lie Bo.ardauthorizes acute care xpnio ladesg Whitby General Hospital board will have plans prepared for a fur- ther- one-story addition, at the hospital to accommodate more acute care. beds clespite the Provin- ce's rment rejection of the board's aIppeal for moré' beds., Bill. Wallace,, who chairs. the board, said Moniday. that the hospital foundation wvill now also begin local fundraising to pay for the community .share, (one-third of the cost) of the expansion.,The foundation must also raise funds to pay a. third of the cost of the one story nee ded for the 36 chronic care beds which have been approved by the Ministry of Health., Wallace said that, although Minister of Health Elinor- Caplan did flot approve the acute care. beds, she indicated that she would "monitor the situation. "We believe that while the minister is monitoring our situation and by the time the planning process is completed there wil be sufficient evidence that will'clearly indicate to. the Minister of Health that'the additional acute care beds a re needed noW at our hospital," said Wallace at the Monday mor- ning press conference. Walace gave no details on the cost of what will now be a two-story addition, saying that estimates and the fundraising target will be an- nounced later when further details are knowrq. He said the hospital board "un'animously authiorized' the commencement of the planning and' architectural process" needed to develop the acute care treatment facilities. *"Even the most optimistic evidènce incicates to us it would be several years before the two ad- ditional stories can be built 'and opened and ready for occupancy," ha added. Wallace said that although the board would have preferred to have the minister's'approval, "We can- not stand stiil." Hé said "the need is clear" for Whîtby Genieral to have more acute care beds.* He also read a letter from the chief of staff< of* the hospital ex- prèssing the need for beds, par- ticularly whený Oshawa. and, Ajax-, Pickering reach capacity and are unable to accept Whitby residents. SEE PAGE 2 Cou ncil debates n eed for public me etings on Sunday,shopping Should Whitby. ýcouncil hold public meetings on the issue of Sunday shopping? Or should it flot?' That' was the topic of discussion between councillor Joe Bugelli and Mayor Bob Attersley at council MondaLy right. ~ .~gllsuggeâs-teîd that - naybe it is time council took a position on the issue. Council has already stated it believes the issue is a provincial' decision. *But Bugelli, Who rejected the idea of a plebiscite, suggested council should hold public *meetings on the issue. He was quickly challenged by Attersley wbo sà id council members are elected by the public, so he questionéd why public meetings are necessary. Bugelli responded that council Sunday shopping debate See letters page 6 Lori,.Melien top female swimmer L e ae1 held public, meetings to decide how to handle the issue of stnip parlors in downtown but Attersley said those meetings deait with specific -zoning issues. #This is a specific Sunday opening issue," -replied Bugelli. Att;ersleyalso told council that heý bas hadzcýall*sfrom mfferchants -.in Whitby who are concerned about any position council may take. "If we take a position against Sunday shopping and border municipalities take a different position, we are locked into that decision for three years," said Attersley.-a He noted that three years* is enough time for a business to falter. "The merchants would like the issue to be status quo," said Attersley. Drumm aims for region seat REACTING to a race of model cars was iii; cub Steven Jedinak* and cub they themselves earved out of wood Joel Johnson, whose helmet-feIl downý are (from left) Brooklin cub David in all the exeitement. They were luliani, eventual winner in'the speed among 13 who took part in the annual category; scout Ryan Harker, who was. Pinewood derby held by the 2nd East ward councillor JoeI IainUime it cdVVor. il<JL Drumm bas announced he willI not seek a sixtb terni' on Whitby council but will instead run as a regional councillor in the November municipal elections. While thanking the residentsh t of the east ward for tbeir support O l e council, Drumm says be made* the announcement, now to give residents enougb time to choose a b s n . f i successor. announcement a month before the election that would"have in a iiear unanimous vote, the taken away an opportunit y for Durham Board of Education people to get involvedfi" ay decided Monday to extend bus Drumm.*tiogt transportation to ail students, .in- 1 "I ave togtlihis over- long ciuding those in the French immer- and deep. It may not be the best sion program, who qualify under thing to do from a political point new criteria to be determined by of view to let people know what board staff. you re ding" sas Drmm, Before the vote, anxiously oar e dog, sys Dm , y awaited by an overflow crowd of callingesw-oldelome anyparents, trustees- had each given chenger fo frsthe seat. their views on a motion by in176When 'poru laftion ecnthedPickering trustea Lorna Murphy to in 176,the opuatio inthebegin transportation of French east, ward was between 5,000 immersion students in ife next and, 6,000, be noted. Today the school year, with about'half in population is 18,000. favor and hall against the motion. S It is- that growth in the ward Trustees who were opposed inste ad tbat Drurnm will remember mnost wanted an overail revision of the th~~iîui * board's transportation polieVs 4l I itb tS~il I»tcwii, mr cuu wno »ruwuîn vuu paLK. Free Press photo rnge to include., iimmersion stud'ents was one of those opposed, then suggested to Murphy that her motion include ail students so that the whole policy could ha revised. With only one dissenting vote by Oshawa trustee Cathy O'Flynn, who described the late change as a "4cop-out," it was agreed to haà ve board* staff corne up with criteria which will set new guidelines on bus pick-up. "I feel really good about the whole policy being changed," said Sana Scott, who chairs an F.M: Heard school committee that has been pushing for French immer- SEE PAGE 22 W inter OIym picSupplemeht * :