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J SSR AN, a a J a a Ba ct A DI Rp A Tr i og sg i, i = -- a re NSE. I np pty I ea, Lh FRIDAY, DECEMBER 14, 2001 PUBLISHER, GEN. MGR. ...... Don Macleod a Eh BUSINESS OFFICE: Judy Ashby, OR Lima OER Chris i oChna AWAY I E K F 0 i D Nr T AR ena Kathy Dudley, Janet Rankin, Lesley West ADVERTISING MANAGER Deb McEachern a odN La. Nl NY a Lommuniy Ww CNA ADVERTISING: Ginni Todd, Cindy Jobin, REPORTER, cumsiuns 4121 .. Rik Davie Member Ontario Community ET Neat A RT a ACHShapsl Gail Morse. Janet Suchen ig Souch, reelance : Hea (Crae, . McClelland ewspaper Assoc. uzanne sutherian PONS 2059057303 Published every Friday by the Port Perry Star Company Limited, 188 Mary Street - Port Perry, Ontario - LOL 1B7 PRODUCTION MANAGER: Pamela Hickey Distributed free in the following communities: Port Perry - Uxbridge - Sunderland - Little Britain - RR Lindsay Janetville Production Staff: T £ aham Oakwood - Manilla - Seagrave - Greenbank - Brooklin - Ashburn - Columbus - RR Oshawa d ue n a By sping Rm, Zephyr - Udora - Leaskdale - Sandford - Caesarea - Blackstock - Raglan - Nestleton - Yelverton - Prince Albert arfie Wight, vier EDITORIAL POLICY: Opinions expressed 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 Letters must be signed and the telephone number (which will not be published) included.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 will be honoured only if there is a compeling reason to do so. Errors E-MAIL: editorial@portperrystar.com advertising@portperrystar.com will be corrected if brought to the editor's attention. 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 able for other emors or omissions in "year in particular, we notice it a little more. Not Christmas spirit.. just connection with any advertisement in any subsequent issue or the refund of any monies paid for the advertisement. All claims of error in publication must be made by Wednesday, noon, prior to the next week's publication, and, if not made, will not be considered. No claim will be allowed for more than one insertion. OPINION pu PudtaOrluaiWand Scugog spirit goes on The phones begin to ring with Christmas events at most newspapers near the end of November and ring off the walls until Christmas Eve. Most are related to raising funds for those less fortunate, the food bank for those who just need a little lift and the toy drives to make sure every kid has a present to open. Itis people's response to this seemingly endless stream of fundraisers and donation boxes and toy drive bins that says a lot about Scugog and its environs. Quickly and quietly, folks step up to donation boxes and put in their toy, or their can of food or their couple of bucks... and just as quietly, they move on. Doing their little part, whether it is Port Perry High School kids serving at the Lion's breakfast with Santa or the people who quietly stand beside the Salvation Army's donation pots and ring their bells, hundreds, even thousands of us, step up and do the right" thing at this time of the year. Perhaps it is more noticeable this year in the aftermath of Sept. 11 when our perceptions of family and togetherness were altered back to a state more in line with the 1950s or 40s when everything centered on the family. Perhaps this year in particular, we are more aware of the importance of community and family. Perhaps not. The residents of Scugog have quietly walked up to the donation boxes and anteed up for over 100 years. There for a friend... there for a stranger. Santa is in his booth on Queen St. where he has always been and the Christmas mood invades the town with the same little warm feelings it always has. The folks of Scugog always supported the little guy and the one in need. It is just that at this time of the year and this plain spirit. Brooklin's Mrs, Nesbitt'sent in this photo of 18-month-old Jake Nesbitt and his brother Peter, three-and-a- half, enjoying a dip in the tub. We're looking for more good photos for this space, so 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. LETTERS [1 / Jl 17 Li = -wy Federal government should use some common Sense To the Editor: I have read the Dec. 7 column from Durham MP Alex Shepherd with interest. It appears to me his comments are quite divorced from reality when he speaks of the problems in the health care system and the responsibility of the Ontario gov- ernment. First of all, the fact that similar health care problems -- overcrowded facilities and unrest among the medical and support people -- exists in every province across Canada would suggest that the overall control exercised by the federal govern- ment is probably the main problem. Perhaps the existing system is simply not workable. Further, when the national health plan was set up some 35 years ago, it included a 50-50 sharing of costs between Ottawa and the provinces. The federal contribution was reduced until, with the recent Ottawa plan to eliminate the deficit, the federal contribution was down to 1 | per cent. No province can make up that difference without putting their own financial planning in a straight jacket. In brief, the federal government's reduc- tion in financial support coupled with their insistence that our health plan be admin- istered as it was set up 35 years ago has been a recipe for the major problems we are now experiencing. I believe Mr. Shepherd and his govern- ment should be examining their own responsibility before trying to place any blame elsewhere. W.E. Hanna, Port Perry Sf v; 4K A CI AR EN Ww Fak 2 i a J: EAT % 3 A © TR £5 2 Vs © a ; your mind? Email us: rrystar.com