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TUESDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2001 COPY 75¢ 28 Pages (70¢ + 5¢ GST) Ui % Ho mg i om PLAYING AROUND: Cartwright High School stu- dents Corey Stokes, left, and Brad Taylor got a lit- tle practise in last week before the annual CHS One-Act Plays kicked off last night. A second evening of performances, which will include judg- Epsom supporters By Rik Davie Port Perry Star Epsom Public School supporters were slated to make their presentation before Durham District School Board officials last night in an attempt to keep their small rural school open. Final presentations by schools looking to avoid clo- sure or hoping for expansion were slated to be held last night and next Monday at the board offices in Whitby. The battle by parents at four Durham schools to save their educational facilities from the list of schools to be closed has been fierce and filled with charges that board BAW I" CHRIS HALL / PORT PERRY STAR ing at their conclusion, will be held Wednesday (Dec. 5) at the Blackstock Rec Centre, beginning at 6:30 p.m. Students of all ages will participate in the three plays performed. Admission is free but donations will be accepted. to plead their case staff are not looking for, among other items, various dif- ferent areas for funds, changes in boundaries to make the school more viable and the value of smaller schools. Scugog Trustee Martin Demmers is expected to bring forth a motion asking that board staff revamp the plan in an effort to keep four schools (Epsom, Valley View, R.A. Hutchinson and Parkside) open. The plan will mean finding an additional $8 million in the already cash-strapped board budget to make up for dollars lost from the province's per-student grants if the Please turn to Page 17 CHRYSLER « CARS TRUCKS SALES ® SR) Ee p AR 5 0 Boon S00 0 Pant & Cox LSON located at the corner of Hwy. 12 & Hwy. 7A in Manchester 905-985-7354 905-404-8220 2001-2002 Durham Regional Police RIDE (Reduce MADD Durham supports tougher impaired laws By Chris Hall Port Perry Star disoring changes proposed by MADD Canada aimed at toughening impairment laws have the full endorse- ment of the Durham chapter. | Shortly after participating in the official launch of the Impaired Driving Everywhere) campaign last Thursday, MADD Durham President Nancy Codlin applauded the recommendations forwarded to the federal government by her organization. "MADD Canada has gone to Ottawa where they will be presenting to legislature a very complex initiative which touches on various issues," said Mrs. Codlin. The document, entitled Taking Back Our Roads, has a total of 19 recommendations, including a key proposal which calls for the Criminal Code's legal blood-alcohol concentration limit to be lowered from 0.08 per cent to 0.05 per cent. Other proposed changes include 'authorizing police officers to randomly stop vehicles to determine if the dri- ver is complying with the Criminal Code's impaired dri- ving provisions; making it an offense to refuse to comply with an officer's demand during a spot check, including demands for saliva, blood, or urine; changes to the Criminal Code itself to include a definition of "impair- ment" that is clear for both judges and police officers; and a tiered sentencing format for impaired drivers based on the offender's blood-alcohol level and any prior offenses. Mrs. Codlin said that a recent poll showed that two- thirds of Canadians were in favour of the reduced blood- alcohol limit. "Absolutely I'm in favour of it; that change will make a big difference," she said. As for the regional RIDE initiative, Mrs. Codlin said that she and her fellow MADD Durham members will be accompanying local officers on their spot checks this hol- iday season. "We're definitely going to be out with Durham Police at their RIDE programs. We're going to be out there encouraging everyone not to drink and drive," said Mrs. Codlin, adding that special packaged of Forget Me Not seeds will be handed out to motorists who pass through spot checks. "We're asking everyone who gets a pack to plant them in the spring and dedicate the plants in the memory of thosé who have died as a result of drinking and driving in Durham Region," she said. Please turn to Page 9