2 Friday, June 9, 2017 brooklintowncrier.com Less than Half the Picture By Richard Bercuson Garde ta veine! When a hockey player on a junior team I once worked with was becoming overwrought, the general manager would tap two fingers on his carotid and tell him in French, "Garde ta veine, mon gars." Loosely translated, it meant, "Don't pop a vein over it, kid." It's good advice for the Facebook aficionados who figured Saturday night's assault at the Brooklin Fair was reflective of a world gone bonkers. One person wondered if this meant the eventual closing of the fair for security reasons. It could happen!!! Perhaps there should be metal detectors, wrote another. Let's first consider these, in order of importance: 1 - We hope the 15 year old victim fully recovers and suffers no lingering effects, physically or mentally. 2 - There were people around who saw the incident or its aftermath. Either can be disturbing. They should get support for having to deal with the experience. Fair organizers had Paragon Security officials to handle tasks like checking bags or directing foot traffic, 20 on the grounds at all times. Meanwhile, the Durham Police placed six uniformed officers and eight auxiliary ones on duty. Auxiliary officers (wearing checkered hats) are fully trained volunteers who act in place of regular police and are able to use appropriate force when necessary, though they don't carry weapons or make arrests. The Fair also had as many as 12 paid DRPS duty officers floating about, at least two of which were always in the midway. So police and security were most everywhere. During Friday's tractor pull, I saw a huddle of teens gathered beneath the stands. Stuff was exchanged. Not hockey cards, was my guess. A crime? Maybe. Where were the cops? Who's to say? Were they doing a "triage" of incidents to address? Don't know that either. Did it look safe around the midway? Yes. Does the Fair attract grimy looking individuals, much like any large outdoor gathering? Sure. The official DRPS statement said "a large group of males" approached the victim with one suspect demanding some of his clothing. When he refused, the assault occurred - under cover of darkness, during Kris Barclay's performance on the Back 40, with police around. Are today's teens a breath away from a criminal act? If you believe it, best to stay indoors. For a truer perspect ive, you could read Sam Yacob's piece in this issue about the Brooklin High students fundraising for cancer. Better fences, metal detectors or airport-like screening measures aren't practical nor financially feasible. The swarm that attacked this boy over clothing would be the same element to break into your unlocked car or swipe your loaded grocery cart from outside Freshco. Yet, you still drive and shop. We call ugly incidents like this aberrations. It's why the Fair's president Ron Grandy stated, "Something like this has never happened before and we'll do what we can to make sure it doesn't happen again." Right. And sometimes it's best to just put your fingers by your carotid and repeat after me... "Proud to be a Brooklinite" Founded in 2000 • Published 24 times annually Editor, Richard Bercuson 613-769-8629 • editorofbtc@gmail.com Locally owned and operated. A publication of Appletree Graphic Design Inc. We accept advertising in good faith but do not endorse advertisers nor advertisements. All editorial submissions are subject to editing. For advertising information, contact: 905-655-7642 Email: yeswomanbrooklin@gmail.com Next Issue: Friday, June 23, 2017 Deadline: Friday, June 16, 2017 Honour Our Veterans Banner Program Brooklin's Royal Canadian Legion, Branch 152, and the Town of Whitby are pleased to announce that the Honour Our Veterans program will continue in 2017. This ongoing legacy pays tribute to all Canadian and Allied veterans and active service personnel from our community. Honour our Veteran Banners will be displayed on lamp posts from early October to November 12. The display will engage the community in honouring and remembering local veterans tol ensure continued recognition and respect for future generations. Each banner will be in honour of a special service person with a connection to Whitby. It will include their name, era served, branch of service, photograph, and the name of the sponsor. The program will be funded through the sponsorship of individual banners. The deadline for submitting applications is July 1, 2017 or until sold out. Application forms are available at the Brooklin Legion. The cost to sponsor a banner is $150. For more information, contact Larry Sutcliffe: 905-655-4681