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6- PORT PERRY STAR - Tuesday, June 8, 1999 "Scugog"s Community Newspaper of Choice" BUSINESS OFFICE Member of the @heiPoxl Sn Son "a Office Mgr. ..... Gayle Stapley Canadian & Ontario Newspaper Assac. aa 0 adh . Hi] oy I. i Gile Bicp Janet Rankin ¥ CNA Aocna Pubisosd oven Tuosior ty 188 MARY STREET - PORT PERRY, ONT. - LoL 1B7 =~ |iswwinnes| Retall Sales... Kathy Dudley, Heather Callan, Leslie West | 168 Mary St, Port Perry, Ontario Phone (905) 965-7383 Fax (905) 985-3708 Newsearens| EDITORIAL : E-Mail: port.perry.star@sympatico.ca Publisher.............. J. Peter Hvidsten : PRODUCTION : ADVERTISING Publications Mall No. 07681 General Mgr... "Don MacLeod Trudy Empringham, Pam Hickey, Advertising Mgr. .....Don MacLeod Publications Mail Agrsomont No. 1389063 Managing Editor.... Jeff Mitchel Rhonda Mulcahy, Daryle Wright, Advertising Sales....Deb McEachem, 1Year-$3745 6 cnn ~$19.79 Foreign - $06.30 News Reporter Chris Hall Robert Taylor, Richard Drew, Ginni Todd, Cindy Jobin, Gail Morse, . -. : : y I Ty Yam Mack Al prices include GST Freelance Reporters - Heather McCrae, John B. McClelland ~~ SCOtt Ashby Leo Nowensky, Heather M Editorial comment Relaying a grim message Here's a cheer for a group of students at Port Perry High School, who last week gave their ~ friends an up-close look at the devastation that can be caused by impaired driving. A group of students under the banner Port Perry Against Impaired Driving (PAID) con- structed a mock accident at the fairgrounds last Thursday. They set up two vehicles that were made to appear as if they had crashed; in and around the cars were victims. . A teenaged girl in a party dress lay dying on the hood of a car after being hurled through the windshield. A baby in a car seat lay on the roadway. A young mother was trapped in her car. And a drunken youth staggered from the | wreckage, calling to his dying girlfriend. Firefighters, paramedics and police officers | descended upon the scene, administering to victims and gathering evidence. | Those of us who have witnessed such scenes in real life can testify to the grim reality that was : recreated by the exercise. And as in real life, it had to have an effect on many of the estimated 1,500 kids who watched it unfold. It takes a direct approach to convey such a strong message, especially to youth on the verge of summer and all the freedom it promises. We can only hope they will stop and think, then act responsibly now. | Thanks should be extended to the Scugog Fire Department, Rural\Metro Ambulance Service, and Durham Regional Police for taking I'M AFRAID WELCOME TO \\ Zor Perr RN \ \ N \ I > 7 N N ( Q y, N \ \ N N S BN Ny BN N N ~ N \ NS AN) HA PIIIIRIIIIIIIII PIII] 'G Tzu a %: ae 2% FRE: Fs i Rs Seniors victimized by vanda To the Editor: Why don't the police patrol this park Friday, May 28, during the wee hours between 11 p.m. and 4 a.m.? When we of the morning, three cars parked in dial 911 the answer is "we must catch the senior's apartment building at 61 them in the act." : Ash St. were vandalized. This town is not safe after dark any- One was damaged to the extent of more. Something must be done. Let's $1,600 plus $300 deductible. These get busy and patrol this park. Some teenagers flock over to Poplar Park late teenagers are getting out of control and in the evening causing many problems. the good guys have to suffer for their It wasn't enough to scratch names wrong doings. on the hoods; but to also draw Swastikas on the cars was very scary to us. EE Vi Atkinson, aa) We seniors have worked very hard A.M. Moffatt, part in the event as well. Their participation all our lives to afford living in this R. Beare, gave the scenario the impact it needed to be beautiful apartment. Port Perry effective. by J. Peter Hvidsten DRIVERS ARE CREATURES OF HABIT The new four-way stop at the comer of Queen and Perry St. is now posted, and early indications are that most people in this com- munity are creatures of habit. We had numerous reports from nearby shop own- ers and residents following the installation of the stop signs that the majority of motorists drove through them, oblivious of the signs. I've never beery an advocate of four-way stops; they're just too confusing. But in this case | have to agree there was a need for some action. Traffic lights are far too expensive, and something | sus- pect few would want within the downtown core, so the four-way stop is a reasonable alternative. Random Jottings The only beef I've really heard is that there was no advance warning that the signs were going to be posted, other than a bylaw passed a couple of months ago which indicated they were coming. 'Setting an actual date for the installation of the signs and preparing locals with advertisements in the local newspaper might have been a way to avoid some of the confusion the first few days. Despite the wishes of many for the slow paced community of years gone by, when you could launch your boat at the foot of Queen St., walk in Palmer Park (and actually meet someone you know), and pull U-turns at the intersection of Queen and Water St., we must all realize Port Perry has grown consid- erably. ! Safety is of a major concern, and placing a four- way stop at Queen and Perry St. will help the dan- gerous situation at that corner. P.S. - With that said, | still think a four-way stop at Queen and Water St. was unnecessary. EASY RIDER - Last Sunday morning about 40 motorcycle enthu- siasts dropped by Asselstine's Yamaha near Blackstock to take part in the second annual "Fun Ride" arranged by Floyd and Ruth Asselstine. The riders were divided into two groups, sport bikes and road bikes, before taking off for a day of riding along winding roads through Caesarea, View Lake, Omemee, Bridgenorth and Buckhorn, where we stopped for lunch: In our group, led by Floyd and Ruth, were a group of baby boomer-plus aged riders from all walks of life, including businessmen, manufacturers and a retired policeman. But as different as their backgrounds were, the one common interest was motorcycles. Like myself, many had owned motorcycles when they were young men, but had not straddled the leather seat of a bike in a couple of decades. | It was a day of nostalgia, as they talked about their experiences, former bikes they'd owned and trips they planned to take. This was mainly a group of "fair weather bikers." Guys who had driven thou- sands of miles on bikes in the past, through cold, wind, rain and snow, but were now content to jump on their "toys" when the sun shone brightly and the days were long and warm. That's the kind of day Sunday was, and the thrill of riding along the highway with a group of 25 "over- aged" bikers was a thrill, to say the least. - = - PUENTE a SE Uy SP EEE EE EE Ih al a SR - me mn mea Al Sn Wn ---- a -- A --_------ --------_-------------- ----W------.-------