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Developers give most to election candidates Page 2 Yet another power outage Page3 Fines can be imposed on blue box thieves Page 4 Drivers 'playing chicken' on Crawforth Page 5 VUTT~M ISKE[ $250,OOO gieven by Town to hospital By IMke Kowalski The. outstanding portion of a six-year-old pledg to Whitby General Hositas fundraisig caxnpaign wil be honoured by Town council. Inx a unanimous decision Mon- day, council voted to contribute the remaîning share of the Town's $500,000 donation. to the. hospital's 1989 fundraising drive. But instead of going towards, a p reviously proposed $7.5-rnillion building ex ansion the $250 000 will now be ;used te purcl!as much needed medical equipment for the 26-year-old hospital. Even Mayor Tom Edwards, who two weeks ago had misfiv- ings about usinq the money for anything but "bricks and mortarn p urposes, supported his col- leagues' desire te honour the Town's original commitnxent. Hospital-ofcials now hope that council's decision will spark other WVhitby organizations and residents te do likewise and fuI- fill their outata nding pledges or make new donations. Uncertainty about the hospi- tal's future due te a controversial Durham Region District Health Counicil proposaI bas severely hamperedfuftndraising efforts in both instances, officials admit "Ths means we have council's support for Whitby hospital's position (on the health council study)," a pleased hospital board chair Jim Souch telidreorte after council's decision. «Yes, we do want te do rehab for the region, but not at the expense of acute car. and urgent care,"n said Souch. «I hope the $250,000 will get the service clubs and individuals who have been holding back te contribute and we can get on writh the job of running the best hospital in Durham Région.» Souch and hospital chief of staff Dr. Brian Reed appeared before council te, formally request the other haif of Whitby's 1989 fundran-singpledge. At the time, council voted te give the hosbpital $250,000 in 1991 and the balance ini 1994 for its Firat Clasa Fund campaign. Like aIl donations te Whitby General's portion of the $725 million expansion, the money was held in escrow until the. Ontario governiment honoured its $2-million commitinent and work on the project commenced. But the former Liberal govern- ment's pledge was held in abeyance by the recent NDP goverrnment while a study of Durham's future health car. needs was undertaken by the. health council. That study, which is now à~k before the health ministry, recommended that Whitby e General be converted into a relia- bilitation treatment centre serv- ing the. entire region. Due te that possibility, many Whiitby residents and organiza- tions have withheîd- making. donations te tthe hospital. But as Souch and Reed noted ini their presentation, the hospi- taI cannot afford te wait until the. new Progressive Conserva- tive government makes a deci- mion on the health council pro- posai. According te Reed, Whxtby General's equipment require- ments fail inte three basic cate- ofR~MO> m~In gories - essential, urgent and loýy Suàr" eCub.,and, cabhE H. describ.d the. firat two cate- WhtJjuirbobl SMR PAGE 2 Mtchell onprvate initiatives: By Mark Reesor Whitby'so next arena may be built and operated by a private company if current discussions pan out. The Whitby parks and recrea- tion departinentis currently 69a.3ctively" talking with at lest two prospective companies, departmnt directer Larr Mor- row teld operations committee last week. "T«M. potential of such an arrangement is seen as a most bieats u ".time is windng down"9 desirable direction, if the needs of our community can be addr.ssed and in a reasonable economic fashion," Morrow writes i a report, adding h. hopes te, have more information and comment by September, «f not .arlier.» Tii. idea of a a private ice rink was acceptable te major usera, says Morrow, as long as youth could obtain «appropriat ice time and fees weren't tohxgh. «W. are doing everything within our ability te encourage those private interesta te con- sider our town as a location for tliese facilities.» ii. construction of an arena can't happen teo soon for north ward councillor Don Mitchell. "As far as Fm concerned, the. dlock is ticking... if theres not something in place (privately).by this faîl, we shouid begoing ah.ad (ourselves)... and if we make the. decision te go ahead, then we would strongly dis- courage any private ini*tiatives... "If people are out there, and I know there are some out there who are interested, I wouîd say make up your minds right now how you want te, come ini and let us know becaus. time is winding down.' If a private deal doesn't work out, parlcs and rec staff are Iooking at increasing fees $25 an hour te, offset construction and operating coats of two new ice padsa at froquois Park. They recentîy met with maýjor user groupa te discuss the hikes. The groupa supported the. con- struction of two more rinks and accepted that a f.. increase was "inevitable,» according te a e groupestepped short of supporling the fmcrease, though, after asking for but failing te get assurance the Town wouîdn't levy it until after approving con- struction of the. new rinka. They 8a18o -aaked that the, in- BER FAG<E 2 By Mike Kowalskl Town counil'a attempt to limit the. number of mobile signs in Whitby could ultimately wind up in court. Burlington businessman Don McPhail warned council's plannig and development committe. st week that Whitby's long-awaited temporary sign bylaw may be challenged on cons* ttionalgrounds. M Pail, an officiai of the Canadian Mobile Sign Associa- tion, said measures contained in the bylaw - which was afgroved by council Monday - are in violation of the Charter auR PAG<E 9