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1 PAGE 4 THE CANADIAN STATESMAN, MARCH 5,2003 www.durhamregion.com Tim Whittaker Publisher Joanne Burghardt Editor-in-Chief Chris Bovie Managing Editor Judi Bobbitt Regional Editor Fred Eismont Director of Advertising Eddie Kolodziejcak Classified Advertising Manager Kirk Bailey Distribution Manager Lillian Hook Office Manager Barb Harrison Composing Manager Clarington's Award-Winning Newspaper Since 1854 Œïjc Canadian statesman March 5,2003 Metroland Printing, Publishing & Distributing Ltd. Phone 905-579-440C Classifieds 905-576-9335 Distribution 905-579-440/ General Fax 905-579-2238 Newsroom Fax 905-579-1809 E-Mail newsroom@durhamregion.com 865 Farewell St., Osliawa ON L1H 7L5 Publications Mail Registration No. 07637 infodurhamregion.com EDITORIAL e-mail letters to nc\vsroom@(lurliamrcj;ion.eom Don't worry about the colour or the size of the box A s residents here get their minds around tire new organic organic waste curbside pickup, they are also wrestling with the expansion of a more familiar familiar garbage diversion program. program. The trusty Blue Box, now a familiar part of the family, can take more items than, ever. Problem Problem is though, most of us long ago got more prolific at the recycling recycling game than the box was built for. Look down any boulevard boulevard on garbage day and you will see many homes with two or three boxes, some with the well- recognized recycling symbol, some made of cardboard, holding holding testament to our good intentions. intentions. Now residents in Clarington, Uxbridge, Scugog and Brock can add more items to the box, including gable-top containers like milk and juice cartons, drinking boxes, any plastic containers containers with a twist-off top, empty paint containers and aerosol cans. In Whitby, Os- hawa, Ajax and Pickering the expanded expanded Blue Box program is expected expected to kick-off this spring. So now that we can add all these other items into the box, where exactly are they to go? Are we expected to-haul out yet another box or-two to the curb, every second week? The answer, for now at least, is yes. Launching the green bin organic waste program was a pricey proposition, costing about $20 a household just for the start-up bins and related materials. materials. That's not to say it was a bad investment. As landfill issues heat up, both here at home and in the US, where our landfill mate rials currently get dumped, we're going to need to find as many en- vironmentally-friendly options as we can to divert our waste elsewhere. But for the Region to consider another capital outlay this year to suit up every home in Durham with a better alternative could have a big impact on every resident's wallet come tax time. Eventually it miiy be worth another investment to bring in a split cart or another more convenient convenient way to get those items to the curb. Another possibility and perhaps an eventuality as we get better at diverting garbage out of the green bag may be weekly pickup of the recycled items. But not this year. We already face the prospect of $80 more on the regional regional portion of our tax bill in 2003 (for a property valued at $200,000 with a sliding scale up or down related to what your home is worth). There are many residents who just couldn't bear the additional cost of weekly Blue Box pickup or even the cost of outfitting each home with a wheeled split cart, one of the options options the Region will be able to consider if it chooses to replace the boxes. For those who'd rather pay than haul multiple boxes to the curb, there are choices. As Peter Watson, manager of waste for the Region says, residents can put out their recyclables in any container they wish. Find one that suits and go with it. Put it on wheels if you can afford to. The bottom line is, whether you buy it at Canadian Tire or have the Region deliver it to your door, it's the resident who pays. At least this time it's for a good cause. OPINION e-mail letters to ncwsruom@(lurhamregion.com The lazy way to compost G arbage is garbage. Whether you throw it all into a big bag or separate separate it out into different bags, what ends up on the curb is ultimately ultimately the same stuff. But it seems there is some confusion about the new program program introduced by the Region last month where residents are encouraged to separate their food waste from other garbage into a biodegradable bag. It can then be set out curbside in a locked bin for weekly weekly pickup. This is the lazy man's way to an environ mcntally- clcan conscience. No muss, no fuss, no backyard science required. required. But clearly, by the lack of bins lined up in neighbourhoods where the program is supposed to he underway, underway, not everyone has bought into this yet. One ol the concerns I've heard is the food waste will attract attract bugs or rodents. I can only scratch my head at how the same leftovers people have been putting out for years will suddenly attract bugs and rodents rodents when it is sealed separately separately in a locked bin instead of sitting in a hag of mixed garbage. Another concern I've heard is this system is too hard to use. My family was a good test case because we have an environmental environmental conscience hut we aren't really into complicating our lives with more household chores and I personally hale cold, But when we received our curbside bin we opened it up and found some pretty casy-to- follow instructions inside along with the smaller kitchen-sized container. We put a biodegradable biodegradable liner into the kitchen container, container, stuck it under the sink and use that to dispose of all our food waste. When it is about half full we tie up the liner and drop it in the curbside container to put out with our weekly garbage. It's just as easy as putting the scraps in the regular kitchen catcher and we have the added bonus of knowing we're doing our part for the environment. The reason behind the curbside organic pickup pickup is to divert the food waste out of landfill to a composting site in Richmond Mill where the leftovers are turned into soil enhancer. Environ menlalists have been calling for government government to lake proactive measures measures to reduce landfill for years. And the move could eventually save taxpayers money as the cost of landfill continues to rise and finding a site ready, willing and able to accept other people's garbage gets harder to find. Already the majority of Durham's garbage has to travel to a resting place in Michigan because no communities communities here want it. The answers to our garbage problem arc not easy but here our local government has given us a tool to help keep landfill out of our backyards, Now it's up to us to make it work. Jacquie Mclnnes Staff Writer LETTERS TO THE EDITOR c-ni Hospital worker defends action To the editor: Re: 'Hospital staff should try and live on disability,' letter from Gordon Ireland of Feb. 23, 2003. I am sorry, Mr. Ireland, that you require the Disability Program Program to survive each month. I am a Medical Radiation Technologist and am part of the union that staged the recent Day of Action. Contrary to what you believe, believe, 1 do not drive an expensive expensive car, live in a large house, nor can 1 afford "the most expensive expensive things in life." A person is required to have a university degree to perform my job, so are you suggesting after attending attending university for four years 1 don't deserve to make over $18 per hour? I work very hard for what 1 have and the government is not acknowledging our profession. We work short-staffed almost every day and are expected to work that way. Because of the stale of health care, no one is beating down the door to join our profession. We perform mammograms, MRIs, CTs, to name a few and are extremely nil letters to newsroom@<Hirhiimrenioii.< important in the hospital system. system. We are highly educated and are fighting for more than just a wage increase. All we want Mr. Ireland is a better health care system, with shorter wait lists and more staff to be there for our patients. I am sorry you don't see it that way. Sarah Carter Bowmanville 'Everyone liked Ryan Latimer' To the editor: Today, 1 learned of the passing of Ryan Latimer. There are many, who knew Ryan but those in the hockey world will never forget him. I knew Ryan for most of his life and I will cherish the years I was able to have him play for my hockey team. Ryan played the game he loved- with all his heart. That intensity and drive took him from house league hockey in Osliawa all the way to professional hockey in the United States. He was a true leader and an inspiration inspiration to his teammates. Whether it was to score an important important goal, captain his team, rally the troops around him, lead by example, or take on the opposition's opposition's biggest player, there was never a challenge loo big for Ryan. In the 11 years 1 was involved involved witli the Bowmanville Ea- OPINION gles, I never saw a more popular player with the falls or with our organization. His ability to make the big play, to take on the other team's tough guy or to risk personal personal injury time and again continually continually brought Eagles fans to their feet. You always knew when Ryan's next shift was coming because because the electricity in the building building was magic. Ryan never forgot a friend. Eveiy time I saw him he would stop and make a point of asking me how my family and how our mutual friends were doing. He truly cared. I always enjoyed the talks Ryan and I had about his hockey career, how proud lie was about what he had achieved and about what he was going to achieve. I admired his total devotion devotion to and pride in his own family family and close friends. That devotion devotion and loyalty never changed from when he was successful or still trying to find success. When Ryan walked into a room, his huge smile and carefree altitude nibbed off on everybody. Everyone has a special story about Ryan. Quite simply, everyone everyone liked Ryan Latimer. His passing is such a huge loss. On behalf of my family and the fans that had the privilege of knowing Ryan and the privilege to see him play hockey, I would like to express our sincere sympathies sympathies to Kim and Wayne Latimer Latimer and their family at the passing passing of such a fine young man. Michael D. Laing Courtice e-mail letters to newsvo(im@<lurhamreKhm.eom We're suckers for the con artists in life I 'm a big believer in karma, you know, you reap what you sow and what goes around conics around? 1 just sometimes wisli it would come around a. little quicker. I've been doing the math lately and it seems 1 get taken for a pretty good mark a lot of llie time. I'm not a very good grown-up I'm afraid. I lack the cynic gene. You know that skeptical, suspicious suspicious safety media- f iiism that prevents '-■'Jllc most adults from say- E liter ing things like "Sure, Lcllltjllintj I'll pay you up front" or "Yeah, I guess a handshake will do" or the ubiquitous ubiquitous "Sounds good to me, where do I sign?" I am sure I have said all those tilings at one time or another, and of course, conic to regret it shortly thereafter. thereafter. To compound matters I missed a great window of opportunity opportunity for redemption when I got married. I know I should've gotten hitched to someone who abounded in cynicism, cynicism, someone who could haggle, haggle, someone with the merciless business ethics of a hawk. We would've made a well-balanced team. Me floating dreamily along on the breeze like a balloon balloon on a string, tethered tethered to reality by the firm hands of my pragmatic pragmatic partner. Of course, I didn't do that. No, I met another balloon. balloon. A really wonderful, wonderful, pretty, funny balloon balloon with a laugh like a summer breeze. A woman who would gladly give me everything everything I needed in this life, except the cynic gene. Mind you, I don't regret it for one moment, Our home is full of laughter, love and joy. We are great together, hut we are also a blank cheque waiting to he signed. We have all the business savvy of Mother Teresa. Luckily Luckily we have been blessed with a voluminous sense of humour. Our necks our constantly sore from all the looking back and laughing we do. It's all funny in hindsight. The drunken chimney sweep who made off with our deposit, the hi-polar furniture maker who threatened to ransom our harvest table and most recently the jolly fat crook who swore up and down that the btishcord of wood he'd delivered was as dry as the Mojave. I might as well be burning frozen fish- sticks in my woodstove. Freaking Freaking hilarious. But where is the karma? I know, in my naïve little heart of hearts, that love and trust should always be my first choices. I hope they always will be. I couldn't sleep at night if I lived my life any other way. But, all the same, wouldn't it he swell if, in this life, we acquired 'nice' points? Points that could he cashed in at a moment's notice notice for instant karmic revenge? Kind of like Airmiles for being trusting. "Oh honey, those roofers did a horrible job. And they've left nails all over the yard! I'hat's OK sweetie, we have enough karma points to give the whole crew gonorrhea and still have enough left for the plumber's tumor, And just think, we can do it all over the phone!" I low sweet would that he? Sunderland resident Neil Crone, neior-eomic-writer, saves some of his liesI lines J'or Ins columns, CLICK AND SA % Today's question: In the wake of the nightclub nightclub tragedy in the US, db you feel a similar situation could occur in Durham Region? Region? □ Yes □ No Cast your vote online at infodurhamregie^.com Last week's question: With Durham beginning to provide the service in some communities and looking looking to eventually expand region-wide, region-wide, would you commit to a composting program and greater recycling? □ Yes 67.9 % □ No 32.1% ; Votes cast: 159 HAVE YOUR SAY Question Will the local transit strike affect you? Helen Koseck Joe MacDougald "I would be if I had known they had buses coming out; here. I only know about the GO transit! buses.') Dan Girardi "It doesn't affect me; We always end. U R driving." Jean Phillips "No. I never take the bus. But they should have smaller ones." Eljc Cmiiibimi Statesman is one of the Metroland Printing, Publishing Publishing and Distributing group of newspapers. 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