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ea ------------------ [ | | | | "A Family Tradition for 133 Years" I Who do you think will win the @he Pou Povey Stax Question of the Week... Do you have a suggestion that tanle ? . - | -- Stanley Cup, and why Jim Martin Doug Gower I'm hoping it will be the I think Colorado will win. Maple Leafs because we I don't really watch hock- need it. I think with the momentum they' ve had, PR ey that much, but Colorado is a better team. James Shanley I think Detroit will win because they're a better team. They have proven themselves to be good. Jeff Reid Detroit because they' ve bought themselves the best team. I would like to see Wendel Clark get his name on the cup. Bob Beach Probably Dallas. They seem to be the strongest team. They are the highest * standing team that's left. Skateboard riders treated like hoodlums To the Editor: Last week one of our teenagers was assaulted and received two death threats, one of which very graphically had to do with being dragged behind a car. The gory details, of which I will spare you, were then related to this newspaper, which reported that the teens had been swear- ing at passerbys and impeding their travel. This is categorically false. The police are in possession of four witness statements that show otherwise. This is not an isolated incident. I have had other parents relate incidences of drivers who appear to be actually aiming at skateboarders, and not missing them by much. In all cases I have urged these residents to pursue criminal charges. The issue here is the skateboards. The kids are not allowed to skateboard on the sidewalks because they have wheels, but then they are not allowed to skateboard on the road because they might interfere with the cars. They are not allowed in the business parking lots because that's private property, but they are also not allowed on school grounds even though that is public property. All they are looking for is a small patch of pavement on which to play their chosen sport. If they were hockey, baseball or soccer play- ers, there would be no shortage of facilities available to them. But because they are skate- boarders they are treated with disdain, harassed and assaulted. Hopefully there will be a skate park next year, but we have yet to survive this year. How high will tempers flare when the summer heat hits and the kids are out of school? To what extreme will this behaviour elevate? What will be the breaking point? But more importantly, why are we working so hard to ostracize an entire segment of our community? These children are not far from adulthood. What have they learned from all this about being part of a community? About respect and responsibility? If we don't turn this situation around soon and begin to create some positive attitudes, we are going to quickly lose the respect of the next generation of adults. If we haven't already. Susan Stone, Port Perry 0 More letters on page 8 Aerial view of Port Perry pler and Queen St, at left; be seen in the centre. taken during the 1960s shows the lakefront with the government pl the old Port Perry Marina bulldings and boat docks, centre; and the showroom and storage sheds of Lake Scugog Lumber at right. Port Perry's old arena, can Photo courtesy of Betty Collins of Scugog Island. you think would make a good they' ve got a good shot. They hit harder. They re the strongest question of the week? No one expected them to team right now. Toronto Call us at 905-985-7383. get this far. is not as strong. by Jeff Mitchell GRITS. TORIES, AIR LAUNDRY Have you ever found yourself in a restaurant, trying in vain to mind your own business and concentrate on your newspaper, while a noisy, uninteresting conversation fills the air around you? "So | says to her, | says, if that's the way yer gonna be about it, fine! And | just, like, turned around and walked away, and she's like, 'Oh, yeah, right!' and I'm like, 'Well, that's what Mike said you said', and she's like, '| never!' and I'm like, 'Whatever'..." Only some deeply entrenched sense of sanity and decorum keeps you from leaping to your feet and spitting scrambled eggs all over the place: "Shut up! In the name of God, shut up!" Such is the feeling we media hacks have now, as the war of words -- or is it the sandbox spat of words? -- we just knew would accompany the provincial election makes its way to us, via the fax machine. Spending most of the time being outraged are Dalton McGuinty and his Liberal crew, while Mike Harris and the Tories invariably counter with a supercilious, dismissive response soon after. Such is the case this morning, during which the fax has been clogged with correspondence between the Liberals and Conservatives over the issue of care and support for mental health patients. Some Liberal candidate down in Niagara Falls named Selina Volpatti has taken umbrage at what she sees as the Tories' misrepresentation of a quote from her on the issue, and has written a letter saying as much. And thoughtfully supplied it to media across the province. Conservative media advisor Paul Rhodes writes back -- also for our benefit -- that Ms Volpatti has been quoted in the past as saying care for the mentally ill is a health issue, not a political one. "We agree and hope you still do, notwithstanding your current status as a candidate for the Liberal Party," he sniffs. How long, O Lord? Have these people learned nothing? Do they think such public piddling matches will win our hearts and minds? Apparently so, and it would seem we can expect no respite from such silliness until this wretched election is over, and we can go back to being disgusted by one party at a time. Until then, how about a nice rally, eh? Come on up, everyone, and watch your step. Here's your beer, and here's your smokes. 'Don't make a fuss. Just get on the bus. . LL