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McLuhan on the ground is a whiff of fresh air. . .in the sky he's more like confusion and smog. - McLuhan was quoted in the Toronto Star " stating landlords should take the "monotony out of the (high rise) monolith” for their own protection. Unless they do so, he said, tenant: will continue to destroy and deface the landlord‘s property because they live in an alien environment. Sometimes McLuhan comes up with profound thoughts that make sense such as 'the medium is the message’ and 'electronically the world is rapidly becoming a global village'. But too often the U of T professor seems more intent on telling the world; "Look " what a bright and witty attention getter 1 am", than he is in expounding straidlt- forward fact and opinion that may help solve some of our more pressing urban problems. We suscdbe to McLuhan‘s views on the causes of anti-social behavior in those concrete and brick skyslnbs and would lie to congratulate him for expressing them in plain English. We submit that the arene board owes Mr. Ritchie on apology in writing. if the uena board doesn’t believe our strong words of criticism are justified, we are open for refutation. Foe a few momenta laat week, Cmada'a amer to India’s Nahuatl Halted! Yogi came down out of the clouds and planted " feet firmly on the ground. __Publlc honing developments like Regent Park South, said guru Marital! McLuhan, ought to be operated and run by the tenanta themaelvea rather than try an aheentee landlord who couldn’t care less about the welfare of the cliff dwellers who occupy his property. This newspaper feels just terrible that anyone could be no mean and discourteous to this young man. (He had, walked seven! miles to the uem, by the way). Last Thursday evening we sent a young high school atndent from York Memorial collegiate to cover the induatrial league hockey games which include teams from Kodak, Mobre Business Forms and CCM. Management was so cheap and petty, it wouldn't allow Garyhtitchie in unle- he paid admission. The hockey games, ice carnivals and figure skaters are all here. To the best of our recollections, this newspaper has never, never refused to keep the public informed of what takes place in the arena. We haven't always succeeded in' doing a perfect job because of. limited staff and space, but we must say that we, along with three or four very fine volunteer sports writers, have been pretty good to Lions Arena. For years this newspaper has' bent over backwards to give the arena and the activities that take place there publicity that couldn't be purchased for a million dollars. The management of Weston Lions Arena leaves much to be desired. Yum at 2159 Weston Rd,, Weston by Prhcipd quWd., every Thursday Poor public relations McLuhan on the ground Auxhaee-etoot'Ct-MMt.PeetomerqtV at-R,rh=.em$htr-emoeo6.et-trtetmh. NUCHIPTION “1188-1.prch wwwwminw Momma-”.00 'PROCREVS? REPORT Magma-wan“ madman".- “mum Telephone 241-5211 "I'll be there at 4 p.m. with my 10 bucks", I told the reporter who covers we North York beat for one of the Toronto dailies. While he was telling me about the number of pounds of bologna, ham, cheese, and summer sausage that had to be purchased, the wheels were turning over in my mind on how to capitalize on the bus trip I would have to make to get there. For many years, I've firmly believed that politicians and planners have discounted the importance of public tramportatlon system: and ham, at the same time, bun spending far too much of the tax dollar A telephone call was put through. and the voice at the other end asked if 1 would like to contribute $10 to a reception the press was putting on for the aldermen, school trustees, planners, and the usual crowd of land developers who hang around the North York municipal building 52 weeksayear. The motor in my car had just seized up and I was feeling pretty blue about the prospect of spending,$300 to get it operative again. THE WESTON TIMES A 55-minute bus trip There was however grounds to gripe about the length of time it takes tc get to 5000 Yonge St. in buses compared to the haste that one can make the journey in his own automobile. In the car,"I regularly cover the distance in 18 to 22 minutes. By bus last Tuesday, I had to, transfer twice and stepped Into the borough headquarters 55 minutes after I walked out of the Weston Times' office. By car, in other words, I save 35 minutes one way or an hour and 10 minutes onfa round trip. No darn wonder that hundreds of thousands of Metro desk jockeys like myself rely on our own wheels rather than those supplied by the TTC. Bury people just dan't spare that After the initial eight-minute wait for a Weston Rd. trolley bus, the connections to the Wilson Ave. and the Yonge St, north buses were perfect. building five, 10 and lS-lane asphalt strips for the automobile. Perhaps, (I thought, I could prove my case by using the Toronto transit system to get to the Willowdale municipal building from my office at Church St. and Weston Rd. BABE IN THE. WOODS . I know several lucky people who literally gave up their cars when they moved into apartments near Eglinton and Yonge. Handy to the subway, they can be downtown at their jobs virtually within minutes. Now, had there been a subway along Wilson or along Highway 401 right-of-way, I woitldn't drive my car to Willowdale. By subway, the trip would be cheaper, safer and far more relaxing. During rush hours and these inevitable traffic jams, the subway would be a lot faster too. _ extra hour it takes to go downtown, uptown or crosstown and back again by public transit. Very often when you complain to a municipal politician or planner about the immense sums spent on highway and arterial road development compared to the miserly amounts spent to improve vastly more efficient public transit systems, the reply you get is that Metro lneeds "balanced" transportation facilities. If you reply that you see nothing "U1anced" in building 50 miles of expressway in and mund FRIDAY. DWI”. Most of Metro's planners and politicians have yet to catch up with the times so far as urban planning is concerned. I don't know why, but they don't seem to have recognized what a serious threat the automobile explosion is to the physical health of the urban community and the mental health of its inhabitants. I'm predicting that within 20 years the automobile will be totally banned from Metro's urban centre and that in 40 years, those poisonous, exhaust spewing, iron chariots will be as extinct as the Didus ineptus. ' Every year, more and I more asphalt is being laid , for the automobile leaving a rapidly shrinking space for people to live, work and play in. Look at an aerial photograph of Toronto's waterfront and you will observe that at least half of it is parking , lot. I Metro for every new mile of subway, you frequently get an apathetic iddk that suggestsr'Don't ask me for an opinion because I don't really have one.’ _ ,. Barry Holmes