Home Newspaper of Hills Page T11EHEHALD Wednesday April IS A Division of Canadian Newspapers Company Limited Main St South Georgetown 3ES Ontario WILLIAM Publisher Editor Clan Mall Letter writers museum plan a good solution Herald letter writer Isabel Cruise may have come up with an idea that will solve a number of problems plaguing the Georgetown area In a letter to the editor published m last weeks Herald Ms Cruise suggests that the Georgetown library building long centre of local controversy be turned into a museum She believes a new building should be constructed to house the library as well as other com facilities The Georgetown library building is a beautiful and striking reminder of a time in Georgetown past when buildings were constructed not only to serve a functional purpose but also to serve as works of art As Ms Cruise says the building should neither be altered or destroyed But she is also correct when she it is no longer adequate to meet this communitys needs as a library What better way is mere lor the beautiful old building to con tihue to serve a functional purpose than as a much needed local museum Its safe to say that Georgetown is at a crossroads now in terms of preserving its heritage While local groups and individuals like the Esquestng Historical Society have worked hard over the vears collecting items of memorabelia and historical significance the time is rapidly approaching when they require one roof under which to display these valuable items so they will not be shunted off in some box or attic to be lost or damaged The volume alone makes it in difficult for those determined to help preserve this town heritage to do so A project like the creation of a museum in the library building would likely qualify for some degree of funding although we expect the costs in cufredl by the building s conversion would be minimal If the entire library building is not for use as a museum we re certain area residents would have other ideas for the additional space As stated previously in these columns Georgetown does require a new library building preferably with a theatre facility attached But as we step proudly into the future with the new structure why not also treat our past with the respect it deserves through the creation of a museum The town should thank Isabel Cruise for her idea and Halton Hills council should be considering the matter at the same time as they develop plans for a new library building Tax hikes blamed on municipalities Halton Hills town council along with the Halton school board arid regional council have now all completed their budgets and they are coming in for some deserved criticism by at least a few local residents as a result In the new budgets recently tabled the school board levy in creased by a little over eight per cent Halton Hills tax rate in cteased by per cent and the region hiked their levy by eight per cent But to a large extent the tax increases are not the fault of fiscal irresponsibility on the part of local politicians but factors out of their cqntrol including a provincial government dedicated to cutbacks and reelection Since the early 1970s when a fellow by the name of was treasurer of On taHo the Tory government at Park has been on a determined restraint campaign What this has meant is that despite the pleading of citizens involved in anything the Tories deemed marginal like daycare any level of social services education and more recently municipal governments they have hacked away at funding levels Recently the provincial government has drawn praise from at least a few Halton Hills tax payers for their restrained five per cent increase in grants to municipal governments What thia haB meant is that before even calculating 1979 budgets local governments must contend with an Inflation rate of over nine per cent as well as staff who are hoping to get a salary increase that will at least keep them close to the increasing cost living On top of this there are the annual costs created by wear and tear on equipment buildings etc owned or administered by local governments These are costs that afe basically unavoidable So even considering expansion local governments are in a position of having to raise taxes by some degree just to maintain a semblance of previous levels of service The budget planning has been further fouled up by the provincial governments upon providing minimal funding to municipalities By providing grants that fall more than four per cent behind the inflation rate the Tory government ensures that municipalities will have to hike taxes more than may be palatable for local residents Of course this way provincial government escapes the blame and local politicians become the heavies For the main part its just a game of politics The provincial government cuts back their grants municipalities to appear to be using restraint yet knowing full well the difficult position municipalities are being put in and the almost impossible task they have of trying to stay within the governments five per cent grant The municipal politicians position is made doubly difficult because while the public wants them to cut taxes no one wants them to reduce services Its safe to say that local residents are quicker to get on the phone to complain to Mayor Pete Pomeroy or their town councillors about tardiness in road repair caused by cutbacks than they are to phone Ontario Premier Bill Davis to complain about his cutbacks So either way the provincial government can feel relatively secure that flack either for in creased taxes or cutbacks in services will fall on the shoulders of municipal politicians rather than their own despite the fact that they are largely responsible for local tough choice between service cuts or tax bikes So Halton Hills taxpayers shouldnt be fooled the provincial government isnt really keeping a on expenses they n just making you put the money directly into the municipality tax kitty rather than going via Queens Park Few splashy changes in Ontarios new budget Quern Pork Of The Herald TORONTO On a superficial level Treasurer Frank Miller s first budget just a rehash of those produced by his predecessor McKeough There is the same emphasis on restrain Ihc same commitment to a nan economic system It should be though that when you re writing a budget based on the premise yivernmcnl doing too much hard mike splashy Res Thai a problem any treasurer who believes In restraint faces even within that limiting context there Is an essential difference in the Miller and budget which Millers lias i imaginative ness budgets UK TORY Not change is earth shatter by means In many wiys it is more i matler of style and personally tendency to rigidity versus I- rinks flexibility I- or all that both came from small towns Chatham approached like a Hay capitalist which not be why he now a director of lint Miller acts talks small town turn a hair at Milkrs bisie philosophic position of course high standard of In and free economic I believe the future success of our society is dependent upon the malnten inceofa very strong commitment to free enterprise Miller said Second T believe the bedrock strength of free enterprise lies in private equity investment So lies written i budget that favors small enterprise those Canadians willing to gimble their cash on future returns in some profitable business only along tint line Hut Venture Investment idea is so restrictive it proved i lolil failure Miller is minli mure willing to hie is perh befits successful Musko ki resort operator He wants the ivenge citizen to risk his iir her in snnil ventures and is willing to manipulate the la system to produce result ills Small Business Development Cor SBDC is thus in attempt to involve Mr and Mrs Average in the risk capital system And tint s the difference the thrust of the Miller mil budgets ill the tinkering with minor aside And it shouldn be forgotten that ill business is intensive the best source of new jobs here Ontario One bet money tint if SBDCs don work Miller himself Is not sure they will he II try some other to boosting business is long as he s Pro Canada committee may hit major roadblocks The ProCanada Committee which coordinates financing for the cause in Quebec may be crippled by internal power struggles but here is no disputing Ihe political leadership in game cause The Union and other smaller parties may not like It much Liberal Leader Claude Ryan baa clearly emerged as the undisputed champion of the Canadian cause In Actually Ryan greatest potential problems had been within his own party as senior Liberals continued to carry on some of the ill will that was generated during the heated leadership race Sup porters of defeated candidate Raymond wire reluctant to demonstrate any enthusiasm for the austere and scholarly Claude Ryan But at that recent convention of party brass in Montreal It was apparent that Ryan has assumed full command of a relatively unified party And furthermore he his managed to stir Ihc delegates into a fighting frame of mind for the referendum on Quebec future CHANGES IMAGE The Internal critics who had argued that Ryan a profile was too low and lacked now were complimenting him on Ihe thankless he had done after leadership victory Other who had suggested Ryan unprepared Tor Rene Levesquc a assault on the emotions of noviwere gushing excitedly about Ryan response to the premier They cheered gleefully when the Liberal leader talked about leadership It was a new who emerged at that fighting field marshal now appearing be Just Itching for a fight confident that oil he painstaking detail in his over all battle plan will carry him through Sounding a bit like Lord Montgomery he even suggested that victory has already been ordained In heaven Our cause is good We are not afraid There will be difficulties I am offering no promised land Then he went on declare lhat it would lead his troops a final victory I think It is written in heaven that how it will happen Former supporters of Gamcatl many of them openly critical of methodical Ryan during the last few monlhs were on heir feet cheering now And this apparent display of unity was not mere window dressing II permeated and convention backroom where disunity normally thrives mid one Libera party hid followed with more serious That would hive off a wove of giggling within he Parti Instead Claude provided a surprising demonstration of his leader ship abilities And his troops responded with a display of loyalty for Quebec liberalism It remains to be seen how Ryan and his will perform against Ihe forces in actual battle But Ihe federalists clearly have more reasons for optimism than they did just a week ago CO OPERATION VITAL A good many Quebec federalists had been worried about convention since It came so soon after crippling of the Committee This committee established to meet Quebec government requirements that one umbrella group coordinate the finances of the federalist forces for the referendum could never expect happy cooperation from seven political parties and seven citizens groups It s often difficult get such cooperation from one political party And it likely that Rene Levesque Parti government thought of this when decided that one umbrella group must be established for each side In the referendum battle While the problems of the ProCanada Committee are not umbrcl la group will be reconstitutedlt would have been considered disastrous if the WILLIAM EVDOKIMOFF Publish General MICHAEL Editor LARRY MARTIN Advertising Sales Phone 877 Haltons History From our files WIDENING THIRTY YEARS Board or Transport Commissioners held a hearing in the office yesterday on the John Street subway case in which the town represented by counsel J Amup of Toronto ind of George town presented their case in which Ihey claim the Railways Is responsible for widening the subway ease Res on whether the roadway or he ij wis hire first and he CNR the mini on that the r wis there before iny road Cirrolls store this week fealurcd iffce r cents a pound head lettuce for certs ahead Heinz baby food three tins for Sockcye salmon for 23 cents a tin soup two tins for cents and two one pound packages of margirme for 03 cents Lints says Nowadays it s no trick all i visit to the folks home on the farm Over thousands of miles of Ontario highways fast and modern buses provide frequent and con lenient service to the farm gate It mud to Chicago is 50 to Los Winnipeg HO and to I- Mil- ACOTwo main buildings ihc Camp were eompletelv destroyed early Tuesday morning when fire of unkown origin swept through aided by heavy winds exploding tanks of oil and propane gas The loss will run in the neighborhood of 5O0 Every available truck fireman booster pump and heavy hose line was rushed to the blaze which broke out il a and rucd out of control for four hours as firemen Ira led on same the surrounding build A sixty gallon drum of oil and a drum of propane gas stored behind them unbuilding exploded within seconds of e Two Georgetown district boys were nisi intly killed when their ear and two to ton iv el were in collision early during i heavy fog two miles of on Highway 10 The son of Mr and Mrs Itoj Smith and Willi Walker 111 son Mr and Mrs Cecil Walker of Harry Middleton 35 of loronto of one of the dump Irueks said the car suddenly out of Ihe heavy fog He wos uninjured is wis Daniel Rogers- of M was following northward in other truck tt iv son of Mr and Mrs l 15 Victoria Ave was pre suited with his Queen Scout certificate by the Governor of Ontario Hon J Keller at a ceremony at on where 125 scouts from all over Ontario received similar Hit SOLD cattle of them registered Guernseys perished when a bam owned by was burned lo the The firm known as Farm is located Just north of the new Hornby estimated it 100 n fire which started at J m Among the cattle lost in the fire were bulls which won Grand the Royal Winter Fair in Don newly hired golf professional at North Golf and Country Club on Maple Avenue has just returned a winter season as golf and sports director on a Cdrribenn Cruise ship out of New York Last year he was leaching professional and assistant to a former North Hilton pro of Country Club in Downsview Tern General Store has id binds Mr ind Mrs Walter Red will he the new proprietors as of Miy I Mr will assume Ihe duties of postmaster as well An spawned by a group of Georgetown high school students has received Ihc okay from board of due supervisor Lavender and Silurd the school s first student operated drop in centre opened its doors litre enables students and their guests to use the cafeteria for discussion chess cards and record playing Organizers will itso feature attraction from time to night council decided to back the federation of Mayors and Reeves any Bell Telephone rile increase They approved a to be paid by the vinous municipalities The cost w is based on third per capita IK TO RFSUME ON AGOThe possibility exists of organized opposition in Hills toward implementation of prcli proposes for the Niagara Escarp ment Several area landowners attended a meeting of the Niagara Escarpment Central Ratepayers Association Thurs day learn what efforts have been made by lindowncrs north of Hills through Duffenn Simcoe Grey and Bruce Counties Hilton Police were called to a break in at Harrison Public School which occurred overnight Sunday and resulted in considerable mess but only minor damage to the building Vandals stole some money ransacked desk draw em poured fluorescent correcting liquid on a desk and public address system and threw black stencil ink about the school office They also took fruit juice from the refrigerator in the staff lounge and splashed It about room and painted obscenities on chalkboards and floors November has been set as the date for resumption of Ontario Municipal Board hearings Into the matter between Hills and Focal Properties The hearings were adjourned last November after Focal Properties a subsidiary S McLaughlin Associates presented its arguments on why it should be allowed to proceed with construction of 1 homes of Silver Creek