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2 - Onuio Weekly Hines, Wednesday, April 12, 2000 ORGno Weekly Times _ Serving East Clarington and beyond since 1937 Subscriptions $23.36 + $1.64 G.8.T. = $25.00/year Publications Mail Registration No. 09301 Publishing 50 Issues Annually at die Office of Publication . 5310 Main Street, P.O. Box 209, Orono, Ontario LOB 1M0 E-Mail Address: oronotimes@speedline.ca Phone/Fax (90S) 983-5301 Publisher/Editor Marg Zwart Now's the time to ask lots of questions I would personally like to take this opportunity to thank the community showing their support and getting behind the public process involving the former Forestry Lands. I was blown away by the amount of people who turned up at the first public" meeting on March 23, as were the Ministry of Natural Resources representatives, and their consultants. 1 guess I haven't been here long enough to learn to' expect that kind of a response from this community. Last week Thursday's meeting to form a committee to work with MNR in obtaining a Land Management Plan for that property, property, and related water management structures, was conducted in a spirit of co-operation and mutual respect for all who participated. participated. The volunteers who came forward last week to serve on the committee represent a good cross section of this community, community, including some former Forestry workers who have an intimate intimate working knowledge of that property. I don't know how long the MNR process will take, but I sincerely sincerely hope that same co-operation and respect abounds all the way to the end of the trail. As precious as that property is to our community, there is no way it can be all things to all people. When all the studies are completed, we could learn that some human activities may have to be curtailed to ensure the long term survival of some of the land's natural features. Now is the time to ask lots of questions, so when the decisions decisions have to be made, they are based on sound management principles and good hard facts. " Letters to Editor" Dear Mrs. Zwart: Re: "Mayor in Conflict" Two points raised In your article "Mayor In Conflict" (March 22, 2000) beg for clarification. First, the province did not direct that municipalities get out of the public utility business business and privatize. All that the Energy Competition Act, 1998requires is that municipalities municipalities incorporate their utili.ti.es. Once. incorporated, It Is up to municipalities to decide whether their compa- ' nies should, operate on a "for profit" basis or not. Second, John Wiersma, Chair of Veridian, is wrong when he says, the company must make a commercial rate of return. The company's company's shareholders may choose to apply for a rate- of up to 9.88% but, if they do, they should earn it by finding efficiencies, not by squeezing customers through higher rates. Regional Councillor John Mutton is on the right track- when he suggests that Clarington residents lobby fdr lower dividends rather than higher distribiition rates. Diverting money from the electricity system to subsidize subsidize the tax base is nothing more than a stealthy way of robbing Peter to pay Paul. Sincerely, Jim Wilson Minister of Energy, Sciences and Technology Rants and. Raves on refuse, rubbish, do-do, and other stuff Dear Marg, Most of the editorial page in 'last week's O.W.T. was given to thé vast amounts of garbage that litter our rural roadsides at this time of year, noticed for the- first time in a few months as-., the snow melts, and pointed out in items by Carol Hooper and The Cool Kendal Kids (C.K.K.) There is also a letter from a concerned jogger regarding excessive amounts of dog fr* es on the paths In the OroiiP Forestiy (no less than 30 piles!) And, as well as having to avoid all these piles of dog poop, she gets bitten by a dog which was running loose in the area! Though I try not to get involved In these "dog stories," stories," I think Angela has a few options. Firstly, dogs WILL poop In the woods, and that's a fact. My dog does. Every chance he gets. (I actually encourage him to do so...better so...better there than on the lawn). And I think the stoop and scoop practice is usually applied to cities and subdivisions, subdivisions, so she had best accept the fact there will continue to be "obstacles" perhaps a pair of rubber boots is the answer? As to being attacked by dogs, she can either: (a) Find another place to jog; (b) Carry a can of pepper spray: or (c) Carry a can of pepper spray and a small handgun,..the handgun,..the spray for the dog and the gun to shoot the owner, who Is ultimately responsible regardless of where the attack takes place. Anyway, good luck with your running Angela. I'm not sure about The C.K.K.'s, but Carol Hooper has lived In the country long enough to realize that this annual mess we are faced with is one of "the rites of spring." Just as sure as the grass will grow; as sure as the tulips and daffodils will pop up through the leaves; as sure as the stupid starlings starlings will attempt to build a nest in our mailbox....that roadside eyesore will appear. Almost miraculously. And you know what? There's not a whole hell of a lot we can do about it. In Our own case here at The Farm, these drive-by dorks don't see the front of our property as a lawn. They sometimes mistake mistake It for the Brewers Retail and return their empty bottles bottles and cans. Or, it may resemble a re-cycle bin for paper wrappings and cups from Harvey's, Country Style Donuts, McDonalds or wherever. wherever. An honest mistake. . I tried a few years back to have an "unlawful to litter" sign installed at the west end of our property to see if it might help, eventually giving up after phoning everybody and their brother and getting nowhere. I have a friend who is a sign painter by trade and was going to have him make one up that would read something like "Throw Your Garbage On Our Lawn.. And Risk Having Your #&*#&@*@@* Tires Shot Off." I was going to hide behind the orange blossom bush down front with S.B's old Browning .22 single shot riffle riffle and blast away! I told Anne Dreslinski, our councillor councillor at the time, of my plan and she thought it would be effective but questioned how legal It might be. So, whad- dya do? Nothing, that's what. Other than buying the economy economy six box of plastic * garbage bags from Armstrongs IGA and keep on picking it up yourself! Actually, the litter on our lawn this year pales in comparison comparison to the darned mess ■made by the Region and/or the municipality crews in their çfforts to "help" the runoff runoff back during the mild spell...that, and their ongo tag, non-stop grading of the gravel shoulder. Each year it seems a little more gravel finds it's way onto the side of the ditch, making it trickier to cut. But this time they really went nuts, even depositing a bunch of bulrushes, bulrushes, which came for the north side of road! Though we still have to look at It for another few weeks, we'll be gone come lawn-cutting time, however it'll certainly be a dandy welcoming gift for my wife's ntece and her husband. husband. who are the new owners. owners. I spoke to John Mutton about it but haven't heard back, so, I guess it falls into the same category as the "spring rites" stuff. But, this mess can't be picked up in a garbage bag! The rave of the week goes to the Orono Lumber Midgets, winners of the OMHA All-Ontario championship. championship. Though I didn't see any of their games, I followed them in the O.W.T. and It's great to see a local team which has been close a number number of times since Atom age finally reach their goal! Bob Rotz Kirby (soon to be Nakina) IT PAYS TO ADVERTISE 983-5301