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GAMMA RAY PROBLEMS Beatrice (Kathy Guselle) is thoroughly bored as her daughter Ruth (Joan Walsh), right, teasès her sister Tillie (Abby.Zotz) about herexplanation for her absence from school. This is one of many scenes of confrontation in the Whitby Theatre Company's latest production, "The Effects of Gamma Rays on Man In The Moon Marigolds," to be held at the Centennial Building, Jan. 30 to Feb. 3. Curtain time is 7:30 p.m. en Jan. 30 for senior cifizens and 8 p.m. Jan. 31 to Feb. 3 for the general public. Free Press Photo by Brian Winter Region aims for a. 7% tax increase Finance 'department move awaits regional review The proposed move of the regional finance department to Oshawa, which was debated at regional council last Wednesday, has been put off indefinitely. Council voted to table the recommendation to relocate the departrnent in 20,000 square feet of office space in downtown Oshawa, and agreed instead to study the region's entire accommo- dation needs. The cost of the move, in moving and rental fees, would have reached close to. $1 million over the next five years, when the regional headquarters at Whitby are due to be expanded, the council was told. Finance Committee Chairman John Aker out- lined the committee's reasons for wanting to move to Oshawa (described in last week's Free Press), and stated the need for improved security was the strongest argument for new quarters. More than $500,000 in water and sewer billings could be lost in the event of fire or vandalism, he said. "It's an obvious risk in front of us that there's not a duplicate billing system somewhere else," he said. Council approved a motion of Councillor Bill McLean, calling for an analysis of the region's present space requirements. Among the alternatives to be studied will be an offer by Whitby's Mayor Jim Gartshore to lease the region close to 10,000 square feet of space in the town's municipal build- ing next door, at a cost well below the price proposed by Oshawa. Oshawa Councillor Ed Kolodzie called the finance department staff "crybabies" for complaining about overcrowded working conditions, and suggested using the corridors in the buildings for office space and staggering working hours. He also said there were too many staff in the finance department, and wanted the number ,of regional staff reduced. Mayor Gartshore noted the regional council should know by 1984 what the province plans to do and the region might even move at that time if the province takes over the entire Rossland Road regional building. Corridor sewer hookup to be debated by region Next Wednesday, Durham Region Council is expected to consider a recommenda- tion from its finance committee- regarding pay- ment for sewer hookups in Whitby's Corridor area. The recommendation is that the 204 hormeowners in the Kendalwood-Applewood area will be able to hook into the regional sewers for $150 until April 30, when the fee will become $750. The special rate is being proposed because delays in the installation of sewers were caused by govern- ments, and not the home- owners, who were promised sewers at the time of amal- gamation of Whitby Town and Township more than 10 years ago. The homeowners have paid $174,000 over the past-10 years for urban services they did notfully receive, the report to council states. In addition, the Town of Whitby will be asked for $176,000 from its reserve fund to help reduce the expected shortfall in the project. This proposal was debated at Whitby council's meeting Monday. The Honorable Andre Ouellet, Minister of Public Works, announced Thursday that Ontario Construction Co. Ltd. of Niagara-on-the- Lake, Ontario, has been awarded am $87,760 contract for breakwater improve- ments at Whitby. The successful - firm suihmitted the nwest nf seven bids received in response to public tender. The highest bid was $113,280. Specifications for the project, which should be completed by mid-January 1979, were prepared by Public Works Canada. The project manager is T.E. Douglas of the Public Works Canada office in Toronto. The Durham Regional Council has set a seven per cent tax increase as a target for its 1979 budget delibe- rations. In spite of the proposed increase, the region finds it will be forced to reduce the level of service it provides, the finance comnittee reported last Wednesday. The regional budget is actually smaller than last year because of inflation, the committee reported, and if there is no tax increase, there would have to be layoffs. All regional departments except police are required to limit their 1979 spending to a. three per cent increase under the guidelines adopted by regional council last week. The result will be a 10 per cent increase in the tax levy for regional purpqses, but a three per cent assessment increase will reduce the actual tax increase to seven per cent. This . represents about $9 to the average home in Oshawa. According to Councillor Allan-Dewar, a member of the Durham Police Commission, a $516,000 Oshawa Councillor Ed Kolodzie and Ajax Mayor Clark Mason want the Durham Region's staff reduced by four per cent, but debate on their motion will not begin until Jan. 24 because Mayor Mason was not present at last week's regional council meeting. The two regional councillors had given notice at council's Dec. 20 meeting on the proposed cutbacks, which they say cen be eccomplishcd by attrition could easily result in the increase in police costs results from the need to maintain two-man patrols in cruisers and required expansion of police services. cutback he and Mayor Mason have asked for. Mayor Mason says the council should take a "hard look" at positions which become vacant and deter- mine if they are absolutely essential. Councillor Kolodzie said last week that he considered the regional finance depart- ment is overstaffed. He reported that Oshawa has already begun to stop increasing staff and some positions have even been phased out. SENTENCED TO FITNESS TEST Judge J.P. Kelly, Senior Judge ot the Judicial District of Durham (centre) sentenced Whitby Mayor Jim Gartshòre and Free Press Publisher Mike Burgess to take a fitness test Monday. Mayor Gartshore and Mr. Burgess will serve their sentences Jan. 30 at the FitTest mobile van at Iroquois Park. Having received their sentences from the Judge, Mayor Gartshore and Mr. Burgess persuaded him that he too should serve a similar sentence for having caught them, and Judge Kelly will be serving his FitTest sentence the same day. Any citizens of Whitby wishing to take a FitTest from Jan. 30 to Feb. 3, when the van is in town, may make an appointment by calling 668-7765.. . Free Press Photo Harbor contract is let Regional reduction of staff members is debated Jan. 24