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2 - Orono Weekly Times Wednesday, November 23, 2005 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 the Publications Assistance Program (PAP) toward our mailing costs." CanadS m Aoena ORONO WEEKLY TIMES - 5310 Main St., P.O. Box 209, Orono, ON LOB 1M0 E-mail: ofonotimes@rogers.com or Phone/Fax:,905-983-5301 Publisher/Editor Margaret Zwart . Sports and Display Advertising - Donna Wood Front Office and Classified Advertising t Rosey Bateman The Orono Weekly Times welcomes letters to the editor on subjects of interest to our readers. Opinions expressed to the editor and articles are those of the writers and do not necessarily reflect the optons of the Ororio Weekly times Letters must be signed and contain the address and phone number of the writer. Any letter considered unsuitable will not be acknowledged or returned. We reserve the right to edit for length libel and slander If your retail ordassified Appears for the first time, please check carefully. Notice of an error must be given before the next issue goes to print. The Orono Weekly Times will not be.responsible for the loss or damage of such items. Orono Park fee "unacceptable" Mayor Mutton's recent reaction to the Minister of Natural Resources letter, is of considerable interest to Orono Park users. In an attempt to make the waterfront at the western end of the Municipality more accessible to Clarington residents, residents, Mayor Mutton suggested in a council meeting this past spring, that Clarington residents should get a break on admission to the Park. At that time he said one of the reasons reasons Clarington residents don't use the provincial park more--is that at $10 it is cost-prohibitive. When Ontario Parks sent the Municipality a letter last June denying Clarington's request for a reduced fee, Mayor Mutton took his campaign higher, and sent a letter to the Minister of Natural Resources the Honourable David Ramsay himself. At last week's council meeting, Mayor John Mutton said the Minister of Natural Resources' response to his request for a reduced fee at Darlington Provincial Park for Clarington residents, was "unacceptable." In his letter to Mayor Mutton, dated October 19, 2005, Ramsay stated, "the $10 day-use fee now being charged at Darlington Provincial Park is fair value. The day use permit allows for the entry of a single vehicle regardless of the number of occupants and provides access to all of the day-use facilities facilities and programs." Ramsay concludes his letter by stating, "I do not support support a lower day-use fee for residents in those municipalities municipalities that are nearest to the provincial park. Mayor Mutton said last week, he was going to send another letter to the Minister and ask him to revisit the matter. Closer to home, back in August of 1923 three local Orono organizations pooled their resources and purchased Buttercup Hollow for $850, and provided the Orono community community with a park, now known as Orono Park. After much fundraising, as indicated by Helen Schmid's book, Out of the Mist, by 1930, the park boasted boasted two tennis courts, a lawn bowling green, a swimming pool and a ball diamond. When municipal government came to Orono, the park passed to the ownership of the new Town of Newcastle, later to become the Town of Clarington. The irony is that while Mayor Mutton is demanding a lower fee from the Province for the use of a provincial park, it would cost the average family more to use the Orono Park on a weekend day than it would Darlington Park. The Municipality charges a $5 parking fee at the Orono Park on weekends--the only park in the Municipality with a parking fee. The fee for the pool at Orono Park is $3.50 per adult, $2.50 for youth and is free for children five years of age and under. So, for the average family to visit Orono Park for picnic and a swim on a summer weekend, it would cost them more than $10. If this is an unacceptable rate to be paying for a visit to Darlington Park, how does the Municipality justify the fee they charge for visiting the Orono Park on weekends? Letter to the Editor Dear Editor: The picture and brief bio that you publish each week under "Year of the Veteran 2005" emphasizes so poignantly poignantly the tragedy of war. Highlighting a specific person each week makes it more personal and touches the heart of the reader. No emotional emotional commentary is needed; the facts speak for themselves, especially the ages of these men. Thank you for this feature. The researcher, William Calver is to be commended. Sincerely, Dorothy Robinson Orono 1|™§§ ■illlii WaMSm SÿlllBIÏSâlIISISS u.m CURSTW6 UAT \S A N\CE TOUCH \ THINK So wlMiÊÊÈISiilÈÊÊfà I iiMnauBHwm M i i idii': ;' * y j HamW lift dolighan.com Staying in Touch MPP John O'Toole Police Officers visit Queen's Park Representatives of Ontario's Ontario's 30,000 frontline police officers visited Queen's Park Tuesday, November 15, for their annual Legislative Day. A poll released by the Ontario Police Association confirms that public safety is a priority and that there is an increasing fear of crime. For example, the poll commissioned by the Ontario Police Association revealed that over half of Ontarians (51%) expect that they or a family member will have property stolen as the result of a break-in within five years. Eighty per cent say gun violence has worsened in the past five years. Four out of five Ontarians believe police services arc one area where public spending levels should be retained. For members of the Official Opposition, the Police Legislative Day was an opportunity opportunity to remind the government government of their commitment to place another 1,000 officers into our communities. I appreciated appreciated the opportunity to meet with representatives of the Durham Regional Police who were among the officers in attendance at Queen's Park Mental Health emerging Issue in Ontario In the House last week, I had the opportunity to commend commend police and mental health providers on the partnership approach being taken in Durham Region when responding to individuals in crisis. This partnership includes Durham Mental Health Services, among other community groups. It is proving proving to be quite successful. Mental illness affects an estimated estimated four out of five Ontarians either directly or through family members, co- workers, friends and other associates. One of our goals, as a society, must be to keep those who have bona fide mental illnesses in treatment and out of the courts and the prisons. Highlights from the House End to mandatory retirement retirement in sight - Bill 211, which amends human rights legislation legislation to abolish mandatory retirement, received second reading in the Ontario Legislature last week. This legislation was first introduced introduced by the PC government and, in my view, it is long overdue. It will now be subject subject to further review in committee committee before coming back for third reading. Legislation would protect Sir Frederick Banting homestead Progressive Conservative MPP Jim Wilson has introduced introduced a Private Member's Bill that will protect the homestead homestead of the discoverer of insulin. Dr. Banting's home is located in the town of New Tecumseh in Simcoe County. The legislation received second second reading in the House last week. If passed, it would restrict the use of the property for the purposes of an educational educational and interpretative centre operated on a not-for-profit basis, agricultural uses or uses authorized by the regulations. Dr. Banting was awarded the Nobel Prize for medicine in 1923. Instead of applying for a patent, Dr. Banting transferred his rights for his life-saving scrum to the University of Toronto for $ I.