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Ehe Canabtan statesman • SINCE 1854 • AMALGAMATED 1999 WITH CLARINGTON THIS WEEK • Pressrun 21,900 32 Pages Wednesday June 6, 2001 Optional 4 week delixery $5/$l newsstand VW goes camping Wheels Pull out The capital of defence Sports, page 17 Vandals hit Clarington taxpayers Police officers work overtime BY JENNIFER STONE Stuff Writer BOWMAN VILLE - Local taxpayers are forking out up to $1,200 a week to pay overtime hours for police officers cracking down on vandalism, graffiti, and theft of cars in Bowmanville's downtown. According to Staff Sergeant Allan Mack of the Durham Regional Regional Police Clarington Community Community Office, the local constabulary constabulary has been averaging be tween 25 and 30 hours a week of overtime over the past month or so. "We started the campaign when it became clear there was a trend" of vandalism in Bowmanville's Bowmanville's downtown, says Staff Sgt. Mack. Both plainclothes and uni formed constables working overtime overtime are paid time-and-a-half for their services, bringing the hourly wage up to more than $40. And that means "funding of (police) overtime that normally we wouldn't be spending on," says Detective Craig Greentree of DRP Clarington. "But, when you've got a problem, problem, you've got to put the extra enforcement there," he says. Rotary Park, on Queen Street, has been one area targeted by vandals. As well, parked cars in Bowmanville's downtown core, as well as other areas such as Liberty Street and Simpson Avenu Avenu e, have been vandalised, broken broken into and even stolen, says the detective. But the problem also extends to other areas of the municipality, municipality, including Courtice, says Detective Larry Lunn, also See CLARINGTON page 7 F TIW m 1 . ANDREW IWANOWSKI/Statesman photo Sliding in for a safe landing BOWMANVILLE - James Brogan (7) of the Clarington Orioles minor peewees slides safely in a game against West Hill during a tournament held at Memorial Park. The Orioles finished fourth with a 1-3 record. School owner died 'shortly alter' abduction, say police Canadian Statesman nominated Best All-Round Newspaper in Canada BOWMANVILLE - The Canadian Statesman has been nominated as 'Best All-Round Newspaper' in Canada (circulation (circulation 12,500 to 24,999) in the Canadian Community Newspapers Newspapers Association Better Newspapers Newspapers Competition. The nomination was announced announced Friday by the CCNA. Also nominated are the Selkirk Journal of Manitoba and the St. Albert & Sturgeon Gazette of Alberta. Alberta. The Statesman has also been nominated for 'Best Editorial Page' in the circulation category 12,500 to 24,999. The CCNA nominations follow follow a first-place General Excellence Excellence award for the Canadian Statesman from the Ontario Community Newspapers Association. Association. The OCNA also presented the paper a third-place award in the category of Best News Story. >0HE3EK2S2ES C ONTARIO'S DRIVE CLEAN ACCREDITED TEST & REPAIR FACILITY ♦An oill ci ul murk <iT Ihe Province of Ontario used under licence. Whitby - Oshawa Honda 1110 DUNDAS. ST. E., WHITBY, LOCAL (905) 666-1772 honda www.honda1.com Those awards were presented in April. Meanwhile, The Statesman's sister paper, tishawa/Whitby This Week, has also received seven CCNA nominations including including 'Best All-Round Newspaper' Newspaper' in Canada (circulation 25,000 and over). This Week has also been nominated in the following categories: categories: Best Front Page (circulation 25,000 and over) Best Editorial Page (circulation 25.000 and over) Best Local Cartoon (circulation 10.000 and over) - For a cartoon by Tim Dolighan. Best National Editorial (circulation (circulation 10,000 and over) - For an editorial editorial on child poverty by Copy Editor Tim Kelly. Best Feature Photo (circulation 12,500 and over) - For a photo by Ron Pietroniro. Inside ®(k Statesman ' WHERE TO FIND IT Editorial Rage --.. .6 Classified 11 Sports 16. GIVE US A CALL General.. .905-623-3303 Distribution ... ; 905-579-4407 Death Notices 905-683-3005 Sincerely Yours 1-800-662-8423 Web site durhamregion.com Email jbobbitt@durhamregion.com Best Special Section, (circulation over 6,500) - For 'Building For Our Future', April 9, 2000. A section encouraging support for a university in Durham Region. Since 1991, OshawaAVhitby This Week has won 50 provincial, provincial, national and international awards for editorial excellence and was named 'Best All-Round Newspaper' in Canada by the CCNA in 1992. Judges select the winners in each category from hundreds submitted from all over Canada. The top three entries are chosen as finalists and winners are announced announced at the CCNA annual convention, this year being held in Saskatoon, Sask. July 19. Funeral service to be held today for Thomas Ku BY JENNIFER STONE Staff Writer CLARINGTON - An autopsy autopsy has concluded the body found in a wooded area just north of Clarington Thursday is that of Thomas Ku, kidnapped three weeks ago after leaving the Bowmanville campus of the private school he owned. Peel Regional Police, the organization organization investigating the case, is not releasing the cause of Mr. Ku's death. But the post mortem, conducted Monday, did show that the 48-year-old owner of Great Lakes College died "shortly after he was abducted," abducted," says Peel Constable Harry Tam. Two of Mr. Ku's former students, students, Zhiyang Suo, 19, and Feng Wang, 20, both of Chip- wood Crescent in Scarborough, appeared in a Brampton court Monday, and were remanded in custody until June 18, their next court date. They were arrested arrested at their home last week THOMAS KU • Police will not release - ■ cause of death. and charged with first-degree murder, kidnapping, forcible confinement, robbery and extortion. extortion. Mr. Ku went missing May 15, when he phoned home from the Bowmanville campus of the school, indicating he was on his way home from work. About an hour after that phone See MURDER page 7 camps offer challenge and fun Summer brings a full slate of activities for kids BY JACQUIE McINNES Staff Writer CLARINGTON - With less than a month until the last bell rings in Clarington schoolyards, it's time to finalize camp plans for those long summer weeks ahead. The camp experience doesn't have to take place far from home. Day camps abound in Clarington where kids can find friendship, fun and leadership skills practically practically in their own backyard. "We strive to have variety in our programs," says Cheryl Watson, Watson, co-ordinator for the Clarington Clarington day camps, run by the municipality. municipality. The camps, geared for children aged four to 12, are offered offered at three different municipal facilities in Bowmanville, Cour-, lice and new this year, in Newcastle. Newcastle. 'The big thing is friendship," says Ms. Watson, who adds the camps strive to help kids with "team building, fair play and learning how to work together." There are games, crafts, songs, environmental activities, sports and field trips all based on a different different theme each week. "Some of the kids will be there the whole summer and others will come for four weeks so we try each week to have something different," different," she says. The camp is priced at $85 for a week-long session. In Bowmanville, the Big Brothers and Sisters are once again offering a unique program geared to teaching kids aged 10 to 16 skills they can use for the rest of their lives, says Dave Dobson, Dobson, the camp's co-ordinator. Champions of Change is "one of the few programs that provides an opportunity to develop leadership leadership skills," he relates. The program, program, offered in two-week sessions, sessions, gives students a taste for community service with an introduction introduction to volunteering through programs at the local library, seniors' seniors' homes and other areas of the community. As well, he says, the students will take field trips including one to the Ontario Educational Educational Leadership Centre in Orillia where they will spend a day with some of the province's top high school students who are already leaders within their own communities. Other activities include a wall climbing expedition at Courtice Secondary School, and sports such as fishing, baseball, volleyball volleyball and games. Guest speakers will share their expertise in different different fields with the campers, Mr. Dobson says. In the last session, a one week program, for youths 14 to 16, the camp philosophy goes one step further and participants will have a chance to sharpen their job search skills and look at future career opportunities, says Mr. Dobson, The cost for a two-week session session is $100. The one-week program program for ages 14 to 16 is $50. For some, it just isn't camp without trees, water and bugs. For nature-lovers, the Central See SUMMER page 7 RON PIETRONIRO /Statesman photo Courtice Secondary School students Steve Found and Krista Klawitter try the climbing wall at the school, part of summer camp fun this year. Look for our exciting "CRACK THE CARDBOARD TO WIN" on every pizza box ama/i ■L wmm | AM 3 pop *1" Your chance to win a new dreamhome, an new Toyota Cellca Gt, $500 Cash Prize, a Luxury Cruise or a Canon Bubble Jet Printer. iwiMJlIÂAM BetteMasteTBettë^Vâlûé! «attrtwttT il i B-.LaOA.-i. .Law .t « ;-y:| ifeM-Mf 'v v ji|èÉ 2J0 KIHQ * Ji