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or -- -- em Se we or -- 3 Ee ---------- 2 i a " ---- ---- 1 "A Family Tradition for 133 Years" BS A Se Se aap SN ST cE CE CE PORT PERRY STAR - Tuesday, January 26, 1999 - 7 il @he Pod Perey Stag | Question of the | Week... Are you worried about the pre- dicted Y2K problems for the year 2000? Do you have a suggestion that you think would make a good question of the week? Call us at 905-985-7383. Lynda Parker My husband and I have talked about it. We're for sure not going anywhere; we'll stay close to home. I'm not really worried, they' ve had long enough to get it under control. % Lloyd Morden I don't think there'll be any problems at all. There's enough geniuses in the world out there to -get all the problems worked out. Vikki MacPherson I'm concerned... there's no way I'd be flying. There will be some unan- ticipated problems out there and I think we'll Just have to wait for them to work the kinks out. Charles Taylor I'm not really concemed, I think everything will work out okay. From what I've heard... there may be some disruptions for a day or two, but things will be okay. Carolyn Humphrey I think there will be a fair number of problems. | don't think the informa- tion is readily available to us that we need. I guess we'll just have to hope for the best. LETTERS Child poverty in Durham a 'scandal' To the Editor: I was interested and pleased to read your report of declining welfare statistics in Durham Region in the issue of January 19 (Region welfare stats continue to decline in 1998). It is always good news to see that according to our elected and appointed officials, our economy is improving and people are finding jobs. I am more interested, however, in asking questions about what is not mentioned in the article than doubt the figures which are present- ed. According to the Durham Region Social Services department, 14,097 children in Durham Region come from families on social assistance. That is 51.2 per cent of those on social assistance (February 1998). Obviously those children are not finding work. What is being done to assist them? Are they receiving any improvements in their situation as a result of the welfare roll decline? That is not clear. According to the Salvation Army, there was an increase of 44 per cent in children requiring food bank usage in Bowmanville, 46 per cent increase in Oshawa and a 57 per cent increase in Whitby between 1995 and 1996. Why? What is being done to address issues of child hunger in Durham Region? And why do we still have food banks -- which were introduced as a "temporary measure" more than a decade ago -- in this province of plenty? It is a scandal that in this country of opportu- nity and plenty and care, such facilities still exist and have become an accepted part of the social service matrix. The Child Poverty in Ontario Report Card says that the increase in the child poverty rate between 1989 and 1995 in Ontario was the high- est in Canada. What is being done to address this issue? And please, no finger pointing at previous governments. Let's see some positive action in favour of the most vulnerable in our society. How are children being helped in our social ser- vice network? It is fine to say that the number of people on welfare continues to decline. But there are still many, many issues of social policy connected ~ with welfare which deserve our most serious attention. With an election rumoured in the near future, we need to be asking direct questions of all our candidates on these issues, and carefully consid- ering their responses. Rev. David Shearman Blackstock Remember When? This photo of the north side of Queen St., Port Perry was taken about 1950. Some of the points of interest include: angle parking on the street and the decorative brickwork which still adorns the top of many of the buildings. Stores, from right, include thie White Spot Restaurant, Dominion grocery store, I.R. Bentley's Jewellery Store, the Bell Telephone office, Parrish Hardware and Lawrence Drug Store at corer. Editor's Notepad SHOVELED THE ROOF LATELY? VERY INTERESTING: My, but it's been an eventful "year so far, huh? And just last weekend, | got to try something entirely new: | shoveled the snow off my roof. I've never done that before. Shoveling your roof is trickier than it may look. Sure, the pitch makes it a bit easier to move the snow -- it's all downhill, you could say -- but it also makes it easier to let your momentum carry you head first over the edge, and into the snowbanks below. | experienced some close calls -- thank God we live in a bungalow -- but came out of it alive. Here's hoping that from now on the snow removal is limited to the driveway. FOND FAREWELL: It is with some sadness, but all the best wishes, that we here at The Star bid farewell this week to Sgt. Ken Hudson of the Durham Regional Police. For the local media, Ken's been the main man at 26 Division, filling us in week in and out on the occurrences and arrests involving our local coppers. We've always appreciated his frank, straightforward approach -- no B.S., thanks, we're on deadline -- and his willingness to provide us with the information we needed to get our job done. Now he's retiring, and we'll miss him. Ken has dedicated many, many years to the police service here, and he is spoken of with admiration and respect among his peers on the force, and the media people with whom he dealt. All the best, Ken. Thanks for everything. HURRICANE HAZEL: Everyone who went to the Chamber of Commerce's annual general meeting last Wednesday night was probably expecting a unique speech from the guest speaker, and Mississauga Mayor Hazel McCallion didn't disappoint. She cast her acerbic gaze upon federal and provincial governments, chambers of commerce and -- gasp! -- the Metroland chain of newspapers (the Quicki-Marts of the media world), among others. She is akin to a flamethrower, or a limited nuclear blast. Nothing is left of the target after the launch is complete. If she should ever choose to stop being mayor of Mississauga (or whatever else she has in mind... say, why's she's on the dinner speaking circuit these days, anyway?), her talents could be put to good use in any number of capacities. Coach of the Mississauga Icedogs, for instance. FEARLESS SUPER BOWL PREDICTION: The line today is 7, so | say take the Broncos, and the points.