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a a DW iw San SA ---- 'Attitude makes healing faster,' says Dr. Tom Millar by Cathy Robb Cartoon scotch taped to Doctor Millar's office door, featuring Frank and Ernest: "My appointment schedule is a mess .. "a grinning MD says, 'I'll just take the first person with their clothes off." The cartoon is merely indicative of the man behind the door, because in the case of Doc Millar, it's a spoonful of humour, not sugar, that helps the medicine go down. "My attitude towards practise is to make medicine fun," he says, emphasizing the word fun in a marked Scottish accent. 'Attitude makes healing faster, there's no doubt, and if you can't have a little smile, or a little joke, it's going to take longer." : He shrugs and takes a long drag on a cigarette. "If roughly 33 per cent of the people think I'm a saint, 33 per cent think. I'm a horse's ass, and 33: per cent can't give a damn, then that's fine because you can't please everyone." He laughs uproarious- ly at his own wisdom, coal black eyebrows shooting straight up into his wide forehead. "My biggest problem is I'm too much of a talker. My wife calls me a motormouth. But I pro- bably have a practise away from the lake. icy-cold water. Ice on lake, but not safe We don't think it's a record, but Lake Scugog was covered with a thin layer of ice on Monday morning for the first time this year. By the time this newspaper hits the street, the ice may be gone, but if it is not we would just like to warn parents to keep the children Nothing is quite so tempting to a youngster as a layer of ice over a pond or lake. But the consequences can be devastating should the ice break, and someone falls through into the Let's not rush the season. There will be plenty of ice during the coming months. Let's make it a safe and happy winter. Helps medicine go down where patients can talk. If people complain that I'm running late, I say, why didn't you bring a book or a television, or better yet, see a doctor that doesn't talk so much. A CHARACTER In medical and social circles, Tom Millar is the subject of many conver- sations. When talking behind his back, people invariably refer to the 39 year old physician and president of the Scugog Choral Society as "a character," trading Doc Millar anecdotes the way youngsters exchange hockey cards. They recall the last Choral Society produc- tion, The Sounds of Hollywood, and the ap- plause that rang through Town Hall 1873 when Dr. Millar appeared. And they remember his words "What are you all clapping for? 1 haven't done anything yet!" Or there's the time he was called to the emergency department of Community Memorial Hospital to attend to ac- cident victims. Because of the emergency, he was missing his regularly- scheduled patients ---- including an elderly lady who happened to run in- to the doctor at the hospital. She confronted the doc- tor, her small body rigid, her mouth set. Irritated, "~< » , iis " hS Com J The Great Scugog Spook Caper is 'great' in more ways than one ---- just ask Chuck Preston (left) who accepted a cheque for $140 on behalf of Central Seven Friday afternoon. Kroonenberg, owner of Emiel's Place Restaurant, organized the Spook Caper Hallowe'en night and presented the profits to Central Seven. she started to reprimand the doctor for missing her appointment. But before she got too far, the doctor turned the full force of his Scottish charm on her, putting a blush on her old cheeks, and a girlish smile on her lips. DISILLUSIONED He says he holds a special place in his heart for senior citizens, call- ing them a 'neglected race' and sending elder- ly matrons out his door with the admonishment to 'behave themselves." Seniors and pregnant ladies are his favourite patients, mainly because '99 per cent of the time they'll say thank-you." Which is why he came to Canada in the first place. Not yet 30 years old, he was disillusioned with the British health service system that put him and a 64 year old partner in an area where they had to service more than 11 thousand people. All by themselves. With no appointment system, people lined up at the office door the way movie-buffs lined up for Star Wars premiers. It became impossible for the young doctor to spend any time with his patients and eventually he became a self- confessed prescriber, doling out cold prescrip- tions assembly-line fashion with little or no examination. Fed up, he began reading the British Medical Journal in earnest and spotted an ""advert" for three jobs in Canada, one in Dryden, Ontario, one in Brandon Manitoba, and one in Port Perry. He applied for all three and was accepted in each case. The only problem (Turn to page 6) > PORT PERRY STAR -- Tugs. November 20, 1984 -- 3 "1 suppose I've learned that if I'm going to deal with the public, the best way to do it is with a smile on my face," says the man with the perennial grin, Doctor Tom Millar. One of Port Perry's liveliest physicians, and the President of the Scugog Choral Society, Dr. Millar offers. a look at his own interesting life ---- and explains why smiling is such an important part of medicine. See story for details. Bring a friend - discover alternative education The Durham Board of Education will hold an Open House, Tuesday, November 27 from 7 to 9 p.m. at the Old Town Hall in Port Perry to tell residents of Brock, Scugog and Uxbridge Townships about the Port Perry Learning Centre. The Learning Centre, located in the Old Town Hall, provides secon- dary school courses for those 18 or over, who have been out of school at least a year. The courses are de- signed for those who wish to obtain their high school diploma or pur- Wine buffs 'pig out' on rare Beaujolais Nouveau For the first time ever, wine buffs in Port Perry did not have to go out of town for a bottle of Beaujolais Nouveau. The LCBO outlet in Port Perry was allotted 20 cases (240 bottles) which went on sale last Friday morning at $9. a bottle. The Beaujolais Nouveau from the wine growing regions around Lyons, France, creates quite a stir when it comes on the market for a limited time each year and all available bottles are snapped up quickly by wine lovers around the world. Ontario received 120,000 bottles of Thomas Le Chevalier and Thorin last year, slightly more than usual. Ron Mitchell, store manager at the Port Perry LCBO outlet said he has put in requests for the Beaujolais in past years, but all available bottles have been allocated to stores in the larger population centres. He said there has been some customer interest in the past in whether or not the outlet here would be receiving any of the famous wine. A lot of people read about the Beaujolais Nouveau phenomena and decide to try a bottle out of curiosity, but there are a few very knowledgeable wine experts in the Port Perry area. Unlike most other wines, Beaujolais Nouveau does not improve with age; in fact it should be con- sumed within a few weeks after buying. According to some reports, the Beaujolais fad got its start a few years ago when the Sunday Times of London offered a prize to the first restaurant in that city to serve a bottle to its patrons. As for anyone in Port Perry hoping to find out what all the fuss is about, you're probably too late now to sample this year's product. Mr. Mitchell told the Star Monday morning, there were about 40 bottles still left in stock, but they likely will be gone by the time this paper is printed. Ah, well, maybe next year. Now that the LCBO has uecided that Port Perry can receive a few bottles of the stuff, it will be available here in 1985. sue an interest. The Open House will give interested persons a chance to learn about the Alternative Secon- dary Education Pro- gram and see how it can meet their needs. The Port Perry Learn- ing Centre offers courses in English and math and (enrolment permitting) many other subject areas, including Career Development and Life Planning and Family Studies. Participants spend a minimum of three hours a day at the Learning Centre .. any three they wish. This flexibility allows students to hold a job or attend to other business while they study. The courses are given by friendly, qualified teachers in a relaxed, adult atmosphere, using Ontario Ministry of Education materials. The staff will help those without vehicles arrange daily trans- portafion to the Port Perry 1earning Centre. Bus transportation is also available. The Durham Board of Education has Alter- native Learning Centres in Oshawa, Pickering and Whitby, as well as in Port Perry. For more information about the centres, or. the Altern- ative Secondary Educa- tion Program, call our Oshawa Learning Centre, 579-1990.