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AH } on Se Bt, A fyi HA - Sn \%) ADP OTR RE AVN SRD & agony SHRI 4 -- PORT PERRY STAR -- Wed. Janvary 7, 1982 LLY QL SOAS, ies) OHS Moratorium Worth A Close Look 'Considering that Durham Region is currently in debt to the tune of almost $70 million for water and sewer projects, the suggestion from the Region's finance department that council consider a one-year moratorium on capital water and sewer projects is worth a close look. Granted, $42 million of the current debt is interest free through loans from the provincial government, but the fact remains that the money still has to be re-paid. The Durham Works department is forecasting that in 1982, the cost of capital water and sewer projects will be about $5 million. If approved, payment of these projects would be through debenture. No decision has been made by the Regional council on the moratorium, but last week the council took a first step by asking that all the area municipalities in Durham submit their proposed road construction capital budgets. The link between sewer and water replacements by Durham and road re-construction by the area munici- palities is crucial as the practise has been to carry out the projects simultaneously. The Queen Street re- construction last summer in Port Perry was a case in point. The report from the Works and Finance depart- ments which suggests consideration of the morator- ium says such action "would allow a one year pause to determine if the current chaotic conditions In our economy are going to resolve themselves in the near future." The report goes on to say that "at the present time, forecasting is like looking into a crystal ball." And, the report says "the one year breather would allow (the Region) to gradually strengthen the ability to fund capital projects from current funds.' In other words, what the report is telling councillors is that the economy is so topsy-turvy that the experts haven't got a clue what the hell is going on. And in a round-about-way, the report is saying that going further into debt at this time should be avoided, if at all possible. The reference to paying for capital projects from current;funds is simply a 'pay as you go" philosophy ; one which most average householders are following these days in light of the high interest rates. Despite the fact the Finance department tells us that Durham's current debt charges are well within the limits set for municipalities by the Ontario Municipal Board, going further into debt could easily result in higher rates for sewer and water customers. As for the area municipalities having to juggle their road re-construction schedules in 1982, surely every municipality in Durham must have roads that need work which don't have sewer and water pipes underneath them. One often hears municipal councillors lament the fact that levels of service and the tax-payer demands for high municipal standards are pushing the tax bills and user charges higher and higher. We often hear talk of the need to tighten the belt when it comes to government spending at all levels. pot perry star Company Limited © ~ (EB J. PETERHVIDSTEN He . Publisher J.B. McCLELLAND Advertising Manager Editor Member ofthe Canadian Community Newspaper Association and Ontario Weekly Newspaper Association Published every Wednesday by the Port Perry Star Co. Ltd., Port Perry, Ontario. Authorized as second class mail by the Post Office Department, Ottawa, and for cash payment of postagein cash. ra Second Class Mail Registration Number 0265 Subscription Rate: In Canada $10.00 per year. Elsewhere: $30.00 per year. Single Copy: 25 = ' 7, i; £2 g "\ os % < A) SODA WN 3 v3 . AN REMEMBER a THERES A RHSTURE AT THE END OF JHE ROAD! The crunch comes when somebody actually says - here's how to tighten that belt: don't borrow a penny in 1982 for sewer and water projects. Durham has had a few embarrassing moments recently concerning the Installation of water and sewer facilities. A water treatment plant in Whitby has yet to treat a drop of water. A $9.2 million sewage treatment in Bowmanville Is going into mothballs the moment it is finished. There are all kinds of service pipes in the ground in Courtice and not a house in sight. When the report was discussed in council last week, there were indications that some municipalities would not accept the idea of a moratorium. But the idea deseves to be very carefully examined by every member of the Durham council. If the moratorium is eventually declared, it would include a $220,000 project to replace water lines along Highway 7A from Simcoe to Water Streets. Pardon The Confusion Pardon us for feeling slightly bewildered these days. On the one hand the financial pages of the daily newspaper have been screaming economic doom and gloom. Some 200,000 jobs were lost in 1981, another 100,000 could go down the tube in the next couple of months. The stock market Is taking a tumble, interest rates are on the rise, and even the price of gold is less than half what it was a year ago. - Economic woes are being blamed for an increase in the number of suicides, marriage break-downs, alcoholics, crime waves and so on and so on. There-is-little doubt that society is on the edge of a total collapse. > " But, hold on a minute. Leave the financial pages and turn to'the sports section and see that a 20 year old Edmonton hockey player will be paid $20 million (including bonuses) over the next 15 years. And just to sweeten the deal, he will wind up proud owner of a shopping centre as well. And the catcher for the Montreal Expos is set to ink a deal worth $2 million per year. A so-called slugger for the New York Yankees who couldnt hit the barn door in last year's series is getting $1.5 million per year over the next eight years. The list could go on and on, of course. What's confusing is that all the guys who are losing their jobs on the assembly lines and in the plants are the same suckers who will be paying the salaries of .Gretzky, Carter, Windfield. All the guys staring 20 per cent mortgages in the face and 12 per cent inflation, are the same ones who will pay for a ticket to see the Oilers, Expos and Yankees. Excuse us for being confused, but something, somewhere does seem to be a little off plumb in this . fair land of ours. bill smiley Hockey's Golden Era Like every other red-blooded male in this country over theage of four, I am an expert on hockey. As a player, I didn't exactly make it to the NHL. Or Senior A. Or Junior A: Or Junior B.. Or JuvenileC. But you don't have to make it all the way in Canada to become a connoisseur of the game. All you have to do is tohave been exposed to the game since you were about three, andit's in your blood for life. Asakid, Ifelt culturally deprived because 1 didn't havea pair of 'tube' skates. Tomy great shame, I had to indulge in the sport wearing an old pair of my mother's '"lady's skates"' (pronounced with utter scorn by the kids with tube skates). Mine went almost to the knee and supported your ankles like a bag of marshmallows. Obviously, that is the sole reason I didn't makeittothebig leagues. Asakid, I played shinny on the river with some guys who actually, later, did make it to pro or semi-pro ranks. When I was in high school, some of my best friends were playing Junior A. I was brought up in a rabid hockey and lacrosse town. When I was a little boy, we had a Senior hockey team. It was made up of local factory hands, blacksmiths (yes, I go back that far), and generally good athletes, of no particular rank or station inlife. They played for fun. They bought their own equipment. There was tremendous rivalry with the other towns in the country, Therink was jammed for every game. Wekids sneaked into the games through the place where they threw out the snow after cleaning the ice, squirmed our way down behind the players' bench, and fought each other to the bone when a senior broke a stick, and with a lordly gesture handed it back toward us. If you were lucky, you got two pieces of hockey stick, . took it home and had your old man splint it, taped it up, and played the rest of the season with a six- foot man's hockey stick practically tearing the armpit out of your five. foot frame. When I was a teenager, the home town went ape over hockey, began importing players, and iced a Junior A club. We local high school guys were devastated by jealousy when the imports, from such exotic towns as Ottawa, Montreal, Brockville, cametotownandstoleour girls away. (Turnto page6)