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The Canadian Statesman, Bowmanville, June 17, 1998 Pace 4 file Canadian Statesman Former Publishers and Partners Rev. John M. Clirnie and W. R. Clirnie 1854 - 1878 M. A. James, 1878 - 1935 • Norman S. B. James, 1919 -1929 G. Elena James, 1929 - 1947 • Dr. George VV. James, 1919 -1957 • Produced weekly by James Publishing Company Limited Also Publishers of The ClaringtonICourticc Independent P.O. Box 190, 62 King St. VV., Bowmanville, Ontario L1C 3K9 Tel: 905-623-3303 HOURS: Monday to Friday 9:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. Fax: 905-623-6161 Internet - statesman@ocna.org Publications Mail Registration No. 07637 For 144 Years, Our First Concern Has Been Our Community Publisher - John M. James Assoc. Publisher - Rick James Plant Manager - Rick Patterson Ad. Manager - Brian G. Purdy Editor - Peter Parrott Production Supervisor - Ralph Rozema, Suzanne Bennett, Tim Bowers, Kevin Britton, Sharon Cole, Laurens Kaldevvay, Barb Patterson, Tyler Sellick, Jim Snoek, James Stephenson, Vance Sutherland, Jim Tuuramo Advertising Editorial Laverne Morrison Brad Kelly, Lorraine Manfredo, Laura J. Richards Office Supervisor - Angela Luscher, Junia Hodge, Grace McGregor, Nancy Pleasance-Sturman, Marilyn Rutherford, Libby Smithson Editorials The More Things Change Change is so rapid and commonplace in Bowmanville and all of Clarington these days that we don't even notice it. So, allow us to point out a few highlights. In Bowmanville, a new elementary and secondary school are being completed. The next phase of the west end plaza development is rapidly nearing completion. Subdivisions are growing by leaps and bounds to the north and west end of town. Outside of Bowmanville, the commercial growth is being matched in Courlicc and Newcastle where new shopping spaces arc in various stages of completion. And, in the case of Courlicc, there's a brand new elementary elementary school in the works. The long-awaited Courlicc Community Complex became a reality less than a year ago. And, before the snow flics, we'll see the completion of the second ice surface at the Garnet B. Rickard Recreation Complex and a newly-renovated seniors' facility at the former Bowmanville Lions Centre. The redevelopment of the Port of Newcastle is under way. It all adds up to some major changes in this municipality municipality which has a population in the 60,000 range and happens to be one of (he fastest-growing communities in Canada. The challenge -- aside from those Friday afternoon traffic jams -- will be to maintain the traditional community community spirit in a town that is rapidly becoming part of the GTA's urban sprawl. Fortunately, Clarington has a history of independent communities and groups and organizations who care. Drawing on that tradition, we just might be able to pull it off. We just might be able to have, right here, a community community that combines the best of the big city and the country. country. But, it will be a challenge! Call it our millennium and beyond project. Hydro Faces Competition It wasn't long ago that Ontario Hydro was viewed with pride in Ontario. Today, there are those who see it as an. albatross around the neck of the economy, v Has Hydro changed? Have we changed? ~ ' It appears tous that what has changed most is our attitudes attitudes towards private and public sector undertakings. When the economy was more robust, nobody cared as much about the cost of hydro because the money was always there to spend whatever was necessary. The system system appeared to work well and we used it. Now, under lighter economic conditions, there's pressure pressure to introduce competition among everything from the supply of natural gas to provision of phone services. But, there are important issues to be answered before Hydro is added to that list. By way of background, we note that the proposal introduced under the Energy Competition Act would end Hydro's 90-ycar reign as a power producing monopoly. Ontario Hydro would be broken down into two commercial commercial corporations -- the Ontario Electric Services Corporation and the Ontario Electricity Generation Corporation. A third section of present-day Ontario Hydro would remain a crown corporation ensuring reliable reliable electricity supplies and fair access to the market. The word "privatization" has been avoided in the proposal. proposal. The word "competition" is emphasized. But, whichever it is, the questions remain. For one thing, there's the issue of whether increased private participation in the production of electricity might create a two-tier system. How can we be sure that poorer communities and more remote communities can get the same access to power if the electricity is no longer a public corporation? What about the planning of electrical production? Can private enterprise make wise long-term decisions about new power stations and equipment or will it just live day-to-day and try to concentrate on the bottom line rather than the long-term future? One also must wonder whether private firms will provide provide the same employment opportunities, and meet environmental environmental standards and safely practices as readily as a quasi-governmcntal agency such as Ontario Hydro. The Society of Hydro professional and administrative employees suggests that allowing competition may not create smaller, local firms that can generate hydro and sell it to the public. Rather, there is the fear that it's the big American energy companies and Hydro Quebec which will get the business. And, the organization warns that will mean a scenario in which Ontario will "lose both revenue and jobs while being stuck with Ontario Hydro's debt." The Hydro professional and administrative administrative employees arc also asking for assurances that Ontario companies can sell to the U.S. markets as easily as American companies can sell here. And what of the Hydro debt, which is pegged by the government of Ontario at about $30 billion? If too much debt is left with the new Ontario Hydro corporations to pay, the utility will not be able to compete against private enterprise. On the other hand, if Hydro can write off much of its debt, then those private power producers just won't get in the market because they'll be competing against a utility that is still being maintained by the taxpayers? taxpayers? The process of disentangling the tradition of a publicly publicly owned utility will not be an easy one. Is it worth it? Is it the only alternative? Will it be best in the long run? These and other questions must be answered before Ontario leaps into the general direction of privatizing power production in this province. ---• WebSiteoHheW^k This week's web site o ..muy clarington *on.ca/ isSlssd on-line. Seen & Heard Leave It Alone -- It seems no matter how much work is done at Rotary Park, somebody feels more work needs to be done. Vandalism continues to be a problem with more trees being damaged over the week-end. Unfortunately the park is located just out of the sight of King Street, making it an popular spot for bored teens and transients. C'mon folks, leave it alone for the rest of us to enjoy. City Lights -- Forget the Canada Day fireworks. For a truly unforgettable light show, hurry to Concession St. in Bowmanville cast of Liberty. Just gaze south over the field zoned for a 120-unit subdivision subdivision and watch hundreds of fireflies light up the night to the sound of frogs. Free shows each evening at dusk (about 9:15 p.m.) Heck, bring a lawn chair. Solina's Southpaws -- Attention big league baseball baseball scouts! Mark next year's Solina Day on your calendar calendar right now if you want the inside track on true pitching talent. The kids who were hurling pitches at the dunk tank last Saturday exhibited some superior talent in the velocity and aim department. So good, in fact, that the long line of willing dunkces didn't have to wait long at all for their turn to take a plunge. Letter to the Editor Final Thoughts on the "Ride Around America" We're In The Cornfield Now! This is one of three Sandhill Cranes that spent much of the weekend on the sod farm and surrounding corn fields on the 5th Concession near Orono. Ted Boricic, says, the three cranes walked into his garage early Saturday morning as he was working working on his rototiller. "I felt like someone was watching me and when I turned around, there they were," said Boricic. The cranes have radio transmitters strapped to their legs and are part of the Lishman flock, Canada Needs a Tax Cut Letter to the Editor Dear Editor: According to politicians politicians and economists, Canada needs a taxcut to expand its economy and create jobs. A good place to start cutting would be the sales tax imposed by Canada's banks. No private private organization should have the power to levy a sales tax, but banks do. It amounts to the meanest sales lax in Canada - the credit card business as it is run today. Banks use their power to make Canadians pay for something they do not want or need. To induce Canadians to use the credit credit card, cash-paying customers customers must pay the same prices as credit card users. The cost of credit is included in the price of every item in stores which accept credit cards, which is approximately 99 per cent of all stores. In the past we used to receive a discount for cash, but now there is a penalty for it because banks forced merchants merchants to refuse giving a discount for cash. The result is a sales tax raised by the super rich - not by a democratic gov- Continued on page 5 Marathon cyclist John Veldhuis concludes his correspondence with this letter about what it takes to accomplish worthy goals. Last week I listed what was needed to ride 16,000 km around the U.S.A. but did not mention the human aspect of the trip. What does the individual need within him or herself to complete such a journey? The first step is to have a goal, an idea what it is you want to accomplish. Without this goal nothing is accomplished in sports, business or life. There arc people who wander through life without any. goal but even that is their goal. We all need a target to which we can direct our aim. The person who cannot cannot define his goal fails in any aspect of life. Once the goal has been defined, which in my case, was to ride a bicycle around the U.S.A. to raise awareness and money for Haitian students to study for up to one year in a North American University, the next thing that was required was a plan. Which route would I take and in which direction would I travel, west or south? Clockwise or counterclockwise? counterclockwise? Again, this applies to any aspect of life. He who fails to plan, plans to fail. It is not enough to have a goal, if there is no plan to carry the action towards achieving the goal, the whole exercise exercise becomes a dream or wish. A goal demands an action plan. The next step is to put the plan into action. This is done by setting a starting date and a completion date. It is far too easy to have a goal and a plan but never start the action to realize the goal. Procrastination is the ruin of many worthy projects. By setting a starting date you know you must begin. Just like the ancient Chinese proverb states: 'The long journey starts with the first step' we must make that first step. We also need to know when the project is finished finished so a concluding date must be set otherwise we Continued on page 5 Thoughts Unlimited by Rick James I Didn't Say Simon Scz! If you think you're good at following instructions, we're going to put you to the test on Saturday morning during the Bowmanville BIA's Fabulous 50's Festival Sidewalk Sale. You may remember a show on television a number of years ago called "Battle of the Network Stars." One of the highlights of the war among the celebrities was a giant Simon Scz contest. It looked like a lot of fun so we thought we would steal the idea and bring it to downtown downtown Bowmanville. I thought about trying to lead the contest myself, but the last time I was in front of 200 people outside our office, nobody wanted to listen listen to me. I kept telling the teachers, "Simon Scz go back to work," but they kept chanting, "Shame on Rick." So, we have recruited someone even mouthier than me to lead the contest. Even better, lie used to be a teacher. With his canary like voice, Ross Metcalf has agreed to chair the challenge of finding the best Simon Scz player in downtown Bowmanville. It should be a lot of fun and there are even plaques and Statesman Bucks for the top three winners. It gets underway at 10:00 so be sure to be at our office early to gel a spot at the back where it's tougher for the judges to sec you. Besides the Simon Sez contest, we'll also be hosting an event that is really hip. Our annual Hula Hoop Contest will be held on Saturday morning and there arc categories for all age groups. There's also beach volleyball tournaments, bubble gum blowing contests, jumping castles and a vintage car show in this year's Fabulous Fifties Festival. All the action starts on Thursday and continues continues through Saturday. Even the weatherman is going to co-operate this year, promising sunny skies and warm temperatures for the event. our own children were born. One thing it did show is that the whole issue of firearms control and violence is very much alive. Considering the number of bumper stickers you sec that say, "Register my firearms, No Way!" there's going to be a real battle between a number of groups over gun owners' owners' right and anti-violence groups. Good Photos, Bad Photos On the front of last week's Statesman, we ran a story about a wild turkey harvest that featured a hunter pointing a shotgun. When I saw the photo, I thought it looked great from a photographic photographic standpoint. We decided to run it on the front page because of its photographic value, But, little did we know how much criticism it would draw from a number of readers who were quite upset we would run such a photo. They fell it promoted violence and should not be seen by their children. children. I have to admit that thought didn't even occur to me when we decided to run it on the front page, Normally, when a controversial photo is considered for the any location in the newspaper, the editorial editorial department examines all aspects of the photo and the reactions it may cause. You'd think after being in this business all my life, something something might have clicked. Particularly when 1 sold all my guns when Who's at Fault? Kids or Adults? With all the problems you hear involving youth and violence, you have to wonder what the heck is going on and who's to blame. Late Friday night, more than 100 people were involved in a brawl with police in the downtown. Nine cruisers and the paddy wagon responded to the call after the crowd turned on the first cruisers that arrived. The melee erupted after a pregnant women was punched in the stomach while another women had a beer bottle broken over her head. I'm not sure if it was related, but more vandalism occurred at Rotary Park involving graffiti and broken trees. So, who's at fault? A poem given to me recently offers one view that many people will share. The Delinquents We read in the papers, we hear on the air Of killing and stealing and crime everywhere We sigh and we say as we notice this trend "This young generation! Where will it all end?" Hut can we be sure that it's their fault alone? That maybe most of it isn 7 really our own? Too much money to spend, too much idle time. Too many movies of passion and crime. Too many books not Jit to be read. Too much of evil in what they hear said. Too m any children encouraged to roam. By too many parents who won 7 stay at home. But remember, Kids don 7 make the movies, they don 7 write the books That paint a gray picture of gangsters and crooks. They don 7 make the liquor, they don 7 run the bars They don 7 make the laws and they don 7 make the cars, they don't make the drugs that burn oui the brain It '.v all done by older folk greedy for gain. Thus, in many cases, it must be confessed The label "Delinquent" Jits older folk best.