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A Vol. 1, No. 24 Wednesday, December 2, 1992 28 pages 874-3051 ‘Award Winning Sales Rep 232 Guelph St., Georgetown 873-2254 Lawyers Jeff Steinberg and Marilyn King staff the Halton Hills Community Legal Clinic, an “access to Justice” for low-income citizens that meet the criteria. The clinic serves all of Halton. By Wendy Long If your landlord ‘suddenly kicked you stuf and changed the locks, io? y Ree would you go if you couldn’t afford legal fees? If you’re a Halton resident, you could approach the Halton Hills Community Legal Clinic, which is considered an access to justice for low-income citizens. The.clinic is staffed by lawyers Marilyn King and Jeff Steinberg, and community legal worker Caroline Thompson. As well, there are two support staff. “People were lacking in advice Pomeroy wants MVA re-examined Halton Region Chairman Peter Pomeroy will ask Wednesday for a reconsideration of Market Value Assessment. It was announced over the weekend that Pomeroy will ask for another look at the controver- sial tax reform at special meeting of Halton Regional Council Wednesday. Pomeroy cast the deciding vote on the tax proposal in September. and representation... ey oo didn’t have fair a ihe legal system,” King sait “The war ee — of calls said King: “By i = a Tights is the one area people have the most ques- tions and problems with. “A landlord can’t just change the locks. They have to formally apply to court and follow 4 procedure. ‘We teach [the public] how to repre- sent themselves in a process that assumes they can do that,” King aid. g Clinic callers also seek informa- tion and help with welfare, family aoa workers compensation, nada Pension Plan or ee ploy ash) Insurance. The clinic does not deal in criminal and Py The clinic is located in Georgetown but services many Halton residents that meet the financial criteria. Presently the clin- ic’s volunteer Board of Directors is looking into a name change so that the area of service is not misunder- stood. The Halton Hills Community Legal Clinic began humbly in the fall of 1977 in the basement of Knox Presbyterian Church, Georgetown. Originally there were only two legal workers until even- tually a lawyer was added. King and Steinberg will often Photo by Wendy Long Local legal clinic serves Halton Region : talk to senior high school students (or other groups) to make them aware of their-legal rights and obligations and put.them.in.a better Position to avoid negative legal sit- uations when they take an indepen- dent place in society. “We also participate in law reform,” King said, citing as an example the reform of an Oakville bylaw on standards of repair in rental properties. King and Steinberg estimate that they received approximately 250 calls in October, although “it really fluctuates a lot,” Steinberg said. Do King and Steinberg see abuse of the social support system? “Some people would rather lose their house than apply for welfare because they think there’s a stigma in doing that,” King said. King and Steinberg said they have dealt with all ages from all walks of life, and haven’t seen peo- ple on welfare that didn’t meet the ia. “We'd like people to know that we're here and that we can provide ® advice in those areas that we prac- tise in. We think it’s important for people to know their rights and to know their obligations so they’re better able to deal with their life circumstances.” For more information about the clinic call 877-5256. ‘Your independent « voice in Halton Hills’ 50 cents includes G.S.T. Downtown remains economically viable By Dianne Cornish “We’re alive and well,” down- town businesswoman Mary-Ellen Stephens said Monday while com- menting on Georgetown’s business improvement area and the “miscon- ception” that the downtown core is dying. Stephens, who is also vice-presi- dent of the Georgetown Central Business Improvement Area (BIA), was responding to what she and other local business people view as a misleading headline that appeared on a story published last week in a Toronto newspaper. “Merchants say Georgetown’s core dying” was the headline which drew criticism and denial from Stephens and BIA manager Margaret Vint, who called a press conference Monday at the BIA office on Mill Street. While acknowledging that there are vacant storefronts on Main Street and there’s a need to develop “new customer bases” to augment “established customer bases”, Stephens firmly stated, “We're not dying down here. “We’ ve had some tough times, like any other area,” Vint said, arguing that changes downtown, including the leaving of some busi- nesses and their replacement by others, is part of an “evolution.” According to information com- piled by Vint, 11 stores have been vacated in downtown Georgetown during 1992. Four of these have been filled with other businesses, one will be occupied in. January, another has been targeted as a Possible _ location residential/commercial davalop. ment and the remaining five contin- ue to sit vacant. On the other side of the ledger, the downtown has seen 13 new businesses locate in downtown Georgetown this year. Four exist- ing businesses expanded this year, including Young’s Pharmacy which is now housed at the former Bi-Way location. Bi-Way moved from Main Street to a shopping centre opposite Georgetown’s new indoor mall on Guelph Street. “We were sorry to see Bi-Way go, but Young’s is in there now and expanding,” Vint said. “Most of our retail vacancies over the year have been filled,” Stephens emphasized. She and Vint also noted that there are several established businesses in the down- town core that “have been there for along time.” While much of Georgetown’s recent residential development has taken place in Georgetown South near the new mall, the BIA isn’t discouraged but has chosen instead to be more proactive in its approach, Stephens said. It plans to Teach out to those new residents Continued on page 5 Man charged after officers assaulted, cruiser damaged An Acton man has been charged with a host of offenses after a pair of Halton Regional Police officers were attacked and a police cruiser was damaged. According to an 11 Division spokesman, the man was leaving a Mill St., Acton tavern with his step-father at about 10:30 p.m. Saturday, when the pair became involved in an argument. The dis- pute escalated and the man began eee his 44-year-old step- father. The assault continued as the man put the Church St., Acton vic- tim in a head lock and "rammed his head into the (tavern's) brick wall.” The pair were observed by a passerby who called police. Before police arrived the man grabbed the victim and "slammed his head into the sidewalk," police ae said. When police arrive, the suspect was waving his arm around yelling at the victim. Cst. Kathy Lefroy approached Continued on page 16 Christmas Carol Book now available ook for our first ever Book in today's Halton Hills This Week. The book filled with greetings and| carols is being circulated to 20,000 ton Hills but) some book are available by calling 873-| 2254 ask for Marie.’ We hope you enjoy it. = LIVING LIGHTING 873-2996 Sv2