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2 Friday, March 29, 2019brooklintowncrier.com "Proud to be a Brooklinite" Founded in 2000 and published 24 times per year. Editor, Richard Bercuson 613-769-8629 • editorofbtc@gmail.com The Brooklin Town Crier is locally owned and operated and is a publication of Appletree Graphic Design Inc. We accept advertising in good faith but do not endorse advertisers nor advertisements. All editorial submissions are subject to editing. For advertising information, contact: 905.655.7642 Email: brooklintowncrier@gmail.com Next Issue: Friday, April 12, 2019 Deadline: Friday, April 5, 2019 The collectors Our Brooklin Kids By Leanne Brown Kids are natural collectors. My daughter was an enthusiastic collector of rocks as a toddler. Before doing laundry, I would have to empty pockets of stones. It starts when, as toddlers, with picking up interesting leaves and rocks then expands into "special" toys as they get older. Kids will naturally gravitate towards their interests and passions. Hockey players will collect hockey cards or NHL mementos. If they're gamers, maybe it'll be Pokemon cards. But whatever it is, collections are great learning tools for kids. Sorting and categorizing and then learning statistics provide good math skills for kids to acquire. Collections also allow kids to have control over something that's all their own. The only issue is how to help them keep control of their "special" items. For the card collectors Do you have a card collector? Binders with vinyl inserts are definitely the way to go and are available at most dollar stores. Also available are zipper bags for keeping the duplicates that your child likes to trade. They're perfect for transporting the cards, keeping them clean and preventing them from getting lost. Extra special cards they want to display can be put in plastic cases. Shopkins, Hatchimals, Grossery gang figures are tiny and easy to store. A simple plastic tub with a lid may be all you need. But for kids who like to sort the common ones from the rare ones, you need something with compartments. Plastic tool boxes and small plastic cabinets (the kind used for storing nails) are ideal as they keep all the tiny figures in one place and are easily carried since most have handles. Stuffies need a home What about the stuffed animal collection? Little girls love their stuffies and it's hard to get them to let go. The Beanie Boo collection that seems to multiply like bunnies every time you enter her room can be controlled easily and perform double duty. Bean bag chair covers are inexpensive and don't have to be filled with beads. Instead, stuff it with stuffies. These bags hold a lot and provide great kid-friendly seating in a bedroom or games room. The stuffies are out of sight but easily accessible. And when it's clean up time, even the youngest child can fill up the bean bag. Awards, trophies and medals can start to take over a dresser. So why not move them to the wall? Wall shelves and hooks are perfect for hanging medals and displaying their victories. They keep them safe and provides the recognition they deserve. At some point, they may wish to part with or sell their collection. If it's been well stored, you'll get more money for it on resale. In the meantime, you'll save your feet and sanity when the collection is off the floor. Less than half the picture: By Richard Bercuson What a load of crap The fellow's dog sniffed, as dogs do, for just that right spot. Satisfied with the location, it hunkered down and dropped what seemed like a fair load. It was a medium sized pooch which took about 10 seconds to finish its business. So my conclusion is likely accurate; we dog owners know such things. I was about 30 metres away with my own leashed beast. Meanwhile, the owner watched. And watched some more. Which is when I called out, "Do you need a bag?" because he hadn't made a move to pick up. He'd have likely walked away if not for my bearing witness. "What, are you the dog police now?" he shouted back, reaching into a pocket and withdrawing a bag. He sidled over to the spot and scooped. "Nope. Just hoping you'd do what you did. This is a public park after all." Here, in the middle of the Spring Fair grounds, he chose to grouse about his not needing the likes of me to tell him what to do, unless I really was the dog police. The exchange would have ended there except that some minutes later, we wound up on the same path near the skate park. His dog dumped again, this time in the weeds by the footbridge. "Should I pick that up, too?" he snapped. That's where he launched into a mini lecture about dog poop being bio-degradable and good for the grass and did I ever study biology (I did, wasn't good at it, and wasn't going to admit it). Unable to resist a counter, I offered it was still a public place where people walk and kids play. Then, a few days ago, on the same grounds but too far away to toss advice, a man watched his little white doggie drop its load where minor baseball kids do their warm-ups. He saw me see him but turned and strolled away, his pooch happily following. And so it goes in the world of dog owners who are either too lazy or too dimly irresponsible to simply pick up. Now in both of these instances, and others I've seen, I suppose I could have done what Animal Control says I could do: find out where the person lives, call them, and allow them to pay a visit and issue the requisite $200 fine. They say - and yes, they've caught plenty and issued many a fine - you have to see the act, or non-act. I'm not interested in being Citizen (pardon the pun) Watchdog. Instead, I hope, perhaps naively, that stares and offers of free doggie bags might shame people into doing the right thing. Meanwhile, during Pitch-In Brooklin on April 27, I may just show up with a large garbage bag, gloves and a shovel. If you like your parks clean, I recommend doing the same because some dog owners are just full of it. Whitby: A Definitive No To Amalgamation Whitby Town Council unanimously adopted a resolution at its March 4 meeting to confirm the Town's continued support for the existing two-tier structure of municipal government in Durham Region. Council also confirmed that residents identify and engage most with their local municipality and that strong connection must be preserved. "We know that people value and have a strong emotional connection with their local level of government," said Mayor Don Mitchell. "Our top priority is to maintain this connection and continuing to deliver effective, efficient and responsive services to our residents and our community." In January, the province had announced its intention to undertake a review of regional government. The commencement of this review involved the special advisors meeting with the Head of Council from each of the 82 implicated lower-and upper-tier municipalities for individual interviews, including Whitby. As a result, on February 25, Whitby Mayor Don Mitchell and Chief Administrative Officer Matt Gaskell met with the Province of Ontario's special advisors to the Regional Government Review process. During this meeting, the Town identified the need to clearly define the roles and responsibilities for upper- and lower-tier municipalities, including the size of regional government, in order to strengthen governance and improve service delivery for residents and the local community. The Town welcomed the opportunity to participate in the meeting and share its position on the review, including voicing its strong opposition to any consideration of the amalgamation of the upper and lower tier municipalities in Durham Region. Until Tuesday, April 23, residents and businesses can have their say on the Regional Government Review by visiting ontario.ca/page/consultation-regional-government-review. Comments are also being accepted by email at regionalgovreview@ontario.ca or by mail at Local Government Policy Branch, Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing, 777 Bay Street, 13th floor, Toronto, Ontario, M5G 2E5. Town Giving Durham College $1 million For Whitby Campus Over the next five years, the Town of Whitby will be providing $1 million in funding to Durham College to support the expansion of its Whitby campus. The expansion project being undertaken by Durham College will see the construction of a new 60,000 sq. ft. centre that will double the college's industrial skilled trades training capacity. The entire expansion is estimated to cost $35 million. Through Durham College's efforts, the funds provided by the Town will help contribute to the creation of more local jobs in Whitby - both on-campus and in the industrial skilled trades - a 2018 to 2022 Council Goal. The funding will also help continue to build Whitby and Durham College as centres of innovation. Brooklin Town Crier Seeks Part Time Advertising Sales Representative - Earn extra money! - Set your own schedule! - Work independently from home! - Get to know your community! If interested, please email: brooklintowncrier@gmail.com