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I PAGE 6 THE CANADIAN STATESMAN, JANUARY 19, 2000 & Opinions FOR 146 YEARS, OUR FIRST CONCERN HAS BEEN OUR COMMUNITY Publisher - Tint Whittaker Editor-in-chief-Joanne Burghardt Managing Editor - Judi Bobbitt Advertising Manager - Brian G. Purdy Advertising - Lavernc Morrison, Sharon Goodman Office - Junia Hodge, Nancy Pleasance-Sturman Editorial - Brad Kelly, Jennifer Stone, Jacquie Mclnncs Œïj t Canadian Statesman Former Publishers and Partners Rev. John M. Climic and W.R. Climic 1854-1878 M.A. James 1878-1935 • Norman S.B. James 1919-1929 G. Elena James, 1929-1947 • Dr. George \V. James 1919-1957 John M. James, 1957-1999 Produced by Mctroland Printins, Publishing & Distributing Ltd. Also Publishers of CLARINGTON THIS WEEK * P.O. Box 190, 62 King St. W„ Bowmanvillc, Ontario L1C 3K9 TEL: 905-623^3303 FAX: 905-623-616/ HOURS: Monday to Friday 9:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.M. Internet - statcsmn@durham.net Publications Mail Registration No. 07637 EDITORIAL Councillors must stick together Stand taken by mayors is heartening for Durham Forced to choose between two suitors, mayors Nancy Diamond Diamond and Wayne Arthurs have chosen to dance with the one that 'brung ya'. In turning their backs on a group of powerful 905-GTA mayors which includes Mississauga's Hazel McCallion, Vaughn's Loma Jackson and Markham's Don Cousens, Pickering's Pickering's Mayor Arthurs and Oshawa's Mayor Diamond have cast their lot with their fellow regional councillors. The GTA mayors, in brief, want to see the four GTA regions eliminated and eight or nine super cities in their place. The made-in-Durham solution, now endorsed by mayors Arthurs and Diamond, would see Durham Region continue in a much-stripped-down form which would see it still maintain supervision over police services. To counterbalance the continuation continuation of the region and to appease the Province, local municipalities municipalities would explore amalgamation prospects with the aim of eliminating some of the eight municipalities currently in Durham. Mayors Diamond and Arthurs had attended a GTA mayors meeting with six counterparts in December. That's when the plan to eliminate the regions was discussed and the creation of the super suburbs came up. But when it came time to put up or shut up last Friday, the Durham mayors, impressed by the discussions discussions at the regional council retreat last Tuesday and Wednesday, backed their own. That presents a united front to the Province later this year. Durham clearly wants no part of a deal negotiated by mayors in York, Peel and Halton. Surely Minister of Municipal Affairs Tony Clement will have to take that into consideration. Meanwhile, Durham still remains very much a part of the Greater Toronto Services Board. That body, still in its infancy, will likely take a larger and larger role in overall service delivery delivery throughout the GTSB. Look for it to run transit and possibly possibly roads, take charge of water and sewers and co-ordinate other services. The Region could still manage police, an amalgamated amalgamated fire service and waste disposal. Local municipalities, where they can find cost-savings and service improvements, could find natural partners for amalgamation. amalgamation. Seems like a worthwhile plan which has unanimous ..support in Durham. We welcome your opinion. Please E-Mail your comments on our opinions to nnews0durham.net. Submissions which include include a first and last name, as well as a community of residence, residence, will be considered for publication. Tyrone Hall needs a helping hand Volunteers are critical to operate community facility For generations, Clarington has benefited from the dedication dedication of residents to their communities. Among those who answered the call to public sendee have been members of families whose Clarington roots go back generations. generations. But, as old family ties arc slowly lost and the population population of the municipality.quickly grows, increasingly, there is a call for new blood from service clubs and associations. Many arc in desperate need for more people ta.rcplacc volunteers who have taken a wcll-descrvcd retirement. More than two decades ago, the people of Tyrone raised the money and built their community centre. But now, one of the few remaining volunteers on the hall board, Gwen Woodcock, is finding herself lacking successors to pass the torch to. Mrs. Woodcock is hoping newer residents to Clarington and young families will feel welcome to take some ownership for the hall which she hopes will be used for many years to come. It's easy, when you move to an established community, the type Clarington is full of, to assume your help is not needed or even welcome in keeping community resources alive. In Tyrone Tyrone at least, nothing could be further from the truth. LOOKING BACK WITH THE STATESMAN 25 YEARS AGO Jan. 15,1975 Contract negotiations between Durham Regional Police and council went to a provincial conciliator after talks broke off. Police were asking for approximately a 30 per cent wage boost, plus a cost of living clause, a dental plan, courtroom courtroom pay, and travel allowance of 20 cents a mile. A fourth class constable received $11,787 and was seeking a raise to $14,420. 50 YEARS AGO Jan. 19,1950 An estimated amount in excess of $125,000 a year was added to the purchasing power of local Goodyear factory workers as the result (if a new wage agreement between the company and the union. The contract included an hourly increase increase of 7 1/2 per cent, three weeks vacation after 15 years of service, .and increased minimum rates. The last general wage increase was in April, 1948. 75 YEARS AGO Jan. 15,1925 Another destructive fire visited the business section of the town. The fire brigade was called out to extinguish flames in the rear of the building occupied by Copeland's Shoe Store, Firemen were successful in confining the fire to the one room which was used as a stock room for storing heavy hoots and canvas shoes, as well as furniture. The cause of the fire wiis unknown, and the loss was estimated at $4,000. Make sure you use smoke alarms To the editor: The recent debate about what type of smoke alarm you should have in your home greatly disturbs disturbs me. Not because I believe one technology is better than the other - in fact, experience has shown that both ionization and photoelectric smoke alarms arc effective at detecting fires in the home. My ÇQiiccrn is people may bc- licye'thc only- thing they need to.- tie "safe train 'fire - is a smoke" alarm. The truth is, if you and your family arc going to survive a fire, you may need much more than that. Most fatal fires occur at night, when people arc asleep. Often these arc very slow, smoldering fires, which arc the most difficult to detect. Photoelectric alarms may respond slightly faster to this type of fire, however when these smoldering fires reach the fiaming stage, both alarms will respond. effectively. Ionization- type smoke alarms may respond faster to hot, flaming fires, such as those that can occur in the kitchen. Regardless of the type, the more smoke alarms you have, the earlier a fire may be detected. detected. Fire and smoke can spread at an incredible rate, so by the time the alarm sounds, a substantial amount of smoke may already be filling your home. You may only have a very short time to escape so you must be prepared to act immediately. Developing a home escape plan and practising it with your family can greatly improve your chances of surviving. Of course, the best way to protect yourself from five is to prevent one from occurring in the first place. Pay close attention when cooking or smoking and never leave open flame, such as fireplaces or candles, unattended. Smoke alarms arc definitely an essential component of fire safety, but they're only part of the equation. A well-rehearsed home escape escape plan and good, fire-safe behaviours behaviours will go a long way toward toward protecting you and your family. Bernard Moyle Fire Marshal of Ontario Personal trainer can help in fitness goals To the editor: Re: 'How to be a real loser,' This Week, Jan. 7,2000. I agree with Matthew Brook on numerous points. Yes, you should get medical attention to make sure you're in good medical medical condition before entering any fitness program. Yes, you shouldn't expect immediate results. results. Yes, you should look at fitness fitness as a lifestyle change. , : .However, if you look at training training as something to just 'fit' into your weekly schedule chances are pretty good you'll give up before before any benefits have been achieved. That's why more and more people arc choosing personal personal trainers. Personal trainers book appointments; and after all, if you have an appointment booked, you're less likely to miss it... and more likely to enjoy the long-term results of a fitness program. program. Peter Koeyers Manager/Owncr Body Form Fitness Mike Harris subject of complaints The premier is mending fences with the media Mike Harris has a more strained relationship with news media covering the legislature than any premier before him, but is leaving no stone unturned trying trying to mend it. The Progressive Conservative premier has become the first premier premier to receive three letters from the legislature press gallery complaining complaining of his conduct. The first was a couple of years ago after he told a television cameraman cameraman lie mistakenly thought was trying to photograph briefing papers in front of him to "bugger off' and "use your l'...ing head.' Hie gallery told the premier its members were not used to being verbally abused this way by premiers while doing their jobs and would not accept it. The gallery wrote to Mr. Harris Harris again shortly before Christmas Christmas complaining he no longer makes himself available in the legislature corridors to answer questions on issues of the day. The premier had established a strategy of rarely being in the legislature legislature to face opposition parties' parties' questions that might embarrass embarrass him before he won last June's election and found it so useful he continued it and extended extended it to the media. The third letter was prompted when Mr. Harris told media he would spend Christmas with his family, especially his children, in his home city of North Bay where they live with his recently estranged wife, which painted a warm picture of an attempt to achieve seasonal harmony in difficult difficult circumstances. I lis staff on New Year's live issued a message in his name and datelincd it North Bay, wishing residents a happy and prosperous 2000. It left an impression lie was still there to deal with any millennium millennium crisis and even days later insisted he was there and media reported it. But a woman phoned a newspaper newspaper to say Mr. Harris could not have been home, because she saw him gelling off a plane from Florida a few days after New Year's Day, and his staff eventually eventually admitted lie had headed to warmer clinics early New Year's Eve and the premier was able to point out he never personally said lie would stay in North Bay throughout the holidays, anyway. The gallery in its letter said it could not trust the premier. It was the first time the gallery wrote charging a premier or those speaking for him, of lying. The press gallery has written complaining to premiers before. It wrote to the Liberal premier, David Peterson, in the 1980s complaining lie failed to notify it beforehand of a meeting he had with the Quebec premier, Robert Bourassn. Mr. Peterson explained the meeting was to discuss long-term strategies on unity and he did not expect it would come up with quick decisions and fell the media would not be interested, when he should have let media decide. Hie gallery also wrote Mr. Peterson Peterson to object when he sneaked out to the then lieutenant-governor's lieutenant-governor's home in Hamilton and had a minister lie dumped, Ken Keyes,- sworn back into his cabinet. cabinet. Mr. Peterson said with a straight face that because Mr. Keyes had been a minister before, before, lie felt the media would not be interested, The gallery wrote also to the Tory premier, William Davis, in the 1970s complaining lie did not hold enough press conferences, but it is difficult to recall reporters reporters feeling unhappy enough with a premier to write to him three limes. A few days later Mr. Harris set another first - he became the first premier to speak at a memorial service for a gallery member who died, The reporter had been known for asking pertinent questions questions often unnecessarily abrasively abrasively and Mr, Harris would have found him a pain in the neck. But the premier sat and chatted chatted with media and said the reporter reporter was one of a kind and made life more interesting and would be missed by all, No one can say for certain whether Mr. Harris turned up merely to mend fences, but one tiling is for sure. If the reporter had been able to speak he would have asked Mr, Harris how he could find time to attend his funeral but not press conferences or the legislature ■ reporters like to have the last word, The deadly truth about fire hazard Judi Bobbitt Managing Editor A Lcskard couple's pet cat has proven itself just as reliable as any smoke detector, after alerting its owners owners to the early stages of a house lire in the wee hours of Saturday morning. Nicknamed Cat, the feline "jumped five feet in the air," waking Norman Fee and his wife at 3 a.m. Next thing, Mrs. Fee finds Cat, staring at a spot on the ceiling where an electrical fire was just getting under way. The Fees, though, aren't taking any more chances and arc no longer relying on Cat to sound tire alarm. Later the same day, a smoKC detector was installed installed in the home and Mr. Fee had ordered ordered two more of "the best." Clarington Fire Chief Michael Creighton urges residents to ■ install smoke detectors, citing several cases where they've saved lives in the municipality municipality recently: In Clarington, the lire department will give you one free of charge and will even inspect your home to determine where best'to place it. Most/of us have never been in a house fire and have little understanding of the circumstances we might face. Clarington fire prevention officer Randy Rcinert can fill us in. "I would never wish a fire on anyone," anyone," he says. "It's horrible. It's dark and extremely hot... the smoke is dark and dense. Most fires are dark, hot and spread quickly." Most deadly fires occur at night, he says and pose a greater danger today than they did decades ago, due to a common material found in household upholstery, polyurethane foam, which is extremely combustible. "It's unbelievable unbelievable how fast it spreads," he cautions, cautions, noting fires will also be very toxic due to household materials. Rather than wake you, the thick, dense smoke of a house fire can cause you to fall into a deeper sleep due to its carbon monoxide content. And, the carbon carbon monoxide can leave you feeling dizzy, confused and disoriented. That's why, says Mr. Rcinert, it's important to have a fire prevention plan. He suggests: 1) Have a working smoke alarm. They arc sensitive to smoke, not heat, so test it by holding a fiamc under it or pressing the test button. button. 2) Have the family practise an escape escape route with two ways out. In the winter, he suggests showing children how to break windows if they're scaled. 3) Have a meeting place, so it can quickly be ascertained if anyone's still inside. Here's a final, sobering thought. In most cases, says Mr. Rcinert, the fire department arrives "too late" to save anyone. "Ninety per cent of the time, people cither get out safely on their own or arc dead in the fire." There arc very few rescues. "Fire safety depends on you." THE CANADIAN STATESMAN is one of the Mctroland Printing, Publishing Publishing and Distributing group of newspapers. The Statesman is u member of the Bowmanvillc Clarmg- ton Board of Trade, the Greater Os- liawa Chamber of Commerce, Ontario Ontario Community NewspaperAssoc., Canadian Community Nevspaper Assoc., Canadian Circulations Audit Board and the Ontario Press Council. The publisher reserves the l ight to classify or refuse any advertisement. Credit for advertisement limited to space price error occupies. aka The Canadian Statesman welcomes letters to the editor. All letters should be typed or neatly hand-written, 150 words. Each letter must include the name, mailing address and daytime telephone number of the writer, flic editor reserves the right to edit copy Ibr style, length and content, We regret regret that due to the volume of letters, not all will be printed. Eux letters to 623-616lor emailed to slulfrimHfdiirham.net (+CNA ,ir:: |ki*ui A°cna H33Ü