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Ctribbon for new fire hall in Orono new Orono Fire Hal Ilîeî Rioss Mercer, district tire tlie, chief did the honours iast Fri- and dIav afternoin cuttinv.the rIUmonI 10!the1VUiciai .1openi- ing of the new tire hall in Orono. There was a good atten- dacne to view, the impressive On Friday aFternoon, February 24(h the Town of Newcastle officially opened the new ire station No. 3 on Main Street North, Orono with an excellent nunber of local citizens present. It is an impressive building with the modern features of a tire station housing presently the fire pumper and the tanker truck and as well hav- ing the facility to accom- modate a further two trucks. The tire station also in- cOudes a fire chief's office, a control roomn, an instruction- meeting room, a utlitlity room and as well facilities for hose drying. Counc. Ted Woodyard chaired the officiai opening stating the building was a credit to the community and town. Hle also spoke of the dedication fo the fire fighters and the part they have played in the community on a volunteer basis. Rev. A. Haldenby dedicated the building and its facilities to the citizens of the ctmmun"ltY. Others commnenting at the ceremonies were Peter Elberlee of Totten Sim Hubicki, a representative of Elîren Con- struction -Ltd, Gary Herrema, chairman of the Region of Durham and A. Aikens of the Ontario Fire M'arshall's Office. Mayor Rickard said the building was a long time corn- ing and the decision was not an easy one for council. He said however' time marches on and changes do corne. He stated the building was a memnorial to those who in- itiated tire protection services in Orono and here mentioexed Harry Mercer and Gordon Watson. The Mayor spoke of the voôlunteer spirit of the tire fighters and paid tribute to retired tire chief Jimn Hayman who lived and breathed tire departmnent for the Town pof Newcastle. He said the responsibîlity for tire protec- tion was the sole responsibili- (Continued page 2) FPorest centre future up to "Task Force" -onrate now shows decreaseToagi Towiiconsîder Town council on Monday nigW is usseci thxe budgetini open meeting and through a number of skirmishes made further cuts that has brought the mil! rate about oneý-third of a milI below that of 1983. Councs. Hlobbs and -Hubo- bard presenited -amotion tisat wiould reduce the budget by $IO0,000 by deletinig this amnount that was to have gone into a reserve to meet com- mnitments to Mernorial Hospital, the Bowmanville arena and other capital costs in the future. The motion gained the support of mhe ma- jority of council and reduced the increase of 2.68 milîs to a 0.1i mili increase. Counc. Hobbs said he had been informed the surplus from 1983 had risen to $475,000. He contended that council had over-budgeted in 1983 andI he glso stated that aIl counicil memibers were welI aware of padding in the 1984 budget. Counc. Hamre took accep- tion to the statement of over- padding and stated if council was not prepared for the coming capital expenditures ratepayers would be facing huge increases in the future. "You may look good in the eyes of the ratepayers to-day but what of the future huge increases" she said. Councs. Hubbard and Woodyard then presented a motion to cut $ 16,250 fromt an account for legai fees for use in 0MB hearings, and possible hearing-s for the comprehenisive b-]wand the district plan. Counc. Hubbard said il was t-e responsibility of the Bowmanville Mail and the BowmianiiIe Dý)w\niown businessmnen tb fight Ithe Pythbow developmieni and nloi tha! of (he To\wn. Shec was alIso critical of the amo.Uni of dvlpetin the Town and the loss of new assessment. Counic. Taylor and Hamnre noted the mnajor devetopment off the comnprehiensilve by-law and the district plan which they stated would Iikely ire- quire legal assistance andI felt the budgeted amount of $19,000 should remain in the budget. The deletion of the $ 16,500 went down to defeat with on- iy Councs. H-obbs and Hub- bard voting in favour of the deletion. Councs. Hamre and Taylor then moved that council in- clude an additional $15,000 for the Town Library board to assist with the protection of the new furnace in the Bowmnanville Library. Hamire ~sae f thiS was 10 notiuded in Ëte budget the board would have to take the funds from their regular budget of wvhich they were already short by $25,0",. Counc. Hobbs stated hie w,ýanted tîo be consistent and that council had granted the ibr-aryý board anit ncrease of 10.6 percent. The motion to increase the library grant went down to defeat. A motion by Councs. Cowmnan and Hlobbs to delete $10,0(M from the contingency funid was approved by the mnajority of counicil. As a resuit of the act:ions of couincil ratepayers are to be faced with a m-il rate, less in 1984 than in 1983 by about one-third of a iil. Ganaraska set budget has 1983 deficit The Ganaraska Region Conservation Authority held their annual meeting last Thursday afternoon, review- ing 1983 projects, electiiig of- ficers and setting the final budget for 1984. Gerry Houston was return- ed chairman of the Authority' for another-year withPauline Storks of Newcastle elected, vice-chairman. Marilyni McHolm was elected chairmnan of the Natural Resources Advisory Board; Ted Woodyard, chIairmian of the Conserva- tion Areas Advisory Board; Charlotte Clay, chairmnan of thie Education andI Informa- tion Comititee; andI Polly Edadchairmnan of the Finance Commrittee. Gerry Houston in openling the mneeting outined that the main emphasis of the authority durînig the year had been the establishment of the Watershed Plan and the beginning of construction on the Port Hope Flood Control Project. He noted that the results of the channelîzation (Continued page 2) Pytlbow cro posai Twvo Notice of Motions wilbring the Pythbow developmnent proposaI back to the coprncil table within the next tIwo wes Council somietime ago turnei-d aside a proposai to allow the Pythbow proposai of dev eloping a major shopp- ing centre in the southi.-wNest corner ot Bowmnanviite. The proposai \vas defeated by a one vote imajoriýtY Of coUncil. Both Counces. Woodyard and Hubbard presented the notices of motion which wili likely be considered on March l2th, [lie next regular meeting of council. It was noted that Pythbow has signed a financial agree- ment with the Region f'or ser- vices in the area. As well these services are to,.aliow further development which Counc. Hubbard said are needed in the Town. Counce. Hubbard also stated that the Bowmanville Mail has not been able to at- tract a junior department store over the past number of years and said the Region has invested $20 million in water and sewers in the Bowmnan- ville area which would ac- commodate new deveiop- ment. Woodyard wins bis point Counc. Woodyard has won his point as to the leality of the special public meeting called by Mayor Rickard with the ratepayers of the Town to discUss re-assessmient. Woodyard left the February 2th public meeting :in protest stating the meeting in its entirity was ottof-order. His departure came just prior to council voting on the issue of' re-assessmtent. Woodyard this Mý/onday stated that a motion to reconsider had to be deait with at the meeting at Miich the mnotion was made and thiýs had flot happened. Mayor ickar-d agreed thai dealing wthe i motion hlad been out oIJ order but thiat it was no ihistory and there w\as nIo purpose in prolonIguig the issue. The Ganaraska Region Conservation Authority hias set up a Task Force which will consider the future of the Ganaraska Forest Centre in the ninth concession of Hope Township which has been providing a residential pro- gram for mainly public .schciol children fromr.both the immediate area and from other centres in the district. The Task Force came about due to budget cuts by the Authority which will have an effeet on the Forest Cen- tre. The Authority, at its ant- nual meeting, supported a proposai that wjil affect the position of at least three em.ployees at the For-est Cen- tre following the expiring of existing contract in June 1984. The Authority hias given notice that these three Positions are not to be filled corne September and for the remnainder of the year. The Forest Centre present- ly employs five employees plus two cooks to carry out the duties of the residential educationai program which in 1983 saw 1516 students ac- commîodated. The Centre also accomnmodated 1480 youngsters fromt such as Scouts and Guides on a weekend basis along with 1779 through their daypro- gramn where, students attend only for a day program dur- ing school hours. Six hundred also attended the famrily pro- grams which were offered. Counc.- Diane Hamre of Ward Three, Town of Newvcastle, hieads up the Task Force. Other members of the (Continued page 2) Srudents aithtfe I-ines hour long programn which had Senior Public Sehool had a al inientive. real treat last Thursday moi- The niereniation was also ning ,whien thleTageFo ilaplressive [îhrough the use of gouIp fromi Toron(o slidcs, a nuînber)CTot shor it presenîted ,"Mosq1'iiIos anîd songs. MuIidhoies and Reheis", an (Con1mîîuwî pI e2)