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4 The Canadian Statesman. Rmvmanville. December 30. 1987 ( > ! Efje Canadian Statesman 623-3303 Durham County's Greet Fimttv Journal Established 133 yeap ago In 1BS4. Also kKorpofMng The Bowmen vt He News The Newcastle Independent The Orono News Second class mall registration number 1561 Produced every Wednesday by THE JAMES PUBLISHING COMPANY LIMITED 62-66 King St. W., Bowmenville, Ontario L1C 3K9 JOHN M. JAMES RICHARD A. JAMES Editor--Publisher Assistant Publisher PETER PARROTT Associate Editor GEO. P. MORRIS Business Mgr. BRIAN PURDY Advertising Mgr. DONALD BISHOP Plant Mgr. 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Fond Farewell to 1987 The end of one year and the beginning beginning of the next is always a traditional traditional vantage point from which we can take stock of our accomplishments accomplishments to date and look at what the future might hold. And so, we consider for a few moments moments the highlights of 1987 from the standpoint of public events that occurred occurred during the year that is just ending. ending. There's no doubt that 1987 will go on record as a year of phenomenal growth for the municipality. It will be some time before all the numbers have been added up. But the fact remains that during 1987 the total amount of new construction occurring occurring in the municipality will likely be close to $100 million. We might add that this growth is occurring occurring not only in the Courtice area but also in the three main residential communities of Newcastle, and Bow- manville. Rural hamlets are also attracting attracting their share of new development. development. In step with this growth, we are seeing seeing the logical creation of new town facilities which will serve the residents residents of the present and future. The town's municipal heaquarters is rapidly reaching completion. Like all public buildings, it will attract its share of controversy but the headquarters headquarters does represent a commitment commitment to the future. i The same can be said of the new Bowmanville Arena which received the green light this year. And in 1988, we fully expect to see the long- awaited Memorial Hospital expansion expansion and renovation program getting off the ground. This will give the municipality the sort of health care facility which will carry it into the 21st century -- an era which is just over a decade away. As we look into the crystal ball for 1988, the vision is somewhat clouded, of course. The sort of continued prosperity prosperity which we have witnessed in the past 12 months will depend, to some extent, on general economic conditions. The economists are divided on the question of whether or not the new year will bring with it an economic downturn or a continuation of the action action which occurred in 1987. If the economy takes a dramatic nose-dive, we'll see the development pressures ease off during the next 12 months. Otherwise, it will be business as usual. Given the fact that a number of residential residential developments are already partially under construction and whole neighbourhoods have the required required water and sewer services installed, installed, it's more likely that development development can continue even ifthe general economy slows down. But a major downturn would, of course, curtail most construction activity. Another factor to be kept in mind is the fact that the Darlington Nuclear Nuclear Generating Station is approaching approaching completion. When this major project project is finished, a large number of jobs will be lost. So long as the economy is strong, the Darlington workforce will be able to find work outside the area or seek other opportunities within this community. community. But a declining economy and the end of the construction phase at Darlington could pose some economic problems. We're assuming, of course, that Ontario Hydro is not going to proceed with Phase B of Darlington Darlington or any other nuclear power station at some other Ontario location. location. In fact, Hydro is already hinting at the need for another nuclear power plant in the future. Given a buoyant economy, the job of elected officials could be one of managing the new development and possibly even reining in a certain amount of growth. Sooner or later the town will arrive at the stage where it learns that growth for the sake of growth is not always wise. There's also the need to balance residential residential accommodation with job opportunities in the industrial and commercial sectors. Moreover, new communities must not develop at a speed at which they place undue hardship on facilities such as schools, community centres, libraries, libraries, firefighting facilities, and all the other services. The development of Courtice, for instance, was not completed without the cost of replacing the water supplies of numerous households which lost the use of their wells. The resolution to the Courtice water problem may be one of the Town of Newcastle's major accomplishments of '87. Of course, there's also the question of what kind of a future lies ahead for the farmland and rural property on the fringes of growth. But, development and development-related development-related issues are not the only ones which will be on the public agenda in the new year. The issue that can broadly be described described as waste management is another key subject which elected officials officials face in 1988. The Durham Region, and for that matter, the City of Toronto, are rapidly running out of landfill space. As a rapidly developing municipality, municipality, the Town of Newcastle is contributing contributing to this landfill problem and town councillors must have a hand in working out the solution. It's possible that the Durham Region may surivive another year without a major landfill decision or debate. But every year that goes by without a decision only adds to the magnitude of the crisis which will occur when we finally do find ourselves out of landfill space and without any options for disposal. disposal. I We can also look for more developments developments in the Port Granby waste disposal disposal issue. The task force has made its recommendations for the longterm longterm disposal of low-level radioactive radioactive wastes and in the coming year we would imagine that the government will be searching 1 for communities willing to accept the m'aterial. At the local level, we should also note that elections will take place next November for council, school board, and public utility commission posts. This will make for some interesting interesting times in the autumn of 1988. But the upcoming elections also tend to reduce the effectiveness of elected officials in their final year of the term. Frequently, elected officials less than one year away from re-election are overly-cautious. At the federal level, there are some exciting times in store. The free trade deal is to be set in place, after which we expect to see the government turn its attention very quickly to other topics. topics. A federal election is also on the agenda for the upcoming year. And, of course, there will continue to be the smaller individual triumphs and tragedies •. Here's hoping, that 1988 holds good fortune and prosperity for all. Happy New Year. Drug Abuse War The war against drug abuse is by no means over. But there's an indication'that indication'that advances are being made on a number of fronts. A recent study by the Addiction Research Research Foundation released last week stated that Ontario teenagers are smoking less cannabis and using fewer barbiburates and stimulants than teens did in 1985. They are, however, however, drinking about the same amount of alcohol. The Addiction Research Foundation Foundation study revealed that fewer than 16 per cent of the teens interviewed for their latest survey had reported using cannabis. This was down from 21.2 per cent in 1985 and 30 per cent in 1981. Since marijauna is probably the single most widely-abused drug after alcohol, the decline reported by the Foundation is significant. The downward trend in drug abuse is evidence of the drug culture retreating retreating into the same isolated sèment sèment of society from which it came. But, as drug abuse disappears from the main stream of this society, it will still be important to prevent the problem problem from occurring -- even in isolation, isolation, Unfortunately, there's a well- known tendency for the public to-ignore to-ignore certain social ills until they reach massive proportions. This would be a mistake. A Review of the Activities in 1987 Wide Eyed Youngsters Wait Patiently for Olympic Torch The two youngsters above were anxiously awaiting the Bowmanville stop of the cross-country Petro Canada Canada Torch Run. The chilly temperatures were unable to keep away the crowd of approximately 2,000 eager onlookers who waited upwards of an hour for a glimpse of the torch. When it did arrive, everyone joined in the singing of "O- Canada" and gave the moment its proper place in the history. JANUARY The new year opened on a note of expectancy, with two of the three provincial political associations planning planning for a 1987 election. The New Democrats of Durham East were first off the mark, announcing plans for a January 22 nomination meeting. The Progressive Conservative nomination meeting was slated for February February 2. Members ofTown Council were making plans for emergency procedures to be followed in the event of a nuclear accident. Fire Chief Jim Aldridge and council members were to discuss the topic. Information Information on the town's role in the event of a nuclear accident is required by Ontario Hydro for submission of emergency procedures to the Atomic Energy Control Board. The Bowmanville Minor Hockey Association held a -very successful Christmas Classic Tournament at Darlington Darlington and Bowmanville arenas during the first weekend of 1987. Another New Year's tradition, the levees sponsored by the Town of Newcastle and Branch 178 of the Royal Canadian Legion, also took place. Soldiers took over the Long Sault Conservation Area on January 10. But this was a peaceful invasion. The troops from the Ontario Regiment weni to the Conservation Conservation Area to practice winter survival skills such as cooking, pitching tents, and travelling on foot with snow shoes and sleds. One of Bownuinville's most long-serving businesses businesses closed its doors in January. Kramp Furniture ended a 27-year tradition when it ceased operations in mid-month, as announced announced laic in the previous previous year. The construction of the new Bowmanville Arena ■ complex wiYj invthe head-', lines , earlyC,in. 1987 and would; -indeed,, remain there throughout the year. At a council session January January 12, Newcastle's elected officials selected a consulting consulting firm to oversee the $4.9 million project. Phillips, Barratt Kaiser Engineering Ltd. was selected by council. council. Councillors were considering considering the possibility of either a design/build program program or a design/tender procedure. procedure. The January 12 council session also saw Newcastle's Newcastle's elected officials launch the renovation and construction program for the Bowm'anville Town Hall. The town's architects, A.J. Diamond and Partners, presented final drawings to the municipality. Seven firms were invited to submit submit bids for the construction construction of the three-storey addition addition and the renovation of the interior of the existing building. Statistics turned in by the Town of Newcastle's building building department revealed that 1986 had been a banner year for construction activity, activity, especially in the ar.ea of residential dwellings. Building permits were issued issued to 1,149 homes in the Town of Newcastle. The value of buildings receiving permits in 1986 was placed at$73.1 million. Residential permits accounted for $65 million of that total. 'file possibility of using the mothballed Wesleyville Generating Station as a facility for burning or recycling recycling municipal garbage was raised at a meeting of town council. Ontario Hydro was said to be looking looking into the prospect of turning the Wesleyville smokestack and buildings into a waste disposal facility. facility. The Ontario Regiment wasn't the only group to enjoy a winter outing in January. Members of local Beaver colonies gathered at the Newcastle Golf Course for a variety of outdoor events including rides in a dogsled, tobogganing, soccer, soccer, snow painting, and a tug-of-war. Implementation of a 911 emergency telephone number number has an estimated cost of $200,000, according to Newcastle Newcastle Fire Chief Jim Aldridge. Aldridge. The installation of a New Strategy for Disposal The report of the task force looking into the best way to find a disposal site for low level radioactive wastes has come up with a novel, yet sensible approach. The disposal of nuclear waste usually usually attracts opposition wherever a dump site is planned. So the task force has suggested that communities " ought to become partners in the selection of a waste disposal site. The scenario sketched out by the task force works something like this: A certain community (probably a rural area having lots of available land) can offer to accept the low level waste in return for compensation. In effect, the waste disposal facility (which would have to meet all of the rigorous requirements of licencing authorities) would turn the nuclear cast-offs into a viable business opportunity. opportunity. In return for accepting the radioactive radioactive material, a municipality would be able to (for example) build a new arena, buy some new lire trucks, repair repair local roads, purchase a new snow plow, or possibly reduce the tax burden across the board. It's a classical case of turning the sow's ear of nuclear waste into the silken purse of community prosperity. prosperity. But, as with all new concepts, it remains to be seen ifthe system will work. For one thing, a community volunteering volunteering to accept a nuclear waste proposal is allowed to back out of its offer at any time in the lengthy process process of approvals. In our experience, even the best types of development proposals attract attract their share of local opposition. And nuclear waste disposal is not on a par with an auto parts manufactur ing plant, a high-tech computer firm or even a modest subdivision in terms of desirability. It's possible that there may be a few communities which will be initially interested in the concept of storing radioactive wastes within their boundaries. boundaries. But will that interest continue once the opponents of the project start to apply the pressure? We also cannot help but wonder how the anti-nuclear community will respond to the idea. We understand that the local groups who have opposed opposed the Port Granby site have expressed expressed support for the task force report. report. But not all opponents of nuclear power and the nuclear industry in general will share that support. And it's possible that some of the very same people who protest the existence of the Port Granby site and are calling for a clean-up may eventually eventually find themselves opposed to the new dump-site which would solve the Port Granby problem. Nevertheless, it would be unwise to predict failure for this site selection selection process before it has a chance to work. All wc know at this point in time is that the Port Granby problem has to be cleaned up. Wc also know that the idea of nuclear nuclear experts selecting a site and then trying to sell that site to the public public hasn't worked. That's why the proposals for disposal at Tyrone or Starkville fell through. So maybe it's time to reverse that procedure and let communities come i o the nuclear experts of this country to offer their services as waste repositories. repositories. One thing is also clear: Our choices in this matter are rapidly running out. 911 emergency phone line in the municipality was discussed discussed atthe town's general purpose committee meeting meeting January 19. Parents of students in Bowmanville's Waverley subdivision won a partial victory in their bid to have bus service provided for high school and senior public public school pupils. The Northumberland and Newcastle Newcastle Board of Education voted 8-7 in favor of reducing reducing the maximum walking distances for high school and senior public school students. As a"result,busing.' was provided for about 20' per cent of the pupils. Parents Parents indicated after the decision decision that they were still seeking busing for all the students in the neighbourhood. neighbourhood. Durham College honored graduates of its nursingdip- loma programs and engineering engineering and technical programs at a graduation in the college Athletic Complex. Complex. The graduation took place on January 31. The Oshawa Ski Club, at Kirby, celebrated its 50th anniversary during 1987. The club started in 1937 and has grown to a facility consisting consisting of 27 runs, eight T- bars, a cable tow, two chalets and a 40 metre ski jump. On Sunday, January 25, the Visual Arts Centre in Bowmanville opened its third annual Juried Exhibition Exhibition of Crafts. The work of 45 artisans was displayed, with the Best in Show Award going to Saundra Reiner, of Toronto. The new St. Therese Church in Courtice was formally formally dedicated in a public service held January 25th. Bishop James Doyle, of the Peterborough Diocese, conducted conducted the service. . Marg Wilbur was unani- ' rhpùsly : hcclâiméd, the' NDP candidate fdr Durham East in the expected provincial provincial election. Newcastle Councillor Diane Hamre announced her intention to seek the Liberal Party nomination in Durham East. In a presentation to town council, a spokesman for Ontario Hydro attempted to assure elected officials that the trucking of tritiated heavy water to a removal facility at the Darlington Nuclear Generating Station is a safe practice. The Hydro spokesman said the ilasks used to store the heavy water are designed to withstand the most serious collisions and other accidents. accidents. FEBRUARY Three buildings in the Town of Newcastle were given heritage designations by Newcastle's town council. council. They included the Orono Town Hall, the John Stalker House on Leskard Rd. and a residence on 117 Queen St., in Bowmanville. Durham East Progressive Conservatives acclaimed MPP Sam Cureatz as their standard-bearer in the expected expected 1987 election. Mr. Cureatz was nominated at a meeting in Port Perry February February 2. Tom Long, President President of the Ontario Progressive Progressive Conservative Party, : was'guest speaker. Newcastle Mayor John Winters complained that the Durham Region's proposal proposal for raising taxes over the next five years causes existing taxpayers to pay for tomorrow's services. In a comment on the plan to decrease regional debt over a five-year period, Mr. Winters Winters said the concept "does not make good business sense". A by-law repealing the appointment of Newcastle's director of community services services was passed by town council on Monday, February February 9. Jan Devantier had served as director of community community services for the Town of Newcastle for two years. Turn to Page 13 By Carolyn Hepburn As a rule I don't make New Year's resolutions. In my opinion it doesn't make sense to make promises to myself that I know I won't keep. Even if I promise to have all my stories done on time, or print my pictures pictures promptly after developing developing the film, or even get this column written by deadline, I know' that the procrastinator procrastinator in me will still be around in 1988. So, I solve the problem by not worrying about New Year's resolutions. Yet, I find so many people who make these yearly pacts and threaten life and limb to keep them. I suppose that they are much more disciplined than I am, or just more willing to live under the stresses that the blasted resolutions used to bring me. A friend of mine from my college days swore that she would give up smoking several years ago. To this day she still puffs an awfully high number ol' the cancer sticks a day. Her resolution resolution obviously didn't work, I have another friend who promised that she would write letters every month in order to keep in touch. I rarely hear from her but I know that writing isn't exactly in her personality makeup, makeup, and I can accept that. It was a resolution that should never have been made in the first place because it was impossible impossible to keep. Still another acquaintance acquaintance vowed that he would quit drinking gallons gallons of beer and start lifting lifting weights. He has taken up weights, they just look an awful lot like beer bottles. The typical resolutions resolutions always seem to fall under the food category. Phrases like: "I have to stop eating all that chocolate", or my favorite favorite "I have to give up all the foods I love so that by summer I can fit into the bikini that Santa left under the tree." It is amazing what people will promise themselves just to give themselves peace of mind. They convince themselves that indeed they arc ready to face the coming year with at least one impossible feat under way. O.K., you say. What about the people who really really do make serious New Year's resolutions and keep them? To them I say: "CONGRATULATIONS!!" "CONGRATULATIONS!!" To the folks who actually actually give up smoking, lose weight, or even give up chocolate (that one would definitely never be on my list), it is nice to know that the promises promises you made were kept. For me, I don't need a lesson in self-induced stress to help me accomplish accomplish anything. I simply simply make a goal, no matter matter what time of year it is, and set my mind to accomplishing accomplishing it. I do much better if I don't make a public declaration of my intentions. That way, if I fall short I'm the only one who needs to know and that suits me just fine. My fellow reporter and myself have joined a fitness fitness club starting January January 1. Now, it may appear as if that is a resolution to get totally fit for the coming year. I, for one, will never tell. That way, if it doesn't work, no one will ever know.