The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

We must seek a new mindset Dear Editor The federal government got the message a dozen years ago, when they cut the transfers to the prov- inces. The provinces followed shortly afterward and cut the transfers to the municipalities. Ontario actually transferred Education and HealthCare to the munici- pal tax base knowing full well that it was the same taxpayer who was paying the taxes at all three levels. In fact, the real determination of municipal taxes was put in the hands of counties and regions by giv- ing them the control of property evaluation, while the municipalities within them only control the mill rate. While the region must finance education, police and fire, and HealthCare, only your mayor and one other elected person have any input in the control of costs. It’s no wonder that municipal taxes have gone up more than 50 percent since 2002. The property tax level has to come under control. We have already had a multiple level increase in the cost of homes that have elevated the taxes. Municipal services of water and sewage have grown in cost. Governments have moved the cost of developing these services to the developer who has passed them onto the purchasers. An example of this, in the proposed Durham budget, is the hiring of 35 additional employees. An ination of emg actices in our civil service could probably easily cut 35 employees, but the proposal is to add them. The cost, over the lives of these additional employees, is estimated to be at least $35 million dollars. We must seek a new mindset. We are now seriously overtaxed, and governments have to cut, not spend more. Inefficiency and waste have to be targets of administrations, not their goals. William F. Shaw Port Perry More Letters on Page 12 our cover ‘Wyatt Wilson, left, with Venture. Scout leader Wil Corneal pictured in front of Mount Kilimanjaro, the highest mountain in Africa. They climbed to Stella Point which sits at an altitude of 5,739 metres (16,404 ft.) above sea level. See story on page 40. Photo composition by J. Peter Hvidsten 2 FOCUS - APRIL 2015 Thumbs up to rural mail distributors Dear Editor We would like to give a ‘big thumbs up’ to the won- derful rural mail delivery drivers. If you are like us, and fortunate enough to still get your mail delivered to your mailbox at the end of your driveway, you will know what we mean. Even when the weather is colder than a polar bear’s nose, they faithfully bring our mail, bills (and cheques) and our Focus on Scugog magazine. Often they need to fight the snow plowed piles around the mailboxes just to get close enough — but they do it. It is appreciated and, if you are rural, let’s help out by cleaning the snow away from the boxes for them. Nick & Elaine Stevens Scugog Line 2 Skateboard park an awesome project Re: Letter written to Susie Bollon regarding Skateboard Park in Putsey Park, Caesarea Dear Susie I just wanted to write to tell you what a wonderful job you have done since this all began. Your success to raise community funds, lobby our township for successful sup- port and dollars and wow... the Trillium money also. I can’t believe, after all the efforts which have taken place and accepted, that our mayor and council will allow this awesome project to be squashed by a few people who have last minute concerns, and somehow negotiated this meeting to act as though this was a first step effort. The skateboard park should proceed as planned so all of sports activities are kept together at Putsey Park. The Fire Hall makes no sense due to parking, and vandalism. It is unfortunate that plans were not yet available and attention was not drawn to what an incredible artistic landmark mosaic is coming to our four corners in addi- tion to a skatepark! I really had no idea how awesome it will look and be. Iam so happy you took the time to come over and invite us to this otherwise unknown meeting. We have not been involved really except for a few donations and the original survey long ago because we are not skate boarders. We also are absolutely opposed to anything at the Peace Park, but it seems, thankfully, that the township would also not allow that to happen. Iam so excited for you and our community. I truly believe others will share this positive attitude when they see the “cutting edge” concrete bowl design and I picture a ramp as an icon with “Welcome to Caesarea” somehow painted on it! and a Regatta Graffiti design contest (fund- raiser too). There’s no question the park should be constructed as previously “approved” and should remain at Putsey Park. The Trillium Grant stamps the whole process and as Councillor Wotten said, “the shovels are ready” for the spring. This is an opportunity of a lifetime for our com- munity and the word needs to be spread. Laureen Brown Caesarea