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. Cranes set to fl By Rik Davie Port Perry Star Last Friday Bill Lishman and Joe Duff drove to Ottawa to meet the plane bringing their new family from Maryland. The airport was CFB Ottawa, the plane was a C-130 Hercules transport plane, and the fam- ily was a flock of 18 young Sandhill Cranes, They're part of the ongoing work of Operation Migration, the foundation which attempts to Vol. 131 Number 37 re-establish migrating patterns among species. Then the birds were transported back to Scugog - with one stop to stretch their legs -- and placed in their new home. Home is a large enclosure protected by plywood and electric fencing, just outside Port Perry. Wearing gray colored ponchos and huge nets over their heads so the birds will not identify the handlers as humans Mr. Duff, PORT PERRY, ONTARIO - WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 5, 1997 Mr. Lishman and Brian Clauss, a biologist with the Patuxent Wildlife Center near Laurel, Maryland, opened the travel crates and the birds slowly stepped out and took their first look at Canada. Mr. Duff said the birds will be given a short rest after their trip and then work will begin to teach them to fly with the ultralight planes in the hope that the successes with teaching migration patterns to Canada y with Lishman Geese can be repeated with the Sandhill Crane. Eventually it is hopes the process can be used to help the rare Whooping Crane. "This is a learn as you go experience, nothing like it has been done so all the data we get is new," said Mr. Duff, who worked with Mr. Lishman on the geese project. "No one knows for sure, but if we're suc- cessful we could help save a very endan- gered bird (the Whooping Crane)." Police seek arbitration peas to settle labor dispute By Rik Davie. Port Perry Star After nearly 19 months without a contract police officers and civilian employees of the Durham Region Police are hoping for a new agreement and a long-awaited retroactive pay increase as. they prepare to go to arbitration. Durham Police Association President Brian Curtis said last week that the assqciation is now waiting to hear on a date for arbitration meetings to begin. "We're optimistic that arbitration will result in a contract that the asso- ciation membership can live with. Other police forces of similar size, like York Region, have been able to nego- tiate contracts very similar to what we're looking for, so we're hopeful." During earlier negotiations the offic- ers' association, which represents about 700 police and civilian workers, turned down a 4 per cent increase over two years, offered by the Police Services Board. : When asked how working without a contract in place since December 31, 1995 has affected rank and file police employees, he said, "I won't lie about it. We have some pretty unhappy (associa- tion) members out there." But there have-been no job actions or work to rule measures taken by Police Association members as a By Chris Hall 'Port Perry Star Kotya! Cops 'nab thieves Durham Regional Police 'have. busted result of the lengthy negotia- tion procedure. Police Services Board mem- ber and Scugog Township Mayor Howard Hall told the Star the offer of a 4 per cent raise was a fair one. "We offered about 4 per cent - over the two year period and, I believe it was at 1 per cent eve- ry six months. The regional council was not happy that we made that kind of an offer, and three people they say stole at least $4,000 worth of merchandise from the area in the last month. he - Saturday (Aug. 2) when two females and one | Scugog St. store called police and the. three oft without taking ang off, say police. op 3 » oF i 5 EN Ae A Ll sie "FINI 1 S35 Police were called' around 1 p.m. on 'male entered Kotya Peekin' and attempted | to steal some items. An employee at the anything. A license plate 'number was jotted down as the trio drove : Constables Ward and Paul responded to two of us on the board voted against it," he said. "I don't know that it's prop- er to be giving this kind of a raise to one group of regional employees while we're laying people off in social services and other important service areas." The whole matter of arbi- tration may be a moot point if 'the provincial government's Please Turn to Page 16 COME ON CRANES !! : A young Sandhill Crane takes his f the event is video taped. The Cranes are part of Bill Lishman's latest venture into the world of bird migration. The costumes being worn (by both photographers) - are so the birds will not get used to the sight of humans. See story on page 4. RIK DAVIE / PORT PERRY STAR irst look at Canada as i / PONTIAC BUICK LIMITED 10 Vanedward Drive, Port Perry 985-8474 Ly 32 Pages - a TE | i