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2 The Canadian Statesman, Bowmanville, Wednesday, March 23,1994 Section Two Former Publishers Rev. W. R. Climie, 1854-1878 • M.A. James, 1878-1935 • George W. James, 1935-1957 Produced weekly by James Publishing Company Limited For 139 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, Ross Fisher, Laurens Kaldcway, Doug Lugtenburg, Sharon McMullen, Barb Patterson, Ralph Rozcma, Jim Snoek, Vance Sutherland, Jim Tuuramo Advertising Laveme Morrison Editorial Brad Kelly, Lorraine Manfredo, Laura J. Richards paid Office Angela Luschcr, Junia Hodge, Grace McGregor, Nancy Pleasancc-Sturman, Marilyn Rutherford P.O. Box 190, 62 King St. W., Bowmanville, Ontario, L1C 3K9 905-623-3303 Fax 905-623-6161 CCNA Value for Tax Dollar If there is anything good that can be said of the recession, it might be the fact that it's forced municipalities to trim their taxes. The public is more than fed up with government spending. And, to some extent they're fed up with governments in general. Rightly or wrongly, incumbent politicians get defeated in elections simply because they are the incumbents and therefore are blamed for all the difficulties of the past. And so, there is no politician in his or her right mind who would even whisper the words "tax increase." Municipal politicians at the regional and local level are to be commended for the fact that they have at last reversed the trend towards ever-increasing tax loads. For the first time in recent memory, we are seeing back-to-back tax decreases. This year, the taxes at the Durham Region level will decline by about $2 for an average household. And, those taxes controlled by Clarington Council will be easing downwards by an average of $5 per household. There is no word yet on where the school board taxes will stand. But, you can rest assured that trustees are facing the same pressure as municipal councillors for fiscal restraint While cost-conscious 'politicians are merely doing the bidding of the electorate, the decision to cut back remains a courageous one. For, you see, elected representatives who are intent on chopping spending are swimming against the current of many years of conventional wisdom. And change is not easy. We remember days, not too long ago when municipal politicians and senior municipal staff were convinced that it was absolutely impossible to avoid tax increases. It used to be taken for granted the taxes would climb. It was just a matter of how much. It seems to us that there has been a substantial shift in the thinking of both municipal officials and their constituents over the past three years. We have moved away from a mentality in which constituents are asking only "What can you give me?" Those kinds of requests always resulted in tax increases. However, since inflation was increasing rapidly and so were typical salaries, a certain amount of tax increase could be accepted. Now, the question uppermost in the minds of constituents is value for the dollar. Just as today's typical purchaser of consumer products is willing to haggle for a better price or comparison shop, he or she is willing to take the same approach to political spending. In other words, voters aren't willing to pay the sticker price any more. Tell them that they have to face a five per cent tax increase and they'll more than likely decide to shop for another group of elected representatives in the next election. Governments had to respond to the challenge by becoming more efficient. ■ Nobody wanted to see this latest recession. But, it's probably the only thing that could have curbed the freewheeling spending of a long line of elected officials at the local, federal and provincial levels. If, indeed, we are inching out of the recession, the challenge will be to make certain that we, the taxpayers, do not fall back into our previous habits of placidly accepting huge doses of government spending. There will be a tendency to revert to, the free spending of yesterday, if the economy picks U P- . t , , Let's hope everyone has learned some lessons over the past three years and has the discipline to resist such temptations. That's surely the only way we can rid ourselves of the huge government debt which continues to loom like a thundercloud over the dawning of a brighter economy. by Rick James Step, step, step, step, step...SPLASH! Spring has sprung, and so has the leak in my basement. It is the time of year when friends and relatives remind you about the warning they issued when carpet was installed on the cellar cellar floor. It is also the time of year when sump pump installers say, "Didn't I give you a price last year and you said rather than pay that much, you'd look after it yourself?" Once again, procrastination outweighed action and nothing was done about the leak in the basement for another year. The most frustrating aspect of the leaking basement is that once it's started, there's nothing to do except watch the huge pile of snow in the backyard slowly make its way across the lawn, down the side of the house and into the basement, flowing over the tops of your faithful black and red rubber boots. You can try to divert it with planks of wood, or tiny trenches etched in the frozen tundra, but water still manages to find its lowest lowest point and that ultimately means the basement. After a week-end of watershed management, I probably would have been better off to revert to younger days and start sailing tiny boats down the backyard's rushing rivers. A quick trip to the hardware store started the search for a pump to eject nature's offending liquid. Like members of an elite club, several homeowners in black and red rubberboots stood in the aisle looking at the last pump sitting on the display shelf. "Got some water, do ya?" asked a fellow floodee. "There's the pump ya need, this sucker was used by Noah in the big flood," he chuckled through the three teeth that were left in his head. I quickly shot back with, "If Noah used it, how come there's only only one of them," attempting to explain to the three-toothed floodee that Noah took two of everything with him. It was quite apparent that he had forgotten that part of the story because my attempt at humour was met with a look of "daaahhh." "You know the worst part about spring flooding is all that extra stuff that ends up in your basement," lie exclaimed. "Think about all the crap that's coinin' in with the water, like dissolved doggie do!" He, of course, was a little more colourful when describing doggic-do. Wail a minute, I thought to myself, I've got a dog. Using my best poker face in an attempt to avoid any further conversation, I indicated that his observations were not applicable since I didn't own a dog. With that, I quickly snatched the remaining pump and headed to the cashier. My three-toothed companion followed me out to the parking lot, perhaps thinking lie had found a friend who would lend him a new pump. As we approached my truck, Maverick sat up in the scat and began barking at the thrcc-toolhcd stranger walking near his master. master. "I thought you said you didn't own a dog?" lie asked. Just like a scene from a Pink Panther movie, I had to say, "That's not my dog," and proceeded to walk past my faithful four-legged companion as briskly as anyone can, carrying a pump and wearing a pair of black and red rubberboots. Fortunately, my dentist's worst nightmare gave up the chase and I was able to double back to the truck and sneak away. As we headed home feeling frustrated, intimidated and humiliated humiliated witli blisters forming in my black and red rubberboots, Maverick cranked his head and looked at me with an expression that said, "And you humans call us dumb animals!" Letters to the Editor Seeks Help in Searching for Branton Family Dear Editor: This letter is really to your readers. readers. I am tracing the Branton family, and I need assistance from any of your readers who are descended from this family. - James Branton and his son, Richard Richard (and all their children) settled in the Tyrone area, just north of Bowmanville. Bowmanville. Counting wives and children, there were probably over 20 Bran- ton's to 'invade' that village and others others in the vicinity. James' brother, also Richard, was known to live in the Seagravc area, so there's another branch of this large family to search. So many people for whom to gather gather information, not to mention slotting slotting them all into their proper places! I would appreciate any information information or old photos that your readers might have. I promise to take great care of any photos that may be lent to me and will return them in good order order and as quickly as possible. I understand that some Branlons have gone out west and down into the States - can anyone tell me about them? Thank you for aiding in my search by printing this letter. Sherrell Lynn (Branton) Lectooze 623-9147. Bowmanville Name Came from Charles, Not the Entire Family Dear Editor: It is understandable if facts become become smudged after 170 years. But there should be no mistaking who Bowmanville was named after: Charles Bowman. This corrects a small but important important point in "The First 200 Years" column (March 2), by Slier Lectooze. She says that the former Darlington Mills was named Bowmanville after the Bowman family, in 1823. Local libraries stock the 1958 Bowmanville centennial histoty - A Retrospect by Ilamlyn, Lunny and Morrison. This terrific book takes a long look at the community's early formative years including the role of Charles Bowman. In so doing, it dispels dispels "the damnable heresy" of the town not being certain of the identity of its own father! This is just one local history which gives credit to the popular general general store owner from Montreal whoso public spiritctlncss evidently made things "go" for so many early settlers. GarficUl Shaw Should Complain to Local 222 Dear Editor: I would like to make a comment about the letter sent to my attention through the Canadian Statesman from Mr. John Kovacic, under the heading, "NDP should return to its roots." Since 1990, all five elected NDP MPPs from Durham have consistently consistently supported the Premier and government government policies. One of those elected, Mr. Larry O'Connor, is a member of Mr. Kovacic's local. Wouldn't it make better sense for Mr. Kovacic to just pick up the telephone and tell his fellow Local 222 member just what he is fed up with. And at the same time, inform his fellow union member, member, that he is sorry he ever voted for the NDP. This would make much more common sense than does sending sending a letter to the Canadian Statesman Statesman for my attention! Sincerely, Gordon L. Mills, CD., M.P.P. Durham East Warning to Dog Owners Sir: This is an open letter to our neighbours neighbours who own dogs and let them run loose. Please keep your dogs at home on your own property, do not let them run wild. Presently we are getting visits from a male golden lab, almost daily, and this we cannot allow to continue. You sec we arc sheep farmers and wandering dogs definitely do not get along with sheep. Our farm is. just cast of Shiloh Rd. East of Kendal and runs from the 6th Concession north to the 7th. Perhaps you now know, whose dog this is! As an animal lover, I am most reluctant to take the life of a nice animal, but our sheep on our property must come first, and therefore, therefore, I shall have to resort to shooting him. Please don't force me to do this. Sincerely, Barry James Chaitanya Farms Could have been a farmer in a former life. As a journalist who enjoys getting out to the local farms, I must admit that during my two years at college, I was not exactly keen on some of the projects dumped on my lap by my journalism instructor, Victor Stanton. Like the week I spent following the agriculture students to a number of different farming operations. Including Including a pig farm. Yep, that was a day a lot of my male friends wish I hadn't learned a new skill. That was the day I castrated a pig It took me weeks to get over the violence violence of the act. It really disturbed me. I can kid around about it now, but my male friends always cross their legs when it is discussed. My female friends seem to get a real kick out of the story, though. Hmmm! The scries of articles that came out of the week's experience went into our student paper and into the local newspaper, The Bugle, in Woodstock, New Brunswick. This story brings me to the real meat of the column. Over the last few weeks, I have been traipsing over the local country side, gathering information through interviews about farm operations. I spent last week writing a number of articles for the Farm Tab which appears appears in today's Statesman. I have to tell you something. While I was raised in a village, and knew plenty of kids who grew up on farms, I never really knew much about farming. farming. I had a love for horses that was kindled by my grandfather and my best friend, Joy. I am unsure why I enjoy enjoy going to farms these days. However, there is something special special about farms and the people who work them'. Farmers are open, honest and hardworking hardworking individuals and there is something to be said for that. There are also a few out there who are arrogant arrogant and self-righteous as well, but I was lucky. I didn't interview them. My roots to fanning are through my mother's grandparents who farmed a piece of property on the Gas- pé Coast on the Bay of Chaleur side. My mother use to tell me stories of when she and her siblings would go to the farm for the summer. It sounded so idyllic. She had her chores to do and she looked after her brothers and sisters. When she had time for herself, she would go for walks. I was never an agriculture illiterate, illiterate, but I was not an agriculture Einstein, Einstein, either. My first ag story for The Statesman Statesman came when I was doing articles for the farm tab in 1991. TTicrc was an awful ice storm the night before I drove out to meet Glenn Stapleton and the gang. It was an awful day in the weather category, but an interesting day in many other ways. My natural curiosity curiosity sped me to sec the inner workings of a dairy operation. From the grain to the veal to the milking operation, I was given the grand tour. I even had my first-ever ride on an ATV. My father always thought it was Continued on Page 4 M We Asked.... Do you agree with the idea of mining a landfill for recyclables? ... And You Said Hugh Laing Ted Walton George Landon Brian Hart "Yes, I think that "It's a new concept. "Sounds like a good "As long as vvc'rc not recycling is critical. On one hand it might idea." paying ns taxpayers." I've been a support- good for the envier envier of recycling for a ronment, but ell the lone time." construction oquip- ° ment means more traf fic and might disrupt the ground." Next week's question: Do you support the women's shelter proposed by thi* Bethesd.t I louse ol Men y eommitlee? Ü