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TuesdayDecember1620145LETTERSTOTHEEDITOR15YearsAgo...FearsforstarvingdogsAseeminglymalnourishedgroupofdogshasbecomeacauseofconcernformanyFortSmithresidentswhowonderwhytheissueofneglectedstrayandproblemdogscantseemtobeadequatelyaddressedbythepow-ersthatbeinthecommunity.IssueDecember14199920YearsAgo...EnvironmentalstudyindiamondcountryannouncedTheterritorialandfederalgovernmentsannouncedastudyofenvironmentalsocialandeconomicissuesrelatedtomineraldevelopmentinthecentralNWTlastweek.TheareaknownastheSlaveGeologicalProvincehasbeenthefocusofinternationalattentionsincethediscoveryofdiamondsin1991yetthereislittlebase-linedataontheregion.IssueDecember14199430YearsAgo...SmithvotesfordamFortSmithvotersvotedtwotooneinfavourofde-velopmentofadamontheSlaveRiverinaplebisciteheldinconjunctionwithlastMondayscivicelection.Thedamreceived383votes61percentofthevoterswithonly198peoplevotingagainst.Almost10percentofvotersfailedtoanswerthequestion.IssueDecember131984ARCHIVESNorthernJournal2014JoinusonlineLikeNorthernJournalonFacebookandgettheweeklynewsdeliveredtoyourfeedFACEBOOKFEEDBACKPeopleneedtobehousedandfedandbeforeyoustartlookingattoomuchmorethanthatyoucantex-pectpeopletowanttogetridoftheiraddictionsiftheydonthaveawarmplacetobeandfoodintheirtummyvoicedHayRiversLauraRoselastweekuponreturningfromthesecondannualAnti-PovertyCoalitionround-tableinYellowknife.Hungerhousingandhelpforaddictionstopprioritiesatanti-povertyroundtableEileenGourLeanneDievertLeeLavioletteandPatSheltonlikethis.MineraldiscoveryholdspromiseforDeneminingcorp.JuneSimpsonJuststoptalkinganddoitEditorWhileattendinglastweeksTownCouncilBud-getmeetinglisteningtoaone-waydiscussiononwhythePublicLibraryBoardsrequestforincreasedfund-ingwastobedeniedthewell-attendedpublicshow-ingwasntinvitedtocom-mentarecentstatementIcameacrosscametomindwhichIthinkcoversmyfeel-ingsaboutthissoimportantpointedstalematebycouncil.Ifyoucouldcondensetheentirepopulationoftheworldintoavillageconsist-ingof100people80wouldliveinpoverty70wouldbeilliterate50wouldsufferfromhun-gerandmalnutrition1wouldownacomputer1yesonlyonewouldhaveauniversitydegreeMyconcludingstatementisWemustkeepourlibraryopenandavailableatalltimespossibleandpromoteliteracyatallcosts.ReadingfostersknowledgeandknowledgehelpsouryoungpeopleinFortSmithtosucceedinlife.SincerelyyoursIbKristensenFortSmithEditorIwasdisheartenedthisweekbyTownCouncilsre-fusaltosupportthecom-munitylibrary.Withoutadditionalfundingtheli-brarywillhavetoreduceitsalreadyminimalhours.Librariesplayanintegralroleinacommunityoffer-ingrefugeandescapetoyoungandoldalikeandtoshyawayfromitsneedsisavoteforanti-intellectualismwhichreflectspoorlyonusall.ItrulyhopeTownCouncilreconsiders.ThankyouforlisteningJamesieFournierFortSmithEditorMyfamilyandIusetheMaryKaeserLibraryaboutonceaweek.WearepartofthestatisticsthatgivethelibrarythehighestusagestatsofanyofFortSmithscommunityservices.Wewillfinditverydisappoint-ingiflibraryservicesarecutduetoalackofappro-priatefunding.Ihopethatthemayorandcouncillorsconsiderhowimportantthelibraryistoourcommunityandreconsiderthefund-ingoptionspriortopass-ingtheirproposedbudget.KrisJohnsonFortSmithEditorIwasdisappointedtolearnthatdespiteclearsup-portfromthepublicforthelibrarytoretaincurrenthoursourcouncildidnotseeaneedtoreconsiderthedecisiontoreducehours.Severalofusratepayershavestatedawillingnesstoseeamodesttaxincreasetomaintainthisimportantpublicservice.Councillorsshouldrememberthattheirchildrenbenefittedfromthecurrenthoursofoperationandprovidingouryouthwiththisserviceisasim-portanttodayasitwas510or20yearsagoandmaybeevenmoreimportanttoday.Theyouthwhodousethisservicecouldbedoingalotworsethingsthanusingli-braryservices.Pleasere-considerthisdecision.MauriceEvansFortSmithEditorWelovetheMaryKaeserLibraryItisagreatspaceforresearchhomeworkandfindingbookstoreadjustforthesheerjoyofreading.Thelibrarystaffarewelcom-ingknowledgeableandal-wayswillingtohelpusfindwhatwearelookingfor.IfourlibrarydoesnthavethebooknoneedtodespairTheinterlibraryloansys-temallowsustoborrowbooksfromlibrariesacrossCanadawhichmeansthatalthoughweliveinaremotelocationwecanstillhaveaccesstothesamebooksfoundinlargercentres.Ourkidslovetoperusethebooksandmoviesavailableforloanandoccasionallywillplayboardgamesorbuildstructureswiththeeduca-tionalgamesandtoysavail-ableforkidstousewhileatthelibrary.Wehavealsoenjoyedpresentationsandreadingsatthelibraryputonbyvisitingauthors.Thecomputersatthelibraryarealsoavaluableresourceforthosewithoutcomputersathomeandoftenwewillseepeopleworkingonresumesschoolprojectsore-mail-ing.Wesincerelyhopethatthelibrarywillbeabletocontinuetoofferthehoursofoperationandprogram-mingthatithasinthepast.TheVenemaFamilyFortSmithEditorWewenttoTownHallonTuesdayDec.9tosupportourlibrary.Butsadlyno-bodywantedustoaskques-tions.Andonlytwocouncil-lorssupportedourlibrary.AsanimmigrantfamilywedonothaveanyextendedfamilyinCanada.WespendlotsoftimeatthelibrarywithourkidsborrowingbooksandDVDsplayingwithtoystalkingtoourfriendsthreetortoisesjoiningkidsstoryandread-ingclubdoingcraftsmak-ingnewfriendsandhavingbirthdayparties.Wehavelotsoffunthere.Wealsoseesomefamiliesdonothavecomputersathomesotheygotothelibraryafterschoolkidsstayattheli-brarytokeepsafeanddoscientificstudieswithli-brarians.Frominfantstoeldersfrommorningtoweekendwithvariedpro-gramsourlibraryisawell-usedresourceinourtown.Ourlibrariansarealwaysbusyanddoanawesomejob.Thereisnocasualtimeforthem.Welovetogototheli-brary.Weknowtheyalwayshavelightsinthelibrarythatrelaxusandwarmusinsuchalongwinter.Idonotwantmayorandcounciltoreducethelibrarysbud-getthenreducethelibrarysservicetime.Ohnopleasekeepourkidsplace.Weloveourlibrary.Wesupportourlibrary.Wearewaitingforourmayorandcounciltogiveusafairresponse.MinSunandOliverRaabFortSmithEditorPleaseconsiderthevalueofthelibrary.Thehoursarelimitednowandtocutbackwouldbeverysadforthemanymanyusers.DarylGrundyFortSmithEditorIwasextremelysaddenedbytheFortSmithTownCouncilsvoteonTuesdayagainstamotiontoprovidemorefundingtokeeplibraryservicesattheircurrentlev-els.Iworkedatthelibraryin2012and2013andIcanassureyouthatitisanex-tremelywell-usedandwell-lovedfacility.Itisincrediblybusyeverydaywithpatronsfrominfantsthroughtoel-ders.Inadditiontotheex-cellentcollectionofbooksDVDse-booksandcom-puterstationsthelibraryisalsooneoftheonlywel-comingandsafeplacesforchildrenandyouthtohangoutinourtown.IhopethatbeforethefinalbudgetvoteonTuesdayDec.16thosecouncillorswhodontun-derstandtheimportanceofthisservicewilltaketimetovisitthelibrarythemselvesandtalktotheirconstitu-entsaboutthisissue.KirstenBradleyFortSmithFortSmithcaresaboutthefutureofitslibrary