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2 - Gmoû Weekly 'rimes, Wednesday, December .13, 2000 J Weekly Times Serving East Clarington and. 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 . "We acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada, through the Publications Assistance Program (PAP), toward our mailing costs" 5310 Malm Street, P.O. Box 209, Orono, Ontario LOB 1M0 E-Mail Address: oronotimes@speedllne.ca Phone/Fax (905) 983-5301 Publisher/Editor Marg Zwart Bring on the lights Evidence of-the sun's steady journey south of the equator has been felt in this hemisphere since mid November. No lingering lingering vestiges of autumn this year. Add to the cold temperatures, the deposit of snow we received Monday night, (the first real snow of the season) and there is no doubt winter is well upon us. , We seem to want to give winter one big shove, before giving giving in completely after the new year; that is by way of Christmas lighting. I've noticed the outdoor lighting displays have become increasingly elaborate each year. There seems to be mo limit to what lighting manufacturers can create to feed our insatiable appetite to ward.off the impending winter darkness. For years and years, Christmas lights came in strings of coloured bulbs, mixed dr unmixed, or mini light bulbs. Then the icicle light hit the market three years ago, and the industry took off. Though the icicle lights are still the preferred preferred decorating option, yoü can now also get a draped variation variation of the icicle lights. Also new this year is solid ribbon lights you can wrap around pillar and post. Sightings of groupings of glowing reindeer grazing in front gardens, are becoming a common occurrence, replacing the log reindeer with twig antlers which could soon be moving on to the endangered species list. I enjoy a decorative, festive lighting display as much as the next guy, as long as it's done in the spirit of harmony. What I really can't abide though, is the urge to complete the colour cycle by slapping a bright red faux velvet finish plastic bow on anything that doesn't move. Letter to the Editor To whom it may concern: This does concern every one in Ontario who has had or will have heart problems. Maybe not you but a family member or friend. My mother is 60 years old and has angina. She has been in Bowmanville Hospital now for 6 weeks waiting for St. Mike's 1 Hospital in Toronto to take her for a by-pass. Now of course you can understand this takes time. How much time? Enough time to wait till she has a heart attack and dies? She would not be the first person that this has happen too. The hospital says they are full. If she were not in a small Hospital like Bowmanville she would have been noticed quicker. I spoke with our MPP John O'Toole, well his secretary, you know he is a busy man. She has called the Ontario Health Department, but her hands are tied. t My mother's doctor said his hands are tied. . , St. Mike's says she is at the top of the list, but they have been saying that for 6 weeks now. If my mother does not make it .to her by-pass then whose hands are tied? My , mother just wants to get her By-Pass and spent Christmas with her family, wouldn't you? Audrey Mercer To whom it may concern On November 16 2000, I Leona Lambert had called John O'Toole regarding the eviction of the Emedi Family and the removal of their home. I asked if he was aware of these happenings, he said that he was very aware of them and also thought that it was unfair that the Efniedi family had to go thruough such a trauma. He also said he appeard in court to testify for the Emedi family on their behalf. That TRT should have been charged for taking timber lumber off the Emedi's property. John could not understand such injustice. He also said that the justice system and his government is very corrupt. By my understanding he believes thé Emedi's property was take from them by fraud ulent means. He also says that he feels he has failed the Emedi family. He wished he could have done more. He is just sick of the whole case and the whole system, the OPP and all other authority related to this case. I had broght to his attention attention the feeling of insecurity in our judicial system. He agreed. John then concluded there wasn't anything he could do. This concluded our con- verstation. Lona Lambert Darlington/Manvers Townline Anderson re-elected to chair region of Durham The first piece of business at the inaugural meeting of the Region of Durham Council was to elect a chairperson. chairperson. Incumbent Roger Anderson was elected by a majority of the 28 regional councillors to his second three year term as Regional Chair. In his inaugural address, Anderson pointed to transportation transportation and the garbage dilemma as key issues which need to be addressed this term. Extracting financial commitments commitments fr.om senior levels of governments are a must if the Region is to tackle items like funding fdr the GO Transit capital expansion, and further extension of the 407. "They [the Province] must recognize that there is (continued page 6) Clarington is a great place to live, said 94% of respondents respondents to a recent survey. The survey, designed to determine the level of satisfaction satisfaction with facilities, programs programs and services offered by the Municipality was distributed distributed to 24,000 Clarington households. A total of 687 completed surveys were returned by the June 30, 2000 deadline, representing representing a 3% response rate. The response was lower than anticipated by the Survey - Committee, however they have determined that a low level of response in a satisfaction satisfaction survey indicates the silent majority is satisfied. Facilities provided by the Municipality received a 78% satisfaction rating. This includes arenas, banquet halls, pools, skateboard parka, squash courts, etc. Sixty-one percent of respondents felt the , Community Services Department was keeping pace with the rate of growth in the area of recreational services and facilities, while the programs offered by the Municipality scored an 86% satisfaction rating. Fire protection was seen as the most important service offered by the Municipality, closely followed by road maintenance and construction. construction. Other services listed in order of importance were: park maintenance and development, development, planning, library services, recreation program availability, by-law enforcement enforcement and animal services. The Survey Committee concluded that overall, 88% of respondents are satisfied or more than satisfied with the facilities, programs and services provided by the Municipality of Clarington. "The survey results are indicative of the very high degree of satisfaction of service service offered by the Municipality," stated Chief Administrative Officer Frank Wu, at Monday's General Purpose and Administration Committee meeting. "The administration and department heads will be using the information as a very important bench mark in improving services in our community," Wu added. AW> OF CAUTION W10... .. comebacks MWS SEEM LIKE sum MâOODIDEA at m... dolighon@home.com