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WHITBY FREE PRESS, WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 1987, PAGE 15 Another Halloween has come and gone and this year was quieter than most. Appears as though all the little ghosts and goblins chose to behave themselves. Or maybe everyone is just plain growing up. Whatever the reason, it was a pleasure not having to witness the phone booth in Brooklin burn down again, or for that matter, the entire stretch of Baldwin St. from the bridge to the bank covered in splattered pumpkins and burning leaves. There was, of course, the customary eggs thrown at the previously soaped front windows, but that's harmless fun and can readily be handled. The remembrances of Halloweens past got me to thinking about the number of children we used to have knocking on our door. Although not as many cared to come down the main street, the houses being much closer together and therefore promising more goodies in the least space of time in the subdivision and older part of town, we were always good for 30 little urchins or so. This year, six little ones knocked on our door. Everyone of them was either accompanied, or being carried by, and adult. A sign of the times I guess, and a shame. Buàt then again, maybe word of our household "spook" has got around. Yes I said spook, as in ghost, as in mysterious apparition. We really do have one, although he, too, has been scarce as of late. As a matter of fact, we haven't heard from him for about a year now. When we first moved into our house (which I must add is some 150 years old), he drove us crazy. Took us a while to figure out what was going on, and then we reached an un- derstanding. We started to realize there was something a little.odd going on after we had been in the house a few weeks. My 14-vear-old daughter was only nine months old then. She was a pretty.good baby. Never cried. Never made a fuss. Al of a sudden she started waking up during the night. RIEWPOn T by Roxanne Reveler Spooked Every night. And each night I would squint at the digital clock beside my bed and note it was ten minutes past two. It never varied. Just at that point between sleep and wakefulness, I would always hear faint mumblings, a hint of laughter. But by the time I was awake enough to zero in on the noise, it disappeared. When I entered my daughter's room, she was always sitting up, always smiling, always quiet. As the months passed, I kept trying to get out of her who she was talking to. Where her friend was, so to speak. She never let on. She never denied she was talking to someone, but then again, she never admitted it either. This 2:10 nonsense continued for almost a year. One night, after having been out at a party until shortly before, my temper broke loose. I had just fallen into a deep sleep when the faithfull 2:10 alarm sounded. I marched into the room and shouted at no one in particular. "Enough is enough, I don't want you bothering Kristen or waking me up again." It never happened again. I have always believed "spook' to be the ghost of a child. It never did anyone any harm. Its pranks were mischievious. Although my mother did insist once that it tried to push her down the stairs. We have heard little footsteps walking around down- stairs in the middle of the night when a check showed all to be safe in their beds. One of the funniest experiences happened about three years ago. My son had a large fan in his window which he would turn on full blast when he retired. By the time I went to bed it was like Antarctica in his room and.I would always turn it off. One particular night, I followed by routine, only to hear the fan turn on again before I had reached my own bedroom. I went back and turned the fan off again, proclaiming to number one son to leave it alone. I hadn't taken three steps outside the room when the fan went on again. This time I was mad and pounced into the room. A check showed positively that sonny boy was sound asleep. This time, I closed the door and waited. Sure enough, on went the fan. Within a second I had the door back open, and sure enough, son was snoring it off and there was no one in sight. Again I shouted my "enough is enough" speech to thin air, and again all the nonsense stopped. By now you get the idea. We had a little spook around here. Perhaps he is still here even though we haven't heard anything from him for such a long time. Perhaps, now the children are almost grown, he has tired of our company. But whatever the reason, I admit I miss the lit- tie siinker. Life isn't nearly half as interesting anymore. At least that's the way it looks to me. Driving range, mini-golf proposed on Taunton Rd. A driving range, mini-golf cour- se, open ice rink and eating establishment make up a recreation plan for the northeast corner of Thickson and Taunton Rds. Steve Nitsa, whose gas station plan was previously approved and is now under construction at the corner, has applied for the abutting recreation uses. He says the driving range will be unique because it will have greens, at 150, 250 and 300 yards, at which golfers can aim from 30 tee-off locations. Nitsa, who has a landscaping company, also proposes an 18-hole mini-golf course with "intensive" landscaping, comparing it to one in Peterborough. He said the "natural, open-air" ice rink will be somewhere between 5,000 to 10,000 sq. ft. in size, and for Town staff numbers inadequate to remove snow Ihe public works department does not have enough staff to clear snow from community mailboxes during the winter season. That conclusion was presented to an operations committee Monday night after the department looked into Town staff clearing snow from the boxes instead of Canada Post. hiring a third party, on a suggestion School funding FROM PAGE 3 proved an unprecçdented four new schools last year. But the board has already identified a need for 19 schools in the region over the next five years. The board hopes all new schools will include day care centres even though the government has not of- ficially stated it would extend fun- ding for the in-school day care program which began earlier this year. Mather stressed ministry ap- proval for all five schools would really be a mixed blessing as it would mean the board would have to assume the financial burden of constructing five schools at the same time. Sandra Lawson, who chairs the board, echoed those thoughts, reminding that the ministry funds less than 55 per cent of the actual project cost. Since 1972, the board has avoided debenturing (loans which are paid back years later with added in- terest) by adding a one per cent surcharge on local taxes and drawing on capital reserves. Lafarga added that despite an in- crease in provincial funding last year, money was still tight with the majority of grants going for the construction of new facilities. This, she said, left very little for the upkeep of existing buildings or renovations. But even if the ministry deems to grant funding for the five schools requested by the board, it is felt the board will still need another 40 por- table classrooms, bringing to 324 the number of portables in use in Durham. from councillor Joe Bugelli. Bugelli had suggested the Town clear the snow while it is clearing sidewalks, then charge Canada Post for the work. But thé department said ap- proximately 40 per cent of the community mailboxes are not on sidewalks. "If all the mailboxes were located by sidewalks it could be- considered reasonable for the Town to do the clearing. Where there are no sidewalks the Town would have to send a crew out to do the work and it would be done manually," stated the report. The report also noted the Town concentrates snow clearing on heavily travelled sidewalks, with secondary sidewalks waiting until they are cleared. "This arrangement is not suitable for Canada Post or to the residents," concluded the report. works department told the commit- However, the Town can submit a tee. tender for the snow removal to Canada Post if it wishes, Dick Council will vote on the recom- Kuwahara, chairman of the public mendation next Monday. Hospital logo contest a big bit Whitby General hospital received 94 entries in its logo contest, far ex- ceeding expectations, according to hospital administrator Jim Miller. Theft from marina store Radio equipment, a rubber dingy and assorted tools valued at $5,500 were stolen from a 40 ft. sailboat while it was stored at Neptune Marina in Port Whitby. Police say the theft occurred between Oct. 17 and 31. I M D: ,TI skating only. Hockey won't be per- mitted. A neighboring property juts into the applicant property, in the rear portion. The owner of that abutting property was told by Nitsa during a recent administrative committee session that a bermn and cedar hedge would be put in as a barrier while trees would be planted at the rear. A recommendation on. the ap- plication is later to be made by Town planning department. LOST!!! One blue Go- Bot school bag cont aining one pair of. boys eye glasses. Lost in Brooklin school area. Pleaste phone 653-4739 after 4.30 or 655- 4951 during t he day. Miller said he was "delighted" at the response. The hospital's public relations committee will announce the win- ner later this month after reviewing all entries. 5 th Anniversary Specials until Nov. 28/87. Maxel Videotapes VHS -T-120 of BETA L-750 Ex Grade $7.49 each or 2 for $13.98. While quantities last E guipment C learance WAS Anniversary Sale Price Philips VRT 90 VRT 98 VRT 100 529.00 549.00 629.00 MICROWAVES Philips 153 MT MW 413 MW 6060 MW 8060 TV's Philips PRA 178 PRA 188 PXF 195 299.00 499.00 349.00 399.00 689.00 799.00 999.00 011113 only, only 429.00 469.00 549.00 only 229.00 only 399.00 only 279.00 only 319.00 only 529.00 only 649.00 only 799.00 SAVE 100.00 80.00 80.00 70.00 100.00 70.00 80.00 160.00 150.00 200.00 76 BALDWIN ST. BROOKLIN 655-3306