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PORT PERRY STAR -- Wednesday, December 28, 1988 -- 7 A = | You may have read the article in last week's Port Perry Star about the over-budget problems at the Blackstock Arena-Rec Centre construction project. The final price tag on the project was $135,000, or 60 Ber cent over the original estimate of $223,000. Members of council, needless to say, were furious, and they let John Goss know how an- gry they were at the council meeting December 19. Mr. Goss is chairman of the joint arena- recreation committee that put this project to- gether. | can't condone the fact the project went so far over budget, or the fact that the Township treasury and administrative departments (who pay the bills from tax revenue) didn't really find out until early December. There are no excuses for that. But in retrospect, | have to admire the courage of Mr. Goss and the three other committee mem- bers who anpsared at the meeting and took quite a blast from all members of the council. They did not ask for an "in-camera" session, with the public and local press excluded. They took their lumps where all could see and hear. It was clearly a very difficult position for the committee members, all of whom are respected members of the community, and have done a lot over the years for their community in SO many ways. Again, | can't condone the fact the project soared over budget without authorization from the council. What happened is that original estimate Viewpoint by John B. McClelland the Recreation Centre right beside it, badly needed a thorough going over if they were to continue to stay open as viable community facilities. While members of council were justified in their anger last week, | think in the long run the facilities are going to be appreciated by all the people of Scugog. Port Perry Minor Hockey, for example, makes extensive use of the Blackstock Arena for badly needed practise time for the younger teams. And I'm sure the recreation hall, now with full facilities, with be in greater demand for banquets and wed- dings. As | said at the outset, what is troubling, is not the AMOUNTS that were spent, but the method, and the committee, to its credit, shouldered the re- sponsibllity in front of a very angry Township coun- cil. To put this thing in further perspective, had the project not been initiated about a year ago, chanc- es are the Blackstock Arena would have been closed for good this fall, and the Recreation Centre, some 80 years old, would have remained the dingy, poorly equipped place that it was. | can't blame council for rapping the committee members knuckles over the way the project was handled. But looking at this over the long term, the ultimate question that must be answered is whether the tax-payers in Scugog got value for the money spent. If the answer is yes, and | believe it is, then the method is at least partly justified. In any event, BACK TO THE FUTURE It's just like old times in Canada these days as our friends in la belle province are embroiled in a language dispute of huge proportions. Things have been so quiet in Quebec the last few years, until recently that is, when the Supreme Court shot down the language bill which out-lawed signs in English. Shades of deja vu, n'est-ce pas? Premier Bou- rassa is up to his arm-pits in controversy, three of his English speaking Cabinet ministers quit in dis- gust, and the rest of the country was treated (via tel- evision) to that all-familiar scene of crowds of angry Quebecois nationalists burning a Canadian flag out- side a hockey arena in east end Montreal. Quite frankly, | think | speak for a lot of Canadi- ans who are very tired of the language dispute in this country. How many times have we been through the hoop on this one in the past 20 years.? The French-only sign law was asinine, of course, and so is Bourassa's suggestion of the in- side-outside law. It's OK to have English on indoor signs, but French only outside. And that's stupid too. What this latest flap certainly will do is bring all the anti-French bigots out of the woodwork, carp- ing about bilingualism in the rest of the country and French-only in Quebec. Deja vu, indeed. . So, we bid farewell to another year. | wish you all was far too low. : What is clear is that the Blackstock Arena and there have been some lessons learned by all conc- nerned. calls coming. well in '89, even the\faithful readers who plow through this column each week. Keep the phone Remember When? 70 YEARS AGO Thursday, December 12, 1918 J.D. McMaster, V.S., is opening up an office in Cawker's Livery until further notice. Miss Alice Ford is home from the Western Hospital, Toron- to enjoying a needed holiday after her strenuous work as a nurse during the Influenza epidemic. : Mr. Leonard Burnett, who has been in York, England for the past 12 years as Immigration Agent for the Dominion Govern- ment, was in town this week. Mr. Burnett has resigned his posi- tion and intends to make his home in Ottawa. W.F. Crosier, Utica, had a splendid wood sale last week, quarter acre lots averaging about nineteen dollars. 45 YEARS AGO Thursday, December 23, 1943 Vice Marshall George Howsam, R.CA.F. of Calgary, was the guest of his brother, Mr. Charles Howsam last Friday. His stay was brief as he was en route to Ottawa. George's son Peter is now in the RCAF. Pilot Officer George Stone, R.C.A.F., who graduated recent- ly at Yorkton, Sask., is spending a furlough with his parents Mr. and Mrs. H.H. Stone. | Miss Grace Davis, Mrs, Jas. Kerr and Miss Irene Mac- Donald, attended the Christmas entertainment at the Yellow School on Tuesday evening. Mrs. Harriet Pilch, Manchester, has gone to Toronto where she will spend the winter with her son. 35 YEARS AGO Thursday, December 31, 1953 Saturday night, December 26, close to a thousand fans wat- ched the Port Perry Flyers trounce the Peterboro Juniors with a score of 7 to 1. Ross Hawe did an excellent job of goaltending. Ontario High School teachers will consider a suggestion that British teachers be recruited to help ease the teacher shortage in the province. Television was installed last week at the homes of Mrs. Gladys Archer and Mr. Earl Mitchell. Due to the quick work of the men of Blackstock the fire that started in Grant Jackson's stable Saturday morning was put out before the fire truck from Port Perry arrived and before much damage was done. 30 YEARS AGO Thursday, December 25, 1958 On Wednesday, December 17, Cannington visited the Port Perry Midgets to start the opening game of the 0.M.H.A. series. (Turn to page 15) Letters To The Editor: Overseas agencies seldom highlight positive and hopeful pro- jects to win public support. Ethiopia is a case in point. Men- tion Ethiopia and most Canadians think of a wasteland of war and famine, without hope. This image is misleading. There is hardship, but there is also progress. £ USC Canada is helping to supp- ly funds so that farmers and scientists can work together through Ethiopia's Plant Genetic Resource Centre (PGRC) to con- serve the country's traditional seeds and select the best for development and storge in times of drought. PGRC Director. Dr. Melaku The Christmas spirit To The Editor: This year I would like to thank the town merchants and people of Port Perry for going all out with the parade, decorations, and their friendliness in serving their townspeople and neighbours. Thank you for showing many the Christmas Spirit. Wishing all peace, happiness and prosperity in 1989. Sincerely, Ann Lally, Port Perry. Library will open Mondays The Scugog Memorial Public Library will be open Mondays beginning January 2, 1989. The number of people coming into the library has almost doubled from 1985 to 1988. As well, the increased use of the bookdrop has been an indication to the library staff that patrons would use the library if it were open Mondays. This impression was confirmed by an in-house user survey undertaken by the Long-Range Planning Committee of the Board in May of 1988. Strong support for Mondays opening was expressed in that questionnaire. In its endeavor to provide good library service to this community, the Board has decided to increase the open hours of the library. Please see ad in this paper for complete listing of hours. 'Overseas agencies and Ethiopia Worede, describes the program as the only way to sustainable agricultural growth within Ethiopia. Local seeds have been developed by centuries of cooperation between 'man and nature, to resist drought, pests and disease and improved varieties will be used to increase agricultural production. . The Ministry of Agriculture, Farmers' Associations and the Ethiopia Seed Cooperative are working in close cooperation with PGRC. The cost to USC of laun- ching and coordinating this im- portant pilot project is $1.3 million. We need the financial support of Canadians to help Ethiopia put its own resources to work. Please send your contribution; every dollar counts. : John Martin, Chief Executive Officer, USC Canada, 56 Sparks Street, Ottawa, Ontario K1P 5B1 to the editor. Letters to the Editor ... our policy It has always been the policy of this newpspaper to encourage our readers to make use of the letters to the editor column. Our readers have a right to freely express their opinions and view- points on just about any subject, and we feel that a lively letters column helps make a better community newspaper. We insist, however, that a letter writer sign his or her name. On rare occasions, we will agree to with-hold publication of a letter writer's name, if we feel there are very good reasons to do so. Under no circumstances will this paper print an anonymous letter " While we enjoy receiving letters from our readers, we must con- tinue to insist on knowing the identity of the writer. Y