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. a ---- 4 -- PORT PERRY STAR -- Tuesday, December 9, 1986 Editorial Comments Sunday Shopping A lot of people in Ontario are going to be paying very close at- tention on December 18. That's the day the Supreme Court of Canada will hand down its long-awaited ruling on whether or not the Ontario Retail Business Holi- day Closing Act is Constitutional. * The reason a lot of people will be watching the Supreme Court is that Ontario is in the middle of a major fiasco over this issue where confusion seems to reign supreme. Last week, several large department stores announced they would be opening their doors on Sundays. The stores backed down a couple of days later in the face of some stern warnings out of Queens Park and the fact the Supreme Court has set December 18 as "judgement day." if the Supreme Court rules in favour of the Ontario law as it stands now, it. will mean literally hundreds of merchants and store owners have been breaking the law by keeping their businesses open Sun- days. The courts will be swamped with prosecutions, tying up scarce court time that is badly needed for other cases. And a lot of other- wise decent, hard-working and honest business people will find themselves guilty of breaking the law. If the Supreme Court rules the other way, that the present is un- constitutional, where does that leave the retail business community in Ontario? Will it throw Sundays wide open as just another shopping day in the week? Will it mean store employees may face subtle or not-so- subtle pressure from employers to work on Sundays when they might rather spend the day with families? Wilt it mean major labour problems as unions jump to the assistance of employees who don't want to work on Sundays? In short, it's a mess right now and no matter what the Supreme Court rules this month, the mess may get messier. There is no question that Sunday openings have proved very popular with many residents in the province of Ontario. And why not? The traditional 9 to 5 five day work week is a thing of the past for hundreds of thousands of Ontarians, especially in this day and age where most husbands and wives hold down jobs outside the home. In some instance, retailers have found that Sunday is a 'big volume" shopping day. They simply cannot afford NOT to open their doors on that day. And in recent years, more and more of them have been doing it, daspite the fact they were technically breaking the law. This is an issue crying out for government intervention in the form of new legislation. The law has to be changed to clarify for retailer and employee just what can be done and what can't be done on Sun- days in this province. If the present law is thrown out by the Supreme Court, new regulations to protect employees is of paramount importance. Likewise, if the present legislation is upheld, changes are need- ed to ensure that it's enforced. It's unthinkable that any law can be knowingly and consistently broken. This issue has become a large and serious one for a large number of people in Ontario. They will be looking to Queens Park for guidance and direction after December 18, for no matter how the Supreme Court rules, changes are long overdue for everyone involved. \- Port Perry STAR 235 QUEEN STREET - PORT PERRY, ONTARIO Phone 985-7383 P.0.Box90 LOB INO J. PETER HVIDSTEN Publisher Advertising Manager J.B. McCLELLAND Editor Member of the Canadian Community Newspaper Association and Ontario Community Newspaper Association Published every Tuesday by the Port Perry Star Co Ltd = Port Perry. Ontario Authorized as second class mail by the Post Ottice Department, Ottawa, and for cash payment of postage in cash CATHY OLLIFFE News & Features Second Class Mail Registration Number 0265 pd hal 12 Subscription Rate: in Canada $15.00 per year. Elsewhere $45.00 per year. Single Copy 35° ©COPYRIGHT -- All layout and composition of advertisements produced by the adver. departrnent of the Port Perry Star Company Limited are protected under copyright and may not be reproduced without the written permission of the publisher "Boy, APARTMENT LIVIN 'SURE BEATS Hollow loes,! " Chatterbox by Cathy Olliffe DOUGH PEOPLE If you haven't noticed already, from recent sappy Chatterbox columns, I just love Christmas. It's absolutely my favourite time of year. One of my favourite things about Christmas is decorating the Christmas tree. Before I was married, tree trimming was a sacred ritual. The family would gather around, pulling ornament after ornament from box after box. My mom has more Christmas ornaments than anyone else I know, but she has spent years collecting them." Probably when she was first married, she didn't have many decorations either. And that's exactly the position I am in this Christmas. I suppose I could run out and buy a tree-full of cheap ornaments, but even cheap ornaments will cost a bundle when you have to buy so many. The obvious solution? Making my own. The only problem? What kind do I make? Amongst my mom's collection of Christmas ornaments is a chubby child with a sled, made 'from dough and painted with cheery colours. It was made by one of my best friends, more than 15 years ago, and it remains one of the family's favourite decorations. Dough people, as I have to call them, are as charming as anything you'll find in a country store. What's more, they're inexpensive and downright easy to make. After whipping up a dozen the other night, I've discovered even a six year old child would have no problem creating a dough person. Just for fun, I've enclosed the recipe and directions for making dough people. Try them with your own family. Not only will your children enjoy making them, they will look terrific on the Christmas tree ---- and will be treasured all the more in years to come because they were homemade. DOUGH PEOPLE Ingredients: 2 cups flour 1 cup salt 14 cup water (or enough to make a pie dough consistency) Directions: Mix the ingredients with a fork, and then shape the dough into a ball with your hands. Knead for five minutes on a lightly floured board, and then place in a bowl covered with a damp cloth. The cloth ensures your dough will stay pliable while you work with it. Assemble on a table: Two ungreased cookie sheets One table knife per person A couple feet of picture hanging wire Wire cutters Decide what type of dough person you want to make. Santa Claus, reindeer, elves, snowmen, candy canes, mini-wreaths, candles, people from a Nativity Scene, Gingerbread men, Christmas trees, teddy bears, toys ---- anything will do! An original idea to make dough people representing people within your own family. Try to make the details as close as possible to the real person. For example, if Jane has glasses, long ponytails, and brown eyes, give the dough person those details. The people themselves are easy to make. Each body part is made separately and then "glued" together by wetting the edge of the dough you want to stick. Roll a small ball for the head, a bigger ball for the body, and four tubes for the arms and legs. Wet the edges and glue them together, placing the dough directly on the cookie sheet. Now, add the details -- hair, eyes, nose, mouth, ears, clothes ---- anything you want. A knife may come in handy here. When the person is completed, make a loop with the wire, and stick it into the head of the dough person ---- the deeper the wire goes, the better it will hold up. Remember, dough people are fairly heavy so make sure the wire loop (us- ed for hanging the ornament) is good and secure. When you've made all the dough people you want (one recipe should be enough to make a dozen ornaments), slide the cookie sheet or sheets into a 300 degree oven for three to four hours. (I don't think you can do this in a microwave). When done, the ornaments should be hard and white in colour. Let them cool, and then paint them. I used acrylic paint on mine for bright colours, but watercolours will give a nice pastel country look. It's up to you. When they're painted, all that's left is a coat of shellac. When that's dry, hang them up! ~ Making dough people is not an original idea. The craft has been around for years and can be found in almost any children's activity book. And it's no wonder! Dough people are fun to make, especially when they're made together as a family. And do- ing anything together as a family, sure beats the heck out of TV!