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VIEWPOINT | ohn B. McClelland | J ------ prm-- THE SILLY SEASON Is it just my imagination, or have we entered some kind of "silly season?" #++ Take for example, the people * who make Halloween masks. Hot tickets this year will be masks from the 0.J. affair. Be the first on your block with an 0.J. Simpson mask. Or how about the prosecutor, the defense lawyers, Judge Ito? . Why not go together with your friends and get the entire 0.J. collection of Halloween masks including Nicole. Order the works and get a matching bloody glove, free of charge. Happy Halloween. *** Royal Family watchers had plenty to titter about when Princess Di's riding instructor revealed in one of those kiss and tell books that he and Di did a lot more than just gallop around the paddock. Does anybody really care, what with all the serious stuff going on in the world? Have you just about had it with Di, Fergy and the rest of the Royal Family, who have proven time and again they really are a mediocre lot. For the life of me I can't figure out the public and the Fleet Street fascination with who these Royal clowns are sleeping with. Spare me, spare me, spare me. *** Ontario's photo radar project is not working out the way officials hoped. Seems a lot of drivers are TV screen. Americans have long complained they are unable to see the traditional black puck in televised hockey games. Day Glow hockey pucks. What's next, pink skates, ads on the sweaters, cheerleaders who leap on the ice between whistles? Hockey was once so pure and un-complicated. Not any more. *** The recent spate of shootings almost guarantees that solicitor general Allan Rock will bring in tougher gun laws later this fall. Why not. It's good politics these days. But the toughest gun restrictions in the world are not going to take guns out of the hands of the criminals. ) Law abiding gun owners see the folly of trying to cfack down on critfie by trampling over their rights. Sadly, their arguments are falling on deaf ears. Law abiding gun owners just aren't politically correct these days. It has been estimated that setting up a nation-wide gun registry will cost well in excess of $100 million. Why not take that money and build some secure prisons for those whe use guns to murder and rob and those who import illegal weapons into this country. A ban on hand-guns, a nation-wide registry of all firearms will do nothing to drive down violent crime in this country. IN CLOSING.......... Now that the municipal election campaign is officially underway in Scugog foiling the radar by dging the licence plates on their vehicles. So, Ontario's solicitor general has ordered police forces to crack down on drivers who deliberately obscure their plates. We've got drive-by shootings on the 401, murders, rapes, robberies, drug dealers in the school yards. And now the Police are told to crack down on drivers whose licence plates are smudged. And this when police forces are having their budgets slashed which means fewer cops on the streets to combat the real crime. Only in Ontario. *** Had a rare (and welcome) night off last week. Desperate to catch something sporty on the tube I tuned in an Internatational Hockey League game between Afanta and Minnesota. ething flashy caught my eye. The puck appeared on the TV screen as a bright, florescent yellow. It was an experiment to make the puck more visible on the Township, you might want to mark October 26 on your calendar. There will be a candidates meeting that night in the main gym at Port Perry High School. It will be limited to candidates running for mayor, regional council and the school boards. The decision to exclude the ward candidates from this meeting was made by the organizers in the interest of brevity. I'm not sure I agree with an all- candidates meeting without all the candidates, but it's better than no meeting at all. In any event, if you want to know where the candidates in your ward stand on an issue, give them a call or question them when they arrive on your doorstep looking for your vote. And you will have a chance to hear the candidates for mayor, region and school boards October 26 (7:00 PM) at PPHS on Rosa Street. Candidate laments being shut out of Oct. 26 forum To the Editor: As a candidate for Ward 5, | Wing launched a platform emphasizing a "team" structure within our community. Building a strong rapport among citizens of Scugog Township and council b are by a voting process involving your councilors and, indeed, I am angered that we are not in a position at this time to face our public under one roof for one evening and 'verbally promote our has been my major criteria towards It is deemed imperative that the candidates=especially those running for the first time-be afforded the opportunity building a bright future. It, therefore, comega€"a shock to 'me and I'm sure o didat Ived in the five wards that an all-candidates ng #6 include ilors" does NOT exiot af this time. One forum was understandably cancelled in view of yet another all- candidate meeting on October 26 at Port Perry High School. A quick check reveals that only those running for the positions . of mayor, regional and school board are on this agenda. Please be advised, friends, that a prerequisite to a successful council entails the diligent work ethic and overall teamwork of everyone, and that certainly applies to your councilors. I needn't remind you that most of all decisions agreed upon at council meetings to exp their viewpoints at a public forum in order that voters can clearly understand exactly who they will be sending to the council chambers for the next three years. Unless an organization, such as a service club, comes forward to accommodate us, I am fully prepared to initiate an all-candidates meeting specifically for prospective "councilors" in the near future. Candidates and citizens 'who share my concern are urged to assist. My telephone number is 985-1612. My business No. at The Oshawa Times is 723-3476 (Sports Department). Yours in politics, Wally Donaldson, Your 'Team' Player Apple Day a success thanks to all of you To the Editor: What a great day it was, the leaves had turned, the sun was shining, the morning air was crisp. On each street corner, on every 'front porch stood a Beaver, Cub or Scout from 1st Port Perry holding a carefully decorated basket full of brightly polished apples. These boys were out to say thank you to the residents of Port Perry for their support over the past year and in return they received donations for their apples. All boys, leaders and parents worked hard to make this day happen and thanks to the Scugog Citizen everyone knew the boys would be out last Saturday. The boys and leaders received an 1994 Apple Day crest to sew on their camp blankets, enjoyed lunch, and had a great time together. Thanks to Willow Tree Farms and Nature's Bounty Orchard for supplying us with delicious apples. 1 would like to say a great big thank you to the residents of Port Perry for giving so generously again this year. When you read or hear about a camp, hike or equipment purchased by 1st Port Perry, you can say you helped make it all possible. Thanks for a great Apple Day. Ellen Greenough 1st Port Perry Scouts Pesticide kits To The Editor: As a follow up to the letters printed in the past several issues of your paper, regarding pesticides and the proven health risks related to their use, readers may be interested in obtaining more information. The Pesticide Ini tion Kit, a project of Durham Enviroffimental Network, is available, and includes relevant information on environmental and health concerns, alternatives to pesticides for home and garden and a "Pesticide Free" lawn sign. Kits are available by calling 985.2377. Sincerely, 3 Karen Giles Scugog Township * '* N \ 3 Please see page'18 for more 'Letters to the Editor' ? ~ More effort needed to attract real industry To the Editor: Some of the politicking regarding the Scugog Island Casino has prompted me to write this letter. Several letters and comments have referred to the great economic benefits of the gaming facility. Unlike the manufacturing sector which creates real economic growth a casino fits into the category of a service business. Service businesses do not create growth they only redistribute it. Indeed, it may be assumed that it will redistribute wealth to the Scugog Island but whether this will benefit the broad area in general is a highly questionable assumption. Furthermore I am not aware of any studies being undertaker!' to substantiate these claims. However, more power to redistributing it in Scugog. The second point at issue is ong] find amusing. Personally, I t find the term "Gaming Facility" negative or derogatory. But to insinuate that by adding the term "Charitable" this improves upon the image is ite ironic. Under gaming rules it is a well known fact that charitable gaming facilities stack the odds of winning fi ore against, the better than just a normal uncharitable casino. One simply has to study the "charitable" rules of Black Jack to prove this point. The term "charitable" used here simply tends to support the idea that this gaming facility is just a higher more efficient istributor of wealth, It lends new meaning to the old adage; charity begins at home. Would it be toa, naive of me to ask at this time what charity this proposed casino has chosen to sponsor? Both Mr. Strickert and Mr. Shepherd are guilty of being misleading. To suggest that the Mississauga's don't want a casino they want a charitable --_-- gaming facility has no fundamental differences in my mind at all. Combining the terns charitable and gambling is an oxymoron. 1 am not against a casino. But 1 do wish as much effort was going into attracting a real growth type industry for our area, I'd like to make a bet on that! Yours truly er M.W.Bill Bradburn, | RR, Nestleton.