Page 8, Whitb3 Free Press, Wednesday. August 11, 1993 t'B Bdget cuts ~ fre closî.ng of DIEC off ice WINNERS in Canada Trust's Friends of the Environment colouring contest display*their handiwork..From left (rear) Pia Castanos and Becky Duncan clutch the panda bears they won for their f irst prize entries (they tied), and (front) Shawna Devington pickd up $10. for second placé and Erica Heaty took third prize, a sunflower seed gardening set. Photo by Mark Reesor, Whltby Free Press Wiliamson gets .3-year prison term A fermer Whitby womanf who biiked invosters of more than $7 million wil!ispend the next three years in prison. Pin Fox (formeriy Williamson) pleaded guilty last week te, four counts of fraud laid in connection with hon noie as owner of the now defunct Consortium Group of Companies. Fox, 37, was sentenced by Mr. Justice John Kerr following hon appearance in Ontanio court generalsdivisionrr1 -( in Whitby,. The sentence wiil be served concurrently with a 21-month jail termi Fox received iast year for iliegnily seliing secunities. More than 800 people, most of whom live in Durham Begion, invested millions in reni estate deals Fox's compnny claimed te have had in Oshawa, Muskoka and the Caibboan. The four fraud charges, laid by the RCMP last year, involved more than $7 million supposedly invested in projects in the Baha- mas and Turks and Caicos Islands. Fox, who was -extradited te Canada from Enginnd in June, founded Consortium with her late husband Lachlan William- son in 1990. The fllowing year the cein- pnny was placed in receivership. Fox, who has sinco remarried, had a lifetime trading ban im- posed on honr by the Ontario Securities Commission (OSC), enrlier this yean. In addition, 21 former Consor- tium sales representatives were aise banned from trading securi- ties for periods of up te two years. Fox who evaded authorîties until lier anrest in March, was aise fined $350,000 at the same time she received the 21-month jail teri ast year. She nover appeared for that Ontario court trial and was liv- ingin Flonida prier te her fleeing te Egland. LEAR ElDOS ElWindows El WordPerfect El Lotus Ci dBase Ci Desktop Publishing 3l Simpty Accounting 3l Business Vision FROM THE COMFORT 0F YOUR HOME OR OFFICE B.T.A. BUSINESS SERVICES 723-1404 ADVERTISING POLICY The Whitby Free Press is a business whlch derives almost aIl its revenue from advertising in one form or another. For obvious self-interest. we want our clients' advertising 10 work. Our policy is 10 reach as many homes in Whîtby as possible (usuaily more than 99%) and 10 provde local high-nterest content that ensures tfat people read the paper and hence the advertisng as well. We urge readers Io patronfize our advertisers in order that we can provde even better coverage in the future. We also stress creativity. WVe will provide our professional experrenoe to advise clients on ways 10 make their advertising more effective, but for a product that cannot be repossossed. there are no guarantees. We strive 10 avoid errors. but when we make them, a correction wilI be made in a subsequent issue or a discount offered. The newspapers tegal liabîity is only for te actual space occuped by the error. Advertsng ïs sold according to the space it occupies. No additonal charge is made for artwork or ayout and honce the newspaper retans the copyright on a!lils5oniginat work. The newspaper reserves the rîght to refuse advertising whîcf it finds objectionable or detrimerital 10 is business. By Mike Kowalski An organization which forged dloser ties between Durham's business community and the education system has fallen vic- tim te budget cuts. Effective Aug. 31, the Durham Industry/Educatiofl Council (DIEC) will cense te exist. Funded pnimarily by Durham Region's two school boards, DLEC would have celebrated its sixth year of operatien this fali. But a drastic reduction in funding has foroed DIEC's board of directors te dissolve the or anizatien and close its Whitby While an attempt will bo made te continue some of DIEC's more popular programs, executive directer Shelley Crnig says local business and students will feel the loss of DIEC's demise. "I believe the langer the link and sharing of reseurces, the more our students and businesses will benefit," said Craig. "On a one-to-one level with the students, ail the changes (cut- backs) the boards have had te make will afféee ver.yene," she said. However, Craig was quick te, state that board officiaIs weuld have prefenred not te slash DIEC's nearly $60,000 budget. "I knew the funding would net have been rescinded i f they ceuid help it, but wo have te look at the hard realitios," she said. Aithough trustees did net ehi- minate ail of DIEC's funding, Craig said it would have been virtuaily impossible te continue on a reduced budget. "Te goe from the level we were at te $5,000 a year, makes it hard te koep going,» she snid. Formed in 1987 through a grant from the Ontario Ministry of Education, DIEC was fùnded equally by the Durham Board of Educatien and Durham separate school board. Craig was the sole permanent omployee, but various goern- ment pnogranms allowed eth ors to bo hired on a rogular basis oer the yenrs. High school students from Durham's co-operative educatien proqram ane. adult education stu dents aIse worked in the DIEC office. As Craig explained, DIEC's mandate was te feston a dloser relationship botween the busi- ness community and school sys- tem. Representatives of local indus- try, labour, community groups and school boar~ds comprised DIEC's board of directers. Aniong the many activities undertakon by DIEC is the Part- ners in Education programi in which a local business would essentially «team Up" with eithen a secondary or elementary school Craig said. Students gain a botter under- standing of the business world by participating in trainig semi- nars, company tours and receiv- ing career information, she said. *While business benefîts in that it may one day bo employin~ students it has helped train ancf in some cases, by drawin g on students' expertise te a, C rai g said. For example, students in Ajax High School's video production course put together a safety videotape that is now being used by Du Pont, the school's cor- porate partner. Du Pont aise has a partnership with Henry Street H igh School in Whitby, while EDS Canada has iinked up with Anderson Cv'. "It's a real bonding kind of programn. t instilîs in young peo letheneed to co-operate,» A career resource director which lists 260 companiswil- ling te offer speakers, tours and information was developed by DIEC and accessible through the main computer system in al Durham secondary schools. Other pnogramns DIEC has been involved in are the Ontario Skills Competition; career aware- ness workshops for guidance counsellons and co-op teachers and last fall's 'Stay in SchooýI Week' conférence which drew 240 participants. Student,-produced commenciais espousing the noed te stay i sehool wene featured on local radio and cable television stations during the week. "We foît who best te talk to students about staying in school than students,» said Craig. Commitments have made te keep some programns such as Partners in Education function- ing, Craig said. She praised the efforts of edu- cation directors Pauline Laing (public) and Eari Lagroix (eaae). in trying te. obtain fudn from , other aneas in order te, keep DIEC afloat. "The two of them made a personal commitment te try te save DIEC. It shows support for the phiiosophy is still there." Coscan seminars offer advice to new home bu yers For those planning te buy a' new home, an upcomîng somînar series will provide information and advice. 'Homewise,' sponsored by land deveiopment and home building company Coscan Dovelopment Cerp., will feature a number of industny experts at the Coscan presentation centre on Hnrmnony Rend, north of Rossland Boad, in Oshawa on four evenîngs in August and September. The Aug. 17 tepic is 'Buying a New Homo,' with PMA Gneup of CIM career night upcomin The Canadian Institute of Management, Durhami Region branch, will hold the annual registration- and career counsolling night on Monday, Aug. 16 in Durhamn College's cafeteria, cenimencing at 7 p.m. The institute's courses prepare current and aspiring managers te contributo directiy te their employersd bottoni-hine profit- ability by ensuring a background in the most current management theonies and practices. Membors of the bnanch executive wiil be on hand te answen questions from prospective students. Befresh- monts wiil be pnovided. Anyone interested in the program but unable te attend may cail 434-7669 for funther information. Companies president, - Apdy Brethour and London Life1 new homes montgage spocialist Lind- say Smith as guest speakers. Art Vanden Enden, manager of Weali & Cuilen Gardon Centre, will bejguest speaker for 'Lands- caping Your New Heme,'on Aug. Bon Atkins, directen of low-rise residential construction for Ces- can, will bo guest speaker on Sept. 14 for 'How Your House is Buiit.' 'Home Decerating,' on Sept. 28, will have guest speaker Mike Niven of Mike Niven Interior Design. AI i seminars are fnem 7 te 9 p.in. and are free of charge. A seminar on grou p insurance will be held by the Whitby Chamber of Commerce on F- arrAu Mount, of Hardiman, Mount, Richardson, wiIl discuss the Canadian chambers of com- merce group insuranco plan. The semninar wiIl be of particu- lar interest te, self-emplo1yed in- dividuals or employers of up te 50 People. Tfhe seminar, from 8:30 te, 10 arn. at the chamber office down- town, costa $10.70 for members, $21.40 for non-members.