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'KSHOtitei • Total Market Coverage of Clarington from the Publishers of The Canadian Statesman • A James Publishing Community Newspaper Saturday, February 13,1999 145th Year Circulation: 21,265 Two separate shed fires in the municipality on Wednesday resulted in almost $200,000 in damage. The Clarington Fire Department responded to a blaze at an equipment shed in Mitchell's Corners after receiving the first of 12 calls at 3:23 a.m. The shed contained a variety of equipment. About 2,000 to 3,000 bales of hay, stored nearby, also ignited. Damage is estimated at $100,000. Firefighters were on the scene early Thursday to deal with ongoing smouldering. About 25 firefighters from four stations responded. At 4:13 p.m. Wednesday, firefighters firefighters were called to a burning garage on Hancock Road near Courticc. Damage to the garage and its contents is estimated at $80,000. The cause of the two fires has not yet been determined. BURNING BALES -- There wasn't much the fire department could do once these bales of straw caught fire at a farm on Washington Road, just west of Solina. Above, Clarington firefighter Chris Roberts tries to clear away some of the metal poles from the structure. DOUSING THE FLAMES -- Clarington firefighters were called to this Hancock Road residence Wednesday afternoon to put out a garage fire. About $30,000 damage was done to the building, while $50,000 worth of contents were ruined. No cause has been determined. Preserving Downtown Orono by Michelle Wyton Staff Writer Orono's ground floor stores shouldn't shouldn't be converted to residential space, according to a resolution that will soon be debated by Clarington Council. Clarington Regional Councillor John Mutton, liaison for the Orono Business Improvement Association (BIA) will introduce a motion at the next regular council meeting that would, if passed, limit residential units to the second storey or above in downtown downtown Orono. "There has been some concern that the oldest storefront in the downtown would be converted to residential space and that would really erode the downtown," he said. "This would provide provide for some future protection and help make sure the downtown stayed vibrant and healthy." "This would ensure that if there is a commercial unit there now, it would stay commercial," he added. As the zoning stands now, a residential residential unit is permitted as part of any building with a non-residential use. But David Chrome, acting director of planning and development at the municipality, said the by-law is not specific about how the building should be set up. "The residential and commercial could be side by side or there could be commercial on the ground floor and residential above it," he said. "The intent of Councillor Mutton's motion will be to keep the commercial space on the ground floor." Daniel Banting, chair of the Orono BIA, says there are a number of vacant Independent Flyers /lllstater Allstate ' 111 (Darlene Ferguson 987-1611) |W A&P hcïie.!.-- (Prices in effect from Sat., Feb. 13 to Fri., Feb. 19/99) < !/f/dPl Armstrong's IGA UL-JuU (p r j ces j n effect from Sat., Feb. 13 to Fri., Feb. 19/99) Beaver Lumber (Prices in effect from Wed., Feb. 17 to Sat., Feb. 27/99) Beaver ^yLinmcr mxvrrm Cowan Pontiac-Buick Ltd. t*mmaua (winter Maintenance Package) /m Graham's IGA (Prices in effect from Sat., Feb. 13 to Fri., Feb. 19/99) Home Builders (Prices in effect until Sat., Feb. 27/99) wç'ïf.-., Majestic Maid (Cleaning Sen/ice) Masood Vatandoust (100% Satisfaction Guaranteed) Port Hope A&P '.okilVv (Prices in effect from Sat., Feb. 13 to Fri., Feb. 19/99) ® Port Hope Cashway ii.nuoshack. (p r jces in effect from Sun., Feb. 14 to Sat., Mar. 6/99) \\7 Port Hope Valu-mart vJgLt (Prices in effect from Sat., Feb. 13 to Fri., Feb. 19/99) („) Radio Shack " ll = JI ' 1 ' ;i, * tk ' (Sale ends Sat., Feb. 27/99) For information about inserting flyers in Œlje ClnuiiQtoii/Com'ticc 3htbepenbctit, please contact our office at 623-3303. units in the downtown right now. And that does present some concerns. "I think it's a concern of any small community that is on the threshold of the Greater Toronto Area," he said. "We belong to such a mobile society now that small-town mercantiles are in danger. One unit will not make or break Orono, but it is the cumulative effect we need to look at." The BIA, Banting said, does what it can to attract new business to the area. But, their activities arc limited due to budgetary constraints. If the motion is accepted by council, council, the municipality would host public meetings to hear the concerns of area residents. Waving The Flag Durham's MP wants Canadians to have a new holiday in mid-February. Alex Shepherd brought the idea of deeming the third Monday in February a statutory holiday to the floor of the House of Commons Wednesday evening. But, vvliilc the one-hour non- votablc debate was "interesting," Shepherd says a holiday to honour Canada's flag won't be added to the calendar -- at least, not yet, "I suppose this is much like the debate over the flag in 1964," says Shepherd. Though the idea has been raised several times over the past 30 years, Flag Day has yet to receive Statutory Holiday status. But Shepherd hasn't given up hope. "I never say never,".says the MP. Bill Introduced Last May Shepherd introduced his private member's bill regarding Flag Day in the House Inst May. He says a number of MPs argued against the holiday because of the economic implications of having another paid day off. Shepherd says Canada could afford the extra day. "Canada has one less holiday than just about any country in the G7," he says. Though it didn't receive statutory holiday status, Shepherd will he celebrating celebrating the flag at several schools in the area Monday. Dust and Noise Complaints by Michelle Wyton Staff Writer Residents living around Blue Circle Cement arc asking the company company to shorten its working hours in the summertime, Valeric Dostie, who lives on Wavcrley Road, is concerned about the amount of dust and noise created by crews working near her home, "Work is still being done 100 feet away from us," she told council. "If work extends into the summer months, there must be a change in hours, Right now, crews arc working from sun-up to sun-down but that is not acceptable in the summer." Instead, what Dostie would like to see is activity near residential areas restricted to between 5 a.m and 5:30 p.m, during the week, with no work done on the weekend. Other concerns concerns addressed by Dostie include fumes and noise levels. "The trucks and convoys that are continuously travelling along the road cause large amounts of fumes and we should have a proper health study done in the area," she said. Many of the concerns raised by Dostie and Cedar Crest Beach resident, resident, Ben Coclen, arc being addressed by the Community Relations Committee which is made up of representatives from Clarington, Blue Circle Cement, the Aspen Springs Community and the Port Darlington Community. In a letter letter to council, David Ashcroft, cochair cochair of the committee, said they "arc pleased with the efforts of Blue- Circle to reduce the impacts on the surrounding community through increased dust control measures,; altered procedures and new timelines as expressed in their new overburden removal contracts," Addressing the issue of noise,; Ashcroft indicated that the committee; has asked Blue Circle to monitor the- area near the Dostie and Coclen homes to ensure that there is compliance compliance with the Provincial Model Noise Bylaw Standards,