The Pickering 32 PAGES ✦ Pressrun 48,600 ✦ Metroland Durham Region Media Group ✦ FRIDAY, JANUARY 14, 2005 ✦ Optional delivery $6 / Newsstand $1 CONFUSING TIMES MONARCHS FALL Band does its part Notre Dame for relief effort claims top spot Entertainment, Page 20 Sports, Page 22 Crown wants teens sentenced as adults Two 18-year-olds gang robbed stores in Ajax, Pick- ering, Whitby and Toronto, could guilty of six robberies be sentenced to penitentiary time. The two young men, who can’t By Jeff Mitchell be named under provisions of the Staff Writer Youth Criminal Justice Act, pleaded DURHAM — Crown prosecutors guilty Wednesday in Superior Court in Durham have taken the extraor- to six counts of robbery. dinary step of applying to have two The violent robberies, in which teenagers sentenced as adults for convenience store clerks were their roles in a string of violent con- terrorized and in some instances venience store robberies. stabbed by three masked assail- If the Crown is successful it could ants, took place in April and May of mean the two youths, who are now 2003. both 18 but were 16 when their Prosecutor Kent Saliwonchyk Jason Liebregts/ News Advertiser photo told Justice David Salmers he in- Keerthana Naniah and Melissa Cabral have been busy organizing food, money and clothes collections at Bay- tends to seek adult sentences for view Heights Public School for tsunami relief. the two young men. Two weeks of court time, beginning in March, have been set aside for the Crown’s application. Defence lawyers indi- Students offer a lesson in giving Civic Award cated they’ll contest the move. Nomination Forms available Outside court Mr. Saliwonchyk at City facilities or online wouldn’t discuss why the Crown is Pickering schools soon as I turned on the TV, I for Raeesah, a Valley Farm seeking to have the two young men saw people running from the Public School student, whose Nominate Community Leaders sentenced as adults. But he did ac- do what they can waves, holding on to trees.” family is from Sri Lanka. Fortu- by February 10th, 2005 knowledge the unusual nature of to aid tsunami relief Thousands of students saw nately, most of her relatives live cityofpickering.com the application. the south Asian disaster unfold in the capital, Colombo, largely “It’s quite rare,” he said. before their eyes through the spared the horror. However, By Mike Ruta “So far we’re aware of one other media. They watched and they Raeesah says other relations, in Staff Writer Thinking of instance in Ontario where the case wanted to help, so when school the southern part of the coun- has been made.” DURHAM — Like most Dur- resumed last week, it didn’t take try, were forced to climb into Hardwood? The Youth Criminal Justice Act ham students, Raeesah Rizwan long for toonie drives and other trees to stay safe from rising Give your home a new replaced the Young Offenders Act switched on the television soon fundraisers to pop up across the water. look for Winter in April of 2003. While the thrust after the winter break began. region. Durham school com- The school is holding toonie of the new legislation is to seek However, the Pickering Grade munities could potentially raise Tuesdays all month and a bake We are Durham’s fl ooring experts! alternative measures to jail time 4 student didn’t see the usual tens, even hundreds of thou- sale is planned for the end of >>`>Ê>À`Ü`Ê for youthful, non-violent offenders, light holiday fare. sands of dollars for the relief January. On Jan. 4 alone, stu- À}ÊV° it also contains provisions allow- “I saw people dying and I felt effort. 1547 Bayly St., Pickering ing for harsher treatment for repeat sorry for them,” she says. “As The disaster hit close to home ✦ See Our page 2 905-420-3285 ✦ See Court page 4 P PAGE 2 THE NEWS ADVERTISER, JANUARY 14, 2005 durhamregion.com tt OOuutt ’’tt BBee LLeeff DDon’tDDon’toonn BeBe LeftLeftolldd !Out!Out!! InIInInn TheTTheThhee Cold!!CCold!!Co Mike Ruta/ News Advertiser photo Valley Farm Public School students, Chad Singh, left, and Raeesah Rizwan, are helping make fundraisers successful. Limited Limited Our school ‘a caring school’ Supply! Supply! Special Purchase! PERFECT SLEEPER EURO TOP EASY CARE ✦ Our from page 1 Principal John Briggs says a parent has already donat- $ 88 dents and staff raised $1,300 ed 16 backpacks — what Queen Set for UNICEF. Chad Singh says they will contain is still 688 the school’s goal of $7,000 is evolving. Twin Set Full Set King Set achievable. “The key thing here is to $ 00 $ 00 $ 00 “I think we’re really good get the children involved in 498 598 938 at achieving goals,” says a practical, hands-on way,” the Grade 7 student. “Our he says. Pillow school is a caring school, so And the school will need Serta Firm I think we’re going to reach some help when the back- Top Plush our goal.” packs are ready for their $ 00 $ 00 Principal Silvia Peterson destination — any help estimates 40 nationalities from a community member 588 Queen Set Queen Set 678 are represented at Valley would be appreciated, Mr. Twin Set Full Set King Set Twin Set Full Set King Set Farm, which she says is Briggs says. $ 00 $ 00 $ 00 $ 00 $ 00 $ 00 398 488 868 498 588 948 probably the most multicul- As at other schools, edu- ★★★★★ tural in Durham. A respect cation and fundraising are for diversity and commu- going hand-in-hand. Maple nity is part of the school’s Ridge students are asking Euro Top Euro Top mission statement, and she themselves what should go Easy Care Plush Easy Care Plush NONO GSTGST says students take it to heart into the backpacks, and stu- ★★★★★ and were eager to help with dents across the region have $ 00 $ 00 THISTHIS WEEKEND!!*WEEKEND!!* the relief effort. A display learned where the affected 948 Queen Set 1 428 Queen Set case in the school’s foyer area is, what causes a tsuna- is full of images of disaster mi, why so many people are Twin Set Full Set King Set Twin Set Full Set King Set $ 00 $ 00 $ 00 $ 00 $ 00 victims culled from news- in distress and what they 758 858 1238 N/A 1238 1798 papers. require. The staff and students at “It became a geography Maple Ridge Public School assembly,” Howard Booth- are doing two fundraisers. by, principal at Fairport The first raised roughly Beach Public School in GGreatreat IItemstems FForor YYourour SSertaerta MMattressattress $850, to be matched by Pickering, said of educat- the Canadian government. ing younger students when FUTON BUNKS However as a longer-term school resumed after the SSUITESUITES relief project, ‘Wave of Hope holiday. FROM — From Children to Chil- He says some parents dren,’ the school communi- sent in $100 cheques, not- $AALELE $ 9955 • SOLID PINE ty is continuing to fundraise. ing that a student at Fair- 2 29999 • UNFINISHED The money will be used to port Beach, as well, donated PPRICEDRICED FROM purchase backpacks, to be the $50 in Christmas money $ 9955 filled with personal neces- he had received. When the 3 36969 • FINISHED sities like toothbrushes, student’s mother suggested D-Solid Pine soap and something to offer he donate just a portion of emotional support, perhaps the funds, he was adamant & Futon a teddy bear for the young- that it all go towards the PPLUSLUS est victims. relief effort. $ 9955 9900 DDAYAY PICKERING OPTOMETRIC CLINIC 225959 Shown NNOO IINT/NT/ D-Metal & Futon NNOO PPMTMT Dr. E. Gillezeau, $189.99 OO.A.C..A.C. Dr. M. Fitzsimmons ® Dr. C. Wang TTEMPUREMPUR --NASANASA FFOAMOAM BBEDSEDS • CCOZYOZY WWATERBEDSATERBEDS Dr. L. Voisin, Dr. L. Van, Dr. P. Ho Dispensing Frames and Contacts Pickering Medical Centre 1885 Glenanna Road, Suite 212 Pickering, Ontario L1V 6R6 905-839-5303 905-683-1175 Lab On Premises *Purchases Over $199 durhamregion.com THE NEWS ADVERTISER, JANUARY 14, 2005 PAGE 3 A/P Electricity market buzzing with change New regulated would differ depending on competitive system, Mr. He adds Veridian wel- the source, Mr. Armstrong Armstrong says, noting rates comes the creation of the price plan in works says. would have to be approved by new Conservation Bureau, “We understand that a the Ontario Energy Board. which will find ways to re- By Mike Ruta number of Ontario Power Mr. Armstrong says the duce the demand for elec- Staff Writer Generation hydraulic assets, Ontario Power Authority “is tricity in Ontario. Veridian DURHAM — Ontario’s for example Niagara Falls going to have the responsi- plans to invest in improving new electricity act promotes and Pickering and Darling- bility for developing an inte- the efficiency of its distribu- conservation and reduc- ton, some or all of their ca- grated power system plan. tion network, to try and de- ing demand, but along the pacity would be operating “Essentially, if the private crease the amount of power way, the power landscape under rate regulation.” market doesn’t deliver, the that is lost in the process of is changing for both the av- That represents a move OPA will have authority to go getting it to customers, Mr. erage consumer and those away from a 100-per cent, out and contract for it.” Armstrong says. who generate and provide them with power. Last month the provincial George Armstong, manager of regulatory affairs and key proj- legislature passed The Elec- ects at Veridian Connections. Formerly of Quattro Hair Fashions tricity Restructuring Act, cre- ating a new Ontario Power However, Mr.