$1.00 Your Independent Local News Source Vol 3 No 27 Wednesday, April 30 2008 Oshawa struggling with GM layoffs By Courtney Duffett 222, adding that in addition to the 7,500 members after these spin-off employment, Canadian dollar, high fuel costs and The Oshawa Express layoffs GM will see on Sept. 8, layoffs. which means thousands of a weak U.S. economy are all factors 2008, its important to remember I believe this is the others will be without jobs, in the announcement of these recent Oshawa is reeling from another that GM also saw the loss of the third lowest weve been in our not including those directly and continued layoffs at GM. setback of layoffs as GM faces 900 shift at the truck plantanother history, he says. employed at GM. The government continues to job losses this coming September. 1,000 jobsthis past January. Buckley says this next This (announcement) turn their backs on the auto workers This is absolutely devastating Currently, Buckley says there are set of layoffs, which will makes this day troubling to in this country, says Buckley. news, says Chris Buckley, president about 8,500 union members in the affect the lowest seniority us as a union, says These people wont be able to find of the Canadian Auto Workers Local plants, which will decrease to about workers first, will also have Buckley. My heart aches. other jobs that pay as well as we do a devastating impact There is a crisis in the man- here. I want to challenge the govern- Chris Buckley on the parts industry ufacturing sector in this ment to start giving attention to our across the province, country and its terrible our auto industry. Group offers adding that every one assem- government allows this to happen. He adds that this problem is only solution to Radio bly job accounts of 7.5 jobs in Buckley says that the rising See HIGH Page 5 Park vandalism By Jessica Verge sheds spray painted and defacedand The Oshawa Express the Bocce Clubs pet project is overrun with groups of adults who use the area Six years ago, Frances Scanga and for a different sort of recreation. her fellow Oshawa Bocce Club mem- Were not safe any longer, says bers gave Radio Park a makeover. Scanga, speaking on behalf of her fel- They installed new playground low members and the children and local equipment, planted flowers, made residents who frequent the park. improvements to their court and provid- According to Scanga, large groups of ed what they believed to be a beautiful, 25- to 30-year-olds congregate in the peaceful place in the heart of the city for park on a regular basis, consuming their fellow Oshawa residents to enjoy. drugs and alcohol and engaging in lewd Now those fixtures are the targets of acts despite daily calls to police. While vandalismgates have been pulled the bocce teams once came out from 6 from the hinges, picnic tables carved with obscene words and images, storage See SENIORS Page 3 Five school closures debated By Courtney Duffett parents and school community mem- The Oshawa Express bers about the closure and consolidation of some of its schools. A new report brought to the Catholic This report follows the review of 11 school board will see the closure of five of Oshawas 14 Catholic elementary elementary schools by next September schools by an Accommodation Review instead of the previously proposed six. Committee (ARC) formed last June. Paul Pulla, director of education for This is just the next step in the Photo by Courtney Duffett/The Oshawa Express the Durham Catholic District School process, says Pulla, adding that the rea- Board, brought a new recommendation son for the closures is attributable to to the board Monday night after infor- declining enrolment trends and histori- Michael Box comes home mation was received from a special cal data. Daniel Murphy, interior designer and host of The Million Dollar Makeover, speaks with Michael Box outside his home meeting held recently with concerned See CATHOLIC Page 2 after he received a virtual tour of his newly decorated house on a television screen in his driveway. See story page 7. St. Hedwig could be saved from closure Catholic board could close five Oshawa elementary schools CATHOLIC From Page 1 will see the consolidation of Sir Albert Love, St. Projections for the next few years show a Gregory and part of Holy Cross (north of Hwy. continued trend. He says that as the enrolment in 2) a school continues to decrease, split grades The closure of Father Francis Mahoney increase, co-instructional activities become Catholic School will see the consolidation of more difficult to provide and an adequate level John XXII and part of Father Francis Mahoney of supervision is difficult, if not impossible, to (north of Hwy. 401 and east of Harmony Road) maintain. The closure of Canadian Martyrs Catholic The original recommendation presented to School will see the consolidation of Monsignor the board in March saw a total of six schools Philip Coffey, Canadian Martyrs, part of Holy closing instead of five. Some of the concerns Cross (south of Hwy. 401), part of Father raised at the special board meeting included the Francis Mahoney (south of Hwy. 401) and part absence of a Catholic school presence in what of St. Thomas Aquinas (south of Hwy. 401) the ARC had identified as the The closure of Holy Cross Cops serve dinner for charity downtown corethe absence of Catholic School will see the con- Hungry Oshawa residents helped raise ilies and friends from across Ontario will a Catholic school presence solidation of part of St. Thomas money for the upcoming Special Olympics come to Durham Region to take part in the north of Olive Avenue, south of Aquinas (north of Hwy. 401), Spring Games. Special Olympics Ontario 2008 Provincial King Street and between Park part of Holy Cross (north of Hwy. On April 24, members of the Durham Spring Games. The athletes will be com- Road and Athabasca Street 401 and west of Ritson Road) Regional Police helped serve lunch and peting in swimming, bowling, power lift- and the impact of the elemen- and the French Immersion dinner to customers at the Red Lobster ing and basketball competitions at venues tary school consolidations on Program restaurant in Oshawa. Patrons were given including the University of Ontario the sustainability of Monsignor A consolidation of schools the option of making a donation to support Institute of Technology, Durham College, John Pereyma Catholic will occur between St. Hedwig, the Ontario Special Olympics after their the Pickering Recreation Centre, North Secondary School. part of Holy Cross (north of Hwy. meal. More than $1,400 was raised by the End Bowl and Leisure Lanes. Not having a Catholic 401, east of Ritson Road and end of the day. For more information about the Spring school in the downtown would not serve the south of Hwy. 2) and part of Father Francis From May 29 to 31, more than 1,000 Games, visitthe website at www.spe- Catholic education system well, says Pulla. Mahoney (north of Hwy. 401 and west of athletes, trainers, coaches, volunteers, fam- cialolympics2008.ca. The new recommendation proposes: Harmony Road). Holy Cross Catholic School, Father Come September, if the board decides to Mahoney Catholic school, Canadian Martyrs close these six elementary schools, students Catholic School, St. Gregory Catholic School attending Father Venini, St. Joseph, St. John and St. Michael Catholic School be closed Bosco, St. Christopher and Sir Albert Love The consolidated school communities of Catholic Schools will attend Monsignor Paul John XXII, Monsignor Philip Coffey, Sir Albert Dwyer Catholic High School for their secondary Love, St. Christopher, St. Hedwig and St. school education and students attending John Thomas Aquinas Catholic Schools be provided XXII, St. Thomas Aquinas, St. Hedwig and Veteran cop injured with upgrades and improvements based on a Monsignor Philip Coffey Catholic schools will staff review of facilities in consultation with the attend Monsignor Pereyma Catholic High respective consolidated school communities School for their secondary school education. The schools slated for closure be effective The boards final decision on the recommen- in takedown for the start of the 2008-09 school year and that dation of school closures and consolidation of noon-hour transportation of Junior and Senior schools will be made at its May 26 meeting. A veteran police officer is recovering Centre hours before and had left letters Kindergarten students be provided to all stu- Whatever the board decides, staff will work at home after suffering a separated behind indicating he was going to harm dents within the transporting zone of all the with all of the school communities to ensure a shoulder during an arrest of a mentally himself. It was later discovered that he boards schools effective September 2008 smooth and seamless transition, says Pulla. ill man. had taken a quantity of pills It also proposes the following consolidations: These school closures and consolidations of On April 23 around 11:30 and was transported to The closure of St. Michael Catholic School schools are a necessity and to delay would be a p.m., an officer was dispatched Lakeridge Health Oshawa. will see the consolidation of St. Michael and St. mistake. Anything other than an immediate to the Oshawa GO transit stop Once at the hospital, the male Christopher action would be more of a disruption to the on Thornton Road regarding a had a seizure and hit his head The closure of St. Gregory Catholic School school communities. male who was exposing him- on the floor.