2 more seek nominmations paes 3 5 Studies in stone vvmn pge9 Warriors need big comeback page2O Global show apagl7 Grous cali for. united front in fight for hospital By Mike Kowalski Baffle lunes have been drawn in thé fight te préservé acute cgré health services at Whitby Gêneral Hospital. A controersial proposai te convert thé hospitalinto a réha- bilitation treatement centre attracteâd more than 100 people te a meeting in thé Whitby coun- cil chambers last Thursday. They heard a dozen speakers réprésenting a variety of local organizations, put forward, their groups' positions on a- consul- tant's réport prépared for thé Durham Région District, Health Council. I ail but a few cases,, speakers slamméd thé report's proposais or .ceriticizéd thé provipcial governmnent's <ishandlingý of Ontario's héalth care system. «This acute care study is gar- bage and what it says te thé résidents of Whitby is te heul ,ith- us," déclared Dr. M.R. Ray- ma9nl,,chiéf of surgery at Whi*tby Gênerai. «I 'venture te say we'll end up with héalth services more costly than wé have today,» -if thé study's purportéd monéy-saving proposais are impléménted, Ray- man chargéd. Whitby Générai Hospital Auxi- Iiary président Pat Wiicox dis- putéd thé héalth councii's con- tention that thé recommenda- tions are far from bing a 'fait accompli'. «Wé feél thé résidents of hitb are bing blackxnailéd by té inistry of Héaith,»si Wilcox. "Thé ministry says do as wé say or close," shé said. Thé object of their scorn is a study of acute care .health ser- vices in Durhamn Région which was undértakén by a stéering committecf thé health council. Consultanxts have récommen- déd that Whitby Générai Hospi- tal bé convérted inte a centré devotéd exclusivéiy te thé prac- ticé of réhabiiitativé médicine. Services associated with a général hospital will no longer bé offéred at t he 25-year-oid facility if thé héaith council and ulti- mately, thé govrnmént, accépt thé study's prooais. Whithy résidents in need cf acute care services would travel te either an expanded Oshawa Gênerai Hospital. or a lar-ger Ajax-Pickering Général Hospital, the study. suggests. Since its rélease in the sprng, oppositon, te the -study-zbas, grown te such an extent that Town council felt obligeed te, hold a public meeting on the mattér, Mayor Tom Edwards éxplained Organizations in Whitby which havé taken a stand on thé health council study were invited te send a représentative to outline their respective Positions, SFEE PAGE 31 Councilor is forced to make formai request to get minutes Page 3 Opponents 'playing politics,' says MPP Page 8 Plea by president for more money Pagel8 q j -i i *.1 :4 Police cail11off probe of work's department By MikéKowaiski A policé investigation cf Dur- ham Region's public works departmént has found noeévi- dence cf criminal wrongdoing. Howévér, thé Région bas resu- méd its own p robe cf allégations of quéstionablé conduct by soe départmént employées in conne- tion with a numbér cf construc- tion projects. Chiéf among them is certain te be a $1.5-million contract for installinig sewers in Brookiin that was takén away frcm a Stouffville firm and i7wardéd te thé next lowést biddér. Thé company subséquéntly filed a $1-milhion siandér suit against Whitby regional council- lor Marcel Brunélle for bis allé- géd rolé in thé décision and résulting policé involvémént. Durham Région chair Gary Herre ma announcéd résumption cf thé internai réviéw last week foilowing complétion cof a recént, investigation b y thé Durham Régional Police fraud unit. According te Herrema, police found «noeévidence cf crimina- lity» bétween any works départ- ment employe and companiés doingbusiness with thé départ- But despite thé policé findings, it is important that a full inter- nai réviéw cf thé mattér be conipléted,n stated Hérréma. A senior management commit- tee will déterminé if there has béen any violation cf thé Région's code of éthics or évi- dence cf unacceptable conduct. Although théré was no spécific mention cf thé incident, thé reviéw will examiné circum- Stances which . led te thé policé investigation. Latmonth,, régional council awarding.a contract for ro:adand sewér mwork in Brooklin te thé second-lowe3tbidder. Novacor Construction of Quéensville réceivéd thé contract evén though Lits bid was about $10,000 more than Pachino's. MM PAGE a business news Seepae9-1