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"A Family Tradition for 132 Years" PORT PERRY STAR - Tuesday, December 1, 1998 - 7 eR Tepe Question of the 'Week... Will you use GO bus service when it arrives in Port Perry Jan, 2? Do you have a suggestion that question of the week? Call us at 905-985-7383. : Rick McCoshen It's a great idea. for the seniors, but I you think would make a good would have concerns if it sends area shoppers to the big malls in Toronto. Sohn Irwin It should be great for students and the older people, but it really doesn't affect me personally, one way or the other. Bob Smith I don't commute myself, but this kind of service can only benefit Port Perry. It - will give people access to the city. LETTERS Teen assault can't be met with apathy in this small town To the Editor: Two high school girls approached the 13-year-old female victim when she was walking back to school during her lunch period. Words were exchanged and the large group of teenagers gathered closely to see the fight. There were boys among the large group of onlook- ers, who attended the same elementary school as the victim. They hugged the ringleader when she approached and assisted her by positioning them- selves around the victim and chanting "fight, fight, fight!" The victim has a strong belief in God, and prayed for some quick advice before the violence began. God told her to calm down and turn the other cheek because if she retaliated, she would be held respon- sible for the incident. So even though she has self-defense skills, she restrained herself and eventually had her feet kicked out from under her by one of the boys watch- ing. She covered her head with her hands and was kicked several times in the head, punched, and had French fries and snow smeared in her hair. The ringleader warned everyone in the crowd that they would have the same thing done to them if they went to the police. The fight ended and the victim's friends helped her up. They went straight to the nearby police sta- tion to report the incident. Only the original culprits were charged with assault. The boys who postured/chanted around the victim, and the boy who tripped her were not deemed to be "involved." Not this time anyway. Sounds like a story from Toronto on the "Spadina Girls" right? Nope, this happened in the idyllic town of Port Perry, Ontario. Yet you probably won't read about it in any news story because these so- called "gang beats" are pretty commonplace in rural towns. People turn a blind eye and believe this is just dessert for teens who have the audacity to make comments about the tougher or more popular kids in town. Doesn't that equate into: as kids become adults the wrong words through the rumour mill getting to the tough and or popular will result in almost justifiable violence? What decade are we living in here? What kind of mentality are we perpetuating? To wit: an incident occurred recently in a Port Perry bar whereby an adult female accidentally bumped into a 20-year- old female while playing pool. The 20-year-old responded by challenging the adult to a fight. What? Is there any social progression in this rural community? I challenge town officials, Durham Regional Police Chief Kevin McAlpine, school principals, teachers and parents to take a long hard look at the violent incidents that continue without any com- ment, outrage, or perhaps knowledge, by members of this community. Remember, no official action plan to reduce youth violence and public minimization of violent acts becomes the same apathy we denounce when we hear of the violence in big North American cities like New York. Am I overstating this? I don't'think SO. And by the way: I have intimate knowledge of the aforementioned, as I am the Godmother of the victim. My Goddaughter continues to receive threats by telephone and violent threats from the culprits' friends, all because she had the fortitude to report the assault to the police. She and her parents have chosen to rely on the justice system to deal with this matter and do not know that I forwarded my concerns. Carol Code, Uxbridge \ i - Me SNARE Sid I'll stick with Mayor Moffatt, thanks To the Editor: Re: "Did we make a mistake in turfing out Mayor Hall?" Peter Langmuir's letter Gadsden as Mayor and (Port Perry Star Nov. 24) miss- es two points: one, the status quo tends to stagnate a com- munity, while change enriches. seat. And two, if Mr. Hall had been re-el@cted he would not have been mayor for long; the elected Mayor Moffatt. region called. I suggest the following sce- nario: Hall elected Mayor, Hall "elected" through the old boys' network to Regional Chairman, Hall anoints Carruthers as Regional Councillor, and announces an election for Carruthers Ward 2 All this would be legal. All I can say is I'm glad we Colin Kemp, Nestleton Victorian Village an important issue i a a STL PHOTOCOUATE PORT PERRY CURLING CLUB The Port Perry Curling Club celebrated its 40th anniversary in the present curling arena this past week, and over those years there have been countless bonsplels. This week's picture features the winners of the Peel's Poultry Farm Boxing Day Bonspiel in 1965. The winning rink was, from left, Don Hadden, Cliff Rodd, Bill Cornish and Rodd Foster, seen accepting the trophy from Peel's president Dr. John Price, = To the Editor: In the Tuesday, Nov. 17 issue of The Port Perry Star, Scugog Mayor Moffatt "looks back at a year dominated by two issues." I am surprised that the problem with Victorian Village/Ribcor Developments was not includ- ed with your report of Mr. Moffatt's concerns. I'm sure the residents of Victorian Village have very little else on their minds. Since my letter to you ear- lier this year, I have seen only one story in The Star and can- not understand why there isn't more coverage of this impor- tant subject. The one article, I must say, was factual and not biased. Surely we could have more of the same as the story is of prime importance to lots of other residents of Scugog as well as the Victorian Village homeowners. This ostrich-like approach on the part of the newspapers will not make this problem disappear. Wouldn't Mayor Moffatt's agenda be dominated by this issue as well? Mrs. Claire McIntosh, Port Perry