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Sherwood Farrow is upset with local absentee landlords Sherwood Farrow, 77, who has lived on Willowdale Place just off Carter Avenue for the past 35 years, has watched homes in his neighbourhood slowly conâ€" verted into rental properties to service the burgeoning university student populaâ€" tion. Fatrow said his comâ€" plaints aren‘t with the stuâ€" dents, or the contentious landlords who maintain their properties, but with the unscrupulous land speculaâ€" tors who try to stuff as many students into neighbouring houses as they can. The absentee landlords do the bare minimum in upkeep on their properties, Retiree upset at absentee landords _ Waterloo retiree says A:Jt_x:entee landlords letting his neighâ€" bourhood go to seed as they continue to collect rents on nearby properties but fail to do proper lot maintenance in the Carter Avenue area of the city. Telephone (519) 885â€"5090 Looking For a New (@itaric (dick hare} . "Wip â€" innuasa*" 1â€"K Motors Authorized BMW Resoiler â€" 527 King St. N. Wt FACTORY SHOWROOM 21 Allen St. W. 585â€"1000 Mon â€"Wed. 9â€"5, Thurs. & Fri. 9â€"6, Sat. 10â€"4 By Bos VrBanac Chronicle Staff e ®=*»*2 "YWe‘re more than just tables and chairs! letting the garbage collect and the grass grow, Farrow said, pointing out a number of problem properties on a tour of the area last Friday. "People buy them, turn them into cubicles, come around with their empty pockets to fill them up, but don‘t give a damn about their properties." "This is a university town, 1 understand that," said Farrow, a retired high school teacher. "What we‘re dealing with here is four or five hard rock situations where there are absentee owners. Farrow said he‘s personâ€" ally complained to these absentee owners in the past with little results, and has since asked the City of Waterloo to _ become involved with some of the properties. The problem is complaints go for weeks with little action. Farrow points to one property that has been a particular eyesore, and has raised his hackles on more than one occasion this year. Continued on page 5 Fine Home Furnisly in Uptown Waterloo * Livingroom Suites * Bedroom Suites * Kitchen & Dining Sets * Chairs * Office Furniture * Lamps * Bar & Kitchen Counter Stools * Home Accents "Not much has happened at the bargaining table," said Gary Adams, a negotiator for the Employees Union (OPSEU) representing the workers. "The first week wasn‘t to our satisfacâ€" tion, but now we‘ve really turned up the heat and stepped up the campaigning. â€" fter over two weeks of Agckeu'ng an agreement end a labour dispute has still not been reached between the Rotary Children‘s Centre and its professional _ "We‘ve sent letters to the area MPPs, as well as the memâ€" Sisters Sabrina (left) and Melissa Zehr took part in a drumâ€"aâ€"thon presented by the NUMUS organization during the annual Multicultural Festval, held last weekend at Victoria Park in Kitchener. The event also featured international cuisine, fine craft items for sale, and entertainment provided by a number of local multicultural organizations. Rotary strike sees little progress By Anprea Baey Chronicle Staff Beating the drum for multiculturalism But Stephen Swatridge, executive director of the Rotary Children‘s Centre, said he is optimistic an agreement will be reached when the parties meet together with a provinciallyâ€" appointed _ mediator â€" this "It will be the first time we‘ve had discussion since the strike I‘m keeping my fingers crossed that we can work something out and get these folks back to bers of the centre‘s board. And we‘ve ran ads stating that it‘s the employer who has the ability and responsibility to end this labour dispute. Only they can Located on Hallmark Drive waiting list; a list which continâ€" ues to grow by the day. But most services have been on hold since June 9 when about 90 staff members, including _ physiotherapists, communicative _ disorders workers, early childhood eduâ€" in Waterloo, the centre works to cultivate the potential of chilâ€" dren and young adults who have developmental, physical and communicative disabiliâ€" The centre provides services and programs to about 3,500 dclients annually, and currently "They have to put up," he said. "They‘ve tried to say.to wait until September or October, but that‘s a cop out." Swatridge explained the centre initially proposed an immediate two per cent salary cation resource teachers and psychometrists, walked off the job after contract negotiations with the employer failed. Adams said the union is requesting a 13 per cent salary increase for its the workers over the next two years. But so far, he said, the centre has not agreed to fulfill the with a promise that talks of furâ€" Continued on page 6 ANDREA BALEY PHOTO