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h I • SINCE 1854 • AMALGAMATED 1999 WITH CLARINGTON THIS WEEK 38 Pages Wednesday, December 13, Eagles slip in standings Sports, page B1 . Optional 4 week delivery $5/$l newsstand Maxima celebrates 20 years Wheels pullout Survey will help convince Province to let Clarington remain as is: mayor Clarington residents BY JACQUIE MclNNES Staff Writer CLARINGTON - If you live in Clarington, chances are you feel pretty good about it, have a strong sense of community, feel safe in your neighbourhood and are generally satisfied with the service you're getting from .your local government. In fact, according to a survey conducted by the municipality this year, 94 per cent of Clarington Clarington residents would agree "Clarington "Clarington is a great place to live." The survey results are based on 637 households which replied to questions sent by the municipality municipality to homes throughout Clar ington. That's a three per cent response response rate which, says the survey survey committee chairman Mark Berney, is high enough to give an accurate picture. "The survey results are up to 1,000 times more accurate than polls taken during the recent (federal) (federal) election," he suggested Monday morning during a presentation presentation of the results to council. Among the findings of thc : survey, the committee discovered: discovered: • 81 per cent of respondents agreed, "There is a strong sense of community where I live" with the most enthusiastic support coming from Orono, where 90 per cent of respondents agreed m :j y v " ■ : ^ - "-a ■. 1 '. • r •' v»v7 "V,, y ; y^ : JfV-.iiUff:."■ v. .. ■ y&'y k-, ■. •• , V : ■' V'.^. »&;;:■ ,asfca TvX;s::; . ;.;y •- 4 ^T -'U' .' v 4 r- 1 -, y- yfy- T',,, :^:yyff\yyy;>r- ■ 4'"' f ■ y 4,:, "" 4'4y k.'y.y' _y„,^ ;; yfy? i'~i . ■ :>■ '.yly : ' - v, '4' ' ■■"'Pr.-vi'--'"' ■ _ ; __y *: V'v- ; WALTER PASSARELLA/Statesman photo rig out BOWMANVILLE - Clearing out the snow from a driveway on Waverley Road, are, from left, Taylor Bartley, Jorden Brownell, Dawn Brownell and Dakota Brownell. For details on Old Man Winter's attack, see our story on page A3. Newcastle taxes: Under $10 aye; 1888 tax roll returned to village paints life in the 19th century BY JACQUIE MclNNES St tiff Writer NEWCASTLE - A thousand thousand words is worth a picture as the NevVcastle Historical Society Society recently discovered when an 1888 tax roll was returned to the town after more than 100 years. The book, yellow and fraying fraying with age, its pages filled with the notations of a tax collector's collector's accounts, is offering the village a rare glimpse of life before before the turn of the century. "It gives you a really good picture of what was happening in the village at that time," says Ron Locke, the society's president. president. The book gives an economic economic snapshot as well as the occupations of the villagers and the land use at the time. "These books were the personal personal property of the person who collected the taxes," explains explains Ken Stephenson, a director director of the Historical Society's board. Although there is a book for every year for many towns and villages of the 19th century, the books arc rare because "once all bills were paid who needed it?" points out Mr. Stephenson. Written in precise and stylish penmanship rarely seen in modern modern record keeping are the stories stories of the village. The record lists occupations of the property owners which read like the characters from Road to Avon- lea, including coal dealer, carpenter, carpenter, livery stable keeper, shoemaker, minister, weaver, hotel keeper, undertaker, merchant, merchant, baker, dentist and, repeat edly, farmer. "As far as placement of the buildings go in the village, it didn't change much until after the Second World War from the boom time in the 1870s," Mr. Locke says. What did change dramatically dramatically through time was the tax assessment assessment of the village. In 1888 the entire tax collection of the village totalled $3,703.73. The majority of land values ranged from $200 to $500 with the majority majority of tax levies falling under $10. Even a wealthy landowner could expect to pay less than $40. While these taxes seem impossibly impossibly minuscule by today's standards, Mr. Stephenson is quick to point out, services were not exactly stellar either. "There was no copper wire then and no indoor plumbing. Regardless of how rich they were the technology just wasn't there." The tax records were returned returned to Newcastle by an Ottawa Ottawa area resident, Gertrude Bean, who found the book among personal possessions which had travelled with her family across Canada and back over the past century. It was fortunate and somewhat somewhat surprising the book still existed, notes Mr. Locke, who goes back to the old adage, "One man's junk is another man's treasure." He says often when people are cleaning up estates estates after a relative has died, they unknowingly throw out significant pieces of history in ^4^ ■. ■ „ rvices and the least support coming from Courtice, where only 70 per cent of respondents agreed; • the services which received the highest satisfaction rating on the quality of delivery were: the See AND page A2 note RON PIETRONIRO/ Statesman photo NEWCASTLE - Ron Locke, president of tlte Newcastle Historical Historical Society, looks over a 1SSS Newcastle tax roll recently recently returned to the village by an Ottawa resident who found the book among her family possessions. Most people paid tax levies of under $10 annually in ISSS. which may not seem useful but which, like the Collector's Roll, could actually help unravel the secrets of the past. the form of old papers or relies. The Historical Society would welcome any donations of old papers or other belongings BY BRAD KELLY Sports Editor Pete Campbell is going to live out every hockey fan's childhood dream in January, when he takes to the ice during a Toronto Maple Leafs hockey game at the Air Canada Centre. While he won't patrol the wing on the top line with Mats Sundiit or be sent out by coach Pat Quinn in the final minute to score a goal, his role in the game will be significant. The. Newtonville resident has been selected from more than 1,000 hopefuls to sing the national anthem at a game in January. Although he doesn't know - which game it will be, the 44-, year-old says "it doesn't matter. matter. Whatever game they call me for 1 will be there. I'm just tickled pink they are giving me the opportunity." Mr. Campbell's story is similar similar to those of hockey players who advance to the NHL against all odds. He has never taken a music or voice lesson. His training included included singing along to the songs of his favourite band, The Beatles. And prior to the audition for the gig with the Maple Leafs, his only other experience experience singing the Canadian national anthem or Star Spangled Spangled Banner were at the junior hockey arenas of Port Hope, Cobourg and Boxvmanville. In fact, when he went for the final audition, he questioned whether he belonged in the Inside âtattf man WHERE TO FIND IT Editorial Page A4 Sports B1 Classified B9 Entertainment B13 GIVE US A CALL General 623-3303 Distribution .. .579-4407 Death Notices 1-905- 683-3005 Sincerely Yours 1-800-662-8423 Web site durhamnews.net E-mail judi.bobbitt® durhamnews.net FAX 623-6161 ' PETE CAMPBELL - To sing national anthe.m- at Maple Leafs game- : saine room as some of tHe'tal- èht that was assembled. ' ' "I walked into the ACC and •saw all the Stanley Clip banners banners and pictures of the players and thought, what am I doing here? y'f. ' V. "They asked me what key I sing in. I said T don't know, j'm not a musician or professional professional singer.'" I.... Mr. Campbell, where ,not ' moonlighting as a singer, works at the front desk of Pickering's Pickering's 19 Division of Durham Regional Police, and as a part- time dispatch for the Cobourg police service. It was at the urging of a friend that he answered answered an ad and made the trek to a ballet studio in Toronto for the first audition. Because 1,000 people turned up "we Sec SINGING page A2 c ,ySc4_ w G * ONTARIO'S DRIVE CLEAN ACCREDITED TEST & REPAIR FACILITY •An official mark of llte Province of Ontario used under licence. WHITBY - OSHAWA 1110 DUNDAS. ST. E., WHITBY LOCAL (90S) TOR. 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