Dothe people of Whitby* ýi ransIL deserve the .privilegeO, By BLAKE PURDY Staff Writer Do, the people of Whitby deserve the privilege of public transit? That question was to be answered in a private meeting Tuesday between representa- tives of Charterways Company Limited and the Town of Whitby. At press, time, the Free Press did flot know what decision the two parties had reache4. Charterways' .1 0-week Whitby Transit experiment ended on Saturday. The intra-town experiment was conducted with the blessing of and a $1,00 subsidy from the Town. Belncfore the experiment began, Charterways and the Town had agreed that, at the conclusion, the two parties .,would sit down and decide the economical feasibility of continuing the service. An average of 14 people used- the bus each day, according to Charterways' Manager Archie Groth. That is f ar short of the number required to justify extending the service let alone make it self-supporting. It would be impossible to really make it self-support- ing", said Mr. Groth. "You would have to have 300 a day or more"' He said that the experiment went about as well as he expected, noting, that fewer people use buses in the summer than in colder months - because many are away on holidays and those who are around do flot mind walking as much. Despite the $1 ,800 he estimnates Charterways lost as a resuit of the poor response to tIfe experimnent, Mr. Groth said before the Tuesday meet- ing that he was optimistic that the service may be extended. "It will be up to the Town", he said. "I really don't know". "l haven't given up hope yet", saidMr. Groth.1 "The Town does sound quite interested." September 20 Rejuvenation of downtown will be to pic of meeting These smiling young soldiers are Whitby children who spent their summer getting up'a war museum in a family garage on Lupin Drive. From Ieft to right are Sean Boyes, a friend from Scarborough; Jimmy Moon; Greg and Jeff Clark, whose garage was used for the museum; and Tom Stead. The chitdren one day last Thursday and had 60 visitors. opened the museum for See Page 16. Free Press Photo by Brian Winter Service station owner: Poice protctonhas im proved Police have been keeping aj close eye on Bowers Texaco' since a recent story was published in the Frce Press, outling the frustration of owner Sam Bowers over the number of unsolved crimes perpetra.,tèd on bis business. Tlic story, published in th1w August 25 issue of the Free Press, lis ted' four 'unsolved crimes on his Brock Stret North service station, whichi he hias owned for four years; outined the precautions lie has taken againsi suchi incidents, whicli have been unsuccessful; and described his frustration, wlýich increases with each occurrence. 1Only days after thc story wvas pîibliled, Bill1 Boweî's noticed that police officers' were keeping a close eye on thc service station, somnething Mvr. Bowers alleged fihey were not doing before. M r. l3owcrs clainis bliat mi1e norniing. sorily after Iliat, two police cruisers pullcd Liu1 tô Iiis station withi red lighits flasliing. The officers walked intobtc station and asked. lm iiif lhe was being heid up as tlwy hiad re&c-ivcd a report that an arrncd robbery was in progress ai a Whitby service station. "'I don't know if il was just tc show that they wcre ar-ound or if ihcy rcally did gel a(call", says Mr. Bowers. He attributes ihis inecascd police protection 10 thie recent story.. "It did bring ilîeni around", says -Mr. Bowers. It did soine good". Rejuvenation of the down- town core will be the subject of a Septimber 20 meeting 10 which ail business and professional people frorn the area have bcen inviied. Thosc in atiendance will set two possible dates for a meeting with represeniatives froun. t1e province who tour Ontario giving advice on ways and means of upgrading business arcas. Several areas tlîroughoui Ontario have undergone facelifts based on recoin- mlendations made in the pre- sentat ions. Thc closest example is downtown Oshawa. The executive of the Whiiby Downtown Business and Professional Association feel the Septemnber 20 meet- ing is one of the. miost important in moulding the future of the downtown core and would, therefore, like to- sec representation fromi as mnany of the establishments in the area -- bouinded by Mary Street on the north, Athiol on the east, Dunlop on the souih and Centre on the west --- as possible. "We have 10 have the back- ing of the merchants and the professional people," says association treasurer Bol) Catton, noting that, if there is 10 be any -rejuvenation il the downiown people xvill pay - "A general cleanup of the wholc downtown is whai is needed", says Mr. Catton. "Wc have to make il more suitable for people tu corne downtown and shop". I thînk, with the rîurriber of people moving mbt this nîunicipality, we, really hiave 10 do somiething lu keep tîbern hiere to shop", lie says.. "We don't have any other way to go. You corne to the point where you either live or you die". "The (provincial) govern- ment doesn't want to put more money into shopping centres", says Mr. Catton. "Shopping centres hav e had their day and it's up to the downtown people 10 attract the people back". Association president Linda Russell agrees, saying I1 think people are tired of irialîs. They're too crowded". I think they're going to shop downtown, again but they've got to have stores to shop in, things to do and things 10 sec", says Mrs. Russell. Mr. Catton and Mrs. Russell agree that one of the first steps which should be taken to attraci people down- town is the provisioni of more off-street parking. The Town is apparently co-operating with the associa- tion in the huât for space for off-street parking. The Town seenis to be co-operating in other phases of' the planned rejuvenation as well. Director of Develop- menti Forbes MeEwen accom- panied Mr. Catton onl a recent day-long session on revitiliza- lioni of retail districts in Toron to. "Thc Town are ready t0 work with us", says Mr. Caiton. "Il xviii aIl have to be donc throughi council". The September 20 meeting begins at 8 p.rn. ai Russell TravQl Limited, 116 Brock Street Sout1h. Anyone who plans 10 attend should con- tact M rs. Russell a t 668-5000. UMM. THE HAPPY WARRIORS 'e A, Vi le ,FR E ...-P IR E ýsIl