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I i w*MO Registry off.ioe construction to begin in January B Trudie Zavadovica As few as 10 and as many as 50 construction workers will be involved ini the building of the new land regfistry office over the next 16 months. The site is now being prepared for construction to begin in-J anu- lebuilding on Rossland Rd. E. directly across from the Whitby municipal building, has been, designed to accommodate growth of staff and public use. When it opens in April, 1991, it will house a staff of 42 who' now occupy a temporary site at the Thornton Centre Plaza in Oshawa. The building will be on an eight-acre provincial property on the corner of a 200-acre site. The bricks of the new building will ciosely match those of the municipal building across the street. B ut the design of the new building will be more like the existing temporary site of the land registiy office. "ost of the additinlspc s in the public, areaî7. says Gordon MacKay, Durham ]Re on land registrar. «That's we)re the crunch was.» SEE PAGE il Lawson is new BLA manager Lynda Lawson is the new manager of the Downtown Whitby Business Improvement Area(LIA). Lawson, 27, had been market- ing assistant at the BIA. She was one of 27 people who applied for the manager's job to succeed Stuart Craig who as become a Town of jax employee. She was appointed te the position by the board last week. Lawson began working for the BIA in Ma, 1986, as a summer student, then stayed on as a fulI-time employee. "I look forward te the chal- lenge," said Lawson, noting that 1990 will be a busy year as BIA board members have planned larger, irproved promotions as wei as a higber profile" for the BI. Lawson says the BIA may even try fundraising o vnst offset costs t e rcants for pro- motions, and will work more with service clubs. The BIA will also work te see a shoe store established in the downtown, as no such store is now in business. "r'm sad te see Stuart go," says Lawson. Craîg completed bis term on Saturday, Dec. 23, the last day of the downtown Christ- mas festival organized by the SEE PAGE 7 Five arrests macle on drug charges On Dec. :9, Durhami Regional Police arrested five pole, in- cluding two from WLtby, on drug charges after, undercover operations ini the Spruce Villa and Royal hotels in Whitby and a tavern in Oshawa. A total of 15 charges have been laid against il *people after a two-month invesfigation by an undercover police officer resulted in information about di-ug traf- ficking by employees and patrons of the two hotels in Whitby and Tangewod Tavern in~ Oshawa. Julie Ann Williams, 20, of Whitby was charged with two counts trafficking in cocaine, and Larry Frankum, 29, of Whitby, was charffed with possession of a Helen Ann Beamer 36 resid- ing at the Tanglewoocl aýern in Oshawa, James C. Peggie, 24 Bowmanville and Josee Daniel Richer, 21, Bowmanville were arrested and charged with traf- ficking in cocaine Warrants have been issued for six other people. 0f the 15 charges laid, 13 were for trafficking in cocaine one for tralfrcking in a narcotic (fiasbish) and one charge for possession of a narctic (hashish). Quality care facility was Dr. Ruddy's vision By 'Jrudie Zavadovïce Dr. J.O. Ruddy died just months before the completion of his vision, marking the end of a 24-year crusade to bring a genral hospital te the tewn of 1989 marked the 2Oth anni- versary of Whitby General Hos-. p ital. Altbough the name bas bn changed from that of its founder, Ruddy's vision remains - te make it a quality care facility te servioe the growing needs of the community. The hospital opened its doors and adxitted its first patient Dec. 17, 1969, 143 days after Ruddy's death. Designed for a capacity of 100 beds, lby 1976 only 65 were used due te a government restraint order. One floor, left vacant according te the order, was- re- opened ini 1984 and used as a 32-bed continuing care unit. When tbe hospital opened in 1969, Whitby had a population of 18,000. Since then Whitby's population bas grown te 55,310 and Whitby General bas tried te expand ifs facilities te -meet those increased needs and is planningfurther expansion as soonas 191. The bospitai is in the midst of the First Class Fund campaign te raise $5.5-million teward rede- velopment and expansion of the facility. 0f the total cost, $4.1-million will go te new and updated equipment and redevelopment-of key departments such as emer- gency and outpatient services The emergency department of Whitby General serv'iced more than 25,000 patients in 1989. The Ministry of Healtb wants to getpeple out of the bospitals andintethe community, and Whitby General Hospital s focus on outpatient services continues te meet that need. The bospital performs services such as cataract surgery, arthroscopy tubaI ligations, cys- toscopy and gaàtroscopy on an outpatient basis. It also operates diabetic, cbiropody and fracture clinics. A lifeline emergency response sstem, sponsored bytbe Whtby otary Cub, links elderly and disabled citizens te the hospital. TIhe hospital's continuing care unit, made up of 16 beds for the cbronicaily iii and 16 beds for rebabilitation, also offers vaca- tion relief te famulies who care for icapactated family rnem- bers mn the home. The bospital allows tbose patients te stay in the hospital from time te, time te speli famiiy caregivers. The moat recent addition te, the bospital was the opening of tbe sexual assault centre in 1988. lIt is the only centre of its type in Durbami Region. POPULAR chilclren's performer San- dents at St. Bernard's elementary dra Beech recently entertained stu- sehool in Whitby. Peter Tomblln-Froe Pr.m photo