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OPINION A little kindness goes a long way We've all been there before-- held at the mercy of a contractor or repairman, frustrated that help isn't forthcoming when you need it. Helena DeSalvo of Norval was living every homeowner's nightmare recently when she tried to get someone to help her fix her leaky roof. With the wet weather we've experienced this month the problem was only being exacerbated and frustrating DeSalvo even more. For three weeks she called area roofers-- seven in total-- only to get the brush-off or the runaround. She wrote to the Independent & Free Press last week, not to enlist our help, but to vent her frustration with the lack of service she was receiving. Reporter/photographer Ted Brown wrote about DeSalvo's plight in Friday's edition and within a hour of the paper being on the street he received a call from a local contractor offering his help. By noon Saturday, DeSalvo and Brown had received 18 responses between them from roofers/contractors willing to lend a hand to DeSalvo. As it turned out, DeSalvo enlisted the help of Kevin Blondin of KB Enterprises, who showed up at DeSalvo's house early Saturday, spent several hours repairing her roof and then-- unbelievably-- told her there was no charge. "I didn't come here to fix it for the money or the recognition," said Blondin. "I just came here to help out someone who was frustrated and needed help stopping the rain from coming into her house." Blondin admitted to being "angry" when he saw the poor workmanship that led to leaky roof and added "it gives all roofers a bad name." His magnanimous gesture is to be commended for sure, but it should also act as a reminder to all business owners of how to deal with prospective customers. For her part DeSalvo was moved by the response to her plight and intends to contact everyone who offered help to thank them for their concern. Not only has DeSalvo's roof been restored, but her faith in her community. "It makes me feel so good, knowing there are so many good people like that (Blondin) out there." LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Trustee wrong to offer recommendation Dear editor, Not one to be of any particular political bent, or being one who gets bent about politics, I did recently take exception to an article in your paper on the retirement of Ethel Gardiner. While I recognize Ethel has done a good job in her position, there is still a lot to be done and a lot of political debate remains on who is best suited to replace her. It is every person's right to state their personal opinion when it comes to a replacement. That being said, I do not believe it appropriate that an outgoing trustee provide a recommendation on any individual in a manner that may influence voters and have the support of the newspaper in doing so. I know it is done, I simply disagree with the process unless equal time is provided to the competition. While Ethel's selection of her recommended replacement is a valid candidate, he is not the only one and I believe all candidates need to be evaluated on their individual platforms, not on the outgoing trustee's personal views. By stating one candidate has "integrity", is she saying the other candidates do not? Is she saying the community will not be "well served" by all the candidates? Will the others not work "tirelessly" as well? I believe all candidates have the ability to service the community "well", as Ethel clearly noted. That being said, my preferred replacement for Ethel is the one who goes "well" beyond that. Richard Van Dyk, Georgetown First Volunteer Fair was a great success Dear editor, The people of St. John's United Church recently hosted their first Volunteer Fair. We had 25 agencies exhibit and almost 200 prospective volunteers, many of them young people. In the words of one exhibitor, Marlene Beitz of Links2Care: "The best part of the day was to network with other community groups and get to know other volunteer co-ordinators in our sector. We often need to work together to create a synergy where more can be accomplished. Interest from potential volunteers was a bonus! I left feeling very good about the work that we do, and the interest that so many share in serving our community." Thank you to all who attended. It was our pleasure to encourage others to help our community! Nora Lipp, St. John's United Church Election sign thefts a `sad situation' Dear editor, For the second time in four nights, campaign signs supporting the election of Mayor Rick Bonnette have been removed without permission from three homes on George Street. Signs supporting a candidate for regional office were not disturbed. A search of a nearby park and of the immediate neighbourhood leads me to suspect that the complete disappearance of the signs is the work of an adult rather than a young person. If this is indeed the case, what a sad situation exists in our town where the right of a citizen to support his candidacy for public office and the right of an individual to support the election of the candidate can be overridden by an individual who feels his right to dissent supercedes the rights of fellow citizens and justifies his theft of the property of others. Those of us who cherish the benefits of democratic government must step forward and protect our rights by voting for the candidate of our choice in the municipal election on November 13, 2006. To do anything less only encourages those who choose to impose their will on the masses. To paraphrase Edmund Burke, "all that is necessary for evil to prevail, is that good people do nothing!" Peter O'Meara, Georgetown