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,, *nsflr 8 Orono Weekly Times, Wednesday, Mardi 4, 1998 Kîrby School holds success fui Pancake Supper Congratulations to irby Centennial Public School on their successfül Pancake Supper last Tuesday, February 24. Over 250 people enjoyed pancakes anid sausage along with balloon animais from our guest clown. A special thank you to our sponsors for making this event the success it was: Golden Griddle, Arrnstrong's IGA, Ross Winters Catering, Ganaraska Leather, Orono Fire Fîghters Association. Harris Family, Woods Family, Robinson Family, Therteli Family, Ernpey Farnily, Trouse FamiÉly. (Newcastle Optimus) and our many volunteers The Chefs and waiters for the supper were from left to riglit: Mr. Ross Winters, Paul and Jeif and Mr. John Witheridge. FROM PARLIAMEN» HILL Alex Shepherd So the budget is balanced. It's a feat thiat has taken over 30 years to accomplish. Imagine if you didn't pay your mortgage for 30 years and contlnued to keep adding to it. Well you probably wouldn't own your house today. And that's preclsely why lt's so important that we get our fiscal problems under control. Take a moment and exam- ine the nuance of the budget figures. You realize that bal- anclng the books has been less a success of predeter- mined policy and more the result of a number of coinci- dences. Because international financial people believed we would put our fiscal house in order Canadians now enjoy lower interest rates. I arn cer- taini everyone in Durham that 1 has refinariced their rnortgage recently uriderstarids how this has assisted us ti tacreasing our real disposable tacome. Mike Harris and his side- icek Ernie Eves night think 1 lt's cute to attack the federal goverriment for not fully restoring healthcare funding. But everyorie knows there is only one taxpayer and every level of govenment has to be part of the solution. If Mike Harris and Ernie Eves didn't reduce taxes for the highest icorne earners they too could have had a bal- anced budget. But they have differenit priorities. Their priority was to cut taxes by 30 per cent i turn reduclng their owri revenues by $4.S billion. That's money that could have been used for healthcare or, as 1 said, bal- ancirig their budget. I must say I'm not above criticlzirig the budget process. The books are balanced, in part, because Canadians are taxed to death. Canadians are one of the hlghest personally taxed people ini the OECD. Indeed i the last budget the icrease i revenue from al forms of taxes was over $7 billion or 5.6 per cent com- pared to the prevlous year. Program spending actually tacreased. Anid now we want to use th e concept of debt ratio to Gross Domestlc Product, which you will hear more about in the future, as a tool to measure the success of debt reduction targets. If you add the provincial figures - which every financial analyst does - the debt ratio to GDP is stili over 100 per cent. We were led to believe you had to reduce the total debt. Now we are being told this is irrelevant. In other words as long as the economny is expanding the relative impor- tance of the total debt will be dimlnlshed. 0f course this is true If the economy continues- to expand, and, if a recession doesn't occur (note we have gorie through one of the longest expansion periods ever). A two percentage point iricrease in interest rates would totally wipe out any of the so called gains Canadians have made. I brought Bank of Canada Governor, Gordon Thiessen, to Parliament Hill last week c Vsual Arts FOURTEENTH ANNUAL WINTER'S IARVEST The Visual Arts Centre of Claringtor i s pleased to announce the award winners for Winter's Harvest 1998, annualjuried craft exhibition. They are: BEST IN SHOW - Jo-Anne Critchley Browne, for Waiting for Dinmer, sterling silver and 14K gold pin, constructed and die forrned. Ontario Crafts Council DESIGN AWARD - Orna Gang. foi To Touch Light, cot- ton wall hanging, double weaving in multl-coloured complex shading (using 36 colours, each one in 10 dif- ferent values) celebrates the humanity of people. "The theme arises from a car acci- dent ti which my family was lnvolved, when complete strangers sprang to our assis- tance." CREATIVITY AWARD: Shelley Gibbs, for Egg Basket, made with steel and leather. BEST USE 0F MEDIUM: Leanne Ryan, Old Growth Snail (ceramic) MAYOR'S AWARD: Craig Kombargi, for Raclng Fin, hall table and mnirror to speak to members of my EconoilieDevelopment Caucus about the importance of fiscal restraint. Thiessen said you cannot pick absolute numbers like a prescrlbed debt to GDP per- centage. Why? Because when economie turmoil- starts you better be in the middle of the pack rather than traillng everyorie else. Its just coin-, mon sense and good advlce. Ail goverriments, federal and provincial, have to con- tinue attacklng the actual debt numnbers until it is abso- lutely under control. After al ratios, like sand, on the beach, rise and fali with the tide. SFARM & GARDEN LTD.M JOHN DEERE SALES & SERVICE Now offerin g... Automotive-& Light Truck Repairs!, For FREE ESTIMATES eall Helmut Taunton Road - ORONO 983-9119 3242 Tauniton Rd. E. Orono* Hours: Monday to Friday 8-5* Saturday 8-Noori Centre News EXCELLENCE: Jane Dixon, for Pond (two plece dress) Each year the exhibition features examples from a multitude of crafi disciplines such as dlay, glass. wood and metal work. paper maklng, fibre art, basketry, and more. The juror for 1998 is Susan Low-Beer, an instructor at the Ontario College of Art, and well known for her dlay sculpture, which can be seen at Prime Gallery, Toronto. Cash and other awards are generously provided by com- munity sponsors Janet Coates, Ruth Sedgewlck, the Mayor's office, Munlcipality of Clarington. the Ontario Crafts Council, and White Rose. UKRAINIAN CULTURAL SHOWCASE In addition to the juried component of Winter's Harvest, there will be a exhi- bition of historical and con- temporary Ukrainian pottery from the collection of Martha Jaclw, and a lecture series: "Regiorial Differences in Ukrainlan Art" with Martha Jaciw, collector and former owrier of Durham Fine Art Gallery Thursday March 26, 7 p.m.: "The Art of William Kurelek" with Brian Smylski, Director/Curator, Art Gallery of Niagara Falls, March 11, 7 p.m.; Iconic Art" with Father Gregory Mielnik from St. John's Ukralnlan Orthodox Church, April 2, 7 p.m. and a Psyanky workshop (Easter egg decorating) at the VAC March 14, 1 p.m. with Anma Chromej. And then . . . . Grand Finale Art Tour on Saturday April 4 begins at Lviv Hall in Oshawa and tacludes: *gulded tour of St. John Ukrainiari Orthodox Church and St. Georges Ukrainian Cathollc Church, * Ukrainian Food, * Sokoly, Odessa, and Lviv dance troupes, * exhibition of crafts at Lviv Hall.