The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

SECTION TWO WEDNESDAY JULY 24,1991 Section Two The Canadian Statesman, Bowmanville, July 24,1991 3 Efit Canadian statesman Durham Region's Great Family Journal Established 137 years ago in 1854 Also Incorporating The Bowmanville News The Newcastle Independent The Orono News Second Class mail registration number 1561 Produced weekly by Jamee Publishing Company Limited 62 King Street West, Bowmanville, Ontario L1C 3K9 416-623-3303 Fax 416-623-6161 (J^NA John M. James Editor - Publisher Richard A. James Associate Publisher Peter Parrott Brian Geo. Purdy Donald Bishop Associate Editor Advertising Mgr. Plant Mgr. All layouts and composition of advertisements produced by the employees of James Publishing Company Limited are protected by copyright and may not be reproduced without the permission of the publisher. Although every precaution will be taken to avoid error, The.Canadian Statesman accepts advertising In its columns on the understanding that H will not be liable for any error In the advertisement published hereunder unless a proof of such advertisement is requested In writing by the advertiser and relumed to The Canadian Statesman business office duly signed by the advertiser and with such error or corrections plainly noted in writing thereSn, and In that case H any error so noted Is not corrected by The Canadian-Stateeman Its labHIty shall not exceed such a portion of the entire cost of such advertisement as the space occupied by the noted error bears to the whole space occupied by such advertisement. Editorial Comm New Ideas Needed Better sit down before you read this item. Believe it or not, residents of Ontario Ontario could see their electricity rates climb by 44 per cent over the next three years. Marc Eliesen, the new chairman of Ontario Hydro, has warned that Hydro Hydro could be introducing double-digit rate increases for the next two'to three years -- increases that might amount to 13 per cent annually. The chairman stated several reasons reasons for the increase in the power - costs, including the need to refurbish existing coal-burning plants and the need to upgrade transmission lines. The fact that Ontario's nuclear power power stations are not operating with the . same degree of performance as they did in the past is also contributing to the increase. f It seems to us that with every pass- vihg day, the costs of Ontario's nuclear / ■ program are going up. You no longer /Shave to be an ànti-nuclear radical to ^/ suspect that nuclear power is a dead- • ; end street. And yet, Ontario Hydro's ' ^ latest projections for future electrical needs have all been based, in part, on new nuclear, reactors being built at the igb Darlington ; site and possibly other locations. locations. / It seems to us that the concept of energy conservation makes sense now .,-more than ever. And, yes, it's just possible possible that if utilities and consumers got serious enough about power conservation, conservation, they would eliminate the need for those costly new generating stations. The necessity for conservation conservation will become even more apparent if Hydro rates are going to increase by double digits in the next few years. In fact, power conservation will undoubtedly undoubtedly occur once the high rates are in effect. But a more formal program program of electrical conservation -- endorsed endorsed by government, businesses, and Ontario Hydro -- would be even better. When utilities commit themselves to more power stations, they also commit commit consumers to additional burdens of interest charges, maintenance costs, and the expense of transmission lines. In the case of the nuclear power plants, there's also the added burden of safely disposing nuclear waste. On the other hand, power that is conserved avoids the need to spend dollars in the future on costs such as maintenance, upgrading, operations, power lines, nuclear waste disposal, etc. For this reason, conservation of electricity electricity makes sense. It's possible that, for a fraction of the cost of a new nuclear power plant, scientists could invent more efficient electrical motors that would make such plants unnecessary. And it's this kind of thinking that the utility must use when it considers the actions that it will take in the future. future. In the past, we solved the problem of electrical power demand by building new generating stations. The idea was all right at the time. But times change and new solutions become necessary needed. ' ; mv it In the past, wè also buried our garbage garbage and discharged sewage into the lakes. But we don't do that any more. Or, at least,, we're trying not to. So now it's time for some new solutions solutions out of Ontario Hydro. The old ones may not work. Town's Timing Stinks The municipality's senior' administrative administrative staff could use a little extra education education on the topic of timing. Maybe that's what they were studying studying at a seminar last week at the Bowmanville Bowmanville Recreation Complex. It seems that at least a half dozen of the town's chief honchos were ensconced ensconced in the recreation complex for a two-day seminar. Such an event -- occurring occurring so shortly after the approval of the controversial municipal salaries -- lacks timing. The staff ought to have at least waited until the smoke cleared over the pay raises before booking extra time for training. The training exercise further confirms confirms our suspicions that senior staff are not only generously paid, but also generously rewarded with nonmonetary nonmonetary perks that would be the envy of many private-sector businesses. businesses. In the good old days, people studied on their own time td gain the extra knowledge they needéd to get ahead in the world. Everyone has heard the story story of how Abraham Lincoln studied by candlelight after work in order to improve improve his education. But, it would seem that in the ivory-tower ivory-tower world of government administration, administration, you don't have to make any such sacrifices. You can attend seminars seminars on company time. And seminars of this nature have a cost to the taxpayer. Let's assume that a half dozen senior senior managers earning an average of $50,000 per annum are in attendance at a seminar for two full working days. That costs John or Jane Q. Public close to $200 per day for each staff member in attendance. And this would amount to close to $2,500 if six persons persons were in attendance for two days. It's an added cost that never gets mentioned when staff salaries are discussed discussed at the town hall. And dare we wonder if another free lunch was part of the training session? Perhaps it's time that the taxpayer was given a complete summaiy of the cost of staff training. Farm Safety Week National Farm' Safety Week (July 25-31) is an opportunity to focus on the need for safe work habits in one of the most dangerous workplaces of all. The Canada Safety Council tells us that farming, which seems to outsiders outsiders to be a perfectly healthy lifestyle, is a hazardous occupation. In fact, its rates for accidental death and injury are among the highest highest of all major industries. "Farm Safety is No Accident" is the theme of this year's campaign. And those words convey the idea that safety safety on the farm is really a matter of conscious decision-making and choices. choices. The Safety Council notes that accident accident prevention requires taking the necessary measures ahead of time that can reduce or eliminate the risk of injury. injury. In the Town of Newcastle, the number number of full-time, professional farmers may have declined over the past decade. decade. But it's obvious that there's still a high number of rural residents in this municipality. And the advice concerning concerning farm safety can hold equally true for the many hobby formers or owners of small rural acreages scattered across the municipality. Rural residents may not raise livestock livestock or operate big tractors and har vesting equipment. But they still should make certain that "Safety is No Accident" when they work around the home. Operating lawn mowers, and power tools or applying pesticides and weed killers calls for caution whether the operator is a fully-fledged farmer or a hobbyist. , Here are iust a few of the suggestions suggestions offered by the Canada Safety Council in connection with farm safety- safety- Operators of equipment are reminded reminded to read and heed the operating manual and wear proper safety equipment. equipment. Owners should conduct routine hazard hazard checks on equipments, buildings and grounds. Special attention should be paid to protecting children, ensuring that they aren't allowed to ride on equipment and making certain that ignition keys are removed from motorized vehicles. Hired workers should be properly trained and should have all the hazards hazards involved in their jobs pointed out. These are just a few hints connected with safety on the farm and in any other rural acreages where similar advice advice would apply. _ Remember: "Farm Safety is No Accident." Accident." by Laura J. Richards Poorer Than the Average Bear! Report from Ottawa by Ross Stevenson, M.P. for Durham Ottawa is determined to keep a tight grip on its purse strings. That's the clear message of the new Spending Control Act announced announced a few days ago. The Act puts a firm ceiling on all federal spending - only excluding excluding interest payments on our national debt - for the next five years. ' Increases Increases must be held to no\more than 3 per cent annually between now and 1996, lower than the level at which budget restraints restraints have kept them for the past six years. That's well behind the inflation rate as well as the pace at which our economy is growing. Where special circumstances circumstances call for higher than expected program spending in one area, that will have to be balanced balanced by program reductions reductions in other areas. Most important to us all as taxpayers, taxpayers, the Act neither permits higher borrowing - which would add to the deficit - nor does it permit permit tax increases to cover any excess spending that might occur. Obviously some flexibility flexibility has to be allowed so Ottawa can respond to emergencies or disaster situations requiring federal federal financial nelp. These can't be foreseen and tied into a five-year program. But any suen overspending overspending will be limited and must be publicly identified by the Minister of Finance, either immediately immediately or in the next federal federal budget. Some critics already have pointed out that these new controls are to be enforced simply by an act of Parliament, which could be changed in : future. future. While that's possible, possible, it's also most unlikely. unlikely. Any federal budget that exceeded the Spending Spending Control Act limits could not be presented to Parliament without new legislation to change the Act also. That is a nighly public procedure. The government would be required required to explain why it wants to spend more taxpayers' taxpayers' dollars, and what effect that will have on taxes, the deficit, and the size of the national debt. With the Canadian public feeling as it does about taxes and spénding by all levels of government, government, that would be no easy matter. These new federal spending controls are much more restrictive than the U.S. Budget Enforcement Enforcement Act - successor to Washington's Gramm- Rudman-Hollings Act with which some of you will be familiar. The U.S. law permits new spending to be financed financed through increased taxation, so long as the deficit doesn't become larger. While the Canadian Canadian Act will permit only limited exemptions from new spending limits, in the U.S. the limits can be adjusted for changes in inflation, and statutory programs such as social security are exempted from changes due to economic economic conditions. There already has been significant progress in controlling program spending at Ottawa. In the last six years it has been held to an average annual increase of just 3.7 per cent - considerably considerably less than the 13.8 percent percent average annual increases increases for the 15 years prior to 1984. As I said in a previous column, the Spending Control Act, combined with the direct channelling channelling of all Goods and Services Services Tax revenues to debt reduction, will cut the deficit and thus control control federal taxes. And that's good news indeed for all of us taxpayers! An article in a Toronto daily newspaper caught my eye the other day about a couple living in the big city. The wife has landed immigrant status and the husband is to be deported. deported. This is a direct result of an immigration officer deeming the couple's marriage to be one of "convenience." I sat down in the office's office's lunch room to read- the article and then my thoughts wandered back to when I attended St. Thomas University. While attending university university I met many young men from Africa, the Middle Middle East, Asia and South America who were looking looking for wives. (These students; students; for the most part, attended the University of New Brunswick located located on the same campus as my university.) A few of these students were really subtle in their searches, while others others were not. One of the many people people I met was Tas (name changed to protect the guilty), from Africa. Now Tas was a gentleman gentleman when he wanted to be. He could cajole his way into any type of relationship relationship so long as it led to him popping "the question." question." As a matter of fact, I know that he popped the question about a dozen times before he had to leave Canada after he graduated from his four- year business program. I was one of the women women he proposed to. Funny thing. I never felt like I was being courted and I knew about all the other women he had proposed to. Tas never covered his tracks. And he was pretty up front as to why he wanted a wife. He didn't want to have to go back to Africa after he got his degree. He liked life in New Brunswick. He liked being free. He especially liked the thought of being free to work where he wanted to work and for wages he could actually live on. I never really blamed him for wanting to stay, I just had a few problems with how he wanted to stay. Getting married to Tas just so he could stay in Canada wasn't high on, my list of things I wanted to _ accomplish while in university. I may have been fairly naive back then, but I wasn't stupid.. I knew that the guy was only on the lookout for two things: a wife and permission permission to stay in Canada. Canada. The irony in this story is that when Tas went back to Africa, he met a Canadian woman and married her while in Africa. Africa. He and his wife arrived arrived back in Canada two years after he left. Tas and his wife live and work in Ottawa. I do know women who have married foreign students students in an effort to keep the students here in Canada. Canada. The marriages were only to save the man from returning home. One of the women married married a student from Argentina. Argentina. As an arrogant man used to getting his own way, he used plenty of scare tactics on her to keep her under his thumb. When this particular couple moved into the married couples quarters, he bought a dead bolt and installed it so only one key could open the door from the inside and out. When he left for classes in the morning he would lock my friend in. She was only allowed out when he said so and he always went with her. My friendship with her suffered. It is hard to talk about important issues with someone who is no longer allowed to speak for herself. After the summer ended, ended, my friend's husband decided to go to another university which had accepted accepted him. So my friend left the province for an unknown destination. None of her friends, including myself have heard from her since. And neither has her family. I think that marriages of convenience should be annulled in cases where one of the spouses only got married to avoid going going home, wherever home may be. I realize I have only described two cases in this column. But, one can be sure there are many more out there. All this leads back to the article in the Toronto paper which described a number of questions the couple were asked at separate separate times and in separate separate rooms, about the relationship relationship and their home. The journalist also described described the home the couple share together. My question for the reporter reporter is this: How do you actually know if the things you saw are how things actually stand in that marriage? The thing is, no one but the couple knows. And if a person wants to stay here badly enough, he or she will go to great lengths to do so. Even marriage. MP Responds to Letter Mr. E. John Veldhuis Chairman Port Granby-Newcastle Environment Committee Dear John; This will the copy Prime 18, ree ment of acknowledge ■ letter to the liraster, dated June commence- r Phase IV of the siting siting process for relocating low level radioactive wastes currently located at Port Granby and in the Port Hope-Hope Township areas. Your letter seemed to convey the mistaken impression impression that the federal government government only reacts when you personally exert pressure. On the contrary, my understanding understanding is that Phase IV already already has received the required required ' consideration and approval of cabinet and, if an announcement has not been made by the time you receive this, then it soon will be. I have noted your reference reference to the Prime Minister's 1984 letter to James Scul- thorpe and other area residents residents who were concerned about these wastes. You might well remember that this was the first time ever that anyone within the federal federal government had accepted accepted any governmental responsibility responsibility whatsoever for resolving this longstanding community problem. Previous governments had insisted sole responsibility responsibility lay with Eldorado Nuclear Nuclear which, as you've mentioned, mentioned, subsequently proposed burying all the waste under a prime dairy farm property near Tyrone. It was to prevent this outrage outrage that the present gov ernment intervened and established established the siting task force. The federal government has every intention of seeing this matter through to its conclusion. Everyone concerned concerned knew from the beginning beginning that it would be a lengthy, complicated, and extremely expensive process. process. Under the circumstances, circumstances, veiled threats of "confrontation" "confrontation" and "patience wearing thin" - while they may look good in print -- are hardly justified and certainly certainly not productive. 1 noted that you sent copies copies of your letter to the local media. Therefore I also am providing them with copies of this correspondence. With very best regards, Yours very truly Ross Stevenson, M.P. Durham. r Pressing Matters In One Small Town - by John E. James - ~\ Hz "How things have changed" We went home last week. Aside from the happiness associated with family gatherings, these trips have become bittersweet experiences. The old home is still there. Thankfully, Thankfully, so are Mom and Dad. The little Blue Spruce our Pop E lanted back in the comer on Mother's •ay is there too. Somehow that tiny twig survived, lending a bit of quiet dignity to the yard while serving as backstop for countless ball games. Beaten-down base paths are back to grass. The little tree long ago grew over home plate. Tragically, Don "Butchie" Bagnall and Terry Black, part of a tight-knit crew who did their share to make the town of Bowman- gone. Disappearing in stages was the rickety back porch that carved up six year old brother Bob's forehead when he shortened the corner one day. Today Today it's a screened patio thanks to youngest brother Rick. He's the latecomer, latecomer, born 11 years after Bob, when Pop lost the '57 election and suddenly found himself with too much time on 1ns hands. Gone too is the wooden verandah at the front of the house. Scared skinny, we stood there that summer afternoon, solemnly staring through windows as young Doc Slemon and old Doc Storey sewed up the red-headed, freckle-faced kid's kisser on the dining room table; Our house was over 100 years old when acquired for $6000. Never to be forgotten was Dad's first renovation project, when we learned that outrageous outrageous sum had been paid for a house so old it was built with square nails! How things have changed. Church Street featured more action from road hockey and touch football games than cars. Once a day those contests came to a halt while Mr. Abernethy stopped his horse to deliver Glen Rae Dairy products to the neighbourhood. neighbourhood. King Street was the Tousy' road. It was also Highway 2, the main road from Toronto to Montreal, or Windsor. The 'business section' was on King Street, stretching five blocks from Vanstone's Mill in the west, to Sheppard Sheppard and Gill's lumber yard at tne east end of town. Across from the Balmoral Hotel up the street sat Harry Sutton's barber shop; a place where we spent enoro- mous amounts of time. Haircuts happened at least once a month, and Harry Sutton was the best barber in town. No arguing that. But S ass grow faster than Harry cut hair, an, was he slow. Daylight died early during the winter winter months, and through the red, ue barber pole stripes white and 1)1 painted on the window, we watched a zillion days slip away while Harry snipped, and CFRB's Wes McKnight announced the evening news on an old floor model radio. Howcum no teevee? Forty years ago television wasn't around. When The Tube finally appeared, Dad's philosophy on domestic money matters didn't help matters: "If you can't afford to pay cash, you can't afford afford it at all." For years the family often often sat in the living room after dinner to discuss where tne teevee would be positioned... "when we could afford one." How things have changed. Bowmanville isn't Bowmanville any more. Bowmanville is merely part of the new "Town of Newcastle' in the Region Region of Durham, On the drawing board at Queen's Park, Regional Government must look terrific. For most folks on main street however, the 'one size fits all' concept stinks. Do newcomers in the town's huge new subdivisions care about these treasured memories? Maybe not. But given the opportunity to offer a real community environment to their kids instead of more big city urban sprawl, the choice seems logical, Council could remedy the nightmare. nightmare. Thousands of signatures have been collected via petitions. But council council worries about creating confusion, and notes the expense of changing four-colour stationery, vehicle logos and such. Responsible government, yes? Maybe you need to hear more. Confusion isn't a threat; it's a reality. reality. The 'real' Newcastle lies five miles (eight kilometers, please) down the road; a tiny village which meant no harm. Now there are two Newcastles, and no Bowmanvilles. Your taxes in action. The same frugal group of councillors, councillors, so concerned about costs, commissioned commissioned a new town logo a few months later. And recently approved funds for an automatic dishwasher at town hall, to ensure no municipal staffer would ever again have to wash the horde of coffee mugs and spoons accumulated during a day's business. Now most of those councillors are rallying behind town staffers to rebuff the efforts of a few 'trouble-makers', who insist the public still has a right to know what salaries are being paid to town employees. Of course that's an invasion of privacy, which clearly "violates "violates restrictions within the new Freedom Freedom of Information Act", ... taxpayers and rebellious councillors are told. Ilowzat again? The new 'Freedom of Information Act' prevents tax payers from learning how much they're paying paying town staff? My goodness, how things have changes: