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2 Friday, May 26, 2017 brooklintowncrier.com Less than Half the Picture By Richard Bercuson The Place To Be Is Right Here While it seems everyone around here has been to umpteen Spring Fairs, some of us are newbies. Spring Fair #1, 2015 - We roll into Brooklin to visit our daughter's family who live around the corner from the fairgrounds. We attend the parade and note that, while it's longer than expected and less "un grand spectacle" than, oh, the Rose Bowl Parade, it's also darned cute. The pipe and drum band has me hop- ping and stomping, my lack of self-control a bit of a storied family embarrassment. We explore the fair, inside and out. Clearly this is a big deal. Okay, so it's not Disney nor even Montreal's old Belmont Park. Then again, it's not meant to be. Belmont Park, which closed in the early 1980s, was the place to go for crazy rides. I once rode the roller coaster with my buddy Jim who screamed and laughed and waved his arms. He was having fun; I wanted to die. The whole place reeked of stale roasted peanuts. Throughout our first Spring Fair's events, we stroll neighbouring streets. Neat place to live. Must be crazy during that weekend. Later, we get the name of a realtor and begin window shopping. Spring Fair #2, 2016 - We now own across from the fairgrounds, the realtor's magical tale of a sale. The Ottawa house has just been sold but moving day is later in the month which means owning two homes for what will become months. Ouch. The Brooklin "summer home by The Fair" is, shall we say, sparsely furnished with an inflatable bed, an old purple easy chair and enough paper plates and plastic cutlery for the monthly treks to ready the place. On the Fair's Saturday evening, I relax on the front porch with a beer and the ferocious watch dog at my feet suspiciously eyeing passersby. Smoke, accompanied by intermittent thunderous vrooms, rises from the "track" at the far end of the grounds. The parking area, aka the pooch's playground, is jammed. At 11 pm, vehicles race from the grass, off the curb and onto the road. A few perform circus-like 360s and head into the dark. I give each one a score for creativity and another for chutzpah. Then it's quiet again. Spring Fair #3, 2017 - Now fully ensconced as a Brooklinite, I look forward to watching the unfolding mar- vel of how the entire production gets set up and taken down so efficiently. Of course, it'll be noisy - a demolition derby no less - and crowded and perhaps smelly. Horses, goats, and sheep, after all. More country music. Not CCR nor The Band, but toe-tapping fun anyway. Belmont is long gone; Disney is another planet. With sweet little grandkids around the corner to traipse through the Fair with, home is a front row seat to the Fair, about as good as it gets. As for the parade's pipe and drum band, watch out for the hopping and stomping. "Proud to be a Brooklinite" Founded in 2000 and published 24 times per year. Editor, Richard Bercuson 613-769-8629 • editorofbtc@gmail.com The Brooklin Town Crier is locally owned and operated and is a publication of Appletree Graphic Design Inc. We accept advertising in good faith but do not endorse advertisers nor advertisements. All editorial submissions are subject to editing. For advertising information, contact: Marissa Campbell at 905.655.7642 Email: yeswomanbrooklin@gmail.com Next Issue: Friday, June 9, 2017 Deadline: Friday, June 2, 2017 Refugee Group Gains Support A group calling itself the Brooklin Refugee Steering Committee has met with tremendous support during and since a May 18 Town Hall meeting at the Brooklin Community Centre, as reported in BTC's May 5 issue. In an effort to begin fundraising efforts to support a Syrian family, it attracted over 75 people to that evening while more than 160 have become followers on its Facebook page. Also in attendance at the May 18 meeting were Regional Councillor Derrick Gleed and Ward 4 councillor Steve Yamada. Brooklin (Ward 1) councillor Rhonda Mulcahy was out of town. According to committee chairperson Sarah Jones, "The response from the community has been incredibly supportive and it is what the steering committee expected, that people felt connected to the cause and want to help. Participants were offering their gently used furniture items, asking to buy clothes and household items, sign up for many of the open roles and donate to the cause already." Brooklin's Prima Dance Academy has even agreed to post a fundraising meter outside of its Baldwin St. building. More information can be found on the Brooklin Refugee Mission facebook group while inquires, including about how to donate, can be made to brooklinrefugeemission@gmail.com. Financial donations can be made to the Brooklin Refugee Mission by visiting www.brooklinvillagechurch. com and selecting the 'donate now' button. Charitable receipts will be issued for donations. Earlier this month, Whitby's town council members underwent Blue Umbrella training from the Durham Region Alzheimer's Society. The next week at Council the Durham Region Alzheimer Society presented them along with two local businesses (including Brooklin's Bryson Insurance) with training and recognition certificates. The training is free to local businesses and is designed to encourage a dementia friendly community.