PAGE 8, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 4,1978, WHITBY FREE PRESS Toclay let's diverge a bit. I've spent thè last few columns taking a poke at other people. Today VIl rake myself over the coals for awbile. Did you ever wonder what possesses someone to write a weekly column in a local newspaper? I started writing a weekly column way back in 1962 for the Chatham Daily News. Chatham, as you know, is the home of such illustrious people as Ferguson Jenkins and D'Arcy McKeough. 1 was something like 18 years old at the time, and was asked by the local bureau chief for the news, a fellow by- the name of Max Heath, if I wanted to do some writing for the local paper. Why not? .Max started me on obituaries. It's amazing how much is irivolved in writing obituaries. First of ail, you have to be sure that you're writing about the right person. I had to take à course.in writing obituaries once every week for nine weeks. And the fîrst person who's obituary I wrote was my own. The scene between myself and my boss went somethîng like this: "Okay, Roberts, just to see what you can do, let's have you Write your own obit. <Newspaper people like to use abbreviations -- it's like a secret code.) "But I'm not dead, boss." "Could have fooled me. Anyhow, it's just practice." Sol pen in hand, away I went: "After a-long illness, John Roberts, 18...." "Whatý long illness," asked the boss. "What did you have ? "Oh, I don't know. A broken stige]."1 "What's that?" "Don't know that either. But it sounds good." "Sure. Anything. Start again, will you.", 'After suffering a broken stigel....' "I thought you said it was a lengthy illness?"l "Yeah, well, you neyer know about these things." This went on for nine weeks. I ended up flunking obituaries. So they put. me on high school news. My second venture into the newspaper world was with the Ncrthern Times in Kapuskasing, Ontario. This time I was tdld to write about anything I wanted. After two weeks of writing about anything I wanted, and the kindest comment about my work being "nobody understands what you're trying to say," I was hack to writinE the hiL7h sehool news. So, after a year of writîng obituaries and high school news, and another year of writing anthing 1 wanted and high school news, I'm now writing about downtown Whitby. I wonder when the editor is going to ask me to start writing the high school news? Cableca st listings Cablecast 10, Oshawa, Whitby, Bowmanville and Brooklin Programs, Wednesday, Oct. 4th to Tuesday, Oct. loth, 1978. Wednesday, Oct. 4th 2:30 Where It's Happening 3:00 Expression... 3:30 Middle Easter Dance 4:00 Durham Dialogue 4:30 Soleil with the French 5:00 To Be Announced Dve Stewart and Dorothy -Brown (C.E.C'. Report)-' 6:00 Let's Find Out with Scarboro Foreign Mission 6:30 Special:Knights of Columbus Cable T.V. Bingo.... 7:30 Education Scene with George Pearce 8:00 Whity Then & Now with Brian Winter & Jim Quail 8:30 Expression with a Variety of Topics.$ 9:00 Rescue with Topical Guests 9:30 Sign Off with Host: Dan Statham Canadian Club of Oshawa Thursday, Oct. Sth 2:30 3:00 3:30 4:00 5:00 5:30 6:30 700 7301 8:00 8:30 Friday, Oct. 6th 3:00 The New Leaf 3:30 Conception 4:00 What Does the Bible Say? 4.-30 Whitby Then & Now 5:00 Voice Italiana 6:00 Whitby Report with Mike Burgess & Steve Porter 6:30 Sign Off To Be Announced Let's Find Out Rescue Let's Discuss It Education Scene Evening Report The New Leaf with Host: GordV Soleil Conception .with Bill Jeanes Where It's Happening Oshawa Power Squadron Report Wick Wum The accent is on agreat dea,. on the Plymouth Volaré you want! IHWY. NO. 2 Se Village Plymouth, Chryster 401 VILLAGES PLYMOUTH CHRYSLER LTD. 1355 Narwood Ave. N. Ajax Monday, Oct. 9 (closed for Holiday) 4:00 Expression with a Variety of Topics 5:30 Evening Report with Bill Jeanes & Dave Stewart 6:00 Joint Venture with Host: Lorna Miller 6:30 Voce Italiana with Ercole Foresta & Carmen 730 Durham Dialogue 8:00 Whitby Council Meeting Coverage 10:00 Sign Off NOTE: ALL PROGRAMS ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE WITHOUT NOTICE 918 BRO0CK ST. N. WHIT8Y CHAR BROILD EVERY TUESDAY 2 BABY CANADIAN LOBSTER OR TO AVOJO DELAY PLEASE CALL FOR RESERVATIONS 668-9369 EVERY SUNDAY VEAL CUTLET From 12 Noon - 10p.m. 4 ncluces. oup or luice, choîce of baked or pan f ries or r îce, ice creamn, tea or coffee. VES, wem bave a kiddies menu et $1.95 IME OCONS M69ÀOO WATER LOO CAMBRIDGE SIR AT F0 R ORAMPTON à ' 683m5358 FAST BANK APPRO VAL $895