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■ omitar. | aarjanvn B'.f'tf.Vgr 1 - WlHJWi J'.VUtYXH F W AM r,| s J Vw V # Total Market Coverage of Clarington from the Publishers of The Canadian Statesman • A James Publishing Community Newspaper Saturday, February 14, 1998 Clarington Sends Gifts To Nagano by Laura J. Richards Staff Writer Pins, pens, and other small souvenirs of Clarington, Ontario and Canada arc going to Nagano, Japan, with the parents of Olympic hockey hockey player Adam Foote. Vern and Linda Foote arc residents of Newcastle. And although Adam began his minor hockey career in Whitby, the village considers him to be their "adopted son." On Wednesday, Newcastle business owner Ron Hope found out through a conversation with Foote's father that Adam had called home and reported "lie didn't have anything to trade." So, Hope decided he wotild make a few calls to people he knows and set the Footes up with some small, tradeable trinkets. Hope says, "I told Vern 1 would have everything ready for him on Friday afternoon after 4 p.m." Hope says getting souvenirs souvenirs from the municipality, municipality, MPP John O'Toole and MP Alex Shepherd gave him "a good feeling." feeling." He knows that these tokens will "go to people from other countries" and help spread a little goodwill goodwill for Canada. Hope noted in the village village everyone thinks of Adam Foote "as our adopted son" and adds that the young adults know, like and respect him. Adam started his hockey-playing hockey-playing days in Whitby's minor hockey league, played Major A in Sault Stc. Marie, and then stepped up to the NHL with the Quebec Nordiques. Now, he's playing for the Colorado Rockies. "He's a very nice young man. He hasn't let it (his hockey career) go to his head," Hope told The Clarington Independent on Thursday morning, Feb,12. So, when Vern and Linda leave to go to Nagano, they will be taking taking a little of Clarington, Ontario and Canada with them. 144th Year Circulation: 20,600 Tax Changes Coming Soon by Laura J. Richards Staff Writer is going Hockey Night in Bowmanville It was the Oshawa Generals vs. the 9th Bowmanvillc Cubs Wednesday evening in a game of road hockey held at the gymnasium of the Dr. Ross Tilley School in Bowmanvillc. Four members of the Generals spoke to the cub pack and offered some instruction in goaltending, stick-handling, defence and shooting. They also stayed around for a short game and autograph session. Facing oft against the 9th Bowmanvillc Cubs are: goalie Steve Mongrain along with Jason Malcyko, Drew Bucktooth and Brad Ralph. Get ready, Clarington ratepayers! The new property assessments were mailed out on Thursday and will be dropped into your mail boxes this coming week. So says Merv Bowen, the Regional Assessment Commissioner for the Ministry of Finance. The assessments will mean changes in property taxes for some homeowners and businesses. They will update property values to 1996 and local taxes will be based on these new figures. Clarington's property assessment is currently based on values set in the 1980s. Bowen told Durham Regional Councillors on Wednesday, Feb. 11, "this will have a significant effect ,l on property tax." He admitted, "these last several months have been brutal" on the assessment office, and he does not expect things to get better for a while yet. In fact, he said when people people start receiving their assessment notices, "my office is going to be very busy." He added that about 37 employees will be taking calls from what he figures could be thousands of disgruntled disgruntled residents. There will be inserts in the J, o pleasant // Regional Chair Roger Anderson Carjacking Under Investigation Driver Beaten, Robbed Durham Regional Police are on the lookout for two hitchhikers who "carjacked" a driver and left him tied to a tree. A passing motorist found the victim with hands bound, staggering along Taunton Road, cast of Townline, around 9:40 a.m. on Wednesday February 11. The 39-year-old Kleinburg man had been beaten and robbed. The suspects .were armed with a large hunting knife. Police located the victim's victim's truck, a black 1982 GMC pickup with while cap, in a field south of Langmaid Road and Taunton Road. The victim told police More Money for Regional Police Durham Police are additional community Regional receiving an $113,244 for policing. The money represents the latest latest installment in a previously previously announced grant of $226,488. A Tale Told Through Movement Mcnaka Thakknr shows students at Dr. Ross Tilley Public School how a story can be told through movement. Originally from Bombay, Thakkar formed her own dance company 25 years ago in Toronto. The Mcnaka Thakkar dancers are now Canada's foremost Indian dance troupe. They perform for audiences at schools, libraries, museums and dance studios, Solicitor General and Minister of Correctional Services Robert Runciman has announced grants of more than $2.4 million to 43 participating municipal police services under the Partners in Community Safety program. The grants arc used to bolster community policing policing and enforcement activities activities such as enhanced community patrols, traffic ■safety and the establishment establishment of special law enforcement units. "The Partners in Community Safety program program has proven to be a useful tool for front-line police services as Ontario continues to intensify our law enforcement efforts," Mr. Runciman said. $25 Million Under the five-year $25 million Partners in Community Safety program, program, the province and participating municipalities municipalities share the cost of improving community policing and enhancing enforcement in high risk areas. With the completion of year three, the province will have contributed more than $19.6 million over three years to local police services. While the province and municipalities share the cost of the program, the funds arc allocated according according to local priorities. During the first two years of the program, local police services increased community patrols, opened storefront locations, locations, increased traffic safety initiatives, focused attention on high risk areas, and built move positive positive relationships with businesses and schools. he had picked up two hitchhikers on Airport Road in Mississauga late Tuesday night and was suddenly overpowered and beaten. He was then driven to this area, where he was tied to a tree. The suspects are believed to have fled on foot southbound. After freeing himself from the tree, the victim made his way one and one-half kilometers kilometers to the roadway where he was found. The suspects were both described as male, Native Indian, between 16 and 18 years old. One had collar-length black hair, a denim jacket with fleece collar and hooded sweatshirt. The second suspect was wearing wearing a maroon jacket and hooded sweatshirt. One of the suspects may answer to the name "Shep." Anyone with information information may call (905) 436- TIPS. notices stating the options open to residents wishing to respond to what has been a property-by-property assessment. assessment. Those options are quite simple, Bowen said. Residents who accept the assessments don't have to do anything. However, those with a bone to pick can call the assessment office and also attend a community information information session. "There will be a two-month period to inform us of any changes," Bowen explained. Residents will have up to June 30, 1998, to appeal the assessment decision. However, the appeal process will cost the ratepayer: "It's cither $20 or $25 for a resident and $50 for a commercial commercial unit," Bowen said. The commissioner said he thinks everyone should now know what is going on, in view of the media blitz that has taken place over the past couple of months. Continued on page 2 Hydro Chair Against Merger With County by Lorraine Manfredo Staff Writer Electric utilities in Northumberland are casting casting their gaze westward to Clarington as they debate a county-wide merger. However, the chair of the Clarington Hydro Commission isn't encouraging encouraging their advances. "Our place is in Durham," George Van Dyk told commissioners on February 12th. He was reacting to a letter from Brighton Public Utilities, inviting CHEC commissioners to participate in future meet ings of the Northumberland Restructuring Committee. Any plan to include Clarington in an amalgamated amalgamated Northumberland utility would be "pie in the sky," Van Dyk said. "The distance between Newcastle and Port Hope is just too great." Commissioner Suzanne Elston volunteered to attend one of the upcoming upcoming meetings anyway. Last fall, Oshawa and Whitby did not support a consultant's recommendation recommendation to amalgamate the eight utilities in Durham. 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