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the Herald Town Buyer Sunday Februarys News at a Glance Citizen of the Year LENA JOHNSTON The Georgetown Lions Club Citizen of the is long time resident Lena Johnston the club announced Wednesday I was absolutely shocked when they called me today Wed said Mrs Johnston during a telephone interview Acknowledging she likes to keep herself busy Ms Johnston added I certainly don publicize it For those who have never come in contact with the mother of two grandmother of five and a great grandmother of three the term volunteer dynamo best describes this woman Ms Johnston who Is a widow arrived in Georgetown in and since that time has never slowed down One of the highlights of her ex tensive volunteer work has come about because of her association with he Georgetown and District Memorial Hospital and the Bennett Health Care Centre said Mrs Johnston She is a recipient of a special award in recognition of 30 years of service with the hospital auxiliary Mrs Johnston currently does volunteer work at the hospital and Bennett Health Care entre Playing down her work at the hospital Ms Johnston also acknowledged she knits clothes for babies and blankets for residents at the health care centre Until receiving Wednesday telephone call from Lion s club member Mark Rush Mrs Johnston said she had no previous knowledge of even being nominated for the prestigious award I had no idea she said Contacted Wednesday Mr Rush said it was the scope of Mrs John s volunteer work that led to her being chosen as Citizen of the Year To choose the Citizen of the Year recipient the club looks at those who have contributed outstanding service to the community on a volunteer basis said Mr Rush It s hard to imagine she had time to do it all and still have time to raise two children Mr Rush said incredulously When informed of this comment Ms Johnston replied Oh come on You have to keep busy And busy she has been Aside from her work with the hospital Ms Johnston has also been active with the local chapter of the Red Cross the local seniors club Bells and Bows the United Seniors of Ontario and the Rebecca Lodge from which she received the of Chivalry To have earned this workload over so many years would be hard enough for most but not Ms JoK ShealsoranagroccrystoreVB King Street for several years Asked if she would recommend volunteering to others most cer replied Ms Johnston There is no sense sitting at home doing nothing she said he award will be presented Mar during a special banquet dinner at the Lions Club Hall on Mill Street in Georgetown are 50 per person and can be purchased at the Lions Club Hall Barrager Cleaners the Car pet Barn or the law firm Helson Kogon Schaljo for more ticket information call Mark Rush at Robson questions Hewitts association with developer he town committee recently organized to encourage Local in dustnal and commercial activity got off to a rocky start at its first meeting Tuesday Committee members met with representatives of Torontobased Law Development Group to discuss the architectural design of the com s proposed housing develop ment off Trafalgar Road in Georgetown West However committee chair person Bill said Wed the project may due to a negative per of the project arising out of fact that a former regional i has been retained b the The employee in question is for Hilton Hills Regional Joe Hewitt who defeated Mr I ltt in the November municipal said it s morally and wrong for a former conn I or to work for a developer who 1 interests in the former s community person in this position may at tempt to ask favors of his former BILL colleagues in order to help a development proposal be approved said Mr I m not saying this will happen but it may he continued Mr thinks former be permitted to work for developer who has in terests in that person s community for it least a year after the person s in an election Other councillors who also at tended Tuesday meeting however don t share their colleague concern Coun Serjeantson said Wednesday What councillors do after they are defeated is up to them Coun Norm Elliott agreed saying I had no problem with Mr Hewitt when he was on council and I don have any problem with what he is doing now It doesn surprise Coun Elliott that Mr Hewitt was hired by the development company since he knows the political process Elliott also pointed out for mer Hills municipal staff have been hired by developers in the past for the very same reason Although he arrived late to the meeting Coun Elliott said Mr Hewitt said little during the meeting Mr Hewitt was one of six people representing Law Development in eluding it owner Larry Law Mr Law did most of the talking said Coun Elliott Neither Mr Law nor Mr Hewitt could be reached for comment at press time Silver Creek Association backed by MNR biologist Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources supported the position of local environmental group Silver Creek Association Wednesday that an ecosystem approach should be employed In making development decisions The ecosystem approach is based on the premise that before develop ent can take place the ecology of an area must be thoroughly un derstood explained MNR Biologist Jack The idea being any development project will forever change an area natural state to some extent he said By understanding the ecology of an area said Mr planners and developers will know beforehand to what extent the natural features of an area will be negatively affected The biologist provided this ex planation of the ecosystem ap proach during the associations Wednesday meeting at the Hills Cultural Centre The town should adopt the ecosystem approach to ensure the communitys natural features are protected said association interim President Ashley Hanson following the meeting Neophyte councillors Gail Rutherford and who were two of the approximate people attending the meeting said they also support the town s adop tion of an ecosystem approach to planning Asked if she thinks the town has been employing an ecosystem ap proach to date Coun Rutherford said no I think they town planning staff take the environment into consideration when considering development proposals but not to the level advocated by the said Rutherford Coun concurred saying it appears the town planning staff isn t following an ecosystem ap proach Coun Rutherford explained in stead of looking at the natural en vironment in its totality planning staff only considers specific areas depending on the development project she explained As well said Coun Rutherford consideration for the environment appears to happen only after the town has started to process a development application o improve the situation the town should first take an inventory of the community s natural features before allowing further development said ford Unlike Rutherford Town Planning Director Ian Keith says the town is following an ecosystem approach and has been since at least 1982 In considering development ap plications the town has always recognized the community s valley systems must be maintained and not damaged by construction ac tivlty With respect to the town ongoing urban area structure review Mr Keith said a full blown environmental assessment is necessary in identifying where fur development should proceed in the Georgetown and Acton urban areas An environmental assessment of these two areas is unnecessary because they have been chosen for urban development since the town adopted its official plan in he explained Region budget under fire Budget Review Com faces some tough decisions order to keep the tax hike in line with inflation said regional Chairman Peter Pomeroy following Wednesday s council meeting Chairman made this statement in response to several ex dealt with during the regional council meeting At Wednesday meeting council approved several expenditures subject to review by the budget review committee This committee was formed to consider all Regional expenditures in an attempt to itemize them in or of importance Although council s a whole has final approval over the 1992 tax hike its decision will be based on the budget review com s recommendation The expenditures approved Wed for the committee s review include more than in agricultural grants an grant to the Niagara and Mid Western Travel Association a 553 grant to the Region Safety Council and 400 to the Royal Botanical Gardens in Burlington grant requests coupled with the Region obligation under provincial legislation to fund the Region Police Services Board and 20 per cent of the Region s Children s Aid Society budget don t leave much room to cut expenditures said Chairman PETE POMEROY He points out the police and social service budgets such as that of the Halton Children s Aid Society over which regional council has no con trol account for well over per cent of s yearly operating expenses The fact that council approved for review several grants on top of the Region s other expenses means council is sending mixed signals to the budget review committee he said On the one hand council won t ac a large 1992 tax hike yet it is requesting the review committee consider an array of possible ex penditures explained Chairman Pomeroy It s making it very tough for the budget review committee he added Special campaign A new committee called Wheels for Matthew Committee has been formed to raise m order to buy a special van for Matthew leet of Acton Matthew 19 is partially paralyzed and confined to a wheelchair since he was involved in a swimming accident in 1988 Matthew hopes to attend sity this fall but cannot unless he has transportation He also hopes to once again become involved in the community he committee hopes to be able purchase the special van bythisfah and is planning several fundraising events For more information on Matthew and the committee read the Hills Herald this Wed Body discovered A 30yearold Hamilton woman was found dead at the base of Rat tlesnake Point in the Kelso Con serration Area Tuesday say Regional Police Police were called to the Con Area by area authorities when a parked car had not been picked up after hours Police tried unsuccessfully to contact the owner and then sear died the area Shortly after the woman body was found at the base of a cliff Foul play is not suspected but police are continuing their in vestigation There was no indication the woman was with anybody or that she was rockclimbing say police