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

"A Family Tradition for 128 Years" Snowmobile club appeals to riders To the Editor: The Port Perry Snowmobile Club and its members are ask- ing that operators of Snowmo- biles residing in Port Perry (es- pecially those in Victorian Village and those who use Bal- salm St. to access the trails or lake) to use a little more com- mon sense. Remember that the speed limit in any built-up area is 20 km. per hour. Also you cannot ride on sidewalks or trespass on rivate lawns. If the street is are of snow, either use it or trailer to your destination. There is no riding on Queen or Simcoe Street (formerly Lilla). The P.P.S.C. has worked very hard, and spent thousands of dollars over the past 25 years to build a great trail system in this area. Several businesses in our area are starting to see revenue coming in from this great sport. We cannot, and will not allow a few inconsiderate operators to jeopardize this. The P.P.S.C. trail wardens will be working hard to identify any violators. We are asking all snowmobilers in the area to re- port to us the registration num- bers of machines they see violat- ing bylaws. Any operators caught in vio- lation will be prosecuted as se- verely as possible. The Ontario Snow Vehicle Act states that in many areas the owner of the snowmobile is equally responsi- ble as the operator. The P.P.S.C. members will work with Mayor Hall, all coun- cillors and bylaw officers to keep snowmobiling safe and free of complaints in this area. The P.P.S.C.'s 1,400 mem- bers are well aware of the laws pertaining to snowmobiling and we cannot allow the actions of a few inconsiderate operators to ruin what we have worked so hard for. We must learn to co-exist with the non-snowmobiling population so we can all enjoy our great winters - safe and free of hassles. Everyone's cooperatation would be greatly appreciated. Charlie Harper, President -P.P.S.C. Silent auction committee thanks donors To the Editor: On behalf of the Committee of Stewards at Port Perry United Church, we would like to thank those who made donations to our Silent Auction in Novem- ber. With the money we raise |-Be the judge To the Editor: I believe that it is time for the local police to crack down on inconsiderate and bad drivers in Port Perry. Not only do some drivers not. give the right of way to pedestrians, a few actually speed up and cut them off, making the pedestrian wait instead (often right in the middle of an intersection). I work 40 hours per week directly beside a "Stop" sign in downtown Port Perry and regularly observe this. You may draw your own conclu- S10MS. Name withheld by request through the donations, we are able to do church improvement projects which we may not nor- mally be able to afford through weekly givings. Contributions are appreciat- ed not only by the Committee of Stewards but by the entire con- gregation, because we all bene- fit from the work we are able to accomplish. Due to positive response and the overwhelming success of the Silent Auction, we plan to MP right on p From Page 6 ing Old Age Security payments from Canada continue to receive a tax offset in the U.S. for the 25 per cent withheld by Canada. My retirement income has been reduced substantially by this negotiation. I have, in effect, been penalized for accepting the assignment in the The retirement income of more than 3 million Canadian seniors has been seriously erod- continue it as an annual event. Please keep this in mind throughout the upcoming year as we would really appreciate the community's continued sup- port. Sincerely, The Silent Auction Committee, Leslie Rideout, Bonnie Dunkerley, Ric Pearce, Judy Stewart and Kathy Payne-Mercer ension Issue ed by federal clawbacks of Old Age Security, reductions in age tax credits and by provincial (soon to arrive) user fees for needed medication. Alex, thanks for representing the cause of retirees on this matter, and please continue to press for fairer taxpayer repre- sentation on this and similar issues. Art Murcott, Ashburn Ul by Jeff Mitchell A FUNNY LITTLE COUNTRY DEGREES OF SEPARATION: It's a funny little country. During my morning drive today | listened in on a conversation between Peter Gzowski and some fellow in Montreal who figures that just because a lot of Quebecers want to get the hell out of Canada, doesn't mean everybody in the province has to go along for the ride. He therefore proposes what would amount to a series of municipal referenda, in which people in very specific areas of Quebec would be given the opportunity of opting out of the seccessionist plan, and sticking with Canada. Oy. Separating from the separatists... awaiting Lucien Bouchard's next evil move... listening to an increasingly looney Preston Manning warn of British Columbia's being pushed "out the back door"... what next? Can this collective cabin fever get any worse? The whole country appears to have it, and each region sits it a corner away from the woodstove, glaring dangerously and sharpening its knife blades. We need a Piper Cub full of hope and prosperity to land oft the frozen lake outside. : DON'T SAY IT: At year's end there came calls for the annual list of words and phrases that ought to be forever banished from our North American vocabulary. It's a pretty safe bet that most Canadians never again want to hear the word Referendum, eh? ICE SUPREMACY: Abelated hoorah for the Canadian junior team, who recently captured their fourth consecutive world hockey title at a poorly-attended tournament in Boston. It's great to see Canada's supremacy in the sport continue. That said, there is the troubling trend of teams failing in Canadian cities, and packing their bags to head for sunnier climes inthe U.S. The Jets are off to Phoenix -- Phoenix? They don't have a clue what hockey is in Arizona, do they? -- and word has it that the once-formidable Oilers will flee Edmonton, and likewise make the break for the U.S. ...Maybe the Oilers ought to be relocated to Regina. Great sports town, Regina, even though live events are in short supply. But even during the darkest. days of the western Roughriders, you could always count on the stands at Taylor Field being packed, regardless of the cruel prairie wind and the less-than stellar performance by the home team. In Saskatchewan they have proven that if you build it, they will come. The cosmopolitan uppitiness that prevails even in Winnipeg would not be in evidence, I'm sure... real fans deserve real sports. It'll never happen, but it would be sweet. JUST ONE MORE: Another Great Canadian Wintertime Adventure: Flushing homeless skunks out of the crawl space in sub-zero weather. OPPORTUNITY LOST: Once again last week, Jan. 11, birthdate of Sir John A. Macdonald, Father of Confederation, passed without so much as a turning of our heads. Too bad. With times being what they are, official recognition -- maybe even a mid-winter holiday? -- of the day would provide a needed lift to Canucks. We should get on our MP about this one. Damn straight. 'Random Jottings. "by J. Peter Hvidsten their marvelous machines of steel. Sounds like something out of Easy Rider, but in the 90s this could justas easily have been a group of baby boomers out for a weekend of fun and relaxa- wright Dynos are well respected clubs in the area with hundreds of family members. Theytake their sport seriously and we can only hope those who operate their machines responsibly will not be paint- SNOWMOBILERS... "THEY'RE NOT ALL BAD" He was a big man with an even bigger beer belly, and his thick oo leather belt, decked out with a "LL a large buckle strained to keep his sagging blue jeans suspended above his waist. His face was covered with a scruffy black and silv- erbeard and his long entangled hair lay matted on the back of his weather beaten leather jacket, falling justshort of the large Harley Davidson crest. He swung his short, stalky leg over the saddle of "his Hog, and with one short kick-stroke the powerful chrome engine roared to life. His buddies and their spouses jumped on their machines and off they rode into the setting sunon tion while reliving their youth. They could be execu- tives, teachers, doctors or laborers. But one thing for sure, because they look tough, doesn't mean they're bad! | present this scenario because over the past few weeks, the actions of a few inconsiderate snowmo- bilers, have cast an unfortunate shadow on all those who operate winters version of a motorcycle. It's unfortunate that hundreds of responsible snowmobiles may end up being punished because of the antics of a few thoughtless, hair-brained oper- ators who could care less about private property, let alone the laws set out for snowmobiling. Butrest assured itis a small number that are caus- ing the problems, and | suspect withinthe next week or so, serious snowmobilers will help puta stop to the infractions taking place. The Port Perry Snowmobile Club and the Cart- ed with the same brush as the yahoos who think these powerful machines are toys. And speaking of snowmobiling, one of the sports hardest working ambassadors, Marion Lee, is cur- rently helping co-ordinate the CORSA Snowar-ama ride for the Easter Seal Society. The ride takes place this Sunday, Jan. 21 and Marion is expecting about 400 riders. Her goal is to raise about $5,000.in pledges for the Easter Seals. Snowaramar returns to this area after a five year layoff, so Marion wants to make a good showing for CORSA, sponsors of the event. Ifyou're interested in taking part in this 100 km ride through some of the townships most scenic areas, setyour sights for the Latcham Centre this Sunday marning. Registrationbegins at8 a.m. If you need more information, or pledge sheets, contact Marion at 985-3589. |