The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

Orono We.kly Times, Wednesday, December 21, 1994- 3 4th Line Theatre Croup ini natural setting The 4th Line Theatre group at the Winslow: Farm in Cavan Township begin their marcb to the hills and dales on the farmn to enact their first attempt at a winter theatre in the great t is only fitting that the 4th Line Theatre group should present their production of The Second Shepherds' Pageant in the great outdoors with the chilling atmnosphere that early December does bring. This production was cause for a trip to the Winslow Farmn on Sunday just outside Millbrook where I was not alone but met up witb at least two bundred others to trek tbrough the fields and bush keeping pace with tbree shepherds who finally macle. their way to Betblehem. The Second Shepherds' Pageant is the first attempt at a winter production for the 4th Line Theatre. It was a dramatically different theatre experience but interesting in the staging and settings. The group left the farmn buildings led by a number of musicians and first balted when a shepherd called attention to his existence froma small hammock. He bemoaned bis plight with bis Lord. Joining a second shepherd the two then sought protection in the bigh banks of a gravel pit in whicb to have lunch and to meet a third shepherd. Using the landform to great advantage, the production moved along a trail to the shelter of a cedar outcrop where ý'Ie three shepherds tended their flock and 1 suspect ibere wiIl be a Spring L-,~ction, so it isn't any surprise to see names appearing for the other parties wbo seek their nomination. I have also seen a number of time-worn clic hes appear in conjuniction witb these events. You know the kind our English teacher told us te avoid, such as, "we need a new fresh face on the political scene." Pardon me - my face is fresh every day, and after aIl it is relatively new on the political outdoors. Inclement weather did move the production to the Cavan Township Hall on at least one occasion over the past three weeks when the play was recdined for the nigbt. t was here that a fourth shepherd, Mak, entered to steal one of the sheep, an event punishable by death. He retumned to bis wife and cbildren boastful of bis achievement but soon to realize that the tbeft would not go undetected as it surely didn't.. But instead of vengeance the four settled their dispute. Again resting on the side of a knoll the three shepherds were awakened by an angel summoning them te Bethlehem and a sbooting star ( an arrow witb a burning tip) shot through the sky in guidance for the shepherds. Gifts are supplied to the three for the boly cbild and there was great joy as each of the tbree shepherds individually approach-ed Mary and ber cbild protected again witbin the moon- sbaped concave of the gravel pit. One of tbe interesting features of the production is that the audience, even tbough close to two hundred. were often in close contact witb -the players and especially in the last scene their facial expressions did throwout the feeling of wonderment, excitement and joy. Tbe production was completed for the outdoors on Sunday last. scene around Durham East. And, . no matter who takes the nomination as long as we oust incumbent Gord Milis." Ouch! that hurts, what have 1 done? Flow about, "to work feverishly for you." Or "My objective is to defeat the NDP incumbent. Sure going to bcfun. A recent media headline suggested a mass exodus of government political staff te jobs in the Ontario Public Service. It was also suggested that political this -issue. I helieve that there is something seriously wrong with the way gasoline is being marketed. Our gomerment is coneerned over gasoline pricing. One of the first things our government did upon election was to create the "Employee Wage Protection Program." This prograrn was initiated to pay employees severance pay and other wage settiements arising when employers closed up shop and failed to pay their employees what was due to them. In our riding as of November 22, 1994, almost onemmillion dollars from the fund has been paid to workers who lost everything they were entitled to receive from their former employers. The majority of these workers, were mostly non-union men and women, who would have been left to fend for themselves if it hadn't been for the Employee Wage Protection Program. Perhaps this is a good time of the year to Write about the privatizations of the LCBO stores as proposed by Mike Harris should bis party form the next government. It is widely acknowledged that privatization of provincial liquor control boards raises many policy issues and concerns both economic and social. It also bears mentioning that Alberta Premier Ralph Klein, whose economie policies of oui slash and hum, now concedes that privatization of Alberta's liquor control boards was wrong. The most serious implication of the Harris Scheme for privatization is what will happen to the workforce it now employs given the realities of the job market in Ontario. I intend to return to this subject in future columns. t bears examination outside of political rhetoric. Until next week - Merry Christimas everyone. SHOP AROUND, GET YOUR -BEST PRICE THEN CALLI US FOR YOUR BE ,. *RIC performed on Saturday and Sunday aftemoois. The musîilns lead off the group of close t wo hundred on Sunday last for the last performance in thie schedule. staff have an unali advantage in getting bureaucratic jobs during a hiring freeze andi bringing about an unprecedented politicization of the Ontario Public Service. Political staff have taken jobs in the bureaucracy r 10 over a two year period whîch isn't what I would considef tO be a "mass exodus." One of D'Y staffers macle a casual glance Iast week, at the 1990 govemnffient telephone directory, and wâe able to identify 40, former Liberal minister's staffers who hadl moved to the Public Service during the last seven months of the less than three year reign of the Peterson govermnment. 1 found it paSsing strange to read in the Niagara news media last week, ini large headlines, that during a recent visit to Niagara Falls the Libeita1 Leader Lyn McLeod said she endorsed a casino for thgt city. This statement cornes after she and the Liberal caucus ail voted against allowing any casino in Ontario. What gives? Lyn McLeoci also told the Ontario Federation of Agriculture that we had passed a resolution at our recent convention calling for a $10 an bourm ninimum wage. Sbe claimed her i nformation was based on media reports.- "since no one bas access to the closed sessions.", New Democrat conventions bave always debated their resolutions in public and there was no resolution of the kind Mrs. McLeod alleged. As the Premier pointed out, "this statement is totally, utterly and completely false." As the provincial election scene heats up I expect more false and unsubstantiated charges to come forth from the other political parties. The Federal Burea u on Competition Policy released a report last week after conducting an investigation into the pricing of gasoline. The report said there was no evidence of any price fixing or gouging over gasoline prices. Our government is disappointed with this report which didn't include any input fromn consumers or other stakeholders, or our governmenL. We are' urging further investigation where consumers have the opportunity to express their concens and are allowcd to take part in a public debate on