Kennett residents have their i page 3 rvvrn Carnival update pages 91 Auto Section pages 13-15 Whitby's Santiagro prospect page 17 'Friens letter isý misleading, say officiai of hospita Young composers tops in Ontarjo BUDDING- WHITBY composers1 Courtney her age categoy in Ontario, competing Hewitt (left) and Brittini Andrew (right against 1173 theyr entries with her com- shown here* playing a music gamne with po'sition, 'Gymnastios:" Andrew, 5,, placed teacher Valerie Hamilton, did weII at a first in Ontario and ýfourth intemnationally recent *Canada/U.S. Music for Young Chil- against 705 other entries, with 'Mommy, dren competition. Hewitt, 6, was third in Dad I Grow Today?' Photo by Mark Reesor, Whltby Fre. Proe Downtownworwilb done ini time for -carnival By Mike Kowalski Participants i next -weekes County Town Carnivai should not have te, contenci with trafflc pylons or pedestrian barriers i downtownNWhitby. Town officiais expect that work wiI moon be wrapped up on the Brock Street construction project that lias plagued motorists andi mierchants alike the past several weeks. But i the évent that weather or somne unforseen problemi causes a delay, steps will b. taken te ensure that activities planned for the downtewn area during the June 28-30 event run smoothiy. «W. have had sme delays, but itfs scheduled te b. comple ted. on tîme," said Whitby pub lic works diecorWyne Hanca "The stores frontng onto where the work's being don. know they've (construction crew) been working 'eveninge andi weekends andi they've haci te put up with a lot,." he *said. "W. want te move the con- struction eut of the area as soon as possible, we don't want them there any longer than necess- a'h. joit Durhamn Regin Whitby project involves repiae ment cf, sanitary sewers andi watermains on Brock b.tween Dundas and Mary streets. Cam- pus Construction bIc, cf Concord i. the contractor on the $250,000' precRégioni respensible for approzimiateqly $150,000- cf the coot, with thie Town picking-uip the remainder. resurfacing the street, wiIl have 90 per cenit cf its share covered ya- grant frem the Ontarie, Mini!stry cf Transportation. Hancock attriuted the deliy icompietig the work te, the raîny spring weather andi a unumaber cf unforseen thingEr that are net uncommon te under- ground construction projects ia downtewn ares, such as -the design and location cf pipes, for istance. Surface work, sucli as curbs and. gutters, catch basins andi amg, have netcusdpro- blemleadded. Iffrsme reason the under- ground work is further deiayed, thesetreet wilrecevenlya bs asphait coating, with the surface pavig andi roaci marlcinïisbelnir fter i.ei~m By MIke Kowalaki Whitby Generai Hospital offi- ciais are' distancig themeelves from'a'letter ,that endorses can-ý didates for election to'thehospi-, tal's board of directors. In_ an -acivrtisement which ýppeare èsewhere. i- today's Whtby Po rsthe hospital' board. denies anýy involvemnent with agoupcaling itseif «Me' Priende of Whitby General Hoa-: pital.' Ibis "anonymous" organiza- tion, as the advertisement states, iresponsible for producing. the letter that 'was. recently sent te ho %taorortionmembers. Tel.efterendôrses four ofthe nine peo11e seeking élection te the à attonight's,(Wédnes- daLy) annual meeting at -Heyden- shore Pavilion beginingý at 7:30 p.m. Ini addition te supportingSe Our General Hospitai (SOGH,) citizens' committee co-chair JoAnne Prout, Who freely- admit- ted te having a hand in, produc- ing it, the letter backs the candi- dacies of Norm Mealing, George Panelas and Richard Elsten. The four are challenging cur- rent chair Jin Souch and ïelow incumbents Mo ra Dobson, Mary Lofthouse, and Peter Spratt, whose terms have aisoe] *e Craig Brownis the otherper- son m ekng on. of the four seats .p for grabs in this years elec- tion. «My names i it and rm a parti te it" saici Prout of the leti that was maiied te about 490 of the hospital corporation's approximately 750 elgbe votn members. "T'here's nothig untruthful in it. ]Pm on. of thie people whose a frienci of Whitby Genieral Hospi- tali she said. À. Preut explained, the letter refers te the controverseial Dur- ham Region District Health Council study which recommends that Whitby Generai b. couver- ted ite a- rehabilitation treat- ment centre serving the entire ees on te s tate that the study makes ne specii commit- ment te, retaining, acute care, ambulatery, emergencyr orout- patient services at the hospital. "«Many supporters eof Whity Genralespýital are. concerned about the board'. lack of concern retention of acute care services and the reinstatement of 24-hour emergency care,» she saici.-, Although three of the four'can-. didates are members- of SOGH, the érupa n 1ame was kept eutel theleter ecasePanlasia.not an SOGH member Prou saici. Whitb Gneral'viýe-president Marc Kea leysadtehstas advertisement was an à ttemplt te clear up the«cnsincrtd byýthe etter. Keaiey noteci that the liosita put out its own publication whicl centained -biograiphicai sketches of ali mne candlidates ancidid not- endors. anyone. H. then blasted those respoen- sible for producing.the "misleaci- n1 Sept. 25, 1995, the Minis- ter of Heaith apredth future diretionof al hspitals in Dur-, ham Région,ý one of which was a centre of eclec for rehabili- tation in Whitby,»saici Keaiey. "To au 'est th ere's an outaide chance for any enhanced roi. for acute car. or a chaýn&e of minci, is erreneous and uninformed,» h. said. ."There are ne options here.- There is adotted Uine and itfs been ijned.» Meahng disagreed with Kea- iey's interpretation of the situa- tion. ,TM running feor a pstion on the board becas n blee the residents cf Whitby need cem- muni ybased acute car. ser-. vices he said. ýe9My -sense- that whiie a rehab facility may benefit the whele reg on, there -stili is an oppertuîty te ensure acute care. can stay in place and be expan- ded.» Mealing aise, doubtedthat the Ontario government' will -find sufficient-funda te cover the esti- mated *24.1-million- cost -cf coverting the liospitai hite . a state-of-the-art reéhabilitation centre. Panelas agreeci with Mealing's assesament. .«I seenething wreng with hav- ing a rehab"centr eat Whitby GeneraiHooptai,"he'saici. _ "But rm -nety e t convin'ced tthat there's not a place for acute car. and 24-heur emergency service along witli rehabl.»' Elston. a former adminimfratr