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McTeague also wHI opt out Page2 Acceping the challenge Page 5 0 28join regon to wing association Page 8 Warriorsfa behind in series Page I ETT1? Oshawa newspaper Publication By Mark Reesr After nine months and 70 issues, the Oshawa Independent is no more. The 'twice-weekly newspaper, published by the former employees of the defunet Oshawa Imes, put ont its farewell issue yesterday. An inability to attract investors is what flnally Illed the paper, according to reporters Mark Stewart sud John McClyment. "Despite the outpouring from local citizens, with more than 5,000 of -them signing up, for subseriptions, the business community wouldn't invest," they write in an article ini the final edition. "Not the local business community and not outsiders." Employees were unable te come up with the money themselves and "fas the slow summer adverti 'n season bit and as it became clear no one would invest in the paper we realized we would have te close our doors... 'The closure of The Independent isn't only a major blow te its workers, it!s also a loss for Oshawa, which loses a piece of its identity," they conclude, adding al subscribers wiil have their money refunded. "When we started the Oshawa Independent nine months ago we tried te do better," reads the papers final editerial. "We tried te have ethics and be honeat with ourselves and our valued readers- and advertisers. We stili think we did the right th.ng... "WVe think we produced the best newspaper Oshawa lias ever seen," the ecitrial concludes. "It was fun while it lasted. To our supporters sud our friends we say thank you." Meanwhile, two new commun- ity newspapers are being pub- lished in Oshawa. AWARD WINNING dolimaker Denise Vaughan poses with a table full of porcelain heads, ail destined to be made into fine-quality dolls by her or her students. The Whitby resident bas won many awards forber iffelike creations. Photo by Mark Reesor, WhItby Free Press What adoil Denise Vaughan's porcelain creations eam top awards By Jennifer Léw Addicts can become dependent on many different things and they will do almost anytinfg to satisfy their habits. Fortunately, somne addictions produce better outcomes than others. Denise Vaughan is addicted to making porcelain doils. It started out as a hobby. I just wanted to make one doil. It's very addictive and I got addicted really quickly," says Vaughan, laughing in retrospect. It is not surprising that Vaughan loves her doils when considering the great rewards that corne with her obsession. Her living room reseinbles a small doil museum when she displays her many antique reproductions, sculptures and prize-winning crations. S.EE PAGE 3 SLUDGE Concernspersist over proposed facility By Mike Kowaild A controversial sewage sludge sterage facility proposed for south' Whitby continues te concern environmentalists -and,.area, hom eowners alike. Despite, modifications te the original proposai, two Whitby members of sunadvisory committee having input linte the Durham Region project object te, it being built next te ýhe Corbett Creek sewage treatmen t plant. Even with the changes, Mairgaret Cane~y sudTony Gilbert dlaim that .,Thickson's . Point residents and a nearby wetlands will still be affected -by the proposed facility. Conce rns about noise and emissions from increased truck traffic, potential odour problenis and safeguards in the event of a spill have yet ýto be satisfacterily resolved, they contend. Region officials, meanwhile, insist that sufficient precautions have been taken to ensure the least amount of disruption to both people and nature from the $1O-million project. "They (proponents) agreed te a bit of a compromise and addressed some ofour concerne," said Carney of the plant's preferred design concept which was recently unveiled before the committee. "I would still rather not have it be there, but it's better than it was," she said. Still, the loss of some existing vegetation to accommodate six massive holding tanks te, store sludge (treated sewage) and the effect of diesel fumes on Thickson's Woods sud adjacent Corbett Creek has Carney concerned. A representative of the Thickson's Woods Heritage Foundation, Carney has been a member of the. varions public consultation committees involved in the project since it was firet proposed more than two years ago. Now completing the third phase of a clasm environmental assessmexit - as required by Ontario law - the proposed fadility will stere sludge produced by Durham's various sewage plsuts umiji it can be used as fertilizer by area farmers. Aithougli. Region officiais initiaily; intended te ,b Hal the tanks on a 9.3-acrè parcel of privately-owned land northwest of the sewage plsut near McEwen Drive, that plan was iasudoned after objections from nearby businesses and residents. The new-- proposal, te be presented at a public meeting ini September, calîs for the facility te be located about 200 metres te the east on land northeast of the sewage plant. The Region, which spent $1.7-million te acquire the SEE PAGE 3 lis "'VeIr By Mike Kowalskl A month-old strike at North American Steel is over. 'Épcn Union employees of theHokn Street factory accepted a new contract ..proposal .from management last Thursday and returned te work on Monday. But for nearly half of the approximately 45 employees, the settlement is a bittersweet one as they will be on temporary layoff until the company's financial health iniproves. "I'm glad it's over with," a relieved general manager Ron Wilson told The Free Press on Tuesday. "Now we have te flght te get SU~ PAGE 8 Brooklin mom issues challenge.toMP By Mike Kowald Durham* Centre MPP Jim Flaherty has been chailenged te live on less than $1,000 a month. The challenge cornes froni a Brookin-area mother who wifl be forced te do just that on Oct. 1. Like thoussuda of other Ontario welfare recipients, Debbie McCauley will see her monthly social assistance benefits slashed by 21.6 per cent on that date. The $1,221 McCauley receives te support herself sud a 10-year-old son will be reduced te $957 as the result of a $1.9-billion cost-cutting initiative announced by the Progressive Conservative government two weeks ago. I fiscal ternis, the welfare chop -expected te nave the province $469 Million this year sud $938 million in 1996 - will have some impact on Ontario's $1.6-billion deficit. But McCauley says it paies ini comparison te the effect it wüll have on people such as she sud her son, whoshe prefers not te identify. For them, it wiil mean the difference between "just getting by" and »lining up at the food bank," she fears. Ini fact, if McCauley did not already grow or raise- almost every item of food she puts on the table, the food bank would have had two, more customers a long time ago. For the past five years, McCauley sud son have lived in a rented far-mhouse west of Brooklin, on a property expropriated for the defunet Pîckering airport more than 20 years ago. The former owner leases the property back froni the federal government and farms al but the one acre he rents te McCauley. I order te stretch her mother's allowsuce cheque a little further, McCauley raises chickens sud SEE PAGE 4