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

PAGE 4THE CANADIAN STATESMAN, NOVEMBER 27,2002 www.durhamregion.com Tim Whittaker Publisher Joanne Burghardl Editor-in-Chief Chris Bovie Managing Editor , Judi Bobbitt Regional Editor A Fred Eismont Director of Advertising 1 Eddie Kolodziejcak Classified Advertising Manager I Kirk Bailey Distribution Manager ■ Lillian Hook Office Manager \ Barb Harrison Composing Manager Clarington's Award-Winning Newspaper Since 1854 Œf )t Canabtati Statesman ■ Nov. 27,2002 Metroland Printing, Publishing & Distributing Ltd. Phone 905-579-4406 Classifieds 905-576-9335 Distribution 905-579-440/ General Fax 905-579-2236 Newsroom Fax 905-579-1805 E-Mail newsroom@durhamregion.com 865 Farewell St., Oshawa ON L1H 7L5 Publications Mail Registration No. 07637 infodurhamregson.com EDITORIAL e-mail lellers la newsroom@'<lurliamre"ion,com Innovative program refreshing O ne local wag dubbed the recent; Pickering High School leadership leadership conference, which featured featured 137 student delegates, 50 leadership developers and 20 executives, 'a Woodstock for the mind.' ■ The analogy to the famous 1969 rock festival, which saw hundreds of thousands enjoy three days of music and mayhem, mayhem, only runs as far as ,the use of Pickering High aà a weekend hotel and conference centre for learning. Young people had the chance to network network and rub elbows with professionals who could assist them in the complicated process of becoming leaders. Certainly, leadership isn't a skill learned in only a weekend. weekend. It's a lifelong pursuit that involves living through countless countless experiences and meeting and overcoming challenges. However, the 137 students from across Durham and points north and east, took a big step toward developing the skills and knowledge they'll need to handle their own personal challenges in the coming months and years ahead. The conference, an annual event organized by the central east region of the Ontario Secondary School Students' Assopiatidh';*ts% ; tnily-'impres'- 81 - sive undertaking." It includes motivational . 'speakers, entertainment entertainment and leadership sessions. sessions. The theme of the conference conference centred around the quality of education. As such, the students were understandably understandably concerned and focused on the vaunted double cohort. The mix of OAC and Grade 12 students will graduate for the first and only time this coming June and competition for university places is especially especially stiff. No doubt, attendance attendance at such events as the leadership conference will stand students in good stead when university admissions officers begin reviewing applications applications next spring. Students said their high - school success was more than a matter of books and learning materials. Of prime importance importance said conference attendee attendee and OAC student Ben Nasmith of Pickering High, is the quality of teaching. In his experience, he says, "the quality of the instruction is still high." The assembled students impressed motivational speaker Mike Bonnici who stated, "the student leaders are both energetic and anxious anxious to be inspired. I couldn't ask for a more accommodating accommodating and rewarding audience than the ones I find each time I speak to them." Motivation is a prime factor factor in high school and life success. success. Mr. Bonnici says. He says the aim is to "motivate students to use their freedoms to think and speak and act however they want in order to take advantage of even greater freedom " ÜbiiicNq w • - hcetiàrihCrthbir- home schools and community after their 'Woodstock' weekend, these studies* are better equipped to lead and meet challenges. The conference organizers and participants are to be commended for the effort and work they have put in to the event and the results we'll all benefit from in future. future. OPINION e-mail letters to ncwsroomOdurhamrcgion.com Snow means it's fort-building time I did it again. I always do. Maybe it's the magic of the first big snowfall of the year, maybe it's .the delightful laughter of the children, or maybe I'm just a big dope who doesn't know lie's 42. Still, every winter when that first big dump hits us, I have to go out and play until I'm sore. The problem I know, is 1 am an inveterate fort-builder. I cannot stop myself. The kids of course know this and being the innately innately manipulative little things they arc, have only to utter the words "Hey Dad...it's packing snow!" and like one of Pavlov's drooling canines I am out the door toque on head, shovel in hand. It might not be such a big deal and coincidentally I might not need so much Epsom salt at the end of the day, if these were your standard run-of-the- mill, rolled snowball forts. Any stooge can knock one of those babies off and still have plenty of time for some hot chocolate and Bailey's around the woodstovc. Where I get into trouble is in the sheer scale of my foils. They tend to look like crystalline crystalline Massada's. And they lake time to build. After a while even the kids get milled. "OK Dad, that's good enough! Can we just play in it now?" "Look!" I am apt to petulantly reply "Do you guys want a hidden staircase or not?" I suppose I should've heeded the warning signs this time, Those little telltale things Neil Crone Enter Laughing that indicate you're going a bit too far, losing it even. The torpedo torpedo level, plumb bob, weeping weeping tile. And I guess I was a little little hard on the Mcklerson kid over that cornerstone thing. I mean, he was only out by an inch or two. 1 should probably give him his mitts back. But dammit, I'm not asking the kid to exceed Code, just meet it for the love of Pete. 1 Maybe it's the artist in me, but at some ludicrous point the thing stops being just a snow foi l and becomes my creation. creation. My creation, you understand... not our creation. 1 am the James Cameron of snowforl building. And so, inevitably, the kids' interest wanes to the point where I find myself alone, in the dark, packing and laying heavy snow blocks down with the care and concentration concentration of a Scottish stonemason. stonemason. I will he out there until it is done. Until my clothes are soaked through to the skin with sweat and melted snow and my lower back is strung tighter than a Stradivarius. Then and only then will 1 come grumbling into the house seeking seeking the comfort of a hot soak. Why, you may ask? Why do I go through all the effort and pain when nobody else seems to care? Well, the answer answer is really quite simple, For tomorrow you see, that fort that I worked so hard on, will he full of happy, smiling children children at play. And I will gel to throw snowballs at them. CLICK AND Sig Today's question: Should Durham councillors push the Province for the extension of Hwy. 407 through to Hwy. 35/115 in Clarington? □ Yes □ No extension □ Extension to Whitby □ Extension to Courtice Cast your vote online at infodurhamregi t com Last week's question: Do you support the current campaign against a proposed new regional headquarters for Durham? □ Yes 55.7 % □ No 44.3% Votes cast: 282 LETTERS TO THE EDITOR e-imiil letters to newsroom® (lurlianirejiion.com Time to disband Regional government To the editor: Durham Regional government government has outlived its usefulness and should be disbanded. It has created a level of bureaucracy that is out of control and the exorbitant exorbitant costs to house and support support this level of government are proof of the fact. Regional government was formed to co-ordinate and harmonize harmonize services between municipalities municipalities within Durham Region Region with the intention of making making the process more cost-effective. cost-effective. Today, the cost to operate Durham Regional government far outweighs its effectiveness and usefulness. It has already spent $350,000 on consultant fees and honoraria to developers developers and they haven't got a shovel shovel in the ground. A new Regional Headquarters Headquarters is unnecessary and a blatant waste of taxpayers' dollars. Deanna Wiley Oshawa Mayor should give up parking space To the' editor: Clarington Mayor John Mutton Mutton has said in the past there should no tolerance to all able- bodied drivers who use handicapped handicapped parking spaces. However, when it comes to the mayor himself, have you noticed noticed the 'Reserved for Mayor' sign in front of Town Hall - right next the handicapped parking? OPINION All other staff must park in a nearby lot. Here we have a perfectly healthy public servant - the mayor - monopolizing a precious parking spot on one of the busiest streets in Bowmanville. The result result is frustration on the part of citizens, who must circle the block looking for parking, and a reduction in the town treasury caused by the missing parking meter. The mayor pays nothing for this privilege. It's time to crack down on perks for politicians. It's time for the mayor to'"walk airlock" from the municipal parking lot to . Town Hall. After all, lie's young, ' lie's healthy, and other citizens are in greater need than is the mayor. In fact, 1 will half seriously seriously suggest the mayor's parking spot be put up for auction. I'll bet it would go for a tidy sum to someone who is rich enough, or desperate enough, to pay top dollar. dollar. Then we could keep taxes down. Dan Delong Bowmanville c-inuil letters to newsroom@(lurhamruj;iim.ami Some political message stunts backfire Death comparison mortifying to widow To the editor: Re: 'Guilt and grief are normal normal when you lose beloved pet,' Judi Bobbitt column, Nov. 17. I am shocked and mortified upon reading bereavement co-ordinator co-ordinator Julie Chatterton's analogy analogy comparing the death of a pet to the death of a family member. Especially in view of her position with Hospice Durham. I shall not minimize the loss of Ms. Bobbitt's dog. My condolences condolences to her. But please, Ms. Chatterton, refrain from placing the loss of a pet on equal footing with the death of a spouse. Having been in the position of 'putting to sleep' a faithful, loving, loving, gentle cat of 22 years, only to be followed nine months later with the sudden death of my husband husband of 45 years, I know from whence I speak. Until you have 'worn the moccasins' you cannot possibly comprehend the loss! J.C. Groome Pickering P remier Ernie Eves has become become addicted to using stunts to promote his cause, bill he must be feeling he needs to break the habit. The Progressive Conservative premier stumbled badly with his latest gimmick, in which he announced a freeze on energy prices in a kitchen, in an attempt to appear a homebody in touch with ordinary residents' concerns. TV viewers could see the kitchen was spacious, with marble- top counters and a lop- ol'-thc-linc fridge with a built-in ice-maker. The house had a 50- inch TV and a double garage, so this did nothing to further further the desired image. News media, who normally follow the premier imqucslion- ingly to background scenes he thinks will help his image, also rebelled lor once and reported the setting hampered their coverage coverage and that Mr. Eves gave himself himself a public relations disaster. Lew in the public will care about reporters' difficulties covering covering a story, but newspaper comments alter events on TV, such as debates between leaders, often influence the way viewers see them. Mr. Eves's stunts are nothing new and as much a part of his makeup as his sliekcd-back hair and cutaway collars, While finance minister, he announced announced a lax break for small business and rolled up at a laun dry where an aide said he dropped off his shirts each week and was photographed by a friendly newspaper being thanked by the owner. But the owner later let slip he had never seen Mr. Eves before, because he usually had his shirts dropped off by his chauffeur. Premier Eves held a press conference in a revolving revolving restaurant 1,150 Icet up the CN Tower, pointed to construction sites all around and had the restaurant revolve, claiming this was the way the Tories were turning around - get it? - the province's economy. Budgets traditionally had covers showing a picture of Ontario's official official flower, the trillium, or a painting by an adult, but Mr. Eves held a competition among nine-year-olds, chose a drawing by one of a child flying a kite and put it on his cover with a hint his parly cared more for children. However, the Tories were miserly miserly toward families on social assistance assistance and the minimum wage. Mr. Eves set up a fund to which residents could donate to reduce the provincial debt ami emotionally called it the Chelsea and Samantha Fund, alter two young sisters who offered the contents of their piggy banks to help taxpayers. The stunts followed in the tradition tradition of his predecessor, Mike Harris, who, as opposition leader, had a flatbed truck parked in front of the legislature with 27 seats on it, the number of MI'I's he would cut to save money. Mr. Harris claimed New Democrat Democrat premier Bob Rac was often absent from question-period question-period seeking votes on open-line shows and took a cellphone in the legislature, tried to question Mr. Rac from there, failed to reach him, but reaped publicity. But the most common stunt is the one that got Mr. Eves in trouble. trouble. TV wants politicians speaking speaking against backgrounds it feels arc more interesting than the legislature. legislature. Politicians of all parties dutifully dutifully comply and arc seen on location location more often than movie stars, in or around schools, hospitals, hospitals, seniors' homes, municipal halls, factories, construction projects, projects, stores, jails, waste dumps, rivers and lakes. They probably feel they are part of a bargain in which TV gets the scenes it feels it needs and politicians an image of going anywhere to help residents. But they should remember the most effective political messages messages ever put on the airwaves were by Franklin D. Roosevelt, in his fireside chats calling ordinary ordinary Americans to rally behind his New Deal, and Winston Churchill, exhorting Britons to pull together against the Nazis, Neither had the benefit of pictures, pictures, Both were more Ilian lialf-n- century ago and on radio, when TV was not available. Mr. lives, a competent speaker, speaker, and other Ontario politicians arc not Churchill, but do they really really need to sit beside a fridge to make themselves believable? Eric Dowd Queen's Park TEIjc Ciiimbinn Statesman is one of the Metroland Printing, Publishing and Distributing group of newspapers. The Statesman is a member of the Bowmanville Clarington Board of Trade, the Greater Oshawa Chamber of Commerce, Commerce, Ontario Community Newspaper Assoc., Canadian Community Newspaper Assoc., Canadian Circulations Circulations Audit Board and the Ontario Ontario Press Council. The publisher publisher reserves the right to classify or refuse any advertisement. advertisement. Credit for advertisement advertisement limited to space price error occupies. Editorial and Advertising content of the Canadian Statesman is copyrighted. Unauthorized reproduction is prohibited. À ocna I "i* 5 1*1 <3" one itiMui m«