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;( ■ News/8 Bowmanville landmark turns 100 Sports/13 Founder's Cup in the cards? durhamregion.com ♦ Pressrun 24,150 ♦ Founded 1854 ♦ MAY 4, 2005 ♦ 46 Pages ♦ Optional 3 Week Delivery $5/$1 Newsstand Region put of room by 2007 We'd have to rent space again,' Chairman says of looming overflow at headquarters BY CABLY FOSTER Staff writer DURHAM -- With the new headquarters reaching office capacity by 2007, the Region will have to rent space -- the very move they were trying to avoid by building the now $84.1- ' million facility. "We knew we were building building a building that would be built to capacity in five years," said Regional Chairman Roger Anderson. "Don't forget, we started this process three years ago." ' As departments such as ambulance, ambulance, social services, police and health grow, the Region will need more staff, he said. While there is room on the site at Ross- land Road and Garden Street in north Whitby to expand the building onto the south east corner, corner, "that'd be a ways off." "We'd have to rent space again," Mr. Anderson said. "That's very similar to what other munici- palities do when they're full." The news came as a shock to Whitby Mayor Marcel Brunelle, who came up with the Regional headquar- its biggest Roger Anderson was ters idea and proponent. "There's been a misrepresentation," misrepresentation," he said. "That certainly wasn't on the table. I do think it was in the back of everybody's mind, but nobody would admit it." In the business case for the original $67.7-million building, there were no allowances made for having to rent out additional See HEADQUARTERS page 6 Hoedown in Walter Passarella/The Canadian Statesman HAMPTON -- Nicole Riggers and Ben Hinchey got in on the do-si-doeing during Hampton junior Public School's Spring Concert, which featured the Grade 5s performing a square dance for assembled parents, faculty and students. n tacks on 4.7 per cent tax Roads are the big-ticket item in 2005 BY JENNIFER STONE Staff writer CLARINGTON -- Average homeowners can expect to pay about $37 more on the local portion portion of their tax bills this year. Clarington's General Purpose and Administration Committee W»H hold a special meeting this Friday, May 6, to look at staff's recommendations, and consider public input on the 2005 budget. The meeting is set for 10 a.m. in council chambers, on the second floor at 40 Temperance Street. According to the staff recommendation, recommendation, a typical resident will pay 4.7 per cent more on his Clarington tax bill this year, which works out to about $37 on the average $200,000 home. That doesn't include the regional regional increase, which is about 6 per cent, or $98 more dn a $250,000 home. Also included on property tax bills are education levies. "Roads are the big-ticket items this year," said Clarington Mayor John Mutton. One large project in this year's budget is pre-engineering of the reconstruction of Green Road in Bowmanville, from the Cana dian Pacific Railway to south of Baseline Road. The project will provide traffic relief to Regional Road 57, as well as an alternative alternative access route to the soon-to- be further developed West Main Central Area. Pre-engineering of the project is to be done in 2005, with a 2006 construction time frame. The proposed budget also includes road-improvement projects projects elsewhere in Bowmanville, and in Newcastle. More firefighters and a new fire department rescue van are also included. in the budget, while additional funds will also go to external agencies, like the Older Adults' Association, the Visual Arts Centre, and the Clarington Public Library, said Nancy Taylor, Taylor, Clarington's finance director./ director./ 1 W. _ . ' "People like to have those kinds of amenities available," said Ms... Taylor. The staff recommendation also advises Clarington council that it is currently relying "strongly on reserves and reserve funds to alleviate tax levy impacts." For 2005, $10.6 million will be drawn from reserves and reserve funds, and $1 million will be drawn from the surplus to offset the tax increase. . ; "The concern in the long run is that you can't sustain (drawing) from reserve funds," to keep tax increases minimal, said Ms. Taylor, Taylor, noting that she's "watching" the situation. Still,- Clarington's Mayor said the Municipality is in "excellent financial, health." Some increase to taxes was necessary, given budgetary needs, he said. "1 don't see any other option. There's nothing in there that should not be in there," he said. Anyone wishing to provide input on the budget can contact the clerk's department at 905- ' 623-3379. Clarington Council will consider consider the recommendations of the committee at its regularly scheduled scheduled meeting at 7 p.m., Monday, May 16,2005. Driver in Hampton hit and run to serve penitentiary time Accused called an 'escalating threat to society' BY JULIAN F0LLERT Staff writer DURHAM -- The family of a Hampton woman struck and killed in a hit and run accident cried quietly in an Oshawa courtroom courtroom Monday morning, as the driver was sentenced to six years in prison. "She caused the death of a completely innocent person," Justice Donald Halikowski said as he sentenced 33-year-old Deborah Deborah Hunsdale to four years in a penitentiary for charges of criminal criminal negligence causing death, and an additional two years for failing to remain at- the scene of an accident. The defence had sought a jail term of three to five years. .-..His tone sombre, Justice Halikowski recapped the incidents incidents of Jan. 10, 2004, as nearly 20 of the victim's family members members and friends stared silently at the accused. Court heard that Ms. Hunsdale fled her Oshawa apartment early that morning, as police arrived in response to a 911 call she placed after being threatened by her boyfriend. With the help of a friend, she located a stolen car, started it with a screwdriver, and headed away from the city. High on an array of drugs that included injected dilaudid and other opiates, Ms. Hunsdale was driving east on Taunton Road, when she suddenly veered across the centre line and onto the opposite opposite shoulder, striking 50-year- old Adriana ■ Vaginhoven, who was out walking with a friend. Ms. Vaginhoven was killed instantly. Barely slowing down, Ms. Hunsdalè continued driving erratically, before finally abandoning abandoning her car at the side of the road, and seeking refuge at a friend's home.- "She was aware that she had been involved in an accident where someone or something had been hurt or killed," the judge said. "Her behaviour was completely irresponsible." After using the canine unit to track her, police found Ms. Hunsdale semi-conscious in her friend's bathroom, where she had See JUDGE page 6 • SERVICE • PARTS MON., WED., FRI. 7:30 am - 6:00 pm TUES. & THURS. 7:30 am - 8:00 pm SAT. 9:00 am - 4:00 pm ACCREDITED TEST A REPAIR FACILITY Whitby oshawa Honda 300 THICKSON RD. S. WHITBY 666-1772 hoivda n to 'world-class' Supplied photo An aerial view of the Darlington Nuclear Generating Station, Station, which submitted its annual report to Clarington Council Monday. BY JENNIFER STONE Staff writer v' y / BOWMANVILLE -- Darling- ' ton Nuclear Generating Station's workers' "distinct distaste for the status quo" is leading the plant toward becoming among the best in the world, says Gregory. Smith. Darlington's Senior Vice President President visited Clarington council Monday night to deliver his annual annual update. The site generates about 17 per cent of the power used by Ontarians, Ontarians, and has a staff, of about 2,300. "The core of our business is people," said Mr. Smith. "It takes more people to make a megawatt of power than any other kind of power,... The performance of our people has a direct correlation with the performance of our organization." organization." As such, Mr. Smith said the station station is ensuring staff is made up of "engaged" top performers who are "very proud of what they've accomplished and very focussed on what they'll accomplish in the future." One of the ways to measure human performance is to look at public and employee safety, said Mr. Smith. The company measures measures safety success by keeping track of "event-free day resets." "We count every time someone commits an error that has a consequence," consequence," explained Mr. Smith. In 2000, there were 111. resets, and See SAFETY page 7 ■'/ .... v ..f/'-yvJJl Here at Cowan's we want everyone | to know what they are purchasing. Our vehicle Birth Certificate for every General Motors product Includes, full warranty history, the vehicle's build, original warranty start date, original selling dealer! All completely documented! We pride ourselves In not stocking or selling out of province dally rentalsll