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"A Family Tradition f " Or 130 Years PORT PERRY STAR - Tuesday, June 11, 1996 - 7 SS I _ETTERS Durham CAS is failing adoptees To the Editor: I am writing to make your readers aware of a human rights battle being fought in their own backyard. I represent a group called Parent Finders Durham, a help and support group for adoptees, birth par- ents, siblings and fostered adults who are seeking mem- bers of their original families for medical and other more per- sonal reasons. We teach and as- sist these people to locate their missing family members. We are non-profit and available to all who need us. But the people who are de- pendent on Durham Childrens Aid for non-identifying informa- tion reports to give them the general circumstances of their birth and general family de- scriptions are at a disadvantage unique to the region. In reaction to funding cutbacks by the prov- ince, Durham C.A.S. has dis- continued providing these re- ports with the exception of outdated medical information compiled at the adoptee's birth at which time, almost without exception, everyone was quite well. To the best of our knowledge and trust me, we checked Dur- ham stands alone in depriving adoptees of this right guaran- teed us under the Child and Family Services Act. It should also be noted that people already on this list to get their histories, some for better than two years, were sent let- ters telling them they would not get what they had waited so long to have. Too bad we don't live in B.C. where adoption records have been legislated to be open to those who seek their roots. The Durham Childrens Aid can hide behind budget re- straints in its heartless removal of this service. But it doesn't make it any the less discrimina- tory to adoptees, whose only crime seems to be to have been born in a region where the very people who were tasked with our care as infants have turned their backs on us now that we return as adults, seeking the same historical facts that are given to every other citizen of the province as a right of citi- zenship. The Durham C.A.S. has told Parent Finders Durham that it intends to review this policy very shortly. It is no doubt part- ly due to pressure we have ex- erted via the provincial minis- try. We wish to publicly put the C.A.S. on notice that your re- sponsibility to those placed in your care does not end with an order of adoption, nor with adulthood. You were made the keepers of our history. It is our right, little as it may be. Return it to us and allow us to get on with our journeys. R.W. (Armstrong) Davie, Nestleton Help needed to save injured dog To The Editor: I am faxing this as time is of the essence. Last night around 8 p.m. (Sunday) on the way to the movie store on Old Scugog Road, my husband saw a bunch of kids standing by the side of the road when he got out to see what they were looking at, he found a dog laying in the ditch between Shirley Road and Country Convenience in Black- stock. \ My husband decided to check on the dog. It was alive. He brought it home to me and we bathed it and found bite marks on his left hind leg. We fed him and found that he could barely walk as he went to do his busi- ness. I spoke to my husband about having him looked at by a veterinarian and my husband agreed. We gave him a warm bed for the night and he was quiet. This morning I took him to the vet and they took an x-ray of his back end. We discovered that the dog has a broken femur on the left hind leg that will re- quire a plate and a dislocated hip on the right hind leg. Other than that he is a one and a half year old mix breed in good health. The surgery will cost $1,000 and we cannot afford it as we are in the midst of build- ing our home after it was de- stroyed by fire two years ago and we have four other dogs (also strays) to feed and pay medical bills for. 'This is a plea for help. The dogis stoic with a gentle nature. He looks like a tiny collie, but is not a sheltie. He has red and black fur with white paws and is approximately one and half "feet tall. We would dearly love to find his owners, but if that is not possible due to the various possibilities of what could have happened, we would keep the dog or give it to a good home if we could raise the $1,000 to save him. We only have until tomorrow morning to make the decision to save him or subject him to un- necessary euthanasia. Please if you know the owner or can do- nate to save this dog call me at 905-986-1045 or fax me at 905- 986-1642. We need your help. Sincerely, Chelan Scott and Gord Berry Fax your letters to the editor: 985-3708 4 IN THE OLD DAYS, WE SHOT 'EM HANG 'EM HIGH: During a break in the playoffs action last week the news department at CBC took over, and flashed across the screen pictures of those Russian spies picked up in Toronto. My friend Johnny Anonymous listened as the reporter told us the pair had waived any argument to their impending deportation, and simply wanted to go home. Bug-eyed, he stared at the screen. "Deported?" he said. "What's all this about deportation? You mean we're just going to let them go?" "Well... yeah," | said, "I guess. What did you think we were gonna do with them?" "Why -- put them to death, of course," said Johnny firmly. "Torture them to find out what state secrets they've uncovered, then put them in front of the firing squad." "John," | said, "this is Canada. We have no state secrets. And we definitely don't have the death penalty." "Too bad," said John. "It would've got that damned Bouchard off the front page for a day or two." WHAT WERE YOU THINKING? ...From the utterly, unbelievably stupid file: French synchronized swimmers have been ordered to drop their Olympic routine, which depicted the detention and death of Jewish women in Nazi concentration camps. The four-minute spectacle included swimmers goose-stepping toward the pool's edge like German soldiers before diving in and doing their thing. | ...What can you say about this? What could have been going on in their heads? And most important: Why is synchronized swimming classified as a sport? No answers. Only questions, and more questions. KILLING TWO BIRDS: Here's hoping that provincial Health Minister Jim Wilson and Community and Social. Services boss Dave Tsubouchi don't get together for lunch any time soon. Those two intellects together could just possibly end the problems with obstetrics doctors and workfare, in one fell SWOOP. : PHOTO FINISH: Once more, the deadline for ou annual photo contest has arrived. And once more, we've been overwhelmed with all the terrific shots our readers have sent in for the competition. Now it's time to be patient. We'll have judging very soon, and will announce winners and print top entries as quickly as we can. We'll also shoot some of the entries we've received for use as 'Photos of the Week' in the Weekend Star. Thanks for your participation! | pry ---------------------------------- Random Jottings by J. Peter Hvidsten house in shape. But recently, as a gesture of generosity, the feds Ministry of Heritage has initiated a program to give away a minimum of 1 million free Canada flags this year to Canadians from coast to coast. Although rumors of such a program surfaced a few weeks back, details of the program were vague until Bev Truax called last week and offered to pro- FREE CANADIAN FLAGS FOR CANADA DAY 8 Thegovernment giveth and the § government taketh away... and "1 the taking away has been pretty mn obvious the past few years as governments downsize, cut grants, reduce transfer payments, slash jobs and in general try to get their vide me with some information she came acrossin another area newspaper. So for those who love Canada and would proudly fly a Canadian flag in front of their home or office, all you need todo is call and a flag will be sent to you. Atleast that's what I'm told. The free phone number is 1-888-FLY-FLAG, or for those who get easily confused by these trendy numbers, just call 1-888-359-3524. If you'd rather fax your request, the number is 1-819-997-9924. Bev informed me that she has called - finally got through and her flag is on.its way, although she speculates she may not get it until Labour Day! Awe c'mon Bey, you gotta have faith! The lines are open Monday to Friday 7a.m.to 8 p.m. and all you have to do is tell the operator you have a flag pole and order flags in one of two sizes - a6'x3'oral3'x1-1/2". Now before you get all upset at the government spending money to foolishly promote Canada, information has it thatit was donations from corpo- rations and concerned citizens that have paid for these flags. The article also stated that residents of British Columbia are leading in requests for the Canadian flags, and although itcan'tbe confirmed, | suspect Quebec is on the bottom of the list for requests. That leaves Ontario somewhere in the middle, so let's do our partand get those orders in starting right now. By the way, | called for mine first thing Monday morning and they said it's in the mail. Oooh no! With my luck it'llbe here in time for Canada Day... next year. CLOSEST TO THE PIN If you haven't made it outto Country Acres Driving Range to compete in the Greenbank Lions "Closest to the Pin" competition there's still lots of time. You can try your luck at snaring the $1000 grand prize by shooting some balls any time between now and June 21st. The range is open every day and balls are 5 for $5. advance, 4 for $5. regular. You can't win if you don't try, so take a chance and support the good work of the Greenbank Lions.