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AC ci ERENCE MRT NAN ATG Fi "A Family Tradition for 131 Years" PORT PERRY STAR - Tuesday, December 9, 1997 - 7 I ETTERS Shepherd knew about Chamber's policy on parade safety To the Editor: (A copy of this letter was forwarded to Alex Shepherd, MP for Durham) Re the article, MP, Chamber involved in flag flap (Dec. 5): I would like to take this opportunity to refresh your memory about a friendly conversation you and I had last year regarding this same mat- ter. As vice president of the Scugog Chamber of Commerce in 1996, I played an integral role in the planning of the '96 parade. I explained to you the cham- ber's role and that we asked all parade participants not to distribute goodies along the parade route but if they wished, they could donate their hand- outs for inclusion in loot bags distributed to the children who came to see Santa after the parade. I advised that this rule was not made exclusively by the chamber directors for insurance reasons only, but was a decision that was endorsed by Mayor Hall and the Township of Scugog councillors. When the Chamber asks the township for approval to hold the parade, this is one stipulation that they ask us to implement. The reason was due to a child coming close to being injured sev- eral years ago trying to reach for a candy. As parade marshals walk the parade route, any participants who are dis- tributing goodies are asked to discon- tinue. Then they would see your staff handing out flags and they would assume it's okay if they hand delivered the goodies, so youths would begin jumping off and on their floats with handfuls of candies. Parade marshals would have to explain, due to safety reasons, this is not allowed. The response they would hear is: "Can you explain why a different rule applies to Mr. Shepherd than to someone who paid to participate in the parade?" Last year I was parade marshal and on several occasions | stopped your staff and requested they discontinue. I suggested they could go to the Chamber/BIA Office and distribute them after the parade. Their response to me was to stop, walk away and a few minutes later they would resume. Once I was even told, in not a very polite way, "to go away, Mr. Shepherd told me to do this." Even though I identified myself, maybe they never took me seriously because I was participating in the parade dressed as a Christmas tree. Mr. Shepherd, I thought we had put this matter to rest last year and that an amicable solution was to either have the flags given out at the Chamber/BIA office by staff, or personally by yourself after the parade. So you can understand my anger when I read about this alter- ation. Since I was not involved this year, I cannot comment on the actions of the parade organizers, but do want to make the point that you were informed both years but took it upon yourself not to comply. Maybe this parade is the exception to the others you participate in but as an MP and community leader, you could at least have the courtesy to respect the decisions made by this parade's orga- nizers. As for your comment "I want the flags back. These flags belong to the people who live in this riding. No one else." I ask you, who do you think the Scugog Chamber of Commerce directors and volunteers are? I honestly believe that the confiscated flags will be returned or might I suggest you donate them to the Chamber for the Canada Day celebrations, or for dis- tribution by other organizations plan- ning community events. Brenda McIntosh, Port Perry Teacher distorted picket unrest To the Editor: I am writing in response to the letter of Pat Jones, published in your paper on Nov. 27th. As noted in her letter, Pat has been teaching for 35 years; if she planned to be teaching at a school in Ontario in the coming years, she might have had more concern for the qual- ity of education in the future. If she was teaching in a regular school with the ever increasing demands and class sizes of 35 plus and growing, she might have had a little more sympathy for what par- ents and teachers were trying to do. Perhaps, if she and her two col- leagues had donated their salary to charity for the two weeks they sat around St. John's (they taught no classes!), while 125,000 teachers gave up theirs in protest, I would have a little more respect for their 'moral' position. Ms Jones has tried to manipulate the media by calling TV stations for coverage, writing letters and exaggerating what had to be the mildest pick- et line I have ever seen. For nine days out of 10 they crossed a picket line of only four to twelve teachers, and at no time were they subjected to threatening or obscene gestures. I would also note that not on a single day were the three teach- ers prevented from reporting in to the school for their pay. Pat's letter would seem to be exactly what Rosie DiManno is writing about in the Nov. 28th Toronto Star, when she states: "The silliest slag on the recent two-week teachers' strike in Ontario was the accusa- tion that young people in this province were learn- ing, egads!, that it is per- missible to thwart authority - to misbehave. "It seem to me that a healthy disrespect for authority, for institu- tions, is the most impor- tant lesson an educator can impart to impression- able minds. "No innovation, no breakthrough of the spirit or the mind, ever occurred because of meek acquies- cence. And neither is a school of quasi-military institution, where obedi- ence is next to godliness." Perhaps Pat Jones, Marg Cooke and Marjorie Stewart-Medford should talk to some of the thou- sands of teachers who are trying to protect and improve the quality of education in Ontario, rather than talking to themselves and the media over how they can protect their own pay. Bob McDonnell Courtice Home inspectors can help new buyers To the Editor: I would like to respond to the letter penned by Josy Davies with respect to older homes (Port Perry Star, Nov, 25, 1997). Ms. Davies' friends have, it. seems, purchased a problem home and may have paid too much for it. There is a way to protect yourself against a bad investment and make a fully educated real estate purchase. By hiring a professional home inspector, purchasers can decide on the basis of an extensive evaluation of all parts and systems of the home whether or not it is the house for them. Often a home that looks reasonable to the untrained eye can turn out to be a major financial burden. A full home inspection by a qualified home inspector costs a fraction of a per cent of the price of a home. This is a small price to pay for peace of mind. When choosing an inspector, one should demand that he or she is fully accredited and a member of the Ontario Associations of Home Inspectors, which has been granted the right to designate its members or registered home inspec- tor. To achieve this designation one must pass stringent examinations and suc- cessfully complete a requisite number of inspections. An O.A.H.I. inspector must also adhere to a strict code of ethics and standards of practice. Such an individual can save a home- buyer from grief. Andy Molloy, R.H.I. Scugog Island You can fax your letters to the editor any time: Dial The Star Q strateg OLDIES GOO al War Il was coming to an end, | and 0 ~~ the millions of other children who were bom during that p as the 'baby boomer'kids. ~~. We were raised during the fifties and sixties at a time when post-war excitement filled the air, the economy began to boom and rock and roll became the music staple of a new generation. From the time | heard Bill Haley and the Comets sing - Rock Around The Clock | was hooked on this new age music, and a decade later found myself spinning the "Those same records we danced and listened 10 as {obnagars. have now becom part of & hew marketing a -- been born just as World eriod are commonly referred to. ES But the old tunes proved irresistible to man d at the aging boomers. y aimed at the ag you noticed recently how many of the 'oldies Have yo S couple of weeks | jotted down a few ts tend to have gravitated to the cause they figure the baby s stashed away wating or a + Cadillac introduces it's new 'Catera' to the sounds of Steppenwolf's big gold hit, 'Born to be Alive.' + Toyota picked a tune called 'Everyday People' by Sly and the Family Stone. = Toyota's also used a tune by Booker T and the MG's called 'Green Onions' to promote their popular 'Corolla': i | «Not be be outdone, Ford stepped back in time and used the Monkey's hit song "Hey, Hey We're The Monkey's" for one of their promotions. : advertisers, 'such as fast food outlets, retail stores and _ clothing manufacturers, s are being used to advertise d as background music for y was predicted the music of the early rock 'n roll era wouldn't last, those great 'oldies and goldies' are being * Burger King found Roger Miller's million seller "King of the Road" perfect to promote it's products. * Intel Il computer processors jumped in with. a -commercial backed by 'Shake Your Booty.' -* Whirlpool is promoting it's washers with a Motown hit called "The Things You Do." * In a slick presentation Levi's used "Workin At The Car Wash" to market their jeans. -* Shoppers Drug Mart are ringing up their cash registers to the tune Louie, Louie made famous by the Kingsmen. | * Crosby, Stills and Nash's mega hit "Our House" became the theme for a Fisher-Price toy commercial. ~ *» Water Bic advertised its 'flexible shower massage' backed by "The Twist" by Chubby Checker. * Finally, the new movie 'Bean' is being advertised with the Trogg's big hit "Wild Thing." It's my guess that most of the corporate executives making the decisions to use these old tunes to advertise products are 'baby boomers' themselves. But it's nice to know, some thirty or forty years after it used to promote products to the youth of today.