The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

\ The Canadian Statesman, Bowmanville, July 4,1984 3 Editorial Comment Democracy Muzzled You might expect that Bill C-169 was passed in some authoritarian nation where individual rights to free speech are unknown. And yet, this bill which muzzles the voters during federal election campaigns has been endorsed by the government with either active or passive support from all three parties. And it's only a successful challenge challenge in the Alberta courts which gives some hope that this absurd piece of legislation will be overturned. overturned. The Alberta Court of Queen's Bench has ruled against the bill. And, at least for the moment, it would appear that we will not have to worry about the law coming into effect. Bill C-169 relates to the public's right to comment during federal elections. In our view, it makes politics politics a team sport. Only recognized political parties are allowed to print leaflets, bumper stickers, buttons buttons or signs. If the individual is in opposition to or even in support of a particular political party, he has no right to have a pamphlet printed to express his views. But the law goes further than that. It also forbids independent advertising advertising in newspapers, radio or television. It forbids anyone from sending letters endorsing or opposing candidates candidates to friends or business associates. associates. It also forbids the individual individual from renting a hall to hold a meeting explaining his views. Another important regulation in the bill is an embargo on any media editorials which offer independent support or opposition to candidates during federal elections. Look at it this way: If you believe that John Doe is a good candidate and you round up a committee of citizens to place newspaper advertising advertising supporting him, you could go to jail. If your organization holds a meeting meeting to explain why you feel John Doe is a poor candidate, you could also go to prison or face a fine. The penalty for the "crime" of free speech during election time is a jail term of up to five years or a fine of up to $5,000. Keep in mind the fact that this is not some long-term concept being discussed by parliamentary committees. committees. It's an actual bill which has been adopted. Were it not for the successful court challenge, we'd be subject to these guidelines at the next federal election. It's surprising that this effort to make politics a team sport for professional professional players has not received the kind of ridicule, opposition, and contempt it deserves. However, a group known as the National Citizens' Coalition advises advises in a press release that the Progressive Conservatives are now indicating they would be willing to alter the document. How they would revise it, they have not yet said. We're hoping that the challenge to Bill C-169 will be upheld and that no efforts will be made to over-rule the court decision. In fact, it is time all three parties got together and voted to reverse this insane piece of legislation. And they should act, not to score points politically or to fall grudgingly in line with the court decision. The bill needs to be reversed because it is a direct attack on the principles of democracy. Politicians have a vested interest in keeping the political arena as tidy as possible so that they face no surprises and know clearly who their friends and enemies are. But to tidy up the political process at the expense of free speech is a grave mistake. Individuals have the right to express express their own opinions and not just fall in step beside some political political party. This right has long been a cornerstone cornerstone of our democracy. And elected officials who don't believe in this concept should seek election in some other country. More Yows Please It's odd that around the time business business and government leaders are talking about ways to promote the Town of Newcastle, along comes Rose the "yow" to show us how promotion and public relations really really work. You might say this cross-bred calf has done more to put the town on the map than any formal publicity campaign that could be imagined. She has put not only the Bowmanville Bowmanville Zoo but also the town itself in the spotlight. We're not suggesting that the birth of this animal and the subsequent subsequent flurry of publicity is the last word on promotion. But anybody anybody who wishes to learn something something about this subject should pay close attention to the story. It proves, first of all, that people are attracted by the off-beat and the unusual. Good promotion does not depend on the watered-down consensus consensus of a committee looking for the blandest common denominator. Promotion means seizing an opportunity opportunity with positive enthusiasm and making the most ofthatchance. It may call for a bit of showmanship and a touch of Barnum and Bailey. But so long as it makes people happy, who cares? Other examples of successful promotion include the Town of Port Hope which took its customary flood damage in stride and turned the event into an annual race down the Ganaraska River as well as a number of other promotions which helped give the hillside town a high profile. Naturally, the methods we are mentioning above may do little to attract ■ industrialists or commer^ cial developers. Business personnel personnel are more interested in electricity electricity rates, serviced land, transportation, transportation, water, and labor force. But the touch of showmanship will boost the town's tourist potential and encourage encourage visitors to the parks, antique antique shops, stores, zoo, sporting events, auction sales, and other activities activities for which the town is famous. famous. Most of all, these activities give the town a good feeling about itself. What this town needs is more yows. F orestree Honored Forestree Place, a senior citizens' citizens' apartment complex, has been recommended for an award honoring honoring excellence in the renovation of property for residential use. The complex, which was completed completed almost one year ago, is built around the local registry office located located on Liberty St., in Bowmanville. Bowmanville. Members of Newcastle council agreed unanimously that the building building meets the criteria for several categories of a competition sponsored sponsored by the Ministry of Housing. "I think the quality of life for seniors was expanded when they built this beautiful building," said Bowmanville Regional Councillor Marie Hubbard. The councillor introduced introduced a resolution naming Forestree Place as a candidate for an Ontario Renews Award. Mayor Garnet Rickard added that the nomination is an excellent way of promoting this municipality. Stic Canadian Statesman 623-3303 (*£NA Durham County's Great Family Journal Established 130 years ago In 1854. 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 82-66 King St. W., Bowmanville, Ontario L1C 3K9 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 o| advertisements produced by the employees ol The Canadian Statesman, The Newcastle Independent and The James Publishing Company Limited are protected by copyright mid must not be reproduced without written permission ol the publishers. $15.00 a year -- 8 months $8.00 strictly In advance foreign -- $45.00 a year Although ovury precaution will bo Inkon to nvoid orror, Tho Ciinndi.in Stnlosman accepts advertising in Hr, columns on tho understanding that it will not bu Imble lor any mror in tho advertisement published horoundor unlov.u a proof ol such udvorlisomonl is reguesled in wilting by tho advurtisor and returned to Tho Canadian Stator,man business offico duly slgnod by tho advortisor and with such orror or corrodions plainly noted in writing thorodn. and in that caso il any orror so noted is not corroded by Tim Canadian Statesman its liability shall not exceed such a portion ol the entire cost ol such sdvoilislmenl ns tho space occupied by the noted orror bears to the whole space occupied try such advertisement B.H.S. Screech Owl SUGAR and SPICE A Long, Cold Winter It's been a long, cold winter and spring, and my heart is still sore. But the tulips are bursting and the sun is shining, and the kindness of people keep the spirit alive. There's a tendency to sleep in, and stay up until the last late movie is over, and to exist on frozen chicken pies. But I can't do it. The phone keeps ringing. Old friends drop in. People bring me gifts. Naturally, the phone rings when I'm on the john or in the bath tub. I think I'll have it removed. Not the bath tub, but the phone. Gifts? A daffodil in January. A pot of 'mums (I can't spell the whole word.) in February. A chicken pie and butter tarts in March. An Easter lily from dear Julie at Easter. Cooked goodies from Evelyn, my cleaning lady. Three pounds of California dates from my old room-mate at college. (What does one do with three pounds of dates? ) Letters still come from all over the continent. Some of them make me weep, as they try to console and comfort. I'll never get around to answering all of them, but thanks, thanks, especially to those who know me only through this column. Good friends drop in to make sure I'm not going down the drain. Old friends have written: - Gene Macdonald, Per Vidsten, Kay Dills, and many others. You'll probably get my answers before Christmas. Other friends drag me out to dinner and force me to be genial, if not jovial. It's difficult, but not impossible. The local golf club says I'll be, fined if I don't pay up before a certain date. The insurance company has already nailed me for being late in payment.. I missed the date for one Visa card payment and been fined. Some guy from Avis in Florida tells me there was body damage to the car I hired, and was I in an accident. No. I don't think I'll even answer him. That's some of the good news and some of the bad. To the bad, I'm fairly imperturbable. To the good, I'm grateful. More good news. My neighbours are as staunch as Scottish clansmen. They don't interfere. They don't pry. But when you need help, they're right there. Jim came over and tried to get my lawnmower going. He did, but it would stop. Finally I realized he'd been trying to fix my old lawnmower, which the donkey kid I'd hired last year had put in the tool shed, instead of leaving it out for the dump, as I'd intended. As Jim started back to,.his workshop to have another go, I spotted the brand-new lawnmower at the back of the tool shed. We hauled out a broken bicycle, sundry doors and screens, and pulled out the new one. It started like a jet fighter. He charged me nothing, even though I was the dunce. And his wife invited me to coffee. More good news. I got a kid to cut my lawn and other dreary duties, and the manor looks half-decent. He was a good lad, worked hard, and was honest, if taciturn. "Good; that's OK.; Good," was all he said, but he worked. An old friend died while I was away, and I'm sorry I was not there for her funeral. She had devoted her life to teaching and helping others, and about three generations of students respected and loved her. She was the sort who sent flowers to my kids when they won at a music festival. Speaking of which, a scholarship in music was established in my wife's name 1 , and she'd have been delighted to know that one of her favorite students had won it. She had not taught him, but spotted him as a winner several years ago. I'm trying to brace myself for two weeks of my grandboys early in July. It was tough enough when their Gran was here to bawl them out for all sorts of sundry misbehavior. If this column ceases to appear about mid-July, send my mail to the local Medical Health Centre. They'll be going to a day camp, where they're supposed to tire themselves out with swimming and running and stuff. But they come home at 4:30, want to play soccer or to go to the beach; and are still going at a 500-watt clip. Then they want to stay up until midnight, watching TV. Oh, well, I'll probably survive, and if I don't, so be it. My big social event of the next while is the high school commencement, a long, often boring, and usually very hot evening. But I think I'll go. There's something awfully sweet about the girls (who wore jeans all year) in their long dresses, and something pathetic in the graduating boys, strangely pathetic in real suits and choking to death in ties. Otherwise, my busted shoulder is coming along, and I'm going to try to swing a golf club, do some swimming, and get cracking on a book. Bowmanville Man Sells His Wares As a Pitchman By Catherine Denny 1000 watts of light and the shrill of a microphone catches the crowd's attention every time. The real challenge lies in keeping their attention. Bowmanville's Steve Rosenberg Rosenberg is one of only 25 professional professional pitchmen in the country who makes his living selling products for corporations, firms, or individuals. Like most pitchmen, Steve is on the road an average of 200 days of every year, leaving little time for a normal family life with his wife and children. "I follow the masses," explained Steve, "That's how I make my money." Steve's travels take him everywhere from the International International Motor Fair in London to the Calgary Stampede to the Pickering Flea Market, He became interested in the business after seeing a pitchman pitchman selling fog proofer at the CINE. Not long after that, Steve began selling the same product product not only at fairs and shows, but on television. "You can make decent money, if you're good at it," smiled Steve who claims he has earned enough money from selling fog proofer to pay for ills Queen Street home, Mr. Rosenberg is now selling selling Perma-Seal, a powdered car wax that sells for five dollars a can. This may seem like a boring product, but not to those who have seen Steve's captivating demonstration. With a memorized speech in the back of his brain, the ■ pitchman's booming voice can be heard at every exhibit at the show, beckoning people to watch his demonstration. Standing under the glaring lights, with his Eldorado close by, Steve proceeds to place a piece of metal on the hood of his car, He then adds a few drops of acid on the metal which, after mixing with ammonia, causes the hood to smoke and the audience to gasp. To their surprise the acid has eaten its way through the piece of metal but not through the car hood. That's because it has been protected by Perma-Seal. This sales pitcli sells over 50,000 cans of ear wax a year. The National Film Board of Canada finds Mr. Rosenberg's profession quite fascinating and has just finished shooting •• u one-hour documentary on Steve and other professional pitchmen, which is due to be released In October.