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8 -- PORT PERRY STAR -- Tuesday, March 13, 1990 Letters io the editor Nestleton Hall is for community use (From page 7) import students from Manvers, why not go to bat for an existing school, thus saving taxpayer money. It seems to me that the real reason for a Catholic school is that once it is established, the church can charge rent to the school board and thus pay for the church. I suggest to Mr. Lynch that if he was offered an existing paid-for school in Nestleton that he would find a way to refuse, because he could not get rent from the school board. It is about time the finances of the Catholic School Board were audited for proper use of the tax payers money. Perhaps the board could build schools (funds from a bond issue?) and not continue to pay rent to the church, which is poor use of the taxpayers money. I urge the Nestleton Communi- ty Centre Committee to reject the proposal for temporary use of the hall for a school. The hall is for LETTERS TO THE EDITOR the editor column to express their opinions and vi about any subject, as we feel a live better community newspaper. We writers sign their name. The Star encourages our readers to make use of the letters to letters column helps make a nsist, however, that all letter fry, no anonymous letters will be printed. community use and should not be compromised by contractual obligations that could and would deny residents its use. Yours truly, Colin L. Kemp Nestleton. ints on just The Young Offenders Act may have its place for some offenders, but it is a ridiculous policy for others. While one teen18 years of age destroys prop- erty, breaks into a store he is tried as a adult, and usually gets the same treatment as all crim- inals. He is fined, and often given a jail term His accomplice, aged 17, helps break the window, helps load the loot into a glad garbage bag, and helps spend the money they receive from the merchandise. But he is only 17, his 18th birthday may be in two months but hey he is still a child, give him a lollipop, and a slap on the hand. Tell him not to do it again, that should convince the lad that criminal behaviour is not the way to go. Maturity does not happen overnight, or in two months, they both knew what they were doing, just because Bobby had the misfortune of being m earlier, he takes the heat for the incident while Johnny gets off scot free. In my opinion if you are old enough to mur- der, old enough to point a gun, old enough to carry out merchandise, or old enough to spend the money who have stolen you are old enough to be tried as an adult. These criminals that get out of a charge be- cause of their age, are not learning that justice prevails, all they are learning is that as long as they are not 18 years of age, they are safe. If a boy or girl aged 14 is caught breaking the law, they are not punished severly, so why not try whatever it is they did again. Heck, they have four more years of safe burglarizing to partake in before they really will be charged. Many say, well if they keep doing it sooner or later they will be punished properly for it. Why let them have that second, third, or tenth time to break the law. If punished the first time maybe they would have learned they couldn't get away with it, and wouldn't do it again. Maybe then one less person would have been burglarized, one less person traumatized, and better yet, maybe it would have saved one less person from being murdered. "When Iwas a young kid | never heard of this high amount of youths being arrested and charged with crimes. Of course there were a few rowdies, I'm nev- er one to say anyone of us were Snow White. But the trouble we got into is in no way a com- Back Talk parison to the trouble the kids get into" today. Sure we were all caught drinking under age, and caught taking a drag of a cigarette. The only difference is we didn't break into places or destroy property as part of the evening's ex- citement the way it happens today., and the cig- arettes we smoked at 10 and 12 years of age were filled with tobacco. I'm not saying we were a smarter generation of children, heck | think one reason noone got themselves into that much trouble is because when we were under the influence or such, we were too darn scared to go out on the streets and publicize it. We usually stayed at a house, we didn't roam the streets at that age. Our par- ents friends may have been out for a walk and see us. The other thing that bothers me is | read some of the cases of young offenders and | see the time that the crimes were being committed. Two, three a.m.. | ask where are these chil- drens parents? When | was that age, my parents would have never in a thousand years allowed me to roam the streets in the middle of the night, and my parents were pretty lenient compared to many of my friends parents. I cannot see why these kids are allowed out as late as they are. | see 12 and 13 year olds on the street at eleven o'clock and midnight. They do not own cars, they are not interested in going to the coffee shop, their friends are not having a party, and they can't get into the bars. | ask you what else are these kids going to do. When a bored teen walks the streets, trouble is their shadow. But Maybe that is the problem, times have changed, kid's curfews have changed, kid's atti- tudes have changed. | wish | could answer the burning question of what to change next to stop the problems, but that is impossible to answer. Maybe a stiffer penalty to those who break the law regardless of their age. If something is not done, | know one thing that is never goin to change and that is the amount of young of- fenders. If they can get away with it, why not keep doing it? Maybe I'm wrong, things may change, but the problem is at this rate it will never be for the better. That is unless you see the rate of young offenders rising a good sign. Recreation committee asks for public's support To the Editor: We, the members of the SCUGOG RECREATIONAL STEERING COMMITTEE are sending this letter to inform you of our progress and the impor- tance of upcoming events. The Steering Committee was formed in 1989 to table a Terms of Reference and develop a Feasibility Study for the recrea- tional needs of Scugog. We will be presenting a report this Spring detailing our consultants findings regarding the expansion of the present facilities to include a se- cond icepad, an indoor swimming pool, a large community hall and related areas for each. This report will represent the culmination of over 4 years work by many dedicated and concern- ed citizens assessing the needs for adequate recreational facilities in our community. In order to apply for Ontario government grants and to justify the needs for such a project, a Master Plan Study and a feasibili- ty Study have to be commission- ed. This process has been on- going since 1986. Now, with the presentation of the Feasibility Study to council this Spring and hopefully with community sup- port, the study will be accepted. Acceptance of the study, in whole or part, will initiate the next stage which will be a building committee to finalize the planning stage and take the pro- ject to tender. Optimistically, con- struction could begin in 1992 and the facility would be ready for oc- cupancy in 1993. What we want to emphasize is that from conception to occupan- cy, the required planning process "will have taken 7 years. If the community does not sup- port the studies recommendations to proceed, we will be back to square one. The door into govern- ment assistance programs will be closed and the planning to date will be shelved. Development in the communities recreational needs will be dormant until at least the year 2000. We realize that the proposed facility will cost the rate payers money to build and operate. Due to inflation, it is definitely more advantageous to build using 1990 dollars rather than 1999 dollars. The residents of Scugog are very active in and proud of the recreational achievements of our community. We deserve a facili- ty which will promote Scugog and keep pace with the great calibre of athletics which we have established. We also want to keep and encourage this talent to grow here, close to our home. Without improvements to our already in- adequate facilities, this talent and experience will be severely hampered and will ultimately disappear. We must realize the benefits such a facility will provide, not necessarily just for the present user groups but for all members of the community, for tourism, for marketing and for future economic development. In March, a questionnaire will be delivered to all residences of Scugog. The bottom line will be .... 'do you feel the Township should proceed with the planning and construction of a recreational facility?' We are asking for your con- sideration and support on this issue. We must positively and en- thusiastically proceed in the plan- ning and development of our com- munity to enhance our own lifestyle. The proposed recrea- tional facility will do that. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact any member of the committee: Glenn McCoy - Chairman Yvonne Christie Pam Fis Allan Goreski Wayne Hancock Martha Larsen Tom Patton Wayne Wilson John Woodward mind that there aren't too man vincial coffers these days. What's the difference? What Scugog council can't understand is why the high- ways dept. would not allow the entrance at this time, irregard- less of plans to widen the highway some time in the future. The people negatively impacted by this, are not the weekend travellers who zip through Port Perry on their way to the cottage, towing boats or ski-doo trailers. No, the impact will be on local citizens, residents of Carnegie Street, and shop owners in the plaza to the east. Viewpoint | by John B. McClelland (From Page 7) local council, will get worse because some bureaucrat in the highways department says 7A should be widened before the entrance is allowed with the signal lights. As for when that might happen, well, its anybody's guess. If it ever happens, it will be a major and expensive pro- ject to widen 7A to five lanes, involving expropriations. You can draw your own conclusions as to the timetable, keeping in y dollars floating around in pro- by Lynn Johnston THEMALLT WINNNA HANG FIROONG ) NAH. Teo FAR TO co. NAH. YOUR : SIS fore /) , ~_3 4 WANNA HANG ARCUNDY WHAT ARE y EVA G HAT ARE THE ACE BOYS DOING 7 EMMERSON INSURANCE BROKERS LIMITED 193 QUEEN ST., PORT PERRY, ONT. 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