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wi T T > ™ Ces a i ke 3 : PRE Ci EE i a i ------------ Cathy Olliffe The festive time is upon us, so in keeping with the season, let's start this column by handing out a few laurels. 9 It was nice to see two well-known peo- "pi in the community receive the provin- cial Corps d'Elite plaque in recognition of their many years of volunteer service in the Society, was its first muglgal director and hai a major part in bringing 56 many fine musicals to the stage at Town Hall |, 1873. Grace was the guest of honour at a recent-reception and a portrait of her will be displayed in Town Hall 1873. There is no way to measure the contri- bution Grace has made to the cultural enrichment of Scugog over the years. Let's. just say that through her efforts, people have enjoyed superb Scugog. Doug Scott and Carolyn Best were pre- sented with these prestigious awards at I the Ta i | i hip council's inaug g Carolyn has been involved with Port Perry Minor Softball for nine years, the last six as President. Believe me, being president of a large organization like Minor Softball is no easy job. During the hot summer months when most people had their feet around the patio, Carolyn was at the ball diamonds Juggling umpire schedules, dealing with complaints and tending to all the small details that go along with an organization that involves over 400 youngsters. Like any good president, Carolyn made sure she had some good people working with her, but a lot of the work fell on her shoulders, year round. As for Doug Scott, well, what can I say." Almost two decades with Port Perry Minor Hockey as ice scheduler, OMHA contact, and a coach (last spring, he coached his 1000th game) to say that Doug has had an impact on minor hockey in this community would be an under- statement. Just this season he med the ice scheduling dutigs over to Peter Christie, but he remaihs OMHA contact and is still behind the bench with the Precision Construction Midgets. In the summer months he has l ving town= (a Carolyn Best, Doug Scoft; Grace Hastings have been honoured for their contributions, not because they asked to be, but because others saw what these contributions mean to a community and decided it was only fitting that they be recognized. I'll go along with that. It must the approach of Christmas for | am in a gregarious mood these days. I am sometimes accused of being too cynical and negative in attitude and outlook. They are right. I don't see the world through the rose-tinted glasses, and I learned long ago you can't make warts disappear by pretending they don't exist. Still, there are things going on that cre- ate room for hope. With a name like McClelland, there is not one drop of Ukrainian blood in my veins. But if there was, I'd celebrating right now. There are few people on this planet who have suffered as much this century as "the Ukrdinians, under Stalin, then the Nigis, then the Soviets. ur government took a bold step last week in officially recognizing Ukrainian independence, and since there are so many similarities between Canada and the Ukraine (climate, geography, fesources, the Intermediate fastball team for more years than I can remember, including a provincial championship this fall. People like Doug Scott and Carolyn Best don't get involved in these activities in the hopes of receiving some plaque or having their photos in the local press. Like Joan Scott, who received this same Corps d'Elite award earlier for her work with the Scugog Museum and +] Canoe the Nonquon, they devote their time and efforts because they enjoy it. And the community of Scugog is better and richer in ways that money can't buy. Also in the last week, the Scugog Choral Society on the occasion of its 15th anniversary paid tribute to Grace Hastings. She is one of the originals with not to a stoic ment) it seems only nathral the two coun: tries could develop a healthy friendship and relations. Let's hope so. But there is danger in that pan of the world. With the crumbling of the Soviet Union (empire) as when all empires fall apart, there will be instability as the countries grapple with gtheir new indepen- dence and the transition from communism to some kind of market-based economy. Canada has a unique opportunity to play a major role in helping the Ukraine and even Russia ease their way through what will be a difficult transition. The people of the Uknaine have every right to be in a joyous mood as they final- ly sip from the cup of freedom. Christmas is coming and the women are whining. In thé December issue of Canaan Living, there's an-article about women hate Christmas because most of the shoppi king and cl falls in the laps of women -- most of whom have. full-time jobs and precious little extra time 10 do extra Christmas things. As someone who has had Christmas dumped, en masse, into her lap, I can vouch for that. My sister and mother have been tussling over who is going to host Christmas this year, and my sister won because she is working Christmas Day and therefore can't drive all the way to Mom's, who is pouting because she has hosted Christmas every year sifice she was married 35 years ago. To make a long, boring story short, because my sister is working and my mother is pouting, I will be cooking the Chfistmas dinner and cleaning my sister's house. Why? Just because they're fighting, why do | have to do all the Christmas work? , Whine, whine, whine. I may sound like a spoiled brat, but like women all over, I really am finding it hard to fit in all the traditional duties of Christmas with the increased work sched- ule at the office. And I don't even have children. 1 can't imagine how working mothers cope with it all. They do, though. Sometimes they find it in themselves to wash down the walls, shampoo the carpets, make the Christmas pudding from scratch and knit enough mittens to warm an army of ehildren. To top it all off, they get up at*five o'clock Christmas moming 10 put the turkey in the oven, working away in the kitchen while it's still dark outside and children are dreaming of sugarplums inside. I've read that busy moms should cut down on the amount of Christmas work they do. Maybe they could skip some major cleaning jobs. Maybe they could make one kind of cookie instead of five. But no matter happens, someone still has 10 get up af the crack of dawn to prepare the Chri turkey. This Christmas, pay more attention (0 the work your mother does, and offer to help her. There's no better timestan Shiu 10, tell Mom how apprc.: «d ian a special present would be in order.. B= UnsilvEe MystErY 4 A class of curious kids? A Sunday School picnic? An overworked mother with a tribe of children and a cowardly husband that is notably absent from the photo because he left home after the birth of baby #19? Heck, we dont know? Ifyou think you can solve this week's unsolved mystery, call curator Gail ' 36 Water St., Port Perry. - Send us your f; snapshots of Yoiy iar yor pak, your VasaNon, whale? photo you're proud off Citizen staffers will thelr favorite and run them in this space. Then, at the end of Ho year, work 2 anal cb choose their picture, and the photographer will win a brand pew m . - youve taken and