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2 - Orono Weekly limes, Wednesday, January 12. 2000 ^ Orono Weekly Times Serving) East Clarihgton and beyond since 1937 Subscriptions $23.36 + $1.64 G.S.T. = $25.00/year Publications Mail Registration No. 09301 Publishing 50 Issues Annually at the Office of Publication 5310 Main Street, P.O. Box 209, Orono, Ontario LOB 1M0 E-Mail Address: oronotimes@speedline.ca Phone/Fax (905) 983-5301 Publisher/Editor Marg Zwart Y2K - Hoax or hype? Just to be on the safe side, I gave it an extra week, but it looks like our potential Y2K problems might be all behind us. As we increasing become involved in technologies we know little about, we have to rely more and more on so called experts to guide us. through the maze of unknowns. How much of the world's resources were actual spent on making sure life as we know it would not become interrupted one second after the stoke of midnight December 31, 1999? Who would have thought hundreds of years ago that two little little zeros could cause such a fever on the eve of the new millennium? millennium? Then, months ago, we timidly exhaled a Y2K sigh of relief when the experts told us we were in good shape, and nothing was likely to happen here. It was countries like Russia, we were told, where they did not have the resources to spend on eliminating the Y2K virus that would come to a crippling halt. As the clock struck midnight around the globe, the only thing going off were the fireworks. Was it all a hoax? That was the down side. The up side was listening to everybody everybody making up their own'minds, how much of a disaster to prepare for. It was not too difficult to conjure up images of Ice Store victims hole up for weeks without power in a Canadian winter, to remind us how vulnerable we are. Nearly everyone I spoke to, did something, whether it was having a few extra candles on hand, filling up the bathtub with water or laying in a months supply of food. Despite all the assurances, everyone harboured at least some degree of skepticism. skepticism. As the clock keeps ticking, and Y2K fades into memory, there is a new virus on the horizon. It's called FLU, and its heading this way. When you have it, you know you've got it, and if s guaranteed to take you off your feet for a few days. There's nothing potential about the common flu, and all the expertise in the world can't save you from it. Concert event a tribute to the family farm Some big name entertainers will be at the Air Canada Centre Sunday, doing their bit to raise awareness to the conditions facing facing the family farm. Gordon Lightfoot, Randy Bachman, Burton Cummings,- Prairie Oyster, Sharon Lois & Bram, Sylvia Tyson, Jimmy Rankin, just to name a few, have lent their talents to the cause. "There is a lack of understanding understanding among the general public of the problems facing farmers -today," says Durham M.P. Alex Shepherd, who is helping fellow M.P.'s Reg Alock of Winnipeg and Dennis Mills of Toronto with , the concert. concert. It was M.P. Mills who actually came up with the idea of the Tribute Concert. This Tribute is both a concert, concert, with a variety of Canada's top musical performers and entertainers, as well as a forum that communicates and reinforces reinforces the importance of the family farm throughout Canada. "When a lot of our urban colleagues sit down to dinner, they don't realize their food comes from places like Durham," said Shepherd. Family Farm Tribute is an awareness-raising event,in tribute tribute -to this' country's family farms. The objective of the event is to energize the will of the nation to see farming families families in the country get the overall overall support needed to reinvest in healthy family farms. The concert will be held at the Air Canada Centre, Sunday January 16, 2000, from 1 - 5 p.m. Tickets are available at Ticket Master, who can be reached at 416-870-8000, and are priced at $20, $15 and $10. The City of, Toronto was selected for the concert because more than two-thirds of Canada's population resides in urban centres, and Toronto is Canada's largest city. Concert organizers feel that it is the urban centres through which thé message of rural Canada must resonate. Dogs (continued from page 1) Abernethy's lawyer, Mr. Paul Mack, told councillors the damage likely was caused by coyotes, and not his client's dogs. He also stated that the Clerk's report seemed to rely heavily on a letter written by Toal, and was not a result of their own investigation. Municipal Clerk, Patti Barrie informed council that the Municipal Livestock Valuator did assess the damaged ani- mais, and it was his opinion the injuries were caused by dogs. The dogs in question are both adult males, one a husky which belongs to a friend of Abernethy's and has been returned to him, the other is Abernethy's own, a husky/wolf cross. Approximately two months previous, when one of the dogs had been to the Toal property and terrorized animals, Abernethy assured her that this would never happen again. It was on evidence of this previous incident, that councillors councillors felt they could uphold the vicious dog declaration. In the Clerk's Department Report, Toal is stated as saying the situation has caused her great emotional stress and loss, and has robbed her of he peaceful peaceful existence on her farm. Her horses will be afraid of dogs; her goat will be terrified of dogs. She has put many hours of care into healing her injured goat, and is very concerned that this could happen again. She states she has not slept well since the incident because of worry and concern. Abernethy must now pre vent his dogs from leaving his property and coming into contact contact with people and other animals. animals. When the dogs are off their own property they must be muzzled, and on a leash no longer than six feet, and under the care and control of a person who is 16 years of age or older. Abernethy was also charged with allowing the dogs to run at large. Trial for that charge has been set for January 18, 2000. Retreat (continued from page 1 ) A motion made by Councillor Drumm at the. December 15th Regional Council meeting proposed reducing the number of councillors councillors to 15 from the current 28 in the 2000 elections. Drumm proposed that Regional Councillors be elected directly to that body, and not sit on local councils. He, al so proposed the eight muuiuipul mayors not sit oii Regional Council, and the Regional Chair be elected at large. Mayor Hamre stated she too had a notice of motion ready to present at the December 15th Regional Council meeting, which proposed the future council have 15 members which included the eight municipal mayors and seven councillors. At that same meeting, Councillor Brian Nicholson of Oshawa also had a notice of motion ready, seconded by Councillor, Mutton, which- according to Hamre was almost identical to hers, except it proposed proposed a council made up of 20 councillors with no mayors. All motions and notice of motions from that meeting were referred- to the scheduled Regional retreat this week. New prayer (continued from page 1 ) The prayer is as follows: Blessed are you, gracious God, creator of all things. We praise and glorify your wonderful wonderful name. Heavenly Father, we pray to you with thanksgiving for all the many blessings which you have lavished upon us, including including and especially the blessings of freedom and peace. Guide this Council of Clarington, with your wisdom, and bless these proceedings Lord, that we will make wise and meaningful decisions on behalf of those we serve. May the God of hope fill us with joy in believing, through the power of the Holy Spirit. Amen. IT PAYS TO ADVERTISE IN THE ORONO WEEKLY | TIMES ! 983-5301 I