Winnipeg Free Press

Winnipeg Free Press (Newspaper) - August 1, 2006, Winnipeg, Manitoba Opposing views our Economy a doing great. And not so great according to City business b1 two new reports. City editor Steve Pona 697-7292 i business b4 youth from abusive Homes turn to the streets by Carol Sanders the myth of the spoiled suburban Rich kids running away because they Don to like having a curfew is just that ? a myth according to the first Winnipeg Survey to look at How kids end up on the Street. More than half of Winnipeg a Street youth were sexually and or physically abused while growing up a third had parents who Are heavy drinkers and almost All have had a mental illness says the Survey released yesterday. Its safer on the Street than in their by Kevin Rollason r Ain Rains gone away maybe it la come again some other month. Winni Eggers especially those try ing to keep gardens and lawns alive know firsthand it has been dry for Sev eral weeks but they did to know it has been record dry. In fact the month of july was the driest july since people started keep ing weather statistics in 1873. Barring any sudden downfall of rain last night in the dying minutes of the month of july environment Canadas Dale Marci ski said the minuscule 10.5 Millimetres of rain that fell last month beat the 13.5 my that dropped Way own Homes said John Borody chief executive officer of the addictions foun Dation of Manitoba which released its findings yesterday. The report tells us about the complexity of the streets kids and the complexity of issues that got them onto the Street said Borody of the report which is called adolescence without shelter a comprehensive description of issues faced by Street youth in Winnipeg. All of us knew the kids were coming from difficult backgrounds but it was a Surprise to learn at what Early stages the kids were getting abused he said. Half of the respondents reported being Back in 1875. And it want the Only dryness record toppled in the City. Marci ski said the total june and july precipitation of 39.5 my easily beat the record of 47.5 my set in 1886. As Well Marci ski said the total precipitation from april to the end of july of 102.5 my was the fourth driest since 1873. The record was 1980?s 76.1 my. There were a few pockets of precipitation in this dry zone where you could have got some significant rain but in Southern Manitoba there weren to Many he said. Marci ski said he does to see any rain in the next few Days. There May be an isolated Shower or two this week but that a Marci ski said he a crossing his Fin beaten or molested before they were nine years old. Its hard to believe that someone at eight years old has been physically and sexually abused he said. They have no family the Survey was conducted last sum Mer and involved 167 Street kids. They gave details of their education mental health criminal activity substance use and family and Home environments. Its one of the first studies that took such a Cross Section of information Borody said. If we can get a handle on Why youth Are on the Street it will help us to develop programs that Are better Gers that the record shattering trend does to continue into August. The record is 3.3 my in 1915 while 1961 is 4.1 my ? we hopefully will not be anywhere near to that in August he said. As with any types of weather there Are winners and losers. For fun Mountain Waterside Park located on the Southern Edge of the City the hot and record dry weather has been like winning a lottery. This is Ideal for us said owner Jim Cartman. It has been quite Good and our Atten dance has been above Normal for continued please see dry b2 Able to help the Survey shows that nearly All had a problem in school symptoms of at least one mental illness and reported drug and alcohol use. Half smoked cannabis daily and one fifth injected methamphetamine daily. Young women were More Likely than males to be exploited by the sex Trade and those Street kids had higher rates of drug use. Criminal activity ? including theft assault and vandalism ? was common among both male and female Street kids. At least half were at a High risk for suicide and one third came from Homes where their parents were heavy drinkers. Borody said the received fund ing earlier this year to hire two outreach workers ? one for Winnipeg and one for the North based in Thompson ? and the Survey helped them determine the Broad qualifications Street youth workers will need. The hoped to have people hired by the summer but they have struggled to find people with the right mix of skills and experience Given the complexities facing Street youth. These Arent kids with simple prob?lems.?. Flower girl is Back in custody teen arrested faces new charges by David Kuxhaus there were no Flowers or standing ovations this time for a teenager who is Back in custody after being arrested for allegedly assaulting a police officer while drunk on the weekend. Just a month ago the 17-year-old girl was handed a bouquet of Multi coloured chrysanthemums by a provincial court judge who wanted to Reward the youth for turning her life around. A teary eyed judge Marva your Progress Smith also asked those in the court report brought to stand and give a smile to myth youth a round face. It just of applause. I was so made my Day pleased to hear about All the Good ? judge Marva work you be been Smith said last month doing. Your Progress report brought a smile to my face. It just made my Day Smith said at the time. Along with the Flowers Smith gave the youth a card and movie passes. Her actions raised eyebrows in the Legal Community and angered Many who think the Justice system is too soft on Young offenders. It particularly Drew the ire of a robbery victim of the teenager. Maybe the next person to come along in court will get a Diamond ring said the woman. Yesterday there were no gifts being handed out As the teen was Back in court with her lawyer asking for bail. The Crown opposed her release. The youth is charged with assaulting a police officer and two probation breaches. A publication ban prohibits the Media from reporting on the hearing. Justice sources however said the girl was arrested Sun Day morning after 4 . When maybe the police spotted her stumbling around next person to on the Street. Come along concerned for in court her safety the officers took her will get Ato Hospital where Diamond ring one of them was allegedly assault ? robbery victim of de. The teenager since then the youth has been held in the Mani Toba youth Centre. Like All the other Young offenders applying for bail she was confined to a plexiglas cubicle during yesterdays hearing. No family members were pre sent but a social services worker was there. Provincial court judge Lynn Stannard did not make a decision pending receipt of further information. The Case was remanded until tomorrow. The girls lawyer Michelle Bright declined to comment afterwards. In March judge Smith sentenced the teenager to 92 Days time served in Cus Tody plus probation after the youth pleaded guilty to a number of crimes some of which involved violent behaviour. Smith ordered her to undergo drug and alcohol treatment and return in june to give the judge a Progress report. what kind of beast does this l ast week i received a rash of complaints about the strangest of heists. The theft of Beauty. The reports came from St. Vital and Lin Den Woods and West Kil Donan where people Are stealing the Symbol of love and Condo Lence and Best friends of Honey bees. Flowers. And shrubs and decorative Trees too. To be Clear i a not talking about borrowing a slip or making off with Kitschy cute Garden gnomes. The human night crawlers Are digging them up and stealing off with the whole Plant. Slimy Garden variety slugs Don to come any lower than people who steal Flowers. Coincidentally after a week of taking complaints from All Over the City about the mysterious Flower Perks i chanced upon one of them in action. It was just after 7 . Saturday. My wife Athina and i were Dri ving through Assiniboine Park in route to meeting our fellow joggers at the Duck Pond when we spotted a portly Middle aged woman Cir cling one of the Flower Beds by the Road just East of the footbridge armed with a trowel. At first i thought she might have lived under the Bridge ? troll that she is ? but As we drove by in stunned disbelief we noticed what appeared to be her getaway car parked by the Side of the Road. Before we could turn around and confront her this troll with a trowel had made off with a bag full of geraniums and Dusty Millers. I know this in to necessarily a new phenomenon. A couple of years ago the Man who tends the grounds around the Witch shut in Kildonan Park reported that lilies were being unearthed and spirited away. But i be never had a run of reports like i did last week about thieves stealing right up to Peoples front doors and helping themselves. Continued please see Sinclair b2 ;