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

I 6 The Canadian Statesman, Bowmanville, Wednesday, August 25,1993 For 139 Years, Our First Concern Has Been Our Community 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, Ralph Rozema, Jim Snoek, Vance Sutherland, Jim Tuuramo CCNA Advertising Lavemc Morrison Editorial _ Brad Kelly, Lorraine Manfredo, Laura J. Richards Former Publishers ,uo office Rev. W. R. Climie, 1854-1878 • M.A. James, 1878-1935 • George W. James, 1935-1957 Angela Luscher, Junia Hodge, Grace McGregor, Nancy Pleasance-Sturman, Marilyn Rutherfoid ' 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 Some Thoughts On the Election There's little doubt that an election call is just days away. It's unlikely that Prime Minister Kim Campbell would risk postponing the federal ballot beyond the date when a new voters' list would have to be compiled at a cost in the millions. The public's perception seems to be that the government's mandate has already been stretched to the limit. So, there's every reason to get the election over with now and save a few million in the process. Surprisingly, the October federal election will be fought on a relatively level playing field. In other words, nobody seems to have a solid advantage going into the election. The fact that the Conservatives are entering, the battle on an even footing with their opponents is, in itself, incredible. The Tory party has had the good fortune of seeing its previous : unpopularity pinned on its outgoing leader, Brian Mulroney. And, since Mulroney is gone, Prime Minister Campbell is starting with a relatively clean slate. Oddly enough, it seems to be Brian Mulroney, not the Conservative Party, which infuriated Canadians less than a year ago..Somehow, the Tories have managed to pick themselves up, dust themselves off, and enter the race on at least an equal footing with the New Democrats and Liberals. The length of time that has elapsed between the founding of the Reform Party and the federal election may have Killed Reform's chances in much of Canada. The three established parties seem to be the only serious contenders, although the Bloc Québécois in Quebec and the Reform Party in the west will probably take some seats. It will be an election of many issues. In fact, this election may very well be unusual because it is not about just one or two topics. The last federal ballot focused on the question of free trade. This time around, free trade will still be debated. But it will be accompanied by a hodge podge of just about every issue that has ever faced this country. Social issues-such as health care and education are seen as being : important. So are law and order, immigration, and'multiculturalism. The environment (issues such as fisheries on the cast coast or logging ". on the west) is also a major election topic. And there is still the £ national unity quagmire and the question of Canada's role in ' international peacekeeping efforts. Perhaps, this wide list of issues gives us some idea of the chaotic state in which Canada finds itself as we head into the back stretch of the' 20th century. There are very few comers of the political scene where stability can be found. Undoubtedly, jobs and the broader question of the Canadian economy will be the major focus of the election and the backdrop for the whole process. Of course, the role of government spending is a large part of the economic discussion. There seems to be a consensus that government spending is out of control and must be curbed. But, at the same time, those running for election will find themselves promising more government dollars to cope, for example, with " improvements to the educational system or protection of the environment. In this election, we can expect to hear a lot about cutbacks in some aretis and increased spending in others, even though the two approaches don't seem to be compatible. There seems to be a consensus that without a strong economy, topics such as national unity or preservation of the environment arc little more than idle chatter. So, although the forthcoming election will have many side issues, the major topic will be the economy. rL 'PZAU.Y , ou« rb/ese z>/^ A M y CoLPfi- 7X ^ 'll /v by Laura J. Richards Health Care Fraud Estimated to be in the Millions Letters to the Editor Dear Sir: On the subject of Public Transportation, Transportation, (the Mayor's letter to the Editor) Editor) in response to a suggestion that the Oshawa buses go as far as Cour- tice Road. Mayor Hamre writes: "What People who live in such villages know before they go to live there the considerable advantages of rural life as well as the limitations. A major advantage is that they are mostly within walking distance of the four comers, the stores, the libraries, are- about a service to the rest of the t n'as and the community halls. Scrvic- Town?" She questions the expense v res that are already in place. k \: and suggests further proposals should;-; -- ; L ct mc p 0 ' m t out that Counice is come from the public. six, miles from any four- comers and How can Mayor Hamre cxlrapo-l that is a long walk for a mother push- late a bus service from Townline to! Courtice Road, return, into a possible service to the rest of the Town which could include Ncwtonvillc, Orono, Newcastle Village, etc. etc. some 240 square miles? by Rick James Mom Came to Visit...and Stayed Editor's Note: Rick James' thoughts have been limited this week due to a severe case of the flu. In place of Thoughts Unlimited, we arc running a column by humorist William Thomas, of Wainficct, Ont. Mr. Thomas is the author of several film scripts and books as well as being being much in demand as a speaker and a leader of workshops for writers. writers. His "All the World's a Circus" column appears in 40 Canadian newspapers. Sometimes, subconsciously we choose to ignore the painfully obvious. obvious. 1 knew the economy was bad when Jack Fraser tried to sell me a pair of pants and they were the ones he was wearing at the time. The signs were there: Toronto churches converted to hostels for the homeless, politicians going two and titrée months without voting themselves themselves a pay hike, the Mulroncys buying buying Grey Poupon in the large, economy-size economy-size jar. But I never fully appreciated how tough times really were until my mother showed up on my door step William J. Thomas with all her worldly belongings. Yes, my mother has come to live with me, temporarily. (Temporarily - adverb, from the word temporal meaning of limited lime, for a brief period, transiently, May 15). When she called and said she needed a cheaper place to live, I said: "Great!" I thought she meant Florida. When she asked if it would be alright alright if she moved in here with me 1 took one of those laughting fits where the tears stream down your face and you can't quite catch your breath. Thirteen years living alone in a house where music is a must but clothes are merely optional. Give up a life of weird hours, strange friends, good wine and bad diet? What a sense of humor this woman has. It's odd that upon seeing her at the door last week, the laughter subsided but the tears were back in full force. We discussed several options before before 1 actually opened the door: my oldest sister's condo in Toronto, a senior's apartment, a job as a roadie with the Rolling Stones. It wasn't until my mother produced produced a document which a lawyer declared declared legal and binding when l described described it to him on the phone - a document that listed me as the mortgagee mortgagee and her as the mortgager. Damn! It was gtxul to see her again. Not since the renewal at 9 1/2 per cent had I realized how much I'd missed this woman. (Mortgage ■ noun, from the word mort meaning 'til death do you pay and then only on the interest). So now there are three of us. My cat Malcolm is 126 in human years and my mother Mttrg is 85, also in human years. Essentially 1 have two roommates whose combined age is a robust 211 years, And this poses'no problem whatsoever whatsoever unless of course you want to do something a little on the adventurous adventurous side like communicate. Example: Me: "Get off the Couch," Mom: "What?" Mc: "I told him to Get Off the Couch." Mom: "Why, I'm not hurting anything!" anything!" Me: "Not you - Him." Malcolm contributes one wheeze and two sighs to this conversation and shifts so that all four paws arc now straight up in the air. The phrase "Hug?" and "What's that?" seem to dominate all household household conversations these days and Malcolm has his head cocked in that inquisitive pose so often, we're not sure if his vertebra have fused or lie's mocking the RCA Victor dog. Of course there arc a lot of advantages advantages having my mom living with me. For instance, it's a real big time- saver to sit down at the end of each day with the crossword puzzle and find it's already done. I've significantly reduced my electricity bill since my mother moved in. There's no need to leave a light on while I'm out now that there's somebody standing at the door, looking at her watch and tapping tapping her fool every night 1 come home. I've lost weight. Who can find time lor food when it's tea time 24 hours a day? And of course 1 spend more quality quality time with Malcolm now that he's chosen to hide out in the same place as I do. The tool shed, But I cannot gel angry because my mother is the sweetest and kindest woman on earth next to Mother Teresa. Teresa. In fact, I've offered several limes to put her on the list for beatification but she flatly refuses, "They charge too much dear" she likes to say, "I'll just get your sister to give me it perm". Is it any wonder I love her? She's a saint. And just to ease the tension around here I've planned a family outing. Friday I'll lie taking Murg and Malcolm to the Toronto Zoo. And if everything goes as planned, I'll pick them up the following following Thursday. mg a stroller and leading a second child by the hand. Of the 10 to 12 thousand people or so who now live in Courtice, most are new residents. Many came thinking, thinking, misguidcdly perhaps, that Courtice Courtice was an extension of Oshawa and its bus service. They find themselves living in medium density housing, without access to any community facilities facilities other than schools and churches. churches. The family car has gone, hopefully, hopefully, to the place of employment and the rest of the family is marooned. It is a fact of life that public transportation transportation is a necessity for people isolated in urban sprawl, and on checking the map, Courtice is sprawled out from Oshawa. Mayor Hamre was a very proactive proactive member of the administration that wanted Courtice to develop in the manner it has and not to meld with Oshawa. The property tax revenues, revenues, grants and lot levies looked very attractive. The administration knew that services such as buses would become urgent necessities, yet the provisions of any services keeps getting shelved. Cost is another excuse. There was no recession when those building permits permits were being issued or, for that matter, the levies of some five thousand thousand dollars per house were being approved approved and collected and added onto mortgages of which most home owners owners arc not aware. The mayor wants to wait for proposals proposals to come from the public for a bus service. Ninety percent of Courtice Courtice residents arc your young families. families. They have neither the time nor the resources to prepare proposals. The public of the nineties expect their mayor to recognize needs and take a leadership role in providing required required services and not wait for the public to attend a council meeting, cap in hand, hoping the "rules" will pennit them to be heard and then have their proposal given an extended extended run-around through "committees" and eventually buried in bureaucracy. Sorry to say, it but that is exactly what happens. Courtice cannot be lumped together together with communities such as Kirby or Kendal or Orono when urban services services arc considered. Courtice needs special urgent and independent consideration consideration for its new and developing urban problems. It is incumbent on the elected Mayor and Council, with their extensive extensive resources, paid for out of the public purse, to provide the leadership leadership to initiate solutions. It is not the duty of individual members of the public to grope in the dark for answers answers to generalized community social social problems. Sincerely, Ann Cowman (formerly Town and Regional Councillor) Darlington Dlvd., Courtice. The Great Ganaraska Country- • side Adventure While relaxing this weekend, you may wish to get out of the house/ apartment and go for a drive. As you arc driving around the Clarke Township area, you may see a number of boards with apples and numbers painted on them. Those arc the spots on the Great Ganaraska Countryside Adventure -- something like a house tour, but so much more. The tour booklet can be picked up at the Clarke Museum and Archives in Kirby and at numerous locations throughout Clarington, including the Intowne Gallery. The tour guide booklet has over 60 places, including farms, ponds, homes and gardens for you and your family to investigate. Kirsten McCrca and Elva Reid, of Kendal, have been working on this fund-raising project sponsored by SAGA (Save the Ganaraska Again) for the past five months to ensure quality viewing, good cats, and fun times. There will be tours within the tour at Darlington Mushroom Farm, The Stapleton family dairy bam, and country country gardens throughout the area. Gourmets in the crowd can take in the Linwood Acres Trout Farm for fresh trout, Dikadcl Farm for homemade homemade buttermilk biscuits, Willowbrae Fann for iced herbal teas and the Tyrone Tyrone Mill for fresh, hot cider donuts rolled in cinnamon sugar -- delightful! delightful! Discover the history of the Ganaraska Ganaraska Valley and area when you visit Eleanor and John Magdar's home and watch cedar shingles being made and sec them installed on the reconstructed reconstructed log cabin. Go to Decker's Hollow and find the last remains of a once thriving lumber community, and the Kirby Ski Hill and Jim Rutherford will fill you in on local history while you take in the view and the fresh air. For those of you looking for something something out of the ordinary, the tour also has lots to offer. For instance, you might go to the Kendal Hills Deer Farm or to Sue Rankin and Brad Copping's place. Sue and Brad arc glass blowers and will be holding a studio sale. Fact is, there will be a lot more than just their work for sale. This is just a small sampling of places and people to chat with on the tour. With over 60 places to go, there is not enough room here. As for this reporter, I have volunteered volunteered my Saturday to work at one of the locations on the tour. If you see mc, say "hi!" On Sunday, I will be touring around taking in the sites, sounds, and smells of the Great Ganaraska Countryside Countryside Adventure. Hope to sec you there! Women and religion An article in the local daily struck a chord in mc: The heading read: "Young, feminist and a nun." Aurore Larkin is a Grey Nun and lives in Edmonton, Alberta. She has been working and living as a nun since she was 17 years old. The Grey Nuns were founded by Margurcite d'Youvillc, who was bom in Quebec in 1701. She was renowned for her relentless commitment to helping helping the poor. She was also looked please turn to page seven IH1 Wg Asked... Whal do you think about the mandatory bicycle helmet law to take effect in October 1995? „ 1 .. .And You. Said Adam Stoker Bowmanville Tom Gillan Bowmanville Ryan Phillips Bowmanville think it's pretty "It's not really good. If "People have been rid* Justin Harrison Bowmanville "it should be optional. afford it. stupid. If you're on people follow the lng bicycles for a loti)* It doesn't look good, welfare you can't signs they won't get in time. There is no need Fining people lor not wearing helmets is not called for. You're taking taking a risk when you're riding n bicycle." an accident" for the law. 1 \vxt week's question: When should Prime Minister Kim Campbell i.ill the next federal election?