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Plaoeyour ArticlesforSaIe ad in mummmmwnumnm BY SANDRA BOLAN sbolan@yrmg.com Mario Greco will wipe down his last table and say ‘thanks for coming’ for the final time tomorrow. Da Classic Scoop is clos- ing its doors forever as of 5 pm. on Sunday in prepara- tion for its eventual demo- lition, unless a last-minute taker for the building comes forward. “I’m so emotional," Mr. Greco, the owner of Da Clas- sic Sdoop said. “What I’m going to miss the most is the kids -â€" how they come in for ice cream (and say) ‘please’ and ‘thank you.’ I had a busi- ness in Toronto and you don’t find that in Toronto. The ‘please’ and ‘thank you’ really touches me." Patrons were packing the place late in the week One regular customer delivered a cake for a farewell event Thursday afternoon. The building was con- structed in the 18508 and was home to a post office then a general store, until 1990 when Mr. Greco opened the eatery, which served ice cream, big breakfasts, homemade soups and hearty sandwiches. It was decorated as a repli- ca 19503 diner, complete wth rock ’n’ roll and automotive memorabilia. "line building also acted as a gateway into Stouffville. As part of Whitchurch- Stouffville’s Main Street reconstruction project, the No one has scooped up Ringwood diner freebie PATRONS SAY BYE T0 STOUFFVILLE RD. EATERY 0N WEEKEND 19508 DINER intersection of Main and Hwy. 48willberealigned and Da Classic Scoop is in the Two years ago. the munic- ipality purchased land from the nearby properties owned by Mr. Greco at the intersec- tion, but another 1,000 square metres of land was needed in order to complete the widen- ing of Main Street and align Fodder Lane, Which runs up the west side of the building, to a safer distance away from Hwy. 48. The land required by the town is precisely where Da Classic Scoop stands. Since 2007, the town has been trying to negotiate with Mr. Greco to have the build- ing moved back about 100 feet from its current location. as that is as far as it needs to go to allow for the construc- tion project. But negotiations came to a screeching halt last year and the town initiated the expropriation process. Last week. council approved a payment of $655,000 to cover the cost of ‘It’s not a hostile takeover’ as claimed in a letter, Mr. Emmerson said. ‘We have done our utmost to preserve this building.’ lost land, the building and loss of busineSs, plus reason- able legal costs incurred by Mr. Greco during the expro- priation process. As a last ditch effort to save the building, the town offered the two-storey, 3,600â€" square-foot wood frame commercial building free to anyone who would pay for the building’s removal from Main Street andey. 48 to a yet-to-be-determined nearby location. The town has given March 31 as its deadline to receive proposals. “There have been no bona fide proposals for the reloca- tion of the building." said Paul Whitehouse, Whitchurch- Stouffville’s director of public works. “But there has been interest.” Throughout the expro- priation process. members of council have been on the receiving end of potshots surrounding their unwilling- ness to save this piece of the town’s heritage. But one particular inciâ€" dent â€"- an anonymous let- ter recently posted in the municipal building â€" put Mayor Wayne Emmerson on the defensive. “It's not a hostile takeover" as claimed by that letter. Mr. Emmerson said. “We have done our utmost to preserve this building. “I would love to see this building as a landmark in this town â€" if (Mr. Greco) would just move it back 100 feet." POT-SHOTS AT COUNCIL Manitoba mlssion benefits from Stouffvllle lunches Stouffville's Boston Pizza will be donating 10 per cent of all Sun- day lunch receipts for the month of March to the EastRidge Evangelical Missionary Church's Manitoba Mis- sion. Each summer. a team of young adults and youth is sent to a reserve Wo-n'. Wotfleorflu Frrr. roqfidenn‘al mrmrnry servirrx and support for abused womrn and their ('hildrrn in York Region Call 24 hours a day 1-000-661-8294 0! 1305-7224220 idle Aurora (Head 0mm) ISIOS Yonge St. #20] (al (Lhurrh) (905) 727-2577 Richmond Hill 9555 Yonge 8401 (at dem‘k) (905) 508-9495 Sutton West 100 High (at Middle) (905) 722-5170 Email: M@Pg§Robinson.com Web: www.PaIRobinson.com A “kw ,AL A ,, , There has been interest but no proposals to move Da Classic Scoop from near the comer of Main Street and Hwy. 48. The town, which wants the land the diner sits on for road widening, has issued a March 31 deadline for proposals. The business is closing this weekend. in northem Manitoba to provide a week of day-camp activities to the native youth on the reserve. “The isolation, poverty and hopelessness on the reserve is unbelievable," said Scott Clubine. the associate pastor of youth min- istries at EastRidge. “(The) sum- mer camp programming offers the native youth an opportunity to do something positive during the sum- mer." Pat Robinson Trustee in Bankruptcy INC. I MP hosts free skating Oak Ridges-Markham MP Paul Calandra is hosting free public skat- ing sessions across his riding during March break. The Stouffvillc Arena hosts an event Sunday. March 22. from 1 to 3 pm. For more information. call 905 8833030. Call for afrve personal dismssion oHelp with creditor problems OProposal to creditors OPersonal Business Banknlpm' STAFF PHOTO/JIM MASON Toll Free for any location 1-877-727-2577