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published every Thursday 1 and Saturday, ‘ is a division of the. MetmIand Media Group Ltd, a wholly-owned subsidiary ofTorstar Corporation. Metroland is comprised of 100 ‘ community publications : across OntaritheYork , Region Newspaper Group * also includcsThe liberal, serving Richmond Hill and momhill, Vaughan CitizenJhe Era-Banner K (Neymarket/Aurora). 1 mm Economist Sun. Georgina Advocate.York Region I Business Times North of the City, yorkregoncom and York Region Printing. ADVERTISING 905-640â€"26 l 2 Classified: l-8M-743-3353 Fax: 905-640-8778 @fim lETTERS POLICY The Sun-Tribune webmnes your let- ters. All submisions must be less than 400 words and must include a daytime teiephone number. me and address The Sun-Tribune reserves the t to publish or not pu and to edit for clar- ityandspace. mmmm. mSm-m GROWS. WJN LMIG? CarrieMacFarlane Mike Banville mbanuilleOyrmgwm 905-640-2612 Pu: 905640-8778 brondaauOyrmgoom Bonnie Rondeah York Region Media Group mmmunity Dimmmon Dawna Andrews jmasonflymgxom DISTRIBUTION 905-640-2612 Pnonucnon me Sun-Tribune. Enmom EDI TURML The loonie is in good shape, Cana- da is weathering the recession, we've experienced reverse inflation and the job market is experiencing an uptick. So,manyofusareinahazeasto why Her Majesty’s Royal Opposition is itching for another election; the sec- ond in 12 months, the fourth in five years. Parliament closes down for five weeks; no work gets done. Still, we must let democracy take its course. Whether you believe any of the opposition parties can do a better job leading the country than Stephen Harper’s Conservatives is a matter of opinion. 350 million reasons not to have election But there is a disheartening fact the next election will cost taxpayers $350 million. To make matters worse, polling shows a very close split among voters, which could result in little difference after voting day. Another minority gov- ernment is a distinct possibility. Maybe there are politicians who think there’s a spare $350 million bum- ing a holein the federal coffers, ready to spend on TV ads and pamphlets. We’d like to ofier an alternative: seven ways money could be better spent. We’re not suggesting Ottawa should give York Region the $350 mil- lion. But we ask voters to just imagine how, in the broader sense, the pub- lic could be better served with this l. About $350 million is needed for York Region’s newest health facility in Vaughan, as well as upgrades of hospi- tals in Richmond Hill, Newmarket and Markham. money. 2. A boost to York’s transit system, making our communities more inter- connected, reducing traflic jams and gas guzzling. (It’s less than one-tenth of the cost of the TTC subway exten- sion expected to reach into Richmond Hill.) I 3. w about dividing $350 million into 3 business loans of $35,000 handed out to 1,000 businesses that have suffered through the recession? 4. Closing the funding gap for social services in York Region of $222 million. Then a spare $130 million could be used to help cover next year's shortfall. 5. Some 5,694 York Region citizens are on waiting lists for afiondable hous- ing. how about $15,000 of assistance per person for three years? 7. The millions could be put to goodnsebythelBOflOOsenlorSin York, many on fixed incomes. They’d be pleased to each receive a bonus of $2,000. We welcome your sqggestions. Eâ€"mail jmason@yrmg.com 6. Imagine a $370'rebate cheque for each resident of York Region. Editorial Watch out for school children, Stouffville drivers, cyclists School has stained for most stuâ€" dents and I want to remind drivers and cycfisttho be mindful of children now on the streets and sidewalks of StouflVille. Many are excited and may have forgotten to look before crossing a street. Also, the school buses are back in full force. Please be mindful of them and their flashing lights. All drivers and cyclist must stop when the red lights are flashing and the stop sign and arm ane out. Let’é all do our part to get these boys and girls .to and from school safely. DAVE BROOKS 3 TO UFFV I LLE Stop mud-slinging at lake for sake of environment Re: Don’t exaggerate divide at Mus- selmanis Lake, letter to the editor by Rick Wigmore, Sept. 5. Ifeel I must respond. 1 have utmost respect for the work Mr. Wigmore and the Musselman’s Lake Residents Asso- ciation have done and continue to do for our community. That does not negate the debt of gratitude I feel to Mark Carroll and The Friends of Musselman’s Lake. I do not know all the details of what has transpired over the years, but I do know that Mr. Carroll and his fam- ily have demonstrated a long-stand- ing dedication to enviromental issues and to the community of Musselman’s Lake and Whitchurch-Stoufiville in general. Mr. Carroll served as municipal councillor for our area and did a line Letters to the Editor SEW-Tribune PUBLISHER Ian Proudfoot job. He has always been willing to just get out there and get the job done and anyone who has tried to gain consen- sus with a group understands the frus- trations that are inherent. The MLRA was not active when Mark Carroll was getting issues attend- ed to. Unfortunately, anyone who stands forward risks attack, as Mr. Mgmore has also experienced. I find the suggestion that perhaps Mr. Carroll and the Friends of Mus- selman’s Lake are in it for the money objectionable. ’It isn’t hard to imagine how and why the divide was created and continues to glow. To me, it seems the issue is not the motivation of the participants, who I believe are all clearly trying to do good, but the age-old problem of personal- ity confliéts and difierent leadership styles. 7 If people can let go of the past and the nasty mudslinging, perhaps we really can be united in purpose. Just because the MLRA has more than 300 members and the Friends has 10 members (most of whom have been active in enviromental issues long before it became fashionable) doesn't mean that it's “us against them". Thank you to all concerned who working to better our environment. b What do you think of these issues or others? E-mail letters to the editor to jmason@ynng.com 6290 Main St. Stouflvile. GM. MA 167 wwwwmregonoom HAVE YOUR SAY SAMEEARGEW?‘ LESLEY O’CONNOR MUSSEI.MAN‘S LA KE Ennon IN Cum Debora Kelly Busmnss MANAGER Robert Lazurko Be prepared. The Stouffville Arena ain't what she used to be when you left her last spring. Heading to the Stouffville Spirâ€" it's season opener tonight, to a minor hockey game or to take the kids skating? Thanks to anti-recession stimulus money from the prov- ince and the feds. $1.1 million in improvements are being done to both ice pads and the common areas at the Ninth Line complex. It's a bit like watching While You Were Out: The Arena Make- over Edition. The interlocking brick at the entrances was replaced and plant- ers added to the landscape. On Pad B, the spectator area outside the dressing rooms has been enclosed and heated. New lights hit you like a stiff hipcheck. The boards and glass system is all new, including glass surrounding the penalty box for the first time. It all adds up to a marked improvement. The most striking changes are in Pad A, the big daddy of local rinks, built in the mid-19805. Also on the main pad, largâ€" er second-floor windows and an energy-efficient ceiling are planned. The washrooms will be gutted, lobby floors replaced and parking lot repaved. ~ Seats may go in over the bleachers, reducing capacity but making the main pad even more fanâ€"friendly. We can applaud that, council. (Although. Mayor Wayne limmerson was still waiting for those stimulus dollars from the upper levels of government last week. Apparently, those oversized cheques trotted out at photo opps last spring aren't cashahle. He has been reassured the money is in the mail.) lim Mason is editor of The Sun Tribune. Town scores big with arena fix-up while we were out with Jim Mason Off The Top Dumcmn, ADVERTISING, DISTRIBUTION Nicole Fletcher museum, OPERATIONS Barry Black