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The search for a new ambulance station in Acton is on the back burner as the Region sorts out the land ambulance service. which it takes over from the province on January 2001. "It (the search) is not on hold," Halton am- bulance director Jim King said when asked how soon the existing cramped, leaky depot at the rear of the Becker's plazas will be abandoned for a new station. "We're still working on it but it's-not on the front burner. We really want to get them out of there. but we don't want to rush out of one location into another that's not really what we need for our long-term goal, either," King said, adding there may be some opportunities with the Town for a new Acton ambulance loca- tion. Layoff notices went out to 42 ambulance employees in Halton last week, but many that got pink slips expect to be rehired as Halton takes over and goes through a regular hiring process. Currently ambulance service is provided by the District of Halton and Mississauga Am- bulance Service, a private operator owned by Laidlaw Inc. If Halton isn't ready to take over 1997 SUNFIRE STE Rockwood * 856-2222 when Laidlaw's contract ends mid-August, King said ambulance users wouldn't notice. because the province will operate the service in the interim. King is confident response times will be better in Acton since full-time daily ambulance coverage began last fall, but can't prove it until he gets the 1999 statistics from the prov- ince. "We'll isolate the last three-and-a-half months of the year in the Acton coverage area and we'll be able to identify what type of an impact it is having, but I anticipate we're go- ing to see a major reduction in response times in Acton." Halton Council recently approved an am- bulance budget that includes money for up- graded defibrillators, improving existing sta- tions and adding new ones. increase staffing levels and creating new paramedic positions in Halton Hills. "T believe at the street level, for the person who is going to call an ambulance in the next few months, there will be a major benefit by Halton taking over land ambulance services and the change should be seamless." Newstand price: 40¢ + GST : se 20 Ib. Propane) . Cylinder Refill Tyler Transport Ltd. . 379QueenStE Acton | aaa Whats? Politician urges vigilance to fight Acton vandilism es Dedicated volunteers with Halton Hills Commu- nity Support and Informa- tion received some much deserved recognition and thanks last week. See photo Page 3. The potential sale of school playground and sports fields at McKenzie- Smith Bennett School will be on the Halton District School Board agenda on May 17. See Page 9 for story. There were great deals at the Rotary Club of Acton's three auctions at the Legion on Friday. See Page 12 for story and pho- tos. The Halton Hills Mi- nor Lacrosse League began play in Acton on Saturday. Games results and photo on Page 13. 14 WESLEYAN STREET Downtown Georgetown BESO Elle rae Closed Sundays MSB teaching assistant gets shorne There was near pandemo- nium among the 500-plus stu- dents and staff at McKenzie- Smith Bennett school as in- structional assistant Linda Bowen had her hair buzzed -- except a little fringe at the front -- off during an assem- bly on Monday. Back in March, Bowen of- fered to shave her head if the school's Easter fundraiser generated a profit of more than $7,500 profit. It did -- $7,523 to be exact with $5,000 more expected -- forcing Bowen to buy a few head- scarves and submit to a very public shearing in the gym. (A colleague, Mary Robinson, paid $100 for the honour of yielding the scissors.) "Tt will grown back," Bowen said before she said ae to her short, grey "Tt will drive the kids and turn the adults off. It's been fun and I've enjoyed the way the kids have come to- gether," Bowen said, adding at first, no one (including her Continued on Page 2 'Fire play' has cops worried " Povice BEAT Halton police are "dis- turbed" by a number of what they call "fire play" occur- rences at Limehouse Public School. In recent weeks, a plastic playground slide was torched and a newspaper box in front of the school was set on fire. Someone also tried to set fire, apparently with the use of an accellerant, to three Model CT-32614 4 + PanaBlack picture tube * 2 line digital comb filter + Universal remote control + Front AV inputs Acton 'Mindless stupidity' costs tax payers $10,000 By FRANCES NIBLOCK The New Tanner While not to 3 public « , we're and Park. Acton trees at the rear of the school. "Our concern it that the community be very watchful for anything suspicious out there," said acting detective sergeant Larry Brassard, add- ing fire play is used to de- scribe incidents of young people who play with light- ers and matches. The most likely suspect is a young, pre-adolescent or adolescent male who is famil- iar and comfortable in the Panasonic Panasonic® est + Index Search Universal Remote HAIR TODAY: McKenzie-Smith Bennett instruc- tional assistant Linda Bowen received a buzz cut from colleague Mary Robinson during a school as- sembly on Monday. Bowen offered to shave her head if the school's Easter fundraiser made a $7,500 profit. The students in fact raised $7,523 and + Bowen bravely gave up her locks. Model PV200-K has been has been the toilet in chine school area, but not neces- sarily a Limehouse student. Brassard thinks someone probably knows who is re- sponsible and urges him or her to come forward to pre- vent something more serious from happening, "The three fires can't be dismissed as nuisance inci- dents, but are a symptom of a ment Area) larger problem that would be dangerous to ignore," Brassard said. @ TV&VCR N85 Panasonic® MAIL Model CT-27G4 * PanaBlack picture tube * Easicon Remote saerene Acton residents become vigilan- tes to fight vandalism, Acton Councillor Norm Elliott said the "mindless stupidity that is costing us all money" has "The pee needs to wake up and sa enough, lets try and go and do something general committee on Monday, as he shared some dis- turbing Acton vandalism costs with councillors. "Tf we don't start talking 'enough is *" Elliott said at about this and getting the outraged about what's in the commu- tailing $10,000 in vandalism oH costs in Acton in the past i months, including $3, $6,100 at the Town-owned Boathouse in Prospect 700 at the Acton arena Elliott also mentioned the recent car fires at Yourway Muffler in Acton, saying the on-going vandalism has the owner questioning i cillor John Day, Services Boar site on Agnes Street at Highway 25, less of a target. Councillor Clark Somerville said the company looking after the adjacent vacant Beardmore property contacted about repairing part of a fence that rip : The i bill at the arena -- "mindless carnage in a brand new facility" according to Elliott -- included: $300 for plumbing after a puck was flushed down he wants to stay in business. Coun- Council's representative on the Police is working with the owner to make his ed down in the area. the referee's dressing room - $400 to repair the glass in a candy vending ma- $832 to repair a washroom partition - $1,200to replace an exitdoor At the Boathouse the $6,100 in repairs included: - $800 to repair and replace eaves and siding -_ $1,040 to replace smashed windows : Councillor will ask about increasing atrols in the Yourway Muffler shop area and the vandalism issue is on the agenda of the Acton BIA (Business ng ssi meeting on Wednesday. Halton's deputy police chief will be at that meeting. "Vandalism never makes sense, but it's about time we tried to get the message across to everyone that we' re all paying for it," Elliott said, said, adding h vigilantes, but for people to do their public duty and re- port anything suspicious. e doesn't want SPECIAL - PURCHASE A DVD PLAYER & RECEIVE 4 DISCS $120 VALUE WITH IN COUPON Limited Time Offer Technics" ay = 2230 228" * 100W channel stereo amplifier * Class H+ amplifier circuitry achieves high power output + AV remote control Auto Clock Set with Back-up + Tape Position Display } « Precision notch filter * Multi-Function/Clock Display + VCR Plus+ * A1 sound + Trilingual On-Screen Display + Made in Japan + Quartz synthesized digital tuning system + 30-station FIWAM random access presets + Aor B speaker selector Phone 877-3405 WE SERVICE WHAT WE SELL