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News/8 Increased gun use concerns police CLARINGTON'S AWARD-WINNING NEWSPAPER SINCE 1854 Best at ball; BHS Sports/15 better shines IN BRIEF Thursday: Interested in going organic? On Thursday, June 5, a member of the Marigold Organic Food Club will be discussing the benefits of eating and buying organically organically grown food. The event takes place from 7-8 p.m. at the Bowmanville branch of the Clarington Public Library, 163 Church St. Participants will learn how to start their own club or search out existing ones. The program is free. For more information, call 905- 623-7322. June 5-7: Keep an eye out for Clarington Community Care volunteers throughout the municipality over the next few days. The volunteers will be out in force, sporting blue aprons, as they canvass at local retail locations throughout the municipality Thursday, June 5, Friday, June 6 and Saturday, June 7. Last year more than $9,000 was collected from the Clarington community. The money raised goes to community community care programs such as home support including Meals on Wheels and the friendly visitors visitors program. It also funds foot care clinics, transportation for seniors and the disabled and mental health programs. For more information call 905- 623-2261. INSIDE Wheels: Chevrolet sees its SSR as more than a vehicle that makes a statement - it sees SSR as a kind of a new jumping off point for the division. INDEX Editorial Page 4 Classified 9 Sports 13 GIVE US A CALL General 905-579-4400 Distribution 905-579-4407 General FAX 905-579-2238 Newsroom FAX 905-579-1809 durhameegiaiii-com |ySQ~_ DRIVE CLT" • SERVICE • PARTS • NEW & USED SALES & LEASING EXTENDED SERVICE HOURS MON., TUES., THURS., FRI. 7:30-6:00 WED.- 7:30-9:00 SAT.-9:00-1:00 ACCREDITED TEST & REPAIR FACILITY ♦Ail oindtil murk of the Province of Ontario used under licence. Whitby - Oshawa u o n d a 1110 DUNDAS. ST. E. WHITBY, LOCAL (905) 666-1772 iiOAtntv www.hondn1.com Elephant not coming Animal workers happy elephant won't be relocated to Bowmanville Zoo BY JENNIFER STONE Staff Writer BOWMANVILLE - A decision decision by the Greater Vancouver Zoo not to send an elephant to the Bowmanville Zoo amid allegations allegations of animal mistreatment mistreatment by director Michael Hack- enberger was the right one, say animal workers from other facilities. facilities. But Mr. Hackenberger, who could not be. reached for comment comment Tuesday, has called the accusations "vicious and unethical unethical lies." Discipline with his animals, where warranted, is used, he told This Week on Friday. "I've never made any secret of the fact if an elephant behaves behaves inappropriately I will discipline discipline it," said the director last Friday. "It's like spanking a child." The union representing workers at the Toronto Zoo, where Bowmanville Zoo is under contract to operate camel rides, says it feels the Vancouver Vancouver facility was correct not to send Tina, a 33-year-old Asian elephant with a foot problem, to Bowmanville. The decision was made amid accusations by animal animal rights groups about the way Mr. Hackenberger trains and disciplines his elephants. "The concerns raised by animal animal rights activists in Vancouver Vancouver echo what we have heard from our own members, some of who have worked at the Bowmanville Zoo," says Jim Fudge, president of CUPE Local 1600, which represents workers at the Toronto Zoo. Mr. Hackenberger said he backed out of the Vancouver Zoo deal to take Tina after the animal rights groups made the accusations, which he called "a personal attack". Along with concerns about treatment of animals, the Toronto Zoo's union is also unhappy unhappy with the decision to contract contract out services to Bow- See ELEPHANT page 7 SAKS cases continue to grow RON PIETR0NIR0/ Statesman photo Gang tackle BOWMANVILLE - Despite the efforts of four members of the Clarington Tigercats, the Pickering Dolphins were the first team to get on the scoreboard during a bantam league game in Bowmanville on Sunday. Trying to bring down Pickering's Daniel West before he crossed the goal line are Tigercats, from left, Scott Rose, Cory Ross, Andy Bayer and Andrew Burke. Pay up for development BY JENNIFER STONE Staff Writer CLARINGTON - A proposed proposed 350-home development, which would include an 18-hole golf course and a 100-unit hotel, just east of Clarington's border with Port Hope could have a significant significant impact on local roads, says the local municipality. And, if Port Hope allows the Tucker Creek development to go forward, Clarington will be asking asking for money, from either the developer or Port Hope, to help bring its roads up to the necessary necessary level. "With this type of development development on our border, we require some sort of financial commitment, commitment, because why should the taxpayers of Clarington sit hack and allow for development that isn't Smart Growth, and impacts on our roads?" asked Clarington Mayor John Million at Monday's Monday's general purpose and administration administration committee meeting. meeting. Smart Growth is a provincial plan for managing growth in Ontario. The proposed development, which is south of Hwy. 401 along the Clarington-Port Hope Townline, was approved in 1997 for 250 homes. Another application, application, which asked for 1,679 residential residential units, along with 1,500 to 3,700 square metres of retail space was submitted and subsequently subsequently denied by Port Hope in 2002. On denying that application, Port Hope council suggested it would consider a request for Family escapes $300,000 house fire BY JEREMY LE PAGE AND STEPHEN SHAW Staff Writer VVIIITBY - Two 12-year- old Oshawa hoys are charged with arson after a Whitby home was set ablaze Monday. One of about 300 lots, which would be more in keeping with the original original 250-home approval. But, even at 350 units, the development development could pose a problem for Clarington, says Mayor Mutton. Mutton. "It's the traffic, it's the cost for Clarington. With 350 houses and all that traffic coming out onto our roads... Automatically, they'd have a population larger than our villages and hamlets," he says. the boys charged is currently before the courts for allegedly setting a string of fires earlier this year, police say. The Williams family narrowly narrowly escaped the supper-hour fire after 10-year-old Kenisha awoke her 49-year-old father, Ghcrardt Williams, who was asleep at the time in a second- floor bedroom with his 16- month-old son Lleyton, Kenisha spotted the flames But a promise to compensate Clarington for roadwork could not be extracted from Joanne Wclls-Oatcs, who appeared at Clarington's committee on behalf behalf of the developer. "That's a discussion between municipalities," she said. Clarington also has concerns about stormwater management on the proposed development, as well its proximity to the Port Granby Waste Management facility, facility, says a staff report. shooting from the garage about 6 p.m. and alerted her dad. "She acted well beyond lier age," said Mr. Williams, who praised his daughter for keeping keeping a "cool head. She did all the right things." The fire quickly spread throughout the two-storey brick home on William Stephenson Drive, in the Thickson and Rossland roads area. Within two minutes of his BY MARTIN DERBYSHIRE Staff Writer DURHAM - The number of active SARS cases in Durham and across the province continued to rise this week along with the death toll from the dreaded respiratory illness. SARS claimed its 32nd victim victim in, Ontario Sunday and by Tuesday, the Ministry of Health and Long Term Care reported reported that, provincewide, there are 64 active probable cases, 62 active probable hospital hospital cases and another 211 people under investigation. Fears abound the World Health Organization, which reportedly reportedly uses 60 cases as the benchmark, may put the Greater Toronto Area back on its travel advisory list. •Meanwhile, the Durham Region Health Department reported reported Tuesday there is one probable, two suspect and 15 cases currently under investigation investigation in the region. Lakeridge Health continued to report one suspect case, one probable case and two cases under investigation at Lakeridge Lakeridge Health Oshawa Tuesday and another probable case at Lakeridge Health Bow- manville. And, the Rouge Valley Ajax Pickering hospital is still reporting reporting one suspected case. Throughout the SARS outbreak, outbreak, the numbers of cases reported reported by local hospitals and the health department have rarely been the same. Both the hospital and health officials say discrepancies have been due to the quickly changing status of many pa- Seo VISITING page 7 family's escape, Mr. Williams said all lie could see were flames shooting through the roof. "I didn't grab anything. Not even a wallet. 1 have nothing," he said, The home and all its contents were destroyed. Losses Losses arc estimated at $300,000. Mr. Williams's wife Suzette was at work when the lire broke Soo YOUTHS page 7 12-year-olds charged with arson COWAN PONTIAC BUICK CMC 166 King St. E. Bowmanville 905-623-3396 •Prices are plus taxes, license, administration lee ■ n i *wËËÈÊÈÊtÊÈËt*± ftfl ibggj BE I0 MONTANA LONG WHEEL BASE or, 7 passenger with quad captain s chairs, level suspension, traction control, aux air pressor, loaded, CD ,n ir. Only 44,000 kms. ' J 2000.BIUOK U.:'; ■ . ■' LTD. V6, loaded, power seats x 2, leather Interior, power sunroof, CD & cassette, aluminum wheels. Only 62,000 kms.