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Clarington Community/A7 _ _ Strumming along BS™l« ally NewS in the Red Room l^vidleodurhamregïon, .com durhamregion.com ♦ Pressrun 24,150 ♦ Founded 1854 ♦ AUGUST 9, 2006 ♦ 48 Pages ♦ Optional 3 Week Delivery $6/$1 Newsstand Smoke alarm alerts tenants to fi . Substantial damage done to building housing real estate office,. apartments BY JENNIFER STONE Staff Writer ■ NEWCASTLE - , Fire department officials officials believe^ a blaze in. a building housing two apartments and ; a real estate office in Newcastle Sunday morning may have been sparked by a dehumidifier in the basement. "There's nothing' sus-. Gord picious," said Glaring- Weir >.i ton Fire Chief Gord Weir, noting the "area of origin" . was found in the basement. Further ^investigation is required before an official cause can be determined. Chief Weir said one of the apartment residents at 40 King Ave. E. called in the fire just before; 4 a.m., after being awoken awoken by a smoke detector, which was triggered by. smoke coming through the vents. "It emphasizes the importance. of having smoke alarms," said Chief Weir. The front portion of the building building experienced extensive smoke and water damage, thoiigh firefighters • were able to salvage salvage some computer, equipment, and other items from the real estate office, along with some property from the rear apartment apartment in the building. ' The roof was . destroyed in ; the , blaze. A final damage estimate estimate was not yet available by Tuesday afternoon. Firefighters remained on scene until after 4 p.m. Sunday. Jason Liebregts/Metroland Durham Region Media Group This business at 40 King Street East in Newcastle was the scene of a blaze on Saturday night Nobody was injured in the fire but damage was extensive. Midnight Madness, Busker Festival set Friday BOWMAN VILLE -- The main , drag' through downtown Bowmanvilie will close to traffic : Friday evening, to allow for the BIA's annual Midnight Madness and Busker Festival. The event begins at 6 p.m., with a variety of entertainment taking place throughout the evening. Nickle Kicker Comedy will return to the event, which will also feature a number of other performers playing an array of music types, including jazz, calypso, rock and acoustic, said Rick Patterson of the BIA. Those in attendance will be able to vote for their favourite performer. " There will also be a variety of kids' activities, including an interactive fire department display. display. As well, there will be a jumping castle, face painting, balloons, mini-ponies and mini- putt. Alcatraz will put on a skate- , boarding demonstration. Stuffed loved ones can get a checkup at the Teddy Bear Clinic and Durham Regional Police will hold a Kidz Printz event; There will be three draws - one at 6 p.m., another at 11 p.m., and one for which visitors will have to wear pyjamas to the event to qualify - each for $100 BIA Bucks, to be spent with Bowman- ville's downtown merchants. The Bowmanvilie Lions will be on hand, serving up food such as hamburgers and hot dogs for a nominal charge. King Street will be closed, from Scugog to George Street, as will several side streets leading to King Street. Parking is free. the best it can be BY ERIN HATFIELD Staff Writer DURHAM --You don't want to be a bedroom community, Roger Saunders said. On this point, it seems all agree. But, how to get there remains open to debate. As the Region of Durham's manager of policy, planning and special studies, Mr. Saunders manages the Region's Official Plan (ROP) and the Provincial Places to Grow Act in Durham. Durham wants the region to be a balanced, sustainable, self-sufficient self-sufficient community, • according to Mr. Saunders. "We need certain things to be able to achieve that," he said. "Being on the eastern edge of the GTA, we are always playing catch-up." He said the Province needs to provide more help to make the live/work relationship here better. better. "The provincial plan is too provincial provincial and Durham is not given its due consideration," Mr. Saunders Saunders said "I would say that the ROP is more focused on making Durham the best place it can be." When comparing the two strategies strategies lor the future of Durham, 'Mr. Saunders said the discrepancy discrepancy often comes down to the population-to-cmployment ratio. "We would like to have enough jobs for 50 percent of the people," he said. According to Mr. Saunders, the provincial plan does not include a job-to-population target but a forecast of one job for every three residents. . "A jobs-to-population target of one to two is desirable," Mr. Saunders said. "We are proposing to maintain that vision." The jobs-to-population target, he . said, filters down to affect traffic and roads and creates an f • ONTARIO'S • 8S1S unbalanced assessment loading if you have only houses. . Durham has three years to bring its ROP into conformity with the growth plan. "IPs the law," he said. "We have to comply-that is the long and the short of it." ■ As a department, he said planning planning is moving on a go-forward basis to make sure what it brings forward for committee approval in August complies. However, the population, employment and urban land portion will be held back for further work. According to regional chairman Roger Anderson, an important step in the completion of the ROP is a proposed meeting with Minister of Public Infrastructure Infrastructure Renewal David Caplan. Mr. Anderson said he is optimistic the meeting will take place before the end of July. "The problem is the minister said no urban boundary expansions expansions for anyone," Mr. Anderson said. "Whitby only has three to four years of development plans left, then they are out of space." Mr. Anderson added that Brock, Scugog, Uxbridge and Pickering all suffer under the provincial plan. "You always need to grow," Mr. Anderson said. "Otherwise you have to decrease services oi increase tax." As staff continues to work through the ROP they will continue continue to advocate their position on employment. But, that ratio is not the key to making Durham the best it call be, says Ajax Mayor Steve Parish. Parish. "Just putting it into writing in my view is a planning economic exercise," he said. "Preserving employment lands is what is important." See PROVINCIAL, page A4 MON., WED., FRI. 7:30 am - 6:00 pm TUES. A THURS. 7:30 am - 8:00 pm SAT. 9:00 am - 4:00 pm ACCREDITED TEST A REPAIR FACILITY WHITBY OSHAWA Honda 300 THICKSON RD. S. WHITBY 1-866 240-6192 HONDA. www.heode1.eom j Mayor back in court Aug. 22 CLARINGTON -- A case involving assault charges against Clarington's mayor has been adjourned until Aug. 22. , The case was in Oshawa court Tuesday morning, though . Mayor John Mutton was not in attendance. He was represented by an agent, as he was in his last court appearance last month. . Mayor Mutton was charged with two counts of assault in June. Durham Regional Police have refused to provide any information information on the matter, citing concern for identifying alleged victims. Details of his initial court appearance are protected by a publication ban. Weekend RIDE nets one drunk driver Walter Passarella / Metroland Durham Region Media Group Summer splash of Spanish BOWMAN VILLE - The Summer Spanish Camp wrapped up with songs and displays of art for the graduation ceremony. ceremony. Instructor Micaela Arnold leads the group in a recital demonstrating what they've learned. The program is offered up by the Kawartha Pine Ridge District School Board. DURHAM -- Just one motorist was charged with drunk driving over the holiday weekend, during which Durham police stopped 2,500 vehicles at RIDE (Reduce Impaired Driving Everywhere) checkpoints. During the campaign, held in locations throughout the region, police administered six roadside breath tests and issued two 12- hour licence suspensions to drivers drivers who'd been drinking. In addition to the charge of impaired driving, police laid seven provincial offences tickets and charged a novice driver who was found to have a blood-alcohol blood-alcohol reading above zero. Durham police have vowed to continue holding RIDE cam- , paigns for the remainder of the summer and beyond in an attempt to curb impaired driving. ••SiH Mb S, : nnmniii