Since 1969 in various places I have worked with quite an odd assortment of journalists and media people. I'm proud to say my first major experience in conveying the printed word was right here in the Whitby Free Press. A lot of writing has happened since then but oddly enough not too long after I started writing I also became involved with our local cable system, Pine Ridge. The problems involved putting out programming on a cable television are not unlike those problems of a newspaper in that you have liabilities to consider, constant deadlines looming, and often politics will rear its ugly head as to content of material and whether the timing is right. Those kind of problems a professional journalist can usually handle but while video-taping weekly programs of, "Whitby, Then and Now", Dan Duerden, the program director and I are faced with some not-so-solvable problems. As you may or may not know, Brian Winter, our town Archivist and able anchorman here at the Free Press, and I host a weekly cable program on the history of Whitby and it's seen on Cable 10 from Whitby to Ashburn to Bowmanville. We usually enjoy our weekly stint which really isn't weekly but monthly because we tape four programs back-to-back. However, we do have our problems and since Brian is the real star of the show, with his great collection of stories and pictures of the town in the early days, we of course have to cater to Brian's whims. Oh, nothing outlandish you under- stand, but somewhat peculiar to television. For instance I'm sure CFTO isn't faced with the task of locating a company that makes microphones that are pizza cheese resistant. The big stars at CFTO might get tired and ask for a coffee break and that's understandable but - on Whitby, Then and Now, Brian usually demands a pizza break. And since he always has problems undoing the neck mike from beneath his hairy chin he usually, in his famished desire to get at the pizza says to heck with undoing the mike and trails the cord and mike all the way across the set. I should explain that you've probably heard the story about not getting between a mother bear and her cubs, well it's something the same about Brian and pizzas. So not only are Dan and I faced with picking great gobs of long, stringy, pizza cheese off Brian's mike at the end of the taping session but we are also faced with "the phone calls." Invariably we run late - mostly because I have a lot of problems getting off work in time to get to the studio for the taping session, and so mid evening Brian, between programs, phones the missus to tell her he'll be late. Sometimes he has Dan or I do the task and the missus usually asks why Brian can't come to the phone. We mumble something about him being "tied up" (in pizza cheese) or somesuch to which the missus asks, "Is Brian eating a pizza?' Now we all know at the studio that Brian is on a diet that definately does not include pizza so we have to reply, "Uh, perhaps you'd better speak to Mayor cautions council about a fitness centre Cont'd from P. 8 the second phase of the study was to develop a more comp- rehensive look at the cons- truction and operational costs. It was to establish a pos- sible design for future con- sideration and its relation- ship to existing facilities. "These factors will be of prime importance in deter- mining budget and planning in future years" the report stated. The Recreation . Depart- ment's report concluded with;" proceed immediately to complete the second phase study to conclude whether a fitness centre is feasible or not." It also suggested that the work be completed in 1980 for inclusion and consid- eration in the five year capital forecasts in 1981. The report pointed out that "the monies are in the budget for this project." This prompted Mayor Gartshore to say he "would like to see the $3,000 to be spent on some drawings put on something else. It may be a little early. Why spend the $3,000 when we may not need it (Fitness Centre) until the mid 1980's?" He went on to say why spend now"when we may have to spend another $3,000 for plans" for a future centre. The monies are spent for the project now on plans and drawings which could be out of date by the time the actual need for a Fitness Centre arises, he said. Mayor Gartshore said he is "fnot against the concept but against doing something on a project that the report states is a bit early for a project that is going to be built in 1982 possibly at the earliest." The population of 33,000 for the Town of Whitby was taken into consideration with the projected growth rate of 1,500 population which could mean that there would be a larger population in the town With a larger population the present plans for the Fitness Centre could be too small and another set of plans and drawings would be needed, meaning the $3,000 set aside for the drawings would be spent for no use, as the proposed Fitness Centre could be too small for the increased population, he said Councillor Joe Bugelli thoutht the Fitness Centre project "is premature." He recommended that the present recommendation to proceed with the study"be struck and the conceptial plan be referred to 1980." This recommendation was carried and will be placed before the Council at its next regular meeting. IHITBY FREE PRESS, WEDNESDAY, APRIL 25, 1979, PAGE 9 Brian!" His part of the conversation usually goes something like, "Oh, (smack) hi dear, (chomp, munch) how's everything (smack, slurp) at home? We're going to be a little (slurp, chomp) late here so I won't (BELCH!) be home till about eleven". To which the missus replies, "You're eating pizza aren't you?" To which Brian replies, "My gosh, (burp, slurp) how on earth did you know?" And then Brian always says when -he gets off the phone, "My gosh, you know that woman must be psychic !" Of course the pizza is usually polished off in accompanyment with the largest bottle available of cold Pepsi and Dan and I are then faced with, during the taping of the remaining quota of shows for the evening session, the possibility of there being some amount of static going out over the air in the sound portion of the program. I mean, who can blame Brian? If I ate that amount of pizza and washed it down with a half gallon of Pepsi I'm sure I'd have a gas problem as well. I'm not sure my tonsils would stand up as well as Brian's but then his are well seasoned. Anyway, as I started out to tell you Dan Duerden and I certainly have some unique problems associated with getting out our weekly program of Whitby, Then and Now. So, as they say on the big networks, "Don't adjust your set, we're just having a few audio static problems." You're Only Young Oncell Goway Nowl - AFRICA - SOUTH AMERICA - - EUROPE - SIBERIA - Looking for a trip with a bunch of people your own age who are loo king for the fun side of travel as well as the sightseeing? Corne see us at Wesley's World and we'll show you how to have the timne of your life!! The Cost? . . . You won't believe it! 185 BROCK ST. N. es ho,-sWHITBY Corner of Brock & Mary 668-7955 '~~orld of 66 95 Travel me. Stay Young. . Have Fun .....Travel!