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RRR TR LL Efe CF A 2 letters To be congratulated Dear Sir: I would like to refer your readers to a statement of economic conditions in our country issued by the Roman Catholic Bishops of Canada. This statement appeared in the December 31st issue of the Oshawa Times, the Globe and Mail and the Toronto Star. The Bishops statement is a series of comments on what they refer to as the moral disorder that prevails in Canada today and mentions the unemployed, the working poor, pen- sioners, native people, women, farmers, small bus- inesses and others. The Roman Catholic Bis- hops are to be congratulated on making such a poignant political statement. I am sure that the Bishops are unconcerned as to which political party implements correction of their obser- vations never the less it is obvious that it must be the party holding the power of government that takes such action. The afflictions to which the Bishops refer are not new but have been with us for years. It is not pre- sumptions to assume that the Drew, Frost and Davis Con- servatives at Queen's Park and the King, St. Laurent, CART RY Rar SAS Bl A ND VIE RL AN " Ok ETAL Cas, } fr < . ' f / , - 25 ' AME . ; a EEE I TT I a od , ff J Lop Lapa Bt $1744 Boise edn 3) PORT PERRY STAR -- Tuesday, January 4, 1983 -- 5 the } (416) 985-7383 oO PORT PERRY STAR CO. LIMITED 2335 QUEEN STREET. P.0.80X 90. PORT PERRY. ONTARIO. (099) Pearson and Trudeau Lib- erals along with the Deifen- baker and Clark Conser- vatives in Ottawa were and are aware of the problems that the Roman Catholic Bishops of Canada have enunciated. Even though Editor these problems have been with us for a long time and are actually accelerating, the Liberals and Conser- vatives at both queen's Park and on Parliament Hill have done woefully little to help the situation and are even allowing conditions to de- teriorate. Publisher J.PETERHVIDSTEN Advertising Manager J.B. McCLELLAND {AN CO ANAL MM UNIS A (= | 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 second class mail by the Post Office Department, Ottawa, and for cash payment of postage incash. Second Class Mail Registration Number 0265 Subscription Rate: In Canada $15.00 per year. Elsewhere: $45.00 per year. Single copy: 35¢ (Turnto page 6) bill smiley AS YEARS PASS US BY I was going to say, "There's nothing more boring than old people talking about the 'good old days' when they were young." Then I realized that I was out in left field, with nobody at bat, the pitcher chewing tobacco and spitting juice, the catcher fumbling around trying to adjust his atheltic protector, as they now call a metal jock-strap. There are many things more boring. Little children who want one more horsey ride when your spine feels fractured in eight places from the 10 previous jaunts. Teenagers babbling endlessly about rock stars, boyfriends, girlfriends, and the money they need to keep up with their friends. 'How come we only have a 21 inch TV?" I'm 16; why can't I stay out till 3 a.m. if I want to? I'm the only girl in the class who doesn't have construction workers boots?" University students, perhaps the most boring creatures in our society. After the initial chirps of recognition: Oh, Mr. Smiley, are you still teaching? How's it going? as though you should have quit the minute you levered them through high school. And then 40 minutes of straight self-centered description of their university courses or their jobs, their professors, their disenchantment with their courses, their unspoken ad- mission that they can't hack it, as you knew they couldn't in the first place. I manage to brush them off after about eight minutes with a cheery, 'So Long Sam, great to hear you're doing so well and best of luck. I have to go to an orgy for senior citizens that starts in four minutes, with the pornographic movie." It's great to leave them there with their mouths hanging open. Next worse, in the boring department are young couples who have produced one or two infants and talk as though they'd swum the Atlantic or climbed Mount Everest. "Let me tell you what Timmy (or Kimmy) said the other day. He was sawing wood in the nursery school and his saw slipped and he pointed at his saw and he said "Don't you dare do that," and the teacher told me and she said it was the most hilarious thing she'd ever seen, blah, blah, blah, and ...." Boring, B-o-r-i-n-g. We can all top that type of story. My daughter, age 7, Grade 2, just getting over the San- ta Claus bit, came home one day and told my wife she knew what a certain familiar four-letter word that she'd' seen scrawled on the sidewalk meant. My wife is naive, even now, 20 years later. . At the time rather absently-minded, with Dr. Spock, lurking in the background, she enquired. "And what does it mean, dear?" The response was "When men and ladies lie down on top of each other and go to the bathroom." That was the end of any birds and bees in instruction. Next in a descending line of boring conversa- tionalists are middle-aged grandparents. The women, young enough to still elicit a whistle on a dark night, the men old enough to suck in their paunches, when a bikini walks by, they act as though they had invented grandchildren. They whine exchanged whimpers about the baby-sitting they have to do. They brag that their grandchildren are the worst little devils in the world. Boring. And finally, we get to the elderly. Certainly some of them are boring, but they are the ones who have been bores all their life. But the others, the salty ones, even though slowed by the body's increasing frailty, retain their saltiness, and éven improve on it, because they don't give a god damn anymore. They can say what they like and do what they like. And they do. I've met or talked to three men in their late 80s recently. My father-in-law 89, seemed rather frail when we arrived for a visit at 3 p.m. At 11 that night we were still arguing religion and politics at top form. I've told you about old Campbell, the 85-er who dowses wells and is set to go to Paraguay. Talked to my great-uncle, riddled with arthritis and his voice and welcome were as warm and crackling as a fireplace freshly lit. This whole column was inspired by a clipping my sister sent me about 88 year old Lawrence Consitt of Perth Ontario. Lawrence was present when the last man was hang- ed in Perth. His comment: "It was stange." The man had turned to the crowd and smiled just before his death. He had murdered his wife. Today he'd been given a man-slaughter and six years. Lawrence started playing piano 79 years ago, at dances, at the silent picture theatres. He got five dollars a night for a dance. The talkies knocked him out of a job in 1930. But he kept on playing ragtime and jazz wherever there was an opening. I listened to him improvise for the silent movies. I danced to his piano at country dances, with his nieces and great-nieces. He always had a crack. Took the pledge in 1925. It lasted 13 months. Got sick on a ship to France in 1918, and was too late to be killed. He never married; 'But I drank a lot of whiskey." He's in one of those Sunset Havens now, bit when they ask him when he'll be back from a day in Perth, he says, "It depends on who I meet." That's boring. Hang on, Lawrence. You gave great pleasure to many people. I hope I can stay as salty as you. Reprinted from January 20, 1981 remember when? 60 YEARS AGO Thursday, January 4, 1923 An interesting Christmas event took place at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Arthur Arkinson, uncle and aunt of the bride, when Gertrude Victoria, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Wm. Copeland, Mariposa, was united in marriage to Harold Ross, son of Mr. and Mrs. Hiram Fralick, of Scugog. One of the well known citizens of Port Perry died in Oshawa Hospital after a short illness. James Smith, familiarly known as '"Jimmy"', lived in Port Perry for many years. He was an industrious and good-living man who had many difficulties to contend with. 35 YEARS AGO Thursday, January 1, 1948 A brisk blaze destroyed a large brooder house and a hundred young chicks at the Brunton Farm on the 6th Concession of Reach. The fire started from a blow torch which was being used to thaw water pipes. The Christmas season was saddened by the untimely death of Mr. Fred Reesor, Reeve of Port Perry. Mr. Reesor's interest in municipal affairs was practical and far-seeing. 25 YEARS AGO Thursday, January 2, 1958 The Christmas Tree Dance held in the Public School by members of the Teen Club was very successful. Lillian Couves and Danny Reesor were the conveners while Mr. and Mrs. Gordon Goode acted as chaperones. The win- ners of the gaily wrapped Christmas presents were Beverley Sweetman, Wallace Foster - spot dance; and Claudette Boulanger and Floyd James - elimination dan- dance. The Star's New Year's editorial began with the wor- ds; "Not since the dark days of the past er when the Nazi power was at its height have we faced a: future with quite so glum an outlook." One cause for the pessimism apparently was the fact that new cars were not selling well. 20 YEARS AGO Thursday, January 3, 1963 Roy Cornish was elected President of the Principal Association for the third successive year. Mr. Cornish has been an arden supporter of the Association since its incep- tion. The Inaugural meeting of the Port Perry Hydro Elec- tric Power Commission took place at the Municipal building. Mr. John Raines, Municipal Clerk was present and initiated the three new commissioners, Arthur T. Cox, J.E. Jackson and J.J. Gibson. The co-operation and quick thinking of some Port Perry citizens enabled the local police to apprehend a suspect in regards to a quick change trick pulled with a $20 bill. 15 YEARS AGO Thursday, January 4, 1968 Winners in the Christmas Home Decorating contest, sponsored by the local Chamber of Commerce were, Mr. and Mrs. Jas Rider; Mr. and Mrs. J. Forester and Mr. and Mrs. H. Martyn. \ George S. Stone, local real estate agent has won top honours again this year in a company wide sales contest. The prize was an all-expenses paid trip for two to Miami Beach. At a council meeting at Scugog Municipal Hall, Mrs. Retta Hardy was presented with appreciation gifts by Reeve Victor Aldred. Mrs. Hardy is retiring after 20 years of service as caretaker of the Hall. 10 YEARS AGO Thursday, January 4, 1973 Robert A. Shea, F.R.1., President of Thos. N. Shea Ltd. presented the company certificate of merit to Mrs. Marjorie Tripp, a broker member of the firm and manager of the Port Perry office. Mrs. Tripp also won a trip to Montego Bay, Jamaica. The NHL Oldtimers will be playing a benefit game against members of the Port Perry Kinsmen Club in the local arena this weekend. Proceeds from the game are to help the Kinsmen provide a new children's playground. A number of Port Perry High School students have been working as volunteers at the Whitby Psychiatric Hospital since last fall. They extended sincere ap- preciation to all those who donated gifts including the Brooklin and Myrtle Women's Institutes.