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6 - PORT PERRY STAR - Tuesday, October 27, 1992 "Scugog's Community Newspaper of Choice" BUSINESS OFFICE Th P rt Pp Si EDITORIAL e Oo e Ir Y a I Publisher - J. Peter Hoidster Otica Manoge Salle Suspiey *CNA i s Editor - Scott rson coounting - 188 MARY STREET - PORT PERRY, ONTARIO - LoL 187 [CTRITE Forrs Editor Jolin Dompsoy I hoy Day. PHONE (41 6) 985-7383 FAX 985-3708 Siz fe] R Sports Editor - Kelly Lown Marlene Moore The Port Perry Star is authorized as second class mail by the AWARD : Member of the } Post Office Department, Ottawa, for cash payment of postage. ADVERTISING PRODUCTION Canadian Community Newspaper Association Second Class Mail Registration Number 0265 Advertising Manager - AnnaJackman Annabell Harrison, Ontario Community Nowepaper hsspdmien Subscription Rate: 1 9 9 pi Advertising Sales - Jackie McDonell Trudy Empringham Port ublished ey Usstay by 9 " 1Year-$32.10 6Months-$17.72 Forelgn-$90.95 Production - Pamela Hickey, BarbaraBell Robert Taylor, Barbara Lachapelle on Perny dis includes $2.10GST includes $1.22GST includes $5.95GST * GST included In price A Safe Community Sue Scholfield has quite a job ahead of her. As chairman of Scugog's Block Parents she hopes to recruit one block parent to each block in the community. With an estimated 500 blocks in the area, she estimates that she must increase the number of present block par- ents by four times. ° Over the past seven years, as people have moved in and out of the community, the number of block parents dropped substantially. Mrs. Scholfield is now in the pro- cess of building up the ranks again. Although most of us would like to believe that Scugog is the ideal community, such is not the case anymore. No community is immune from the reality that there are some sick people in society who prey on our children. These people do not make a community such as Scugog safe to grow up. Many will not accept the fact that it could happen in Scugog, that it won't happen in our community, but the cold hard fact is that it can happen, it has happened and it will happen again. There are no two ways about it. As the population of Durham grows, so grows Scu- gog and with it comes the realities of the larger urban are- as -- that we are as susceptible to these crimes as other communities. There should not be a need for Block Parents in this community or any other community. Children, and adults should be free to walk the streets unmolested. But the truth is Block Parents are needed. The prime purpose of the Block Parents is to ensure the safety of children in the neighborhood. By displaying a sign in the window you tell the children that the communi- ty cares, Mrs. Scholfield says. "Block Parents provide a safe haven for.children. If the sign is there then the children know it's a safe place to go." But it's not just a safe place for children. Adults can also find refuge at a Block Parent home should they feel threatened as well. Being a Block Parent does not cost you anything more than your time. When you display the sign in your window you are working, should the need arise. It's better to be safe than sorry. Hallowed Eve This Saturday grisly ghouls, creepy goblins, scary monsters and a wide assortment of creatures take to the streets for the annual celebration of Halloween. This time of year is one of the most enjoyable and fun filled times for the little tykes as they go door-to-door in their prized costumes. But it can also be one of the most dangerous times as well. In the excitement of the day the children are careless crossing the streets and will often dart out in front of traffic without even thinking. In order to make this a safe and happy Halloween for the children, adults can take special precautions to ensure a fun time is had by all. The Canadian Automobile Association suggests driv- ers take extra care when driving on the streets, and drive under the speed limit to ensure quick stops. It also sug- gests that parents ensure their children's costumes allow them to travel safely throughout the neighborhood and can see as well as be seen. And for the children it suggests the children look all ways before crossing the street and do not cross between parked cars. With these few pointers as well as a litle common sense, it will ensure that this Halloween is as fun and as enjoyable a time as we remember the day being when we were out trick or treating. ggnta Claus ... 1] v7 383 i N) Ng H yoo Canada Clause. Ranmdorm Jottings LETTERS TO THE EDITOR The Port Perry Star encourages our readers to make use of the letters to the editor column to express their opinions and viewpoints on iust about any subject, as we feel a lively letters column helps make a otter community newspaper. We insist, however, that all letter writers sign their name. Sorry, no anonymous letter will be printed. CANINE CAPERS Last week Matt and I were sitting at the kitchen table talking, when out of the blue he says, "dad when Dolly dies what kind of dog are we going to get?" A little surprised by his question, I told Matthew | had never given it any thought, and that Dolly will be around for quict awhile. But he kept pushing the issue, saying he would like to get a big dog when Dolly dies. Let me explain! Dolly is a black Pug. She's a great pet for the kids, but she definitely should not to be confused with a "real dog." You see, my vision of a dog is 65 Ibs. of mus- cle and fur about knee high with a wagging tail, long muzzle, a big wet tongue hanging over it's left lip, and friendly eyes that light up when you walk into a room. While Dolly is extremely gentle (sleeping dogs don't cause many problems), she doesn't quite live up to my billing of a "real dog." She's got six inch legs, a face that looks like she's run into the back of a bus, spooky Marty Feldman eyes and a breathing problem which contrib- utes to a severe snoring and snorting disorder. Mind you, we all love her and think of her as an important member of our family. My first dog was a large Collic named "Beau." Like any kid with a big dog, Beau and | were great friends and we spent hours playing tug-of-war with my shirtslecves and pantlegs. But it was because Beau was wrecking my clothes, my parents finally took him off to live on a farm. | can still remember standing at the door with tears in my eyes as he was loaded into a car and taken away for the last time. Next on my list of "Dogs | Have Owned" was a little ball of white fur we rescued from a dog pound. We named him "Oscar" and imme- diately fell in love with the little pooch. But one morning we found "Oscar" foaming at the mouth and stumbling as he tried to walk. He had contracted distemper, and it was with sadness we had to put him down after the veterinarian said there was no hope. Then along came "Farley", a small terrior- cross who provided us with a lot of enjoyment. He was friendly, loved to play and his best trick was jumping chest high, landing in my arms. Farley was with me for a number of years, but due to some personal problems, he took up residence with friends. Next came "Sam." Probably my favorite dog, and the one most like my description of a dog. He was a golden lab/shepherd-cross with bright eyes, pointed ears and a bundle of ener- gy and mischief wrapped up inside his friendly, powerful body. We taught him to pick up the paper at the end of the driveway, bounce a beach ball off the end of his nose, roll over on his back and play dead, sit up for treats, etc. But there was anoth- er side of Sam that was not as easy to control. The protector, the hunter, the rebel. Living in the country he took to roaming the fields in search of groundhogs and he became a proficient hunter. But it was this taste of blood that led to his demise after deciding to play with a herd of sheep, snapping at their flanks and running them through a field. They were the last sheep Sam every chased in this life, as I agreed to have him put down. It was one of the saddest moments of my life and one that chokes me to this day when I think of the enjoyment Sam provided our lly Our last dog, before acquiring Dolly, was a sheltic named Chrissy, who could have been a show dog except she was a little too big. Chrissy was with us for a couple of years, giving birth of a litter of pups, including one that we kept called Tripper. She later took up residence with the in-laws in Toronto, who have since moved to Port Perry. She can be seen out for walks every day as she prances around town like the show-dog she could have been. We kept Tripper, a spunky little pooch with the shrillest bark known to man. Only after deciding to move into town, and knowing the neighbors would not appreciate a barking dog, did we give Tripper up to another family. And now we have Dolly. Not big, not perky, not quiet, but one little black bundle of love and affection. We hope she's around for years. 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