PAGE ' HIBYFREEÉSWËIDNEsbÂY;' OtME19, 1989 e fe VOICE OF THE COUNTY TOWN o-- r ~?WW Published every Wednesday By 677209 Ontario Inc. Phone: 668-6111 Doug Anderson Publisher The Free Press Building 131 Brock Street North, P.O. Box 206, Whitby, Ont. Maurice Plfher Editor Peter Irvine, Advertising Manager Alexandra Simon Production Man'ager The only Whitby newspaper Independently owned and operated by Whitby residents for Whitby residents. Residents of the Manning RdiGarrard Rd. area made it loud and clear to adminstrative committee Monday night that they do not want a strip plaza in their neighborhood. The proposai by Jarigay Investments Ltd. to build the plaza at the southeast intersection of Manning and Garrard Rd. (the intersection will be created when Manning is extended eastward from Garrard) came under fire from residents (about 200 turned out) who claimed there were enough services for them within five minutes of their neighborhood. For the residents, the developer could not have picked a more inopportune time to have a strip plaza application before a council that has heard many complaints that Not needed Whitby already has enough strip plazas within its borders. But we would hope that the plaza would not receive approval from council whether an election was held or not. The residents are correct in saying they do not need the plaza. But another reason for turning it down is a study now underway on the commercial nodes in the area. Let's wait and see what the planning department recommends before approving any new commercial development in the area., As a.representative for Jarigay said Monday night, the application was only put forward because Manning is to be extended eastward from Garrard, One councillor has already noted that when council creates a new intersection, there automatically appears an application for a gas sttion at that intersection. Let's not start seeing strip plazas beside those gas stations. Whether r 'not this is an election year, our councillors should oppose the application for no other reason than it is not needed. LETTERS FROM OUR 'READERS Why has The Lord's Prayer suddenly become offensive? To the editor: Copy ofletter to Premier David Peterson: I am apalled at the recent decision to remove The Lord's Prayer out of our schools. We are now three generations of full-blooded Canadians. Why has this suddenly become offensive when the Lord's Prayer has been said for years and very much a part of Canadian school tradition? I have respect for other ethnic cultures and beliefs but new Canadians must recognize and respect the traditions in the lands that feeds them. I am beginning to feel we are losing our objections we will lose Canadian rights, and if we don't let the government know our SEE PAGE 9 Letter about prayer was 'dr-ivel To the editor Enough is enough! Another summer, another heinous water bill. My $157 bill included $97 or 61 per cent in sewer charges. Not a bad markup when 80 per cent of. the water splashed onto the lawn. Durham Region is already ov- ertaxed and underserviced. This represents an obscene windfall profit. We are being penalized for maintaining our property and en- hancing the appearance of the re- gion. Previous conceins were sloughed-off in a cavalier manner by some of our elected officials. Let's do something. A more equitable, fair and re- alistic system would be to average To the editor: In response to the article "Tired of complaints about poor senior citizens" ( Free Press,.Sept. 28/88), I say hurrah to this lady as I feel only a lady would write such truths. I was married to an alcoholic for years who wouldn't or couldn't work much of the time, leaving me to raise our five children myself. I often worked at two jobs, depriving me of any decent home life. But our children all turned out quite well. I am now retired and receiving my old age pension, Canada pension and a supplement. I have no other income as I never owned my own home and since my husband died some years ago, I have no other pensions either. the sewer charges for the other three quarters and use that as the summer charge. This would more accurately reflect internal consumption requiring treatment. Where does all the money go? If you would like to know and a- gree with the above suggested bil- ling system write to me. All let- ters received by Nov. 15, 1988 will be presented as a petition at the next regional meeting and ac- tion will be demanded. Ask your neighbors to write. Ask your aspiring candidates, it's your money they're taking. Alan S. Fairservice 17 Bateman Crt. Whitby, Ont. L1P 1E5 But I find that life since my retirement is very rewarding - I have my independence, security, all medical bills paid for through OHIP, a lovely apartment and a freedom I have never felt before. I remember years ago when old people were either put in an old age home if they couldn't live with their families or they lived a very poor existence alone with next to no income. They were even expected to work to some degree in the old age homes to offset expenses, I suppose. Today we are fortunate to live in this country. As M. Managham said in her very truthful letter in your newspaper, we all need to be more grateful. Mrs. B. Franke Whitby To the editor: I must admit I was very am- used by the Oct. 12 letter from Barbara Black regarding prayer being removed from school exer- cises. What drivel! Black states she belongs to an "intelligent, God-fearing and lit- erate society," while non-Christ- ians are "uneducated" and ignor- ant. I am educated, very well read and a known author in my field; I also believe in the Christ- ian God. (Other uneducated and illiterate people who could make that statement include Mohandas Gandhi, Kung Chiu, Confusius and Friedrich Nietzsche.) Despite Black's belief that proper conduct is indigenous only to Christians, I do not have AIDS, do not take drugs, and I sleep with only my husband. I would also question someone who cited Hurricane Gilbert as proof that God exists, since I've always been told that God is merciful and for- giving and thousands of people were left homeless. I do not believe in prayer in schools, in forcing people to swear oaths on the Bible (to me, it's just a book of stories with no more meaning than Mother Goose, but it's just my opinion and I do not force it upon others), and I do not believe that God should be men- tioned in Parliament, unless of course He is planning to intro- duce a bill or something. Funniest of· all was Black's statement that the ethnic factions (whom she lumps together,in the "ignorant" category, although I know lots of Christian Chinese, Jamaicans and Africans) came to Canada, a "civilized, Christian- ized country" unwilling to "meld into our way of life," unwilling to "do as the Romans" when "in Rome." (For you educated Christ- ians, the Romans were polythei- stic and also put Christians to death for their beliefs.) Unless Black's real name is Blackfoot, she, too, had ancestors who came to Canada and refused to meld into the way of life. The real Canadians, the original in- habitants of this country, were native Indians who worshipped gods of trees and animals, not the Christian god which Black is de- termined to thrust upon all of us. The mark of any great couniry - and any pious Christian, for that matter - is tolerance of dif- ferent customs, even if they are unfamiliar. I have learned some- thing from Christianity, from Buddhism, from Hinduism, from Judaism. It's collecting knowledge from many sources, rather than ignoring them, that makes for true education. Tolerance, not forced prayer, is the only hope we have to im- prove our country and the world. Intolerance led to the Crusaders to slaughter non-believers, the Ku Klux Kan to lynch blacks, Adolf Hitler to exterminate the Jews. Ail of these people read the Bible, believed in God and were devoted to prayer. God himself, in Deut- eronomy 2:20-23, wasn't above destroying a few tribes who were taking up space where the chosen people were meant to go. Prayer is. fine for those who believe in it; they can follow their religion at home. School is for ed- ucation, and tolerance. Sincerely, Jil McIntosh R.R. 1, Oshawa FORrr-7 ECYCLIs.U 1 ~ BTTLES~. .. J q-ijur~vuÙï ~ FRs PA PERS ~ i. ~IE r:lFr-0 A G * N~ -P l Eff'Cc ,L _1 Ne, 44So do they take the old leaves, grind themn up and make new ones out ofthem?" ~~1 Enough is enough! more We alneed to be more grateful 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. All 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 reject or edit al letters. Send to: The Editor, Whitby Free Press, Box 206, Whitby, Ontario LiN 5S1 or drop through our mailslot at 131 Brock St. N. 1% ML '77777=