Harry Stemp was born in Uxbridge in 1934. He started his career with the Uxbridge Times-Journal as an apprentice typesetter at age 14. He soon began writing sports for the Times-Journal and eventually owned 10 community newspapers in central Ontario including the Times-Journal. He started writing his award-winning Stemp’s Stew in 1965. The column came to an end shortly after he sold his newspaper chain in 1989, but was rejuvenated in 2006 when Harry became a regular contributor to The Cosmos.
In the mailbox
?Notice that PM Harper has appointed Stockwell Day to be the watchdog over government expenses and spending. Not sure that his post includes the Senate, but if it does he would sure have his hands full as Senators wrack up huge expense accounts over and above their huge salaries and other perks.
A good example is Mike Duffy, former CTV newsman, who was recently appointed to a Senate seat. You may recall that several years ago Duffy had a battle with Frank Magazine, whose publisher Michael Bates was a real thorn in Duffy's side.
In fact, Bates ran a comic strip called 'The Puffster'. Few readers had any trouble making the connection as to who was being lampooned. Duffy said the attacks by Frank Magazine cost him a Senate appointment and threatened to sue. Not sure if he did.
Well, Duffy got the appointment and it was heart-warming to see his interview on TV. He explained how he wasn't sure whether he would accept the appointment, but after discussing it with his wife he decided it would be the thing to do. Yeah, sure Mike. Once ensconced in his comfy seat, it sure didn't take long for Duffy to get his face mired deeply in the tax money trough.
According to a recent report, Duffy has only been in the Senate for three months and has already wracked up $100,000 on his expense account.
Gotta admire you, Mike. Sure didn't take long for you to make the transition from using your journalistic skills to try and keep the politicians on the straight and narrow to becoming a full-fledged member of the club. ------------------------------- Wonder why you haven't seen Bob Rae coming out too strongly to attack PM Harper for proroguing? The Liberal/NDP flip-flop artist is afraid such an attack could mean his past record would be thrown back in his face.
Christina Blizzard, in an excellent Toronto Sun column, pointed out that Bob Rae is the 'undisputed king of proroguing'. He did it not once, not twice, but three times as Premier of Ontario and for a much longer period than PM Harper has ever done.
He closed down the legislature for close to four months on each of those three occasions. So being an astute politician, many of who have a reputation of speaking out of both sides of their mouth at the same time, Rae is smart enough to fade into the background on this one.
Sure makes you have a lot of faith in our elected representatives, eh? If you have any thoughts that the majority of them put the country and taxpayers ahead of party or personal interest, then you really enjoy fairy tales.
-------------------------------- Always like to see residents of Uxbridge gain some national recognition, so was pleased when the latest issue of Zoomers Magazine arrived in the mailbox. Zoomers is the soapbox for the Canadian Association of Retired Persons.
The very last page of the current issue carried a great colour photo of Uxbridge resident Newton Reed. Newton has been a Masters Badminton player for many years and, at age 85, is still going strong.
Way to go, Newton. Your Uxbridge friends are proud of your accomplishments.
--------------------------- Pedestrians and vehicles seem to be locked in a real battle in Toronto these days and the sad part is that the pedestrian is always on the losing end. Seems there has been an accident a day for the past couple of weeks, and police are at their wits’ end looking for a reason.
It should come as no surprise that they are laying a lot of the blame on careless use of cell phones. In at least half of the incidents the person being hit was busy chatting on their cell phone ignoring the fact that they were crossing the street on a red light.
Can't imagine any call important enough to risk one's life. But try and tell that to someone who simply can't exist without chattering away non-stop. They look at you like you are living in the dark ages and suggest you get with the times.
Don't know about that, as my idea of keeping up with the times is not being pinned under a large bus with a cell phone imbedded in my ear.
