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6-Orone Weekly Tumhes, Wedntesday, January 30, 1985 SOL WAY One of my fantasies used to be: to own a saloon. Not, mind you, a "quaint" English pub somewhere in Somerset, or a palm-fringed beach bar in Montserrat. A good saloon is full of good conversation, not unlike the "local". People come, not for the great Canadian pastirne called "going out drinking", but for conversa- tion, argument and the general fellowship of words. Nuala FitzGerald (who understands how the "local" works) and I have discussed at length the possibility of putting bar stools and a rail around the bar at the Marigold. I say: "And l'Il play cocktail piano." "Only if I can wear a slinky dress with a slit and sing Edith Piaf songs in a husky voice," replies Nuala. It's a stand-off. Besides, we have our hands full just filling theatre seats. Who needs a saloon? I do. For one. The other night we entertained a large group of lawyers and their spouses. A couple stayed afterwards to toss back a few at the bar. I tended, standing behind the bar like something out a sleazy novel. The con- versation was rich and fluid, the kind of good conversa- tion that makes keeping a bar open really worthwhile. It was all about the accused and their rights and whether or not the law (or the courts) should forbid news media from publishing the narnes of accused, who (if you believe in democracy) are innocent until proved guilty by due process. I'm afraid too many lawyers would like to muzzle the press. I'n also afraid that too many journalists, print and electronic are. in such a hurry to put out "news" that they can be indiscreet, incon- siderate, and downright destructive. What they call Freedorn of the Press may just be a response to an in- satiable public appetite for gossip, scandal and sensa- tionalism. by Larry Solway We agreed on some things. We disagreed on others. I happen to think the right to know is important, and if the public convicts people who stand innocent before the courts, then we have to try to change people. The lawyer said it was impossible to have a fair trial under the glare of pre-publicity about the accus- ed. What we agreed on was that some very shameful episodes have marred our justice system. The shame is not as much with the judiciary as they are with the police, the executive branch, and to some extent with the media who love a juicy story. In this region there was a terrible situation where a man was accused of corrupting the morals of a juvenile. It was alleged that he had some kind of "knowledge" of her and that she was procured to satisfy his unnatural tastes. The charges made news. Un- fortunately the dismissal did not. The lawyer and I (already into a third Scotch) agreed that as far as the public in and around Whitby weas concerned, the man was guilty. He'll never recover from it. The biggest bad one is the recent tragedy in St. Catherines. Here we agreed there were two issues. One of them was that the newspapers in Welland and Niagara Falls (but not the St. Catherines Standard) violated an under- taking and published the names of those who allegedly were "caught" performing or soliciting for sorne sexual acts in a public washroom. Is there anyone reading this who does not know that in- mediately after that publica- tion a St. Catherines husband father burned himself to death? Worse still is the police behavior. Homosexuality is not against the law. Obtain- ing or giving sexual favours in a public place is. Of course it is. But I suspect that police zeal reflects not the need to prosecute wrongdoers or to response to complaints as much as it underlines their basic hostility to homsexuals; in fact a basic hostility to anyone who does not live up to their own, usually conser- vative, often prehistoric idea of social acceptability. I think their prejudice gets in the way. If the law was being broken the police could have gone in- to the washrooms and broken it up, warning people and sending them quietly home, as they might many other kinds of social offenders. But this mounting of a campaign complete with electronic survellience suggests malice beyond ordinary law enfoce- ment. It is a reminder of a massive raid held by the former police chief of Los Angeles who terrorizes and arrested packs of homosex- uals back in the 70's in one colissal raid, or the Metro police campaign against the bathouses. (Which inciden- tally resulted in many ruined reputations and a very, very few convictions. When the day cornes that the police set up infra-red surveillance in bars to "ap- prehend" some guy who is sitting in a dark corner mak- ing out with a lady; or when they stake out the back row of a movie house; or when they start video taping the "Johns" as they cruise the streets for hookers, then I will accept that their St. Catherines bust as ap- propriate. I am certain there 'are policemen reading this right now who would say the same thing. Most policemen I know DO know that people are people and that they would rather discourage anti- social behavior that lie in wait stake out to make an arrest. Like diseases, police work should constitute prevention as much or more than cure. St. Catherines was a cure. But the patient died. Dear Orono: I am not sure if anyone down there has any interest in Ontario's forgotten North or not but I felt that since I mov- ed away from the Orono district some 22 years ago that I have lost touch with a treasured past. My wander- ings take me back to the area about once a year but since ny family reside there I spend the majority of my tirne strengthening or weakening family ties and therefore I have lost touch with the town and its in- habitants. The above point was brought into fuil focus when I visited the Orono Fall Fair this year for the first tine in many years. I realized that so many of the old gang are still there and so many of the old feelings are still present, it brought home to me how much I miss the contact with that part of my life that was so formative. The similarities between the past and present years of my existence are so unique that I thought I would like to strengthen the bond by just keeping "in touch" with the people that played such an important part in my life and in your community. The most amazing aspect of aging is realizing the importance of our youth -- does this mean I'm approaching my "second childhood"? I am at present residing in the "Far North" which I have learned is anything north of North Bay, in a small community called Geraldton. Geraldton has 3000 people and no industry other than governnient and is, at times, (with tongue in cheek) referred to as "mini- Ottawa". I guess beauty is in the eye of the beholder but to me there is no comparison - Geraldton is by far the most beautiful in its own special way. I guess to a Torontonian we would be considered to he a part of Thunder Bay's suburbia even though we are 180 miles north-east, as the crow flies. We rugged bushwhackers (which is what we like to be thought of) think nothing of taking on the hills, curves, and other adverse weather conditions for a trek into "the Big City" to shop for the day-who can pass up a good bargain no matter where it is! I am sure there is no need to say that I am a government employee - a Community Health Nurse for the Federal Government. Yes, a "simple servant" but we Northerners prefer to remain simple so as not to complicate our place in also at times the most frustrating. I arn fot going into any details of the job or of the locale in which I reside as I would like to continue this correspondence (editor permitting) in the future. I would like to attempt to revive those feelings that bound us together for so many years or at least to keep them smouldering! I realize that the friends I had, way back when, are only a small number in the present com- munity but I have noted, dur- ing my perusal of the Orono Times every week, that this group of people are playing a large part in their community as adults. I have discovered, as I am sure you all have, that the more communication you have with your past the better the future will be, so now that my past is becoming increas- ingly longer and my future shorter I have decided to strive for betterment by at- tempting to maintain a stronger hold on the past. In closing, I would like to make a request - please keep your doors open! - who knows I just may pop up some day or maybe you will see this forlorn bushwhacker lurking around the '85 Fall Fair! (I'm sure I still look the same!) Counc. Taylor fails in bid for Counc. Taylor on Monday night at council meeting made his second bid for what he called 'equality' in garbage collection charges and although picking up the sup- port of Counc. Cowman fail- ed to sway the rest of council and the Mayor. His amendment to establish a common mill rate for garbage pick-up in Orono, Newcastle and Bowmanville went down to defeat 5 to 2. Taylor with his amendment was trying to change a variance of charges from an average high of sorne $61.00 in Orono to a low of some $36.00 in Newcastle Village with Bowmanville in the $57.00 range. He said to continue the present rates as suggested in commilttee was inequitable equality and unfair. He said it could only be fair and just if a single rate was charged in the three centres for what he call- ed a similar service. Taylor pointed out that a year ago council debated and established an overall rural mill rate for street lighting in the various areas that are pro- vided street lighting service. Another single rate was set for the three urban areas of Orono, Newcastle and Bowmanville. To do anything different than we did for street lighting, he said, is un- fair. He spoke of possible exten- sions of the service in the future and that the Town, should now establish a fair and just policy. Counc. Cowman said she could support one single mill rate for the three centres and even a single rate for Orono and Newcastle with Bowman- ville carrying on with their present rate. Counc. Hamre said she could not disagree with what Counc. Taylor had said but she was not ready to support the amendment at this time. She said staff had raised a lot of concerns at the general purpose committee meetin? She also spoke of a service for Courtice but said she had yet to hear of any panic for such a service in that par- ticular area up to this time. Counc. Hamre commented that council had suffered considerable bashing when they first endeavoured to in- troduce a single rate for street lighting rates and did not want to be caught again. She also expressed concern if in- dustry would ask to opt out of the charges they now'pay for a service they do not receive. The councillor called for a much more detailed report. Counc. Hubbard said she (Continued page 9)