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6 stouffviue suntribune thursday june 122003 publisher ian proudfoot telephone 9056402612 fax 905h6408778 email jmasonyrngcom website wwwyorkregioncom editorial richmond hill officials should be ashamed richmond hill residents continue to enjoy a luxury no other homeowners in vbrk region have and it stinks it seems the towns antiquated trash limit of 10 bags ech week per household which in itself is ridiculous consider ing the problems york is facing trying to dispose of 140000 tonnes of garbage each year was scaled back to five bags this week at first council wanted to drop the limit to three bags and add a 2 tag fee for each additional bag but this week councillors changed their stand arid voted for a fivebag limit with no user fees to mostyork region residents taking five bags of trash to the curb every week would seem almost criminal especially since the regions disposal bill is expected to double to nearly13 million this year in fact trash collection represents the biggest increase in spending in the regions budget its puzzling why councillors in one of yorks largest most populated and pro gressive communities felt the need to ignore or deflate efforts to reduce trash york region chief administrative offi cer michael garrett should step up his proposal to charge everyone for every bag of trash placed at the curb look no further than geoiginas suc cess at achieving a nearly 50percent diversion rate with its nowdefunct buck- abag program with brk regions population grow ing at about 6000 houses a year and with more than 812000 people york could bring in more than 12 million a year with a regipriwide userpay trash plan councillor brerida hogg the sole politician in richmond hill to stick to her guns and vote for a threebag lirnit said its the residents who are calling for a trash reduction the public wants this done the pub- lie is leading us on this its the right time and you dont need an auction on this shesaid her fellow councillors however said going below five bags could lead to illegal dumping the city of vaughan is another com munity that should be ashamed for not enforcing a bag limit on trash does the word dump ring a bell both communities or more accurate ly their leaders should be ashamed letters to the editor stoufrvijle secondary students deserve better school facilities i recently met with york region district school board chairperson bill crothers regard ing the deplorable conditions of our only high school stouffviue district secondary school he informed me of the enormous budget arid capital upgrade pressures facing him and his fellow trustees focusing on the growth demands facing the school board at the end of the meeting i supplied him with pictures showing the unacceptable condi tions he seemed very taken aback by these pic tures and said he would meet with the principal and find out why some of jhese repairs arent being done that was the last i heard i cant believe the york region school board has plans for a 30million elite sport school in markham in the meantime our children are supposed to face antiquated class conditions on a daily basis at sdss j when it conies to our childrens education the status quo is no longer an option there is basically nothing wrong with elite sport schools being built but there is something wrong when children in ontario are provided with a lower standard of educational facilities than in surrounding areas chairperson crothers and his fellow trustees are treating our children as secondclass citizens we as taxpayers in whitchurchstouffville whose children have not been afforded the elite facilities as other schools demand the york the stouffvilie suntribune welcomes your letters all submissions must be less than 400 words and must include a daytime telephone number name and addressthe stouffviue suntribune reserves the right to publish or not publish and to edit for clarity and space writeletterstomeedftor34avicavfc l4a7z5email jmasonymgcom board improve our school to the standards of other areas in york region for 2003 i feel it is time our school council stands up for what is righdyours desk chairs lockers computer labs running track repairs and sports equipment should be the- boards first priority at sdss we are tired of being ignored while other areas receive all the upgrades it is time our school officials became accountable to the hardworking taxpayers of whitchurch- stouffville we need a higher standard of facili ties for a better education in stouffvilie we are not prepared to accept a bandaid solution we want full major improvements to our school i ask parents to stand up and tellmr crothers and director bill hogarth we are tired of all the elite special and upgraded schools going to the south of us it is time to have a voice or it will be your children in elemeritary school now who will be welcomed in the same antiquated facility five to 10 years from now councillor sue sherban ward 6 whitchurchstouffville stouffvilie wmmm f suntribune f stouffvilie j un- a metroland community newspaper 34avicave phone 9056402612 fax 9056408778 aafied18007433353oismbution9052948244 website wwwyorkregloncom ernailjrnasoryrngcom member ontano community newspapers association gnatfan community newspapers association ontario press council editor in chief business manager electronic communications debora kelly robert lazurko manager editor director of marketing johnfuthey jim mason new product development classified manager brenda larson ann campbell reporters joan ransberry hannelore volpe advertising director retail sales flyers distribution manager barry black retail sales manager nicole fletcher general manager stevekane advertising director classified york region printing sales representative susanberry real estate events management gord paolucd bob dean managing director managing director real estate york region events management production manager mikerogerson debraweiler pamnichob sales manager new business shows manager office manager development distribution stacey allen viyianffneil dawnaandrews off the top with jim mason breaking news not all hospital care covered by ernie eves the zenith of my athletic career was being invited to try out for the varsity basketball team at university my glory days as bruce springsteen called them would be measured in min utes a rippedup ankle during the first scrimmage sent me to theer the hospital sent me horrie with a cast crutches and some fine mind- numbing pharmaceuticals all at no direct cost to me and the plaster attached to my leg became a great way to meet women but thats another column zoom forward back to the future style to the next generation of masons our nineyearold daughter jennifer pulled a similar sports feat while high- jumping during the victoria day week end after clearing the bar she missed the landing pad her foot hit the grass and snapped like a stale pretzel down the ninth line to markham stouffviue hospital an institution i know and love we go twenty five years after taking that first visit to the cast room more than the masks worn by the friendlyer staffers was new would you like to pay for that how or wait until youre invoiced was the parting message pay for what youd say if you too havent used the health system lately what is this florida to read our bill mastercard style synthetic casting 80 boot for foot 22 crutches 39 ontario healthcare system price less most peoples health plan covers the cast we were told hospital oftidds say there are a vari ety of cast styles including a model completely covered by ohip but we werent offered that model and extra fees have been charged in hospitals and doctors offices for several years they say get shipped to hospital by ambu lance and it will cost you 45 youll also pay for work deemed cosmetic includ ing having a boil lanced getting that vasectomy reversed pal youll pay ernie eves for the privilege ouch twice jim mason is editor of the stouffviue sun