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LJ | | - comfortably in 10 -- PORT PERRY STAR -- Tuesday, April 25; 1989 | [ff The To Streich Singing those pet store blues When | was but a wee, little gaffer, rarely would | hound my mother with the traditional, "can | have a puppy Mom? | prom- ise I'll take good care of it, and feed it and everything." | guess that was largely due to the fact that in our family, we usually had at least one dog kicking about somewhere. After five long, lean years away from home with no pet to ak of, it's time for a change. I'm finally on my own, (and pos- sibly staying in one place for more than a month or two?) and | get to make the decisions which govern my household. Let's face it, I'm lonely, and it might be nice to have some animal companionship. Something cute and cuddly which isn't too hard to take care of (girlfriends don't qualify). I'm a grown man, and J can have any pet | wantto. |can, | can, | can! ' Unless my landlord won't let me. Well, my selection is necessarily somewhat limited, living where | do, but the decision is still complicated. Apartment pets have to be small, well behaved and practically odor-free. And with my busy work schedule, the critter must be able to get along for days at a time, with little or no supervision. So, dogs are out, (sniff). | really don't care for the furballs with claws which some call cats (I'm still hung up about their as- sociation with witches). And farm animals are a negative. I might have room for a small bird cage - no peacocks or parrots - something like a budgy, canary or finch could work out. But | must admit that | have an aversion to being wakened at dawn with loud chirping and simulated rooster-crowing. What about rodents? They are small, easy to look after, rel- atively clean etc. Problem is, after wasting years of my child- hood watching hamsters or gerbils running on a wheel, going * nowhere fast, | might find them just a little dull. Maybe I'm too fussy, but insects (including arachnids) aren't in the running. | had an ant farm once; they got loose and made a terrific mess! It nearly broke my heart to RAID them later. The solution is obvious, | can choose between two fascinat- ing categories of animal, reptiles or fish. Itis gonainy a close race in my eyes: Both classes can live g ass enclosures. Both require some heating and feeding, but little other daily care (except an occassional clean- ing). Neither will leave hairs on your apolstery or messes on your rug. Neither is noisy or odiferous (if you are careful). In my opinion, lizards are very interesting to observe; with their forked tongues and slow ponderous movements. Fish are very pretty to look at; bright colours and rythmic moverments. Of course neither is appreciably intelligent, but you can talk to them and be guaranteed a captive audience (they won't walk away and leave you talking to a wall like cats | have known). You can also move lizards and fish easily, or give them away quickly (or flush them? ... NO). Now comes the moment of truth. What'll it be Rob, the liz- ards or the fish, the fish or the lizards? Wait a minute. | haven't yet considered frogs or turtles or crustaceans or marsupials or snakes or mollusks or plants or .... - CHEMICALS & ACCESSORIES - LOGAN'S POOL 8 Years Serving Blackstock ahd-Port Perry Area Pumps - Filters - Blankets pd) Pool Kits (inground & Above Ground) ESET RO AWS! Rollers - Pool Furniture - etc. immed 22 Greensboro Dr., Blackstock 986-5404 Mon.-Fri. Evenings 4 to 8 PM Saturday 8 AM to 6 PM SUMMER HOURS: July & August Mon.-Sat. 8 AM to 8 PM "Experience is what keeps calling your attention to how little you've learned." * businesses in Letters ii: A few comments about changing town To the Editor: I wonder if you can stand a few more comments about recent "changes in the area? At times I find Mrs. Olliffe's col- umns trivial but last week she brought up some excellent points. I believe she is right to question Councils motives regarding affor- dable housing. It doesn't take a genius to see that "executive" homes bring to this community the type of people (and their money) that are "desirable." It would be nice to think no one is forced to live on welfare, mother's ~ allowance or a disability pension. The study of sociology tells us that 70 per cent of women over age seventy live at or below the pover- ty level. Industry is creating more part-time and low income jobs than any other. and the middle class, as Mr. McClelland once suggested, is shrinking. This means that more and more peo- ple are living on inadequate salaries or pensions. Where in heavens name are they supposed to live? Farmers make up less than 4 per cent of the economy yet farms are being gobbled up by developers for subdivisions. Not affordable homes for young peo- ple with small children, but big homes with pool sized lots. Mr. Moehring plans to build condos with prices that reflect the "luxury" built into them. Frank- ly, I find the notion of towers and condos inconsistant with the idea of a rural village. It disturbs me to see our com- munity begin to follow this trend. Yes, times change, all good things must end etc., etc., but by letting hundreds of homes be built and not address the needs of the average and low income families we will only be adding to the pro- blems of lack of parking, over- crowding in the schools and no dumping facilities, but they will be faced by a wealthier class of people. Ms. Rowland mourns the pass- ing of Poplar Park and I can also remember happy times spent there with my cousins. I grew up on the Island so I can sympathize with her when I recall swimming Unfair that all snowmobiliers being punished (From page 8) If Council & Police would deal with these people as individuals, rather than snowmobilers in general, the problem may be more readily solved. We believe the full impact of this proposed by-law has yet to be realized by the community. Snowmobilers of Scugog Township will no longer be able to ride from their doorstep, they will be forced to trailer their machines to the closest trail or lakefront, where parking is already at a minimum. Snowmobiling is a big part of winter tourism and a source of revenue for a number of Scugog Township. It will not only be snowmobilers that will suffer. : Just because you own a snowmobile does not make you a snowmobiler. Just as being elected to politics does not make you a politician. S. & M. Baker, Scugog Township Stevenson's Point (executive homes) and seeing cattle drink at the lake on Gerrow's Beach (more executive homes) and when I think back to Guide out- tings on the north end of the island. You know, the nice greenbelt area that the M.N.R. wants to pave, turn into a cam- pground. Am I the only one who has wondered how anyone (camper or resident) is going to get on or off the Island on a Sun- day night when traffic is backed up half way to Caesarea? I'm sure people using the church (Turn to page 20) Janice Sadler, grade 13. 52 years ago. Gladys Fiss of Mount Zion. of Directors. interesting places. business in Port Perry. Bunn presen Woman of the Year. Remember When? (From page 7) 30 YEARS AGO Thursday, April 30, 1959 Ted Griffen was elected to the office of Chamber of Com- merce President at a luncheon held at the Flamingo Restaurant. He takes over the position from Arthur Panabaker. Congratulations to Mrs. Wm. Real, Port Perry, who celebrated her ninetieth birthday on April 23, 1959. Jeanne Williams, daughter of Mr. Williams, Port Perry, was honoured at a ceremony in Convoca- tion Hall, Toronto, recently. On April 2, Jeanne received her Gold Certificate from Mrs. J. Keller MacKay, Honourary President, Ontario Council Girl Guides Association. 25 YEARS AGO Thursday, April 30, 1964 Miss Sylvia Lawrence, a grade 13 student, was chosen Queen of Cartwright High School at their 6th annual 'At Home" dance held April 10th. Princesses were Glenna McLeod, grade 11 and Mrs. Fred Hodgson (Isabell Hurd), Queen Street, Port Perry arrived at the Port Perry train station from Yorkshire, England, Over 200 Cubs, Scouts, Brownies and Guides paraded to the Port Perry United Church for their first official Church Parade. On the reviewing stand in front of the library were Mrs. H.T. Cook, of Pickering, Central Area Guide Commissioner; Mr. R. Arnold of the training staff, Camp Samac, Oshawa; Mrs. A Roach, Port Perry, Division Commissioner; and Gerald Nelson, representing the Group Committee. Miss Junia Langille, who moved from Port Perry to Ux- bridge last year, was chosen Queen of Uxbridge High School last Friday evening at the annual formal dance. Three district girls, members of the 4-H Homemaking Club, were recipients of Provincial Honours at the 4-H Homemaking Club Achievement Day held in Uxbridge last week. Congratula- tions to Lois Downey, Marilyn Downey, Brooklin North and Mrs. Mrs. Grace Hastings was paid tribute for her splendid job in directing the operetta "Tom Swayer,"' presented by the students of Port Perry Public School. Mrs. Hastings, who is the school's music teacher, is retiring next year. 20 YEARS AGO Thursday, May 1, 1969 Mrs. Wesley St. John proudly cuddled her new born daughter, the first baby born in the new Community Memorial - Hospital on Paxton Street. She was born on Sunday, April 27th at 10:38 p.m. and weighed 7 1b. 10%. oz. Chairman Harry Phoenix presented Mrs. St. John with a silver cup on behalf of the Board Mr. and Mrs. Wallace McMillan and Doug of Orillia and Mr. and Mrs. Ken McMillan of Moose Jaw, Sask., called at Mr. and Mrs. A. McMillan's home in Greenbank on Friday. Mr. and Mrs. Hugo Bradley, Epsom, returned home recently from their vacation to China, New Zealand, Australia and other Congratulations to Mr. and Mrs. George Skelding, Blackeiask 0. their in Wedding A Yr Miss Mountjoy was chosen Queen 0: twright High School at the 11th annual "At Home," held on April 25th. Princesses were Lorie Turner and Diane Taylor. 10 YEARS AGO Wednesday, April 25, 1979 Scugog Township council has voted unanimously (A purchase at 2.4 acre parcel of property on the Port Perry waterfront at a cost of $155,000. Property owners in Scugog Township can expect their 1979 municipal taxes to jump by about ten percent. : Tammie Demerchant was crowned At Home Queen and Lois VanCamp & Linda Duivesteyn were princesses for the 21st An- nual Cartwright High School At Home dance. Dowson's Red & White food store set another milestone this week with the celebrating of their 30th year in the retail food Rowland, president of Beta Sigma Phi chapter Elizabeth Fulford of Port Perry with a silver tray & symbolic yellow rose after being named by the organization as The Seagrave Cubs spent the weekend on an outing in Toron- to accompanied by their leaders. and Mrs. Murray - i i i 1 | 4 f 1 7