by Norm Mealing lii!l'in back. Today is the first of Septemlber, ai foilowing the pr.; tice establiied back in Septemiber 1974, this colon i returns to the pages of the Whil Free Press. 1 hope that ail of you enjoyed the somminer. I kni that 1 did despile the two cases of chicken pox, ( youngest son's broken am, and mny own recent stay the J. O. Ruddy Hospital. On Tuesday next, the kids return to school, endini fuit ten weeks of sommiier vacation. Ten weeks is an aw long tirne, and you have to wonder if it is really sudl good idea. It mnay be that a shorter sommiier break voi be a better approach, and longer intervais establislied both Chiristias and Easter. It could go a long m owards elirninating the boredomn experienced. by schi kids in the latter days of Aoigust. Centrai Park. The slide hias no hand rails to hiold on an hnlewsjote yaole by i el days later that saine week. another young lad p!,i:î>iug the equipnent in Central Park, felu and broke bis 1I fHistorical Whi&thy lby ]Bli Winteil L~ 61* n M ROYAL HOTEL TeRoyal Hotel, pictured above, is one of the inost ;I famniliar Iandmarks of downtown Wlitby. The building we see today is not the first, but the second Royal 1lotel to occopy the site on the east side of Brock Street North. The first hotel was built in the eairly I850s, and burned to the grotrnd iii 1872. I t was a thrce storey brick building owned and operated by Jamnes Pringle. After the disastrous fire. Mr. Pringle set about biiilding a new hotel,' whîch %vas otficially opened wihh a grand banquet on St. George's Day, April 23, 1 873. Toronto architect, Henry Langley, who also designed Whitby's AIl Saints' Anglican Church and tie recently demolished Colb-trne Street School. P In 1873, [he Royal 1lotel was described as one ofthe WHITB) It seems to mne that these, two-accidentsý say-,something about the playground equipment in Central Park. Bither it is dangerouis to use, or too advanced for younger children, or poorly designed, or somnething. Or, it may be that sonie forni of playground supervisibn is required. Whatever the case, I think it behooves [lie Recreatiori Departnient to look into the situation. And, while l'ni at it, it seemis [o nie that Central Park was [o ho covered with topsoil, and seeded this year. Thle last timie 1 saw [lie park, it was the same mess it lias been for three years. 1 know that we are in a timie of constraint, bttt surely sonie work cati be donc ini the park. Are you is[ening out tliere, Recreation Department? nd, Tuhis year promises to be another great one for West of Lynde. A ntum-ber of activities are geting underway in by [lie very near future. One of these, the West Lynde Mixed Bowling Leaguie, is -set to begin its fourtlî season on 0oW 'Septemnber 14th. Its a very successful league, and if you our are interested in joining, give Leaguie President Don at Short a caîl 668-7644. This year also promnises [o be a big one for the Town of' g a Whitby, and the Regiori of Dturham. In Decenîber, we 'fuI head towards yeh another mnunicipal eection. As tinie i a goes on, it should prove inheresting to see what candidate ,tild conteshs whicli position. I intend to offer my opinions over 1ah [lie iext little whiie as [o [tie issues and [lie candidates vay whiclî yoti can consider and reject as yotî sec fit. ýool So, as we mlove int the faîl, winter, and spring, I hope ho be liere on these pages bringing you up [o date on wlîat's ce, happeningliere in Wesh Lynde, and Wlitby, as well as ;01, offering m1y views on a numnber of issties. In order [liat i in iii niglît give a 1'uli account ol wlîats going on, feel free to tho, caîl nie ah 668-5383, and lIl be glad ho publicize your 0ew event. Simiiarly, if yoti don't agree with whah 1 say, give 011 nie a c.tl, and wve cari explore our differerîces. nîjost conmrîîodioos and besi fited-up hotels behween Toron to and Kingshon. Patrons entered through a spaciotus hall on the ground floor. tO the ICf t of which wvas a dining room which could seat 1 80 people. 'To the right were a room for commercial traveliers, a read îng room and -a si tt ing rooni. At the rear of the building was the bar and a 20 by 30-foot billiard room. A staiircase eighIt fcet wide led, to the second loor, where there. %vere two fron t sitting roomis, and tiîirteen, bedrooros. On thle t liird floor thle re wvere 1 5 bedroomis lor gueshs. Ail ceilings were 1I-1 "cet higli, and the roomls were elegantly furnisbied by James Sanîo, a \Vithi» cabiinetnmake r. ihonias Deve nIll, of' Whitby , had the contract for the brick and piaster work, Stephen (;rose for the carpentry \vork, aîid Alex Wilson for the painting. Mr. Sanîo providcd the new hiotel \vith carved sideboards, sofas, ltunges, tables, chairs, bureaus, bedsteads and-other île also supplied 40 madttresses, spring beds and toilet sets [o match. Those were the days when there were no xashroomns, and the commo)de or chaînher pot served the pupoeliong with china or i ronstone basins and pitchers of water for washing. The hiotel cost SI13,000 to build and the furnittîre cosi an additional S.3,000. The grand opening on April 23, 1873 took the fornm of a b,nquet for f"50 invited guesis, with the Mayor J. I anier (,reenw\ood acting as chai rman and John H am Perry wnd NMichael O'Donovan. the deputy reeve, acting as vice-chairnieri." Open 7 JO$,s a w..I Maple led RESTAURANT DoIicious Conodion ond Itlie,vDishos Y FREE PRESS, WEDNESDAY,' SEPTEMBER 1, 1976, PAGE 7 WelI, that's it f'or this the firs t week of ýa new season. Bye for now, and we'1î see you next week. "NICE 0F YOU TO SAY DRAW FOR YEARS." SO. I'VE BEEN PRACTICING THAT Such dinners in the I 9th century were fre'ely pLIInctuated with toasts, with the chairman paying tribute to lier Maijesty the Qucen, the Prince and Princess of Wales, the Royal Family, the Arfrty and Navy, the Voluinteer Militia, the Governor General of Canada and the Lieu tenant-Governor of Ontario. The new hiotel and its proprietor, Mr. Pringle were also toasted. along with St. George, who was the patron Saint of England.' At the appropriate imes, the Whithy Brass Band struck of the national anthemn. and other musi-' cal [riboites. 'l'le militia received particuilar attention at this dinner, \vith toasts being responded to by two of Whitby's most pirominent military muen, Major George H. Dartneli, and ('aptain John E. Farewell. Af'ter the toast was drunk to St. George's Day, and the band plIayed "The Hlomes of Merry England", the vice chairmnen proceeded to toast the municipal institutions of the town, the induties of Canada, education, Canadian Railways, and anything cise that came [o mînd as the banquet lasted far into the night. The opening of [lie Royal Hotel was a grand occasion iii a grand age. One of' the highlights of the banquet was tue presentatiofl of a set of silver pPî.,ted dish covers to the proprietor by the Hatch brothers, proprietors of a local hardware store. The mutsic of the Whitby Brass Band and Professor White on the piano added to the glamnor of the evening. (Ncxt wveek: Sir Johin A. Macdonald visits the Royal I-lotel). GREENWOOD NURSERY SCHOOL Greenwood ('on mu nity (Centre G reenwood 9a.11. 1 1: 30 a.mn. 2 year'..- 5 year, PHIONE MRS. KING 683-8564 C'aribbean and South America SS VERACRUZ STRAND CRUISES FROM $375 plus taxes FROM $595 plus taxes ONE WEEK CRUISES TWO WEEK CRUISES INCLUDING FLIGFITS FROM TORONTO I&Linda Russell TRAVEIL LTDe Mion. -.Sat. 9-5 'Yoiér irav el is Our Busines lryour protection registereâ tunder Ontario Gdýernmont Not12S998 1 LAFFot 1 thewEEK i McMANUS OPTICAL Bol) I)IIIIsmi, mariager Whitby Mdll, ý)7G 4431 J-Mméy,- bme; 1 -,