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<7 PAGE A6 ♦ THE CANADIAN STATESMAN ♦ October 4,2006 Tim Whittaker Publisher Joanne Burghardt Editor-In-Chief Chris Bovie Managing Editor Fred Eismont Director of Advertising Eddie Kolodziejcak Classified Advertising Manager Kirk Bailey Distribution Manager Lillian Hook Office Manager Janice O'Neil, Cheryl Haines Composing Managers Todd Blayone Interactive Media Manager Clarington's Award-Winning Newspaper Since 1854 W)t Canabian Statesman" Opinion | OCTOBER 4, 2006 durhamregion.com 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 L1H 7L5 Publications Mail Registration No. 07637 infodurhamregion.com EDITORIAL e-mail letters to ncwsroom@(lurliamrcgion,com Contribute to easing hunger pains . - - When you're out this week doing last-minute shopping to make sure that Thanksgiving Day table is fully stocked with all the fixings, spare a thought for your hungry neighbours in need. . We're about to hit that first key date of the food-bank calendar after a long summer - the others being.Christmas and Easter -- and the urgent need for non-perishable non-perishable food is as keen as ever. Food contributions are always necessary of course as the need to eat doesn't depend upon the season, but an extra effort to make sure all are taken care of, hits hard at this time of year. Plenty of "working poor" in addition to those on social assistance assistance require the kind of targeted help only a food bank provides. to get them through the month. In Durham Region alone, there are 16 food banks and Northumberland Northumberland County also has one on the go. Food bank workers push hard to make sure nobody has to go without. But they can only succeed with the help of the many thousands of fortunate people who can 1 ' spare an extra bag or two of groceries groceries per month. It's especially tough when young and old alike have visions of golden, stuffed turkeys; creamy mashed potatoes; hot BACKWARD GLANCE Dominion Store, c. 1935 Photo supplied by Clarington Museums and Archives A view of the interior of Bowmanville's Dominion store, the picture most likely commemorating a big modernization of the premises in the spring of 1935. Dominion opened its outlet in town during the spring of 1921, at the present-day location of 71 King St. W. With more space being required, the store was moved in 1925 to space facing the northeast corner of Temperance and King streets, in the old Cowan Block, now gone. Dominion remained there until April 1962. Dominion ultimately shut down its Bowmanville store. Its last day of business was Saturday, Aug. 13, 1983. The privately-owned Gilhan Foods was its successor. steaming gravy and warm pumpkin pumpkin pie dancing through their heads at this time of year. You can help an awful lot by picking up a few extra badly needed items when you shop this . week. Pasta and pasta sauce is always in demand. Also look at hot and cold cereal, cereal, canned fruits and vegetables, canned soups, pastas and beans. Baby formula and baby food is ' also needed as well as salt and pepper, peanut butter and other spreads. Over the last 11 years, thé Daily Bread Food Bank reports that GTA food bank usage has gone up by 79 per cent. Many of those going hungry are young children, who most need the .nourishment a proper diet provides. It is unfortunate and unconscionable unconscionable that, in Canada, one of the world's wealthiest countries, so many go without on a regular ,. basis. As World Food Day comes upon us - it's Oct. 16 -- it's a reminder that we must help out where we can, when we can, to help fulfil this most basic human need. ' Search out opportunities in your community to help solve the problem and remember that every little bit you can contribute helps. LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Mayor Mutton is right man for the job To the editor: It has occurred to me that few letters to the editor supporting Mayor John Mutton have been, posted in this newspaper lately. . Perhaps this lack of comment indicates that the vast, content, majority of residents have faith in our dynamic mayor's leader- ' ship! Letters to'the editor are often penned by disgruntled, righteous individuals .who blatantly blatantly demand perfect political and social correctness from us all. In my eyes, the continued grumblings (based on speculative speculative rumour) of a vocal minority attempting to undermine strong , leadership and perhaps even the direction of the Official Town Plan, could impact us all in ways too unsettling to ponder. Perhaps - we believe the mayor has the strength, experience, conviction and political savvy to protect Clarington from over-saturàtion ' by aggressive developers. Clarington has become a fast- developing community by merging merging the traditional values of its founding families with those of like-minded people seeking an idyllic environment in which to raise a family, retire or simply escape the madness of the city. , Mayor Mutton's promotion of our town as a convenient, desirable desirable location for business, clean industry and increased' energy production will provide years of employment and the necessary tax dollars to keep Clarington a, safe haven for those alarmed by the violence and unsettling tensions tensions of the inner GTA. More than ever, this is the time for prove, experienced and stable leadership. Doug Woods Bowmanville e-mail letters to ncwsroom@durhamregion.com CLICK AND SAY Today's question: Which Canadian NHL team do you think will have the best season? Toronto • Montreal Otttawa Edmonton Calgary Vancouver Cast your vote online at infodurhamregicm.com Last week's question: Do you think Bob Rae wll be Canada's next Prime Minister? No 82.7% Yes 12.7% • Don't'know 4.6% Votes cast: 411 HAVE YOUR SAY Are you looking forward to the start of the NHL season? Generals get kudos for United Way campaign To the editor: The great strength of the United United Way in our community is the breadth and diversity of our support: from small- to medium-sized medium-sized business, to General Motors who simply do an exceptional exceptional job, to members of the public service, students and retir- • ees alike, we are grateful for the efforts; they bring to the. task of making this a better community for us all. y ; . To the above list, ! I would add the names of six Oshawa Generals Generals hockey players whose contributions contributions to our efforts not only ■ gave me a renewed seÿse of confidence in our young people, people, but made me àware às well ' that there is a hockey club in this town which is well worthy of our support (I bought my seasons tickets). On the eVe of their opening night game against rival Toronto St. Michael's, John Tavares, Brett MacLean, Dale Mitchell, Carlo DiRienzo, Brett Pamham and Kory Nagy joined us as representatives of the Generals Generals for. our kick off. . They signed autographs, min- , gled and John Tavares spoke eloquently. They didn't have to come, they volunteered to help and in so doing they were wonderful wonderful ambassadors for 'their sport and their club. Robert Howard ' United Way Campaign Director We need to help raise funds for HIV/AIDS To the editor: On Sunday, Sept. 24,1 attended the Durham AIDS Walk For Life in Memorial Park, Oshawa with my family. We made arrangements' arrangements' with the group we were going to walk with to meet in front of the Art Gallery early so we wouldn't miss, each other in, the crowds. As it turns out, \ve need not have worried. The walk was sparsely attended, mostly by people between the ages of 15- 25. v We seem to have forgotten HIV/ÀIDS is a serious problem " here at home as well as abroad. The last statistic I heard from the AIDS Committee of Durham was that there were more than ,10,000 people living with HIV/ AIDS in Durham. Many live in poverty. All live with the stigma of the disease. My family is blessed. We have not been touched directly by this disease. Is it not up to those of us who have so much to show support for those ' who need it most? ; Show up next year. Tanya Hawthorne St. Thomas Anglican Church : AIDS Response Team (S.T.A.R.T.) Brooklin Reg Freethy "It's great entertainment and is good for local bars. I'm . a Leafs fan unless they do poorlyi then it's the Habs." Peter Koulis / "If course. I'm a Leafs fan and I hope they go far; it's been too long." LETTERS Wewelcomelettersthatinclude name, city of residence and phone numbers for verification. Writers are generally limited to 200 words and one submission submission in 30 days! We decline announcements, poetry, open letters, consumer complaints, congratulations and thank you notes. The editor reserves the right to edit copy for length, style and clarity. The newspaper newspaper contacts only those people people whose submissions have been chosen for publication. FAX: 905-579-1809; E-MAIL: Newsroom ©durhamregion. com. Kyle McGuigan "Yes, very much, hockey is great. I'm a Leafs fan." Coming soon to a doorstep near you Well, all the candidates are signed up and ready to run - of course some have surely already knocked on your door and asked for your vote come Nov. 13. Or they've asked you to mail it in once the lime comes to do so. Soon the signs will go up and you'll be forced to start to ask yourself, if you're one of the 30-40 per cent who will cast a ballot, about who to support. Who you choose to vote for depends on where you live, which candidates you know, what you believe in and how strongly you feel about the issues which affect you. You can check the Internet - - durhamregion.com has excellent excellent candidate profiles, election blogs; many candidates also have their own websites you can access. You can cull candidates who'll want to hear from you and you Tim Kelly can attend candidate mcct-and- grccls or forums. And, of course, you can jaw with them at the doorstep. But what should you ask them and what should you demand? Here are a few suggestions about what you should expect based on feedback received over the past few municipal terms: 1. No wage increases above the rate of' inflation (luring the next four years. This demand includes all ben efits and expenses as well. Over . the last three years, depending on ■ where you live, councillors have had multiple raises, most well in excess of inflation. Nothing upsets voters more than putting someone in office and seeing (hem turn around a few months later and give themselves a massive massive raise. Make sure your candidate candidate promises you lie or she will not vote for anything beyond an annual cost-of-living bump;. That's fair. 2. Demand accountability from your candidates. ' You should expect an answer when you call, e-mail, fax or write your elected representative. representative. Make sure candidates promise promise they'll get back to you if you have a question or problem that requires their attention, Any decent rep should return your call or e-mail with 24-48 hours of receiving it and on a Monday or Tuesday if you call or e-mail over the weekend. 3. Expect decency and openness openness from candidates. Candidates should be able to promise you that they'll occasionally occasionally offer to meet with you at your convenience or call a meeting meeting of a neighbourhood group to talk directly to voters about, specific problems. Some elected reps have monthly or bi-monthly meetings with their ward constituents. constituents. All candidates should do so. And you have the right to be treated with respect and dignity when you do come to council or when you contact your representative. representative. Get a promise, in writing, on this and call to account your elected rep if they ever break that promise. 4. Finally, if your councillor councillor is paid a full-time salary, expect full-time performance. Local councillors are paid like part-timers in Clarington and Whitby and some work at fulltime fulltime jobs. They can't be expected expected to put in a full-time schedule, though some do. But full-timers - - local councillors in Oshawa and all regional councillors including the mayor, should be working a full week, There is no excuse for missing meetings (unless on other municipal business or illness), illness), being late for meetings,- not being fully briefed on all agenda items and not knowing proper council procedure. Any councillor who falls short in any of these areas doesn't deserve the job. So there you have it -- demand professionalism from the candidates. candidates. After all, you're the boss - you're paying them. Copy editor Tim Kellys column appears every other Wednesday. E-mail, tkelly@dnrlutmregion. com; Shaun "Ryken "Yes, hockey is cool and Montreal rules." i The Canadian Statesman is one of the Metroland Printing, Publishing and Distributing group of newspapers. The Statesman is a member of the Bowmanville Clarington Board of Trade, the Greater Oshawa Chamber of Commerce, Commerce, Ontario Community. Newspaper Assoc., Canadian Canadian Community Newspaper Assoc., Canadian Circulations Circulations Audit Board and the Ontario Press Council: The ' publisher reserves the right to classify or refuse any advertisement. Credit for advertisement advertisement limited to space price error occupies. Editorial and Advertising content of the Canadian Statesman is copyrighted, Unauthorized reproduction reproduction is prohibited. A°cna 14 <-T71 ^CNA