CGould be election, issue Headurters expnindbtetoa Regional council isexpected today to pass a $23.9 million capital budget for 1978. The budget represents a 5.6 per cent increase over the $22.6 capital budget of 1977. The finance commnittee lias placed a rider on the proposed 'budget that actual water and sewer capital expenditures be limited to 50 per cent of the $ 15.5 milon budgeted amount, pendinganalysis of a response from the provincial ministry of housing on a study of water and sewer servicing and financ- 1118. One item expected to re- celve considerable discussion today is a motion' to defer $5. 16 million for the con- struction of a proposed east- wing expansion of the regional, headquarters to 1980. The deferral motion failed at a meetin& of the regional finance commiùttee lIast week. Finance committee Chairman John Aker, of Oshawa, qon- siders that the 'haadquarters expansion could be an election issue this fail. ,. .. . The committee, however, approved inclusion of $8.5 million in the 1979 capital budget for a 145,000 square foot west-wing extension to the regional headquaters whlch would. house, provincial de- partmenits, including courts, assessmrent, department -and registry off ice s. 1Also set aside in 1978 was $450,000 for engineering and architectural custs for the pro-' posed provincial wing, which is still subject to a 20.yeà r leasing agreement to be nego- tiated between the region and the province. If the agree- ment's approved, construction could begin in the spring of 1979, with occupancy by October 1980. Commiuttee members .were told that if. the provincial ad- dition is built, çosts would be fully covered by rentais, charg- ed by theregion.and that the building would, be "free and clear" of debt, in 20 years. Review.is The Region'of Durham wilI ask the provincial goverrnment to undertake a ful review. of' Bill 162 which created the regionin 1974. Reglonali-councîl'tame to thatdecision last ,Wednesday after a 'lengthy debate ini which. several. counicillors pointêd out that a review by an outsîde agency would be better than one conducted.by reional staff. Joe Benjamin and his famnily ar, statled by the arrivai of a8 strange visitor (third froin the right) who claime to be God's messenger, in Neli Simnon's Jatest comnedy "God's Favorite".- The play wilIl' b presented by -the Whitby Theatre Company, April 13 to 15 at 8 p.m. at'the Whitby Centennial Building, with a special free showfor senior citizens, April 12 at 7:30 pin, 'The messenger from God telis Mr. Benjami he lias been chosen to be put to the test and lie must publically renounce God, which lie won't do. Witnessing the arrivai of the messenger, left to riglit, are: Carol Hatton, Pat Skerritt, Denise Dawson, Randy Gougli, Claude Vipond (who plays the part of boe Benjamnin>, Teritl Stewart (God's messenger),. John Green, and Mary Volilmer. Frec Press Photo b y Brise, Winter Downtown bylaw consbefoecuci A SIGN 0F TEFUTUE? Could downtown Whitby look lire this agan? IUis i uat the Whitby Mrcbants bamffbsi eans thb*s, ami the- fore bas deded mo p-n this drawiag ofidowt st"m on~o thse cover of i1978 prgant With thet dopa: "W1tby Merchants Welcoae Yu, t afferman i.vitig aivestsemeat for the duswtownconre ame, whlch as cxpected to ecie coeun approval of ts lnmeewemmiumbu hdet Tw"my.. A Downtown Business Im- provement Assessment propo- sai for a $lQ,000 budget -in 1979 and an additional $1 0,000 in 1980, came before counicil for discussion Tucsday night. Although the outcome of the meeting was too late for press time, council is expect- cd to look favorably on the proposaI of a Plan of Action Committee, -headed by Wil- liamn A. Conder. Athough the budget for a Downtown Improveinent Area would not go into effect until 1979, a "plan of attack" has already been outlined by the committee for 1978. Thc committee lias sug- Sested that 1978 be designated as a Clean-Up Year for ail the downtown merchants. Representation will be made to council rcgarding street clean-up before 9 a.m. in the downtown shopping area, in- cluding snow renoval. Under the lieading of traffic control, the comnmitee is ask- i- how many nierchants are using cestomner parking space to park thenr own cars, and how mucli this is costing thei» in sales. If a mierchant parkcd for six hourls ai 40 cenis Per lurn il w'uuld c<usi han unly (1 Sm1ts. says fihecnitîe sales would he lose 6ecausè there was no place to park during, those six hours? SIt has also been suggested by the Downtown Action Commnittee that an appeal be made to council to have -the speed limited reduced in the zdowntown shopping area, and inquiries made as to the im- plications o f a one-way street' system in the downtown- if such was adopted by council.. The committee is seeking toi have representation on the town's traffic study commit-' tee to look into tins matter. The committee is also sug- gesting that stores remain open till 9 p.m. Thursday and Fni- Business seminar il Lo-cal businessmen are en- couraged to sign up for the Whitby Chamber of Commerce Maes and Advertising Seminar to be held April 3 at 7:30 p.m. at the Whitby Public Library., The registration fée is only $5 and can lie puid at the Chamber of Commerce office, in the Centennial Building at 416 Centre Street South. Ad- ditional information about the seminar can be obtained by calling the Chamber at 668- 4506. Within a two-hour peiod, a number of speakers wifl break the topîcs ofl sales, and advcrtising down into their comnennt portsand illustrate lo hotu Large and sinal busi- ness peuple Illeways i which ihciaw copnetan hesi bc ulimd l lu thtadvannage of "It is gcncrally assumned that good sales mean go0d business. '4-rt the ways in which higli sales volumes can 6e generated and maintained are of vital importance to the continuity of a successful ne- tail business," says Chamrber President Gord Hanina. The purpose of the semninan is to show how a netail mier- chant can imnprove upon bis specific business, in relation to the particular environient of the community. An architect wiIl discuss the aestlietics of business pre- mises, a Durliam Collçge teaclier wlll discuss marketingu alternatives an upgnaded busi- nessman wiII talk on eustoaner îebtionship. and a new bumnt nessman wli speak on ,uarkel day to mreet customner needs. Prior to Tuesday's meeting, a questionaire was sent to the merchants, regarding their o- pinions on the proposed as- sessmcnt for downtown im- proveiment, downtown promno- tion and advcrtising, and par- ticipaton in the County Town Carmival. S Aprl 3 the value of advertising, CKLB radio will talk on theme and repitition, and -area ncws- papers ,wllU give their viewson layout, group promotion and what and whcre to advertise, the latter subject being out- lincd by the Whitby FrcePress. Canpx dca Oshawa-Whitby MI> Ed Broadbent expects a decision to be made by the federal government this week on wliethcr to make Camp X an officiai historkc site. Mr. Broadbent naid lie ex- pects Seécretary of State John Roberts to announce the de- cision by the middle of the week, but leie doubtfül if aný! announcemînt wl be imde regxding fedral fundiaag WHAT A WAY TO GREET AN ANGEL! 17