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4 The Canadian Statesman, Bowmanvillc, Wednesday, May 29, 1996 She Canabtatt Statesman Former Publishers and Partners Rev. John M. Climic and W. R. Climie 1854 -1878 M. A. James, 1878 -1935 • Norman S. B. James, 1919 -1929 G. Elena James, 1929 -1947 • Dr. George W. James, 1919 -1957 Produced weekly by James Publishing Company Limited P.O. Box 190,62 King St. YV., Bowmanvillc, Ontario L1C 3K9 905-623-3303 lnternot-statesman@ocna.org Fax 905-623-6161 ^^^^^^^^^^lOURS^Xlonda^oFrida^hOtGiun^mtinjjOOjmn^^^^^^^^^ For 142 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, Laurens Kaldcvvay, Doug Lugtenburg, Sharon McMullen, Barb Patterson, Ralph Rozema, Jim Snoek, Vance Sutherland, Jim Tuuramo Advertising Editorial Frank Kelly, Laverne Morrison Brad Kelly, Lorraine Manfredo, Laura J. Richards Office Angela Luscher, Debbie Chamberlain, Junia Hodge, Grace McGregor, Nancy I'lcasance-Sturman, Marilyn Rutherford Rouah Roads Ahead Despite the Transportation Minister's vow to personally fill pot-holes in Ontario's roads, the general trend in the provincial highway network is downward. This, at least, is lltc view of the Ontario lobby group known as the Better Roads Coalition. The coalition points out that the government of Ontario takes in far more revenue from road users than than it invests in Ontario highways. In fact, they take in $1 billion more in revenue than they spend on transportation. The results arc obvious to many who use the highways of Ontario. They include a litany of familiar complaints such as traffic jams, pot holes, ruts, and increased wear and tear on vehicles. What you can't sec includes the deterioration of bridges and the costs that arc added to the expenses of moving people and goods due to the congestion on the roads. Congestion also increases pollutants in die atmosphere and can discourage tourism or manufacturing. Also, the increased dangers dangers of decaying roads arc not always apparent, until an accident accident occurs. Perhaps the most surprising point raised by the Better Roads Coalition is the fact that travel on our highways grew by over 40 per cent in the past ten years. But, on the other hand, the growth of the road system was only two per cent during the same time period. ft would seem, therefore, that Ontario is surviving the construction construction projects of the sixties, seventies and eighties, radier than upgrading present-day facilities. The Better Roads Coalition suggests citizens tell their provincial politicians that an investment in Ontario's highway infrastructure is vital and should become an investment priority- priority- But, at a time when there are competing priorities such as health care and schools, the idea of increased spending on roads may be a hard sell. Perhaps the solution is more privately financed toll-roads such as the new 407 highway, a portion of which is approaching approaching completion. But highway tolls arc just another user fee for a service which Ontarians once considered to by the right of any member of the taxpaying public. Workfare The concept of work in return for welfare benefits is here to stay. There seems to be a general feeling among the public that those in receipt of government assistance should be involved in some form of productive activity, whether it be rc-lraining, academic upgrading or working. We sometimes forget the Progressive Conservatives were elected because of policies like this. The only drawback to the scheme might be the fact that it's going to be difficult to administer and supervise. By the time you add up the costs of monitoring those on workfare, assigning assigning them appropriate tasks, training them, equipping them and transporting them, the costs may outweigh the benefits. The provincial government may eventually discover that the concept concept will cost more money than it saves and will have to decide between practical dollars and cents and the philosophical issue of ensuring that those unwilling to work do not receive government government funds. So, it makes sense for the Regional Municipality of Durham to count itself among the Ontario communities willing to be pilot projects for the work-for-wclfare scheme. If the idea is coming, why not put it into place in local municipalities before workfare becomes mandatory? Besides, the Durham Region should benefit from the projects welfare recipients might complete while working in return for their benefits. If it is later proved that workfare is "unworkable," then Durham will at least be among those municipalities to reap some benefits from the idea. -ttlEfeES a sLl^UT PROBLEM WITH THE" Workfare: MR. 3j^..oS-2ote The Cupboard is Bare (Hooked on Fishing Dear Sir: If taxpayers arc concerned about continuing increases to properly taxes, they should make their views known to the Premier and their MPP. It is only with concerted effort that individual taxpayers will make a difference. The following is a copy of the letter that I have sent to Premier Harris. Dear Mr. Harris: Concerned with a heavy burden of taxation and reeling from the effects of downsizing in the private sector, Ontario electors elected your government government to bring provincial government government spending into line with what the people of Ontario could afford. You have already made significant progress in this direction. Unfortunately, some local politicians have not yet recognised recognised that taxpayers in Ontario do not have any more money to pay increased taxes. In my own community, the Township of Scugog, only our local government government has not increased our taxes for 1996. The Region of Durham and the Durham Board of Education have significantly increased their portions of our local taxes. This unfortunately dilutes the beneficial effect of your recently announced tax cut. Programs could have been retained and budgets not increased if the majority of School Trustees and Regional Councillors had the foresight, vision and will to do so. Apparently it increase taxes. Experience shows efficiencies efficiencies occur when revenues cannot cannot increase. Neither the Region of Durham nor the Durham Board of Education has learned this. To encourage them to operate within the financial means of the community community I urge you decrease the provincial grants that arc provided provided to these Two organizations, organizations, by the amount of the tax increase. Because many of our , taxpayers require this money lo i l ,a P s the ratepayers survive, I would ask that the approve money withheld from the grants be forwarded to the local municipalities for return lo the taxpayers. Thank you. Yours truly, Keith Hobbs Port Perry EDITOR'S NOTE - Mike Harris' government wouldn't win any popularity contest If It made deeper cuts to municipalities municipalities who, refused: to hold the line on taxes. But, per- would Dear Editor: The Great Fishing Frenzy Every year, close to May, men, women and children alike get geared up to participate in a sport that is known as The Great Fishing Frenzy. This year, under severe cold temperatures, this event continued. continued. These brave souls roughed the weather in' hopes of'catching of'catching the BIG ONE. I work at a local coffee shop in Bowmanvillc and saw these participants crowd into my shop, hoping for a nice warm cup of coffee, with ears red as Macintosh apples and hands as stiff as steel, I served them with sympathetic eyes. I heard a few fish stories roaming the room, but over all I would like to congratulate these brave souls for keeping the fishing season alive and bob storing the spring. Julie Mantle. EDITOR'S NOTE - You mean spring Is here? Pet Connection Turns One • Dear Editor: Due to the support and encouragement from veterinarians, veterinarians, volunteers,, local and out- of-town businesses, and the community at large, Clarington Pet Connection has had a wonderful wonderful first year. Thus, we would like to extend a sincere Thank you to all. Your kindness, kindness, generosity, support and love of animals has enabled Clarington Pet Connection to find permanent homes for approximately four-hundred animals. The abtised or abandoned abandoned kittens, cats, puppies, and dogs possibly could have died without your wonderful support. Clarington Pet Connection is a non-profit organization run entirely by volunteers and donations. We have a NO euthanasia policy. We have two kennels donating space and approximately 20 foster homes. In June of 1995, Clarington Pet Connection was founded when two caring individuals took it upon themselves to care for an abused black Labrador. Wayne and Brenda Lowry immediately sought medical attention for CARA. With the assistance of Clarington's veterinarians veterinarians and volunteering donations Cara was on her way to recovery. When Cara isn't visiting local schools to teach children about Care and • Respect for Animals, she spends her lime on a farm. To celebrate Clarington Pet Connection's first anniversary, we have spayed or neutered kittens kittens or cats available for adoption adoption for a small donation of twenty-five dollars. The cats' shots arc up-to-date, including the seasonal rabies shot. On June 8th we will be holding our annual barbeque, yard sale, and fund raiser. Donations would be accepted and greatly appreciated. Please feel free to contact us at 623- 3361 or 987-2129.. Cara's Birthday will be hosted by Pet Paradise in Bowmanvillc Mall June 15 and 16 and at Clipps and Crafts on Temperance, June 22nd. Please come and meet Cara and share in a piece of Birthday cake. On closing, Clarington Pet Connection urges people to seriously consider having their pet/pets spayed or neutered. The abundant population of homeless pets needing loving homes is astronomical. Spaying or neutering your pet will decrease the numbers drastically. drastically. On behalf of Clarington Pet Connection, Angela Dow A volunteer. EDITOR NOTE - Happy Birthday Cara! Control the Pet Population Dear Sir: Spring is here, and with it comes the birth of many new things, including a staggering number of unplanned litters of kittens and puppies. This season's season's increase in pet population will only add to an already strained animal shelter and adoption system, since there arc far more pets in need than homes available to adopt them. This is a reminder of how important it is to have your pet spaycd/ncutcrcd to reduce the number of dogs and cats that end up in our local animal control. control. These may be tragically euthanized simply because there is nowhere for them to go. It ultimately boils down to, being a responsible pet owner. If you arc considering the adoption of a new family pet, please remember thç many wonderful, adoptable dogs and cats at Clarington Animal Control 623-7651, Oshawa Animal Services 723-3488, and Whitby Animal Control 427- 8737. Please be a responsible pet owner, please spny/ncutcr your poll Thank you, Nancy Armstrong Bowmanvillc EDITOR'S NOTE - It's excellent advice, If only more people would listen. Rotary Park and The Colville Brothers In this week's Statesman, you'll find a special section paying tribute to the Bowmanvillc Rotary Club, and three brothers who made the ultimate sacrifice while flying their planes in WWII. I encourage you to read the supplement for several reasons. Firstly, our advertising advertising and editorial staff received invaluable help in researching the material from friends, Colville family members and local historians. They were vital to the success of the supplement and we thank them all for sharing their memories with us. Secondly, there are stories and advertisements advertisements contained in the supplement about local veterans wlm've likely never had the opportunity lo share their war memories with the general public. Their accounts of valour and terror in the Second World War are simply fascinating, Thirdly, for those interested in the history history of ice rinks in Bowmanvillc, you can read how the community's needs grew from a sheet of outdoor ice on Queen Street to a stale-of-thc-art recreation complex complex on Highway 2. And finally, the supplement serves as an invitation for everyone to attend the official official opening of Rotary Park and the dedication dedication of the clock tower in memory of John, Alex and Bill Colville. The ceremony starts at 1:30 p.m. on Sunday, June 2nd, and includes a fly-by of three vintage WWII Harvard aircraft. Legion veterans will also march to the park to honour their fallen comrades It's guaranteed to he an historic event for our community, one that you won't want to miss. Politics and Race Cars Okay, so not everyone likes watching race cars go around in circles for three and a half hours. If you're not a racing a Hi - cionado, you might want lo step on the gas pedal and go to the next item in this column. column. But, if you're a horsepower fiend like me, you probably sent the wife and kids away last Sunday, so you could strap yourself yourself in for 500 miles of high speed, whcel- to-whccl action. For those who follow it closely, the Indianapolis 500 is a dynamic mix of technology, skill and danger. Unfortunately, after just a few laps, my couch potato scat heft was unbuckled when it became clear that politics had ruined ruined the greatest one day sporting event in die world. For those who tuned into the broadcast, you may have been surprised lo find names like Andretti and Unscr absent from the starting grid. In a classic example of trying lo fix something that's not broken, the owner of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Tony George, changed the legendary legendary race from a competition of the best drivers and equipment in the world lo a charade among those second-rate car owners owners who would give in to his rules. Unhappy that way races like the Toronto Indy were being run, George decided decided to start his own league, the Indy Racing League. It was created in direct opposition to the well-established and respected respected Championship Auto Racing Teams (CART). George's focus would be exclusively on oval tracks and a set rules that would encourage cheaper equipment to give poorly-funded teams an opportunity to compete. That's fine. If there's a need for that type of B-lcvel racing, go for it. It's a great opportunity for novice drivers to gain experience. But, George wasn't interested in a B- level league. He needed the Andrettis and Unsers to make his marquee twinkle. So, to force the big name drivers to compete in his IRL, George played the one huge trump card he held, the Indianapolis 500. To compete at Indy, you have to take part in the other races in his league. CART owners would not bend to George's polities and greed, instead staging staging their own race on the same day. Michigan would he home to the inaugural US 500. The stage was set for race fans to decide whether they would follow the best drivers lo the US500, or be one of the 500,000 Ians that soaks up the tradition of the brickyard in Indianapolis. So, who won and why? Despite being the best drivers, the US500 started an hour late after 12 cars were involved in a crash before they even reached the green flag. The Indy 500 started started cleanly. ABC Sports covered the Indy 500 with colour commentators like Danny Sullivan and Bobby Unscr. The broadcast was flawless and exciting, exciting, despite a field of drivers that isn't fast enough to qualify for a CART event. The US 500, on the other hand, was covered covered by TSN's Vic Rautcr. Brutal would be too kind when describing the TSN telecast. telecast. Both races featured a winner's cheque in excess of $1 million. But, like winning a green jacket at The Masters, the money is secondary when you take your drink of milk at Indianapolis. Despite CART's efforts efforts to create a viable alternative, the US500 can't create the excitement and pageantry of the brickyard. The drivers know it, the car owners know it, the fans know it, Tony George knows it. And after watching the two races on Sunday, it looks like CART will have to blink first if the top drivers expect to ever drive in the Indy 500 again. Best One-Liner of the Race As Florence Henderson (a.k.a. Mrs. Brady of The Brady Bunch) was singing the U.S. National Anthem, the drivers were busily doing up their helmets and checking their racing suits, Towards the end of the anthem, Mrs. Brady hit a note that I'm sure must have hurl my dog's ears, Just as she did that, the T.V. camera swung around and caught one of the driver's putting in his protective ear plugs. To which wife, Kim, said. "I don't blame you for putting in those ear plugs." Good one!