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"Where sthe police protection?" "Where is the police protection?", wonders Sam Bowers, owner of Bowers Texaco at 414 Brock Street North in Whitby. Mr. Bowers, owner of the service station for almost four years, has been victimized by burglars or vandals on several occasions and claims that the police have not found the parties responsible for any of the incidents. "I haven't heard anything about anyone being caught", he says. "Four times, we've been hit now and all you see is the police do their report", says Mr. Bowers. "It gets sickening as hell". The first incident occurred approximately three years ago when. a burglar or burglars stole $110 froii his cash register. That inspired Mr. Bowers to stop leaving money in the till at night. It also moved him to buy a guard dog which he .leaves in the station when it is closed. Neither precaution seems to have had much effect. The second incident took place eight months ago when one or more thieves smashed the front bay window, waited until the dog left, and entered the station where they smashed a- cigarette machine and made off with cigarettes and valuable tools. In the spring of this year, a vandal or vandals broke a side window but did not enter the station because, as Mr. Bowers theorizes, they were scared off by the dog. In anger, he believes, they then slashed the tires on his tow truck and two cars parked in the lot, waiting to be serviced. On August 10, another car parked in the station lot, waiting to be serviced, was stripped of the rear wheels and tires. The car sits as it did on August 10 as close to Brock Street as possible without actually being on the street. That makes Mr. Bowers wonder if the street is being pa.rolled, on a regular basis, by the police. Another incident also makes him wonder the same thing. One dark morning, at approximately 4 a.m., he was filling his gas tank when a police cruiser drove by. Mr. Bowers whislled loudly to see what the police officer would do. What the officer did was keep on driving. It could be that the officer knew who was there b"ut Mr. Bowers belidves 'the officer was unaware of what was taking place. "Are they watching?", he a:'ks. Mr. Bowers says he may no longer report these incidents to his insurance company because, when he does, his rates increase. Add to this property and businesses taxes on his station and property taxes on his house and the fact that he usually works five 12-hour days each week, Mr. Bowers is gettjng rather frustrated. "I've been. thinking seriously of giving up and going into something else", he says. Several animals seized in OHS Officers of the Humane Society afternoon raided a1 raid Ontario Monday home at 821 Anderson Street, Whitby, and seized 18 cats and 1,I dogs judgedto be in distress. The animals, seized under a warrant issued by a Ical judge on the request of the society, were taken to the Ontario County branch's Thickson Road shelter. The raiding officers report that anirnidl excrement was found on the floors in the Plans for on house raided house. Police have indicated that they will probably charge a Whitby resident Mrs. Carnilla Williams with violation of a probation order, handed down last year, which prohibitted her frorm keeping over a certain number of animals. Mike Burgess, President of the Ontario County branch, said he was unable to comment on the matter at this time. a nature trail backed by residents Residents living along Pringle Creek between Brock and Burns Streets have given their approval to a proposal by the Whitby Boy Scouts to build a nature trail along the creek. About a dozen residents met with the Scout represen- t tives, Recreation Director Wayne DeVeau and Councillor Joy ThompsonlastWednesday to review the plan and express concerns about various aspects of it. According to Mr. DeVeau, their basic concern was that picnic tables proposed for the nature trail would encourage littering of food and garbage and attract foraging animals. The Scouts agreed to drop the picnic tables and food facilities from their plan, an only a few benches will be provided along the trail, said Mr. DeVeau. The residents also expres- sed concern about motor- cycles in the nature trail area, but were infcrmed that council this month passed a bylaw banning motorcycles from all town parks. Councillor Thompson took a poll of the residents and found they had no objections to the Scouts' plans once these mattershad beencleared Up. Council approved the nature trail project in principle earlier this year, pending the meeting with the residents. Final council approval is expected within a month said Mr. DeVeau. Camp X proposal unveiled A special meeting of the operations committee of council will be held Thursday at 7:30 p.m. to receive the first of a series of engineering reports on the future use of Camp X. Larry Windover, of Totten Sims Hubicki Associates will present the committee with a land use synopsis and some preliminary conclusions on development of the Camp X property, said Deputy Clerk Brian Switzer. Further work on a master plan for the area will await a council decision on whether or not to include the Boy Scouts and the Malta Social Club within the plan. Both organizations have asked council for use of part of the Camp X land. * f *V%. - .FREE PRIES'. 1