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Parents frustrated over lack of trafficâ€"calming measures around schools On any given school day the morning drop off and afternoon pickup have become a dangerous labyrinth for motorists and stuâ€" dents of Lester B. Pearson and St. Luke schools to negotiate. The neighbours have stapped trying to get out of their blacked driveways, as for sale signs pop up like dandelions on their front lawns. The city proposed measures to alleviate some of the traffic pressure on what is supâ€" posed to be a neighbourhood street, but they are coming too slow for members of Lester B. Pearson‘s parent council. Council coâ€"chair Â¥ince Morency said council approved the traffic study more than a vear ago. yet only rudimentary steps have been taken to address their concerns. "When you invest money in a study, the goal is to implement and get something done,. it‘s not to put together a nice docuâ€" ment." said Morency. Part of the implementation phase was to include an Eastbridge community traffic commiltee, but Morency said no steps have been taken to strike that committee. To date, the allâ€"way stops have been posted in the area, and noâ€"stopping and noâ€" parking signs have been posted around the schools with little effect. "There‘s no letters that have gone out, and it seems like nothing is happening.," he said. More importantly, there was supposed to be a dedicated student dropâ€"off site built. costing more than $100,000, but there is no funding in the city‘s traffic budget this year for the project. Irafficâ€"calming measures. like speed humps in front of the school. are also being delaved until a new castâ€"side fire hall is built. due to concerns by the local fire SBS Technologies in Waterloo is the business that collected the most food, around 2.500 pounds. Tht‘ Food Bank of Waterâ€" too Region‘s 2005 spring food drive was a success, raising about 140,000 pounds of food. And Lester B. Pearson ("-‘z B 1 pEe‘e * t INTRODUGCING MURRAY IGHTING +/ LA 7 / Murray Feiss offers top quality lighting in a variety of 5 styles. These timeless fixtures add elegance and warmth dtk to am room. Now available at Heer‘s Decorating. 1 § 15%, Oer Intennuetaoney Ocrre By Bos VrRanac Chronicle Staff 15% Orr Intropuctory Orrer public school was the school that brought in the most food with more than 1,600 pounds. Rogers Communications call centre donated 2,200 pounds of food to the cause. "The amount of food collected is reflective of the department over the delays these measures could have on response time. "There‘s a lot of pieces to it." said Morenâ€" cy. "But they seem to be coming up with reasons why they can‘t do this and they can‘t do that. So what can they do?" While it might be too late to make an impact on this school year, Morency and other concerned parents would lave to see more in place in time for the start of the next school year in September. And while a traffic light has relieved some of the concerns of parents whoase chilâ€" dren have to crass Bridge Street, the conâ€" cerns continue for students who have to cross University Avenue to get to school. "There‘s not even a crossing point for those kids," said Morency, whase two chilâ€" dren walk to school. "Because they don‘t know if University will be widened, they won‘t put anything up there. "It just seems no matter how we try to get things done, there‘s a million reasons why we can‘t. Getting children safely to school is the goal here." Christine Koebhler, the city‘s organizationâ€" al leader for traffic operations, said the city currently has no timeframe on some of the bigger items identified in the traffic study like a central median at Eastbridge Drive and Windjammer Way. And the offâ€"street dedicated student drop off and pickup area between the two schools has no funding allocated to it in the city‘s budget. "That‘s a biggie with its cost," said Koehler. "The consultant gave me and estiâ€" mated cost of $105.000. The implementation of the mediumâ€" to longâ€"range projects all depend on funding said Koehler, and would require some fur ther approval from council. "And when all of the estimated costs {of the traffic study} were totalled it came out to $260,000. so that‘s a good chunk." "We have some money in this year‘s bud get. not specifically earmarked for East bridge, but earmarked for cityâ€"wide pro jects," said Koehler. "If there is something we can do in the Eastbridge area within that money, then we can probably do it." CITY NEWS generosity of this commuâ€" nity and the commitment to helping families put food on _ the â€" table," said Katharine Schmidt, execuâ€" tive director of the Food Bank of Waterloo Region. For more information, contact Fred Lehmann at 743â€"5576, ext. 225. ble at Waterloo location only, The Carnival of Animals, put on by The Music Arsenal based in Montreal, performed during the City of Waterloo‘s Roundabout Theatre, Saturday morning at the Waterloo Memorial Recreation Complex. Entertaining local children and parents were David Mangy and Arianne Bisson McLernon. oo Federal citizenship crew makes local stop this Friday he Standing Commitâ€" I tee of Citizenship and Immigration will make a stop in Waterloo Friday to hear local testimony about proposed changes to the Citizenship Act. And the chair of the comâ€" mittee. | Waterloo _ MP Andrew Telegdi, said a lot of concerns raised in earlier hearings last week across Western Canada cenired on issues of family seunificaâ€" tion and the acceptance of credentials from overscas professionals who have immigrated to Canada. "We‘ve heard a lot about family reunification," said Telegdi, looking to get input on changes his committee have proposed for the citiâ€" zenship act from across Canada. "People @fso have a great deal of concern about having family members come to visit here after they get turned down for a visa." Canada rejected more "We had a person turned than 150,000 people for visa _ down in our riding who applications last year, which _ found out she had a very is about 18 per cent of all _ short time to live," said the people who applied. â€" Telegdi. "She wanted to + By Bos VrBANAC Chronicle Staff said Telegdi. And it‘s a conâ€" cern in Waterloo Region which has become the fifth largest destination for new immigrants in all of Canada. That‘s why â€" Telegdi though it was important for the hearings to make at stop at the City of Waterloa‘s council chambers Friday starting at 9 a.m. It doesn‘t hurt that the chair of the committee is also the local MP. Andrew Telegdi 477 Bc ww Aecot # 330 «orurype . s ME 3E s Eye spy Waterloo MP DECORATINCG 584 King Street North. Waterioo Phone: (319) 772â€"1 127 \ Do x Coubug® 876 421 bring her mother over and her sister over and got turned down. "That was really terrible." The crossâ€"Canada tour of the committee started out in Winnipeg last week and travelled to Victoria and Vancouver before returning i0 Toronto today. After visitâ€" ing Ontario the committee will travel to the East Coast before wrapping up in Monâ€" treal. Another issue that the committee has heard about is securing the credentials of overseas â€" professionals. There has been a lot written locally about foreign trained doctors who have been unable to practice medicine in the area despite a local doctor shortage that has left more than 30,000 people without a family physician. "It‘s a real problem," said Telegdi. "We talk a lot about the brain drain. but the brain waste is a much bigger problem." Those types of profesâ€" sionals are going to be needâ€" ed as Canada‘s population continues to age. and immiâ€" 24% Continued on page 6 »Sorch PSE uputs tm Murbay BeOTC Eut ase B us $ GuFIP+ +I96 §A .