The Pickering Devoe meets Artists Thinking of Hardwood? Pickering Rec Complex world mix it up Give your home a new look for Winter Free Infant & Child Talented guard Students peer CPR Clinic Mon. April 7 from 7 - 9 pm at Nike summit Under the Wire cityofpickering.com/recreation SPORTS/19 ENTERTAINMENT/17 ✦ 28 PAGES ✦ Pressrun 52,400 ✦ Optional delivery $6/Newsstand $1 ✦ FRIDAY, APRIL 4, 2008 Get local 24/7 newsdurhamregion.com Fighting for their hospital Honks and cheers support conveniences for travel, he said the move will improve the quality of service by pooling 40 protesters opposed to expertise. Also, outpatient services will be moving mental health beds increased at RVAP by extending crisis hours from 12 to 16 per day. A press release stated only 77 per cent of all 66 mental health beds at the two sites were used in 2006-2007. Chief of psychiatry He said at Centenary, patients will be says move will improve transferred to the 15-bed medical/psychia- try unit set to go in at the hospital. Two quality of service beds will stay in Ajax for emergency mental health situations. By Kristen Calis “This is clearly a difficult decision, but [email protected] clinically, I think we’re providing an excel- lent service for our community,” Dr. Fish- AJAX — Twelve-year-old Brittanni Hol- man said. liday wants mental health beds to stay in Registered nurse Carlo Perusin works in Ajax. RVAP’s mental health unit and thinks the “I feel these beds are really important,” community needs the inpatient service to she said. stay in Ajax. Brittanni was one of about 40 people who “Our vested interest is related to the client, attended a Wednesday afternoon “Gather- their family and their welfare,” he said. ing of strong voices” at the Rouge Valley Ajax He explained one in five Canadians has and Pickering hospital, the second one of mental health issues and said the whole the day. The gathering challenged the Rouge multi-disciplinary team in Ajax works well to Valley Health System’s plans to cut up to 220 support west Durham’s constantly-growing positions between RVAP and Centenary in population. Scarborough, and move the mental health “It’s a well-oiled machine and we’d like to inpatient unit to Centenary. This is mostly keep it that way,” he said. because mental health units must be staffed Protest organizer Wendy Holliday said by a minimum of two people at all times, the loss of the mental health beds affects says RVHS. The Ajax site currently has two people in Ajax, Pickering and Whitby and small mental health units, and amalgamat- “mental health needs are growing because ing the units into one will help RVHS ease the community’s growing.” its poor financial situation. It currently has a She said if patients have to travel to Scar- long-term debt and capital deficiency of $78 borough, they’ll be assisted by a nurse if it’s million. necessary. But, residents at the gathering thought it’s “How is that cutting costs?” she said. not worth the loss of beds in Ajax. Ms. Holliday also fears “Scarborough is not “I know a lot of people who need these beds,” Brittanni said, who was there with her newsdurhamregion.com mom, adding those people need to be close to their families. Watch a video of the protest Ron Pietroniro/ News Advertiser photo Chief of psychiatry Dr. Steve Fishman said at newsdurhamregion.com Betty Flood, a support service worker and CUPE representative at the Rouge Valley Ajax and Pickering hospital, lends her voice to an afternoon protest at the hospital. Groups gathered to pro- there will be no cut in services, and while test the transfer of mental health beds to Scarborough as well as the cuts to nursing staff. amalgamating the unit may cause some in- ✦ See Patient, Page 4 TM Available at the following The Solo in the City $40 Plan. For Torontonians and talkonians. Bell stores: Pickering 1000 local anytime minutes Pickering Town Centre 905 837-1212 $ Per-second billing1 40 Bonus free for 3 months: Whitby a month Unlimited local incoming minutes and Whitby Mall Unlimited local evening and weekend minutes 905 725-1212 For a limited time only. With new activation on a 3-yr contract on a Solo monthly plan. 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A/P PAGE 2 THE NEWS ADVERTISER, April 4, 2008 durhamregion.com durhamregion.com THE NEWS ADVERTISER, April 4, 2008 PAGE 3 A/P Fraser Report on high schools released Sinclair and educational organization finger on any one particu- Mr. Palmer, who’s been The following list shows Ajax and Pickering high schools, that studies the impact of lar thing that’s helped us principal at the school their rating in 2007 and their rank out of 725 Ontario Donald A. competitive markets and get to where we are,” said since January, 2006. schools. Wilson highest government interventions Warren Palmer, Donald A. “It’s pleasing. It makes Ajax High School, 6.4, 379/725 on society, has issued the Wilson’s principal. me feel good that I can in Durham Fraser Report for elemen- The school, located on share this information that Archbishop Denis O’Connor CHS, 5.0, 576/725 tary schools since 2003, Rossland Road near Brock our school improved from By Josie Newman but has only issued a re- Street, has 1,100 students. one year to the next,” said Dunbarton HS, 5.8, 476/725 [email protected] port on Ontario’s 725 pub- He said the school’s Ken McNaughton, princi- lic and separate, English focus on assessment prac- pal at Sinclair. J. Clarke Richardson Collegiate, 4.4, 624/725 DURHAM — The recent- and French high schools tices in the classroom has “We’re committed to Notre Dame CSS, 7.2, 221/725 ly released high school since 2007. helped it maintain a high academics; our heads of portion of the Fraser Re- As well as revealing av- rating. departments work closely Pickering HS, 5.2, 547/725 port shows Sinclair and erage test results for each “We’ve been working together and challenge Donald A. Wilson second- school, the report shows hard on getting kids as- students to a rigorous pro- Pine Ridge SS, 4.9, 586/725 ary schools in Whitby at whether the school’s per- sessed on what they’re gram. the top of the heap in Dur- formance improved or de- taught. “Our goal is to pursue St. Mary CSS, 5.8, 476/725 ham Region. clined, the percentage of “We’re working on criti- excellence,” said Mr. Mc- newsdurhamregion.com Sinclair had an overall tests written by students cal thinking skills and Naughton. score of 8.3 in 2007, an im- who didn’t meet provin- we’re going to start giving Sinclair, located on For a full list of Durham high schools provement over last year’s cial education ministry ex- feedback to increase stu- Taunton Road near Brock see newsdurhamregion.com 7.5, but similar to its score pectations, the number of dent achievement,” said Street, has 1,815 students. of 8.4, 8.6 and 8.2 in previ- English-as-a-second-lan- ous years. guage and special needs Donald A. Wilson re- students at each school, ceived an overall score of and the average education 7.7, up from last year’s 7.4 level of the students’ par- and 7.5 in 2005. ents. The Fraser Institute, a “I feel very good about non-profit research and the results. I can’t put a HEAR THE CHILDREN SING www.durhamtourism.ca DURHAM REGION 1-800-413-0017 13th Annual CHOIRS Cool and Light FESTIVAL Treat your feet to an incomparable feeling of freedom and freshness. PRELIMINARY ROUND Tuesday, April 8th to Thursday, April 10th from 10:00am - 2:30pm Removable insole at Centre Court for orthotics WE’VE GOT YOUR SIZE Sizes 4-15 Widths AA-EEE PICKERING TOWN CENTRE • UPPER LEVEL • SEARS WING GRAND FINALE Saturday, April 12th from 11am - 4pm at Centre Court pickeringtowncentre.com P PAGE 4 THE NEWS ADVERTISER, April 4, 2008 durhamregion.com Meeting set to hear views Youth weight loss Home staging seminar AJAX — Ajax Library Services is holding a seminar, Home on Dis- on proposed hospital plans play, on Sunday, April 13. program starts up Certified stager Tara Savelle and her team will lead the seminar on AJAX — Local residents can The public can also call in their AJAX — The Youth Centre’s Centre, 360 Bayly St., Unit 5, in home selling, focusing on staging have their say on proposed chang- input to the CE LHIN at 1-866- Weight Smart Group is holding a Ajax, on Thursdays from 6 to 7:30 your home. She will answer ques- es at Ajax Pickering hospital when 804-5446 and to Rouge Valley Ajax free, eight-week educational pro- p.m. The program begins April 10 tions and offer home-staging tips the Central East Local Health In- and Pickering (RVAP) at 905-683- gram for overweight youths ages and ends May 29.