I PAGE 6, WIIITBY PREE PRESS, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 28, 1987 .~AJ VOICE 0F THE COUNTY TOWN Published every Wednesday By 677209 Ontario Imc. Phone: 668-6111 Doug Andeî son Pubtîsher Maurice Pif her Editor Peter Irvine Advertising Manager Alexandra Simon Production Manager The only Whithy newspaper independently owned and operated by Whitby residents for Whitby residents Whitby hospital board'members welcome, and deserve, any support they can get from local groups or individuals as they seek to expand the Town's hospital. Board chairman Bill Wallace has stated the case before Town council members -it's a matter of survival. Whitby General is in close proximity to other hospitals which draw many Whitby residen- ts, including obstetrics patients. When the Ministry of Health recently approved more longterm care beds for Whitby but no additional acute care beds, the fear was justif ied that Whitby Hospital survival General would only become a longterm care facility. An acute care bed expansion is required, notes Mr. Wallace, if the hospital is to ever grow to its multi-story capacity and to provide those medical services that are now referred by local physicians to other hospitals, includinq obstetrios. And the importance of obtaining those special services in one's own community can't be understated, since Whitby General, after ail, is intended by its board to be a hospital for ail its community residents. Without extra beds and services, there's an iden- tity problem.' The Town has pl&dged support, new Durham Centre MPP Allan Furlong will work to obtain more beds from the new Minister of Health, Elinor Caplan, and the board continues its efforts to have dialogue with the new minister. Letters or even petitions of support f rom Whitby residents mhight state the case even further. As Mr. Wallace pointed out, Markham-Stouffville area residents fought long and hard for their own facility which will provide most services when open. Whitby already has the facility, residents should now join in the effort to make it adequately1 serve our growing town.. LETTERS FROM OUR READERS Why rec complexes, hotels favored over hos pi*tal?9 'ri) the editor: 1 see that the Rossland rec comn- pl ex is approved and -hotel plan gets council approval in principle- but board chairman Bîlh Wallace has to iterally beg l'or "support t'or expansion of' Whitby General H-ospital-. This situation is comparable to Toronto H-ospital l'or Sick Children and the multi-million dollar -Dome sports stadium.-Sick Kids. a world-renowned. wondert'uI and benef'icial institution has Io "run- telethons. appeal Io Joe Publie through l'und drives etc . for mornetary support But al the ddop ol'a hat the nlew dome sports coin plex gets governimerit granlis ii) protect the virile. *overîndulgod. over-paid. muscle mcii. ramely 1 hi foot bal lers. baiseba illrs etc., *rfron the elemenis. while the weakecle. underprivilegted, incapacitated, crippled and disease hurdenoed patients ai Sick Chtdror' n msi r'un marathon TýV prornot i<îns anrl media appeal 14o obi ai nf'urds f*m, additional Ifacilities Who is more iin noed ol'a hed -a toîuri ng t ravel er who has a clni ce oif a rest îng place or acrniatv 111 pat 1011? whlias 1.,;noed of t)stîawa Gviîerajl s coinpteel v ovcrhurdenod for adequ<î i ospace anîd t ho .Ajaxc Pîckrir ng Ilospi lil ruîîs ail uIt capacif y So ai i lus poiiit in time, more beds are needed for the Whitby hospital. There is, (or i nst anrce. no gori alt nc carei.1 a Wliiilhy Geleral anld Illie lderlv intusi bo son, b Whiibv Psychiatric lHospital toi, car<'. \vliclî is a nako- shift solul oti V/i 1 h ilie populat i Ongrowtlhi i ri holi Whit by area anîd Dutlîain Rogiotn. rosdon ssholdho given priorit y pri vi loges over I îaîîsieit<)urist s and il is lit oral ly su ckoîîing ihat l)romotiotnal giînînicks such as poli od plant s- anîd ri ck boulevards" are always given prioriîy over'bicycle paths. more, police patrolliîîg sidewalks and. parking f'acilities ini downiowni Whitby. Similarly. h<spiî ais should be, gîven preferential fuîiding over recreational complexes and hotels. 'Patient' Observer. Barbai'a Black Osha wa Thanlks to food contri*butors Letter was unf air to Anderson To the editor: On behaîf of the Daily Bread Food Bank and the local agencies which mnake up the Durham Region Emergency Food Network, I would like to thank those people who con- tributed to the Thanksgiving Food Drive. Their generosity will help local organizations to supply those who corne to them for aid. It can be difficult to admit that in our prosperous communities. people go hungry. However, the Salvation Army. Seventh Day Ad- ventists and other services know tha t nea rly 4,000 people needed food last year. kPovertry exists in Oshawa and Whitby and these ser- vices help its victims. Sincerely, Susan Fletcher Executive Director, Social Planning Council To the editor: Re: "Anderson's initiation day is inappropriate" (Free Press, Oct. 7/87. Abolishing initiation would be senseless! For one thing, it's the senior students' informal welcome to the frosh. Also, initiation is both fuin and harmless. Initiation is part of Gr. 9 and for me, it is just another funny memory now. If I hadn't been initiated I wouldn't have feit like a part of the sehool. An added bonus -I even survived without any "mental scars of humiliation. " Anderson studeits have initiation because we can handle it. At schools such as Pickering and Henry they don't have initiation because they abused it by doing tlhings like pouring Neet (hair remover) over froshes' heads. Is that anyone's idea of maturity? If Grade 9 students are too "men- tally scarred" to have fun while meeting new people (which is what our initiation is aIl about) then they shouldn't even be in high school! That letter gave Anderson a bad name when it's really a great school -in aIl respects. Also, was the letter writer once at an initiation day? I doubt it! How could the writer then know what went on? The writer got a one-sided story from a frosh who is obviotisly too immature to uinderstand the dif- ference between honest fun and "torture." This is our school and our life. We have the right to our own opinions and our fun. As for that writer, you had your chance while you were in high school. Well, now it's our ime, 50 don't try to ruin it for us. Lauira Bird Anderson student 1I POgRW iii-rBe lqqo 1 LETTERS The Whitby Free Press welcomes letters to the Editor on any subject of concern to our readers. Letters should be brief and to the point - rarely more than 300 words. Ail letters must be accompanied by the name, address and phone number of the writer; however, on request, your name may be withheld from publication if we agree that there is a valid reason. The paper reserves the right to rejeet or edit ai lèltters. 'Send to: The Editor, Whitby Free Press, Box 206, Whitby, Ontario L1N5S1 or drop through our mailsiot at 131 Brock St. N. M---- ffl- The Free Press Building 131 Brock Street North. P-O. Box 206. Whitby. Ont.