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Real Estate & Classified Advertising starts on page 29 Volume 124 Number 5 PORT PERRY, ONTARIO - THURS., DECEMBER 28, 1989 Copy 50¢ 40 Pages fF, § WO i ? i 4 Members of the Scugog Fire department, Port Perry Hall, were called to this fire De- 9 LJ 33 5 ha Rey cember 24 which destroyed a mobile home on Scugog Island, leaving a young family homeless. The community has rallied to assist the family who lost all their possessions in in blaze (see story) It has been a busy six weeks for the Fire department which has re- . sponded to 34 calls. Property damage has amounted to $1.2 million (see article on inside pages) ~ kids. The community is rallying to help a young family who lost their home and all their posses- sions in a fire the day before Christmas. Jeff Peacock, his wife Mi- - chelle and their two sons, Sean 5, and Chris 18 months, could save nothing but their lives when flames and thick smoke drove them from the mobile home at the Scugog Island hog farm where or . Peacock worked for the last four months. - Numerous groups, organi- zations and individuals . have immediately rallied to aid the family with money, food, cloth- ing, furniture and toys for the © Within two hours of the fire, members of the Port Perry Fire Department, and friends and neighbours of the family had dug into their own pockets for $1200. The local Chamber of Com- merce and service clubs have donated cash, and several churches in the community are working on behalf of the family. The Peaock family spent Christmas with relatives in To- ronto, and Mr. Peacock was able to return to his work on the farm three days later. " He told the Star the family is overwhelmed by the generos- ity of everyone who has helped. "I just can't find the words. to thank them enough. Just say that we love them all for what they are doing," he said in a phone interview Wednesday morning. (Turn to page 11) Catholic teachers vote 89' in favour of a full strike if mediation fails Elementary teachers in - Catholic schools across Durham Region will continue to work to rule when classes resume Janu- ary 8 after the Christmas break. Durham's 770 teachers in 33 Catholic elementary schools, including Immaculate Concep- tion in Port Perry, began work to rule Dec. 22, the last day of class before the holidays. Joe Ryan, president of the Durham unit of the Ontario English Catholic Teachers As- sociation, said last week an- other mediation session is scheduled for January 10. The dispute went to media- Tough times ahead for auto industry The manager of a Port Perry plant which supplies the auto industry says things could get very tough in the coming year. "We are expecting sums very hard times (in 1990; aua it's to be the same for sup- pliers all over southern Onta- rio," Johnson Controls manager Bill McQuade told the Star last week. The company makes the seat adjustment assembly for Ford, GM and Chrysler in the plant on the Oshawa Road, just south of Port Perry. It employs about 250 peo- ple. Mr. uade said the com- pany will be laying off eight em- ployees for nine days starting onJanuary 2. But with high inventories and a slump in new car sales, the "trickle down" effect for sup- pliers will be felt everywhere in the province in the coming year. Auto makers currently have a 102 day inventory of cars, about 30 days above the normal levels. . Mi. McQuade said the mar- ket began to go soft in October and there are several factors in- cluding high interest rates, the strengthening of the Canadian dollar, and high taxes generally which take money out of consu- mer pockets. Meanwhile, General Mo- tors in Oshawa last week an- nounced that 800 workers will on indefinite lay-off starting anuary 22. That's the day about 9,000 GM workers are scheduled to return to work after a three- week plant shut-down John Sinclair, president of (Tum to page 3) ation December 15. Along with the work-to- rule action, the Durham teach- ers have voted 89 per cent in fa- vour of a full strike if necessary, to back their demands in a new contract. Mr. Ryan said the sides have agreed not to disclose the outstanding issues publicly while the mediation process is continuing. He said he is hopeful the next mediation session on Janu- ary 10 can resolve the dispute, but added the teachers "are re- solved to a complete withdraw- al of services" if necessary. Although wages are one of the issues in this dispute, the main stumbling block is the staffing levels (PTR) Out of 49 Separate Boards in Ontario, Durham ranks 47th Wien it comes to staff (PTR) lel- vels. : Mr. Ryan said that the staffing issue could hurt Dur- ham's chances of hiring new teachers next fall and in keep- ing teachersin this Board. He said elementary Catho- lic schools in Durham will need © 200 additional teachers next September. : "As for the wage issue, which is secondary, according to Mr. Ryan, the rd is ve- ported to have offered 4.5 per (Turn to page 9)