WI{TBY FREE PRESS. WEDNESDAY. JLUNE 18-1986 PAGE 5 "I have sworn upon the altar of God eternal hostility againat every form of tyranny over the mird of man." - Thomas Jefferson Advise and Dissent THE CROW'S NEST ___ * by Michael Kné A couple of years ago, Whitby Town Councîl adopted a Municîfý 1Statement that was the resuit of a tremendous amount of research on the town's planning departmnent. As I recaîl, the major thrust of this was to provide council with a plan and a set of objectives to meet t and accommodation needs of Whitby over the next 10Oto 15 years. This study noted that if there is any particular deficiency in Whitby tial construction programn It bas the lack of any positive move to devý and low cost bousing not only for middle to lower income families bu important groups such as senior citizens and the handicapped. There is no question on the minds of those prepared that study, nor of most members of council, that these are real needs that have dressed. 1 have often wondered aloud in this column whether or nct putting on binkers when it cornes to development. It seems to me plan that comesbefore council is for the construction of single famit3 large lots that will seli for $100,000 or more. We are not, so it wou meeting that housing needs of ail ceurrent and future residents of munity. One recent case in point is the proposed development of 78 rentai units on Garden St. Council recently rejected this proposai citing twe jections. The first was that the link townbouses did not mesh in we existing homes in the area and tbat they weren't comfortable with I road systemn the developer proposed to use. Counillor Joe Bugelli, chairman of councils administrative coin also expressed some concern with the, lack of specific informationc the developer's long termn plan for the project, whether or not he hi prise funding approval for it. He also noted that ownership of the si project had recently changed from one numbered company to anoti hlm there were too many insufficiently answered questions or issutý ply weren't addressed to bis satisfaction. Tbat's fair enough. The councillor's position is not an unreasonabit However, there have been so few applications before council in tI years for the development of quality rentaI housing that this propg have been used as a springboard to promote this kind of construction. (There Is still hope for this project. Bugelli points out that if the wishes to developi the site in a manner consistent with the 1976 zor wbich calîs for three cul-de-sacs backing onto Garden St. with ac Bradley Dr. ail bie needs is a building permit and site plan approval. been in no way down zoned to single famîly detached lots.) Wile I find myself in agreement with Bugelli's concerns I musti wben I read the accounts of the administrative committees publicr the plan the previous week, 1 was borrified and even offended. Mt residents of tbat area seem to bave a phobia about the development, when they came to know tbat this was to be a rentaI housing project. I would like to inform these people that not ail those who rent their welfare bumns interested solely in the dole and the current price of bel us are decent, bardworking people who hold down good jobs, are resp educated professionals who love their chiîdren and are interested i munity in wbicb tbey live. This is the second time this year, that I have witnessed a gritup homeowners display wbat amounts to sheer bigotry wben it coneb wbo rent their homes. A few weeks ago, a handful of Port Whitby resi overwhelming desirous of preventing a townhouse development aI t(C Victoria Sta. if the units were to be renti.~. In my humble view, Whitby is no place for bigots who have ni> cor for the needs of ôthers and the rights of others to live in decent. wel i These people remindme of those who demand that the government ti and stronger prisons to contain our criminal element and then fight1 ensure that it's not located in their neigbbourbood. They are also ai wbo object to baving a group home for the mentally or physically tbeir neighbourbood. Owning one's own home doesn't make anyone a saint. Neither dol anyone a better neigbbour or a better, more well informed or involv While I can appreciate that everyone wbo owns their own home wo protect their investment and see it appreciate, 1 would like to thinkt in this community realize and acknowledge that not everyone has bave. And just hit-ause tbey don't own a similar $10000O( bouse, th lessor human beiniî" Quality rentai homes are a must for this community. The reason than obvious. Not everyone is a high priced, well connected executive. Some of us work on the factory floor, in the department! the gas station down the street. Mayor Bob Ait îrsley is fond of saying that Whithy is a "roui munity"*. Il is a place that offers something for everyone. a place wl from alwaiks tf life and backgrounds can make a home to be proud is not an exclusive country club. This îsn't Rosedale or Forest Hilîs. 1 tink that is also something tbat council should remember a1 frequently than tbey do. It is ail well and good to build homes for the executive. but ordinary people bave a right to live here to. To those people whn oheiseIo l this development because tbey feai rentai accommodaltuut wîîuld make their neighbuîurhood unbearable1 have this observauî',t lIo make. Whitby was fîîunded by a rather ordi wbo came to this tiu ntry with nothing but a great entrepreneurial 5] virtually nuthîi;1 1. uday's standards. hi' huilt nul just a life for hi WITH OUJR FEET UP By Bill Swan admit that Monday night al the Lone Star Beaver: most of meeting on the town is home. planting potatoes and staking Vlany of the tomatoes in the vegelahle garden. It s that kind of especially June evening. Well, then, in walks Mayor .Iohnny Cannuek, high rhomes are and mighty as yîîu please Ile doesn't seem in notice eer. Most of that none of the regulars are hending elhows. pected, weîî Right away hi' cracks lwo beer bottes together. in the' comn and tells everyone thal hî' just leels a speech coming on, and wouldt Pîngers 'lTom stop) playing p of hitby the piano. and woiuld everyone shui up tfoi- a while'" s tît people Ad then he hops up on 1the corner table and coim- idents were mences to talk, so lo spe.ak Charles and "My fellow ('ainnueks,'* he says. as lhough he werc, talking to a family picnic oir whatnot. )nsiderat ion -Tomorrow the fre trade poker stakes gîo down to ept homes Ewessofeh andi start di'aling in earnesi and 1 think it build higgi'r high time Wl' sut town and explained why its like mad i<> necessary we wun thîs poker game. e-io o h ki gîo thoseî Then according 1<> lucias Lî'terpress. dlroth disabted in Flat Tait, he hegins talkîng jus like a politician: .historic significaici' crossrutads foîr îur tes il make economy ... itur t rientîs andi neightîors . an't put ved citizen. ail our eggs in one' taskî'l ýould liki' tii Lucas recalled Ilitîri was more. itl hat wasn'l thial people important. sinve t' iiîtst whi Mayor Jobnny said îwhat they was rah-rah stutIluo gel us ail fluffed up. Lucas also hey are nol said it was too liait nohody hî'ard old Mayor Johnny, ssnc aremor me." have a d<l o bets' plit icailly infor- 1corporate That last qutti's direct f runi Lucas and means ý sor oral more people shoutd ttuv 'Tle Plat Tait Ini read his indedcom- editorials. iere people Anwy ao oin fiuushi's his speech and J of Whtby ump dow of thetabe li shkeshands with t f hty Dangling Dari. the' larlî'ndir. and ditesi't even litle ore seem to notice thal the place is emîpty Even Gertie eittle ore the Garter slipped ot tht' sie<otir. mumbling ecroae something about polit icians liîing liaitfoir busineýss red having and not being able iii îraw fîtes t o live in, 1 "Fingers" Tom ts'llies'sri) li the' tar, ignîîriîîg inary man MayorJohnny's outstri'tchedl hanîl ýpirit. From Well, hasn't everyone jusi up and lef t by the end oîf imself and Johnny's talk when doesn't liazor Stritp jump up lin the table and wave bis hat a lime or Iwo andstart in- SI ' PG. 7 to atalk of hîs iwn. Lucas Letterpress tells it best, but then he's a professional writer, or as close as we corne around these parts: -Razor Strop said a lot of important things," Lucas wrote the next day. "Fortunately, nobody seems to remember what they were. He started off by saying he didn't know what Mayor Johnny Can- nuck had said, but whatever il was he was agin' it. He a lso said that Mayor Johnny didn't have enough cggs and carried them al in a small basket." But back to M~onday night and the speeches: Bent Broadaxe then jumps up onl the table and says he didn't know what Mayor Johnny said either, but he was agîn' it, too. He says he is li favor of bigger baskets and more eggs, or more eggs and smaller baskets, or Iewer eggs and small baskets. He says that Mayor Johnny made a mistake when he gave four or five aces to old Sam Ewessofeh before they even began to deal cards. By the time Bent finishes speaking, even Dangling Dan bas plugged the spigot on the draught barrel. But for a few speeches that nobody heard, the word flew fast. What they wuz carrying on about. the word said, was eggs. And baskets. And how Johnny said he had a lot of baskets, but only one egg in each. And Razor Strop. who said that Johnny had s0 many eggs he was about to give haîf of them to Sam Ewessofeh just to strike the right note before the poker game begins. Well, next thing word spreads bo the chicken far- mers, who have a stake in these things. Eggs, they say, is lîke money Io us and not even Mayor Johnny is going to give them away. Bent Broadaxe squeaks up and says they should make an omelet only with union cooks. What the chicken larmers want to know is, did the Mayor have more baskets than eggs, and how corne? But by t hen the basket makers want to know if Johnny is going tii gîve ail the baskets away with the eggs and then where would they be? Then somebody thrîîws a hag of chicken feathers and somebody else throws an egg and the figbt is on l'or real. There are' some really bad yokes heaved about. Fortunatî'Iy nobody gels hurt. Had they, they would he in bad straights. seemng as l)oc -Pickets" Pence is10ine(-of hi-, soits ý, , ý e i 1 f 1 - 1 ý r . 1 ý 1 *,f ýt (' , - ý - cý ý- j ý 1 , ý , 1 ý 4Î,4 ý 1 1, 1 f ý. . 1 .0 , 1 A ll'-,'-)'Iý