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ate sman • SINCE 1854 • AMALGAMATED 1999 WITH CLARINGTON THIS WEEK • Pressrun 21,900 34 Pages Wednesday, February 7,2001 Still a benchmark Wheels Pull out Optional 4 week delivery $5/$l newsstand Two wins for Eagles as playoffs loom Sports, page 13 Mayor worries Toronto budget shortfall will mean less provincial money here Clarington faces budget challenges BY JACQUIE McINNES Staff Writer CLARINGTON - When Mel Lastman stamps his foot the reverberation can sometimes be felt all the way to Clarington, suggests Mayor John Mutton, who says he worries taxpayers here could pick up the tab for a $305-million budget shortfall in Toronto. "When Mel stamps his feet, the typical answer is to re-divvy up the money. The Provincial government will just change the way the money is divvied up," says the mayor, who fears that could mean less for Clarington. Toronto's problems aren't the only challenges that will be facing council when it tackles this year's budget, says Treasurer Treasurer Marie Marino. "We're not in the same boat as Toronto because we're not in a deficit position but thé pres sures on our current budget this year are significant," she says. The treasurer agrees one scenario scenario Premier Mike Harris may contemplate when dealing with Toronto's deficit could be to redistribute redistribute it. "That's certainly a possibility," possibility," she says, noting, "That is speculation on my part." Amanda McWhirter, spokesman for the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing, will not confirm or deny the possibility, noting the ministry has not released any details of the discussions with Toronto officials. officials. But Toronto is hardly the only issue that presents a challenge challenge to council if it hopes to hold the line on taxes this year. Other pressures Clarington council may have to grapple with when it considers the 2001 budget include: • the elimination of a provincial subsidy on fleet equipment; • a provincial cap on industrial, commercial and multi-residential multi-residential tax increases of five per cent that could impact on the residential residential tax rate; • the need for land acquisition funds to purchase space for arenas arenas and community parks to accommodate accommodate Clarington's residential residential growth; • a delay in the collection of taxes due to finance computer software application problems related to the new Ontario Property Property Tax Assessments and Bill 140. There will be ensuing financial financial charges if the Province requires the municipality to pay educational levies before it is able to collect the money from taxpayers due to the delay. The elimination of a subsidy See CLARINGTON page 5 Take your business to Town Hall Washrooms are open : to the public Signs could relieve tire question question of where to go when you've got' to go in downtown Bow- ;manville, Councillor Charlie Trim told council recently. Following a motion made a Week earlier by the councillor to have staff investigate possible ■public washrooms for Bow- manviile, Court ice and Newcastle, Newcastle, Coun. Trim said he had received received both positive and negative negative feedback on the idea. COUNCILLOR CHARLIE TRIM Washroom signs to be posted After speaking with stalf, he said, it appears there is an opportunity opportunity to post signs in the downtown letting people know a public washroom is available in the Clarington Municipal Centre at 40 Temperance Street during business hours, Monday to Friday. Friday. There may be a similar opportunity opportunity in Newcastle, he added. "Something good may come out" of the motion. RON P1ETRONIRO/ Statesman photo A hair-raising game BOWMANVILLE - Joshua Luxton of Dr. manville High School. Winners of the tour- Ross Tilley Public School, Bowinanville, nament were Vincent Massey Public makes a great bump during an elementary School (boys) and Central Public School school volleyball tournament held at Bow- (girls). Orono teen has an ice vacation BY JENNIFER STONE Staff Writer Justin Standeven didn't ; know what to expect when he ! arrived in Antarctica as part of i the first-ever Students On Ice expedition. "I looked up a whole bunch of things" prior to embarking on the trip, and attended shipboard shipboard lectures before reaching | Antarctica, says the 17-year- old Clarke High School stu- : dent. But, "once you get down there, whatever you thought of ' beforehand, those words aren't the right way to describe it ... there are no words to describe it." he says - of his view of the I frozen continent. Justin joined students from '! across Canada, as well as edu- ! cators, scientists and explorers on the late-Décember, early- ! January jaunt to the end of the ; earth. He was one of four students students from the Kawartha Pine ! Ridge District School Board ! chosen to participate following | a lengthy interview process last ! fall. Justin had another local connection connection on the trip: expedition leader Geoff Green is also a Clarke alumnus who grew up in the Newcastle and Orono area. "This was the first time a group of students had ever; gone to Antarctica on an educa-j tional journey," says Mr. Green,'; a veteran of 50 Antarctic and; 10 Arctic expeditions. ; Also along for the journey; was Jan Pomeroy, principal of; program with the local public; school board. Ms. Pomeroy; acted as a teacher chaperone.] While no stranger to travel, she; says until Antarctica, "my trips! have been just of the very nor-i mal kind." J Ms. Pomeroy found the' wildlife "most intriguing. "I thought we would have to go looking for penguins, and that was not the case," she says, recalling one island, which was just three kilometres in diameter, diameter, and home to just under a million penguins. The reaction See STUDENTS page 5 Justin Standeven of Orono among the penguins at Antarctica. Antarctica. He was part of the first-ever Students on Ice expedition to the frozen continent. Canadian Statesman takes North American honours Second-place award for Best Sports Section Inside tfie &tate«man WHERE TO FIND IT Editorial Page 6 Forever Young 12 Sports 13 Classified 17 GIVE US A CALL General 623-3303 Distribution .. .579-4407 Death Notices 1-905- 683-3005 Sincerely Yours 1-800-662-8423 Web site durhamnews.net judi.bobbitt ©durhamnews.net FAX .623-6161 The Canadian Statesman Aug. 23, 2000. The Canadian Statesman has been recognized with a second-place editorial award by the Suburban Newspapers of America. The Statesman took the honour honour for 'Best Sports Section' (circulation 20,001 - 30,000). The winning section from Aug. 23, 2000 featured Spoils Editor Brad Kelly's coverage of the Clarington Green Gaels winning the Canadian Championship. Championship. The Statesman's sister paper, Oshawa-Whitby This Week, has also been recognized recognized with two Suburban Newspapers of America editorial editorial awards. Second place for 'Best Breaking News Story' (circulation (circulation 30,000+) went to This Week for 'Fiery crash 'a devastating devastating scene', coverage of the Nov. 23, 1999 crash west of Bowinanville involving a tractor-trailer, freight train and VIA train carrying more than 100 passengers. On the evening of Nov. 23, the next day's issue of This Week on its way to press, Editor-in-chief Editor-in-chief Joanne Burghardt was en route home when she received word of a train crash in Bowinanville. Within 30 minutes a team of reporters, editors and photographers photographers were hard at work remaking remaking the next day's newspaper. newspaper. The nearly catastrophic collision happened at about 6:45 p.m. when a tractor-trailer tractor-trailer carrying heavy machinery stalled on the CN railway tracks south of Hwy. 401 between between Holt and Waverley roads. In the disastrous chain of events that followed, the driver managed to escape mo- See AWARDS page 5 3.995 Pontiac Gyanrl Am ;GT 2 Vb, auto, A/C, cruise, till, pwr windows + locks, 3994 Chev Cavalier Station Wagon 4 cyl, auto, nir con. Only 34,700km power sunroof. Only 55,257km ' $12,197 Cowan PONTIAC-BUICK GMC TRUCK 166 KING ST. E., BOWINANVILLE 623-3396 i