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Page 4 The Canadian Statesman, Bowmanville, June 18, 1997 Elle Canabtati Statesman Former Publishers and Partners Rev. John M. Climie and W. R. Climie 1854 -1878 M. A. James, 1878 -1935 • Norman S. B. James, 1919 -1929 G. Elena James, 1929 -1947 • Dr. George W. James, 1919 -1957 Produced weekly by James Publishing Company Limited P.O. Box 190,62 King St. W., Bowmanville, Ontario LlC 3K9 905-623-3303 lnternel-stalesman@ocna.org Fax 905-623-6161 HOURS: Monday to Friday 9:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m.. For 143 Years, Our First Concern Has Been Our Community Publisher - John M. James Assoc. Publisher - Rick James Plant Manager - Rick Patterson Ad. Manager - Brian G. Purdy Editor - Peter Parrott Production Supervisor - Ralph Rozema, Suzanne Bennett, Kevin Britton, Sharon Cole, Laurens Kaldeway, Doug Luglenburg, Barb Patterson, Jim Snoek, Vance Sutherland, Jim Tuuramo Advertising Editorial Laverne Morrison Brad Kelly, Lorraine Manfredo, Laura J. Richards Office Supervisor - Angela Luscher, Junia Hodge, Grace McGregor, Nancy Pleasance-Sturman, Marilyn Rutherford Join the (Countryside) Adventure It was good to see that the "Countryside Adventure" concept concept will be returning to Clarington after a one-year absence. This won't be exactly the same as the Great Ganaraska Countryside Adventure. For one thing, organizers hope that it will eventually become a Durham-wide event. However, the idea of introducing the public to our mral heritage by means of a weekend tour is unchanged from the intent of the Ganaraska adventure. In short, there will be dozens of farms, gardens, workshops and studios open to the public during the two days of the event and participants will be invited to stop at the various sites at their leisure. What's the point of this self-guided countryside adventure, you may ask? Is it wise to encourage all those urban folk to gawk at local farms and gardens? The answer has to be a resounding yes. Agriculture and the mral lifestyle is an important part of the heritage of what is today known as Clarington. There were farms in Clarington long before there were subdivisions or shopping plazas. The countryside is an important part of our past. But, it is even more important to our present and future. Although fewer people may earn their living as full-time farmers today, agriculture remains Durham Region's second most economically important industry, after General Motors. And it is also true that regardless of what you might hear about the importance of high tech industries or information industries, industries, agriculture remains one of the basic businesses on which all of us rely. If we had to, we could adapt ourselves to a world without computers, without cars and without shopping centres. But, without food, we're all goners. Unfortunately, the importance of agriculture and the mral environment has been lost on those who live in the sort of major urban centres that the GTA has become. As the number of farms has declined, there are fewer people who can look to an aunt or and uncle in the country who owns a farm. And so, a countryside tour such as the one planned for this September will give many urban-dwellers an insight into life in the country. Perhaps this sort of knowledge will make citizens more willing to understand the farmers and mral residents when they talk about the impact of development on productive farmland, forests, water and die country lifestyle. It will certainly bridge the gap in the understanding of many people who, through no fault of their own, have little experience experience with life outside the city and whose knowledge of fanning fanning doesn't extend much beyond nursery rhymes. In short, it will create a better understanding of what life in the country is all about. And, incidentally, it should also bring tourism dollars to this municipality. It sounds like a winning formula for all concerned. Don't forget to pick up your ticket for the event, which takes place September 13 and 14. Ontario Street Talent Show was First-Rate Dear Editor, On Tuesday, May 13th, the first Ontario Street Public School Talent Show took place to raise funds for the exchange trip to Chicoutimi, Quebec. It was a resounding success. Hats off to the co-ordinators, the many parent volunteers and the grade 6 teachers. The show ran smoothly and the talent talent exhibited by these young performers was exceptional. There was a fabulous display of musical ability on the flute, saxophones, violins, piano, recorders, bagpipes and a band. There were many forms of dance, some were comical and some were truly amazing. There were comedy routines, a skit and a magic show. The soloist singers were all fabulous and if any of these talented talented young people were nervous, they certainly maintained their composure well.. It was exciting to see how much talent our current students and some former students and their classmates had to offer. The youth in our community and surrounding areas often receive negative exposure in the media, but we feel that- our youth have plenty of which to be proud!! Congratulations to all of the performers and thanks to the Bowmanville High School and their A/V crew for working together to make this a wonderful evening. Signed, A proud parent (No, my children did not perform) Rare Photo Shows Soldiers Relaxing With Hometown Paper This rare photograph, believed to be from 1941, shows some soldiers catching up with the news from their hometown, hometown, In this case, the paper is none other than The Canadian Statesman. Sgt. Garnet Richardson (far left) is pictured in the photo, but the others are not identified. The photo was taken before Sgt. Richardson, a member of the Canadian First Special Services Paratroopers, went to Montana for training and then to Italy where he was killed in action in 1943. He was the son of the late Mrs, Daisy Richardson, of Warkworth, and brother of the late Mrs. Dorothy Richardson Treen, of Whitby. If anybody can identify identify the others in the photo, we would appreciate hearing from you. Our thanks to Pat Annis, niece of Garnet Richardson, for sharing this photo witli our renders. We Must Fight Drought Dear Editor, How many Canadians are aware of the importance of June 17? German Canadians will remember that day in history history when Berlin workers rose against Soviet tanks and the Socialist regime in East Germany in 1953. Years from now, in communities around the world this day will be remembered for something entirely different: On June 17, 1994 at the United Nations more than 100 countries adopted an important international international -.convention aiming to launch' a global assault against desertification and the effects of drought. Farmers in the Prairie Provinces know the potential havoc that can be experienced when winds sweep away valuable soil and no rain falls for weeks on end threatening the annual harvest. To most of us living in Canada, however, bad weather has more to do with floods and snow storms than with drought and desertification. desertification. Drought and desertification desertification affect 120 countries around the world, direatening the life and livelihood of 900 million people. In Canada, when disaster strikes, like in southern Manitoba recently, people pull together and help. In the Sahel region of Africa, daily challenges mean that most people have no additional additional resources available to deal with major disasters. Silently, more and more land is being consumed by desertification desertification and drought every year. Urgent international action is mandatory to support support and strengthen the efforts of local people and communities, in particular in Africa. The International Convention to Combat Desertification and Drought is designed to do exactly that. More than, ah' international document, it provides a framework for action by you and us in solidarity with the people in the drylands. The Manitoba flood has shown what Canadians are capable of doing to overcome natural disasters. Practical solutions in the Manitoba Spirit, appropriate to different countries and climates will help the local people to prevent prevent and combat the effects of desertification. The world needs help from an energetic Canada. Sincerely, Friederike Knahe, Director, Canadian Tourist Information Centre Too Costly Dear Editor, The $164,000 capital expenditure to open a tourist information information centre (seasonal?) is a hefty cost to tax payers and excludes ongoing operating costs including staffing, maintenance, maintenance, taxes and utilities. Agreeing with the municipality's marketing strategy to increase tourism in Clarington, a suggestion would be to budget budget for the distribution - to all local residents - of the booklet entitled 'Clarington - 1997 Visitors Guide' (excellent publication). publication). Further, is the design of an attractive, but inexpensive, display display to accommodate tourist literature to be situated at high traffic areas to ALL parts of the region such as gas bars, stores and tourist locations for those visitors that have already veil Continued on page 5 Outlook 'Looneyspoons' Cookbook is Fun And Informative by Laura J. Richards Have you picked up a copy of the newest Canadian cookbook cookbook called 'Looneyspoons - Low-Fat Food Made Fun!'? This cookbook was written by Ottawa residents Janet and Greta Podleski and is full of fun and 150 recipes. The book is colorful and the recipes arc simple to understand, understand, with ingredients that are available in most grocery stores. Hints disguised ns "Cooking 101," "Show & Tell," and "Slim Pickins" help to keep the book as low-lat as the recipes. Also included are tips on weight reduction through tiny morsels of motivational techniques in the "Gotta Move It" and "Say It Ain't So!" categories. The names of the recipes are humorous. They range from the 'Omelettel Bit Country' to the 'Mission Shrimpossible," and 'Fajita Pita Without the Meata.' In other categories, recipes for 'Bisquito Bites,' 'A-maize-ing Cornbread,' and 'Bean There, Dunked That" flirt with your funny bone. On Sunday we tried out a couple of recipes from the book, including Burger Alarm, which had some interesting ingredients ingredients like ground turkey. I was a bit skeptical -- not being a turkey fan -- of combining lean ground beef and turkey. However, some of the other ingredients like garlic, Worcestershire sauce, chili powder (I used a small amount of cayenne pepper), celery seeds, cumin, and black pepper revved the burgers up. Of course, no barbecue is complete without veggies. We tried the 'Ex Grill Friends" without the required eggplant, but substituted fresh asparagus. When we left the packets on the grill for the required 30 to 35 minutes, we had 'blackened' veggies. So, how was the food? It was delicious. Even the 'blackened' 'blackened' veggies were tasty. Not wanting to keep all the fun to myself, I asked a couple of others if they would also try some of the recipes. One tried the 'Rude Barb's Strawbapple Crisp' with six cups of fresh fruit and 'Mac Attack.' Cook #1, said she enjoyed the comical remarks in the cookbook cookbook and found it was easy to follow. However, while she liked the crisp, she found the macaroni and cheese dish to be dry. Cook # 2, noted she had only had time to make the "Oops! There it is!" Chocolate Cake. It was noted the cake was moist, the directions were easy to follow, the cake rose high and looked nice in the pan. However, she found the almond flavoring was strong. Looneyspoons has a lot going for it. It was nice not to convert convert recipes from metric to imperial standards. The flaw that caught my eye was under 'Less Stress and Mess in the Kitchen.' The writers suggest: "Keep the garbage can nearby. This way you can keep your work space tidy and avoid dropping potato peels all over the kitchen Boor en route to the trash." The Podleskis should encourage green kitchens, along with low-fat ones. Keep a compost bucket close to the chopping board so today's veggies become next year's garden compost. Other than that, this cookbook should find its way on most people's shelves as it provides food for the mind, funny bone and tummy. If you're looking to pick up a copy of 'Looneyspoons - Low-Fat Food Made Fun!' The Book Studio on King St. W., Bowmanville, expects to get some more copies this week. Letters to the Editor The Canadian Statesman encourages our readers to make use of the letters ot the editor column to express their opinions and viewpoints on just about any subject, as we feel a lively letters column helps make a better community community newspaper. We insist, however, that all letter writers writers sign their name. Sorry, no anonymous letter will be printed. Thoughts Unlimited : -- by Rick James Stock Brokers and Fund Raisers Enough is enough! Hands up anyone who's received a phone call at home or work this week from a boiler room stock broker or someone looking for free hand-outs. At least six times a week, I receive phone calls from telemarketers offering the hottest item of the week. From a stock broker's mammoth mammoth gold find in Timbuktu, to rare gems in Honolulu, to light bulbs that never burn out, to pens that will write upside down, I've heard just about every sales pitch there is from the most obnoxious salespeople imaginable. Those calls are easy to deal with and, in some cases, you can have a little fun with them, I have been known to order thousands of anti-gravity pens for a number of different companies, each requiring an extensive order form to be completed completed by the caller. It's a bit time consuming, but worth it when you cancel all the orders after about 30 minutes of the commissioned salesperson's salesperson's time. Do they get mad? You bctcha! Unfortunately, the annoying number of calls is causing problems for legitimate charities. Compounding the problem is the need for nonprofit nonprofit organizations to increase their fundraising efforts to compensate for government cutbacks. Businesses and individuals are getting swamped by people asking for money. In most cases, they just phone or come into the office asking for money. Rarely do they have a charitable registration registration number, an explanation of what they do, or information they can leave with you, And even more disturbing is that when you don't give them money for their vague cause, they get mad! With the number of fundraising campaigns underway in our community, individual and corporate donors are receiving more requests than they can handle. We have four major campaigns campaigns underway with Memorial Hospital Bowmanville, Durham College, Oshawa General Hospital, and the Courtice Community Complex. The fire department is looking for $70,000 to acquire heart defibrillators and the United Way will be starting its annual campaign in September. And, there are always legitimate fundraising events being held by service clubs. Most business and individuals are interested and anxious to support local charitable causes. However, with the increased demand on a limited limited amount of money, anyone seeking donations will have to present their cause professionally to stand out from the increasing number of requests. Back to Driving School While driving westbound on Baseline Road near Courtice on Monday morning, I witnessed the most dangerous and foolish driving maneuver maneuver I've ever seen. Just east of Courtice Road is a railway crossing crossing that cuts across Baseline Road at the crest of a hill. There is no way to see oncoming traffic and because of a grove of trees, there is no way to see an eastbotmd train. I, and three other cars ahead of me, were westbound following a school bus on Baseline Road. As we approached the railway crossing, the bus started to slow and stopped at the crossing crossing as required by law. The rest of us slowed as well, except for the car directly in front of me, It shot into the eastbotmd lane and started to pass the other two ears and the bus. I sat in disbelief as (lie bronze Chrysler K-car approached the crest of the hill, waiting for oncoming traffic to meet it head-on. Fortunately, there was no oncoming traffic, but, just as the K-car approached the bus we heard "ding, ding, ding, ding"as the red lights and train warning bells activated. The K-car floored it and darted in front of the bus, across the tracks and on its way moments before the train thundered by us. What is happening to our driving skills and respect for the road? It seems stop signs are being perceived as yield signs at many intersections intersections in town. One of the worst intersections is Freeland Ave. and Liberty Street. Rarely do cars coming out of that subdivision stop, or even slow down, before pulling onto Liberty Street. It's a matter of time before someone gels T- boned there. Another very dangerous intersection is Church and Silver Streets. For whatever reason, drivers eastbotmd on Church speed off Scugog and don't slow down as they approach the busy downtown core. Last Thursday evening, there was a big accident there with some very serious injuries. If any intersection in town needs four way stop signs, it's that one. No matter how many stop signs we put up, it still comes down to the person behind the wheel taking responsibility for their vehicle. Drunk and dangerous driving charges should mean automatic lifetime licence suspensions. There should be no second chance for this type of offender. Although the current one year suspension suspension may seem severe, it obviously isn't enough as drunk driving statistics have not dropped significantly. significantly. The dangerous driver I saw on Monday morning could have caused a number of deaths, including his own. In the best case scenario, he was lucky he didn't hit someone head-on. The worst case involves the head-on crash, the train and the students on the school bus. Tell me why that driver should be given a second chance to do it again.