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18 -- PORT PERRY STAR -- Tuesday, October 7, 1986 | Reflections . 3 \ al 1 ! - 0) : 73 wl A L Vou Al 2 . 4 y t TNR a "hak 4 % \ - a, ". ; A Tl N RES £ vba, With the construction of a new Memorial Hall underway at St. Thomas' Anglican Church, we thought it might be of interest to see how this same church looked in 1935. At the time the Take a Look Bac -t r a an photograph was taken, St. Thomas' was known as the Church of England, rather than the Anglican Church, located at the south-east corner of Winchester Road and Anderson Street. Viewpoint by ROXANNE REVELER I'm confused, which many would claim is a natural state, but I mean, this time, I am truly confused. I have been waiting for almost a month for an epidemic. I have prepared for it, rationalized what actions to take when it hits and everything, and I am still waiting and asking myself "What epidemic?' By now you are probably as confused as myself, buf for different reasons. I forgot to tell you about this epidemic I'm waiting for. In mid- September, Prime Minister Brian Mulroney announced that a drug epidemic was sweeping the nation. As the mother of two teenagers, my ears perked up at this news, and as a typical mother of typical teenagers, I took the "oh my God, what is going to hap- pen to my babies' attitude. Therefore I have been investigating, talking to anyone of con- sequence that will talk back to me, and I am still waiting for this epidemic to hit, or at least show some signs of manifestation. You know what? I have come to believe the whole thing is just a crock of .... well something. Merely a political manoeuver to jump on a modern bandwagon. A few points of question. Has our beloved leader been swept away by Nancy Reagan's fearless fight and forgotten that Canada is not (at least not yet) the 51st state? Was he jum- ping on the Ronnie Reagon bandwagon one more time as opposition leader John Turner charged? Mulroney -- media aficianado, politician looking for a cause that might take the minds of the average Canadian off more important issues -- knows a hot topic when he sees one. After a decade-long absence, the War on Drugs -- with the new added component of drug testing -- has become trendy once more. Drug hysteria exploded in the United States this summer after the cocaine overdose death of All-American basketball player Len Bias, just hours after being chosen number one draft choice of the Boston Celtics. The mounting drug frenzy was fuelled by the sudden appearance of a new strain of the disease .... crack; cocaine in a powerfully ad- dictive form. Following the trend of past Social Issues of the Week, it soon became im- possible to open a newspaper (this one includ- ed) or turn on the TV without seeing another hard-hitting expose on the hazards of crack. Public attention became political atten- tion and drugs became a convenient, emo- tional issue. Not surprising that strains of the political hysteria drummed up in the USA drifted northward. Not surprising Mulroney promised to enact tough new legislation to bat- tle a drug abuse epidemic. And then the final Reaganism .... mandatory drug testing was an appealing possibility. While no one argues Canada has a drug problem, experts spoken to say it doesn't com- pare to the habit south of the border and that American measures aren't needed here. According to a 1984 survey by the Addic- tion Research Foundation, 3.3 percent of Canadian adults have tried cocaine. Similar studies in the U.S. indicate four times as many Americans have sampled the drug. And while crack houses are festering in many American Slums, the newest drug danger is virtually non-existent here. The R.C.M.P. say they don't see it on the streets and coke patients treated at ARF say that the few people using crack are making it for themselves. In case you are wondering where I am getting the info spouted on these pages, I have two close personal friends .... one with the R.C.M.P. and attached with the ARF, the other an undercover Nark for a large city police force. Surveys of Canadian schools also favour a more optimistic outlook. The ARF's study last year found that drug use by school-age children had levelled off or actually declined for the fifth year in a row, with the exception of cocaine in Metro Toronto's grade 13 classes. As media interest and political hype has. ebbed and flowed over the last few years, drug Turn to page 20 of a golden age by Mabel M. McCabe A Second Chance The times of our lives when we look back on days of youth can be happy or sad as the memories dictate. | had a chance some weeks back to go through all the facets of these changes in one day. My children gathered to surprise me with a birthday party and succeed- ed fully. When | caught my breath and looked around to see all those lov- ing faces even the little great grandchildren, | felt how fast the years had passed by. It was hard to believe that | was the matriarch of this crowd. It was a great day and | enjoyed it to the fullest. it left me with many thoughts on the days that followed. | know that many of you have had the same experience and felt the total dismay of realising that life is on the down side. Sure there will probably be many years to come, but can they possibly come up to the great ones that are gone? It's a hard question to answer, "but | have to try. | found my great love many years ago and that seemed like the ultimate at that time. Then | was married and after my first son was born | thought | had reached the pinnacle. | found out there were many more high-points to be savoured in my life. Each child brought new love and tenderness into my heart. When the first one was married and left the nest, | was devastated. | recovered nicely with the birth of my first grandchild. You all know what a joy that is so | don't have to explain. Now | have well over a dozen grandchildren and they are still coming. They bring to me a spirit | need to keep on living and mak- ing the most of each day that the Good Lord gives me. | try not to complain but | wish they would not grow up so fast. The wonder in a child's eye is a treasure to hold close in your heart and when sud- denly you look around and the child is much taller than you and ready for University, it's a little disconserting. Wouldn't it be great if we could just turn back the clock to the - days when those grown up mommies and daddies were our wee girls and boys who thought that we were the smartest people who ever lived? We were the great protectors and providers who looked after all their ills and made all aches go away. Life is not like that but we can dream and it was nice while it lasted wasn't it? When we were at the top of the most important per- sons lists? We have a second chance with the grandchildren and if we blew it with our own maybe now we can redeem ourselves. It's worth the effort to try. Block Parents need public's support Each year at this time, the Block This money is used to buy signs, Parent Association in this area educational material and sta- holds their annual raffle. This year is no exception as the raffle will be drawn at McDonalds Restaurant, Thickson Road at 1 p.m. on October 25. Tickets are still on sale in several areas around Brooklin, or can be ob- tained through calling a member of the Block Parent executive. This raffle is the only means of raising funds to operate for the year. MYRTLE NEWS tionery. Without the support of the public buying a ticket, the Brooklin- Whitby Block Parent program will not have the financial backing to keep the program running and could possibly be forced to cancel this worthwhile program. It could be your child who would need help and it wouldn't be available. Please support the Block Parent program, and remember the only one you are hurting are the children. Swing your partners it's great recreation The pot luck supper held in the church for the community was a success, the food was good as usual and the entertainment by the Jubilee Singers filled the bill for a fine evening. One song, The Marigold Song, was especially well received, the music was composed by Janet Stachow and the lyrics by Dorothy Manderson, two people whose talents are outstanding. The square dance club meets every Wednesday night in the church basement at 8 o'clock. There is still time to join. We will accept new members for two more weeks. This is a great couple recreation and we urge you to start now. Call Laural Hamer, 655-4492 or just come to the church hall on Wednesday. On October 19 Jamie Tiffen the young man who is in charge of Christian activities for the youth ir. our area will lead in the Sunday morning service assisted by young people of Myrtle. All people of the community are invited to attend. This special youth organization is an experiment in christian revival sole- ly for young people and older peo- ple will want to know about it and support the group.