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sree ow "Scugog"s Community Newspaper of Choice" PORT PERRY STAR - Tuesday, February 13, 2001 - 7 of the Question Week... Do you think Port : ¢ Perry's summer * Robin Popovitch camival (Festival ~~ ' ink lts better owntown; the Days) should be restaurants and other moved back businesses would downtown? get plenty of cus- tomers. Brad Johnston Yes, it shows off our town, not our parks. Val Philippe Yes, it would be nice to have it around everything down- town. Kim Morris It would bring in more business for the mer- chants, but the park- ing's not as good downtown. Janet Lusted Yes, the downtown core is where every- thing is. LETTERS A ~~ Writer's inadvertently correct To the Editor: Regarding the letter to the editor in your Jan. 30 edition from Jeffery W. Brown titled "Downtown park plan has merit." | would like to endorse the proposal that the water- front ball diamonds and 'tennis courts be relocated to the fairgrounds or to the arena lands. A fabulous lakefront view is not a pre- requisite to the playing of these sports. As it stands now, the lakefront view is obstructed by fences and bleachers all of the time, while these facilities are in use only a small portian of the time. | do not believe that whatever contribution these facilities make to Port Perry justifies the sacrifice of the lakefront. Besides, if the players and support- ers can drive to the present site, then what is to stop them from driving to anoth- er site close by and then ~ driving downtown to enjoy the amenities? Richard Walker To the Editor: A big thank you to Brenda Robinson and Connie Stewart for once again being so supportive to the Port Perry District Girl Guides. At the recent Antique and Nostalgia Show, they went out of their way to ensure the success of the food concession run by the Guides. We could not do this fundraiser without their enthusiastic assistance. Thanks also go to the vendors and the public who attended, helping us to surpass our goal. Thanks also to the par- ents who contributed food, and the district leaders and parents who volunteered their weekend to help in the kitchen. A "You Deserve a Gold Medal" goes to Joanne Popovitch who organized the complete event. Judie Cooper Port Perry District Guide One may be forgiven for con- cluding that this has been the most wretched, disgusting, and mean- spirited winter in recent memory, = because, fact is, it's true. And it's been unique in a number of ways. For instance, prior to last weekend, | had never fallen off the roof of my house even once, let alone four times in one afternoon. Shingles become exceedingly slippery after two or three feet of snow has been shoveled away, you know, and a man who's leaning forward, pushing with all his might against a bank of soggy, immovable slush, can suddenly be catapulted forward, headlong over the eaves, and into the accumulation below. Same thing happens if you try to brace your bum against the peak of the roof and push at the shovel with your boots; sooner of later, something will give, and you're rocketing down the slope just as if you were riding on the kids' Crazy Carpet. It's enough to send you inside, smarting with back pain and stung by the laughter of the neighbours, to hole up in a corner of the house for the remainder of the day. Fetch the Irish whiskey, and put Miles Davis on the boom box... read some Faulkner. Let the late afternoon gloom gather outside the warm circle cast by the lamp. Best not to let it get to you. Like the chap in St. John's, Newfoundland, who decided he'd had it with the snow plow driver last Wednesday. St. John's has had about six metres of snow recently, and city Page Seven A TONIC FOR OUR SOULS by Jeff Mitchell residents are finding it more and more difficult to toss the snow from their driveways up to the towering banks that have gathered. So one afternoon as one resident stood, leaning on his shovel and surveying the results of his hard labour, he became more than a little irate as the city snow plow lumbered by, and deposited another tonne and a half of gunk in the driveway. Well, buddy lost it, and heaved a beer bottle, which smacked the snow plow driver in the side of the head. Fortunately, the driver did not lose consciousness as a result of being beaned by the projectile, according to one city official. "If that had hit him and knocked him out, he's driving a truck weighing 40,000 pounds," said the official. Then, a classic Canadian understatement: "It could have done some serious damage." Snow rage, they're calling it. Imagine that; snow 'rage. You know it's been a deep, deep winter when Newfies start flying off the handle because it's snowed quite a bit. Snow rage. Road rage. Air rage. Rage, rage 'against the dying of the light... Another poet - Henry Wadsworth Longfellow - was born in this most maligned month, you know. If he were here, he'd recommend poetry to ease our minds: Such songs have power to quiet The restless pulse of care, And come like the benediction That follows after prayer. 'Indeed. Well said, Henry. Cheers. a last minute to pick up something special for our anniver- sary. There was no way | was going to take a chance on forgetting the occasion, so when tomorrow dawns I'm well prepared. But just so she knows how much | really week. To wear your heart on your sleeve now means that itis easy for other people to know how you are feeling. QO In some countries, a young woman may receive a gift of clothing from a young man. If she keeps the gift, it Random Jottings by J. Peter Hvidsten care... Valentine's Day or not. IT'S VALENTINE'S DAY Leave it to the guys to wait until the last minute. You can bet today, just like the day before Christmas, husbands, boyfriends and lovers will be scurrying about in a last minute frenzy, picking up a Valentine's card, flowers or a box of chocolates for their loved ones. For most guys, Valentine's is just another day to make them look bad, while members of the opposite sex look forward to the pampering and affection thrown their way on this special day. For Nancy and me, Valentine's Day is even more spe- cial, because it is also the anniversary of our marriage some 20 years ago. So don't think for a moment | waited around until the I'll wish her the happiest of days on Wednesday, Happy Anniversary, Nancy. Here's a few tidbits of ir formation about Valentine's Day that maybe you didn't know: Hundreds of years ago in England, many children dressed up as adults on Valentine's Day. They went singing from home to home. One verse they sang was: Good morning to you, valentine; Curl your locks as | do mine--- Two before and three behind. Good morning to you, valentine. J In Wales, wooden love spoons were carved and given as gifts on February 14th. Hearts, keys and key- holes were favourite decorations on the spoons. The decoration meant, "You unlock my heart!" J In the Middle Ages, young men and women drew names from a bowl to see who their valentines would be. They would wear these names on their sleeves for one means she will marry him. 0 Some people used to believe that if a woman saw a robin flying overhead on Valentine's Day, it meant she would marry a sailor. If she saw a sparrow, she would marry a poor man and be very happy. If she saw a goldfinch, she would marry a millionaire. J A love seat is a wide chair. It was first made to seat one woman and her wide dress. Later, the love seat or courting seat had two sections, often in an S-shape. In this way, a couple could sit together, but not too closely! J Think of five or six names of boys or girls you might marry. As you twist the stem of an apple, recite the names until the stem comes off. You will marry the per- son whose name you were saying when the stem fell off. J Pick a dandelion that has gone to seed. Take a deep breath and blow the seeds into the wind. Count the seeds that remain on the stem. That is the number of children you will have. J If you cut an apple in half and count how many seers are inside, you will also know how many children you will have.