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RONO WEEKLY TIMES Serving East Clarington and beyond since 1937 650 GSTIncluded Wednesday, July 31,1996 Council ~ants Input On Future 0f Orono Nurse~ hands Orono's Nursery lands and their future are still a matter of great discussion. A dele- gation spoke before Council to in regards to what may be done with the site. Roy Forrester and Henry Sissons spoke to the Council about possible plans for the lands. Both hoped that the lands would be used for the continuation of the social and economic benefits" the forestry has had for Orono and the surrounding area for 75 years. Both men were instrumen- tal in bringing together a group of concerned citizens hoping to save the land, as well as making it possible to hold a public meeting on the future of the site. They have met with MPP John OToole, Minister of Natural Resources Chris Hodgson, and other representatives of the province and have been work- ing tirelessly to come to a compromise that will be acceptable to all parties involved. Council was informed that the province is presently aim- ing for late August to mid- September for placing the land up for tender. Presently two blocks of land are desig- nated for sale. The first is a 300 acre parcel on the west- ern end of the property made up predominantly of the seed beds and transplant area. The second is an 80 acre plot made up of the superinten- dent's house, the greenhous- es, and the barns. Presently, the valley lands and forested areas are not included in the possible tenders, something which both Forrester and Sissons are thankful for. A variety of ideas for the land have been discussed. The ones that seem to be gaining the most support from area residents are those that plan the site to be used as a tourism venture, while keeping the agricultural nature of the lands mostly intact. Many believe that the 300 acre production lands may have to be sold off to help preserve the more useful land clustered around the barns and near to downtown Orono. Council, on the urging of John O'Toole and both Forrester and Sissons, passed a resolution to ask the province to keep the Council up to date on any activity regarding the possible sale of the property and to give the Municipality the first right of refusal, although as Mayor Diane Hamre stated, "the Municipality does not have the money to buy it." Regardless of what hap- pens, the final say of what use the lands can be put to rests with the Municipality. The final direction for the future of the site should be come known sometime within the next year. Public Meetings Set For Ward Boundary Issue Clarington is going to be carved up into pieces. It is not as drastic as it seems, but Clarington will see changes to the political map. By order of the province and the region, Clarington is being forced to cut one of their Regional representatives from the Council. This move means that changes will have to be made to the present ward structure. Clarington now has three wards, roughly divided as Clarke Township, Bowmanville's urban area, and the rest of the Municipality, each having a local representative and a regional one. Somehow Council must come up with a way to have only two regional representatives without any area suffering from lack of representation. The most likely result will see Clarington be divided into four local wards, with a Regional Councillor repre- senting two wards each. Clarington's budget includes for seven elected officials; the mayor and six councillors. There is also a need to have an odd number of reps on Council so that ties can be broken during votes. Both of these lend heavily for the four local ward structure. A Committee Meeting which will be open to the pub- lic is being held on Friday, August 9, at 9:30 a.m. at the Council Chambers. People are urged to come forward with any concerns they might have. A follow-up meeting will be held on Monday August 12 at 7:00 p.m. Councillor David Scott was worried about the closeness continued on page 2 AHOY THERE! The Second Annual Wooden Boat Show sailed into town on July 27 and 28 at the Port of Newcastle Marina. A variety of boats, from sailing ships, to large cabin crusiers, to small wooden canoes were on display. There were even some demonstrations on wooden boat construction. The weather was beautiful and the crowds seemed to be enjoying the day and the boats. A hearty congratulations to the marina and the owners of the boats for putting on such a marvelous display. Surmer Camp At Orono Park Are you between the ages of 8 and 14 and looking for adventure? The YMCA of Durham Region is offering an exciting program in Orono! This day camp offers young people an opportunity to try a bit of everything: discover the natural world, participate in sports and explore their cre ative side as they let their imaginations run wild! Our camp encourages young peo- ple to participate in a fun, friendly and fair atmosphere, while developing skills. Starting August 6 8; August 13 - 15; August 20 - 22 On Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from 9.00 4:00 pm at the Orono n (Fairgrounds) The ( $60.00 per week; $110.00 for two weeks; $155.00 for three weeks. For more information call 404-2020. Volume 60, Number 30