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y v Sports/l 1 Will Gaels be hit by Lightning? Wheels/lnsert Ford has the right Focus CLARINGTON'S AWARD-WINNING NEWSPAPER SINCE 1854 Canadian Statesman Pressrun 24,150 Wednesday, July 21,2004 • 34 Pages • Optional 3 Week Delivery $5/$l Newsstand durhamregion.com Ontario to appeal Blackstock sentence Nine-month term in abuse case doesn't constitute deterrent, ministry rules BY CHRIS HALL Staff writer SCUGOG -- Calling the original punishment "clearly unreasonable and demonstrably unfit," the Ontario attorney general general has announced it will appeal appeal the nine-month jail, sentences sentences issued, to two former Blackstock residents earlier this month who pleaded guilty to abusing their two adoptive sons for a period of more than 13 years.. . ; Brendan Crawley, a spokesman for the Ontario attorney attorney general's office, confirmed confirmed the case would be heard before the Court of Appeal of Ontario. A new court date has yet to be set. v "The attorney general has decided to pursue an appeal," sjaid Mr. Crawley. Wanda Secord, director of services with the Durham Children's Children's Aid Society, applauded the Province's decision to appeal appeal the sentence. "We're delighted, we're really really delighted that the Ministry of the Attorney General has decided decided to appeal the sentences," she said. "We believe the sentence was too lenient... in our opinion, it had no deterrent value for those who abuse children. "We're very happy with the decision" Durham Crown Attorney John Scott filed an appeal application application with the Ontario attorney general's office' shortly after Ontario Justice Donald Ha- likowski sentenced the couple on July 5 to nine months in prison. According to attorney general general documents, Justice Halikows- ki "erred in principle by failing to consider the breach of trust committed by" the couple and "thereby giving insufficient weight to the principles of general general deterrence and denunciation." denunciation." The attorney general's office continued to state the judge also "erred in principle in imposing concurrent sentences" and will be' seeking to have the sentence "increased to an appropriate penitentiary term." The couple each pleaded guilty to two counts of forcible confinement, assault with a weapon and failing to provide the necessaries of life. Justice Halikowski sentenced the couple couple to serve concurrently nine months for the confinement and assault charges and one month for the failing to provide necessaries necessaries charge. Soula Olver, an assistant Durham Crown Attorney, sought a six- to eight-year term for the adoptive mother and a three- to five-year term for her husband. There was plenty of public outrage when the sentencing sentencing was announced, with most calling the punishment too ' lenient. After adopting the boys, now 17 and 18, in 1988, the couple were charged with tethering, abusing and caging the boys until they were removed removed from their Blackstock area home by children's aid officials officials on June 29, 2001. A.J. Groen/The Canadian Statesman Rebecca Faulkner of Whitby and her trusty steed Whitey fall in line behind Sharon TVauzzi of Courtice, riding Socks, during canter practice at the Summer Horse Riding Riding School, run by Audley Stables in Ajax. Collision claims life of Courtice woman Motorcyclist succumbs to her injuries CLARINGTON--A 44-year- old Courtice woman died Sunday Sunday night after the motorcycle she was riding was involved in a head-on collision near Newcastle. Newcastle. At about 6:25 p.m., July 18, Durham Regional Police were called to the scene of a serious motor vehicle accident on Hwy. 2 near the Hwy. 35/115 overpass. overpass. The collision involved a westbound 2002 black Chevrolet Chevrolet Cavalier driven by a 20-year- old Bowmanville woman, and a 1998 red Harley Davidson motorcycle, motorcycle, operated by the deceased. deceased. The motorcyclist, Cindy Piney,' was taken by ambulance to Lakeridge Health Bowmanville Bowmanville where she succumbed to her injuries. An autopsy took place Monday to determine' cause of death. Collision investigators from the Traffic Services Branch attended attended the scene, rerouting traffic traffic for several hours while evidence evidence was gathered. . The investigation is ongoing and police ask that anyone with information contact Constable Rene Berentschot, collision investigations investigations unit, 905-579-1520 ext. 5227, or call in a tip anonymously anonymously to Crime Stoppers at 1- 800-222-8477. Cash spells more care for Durham kids New provincial day care funding will help reduce waiting lists BY MIKE RUTA Staff writer DURHAM -- The wait will soon be over for some of the roughly 1,000 Durham Re gion children waiting for subsidized subsidized child care spaces. The Province last week announced announced $58.2 million in funding : to create 4,000 new spaces across Ontario for babies babies and kids'up to age 5. The amount is Ontario's share of 2004/05 federal funding, and $19.4 million of it is for onetime onetime capital projects. "Ontario is back in the business of helping its working working families by providing ac-. Clarington teen takes on capital challenge Youth was one of 50 from across Canada chosen to visit Ottawa BY SHELLEY JORDAN Staff writer < HAMPTON -- Having cerebral cerebral palsy has only made 14- year-old Ben McColl more determined determined to attempt new things, but his latest opportunity had him climbing the walls. Ben, who lives with his family family in Hampton, happened across a youth-based program , on the Internet while hunting with his father for a place to go skiing? A link to the Active Living Alliance Alliance for Canadians with Disabilities Disabilities led to his spending five days in Ottawa as one of 50 youths chosen from across Canada to participate in a program program that included rock climbing, climbing, touring the Parliament buildings as well as the Museum of Science and Technology. "We went tubing, met with a yoga instructor and learned self- defence," said Ben. "A table tennis tennis coach came out from Nova Scotia. He was Canada's nation- See PROGRAM page 6 A.J. Groen/The Canadian Statesman Ben McColl, 14, toured Ottawa through pie Active Living Alliance for Canadians with Disabilities. cess to quality affordable child care," Marie Bountro- gianni, children and youth services services minister, said in a press release, describing it as "the largest boost to child care in a decade." Ministry spokeswoman Anne Machowski says an announcement announcement on how much municipalities would receive is likely a week or two away. Durham Region's Children's Children's Services Division will INDEX Editorial Page .4 Sports 11 Classified 7 GIVE US A CALL General 905-579-4400 Distribution 905-579-4407 General FAX . 905-579-2238 Newsroom FAX ;. .. 905-579-1809 durhamregion .com receive and use its funding to create new spaces in the region; region; At last count there were 969 Durham children on a waiting list for a grant subsidy, subsidy, says Marion Brady, one of the region's four managers of children's services. 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