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( Editorial Comment ] Old Man Winter Won Section Two The Canadian Statesman, Bowmanville. March 14 1984 3 Last Sunday's accident was, without without a doubt, the worst we have ever witnessed in the many years that we have been chasing fire trucks and ambulances. Although we have, seen accidents that have claimed more lives and caused more severe injuries, we have never experienced experienced anything similar to Sunday's pile-up. Our scanner picked up the alarm shortly before 10:00 a.m. Sunday morning, and we were told that an O.P.P. officer could see smoke in the middle of a 20 car pile-up on 401. After a quick look out the window, window, we decided a leather jacket would suffice and grabbed our camera camera to head to the scene. When we reached Highway 57, it was quite apparent that the weather in the middle of Bowmanville was no indication indication of the climate to the west. Before we even got to 401, the 'Statesman van was creeping along feeling for the road. High winds made visibility extremely poor and the icy roads made quick stops an impossibility. We finally made it to 401 and crept along wondering why we bothered going to the accident. If you can't even see, there's not much sense taking pictures. But, we kept going and finally we found what appeared appeared to be the accident. A few cars appeared in the ditch in the eastbound lanes plus a couple against the cement median wall. We questioned the report of a 20 car pile-up since we only saw a couple. But then, the white-out cleared. Flames and smoke were billowing billowing from a jumble of cars only a few hundred feet from where we thought the accident was. After pulling pulling up beside the scene, we saw people frantically trying to pull people from burning vehicles while others tried to recover valuables from their cars. Only the quick response response of the local firefighters, kept the disaster from becoming a highway inferno. People were standing by the wreckage, some without coats left behind in the cars. We pulled up beside one family shivering in a snowbank, and offered them the warmth of our van. They climbed in and other cars stopped to offer the same assistance. Rescue workers went to work and cut out trapped passengers. The fire department used the Jaws of Life to get at three passengers trapped trapped in a car, that we think was a Malibu. Workers from Ontario Hydro's Darlington Generating Station Station pitched in and transported injured injured people, while O.P.P. and Durham Regional Police officers rescued passengers, directed traffic traffic and tried to sort out what happened. happened. Back in town, the Salvation Army and local churches were gearing up to care for those who would be stranded. Memorial Hospital's Emergency Department was packed with victims of the crash. A total of 55 people were treated and released. Several more were sent to Oshawa and Toronto hospitals with more severe injuries. The family in our van was very lucky. Their car was demolished but only the father was slightly injured. injured. They were from Toronto heading to Lake Placid for their March break vacation. They were able to recover most of their possessions possessions from the car, much of it unscathed unscathed by the collision. However, there was one Samsonite suitca.-e that won't be featured in any durability durability commercial. Those suitcases may be able to withstand the beating beating of a gorilla, but they're no match for a 65 car pile-up. Despite the tragic consequences of Sunday's crash, the final statistics statistics are probably far fewer than they would have been if rescue crews had not arrived so quickly. When we first saw the flames and smoke, and then the pile of cars and a bus, we envisioned dozens of deaths and major injuries. When you think of the tragic possibilities, it is safe to say that this time, those travellers were very lucky. • • By Peter Parrott For a minute, I was tempted ' to take another look at the calendar just to verify that I was still living in the 1980s world of popup popup toasters and microprocessors. microprocessors. When I read that the execution of a convicted convicted criminal may be shown on television, in Texas, I wondered if we had reverted overnight to the dark centuries when public executions executions were a common occurrence. You see, there is a certain convicted murderer murderer in a Texas jail who has been sentenced sentenced to death by a lethal lethal injection of drugs. This raises the possibility possibility that the event may be televised, and apparently apparently such a move would bring no objections objections from the intended victim. Well, the victim may not mind. But I do. It's not that I object to the death penalty being enforced by the laws of the land. Nor do I object object to the right of the press to witness the execution and report it to the public. But presenting the event on some TV newscast newscast between commercials commercials for fabric softeners softeners and stories about elections or city council council is going too far. I am also assuming that they are not crass enough to portray the event in a TV special hosted by guest celebrities. But that could happen yet. Anything can happen, especially in states south of the border. Perhaps, I'm afraid that if executions are considered to be proper television fare, then gladiator combat and dogfights will soon be giving stiff competition competition to situation com-, edies and game shows. Of course, I can already already imagine what the arguments in favor of the televised execution will be. TV executives will insist that by filming filming a execution there will be enormous benefit benefit to society, It will be said that wayward youths will take one look at this spectacle and vow to end their careers as juvenile delinquents delinquents and pursue a college degree. Unfortunately, it doesn't work that way. ^he people who would b)e horrified and frightened by witnessing witnessing a death sentence are probably the very people who would never commit the crime of murder. If public executions were a deterrent deterrent to crime, then the Middle Ages or the frontier of the American American west would have been models of peace and tranquility. In both cases, public beheadings, beheadings, hangings, and other death sentences were witnessed by the public yet violence remained remained rampant. If the television industry industry opts to show an execution on the tube, it will be mainly because because it knows the event will be an excellent excellent piece of theatre - in - real - life. It can't help but produce good rat- Stye titanaiiian Statesman 623-3303 (*CNA Durham County's Great Family Journal Established 130 years ago In 1654. Also Incorporating The Bowmanville News The Newcastle Independent The Orono News Second class mall registration number 1561 Produced every Wednesday by THE JAMES PUBLISHING COMPANY LIMITED 62-68 King St. W., Bowmanville, Ontario L1C 3K9 V L ► JOHN M. JAMES Editor -- Publisher GEO. P. MORRIS Business Mgr. BRIAN PURDY Advertising Mgr. RICHARD A. JAMES Assistant Publisher DONALD BISHOP Plant Mgr. All layouts and composition of advertisements produced by the employees of The Canadian Statesman, The Newcastle Independent and The James Publishing Company Limited are protected by copyright and must not be reproduced without written permission of the publishers. $15.00 a year -- 8 months $6.00 strictly In advance foreign -- $45.00 a year Allluuigfi ovviy precaution will bo lakun to avoid error. 7ho Canadian Stator,man accepts advertising in its columns on I ho understanding that it will not bo liable for any error in tho advertisement published hereunder unless a proof ol such advertisement is requested In willing by tho advenir, er and relumed to The Canadian Statesman business oMIco duly signed by the advertiser and with such error or corrections plainly noted In writing thorobn. and in that case II any error so noled is not corrected tiy The Canadian Statesman Its liability shall not exceed such a portion of the entire cost ol such fidvertislrnenl as the space occupied try the noled error bears to the whole space occupied hy cuch Snowcapped SUGAR and SPICE It's All Garbage Some people grow benevolent and kindly as they get older. I just get more violent. I hope I turn out to be an Angry Old Man. And I know I will, if I can just hang on long enough to get old. It's a world to turn anyone, even a gentle, sweet chap like myself, a bit savage. Don't think that I'm just getting crotchety. I've been crotchety for years. You hear people going around all over Canada saying, "My, isn't that Smiley crotchety?" And others replying, "Yes, crotchety is the word.'If there's a word for it, it's crotchety." Mind you, I love the world around me, and up to half a dozen people, and I laugh like a mental case at some of the things I see. But there is a limit to the amount of garbage I can stand being thrown in my face day after day in the year 1984 A.D. That makes me just like the Prime Minister. For instance. We have so much surplus wheat that we have a national national hernia, trying to lift it from here to there. Politicians go white trying to. Why don't we give it away? I don't mean the farmer, I mean Canada. Pay the going rate to people who are starving. Up go the taxes. So what? They go up anyway. For instance. Our educational system caters to the mediocre, to mass-production of the mediocre, just like big industry. The intellectual intellectual elite among our kids are starved to death, that is, bored to death, and the kids who are below average are swept under the rug. This means our schools are full of fat, lazy kids who are thére only because they don't want to face the lean, cold world. I'd turf out on his or her tail, at 16, every kid who wasn't interested. And I'd let him back in, with generous help, when he becomes interested. For instance. Daily newspapers lie daily. Not downright lies. They merely slant, distort and color the "news," depending on their policy and politics. However, it's a free country, and I guess they're free to lie. For instance. Television could be a tremendous force for spreading peace and love in the world. What it does is spread jam on cake, and violence on ignorance. With a few notable exceptions, it serves its patrons patrons garbage in a fancy wrapper. Its entertainment does not entertain. entertain. Its news seeks out the sensational sensational or the silly. Its commercials are aimed at a world of morons. Do you really believe, for example, that a certain brand of beer is making making Canada famous throughout the world? Or that you can get clothes cleaner in cold water than in hot? Or that you'll never make it if your armpits sweat? And for all this obscenity the three big U.S. networks last year split over two billion dollars in profits. The CBC, which gives us the same refuse, generally, came up with its usual deficit. This shows the superiority of Canadian television. television. Somehow. For instance. There are two laws. One for the rich and one for the rest of us. And any lawyer and any policeman knows it. If you're a dumb kid from Nevvfie, or an Indian who got drunk, you can rot in jail for a month or two before your case is even heard. If you're a middle- class doctor or businessman, and you have the money and the right connections, you're home free and everything is hushed up. For instance. Poverty. Twenty million people living in one of the biggest countries in the world, with enormous natural resources. And millions living in sordid, squalid poverty. For instance. The Church. Again with a few notable exceptions, it does not face life. It wrings its hands, or washes them, Pilate-fash- ion. You don't see many preachers charging into a finance company and brandishing a whip these days, do you? For instance. This column is, about garbage. And I just remembered remembered this is garbage day and I forgot forgot to put mine out. 140 Ontario St. Bowmanville, Ont. March 8/84 Dear John; Well, here we go again for this week and you know that we always say that the Government Government are always spending spending our money and I must tell you that this practice seems to be coming to an end. Today, I received a letter letter from the Dept, of Labour without any stamp on it, so you see we have just saved the taxpayers 32 cents (end of joke). I also received a call from SAM in relation to certain matters that concern concern me and giving credit where credit is due, it was ings. Morbid curiosity about seeing a criminal put to death on the screen screen will attract big crowds to any newscast on which it appears. They'll be watching the procedure for the same reason that executions drew crowds at medieval fairs -- idle curiosity. But whereas executions may have only been witnessed by crowds in the hundreds or thousands, television television gives us the potential potential to bring the event to millions of households, households, Aside from boosting TV ratings, I can see no benefit to the procedure. procedure. For drawbacks, we might note that televised televised executions will cheapen our belief in the sacredness of human life and represent represent a step into barbarism. barbarism. The fact that a victim may not object to such action or may even request request it has no bearing on the issue. Why should some convicted criminal be allowed the satisfaction of turning his death in to a public soap-box which will make him famous for a few days. We can only hope that tho voices of reason, sanity, and civilization will prevail. But don't count on it, only 24 hrs. ago that I had asked for him to call. And it is about 4 years ago that I asked my first question of the Mayor and he still has not replied. On the local scene, I notice that in this week's paper you have a story in reference reference to council, talking about putting a notice in your next tax bill advising you where your tax dollar is spent (political move). I would think that they would be better advised if they would itemize for the taxpayer taxpayer the expense account of all members of council, so the poor taxpayer will know if he is paying mileage for doing shopping, going to the bank or just what it is for, I think that this would be more valuable to the public. Also, they could tell us if a person is on vacation, do they still receive the same mileage allowance and does the person filling in get paid too. All of those things I would think would be of interest to the poor people, You know as 1 am writing this letter to you, I have just been informed that, as I predicted, vacations would be taken by employees before before one year of.service. Not only that, but I would now like to know what is the probation probation period, (i months or 5 months? Also, how many of the taxpayers get vacations vacations in such a short period of time, but then again you never know they might be going to stretch this policy down to the ordinary Joe (don't hold your breath for that one). I notice a while back that staff recommended to council council that they receive the same increase in salary as the union staff and council deleted that section out of the report so look out for a bigger increase. I guess it is a change of times because when I worked and I asked my boss for 10 cents per hr. increase the stock answer was "it is the likes of people like you that put the cost of living up" and you can only have 5 cents. Today some people make in excess of $40,000 and they cry that they arc underpaid and need a holly increase and I say maybe a decrease is in order as the people who pay the tax bill do not in most cases get paid anywhere near those salaries. Finally, on that subject, it is my feeling feeling that if people who are paid salaries like the above feel that they are worth more, then 1 think they should seek employment elsewhere, because tho people for the most part in this area can't afford more, especially those on a fixed income. You know, I again tried today to go to the mayor's office to show where the budget (as the mayor hacl suggested) could be cut further. (I thought with him away in Florida or some place). But I put the brakes on quick on approaching his door as it appears he must not have left his secretary secretary in charge as there was an awful noise coming from the inner office ns if somebody was getting a lacing lacing for something and as the saying goes "a new broom sweeps clean" and I didn't feel that my presence would help so I quietly left the building to return another day. Well John, I have as of today talked with some people from a ratepayers group and if what I can read from them the battle is a long ways from over and no doubt in the very near future future I am predicting the fan will got hit again but then again as I am not on their executive I will leave the news to them. The only prediction that i will make for this year is that locally I think the fan will get hit too and that is about all I can tell you at this time. As you will note, I nave not given you much confidential confidential information this time as it would appear to me at this point that my source has gone sour after my last letter but be patient it will conic back. I guess I must have hit on a sore point but it won't last long. See you soon Yours truly Ken Hooper Dear Sir: As a member of the Kinsmen Kinsmen Club of Bowmanville, I am taking the privilege of writing to you regarding one of our service projects, Cystic Fibrosis. C.F is the most common • life-threatening, inherited disease of children and young adults. One in every eighteen hundred children born in Canada has Cystic Fibrosis. C.F. affects the lungs and the digestive system. Many Kinsmen Clubs across Canada have been supporting C.F. Research at the Hospital for Sick Children since ltHi-l, We would, therefore appreciate appreciate any monetary assistance you or your readers could give to enable us to carry on this worthwhile project. Please make cheques payable to; Kinsmen Club of Bowmanville, Bowmanville, care of 21! Doreen Crescent, Bowmanville, Ontario, L1C :iW7. Receipts will be issued upon request, Yours truly, Robert G, Breckunridge C. F. Chairman Kinsmen Club of Bowmanville