Clutch title for Huron Huron Heights Secondary School staged a me- from- be hind win to capture the York County basketball title Pictures and story appear on page Happy birthday Telecare York Telecare York is a year old with its policy of empathy rather than sympathy extending to wore than callers Details on page Where to find where to go Whats up Billboard lists plenty of community activities planned in the coming days and weeks on page ERA Another look way back when The Eras an niversary photo series continues this week with a look at one of Newmarkets banks on page Flyers tie seasons final The Newmarket ended the hockey season last week tying the Canadian champion Don Mills midgets Details on page Public school trustees tackle the budget York Region public school board tackled its budget again Monday night To see how trustees made out turn to page Lots of letters from Era readers Do our readers write They sure do There are plenty of letters this week on pages and RC school a long way off There will be no separate school In for the time being York Region separate school boards management committee was told last week Details on page DIRECTORY Athletic Aurora blrdge results Church directory A6 Sports VOL NO PAGES Since NEWMARKETAURORA KESWICK ONTARIO MARCH 9 NEWMARKETt52331 CENTS Georgina clerk council named in writ Council will govern until case is heard By rod Mcdonald Era Staff Reporter GEORGINA Township council will continue to govern until a judge makes a decision on the writ issued by the Concerned Citizens of Georgina last Tuesday In a telephone interview Monday Councillor Jean Noble told The Era lawyer Bruce Thomas who has been hired to defend the township states that council should continue to work as a body and that councillors Bruce Welch and Howard Shillington should continue to vote until a judge declares the changing of the Ward 1 election boundaries invalid The writ names all mem bers of council the township and clerk Evelyn as defendants Mrs has tendered a resignation from her position with the township effective Monday citing poor health as the reason for her departure Mrs was chief returning officer for the township during the Dec elections Mr Thomas told council at a special meeting Thursday that a judge will have to meet with counsel for the township and the citizens group because grounds to have the election contravened are not clearly defined in the writ Mr Thomas also told the council the judge will have to investigate the grounds and that there is no way the township can avoid going to court over the matter Council was also told that a common defence could be un dertaken if which all council members the township and Mrs could be covered It is not certain whether councillors will stay with Mr Thomas or seek their own legal counsel According to a press release distributed from the office of Durham North MPP William Newman last week he and Mayor George Burrows met Feb to discuss entering a private bill in the legislature to make the elections in Ward 1 legal Mr Newman cautioned in the release that any legal action taken separate from the bill may have influence on the way the bill would be received in the legislature The Era has learned that action to introduce a bill was deferred by council at a special meeting last Tuesday A bill of this type would probably not get to the floor of the legislature before summer recess Taxes may hit 00 By CAROL CORLE Era Staff Reporter AURORA The average homeowner in Aurora could be paying upwards of in taxes this year on a home assessed at Following three years of bare bones financing Aurora homeowners can expect a significant increase in municipal taxes this year Mayor George said Thursday If Aurora were facing strictly a cost of living tax in crease it would amount to about percent or over last years municipal tax of added to the increase predicted by the York Region public school board and an anticipated regional government hike For the past three years the town has made stringent budget cuts to try to make the total budget more palatable to the people of Aurora the mayor said But there is simply no more padding in Auroras budget We are facing a tax in crease very definitely the mayor said It looks as if it is going to be a very heavy in crease and I feel very bad about that Although municipal taxes on a assessed home varied from about 200 to over the past five years God forbid what it might be in the mayor said In 1972 taxes on a 20000 assessed home were about while in the same home was taxed about 1049 according to figures released by the mayor See SUBSTANTIAL page A2 MOVING DAY The Aurora Senior Citizens Friendship Circle started moving Into its new meeting hall at the Church Street School late last week The 240 members will occupy the two large rooms on the main floor of the school From left Anne Cunningham and Gertrude Myers unpack china as Bill Coleman president and Reg Lloyd check over he public address system Twinney promises surprises in report on police department Dispute delays Newm arket project NEWMARKET A debate deadlocked for four months between York Region employees and Newmarket town councils planning committee over a road pattern in the proposed Paramount sub division means construction of the new Valley of the Cedars school will be delayed according to a Paramount spokesman Ted Phelps a planner and NEWMARKET Regional Councillor Ray Twinney says he will have some surprises when he makes his report on how he feels York Regions police department should be operated The report which was requested by the police com mission will be presented to the Board of Police Commissioners here tonight The request came after a shouting match between Mr Twinney and Chief Bruce Crawford at a police com mission meeting last month At one point in the meeting Chief Crawford called Mr Twinney a liar and a sneak The outburst was triggered by Mr Twinneys claim that the police force did not need another 21 men Mr Twinney said the present manpower could be better deployed if there was a relaxation in the laying of traffic violation charges His claim was backed by the regions police association executive who said policemen were performing their duties in an aura of futility and frustration knowing they are largely dislike by the public because they are being forced to issue traffic tickets without being allowed any discretion The executive also agreed with Mr Twinney that there was too much emphasis on laying traffic charges and backed this up by stating more than 100 radar speeding charges were processed from two shifts at Newmarkets No division Mr told The Era he would present his report to the board as requested and it would contain input from policemen the public as well as from himself I feel the present force could be better deployed with Aurora hockey mothers need tournament homes AURORA The Aurora Minor Hockey Mothers Auxiliary is still looking for 30 homes to house youngsters participating in the Little NHL tournament here March 23 through Residents able to ac commodate two boys ages 11 through in their homes are asked to contract Ann Szarka at The Mothers are also sponsoring the annual house league tournament beginning March 30 at pm through April 2 at pm The tournament includes all house league players from atom through juniors at the Aurora Com munity Centre On Saturday April 2 at pm the Mothers will challenge the Aurora Church Dodgers Next meeting of the association is March 14 at 8 pm at the Aurora Community Centre less emphasis on traffic violations said Mr Twinney Im for enforcement but not entrapment Cocaine found in raid TORONTO Cocaine with an estimated street value of was uncovered here last Tuesday during a raid by York Regional Police and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police The discovery which was made during execution of a search warrant was the culmination of a lengthy in vestigation into cocaine traf ficking in York Region Heidi Marie Gomez 37 and Rudolph both of Seaton St Toronto have been charged with trafficking in a restricted drug and possession of marijuana spokesman for the subdivider said following a meeting last Tuesday night between top York Region officials and the town planning committee which attempted to resolve the stalemate that his firm will not be prepared to turn the school site over to the board by July York Regional chairman Garfield Wright chief ad ministrative officer Jack Rett engineering commissioner Bob Hodgson and planning com missioner Hershel Weinberg all attended the meeting Last week the board ap pointed an architect to design the new school and announced plans to start construction July Thursday Mac Wilson of the public school boards planning and approvals office said the board is proceeding on a current schedule that calls for the building contract to be awarded late this year Theres no doubt In our minds well have a site in that development he told The Era See NEWMARKET page Says government burying heads calls for marijuana KING TOWNSHIP On- Attorney General Roy McMurtry has accused the federal government of burying their heads in the sand by not clearly establishing whether or not possession of marijuana is a criminal offense Mr was speaking to the annual meeting of the York North Progressive Conservative Association Wednesday evening at the King City Community Centre If they decide it is a criminal offense it Is important to deal with it as such he told the gathering If not they should have the guts to stand up and say so Unlike our federal Liberal friends who would sweep it under the nag he continued I believe those of us in public life have a responsibility to deal with this headon Possession of marijuana and whether or not such action should continue to be a criminal offence in Canada was a subject discussed with gusto Wednes day Unfortunately the greatest benefactors at present are the criminal elements involved explained Mr Recalling the days of pro hibition he added The truth is that most criminal empires of the United States were founded and grew up on the bootlegging btness And thats why the government must make up its mind The attorney general made headlines that very day in the Toronto dallies when he was quoted as being in favor of decriminalising marijuana Clarifying his position he stressed Im not suggesting it be legalized or not The law states that to be in possession is a criminal offence But the courts in their wisdom have decided to treat it less seriously than a minor traffic offence The vast majority charged with possession are walking in and out of court he noted Mr McMurtry pointed out that along with adding to heavy bacWoarts in the courts such treatment breeds disrespect for the law If its decided this is not a criminal offence then lets stop cluttering up the courts he continued Im not saying the courts are wrong Im not an expert in this field But we cant afford to bury our heads in the sand Mr added A lot of thought would have to go into decriminalizing marijuana It would still have to be strictly regulated he said Noting his frontpage ap pearance that day Mr Murtry called it how the papers play with headlines I know its going to cause me grief He had been addressing students at a community college in Belleville Tuesday and noted with humor during the meeting the following evening I worked hard all weekend preparing my speech on con federation Not one line ap peared about that but a 30- second conversation in the hall with some students Mr McMurtry said he practically fell off his chair when one of his staff showed him the headlines When former Aurora Mayor Evelyn Buck asked about the immediate reaction to the headlines Mr McMurtry an swered 20 reporters outside my door The attorneygeneral did point out Wednesday that he has difficulty when young people say where is the proof its causing damage to health and damage to the community The truth of the matter is he continued Ive been in volved in law for years and Ive seen an enormous number of crimes connected to alcohol Youd have to look very hard to connect violent crime and marijuana I