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"Scugog's Community Newspaper of Choice" PORT PERRY STAR - ERS TOL Question of the Week... Have you enjoyed the id unseasonably warm Tommy Whiteway 4 weather we had until last | like it cold with lots of weekend, or do you prefer SNOW SO you can go our regular cold Canadian Go, wi vie Sg winters? from school. Eo sd ei Susan Liske Paul Marks Lots of cold weather. It's been great. It's We're from Sudbury good because it's not too cold, but you can still enjoy all the winter sports like skiing and skating. and we really enjoy all the winter sports and activities. John O'Toole | like real winter weath- er so I've been kind of disappointed so far this year. | also think this mild weather is the cause of all this flu. Al White | really prefer the warmth; I'm not much of an outdoor winter guy, so it's been pretty good so far for me. Smoke alarms can keep you safe | To the Editor: The recent debate about what type of smoke alarm you should have in your home greatly disturbs me. Not because | believe that one technology is better than the other - in fact, experience has shown that both ionization and photoelectric smoke alarms are effective at detecting fires in the home. My concern is that-people may believe the only thing they need to be safe from fire is a smoke alarm. The truth is, if you and your family are going to survive a fire, you may need much more than that. Most fatal fires occur at night, when people are asleep. Often these are very slow, smoldering fires, which are the most difficult to detect. Photoelectric alarms may respond slightly faster to this type of fire, however when these smoldering fires reach the flaming stage, both alarms will respond effectively. lonization type smoke alarms may respond faster to hot, flaming fires, such as those that can occur in the kitchen. Regardless of the type, the more smoke alarms you have, the earlier a fire may be detected. Fire and smoke can spread at an incredible rate, so by the time the alarm sounds, a substantial amount of smoke may already be filling your home. You may only have a very short time to escape so you must be prepared to act immediately. Developing a home escape plan and practicing it with your family can greatly improve your chances of surviving. Smoke alarms are definitely an essential component of fire safety, but they're only part of the equation. A well- rehearsed home escape plan and fire-safe behaviours will go a long way toward protecting you and your family. Bernard A. Moyle, Fire Marshal of Ontario ~~ Come on, folks, get those shoulders up around the ears, {| now. Stuff your hands deep into your pockets. Pull your toque your scarf up so that the authorities w an alley. : i Mothers with young children in strollers are a study in winter warmth technology. Layer upon layer of wool, polyester, gortex, and who knows what else. Mom's a vision in her bulky parka; mitts and woolen headband, while baby resembles nothing so much as a starfish, with limbs outstretched and immobile. Is there really a child in there, or is mom just absent-mindedly walking a snow suit? Making a comeback this season for the over 40 man is the toque that perches impossibly on the crown of the head. You'd swear there's adhesive involved, but; nope, it's just static cling, doing its magic. Wow! For the professional man, no ensemble is complete hen they fi by Jeff Mitchell 'without galoshes, and, the older one gets, the more "necessary it may be to wear a ridiculous hat. Don't want Old Man Winter breathing down on our bare pate, now do we? Older ladies and husky folks are reminded that if fur is worn in these parts, there's a good chance ou' ot at, so step lively! | A dren under 12 will be wearing snow pants, s this winter, from the instant It doesn't matter if you're the car, or if the school bus we'll be stopping for any length of time, because God knows we'll be rushing out without 'em. How long does it take for your fingers to freeze while you're scraping the windshield? Mom needs an expensive new coat, because she hasn't bought one since last year. And here comes Dad, who's been out chopping wood in his sweat pants and army surplus coat. Looks like he's going to strip down to his long johns, and drink beer by the woodstove while the hockey game's on. Lookin' good, Dad! ...As you can see, very little changes when it comes to winter fashion. Which is to say, there's no such thing. But don't worry: No matter how bad you look, no one can tell it's you under all those layers, anyway. 'Random Jottings by J. Peter Hvidsten WINTER! IT'S JUST NOT WHAT IT USED TO BE Talk to anyone who has lived around this area forty years or more, and they'll tell you the winters we get today are nothing like those of just a few decades ago. Old timers have countless tales, from the early to mid-part of this century, of snow being piled as high as the telephone wires, roads being blocked for days, and kids having to walk to school in snow waist high. But winters over the past decade seem to be getting milder and more unpredictable. Snow accumulations are far less than a few decades ago, the traditional January thaw can last for weeks, and winter seldom gets under way before the end of December. With this change in the weather -- some refer to it as global warming -- the ice on Lake Scugog is often unsafe during the early part of the winter. But regardless of the danger, as soon as it freezes over, those who use the lake far recreation with snow- mobiles, ATVs, skating and ice fishing, begin to venture onto the ice before it is safe. We only have to think back a few years ago, when four men died while snowmobiling on Lake Scugog, after running into open water. It would seem that ice fishing huts are also becom- ing victim of warmer temperatures during the early part" of this fishing season. Just last week, mild weather, combined with wind and rain, created unsafe condi- tions on the lake, opening up a number of spots. Some fish huts were actually seen being blown along the wet ice and others are now frozen in the ice after sliding into open water just a few days earlier. The next danger presents itself towards the end of February, when the huts have to be removed. Often by this time, spring like weather has eaten away at the ice creating unsafe conditions, and removing the huts can put lives into jeopardy. It might be time for the authorities to reassess the use of ice huts on the lake during the winter. As | understand it, Lake Scugog is the only lake in the Kawarthas that does allow fish huts, although ice fish- ing is allowed on other lakes as well. While the idea of not allowing fish huts on Lake Scugog may be unpopular to those who enjoy the sport, safety should be of a greater concern. For those who really enjoy the sport, and don't want to brave the elements, there are a variety of portable ice fishing huts available today, which can be put up and taken down with ease. Unpredictable weather creates unpredictable ice conditions... which spells disaster! PLEASE BE CAREFUL This past weekend was really the first for local snowmobile enthusiasts to get out and enjoy their machines on Lake Scugog. Hundreds of snowmobilers were seen racing up and down the lake at truly aston- ishing speeds. A light fall of snow earlier in the week dropped at least enough for the snow machines to run on the lake, although there's still not enough on the trails. But despite the colder weather towards the end of last week, there are still many spots on the lake that have not completely frozen over, or have only a thin layer of ice covering the cold water. There were a number of unfortunate accidents this past weekend, although thankfully no one was killed, so once again we urge those using the lake.... please be careful.