$1.00 Your Independent Local News Source Vol 3 No 16 Wednesday, Feb. 13 2008 New bylaw strives to unite community and students By JESSICA VERGE General Sikorski Hall on The Oshawa Express Monday night, the third meeting this year alone on It was a community divided as Oshawa the issue, in an effort to council came down with the final decision on solve student housing prob- student rentals in the citys north end. lems around Durham Landlords, residents and students filled the College and the University audience for a special council meeting at of Ontario Institute of Technology. And after years of home- John Neal owners filing complaints Provincial against rowdy student renters and absentee landlords, and of hard-working, well-behaved students struggling to standout from the stereo- type earned by irresponsible peers and of law- award for abiding landlords trying to provide affordable, safe housing, city council finally reached a res- olution. What were going to see is some structure war vet and some stability in that neighbourhood, says Ward 7 councillor John Neal, who represents An Oshawa the area. senior is Council approved a bylaw to license resi- among a group dential rental units in a section of the city near of citizens to the schools. Most streets bordered by Brittania Photo by Jessica Verge/The Oshawa Express be honoured Avenue to the north, Wilson Road to the east, by the Ormond Drive to the south and the Oshawa province. Creek to west are affected. The bylaw includes Winter wonderland Mieczyslaw regulations that limit the number of bedrooms Oshawa has been hit hard with snow and cold weather these last few weeks as snow covers the Mitch Remembrance Monument in Memorial Park in the downtown core. See story page 3. Lutczyk is one See CITY Page 5 of 26 Ontarians to receive the Generals head coach steps down Ontario Senior Oshawa Generals head coach has brought in here in the first credentials and was groomed by Brad Achievement resigned. place, so this is just a matter to take over eventually, so we are Award, which Stepping into the playoffs, Brad of timing. very confident in him and our entire recognizes Mitch Lutczyk will be Selwood removed himself as head The Oshawa Generals are staff, said Tullio in a press release. seniors over receiving the Ontario coach in order to take the team to the currently sitting in second We have faith in our team and in our the age of 65 Senior Achievement next step. place in the Eastern coaches, and we all believe making a who have made Award. Filling his shoes is Chris DePiero, Conference division with a move like this at this time will help significant who moves up from his post as asso- 33-13-2-4 record, five points our players achieve what we all want contributions to their communities. ciate coach. behind the leading Belleville to achieve, which is a successful sea- Lutczyk, father of Oshawa councillor It was a long hard decision but I Bulls. son followed by a long playoff run. Robert Lutczyk, is a decorated Second Brad Selwood Chris DePiero felt it was in the best interests of Selwoods decision to Davies added that Selwood has done World War combat veteran who has dedi- everybody that I make this move step down as head coach a superb job getting the team to where cated his time to the General Sikorski now, said Selwood, who will remain as gen- came up in a post game meeting Sunday night it is today. Polish Veterans Association in Oshawa. eral manager of the team. Sometimes a differ- with owners John Davies and Rocco Tullio. Chris is ready to assume a head coaching Lutczyk will receive his award, the ent voice is needed in order for a team to take The final decision was made Monday and was role and we believe this move is in the best provinces highest honour for seniors, at a the next step. Chris was going to be promoted effective immediately. interests of everybody in the organization at 3ceremony at Queens Park on Friday. to head coach eventually, that is why he was Chris is a good hockey man, he has all the this time, said Davies. Police sexual unit seeks man Investigators from the Durham Regional Police Sexual Assault Unit are looking for a person of interest in an ongoing investigation. The suspect is described as a black male between 20 and 30 years old with a medium build. He is between 56 and 57 tall with short dark hair, a chin-strap style beard and a goatee. He was wearing a black jacket with fur on the hood, black dress pants, black Adidas shoes and a necklace with a cross. The male was also carrying two black bags at the time. Anyone with information is asked to contact police at 905-579-1520. Postal employee carjacked at Photo by Jessica Verge/The Oshawa Express gunpoint From left: Durham Regional Police Chief Chuck Mercier, along with special olympians Lindsey Smith and Niki Mitchell, recently Durham police are investigating after a Canada Post accepted a $75,000 grant from the Ontario Trillium Foundation for the 2008 Ontario Spring Games being held in Durham Region in May. employee was carjacked by armed gunmen. On Feb. 5 around 9:30 a.m., Durham police were called to the area of Carolyn Avenue regarding a Canada Post employee whose personal vehicle had been stolen with a quantity of mail Special Olympics accepts inside. The 54-year-old victim reported that he had just parked his car on the street when a passenger van, with two masked sus- pects inside, pulled up beside him. One male exited through grant for Spring Games the drivers door and pointed a handgun at his face and ordered By JESSICA VERGE to 10. Special Olympians will receive a variety of him to lie face down in the snow. The Oshawa Express health screenings and services in a series of clinics The second male exited through the passengers side door from volunteer health care professionals and students and entered the victims 2003 silver 4-door Honda Civic. Both Ontarios Special Olympians gearing up to compete at the school facilities and labs. Athletes will have vehicles were last seen travelling northbound on Grandview in Durham Region spring are being offered the chance access to six different health screenings: vision, oral Street towards Olive Avenue. One bag of mail, destined for to make sure theyre in shape before the games. health, flexibility, hearing, feet and nutrition. delivery in east Oshawa was inside the vehicle. The victim Three weeks before the provincial games, Special This inaugural event here in Durham has the abili- was not physically injured. Olympians are invited to attend a Healthy Athletes ty to screen thousands of people, says Glenn The first suspect is described as a black male about 61 tall Expo at Durham College and the University of Ontario MacDonnell, president and CEO of Special Olympics between 19 and 26 years old with a slender build. He was Institute of Technology designed to improve their Ontario. wearing all black clothing with a bandana and was armed with overall health and fitness and made possible with While Healthy Athletes programs have taken place a handgun. $75,000 grant from the Ontario Trillium Foundation. in the past, this is the first held outside the traditional The second suspect is a black male between 19 and 26 years This is an incredible opportunity for our athletes, games, which will be held throughout Durham Region old. He was armed with a handgun. says Chuck Mercier, chair of the spring games and a from May 29 to 31. The expo is also a way to educate The stolen vehicle is described as a 2003 silver 4-door deputy police chief with the Durham Regional Police the professional community about the health needs and Honda Civic, licence plate number AZYX 738. Service, which is hosting the event. abilities of those with intellectual and developmental Police believe that a second vehicle involved in this inci- Durham College and UOIT, the host site for this disabilities. dent, a red 2002 Dodge Caravan with a broken drivers win- years games, will play home to the expo from May 8 dow, licence plate number ATAZ 198, was also taken during a carjacking incident in Peel Region. Anyone with information is asked to contact police at 905- City budget cuts up for talks 579-1520. The citys budget is up for debate this Valentines Oshawa council kicks off budget deliberations this Day. Thursday at 9 a.m. with meetings to follow on Feb. 15 Police strive to educate at 2 p.m. and Feb. 20 at 2 p.m. Last October, city council mandated a 4 per cent tax levy increase cap for 2008 but speeding motorists with a $2.3 million shortfall, they must Slow down. make some cuts before reaching their goal This is the message that Constable Chris Heffernan is try- and finalizing the budget. ing to get across to motorists and pedestrians in Oshawa. Oshawas councillors will spend the Heffernan faced the frigid temperatures recently to educate three days taking a close look at budgets motorists and pedestrians on Harmony Road North in Oshawa throughout the corporation and its depart- about traffic safety. ments, the citys contribution to savings as This is a proactive strategy to reduce the number of speed- well as funding annually given to outside ing vehicles and those running amber and red lights at pedes- groups, such as the Parkwood Foundation, trian crossings, said Heffernan in a recent press release.