The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

I 1 ) • SINCE 1854 • AMALGAMATED 1999 WITH CLARINGTON THIS WEEK • Pressrun 21,900 42 Pages Wednesday, March 6, 2002 New look Cadillac Wheels Pull out Optional 3 week delivery $5/$l newsstand Canadian golden boys f Sports, page 8 Buses roll into Bowmanville BY J AC QUI E M (INNES Stuff Writer BOWMANVILLE - The town is getting municipal transit transit service with a two-bus route scheduled to begin this September. September. On Monday, in a special council meeting, Clarington council approved the purchase of two refurbished buses with a purchasc-of-scrvicc agreement with Oshavva Transit to operate the Bowmanville buses. Two interconnecting routes will provide provide service past two high schools, the Garnet Rickard Recreation Complex and Lak- cridgc Health Bowmanville hospital as well as area seniors' residences, subdivisions and shopping areas. The buses will link up with a GO Transit bus that runs along Hwy. 2 into Os- liawa. "As mayor, I'm extremely proud of this council and what I view as one of the most significant significant accomplishments any council has accomplished in the past decade to bring a north- south route to Bowmanville," said Mayor John Mutton. "Initially "Initially I didn't even know what we would be looking at. It's well beyond what I thought it could be." Director of Engineering Tony Cannclla said the decision to use Oshawa Transit as the operator of the system was partly based on its past track record providing a bus loop through Courticc free of charge. "We've had an existing partnership with Oshawa Transit Transit in Courticc. It has provided a good service for us," he said, adding Oshawa Transit costs more than some other potential transit providers but is offering more service, including transit consulting to help Clarington learn the ropes of providing transit. "We know xvhat we're buying into," he said. Oshawa Transit will provide bus maintenance maintenance and operation as well as payroll and administration for the system and assisted the municipality with rider surveys this past year. Not everyone is satisfied with the deal, however. Councillors Councillors Jane Rowe and Jim Schell questioned why Oshawa is receiving the bus contract without a full tender to provide council with a written comparison comparison against other transit providers. "I'm having difficulty waiving waiving the purchasing bylaw especially especially on such a large amount of money," said Coun. Rowe. Bus service is "a good thing but I wonder if perhaps this is premature." premature." A full-tender process would likely have meant a delay of one year because September is considered the best launch date for transit service and the tim- See TRANSIT page 2 JANE ROWE Questions whether clue process was followed for purchase of bus service. ' I always say today's the best day of your life.' RON PIETRONIRO/ Statesman photo Jim Coombes was awarded the Arbor Award for his outstanding outstanding volunteer sendee with the 4-H Club. He is pictured pictured with Rastas, a three-week old baby lamb on his north Bowmanville farm. Longtime 4-H volunteer receives award BY CRYSTAL CRIMI Staff Writer CLARINGTON - For half a century, Jim Coombes has participated in many volunteer positions throughout the com- i munily and his kind spirit hasn't hasn't gone unnoticed. Recently, Mr. Coombes, a lifetime citizen of Bowmanville, Bowmanville, was one of five people people in the province who received received the 2002 4-H Ontario Arbor Award for his contributions contributions to the Durham East 4-H Club and the community. Mr. Coombes, 63, has been involved with the club for 50 years and is still active with Durham East 4-H Association, Region 3. Over the years he has served as director and president and helped developed developed the sheep show. Currently, Currently, he is a 4-H leader. "I like working with people and helping those less fortunate fortunate out," says Mr. Coombes, who volunteers up to 20 hours a week and takes care of his farm and trailer park. "It keeps me going. There's no use sitting sitting around and moping. I always always say today's the best day of your life; yesterday's gone and tomorrow might never come." When choosing the award recipient, judges look for volunteers volunteers in various levels of the 4-H program (the four Hs stand for improving head, health, hands, and heart), their community involvement and how long they have taken part. This is the second year the Arbor Award has been presented. presented. "It's an opportunity for us to salute and recognize those 4-H volunteers who have been instrumental in driving our 4- I-I program," said Evelyn Chambers, volunteer support services manager for 4-H Ontario. Ontario. "Jim is a grassroots volunteer. volunteer. He's been involved with the program since he was a member himself," she added. "He's always looking at ways to raise the awareness of 4-H and encourage young people to be involved in the program and uses every avenue he can to promote 4-H. I consider the 4- H Ontario program fortunate to have an individual such as Mr. Coombes as a 4-H volunteer." volunteer." Not only is he a 4-H leader, Mr. Coombes is also a Lions Club member. As a Bowmanville Bowmanville Lion, he is currently trying to work out a deal to lease Enniskillen Conservation Authority from CLOCA so the Lions Club can restore it. Mr. Coombes also forged a partnership partnership between the Durham East 4-H Association and the Lion's Club Annual Duck Derby. But there are many more community groups he's involved involved with such as the Cancer Society, Big Brothers and Sisters, Sisters, Sight First Blind Leader Dogs, Tyro Leader and the Victoria/Durham Sheep Producers. Producers. Since he was 13, Mr. Coombes has been involved with 4-H. He was a member for four years with what was then just an agricultural club for youth. He became a leader 40 years ago to give back some of the memorable experiences he enjoyed while in 4-H. Over the years, he has watched the farming group expand. expand. Now there are cooking clubs, maple syrup clubs and many other areas for those without any agricultural See 4-H page 2 The 'Main Event' comes to Clarington Board of Trade announces Durhamwide business expo BY JACQUIE McINNES Staff Writer CLARINGTON - The Clarington business community community is getting set to take centre stage when it hosts 'The Main Event,' a Durhamwide showcase showcase of the Region's top economic economic development achievements achievements over the past year. "This is a huge, amazing opportunity to showcase Clarington Clarington like never before," event organizer Carrie North told the Clarington general purpose and committee meeting Monday. Monday. All Durham Region MPs, MPPs and mayors will be in attendance attendance along with the region's region's top business leaders. The keynote speaker could be none other than Prime Minister Jean Chrétien himself, says Victoria Greene, Clarington's economic development officer. "He's checking his foreign schedule but if lie's in Canada, he'll be here," she said. "It's a top-notch event and we're taking very good care to make sure it is that," said Ms. North. It all takes place Wednesday, Wednesday, May 15 from 5 to 8 p.m. at the Garnet Rickard Recreation Complex with entertainment, food, an opportunity for networking networking and a chance to hear about Durham's top business achievements in the past year from the leaders of those companies, companies, she said. "The main goal is to focus on Durham Region. There will be eight to 10 major announcements announcements (on economic development). development). Some may have already been heard before but it's a wonderful opportunity to hear it right from the top people," said Ms. North. In addition to the Durham business community, about 100 to 120 executives from the Toronto area are expected to attend. The group will be transported transported into Clarington by the Board of Trade either by boat or tour bus with a special presentation presentation on the way highlighting highlighting Durham's economic development development and points of interest. "This is a Durham wide event with strong support from all the chambers and business groups," noted Ms.. Greene. "The most common thing we've heard is it's been a long time coming and Clarington had the idea, so were looking very strong," she said. DRIVE CLEAN Inside G|t étettiman WHERE TO FIND IT Editorial Page 6 Sports 8 Classified 10 ACCREDITED TEST & REPAIR FACILITY •An official mark of the Province of Ontario used under licence. Whitby - Oshawa 1110 DUNDAS. ST. E., WHITBY rtr-- LOCAL (905) 666-1772 HOWDB, www.honda1.com GIVE US A CALL General 579-4400 Distribution .. .579-4407 Death Notices .683-3005 Sincerely Yours 1-800-662-8423 Web site durhamregion.com General FAX .. .579-2238 Newsroom FAX .579-1809 College gets satisfaction High performance results mean increased funding for Durham BY MIKE RUTA Staff Writer DURHAM -- Durham College College is three-for-three. While two of its three performance performance numbers fell compared compared to a year earlier, more employers are satisfied with the graduates coming out of the fa cility and for the third straight year Durham remains the Greater Toronto Area's top- rated college, according to provincial figures released Monday. Since 1998, the Ontario government government has allotted a small portion of college funding based on key performance indicators indicators (KPI) -- surveys of graduates graduates and the employers who hired them. This year's KPI results were show Durham's share of the roughly $16.4 million, shared by the 25 Ontario colleges, is about $570,000. College president Gary Polonsky said Durham receives a lot of KPI data and uses it to find ways to make the college better. "We pause for a minute to celebrate, because that's human nature... and then after a day or two of that we get into the business business of drilling down and respecting respecting the data with strategies to improve," he said in an interview. interview. Mr. Polonsky said his colleagues colleagues and the students deserve deserve all the credit for the college's college's consistently high rating. "They're top-notch, they're responsible for us continuing to be at the top, so 1 thank them," See DURHAM page 2 GARY POLONSKY 'We pause for a minute to celebrate because that's human nature.' MOTORS LTD Chev Olds & Chev Trucks 2728 COURTICE RD., HWY. #2, COURTICE 7 ROY u NICHOLS E TORONTO LINE 905-427-4444 roynlcholsmotors@gmcanada.com 3 NO DOWN PAYMENT • NO PAYMENTS • NO INTEREST (GENERAL MOTORS PAYS THE INTEREST) MONTHS 7 i CHEVROLET O'dsniobilo Purchase F inanciny Up lo :i6 months ONLY CHEVROLET IS THE PROUD SPONSOR OF THE CANADIAN NATIONAL MEN'S AND WOMEN'S HOCKEY TEAMS. CHEERTHEM ON IN SALT LAKE CITY on virtually all 2002 vehicles. [El (Goodwrench Service _j?/g/n.Ootlme.