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

icc 4 ee ee eee ee ee ET ee EN ee ee Se ee Joe Baggio's neighbours said, Baggio's first rezon- 150 sign petition to oppose apartments want him to know they haven't changed their minds. They are not "sleeping," one of his neighbours said. Up to 150 people living in the vicinity of the former Manly Street, Midland school, have signed a peti- tion opposing Baggio turn- ing his building into an apartment building. Baggio yesterday said he would like some support voiced from townspeople. "Is this what the people want? Is this what the town wants, when there is a cry- ing need for apartments?,"' he said when speaking of his alternative, turning the building into a factory. The community in general agrees about the "crying need' for more apart- ments, he said. Baggio said all he needs is a building permit to build' seven duplexes or townhouses on his acre of land. But he doesn't intend to demolish the school. An alternative is to seek a change of zoning to permit commercial and office use of the one-time school. Petition organizer Dorothy Dundas has lived on Manly Street across from the school for 22 years. The petition's pur- pose is to make Baggio "think twice before carry- ing on whatever his inten- tions are," and to make the town aware of his neighbours' feelings. Two year's ago, Dundas ing application was oppos- ed by his neighbours and turned down by the town. At present he can use the building as his home and rent one apartment, she said, Baggio said in early July, before this petition was cir- culated, that he will be ap- proaching the town again, perhaps in six months. Yesterday he said he won't be ready until next year at the earliest. Baggio hopes that Midland residents will ex- press support for him. He would like to create 17 apartments in addition to his family's living quarters. Petition signers are con- cerned about their proper- ty value not increasing, greater population density, and more traffic on a nar- row street, Dundas said. Baggio's neighbours are suspicious of his inten- tions. 'People want to find out what he is doing." Land is for _ sale elsewhere on which apart- ment buildings can be erected, and on which a "proper structure" can be built, she said. Baggio knew when he bought the building that a previous owner's proposal to build apartments was turned down, she said. His neighbours, Baggiv said, "don't understand that a large building like this is not for a single fami-_ ly unit." Motorbike shop will convert to a lounge A local motorcycle dealer plans to convert half of his business into a bar. Performance Motor Sport on Vinden Street will sell motorcycles and related equipment on one side and beer, wine and li- quor on the other. The plans are dependent upon approval of an "Entertainment Lounge Licence" by the Liquor License Board of Ontario. The Town of Midland, Cottage, despite some reservations raised at a public safety committee meeting last Thursday, does not plan to stand in the way. "The man wants to in- vest $300,000 in the com- munity. How can we say, 'No'?"' said Mayor Al Roach. It was noted that the owner of the establish- ment, Brian Reever, had carefully planned every step of the conversion. wallet thefts rising It only takes a short time for a thief to strike. Nobody knows that bet- ter right now than the Midland OPP, which have been receiving more and more reports of thieves tak- ing advantage of "easy pickings." The OPP report at least three instances of a person entering an unlocked cot- tage while the owners are out for a short period of time, usually at the beach. Also, according to an OPP bulletin, there have been two reports of wallets stolen from unlocked cars. "Please help us reduce the crime rate by taking the time to secure your proper- ty," the bulletin says. "These thieves are op- portunists who will take advantage of easy pickings. Don't become a victim of crime." Drifters concert Aug. 1 cancelled There will be no concert by The Drifters at the Pen 1 theatre August 1, as reported on Page 9' of the Summerama '87 supple- ment contained in today's paper. The concert, which was to have been presented by the North Simcoe Arts Council, was cancelled due to "disappointing advance ticket sales."" Page 4, Tuesday, July 28, 1987 2 f = 'aipatoes = Lot of room Joe Baggio's Midland neighbours two years ago opposed Baggio converting a former public school into an apartment building. They haven't changed their minds two years later. A neighbour of Baggio has up to 150 names on a petition to be presented to the town planning and development committee. Baggio said yesterday the community recognizes the need for more apartments. He »®) hopes support for him will be voiced. "The Town of Midland is crying for units. It's up to someone to step up and make some kind of contribution toward the conversion." ' ANOTHER PROGRAM FROM ASSURED HOUSING FOR ONTARIO. MAKING YOUR HOME OR RENTAL APART For DISABLED PERSONS. HERE ARE 3 WAYS YOU CAN QUALIFY FOR FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE: Ae 1, Homeowners: Are you disabled or do nave a disabled relative living with you? Forgivable loans of up to $15,000 are available to help you make modifications to your home for yourself or a disabled family member. For example: build- ing wheelchair ramps, modifying kitchens and bathrooms. Loans received through our Ontario Home Renewal Program will equal the cost of the work undertaken. Ci oe +2 For more information, contact your nearest Regional Office of the Ministry of Housing. ws Convert part of your home or non-residential building intoa rental apartment. Interest free-loans of up to $5,000 are available to make new rental units for disabled occu- pants in single-family homes and non-residential buildings. This special financial assistance is in addition to a $7,000 per unit loan which you could qualify for through our Convert-to-Rent Program. Ministry of Housing Ontario Hon. Alvin Curling, Minister ENT MORE LIVABLE et Landlords ot older low-rise buildings can also get assistance, Are you the landlord of a low- rise apartment building built before 1960? You could qualify for a forgivable loan of up to $5,000 to make your rental units more livable for disabled persons. This amount is in addition to a forgivable loan of up to two-thirds of the cost of rehabilitating units in older low-rise apartments (loan maximum is $5,000 per unit). These funds are available through our Low-kise Rehabilitation Program. LOW-RISE REHABILITATION Regional Offices of the Ministry of Housing Northwestern Office 540 West Arthur St. Thunder Bay, Ontario. PTE SRT (807) 475-1465 or dial toll-free 1-800-465-3015 Southern Office 55 Hess St. S Hamilton, Ontario. LSP 4R8& Eastern Office 1150 Morrison Dr., 2nd Fir. Ottawa, Ontario. K2H 8S9 (416) 521-7500 (613) 820-8305 or dial toll-free or dial toll-free 1-800-263-5295 1-800-267-6108 Southwestern Office 380 Wellington St., Suite 1100 London, Ontario. N6A 5B5 (519) 679-7010 or dial toll-free 1-800-265-4733 Northern Office 119] Lansing Ave. Sudbury, Ofitario. P3A 4C4 (705) 560-6350 or dial toll-free 1-800-461-1190 Central Office 4950 Yonge St., 4th Flr. Toronto, Ontario. M2N 6K1 (416) 225-1211 or dial "O" and ask for Zenith 20450