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

le ID Decision on DBIAi rn January ByfMike Kowaiski The future of Whitby's contro- versial downtown business asso- ciation could ho determined early next year. Towvn council voted Monday to hold a speciil public meeting lu Jauuaryin orcior to deal witha ptitionsined by amajority of denteWn business owners. The petition demande that a two-year moratorium be placed onth ecollection of aspecial tax lovy paid by businesses located withln the Downtown Business- Improvement Area (see story on page 19). Council's 'committee of the whole' session will be held somne time after an informational meeting for DBIA members spon- sored by the DBIA management board but *ror te adoption of a 1994 bBIA budet. Town staff will aise prepare a, report on the issue for conside- ration by council.e Since council rures forbid debate on a referral motion, there was no discussion of the pe titi on or a letter frein down- wwn merchaut Gene Peacock, eue of the oýrganizers of the petition campagn. But followlng the meeting councillor JOhn Doitra said couucil's decision will allow for a thorough dlsession ef the issue. "Obvleustlyt here are problemns on both aides," said Dostra, couucil's répiesentative on the DBIAboard. 9There will le ne consideration of the DBIA budget until this matter is reso)ved »ho said. By vot-ng ,te ýtol d a public meeting, ceuncil demonstrated that it is net trylng te duck the issue, Dolstra insisted. 'Tve got uothiug te hide snd I don't thiuk auyene else has,» ho added. Grier goves O-ahead to psych hospital redevelopment By Mark Reesor Beaming patients sud staff crowded areund te watch ground-breaking ceremonies for the Whitby Psychiatrie Hospital (WPH) redfevelepment Monday Thy enthusiastically applau- ded Ontarie health minister Ruth Grier sud her promiethat the uew hoapital «wil1 be a place for people, I)eple receiving care here as wei as people providing that care.» Grier says the $133-moilion roetwhich la te be completed b'e heend ofl11996 by Ellis Don Construction is the firstpslch- atric hospitaf to ho built lu Nerth SF2 PAGE 4 ONTARIO PREMIER Bob Rae was on plant after the ceremnony, talking to stu- hand Iast Thursday to help 'offîcially' open dents and instructors along the way. e Durham College's skiIIs training centre. page 10 for more about the openi ng. Rae tookç a tour of the former Cadbury Phoo b Uk ft WhliVby Fm ePreû OIES INVACCIDENT Girl, 9, was ida student By Mark Reesor A nine-year-old Whitby grl kllled lu a trafic accident last week was "the kind of student every teacher dreains of havlng,» says hier schoo, principal. Marha 1Beale, a student at St. Mark the Evsugelist Catholic School, was strckt by a north- bouud p ickup truck around 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 16 while cressing Wat er Street near her home. She was rushed te Osh- awa General Hospital buit pro- nouuced dead on arrival. The driver ef the truck, a 36-year-old Whitby mn, was net injured. Au investigation is con- tinuing sud police expect te decide tomerrow (Thursday) whether he willl e hoc Beale la the third Witby girl te, die ln a car accident inluos than four daya Tara Fialler, 18, died lu tr collision at Coronation Road sud Hwy. 7 on Nov. 12 sud Tsuya McConnell, also 18, was killed lu su accident on Hwy. 401 near Trenton Nov. 13. "Tiero are wonderful atonies about Martha. Sh. was like su ideal studont... se open sud se onthusiastic'" gasys Boryl Cameron. Priuciupal ef St. Mark. "A wonderful chld; interested iu everything <with a) great sense of humour (sud) very sensitive sud klnd te other people... «She always brought eut the best iu everybody... the other students, the teachers sud every- body who came lu contact wlth her.» Cameren says the achool was devastatebyte accident. Mauy studenta, staff and parents attended Beale's funeral mass, whlch was held Friday at Holy Famnily Roman Catholic Church. A bus was provided free of charge by Charterways sud grief ceuncîllors were at the achool te help students sud staff deal with the tragedy. A grief' workshop was held for area parents Mon- da y ight. H r voice choking wlth emo- tien Cameron says Beale's moiier, Cecilia, has shown a lot of strength. "Instead of saying, like a lot of us whe are wealcer might aay, dear God, why did yeu take her se soon, her mother sald 'we were se lucky te have her with us for nine joyous years'... "Se wheu I was asked te speak, 1 just quoted them sud said 'we were se lucky te, have Martha at St. Markes for two years'... she was such a wonder- fuI child." Martha Beale la survived by parents Dan sud Cecilila sud sîster berien. One resldent of Waller Street, Ken Kauhai, says ho la unaware ef the circumstances ef the tragic accident, but says speediug is a regular occurrence on the street. Kanhai said -ho spoke te beth the Town of Whitby sud Durham Regienal Police about vehicle speeding, but «nothing has been done about it," although police responded te his couceru sud aduinitted that there was speed- ingogn the street. «Now a child has died. I'm really sugry.» Kanhai, who has lived on the street for three years, asys "ita baby boomers area,» with mauy children: "We had over 100 kids on Halloween" The achool la alse on the street. Kanhal says the street in almoat like a straightawaX, from Wiutrn r rve te Dryden Boulevard,, with ne stops. Ho a sa hat speed limits could :a st holowerod frein 50 kilometres an heur te 40. buSinSS new See Pag~e o1