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To the Editor: The design proposal/status report on 19 Civic Ave. given at council was well done. I noticed t e consultants’ sales pitch was in keeping with that of most prtchmen: round up (to the nearest hundred thousand) on the income estimates and round dog!) on the expenses. The decision to keep the second floor is a wise move that ensures the structural integrity of the outer walls. 1 would think the cost of creating what they called the ‘great hall' including seating, acoustics, lighting, sound, and any number of periph- eral requirements represents a significant amount of money. In addition, the struc- tural integrity requirement to up rade the load-carryin capacity from 80 to 100 pounds per square foot would furt er increase the cost 0 creating the 'great hall'. The consultants u ped the seating capaci of the ”great hall‘ from 120 to 140 printed in their han out to 125 to 145 or I in their verbal presentation. They identified ei t types of potential user groups in the Whitchurch-Stouffville market. I would enge the consultants to justify, and council's willingness to accept, the possibili of coming close to the estimated 397,378 revenue in the first year, based on the ' entified potential Stouffville user groups. Councillors who may still be in office six years from now (2013) can ex ct to see much more than the municrpal $27,210 revenue contribution estimated the consultants. I think the overall proposal for the renovation is a good one. 1 think it could be a real focal point in town. I agree it would blend in well With the proposed adpust- ments to Memorial Park. The proposal to include a 'great hall' on the second floor is a mistake and not cost effective. Better that the money be spent planning and then buildin or buying a proper theatre. All in all the proposal was very appealing as a place to ge proud to have in the downtown core. I expect it will add a very small amount to our property tax. Nevertheless it is the right way to o, if now, we could raise the bar and go for a proper building that would accomm ate a large audience, Bob Lewis ' Stouffville â€"â€" ~ Readers Write A move in the right direction Drs. McDowell, Genin, any de Jesus Sufi at Whitchurch-Stouflville Museum are interested in finding out the identity of the peoph pictured here and on page B. If you can help. phase contact the Stoufl'ville Free Press at 905-640-FjEE or email us at withwrinldes@hotmail.com Who are they? I love the tunes that Hugo Kroons Thos. E.Winters Plumber 905-640-1867 6085 Main St., 905-642-3937 MONTHLY MALAISE Mal’Scannlng Technology * . Eyeglasses and Contact Lenses Welcoming new patients 7/419 fl Iffville During a recent trip to Florida I was obhficd to ppepd {10! of lime gfflinc._ When the family got together and bou t Mr. Wallethead a MacBook for ' birthday, I confess that my Ian was not entirely altruistic. if he d a laptop, I reasoned, we could take it on trips so that I could avoid going cold tur on email. He, on the other hand, cou dn't care less whether or not he is connected, an attitude I share only in theory. My mistake was to believe all the hype insisting we live In a Wired world Our first sto was to lnends who are on sweet, 0 d fashioned dial- up. I' d forgotten the unique sound: of connecting,- the bocdg bomg of ancrent bedsprings follow by a prolonged static hiss, like something out of an early Dr Who episode accompanied by the knowledge that it could be eons (readseveral minutes) before you were communicating With the outside world. Our next move was to a sort of Floridian Fawlty Towers. We had unwisely decided that since Florida was full of tourist accommodation. there was no need to book ahead: We ended up in a place where motels were scarce and desperation lent enchant- ment to the one we eventually found. The receptionist barely looked up when I asked whether a room was available. Yes, she said, with laconic indifference. lf 1 was interested I could take a look. Last door on the left. According to the blurb at the front desk, our guest suite included a fully- equipped kitchen, which turned out to comprise one bar fridge in a closet with no light. Not only was our accommo- dation internet free; we didn't even have a phone in the room. There was a broken standard lamp, a faded paint by numbers picture on the wall, and an outside light which looked as if it M©LLER \ â€"â€" INSURANCE LTD. Personalized Insurance Service By Kate Cfldcrdale 64 Sandiford Drive, Unit 1 STOUFFVILLE er‘ .OIIerinSUrnr-rn rnm â€" O“\‘“e / had been shot up in_ the early panics Our heating and air conditioning unit groaned and rattled without making a discernible difference to the temperature, and the walls were so thin you could have conducted a whisv red conversation with the neigh- urs, who had invited friends over for the evening. Fortunately they were even older than us, so their raucous gathenn ended around 9 pm, allow- ing Mr. allethead to watch television and me to read a book on the lopsided sofa, my drink on the floor, smce side tables were not included. On out last night we decided to fund a mce hotel in Tampa to avoid the horrendous uaffic en route to the auport Images of a comfortable, fully wued room began to fade as soon as we arnved m the ci . Much of I! appeared to have been ttened fox rcédnsnucuon and we c find anythmg apptoachmg a downtown. At the tounst centre we learned that hotel rooms were about as easy to come by as an American pardon for Maher Arar because the ACC was m town. which meant a huge influx of college basketball teams and fans. After much searching, we ended up in a smokln room of a chain hotel on the other sic of town. The complimentary breakfast con- sisted of Frosted Flakes or Fruit Loops, doorstep sized white toast and a greasy fry up. On the plus side, there was unlimited wireless internet access, as long as you didn’t mind inhaling the great watts of stale tobacco which had permeated every nook and cranny. What I learned from my trip was that you can keep in touch or go on vacation. Maybe next year I‘ll‘stay home and take a virtual tour. ouldn't vibrant