
Mayor Ewald, you are well aware of my opinion on this matter and the appropriateness of, and the timing of this trip as it has been a matter of discussion at several council committee meetings. At this present time I will not make my comments public. However, I agree with and fully support your statement, “The legal case in question is before the courts and will be decided on its merits ….. “I take this comment as your commitment to allowing it to stay in the courts. Only time and your future actions will tell if this statement is what you really believe and if you will honor this commitment. Finally, your remarks concerning the previous council’s non-progressive energy isn’t in my opinion comments that a leader who had spoke of teamwork, cooperation, and moving forward would make considering two members (Gerry Marchuk and myself) of that past council are present members of this council. I fail to see how comments like that would create an environment of cooperation and respect.
–Brent Anderson
Town Councilor
Rainy River