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/ m> S • Total Market Coverage of Clarington from the Publishers of The Canadian Statesman • A James Publishing Community Newspaper Saturday, August 9, 1997 143rd Year Circulation: 20,550 mmêÿiifim 1R» ;y,> v ■' i SWS hi «881111 ','ffê^rF" v • ÿa ïr.V-V ■ :•< ; v Vi IliBIpP £ £&>.: & WSWS IWSSftpl 'WiïiilpIVS" . - , {• r k&0$£- \ v > m ••V. ' ÿ VA.ov.V/ : Sll|pS8 .•jvÀV.v' i ; fv--• -j* ÿ. - ,:•>•; y ' - S • » BBSlIIEi .'■ : Emily Tufts (striped hat) and .Kristal Davis (forefront) lead children in songs and games during a Cat in the t birthday bash at the Newcastle Public Library Thursday, July 31. Judging by the enthusiastic turn-out, by Lorraine Manfredo Staff Writer ; After a last-ditch bid to save his kids' basketball net, a Bowmanville man has taken it down as ordered in June by the municipality's bylaw department. Martin Esselink had hoped his application for a Road Occupancy permit might allow him to continue to use the pole and net which was mounted in the ground in front of his Morgandale Cres. home on a seven-- foot-wide strip of land between the road and the sidewalk. "It's a very quiet street," he explains, "basically no through traffic, just people who live here." However, the public works department denied him a permit. Having run out of avenues of appeal, Esselink took the net down on July 27. "I'll move it halfway up the driveway," driveway," lie says. "Now I'll have my car in the road." He is disappointed that whoever lodged the complaint with the town hall in May didn't knock on his door first, adding he would have been willing to take the pole out of its removeable cement sleeve when it wasn't being used. He didn't think the kids were bothering anyone. They never play past 1.0:30 at night, he notes. Kids play road hockey on the street too, he says, and neighbors "all know to drive slow or wait. It's not a big deal." Stephen Yokes of the Public Works Department said the net was too close to the street and the town ordered it taken down for safety reasons after a complaint from a member member of the public was made. "It was encouraging children to play on the street," said Yokes. "They would be playing on the street with a ball as opposed to being on the street paying attention to traffic." He added: "It was definitely located on town property and we have our own liability to worry about." Nets too near the road could also present a problem for snowplows, Yokes adds. Esselink's two teenagers aren't happy about the loss of their net. Their father says they complain that the. courts at nearby Soper Creek park are always occupied. For his part, Esselink liked knowing knowing exactly where his kids were. "I'd rather have them here than at the mall or somewhere else." He wondefs, too, why the town mailed two notices telling him to take his net down, and yet other homeowners receive none. Len Creamer, senior municipal law enforcement officer, said: "Until we've had a complaint, we can't act on them. Most bylaws are drafted in such a way that they are complaint driven." In other words, the town is only aware of nets .that are a bother to residents. residents. Creamer has been with the town for seven years and in that time has heard few complaints about basketball basketball nets. MR Takes Aim at Tories for Tax Cuts by Lorraine Manfredo Staff Writer Liberal supporters chowing down at the Durham East Provincial Riding barbecue in Enniskillen on Wednesday afternoon raked more than their dinner over the coals. Local Grits didn't spare their political opponents any mercy, roasting them with barbs and even satirical political poetry. One key target under fire during the evening was Ontario Premier Mike Harris. Alex Shepherd, Liberal MP for Durham, asked approximately 70 supporters gathered at the Enniskillen Conservation Area to help "oust the Mike Harrises of the world" for the sake of national unity. "He is trying to wrench more and more power from the federal government," government," Shepherd said, "That is gnawing away at the very structure of this country and what it takes to keep this country together." Shepherd heads back to Ottawa in the fall for the start of his second term in office. The Port Perry accountant isn't shy about lumping Premier Harris in with other notorious provincial power-seekers such as Albertan premier premier Ralph Klein and Quebec's Lucien Bouchard. The provincial premier makes the argument that federal transfer payments to provinces should be greater, Shepherd notes. And while Shepherd can't deny that the federal government, in its deficit-fighting mode, cut payments to Ontario, he faults Harris for dumping the bill on the municipalities. He claims Harris then gave "$5 billion in tax reductions reductions to his buddies and friends, the high income earners." Shepherd accuses Harris of downloading costs to the municipalities municipalities and attempting to centralize decision-making in Queen's Park. It's a trend he sees as undermining undermining national standards. "We already have different education education standards across Canada. Now, are we about to develop different different health care standards?" He fears Canada could fragment into a "collection "collection of regions." "When we look back at Confederation, it was regions coming coming together. Now we are going apart. We have to stop that drift," Shepherd said. The Durham MP shared the spotlight spotlight with other Liberals gearing up for the fall session in Canada's federal federal parliament, including: Oshawa MP Ivan Grose; Jodi Longfield, MP from Ajax-Whitby; and Karen Kraft Sloan, representing North York. Get set for a trip back in time this Saturday, August 9th, when The Port of Newcastle Marina hosts its 50's and 60's Weekend! The fun starts at noon with live bands and a classic car show. Don't miss these antique cars and trucks displayed by local automotive collectors and the Oshawa Cruisers; (And watch for food prices that come from an earlier era as well!) The Oshawa Barbershop Quartet will entertain pierside in the afternoon afternoon from 4 to 7 p.m. More music from the 50's and 60's will be provided provided by Prime Tyme and the band Chaser will play in the tent for the evening dance to kick off at 8 p.m. Prizes will be given out for Best Dressed, Best Twister, and People's Choice of the Best Car. For further information, call the Port of Newcastle Marina at 987- Independent Flyers *A&P (Prices in effect from Sun., Aug. 10 to Sat., Aug. 23/97) Canadian Tire (Prices in effect from Sun., Aug. 10 to Sat., Aug. 16/97) iüà, Clarington Day at the Ex Let's Co'lo'Ilx EX; *Graham's IGA (Prices in effect from Sun., Aug. 10 to Sat., Aug. 16/97) *M&M Meats (Prices effective from Sun., Aug. 10 to Sat., Aug. 23/97) *Orono Lumber (Prices effective until Aug. 23, 1997) M7 *Port Hope Valu Mart JSLt (Prices in effect from Sun., Aug. 10 to Sat., Aug. 16/97) SAAM. SAAN (Sale,starts Wed:, Aug. 13 at 10 a.m. to Sat., Aug. 16/97) ® R ,d toSM . *VCR Clinic - Radio Shack (Prices effective until Aug. 23, 1997) U§ *Waverley Dental Centre ^Indicates partial distribution) For information about inserting flyers in %\\)t Clarington/Courtice Snbepenbent, please contact our office at 623-3303. 1 . ■ ■ I : ■ ■ ; .1 » j ! i :j : S ; : ■ '