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Local OPP optimistic about reduction in number of drunk driving offenses he Cambridge detachâ€" Tmem of the OPP is cautiously optimistic that the "don‘t drink and drive" message is getting through. The â€" successful 2000 Festive _ RIDE _ program showed that the number of drunk drivers and 12â€"hour suspensions are down from last year, even though more vehicles were checked. More than 8,674 vehicles were stopped during the 2000 Festive Ride campaign, up _ from â€"7,808 â€" drivers Continued from page 3 mandate to run up a deficit without _ some _ financial assurances by the province, and the board will have to make some tough decisions at the meeting today to get the budget back in line with the $39 million allotted to it by the province this year. CCAC faces $1.7â€"million deficit While the money might still come, it might not come in time to prevent the board from making some difficult decisions about extending waiting lists for some of its home â€" support _ services, while scaling back some of the programs already in existence. "We‘re anxiously awaiting some news from the governâ€" ment that they are going to provide the necessary funds so that we can balance our budget this year," said Mercer. "We‘re now into the last quarter, so we really need to move quickly." Mercer added, if the board doesn‘t tackle the deficit, the increased caseâ€" load means added fiscal pressures on the next year as well. "It‘s a compounded issue," he said. The local CCAC is not alone in projecting a deficit for this year. More than 30 other CCACs are also proâ€" jecting deficits around the getary constraints came in new labour agreements the CCAC has had to enter into with the organization that provide local home care province. Some of the added bud The number of 12â€"hour suspensions dropped to 15, down from 23 the previous year, while the number of persons _ charged _ with impaired driving dropped from nine the previous year to three this year. stopped last year Staff Sgt. Peter Scandlan; Cambridge OPP detachâ€" ment commander | «d the encouraging resul _ sere an indication that t _ RIDE program and the media covâ€" erage are effective tools in the continuing battle against services, like the Victorian Order of Nurses But Mercer said the bulk of the costs have come with the increased demand for services, and not from any additional â€" administrative costs, or manpower costs that were needed to make the home care sector more competitive when it comes to recruitment. "We‘ve done a comparaâ€" tive analysis of where our expenditures are in relation to other regions in the province, and found that we‘re certainly well within financial acceptable boundâ€" aries to request additional funding," he said. Mercer said he believes that the government is still committed _ to _ funding communityâ€"care programs, since the programs are more costâ€"effective than having people recuperate in hospiâ€" tals, and they provide so ging0 License #9990057 92 Lodge St., Waterloo 884â€"3415 HY®""aef) a week BINO ho xn CUlâ€" drinking and driving. RIDE spot check will conâ€" tinue in the new year and won‘t be restricted to holiday times, said Scandlan. The program will continue 365 days a year. "Drinking and driving is a problemn on our highway year round," said Scandlan. "As such we will continue to use all our resources here at Cambridge OPP in order to make our area highways in the Waterloo Region and surrounding townships as safe as possible. many other positive spinoffs to the wellâ€"being of patients. "In fairness this provinâ€" cial government, and govâ€" ernments prior to this one, they have funded the growth of home care in the commuâ€" nity," said Mercer. "So we‘re hoping that they continue to do that." Hometown News for an Awesome Hometown WATERLOO CHRONICLE 12:00 pm, 6:45 pm & 10 pm 3 pm Session Fri.,Sat. & Sun. only Please Join Us! OPEN 7 DAYS Sessions daily Prize Board "Thase who continue to use this antiâ€"social behavâ€" iour of drinking and driving will be aggressively sought out and charged appropriâ€" ately." while the number of impaired charges were down this year, the number of Criminal Code, Highway Traffic Act and Liquor License Act charges were up this year. There was a total of 41 charges laid during the 2000 Festive Ride program, up from 28 charges laid in 1999. 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