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ADVERTISING 905â€"640~2612 Clmificd: 1-800-743-3353 Fax: 905-640-8778 York Region Media Group community newspapers The Sun-Tfibune, published every Thursday and Saturday, is a division of the Metroiand Media Group Ltd., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Tarsta! Corporation. Metroiand is comprised of 100 community publications across Ontario. The York Region Newspaper Group also includes The Liberal. sewing Richmond Hill and Thomhill, Vaughan Citizen,The Era-Banner (Newmarket/Aurora), Markham Economist 'Suh‘fiil'ribune ‘ The Sun-"Mbune welcomes your let- ters. All submissions mus! be less than 400 words and must include a daytime telephone number, name and address The Sunfmbune reserves the right to publish or not publish and to edit for Char. iiy and space. Lane” to the Edam. The Sun-Tribune 6290 Main 8!. We,“ MA I61 Sun, Georgina Advocate. York Region Business Times. North of the City, yorkvegionmm and Y0tk Region Printing. 905-640-2612 Fax: 905-640-8778 mbanuille@yrmg.com mormanermgrom Manager Dawna Andrews dandrewséiyrmgxom DISTRIBUTION Circulation Supervisor Carolyn Norman jmasoner'rngcom Mike Banville DISTRIBUTION 905â€"640-26 l 2 Pnonucnorv Manager Sherry Day |mason0yrmg.com INTERACI'IVE Advertising lETTERS POLICY Enrmm EDITORIAL lim Mason MEDIA Marketing As we prepare to fire up the barbe- cue, throw the steaks on the grill and kick back to celebrate Canada Day with family and friends, it's a good time to remember there are people in our com- munity who are not so fortunate. lust across town Tuesday, a celebra- tion of a different kind was held in honour of the 10111 anniversary of Pathâ€" ways for Children, Youth and Families of York Region. This agency provides our neighbourhoods at-risk youth and young families with much needed sup- port so they can make better choices and get their lives back on track. Thousands of young people, for instance, have turned up on the door- step of drop-in centre Pathways Home Base since It opened 10 years ago, as reported in today’s paper. ' Many of them were in crisis of one sort or another, desperately needing food, clothing, counselling for addic- tions and guidance. These youth had somehow managed to lose their way. They needed a place to lay their head for the night. They needed a place to call home for a while. And they found it. One of Pathways former clients ~â€" and there are about 700 annually â€" turned to the centre after his release from prison. At 22, he was on the street and looking for work, but nobody would hire him. Volunteers at Pathways provided him a' fountain of help. Today, he is gaining social service experience as a volunteer at the centre. He even wrote a youth program manual that is lauded by centre staff. In his own words, the young man says, “They helped me create opportu- nities. They helped me learn a lot about myself. Without them. I'd be nqthing.” Some teenagers who found a sense of purpose at the centre return again and again because of the positive envi- ronment. One young man is making a return to school this fall to take part in an electrician apprenticeship program. He says, "When I was 18, I was really down and out I come from a broken family and Pathways has given me a lot of support over the There’s often a fine line between doing well and running 06 the tracks. particularly for some young people who are struggling to find their place in this world. Sure, the majority of our young people aredoingOK, bmit’sthesteflarworkof volunteers atafacilitysudl asPathways that catches them when flmey‘xe not. Pathways stafi embody the an spirit of sharing and caring. We can't think of anything better to celebrate than that on Canada Day. Ten years of rescuing youths Editorial Thanks for exposing faults Re: Situation Critical: the crisis in long-term cam July 1 7 t_0 26: As a personal support worker. I need to address some of the comments made in your series. I do not work in a long term care facility but in home care. I agree there needs to be a com- mon curriculum for all PSWs. It is the responsibility of the facility, agency or hospital to make sure the PSWs they hire have the proper credentials and training. The others just make the nest of us look bad. Regarding training in mental health, a proper PSW program will cover that and also proper techniques for transferring clients. My company offers extra training in variousareasandifwewouldliketo learn more about a certain topic. they do their best to comply. If we, have an); cancerns regarding transferring a client. they will come out to make sure it is done safely. Where I really have issué with your series is accouts regarding abusive I have heard stories of abusive nurs- es from my clients and have also wit- nessed such abuse. I saw a nurse ver- bally abusing one of my clients and also putting her in a dangerous situation by administering a drug incorrectly, totally disregarding my congerns. ' That nurse was fired, I made sure everyone who should have known about this incident did and action was taken. Every profeSSion has a few bad apples. Hopefully, they can be weeded out. Abuse should never be dealt with by a slap on the wrist. We know our role in health care is different from a RN, but we are part of the team and for that team to work we have to have respect for each member. Our goal is the same, to provide the best with Tim Mamn Letters to the Editor 'Si‘i’Wifiibune patient care possible. Thank yoh to the York Region Media Group for making us more aware of this through this series. Serious reforms needed in our nursing homes Re: Situation Critical series, with copies to MP Peter Kent, MPP Peter Shannan and Older Women's Network. Thanks to Metroland for the exposé on the dismal performance of nursing homes for seniors. As Canadian citiâ€" zens, we must press for serious reform. Excuses about inadequate stafling ring hollow, from homes and hospitals. Taking my cue from the GZO sum- mit last weekend, I strongly suggest the following to make life better for seniors and to challenge the low standards institutions have for disabled seniors. 1. Regulations must be enforced. 2. Institutional “thinking” style must be changed, so that they have no choice but to honour their commitments. ‘ _3. Objectives, discussions and comâ€" pliance must be enfonced under the supervision of the Ministry of Health and seniors’ advocacy groups. 4. A regular peer review process, includingindividual concemedseniors, must be put in pleee. Finally. low expectations of dead- wood administrators and staff must be replaced by those who wish to serve well. The public good can never be compromised. 5. Aceountibility must be followed under the supervision of the above. The answer is not new money but the replacement of superfluous staff with those who will do the job credit. HANNAH CARDACI THORNHILL RICHMOND HILL Emma 1N Cum Debora Kelly I’ve been lucky enough to take in fireworks shows. during New Year’s Eve over the skyline of Flor- ence, Italy and on July 4 over the Atlantic from Myrtle Beach, SC. Both were massive displays in such memorable settings. Still, there’s no place I’d rather soak in some pyrotechnics than Stouffville Memorial Park tonight. Honest. The light show is always solid and the weather almost always peachy. The setting is small town Ontario at its best, even with- out the hill in Thicketwood Park and the parkland across the street looking more war zone than fun zone. But it’s the social side of Can- ada Day night that sells it. Tip-toe around the lawnchairs and blan- kets and you're bound to meet a former neighbour or someone with whom you played slo-pitch or went to school. You tell each other you haven't changed a bit, exchange phone numbers and play catch-up. Look around tonight and see it happening throughout the park. It’s that friendliness that drew_ so many of us here in the first place. It's also a chance to meet your new neighbours, some of the fine folks who scooped up the hun- dreds of homes built here during the last five years. if ‘7 Introduce yourself, talk about your community and make new friends. Invite them to join your hockey league, service club or church. Be an ambassador for Whitchurchâ€"Stouffville. Call it holiday weekend networking. Dig into a sweet piece of Canâ€" ada Day cake, listen to the blues band belt out a favourite and toast the opening of the Straw- berry Festival. See you there, Stouffville. Iim Mason is editor of The Sun- Tribune. Your Canada Day networking assignment with Jim Mason Dummn. REGIONAL PIODUCI‘S, Gunman. TODAY’S Houns Debra Weller Dmncrol. Wsmo, . Dm'lmlrnon Nicole Fletcher