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

hit Jims The most recorded evidence of tolerance is said to be a golden wedding the HERALD Home Newspaper of Halton Hills The big paper with the I big circulation read I first by everyone I I Reaching more than J 13350 homes in J MARCH I Hills OMB court appeals planned Town renews support for hydro fight SUCCESSFUL Heather Clarke was the most successful swimmer at the championships the weekend Clarke a senior finished a strong seventh In the backstroke event Clarke was also a member of a relay team that finished the best showing Tom Adams was very pleased with his swimmers performances as they all bettered their previous best personal best times See page in Sports Week lor more on the meet Herald photo by Drew Clarke This Week JOHN SOMMFRS Professional gallery Georgetown has some rare for towns this sizcan art gallery which displays work by profess ional artists as well as works by such talented local artists as Marjorie Nazer Gallery Sol owner John Sommer talked The Herald about art and opera ling a commercial gallery in a smalltown Page GLTs play judged The Georgetown Little Theatre production of When We Are Married in town last week and one member of the audi en watched the proceedings a little more closely than Ihe rest He Frederick who is adjudicating ihe play for the Central Ontario Drama League Festival His comments appear in today paper Page IB Raiders clinch first Colin Gordon the winning goal for the Georgetown Raiders in their win over the Merchants In Dundas day The win gave the Raiders their firstever league pennant Page a New Acton plaza is rejected developer plans appeal A proposal is currently be ng considered by downtown Acton merchants that would unite two ex rig grocery stores in an apparent bid meet demands of shoppers who last month In support of the s food chain outlet proposed for construction on Highway Paul spokesman for merchants involved In Acton s Business Improve ment Area revealed the amalgamation proposal to the I own planning board last Following his presentat ion the board voted lo reject a proposal by Shop ping Centres Ltd to build a fool commercial plaza on Acton eastern As a result of boards decision the plaza proposal appears dest lo become the subject of a future Ontario Municipal Board OMB hear president Jerry Spnckman commented follo wing the meeting that he ml ends to appeal the decision before the citing public support for the proposal Mat lied by council Monday night the boards decision was virtually unanimous Coun Ed Wood a downtown Acton chant declared a conflict of interest in matter and did not participate in the debate or loting Also excusing himself from the discussion was Mayor Pele owners of a downtown Georgetown retail business led him speculate that he loo may have a conflict of interest One of 10 speakers who addressed the planning board prior its final consideration of proposal Mr re 1 crated his claim that even large scale commercial out lets could be located in down town Aclon He reaffirmed Ihe BIA contention that lopmenl of an outlying plaza would financially cripple the downtown merchants ongoing efforts to beautify central business core and attract new Proposed budget may mean a tax hike The board of ion will vale March 15 to accept or reject a proposed million budget which would with an average inc in school taxes The board finance commit tec presented proposed budget lo ihe board Thursday The portion of Ihe budget will be presented and vote held at he board next mecllng March The estimated Increase is based on a fivemill increase for an average house assess of finance commit tee chairman Rev Gary Mor ton said WORKERS The budget of million is an increase of about per cent over the 1978 budget with per cent of the budget covering Instruction Instruction ties wages and salaries for teachers clerical workers and administrative people in the schools Wages and salari increased 7 per cent at Ihc elementary school level and per cent the school level For the lime ihe board budget will exceed the ceiling set on expenditures by province at secondary school level The I tt is below the celling at level This is the mix mum limit by the province at which province will match with grants what local school board spends The cost per pupil both the elementary school and secon dary school levels has about The cost per pupil at elementary school level is and at the secondary level The tost at the secondary level is per pupil over the ling set by board The board is forecasting a decline in of almost three per cent at the element school level which w affect he cost per pupil See school enrolment is expected lo increase by per I look members of hoard finance committee three hours to make the formal budget presentation and answer ques lions from the Irustees Halton H Us trustee Barry Shepherd Wards and expressed the frustration the members of the committee saying that they wanted to cut the budget asmuchaspossl but It had been very difficult In the area of nonoperating expenses ex penditurcs arc down about 12 per cent he said but most of these expenditures arc recove rable from the province and so the taxpayers don save any money Trustee John Bradley asked if the admin was cons tiering any new methods to compensate for the fact that the board is currently lop heavy in older more experienced staff who are paid a higher salary than in younger less experienced He suggested early retirement for those who might be interested in taking advantage of it Superintendent of instruct ion John Bo said the board is trying to hire as replace ments younger teachers those out of faculty of education or with only a few years experience because It reduces salary costs and es for a better age spread in schools NO ADVANTAGE At present we don see an advantage either in cost or in staff spread to early staff retirement he said Director of Em Lavender reminded board that the proposed long term plan will consider staffing as well as all other facets of the boards The addition of a gymnas I urn to Wriggles worth Public School is in the budget for this year as is a new floor in one of gymnasiusm at George town high school Herald staff writer Having already invested a bout SO so far town council has decided to maintain Its opposition to Ontario Hydro s Bruce to Milton transmission corridor by launching appeals before the Ontario Municipal Board and a divisional After hearing town solicitor Roy Steele advise that there are some fairly good grounds appeal Feb ruling council voted during a special session last Wednes day to channel another to Into its battle against the corridor Applications are being filed with the divisional court of appeal and with the OMB itself when if approved will allow Ihe town to appeal the decision ordering council to amend the own s official plan and zoning bylaw so the dor can be constructed along Hills Fifth Concession RECORDED VOTE In a recorded vote Pete and councillors Ed Wood Miller George Pat Patterson Marilyn Serjeantson elected to follow the solicitor advice and proceed with appeals Those opposing the move were councillors Les Walter Roy Booth and Harry Levy Coun Mike Armstrong was absent from the meeting Council members continue to entertain hopes that some progress will be made in the dispute through a forthcoming meeting Queen Park that will bring corridor opponents Police problem is leadership report says together with Premier William Davis and energy minister James Mayor has been invited to attend meeting for which a date has still to be set along with regional chairman Jack and officials of the Mr Steele and his colleague Fred Helson who represented the towns Interests at the nineday hearing in Jan three avenues appeal for council last week They advised against an ap peal to the provincial Cabinet itself noting that the corridor issue has already been at that level on several previous occasions ERRORS Mr Steele warned that GO per cent of all appeals made Co the divisional court of appeal ire unsuccessful but pointed out that there are some glaring errors In the OMB ruling Portions of the evidence presenled at the ring he said appear to have not even been considered In Ihe board decision Explaining that an dec is on can be changed after business Mr told The Herald following the meeting thai pro pcrty negotiations stemming from ihc proposal to mate two of Actons three grocery outlets are still in the initial stage and declined to elaborate further He com only that the motion if finalized could Involve the closing of a down own COMPLAINTS 1 1ST The inadequacy of existing retail outlets in Acton and particularly grocery stores ranked chief among the comp laints listed by Acton shoppers at planning board 14 public meeting A shortage of parking space downtown and a lack of shopping variety led many shoppers lo travel out of town to do their weekly shop ping according to comments made at time resident Lloyd an architect with the Toronto firm of Sankey lemon and Guy countered claims made by and officials at Ihe same meeting that is no avail able space downtown to locate a major grocery Mr Sankey identified l wo key areas of the downlown core where he speculated that buildings and property may be available to accommodate a 100 foot plaza or retail outlet one end of Mill Street he painted out an area that now features store and the Dominion Hotel abuts a farm to the rear of the street To the cast where a CNR ne crosses Mill Street exists a vast wasteland rcf erred loas the railway sidings he said which is adjacent to Ihe Force Electric plant sale of which has been the past Mr Sankey commented that the done a very good job but has thus far limited its efforts to cosmetic im Instead he said surgery is needed down own Actonian Jack Carpenter re minded the board that the community already offers 18 even though provincial guidelines suggest only square feet for a population the size of Acton s Mr Carpenter expressed doubt lhat shoppers would be attracted to the from of town as Land awn had suggested Herald staff writer A luck of leidirship and the failure to integrate the area police forces into a true fi nal force are at the bottom the problems facing the Regional Police Force accord to Hit Ontario Police Commission lOPO report on the force released last The report has been in the hands of the Regional Police Commission since Feb ruary but the release of the report public was dela in order to allow the commission to discuss the report with OPC the chief and deputychief and the Hal ton Regional Police Ion Before handing out copies of the report Mayor Harry Barrett chairman of thecommisson said the com mission is in basic agree ment wilh the content of ihe report and implementation of some the recommendations has already begun The re cords department which was he original subject of the report is presently being re organized with the assistance of an advisor from the OPC I OCA COMMISSION The local commission asked to conduct a study of the records depart ment alone but following Ihe Issuing of a report by the police association on poor morale members of the force and complaints from the Crown Attorney office that preparation for court cases by was frequently Inadequate the commission requested that the scope of the report be expanded to study the entire force This Report stresses that the most important facet of all is leadership and it Is our concensus that this has been lacking ion to the report says The lack of leadership has contributed to the failure to achieve integration of the area police forces into a cohesive regional force ihe report said An initial problem com mon lo all Regional police forces is integration This cannot be achieved solely on a physical plane It is essential that all the members accept as quickly as possible the reality of their changed ion and transfer their loyalitics to the new force the report said The initiative for this shift In attitude from the competitive rivalry of but neighboring forces to the combined force must come from the senior officers It is not enough to pay Up service to concept the Thesinccri of their acceptance must be obvious to the remainder of the force otherwise divisions will remain insignia and a com headquarters building Continued on page two that a new OMB hearing may be warranted as a result of information about Hydro toad forecasts that has come to light since the hearing ended It has become obvious he said that Hydro has grossly overestimated public demand for hydroelectric power both for current and future needs The Bruce to Milton corridor may be among Iht Hydro projects that can be shelved as a result he contended Taking any of the Ihree appeal routes will require town lo obtain a copy of the OMB hearing transcripts Mr Steele noted which generally about SI each With thai cost included he cd the overall expenditure for an appeal hearing between S3 and Mr added that the solicitors would be preparing for the hearing without charging the town for research time SUPPORT SURPRISES Saying he was surprised by the amount of support offered to the town by regional council the week before Miller said the town would be very remiss to abandon Its opposition to the corridor now The six yearold battle Is now on its last lap he said Council members discussed Continued on page two ICG FUNDRAISER IS BLACKED OUT Supporters of the Interested ClUtens Group opponents of the proposed hydro corridor through Hills had to hold their fundratslng dinner by candlelight last Saturday night after a power failure blacked oat the Holy Cross According to a spokesman for Georgetown Ontario Hydro power was lost in the auditorium when a connecting power line to the building nested up tad caught fire The wires were repaired later that evening bat ICG supporters finished their meal without hydro HERALD COLLECTS AWARDS Ontario Weekly Newspaper Association president Paul Scott left congratulates iter Id editor Michael and sports editor Tony for winning two swards The Herald was chosen second best newspaper overall in the second highest newspapers with circulations from id Ml to The Herald also received the award for best sports section In their category Editors and were on hand at the OWNA convention the Hotel Toronto Friday to their swards Herald special