Recycling * i centre cost RESIDENTS at Fairview Lodge celebrated Week by releasing balloons last Thursday. Eac contained a tag with the address of the lodge, an Balloon launch 1 Seniors' of setting up pen pals between the seniors and the finders ch balloon of the balloons. P.a. pcr...- n d the hope Trustee appalled at possible removal of crossings By Mike Johnston A plan by the Town of Whitby to remove school crossings where it cannot find guards could mean increased transportation costs for the Durham Board of Education. Trustees discussed Whitby's plan at a meeting of the property and transportation committee last Wednesday. Since the board's transportation policy calls for students to be bused if a crossing is deemed dangerous and there is no guard, some students could be bused four or five blocks if Whitby removes guards. "As a trustee I sit and look at this (Whitby's plan) and I am appalled. It is stupid to bus students three or four blocks," commented Whitby trustee Patty Bowman. Other trustees agreed, passing a motion that where guards are warranted but have not been placed by a municipality, the board will not provide transportation. "I would like to know our legal position?" asked Bowman. But the board's manager of transportation Jack Upton replied that since guards are not mandatory, he could answer the question. Trustees also heard that other municipalities in Durham Region, including Oshawa and Pickering, are watching what Whitby does very closely. "This has ramifications for all other municipalities. We have consistently said no to housing in a location because of the (difficulty) children will have travelling to school and they (municipalities) have not listened to us," said committee chairman Ruth Lafarga. Trustees also discussed a met- hod te let parents know that it is the municipality and not the board making the decision to remove guards. "Unhappy parents will come running to us. We should adver- tise in the local papers and let the parents know," suggested Oshawa trustee Gary Kitchen. But other trustees thought that was unnecessary and instead agreed to send notes home with children who would be affected by the removal of guards. The Town of Whitby sent a letter to schools last week inform- ing the principals of the plan. The Town is having difficulty hiring guards and notes three locations where it has been unable to hire guards. Those locations are Dundas St. E. and Garden St., Thickson Rd. and Manning Rd., and Anderson St. and Manning. If the Durham board approves the committee's recommendation at a meeting Monday, June 27, students that have to cross those- intersections will not be bused by the board. Whitby's traffic coordinator Bill Grylls told The Free Press last week that guards are paid enough. ($168 every two weeks) and the problem with hiring guards is that there is too much work available. But one crossing guard disagreed with that statement. The guard, who refused to be identified in case she lost her job, said guards are not paid enough for the abusc they take from motorists. She said guards on many occasions do not receive cooperation from school princi- pals, police or parents.. "People do ignore you while you are in the middle of crossing kids. There are kids' lives in danger," said the guard. Hotel construction is assured Whitby administrative com- mittee received assurances Monday night that construction would soon begin on two new hotels. Committee recommended site plan approval for a Journey's End 103-unit hotel off Champlain Ave. (just north of 401) and a 90-unit hotel at Brock St. S. and the 401 (off the Consumers Rd. exten- sion). "This is one of many applica- tions we have had for a hotel," said administrative committee chairman Gerry Emm of the Journey's End application by Diamond and Green Construction Ltd. "Hopefully, we'll get one, one of these days." Representatives for both the applicant-and Journey's End said the hotel chain wants the Whitby location "as soon as possible." The building is to be three stories in height. Because of existing zoning provisions and exposure, to the 401, Town planning department suggested that the frontage lands from the planned road allowance extend 200 metres and be zoned prestige industrial with an exception to permit the hotel on the southeast corner of the property. The zone would extend about 95 metres north of the planned hotel site. The Journey's End represent- ative complemented planning staff for the 200-metre depth provision in the rezoning, site plan recommendation. The hotel at Brock St. S, which had been announced to get underway last year, is now ready to proceed, according to developer Bobby Bhoola. "We would have had the shovel in the ground were it not for the Ministry of Transport," said Bhoola, noting that the ministry held up construction. He said Mayor Bob Attersley worked with the Province to gain clearance to allow construction. "If I have the (building) permit tomorrow, we'll begin," said Bhoola of the planned four-story complex, to contain a recreation centre and restaurant. "We have all the financing, everything is in place," he said. "Now we'll see the competition who gets up first," said Emm of the two hotel proposals. The site plan approvals go be- fore Town council next Monday. will be investigated 13y Mike Johnston Durham Region's works committee will be conducting an internal investigation to discover how the cost for the new regional recycling depot in Whitby jumped by $212,000. Whitby mayor Bob Attersley informed shocked regional coun- cillors of the overexpenditure at last Wednesday's council meeting. "If this was private enterprise, someone would be fired," said Attersley. The depot, located on Garrard Rd., was approved by regional councillors at a cost of $650,000. Attersley said neither council, Region works committee nor Region chief executive officer Don Evans approved the overexpend- iture. Attersley said he wanted to know who was responsible for the overexpenditure. "I arn responsible. This is a serious embarrassment," replied Region works commissioner Bill Twelvetrees. "It did overrun without formai approval," he added. Finance committee chairman, councillor Jim Witty of Ajax, also informed council he had no knowledge of the overexpendi- ture. Councillors also heard that the money has already been spent. . After the meeting, Attersley told The Free Press he beard of the overexpenditure 'through the grapevine. "I was caught flatfooted. There are two regional councillors on SEE PAGE 2 sports See pages 29- 32 Renascent decision delayed r-ree rress puutu