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8 - Orono Weekly Times Wednesday, February 16, 2005 Basic Black by Arthur Black Dropping out of the rut race Picture this: you're hustling hustling through the downtown core on your way to the office and already running behind. You wheel around a corner, cell phone in one hand, Starbucks in the other and behold... ..an army of rodents coming coming at you. Except they're huge, these rodents. And walking on their hind legs. You can see they're humans wearing rat masks and carrying attaché cases, and they've each got a long rat tail poking out of the nether reaches reaches of their business suits. As they scuttle along they engage in various raffish activities - zigzagging through mazes... chasing after cheese wedges... jumping through hoops. It's a theatrical enactment of the Rat Race too many of us mistake for a viable way of life. This particular bit of street theatre coursed through the streets of downtown Vancouver last fail. It may soon be coming to an urban rat maze near you. The 'rat race' is a brainwave brainwave from a brand new Canadian political... well, 'force' might be a little strong - a political 'faction' calling itself The Work Less Party. The party's mission: to get Canadians off the insane work-til-you-drop-spend-til- you're-broke treadmill that's driving us all mental. Is this a serious political Main Street, Orono Proprietors: Gary, Carol & Cory Vreeker • Weddmg Cakes • Cakes for a\\ Occasions • Pastries - Donuts - Pies • Bread & Buns 905-983-9779 Closed Sunday and Monday Leading the Way CORPORATION OF THE MUNICIPALITY OF Ci-ARINGTON PUBLIC NOTICE www.municipality.clarington.on.ca 2005 INTERIM TAX BILLS for All Classes (Residential Farm, Commercial, etc) have now been mailed DUE DATES: FIRST INSTALLMENT: THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 24,2005 SECOND INSTALLMENT: THURSDAY, APRIL 21, 2005 METHODS OF PAYMENTS ACCEPTED From the Convenience of Your Own Home: Internet & telephone telephone banking payments are accepted at most Financial Institutions. We are listed as "Clarington Tax" and your 15 digit Roll Number beginning and ending with zero is required for setup. Banks: Tax payments accepted at most Financial Institutions - a banking fee may apply. By Mail: Please send your cheque to the Municipality of Clarington (address above). Postdated cheques ARE accepted. accepted. For your convenience there is a drop box on the north side of the building. In Person: You may pay your taxes at the Municipal Administrative Centre. We do accept interac/debit payments. Please present your entire tax bill for receipt. Pre-Authorized Payment Plan: The Municipality of Clarington allows realty tax payers the opportunity to pay their taxes on a monthly basis free of administration fees. Pre-authorized payments are deducted from the tax payer's account on the 1st day of each month. Some terms and conditions do apply. 2004 COMMERICAL and INDUSTRIAL BUILDINGS VACANCY REBATE: Applications are now available. To be eligible completed forms and supporting documentation must be filed at our office by February 28, 2005 for the tax year 2004. For applications or further information please contact our office. Tax Department (905) 623-3379 movement? Could be. The Work Less Party claims to have 300 signed-up members and it's already officially registered registered with Elections B.C. for next year's west coast provincial provincial show of hands. Mind you, it's hardly a conventional movement. The Work Less Party is deliberately deliberately leaderless and marches (okay, strolls) to a less than galvanizing slogan: WORKERS WORKERS OF THE WORLD RELAX, Call me perverse, but I like it. And so, I would imagine, would Matt Watkins. Mister Watkins is--or was--a 25- year old professional jewelry maker earning a decent living in Halifax last year whén he suddenly looked around at the orders piled up on one side of his desk and the bills piled up on the other and came to the epiphanic conclusion: This is stupid. He flipped off his jeweler's loupe, locked the office door, closed his bank account, gave away all his money, his computer, computer, all his home furnishings and most of everything else he owned. Then he embarked on what he called A Year of Buying Nothing. How's he doing? Well, he's six months into his mission ; 3Ü and he hasn't starved or gone to jail yet. : Right now he's house-sitting a rural home near Halifax for a friend who's gone south Tor the winter. He's also eating for free and very well - partly through the generosity of friends, but mostly on victuals salvaged from dumpsters outside grocery grocery stores. "Inside each of those dumpsters is, like, a huge salad," says Watkins. "The stores dump tons of food each week." There's nothing wrong with most of that food, maintains maintains Watkins. It's merely past it's excessively cautious expiry date. Dumpster diving is not a lifestyle most of us would have the nerve to emulate, emulate, but Watkins has found other ways to stay off the consumer consumer treadmill. He's happy to chop wood to pay for his supper. He'll shovel a driveway driveway in return for a place to bunk for the night. Watkins is following a compass heading directly the opposite of the rest of society. Most of us spend our waking hours chasing a buck. Watkins is strolling determinedly determinedly in the opposite direction. direction. "Money pervades every part of our lifestyle," he says. "We think of our time as money. And we only value people according to how much they contribute to the economy. economy. What I'm trying to do is have meaningful exchanges with people that are mutually beneficial and are not based simply on monetary value." Revolutionary words for these times. Though I'm sure Thoreau would nod in agreement. agreement. Not to mention a few other historical chaps answering answering to names as various as Buddha, Mohammed and J. Christ. Something to think about. I also think I'll hold back ten bucks from my VISA payment this month. That way, if I run into Matt Watkins I can buy him lunch. . ...a** MORRIS FUNERAL CHAPEL LTD. SERVING DURHAM REGION SINCE 1841 ALL FUNERAL SERVICES PREARRANGED AND/OR PREPAID BURIAL - CREMATION - TRANSFERS "WHERE PROFESSIONAL ETIQUETTE IS IMPORTANT' FUNERAL DIRECTORS PAUL R. MORRIS DOUG R. RUTHERFORD GARY M. CONWAY DEBRA D. CAMPION 905-623-5480 j DIVISION ST.. BOWMÀNVILLE ■ AT QUEEN 8T. Put safety first Snowmobilers urged to stay on trail WHITBY, ON, February 4, 2005 - Durham Region Health Department and the Snow Safety in Durham Region Coalition are reminding snowmobilers snowmobilers to stay safe this winter winter by riding on maintained v trails designated by the Ontario Federation of Snowmobile Clubs. "Snowmobiling is a popular popular winter recreational activity for Durham Region residents and it can be enjoyed safely if proper precautions are taken," said Sheri Devereaux, a public health nurse with the Health Department. "To maximize the level of safety while snowmobiling, snowmobiling, riders should stay on marked trails, ride at a safe speed and avoid drinking alcohol alcohol before and during their outing." Research shows that 80 per cent of snowmobile injuries occur off the trail where terrain is not groomed and may be the source of hazards hazards such as large rocks or narrow passageways. The lack of proper signage warning warning of impending dangers such as road crossings and sharp turns can further add to dangerous conditions. A KLyear Canadian study of snowmobile related * injuries showed that 31 per cent of collisions happened on roads, 54 per cent occurred due to excessive speeding and 86 per cent took place at night. The study also noted that 70 per cent of reported injuries involved the use of alcohol. "Snowmobiling requires constant caution and attention. By adding alcohol to the mix, you slow reaction time which may result in the loss of control control of your machine and increase your chance of injury or death," explained Ms. Devereaux. So far this year, Ontario Provincial Police have reported 11 snowmobile- related fatalities in Ontario. In 2004, 27 snowmobile- related fatalities were reported reported provincially, while Durham Region reported 17 snowmobile-related hospitalizations hospitalizations in 2003. The Health Department encourages riders to follow the Ontario Low-risk Drinking Guidelines which recommends that you avoid drinking alcohol while operating operating any heavy machinery. For more information about snowmobile safety, please call Durham Region Health Department at 905- 723-8521 or 1-800-841-2729, ext, 2545 or visit our website at: www.region.durham.on.ca.