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Volume 72, Number 34 GST Included $1.25 Wednesday September 30, 2009 Orono Town Hall Publications Mail Registration No. 09301 Agreement No. 40012366 Tornado rips through countryside Environment Canada confirmed that an F-1 tornado tore through Clarington shortly after noon on Monday. Victoria Hudec, of Environment Canada's Damage Survey Team, reported extensive wind damage had occurred at 4535 Welsh Road Orono (between the 4th and 5th concession). The roof of one barn was flipped on top of another barn, the outer structure of a second barn was gone, while the concrete base of a third barn was intact, but had shifted, she said. Wind speeds in Clarington were 120 to 170 km/h in the early afternoon, according to Hudec. Preliminary estimates put the width of the storm at 250 to 300 meters, she said. Debris thrown in a circular pattern, pieces of metal twisted around objects, and trees snapped off at the same height, all indicated the storm was a tornado, said Hudec. The same tornado stripped metal roofing off two of Ray Martinell's barns on Shiloh Road, between the 5th and 6th concession. Serving Kendal, Kirby, Leskard, Newcastle, Newtonville, Orono, Starkville and Tyrone since 1937 Ross Dalgleish and his partner Kim Jobe, who run a cow/calf operation at 4535 Welsh Road, were not at home when a tornado ripped through their farm early Monday afternoon, and took down their three barns. Auditor selected for Mutton's 2006 expenses Clarington council is prepared to appoint another auditor to conduct a compliance audit on former Mayor John Mutton's 2006 campaign expenses. In a report issued at committee meeting Monday, Municipal Clerk, Patti Barrie recommended the bid of $14,970 from B.G. Nayman Chartered Accountant, a Toronto accounting firm, be accepted. In September, Barrie sent information packages to five firms who indicated initial interest in conducting a second audit of Mutton's campaign expenses from his failed re-election campaign in 2006. From those five firms, three submitted bids. Barrie is recommending the bid from Nayman as he has extensive experience in the field of municipal audits. In 2007, the municipality paid James Horn, of Horn Almand Chartered Accountants of Toronto, $4,755 for the first audit of Mutton's campaign expenses. Horn found Mutton's expense report to be in compliance with the Municipal Elections Act, and according to municipal policy, the bill was passed on to the individuals who requested the audit. The individuals -- Luke and Cynthia Prout, Sean Keen and George Vandyke -refused to pay the bill, and instead filed a complaint with the Institute of Chartered Accountants for what they perceived to be a shoddy audit conducted by Horn. In December of 2008, the Institute found Horn guilty of misconduct of his professional duty. Horn pleaded guilty to the charges, for which he was sanctioned by the Institute and levied a fine of $5,000. Prior to the charges, Horn reimbursed the Municipality for his fee. A compliance audit was conducted in the spring of 2007 on Mayor Jim Abernethy's 2006 election campaign expenses. The Oshawa accounting firm of Laing Rohr Chartered Accountants found Abernethy's expenses to be in compliance with the Elections Act. Their bill was $1,590, which the municipality passed on to the individual who requested the audit, a Mr. Ron Webb of Bowmanville. Council will vote on the appointment of B.G. Nayman at next Monday's council meeting. According to the Clerk, Nayman has indicated he can start the audit as soon has he has council's approval next week, and it is anticipated he will need 45 days to complete it. If he determines that Mutton's 2006 election campaign expenses are in compliance with the Elections Act, the individuals who requested the audit will be billed by the municipality for the cost of the audit. . If the audit does uncover irregularities, the individuals will have the option to proceed to have charges laid in a court of law. If Mutton is found guilty of wrongdoing, he will be barred from running in the next municipal election, which will be held in November 2010. Mutton has declared on the social networking site Facebook that he is considering the position of Regional Chair. The Regional Chair is elected by the 28 Regional Councillors at the first meeting of the new Regional Council following a municipal election. The appointment of the Regional Chair does not fall under the Municipal Elections Act, therefore Mutton would be eligible for that position, even if he is found guilty of non-compliance for his 2006 campaign expenses. What's Inside See page 8