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.bowmanville library Church Street 1.1.06 pBowmanville, Ont. L1C 1P7 fl.UU GST Included Wednesday June 29, 2005 Orono Town Hall Serving Kendal, Kirby, Leskard. Newcastle, Newtonville, Orono, Starkville and Tyrone since 1937 Council increases travel allowance Councillors unanimously approved a motion Monday night from Councillor Gord Robinson, to increase their travel allowance. At their last council meeting meeting before summer recess, Clarington council agreed to double their current allowance, retroactive to the beginning of 2005. Councillor Robinson said following the meeting, that he bought a new truck in March, which already has 10,000 kilometers on it, 6,000 of which were for municipal business. In his motion, Robinson stated, "Due to the immense geographical size, of the municipality, the elected official official have accumulated very significant mileage on their personal vehicles, which add to more wear and tear and faster than normal vehicle depreciation." The current rates of monthly monthly travel allowance of $570 . for the Mayor, $278 for the Deputy Mayor, (a function shared by Councillors Jim Schell and Charlie Trim on a rotating basis) and $228 for the local councillor, fall short of covering both the capital and operating costs of using personal vehicles fore extensive extensive municipal business, says Robinson. New monthly travel rates are based on a rate of 47 cents per kilometer, the same rate or reimbursement municipal employees receive. On average the Mayor and councillors have logged about 2,750 and 1,200 kilometers per month respectively, in using their personal vehicles for municipal business, says Robinson in his motion. Thus the new rate of travel allowance for 2005 be set at $1,293 for the Mayor, $823 ' for the Deputy Mayor and $564 for councillors. In future the rate per kilometer kilometer will be adjusted automatically automatically according to the negotiated per kilometer travel travel rate between the Municipality Municipality and its unionized employees. The strawberrys are big, juicy, sweet and plentiful at Fred's Fruit Market south of Orono. Alfredo Pinedu Ayala and his crew from Mexico have been picking at Fred s since the m die of last week. Mayor hands out student awards Newcastle residents will be getting their indoor swimming pool after all. Clarington councillors supported a recommendation recommendation from the Community Services Department Department last week to proceed with a new twin pad arena as the first phase of a new indoor recreational facility. This week they overturned that decision and approved the pool, gymnasium, meeting room, concept as the phase one of the new recreational facility for Newcastle. The motion that the municipality municipality proceed with the pool concept was made by Councillor Gord Robinson, who said, "The public have come forward, they thought all along, for the last three years, that they would be getting getting an aquatic facility, and an arena added to it" Following the meeting, Robinson told the Orono Times reporter that a new pool lage. Brown concluded in his report that phase one of a new indoor recreational facility for should consist of a twin pad arena with gymnasium and meeting room space. Phase two would be a leisure con fer Newcastle was part of cept pool, to be built some Mayor Mutton's last election time after 2015, when campaign. "The people thought it was a done deal," he stated. "It was amazing the amount of feedback 1 got," said Mayor Muttoir at Monday's council meeting. Clarington's Committee of Council heard last week'from consultant Todd Brown, who was hired by the municipality to assess the recreational facility facility needs for Newcastle vil Newcastle's population is expected to increase significantly. significantly. Brown engaged in a consultation consultation process with staff, user groups, stakeholders and council before making his recommendation. recommendation. He held workshops, workshops, surveys and public meetings with the community. According to Councillor Robinson, Brown did not hear POOL see page 3 Awards of Academic Excellence were handed out by Mayor John Mutton to a number of Clarington students, students, at Monday evening's council meeting. Local elementary and secondary secondary schools were asked to submit names of graduating students who in their opinion have demonstrated academic excellence combined with a commitment to leadership and community services. All students were presented presented with a plaque by Mayor Mutton. Secondary students who were recognized also received a cheque lor $ 100 as a bursary to further their educational educational pursuits. Recipients will also have their names engraved in in their school's permanent "Award lor Excellence" plaque. Local students recognized in the Award for Excellence program were, Dylan Palmer from Clarke High School, Shawn Lowe from The Pines Senior Public School, Taylor Farrell of St. Francis of Assisi School, Sarah Dykeman from Bowmanville High School, AWARDS see page 3 What's inside. Peter MacKay attends BBQ See page 4