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Robert Welch characterizes ministry Robert Welch, Minister of Energy for Ontario, displayed his energy Thursday in providing providing the key-note address at the Durham East Conserva- nomination meeting. Weleh said Ontario would rely on electricity for energy in the future providing new jobs and technology. He tested Ms gift of a Durham apple but refrained to comment on how they stacked with the same pro- ' duct from his riding of Brock. (Continued from page 1) Council grapples with FINANCIAL BULGE BATTLE or some $72.00. This would not include other jumps by the Board of Education expected at a 10 percent increase or that from the Region where they are considering a 17 percent increase. Over the past two weeks and more directly following a meeting on Friday council members have been doing battle with their budget for 1981. Members of council have considered budgets from the Community Services Department, Planning Department Department and on Tuesday were to consider the public works budget and to complete the day with, a finance meeting. , Council is committed to have their 1981 budget in place by March 23rd and if this target date is accomplished accomplished it will be the earliest ie Town has settled on their "yearly hassle with the budget. Mayor Rickard on Monday said the budget would have to come within somewhere around ten percent of last year's budget. Counc. Hamre has been holding out for a 5 mill drop from last year and again expressed her view on Monday pointing out that in 1980 ' taxpayers had _ eliminated eliminated a $400,000 deficit which was not a reoccuring expendi ture. She also said there was a two percent growth to help provide more tax monies. Monday evening the Planning Planning Committee dealt with their budget for the coming year. The planning department' department' has asked for $281,000 which is a 9.3 percent increase over the 1980 budget figure »and a 15 percent increase over the actual expenditure of 1980. The planning department came in under budget in 1980. * Mayor Rickard said the planning department was working well But noted that revende and work was decreasing. decreasing. Don Smith said he hoped they were not suggesting that the department now be cut bacK in staff. He said there was still lots to do even m basi,c planning in the Town. He also «aid the department could be used effectively in presentations of a new administration administration building which would tie in with revitalization revitalization of the downtown core and redevelopment. In discussing the building department budget it was noted, tliat $50,000 from the Ontario permit amount had' been used for operational financing of the department. Counc. Woodyard questioned if this was the minimal amount council had considered considered to be used from the hydro building permit amount. Mayor Rickard said the building department was costing more than thirty percent of their revenue and there would hav# to be some cutback. He said this was too much when building was declining^ Don Smith, director of planning, said he hoped his department was not penalized for coming in under budget in 1980. Mayor Rickard noted that both the recreation and cultural cultural department and the fire department had been over budget for 1980. In speaking with Counc. Harare she said she had been surprised to find out that a sum of $150,000 has been placed in the 1981 budget to replenish a reserve fund from which the $150,000 was taken to help offset the 1979 deficit. She said she has gone over the entire budget and said she could find at least 25 mills that could be dropped from the initial figures in the budget. ' In budgeting council members members have considered the establishment of a full-time fire department in Bowman- ville starting with five fulltime fulltime firemen in 1981 and continuing with another five in each of the next two years. It is far too early in the battle of the budget bulge to anticipate the 1981 tax rate for the Town of Newcastle. Look out for a cold winter What kind of winter are we likely to have, asks Professor Ward Chesworth of the University University of Guelph, relatively mild like the last one or the opposite? Many geologists, he says are betting that it will be colder than usual on account of the eruption of Mount St. Helens earlier this year. When the west coast volcano volcano erupted it blasted many tons of fine dust into the stratosphere and that dust has been slowly circling the earth. One effect, produced by the light scattering properties properties of the dust, has been to cause lurid red sunsets in many parts of the continent, including southern Ontario, says Professor Chesworth. A second effect has been to cut down slightly the amount of the sun's radiant energy that reaches the surface of the earth. It is this effect that is likely to cause us problems in the coming winter. There are many precedents perhaps the most famous being due to the East Indiara volcano Tambora which erupted erupted explosively in 1815. It was approximately four or five times more explosive than Mount St. Helens and it produced the coldest winter on record in this part of the world. . There is an even more ominous precedent. The study ' of deep sea sediments reveals a large increase in the amount of volcanic dust about two million years ago. This is accounted for by a great increase in volcanic activity at that time, particularly in the unstable 1 zone of. the earth's crust that runs round the rim of the Pacific Ocean. Several large volcanoes erupted then, in a belt that runs from Princë George, B.C. into the Yukon and up to Alaska. It is believed by some that the dust, thrown up during this period of heightened heightened activity, cut down incoming incoming radiation from the" sun so much that ice sheets of continental proportions began to grow in the northern hemisphere eventually to produce produce the Ice Age that we only emerged from about 12,000 years ago. But whether we are due for a mini ice age or not, there is a compensatory side to the picture, says the University of Guelph scientist. Many of the beautiful and colorful ID URU TÏUUIUJ TICUHUSUdJ, 1 t?UI UdI Jf Jump from truck escape injury sunsets painted ip the last century by J.M.W. Turner, some of which are now, ort show at the Royal Ontario Museum, were caused by light scattered by volcanic dust put into orbit by the volcano Vesuvius in Italy. Perhaps some latter day Turner is at work right now immortalising the sunsets caused by Mount St. Helens. Annual Commencement held Saturday A five-ton Çruck loaded with potatoes crashed into a CPR snow plow Friday afternoon east of Pontypool with its two occupant^ jumping clear just seconds before the accident. The truck was a total right-off while the potatoes and occupants occupants survived. Police say it was incredible The annual Commencement Commencement of Clarke High School was held on Saturday evening in the gymnasium of the school. The auditorium was filled with parents, students and friends. The concert band of Clarke provided a musical prelude to ■the activities of the evening which were chaired by Mr. D. Winston of the Clarke staff. Mr. J. Taylor, principal, in welcoming those in attendance attendance said it was a special evening for the graduating students. He said they were proud of their school which has set some tradition over the past eighteen years. Taylor pointed out that the school was about to embark on a full .credit semester system in the new school term and that this move has had thé support of the students, parents and staff. He said sùch a move would not have been'possible if it wasn't for , the excellent staff at Clarke High School. Mr. Ü. 1 Dawson, viceprincipal, viceprincipal, spoke of another graduate from Clarke High School, Mr. E.G. Witherspoon, Witherspoon, ' former principal, retiring retiring last year. Dawsqp stated that the graduate had : served' in the capacity of principal for eighteen years, the full life of the school which is the smallest school within the jurisdiction of the Northumberland Northumberland and Newcastle Board of Education. He said many of the traditions at Clarke are still being formulated. formulated. Dawson presented Mr. Witherspoon with a portrait which will hang in the halls of the school. „ In' replying to the presentation presentation Witherspoon said this was his commencement talk and one of which he had mixed emotions. He said the Witherspoons had great ties with Clarke and he thanked students and staff for their co-operation in the former school programs. The students also presented the retired principal with a, poster of "The whiz". All graduating students had previously previously signed the poster. The Clarke High School choir also provided musical numbers during the course of the program. Following the presentation of diplomas and awards the evening was concluded by a fine valedictory address by Nelda Knapp. The address and awards appear elsewhere in this issue of the Orono Timës. Perk Up Winter! A special Interest Series of Programs WEDNESDAY AFTERNOONS AT ORONO UNITED CHURCH Everyone Welcome. ■ „ Cost of 5 weekly programs $20.00 ( Babysitting included ), minimum enrollment 16 after which seniors invited free. For information Call 987-5402 a.m. 4 * 987-4012 p.m. Your ideas welcome! that the driver, 43-year-old Kenneth Porter of Pontypool and his passenger, Anthony Loney, 20, also of Pontypool, survived the accident uninjured. uninjured. Both men had'jumped had'jumped from the truck as it slid into the heavy snow plow over -an icy patch on the road ,crossing the tracks. ' STEVE'S . $ FURNITURE SHOP Upholstery^ Fabric Samples 983-9630 ORONO Steve Johnson ÎMftplIrSlPlMl