I To the editoe. Iet'mre te recap the three long years under our present counciliors and councillerette. It's se fitting that information supplied te the voting public is listed as ail the achievaments cf thé past three years by council. I think, however, we should look and.remember the quiet blunders by this council. Rernember the "ld outdoor Kinsmen Pool," $35,000 te repair. Itfs history new. We paid for the new recreation centre which cost us a couple million just aftar epening the Oiympic-size wading pool (thrae feat deep). Then almost al cf us found eut we couidn't aford te, be a member. There was a smali repair needed te, the centre just after epening, aise, costing a few more thousand ceppers. As for the 407 link in the west corridor, council has really supplied an awful lot cf feedback te the residents cf this corridor. If this link is supposed te be se great and we are willing te remove prime farrniand te, develop an eight-iane superstructure freeway, then rnaybe we should do the neighbeurly thing and share it with Ajax? What do yeu think, guys? Don't you like putting rnoney inte a projeet just te, watch it disappear? Longtime residents have supported Whitby Canerai Hospital for 25 years and have donated teward the purchase cf most cf the aquiprnent there. Maybe you will ail be invited te the massive garage sale they will be holding? Can't you just picture bedpan pianters on ail the iawns in Whitby? Save the Lynde Marsh! Way te go, Býoss, I guess you figure by planting somne thorn bushes around the perimeter cf a vast area, that shouid reaily keep the public out. Why don't ie get back the od P.E.I and float it up and dewn the waterway and hold tours at $5. At ieast this way you may profit and our taxes wiil go down again. 1 Decreases in taxes, whoopee. Pat yourselves on the back for this one, gang. An informed council would have listened many years age. Reaiity check -- this isnWt an achievement, it's your job. Thank Ced for eur seniors. Without their tenacity, they would stili be in a basement-sized meeting reom. Council reaiiy heiped and supported te raise $265,000,didn't they? I wonder te, where the new council will break away for their weekend retreats away from the Whi hi stressfl surrounding f "Zffty. Net east again, maybe the Barbados (lots cf good investors there, I hear)? Whatever happene4 te _ that great big banquet hall at Brock Street and Taunton Read. Council spent se, much Urne and effert on. Anyone ever go te a Town council mneeting when it's being broadcast on cable? Check that eut sometime. It's better, than Tuesday night regular TV, each one having their own littie agenda te, stage as a free piatform speech cf concern to the viewing audience. Who's the guy with the ugiy green tie? Our mayer prides himself on new tax base dollars every menth and the growth cf our tewn. Geez, Tom, rnaybe we couid request a dump in town right behind your off ice in that empty lot, se you could watch ooddles cf money just pouring in and dripping inte our Town en a daily basis. Isn't 65 the mandatory retirement age. Bye, Tom? These are just a few cf the blînders over three years. Let's just go for the whole bal cf waxy probierns: train whisties a blowin', Cestco deais, overcrowded schools, high taxes, quality cf life cernpromised, ice pas,libraries, DBIA deaf ears, stop signs, chiidren's lives, higher density projeets, planning problerns, rezening too often, tee many councillers, strip mails, constant pewer outages, etc. I'm sure, you ail have your scenaneos. Kind cf leaves y ou feeling empty, doesn't it? We ail paid approximately $20,000 per councilior te heip make these kinds cf decisions for us. Thank you very much, gang. Remember one thing -- this election your ')C equals $20,000 so spend your rnoney wiseiy. It won't cest us anymore te have five new councillers, and a fresh new mayor. My daughters told me, that's the new math for the nineties. GaryParkinson West Whitby resident Si*gnificant step Msiformation To the editor. In Whitby we are blessed witb the close preimrity cf Lynde Marsh, a treasure which should be preserved. I work in Toronto and have te commute back and forth te the city avey day. As a relief from the hnarrcwng experience on the 401, I sometimes exit at Ajax and take the baseline road back te my h6fne in-Whitby. As I approacb and pass through the marsh, I ama awed by the serenity cf the wetiand paradise. The experience serves as an antidote te a hecUic day, which sets the tene for a caim evening. At home, just thinking cf the xnarsh nearby is anougb te bring me a sanse cf being in harmony with nature. Unfortunately, this wiil soon cerne te, an end. With the proposed hcusing development, undoubtedly many cf the trees would have te coma down on the aast sida cf the marsh, and bouses would appear in their place, which wouid spoil the present pristina, wildernass panorama. That alone weuid be a tragic ioss. Further, oe doesn't have te be a rocket sciantist te undarstand that a new community cf several thousand inhabitants establlsbed irnrediateiy adjacent te a marsh wouid net in soe way degrada it. Children, dogs and cars using the marsh as their playground, and fertilizer and pet faeces' runof from iawns are just soe cf the added stresses. Wetiands are disappearing from Canada at an aiarming rate. However, much cf this was done in ignorance. At one Urne marshes wera considered land te be drained, filied with soii and reclaimed, because it was net known that watlands were rich raservoirs cf wiidlife, providing habitats te, varied species cf plants, animais and migratery birds, serving as a filter for water draining inte- the lake and providing a vital balance te our whoie ecoeystem. The tragedy is that wa know ail that now, but we are nevartheless about te squander our treasure away. Althcugh draining is net conternpiatad at this point, in my view, once the development happens, the lathal destruction cf Lynde Marsh wil begin. On Nov. 14, I hoe that the citizens cf Whitby will ramember which incumbent politician workad te, presarve the complete ecciogical system cf the Lynde Marsh and which cnes decided that a new housing davelopment preject was more important. By veting for candidates who are sensitive te the necessity cf protecting the wetiands, we sUi may be able te stop the projeet. Such a move is a step in censerving the visuai and anvironmental integrity cf our community, which is aise a smal but significant step in the preservation cf our planet. Gordon F. Brown Witby To the editor-- Last waek tha public was given the oppertunity te ask questions cf the candidates running in municipal election by way cf sevarai public forums. Howaver much that opportunity wýas appreciated, what remains frustrating is the iaability te engage the candidates in dialogue. Under these' circumstan ces 'it bacomes impossible te respond te arroneous dlaims or te keep candidates on track. To this end we wish te, correct seme misinformation' or misundar- standings. Whiie seme people would lika A new approach To the editor:. Wth the upcoming elaction on Nov. 14, thera is an cpportuaity te bring soe chickens home te, roost cencerning the proposed Lynde Shores development. Aithough a lot 6f water has gene under the bridge, such as the passage cf this project by Whitby council and the subsaquant referai te the 0MB by regionai council, a new ceuncil can still exist considarabla influence on this issue. For exaniple, it is cenceivabie Thiey speak for thiemselves To the editor:- On Nov. 1, 1 attended the aul- candidates meeting at the Ashburn Community Centre. I was daapiy disapponted but -- unfortunately -- net surprised by what saemed te ha the pravailing attitudes cf the incumbents. Constituants ara te ha spokan te, but net heard. Many Urnes in their oening remarks we heard them say they wish.te represant us se that our voices can be heard. If such is the casa, why is it that the incumbents voted for Lynde Shores devlcpmant with the exception cf Marcel Brunaile, whan clearly the majority of voters are against it? For whom were they speaking? Oaa soon realized during the meeting they were-speakiag for themselves and net the people thay represent. Deug! Anderson (a regienal candidate) was the only oe who stated that ha would vote by way cf constituants aven if ha was net cf the same opinion. It worries me whan elected officiais say that the real prcblam with the democratic process is net the politicians but the constituants themsalves. The real question is: If citizans are net attending the meetings or reading officiai documents, then what are councillors doing wrong? Have councillers aven asked themsalves that question? Just because you are there doesn't mean "we will corne." In many cf the meetings people have ieft feeling inferior te the couacillors because tbey dared te, ask fer explanations on -documents -that are --written--in something other than plain Engiish. When someone asks a question in plain English and net in political/legal linge, they are frownad on. Why shouid we participate in a process in which wa do net feel walcomed? Pat Perkins, a candidate fer mayor, says it is time for a change. I urge evaryone te takeaa serieus look at the Old Boys Club. It is Urne te let them know we have had enough. The oniy way te do that is by placing an ')C beside the candidate who will bring in new ideas, who is willing te truly represent the voters and whe believes. that the demccratic process is for everyone and net the privilaged few. Renee Leahy Brooklin that the 0MB may throw this issue back te Whitby council, in which case a new council with a more anlightaned envirenmental approach cculd rethink the whole issue. There may aise be considerabie interaction betwaen Whitby ceuncillors cencaraing the details cf the prepesed development whare naw ceunciiiers with concern for the preservation cf Lynde Shores could influence the proceediags. It should ha noted that the reai issue is net the marsh and creak, which as mayor Tom Edwards and othars have said will net hae teuched, but the surrounding lands which ara vital te the existence cf the marsh. There are othar issues in this alaction such as the hespital, ica pads, democratic gevernment, etc. However, it is reasonabla te, say that the Lynda Shores developmant is a major issue and probably the most urgent in ternis of time remaining te reverse the decision. With tha aboya peints in mind, the concusion is that with the exception cf Marcel Brunelae, reinlcouncilior, whe bhas ppsdthis davaiopmant, the curreat Whitby councii should ha repiacad with a more opan and environmentailY respensibie new council frem the numbar cf high quaiity alternative candidates running for office. . I o s r f Whitby the public te, think that the Lynde Marsh development is "a done deai," in truth, the fate cf the Lynde Marsh hangs in the baiane. The Lynde Marsh mattar is going te the Ontario MunicipailBoard (0MB). Like a court cf law the 0MB wiil hear evidence on both sides cf the issue. The matter may be sent back te council for further study. The makeup cof that new-council, then, will be ail important, as thay will again be faced with making decisions on the fate cf Lynda Marsh. The current council bas shown its trua colours: ail but one member c f the current ceuncil strengiy support thiis subdivision besida the Lynde Marsh, a subdivision which wiil be home te almest 10 per cent cf Whitby's current population. A new council can make ail the ditTerence. Whitby Town council had nothing te do with the 0MB referrai. It is Save Lynda Marsh that bas asked the matter te be referred te the 0MB. Wh-ile the current Whitby council did net deern our. concerns as valid, regional planning committee and regional council did. Furthermore, the current council bas stated that it bas gene "the whoie nine yards" te ansure that the Lynde Marsh will remain a class 1 watiand after the subdivision goes in. In truth, however, none cf the reports, cited by the current council as supporting the development, dlaim that the ciass 1 status cf Lynde Marsh will be preserved. This becomes a scary proposition when we consider that 85 par cent cf wetlands in southern Ontario have aiready been destroyed due te human errer. The fate cf Lynde Mardi sets a precedent for other environmentaliy sensitive areas. If the Lynde Marsh subdivision gets the go-ahead, Cranberry Marsh will be the next te go. Cranbariy Marsh, tee, wili suifer the sanie fate. This, again, is where a naw councii becomes ail- important. Besidas being about the environrnent, Lynde Marsh is at heart an issue damocracy, about openness and accountability. Al but one cf the incumbents have shown a failure te respond te public wiii on this matter. A vote for Lynde Mardi is a vote for deorc.Dr. Johanna M. Tito Spokesperson Save Lynde Maroh Whltby Free Press, Wednesday, November 9, 1994, Page 31 'Blunders' of the past