PAGE 4, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 29,,1977, WHITBY FREE PRESS whitby Voice of the Cou nty Town mike The only Whitby newspaper independently owned and operat iERVUNG OVER 28,000 READERS r Published every Wednesday by M.B.M. Publishing and Photography Inc. Phone 668-6111l The Free Press Building, e Burgess, Publisher-Managing Editor 121 Brock Street North, IL - ..,. .P.O. Box 206, Whitby, Ont. ied LIy vviy residents for VVli[Dby resîients. Community Editor ..ontributing Editor Production Manager Print & Promotional Mianager .,Iassified Ad Manager Circulation Manager -Brian Winter -JIM Quail -Marje Burgess -Robin Lyon -Marlene Byron"l -Sharon Lyonl Mailing Permit No. 460 Member of the: Better Business Bureau of Toronto Whitby Chamber of Commercej Wat happened to the safety ruiles? A rather disturbing incident occurred last week while the publisher and editor of the Free Press were delivering papers in West Lynde-an incident that merits some comment at this tirne when children are getting out of sehool for the summler. We were proceeding along one of the courts in the West Lynde subdivision, and had to corne to a stop because about five eidren aged about three to five years were sitting playing ini the middle of the road. The road was littered with tricycles, bikes and other playthings, and it wvas only with great reluctance that the children e,"len bothered to move slightly out of the way of the car. Our publisher Mike Burgess spoke to the onlly aduit in sight, a - wornan standing on a lawîi nearby, and pointed out to her the danger of leaving chldren unattended to play on the roads. 'Everybody here knows thiere are children playing on the streets", said the womnan, who implied that ail drivers would slow down and drive around the children (possibly driving on the curb to accomplish this). When we suggested that the chiîdren would be safer playing in their back yards, she replied: "You can't ride a bike in a backyard". She also complained that there were no sidewalks for the children to play on. We continued ta express our concern that a driver cannot see a small child sitting in the street, over the hood of his car while trying to squeeze by, until it may be too la te. Her parting comment to us was: "Well, they are not my kids anyway". This is not just an isQlated incident, for ini mnny of the courts of West Lynde (and other town streets) there are very young children playing in the street, completely unattended and unwatched, and the courts are littered with bikes, tricycles and other playthings. This whole situation provides a r;ýonsiderable danger to the chldren and drivers alike. It is a fallacy to think that because you live on a dead-end court that your chldren are safe from traffic. The very thought of allowing c hildren to play in the street is contrary to ahl safety rides that were (and we would think still are) taught to chiîdren in school. What happened to the basic safety rules that ail children learned 20 years ago? As for the woman 's complaint about nio side- walks to play on, she and lier neighbours can petition the 'town to have sidewalks installed under the Local Improvement Act, providing they are willing to pay a portion of the cost. It may be true that one cannot ride a bike as well in a back yard as on the street, but the place for a pre-schooler is in the back yard; not on the street. Children will not be able to develop a sense of respect for traffic if they are allowed to play in Dear Editor: To tlue Free Press editorial of June I 5th "Don't you forget Wlitby, Mr. Ashe", we would like ta add: "And don't forget North Pickering cither, Mr. Ashe !". Ta those nlot acquaint- ed with North Pickering it is that rural area north of the third concession, mostly ignored, by the politicians,where Toronto durnps its garbage, whiere thousands of acres of farmland lays idt-, while Thcrnks from fair Dear Sir: On behaîf af the Brooklin Spring Fair Parade committee we would like ta extend our sincere appreciat ion ta REACT, the Durham Regional Police and the Ontario Provincial Police fo r their outstanding co-operation during mar- shalling and the duration of the parade. Your co-operation and advice was greatly appre- ciated. Thank you once again. Yours trLly, Margaret Andrews, Chairman Brooklin Spring Fair Parade. Ottawa searches ror oit wells ta fuel the proposed airpor.t, and whbire more thousands of acres of expropriated farrnilands are occuipied by tenants while Queens Park Researchi searches for money ta finance the construction of its Cedarwood City. The rural residents of North Pickering have always been outshouted, outvoted and outsmarted er seeks relics of Boer War Dear Editor: t is seventy-tive years since the Peace of VEREENIGING brought the Anlglo-BoerWar toaa close. The Boer War was the occasion of Canada's firtt major overseas miii- tary campaign, and relatively little has been written about the partici- pation of the Canadian contingents. 1 arn engaged in researcli- ing thie rote of the Canadian forces in this col1flict, -and I airni anxiotis to get in touch with SUrviving veterans or with friends of veterans. Voltinteers frorn Ontario were especially proinrent in the Canadian conitingents in South Africa. 1 will be travelling and researci- ing throughoUt Ontario during the next few months and- 1 would be most grateful if readers cauld assist me in this project. 1 arn especially anxiouls ta gain access to papers in private possession per- tain ing ta the War. Should readers be aware of the existence of letters, d iaries, scrapboo ks, photo- graphs, paintings or any other pertinent material, 1 would be miost apprecia- tive if tliey would write to me at the address below as soon as possible. lI addition ta the traops, thcre. were also Canadian correspon- dents, dactafs, nurses, *priests and teachers whio werit ta Sotith Africa. Any information aboLt these 1particilXlnts wotilc also be greatly appreciat- ed. H-ug h Robertson, 224 Springfield Road, Ottawa, Ontario, KI M MK. by the politicians and the uirban residents ta the souith. It wouild be interesting ta knowwhy Whitby gave Pickering's Mayor Ashe a two thirds majority in the recent election, while in his home territory he was rejected by twô hundred votes? We have heard of citizens trading their vote for a glass of whiskey, so perhaps Whitb y has done things on a grander scale and shown it's gratitude ta the Conservatives by trading its vote for a liquior warehouse? Yours sincerely, John Livingstone, R. R. 1, Locust Hill, Ontario LOH IJO. Don't forget North Pickering too, says reader il - à à ýý 4, 'k-,* ý- -,