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J Clarington Community/A7 Dancing away at Orono Jamboree Durham EVERY WEEKDAY#NOON , ■■- f.-;' V;. pi ' - durhamregion.com ♦ Pressrun 24,150 ♦ Founded 1854 ♦ MAY 31, 2006 ♦ 48 Pages ♦ Optional 3 Week Delivery $5/$1 Newsstand Butt out Durham, it's now the law -y>'r 1 i However Region residents shouldn't see too many changes BY ERIN HATFIELD Staff Writer DURHAM - The average smoker won't see much of a difference difference in Durham now that the smoke free Ontario legislation has taken effect, according to John Ingrao. The manager of environmental health with Durham Region's health department said when the Region implemented its smoking smoking bylaw in 2004 it was ahead of the game and therefore there ; isn't a huge difference with the • new legislation that, trumps it. The. Smoke-Free Ontario Act, which came into effect today (May 31), prohibits smoking in all workplaces and enclosed public public places in Ontario and restricts youth access to tobacco. "In Durham we made great headway in 2004," Mr. Ingrao said. "We did the right thing at the righLtime." He said the main difference between the Region's bylaw and the legislation is Durham had exemptions for bingo halls, private private clubs, racetracks and casinos. casinos. The Province removed those exemptions so smoking is no longer permitted in places such as Royal Canadian Legions. In Uxbridge, however. Legion president Jack Ballinger said the club knew the changes were coming and were fully prepared.. "Will it affect us?" he said. "No I don't think so. We are going to be very positive, we are attacking it in a very positive way." - ■ He said the legion has plans to paint the ceilings and walls and wash the place down. "Three years ago we were looking ahead and we put in a big patio," Mr. Ballinger said. "So those who need to smoke can go there. "Two years ago we stopped smoking upstairs and at bingo and darts.". Mr. Ballinger said they had even more participants come out for the Wednesday night dart games after the smoking was stopped. "Now bingo, we had a tough year," he said. "I think it affects bingo players more and now we don't have as many players." Walter Passarella / Metroland Durham Region Media Group Soapy fundraiser benefits animal shelter BOWMANVILLE - The Grade 8 students at Waverley Public School held a fundraising car wash for the local animal shelter. From front to back, Haley Bowman, Missy Powell and Katie Fraser lather up the first car in the queue. Smoking is permitted on patios that do not have a roof over them but not on patios that do. "Regrettably, that will cause a lot of confusion," Mr. Ingrao iiaid. Prior to May 31, smoking was permitted on any patio. As a result, many area establishments built special patios for their smoking customers, including Le Skratch Billiards Bar and Grill in Oshawa. Chad Warford, a Le Skratch manager, said a roofed patio with walls four-feet high that could be completely enclosed with tarps, was constructed after the 2004 bylaw was implemented. But the patio will no longer be legal for smokers. However the bar will again look to service its smoking customers by extending its patio and leaving it roofless. "Basically we are making a second patio," Mr. Warford said. "We hope that will work out just fine for us." Initially, Mr. Warford said hé expects there will be a slight drop in patrons. "But sooner or later everyone flows back into their routine," he said. "And we will have the same See NO, page A4 tax rate Municipality 'passing on the savings,' says Mayor BY JENNIFER STONE Staff Writer CLARINGTON - Local residents are reaping the savings savings made possible by assess- • ment growth, says Clarington's mayor. . Clarington's tax rate has dropped from 1.39 last year to 1.33 this year, as a result of assessment growth." Multiplication Multiplication of tax rate by the assessed value of a property determines local municipal tax totals, explained Mayor John Mutton. ■ "Some municipalities hold the line on your tax rate, even though they've had significant assessment assessment increases," said the mayor., That means that though the municipalities collect more revenue revenue because of more homes, businesses and other structures being built, they don't necessarily necessarily pass the savings on to their residents, said the mayor. That's exacerbated this year by the fact that some area municipalities, municipalities, unlike Clarington, were able to upload the cost of transit to the Region, said the mayor. Some municipalities "never reset their base budget" in spite of the fact the Region took over that cost, he said. "That's not transparent because a lpt of municipalities hold the line on taxes" even though the upload of transit costs to the Region "gives them more revenue," revenue," said Mayor Mutton. The decrease to Clarington's tax rate "just shows you we are passing on whatever savings that can be achieved to Clarington residents," said the mayor. Charges laid after boy is shot in face BOWMANVILLE - A teenager teenager is facing criminal charges after allegedly shooting a youngster in the face with a. pellet gun Saturday Saturday afternoon in Bowmanville, Durham Regional Police made an arrest and seized a gun following following the 2 p.m. incident. An 11-year-old boy told officers he" had been riding his scooter on a path near his home when a youth known to him had pointed a silver gun at him and fired. The pellet struck the boy just below the left eye, police said. • The boy sustained minor injuries. A 17-year-old Clarington boy has been charged with assault with a weapon, possession of a dangerous weapon and pointing a firearm. The incident prompted a warning warning from police that replica guns can be extremely dangerous and that those found to be misusing them are subject to serious criminal criminal charges. Several municipalities, including Clarington, have passed bylaws making it illegal for people under 18 to possess replica guns in public. public. ONTARIO'S • SERVICE • PARTS MON., WED., FRI. 7:30 am - 6:00 pm TUES. & THURS. | 7:30 am - 8:00 pm i SAT. 9:00 am - 4:00 pm ACCREDITED TEST & REPAIR FACILITY WHITBY OSHAWA Honda 300 THICKSON RD. S. WHITBY Suspension not just a holiday under new program 1-866 240-6192 0 HONDAS Time off won't be a break for students BY JENNIFER STONE Staff Writer 1 . CLARINGTON - Suspension from school won't just be a break for Catholic secondary students taking part in a program being offered through the local John Howard Society. The Community Alternatives to School Suspension program will ensure students make fcontri- mm vm mi |H f . - : 1 : ' ^ ^ ^ ^ .. • ■ W- w 1 ■ ■■ ■ v'...wv v■■ f Coniiwttrtil) | Alternatives for thool Suspension "v: v. Ron Pietroniro/Metroland Durham Region Media Group Crystal Forde, the facilitator for the Community Alternatives for School Suspension or CASS program, speaks at the launch campaign at St. Stephens Secondary School. ' butions to the community, learn demie materials, that kids arc silting at home dur- somc life skills and work on aca- "This is in response to the fact ing suspensions," said Crystal Forde, the program's facilitator. "The free time isn't being used effectively, and there arc times when the students are getting into more trouble (during the time away from school). It's a positive alternative to suspension." The program is running as a result of a $140,000 grant from the Trillium Foundation, an agency agency of the Ministry of Culture which is funded by money generated generated through Ontario's charity casinos. The three-year grant was made in November, 2005, and from the time when the program See PROGRAM, page A5 Üfül D'ARE TtflçCiMPARE'OUR'PRiCKTO'OTHERSÜtWEHAVEGREAT PRICES7GREAT yALUE^GREATPEOPLE! I -y "~fr ^ I ^ f g=MQSI^DS5!53ï) & Lesabro Ltd. ( S- ■ . f 18,995 $KssSîisi, 1 tiïMg.H® Mmmt j^meir 2005 onevy i* j;V Equinox FWD , |P" 1 f23,995 DARE TO COMPARE Sunlire Coupe $12,995 ,j ■ i W%. fnctr Impala Base '.v f15,995 •, i - r ■fv.iVh(W'it ^ ua* .. ^ i .... V . > X WW ■ V. i *....' 11 ■ 'x-i .1 . v'vx. ■ À i.A, '.i. ïîi