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PAGE 6THE CANADIAN STATESMAN, JANUARY 22,2003 www.durhamregion.comi 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 Stjc Cmmtrian Statesman ■ i Jan. 22,2003 Metroland Printing, Publishing & Distributing Ltd. Rhone 905-579-4400 Classifieds 905-576-9335 Distribution 905-579-4407 General Fax 905-579-2238 Newsroom Fax 905-579-1809 E-Mail newsroom@durhamregion.com 865 Farewell St., Oshawa ON L1H 7L5, Publications Mail Registration No. 07637 infodurhamregipET.com ■ EDITORIAL e-mail letters In newsroom @diirliiini rcgioii.com Hydro's been nothing but a headache for Ernie Eves It's going to cost us $2 bil- mild by comparison. The pre- lion to $2.5 billion but, for mier sat back, tested the Ernie Eves and his govern- chilly political water, and renient, renient, the price was right in alizcd rapid action was neces- the decision not to sell 49 per sary before the issue blew up cent of Hydro One. his hopes of victory in the According to the premier, next election. So, he decided who announced Monday the to freeze the price until 2006 government would hold onto and promised a $75 rebate to full ownership of the utility, all householders across On- the message was loud and tario. clear from the public the Now, the sale of Hydro Province should maintain full One would have been neces- control of Hydro One. sary to balance the Province's It's just the latest hydro-re- bottom line. The question lated disaster the premier has now for Finance Minister averted in less than a year at Janet Ecker is this: will the top. promised tax cuts need to be Mr. Eves, ever since his postponed or cancelled to find victory last March in the the money to balance the bud- provincial Tory leadership get? Will keeping hold of the race, has faced one hydro utility bring enough political nightmare after another. capital at election time to First, the premier had to allow the Tories to maintain a deal with the Ontario Hydro majority position? board and its incredibly lavish Certainly the Liberals and salaries, perks and expenses. NDP will hammer hard at Mr. Mr. Eves decided to fire the Eves and the apparent flip- entire board and probably flops executed by him on earned some political capital hydro-related matters. But, if at the expense of embattled the decision to fire the Hydro former Hydro chairman Eli- board, freeze hydro rates and nor Clitheroe, who was forced take the decision to sell to painfully defend her con- Hydro One off the table are a tract under the media spot- reflection of the will of the light. majority, they represent Next, the Province was left democracy in action. There's to deal with the fallout of nothing wrong with changing open-market electricity your mind if you believe the prices, a policy the Tories in- original decisions are bad traduced under Mike Harris, policy.* The first bills under the new Mr. Eves will have to desystem, desystem, which came online fend his record when we go to May 1, 2002, hit homes and the polls in the next year. So businesses in late summer, far, he's done what he has had The outcry, to pul it mildly, to do and what has been need- made the Clitheroe crisis look ed on hydro-related issues. OPINION e-mail letters to ncwsroom@(l urliumrcgion.com Students teach us LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Regional headquarters just too much To the editor: I am writing to comment on Roger Anderson, pushing for a new Regional headquarters. Do the people of this region know he wants to put in an office for each council member? Now, does this mean they will have a secretary as well? Each council member already has an office in his own iriding. Why do they need an office in Whitby when they would be lucky if they are there once a week? This is going to cost us about $70 million plus; this money could be used for more important important things like rental housing, not for Roger Anderson and his pet project. It boils down to this. Mr. Anderson Anderson has his big pay raise plus ill letters to newsroom®(ltirliamrcgion, his limo. All he wants now is his Taj Mahal to complete his kingdom. This is absolutely sickening for this to happen, especially especially by a member who not elected by the taxpayers Ernie Roberts Bowmanville Thanks to those who contribute To the editor: Three years ago, my c .. 1er and a friend were out in the court singing carols and people started giving them money. After a couple of evenings, they raised over $500. Half the money was given to a fund-raiser fund-raiser for less fortunate teens run by M.J. Hobbs Sr. P.S. and the rest was given to the Salvation Army. Last year my son, Daniel McCauley, his friend Justin Graffi and myself stood at the end of our driveway and sang OPINION com Christmas carols and in just three hours we raised $1,500. This year, we decided to keep the tradition and Daniel and Justin sang by themselves for six nights (approximately one hour each) and raised $1,820. We couldn't believe our eyes after counting the money raised just on Christmas Eve - almost $500 in less than two hours. People are so generous. It is so heartwarming to see two little boys, Daniel, 12, and Justin, 10, standing there singing, some nights were freezing cold, to raise money for those less fortunate. fortunate. We have always given to the . Salvation Army because the money given will be used for local Bowmanville families. We would like to let all those generous generous families know they donations donations are so much appreciated. The money was handed over to Mrs. Isabelle Jones of the Salvation Salvation Army in Bowmanville in two lots, $1,040 before Christmas Christmas and the remaining $780 on Jan. 3. Karen McCauley Clarington value of co-op T oday's a black day in the newsroom. It's the day we say goodbye to Kamille, Celine and Stephanie. For the past several months, these bright young women have been part of our team as co-operative education education students. They've been reporting to work each day for half-day shifts, trying to get a taste of journalism journalism as they consider consider which university university courses they'll apply for. On paper, their duties in the newsroom newsroom might not look exciting. But they've been learning learning how to judge if an item is newsworthy, newsworthy, and how to identify the crucial 5ws - the who, editor what, why, where and when of it all - as they organize information into concise news briefs. They've attended a staff breakfast meeting and worked on special projects. A few times, they accompanied a reporter reporter on assignment and two of the students saw their opinion opinion pieces published. Most importantly, the few months spent here has confirmed confirmed something each of them questioned - whether they'd be happy pursuing a career in journalism. That's whal makes the co-op experience experience so valuable to students as they ponder their futures, They get a little taste of the workplace before they make up their minds on post-secondary post-secondary studies. Bill they also gave something back to us. It's a very worthwhile program program with which Durham businesses can get involved. Having three students in the newsroom sounded inconvenient inconvenient at first, because after all, they require detailed instruction, instruction, close supervision, coaching and follow-up to ensure ensure they're getting the most out of the experience. I was surprised at how much 1 enjoyed enjoyed working with them, and how much 1 came to depend on the assistance they gave the newsroom each morning. Really, the joke was on me. I initially had no intention intention of being their immediate immediate supervisor, but I liked their enthusiasm enthusiasm so much I just fell into it. One assignment they had was to design design a survey they and future co-op students could fill out at the completion completion of their term, providing the newspaper with feedback on how to improve the program. program. Each of them said their co-op experience was very valuable in helping them make a career choice. Had they decided journalism journalism wasn't for them, their coop coop experience would be no less successful. We aren't here to sell the job, only to let a student try it on for size, If your company hasn't participated in the co-op experience, experience, give it a try and call your local high school for information, information, As Celine's co-op teacher says, experience in the workplace gives the student student something the classroom just can't provide, Judi Bobbitt Regional e-mail letters to newsmom@(lurliamrcgion.eom Reports of jail problems a wakeup call for Province O ntario's Progressive Conservatives are working working hard to gain an image of being tough on law and order, but they also are picking up an unsavory one of locking criminals criminals in jail and throwing away the key. The Tories claim constantly they arc the only party that cares about lighting crime and Public Safety Minister Minister Bob Runciman scoffed "a Liberal talking talking about law and order is a walking, talking oxymoron, like jumbo shrimp." But the Tories face mounting tragic incidents incidents which suggest they don't care much what happens to those they pul behind bars. They also don't learn from past errors. 'flic latest concerns arc about how they run a youth detention centre where a 17-year-okl boy, who had lived on the streets after fleeing sexual abuse by his father, was held on charges of breaking into and stealing from ears. A youth charged with similar offences offences who had a normal home would have been sent home. The small, thin hoy was punched in the van and had his Iiead slammed against ils bars and sides by bigger, tougher youths, some with records of violence. violence. lie slept in the centre on a mattress without a pillow on a floor crawling with vermin and his meals were stolen by gangs of hoys, who punched him repeat edly and ordered him to lick up another boy's sputum. After 10 days, the boy pleaded guilty in court and his lawyer asked he should not be sentenced to further custody because he had suffered enough in the detention centre. The judge asked him for his whole story. The judge said other boys from the centre previously appeared in court with visible injuries, injuries, but evaded questions questions or claimed they "fell." He said the boy was brave for speaking out. 'flic judge said the beatings the boy suffered suffered at the centre entitled entitled him to an absolute discharge and it was a "hellish" place that showed reckless disregard disregard for his safety, turned a blind eye to assaults on him and left it up to him to lodge a complaint, which would have exposed him to worse beatings. 'flic judge said the centre was reminiscent of Charles Dickens's exposes of brutal conditions in Victorian England and 'Lord of the Flies' and violated United Nations Nations conventions. The Province's child advocate revealed she told the government a year earlier the centre was overcrowded overcrowded and not actively supervising supervising detainees and many of them lived in fear. A union representing guards added gangs there constantly intimidate intimidate weaker inmates, but the Province would not spend money needed lor adequate surveillance. A 16-year-old youth, who also feared other youths, was revealed to have hanged himself in the centre a month earlier. The Tories have had many warnings they do not appear to listen to. Ombudsman Clare Lewis said in June their hard line against spending has produced intolerable conditions in sonic correctional facilities. Prisoners should not be mollycoddled, mollycoddled, he said, but society has an obligation to see they arc treated rationally and with some degree of dignity and respect. Inmates have testified in courts that three commonly sleep in a cell meant for one person, two in bunks on top of each other and the third on a mattress on the floor jammed beside a toilet. Another judge recently cut three months off a sentence for a man convicted of assault because he had spent a month in custody awaiting trial in conditions 'like the Middle Ages.' The Tories should be watchful, watchful, particularly over conditions for youths, because a few months ago they were forced to pay $1 million in an out-of-court seulement seulement to 12 beaten by guards after being removed from another detention detention centre. Some had imprints of the guards' boots on their faces and large patches of hair torn out and the child advocate said they were subjected to "a degree of fear, humiliation, humiliation, indignity and trauma that is not acceptable." The government expressed regret regret and claimed it has improved conditions, Inti it would have difficulty difficulty proving it, Eric Dowd Queen's Park CLICK AND SA Today's question: % With this being national non-smoking week, do you think more can be done in Durham to help smokers give up the habit? □ Yes □no „ „ . ; Cast your vote online at infodurhamrecjicj^.com Last week's question: Given the release of last week's provincially mandated report cards, are , you confident with the care being provided by Durham hospitals? □ Yes 58.3% □ No 41.7% Votes cast: 115 HAVE YOUR SAY Question Monday is Family Literacy Day. What book are you currently reading, and hoW important is reading to you? 1 Annie Krabi 'The last book I read is called 'Pain a Gift No One Wants.' I read alotj because I enjoy it.) 'J I Abby Garraway "I love to read. I read different formats 1 ,' books] magazines! and more.' Laura Hisson! "I recently read 'The Wars' by] Timothy, Findlay. 1. read foi; school, but J also read to relax.') John Windett "The last book 1 read was by John' Grisham. 1' read to learn' and for enjoyment."' £ljc (Cniwbimt Statesman is one J of the Metroland Printing, Pub- t lishing and Distributing group ; of newspapers. The Statesman is a member of the Bowmanville Bowmanville Clarington Board of ' Trade, the Greater Oshawa j Chamber of Commerce, On- , tario Community Newspaper . Assoc., Canadian Community . Newspaper Assoc., Canadian: Circulations Audit Board and r : the Ontario Press Council. The' publisher reserves the right to / classify or refuse any adver- tisement. Credit for advertisement advertisement limited to space price ' error occupies. Editorial and ' Advertising content of the Canadian Statesman is copy- 1 righted. Unauthorized reproduction reproduction Is prohibited. ) I Aocna PR^IITI HllSMt mevv* H