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e anadiena on Tusday, August 1, 2000 eCa11s to women's shtesd blg in numbers By LISA TALLYN der of Gillian Hadtey by her estranged husbassd, ________________ Special to Thse Champion have beightened the awareness of women who W1ýomeu ane taiklg about flue In the wake of recent murders and are victimas of domestic violence. violent attacks on women, the Halton "It'a like a fear, could this happen, and what number of women being kle ViolncePreetiionCouncil reports can I do to get out of tItis situation, or how do we by thefr partmers." Voe ePr etinprevent it?" sad Ma Greer. ......................... some of its member agencies have She added unfortunatety there's no eaay been receiving more cails than usual anawer as the situations are so, comptex. from women who are living in fear. Bey LaFrancois, executive director of the Theresa Greer, executive director of Hatton Halton Rape Crisia Centre, aaid ttsere has been a Ma Greer said traditionally women'a shetters Women's Place, said while atatiatica aren't avait- marked increaae in criait line calta. In the last are fuît in the aummer but thia year it aeema abte yet for July, the women's shetter received montb the criaia centre received 50 more calta there have been more îequeala for service. about twice as many calta from women in criais than the usuat 200 or ao, or about a 20 per cent She aaid over the paat year ahetter staff haa in June than they did in April and May. Uaualty increase. "It's making them (women) feet their noticed a huge increeae in dite number of women about 100 calta per month corne into the shetter. vutnerability. Women are tatking about the num- being statked by former boyfriends, huabands Ma Greer aaid recent eventa such as thse mur- ber of Women being kitted by their paetnera." and peetners. 'It's a huge intimidation." She said she knows of three women currentty staying at thse shetter who are being statked. Hatton Police report onty a amait increase in domestic assautt charges in the region this year compared to lent. Lent year to the- end of June there had been 131 domestic essaut compared to 136 ibis year for the same period. For immediate assistance Hatton womnen can calt Hatton Rape Criais Centre, 878-1555, Hatton Women's Ptace, 878-8555, Hatton Police, 878-5511 or 911, Halton Heatth Care Services, 845-2571, North Hatton Distreas Centre, 877-1211, Hatton Adotescent Support Services, 878-9785, Kida' Hetpline, 1-800-668- 6868, Hatton Chitdren's Aid Society, 878-2375 or SOS Femmes, 1-800-387-8603. Trend leans to historic downtown ** lrom BUSINESS on pege 1 view," he exptaincd. 'lie trend today, aaid M. van Noatrend, lees toward a histonic downtown concept with increeaingty lees eniphesis on matIs. "It's not juat the eging popultion, but a growing; entrepreneurial younger genera- tion who want to shop that way," aid Mr. van Nostrand. "They want to, be on the street where they cen tee die sky and the t.reea.", Even big box stores are getting in on the aet. "Large boxes, the succesafut once tike Lobtawa, aren't turning their back on Main Street. They're turning aideways," he aaid. And Milton is idealty ptaced to begin laying down Use foundations for a thriving centre before Use moving trucks start stsov- eling new reaidents in. "The opportunity here is to make sure Use Main Street businessea are tied into the terger Milton growUs structure," said Mr. van Noatrend. "Tbat's an unprecedented oppostunity you have before you." To meke the moat of it, Mitton reaidents and business ownera will bu conaultcd on Useir Usoughta; for Use CBD - which wilt evcntuatty mun atong Main Street from Bronte Street to Thonipson Road - Usmough public meetingsaend focua groupa. Many participantsa ethUe breekfast meet- ing t'ingered parking as Use issue of the future. While plenty of parking ia currently found tucked buhind Main Street on eiUser side, it suffers wiUsout a visual link to Use main atreet, said Mr. van Nostrand. "When you're on Main Street you can't sec the parking and when you sec the parkcing, you can't see Main Street," he said. "It's tike two différent worlda." A more visible parking presence is a money generator, he edded. And it could lead to Use widening out of thse downtown area, allowing businesses behind Main Sveet to flourish. "Main Street can't carry the whote loWademed Ma. vas Nostrand. - Milton suifera a likewise divide acrosa Use Sixteen Mile Creck, pointed out Mr. van Nostrand. He seid not only waa the town deaigned in sucti a way Usat die crcek is att but invisible, but Use aumosphere of the town differs on cither side of it. '7hcre reetty are two distinct stretches of Main Street. West of Use Sixteen Mile Creek and eaat of Use Sixteen Mite Creck." He said he hopes to make the creek more of a focal point in the newty deaigned town.