I World JIJViWjiK junior i tickets available See Page COMMUNITY NEWS The year in review A Special Supplement FEATURES Veteran writers receive awards See Page 11 TWITS BARRAGERS CLEANERS LAUNDROMAT 166SUELPHSI the HERALD Home Newspaper of Halton Hills Established TUESDAY DECEMBER iltttlila I itrfii I Stun OPEN Hide House SUNDAYS 6111 lo Car crash kills four from Acton The families and friends of tour Acton women killed in a twocar collision Saturday morning will be closing the year 1985 on a dark note Funeral services are being held today Tuesday for a grandmother and three teenage girls In Acton St Joseph Roman Catholic Is to hold a a funeral service for Pauline Gordon 49 of Acton and an 11 a funeral service for Susan Lid bury IB of Poplar Avenue A funeral service is being held at year olds of R Acton and Terry Vandcrlaan of Peel Street Is being hold at the Beth El Christian Reformed Church on High way 7 In Ac on The four died Saturday in a tragic two ear collision just before noon on Highway 7 two kilometres west of Trafalgar Road South Milton said the 1979 Dodge Omni being driven by Susan slid out of control and Into the path of a 197B Pontine driven by Frederick Gordon husband of the deceased Police said Ihe rood with snow covered and slippery Blowing snow made poor at the time of the accident In the Gordon car was also another passenger seven year old False alarm The Town of Hills have been getting some calls from worried residents but all for naught Town Treasurer Ray King says a provincial ad notice about assess merit appeal deadlines isn t for Hills The ad is meant for those people in outlying areas not affected by Sec he said Hills residents will be getting their tax assessment forms Jan and will have until March to appeal them Tanya Louise Gordon of Acton Willow Street She in satisfactory condition at Georgetown Memorial Hospital I- red Gordon was taken lo Peel Memorial where his condition is listed Another survivor of the crash was 17 of Mowbray Place in Acton She was a fourth in the car Originally taken to Peel Memorial Hospital was transferred Sunday night Toronto General Hospital where she is in critical condition with multiple The four teenagers were members of the young people group at Beth El Christian Re formed Church in Acton They Mould meet Sunday nights and Tuesday evenings They were pretty normal young girls except they were believers and that the comfort the parents get from this Christian Reformed Church Rev Dirk told The Herald He said Susan worked at Acton Canadian Tire Store but was looking forward to starting a new job In the new year with a account ing firm was a student at Sheridan College and Terry wasworking at a Georgetown factory Rev said Both were well known In Acton and Georgetown Christian Reformed Church communities Because they went the Toronto District Christian High School in Pauline Gordon was a mother of four and active in the St Joseph Parish Milton OPP called the crash the worst one of the holiday season and said most of the Occidents have been cars going into ditches These things can happen any lime if you get the right weather cond lions and two vehicles being in the wrong place at the wrong time an officer said Plug your ears end join In the will be ringing In celebration New Year became the town hall Meanwhile In George- going to be a party In town or the Year Steamer Citizen of the Year Henry Been will do the same honors at Knox Presbyterian Church New Day there will be a Levee hosted by Mayor Rust Miller and the Town of Hills Come out to I 1 from m Everyone Is welcome Herald Acton residents protest water woes MARA is happy with lobby gains It looks like a happy holiday season for the town altera 11 The threat of an Ontario Municipal Board hearing which hat been hovering over town council has disappeared or a time at The Mountain view and Area Ratepayer Association MARA has been satisfied with the draft plan meted oat for Development Corporation according member Gord They they would do a study for us on the current traffic and the Mr told The Herald With Hint hey this Is a step In the right direction for the existing residents of Georgetown He said that if the group Ian t pleased with the study they always can return to their option of an hearing However for the time being there will be no hearing Mr said The change In perspective for MARA was noted by the regional chairman last Wednesday Peter MARA Brian Mann had phoned to say his concerns had been resolved and thai he was satisfied with the draft plan conditions just before the council meeting si which regional approval was given to the same He is Id the group bid planned be a delegation at regional council By Herald staff Over Acton residents have signed their name to a petition demanding answers to the water supply shortage in Acton The petition Is a follow up of a meeting held back In September by Acton citizens and officials Although it unclear who Is res for the petition Mike of Home Hardware in Ac ion said he had a hand in It along with Paul of Neil son s Clothing also in Acton Mr an Acton businessman for the past years said IhepetiUon was supported by the Acton Chamber of Commerce and Ihe Business ten prove men I Area We can grow without water and we re not progressing Mr Kinal said When 1 came to Acton 14 years ago we were as large as Milton Now look where Milton Is and where we The Acton businessman feels the hold up for additional water sources for the town isn t at regional level but at the Ministry of Environment All we want is answers We don want to be just brushed aside We vc waited long enough Mr said I feel the Liberal rep owes more to the community than just a vague letter Mr Kinal was referring to a recent letter he received from Halton Burl MPP Don Knight that left him still unsatisfied He and other area residents asked Mr Knight lo speak on their behalf to the Ministry of the Environment back in September Mr Knights response states he has sent a letter to the Ministry of the Environment and that the province is studying the situation It very easy to say that to shut us up That political rhetoric Mr Kinal said I feel he should be doing a Utile bit more for the community Attempts to contact Mr Knight before press time were unsuccessful The Aclon businessman is happy with the work of the regional engineers on the town behalf He endorses their proposal to draw water from Fairy Lake and thinks that supply should be enough for town to have some additional growth The proposal is currently awaiting Ministry approval Mr feels lack of water for additional residential and lndustrl dvelopment Is robbing Acton of its vitality with many shops in the downiown unable to survive with a population of only to draw upon I open Bam to B p m to attract the people who work out of town to maintain the profit level had six years ago Mr Kinal said Our taxes but our sales remain the same You must increase volume to maintain the same level of profit The Home Hardware store used to toSpm but Mr Kinal increased the store hours in hopes of drawing the resident commuters Into his shop Hills Mayor Is more optimistic about a near settle ment of the water shortage problem in Acton He told The Herald Ministry staff have been meeting with regional staff Iron out problems in using Fairy Lake water Bcardmore Tannery who own the lake has posted an objection to use of the lake waters by the town Mayor Miller said As a result theoriginalintentionof drawing one million gallons of water dally from the Fairy Lake well has been reduced lo using the well as a back up supply of onequarter of a million gallons dally The mayor said Is afraid Ihe water level of the lake will be lowered and has Indicated it will hold Ihe Ministry of the Environment responsible if that occurs There nothing thai can t be settled with negotiations so I sure this is going to be resolved Mayor Miller reassured He pointed out the maximum development possible in Acton Is people because of the sewage capacity Black Creek can handle The mayor said before any can proceed In Acton there needs be a resolution of Ihe boundary study for the town urban area He anticipates that will be achieved early In the new year Halton police solve more crimes in 85 News about crime in north for is mixed There were slightly more crimes committed than 1984 but percentage of crimes solved Is up DetcctiveSgt Roy Smith said 1985 was also year computers and were introduced by Halton Regional Police Crime prevention programs have helped police do their Job better loo Over Ihe entire region crime has decreased slightly but in the north it was up slightly Smith believes a population increase Is Ihe major cause for the crime rise in the north Milton Acton and Georgetown Police are however solving more crimes For instance in they solved 7 per cent of break and enters This year they surpassed their goal of per cent By Dec we were in high 40 per cent Smith said More crimes are being solved in all areas of criminal activity he said The installation of the HEART computer service should help maintain Ibis trend Police records are now on computers which are also linked with other forces and national police agencies All this means quicker access to Information The staff Is learning how operate the computers which were installed late in the year but once they are trained there will be a savings in man hours Detective Sgt Smith Bringing lo Halton Is another time saving advance Introduced this year Time wasted searching for police ambulance and Tire station numbers is over Now residents can just call 911 These are tremendous strides There is much money for new men Good management and technological change are the only ways to assure we can improve efficiency and give tax payers good value for their money DetcctiveSgt Smith said Three crime prevention projects in 1985 have helped reduce crime In problem areas The region reduced frauds by teaching businesses to get the proper information from those they do business with In the last part of there was a reduction In frauds So too has there been a decrease In the number of stolen cars Through Lock It or Lose It program the police have made more people aware of importance of locking their cars Rural community Neighborhood Watch programs have helped reduce number of break and enters which were up In DetectiveSgt Smith said An increasing presence In Acton has deterred loitering in Acton and strengthened police rapport with the people Smith said That w as a goal of the police this year Success In solving crimes has been assisted by a decrease in the number of lengthy investigations which require more manpower DetectiveSgt Smith said There was one homicide in District 1 this year It was fully investigated in less than a week he said Thefts and attempted murders were up There were 11 robberies and three attempted murders All but one of the robberies has been solved and the robbers arrested We north lead the region in serious crime categories DclecllveSgt Smith said There has also been an increase In the number of sex crimes against children Smith does not know whether It is an actual Increase or whether more people are reporting them public service agencies are reporting more crimes against children than last year An increasing population will mean more men should be hired To match the economic growth which means more people to protect we will need more resources to maintain our product he said HAPPy NEW VEAR