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W .................. .. * ~~ .......... . . .. AS ..... YMCA disappointed by usèr fee decision B Mike Kowalsd The Durham Beard of Education has upheld a controversial "user pas "licy for its schools. As a result, the r Region YMCA will be forced to either chop programs or drastically increase fees charged to participants. Last week, trustees affrmed their support of new school rentai policy. Beginning Sept. 1, the board will charge rent on a cost-recovery basis for any school used by conmunity organizations. It will stop the current practice of subsidizing many, but not all, non-profit groups which rent schools. Organizations such as the boy scouts, cub scouts and brownies will still e'oy free use of schools. Without the subsidy, YCA officials expect their costs to increase $40,000 to $60,000 under the new policy. Even under the old "free" rental policy it still cost the YMCA $11,669 last year when a custodian was not regularly scheduled for duty. We're vent disheartened," said a disappointed YMCA general manager Janice Griffith. '"We feel we're part of the team te help the children and (board) staff feel that way. Apparently trustees don't feel the same." The decision to revamp the ¢xisting policy was made during the board's budget deliberations last spring. Trustees felt taxpayers-could ne longer be asked to subsidize the user gmoups. But without the subsidy, many YMCA programs are injeopard. Most at risk are youth and adult sports, babysitter traing' , school age childcare, preschool and adult generalprograms. Although a board committee is exa the entire community use of schools policy, Griffit said any changes the committee may propose will be too late for this year. "We have to take registrations now, we can't wait for them,"'said Griffith. She said YMCA official' have made no decision about what route to follow. "We're in the process of assessing how much we will have to raise fees and what we can salvage." Griffith said efforts will be made at lobbying trustees to reverse their decision. "We will continue to try and get the board to change its mind." yflII!"d.L.INSID .... .. ... M M,. M. M. t'~*~~~ .........................<*.~~ *~ By Mike Kowalski It took 15 hours to extinguish a lire at a north Whitby automobile scrap yard in 1976, an Ontario court trial heard Thursday. Within the next four years, two other fires also caused considerable damage to buildings and trailers at the yard. These were but three of the 37 different visita by the Whitby fire department at Arts Auto Wreckers during the past 18years court heard. Platoon chief Ken Corner was testifying in the first day of trial for Whitby businessman Art Robinson owner of the Taunton Rd. E. scrapyard near the Whitby-Oshawa Larder. Robinson has been charged with 20 violations of the Ontario Fire Code pertaining to a massive tire dump located at the yard. About 100,000 used tires are currently stored on the premises. Robinson and his company, 447871 Ontario Ltd., are jointly named on ten of the charges, while Robinson himself is named on the other ten. The Town of Whitby laid the charges earlier this year for the period of July-November, 1990. The charges include lack of access for emergency vehicles; insufficient water supply on the premises; improper storage of tires, and failure to provide a safety plan to the fire department. Whether it be to fight fires, respond to public complaints or for inspection purposes, the department has been a regular visitor at the yard since 1973, accordin to Corner. In February, 1976, firefigters battled a major tire fire for 15 hours before it was extinguished, said Corner. In 1988, an office and other buildings were damaged by fire while two years later, storage trailers were completely destroyed, Corner added. Despite objections from defence counsel Charles Morison, Corner was allowed to describe the department's "historical" relationship with Robinson. Although Morison claimed past incidents could prejudice his client's case, Justice of the Peace Robert Leggate disagreed. He permitted prosecutor R. M. Meoto(in McLeodas words) "demonstrate a pattern of conduct"by Robinson that was relevant to the charges before the court. In addition to complaints from nearby homeowners, Corner said the department received several calls from air traffic controllers at the Oshawa airport, concerning smoke emanating from the yard. The airport is situated about 1 1/2 miles southeast of the yard and the' flight path for one of the runways passes over Robinson's preperty. vle nt iefr pr February, 1990, prompted by the Hagersville, Ont. tire lire disaster, Corner did an inspection of Robinson's and other tire dumps in Whitby. (A fire burned for almost one month at a Hagexsville dump containing 14 million tires. A goup of young offenders. were eventually convicted of setting the ire. SEEI'À 30 t 's f