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Places I've Done Time been a hockey player. So. I Bell. Dinger, was his nick- Hard Times Clifford Francis As a boy, I remember the minister coining to our house. During one of our conversations conversations he asked me what I wanted to do when 1 grew up. "I'd like to be a sex symbol," 1 replied. Mother frantically tried to explain that what I really wanted to be was a surgeon. surgeon. Many times in my life, I regretted not having listened to my mother. As a teenager I did jobs that most country kids do. I worked on a farm harvesting Students are assessed In three major ways: by thé classroom teacher through day-to-day observation, tests, quizzes, projects and other activities; by system wide testing of Grade 4 students in literacy, and Grade 8 student student In mathematics; and by province-wide testing of Grades 3 and 6 students in, reading, writing and math. The system-wide and province-wide assessments play one small part In the overall assessment of how an Individual student is progressing. progressing. All of these assessments assessments are based on the expectations and standards of the provincial curriculum. The Grade 3 and 6 EQAO assessment is scheduled from Monday, May 15, to Friday May 19. Quebec Exchange 2000 The final preparations are being completed for the cul- ' tural exchange between Grade 5 & 6 students from Orono P.S. and Kirby P.S and students at Ecole Ste-Helene In Normandln, Quebec. The Quebec students will arrive In our area on Wed. May 31 and our students will leave fpr Quebec on Wed. June 7 and return Sat. June 11. Choir Feat 2000 On Thursday, May 4th, the Junior Choir will be par 1 ticipating in Choir Fest at Port Hope United Church. This Is a non-competitive event which provides choirs with an opportunity to pèr- Christmas Trees. That was a real hard job, bending over every ten feet ahd planting a tree. 1 vowed never to seed or plant another tree, but in the end, I helped grow and ship millions, of them. 1 often thought long and hard about what I wanted to do for a living. Like every other kid who wants to be a hockey player, I did too. Fat chance of that, I couldn't skate, couldn't see, and was not big enough. I sure would have liked to be a baseball player. A nice life. Stand out in right field and dream, chew tobacco and talk to the fans. 1 chewed form for an audience and to We are enjoying the practices practices in the gym as Mrs. Bek and Mrs. Caron rehearse for this event. have accomplished something in my life. Once I bought an old scow and thought maybe I would try commercial fishing on Lake Ontario, but 1 got sea sipk and couldn't even be captain captain of my own boat. I still have the hat, and I drank hundreds hundreds of bottles of rum. I know sea captains do that. When 1 was 17 or so, I went to northern Ontario to work in a lumber camp in the winter, cutting pulp and cord wood. I thought 1 might get the job of climbing the tali trees and cutting off their tops. 1 was in for a rude awakening. Since 1 was the youngest person in the camp, 1 was teamed up with the oldest oldest man. He was a kind old gentleman named Henry Brown from up near Chapleau Ontario. Without Henry I don't think I would have survived. survived. We worked well together, I ran the chain-saw cutting down trees and cutting them to length for pulp or cord wood. Most of the trees were scrawny birch, poplar or jack pine and black spruce. Henry taught me to pile the wood, knot-to-knot, that way it took less wood to make a cord. A cord of wood is four feet wide, four feet high and eight feet long. Piling it knot to knot, a squirrel could run A man by the name of Johansen ran the camp, and on the second day there, I had trouble with his brother-in- law, a man named 'Dinger' name I guess. Camp consisted consisted of three bunkhouses and a combination cookhouse- /kitchen. One day when 1 sat down with my supper, I got knocked to the floor, food and all. I had sat in Dinger's spot at the table. Even though I was too frightened to talk about it, he was 'on my list. He didn't know it, but I would get even, some how. The next morning I warned him, if he ever touched me again, I would stick him with my knife. He just laughed and said, I was too small, scrawny and blind to hurt him. Henry said, - time had sapped his strength and health, or he would have helped me, and most of the other guys had problems of their own. Things at the camp went well for several weeks. We worked six days a week,- and on Sunday we did as we pleased. Most everybody everybody took a bath on Sunday, and washed their clothes. I slept in a top bunk, and one night when I.' couldn't stand the smell of someone's socks or boots, 1 threw them outside. The next morning when I came back from breakfast, 'Dinger' was waiting waiting for me. They were his boots and socks. ing. Not only did'he punch me, he put his boots to me. He hit me so hard, 1 thought my guts were gone. T finally rolled under the bunkbed so he couldn't kick me anymore. I had lumps on my ears and head the size of eggs. I laid in a bunk for two days and didn't work for a week. They eventually eventually moved Dinger to another another bunkhouse; I guess the boss couldn't fire his brother- in-law. Henry made me a cane out of a piece of gnarled maple and he told me to carry it at all times. Henry smiled when he said it, and I knew what he meant. Henry also taught me the fine art of chewing tobacco. That turned out to be a blessing blessing in disguise. The tobacco Henry chewed was called Golden Rod or Chum. It came in squares and was cut off with a jack knife. It was black, strong and bitter. Not like the chewing tobacco we get now that is full of molasses and very sweet -- like candy. There was no drinking allowed in camp, but occasionally occasionally someone would bring in a 'crock', and it never caused any problems. One Sunday, I was coming from the outhouse when 'Dinger' confronted me. He had been drinking. "Where 'is your club?" he asked. I had left it 'in the bunkhbuse, and he was between me and the door. Sometimes you just got to do what you got to do. He grabbed me by the throat, and when I remembered the beating beating he had given me, I spat a mouthful of tobaccc^ juice in his face. He let go real quick. A kick to his family jewels and a few more where ever 1 could, soon made things equal. I ran to get my club, but Henry said, "that was enough." He looked a site, covered in tobacco juice, blood and tears. Some asked me if I was remorseful for what I had done, and I had tô honestly say, ."no, not for one moment, ever." I was sent home after that, for which 1 was glad. Thanks Henry.- I still see your smile and you saying, "what goes around, comes around." / i Thp Orono Weekly Times is offering a 'FREE' Classified Ad Section just for Kids'. If you're 14 years of age or under, you may place an ad (20 words or less) iri our classifieds simply by filling out the form below. This is an opportunity for you to advertise free of charge-- articles for sale (value not exceeding $50), articles wanted, or simply a greeting or announcement! *4* % '<6) ( nt Name . School Grade.. Parent Signature ... ■ • Heading- % I 8 I I I i I I 1 $ CC £ Call me to buy or sell... Orono and area's real estate representative... Krystyna Jones 983-6013 Sutton Group Dynamic Realty Inc. Bowmanville (905) 697-1700 It's a seller's market out there! Not enough listings for buyers! ..CALL ME! hay and grain, picked potatoes and other types of back- enough tobacco to be a base- breaking work. ball player, and 1 have enough One spring 1 planted scars and stitches to have Orono Public news EQAO Assessment receive an adjudication. between each log. He gave me a severe beat