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2 - Orono Weekly Times 1937 - 2012 · Celebrating 75 Years 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, February 8, 2012 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. Love is a many splendored thing but... by Tracy Tonkinson Bad grammar notwithstanding, it is a beautiful sentiment that love is many splendid things and when we first fall into its clutches it is hard to imagine that bubble ever bursting. If we are lucky love leads to marriage and that's when the going gets a little tougher. With the best will in the world it can be a hard row to hoe when Bunny Nutkins and Sweetums become mister and missus. The things that made you love each other while you were courting, like those endless jokes, or that braying laugh can pretty soon become the equivalent of finger nails down a chalk board. If you think this is only a problem for the young or Kim Kardashian, think again. In the last few years there has been an alarming rise in what has become known as the silver divorce. In November 2011 the British Daily Mail newspaper reported that in 2009 more than 11, 500 divorces were granted to petitioners aged over 60. This was in sharp contrast to the trend in all other age groups where the divorce rate dropped eleven percent during the same period. The director general of Saga, a U.K. organisation concerned with the needs of the over 50s was quoted as saying `The baby boomers are redefining life at older ages. That includes re-evaluating their relationships and deciding to start again'. In other words, if you have lived for the last twenty five years under the tyranny of a partner who squeezes the toothpaste from the middle when you prefer it squeezed from the end, you will not be alone if you decide enough is enough. It may seem crass to put the dissolution of long term relationships in such a comical way, but the truth is, for a lot of people disaffection in their relationship is not precipitated by one major life-changing event like adultery or domestic violence. It is more like being a frog in a saucepan. As the water warms up on all the things that irk and irritate, partners realise they are slowly boiling to death. The result is they choose to walk. The fact that more people feel better about walking after such a long commitment to their mate is the truly interesting part of this trend. But what is good for the departing partner is not always good for everyone. I had a friend tell me about her aunt, who at 68 years old decided that her marriage of nearly 50 years was no longer what she wanted. Her husband was blindsided as were the rest of her family. The reasons she left are known only to her and who knows how long she agonised before making such a momentous move. For the family left behind it was a tragedy, but for her it represented a renewal that she might have been postponing for the good of others for who knows how long. I think many partners in a long term relationship, married or not, make choices that may not be what they are entirely happy with, but decide these things are not big enough to upset the whole apple cart over. Equally there are relationships that become toxic through indifference, a lack of joint life goals, and even just plain thoughtlessness. This Valentine's Day do something nice for your other half. Say thanks for the things you take for granted, turn a blind eye to the silly things they do. And if you really want a happy relationship, replace the used up toilet roll tube with a full one, don't put an empty milk container back in the fridge and never leave your socks in the middle of the living room floor; these are the real `many splendored' things of love. Corporate capers cost Canadians To The Editor: I find it ironic that any group concerned about the environmental impacts, pipelines or other matters related to the oil sands (tar sands) receiving funding from foreign or other sources, is branded "radicals." However, how things change if you are a foreignbased company, buying a manufacturing facility in Ontario and allowing the Prime Minister of Canada to sit in a locomotive. After two years, pull up stakes and head for your country of origin, technology and customers in hand, leaving behind workers who thought a decent wage was not too much to ask for. Companies of this ilk receive a special place in the "market-driven global competitiveness" category. The latest of these corporate capers is not the first, and unfortunately, likely not the last. The roaring silence from politicians of all stripes, at the federal and provincial levels, is deafening. I wonder how far $5 million goes toward moving expenses. Sincerely, Les Caswell, Newtonville To Russia with love: seals and arms deals To The Editor: Recently, Russia - one of the biggest exporters of arms to the Syrian army - banned the import of baby seal skins from Canada. How can anyone possibly rationalize this kind of thinking? In many ways animals are given far more consideration in this world today than people. Tony Wood Orono Ugly but safe To The Editor: As a fairly new resident to Newcastle, I would like to give my impression of the bollards on King Street. I am a senior who is nervous crossing King Street. These bollards make me feel that I am in a safe zone. They may be ugly, but I like them. Ina Underwood, Newcastle