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River Oaks seeks solutions to youth loitering at plaza River Oaks residents have estabâ€" lished an "investigating committee" to combat complaints about youths hanging out at a neighborhood mall. The committee â€" composed of area residents and representatives from the Town of Oakville and Halton Regional Police Service â€" will try to find solutions to counteract vandalism, loitering and the general havoc now apparently being raised by "12 to 30â€"yearâ€"olds" hanging out at River Oaks Public School and the adjacent plaza. The committee was established at a meeting at Town Hall last Thursday set up by the River Oaks Association of Residents (ROAR) at the request of the River Oaks Public School Parentâ€" Teacher Association (PTA). Most of the 25 people in attenâ€" dance had suggestions for ridding their community of youths who spit at female parents leaving the school, who refused to move over to allow people to pass by and threw pop cans, hurled insults at parents, got drunk at night on school property and left beer bottles and condoms strewn around. A recent PTA letter to parents stated: "We are aware drugs have potentially been distributed and used after hours JETSKES AND WATERSKT‘S Available to Rent or Buy S. Service Rd. x SEA QUEST PRODUCTS # OCEANIC # U.K. # CRESSIâ€"SUB SALES * SERVICE * RENTALS e SCUBA CLASSES ENROLLMENT LEARN TO DIVE IN ONE WEEKEND Major Credit Cards Accepted. in the vicinity of the school and plaza." Members‘ suggestions for cleaning up the mess ranged from loudspeakers playing classical music to hiring a priâ€" vate firm to videotape the youths loiâ€" tering around the premises, a ruse that apparently has worked in similar situâ€" ations. Others thought direct involveâ€" ment with parents of these children would be the best solution. Some suggested boycotting the plaza‘s variety store. Since this would hurt the owner and have a rippling effect on other plaza businesses, this was considered "a last resort." Ruth Victor, a newcomer to River Oaks, thought the heavily vegetated, unlit area around the premises could be made more supervisable by installing lights and constructing a metal barrier. She thought this would constiâ€" tute a longâ€"term solution at a "fairly low cost." Many members nixed a suggestion that activities should be set up for these youths to keep them out of trouâ€" ble. They pointed out that "kids don‘t want basketball. They want to do what they‘re doing." The owner of River Oaks Video had a more compassionate view of the Hours: Mon. â€" Sat. 10:30 a.m.â€"8 pm., Sun. 11 amâ€"5pm 5100 South Service Rd., Unit 17 Burlington * Scuba Diving Instruction * Reduced Rates On Basic Open Water Advanced Lessons e Local Exotic Dive Charters * Products from *Sea Quest * Oceanic * U.K. * Cressiâ€"Sub »Air Station (OUC) Approved e 1st Rate Rentals Available troublesome youth. Marco Ganassini noted that he had put several of the former troublemakers to work in his store â€" with positive results. "I think things have happened in the past at the plaza, but not now," he said. "And when things happen, action should be taken at the time (charges to police, for instance), not just talk and complain." "There‘s a small percentage that are rotten apples," he said. ‘"The pubâ€" lic seems to think they‘re a majority, but they‘re not. They‘re mostly good kids." Moreover, Ganassini thought it unfair to push these youth out of one area of town to settle in another. One of his young employees, 17â€" yearâ€"old Andy Nicholls, confessed he used to hang around the plaza because he had nothing else to do. The cleanâ€" cut youth said that now his old gang has given way to "skinheads" which are worse than his gang ever was. ‘‘You might as well have kept us," he wryly noted. Ganassini thought the problems described at the meeting were exagâ€" gerated and due more to rumor than fact. He noted he was in an excellent position to monitor the plaza, since either he or his employees check out the plaza every half hour. HAT LEAES YOU SPEECHLESS NOT PENNYLESS 1 DR $299 PE‘{ Eg pudds® ®BMW. OAKVILLE After the meeting, he said other residents congratulated him on his address, noting they, too, had not viewed any untoward youth activity at the plaza. * Lease based on a 318i 4 Dr. $299* per month, $6000.00 preâ€"payment, plus taxes, fre:ghl P.D.E, Offer ends August 31"/94 or while supplies last. THE OAKVILLE ACNE CLINIC DEBBIE BADOWSKI, M.D., LINDA ZIMMERING, M.D. DENISE GRANT, M.D. are now accepting new patients. For the complete evaluation and treatment of all types of acne, our services continue to be covered by OHIP. No Referral Necessary 3 Maple Grove Village To Book An Appointment 511 Maple Grove Drive Call Oakville 8$44â€"1900 2400 SOUTH SERVICE ROAD WEST 845â€"3577 "The Family Business That Service Built" Town Councillor Liz Behrens said the River Oaks‘ problem is not the only one of its kind in town. She cited the Kerr Street area and its solution. (See ‘Community . . .‘ page 5)