Staff at the Kingston Area Recycling Centre recently mused on ways to reduce curbside garbage and one of the suggestions made was to require that garbage be put out at the curb in clear plastic bags so that any recyclables and compostables in the bag that were being sent to landfill could be seen and the bag rejected for pickup

Going over the Causeway this summer, attending meetings in air conditioned buildings and shopping in air conditioned stores, elicits my nod of gratitude to the wind turbines on Wolfe Island. At the same time, I am reminded of the recent outcries against the wind farm, about human health risks, about bird deaths attributed to the turbine blades, and about its location.

When I emailed residents to say that I was going to step down as Pittsburgh’s councillor, many responded that they did not know that I was an elected Board Member of the Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO) and the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM), and expressed an interest in both organizations. Although I enjoyed the work on both boards, it is the FCM that was the most interesting and the most fulfilling.

Twenty-two years ago, Leonore Foster entered politics. In November this year, that era comes to an end, when Leonore passes the torch to a newly elected Council Member. On June 19th, the people of Pittsburgh township and several dignitaries gathered at the Barriefield Rock Garden to show their appreciation and celebrate Leonore’s successful career.

John Gerretsen, MPP said, “There are two types of politicians, those that complain and those who shine. Leonore, you are a shining example of a positive influence.”

An issue about which residents contact me a lot is their concern about the speed of traffic on the streets where they live. Residents are increasingly worried by speeders, by motorists using the neighbourhood as a short cut, by aggressive driver behaviour, and by failure of motorists to obey stop signs.

With the introduction of the provincial Green Energy Act, the city will be taking advantage of the increased prices offered to generators of electricity, under a 20 year contract, by installing solar panels on some existing municipal buildings. It will also look at incorporating energy generation into the construction of new municipal buildings. Some of the first buildings on the list for solar panels are fire stations and the Utilities Kingston (UK) building at 1211 John Counter Boulevard, so keep an eye out for the installations.