Sir: There has been quite a fuss in The Chatham Voice and other news media about Mayor Randy Hope’s suggestion we could move the war memorial into a more appropriate place.
I’m not concerned about Mayor Hope’s suggestion. It was obviously thrown out as a trial balloon to gauge peoples’ reactions.
But Chatham doesn’t have a very good record for keeping important or historic artifacts. Remember the historic 44-foot corn mural, made for Chatham’s 1979 International Plowing Match? It was thrown into a dumpster a few years ago because of an alleged misunderstanding between different members of city staff.
Remember the historic 25-year-old Chatham mural that was placed near the Downtown Chatham Centre at considerable cost by retired farmers Henry and Lila Faubert? It comprised 350 pieces of clay and portrayed urban and rural life in Chatham with the River Thames a focal point. It’s in storage … somewhere.
Never mind. The municipality owns a rusty $3-million-plus 26.2-mile CSX rail corridor, including 180 acres of land, between Chatham, Dresden and Wallaceburg. Weren’t we told how this railway track will prove to be invaluable for businesses, which is probably why our mayor keeps dashing off to China? Probably he hopes the rusty tracks will persuade Chinese companies to locate in Chatham-Kent so they could utilize the railway.
I am being sarcastic.
Stephen Beecroft
Chatham
