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Community groups plan Open House In an effort the community more aware of groups and events th Halloo Community Programming organizations have set op an Open House lor Saturday February between 10 and at Holy Cross school Georgetown The purpose of the open boose is to make residents aware of what is offered them in the leisure and recreation fields through displays exhibit and demonstrations from sports arts crafts leisure and hobby groups Same different Hal ton groups will be in attendance at the open house showing the their groups are in The Town of Halloo Hills subcommittee department has been working on plans for this day for some time and has asked all ports leisure and arte groups to contri a result the school of Dance will put on a the Knox Presbyter an Church Choir will sing and the and Hills Jills will do demonstrations just to men a few The Regional Health Department will be on hand with computer analysis of your health for those interested The Peel Computer Club and Radio Shack will be operating displays on plication and home use of the machines The entire day of demonstrations and displays are free to the public and Include several draws Everyone coming through the doors Is ble to win at no cost a North Golf Social member sh Stlvercreek Golf Centre member ship a lawn bowling membership or a Credit Valley Artisans membership The Georgetown Baseball Association and the Kinsmen Softball will be using the day as a preregistratton period for anyone wishing to sign up early Several arts groups will also have displays The Halton Board of Education will set up a on their night school classes which include typing accounting wood working fitness cake decorating and several other topics The Horticultural Society will also hate a display Refreshments will be available and entertainment will include pony rides for the kids and Super Magican Captain Bill James for the kids Among those participating in the Town or Hills Community Open House subcorn ttee are Marilyn Silk of the Regional Health Unit John Wood of the Georgetown Joy Showell and Anne Irvine of the Library Jctte Vander Meiden of the Valley Art sans Price of the Board of Education and Joy Thompson Eva Carney an Mary Byrne of the Halton HOIS Recreation Department Halton Hills Blue Fins Georgetown Halton Peel Computer dub Board of Education North Golf and Country Club North Volunteer Centre Georgetown Agricultural Society Cycle Touring Club of Klnsmens Girls Softball Belles Beaus La League George town Bowling Lanes Vintners Women Institutes Palette Pencil Knox Presbyterian Church Hills Libraries VON Pony Hills Elkettes Public Heath Unit Georgetown Lions Lioness Leos Hills School of Dance Georgetown Racquet Club Georgetown Baseball Association Georgetown Lawn Bowling Club Halton Hilts Jills Credit Valley Artisans Verdun Lodge University Women North Halton Sports Georgetown George town Globe Productions Boy Scouts of Canada Ministry of Agriculture and Food Recreation Parka Department Lung Association Wild wood Manor Kinsmen Georgetown Girls Acton Bowling Lanes George town Horticultural Society Georgetown Utile Theatre Arts Crafts of George town Halton Off Road Racers Assn Georgetown Figure Skating George town Track Club Beta Sigma Phi Optimists Rail Road Radio Shack Rug Hookers Georgetown District High School Muscle Works and Stlvercreek Golf Centre Region briefs newsmakers Georgetown Acton Wednesday Februarys Georgetown IB Toronto Una Improve Drains Efforts by the region to preserve prune agricultural land will be wasted if it t also keep ita land drainage network in good repair says the head of Halton Advisory Committee While making his annual report to the region Planning and Public Works Cora mlttee January IS committee chairman Norm said farmers are con cemed soil quality is being adversely by inadequate drainage He said the region has to be more prompt In cleaning out roadside drains and should ultimately look at constructing drainage systems through farm lands as additions to existing tile drains The head of the Public Works department Bob Moore said the region would try to im prove its monitoring Union fails A third effort to un onize inside workers in Halton Region social services department has been defeated by the provincial Labor Relations Board Personnel director Dennis reported recently the Canadian Union of Operating Engineers and General Workers loots its most recent bid to organize the of flee clerical and technical staff of the department Grant review Social service agencies hoping to dip into Halton tax well for financial support this year will get heir first hearing early in February Feb has been set as the date for the In review of grant applications Regional council is expected to give approval to thespplications March 21 Last year the region handed out more than 47B to groups which originally ask ed for more than Miller named Hills Mayor Russ Miller has been appointed as regional council voice on the Agricultural Advisory Committee Councillors approved the appointment recently as part of their annual package of appointments to boards and agencies throughout the region Morrow reappointed Former regional chairman Morrow has been reappointed to the Halton Police Commission Mr Morrow entering his second term represents the provincial government on the five man commission The appointment was acknowledged recently by regional council Pension change A resolution which would expand the pen sion benefits available to municipal has been rejected by Regional councillors decided recently to file away the resolution from Hamilton which called for a change in the Ontario Municipal Employees Retirement Scheme which would allow local councillors to collect the same pension available to In a report to the administration and finance committee chief administrative of ficer Dennis said the proposed change would only benefit full time coun and they are still the minority Andrew Headier and their daughter Lisa are living in the Academy and the family has decided to carry on the restorations in the 114 yearold landmark Town wants drinking driving committee Hills is going to establish a drink committee Councillor Armstrong urged at general committee lost week that the Town tell the region a committee should be a local and not regional He said he wasnt being a goodie goodie that he has had a drink or two and then driven his car But he said his family also suffered a tragedy because of a drinking driver so he feels something needs to be done He and several of his colleagues felt the best approach would be a public committee w th a few councillors sitting on It Instead of a council committee Council should seek the input of the pol Councillor John McDonald suggested before going too far th setting up a com mittee Besides advertising for members of the and possible committee terms of reference from Queen Park and the Association of Municipalities of Ontario The Town will also be asking for funding for the committee At the same time a request for In funding for the committee will be con by the budget committee Later council approval would still be needed It was noted his committees work shouldn duplicate other community in the same area such as the Georgetown Optlm sts Drug Abuse committee If there I terms of reference forth coming from the province then the com groups involved with the Halton Hills committee can set them This would prove once again that all the brains t on council Councillor Ross Knechtel Joked Day care operators unhappy A dispute between private day core centre operators and Region could scuttle a subsidised day care program for low income Rather than establishing Its own day care centres Halton buys space from private operators and subsidises the fees for families who meet a regional standard For however has told the centre owners the fee set down In their pur dune of service contract will be increased by On per cent A least one operator has since said she not renew her contract on that basts cane of th trouble is a by the Ministry of Community and Social Services to restrict the Increase gnats to the by only five per cent Day cm centre operators have said their costs are rising by as aa right per cent and the increase offered by the region their nil paying would be doubly the of the region Peter KneepOl Massing for the operators Mother centres may drop oat of the regional program unless the fee hike is increased this year Our full fee paying parents are starting to object They feel they are sustdizlng children from the region and it a double subsidy because public money is used in the first place he said We honestly do not fee we can keep our operating costs within a five per cent range be added This is a very uncomfortable feeling for us because we do not want to have a double standard of care It becoming a question of will the lly be maintained and will the spaces by available from the private sector be ad We would like to provide these spaces but we dont feel we can at this rate Some of the higher rates the operators are facing he added is because the provincial government has dictated a new set of stand for licensed day care centres It Is going to be increasingly difficult for us to provide these spaces in the future be cause the ncentive certainly isnt going to be there he added Mr Knocpfli said some operators have submitted applications to renew their agreements with the region at the five per cent increase because they think they had a choice but they are not happy with the arrangements Committee members agreed to stall recommendations approving the renewed agreements until some comment can be ob tained from provincial officials on support beyond the legislated five per cent Increase If these extra grants are not available according to chief officer Dennis Perlin the region would be forced to finance the total cost of any increased fees beyond five per cent current policy Is not to finance anything beyond the limits of provincial grants The only other available option he said is to open more regionallyoperated day care centres and the cost of this would be even Left to Ontario Heritage Foundation Rockwood Academy an Ontario landmark by Mark Holmes Following the death of the owner of the Academy Drentcrs the Ontario Heritage Foundation has agreed to take over the property Rockwood Academy Is of great historical importance The move to take over the property is a rare decision by the foundation because as part of the agreement in the late owner will the house would only be given to the Heritage Foundation on the condition that brother Andrew is allowed to live there for the rest of his life The Academy situated on Highway 7 south of the village of Rockwood has been an Ontario landmark since and In Its life as a private boy school has produced such influential people as the Hon A Hardy the fourth premier of Ontario Sir Adam Beck one of the founders of Ontario Hydro and James J Hill the railway magnate who built Union Pacific Although the Academy only functioned as a school from to Ithashadovarled and colorful past and that past Is what an artist and a all trades to purchase the building in I860 The late spent a great deal of his time creating beautiful and Intriguing works of art which he sold to finance the restore tion of the Academy The building Itself is a remarkable constructed of limestone and the terior is a breathtaking step Into the history of Ontario The original plonk floors have been and huge stone fireplaces enhance almost every room in the structure Original woodwork and blackboards still adorn the walls and the steps worn by the feet of years of inhabitants echo the past Sculpture antiques and memorabilia in the building making it one of the most Interesting and inspiring monuments to Canada s history biggest job in restoring the building was the reconstruction of the floors and the roof According to his brother Andrew the building was in terrible shape when he took possession in I960 The roof leaked beams were rotting and the floors sagged as much as 12 Inches In some places worked many long and hard hours making the building sound again said Andrew When funds allowed it he bought new materials but more often than not he scavenged through old barns and houses to fix the place up was a poor man when It came to money continued Andrew but he was probably the richest man In the world through his experience of life bad a passion for the past and he dedicated a large part of his life to making that past come to life Andrew Is also an artist and a who has a passion for making history come to life although he admits he isn nearly as talented as his brother when It comes to the work that has been done to the Academy was a perfectionist when it came to the restorations and I th can cont his work but not with the same ance and that he had stated Andrew Andrew Is no stranger to job or restoration either as he spent several years near Alton turning a rundown form into a looking glass to the early Andrew wife Heather is also making her contribution to the Academy While Andrew is busy restoring and tending to his art she organizes open houses art shows and family finances The house said Heather is going to be a tremendous undertaking We wont to share it with the public and at the same time ensure our privacy Since the family has moved in they been bombarded with phone colls and house guests so Heather wants to set up some kind of visiting hours Hopefully with permission from the Heritage Foundation well be able to open parts of the Academy to artists and craft people so they to can share in the ng atmosphere of the place said Andrew and Heather Perhaps we may even bring a few shows or fund raising events to the Academy as well added Heather But for the time being the real work con l begin until permission has been received from the Heritage Foundation Under law a building that has been designated to be of historical significance can be altered structurally in any way Andrew concluded Baying that some people considered the Academy to be Yosef b ggest sculpture and Andrew has his way the Academy will be a fascinating memorial to his brother for many decades to come Seal campaign short by 8000 The 1383 Christmas Seal campaign of flcally ended January 31 and has grossed which is short of the large set The Lung Association which operates the annual appeal notes It keeps its f tea open until March 31 he end of their fiscal year and they are sending out a special appeal to former business and pri vale contributors in hoping to recover the shortfall RaHa sad SUa Waters of were pretested a sQvcr tray and gold seal certificate far highest quality la at meeting of the County MUk Committee Feb I The tray tlu MUtom of the Canadian Imperial Bask of Commerce has been wan by the Waters for three eat the last four years