PAOE 4, WHIT BY FRE PhËâS WED ýÈSDAY SE 'fEMB«ER'13, 1989 I$ SH I SK0'S, Country Produce Ltd. 430-7672 Open 7 days a week Until Christmas Special1 of the weeèk: Surikist Valerzcia Or-ariges sie 13à 6 for 99e~ .IB YlySIWI 'Ne-ÇW Hours: MON.-THURS. FRM.-SUN. 9-6 10-6 Parkin tax opposed By Trudie Zavadovies Whitby councillors are asking for public support to proposed parking tax. fight a FALL GETAWAYS on GEORGIAN -BAY ~dO fora ai -I. WEEKEND PACKAGES fromn $140.00 (2 people) ,nodern cottage wîth fîreplace crossmg guard positions fled For the first time in a number of years, the Town of Whitby has ail 28 of its school crossing guard positions filled by the start of the school year. "I really don't know why they are ail fiulled. I wish I knew the secret," said trafflc and transit co-ordinator William Grylîs. The number of guards has increased over last year by one because of the new Glen Dhu public school in Fallingbrook. Last year the Town had pro- blems hirin g guards and at one point consi dered removing cross- ings where gaards were not available. But that recommendation was neyer carried out. (While school boards pick locations for schools, it is the Town's responsibility to hire and locate crossing quars). Late la 'st fail, councîl raised the salary of crossing guards to $224 from $168 every two weeks. Grylîs said the pay increase helped in hiring guards. He does not anticipate hiring any more guards this year. BOATS BY - sCAF : WE E e : 12IUSE V., OSH.V 7J 7-M 1; OeV çi.çjbý -,Zdd At theii Sept. 5 meeting, ope- rations committee members unanimously and strenuously objected to the proposed annual tax by the Province on munici- pally owned parking lots. In hîs 1989 provincial budget Treasurer Robert Nixon proposed that an annual tax be imposed on large commercial structures commercial parking lots anci parking garages within the grea- ter Toronto area. This includes Durham' Halton, Peel, York and Metropolitan Toronto. "I have a real- concern that both the provincial and federal, governments go in this area, » said councillor Dennis Fox. "They reduce their own deficit by puttin~ it on the back of the municepa taxpayer.. .This could be a belessing in disguise. I'd really like to see taxpayers con- tact their MPs and MPPs and say they're fed üp." "We become the. scapegoat and the whipping bors,» said council- lor Joe Bugelli. 'There has to be some responsible action taken from somebody." "This is an issue that we should seek to involve our citi- zens,"$ said councilor Tom Edwards. "We need to invite the appro- priate organizaions to join with us. The BIA, Chamber of Com- merce, businesses and the corn- munity should be made aware of this." "They can't apply the same philosophy to parking in Whitby as in Toronto.' "We'll take the heat and theyl get the bucks," said Bugelli. 4We must register our objections as strongly as possible." Whitby's six parking lots total 15,377 square metres. The pro- posed rate of $10.75 per square metre would cost Whitby $165,000 per year. The tax would resuit in a 70- to 120-per cent increase in cur- r.*nt parking rates. Ailtown