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) : : | ) --T TT "Tm. TN Ww 6 -- PORT PERRY STAR -- Tuesday, November 14, 1989 The Pout Perry Shae Elsewhere $60.00 per year. Single Copy 50¢ EDITORIAL Publisher - J. Peter Hvidsten Editor - John B, McClelland Darlene Hlozan BUSINESS OFFICE Office Manager - Gayle Stapley Accounting - Judy Ashby Advertising Sales Respresentative - Tanya Sheehey (CG CNA 8 Member of the Canadian Community Newspaper Association Ontario Community Newspaper Association Published every Tuesday by the Port Perry Star Co. Ltd. Port Perry, Ontario 235 QUEEN STREET - PORT PERRY, ONTARIO News/Features -Julia Ashton Billing Department - Louise Hope PHONE 985-7383 FAX 985-3708 Retail Sales - Kathy Dudley, Linda Ruhl, Tracy O'Neil The Port Star is authorized as second dass mail by the Post Office Department Otte lor cen poyasse Mal Y PRODUCTION ADVERTISING -Second Class Mail Registration Number 0265 Annabell Harrison Advertising Co-ordinator - Valerie Ellis Subscription Rate: In Canada $20.00 per year Trudy Empringham Advertising Sales Representative - Anna Gouldburn Editorial Comment WEST AND EAST The television pictures flashing round the world via "satellite are stunning, almost un-believable. Mass demonstrations against the ruling Communist governments in Eastern European countries followed by perhaps the most un-real image of all: the crumbling of the Berlin Wall. For nearly 30 decades the Wall has been a symbol of hatred and suppression in the name of ideology. Yet last week, thousands of East Berliners sat on top of the Wall danced and drank champaghe in its ugly shadow, and made their freely to the West. The events of recent weeks in East Germany, Hun- gary, Czechoslovakia, Poland and the Soviet Union have happened too rapidly to properly analyze and understand. Are we truly witnessing the beginning of the end of the brutal regimes which have enslaved half of Europe for four decades? And is the Soviet Union really throwing off the shackles of Marx, Lenin and Stalin to march into some form of free enterprise, democratic, open society under the twin banners of glasnost and peristroika? One hopes so, for the sake of a generation of people and their children who have been chained to an ideology which in plain, simple terms, just doesn'twork. However, through all the euphoria about the apparent new freedoms emerging for the people of Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union (assuming there is not a hidden agenda planned by the ruling powers) those countries are going to face enormous and potentially explosive prob- lems in the months and years to follow. Certainly the greatest danger is that once the glow of new-found freedoms start to fade, can those newly shaped countries live up to the rising expectations of their citizens. Let's be honest, the economy of the entire Eastern Bloc of nations is in dreadful condition; stagnant and mori- bund for a generation, unable to provide its citizens with eveh the most basic of everyday consumer needs, never mind items like cars and decent housing which are taken for granted in western nations. It is one thing for a country to suddenly have new freedoms like open elections, a parliament of sorts, or even a multi-party system, it may be quite something else for the economy to respond to the rising expectations in a short period. When rising expectations in any society are not met, the frustrations set in and the ground becomes highly fer- tile for unrest that may lead to a new dictatorship of either the right or the left. If the new political freedoms do indeed emerge in Eastern Europe, those countries are going to need a lot of help to boost the economic conditions. Western nations, like Canada, who are now rejoicing at the apparent trans- formation in Eastern Europe, may soon find themselves called upon to boost those staggering economies. This could take the shape of direct financial aid, preferential trade agreements, outright gifts of consumer goods that are in such short supply, and a willingness by western countries to purchase goods manufactured in those coun- tries. For the people of Eastern Europe, the glow of free- dom will be short-lived if there are still huge line-ups to buy things like tooth-paste and fresh oranges. The Western World cannot sit idly by and watch East- ern Europe stumble economically and then perhaps fall un- der newdictatorships of the right or the left. That would only add to the tragedy of the last forty years. ' MEECH SUPPORTERS SURPRISE VISIT Last Juastay afternoon | had a brief, but pleasant visit with a gentleman who has some family links to this community. Armed with a folder full of old photographs, news clippings and information, Glenn Mundy, grandson of the late Edward Mundy, (the first publisher of this newspaper), reminisced with me about his families involvement in the news-" paper business in Port Perry and Oshawa. As many people may know, Edward Mundy began publishing this newspaper (then known as the Standard) in 1866, and it was the first newspaper to be published from Port Perry, On- tario. | first learned of Mr. Mundy's whereabouts earlier this year when we hired Rob Streich. He had sent a copy of our anniversary issue off to his teacher at Sheridan College, who informed me that she was a relative of Edward Mundy. She then gave me the address of Glenn Mundy to contact for more information, and this led to our meeting last week. Having a keen interest in the history of the newspapers in this community, it was indeed a privilege to have met a member of the Mundy family, and learned a littte more about the early days of publishing in the area. The new information | have received will be included in a future article which will be printed in the 125th Anniversary Issue of the Star/ - Standard, to be published in 1991. O' CANADA With all the negative talk, and ink being giv- en to things like the GST (Goods and Service Tax), Meech Lake and bilingualism recently, it's no darn wonder Canada is in a turmoil. Governments, both Provincial and Federal, continually ram things down the throats of Cana- dians they do not want, and the more they do it, the more we resent it. Canada is in trouble, deep trouble. I'm going to relinquish most of my column this week to let you read how another publisher, in another part of the province feels ut what is happening to Canada. John James, publisher of the Amherstburg Echo never minces his words when he writes, as you will see in the fol- lowing paragraphs: by J. Peter Hvidsten "Everybody out there does understand us Canadians (and Canada) are in deep trouble, right? Right! So the logical thing to do is fix the prob- lem, right? Right! How to go about that? Easy: 1. Identify the major issues; 2. Develop logical solutions, and 3. Serve up a solid dose of national pride. Tell you something, pal. We're doing one helluva job identifying the major issues! "And, we're also doing an impressive num- ber in terms of concluding it ain't easy to come up with lots of logical answers for what ails us. But, what this country really needs to get its doo-doo together and do 'something to unite the entire country: a common cause that binds us like Krazy Glue. Something like a brand new national anthem.....yeah, that's it, a new anthem. Yessir, Juy when things are heading straight for hell in a handbasket, there's not miich Jane and John Canuck need more than a rip snortin', foot stompin', gut grabbin', ticker tuggin', tune. One that makes you want to march down to the federal building to pledge allegiance to Baie Comeau and all points west. Face it, fellow citizens, "O' Canada" sucks. (Can you imagine marching to it?) For further proof, look no further than an TV sports telecast. On comes the U.S. anthem, and everybody jumps up, hand over heart, stands at attention, and then SINGS! After it's over they all cheer, and congratulate each oth- er for being such patriotic wussies. On the other hand, if the patriotic sons and daughters of Canada get caught in one of those awkward moments where it's time to sing "O' Canada", we lurch upward, apologet- ic-like, the old hands stuck in the old pockets, and stare forlornly skyward, groping desper- ately for those elusive words. The words never come. Everyone grunts incoherent noises in desperation, but the result (Turn to page 10) Cah I ay i Mo wow AT a a eli gel gl lp mal. Wu lR Re i Tl SN lr SS lal MT ais Sls ir me + ion glia