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po 6, WNltby Fr.. Prose, Wedneeday, April 12. 1995 The only Newspaper owned and operated by Whîtby resîdents for Whitby resîdents! MEMBER 0F: CANADIAN ONTARIO COMMUNITY COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER NEWSPAP 'ER ASSOCIATION ASSOCIATION ISSN#0844-398X The Whitby Free Press is dlstributed free to 99% of the homes ln. Whitby, Brooklin, Ashburn & Myrtie as weII as numerous public and commercial outiets in Whitby, Oshawa, Ajax, Pickering & PortPerry. 27,500 COPIES DELIVERED WEEKLY MAIL SUBSCRIPTIONS AVAILABLE Canada $34 +- GSI - Qulside Canada $80 + GSI Published every Wednesday by 677209 Ontario Imc. Box 206, 131 Brock St. N., ýWhitby, Ontario Li N 5S1 Phone: 668-6111 Out of town: 1-800-668-0322 Fax: 668-0594 Doug Anderson - Pubisher Maurice Pif her - Editor Alexandra Martin - Production-Manager Printed on newsprint with minimum 20% recycled content using vegetable-based ilks. eAil written material, illustrations and advertising contained herein is protected by copyright. Any reproduction by any means for cornmmercial purposes without the express permission of the newspaper is prohibited and is a violation o Canadian copyright law. Reproduction for non-commercial distribution should bear a credit î me toîthe Witby Free Press. To the sdftor: R.: Latter, 'Just Rholoric,' Fr. Press, Apnil 5 First, I would like la say that I do mit, have neyer, and have no Intontion i holonging ta any political parly. 1 have voted in ovory electian for over 30 years. Mr. Buson is correct, SOGH was formod- about one. year ago. The tirsl meeting was held on June 21, 1994, out ot trustration with the Ë ublie meetings held by 1h. urharn Region Acute Car. Sludy. 1 would ike t, laarify thant1h. first meetingad St. Matthew 1he Evangetist Cadholic School was held on Mna, J une 13, 1994. S t ated ail these meetings and was prosent when Mr. Flaherty spoke on June 13, showing genuine concern for aur'hospilal. As you can soe, Ithis was betore SOGH was conceived. I did not see Mr. White or Mr. Furlong at this meeting. I was aiso present ai th. media event thae the district health council held la announce 1he acute care study recommendations. Mr. Flaherty was also present ai thae meeting. He tried ta speak or at loast ta gel a copy oft1h. sludy paper, and was retused. I did nol recall Mr. Furiong or Mr. Whie hoing present. Regardless of who implemented 1h. district hoalth council, 1 agre. wilh Mr. Butson thet this body should be dissolved immediately. I attended three oft hese meetings and il is my opinion that at the very toast they are a self-serving, arrogant graup who are puppets of To the odilor: Road safety w"ishtul thinking. Last Monday night, a yaunig. innocent child lost her' lite in a lraffic accident on Victoria Street Legion wiII have 'parade To the editor: I wauld like ta respond ta the latter, 'An Insuft,' by Brian Hat, in the April 5. issue of The Free Press.The lttercantains only two tacts: that the Whitb Legion will hold a parade on Sunday, May 7, 'and that the war onded* 50 years ago. At no time did Mr. Hait contact me ai Branch 112. Me stated that we can'l evon g et permission ta hald il an the rig ht day. I would like Ia paint out that the mombers of Branch 112 chose this day because Most people would be warking an Monday, May 8. At -no time were we ever deniod permission ta hold tho paade on May 8. Mr.Hotstatethat no one et the mayor's office know anythinp about t ho parade, I fînd this a bit difficuit ta believe since my first meeting wih Mayor Edwards ta start planning the celebralions was April 14, 1994. Since this meeting wth the mayor, I have had several meetings with efihor ho or his staff and thoy have given me 100 per cent ca-aporation. Most organizations in this tawn have been contacted and will participais in the parade an Sunday, May 7. The Ontario Rogiment, wiIl send armourod vohicles tram Iheir Ferret Club. The Braoklin Legion, Whitby Brass Band, Polish veterans, Knights of Columbus, Masonic Lodge, Dutch community, RCMP and many others t00 numorous ta mention wllfl send their calour parties or representalivos ta this parade. Al churches have been contacled and are being askçed ta ring ho church bouls on that day. The Whitby 1-Logion will distribute flags and balloons ta people along the parade route ta the cenataph. Our doors will «b. open ta the public and we will provide a free.*lunch ta anyone wishing ta attend aur open house. Thero wrill also be face palnting for the children. Ail those events and many more have been isted on ýposters that have boon distributed throughout this town. Posters Include a copy af the paraderoute. 1 thank Mr. Hat for his concem thaÉt1he. end of the war was- not berng colobrated and that not so munas a -match was being It. 1 hope this latter onlightens roaders ta the tact that this is not the case. Had your newspaper contactéd tho Whitby Legion betore printing this loUter, providod you as ta events date. - we should have with the information taking place on this Robert E. Maguire Pres1dent, Branich 112 Royal Canadian Leglon, Whltby the Ministry ot Health. Our olectod ropresentative, along with the local heaith tacilitios, should b. able ta make gaad sense ot what is truly roquirod in Durham Centre. I amn a lile trustrated with al the rhelaric about which party in gavernInent did what several years apo and al the talk about who visited Whitby Goneral and who did mit. I think we ' should be more interested in what lhey. are saving about what they wiII fight for now, and ho unrelentless in seeing thet they keep this promise., If we are ta look for who is respansible, 1 think we need ta look very close ta home. 1 teel that 1h. hospital board, hospital administration, Town council and aur local MPP alowed lhemselves ta ho intimidated and blackmailed by the Ministry of Health and ai that lirne should have consuited the oleclorale of Durham Centre. If this had been done, I foot certain this wautd nol ho an issue in this eloction. Mr. Burton obviously was mi. aware of the dates of, Ihese g rassrools meetings and Mr. Flaherty's eaily and continued voice on the hospitl issue. i'hope thal what t have stalod wiII help enliglen himn and the readers of the Whilby Fr.. Pross. Atior atlonding almost alI af 1he meetings concerning relaining Whitby Goneral as a fult service haspitl ai.I rnconvincod thai Mr. Flaherty is genuine in his concorn for retaining acule cars ai 1he haspital. RuhHlsoh Whitby in Whitby. This road is more cammonly known as the Baseline, a two-lane highway between Ajax and Whitby and a ftur-lane highway between Ajax and Pickering. There are - many commercial establishments on this road -- il is heavily travelled and also used as a supply route for the autamotive industry lbcated,, in Oshawa and Ajax. Traffic ot cars and heavy trucks up ta 18-wheelers is heavy Wd limes and in many instances too fast for this road. The. accident accurred W Ithe.location where the Lynde Marsh is connecled by a culvert'under the,' Baseline. This, location is a tavoured spot for local yauth ta play ice hockey in winter. In the spring and summner, locals with their children go ta this spot ta do some tishing in the marsh. As Ihere are no facilities for parking, other than an the side of the road, il is common ta see rows of cars parked'aW bath sides ot the street. You don't have ta b. a traftic expert ta realize thaît this makes. for a very dangerous situation, with cars passing by at the pasted speed limit af 80 kilometres per haur and young children crossing* the highway tram between the parked cars. This situation has existed for many years and il is a wander that To 1he edllor: This has reteronce ta an area in Whitby where samething must be don. ta make a 'personal playgraund' area safer tram vehile accidents,' loss otf1Ife, near mlshaps, soeeding, tailgating and Impropor passing. The area 19 on Bassline Raad (Vict ojia Street) tramn Jetfery Street ta Rogional Road 23, where w., have soon unnecessary loss of Ide, major vehicular accidents accurring more trequently and an increase in lurger transport trucks.. I have, in instances, had my vehicle direclional signais indicafing lofti turn, and vehicles wili stilI pull oui and pass. On ather occasions, 1 have been almost rear-ended while maklng a lofti turn, when suddenly the driver ai a vehici, did not realizo than I was also slowing because ot a 10-speed cyclist with whom ho almost collided. In anothor. incident, on a rainy day, I slud ta a stop when a tather and three boys were remnoving flshing rods tram 1he trunk of their vehicle, whsn on. boy (without no fatal accident has happoned betoro. As aur politicians approve new commercial .. and residential develapments which are taking place alang-this raad right naw, they wili also increaso trafflo. l'm sure this road' wilI be a tour-lane "highway in the near future. The government wilI have ta make- a docision ta save the Whitby Amazan or ta imprave the highway. Except for a tew hundred enironmentalists, we the people would like ta ' seo a taur-lane hlghway with changes ta the marsh at this lacatian ta preserve the rocreational values." raie-hf' oeo hé impravements will take time, planning and engnerigand Maybe hey are arady warking an this. I1 see this, as a lang-term solution. n the meantime we could implement same' changes ta reduce the dangeraus, condition which now exits. Reduce the spoed limit fram 80 kilomnetres per hour to 60 east of the Ajax-Whitby tawn lino t 30 metres east of Lynde Creek. Instail 'No parking,' 'No stopplng' slgns on bath sides of the road tram.east of the CLOCA. sanctuary entrance ta 30 moires past the Lynde Creek bridge. Expandte- akigfacilty W or near 1h. CLOCArsaýncuary. WaIlsr Sostons Ajax laoking), darted in front of My vehiclo. Mis Ide was saved by 1h. grace at God. When I pulled by vehiclo over, and In shock myself, I was greeted with, 1h. triendly 'middle finger! Someofa these incidents are noar misses. W. realize that with sp.ed, cambined with a persônal play and. recreation area, not one persan le sale travelling, along Baselino Road, and lives are going ta ho lost unnecossarily unIess something drastically takes place ta impravo conditions in the area of safety. The talai tragody April 3 is another losela aour communily as a reuit ai political inaction, or those who may lack good listening skills, neglect or littIe torosighl toward planning- an area that draws cmowds, vehicles, school bus trips and people tram a wide area of central Ontario. Whether polilicians like ta hear this or not, we have one oft1h. groatest tourist attractions in centirai Ontario. Lot us malçe 1h. area sale tar everyone. 0. Stewart, WhItby Reduo'e limits'on Baseline'Rd. Flaherty cares Foresight-neededl To the editor,,.,. To the editor...