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+ W$t Canabt esman • SINCE 1854 • AMALGAMATED 1999 WITH CLARINGTON THIS WEEHj Pressrur* 30 Pages Wednesday, July 3, 2002 Optional 3 week Thunderbird takes flight Wheels Pull out Love letters wash ashore Hews, page 3 Water safe despite heat wave BY CHRISTY CHASE Staff writer DURHAM - The heat is blistering, the humidity is sweltering sweltering and the smog is bad but, thankfully, the water is fine. Durham Region residents, along with most of southern Ontario, celebrated Canada's 135th birthday and the begin-, ning of July under a triple ' threat - temperatures in the mid-30s, humidex levels that made it feel like the mid-40s, and polluted air. In Oshawa, the pollution peaked Monday at 3 p.m. at 62. Air quality hits the poor level at 50. That's the second time this year Oshawa has had a bad air day. On June 11,, the level was 54. Smog can cause shortness of breath, eye, nose and throat . irritation, coughing and wheez ing. Tuesday, conditions weren't much better. Overnight lows dipped only to the low 20s and by 10:30 a.m., the temperature was 32 degrees but felt like 42. At 3 p.m., the air-quality reading reading was 45, the second-worst in the province. Much to everyone's relief, the water quality at local beaches is good, allowing Electricity bills could be shocking Despite lower ; open-market rices, Veridian icking with old rates for now ; BY MARTIN DERBYSHIRE Staff Writer DURHAM -- Electricity prices have been relatively low since the market opened to competition May 1, but Veridian Veridian customers may not have seen any savings. Corporation spokesman George Armstrong said Veridian Veridian chose to continue charging customers its old rates until a new full billing period begins post market opening, rather than charge market rates after May 1. That means many of Veridian's customers in Pickering, Pickering, Ajax, Uxbridge, and Clarington Clarington won't see any savings on their recent bill. And, they are paying more for electricity than the market price. "So far that's true," said Mr. Armstrong, manager of regulatory regulatory affairs at Veridian. "We decided to wait for a full billing period post-market opening." He said residential customers customers on a 60-day billing cycle won't sec the new market rates on their bill until July. A spokesman for the Independent Independent Electricity Market Operator Operator (1MO) said the price during the first few weeks of electricity's new open market .po ONTARIO'S • SERVICE • PARTS • NEW & USED SALES & LEASING EXTENDED SERVICE HOURS MON., TUES., THURS., FRI. 7:30 - 6:00 WED. - 7:30 - 9:00 SAT.-9:00-1:00, ACCREDITED TEST & REPAIR FACILITY ♦An ollkliil mark of Hie I'rovliuc of Ontario lisvtl uiuIit IIvvikv. Whitby - Oshawa Honda 1110 DUNDAS. ST. E., WHITBY LOCAL (905) 666-1772 honda | www.hondii1.com swimmers to cool off. Only Rotary Rotary Park in Ajax is posted with higher-than-acceptable levels of coliforms. All other beaches are open for swimmers. Durham Region health department department tests the water weekly, releasing releasing new results each Friday. With sweltering heat#- high humidity and bad air, residents are advised to take precautions for themselves, children, elder ly relatives and friends and pets. To avoid dehydration, drink plenty of water and natural fruit juices. It's recommended you drink at least six to eight glasses glasses of water daily. Drink extra amounts if you're working or playing in the heat. Avoid caffeine caffeine and alcohol as these contain contain substances which can cause dehydration. have been quite reasonable. "For May and June, since the market opened, it's been around 3.1 cents a kilowatt hour," said Ted Gruetzner, IMG spokesman. "So far prices have been fairly low." Meanwhile, Mr. Armstrong said the rates Veridian customers customers are paying is tough to pin down. "It's hard to say," he said, explaining the specific cost of electricity is part of a bundled amount on the bill, not a specific specific line item. But, he did say the "average benchmark" price was in the range of 4.3 cents and added any overcharging • Veridian does now could be paid back to customers later. "We track variances... we track the difference between what the market price is and what customers are paying," he ■ said, adding the figures outlining outlining those differences are sent off to the Ontario Energy Board (OEB) for approval and then the money is presumably paid back to customers "at some point". t But, Mr. Armstrong added Veridian has been tracking other variances' as well, including including the first four months of this year and all of last year when he said the corporation was undercharging undercharging customers. "We don't want customers thinking there's a credit coming," coming," he said, explaining Veridian Veridian will have to wait for word from the OEB on whether all See NO page 5 Inside ®bt fttatelman WHERE TO FIND IT Editorial Page 6 Sports 9 Classified 10 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 JASON UEBREGTS/ Statesman photo I am Canadian BOWMANVILLE - Canada Day celebrations were greeted with above average temperatures temperatures Monday, as a number of events took place throughout Clarington. Rick and Rebecca Bolduc showed their pride at the Bowmanville Museum. Avoid strenuous physical activity outdoors. Go to air- conditioned places, such as mall and libraries, as much as possible. Never leave young children or pets in cars, even for a fewuninutes. To help reduce the pollution level, put off cutting the grass if you've got a gas mower, don't , See GUARD page 5 Chimneas not allowed in urban areas CLARINGTON - Urban dwellers have been put on notice: notice: lit chimneas are not allowed. allowed. Oùtdoor cooking season has arrived and so have the popular Mexican-style outdoor fireplaces, called chimneas. But what many residents in urban parts of Clarington may not know is, they're not allowed allowed to use them. Clarington Emergency and Fire Services has been getting many phone calls with questions questions and complaints about chimneas. The only homeowners homeowners in Clarington allowed to use them are those who live on at least 10 acres and who have a permit from the fire department. department. "Lately, I would say we've been getting four to five calls a day about whether they're allowed allowed or not," said Randy Reinert, Clarington fire prevention prevention officer. "The only thing that's allowed in urban areas is barbecues or things used for cooking, i.e., very small, maintained fires." He said in the summer, the department's fire trucks can get quite tied up taking care of complaints about chimneas. The fine for attendance at a chimnea call is $350 per fire truck per hour and $174 per half-hour per truck after the first hour. "In neighbourhoods where the neighbours are quite close, (the smoke is) a nuisance and we get called," said Mr. Reinert. Reinert. In many cases, the owner of the chimnea doesn't even know it is not allowed and that the department can issue a fine. The outdoor cooking devices, devices, which look like a chimney chimney with a belly, also may not See LIT page 5 Statesman/This Week share in awards The talents of the Canadian Canadian Statesman/Clarington This Week editorial staff were recognized recognized recently at the Melroland Printing, Publishing Publishing and Distributing Ltd., 'Awards for Editorial Excellence.' Excellence.' The Statesman's parent company, Melroland, annually annually recognizes outstanding contributions to journalism made by staff in a competition competition held between 150 community community newspapers in Ontario. Ontario. Chief Photographer Walter Passarclla won the Best News Photo award for his photograph photograph of emergency workers at an accident scene. Photographer Ron Pictron- iro received an Honourable Mention in the Best Spoils Photo category. Clarington This Week received received an Honourable Mention Mention in the Best Editorial category category with a commentary on the llwy. 407 extension, described described by the judges as a 'thoughtful, readable and calm discussion of an important important local issue,' First-place honours for Best Community Service went to the Durham Regional Spelling Bee, a regionwide project run by the Melroland newspapers of Durham including including the Canadian Statesman Statesman and Clarington This Week. The Bee attracts nearly 700 students from Grade 1-8 annually and is run totally by volunteers in the editorial department. department. According to the judges, the "Durham Regional Spelling Bee is a fabulous contribution to children and encourages education." "I am tremendously proud of the outstanding work our reporters, photographers and editors do each and every day. The depth of reporting and quality of photography arc second to none in the community community newspaper industry. It's a pleasure to be a part of such a dedicated team of professionals," professionals," said Editor-in-Chicf Joanne Burghardt. Hums ODOWN SUNFIRE DRIVE-AWAY LEASE 45 IN STOCK 0% FINANCING | ON PONTIAC I MONTANA I UP TO 48 | MONTHS * 65 IN STOCK 1997 Olds Eighty Eight LS illiui Intoilor, aluminum wlmoln, pow CDScooooUo, koylono ontry. PROTECT YOUR INVESTMENT y_oujeh0O-9fi. the two N-O-CJHAELGE Items that best suit your needs. 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