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"A Family Tradition for 125 Years" PORT PERRY STAR - Tuesday, July 30, 1991 - 7 PRESSING IMIATTERS "HOW THINGS HAVE CHANGED" "How things have changed" We went home last week. Aside from the happiness associated with family gatherings, these trips have become bittersweet experi- ences. The old home is still there. Thankfully, so are Mom and Dad. The little Blue Spruce our Pop planted back in the corner on Mother's Day is there too. Somehow that tiny twin survived lending a bit of quiet dignity to the yard while serving as backstop for countless ball games. Beaten-down base paths are back to grass. The little tree long ago grew over home plate. Tragically, Don "Butchie" Bagnell and Terry Black, part of a tight- knit crew who did their share to make the town of Bow- manville appear larger than life by capturing provincial championships in baseball, hockey and basketball are also gone. Disappearing in stages was the rickety back porch that carved up six year old brother Bob's fore- 'head when he shortened the corner one day. Today it's a screened patio thanks to youngest brother Rick. He's the late-comer, born 11 years after Bob, when Pop lost the '57 election and suddenly found himself with too much time on his hands. Gone too is the wooden verandah at the front of the house. Scared skinny, we stood there that sum- mer afternoon, solemnly staring through windows as young Doc Slemon and old Doc Storey sewed up the red-headed, freckle-face kid's kisser on the dining Our house was over 100 years old when ac- quired for $6000. Never to be forgotten was Dad's first renovation project, when we learned that outrageous sum had been paid for a house so old it was built with square nails! How things have changed. Church Street featured more action from road hockey and touch football games than cars. Once a day those contests came to a halt while Mr. Abernethy stopped his horse to deliver Glen Rae Dairy products to the neighbourhood. King Street was the 'busy' road. It was also High- way 2, the main road from Toronto to Montreal, or Windsor. The 'business section' was on King Street, stretching five blocks from Vanstone's Mill in the west, to Sheppard & Gill's lumber yard at the east end of town. Across from the Balmoral Hotel up the street sat Harry Sutton's barber shop; a place where we spent enormous amounts of time. Haircuts happened at least once a month, and Harry Sutton was the best barber in town. No arguing that. But grass grew faster than Harry cut hair. Man, was he slow. Daylight died early during the winter months, and through the red, white and blue barber pole stripes painted on the window, we watched a zillion days slip away while Harry snipped, and CFRB's Wes McKnight announced the evening news on an old floor model radio. Howcum no tevee? Forty years ago television y John James When The Tube finally appeared, Dad's philos- ophy on domestic money matters didn't help matters: "If you can't afford to pay cash, you can't afford it at all." For years the family often sat in the living room after dinner to discuss where the teevee would be posi- tioned..."when we could afford one." How things have changed. Bowmanville isn't Bowmanville any more. Bow- manville is merely part of the new 'Town of Newcastle in the Region of Durham. On the drawing board at Queen's Park, Regional Government must look terrific. For most folks on main street however, the 'one size fits all' concept stinks. Do newcomers in the town's huge new subdivi- sions care about these treasured memories? Maybe not. But given the opportunity to offer a real communi- ty environment to their kids instead of more big city ur- ban sprawl, the choice seems logical. Council could remedy the nightmare. Thou- sands of signatures have been collected via petitions. But council worries about creating confusion, and notes the expense of changing four-colour stationery, vehicle logos and such. Responsible government, yes? Maybe you need to hear more. Confusion isn't a threat; it's a reality. The real' Newcastle lies five miles (eight kilometers, please) down the road; a tiny village which meant no harm. Now there are two Newcastles, and no Bowmanvilles. Your taxes in action. The same frugal group of councillors, so con- room table. wasn't around. Turn to page 8 Letters to the editor To the Editor: Functus Officio is Latin for hav- ing discharged his duty. Scugog Council has recently discharged its duty by refusing to support the Port Perry Agricultural Society's Application to the Ministry of Recreation and Tourism for a Provincial grant to assist in the construction of a Baseball Diamond on the Port Perry Fairgrounds. The issue of the future of the Port Perry Fairgrounds has in the Safety should be considered To the Editor: During the Festival Days events, the Latcham Centre was in use on the Friday and Saturday nights for a sing-along affair which attracted a huge crowd - many more than the building's rated capacity. The only exits are on the east side of the building and consist of the main entrance at the south end of the building and a small exit door toward the north end of the building. This smaller door is usually open during the warm weather and is blocked by a screen. It would seem that an overflow crowd, many of them smoking, would create a dangerous situa- tion. If the potential for disaster exists, more routes of escape must be considered. N.R. Caswell, 234 Water St., Port Perry, Ont. 'Council "functus officio" past been an issue on which the Agricultural Society and the Scugog Council have had widely divergent opinions. The Agricultural Society has held a lease on the Fairgrounds for the past 105 years more or less; a lease which was renewed in 1977 for a period of 20 years. Recently the Executive Commit- tee of the Agricultural Society met with Council to ask for an ex- tension of the Lease for a futher 20 years so as to be in a position to assure the Ministry that the im- provements i.e. the Baseball dia- mond would have a reasonably secure future. Council in their wisdom felt that they could not renew the lease at this time because it would be premature to bind a future Council. More recently the Agricultural Society asked the Council to en- dorse their application to the Ministry so that the Society might qualify for a Provincial Grant of $12,000. Council has refused to issue a letter of endorsement: for in the words of Mayor Howard Hall "'Council felt that there was little interest in a Hard Ball Dia- mond in the Community'. The Directors of the Agricultural Society strongly disagree with the position taken by Council and have taken the position that for the betterment of this community, we must proceed with this project alone, and we will rely on the Community to help us sustain their Fairgrounds. If you can support the position of the Agricultural Society in developing the Fairgrounds for the use and enjoyment of the com- munity please become a vocal majority. It is our position that if Turn to Page 8 Remember When 2? HISTORIC PHOTOS COURTESY SCUGOG SHORES MUSEUM A group of people pose around a striped marque-style tent in 1895 at the "Tarry-A-While" picnic on Washburn's Island. Note the clothing been worn for the occasion. 45 YEARS AGO Thursday, August 1, 1946 Mr. Gibson, proprietor of the New Lakeside Theatre is having the finishing touches put on the building and equipment and expects to open to the public soon. On a motion passed at the regular council meeting, Leonard Leahy was instructed to have a scow built for removal of weeds at the lakefront. Also at the same meeting, Mrs. Arthur Brock, Dr. B. Lundy, Herbert Brown were appointed to the Board of Governors of the Community Memorial Hospital. While swimming in Chalk Lake in 75 feet of water, Harold Murphy, 22, of Toronto was drowned. The unveiling of the Chiropractic Memorial is set for Wednesday, August 14th. Mr. A. Panabaker, Toronto has joined the staff of A.l. McDermott Funeral Service. 35 YEARS AGO Thursday, July 29, 1956 A perfect Cribbage hand turned up at the Legion Hall when Art Bidgood held a score of 29. Despite a constant downpour, a large crowd attended the Lions Club Carnival at the arena. A draw for a sidewalk car was won by Miss Mildred Clark a camper at Boniface on Lake Scugog. A meeting to form a Teenagers Association was held in the Community Room at the Port Perry Library. 30 YEARS AGO Thursday, July 28, 1961 Three cattle were stolen from the Malcolm Bailey ranch at R.R. 1, Port Perry. The cattle were show animals valued at $600.00 each. Rustling is indicated. Mr. Bruce Mackey and Donna Samells were PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 10