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4 The Independent, Canadian Statesman Weekender, Bowmanville, Saturday, May 7,1994 Cat Escapes After Being Caught in Tree Book Recalls Post Office History From Page One drive in, park for the day, and join car pools on their way into Oshawa. "We had an awful time just getting our rural contractors in and out just to load the mail." Sometimes the lobby got a little crowded and the volume of mail was enormous. Valentine's Day was another Christmas. And at Christmastime, Christmastime, families would send out as many as 200 greeting cards. Business Business relied on the post office instead of couriers for parcel delivery. In 1957, the old post office was tom down and the new building at Temperance and Church was built. Although Vice regretted the demolition demolition he was grateful for the extra floor space. Mail volume continued to grow. The heaviest year for Christmas mail was December 1977 when there were 954,000 pieces of mail handled by the Bowmanville staff. Today, the central sorting depot in Toronto is capable of sorting millions millions of letters per day. Post offices in Enniskillen, Courtice, Newcastle and NewtonviUe have closed. A couple of years ago, Vice fully expected the Bowmanville post office office to close, but ever since Prime Minister Chretien announced that no more rural post offices would close, it has been given a temporary reprieve. reprieve. If it does close its doors to the public, as Vice feels is inevitable, it won't cost the community its identity identity as some critics warn. "The problem is not the absence of a central place to meet, but rather that with all the new residents coming, coming, no one knows their neighbors anymore. One used to know everyone," everyone," he said. "Solina lost their post office but didn't lose their identity because they were a close knit community. This is the secret. Whether you have a post office or you don't, it's your social activities, and the way you operate your community with other services that keeps the people together." together." Mr. Vice has written two histories histories for the Bowmanville Rotary Club. Copies are $10 and all proceeds go to the museum. Florence Bain and her husband alerted Animal Control officers when a stray cat became trapped in a hollow tree. Apparently slipping slipping in was simpler than slipping out for the little black feline. When town woikers were unable to coax the cat out, they chipped away at the hole to make exiting easier. Later reports showed the cat had managed to escape. Students Arrive on Quebec Exchange From Page One them over the years," Slocombe said. Another dignitary Charles Kennedy Kennedy from the Northumberland- Clarington Public School Board Office Office told the group how happy he was they had arrived safely. He said the cultural and language exchange will open up and develop ties the children never expected before. After the speeches, the Ontario Street School students presented the students billeting with them a gift of a Blue Jays baseball cap and a number number of pins and buttons from Clar- ington, the school board and the province. Fortier asked the students to wear the caps to the different places so they would fit right in. On Thursday the students were to be treated to a performance of "Misanthrope" "Misanthrope" by the students at St. Stephen's Stephen's Secondary School in the morning. In the afternoon they were off to the Metro Zoo. On Friday the students were whisked away to the Science Centre, Centre, the CN Tower and a Blue Jays game at SkyDome. Saturday is a Family Day, time when the students have a chance to relax with the families who have taken them in. The three-day trip ends on Sunday Sunday morning, May 8, when the students students once again board a bus to the airport for the return trip home. While here, they have been speaking English and when the students students from Ontario Street School go to Sept-Iles, they will be conversing in French. Locally owned and operated by Glen Morris DO YOU KNOW YOUR BLOOD GLUCOSE LEVEL? MAY 4 FREE TESTING FROM 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. RESULTS IN 60 SECONDS RECEIVE HEALTH ADVICE 'Weic&me ait!! Wednesday Health Day Depression Help can make a difference For a free brochure about depression, call 1-800-268-0999 OR CONTACT YOUR LOCAL CMMA BRANCH AT: ( ) SPECIAL invitation to people living with diabetes Do the test with the Glucometer Elite _ 1 ,. r , --2^ ELITE from MILES Entering the new generation ot Glucometer Automa tic system Smallest blood sample No cleaning required. Simpler and easier than ever üLL'CO.N F.TER ELITE ' In collaboration with: Daniel Bouthillier, PHD, biochemist from Dialab Hugues Beauregard, MD, endocrinologue Miles Diagnostiques (Ames). fllmfinwc Some stores operate on an appointment basis. Ask lor more details! 50 Mill St. North, Newcastle 987-0000 ©