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At- Hie Era Newmarket Aurora Keswick On Wed Feb THEERA Serving York County Since Published every Wednesday at Charles St Ontario by Inland Publishing Co Limited Subscriptions for two years for one calendar year Single copies each The NewmarketAurora Era is one of the Inland Publishing Co Limited group of suburban newspapers which includes the News Ad vertiser Brampton Guardian Burlington Post Etobicoke Gazette Economist and Sun News Oakville Beaver This Week and Tribune Member Canadian Weekly Newspaper Association and the Audit Bureau of Circulation Second Class Mail registration number Phone Newmarket Charles St DAVID HASKELL Publisher TERRY CARTER EditorinChief ROBERT MARTIN News Editor Phone Aurora BLUE RIBBON AWARD Change election procedures Two of the three changes in our municipal election procedures for which Councillor Bob Scott sought town councils Monday have merit we feel Mr Scott wants to see the term of a municipal councillor extended from two years to three he wants candidates to be required to put up a 150 deposit which would be forfeited if they do not win onethird of the total votes of the last elected candidate and he wants to see a revised nomination procedure To this list he well might have added a request that the municipal election date be changed from the first Monday in December to a Monday in October or early November when campaigning would be less onerous Although we are not convinced that there would be any benefit to a three year term we agree there is a need for a deposit requirement and for a different nominating procedure The Scott proposal that candidates be required to put up as surety that they plan to campaign seriously for elected office and not simply ridicule the democratic process by en tering for the notoriety they will gain or simply to nettle a serious contender by providing nominal opposition is a sound one and has already been proven practical in provincial and federal elections His suggestion that instead of nominators be required by a candidate also has merit but we would still prefer to see the former system of public nomination meetings rein stated The reasoning behind our suggestion that the election date itself be changed is obvious better wealher would bring out more voters make it easier for elderly citizens to exercise their franchises and make campaigning easier and less costly And while on the subject we would like to suggest that the date when the chairman of York Regional Council is elected by members of that council also be changed At present the chair man is elected during the first regional meeting in January following municipal elections This means if a member of regional council wishes to contest the chairmanship as happened this January he must a few weeks earlier win re election as mayor or regional councillor in his own municipality ostensibly for a twoyear term If the regional chairman were elected in an offelection year it would be fairer to both members of regional council and their con stituents York Regional council could accomplish his by having Garfield Wrights current term declared either a oneyear or a threeyear term An amendment by he Ontario Legislature to the Region of York Act would be required to ac complish this however Confessions of a TV addict CONFESSIONS A COMPULSIVE TV WATCHER The city of Buffalo New York is nothing more than a continual bonfire Even when the worst slorm in the citys has gained them the honor of being named a disaster area the city still burns Eyewitness leads off each and every newscast with the lines Buffalo blazeeaters today were called to a six alarm fire In Lackawana Tonawanda or Wannawanna I watch the newscasts of those Buffalo stations occasionally just to see the way they handle coverage of Canadian news Lately since recent storm Ive watched them more often to learn how they are making out following the storm Assuming its over that is The Buffalo newscasts havent yet gotten into making a joke out of every news story like some other American news broadcasters They do chuckle a lot though and Eyewitness always has what is supposed to be a funny story at the end of every newscast The stories dont seem as funny of late Not since that channel began carrying Mary Hart- man Mary immediately following the Time for action on hydro issue Letters to the editor Ontario citizens have responded positively to appeals from the Ministry of Energy and Ontario Hydro to cut back on the consumption of electricity Ontario Hydro chairman Robert Taylor announced Thursday Pointing out the response occurred in an emergency situation Mr Taylor said it does show what can be achieved if everyone becomes energy conscious He went on to urge that this type of conservation be continued noting in dividual customers save on their bills of course if they use less We are very happy that the citizens of On tario are rr ponding positively to such ap peals from Ontario Hydro and the Energy ministry Now perhaps these two could return the favor and respond positively to the need for a solution to the dilemma they have left York Regions hydro system in for the past seven years That would also help many people save on their bills Although regional government has been in operation since hydro utilities remain frozen within their old municipal boundaries As a result many residents of communities such as Newmarket are not allowed the benefits of lower rales provided by their municipal utilities Instead they are stuck with the more expensive Ontario Hydro rural service Local governments told the province long ago they want to stick with local utility com missions They fear the regional utility provincial authorities are pushing will simply increase costs to local consumers Yet the Engergy ministry has consistently refused to respond positively to use Mr Taylors phrase If newlyelected town councillor Dave Kerwin intends to invite the Ontario Minister of Energy here as he indicated he would during the December municipal election campaign he should get the ball rolling now A provincial election is in the offing this spring or fall and this issue should be sorted out before the cam paign starts Nobody qualifies for tax rebate The town of Aurora makes an annual thing of advertising its municipal mercy and generosity a tax rebate of 100 to senior citizens who qualify Besides else you have to be or over and if married have a total combined income or not more than 4500 A year ago I wrote to Councillor Simmons at length a copy to the press pointing out that no such people existed Under the then existing social security a married couple of and up without any Income of their own were given pension and sup plementary payments of approximately G4i0 My comments were brought before council arousing the ire of the then mayor Buck who violently objected to hearing the truth She broke into a torrent of confusion and evasion in the press March 3rd I replied March 10th Hut the ad vertisements ceased Ignorance and ex travagance still reign The new mayor announced the same old benefits to the same nonexistent people in his mayors report of Jan 26th 1977 I phoned him Jan pointing out foregoing He said he was only one man I dont know if this is altogether true but let it pass On Feb 2nd a large ad about appeared in the local paper an nouncing yes here we go again the same old fiction Under social security today a married couple of senior citizens now get annually a mere MOKE than they can have to qualify for Auroras bounty These ads would cost between 100 and 200 so it is nice for the newspaper And since ignorance is bliss it must be nice for the mayor and the townclerk ad ministrator But as the years pass and the mass of administrative and political ignorance ineptitude and ex travagance defies all protest all attempts at demolition it is a little hard on the public Perhaps things will be in the next life I have heard that Mayor aspires to be prime minister of Canada He seems to be eminently qualified Further by the way I read that board of education trustee wife of a school teacher seems to have got herself on the salary negotiating team There is no conflict of interest She says Well well SID MUTTON Aurora Be my Valentine By Penny van Everdingen Are you ready for Tuesday Why should I be ready for Tuesday you innocently ask Tuesday is February Valentines Day The Day for lovers You must rush right out to purchase a token of affection for your loved one Please note affection is not enough this day you must offer a financial sacrifice to St Valentine Si Valentine knew about sacrifice For horrendous crime of being a Christian he or they depending on your source was beheaded on February in an unspecified year in the third century AT of course not BC or he wouldnt have been a Christian martyr right So far it doesnt sound very loving does it For a long time a Roman feast called had been celebrated on February At the which was a pagan feast toys and girls drew lots to pair off in courtship for the following year Whats the connection you may well ask Those early Christian administrators really knew human nature They were faced with all those converts to Christianity wanting to be good but just itching to draw lots and pair off for a year with if they were lucky a prize specimen of the opposite sex Being wise men the church leaders of the day knew they could push the populace just so far What better way to keep the converts happy and converted than to allow them their heathen feast but change its name Ive got it cried the Bishop Lets call it St Valentines Day since poor old Vai lost his head over the whole thing Caesar exclaimed the Cardinal Why not After all we managed to turn the heathen Saturnalia into Christmas After a while the people will forget the word ever existed Youd forgotten already hadnt you Sec right he was What shall we use as a symbol Cardinal enquired a layabout Why a heart of course where emotions of the people are stored replied that ancient worthy Thats your history lesson for today folks Its lucky for us ancients didnt know what the heart really looks like Yccchli I hope you have a romantic spouse or whatever One who will propel his her chariot to the Mall to pick up the appropriate token to convey her his affection Diamonds make nice tokens so do mink coats especially winter I might feed kids early then dazzle my husband with a meal romantically consumed from a candlelit table I might but I wont I can hardly boil water I can decorate cakes now though Maybe a nice heartshaped cake My husband might bring me flowers but he probably wont Once on a hot summer day lie brought me a wilted rose Another lime k presented me with a bunch of handpicked dandelions But theres no doubt Valentines Day means love Upper Canada Mall loves it Newmarket Plaza loves it Variety loves it Florists adore it and CouttsHallmark is ecstatic Small children love it because their teacher gives them a parly and they play games Shy teens love it can unburden their hearts anonymously to one they believe beyond their reach Go ahead it up Remember A by any other name is still a day for lovers Reorganize house league hockey I feel that the goals of minor hockey to provide an enjoyable game for youngsters playb to foster co operation and team spirit involvement and to result in young people feeling good about themselves and their ability is my per ception that these aims are not met in play due to the following cir cumstances players are frustrated because the ability of some team mates is so low that no matter how well they personally play their efforts are met with discontent the poorer players are put under tremendous pressure and have no chance of self satisfac tion In fact the in feriority fostered by imbalance outwcighls the benefits of the sporl the quality of referceing seems to be considerably below standard required by den winds of the game In turn the young referee takes a considerable amount of abuse for his mistakes which frequently and unfairly decide the outcome of the game This does nothing for his ego and only adds to the feeling of futility of the players the T Team tournament fosters frustration since Ihe players of socalled lop team get a eon- sidrabtc amount of extra ice time a commodity that is scarce in Newmarket and greatly cherished by all serious players My suggestions on above points follow separate players into A category and II category teams within the so that players of equal calibre can compete with each other The extra ad ministrative work in reorganization would not large however the advantages con- referceing clinics and a greater degree of off ice communication between the referees the league and the players would lend to assist this situation abolish the T Team concept completely or preferably compose a learn of the top players One final point relates to coaches These gentlemen spend their own lime and often money to upgrade and encourage their players however receive very little support from the league Last year I repeatedly approached the league administration regarding coaching clinics and was informed that we arc working on it Ultimately we were handed an elementary instruction booklet which I did not consider adequate am aware of the time and dedication required in the orgaization and running of a hockey league and offer the foregoing comments as an in terested parent and not as a critisism of the abilities and efforts of those involved In fact I feel thai many parents owe thanks to the in dividuals that give so freely of their time for the enjoyment and welfare of our youngsters a Newmarket Need landuse policy Scott year wrote to your paper in reply to both Mr Hodgson our local and the President of The York Heal Estate Board The issue then was development and loss of prime farmland Nothing has been done by the present government resolve this issue Recently the Urban Development Institute released a selfserving study which concludes not surprisingly that people have nothing to worry about and there should be no obstacles placed in the way of development on prime acreage Buried in report though is Ihe finding from a more or less scientific calculation that from to the amount of land being actively farmed declined at the rate of 28 acres per tour When the maintained during the agricultural debates over the past two years that people should be con cerned over farmland loss of acres per hour the full weight of governments derision was brought bear on figure Now the developers tell us it is actually 28 acres per hour The NOP maintains that farmland must be protected This would not he done by freezing every acre of agricultural land forever However farm land should he protected unless development can justify itself instead of the other way around It is time this province had a sound sensible landuse policy in conjunction with a farm income insurance plan This is an Issue thai affects every resident of this province When is Ihe government going to act IAN SCOTT NOP candidate York North For more letters please turn to page 5 news However outrageous slory is its usually some ridiculous that is supposed to have happened in Britain Im convinced that Her Majestys government employs an agency to send ridiculous stories to newspapers here in the new land it usually pales beside the nightly adventures of Mary and Tom and and Merle on Mary Mary However have wandered far off course What is be done about the fires of Buffalo Is it just my imagination Im sure our own newscasts dont feature half as many fires as does Buffalo Is it just that each TV station down there has a permanent fulltime newsman and camera assigned to each and every fire department in Buffalo and all those Wnnnas in the area Do they just put a heavier emphasis on fires I hope thats the case else that city will cease to be a haven for young Canadians who are under the legal drinking age here in Ontario All the bars we young Canucks use hit on those weekends the ones closest border why drive any further than you have to must have burned to the ground by now Or they will shortly and we will see them smoking away in a future edition of Eyewitness If fires dont get Buffalo then liquor store holdups will Here in Canada liquor store holdups arc not really a problem Ours are of course government stores widely spaced and I cant recall ever hearing of someone robbing one of them In Buffalo liquor store holdups rank right up there with fires In fact Im beginning to har bour a suspicion that there is a gang of Mings who start fires and rob liquor stores Then they run home and turn on the TV to watch results of their work Last weekend there was a newspaper story j which hinted that the United States should just leave Buffalo buried under all that snow Just let everyone move away and dont bother moving anyone else in It would only take looters a short time to finish the job they began during the snow storm Reports say the looters would leave only a grease slain in the snow where once a car had stood Now that is looting Unsafe streets muggings also contribute Buffalos woes Is Toronto becoming like Windsor Are the people of Metro Toronto beginning to look askance down the long length of Queen Elizabeth Highway Buffalo the way Wind sorites view Detroit across the river The weekend news story which was carried in a Toronto paper didnt list any of the benefits of living in Buffalo or fact that recent city administrations have launched heavy public relations campaigns to boost the city Boost Buffalo is the name of the campaign and the storm and the looting while not helping will not slow down the campaign recent kicks in the Buffalo pants were believe it or not from the sports world The Buffalo basketball team had to deal off their big scoring gun because they couldnt af ford his salary OJ Simpson left the football J Bills Although he did come back the Bills had a terrible season and the Boost Buffalo people sagged Buffalo is a troubled city and the storm only added a momentous insult to a long standing I injury Whether the storm becomes the straw that broke the camels back is debatable Most large cities certainly in America are 5 in trouble Finances corrupt administration overwhelming debt arc just some of the ills I Surely Buffalo can pull itself out of the storm and get on with the job of putting out the fires stopping liquor store holdups telling funny stories on the late news and backing a winning football team Surely a snow storm isnt going to be the end of city Canada is supposed to be land snow and ice How can this happen to an American city Besides if Buffalo goes down the drain where will we go to get those American TV shows I watch a lot of TV shows Mrs Ida Lepnrd watches American shows too Hang in there Buffalo r