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.
Kudos to our friends in the U.S.
You have to hand it to the family of Osama bin Laden. They may be lacking in a lot of social skills, but they sure deserve an 'A Plus' for unmitigated gall.
How else do you explain the family complaining that the United States violated their father's rights by killing him when storming his compound and shooting him twice - once in the body and once in the head. They felt he should have been arrested and taken to the U.S. for a proper trial.
Give me a break. Where were they when their father caused the biggest, and most senseless, loss of innocent human life when he masterminded the attacks on the twin towers in New York City - commonly known as 9/11? Add to this the plane that crashed in a field in Pennysylvania when some very brave passengers attacked their captives and caused the plane to crash rather than complete the journey, which would have meant crashing into the White House. They performed this brave act even though the passengers knew they would be killed along with the hijackers.
Did these innocent people working in the Towers that day, as well as the brave firemen who were killed when the towers crashed, get a chance at a fair hearing? No!
And did the bin Laden family come to their defense and proclaim their father a fanatical crackpot for causing this massive loss of life and destruction?
No way, they celebrated in the streets for this despicable attack against humanity.
Don't know about you, but I was one of millions of Canadians who rejoiced at the news that bin Laden was dead. I felt for the families left behind after 9/11 and tried to imagine the relief they must be feeling knowing that the murderer of their loved ones was no longer living as a free man while they were still suffering from their loss.
And kudos to our friends in the U.S. for not bringing him back and subjecting us to a lengthy trial with the resulting demonstrations - some of which would undoubtedly turn violent.
To me it is good riddance to a person who did not deserve to live amongst us and cause more misery and suffering to innocent people. It was a satisfying and welcome feeling to see justice being done.
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Some Canadians take their politics very seriously and can become visibly agitated during discussions regarding one party or another. No doubt during the last election there was a real anti-Harper feeling in various parts of the country. For some reason he has not been popular with many Canadians and is actually despised by many.
However, I was quite shocked to hear a caller to a radio phone-in show compare him to Adolph Hitler. I wasn't the only one shocked. The host of the show just gasped and told the caller that he couldn't believe a Canadian would make such a statement. Try as he may he could not get the lady to back down from this opinion.
Hard to believe that a Canadian would feel that strongly to compare a Canadian PM to a maniacal mass murderer, but I guess we have to accept that in some minds politics runs very, very deep - even to the depth of ridiculousness.
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So glad to hear that the Handicapable Talent Show at Trinity United Church was a huge success and organizers were pleased with the large number of people in attendance. They were also impressed with the generosity of those attending, when well over $700 was donated to this worthy cause.
Making members of this special group feel appreciated and a valuable part of our community is so important and a real morale booster. Most of us are fortunate to go through life with a few aches and pains and no real serious health problems, so that we often don't appreciate what those who did not get the luck of the draw at birth have to face on an everyday basis. So if you were one of those who attended this event, give yourself a pat on the back. Your attendance made it a great day for these wonderful people.
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Pleased to see Regional Councillor Jack Ballinger writing the occasional personal report on what is happening at Regional Council, and some of the activities he is involved in. Judging by comments I hear, these reports are much appreciated.
Mayor Gerri Lynn O'Connor is also an excellent writer and did the same thing as Mayor a few years back and, hopefully, will get the urge to write again.
Many will ask why this is necessary when the local press have reporters at the meetings covering happenings on behalf of readers. Accurate reporting of council meetings and happenings is very important and should always be encouraged and available to readers.
However, councillors can discuss council events and their activities in a personal and more relaxed manner since they are not restricted by the rules that govern reporters.
Communication between council and residents is very important and, in my opinion, having occasional personal reports not just from the Mayor and Regional Councillor but also from any member of council would be much appreciated by everyone.
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Looking forward to Friday, May 27 when we celebrate 100 years of Uxbridge Public School. It was 1939 when I walked in to take a seat in Grade 1, the first of many years of being with wonderful fellow students and great teachers.
The school was not only a place of learning, but provided playgrounds for all of us kids who lived in the west end of town.
There are a ton of stories that can be told, and I'm sure we will hear a lot of them that day. Hopefully, a lot of former students will visit so it could be quite a reunion.
