Aurora Council is once again dealing with the issue of whether or not to blow. Surprisingly, I am not talking about Council meetings, but about the ongoing debate about train whistles at level crossings.

It seems that a number of residents have been complaining about the noise from trains blowing their whistles at night when traveling through our fair town.

The obvious question must be asked, if you don’t want to listen to a train whistle, why did you buy a house close to a train track. It seems the folks who live close to train tracks should accept responsibility for their initial decision.

It’s kind of similar to backing on St John’s Sideroad or Bathurst and then being surprised when they widen the road because of increased traffic. Or purchasing next to hydro corridors and then being surprised when the want to run higher voltage lines through the same corridor.

Too often today, people are very quick to blame others for their own short-sighted thinking.

Mayor Morris is quoted in The Banner stating, “Residents have dealt with this problem long enough.” That will be cold comfort if someone is harmed because the whistles are stopped.

I know there is strong opinions on both sides of this issue. So let’s hear what you think. And be sure to vote on the survey.

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There was a very important Letter to the Editor in The Auroran (page 8) this week from a lady disappointed by the poor turn out for the”Candlelight Service” to honour our veterans. She asks the question; where were you?

She rightly points out the sacrifice made by the many who served and died so that we enjoy the freedoms we have today.

With TV and video, we have more exposure to the conflict in the world today than ever before — and therefore a greater understanding.

One has to wonder;

• Are schools teaching?
• Are parents teaching?
• Are grandparents sharing?
• Are children listening?

If we don’t learn from our past, are we destined to repeat the mistakes in the future?

Something to think about more often that November 11th each year.

What can we do to make sure that future generations have a “real” understanding of the cost of our freedom?

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A few readers have expressed concern about “the person” behind AURORA CITIZEN, and why they have not declared themselves. Interestingly, the folks who have expressed this concern are solely those who are offended by criticism of the current Council and always sign themselves as “anonymous”. Hmmm?

The fact is, there is no single person behind the AURORA CITIZEN, any more than there is ever a single person behind any open community discussion. There are simply a number of concerned citizens who are interested in their community that decided to open an online conversation to see if others shared their concerns or had other issues they would like to bring forward.

If you are interested in the well-being of our community you can become a contributor to this conversation as well. Simply send an email to moderator@AuroraCitizen.ca and express your interest, or send an email comment as a guest post.

Any topic is welcome and as long as the discussion is respectful, the post will be posted unchanged. The direction that the conversation takes is dictated by those who participate.

Which brings us to a second point. The tone of some of the comments have become quite personal and vindictive. These comments have been rejected and will not be published.

This vehicle is intended to provide an opportunity for all sides of an issue discussed. It is not intended to slam individuals because you disagree with their point of view. A more productive option would be to share facts that demonstrate another side of the issue.

That said, we do acknowledge that elected officials are subject to comment because they have chosen to stand for office. This is unfortunately one of the downsides of public service, but obviously one that is well understood by those who choose to serve.

It is our sincere desire that this vehicle become a balanced and relevant conversation in our community. Together we can make that happen.

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Since this blog started in late August, there have already been 100’s of visitors. It has started to become a gathering place for the people of Aurora. We are excited by the many comments and the range of issues and opinions.

As our Mission Statement says, It is intended to stimulate and facilitate a community-based conversation about what you like, don’t like and would like to see changed for the better.

The conversation has started, but it will only become a powerful voice in the community once it has broad-based readership. Readership increases daily, but we need your help.

Please take a moment today to forward this post to other interested Aurorans inviting them to check out the site. It’s quick and easy when you use the envelop icon immediately below. Plus you can include a personal message of your own.

My family has lived in Aurora for many years. We love it here. Whenever we talk to friends who don’t live here, we are reminded how lucky we are to live in a small(ish) community but still close enough to visit the “big city” whenever we need something we can’t get right here in Aurora. But really, who needs to go to Toronto very often. Just about everything you need is right here.

However, with busy schedules, we often don’t have the time to keep up with what’s happening in town. So to augment our local papers, I have decided to create an online community where folks who have news and views about the community can gather.

Hopefully you will find it time well spent and add your voice to the conversation.