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"A Family Tradition for 130 Years" Foodgrains Bank organizers will This being my last col- umn for 1996, I'M] take this» opportunity to wish every- one a Happy New Year. United Church choir members be advised that there won't be a practice this week, but on Tuesday, January 7, everyone is welcome to come out to the home of Jane Sobil to get your voices in tune. Church service this Sunday, January 5 will be held at 11:00 a.m. in Utica United Church. I believe that this is also Food Bank week. On Friday, January 10 starting at 6:30 p.m., the Canadian Foodgrains Bank Project organizers are holding a potluck sup- per in Epsom Church. Everyone is invited and if going, please inform Gail Kerry or Barbara Evans as to what you plan to bring to the supper. Holiday visiting: At the Lorne Slute home on Christmas day were sons Bill and family of Sea- grave, Brian and family of Cookstown, Ken and fami- ly of Greenbank and daughter Sharane Dear and family of Port Perry. At the Sobil home for pre-Christmas celebra- tions were Jane's brother Tim Urech and family of Barrie and sister-in-law Soraya Urech and chil- dren of Rochester Hills, Michigan. Hanny Urech accompanied her family members on their return trip and is spending a" couple of weeks with them and her son Ron. On Christmas day the Sobil's entertained Eric's parents from Courtice, brother Peter of Bowman- ville and sister Sandra Krick, Emery and children of Toronto. The Sutcliffe family were home for Christmas and entertained Georgi- na's brother Terry aay eanor Crawford and boys of Greenbank. I spent several days with son Charlie and fami- ly in Amherstview where we were joined by Doro- thy, Dennis, Justen and Susie Gerrow and Sue's arents Ken and Shirley ughes of Gananoque for Christmas dinner. The Warners were busy over the holidays when they were hosts to John's son of Li: mother Alice of Niagara at the Ashton ughters "Lynn and Rob McFaul of Falls, John's da Pickering, Tracey "and Paul Schmidt of Black- stock and sister Cheryl and David Weibe of New- market. On the weekend they entertained Su- vres, her parents from "Cornwall, brother from Sault Ste. Marie and sis- ters and their families from Ottawa and St. Catherines. Martha Schissler and children visited with Ruth Ashton and Beth Cather-, wood is spending a few days with her mother. The Ashton family cele- brated on Sunday at Keith and Fay's with 36 in atten- dance. On Christmas day they hosted the Asling family who were excited to have Jan (Asling) Gilbert home from Switzerland for Christmas. Vicki Ashton celebrated her 9th birthday on Satur- day with 25 friends and relatives attending. Hap- py Birthday from all of us. Keith, Faye, Julie and Ruth Ashton visited on Boxing Day with Lois and Barry Bushell and their daughter Linda Whitley who was here from Tulsa, Oklahoma. Bill and Deanna Ander- Holding tax line will be tough: Hall From Page 1 hoe if we are going to come in without a tax hike," he said. But Mayor Hall is a self-proclaimed optimist. He's very much encouraged by the fagt that building permits in 1996 soared to about $20 million (nearly dou- ble the 1995 totals) and there are signs that the growth spurt will continue through 1997. There is new development coming on stream in Canterbury Common and the Westshore senior citizens project, and Mayor Hall expects that new houses between Port Perry and Prince Albert will start in 1997. There are some, of course, who are argue that new assessment is a double- edged sword. It adds revenue to munici- pal coffers, but also adds to costs in terms of services. Mayor Hall doesn't agree. He believes new assessment is healthy for a munici- pality, and he's encouraged by the mini- growth spurt in Scugog after several years during which construction was deep in the doldrums. . Even with new assessment adding new revenue from the tax base, the Mayor says staff and council are going to have a tough year from a fiscal point of view. There will be no layoffs, however, and municipal staff are already finding new ways to save tax dollars with innovative ideas and new ways of doing things. Overtime, for example, has all but been eliminated. He stressed that $20,000 is a lot of money for a small municipality like this one. And he pointed out that staff at the township office have been very coopera- tive in coming up with and implementing ways of saving dollars. Big ticket projects, like a new ice pad, swimming pool, or even a municipal office, have been relegated to the far back burners. Mayor Hall said in light of the current fiscal picture, there is vir- tually no chance that status will change in 1997 or even the foreseeable future. Despite the tight money situation, Scugog's overall financial picture is healthy. There is no debenture debt to carry and the reserve accounts have about $2.5 million. These reserves, the Mayor said, should never be used for operating expenses, or to keep a tax hike down. ' They serve a couple of significant purposes: The municipality can borrow from reserves (before tax revenues start flowing in) to avoid borrowing from a .bank; and they are for a dire emergency such as replacement of equipment like fire trucks, should that need ever arise on an emergency basis. Over the past year, there has been no "burning issue" in front of the people of Scugog and their elected council. Nobody can predict when an issue may jump up, but Mayor Hall said he doesn't see any on the horizon. zanne's family, the Le- $ The general public, he went on, seems' | to have accepted the fact that budgets are very fight, levels of service may have to be cut, and costly municipal pro- Jects like a swimming pool are out of the question. But ong area that will remain a pri- ority with the mayor is the continued municipal support for the service, retail and tourist sector in the township. He pledged close and co-operative ties with such organizations as the Chamber of Commerce, the downtown Port Perry B.I.A., and events like the two fall fairs in Blackstock and Port Perry, Festival Days and the Caesarea Regatta. He has no intention of stepping down. Asked whether he'll seek an unprece- dented fourth term at the helm when Scugog voters go to the polls in November, 1997, he chuckled and said quickly, "of JL _®R course." | Monday. Tov, Bo Bi 2 7 . Le Page 985-2801 [ed SUNDAY, JAN. 5 Port P joan i fa Prince Albert - 11:30 a.m. ANGLICAN CHURCH OF THE ASCENSION PORT PERRY ST. JOHN'S ANGLICAN CHURCH BLACKSTOCK Rev. L & Parish Priest SERVICES DURING ; THE SEASON OF CHRISTMAS TUESDAY, DEC. 31 2210 NEW YEAR'S EVE 4 p.m. Eucharist - with Service Davids. of H SUNDAY, JAN. 5, 1997 THE EPIPHANY 9:30 a.m. Choral Eucharist AC ity Church For All Rev. Jack Griffen B.A., M.Div. JANUARY 5 "A New or and New Spiril School and Nursery Care Always Available ANGLICAN CHL St. Mary's Sun 593 Alma Street {One block south of 7A, west off Old Simcoe) PASTOR JOHN BENSCHOP Sunday School - 9:45 a.m. SUNDAY MORNING WORSHIP -lam. SUNDAY EVENING - 7 p.m. TUESDAY - 7:30 p.m. Training for Life Saturday - 9:45 a.m. Kid's Club (Ages 5-13) STEP INTO VICTORY For further info call: 985-1346; 985-1497 or 985-0517 MYRTLE UNITED CHURCH NES N PRESBYTE CHURCH Rev. Wm. Fairley - Minister 11 a.m. Sunday School Provided S