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durhamregion.com This Week | Thursday, June 2, 2022 | | 6 ABOUT US This newspaper, published every Thursday, is a division of the Metroland Media Group Ltd., a whollyowned subsidiary of Torstar Corporation. The Metroland family of newspapers is comprised of more than 70 community publications across Ontario. This newspaper is a member of the National NewsMedia Council. Complainants are urged to bring their concerns to the attention of the newspaper and, if not satisfied, write The National NewsMedia Council, Suite 200, 890 Yonge St., Toronto, ON M4W 2H2. Phone: 416-340-1981 Web: www.mediacouncil.ca newsroom@durhamregion.com facebook.com/newsdurham @newsdurham WHO WE ARE Vice President Dana Robbins Regional General Manager Anne Beswick Director of Content Lee Ann Waterman Managing Editor Mike Lacey Director of Advertising Tanya Pacheco Director Distribution Jason Christie Director Creative Services Katherine Porcheron Durham Advisory Council Dan Carter; Esther Enyolu; Jake Farr; Dr. Vidal Chavannes; Cynthia Davis; Elaine Popp/Don Lovisa; John Henry; Sue McGovern; Kerri King; Steve Yamada; Kelly LaRocca; Peter Bethlenfalvy; Dr. Steven Murphy; Norah Marsh; Tracy Paterson; Chris Darling; Christina Curry CONTACT US This Week Phone: 905- 579-4407 Newsroom: 905-215-0462 Sales: 905-215-0424 Classifieds: 1-800-263-6480 Fax: 905-579-2238 Web: www.durhamregion.com Letters to the editor All letters must be fewer than 320 words and include your name and telephone number for verification purposes. We reserve the right to edit, condense or reject letters. Published letters will appear in print and/or online at durhamregion.com Delivery For all delivery inquiries, call 905- 579-4407 or visit the Contact Us page on durhamregion.com. OPINION TO LEARN HOW TO SUBMIT YOUR OWN CONTENT VISIT DURHAMREGION.COM Overlooked and undervalued, the common Manitoba maple. I confess to being prejudiced about maple trees, placing straight, sturdy sugar maples at the top of my hierarchy due to their sweet sap and gorgeous fall hues, with red maples a close second. Silver maples are at least tall and fast growing, a stately presence in the urban forest. But Manitoba maples? Way down on the list. Some people call them "weed trees" given how prolific they are, sprouting everywhere and reaching out for light. Though that's exactly what we need to combat climate change. The best swing in the neighbourhood when I was a kid hung from a huge spreading Manitoba maple, out on the prairies where "box-elders" were often the biggest trees around except for oaks. But I hadn't spent any close time with one until an elderly neighbour near my husband's family farm in Haliburton County asked him to take it down for her. Manitoba maples aren't particularly long-lived, another strike against them from someone who venerates old trees. Half hollow and losing branches, this one was threatening to fall across the driveway in the next big wind. Which was why I got to spend a whole weekend getting to know, appreciate and even wonder at this "lowly" Manitoba maple as I helped split and pile its wood for our next year's winter heat. It was a great but tiring exercise, rolling the fat, heavy rounds Dennis cut with his chainsaw over to our hydraulic splitter. Twisted and fibrous, the blocks didn't split straight or easily, so were lots harder to work with than fallen sugar bush trees I'm used to. But did you know that injured limbs of Manitoba maples stain red, leaving beautiful streaks in sticks and logs? I had no idea, and marvelled at each work of art revealed, wondering all the while if the pink patches on a rosy maple moth might somehow derive from those same chemicals, given that maples are their host plant. The hollow in the trunk had housed a red squirrel's nest, and punky debris around it held fibrous cocoons of June bug larvae, six plump white grubs in all. But the most surprising revelation came that evening after supper as, aching and exhausted, we sat reading in the farmhouse kitchen. "Caloptilia!" I exclaimed when a tiny slim moth fluttered up -- from my work clothes? -- and landed on my page. It sat co-operatively as both of us got a good look at it, noting enough detail to identify it the next day, moth book in hand, as a box-elder leafroller -- first record for Haliburton County. Nature queries: mcarney1490@gmail.com or 905-725-2116. Metroland columnist Margaret Carney finds so much to discover and marvel at exploring the great outdoors. PRIZING THE MANITOBA MAPLE LETTER WRITERS SICK OF GROCERY BAGS Walmart needs to find a better way to deliver groceries; no more bags. Instead, we're charged $1.48 for four reusable bags. Reusable when? We are elderly, seldom go out, already have many bags. COVID, no driver's licences, one in a wheelchair, totally reliant on food deliveries. We are forced to pay $0.37 per bag for unwanted and redundant delivery bags. Within a few months we will have no room left in our apartment, as well as being broke. There needs to be another way. JOHN AND BARB HULLEY OSHAWA SPEED CAMERAS 'A LAZY WAY OF PICKING POCKETS' Having read the letter from Dave Briggs in support of speed cameras, I would like to counter. Speed cameras do not prevent speeding; their sole purpose is revenue enhancement -- which is why speed limits on many major arteries in Durham have been reduced by 10 km/h. These arteries are engineered for and can eas- ily support a 60-plus km/h speed limit -- if it is rigidly enforced by live police officers. To a speed camera, the only difference between 60 in a 50 and 100 in a 50 is the size of the fine that is levied against the vehicle. And the fines can begin by going 51 in a 50. There is no incentive for a speeder to slow down, firstly, because the speeder will not have to pay the fine at all unless (s)he is the vehicle owner, and secondly, because the speeder's licence remains unblemished by infraction points. Most importantly, speed cameras do not catch or deter any of the following offences: -- impaired driving -- careless/inattentive driving -- racing (50-plus km/h over the limit) -- red light/stop sign runners -- suspended/restricted licences -- vehicles with no insurance -- stolen vehicles -- vehicles with expired licence plates Live police officers would catch all of these, and the drivers would face severe consequences, legal and financial. Speed cameras are just a lazy way of picking vehicle owners' pockets, even if they are not the ones who committed the offence. MARVIN SANDOMIRSKY OSHAWA SIGN UP FOR OUR WEEKLY NEWSLETTER AT DURHAMREGION.COM LETTERS & COMMENTARY MARGARET CARNEY Column