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2 The Canadian Statesman, Bowmanville, Wednesday, March 30,1994 Section Two Former Publishers Rev. W. R. Climie, 1854-1878 • M.A. James, 1878-1935 • George W. James, 1935-1957 Produced weekly by James Publishing Company Limited For 139 Years, Our First Concern Has Been Our Community Publisher - John M. James Assoc. Publisher - Richard A. James Plant Manager - Donald J. Bishop Ad. Manager - Brian G. Purdy Editor - Peter Parrott Production Rick Patterson, Ross Fisher, Laurens Kaldeway, Doug Lugtenburg, Sharon McMullen, Barb Patterson, Ralph Rozema, Jim Snoek, Vance Sutherland, Jim Tuuramo Advertising Laveme Morrison Editorial Brad Kelly, Lorraine Manfredo, Laura J. Richards Office Angela Luscher, Junia Hodge, Grace McGregor, Nancy Pleasance-Sturman, Marilyn Rutherford P.O. Box 190,62 King St. W., Bowmanville, Ontario, L1C 3K9 905-623-3303 Fax 905-623-6161 Pricey Pool A letter from Councillor John O'Toole in this week's Statesman raises some interesting questions concerning a planned $700,000 expenditure at the Bowmanville Recreation Complex. The proposal calls (in part) for the creation of a reflecting pool, waterfall and patio at the southeast side of the complex, along with the general beautification of this comer of the arena site. Up to a point, we can agree that there's room for improvements. At the moment, the comer consists mainly of a grass-covered embankment which obscures the arena complex and does not add to the attractiveness of the entrance to Bowmanville. But, from what we've heard of the beautification plans, they go too far. An outdoor pool designed simply for aesthetics is beyond the budget of this municipality, even if two-thirds of the funds can be obtained from federal and provincial job-creation programs. This same project was rejected in previous council discussions. And, if it was non-essential then, it must be equally non-essential now. The infrastructure funding may be "found money." But the onus should be on the municipality to spend the funds as frugally as possible! Surely there is somewhere else the money could go. There are additional streets which could undoubtedly use repairs. Or, if we are to spend the money on recreational facilities, there are alternatives. As Councillor O'Toole points out in his letter, there is an immediate need for more baseball and soccer facilities. This is what the citizens who have appeared at recent council meetings have been asking for. They have not been pointing out the need for reflecting pools or patios. We're not sure what the guidelines might be for funding of infrastructure projects. But, surely if it is possible to get grants for a reflecting pool and patio, it might be also possible to obtain funding for playing fields. Or, for that matter, what about using the money to help fund a second indoor ice surface in Bowmanville? We would also hope that the municipality has considered the long-term ramifications of the outdoor pool. Such pools need constant maintenance -- especially if they are dual purpose facilities which provide a pleasant oasis in the summer and an outdoor skating rink in the winter. Just to clear the rink of snow every winter will require expenditures. When we create an outdoor rink or pool, we are not only incurring the capital outlay, but also an ongoing commitment to fund the necessary maintenance. And what do we get in return? Even if the modifications to the arena site are desirable, it seems to us that the idea of creating a major town meeting place at the arena site is at . least premature. Sites such as Nathan Phillips Square in Toronto have huge office towers, apartments, hotels and shopping facilities within easy walking distance. Although there are plans for major development in west Bowmanville and some of that development is already underway, it will take at least five years before there is enough pedestrian traffic to warrant the kind of "people place" envisioned in the project in question. In the meantime, it would seem that the most prudent course of action would be, first, to grade the comer of the arena site so that the embankment js reduced. Then a few flower beds might be built and grass, trees and shrubs could be planted. ■ We predict this would cost less than one-quarter the price of the current proposal. The comer of the arena property would be beautified and the remaining funds could (with proper approval from the federal and provincial governments) be spent somewhere else. Let's take a second look before we leap wholeheartedly into the reflecting pool proposal. Thoughts Unlimited by Rick James Would someone please tell me the difference between a triple lutz, a triple sowcow, and a triple toe-loop. After watching the Olympics and the World Championships, I still can't tell the difference. difference. In fact, I have trouble telling the difference between a double, a triple and a quad. One aspect of figure skating that I can comment on is the poor sportsmanship that seems to be taking over the spirit of the competition. competition. There was, of course, the Tonya Harding thing that has already already been done to death. But now, Nancy Kerrigan is painting a simple-minded picture of herself after placing second at the Olympics. She's even taking shots at Mickey Mouse and Disney World. Nancy is rapidly taking on the characteristics of a spoiled brat. Over the weekend, French skater Surya Bonaly embarrassed herself herself and her country by refusing to stand on the silver medalist's podium. She was finally coaxed to stand on the podium, but then removed removed the medal from her neck. The question to be asked is, "What would I have done if Surya Bonaly were my daughter?" First of all, it would not have happened. It was clear from the presentation of Japan's Yuka Sato's marks that Bonaly was furious and she was planning to make a statement. Being that obvious, she would have cither been told to shape up and accept the medal with pride, or head for the dressing room and take her skates off. There's no room in this arena for spoiled brats. If she had gone on the ice and then pulled her temper tantrum, I would have hopped the boards and told her to get her butt up on that podium, now! If, after one warning she didn't budge, I would advise advise the organizers that she had disqualified herself, and the bronze medalist and fourth place finisher should take their respective places on the podium. You would have then seen the first triple sowcow, flying camel, quadruple toe-loop combination as I booted her backside off the ice. Obviously, I have no patience for poor sportsmanship at any level level of competition, but especially not at a world championship event. To be fair, the television commentators suggested that the action of defiance was probably originated by Bonaly's mother, whose win- at-all-costs attitude is well known in the sport. Unfortunately, it will be Surya Bonaly, and not her mother, who will be remembered for such an unsportsmanlike and foolish decision. With father still on sick leave, and Plant Manager Don Bishop away on holidays last week, my overtime hours have been a little higher than normal. Throw in some extra-curricular activities, plus my responsibilities as a Daddy, and it added up to me being one tired puppy by the time I got home last week. After working late last Tuesday evening, I put my truck on autopilot autopilot and drove home peering through bloodshot eyes. I shuffled through the mud-room door, patted Kim on the head, kissed the dog good-night, and then collapsed on the mattress. An hour later, Kim came up to bed to be greeted by the pungent smell of ink and newsprint, and the loudest snoring she has ever heard. For a moment, she considered letting me sleep, but instead woke me up with a classic one-liner. "Honey, this is not vision I had of our marriage." It must iiave been 'cause I kissed (he dog good-night. iHE Letters to the Editor Bethesda House of Mercy A public meeting regarding a shelter shelter for battered women and children has demonstrated the fact that, in Clar- ington, women and children are being hurt by the people who are supposed to love them. At the end of 1992, 230 women sought shelter from abusers at Denise House in Oshawa. Four per cent of the women who stayed at Denise House were from Bowmanville, while an additional additional three per cent were from Courticc. That means at least seven per cent of the women seeking safe shelter in Oshawa were from Claring- ton! The cry for help within our community community is already being heard, but the help is not within Clarington. It is coming from outside. Clarington needs its own shelter for women and children who have experienced experienced violence within the family. The building: The ideal shelter would be in an area where nearby residents or business business owners would be consulted during during the process of site selection. A shelter should be easily maintained, maintained, since the most important work would be happening within the building. building. A shelter should be a fortress from the outside world, especially a fortress strong enough to withstand hostile attacks attacks from violent men.' Bullets, attempts to pry open doors, bricks, and rocks, should all be taken into account when outfitting a shelter. Counselling: Counselling of battered women is not child's play and trained, paid female female counsellors should be available to battered women on the premises. In Durham Region, caseworkers have 200-plus cases and there is a six to eight month wait for counselling services, I have been told from a number number of sources. To ask Durham's counsellors to take on extra cases when there has been a hiring freeze would not help matters. Praise for Environment Bill Dear Editor: As someone who has always been interested in preserving the environment environment and ensuring that our planet remains remains a healthy and safe place in which to live, I want to take this opportunity opportunity to applaud the Ontario Government Government for the Environmental Bill of Rights. For the first time, ordinary people have real power to protect the environment. environment. First drafted in 1992 with input environmental, legal, business and industry groups, the bill will re-, suit in better decisions which involve the public, and reduce the costs of pollution, both economic and environmental. environmental. People can now force government to act to protect the environment. Employees now also have protection when blowing the whistle on environ- mentally-harmful practices. Let me provide a few other highlights highlights of the Bill: Museum Chair Clarifies Process For Renovations Dear Mr. James: On behalf of the Bowmanville Museum Board I would like to clarify clarify some facts brought up in a letter appearing in your paper on February 23rd, 1994 from Mr. R. Dean Knox. He was questioning why a contractor was hired from Port Hope and not Clarington to do renovations on the Bowmanville Museum. Unlike the new Fire Hall, contacts contacts had been made with two contractors contractors from Clarington and Mr. Potter, Potter, from Port Hope, All three had been recommended for their excellent excellent workmanship on older homes, one contact, from Clarington, was too busy to give us an appraisal and the remaining two submitted their estimates. estimates. The Museum Board chose the significantly lower estimate, which was Rick Potter Services from Port Hope, as is normal in these circumstances, circumstances, I hope this explains why we hired Mr. Potter, who has completed a renovation of our upper and lower hallway and it looks wonderful. The Bowmanville Museum has their Annual Open House on Saturday, Saturday, April 2nd, 1:30 p.m. to 4:00 p.m,, so please come out and see our renovations and new exhibits, Admission Admission is free and entertainment and refreshments refreshments will be provided. Yours truly, Larry E. Paradis Chairman Bowmanville Museum Board * various Ontario ministries are required to develop a draft Statement of Environmental Values indicating how they will make environmental protection a part of their decisionmaking decisionmaking process; * an electronic registry to be accessible accessible at various public libraries will inform the public of environmentally environmentally significant activities by these ministries; * an independent Environmental Commission will be appointed this spring to ensure that people's environmental environmental rights are respected and upheld and will act as a watchdog over government; * beginning in August for the Ministry of Environment and Energy, the bill gives Ontario residents increased increased access to courts to protect the environment; * at this time, any two Ontarians have the right to request investigations investigations where there is a suspected violation violation of a prescribed act, regulation or instrument; * by February, 1995, any two Ontario Ontario residents will have the right to request reviews of policies or pre scribed ministries, prescribed acts, regulations arid prescribed instruments. instruments. In addition to passing this historic piece of legislation, the Ontario New Democratic Government fined polluters polluters a record $2.5 million in 1992. It has placed a moratorium on new nuclear power plants and has increased increased funding for the 3Rs (reduce, reuse, recycle), with a goal to divert waste by more than 50% by the year 2000. Ontario also became the first jurisdiction in the world to ban the incineration incineration of municipal waste. Sincerely, Lucy Rybka-Becker More Letters to The Editor Appear On Page 11 The children: A shelter should have enough room for a safe outdoor play area for children. There should also be counselling for the children who might have witnessed witnessed their moms being hit, stabbed, mutilated, shoved...all those things that can happen during an attack. The Crisis During a crisis, when a woman has been beaten either once or so many times she can't remember the number, she docs not want to end up in a place where there is nothing for her but emergency counselling. If it can take up to eight months for a woman to receive counselling once she is placed on a waiting list, that is one heck of a long time for a woman in crisis to wait. A shelter should be committed to providing immediate and ongoing counselling. The Issue: All of this brings us to the question of the Bethesda House of Mercy which has been proposed for a Bowmanville Bowmanville neighbourhood. While the people who arc involved with the Bethesda House of Mercy project may be upset with the amount of concern surrounding the shelter, they could have avoided it. The group thought discretion was Continued on Page 11 H m We Asked Would you be in favor of large outdoor music concerts at Mosport? .. .And You Said Howard Pollard Bowmanville Robert Kirkton Louise Bert Engley Bowmanville Macauley-Bannon Bowmanville "Yeah. 1 don't think 'Yes, I would. It Bowmanville "Not at my age. it bothers anybody, would bring some «j „ ucss jf j ]| vcc j j n Maybe for young pco- Young kids need business into the com- ( ^ c arcn j wouldn't." pic, but I don't live up something to go to." mun,l y*' there." Next work's i|uesiit>n: Do you think the provint ul govornmonl should stop in w lii'ii si t ikes , ouhl ho u u limp I mm cssonli.il son n os \vi irkors, like in I ho i .iso oi t )n Li no I Iwlro.' 0