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

PORT PERRY STAR -- Tuesday, November 13, 1990 -- 7 Viewpoint WHAT IS NEWS? | have been in this silly business for better than 15 years, and | still don't know the answer to the question "what is news." Over the years | have heard dozens of defini- tions, interpretations and opinions, some of them good and others lacking. I once took a course called "the philosophy and theory of information." It was taught by a guy who had never worked for a newspaper, never struggled with a story as deadline approached. Yet he knew all about news and what it is. He even wrote the text book we had to buy to take his course, which is interesting news in itself. Perhaps the best definition | ever read was nned by an old sports editor who worked for a New ork daily paper back in the days before word pro- cessors, fax machines, and cellular phones. He was credited with saying "news is anything that makes the reader sit up and say 'holy cow." As long as | can remember, | have been a reader of Bev SEap ers. Even as a youngster, | would stretch out on the living room floor after supper and read the paper, and not just the sports and comics. That no doubt was my mother's influence. She was a voracious reader and went to great pains to en- courage the same in myself and my sister. She was obviously successful, because, today, 30 years later, | am still a reader of newspapers. And even if | wasn't in this business, | suspect my appetite for the printed would be the same. I much prefer the paper to TV or radio news re- ports. But that could have more to do with the fact | dis-like television generally, and the only radio | listen to on a regular basis is that FM station in Cobourg Most of the rest is just noise, in my opinion. But getting back to newspapers for a moment. They are starting to turn me off. I'm not sure why but over the last few months after reading the daily pa- pers, | found myself feeling cranky, grumpy and an- gry. I'd sit down with the Toronto Star over morning coffee and by page three my blood pressure would be surging upwards. As for the Toronto Sun, well, page one would touch off a fit of anger. Heck, even the Globe and Mail, which is much more sedate both in appearance and in its treatment of news, was becoming irksome. So | tried a little experiment recently. | gave up newspapers for a few days. Well not completely. | still scanned the Star each morning, headlines only, and the sports section. . And | felt better. Coincidence? Perhaps. But | reached the conclusion that one can only be fed a steady fare of crime, corruption, scandal and human misery so long before something says "hold on a min- . ute." Does it really matter to me if another drug push- er gets stabbed on a street corner? Do | need to know that some bozo who shoots somebody gets 20 years in the slammer, and do | need to read all the gory details? Do | need to be told about the shenanigans on Parliament Hill? Or yet another dire warning that the planet is on its death. bed? Or do | care that that 50 people get shot in India over some religious strife that started eons ago; or 20 are killed in a riot in the mid- dle-east or south Africa. The "news" has become a numbing barrage of crime, mayhem, violence, corruption, degredation, su- fering and human misery on grand and small scales. It's not that newspapers haven't been reporting this kind of stuff for years. But these days, the "news" gets such prominent treatment (giant headlines, page one colour photos, etc. etc.) that one's mind eventual- ly wearies of it all. Newspapers, at least some of them, are becom- ing the printed version of "Eyewitness News," on that Buffalo TV station that specializes in breathless on the spot reports of four alarm fires in the city's east end; five car pile-ups at Main and Fimore; and fatal stabbings anywhere. I sat down and thought about this for a while and came to the conclusion that it wasn't the news con- tent that was bothering me so much, it was the treat- ment the news is getting that really bothered me. Turning to the other sections of the paper didn't do any good. The sports pages are filled with dismal reports on the Leafs; entertainment pages: plug yet another slice and dice flic cleaning up at tha box of- fice; and business section tells me in huge headlines that the country is on the way down the tubes. | can't give up newspapers for good. Habits 30 years in the makings are tough to stop cold turkey. But isn't it strange that on the two days when | did not read those papers cover to cover, | felt better, "and | didn't care one bit not knowing the details of an- other murder in a Toronto housing complex. Of course, | am back to my old ways, reading three dailies, scanning several other community pa- pers from the area. Still a newspaper junkie after 30 years or so. But I'm skipping the stories about murder and mayhem, and you know what? | can now "read" the daily paper in less than five minutes. Tells you some- thing about the "news" these days, doesn't it? that gives me a steady stream of classical music. Remember When? 45 YEARS AGO Thursday, November 29, 1945 Thieves broke into the Lake Scugog Lumber Company, Cawkers Butcher Shop and Hogg & Lytle Ltd. The only loot they got was $1.33 in coppers. A party was held in Manchester Hall in honour of Mr. and Mrs. AE. Spencer, who are moving to Port Perry. Mr. Grant Christie acted as chairman and Miss Mina Dobson read the ad- dress. Mr. Cliff McGill of Oshawa, has bought the home previously owned by Mr. and Mrs. Cecil Mills. 35 YEARS AGO Thursday, November 24, 1955 Mrs. Margaret Cornish was installed as Matron of Blue Ray Chapter 238, Eastern Star. The ceremony of installation was conducted by Past Matron Mrs. Helen Colbear assisted by the Installing Marshall, Past Matron Jeanne Dymond. Mr. J.L. Crane, principal of Port Perry High School, has re- signed his position and expects to commence his new duties at Essex High School, west of London. . The top Hereford, in the 2 year-old heifer class, went to Mr. Don Pugh of Port Perry, in the sale of the Stars at the Royal Winter Fair. Mr. J.J. Gibson also won three first prizes, 2 firsts with his broilers, one first on capon. Mr. Ross Williams of Kenmore, New York and his wife and mother, one time residents of Port Perry, were in town visiting Bob Jeffrey. Ross was a former pupil of Port Perry School. 30 YEARS AGO Thursday, 24, 1960 The Church of the Ascension conducted an impressive dedi- cation service, when the new Parish Hall Extension and Chris- tian Education Building was formally opened. Rev. Hunt, Suf- fragan Bishop of Toronto, made the dedication. Rev. E.E. Fuller was the Rector at the time. Miss Donna Samells and Mrs. Marie Taylor received their A.R.C.T. Diplomas in piano at the Conservatory of Music, at Convocation Hall, Toronto. 26 YEARS AGO Thursday, November 25, 1965 Port Perry gained 141 people during the past twelve months bringing the total population figure to 2502. At a very impressive ceremony in the United Church on Fri- day evening, Rangers Cathy Nelson, Linda Jefford and Pat Healey received their Gold Cords, the highest award in Guiding. (Turn to page 10) Letters io the editor Not impressed with ghost report To the Editor: I would like to express my views to the people of Port Perry and area on the recent W-5 televi- sion report on the Ghost Light of Scugog Island. The televised report of Oct. 28 was an abomination. It made the good people of your area look foolish and I take exception to that. Having recently visited Scugog Island I witnessed a light that was' brighter than I had ever seen. The duration of the light was longer than I had previously experienc- ed as well. If the light is simply headlights, As W-5's Bill Cunn- ingham would have you believe, Thank you To the Editor: Last August we were driving through, I believe, Manchester. Our motor home broke down near a farm. I went to use the phone to call for a tow truck. Two of the nicest, politest young men we ever met pulled up and of- fered their help. They couldn't do enough for us. (It was their farm). We are seniors and my husband has heart problems so you can im- agine being so upset. After we were looked after and the tow vehicle came, (boys had gone back to eat supper), and we left without saying a Very Heartfelt Thanks. I wish I knew their names, but I thought perhaps you could pass this on for me, and hope they see it. Thank you for your help. Mary Hamel, Hamilton, Ontario. then how can the luminance and duration change? I do not believe the light to be the ghost of a dead motorcycle rider. The facts don't add up. But, neither is it simply headlights. If headlights are the source, then' some sort of atmospheric quirk is magnifying them. As a result of my last visit to the island, I found a new spot to view the light from and the latest pictures of the light "have added - for me - a new dimension to the mystery. If a ghost can be considered the sum total of an unknown quantity, then, yes, this is a ghost. I initially helped W-5 with their research and I apologize for help- ing these journalist zealots. They came to your town and claimed your theories as their own. I could not believe my ears when Bill Cunningham took credit for the headlight theory. As we all know, this is a local explanation for the light and was previously presented in former Star reporter Cathy Olliffe's articles about the light. Feel sorry for the people at W-5. The fact that they cannot ap- preciate a mystery is their pro- blem. For some reason, I can see Mr. Cunningham setting traps for Santa Claus on Christmas Eve and sleeping under a stuffed and mounted Tooth Fairy. Poor him. Sincerely, Richard Douglas, Director - Ghost Light on Scugog Island, Niagara Falls, Ontario "This isn't exactly what | had in mind when | asked for a larger pay check, sir." mr ----