HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Brussels Post, 1978-12-13, Page 2Some ground rules
Photographers and reporters have their own lives to lead. That's
something some people are inclined to forget when wanting pictures of
their local organization, club or sports event.
Of course it is part of a reporter's job to cover these events. And
those who work for the Post try their best. But it is not always
convenient for a reporter to stay around till the end of a meeting to take
photos. He or she may have other work commitments elsewhere and
might also like to have some time off, after a full day at work followed
by an evening photo assignment.
We know it may be your group's party but the photographer is there
to work, not to spend a social, time.
So it is best if photos of events you'd like covered by the Post can be
set up ahead of time and the reporter notified at our office at least 48
hours before the event.. It would also be good for someone to meet the
reporter at the door at the agreed upon time to show him or her just
what you want photographed.
Reporters don't mind covering these events. What they do mind is
being kept waiting, until the meeting ends to get pictures or being told
about the, event the night it is being held.
If clubs and organizations take into consideration that time is
important to the reporters and photographers covering their events it
will make us happier and you'll get more news in the Post.
Just to sum up the ground rules forphotoCoverage as wesee them
from our end. We welbome your comments at any time. Call the Post
to ask for a photographer at least 48 hours before your special
event... if it's on a weekend a week ahead would be better still.
Agree on what time the p13'oto is to be taken (we'd prefer to come
pefore or early in your meeting or would you like to run out at 10:30
to take a photo?) Have someone in your group meet the reporter
it the door and show him or her what photos you'd like taken.
Let the photographer take the photos and quietly leave. You
wouldn't arrange to have a caterer get dinner at 7 p.m.andkeep her
waiting until 8 p.m....please extend the same courtesy to the people
from the Post.
We'll guarantee you'll see the results, better photos and news of . your group, from happier people who work here.
Rowisit.s
ONTARIO
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 13, 1978
Serving Brussels and: the surrounding community,
Published each, Wednesday afternoon at lirussels, Ontario
By 'McLean Bros. Publishers Limited
Evelyn Kennedy - Editor Pat Langlois - Advertising
Member.Canadian Community Newspaper Association and
Ontario Weekly Newspaper ASsociation
C A
Subscriptions (in advance) Canada $9.00 a Year.
Others $17.00 a Year. Single. Copies 20 cents each.
*CNA , - 'f*i M150
4Brussels Post
Optimists float
Behind the scenes
by Keith Roulston
WE'D RATHER FLY -- That May have been thd Brussels- Flying Club's
motto but for the Santa Claus parade they had to be content with being
pulled alOng on a Wagon. (Photo by Langlois)
Nothing is surer to get one into an
argument (with the possible exception of
book banning) than the pros and cons of
relaxed liquor laws in Ontario.
The CTV program W5 last week had a
startling show on the liquor trade,
particularly dealing with the use of topless
waitresses and bottomless dances to
stimulate consumption of alcohol and beat
the competition in what thas become a
huge increase in the number of licensed
establishments in the province.
That, together with my reading recently
of A Clearing in the West by Nellie McClug
and her arguments against liquor tended to
make me focus my own toughts on the
whole situation recently. As ususal it
brought more questions than answers. Oh
there are those who have all the answers to
the liquor question but I think they're
pretty short sighted in their solutions
whether they be advocating outright
banning or throwing the doors open even
wider.
There's little of a temperance movement
background in my family for that matter, a
record of consumption that would gladden
the heart of a government agent collecting
liquor taxes. Wine and the odd bottle of
something stronger come into our house-
hold and I see no reason to st op them. But
I must confess, unfashionable as it may be,
that the growing prominence of booze in
our society causes me some concern.
What brothers me is that drink is
supposed to be something one does as part
of enjoyment of something else, not as an
end in itself. Bars are included in places of
entertainment to add to the pleasure, just
one more little convenience. But now it
seems to more and more be becoming a
case of the tail wagging the dog. The bar is
becoming more important than anything
else.
When Theatre London decided to rebuild
the old Grand Theatre a survey was done of
patrons to see what they wanted in the new
building. The answers were oberwhelming
in two areas, Patrons wanted comfortable
seats and a bar. If you go to a fashionable
restaurant the food may seem expensive
but the chances are that the thing that's
really keeping the place in business is your
tab at the bar,.
Most musicians these days earn their
living by working in bars, being the carrot
that draws people into the barroom So they
can, drink. The drinks are what pays the
musicians. Even then bar owners are
switching more and more either to discos
Or to topless waitresses and exotic dancers,
partly because they are cheaper btit also
partly beeause people tend to drink more
while watching, parts of the female
anatomy bob about.
We've got a lot of expensive new arenas
and community cnetres around these days
that are paying their bills by the revenue
turned in by the bar.
It seems impossible these days to do
anything without there being alcohol
included. Theres even been a big outcry
because they can't serve booze at baseball
game in Toronto, making the city the only
one in the major leagues without beer sold
in the stadium.
And the only theatres in Canada that
make money are those performing cabaret;
where the audience is willing to pay
enought by buying drinks to pay the cost of
production. If they were asked right out to
pay enough in the price of admission to pay
the full costs of the show they'd probably
say no, but they're quite willing to pay less
to get in then spend enough on drinks to
make the show profitable.
And then of course there's our govern-
ment, the biggest benieficiary of all (next
to the liquor companies) from our new
penchant for booze, booze and more booze.
In a time of declining revenues those liquor
taxes look pretty good to governments.
But what's the answer? I don't know.
Nellie McClung and her temperance
reformers thought that banning the pro-
duction and sale of alcohol could solve the ,
problem but we know now, after the
prohibition debacle that that won't work. I
recall even as a youngster going to local
dances before the days of bars at dances
and seeing drunken brawls far worse than
anything we have today. The men would
disappear from the dance to "have a quick
one" out at the car. Unfortunately that's
exactly what it was: too quick leading to
easy drunkeness and plenty of unpleasant-
' I remember too the days when alcohol
wasn't as easy to to get as it is today when
there used to be bootleggers in every
corner of the township. Ob 'viously just
making it hard to get didn't make people
drink less, it just added a criminal element
to the procuring of drink.
Obviously the only real answer is
convincing individuals to drink less or not
at all. Let's face it, booze is really a pretty
unnecessary part of our lives. It's also a
pretty expensive unnecessary part or our
lives. We'll scream about the high cost of
food but still drive down the Brewers
Retail and load up the trunk every Friday
night.
Sure We could get along without it and be
better off for it financially, mentally and
bodily. Trying to get people to make the
big decision, however, is far easier said
than done.