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Vol. 121 No..17 Tuesday, March 24, 1987 Copy 35° 44 Pages Fit fora squeeze Strang with effort, Pat Duchemin, an employee at Port Perry's Community Hospital, gives everything she's got to the hand strength test, part of a special fitness testing day last Friday at the hospital. For story and more photos, see inside. "TV weatherman forced to land CFTO-TV's famous weatherman dropped into Port Perry yesterday- -literally. Dave Devall was piloting a single _engine two-seater plane over Scugog Township Monday afternoon at ap- proximately 2:30 when he ran into fuel problems and made a forced landing in a farmer's field southwest of the A.G. Simpson plant. Devall was in the midst of a test flight when the/problem developed ,(he's not sure if the fuel line clogg- ed or if he simply ran out), so he radioed the nearest tower and look- - ed around for the most convenient field to land in. The plane, covered on one side with oil, wound up perched on top of a hill with nary a dent. 'Devall wasn't injured either, -although ambulance attendants and a Durham Regional Policeman stood by. : Dressed in a blue flight jumpsuit, with a cap and dark glasses, Devall declined to have his picture taken, saying he had to *'clear up this mess first' before heading back to Toron- to for channel nine's 6:30 newscast. Port Perry's a great place to visit, Dave, but there are easier ways to get here. : Cadmus sign missing Pranksters stole two signs reading 'Cadmus City Limits" from the tiny hamlet east of Blackstock sometime before March 18tk, when the theft was reported to police by the Township of Scugog. Durham Regional Police are sear- ching for the culprits, and the signs, valued at approximately $300. Youth may lose eye A 12 year old Port Perry boy is still in hospital after being shot in the eye with a pellet gun Friday afternoon. Durham Regional Police are stilt investigating the incident, which happened outside a Bay Street residence at approximately 2 p.m. A group of boys were apparently playing with the gun when it went off, striking the young lad in the eye It is still not known whether or not the boy's eye can be saved The youngster was taken to Sick Children's Hospital in Toronto. Scugog Township property owners will see a nine percent in- crease in the Regional portion of their taxes this year, if the Durham council approves the 1987 budget at a meeting this week. The increase will add just over $19 in Regional taxes this year for the average Scugog homeowner with a house assessed at $3200. The average homeowner 'will pay the Region $237 in taxes this year, up from the average $218 paid last year. / Scugog Mayor Jerry Taylor told the Star Monday morning he ex- pécts the Regional budget will be adopted this. Wednesday without further changes. "All the cuts have been made already' (at the committee level) he said. The net levy requirement spelled out in the budget that will go in front of the Regional council for approval this week are for $42.3 million, up from the $36.4 net levy last year. That works out to a Region-wide net tax hike of 9.8 percent. The ac- tual increase in overall Regional spending this year is 16.3 percent, but an assessment growth rate of 6.5 percent will reduce the net impact on tax-payers to the 9.8 percent average across Durham. In actual dollars, Scugog will be asked to contribute $1.7 million to Durham Region this year, an 11.6 percent hike over the previous year. The net impact will be reduced to9.0 percent in Scugog after the assess- ment growth rate of 2.6 percent is deducted. Ratepayers in the Township won't know what the overall tax hike for 1987 will be until the Durham Boafd of Education and Scugog Township council approve their budgets. The Regional share of the average - tax bill in Scugog accounts from about 22 percent of the total. Scugog council is scheduled to meet this coming Monday to tackle the proposed local budget. Mayor Taylor said he expects some cuts will have to be made in the preliminary budget figures, but he predicted there will be an increase in taxes at the local level this year. Commenting on the 9 percent net tax hike at the Regional level, he said the extra dollars are needed to - maintain levels of service and keep up with the rapid growth throughout the Region. Some of the major capital costs the Region is budgeting for in 1987 include $450,000 for a new police sta tion in Pickering, $360,000 for renovations to the Fairview Lodge Home for the Aged; $275,000 for the emergency 911 dialing fund, a similar amount for a fund to be us- ed for a new waste disposal site in Region puts the bite on Scugog tax-payer the future; and $100,000 towards a reserve fund for a new Regional HQ building. The gross budget for Durham Region this year is pegged at $122 4 -million. Revenues and subsidies will - cover $63 million, leaving net re- quirements of $59 million. Some $17 million will come from non-program financing, leaving the net levy at $42.3 to be raised through the tax- payers of the Region. Durham's finance committee chairman Jim Witty warns in the budget that tax-payers likely will be (Turnto page 2) Ng Taking aim Former Oshawa resident Bruce Christopher, a fast-talking, likeable pool player, promoter and born story-teller breezed into Port Perry last week complete with black tie and tux. He's busy drumming up interest for a televised challenge series in the States in May. He once shot a single game of pool for $70,000 and has played the legendary Minnesota Fats. (See <tory and photo inside this issue of the Star)