The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

J Clarington Community/A5 Wisestock goes despite weather Durham Daily News EVERY WEEKDAY AT NOON tfideodurhamregion.com durhamregion.com ♦ Pressrun 24,350 ♦ Founded 1854 ♦ SEPTEMBER 6, 2006 ♦ 48 Pages ♦ Optional 3 Week Delivery $6/$1 Newsstand Fired up about incineration Plan announced to divert trash from Michigan BY ERIN HATFIELD Staff Writer DURHAM - The Region intends to deal with its waste locally, and it just received a push to do so. Greater Toronto Area municipalities, municipalities, including Durham Region, that export more than one million tonnes of garbage to Michigan each year have four years to stop the flow of Ontario garbage to Michigan. A clear plan to curb the flow of Ontario trash into the United States was announced Thursday, and Regional Chairman Roger Anderson welcomed it since it removes the threat of a sudden border closure that has hung over the Region's head. "I think we have a very good plan of action for dealing with Durham's waste in Durham," said Mr. Anderson. "We have clear direction from council and we have government support." The solution is an cnergy-from-waste facility, which would , sec Durham and York Regions' garbage incinerated. Regional Council endorsed the plan in June. "It certainly allows us more time to work on our environmental assessment and concentrate concentrate on the job at hand," Mr. Anderson said. "It gives us some stability and. opportunity." Roger Anderson Currently, the Region transports 143,000 tonnes of garbage garbage to Michigan at a cost of ,around $10 million a year, according according to Mr. Anderson. In the agreement between Ontario and Michigan, there will be a 20 per cent reduction reduction of Canadian trash within the first year, ,a 40 percent reduction within two years and a complete end to the shipments within four years. The Region shouldn't have any trouble meeting the 2010 deadline, deadline, according to Mr. Anderson. In fact, he said Durham is ahead of other areas that arc affected by the change. ' "We have started our environmental environmental assessment process for' our solution to Durham's waste," he said. "So for us it shouldn't be a problem as long as the process isn't delayed any." Furthermore, the more immediate immediate 20 per cent reduction shouldn't be a problem for Durham. "With our green bin program we are doing very well," Mr. Anderson said. "The public is very supportive and I don't think we will have any problem meeting that target." target." Providing there are no delays, Mr. Anderson said he is optimistic optimistic Durham and York's incinerator will be up and running by 2010. As long as Ontario meets the terms of the agreement, U.S. senators senators have agreed not to pursue the passage of amendments in this year's Homeland Security appropriations bill which could have stopped trash from crossing the Canada-U.S. border. Back to school Police step up safety patrols DURHAM r- Durham police officers fanned out across the region Tuesday morning as students students returned to school, reminding reminding motorists to take care. "Our guys are out there in force," Sergeant Paul McCurbin said. "We have additional officers out at schools doing traffic enforcement." V The week-long campaign is designed to remind drivers, the return to classes means more traffic on roads and streets _ throughout the region. "There's going to be an increase in pedestrian and vehicular traffic," traffic," Sgt. McCurbin said. "Slow down and obey the rules of the roads." Durham police joined their colleagues colleagues across the GTA in the back-to-school safety campaign. Aggregate company gets go-ahead to expand pit Many concerns of residents addressed but some are still unhappy BY JENNIFER STONE Staff Writer CLARINGTON - A north Clarington mineral aggregate operation has been given the' go-ahead to expand, now that a number of concerns for nearby residents have been, to some extent, assuaged. At a special meeting Monday, Clarington council voted to let the Region know it had "no objection" to an official plan amendment that will allow a pit operated by Ron Robinson Ltd. to expand. The expansion had met with some opposition from residents in the Murphy Road - Reg. Rd. 20 area, some of whom were concerned with both the loca- „ tion of the entrance to the pit, and the increase in traffic an expansion could bring with it. Resident Anna Bragg said she was pleased the entrance had been moved from Murphy Murphy Road to Reg. Rd. 20. "Thank you for addressing this huge concern," she told council. But, she stopped short of fully endorsing the project. "I still have reservations about. the increase of trucks on Hwy. 20 due to the expansion," she said. Walter Passarella / Metroland Durham Region Media Groui Back to school tears COURTICE -- Kimberly Assets comforts her daughter Brooklyn as they wait to line up for the Grade 3 classes on the first day of school at Good Shepherd Catholic School. Students across Durham Region had mixed feelings about the end of their summer vacations. Sign of the times? Candidate calls for increase to amount of time election signs can be out BY JENNIFER STONE Staff Writer CLARINGTON - The phrase "polling day" just doesn't mean , what it used to, thanks to the systenrof mail-in voting used by ' Clarington for municipal elections, elections, says one mayoral candidate. candidate. Jim Abemethy is seeking a re-interpretation of the bylaw that says election signs can't be erected until Oct. 1 for the Nov. 1.3 election. Under the mail-in system Clarington Clarington will use for the third time, this November, ballots will be sent to residents beginning the • week of Oct. 20, and must be back in the mail by Nov. 3. After Nov. 3, completed ballots can be taken to the Municipal Administrative Administrative Centre, until voting closes Nov. 13 at 8 p.m. But, as it stands, Clarington's bylaw says the signs can "only be erected for a period of six weeks immediately preceding preceding the day before polling day." Under the current interpretation of the bylaw, polling day means Nov. 13, but Mr. Abemethy feels, in order for voters to become educated about the candidates, "polling, day" should be re-interpreted re-interpreted by Clarington Clerk Patti Barrie to mean the first date on which people can vote. "All I'm trying to. do is bring to her attention that there is an injustice here to the people of the community," said Mr. Abemethy who feels the short period signs can be up before people are able to vote curtails voters' "freedom to participate in a meaningful way in the election process." . Uxbridge, which also recently began using vote-by-mail, has put a bylaw in place which allows signs to go up 60 days before actual election day. Prior to the change, which council there voted on this year, election election signs couldn't go up before Sept. 29. Scugog, w h i c h also uses the mail- in system, allows signs to go up. beginning Sept. 1. Jim Abemethy Barring a reinterpretation reinterpretation of the bylaw by the clerk, council could, if it wished, pass a minor variance to the bylaw to allow signs to come out earlier, said Mr. Abemethy. The Municipal Elections Act defines voting day as Nov. 13, said Ms. Barrie, who said her department had looked at posing changes to the bylaw to council council prior to this election, but it wasn't feasible due to timing issues. Council could make an amendment, but "the difficulty is See CANDIDATES, page A3 l/SQv (i) ONTARIO'S m • SERVICE • PARTS MON., WED., FRI. 7:30 am - 6:00 pm TUES. * 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.hondal .com It's fair time once again in Orono BY JULIE CASHIN-OSTER Special to The Statesman ORONO -- Take a trip out to Orono Sept. 7-10 and experience experience some good old-fashioned country fun. The Durham Central Central Agricultural Fair is celebrating celebrating its 154th year with the theme "Sowing for the Future." There is something for everyone everyone to enjoy. The fair opens at 5 p.m. on Thursday with the Good Brothers in front of the grandstand, grandstand, the Home craft Exhibit and Toonic Rides in the midway. The Ambassador of the Fair contest can be seen in the arena at 7:30 p.m. Last year was the first year a man was crowned. "This past year has been quite the experience for me. Being Durham Central Fair's first male Ambassador was one of those, and one that is extremely important important to me. I've attended this great fair each of my 20 years and have had a wonderful doing so," said Dave Found, Durham Central Fair Ambassador. As in the past a visit to the Durham Durham Central Agricultural Fair you can expect field crop and' fruit and vegetable displays, 4- H exhibits and displays, antique tractor displays and the Ken Jen Petting Zoo. ' . Friday of the fair is always a special day with the school talent contest, school parade, prize cake auction, fiddler's contest, Central Canadian Heavy and Light Horse Pull and livestock shows including; including; Poultry Judging, Jersey Show, Champion Steer Show, 4- II Lamb Show and the Steer arid Lamb Auction. On Saturday, new to the fair this year is the Ben Show, an extreme comedy stunt show. You might see Ben perform these tricks; riding a unique 3-wheel "unicycle," walk of death on an unsupported ladder, riding the world's smallest bicycle and world class juggling of almost any object imaginable. The events and displays in the ' agricultural building continue throughout the weekend. The Super Dogs will perform again this year in the livestock area on Saturday, as well as theRCTruck and Tractor Pull and the Antique Tractor Pull on the grounds. On Sunday entertaining in the arena will be the Country Jamboree, Jamboree, floppy Héros and Jungle Cat World will return for an encore presentation of Saturday's performance. performance. At noon on Sunday the Orono Fire Fighters will be giving a demonstration at the grandstand. . If you enjoy equestrian spoil take in the Hunter Show at 8 a.m. in the show ring. At 9 a.m. the Antique Custom Auto Show begins. At 11 a.m. you have two choices -- check out the Antique Tractor Games or watch the art spinning. As the fair starts to whine down in the early afternoon, it whines back up again with the Demolition Demolition Derby. Fair hours arc Thursday 5 to 10 p.m., Friday 9 a.m. to 11 pan., Saturday 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is $8; Saturday after 4 pan. $10, children arc free when accompanied by an adult and parking is $3. Visit www. oronofair.com. EffiilWSSIlIfSl*)!® HH - it'-:.;',: mmmmmmMmmmmmmmimm