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

Scugog Chamber will host an all Candidates Forum for Mayor and Regional Councillors The Scugog Chamber of Com- merce is the voice for businesses in Scugog and will be hosting an “All Candidates Forum” for the Mayor and Regional Councillor candidates. The forum will take place on Thursday, September 23 beginning at 6:30 p.m. in the Port Perry Villa auditorium. The event will be open to the local business community and. Scugog area residents. Candidates will be given the opportunity to present their plat- form on issues that are of strate- gic significance to our businesses and community as a whole. Each candidate will have an opportunity to speak for a desig- nated time prior to opening the floor to questions from the public. The candidates will be provided an additional two minutes fol- lowing the question period for closing remarks. Pre-qualified questions from a panel and the audience may be directed to each of the individual candidates. The facilitator for the evening will be Paul Arculus. Anyone wishing to ask ques- tions will be required to submit a question in writing to officials prior to the meeting. To upload a question form, you can access the Chamber web- site at: http://vww.scugogchamber. ca/ or stop by their office at 181 Perry Street, Unit G-3, Port Perry to pick up a hard copy. Questionnaires must be dropped off no later than Wednesday, September 15 to the Chamber office to be considered. Should you have any ques- tions with regard to this event, please contact Tony Janssen, President of the Scugog Chamber of Commerce at 905-985-9755 or 905-985-4971. JERRY TAYLOR Continued from page 54 service committees. Jerry was drawn to organizations which touched his eart. “T was the political representative on the Children’s Aid, a cause I’m very sympathetic to. I felt the same about becoming fundraising chair when we were trying to raise millions for an expansion in the 1980s.” This was followed by six years as a member of the the local hospital board, including one as its chair. He also served as chairman of a commit- tee which explored, and ultimately oversaw, the amalgamation of Uxbridge Cottage Hospital and Community Memorial Hospital, Port Perry in 1997. He also contributed six years to the Durham Region Police Commission. “That was a balancing act,” he recalls. “Trying to reconcile public need with the Police force’s i to maintain fiscal ii Jerry remains upbeat, and also philosophical, about his years in public service. “You do the best you can, listen to taxpayers and staff, read all the information available, then try to act in the best interest of the community. That doesn’t mean you always make the right decision, but that’s the way the world works.” In Jerry’s opinion, today’s lawmakers have an even tougher row to hoe. “Compromise is more difficult for them. That doesn’t mean we were ‘better,’ it was just a different, simpler time.” Another stone is still untumed in Jerry’s story. Politics, he’d stated, was his part-time concern. “After we'd sold the farm, Sandra and I both earned general insurance licenses. We started the DJ Taylor Insurance Agency together in town in 1980.” Jerry and Sandra also found time to join the local curling club, but political life sometimes made being an inconspicuous member difficult at times. “Even there, people would challenge you. Knowing a lot of people, and others knowing you — it sometimes was a help, sometimes a downfall.” Jerry and Sandra have been married 54 years and in that time raised four sons, and now have eight grandchildren, seven boys and a girl. Both take an active interest in the busy lives of these active young people, who range in age from 15 to 28. Like most grandparents, he swells with pride talking about their assorted endeavours. When the time was right to leave public and professional life, like many imminent retirees Jerry allowed himself to daydream about what would come next. “At first, I wanted a motorcycle. Sandra laughed when I first mentioned it, but I took the course and eventually earned my license. Then I got all geared up to buy one, but at that point, we agreed ‘no motorcycle.’ That's when the idea of getting a bulldozer started. The rest is history!” And how’s that worked out, Jerry? “Construction’s very satisfying work — very ‘therapeutic’ for a retired person. But I’ll admit the novelty’s not as strong when you have to be on site at six o'clock in the morning”. “You do the best you can, listen to taxpayers and staff, read all the information available, then try to act in the best interest of the community.” _ ... former Mayor Jerry Taylor By Scott Mercer Focus on Scugog Next month meet - Mayor Howard Hall FOCUS - SEPTEMBER 2010 63