PAGE 2, WEDNESDAY, JULY 30 1975,;WHITBY FREE PRESS Honesty may have been a handicap by BLAKE PURDY staff writer Richard Korstanje's figh t is not yet over and lie knows it. Mr. Korstanje, of 190 Meadow Road, in Whitby, lias been the centre of con- troversy for over a year as he lias fought for wlhat he believes is his right - to use lis property as he so wishes as long as he does not break tie law or bother other people. Mr. Korstanje likes the beautiful things in life, plants and flowers especially, so mch so that he wants to build a large greenhoiuse in his backyard. To some people, horticul- ture is an unusual hobby. Still others seem to hate it with a passion or so one might think if one had gone through the trials and tribula- tions that Mr. Korstanje lias in the past year. He has attempted several times to obtain Whitby Council's permission to build a non-commercial greenhouse in his backyard. At one time, Mr. Korstanje thought he had what he wanted. He and his green thumb were tickled to death until council repealed the bylaw which would have allowed Mr. Korstanje to build his greenhouse. That occurred some time around Thanksgiving of last year. Mr. Korstanje remem- bers it well. He had made a deposit on a Lord and Burn- ham enclosure, and even had it in his possession, thinking that council would decide in his favour before the deadline arrived. Council did not and Mr. Korstanje was forced to return the structure with a dent in his pocketbook the only result of his trouble. Last Monday, council again gave Mr. Korstanje what he wanted.- But, possi- bly somewhere in the back of his mind rings the question, "will they change their minds again?" Even if councl does stick by its decision, Mr. Korstanje could have a long wait facing him. But, forget about the possible, problems in the future. Mr. Korstanje 'won- ders why he has had so much difficulty iii the past, especi- ally at a time when ecology is on everyone's mind. "I don't see it", "it's com- pletely baffling",he says. Mr. Korstanje took a sur- vey of between 200 and 300 homes in Whitby approxi- mately one month ago. After seeing the plans of his green- house and pictures of similar. greenhouses, not one person objected to his project. Some mrembers of Whitby Council also expressed their bewilderment over Mr. Kor- stanje's problems. Mayor Des Newman com- mented "if it has come to the point where a man can not put up a greenhouse on his own property....I don't know what it is that we are doing here." Councillor Joy Thompson remarked "he is not going to interfere with the population in that area. The man has suffered enough." Councillor Jim Gartshore feit "as long as he is not damaging anyone in the community.....fair enough". Mr. Korstanje can, how- ever,. speculate on two pos- sible obstacles that were in his path - his semantics and his honesty. Semantics- by using the word 'greenhouse', Mr. Kor- stanje put a sour taste in the mouth of maiiy people , people who, on their Sunday drive through the country, see huge commercial green- houses in a bad state of dis- repair with 50 foot smoke- stacks, plastic hanging from every square inch and piles of dirt almost hiding the structures. He realizes now the word 'conservatory' would have been more pleasing and more appropriate as his structure will house much more than plants. It will'be somewhere that his family can relax in year round, with wrought iron furniture, a waterfall and a pond. Honesty -,by going through the proper legal pro- cess - approaching Whitby Council, etc., Mr. Korstanje brought thany headaches up- on himself, headaches that he might)1ave avoided had le just goné ahead with his pro- ject without telling anyone. He said that he knows of several greenhouses within the town which were built without permission from the necessary bodies. If honesty is no longer a virtue, what is going on? Good Samaritan encounters problems You run up against red tape even when you are try- ing to do something good. That is how Orna Hardie must feel after a recent en- counter with Whitby Council. Mrs. Hardie of Brock St. South applied to have ber property rezoned so that she could make lier house avail- able to Ontario Hospital out- patients. However council's admini- strative committee denied the application after sorme members expressed conîcern that the potential lodgers were maintained by welfare and should not be the finan- cial responsibility of this region, but of their own locals. Mrs. Hardie wrote council in an attempt to put them at case. "Former patients of my lodging home are on welfare assistance for three nonths only because of a waiting period invoked before they arc eligible for disability pen- DOITALLON AYAMAHA! from BROOKLIN CYCLE CLINIC 655-3002 Located on Hwy. 2 across from Cashway Lumber in Brooklin YAMAHA Sales and Service 75 Street Bikes '75 Enduro '75 Motocrossers ALL IN STOCK sion. Once pension is pro- cessed, they no longer require welfare assistance," she said. Mrs. Hardie wrote "former patients are.not idle loiterers. They participate in an active workshop program through the hospital tive days a week for a small fee. Through this program, these women are allowed the atmosphere of their own home, while con- tinuing rehabilitative therapy - Hopefully, these facts will encourage a review of the administrative committee's decision." They did and council gave Mrs. Hardie's proposal the green light. Ontario Cabinet-action termed reprehensible Continued from page 1 that, although they did at- tend the OMB hearings, they did so without the benefit of counsel. The association also con- tended that, while its mem- bers were allowed to take part in questioning and cross- examining the witnesses, the Board did not allow the spokesman for the associa- tion to cross-examine wit- nesses directly. In other words, questions were only put to witnesses in cross- examination through mem- bers of the Ontario Municipal Board. However, sometime in February, the executive of the Corridor Ratepayers Association held a meeting at which time they decided to withdraw their objection to the Farewell Estates sub- division while retaining the objection to the Whitby Towne Estates subdivision. Mayor Newman tried, unsuccessfully, at Monday's meeting to. have council pass a resolution ordering the Corridor Ratepayers Associa. tion to make the minutes of tie February meeting avail- able to him. Mayor Des Newman con- Brooklin Kinsmen Club will collect donations for Cystic The newly formed Kins- men Club of Brookliin will be active tbis Saturday during the County Town Carnival Parade collecting money for Cystic Fibrosis. About I5 Kinsmen dressed as clowns will be circulating along the parade route soliciting donations, and having higlh expectations of Whitby's generosity will be backed up by a pick-up truck to carry the money. Fibrosis A clown in the back of the truck will be throwing out lollipops to the children, and a Kinsmen 'car' will be lump- ing clown the street. The Kinsnen car backfires often and overheats occasion- ally, so there is some question as to whether it will actually complete the route. But we're assured that it will go ALL the way even if it bas to be pushed. 2ND ANNUAL OUTDOOR ARTS FAIR the grounds of Whitby Station Gallery, Henry and Victoria Streets, Whitby, Ontario SAT. AUG. 2nd & SUN. AUG. 3rd I p.m. - 5 p.m. Cancellation - corn roast & concert on the lawn August 2nd 7 p.m. 'tends that the lawyer for Farewell Estates received instruction from the Attor- ney General's office as to how he could persuade the association to withdraw the one objection while retaining the other in order to allow the cabinet to make a nega- tive decision against the Whitby Towne Estates. The cabinet heard the matter on the Whitby Towne Estates approximately two weeks ago and ordered a new hearing on that subdivision "for the purpose of further consideration to be given by the Municipality and the Boa rd". TOWN'S FEELINGS Mayor Newman was irate witb die nmanner in whicb tbe cabinet made its decision. "I find the whole action repre- hensible", he said and at one point called the action "blackmail". Councillor Tom Edwards was equally upset, saying "I want as much light as pos- sible to illuminate what appears to be a very smelly situation". Councillor John Goodwin used the phrase "sour grapes" in describing Mayor New- man's attitude. Councillor Gerry Emm, feeling that his three counter- parts were playing politics, said "I'm not here to fight political battles". Councillor Emm was refer- ring to the political leanings of the three previous speakers. The Government of Ontario, which ordered another hear- ing, is Progressive Conserva- tive as is Councillor Goodwin who criticized Mayor New- man. Mayor Newman and Councillor Edwards are supporters of the parties which make up the Govern- ment of Ontario's opposition Newman, Liberal, and Ed- wards New Democratic. The matter was referred to council's administrative committ'ee. %OJà a- st%.. %W' Conveniently located down stairs at the Woolco Mail Duncan Travel is pleased to present a trip to the Bahamas to Sharon Rice, Miss Whitby County Town Carnival 1975 Hours of Business 9am - 9pm Monday to Friday 10am - 6pm Saturday