Express_2011_06_10

The task of re-purposing grass would be a

The wind in your hair, the sun on your

gargantuan task in theboonies,where lawns

face, the purr of a finely-tuned internal

are the size of baseball diamonds.

combustion engine, the intoxicating smell

Sure, sodcouldbe turned intoeven larger

of finely-diced grass clippings, the razor-

gardens, but how many acres of vegetables

sharp clean lines of a perfectly-shorn

could one household possibly need?

lawn…

Green thumbs know that variety is the

Is this your idea of a perfect summer

spice of life and biodiversity is themark of a

day?“Ifitis,you’dbettergetalife,people.”

healthy eco-system. Thus, any re-tooled

Thatwouldbe the standardresponse from

green space management plan would have

the few who have yet to discover the joys

You are, therefore you mow

to feature amix of everything, fromarugula

of lawn mowing.

tozucchini, fromperennials topoplars. And

Thereismuchtobesaidforthispractice,

to ensure we have fun, we must retain a

theconventionalpush jobbies. Theworkings

which can easily shift into a pursuit, a

shoulders of public roadways. Could the

lawn mower.

of these things have not changed in 50 years,

passion or even an obsession.

townships offer these proud volunteer

but they are now safer.

We know that healthy lifestyles are all

tenders some sort of recognition?

They are effective, relatively cheap and

about balance and moderation in

Considering the price of fuel these days, the

Zellers update

provide a mid-range physical work-out.

everything we do.

work provided by these un-paid cutters

Pushing one of these things is like taking a

When it comes to lawn maintenance,

represents a considerable investment.

newsroom@eap.on.ca

walk in the park, with weights. Good times.

the popular “Do nothing” option is not an

With the long and wide swaths of

H AWKESBURY

Still, in our constant effort to be balanced

option, unless you live in a very secluded

immaculately trimmed grass, the

and grounded, we must also consider the

area, far from neighbours and the prying

concessions have never looked so good. A

anti-mow movement, which espouses “de-

eyes of municipal property standards by-

down side to this fervor is that the farmers,

The Zellers store in Hawkesbury will

lawning.” Sincere, and slightly annoying,

law enforcement officers.

who might yield a few bales of hay out of

continuetooperateunderitscurrentbanner

disciples of the de-lawning dogma contend

Regular lawn care just makes sense.

roadside vegetation, now face competition

for at least the summer.

that grass is the most heavily irrigated crop

Keep your grounds neat and you not only

from the avid mowers.

The local outletwas notmentionedwhen

on the planet.

keep the neighbours and law enforcers

The very avid, with too much time on

American retail giant Target released the list

Mowing uses valuable resources, creates

pleased, you also help keep potential

their hands, have taken their enthusiasmfor

of 105 stores it plans to take over.

pollutionandcontributestoglobalwarming.

burglars at bay. Yes, there is nothing that

grass choppers toadifferent, not necessarily

“ Target still has another 115 stores that

Clearly, excessivemowingmay soon be a

screams “Homeowner is away and now is

higher, level.

they can take and they will be announcing

thing of the past. For one thing, the price of

the best time to break in” louder than

Not surprisingly, lawnmower raceshave

that inSeptember. Hawkesburymayormay

gas will cool the ardour of those who trim

unkempt turf.Gussyupyourgroundsand

been the rage, in certain circles, for decades

not be on that list. If it is not, then it will

public ditches and shoulders. Plus, the

you help prevent crime.

now. The safety-conscious can be assured

remain a Zellers for the foreseeable future,”

practice of over-cutting will eventually

Plus, in rural areas, you could tick off

that before mowers take to the track, the

saysHudson’s BayCompany spokesperson

become sociallyunacceptable, like the use of

farmersandweedinspectorsifyourgrowth

blades are removed.

Freda Colbourne. All Zellers stores across

leaf blowers and chemical pesticides.

gets really wild. Consult the Noxious

Meanwhile, ordinary folks, candreamof

Canada will continue to operate as usual

Expecttoseethemowingzealotstoretreat

Weeds in Ontario list for information and

race track glory as they continue to derive

through 2011. During this time, Target will

and become less prominent, to pull back

entertainment. Someof thenames, suchas

physical and spiritual benefits from their

be reviewing each market and determining

from public green spaces, and to restrict

dodderandnoddingthistle,areintriguing.

weekly outings with their machines.

which of the locations will open as a Target

their loudandfunactivities to theconfinesof

Buttheconsequencesofencounteringsome

When you are not cutting, or fixing your

store, which will be sold to other retailers

their own properties.

of these villains, such as wild parsnip, can

mower, you can check out other models.

who have expressed interest andwhichwill

We know that we should all become

be painful.

The “greenest” contraption is the motor-

remain a Zellers store. In 2012 and beyond,

“greener.” However, a shift towards

Of course, there is much controversy

free reel device, which is fine if your lawn is

Zellers will continue to operate a smaller

complete de-lawning seems a tad rash, eh?

about lawns.

the size of a cereal box. Want to burn fat

chain of stores into the foreseeable future.

There are signs of a widespread grass-

while discovering and testing entiremuscle

roots movement that is consuming town

groups? Push a reel mower for a few hours.

and country – excessive mowing.

As you moan and groan, keep reminding

The proliferation of ridingmowers has

yourself that your environmental footprint

given rise to a new pursuit – grooming

is minimal.

every chunk of grass andhay in sight. You

At the other end of the spectrum, there

have heard of theAdopt a Road program?

arethesleek,huge,commercial-graderiding

Onsomeconcessions,zealotshaveadopted

July 4 to 20

models that are bigger than Smart cars and

a ditch and a shoulder.

probablyhavemorehorsepower, too. These

Many rurals extend their love for lawn-

marvels have that “zero turn” technology

cutting far beyond their property lines,

that enables the operator to pivot on a dime.

trimming ditches and manicuring

In the middle of the array of mowers are

General Vanier Intermediate School Site Principal Tim Mills Telephone: 613- 933-5256 ext 2504 After July 4 ~ 613-933-5500 tim.mills@ucdsb.on.ca

Smiths Falls District Collegiate Institute Site Principal Sharon Halladay

Brockville Collegiate Institute

Site Principal Valerie Allen

2011 CENSUS Count yourself in!

Telephone: 613-677-1654 After July 4 ~ 613-345-5641 valerie.allen@ucdsb.on.ca

Telephone: 613-359-5391 After July 4 ~ 613-283-0288 sharon.halladay@ucdsb.on.ca

On-Line Program Principal David MacDonald

Eastern Ontario Education & Training Centre

Frank Hummell, Principal of Continuing Education Telephone: 613-937-0120 ext 105 frank.hummell@ucdsb.on.ca

Site Principal Lyle Ferguson

Telephone: 613-342-1127 After July 4 ~ 613-345-5641 david.macdonald@ucdsb.on.ca

Telephone: 613-346-2122 After July 4 ~ 613-764-7332 lyle.ferguson@ucdsb.on.ca

Summer Semester courses include… Remedial Co-operative Education Credits Reinforcement for Grades 7/8 & 9/10 On-Line/New Credit Credit Recovery Transfer

Visit www.ucdsb.on.ca for registration information or call our Summer Semester Hotline at 1-866-615-1233 Students can talk to their guidance teacher or current principal to learn more about UCDSB Summer Semester programs. Transportation is provided from established collection points. Registrations are being accepted now!

Greg Pietersma, Chair

David K. Thomas, Director

Made with FlippingBook Ebook Creator