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4 - Orono Weekly Times Wednesday, February 25, 2009 PHILLIPPE Continued from page 2 many hockey families here in town and, as such, we spend a lot of time at our local arena. When our boys finished on the ice on their first Friday out, we were made aware of the fact that the arena staff and a previous coach had decided to pay tribute to our daughter (along with another member of the hockey community who died tragically in the fall) by painting their initials at centre ice. It was the last thing we would have expected, and yet it gives us great joy each time we go to the arena. To know that someone who we love so much is being remembered by the community as a whole is quite overwhelming. So we would like to say thank-you to all of you who make up this wonderful community. Your thoughts and prayers have been felt and greatly appreciated by our entire family. Without the support that we have received by people like you, and the strength that God has given us, we could not have navigated through the difficult task of continuing to live and move forward for the sake of the rest of our children. We will love our daughter forever. We will hold her in our hearts and remember her everyday, and we will also always remember how "Orono" stood by us when we had to say good-bye to her. With heartfelt appreciation, Louise & Greg Phillippe (and Mathieu, Daniel, Abigail, Noah & Gabriel) Proud Orono Residents we had the 11th as a holiday, more families could come together to show their respect for those who have served and are still serving... Parents who normally would be working could take the time to show their children a good example by taking time to Remember... Also, I think the children seeing the veterans and service people at the cenotaphs brings it home to them why we are there! Should we put together a petition to have this looked into by our men/women in Parliament? We can wear red every Friday to show we are Supporting Our Troops now serving, but we in Ontario certainly need to look into the importance of November 11th and have something done about it now. In Comradeship, Jim Connell Wilmot Creek HOLIDAY Continued from page 2 definitely should have more respect than Family Day. I realize Remembrance Day is recognized in some provinces, so why not in Ontario? With our Dominion capital being in Ottawa, Ontario, it would seem we should logically have November 11th as a statutory holiday. We find each year more people are coming out to the cenotaph services, but these are either a group of school children with teachers or retired and elderly persons. If photo supplied Grade six student Chantel Remy (left) and grade three student Bethany Vander Weer represented Orono Public School at the Royal Canadian Legion Public Speaking Competition held on Sunday at Branch 178 in Bowmanville. Bethany placed second in the Grades 1, 2, 3 category. BUDGET Continued from front page from Regional Councillors on the new budget, and following Pearce's brief synopsis outlining the budget highlights, council voted 25 -1 (with two members absent) to approve the 2009 Regional budget. Following the vote, Regional Chair Roger Anderson thanked Pearce and her committee and staff for bringing in the new budget. "Some of us have been in this room a long time," Anderson stated, "but I don't ever remember a budget being passed without one question." He credited the budgetary guidelines, that council put in last fall, for the smooth passage of this year's budget. Last November, Council approved a 2009 budget increase guideline of four percent The 2.2 percent increase in the Region's 2009 budget will be an increase of $47 for the owner of an average-priced home of $289,000 in the Region of Durham. At the end of January, Clarington passed their 2009 budget with a 2.35 percent tax increase, which represents an additional $22.79 for the average priced Clarington home.