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Serving Kendal, Kirby, Leskard, Newcastle, Newtonville, Orone, Starkville and Tyrone since 1937 A Frosty New Year's dip water and sewer rates Over twenty-five brave souls took the plunge on New Year's day in ClaringtoP s second annual Polar Bear Swim. Hundreds of spectators stood on the shores of Lake Ontario at the Newcastle Beach, and gheered the brave sou s as t ey entere t e icy waters. Everybody loves Christmas Thanks to another sucess- ful Community Feast this Christmas, no one had to spend Christmas alone. This sharing of Christmas has become part of the community, community, thanks initially to the efforts of Mrs. Isabelle Rappaport of Newcastle. No longer able to fly, Mrs. Rappaport was facing her first Christmas away from family in 1996. She couldn't shake the experience of the previous Christmas, spent with her daughter in RJiode Island. A large comfortable family in the small community where her daughter lived, wanted to share their Christmas with the community. All were invited to a Christmas dinner at the local Town Hall. The Mrs. Isabelle Rappaport of Newcastle was instrumental in family supplied all the turkey bringing the Community Christmas Feast to Newcastle. and trimmings, and anyone who wished could bring a vegetable or a dessert. Mrs. Rappaport said she sat alone at a table, (her daughter volunteered to serve) and watched as the people arrived. "People came alone, or in couples or as families," said Mrs. Rappaport, but nobody sat alone. "Everyone who was alone, was alone for only a few minutes," she stated. "Next Christmas I was home, and thought maybe we would have such a Christmas here," Mrs. Rappaport said. She managed to buy turkeys wholesale, and people people offered to cook them. "I didn't do too much at all," she stated, I just did a lot of talking." "It is such a thrill to watch again this experience from Rhode Island, that we transported transported to Newcastle," said Mrs. Rappaport a few days (continued page 7) to increase It will now cost a buck and a half more per month to turn on the taps. Regional Council approved a 5% water and sewer increase effective January 1,2001. At the December 20th council meeting, councillors debated whether to accept the 2,5% increase as recommended recommended by staff, or a 5% increase recommended in a joint committee report. Oshawa's Mayor Nancy Diamond said the 5% increase was exorbitant, and supported a request from GM, who sent a letter to the Region of Durham urging them to restrict the increase to the 2.5% recommended by Staff. "As a large industrial taxpayer taxpayer in the Region of Durham, we already face one of the highest property tax rates in the province," stated the GM letter. A 2.5% increase doesn't even cover the extra water testing required by the Province since the Walkerton incident, said Regional Chair, Roger Anderson. They [the Province] don't want to pay for it [additional testing], so we have to," stated Anderson The additional 2.5% will go towards the relining of existing water mains. Old pipes constructed of cast iron and ductile iron are being ground clean on the inside and relined with concrete at a rate of 2 kilometers a year. The relining will alleviate rusty water problems. At the current rate it will take over 20 years to reline the 200 kilometers of water pipe in the Region. When are we going to fix the pipes? asked Mayor Marcell Brunnell of Whitby. "When the Region of Durham is in the greatest economic boom this region has seen, or during a recession?" recession?" (continued page 2)