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' pa we ¥ a ENSSEES wd AR 1] 4 EAD Sel TY x LS BR A FS EAE ILLES AE CfA HSN . ry . hi sen, A . i Th 2 pH ® [PNY Photo taken about 1915-16 is thought to be a Port Perry High School class, but not known for - 60 YEARS AGO Thursday, April 7, 1921 Wm. Nesbitt was appointed assessor for the village of Port Perry at a meeting of council at a salary of $100.00. : Mrs. Stent, Vice Regent of the 1.0.D.E. resigned, owing to her coming departure from Port Perry. Mr. Chas. Lamb and Mr. Howard Dobson of Manchester attended the Education Convention held in Toronto. remember when ...¢ certain. [Photo courtesy of Mrs. Vera Rosser.) Even back in 1921, as a young man Ted Jackson was known for his ability as an auctioneer. We find the following in a Thursday, April 7, 1921- issue, about a sale in Kinsale, and quote 'George Jackson and Ted, his son welded the hammer. It is claimed that Ted is one of the fastest talking salesmen on this side of Wall Street, New York." oy (T urn to page 6) QUITE A WEEK The attempted murder last week of American President Ronald Reagan once again has raised the issue of gun control in the United States. In follow-up articles to the presidential murder attempt, newspapers have ferreted out some disturbing statistics about hand-guns and their use south of the border. It is estimated there are 55 million hand-guns in that country, and that every three minutes a person is either killed or injured by a hand-gun. Hand-guns are responsible for some 90 per cent of the murders in the United States. And so, and so on. The list of notables gunned down is all too familiar; the. Kennedy brothers, Martin Luther King Jr., John Lennon, George Wallace and now Ronald Reagan. 'Quite frankly, I have to agree with those who say that even this latest attempt on the life of a president is not going to change gun laws or have an effect on the American attitude towards guns. After all, the right to bear arms is explicitly written into the Constitution, and this is constantly used by those opposed to tougher gun laws in their lobby efforts with the Congress and State legislatures. ; Incidently, the pro-gun lobby in the States is one of the most powerful, best organized and financed, and wields a lot of clout in the corridors of power. And to be truthful, it is hard to dispute the arguments so often put forward that if criminals want guns they are going to get them one way or another, and the toughest laws in the world are not going to deter some kook determined beyond reason to take a shot at a politician. ' The logical way to control the illegal use of guns would ~seem to be to slap mandatory and long jail terms against anyone convicted of using a gun in the course of a crime. There is a push on right now in Canada for these kinds of changes in the Criminal Code. Last week, for example, the Durham Regional council gave its endorsement to a resolution from the Hamilton-Wentworth regional council calling for a sentence of not less than 20 years for. anyorie carrying a firearm while participating in a crime. That may be a deterrent to the use of firearms, but would it result in a reduction in the number of crimes? It is impossible to answer that question, of course. The debate over gun control etc. is an interesting one, but the aspect of the aftermath of the attempted murder on Ronald Reagan which alarms me to the core is the apparent foul-up in just who held the reins of power during the crucial minutes and hours after the shooting. With the president in emergéncy surgery and the vice president winging his way from Texas to Washington, chotterbox by John B. McClelland Alexander Haig, the chief of staff announced that he was-in _ control, which in fact was technically not corre.t. But just who hadhis finger on the buttons in the football?"' Was it Haig? Was it the secretary of defense? For a country like the United States, even an hour of - 'confusion over who is in fact in command could have disastrous consequences. As the story unfolded in the days following the murder attempt, it became apparent the initial reports of Reagan walking into the hospital, joking with doctors, etc., were anything but the truth. In fact, it came to light that Reagan's- life at one point was very much in danger. This has led to speculation the glowing reports about his recovery may also in fact be untrue. It is not hard to understand why the initial reports may have painted a brighter picture about the situation, especially if one considers an attempt on the life of a president to be 'an act of war." A notable Canadian war correspondent once said that when war is declared, the first casualty is the truth. And that is a fact. " Here in Canada, the murder attempt on Reagan bumped another sensational story off the front pages of the daily press involving the charges against a nurse at Toronto's Sick Children's Hospital. I'notice that writers of letters to the editor are now highly critical of the daily press for sensationalizing the charges and breaching the privacy of the family of the accused. I can't help but agree. I think the daily press, especially two papers in Toronto, over-stepped the normal duty of the press to report facts and provide as much information as possible to the public. . . Make no mistake, the laying of four charges of murder against a nurse at one of the premier children hospitals in the world is a major news event and is going to get front page coverage no matter what. However, I must seriously question whether screaming headlines, . full-page pictures, and the so-called side-bar stories about the accused person's family, her background, and the attempts to interview staff at the hospital should be part of the coverage. I'was glad to see that one paper at least made an effort to balance the sensationalism by running an article about the advances in medical science that have been developed at Sick Childrens. But I fear the effect of this article was minimal: When the accused nurse does come to trial to face the charges, the media coverage I suspect will be equally as extensive. And rightly so. Nonetheless, the manner in which the media covered the initial story-left a bad taste in my mouth. lean aa a AEDES 5d { FATA A Ava nitilx I RL SA LT) CLR UNG on ) AT LY et 4 bed Tat AT ALRAYES . Sou Art ERAS wo Ea a ary NAS TEEN R 3 3 SR I | » » LS - ' ales t by CSR AN yA nahin em nip A YW id HG her WAI i a ow ni ab an dni [IPH SY Ss oo PORT PERRY STAR -- Wednesday, April 8, 1981 -- 5 letters Public Watch-Dog Dear Sir: +This letter is for the people of Scugog Township who ~ truly believe we must stand up and be rioticed and defend our right to know and understand every item which affects our every day lives. We must not sit idly by and watch our lives be governed by people who do »not or will not uphold the positions we have placed them into for our benefit. We expect and demand proper and sensible actions from our elected members at " whatever level of Govern- ment they are involved. Such is the case at our local ~ council, where overspending has allowed us to slip into a deficit position which before anything else, must be a priority and be dealt with quickly. We have the right to explanations in every part or action of our local council, and it is our duty to see that our rights as electors are upheld. It is with this thought in mind that I assure you that the Scugog Ratepayers Association will watchdog all Municipal activities, no - matter how small, and try to report fully those situations which affect us all. I also respectfully ask that any interested persons who wish to know the answers to problems that are bothering them, write to a member of the Association and we will do our best to get the answers for you. With the help of -an active and interested executive in the Association, we will have a very successful year. Announcements will be made about important meetings and functions where everyone will be welcome. We, The Scugog Ratepayers Association, want you, the people, te be aware of all that affects you as residents and taxpayers. At the meeting on March 31, the turnout was poor, but we managed to set up a new executive and with the help of those- members of years of experience we will provide a service to the residents that will be very beneficial to all our understanding of our area and its success in the future. We have already approached some council members asking just what they plan to reduce -this gigantic tax increase which is out of proportion to other major areas in the Region of Durham. This is one 6f many trails we will explore and successfully come out at the end with the right answers and actions. Do not let ourselves be pushed and prodded into a position where might over- look right: and it is your right to have any action explained as to its importance and significance in your life. As the new President of The Scugog Ratepayers Association, I-am assured of an interesting year of activities and make a promise to keep you informed as to our successes on-your behalf. I would also like to express my thanks to the very capable people who help to make up the executive of the Association, for giving their time to help. in this worthy endeavour. Once again, I urge all residents to participate whenever possible to avoid our being pushed into situations we do not agree with. - ourselves. Respectfully Yours J. Perry Grandel President Scugog Ratepayers Association Expresses gratitude Dear Sir: -- April is Cancer Month and I would like to express our thanks for the support-your newspaper has given the Scugog Branch of the Canadian Cancer Society. Your articles, announce- ments and editorials have made the public aware of the services offered to patients. As with other local organiza- tions, what would we do without the concern and support of The Port Perry Star? Our heartfelt thanks. Yours truly, Mary Ann Suppelsa Publicity Scugog Branch Canadian Cancer Society J. PETER HVIDSTEN Publisher Advertising Manager N » Department, Otta port perry star Company Limited Member of the Canadian Community Newspaper Association and Ontario Weekly Newspaper Association Published every Wednesday by the Port Perry Star Co. Ltd., Port Perry, Ontario. Authorized as X class mail by the Post Office a, and for cash payment of postage in cash Second Class Mail Registration Number 0265 Subscription Rate: In Canada $10.00 per year Elsewhere: $30.00 per year. Single Copy: 25 J.B. McCLELLAND Editor We must stand up for' ne ong Fn oN FER a ME EAI A Food ET Ar or 4 a i EE Se 1, Ph? on -