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Makes a Lot of Sense The Durham Region's decision to shelve plans for a $6.5 million, addition to its headquarters building in Whitby makes a lot of sense. There's little doubt that the public these days is keenly interested in' how governments spend the pennies from the public purse. And in deciding not to spend money on buildings, Durham is setting a good example of keeping a tight rein on municipal spending. If the Durham Region had decided to proceed with plans to .expand administrative offices we would certainly have heard long and loud protests from the general publie about constructing ivory towers at public expense. And such howls of opposition would have been justified. We should point out that the scheme for building an expanded headquarters is not completely ruled out simply because it was voted down last week. In government, plans and ideas seldom vanish completely; they often return with modifications to face other elected officials on other days. The idea of providing more up-to-date facilities for the regional arm of government has been kicking around for many years and will. no doubt, remain under discussion from time to time in the early 1980s. There will be a day when economic conditions look brighter and growth in the Durham Region looks more vigorous. And when that day arrives, the region may well decide that additional office space is necessary. At that time, the preliminary plans for expansion which were drawn up this year can be dusted off and updated. Durham can always proceed with renovation and/or expansion at a later date when all the conditions look favorable. But, had the region made a hasty decision this year or next to proceed with expansion immediately, it would have set in motion a project that would have been difficult to stop. And the taxpayer could have been left with a $6.5 million millstone about his neck. Quite often, we enjoy bashing the regional government and sometimes the region deserves the criticism it receives. This time, however, it appears as though our elected officials have done the smartest thing possible. Of course, we shouldn t be too surprised at their performance because after all, we elected them, Goodyear Retirees Tour Bowmanville Factory SUGAR and SPICE November Blaws Well, I seem to be able to influence the weather merely by writing a column about it. So let's try it again. Early in October, I wrote a column laudatory of those golden October days, with a sky of infinite blue, just a pleasant tinge of melancholy in the air, and a general sort of blat along those lines. Promptly, without even a decent interlude, October turned into a monster. One of my colleagues, in whom I place infinite trust because he is always wrong, and I go from there, told me that this October had had approximately one-third of the sunlight hours of a normal October. For once, I believed him. November, surely the foulest month of the year in this country, with the possible exception of March, is living up to expectations. One day of watery sunshine, four days of rain and dark skies. That's why I'm writing this. By the time it appears in print, the second half of November will have turned out to be a giddy adventure of belated Indian summer, with a touch of the deep south thrown in. November is a nothing month. The leaves are all gone. In fact, they're lying on your lawn, if you're like me, dank and soggy and heavy. The chap who's to put on your storm windows has gone into hiding, letting his phone ring its head off. And when he does come, the Most businesses today are biting the bullet, holding the line and tightening the belt. There are places where corners can be cut and pennies can be saved and the shrewd business owners are going over their books with a very sharp pencil. Indications are, however, that holding the line on advertising budgets is not necessarily the wisest thing to do at a time of recession. It has been suggested that when times get tough, the successful business will increase or maintain its advertising budget rather than cut it back. Now the cynical reader might suggest that we have a vested interest in urging expansion of advertising budgets at a time like the present. It is no secret that newspapers earn their keep through advertising dollars. But as a seller of advertising we are firm believers in its ability to reach consumers. We have great faith in the power of advertising. Therefore, we believe that if advertising makes sense when the economy is booming, it makes even more sense when things A Corne j Winter When Nature puts her world to sleep, and all the trees are bare, And icy winds come shrieking down, We know that Winter's here. rhe season brings us many things of beauty and delight. The falling snowflakes, glistening shafts, reflections catch our, sight. So softly drop the snowflakes, a blanket covers all, Protection for both man and beast beneath its' shelt'ring pall. God's Plan God has a plan for you and me For beast and bird and tree, He charts us on the Mays Of life. Yes, we may nap To regain our strength anew He guides many and few. We'll have fun and some tears An anxious time, a few fears, But God has a plan for you and me, And it will make us happy. Marion Taylor Ford windows don't fit, because the sills have swelled through the inordinate rains. Or something. The skifts of snow become skiftier every time there is one, and any day you'll get up and it's midwinter. November is darkness and depression. And one of the most depressing things in view is the proliferation of Santa Claus and the four-color advertisements for Christmas gifts, and the ridiculous beginning of Christmas, so-called, music. There are snow tires to get on, and snow shovels, snow boots, and heavy clothing to dig out, each one a dull, sickening thud on one's spirits. This year, as in every other November, the government, whatever the shade of its coat, is waffling and indecisive and obtuse and strangely unaware of the real problems of the country. This year, in November, you can go into a grocery store, spend ten dollars, and come out with your total possessions in the palm of one hand, in one smallish paper bag. You know the old car isn't going to make it through January, but you look in horror at prices of gas and a new car, and go on driving the coughing, belching old brute, hoping for a flood or holocaust to end it al and save you the decision.,. This November, people are are a little less prosperous. At 'a tim-e of fiscal restraint, high interest rates, recession, depression, or whatever you want to call it, we have to beat the drum more loudly to inform the community of the goods and services which we have to offer. Our thoughts about advertising in a time of moderate growth were sparked by an article in the Financial Post last week. The article noted that there is a new study from the United States about advertising spending during recessions and the study revealed that in every recession since 1945, advertisers who maintained their ad budgets gained sales and profits. On the other hand, those who reduced their spending on ads lost out in these two areas. The Financial Post article went on to quote advertising experts here and in the U.S. who claimed that ad budgets should be kept up during a recession. According to this report, it's not a question of whether or not you can afford to advertise during a recession. The real question is can you afford not to? f or Poets The sun in all its glory, a sparkling scene doth cast on every flake and icicle, Tho' Winter hold it fast. And when upon a starry night the twinkling stars look down, This scene of priceless beauty of equal never found. For it is in this time of year we hail the Infant's birth. A time of gladness and good cheer good-will to men on earth. Prize winning poem by Queenie Fletcher '79 Remembrance A little tear upon my eye, Why?,Why? Why? Why? There is no answer in my reason For hate or violence at any season. But some have given their all And we remember every Fall, That we might live in freedom And Peace we pray, all days to come! A cold breeze, a cup of tea Share with me a happy memory! Marion Tayor Ford running wildly from one bank to another trust company, trying to take advantage of the ridiculous rates of interest. If they have any money. And if they don't, they quietly cry in the dark and forget about building or buying a home. because there is no way they can ever pay for it, Joe Clark's silly mortgage deal or not. And if people can't afford to build houses, because of the cruel interest rates, what happens to the construction industry, and all the others that depend on it, from tiles to appliances to heating units. And the blue-eyed sheiks are rattling their sabres in the west, and the chain-smoker is rattling his quill in Quebec, and altogether, it looks like a long, dark, cold winter for this country, physically and spiritually. However, brethren and sistern, do not go quiet into that good night. It's not all bad. There's some great news on the sports pages. Toronto, at least, is maintaining its image. It has the worst baseball team in North America, in the big leagues. It has the worst football team in Eastern Canada. And the Maple Leafs are well on their way to being renamed the Cellar Dwellers. Doesn't all that cheer you up? At least there's some consistency in the country. It's only a few weeks to the equinox. And even if you're so deep The energy probiem is probably going to be a major issue in the 80s. But we have seen it only as the occasional line-up for gasoline south of the border, during the last few years of the passing decade. Lower economic growth and lower expectations are another trademark we canexpect of the 80s. The current decade has seen the beginning of a slowdown in growth and this, again, is probably the beginning of a trend. In a way, we could also describe the past decade as a time of recovery from the turbulent 1960s. During the 70s, some of the ideas which gained prominence in the previous decade were put into practice. In a sense, some of the wild-eyed idealism of the hippies and flower children was absorbed and digested by the general population. In the 60s we developed a sense of mistrust for big government. In the 70s we had the Watergate incidents. In the 60s, we talked about doing our own thing and in the 70s we had the idea of pursuing one's own personal goals developed to the extent that the past 10 years have sometimes been called the "me decade." These are a few observations on the 1970s. The past 10 years have been filled with the usual mixture of in snow by then that you don't know an equinox from a solstice, never fear. Spring is near. A mere four months off. I feel like a sailor throwing lead life-belts to drowning .souls, but I repeat the call" ·"Press on, regardless." Maybe you'll hit a lottery winner. Maybe your wife isn't really pregnant. Maybe you can live on unemployment insurance and still get your Saturday night case of twenty-four. Maybe. But I know it's hard to keep the faith in November. Even the ruddy birds, those with brains, have gone south. Those without are walking. It's too wet to fly. Think of all the good things in life. Now keep on thinking. Think some more, and I'm sure you'll come up with one. Let's see. I'm not dying of cancer. I don't think. I can afford three squares a day. I hope. My five shares of CDC have dropped only $28.00 a share on the market, and have rallied by one dollar. My wife hasn't left me, as she's threatened lately. Mixed blessing, that. My grandboys are six hundred miles away and can't use me for a climbing tree every second weekend. My bursitis is merely excruciating, not unbearable. Good old November. Nothing like it. Now, change, Weather! good and evil, war and peace, fear and happiness, love and hate. In this respect, the past decade has not been much different than any other 10 year slice of history since the Egyptian Pharaahs and beyond. The 1970s are almost over. May they rest in peace. On The Death of a Friend Beloved! you have gone away And tearful has been my day, But Ill remember your kind Word, And the sweetest song ever heard, God is ever merciful In His arms, He'll rightly fold you Until that day when we will meet At that picnic where old friends greet. Marion Taylor Ford. The Autumn of Life I've come to the Autumn of my life I've tried to be a good Mother, a good wife, I've tried to be a gooci Mother, a good person - a good wife, The leaves are falling all around Cayseting the cold, cold ground. And as the birds fly on the wing, My only thought is of an early Spring God, may I reach up to touch your hand And speak in tones, you understand. Marion TaylorFord. In the next few weexs, especially as we head towards the post- Christmas doldrums, we'll be bombarded by the views of pundits and experts who will attempt to sum up 1979. This year-end stock-taking occurs at the end of the festive season as inevitably as leftover turkey sandwiches. And, as well as taking a look at the year that was, the experts will also try to predict the future. You'll hear many opinions about what lies ahead for Canada, the U.S., the middle east, the Progressive Conservatives, the Liberals and Quebec. And the list could go on. Since 1979 also happens to be the end of a decade, the pundits will be casting a backward eye at not only the last year but also the last 10. I'm not so sure that we can place too much faith in any analysis of the seventies which will be written in the near future. It seems to me that the people best-qualified to sum up the history of -the decade will be historians in the 21st century. I think that a little distance between the writer and the event tends to give the commentator a little better perspective. As the years go by, only the important things remain in memory, whereas when we look at r the last few years from close-range, everything starts to look important. Having said all this, I'l try to explain what I think happened in the 70s. I don't pretend to be absolutely correct in this brief review of the decade. But it's fun to speculate, if for no other reason than to give the brain a little exercise. The seventies will be known for the resignation of Richard Nixon, the end of the Vietnam war, Idi Amin, unrest in the middle east, punk rock, disco, the Star Wars movie, Maggie Trudeau, the Parti Quebecois, energy crisis, refugees and the Jonestown Massacre. . But on' the whole, I happen to believe that the 1970s were a rather lacklustre decade. Those history text books in the 21st century may not devote much more than a few paragraphs to the events occurring etween 1970 and 80. It seems to me that the 70s have been a bridge between the freewheeling 1960s and what promises to be a more conservative and less-prosperous decade ahead. It appéars to me as though no single trend has developed completely in the 70s. Instead, the decade has seen the start of issues and events that just may turn out to be major trends during the 1980s. Not the Place to Cut By SMAL TA-Peter Parrott