Town seeks cancellation of OMBhearing An Ontario Municipal Board hearing on a commercial plaza located on the south side of Dundas St. W., west of Cochrane St., will be held Aug. 22. But it is a hearing the Town would rather avoid. The initial request for a hearing came from Rob Morton, who chairs the Downtown Business Improvement Area (BIA). He made the request following Durham regional council's approval of the plaza which is opposed by the BIA executive. The BIA fears further strip plaza development hurts downtown businesses. However, Whitby council had still not given its approval to rezone the area from medium density residential to local commercial. The applicant, Green Briar Developments, then asked that any OMB hearing also deal with the rezoning issue since council failed to make a decision within 30 days of the application. Whitby council has since been informed that Morton has withdrawn his objection. But Green Briar has not withdrawn its request for a hearing on the rezoning of the property. "If this referral is not withdrawn. it is emDhasized that a needless hearing could result to the disbenefit of all parties involved," stated a report from the public works department. The report noted that the development is no longer opposed and it would be better for any rezoning issue te go through "the public process." Planning staff informed council they would attempt te contact Green Briar during the summer to have the hearing cancelled. Woman dies m collsion A Brougham' woman died Monday when her van collided vith a gravel truck.on Brock Rd. in Pickering. Durham Regional Police continue to investigate the accident which claimed the life of Petra Doose, 44. Police say a car driven by Grace Wicht, 55, of Locust Hill, was heading south on Brock Rd. at about 2 p.m. when it slowed down to turn left. A tractor trailer, driven by Lenard Liscombe, 52, of Whitby, was also southbound and struck the slowing car. The truck, which was fully loaded with sand, then went into the northbound lane and struck the van. Office losed Monday The Whitby Free Press office will be closed on the Civic holiday, Monday, Aug. 1. The deadline for display and classified advertising for the Aug. 3 edition will be 3 p.m., Friday, July 29. Submissions for editorial can be made until 5 p.m., Monday, Aug. 1 (use mail slot to left of front door). Have a safe, enjoyable weekend! $4.3 million worth Further work at Lodge approved JEFF ANDERSON gives it his all during log sawing for competitors il and under at the Oshawa-Whitby Fair over the weekend. Jeff got plenty of pull from Tom MePherson at the other end of the saw (as well as a big helping hand to guide the saw) to cut the log in one minute, 12 seconds. See page 10 for more fair photos. Free Press photo Durham Region's health and social services committee has given approval to the second phase of renovations at Fairview Lodge at a cost of $4.3 million. Work will include renovations to J and J1 wings, kitchen, laundry room, offices, conversion of the steam heating plant to a hot water system and installation of ventilation equipment throughout the Lodge. One-half of the cost will be for electrical and mechanical work. Work, to cost $3.3 million, will begin in mid-August and is expected to be completed by May, 1989. The low bidder for the work was Gerr Construction Ltd. of Bowmanville. Gerr's bid was $3.3 million, but with contingencies and otherefees, the renovations will cost $4.3 million. The Province will.pay half. Oshawa councillor Ed Kolodzie attempted at last week's comm- ittee meeting to have work at Fairview delayed until ventilation Construction accident elaims life An OPP investigation continues after the death of a Scarborough man during construction work on Highway 401 at Whitby at 5:15 a.m. on Saturday. Corrado Spinello, 51, a sweeper at the site, died when run over by a dump truck backing up to dump asphalt into a spreading machine. Driver of the truck was a 28-year-old Markham man. The accident occurred in the centre lane of the eastbound 401 lanes, about 200 metres east of Brock St., where paving was taking place. Coroner at the scene was Dr. P.C. Noble of Oshawa. An Ontario Ministry of Labor representative also attended the scene and ordered that a full-time signaler be used for trucks moving on the site rather than a part-time signal system. Ventilation improved at seniors'homes hnprovements to the ventilation systems at all three Durham Region seniors' homes are underway after the deaths of five seniors at Hillsdale Manor in Oshawa during the recent heat wave. An inquest has been called into the death of Annie Anciff, 97, one of the five. The inquest is ex- pected to be held from Oct. il to 13 in Whitby district court. Region social services comm- issioner Gary Cubitt reported to social services committee last Wednesday that systems for increased circulation and air conditioning have been installed or are being installed at Hillsdale, Lakeview Manor in Beaverton and Fairview Lodge in Whitby. But he added that the air conditioning can only be installed in a confined area. Cubitt said air conditioning is about to be installed in a room at Fairview at a cost of $6,500. He added that seniors have had "very little difficulty- in the recently renovated A and B wings at Fairview. 'They have good ventilation," he said. At Hillsdale, a sprinkler sys- tem has been set up on the roof which intermittently soaks the roof to cool down the building. Air conditioning has also been added to the auditorium, laundry room and a room on the second floor of the manor. Cubitt said this allows residents to move to the rooms if they are feeling discomfort due to the heat. During the recent heat wave, five seniors died at Hillsdale. The inquest will be looking into those deaths and will investigate such items as the design of the building's roof (fMat as compared to raised) and the ventilation system. Cubitt also said Lakeview has had air conditioning added to the activity room. improvements are made to Hillsdale Manor, the senior citizens home in Oshawa where .five seniors died recently during the heat wave. But other councillors disagreed and defeated Kolodzie's motion. 'This (Fairview) is a facility that is old in terms of the job it was doing. We have spent $8 million (on Fairview) in the past five years. To replace it would have cost us twice as much," said Whitby councillor Tom Edwards. 'The building will now house tlie needs of the region for 25 to 30 years or more," he said. Edwards mentioned that earlier this year the basement at Fairview flooded, leaving four feet of water, while washing machines are constantly breaking down. Regional council is expected to give approval for the work today (Wednesday). Fairview Lodge recently received renovations to A and B wings at a cost of $2.7 million and after work was complete, the Region had a $60,000 surplus. That amount has been put towards this year's renovations. Contingency for the work has been set at $350,000 which, according to Region tecchnical supervisor Harry Rammler, is required by the Province. He explained to committee that at least 10 per cent of the cost of any renovation is required by the Province because "You never know what is behind a wall." Consultant's fees will cost SEE PAGE 23