PAGE 4, WEflNESDAY, JUNE 23,1976, WHITBY FREE PRESS whitby wp Voice of the Cou nty Town SERVINO OVER 28,000 READERS Mike E 3urgess, Publisher-Maflagiflg Editor. Published every Wednesday Assistant Editor - Blake Pur' d Community Editor ' Brian Winter Contributing Editor - Jim Qu*.i Production Manager - Marje Burgess by M.B.M. Publishing Display Advertising Managrbnyo and Photography Ine. Classified Ad Manager Maln Brr Circulation Manager - Sharon Lyon Bex 206, Whitby. 121 Brock Street North, Whitby, Ontario. Phonoe 668-6111.- Toronto Line 282-1004 Region's II111 I iangua^ge obscure Regional coundl, acting as the planning board for the region, hopes to adopt the officiai plan next week, shortly after one or two public meetings. Whether or not further public input on the plan is wanted is unclear. Notices of the meetings in the form of advertisements ini the local and other area newspapers do flot say clearly that more input is wanted. Neither do they say it is not wanted. A quick glance at the advertisement leads one to believe that public -participation is indeed wanted by the region. A second and more careful reading raises doubts. Why? The advertisement is written in legal jargon, obscure to the layman. Possibly, the region wants it that way. We would like to see the region present its information in a simpler nanner, one understandable to the average person. The town doeg.---' If the Town of Whitby can do it, surely the Region of Durham can. Readers criticize choice olf Ashburn Park site Dear Sir-, I find it most difficult and impossible to remain sulent after reading about the decision made by Whitby Council Monday TO THE GRAVESIDE THIEF: Last week my wife, mother and myself went to Grove Side Cemetary to plant a couple of shtbs and some flower plants on my fathers' grave. Perhaps you saw us digging around bringing top soil and my mother and wife carrying two pails full of water to make sure they would live. My mother,"nearing age seventy-four, insisted she would buy the shrubs from her old age incomne, which she -iid. Last Monday night, three days later, my wife and 1 went over again to see how things were doing, only to0 find out that you had taken one of the shrubs. Naturally, 1 got a bit upset, inht'act, quite a bit. ,.If 1 had seen you at t'itt night, June 1 4th, to questions that p)OP into purchase ten acres of land rn y nmimd are: - "Co u 1d at a cost of' S60,O00-0 this be a case of Pork for Passive Park use in the Barrel Politics, initiated northern part of the town by one or miore of'the known as Ashburn. three representatives tha,,t Some of the f irst sit on a seven persoin moment 1 might have donc something 1 woulcl be sorry for today. I thought of calling in the police but figured that would not help you too much; you are more in need of a doctor becauise 1 think you are sick, in fact, you ýare so sick 1 don't know if even a doctor can help you. However, -you i took the one shrub; other is still there, least it was last night. 1 arn going to wait a while before replacing the one you took. because, if you take the other one, then I won't have *#.: make two trips to the nursery. I arn sorry 1 can't be at the cemetary day and night to see who you are and, perhaps, it's just as well 1 can't because I could lose my temper. 1 You don' reed to worry. too much about mny mothcr; she ca't sec ton much anyn-iore, she lias oie of those magni- f'ying glasses on the tiable beside her chair in order to rca(i big print. By the way, don't forget to water the shrub you took at least two or three times a week other- wise aIl your efforts were in vain. Harmeîi P. S. You mnust have seen my last name on the stone s0, in case you ever wish to phone or want to talk to me, don't hesitate, it may not be too late. Letters, Box 206# >Whitby counicil fromn the North Ward?" - and - "Why would Couincil unani- mnously support a District Park, without any study, staff reports or official land appraisals?" Also, "Whliy woulcl Council ignore thieir own Officiai Plan that calis for such rpark areas in the Corridor and Central urban areas where people are, and where rnost o f the $95,000.00 Rese!ve Park Fuind has come?" Further- m-ore, "The people of Ashburn are not that far from 'the Heber Db)wn Conservation Area, that is 572 acres of Passive Park land, wholly within the boundaries of the Town of Whitby, and cost the Town of Whitby a total of $79,000.00 for the accumnulated 572 acres; so why not use this lovely facility that is now in existence and paid for?" For that mnatter, has the Counicil considered other means of acquiring park land, such. as through the Conservation Authority 50 they .could get fifty per cent subsity from the Province? There are many more questions that many.other people in Whitby might wiflt the answer to. Con- sidering the apparent strong opinion ofCouncil on this matter, if' they are sure they are doing the correct thing, perhaps they should finance this venture by debenture funding, SO that an application will be made to the Ontario Municipal Board and thereby allow Whitby ýtaxpayers the opportunity to express their views before the Board. 1 amn sure every ratepayer is sick and tired of continually reaching deeper into their pockets to cover the ever increas- ings costs of governrnent. R. White 40 Willow Park Dr. Whitby, Ontario "Council under duress" Dear Sir: On Monday, June 14, 1976, Whitby council, acting under duress from a deputation from Ash- burn, passed a resolution to purchase a 10 acre site in Ashburn for a district park. This action will cost approximately $60,000 and seriously deplete the $ 95,000 park reserve fund. This fund was collected mainly from development in' the southern part of town., In taking this action,' council lias completely overlooked the park requirements of its own officiai plan. The officiai plan indi- cates a need for six district parks in each of the centre and east wards, two in the west W'ard and none at this timne in the north. Lt also states that district parks shali provide a minimum of two acres per I1,000 people and each district park be a minimum of 10 Oacres. Whitby council is pro- viding a i1O acre district park in Ashburn for 250 people and ignoring the more urgent needs in the south which contains the bulk of our current population. Indeed, if a district park is required now ini the north, Brooklin and flot Ashburn would be the logical site. Councillor Emm, Chairmnan of finance, preacher of spending restraint, hias . opted to buy a 10 acre site in Ashburn, his own back- yard, without appraisals or negotiations. Unfor- tunately, council h as agreed to go along with him. 1 1 think council should reconsider this matter and put the parks where the people are. SG. P. Cox To ti. grcveside thief: Water the stolen shrubs regularly or they might get sick like you- only the at Adý 1