The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

MJLTOt4 PUWC USRAKY -- T A Metroland Community Newspaper Vol. 141 No. 7 Friday, April 7, 2000 32 Pages ,,Chicken farmer 1 k hit with $53,500 development fee By IRENE GENTLE The Champion When fire ravaged Cornelis and John Opsteen's chicken barn, the pair didn't realize*they were about to be bumed twice. But when the father-son team optcd to expand their operation following the blaze, they were bit with a $53,500 development charge (DC) from the Town. The big bill is a result of a new DC hylaw that provides no exemptions for agricultural endeavours, council heard in late Match. "Devclopment charges dîd apply for the doubly-expanded chicken farm," said the Town's director of corporate services Jim McQueen. But a DC deferral agreement, which would effectively cut the owed portion in haif by exempting charges on the size of thc deatroyed barn, waa extended. ~"Mr. Opateen declined the offer but did aak to appear before council," said Mr. McQueen. 'Thie applicant paid tihe appopsiate devetopment charges but with reservations." Mr. McQueen offereti to oeview Uhc agricultural componient of thse DC bylaw if directed by council, but noted the Opsteen family's charges were appropriate under the current rules. "In 1999 we took it to heart that counicil didn't want develop- ment to impact current residents," said Mr. McQueen. 'Ve were really concentrating on thse fact counicil didn't want to sec an impact on the taxpayer." The younger Mr. Opsteen presented bis case before counicil in hopes of dumping Uic DC fée altogether. »e- TOWN on page 7 Seat'1t biitz ongoig 5ar5~~ te% 1s .wmf tf8. 10 ne cant <f nislt who $1 .00 (GST included), )eoni ýcase postponed ' once again- The lawyer for a localm Catholic school trustee charged with fraud requested and was granted an la Don extension to the oDen case that has already dragged on for more than two years. Joe Deoni, who was charged with fraud over $5,000 in March, 1998. appeared briefly in Superior Court in Milton Monday. His lawyer, Peter DiMartino, asked that the pre-trail date be pushed back until May 30. The trial is set for September 5. The court granted the requesi. Assistant Crown attorney Tony Macinnon said he couldn't say why the case waa postponed, only that the defence aaked for the extension. "We've been ready to go on with this for a long time," Mr. MacKinnon said. "We're ready to proceed. It's in the public - e CASE on page 7 Comment........ 6 NS Report ....... 8 Lit estyles..20-21 Dateline ....... 12 Sports ......24-26 Classif ied . ... .28-31 1Photo by GRAHAM PAINE v Skating we go Milton Skating Clubs Cara McGiIloway entertaina onlookera aa the I.ad In the group'a seaaon-endlng 'Ailes In Wonderland' carnival ut John Tonalli Sports Centra Sunday. Se. another photo from the avent In Sports on page 26. A