4 The Canadian Statesman, Bowmanville, Wednesday, February 19,1992 AX L 3 /a\ /Al TW\ /A T VQlnn' fill Former Publishers Rev. W. R. Climie, 1854-1878 • M.A. James, 1878-1935 • George W. James, 1935-1957 frCNA Produced weekly by James Publishing Company Limited For 138 Years, Our First Concern Has Been Our Community Publisher - John M. James Assoc. Publisher - Richard A. James Plant Manager - Donald J. Bishop Ad. Manager - Brian G. Purdy Editor - Peter Parrott Production Rick Patterson, Julie Cashin-Ostcr, Laurens Kaldcvvay, Doug Lugtenburg, Sharon McMullen, Barb Patterson, Scan Pickard, Ralph Rozema, Jim Snook, Vance Sutherland, Jim Tuuramo Advertising Laveme Morrison, Pat Patterson-Savage Editorial Brad Kelly, Lorraine Manfredo, Laura J. Richards Office Angela Luscher, Junia Carnegie, Grace McGregor, Nancy Pleasance, Marilyn Rutherford, Barb Schouten P.O. Box 190, 62 King St. W., Bowmanville, Ontario, L1C 3K9 416-623-3303 Fax 416-623-6161 Buyer Beware! The controversy over construction of 66 non-prolil housing units in a north Bowmanville subdivision points to the need for full disclosure of proposed land uses in new subdivisions. But, even then, the old rule of "Buyer Beware" would still hold true. Let's look at the situation. You arc buying your first house in what will become your dream neighbourhood. Of course, like most new subdivisions under construction, it is full of heavy equipment, cement trucks, and all the paraphernalia of the building trades. You might wonder what sort of development will occur on the empty property across from your own home, and you look at plans and make a few enquiries. You are satisfied that the surrounding neighbourhood will consist of homes much like your own, So, you sign on the dotted line. Unfortunately, you arc a novice at this sort of thing. You don't fully understand municipal planning. Arid, if you're from out-of-town, you might not be aware of local newspaper articles, notices or public meetings. Besides, you're too busy making a living and raising a family to do all the legwork required for keeping up with local planning issues. Then, one day, you discover that the empty plot of land which you thought would contain more single-family homes like your own, is actually the site of an apartment or a row of townhouscs or a small shopping plaza. You arc just disappointed because it isn't what you expected. Who is to blame? The scenario we have described above more or less portrays what happened to homeowners who met with Newcastle Mayor Diane Hamre last week in an effort to get the municipality to reconsider construction of the non-profit housing development in their neighbourhood. It's unlikely that their protest will be successful because of the fact that the buildings in question are half completed and because, as we understand it, developers and the municipality have done cvcrydiing that was legally required of them in getting this project approved. And municipal authorities aren't generally buying the idea that non-profit housing is likely to reduce housing prices or contribute to crime. Policies on construction of affordable housing seem to go out of their way to ensure that huge numbers of government-assisted housing units arc built in one place. Rather, the goal is to include non-profit housing in various subdivisions in order to ensure that a complete range of housing is provided. Nevertheless,- homeowners have the right to know what kind of development will be built on vacant property within a new subdivision. We arc convinced that the non-profit housing development off Liberty St. North did, in fact, go through the proper procedures cn route to its final approval. However, we wonder if it isn't possible for the municipality to go above and beyond the call of duly in order to fully disclose to potential buyers the various types of buildings likely to be erected in their subdivision. It seems to us that new homeowners arc not just buying isolated plots of land, but are purchasing a piece of an entire neighbourhood. And, therefore, they have the right to make sure that they fully understand what that neighbourhood is going to look like when all the construction is completed. Otherwise, the situation of the buyer is similar to a scenario in which the purchaser orders a car's engine and tires but isn't exactly certain what the completed vehicle will look like. And it's really up to the municipality to take responsibility for disclosing those plans to the purchaser. The municipality isn't selling the property, so it can be perfectly impartial in disclosing its information. Moreover, it's the municipality which should have the most up-to-date details concerning the status of any one piece of property at any given time. How can the home-buyer be belter protected? Well, it seems to us that the first step would be to erect signs on various empty lots in a subdivision describing exactly what kind of building will go at that site. These signs would be over and above the official notices which must be prominently posted on a piece of property when a change in zoning is requested. Such signs should be written as clearly as possible. The term Residential XYZ-J24 may not mean much to a typical" buyer. But the'Words "four storey apartment building" can be readily understood. And then the sign should contain a phone number of an official at the Town Hall who could provide additional details and who would have a complete set of plans for any given neighbourhood. The suggestions we have given here would not alleviate all problems connected with the purchase of a new home in a newly-created neighbourhood. But, they would be a big help. Countless hours arc spent in the planning process which leads up to the approval of new construction. And it seems only fitting that the town's role should also be expanded to ensure that the outcome of that process is fully explained to citizens. Nevertheless, the rule of "buyer beware" would still apply. Any municipal official will tell you that the land use slated for that empty lot beside your home is not something etched in stone. Elected officials frequently note that it is the democratic right of a land owner to seek permission to change the land use assigned to his property. In other words, if he or she wants to have a residential lot rezoned for a steel mill or an abattoir, then lie or she has the right to approach the municipal authorities and seek permission to do so. Fortunately, municipal authorities have the democratic right to reject that proposal. And members of the public have the democratic right to object to a change in land use. Buyer beware! News Item: Parents are warned to keep their children out of direct sunlight after experts discover another another hole in the earth's ozone layer. by Laura J. Richards 407 Route Reader Suggests United "No" Vote Would be Better Dear Mr. James: This topic has certainly fired up your readers nearly as much as the Port Granby issue, any kind of dump proposal and the change of name question. Life is certainly exciting in this sleepy rural community, eh? This week's Statesman (February 12/92) again featured featured a number of letters expressing expressing various concerns and points of view regarding the proposed Highway 407 route. The first letter, yet, to make the most common sense came After watching the Olympic men's figure skating finals on Saturday, we wonder if the athletes shouldn't hire top notch lobbyists instead of top notch coaches. With the scores we saw coming from the judges, it doesn't seem to matter if you perform well, only how well you can skate in the political arena. We arc far from being an expert in the world of figure skating, skating, but even to the untrained eye, the performances of all three medal winners were filled with mistakes, incomplete jumps, and outright falls. The only skater to execute flawlessly in both programs was Canada's Elvis Stojko. His perfect performances performances earned him a disheartening seventh place finish. We couldn't tell you the difference between a triple clutz, a double brown cow, or a waltzing camel, but we do remember watching Amcrcian skater Debbie Thomas fall at least half a dozen times during the 1988 Calgary Olympics, and still win the bronze medal. To boot, she snubbed Will and Manley who took gold and silver. She didn't deserve to be on the podium, and should have been stripped of her medal for embarrassing her country during the award presentations. Organizers would be wise to stand back and take a look at how judges make their decisions in years to come. At the rate they're going, it won't be long before WWF wrestling is more credible than international figure skating. from Luisa Gisclla Longo, a student at St. ' Stephen's. Ms. Longo seems to have considered considered many important factors, and applied the facts to her comments. I am impressed! However, as with other letters, letters, I am concerned about thé mistaken belief that a northern route would have less impact on land which is "less productive." productive." While this land may not be Class "A" farmland, it HAS value. Not only do we rely on food for survival, we also rely on clean water, making this so- called worthless stretch of sand and gravel worth a great deal indeed! Unlike the view of another another correspondent who all but calls this area "ugly", it's beauty and 'value' lies in the cleansing, filtering and storage of natural underground water flows - groundwater which eventually makes its way to Lake Ontario and which, by- thc-by, many farmers and rcsi- r . , . dents depend upon as it travels. In person, it suffers from the same spectator problem as lug- unseen, beneath the land. Fur- mg. But, on the tube, its thrilling to watch as those half- thermore, we have no clear uncrazed uncrazed skiers rocket down the hills at close to 85 miles per , hour. M A big round of applause to Canuck Kerrin Lcc-Gartncr who won gold for Canada for the first time. She had an incredibly smooth run in a sport that demands total concentration and veins of ice water. One mistake, and it's like jumping out of your car on Highway 401. We remember in 1976 when Austria's Franz Klammer screamed down Kitzbuhl's most dangerous run to win the gold. Everyone around the TV squirmed and wrestled with their chairs to ski the run with him. We were hooked and wanted to become an Olympic downhill racer. That was until Klammer was interviewed later and when asked how did he manage to ski, so fast he said, "If you think you're in control, you're not going fast enough." That's a little too fast for this kid. derstanding about these groundwater flows. Tell me, how can pavement and gas stations be an improvement improvement on nature? Whether the highway cuts through one route or another, the face of the landscape will be forever changed. Arteries travelling to the highway will feel increased pressure from traffic, and roads will require upgrading and costly maintenance. Eventually, Eventually, sewers, water (isn't there some irony here?) and light industry industry will be drawn into the question. Either way, the farmland farmland will be dug up, paved over and lost forever. As will the forests, wetlands and natural natural habitat. As to the fate of the groundwater? It's flow will be impeded, and it will be polluted. polluted. For centuries, humankind has put considerable effort into conquering nature, and now, as some seem to suggest, improving improving nature. To draw an interesting interesting parallel, I would like to ask that you consider what people (more specifically, women) do to improve on nature - cosmetic cosmetic surgery, colagen treatments and breast implants. We can't see beauty in the natural environment, environment, and extend this to the physical being. It's time we respected and took care of the earth. It will then be much easier to respect and take care of ourselves. Rather than allowing a community community to be divided (and the land conquered) by raging a "North vs. South" battle, I suggest that the community unite, and just plainly say 'NO'. Otherwise, in a few years not only will we have a few abandoned farms and gaping pits, but we will have truly HAD progress, at ALL costs! Good Day to you, Mr. James. (Mrs.) Helen MacDonald cc: Ministry of Transportation, Ontario Ministry of Environment, Ontario Gord Mill, MPP Durham East It was a zoo inside the Newcastle Village town hall and outside too- on Friday, Feb. 14. There were people protesting protesting abortion and the GST People from the Reform Party Party were there too. People had come from all over the Durham Region and from areas east. It was the "Brian Mulron- cy will stop here road show." And, from the look of it, I knew the evening was going to prove to be interesting. First, of course, were the obligatory talks with the people people with the interesting signs. The woman from Port Perry with the "Pro-Life is Pro-Woman" sign was the first of several poster walkers I approached. She said she wanted everyone everyone to know that abortion kills forever and how she figured figured Mr. Mulroney was forgetting forgetting that not all women arc "into killing their babies." She began to get worked up so I (prickly said, "Thanks for the information," and got out of there fast before I opened my big mouth and got into an argument. Next was the man from Newcastle Village who would rather that the GST be dropped tout suite. I asked about the idea of replacing it with the Manufacturers Tax that was in place before and he said he didn't know anything anything about that one. Ah, how quickly the public public forgets. Of course, I spoke with some of the New Democrats in the crowd who were there to see what old Brian had to say. I also spoke to the guy in charge of security who thought that I was not a member member of the press because I did not have a fancy plastic laminated laminated press card with my photo on it. Hrmph! He was not going to let me in or near the Prime Minister at all. The ironic part of the whole night is that once I did get in and did gel myself positioned positioned down by one of the Brownie Packs I was close to the P.M. When the prime minister began floating through the crowd, he and I were crushed together at various times. If I was a different sort of person, I might have enjoyed it. However, I did not. It is totally amazing that I can be that close to someone and not get an interview. But, somehow when your cameras are stuck in your throat and the mini-tape re corder is on your hand which is where God only knows, it is a tad hard to get an interview. interview. So, no I didn't get to ask my questions and no, I won't be getting to dip my toes into the pool at 24 Sussex Drive. But, I did get some interesting interesting photos and a cold. *** Monday, while I was home sick with my cold and after I had gone to the doctor's doctor's to have a throat swab donc, I got to watch some of the interesting programs on the old boob tube. I happened on a couple of soaps and cooking shows. I now know who slept with whom because his wife slept around on him just last week. Wow! How can anyone keep track of it all? The cooking show was interesting. interesting. I now have a recipe for Bananas Flambe. When I nicked the channel channel again I found a news update. update. It was then that I heard that Jeffery Dahmcr received 15 life sentences to be served consecutively. This type of sentence will make sure he will never be eligible eligible for parole. Dahmcr, as many of you know, was responsible for the killing and dismemberment of 15 young men and boys in Milwaukee. Dahmcr, 31, said to his lawyer that he offers himself to researchers who want to probe the mind of a serial killer. It seems to me, that this despicable man who got a kick out of satisfying his ego and sexual desires now wants the world to know all about it. There is no doubt in my mind that there will be book and medical journal publishers publishers and the like who will hop onto this one like an ant onto a picnic lunch. To be blunt, this is not the last we have heard about Jeffery Jeffery Dahmcr. I have a feeling we will see his name in Reader's Digest, Digest, Psychology Today and in one of those awful mini- series on the old boob tube in the future. PLEASE RECYCLE THIS PAPER The high speed sport of Luge fascinates us. First of all, it must be a licck of a lot of fun to attend one of these races. As you stretch to lean over the side of the track anxiously waiting for your favorite team to compete, you're cold and your back hurts. When your team is due, you cheer them on for all of about half a second as they zip by at 70 miles an hour on their backsides, Then it's over. Secondly, how do organizers justify building one of these multi-million dollar luge tracks when there arc only a couple hundred people in the world who use them? They double as a bob-sled track but even then there can't be more than 1,000 participants combined. Lastly, how do you go about getting involved in this sport? We can't wait lor the day when daughter Morgan comes home from school and says, "Mommy, I want to be a lugcr." Mom would probably respond with, "Go talk to your Father, Father, lie's a loser." "No Mommy, I said lugcr." One sport that we love to watch on TV is downhill racing. We're glad to see that two Canadians are doing exceptionally exceptionally well in their second careers as TV broadcasters. Former NHL referee Ron MacLean turned to hockey broadcasting broadcasting a few years ago and has always been one of our favorites, favorites, mainly because of his ability to make Don Cherry look really silly. MacLcan's coverage of the Olympics has been superb. When Canada won the gold in skiing, he was supposed to wait until after Kerrin Lce-Gartncr's video-taped run before saying that she placed first. In his excitement, he told us as soon as he came on die air. Definitely, a proud Canadian. A newcomer to broadcasting from the world of sports is former figure skater Tracy Wilson. She started this past summer with CTV doing some weekend weekend sports anchor desk work, and we were very impressed with her previously unknown talents. Obviously, so were other people because we sec that she is now covering the Olympics for CBS, the U.S. based network. CBS also hired Katerina Witt to help with the figure skating portions. Keep in mind folks, that most broadcasters spend a lifetime trying to get to the big bucks of American television. Apparently, she is only on loan from CTV to cover the Olympics for CBS, but don't be surprised if her new career keeps her in the U.S.A. As for Katerina Witt, slic'd better stick to Coke commercials commercials and the Ice Capadcs. Ho I A up Aske< How do you think Lyn McLeod will perform as the leader of the Liberal Party? Mary Mutton Bowmanville "It's hard to say. I'm not sure she has the experience she needs. It'll be interesting to see how the party backs her." Ralph Burgess Bowmanville "She'll do alright. Anybody would have a hard job ahead of them." Lynn Pearce Crooked Creek "I suppose she could do just as well as anybody else." Martin Grubb Bowmanville "Not very well, because she's an unknown." Next week's question: What do you think ol the Canadian Olympics official colours of purple and white? nail
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