Wheels/Insert Touareg shows its new face in Paris (©wdeodurhamreg-cm.eom EVERY WEEKDAY AT NOON Daily News Canabtan Statesman durhamregion.com ♦ Pressrun 24,350 ♦ Founded 1854 ♦ OCTOBER 4, 2006 ♦ 40 Pages ♦ Optional 3 Week Delivery $6/$1 Newsstand ' , 1 : Commuter chaos if transit talks fail Two sides in negotiations not any closer to reaching a deal BY ERIN HATFIELD Staff Writer DURHAM -- Come Thursday evening, transit service in parts of the Region could come to a screeching halt. . "Unless they change their tactic of bargaining we are going to be on strike on Thursday," said John • Johnson, Canadian Auto Workers (CAW's) DRT unit chairman. , Negotiations between Durham Region Transit (DRT) and the CAW, representing 290 DRT staff, to hammer out a collective agreement for most DRT workers workers began May 23. Both parties came to the bargaining table with extensive proposals after focal transit systems merged to create DRT on Jan. 1. Both sides say they want to reach a deal but are willing to let negotiations end in,a strike if it comes to that. CAW members voted for a strike deadline of Thursday, Oct. 4 at 6 p.m. According to Mr. Johnson, the two sides remain far apart on issues of employee, benefits, cost All is well with n's treasurer CLARINGTON - The Municipality's audited financial statements show all is well with Clarington's bank account, say councillors. Council received the 2005 audited financial statements from , Déloitte and Touche last week. , The statement indicates Clar- ington has almost $88 million in assets and just under $50 mil-. lion in total liabilities. Net assets were stated at almost $40 million. million. . The audit was completed in June. Asked about the current debt situation, treasurer Nancy Taylor confirmed that all Clarington's debt could be paid off and the Municipality would still have about $20 million left over. ' Council request pleases committee member Minimum standards sometimes, aren't enough, he says BY JENNIFER STONE Staff Writer V BOWMANVILLE - Sometimes, Sometimes, the least you can do simply simply isn't enough, says a member of Clarington's Accessibility Advisory Committee. David Kelly said he applauds council's decision to request the Region of Durham extend the time at the crosswalk in front of Strathaven Lifecare Centre in east Bowmanville, from 20 to 25 •seconds. "When it came to my attention, I went to the light and did several scenarios," said Mr. Kelly, of the crossing to Bowmanville Mall. "I did it heel-to-toe and I. couldn't make it across." Council had been told that 20 seconds met or .exceeded 1 both Ministry of Transportation and Regional standards. "I think it's great that council recognized minimum standards aren't good enough," said Mr. Kelly. Those with accessibility issues often run into such problems, he said. 'For example, while the building code provides minimum accessibility accessibility standards, those rules often don't take into consideration the needs of some accessibility issues. "It's too bad that we're caught in the provincial guidelines that restrict us," said Mr. Kelly. "The Provincial government should put in place (legislation) where municipalities can act on their own needs," he said. of living adjustment, paid education education and part-time jobs. "It hasn't been moving at all," Mr. Johnson said. "They haven't been willing willing to move on any of our issues." Garth Johns said he believes there is still room to craft a deal. ' "If, we are real close to making some headway headway (Wednesday) 1 I would expect it would go into the night until we came to an agreement," the Region's commissioner of human resources said. "If we get absolutely nowhere than that will Garth Johns be all." The Region is currently sticking to its July 14 offer; Mr. Johns said the proposed agreement was more than fair. . "There has to , be some significant movement before we consider any alternative to that final position," he said. Students say they would feel the impact of a service disruption. : "If the buses go on strike I will have no means of transport to get to my school," said Alize Chandler, a St. Mary Catholic Secondary School pupil. "I'll have to wake up extremely early to walk to school, which would take 45-minutes, and it's getting very cold out." Another St. Mary student, James Haslam, said without public public transit it will be difficult for him to get to and from school. "It would also interfere with my work," James said. "It would take me over 45-minutes to get , there." At Pickering High School, students students agree a strike would put a strain on them. ' . "I wouldn't be able to come to school, because the bus is my only source of transportation." Samantha Maison said. "I would be so mad," Emma Brunner said. "It's the only transportation transportation to school because I live 2.2 miles away.". Service in Pickering, Ajax, Oshawa and Clarington would be suspended in the event of a work dismption. Transit service in Whitby would continue as it operates under a different contract. contract. For updates on the possible transit strike log onto durhamre- gion.com. With files from Katie Griffin and Samantha Chambers. Si. ; ¥ .yât.-.ü-f vC- : \ Picking out the perfect pumpkin CLARINGTON - First you blend in with the pumpkin's, then you sneak up on them and get the best in the patch! Amber Gallagher, 2, used this technique at Knox Pumpkin Farm Fall Festival and came with a beauty. The festival runs until Oct. 31 and has hay rides, games'and a barn full of animals. Rob Mitchell photo For more on this story one away S< WATCH VIDEO durhamregion.com 1/ScK La__ 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 ACCREblTED TEST A REPAIR FACILITY WHITBY OSHAWA Honda 300 THICKSON RD. S. WHITBY 1-866 ' (Q)) 240-6192 HONDA i www.honda1.ooin J Province moves to seize Hells Angels clubhouse Owners held in jail on murder conspiracy charge BY JEFF MITCHELL Staff Writer WHITBY - Local bikers - - including two men accused of conspiring to commit murder - were in a courtroom Monday as x the government proceeded with a motion aimed at seizing the Hells Angels' Oshawa clubhouse. Security at the Rossland Road courthouse in Whitby was heavy For more on this story as Mark Stephenson and Remond Akleh, two of 27 bikers caught up in a massive sweep by police last week, were brought into court in shackles and handcuffs. Uniformed and plainclothes cops filled the upstairs hallway outside the court, sharing sharing space with a group of about half a dozen bikers. Each of the accused men nodded nodded and raised cuffed hands to acknowledge their biker associates associates as they were marched separately into the court under guard. Earlier they had appeared in Ontario Court in Oshawa on * WATCH VIDEO durtiauii region* oom conspiracy and other charges, and were remanded in custody. Mr. Stephenson and Mr. Akleh arc two of the three men listed as owners of 487 Ortono Ave., the Hells Angels • clubhouse in central Oshawa., The other owner listed on title' is David Wilgosz, who the Crown says, is à member of the Toronto East Chapter of the Hells Angels. The property was frozen last week by a Superior Court judge as the provincial Attorney General General moved to seize it under the Civil Remedies Act. A lawyer for the Province said the goal of the court action is to force forfeiture of the property to the Crown.. On Monday Superior Court Justice Myrna Lack extended the order freezing the property until later this month, at which time, the bikers are to have legal representation representation on the civil action. In court documents, the province province asserts that the Ortono Avenue Avenue blinker, in addition to being a headquarters for a recognized criminal organization, has been identified by Durham police, for years as a "booze can," Cops have raided the club on a number of occasions, finding evidence of illegal alcohol sales and laying laying charges under the Liquor Licence Act, the court file says. Under the Civil Remedies' Act, courts can freeze properly and assets pending the outcome of forfeiture proceedings. The onus is on the government to prove die assets are proceeds or instruments of unlawful activity, activity, according to information on the Attorney - General's website. Forfeiture is not- dependent on asset owners being convicted on criminal charges. . The Attorney General contends the clubhouse is a centre of operations operations for the notorious outlaw biker gang. See BATTLE, page A4 mÈSMÊÊÊ0mmËÊmÊam$mmÊmmËÊÊgÈmmmw€Y - v : ' X v .)