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i T mJ W • SINCE 1854 • AMALGAMATED 1999 WITH CLARINGTON THIS WEEK • Pressrun 21,900 34 Pages Wednesday, Max 16, 2001 Just drop the top Wheels Pull out Optional 4 week delivery $5/$l newsstand Memorial award honours girl Sports, page 12 Durham readies for West Nile virus DR. DONNA REYNOLDS Virus Iws 'been detected in all of the counties...that border Ontario.' Health officials begin monitoring program today BY SUSAN O'NEILL Staff Writer DURHAM -- Health officials officials here arc urging members of the public to report any sightings of sick or dead birds as Durham launches a monitoring program to track the West Nile virus, which is expected to arrive in Canada this summer. Dr. Donna Reynolds, the Region's Region's associate medical officer of health, reports the Durham Region Region Health Department is beginning beginning a surveillance program today, May 15 in an effort to ensure ensure the early detection of the West Nile vims. The department is also recommending recommending the Region set up a West Nile virus preparedness committee to develop an action plan to address mosquito control. In an interview, Dr. Reynolds said the steps being taken now are "prudent preparation for when the West Nile vims enters the Region" as the vims has "been detected in all of the counties counties in New York State that border Ontario". And, she said health officials across the province have agreed it's highly likely the virus has made it to Ontario but not been detected yet, The West Nile vims, which first appeared in New York State in the summer of • 1999 and caused seven deaths in the area, is spread by mosquitoes, which become become infected after feeding on birds. The vims is spread to humans humans through the bite of an infected infected mosquito. "Because sudden death among the bird population -- especially especially crows, blue jays, hawks, owls or eagles -- may be an early indicator of West Nile vims in an area, the dead bird surveillance will be a vital part of this year's surveillance activities," Ross MacEachern, manager of envi ronmental health with the Durham Region Health Department, Department, explained in a news release. release. "Reporting of these bird species will help to provide an early warning locally." Meanwhile, Dr. Reynolds said most people infected with the vims show no symptoms or develop develop very mild symptoms. "Three to 15 days following a bite from an infected mosquito, a person may experience a mild See KEEP page 5 New Clarington high school included in grants All the right moves JASON LIEBREGTS/ Statesman photo BOWMANVILLE - Gladys Graham and Fred Harding were part of the Scottish Country dance group performing recently recently during the Movin'and Groovin' 11th annual active living seminar, held recently at the Clarington Beech Centre. Lights coming soon at fatal intersection Man killed, tot hurt at intersection where weather held up work BY JENNIFER STONE Staff Writer ■ COURTICE - Traffic signals, signals, planned last year but. delayed delayed due to winter weather, will likely be in place within "a month or two" at a Courtice in- /ScX. <y ONTARIO'S DRIVE CLEAN ACCREDITED TEST & REPAIR FACILITY •An official murk of the Province «F Ontario used under licence. Whitby - Oshawa Honda 1110 DUNDAS. ST. E., WHITBY LOCAL (90S) 666-1772 HONDA tersection which was the site of a fatal car accident Saturday, says a Regional official. The Saturday afternoon crash at Bloor Street and Courtice Road claimed the life of a 54- year-old man and sent a three- year-old girl to the Hospital for Sick Children with critical head injuries. At least one local resident wonders if installation of the lights wouldn't have averted the tragedy, but police aren't leaning toward the absence of lights as the cause. Inside W)e statesman WHERE TO FIND IT Editorial Page 6 Sports 12 Classified 17 GIVE US A CALL General.. .905-623-3303 Distribution 905-579-4407 Death Notices 905-683-3005 Sincerely Yours 1-800-662-8423 Web sitedurhamregion.com jbobbitt@durhamregion.com FAX 905-623-6161 "1 don't believe the lights would have changed this, but I can't 100-per-cent guarantee that," says Constable John Dorscli of the Traffic Management Management Unit. Bloor Street resident Wendy Staal says the intersection causes causes constant concern for nearby residents, and speculates whether traffic signals "would have prevented" Saturday's accident. accident. Currently, Bloor Street drivers drivers face a stop sign going east or west, but north- and southbound southbound drivers on Courtice Road do not. Ms. Staal says work to put traffic signals started last fall, but was halted. "They started started the job and they did not finish it." Bob Szwarz, Durham Region's Region's manager of traffic operations, operations, says residents won't have long to wait for full traffic signals signals at the intersection. The intersection intersection itself was rebuilt last fall, with intentions of putting the signals in place at that time. However, the underground work See POLICE page 5 BY JENNIFER STONE Staff Writer CLARINGTON - Claring- lon will be home to a new public secondary school, with a $1 million million annual commitment from the Province to fund its construction. construction. The funding of the school was part of the announcement of this year's General Legislative Grants, the money given to school boards to fund education. "There's a lot of work to be done before we can say we're going to turn sod for a new secondary secondary school," notes Bob Wili- slier, chairman of the Kawartha Pine Ridge District School Board. However, the board is forecasting the new school, in Bowmanville's west end, to open in 2003. "With 140-per cent capacity in most high schools in our area, it's been probably the lead issue," says Durham MPP John O'Toole, O'Toole, referring to the fact the new school will take some of the pressure off Bowmanville High School and Courtice Secondary School, both of which are cur- , rently bursting at the seams. In spite of Clarington's capacity capacity problem, the board did not necessarily qualify for funding for a new high school in past, since boardwide, there was not a problem in terms of space. The money promised in this year's grants provide some relief for the unique Clarington situation. "The announced changes to the Pupil Accommodation Grant is the real good news item for this board," says Mr. Willsher, noting, "The amendments will better allow us to pay for the construction construction of new schools in the areas where they are most needed." needed." Overall, the two local boards - KPR and Peterborough Victoria BOB WILLSHER 'There's a lot of work to be done before we can say we're going to turn sod.' Northumberland and Clarington Catholic District School Board - will receive a combined $12.2 million in increased funding for 2001-2002, says Northumberland Northumberland MPP Dr. Doug Galt. The increase increase is split almost evenly, with KPR receiving $6.3 million and PVNC getting about $5.9 million. million. This week's board-specific funding announcement will also mean an additional $100 per pupil, or $4 million boardwide, for KPR. The extra $100 per pupil is part of the "flexible" funding the Province said in last week's budget boards would receive receive to deal with local issues. However, Mr. Willsher says the money may not be very flexible, given a number of items it will have to pay for. "There's no increase increase in salaries for any employee employee group. That's going to be a serious problem," notes Mr. Willsher, who says the board will have to find additional dollars for bus operators, increased utility costs boardwide, and textbooks for the new curriculum implementation implementation in Grade 11. Tritium leak probed at nuclear plant 'Small' amount of radioactive water discovered in holding tank BY JACQUIE McINNES Staff Writer COURTICE - A "small amount" of tritium leaked into Lake Ontario from the Darlington Darlington Nuclear Generating Station this weekend has sparked an investigation. investigation. The plant's officials are trying to discover how the radioactive substance got into the station's water treatment facility normally reserved for regular water purification. purification. The tritium was discovered in a holding tank during daily testing of the tank's contents, says Darlington Darlington spokesman Phil LeSauvagc. Normally the tanks, part of a water treatment facility, are used to process waste water related to non-nuclear production, production, he added. "We don't know the source of it at the moment," said Mr. LeSauvagc Tuesday. "In this case we're not sure how the tritiated water got into the sump," See TRITIUM page 5 Officials are probing a tritium leak at the Darlington Nuclear Nuclear Generating Station Sunday. Cowan PONTIAC-BUICK GMCTRUCK 166 KING ST. E., BOWMANVILLE 623-3396 keyless, alum wheels. $16,999 1 H;. -■****Ttu, •, 'r v> ' ••/•< •1998 Pontiac Transport 3 Dr. Long Wheel Base, 2 tone paint, quad buckets, 7 passenger, loaded, alum wheels, roof rack. Only 72,000kms $17,991? 1995 Ford Arao Star Van, 7 passenger, ice cow A/C, tilt + cruise, V6. Only 80,OOOkms $Cf