Page 6, Whitby Free Press, Wednesday, November 17,11993 The only Newspaper owned and operated by Whitby residents for Whitby residents! MEMBER OF: ONTARIO CANADIAN COMMUNITY COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER NEWSPAPER ASSOCIATION ASSOCIATION E, CANADIAN CIRCULATIONS CNA DIVISION AUDIT BOARD ISSN#0844-398X 26,500 COPIES DELIVERED WEEKLY Published every Wednesday by 677209 Ontario Inc. Box 206, 131 Brock St. N., Whitby, Ontario L1N 5S1 Phone: 668-6111 Toronto Line: 427-1834 Fax: 668-0594 Doug Anderson - Publisher Maurice Pifher - Editor Alexandra Martin - Production Manager Printed on newsprint with minimum 20% E6' recycled content using vegetable based inks. © All written material, illustrations and advertising contained herein is protected by cppyright. Any reproduction by any means for commercial purposes without the express permission of the newspaper is prohibited and is a violation of Canadian copyright law. Reproduction for non-commercial distribution should bear a credit line to the whitby Free Press. To the editor..,. Eroding freedoms To the Editor: Nov. 11 was Remembrance Day. The poem starts, "in Flanders fields where poppies grow, Among the crosses row on row." This is where thousands of Canadian soldiers now rest in peace and who paid the ultimate price for the freedoms of us ail. The greatest number of these soldiers were white males. It makes me sick that if these men knew, in today's politically correct society, their grandsons, who are also white males, cannot apply for a job with the Ontario government because they are white males. What in hell's name did these brave men fight and die for? t makes me very angry to think that a few of my relatives also gave their lives to protect us from the evils of dictators who would strip of us of our rights and freedoms. But now our freedoms and choices are being denied to us in our own country and in our own province. These rights and freedoms are being taken away from us by our very own politicians who, in their ignorance, blindly believe that they are doing what theythinkis right. I say that they are wrong, very wrong. I believe these socialists understand full well what they are doing. We are fortunate that we do not have to go to war against these people with the prospect of losing our lives in the fight against this injustice. But we must fight these misfits with our voices and, finally, with our votes. These traitors of democracy must be stopped. The difference between freedom and oppression is simply a question of consent, and no one should be subjected to any law with which he does not agree, with the excpption of a law to protect the right to freedom of others. It's the NDP we don't need. Who and what group will be their next target? As the saying goes, 'May a thousand curses fall upon their house.' Andy Cobean Pickering Lack of concern To the Editor: I thought it time to air publicly a matter I have been following up on for several months regarding the handicapped parking spaces at the Whitby Malil. This past July, I witnessed a non-handicapped man flagrantly parking his vehicle in a handicapped parking space. Upon further inspection, I realized that the signpost with the handicapped designation had been moved to hold grocery carts in place. I promptly wrote to the owner of the Whitby Mal, relating the incident and suggesting that the handicapped symbol be painted on the parking spaces so no confusion would remain even if the signposts were moved. I wrote again in August as a reminder that I had not yet had a reply. It is now November. I have had no reply, either in the form of a letter or telephone call, and action has not been taken to make the parking spaces permanent. I find this discourtesy and lack of concern, over what I consider to be a serious issue, very upsetting. As well, the owner is not alone in disregarding the rights of handicapped people. Another large retail outlet nearby has handicapped parking spaces with the paint on them so faded one can barely tell that they are so designated. As well, this store has its wheelchair (or baby stroller) access to the store blocked with a stack of shopping handbaskets. I am not handicapped, but if I were I would be outraged. I hope that other concerned citizens will speak out on this issue. Handicapped people have it hard enough as it is. Having their few, rightful parking spaces disappear because of someone's laziness or apathy just adds to their burden. Tamara Charman Whitby To th edor. Problems with ce plan To the Editor: Open letter to the parks and recreation department, Mayor Tom Edwards and Town council. Well, this certainly was a fine piece of work you have put together regarding the use of !ce in the Town. In our meetings with the parks and recreation department, there were discussions on a number of proposals. We were, and still are, of the understanding that some method of fundraising must be undertaken and, as an association, we would be willing participants. At this point, we must take exception with your proposal to split the season in two. In your report, you state that it would be easier for us to get volunteers in order to run our hockey season as you suggest. What we tried to point out to you was, that as big a part as volunteering plays, it is one of many items to be considered. You are probably not aware, but your split season will have a very serious ripple effect on all of hockey in Whitby. Our house league, as the base of operation, is the one most affected. h will mean the search for two sets of sponsors -- we are having difficulty obtaiing same for a single full season You suggest that we start in September through December, and a second season from January to April. The Town has difficulty starting up and maintaining the ice plant in all arenas. Our representative and select divisions rely on the house league for players through an affiliation list. A split season would alter that upward mobility. We are committed to our provincial organization to field teams on a full-season basis, and have paid insurance based on that. Creation of a second season would just add to an already hefty premium. We would go on identifying numerous other logistics problems that this would create, but there are too many to list here. Our association operates under the auspices of the Town of Whitby. As your representatives, we have earned an image of respect for this town in other communities over the years. The publication of your recent report and the subsequent news articles have left people with the impression that you, the Town, have instituted the split-season operation. As organizers of minor hockey, the association will 'not institute any such practice unless voted and agreed upon by our general membership. In closing, I would just like to say that if council is so interested in taking over the operation of hockey, they would have to hire a number of full-time employees to handle its operation. May I suggest that you leave that to the dedicated volunteers of the sport. The funds could be instead used for construction of a new ice pad. Stu Carre President Brooklin-Whitby Minor Hockey Association To the Editor: After reading the article, '2-Part Season Suggested' (The Free Press, Nov. 3), t becomes very obvious to me, and I am sure to many other disgruntled hockey parents in this town, that the parks and recreation department is somewhat out of touch with the ice shortage problem. Does your suggestion mean there will be two registrations? I am sure extra volunteer coaches, conveners, etc. would also be required to implement such a system. In 1990, I wrote to you and the parks and recreation department expressing the same concerns about the ice shortage in Whitby. At that time, I stated that I had resided in Whitby area for 10 years and during those years only one additional ice facility had been buit. Here we are now, three years later with a town population of 60,000 and still no additional ice rinks. If nearby towns Ajax and Pickering, with fewer residents than Whitby, have more ice facilities, then something is drastically wrong somewhere. You quoted a price tag of $3.5 million for a "very basic" facility. Does that include a retractable roof? Ali that is requested is a covered ice pad. To help offset some of the costs, I can tell you that you won't have to pay for a study of ice shortage, as was the case when an additional ice surface was added at Iroquois Park. We need ice now. You refer, in great detail, to the operating costs for ice and floor time at the existing arenas. t would be very interesting to know the operating costs for the "white elephant" sports complex on Rossland Road (the one that doesn't provide an Olympic-sized pool or any ice facilities), and when will this building be paid for and at what price? A frustrated parent Malcolm Suddons Whitby The facts on 'emergency overtime' To the Editor: In regards to the article on 'Emergency Overtime,' (Nov. 3, The Free Press), Kathy Keefer, the bankrupt taxpayer, should get her facts straight. The Town of Whitby does not install or repair benches in- bus shelters. The work is done by a contractor. Contractors are paid the same rate whether or not they work on a holiday. The overtime Town employees receive is for jobs such as plowing snow in the wintertime. We no longer do sidewalk snow clearing on overtime. However, it is one of our daily duties. I is not just the public who is affected by the social contract but aiso municipal and government employees due to time and wage loss. In the future, I would appreciate if citizens would get their facts straight before condemning Town employees. Mike Woodward Employee and taxpayer Whitby No study needed