Harry Stemp Jan 08, 2009
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.
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The first issue of the Cosmos for 2009. A good time to make some wishes for the year ahead. Here are mine. A wish that the year ahead will see good health for all. No calls telling us that family or friends are suffering from an incurable disease or that residents have been killed in a traffic accident. Only good news this year, please. We don't want to hear the dreaded sound of the Helicopter Ambulance landing in this area. A wish that all of our local businesses will have a banner year. They are so important to building a strong community and support so many worthwhile projects on a continual basis. Also, that residents are kind to merchants during the reconstruction of Brock Street this summer. This will be a messy, and inconvenient, process so support them at every opportunity. A wish that our service organizations will continue to flourish and have success with all their projects. And that many more residents will heed the call to be part of these organizations and decide to join their membership lists. It will help the cause and you'll feel good doing your part. A wish that success, good weather and large crowds will bless community events such as Celebration of The Arts, Highland Games, Ribfest, Fall Fair, Art In The Park - you can add your own to the list. A wish that people like Brian Evans, who faithfully clears the snow from Elgin Pond so young and old can enjoy a skate or a game of shinny, get the thanks they deserve for their efforts. A wish that the vandals, who cause so much costly damage to properties around the community, will mature and stop this nonsense. And that they suddenly begin to realize Uxbridge is a wonderful place to call home and begin to play a positive role to make our community better. A wish that Uxbridge and Durham councils and their staff are diligent in their budget deliberations, and will manage to keep any tax increase to a bare minimum. A wish that all politicians will set party politics aside for a while and work together on behalf of all Canadians, and Canada as a whole. A wish that our economy will turn around and those who lost their jobs will soon be gainfully employed. And businesses will go back to being successful and doing good things for Canada and Canadians - especially shareholders. A wish that our justice system will start treating criminals the way they should. Having Chuck Guite, found guilty of masterminding the AdScam plot that cost taxpayers millions, paroled after spending only 7 months of a 42-month jail sentence is a joke. No wonder so many feel that crime pays.
And finally, a bottle washed up on shore. I picked it up and while rubbing off the sand a genie popped out. “Thank you, Harry, for freeing me from this small prison. For that I will grant you one wish. Whatever you desire.” “Anything?” “Yes. Anything - name it and it will be done.” I told him that I love travelling to Newfoundland but I detest having to depend on the ferries and the wild Atlantic weather. I asked him to build a causeway from the mainland to Newfoundland so one could travel back and forth at will. The genie scratched his head and said, “Wow! Do you realize what a tremendous task that would be? I would have to sink huge pylons into the ocean floor. Then I would have to allow for the damage the rough Atlantic waves could cause. And the high winds would be another major obstacle. I'm afraid I am going to have to turn you down. This wish is impossible. Please make another.” Thinking for a minute I said, “In that case I would like to make a wish that we do not have to see a photo of Anne Holmes or the name Anne Holmes mentioned in any of the local or national media for the entire year.” The Genie thought for a minute. Finally he grabbed some paper and a pen and started writing. “Would you like a sidewalk and a bike path on both sides of that causeway, Harry?”
Nuff said. Have a wonderful 2009. Add your own wishes to the list and work to make them come true. Have a cold one and keep smiling. With the present economy, smiling may not always be easy, but you'll feel a whole lot better if you do.
