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PAGE AS THE CANADIAN STATESMAN, OCTOBER 25,2000 FOR 146 YEARS, OUR FIRST CONCERN HAS BEEN OUR COMMUNITY Publisher - Tim Whittaker Editor-in-Chief - Joanne Burghardt Managing Editor - Judi Bobbitt Advertising Manager - Brian G. Purdy Advertising - Lavcrne Morrison, Christian-Ann Goulet Office - Junia Hodge, Nancy Pleasance-Sturman Editorial - Brad Kelly, Jennifer Stone, Jacquic Mclnncs Œïje Cnitntrian 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 XV. James 1919-1957 John M. James, 1957-1999 Produced by Metroland Printing, Publishing & Distributing Ltd. Also Publishers of CLARINGTON THIS WEEK P.O. Box 190, 62 King St. W„ Bowmanville, Ontario L1C 3K9 TEL: 905-623-3303 FAX: 905-623-6161 HOURS: Monday to Friday 9:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. E-mail -judi.bobbitt@durhamnews.net Publications Mail Registration No. 07637 EDITORIAL Elections, elections everywhere What's a poor voter to do? Oh, what a time to be a political junkie. All we need now is for Mike Harris to call a snap election. Well, on second thought... Ending the worst-kept secret since, well since the last time he called a federal election, Jean Chretien made the announcement Sunday we'd been predicting for weeks. It will all come down to Nov. 27, less than five weeks away by the time you read this. Contrast that with the marathon, year-long campaign for the American presidency which wraps up two weeks from today. Canadians should care about who wins this two-man fight since the U.S. president's fiscal and foreign policy always always has a major impact on our own. Remember what the late Pierre Trudeau once said: Living beside the United States is like sleeping with an elephant. You feel every grunt and twitch. Just six days after the presidential election, we have here in Ontario, our triannual municipal ballot. A race that's really really not much longer than our federal election, the municipal municipal elections are only heating up now with candidates making making sure their signs are in place, attending all-candidates meetings and knocking on doors. Many hard-working local people are eager to put many hours of time in for little compensation because they want to make a difference in their communities. And, often, municipal municipal politicians are the representatives we can see and talk to on our streets, or at the end of a phone line. They're usually people we know and can relate to. And they make decisions that touch us. That brings us to the federal race, Jean Chretien's goal of a majority three-peat. Now that the five parties have had two elections to settle in and sort themselves out, it would appear it's finally a two-man and two-party race. With no Tory or NDP members in Ontario, it would appear the Liberals, Liberals, who have 101 of 103 seats and the Alliance who have one courtesy of a Tory defector (there's one independent, John Nunziata) will battle it out for supremacy. Can Stockwell Day convince anyone east of Manitoba he has what it takes to lead,a 'national' party? Will the Liberals Liberals re-establish their power base in Atlantic Canada and upend the Bloc in Quebec? Will we wind up with a minority minority government that sees the Tories or NDP having the balance balance of power? The leaders will debate Nov. 8 in English and Nov. 9 in French. While Joe Clark, Alexa McDonough and Gilles Duceppe will have their say, the clash between Jean Chretien Chretien and Stockwell Day should be electric. It says here those moments will be memorable and could make the difference. difference. We welcome your opinion. Please E-Mail your comments on our opinions to judi.bobbitt@durhamnews.net. Submissions which include a first and last name, as well as the community of residence, will be considered for publication. tolTUE/ MTOl UR. JUEWniEOF&QS JUE SETTLE OF QVÊKC, LOOKING BACK WITH THE STATESMAN 75 YEARS AGO Oct. 29,1925 The senior girls' basketball game between Whitby and Bowmanville Bowmanville High School was won by Bowmanville by a 28-18 score. In the junior game, Whitby won 10-4. 50 YEARS AGO Oct. 26,1950 Howard Millson was elected president of the newly formed Darlington Conservation Club at a well-attended meeting in Eldad Sunday school basement. 25 YEARS AGO Oct. 29,1975 The Bowmanville High School band received an invitation to perform at Disney World in Florida during the winter break in March, 1976. The band was selected on the basis of a taped audition. Information taken from the archives of The Canadian Statesman LETTER TO THE EDITOR Councillors have left us high and dry To the editor: We are all currently receiving receiving pamphlets from council member hopefuls informing us of their accomplishments. I would like to remind you of incumbents' incumbents' other actions which, in my opinion, have adversely affected the citizens of Claring- ton. 1. Encouraged building of homes but have done little to provide essential services for the increased population; namely namely doctors. My family is without without a doctor for the first time in 35 years, and it would seem this situation will not improve. 2. Safety in our parks. Instead Instead of restricting motor traffic into a local park, they extended the car park for a four-day event, with no precautions put in place for other park users. 3. Introduced cal licensing, where there is already an existing existing bylaw which could prosecute prosecute cat owners who let their cats roam. This was simply a money-making action which persecuted every cat owner in Clarington, whether or not the cat ever goes outside. 4. Enforced a bylaw which fines you if you park your car within three feet of your own driveway - again, purely a money making venture. . 5. Provided no parking facilities facilities for junior soccer and baseball baseball player groups, but instead enforce the parking bylaw. All in all, my feelings for the incumbent councillors are that they didn't take much notice of the residents of Clarington, but concentrated on looking after their own interests. George Latter Bowmanville Unheard-of stance a surprise MPP says Palestinians in right in Middle East conflict An historic event has taken place in the Ontario legislature - an MPP took the side of the Palestinians in the Middle East conflict. New Democrat Peter Kormos chose an opportunity in which MPPs are allowed to speak briefly on any subject to say Palestinians have been denied statehood for 50 years (since western powers look some of their land to help create the stale of Israel dominated by Jews, who seized the rest by force and have given back only a small part.) Mr. Kormos said the Palestinians Palestinians have struggled for five decades for sovereign recognition, recognition, basic human rights and dignity dignity and necessities such as food and shelter in a very hostile environment. environment. The MPP said he shares the concerns of Ontario's Palestinian community and called for the United Nations to put an end to violence and aggression against civilians, an independent enquiry into excessive force by Israeli troops, their withdrawal and the dismantling of Israeli settlements he said encircle and strangle historic historic Palestinian communities. People should speak up, Mr. Kormos said, for Palestinians rights to create their own independent independent state and return to their homes and lands in peace. No MPP has taken the side of Palestinians before. Ontario politicians in all parties on the contrary have a long history of supporting the Israelis. This was started by Progressive Progressive Conservative premier William Davis in the 1970s, when he had llie legislature pass a resolution condemning the U.N. for calling Zionism racist. Mr. Davis then made several visits to Israel in which he expressed expressed support for Israel and in Eric Dowd At Queen's Park one declared melodramatically T am a Jerusalemite' in imitation of U.S. president John F. Kennedy's famous pledge '1 am a Berliner.' Mr. Davis had a law passed to deter Ontario companies from joining a boycott against trading with Israel which some Arab countries had had for many years but enforced only loosely and spasmodically, although there is no indication he ever had any effect. effect. Mr. Davis protested when a representative of the Palestine Liberation Organization was invited invited to a U.N. conference here to explain its aims and got it cancelled. cancelled. He mentioned the PLO included included terrorists, but ignored much of the Israeli leadership got its start blowing up buildings and murdering peacekeepers. While Israeli forces rampaged through Lebanon killing many civilians in the 1980s and llie U.N. and Canada among many urged them to stop, Mr. Davis sent his attorney-general Roy Mc- Murlry to a rally supporting Israel Israel to declare 'I am a Christian Zionist, proud to stand with you in support of Israel.' This enthusiasm of Mr. Davis for distant events was totally out of character, because lie never showed llie slightest interest in other overseas issues and repeatedly repeatedly refused when asked to join in criticisms of nations which blatantly repressed and abused citizens. The former premier would not even express concern at South Africa's discrimination against blacks, which his government had some power to influence because because it imported its products and could cut them off. Mr. Davis, it is hard not to conclude, hoped to win the support support of about 200,000 Jews in Ontario who overwhelmingly but not invariably side with Israel and are talented and influential far be- ■ yond their numbers and whose votes are crucial in several ridings. ridings. The opposition parties felt they could not be left out and repeatedly repeatedly endorsed Mr. Davis and Liberal leader, later premier, David Peterson joined Mr. Mc- Murtry at the rally, although he was less inflammatory. But sympathy with and support support for Israel have been waning for some time. Canadians have gradually recognized who has the land and Israeli aggression and torture have been well-documented well-documented by organizations including including the U.N., Amnesty International, International, relief workers and churches. churches. New Democrat premier Bob Rac in 1991 refused to endorse the Gulf War with Iraq which threatened Israel and sent the Israeli Israeli ambassador, who came to pressure him, away fuming. Premier Mike Harris, a Tory successor to Mr. Davis, in another another Harelip in the Middle East in 1998 said lie did not know enough about the issue and was too busy running Ontario to get involved. Mr. Kormos has gone much further and taken a risk and shown courage in speaking up, but there are undoubtedly other, silent MPPs who would agree with him. Jacquie Mclnnes Staff Writer 1 tricks treats Halloween is upon us yet again (do you know how many shopping ■ days until Christmas?) All Hallows' Eve has become al- 1 most as big in the secular world as Christmas and the decorations i springing up through the municipali- , ty are proof of that. But despite our obvious love for the macabre, for many parents there i is the niggling fear in the back of the mind about how safe those goodies 1 are the kids are coming home with. ; There will be the usual ritual in ' most homes of sifting through the candy, looking for possible injection marks, open packages and otherwise ■' tampered-with treats. (Then there'll • be the other ritual of quickly popping popping the Tootsie roll into your mouth • when the kids are looking the other - way.) But while one can never be too ■) cautious about candy doled out by^ strangers, statistics show there's a far greater danger lurking out there on Halloween night than the goodies in the pillowcase. Statistics show children get hit by v cars more often on Oct. 31 than on' any other day of the year. The evil > lurking in the dark is more likely to have two headlights than two hands ■ in an arsenic bottle. While razors in apples may be largely an urban >; myth, car accidents are not. So while it's great to continue to check the treats, keep in mind some 'I of these other Halloween tips: • always supervise children going up. < to front doors especially on stairs, • have a planned route for older chil- -, dren, arrange a specific time for- 1 them to check in at home and brief : ■ them yet again on road safety before . they head out, • use face paint and skip the mask to ensure vision isn't obstructed, i • ensure costumes will not be tripped v on; short is good but long and drap- ■■ ing with a pointed dagger hanging- down is not, • put reflective materials on cos-'; tumes. -i As well, if your driving that night, I take it slow. Kids will be excited (sugar intake has nothing to do with " it, uh-huh) and may not be as atten- 1 live as usual. ? Now that we have the safety factors factors out of the way, the real purpose of this column is revealed. Shell-outers Shell-outers take note. In a random survey of a couple of kids who happen to be in hearing distance, the favourite goodies goodies include: jaw-breakers, gum, i Nerds (the candy, not the. people) and chocolate bars -- the more the 1 better. E-Mail your comments to jacquie.mcinnes@durhamnews.net. It's the not the THE CANADIAN STATESMAN is one of the Metroland Printing, Publishing Publishing and Distributing group of newspapers. The Statesman is a member of the Bowmanville Clarington Clarington Board of Trade, the Greater Os- havva Chamber of Commerce, Ontario Ontario Community Newspaper Assoc., Canadian Community Newspaper Assoc., Canadian Circulations Audit Board and the Ontario Press Council. 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