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Wednesday. April 27, 2005 Weekly Times Subscriptions $29.91 + $2.09 GST = $32.00 per year. Publications Mail Registration No. 09301 • Agreement No. 40012366 Publishing 48 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." Canad£ "'âllsy Aocna ORONO WEEKLY TIMES - 5310 Main St., P.O. Box 209, Orono, ON LOB 1M0 Email: oronotimes@rogers.com or Phone/Fax 905-983-5301 Publisher/Editor Margaret Zwart Sports and Display Advertising - Donna Wood Front Office and Classified Advertising - Rosey Bateman The Orono Weekly Times welcomes letters to the editor on subjects of interest to our' read.'K^owlS^^ AT55 ", gatgg WeskV ,mes y no, be responsible „r the toss or dama g e o, such hems ^ Gone is gone for good It is with great regret that we are witnessing another another Orono institution fade into the past. Orono Fuel and Lumber which operated in this community as a family-run company for the past 70 years, is closing its doors for good next month. The family has decided they can no longer fight the losing battle against the big box stores and current shopping trends. Where in the past, people used to shop locally out of a sense of loyalty to their neighbours, that trend is fast disappearing. Now we're content to drive for miles, to shop in some big box merchandising mecca, to save a buck. There is a cost to our need to buy goods at the cheapest cheapest possible price. When businesses like the local lumber store, close up, they're gone for good. The Orono Fuel and Lumber provided an income for local families, who in turn spent their dollars locally. The big box stores permeating our landscape, are not Canadian owned, thus their profits go directly back to their American head offices. These stores that offer such irresistibly low prices, don't pay their employees anymore than minimum wage. However, we do know one sure way to get rid of a Wal-mart store, is to introduce a labour union. A healthy community needs a vibrant business area. If this community is to survive, we have to support support each other. Gone is gone for good. The best price is not always the best option. r dolighan.com ■tiiiv'.jijj Æ® lb I I Equal Dear Editor: As a subscriber to the Orono Weekly Times, I count on that paper to inform me of events happening in my community. community. I was more than a little dismayed dismayed last week when a friend from Bowmanville, informed me of a public meeting, meeting, to take place in the Orono Town Hall on May 11. The paid ad is an invitation to "find out what's going on in the community." Members of council and staff will make themselves available to answer questions, listen to your suggestions, or simply chat, at this meeting. I'm wondering wondering why this ad was not placed in the Orono paper, the community where the public meeting is to be held. Is it because someone doesn't want us to know about the meeting? On the page with the invitation invitation to the public meeting in Orono, was an ad looking for volunteers to sit on a Community Community Advisory Group for the 407, an ad stating that the installment of the 2005 Letters to the Editor information interim taxes, are due, ads for municipal tenders and career opportunities with the Municipality Municipality of Clarington. The only community paper that comes to my house, is the one I subscribe to. Why are these ads not in the the Orono Weekly Times, I feel I am being denied access to that information--which to my mind is very undemocratic. I don't appreciate my tax dollars spent on promoting the Mayor's agenda (The Mayor's Comer), which has the most prominent placement on the community page of the Canadian Statesmen. On the following page there are additional additional Municipal ads, spill over from page two. One ad, called the Community Comer, lists numerous up coming events organized by local non profit and community organi zations. There is also an ad promoting an anniversary function for a local, "for profit" profit" business. This to me is a totally inappropriate use of tax dollars. As a tax paying, voting, resident of Clarington, I demand equal access to information. information. Jim Richards Orono Open letter Pass budget bill prior to any elections Dear Member of Parliament: As Chair of the Region of Durham, 1 am urging the Federal Government to pass the proposed Federal Budget, prior to another election, to ensure Ontario's $224 million share of the gas tax revenues flows to municipalities in 2005-2006 for municipal infrastructure investments. Durham Region, along with municipalities across the nation, has worked hard to secure a New Deal which would ensure investments are made in vital community infrastructure systems, including including water and waste water systems, systems, roads and public transit systems. Durham residents are counting on this funding to make much needed improvements improvements to municipal infrastructure. infrastructure. Holding another election before passing the Budget Bill will seriously jeopardize crucial crucial investments in our municipalities. municipalities. To this end, 1 respectfully urge all members of Parliament to ensure swift passage of the budget implementation implementation legislation prior to any elections. Yours truly, Roger Anderson Durham Regional Chair Fair funding for Bowmanville Hospital To the Editor: I am writing on behalf of the group of physicians who serve this community to express our grave concerns with regard to the lack of fair funding at Bowmanville hospital hospital (LHB), and at Lakeridge Health Corporation (LHC). Since the amalgamation of LHB with several other hospitals hospitals to form LHC with a single operational budget in 1998, we have seen a steady reduction reduction in the scope and depth of services that LHB is providing providing (for example, we lost our Obstetrics service). With the latest hospital budget, planned in secrecy under strict orders from the Ontario government and announced March 31, 2005, LHB will be cut from 62 to 42.7 acute care beds, along with the nursing and other allied health support HOSPITAL Continued peg# 3