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10 -- PORT PERRY STAR -- Tuesday, April 18, 1969 Off The Top by Rob Streich Natio Last week was national wildlife week in Canada. A time to celebrate the beauty of our natural heritage and bask in the sim- ple pleasure of being an integral and beneficial part of nature. But all | witnessed last week, everyday in every medium, were visions of Alaskan shorelines strewn with ugly washes of oil and dead birds and otters and fish and whales. In my books, March 24 '89 goes down as a day of mourn- ing. | cried for the millions of dead animals and plants, and for the inhumanity of this poor excuse of stewardship we claim. The whole oil spill situation in the North Pacific makes me sick! How dare Exxon casually risk our natural heritage. When | think of their stupidity, allowing a man to pilot such a large, dangerous vessel without any real safeguards. Dumb! The Alaskan supertankers are playing in the fragile subarc- tic marine environment. The tenuous balance allows man-made accidents to create a ripple through the food chain. A little pollu- tion can take years to clean up, but it may be many decades be- fore the population will have recovered from the effects - some delicate creatures may never regain the lost ground. It was just a few months ago that the whole nation was pull- ing for a pair of whales trapped in the ice. We spent thousands of hours and millions of dollars to preserve two, albeit important, lives. You'd think we were learning to respect other species. But now, on a larger scale, where thousands of God's crea- tures are at stake, it seems distant, people don't really care. It has warmed my heart to see the many volunteers out on the beaches, mopping up the oil and tending to the sick and dy- ing wildlife. 'Canadians and Americans showing a common car- ing for the preservation of wildlife. But why just volunteers? What really disturbed me was how little effort Exxon has put into solving "their problem'. They are resolved to be dealing with the mess over the next five years, despite the destructive conse- quences of lollygagging: "Don't tell me they aratlosing any sleep. Do you have any idea how big 38 million litres of crude oil is? A projection of the spill upon a map of Lake Ontario showed that it would cover more than half of the lake - at minimum, half of all plant and animal life in the lake would be killed. That reely brought it home for me. It motivated me to speak out against the multinational corporations which apear to be beyond reproach and protected from the law. Why should thousands of people have to save Exxon money in cleanup charges when we have all been filling their coffers for years? It gives me some small satisfaction to see Exxon shares taking a dive on the stock exchange, but that does not bring back the many animals that slowly and painfully drowned in oil. Is there any sure way to stop this from happening again without completely changing society? Probably not. As many people have noted, you cannot legislate against human error. How do you impose enough safeguards to be pro- tected against future problems? With nuclear facilities? All Megane projects mean large problems when they get out of hand. Should we leave our lives in the hands of cold, conscienceless, corporate entities with engineered answers? COUNTRY UPHOLSTERY Free Pickup DONNA ANDERSON elven 109-328-1156 Free Estimates Letter to the Editor Saddened by the plight of family To the Editor: I was saddened to read the ar- ticle in the last Star about the Kirk family. It appears that the very aspect of Port Perry which drew us all here is fast becoming history. In the past four or five years, the feeling of small town Canada in Port Perry apparently is being replaced by other values. Much less importance is put on. neighbourly attitudes and com- munity cohesiveness. When a parking lot takes greater priori- ty than the welfare of a family, I am once again disappointed at the evolution of our town. It goes un- said, the way in which the Kirks are being treated is hardly a model for us to live by. If we are going to lose a family from this town because of the lack of regard for the needs of lower in- come families and continue to 'develop' high priced "executive properties," it is indicative of the future we are creating for our children. I would appreciate it if you would forward the enclosed che- que to the Kirks in an effort to assist them with their future move. I would also challenge the residents of Port Perry who find themselves in a more comfortable position to lend a financial hand to the Kirks to prove to both them and ourselves that the principles on which this town was built, lives on. Yours sincerely, Stephen M. Zimmerman, Port Perry, Ont. Council's decision is a disgrace To the Editor: Hére we, go again. Once more residents of a particular area are called upon to attend a committee meeting to "yay or nay" a proposal (to use the word loosely) Change which concerns them very much. In this case, the flagrant al- teration of a by-law. A builder wishes to demolish a cottage and build a permanent home, but doesn't have enough room on the lot. Taylor Price wins best actor award On Saturday, April 15, Port Perry High School. entered its play The Zoo Story in the three- day Sears Ontario Drama Festi- val, Eastern Region Showcase in Pembroke, Ontario. Taylor Price and Steve Lon- don were singled out for men- tion by adjudicator Ron Came- ron, with Taylor Price winning the best actor award for his por- trayal of . Jerry, the dis- possessed vagrant of Central Park. Best production award went to Fenelon Falls H.S. for their play Cagebirds. Merit awards went to Eastdale Coll. for the Marriage Proposal and to Renfrew Coll. for Last Chance Texico. Taylor Price and Steve Lon- don, along with crew Jeff Oke and Rob Sparling are to be com- plimented for having produced such a worthy entry for PPHS in a tough competition, said di- rector Diane Lackie. 'RIBBONS & "RASCALS 39 Bond St. E., OSHAWA 571-5435 Exclusive Fashions -- Infants to 18 PETALS MON:WED 9:6; THURS-FRI 9-9; SAT 9-5 ~ So, he petitioned to have the road allowance reduced from 39.5 feet to 20 feet, which means of course this property will protrude approx. 20 feet further than the others. However, unknown by the other residents, the township council has already approved the application at an earlier date. So, why must we be called upon like a bunch of fools to at- tend a decision-making meet- ing which was just a farce, as the petition was a "fait accom- pli." And shame on the three- member committee, who will not be named, for participating in this. These dictatorial deci- sions by Township council are a disgrace. Yours truly, M. Webb, Highland Beach, Port Perry. Chatterbox by CATHY OLLIFFE (From page 6) This week the Star received a letter from one man who still cares about the people of this town. Steve Zimmerman read about the plight of the Kirk family, and banged off a letter criticizing the path Port Perry seems to be taking. He also wrote a sizable cheque to the Kirks to help them with "their moving expenses. Wendy Kirk was moved nearly to tears. Brian Kirk was also visibly touched. Until Mr. Zimmerman's letter, the Kirks were feeling nobody cared about them. Whether they lived in Port Perry or on the streets. Whether they lived or died. "It's so nice to know there are people out there who care," Mr. Kirk told me afterwards. "I had lost my faith in hu- manity." The Kirks have also received many reassuring phone calls from Star readers. But the fact is, they're still being forced out of their home for the sake of a lunch room and storage space. ' Something has to be done about providing affordable housing in this community. | know it's a complicated issue. I'm aware of the problems both governments and builders are faced with. But | still believe there's simply not enough effort being put out by our elected representatives to im- prove the situation. Garbage and affordable housing should be the number one concerns of Scugog Council. No more studies, no more committees, no more bull. Action is the only thing that's going to solve these problems. And believe me, if | was the Mayor of this municipality, | wouldn't allow a family like the Kirks to be driven out so heartlessly. If | had to, I'd let them stay in the municipal of- fice, or in the Town Hall, or the Latcham Centre, or I'd rent them a room at a local hotel. But | wouldn't, couldn't; let them resort to holing up in a tent trailer. Sure enough, | wouldn't have any legal obligation to find a home for one of my constituents, but | sure-as hell would have a moral one. : Kelly, Zuly, Greenway, Bruce BARRISTERS and SOLICITORS Motor Vehicle -- Criminal Personal Injury -- Wills Real Estate -- Family Law Corporate & Commercial EVENINGS & WEEKENDS BY APPOINTMENT 114 King St. E., Oshawa 723-2278