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XL 905-623-31. day, January 12,1994 Bowmanville, Ontario 140th Year 560 + 40 G.S.T. = 600 Issue 2 Mayor Hamre Turns in Municipal Credit Card Details of Purchases Explained by Laura J. Richards The Mayor of Clarington has turned in her municipal credit card. Mayor Diane Hamre told councillors councillors on Monday night, Jan. 10, there has not been any policy put into place regarding the usage of the Clarington credit card. She explained the expenses incurred incurred when she or her executive assistant assistant used the credit card were allocated allocated in the office expenses budget. Her credit card was used to cover costs at conventions she, council members and other staff members have attended. In addition, the card has been used when deals were discussed discussed and formalized over luncheon luncheon or dinner meetings. The mayor stated that on more than one occasion she placed personal personal expenses on the municipal credit card, but always reimbursed the municipality. She admitted to using the credit card when she went to Hong Kong as part of a delegation from the municipality municipality to seek overseas investment. investment. She said she used the card to purchase purchase orange juice needed to help control her diabetes. Orange juice was not common in Hong Kong, and expensive. She also used the card to charge phone calls. The final tally was $500, which she paid back. The mayor also used the card to make personal purchases while on a planning conference in Vancouver earlier this year. She promptly reimbursed reimbursed the municipality for all of the personal expenses. "It was poor judgement on my part," she said in reference to the use of the credit card for personal purchases. "I apologize for stupidity on my part." She added: "I never did anything wrong. I never hid anything." anything." On other occasions, the credit card was used to pay expenses directly directly related to the municipality. Giving the example of a planning convention which took place in British British Columbia, Mayor Hamre explained explained she picked up the tab on a number of occasions for herself and Continued on Page 3 MAYOR'S LEVEE - All Clarington citizens arc invited to attend the Mayor's annual Levee this Sunday, January 16th from 12:30 to 2:30 p.m. It's being held in the Council Chambers of the Administration Building (former Bowmanville Town Hall) on Temperance Street. It's a glorious opportunity to meet members of council and discuss municipal affairs with them and staff members who will be present. Her Worship will have a busy week. She's also the guest speaker at the Mayor's Luncheon on Tuesday, Jan. 18th, sponsored by Oshawa & District Chamber of Commerce. That's at the Recreation Complex. Wonder if she'll be discussing credit cards? eeeseeeeeeee NO VARIETY NIGHT - Due to unfortunate circumstances that weren't disclosed, the Auxiliary to Memorial Hospital, Bowmanville will not be holding its annual "Variety Night" concert which was scheduled for Wednesday, Feb. 2nd, 1994. Sincere thanks are extended to the public for support in the past, and they hope to see you all again on Feb. 1st, 1995. FAIR BOARD MEETS - Secretary Joyce 'Boudreau oil the Durham Central Agricultural Society, passes along Nhe information that the society is holding its annual meeting on Saturday, January 22nd at 1:00 p.m., upstairs in Orono Arena. At that meeting directors of the various Orono Fair divisions will be expected to present their reports which probably will also include suggestions for improvements at this year's fair in September. Of major importance, of course, are details on any new attractions that would attract more paying customers to the fair. Everyone welcome. Refreshments will be available. BASIC RESCUER CPR COURSE - Durham Save-a-Heart is offering offering a Basic Rescuer CPR Course in Bowmanville on January 17, 24, 31 and February 7, 1994. The course will be held at Bowmanville High School from 7 to 10 p.m. each evening and the fee for this 12-hour program is $54.00. It will include demonstration and practice of one and two rescuer adult CPR as well as child, and infant CPR. Management of adult, child, and infant choking will also be taught Advance register by contacting Durham Save-a-Heart at (905) 666-0995. •eeeeeeeseee L RIDES NEEDED - Apparently, almost everything has been set up with the armed forces for nine Co-op students from Clarington to take training at Cobourg Militia from February to June, Monday to Friday. They would leave here at 12:00 noon and return at 5:30. Unfortunately, there is a catch, thus far, nobody has provided them with necessary transportation. So, they are turning to the public for help. For more information, phone 623-5231 after 6 p.m. BUSY OPTIMISTS - The Newcastle Village Optimist Club is certainly busy these days, providing programs and events for all ages. They arc having a Free Youth Movie on Saturday, Jan. 15th for-kids 10 and under at the Centennial Room in the Community Hall from 2 to 4 p.m., with free popcorn and a drink. There's also free Parent and Tot skating every Wednesday at Newcastle. Memorial Arena, starting Jan. 19 to Feb. 23rd, between 1:30 and 2:30.. Should you be interested in self defence - and who isn't these days - there's ju-jutsu training every Tuesday at Newcastle Community Hall, with more information by phoning 987-5653. ■■■■eeeeeeee YOUNG RETIREE - We have no idea how old Harvey Webster Webster might be, but he's ending a spectacular teaching career with a former student reception at M.J. Hobbs Senior Public this Friday between 2-4 and finishing the day off with a retirement dance at Bowmanville Rec. Centre at 8 p.m. If you'd like to be part of it, please call 263-2204. The Stork Market Report ELSTON-It's n Girl I LlNTON-MucKARQUHAR -It's a Boyl WOODS-it's a Girl! SccPage 14 Total This Year Boys 3 Girls 3 First Baby of 1994 Born on January 4th Michael Christopher Jordan Drost was bom on Tuesday, Jan. 4 at 6:17 a.m. at Memorial Nursing Home Resident Found Frozen in Field A local nursing home resident, missing since December 21st, was discovered frozen in a field Monday, Monday, January 10th, at the southwest comer of Highway Two and Waver- ley Road. The body of Mildred McSloy, aged 78, of Careview Manor Home in Bowmanville, was discovered after after Durham Regional Police followed followed up on a lead they received over the weekend. The canine unit was called out and the victim was found at 11:30 a.m., partially covered in snow, approximately approximately 50 metres south of the Canadian Tire store. Inspector Jim Adams of 16 Division Division said there appeared to be no obvious signs of foul play. He. is awaiting the results of a postmortem postmortem to be conducted on Thursday, Thursday, January 13th, to determine the cause of death. According to police, Mildred McSloy had a history of wandering. In the last seven years, she had been reported missing more than ten times, but never for more than a few days at a time, said Inspector Adams. Adams. After one previous disappearance, disappearance, she was found staying at a hostel in Toronto. A car accident in 1948 left Mildred Mildred McSloy with permanent brain damage and ended her career as a school teacher. She was a resident of the Whitby Psychiatric Hospital before moving to Careview Manor, on Church St, in Bowmanville. Extensive Damage In Newcastle Blaze A fire that originally started in a wood stove, went out of control and caused an estimated $150,000 damage damage to a two-storey home on Lake- shore Road in Newcastle Thursday night. Fire crews from Newcastle and Bowmanville responded to the emergency call which came in at 10:30 p.m. to attend at 3601 Lake- shore Rd. By the time the first truck arrived on the, scene, the roof and walls were in flames but the occupants occupants had all left the house safely. by Laura J. Richards The municipal councillors' "KGB attitude" has got to stop, said the Mayor of Clarington at Monday night's council meeting. "You have got to stop your innuendoes," innuendoes," said Mayor Diane Hamre Hamre as she finished an almost hour- long tirade to councillors. Mayor Hamre noted: "You're not hurting me, you're hurting the municipality." municipality." The speech followed a request from Councillor Ken Hooper to defer defer a report on the August 1993 mileage expenses until he has been given the information he has requested. requested. Councillor Hooper has been raising raising the issue of mileage expense claims since May of 1993 at almost every General Purpose and Administration Administration Committee and Council meeting. Mayor Hamre obviously had decided decided to put her cards on the table once and for all. She also included the credit card issued to her by the municipality. "No one has abused the (mileage expenses) by-law," Mayor Diane Hamre told councillors in a bid to set the record straight. Mayor Hdmrc agreed that the old policy regarding mileage claims plainly needs to be revised. Especially Especially when one considers how many times the mileage issue has been brought up since May of 1993. "Let's deal with the issue," she said as she began what was to be an almost 50 minute speech. She said she thought an elected member of the council would have wanted to deal with the issue quickly, quickly, rather than drag it on for several months. "That individual owes it to those who elected the person into office to deal with it quickly." Mayor Hamre claimed the only reason why a person would want to drag out the issue is to make political political points. Looking at the mileage reports, Mayor Hamre explained that the old policy was set into place long before the councillors had offices in Bowmanville. Bowmanville. "Our by-law was set into place prior to this building, when councillors councillors worked out of their homes," the mayor said. Councillors were, able to collect their travelling expenses to and from the municipal building from the town at that time. Since the policy hasn't been changed, they can still do that. Mayor Hamre went on to advise the councillors that they can continue continue to collect on those expenses if they wish. However, she decided against doing doing that, she said. Mayor Hamre mentioned the fact that all the councillors will soon be receiving a memo from Town Solicitor Solicitor Dennis Hefferon regarding their rights. This was due to the fact that a councillor told a newspaper reporter Turn to Page 3 by Lorraine Manfredo A top economist with the Bank of Montreal foresees an economic improvement in 1994, but warns that the gains may not be obvious to many Canadians. Tim O'Neill, the bank's senior vice-president and deputy chief economist, was the featured speaker at the Bowmanville Rotary Club last Thursday, January 6th. He predicts increased exports to the United States will perk up Canada's financial financial picture in tire short-term and lay the groundwork for more significant gains during the next few years. The bad news, he said, is that such a modest recovery won't translate translate into jobs for the country's unemployed. unemployed. In fact, according to O'Neill, climbing out of the current recession will take longer than recoveries we've experienced in the post-war period, "Last year's growth was around 2.5% to 2.75%," lie said, "where normally we'd sec something double double that by now," Mr. O'Neill only anticipates a growth rate of 3.5% for the 12- month period ahead. "As a consequence, we won't sec a significant reduction in the unemployment unemployment rate." In order to maintain existing jobs, he explained, a growth rate of at least 3% is needed to counter the effects of productivity gains "and new workers entering the labor force. Ill Dr. Tim O'Neill "On the positive side, the inflation inflation rate will continue to be under 2%. That would have been the case no matter who replaced (Bank of Canada governor) John Crow," he said. Canada is producing at 6% to 8% below the national potential, he told Rotarians. With that kind of slack, there is no upward pressure on prices. prices. Mr. O'Neill expects interest rates to drop another percentage point, going from the 7.5% range to something something closer to 6.5%. The dollar will likely remain stable at its current 75-ccnt level, he said. Deficits are unlikely to drop dramatically, dramatically, he added, which will be a critical factor affecting growth and provincial transfer payments In making predictions for the months to come, economists study trends in household, business and government spending as well as foreign foreign trade activity. In O'Neill's view, the biggest boost to the Canadian economy has been the recent increase in exports to the U.S. where signs of recovery appear strong. Continued on Page 2 " [PRECTONj We Move It! 623-4433 Bowmanville imm Jim Vcltimm The Canadian Statesman Announces its Athletes of the Year Sec Page 10 Stephanie Cappucclttl