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¢ Ea A Ci ae TE AD ogi 8 rt ~ PORT PERRY STAR -- Tuesday, April 14, 1987 -- 5 by John B. McClelland Viewpoint WINNING THE WAR? © Society may be winning a few battles in the strug- gle against drinking and driving, but are we losing the war? It would appear so, according to a report released | last week from the Ontario Provincial Police Head' quarters in Toronto. The findings in the report are troubling, to say the least. While the OPP admit that intensive enforcement by police like the RIDE program at Christmas can reduce the number of impaired drivers on the road, a lot df people still get behind the wheel when they're real- ly blitzed on booze. ~ For a two week period last July and August, the OPP did a survey of some 1200 impaired drivers and found the average driver had consumed the equiv alent of eight bottles of beer. That's kind of frightening when one considers that most people become legally intoxicated (.08 on a breath test) after three or four bottles of beer. Even more frightening is this. If the average im- paired driver had consumed the equivalent of eight beers, how many in the survey were found to be in an . even more advanced state of intoxication? The OPP report doesn't answer that question, but in any survey there is always a certain percentage above the average and below it. If you happen to meet a drunk driver on Ontario's roads or highways, chances are pretty good that he/she has had the equivalent of eight beers or more. And here's another sobering bit of information = found through the OPP survey. More than one-third of the impaired drivers were repeat offenders. Obvious- ly, the heavy fines, the jail sentences and the hike in insurance premiums which accompany an impaired conviction are not stopping a lot of people from jump- ing behind the wheel when blitzed. For what it's worth, the OPP have developed a "profile of a typical impaired driver." He is single, has a job, is under 30 and male. He did his drinking a{ a licenced establishment or a friend's house and drove his car a short distance before being stopped by the police. He was usually within three miles of home. -OPP Commissioner Archie Ferguson, in something of an under-statement says in the report: "*"We are con- cerned about the degree of intoxication of impaired drivers in Ontario." He goes on to say "it's apparent that the drinking driver is a deadly risk to himself and others." And here's one final bit of information. In northern Ontario, the rate of impaired driving is three times what. it is in the rest of the province. The OPP report comes up with no recommenda- tions as a result of the survey, but does say that by com- "piling this kind of data, officers will have a better idea of who to look for in enforcing the drinking and driving laws of the province. I don't know about you, but the data in the report is very scary. It tells me there are still one heck of a lot of very drunk people behind the wheels of their cars and trucks in Ontario. DON'T DO IT, JOE How do you like sequels? For my money, they are never as good as the first. Jaws was the best of the big- bite flies by far. I simply can't get very interested in all thé Rocky movies that came after the first; same with Superman. Of course money is the reason producers and direc- tors continue to churn out cinematic clones of their huge successes. I see where Joseph Heller has signed a contract to write the sequel to Catch-22. He will receive about $4 million for the effort, Which i is a good reason as any for Heller. The original Catch-22 will never be duplicated, not. even by Heller. It is one of my all-time favourites, a tru- ly funny book, one that I pick up from time to time to re-read and still get a hearty chuckle. It is a unique piece of literature and 1 feel kind of badly that Heller has agreed to write the sequel. No doubt the latest effort will be a good read, for Heller is a writer of considerable talent. But there are some things in art and literature bet- ter left alone. Catch-22 is one of them. Were Shakespeare to suddenly come to life, should he write the sequel to Hamlet? Never. Should da Vinci attempt a second Mona Lisa"? Preposterous. Another War and Peace? Shudder at the thought. Heller is not in the same league: with Shakespeare, da Vinci or Tolstoy, but Catch-22 is a classic of this century. I know $4 million is a lot of loose' change, but I'm saddened at the thought of a sequel. Those things are better left for the Spielbergs, the Stallones and the ] Jasons of the world. Next thing you know J.D. Salinger will be popping out of seclusion with a sequel to Catcher in the Rye. Te (Turn to page 6) Yesterday's Memories 70 YEARS AGO Wed. April 11, 1917 At the \e regular meeting of Reach Township Council, a by-lawavas passed, appointing Dr. Henders, M.H.O. for 1917 for a salary of $15.00. -. Mr. and Mrs. Oliver Reader, Scugog, are spending Easter with Mrs. Carl Seymour, Toronto. Mr. R.U. Irwin and family have returned home after spending the winter in Orillia. He has sold both his houses on Borelia, but i in- tends building a bungalow on the lot he still retains. Mr. Gordon Bradley has returned to Port Perry after spending three years in Anderson, Indianna. 45 YEARS AGO Thurs. April 16, 1942 Murray Holtby is taking a special R.C.A.F. Pilot's Training Course at Eglinton. L.A.C. William Willard, who has been stationed at Regina, is spending his furlough with his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Harry Willard. . The tax rate was struck for 1942 at 22.3 mills at the Reach Township Council Meeting recently. - Manchester and Prospect communities assembled at the home Letters Letters to the editor are pretty common here at the Port Perry Star, but it's not often we receive a letter all the way from Australia. So there was lots of excitement in , the office last Friday afternoon when the mail lady delivered a let- ter with Aussie postage stamps all over it. Turned out the letter was from the Rotary Club of Frankston, host of a Port Perry lad spending a vear Down Under as part of an exchange « program. , 'From the sound of the letter, Michael Brock has been having the time of his life, playing cricket, eating crocodile sandwiches and. watching the America's Cup from a To The Editor: Hello from "'down-under" -My name is Chris McMillan, I am the public relations chairman of the above club. This year we are the host club for Michael Brock, of Gib- son Drive, Port Perry and student of Port Perry High School. Michael was sponsored by the Rotary Club of Port Perry from district 707.- St.). Having received regular copies of vour paper (to pass on to Mike), I thought it may interest you to know "Star," (Turn to page 12) If we only had a bus The youngsters get rides To school every day We oldsters sit home a few details of his stay in Australia so far. Also, if you could include an article (and maybe picture!) in the ~ it would be a nice surprise for his parents, family and friends especially his grandparents (propr. of A.W. Brock Dept. Store of Queen Mike arrived with some other Canadian exchange. students last ,of Mr. and Mrs. E. Holtby to honour their daughter. Marion, who _Burketon. 'season on Thursday, April 7th by capturing the All-Ontario Bantam private helicopter. In fact, the letter is so interesting, we've reproduced it here, to let Mike's relatives know how he's doing--and to give all us Canadian types a personal glimpse at the land © of Crocodile Dundee. Counting on you To The Editor: The Phantom is pleased with the response the Fitness Challenge has received so far, but The Phantom wants more. Thank-you Mrs. Hamilton for pledging your school's support. The Phantom hopes all the public recently married Dyle Thompson of Aylmer. 30 YEARS AGO Thus. April 11, 1957 Blue Ray Chapter entertained at Friendship Night. Guest speakers were the Worthy Matron of Sunderland Chapter and W.P. Judson Walker of Scarborough Chapter. Mr. "Valt Rogers, Epsom, attended the 116th Regiment banquet hald in Oshawa. Mr. and Mrs. Arnold Taylor, Blackstock, were host and hostess to a dinner party in honour of Mr. and Mrs. Roy Taylor's 40th wed- ding anniversary. They were presented with a platform rocker. 20 YEARS AGO Thurs. April 13, 1977 Initial steps have been taken for construction of the new hospital in Port Perry. A crew of two from Site Investigation Services Ltd., Peterborough, made soil tests by drilling in various places on the 10-acres property. On Mondav, April 10th, the remaining 64 pupils from S.S. 1 and 2 (Head and Middle), Scugog Island, entered new halls of learning in the R.H. Cornish Public School in Port Perry. Along with the students went their teachers, Mrs. E. Beckett (grades 1 and 2), and Mrs. D. Measures (grades 3 and 4). This brings the total enrolment at the newly expanded R.H. Cornish School to 675. Mr. and Mrs. Bell have purchased the former Carter home, vacated by Mr. and Mrs. Hall who have recently moved from involved. ~ The line-up of organizations already involved looks great. but - where are the rest of you"? The Phantom would like to see some of the businesses in Port Perry get involved. Come on, with your help we can do it. The Phantom is counting on you 10 YEARS AGO Wednesday, April 13, 1977 The Beare Motor Bantam boys concluded the 1976-77 hockey "C" Championship after defeating a Mitchell team 5-2. The Hospital Women's Auxiliary 'Fashion Show, held at Port Perry High School, was quite successful with a showing of spring fashions. i 5 J : The Phantom schools in the area will get activ ely Not have to worry how to get back We could go to the Library Shop on a Friday Call at the Post Office Then to the Bank ~ While our hair turns gray "If we only had a bus." We could go into town And browse through the shops Meet some friends and stop For a chat But the long walk home Is too much for that "If we only had a.bus."" "If we only had a bus." It's good walking to town When the weather is nice But not when the paths Are ail covered with ice "If we only had a bus." ) Hw = There's lots of entertainment in which we would like to partake But how to get back home When you're seventy-eight "If we only had a bus." We. could be independent And not have a care As long as we had the cash For the fare | If we only had a bus. Emmie Cox r™ "rare occasions, we will agree to with-hold publication of a letter Letters to the Editor our policy It has always been the policy of this newpspaper to encourage out readers to make use of the letters to the editor column. Our readers have a right to freely express their opinions and view- points on just about any subject, and we feel that a lively letters col- umn helps make a better community newspaper. We insist, however, that a letter writer sign his or her name. On writer's name, if we feel there are very good reasons to do so. Under no circumstances will this paper print an anonymous let- ter to the editor. While we enjoy receiving letters from our readers, we must con- tinue to insist on knowing the identity of the writer. |