"Oh, what a beautiful morning...." The birds chirp, the chipmunks and squirrels chatter and the blue heron hunt ... and then ... the ROAR begins! The Saturday and Sunday swarm of BIG BIKES begins its attack on the peace and solitude of the country. Some of the riders respect the routes they have chosen by keeping their mufflers intact, while, unfortunately, many more seem to decide it's too peaceful in Mulmur and what the locals need is a good blast of mechanical testosterone. Country people are not opposed to bikers, but we seriously question the need to create noise! This destroys our ability to sit outside and enjoy a quiet lunch or dinner. Cars would be taken off the road with perforated mufflers. Why not bikes? When we hear the roar from three miles away, we feel violated!

Approaches to Mulmur Council, especially the Deputy Mayor, our Police

'Outraged opposition' liaison person, are rebuffed - suggesting we phone the OPP in Orillia. (I've tried. It doesn't work.) What we need is a Council request for the OPP to set up a Watch Patrol as the Mono Council has done. The unfortunate by-product of paving #15, 21, and 20 Sideroads is the publication of these routes in bike magazines. Must we 'unpave' these roads to regain our peace and quiet?

Election

Sixteen months from now, the Municipal Elections will give you the opportunity to select our next Council for another four-year term. You will recall that in the last election, the mayor was chosen by a flip of the coin, the Deputy Mayor was unopposed and several of the remaining councillors had a fairly easy run. Now is the time to begin approaching potential candidates, to review the actions and inactions of our present Council and begin to identify the issues which will dominate Mulmur and Dufferin until 2014.

MC2 does not support candidates but we will help to clarify issues. There are obvious old chestnuts to consider such as roads, garbage, and taxes, but we need to know more about those who will protect us against the 'invaders' - the 'pit bosses,' the industrial windmills, the water-takers.... And as we begin to think about the election, and about our candidates, there is a long list of issues to consider. Some of these are:

How were you treated by Council?

How much do you know about issues such as Road Allowances, Road Policy, the addition to Council offices?

Has our Council looked at the overall tax system, not just what MPAC has told them? Does it know the amount and validity of the tax deferments (exemptions) for the farm and tree farm properties, and does it know to what extent the monies from exempted properties has been returned to the county from the province? These are issues on which the voters should be informed.

How deeply in debt are we from receiving Provincial grants? (To receive the grants, we had to borrow.)

Do we know what went on in 'in camera' sessions for which councillors refuse to report on how they voted on particular issues?

Do you know what role our two County Councillors are playing with the upcoming battle of the railroad and quarry developments?

Have Orangeville and Shelburne taken control of Mulmur's future?

Do we know what our councillors are doing at the Nottawasaga Valley Conservation Authority?

Water, Water, Water

Several months ago, MC2 hosted an educational seminar with the NVCA. Our aim was to help our ratepayers to understand the role, functioning, and power (real or implied) of the NVCA as they work to fulfill their mandate to protect the waters in the Headwaters Region. NVCA is one of many provincially mandated organizations, but is paid for every year by the local taxpayers through their Councils.

The NVCA presentation focused mostly on their aim to keep the rivers and creeks in our area suitable, healthy habitats for fish, crustaceans and animals. It would appear that NVCA would like to return the creeks that feed the fishing rivers to their former pristine state. How will this impact current ponds? NVCA would reluctantly accept bypass ponds, but they are more concerned with the overall health of our river system than with individual landowners having ponds on their properties.

There are several important warnings property owners should heed: First, if you want to make any modifications to your pond, you must get a $500 permit. Second, if you get a permit, or maybe before you do, a hydrological engineer should be engaged at a cost somewhere in the vicinity of $2000.

On a lighter note...

We would like to thank James Godbold and his Hill 'n Dale Landscaping crew for cleaning up the ditches along River Road. James began this initiative last year, and we recognize him and others in our community who help to keep Mulmur beautiful.

Hopefully, in the future, more of us will follow his example, and take similar responsibility for other roads in the Township.

And finally, we know that the Council has taken some heat as they work to improve our waste collection and recycling.

While some of the details of the evolving waste disposal system need further improvement, we generally are in full support of what is being done. Garbage disposal and landfill sites are expensive and must be controlled and supervised. We cannot afford, financially and environmentally, to dig bigger and deeper holes. Bravo!

Dick Byford, David

Hahn and Don

MacFarlane

MC2