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PAGE 10THE CANADIAN STATESMAN, FEBRUARY 5,2003 vvww.durhamrcgiQn.com Denise Heckbert honoured for work with families BY JEREMY LE PAGE Staff Writer . - DURHAM - Seventeen years of hard work providing child and family family services can be summed up in five simple words for Denise Heckbert: "Families are important to me." In recognition of her work with children and youth, Ms. Heckbert, of Kinark Child and Family Scrvices- Durham, has been nominated for the Krista Scpp Memorial Award. Established in 1991, the award honours the memory, of a child-and- youth counsellor who was slain 14 years ago while performing her duties duties at a Midland group home. The Krista Sepp Memorial Award pays tribute to individuals determined determined to make a difference- in the child services profession. This year, 13 people were nominated throughout throughout Ontario. "To be nominated is really outstanding," outstanding," says Suzanne Lanthier, public relations co-ordinator at Ki- nark's main branch in Markham. "These arc people who work day-to- day, on the front line... They do wonderful, wonderful, wonderful work. People like Denise, their energy and enthusiasm is as good as when they started." "She's incredibly loyal," says fellow fellow Kinark employee Maria Feehe- ley, who nominated Ms. Heckbert, mother of five, for the award. "(She's) committed to the families, this agency, and her colleagues. Denise is completely devoted to the work she does." If anything, Ms. Heckbert's colleagues colleagues say she has to be careful not to say 'yes' to every job she's asked to do. "We're pretty intensive," Ms. Heckbert admits. "We work many hours with families, families, but they do all the work. We (just) help families make change. I might guide them in some way, but they do it (themselves)." When asked what the most gratifying gratifying feeling is in her profession, Ms. Heckbert smiles. She tells a story of a young girl she worked with a decade ago; a girl who thought there was little hope left in her life. Ms. Heckbert says the girl, now a young woman, recently phoned her and told her how thankful she was that Ms. Heckbert had come into her life, and that she is engaged to be married. Ms. Heckbert's smile grows broader as she speaks. "She's done great," she adds. As for challenges, she says, "the hardest thing to deal with is the adults' mental health." Explaining to many parents that their child's problems stem from the instability of their guardians is often difficult to convey, she says. "But most parents are committed to their children," Ms. Heckbert explains, explains, adding most are good people just struggling for various reasons. But too often, she says, parents just want an easy solution. "There's a big difference between JEREMY LEPAGE/ Statesman photo Denise Heckbert (left) has been nominated for the Krista Scpp. Memorial Award for her work in the child services profession. Maria Feeheley, a co-worker at Kinark Child and Family Services- Durliam, nominated Ms. Heckbert for the award. fixing and making a change," Ms. Heckbert explains. And she says she hopes a change will be made in the way the value of child services arc perceived. "I keep hoping and praying money will go into kids' mental health," she says. "It's very under- serviced." But clearly, say her peers, Ms.Heckbert is not the type to give up. "She's small," says Ms. Feeheley, "but full of dynamite." New busing proposed for Durham College Task force recommends $300,000 first step BY JACQUIE MclNNES Staff Writer DURHAM - The dream of a grand college and university for Durham Region is still missing one key component component - the ability to get students there, says its president. But a regional transit task force, comprised of Durham politicians, including including the eight mayors, is recommending recommending a funding partnership that would put $300,000 ($200,000 from the Region and nnother^l.QO'tQOO^ from the college anfliiftWiifsity) toward toward solving the problem. . : v ; "It's great news'that our student's' pleas fell on open ears," says Gary Polonsky, president of the University of Ontario Institute of Technology and Durham College. "We have been told by our students it is virtually impossible impossible from many parts of Durham Region to get 1 to our north Oshawa campus and even our Whitby Skills Training campus. It takes forever and most students these days don't have forever." The president illustrates his point noting a car ride from Brooklin to the Conlin Road and Simcoe Street campus campus takes three-and-a-half minutes. By bus, he says, the return trip is three-and-a-half hours. Mr. Polonsky asked the transit task force to consider three goals: creating .ivest transit option: along .funorth arterial road such as Rossland Road or Taunton Road; cre ate north/south connectors to that main bus line that students coming from the northern part of the region can access; and create a shuttle from the GO train stations that would bring students from outside the region to the school. Regional Chairman Roger Anderson Anderson acknowledges the $300,000 recommendation recommendation may not meet all Mr. Polonsky's objectives. However, he says, "Hopefully we can staff a west- east and back again service that is efficient efficient and timely. Hopefully the transit transit operators will be able to come up with a plan to get students to Durham College in a timely manner." Currently, Currently, each municipality operates its own transit system and GO Transit, the provincial transit operator,.runs a bus line along Hwy. 2. A shuttle from the Stevenson Road or Whitby train sta tions would also be "ideal," says the chairman, who notes the transit operators operators will have to sit down and crunch the numbers to see what they can accommodate accommodate in the first year. The $200,000 is part of an $8.4- million funding envelope Durham municipalities once were required to give to the Greater Toronto Services Board (GTSB) for GO operating costs. In 2002, the Province gave that money back to the Region when it dissolved the GTSB, stipulating the money must go to transit initiatives. The transit task force has recommended recommended the rest of the $8.4 million, aside from $400,000 for fare integration integration between municipal buses and GO transit in Durham, go back to local municipalities to assist transit operators. operators. Last year many of the operators in vested in new equipment with their allocation of the money. Clarington used the money it received to subsidize subsidize a new bus system in Bow- manville. The money is divided among the municipalities based on how much each contributes through taxes. Last year Oshawa received $2.1 million, Pickering received $1.6 million, Whitby $1.5 million, Ajax $1.2 million, Clarington $1.05 million, million, Scugog and Uxbridge each received received about $340,000 and Brock received received $168,000. If the task force recommendations recommendations arc followed, this year they can each expect a little less than last year's amount to accommodate the UOIT proposal and the GO fare agreement. The task force recommendations recommendations will be considered as part of this year's budget process currently ongoing at the Region. Public Notices Public Notices | Public Nolices | Public Notices Daycare Available | Daycare Available WHEN YOU PAY Y0UB Oshawa • Whitby • Clarington • Pott Perry This Week CARRIER! 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