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

Ford big on green technology WHEELS INSERT Eagles get respect SPORTS B1 ' Durham Daily News Online every weekday, the latest in your community... & FIRST (3)vldeodurhamre<glon.coi Circulation: 24,350 50 pages December 6, 2006 durhamreglon-com Since 1854 Optional 3 week delivery $6 $1 newsstand Snow's on its way so get that shovel ready By Jennifer Stone jslone@durhamregion.com CLARINGTON -- Mark December 12 on your calendar. That's the day Clarington operations operations director Fred Horvath says you should anticipate the first major snow event of the year. There's reason to heed his prediction: he was on the money last year, accurately divining we'd first see snow November 18. Mr. Horvath's forecast roughly matches that of Environment Canada . Senior Climatologist David Phillips, who anticipates December and January January being winter's toughest months in Durham Region. 1 No matter the date, the rules remain the same for dealing with snow. Clarington Clarington residents are to have snow cleared from sidewalks within 12 hours of a snowfall stopping. Those who choose not to could see the municipality come in and clear ice and snow -- at the resident's expense. Seniors and the disabled are eligible to apply for the municipal sidewalk and windrow snow-clearing program. To be eligible, applicants must be 65 or older or physically disabled, occupy occupy a single-family residence fronting a street in specific areas of the municipality municipality and have no able-bodied people under 65 living in the home. Forms are available from customer service at Town hall, 40 Temperance St., the Municipal Operations Centre at 2320 Taunton Rd., in Hampton, or by calling 905-263-2291 and leaving leaving full name and address including postal code and telephone number, to have a form mailed out. See MUNICIPALITY page A8 Fire destroys Newcastle home more Photo by Allan Kirby NEWCASTLE -- Clarington Fire Services responded to a late afternoon house fire Tuesday that destroyed a home on Wilmot Street, close to downtown Newcastle. Everyone inside the home made it out safely. At press time officials officials had not determined the cause of the blaze or the cost of the damages involved. An investigation into the fire continues. snew sworn in at Openness and accountability top list for new mayor By Jennifer Stone j5tone@durhamregion.cbrn . CLARINGTON -- Openness and accountability, along with management management of growth, top the list for Clar- ington's new mayor. It was standing room only in Clar- ington's council chambers Monday night, as Jim Abemethy took the mayoral oath of office and the rest of the newly-elected council was sworn in for the four-year municipal ■ term. "Everything we do in the next four years should be done to benefit the people of Clarington Clarington and to ensure our quality oflife," said Mayor Abemethy in his inaugural address. "We should not pay a price for growth or change, For more on this story I ft. WATCH VIDiol durtwi ■|)lun4wm rather it should support the reasons why we five here." Growth should not bè exclusively . residential, he said. "It should create good-paying good-paying jobs to give opportunity to our young people and to allow people to say, 'Clarington 'Clarington is where I live, and it is also where I earn my living," said thé newly-minted mayor. ' See COUNCIL page A6 DURHAM ~ Another 15 motorists motorists were charged with drinking and driving offences by Durham police during the second week of the Festive RIDE (Reduce Impaired Driving Everywhere) campaign for 2006. Cops checking vehicles in locations locations throughout the region stopped 1,950 vehicles and administered roadside breath tests to 98 drivers suspected of drinking. In addition to those charged for exceeding the legal blood-alcohol limit 24 others had their licences suspended for 12 hours after registering a warning, police said. ; As well, five G1 and G2 licence holders were charged for breaching breaching the condition they have no alcohol in their systems while driving, and eight drug charges were laid. In one instance, RIDE officers located and arrested three people believed responsible.for the theft of a large haul of DVDs from the Blockbuster Video store in Whitby, Whitby, and recovered 170 grams of crack cocaine, police said. The stepped-up RIDE initiative will continue throughout the holidays. holidays. cause easier Lakeridge unveils improved autopsy suite By JiKian FoHert jfollert@durhamregion.com OSHAWA - Contrary to popular belief, autopsies aren't quite as dramatic as they appear on popular TV shows like CSI - or as grisly, Dr. Murray Treloar, chief pathologist at Lakeridge Health Oshawa, says performing an autopsy autopsy is similar to doing any routine surgical procedure - except for the obvious fact that the patient is dead. As one of five pathologists at Lakeridge, Lakeridge, Dr. Treloar's job involves overseeing lab work, making cancer diagnoses and performing autopsies with the help of pathology pathology assistants. It's not a career that he planned for back in medical school, but after studying pathology he was hooked. "I like the problem-solving aspect; it's challenging and exciting," exciting," Dr. Treloar says. "The human body can tell us many For more things about how and why on this story it is no longer functioning, | ft watch wpfôl sometimes leading us to the .jiun-go». conc i us j on 0 f foul play, and at other times confirming more natural causes." Dr. Treloar was one of the guides who led a crowd of doctors, pathologists, coroners and police officers deep into the basement of Lakeridge Health Oshawa last Thursday afternoon, for a tour of Sec LAKEIUKE page A6 Si yfi--&" ONTARIO'S SERVICE PARTS NON., WED., FIU. 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 OSHÂWA! Honda 300 THICKSON RD. S. ( WHITBY 1-866-240-6192 hondaS L www.honde1.oom •e Year Oshawa-products remain strong in sales BylnbelaJaroizyniki ij<noszynsM@duiliainiegloii.coin DURHAM -- The Canadian auto market may be posting its fourth straight month of sales growth, but General Motors continues to sec -sweet note for GM a decline in its domestic market share. According to the sales figures released this week, GM sold 379,902 vehicles between January and November 2006 -- an 8.4 per cent drop from sales recorded during during the same period last year. Marc Comcau, GM vice-president of sales, says the drop can in part be attributed to the company's decision to take a step back from fleet sales, those bulk corporate sales sold at a large discount. "Our strategy of reducing sales of daily rentals is reflected in our year-over-year performance," Mr. Comcau said in a press release. "(GM's) retail strategy of price reductions with more emphasis on the features and benefits of our vehicles will continue to support support the launch of our rejuvenated product portfolio." But Dennis DcsRosiers, a leading industry analyst, says the sales fig ures are indicative of a trend that is transferring market share front the traditional Big Three to imported car makers. According to his calculations, GM now holds 25.5 per cent of the domestic auto market, down from 28.4 per cent last year. "This will continue in 2007 since I don't sense that the bottom has S«c LOCALLY page AS DIRECT LINES: 905-436-2227 Servies 905-436-2228 Body A Point905-436-2229 HWY. 12 t/P CC 8 „ NICHOLS z 5 401 s 2721 Courtks Rd„ HWY. #2 Courtite 905-436-2222 Toll Free 1-866-885-8822 reynknolsmohMiVgmconodq.com www.revnkhetimelori.tom