Cape Breton's Magazine

ered a greenhorn. Today you're a European --you're not called a greenhorn. You haven't got that title. It's a big differ? ence than it was then. (You mean among the people of the Jewish community?) Yeah. You were more like a greenhorn--you know, just came over, you don't know anything. But then after awhile you get in with them, then you're okay.... I think I'm satisfied with my life, you know, what I've had. I can see difference in our thinking here. But I think our val? ues, I think, have gone down, from when I peddled. It meant--going to church was a big thing. You know, there were a certain amount didn't, but it meant good. A lot of places you never ate until somebody said Grace. If a policeman came into the house-- you know, say, "Hi, sit down, have a cup of coffee." Today if he comes in the house-- "Aw...."--the neighbours: "He had it coming to him," you know, "What's going on?" And I remember many a time when a priest or a minister used to come into the house. Nobody got excited if it was lunchtime. The mother would say, "Pull over'. Put a chair in there for Fr. So-and-so," or whatever it is. He sat down, there was no excitement, nothing--just squeeze yourself in another chair. Nobody touched anything till Grace was said. Today if a priest or a minister comes down to the house, some? body's sick or somebody's dying. Teachers. I remember taking a young girl around the Cabot Trail--I was young. I wanted so much to make a pass at her--kiss her. But how do you do it--a teacher! How can you do a thing like this? You know? The list of causes and organizations for which Jack Yazer has volunteered is long. It includes the Canadian Cancer Society, Red Cross, United Jewish Appeal, Nova Scotia Family & Child Welfare Association, and the Cape Breton Island Regional Hos? pital Foundation, of which he was the founding chairman. In rec? ognition of service to his community, he received an Honourary Doctor of Law degree from St. Francis Xavier University in 1978. He drafted the Yazer 2-Point Merit Plan to promote safe driving. Feeling that young people need an incentive to say "no" to alco? hol and illicit drugs, and to drive safely, the Yazer Plan recom? mends that drivers receive two merit points for each year of conviction-freedriving • rather than starting out as we do today, ''m'' Today, you know.. I mean, those are just the things that I can see. with 10 points on our license. Dr. Yazer feels that an earned li? cense is one that young people will be Inspired to protect. He has been speaking to students about the Yazer 2-Point Merit Plan. And he is gathering letters of support, such as the follow? ing from the President of the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police: 'The Idea of inserting a factor of responsibility into licensing procedures is both novel, and elegantly simple. The problem, of course, is in selling the proposal to the provincial government." Our thanks to Ken and Eleanor Yazer for their help in gathering photographs for this article. MABOU GARDENS Grand Lake Road SYDNEY • 562-6000 Complete Flower Shop i & Wire Service illy • OPEN 12 MONTHS A YEAR! Buy All Your Garden & Gift Needs A COMMITMENT TO CAPE BRETON Cape Breton's Largest Full-Service Garden Centre ' VISIT Florence*! Country -' Traditions ' Gift Shop '~ INSIDE h. ..,.18 i top J