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the markham economist sun saturday april 1 2006 pmon l stouffville mmm suntnbune a metroland community newspaper 34 civic ave 3rd floor stouffville on l4a 7z5 publisher ian proudfoot editor in chief director interactive director advertising marketingpartnerships debora kelly media technology distribution director business manager john futhey barry black debra wetter robert lazurko director circulation york region printing systems general manager lynn pashko bob dean letters to the editor green sequence lights fewer stops good for drivers environment i had a dream that within a few month most traffic signal lights on main roads will go on the socalled green sequence as promised yes about 10 years ago by markham and york region green sequence means that by driving a predetermined speed on any of our main roads the signal light will always turn green when you get close to it its been done in the rest of the world for about 50 years now and cuts down on pollution and wasted fuel finally after so many years york region and markham likes to give it a try to help traffic moving again it doesnt cost any money it just needs someone with a little mathematical skill and the will to set up the right timing in the traffic computers the other item in the works at traffic engi neering are the removing of most of our useless stop signs in our towns as all of you know we all pay dearly for them with our health and money wasted on fuel it is a well know fact stopandgo cars create most of our air pollution fact is it cost about two liters of extra fuel for roughly 25 to 30 unnecessary stops that would make it about four litres a day 380 per day at todays prices when we take about 250 working days per year that brings the extra and wasted cost to about 950 a year for everyone driving a car thats roughly 20 cases of beer in my book and thats not to mention the air pollution created a car pollutes about 40 to 50 times more when taking off from a full stop too bad it was just a dream it must have had something to do with being close to april 1 even though the needed changes wont be coming to markham or york all the numbers are accurate heinz nitschke markham children in ninth line subdivision want park playground equipment im nine years old and wondering if the mayor and council of markham can do some thing about putting a park in my neighbour hood we live on linsmary court near the inter section of the ninth line and markham bypass we have been here for three years and there is still no park with playground equipment in the area we can walk to all of the children in the neighbourhood want a park please help us markham council jade mark markham springtime brings region back to fore we are so lucky to live in york region we have a qual ity of life unsur passed anywhere in the world low crime safe omnking water ample food a steady stream of empty buses on our streets best of all we have great golf courses more than onethird of the gtas in fact one of the highest coursesrpercapita ratios in the world two of the globes finest are here the national in woodbridge- and beacon hall in aurora we have fabulous top- end public courses in angus glen eagles nest and copper creek and within 15 minutes drive of my home i can enjoy seven fine clublink facilities ive played courses across canada in the caribbean asia and the united sates this win ter i even played at lake nona in orlando home course to ernie els annika sorenstam and sergio garcia yet nowhere have i found conditions that surpass york regions own and were blessed with won derful golf retailers offering the latest in technology designed to improve your game thirty years ago the average golfer took 100 strokes per round now the clubs are so scientifically advanced and the balls fly so much farther which has been proven by studies the average golfer still shoots about 100 its recommended you take lessons from a pro as i have many times and get lots of prac tice as i have in fact now that im semiretired and play more than 50 rounds per year ive gone from an 11 handicap to a 13 tiger woods is the best golfer in the world but i may be the most dangerous at hamilton golf and country club i narrowly missed hitting the publisher of the toronto star with a five iron at the granite club in stouffville i nailed a three wood off a golf cart occupied by a vicepresi dent of torsfarxorporation at kings riding i hit a pitch ing wedge from 120 yards just as my best friend emerged from misvi 1 bruce annan the woods behind the green the ball struck him in the chest and he dropped like hed been shot happily he was all right and we finished the round more impor tantly i beat him by one stroke last summer at the magnifi cent new bond head course i was a guest of the publisher of this very newspaper on the 11th hole he went searching for his tee shot just off the fairway while i addressed my ball in a bunker my seveniron blast came out at a 45degree angle i yelled fore which gave him enough time to look up and stop the ball with his face after lying on the ground and bleeding for awhile he got up and birdied the hole its a funny old game to an addict the sport is all- consuming at least until were reminded there are more impor tant things in life like our health golf is sort of like religion that way to those who play no explanation is necessary to those who dont no explanation is possible a few years ago i underwent eye surgery i asked the doctor will i still be able to drive my driving is about the same but my putting is worse nonetheless last summer i achieved a milestone at national pines i shot 35 on the front nine under par through the front half i bogeyed 10 just as the horn sounded ordering us off the course because of lightning after a 90minute delay we resumed the round and i carded a backnine 51 for a routine 86 a few years ago my wife final ly agreed to try the game and signed up for lessons she quit after the first session saying she just didnt see the point of it all golf is sort of like religion that way to those who play no explanation is necessary to those who dont no explanation is possible ive spent the past month practising at the new aurora dome and this is going to be my year i can just feel it see you on the course you should probably stay behind me when i hit bruce annan is a york region writer and consultant he can be reached as bruceannangmail com comments on this column for the letters page can be sent to newsroomeconsuncom letters policy the economist sun welcomes your letters all submissions must be less than 400 words and must include a daytime telephone number name and address the economist sun reserves the right to publish or not publish and to edit for clarity and space letters to the editor the economist sun 9 heritage rd markham on l3p1m3 letterseconsuncom 1 9 4 t v v fr 6 f i i jrsta editorial editor jim mason jmasonyrngcom assistant editor rick vanderlinde rvanderlindeyrngcom interactive media marketing advertising 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