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sporrm Servln Guarantee the HERALD Home Newspaper of Halton Hills Established 866 Hit I Sections Panes FREE DISTRIBUTION OPEN 10 7DAYSA Its the Drive to Acton No new arrival for Christmas Hills Is without an official Christmas Baby this year An official Georgetown and District Memorial Hospital reported all was quiet on the maternity from over Chriatmas Last year Nicholas Herbert arrived 2 m on Fees upped January 1989 the Conservation Author will increase Its solicitoragent inquiry fees to per inquiry crease of The Authority Implemented the solicitor a gent fee in 190 and since that time Inquiries have Increased Approximately 900 Inquiries were processed in 1988 Solicitors a gents request from the Authority written responses to inquiries regarding Authority land use policies and regulations may affect a specific properly charging of this fee has enabled Authority to defer ossoc staff costs Man injured Eire officials were called to free a Georgetown man from a demolished 1987 Ford Mustang Saturday afternoon after the car hit a pole and a fence Regional Police say the vehicle was southbound on Ninth line near 10 when it went out of control in the slushy condl lions left the road hit a pole and went through a farmers fence The man was admitted to Peel Manorial Hospital where he Is in satisfactory condition Police say careless driving charges are pending Police find wide misuse of 911 service With the tech nlroduclion of the emergency number in Region aria police are finding Ithc number Is abused by per cent of call era The was introduced In in 1985 net thin people have stopped dialing 1 or lesser emergencies says Unit on Regional Police Communications Officer Bill Patterson has a different definition of what an emergency Is he said We get many excuses us to why the proper number is not used Excuses range from people losing phonebooks to Imagining that a broken fridge an emergency said Sgt Patterson The sargent gave a clear example of the difference between an emergency and a nonemergency If someone witnesses hit and run and wonts la report It before the culprit gets away It is an emergency If someone car is by an driver the regular police number should be called The trails a little cool right at that time said Patterson referring to a suspect who has left the hit and run But aside the regular demands on the police time the number Is inundated with calls lag town emergencies such as blackouts he said If you get a power failure the boards light up like a Christmas The massive power failure that hit Mlsalssauga Georgetown Bramp ton and parts of Acton two weeks ago was a good example While police have no more Information on the hydro black out than the general public they must calls from concerned residents At the pohc station in Georgetown vision officers tuned lo the rod to I cum the status of Hull on Hills power said a on employee But the public has proved since was first Introduced says Sgt Patterson Once people got educated about what constitutes an things improved he said The reasons Is so often used are Its accessibility Its written in bold letters across police cruisers and the public a said Sgt Patterson But with education and time the system Improves he said Our system a little more mature than Peel but It goes up and down Peel Regional Police say they are tag per cent valla emergency calls versus per cent non emergency calls on their line new to the Region in When is dialed the call comes to tire answering bureau at the Regional Police Department area of the call is determined and police and ambulance arc con We get the call through and let the tire department worry about the Jurisdictions of the 911 officer said Patterson the number in receives to 10 calls per week or the fire department and am crew Then calls are transferred to an outside agency Of the 302 calls received on the line in a total of went to the fire department and ambulance vice said Sgt Patterson Although the 911 number is useful and is plainly displayed on police cruisers and n the front of the local telephone book in large numbers police cruisers will sport the numbers once again to persuade people to call You pick up the phonebook and the first thing you sec Is police fire said Patter True Christmas Spirit A choir festival at the Knox cheque lo Merrill of the Presbyterian Church raised Just over Georgetown Lioness Club the Dec 19 The Georgetown Choral organization running the Good Soclety gathered with choirs from bora program Hampers were many of the other churches in prepared for delivery to 105 needy Georgetown for the Christmas carol families In Georgetown In time for festival Here Ian president Christmas Herald Photo of the Choral Society presents a Businesses adhere to holiday laws Regional Police as busy Monday as their Toronto counterparts were cracking down on owners who opened Illegal Businesses in Hills the Boxing Day holiday end en Joyed the day at home But at the Hide House In Ac ton It was somewhat of a different story The Olde Hide House is licenced under a tourist exemption to Sundays and holidays They sold coats coats and more coats said Genera Manager Steve Dawklns The Olde Hide House was up over SO per cent In sales over lost year The foot facility which Includes a reataruant and a mezzanine attracted shoppers from far away Including south of the Canadian Border There were Pennsylvania plates New York plates and I saw a couple of Quebec plates said Mr Dawkln But he added that many of those American shoppers were vlaltlng relative In Canada Mr Dawklns said that up to per cent off Mho marked price of leatherwcar Including boots gloves and accessories attracted a near capacity crowd When lineups became long and the store looked full around 30 p the staff was considering limited access Honing a police officer at the door to control entry and to meet fire re quirements While Metro Toronto Police spent Boxing Day issuing fines to mer chants contravening the Retail Business Act Regional Police did not hand out fines in Halton Hills say Halton Police Other stores open the holiday Mon day in Hills Included conve nience and variety stores owners upset by proposal Future residents of the Sands Con dominium Complex an Hall Road in Georgetown are worried about a Industry plans for a RIDE hits the mark Police help keep holiday roads safe tlons Mr Harrison told councillors In a delegation earlier this month The Sands Condominium Complex has been In the works for years and la net a newcomer objecting to a new situation said Mr Harrison Resources Recovery and Transfer Ltd on Armstrong Avenue to store scrap metals Fewer impaired drivers spotted Lights are flashing red and an arm holding a lit orange wand beckons you but there no need to be afraid These guys are on your side The reason to stop is RIDE Reduce Impaired Driving Everywhere and its Regional Polices way of trying to cut down on traffic fatalities caused by drunk driving Staff Roy Smith delivers soma bloodcurdling statistics Of the traffic fatalities In over the- last year half were caused by alcohol related accidents I Introduced to against some tough odds But people appreciate what the and girls in blue are doing We hear from the public that the is work says Const Kosc uch from Georgetown s 11 Division The RIDE program is getting a familiar And Regional Traffic Division Const Blair Vint Inner says the key to success is visibility We want to let everyone know we re out there He added that some people enjoy being stopped by police for the spot check Now people ore saying glad to see you out there You re Hallon Regions I Police nave set traduced to the Region in lBss I RIDE spot checks throughout tended to Reduce Impaired Driving North Halloa during the holiday Everywhere now and during the season Tbe RIDE program fa- restof tbeyear Herald photo good job Being down cars that don t stop for RIDE flashing and peeking Into cars carry ferocious- looking dogs But police seem undeterred They continue to smile say Merry Christmas Have you hod anything to dnnh tonight If that question gels a yes answer the questions follow would be at what time and how much If police suspect an Impaired driver It often or the classic symp toms there is almost always on odor of alcohol and the driver will likely have red eyes and could hove slur red speech say police The RIDE officer will stick his head Into the window close to the driver examining his condition as the two chat If the driver seems impaired he will be taken to the RIDE van where he will receive the ALERT the Alcohol Level Early Road Test The device will tell police if a per son Is impaired by use of a PASS WARN and FAIL system PASS gels a green light and the driver is allow lo drive home WARN gels a yellow light and hour suspen sion Is issued The driver must render his keys to a sober licensed passenger or park his car for the evening until the suspension has FAIL means the driver has over mg of alcohol In his bloodstream At this point the driver is taken to the local police station where a test is given Refusing to take the test Is the equivalent of being determined over the legal limit say police But Halton Hills haunt charged many Impaired drivers during the RIDE this past week In North Milton Georgetown and Ac ton 140 vehicles were pulled over Wednesday night Seven were Issued warnings but police did not use the ALEUT system Further south In the Region on the same night cars were stopped in Oakville and warnings were Issued There were six ALERTS given but all drivers passed In Burlington on the some night 1 cars were stopped warnings were given three charges were laid under the Highway Traffic Act and seven ALERT were given with all vera passing Could It be that people doing us much drinking and driving There are more designated drivers said Const Vint inner but he added that figures are up for alcohol related fatal accidents In October 17 year old Shawn McNeil from was struck and killed Police say the youth was turning at the Intersection of Street and Mountainview Road when his motorcycle was struck by a 19B4 Chevrolet Pick up A Misslssauga man was charged with Impaired driving causing death two other irod driving related charges and of failing to remain at the scene an accident A singlecar collision lost week left year old Neil Diaz of Georgetown in critical condition at Hospital Police say the Georgetown man a passenger in a 1907 Ford Escort travelling north bound on Trafalgar Rood near Highway 7 Dec IS received major injuries when the car went out of control on a curve and struck a hydro pole and a tree The driver a Georgetown woman was admit led to Georgetown and District Memorial Hospital and treated for major Injuries She was released from hospital Dec 19 Imparled driving related charges against the driver are pending police say Policed RIDE program will continue with dally spot checks through December Then RIDE will have year round random checks at various locations throughout the region We wish to object to the change of this toning since some of our units will be looking on this site and we think will be detrimental to our units having scrap metal and salvage in our backyards Mr said in a letter to the town We dldn Just show up Hi years ago This Id said Mr Harrison of th The residents of the Sands arc not along said Mayor Miller There are other objections from another Industry The proposal for will come before council with a staff recommendation Jon pa ire Ring in the new Friends and neighbors will be gathering at two locations In Hills to help ring in the new year on Saturday In Georgetown residents are in vited to Knox Presbyterian Church once again this year Tbe bell ringing ceremony at Knox Church Is now Into Its seventh year ac cording to Marilyn Ser Jeontsou Hot chocolate and apple cider will greet chilly midnight watchers outside Knox Church About 300 balloons will be distributed throughout tbe crowd and on the stroke of midnight tbe balloons will be released Georgetown CI then of the Year Ted will ring the bell In the belfry of Knox Church following a countdown to midnight About ISO people gathered out side the church last year Many revellers walk to and from the bell ringing ceremony said Mrs Serjeantson Acton ceremonies will take place at the old town hall Organizer Gerald Rennie plans to have Acton Citizen of the Year Don ring the bell at the town hall at the stroke of midnight following a countdown Hot chocolate and balloons will also be distributed at Acton celebration After Mr rings bell anyone who wants to give it a try He expects people to begin show up at the old town hall around 11 30pm Last year between and 100 people took part in the Acton ceremony