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Lome Doberthiens crusade pays off Province announces licence plates for disabled Lome Handicapped people across Ontario will have easier time tbe future parking and they have an Acton man to thank lor the Improvements Lome Doberthien has seen his lobbying efforts with the provincial and federal governments and regional and local council produce a number of re sults for fellow handicapped people including dis a bled licence plates and regulations to enforce that handicapped parking spots are used only by the handicapped Recently Minister of Transport James Snow an a number of measures ling a new licence plate for the handicapped and a model by law for municipalities to follow in enacting park bylaws ohelp the disabled is Ihe text of Snow announcement to the Legislature I am pleased to be able to provide the House to day with the final details of my ministry in to assist handicapped drivers throughout the province and at a side benefit make the public more aware of the special needs of these drivers and those who transport them As of February 1963 all Ministry of Transportation and Communications vehicle licensing offices will have available our new dis abled symbol licence plates and our privatized outlets will have applications for tbe plates which can be mailed to the MTC for processing plates will be issued without extra charge to any handicapped person whose mobility is ser iously restricted for medical reasons or who re quires the use of a wheelchair crutches etc and will replace their current passenger plates They also will be available to anyone who regularly transports a disabled person The purpose of the new plate is to provide an easy means of identifying vehicles eligible for the parking spots which are being offered more and more these days While my ministry and organizations representing the handicapped have tried to educ ate the public on the importance of respecting these parking areas a degree of abuse still con I am certain most of the honorable mem here today have seen a reserved parking spot taken by a driver who clearly had no physical need for such front row privileges These plates are a direct response to requests by the handicapped and their organizations to help eliminate this abuse and to accommodate our able citizens They will carry Die internationally recognized symbol for the disabled in place of the first two letters of the usual plate Any person requesting a disabled symbol licence plate from my ministry will be required to sign a statement attesting to his or her handicap or tbe driving service he or she provides to the handicapped on a regular basis At the present tune our municipalities already issue special handicapped placards or permits However changes are needed in Municipal Act so that communities also can recognize issued plates as giving their owner the legal right to whatever standing stopping or parking privileges an individual municipality chooses to extend I expect these changes will be introduced some time early In the spring session by my the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing Claude Bennett Our aim now is to have all municipalities in volvecl in special initiatives to help our capped drivers That is why last year during the International Year of Persons the need to help these communities devise the necessary bylaw was made a priority project Now MTC staff have finalized a model parking bylaw to assist municipalities that will be adopting legisla lion in the future to extend special pnvllages to the handicapped andor their drivers It is my hope that the municipalities will adopt major elements of the model bylaw such as eligibility enforcement and scope for example on or off street parking use of nostopping zones etc In this way we wilt be extending our disabled drivers the best helping hand possible by creating at least some level of consistency in our laws It is of course also my hope that currently without these special bylaws will move as quickly as possible to enact this needed legislation 1 will be sending a letter to every mayor and reeve in Ontario within the next two days with a sample copy of the proposed bylaw which we would like the municipalities to consider I Continued on page I A Metroland Community Newspaper One Hundred end Eighth YearIssuell ACTON ONTARIO WEDNESDAY DECEMBER pages Thirty Cents Town says deposit on land by lame duck council legal citizens can challenge in court or petition for probe by Gord Murray Halton Hills has a legal opinion from the Town Solicitors that it was legal for the outgoing council on November to put down a 10 deposit as an option to purchase land for a possible future municipal complex The only way to verify that council acted legally since legal opinions can vary would be for citizens to launch a court action against the Town or for citizens to petition the province for an inquiry Since the news broke that Ihe outgoing council composed the time of the poll or acclamation had made this decision at the first meeting after Clearly Hills council was controlled by the November 8 election and the last meeting of subsection 1 of Section 108 since there will be four thel numerous readers have asked new faces on council to be sworn in December thfe newspaper was legal a Only per cent of the outgoing council Is This newspaper contacted the Ministry of ning to office for the new term Municipal Affairs and Housing and were referred Clerk administrator Ken Richardson said to Section ioa of the Muncipal Act which deals- day in taking from the special reserve fund with certain acts not to be done by councils after up since from lot levies council was us polling day monies provided in the estimates for the cur Section says The council of a local rent year He said a legal opinion on the implies municipality shall not after the day the poll is tlons of Section 108 with regard to the land pur held for the election of the council or where all chase deposit had been obtained from the town members of council arc elected by acclamation solicitors before the matter was brought before after the day the candidates are declared elected council and the solicitors said it was within under section 40 of the Municipal Elections Act s prerogative to spend the money from the re pass any by law except a by law with respect to serve fund because a reserve fund forms part of an undertaking work project scheme act mat the estimates or budget for the current in ter or thing that has been approved by the their opinion Richardson added the reserve fund Municipal Board or resolution for or that in was set up for a future municipal complex and voltes directly or indirectly the payment of that money other than that provided in the estimates He said the reserve fund wasn approved by the for the current year or enter into any contract or Ontario Municipal Board another exemption for obligation on the part of the corporation or council action than threequarters of the point to or dismiss from office any officer under members are returning because OMB approval the control of the council or do any other necessary ate act except in cose of extreme urgency Without studying the case Ministry of less the act is one that Ihe council Is required by Municipal Affairs and Housing Legal Branch law to do or la one that the council Is authorized to solicitor Linda da Roc ha said she t offer an do by a resolution or by law passed before the day opinion if a reserve fund is legally part of the the poll is held or the clay the members of council Town estimates for the current year This arc declared elected under section of the t a matter the Ministry legal branch would Municipal Elections Act as the case may be look into they draft the Act and advise the 1 1 does apply If the new minister on legal matters they don t enforce the council that will take office after the poll or Act acclamation will be composed of not less than or prosecute muncipal threequarters of the members of council as Continued on page Possible complex site likely to cost The principal teachers and students Robert public school wish parade viewers Merry Chris mat In many different languages from their In Saturday s Santa Clam parade The sun came out for the parade which was hailed ai one the largest In ill history More Santas parade big but quiet If the new Hills council decides to close the deal for the nearly acre Stevens on Maple Ave in Georgetown for a future municipal complex the price will likely be The price tag for the land started at but after a land survey repealed eight acres of proper ty be developed because of conservation authority restrictions the price dropped to according to the agreement councillors were given during last week s meeting Bob and his firm Longmore Develop ments Ltd reached an agreement of purchase and sale on June IS with the Estate of Paul L Stevens for the purchase of the land The price deposit By understanding lously reached between and the Town property wouldnt be purchased unless the land was transferred to the Town with Longmore having no further rights or obligations under the agreement of pur chase and sale In other words Longmore put down the deposit of 10 000 and the option to pur chase was transferred later to Hills with council repaying its deposit Paying the didn t hinge on the land pur chase closing In addition the Town Is paying interest on the deposit made by Longmore for the purchase of the property on June 9 such sum being outstanding at least up to and including September 9 1982 Clerk a dm mi Ira tor Ken Richardson said Septembers refers to I on page Major den In hold up See Page Santa arrival in Acton was hailed as one of the largest parades in years thoughltwasatsooneof thequlctiest Hundreds lined Mill St from the tracks to the Main Mill Intersection to watch the fire trucks numerous floats three marching bands major and of course Santa Claus come through town It was a cold day for the parade but fortunately dry Floats were Jammed with children who enjoyed thrill of being in the parade Themes included the Night Before Christmas Christmas around the world old time Christmas and other holiday season fantasy topics Honey Pot Nursery float was judged best overall while Robert Little earned the nod for the best school float Intheserviccclubscategory the Optimists were picked tops and the Hide House was Judged to have the best commercial float The Acton Agricultural Society had the winning entry in the other category Other floats and vehicles in the parade included fire trucks from several eras CoOp Nursery Lions Club theYMCA Block Parents Stedmans and Achilles Motors Wendy Regional Police Acton High School O Meats Actl Van Acton Minor Hockey Association and I The Georgetown Air Cadets band and George town Legion Pipe band joined the Acton Citizens Band In providing music but they were so spaced out and with no recorded music from the floats It was a pretty quiet parade In addition the Hills marched in the parade Fart at tea ami pa a The total BMW n it rater acre inside An man was killed In an accident between and nock wood Details on page There was a big fire Monday In Ballutafad See story on page and photo on page CI More MP will be too olio Jelinek and Peter Pamrroy say MoreoDpagef Four people were caught stealing fan sad leather garment from the Hide Home Sun day Details on this and other crimes fa police beat on page The Hide Home was the telling for the film ing of a TV show last week featuring The town hall bearing Is next Wednesday Story on page Two youth were convicted for a sum at Hide How Farmer Sabres coach and Ac to resident alaal I coaching the Gems Georgetown See Mary an page III On paav Jilt renters MHI let- a ten minor hockey A stolen track was into tab noose latlweek Stolen truck driven into house At about 2 Thursday morning a 1876 Homeowner Gordon 97 the driver Blazer driven a taywraclow of a house at had hit the north side bay window causing COM Main SI North after the lost control damage The fled scene but Gordon was able According to reports was stolen to give polk a description suspect was a from UL Ford road prior to the white male aged a stocky build black dent The driver barn onto St a hair possible light brown waist length lost count and bit and dressy Jeans