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i ' ' 2 The Canadian Statesman, Bowmanville, Wednesday, June 17,1992 Section Two FÎRIl 11 (f% i i For 138 Years, Our First Concern Has Been Our Community - 8 : ' t : v l\// Publisher - John M. James Assoc, Publisher - Richard A. James Plant Manager - Donald J. Bishop Ad. Manager - Brian G. Purdy Editor - Peter Parrott Production Rick Patterson, Julie Cashin-Oster, Ross Fisher, Laurens Kaldeway, Doug Lugtenburg, Sharon McMullen, Barb Patterson, Sean Pickard, Ralph Rozema, Jim Snoek, Vance Sutherland, Jim Tuuramo • Advertising Laverne Morrison, Pat Patterson-Savage, Anne Susac Editorial Brad Kelly, Lorraine Manfredo, Laura J. Richards Office " Rev. W. R. Climie, 1854-1878 • M.A. James, 1878-1935 • George W. James, 1935-1957 Angela Luscher, Junia Carnegie, Grace McGregor, Nancy Pleasance, Marilyn Rutherford, Barb Schouten Produced weekly by James Publishing Company Limited p.O. Box 190,62 King St. W., Bowmanville, Ontario, L1C 3K9 416-623-3303 Fax 416-623-6161 Former Publishers Aggressive Drivers To Blame for High Automobile Fatalities Motor vehicle accidents will happen. And there's nothing we can do about it. Or is there? According to the statistics, a great many accidents on our streets and highways are preventable. And a report from the Ministry of Transportation indicates that "aggressive" driving habits are one of the major factors contributing to accidents. Of course, such habits are correctable. Ministry of Transportation statistics indicate that about two-thirds of collisions resulting from driver error were attributable; to aggressive driving behaviour. Here are the top five problems associated with this dangerous habit: •speeding •improper lane changes •following too closely •not obeying traffic signals •failing to yield the right-of-way A closer look at these aggressive driving traits reveals the familiar litany of bad driving habits. Perhaps, if we look closely, we'll detect some of these habits in ourselves. Speeding is the most common driver error contributing to fatal collisions. It means not only exceeding the posted speed limits, but driving too fast for road and weather conditions. Improper lane changes includes overtaking slower vehicles without properly signalling and failure to check in all directions or not leaving ti safe distance to manoeuvre. Following too closely is self-explanatory. The experts suggest maintaining a two-second distance between your car and the one in front. To test yourself, start counting one thousand, two thousand when the car in front passes a stationary object such as a road sign. Stop counting when your vehicle passes the same object to see how many seconds have elapsed. In poor weather, the distance should be doubled. Collisions caused by disobeying traffic signals killed 87 people in Ontario during 1990. Aggressive drivers are a hazard' at traffic signals because they are the ones who think a yellow light is the signal to speed through the intersection before the red light .appears. Of course, the yellow light means you must bring your car to a stop in all cases except when it is not safe to do so. . Finally, failing to yield the right-of-way on a multi-lane highway or at an intersection, causes about 10 per cent of all Ontario accidents. Again, it is the result of aggressive driving habits. Surveys indicate that about 41 per cent of drivers between 16 and 20 drive aggressively. Their main offence is speeding, About 41 per cent of drivers over 65 also display traits of aggression at the wheel. They tend to fail to yield the right-of-way. Aggressive driving is reported by about 29 per cent of those between 21 and 65. Statistics indicate that drivers of passenger cars are the most aggressive, followed by tmek drivers and drivers of large buses. But, although the degrees of aggressiveness vary among categories of drivers, it seems to us that the numbers are too high in all of the age groups and driving categories. If you see yourself in some of these statistics, it's not too late to change. Bad habits that have been learned can also be unlearned. I say, is there something bothering you, Diana P d 1 0^*17.92 POLO vj's 7 Laura J. Richards Letters to the Editor Dear Editor, fjju As a member of the Solina Community, Community, I am proud to say that we have one of the finest recreational parks in the Region. Our facility consists consists of a clubhouse, two baseball diamonds, diamonds, two tennis courts and a soccer pitch that are managed extremely effectively effectively by members of our community. community. Countless volunteers work co- . operatively to provide an excellent facility facility for any and all Solina teams. Many members of this community are generous with their time and as a result, result, Solina is able to run the Park without any outside intervention; namely the Town of. Newcastle. Things run smoothly with very few problems. My concerns begin when I am forced to utilize the parks that are by Rick James - Finally, a week-end that actually resembles hot summer weather. It took until the middle of June to enjoy sunny sunny days, barbecues, and sweaterless golf games. Cutting the grass in shorts, a tank top and sunglasses is permissible. Ice-laden drinks replace the stream of sweat that drains from our winter fat cells. Leisurely summer week-ends around the house are shaping up nicely. Board meetings have been cancelled for the next three months, and all the home improvement projects have either either 'been completed or put on hold until September. September. Everything's quite comfortable...until the mosquitoes arrive. These flying hypodermic needles are worse than ants at a picnic, or uninvited guests who don't know when to leave. Just as bad are their cousins, the blackfly, no-see-ums, and deerflys. All have teeth like chainsaws. It's very difficult to look "cool" when blood is dripping down yourface. I gave up on repqllants during my golfing days. It got to be a little embarrassing when clubs turned into helicopters as they slipped from Muskol-soaked hands. • Bug zappers seem to work pretty well, but only if positioned over those uninvited guests mentioned earlier. They seem to leave sooner when barbecued bugs land in their wine coolers. coolers. Since lotions and electronics have failed, it's time to fight nature with nature. This is the year of the Purple Martin House. These flying debuggers eat thousands of buzzing carnivors each day. Once a feathered- family moves into a proper martin house, the mosquito problem is supposed to be eliminated. eliminated. The trick is to get these fastidious birds to see the .vacancy sign and call your birdhouse home sweet home. Apparently, everything about the house has to be perfect to attract martins. Location," height, style, coloring and cleanliness are all very important to the bird. If all conditions are perfect, they will come and stay forever. Just like those uninvited guests! I often wonder if there is such a thing as a Purple Martin. Has anyone every seen one of these birds? There are all kinds of martin houses houses around town, but I've only seen swallows and starlings flittering about them. Does anybody anybody know what a martin even looks like? Because of my skepticism, I have implemented implemented a backup plan. Again, it involves using Mother Nature to fight my battles. Holy bug- eaters Batman, I'm building bat houses. Apparently, the badly-maligned bat is a key component in nature's cycle. These harmless creatures have a reputation of flying in people's hair, being heavily infécted with rabies, or being being vicious blood suckers. All accusations are untrue. I'm turning into the Batman of Pamela Court because of the critter's incredible appetite for bugs. Specifically, a single bat will eat about 600 mosquitoes per hour! Plus, I know that bats exist. I'm convinced Purple Martins are a myth. Bats are not as fussy about their homes, so even Rick the Handyman can build pseudo- batcaves. Two have been erected already, and the welcome mat is out for batty tenants, Some people will no doubt have trouble adapting to the thought of dozens of bats flying about the neighborhood. After all, age-old Dracula Dracula phobias are hard to break. Hopefully, the bats will do their job and rid the yard of mosquitoes. If nothing else, maybe they will help keep the uninvited guests at home. .managed and operated by The Town of Newcastle. As 'à member of the Darlington Wanderers Soccer Club, (a 'senior men's competitive team) our 'home' field is located on Solina Road South, adjacent to the Darlington Generating Generating Station. Although I may be spoiled by the quality of our 'community-run' 'community-run' Solina Park, I believe the Town operated field to be an embarrassment embarrassment to our team and the Town of Newcastle. This location has the potential potential to be an excellent facility, yet is is left to falter as a result of shoddy management. After receiving very little support from the Town, our team has taken it upon ourselves to, on many occasions, look after our soccer field. At various : times last summer, we watered, aerated aerated and fertilized the soccer pitch, using using our own time and money. The most recent incident occurred on Sunday, May 24, 1992. With a scheduled league game at 4 p.m., (prearranged (prearranged by the Parks and Recreation Dept.) I and several other team members members arrived at the park at 2 p.m. to find the grass on the field approximately approximately six inches high. To avoid any further embarrassment, we were forced to cut the grass before our game with five push lawnmowers. If nothing else, I guess it served as a good warm-up for our game! Our soccer club has no difficulty with the idea of paying to use Town facilities but we find it hard to justify paying for a service that is not being delivered. I am not about to suggest any miracle solutions to this problem, However, I believe that the Town of Newcastle and the taxpayers of this area must be made aware of this serious serious lack of management. Yours truly, Jeff Knox President Darlington Wanderers S.C. Fund Raises $16,484 On behalf of the Durham Region Unit of The Kidney Foundation of Canada, I would like to thank all of our volunteers whose dedication and hard work on the 1992 March Door- to-Door Canvassing Campaign helped raise over $16,484 in Oshawa/ Bowmanville. A special thanks is also extended to our contributors in the area for their generosity and support of The Kidney Foundation. The total campaign has raised $431,345 in the Toronto and district area. All funds raised go to providing a better quality of life for kidney patients patients through medical research, patient patient services and public education programs. Over one million people in Canada arc affected by kidney disease and related related disorder. Each day another 5 Canadians Canadians leam their kidneys will fail making survival dependent on dialysis treatments or a kidney transplant. The Kidney Foundation is committed committed to finding a cure. With the help of dedicated volunteers and the financial support of the community, "We've Got Kidney Disease on the Run". Margaret Créés Three things are on my mind this week: Marion Boyd, the minister responsible responsible for Women's Issues is looking for nominations of women to the Ontario Ontario Advisory Council on Women's Issues (OACWI). During the fall of 1991, the OAC-> WI held a series of public consultations consultations to figure out how to improve 1 communications between women and* the Ontario government. After reviewing the material which' came from the consultations, the gov-; emment has decided to issue a new» mandate for the council. Along with the new mandate is à: new way of choosing women to serve as members of the council. The idea is that people like you and me will nominate nominate women to sit on the OACWI. So, what will the women nominated nominated to the OACWI do? According to information gleaned, from an interview with Lydia Olek- syn, a communications officer with the OACWI, the women will conduct coffee meetings to find out what issues issues they would like to see tackled. The women chosen to sit on the : council will be required to establish links with community groups, préparé J reports on the region's activities and - go on speaking engagements. In these ' ways, the women selected will be kept ; informed and will keep, others in- - formed. '• The council is looking for women - who know what the women's issues,.' are at community and regional levels. - They should be able to organize meet- ' ings and be willing to travel. There will be about four to five 1 meetings per year for which there will ' be expenses paid and an'honorarium * given. The women will also have'their ( • expenses and travel reimbursed. ; > Currently, the Town of Newcastle ! councillors are supposed to be ■ scrounging up names to submit as the v town's nominees to. the OACWI. So, ', if you know of someone who, in.your • estimation, fits the bill, call 623-3379 ! and let them know. Last Friday afternoon, I found my- ' self on the set of .the filming of an - Emergency 911 episode at Bowman- I ville High School. I met Francine Nicholas and heard ! her for the first time. - I was overwhelmed. This woman, who might have been dead and buried, has lived to fight'one of our society's most subversive diseases -- violence against women and children. To hear her speak made me stop writing to listen to the abuse and con- .", flicting emotions she felt during her-, 11-year marriage. If you are a woman'who is in a sit-, uation that you don't think is abusive, j she has a few thoughts on that you '• should listen to. ; 5 "Men need to leam to respect their a wives and girlfriends. ; ' "I grew up with the idea and dream'; j to marry and live happily ever after. - "It didn't happen," said Ms Nicho- \ las during an off-the-cuff speech at' i Bowmanville High School for the $ cameras. ; * Approximately 60 women per year ' are killed by their intimate partners,' $ she told a group of 16 teenagers. ' "Every day I have a woman come Î into my shop to talk about a situation. 15 "What kind of country is this when ' no woman feels safe to walk alone? j 5 "This is called a country of free-, 5 dom. There is no freedom for a worn-' s ; ; Continued on Page 3 ■ m B We Asked Should the Town of Newcastle be the location of a Durham Region only landfill site? .. .And You Said < ' v ■■ ' ? ' i Va . 11 n John Stainton Rita Samis Bowmanville Bowmanville "No, definitely not, "I think it would be a because others should good idea." have to take the load. It should be in two or three locations so it doesn't take up so much land." Rick Giesberger Hampton "Garbage has to go somewhere. They're shipping it to the States and someone's making a pile of money there." Jospeh St. Arnaud Wilmot Creek "No - Newcastle for Newcastle and put it at the cement plant. They can grind up the garbage and put it in the cement," Next week's question: Where are you going to spend your summer vacation? m ! n