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

PAGE 6 THE CANADIAN STATESMAN, SEPTEMBER 19,2001 H Editorial&Opinions FOR 146 YEARS, OUR FIRST CONCERN HAS BEEN OUR COMMUNITY Publisher - Tim Whittaker Editor-in-Chief- Joanne Burghardt Managing Editor - Judi Bobbitt Advertising Manager - Brian G. Purdy Advertising - Lavernc Morrison, Christian-Ann Goulet Office - Junia Hodge, Nancy Pleasancc-Sturman Editorial - Brad Kelly, Jennifer Stone, Jacquic Mclnnes Œije Canabtatt Statesman Former Publishers and Partners Rev. John M. Climic and W.R. Climie 1854-1878 M.A. James 1878-1935 • Norman S.B. James 1919-1929 G. Elena James, 1929-1947 • Dr. George W. James 1919-1957 John M. James, 1957-1999 Produced by Mctroland Printing, Publishing & Distributing Ltd. Also Publishers of CLAR1NGTON THIS WEEK RO. Box 190, 62 King St. W., Bowmanville, Ontario L1C 3K9 TEL: 905-623-3303 FAX: 905-623-6161 HOURS: Monday to Friday 9:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.M. E-mail: newsroom@durhamregion.com Publications Mail Registration No. 07637 EDITORIAL e-mail letters to neKsroom@tliirlmmregion.com Cooler heads prevail in time of stress President looking for support, advice from allies Monday's resumption of the House of Commons was dominated by one item, naturally, as Prime Minister Jean Chretien spoke of our role in the coming 'War on Terrorism.' Terrorism.' Canadians - rightfully so - have many questions about Canada's position in any worldwide alliance against terrorism. terrorism. Our military, such as it is, will undoubtedly be called upon. However, just a few days ago much-respected Ret. Maj. Gen. Lewis MacKenzie said we have virtually nothing to offer the U.S. in the way of troops or materiel. So what can or should we do? More answers to these questions will come early next week when the Prime Minister Minister goes to Washington to meet with President George W. Bush. Mr. Bush has clearly learned one vital lesson from his. father: to manage a successful operation in the Mid-East, full of complications on all sides, the U.S. must first set up a firm multinational coalition. To that end, Mr. Bush is meeting with British Prime Minister Tony Blair and other allied leaders in the next few days to make sure all are on- side. We must know exactly what it is we wish to accomplish, how we will proceed and what each country can contribute to the cause. In the meantime, though we can always do better, it's time to stop beating ourselves up over our immigration and security policies. The FBI has revealed there was no 'Canadian 'Canadian connection,' involved with the 19 suicide terrorists who committed mayhem last Tuesday. Nearly all those who hijacked planes lived in the U.S. for years, taking flying lessons and living in American homes. We're not above criticism criticism of course, but the United States must clearly do a much better job of rooting out the enemy within. . Ernie Coombs was entertainer to the end Children of all ages lost a touchstone to their youth on Tuesday when 'Mr. Dressup,' aka Ernie Coombs passed away after suffering a stroke. He was 73. An American by birth, Mr. Coombs, who lived in Pickering, Pickering, appeared in over 4,000 episodes of the 'Mr. Dressup' show. Along with his puppet friends, Casey and Finnegan, and the Tickle Trunk, the source of his infinite costumes, he entertained children each weekday morning for an amazing 29 years. From 1967 until he decided to retire the show in 1996, Mr. Coombs would gently deliver his message of friendship and fun. Children were encouraged to use their imaginations imaginations as Mr. Coombs would transform himself into 'Mr. Dressup' in each episode. The native of Maine, who became a Canadian citizen in 1994, was still doing live appearances as 'Mr. Dressup' right up until the very end. His irreplaceable love for children will be sadly missed. LOOKING BACK. WITH THE STATESMAN 75 YEARS AGO Sept. 16,1926 The much talked-about fire truck purchased some time ago by the town arrived for duty after being gazed upon by the million and a half people who attended the Canadian National National Exhibition where it was on display. 50 YEARS AGO Sept. 20,1951 The Courtice girls' softball team won the championship of the Clarkc-Darlington softball league by defeating Newcastle Newcastle 9-5. The Courtice girls also won the championship in 1949. 25 YEARS AGO Sept. 15,1976 The price of printing the word 'Bowmanville' on the town's 350,000-gallon water storage tank was estimated at about $2,000. Durham Region was going to paint both the inside and the outside of the structure, but the name would not be painted unless the town was willing to pay for it. Information taken from the archives of The Canadian Statesman usepkelml Judi Bobbitt ...AMD W STUPID . LETTERS TO THE EDITOR e-mail letters to neKsivom@tlarlmmregion.com Shooting of cat was unjust To the editor: I am writing in response to the article in the newspaper as the devastated pet owner of my cat 'Tigger' who was shot dead in broad daylight Tuesday morning on Aug. 28,2001.1 received received a call at work notifying me my cat was shot twice with what they think was a B.B gun. Janet Hodder, my neighbour who discovered him, was also devastated and feared for her dog and children's safety. She called me later in the evening and asked me if she could con tact the newspaper in regards to her concerns. We agreed and she went ahead and contacted the newsroom. Her intent was to convey her fears and concerns as to who would take it upon themselves to do such a terrible act like that. The safety of our neighbourhood neighbourhood was in jeopardy. Your article did not convey the feelings feelings of sympathy for my cat and concerns we had. How could anyone shoot an animal with what they think was a BB gun. A BB gun would not kill a 16-pound cat. Who ever shot him had probably never seen him before. He is an indoor cat hardly ever, getting outside. We did not know he was out. It was quoted in the article of ongoing problems with cats in the area, it was not our area. It should not have been associated associated with this article about my cat 'Tigger.' This article conveys conveys the message that my cat should have been on a leash and the property owner had every right to shoot him. He never bothered anyone; he did not deserve deserve this end result. No one should take it upon himself or herself to deal with an animal that way. It has upset our family family and neighbours. It should not have happened. Trixie Wright Newcastle Mike Harris IS the Tory party If he fails, it will be difficult for party to distance itself Ontario's Progressive Conservatives Conservatives have taken the unusual precaution of leaving Pi'emier Mike Harris's name off their signs in a byelection and it shows how far the mighty have fallen. Tory candidate Mac Penney, a veteran communications consultant consultant who should know what attracts attracts voters, explained there was not enough room to put his name and the premier's on the same signs. It is to be hoped he has more convincing explanations when he tells his clients how he spends their money. Parties juggle around and use names and labels on election signs according to how much they think it can help them. The Tories used Mr. Harris's name sparingly in his first election as leader ' in 1990 because few would even have recognized it. At the start of the 1995 election, election, which Mr. Harris won, he was still little-known and when they used his name on signs it was oddly mainly to distinguish his Ontario party from that of the retired but still much-disliked Conservative prime minister, Brian Mulroney. Mr. Harris's Tories, Tories, for the same reason, even avoided putting the label 'Progressive 'Progressive Conservative,' on signs and called themselves 'Ontario PCs.' But in the 1999 election, after Mr. Harris had enthused many by his tax-cutting, their signs everywhere everywhere identified candidates as part of 'the Harris team,' or urged simply 'vote Harris.' More recently in an earlier by- election in June the Tories still used Mr. Harris's name four times as big as their candidate's on signs and billboards, but were unable to hold on to a riding that had been theirs. Some in the party clearly have Eric Dowd At Queen's Park now decided Mr. Harris's name is no longer an asset. The Tories are low in polls, with only 35 per cent compared to 50 per cent for the Liberals. One poll has shown Mr. Harris Harris running behind his party in popularity, which is unusual. Premiers, Premiers, even when down, tend to have higher approval ratings than their parties, because many who object to policies feel some sympathy sympathy toward the personalities behind them. Another poll in the four most populous provinces - Ontario, Quebec, British Columbia and Alberta - showed Mr. Harris as the only premier who evokes more negative than positive responses responses from his residents. Some of this is due to his aggressive aggressive personal style. He has been much more confrontational than recent predecessors as premier, premier, particularly in getting into shouting matches with teachers over changing the education system system and unions in whittling down workers rights. Mr. Harris could rehabilitate himself before an election due in 2003, because he has strengths including the fact many still like him for his tax cuts and he can be relied on to do most of what he says. If he fails, it would be difficult for the Tories to distance themselves themselves from him, because in general general elections almost all the media attention inevitably is fo cussed on leaders. Mr. Harris, also almost single- handedly among its elected members, resurrected his party from its lowest point in history in the late 1980s, when it • struggled at around 20 per cent in the polls. Mr. Harris chose the backroom backroom team that put together the Common Sense Revolution, the package of policies mainly for cutting government and taxes, and injected some of his own views into it, because he had long been a right-winger grumbling about his party being too far to the left. He embodied it well in the 1995 election, not with dazzling oratory but with a clarity and decisiveness decisiveness that led many to understand understand and be enthusiastic over it. Mr. Harris is well-known for running his party with a strong hand and small group of faceless, unelected advisers and its policies policies are almost all his, rather than its caucus's. He also is thé best known premier in Canada, according according to the poll that showed he is least popular. His idiosyncrasies including his golf and frequent absences from the legislature are as much reported as many of his programs. programs. His party is often called 'the Harrisites,' by opponents and news media. A poll last month seeking to find out how the public rates six ministers seen as potential successors successors found all bvt one - Education Education Minister Janet Ecker, who also has been in a lot of rows - so little known most could not assess assess them. Mr, Harris to most people is the Conservative party - they are like Siamese twins and it will not be easy to separate them. Managing Editor jbobbitKti dnrlianircgion.com Flying past security Airport security around the world has been under the microscope since last Tfiesday's terrorist attacks. Travellers have been warned they'll face longer lineups at security gates, and nobody's arguing. Thorough security measures at . airports are welcome as Canada joins the United States in a "war against terrorism." terrorism." Though "war against terrorism" sounds like an oxymoron, if our airport personnel become more eagle-eyed, it's a bonus. I found out first-hand (accidentally) (accidentally) how easy it is to breach airport security security in Canada. It was a stupid situation where I took a walk (OK, a smoke) outside the Vancouver Vancouver airport, where I was later to catch a connecting flight to Kelowna. Too late I realized my ticket and boarding pass were still upstairs with a travelling companion, companion, inside a passengers-only, "secure" "secure" area. Outside the airport with no ticket and no boarding pass? No problem. problem. Ironically, it was reported the U.S. Department of Transportation's inspector-general inspector-general had started an investigation into airport security measures only the day before the terrorist attacks in the United States, and two years after the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration was warned of "lax" security at American American airports. The 1999 report found impostor impostor hijackers easily entered "secure" , areas,, by following, employees through doors, .walkingjjthrough gates and bridges, entering cargo areas unchallenged unchallenged and riding unguarded elevators. Here at home, Transport Canada inspectors inspectors are reportedly successful in smuggling weapons past security 18 per cent of the time. Let's get that down to zero per cent. All I had to smuggle past security was myself, and since there wasn't any intention intention of wrong-dôing, I imagined that anyone who stopped me would simply page my companions to fetch my ticket. I wouldn't try it today, no sir. But it was March 2000, and the horrifying horrifying events of last Ifiesday in Manhattan Manhattan and Washington were still part of an undreamed-of dark future. Must've forgotten to pack my wits that day, leaving my ticket upstairs. Down an escalator, through an automated automated sliding door, and I was outside. Happy to be having a cigarette in the fresh air, instead of inside the enclosed smoking room upstairs. It dawned on me then where my ticket was, and that the door I'd come through wouldn't work when I tried to re-enter. I was right. It was marked 'no admittance' on the side I now faced, and included a warning for 'authorized personnel' to look over their shoulders as they used their keys. I simply waited beside the door until a deplaning deplaning passenger exited, and darted back the way I'd come, back to my friends and my boarding pass. I could've met anyone on the sidewalk outside the airport and returned carrying a weapon, drugs, anything as I boarded the flight. No alarms went off; the expected clap of a hand on my shoulder never came. THE CANADIAN STATESMAN is one of the Metroland Printing, Publishing Publishing and Distributing group of newspapers. The Statesman is a member of the Bowmanville Claring- ton Board of Trade, the Greater Os- hawa Chamber of Commerce, Ontario Ontario Community Newspaper Assoc., Canadian Community Newspaper Assoc., Canadian Circulations Audit Board and the Ontario Press Council. The publisher reserves the right to classify or refuse any advertisement. Credit for advertisement limited to space price error occupies. Editorial and Advertising content of the Canadian Canadian Statesman is copyrighted. Unauthorized reproduction is prohibited. prohibited. The Canadian Statesman welcomes letters to the editor. All letters should be typed or neatly hand-written, 150 words, Each letter must include the name; mailing address and daytime telephone number of the writer. The editor reserves the right to edit copy for style, length and content. We regret regret that due to the volume of letters, not all will be printed, Fax letters to 623-6161or emailed to newsroom@durhamregion.com IAWO rWOJUNCX À 0 ™ cca