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Ns me IN a ey rll Cond Fem = wn be Py A pn ~ » Pi RR ov ven UN Sew RN TR mt PE RASSAERPEINA Hal PR SAAN tel Ta LUTE REO A ALAA RUN 0 Se! N BINA EE Of ASA RATER Editorial Comment ~ChatterBox Co 2 J 3 77, rE 7723258 522 2 1 # ] # ¥ If you have ever walked through a deserted building, listening to the creaks and groans of the old wood floors as you step one foot ahead of the other cautiously along the floor, you will know the feeling we at the Star experienced Monday morning. A trip to the "backshop" sent echoes throughout the empty room where a number of presses once sjood. Gone now is the clanging and clunking of the Linotype, Elrod and Ludlow. Gone is the snap, snap, snap of the folding machines, and gone are the mild curses of machinery operators whose paper jammed and metal splashed. Yes, it's the end of an era at 235 Queen Street. The presses are now gone and all that remains are the dirty faded walls, where once dozens of calendars hung like a vacated picture gallery, the well inked and used hardwood floors which withstood decades .of traffic, and, the dust and cobwebs in nooks and crannies that have not been seen for many a year. Now before anyone gets confused and starts thinking that the Port Perry Star is vacating its familiar location of the past 70 years, I would like to clarify a few things. Firstly, the Star will remain in its brightly lit offices and continue to produce your weekly news- paper. For those who are unaware, in 1974 the commer- cial printing division of the Star was sold, and made into a separate business, the Port Perry Printing Co. Ltd. For the past three years it has been operating from the familiar location at the rear of the Star offices. This week they moved to their new location on North Street, where they have a bright, modern building which will enable them to work more efficiently. Thinking back on the ten years that I have been associated with the Star, I can not help but be astonished at the changes that have taken place in that short time, It seems like only yesterday that the big old handfed flatbed press rolled off two pages of the paper at a time, and when not spewing out issues of the Star was engaged in making Auction Sale bills and numerous other large sheets. 3 It was during those early days of my printing career | watched as Bruce Beare sat for endless hours by J. Peter Hvidsten at the keyboard of the Linotype transferring type- written copy into hot metal slugs. It was he who set the entire body-copy of the paper week-after-week. On the Ludlow, and with hand-set type, the news headings and advertising was pieced together one letter at a time, then locked into forms and placed on "the presses, where proofs were pulled, dryed and then taken to the composing room. A lot has changed in a very short time. No longer do we use the 'hot metal type" to set our copy for ads and news. The age of offset came upon us shortly after I arrived and little by little the process was changed over to what is commonly called "cold type setting'. : It's a new era. A time of computerized typesetting, photographic wizardry, and modern equipment. We'll miss the grinding of gears, hissing of suction, and clanging of the old machinery. It was with us so long that it will not seem the same without it. Now "we will look ahead to the future...but we won't forget our past. The capture of murderer 'Son of Sam" last week in New York brings to an end one of the largest manhunts in history. The self-confessed killer of six women is now behind bars and awaiting trial. Already he has been offered $250,000 for his story. It as writer that every time a criminal or murderer makes a name for himself, that they are offered hundreds of thousands of dollars to sell their story. It would seem that the one sure way to make a, fast fortune in our society is to take human lives in a mass killing, or embezzle the government of millions of dollars. Having done this, it is a sure bet that someone will come along and offer you a quick fortune for the details of the story. Although this may be quite unavoidable, maybe the money that is paid for these stories should be divided among the victims families, or used as partial payment for the crimes they have committed. They should not be allowed to profit from. their crime ' stated, an opinion expressed. g .name, but you must also sign. Action needed now On Monday, August 8, a Greenbank area woman complained bitterly to the Scugog Township council about the alleged ativities of people using the Cedar Stone Park picnic grounds on Highway 12, According to the resident who made the com- plaint,-and confirmed by Councillor Don Crosier who personally visited the park a week ago Sunday, picnickers trespassed on private property, left gar- bage and beer bottles on her property, and verbally abused the woman's young son. The woman claimed that the back section of the land owned by the park operators Is being used as a picnic area contrary to the agriculture zoning designation of this section. Nobody .would question the right of a camp operator to conduct a legitimate business enterprise. But with this right comes a corresponding obligation - to see that the business Is carried out in a proper manner with the property and privacy of citizens who live close by protected. After listening to the complaints, council agreed to investigate and will ask the operator to attend the next meeting and explain what is going on. If the situation continues, the township must enforce its zoning regulations, and put any kind of pressure possible on the park operators to respect the rights and properties of others. And, any necessary action should be done immediately before the situation gets out of hand, and out of control. Other editors' views EDITOR'S NOTE: As a member of the Ontario Weekly Newspaper Association the Port Perry Star received editorials that have appeared recently in the columns of other community papers across the province. Belleving that our readers may be Interested in the views expressed in these publicat- ions, the Star-will from time to time reprint some of them in this column. Had a lady drop by our office recently 'with a --letter of complaint about -a report in The 'Advertiser- - Topic. She was hesitant and embarrassed. It was the first time she had written a letter to the editor and the point she was trying" to make seemed In retrospect to be of small conséquence. But, we emphasized, it was a matter of some importance to her and of interest generally. Why not submit it? Having written the letter and still holding the same opinion, she should expect to see' it published, The first reason we write is to be read. Letter writers should never concern themselves very much with the tender sensibilities of editors. People who write for newspapers deal all day long, six and seven days of the week with the opinions and criticisms of others, and direct a few barbs them- selves. Anyone unable to 2ckwisdoe criticism does not belong in the business, We I In opinion. To us, the most precious thing in the world Is a fact clearly . It doesn't always matter whether an opinion is - carefully reasoned. Some people are Intuitive and seem fo arrive at their best position on impulse. Neither Is it important that the letter be grammatic- ally correct and the spelling accurate. Most readers are less interested in your level of education than in what you have to say. Read your letter over. Does it make your point without belaboring it, without wandering into unrelated subjects, without wearying the reader by unnecessary length? Of course it must be in good taste. One does not commit malicious gossip to paper. : 2 All letters must be signed. You may use a pen Your letter raises question; we must know where to seek the answers. Criticism well meant Is usually helpful, even though it may be poorly founded. People who work in the public view want to know If they are communicat- Ing accurately. If their words are misread or misunderstood, it helps to know. If they are laboring with incomplete or incorrect information, they are wasting their time. : There Is nothing so elusive as the "truth" and very often two sets of facts' cannot be resolved. It then comes down to a matter of opinion. But of what benefit to others Is your opinion, If no one hears it? Opinion is a product of the human intellect, a' precious thing which, however, loses its lustre and value when too closely held. Express yourself. It will broaden your mind -- and ours too. yo ~The Advertiser-Topic Petrolia, Ontario July 20, 1977. ¢ Ta sf * <x