Page 4. Whitby Free Press, Wednesday, December 29, 1993 'Crying Puppies' should move to Oshawa To the editor: I would like to respond to the viewpoints of the crying puppies of downtown Whitby, Just in case they are not aware of who they are, I will mention them by name -- Doug Anderson, Gene Peacock and William Brant. Recently the 'Three Crying Pup- ples' have complained about the Downtown Business Improvement Area. I firmly believe these three puppies would contribute a great dealto Whitby and themselves if they would pull up stakes and move their stores and businesses to Oshawa. If this were to happen, it would allow the balance of downtown Whitby to concentrate on improv- Ing services with the hope of luring customers to downtown Whitby. The problems of the three crying uppies are basically the same as r. Anderson's in that he did not get the advertising budget of the DBIA because he wasn't competi- tive enough. If this is the type of PERMANENT HAIR REMOVAL COST FREE CONSULTATION to discuss your treatment needs and to take away your fears. • Fully qualified technologists in the field • Established since 1983 •Doctor reterras • Member of Electrolysis Assoc. of Ontario Lori Thachuk 666-2853 "Quality Treatment With Results" 209 Dundas St. E. Whitby Corporate Centre, Suite 305 candidate we have running for the federal government, Heaven help us. As a citizen of Whitby, my family has shopped in these (three) stores in the past. However, you can rest assured we won't in future. I will also use any persua- sion I have to influence others not to do so, elther. These three pupples seem to MPP's report a waste of money To the editor: Open letter to Durham Centre MPP Drummond White Thank you for your 1994 calen- dar/consumer tips received at our household Dec. 22. I am extremely pleased that you high- lighted 'What can we do for you.' Weil, Mr. White, represent me. First, use this letter as my for- mai request to make most abor- tions, the 90 to 95 per cent that are only for the convenience of birth control, declared non-essen- tial. Second, I formally request that you initiate a protest against the fair-tax (?) proposai. It is abso- lutely criminal that any government would have the unmitigated gall to present a report base on a decia- ration that "the wealthy is any household that earns $50,000 a year." Equally criminal is the money, almost $9 million, wasted on this report. What a waste. Throw it in the recycle bin. Finally, do not send me sea- son's greetings. Instead, send me a Chnstmas card celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ. Ted Greenfield Whitby have their best interests at heart. However, they seem to forget the interests of the majority of the downtown merchants. If the three crying pupples would devote half the energy they now spend degrading downtown Whltby and the people In it, who Ward in 'capable. hands' To the editor: Re: William Brant's letter, 'Can Fox run in centre ward?' Free Press, Dec. 22 Mr. Brant, I would like to thank you for your support and com- ments regarding the Waller Street stop sign and for supporting my stand on this issue. However, I want to assure you that the centre ward is already in the very capable hands of council- lor Dolstra. I'm sure you will recognize that, in the final analysis, Whlby coun- cil made the right decision con- cerning Waller Street and I'm sure that council will do the same with regard to the Downtown Business Improvement Area. Your concerns regarding the DBIA tax are not being ignored. l'm sure that in the very near future, everyone will have the opportunity to properly address this Issue. tn order for good decision-mak- Ing to occur, isn't it better for all of us to slow down, to stop and think, and then to proceed wlth caution? Dennis Fox Counc ior East ward Sign only part of solution To the editor: I took my kids for a walk today. I made them stand right beside me while I turned to lock the door of our house before we left. As soon as the key was in my pocket, I took each boy by the hand. My twin sons are 2 V2 years old, and quick. I take no chances with their safety. I cut across my neighbour's driveway and walked on their front lawn before I crossed the street. Even this route is dangerous. Cars came shooting in and out and around our townhouse complex like bullets in a shooting gallery. Once we made t across the street we had to cross again to get to a sidewalk. A more direct route would have posed many more ominous possibilities. For some reason the management of our complex has erected a high wooden fence lining the entrance way on both sides, making it impossible for drivers to see pedestrians and visa versa. For this reason our driveway is extremely difficult to back out of, and calls for creative manoeuvers when we're on foot. When the boys and I got to the end of the sidewalk, we had to again walk directly on the road right at the end of Waller Street, just before it meets with Dryden. It's difficult t decide which side of the road to walk on. By law, pedestrians should walk in the same direction as the traffic. However, this choice would make my children and I targets for cars leaving the complex. Drivers cannot see what they may be about to hit, as they round the fence to Waller. The other side of the road offers similar challenges. Firally we made it to the intersection of Waller and Dryden where we were surrounded by vehicles. There is a two-way stop on Waller, but no stop sign on Dryden. Many vehicles sped by us, as we waited clutching to each other in the wind of passing exhaust. The driver to my left waved me on. The coast was clear, so I got a more firm grasp on the boys and stepped off the curb. As we got just to the middle of the road, a black van rushed towards us from the No Frills parking lot. Fortunately the conscientious driver braked in time and no one was hurt. However, as I stood frozen in the centre of the rà ad, clasping the hands of my precious sons, several more cars came towards us from three different directions. In less than 30 seconds quite a maze of vehicles surrounded us. It was getting confusing, and some of the drivers appeared annoyed at my presence in the middle of their busy street. Finally, my boys and I made h to the other side of Waller. As I stood safely on the sidewalk, squeezing the blood from the palms of two little hands, I looked up the road towards Rolling Acres. I saw again images of the rescue vehicle that arrived too late to help a nine-year-old girl for whom the entire neighbourhood now mourns. In sharp contrast to these images i recalled the article I had just read in the Whitby Free Press regarding Town council's arguments for waiting on the stop sign issue. I was glad to see that the new stop sign was in place anwayoys and I must take this same life-endangering route in order to visit their pappa who lives in the building on the other side of Waller. Did you think I was on a much longer journey? Well, I wasn't. I was walking to a building that we can see from our upstairs window. We could almost send messages by paper airplane. Yet to walk there is a major event, and one that scares the heck out of me every time. The stop sign is only a small part of what is needed in this condensed area. There needs to be a lighted crosswalk at Waller and Dryden. Surprisingly there is a public school and a city park at this totally unprotected intersection. We also need a lighted crosswalk at Thickson and Dryden, where the No Frills generates even more traffic and shoppers on foot risk themselves for a bargain. This problem is not going to go away. There are several housing projects in progress in the immediate vicinity. More pedestrians and even more traffic will continue to collide at the two mentioned interesections. How much information does council need? Do my sons have to be injured or worse in order to get your notice? Please, fix this problem before we lose another precious child. Lori-ann Graham Waller Street knows what they may be able to achieve in the future. R.J. Kennedy Whitby