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" ! uj , -- Orono Town Hall COURTICE LIBRARY 11.21.05 163 Church Street Bowmanville, ON L1C 1P7 $1.00 GST Included Wednesday June 8, 2005 Serving Kendal, Kirby, Leskard, Newcastle, Newtonville, Orono, Starkville and Tyrone sinceJ937_ Newcastle residents seek to keep library downtown Natha^arriwiding high on his dad's tractor at last weekend's antique tractor show at Newcastle's Docville. • Municipality introduces its salt reduction plan Through the introduction of a salt management plan, Clarington intends to use salt more efficiently when winter storms once again hit the area. This plan is a result of a request by Environment Canada for all road authorities to voluntarily manage their annual salt consumption, and to promote improved salt management practices. The municipality uses salt to maintain safe roads and walkways during the winter season, as winter storm conditions conditions can have a dramatic impact on public safety, roadway roadway capacity, travel time and economic costs. In 2001, Environment Canada released a report stating stating that road salts are entering the environment in large amount and are posing a possible possible risk to fish, lake and stream eco-systems, ground- water as well as to plants, animals animals and birds. Environment Canada recommended recommended that salt be designated designated as toxic, under the Canadian Environment Protection Protection Act. According to Health Canada views road salts as not harmful to humans. While the municipality will continue to monitor research to alternatives to the use ol road salt, at this time salt continues continues to be the most econom ical form of de-icer across Canada. Over the next few years all municipal salt spreaders will be equipped with ground speed regulated controllers, at a cost of $6,000 per unit. The devise will enable drivers to better control the rate of salt application. Calibration checks of the equipment to give accurate results will be undertaken at the start of each winter season and mid-season if necessary. All washing of salting equipment will take place inside where waste water can be collected into a three stage waste water interceptor SALT see page 4 There was overwhelming support for a central location for a new Newcastle Library at Monday evening's public meeting. Approximately 22 Newcastle Newcastle residents attended the public meeting at the Newcastle Community Centre to share their thoughts about future library services in the village. "The Board has determined determined the need for a larger branch," stated Clarington Public Library CEO, Edith Hopkins, following the meeting. meeting. The current Newcastle Library, situated in a plaza behind the community Centre, is operating in a 4,000 square foot space, which does not allow for expansion, according according to Hopkins. The Clarington Library Board has launched a needs assessment of the Newcastle Branch, looking into whethèr the current facility will be adequate for the next 20 years. Newcastle's population of 7,800 is expected to grow to 20,000 by the year 2031. While most of the residents in attendance at Monday's meeting supported a downtown downtown location for a new branch, there was some support support for the Courtice model, where the library is part of a sports complex. There are plans to build a recreation facility on Rudell Rd. south of Highway 2. Other possible locations mentioned by the public in attendance was the vacant lot west of the CIBC Bank, Memorial Park, and at the Newcastle Fire Station location. location. While a new firestation for Newcastle is discussed every year, "It is not on the radar screen at the moment," according to Mr. Franklin Wu, Clarington's CAO. "Sometime "Sometime in the foreseeable future something needs to be done," Wu said in a phone interview Tuesday morning. When Councillor Charlie Trim was asked, at the public meeting, what he thought about a possible new location for the Newcastle Library, he initially stated, that public meetings are for the public to voice their views. He did go on to say that he thought the library should be in the downtown downtown core. Besides the vacant lot beside the CIBC Bank, Trim said the empty building across the street, (former IGA/Rona Hardware store) would provide . an excellent location, with ample parking. Having played baseball 'at Memorial Park, Trim said that location was too precious to him. "I have to be convinced that that is the right place." "Nothing has been decided, decided, but I do not want it at Rudell Road,", stated Trim. "The downtown merchants are fighting for survival," he said, "I don't want to take another piece away." When asked by the facilitator, facilitator, Todd Brown, of Monteith Brown Planning Consultants, "What do you like best about the existing Newcastle Branch Library?" the number one answer was, "location." The residents appreciated the downtown location of the branch, it's collection of periodicals, periodicals, the inter-library loan system, programs for young kids, and the openness and brightness of the facility. On the down side, residents residents felt the parking lot at the library was awkward, with not enough room to back out of, especially in the winter when snow banks reduce the parking parking space. The library itself is cramped said one resident, their is not enough material, and the hours of operation are not as good as they could be. LIBRARY see page 3 What's inside... Butterflies are free! See page 4