The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

4 -- PORT PERRY STAR -- Wednesday, Mar. 22, 1978 aa® or vg data W, 7 4 aad HY 7 7 a Z, Vill % "Wy ' KC 7 7 A Kd ChatterBox Editorial Comment J ; -- Aw NN John B. McClelland < THE COMEBACK A few weeks ago in this column I commented on the possible return of Derek Sanderson to the National - Hockey League. At that time he was starting to train with the Detroit Red Wings in an effort to lose some 20 pounds and work into some kind of condition a body that had been battered by booze, cigarettes, pills and prolonged idleness. : I wasn't over-joyed at the thought that Sanderson might have a second shot at hockey in the big leagues, suggesting that if he could cut it, the general calibre of players in the NHL must be worse than we all suspect. Well, a month or more has gone by, and last Saturday night on the tube, there was the Turk in "uniform with the Penguins from Pittsburgh for a game against the Leafs. You know something, the guy didn't look all that bad. He wasn't skating like a nimble-toed rookie fresh out of junior, but he scored a neat goal, won more than his share of face-offs, and I think he helped the Pittsburgh team earn a 3-2-win over Toronto. ~ However, one game does not a come-back make. The real test for the former bad boy of the Bruins will come during the play-off stretch as the Penguins .struggle for a berth in the post-season activity. I hope Sanderson does make a solid contribution to the Penguins. The guy obviously has shown that he means business. In the past couple of weeks he has put up with a lot of unfavourable publicity about his drinking, his spending, and his general lack of concern for anyone except himself. What he has done with his come-back so far has taken a good deal of courage and determination. And that in itself says something about, the man. Sometimes it seems, certain things happen that throw a damper on the best of intentions. This was apparently the case Saturday night at the New Scugog Arena when a team of old-timers played the CFTO Bassett Hounds with the benefits going to the Arthritis Society, a most worthy charity. More than one person commented to me Monday morning that the game didn't turn out the way they thought it would. One person said he walked out before it was over and another said she would have done the same thing except that one of her children was taking part in the between-period exhibitions. ~~ What people thought was going to be a "fun" game of hockey designed to entertain the spectators-and make them laugh, turned into a chippy affair with slashing, a few errant elbows and even a punch in the I must be honest and say that I was only able to stay and watch the first period and intermission, but if what I'm told is true, then it's a downright shame. If people want to watch that kind of stuff on the ice, they can go to any regular hockey game at almost any age level. But when they attend a game that means nothing other than the proceeds gong to a decent charity, they should at tne very least come away with a smile on their faces. This is not in any way meant to imply criticism of the local organizers of the match. They, after all, can hardly be held responsible for what happens on the ice. The really annoying part is that at least some of the people who brought their kids out to the game Saturday night, just may think twice about doing the * same thing again, even if it is all for a worthy cause. Enough about hockey. The season has been with us for almost six months now, and I for one won't be all : that sad when it comes to a close. After all, it's nearly spring. In a couple of weeks the robins will be singing. People are putting away their snow machines and starting to talk about boats and motors. The Toronto Blue Jays are taking up right where they left off last year, and Jack Nicklaus is winning the odd golf tournament. The odd golf tournament? Here it is only the middle of March and already this year Nicklaus has won $157,000, his latest victory coming on the weekend at the Tournament Players Championship in Florida. If he keeps up this pace, he could very well win a million by Christmas. And people say that hocke players make too much money. : But anybody who has ever swung a gold club will tell you straight away that Jack is the very best player: . ever. He has done for golf what Ali did for heavyweight boxing. And if you think the average duffer won't shell out good money to watch the professional shot-makers, just try to get a ticket for the final day of the Canadian: Open, or the Masters, or the U.S. Open. The truth is that golf has grown in the last decade or so into one of the most popular spectator sports. There are some who claim that golf is not really athletics, but rather nothing more than a fun pastime or leisure activity. On the contrary, good golfers are, sunerb athletes. who pay ereat attention to their general physical condition. And it has been said by more than one observer, that to play the game of golf consistently well (not just the odd hot round) it takes: more skill than any other sport. I agree, cause I've played the blinking game. ios Seniors Housing Durham Regional council is expected to make a final decisior® today (March 22) that could have a direct bearing on whether Ontarlo Housing Corpor- ation goes ahead with its plans to develop a 35-unit senior citizens geared to income apartment building in Port Perry. Basically, the issue evolves around a request from OHG that Durham Region hold the levy at $1,225. per unit rather than charge the present levy of $1;410. On March 8, Durham council gave its consent to the request, although it was obvious during debate and from the outcome of the recorded vote, that the «decision did not sit well with several regional coun- Cilla er passing the necessary resolution, however, the council turned around and agreed to hold up the final decision until the Mayor of Ajax, Clark Mason, had a chance to look into a similar request made of Durham Region by OHC a couple of years ago. The whole issue raises a couple of disturbing points. The first is that the project is being delayed for the time being over what surely is a very minor technical matter. The council made a decision on the Port Perry project, and this decision should not be jeopardized by any decision made a couple of years ago on a project in Ajax. . Secondly, one cannot help but wonder why OHC is so adament in its demand that the per unit levy be held at $1,225. On the proposed 35 unit apartment the difference between $1,225. and $1,410 amounts to less than $7,000. While this amount is not to be shrugged off in these times of tight government finances, it almost seems incredible that OHC would seriously cansider cancelling the project completely because of it. There is a definite need for this kind of senior citizen housing in Sgugog Township, and OHC has been looking some twq years for a suitable site. Now "that one has been found, it seems ja pity that the construction is being held up.as OHC and Durham Region wrangle over $7,000 in levy-fees. The construction season is fast approaching. Get on with the project. There are seniors who need it, and - they are waiting. . ' The Holy Land It is Easter Week, and in the Holy Land, the birthplace of three of the world's great religions, the air once again crackles with the sound of gunfire and the earth is red with the blood of women and children. Israel, reacting to the slaughter of innocent 'civilians a week ago at the hands of Palestinian terrorists has launched a full attack on Lebanese territory in an effort to erradicate the strong-holds of the terrorists. Along with the tragic loss in human lives, many of them innocent, the renewed conflict in the Middle East seriously threatens the peace initiatives which just a few short months ago seemed to offer a faint flicker of hope for a troubled part of the world. : Reasonable men and women of all faiths must be asking themselves when or if the conflict in the Middle East will ever end. With it so overwhelmingly obvious that the principal combatants in the fighting are nowhere near any kind of accord, this may be as good a time as any for the United Nations to start doing the job it was set up to do more than 30 years ago. Have A Safe Spring Spring is fast approaching, and with the warm weather the ice on Lake Scugog and on ponds and creeks in the area will start to break up. : At this time of year, parents should make a special effort to keep young children away from all bodies of water, and especially warn them to stay off the ice. As the weather warms, the .ice becomes. deceptive. It may look safe, when in fact it can give way under the weight of even the lightest youngster. Every year at this time there are reports of children and adults who drown after they fall through thin ice, or slip into deep and fast-moving water. Stay off the ice and stay away from open waterways. Also, this week is spring break for thousands of school children in Durham Region, which means that many youngsters will be walking and playing near 'traffic areas. Motorists should take extra special caution while driving this week, and parents should see to it that their children do not play on the roadways and streets. Spring is a welcome time of year for young and old alike. Be careful, and do your part to eliminate the potential for a tragic accident. v « @ « I 4 » _----_--