Whitby Free Press, Wednesday, April 28, 1993. Page 35 Chioine osesa sevre lthreia t te eostem aycn mutbe phased out. Taken from a Greenpeace report, 'The Product is the Poison, Part 1 - The Case for a Chiorine Phase-out,' the following information about chiorine wiil be of interest. The ci or-aikali i ndustry starts with ordinary sait (sodium chioride), an abundant, natural compound .Each moiecule contains one atom of sodium bound to one atom of chiorine. Through a process called electrolysis, the chior-aikali industry uses large amounts of eiectricity to break the bond between the sodium and chiorine atoms, splitting the sait moiecule. The sodium reacts with water ta form sodium hydroxide and is sold commerciaily as caustic soda. Chiorine is reieased in the form of chiorine gas, aiso cailed 'elementnl chioine.' Chlorine gas is a human invention. It doos not exist in nature, and there is no known natural process that creates it. Chiorine gas is extremely unstabie and reactive: when it cornes into contact with organic (carbon-containing) molecules, the chiorine binds tightly to the carbon atoms, creating new substances cailed organochlorines. The chemical industry combines chiorine with petrochemicais to create thousands of organochiorine pesticides, plastics, soivents, refri gerants and other chemicals. Because virtuaiiy all organochiorines are foreigri to nature most living things have not evolved methods to detoxify and1 excrete themn. Organochlorines are known to cause reproductive, developmentai and neurological impairment, cancer, birth defects, immune suppression and damage to the liver, kidneys and other organs. Most of the 40 million tons of chlorine produced each year is converted to organochiorines, either purposefuliy or ns accidentai by-products. This production rate far outstri psthe slow rate at which organochiorines can be converted bacVkinto saits and other forms of inorganie chiorine. As a resuit, organochiorines can now be detected absoluteiy everywhere on earth. At least 168 organochiorines are «unquivocaliy present' on the water, sediments and living tissues of the Great Lakes. A Virtual Elimination (VE) tas k force has been appointed by an international joint commission to help phase out chiorine. The VE mission is to advise the commission on what steps must be taken to reach the Great Lakes Water Quality A&eement goal of 'virtuai elimination' of persistent toxic substances in the Great Lakes Basin ecosystem. Both industry and environmentalists will mobilize on this issue during a workshop on April 29, 6:30 p.m., at the Harbour Castie -Hotel. Toronto, Greenpeace, (416) 345-8408, urges environmiental groups to attend. Anyone wishing a copy of the VE task force draft report, cail (519) 257-6701. Coming event: ,April 29, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., Metro Hall, 55 John St., room 33 Toronto, a community-based composting discussion. For further details, contact Lois James at (416) 284-6409. VIE WPOIN Bleak future FROM PAGE 6 of new deveiopment downtown where it should be? If aIl towns and'cities in the regionha policies ta force deveiopment downtown, that's what would bappen and the competition would continue in the rightarea. This kind of thinking is Why we created a region, and a regional planning departmnent. Have they considered this approach? Shouidn't they? Oshawa Mayor Nancy Diarnond is struggling with downtawn Oshawa development plans. She has put toether a commnittee ta study the probiem, and they have corne up with some good recommendations. i commend ber efforts and those of the cammittee, but the real solution is in putting together a strategy and procedures to, direct development downtawn. The Town of Whitby and the City of Oshawa are their own worst enemies in downtawn redeveiopment. There bas ta be a planning commitment first. It's na secret that downtawn Oshawa is considered unsafe at night and a threatening nvironment ta most women. With ail the effort, R(YIABY CLUB MEETFINGS The Rotary Club of Whitby meeta every Tuesday, 7:15 a.m., at the Golden Griddle Restaurant, Kendalwood Plaza, Whitby. For foreh finomaton, contact Peer Davidsen at 6686759 or Kish Kriahnan at 666-3642. it's not getting any botter. It's time for fresh thinking. Developers, planners and counciliors in the past 30 years have abandoned downtowns al over Ontario, Canada and North America, in favour of new strip plazas and maIls. This abandonment bas also meant abandoning a way of life that, in my opinion, was the basis for sane living. I personally want that lifestyle back. I'd like ta see downtown Whitby and downtawn Oshawa given back ta, the people. I want my cildren, and their children, ta have that sense of belonging that cames with a dlean, safe, homey environment that reflects the security of the past. Whitby needs a revitalized downtown in order ta avoid succumbing te the pressures of the vultures waiting ta move in, bringing with them crime, drugs, p rostitution and pornograpny. Notin Wlitby you say -- don't bet on it. Taik ta or write your councillors. Tel] them you want restrictions on cammercial growth away from downtown Whitby and Brooklin. Speak up, or live with the consequences for years ta corne. I feel very strongiy about Whitby and Brooklin, and I arn going ta, continue te fight for these changes. If I cannot manage ta make headway from outside the council chaxnbers by the next municipal election, you may see a new naine on the ballot. Opinions expressed are those of the author. Budgets delayed PROM PAGE 1 and finance' committee, told reporters Wegot the SHAFT: 'Somne Harie Accetable Funtding Trnfes..teprovince tls about saving money; what it reaily is doing is ,saving provin- cial expenditures." BugelJi says the board has to honour its commitments se money it doesn't get from the province wiil have to be raised "We have no options... we're not going to take it from that pocket (so) we'll take it from this; we'll be the bad guys.» Bugelli says it took bis corn- mittee about four months to arrive at this year's proposed budget. "We've worked very dili- gentiy to meet the objectives the province set for us... this last minute change is without pre- cedent." He says committee memnbers "really don't know the numbers anymore" but plan an open meet- ing in the next week or two to review the situation." With the cutbacks."there's no possible means" of bringin g in the budget by the end of Aprii, as required by the province, b ut he promises to bring it down "in the most timeiy manner possible.» Separate board chair Tom Old- man says the cuts will have a serious effect on the Durham board because it depends on the province for a larger share of its budget than do many other dis- Oldman says he's not against the province trvinz to save money; he'd just like more notice of fundin g and program changes. Public board chair Louise F arr was also caught off-guard by the cuts. She says the changes mean there are «too manhy unknowns» toe ass the budget, and trustees wiflhave to get more information on the cutbacks and their effects before they can proceed. The board's finance committee bas scheduled an open meeting May 4 to examine the changes in detail and discuss how they will deal with them. Farr says trustees considered going ahead with the budget and making up the losa from local taxpayers, but that meant "leav- ing staff to corne up with too many changes on their own. We feit we ail needed time to step back from the process a bit." She says the provincial reduc- tions are "~a reworking of every- thing," and their effects have to be closely, and quickly, exa- mined. "No one likes to be doing this kind of important decision-mak- ing in a forced environment." Answers to Whit*by Trivia from page 27 1. (or%or-Gtneral, the DURING A VISIT to Oshawa-over the weekend, Jean Charest, candidate for the federal Tory leadership, said he would reduce the federal deficit without new taxes and without increases in existing taxes, but rather by.reducing the cost of government. Hie would aiso examine more closely social services and limit the amount of money given to those not in need, and look at measures to keep in children in school since higher job skilis wiJI be required for the workforce in the next century. Photo by F-ýter TomnbIIn, Free Press WALLACE EVERIST Wallace Everist of Whitby died at bis home on Saturday, April 10, 1993. He was 78. He was born in Toronto on May 9, 1914. Mr. Everist was employed at Canadian Corps Security before retiri g He was a member of the Royal Canadian Legion Branch 112 (Whitby), having served with the Royal Canadian Air Force in World War IL. He is survived by wife Myrtle' son Wayne (and his wife Ann), stepchildren Bill Simpson, Rose- marie Gibbard, Becky Snelgrove and Joe Simpson, many grand- children and sister Elma Lucas of Ottawa. The funeral service was held from the W.C. Town Funeral Chapel on April 12, 1993, Rev. Brian Gee conducting. Interment at Mount Lawn cemetery. 6 Generations of Service, Quality & Trust e Family Monuments *Granite or Bronze Markers *Cemetery Lettering » Sandblasting Stafford Monuments 318 Dundas St. E. Whitby 668-3552 Afterllours 668-4460 or 666-1513 Home appointmcnts gladly arranged CORPORATION 0F THE TOWN OF WH ITBY PARKS AND RECREATION DEPT. PUBLIC MEETING NOTICE WHITIBY - LONGUEUIL 25TH ANNUAL TWINNING 'A Cellebration 0f Friendship' Thero wili be a public meeting heid on Thursday, April 29 ai 7 p.m. ui the cauncil Chambers, Whitby Munidîpal Building, 575 Rossland Road East. The meeting is to ciscuss the tentative program of the Whitby - LoDngul 25th Annuai Twinning. Interested residents of Whitby are invittaattend. The Twinning weekend is scheduied for June 18 to 20. inclusive, and will be heid un Whitby. For more information. please call Carolyn Allan ai 668-5803. extl. 217. 4. The Whitby Duniops won the worid amateur hockey championships in 1958, and Anne Qttenbrite won g aid. silver and bronze medais in swimmjing at the Summer Olympics in 1984.