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PAGE 6 THE CANADIAN STATESMAN, NOVEMBER 12,2003 www.durhamregion.com lim Whittaker Publisher Joanne Burghardt Editor-in-Chief Tony Doyle Managing Editor Tretl Eismont Director of Advertising Eddie Kolodziejcak Classified Advertising Manager Kirk Bailey Distribution Manager Lillian Hook Office Manager Janice O'Neil Cheryl Haines Composing Managers Oarington's Award-Winning Newspaper Since 1854 Œlj t Canadian Statesman ■ ■ Phone 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 L1H7L5 Publications Mail Registration No. 07637 NOVEMBER 12,2003 Metroland Printing, Publishing & Distributing Ltd. infodurhamregion.com EDITORIAL v-muil Idlers In iiuwsroonils'(I iirhimiresiim.com Voters like performance J4- of incumbents ( hcrwhclming. Thai's the only way to describe the election results for the not- so-new Ckirington council. Voters resoundingly returned each in- eunihent facing a challenge for their scat. Starting at the top. John Mutton keeps his mayoral chain of office office for three more years after earning 90-per-cent support. He's full value for the victory having guided the municipality through three solid years of growth. In Ward 2. Don Mac Arthur earned nearly the same margin of \ ietory with 88 per cent of the votes cast. Again, Mr. MacArthur deserved to he returned for a second term, with his priorities focused focused on keeping taxes low. As well; his commitment to preserving preserving historical and cultural aspects of Clarington, and improving recreation, sels him apart. Charlie Trim continues as Clarington's Wards 3 and 4 regional councillor having taken a whopping 80-per-cent support. His experience experience at the regional table is a big asset to the Clarington team and voters recognized that. He has committed to fighting at the Region Region for core services like highways, policing, and transit, making him a strong voice for his constituents. Also returning to council were, Pat Pingle. Ward 3 local councillor. councillor. Cord Robinson Ward 4 local councillor, and Jim Schell, Wards I and 2 regional councillor, all acclaimed and all of whom w e arc sure will continue to do an excellent job. Election night wasn't without some suspense, however. In Ward 1. where Jane Rowe stepped down, four of the five candidates candidates nearly split equally a little over 5,000 votes cast. Adrian Foster Foster eventually pulled away as results came in throughout the evening, but his margin of victory was less than five percentage points. His 27.9 per cent topped Suzanne Elston's 23.57 and Jim Vinson's 23.53 per cent. Oudit Rai made an impact on voters as w ell, earning just over 21 per cent. Mr. Foster will do well to learn from his new colleagues at the council table and should make a fine addition to the Clarington team. In education, newly elected Cathy Abraham joins veteran Nancy C'oflin, re-elected to her seat, at the public school board. Ms. Coffin's experience and hard work earned her a return and Ms. Abraham worked hard during the election to garner support for the second Clarington seat on the Kawartha Pine Ridge District School Board. At the Peterborough Victoria Northumberland and Clarington Catholic District School Board, Granville Anderson and George Ashe were acclaimed. Despite the convenience of mail-in voting, the turnout for the 2003 election in Clarington was lower than in 2000 when it was introduced. introduced. However, with several acclamations and no controversial issues sparking interest for the electorate, that result is understandable. understandable. OPINION (.■-mail letters to iiewsroom@durliamregion.com teen program continued backing For someone who grew up in a big city with lots of activities activities at your doorstep, it's hard to imagine being a teenager in a small town. Kristen Grant was faced with that situation a year ago when she moved from Toronto to the quaint village of Newcastle. Newcastle. population 4,300. She found there were few places for young people to go or activities to do. Even for the people who grew up in Newcastle -- or any other small town -- the lack of activities begins to take its toll, with ■ hanging around downtown-or downtown-or at the community hall becoming the norm. With the opening of the Newcastle youth ' program Tuesday and Thursday nights at the community hall, young people have somewhere to hang out without loitering. This project is a great way to get teens off the streets, where they are prone to teenage mischief such as vandalism or drug use. The program offers activities activities such as cards, board games and floor hockey; or the kids can just hang out in a sale, warm and supervised-environment. supervised-environment. It also offers them the opportunity opportunity to learn leadership skills and responsibility by volunteering volunteering to help with the pro- mam and make sure no one causes any problems. The program, a partnership between the Firehouse Youth ( entre, the John I toward Society, Society, the Municipality of Clarington Clarington and Ontario Power Generation. Generation. started in mid-October and is a three-month pilot project. project. A similar program at the irehouse Youth Centre in Danielle Milley Bowmanville has been running for years and offers teenagers a place to hang out while giving them a chance to go on field trips, talk to a qualified counsellor counsellor or get help with their homework. When there are incidents of teenagers going on break-and- cnler sprees or breaking the law in some other way, it is nice to know there are people willing to provide places to keep teenagers out of trouble. After the three months are over, the co-ordinators of the Newcastle program will make presentations to service groups and business partners in an effort effort to secure continued funding. funding. Youth who use the program want to sec it continue. Kerry Kelly started going on the second day and hasn't missed one since. "It's somewhere to go," the 13-year-old said. "It would be cooler if it were open longer and more days." Christine Minton loves the program after only a few weeks. Let's hope the funding comes through so Kristen, Kerry, Christine and all their friends who look forward to the program program can continue to do so and to make sure it is there for those who have yet to discover it. Reporter Danielle Mil ley's column appears every other Wednesday. CLICK AND SA % „ S\m DAYS ÀL0 VIE UVE^TQT SAW SUNSET GLOW, LTO AND WEE LOVED AND NOW WE LIE,, it.col.bi trot dofighan.com LETTER TO THE EDITOR e-mail letters to ne,vsrooni@(liirliainreyion.coni Prayer does not impair politicians To the editor: Re: 'There's no place for Christian Prayer at council,' Curly Foster column, Oct. 26. I am sorry that Ms. Foster believes believes she and others are victimized victimized by the reciting of the Lord's Prayer at Durham regional council meetings. Prayer that is heartfelt and which is as humble and unselfish as the Lord's Prayer, should not be rejected. People who pray and live the Lord's Prayer are able to represent represent Christians, Muslims, Hindus Hindus and others because they realize realize they must answer to God for the decisions they make. In her reference to the separation separation of church and state, Ms. Foster makes a common misinterpretation. misinterpretation. This phrase comes from the U.S. constitution and expresses the American plan to be different from Great Britain where officially the monarch is also the head of the stale (Anglican) (Anglican) church. It does not mean that any hint of Christianity must be removed removed from the public arena. Otherwise the basis for our laws, our principles of justice, and concern for minorities would all be in jeopardy. Harriette Mostert Bowmanville Column on the mark To the editor: Re: 'An obituary to the out going Conservative government,' government,' This Week, Nov. 7. Mike O'Neill's obituary to an insensitive, cynical eight- year Tory regime is right on thé mark. I'm .guessing that space constraints prevented Mr. O'Neill from adding.to his list,' so here are a few other issues issues to be added to his indictment: indictment: Walkerton, cuts in childcare childcare programs, an end to building building affordable housing, the killing of Dudley George, introduction introduction of for-profit senior's senior's homes and jails, the demise of the Victorian Order of Nurses, abandonment of the mentally ill and cutbacks to women's programs and rape centres. Congratulations to 'This Week' for printing Mr. O'Neill's column, especially because this paper not only endorsed endorsed the Conservative government government in the last election, it lauded Jim Flaherty, a keen backer of the so-called Common Common Sense Revolution. It brought such devastation to Ontario. That must have taken a bit of editorial courage and it's appreciated. Tom Morris Whitby Teachers should cut the politics and teach To the editor: 'Re: 'An, obituary to the outgoing Conservative government,' government,' Nov. 7. Today's question: Should Lakeridge Health Corporation release the details details of its internal investigation investigation into how unsterilized equipment was used in recent procedures? □ Yes □ No Cast your vote online at infodurhamregitij^.com Last week's question: Do you think Durham projects will be delayed in light of the $5.6 billion provincial deficit? □ Yes 81.1 per cent □ No 18.9 per cent Votes cast: 122 HAVE YOUR SAY Question On Remembrance Day, what do you reflect on? Yvette Brice 'The men who died for our country.' Now that the Conservative government has 'passed on' and Dalton McGuinty's Liberals Liberals are at the helm, I was hoping hoping I could carry on my life without being exposed to a constant stream of paid political political advertisements from the teachers' union going on about cutbacks and the like. So I was quite disappointed to see 'This Week' thought it should give Mike O'Neill space in the paper to continue ranting and raving. Mr. O'Neill writes about the Conservatives "rigorous campaign that was used to discredit discredit the teaching profession throughout the eight years of their governance." I can only remember the constant barrage of radio and television commercials from the Teachers' Union to discredit discredit the government, and I remember the strikes, and I remember remember the 'work to rule' campaigns and 1 heard about how they politicized their classroom time to indoctrinate the students to their political position. I would greatly appreciate it if the teachers would just slop being political and get on with their jobs with the resources they have. John Monster Hampton Letters to the Editor To submit a letter, please include your name, address and daytime telephone number. Letters should be under 200 words. The editor reserves tlw right to edit copy length and clarity. Fax: 905-579- 1809, E-mail: newsmom@durhamregion.com Lynne Lemieus 'My father, a veteran in the Second World War.' Don Lefeuvre 'The soldiers that fought for our country. It was for a good cause at the time.' Johanna Brown 'My parents, because I came from Holland and mom and dad were there when Hitler came in and how all the Canadians helped in the Netherlands.' TRUE GRIT By Tim Dolighan X20UMUB CJ TLA 1 " WNa SVKim ... t$)|3!Wh www.dolighan.com «Clic Caimtiimi Siliilntiiian Is one of tho Metroland Printing, Publishing and Distributing group of newspapers. The Statesman is a member member of tho Bowmanville Clarington Board of Trade, the Greater Oshawa Chamber of Commerce, Commerce, Ontario Community Newspaper Assoc., Canadian Community Newspaper Assoc., Q. UtoTONBOF TUB RllWIto (MOTES AND EXPLAIN VW IN A 2500 WORD (c)Copyright Dolighan Cartoons 2003 Canadian Circulations Audit Board and the Ontario Ontario Press Council. 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