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"Scugog's Community Newspaper of Choice" PORT PERRY STAR - Tuesday, April 4, 2000 - § Anti-crime commission recognizes local groups By Rik Davie Special to the Star The Ontario Crime Control Commission recognized two local crime prevention ini- tiatives at a town hall meeting in Newcastle this week. Durham MPP John O'Toole hosted the forum on crime prevention concerns in conjunction with a Newcastle ratepayers group. During the evening, two groups from Scugog were recognized for their efforts to fight crime locally. Inspector Chuck Mercier of 26 Division and probation and parole worker Kim King were accompanied by several mem- bers of the Ist Port Perry Ventures group. The young men have been working with the Durham Regional Police on details such as marine patrol and parade crowd control, and have toured operations including the 911 centre in order to gain a better understanding of police work. Inspector Mercier, who along with Mr. King is well known for his work with local Scouting programs, said the young Ventures were an example of local youth "making a difference." "Great strides against crime have been made in north Durham," Insp. Mercier said. "But not without the support of the public. "We have some fine youth out there and given the proper role models, they are making a difference." Another group recognized by the com- mission with a cer- tificate was Scugog's Road Watch. The pro- gram is operated by volunteers and allows reporting of aggressive or dan- gerous driving habits on Scugog's roads. Reports are sent to police, who issue a warning letter to the registered owners of vehicles involved in reports. Scugog Regional Councillor Ken Gadsden said the Road Watch program has made significant strides in the fight against aggressive driving in the area. "What is notable is that of the 300 or so warnings sent out by police, we have had only about three repeat offenders," he told those at the meeting. "People are slowing down and driving safer as a result." Mr. O'Toole noted that community par- ticipation in such programs is essential to the fight against crime. "This is a sign that the communities are not sitting back and waiting for the police to solve the problems for them, but taking a role in assisting officers to make our towns a safer place for all of us," he said. "I commend them for their efforts." Mercier From page 1 well as vigilance on the part of the pub- lic, we have seen the rate of b&e's decrease 30 per cent," Insp. Mercier said. "These kind of figures are not possi- ble without the help and support of the public. We could not have done this alone." Staff Sgt. Mike Ewles of 26 Division said that in some problem areas, peo- ple have got involved to put a stop to this and other types of property crime. Residents credited with drop in crime "One example of it is in the Scugog Point area, where b&e's were becoming a problem," Staff Sgt. Ewles said. "We helped with increased patrols and organizing community meetings for them, but the residents have taken it on themselves to be more watchful in their neighbourhoods," said Staff Sgt. Ewles. "More and more citizens are taking it upon themselves to make their commu- nities more safe, and criminal behaviour is just not being tolerated anymore. The statistics show that." WISH TO DRAW YOUR ATTENTION TO THE FOLLOW- ING IN OUR CURRENT '2000 ANNUAL CATALOUGE" Page 376: ITEM #6. REESE DRAW BARS. 40-6000X Copy Reads: Fits all hitches on page 377. 2° drop ball platform |o0e. Lb. Capacity. Each 3099 - 69.99 Should Read: Fits all 'Class 1IT Hitches on page 377. Each 30.99 - 104.99 We sincerely regret any, inconvenience we may have caused you emote V0cat - All Tones It Pays To Advertise... Advertise 1 gallon size Regular $10.95 - $12.50 w 3796 Board recognizes students April 13 The Durham District School Board will hold its annual Student Recognition Night on Thursday, April 13 at 7:30 p.m. in the cafetorium at Sinclair S.S., 400 Taunton Road East, Whitby. The event is held each spring to honour up to three students from each of the board's 19 secondary schools who have made significant contribu- tions to their schools or communities or who have inspired others through example. The students to be honoured have been chosen by their principals. Durham Board trustees, staff, princi- pals and school community council chairpersons will join in recognizing the contributions of these outstanding students. Each student will receive a plaque in honour of the occasion. Peace of Mind - George Smith IAS DRS (1 20 CATA RO) A GANG BRED (TT Buyer Beware It is becoming increasingly common for purchasers of resale homes to include in an offer to purchase a condition on being satisfied with the results of a home inspection. "Condition" 1s a term that generally means something that must be met or achieved in order for there to be a binding agreement. Purchasers regularly include conditions on financing or the sale of an existing property. I strongly recommend to clients buying resale properties that the offer be made conditional on the results of a home inspection. I believe that the older a house being considered for purchase is, the more important it is to have a home inspection. 1 frequently get calls from clients who have purchased a resale home after the closing, asking me what can be done about some problem that has been discovered only after they have moved in. Unfortunately the answer is usually, not very much. There is no consumer protection law for buyers of resale homes. Buyers of new homes are well protected by a warranty plan and I will write about new home purchases in a future column. The law for buyers of resale properties however is expressed by the Latin legal 226 Queen Street, Port Perry, Ont. LYL 1BY Garden Centre. om. 5 FLOWERING SHRUBS From April 15th to June 30th Varieties include: Alpine Currant, Beauty Bush, Burning Bush, Elderberry, Silverleaf off Dogwood, Miniature Snowflake, Mockorange, Nannyberry, Darts Golden Ninebark, Purpleleaf Sandcherry, Bridalwreath Spirea, Goldmound Spirea, Goldflame Spirea, Shirobana Spirea, Anthony Waterer Spirea, Minuet Weigela, Purple Weigela, Bristol Ruby Weigela & Vangated Weigela % From April 5th 175 cm (6°); 225 cm (7); Potted or Bare Root Norway Maple, Deborah Maple, Crimson King Maple, Sugar Maple, Silver Maple, Rubrum Maple, Green Ash, White Ash, Mountain Ash, Linden & Locust phrase "caveat emptor," meaning buyer beware. In our increasingly consumer oriented society it seems strange to purchasers that there probably is no right to compensation from the vendor for problems that the purchaser didn't know about. I say probably, because there are exceptions but the more important point and the one I am making here, is that usually there is no right to claim against the vendor. So, while we can debate about whether or not sellers of resale homes should be subject to government regulation, the obvious way for purchasers to protect themselves is with a home inspection. Choose a reputable home inspector, ideally someone you know or trust has used before and been happy with. There is a provincial association of certified home inspectors. It might be a good idea to be sure your home inspector is a member. The home inspection condition should run for several days to a week or so after the expiration of other conditions such as financing. You don't want to spend the approximate three hundred dollars that a home inspection costs until you're sure you can buy the house if it passes inspection. In my next column, I will write more about home inspections and a seller's perspective. CEDIA IV A REL ETRE SDR RER WAH et So {JR to May 31 250 cm (8) Where It Pays Port Perry Star -& Weekend Star (905) 985.7667 IF BUSY CALL (905) 985-4862 ae LOCATED ON NE CORNERS HWYS. 12 & 47 PR poms rape