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+ News/ Firefighters get what they deserve Sports/ Toros flying at Early Bird tourney CLARINGTON'S AWARD-WINNING NEWSPAPER SINCE 1854 Elle Canadian Statesman Pressrun 22,150 October 2,2002 • 26 Pages • Optional 3 Week Delivery $5/$ 1 Newsstand durham regiyT.com WHAT'S ON Friday: The St. Francis of Assisi Assisi Catholic Elementary School invites the public for the official opening and blessing of the new school, Friday, Oct. 4 at 7 p.m., at 1774 Rudcll Rd., Newcastle. Saturday: Pumpkin Contest from 11 d.m. - 4 p.m. at the Pin- gle's Farm Market on Taunton and Courtice Road, in Courtice. It will have face painting, wagon rides, barbecue, the new 'Pumpkin 'Pumpkin Chunkin Cannon Show', and a pumpkin contest at 2 p.m. The event is in support of Big Brothers Brothers and Sisters of Oshawa, Whitby, Whitby, and Clarington. Phone: 905- 725-6089. . Saturday: A Progressive Euchre Euchre tournament is being held at 7 p.m. at the Tyrone Community Centre, 2716 Concession No. 7. Admission is $10 which includes includes lunch, a door prize and the company of all the euchre challengers in the area. Bar services services are available and 50/50 tickets are available for sale. INSIDE Wheels: What happens when you spice up a plain-vanilla sedan with a monochromatic black paint scheme, brawny V8 and o t h e r high-performance ingredients? If the car in question is a Mercury, Mercury, the result is the 2003 Marauder, Marauder, a high-voltage land yacht reminiscent of a time when bigger' bigger' was better and unbridled horsepower ruled the roads. INDEX Editorial Page 6 Classified 8 Sports 12 GIVE US A CALL General 905-579-4400 Distribution 905-579-4407 Death Notices 905-683-3005 Sincerely Yours 1-800-662-8423 General FAX 905-579-2238 Newsroom FAX 905-579-1809 durhamregion.com DRIVE CLEAN • 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 .*Au nllkliil murk of (lie I'rmlmvof Ontario usvtl umlvr licence. Whitby - Oshawa Honda 1110 DUNDAS. ST. E. WHITBY, UK'AI. (VII5) 666-1772 HOivirm. www.hontln1.com t >£4 < -y| ' • l U_ RON PIETRONIRO/Statesman photo Mural, mural on the wall TYRONE - The garage at the Model A Acres bed and breakfast in Tyrone is sporting a new mural compliments of Oshawa artist Russ Gordon. The business has an auto- oriented theme and the mural represents members of the owners Ian and Luverne Barons' family. Fall Festival this weekend NEWCASTLE - It's time again for residents to gather and have a little fun at the Newcastle Fall Festival. Since the 1970s, the Newcastle Newcastle Fall Festival, formerly October October Festival, has been coming to town to give back to the community community that keeps it alive. The traditional festival day takes place at the four corners, Saturday, Oct. 5. This year, there will also be a four-day midway hosted by Newcastle Family Connection at nearby Memorial Park beginning Thursday, Oct. 3 and running until Sunday, Oct. 6. "People today don't have Candlelight lucky for one resident BOWMANVILLE - While most of Bowmanvillc sat in the dark Friday night, one lucky resident became $50,000 richer. "Friday night there was a power outage in our area. The only place that was open was Shoppers Drug Mart. I went there to gel some snacks and decided decided to pick up a 'Crossword' ticket. 1 got home and scratched it under candlelight." relates Knthi Bourden, 39, of Bow manvillc who won $50,000 on the-Instant Crossword. "This was the best power outage ever," she says. Mrs. Bourden and her husband Brian, 41, have claimed then- prize and plan to save for their two children's education, pay off some bills and "buy some things." POWER CUTS OUT Sco page 7 Was escape planned in advance? Court officers furious tip not passed on to them BY STEPHEN SHAW Staff Writer WHITBY - Police were tipped off about possible escape plans hours before an accused murderer bolted from the Whitby Whitby courthouse Friday, but no one alerted the unit in charge of transferring prisoners. Despite the tip, court officers were not told of lire potential threat and no special security measures were put in place for the appearance of first-degree murder accused Cosmo Jacobson, Jacobson, who fled at 8:40 a.m. Durham Regional Police Sergeant Paul Malik confirmed information was received from Toronto Police earlier in the morning about two men arrested ' in possession of a gun and a hand-drawn diagram of the Whitby courthouse, at 605 Ross- land Rd. Hours later, Mr. Jacobson, who was chained at the time to another first-degree murder accused, accused, managed to slip out of handcuffs and leg irons and escape escape just as the police wagon arrived arrived at the rear of the courthouse. courthouse. Police officials won't say how he pulled off the escape. However, sources confirmed two safety pins were found in the rear of the wagon and were used to unlock the restraints. Mr. Jacobson was being escorted escorted by two special constables, unarmed personnel with the court services unit who aren't police officers. More than 100 officers took part in a massive search and Mr. Jacobson, who was to appear in Cosmo Jacobson: Daring escape lasted eight hours. court on home invasion charges, was captured eight hours later after a resident saw him hiding under a deck on Lismer Drive, two blocks away. Chief Kevin Me Alpine said police are still probing the secu- • rity breach. He confirmed the investigation investigation is looking into whether the two men arrested earlier in Toronto, under what he called "suspicious" circumstances, circumstances, had any role. "It's possible this was planned and that he was waiting for a ride," said Sgt. Malik, spokesman for the force. One of the arrested men was released this month from Whitby jail after serving time for weapons offences and escaping custody during a court appearance appearance in Oshawa last year. Meanwhile, the failure to pass on the Toronto tip has sparked an internal uproar among court sendees officers, who are calling it a communications communications lapse that could have cost lives. "These guys had a gun and diagram of the back of 605 - and See POLICE page 7 much time with their families," says Betty Kay, secretary with the Newcastle Chamber of Commerce. Commerce. "Different businesses on the main strip participate; they like to give back to the community community as well. We try and gear it towards towards the family," site says. The chamber is hosting the festival with the Newcastle B1A. On Saturday, the events kick off with a pancake breakfast beginning beginning at 8 a.m. The Lion's Club of Newcastle's Newcastle's Annual Walk for Dog Guides also begins with registration registration from 8 to 9 a.m. Anyone who would like to walk hut who doesn't doesn't have a dog, can rent a 'dog' from the Newcastle Leos club for a minimum $25 pledge. After the walk, the stuffed animals will be donated to the Durham Region Police Services to be given to children involved in accidents. Last year's 125 participants raised more than $18,(XX) for the Soo MIDWAY page 7 Joan Graham, John Jones and guide dog in (raining Hunter arc ready for Saturday's Walk-a-dog-a-thon, pari of (he annual Newcastle Kail Festival. CANADA WIDE CLEARANCE MOTORS LTD' Chev Olds & Chev Trucks FINANCE OR RETAIL CREDIT OR IIWV.H2 S / 3 t nor NICHOLS •101 2728 COURTICE RD., HWY. «2, COURTICE 905-436-2222 TORONTO LINE 905-427-4444 ruyiilchoUmotorsftBiiicamidn.cont k0/♦ up purchase financing to 48 months on virtually nil new 2002 vehicles efts-*3000 Ut i isf'Af n.W»? LEASE GM makes your first payment on iirfiijlly jny new '00? mt)(1e ' 111 lltlJKUlsRfl B*Goodwreodi broke J7ll n f\i(iht.O*tm~ V i