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[aE Ih oN mr 6 - "WEEKEND STAR" CANTY Zanini FRIDAY, DECEMBER 29, 2000 PUBLISHER................ J. Peter Hvidsten " BUSINESS OFFICE: Judy Ashby, wanoeprion. sows. 0 OCIA ka Ry are oo Yi . Je OFFICE MANAGER.... Gayle Stapley ADVERTISING: Ginni Todd, Cindy Jobin, ADVERTISING MGR... Deb McEachem Member Ontario Community 18 Gail Morse, Sandra Spears, Linda Clarke, REROfITYS rarer: ChrisHall Newspaper Assoc. . Janet Archer, Malcolm Lennox, Lisa Monk Tt HONE (505) 985. yats. TX Dave Published every Friday by the Port Perry Star Company Limited, 188 Mary Street - Port Perry, Ontario - LOL 187 PRODUCTION MANAGER: Pamela Hickey : FAX (905) 985-3708 Distributed free in the following communities: Port Perry - Uxbridge - Sunderland - Little Britain - RR Lindsay Janetville Production Staff: Trudy Empringham, E-MAIL: editorial @portperrystar.com Oakwood - Manilla - Seagrave - Greenbank - Brooklin - Ashburn - Columbus - RR Oshawa Daryle Wright, Arlene Cheel, Richard Drew advertising @ portperrystar.com Zephyr - Udora - Leaskdale - Sandford - Caesarea - Blackstock - Raglan - Nestleton - Yelverton - Prince Albert EDITORIAL POLICY: Opiions by columnists, contributors and letter writers are not necessarily those of The Port Perry Star. Letters must be signed and the telephone number (which will not be published) included. Requests that a name be withheld wil be honoured only if there is a compelling reason to do so. Errprs will be corrected if brought to the editor's . We reserve the right to edit or refuse publication of any material submitted. ADVERTISING POLICY: The publisher is not liable for slight changes or typographical errors that do not lessen the value of an advertisement. The publisher is not kable for other errors or omissions in Connection with any advertisement in any subsequent issue of the refund of any monies paid for the advertisement. Al clams of ertor in publication must be made by Wednesday, noon, prior to the next weeks publication, and, if not made, will not be considered. No claim will be allowed for more than one insertion. - OPINION A very Happy New Year And so Christmas is part of the past, and New Year's Eve looms once again. A time of reflection and resolutions, and sometimes regrets and revisions. A time to consider how we've spent the past 12 months, and to wonder what the next 12 hold in store. Funny, isn't it, that a calendar year, which ranges from fantastic to tedious, which seems to stretch on forever from the perspective of January, flashes by so quickly? That new frontier, 2000, is old hat now; 2001 awaits and, some continue to maintain, so does a TV TTI 5s Se 5 eh ars Ll Saas ~ " fulton! Bogle db SSE HSL on tgp te OT vo Cais ase I ai TH | oi co new millennium. But even the arrival of a new millennium changes little. Humans are humans, and we continue to conduct ourselves in pretty much the same way, no matter what new age we declare for ourselves. We're capable of so much good, and so much evil. Fortunately, in our part of the world, we live in peace. The strife that is so much a way of life in other parts of the world - indeed, which is the face of some nations, some struggles - is absent here. We live long and we prosper, most of us, and many make an effort to assist those who do not flourish in this most fortunate of countries. And maybe that is the finest resolution we as a people can make: To recognize how fortunate we are, and how much we have, and make an effort to ensure the quality of life and dignity of everyone around us. Happy New Year, everyone. Best wishes for (gulp!) 2001. HAVE YOU NOTICED THAT EVERY YEAR AT CHRISTMAS OUR SMALL HOUSE GETS JUST THAT MUCH SMALLER? [x 2) pe = nm et Sy 23 p-- WHERE ARE WE GOING TO PUT EVERYTHING 7TH/S YEAR... ------ "THE WALLS ARE CLOSING IN! EVERY YEAR'S ACCUMULATI OF TOYS AND STUFF EATS LP MORE ROOM ~ EVEN WHEN WE GWE THE OLD THINGS AWAY! OUR HOUSE RAS 1 HIGH CHOLESTEROL!) WHOSE IDEA WAS IT TO HAVE ALL THESE KIDS? 200Il. A SPACE ODYSSEY. \ Bala) LAL Rosemary Joudrie of Little Britain submitted this photo of Stacey, hanging on for dear life to a tree branch. If you have an interesting picture we could use for Photo of the Week, please drop it by The Star office, or give us a call at 985-7383. LARA sc RRB la oli AL Trial of three officers is over, but their emotional ordeal will linger To the Editor The holiday season is a time for joy, cel- ebration, peace and forgiveness. In that spirit, the only comments | will address to the Crown Attorney's Office and the SIU are, "Shame on you." There is much more | would like to say...much harsher words. But in the spirit of the season, I'll keep them to myself. To Constables Al Robins, Randy Martin and Mike Hoskins, | wish to offer my heart- felt wishes for a joyous Christmas and a happy New Year. While | know that having the weight of the trial that they have just gone through lifted from their shoulders will give them relief, | also know that the ordeal they have gone through will not end with their acquittal. The emotional consequences of what occurred that night in Sunderland will, in all likelihood, remain with them to some degree for the rest of their lives. I hope the public, while they sit in their comfortable homes surrounded by family, enjoying present opening and Christmas dinner, gave a thought of thanks to all of the police officers that are on duty, day and night, weekdays, weekends and holi- days. These dedicated men and women are constantly placed in danger. They often must make split second decisions which, right or wrong, are then investigated, dis- sected and analyzed over weeks, months or years. Police officers are not automatons, they are human beings with emotions, just like the rest of us. The burdens that we place on them can be horrific. Not only to Al, Randy and Mike, but to all of the police officers in Durham and York Regions, and in fact to police officers everywhere, | wish you a very merry holi- day, and all the best for the New Year. Thank you for allowing me the luxury of feeling safe while | celebrate Christmas and New Years with my family. Sandy Cerovich Blackstock Moi oe