P\GE 1lo. WHirBY FREE PRESS. WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 1988 News? Cail Veronica Colang elo. 'Phone 655-8945 There's a lot of noise belng made in Ashburn these dIays mail boxes in general delivery. That amounts to, at-best, about Canada Post's proposed changes to the postal ser- $101.15. It's. clear from this th4et the post office sales'alone vices inIithis small hamiet. Currently, about 130 residents .won'tgenerateadëcentliviiigfor.theAllans.. pick Up their mail from the post office wlilch is located in Obviously, If the retail postal outiet is not profitable for the, Ashburn General Store. When new owners Barb and jY 1 E .. Canada Post they wlll pull out. Canada ýPost la not, Pauliantokove thé ost ffic, tMy entredlinto con emotional about Ashburn (or anywhere else for that mat- tract to run a retail postal outlet. Canada Post plans toi- bv Veronica Colangeto ter). We'll end Up with boxes either wi ', only'it wlll be staîl locked boxes inside the store, which means that . colder getting the mail outide tbanit islinside. residents would simply unlock the box and take their mail It is gefferally felt by most residents you talk to, that the' without ever having to communicate with the Allans. So survivà l of the store Is dependent on the post- office- what>youayoperations. This may or may not be true. One thlng la for hayouay General Store is a meeting place for those -1 sure though, the survival of the Ashburn General Store is h ie i lshbu cmnty ne utd't go O o a Value dependentoni ncome, from whatever source that mlght be. wn ho ieai l This ls-knit communlty. Oneiit sno a Canada Post will- not re-institute the position of post- developed and nutured over a cup of coffee or the pleasan- master and the salar that went with it. It follows then, that the Allan's income may well depend more on goodas old I tries of the day are shared with neighbors and fri *ends. owners helps to develop a rapport that is conducive to in- the store, than on postal services. If you're new.in town, this is where you're made to feel creased sales, bothIn terms of postalItems and other goods it seems to me that if we want to make sure our general welcome, this is where new andinformation is exchanged.' and services. When and if the locked boxes materialize, the store survives, we had better support lt by spending money, The storeis vital to the heartbeat of this town. Allans will be paid $2.25 per box per month, as welas smail in there on more than just stamps. A conscious effort to Wîthout the post office as it operates toclay, is it possible 'commissions- on the sale of stamps and related Dostal ser- patronize our own convenience store rather than those out- that the store will be able to survive? The -fact that people vices. As it stands now they are pqid 85 cents per box per. side our neighborhood, might in the long runi, be the only have.to ask for their mail and communicate with the store month. At any one tlme there are botween 120Oand 140 active answer. Two,.meetingsognzd to discuss postalI service, A meeting between Ashburn, residents and Canada Post bas been set up for Wednesday, March 2 at the Ashburn Centennial Community Centre, startingat 7p.m. When the Ashburn General Store changed hands Dec. 2, Canada Post eliminated the position of post- master wrhich previous owner Moyra Griffen held. Since then new owners Paul and wilno longer bepossible. meeting for residents is planned for Barbara Allan have entered into an There is also concern that there Thursday, Feb. 25, at 7 p.m. at Bur- agreement with Canada Post to run will be a charge for locked boxes. nsPresbyterianChurch. a retail postal outiet. Service has Residents say that there has been a - Organizer Steven Usher says that remained more or Iess the same for general reluctance by Canada Post attendanceby community leaders is the residents in Ashburn. However, to-provide details through their expected at both meetings. He says' Canada Post intends to instaîl representatives and want to find out that it is hoped that as, many locked boxes which means that the. the facts. over-the-couiter mail pick-up that Prior to the March 2 meeting, a n general delivery residents enjoy information and orga'nizational u.um., aAu residents as possible w"ill turn out for themeetings. He feels it is important to show the Allans support and ,to voice the community's concerna as positively as possible toCanada Post. Usher canbecontactedat65-3496. Hortic-ultural expertswill ,give answers Tonight (Wednesday) under the an oportunity to exchange ideas meeting. An interesi able direction of horticulturaliat .'and experiences as well as a chance such as tuberous beg Ken Brown, the society will present to find out more about special in- cailas, freesias and m à panel of experts who will be ready terestareas. .fered.'The stock is sut to answer qu estions regarding Last fail the group held a sale of. finest quality and topÈ general culture, propogation, pests faîl planted bulbs. This was sucha will be priced very att! and diseases related to house plants succesa, that summer flowering ce the Brooklih IE and indoor gardening. This will be- bulbs will be off ered at tonight's- Society's policy is to Standoff ends in arrest A 38-year-old Brooklin man bas been charged withtwo counts of possessiiig a dangerous weapon and threatening death fllowingý a three-hour standoff with ' police in Brooklin last Wednesday night. Durham Regional Police, as well as the tactical support unit, were called to a- house at 19 Baldwin St. after it was reported a man was in the house with a knife and a rifle fllowing a domestie argument. Police sealed off a block around the home and waited for the mian emerge.* .Police arrested a man three-hours later. Donald Joseph Bice, 38, bas been charged with two counts of possession of a. dangerous weapon, threatening death, assault with a weapon and, careless storage tbf a firearmn. The assault charges follow s W~y,~j ýTl