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f * ïfX 2 The Canadian Statesman, Bowmanville, November 21, 1990 Section Two Canadian gtattsmatt (J^NA Durham Region's Great Family Journal Established 136 years ago in 1854 Also Incorporating The Bowmanville News The Newcastle Independent The Orono News Second Class mail registration number 1561 Produced weekly by James Publishing Company Limited ... - - • • - 3 ^g cn 62 King Street West, Bowmanville, Ontario L1C3K9 416-623-3303 Fax 416-623-6161 John M. James Editor - Publisher Richard A. James Associate Publisher Peter Parrott Brian Purdy Donald Bishop Associate Editor Advertising Mgr. Plant Mgr. All layouts and composition of advertisements produced by the employees of James Publishing Company Limited are protected by copyright and may not be reproduced without the permission of the publisher. 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Editorial Comment Part of the Solution Recycling is not the entire solution. 7 But, holding a special week to focus " bur attention on the importance of recycling recycling still makes considerable sense. , 1 " Because, you see, as we focus on recycling, recycling, we are able to more fully un- ^der stand the nature of one of our ma- • jor environmental woes. ■I- The process of learning about how •'to eliminate trash is a slow one because because it's our entire society which is engaged in the learning process. There's no text book to clearly spell out what must be done. And so, we '.will undoubtedly flounder for a while and we will take a few wrong turns in the journey towards a healthy environment. environment. In a hundred years or so, when they write the history of the struggle for a cleaner environment, we will probably see recycling as a bit of a 'dead end'. Undoubtedly, recycling is the weakest weakest of the new environmental. catch phrase known as the "three "R's." Recycling is a great improvement over our propensity, in the past, for simply tossing everything, including • the kitchen sink, into the local' landfill site. But the two other principles of reducing reducing and re-using are probably more important. First of all, reducing our consumption consumption of goods that we don't really need or goods that are overly-packaged will stop the production of excess trash at its source. In other words, if something something is never made, it will never have to be recycled. And that's undoubtedly the best solution. In some cases, it can be an impractical impractical solution because we live in a consumer consumer society and we depend on the production production of goods for our livelihood. But we certainly should be thinking twice before we buy the latest plastic gizmo which we know will be headed to the trash heap in a matter of months. And that's where the concept of reusing reusing products comes into its own. We should be purchasing consumer products products which are made to last and made for re-use. We should be repairing products rather than throwing them on the trash heap. Perhaps, in some instances, it's time to buy a reconditioned reconditioned product rather than a new one. Environmentalists are somewhat leery of recycling because they fear that it may simply cause us to replace our green garbage bags with blue boxes boxes while we continue to spew out as much trash as we ever did. And let's not kid ourselves. Recycling Recycling is an expensive proposition because because you must pay to pick up, sort and transport all of the waste. And then that re-useable waste is fashioned fashioned into new products, using more energy and possibly causing more pol- , ;lution. One also cannot help but won- ^ der how may of the products made ' from recycled materials will end up on 1-the trash heap at some time in the fu- "îure. Is recycling a method of reducing ^Jhe amount of trash we produce or ; merely delaying its disposal? ; Having said that recycling is not •/.the ultimate answer to the trash di- I. lemma, we must add that the concept ; js light-years ahead of the efforts Ijwhich we were making four or five '-years ago to cope with the problem. •C- And it is certainly the first step that .'■the householder generally takes on the ; road to understanding the need to halt [ all pollution of this planet, i-. In a recent news release, the Durham Durham Region notes that "by using and ^Becoming more aware of reduction, I reuse and recycling opportunity, every citizen of Durham Region plays an important important personal role in solving part of the garbage problem. Waste diversion programs cited by the Durham Region include the following: following: •The distribution of over 100,000 blue boxes. •The operation of 19 recycling depots depots for residents not served by curb- side colléction. •The operation of depots for residential residential recyclable materials at Regional Regional transfer stations. Materials accepted accepted include batteries, clothes, brush wood, drywall and waste oil. •The distribution of composting barrels to residents "interested in backyard backyard composting. . •The sale of 20,000 commercial backyard composters to residents of Pickering at a reduced cost. •The collection of leaves for central composting. •Providing assistance to industries interested in developing programs for waste reduction, reuse and recycling. •A fine paper recycling program initiated initiated to study the potential for recycling recycling at the commercial/corporate level. level. Initiatives planned for 1991 include an expansion of the Toxic Taxi program program for collecting household hazardous hazardous wastes; a ban on wood wastes at all regional disposal facilities and the expansion of the recycling depot network. network. -, As you can see, much has been done to divert waste from Durham Region landfill sites and much remains to be done. One of the initiatives which looks to us like a sure-fire winner is household composting. It's possible, by using a basic household household composter (which can be built from pieces of scrap lumber) to turn leaves, weeds, grass clippings, orange peels, and all manner of vegetable matter into material that can be spread on the garden to grow better flowers and vegetables next year. Composting is actually a combination combination of all of the three R's that make up the waste reduction equation. It is partly recycling because useless useless leftover salads and potato peelings peelings can be recycled into a soil conditioner. conditioner. It is partly an example of reuse reuse because composting allows the home-owner to re-use dead plants for soil enrichment. And composting is a program for reduction of waste because because of the fact that it reduces the burden on landfill operations by keeping keeping tbe trash in one's own backyard. It's not too outrageous to predict the eventual invention of throw-away items such as bags and packaging which can be placed on the backyard compost heap where they will be magically magically transformed from useless trash to useful humus. Just as today's automobiles don't • "look much like those of the turn of the century, it seems likely that our early efforts at waste reduction will not resemble resemble those that we will develop in the future. . Meanwhile, it is time to use existin methods to their fullest potential an/ to improve upon them as the opportunity opportunity arises. And that leads us back to the subject subject of recycling. It's not the best solution. It's not the only solution. But, when used in combination combination with the philosophy of reduction reduction and re-use, it can still be very effective. effective. And it's a good start. Courts are Clogged ! Justice delayed is justice denied ; ; At least that's the principle behind I a recent Supreme Court ruling which | concluded that because it had taken i too long for a case to go to trial, the | charges against an accused should be '-'Stayed. • ■*- But the decision also set a precedent precedent which has meant that dozens of hases around the country are being thrown out of court because of the fact "'that it bas taken too long to reach a • trial date. ! It's most unfortunate that a backlog ; should exist, And even more unfortu- ■' hate that the volume of cases before ■ the courts have caused some proceedings proceedings to be dropped. There arc, no doubt, persons who would have been convicted if only the justice system had not run out of time. We can understand the importance of protecting the accused's right to a fair trial in a reasonable length of time. But against that, one must balance balance the need for society in general and victims, in particular, to have some kind of protection against those who break the law. That protection cannot occur if suspects do not get a trial. Clearly, the message is a simple one. Procedures in the justice system must be streamlined in order to ensure ensure that everyone gets his or her day in court within a reasonable length of time. Otherwise, delays will work to the benefit of the accused and to the detriment detriment of society as a whole. Church Airs Views on Recycling Week Nov. 19-26 Proposed Landfill Site Dear Mr. Editor: As the Council of North Nestleton United Church we wish to state our opposition to the proposed landfill sites in Ward IV, Cartwright, Township of Scugog as well as other intended sites in Durham Region. Our opposition opposition is two-fold, as follows: first, we oppose the sites chosen; second, we oppose landfill as an answer to the problem of solid waste disposal. disposal. There is no such thing as a completely safe leach-proof landfill site. In this area, every household (including schools) is dependent on private private and/or community wells. Should these water sources become polluted, even surrounding areas would no longer be safe places places to live. Seepage can have adverse effects as well, on Lake Scugog and its depen-' dent residents and tourist industry. We object to the lack of effort on the part of Durham Region and Government of Ontario, by giving only lip service to alternatives to our solid waste dilemma. There are such viable alternatives as: a) region-wide mandatory recycling programmes, both individual and commercial, b) concerted public education education in reduction, recycling, re-using and proper waste management, c) pressure on manufacturing manufacturing associations to reduce packaging and implement new recycling technologies, and d) legislation to bring pressure to bear, on both larger urban centres and rural rural areas, to solve their garb- ge problems within their own boundaries, (as opposed to regional boundaries). Monies spent on engineering engineering firms could have been better spent, in providing providing more research on alternatives. alternatives. The engineering firm did not spend sufficient time or on-site research, to warrant the choices provided, provided, (either logically or environmentally). environmentally). "Quick-fix' 1 solutions will prove disastrous to the quality quality of rural life, Heavy- handed regional directives will not satisfy local residents. residents. Due to urban sprawl, farmland is disappearing at 1 too alarming a rate to let it Block Parents Say Thanks for Support Dear Sir or Madam, The Canadian Statesman has continually shown its excellence in helping community community groups publicize their important messages, and the Town of Newcastle Block Parents, Inc., would like to join the long list of community groups in thanking thanking The Canadian Statesman Statesman for highlighting our message. Your coverage of our program program and the events of Block Parent Week 1990 helped us recruit new Block Parents, helped us increase public awareness of how we work, and helped us let the community know that we are watching out for our children and those who need assistance when they are on the streets. Without your publicity, it would be very difficult for us to increase E ublic awareness about the lock Parent Program. So, it is with tremendous gratitude that we thank The Canadian Statesman, your staff, your reporters and photographers for helping to promote Block Parents in the Town of Newcastle. In doing so, you help keep our community safer. Thank-you, Dorothy C. Chadwick, Co-Chairperson for the Town of Newcastle Block Parents, Inc. also be buried under the gar- bage of urban centres. The immediate need is for the- Government of Ontario to provide province-wide strategies, strategies, for short-term solutions; solutions; i.e., mandatory intensive intensive recycling or a user-pay system for garbage (monies to be re-invested in garbage research and facilities management). management). The most devastating aspect aspect of the announcement to locate landfill sites in Ward IV has been the disruption of community life. It is causing causing a great sense of unease in our children. They feel they face an uncertain future, future, in their own community. community. Their quality of life will not match that of their parents. parents. Adults feel betrayed and misled, by persons in positions of trust. Our children children know, that we have the technology to put people into space; stall, we use eighteenth eighteenth century technology to dispose of garbage. In summation, please drop this search for raw- waste landfill sites in Durham Durham Region. Rather, concentrate concentrate on funding alternative solutions, as noted above and suggested in the video, "Waste Management, As if The Future Mattered," with .Dr. Paul Connett. Through community co-operation, we can achieve a better solution to our dilemma! Yours in faith, The Council of North Nestleton United Church Chairperson: Rev. Dale F. Davis tary of Arthur Weir 'Oh, Spirit, tell me that is a vision only of What-May-Be so I might change it..." iilv Andrea Adair Reader Objects to Writer's Attitude A Letter to the Editor in Response to 'Pressing Matters In One Small Town: 1 I am shocked and incensed incensed upon reading 'Pressing 'Pressing Matters In One Small Town' (Nov. 14,1990).' I would like to remind Mr. James that as we move into the twenty-first century, century, we can no longer consider consider ourselves as only part of a small town, but as part of a global village. Intolerance of other races, cultures and religions have no place in a country or a world that strives towards peace and dignity of all people, regardless regardless of their backgrounds. I find your reference to 'Bingo Indians,' 'Sikh jokes,' and 'to allow Indians to wear their hair in braids while on duty in the scarlet tunics' as 'another 'another nail in the nation's cultural coffin,' totally unacceptable. unacceptable. I was raised as a WASP in 'small town Ontario.' My paternal forbearers settled in Canada in the 1850's and my maternal forbearers came to Canada .as United Empire Loyalists, and yet I am thankful that my life's experiences have allowed me to appreciate people who differ from me. It saddens me to realize that intolerance intolerance of others, that is so unfortunately unfortunately common in our country's history, still prevails. prevails. It is ethnocentric attitudes, attitudes, such as you have suggested suggested in this article, that bring about the travesties of war. I remind you, Mr. James, that we are all Immigrants Immigrants to this country, unless unless we are of Native or Inuit Inuit extraction. If we were to follow your line of reasoning that all who come to this country should conform to traditions and language, then you and I, Mr. James, should be attending 'pot latches' and speaking Cree, Ojibwa, Iroquois, etc.. I am proud to live in a country that openly accepts all people because we are 'created equal' and celebrate our individuality rather than insisting on uniformity. uniformity. Respectfully yours, Sylvia Vanhaverbeke 3377 Hwy. #2. R.R. #8, Newcastle, Ontario, L1B-1L9. One would think, being being in the newspaper business for all of two years, I would have developed developed some cynicism by this point. One would think that I would be most cynical when a matter comes up that involves me. But, as I discovered last week, the truth is I'm as naive as a classroom full of kindergarten students. students. My dentist promised - actually guaranteed - that when my wisdom tooth came out it wouldn't hurt. There would be no swelling or bruising and I wouldn't have to take any time off work. I quickly agreed to book the half nour appointment appointment for the tooth extraction. A couple of days before the happy event, I started remembering what it was like when the lower wisdom wisdom teeth were removed. The pain, the bruises, the week off school. To say I became nervous nervous would be an understatement. understatement. A reporter who attends Durham Region council meetings with me said last week that having one wisdom tooth removed from the tipper jaw was no worse than being punched in the face. I guess it depends on who owns the fist at the other end. If it's Mike Tyson, it is going to hurt just a little bit. The punch I had didn't really take effect until Thursday. I think everyone, or almost almost everyone, hates going going to the aentist. I have been there so much in the past few years that I've become a pro at sitting in the chair. I ask a lot of questions, too, when I have the chance, so I'm never in doubt as to what is going on in my mouth. While visiting the dentist dentist is not my favourite way to spend an hour, I can deal with making the trip without my stomach being twisted in knots. Last week, then, I was prepared for the visit. When I got there and was treated to double the amount of freezing I normally normally get for a filling, I realized that contrary to the dentist's first thought, this wasn't going going to be a piece of cake. While the roots on the tooth were short, one had a hook on it. The tooth itself itself was growing in sideways. sideways. What he promised would be 10 minutes, stretched into 20 minutes of fiddling to loosen the tooth. During this time, it felt like my cheek was stretched back to my earlobe earlobe and that my jaw would never close properly properly again. . It finally came out and I was fine. Until about 9:30 Wednesday night when I felt like Tyson had actua- ly hit me. My face exploded and the jaw throbbed. Two days, later I was still swollen and had a painful jaw. So, what's the point? I believe I was conned. My dentist must have known if he said: "It's going going to hurt, Andrea. You're going to experi ence swelling, have difficulties difficulties opening your mouth, won't be able to go to work and will generally generally feel lousy for a few days," then I would have said "No, thanks". I'm certain his goal wasn't to make me look like I had a tennis ball in my mouth. But next time, I think I'll be a little more cautious cautious when I hear: "Don't worry, it won't hurt a bit." Odd Fellows and Rebekah Lodges Host Open Session Dear Sir: We write this letter to you on behalf of the Odd Fellow Fellow and Rebekah Lodges in Bowmanville, hoping that some of your readers will plan to attend an Open Session Session we are holding at Centennial Centennial Temple on Queen St.,' Thursday, Nov. 29th at 8 p.m. We realize many people have no idea of our programs programs or projects, so are making public reports on two, given by non-members who live in this Region. 1. A young lady from Courtice Secondary School was sponsored by tne above- named Lodge this past August August for a tnp which enabled ner to visit the United Nations. Nations. She will present to us her findings from this very valuable and honored experience. experience. 2. Another student who lives in Newcastle spent time this past summer, working at Camp Trillium, which is operated for children children with leukemia health problems. He is very enthusiastic enthusiastic about this ■ very worthwhile project which, again, is sponsored solely by our Lodges and he will give a challenging report. Thank you for this space and we hope for an encouraging encouraging response to this invitation. invitation. Harry Wade, rep I.O.O.F. Lodge Doris Wollstein rep Rebekah Rebekah Lodge Pressing Matters In One Small Town -- by John E. James -- "The World Record for Constipation Is 112 Days" C'mon, who'd write a column about something like that? Well, actually, back in the days when the James clan still owned the Amityville Bugle, we may have done worse. It- wasn't Puliitzer Prize material, but few Amityville readers will forget the time The Bugle scooped the world with the reported discovery of a new wind-driven energy source. It happened one evening, roughly 20 minutes after the Missus dumped leftover polish sausage into Champ the Wonderdog's feed bowl. The sausage came from our local. grocer, and was intended to 'spice up' a lasagna recipe. Please understand this stuff was pretty potent, ranking somewhere around typhoon-class in volatility. After dinner, the dining room looked more like a Turkish steam bath than the setting for a lasagna feast. Everybody remained stuck to their chairs after the meal, with rows of tiny sweat beads glistening on their foreheads. Then the stuff started working its way through poor old Champ. Suddenly, the leaden silence in the steamy room was shattered by a thunderous explosion of sound. It rattled cups in saucers, paintings reverberated off walls, storm windows bulged from their frames, and the chandelier set to tremblimg. All three kids went wide-eyed and white as sheets, mouths gaping. The gaze of all five family members was directed, as one, toward the location from whence this amazing noise apparently originated.....none other than Champ the Wonderdog. The dog, meanwhile, was busily engaged in bending his sizable body almost in half to sniff the area allegedv responsible. The truth was just barely sinking in, when "KHIIHAAAR TOOOUUUM BUBBA BUBBA SPLAZZZ!"..., a second burst from man's best (up to now) friend, Talk about sights to see. Champ's no spring chicken, but the reflexes still work fine. Darned near broke his neck, trying to clear the old schnozzola away from the blast zone. That did it for the kids. All three slid slowly from chairs to floor, connvulsing in fits of tcary laughter. Ever seen kids in a "laugh 'till you die' scenario? No sooner would they run out of breath, then begin the ragged trek back to sanity, and "KHHHAAARR TOOOUUUUM BUBBA BUBBA SPLAZZ!", the poor old fellow would let rip another championshiip 'Blue Darter' .. Off they'd go again. Lord, you had to be there. This column's caption seems just as appropriate to lead us into the final item, which is a letter received by The Port Perry Star. The writer (a teacher) objected to another of our columns in that paper. Being concerned about the current economic outlook, we thought some restraints might be a good idea until things calm aown. The premise was not based on cutbacks, but did suggest no further burdens be placed on an already weakened economy. Somebody has to lead the way, right? Since teachers fared better than anyone else during the last three decades, we thought it only fair for them to set a good example, and go first in this restraint parade. Does anyone dispute the logic? There is nothing unfair - nor biased - in a suggestion everyone hold the line, for the good of all concerned. So, what was this teacher upset about? Well, it turns out our timing wasn't great, Durham High School teachers are demanding a single year, 12% raise, and threaten to strike Dec. 13 unless they get it. Needless to say, these demands somewhat exceed the restraint guidelines we had in mind. Why are they doing this? A teacher with roughly ten yearsi experience and some extra course: credits under the belt, reaches the top salary level ... earning an average of $55,000 a year across the province. A 12% raise would put that teacher well over $60,000 next year! To earn that, plus an amazing array of health, benefit, and indexed pension perks (mostly paid by YOU), teachers work only 184 days (half a year) in class!!! With four weeks holidays per year, and five days off for illness, the average guy on the street works 225 to 230 days per year. Which, in term of five days work weeks translates into approximately 10 MORE weeks of work per year, and in most cases a lot less money. This madness has to stop. A 12% raise will cost Durham taxpayers an additional $11.2 MILLION per year, without providing a single new facility, or text book, or computer, or instrument, or other related educational todls for your kids. C'mon teachers, under existing conditions, these demands are obscene.