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< Section Two The Canadian Statesman, Bowmanville, February 10,1988 3 QTfje Canabtan Statesman 623-3303 Durham County's Greet Family Journal Established 134 veers ago kt 1154. Aleo Incwrporseng The Boswewbi I4ews The Newceetle Independent The Orono Hears Second ciess meH registration number 1561 Produced every Wednesday by THE JAMES PUeUSHWG COMPANY LIMITED 62-66 King St W. t BoarmanvMs, Ontario L1C 3K9 JOHN M. JAMES RICHARD A. JAMES PETER PARROTT Editor--Publisher Assistant Publisher Associate Editor GEO. P. MORRIS BRIAN PURDY DONALD BISHOP Business Mgr. Advertising Mgr. Plant Mgr. AM layouts and composition of advertisements produced by the employees ot The Canadien Statesmen, The Nawcaette Independent and The James Publishing Company Limited are protected by copyright and must not be reproduced without permission of the publishers. $20.001 year --6 months $11.00 foreign -- $60.00 a year strictly in advance Although evuiy precaution win be taken to avoid error, The Canadian Statesman accepts advertising in its columns on the understanding that it will not be liable lor any error in Ihe advertisement published hereunder unless a proof ol such advertisement is requested in writing by the advertiser and relumed to The Canadian Statesman business office duly signed by the advertiser and with such error or correclions plainly noted in writing thereon, and in that case if any error so noted is not corrected by The Canadian Statesman its liability shall not exceed such a portion of Ihe entire cost of such advertisement as Ihe space occupied by Ihe noled error bears to the whole space occupied by such advertisement. Politics Didn't Make His Day Municipal politics, it seems, didn't make his day. A. news item last week revealed that Clint Eastwood, the celebrity mayor of Carmel, California, will be hanging up the chain of office after just one term. The star of Dirty Harp' movies and many other screen hits, cited the usual personal reasons for giving up on politics, noting that he needed more time to spend with his family. Clint's exit from politics underlies one of the common problems facing local government these days. Political Political office in even a smallish town requires requires an extensive investment in time and energy because local politics politics has become more sophisticated. And yet, it's difficult for most candidates candidates to make local government a full-time job. Either the pay isn't high enough for full-time representation or else a full-time commitment isn't a very attractive attractive prospect to someone with other business or employment prospects. prospects. As a result, we have the all-too- familiar scenario in which political office is more accessible to the retirees retirees or the homemakers than to the man or woman in the midst of à career. That's not to say that retirees and homemakers are poor representatives. representatives. But it's -unfortunate that they are sometimes the only people with the time for public office. Clint Eastwood is apparently one of the many people who discovered that politics, a career, and a personal life are not an easy juggling act. Although we wouldn't wish to discourage discourage anyone from throwing his or her hat in the ring when our own municipal elections occur this fall, we think that candidates should consider consider carefully the implications of political life. Of course, in the case of Clint Eastwood there is one other possibility: possibility: Perhaps Mayor Eastwood isn't telling telling all. Maybe he's retiring from local politics in order to enter the bigger bigger race for the American presidency. presidency. Given the calibre and low profiles of the people currently in the running, running, his chances of success would be pretty good. What's It to Be Up or Down? The economy appears to be defying gravity. That is to say that although certain factors seemed to point to a downturn in the financial picture, other indicators indicators suggest everything is coming up roses and daffodils. The stock market crash of October is now a dim memory and it seems to have had no more influence on the economic outlook than has the Super Bowl. There are layoffs occurring in the big financial institutions associated with the stock market. And although they may be grim events for the employees employees concerned, there's no clear evidence of a general financial downturn. downturn. It's almost is though the negative and positve factors are balanced these days on a razor's edge. You can take your pick. For every shred of evidence evidence pointing to a decline in the economy, economy, there is another that points to continued prosperity. For instance, experts are suggesting suggesting that the Metro Toronto area will yield a bonanza for students hunting for summer jobs this year. That's a good economic barometer in itself. It's only a few years ago that many students didn't even have a summer job. Now, there's talk of them being able to pick and choose what they want. And, although the new car and truck markets have been expected to show signs of a slowdown, the latest GM figures state that sales are up both for the first four months of the 1988 model year and for January alone. To be exact, GM figures showed that January truck and car sales were up by close to 13 per cent over January of 1987. Similar success was reported by the other members of the "Big Three" North American auto manufacturers. Japanese and German car makers had even more growth in January sales than did the North American car makers. To make matters worse, economic success or failure these days depends to a large extent on the area of the country in question. In the Toronto area, most of the public seems to be comfortably off. But the same could not be said of the residents in, for example, Newfoundland, where the jobless rate is 20 per cent in some communities. The short term economic future may not be exactly rosy. But, by the sanie token, there's no need to head for the fiscal bomb-shelter. At least, not yet. It's About Time John Q. Public Registered a Second Opinion Oh, boy, do we need a federal election! election! ; For one thing, there's the free trade issue. The public needs a chance to Vote on the future direction of free trade, since the country's existence in another two or three decade's time could depend on the outcome.. Then there's the Supreme Court decision decision on abortion. We need an election election in order to hammer out some kind of consensus on this topic within the hustings. There's the Meech Lake Accord and the question of provincial rights versus the rights of the nation as a whole. An election would let the public public have some input into that question. question. : Added to all of the above is the federal federal government's budgetary reforms. reforms. It's time for the public to render render a verdict before we head too far down the current fiscal path. And the last straw has got to be the revolving door which leads to and from the federal cabinet. The departure departure of Michel Cote from the inner circle last week brings to eight the number of cabinet ministers who have cither resigned or been fired from the Mulroncy cabinet. A federal election would enable the public to render some kind of verdict on the quality of officials that the Prime Minister has placed in leadership roles over the past term of office. It's about time we had an election to settle all of these nagging questions questions in the best democratic tradition. tradition. But, then again, the public has got to wonder about its alternatives. Despite Despite some rather serious gaffes by the government, there's doubt as to whether the opposition parties have been able to turn the situation to their advantage. Football is not the only game where you have to profit from the other team's fumbles. Certainly, one has to wonder whether the federal Liberals under John Turner have been able to capitalize on the Tories' problems. If an election were called, the party standings may not change all that much. And if the Conservatives lost a few dozen seats, that would only serve to prune the ranks of the government government to a more manageable number number of MPs. But the long and short of it is that with the federal Tories moving rapidly from controversy to controversy controversy it would certainly be in the best interest of this country for an election to take place. The public deserves a chance to render render a second opinion. Finally, It's Beginning to Look Like Winter "It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas", too bad it's the beginning of February. However that didn't bother two young Bowmanville girls on Tuesday morning. morning. They took time out from their walk to school to play in the freshly fallen snow. Tammy Hendry (left) and Donna Allen, both students at Central Public School, said they were glad they finally had enough snow to build "proper" snowmen. Dear John: Well, seeing this is local election year I thought I would fill in the taxpayers on some of the things that took place during 1987 and what could happen to them in 1988. In the Canadian Statesman Statesman dated March 4, 1987 Newcastle Council's Request Request for information regarding regarding the public school budget for 1987, resulted in school trustees slamming thé mayor and council for overstepping their jurisdiction. jurisdiction. School Board Trustee John Carter stated "Municipalities "Municipalities should never have been offered input on the school budget." He said "The town now wants to use its superior intellects to start looking into things they know nothing about". This same school board raised our education taxes by 16.9 per cent by incorporating incorporating junior kindergarten kindergarten which they could not afford. afford. The Town of Newcastle is paying one of the highest education taxes in the Province Province of Ontario. The facts show our taxes are doubling every eight years. On April 20, 1987 I made a presentation to council regarding the lack of fire protection in the whole area located north of Taunton Taunton Road including Burke- ton. The 1987 Town of Newcastle Newcastle fire budget is $840,794 while at the same time the police budget is $1,993,000 which is 1,152,206 more than the fire department. Police may be essential in some areas of the Town but we need fire protection in all areas in order to save lives. In the same presentation I noted to council that they would have to stop approving approving all these new subdiv- sions in Courtice until they got some industrial assessments assessments to help pay for the fire and police protection, plus the new schools that will be required. But they ignored this recommendation recommendation and kept on building ■ new homes. You now know what happened. happened. First they ran into the water problem which is a regional responsibility and now they want the taxpayers taxpayers of Newcastle to finance finance this mess. Councillors Councillors are reporting that Courtice fire station needs full-time firemen on day shift plus a new $500,000 aerial aerial truck to protect the 3 storey condominiums that they approved north of Highway 2 at Nash Road. They say it's too far to bring the aerial truck from Station One in Bowman- ville. God help the people living in the north part of Darlington. Developers installed installed a 10,000 gallon water holding tank in Burketon, but council forgot to get them a fire pumper truck. Councillor Wotten has been fighting to try and get a fire station in the north area. On Monday, December 7, 1987, Report PD-308-87 came before council. This was an application to close portions of Edsali Avenue and Rehder Avenue registered registered to the Town of Newcastle Newcastle previously established established through plans of subdivision subdivision dated April 3,1974. These road allowances represent represent some 35,000 square feet of land valued at approximately approximately $225,000 was given away free by the town councillors to company 671461 OntarïçMjimited on> above noted ••Bate. Mayor Winters made a declaration of interest relative to this item. This report stated that Mayor Winters - is a shareholder in ,#671461 Ontario Ontario Limited. This is the third time this year that council gave away town property free. Section #317 of the Municipal Act states council can close the road allowances and give them away or seek compensation on the basis of a land value. This land represents more than eight city building building lots with a value of $35,000 each. Developers are required to install roads in ail new subdivisions subdivisions and the' council should not be giving this land away free. Councillors Wotten and Stapleton have been fighting fighting this policy of giving land away, all year but finally lost out on a recorded vote. Director of Planning Terry Edwards, when asked by councillors, stated it was alright alright for them to give away town property as this is the current policy. The Orono Weekly Times on December 16, 1987 also reported that the Town of Newcastle Road Allowances Allowances should not be granted to developers free of charge and agreed with Councillor Wotten. Councillor Hamre who had been backing Councillors Wotten and Stapleton voted against them on the recorded vote. Not only is this a local election year, but the people you elect will be voting voting on a motion this fall to up-date the property market market value assessment from 1980 value to 1985 value for your 1989 taxes. The last time they did that our property taxes went up by some 30 per cent. We better better consider some new candidates candidates before it's too late. Kenneth R. Smith R.R. 5, Bowmanville. Dear John. Your headline in the recent recent Statesman quoting Mayor Winters and councillors councillors on the subject of a suitable suitable place for establishing a town park has struck a chord that has enticed me into considering writing my first-ever letter to a newspaper newspaper editor. Please forgive me. However, since I have been privileged from time to time to .have been appointed by different councils to municipal municipal committees relating to town parks, I thought 1 should got involved again with the subject. I do not agree with councillors' councillors' proposal, and offer an alternative to it. May council forgive me! Although it is almost two .centuries since the first settlers settlers arrived here, it seems unbelievable that during all that time, a town that has now grown to nearly 15,000 population, has not yet considered considered the need for the development development of a beautiful park large enough for the needs of its people from the young to the elderly, and interesting interesting enough to make outsiders jealous. It would.be Bowmanville's first park. Let me first explain tha playgrounds, ball fields an< race-tracks etc. of different varieties are often referred to as parks. Important as they are particularly for the use of certain age groups, to fulfil: their recreational needs, a large part of the population, the very young and the elderly are left without without anything suitable for them. Our objective could be focused focused on the establishment of a large area of suitable land to be set aside for a future future beautiful park development, development, and proceed area by area as time and financial support to provide a park particularly for all sections of the public. The plan would be to provide a beautiful area through a planned arrangement arrangement of lawns trees, hedges smaller plants and flowerbeds, flowerbeds, to be kept neat and attractive attractive by gardeners and park attendants. Since any vacant lands within town limits are being rapidly used up for housing developments where can such a suitable area be developed developed within town limits? Bowmanville is much more fortunate than many towns in that, it now owns much land for such purposes. purposes. Having two streams within its boundaries it has available all the flood-plains as space for parks. While these lands are under control control of the Conservation Authority Authority to protect against bui'fdings being constructed there. Indeed their duties are to advise and support any improvements for flood- plains. They may also be in a position to recommend supporting supporting grants .from money provided by the Ontario Government. So it would appear to be that the most desirable place for council to choose for such a park would be somewhere somewhere along our rivers. A place to start has been the same as recommended on at least three occasions over the past fifty years. The first was by a group of interested interested citizens, the second time by a Rccreastion and Parks committee appointed by council, as suggested in the forties by the Ontario government. On that occasion occasion council approved and organized a winter-works program to prepare for the park by cutting down scrub bush on the hillside. The whole idea ended in the spring. After regional government government came in, the conservation conservation authority approached council with the suggestion that it acquire a small private property in the aren to prepare prepare for future park development. development. Council said "no" to the request. John, since you know local local history, I am sure you will know what my choice for the place to start a park would Be the same as the suggestions of the above three groups. It is Bowmanville Creek south of the mill-dam. Many thanks for providing providing this opportunity to express express it. A. M Thompson. Dear Mr. Cureatz: It is our recommendation to ban parking on Highway 35/115 both north and south bound from Highway 401 northerly to Enterprise Hill. This will prevent future parked vehicles from inter- ferring with snow plough operations, safe acceleration and deceleration at interchanges, interchanges, and sight distance restriction along this newly constructed highway facility. facility. We would appreciate your endorsement of this recommendation. However, if you have any objections or questions concerning it, may we hear from you as soon as possible, so we may consider appropriate changes to our recommendation. Thank you for bringing this to our attention. Anticipate Anticipate hearing from you in the near future. P.J. Howes, Senior Oper- ations Analyst. MTC. Thank you for your letter of January 16, 1988 with your recommendation to ban parking on Highway 115/35 both north and southbound southbound from Highway 401 to Enterprise Hill. My only suggestion would be that you hold a meeting with all the local businessmen to hear their concerns - if any. Sam L. Cureatz. By Carolyn Hepburn In the cloak of the evening darkness, the man slips into a neigh- ourhood back yard. He walks to the far corner of the property and picks up a GT snow racer. He slips back to the street and joins a woman and a child. They continue their evening stroll, the racer safely tucked underneath underneath one arm. The children who live in the Bowmanville household awake the next morning. With eagerness, eagerness, they race to the back yard to collect the racer to take to school. The empty corner is all that remains. The much- appreciated Christmas gift from their grandparents grandparents had disappeared in the still of the night. I couldn't believe my ears when a friend told me the above tale of Grand Theft Snow Racer. It occurred in the back yard of her friend's home, and a neighbour saw the man enter the yard and leave with the racer. Unfortunately the darkness prevented the neighbour from getting a real good look at the man. Besides, she wasn't totally sure ' that any wrongdoing was taking place. Once the next morning turned up a missing missing toy, the neighbour realized that she had indeed indeed witnessed the theft. The man who took that toy must surely use his brains for something other than their intended intended purpose. It isn't enough that he thought it acceptable to take the racer in the first place. It never crossed his mind about the example he was setting for the child who was with him. Where arc today's fu ture lawmakers, and hopefully law-abiding citizens, to learn about right and wrong if not at home? Charity may surely begin at home, but so do a lot of other things. The list of examples that adults set for younger people is as long as the imagination. Littering, smoking, swearing, fighting and prejudice come easily to mind. Evidently there are others like lying, cheating and stealing. When Mr. Grand Theft left the back yard, he didn't just carry with him a stolen toy. He also had two crimes under his belt. The obvious infraction infraction of the law was in regard regard to the racer. Theft is against Canada's Criminal Code. ■ But what about the unwritten unwritten law? The law that never made the books. The one that should say "It is unlawful unlawful to set a lousy and inexcusable inexcusable example for any other person." "Judge not lest you be judged" is a thought that rests silently at the back of niy mind as I think of that stranger's actions. Who the heck am I to say that what he did was so wrong? Maybe the kid really really wanted a racer? Maybe it was a joke? Maybe it was all a mistake? mistake? And maybe the point is easily buried in trying to justify judging another person's actions. By his example he is saying that taking what you want --regardless of prior ownership -- is acceptable. acceptable. He is saying that stealing is okay. One need only commit the crime at night when there is less chance of getting caught. I shudder to think of what other lessons that particular man could be teaching young pleople. Respect for our country's country's laws and justice system system can never be taken for granted. Likewise, one can never under-estimate under-estimate the power - of example. How can anyone possibly possibly preach that smoking causes lung cancer, yet puff away two packages of cigarettes a day? (I. have a rather annoying friend who does that.) One real treat is the lady I saw in a shopping mall the other day. She spanked her daughter for not throwing her gum wrapper in the garbage can. Yet, when she came upon several unwanted flyers in her shopping cart she proceeded to throw them on the floor. Something in her actions doesn't quite make sense. Therein lies the essence essence of setting an example. example. If one sends out inconsistent inconsistent signals, then the results can be nothing nothing but mixed up. It may not be enough to simply tell someone how, when and why to do something. Showing them by example could bring home the message a whole lot clearer. I hope Mr. Grand Theft has trouble sleeping nights. I hope he dreams of millions of GT snow racers, all speeding full tilt to wipe him out. If that fails, then I hope he one day wakes up to realize what a lousy thing he did. Maybe then he would return the racer to rightful owner. Somehow I doubt it.