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• SINCE 1854 • AMALGAMATED 1999 WITH CLARINGTON THIS WEEK • Reaction mixed in Durham over impact of new budget B Y MA RT1N DERB YSIIIRE Staff Writer DURHAM -- While Federal Finance Minister Paul Martin laid out a new budget Monday, local manufacturers and business leaders arc at odds over whether it will be effective in helping us out of the current economic slump. "Small business needs arc not reflected in this budget," said Des Newman, Durham Region Manufacturers' Manufacturers' Association president, in an interview Tuesday. "The budget was driven by one thing: They don't want to be in a deficit situation. With that absolute guideline options arc limited." However, Bob Malcolmson, general manager and chief executive executive officer of the Greater Os- hawa Chamber of Commerce, said from that group's perspective, perspective, the budget is "right for the times. "The chamber is pleased with large parts of the budget, including including the government avoiding deficit," he said. "Overall the government is moving in the right direction with disciplined spending; we can't go back into deficit." The good news for small business business came in the form of Mr. Martin's announcement that small- and medium-sized businesses businesses would be allowed to defer their corporate tax instalments for January, February and March of 2002, lor a period of six months. That would amount to a deferral of $2 billion for small businesses, although Mr. Newman doesn't think it's enough. 'Tax deferrals are fine, but what small business needs most is access to finances," he said. "I don't want to be a forecaster of doom, but there will be a significant significant degree of damage to the manufacturing supply chain in the spring. Manufacturers will have run out of money. In order to be competitive with the U.S. and Europe we need to improve productivity and lower prices. We can't do that without access to money." But, Mr. Malcolmson said the tax deferral "could have a definite impact" for businesses in Os- hawa and around Durham. Mr. Newman said the budget has no consideration or understanding understanding of the extent of the dam age in the manufacturing supplier level, but he did agree the measures measures taken to ensure the free flow of goods across the U.S.- Canadian border would be helpful helpful locally. Mr. Martin announced more than $1.2 billion to create "the most modern, sophisticated border border possible using state-of-the-art See BUDGET page AS EDITORIAL See page A6 . New heart machine for i hospital 1 BY JACQUIE MclNNES [ Staff Writer i BOWMANVILLE - Clar- iington residents will be able to •be heart smart closer to home : with a new echocardiogram at | Lakeridge Health Bowmanville. • 'This is the first dedicated . heart unit in Bowmanville," says Maureen Hughes, the hospital's new echocardiographer. And, already, already, it's "fully booked pretty much every day," she adds. The equipment is used to detect detect existing heart disease, to assess assess the heart's functions and to rule out congenital heart failure, notes Ms. Hughes. The new machine will not only make life more convenient for out-patients but will ease the strain on patients admitted to the hospital, she adds, noting in the past patients had to be transferred transferred to Oshawa for testing. •Ms. Hughes anticipates the machine will pay for itself over time with the reduction of transportation transportation and staff costs related to transporting the patients back and forth between hospitals. "It will ease the waiting list for the Lakeridge region," she adds. The heart-specific ultrasound and related equipment cost $250,000. The campaign to pay for the unit is continuing. Anyone Anyone who would like more information information about the hospital foundation foundation or how to make a contribution contribution toward the equipment can call 905-623-3331, ext. 1882. ACCREDITED TEST & REPAIR FACILITY •An official murk of tliu Province of Ontario used under licence. Whitby - Oshawa Honda 1110 DUNDAS. ST. E., WHITBY LOCAL (905) 666-1772 honoa www.honda1.com WALTER PASSARELLA/ Statesman photo A very merry dairy day HAMPTON - This threesome was all smiles during school's canteen, dispensing milk to their peers. On dairy day at M.J. Hobbs Public School. From left, Alicia dairy day, they dressed the part with cow patterns on Kuypers, Rebekah Mclntee and Tara Power, operate the their clothing. Man cuts off his penis BY STEPHEN SHAW Staff Writer OSHAWA - An emotionally distraught man severed his penis with a razor blade in a washroom at Lakeridge Health Oshawa and handed his dismembered organ to an emergency room nurse early yesterday. Amanda Roffey, communications communications officer for the hospital, confirmed confirmed the incident happened sometime around l a.m. The unidentified man, who was bleeding heavily, muttered something to the effect of "can I get some help" and. received immediate immediate treatment. The penis was "packed in ice" and transferred, with the patient, to Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre for surgery to try to reattach reattach the organ. Ms. Roffey said she did not know if the operation was successful. successful. Officials at Sunnybrook would not comment, citing confidentiality. confidentiality. Ms. Roffey said emergency room staff is used to dealing with "outrageous incidents," but this was unusually shocking. "It's not a shock to see people with severed arms and legs, but this is different. It's the first I've heard of anything like this happening," happening," she said. "It's just one of those strange things. It's beyond words, what do you say? You see a lot of things in emergency." It is not known what might have led the man to cut off his penis. But Ms. Roffey said he was not a patient at the hospital and had not signed in at the emergency triage desk yesterday prior to the incident. Staff in the hospital's psychiatric unit apparently apparently knew the man. m, ÏÏL, Grade 9 students do the math WHERE TO FIND IT Editorial Page A6 Sports B1 Classified B9 CIVE US A CALL General.. .905-623-3303 Distribution 905-579-4407 Death Notices .905-683-3005 Sincerely Yours 1-800-662-8423 Web site durhamregion.com email jbobbitt@durhamregion.com FAX 905-623-6161 Local students fall short of provincial average, tests show BY MIKE JOHNSTON Staff Editor Grade 9 students in local public and Catholic high schools are below the provincial provincial average when it comes to math, the results of a province-wide test show. The Province's arm's- length testing agency, the Education Education Quality and Account ability Office, conducted the first-ever provincial math tests in January and in the spring. The EQAO released the provincial and school board results recently, giving the percentage of students who met or surpassed the provincial provincial standard of Level 3, with marks of 70 to 79 per cent. Province-wide, roughly 14 per cent of students in the applied stream and 49 per cent of academic academic stream students achieved at Level 3 or 4. At the Kawarlha Pine Ridge District School Board, 44 per cent of Grade 9 students students met or surpassed the provincial average in the academic academic stream, while 14 per cent made the grade in the applied stream. At the Peterborough Victoria Victoria Northumberland Claring- ton Catholic District School Board, 43 per cent of students in the academic stream met or surpassed the provincial standard standard of Level 3. In the applied stream, the board saw nine per cent of Grade 9 students meet the Level 3 scores but none scored Level 4. John Mackle, a superintendent superintendent with the board, said parents parents should "not send off alarm bells" at the results. "Some of the materials on See PUBLIC page AS TRUDY LUM Test 'useful in improving targets for schools to reach.' Cowan PONTIAC-BUICK GMCTRUCK ST. E., I 771 4 L 1 DC Safari Vïnïxt. 8passenger, r r , tilt, power windows + locks, $19,299 I rear heat, trailer package. 72,000km -'3/1,499 i