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www.durtiamregion.com THE CANADIAN STATESMAN, OCTOBER 29, 2003 PAGE 7 The race for the mayor's seat JP ■ *1.T l f ; f 1 T# 4 *st p ■tt m John Richard Mutton Ward Ward says 407 extension an important alternative fctje Canabian Statesman Candidates complain about missing signs Clarington mayoral candidate Richard Ward says with open communication communication and better accountability, the municipality can treat all taxpayers equally. The Statesman has asked the two mayoral candidates 10 questions on issues that will have to be addressed in the coming term of office. Here ive present Richard Ward's responses. The municipal election is Monday, Nov. JO. Do you feel it's important to extend extend Hwy. 407 all the way to Hwy. 35/115? Yes I feel it is very important to extend 407 all the way to the 115 to alleviate the pressure on the 401 as well as an emergency alternative should the 401 be disrupted for a prolonged period of time. Are you in favour of widening Taunton Road to four lanes (plus turning lanes) all the way from the Oshawa-Clarington border to Hwy. 35/115? Should Clarington taxpayers share the cost with the Region for such a project if it means it will be constructed much sooner? I am in favour of Taunton Road improvements as soon as possible. Does Clarington belong in Durham and the GTA or would you rather see the municipality linked to Northumberland County? County? Clarington does belong in Durham Region.', What measures are necessary to improve public transit in Clarington Clarington and to link the municipality with the rest of the region? To improve transit what is needed is the identification of a feasible transit spine, direct development to increase population and ridership. We cannot afford to run empty buses. Some of the towns and villages in Clarington believe they don't get a fair shake when it comes to services services and the spending of taxpayers' taxpayers' money. How can you assure all taxpayers are treated equally? BY DANIELLE MILLEY Staff Writer BOWMANVILLE - Without Dr. Ross Tilley, Bob Tait would have difficulty difficulty making music and Lionel Hastings might have a problem holding up his glasses. Mr. Tait and Mr. Hastings are both members of the Guinea Pig Club, a group of veterans from the Second World War who were treated by Dr. Tilley, a plastic surgeon from Bow- manville. The 649 club members were airmen from different countries who were burned during plane crashes. With the techniques and treatments used by Dr.' Tilley, new at the time, the men called themselves the Guinea Pigs. A dozen members were in Bow- manville last Friday visiting the school named after the man to whom they owe so much. Mr. Tait, an air gunner, crashed early in the war. His hands were burned and his face injured. The .first hospital he received treatment treatment at planned to amputate his lingers, lie remembers. But, then he was transferred transferred to Queen Victoria Cottage Hospital Hospital in East Grinstead, where Dr. Tilley worked. "He said, 'we don't cut lingers off here, we save them'," the 80-year-old recalls. recalls. Mr. Tait, who lives in Winnipeg, now enjoys playing banjo in a band. Mr. Hastings llew 50 trips before his plane crashed in Belgium. The 80-year- old remembers waking up in the hospital. hospital. All taxpayers should be treated equally and this could be improved by open communication and better accountability. "I saw a white ceiling and I thought I was in heaven," he says. Dr. Tilley reconstructed Mr. Hastings' Hastings' nose after the crash. It still has no bone in it. But, the men say Dr. Tilley did more than just heal their injuries, he also healed their spirits. This was the message message they imparted to the school children. children. "Dr. Ross Tilley is very special to us in that he taught us it is great to be alive in spite of your disabilities," Mr. Hastings Hastings said in the Dr. Ross Tilley Public School gym. Several groups of students from the Grade 7 class had prepared presentations presentations for the Guinea Pigs, including Ria Morlidis. The 11-year-old says they worked on the presentation for almost a month and learned a lot while doing the research. "It took a lot to be in the war because they had to leave their families," she says. "When they got burned it changed their life a lot. At first it was really hard for them because the people didn't accept accept them. In the end people accepted them and they learned to live their lives." The visit also brought new meaning to what the school's name stands for. "These people were heroes and they fought for this country," she says, "It was really touching." The men were touched by the students, students, as well. Joint Southwell came from Victoria for the reunion, receiving hugs from students. students. The 79-year-old describes himself as Has Clarington properly developed developed its waterfront? What would you do to encourage more - or less - development? a unique Guinea Pig because although he was an airman, Dr, Tilley treated hint for the lacerations he sustained front going through a windshield in a car crash, "He and the nurses, if we had our choice, 1 would nominale them for sainl- I see the waterfront as difficult to develop as year-round residency can be uncomfortable, however seasonal recreation and public access to parks and trails could improve this location. location. What measures will you take to try to keep Clarington's delicate rural-urban balance in place for years to come? The rural area of Clarington is a great asset that should be maintained by the Oak Ridges Moraine Policy and agricultural policy. Do not give amendments to certain pockets as appears to be done presently. Should Clarington be trying to make a bigger splash on the international international stage? Win or lose, can the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) bid be the start of better things? I believe $18 million has been spent to date on a project that is not expected to generate electricity for 40 years. Would the prudent thing to do be, wait 30 years? Would you he willing to go ahead with a ma jor sports/entertainment complex if Oshawa does not proceed proceed with its fledgling plans? Mayor sports complexes cost a great deal and I feel that, with the enormous progress of Durham College, College, the Oshawa plans will be a reality reality in the near future, which Clarington Clarington residents would have access to. iwiiy should' Clarington' voters choose you on Nov. 10? I have attended Regional council and planning committee for 15 years totalling about 1,500 meetings. This experience, along with my refusal to accept contributions from the powerful powerful development lobbyists that control control the will of council makes me a candidate who does not co-depend on money from special groups. That ensures better and fairer decisions on behalf of the public. was out of this world. The group wasn't sure if there would he another reunion, There are less than 150 members left worldwide and only 39 in Canada (there were 178 after the war). BY MARTIN DERBYSHIRE Staffe Writer DURHAM - Boy, it was a nasty wind the other day, but perhaps not as nasty as the political competition. While several candidates in the Nov. 10 municipal elections across Durham have found the fall weather wreaking havoc on their lawn signs, many have also found some of their signs vandalized or missing altogether. Most say it's probably just kids being kids, but others suggest their political political foes may be trying to win the sign war in an underhanded way. "It's probably just kids, but I don't know, it could be both," said Whitby East Ward candidate Lynn Porteous. "I just think it's very strange that you see a street corner and one candidate's signs are missing, but the others are still standing there." At an average cost of around $7 per lawn sign and hundreds needed to try and get the valuable name recognition the political hopefuls seek, the rash of vandalism and theft has left several candidates increasing their campaign budgets by thousands of dollars just to keep their signs on the streets. "I've already doubled my sign order just to keep up with what's being stolen," said Oshawa Wards 5 and 6 incumbent incumbent Louise Parkes. "And it's not just kids, it's got to be political, unless someone is in the stake-and-sign recycling recycling business." Coun. Parkes, who says she's been told someone is driving around the city ripping her signs out of the ground, agreed it might not be another candidate, candidate, instead suggesting it could be someone with a particular issue or political political axe to .grind. . Durham, , ' Regional Tp-i.-Police spokesman David Selby confirmed' several signs are being "ripped out and kicked around" across Durham, but lie says no more than any other election year. "It really hasn't been a major issue," he said. However, Clarington Ward 1 candidate candidate Oudit Rai says he's already made three complaints to police about the heavy number of his signs that have gone missing, but they are just being ignored. "It's not normal, the police are just not taking the issue seriously," he said. "Maybe if it was 10 or 12 signs being vandalized that's one thing, but this is 50 per cent of my signs. There's really nothing 1 can do other than keep going out and replacing them." Safe learning environment an issue trustee says SAFE from page 1 ton in the near future. Accommodation is also an issue for trustees with KPR. Linda Scott, a Peterborough resident resident who was appointed to the board in June 2003 to replace the late Bob Willsher as one of two Clarington trustees, said accommodation is one issue for the board. Ms. Scott is not running in the election. "1 feel some of the areas they will be addressing include the improvement of student achievement, providing a safe learning environment, and accommodation accommodation review, which means looking at the areas where there is a decline in students students and where there is an increase in students," she said. "They will have to make decisions that will best meet the interest of students." The board has already had an independent independent consultant file a report on accommodation. accommodation. "Now (the board) will have to go back to the community to see what would best meet the needs of its students," students," Ms. Scott said. Trustees will also be working with a new provincial government. "I would hope that with the next Ministry of Education we will continue to have an excellent rapport in meeting the needs of our children," Mr. Langlois said, l ie added the hoard looks forward to seeing how the ideas the Liberals have for education will come to fruition. Guinea Pigs reconstruct amazing tales Walter Passarella/ Statesman photo Dr. Lionel Hastings speaks to (lie Grade 2 class during a reunion of the Guinea Pig Club at l)r. Ross Tilley Public School. Students were really involved in the discussion. hood," he says. "The care they gave us