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PAGE 6THE CANADIAN STATESMAN, JANUARY 17,2001 >: FOR 147 YEARS, OUR FIRST CONCERN HAS BEEN OUR COMMUNITY Publisher - Tim Whittaker Editor-in-Chief - Joanne Burghardl Managing Editor - Judi Bobbitt Advertising Manager - Brian G. Purdy Advertising - Lavcrnc Morrison, Christian Ann Goulet Office - Junia Hodge, Nancy Pleasance-Sturman Editorial - Brad Kelly, Jennifer Stone, Jacquie Mclnncs Canabtan Statesman Former Publisliers 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 W. 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@durhanmews.net Publications Mail Registration No. 07637 EDITORIAL I Time is right to j get a job teaching tj Professors, teachers are needed by the score I* To all those high school, college and university stu- [• dents who are right now scratching their heads wonder- [. ing what to do with their futures, we have the answer. ;! Keep going to school - if you can afford the tuition ;* fees that is - and train to become a teacher, college in- •' structor or university professor. Since the incredible •; baby and egghead boom of the 1960s when the Ontario community college system was created and a number of Ontario universities were chartered, we've never had a •; time when so many students will be coming into the i; higher education system at once. That means those stu- y dents will need professors to teach them and for those. y who have the intelligence and drive to earn the degrees needed to teach, their will be plenty of pupils over the ;• next decade who will need your help. ;• Many of those professors, teachers and instructors > who began their careers in the 1960s are about to retire ;! and there is also the double cohort in 2003 when there £ will be a huge high school graduating class. Combine * that with a healthy, continuous band of immigration and * you've got a crying need for instructors. J But the demand for job.skills doesn't end with leach- £ ers. There is also a desperate need in Ontario and across £ Canada for doctors, nurses, radiologists and other specialists. specialists. Ontario's rural communities are crying out for j any medical expertise. ». Cutting-edge high-tech workers are wanted, as are knowledge-based people in all industries. There's never ». been a better time to be young and eager for a career. R About the only thing we don't need any more of is plawyers! g In contrast to the gloom of the early 1980s and 1990s when recession was the word of the day and unemploy- P; ment was well over 10 per cent, we're in a time now J; where bright youngsters can almost write their own tick- ■•et. Headhunters are now scouring the United States and pi other countries for skilled trades workers and profes- pl sionals to fill the gap. But that shouldn't be necessary, p Well-educated young people, who have access to Amore opportunities For knowledge and training than any •l generation, which preceded them, can grab these golden ['.career chances: High-paying skilled jobs are there for *fthe taking for those with the ambition, drive and deter- ipmination to dedicate themselves to the training required. N | ;• We welcome your opinion. Please E-Mail your comments on ■tour opinions to judl.bobbitt@durhamnews.net. Submissions 'i which include a first and last name, as well as the communiai communiai ty of residence, will be considered for publication. Ü 75 YEARS AGO Jan. 21,1926 [At the annual meeting of the Bowmanville Public Library iBoard, librarian Mrs. J. McGregor presented a report that "noted there were over 100 new members; 23,093 books îwere taken by the membership of 435 persons. ! 50 YEARS AGO l Jan. 11,1951 "The fire insurance on the Town Hall was to be increased by another $20,000 in compliance with a motion passed by council, bringing the total coverage to $40,000. Observing that there was no insurance on fixtures and furnishings, the finance committee was to complete a study with regard to insuring the contents. 25 YEARS AGO Jan. 14,1976 Two barn fires in the Town of Newcastle brought firemen from Bowmanville and Orono into action and caused losses losses that reached close to $50,000. One of the fires destroyed a small barn, its contents and livestock. Info mill lion taken from the archives of The Canadian Statesman ... it wm WE OFF YET 03 LUCKILY were orjiy mmi OVER WORKED so FAR LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Minister says he's dedicated to dealing with bikers To the editor: I am responding to your editorial editorial of Jan. 3, 2001, entitled "Biker plans troubling Durham." The Ontario government is very concerned about the movement movement of biker gangs into the province. We take the issue of organized organized crime very seriously and that is why Ontario is doing its part and we introduced the Remedies for Organized Crime and other Unlawful Activities Act, (Bill 155) on Dec. 5, 2000.. First of its kind in Canada, Bill 155, if passed, will apply civil law remedies to organized crime conspiracies, as well as civil asset forfeiture. It permits a court to seize, freeze and forfeit the proceeds of unlawful activity, as well as instruments likely to be used in the commission of unlawful unlawful activity. Bill 155 also contains carefully carefully crafted safeguards to ensure due process. We have studied and learned from the experience of other jurisdictions and have created à made-in-Ontario response response to organized crime. Bill 155 does not create a police police power. Any action to seize, freeze or forfeit assets must be brought by me in my capacity as the Attorney General of Ontario. Further, every step must be authorized authorized by a court. We feel this is an important safeguard. I agree the fight against organized organized crime should be a forefront issue on the federal agenda as well. The federal government needs to do its part by making the necessary changes to its antigangs antigangs legislation without further delay. The government of Ontario Ontario has already made several recommendations on numerous occasions to federal Justice Minister Minister Anne McLellan. We have recommended that the Criminal Code be amended to: Broaden the definition of crimi nal organization; Prohibit recruitment and participation participation in criminal organizations; Attach consequences to the wearing of badges and other manifestations of membership in criminal organizations; Establish mandatory minimum sentences for organized criminal activity. It is time for the federal government government to take action. Our Canadian laws are clearly behind the limes in dealing with the complex and sophisticated nature nature of organized criminal activity. activity. Our government is taking action action with the introduction of Bill 155 and the 1998 announcement from Ernie Eves, Minister of Finance,of Finance,of financial support for a Multi-force police "Anti-biker Gang Squad." The Province has committed $3.4 million the first year and $2.7 million for each consecutive year. James M. Flaherty Attorney General Minister Responsible for Native Affairs Name-calling led by Mike Harris Nasty behaviour sanctioned by premier Premier Mike Harris's Progressive Progressive Conservatives keep setting setting records for insulting any who do not share their views - so what makes them so nasty? Their latest name-calling came after Labour Minister Chris Stockwell accused Toronto of distorting the cost of services the Province downloaded on the municipality municipality and its mayor, Mel Lastman, said he would reply only to 'the organ-grinder, the premier.' The saying is the organ- grinder plays (lie tune and his monkey dances to it, but Mr. Lastman stopped short of using die word monkey and it was mere standard, hackneyed political political repartee that could be taken as the mayor insisting he would debate debate only die man who makes decisions. decisions. But Mr. Stockwell took huge umbrage and tried to squash the mayor by belittling him as only 5-fect tall and reminding he had a hair transplant, which have nothing nothing remotely to do with the issue and are intensely personally offensive offensive to the mayor and others with such characteristics. This followed a long line of insults by Mr. Harris's Tories. Mr. Harris recently became the first premier ever threatened with ejection from the legislature after he said Liberal leader Dalton McGuinly stinks and is a disgrace disgrace to the profession of politician, politician, Speaker Gary Carr, a Tory, ruled Mr. Harris broke a rule that forbids MPPs from using language language so abusive or insulting it could create disorder and bring the legislature to a standstill, The premier called Liberal Gerry Phillips a 'most despicable human being,' although Mr. Eric Dowd At Queens Park Phillips is noted for thorough re-, search, courtesy and calmness and would be on any list of most respected MPPs. Mr. Harris told a TV cameraman cameraman he felt might be trying to film his private briefing notes at an opportunity to takes photos to 'bugger off.' The premier also told a radio talk-show host who bumped into him at a public event and complained complained he was not protecting the environment 'you're full of s--.' , There are.more polite ways of asking someone to leave or demonsUaling they are wrong. Two Harris ministers, A1 Pal- ladini and Cam Jackson, cornered cornered a Liberal MPP in a seniors' home, jabbed their lingers in his face, accused him of lying and frightened some residents so they had to be counselled. There has been no similar event involving provincial politicians in memory. Mr. Palladini also got himself ejected from the legislature for repeatedly interjecting offensive comments, the first minister ordered ordered to leave in 30 years. As one more example, after Liberal David Caplan succeeded his mother, Elinor, now federal immigration minister, in a by- election, Tories jeered he was 'Elinor's boy' whenever he spoke and stopped only after he won in a general election over one of Mr, Harris's mightiest ministers, David Johnson, once House leader and a potential Harris successor. successor. Other parties have had their moments of being nasty. Liberal leader Dalton McGuinty in the 1999 election called Mr. Harris a thug on social policy and ran ads saying he was a mean, mad premier. But no premier and patty have been as consistently nasty as Mr. Harris's Tories. One reason may be that, unlike earlier Tories in government, who were willing to listen to all sides to some extent and be pragmatists, most Harris Tories are ideologists,. totally convinced they are right and without patience for anyone who demurs. No party is more ideological, however, than tire New Democrats, Democrats, who were in government before before Mr. Harris and prevented from fulfilling some of their most cherished tenets by shortage of money in a recession or impracticably, impracticably, but still managed to avoid snarling at critics at every opportunity. opportunity. Mr. Harris's Tories get livid when opposition parties use eveiy opportunity, as they do, to delay their legislation and forget no-one held up more than Mr. Harris in opposition, reading endless lists of towns, lakes, rivers and corporations to prevent it coming to a vote. The Tories also arc mainly businessmen, used to having their orders carried out without question unlike, say, teachers hindered by an unruly student or lawyers obliged to hear opposing arguments. They arc more apt to yell an opponent is a liar when earlier Tory premiers like William Davis and John Robarts would have called him Machiavellian - they don't have the vocabulary. Field of dreams or nightmares? Jacquie Mclnnes Staff Writer The Bowmanville Newcastle Baseball Baseball Association is looking for a new home and it's hoping Clarington council council will help it finance one. The association was given notice by the municipabty last year it could no longer use its traditional storage space at the Visual Arts Centre. As the association association began a search for a new place to hang its hat, it soon realized this might be an ideal time to try to solve other issues issues which go beyond lack of storage space. The association has saved about $50,000 and has expressed an interest in' either forming a partnership or getting an interest-free loan from the municipality municipality to finance the purchase of a property property with a clubhouse on it. One such property is a house currently for sale adjacent adjacent to Memorial Park on Liberty Street South in Bowmanville. There the club hopes to have not only storage but maybe even a canteen and meeting place. Baseball doesn't have a home base in Bowmanville at present. In a recent council meeting, Ward 2 Councillor Don MacArthur reminisced about his minor league coaching days, relating stories of Bowmanville facilities being sorely outclassed by the other teams' digs. A proper field with enough diamonds diamonds and relevant facilities for tournaments tournaments and night lights would be welcome. welcome. While the idea certainly has merit, and as Mayor John Mutton pointed out, it's nice to see community groups offering offering to help pay for facilities they will use, it's questionable whether a partnership partnership between the municipality and one baseball association is the best answer. The municipality could'give the as-. sociation a loan or grant for a clubhouse and leave it at that. But that solution hardly addresses the real problem of inadequate inadequate tournament diamonds, eloquently eloquently noted by Coun. MacArthur. Bowmanville needs a proper baseball/softball baseball/softball facility in the long-term and it's questionable whether that need can really be met at Memorial Park. It's also questionable to provide assistance for one group when many might benefit with a little extra forethought. If municipal money is to be spent it would be wiser to invest it on a facility to be controlled by the municipality even if it means paying more in the short term. Council has expressed a desire to invest invest in a new ice arena for Bowmanville in the next two years. Arenas have washrooms, changerooms and canteens. canteens. Perhaps there could be an opportunity opportunity for shared facilities or maybe the ideal location is elsewhere. Either way, council should ensure it makes a decision decision all ball players can live with in the long run. E-Mail your comments to: jacquie.mcinnes@durhamnews.net THE CANADIAN STATESMAN is one of the Metroland Printing, Publishing and Distributing group of newspapers. The Statesman is a member of the Bowmanville Clarington Clarington Board of Trade, the Greater Osliawa Chamber of Commerce, Ontario Ontario Community Newspaper Assoc., Canadian Community Newspaper Assoc., Canadian Circulations Audit Board and the Ontario Press Council. Council. The publisher reserves the right to classify or refuse any advertisement. advertisement. Credit for advertisement limited limited to space price error occupies. Editorial Editorial and Advertising content of the Canadian Statesman is copyrighted. copyrighted. Unauthorized reproduction is prohibited. MV The Canadian Statesman welcomes letters to the editor. All letters should be typed or neatly lmnd-writ- len, 150 words. Each letter must include include the name, mailing address and daytime telephone number of the writer. 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