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Page 4 The Canadian Statesman, Bowmanvillc, August 12,1998 ®l)c Cmmbian Statesman Former Publishers and Partners Rev. John M. Climie and W. R. Climie 1854 - 1878 M. A. James, 1878 - 1935 • Norman S. B. James, 1919 -1929 G. Elena James, 1929 - 1947 • Dr. George W. James, 1919 -1957 Produced weekly by James Publishing Company Limited Also Publishers of The ClaringtonICourtice Independent P.O. Box 190, 62 King St. W., Bowmanville, Ontario L1C 3K9 Tel: 905-623-3303 HOURS: Monday to Friday 9:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. Fax: 905-623-6161 Internet - statesman@ocna.org • Publications Mail Registration No. 07637 For 144 Years, Our First Concern Has Been Our Community Publisher - John M. James Assoc. Publisher - Rick James Plant Manager - Rick Patterson Ad. Manager - Brian G. Purdy Editor - Peter Parrott Production Supervisor - Ralph Rozema, Suzanne Bennett, Tim Bowers, Kevin Britton, Sharon Cole, Laurens Kaldcway, Barb Patterson, Tyler Sellick, Jim Snoek, James Stephenson, Vance Sutherland, Jim Tuuramo Advertising Editorial Laverne Morrison Brad Kelly, Lorraine Manfredo, Jennifer Stone Office Supervisor - Angela Luscher, Junia Hodge, Grace McGregor, Nancy Pleasance-Sturman, Marilyn Rutherford, Libby Smithson Beyond the Grief The funeral in Pickering Monday for the slain Toronto police officer, Bill Hancox has elicited an unprecedented outpouring of grief and support from the public. In a similar expression of grief, there were hundreds hundreds of flowers left in front of the building in Bowmanville where Jennifer Copithorn was slain last week. Indeed, the community has every right to express its feelings over such a tragic loss. We should be glad that we live in a community which does not allow such losses to go unmourned. We must also keep in mind, however, the fact that every life cut short due to senseless violence is a tragedy. Whether that incident is a high-profile slaying in the country's media capital or whether it goes relatively unnoticed in a smaller community, the tragedy and loss are the same. And, while the outpouring of public grief is commendable, commendable, it seems to us that of even greater importance importance is a commitment by the public to work towards making this world a safer place to live. Only in a Utopia will we find a complete absence of violence. But, that should not stop us from making making reasonable efforts to seek solutions. What are the answers? Do we need more police, more enforcement and more attention to personal security? Do we need more treatment and counselling for persons at risk of becoming violent offenders? Do we need more education at the home and school? Should we have less depiction of violence in our entertainment media? Is violence the result of a decline in moral values shared by the community at large? Are the stresses and strains of a changing economy leading to violent behavior? Or is the answer a combination of all these factors and more? It seems to us that mourning is a reasonable response among caring people. But, with all due respect, we must see beyond the grief. We must work on solutions to the problem of violence that continues to plague societies across the world. Unfortunately, it is work that will never be completely completely done. Electricity Buyers Should be Wary It would seem as though some utility customers are already being solicited by would-be electricity sellers. This is happening despite the fact that retail competition in the electrical market won't become a reality until some time in the year 2000. We haven't heard of such solicitations in the : Clarington area. But, a number of utilities within ' the 275-member Municipal Electric Association, have received inquiries from customers about door- to-door salespeople asking to see electricity bills and offering to supply low-cost power. The OMEA suggests consumers who are approached by sellers of electricity ask a number of pointed questions. These include: the identity of the company supplying the power and its track record and history. Buyers should also ask how much electricity electricity will cost and how that compares to today's prices. And, as with all advice to potential buyers there's the observation that whenever anything looks too good to be true, it probably is. Consumers eager to buy electricity at the retail level should also keep in mind that year 2000 date. It won't be until then that retail competition in the electricity marketplace will be possible in this province. Seems like there's not a lot of urgency here. Support for Nurses Seven out of ten Ontarians contacted in a recent survey believe nurses have more influence than doctors or hospital administrators on the quality of daily hospital care. That's one of the findings of a recent poll conducted conducted for the Registered Nurses' Association of Ontario. From our understanding of the results, it seems as though the poll indicates most Ontario residents have a high opinion of the nursing profession. In fact, most professions would be envious of the kind of support displayed in the survey. For example, the poll revealed almost eight in ten Ontarians would be willing to give up their provincial income tax reduction if it meant the government government would reinvest the money in nursing services. services. More than five out of ten Ontarians strongly support support the dedication of funds for nurse practitioners. Seven in ten Ontarians strongly support the dedication dedication of government funds for home care nurses. Furthermore, almost eight in ten Ontario residents replying to the survey oppose the suggestion that some of the registered nurses in hospitals can be replaced by health care workers with less training. It sounds to us like the respondents are not only supporting the nurses but rejecting cutbacks in Ontario's health care. The association said in a news release commenting commenting on the outcome of the poll that "While the Ontario government has recently made several welcome welcome funding announcements, we remain deeply concerned that quality of care is declining faster than new funding initiatives are being implemented." implemented." Accused Innocent Until Proven Guilty To the Editor: Your discussion of publishing names of those only charged with crimes, has always concerned me. Your claim of "acting in the public interest" has never impressed me. Do you mean the "public "public need and welfare", or merely "things the public arc interested in, or curious curious about?" There is a vast difference. Public welfare is a need. Public curiosity is not. 1 suggest that police reports serve only the latter. latter. The "public interest" is served, in most criminal cases, by courts, not by newspapers. People are innocent until proven guilty in this society. Convictions are a matter of public record, and available through court records. Of course, they require more effort by reporters to obtain, and that is the real issue. Claims of protecting the public interest merely cloak in a mask of respectability, acts of voyeurism by the press. John Manuel Letter to the Editor Respect for War Heroes of the Past Dear Editor: John Wayne and Cecil B, Demille would have been proud to have seen Steven Spielberg's portrayal portrayal - of "Saving Private Ryan", Yes! Situated across this continent stand pinnacles of granite or cement that mark mankind's monuments monuments to those that served and died in various wars. Some depict scenes of war and others are fashioned fashioned like walls with names inscribed on copper tablets but they represent those that gave their life's blood for you and me on battlefields, battlefields, on seas and in the air. As I stare through the crowds of humanity in 1998 there are some who choose to dye their hair purple, whilst others wear earrings and leather. There are others who foolishly waste their time while others work to raise families. I think the symbolism of this movie (Oscar winner no doubt) and its ( reality should be of paramount importance in our time. Before the viewers' eyes see only the badness of this world which is found in W-A-R! I hope they realize that this movie exemplifies exemplifies that each man is fighting for freedom, justice and peace. Although lives are snuffed out, many are severely wounded both mentally and physically and many suffer nightmarish dreams of the fallen dead like lifeless cords of wood on sandy beaches, only God above knows why we have truly fought and only God knows just where we will be next "Remembrance Day". It is my hope as I go to my cenotaph that you, too, will be there at yours to show some respect for those that gave us our freedom we have so glibly accepted accepted these many years. As for the film I hope you will take the time to see it and let it shake you laxity to show respect for the many heroes of the past. If you're like me you'll be mighty thankful for all that we have on this side of the ocean called liberty, peace and a free world. If I have benefited in any way from this movie it is a fresh love for my fellow man irrespective of nationality. Topping this is a deep heartfelt thankfulness in a time of common acceptance of the present as normal. Never, no never, can we accept ibis precious time as just having happened or evolved. Mothers, lathers and sons have died without ever having breathed the air of 1998. Many would have given their lives a second time to have but a taste of our liberties. I pray that as I rise to sing the anthem here in Oshawa this November on Remembrance Day that six thousand people or more will be there, not only inspired by this movie but in gratitude for those who laid down their lives that we might live in peace. By Bob Hooper : Thoughts Unlimited by Rick James C'mon Guys, Leave It Alone One of the most entertaining summer events in Bowmanville is the Concerts in the Park series that takes place each Thursday in Rotary Park. Unfortunately, Rotary Park is also the host of one of the worst problems in Bowmanville -- vandalism. For whatever reason, the park is a magnet for youth and damage. I have mentioned it here many times before, but it needs to be mentioned again after I received a report about vandalism that has occurred at the park since its opening two years ago. Besides the weekly ritual of picking up garbage before each concert, the vandalism report lists the following damages. • The face of the clock in the tower broken by a rock or chunk of ice. • The underground sprinkler system nonfunctional nonfunctional after young people seen breaking individual sprinkler heads. • Washrooms vandalized, flooded by plugged toilets and sinks with taps left running. Light fixtures stolen and fires set in garbage cans. • Graffiti painted on the field stone facing the south-west side of the washrooms. • The caps on the stone walls blackened and scored by skateboards. One youth was seen using candle wax to improve the edge of the stone for skateboard use. • A banner was stolen from the front of the gazebo just prior to one of the Thursday evening concerts. • Bottles smashed on the interlocking brick throughout the park. • Back support board on the benches ripped off and stolen. • Interlocking brick in the gazebo painted with graffiti. • Extra padlock placed on one of the other lock hasps to prevent electrical service from being used. • Lock hasp and padlock on one of the electrical outlets at the gazebo broken and stolen. • Adhesive promotional posters stuck to gazebo pillars. • Graffiti carved into the handrails and pillars pillars of gazebo, • Flowers torn out and thrown on the grass several times. • Many trees broken at the trunk on several several occasions. In my mind, the biggest obstacle to preventing preventing the vandalism is the location of the park. Despite being so close to the main intersection in downtown Bowmanville, you can't see it because of the change in grade down to Queen Street. The bridge that runs down to the Bowmanvillc Creek may have been built with good intentions of allowing people to enjoy nature walks, but it provides an even better escape route for vandals. And of course, the park's close proximity to schools means there will always be lots of students in the area. So, what can we do to prevent the damage? I think it would be a great gesture on the part of the students to hold a clean-up day for the area. Dirt is contagious and one piece of garbage usually leads to a lot more. If the students were to start the clean-up, perhaps they would be less tolerant of fellow students destroying the property. The last time I suggested this, I received a lot of heal fiom students who said they weren't responsible for the damage. Even some parents blasted me for suggesting their little darlings would do such things. Okay, well let's go one step further then and install video surveillance to confirm who is responsible for the damage. Considering how much money has been spent by the town replacing trees and repairing damage, a video camera would look like a bargain. It would also give the police the ammunition they need to lay charges. It's tt serious problem and one that needs to be resolved quickly. This past week, two teens on bikes rode into the park while organizers organizers were preparing for the concert. The teens asked what was going on and then started with a barrage of foul language about the concert. When it was clear any attempt to show them the error of their ways would be futile, one of the organizers asked them to just leave the park. One of the teens responded responded with, "It's our park, you leave," The park and the concert series arc great additions to the downtown. Hundreds of people people attend the shows each Thursday unaware of how much time volunteers have spent repairing the damage. At some point, the repair bill and the patience of organizers will be stretched too far and we will lose one of the most popular summer events I can ever recall in Bowmanvillc. We cannot let that happen. Scared Skinny So, you wanna go on the roller coaster. There's nothing quite like a trip to Canada's Wonderland and the constant nagging nagging of kids to go on all the wild rides. Gone arc the excuses that they must be as tall as Bozo to ride the Ghostcr Coaster. And a one day pass means it doesn't cost any more to ride everything. So, climb aboard kids... Are we having fun yet? There's nothing quite like sheer terror to erase any more ideas about thrill rides for a couple of years. Yup, that's daughter, Morgan, on the left with her friend, Laura, on the right. And the big kid behind them holding on for dear life is wife, Kim. And where am I? I'm much more comfortable comfortable behind the cutneia, thank you very much.