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Vol. 132 Number 41 PORT PERRY, ONTARIO - TUESDAY, SEPT. 1, 1998 COPY 65¢ (61¢+ 4¢ GsT) 28 Pages "Daal \_ CHRIS HALL /PORT PERRY STAR Sunny skies helped make the 133rd Blackstock Fair a lot of fun and excite- ment for young and old last Saturday. Little Faith Noakes, 3, of Blackstock was one of the hundreds of kids who enjoyed her day on the rides, petting animals and having her face painted. The warm weather brought out large crowds of people to the annual event. Streets unsafe after dark? By John B. McClelland Port Perry Star Are the streets and parks of Port Perry no longer safe for residents, especially senior citizens, and especially after dark? Two members of Scugog council have dif- fering views, and their stances were aired Monday morning as the Parks and Recrea- tion committee discussed how to deal with increasing vandalism in public parks. Ward 2 rep Ken Carruthers said he hears concerns all the time from constituents who say they no longer feel safe taking a walk "REMOTE © ad 89 eng ~ JB/ A] % 4 : 1898" | K® 2 owe CABINET | STARE ATRL 2 Fo - after dark, or venturing into the parks along the lakefront. "Our older folks are now scared to walk downtown at night. Going into our parks (after dark) is no longer a pleasant experi- ence," said Councillor Carruthers. He was taken to task by Regional Councillor Ken Gadsden, who said com- ments such as that "spread fear," and that Port Perry has "not reached that stage" where somebody can suggest it is unsafe to walk the streets. Please turn to page 5 NO HYDRO REQUIRED | Old Port appeals hefty school levy By John B. McClelland Port Perry Star Scugog councillors were dismayed to learn that Durham's school boards use figures from the Toronto Real Estate Board in calculating how much education levy should be paid on a new commercial building in Scugog Township. Township council has been asked to act as an arbitrator in a dispute bet- ween the two boards -- public and sep- arate -- and Old Port Marketing of Port Perry over the $21,000 education levy assessed on Old Port's new ware- house on Line 6. Old Port vice president of finance Teddy Xidos told council Monday the actual cost of the 37,800 square foot warehouse will be just over $800,000. But the school boards, using Toronto prices, calculate the value of the build- ing at nearly double that amount, or $1.5 million, he said. That means the company must pay an education chargelevy of $21,000. Mr. Xidos said unique construction techniques (tilt wall) used by the builder on the Old Port warehouse saved some $200,000 in steel costs alone. Christine Nancekevill, a planner with the Durham District School Board, said the board's hands are tied by its own bylaw when it comes to cal- culating the levy for a commercial building. The board has no choice but to use figures based on the Toronto Real Estate Board's formula, which pegs construction costs at $42 per square foot, she said. The board then uses 1.3 per cent of the value of the building to come up with the education levy, in this case $21,000. The planner told councillors there isnothing in the board's bylaw to allow Please turn to page 5 Come to the fair Family entertainment is the goal organizers have set for the 142nd annual Port Perry Fall Fair, which opens this Saturday. With a few venue changes, some new rides, and a bigger emphasis on family fun, organizers are hop- ing the 1998 Port Fair goes down in history as one to remember. Things will kick off Saturday and carry on into Monday and will include the annual demolition der- by, horse racing, crafts displays and other favorites. Strike by separate school teachers imminent: Lefort By Chris Hall Port Perry Star Teachers from Durham's separate high schools could be joining their public counterparts on the picket line next week if a resolution isn't reached by Friday. Kathy LeFort, Scugog's representative for the Durham Region Roman Catholic Separate School Board, admits that she thinks a strike by separate secondary school teachers is imminent. "No, I'm not optimistic at all," she said Friday when asked if the teachers and board would come to an agreement on Sept. 4, and have classes proceed as sched- uled on Sept. 8. Separate secondary school teachers voted 90 per cent in favor of a strike last Wednesday (Aug. 26). They're at loggerheads with the board over a number of items as they pursue a collective agreement, but the major source of contention 1s arequirement that they teach the equivalent of seven out of eight classes each day. Prior to the introduction of the province's Bill 160, they were required to be in the classroom the equivalent of six out of eight classes a day. Teachers are upset over the fact that with less preparation time, extra- Please turn to page 16 |oViEREDEzE Fireplace Warehouse 180 Casimir St., PORT PERRY ost (905) | LP. . 985-0715 1 * i. 1-BOO-EID-ATB1