The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

Transportation for elderly lacking forum told Transportation for the elderly seems to be the biggest complaint of seniors in Acton a regional public forum Into health and social services at the elderly learned last Tuesday at Acton Baptist Church Seniors got together with regional staff to discuss what they would like to see in Acton for their own benefit They also aired their complaints and problems which were all recorded and will be included in a special report with siroiliar comments from the elderly across the region The participants were split into three groups with two of the groups saying Van was not fully serving their needs The Hilton Hills bus was set up a few yean ago to transport the handicapped around town and many felt its use is loo restrictive It was also felt the bus service should have its boundaries expanded as the elderly can not use It to go to the hospitals in and Milton WhenActiVanisusedtheseniors noted it is mainly for professional visits and a wait of two or three hours following the appoint men Is sometimes necessary before the van can return for them Another complaint is that it Is used for handicapped swimming on Sundays the same time many want to be driven to church There is a need for chronic care beds in Hal ton the studys steering committee learned at the forum also There are no nursing homes or chronic care beds in Acton and ft was felt there is a real need for a governmentowned home in town One group suggested an apartment type set up where there is a communal dining room The inaccessibility of public buddings in Acton is also a concern for the elderly All groups noted there was no ramp getting Into the library which is a split entry design with stairs to both sections of the buildings Most of the doctors offices Acton have stairs editors note ail the doctors in town have stairs and only the newly built Salvation ArmydoesnothaveBtairsfeditorsnote St Anglican Church has no stairs Hal ton Centennial Manor came under fire also at the Tuesday forum One group more private washrooms were needed as are lockers There is some confusion over the van taking visitors to Milton from other areas in the region Debbie Oakley director of social services noted it leaves Acton twice a week A seniors dropin centre Is Deeded and hopefully this can be worked out once the town ball renovations are complete Seniors would like to see lawn bowling a movie theatre a cultural centre and an indoor mall to round out their recreational needs At the present time there is only bingo euchre and the Legion the region staff learned Other suggestions by the seniors Tuesday were a seniors column in the Acton Free Press and public washrooms downtown One group suggested those seniors living In two storey homes should be given grants to install elevators in their homes so they can rent out the top floor There Is a decided lack of communication in letting the seniors know what is going on Brochures one group complained such as theYandRec departments are distributed in Georgetown in the newspaper In Acton this is not done editor note the same brochures are hand delivered to every home in Acton rather than inserted in the news paper Peggie at the Acton Social Ser vices and Information Centre has a lot of information as to what is available and what is happening sod even helps in filling out forms and papers participants felt not enough people were taking advantage of the service It was also felt there were not enough volunteers Volunteers also are needed to visit people in their homes to keep them company one group suggested A buddy system could be set up where two people call each other every day Bill Leonard executive director of the Halton District Health Council and a member of the steering committee told the most of their problems could be remedied amongst themselves He noted the people in Acton seem to be satisfied with the range of services avail able but there are exceptions Transportation problems are specific Leonard pointed out and said if man believed there were boundaries he would not have reached the moon He suggested the AcuVan boundaries may possibly be changed Insurance problems As far as the Act I Van timing on Sundays he suggested the churches provide tran sportation for the elderly Baptist Church Minister Rev Jean Stairs interjected and explained they already pick people up but In some cases they need the special lifts for the handicapped as are provided with Van Leonard revealed Actons of transportation are standard and these are being looked at In a regional transportation study The accessibility problem Is a shame Leonard said However as a result of the Year of the Handicapped two years ago there is a greater public awareness of ac cessibility Leonard noted over per cent of the elderly want to stay in their own homes and said this indicates the region should redevelop their services to keep people In the community A glaring shortage of chronic care beds worries the region he said There are only 20 such beds In Milton and hopefully the same amount will be included in a new Georgetown project Actons regional councillor Dave Whiting noted that Georgetown is no closer than Milton and the people in Acton cannot reach either one They do not care what services arc offered elsewhere they want them here he said REAL ESTATE SERVICES LTD REALTOR Still lots of horse power No Its not a flashback The carriage with occupants and office and store last weekend He the horses and carriage was spotted by Peter Stevens parked outside the post from Farms It Acton Council rejects licensing rural area speakers Hills councillors have decided not to try and bring In a bylaw to licence and regulate use of public address systems or loud speakers In a staff report reviewed recently by general committee clerk administrator Ken Richardson said the Municipal Act would permit the Town to licence and regulate loud speakers used on public lands highways or roads or lands adjacent to high ways control over use of loud speakers on and around roads but not on private property The concern about use of loud speakers has been primarily at private ethnic cultural and recreation camps in the rural area Staff warned licencing and regulation of the use of loud speakers would have to be consistent throughout the Town To make the rules and regulations apply to only the rural area could lead to enforcement and court action problems on the grounds the bylaw was discriminatory to only the rural Staff suggested the best means of control of loud speakers and noise remained through the noise bylaw The noise bylaw was beefed up after a couple of court failures and was later contested and was successful in the courts Also noise bylaw convictions would curry penalties than licencing bylaw infractions Letter Object to imposed pay freeze Dear Sir What is a substitute teacher First we arc professionals We are men and woman who deliver quality teaching trying our best to stick to the regular teachers well prepared guidelines and hopefully not straying from the original In content or purpose Some of us are in possession of degrees and certificates whereas sense are not This fact does not necessarily alter the learning process for the children The people without their tickets are well experienced former teachers for the most part They left the profession for persons reasons and have chosen to return Ours Is a challenging snd at times diff icult Job Certain days in some schools more trying than others The fun sod trickery involved in fooling the substitute teacher has been going on every since school began and will likely continue to go on TO Is why we are professional We are dealing with children It Is either as against them for the day or is the dan working to unison with the sub teacher throughout the day It is most the which prevails Some days lbs children an Just plain excited for no apparent reason and it may even be a bit of a chore for the regular teachers to contain the pupili excite ment In such cases It is even more difficult for the supply teachers to keep the lid on but we do From day to day we are not sure whe ther will be needed to work or not and when we do find out It Is usually any where between and Sam We are asked if we could please go to such and such s school and it is up to us to accept or reject the offer Naturally we accept who wouldnt We all need to get paid in this society I certainly pity the person working two days a week on average who is asked to accept a wage freeze Believe me there are plenty of us Based a school year consisting of school days regular teacher earning an average of a year to County earns per day This parea to our per day for teachers with certification sod per day for tstchers who bare no degress It would appear that the board does not wish to grant us the raise that regular elemen school teachers re tor the mm and WW school years which totals per cent over the two Considering the recent and tax increases it would appear that supply teachers are losing ground Is asking for an a day raise too much considering the quality substitute teaching that is receiving We do meet many fun and interesting children and young teens The fellow teachers with whom we work are very agreeable and helpful and if we have questions they will quite readily assist us if the principal viceprincipal or sec retary hasnt offered aid already The custodians as ever are very helpful in any situation Although our job is highly demanding it Is an enjoyable and worthy one We will continue to work In schools sod provide our services We hope from this letter that the public hi a little more aware of what the Ufa of a substitute teacher Town sets out 5 year rural roads program Halton Hills has established an extensive five year road rebuilding and repair program for pieces of rural roads In the Town The five year rural road program which starts this year was framed during a staff councillors seminar and a roads tour last month This year the Town plans to putting down a three Inch layer of gravel on roads In the northeast area of Hills As well roads in this area will receive some minor ditching work In addition in 1963 ditching will be done on parts of the Fourth Tenth and Fifth lines and Also this year will be spent on surface treatment on parts of IT Slderoad and the Sixth Line as well as other needed spots on rural roads In 1964 laches of gravel will be put down on part of the Fourth Line and six inches on areas or the Tenth and Fifth Lines Total cost of this work will be Ditching costing is planned for 1964 on areas of the Tenth and Eighth lines and 10 and 27 Sideroads Surface treatment work expected to cost is slated for 1984 on the Fifth Tenth and Fourth Lines and some parts of roads which received surface treatment work In I960 and previously In ditching Is planned for areas of the First and Fifth Lines end 10 This work is estimated to cost The same Inches of gravel is to be put down on parts of the Tenth Line and The estimated cost of this work will be Surface treatment work worth Is planned for 1985 on parts of the Tenth Line Sixth Line and 22 Slderoad In 1986 about is earmarked for maintenance ditching where needed along rural roads Six Inches of gravel Is slated to be put down on parts of and 10 in 1986 as well as he Eighth Line The same year nine inches of gravel Is to be laid on areas of the First and Fifth Lines This work will cost in the neighborhood of On the First and Eighth Lines and 10 and after the gravel is put down surface treatment work- will be done Sur face treatment on part of the Sixth Line is also planned for 1986 Cost of all surface treatment work that year Is expected to be In the final year of the program 1987 the Town hopes to do ditching work on parts of 10 and and the Ninth Line Value of this work is pegged at The same Inches of gravel is to be gat down on areas of 10 and the irst Line and nine inches on some of the Fifth Line Grovel work that year is estimated to cost 146 Also that year surface treatment on the same areas of those three rural roads is planned costing In the neighborhood of 112 Further surface treatment work that year costing an estimated 29000 is for part of 17 and he Sixth Line Cost of dump study continues to escalate Calling it devastating regional chair man Jack Raftis warned councillors about the growing cost of the regions search for a landfill site at last weeks council meeting Emerging in the last few weeks Is the fact the study could mount to over million from the original provincial estimate of 50000 After the council meeting spec ulated the cost could actually soar to well over million I dont think some people realize the dol lars involved in this thing the chairman told council Quite frankly I dont know what to do Council passed a recommendation out lining six resolutions among which ask the province to fund per cent of the cos of the study Councillor Bill Johnson of Milton reiterated his claim the region should get funds from the province will be setting the precedent for the rest of the province well be doing the blueprint he said We all share the chairmans frustration but this level of government can impose things on us said councillor Ann Mulvale suggesting the chairman go to Queens Fan and plead the regions case Chief Administrative Officer Dennis has said that the province changed the rules about the study and that consult ant Peter Walker of Walker Wright and Young will have to start at the beginning This Is due to the study follow requirements under the Environmental Assessment Act rather than the narrower Environmental Protection Act We were told by the province that all wed have to do Is dust off a few old studies to get the Environmental Assessment said Raftis But were the first region to do this and we cant even get any straight answers TeacherDays May and are special days for teachers at the Ontario Agricultural Museum near Hilton AH teachers will be admitted tree of charge It is opportunity for teachers to explore the museums XI hectares and observe Its expanding programs Teachers are welcome to wander the Unseam at leisure guided tours which focus on the school programs be available IbreagnoBt the day from the province But the CA0 told council It was better to go back and do the study properly rather than have the province say in later years the rules changed again I know Its expensive but we really have no choice Perl in said In doing this we are on the right track Region briefs Review regional govt The administration and finance committee agreed to endorse the intent of Mayor Roly Birds recommendation that regional staff review municipal governments in Ontario The review of the regional govern ments does not mean to review this one specifically but just to review it over the past 10 years Mayor Bird explained to committee on Wednesday This is an adverse position for us said the mayor If we keep building up our reserves well be penalized by the province If we keep building up reserves out of the tax levy we re going to pay for it councillor Carol Gooding con curred with the Burlington mayor add that the healthier you are the more you get attacked BAC appointments Two Halton Hills men are among those appointed to the regional Business Advisory Committee It announced al the administration and finance committee meeting Wednesday and Rick West have been appointed to the Business Advisory Committee for terms of one and two years respectively The recommendation goes before council for approval today Wednesday The members from the region are appointed on the advice from the Cham bers of Commerre and the area