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WHITBY FREE PRESS, WEDNESDAY, MAY 19, 1982, PAGE 3 Drumm says... Slow GO hm'in ggrowth JVhiwtbY's new "Police c hief' Staff Sergeant John .Hamilton (above) is the new commader of the ýDurham Regional Police Force's 18 Division <Whitby). Hamilton actually took over the job at the beginning of April after spend- ing seven years in the force's recruiting branch. The Rossland Road East police station bas 26 officers on strength, as well as two sergeants, two selective enforcement radar) officers, as well as plainclothes officers in the, Criminal Investigation Branch (CIB) and three members of the Youth Bureau. Hamilton started bis police career with the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) in Wawa, 150 miles north of Sault Ste. Marie. In 1967, he joined the Ajax Police Force and subsequently joined the Durham force upon region- alization in 1974. He lives in Ajax. Fe rs tf ht According to one member of Wbitby Town 'Council, the provincial - gover- nment's apparent hesi- tation in approving the GO Train service exten- sion is hurting local resi- dential growth., At last week's meet- ing 0f council, east ward representative 1Joe Drumm pointed out that between January and April only 48 new homes were constructed in Whitby while during the comparable period in 1981, 199 were built. Saying that "residen- tial permits are falling down to zero," Drumm urged- that "council should do everything to hurry it up. " 1He was referri.ng to a. recent announcement by Ontario Transporta- tion and Communica- tions Minister James Snow that said the governmcnt would delay Any decision on the GO Train extension' east from Pickering to Oshawa for a ý90-day period.- During this time, the minister says that the government .-would study possible alterna- tives for the expansion. Last week, Durham West MPP George Ashe said that the govern- ment did not want to spend $75 million to cx-, pand the service onlyto discover that it did not cnrlservice sche- dules or own the track. Both of these critical items belong to Cana- dian National Railways. ",While thé industrial permits continue to look good, especially with the $81 million liquor warchouse, we've got to keep our eycs on this," Drumm told council. "They've extendcd the line as far as Milton to the west and they haven't donc anything about extending the train out east."1 However, Regional Councillor Gerry Emm doesn't think that the housing market is as bad as Druînm believes. "I know from the mayor's office that in- quiries about home building in Whitby are stili positive," '- Emm said adding. that there will be housing develop- ments 1"coming 'on stream" later in the year. Ashe, said'last week that the delay does not mean the government is no longer committed to exteniding the service. The government is merely trying to find more cost advantageous methods of doing so. Most prominenit local Woiticians 'including Ashe and Regional Chairman - Gary Hçrrema are predicting that Uic first train will leave Oshawa by 1985. ~=IUJ J2~ :1U~