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2 - Ovono Weeklv Times, Wednesday, March 3,2004 Subscriptions $29.91 + $2.09 GST = $32.00 per year. Publications Mail Registration No. 09301 • Agreement No. 40012366 Publishing 48 issues annually at the office of publication. "We acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada through the Publications Assistance Program (PA P) toward our mailing costs. " Orono Weekly Times 5310 Main Street, P.O. Box 209, Orono, Ontario LOB 1M0 Email: oronotimes@speedline.ca • Phone/Fax 905-983-5301 Publisher/Editor Margaret Zwart ====r-- ^error must be given before the next issue goes to print. The Orono Weekly Times will not be responsible for the loss or damage of such items. , What's wrong with this picture? The cancellation of Clarington's Victoria Day fireworks display is truly a step backward for this municipality. Clarington Council voted Monday to shut the gate on the annual Backyard Festival which began in 2000 as a millennium celebration. The festival which was billed as a family event always concluded with a spectacular firework firework display at dusk which last year had an estimated attendance of 15,000 spectators. While the Festival was spearheaded by Jennifer Cook's Marketing and Tourism Department, it relied heavily on community sponsors and volunteers. The municipality historically historically paid the $25,000 cost of the fireworks, while corporate corporate partners such at OPG and Mosport Park paid the entertainment and facilities costs. With the festival's success, staff feel they now need a $50,000 contingency fund set aside to cover any unforeseen unforeseen incidents that could occur in a crowd as large as the numbers the Festival attract. This contingency fund has made the festival too expensive in this climate of budgetary budgetary constraints. Not being privy to the inner workings of municipal finance, I do find it interesting however that $1 million could be found in a reserve fund to buy ànd house the Brian MacFarlane hockey museum, yet the eventuality of a $50,000 contingency fund for a fireworks display geared to the entire population, was too much of a budgetary constraint. constraint. It is also interesting that the councillors after having approved increases for themselves in the amount $36,000 annually a month ago, now find the $25,000 price tag for a community-wide event, violates their budget principles. The violation taking place here, is that the $25,000 previously previously used to host a community event is now redirected to the pockets of seven elected officials. What's wrong with this picture? Letters to the Editor "Build ball diamonds, soccer fields..." To the editor, Hats off to Gord Robinson who tried to present a motion to cancel wasting $25,000 - $50,000 on fireworks at Mosport and couldn't get a seconder. Where does this council think the taxpayers get {he money? The cattle producers producers along with the related business money tree have died. If there is that much money in the kitty I think it would be much more sensible to build more ball diamonds, soccer fields, etc. and not blow it up in half an hour I am also against '"using $10,000 in six months in a coffee kiosk at the library. Most people carry a bottle ol water now-a-day and there are restaurants that sell vu I lev quite close to the l.hraiy. Mr. Mutton, $10,000 is a lot of money to most of us even if it isn't to you as it was reported that you stated. Yours truly, Wylmct All in, Newcastle Dear Editor, I just wanted to further congratulate your novice hockey team for capturing the North American Silver Stick Championship earlier this month in Michigan. Although our team had defeated them in the round robin playdown. your team bounced hack with Ever wonder why centrally-planned centrally-planned institutions tend not to operate as well as institutions institutions that rely, to varying degrees, on bottom-up decision decision making? The reason, in part, is because knowledge is dispersed, and not centralized. Each of us have an advantage when it comes to our partis an exceptional game in the final to end up on top. Having stayed in the same hotel as your team for the tournament, I would also like to say that the players, parents and coaches all represented your town proudly and it was a pleasure competing and socializing with a great group of people. Best ol luck for tlie lar needs, wants, and circumstances circumstances than everybody else- including experts. The Austrian school of economics expanded on this idea of dispersed knowledge to argue that a centrally- planned economy just couldn't work. At that time it was known as the great calculation rest of the hockey season and wc hope to meet up with you again some time soon. Regards, John Frizzell, West Lome Novice Hockey Team debate-whether or not a group of experts really could plan the entire economy. Could they figure out what the rest of us wanted, organize all the right inputs in the right amounts, plan for the details of the particular things that people wanted, and so on? For absolutely everything? Bicycles, tires, transmissions, bottles, pens, umbrellas, chicken wire, those things that go on the tip of your shoelaces, etc. etc. The answer, of course, is that this is impossible. Leonard E. Read famously | gave the example of the fact that none of us know how to make a single pencil, never mind organize its production. That's right- a simple pencil; JAWORSKI continuod pago3