4 -' - .-.~ -~ - PAGE 4, WIITBY FREE PRESS, WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 24, 1988 Five in contest for four hydro commission seats BUn85MASTER Aug.24-28 BAHERY ~oCheese Whole Wheat Buns Bread .85/loaf 51$1.00 1380 HOPKINS 666-1177 Open 7 Days a Week 1 For t-ndo eric At least five Whitby residents will be vying in this fall's municipal election for the four seats on the Whitby Hydro Electric Commission. Incumbents Gerry Cox, Bill Lawler, John Hughes and Robert Cawker have all incicated they will seek re-election. The new challenger is Ralph Blank. "I enjoy the job. It is an interesting, fascinating business," says Gerry Cox, 59, who has =aoie*qpr . avc been on the board for 11 years and is the current chairman. The board of commissioners, which meets at least once a month, makes decisions on everything from power rates to union negoatiations. "We set rates within what Ontario Hydro allows us," says Cox, a retired General Motors employee. He says the commission has also been forced to approve new charges to keep up with demand for power resulting from the growth of the town. Certain charges are now being levied for installing meters and transformers. "It was becoming too costly because too many are being installed," says Cox, adding that residential connections are still free of charge. "We have just broadened the charge on commercial uses." The commission has also followed in the steps of Pickering and Mississauga and has begun charging lot levies on new subdivisions. Cox says the charge is included when a builder applies to the Town for a building permit. The Town later turns the levy over to Whitby Hydro. He also explained that Whitby Hydro is currently in the process of upgrading power to the older areas of town. He says the older core of the town currently has a voltage of 4.8 kv while rural and outer areas have a 13 kv capacity. "We have to beef up the whole town. We have had the project on the go for a while but we are not making progress because of all the new services we have to install." Power to the Thickson Rd. corridor has to be "beefed up" at a cost of $75,000 to $85,000 a mile, says Cox. Bill Lawler, 71, is seeking his second term on the commisssion because he finds the job interesting - and public service is a family tradition. His great-grandfather was James Rowe, the first mayor of Whitby; his grandfather was Tom Lawler, a councillor; and his father was Arthur Lawler, who was the mayor of Whitby in 1906. The two other incumbents, Cawker and Hughes, have indicated they will seek re- election. Hughes, who replaced Wayne Beaten on the commission last year because Beaton moved to Ottawa, was unavailable for comment. Hughes came fifth in the last municipal election, behind Beaten. Cawker, who has been on the commission for 24 years, said his decision about running is "still in the air." However he has SEE PAGE 5 Have one of our professional designers prepare an award winning design, in the comfor,,t of your own home. A - A r., ', '. - -ý 1 1 9 BeBoge Accessories 1/2 Price