The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

Friday, February 17, 2017 5 Brooklin Town Crier Bidding Wars Becomes Soldingo By Richard Bercuson Got something to sell? Looking to buy a particular item? Bidding Wars, where used furniture, clothes and baubles have seamlessly changed hands since March of 2015 is undergoing a facelift. The Facebook-based buy-and sell platform has morphed into Soldingo and moved to its own site, soldingo. com. The venture comes under the direction of five local residents, Sarah Connolly, Melissa Halparin, Allison Darby-Roga, Kim Sanderson, and Adrian Piccolo, who is credited with coming up the new name. All will share moderator duties. Bidding Wars was originally the brainchild of Connolly who saw a similar Facebook site while living in Langley, B.C. Looking for a way to avoid sending her "gently used goods" to the landfill, she teamed up with the others to get it started. However, after two years, it became apparent Facebook had its limitations. "The control of a Facebook page is quite limited," says Halparin. "We're restricted to the Facebook updates and there is no area for individuality amongst similar groups that have begun following our success. "One of the major complaints from our members came when Facebook took away categories," she adds. "Members are no longer able to search for items based on categories . They're limited to scrolling the entire site or using search words. This is something we were able to include in our new website." The new site, paid for equally by the five individuals and created with an independent web designer, does have the facility to include advertising. As such, they hope to generate a bit of revenue. Some of this may also come from site features they couldn't have on Facebook, such as members choosing to upgrade their auctions for a nominal fee. For now though, their principal aim is to cover the cost of the site's start-up. Halparin says the main idea will be the same, to use the 24 hour format with the site now having the ability to close an auction automatically, something that had been an issue before. Soldingo won't have an app per se but the site will be mobile friendly. For the time being, it will serve Clar- ington, Oshawa, Whitby, Ajax and Pickering. Whitby Chamber of Commerce Announces New CEO The Whitby Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors is pleased to announce the appointment of Natalie Prychitko to the role of Chief Executive Officer, effective February 27, 2017. Natalie brings over 25 years of experience to the Chamber with the most recent 15 years spent with the Ontario Lottery & Gaming Corporation (OLG). Natalie has held progressively more senior positions within OLG, including the Director of Marketing and Social Responsibility, Director of Lottery Transforma- tion, and most recently the Director of the Change Management Office, which focused on the modernization of the OLG. Natalie is experienced in managing large projects with multiple stakeholders, significant budgets, complex operations and policy considerations. She also brings deep experience in managing marketing, advertising, and branding campaigns. Her passion for building strong relationships and driving operational efficiencies will be a tremendous asset to the Whitby Chamber. Beware of Water Treatment Sales Tactics in Durham The Regional Municipality of Durham would like to remind residents that the Region does not sell or endorse water filters or treatment equipment. The Region has been contacted by concerned residents inquiring about door-to-door salespersons who want access to test the water or examine the water meters. "Some of these individuals make false or misleading statements about water quality and/or the mandatory replacement of water meters," says John Presta, Director of Environmental Services. "The Region provides clean, safe drinking water, which meets provincial water quality standards. Our water undergoes daily monitoring and testing and does not require further filtration or monitoring at residents' expense." If someone shows up at your door, remember the following to protect yourself from scams: Ask for identification. All Regional employees and authorized contractors carry photo ID. Did you request this house call? Regional staff will not visit without sending an official letter and/or scheduling an appointment. Call the visiting organization, or the Region, to confirm that the visit is legitimate. Don't feel pressured to sign contracts on the spot, or to let anyone into your home. Never give out your personal information. The Regional Municipality of Durham provides safe drinking water to residents through the municipal water supply system, meeting Ontario Drinking Water Quality Standards. The quality and safety of the Region's water is confirmed at an accredited laboratory, which is licensed by the Ontario Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change-a requirement of the Ontario Drinking Water Regulations set by the province of Ontario. Information on water quality testing is available from the Region by contacting the Works Department at 905-668-7711, and from our Water Quality Reports, available online at www.durham.ca/water. The Region of Durham has established a Residential Meter Replace- ment/Upgrade program with its contractor, Neptune Technology Group, to replace or upgrade the meters in homes at no charge to residents. If the meter at your premises requires replacement or an upgrade, and before contractors show up, you will receive an official letter from the Region of Durham notifying you of the upcoming water meter replacement or upgrade. You will also receive a letter from Neptune Technology Group advising you of how to book your appointment. The letter requests that residents set up an appointment with the contractor. Neptune installers will arrive on the arranged date; they are uniformed, carry ID, and are highly skilled to ensure a professional installation. Passing of Regional Councillor Nancy Diamond The Regional Municipality of Durham sends its deepest sympathies to the family, friends, and council colleagues of Regional Councillor Nancy Diamond, following her sudden passing. She faithfully served her community for many years. "Councillor Diamond was a formidable force in municipal politics," said Regional Chair and CEO Roger Anderson. "She was a strong female leader at a time when it was less common to see women in senior public service roles. She also led many local community endeavours and will be truly missed." Nancy was born in 1941 and served as Oshawa's mayor for 12 years from 1991 to 2003, after sitting as a city councillor from 1988 to 1991. In 2010, she returned to Oshawa City Council and Durham Regional Council, and was re-elected in 2014. Among her many accomplishments, Councillor Diamond championed the creation of a university in Oshawa, economic development, and transportation initiatives. She pursued solutions to grid- lock and the development of social housing with admirable determination. Councillor Diamond embraced multiculturalism, keeping taxes low, and the advancement of local and national prosperity. A book of condolences will be available at The Regional Municipality of Durham Headquarters, located at 605 Rossland Road East. Flags at Regional Headquarters are at half-staff in her memory.