River Town Times - April 22, 2020

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Wednesday, April 22, 2020

Local churches having to change approaches due to COVID-19 pandemic

By Ron Giofu Local churches have had to modify the way they deliver services to the public, with some opting for technology to get their messages to their parishioners.

Rev. Dr. Tim Reddish from St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church said they have still been able to connect with parishioners, despite not being able to meet in-person at services.

“Yes, folk are generally good with phone calls, emails, Facetime, etc. Some do not use email, so I have written to them by mail. We are encouraging - and relying - on people maintaining their links. It is perhaps particularly hard for those who live alone,” said Reddish.

Reddish added they have been posting virtual services online for over two weeks and continued Good Friday and Easter Sunday. He indicated that will continue until regular services are allowed to resume.

“The reaction to the services has been very positive, though this is no substitute for meeting together,” he said.

All other activities in the building, such as fitness classes, Brownies, Guides, and similar meetings, have been cancelled for now, Reddish added. He acknowledged parishioners don’t have much choice other than to deal with the circumstances caused by COVID-19 but noted there are those who have delivered groceries to others that have difficulty leaving their homes.

Reddish pointed out they “plan a special clean” of the church prior to the resumption of regular services.

Pastor Bob Wismer of Community of Christ Church said their church was “very quick to recommend we close our individual congregations to help stop the threat of spreading the COVID-19 virus through our congregations and meetings in our buildings,” adding that the local church will be closed until further review until May 1.

Wismer believes they have been able to connect

Special to the RTT

Matthew Kulbacki, musical director at St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church, plays a hymn during Easter services at the church. The congregation was not inside, and this photo is a screen shot of the live stream the church offered. with their congregation “fairly well,” noting that a congregational e-mail list allows him to communicate.

“Generally speaking, I am sharing various prayer concerns within the congregation as well as sharing links to ways we can connect in worship via Community of Christ websites. We also have a few angels in the congregation who are calling people on a daily basis, making sure that we all stay connected and doing a sort of spiritual wellness check,” he said.

For Easter services, Wismer said they encouraged

people to access services that were broadcast from the world church headquarters in Independence, Missouri.

“I think there is some comfort in knowing that you are sharing a worship experience with a larger congregation, even as you tune in individually inside your own homes,” said Wismer. “On an ongoing basis, Community of Christ has a listing of online ministries that are being provided by numerous congregations around the globe.

Our daughter has even been tuning in to online Sunday school.”

Continued on Page 2

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2 – River Town Times – Wednesday, April 22, 2020

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Local churches adjusting their services due to COVID-19

Continued from Page 1 Wismer added several members of our congregation view a service from the Centre Place Congregation of the church in Toronto.

“It has been quite a wonderful experience to know that you are part of a global community sharing in a common belief, trying to overcome the challenges of the pandemic that has encircled the globe,” he said.

For the most part, all programming has stopped, he said. They are encouraging people to stay home and follow guidelines provided by the medical professionals in Ontario.

“I'm not sure any of us are OK with this situation, but we are all coping as best we can. There have been people within the congregation who have endured some difficulties during this time where the challenges of life continue in spite of the pandemic,” he said. “Our Canada East Mission Centre President was diagnosed as having contracted the COVID-19 virus, but I am happy to say that, as of (Friday), he has been declared fully recovered. For others, especially those in the congregation who

are frontline workers or have family members who are frontline workers, the virus hits particularly close to home and causes a great deal of stress and worry.”

Wismer added “through our various methods of communication, we are trying to ensure that no one feels as if they are alone or facing this situation by themselves.”

Community of Christ Church has been sanitized beyond its normal cleaning, he stated, noting it will be sanitized once more before meetings begin again.

Pastor Tim Schneider at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church said he has used “a mix of both virtual and telephone communications to keep connected with people.” Schneider noted he does a live stream of services on Facebook.

“I try to keep these services as close to normal as I can in order to give the people as much of a sense of normalcy as I can. I still do the announcements as I usually do, and run through the service as normal,” he said. “Of course it is unusual to do so in an empty church building. I've worked out how I can do the whole thing by myself, including music that I've prerecorded with my wife at home.”

Schneider said the church had Wednesday services during Lent, which he would live stream from his home.

He calls parishioners during the week, especially those whom he’s aware might be struggling, or who don't have Internet access.

Plans for Easter and Good Friday largely stayed the same, he said, aside from the fact they were not gathering.

That meant no Holy Communion, he noted.

Schneider said all other gatherings have been cancelled, with Wednesday morning Bible study moved to Facetime.

“Ladies' meetings, men's breakfasts, mercy projects, Sunday morning Bible study have all been put on hold,” he said.

Schneider said it has “been difficult to walk the line of wanting to care for my people's spiritual needs and also look out for their health and safety.”

“It has helped knowing that the church has been through this kind of situation before during the 1918 flu outbreak, as churches all over Canada and the United States closed and cancelled services for about a month and a half. This situation is unique in

that it might last longer, and is coming through the highest of festivals in our Christian faith,” he added.

The daycare at Good Shepherd closed temporarily due to provincial restrictions.

“Our daycare had already met the day before that order had come out and had planned to close the daycare by Wednesday of that week, so we were already preparing to shut our daycare down,” said Schneider. “We had to lay off our staff for the time being. However they were wonderful on the day of closure as we had three staff members volunteer to come in and help clean and sanitize their part of the building.”

Most people are about as OK with the situation the church is in, he noted, as “the majority of people understood and thought it was good to be on the safe side since many of the people in our congregation are over 65.”

“I've been working from home for the past two weeks, so I'm at church about once a week, and even then I am the only one in the building,” said Schneider.

Father Matt Kucharski at St. John the Baptist Church said they are also trying to stay connected with parishioners.

“Each week we send out our bulletin to each parishioner that provided us an e-mail. We also post the latest developments on our parish website and parish Facebook page,” said Kucharski.

“We are using Facebook to periodically send out a reflection video for people to ponder. We have created a Facebook prayer page for the parish, where our parishioners can submit any prayer needs they have at this time and then everyone connected to the page prays for those intentions.”

Kucharski said with the number of other parishes that already stream Masses, St. John the Baptist Church elected not to set one up, “but we make sure our parishioners are aware of the different places they can watch the Mass either on TV, the internet, or other social media.

“We recognize not everyone uses technology, so we are also phoning each parish household to see how people are doing and if there is anything we can assist them with,” he added.

Kucharski added Holy Week and Easter Masses and services were “celebrated, but unfortunately at this time, are celebrated by me privately.”

Parishioners were informed of the times so they could "join" Tabby in prayer if they wish in their homes.

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Wednesday, April 22, 2020 – River Town Times – 3

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ACS outlining programs being offered during COVID-19 pandemic

Submitted photo

Amherstburg Community Services (ACS) is still running its Meals on Wheels program during the COVID-19 pandemic. They are also now offering a drive-up food bank, will be part of United Way’s “Windsor-Essex Seniors Call Assurance” program, still transporting seniors for essential shopping and medical needs and are continuing to offer its “Keep the Heat” program.

By Ron Giofu Despite their office being closed to the public due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Amherstburg Community Services (ACS) is continuing to step up and help the community.

One of the measures ACS will be implementing is a drive-up food bank service.

Amherstburg Community Services will house the Amherstburg Food Bank when they move into their new office space in the community hub nearby at 320 Richmond St. and be manned by their volunteers, but in the meantime, ACS is helping facilitate food bank operations out of their current location at 179 Victoria St. S. ACS executive director Kathy DiBartolomeo said people can connect with the agency, set up an appointment and, once ACS determines the needs of the families, a family member can drive to their Victoria St. S. location and have a food order placed in their trunk. She noted they are practicing physical distancing as much as possible.

“We’re just announcing it now,” said DiBartolomeo, though noted they have already

Town gives update on operations during COVID-19 pandemic

By Ron Giofu The Town of Amherstburg has given an update on its operations during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Councillor Don McArthur brought the issue forward at the April 14 meeting, in response to a recent letter to the editor by local resident Anthony Leardi that appeared in the River Town Times. McArthur asked for a response from either Mayor Aldo DiCarlo or CAO John Miceli and both issued verbal replies.

DiCarlo's rebuttal letter came in the form of a paid advertisement, which runs in this week's edition of the River Town Times.

McArthur said the town is still in the midst of a state of emergency due to the global COVID-19 pandemic as well as potential flooding that the region faces. He said he didn't want the letter to go unanswered “because I think we need all hands on deck right now.”

Miceli confirmed there have been 33 staff members laid off as of April 14.

“When it comes to redeployment, yes, we have redeployed staff,” he said. “We have redeployed staff and have ramped up a lot of our communications. As you know, the mayor is communicating heavily with the community on a weekly basis, providing weekly updates. We are tweeting out on a regular basis through Twitter and through Facebook. We are using all avenues of social media. That has all been done primarily by redeployed staff. We have been doing that in accordance with the emergency response plan that was approved by council.”

Miceli added one of the town's primary responsibility going into an emergency was to assess staff needs at the time of the pandemic.

“We are now moving to phase two because we believe, in the Town of Amherstburg, that our emergency operations centre and our community control group has a really good handle on the pandemic,” he said.

Flooding is also becoming more of an issue around the region, he added.

Continued from Page 8

had people pick up food orders outside the agency doors and have brought food orders to the homes of seniors who have difficulty leaving their homes.

Once an appointment is made for the drive-up food bank, the needs ACS will ask about include how many people are in the family and proof of residency.

“We’re not going to ask for proof of income. We understand the conditions,” said DiBartolomeo. “We figure if they are calling us, there is a need.”

ACS is performing other measures to help older adults and others.

“We’re also doing grocery shopping for people, especially for seniors who can’t get out,” she added. “We’ll pick it up and deliver it to them.”

ACS will be one of the agencies involved with the United Way’s “Windsor-Essex Seniors Call Assurance Program.” That program will allow seniors who feel isolated and disconnected to receive regular security checks and referrals to other supports in their area, such as ACS. It is a confidential support line for Windsor-Essex County residents who are over 55 years of age.

The number for the Windsor-Essex Seniors Call Assurance program is 1-877-7712677 and the service runs Monday to Friday from 9 a.m.-4 p.m.

Residents can also call 211 seven days a week, 24-hours a day for information on local social, government and health services. That program is available in over 100 languages.

DiBartolomeo said by older residents signing up for the United Way service, the seniors can have someone to talk to and be placed in contact with services they might require.

ACS is continuing to run the CareLink accessible transportation for essential medical appointments and essential shopping trips, DiBartolomeo added. For the latter, she stated “we’re trying to keep the same hours as the seniors hours in the morning” that some local retailers are offering.

People can book appointments by calling the ACS office at 519-736-5471.

“We are still doing Meals on Wheels if people can’t get out and don’t have access to grocery shopping,” DiBartolomeo continued.

Meals on Wheels drivers and volunteers do their absolute best to practice physical distancing as well, with volunteers wearing masks and gloves as they make their rounds. DiBartolomeo added they only go into a home if there is no way for the senior to come to the door. ACS is also requesting people leave coolers outside the door so Meals on Wheels volunteers can leave the food there and wait for confirmation that the resident has taken the food out of there.

DiBartolomeo further stated that ACS continues to run its “Keep the Heat” program.

“We do have assistance for people with their heating bills,” she said. “The program is still up and running.”

ACS has been receiving numerous donations from the communities the agency serves. Those communities include Amherstburg, McGregor, Harrow and LaSalle.

For more information on Amherstburg Community Services, people can call them during regular office hours (8 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 8 a.m.-4 p.m.

Friday) or visit www.amherstburg-cs.com.

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4 – River Town Times – Wednesday, April 22, 2020

Churches using live streaming

Continued from Page 2

“We have informed them of other locations in Canada and the U.S. that are live streaming these celebrations, including by our Bishop in London,” he said. “Last year we registered with a Catholic resource, Formed.org, that provides videos, live streaming and e-books for the people to access to help them enter more fully into this sacred season and help them with their faith journey.”

All programming at St. John the Baptist Church has ceased, he added, though they are in the process of setting up opportunities using Zoom or something similar.

“For the children preparing for sacraments, we have provided the families with materials and resources they can use or access at home on their computers,” he said.

www.rivertowntimes.com Kucharski added no one has spoken to is happy about not being able to attend Mass and are looking forward to being able to gather again, but are understanding overall.

He said it has been “encouraging” to see parishioners look out for each other during the pandemic.

Prior to the custodial staff layoff, the church was cleaned/sanitized so that it is “ready to go” when the restrictions are lifted, he said.

Kucharski noted “these are trying times” and especially disheartening that it is happening at the key time of our liturgical year, Holy Week and Easter. If this is the sacrifice they have to make to “eradicate this virus,” he added, “then that is what we need to do.”

“This is the time when families and the faithful come together to celebrate faith and one another,” he said. “We can still 'celebrate' these great feast days, but just not in the same ways as usual.”

Pastor Brandon Cousineau at Amherstburg Community Church gave credit to the team there for its efforts during COVID-19.

“They have been working hard making sure the church

A response from the Mayor On April 14, 2020 Amherstburg Town Council passed a motion to respond to a letter to the editor written by Anthony Leardi titled “Drop tax rate five per cent to help taxpayers”.

Although I can appreciate the writer’s suggestions on how the Town could achieve savings to provide taxpayers a 5% property tax reduction, the recommendations must have been made in the absence of some important information. It is suggested that through the elimination of expenditures and layoffs to staff in areas such as Tourism, the Libro Centre and licensing, the Town would be able to achieve this.

It is further suggested that no redeployment of staff should occur, but rather that all related staff should be laid off. I cannot speak to the requirements under the Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act for the time during which the writer was a member of council, nor do I recall any emergencies being declared during that time. I can provide some factual information of the Town’s obligations of the Act during this pandemic and threat of flooding.

On March 17, 2020 Order 518/2020 was issued declaring an emergency under s 7.0.1(3) of the Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act of Ontario, by the Lieutenant Governor of Ontario, for all of Ontario. This was done regarding the outbreak of the communicable disease COVID-19 as a major threat to people. The order was issued for the whole Province of Ontario.

In simpler terms, the Premier has the power by order to direct each municipality, including the resources of the municipality, to assist in this declaration. This can be done without any regard to cost and with all of the municipality’s resources. Municipalities are required to comply with all provincial orders, they are not optional. The order issued by the Premier was clear, to protect the health and safety of all individuals and families.

With that understanding, how can it be suggested to make arbitrary cuts when the Province is directing municipalities to use all of their resources to protect residents? As it relates to redeployment of employees to meet these obligations, after weeks of upper governments verbally supporting such, the provincial government passed Ontario Regulation 157/20, regarding “Work redeployment and staffing”. This was done with the expectation that municipalities need to redeploy to meet the province’s directives.

As Mayor, I also declared a State of Emergency for the Town of Amherstburg on March 22, 2020. It was made to support the Province of Ontario for the COVID-19 pandemic and to take any actions necessary to deal with the pending flooding issues. Declarations of Emergencies are not issued lightly, and by their nature, may have implied costs associated with them in order to meet the requirements of our Emergency Response Plan, as well as that of the province’s. It would be irresponsible for the Town to make arbitrary cuts to staffing levels, without first ensuring we can meet our obligations under all emergency plans, federal, provincial and municipal. These plans guide the actions that the municipality must take in the event of an Emergency. The Plan is reviewed and approved annually by Council and the Province of Ontario for compliance. Some residents may have to defer paying taxes under the Town’s agreement to forego fees and penalties at this time, further reducing the Town’s cash flow in the short term. Providing residents a tax reduction without knowing what the total costs of these emergencies will be, could limit the Town’s ability to meet its emergency obligations. Also of note, is that neither the Prime Minister, nor the Premier, have provided a definitive timeline for the duration of these emergency measures.

For the benefit of the residents, we can examine some of the writer’s suggestions. In order for the Town to provide an arbitrary tax reduction of 5%, the Town would need to eliminate approximately $1,149,275 in expenses with an annualized tax budget of $22,985,487. Since the town has already gone through the first quarter of the year, and spent one quarter of the budget prior to this pandemic, the suggested reduction of 5% of the annual budget would be over 8 months, rather then 12. This would require an even greater cut then suggested by the writer, approximately 7% and not 5% as suggested.

Here are some of the actions taken by the Town thus far, to help ensure the health and safety of our residents. On March 18, 2020 the Province issued an order closing all facilities providing indoor recreation until March 31, 2020.

Subsequently the Province issued an order extending the closure to April 23, 2020. As a result of the Provincial Orders the Town laid off 33 staff at the Libro Centre beginning the week of March 23, 2020. The Town closed the Libro centre to the public immediately as ordered, and subsequently began the process of

removing ice from the facility. This was done responsibly and expeditiously, without input from the writer, to reduce operating costs for the municipality based on the order issued. This Town led action will result in operating savings at the Libro Centre, which will be reported out in future Council variance reports.

The suggestion that there is $400,000 in savings available must be based on an assumption that there will be virtually no tourism in 2020, that no advance planning is required for events in coming years, and that the affected employees are only ever responsible for events. Besides their other annual responsibilities, Tourism staff play critical roles in our emergency response plan. With an approved tourism budget for 2020 of $487,681, 3 months of the year completed, and other employee obligations related to the Emergency Plan implementation, it would not be unreasonable to conclude that those savings would not be available.

It was suggested by a few during the last budget deliberations that the Town should eliminate the Tourism Department. It seems too coincidental, after council followed the Town’s strategic plan to support tourism, that it would be brought up again during a pandemic by the same few. Now is not the time for personal agendas or a divide and conquer mentality. Now is when our community, known for our caring volunteers and friendliness, need to continue to work together to get through this pandemic with as little loss to human lives as possible. Although no one can deny the economic hardships the pandemic measures have inflicted on individuals, families and businesses, our focus has to be the health and well-being of people, while we do everything else possible to ensure the viability of our economy for when this is over. When the pandemic measures are finally eliminated, our small businesses that rely on our tourism and events will need our Tourism department more than ever, assisting in the economic recovery of our town. Until that time, we need all hands on deck for the seemingly endless work that continues to change almost hourly, at least daily, with orders from upper levels of government.

The writer suggests that licence fees should be waived and staff in the licensing area should be laid off to produce savings for Town businesses.

The 2020 approved budget contains business licenses fees of $4,100 for the entire year. Also suggested is that the Town eliminate by-law enforcement and licensing staff. At present the Town has a vacant licensing officer position that will not be filled as a result of the current situation. The Solicitor General of the Province of Ontario expanded the powers of by-law enforcement officers on March 27, 2020. This was done specifically to issue infractions in relation to Provincial orders regarding COVID-19, assisting over burdened police forces in managing the violations. The Bylaw and Licensing Department is receiving an incredible amount of complaints due to the provincial orders, so much so, that officers have had to be scheduled on holidays to meet demand from resident complaints. Eliminating these employees during the pandemic would hinder the Town’s obligation to respond to resident complaints.

As stated previously, the Town has taken steps to lay off staff as necessary, and we will continue to examine our operations on a daily basis to determine needs. We have, and will continue to, take the necessary actions to reduce operation costs to create savings in available areas. Some of our employees have had to isolate due to the virus, and I’m sure more will, further eroding our available resources. All of the active employees are presently working extensive hours to meet the obligations of emergency plans, and requests by residents for service. I take great pride in their commitment to the health and well being of our residents, and council’s governance during this crisis. I am also very proud of all the residents who have come together as a community to survive the pandemic, especially those who have come up with innovative ways to give back to their community. There are too many examples to list, but from hand sanitizer to non-medical masks, the generosity and caring shown by our residents, instead of criticism, has been nothing short of inspirational. I’m sure there will be plenty we will be able to look back on and say we could have done it differently, that some will want to classify as ‘wrong’, but doing nothing, or caving to personal agendas, will not keep us focused on the crisis at hand.

Please rely on factual information. Feel free to asks questions of your council members. Follow the required guidelines to keep this virus from spreading.

Together we will get through this, Respectfully,

Mayor Aldo DiCarlo

still operates,” he said. “Our church has been doing the best it can at this point with staying connected with people during this time. Our staff and leadership have been connecting with people, whether it's giving people phone calls or having video chats with members of the children and youth groups, we have been able to connect with people. There's also a new feature on our website called Let's Connect that allows members who are streaming our Sunday services to check in and let us know their watching and submit prayer requests.”

Cousineau said they made “big adjustments” by going from no streaming capabilities to streaming Sunday services “almost overnight.”

“This is the first time we have not been able to gather for Good Friday and Easter Sunday but that didn't stop us from having those services. Pastor Al Saunders led a Good Friday devotional on Friday from Facebook Live and he conducted his final service as Interim Pastor on Easter Sunday from our website through our stream,” said Cousineau. “I have to give credit where credit is due, our pastor team has been amazing. (Assistant pastor) Josh (Maedel) and (children's pastor) Kerrington (Sweeney) and their team have done an amazing job getting our church streaming services ready for every service we run.”

The pandemic hasn't stopped ACC from spreading its message.

“No one is allowed to physically attend the groups at the church so we brought the ministries to their living room,” he said.

Cousineau noted there are Facebook live prayer meetings Tuesday nights, Kids Club streams on their website Wednesdays and the youth ministry has a live stream study and prayer time and they stream a devotional every Thursday.

“I think people are handling (the pandemic) the best way they can and yes I believe there are those who are having some difficulty with it,” said Cousineau. “The truth is I think everyone has had some degree of difficulty with the situation we're in. But we are making ourselves available by phone or e-mail to answer any questions people have or to pray with them when they need prayer.”

Continued on Page 8

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Wednesday, April 22, 2020 – River Town Times – 5

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HELP REDUCE THE SPREAD OF COVID-19 TAKE STEPS TO REDUCE THE SPREAD OF THE CORONAVIRUS DISEASE (COVID-19):

Follow the advice of your local public health authority.

Try not to touch your eyes, nose or mouth.

Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds.

Avoid close contact with people who are sick.

Cough and sneeze into your sleeve and not your hands.

Use alcohol-based hand sanitizer if soap and waterare not available.

Stay home as much as possible and if you need to leave the house practice physical distancing (approximately 2 m).

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SYMPTOMS Symptoms of COVID-19 may be very mild or more serious and may take up to 14 days to appear after exposure to the virus.

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6 – River Town Times – Wednesday, April 22, 2020

Town update on COVID-19

Continued from Page 3

“We are all hands on deck right now. As I said, we are looking at phase two and evaluating staff and seeing where we need them for the next emergency which is the flooding situation,” said Miceli. “We met as a senior management team (that morning) to look at those resources and what is going to be needed for the second emergency. Anyone who believes the town is not taking the appropriate measures to protect the town and its residents is mistaken.”

DiCarlo added “it's not as simple as that letter writer would like people to believe it looks like.” He said he and staff work holidays to address the matter. Staff has either been laid off or have had to take time off, and the mayor predicted the problem will likely get worse.

“If there is a question of how many people we have working, I can tell you we are concerned about how many people we will have working not on a 'too high' level but on a 'too low' level if we are to continue to provide services,” the mayor said. “That is a problem we will continue to struggle with.”

DiCarlo said he has no problem writing a letter but noted things often change hourly during the pandemic.

McArthur added the town shouldn't be in the business of rebutting every letter but “this one warrants it” as it was shared widely on Facebook.

www.rivertowntimes.com “I don't think it represents what the town has done, what the town can do and what the town has to do when faced with these two twin emergencies,” McArthur contended.

Councillor Peter Courtney said he wanted “a factual letter” and that people are relying on social media and the River Town Times because of being quarantined at home.

“We definitely have to get facts out,” said Courtney.

“The letter and some of the questions there were legitimate and maybe not worded eloquently enough.”

Courtney noted the town has taken a hit in revenue, noting there are no rental fees coming from the Libro Centre due to it being shut down due to the pandemic. He said day-to-day information on what each staff member is doing isn't necessarily required, but just an explanation of what is going on.

“I think a good factual letter in the River Town Times would go a long way. We need to get information out there so people understand,” he said.

Councillor Michael Prue said he wanted a report with a “full accounting” of costs when the pandemic is finished.

“The reality is, we won't know that until it's over,” said Prue.

The finance department is being “vigilant” in tracking all costs, the mayor stated, and costs are being tracked “right down to the dollar.”

Also on the subject of COVID-19, Councillor Patricia Simone had earlier brought up the issue of the town doing what it can to reach out to local businesses and assist them

CAO files lawsuit against online critic

By Ron Giofu Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) John Miceli has filed a lawsuit against an online critic over comments made in March on Facebook referring to the CAO as a “criminal.”

Miceli is seeking $35,000 in the suit that was filed against defendant David Wharram as well as “an interlocutory and final injunction prohibiting the Defendant, directly or indirectly, from publishing and/ or broadcasting, or encouraging others to publish or broadcast any statements, in any manner which in their plain or ordinary meaning or by innuendo suggest that the Plaintiff is mendacious, corrupt, or responsible for criminal acts.”

According to the Statement of Claim, the plaintiff (Miceli) states that Wharram is an administrator of the “Amherstburg Accountability Project” Facebook page with the further claim being that “Wharram runs and manages all posts on the page.”

It is further claimed that “as administrator Wharram admits to a practice of 'attacking good people from many side doors knowing most will run and hide.'”

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The post in question states “It’s absolutely the worst town and by that I mean the players. I love Amherstburg just despise these criminals in office such as John Miceli” and it is claimed, through the Statement of Claim that “Mr. Miceli has suffered the indignity and embarrassment of being the subject of these defamatory statements, which in turn spawned defamatory comments by others. All such statements were encouraged by the Defendant, and were broadcasted and published by him on the said Facebook Amherstburg Accountability Project page administered by Wharram, for which Miceli seeks damages.”

It is further claimed in the Statement of Claim that Miceli's “personal reputation and reputation as a public servant have been negatively impacted by the posts. He is the most senior advisor for the Town of Amherstburg.

He has 29 years of public service. His position as CAO and his reputation in the Town are of the utmost importance to him.”

“The statements constitute the continuation of a pattern of continuous defamatory statements posted by Wharram motivated by the Defendant’s animus,” it is also alleged.

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with such things as pursuing grants, noting the matter was brought up by the economic development advisory committee.

Prue, who chairs that committee, indicated that wasn't sure if the town can do this during the pandemic.

“Maybe we can, maybe we can't,” said Prue.

Prue added he was watching Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Premier Doug Ford speak with both talking about eventually removing physical distancing restrictions slowly but not all at once.

“As soon as that happens, I hope the economic development committee can meet as soon as practical,” he said.

That meeting could also include town staff and the Amherstburg Chamber of Commerce “so we can design a strategy” though Prue acknowledged much of the effort would have to come from senior levels of government. He added “the town would have a definite role to play” and he said he would like to start playing it as soon as possible so the town can maintain as much of its business as it can.

“At the end of the day, all businesses large or small, should be consulting with their accountants as well for financial advice,” added Deputy Mayor Leo Meloche.

Meloche said there is going to be a demand for cash flow for small businesses that re-open, citing the example of restaurants and stores that re-open will have to have to buy food and other inventory that will enable them to operate once again.

The reference to Miceli being a criminal was part of posts by Wharram which refers to when he was fired from his firefighter position by the Town of Amherstburg in 2015 over what Wharram says were “trumped up allegations in an investigation I started by being a whistle blower.” The larger post, included as screenshots on the Statement of Claim, also sees Wharram state he is not driven by a personal agenda and claims he has won lawsuits against “Aldo and John's decisions and they don't like this,” in reference to Mayor Aldo DiCarlo and Miceli.

Richard Pollock, Miceli's lawyer, said “The Amherstburg Accountability Project is not immune from accountability” and that the “purpose of the law of defamation is to '... prevent or discourage wrongful attacks on honour and reputation, and to correct, redress, and check the abuses of a powerful communications media.' It is premised upon the public policy that individuals are entitled to enjoy good reputations unimpaired by false and defamatory statements.”

According to a Windsor Star article published April 17, Wharram published an apology online for the sincedeleted comments which read “On or about March 24, 2020 I made a post referring to John Miceli as a ‘criminal,’ I retract that comment entirely. I did not mean to suggest that Mr. Miceli had been convicted of a criminal offence.

I apologize to Mr. Miceli if the statement caused him any harm.”

The Amherstburg Accountability Project site that the comments stem from looks to have been removed.

Pollock said “the decision to remove and apologize for the comments is appreciated. It may lower a future damage award. It doesn’t create a free pass for this sort of conduct." He added: “The Freedom of speech does not extend to false and defamatory statements against employees of the Town of Amherstburg.”

The River Town Times sent a message to Wharram Saturday seeking comment. As of press time, there was no response given. Other attempts to reach him were also unsuccessful.

The lawsuit was filed earlier this month and it has yet to be contested in court.

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Wednesday, April 22, 2020 – River Town Times – 7

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ACF makes donation to Society of St. Vincent de Paul

By Ron Giofu

A couple of local non-profit organizations have received some financial aid from the Amherstburg Community Foundation (ACF).

The Society of St. Vincent de Paul have received a cheque for $2,000 from the ACF. Local branch president Sharron Bombardier said the donation stemmed from a roundtable discussion presented a few months ago by Councillor Patricia Simone and ended with the donation made earlier this month.

“We just raised the issue of cost to individual members about police clearances,” said Bombardier. “For us, as a society, we are required to have police checks (for members) every three years.”

With proceeds raised going towards the society and the support they give to individuals and families in need in the community, there is little left to aid members with the costs of police clearances. Bombardier says members have to the $25 cost pay out-of-pocket and that can be difficult as many local society members are seniors and on fixed incomes.

“Some of us had to be fingerprinted,” added Bombardier. “The costs were getting difficult for individual members to cover.”

Those additional fingerprinting costs can range from $50-$75, she added.

Costs of police clearances can vary depending on municipality, she noted, pointing out there are no costs in areas policed by the OPP but in areas policed by Windsor or LaSalle, there are costs for the members to get the clearances.

They are required to get police clearances

due to the fact volunteers deal regularly with vulnerable people.

Bombardier said they turned to the Amherstburg Community Foundation to see if they could help and the ACF agreed. She said they are very grateful for the donation.

“We were happy to have it,” she said. “I was delighted.”

ACF president Richard Peddie said the board talked about the importance of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul and the impact it has on the community and agreed to pay the $2,000 out of miscellaneous funds the board had. Peddie said volunteers with the society put in roughly 5,700 hours annually and “it was an easy decision” to help them.

Peddie also noted he wrote a personal cheque to the Holiday Beach Migration Observatory (HBMO) for $1,200. He recalled going with his father to Holiday Beach with his father to watch bird banding and he is still interested in it, so he agreed to help the HBMO with a donation.

The ACF also is continuing to encourage the public to vote on the ten other initiatives that local non-profits are requesting funding for.

The foundation has collected about $35,000 from community builders but overall requests totalled $73,000. People wishing to make donations to the foundation to increase the pot of cash that will be divided among the causes chosen are welcome to reach out to the foundation through their website at www. amherstburgfoundation.org.

Peddie indicated the ten non-profits add a lot to the community and how the public votes

Sharron Bombardier, president of the local chapter of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, holds a cheque for $2,000 that was donated by the Amherstburg Community Foundation (ACF). The ACF is also continuing with its “Believe in Amherstburg” initiative. will help the board decide who to donate to and how much can be donated.

“All the causes have a lot of merit,” he said.

People can vote through the ACF’s website by clicking on the “Believe in Amherstburg Vote Today!” tab in the upper right corner of the screen. The public can vote daily for as many of the ten organizations as they choose.

Organizations looking for funding include the Amherstburg Food and Fellowship Mission, Amherstburg Community Services, Amherstburg Fort Malden Horticultural Society, the Fighting Island Boxing Club, Wings Avian Rehab, Firehorse Leadership Organization, The House Youth Centre, Natural Pathways Learning Centre, the Park House Museum and the local chapter of Safe Families Canada.

“We’ll keep the voting going as long as people are interested,” said Peddie.

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Churches adapting to pandemic Continued from Page 4

“We are looking forward to the time where we can finally gather again in person and worship together,” he said.

“We have had to rethink church virtually overnight. The age demographic of our church is on the high side, as a result not everyone is on social media let alone e-mails,” stated Rev. Colin Pearce,

No one can enter the church right now, he added, “but from time to time our staff is around making sure services keep running.” Cousineau stated they are still practicing social distancing and making sure surfaces are sanitized on a regular basis.

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interim minister at Christ Anglican Church. “Contact with parishioners is maintained by means of email, phone and the occasional mailing. We are starting to educate folk in the use of Zoom.

Facebook is a medium, which is heavily used to keep in contact with those who have internet.”

Weekly services are done through Facebook, he noted. During the recent Easter season, “worship resources were supplied by our diocese which we used for Holy Week and Good Friday. Our Easter Sunday service was online. Up to now our weekly services have been videoed in church, but we are considering using Zoom so we can remain safe at home.”

Pearce added all church programs have been suspended. Once they are used to using Zoom or a similar platform, he said they can consider things like online Bible Study.

“All the feedback we have received has been positive,” Pearce added. “Daily Prayer study has become more a part of their routine. People are keeping in touch with each other in a way that

didn’t happen before. We have found that problems present us with opportunities,.

I am sure that church will not be the same when we return to worship together. It will be strange than ever.”

Pearce added that Christ Anglican Church has been closed since March 15.

The church was given a “deep clean” that week and it “will be done again before we return to the building.”

Pastor Maynard Hurst of Mount Beulah Church said their services have been impacted as well.

“We're not having any services,” said Hurst. “I keep in contact with our members by phone. We watch other services on television.”

There are other churches in Windsor that live stream services online, and Hurst said his parishioners watch those as well. That was the same practice they used during recent Good Friday and Easter Sunday services.

“As a pastor, I call each of (the parishioners),” he said. “I call each of them to see how they are doing.”

Other happenings at the church, including Bible study, has been impacted, Hurst added, but parishioners have been very understanding.

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Pastor Olaniyi Afolabi from First Baptist Church stated “we are about to connect through conference calls from next Sunday. We are a small congregation.”

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We still miss you very much Ferenzo, with all our love, Pam, Paul, and Tom

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OBITUARY

Mancini, Marie (nee DiNardo)

It is with deep sorrow and broken hearts that we announce the passing of our beloved wife, mother, and Nonna on April 13, 2020 at 81 years of age after a courageous battle with heart disease. Our mother’s faith sustained her throughout her life, she has gone home to Jesus and reunited with her family.

Beloved and devoted wife of Peter for 61 years. Loving mother of Lisa O’Brien (Bertrand), Ricky Mancini, Donna Mancini (Serge), Daniel Mancini (Sabrina) and Paul Mancini (Tamara). Cherished Nonna of Justin and Brittany O’Brien, Landon, Brenden, Alexa and Daniel Mancini. Predeceased by her parents Donato and Antoinette DiNardo. Dear sister of Livia Donofrio (Domenic) and the late Benjamin.

Sister in-law of the late Philomena DeSantis, Nunzio Mancini (Pilar), the late Anna Donatucci (Mario), Antoinetta DiLullo (late Franco), Elvira Tees (late Alan), Joanne Urbani (Emilio), Remo Mancini (Fratellino) (Mary). Will be missed dearly by many nieces, nephews, family members and close friends.

Our mother had a special gift for making everyone feel special. She had a very special bond with each of her children and grandchildren. She supported us in every way; shared in every part of our lives. Mother kept close relationships with all her family near and far. This last year, she was instrumental and putting together the DiNardo family tree lineage. She enjoyed her monthly outings with dear friends Tina, Collette and Barb. As well as her day trips with her best friend and confidant, sister Livia. She always enjoyed the time spent with her cousins. Many gathering were held at the home of my parents. Always an open door, with food, drink and fellowship. Many of our friends regarded them as second parents. In our mother’s home you were encircled in her loving arms. Having a son with special needs, she worked tirelessly to open doors for him. She continued to advocate and care for him throughout her life. Together with our father they travelled on many tours throughout the U.S. They often recalled these days sharing their stories with us.

Sweet Mamma, we will forever hold in our hearts your beautiful singing as you tended your lovely gardens. We will continue to share your love of Dean, Evolo, Englebert, Claudio Villa among many others. Our precious mother was a special lady; the light of our lives, and she will continue to be our guiding light and strength.

Memorial tributes may be made to the Amherstburg Mission or the Ontario Heart and Stroke Foundation would be appreciated. A private family service will be held, with entombment at Heavenly Rest Cemetery.

A memorial mass will be held at St. John the Baptist Church celebrating Marie’s life, at a later date. Arrangements entrusted to Families First 585 Sandwich Street South, Amherstburg, 519-969-5841.

Share memories, photos or make a donation at www.FamiliesFirst.ca

OBITUARY

Hamilton, Joan Gloria It is with great sadness we announce the passing of our mother on April 16, 2020 at the age of 89. Loving wife of the late Thomas H. Hamilton (2012). Beloved mother of Robi, the late Sean (1990), Martel, and Jason and much loved daughter-in-law Carrie. Proud and loving grandma of Jason Sean Thomas Hamilton and Jake Landon Hamilton. Dear sister-in-law to Mary Paling and Norma Hamilton.

Joan was a proud lifelong resident of Amherstburg and worked alongside Tom for many years in local business. She sang at Radio City Music Hall in Detroit for many years. She also sang with Tom at numerous weddings, in St. John the Baptist Church Choir, and in Windsor Light Opera productions.

At Joan’s request, cremation has taken place. A memorial service and celebration of her life will be held at a later date.

In kindness, memorial donations may be made to Windsor/Essex Humane Society. Arrangements entrusted to the James H. Sutton Funeral Home.

Online condolences may be shared with the family at www.jhsuttonfuneral.ca

OBITUARY

Delmore, Mark Russel

September 16, 1965-April 19, 2020 Beloved husband and best friend of Susan. Loving dad of Jennifer Rock (Dave France), Jillian (Adam) Drouillard, Brooke (Doug) Bratt, and Melissa (John) Tregaskiss. Proud Pipi to Jordan, Kodie, Taylor, Brayden, Tyler, Kaleob, Madilyne, Julia, Avery, Kaylee, Ainsley, Addison, Alexandra, Stella and 2 great grand children, Mason & Myah. Mark was predeceased by his parents Art and Grace, and was the youngest of 6 siblings: Dianna (Keith) Bondy, Carl (Laura) Delmore, Debbie (Rob) Russell, Tim (Sandy) Delmore, Laurie (Chris) Renaud, and Pat (Julie) Delmore. He is also survived by 16 nieces, nephews and so many close friends.

Mark loved to cook, tell stories, listen to Frank Zappa, was a proud member of the Green Party, and he especially loved his family.

We would like to thank all of the nurses in the London ICU for being so caring and thoughtful and for giving our family a loving way to say goodbye.

At his request cremation has taken place. Donations in his memory to be made to Canadian Cancer Society. Arrangements entrusted to the JAMES H SUTTON FUNERAL HOME, 401 Sandwich St. S., Amherstburg (519-736-2134).

You may leave your memories and condolences online at www.jhsuttonfuneral.ca

News Tips are always welcome!

Email Ron Giofu at the River Town Times at mail@rivertowntimes.com

10 – River Town Times – Wednesday, April 22, 2020

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Flood concerns continue across the Essex Region

Flooding within the Essex Region is continuing to be a concern to the Essex Region Conservation Authority, with water levels expected to climb even higher.

Officials with the Essex Region Conservation Authority (ERCA) state they are continuing to monitor and provide flood message alerts to municipalities across the Essex Region. ERCA also states that the Great Lakes continue to be elevated with the potential for all lakes to set new records in 2020. Lake St. Clair and Lake Erie have either equaled or exceeded previous monthly average records for the months of January, February, and March.

Both lakes are on track to break records for April they started 34 cm and 33 cm (respectively) above the starting level in April 2019.

“Current available information indicates high outflows from the Upper Great Lakes along with forecasts showing the possibility of Lake St. Clair and Lake Erie breaking records now through July,” warns James Bryant, Water Resources Engineer. “Current forecasts suggest that levels could peak roughly eight cm higher than 2019.”

Tim Byrne, director of watershed services for ERCA, told the board of directors at its online meeting that there are areas, including in Leamington and Pelee Island among other local areas, that have been experiencing significant flood damage so far this year.

“The peak will exceed last year,” Byrne predicted. “The amount will depend on climate conditions between now and June or July.”

As a result of the elevated lake levels, ERCA states that relatively mild winds are able to rapidly raise water levels and generate waves capable of overtopping shoreline structures. Additionally, nearshore erosion rates are increased due to high water levels, further increasing the risk of damaging infrastructure and increasing the risk of flooding. Tributaries remain high due to the elevated static lake level, increasing the risk of riverine flooding.

To date in 2020, more than nine flooding events have taken place at municipalities across the region.

Residents in flood prone areas should refer to their municipalities’ website for further information on how to be prepared for a flood in their area. Additional information about preparing for flooding can be found

on our website at https://essexregionconservation.ca/ watershed-health/flood-forecasting/ . ERCA personnel continue to work with municipal staff to monitor water levels and critical infrastructure.

Byrne told the board of directors at the April 16 meeting that staff has done an excellent job getting the permit process for work, such as breakwall repairs and maintenance, online. Contractors know how to get a hold of him to perform such work, even stating they place applications in his mailbox at home. He added that emergency applications are expedited and processed as quickly as possible.

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Wednesday, April 22, 2020 – River Town Times – 11

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12 – River Town Times – Wednesday, April 22, 2020

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etings council council meetings

meetings

May 25, April 27, June April May 11, May 27, 8 25, June May 8 11, May 25, June 8 CouncilLivestream Available Available on: bit.ly/CouncilLivestream on: bit.ly/CouncilLivestream DOG TAG REMINDER

RECYCLE RECYCLE WHITE GOODS WHITE GOODS

WHITE

PIck

Have you purchased your 2020 Dog Tag? PIck up

April 24 April 24 April 23 April 23 May 8 May call for pick up by April (call for17) pick up 8

by April 17) May 28 May 28 May 22 May 22 up

PIck up

GOODS

April 23

You may submit a dog tag application and payment at this time by mailing it to Amherstburg Town Hall at 271 Sandwich Street, Amherstburg Ontario N9V 2A5 or by placing it in the secured slot located at the rear ofApril the Town Hall building. (call formail pick up by 17)

May 28

call for pick up by May 22) (call for pick up by May 22)

Applications are available online to print, visit www.amherstburg.ca or in the vestibule at the back of Townfor Hall. A dog tag will be mailed to you once the 22) application and payment (call pick up by May is received.

Yard waste pick Yard waste garbage garbage up pick up

Please note the deadline to obtain a dog tag has been extended to June 30th, no late garbage pick up penalties will be applied.

Delays may occur, however Delays may occur, however garbage collection continues garbage continues4 AprilApril 20 & May 420 &collection May as regularly scheduled. as regularly scheduled. (south zone) (south zone) pick up pick

up

Delays may occur, however garbage collection continues as regularly scheduled.

AprilApril 27 & May 1127 & May 11 (north zone)

(north zone)

519-736-0012 • www.amherstburg.ca 271 Sandwich St. South, Amherstburg, Ontario N9V 2A5