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6- PORT PERRY STAR - Tuesday, January 17, 1995 "Scugog's Community Newspaper of Choice" Ep > PORT PERRY STAR I'TORIAL Editorial Comment Consultation comes late Local care givers were in attendance this past Friday when the Durham Region District Health Council (DHC) held a for- um here to gather input on their plan to implement a Multi-Service Agency (MSA) that will govern a number of services now available in Scugog. While they attended to take positive ac- tion -- that is, to offer their opinions on how the provincially-legislated shift to a central. Service agency ought to be car- ried out -- they also took the opportunity 10 air their concerns about the process. They told the DHC representatives that much of the negative reaction to the prov- ince's Bill 173 could have been avoided if. the government had embraced public consultation before the legislation had been passed, rather than after. For months there have been reports of various agencies performing various tasks reacting with alarm and suspicion to the legislation. They have hinted that their autonomy is threatened; that the aown-home care agencies now in place and doing such positive work would be usurped by central bureaucracies, and that the client, in the end, would be the loser. Their suspicions were not unfounded. How often have we all seen something that works perfectly well on the local level ail but ruined by government interfer- ence? The DHC, to be sure, is not out to wound or dismantle the service agencies that exist here. They are seeking input irom the community -- from those directly involved in giving care, and receiving it -- as they attempt to come up with the mod- el for an MSA that will best serve the in- terests of those involved. We applaud that effort, but note that it is regretable that those involved locally are being approached, when they should have been contacted and asked, through their DHC, to submit their opinions to the province before Bill 173 passed. Hang in there lLooking out the window these days can be a painful task. Grey skies hang low, scraping against a barren brown landscape that appears lifeless and sorrowful. it's January. But hang in there; believe it or not, spring is nine short weeks away. And there are lots worse places than Scugog, and Canada, to be... SN WR EES | Ll -------- |_ETTER OF THE WEEK BE i ies a a Sometimes, winning isn't everything, coach To the Editor: We are hockey parents and we think hockey is a great game for kids to learn team work, discipline and self-esteem. Our sons are finally getting to be a part of something they have always longed to do, excited and eager to give it their all and looking up to their coaches for encouragement and guidance. Ninety-nine per cent of the time these volunteers give it their all. Our sons have had to learn a lot, this being their first season and feeling a little behind their teammates in experience. We encourage and pat on the back, but it only takes one quick decision of a coach to take all that self-esteem, that came slowly, away again. Minutes left in the game, the other team has just gotten a penalty. Our team with a two-man advantage. The game is tied, and the coach takes our son back off the ice after just stepping on with his lineand replaces him. My heart broke in two! This could have been a good chance for a 10-year- old to shine. Instead the coach, in front of all his peers and fans, made him feel in- adequate. Where we started out four months ago. We realize coaching is volunteering, but comes with a responsibility to make it a fair to all, not just for the kids who are the more advanced. We all pay the same registration fee and the guy who is not the team's shining light still de- serves the same chances to prove him- self. Name withheld by request by J. Peter Hvigsten TOUGH, BUT RIGHT DECISION Organizers were put- ting on agood face Sunday morning as they sat in the coffee shop sipping hot coffee and looking out at the wet lake across the road. The lake's sheet of ice lay submerged under water which mirrored a reflection of the gray January sky. Fence posts sunk into the ice just a week earlier now leaned precariously from the weight of the orange webbing being used to mark off skating and ice sculpture areas. With less than a week to go before the start of Port Perry's Snow Flake Festival and Sled Dog Races, months of planning and organizing were now at the mercy of the weather. But the weather wasn't co-operating. Five days of temperatures, sometimes in excess of 50° F accompanied by rain and wind, had taken its toll of both snow and ice around Lake Scugog and things didn't look at all promising. And concern was beginning to show on the faces of Rick, Dave, Don and the others as they huddled around their morning cof- fee trying to decide what to do if cold and snow didn't return to the area. There was talk of changing the date of the Festival or arranging with the local ski resorts to make snow and haul it into town to construct a sled dog track. Ice blocks had already been purchased for the ice sculptures, so cold weather was essential if the artists were to come and transform the blocks of ice into works of art. So much planning.... so much work... and it seemed headed for disaster. But while they had lots of reason to be frustrated, organizers continued to be posi- tive and planned for the inevitable. After considering all the alternatives and analysing the weather outlook for this week, the decision was made to cancel. And within hours the entire event had been re-scheduled to take place February 11, 12 Hat's off to all the organizers who took part in making this difficult decision. l, along with thousands of other Scugog residents and visitors, look forward to the Snow Flake Festival and Sled Dog Races three weeks from now and commend eve- ryone for their untiring efforts. NC -- I IAAT oN I Eo