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6- PORT PERRY STAR - Tuesday, November 1, 1994 "Scugog's Community Newspaper of Choice" FE Dr PORT PERRY STAR TORIA C - Editorial Comment Keep an eye on election Here's a tip of the hat to all the people who took the trouble to come out last Wednesday night and be part of the all- candidates' meeting held at Port Perry High School. With the election clock ticking down -- less than two weeks to go, as of today -- it's time to press the candidates on their views, and Wednesday night's forum, to a large degree, helped that occur. ' A healthy crowd came out for the pro- ceedings, and that's encouraging. At a time when the prevailing attitude toward politics and politicians seems to be one of disdain or disinterest, it was good to see so much concern for Scugog and the lo- cal schools. A number of intelligent questions were submitted, and the answers provided were telling: Who has a platform of sub- stance, and who's merely paying lip ser- vice? Who is in this race for the right rea- sons? ...Just listen. You'll find out. Now that voters have had a chance to listen to the candidates for mayor, region- al councillor and school board trustee, we ~ hope they'll take the opportunity to come out tomorrow night (Wednesday, Nov. 2) to the Latcham Centre, where the council hopefuls will get down to business. Remember: When you vote for a mu- 'nicipal council, you vote for a team. It's important to observe the entire spectrum of candidates, and consider how they will work together as the township enters what will surely be a busy and crucial three-year period in its growth. So: To the voters who came out, Good for You. Keep an eye on this election, be- cause it does affect you. To the organizers of last Wednesday's and Thursday's (public school trustees had a forum at a Port Perry elementary school) all candidates' meetings, thank you for an important job well done. And to those holding their meetings this week (Green Umbrella also hosts a meeting in Greenbank Thursday night), here's hoping you get the kind of re- sponse that will make your events a suc- Well done ...While we're at it, here's a note of praise for Scugog's Grade 9 students. Kids at Cartwright and Port Perry High Schools met or surpassed the average scores registered in province-wide testing for reading and writing, conducted last year. Good show. eas ------ ----- Xan, as IIT : ~~' na --- - NS Se SS haf WN SANA DERRY ---- J s a group of § ws a group of erry Star in 19 Pp at the Port I ETTERS Shooting victim 'overwhelmed 'by support To the Editor: During the past week, my wife and I have been overwhelmed by the support of the communities of Port Perry/Scugog Township. Your kindness and thought- fulness have touched us in a way that is impossible to describe. We in turn, send our heartfelt best wishes for a full and speedy recovery to Debra-Ann, Mark, Warren and Paul. Our love and best wishes go out to your families and all others so devastated by the events that took place on Oct. 20, 1994. A special mention for the staff at Bank of Montreal, Port Perry - we were a fami- ly before, we are a stronger family now. I am so very proud of you all. We shall overcome this together. A big thank you to Durham Regional Police for their speedy response and pro- fessionalism displayed under very try- ing circumstances. Your ongoing encour- agement and concern after the event have made us feel like part of your fami- ly. We are deeply honored to be a part of the police family. Our special thanks go out to the ambu- lance attendants and the staff of Port Perry and Oshawa General Hospitals for their care and attention. There are so many more people to thank - our neighbors for so spontane- ously jumping to our assistance, Paula Lishman International for being so un- derstanding, customers and friends for their messages of support which aided Turn to page 7 Random Jottings by J. Peter Hvidsten ALMOST TIME TO MARK YOUR 'X' In less than two weeks area residents head to the polis to elect a new council and school trustees. But all indications are the turnout will be poor, as there are no major issues this time around. Three years ago, a proposal to locate a mega-landfill site in the township was of major concern to voters, and in the north- west sector of Scugog, plans for a heavy equipment school operation rallied voters to fight the proposal. The results of these issues was a large voter turnout on election day. The candidates meeting at Port Perry High School last Wednesday attracted less than 200 people, made up mostly of organizers, candidates and friends and family of candidates. The meeting itself was organized and run well, but there was little to excite eith- er the candidates or the residents. While there was an attempt to make an issue out of the fairground lease dispute, and also council's decision to go ahead with a community facility at the arena, these two 'mini' issues have caused little reaction township wide. So, with no big issues on the horizon, and a council that has operated "fairly responsible" over the past three years, by keeping tax increases to a bare minimum and not upsetting any special interest groups, it's very possible we'll see a poor turnout and little change on Nov. 14. But it shouldn't be that way. Residents of Scugog should be con- cerned about the future of their communi- ty, even when there isn't a major issue, and make an effort to select the very best candidates for the next three years. The only way to do this is to find out everything possible about the candidates. Read about them in the paper, ask questions if you're new in the area and speak to them when they come to your door. Only then can you make an educat- ed decision when you cast your vote. Inside this issue of the Star (pages B2, B3) the candidates have answered ques- tions of concern to area residents. Read them and then vote for the person you feel can do the job best.