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(Continued from page 1} "It was a group and an execuâ€" tive decision,‘‘ Burrett said of the issuance of the news release. She emphasized that the women‘s group is nonâ€"partisan and has members from all three parties."‘ Kitchéner lawyer Diane LaRocâ€" que, moderator for the candidaâ€" tes‘ meeting, is quoted in the reâ€" lease as saying ‘"the campaign has focused almost exclusively on our economic problems and has failed to deal with the social consequenâ€" ces flowing from such economic problems. A lot of voters have serious questions on these social issues and are failing to get parties, although in the past she has worked for provincial Conserâ€" vative candidates in Waterloo North riding. She said she is not a member of the Status of Women Group, but as moderator of the Monday meetâ€" ing, she agreed to personally conâ€" tact some of theâ€"candidates or their campaign managers. Her description of negotiations to have Tory candidates Bob Labâ€" bett (Waterioo North) and Al Barâ€" ron (Kitchenerâ€"Wilmot) attend the meeting, varies widely from that of Barron and Murray Matthâ€" ews, Labbett‘s _ campaign manager. LaRocque, on the other hand, claims she doesn‘t recall any reâ€" ference to a possible visit by the cabinet ministers when speaking to Matthews and said "I thought he was being a bit evasive." LaRocque said in an interview yesterday that she isn‘t currently involved with any of the political Matthews told the Chronicle he informed LaRocque that he could not confirm Labbett‘s attendance until tomorrow, by which time he would know whether a provincial cabinet minister would be coming to the city to campaign with Labâ€" bett. He said he‘ll know Thursday whether ministers Larry Grossâ€" man or Reuben Baetz will be comâ€" ing to the riding on Monday, and if they are, Matthews said he would prefer his candidate to campaign with the minister in Waterioo. â€" The all candidates‘ meeting is set for Monday night in the Kitchener library with represenâ€" tatives from all three area ridâ€" **We‘re not afraid of any issue," Matthews said. "But our candidaâ€" te‘s not known and at election time you have to use every avenue you can. We have to get to the most people. If the ministers don‘t come,"" he added, "we‘ll be there (at the candidates‘ meeting)." In the women‘s news release, written by LaRocque, it says Labâ€" bett gave tentative agreement to attend but then campaign headâ€" quarters ‘"took the position that the candidate wanted to concenâ€" trate campaigning in Waterloo."‘ When Matthews was told of LaRocque‘s denial about discussâ€" ing the possible ministers‘ visit, he said in a surprised tone "that was the whole agreement. I guess it (the visit) doesn‘t fit in her NDP workers wear two hats When interviewed yesterday, Barron said ‘‘nobody said anyâ€" thing to me about coming after the meeting‘‘ and his campaign manager, David Zimmer, said he simply told the women he wouldn‘t commit his candidate to arrive by 9 p.m. because council duties took priority. ‘I‘m not trying to duck out from them in the least," Barron said. ‘If council‘s over particularly early, I suppose I would go, even though I don‘t particularly like the idea of going to a meeting late and not knowing what‘s been disâ€" As for Kitchenerâ€"Wilmot canâ€" didate Al Barron, the release says he told the women he wouldn‘t be able to attend due to his duties as a Kitchener alderman at a council meeting the same night. The release says "he deciined to attend after the meeting‘‘ and claimed that Kitchener Mayor Morley Rosenberg had given "a firm commitment‘‘ to attend the meeting by 9 p.m. _ That would mean Rosenberg, running in Kitchener riding, would be the only local Tory candidate to have agreed to attend, even though late, and the women said ‘‘*we are concerned there are going to be three empty chairs for a majority of the presentation." When Barron was informed that Burrett and Stubbs were camâ€" paign workers for NDP candidate Needham, he changed his tune a little and said "this casts a new ltght. I‘d have to consider whether I‘d even show up if council is over early. I‘m not out to skirt any soâ€" cial issues, but I don‘t like being set up." Campaign manager Zimmer dismissed the women‘s news reâ€" lease as ‘"an attempt to garner some publicity and embarrass some candidates." And he said members of the exâ€" ecutive complaining to the press ‘have got to have a conflict of inâ€" terest"" in organizing what should be an impartial debate. when they are campaigning for another canâ€" didate. Barron then confessed he was also dismayed by earlier negotiaâ€" tions with the women‘s group. which, he claims, had threatened to leave an empty chair on stage with his name on it if he didn‘t show. h "I would not be involved." she said if the women‘s group was being used to further the aims of any political party. # ‘‘Our concern,"‘ Mayling Stubbs says in the new release, is that the position of the Progressive Conservative candidates and the party itself on these vital issues (employment, day care, social services, health and pensions) will not be fully represented to the voters." ‘‘That type of threat or coercion doesn‘t appeal to me." he said. However, LaRocque said there is no partisanship involved in the Status of Women group‘s press reâ€" lease or its organization of the candidates‘ meeting. By Philip Jalsevac Council appears ready to approve the installation of new lighting in Waterloo park in response to a rash of indecent assaults that have taken place there. ‘ But the city will not install lighting on the path way leading from Seagram Dr. to Westmount Place through the park, and will discourage its use at night. Council was approached at its meeting by Wim Simonis, president of the University of Waterloo feâ€" deration of students, to provide better lighting in the park as part of a twoâ€"pronged attack on the recurâ€" ring incidents of indecent assault. The park has been notorious for such incidents for about five years, Simonis claims, but the problem has flared up recently with nine incidents in the last year and no offender apprehended. At Monday‘s meeting, council decided to ask comâ€" munity services director Ken Pflug to prepare a reâ€" port on the feasibility of installing lighting on the walkway leading from Seagram Dr., through the wildlife reserve and south to Caroline St. by the Waâ€" terloo arena. That route is generally recognized as the most timeâ€"saving one for university students making their way to and from campus. While councillors appeared generally sympathetic to the problem in the park, some expressed concern about indiscriminate use of pathways when wailking alone at night. Alderman Charles Voelker said ~for the life of me, 1 can‘t understand how some women use the park at night. There has to be some educational proâ€" gram, or we‘ll have to put a fence around the park and lock it." Two rapes have also occurred in the park in Janâ€" uary and February of this year. Teams of students from UW, Wilfrid Laurier Uniâ€" versity and the Waterloo campus ‘of Conestoga colâ€" lege are also beginning patrols in the park today. in conjunction with regional police and a citizens band radio group, REACT (Radio Emergency Association Communications Team}). ° Mayor Marjorie Carroll asked rhetorically ~are there aiternate routes to walking through the park at night? I‘m concerned there‘s not enough consideraâ€" Wim Simonis (left), president of the University of Waterloo federation of students, goes over some notes with Sgt. Duncan Maclachian of the Waterloo region police force and federation viceâ€"president Bob Elliott. The students have initiated a crime prevention program in Waterfoo park to combat a rash of indecent assaults and rapes. (Picture by Hans VanderMolen). @ I set to act ‘ k lighti Almost 30 volunteers are involved in the operation that is intended to act as a crime deterrent. At the least, Simonis hopes council would put one bright light at the footbridge entrance to that path and another about halfway along the distance to the plaza. Teams of volunteer students begin patrolling the park today. They will be wearing brightlyâ€"colored jackets and carry, flashlights, whistles and twoâ€"way radios. The program is planned to carry on through until the end of term for students, but it could go on indefinitely, or, as Sgt. Maclachlan put it "until the matter is resolved." Meanwhile. Sgt. Ducan Maclachlan of the crime prevention bureau of Waterloo regional police, said at a press conference Monday that the role of stuâ€" dent patrols will be "to observe and report." They will be in communication with a REACT base at the nearby police station. He said that route is ‘"much more dangerous although not as necessary to students‘ travel needs. In an interview yesterday, he said *we have to be understanding of their (council‘s) budget conâ€" straints, but you‘re infringing on people‘s freedom if you say there‘s only one pathway when the (whole) park is there for people to use up to 11 p.m." Nonetheless, with or without lighting, Simonis said students have to be made more aware of being careful when using the park at night. Federation viceâ€"president Bob Elliott said in an inâ€" teview yesterday on the whole we‘re happy with that (lighting along the one pathway). It‘s a start. It would be nice if we had lights on both paths, but we understand the financial constraints." Nonetheless, Elliott said Yone light at that footâ€" bridge wouldn‘t hurt, plus one halfway down the path (leading to Westmount Place)." tion individually to their own (students‘) wellâ€"beâ€" ing." + After the meeting, Simonis said he was pleased with council‘s initiative in the matter but hopes it will reconsider its decision not to accommodate walkers along the path leading to Westmount Place. (City bylaws require the park to be closed after 11