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f -- A Wn, MS EER I J rey Borg beVd RETIN IE 12 Ti ¢ -- PORT PERRY STAR --TUESO3Y , May 23 1989 he Por Perey Shar 235 QUEEN STREET - PORT PERRY, ONTARIO PHONE 985-7383 FAX 985-3708 The Port Perry Star is authorized as second class mail by the Post Office Department, Ottawa, for cash payment of postage. Second Class Mail Registration Number 0265 Subscription Rate: In Canada $29.00 per year Elsewhere $60.00 per year. Single Copy 50¢ EDITORIAL Publisher - J. Peter Hvidsten Editor - John B. McClelland News/Features - Cathy Olliffe News Reporter - Rob Streich PRODUCTION Annabell Harrison Trudy Empringham Darlene Hlozan BUSINESS OFFICE Accounting - Judy Ashby ADVERTISING Office Manager - Gayle Stapley Billing Department - Anna Gouldburn Retail Sales - Kathy Dudley, Linda Ruhl Advertising Co-ordinator - Valerie Ellis Advertising Sales Representatives Pat Webster, Lisa Hutchings Qa / 2 a Member of the Canadian Community Newspaper Association Ontario Community Newspaper Association Published every Tuesday by the Port Perry Star Co. Ltd. Port Perry, Ontario Editorial Comment The sport of hockey continues to wrestle with an "im- age problem." For many people, the sport seems to be nothing more than semi-organized violence and mayhem, a kind of licence to do things on skates that would land anybody in jail were they done away from the hockey arena. The National Hockey League has stumbled badly once again over the way it has handled the Hextall Affair. Brian Hextall, a goaltender with the Philadelphia Fly- ers of the NHL, received a 12 game suspension for what League vice president Brian O'Neill termed a "blatant and pre-meditated attack against an opponent." The attack against Chris Chelios of the Montreal Ca- nadiens, took place in the final minute of the final game of a playoff series between Montreal and Philadelphia. Even staunch supporters of the sport were shocked at the actions of Brian Hextall, who left his goal crease af- ter the whistle had stopped play and bush-whacked the other player with his stick, glove and fists. It was an ugly sight, one that does absolutely nothing for the image of the game in the eyes of fans and non- fans alike. This is not the first time Hextall has been suspended by the League. Three years ago in a playoff game, he took his goal stick to the ankle of an opponent with such force the player was fortunate not to suffer a broken bone. For that, he received eight games on the shelf. Hextall's 12 game suspension for the attack on the Montreal player will be served at the start of the next hockey season, a season that lasts 80 games plus playoffs. Many observers felt Hextall should have been hit with a suspension of at least 20 games or maybe 40 games which is half a season. Though knowning Hextall's track record and the way he swing his stick at anybody within range, we wonder if 'any length of suspension short of a life-time ban from the game would act as a deterrent in his case. What is most distressing about this light slap on the wrists is the message it delivers to players of all ages, es- pecially those in the minor ranks across this country. We suspect there were a fair number of youngsters with NHL dreams watching Hextall's attempt to do dam- age to an opponent that evening. What are they thinking? A 12-game suspension for so blatant attack is laughable, and young, impressionable players can't help but get a message loud and clear that this kind of behavior on the ice Is OK, if they are willing to sit on the bench for a few games. 3 The NHL, to its credit has taken a very tough line when it comes to drug abuse. A player caught using ille- - gal drugs might find himself banished from the game for half a year or longer. Should the same degree of punish- ment not be meted out for a deliberate and blatant attempt to seriously injure an opponent? We have to wonder. Hextall himself admitted that what he did was wrong, but he also kept bringing up the reason why he "went after" the Montreal player. And this brings up another aspect of the sport which the NHL must examine closely. Chris Chelios, the Montreal player in an earlier game had delivered an illegal check against one of the Flyers. ' The check with the elbow was delivered with such force that the player banged his head violently against the glass - (Turn to page 10)) THE HAPPY GARDENER Yesterday, | saw the shoots. Emerald green, about half an inch tall, bursting out of the dark earth with all the chutzpah of a New York City cab driver, they are a vision of loveliness. | danced when | saw them, squealing, "Oh honey, come see the peas!" My husband came over and gave a per- functory glance at the few dozen green buds +in curving rows and said something like, "That's nice dear." He didn't share my enthusiasm because he is not a happy gardener. | am the happy gar- dener in our small family, a born again green thumb who has only just discovered the joys 3 getting down in the dirt on one's hands and nees. . But | must confess, | am not an experi- enced happy gardener. In fact | have no ex- perience. None. Zilch. Perhaps that is why | am so happy. | never even had an inclination to garden until we bought our house last Fall, a house with a garden already tilled in the backyard. A dream space, with unimpeded full sunshine pouring in from the south. From the first time we looked at the proper- ty, | knew | was meant to work in this garden. It was love at first sight and so | began read- ing everything | could on the subject of grow- ing veggies. | even started watching Mark Sleny Anything Grows" show on Saturdays at noon, For the novice gardener, it's a great show. Week by week, step by step, he takes you Svouan the stages of growth. From "harden- ing" the plants you started indoors, to using the proper fertilizer in your petunias, his tips are a boon to a beginner like me. | hate to admit it, but it's one of my favourite shows. | sit in front of the tube, a cogl iced tea by my side, a pen and paper in my ap, excit- edly writing down all the information Mr. Cul- len has to offer. ck And then | try to put his ideas to work in my garden. A couple of weeks ago he said, "Now is the time to plant your peas and sweet peas." | trembled with anticipation. Finally, after months of cold weather, | had the "okay" | needed to go ahead with the garden. So | raced out to buy cow manure, peat moss, fertilizer, peas, sweet peas, and a pair of fruity flower-covered gardening gloves--just like Mrs. Cleever would wear if she gardened. Without further adieu, | set about preparing the land for planting. And that's when | discov- red that gardening is work. Hard work. No- body ever told me it would produce sweat. No wonder they call the vegetable aisle at the grocery store, the "produce" department. Despite this minor setback, | heaved and hoe-ed my way through the rigourous de- mands of the spring soil, pulling weeds and digging trenches by hand. Finally, after hours of work, | had enough soil prepared to plant my peas. Which | without incident. That was about two weeks ago, and every day since, | have gone to the edge of the gar- den and just sat there for about a half hour at a time, staring at the places where | hoped plants' would 'one day spring up. But every day | was disappointed. They say a watched kettle never boils, and I'm sure that's why my peas were so reluc- tant. But we were away from home for a couple of days and when | finally had a chance to look at my garden yesterday, | was shocked to see three rows of pea shoots beautiful heads towards the sunshine. Qh Lordy, | was (am) so happy | might as well 'have won a lottery. Now, you must ex- | cuse me while |' pop to the gardening store. | still'have' more veggies to plant. | fig- ' a shoots can make me this hap- "PY how will | feel-about zucchini? - A ure, hey, king their : ig TEN nA in a nt a ae