ByVERONICA COLANGELO For organizers of the Feb. 13 - 20 Kinsmenwintercarnival therewere disappointments as well as highlights. One of the organizers, Alex Cowan, says that overall the group considers the week a success and feel that because it was a new ven- ture things got off to a slow start. Next year he hopes that more par- ticipation by the community will en- sure that events wpon't have to be cancelled. Many of the events scheduled were first-time efforts. The winter games were thelsource of the greatest disappointinent. Organizers had planned to hold tan- dem ski races, snowshoe races, tug- New members wanted for club The Brooklin Badminton Club is looking for new members. Anyone who would like to participate in this non-competitive form of exercise can join the group every Thursday evening at Meadowerest School in Brooklin. Çames are mixed both ladies and men, with only a racquet and running shoes required. A "bird" fee of $1 is charged. Call Don Tucker at 723-0863 for more infor- mation. Mail service in Ashburn FROM PAGE 12 relationship between the host business and CanadaPost, that is, prior to the sale of the store, the postmaster was an employee of Canada Post and received a salary and now the retail post outlet is an independent contractor and receives renumeration in the form of commission. When asked to explain Why the change was made, Talbot stated that since 1981 when Canada Post became a crown corporation, the federal government gave it a man- date toeliminate its huge deficit and to retain the quality of service. As rural postmasters resign, they are being replaced by independently run retail postaloutlets. Residents also say that contrac- tors are not being fairly paid for the workperformed. They say the quality of postal ser- vices has remained the same, and has possibly even improved, since the new independent contractors Barb and Paul Allan have extended post office hours from 37.5 to 101 hour per week. The previously salaried postmaster's wages came close to $19,000 per annum for a 37.5 hour work week although it was said that the time put in was more like 60 hoursaweek. It appears that the remuneration for the Allans won't even come up to one half of what the previous post- master received. The Allans, to date, have not received any monies or com- missions from the sale and execution of postal services, so it isn't clear just how low their finan- cialrewardswillbe. Residents are worried that if the Allans are not fairly compensated for the work they perform, they may conclude that running a retail postal outlet is not viable for them and not worth the effort. If this were to hap- pen Ashburn could lose its post of- fice. Residents asked representatives from Canada Post to send a higher level of authority to the public meeting scheduled for Wendesday, March2. A sub-committeehas been formed by Ashburn residents to prepare an agenda for the upcoming March 2 meeting to be held at 7 p.m. at the Ashburn,Centennial-community-- centre. of-war, log sawing and a snow bed race in Brooklin Memorial Park, but due to lack of participation, the events were cancelled. Cowan said that the Kinsmen had arranged for three dog sled teams to perform during the games on Sun- day, Feb. 14. However, their par- ticipation couldn't be confirmed in sufficient time to advertise far enough in advance to draw spec- tators. It seems that residents missed a unique opportunity to see dog sled teams in action. Cowan says he hopes to confirm par- ticipation by the team earlier next year in order to better promote the event.. The senior's tea party held on a Sunday afternoon was reported to have been well attended. The skate- a-thon has traditionally been a suc- cess and this year was no exception. Even though attendance was down slightly, pledges were up over last year. It seems games of chance are popular in Brooklin because both the Legion euchre tournament held Feb. 17 and the Midnight Madness Bingoon Feb.19werewell attended. So, too, was the Brooklin girls guides' pancake breakfast Feb. 20 atSt. Thomas Anglican Church. The two daytime events scheduled for Feb. 20 were discouraging. Both the broomball tournament and the snow sculpture didn't have enough participants to holdcompetition. The 50/60's dance held at the Brooklin Community Centre wasn't sold out but Cowan says all who went hada greattime. T he federal government has announcedthe 1987 extension of the Special Canadian Grains Program. The subsidy war between the United States and the European Economic Community is continuing to financially affect Canadian farmers. This program will help offset the low world prices of 1987 grain, oilseed and special crops caused by this subsidy war. For crops produced in 1987, this special assistance has been increased to $1.1 billion. Also increased is the number of eligible crops. Farmers who applied for a payment under the Special Canadian Grains Program last year should have already received applications in-the mail. Other farmers can obtain forms by calling the toll-free number, or by contacting: • Agriculture Çanada regional offices + Farm Credit Corporation offices # Offices of Members of Parliament • Elevator agents • Producer associations • Provincial extension offices. 1+1 Agriculture Canada, WITBY FREEPRES$, WEDNESDAY MARCH 2,1988, PAGE 13 Ii v F I o w e r s & G i fts SPECIAL ON CARNATIONS Mixed Colour Selection 12 carnations for only (on this pick up special, while quantities last) Come and visit our delightful display of new gift ideas. 10% off all Spring items. eg. ducks etc.. ~Ia. 51A Baldwin St. Brooklin 655-3963 wà p**,*****..,**** 5, l..,.., (There is a separate application form for honey producers.) 2 A first installment payment covering about three-quarters of each farmer's total entitlement will be made before March 31, 1988. Final payments will be made by the end of June. Farmers who do not receive a first installment payment will receive their total payment in June. 3 To be eligible for the assistance, all farmers must submit an application form. They must be postmarked no later than March 16th, 1988. Application deadline is March 16th. The application deadline is rapidly approaching. If you need more informa- tion, call toil-free between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m., EST: 1-800-267-6343 Canad'1' t4~ ~vècè<~bre'd' Slow start, but carnival a success Message to CGrains Prm SpecialCcanadian Grains Program- 1987 Extension. eile 0 $609,9. plus t« L