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6 -- PORT PERRY STAR -- Tuesday, March 25, 1986 Letters to the Editor our policy It has always been the policy of this newspaper to encourage our readers to make use of the letters to the editor column. Our readers have a right to freely express their opinions and view- points on just about any subject, and we feel that a lively letters column "helps make a better community newspaper. We insist, however, that a letter writer sign his or her name. On rare occasions, we will agree to with-hold publication of a letter writer's name, if we feel there are very good reasons to do so. Under no circumstances will this paper print an anonymous letter to the editor. While we enjoy receiving letters from our readers, we must continue to insist on knowing the identity of the writer. ATTENTION ALL TEENS! Lend An Ear For Every Question, There's An Answer Hereit is! "Lend An Ear' is a column for all young adults to look forward to each week. Do you have concerns or issues that you would like to discuss? Are you shy or insecure about approaching your parents, teachers or neighbours? Are you worried that your friends won't understand? Do you need so- meone to JUST listen? Perhaps, you need someone to point out alternatives! If you want to keep your anonymity, wish to "discuss an issue, and need someone to LEND AN EAR, write to: "Lend An Ear"' Box 1100 c/o Port Perry Star Port Perry, Ontario LOB 1NO You don't have to identify yourself. If you would like a response, simply include a stamped, self- addressed envelope (using the address of your choice) with your letter. Each week one or more letters, with a response, will be chosen to be printed. Hopefully, this sharing of concerns will be helpful to many of you! If you feel that this column is worthwhile, please write in and show your support. After four weeks, a decision will be made on the validity and the need for "Lend An Ear." Following are two examples of the type of concerns this column may address: . Dear "Lend An Ear" I am 12 years old. I have one brother and one sister, and we live with my Mom. She doesn't get home from work until 7:00, and she leaves at 6:15 in the morning. I am the oldest, so I get my brother and sister up in the morning and dressed and breakfast. After school, I babysit them and make supper. Lots of times I don't get my homework done, because I don't have time, or I don't feel like it. I am passing at school, but my teacher gives detentions when my work isn't done. "Tired" Dear Tired: It seems you are assuming a great deal of responsibility, and should pat yourself on the back for that. We ALL need help some of the time, and perhaps this is the time for you! I'm sure this situa- tion can be worked out to everyone's satisfaction -- Mom's, your teacher's and Yours! If you would like to deal directly with your teacher, talk to him/her. If you don't feel comfortable with that, write a note or let- ter explaining your situation. Teachers are people too! Perhaps a school nurse or guidance counsellor could act as a mediator for you with both your teacher and your mom. Is it possible that your mother doesn't realize that the extra responsibility at home makes it difficult for you to cope adequately at school? If you are bringing home successful grades, she may be unaware of your feelings and situation. Co-operating together is the first step in working things out! R.J. Dear 'Lend An Ear" I have a health problem, that I am very worried about, but I CAN'T tell my mom about it. My best friend says I should tell her, but I just CAN'T! 'Scared Dear Scared: You have one of two « ioices. (1.) Speak with the school nurse. She will point you in the pro- per direction to get the medical care you need OR (2.) You MUST go to a physician. Even if you choose to go to your family doctor, he will keep your visit and medical concerns 'in con- fidence' if you request him/her to do so! Finally, don't underestimate your mom's understanding! R.J. Letters More info needed on fairground deal Dear Sir: I have been reading your editorial March 18 and the articles in the March 18 paper regarding the school/fairgrounds controversy. Your editorial is very forceful about the whole deal. What concerns me is, you as an information media, the town council, the school board or the fair board have not detailed what we the residences of Port Perry are going to derive from this deal. The overall scheme of the land swap, moving the fairgrounds, building a new school sounds great in principle. There are a number of key items that should be tabled for review. As a concerned resident of Port Perry I would like to know all the details before endorsing anything with a 'Lets Get on with It' attitude. Regarding the new school: 1. Where exactly on the existing site will the school be located? 2. What facilities will the school have? Will these be better than or equal to those at R.H. Cornish (library, gymnasium, cafeterias, shops, etc.) 3. How would the town and sur- rounding area be divided? Who will attend the school? 4. How will the new school be in- volved in the English/French Im- mersigon program? Regarding the Fairgrounds: 1. What facilities have the fair board or the town planned to include . gri¥indstand, race track, exhibit buildings, livestock barns, washrooms etc.? 2. Has any consideration been given to incorporating other re- quired recreational facilities with the new site (baseball diamonds, banquet hall etc.)? 3. Is there a master plan that shows the development of the arena, the new fairgrounds, the soccer fields, the landfill, the surrounding land, the lagoons and the lakefront downtown facilities? If in ten years the town decided to reclaim the lakefront for parks, where would the baseball diamonds and tennis courts be relocated? Is this the final resting place for the fair? 4. How are the remaining 16 acres of existing fairgrounds going to be subdivided, zoned and placed on the market? Don't move fairgrounds Dear Sir: I know of about 300 people who don't want the Fairgrounds moved from its present location. At the fairgrounds there are about - 30 horses and a good race track. Every year large crowds attend the Port Perry Fair and have a good time. Many of our senior citizens don't want a school in that area. There are many old people and lots of nice homes and they don't want a school full of young people. They have lots of spare ground around for a school without taking away the fairgrounds. We are going to have more horse racing at the fairgrounds track to bring money in- to Port Perry. John Thompson, Port Perry. Nursing home explains why they closed doors Dear Sir: We at the Nursing Home missed you while we couldn't have visitors and would like to explain what happened. On Wednesday March 12th one resident developed flu and was so ill within twelve hours that he had to be hospitalized. Through the night Thursday several began to feel ill and by Fri- day evening ten people had symp- toms. At this point the building was closed to visitors. All families were informed by noon Saturday. Of course, there were many visitors who did not know and we feel badly that they were inconvenienced. (From page 5) Same goes for the courts. community. agricultural zones, and if some guy from the city moves to the country, he'll just have to live with the sounds and the smells, even if that nice open field across the road suddenly becomes a chicken farm or a feed-lot with several hundred steers. Possibly, municipal councils in rural areas should take a tougher stand when transplanted ur- banites come knocking on the door to demand by- laws that hinder or restrict farming in any way. These are just some suggestions to the com- plex issue facing the government and the farm I'm not a farmer. But I'll tell you this, if I was one and had spent a lifetime working a chunk of land, I would not be too pleased if the government suddenly told me that I could no longer take a retirement lot and sell it. I would not be too pleas- ed if I was suddenly told my son or daughter work- We experienced our expected se- cond wave of illness Monday night and Tuesday. This was not as severe as the first although one resident re- quired hospitalization. Things have settled down now but we expect it will take some time to be entirely back to nermal. The cultures proved negative for food contamination. This possibili- ty must always be ruled out. It takes much longer to isolate a virus -- so we don't know yet whether we had a garden variety flu or were in fashion with "Norwalk." We appreciate the co-operation of the hospital in doing our Meals-on- (Turn to page 7) COMMENT by J.B. McClelland ing the farm could not build a home on the farm and have clear title to it, including the right to sell if the situation warrants it at some time in the future. No sir, I would not be too happy at all. On the other hand, if I was a farmer and my farming neighbour across the road severed a lot and sold it to a guy from the city, and suddenly that guy hauled me into court for running the manure spreader on a hot windy day, I wouldn't like that very much either. If I was a farmer, I'll tell you what I'd be do- ing right now. I'd hustle down to the Land Divi- sion department and get an application to sever my retirement lot, just in case the proposed ban becomes law. But as I said, I'm not a farmer. Come to think of it, with this kind of problem and with all the other problems facing the farm industry these days (falling prices, interest rates, increasing costs) I'm glad I'm not one. | The overall concept is good but lets not have tunnel vision about the entire scheme. Lets hear the whole story: This paper or better still a paid municipal official should be keeping the residences informed as to the nuts and bolts of this project before we end up with a one room school house and a vacant field for a fairgrounds. Yours truly, T. Patton, Port Perry. Police conduct (From page 5) I should hope that I wouldn't be treated like that just for repeatedly asking "what's the charge". The article in the paper says "none of the officers was injured" - I hope not. They would have had to trip over one another to get hurt as NOT ONE PUNCH WAS THROWN AT THEM. The scuffle occurred as the young people, loudly objecting, were put in head locks, arm locks, and various other restraints. I don't know how much force is reasonable but they broke the hand of one of the people while hurling him into the cruiser and both people charged had to be treated at Port Perry Hospital for injuries sustained. The father of one of the boys ap- proached an officer saying 'hold it, let me calm him down, don't hurt him" and was straight- -armed off and told to "get-off"' in gutter language. language. Now I realize this had developed into a potentially explosive situation and the officers didn't want anyone interfering, but this is not a bunch of skid row derelicts or criminals. These are people. Like the rest of us in this town we expect our police to be firm, but tactful and polite, not brutal and arrogant. From the eye witness accounts and my personal knowledge of the character of two of the young people involved I can only con- clude that the behaviour displayed by the Police on this occassion was not appropriate. I have sent a copy of this letter to Durham Police headquarters in Oshawa requesting a full in- vestigation into this matter. Yours Truly, Jack D. Owen Queen St. Port Perry Gi a