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WhUby loses nancedepartment On two occasions, by a one-vote margin, Whitby lost its chance last Wednesday to continue to be the site of the Durham Region Finance Department. The first vote of the day, Durham Region Council called on this subject was to relocate the regional finance department in an office faci- lity outside the existing re- gional headquarters on Rossland Road. ,The vote was in favour of the move, 14 to 11, with five councillors absent. An amendment was then put on the floor to negotiate for a lease in the Durham Towers at Bond and Centre Streets in downtown Oshawa for a period of four years. This amendment was car- ried 16 to 9, again with five members absent. A second amendment was then moved by Whitby Mayor Jim Gartshore and seconded by Gerry Fisher of Pickering that the finance department move instead into the Brock-Mary Build- ing in downtown Whitby. This amendment lost by one vote, 13-12, with five members absent. After more discussion, Oshawa councillor Ed Kolodzie put forth a motion to reconsider the entire matter. This motion required a one-third majo- rity in order to pass, and it too lost by one vote. Deputy Regional Clerk Bruce Hogarth said the vote on Councillor Kolodzie's re- consideration motion was 16-7. If eight councillors had voted for it, the motion would have received its necessary one-third, he said. Mr. Hogarth reported that Mayor Jim Gartshore was not present in the council chamber at the time the reconsideration vote was taken, and Councillor Bob Attersley was not present for the entire debate on the finance department move. Councillor Gerry Emm, Whitby's third. regional councillor, was present for the entire meeting. Mayor Gartshore and. Councillor Emm fought for about two hours to persuade the council to let the finance department remain in Whitby. Mayor Gartshore offered to rent space in the Whitby Municipal Building beside the regional headquarters at about $1.50 per square foot lower than the downtown Oshawa building, and made the motion to relocate the finance department in the Brock-Mary Building. Oshawa Councillor Alan Pilkey said the relocation of the finance department to Oshawa will likely spur the construction of other major office structures in down- town Oshawa. He said that when other companies see that office space can be rented in the core of Oshawa, it will pro- vide impetus for other build- ers to take a chance there. The move of the finance department to the Durham Towers is expected to be completed by this summer. The regional social services department is only a block away, after being relocated from McMillian Drive in Oshawa. Bob Richardson, the region's chief administrative officer, said the negotiations for the lease will begin im- mediately, and estimated the entire move including rental equipment costs, would cost about $770,O00 over the next five years. This includes the moving of the region's computer facilities to the Durham .Towers from two portables behind the regional head- quarters on Rossland Road. Councillor Attersley said he was unable to attend the crucial meeting "because I had another committment and there was no way I could have made it." He said he had already voiced his opposition to the proposed move to Oshawa to Mayor Gartshore and Dur- ham Region Chairman Walter Beath. Councillor Attersley said he was "completely disgusted with it," and stated the move to Oshawa shows a breakdown in the region. "They're divided; they're weak. I'm not happy at all," he said. Mief~IJ? - - These workers at Lake Ontario Steel Co. manned the picket line in full force last week as a strike by the United Steelworkers of America entered its second week. The workers who seem prepared for a long strike for better benefits, had set up strike headquarters in a trailer at the corner of Victoria and Hopkins Streets. The 600 workers at LASCO voted 77 per cent to strike March 15. Their former three-year contract expired Feb. 28. Free Press Photo Seniors' housing goes to 0MB April 18 An Ontario Municipal Board hearing willb'eheld at the Whitby Municipal Build- ing April 18 on the proposed Manning Mews senior citi- zens housing development. Manning Mews Non-Profit Housing Inc., which is a project of Westminster United Church, is appealing a decision by the town coun- cil denying a rezoning of church property to allow the housing development to pro- ceed. The Town of Whitby turned down the rezoning applica- tion last summer after pres- sure against the rezoning from residents in the area. Plans call for the property beside the church to be used for the construction of four single storey buildings, each containing four one-bedroom senior citizens' apartments. Robert Brimbecom, build- ing chairman for Manning Mews, said the denial of the rezoning application by the town was a political decision, and the housing group .decided to appeal to the -OMB. Residents in the area expressed concern about devalued property and ex- cess traffic in the area, and the remoteness of the hous- ing development from the downtown and other shop- ping areas that senior citi- zens could walk to. The OMB hearing will begin at 10 a.m., April 18 in Committee Room Two at the municipal building, on Ross- land Road. Retirement home discussed April 2 A proposal for develop- ment of a 181-bed retirement home at the south east cor- ner of Brock Street abd Manning Road will be pre- sented to council's adminis- trative committee April 2. Following the meeting with the administrative com- mittee, the proposal will be referred to a public meeting to present it to residents living in the area. West Lynde park a "total disgrace" sayslpresident Central Park in the West skating. Had they been Lynde subdivision is becom- locked up then, they would ing a source of complaints not be vandalized as they from the point of view of both have been," said Mrs. the Town of Whitby and the Boyce. West Lynde Community As- Mrs. Boyce reported that sociation. garbage is picked up twice a West Lynde Community week in good weather by the Association President Mar- town and other groups. Buil- garet Boyce reports the as- ders will be asked to land- sociation met recently with scape the east end of the Councillor Joe Bugelli on two park as soon as possible, she occasions to try to iron out said. these problems. The resîdents of West "The main complaints Lynde are not the only voiced locally in concern people who are complaîning with Central Park are--it's a about the condition of Cen- garbage dump, a mud hole, a tral Park. race track, a dog run, lights The following are com- are out and a total dis- plaints of the Town of grace," said Mrs. Boyce. Whitby, which Mrs. Boyce "In fact it bears no resem- listed in her report in the blence to the original archi- latest West Lynde Commu- tect's plan and after six nity Association newsletter: years of hope and agitation --A motor cyclist uses the we must finally realize what park as a race track. If is there is what we have-a caught he will be prosecuted. Central park." --Children are breaking off Mrs. Boyce reported that the drinking fountain taps, Recreation Director Wayne -leaving a fountain of water to DeVeau said the people of flood the whole area. West Lynde must wait until -The tennis courts are the grass and trees grow, vandalized repeatedly and at and the park will look health- ailtimes of the year, dog ier. The town will look into owners open the tennis court the situation of the water door, push their dogs into do fountain and mud hole, but what they have to do, and the officials are uncertain as to owners let them out and what to do about them, she proceed home. They willbe said. prosecuted if reported to the Concern was expressed town. that garbage cans in the -Two dog owners living park are being rolled around back of the park at the end of when full, and the town wil winter threw a their dog look into ways of fixing these dirt over the fence into the down or having plastic gar- park, resulting last year in bage bags placed inside the mower, the driver and them. fences being splattered with "The tennis courts are the offensive material. On there to stay. They were left one occasion the lawn cut- open this winter to allow C>ntd on P. 10 local people too flood themtfor .... . . ... .. ...... ............. RI Eý E' P D)E).S)