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"A Family Tradition for 130 Years" PORT PERRY STAR - Tuesday, April 2, 1996 - 7 I _ETTERS Covering the nether regions To the Editor: I would like to express my disgust at the failure of the Durham Regional Council to approve the employment of temporary meat inspectors for the duration of the OP- SEU strike. In a very short- sighted move, the majority chose to capitulate in the face of threats directed at them by OPSEU member, Paula Thompson. Council would be wise to remember that, like OPSEU members, meat packers, their families, em- ployees, suppliers and cus- tomers also have votes and very long memories. Council cannot use for an excuse the spectre raised by the Medical Officer of Health, Dr. R.J. Kyle, of an outbreak of food poisoning. When one considers that re- placement meat inspectors would be qualified veterinar- ians, each with the appropri- ate meat inspection accredi- tation, the reason for his advice to council becomes ob- vious for what it really is - a feeble attempt to cover his own nether regions. Perhaps Dr. Kyle, like council, has succumbed to outside pres- sure. Regardless of the outcome of this strike, now is the time for the province and the re- gion to consider alternatives to the present system. How about contracting out or even, outright privatization? Whilst council debates its op- tions, it might also consider finding itself a Medical Offi- cer of Health who does feel qualified to take decisive ac- tion when push comes to shove. Yours faithfully, B.V. Gotham, Bowmanville Budget levels clarified To the Editor: Thank you for your coverage last week on the Township of Scugog's 1996 budget. I would like, however, to clarify some aspects. Specifically, your report de- tailed the relative expenditures of various departments as a per- centage of total spending. This was correct insofar as it goes. However these percentages were gross spending without taking into account correspond- ing directly related revenues. When these revenues are ap- plied a somewhat different pic- ture appears. Further analysis could in- clude operating plus capital as a percentage of total overall spending, however these rela- tionships are quite similar to those shown above. Contrary to your report, reve- nues were $2.86 million (al- though we would have pre- ferred the $3.62 million which you stated). It was obviously a typo. It is significant to note that the Ontario Government Grant was reduced from $1,077,728 in 1995 to $689,080 for 1996 - a cut 0f 36.06 per cent. With further cuts projected in 1997 it will make that budget an even greater challenge. Recognizing that the budget | presentation is difficult to deci- pher, the Finance Committee has mandated that a summary be prepared for 1997 to ensure clearer presentation to the press and the general public. Ken Gadsden, Councillor Ward 3, Chair, Finance Committee. Volunteers are thanked To the Editor: The Heart and Stroke Foun- dation Committee for the Town- ship of Scugog wish to thank the 21 captains and 160 door to door canvassers, who gave valuable time and effort to this year's campaign. Thanks to the community for your generous response to our "door to door" canvass and "Rose Boxes Campaign," which resulted in $19,822.00 being raised. Special thanks to Audrey Hall who convened the coin box campaign to the merchants who accepted these boxes during the month of February. To the business people who sponsored a page in the Feb. 9 edition of this paper, thank you, this was a good start to our cam- paign. Thank you to our local papers and Community 10 T.V. for their excellent coverage. Sincerely, Chairpersons Gwen Taylor, Judy Smith, Joyce Storry, Doro- thy Gibson. Team loved the coverage To the Editor: This is just a short note to thank the Port Perry Star (espe- cially Kelly Lown) for all the great coverage over the 1995/96 hockey season. Thanks too for making so much room for us in your sports section each week. (I realize that I sometimes get long wind- ed). The kids love to grab the paper on Tuesday and see their names in lights. Each report has been careful- ly clipped now, and has been tucked away in their scrap- books. Thanks for making this sea- son a special one. Yours very truly, Bev Truax for the boys and girls of the Compton Cable Novice B team ANE -------- AeA Editor's Notepad ! by Jeff Mitchell COOL INDEED, JILLY... CELESTIAL SIGHTS: Wednesday night, the skies finally cleared enough so that we could go cut and look for that comet with the name that sounds like Hi-ya-ku-takie. Shivering in the snow -- it was the 14th full day of spring, after all -- we scanned the night sky in search of the event. | started off looking toward the northeast, and was becoming discouraged, even thinking about going on inside to take up camp by the woodstove. Suddenly my little girl, who had been keeping vigil toward True North, cried, "Look! There it is!" ...And there it was. A ghostly blur, trailing across the infinite blackness of space, a tiny tail just detectable. The four of us, who huddled together in the sub-zero night, stared upward in awe. The kid summed it up best: "That -- iS -- sO -- cooool!" Cool'indeed, Jilly. After the letdown of Halley's Comet, and that Kahoutek, or whatever the hell it was called, it 'was a cynical old comet-searcher who stumbled out into the snow that night. But the effort paid off in spades. It's tough to say what is so fascinating, so utterly enchanting, about a big ball of ice buzzing by in the sky at so many thousands of miles per hour. But it was an event. And you know what? I'll bet that little girl, who's just eight years old, remembers it for the rest of her life. Cool, indeed. SPEAKING OF COOL: Here's hoping that by the time you read this, we can safely say Winter is over. | wonder -- will we ever again be able to say that? Will there be a spring? Has something gone so far amiss that the seasons as we know them have ceased to be, and we shall be plunged forever into the screaming white hell that is Winter in Canada? ...Don't be silly. It's just one of those years. You know, like the old fellas used to have: "I 'member one year, '33, | believe it was, when they wuz snow drifts high as the roof right up until August, 'n then it got warm fer a week 'n flooded everybody out, and then she just turned cold like that, 'n we all skated to work fer the next nine months." That's it. It's just one of those years. ONE FINAL WORD: | don't want to go into gloating about the OCNA awards The Star received this week -- we've done that already in this issue -- but | do want to thank, in public, all the folks who made the recognition come about. A newspaper is (or should be) an exercise in team work with various departments -- editorial, advertising, production, front office -- working together for an agreed-upon goal. Random Jottings by J. Peter Hvidsten "ERRORS MAKE US LAUGH AT OURSELVES 8 One ofthe more humorous fl events to take place at the annual which a person was advertising for someone to provide transportation for an elderly lady. Instead of printing "lady who is visually impaired and needs transportation," the ad read "lady who is usually impaired needs transportation. | asked the publish- er of the offending newspaper how the woman reacted to the error and he said, fortunately she had a good sense of humor and got a great laugh out of it. Attimes like these it's great to be able to laugh at ourselves. hasn"tseeninyears. - Smokers are productive, but death cuts efficiency. « If strike isn't settled quickly it may last a while. « Miners refuse to work after death « Never withhold herpes from loved one. « Policemen from Mexico barbecue guests. « Squad helps to bite victim. Milk drinkers are turning to powder. » Two convicts evade noose, jury hung. - Stiff opposition expected to casketless funeral 87 ont 3500 Following are some other "bloopers" found onthe plans. internet, which have been made by newspapers - Safety experts say school bus passengers over this pastweekend, is the recognition papers («s the continent. should be belted. receive for making "bloopers." Unlike most businesses, when a mistake is made in the newspaper, it's there for everyone to see for eternity. There is no way to go back and correcta mistake in thousands of newspapers, so unfor- tunately we have to live with the errors we make. Headlines in newspapers: * Police begin campaign to run down jaywalkers. « Dealers will hear car talk at noon. - Enraged cow injures farmer with ax. «Two sisters reunite after 18 years at checkout - Something wentwrong in jetcrash, expert says. The listgoes on, but this small sampling gives an idea of how the written word can be twisted to give different meaning to headlines than those intended. IN CLOSING - I'd like to congratulate the staff at counter. the Star for awards won at the recent OCNA con- The most TUMSOUS CONT ny Kmionr inl , - Autos killing 110 a day, let's resolve to do vention. You can read more about this accomplish- errors were annou 4 better. ment elsewhere in the paper. Congratulations on a my favorite was in a classified advertisementin * Blind woman gets new kidney from dad she job welldone gang, and my thanks for your efforts.