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6 - PORT PERRY STAR - Tuesday, May 11, 1993 » "Scugog"s Community Newspaper of Choice" PHONE (416) 985-7383 The Port Perry Star Gd 188 MARY STREET - PORT PERRY, ONTARIO - LoL 1B7 FAX 985-3708 The Port Perry Star Is authorized as second class mall by the Post Office Department, Ottawa, for cash payment of postage. Second Class Mail Registration Number 0265 Subscription Rate: 1Year-$32.10 6Months-$17.72 Foreign -$90.95 includes $2.10GST Includes $1.22GST Includes $5.95GST EDITORIAL BLUE RIBBON AWARD 1992 ADVERTISING EU, Editorial Comment When it comes to new drivers in Onta- rio, it appears the provincial government is taking the students for a ride. Two recent and different pieces of leg- islation introduced by the NDP govern- ment affect the young drivers in this prov- ince. Last week, the Ontario government in- troduced a graduated licensing system which calls for heavy restrictions on all new drivers for the first two years in which they are licensed. Under the new system, set for next spring, new drivers will be required to; - display a sign on the car identifying them as new drivers. - be accompanied by an experienced driver with four years experience and a blood alcohol level of less than 0.05 per cent. - the driver themselves must have no alcohol in their system. - the new driver must stay off the major highways and other urban expressways. - must not drive between midnight and 5am. The first level will last 12 months or shorter if a certified driver education test is completed. Level two is entered after a basic road test is completed. They are then placed on a probation period of one year. The Ontario government has some sta- tistics to back up its new program. In 1991, more than 1,100 people were killed in traffic accidents, 25 per cent of them between the ages of 16 to 24. More than 90,000 people were injured. The recent accident in Caledon which claimed the lives of eight teenagers fur- ther adds to the statistics. But while the province is seeking to place tougher restrictions on new drivers and ensuring that they are safe drivers, 'with well rounded instruction, it is making it harder for students to obtain this in- struction. In a cost-cutting move the government announced that it will no longer fund a portion of the driver's education program currently offered to the schools. This will push up the rates for driving schools for students from $320 to $480 or higher. Statistics prove there is a need for tighter regulations and restrictions placed on new drivers in the province to ensure that they are all safe drivers. But at the same time as we place these stipulations on the new drivers we must ensure that the conditions are realistic, attainable and affordable. Publisher - J. Peter Hvidsten News Editor - Scott Anderson Features Editor - Julia Dempsey Sports Editor - Kelly Lown Advertising Manager - AnnaJackman BUSINESS OFFICE 'PRODUCTION Annabell Harrison, Production - Pamela Hickey, Barbara Bell : i Published every Tuesday by the Advertising Sales - Jackie McDonell oy Ep An gham Port Perry Star Co. Lid. Port Penty, Ontario * GST included In price QUDE! Ais NEN DEAL 1S ToTALLY I: r- | "TO NoT VOTE Duce. &¢ VOTING FOR Nu ia You'ry 8€ Alive, \ / UKE At Lest = = I 45 YEARS AGO Thursday, May 6, 1948 Samuel Farmer died May 3, 1948. He served as editor/publisher of the Port Perry Star for 40 years at the time of his passing and had built the paper from a small, some thought ineffective publication, to a country weekly which he, his family and the town could be proud of -- a fact attested to by the large turn out at the funeral. 30 YEARS AGO Thursday, May 8, 1963 Lightning started a fire which burned the barn on the Jack Masters farm at Manchester. 25 YEARS AGO Thursday, May 9, 1968 The students of R. H. Cornish Public School held a gigantic pop bottle drive with the proceeds going to aid the Perry Winkle Fund. Mr. Edgar Leask celebrated his 80th birthday last week with 37 relatives enjoying dinner at the United Church and a social get-together at his home afterwards. Caesarea was hit by two fires, both happening within 24 hours and destroying a summer cottage and home. The home of Mr. G. Gallagher was destroyed as were the contents, none of it was insured at the time of the blaze. The other fire was at the summer cottage of Mr. Fred Summer of Toronto which gutted the building. According to a letter sent to the Ontario Municipal Board by the Ontario Water Resources Commission, the annual cost for sewage service to the average home in Port Perry will be $126.94. 20 YEARS AGO Wednesday, May 9, 1973 Steve Grieveson received the exciting news that he has been selected to represent Canada on a Sea Cadet Exchange with Sweden, to take place in August. At a regular meeting of Port Perry Council, it was decided to give the local Bantam hockey team a grant of $150. The team won Ontario's "C" Division championship this year. Turn to Page 8 Office Manager - Gayle Stapley Accounting - Judy Ashby, Louise Hope Retail Sales - Kathy Dudley, Marlene Moore OC) wn (a WCNA Member of the Canadian Community Newspaper Assoclation Ontario Community Newspaper Association Back Talk Leftfter to the editor Dogs are doing just great To the Editor: Some of you may remember me as the guy with no wife, no life and less than 30 days to find a home for my dogs, Nicki and Chico. Well, I still have no wife and I'm working on the life, but the dogs are doinggreat. | The last letter I wrote - thanks to this paper and plenty of public support - worked really well. I sat by the phone and waited for it to ring, feeling pretty good about what I was doing, but still un- able to look either of them in the eye. I received more than 10 calls. Some just wanted to wish us well, others told me they were taking the story beyond Durham, and one gentleman -I never did get his name - misread the story and of- fered to buy dog food for Nicki and Chico until I got back on my feet. WOW! The dogs were impressed - me too! Special thanks to Nancy and Sandra, of Ajax, who told me of two organizations I, previously knew nothing about and to Mrs. Gerlitz who just called to ask how things were going. These people and more, deserve thanks just for bothering. Then Lori called. She lives in Sunder- land and she told me she was thinking of getting another dog for her son Davis, but not until July. She told me how she Turn to Page 8 by Kelly Lown A REAL CRIME Stalking victims across Canada are looking to the federal department of justice for the introduction of an anti-stalking legislature. | This is something that should have been done long ago, and needs to be done now before another innocent person is terrified, hurt or killed. The failure to institute a law making stalk- ing an illegal act is typical of the way every- thing seems to work. Stalkers are never arrested because they have not performed an illegal act, thus they cannot be arrested or punished and remain as free as you and I. The stalker is never punished until serious harm has been done. I have never figured out why things work this way. The best example that jumps to mind is that traffic lights are never put up at a dangerous inter- section, despite the facts, until there is just one more fatality then maybe it will be looked into. It is time someone sees the potential dang- er in stalking and does something before someone else is hurt. For those who are unsure, a stalker is a person who spies on you, waits outside your home, your work, calls your home endlessly, and persistently shaddws your every move, despite your best efforts to free yourself from them. Police say that is not a crime. But, no one. should be threatened with that of inva- sion of privacy to the point it affects their work, their life their family and their health. Having someone close to me who has been in this type of situation for several years, | understand the horrof and it is time every- one else does. I find it hard to believe noth- ing is ever done about it. Nothing, except for restraining or peace orders, which are vague and hard to enforce. It gets to the point for these people their whole life is affected, not only theirs but their entire family. It is currently before the courts an anti- stalking legislation to be instituted in Canada, a law which would enable police to arrest, punish and control stalkers. Something needs to be done. If everyone were to think back to a time they were threatened, whether by someone following them down the street, or an obscene phone call, or someone who looks at you twice on a dark street. Think of that fear you feel when you are faced with the unknown and wary of anoth- er's actions . We push it aside, shrug, and a few days later it fades out of mind. These people live with that fear day in and day out as their life is interrupted on a daily basis by an unwant- ed source. Hopefully in the coming month there will bea law against these people, others will understand, and a law will appear before another innocent bystander, or their family suffers the consequences of this Crime that currently does not exist. LETTERS TO THE EDITOR The Port Perry Star encourages our readers to make use of the letters to the editor column to express their opinions and viewpoints on just about any subject, as we feel a lively letters column helps make us a better community newspaper. We insist, however, that all letter writers sign their name and include a phone number for verification. Sorry, no anonymous letters will be published. The Port Perry Star also reserves the right to edit with respect to libelous comments or length of letter.