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0 TWO new public, elementary schools holding 527 students each will open this fall, including Harry Bowes, behind St. Brigid Catholic School, and an unnamed replacement for Orchard Park on Hoover Park Drive. The fate of the old Stouffville Second- ary is up in the air. o A multi-dealer auto mall will open on Hwy. 48. Town officials have no timetable for its construction. 0 The Stouffville Country Market will close from the beginning of Feb- ruary to mid-March for renovations to turn it into an outlet operation. 0 Main Street widening and improvements will continue, com- muters. The intersection of Hwy. 48 and Main. Street will be started in 2008, rather than next year, because Main is to be widened to four lanes. It means the old general store now housing Da Classic Scoop has to be moved or demolished. 0 More stores are planned for Hoover Park complex, including a dollar store and sub shop. Look for more news from the developer. 0 Construction of a double-pad arena should start later this year and it should be open in September 2009. A fire hall and ambulance staâ€" tion will be built on the same parcel of land, off Weldon Road between Stoufl’ville District‘Secondary School and Sobeys. 0 The renovation of the old town hall into the 19 on the Park arts and culture centre has been anticipated by many for several years. Work should start in March, but look for that July opening to be pushed back by several months. Anticipated cost is $3.3 mil- lion with more than $300,000 raised at an event in November. Look for more fundraisers to pay the cheque. It’s only a start, as the once sleepy little town grows and gets a facelift. Here's what to expect: 0 For starters, more homes. The economy here isn’t taking the beating it is in the United States. Demand for homes remains and Stouffville is still viewed as prime pickings for buyers. 0 The town got its first look at big- box shopping with the opening of five stores in the Hoover Park power centre off Hwy. 48. 0 The new Stouffville District Secondary School opened to rave reviews. So, you think you've seen a lot of change in recent, months, Stouffville? 0 Homes have gone up in all quad- rants of the Community during the past two years. 6?. PJ# if Lia-i“. IJJ‘Wsnan‘. 22%? lETTERS POLICY Another year of change in Stoufi‘bille than 400 words and must Include a daytime telephone number. name and address. The Sun-THbune reserves the right to publish or not puhltsh and to edit for clarity and space. Lotta: to the Hilton The Sun-Mo 8290 Mala St. W, 0N LM I07 The Sun-Tfibune welcomes your letters. All submissions must be less lmason.yrmg.com Editorial [mama MEDIA Marketing 3. Advertising Dawna Andrews dandmuufiynngoom jmasonOyrmg.com EDITORIAL Editor lim Mason The new study, commissioned by the Residential and Civil Con- struction and Civil Construction Alliance of Ontario, estimates a toad toll of seven cents per kilome- tre travelled would generate $700 million annually for municipalities The money is meant to be pumped back into our transporta- tion infi'asuucture; dearly it’s not Where is the money actually going? foramonuseofthewO-sefies highwaysmtheGI‘AandHamil- tonareasaswellastheGaIdiner Expresst DonValley Parkway andQueenElizabethPaIkway. [t is a simple â€"â€" no, â€"but unpopular solution to the dilemmadujounifmwon’tgetout ofourcars,makeuspay. The study also sugests hiking theprioeatthepumpsâ€"bysk oentsafiuabringinginasmuchas $420millionayearâ€"andinpa1k- inglotsSighWhemdoIstart? Ifl’mtomjstthestickeronme pumps at mylocal gas station, taxes makeupthemajofityofmevery Nghoostofgas Ourenvimmnmtisinjeopardy, our roads ale doged and crum- blingandourpublictransitsystem is hardly an altemative for most ofuslivinginsuburban bliss'lhe hopeisthatbyputtingaprioetag oneverytl'ipvvetakewe’lloon- siderotheroptionssuchasdriving during cheaper non-peak hours, carpooling, takingUansit, ridinga bike (heaven forbid') or even mov- ingclosertowork. Astudyreleaseddfisweekcalls Road tolls fair â€" if they lead to tax cuts I WONDER WHY MY MOUTH IS ALWAYS OPEN IN PICTURES? Classified Manager Teamlcader Ann Campbell mmpbvllflfyrmgcom ADVERTISING 'Si'Jw’fi'e-Tribune PUBLISHER Ian Proudfoot 6290 Main St. StnuMle, GM. LM 167 mpflcefionmm London introduced a plan in 2(XBfl1atd1algeddfivementermg theoentreoffllecityfmm7a.m.to 6p.mandUatficdid.h1deed,dmp Isitfairtopenalizedfiverswith madtollsfornotgetfingonthe buseswlmndmamn’t busesto catch because there isn’t enough cash kicking around to expand publictransit? Thefairflfingdiemwouldbeto reduce ourtaxes Like that would happen. So, what comes first? The chidmordlebus? Why should we fork over even more moneyandtrustthatitwill be invested in the right place this time? Our property taxes. too, are supposed to go toward maintain- ingandbuildingour transportation Sure, there's meat in the thought of raising revenue from those who derive the benefits. rather than rely- ing on general pmperty taxes to flmdmadsandpublictmnsit. It is fairer, more tmnspaxent and leadsto Assistant Classified Manage: Bonnie Rondeau hmndmuOyrmgaam Pnonucnon However, notonlywastherean Debora Kelly Busmnss MANAGER Robert Lazurko Enmn IN Cum Debora Kelly Local MPP Flank Klees, PC Transportation and Public Infra- stmcture Renewal critic, also nixed theideaof further “taxes”. Buthepointsafingernotonlyat the feds to pitch in, but at the Liber- als for not putting 100 per cent of gas and fuel taxes into municipal coffers for transportation and Han- sit costs Now that’s a bell that tolls for me Grain of salt time: the study/s author, the Residential and Civil Construction Alliance, is a lobby group for the construction industry that may well build and run these tolls In Ontario, 76 per cent of us travel to work, according to Statis- tics Canada. The alliance mews we will stay on the roads and all the money generated will go to them But it appears Ontario's Liberal govemment feels taxpayers are doing their part to finance highway and public transit projects It has its own simple solution: MPP Minister Gieg Sorbaia says Ottawa needs to step up. accessible transit system already in place, at the same time London mn'oduoeditsoongestioncharge, it addedMnmmbusastofllecentml area. Ridershiponthelondonsubâ€" waydmppedbealusepeopleoould now navel faster by bus through fonnedyoongestedstmets The reality is without a viable alternative to driving. even tolls can'tgetusout of ourcars Many of us would simply flock to untolled roadways, shiftmg con- gestion woes ADVERTISING 905640-2612 ,Imified: 1-800-743-3353 Fax: 905-640-8778 Fax DISTRIBUTION 905-640â€"261 2 905-640-2612 .x: 905-640-8778 EDITORIAL Damn 1mm MEDIA a Tncuuowcv lohn Puthey A York Region Media Group community newspaper the Sun-Tribune. published every Thursday and Saturday. is a division of the Metroiand Media Group Ltd, a whoiiy-owned subsidiary otTorstar Corporation. Metroiand is comprised of 100 community publications across Ontario. The York Region Newspaper Group includesibe liberal. sewing Richmond Hill and Thomhiil. Vaughan Citizen. The Era-Banner (Newmariret/Aumra). Markham Economist Sun. Georgina Advocate, Yortr Region Business Times. North of the City, yorkregioncorn and York Region Printing. Dumcmn, Cmcuumou Svsruus Lynn Pashko Dmmommsmc You Ramon Palm-mu 1. 01311113111101» GENERAL MANAGER Banâ€"y Black Bob Dean Christ Churchâ€"is at 254'sdnset Blvd. next to Orchard Park Public School. (lull 905-640-1461. “As you can imagine. that's a lot of work and a lot of food,” Gail Wood of Christ Church said. “In the past we've had tables laden with salads and desserts, in addition to the hot main course.” This year, there will be a main course. two salads and a dessert. The simpler meals should translate into less work and shorter waiting times. The dates are Feb. 13, 20 and 27, and March 5 and 12 from 5 to 7 pm. and everyone is welcome. Drop in. You don’t have to be Angli- can, or Christian for that matter. Meet some new neighbours. Network in the purest sense of the word. Discover your home town. There’s a basket for donaâ€" tions, but no obligation to pay. “It’s a great way to meet people and it's comfortable because you’re hav- ing a meal in a friendly atmosphere," Gail Wood of Christ Church said. “All through the evening, we see people greeting old neighbours or friends, peo- ple they may not see again till the nice weather returns. It's a good way to catch up on news or hear what’s happening around Stoufiville." It started in 1996 with 25 people a night in a small room, grew to 80 and mushroomed to more than 250 per sit- ting last year. That means change. They started small as an outreach from the congregation and grewinto a local tradition of the pie-Easter season just like Ash Wednesday and Shrove (pancake) Tuesday. lim Mason is editor of The Sun Tribune. Many Christians give up stuff for Lent. Like coffee and chocolate, or video games and movies. At Christ Church Anglican in Stouflville, they also take things on dur- ing the 40-day season. Like a whole community. As in 348 people for dinner. The lenten dinners at the Sunset Boulevard church enter their 13th year next month. Lenten tradition of food, fellowship back on church menu SUV-Tribune with Jim Mason Off The Top