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The Ashburil park question which bas' been under debate for more than a year was settled last .week as council voted unanimnously tu purchase the Bath property beh!nd the commnunity centre: The 8.1 acre parce] of land wüs the site favored by :Ashburn residents at a recent public meeting, over à site at the west end of the hamlet. il- 'The cost cf the property ,wl eslightly oeta $32,0,00, or $4,000 ap acre. Altlitouglivütiaag fur the parkland titu achase,(<.ouncillor Bob Attersley, chairmlan of recreation objected ta' the price. He informied council that about 45 per cent of the land can bc used for active recreation and the remainder will be for passive uses. North .Ward Councillor Bob Carson saidthç residents of Ashburn will participate fully in the development of the park. Councillor Gerry Em reported that the cost of the land is comiparable to prices beinig paid for residential lots in downtownWhitby. Town gets neighborhood grant About $500,000, in pro- vincial and, federal money pray, soon be corning 10' Whtby ina the fori of -a neighbourhood im provement. grant. Mayor Jim Gartshore said Friday that the tôwn has, been working with the Provincial goverrament' for about 'a year to obtain a neighborhood improvement grant. wbich is provided by the federal govemment through the provincial goy- ,meunfts to municipalitiec Mayor Gartshore said that the Ontario ,Mmnistry of Housinig has informed ,him that Whitby's application bas been exeeuted and $322,000 lias been'allocated froni the federal governm-ent.', '*Now we can- apply turmnally tor the tecteral money and' additional pro- vincial mneiy.which wilI -amount'to about, $200,000"', said Mayor Gartshore. The neighbourhood iina- prvenient grants are given to muèaiipalities to improve specwfic areas which they have designated by the local councils. Mayor Gartshfore said the north-east quadrant of the old town of Whitby bas been designated for 'those grants, and. amo ' M the projects the town wouM lîlke, to underta ke are the eh4closure of Ash Creek.and the purchase and- A proposed bus service for Whitby, a topîcof discus- sion for more than seven years, bas been referued to the town's 1978 budget dis- cussions.--l .'Me Town of Whitby lias discussed Ywith .Oshawa, development of parkland in the north-east quadrant. .~This will, S6 a long way towards the improvement and enclosure of Ash Creek", said ,the mayor. - 5%tax rIse is expected Durhiai rgional taxes May T$sz as miuch as five pcr cent next year, according t0 Fin. aneC Coniittéee.Cliarinan Johin Aker.' Last Wednesday ilie-regional counciil adopted- a set of btidgetary guidelines calling for a maximum increase in ',!ie regional levey of 9.8 per cent, but, a 4.8 per cent ia- crease i n assessmien t growtli wiIl reduce the actual iii:- Creasle to the' taxpayers to five peu cenit. WVith hwa rniings from Puovin- cial Treasurcu Darcy McKeotigli to ,cut, back spending as inucli as possible, the region is trying to keep' the budget increases for nîost departmients at thuee per cent., Transit, 'the feasibiity of ruzmlng Oshawa buses Into Whitby, and cost factors have been examined- at 'closed metings, says Operations Commttee, Chairman Coun. loy Thompson., , READY FOR ARTS" BALL Paly Torapsn and Peers Uavidson are uSptig finihin tocesontie'Sultan's Palace for the thir annual Whltby Arts Grande Bail, *"Otne Thousand and One Nights, " to, be -held at Heydenshore Pavýilion, Nov.- 4. Tickets are still. available at $60. 4*r couple for this speclal, social event ' f the year. for further details, se Page 15.FmIe lres6P0ot NOVEMBE L Lig" for deat corner Better traffie warning dévices wilbc installed at tise intersection of Highway 7 and Durham Road 23 (Wiitby- Pickering Town Une) says James Snow, minister of transportation and commun- ications. Mr. Snow bas informed the regional council that an overhead flasher is bcing in- stalled witis red lights for nortis and soutis trafflc and yellow lights for east and west traffic. Larger signs identifying the regional road will be erec- ted on Hlighway 7 while on Uic regional road, markers wlll be erected- to identlfy Highway 7. Tise Whitby Town Council had recently asked tise reglonal counc~il to bave thc warning devices at tis intersection improved. On Nov.- 7, an Ux- bridge Township woman was killed and fo ur people were lnj*uued at tis intersection wsn the wom nan failed to obey a stop sign. Pickets protest cutbacks lliuudy wus a bg dey fer the, Conseis Dewlt famr* of 9U Bavvew Ave., WlitbYj, s the Ilyseuberu of thse fanâimroived llscr Canadion citimenshp. Congratattn Mr. Dewlt (at left) la Durham Reglon (luaimnia Walter Beath, and congratulatlng Mr. Dewt's wife Ilemmy la Whtby Mayor Jim Gartaore (at rlgt). Dehlnd thse Dewifl hdm, Casy, Johm'nd d Benry, mre RCUP Censtahie Brion O'Conneli ind Catzenship Court Judge A.K. MdCeown. flic ceremony took place In tie Durham- Reglon Council Chinbers. Fret PressPhoto About 200 members of, Locals 331. and 332 of the Ontario Public Servants Employees Union'lield an in- formation picket today et the ,entrances to the Whitby Psychiatrie Hospital to pro- test governiment cutbacks and. !ayoffs in tise hospital service. A- spokesmana for tise union locals, wisich represent employees of thse Whitby Psychlatric Hospital and: the Durham Centre for tise Devel- opmc. ntally Handicappcd, said thse picket was flot a strilce, but an information protest It is part of a pro- vance-wicle itormation picicet called for today The union spokesmnan sajd the* people of tise Town *of Whitby willl suffer if there are more cutbacks and lay- offs because there will bc more, retarded peopfe anad psychiatrie patients in thse c munity with nc foiloW- Upfrtheni. Lait, week, 14 part timne employees in -the nursing and food service departments, at the Whitby Psychiatrie Hos- pital were laid off as part of thse government austerity moves. New plaza -opens Latest- indications ait- that the Safeway food store on Brovk. Street Souths wHI be open by Nov. 28, accord- ing to a company spokesman. The store is thse firsi. thse company bas built in thse Whitby-Ajax-Pickering'; arsa, 'and has a floor space o about 26,000 square feet. It is expected thse store will have 25 fuli-time cmn- ployees and 35 to 40 part- timne workers. 'No manager bas been named vet. Vandalîsm concerna council I DECEMBER I Ashburn Will get Park IOCTOBERJI Bus service - referred a - -. m