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-WITBY FREE PRESS, WEDNESDAY, JULY 27, 1988, PAGE 5 Lucas Letterpress stands beside bis desk, quietly cradling the *phone. Atfour foot ten inches, Lucas cen stand beside the desk and look most seated persons in the eý'e. ý I"Actioni down at the Lone Star," he says, loudly enough for the rest of the newsroom to hear. The newsroom is that of The Fiat Tail, the only paper published in Beaver, Ont., and the only other employee within hearing is Myrtie.Myrth, who is also the entire cleaning staff. Lucas, besides being the editor and publisher of The Fiat Tai], is also the proprietor and the entire editorial staff. Nevertheless, he repeats, "Action down to the Lone Star." Witb that, he slips on bis jacket --the first indication that this is a maýjor story -- and loads bis camera.. Myrtie waves as he -heads out the door. The L .one' .Star is two blocks away. Outside the Lone Star a crowd'bas already begun tgather. A buzz is in the air,. and Lucas finds bis way .blocked. A few deft blasts from'bis flash unit menit some attention, and a path opens for him. "Make wvay for'-the 'press," soméone says. "Hey! Lucas! Stand up!" yells soma else. "Lucas is standing up!" roars another. Lucas bas. heard al the short stuff jokes he cares to eignores the -quipsan d fdshme iie The Lone. Star.:.,ý, A few years, back. tbe townfolk burned down the old Lone Star one July 1 in a fit of Canadian patriotism. 'Stréngthened by large Molson's muscles, tbe crowd bad seized anything with a foreign flavor, and flgured that.The Lone Star fit t he Texan mold *more than Ontario, and so it had. to corne down. That le&t-the. town's social elite only one place to bold meetings: the McDiona1ds'réstaurant on iver Road.' But then inayor Johnny Çannuck' bluffed bis way tbrough the Free 'fade Poker Stakes, subtly forcing Samn Yewessofeb to rebuild the, Lone Star. It is this building that'today stands, and'in wbich Lucas finds .him'self. By DebbieLuchýukI The Pickering, .. Ajax. and Whitby Animal Control Centre (PAW) bas been reminding owners of their responsibility to "iscoop" up after their dogs in parkland areas., PAW bas put patrols in the WITH OUR FEET UP by Bill Swan Staeked deck Inside, the Tonkey-Honk piano tinkles out a tibald rune (sic). Glasses are raised; voices stumble in the crowd. Lucas bits the dock on al, fours, crawling between legs until be is néear a voice h e recognizes. 'Mayor Jobnny," be says, tugging on the rnayor's Guicci laces. "What?" "Down here," prompts Lucas. "What? Oh! Sorry, Lucas, almost stepped on your fingors. What can I do for you?" "What's it ail about?" asks Lucas, finally'getting to bis feet and pulling bis note paper from bis pocket. "Heard he'd done it." "Who?" asks anotber voice in the crowd. "Razor Strop," replies the mayor. "He's gumming up the deal. He~s flying in the facé of Saloon Wisdom. He's ... 1"He stole Mayor Johnny's FreTrade Poker Stakes cards," explains anothor voice. "Ho's got -the wbole dock up there witb bim, at the Senior Citizons Pool Hawl and Nursing Home. Says beys not coming down until the town elects bim mayor." Bent Broadaxe, leader of the, Beaver Amalgamated Workers (BAW), squeaks Up: 'What he's doing is not demo cratic. Goodness knows, I tbink Mayor Jobnny's wbole deck of cards is loaded witb deuces and threes and is short a suit or two. And everybody knows rve always wanted to burn down the Nursing Home for years." Lucas flips shut bis notepad and everyone shuts up. "Great quotes, everybody," be says. "But now rve really got to talk to Razor Strop. S1Strop is the jock's politician, bis two eyes forever sbarpened to. a single focus, like a pole vaulter trying to straddle the pole. Lucas catches him on the verandah. Is ail this true?" Lucas asks. "Yup." "You bave the whole deck in- there?" ere"Yup. Not that there's much in that deck. But wregonna hl htd nteetl h oscome "You mean until the municipal elections tbis fall?" "Same tbing." "And thon?" "Look, as mayor again Ill get a new deck of cards and stack it witb aces and ings and queens and everytbing. This deck stinks. t looks like nothing but euchre counters." "Are you sober?" Lucas asks. Razor Strop. slaps bis thigb. "Soer! That's a good one. Here, in the bouse of sober second thouglits! Keeping these senior citizens awake after lunch is a big priority. Nobody ever said tbey also had to be. sober." .Lucas returns to the newsroom. Myrtle is stil sweeping the paper'clips from under Luke~s desk. "Film again?" she asks. "~He went out to lunch yesterday," Lucas replies, "and I don't think he~s coming back." 'coop' patrols continue in parks parks on a rotating basis in the tbree towns, patrolling early in the morning to speak to pet QF WHITBY .GOLD I& Dý:IAMOND CENTRE à' SHJRA'S DIAMOND GIVEAWAY % .Name------------------------------. fAddress- -- -- -- -- -- -- - ---t----_ 1 A Phone Nos.--------------------------- il Artist's ilendition. Ladies' diamond cluster ring. -1/½ t. T.D.W. 14 K. Appraised value $1,650.00 between Miracle Food Mart & Woolco 10 a.m. - 9:30 p.m. Monday - Saturda l3ring in tNis adi and get an additional 10% off our already low prices! I Not valid in conjunction with any )j other coupon offer. ý ienedÇCredit &c len r on.ý aarpYtÎmbau owners about the necessity for the "poop and scoop" prograni, according-.-to manager Carole Lange. "We're introducing ourselves to tbe public, explaining about tbe bazards to children'sbealth, and giving out pamphlets on the program," said Lange. "We advise pet owners that it is wise to do it (scoop), but we are not enforcing this at present. This is an educational exercise at the moment, and. we hope that tbey (the people the patrols contact) will pass pamphlets around the noighborbood." Lange said that on the wbole, pet owners' contactod by patrollers bave been responsive to the program. "A few of themn I saw alroady had plastic bags and shovels, and were glad to pick up (after their dogs)," she said. "Lt is a privilege to bave a pet and we pay a lot of taxes for beautifful nqarkc.." 600 EC ID Ta e Y 66-51 3-33 Special Ser-vices *Watch Repair *Jewellery repair *We buy aid jewellery I Tade-ins * Estatejowellcry *Appraisals * Custom Design 436- 9070 -di