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Home Newspaper of Hrtton Sfcice A Division of Canadian Newspapers Company Limited Street Georgetown 3Z6 Ontario PAUL J Publisher and General Manager Editor PHONE DAVID Advertising Manager Second Ms Ragbtmd Page SECTION A THE HERALD Wednesday January It Georgetown needs 1982 solution to Focal dilemma With the reappointment of Coun Mike Armstrong as planning board chairman last week Ha Hon Hills politicians readied themselves for another year an election year at that of tackling the outstanding issues of the day Appointments of committee chairmen while hardly comparable to federal Cabinet selections are an an nual responsibility that reflects In Borne ways how council members feel about their colleagues and the jobs theyve been doing With Coun Armstrong back in the chair we hope our civic leaders are at last ready to make the year in which longstanding concerns about future of Georgetow n arc resolved Specifically we hope the months before councillors hit the campaign trail again will see a definitive solution to the issue of Focal Properties Ltd and its claim to vacant lands south of the community In 1981 while still under Coun Armstrongs direction the planning board played a relatively low profile role emerging as a major force only when deliberations over the downtown BIAs or Georgetown Guelph Street corridor earned local headlines Apart prom the main issues of the day the boards work involved mostly oneshot matters severance appeals and a few housing starts Consideration of the Focal Properties bid to build homes south of town Georgetown waited through 1981 for word from the ministry of environment whose con sultants continue to study whether the communitys sewage treatment plant can accommodate a larger population Early Indications showed the board that there may well be potential for substantial growth Town officials say the ministry decision is expected at the end of this month with public hearings expected to be scheduled for March Herald readers got used to the Focal issue during 1977 and 1978 when the firms threat to sue Halton Hills for alleged breach of contract had enough ratepayers concerned that they for met a new association to tly monitor the situation and If necessary advise council The would be lawsuit earned a great deal of political weight among all factions though councillors stead lastly refused to bow to pressure In those days there were strongly worded confrontations between Bruce McLaughlin of who runs Focals parent company and the town fathers No one it seemed fully com prehended the details of the predicament but many suspected some elaborate backroom politicking After all that it was probably a good thing the dust was able to settle last year Hopefully the viewpoints of councillors ratepayers voters and developers alike have become clearer and all parties are prepared for some level headed planning in the best in of the community once that all important ministry revelation is ready Thats where the planning board comes in and we fervently hope Coun Armstrong a mainstay veteran of the town council chamber but a quieter voice at the regional level has prepared himself fully for all the possibilities Hes had time to do his homework much of it in conjunction with nowdeparted planning director Mario Vendifti and his handling of the Focal issue depending on just what the ministry has to say this month will no doubt be a major highlight of his per political career Everyone acknowledges that the Focal problem is one big can of ms best of luck with it chairman Mike were looking forward to a sound and expeditious solution this year CURLING IN THE FUTURE A look to Man the theme of North Haltia and Cattatry Club Jan aaald lab display Tola Bouafol event aad coatuaca sad Dm tilt MatsjT photo Jaycees Week Jan to Feb Clarks optimism in Quebec perhaps a little premature Ottawa Report Ottawa Bureau of Too Herald In one of yearend Interview Conservative Leader Joe Clark expressed the optimistic view that his long and sturdy stand against Prime Minister Trudeou a unilateral Jon of constitution and his party an exciting new rebirth in Quebec And there Is no doubt that Clark fought a valiant battle against the government original pa trial Ion He played no small part In cing Trudeau and Justice Minister Jean Chretien to get back to the bargaining table with the ID premiers in search of a wider accord The original resolution you will recall was supported only by the governments of Ontario and New Brunswick It was Clark who led the mentary fight against that resolution often against opposition from large segments of the public and even more often from segments of own party For months he stood his ground against not only the federal Liberal but also against Conservative ere William Davis and Richard Hatfield Whether one agrees with Clark stand Is entirely beside the point What he did do beyond any expressed doubt Is perform brilliantly In Parliament during that period QUEBEC SPOKESMAN And after the government went back to the negotiating table and reached an accord with nine of the 10 provinces Clark and the vast majority of party supported the resulting resolution In Parliament But be took advantage of every opportunity to urge Quebec participation and he even undertook direct correspondence with Premier Rene Levesque In an effort to find common ground While Trudeau and Chretien held to the view that such appeals were useless on the grounds that a Quebec government devoted to separatism would never agree to a new constitutional accord Clark was relentless In hit efforts There were occasions when the Alberta born leader seemed to be the most effective spokesman In Parliament on behalf of the Quebec people And now Clark hopes rewards for his efforts One of the side advantages of the constitutional position Is that this party now has roots and potential In Quebec that we haven t had for a long lime Clark said in one of his yearend That is important for the country because It means that there Is now national party that can brliia the whole country together LITTLE CREDIT He went on to say that his party a rote In the constitutional squabble has been very roundly celebrated In Quebec while other party leaders have gone down over he last year In my standing has gone up so dramatically lis referred to things being sold ana by comments tors and editorialise Perhaps Clark Is bearing and reading things that have escaped me and I don t mean to be the least bit sarcastic bare but lis my feeling that the Tory leader la not getting a fraction Intact apart from a few generalized comptl menu from editorial writers Clark doesn figure prominently in any at the discussion The constitutional accord reached between and nine premiers with all the opposition coming from Rene Levesque Even Quebec Liberal wilhhla Canada Clause compromises la being treated as some sort of Interested bystander Not even a Solomon could predict bow this whole constitutional business will shake down over the next few months Those who cling to potentially papular positions today could be swept to sea by changing waves of public opinion and others could be carried to safety But I think It far too early for Clark to claim any dramatic new breakthrough In Quebec for him or his party With all due respect heard that many times before Proposed information law boasts growing price tag Queens Park Queen Pork Bureau of The Herald The yean drift by and there on the Just but seemingly never any closer Is the provincial government famed freedom of Information law It has been In the works now one way or another for more than its year and the price tag to develop It Is After some Initial Internal Inga and hesitations the 19 minority Conservative cabinet turned the Idea over to a Commission on Freedom of Information and Individual Privacy usually called the Williams Commission alter chairman Carlton Williams It reported In to former Minister Without Portfolio Alan Pope and basically concluded that facts should be freely available to the public from the government but civil service opinion given ministers should remain secret Pope found the report acceptable and prom early legislation That quickly went by the board a considerable political and bureaucrat resist nee arose against Pope a bias In favor of NEWMAN Later Pupa Natural id a cabinet shuffle and a new Minister Without Portfolio Norm Sterling took over the freedom of Information Job That was April In September that year Sterling called a press conference to announce he satisfied with the draft version of Pope s bill and wonted It overhauled He alio wanted It to dovetail with Mr Justice Horace Krever recommendations concerning access to and privacy of health core records So he was establishing a freedom of information task force under civil servant and lawyer Carl to write both a position paper and new draft legislation This was promised for mid December The word now that the task force while finished haa yet to make its presentation to cabinet That may happen this month and if It does only then will the draft bill and position or while paper become public The position paper explains the sections the bill and why the government chose one option rather than another in its writing In theory that means a freedom of information law sometime during the spring session of the legislature Well see however Liberal and NDP critics among others doubt It Too many years and too much study have convinced them the government prefers to Junk the whole concept and conduct business as usual KEEP WATCH In truth the actual working of the law may not be as Important as the In many ways the Ontario government Is already quite open And the part of the process that the opposition parties would like to get their hands service advice to ministers on policy motlerels going to remain a closed book no matter What will be interesting to watch Is where Sterling draws the line between opiniontype material and socalled facts open to all on eye on the following couple of or their equivalents all government public opinion palls the salary ranges of tlve staff at colleges and universities If the bill makes them available it may not be too bad From our files 3 THUm MRS of most enduring musicals of all time Edna Fcrbcr Slum Boat comes to the for the last three days of the week third filming of the Broadway hit In the early days of the talkies blonde Laura La Finnic starred In the movie A version brought Jones Mho is playing in Toronto this week in the musical show Guys and Dolls The new Show Boat is in technicolor and stars Howard Keel and Grayson It was a successful novel long before Jerome Kem composed his beautiful musical featuring songs like Whj do 1 Bill Man River and Make Believe Council appointed a committee composed councillors Mac Dona Id and Allen find out what other councils in North feel about the high school question John Bell MilneandWallerBielin Georgetown represen tatives on the school board had been asked to meet with council Mr Bell gavea progress to dale When Georgetown joined two years ago he said the question was whether one central school would be built Arguing for two had accomplished nothing At present a motion is on the school board books to build new schools at Acton and retain the present one in Milton The school board owns no school in Acton and a poor one In Georgetown and the consensus of council seems to favor trying or one school for Acton and Georgetown If this t work hey II go ahead with two schools Members of the 10a2 township council took the oath of office at the inaugural meeting on Jan 14 In the council chambers at The new council Is composed of Reeve George Leslie councillors Holler Linham Deputy reeve Wilfred Bird During discuss I an of business a decision to engage a surveyor or engineer lo make a survey of the watershed around the Credit River was made with recommendations lor stopping Hooding which has caused serious property damage the past few The motion was made after a petition had been received signed by several of the residents YEARS AGOCeorgelown Midgets ploy ed In Milton Monday defeating Milton to Georgetown wos on top the Milton team from the drop of the puck and it was a last clean game Wednesday Georgetown hosted Mi Ion defeating Appointment of the Industrial Commissi on has occupied a large share of the first two town council meetings and opinions on the composition the commission Lost year a member commission Included our councillors tour appointees of the Chamber of Commerce and two Jnjcees This year It would appear that council representation might be cut to two and whether council will choose Its own appointment slate or accept advice ram the Chambers seemed to be In doubt Monday Discussions between council road commit tee and executives of Georgetown Businessmen a Association are stated for the near future on projected plans for a downtown parking area Last year considerable groundwork was done on a plan which would provide offstreet parking eventually behind soma or all of the downtown store district and a bylaw was given two raiding to the legal procedure necessary laid Is acquired for this purpose TEN hundred spectators witnessed Georgetown North Raiders trip up first place Wei land Marauders In the Memorial Arena Friday night with a balanced attack that should have produced an even wider margin of victory than 4 to The Raiders currently hold down third spot in the Oil A Niagara Peninsula Intermediate A League but have been rising toward the top since sinking lo one stop from the basement should remain intact and should sot up Its own regional government unit warden James Swanborough said last week as ha took office the reeve of Burlington was the only candidate for the warden office The takeover by Hamilton of Burlington area In county was proposed in a regional govern issued In November IMS by the Steele Commission Provincial authorities still haven made a decision on the report Swanborough says the takeover would be the downfall of The Steele Commission headed by lawyer Donald Steele studied regional government In the Hamilton County Burlington urea The Commissi Hamilton unltthould be set up and Included in the Ho mi lioncentered region II II Bert In ton Acton announced last week thai he intends to seek the federal Progressive Conservative nomination for the riding Others who have Indicated their willingness to contest the election are James Muir and Terence and possibly Ivan Hunter of Milton Rumor has it that a Georgetown candidate will also join the race A former warden of county Mr nan been on Acton council and is n member of the board of directors of Sheridan College He has the support of Acton and township PC associations he said ThcPtannualmeetingwIllbo Jan with notion convention March ONI- VrAKA0 workers at lown and District Memorial Hospital will meet tomorrow Thursday to discuss possible strike action in their contract dispute with the hospital The registered nursing assistants housekeep ing kitchen and laundry staff are members of Local 145 of Canadian Public Employees but the hospital doesn t belong to the central bargaining Hospital Association so the local Isnt recogniicd by the union A coroner Jury Investigating the drowning death of Bruno Scodellaro at Waterfalls Park near has called on Hills to pas safety bylaws governing the operation of pnvalely owned parks The decision also says the provincial government should pass similar legislation accord ing to regulations outlined in a Red Cross Safety Services brief In making a long list of safety regulations which include suiting of both the pond area where Mr drowned and the quarry with trained lifeguards and posting swimm ing with warning signs the jury recommended thai park owner Joe keep the park closed until extensive safety changes are POETS CORNER The Walking Plow As a lad I ploughed the ground To only job then lor t to be fouo Fed the pigs and milked Ik cow watted behind the walking plow The hones they were hard and lough You very heard hem puff try keep furrows straight There was bo time to stop or waft I would walk lea mUea nth A steady grind no time play Every day you plow the same ha 1 bow JO count home limes I mike a Jagged stone The plow bruised bone all da lu Work was life trough were belter stuff by the pre it J lillle ll ill a painter dream Hay up in the opple All the would slog lo me by the barb of a dog On edge of the swamp the croak of a frog By he bush the caw of crow The bird I did know All thing as I plowed my way The sre Ihe my