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PAGE GTHE CANADIAN STATESMAN, WEDNESDAY EDITION, January 5,2000 Editorial&Opinions le'cHytc th c future/ DURHAM FOR 146 YEARS, OUR FIRST CONCERN HAS BEEN OUR COMMUNITY Publisher - Tim Whittaker Editor-in-Chief- Joanne Burgliardt Managing Editor - Judi Bobbitt Advertising Manager - Brian G. Purdy • Advertising - Lavcrnc Morrison, Sharon Goodman Office - Junia Hodge, Nancy Pleasance-Slurinan Editorial - Brad Kelly, Jennifer Stone, Jacquic Mclnncs Etje Canadian Statesman Former Publishers and Partners Rev. John M. Climic and W.R. Climie 1854-1878 M.A. James 1878-1935 • Norman S.B. James 1919-1929 (i. Elena James, 1929-1947 • Dr. George W. James 1919-1957 John M. James, 1957-1999 Produced by Mctroland Printing, Publishing & Distributing Ltd. Also Publishers of GLARING TON THIS WEEK P.O. Box 190, 62 King St. W„ Bowmanville, Ontario L1C 3K9 TEL: 905-623-3303 FAX: 905-623-6161 HOURS: Monday to Friday 9:00 a.in. until 5:00 p.M. Internet - statcsmn@durham.net Publications Mail Registration No. 07637 EDITORIAL All's quiet on the Y2K front Fears of computer glitches are not yet realized Well, we made it. We squashed that Y2K bug. Reports of bead-splitting hangovers were far more prevalent prevalent than computer glitches, utility company shutdowns and traffic-light tie-ups. In the end, the great Y2K freak-out will be seen by future generations as possibly the most over-hyped event of the 20lh century. In the news business, it was a dud, a non-problem, not news. One wag, a Y2K specialist (surely the. No. 1 growth occupation occupation of the late 1990s) said with a laugh the day after the night before: "Well, we spent over $ 1 trillion worldwide on the Y2K problem. Why would you expect difficulties today?" All those Y2K specialists arc now looking for work - or the next big disaster upon which to ply their trade. For the-record, there were a few very minor problems. Like: • the customer at a video store who was charged a $91.250 fee for a video that was 100 years overdue; • a computer in Italy which added 100 years to some prison terms and took 100 years off others; • a journalist in Germany had $1.56 billion deposited into his bank account; • the Bank of Canada, piled up $23 billion in currency across the country during December, worried about a Y2K run on banks. Never happened, just $1 billion was withdrawn by Canadians who shrugged off the problem. That leaves $22 billion billion in excess currency just lying around. • in Durham there were few reports of any problems whatsoever. whatsoever. Municipalities, businesses and schools all chimed in with the same refrain: Everything's fine. The glitches that happened were simply business as usual according to computer experts. Computers go down every day around the world. Why should a turnover to a new millennium, new century, new decade and new year be any different. Nobody's really sure exactly how big a problem Y2K really really was. So little happened we can put our collective finger on it's hard to have a sense of what might have happened. Maybe the expense to prevent problems was worth it. Perhaps a lack of preparation would have led to complications we don't want to have to think about. It's clear the questions leading up to Y2K were a warning sign. We should never again be so unprepared for an inevitable event. At least we're ready for 2100. Gone with the wind, money was returned Tale of honesty is uplifting as holiday spirit lives on Not many of us have $ 1,000 to toss away. Don Corson of Bowmanville almost lost that much cash, when his rent money was suddenly gone with the wind, having having slipped out of an envelope as he walked to the bank New Year's Eve day. As the breeze scattered the bills along King Street, Mr. Corson's Corson's guardian angel must have been watching. The money caught the eye of Frank and Betty Stapleton, in town from nearby Ncwtonvillc. Rather than pocket the cash, as many might have done, the Stapletons instead decided to wail and watch, assuming the owner of the cash would surely return. It wasn't long before Mr. Corson came racing along the street, looking "frantic," as he himself put it, hoping against the odds he'd find his cash. The story has a happy ending, due to the honest nature of the Stapletons. In a time when disturbing news is too commonplace in our community, it's uplifting to hear a tale of a good deed such as this. It proves that, if we follow the example of the Stapletons, the holiday spirit can indeed live all year around. And it reminds us that we arc fortunate to count many good neighbours in our midst. LOOKING BACK WITH THE STATESMAN 25 YEARS AGO Jan. 1, 1975 Developers of a proposed department store at King Street and Simpson Avenue launched a writ against the town of Newcastle. The decision as to whether the developers developers would be able attain the necessary approvals to build on the site was to be decided the following week at Osgoode Hall in Toronto. 50 YEARS AGO Jan. 5, 1950 Three brand new Canadian citizens were born at Bowmanville Bowmanville Hospital on the first day of 1950. The first to arrive arrive was a baby girl, born to Mr. and Mrs. William Sa.xby, Oslmwa. Later in the day, Mr. and Mrs. Murray Tiglte, Bowmanville, Bowmanville, welcomed a son, and a daughter was born to Mr. and Mis Wes. Taylor, Tyrone. 75 YEARS AGO Jan. I, 1925 New Year's Dinner was served at the Balmoral Hotel in Bowmanville. For 75 cents a plate, diners were treated to ctearn of tomato soup, celery, olives, roast goose, apple sauce, roast turkey, cranberry sauce, prime rib of beef, gravy, boiled and mashed potatoes, corn, deep apple pie, lemon pie. mince pie, English plum pudding, nuts, candies ami huit M W'T'Wf m FUJ CE5 ALL LOCAL HOSPITALS ABE ON REDIRECT ...To YOVRFAttY L DOCTOR OR WALK-'" 8te CUNiCf LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Give kids their fair share of game time To the editor: This is a letter to all coaches coaches and parents. I am writing to address an issue that has bothered me for years and years ... a major concern about house league hockey. My understanding has always always been that the goal of house league hockey is fair play and equal ice time for players of all skill levels. Unfortunately, Unfortunately, that has not always always been my experience. It makes me sick to see players being taken off the ice when it is their shift. To sit there and watch a poor kid miss a shift with a minute left in the game breaks my heart even if it isn't my kid. The funny thing about it is that these so-called coaches expect these kids to look up to them: I see this going on year after year. . In this writer's opinion, coaches who do this have a heart the size of a pea. I am speaking up about this because because it is way overdue. Let's face it -- each and every parent parent pays the same as the next and this includes tournaments as well, I don't care if it is the 'A' championship game, if it is the lesser light's turn to go on, don't replace them with someone else. That will wound them forever. I've always wanted to know, what do you say to' a kid who is asking, "Is it my turn?" Coaches always seem to think they arc a hero because because they coach but they arc no hero of mine. There are probably about 10 per cent good coaches that play kids fairly, the other 90 per cent might as well stay home. Parents, I urge you, if you see any of this, I advise you to call your local convenor right away. Remember, we arc all in it for fun and pay the same amount of money. Gord Brown, Bowmanville Davis is premier's millennium pick Current Tory leader admires work of former premier Premier Mike Harris has indicated his choice as outstanding outstanding Ontario premier of the millennium is William Davis, which is a surprise. The Progressive Conservative Conservative premier said to questions he is not comfortable judging others, but Mr. Davis, as premier premier from 1971 to 1985 built a prosperous Ontario. Mr. Harris Harris added modestly he prefers others assess his own ranking. The premier passed naturally naturally over his predecessors from other parties, New Democrat Democrat Boh Rae and Liberal David Peterson. Mr. Harris has got a lot of mileage out of attacking Mr. Rae, particularly for his huge budget deficits between 1990- 95, and never mentions in mitigation mitigation his immediate predecessor predecessor had to manage with an economy in severe decline, while Mr. Harris has had the blessings of a booming world economy. The Tory leader also has often criticized Mr. Peterson, although he was the only premier premier in lecenl years to balance a budget, which Mr. Harris insists insists is his goal Inti which he has not yet achieved. The current current premier also knocks Mr, Peterson for piling up deficits when the economy and revenues revenues were healthy. Mi. Harris similarly skipped over Frank Miller, who was Tory premier for only a lew months in 1985 but gave Mr. I lat t is his first job in cabinet and planted seeds of the right-wing ideas that Inter helped him win government. Mr. Miller praised the notion of a flat income tax, beloved of the ultra-right, when no ' other Ontario politician espoused espoused it, but also lost the Tories Tories power after a record 42 years, which disqualifies him from being premier of the millennium. millennium. Mr. Harris's anointing of Mr. Davis is a surprise because because the two pursued widely differing policies. Mr. Davis was a moderate Tory who expanded expanded many social programs. As first education minister and later premier he set up the more permissive school system system which Mr. Harris is now tearing apart, While still mostly on the side of business, Mr, Davis changed laws to help labour and was on talking terms with unions, which Mr, Harris never has been. To pay for his programs, Mr. Davis piled up annual deficits of more than $2 billion, billion, huge for the times, when the economy stalled in the early 1980s. The big government which Mr, Harris is now tearing down was built more by Mr, Davis, over a longer period, than by any other premier. The current premier has lamented earlier governments including the Tories, which had to mean Mr, Davis, did a disservice by piling up huge deficits and insisted the party under him is "different from all the rest, Liberal, Progressive Progressive Conservative and NDP." Mr. Harris's rigid right- wing associates scoffed Mr. Davis based his policies on polls and Mr. Davis was barely barely seen in Ontario Tory circles after Mr. Harris became leader, although he worked still in federal elections. But Mr. Davis suddenly popped up in the heat of the election "you have the interests interests of the people at heart. You have the same values all of us share." The premier may have asked Mr. Davis to endorse him because he feared losing the support of Tories who voted for Mr. Davis but felt Mr. Harris had gone loo far in cutting services. Liberal leader Dalton McGuinty was claiming Mr. Harris was "no Bill Davis" and asking Tory moderates to vote for him. Mr. Davis went along probably probably because he is a supreme parly loyalist. No premier has turned out at as many federal rallies and Mr. Davis was even at a recent gathering trying to form a united right-wing federal federal party. Mr. Harris's choice of Mr. Davis was a surprise also because because several years ago when asked to name his political hero he went all the way hack to George Drew, Tory premier in the 1940s, who lie said was a visionary for building highways, highways, But now he owes Mr. Davis one, Good grief, no Peanuts You've been a good man, Charlie Brown. For those of us who haven't yet hit the 50-year mark, there was never a time in our personal history without Charlie Brown, his creator and the bittersweet bittersweet humour They doled out together. together. Jacquie Mclnnes Staff Writer Charlie Brown, with the help of Snoopy and the rest of the gang gave us more than a chuckle. They taught us the true meaning of Christmas. They helped us feel OK, or at least not alone, when popularity and success eluded us. Linus gave us faith when common sense said there is No Great Pumpkin. And Sally taught us real girls don't necessarily play with dolls and aren't always made of sugar and spice. Peppermint Patty was a hero for latch-key kids before there were enough of them to coin the term. She was a little on the rag-tag side but she managed to muddle through independent independent of parental assistance with side- kick Marcy. And Woodstock taught us actions do speak louder than words. Silence can be golden (or at least very yellow). Sometimes, Peanuts wasn't really funny at all. It was just too easy to empathize empathize with poor old Chuck and the other, all-too-rcal characters from Charles Schulz's imagination. I can remember, remember, quite vividly, watching with eyes, blurry with tears, the television special presentation (likely sponsored by Kraft) Snoopy Come Home. When Snoopy leaves Charlie Brown, with no explanation given, to visit his former owner -- a sick, little girl in the hospital hospital -- there was just too much melodrama melodrama for any kid to actually enjoy the show. But we became gentler, kinder humans for it. That was during a time before video made it possible to watch your favourite shows repeatedly and certainly certainly before every cartoon had its own big-screen version. But, Snoopy did have his own Christmas song which could have become become his swan song. Fortunately, the Christmas bells rang out just as Snoopy was about to be obliterated by the Red Baron in the Second World War skies. Grace made its way into the Peanuts experience as the Red Baron proved to be an adversary with honour. honour. The Peanuts creator would never allow assembly production methods to get near his characters, so both arc retiring. retiring. It's the beginning of a new era. Good-bye Charlie Brown. Hello Pokémon. Pokémon. We welcome your opinion. Please E- t/iaii your comments on our opinions to nnews@durham.net. Submissions which'include a first and last name, as well as the city of residence, will be considered for publication. I IIE CANADIAN STATESMAN is one of the Mctroland Printing, Publishing Publishing and Distributing group of newspapers. The Statesman is a member of the Bowmanville Claring- ton Board of Trade, the Greater Os- hawa Chamber of Commerce. Ontario Ontario Community Newspaper Assoc., Canadian Community Newspaper Assoc., Canadian Circulations Audit Board and the Ontario Press Council. The publisher reserves the right to classify or refuse any advertisement. Cterlil for advertisement limited to space price error occupies. The Canadian Statesman welcomes leltets to the editor. 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