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Melodee Martinuk Chronicle Staff Waterloo city council Monday night approved spending more than $100,000 to upgrade city fire department equipment. Graduation day Aldermen unanimously agreed to spend the money to begin initial stages of improvements to the department‘s comâ€" munications equipment and installation of an electronic system, Opticom, to control traffic signals. The improvements, recommended in a report of the city‘s fire task force released last October, were given preliminary approval by Council in early May. ‘Greater appreciation‘ of agency: top Planned Parenthood volunteer Waterloo‘s two universities held their spring convocaâ€" tion ceremonies last week. A total of 2,604 students from the University of Waterlioo (left) received their degrees in ceremonies held Thursday, Friday and Saturday while 850 students took part in WLU‘s convocation (right) at the Kâ€"W Auditorium Sunday. fire task force report, prepared Annual rite of spring at both local universities Council throws support behind improvements for fire department Heather White Melodee Martinuk, Pat Arbuckle photos after more than two years of meetings, said it will cost the city of Waterioo approximately $7.5 million over the next 13 years to provide "good fire protection‘"‘ for the people of Waterloo. The task force concluded that the city must "move as quickly as possible" to install the Opticom system, which uses electronic equipment mounted on fire department vehicles to: change traffic lights, and replace communication equipâ€" ment to improve fire response time, particularly to the Lakeshore Village area. In a report to the city‘s administrative committee fire chief John Staller recomâ€" Pat Arbuckie Chronicle Staff A Waterloo woman who has contributed more than 600 hours of her time to Planned Parenthood Waterioo Region has been selected as the organization‘s Volunteer of the Year. Heather White, a University of Wateriloo operations research analyst who has served on many committees within the Planned Parenthood organization, was honored at a recent general meeting. White‘s involvement with Planned Par enthood happened by chance four years ago. At that time, she was facing a dilemma shared by many parents â€" how to discuss sex with her own children. "I wanted to make sure they were getting good solid information about their sexuality in regard to alttitudes, morals and anatomy. l also wanted to clarify it for myself and make sure 1 had it (the information) available for them," she ex plained A friend suggested that she consult Planned Parenthood and as her involve ment with the organization grew along with it came an appreciation for the service it provides. ""I began to realize how important it is,"‘ she said. ‘"One of its prime functions is passing on this information to children, adults, anyone who is interested." The longâ€"awaited day arrived last week for more than 3,000 graduates of Waterloo‘s two universities when spring convocation ceremoâ€" nies were held. Approximately 850 graduates received their degrees at WLU‘s convocation held Sunday at the Kâ€"W Auditorium. Also awarded honorary doctor of law degrees during the ceremony were Bank of Montreal executive Grant Reuber, a native of Mildmay, Ontario and Peter Newman, awardâ€"winning author and former editor of Maclean‘s magazine. _ Meanwhile. at UW, some 2,600 students graduated in convocation ceremonies held in the university‘s physical activities center Thursâ€" day. Friday and Saturday Receiving â€" UWâ€" honorary doctor. of laws degrees in the ceremonies were: US historian David G. Rempel; Senator Arthur J. Tremblay. former Quebec civil servant; Dr. Glenn Fry. US vision scientist; Alberta environmentalist Car son H. Templeton: Dr. G. A. Barnard, retired UW math professor; Mexican engineer. Emilio Rosenblueth and J. Page R. Wadsworth, retired banker. and until recently the chairman of UW‘s board of governors mended spending $33,000 this year on an Opticom ‘"starter package‘"‘ including four signal emitters and light change switches plus the equipment needed to change the intersections on Weber Street from Uniâ€" versity to Northfield Drive to the automatâ€" For $75,000 the city of Waterloo will be buying a new communications control centre, costing $42,000, and $25,000 worth of recording equipment to keep track of ic system. Installation of the tota} Opticom system will be done in four stages with the final cost expected to be approximately $70,000. â€" _ Staller estimated that installation of Opticom will cut the fire department‘s response time by 20â€"30 per cent. c Today, as a counsellor for Planned Parenthood and an active member of the organization‘s education, personnel and fundraising committees, White still sees public education as Planned Parenthood‘s most significant contribution, a step towards realizing its main goal "Every child a wanted child." "Its goal is to have people having enough information and easy access to birth control so that they can control their fertility and be happy about their lives," she explained. "If there were a perfect method of birth control and everyone used it, there would be no need for this agency .‘ * White recently participated with other members of the education committee in producing a series of fact sheets on various birth control methods. The comâ€" mittee also regularly sets up displays and information booths in area shopping malls and for other special events. A fullyâ€"equipped resource centre at the organization‘s headquarters at 119 King SU.W in Kitchener offers extensive inforâ€" mation on family planning, sexuality, pregnancy and birth. â€" _ As pan' of its Outreach program, the agency also provides speakers free of charfe to community groups. Crill aaa af tha manet accontial corvirec Still, one of the most essential services the agency continues to provide in White‘s WATERLOO CHRONICLE, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 1 the department‘s daily log. Total cost of improving fire department radio communâ€" ications equipment will be approximately $137,000. Money for the improvements will come from the city‘s fire equipment reserve fund which now contains approximately $150,000. In regard to a photo published last week of Mrs. Matilda Heinrich‘s 91st birthday celebration, it should be stated that Mrs. Heinrich was a resident of Luebeck, West Germany. opinion, is its counselling program, one that requires the greatest regular time commitment from Planned Parenthood‘s volunteer staff. As a volunteer counselior, White provides information on the various birth control methods â€" how they are used, the risks and advantages of each method, the comparative cost and accessibility and how each method fits into the individual‘s monthly cycle. "It is encouraging that parents are trying to communicate with their children. They are keen on children being more aware of their sexuality and more comâ€" fortable with it," she said. o Many clients who come to the office are teenagers but White is heartened by the number of adulits that are approaching the agency for advice in discussing sex with their own children. In recent years, Planned Parenthood has been drawn unwillingly into the abortion controversy, said White. She emphasized, however, that in counselling individuals members of the organization try to remain "unbiased."‘ â€" ‘"We may have our personal views but we don‘t want to foist them on someone else," she said. "If they have good information to work with they will have a good basis for making decisions. Hopefulâ€" ly, they will make good decisions that will affect their lives positively .‘"‘ Clarification 1983 â€" PAGE 3