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i 14 The Canadian Statesman. Bowmanvillc, December 4.1985 Section Two Editorial Cottmgat .-• * >* : v r v •. f • i 1 '■ 4j rr^L' :5 ., ■ ^ >sjtr ■& ,, IIP Are Ads Directed at Youth? Government is hinting at a possible possible clampdown on TV liquor ads. You know the ones we refer to. They're the ads that show people skydiving from balloons while wearing water skis. They're the ads which suggest that booze is absolutely essential to any sort of social or sporting event. They depict a cast of characters who are always young, trendy, affluent, and good-looking. Federal Health Minister Jake Epp has suggested it's time these advertisements were banned. He prefers, instead, that the commercials commercials for beer and wine should merely state factual information such as the product's size and quality quality and the producer's name. He would also like to see sports figures or other celebrities banned from liquor advertising. Moreover, the health minister has stated in a briefto the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Telecommunications Commission that the beer and wine industry should devote devote 15 per cent of the commercial time it purchases on radio and TV to advertisements which promote healthy lifestyles. It seems to us that there's another issue implied in the minister's proposal to ban "lifestyle ads." He may also be concerned that the beer commercials are influencing not just the mature, adult consumers consumers but also young people who are below the legal drinking age. Certainly, the implication in the liquor advertising is that drinking is an essential part of enjoying.life. And, of course, the ads do not point out that alcohol-related illnesses cost an estimated $2 billion per year in health care costs. Critics have also attacked a particular particular cigarette advertisement in recent days, claiming that the ads were influencing an impressionable impressionable crowd of young people in their teens. It was said that the models in the ads for a certain brand appeared to be younger than the adult consumers consumers towards whom advertising is intended. intended. The company responsible for the advertising rejected that charge by noting that the models were, in fact, in their twenties. Assuming that companies are not seeking to aim tobacco and alcohol advertising at teenage consumers, the fact remains that this very impressionable impressionable audience is being influenced influenced by their messages. It would be ironic if, just as we saw the older generation giving up alcohol and smoking for the good of their health, the younger people took up these habits and started the problem all over again. Naturally, no one wishes to interfere interfere with personal freedom. But against that ideal, one must weigh the cost of smoking and drinking as health hazards and social problems. problems. And then, a very serious decision must be made on the question of cigarette and alcohol advertising. Bus Drivers Receive Raise The Northumberland and Newcastle Newcastle Board of Education has endorsed endorsed a three per cent increase in the 1984-85 schedule of payments for school bus operators. The agreement with the Bus Operators Association was approved approved last Thursday. In addition, a new base rate for the school bus operators' fuel payment payment was also endorsed by the board. Trustee John Carter observed that the new fees can be supported. "We are giving them an increase which is less than the rate of inflation," inflation," he said. BALLOT BOX Terrorism. What to do about it is always a major problem, especially when there are lives of innocent hostages at stake. During the weekend, approximately 50 airline passengers died in a hostage-taking hostage-taking incident at Malta. By now the tragedy is familiar to most of us. Many of the victims died when Egyptian soldiers stormed the aircraft, although some perished before that battle when the gunmen shot some passengers after demands were not met. This week's question: Is armed intervention justified in dealing with a hostage-taking incident such as the one described above? YES NO Œtje (Etmaiiian Statesman Durham County's Groat Family Journal 623-3303 EalabHehed 1 JOyeera ago In 1«M. Also Incorporating The Bowmantille Nows The Newcastle Independent The Orono News Second class mall registration number 1 SSI Produced every Wednesday by THE JAMES PUiUSHINO COMPANY LIMITED S2 M King SI. W„ Bowmenvllle, Ontario L1C 3KS x1«» JOHN M. JAMES Editor -- Publisher GEO. P. MORRIS Business Mgr. RICHARD A. JAMES Assistant Publisher BRIAN PURDY Advertising Mgr, PETER PARROTT Associate Editor DONALD BISHOP Plant Mgr. All layouts and composition ol advertisemenls produced by the employees ol The Canadian Statesman, The Newcasllb Independent and The James Publishing Company Limited are protected by copyright and must not be reproduced without written permission ol the publishers. $15.00 eyeer -- 6 months ti.00 strictly In advance foreign-$50.00 à year Although ovoiy precaution will bo token lo avoid error. The Canadian Statesman accepts advertising In Its columns on the understanding that it will not be liable for any error In the advertisement published hereunder unless a proof ol such advertisement Is requested In writing by the advertiser and returned lo The Canadian Statesman business olllco duly signed by the advertiser and with such error or corrections plainly noted In writing thereon, and In that case II any error so noted Is not corrected by The Canadian Statesman Its liability shall not exceed such a portion of the entire cost of such ailveihslmont as the space occupied by the noted error bears to the whole space'occupied by such ndvorlisemonl Big Business in Pot Bellies $ -v'lX J ^ -7n s ' - > h4 iz".. ■ - ■ < I f; v,i| - ; .vVvViiêà This little piggy is a collector's item. He may resemble a regular domestic pig, but, in fact, he is a Vietnamese pot-bellied pig. Allan Connell, of the Bowmanville Zoo, displays him for the camera. The zoo is currently the only North American supplier of this rare breed. Several litters have been bred for sale to zoos in the U.S. The Bowmanville Zoo has become North American headquarters for the Vietnamese Vietnamese pot bellied pig industry. industry. The diminutive porkers are such rare beasts that they are in big demand at zoos throughout North America. How big is the demand? Well, Alan Connell explains explains that 75 pairs of the rare pigs are back-ordered. Vietnamese pot-bellied pigs are unique because, as their name implies, they have tummys that very nearly drag along the ground. They are greyish black in color and are approximately approximately one-third the size of the domestic pig we might find at local farms. They are raised in much the same way as the more common variety of pig, Alan explains. The herd was discovered more or less by accident, explains explains Alan. "We stumbled across a bunch of them in Europe which were available," available," he recalls. The herd was imported to Canada in June. But pot-bellied pigs are not the only top-quality zoo animals to be born and bred in Bowmanville. In the United States, llamas, are becoming popular especially especially on large acreages or estates where they can roam as domesticated pets. And, of course, the Bowmanville Bowmanville Zoo has provided a steady supply of livestock for collections around the world. For example, the Calgary Zoo recently bought a total of four zebras. zebras. Not to be forgotten is the world-famous yow which resulted resulted from a cross between a west highland bull and a Tibetan yak. It is the profession of animal-rearing animal-rearing that the Connell Connell family hopes to pursue more fully in the future. That's why the Bowmanville Bowmanville Zoo, a popular land-, mark for generations of children, is currently on the real estate market. A price of $900,000 is asked, however, Alan noted that the purchase cost would depend on the number number of animals which would remain with the property. The business includes not only the zoo but also a restaurant restaurant and trailer park. Free of the responsibility of operating the zoo, the Connell family (including Keith and Barb, their sons Tom, and Allan, and daughter daughter Karen) plan to devote all their time to raising animals. animals. Allan explains that although although they have enjoyed dealing with the public, they prefer to work without the pressure of day-to-day zoo operations. This past season, the Bowmanville Bowmanville Zoo welcomed 125,000 visitors -- an excellent excellent turn-out considering the fact that the spring weekends were almost entirely entirely rained out. He notes that zoos continue continue to be popular because "people are more aware of animals now" and because parents seem to be devoting more time to their children and zoos are an ideal family outing. Nevertheless, the task of keeping the zoo open to the public is one which consumes consumes a great deal of time and energy. During the winter, the family works about nine hours per day. In the summer, the hours are much longer. Frequently, the Connells are at work by six a.m. and the day doesn't end until sundown. "It's hard being a family and working together," Alan explains. With the sale of the zoo, the family hopes to devote its time to raising quality stock for which it is so justifiably justifiably famous. SUGAR and SPICE Portentous Phrases Rif RiU Smileif You'll possibly be wondering where and what Bill Smiley has been up to lately. No critical columns on ' the political scene; no sharp little vignettes on our society ; no attacks on anybody or anything. Well, I haven't felt up to scratch for a while. And where in the world did "up to scratch" come from? At least it's lasted a long time. That's more than can be said for some of the current mumbo-jumbo. I wonder how long it will take for politicians and administrators to stop using that portentous phrase, "At this point in time" whenever they open a paragraph and don't know what they're going to say? All it means is, "right now", or "today", but it has a nice, mellifluous, mellifluous, phoney ring to it. Another one that is going to die a sure death, I sure hope, is "The bottom line." There is no such thing as a bottom line. Everyone has a bottom, and, unless you've lost both legs at the hip, there's something below that. Even if you haven't, there's something something below your feet, and something something below that, until we get right down to hell. And there's probably something below that - perhaps a natural gas well - and below that you'll find a couple of Albertans, pumping on some kind of bellows. And they have to be standing on something. So. Where's this famous ,: bottom line? Those expressions will last as long as, "That'fl be the frosty Friday", and "All righty.V And good riddance. A proper idiom in English must stand the test of time before it is accepted. After all, you can't have your cake and eat it, but half a loaf is better than none, unless you want to be up the creek without a paddle. However, I wander, as so often. What really bothers me is not that Mr. Davidson, or Williamson or whatever his name is, backed into the Prime Ministership of Ontario without winning an election, or that Brian Mulroney is going to crack that massive jaw if he doesn't stop grinning for the TV cameras. Those are trivia. , What I'd like to get down to is some of the more important social and sociological matters in the press that affect our daily lives. After watching the Blue Jays get their tails clipped, and then the World Series, I was faced with a question that must have an answer: How can baseball players spit so much? You've all seen them. They spit in the dugout. They spit when they come up to bat. They spit if they make it to first. The pitcher spits. The coach spits. The only one we can't see spitting is the catcher, and he's probably expectorating through his faceguard bars. Where does it all come from? You and I could probably spit twice in a minute, but they spit all the time. I know they chew snuff, tobacco and gum, but that doesn't explain it. There's only so much fluid in the human body, though if you've ever had dire rear, you wouldn't believe it. How would you like to be trying to steal second, and slip in a great gob of tobacco juice? Perhaps someone could illuminate me on this matter. And while you're at it, explain why they paw the ground continually, like nervous buffalo, getting dirt in their cleats, and then knocking it out. It's still the best spectator game in the world, even including cricket. Football is dull, with one gang of gangsters trying to disassemble another gang. Hockey is fast, but incredibly dirty, with the hooks, spearing, and elbows in the nose. O.K. That settles baseball, except for my questions. Let us now knit our brows over another problem. It seems that women in the armed forces want to go into combat, just as about ten percent of the male armed forces ever do. The brass is agin it. I don't know why. Anybody dumb enough to go into the military is obviously dumb enough to serve as cannon fodder. So we have one group of women wandering down one side of the street with peace banners, and another group quick-marching down the other side with banners proclaiming, proclaiming, "We wanna shoot somebody." somebody." I see no reason why the male members of the services should object, if the females want to fight. I can just see the rude and licentious male soldiery sitting around the stove, drinking tea, and sniggering, "Wonder how the gals are doing on that night patrol?" I can just see them booting a female out of the side hatch of an old Dakota full of paratroopers, saying, in their courtly way, "After you, ma'am." The only thing that worries me is giving the ladies promotion. Most of them already act like sergeant- majors in their own homes. Give them a commission, and life wouldn't be worth living for the ordinary, slovenly, lazy male so- called fighting man. Byline... By Peter Parrott Most people have found a sort of gallows humor in the fact that the provincial government government has seen fit to pay a hangman a $200 per month retainer fee even though the death penalty was abolished in 1976. In fact, the whole situation uncovered in the latest report of the auditor general is worthy of Gilbert and Sullivan. For it would appear that, although the last execution in Canada occurred in 1962, the government has seen fit to pay the hangman in the intervening years. One gathers, therefore, therefore, that in the meantime meantime the local hangman had hung nothing heavier than a picture frame or, perhaps, some curtains. One imagines that as a conscientious civil servant drawing a regular regular salary, he spent his idle years keeping up with his craft. No doubt he practised his slip knots and read his profession's profession's trade magazines. Undoubtedly, Undoubtedly, he took in a few seminars and conferences conferences for executioners and generally kept in touch with the latest developments developments in rope and trap doors. The reason given for keeping an executioner on staff even after the laws of capital punishment punishment were taken off the books is a good one. Apparently, Apparently, his employers felt that there would be a return to the death- penalty and therefore the hangman would be needed. But, when you look at it from the other way, you have to admit that as the nation's only hangman, he probably would have been quickly hired back. Unlike Unlike private industry, I don't think we were looking at the possibility possibility that this individual would take his skills elsewhere. I mean, it's unlikely that he would get an offer of work in Iran or some other dictatorship dictatorship where men of this trade have better prospects. Our hangman only remained remained employed because because of a curious fact about Canadian government. government. I refer, of course, to the tendency to make no firm decisions decisions but to leave all things open for review at a later date. That is why we had, until 1984, no death penalty but one hangman. hangman. And it's even possible possible that if or when the death penalty is re-introduced, re-introduced, we may have capital punishment but no hangman. Various politicians, over the years, have promised a review of the death penalty and one wonders what has become of those promises. promises. Maybe it's time to prod our slow-moving legislators into making a more definitive decision decision on the subject. There are many Canadians -- perhaps, the government hangman hangman included -- who would like to see a resolution resolution to this issue. Museum Friends Host Annual Christmas Event An Invitation By Dan Hodman, Curator This coming Saturday, December 7th, the Friends of the Bowmanville Museum will host their annual Victorian- Decorated Christmas Party, commencing at the hour of 8 p.m. until 10 p.m. Canapes, malt cider, sweets and the voice of Allanah Coles are featured. In addition, the draw-for the caned chair (courtesy Charles Downey) the Cheese Basket (McCabe's Cheese Nook), and the gift certificate valid towards a framing purchase (Gould's Framing), will take place. , A Topiary Tree, painstakingly painstakingly decorated by Florence Griffin and Denise Hopkins will be the evening's door prize. The admission price goes to YOUR muesum, (Adults only please.) On behalf of the Friends, I hope to see you there, Several special exhibits have been prepared for this once-a-year event, People knowledgeable about the Museum will be on hand to answer any questions you might have, See you there il