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"Scugog"s Community Newspaper of Choice" PORT PERRY STAR - Tuesday, January 4, 2000 - / Question of the Week... What would you like to Ai see happen in this new eorge Stewart year? I'd like to see a good year, which would mean lower taxes and getting rid of the GST. Jeff Jarvis I'd like some lower taxes; | own my own business and we're taxed to hell. Lower gas prices would also be great. Tawnya Parry I'd like to see a shorter wait in the ER and more beds made avail- able in the hospitals. Alisha Cartwright I'd really like to win a trophy in my gymnas- tics competitions. John Jensen | want to see the Toronto Maple Leafs win the Stanley Cup. Letter to the Editor To the Editor: As an annual subscriber, | was most interested in your December 29th column (The future, and what it means, page 7) in which you warned us readers to beware of a certain fringe group who you described as "nit-pickers and basement- dwellers". These subversives were evidently denying the immediate conclusion of the 20th century and you assured us that New Years Day would indeed be the New Millennium Ld and the New Century. I thought it a bit odd that you should be emphasizing this point when we had already been so thoroughly convinced of this impending historic event by all the recent media coverage and political statements. But just to support "our side" against the forces of these basement dwellers, | decided to do a quick review of the math. So, | reasoned: For the 20th century to be ending, it must necessarily mean that 2000 years have gone by since the start of our present numbering system. And, sure enough, here we are at New Years Day 2000 - the beginning of the 2000th year. But just a minute. If the 2000th year is just beginning, how could 2000 years also have just ended, and so how could 20 centuries be complete, and... well perhaps you can see my dilemma. And now I've thought about it and thought about it and | can't seem to come to any other conclusion than that the 20th century won't really be ending until next December. So now look what you've done. By causing me to think too much, you may just have turned me into one of the very sub- versives that you warned us all against. And now if my math should be correct, what was that we just celebrated... and why? So | guess what I'm asking you to do is to reassure me that I'm wrong, and maybe even print a sort of "Yes Virginia, This Really is The 3rd Millennium" letter. Under the circumstances, don't you think it's the least you can do? Dan Denby in Old Cartwright, and possibly still in the Old Millennium | 'Basement dwellers' need reassurance | | ~~ One fact that seems to have "been missed in all the hubbub he partying and merry-making ers and such has abat- st the streamers and t up and something ths of winter. + - | While everyone was out stockpiling water and batteries and canned food and bullets, they should shovel and arranging their thermal underthings. Arranging the thermal underthings, of course, allows for handy and quick retrieval while rooting through dresser drawers in an early morning bed- room that's as dark as sin. (No flickin' on that over- bering spouse awakened too early on a winter's morn is a fearsome thing, indeed.) .brand new century. And, as mentioned before, it entails. . January is an onerous thing to consider. Long, dark, and churlish, it is the icy morass we must tra- Editor's Notepad 000 and the millennium and us, it will be January and have been searching through the shed for the snow head light, if you know what's good for you. A slum- So here we are, at any rate, a bit bleary-eyed, no doubt, but as ready as we're going to be to face this January, with all the tire-spinning, teeth-gritting, col- lar tightening, furnace-adjusting and everything else by Jeff Mitchell We almost forgot: It's January verse if we are to commence to the kinder months which await, however far away they may seem at the outset. - : ~ January is stinging fingers and frozen pipes. It is the door of the car welded shut by overnight frost. it is the wind howling at night, and gullible kids with tongues stuck to playground equipment. [t is snow ' % > 'But at least all the hype about the impending arrival of January 1 is over, and, God willing, there will be a global cessation of use of the word Millennium. Now we can go back to car sales just being car sales, instead of Super Mega Millennium Blow Out Events. We can stop fearing and loathing "computers, and just go on using them. Celine Dion will be screaming less on the television. We can start looking forward to the Super Bowl, which is, after all, the highlight of the month. And a sad com- mentary that is. : We can focus on simple things, like appreciating gas line anti-freeze, and the way a pot roast cook- ing on a Sunday afternoon fills the whole house with a delectable, tantalizing aroma. We can go sledding with the kids, and play golf on the computer. We can sleep in on Sundays, and read a lot. Welcome to January, folks. in your boots, and ice on the road. Frosted windows andinfluenza. = 7a Random Jottings G | \ | by J. Peter Hvidsten Y2K BUG DIDN'T LIVE UP TO ITS HYPE Catastrophe averted! Here we are, into the first week of the year 2000, and there was nary a : ripple effect from the highly publi- cized and anticipated Y2K bug. Worldwide, the clocks ticked down, and the last sec- onds of 1999 slipped by as we entered the 21st century without so much as a power fluctuation. It was much the same in Scugog as it was in almost every part of the globe. The hype far outweighed the predictions of disasters around the world. On the bright side, all those who did take extra pre- cautions by stocking up on food and water will not have to drop by the local grocery stores for some time to come. If you bought a generator, or purchased extra sup- plies of propane, firewood and candles, you'll be ready if power is affected by a winter ice storm. Thankfully, for the most part, hydro, water and tele- phone services are intact. Computers rolled over to the year 2000, airplanes continued to fly, nuclear plants didn't explode, the take-out at Tim Horton's still served up piping hot coffee for those heading to work the next morning, and the liquor and beer stores were ready to serve those who hadn't indulged enough over the past couple of weeks. You can be assured your Christmas VISA or Master Card bills will arrive right on time. If you haven't paid your taxes yet, you can rest easy knowing interest will be added to the bottom line by the time your next reminder comes along. ) The long line-ups at the spting-water fill-up hole located on Durham Rd. #23, near Lakeridge Ski Resort, where up to 80 people with an assortment of containers lined up to stock up on fresh water in the days leading up to the end of the year, were unnecessary. The last day of December 1999 was much like any other day, and when the clock hands rolled over into the year 2000, not much had changed. We spent New Year's eve with some friends at their home. The kids played games and watched videos while the parents sat around an talked of things past and things to come. The clock ticked down, we celebrated with hugs, and cheers and noisemakers, toasted the millennium; then toddled off home to bed. Saturday, Jan. 1, 2000 was much like any other day. Aside from the calendar headed up with these unfamiliar numerals, 2000, all remained much the same. The start of the century was almost a letdown after all the hype, but now that it's arrived, we extend wishes for health, happiness and prosperity to everyone and look forward to renewing friendships with all those we come in touch with over the year. Happy New year, everyone! NEW LOOK You will probably have noticed by now The Port Perry Star has put on a new face for the beginning of the new millennium. The most notable of the changes is the bright new blue and gold masthead across the top of the front page. Also, you find our editorial pages have been refor- matted, and we've changed the typestyle used through- out the paper, increasing it in size for easier reading. But what hasn't changed is our commitment to con- tinue to provide you with the most comprehensive news coverage in the Township of Scugog. That's our new year's promise!