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PAGE 6THE CANADIAN STATESMAN, OCTOBER 2, 2002 www.durhamregion.com Tim Whittaker Publisher Joanne Burghardt Editor-in-Chief Chris Bovie Managing Editor Judi Bobbitt Regional Editor Fred Eismont Director of Advertising Eddie Kolodziejcak Classified Advertising Manager Kirk Bailey Distribution Manager Lillian Hook Office Manager Barb Harrison Composing Manager Clarington's Award-Winning Newspaper Since 1854 Œfje Canabtan Statesman ■ « Oct. 2,2002 i Metroland Printing, Publishing & Distributing Ltd. Phone 905-579-440C Classifieds 905-576-9335 Distribution 905-579-440/ General Fax 905-579-2235 Newsroom Fax 905-579-1805 E-Mail newsroom@durliamregion.com 865 Farewell St., Oshawa ON L1 H 7L5 Publications Mail Registration No. 07637 infodurhamiregioii.com EDITORIAL c-mail letters to news room® (lurhnmrcgion.com How could criminal escape? Police owe community full explanation T hey're just lucky nobody Whitby courthouse, passed was hurt. Durham Re- along to court security offi- gional Police Services cers? The pair were caught officers had egg on their faces several hours before Mr. Ja- Friday when Cosmo Jacobson, cobson's actual escape.. charged with first-degree mur- The DRPS must come up der, escaped custody and hid in with a better, safer way to a Whitby residential area for transport prisoners. Each year, eight hours before being after Chief Kevin McAlpine caught. has made his case to the Police The 27-year-old prisoner Services Board, Regional used safety pins to slip out of council hands over millions his leg and hand shackles and more to the DRPS. Couldn't vaulted out the back door of some of that cash go into a the transport vehicle in which more secure prisoner transport he was being taken to court. service? One shudders to think what Surely an armed police offi- rnight have happened had he cer should be sitting among been confronted by a home- 'high-risk' prisoners as they owner or anybody else during make the journey from cell to his flight. This was a 'danger- courthouse. With an officer ous,' frightened, desperate man right there in close proximity who could conceivably have eyeing a small group of prison- done anything to remain free, ers at all times, there wouldn't Police said while he was on the be a chance for an escape, lam they believed Mr. Jacob- Perhaps 'dangerous' prison- son was armed. ers need to be shackled more Meanwhile, the entire com- securely, or handled separately munity of Whitby was in a in a police car instead of in a panic. Schools were locked wagon with other prisoners, down, parents concerned about As local police officials lire safety of their children, have pointed out, the current Neighbourhoods near the cour- system is not ideal. The Whit- thouse were on edge, uncertain by courthouse has no interior about when or where Mr. Ja- secure area into which a van or cobson might turn up. car can be driven where pris- Many questions arise as a oners would not be able to result of Friday's fiasco, which break from. Chief McAlpine is only the latest in a number has demanded an enclosure be of escapes which have plagued built at the Rossland Road fa- the DRPS over the last few cility. years. In the meantime, police Why wasn't a tip about a must make immediate changes Friday morning arrest in to ensure no more courthouse' Toronto of two armed men break-outs happen. They were who had a diagram of the lucky... this time. OPINION c-mail letters to ncwsroom@(l urliiimregion.com Queen's official visit a Royal pain? tor. MORE EMPTY CALORIES www.dolighan.com LETTERS TO THE EDITOR e-mail letters to newsroom @durhamrcgioii.eom Lights needed at Courtice and Nash To the editor: Back in March of this year, I sent a proposal to council with regards to the safety of the intersection intersection of Courtice and Nash roads. I honestly fear for the safety of the residents in the area, and rightly so it seems. I witnessed the recent accident which killed James Sedman. This accident was totally preventable. preventable. 1 now understand council feels that perhaps a four-way stop is needed. Let me be the first to say, "Give me a break." Do they honestly think putting up more stop signs is going to solve this problem? Maybe they should all come down for the day and sit and watch the high-speed driving that goes on here. Sending a person to do a survey at 1 p.m. for an hour is totally unacceptable. unacceptable. The only option that will make this a safer place to walk and drive would be a set of traffic traffic lights. The lights erected at Courtice and Bloor streets, in stalled due to, the unfortunate death of a man and child, has done wonders for that area, safety wise. Will it take the death of one of my children or someone elçe to make councillors councillors aware of this problem? Now that a death has occurred occurred they feel. obligated to smooth it over with stop signs. It won't work Mayor John Mutton. Mutton. Provincial standards aside, the residents of this 'up and coming' area demand that something more be done. Traffic Traffic lights are the answer! Christine Hartman Courtice ■ ■ ' ' 9/11 not the only tragedy To the editor: Three weeks ago was the first anniversary of the terrorist attacks attacks on the United States. This infamous day in history has a catch-phrase name, 9/11, that once uttered, requires no explanation explanation of its meaning, nor the events surrounding its date. Indeed, this was a dark day in the history of our neighbours to the south, and for families around the world who lost loved ones to the event, but 1 am slightly dismayed dismayed at the amount of hype and media coverage that surrounded its anniversary. Authorities say just over 3,000 people died in the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11,2001. After the attack, billions of dollars dollars were raised worldwide to help the victims' families and to support in the clearing up of the ruins of once great structures. But what about the foreseen tragedies that happen every day around the globe? Each day, 33,000 people die of hunger and preventable diseases. Why are we so quick to send aid and create solutions to the terrorism terrorism attacks on the United States and yet so painfully slow at sending aid to,the millions■ around the world who have been softly crying for help for decades and continue to do so? In my mind, the lack of aid to these helpless souls around the world is as much of a terrorist act, if not more of a terrorist act, as Sept. 11, 2001 ever was. I had hoped that the terrorist attack on the United States, and its anniversary, would open our ignorant eyes to the grander scale problems across the globe with death and suffering. Obviously, this is not the case, because from the time you started this letter until the time you finish, over 100 children will have died around the world from starvation or an unnecessary illness. Joanna la Fleur Whitby I say, it would be jolly difficult to be the Queen these days. If you think your job is hard, check out the gruelling schedule TIM has ahead of her when she arrives arrives in Canada for an official Royal Visit later this week. We're not vciy good at math but it looks like Liz and Phil are taking just one day off out of 12 as they tour the Great White North. Although the official Royal Web site says reports reports of her estimated 100-million British pound income are "greatly "greatly exaggerated" and hastens hastens to add many Royal palaces, artwork and jewels jewels arc not hers personally, personally, I'd say she earns every cent. All the Hying, walkabouts, walkabouts, speeches and dinners dinners she'll have to endure here arc enough to prompt a Royal headache. And talk about having to pack! MM will need a lot of changes of clothing as she goes about her Royal duties. It sounds like a nightmare trip to me and I wouldn't he Queen for a day for anything. OK, maybe for ONE day. On her first day in Canada, MM will receive an official welcome welcome in Nunavut, dedicate a building and give a speech, visit a high school, present awards, visit a sculpture garden and hoard a flight to Victoria, B.C. That's enough to tire anyone out, so she has the next day off. But the next nine days are work, work, work. There's Sunday service at church, where, unlike the rest of us, she can't daydream or doze off. All eyes will he on her, Then Judi Bobbitt Regional Editor there's a formal government luncheon, luncheon, and a formal welcome at the B.C. parliament buildings. After flying to Vancouver, there's no time to rest; it's off to a hockey hockey game. What a wretched evening. Then there are eight solid days of presentations, luncheons luncheons with politicians, politicians, visits to universities universities and police departments, departments, official welcomes and dinner parties, receptions, speeches, airline departures departures and arrivals. It's Winnipeg Tuesday, Tuesday, Toronto Wednesday, Wednesday, and Fredericton Friday. On Saturday alone, MM will fly from Fredericton to Sussex, from Sussex to Moneton, from Moncton to Ottawa, stopping in each city for official engagements, engagements, including an elementary school visit, a luncheon and the opening of an airport. Poor thing will be expected to smile graciously graciously from sunrise to sundown, looking polished and rested throughout. Then it's off to Ottawa, for Thanksgiving services, dinner with Jean, more visits, presentations, presentations, luncheons, tree plantings, unveilings and receptions. She's got more crammed into one day than 10 tourists would attempt, attempt, and she's no spring chicken, chicken, either. Perhaps worst of all, she has to let Prince Philip follow her around, all the while hoping he won't make an off-colour remark. remark. Seems life is not all champagne champagne and diamonds, even for a Queen. OPINION e-mail Idlers to ncwsroom@durluimrcgion.com Senior hitchhiker sparks questions, imagination I was driving to work the other day and I passed by the most unusual thing; a hitchhiker. Not your usual, run- of-the-mill, tattooed, snap- your-neck-wilh-one-hand, don't-look-mc-in-the- eye drifter type either. This was a senior citizen. citizen. There he was, nattily nattily dressed in a smart brown cardigan, khaki slacks and tweed cap, with his thumb stuck out. As I sped by, leaving leaving him choking in a cloud of dust and gravel, gravel, I had to wonder what his story was. Mow did this sweetlooking sweetlooking old gentleman end up trying to bum a ride at the side of the highway? Where did he want to go? What was he running from? And, perhaps perhaps most puzzling of all, why did he have to hitchhike? It occurred to me, as I mulled this conundrum over, that the old fellow was standing not a hundred yards down the road from the entrance to a Seniors Seniors Retirement I lomc/Gulag, Was he making a break for it? Now. my mind really began to spin, Was lie some kind of octogenarian Serpieo with a di- Neil Crone Enter Laughing aper full of damning microfilm? I mean the kind of stuff that could bring down a corrupt seniors' seniors' home. Grainy, black and white photos taken with a hidden hidden catheter-cam of bullying, on-thc-take attendants greedily inhaling the pudding that should've gone to the bed-ridden souls on the fourth floor. Or maybe lie was a rebel who had pushed a despotic administrator administrator too far. Could he possibly be Frank Van der l loort, the pain-in- thc-ass maverick brains behind the big Bingo Hall Riots of '98, the same riots that got new shulTleboard equipment into the places where it could make a difference? Or was he perhaps the legend legend whose name was whispered in hushed fearful tones around Retirement Home Boardroom tables? The man they called simply, the Silver Shadow, whose 13-month-long campaign campaign of terror and prune juice finally ended with a *60 Minutes' Minutes' expose on tainted tapioca? A man like that makes a lot of powerful enemies I thought, the kind of people who could make a senior's life pretty darn miser able. Had this misunderstood, unsung unsung hero, only moments before, before, gently kissed the brow of his longtime companion as she slumped, snoozing in front of a Jumbo WatcrColour Jigsaw puzzle, and then silently slipped out the kitchen exit? I could just imagine it. Although it almost broke his electrically regulated heart in two, he'd left her. After 50 years together. Me knew though, that this was the way it had to be. The government goons would come looking for him soon. And they wouldn't limit their denture-hiding, canebending, canebending, strong-arm tactics to him. They'd come after her too and her beloved needlepoint. No, he'd think, wiping away a single tear and buttoning his cardigan against a hitler fall wind, it was better this way. If only I'd pulled over, 1 thought, slamming my fist against the dashboard. I could've helped. I could just see him unburdening himself of all of his dark secrets as the two of us shared a coffee and a bran muffin, somewhere. Maybe I could've gotten word hack somehow to that confused and lonely old beauty who still sits and wails for her only love to come hack and help her finish the puzzle, CLICK AND SA^ Today's question: Should Durham build a new regional headquarters? □ Yes □ No □ Issue needs more study □ After finances in better shape Cast your vote online at infodurhaimegse|i.com Last week's question: As MPPs return to Queen's Park, what should be the Province's first priority? □ Clean water 15.3% □ Health care 50.8% □ Education funding 25.4%. □ Other 8.5 % Votes cast: 59 HAVE YOUR SAY Question How do you feel about an accommodation plan for the Kawartha Pine Ridge District School Board suggesting suggesting the consolidation and/or relocation relocation of some schools into new facilities? Travis Appleton "As long as there wouldn't be too many people in one class, then it would be OK." Jeannine VanVolkenburg "They cut corners here and ..there and kids suffer. They're already suffering enough in the school system. They've ' (grouped schools together) before and for some reason it's always caused problems." Ange Williams "My daughter's school is., old. If it's all - in the district it's OK; if.' it's outside ' the district,; what about busing and all that?" ' Cesar Neira "If it's beneficial for people and doesn't- waste money-! then go; ahead and; do it. Since they're only ! suggestions, ; let them, keep ; talking." iE.ljc Cminbimt Stiitcsnmit is one ; of the Metroland Printing, Pub- ; lishing and Distributing group • of newspapers. The Statesman ! is a member of the Bow- ; manville Clarington Board of ; Trade, the Greater Oshawa Chamber of Commerce, On- • tario Community Newspaper Assoc.,. Canadian Community ! Newspaper Assoc., Canadian ! Circulations Audit Board and ; the Ontario Press Council. The • publisher reserves the right to ! classify or refuse any adver- Î tisomont. 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