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mammaamtataam W g -, . | S||||| gS * g : |||||||| S | || gj| 7 905-623-3303 22 Pages Wednesday, February 2,1994 Bowmanville, Ontario 140th Year 560 + 40 G.S.T. = 600 Issue 5 fflw-a:;; mxwwmS Ill'l Local Builders Not Included In Fire Hall Final Tendering Local builders say they are disappointed disappointed that the Municipality of Clarington has picked five firms from outside Durham Region to bid on the construction of the new fire station in Bowmanville. Clarington used a prequalification prequalification process in selecting the potential contractors to design and build the station. This means all contractors were invited to pre-qualify for the work. However, after reviewing the qualifications qualifications of each potential bidder, only five firms were given the right to submit prices and plans on the $1 million project. Some members of the construction construction industry are saying this procedure procedure was unfair to local contractors. . "I think the process is wrong," said Joe Gcrrits, a professional engineer engineer and the president of Bowman- ville-based Gerr Construction. His firm is currently building a $4.5 million high school in Lindsay. In the past, it has undertaken several large projects for the municipality, including the Bowmanville Recreation Recreation Complex and the Enniskillen Fire Station. However, the company wasn't included on the final list of contractors contractors given the right to proceed to the next step. He says the process used by the municipality to select a builder for the fire station forces local firms to compete with the biggest construction construction companies in Ontario. "They are putting local industry up against the province," Mr. Ger- rits said. Although large construction construction firms may have more experience experience on projects, that doesn't mean local builders couldn't handle the job, if they were given the opportunity opportunity to submit a bid. Mr. Gerrits doubts much of the money from the project will go into the local economy because of the fact that out-of-town contractors will be doing the work. Turn to page two MOTHER OF ICE STORMS - Last Friday's spectacular ice storm that piled up more than half an inch or more tif hard ice on roads, sidewalks, driveways and parking lots, certainly made some history. But, we have to doff our hat to those who made it to work as a matter of course. Two of our staff members also showed considerable ingenuity. One chap slipped into his golf shoes and had no real problem, problem, while another put on her skates and arrived without incident. Let's hope Mother Nature got that nasty stuff out of her system. At the moment, February is cold but clear and bright. Maybe the groundhog's hole will still be frozen frozen over so he can't get out to see his shadow today. ! DECIDING OUR FUTURE - So far, the crowds attending attending the Ontario Municipal Board Hearing haven't been overwhelming, but it's still early. The major event is being held in the Council Chambers of the town's Administration Administration Centre on Temperance St. to deal with proposals for development at the west end of Bowmanville. Naturally, there are arguments on both sides of the question. And the discussions should be of interest to many citizens who are also ratepayers. This is a glorious opportunity to watch a number of highly qualified lawyers at work. The Hearing is expected to last for at least a couple of months. WANT TO SAVE A LIFE? - If you knew you would be able to save someone's life, just by donating a unit of your blood, wouldn't you feel wonderful about doing just that? Well, that is just what you are capable of doing today by going over to the Lions Centre on Beech Avenue between noon and 8 o'clock tonight. There, you'll be welcomed by a fine group of volunteer helpers and a host of uniformed Red Cross nurses who will make the experience of donating donating most enjoyable and relaxing. We seem to remember when the donors received a shot of brandy to restore them afterwards, but it got too expensive . Now, it's apple juice or something else non alcoholic. CANCEL KIDNEY DANCE - We have received an announcement announcement that will be sad news for many of their friends and supporters. Due to illness in the family, this year's annual Kidney Foundation Dance, held for the past several years at Newcastle Community Hall by the Rans- berry family, has been cancelled. We can only hope that Norma Ransberry's recuperation will continue without any more setbacks. We certainly wish her well. GETTING WINTER BLAHS? - If all that ice, snow and zero weather is getting to you, Kim Hudson, Customer Relations Specialist of the YWCA has something to cheer you up. She wants you to come out of the cold and learn something new at a YWCA workshop. The YWCA office, right here in Bowmanville, is offering an "Everlasting" Dried Flower Workshop on February 5th from 10 a.m. until until 1 p.m. You will discover how and what to grow, various various methods of drying and different designs for dried flower creations. There's more. On Thursday, Feb 10th, at 6:30 p.m.a workshop will be conducted on Foot Reflexology. Reflexology. And other future workshops include: Weight Management Management and Nutrition, Relaxation, Hyperactive Children, Skin Care and Flower Arranging. What a choice! i Sec Page 14 The Stork Market Report FIELDING - It's a Boy! TVERK - It's a Boy! WRIGHT-It's a Girl! Total This Year Boys 7 Girls 14 One Person Injured in Single Vehicle Accident on Tuesday Morning One person was sent to Oshawa General Hospital via ambulance ambulance on Tuesday morning, Feb. 1, after a car struck a pole on Taunton Road west of Holt Road. The Clarington Fire Department Department was called to the scene, as were officers from Durham Re gional Police Services 16th Division in Bowmanville. There was only one person in the vehicle at the time of the accident. The driver's condition was not known as of press time. -- Photo by Brad Kelly by Laura J. Richards Today, Wednesday, Feb. 2, the Ontario Municipal Board (OMB) hearing to determine the fate of the proposed 200,000 square foot plaza west of Bowmanville begins in earnest. earnest. Ten weeks have been ; .set aside for the hearing to take place in tM Clarington Council Chambers Inf Bowmanville. The proceedings will see a large number of experts speaking speaking on the proposed plaza and discussing discussing how much retail floor space Clarington needs. On Monday, Jan. 31, the lawyers for all the companies involved met in two closed sessions to discuss a number of items, .including which counsel would begin on Wednesday morning at 9:30. Since the council chambers where they met for the formal OMB hearing were too cold, the lawyers decided to hole up in a committee meeting room downstairs for about three hours. Due to the coolness of the temperature, temperature, Clarington solicitor Dennis Hcfferon was also given the task of by Lorraine Manfredo A tightened national defence budget has left a Cobourg militia program without a military vehicle to spare for transporting out-of-town co-op students. ' Parents in Clarington, anxious to enroll their teenagers in the semester- semester- length training course at the Cobourg Cobourg Armories, have been saddled with daily transportation costs to the base, 20 minutes to the east. Because the school board cannot provide a bus, the parents have had to make arrangements on their own with a bus company. The cost per student for transportation transportation comes to approximately $7.70 per day per person, or $150 per month, which parents have paid for in advance with post-dated cheques. The Northumberland and Clarington Clarington School Board has agreed to rebate parents $2 per day for "undue travel burden," but this lump sum will only be awarded at the completion completion of the program at the end of June. John Sylvestervich, principal of Alternative and Continuing Education Education with the public school board, points out that co-op students arc eligible eligible to cam a participation allowance allowance of up to $1,000 through the militia. militia. "Students arc paid for their weekend weekend work and any hours they work over and above the nonnal co-op hours," says Mr. Sylvestervich. Because Because the militia credit requires after- after- hours work, he notes, students can count on earning around $650 by the end of the program, "This will more than cover the cost of their transportation." Officials from public and separate separate boards met with parents on January January 24th, one week prior to the coop coop start date, to try to work out a satisfactory re-payment scheme. Lucie Evcrist, one of the parents, was dismayed by the fact that she was only informed in late December that the school boards could not afford afford to hire a bus for the nine students students interested in participating. "That's just four weeks before the program was scheduled to begin," begin," she said. It didn't even leave enough time to arrange a fundraising fundraising event, she points out. Ms Evcrist wholeheartedly defends defends the militia co-op program for instilling responsibility and self- respect in students, but admitted waiting for rebates from the board until summer would be tough on her own tight budget. But, like many parents, Everist was unwilling to give up her son's chance at a military-paid college education education following successful completion completion of the co-op_ credit. Militia co-op students hâve already already been outfitted with their fatigues, fatigues, boots, shovels, water- resistant sleeping bags and packs. Most had their first day with the program this week, catching the bus at either Bowmanville High School or St. Stephen's High School. correcting the problem by Hearing Chairman J. Mills. If the problem can't be corrected, then a new location location has to be found, he said. Regarding the evidence to be given given during the OMB hearing, the lawyers decided among themselves who would proceed and at what time. David Crome, of the Clarington Planning Department, will be lead- - * ing off the OMB hearing with an historical overview of the property, including an explanation of property ownership. Next, the representative for the Durham Region will speak on the region's behalf. Then, Clarington's solicitor will present the municipality's municipality's entire case. Next will come the market analyst analyst and a flurry of activity from the lawyers for the many developers represented. The final two discussions regarding regarding the potential plaza will be undertaken undertaken by A1 Strike of the Bowmanville Bowmanville Business Improvement Area and Roger Elliot representing the Bowmanville Mall. The chair told the group of lawyers, lawyers, assistants and representatives that if he and his fellow OMB mem- Turn to page two iiüv by Laura J. Richards Arsenic and radium are two of the ingredients in the chemical soup located at the low-level radiation dump just east of Port Granby. The chemical landfill was the dumping ground for radium in the 1930's and later for a uranium refinery refinery located in Port Hope. The contaminants must be removed removed as soon as possible, says Durham MP Alex Shepherd. In fact, that whole area should be decommissioned, Shepherd said, on late Friday afternoon, Jan. 28. In a telephone interview with The Statesman, Shepherd said he had been given a chance to question the Minister of Natural Resources, the Honorable Anne McLcllan, in the House of Commons recently. "Durham includes a site known as the Port Granby nuclear dump only 100 yards from Lake Ontario, the tailing site of the former Eldorado Eldorado Nuclear, a Crown Corporation. "After committing up to $16 mil lion of taxpayers' money, this site continues to leach contaminants into Lake Ontario. What are the minister's minister's plans to address this threat to our community and the Great Lakes," the MP asked in the House of Commons? The minister replied: "It is clear that we must find a permanent location location for the low level waste referred to by my honorable colleague. We have an independent siting task force working with the communities involved to find an acceptable permanent permanent site. Once that process is completed we will begin the clean up of the Port Granby dump." On Friday afternoon, Shepherd told The Statesman: "It is my job to keep pressing the government for answers." The low level radioactive dump near Port Granby is one of the issues dial lie has become more acquainted with since the election. Shepherd said he is amazed at the reported levels at the dump, espe cially since he has been able to walk the site with Community Liaison Group Chair John Vcldhuis in the fall. Currently, 20 per cent of the rainwater rainwater which goes into the lake at that point is contaminated. The rest of the rain falling within the contaminated contaminated area goes into an underground underground tile drainage system," Shepherd Shepherd said. The contaminated rain leaching into Lake Ontario is not the only problem, Shepherd explained. _ "Within 15 years, the erosion to the bank will be a major problem," Shepherd continued. The Clarington Community Liaison Liaison Group has "done a lot of studies" studies" towards the eventual removal of the chemical soup within the dump. But, as Shepherd pointed out, "even moving it out is not a solution." solution." He wondered out loud if the dumped materials could somehow be neutralized. Helium Truck . . v - Overturns at Waverley Rd. " AZ,-. * See Page 2 Eagles Take First Game of Playoffs with 16 - 2 Decision See Page 8 CARPET WAREHOUSE! n-->r 1 ...... •■«iCJI EVERYDAY DISCOUNT PRICES Kinotw. 728-4601 Oshawa