The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

"ASD PORT PERRY STAR -- Tuesday, July 11, 1989 -- 7 THE BEARS ARE COMING it was inevitable, | suppose. First they came from Sweden, then Finland and Czechoslovakia. Now, the Bears are coming from the Soviet Union to play in the National Hockey League. Hooray for glasnost. NHL owners have been casting their eyes longingly on the sturdy sons of Mother Russia ever since that band of comrades re-arranged the smiles on the faces of the first Team Canada way back in the fall of '72. Finally, the Bears have arrived officially. Sergei Priakhin signed last spring with the Calgary Flames during their drive for the Cup. He played in a couple of games, then watched the rest of the sea- son and playoffs from the stands. Priakhin is a little Bear. Recently, the NHL an- nounced that the big Bears would be suiting up this fall in NHL jerseys, and the biggest Bear of them all is Viacheslav Fetisov, a rock solid defenseman who anchored the Soviet National team for more than a decade, and is considered by some hockey observers to the best on the planet at his position. He, along with Sergei Starikov will toil this fall in New Jersey, wearing Devils on their sweaters, instead of CCCP. There's nothing wrong with Bears playing the NHL, but some people are questioning the cost. The NHL has not made public just how much was paid to the Soviet Ice Hockey Federation to release the Bears, but estimates of $500,000 per player have been kicked around. And of course, a good chunk of the salary the Viewpoint by John B. McClelland back to Russia. And you know what they are going to do with that money? They will sink it into the program to train the millions of little hockey playing Bears on both sides of the Urals. So, when future Soviet teams pound Canada and everyone else at the Olympics or the World Championships, thank in part the NHL for all that fodder that was used to feed and groom the Bears. Personally, | have nothing whatsoever against Russians or Fiji Islanders playing in the NHL. They have proved to be outstanding hockey players, and let's be honest, a lot of Canadian fans want to see whether the comrades can take it over 80 games coast to coast and another eight weeks of playoffs. But | think, the Russians should be invited to training camp, and if they are good enough to make the team, fine, sign them to a personal con- tract with the pay cheques made out in their names. Handing over huge chunks of money to the Soviet Ice Yocey Federation is stupid, especially when one considers the NHL pays the 40 Junior . teams in Canada just $2.1 million per year for player development. After all, the Soviet Union is not exactly a pau- per when it comes to development of all sports. The money the NHL is handing over to the Russians for just a handful of players would keep a lot of Junior teams and a lot of minor organizations in the black for years. If the NHL is going to spend money on player development, spend it on this side of the Atlantic. . hockey fan and su Aside from the fact the deals stinks financially for the NHL and player development in North Amer- ica, I'm not even sure that the Bears released to lay this fall are going to have that great an impact or their new teams. Festisov is past 30, an "old man" as far as pro hockey players go. Granted, he has had the best conditioning programs in the world, but how many NHL games are left in his legs. Igor Larionov and Sergei Makharov are in the same boat, past their prime, their best years behind them. Throw in culture shock, the fans in some of the buildings, plus the fact that every tough punk kid trying to make an impression will be running and challenging them at every chance, and one really has to wonder if these guys will last. : What happens to all that NHL, dough if Mr. Feti- sov packs it in at Christmas and heads home to col- lect his Red Army pension? Can you see the Soviets refunding the money? Sure they will. This deal makes no sense, and frankly as a rter of the sport in this coun- try, | resent it when | think that some of the dollars | spend to watch hockey will end up buying skates for little Ivan in Minsk, when little Johnny in Kirkland Lake may have to wear his older brother's hand- me-downs. By all means, invite the Bears to play in the NHL but don't let Poppa Bear of the Soviet Ice Hockey Federation take us to the cleaners in the process. Which is exactly what he has done. Bears will be paid for toiling in the NHL will also go When 70 YEARS AGO Thursday, July 17, 1919 The long distance telephone line is now completed between Port Perry and Toronto. We can now get direct service. One of the best attended games of the season took place on Thursday night when the south married men defeated the north married men 23-19. Emmerson pitched effectively after the se- cond inning. D. Carnegie, Nasmith and Nasmith, D. Carnegie, Archer, Emmerson and Deshane scored. Mr. Thos. Crosier of Manchester has sold his residence to Mrs. Roach of Whitevale and will now sell all his household effects. 45 YEARS AGO Thursday, July 27, 1944 Mr. and Mrs. Storey Beare and son Ian of Guelph are holidaying with relatives in town. Sgt. Charles Brignall, R.C.A., left on Sunday to report to Ot- tawa for further instructions after a month at home. On Saturday evening, July 15, 1944, at the home of Mr. and Mrs. George Samells, Scugog Island, a happy gathering surpris- ed Mr. and Mrs. Stanley Ploughman on the occasion of their Silver Wedding Anniversary. 35 YEARS AGO - Thursday, July 22, 1954 The Port Perry Volunteer Fire Deparment answered a call to the home of George Skerratt, Prince rt, when his tractor caught on fire as he was filling the gas tank: The same evening they answered a call to the home of Ed Harris, 2 miles south and 1 mile east of Blackstock. 30. YEARS AGO Thursday, July 23, 1959 Roger Pickard, 12 year old son of Mr. and Mrs. Ben Pickard of Port Perry, won a miniature Rocket Radio in the Elmer Limerick Contest. ; Mr. and Mrs. Arthur Cox won the Livingstone Trophy at an open lawn bowling tournament at Cannington. Congratulations to Marie Taylor who attained honour stan- ding in the ARCT Piano Teaching Examination, conducted recently by the Royal Conservatory of Toronto. 25 YEARS AGO Thursday, July 23, 1964 Congratulations to Mr. Jonathan Aldred of Scugog Island on the occasion of his 90th birthday, Sunday, July 19. More than 100 guests honoured Mr. and Mrs. Edmund (Turn to page 14) Letters to the editor Statistics are not personal views To the Editor: In regards to the Wed. July 5th edition of the Port Perry Stars ar- ticle "Tax Committee - vows to monitor spending," I would like to correct a statement made by myself, as printed in this article. Praise for Pioneer Days at Museum To the Editor: Through your newspaper, I want to send my heartiest con- gratulations to the Pioneer Days Committee, the Museum Board and the Lake Scugog His- torical Society, and all the Pio- neer Days volunteers for a job well done. It was a most successful and well organized weekend, and was enjoyed by so many. You have all worked very hard, both in the renovation of the museum and in the prepara- tion of the annual Pioneer Days event. You all deserve a medal. To the public--if you missed this special weekend event, re- member to add to your "must do this summer" list, a visit to our local Scugog Shores Museum. It really is yours to enjoy. Yours truly, Lola Sheridan. Scugog Township. When it was stated that I was "critical of wages, benefits and pensions paid to teachers," and that "Ontario teachers are the highest paid in the Western World," these were statements of statistics, not my own personal views. I had a hard time compiling in- formation on this subject, as it came too close to home. I have a brother who is a professor at St. Lawrence College in Kingston, as well as a mother-in-law who is now retired from teaching. I personally have no problem, in regards to teachers pay in this country, because I feel our children deserve good educations, by qualified educators, and if the need arose, I would pay out of my own pocket to provide this very are a merit to their profession, such as my son's teacher this past year. To say I was "'critical"' when I clearly expressed these were not my views, but merely statisticsin - regards to taxes paid out, is true- ly misleading in context, as well as an insult to me personally. I wish reporters would print the "facts," so that people reading these articles will not form an opi- nion as to another persons character. These past few weeks have been harrowing due to "misprinted statements' and '"'exaggerated actions' in regards to my personal stand within this committee of 'Citizens - Against Unjustified Taxes." Our aim is to educate the public important need. in regards to their tax increases, We have many teachers who (Turn to page 14) Smile For The Day "I'VE JUST TAKEN ANOTHER LOOK AT OUR BUDGET. WHAT WOULD YOU THINK OF STORING NUTS FOR THE WINTER?" { | 4 2