2 Friday, April 13, 2018 brooklintowncrier.com "Don't know why There's no sun up in the sky Stormy weather" From the song "Stormy weather" Being a storm spotter was never an ambition. It ranked along with road marking painter and dog nail clipper as occupations just too obscure to warrant my attention. How wrong I was. Here's Durham Region inviting us - anyone, even rational people - to attend a free two-hour training session by a real live Environment Canada meteorologist so we can become storm spotters. It will be on Thursday, May 3, 7:30-9:30 pm at the Whitby Centennial Building, 416 Centre St., South. It seems our weather people may need assistance deciding when or if to issue weather bulletins. Those are their words, by the way. Volunteer storm spotters can then choose to join their volunteer CANWARN team. Let's give credit where it's due. At least CANWARN isn't an acronym. They could have called it ECVSS or Environment Canada Volunteer Storm Spotter, but CANWARN has a more serious tone, with a tinge of panic built in. "WE WHO ARE TRAINED STORM SPOTTER VOLUNTEERS ARE WARNING YOU THAT THE TORRENTIAL RAINS THAT HAVE SENT YOUR CAR FLOATING DOWN BALDWIN AND THE VICIOUS WINDS THAT BLEW VIPOND ARENA ONTO THE NORTH SIDE OF COLUMBUS IS CALLED A STORM, A VERY VERY BAD STORM. REALLY BAD. "WE URGE YOU TO TAKE COVER IN THE NEAREST BATHTUB. WE ARE TRAINED AT THIS - TOOK TWO HOURS OF OUR LIVES - SO TRUST US WHEN WE TELL YOU THIS BULLETIN COMES NOT JUST FROM ENVIRONMENT CANADA BUT FROM YOUR NEIGHBOURS WHO, JUST LIKE YOU, ARE QUIVERING IN THEIR UNDERWEAR." Call me naive, but I truly want to believe our government constantly looks for ways to make our lives better and safer. It's never about power or terrific pensions or the perk of getting close to Justin Trudeau's hair. No, by training people around me to look for signs of potential disaster, the government is doing what it's supposed to do. However, sometimes I just don't get it. In an age of smartphones, apps, 24/7 weather reports, and, yes, windows, why do we need storm spotters to tell us what we likely already know or suspect? If I have nothing to do that May 3 evening, I might just show up to find out for myself. That is, if my family doesn't mind holding off on the grandiose celebration. It'll be my birthday, you see. Or, I could just get what an old Ottawa neighbour had. A retired police officer and part native, his Indian weather rock sat in a backyard garden. It read: If white, snowing If wet, raining If hot, sunny If can't see it, foggy If moving, windy If gone, tornado Stormy weather Less than Half the Picture By Richard Bercuson Residents are invited to learn more about and provide feedback on the 2018 projects. These include: Road Modifications Watford Street road modifications (from Winchester Road to Carnwith Drive) Downtown Whitby Landscape Modifications Perry Street (from Dundas Street East to Mary Street, east side) Sidewalk and Cycling Facilities Rossland Road multi-use path (from the Otter Creek Bridge to Cochrane Street) Victoria Street multi-use path (from Seaboard Gate to Brock Street) Henry Street multi-use path (from Victoria Street to the Henry Street CNR/GO Overhead Bridge) Baldwin Street sidewalk (from Canary Street to Groveside Cemetery) Bridge Construction Des Newman Grade Separation over CPR The Road-Related Construction Projects Community Open House details are as follows: When: Thursday, April 19, 2018, drop in between 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. Where: Town Hall Lobby, 575 Rossland Road East, Whitby For more information, contact Horace Look, Project Engineer (Capital), at 905.430.4300 x2336 or email lookh@whitby.ca or visit whitby.ca/construction. Open House About Road-Related Construction