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2 The Canadian Statesman, Bowmanvillc, Wednesday, February 16,1994 Section Two Editor - Peter Parrott Former Publishers Rev. W. R. Climie, 1854-1878 • M.A. James, 1878-1935 • George W. James, 1935-1957 Produced weekly by James Publishing Company Limited 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 Production Rick Patterson, Ross Fisher, Laurens Kaldeway, Doug Lugtenburg, Sharon McMullen, Barb Patterson, Ralph Rozema, Jim Snoek, Vance Sutherland, Jim Tuuramo Advertising Laveme Morrison Editorial Brad Kelly, Lorraine Manfredo, Laura J. Richards Office Angela Luscher, Junia Hodge, Grace McGregor, Nancy Pleasance-Sturman, Marilyn Rutherford P.O. Box 190,62 King St. W., Bowmanville, Ontario, L1C 3K9 905-623-3303 Fax 905-623-6161 CCNA PAID Guaranteed Graduates Durham College graduates now come with a warranty, i. If employers find a graduate to be lacking skills in a particular area, they can send the grad back to Durham for further adjustments. This policy is probably more of a publicity stunt than a workable program which will be used by a wide variety of employers. But the policy ' does illustrate a commitment to match students to the requirements of the - marketplace. And, while it may seem odd to attach to graduates the same sort of guarantee one might find on a toaster, perhaps that's just because our " views on education need changing. Generals sometimes get accused by historians of planning for the sort of i. wars that have occurred in the past, rather than anticipating the battles of the •; future. Similarly, educators can fall into the trap of preparing students for the opportunities which existed in the past. The truth is that we can no longer ask students to get the highest possible university degree available, knowing that the marketplace always has an opening for bright, young people who hold such credentials. Education must have a clear purpose. And, given the economic times in which we find ourselves, that purpose should be geared towards the .marketplace. Or, to put it bluntly, the focus should be on jobs. There is 'nothing wrong with the belief that learning is valuable for its own sake. Indeed, it is. And learning should be a lifelong process. But, unless students find a solid career footing and develop skills which are in demand, they are ! unlikely to have the money, time or inclination to enjoy lifelong learning. So, when Durham College or any other post secondary institution decides to place a warranty on its students, it's something more than a gimmick. . It's a sign that educational institutions are aligning themselves with the needs of society and admitting their responsibility goes beyond the mere granting of certificates. It's an indication that colleges do not have the final say in the field of education and are willing to learn from and respond to the workplace. N It's a gigantic step in the right direction. Region's Chair Roasted The leadership of Regional Chairman Gary Herrema doesn't always get the recognition it deserves. Look at it this way: Although Gary Herrema's job as chairman does not give him a single constituency to serve, he must serve the entire Durham Region. All of us know how difficult it can be to get a single municipal council to act as a unified team. However, Mr. Herrema's job is to preside over the elected officials from eight municipal councils with wide-ranging and often conflicting interests. It is a big job. But, it is one which he has capably filled. And the proof lies in the fact that the regional chairman has consistently been re-elected by his colleagues, the municipal councillors who serve on the Durham Region. Unlike other local politicians, the regional chairman is elected not directly by the voters, but by regional councillors. And fellow-politicians can be an even more demanding constituency than regular voters. Before serving as regional chairman, Mr. Herrema was mayor of Uxbridge. If Mr. Herrema's contribution to the success of the Durham Region has gone unrecognized, community leaders made amends for this fact, with a roast in honor of the regional chairman on Friday, February 3. Although billed as a Liberal fund-raiser, the event attracted a complete cross section of people involved in politics, public service, businesses, and many other walks of life. In fact, the diversity of the crowd of almost 500 which gathered at the General Sikorski Hall in Oshawa this month gave a clear indication of the esteem in which the regional chairman is held. Even Ontario Premier Bob Rae brought greetings, although his appearance was not in person but via a videotape message prepared for the occasion. Others participating in the Gary Herrema roast included local MPs, mayors, councillors, and regional chairmen. Walter Beath, the first chairman of the Durham Region and the Continued on Page 3 NEWS ITEM: New Medical Clinic and Funeral Parlour Proposed for Robert and Mill Streets in Newcastle Village Economics of Tobacco i Outlook by Laura J. Richards Dear SirlMadam, . We h?? 6 that by budget time, the Prime Minister Jean Chretien prime minister makes the connection seems to understand the economics ' 'between investment and jobs and of tobacco but not the economics of "doesn't hurt both through increasing job creation. the capital-gains-tax burden. He has decided to cut high tobacco tobacco taxes because they depress the le gal sale of tobacco (and sustain a flourishing black market). In the case of tobacco, he understands that if you tax something, you get less of it. Astonishingly, however, he can't seem to make a similar connection between higher taxes on investment and job creation. If he did, he clearly would not be considering an increase of the capital gains tax. Capital gains are the rewards for making successful, risky investments. Investments create jobs. The plain fact is that if Chretien increases the capital gains tax he will be increasing the tax on job creation. That means fewer jobs. by Rick James During the last few weeks, my telephone has been busy answering calls from readers asking me what I am going to do about two issues that have really got them steamed. The two subjects of controversy involve I) Power of Attorney and II) The New Fire Hall. Starting with the Power of Attorney issue, Queen's Park is in the process of debating the Substitute Decisions Act which many people feel gives the government more authority to assume assume control of the financial affairs of a mentally mentally incompetent relative, even ahead of a spouse. The proposed law generates more concern ■when you consider that a provincial auditor's report found the public trustee has mishandled more than half of the trust and estate files it . now controls. The myths and facts about this issue are too numerous to list here, but the bottom line is that it is very Important to have an up-to-date power of attorney in place to avoid the potential problems problems associated with wrestling with the government. government. It Is just as important as having your last will and testament signed and stored In a safe place. The legal profession Is claiming that this Is a major concern while the government has started started a media campaign to downplay the fears. Whichever group you choose to believe, It's very Important to have your power of attorney In place before and after the legislation takes effect. effect. Now to the now tire hall. Architects, builders and their associations , are furious about the decision to not allow local firms to bid on the $1,000,000 structure, based • on a pro-qualification process. Under the grading grading system established by the municipality, no architect or contractor from Durham Region qualified in the top five. This despite ample evidence evidence of reputable local firms building similar projects, like the Enniskillen Fire Hall, and much larger projects like the Fitness Centre and the Bowmanville Recreation Complex. Clarington's new Economic Development Officer, Todd Letts, must have cringed when he heard of the decision to go outside of the local local market to build something that is nothing more than a glorified garage. At a time when local local government is trying to spread the message to- "shop locally," it's irresponsible to exclude our own reputable, tax-paying contractors and architects. The municipality says that it will ask the successful successful bidder to hire and purchase materials locally to benefit area merchants and workers. It is incredibly naive to think that will happen, as out-of-town firms will bring their own trusted staff, and purchase raw materials from their own established suppliers. When all is said and done, construction of a new fire hall will provide virtually no benefits to our local economy. Plus, this is more than an issue of economics. economics. It's a matter of pride. At a time when everyone everyone Is busting their butts to survive, a message like this from the municipality Is a slap In the face to all businesses and workers In Clarlngton. Sorry, you're not good enough for us. This, despite an ugly town hall that Is too cold to host meetings, and was built by a qualified qualified out-of-town contractor. There's no question a new fire station is needed. It's too small to house the existing equipment and the council of the past should be hosed down for approving a plan that had fire trucks climbing a ramp with cold engines, with an obstructed view of traffic. Plus, the employment opportunities would certainly be welcomed by skilled workers who have suffered terribly In the last throe years. This decision has to bo reversed. If it Isn't, our new Economic Development Officer will waste the first year of his service trying to repair repair the damage caused by this mistake. Yours truly, David Somerville, President. The National Citizens Coalition. York University Celebrates 25 Years of Service Calling all students, alumni and friends of McLaughlin College - York University. On March 5th, 1994, McLaughlin College, at York University, in Toronto, will be celebrating celebrating 25 years of academic excellence. excellence. All current students, alumni and friends of McLauhglin College are invited to attend an afternoon and evening of celebrations, March 5th will be an opportunity to recall memories memories of your college days and network network with old acquaintances and make new friends. Alumni can also check out all of the new developments developments on the York University campus, campus, including the new Student Field House, Student Centre, Science Building and York Lancs. Informal sessions will be held in the afternoon followed by a dinner/ dance in the evening. To get more information information on the celebration of McLaughlin College's 25 years, please call (416) 736-5128. AA Funeral Home AA -, in Newcastle Village : While some people seem aghast at the thought of having a funeral home in Newcastle Village, I have to admit that I am not. Let's face it. If a new business wants to come to the village, why shut them out? While no one showed up last Monday Monday morning at a public meeting to show their disapproval of the new venture, there were comments in the Clarington Planning Department report report which showed some people are concerned. A letter from a local resident says he conducted an "unscientific survey" (his words) which showed that more than 60 per cent of those interviewed would be bothered living across from a funeral home. The letter did not indicate how many people he asked. Nor did it say whether those people would be directly directly affected by the sight of the funeral home or were living some distance away. Did he ask the same people who vehemently opposed the idea of a day care centre going into the exact same building a couple of years ago? Do these people want this building to remain unused? Do they not sec how much the local local economy needs a boost? Think of the florists and the local restaurants which will benefit from extra activity. A couple of years ago, local resi dents rallied together to ensure that a day care centre and other related facilities facilities would not go into the same building. building. The neighbors said there would be noise from the children. Well, this time, there should be no concerns about noise. Sure, there would be some increased increased traffic, but traffic has already increased in the area due to the new subdivisions. Besides, people who go to funeral services establishments (as they are called in the planning report) are usually usually pretty subdued. One could say there won't be a lot of laughing or playing going on in that area, As for a professional building/ clinic, one would think with the growing growing population of young families, there would be a need for more doctors, doctors, dentists, etc. within the village. Why should moms who stay at home have to go to Bowmanville to take their children to the doctor or whatever? Yes, there arc already doctors and dentists in Newcastle, but people do like to have a choice. Let us face the fact that even a funeral funeral parlor brings jobs to the area. Just think about the people you have met while at a funeral home, including including those involved in making all of the ncccssaty preparations. Everyone Everyone has been provided work by die owner including the hair dresser and the hearse driver. Continued on Page 4 m m 0 We Asked... Is lowering the cigarette tax a good idea? .. .And You Said Bill Roche Bowmanville "It'll be a change. It's been 20 years since I , gave up smoking, youngsters to go out ^ , did it cost 60 and buy them and , . , good for those not ccnts 0 d = ck " nd now about to give smok- 7°» can 1 bu 7 onc Kalliy MacLeod Bowmanville "It is and it isn't. They will become more affordable for Terry Gilkes Bowmanvillc "I don't smoke so doesn't affect me." Bruce Gibbs Bowmanvillc "No. I think it's moving moving the tax from onc area to another." mg up, cigarette for that." Next week's question: What do vou think of Canada's performance at the ( )|\mpics being held in Norway? 0