The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

Üf 5 . fslxïifiÀ ' vmm ■.y////-/.-:"' ■ÿy::>:Æ:t WÏY&ïiï •XvX'//Xv!v îlïiSsi Delivered j Free of Charge to 18,000 Homes in Clarington from The Publishers of Œ&t Cattabiatt ^ ta Usman , ÏÆ-XW Y/YYY.'.-Y.y/.r mm üii iiiiii Mi> Kg®: Region to Save $400,000 The 911 telephone emergency system is going to go provincewide, provincewide, with help from Bell Canada customers. If Bell Canada gets a favorable ruling from the Canadian Radio and Telecommunications Commission, (CRTC) it will charge household customers a monthly fee of 32 cents per phone line for the 911 service. This will be a savings to Durham Regional government coffers. If Bell Canada takes over the costs of the 911 system, Durham will save $400,000 per year. When this idea was first introduced introduced to municipal councils, it was estimated that the service would only cost Region residents 25 cents per customer, said Clarington Regional Regional Councillor Ann Dreslinski. The disadvantage of allowing Bell Canada to take over the Public Emergency Report System is that there will be a "loss of control," at the regional level, said Councillor Dreslinski. "However, a 911 Provincial Advisory Advisory Board has been established by the Association of Municipalities of Ontario," she told The Independent Independent on Thursday, Jan. 20. Inspector Derrick Denson, of Durham Region Police Services, will be representing the Ontario Chiefs of Police on the advisory Board. It is because of representation by the Durham Region and the savings to the taxpayers that the Durham Regional councillors voted in favor of Bell Canada's proposal, said Councillor Dreslinski. Councillors Discuss Merits of by Laura J. Richards A report recommending the formation formation of an environmental advisory advisory group for Clarington has been delayed delayed until all Clarington councillors are available to review the document. Local environmental groups will also be asked to comment on the idea of forming an environmental committee which would represent all of Clarington. Some questions were raised by councillors at the General Purpose and Administration Committee meeting on Monday, Jan. 17, when the proposal for an environmental committee was outlined in a report from municipal staff. One of the GP&A members who commented on the report was Councillor Councillor -David Scott. He said he was happy to see the recommendation. "I am pleased to see the report after after a two-year wait," said Councillor Scott. "I know it wasn't an easy report report to write." Planning Director Frank Wu told committee members the report focused focused on environmental groups, rather than ratepayer organizations. Councillor Mary Novak was unsure unsure of what the report was getting at. "It is not clear to me. I don't know how it fits in. The mandate should be explained. "Will the other groups be dismantled? dismantled? Will the Port Granby - Newcastle Environmental Committee Committee be dissolved?" Within the report, under the section section entitled 'mandate,' a number of actions were proposed. These indicated indicated that the proposed committee would fulfill the following roles: • Advising council through rec- . ommendations on environmental issues, issues, including major development applications. • Undertaking environmental projects projects such as an environmental fair and waste reduction projects. • Performing a public education role regarding environmental issues; and • Reporting directly to Council on a regular basis. The Clarington Council would also dismantle the existing Port Granby Environmental Committee, under the proposal outlined in Monday's Monday's report The document recommended the 11 to 13 members of the Environment Environment Advisory Committee be volunteers, volunteers, citizens or property owners in Clarington. The committee would include two council members, but they would not be allowed to vote or chair the committee. Before the discussion heated up, Acting Mayor Larry Hannah told committee members the group the municipality is looking at may just be a duplication. He said the Durham Regional To Page 3 Volunteer Wall of Fame Unveiled During Levee • v . aMKuvnM % Aw:mwxvxvx»x>w::.:.:...yxx<<w\\<^\v.v;\\^-Avz:^>v::;vK^ A novel way of honoring local volunteers was unveiled Sunday, January 16th, at the Mayor's New Year's Levee at the Town Hall. The Municipality of Clarington Volunteer Wall of Fame, seen above as revealed by Councillor Ann Dreslinski and Mayor Diane Harare, features the engraved engraved names of individuals who have donated many years of charitable service to the community. Tie unit will be displayed at major events honoring volunteers. The names of 12 deserving citizens, citizens, nominated by their particular service organizations, are already inscribed on the Wall of Fame. (See story page 3.) A& P Maxi Drug Graham's IGA* (Indicates partial distribution) * For information about inserting flyers in The Independent, please contact our office at 623-3303 Despite a drop of over $11 million million from last year's budget, the Northumberland and Newcastle Board of Education could be facing a local mill rate increase in 1994 of "anywhere between two and six per cent," said the board's assistant superintendent, superintendent, Gord Savage. Savage was speaking at the board's first budget meeting held on Tuesday, January 18. Both Savage and Ron Sudds, superintendent superintendent of business for the board, predict continuing cuts in provincial grants. This means the local public school tax rate could rise, despite the cutbacks in spending. spending. The preliminary portrait of the 1994 budget shows expenditures of about $141 million, compared to $152.7 million in 1993. The reasons for the decrease include: include: •The elimination of new capital projects, which means a $9 million decrease from 1993. •$117,000 in savings from the reorganization reorganization or senior staff. •Savings of $130,000. the balance balance of the new staggered school hours school bus project. •The impact of the social contract savings of $2.6 million. •Other personnel-related changes of about $752,000. Excluding capital projects, the ed because of the new "Transition board managed to cut spending by Years" program. Also needed are about $3 million in the last year, other new textbooks or materials as But, about $600,000 of that is wiped well as replacement and repairs for out by the application of the provin- such things as computers and musi- cial sales tax to employee benefits cal instruments, and by the new unemployment insurance insurance benefit increases. A further The next budget meeting is Feb- $800,000 goes to debentures. ruary 8. It will focus on the board's At last night's budget meeting, new, five-year computer plan. Other secondary and elementary school budget dates are February 16, Feb- principals requested a total of ruary 23, March 22, March 30 and $181,000 for new school materials. April 6. The public is welcome to They said these are especially need- attend. Municipality Wjl[ Promote Commercial Activity Clarington Mayor has High Hopes for 1994 by Lorraine Manfredo Mayor Diane Hamre is predicting 1994 will be a "great year" for Clarington. Clarington. In her noon-hour address to members of the Oshawa and District Chamber of Commerce last Tuesday, Tuesday, she said: "Our time has come." The group of business leaders was assembled at the Bowmanville Recreation Complex for the Mayor's Mayor's Luncheon. Mayor Hamre, who says she is planning to seek re-election in 1994, spoke for almost half an hour, reviewing reviewing the current council's track record. That record includes improving improving local green space, shopping districts, districts, and services. She expressed optimism about aggressive plans to promote the town through the newly-created newly-created Economic Development office. In the months ahead, town staff will make public the new Official Plan, which the mayor says should allow businesses more flexibility in To Page 2