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6 The Canadian Statesman, Bowmanville, Wednesday, August 3,1994 Lucky Winners from Bowmanville The Kiwanis Club of Sydenham, Oshawa, held their draw for a 1994 Chevrolet Cavalier Z24 or $15,000 cash on Wednesday, July 20th. William and Sherilyn Lawrence of Bowmanville, holding ticket ticket #20497, were the lucky winners. They decided to take the cash. Presenting the cheque are Kiwanis members Bob Cook and club president Bill Askew (at right). The Kiwanis members say: "Children "Children are Priority Number One." The club helps support the Pediatric Department at Memorial Hospital. Resolving Charges Before Trial Aim of First Attendance Facilities Ontario residents will soon see - their tickets for minor offences dealt with in a different way when they want to plead "not guilty." Beginning Aug. 15, the Province of Ontario will open 10 "First Attendance Attendance Facilities" for people charged with minor offences such as traffic violations. In those areas, it's expected expected that the facilities will enable many people to resolve their cases before having to go through a formal trial. First Attendance Facilities will be opened in Peterborough, Cobourg, Mississauga, Brampton, Milton and five locations in Metro Toronto. Peo- Ky~ pie who receive a ticket and plan to plead "not guilty" will attend a facility facility in the area where they are charged. They'll be able to discuss their case with a prosecutor and possibly resolve resolve it rather than going to trial. These facilities will be run by the Ministry of the Attorney General. "People charged still have the right to a trial," notes Walt Chmiel, Director of the Ministry of the Attorney Attorney General's Integrated Safety Project Project Initiatives. "This process will afford afford the opportunity for people to resolve these matters earlier and in a less formal manner." In addition to these facilities, the Ministry of the Attorney General is making several changes to the Provincial Provincial Offences Act and the way it collects unpaid fines. The changes, which are detailed in the attached backgrounder, arc part of the Ministry's Ministry's ongoing efforts to make the • province's courts more efficient and accessible, and to enhance the enforcement enforcement of court orders. Also on Aug. 15, Parking Tag Facilities Facilities will begin operating in 44 Ontario Ontario municipalities. They will be similar to the province's First Attendance Attendance Facilities but will only deal with parking offences. These municipalities municipalities estimate that up to 50 percent percent of parking matters now going to trial could be resolved through the first attendance process. In Metro Toronto alone, that could result in 100,000 fewer parking trials a year. Backgrounder Changes People who receive tickets before August 15 can: Plead "guilty" on the back of the ticket and mail it with the fine payment payment to the court office. Plead "guilty with an explanation" and appear before a Justice of the Peace. The Justice of the Peace cannot cannot alter the charge but can alter the penalty. Plead "not guilty" on the back of the ticket and mail it in requesting a trial date. The court sets a dale for trial and notifies the person. People who receive tickets in areas areas where there are first attendance facilities facilities in operation beginning August 15 can: Plead "guilty" on the back of the ticket and mail it with the fine payment payment to the court office. Make an appointment with, or go directly to a First Attendance Facility in the area in which they arc charged. There they can: Request a trial and file a Notice of Intention to Appear and receive a trial date. Talk to a prosecutor about the ticket, fine and circumstances. Where warranted, the prosecutor can recommend to a Justice of the Peace that the charge be reduced or withdrawn. withdrawn. Plead "guilty with an explanation" before a Justice of the Peace who cannot alter the charge but can alter the penalty. Plead "guilty" and pay the fine. The major change to current practice practice for people who receive tickets where first attendance facilities are not operating yet is that: They can still write to request a trial but they will only be able to plead "not guilty" when they actually appear in court at the trial. Attending A Trial If a person does not attend a trial that they requested, they will be deemed not to dispute the charge against them and they can be convicted convicted by a Justice of the Peace. However, However, people who don't appear at their trial through no fault of their own can apply to have their case reopened. Other Significant Changes Other changes have been made to the Provincial Offences Act to make it possible to resolve charges before court and free up court lime. Regulations have been passed which will allow some documents to be produced, filed and signed electronically electronically which will reduce the paper burden and improve service. Justices of the Peace will no longer longer perform the duty of directing the Ministry of Transportation to suspend suspend the licence of a driver who has unpaid fines. This will now be done by court staff. An officer's certified statement will be admissible as evidence. Justices of the Peace will be able to hear all Provincial Offences matters matters involving young people, except those matters which carry a possible custody disposition. Previously, only Judges could hear these cases. Collection of Fines Since February 1993, the Ministry of the Attorney General has collected more than $65 million from unpaid, court-ordered fines dating as far back as the mid-1980s, Recently, the government lias stepped up its efforts to collect unpaid, unpaid, court-ordered fines by referring some of these matters to private collection collection agencies, seizing and selling property, seizing funds from bank accounts accounts and garnishing wages. Information Information on default of fine payments can now be referred to credit bureaus. Beginning in August, all fines can Iks paid by VISA of Master card. By early fall people will be able to pay their fines by credit card over the telephone telephone seven-days-a-week from 6 tun. to midnight. For further information: Walt Chmiel, Director, Integrated Safety Project, Ministry of the Attorney General, (416) 326-2564; Suzanne Bernier, Minister's Office (416) 326- 4443. Bowmanville and Area Girl Guides Welcome Girl Scouts from Pennsylvania A group of Canadian and American Guides gathered last Wednesday Wednesday for a barbecue which launched the beginning of a week-long visit visit by the U.S. Guides (known in the United States as Girl Scouts). Durham MP Alex Shepherd is pictured here as he presents a Canadian Canadian flag to the visitors. The barbecue took place at the home of the chairperson for the exchange, Pam Allin, of Orono. The exchange between Bowmanville and area Guides and their counterparts from the Freedom Valley Girl Scout Council in Valley Forge Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania, has been taking place for about 20 years. The week's itinerary included a visit to Niagara Falls, shopping and sightseeing in Toronto, Toronto, a camp-out, and home-stays with local Guides during the weekend weekend of July 30 and 31. The Pennsylvania Scouts were scheduled to return home on August 3. Volunteers Needed for Projects in Costa Rica Canadians from ages 18 to 25 who are looking for adventure and who have an interest in global development development are invited to apply to participate participate on a Youth Challenge International International project in Costa Rica in Central America, Guyana in South America, or Solomon Islands in the South Pacific. Youth Challenge International is a non-profit organization whose mission mission is to encourage young peoples' active, responsible, and continuing participation in issues of local and global development. Young people from around the world will work on a variety of community community development, health, and research research projects for ten weeks next spring and summer. No experience is necessary to participate; participate; just a willingness to work hard and an interest in global development. development. "Participating on a YCI project provides young Canadians with the chance to earn valuable experience, to gain new skills, to learn about a different culture, and to meet other young people from around the world", says Greg Smith, the Communication Communication Director at YCI. The deadline for applications for the projects next spring and summer is October 7. To receive an application application and more information about Youth Challenge International contact contact the Youth Challenge International International office at 1-800-979-INFG from anywhere in Ontario. Summer Theatre School Expanding in Cobourg Summer Theatre School has been so successful this year, that Victoria Hall Concert Hall is expanding it. In response to the strong interest shown by students ages 12 to 14, Victoria Hall has doubled the number of spaces available in the upcoming classes, Session C. The classes, which run from Monday, Monday, August 8 to Friday, August 19, 1994 will provide students ages 12 to 14 with an opportunity to be involved in an in-depth exploration of acting skills, emphasizing character development development and scene study. Classes run each weekday morning morning from 9:00 a.m. to 12 noon. Instructors include Mary Doig who is well known in the area for her work with the Northumberland Youth Theatre and who has a teaching teaching diploma from the London Acade my of Music and Drama; and Peter Hurley who has acted professionally for the past fourteen years in theatre and television and has recently added directing credits to his name. The enrollment fee .for the two week session is $125.00 (no GST!). For enquiries and registration, please call the Concert Hall office at (905) 372-2210. The Canadian Statesman, your community newspaper, will be publishing a special Commemorative Edition on Wednesday, October 5th. This unique newspaper will be honouring the 200th Anniversary of the founding of our community in 1794. This issue will be full of special stories, interesting articles, historical features and never-before-published photos gleaned from area collectors and archives, which tell the story of our community's very interesting history. If you would like your company or business to be included in this edition, please call Display Advertising at The Canadian Statesman at 623-3303. 62 King St, W. 623-3303 Bowmanville Clarington's Newspaper Since 1854