PAGE6, WHITBY FREE PRESSrWEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 1988 Published every Wednesday Maurice Plfher By 677209 Ontario Inc. w Phone: 668-6111 Doug Anderson Publisher The Free Press Building 131 Brock Street North, P.O. Box 206, Whitby, Ont. SPeter Irvine Advertising Manager Alexandra Simon Production Manager Sue Blanchard Circulation Manager The only Whitby newspaper Independently owned and operated by Whitby residents for Whitby residents. While it should not have come as a shock to anyone, members of Whitby's operations committee learned Tuesday night it is going to cost more than $1 million for the new recreation complex before a shovel has even been put into the ground. Committee members were asked to approve the hiring of a construction management firm to overlook the technical end of the $14-million complex. Construction management will cost $398,765. With contingencies and other fees, the firm is expected to cost the Town $550,000, the money to come from the Town's development reserve fund. In June, council approved the hiring of the architectural firm, Moriyama and Teshima, at a cost of $500,000, to design the complex. Their fee is expected to be $700,000 when the facility is completed. More than nieets the eye We would therefore expect anyone associ- ated with the complex to keep a close eye on the finances. But that did not seem to -be the case Tuesday night. The construction firm recom- mended by Town staff and the architects of the praject, was not the low bidder. That honor belonged to a Whitby firm that actually submitted a bid that was $100,000 less. As councillor Joe Bugelli pointed out Tuesday, there is more to the decision than meets the eye. Whitby's parks and recreation director Larry Morrow was visibly surprised by Bugelli'S repeated questions. Mr. Morrowconcluded that the higher cost was due to on-site personnel and the Oakville company's experience with building pools. Bugelli then asked for meetings with ail those wh.o bid on the project. He was met by requests from staff to have the meetings held in-camera. Not being familiar with the duties of a construction management firm, we propose to leave that debate to the councillors, staff and architects. But we do profess to be, familiar with the on-going duties of council and councillors. Bugelli is correct when he says the meetings do not belong in-camera. A public meeting would also give residents an opportun ity to learn the function of a construction management firm. Angry Brooklin merchants have message for thief To the editor Hats off to the person who lifted three beautiful expensive sweaters from Brooklin Village Shoppe at our Home Town Christmas open house. Thank you for joltim'g us into the reality that there really are despicable people like you in our area. A very sick feeling has been put over every Brooklin merchant who participated in the event. The question looms, "Can we afford to hold this event another year?. You weren't happy with free hot apple cider, homemade Christmas goodies, candy for the children, and gree giveaways. No you decided that youneeded to take something worth the price of a refrigerator, and I don't suppose you even care that in the eyes of the law this was no petty theft. Ripped off by insurance company To the editor i hiave been paying insurance for agood many years, as have all of you. I have heard of the horror stories of insurance companies finding loop-holes in policy coverages so they don't have to pay out. I never thought much of it until just recently when I made my first claim in 18 years. I have a good sized boat that I store every winter, fully confident that it is covered by my insurance company, right? Wrong!!! I made a terrible discovery when I tried to claim for a shredded mooring cover thanks to a pack of wild barn cats. Guess what, people! My insurance company doesn't cover damage done to boats by "domestic animals" (like cats, dogs, cows) rodents, squirrels, etc. So all of you boat owners who think your boat's interior cushions or vinyl roofs are safe, check your policies! We have all been "ripped off' for years. The insurance company would prefer that I smash my boat or drop it off the trailer before they will Christmas Seals underway cover it. They would have covered "vandalism" so I guess I should have lied! Has anyone considered banning insurance companies or mnaybe making- them a future election issue? Really Torn Up! I Darling R.R. 1, Brooklin No, you were not stealing from a major department store or company or nameless face, you were stealing from real people. Perhaps it was you who also lifted from one of the antique shops that same day. You stole from storeovners who, because they love Brooklin, they have fought an uphill battle to make a go of a business in a community of 1,600 people. You have stolen from a store that has prided itself on making the customer feel at home; a place where prying eyes are not giving you an eerie feeling. But perhaps some, if not all, of these precautions are necessary. Rest assured that next time we will be ready for you. After all we are at east $800 wiser. wudlk Perhaps your family would like to know where you got your beautiful new sweaters. Whether- it be the black ones or the white one they will surely love the Victorian styling with the lavish lace and pearl appliques. Perhaps the two large ones were for yourself and some other lucky person will receive the small size. I don't suppose you will experience the sleepless nights that we have encountered since this incident and I suppose the meaning of Christmas has never really had any meaning for you at all. Peace on earth, Good will to men. Connie and'Judy Brooklin Village Shoppe 8 u s TO To t 1hte ed i1cor As president of the Lung Association - Durham Region, I arn very happy to be writing to you as our 1988-89 Christmas Seal campaign gets underway. The Lung Association is Canada's oldest charity and for over 75 years, Christmas Seals have been a symbol of hope and caring in our local communities. Through prosperity or Depression, in wartime or peacetime, Canadians have given generously to Christmas Seals. This wonderful support was largely responsible for the almost total eradication of tuberculosis in North America. Once a health crises of plague proportions, TB is now rarely encountered in the general population. Today, the Lung Association is fighting other plagues. Tobacco, drugs, environmental and workplace hazards have all contributed to our present epidemic of emphysema, lung SEE PAGE 13 VOICE 0F THE COUNTY TOWN . •w LE TTERS The Whitby Free Press welcomes letters to the Editor on any subject of concern to our readers. Letters should be brief and to the point - rarely more than 300 words. All letters must be accompanied by the name, address and phone number of the writer; however, on request. your name may be withheld from publication if we agree that there is a valid reason. The paper reserves the right to reject or edit all letters. Send to: The Editor, Whitby Free Press, Box 206, Whitby, Ontario LiN 5S1 or drop through our mailslot at 131 Brock St. N. -1o 1% 1 1 ---- -1 .1