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6 -- PORT PERRY STAR -- Tuesday, July 14, 1987 One Woman's View by Chris Carlisle Big excitement in town these days. History is being made and we're all a part of it. After two hundred (give or take a few) years, we're getting house numbers. No longer will the courier trucks scoot on past -- *'I'm the third on the left with the duck on the lawn!" ---- six times without ever stopping. No longer will the courier companies call to say they've been out eight times that week and still can't find the place with the white flagpole and no flags. No longer will the companies you're doing business with raise their eyebrows when you tell them you're at fire hydrant number such and such. "You live at a fire hydrant?" they ask, totally uncomprehending of our little village's system." "I don't live at a fire hydrant, the fire hydrant's on my lawn and there's a sign beside the fire hydrant with a picture of the fire hydrant and its number." That's so the fire department can find us, seeing as we don't have house numbers ---- at least we didn't until now. Even with the fire hydrants and individual distinguishing features ---- no two houses or lawns in this village are alike -- deliveries or instructions to visitors on how to find you, were a headache. A lengthy discussion always followed whenever you gave your address. And there were always the "we can't deliver to a fire hydrant" comments after which you'd try to explain they weren't delivering to a fire hydrant, but to a house near the fire hydrant. To say it blew city folks' minds is like saying traffic is getting bad these days. The question always followed as to why we didn't just get numbers. Some people did. Chose any/number they liked. Didn't mat- ter what order they were in, as long'as there was a number on the house. Now thanks to the efforts of the Block Parents organizers, the township has drawn up a plan and given every house and cottage a number. The big question now though, is what kind of number to get and where to put them. Suddenly the style and colour of house numbers is on everyone's mind. When one walks into a store, those racks of numbers that weren't even noticed before, are the first thing to catch the eye. This is a major decision time. We've never had to buy numbers for our houses (as long as we've lived here) before. To help us out in this amazing new world of shapes, sizes and textures, the township has gone so far as draw on the back of our number map a sample of numbering available. Peel and stick at 45 cents each. The diagram shows us that they are black numbers on a gold background and even tells us which nearby store carries them. Such an overwhelming purchase must bewilder us and I guess we need help, being such novices at the numbers game. We've been officially asked by the township to erect numbers three inches high (for easy visibility from the road) by the end of August. I'm not sure what the sudden rush is after all these years. Maybe they're expecting a massive September invasion of delivery trucks, or busloads of visitors who can only relate to numbers and not fire hydrants, ducks, elves, windmills, rose gardens, trout ponds and col- ourful houses. ~ So now that our "needs will be better served," I'm not clear on how I feel about it. Suddenly, my house is just another house on just another street. At least when you gave your address in respect to the fire hydrant, all kinds of visions sprang to mind. With number- ing, the houses lose their distinct identity and charm and become just another number. We're now a village of numbers ---- just another settlement keeping up with progress. We're citified. Life will be much easier with numbers but still I'm sad. The village was so much quainter yesterday. So much more unique. Chatterbox (From page 4) And then she said, 'Do a col- umn about us on haying. On women's lib!" How can you refuse your own grandmother? And she did have a point. It must have been a real sight, the three women out in the field, lugging bales of hay in the tradition of the Hooper men and their hired hands. I'm willing to bet there was a lot of giggling going on as well. More than likely, the hateful job was also a lot of fun. So anyways, Grandma, here's the column on women's lib. Maybe some day you can take this space and write about what haying was really like in "the old days." I'm sure your column would be more interesting than mine. LEI ELE] Just a few more words about my Grandma. | She doesn't live in Buttonville anymore. My Grandpa, Charlie Hooper, died a few years ago and now she resides in a Stouffville apartment. She doesn't get out to Scugog Township very often, but when she does, she thoroughly enjoys the shopping on Port Perry's beautiful Queen Street. Other than that, and reading the Port Perry Star, she doesn't have a lot to do with Scugog. Which is why I was very surpris- ed, and touched, that she was so generous towards me, and the Scugog Chamber of Commerce, in the Sexy Man-Sexy Woman Contest. At the end of my visit last Tues- day, as I got up to leave, she dug her cheque book out of her purse, and wrote a very sizeable dona- ~ tion to the Chamber of Com- "merce, in the form of votes for me in the Chamber's contest. I couldn't believe the size of the cheque. Overwhelmed, I threw my arms around her, gave her a big kiss, and said, "If I win, Grandma, you can have the prize." : "You'd better," she replied, trying to sound gruff. As I write this column, it is ear- ly Thursday morning. At this point, I have no idea how I fared - in the contest, although I doubt very much if I won. However, 1 just want to say, Grandma, that I tried very, very hard. I campaigned mercilessly because I really wanted to win you the prize. I know I've given you, and my family, some trying times over the years, and for some reason, I think that winning the contest for you would be making everything up. 'I also know you're going to read this column, as you read every one, every week. So I'd like to take this opportunity to say thank you -- for the donation, for everything you've done for me, and for just being you. Scugog also owes you a debt of thanks, as the funds you gave so generously will help make this place a better place to live. And to visit. So visit often, Grandma. It's great to see you. Speaking of thanks, I also owe a great deal to other people who helped me in the contest. To Dennis Anderson, thanks for loaning your car lot and equip- ment for the car wash. To Joanne, Rob, Melissa, Doug and Joy, - thanks for helping wash those cars. To Gerri-Lynn O'Connor, Dr. Tom Millar, Nelson Cochrane, the Police 'Dept., and all those who gave so generously, thanks for the confidence. And a special thanks to Bill Barr, who's a sucker for tears, and who matched my Grandma's donation. 3 EL EL Viewpoint by John B. McClelland (From page 5) Those old fashioned bench clearing brawls are a thing of the past (almost). ; Not so in major league baseball. There have been several bean-ball incidents in the past week or so and each one resulted in a wild melee around the pitcher's mound. A batter gets hit with a pitch, charges at the pitcher and the next thing you know there are 40 players from each team scuffling and pushing and throwing a few punches. Do any of these guys get hit with heavy - fines or suspensions for their efforts? Does Sports Illustrated do a lengthy article about goon style tactics in baseball? Is there any hue and cry about brawling in baseball? Naw. People say it's just part of the game. And besides, nobody ever really gets hurt in a baseball fight. But the minute a couple of guys start swinging.in a hockey game or (heaven forbid) players come off the bench to fight, peo- ple start throwing up their hands and saying, 'OOOOH, what a vulgar sport." Politicians (looking for a headline or two) threaten to have the cops lay assault charges. Do you ever hear that after a baseball brawl? ae ae of of 3c ae oj oe ofe of 'And finally, how can you tell when the heat is getting to my "brain? I write a stupid column like the one you have just read. Yes, dear readers, last week was not one of my better ones at the Port Perry Star. I had toyed with the idea of writing about the demise of good manners in today's society, but canned the idea for fear of offending someone. Writers Block is-a nightmare for me. And last week the Block was larger than usual. I need a rest and in about a week, I shall be packing my family in the car and heading north for a couple of weeks at a cottage on a lake near The Soo. I'm looking for- ward to this. No phone, no TV set, no columns to write, no photos to take. Just a cottage, a beach, a boat, the fishing pole, and an army of black flies and mosquitos. | I shall use the time to re-charge my tired batteries and humbly promise, dear readers, that future columns will be of more substance than this one. ail Random o- CE J oO - - i Nn € In addition to these specific jobs, Larry has been 44 "on the organizing committee, which has been by J. Peter Hvidsten meeting since last December, and for the three days of Festival Days, he, along with numerous other directors put in 17 hour days to see the events went off without a hitch. Other Scugog Chamber of Commerce members A GREAT FESTIVAL I wasn't going to write a column this week, but it's 7:30 a.m. Monday morning, and aside from sit- ting at a typewriter, this ole body of mine doesn't feel much like doing anything. Not that I'm the only one that feels this way to- day. There are dozens of people who worked their bodies to near exhaustion in the intense heat of the Festival Days Weekend, and no doubt they all feel the same way. Being one df the organizers of Festival Days, there is no doubt that I will be a little bias in my com- ments on the success of the weekend, but to me there is no question it was a tremendous success. From the opening kick-off with Miss Canada reading a letter from the Prime Minister of Canada, to the final Bahamian Extravaganza on Saturday night, thousands of people took part and had a great time. There are so many people that have contributed countless hours to the success of this years' Festival Days, it is dangerous to mention any names at all for the fear of missing someone. But there are a few who come to mind that do deserve a special pat on the back and I'm going to take a chance on mention- ing them even if I do miss someone inadvertently. First of all, there would never have been a "Bahamas Festival Days' if it had not been for the untiring efforts of Larry Emmerson. Larry has spent between two and four days a week this past month travelling back and forth to Toronto in preparing the event with the people of the Bahamas Tourist Office. He spent last Thursday night in Toronto picking up Miss Bahamas at the airport, and was up all night Saturday to make sure the "Boss and the Conch Shells' and Miss Bahamas were in Toronto for an early morning flight back to the Bahamas. who have put their hearts and souls into the event during the past three days are -- Bill Barr, Elgin Knopp, Earl and Jean Cuddie, Don Harper, Debbie Jones, Miles Knutson, Rob Wearing, Linda Emmer- son and so many others that the names escape me now. The Port Perry business community can also give themselves a round of applause for their efforts in making their stores look like authentic Bahamian merchants. The decorations, the clothing and the ef- 'forts by the business community did much to make the weekend a tremendous success. The overall winner in the competition for the best decorated business went to Personal Touch, where they served champagne cocktails to the judges and kept them cool by waving fans over the heads while (Turn to page 8) Sa hi dia oC ot ib pies: