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2 - Orono Weekly Times Subscriptions $38.09 + $1.91 GST = $40.00 per year. No Refunds. Publishing 48 issues annually at the office of publication. "We acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada through the Canada Periodical Fund for our publishing activities." Wednesday, November 16 2011 ORONO WEEKLY TIMES - 5310 Main St., P.O. Box 209, Orono, ON L0B 1M0 E-mail: oronotimes@rogers.com or Phone/Fax: 905-983-5301 Publisher/Editor Margaret Zwart Production and Display Advertising - Roxanne Johnston Classified/Sports - Sue Weigand The Orono Weekly Times welcomes letters to the editor on subjects of interest to our readers. Opinions expressed to the editor and articles are those of the writers and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the Orono Weekly times. Letters must be signed and contain the address and phone number of the writer. Any letter considered unsuitable will not be acknowledged or returned. We reserve the right to edit for length, libel and slander. If your retail or classified ad appears for the first time, please check carefully. Notice of an 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. Souvenir shovels infra dig The report in the Toronto Star on how much the Region of Durham spent on the ground breaking ceremony for the incinerator, published on November 3rd really touched a nerve with many Region residents. Through a freedom of information request, Toronto Star reporter Carola Vyhnak found out that the Region's August 17th ground breaking ceremony for the new garbage incinerator in Courtice cost taxpayers $75,000. Here at The Times, we made inquiries to the Region in August, right after the ground breaking event, asking what the cost was, and were told that those costs were not available. When we asked what the budget was for the event, we were told that information was also not available. Ratepayers have every reason to be incensed that their government saw fit to throw a lavish ground breaking event, and thought they could get away with not disclosing the cost. Given the controversy surrounding this incinerator project, the sensible thing would have been to forego the ceremony or hold a very simple one. Building the first new garbage incinerator in Ontario in 22 years is not a milestone worth celebrating. That the Region has decided to burn 140,000 tonnes of garbage a year, rather than adopt more progressive waste management options, is a huge step backwards, a decision they should be ashamed of rather than celebrating. The invitation-only party for 175 guests complete with luxury port-a-potties, air conditioned tents, jumbo shrimp and sushi for lunch and mini souvenir shovels to take home was clearly an opportunity for Regional Chair Roger Anderson to poke the antiincinerator lobby group in the eye. The guest list was made up of senior regional staff past and present from York and Durham, past and present council members from both regions, representatives from Covanta ­ the U.S. firm hired to design, build and operate the facility - the consulting firm hired by the Region to get them through the environmental assessment process, and the lone vocal incinerator supporter from Clarington, Katherine McKeevor and her husband. The ground breaking ceremony was a victory celebration for Regional Chair Roger Anderson, who was unquestionably the incinerator's biggest cheerleader. We the taxpayer paid $428 for each of the invited guests to spend an hour patting each other on the back, wolfing down a few snacks and then sneak out the back entrance so they wouldn't be inconvenienced by the protestors/taxpayers who were footing the bill. If the ground breaking for the incinerator was truly a celebration, it would have been open to everyone to attend. Those ratepayers who spent upwards of five years fighting the incinerator requested the Region hold a public information session on the proposed facility back in 2009 before the environmental assessment received final approval. Their request was denied because of the cost, which was quoted as being $40,000. Incinerator opponents repeatedly requested additional emissions monitoring, and again they were denied because of the cost. For the Region to have turned around and put on such a lavish event for a ground breaking ceremony is inexcusable. The Regional Chair can act with impunity because he is not elected by the Regional taxpayers. Last November, we at The Times tried to contact Chair Anderson to ask if he was going to sign the Covanta contract before the new council was sworn in. The Province gave notice of its approval of the incinerator on November 19, 2010. This was after the municipal election and before the new council (many of whom campaigned on an anti-incinerator platform) were sworn in. Pressure was put on Anderson to hold off signing the contract with Covanta until the new council had been sworn in, there being the possibility the majority opinion of the new council would be to not proceed with building the incinerator. Anderson signed the Covanta contract on November 23rd, two weeks before the new council was sworn in. We at The Times made several attempts to contact Anderson, to ask him why he signed it. Chair Anderson made no attempt to return our calls and emails and explain his actions. On December 8, 2010, Anderson was elected by a large majority of Regional council members to his fifth term as Regional Chair. If Anderson had to go to the Durham Region electorate every four years, there is no doubt he would spend more time being accountable to the electorate for his actions. There certainly would not have been a lavish victory celebration for a project that had very little public support. Build fire hall "away from residences"? To The Editor: Clarington Council is going to vote on where the new fire hall in Newcastle is going to be located. The two choices are Rudell Road, just north of the aquatic centre, or on Highway 2, approximately a half kilometre west of the Village. Both of these properties belong to the municipality. Through analysis of the sites, Fire Chief Gord Weir recommended this facility be built on Rudell Road as it was the most economical location. Why would they build it there? What a mistake that would be. If it is built on Rudell Road, this road would also have to be widened. Road widening was one of the reasons they didn't want to build the station on Highway 2. Traffic lights would have to be installed in front of the fire hall and at the intersection of Highway 2. At both of these lights there would be safety concerns for pedestrians and motor vehicle traffic when fire trucks with their entourage charge out of the fire hall parking lot out onto the street. Being emergency equipment, the speed these vehicles travel will always be higher than normal. This all plays out in a built up residential area where kids are playing and going to the aquatic centre. The main problem, as I see it, is the fire hall will be built adjoining the subdivision on the west side of the village. This part of the village on the east side of Rudell Road is exclusively upscale residential homes. It is a very desirable location where people have come to live to raise their families in peace and quietness. Picture this when an emergency arises: the bells on the fire hall start to clang, the trucks and their support vehicles burst out of the fire hall parking lot with their sirens wailing and horns blaring to let everyone know to get out of their way because they have to attend to an FIRE HALL see page 4 Earth to Adrian To The Editor: I read with amazement last week's article about Heather Olynyk's shabby treatment by the Mayor and named councillors. I am surprised that someone exercising their democratic right to ask a question of their elected mayor is now considered a "nut bar." Like Rob Ford, Mayor Foster decided to involve the police without first trying to resolve the issue himself. Was it dark? Was his daughter behind the door? Does Inspector Ostler have nothing better to do? Earth to Adrian. Write the lady an answer! Tell her what was going on! You had nothing to hide! Had you done this, the problem would have gone away before it could develop. OLYNYK see page 4