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Acton land use study released tonight BY FRANCES NIBLOCK Two "pivotal" reports that will shape Acton's future will be presented to Halton Hills Council at a special public meeting tonight (Wednesday). Town planning staff and a consultant will unveil a land use study and the Acton implementation study, reports planner Ian Keith, who said the reports are the culmination of 10 long years of planning. "The land use study, which applies to all of Halton Hills, is a redistribution of densities for housing and commercial development in Halton Hills. The second report dates back to the 1980s in Acton when the original boundary studies were done," Keith said in an interview last Tuesday. "Back then, the Town and the Region said that before approval was given for development in Acton, a 10-point policy review needed to be resolved. Four or five of those points have been settled with the industrial implementation report of five years ago. Now it is time to do the residential report." Keith said the two reports represent the evolution of a decade of planning. "Not until last fall, when the Region gave us its development control report on the water supply, did we have a clear direction on the matter of water supply for Acton. The Region said there was enough water for Acton to grow to 10,000 people and now Halton Hills Council must decide where that growth will go. "The boundary question in-Please turn to Page 2 Halton R.I.D.E program takes twelve drunks off the road BY FRANCES NIBLOCK Halton police charged 12 impaired drivers during this year's Reduce Impaired Driving Everywhere (R.I.D.E.) program. That is double the number charged during last year's blitz when 4,206 more cars were stopped. "There's a problem out there. We've still got a problem with people drinking and driving," said Halton Sergeant Tom Chapman with regional traffic. "We were very lucky this year because we didn't have any fatals and no serious car accidents involving drinking drivers. But these people are still out there and I don't know what else we can do." Halton police stopped 14,455 vehicles during thi s year' s program and administered 75 road-side breathalizer tests. Thirteen motorists were given 12-hour suspensions and 12 were charged with impaired. Chapman credits a chase car and a roving R.I.D.E. unit for catching more impaired drivers. "A lot of those we charged were caught after they tried to avoid a spot check. We set up a cruiser just to follow and stop them, and it paid off We also carefully selected set-up spots that didn't give motorists too much advance notice that we were there." Chapman saidhe is not surprised or disheartened by the increase in impaired charges. "I look at it positively. That's 12 people, although they still have to go to court, that none of our guys, or no one from this police department, is going to have to go and speak to their next of kin. See, I've been through this. Please turn to Page 5 CROSS CULTURAL HOCKEY: Anders Canemyr, captain of the Midget hockey club from Sweden whic.i visited Acton on Sunday cuts cake and cultural barriers with Acton Travel's Dan King. The local Midgets lost their game 3-2, but the Bantams managed a 3-all tie against their Swedish counterparts. (Jim Cooney photo)