Disgusted reader says First Spike committee editorial was out of line

Oct 24, 2007

To the Editor:

Re: “Putting The Work First,” Oct. 12 edition of the Almaguin Forester
I have to say that I use to enjoy reading the Almaguin Forester from cover to cover, but I think I’ll give it up after seeing the editorial in the Oct. 12 edition about the resigning of the total First Spike Committee in Bonfield.

Were you at that particular council meeting A.C.? (I am presuming A.C. stands for Andy Campbell, since he’s the only ‘staff writer’ with those initials.) You had one part right in your editorial, the part that said “If you find yourself getting angry or frustrated, or you notice others feeling that way, then something is wrong.”

Did you bother to ask any of the resigning members why they all quit? I think not, or you would not have said “the first people who step up are not necessarily always the best people.”

These volunteers were all ‘great’ and very committed people, and I think when you see a whole group of volunteers resigning at thf volunteers resigning at thly, we’ve been wondering why ssse same time they can’t ALL be wrong.

I was at that meeting Mr. A.C., and I did hear from their spokesperson that the group did not want all their problems recorded into the minutes of the meeting so as not to publicly embarass councillor Foisy. (Whether he was in the right or in the wrong), but something about his leadership had them all upset.

(Hence) I think it was so totally wrong of you to insult their integrity by saying they were no good. In fact, A.C, your editorial was a disgusting read. Public humiliation sure isn’t what I thought the Forester was about.

Did you even stop to think that maybe the new committee got the caboose painted so quickly because of all the hard work the first committee did? (Or that) the resources were now in place to procure what they needed for it? Sure, this committe got a fairly big donation from a company but, you know A.C., each volunteer brings their own ‘