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Wednesday, January 20, 2010 Orono Weekly Times - 5 photo supplied On December 13, 2009, local firefighters and friends helped to raise 2200 lbs. of food and $282.00 for the local food bank. Pictured are: Front row - Kyle Mercer, Richard Griffin, Ken Rivers. Second row - Brent Pollock, Mike McKelvie, Dave Forrester, Mike Heeney, Jeff Bugden, Martin Trachsler, Bradley Lauzon, Mike DiLella, Harold Lamers. Third row - Jason Mercer, Norm Tillson. Back row - Aaron Robinson. Ratepayers seek to rid village of eye sore The Newcastle Ratepayers feel the two boarded up houses on the east end of town are an eyesore and they want something done with them. The Newcastle/Bond Head Ratepayers Association passed a resolution at their January meeting, held Monday night in the Lions Den, recommending the development of these two properties. They will send a letter to the Municipality of Clarington with their recommendation, that if a suitable development is proposed for the two properties, the municipality support the proposal and expedite the development. Myno Vandyke explained to the group that the two houses are owned by different developers. The home at 483 King Avenue East, known as the Wallbridge House, was built in 1819 and is the oldest home in east Durham on its original foundation. The Newcastle and District Historical Society succeeded in getting the home designated as a historically significant home under the Ontario Heritage Act in 2007, but nothing has been done to the property since. VanDyke explained the developer who owns the building is not interested in doing anything with the property that is going to cost money. With the heritage designation on the home, VanDyke explained the owner can not have the home demolished without going through a lengthy process. "I can't conceive that a building can be declared a `historical building' and doesn't have to be kept up," Ratepayer Chair Art Wynn said. The group unanimously adopted the resolution, which will be forwarded on to Clarington council. Before the meeting closed, Ratepayer Carl Goode asked members to attend the public meeting at Clarington Town Hall on February 1st, regarding the new Shoppers Drug Mart development planned for the corner of King and Mill Streets. Goode wanted the group to send a strong message to the developer that they won't be satisfied with a big box store development at the main intersection of the village. Shoppers has built structures that are in keeping with the historical character of other downtowns, and Goode says there is no reason they can't do the same in Newcastle. The public meeting begins at 9:30 a.m. Mayor Jim Abernethy was the guest speaker at Monday's meeting. He gave an overview of the year the was in Clarington, and also looked ahead. Clarington has a bright future he said. While the new nuclear project for the Darlington site has been stalled, it has not been cancelled, and he feels positive that the province will go ahead with the new reactors for that site. He warned ratepayers that tax increases are larger the year after an election, and said, "I trust that will be the case in 2011," this being an election year. The Newcastle/Bond Head Ratepayers Association meet on the 4th Monday of every month in the Lion's Den at the Newcastle Community Centre. Meetings begin at 7:30 p.m. and everyone is welcome. reliable · responsible · recyclable YOUR OFFICE SUPPLY STORE INKJETS · LASER · RIBBON CARTRIDGES COPY & PRINT CENTER 410 TORONTO ST., NEWCASTLE · 905-987-4781