THE editors of the Mirror, Stabroek News, Chronicle and Catholic Standard met this week to consider a complaint by the Mirror that a recent Chronicle report on the suicide of the wife of a prominent politician was insensitive and unprofessional in that it referred to an unnamed illness from which she believed she suffered giving rise to an innuendo that she had a fatal contagious disease and thus smearing herself and her family.
After a thorough discussion of the matter the editors agreed that the public had no legitimate interest in news about the purely personal affairs of public or other figures where no crimes or other aspect of public impropriety was involved. They agreed that they regarded this as an unwarranted invasion of privacy and not a proper matter for news reporting as it appealed largely to a prurient interest. They further agreed not to report such matters.
The editor of the Chronicle said he had no intention of smearing the politician or his family as he did not intend the innuendo that the deceased wife had a fatal contagious disease. Accepting now that it could bear that implication he regretted the publication and offered his apology to the family.
Stabroek Family Magazine
Edited by: Miss Desiree Wintz
Getting out of the decorating doldrums There are some parts of your home that are unavoidably drab – at the bottom of the stairs, in corners, behind doors and on stump walls. Sometimes there are major problem areas – bathrooms, kitchens and bedrooms. A lot of people put all their creative effort into their living room. Use flowers to deal with spots you can’t handle. Order from your florist or create to suit your taste.
When redecorating for Christmas, there are some things you should remember.
FOR SMALL ROOMS
It’s amazing what a little bit of white paint can do. You also need a lot of storage space – book shelves, three or four tiered plant stands, entertainment centres for television, tape-recorders, books, and stereo systems.
For bedrooms the old time chest could double for a vanity. Store shoes on a shoe rack or a shoe bag that could hang behind a wardrobe.
SAFETY
Do not buy your toddlers gifts with tiny parts they could take off and swallow. Do not buy your toddlers gifts with sharp points that they could damage their eyes on.
Christmas is also the season for fires. Don’t melt polish on the stove. Do not melt linoleum for polish on stoves. Watch kerosene stoves working over time with pepperpot. Keep your kids away from squibs and home made bombs. They are not only very dangerous but illegal.
DOING IT WITH FLOWERS
Chief Citizen Compton Young had some ready ideas. A visit to his shop showed his creativity kissed with holiday madness. He got pine cones from the hinterland for special Christmas wreaths and made candle arrangements to decorate the table. Besides the usual Christmas reds and whites he used as centre pieces — black. And the black flowers look good. He also made use of a lot of things we ignore or kick aside every day. Abroad, twigs are big. Choose twigs that you feel will make interesting arrangements, paint them black and decorate with little artificial flowers (periwinkles and rose buds are fine they are currently being sold on the pavement, three for $100). Cram these into a large vase and —presto you have an interesting arrangement.
Surprise yourself with grasses, dry their blossoms, as many as you want, they’re free. If you look closely in your yard you’ll notice many different varieties. A manicole broom turned upside down in a clay pot, dried and painted coconut ‘crowns’ from your friendly water-coconut vendor, dried nenwa, the leaves of the seaside grape all make first rate alterative for your vases. Vases are plentiful and cheap. Buying one is a good investment for they last ‘forever’. Even cracked ones are considered art these days. Mayor Young got his beauties from Black Jewel.
