PAGE 4, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 26, 1985, WHITBY FREE PRESS PubIubdevryWefeday MICHAEL KNELL by M.B.M. Publishing Communlty Editor and Photography Inc. Phone 668-61Il VALERIE COWEN f zmpmAdvertising Manager The Free Press Building, 131 Brock Street North, Second Class Mail Voice of the County Town Michael Ian Burgess, Publisher - Managlng Editor P.O. Box 206, Whitby, Ont. Registratiof No. 5351 The only Whitby newspaper independently owned and operated by whitby vresidents for Whitby residents. For their contributions to the community Volunteers deserve to be recognized Last Wednesday, the Town of Whitby held its 15th annual Sports Recognition Night at the Heydenshore Pavillon. The primary function of this exercise Is to recognize those young, amateur athletes who have excelled in their sport over the past 12 months. During this year's festivities, past and future Olympic champions were honored as were other athletes who have made a name for themselves. But perhaps the most important part of the Patronage aside, the media ln Ottawa seem to have an obsession with what they regard as the "perks" of office. For example, Mula Mulroney now has some space and staff In the PMO, and there are people who feel that this is Improper, that Mr. Mulroney has somehow burgled First Lady status for his wife. But a Prime Minister's spouse has always had a tough and thankless job, and If an office makes things easier for her, and takes a load off her husband's mind, then as a tax- payer, I am happy to pay for It. Unhappy marital situations can interfere with the affairs of state, and we don't need very long memorles to be sure of that. The fussing about the redecoration of offices and residences also seems to be somewhat misdirected. It has been pointed out to me that British Prime Ministers have always had to put up with the furniture, and pay for the running costs at Number 10 Downing Street, includlng domestic staff and entertalning. About the only thing British Prime Ministers got out of Downing Street Is living there rent free. But surely that practice grew up in the U.K. because until recent times most Prime Ministers were from the upper middle crust of British soclety of the upper class itself. Surely we do not want to limit the Prime Minister's office In this country to men and women with money. Much has been made of the use of government aircraft. The Defence department walved a $3,800 charge for the Prime Minister to do a political errand, and critics suggested the Tories should have been billed for It. That may be, but if it were left to the media and the opposition to decide what was political and what wasn't, there would be no government flights at all. Less fuss has been made about the fact that the Minister of Transport, Don Mazankowski, was bumped from an Air Canada flight recently for a passenger who had checked ln ahead of him. As a taxpayer and a traveller, I am pleased to know that this is still a democratic society, but I have to ask myself why the Minister of Transport, presumably on urgent national business, was wait-listed on Air Canada in the first place. Surely that is a waste of our time, and ultimately our money. We constantly give ministers hell for not doing what we elected them to do. Surely we should give them the tools to do the job efficiently, so that they can get on with the business of saving us $30 billion and not just nickles and dimes. evening was set aside to recognize those people who stay In the background: The volunteers. Those are the people who organize the tour- naments, the schedules, who raise money in a variety of ways to ensure that amateur sport stays strong in the Town of Whitby. Coun. Marcel Brunelle said It best when he remarked that without volunteers, the Whitby sports organizations simply wouldn't exist. It is because of their efforts that Whitby Is home to two Canadian champlonship teams. Volunteers still form the backbone of the Minto Cup cham- pion Whitby Warriors and the Whitby Ice Angels and Ice Crystals of the Whitby Iroquois Figure Skating Club who both won the national title in their respective precision skating category. It is an event such as this and people such as these that truly make Whitby "A Place to Live, Work and Play". Mayor Bob Attersley is fond of saying that ours is a "well rounded community". We have a little of everything. We have the Ingredients needed to make a truly fine town. The main Ingredient is, of course, people. People who volunteer their time to amateur spor- ts, to the hospital, to their favorite service club or charity. Without these volunteers, ours would be a much poorer community. Another thing worth noting Is the diversity of our success. Whitby is breeding champions not only in figure skating and lacrosse but in minor hockey, swlmming, baseball, curling, judo, gym- nastics and rugby as well. This community has recently contributed two members to the Canadian Olympic Team and in 1988, will probably contribute another. That is a record to be proud of. Last week, we praised the efforts of the twin- ning committees of both Whitby and Longueuil for strengthing the bonds of friendship between our two communities for the last 17 years. That too, is a volunteer effort. Volunteers in both communitles make the twInning work. Almost everythIng that makes a community a place to be, a place to be part of and a place to be proud of Is based on the efforts of volunteers. People who give their time, their talents and their energy to the community. Even our hospital was built largely on the effor- ts of volunteers who continue to make a valuable and needed contribution. Imagine what Whitby would be like without the efforts these people - who usually go unsùng and unrecognized - make. Whitby would be a pretty dull place te live. Last Wednesday, 14 local people were recognized for their efforts on behalf of the organization they're affiliated with. They were: Toley and Shirley Wozniak of the Whitby Curling Club; Dr. George Blake and Pauline Norman of the Whitby Iroquois Swim Club; Charlie Morris and Doug Puckrin of the WhItby Girls' Athletic Association; Elsa Bell and Marion Curry of the Whitby Iroquois Soccer Club; Barbara Kernohan and George Ainsworth of the Whitby-Garrard Road Minor Lacrosse Association; Donna Gibney and Fred Martin of the Whitby Figure Skating Club; and, Bonnie Weales and Allan Westcott of the Brooklin-Whitby Minor Hockey Association. To them, our heartfelt congratulations and thanks. WIthout them, this community wouldn't be what it Is today. Their efforts paved the way for champions. Every athlete that was recognized, and deser- vedly so, last week has a debt of gratitude to these people. Their efforts made their achievements possible. And every athlete who was honored will admit that gladly. Volunteers rarely ask for thanks and are rarely recognized. That's part of what makes them special. But this newspaper and this community do thank them and do recognize them.