I haven't decided if it's because of the profuse vegeta- tion surrounding my place or, whethcr it's just because anirnals and birds naturally regard me as a 'mark'. Either reason results in Uhc sanie thing - they aIl come to my yard to set up housekeeping. Birds are thc worst offenders. For many ycars 1 had swallows around Uhc house and thcy would nc57t somnewhcrc in the caves but the payoff was the year they nested in the cave of the back door dormer. Not only couldn't [go out Uic back door of my own house but 1 couldn't even go into the back yard. Worse stili 1 couldn't even let the dog into the back yard and whcn onc day hie wandered back there the *mating swallows attacked lm like a squadron of jet planes attêmpting to polish off a sluggish bomber. When 1 wcnt out to rescue thc bewdlclrccl dog thiey startcd on me, buzzing me so low 1 could'feel their claws brushing the hair on the topof my hcad. My muttcred HEGIAS4 It's flot very often that Toronto and Uic arèapress get a chance to cover a major ncws sibry such as thc recent shooting rainpage in Brampton. This was, almost, ait international story; three dead, scores of people injurcd in a*wld shooting spree. How did the press tackle this story? Did they do an excellent, good or poor job in covering a fast-moving story? And who were the winners and losers in the media after Uings had calmed down? Wdll, here is my own assessment. For Uic overall cover- age of thc Brampton draina, the Toronto Globe and Mail vîcked up most of thc points for journalistic excellence. he Globe had less time to prepare their stories and pictures tl-an any other Toronto newspapcr and, therefore, one did not expect very much fromn the Globe. But, surpris- ingly enough, byseven o'clock in Uic evening, Uic Globe had things wrapped up vcry nicely. And, by nine o'clock Uic results were scen in Uic Globe's first edition. One big, well-played photo on front l5age, along with threc stories and mug-shots of students.who were involved in Uic shoot- ing incident. The second front was dcvotcd to pictures - most of them adequate to tel Uic story. Here, howcver, 1 must point out Uiat Uic Globe's bcst pictures wcre supplied by the Canadian Préss. Indced, CP had to bc complimented for fast action in gctting thcsc pictures out of Brampton in lcss then two hours from the tirne the first shots werc fircd by Michael Slobodian. Second ini coverage (spcaking only -(, newspapers) was the Toronto Sun which bristled with blood-hiursty pictures, stories and drawings. Sun did an excellent job on pages 4 and 5, but prcscntcd a rather weak front page to its crime- hungry readers. The best CP picture of Richard Shadrach was mangled by a poor cropping (the Hiamilton Spectator got the maximum effect out of this photo) and the Slobodian picture (a holiday shot) was overplayed. Also thc .gebefe front-page layout was hodge-podge. Onc good picture and a story would have said it ail. The %us& centrcspread did not rate better: too many pictures of Uic -Coming Soon FURNITURE STRIPPING unique flow-over process no dip tanks or cffustics used wiII flot h arm veneer, glue, wick.r or metoil no dipping MacNeil's Furniture and 413 Dundas St. E.t Bus. 668-5481 explanations ýto them that it was 1 te i who ownied the building they were using as home didn't seem to have the proper impression. Finally, after their eggs hatched I had to evict them with orders that they were black listed and not to bother coming back. Like a naive fool I thought my troubles were over but the next ycar it ail started over again only this time with grackles. They sought refuge ln an old whiskey barrcll1 had obtained to use as a ramn barrel. I hadn't yet taken the top off the barrel so it was intact cxcept fodr the bung hole whichi the gracklcs thought was their doorway and so it was. They wercn't as aggrcssive as werc the swallows- but they squawked ail day long. To buld a ncst thcy grabbed everything avalable- including string from my hammock and picces off my patio umbrella. Probably the thing I disliked most about the grackies was the fact that they are a lot like seaguils whcn it comes to lcaving their tradernarks. My black car is a favourite target and as this kind of mess will actually eat into the paint I'm forever washing spots off the car in the Spring. Thei joker who extolled thcvirtues of live and let live obviously did flot have a backyard full of grackles and a car covered withi white blobs. tuutting the lawn can be a session because of my temper- amiental lawnmiower but add to that flic dog droppings and thc odd toad and the whole thing turns into an obstacle course. There wais one toad around the yard which 1 carne to nickname as ."Wilberforce" and on~e day lie actually spent a hialf hour stretclîed out, on mny cat's chest while she in turn lay on thc grass stretchcd out ini the sun. 1 had to give Wilberforce 'A' for nerve. He not only flaunted dcathi with the cat bult he insists on taking his constitutionals just about the time 1 cut the lawn. So as a resuit I have to be constan tly on the lookout for hlm -and siune nature - ail showing injurcd people, except for two bland shots on page 43. The Toronto Star's coverage 1 can judgc, only by tic Uiree-star edition. The front page photo showing a wound- cd student being lifted mbt an ambulance was Uic worst kind of news picture 1 have scen in a long time. It was a nothing picture, not worth a "Star photo" credit line. Pages 2 and 3 also reflec Led Star's inferior coverage of the shoot. ing incident. The stories seerncd to explain what did hap.. pen at Uic Brampton high school, but you couldn't teli it from looking at Uic photographs. By comparison, Uic Brampton Daly Times (a small-town -newspapcr with only one photographer availahie at a tirne) lookcd like a winncr ail Uic way. Their pictures told Uic wholc story - vividly and graphically. The two T oronto television stations were also caught (so to speak) wiUi their pants down. The CBC, as expectcd WANTED AD A San Francisco newspaper ran this ad from the classified section: "Wanted, executive age 22-1 80. Job entails sitting with: feet on desk from 10:00 toi 4:30, watching others work. Must be willing to play golf, every other afternoon. Salary to start, .$1.000 a week. We don't have thîs job open. Just thought you'd like to see in print what everybody is applying for," TONS"LSOUT One guy was told b>' his doctor that his wife should~ have had her tonsils taken out when she was a 11111e girl. He had the operation perforrned-and sent the bill to his father-in-law. SUMMER PUNCH Hot days are almost here. Here's an idea for a cool, sumnmer punch-cranberry-4 apple drink, combined with bubbly soda, lernon slices and fresh minI leaves. Upholstery Whitby , Onfario - Res. 668-6524,' Maxine licenscd ing in WHITBY FREE PRESS, WEONESDAY, JUNE 18, 1975, PAGE 6 lor dog droppings which when h It< by the, lawnmower 1?ades f111'the air with debris and a pungent odour that can, only be remnoved by a bath and lots of soap. Robins too regard rny backyard as, a favourite nesting place.' Every Spring there is a flurr of thievery as they industriously build 'îests just about anywhcrc they figure cats can't climb. Although they needn't worry about mine because whenshe goes out it's on, a lea.sh to prevent her from, finding bird nests the ncighbour's cat 's are a vcry big thrcat. As a resuit' the whole group wil suddenly' start scolding and wil keep up thieir din until,, indesperation, 1 will f'ind the offcnding catskul king in th 'e bushes and give it the word, or ratheï the broomn. ,At Urnes the din is 50 great you can't carry on a conversation. Naturally rny friends are veiy sympathetie. Whcn 1 ex- plain how unnerving it can be some days to try to sit out on the patio thcy usually'counter with somcthing like, "Well you know birds of a feather flock together!" if Rodney Dangerfield thinks hc don't get no respect he should have my friends for an audience somne night. Thcy would have him reduced to tears and whimpcring within minutes. Anyway my latest incident is with a cat who showcd up one day as pregnant as she coùld be. To proteet the babies 1 fed the mother and gave hier vitamin pis 50 she would be in good shape for the birth. In a secluded spot on my patio she had four darling lîttle kittens which are corning along very nicely. As repayment for ny kindness the mother has hissed at me, picked a flight with my cat, The Duchess, and stalked the birds. This past weekend she abandoned her babies and Quail, the mark, is now stuck with raising her four-week old babies. Two are Iight sand coloured, one tortoise-sheil and one ginger coloured. Why not cail the Whitby Free Press and leave a message that you'1l give one of them a good home - before I go complctely bananas! providcd the bcst overail coverage, mainly because they uscd the Tempo News S ervice filrn-bcst avalable at that time. Whilc Tempo News Service pcople did an excellent job in Brampton, the CBC bunglcd up thc eleven o'clock news by presenting thc wholc story incqhcrently and down- right pedestrian-like. Howcver, 1 arn told, that Uic çarly evcning ncws carne off much bcttcr. It sccms to me the CBC has too rnany chiefs and not enough Indians. whcn ncws stories of this nature have to be put together from various news sources. Thle Channel 9 (CTV network) tried 10 tel Uic Bramp- ton tragedy in words, but not in pictures. That is too bad. 1 thought Uiat's what television is aIl about -the visual side of Uic story. The vacancy at CFTO was filled by al radio stations in Toronto. As usuai, their on-Uic-spot --ov- erage was par excellence. TONY'S HAIRSTYLING Announces its ncw Unisex Services. Wc are now licenscd as Men's Haîrstylists. Tony has an excelent reputation. Paul Specializes modemn cutting. is an expcrienced hairdresser specializ- (almosî) everything. in long& both a Bcauty Salon and Mike is a wcll known cstablished Whitby stylist. And announcing Uic- aljoint- ment of Sissy - a wcll known local liairdrcsscr specializing in the modemn look! Monday, Tucsday, Wedncsday 9 a.m. - 6 p.m. Thursday, Friday 9 a.m. -9 p.m. Saturday 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. Blair Park Plaza 668.5441 - - -- - -- - - - r - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -