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NEWS Page B7 SPORTS in season opener A IPage 23 p ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT and grace ol horses page BI j WeekeiTW 170%M Stor Eic.jn mii221 oeitt ci A METROLANO COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER VOL.14,5NO.92 FOAJNUY2205$1.000(GST incladed) 44PG S Uinsg Cornniuni . ation to Build Better Comniunities- vTown council passes Fourth Line closure Photo by GRAHAM PAINE ýNow read this W.1. Dick School grade 7 student Brianna Davidson and grade 8 student Amber Fay pick out some books to read in the MS Read-A-Thon. The school is taking part. in the manth-long fundralser, which will see students collect pledges for each book they read. The school kicked off the programn during an assembly Wednesday. By MELANIE HENNESSEV The Champion Council was applauded -liter- ally -Monday night for support- ing the closure of Fourth Line from Derry Road to south of Main Street East as of March 1, along with approving speed limit changes on the busy sideroad. Tbe road was scbeduled for closure Iast montb, wbicb Town and Region staff feit was necessary 10 do before construction starts in the area and to mitigate tbe bigb number of accidents at tbe intersection of Derry Road and Fourtb Line. But tbat was deferred so staff could report back on issues raised at tbe December 6 counicil meeting. At tbat ses- sion, councillors beard from tbose opposed Io tbe closure. However, residents tbat support it came out in fuit force Monday nigbt, armed witb a petition containing 78 signatures. Fourtb Line resident Lesley Mansfield, wbo circulated tbe petinion, said sbe and otber residents in tbe Mattamny subdivision are in favour of tbe closure for two reasons safety and tbe promise from Martamy Homes and tbe Region tbat it would be closed. "We watcb drivers in ail types of cars use Fourth Line as an expressway," sbe said.« "We can't bold garage sales, we can't bave nue bjidren set up a lemonade stand." Sbe said Fourih Line residents bave dealt witb the traffic and Iack of safety long enougb. "The road sirnply wasn't made for tbe kind of traffie that's on it today," sbe saîd. Ms Mansfield's presentation to council was also met witb applause. Council approved a motion that puts for- ward tbe Town's support of the Region closing the section of Fourtb Line and makes several speed limît changes. Now, Fourtb Line from Main Street East Io Louis St. Laurent Avenue ssill be low- ered from 60 km/b to 50 km/h and the streîcb from Louis St. Laurent Avenue iii J Britannia Road wiIl be taken down îo 60 km/h trom 80 km/h. Council also approved $125,000 to instail traftic lights at the intersection of Tbumpson Road and Laurier Avenue tii belp mitigate trafflc impacts as Thompson Road wiIl be Iabelled a detour route upon Fourth Line's closure. These Iigbts wilI take about 20 weeks 10 get up and running. Trafalgar Road will also be designated as a detour route. A report from Engineering Services Dtrector Paul Cripps noted the Region will lower the speed limit on Derry Road as well by 20 km/b, making tbe section from around James Snow Parkway to Ontario Street a 60 km/h zone. The report alto outlined traffic data the Region collected for Foueth Line between Main Street East and Denry Road, whicb showed the number of vebicles that travel tbis stretcb in a 24-hour period bas dramat- ically încreased over the years, going from 1, 197 in 2001 te, 7,718 last year. Tbe number of accidents at tbe comer of Denry Road and Fourtb Line also went up significantly last year, from 2 in 2003 to 21 recorded in the first il montbs of 2004. Melanie Hennessey <an be reached ai mhennessey@milboncanadianchampion.com. Inside Commnt ......... 6-7 Dateline ........ 16-18 CIassitied .......26-29 Real Este ........ 34 FRIOAY, JANIIAY 28. Ne F..wF *..wMM " w www.miltontoyota.com Bergsma's Home Decor a January Paint & Home Decoratin~~ dým Eleim EDSUARYS B-h- iy, di-jp.dh. - -