Three councillors changý olice sta,,,tion willu by BLAKE PURDY Staff Writer The Durham Region Police I 8-division station on Rossland Road will remain open, regionalcouncil decided last week. By a vote of 16-9, council supported a motion by Whitby Mayor anîd regional councillor Jirn Gartshore which asked for support of a Durham Board of Police Commissioners recommendation to put enough rnoney back into the budget to keep the station open. Regional council and the police commission earlier this year had voted to close the station June ')0 as a cost-cutting mnove and open a storefýqnt station in the downtown area to operate on an 8 a.rn. to 5 p.m. basis. After hearing or rea ding impassioned pleas by the Durhamn Region Grand Jury, Durham West MPP Charles Godfrey, the Whitby Chamnber of Commerce, the Whitby District Boy Scouts, the Corridor Area Ratepayers Association, the West Lynde Community Association, the town's former police chief Bill p Vol. 6 No. 22 Wednesday, lune 2. 1976 16 Pages _______________________________________________________________________________________ I Lives are in danger Children who play near the Canadian Pacifie Railway tracks on the overpass west of Cochrane Street are risking their lives and the lives of many other people, according to Constable Don Jones of the Canadian Pacifie Police Departmient. Const. Jones believes that children have been responsible for recent occurrences in which railway signais have been broken; pins have been pulled, separating railway cars; and old ties have been laid across the track. Ail three occurrences could have proven fatal, but the latter came closest to ending in disaster, according to Const. Jones. He said that a train recently struck *an old tie on the track. Fortunately, because the tie was old and weak, the train wvas, not affected. Had it been a new tie, the train could have been derailed, Const. Jones said. Another potentially dan- gerous practice is that ol riding motorized cycles along the tracks. The roar of the motors can drown out the sound of the oncoming trains. The practice is subject to prosecution by law. Const. Jones is working with the regional police department's. youth bureau on the matter and would like parents to advise their children of the dangers of playing near the tracks. "The train crews' and kids' lives are in serlous danger", he warns. Pilkington, thie local Justice of the Pence Hlarold Rowley and semeai concerned residents, the police commission changed its mind and reconmnended to council that the Rossland Road station be kept open. Regional counceil, on May 12, voted 16-14 against a motion by Councillor Gartshore to adop thie recommnendation. It was a different siory last Wednesday. Couincillor Gartshore made a last di tch plea, on behial f of' the townspeople, f'or council to change its decision. "The people have showii their concern", hie said. It is for the good of the people of Whitby and the people of the Durharn region that this building bc kept open". Councillor George Ashe, Pickering Mayor and chairmnan of the region's finance commrittee, expresseci strong opposition to keeping thie station open. "The precedent of reopening a budget, l'rn afraid, will corne back to haut this council", hie said. Councillor Johin DeFlart spoke in favoîý.r of keeping the A Saturday morning fire in an apartment building at 700 Dunlop Street West caused an estimated $13,000 damage to one of the apartments, but the fire was brought under c >ntrol within 15 minutes. The fire, in an apartment occupied by Miss Carol Norris, was reported at 10:19 a.m. when Miss Norris was awakened by the smell of smoke. The fire was contained within the living roomn of the apartment, but there was considerable smoke damage to the rest of the apartment, the hallway and adjoining apartments, said Platoon Chief Ken Corner. Platoon Chief Corner said the fire was caused by a candie left burning in a macranie pot bolder, which felu onto a couch. Whîtby Fire Figbters evacuated the 41 apartments in the building, and there.were no injuries to any of the occupants. Free Press Photo'by Mike, Burgess m E\E P E) stay open station open. "Right is right and wrong is wrong", he sa4. "A mnistake was made and we should be big enough'tf0 .admrit it". When it came tii-ne to vote on the matter, severâl counicillors wlio hiad voted against keeping the station open on May 12 were.absent. lowcver, three counicillors - Johni Anderson of Pickering, Allan Dewar of Oshawa and Allan Pilkey of Oshawa - whc hiad voted "no" at that tinvr were present and voted "&yes"l this time. Councillors who voted in favour of keeping the station open were John Anderson of Pickering, Ruth Bestwick of Oshawa, John DeHart of Oshawa, Allan Dewar of Oshawa, Gerry Emin of Whitby, Jim Gartshore of Whitby, John Howden of Oshawa, Don Lovelock of Whitby, Allan McPhail of Brock, Allan Pilkey of Oshawa, Jim Potticary of Oshawa, Mary Reid of Ajax, Garnet Richard of Newcastle, Keith Ross of Oshawa, Kciirh Rynard of Brook and Margaret Shaw of Oshawa. Continued Page 2