6 Friday, December 13, 2019 brooklintowncrier.com North Ward Councillor - By Steve Lee How Whitby Helps Us In Winter Let's look at our snow removal. At this time of year, especially after a large snowfall, people have questions about snow plowing and the clearing of streets. I believe it's important to build awareness among residents and local businesses about what to expect during major weather events and our services. The Town of Whitby has, in my view, a very good service which exceeds that of some other municipalities. The staff works hard to ensure roads are cleared as quickly as possible to keep everyone safe. One important Whitby website you should check out is whitby.ca/snow. This is a great one-stop source of information on the Town's winter maintenance standards and efforts. We also offer a service for seniors to clear the ends of their driveways (ie. the windrows). More information is available at whitby.ca/windrow. Fill out the application if this service applies to you. How to apply: 1. Pick up an application at the Whitby Seniors' Activity Centre or print one off from whitby.ca/windrow 2. Register in-person at the Whitby Seniors' Activity Centre, 801 Brock Street South, Whitby. 3. Submit your application starting October 1. If you require assistance with your application, contact Whitby Seniors' Services at 905.668.1424 Here are two additional links to information to help you stay up-to-date with weather information and being prepared for snow: The Whitby Weather Desk: Subscribe now to receive updates from the Whitby Weather Desk at whitby.ca/subscribe. Find My Street: whitby.ca/findmystreet You can use the tool on this link to find your street and learn about how soon after a snowfall you can expect to have your street cleared. The tool also includes information about the sidewalks and trails maintained by the town throughout the winter. As always, if you need more information, I'm always available to chat at 905-706-0214 or email me at lees@whitby.ca. It's so easy to get caught up in the holiday season and go overboard. Every year there seems to be a new thing to add to the lineup of traditions. I love the holidays so much but they often feel overwhelming. The pressure to deliver the Hallmark holiday recreation is just so full of expectations that it is impossible to get it done when you have a full time job and kids in activities. So it was last year that I decided to simplify Christmas in our house. After the decorations were put up, I looked around and then took some down. It was all too much. Even though they'd only been up a few hours, I was already dreading the take-down process that would follow the holidays. But the reduction in décor felt right. The house looked tidier and there were fewer things dripping glitter on my floor. It was still beautiful but felt less chaotic. Next I looked at the gift list. Yup, this too could be simplified. I spoke to my family and we decided to pick names for gifts with a spending limit. This was great. Now I had seven fewer gifts to buy. Plus, the extra time allowed me to really think about the gift I was buying for the person instead of the last minute gift card. Then I considered the invitations. On some nights, we were expected at three events. We decided to pick one and did a quick stop at another. The third one was declined with a Christmas card. Now for the food. While I love to bake at Christmas, with our busy schedule, baking feels more like a chore. So I got a few friends together and we had a baking exchange. I baked dozens of the same cookies and received 11 dozen varieties from the exchange. I also suggested everyone bring a dish to share for Christmas dinner. It all worked out. I had more time to actually spend with friends and family and the holidays were as lovely as ever. That year as we took down the decorations after Christmas, my daughter commented on how our simplified Christmas was really fun. Why, I asked. She explainedit was because I was there enjoying Christmas instead of running around, cooking or catering to everyone. "You seem happier, " she said. She was right. So, lessons learned. Sometimes it's okay not to live up to the expectations of a perfect holiday. After all, when everyone is there, you don't miss the extra stuff. Keeping the Holidays simple Our Brooklin Kids By Leanne Brown For more information about this feature contact the Brooklin Town Crier brooklintowncrier@gmail.com Brooklin residents Deputy Mayor Rhonda Mulcahy and North Ward Councillor Steve Lee got a chance to ask Santa for some good things for Brooklin at Christmas in the Village in Grass Park last weekend.