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Volume 73, Number 10 GST Included $1.25 Wednesday March 10, 2010 Orono Town Hall Publications Mail Registration No. 09301 Agreement No. 40012366 Serving Kendal, Kirby, Leskard, Newcastle, Newtonville, Orono, Starkville and Tyrone since 1937 Councillor's salaries disclosed Clarington Mayor Jim Abernethy earned a salary of $140,349 last year. Of that, $76,305 was paid by the Municipality of Clarington, and $47,685 by the Region of Durham. The Municpality and Region also paid the Mayor $14,404 in travel allowance and expenses related to attending conferences and meetings. Abernethy received $19,500 of his salary from Veridian Corportation for attending four board meetings and one additional meeting in 2009. The second highest paid politician in Clarington in 2009 was Regional Councillor Mary Novak who earned $93,743 last year. In addition to her salary, Novak was paid $26,491 in travel allowance and to attend meetings and conferences last year. She was paid $14,400 for attending four Veridan Corporation Board meetings in 2009, plus an additional $12,106 in miscellaneous expenses from Veridian. Novak joined the Veridian Board in January 2009 as Clarington's council appointee. The four-year term for council appointees to the Veridian Board was divided between Novak and Councillor Adrian Foster, who served as a Veridian Board representaives for 2007 and 2008. According to Novak, the expenses were to bring her up-to-date with the Board's initiatives as she was a new member begining midway through the term. Regional Councillor Charlie Trim earned $85,492 last year. He was also paid $19,737 for travel allowance and to attend conferences and meetings. Clarington's four local councillors were paid $31,157 in 2009, and councillors SALARIES see page 3 It was "Wacky Hair Day" at Orono Public School on Friday. Students, from left to right: Lily McGivern, Megan Terry and Alyson Hegan got into the spirit of the day with their hair styles. Coyotes are here to stay, says MNR While the local coyote population is high, there is no coyote population explosion occurring, according to John Pisapio of the Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR). Coyote populations go up and down in cycles, Pisapio told Clarington's Committee of Council on Monday morning. "We've been here before in the cycle, we are at a high level right now," he stated. While the population is healthy right now, it will eventually go down on its own, Pisapio told committee members. In 2000 and 2001, coyote populations were low due to a mange epidemic, according to Pisapio. Council invited Pisapio to address them as a result of higher than normal livestock losses in the Municipality last year. Clarington's claim to the MNR for livestock loss due to wild animal kill last year was $30,000 higher than the previous year. The municipality pays farmers a compensation for livestock loss due to wild animal kills, for which they are reimbursed by the MNR. Last year, the Ministry of Agriculture removed the subsidy they paid farmers for removal of deadstock from their farms. As a result, more farmers are disposing of their dead animals on their own properties rather than having them removed. If coyotes come across deadstock they are going to consume it, Pisapio told councillors. "In some circumstances that livestock is reported killed," he said. In terms of controlling coyote populations, Pisapio says, "A targeted control is the way to go." In any given group of coyotes, not all members kill livestock, he says. "The ones that do are older male adults." Those are the animals we want to target, says Pisapio. Trying to eliminate all coyotes from any given area doesn't work, as coyotes have a very strong reproductive quality, which allows them to bounce back very quickly, according to Pisapio. The bounty style of population manipulation has Trapping specific animals in a specific location is more effective and safer than hunting and shooting coyotes, according to Pisapio. A trapped coyote can be euthanized using a firearm provided it is done outside the firearm discharge zone. In Clarington, discharge of firearms is not permitted south of Taunton Road. You cannot harass, capture or kill more coyotes than is necessary to protect your property, and you are not permitted to cause coyotes unnecessary suffering, said Pisapio. Poison may not be used to kill coyotes. Live trapping and relocating coyotes is not an option, according to Pisapio, as each breeding pair has a territory of 20 square kilometers, they will probably be back in 20 minutes. "Coyotes are not inherently bad or good," says Pisapio, "They are just trying to survive, and they are here to stay." Any reports of coyote attacks in urban areas are always associated with people feeding them Pisapio said. People actually go out and buy chicken feed or dog food and in some cases coyotes will eat out of their hand, according to Pisapio. These people have a misguided appreciation for coyotes, he said, because a "fed coyote is a dead coyote." Daylight Savings begins Eastern Coyote resulted in more coyotes over a larger area than before, Pisapio said. Coyotes have a very robust reproductive system and when you eliminate some coyotes, those that are left have more food. "Spring Ahead" one hour on March 14