The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

2 - Orono Weekly Times Wednesday. June 1, 2005 4«SS5ey Weekly Times Subscriptions $32.71 + $2.29 GST = $35.00 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 trtjilk the Publications Assistance-Program (PAP) toward our mailing costs" CanadS ^oena ORONO WEEKLY TIMES - 5310 Main St., P.O. Box 209, Orono, ON LOB 1M0 Email: oronotimes0rogers.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 conned ^tabl^vïS be SnowledgeïS retumedWe re^e'theiW to edit for length, libel and slander. If your retail Funding disparities Visitors to the public gallery at Clarington council chambers chambers last week, witnessed a rare occurrence. Clarington councillors expressed their views on an issue in the open forum. The issue that had councillors so passionately passionately involved was a request from the Clarington Museum Board for permission to embark on a fundraising campaign for the relocation of the Kirby United Church. The Museum has been given the unique opportunity to enhance their Clarke location while preserving a heritage building. } . The fact that a four lane divided highway stands between the Museum site and the Kirby United Church, raises some interesting challenges. . , On that night, May 24th, each councillor in turn raised to speak on the importance of our heritage, and the need to preserve preserve it. ' , Councillor Trim said "it's very important to restore and keep the past alive and well." Councillor Robinson said he knows that community, and if anyone can raise the funds, they ^Councillor Foster said he too wanted to echo this council's dedication to preserving heritage. , . The rest of the councillors, while stating their support ot heritage preservation, also wanted to make sure that no municipal dollars would be spent on the project. Councillor Schell was concerned about what would happen to the money donated to the project if the fundraising campaign campaign fell short of its goal of $470,000. He indicated that lack of support from the Ministry of Transportation was a problem, but, once that problem is resolved, he said, we can go forward forward with this, with a sharp eye, with it not becoming taxpayer's taxpayer's responsibility." Councillor MacArthur was concerned that the museum curator would be spending too much of her time raising money, when that is not the job she is paid to do. Mayor Mutton added a clause to the report requiring the Museum Board come back to council with the final budget and critical path for approval, before they spend any money on the project. This would take the element of risk away from the municipality and staff, according to the Mayor. Just before councillors had this discussion, they unanimously unanimously supported a report from the Community Services , Department, which in effect nearly doubled the budget for the Brian McFarlane Hockey Museum project from $1 million to just under $2 million. This project is being totally supported by municipal funds. There was no debate or discussion from councillors in the open forum before they made this decision. One has to look pretty hard to find anyone, especially here in Ward 4, who is in favour of building a new museum to house the Brian McFArlane Hockey collection. Yet that's were our tax dollars are going. . Here inWard 4, where the Clarington Museum is attempting attempting to preserve existing heritage, council claims to be supportive, supportive, but won't give the project any money. ' Judging by the availability of municipal funds for the McFarlane Flockey Museum, there is money in Clarington for cultural institutions. . ' A balanced and fair approach to these two projects would be to add a fundraising component to the Flockey Museum project, and include a sizable portion of the Kirby project into the municipal budget. Councillor Robinson is right when he says the community can raise the money. But why should they have to pay for the Kirby Church project out of their own pockets, and then pay again for the Hockey Museum with property tax dollars. Now would be a good time for Clarington council to live up to their logo-r- "Leading the Way" and make the first donation donation when the Museum Board launches their fundraising campaign. campaign. Letters to the Editor Re: Crossing the floor . • n • 1 I T) ovor Dear Editor, I had hoped that Bev Oda would be an exception to the mud slinging politicians of today. The original conservatives conservatives under the leadership of Belinda's boyfriend Peter, crossed the floor to merge with the Alliance. This process was not done to save Canada. It was a party's survival survival tactic, as well, as the survival survival of the individuals in question. Mrs Oda's suggestion suggestion that Belinda Stronach "could have abstained from voting" is absurd. Belinda would have been considered a "fall-out" by her colleagues and a rebel to her leader. The Conservatives are not going anywhere. Belinda made a personal decision and let it be that way. No party can offer Belinda anything close to what she had as a CEO of her father's empire. I have witnessed witnessed many politicians over the years, crossing the floor, but never for the country, always to benefit themselves. Mrs Oda can't honestly say that if the circumstances were exactly the same, and she had to make a choice, like Belinda--she would not have made the same decision. Come on now! Mrs Oda was elected to represent her constituency and negotiate on behalf of the public public who voted for her. Blaming the Liberals, blaming fellow politicians, blaming Belinda Stronach was not part of her mandate. Leo De Bruyn Newcastle Clarification: References to the "riff rail" at the Cafe in last week's editorial editorial was done 'tongue-in- cheek'. It was not the inten tion of this paper to offend the establishment's distinguished clientele. Dear Editor, It is a pleasure to see the beautiful new hanging baskets of vibrantly coloured flowers on Main Street. Kudos to The Garden Path and the Orono BIA for making it happen. The Orono Horticultural Society also deserves a big "thank you" for planting the stone containers lining both sides of the street. Well done ladies! Our sleepy little village really wakes up in summer, playing host to many diverse events including last weekend's weekend's Bluegrass Jamboree, the rodeo, the dog show, the Great Canadian Town Band Festival and the Durham Central Agricultural Fair--just to name a few. Due to Orono's veiy large and dedicated volunteer volunteer base, these and many other events always seem to be successful. Volunteers arc one of the things that make Orono so special. The Orono Town Hall Board is happy to announce Orono's Summer Concert Series will begin Wednesday, July 6th at 7 p.m. at the bandstand bandstand on the library lawn with the Gig Brothers, and continuing continuing on for the next nine weeks. A schedule with the talent and details will be sent to all soon. Make plans to come into town early and take a stroll down Main Street. It'll give you a chance to enjoy the flowers and maybe have dinner dinner or dessert. Sincerely, Jeanne Burnside Orono