WHITBY FREE PRESS, WEDNESDAY. NOVEMBER 12, 1986, PAGE 5 "I have sworn upon the altar of God eternal hostility against every form of tyranny over the mind of man." - Thomas Jefferson Advise and Dissent Tiown Councul members keep oegging tnemselves in ueeper and aeeper. Every tirne tbey make a decision about Lynde House, they think tbey've solved the Issue, but it keeps getting messier an d messier. The move of Lynde House to Cullen Gardens was originally supposed to save money but the Town found tbat it bad committed itself to spending at least a quarter million dollars restoring it, and about $150,000 per year to operateIt. Instead of accepting its commitment, council voted on Monday to give thehbouse to Cullen Gardens, lock, stock and barrel. Even if this is legal j (which I doubt - tbere were commitments made, probably Iegally binding, when the Town took possession of the bouse), the deal stili leaves the Town considerably poorer. Cullen is paying an additional $19,065 wich sup- posedly covers the rest of the inove, but not included is the $20,000 or so spent on wires, police escort etc. Also the considerable legal fees tbat went into negotiating the original agreement with Cullen, and now, only three montbs later into negotiating another. And what about the contract that the Town has witb Pbilip Goldsmith, the architect - how much bas that cost? Because of the secrecy with wbich this latest deal was arranged the Whit- by Historical Society bas had no opportunity to formulate a response, but I would imagine tbey will not be pleased. The society's primary concern will be witb the accurate preservation of the House - this latest deal gives Cullen a free band - no guarantees. It basto be remembered that council swallowed Cullen's last offer book, line and sinker and lookbhow far it got them. Councillors can't say they weren't warned. The historical society bas con- sistently mapped out ail tbe pitfalls along tbe way but Town Council keeps falling in to tbem. And tbey do it witb sucb panache; tbey maintain they bave not been fully informed - an interesting way of not admitting they haven't been listening. In 1982, 1 wrote to tbe mayor in my capacity as president of the society outlining tbe deficiencies of Lynde House as a museum and wbat would have to be done to acbieve a standard wbicb would ensure tbe preservation of tbe museuin collection for future generations (tbat is, after ail, wbat museurns are ail about). I pointed out in that letter that additional space would be required. The same information bas been conveyed to tbe Town regularly ever since (ratber, it was conveyed to councillor Brunelle, tbe mayor's designate to tbe society - wbetber be passed tbe information along, only be can tell). So, wby was council surprised wben tbe society pinted out tbat tbey still needed anotber museum facility after Lynde House had been moved? The conundrum tbat tbe Town got itself into is tbat in tbe eyes of Ontario government tbe istorical society operates tbe only istorical museum in Whitbyand tbe province would not provide any funding to tbe Town for Lyn- de House unless tbe society agreed to it. Tbe society said tbat since it cannot operate a proper museum in Lynde House, it would only give tbe Town ac- -cess to provincial money if tbe Town agreed to recognize and provide fun- ding for a commumity museum. Town Councilors make no secret tbat they feel that the province is med- dling in tbeir affairs, but tbrougb tbe years tbe Ontario government bas been a more generous and consistent source of funds for tbe museum. Wbat's mopre, tbe province grants money according to formuila so that a museum, art gallery, library or otber facility can predict in advance bow mucb money It will get - tbe Town grants money according to whim, ne year at a time, no guarantees. Is it surprising tbat cultural groups feel more affinity witb the Ontario government tban witb tbe Town administration? I can pbone Up tbe Deputy Ministry of Citizensbip and Culture and get straigbt answers - tbe Town from top to botfom is evasive. The decision to give Lynde House to Cullen Gardens was coucbed in politically attractive terms - baving wasted a great deal of taxpayers' money, tbey are now going to save tbem a bundle - a million dollars over five years was the generally accepted figure. And Lynde House would be preserved for posterity -or will it? Cullen's wilingness to take possession of tbe bouse and operate it is diam- etrically opposed to bis original position tbat be bad'no interest in running a museum. His willingness now reflects bis exasperation witb tbe Town s inabiity to get tbe restoration underway and tbeir unwillingness to spend tbe money to fulfili tbe original intent of tbeir agreement. At tbe rate tbe Town was moving, tbey would bave defaulted on tbe agreement anyway since it gave tbem only until April 1988 to complete tberestoration. Certainly Cullen bas a mucb better cbance of making Lynde House work tban the Town does, but Cullen does not guarantee tbe preservation of Lynde House as an istoric bouse for longer tban tbree years. Tbe exterior wlll be restored (no guarantees of autbenticity> and preserved, but Cullen will 44complete tbe interior ... to reflect tbe 1800's period suitable and consistent witb tbe displays to be used in different areas." Tbe proposed displays sound exciting with tbe promise of numerous special effects. However, "if after tbree years, tbe bouse as a bistory lesson, is not viable, Cullen Gardens reserves tbe rigbt to alter tbe interior use of the bouse" - anotber giftsbop? Wbat tbe Town and Cullen bave failed to grasp is tbat the interior of Lynde House is probably more istorically important tban tbe exterior. To restore tbe outside, tbe stucco will bave to be removed. In tbe process, a large proportion of tbe original clapboard wil probably bave to be replaced. Tbe front barrel-vaulted porcb and most of tbe windows wil also be reproduc- tions. However, the interior woodwork is largely intact and in good condition - the craftsmanship wbicb created unique and different mouldings for each room, ail by band, is simply not found in buildings of later periods. Cullen states that be would like to bave ONLY tbe exterior designated un- der tbe Heritage Act AFTER be bas finished bis "«restoration. " If the Town and Cullen are serious about preserving Lynde House let it be designated NOW, so tbat ALL of its outstanding arcbitectural features are protected. WITH OUR FEET 'UP By Bill Swan This is tbe story oi Bluster Blue, clerk, teacher, athiete, musician and general Renaissance person, if you will, of tbe town of Beaver, Ont. It started tbe day Bluster's bos closed tbe office door, cbomped'down bard on ber cigar, and eye- balledb im. "Bluster," sbe said, blowing blue sinoke into bis tweed jacket, "the future is computers. " Tbat nigbt, Bluster did not stop off at tbe library t0 rifle once more tbrougb tbe mystery section. In- stead, be slipped, secretly, quietly, in tbe side door of Tbe Computer Den, it called itself. Sort of iniquitous, llke. Tbe salesclerk promised ail the help he needed. "lWe got cables, we got digitals, we got lasers, we got ribbons, we got... "'Not s0 fast, " flustered Bluster. "I don't know what you're talking about." In the wbole store tbere feil dead silence, as tbough somneone bad been indiscret in cburcb. In computer stores everyone knows Tbe Language. No one ever admits to ignorance. S0 sbocked was sbe, tbe clerk offered bim private computer lessons. After hours. There, over tbe next weeks, Bluster learned about digitzed type, passwords, input, output, tbrougbput and offput. Power grids, uine surges, lime input and peeks and pokes. Especially peeks and pokes. He confronted bis boss witb bis new.found knowledge. Sbe swallowed ber cigar. But Bluster's wife was still manfully, or rather persoafully, backing ber way tbrougb the mechanical age. Given to gadgetry througb a genetic malfunction, she could not resist anytbing botb mechanical and useless. Tbus sbe collected electric can openers, bot air popcorn poppers, model cars with gasoline engines, and most children's toys. Anytbing that did not work. It was she wbo Bluster presented witb is grand scheme to purcbase, for tbe home, a beautiful new computer complete with color graphics, monocbromatîc options, dual disks, extended keyboard and 640 K. 141 t? "Bytes." Not one to be kinky, Mrs. Fluster lifted ber left eyebrow and waited. "And a neat cable for printer interface." "Interface?" Bluster could sense be was losing the battie, the hardware so far being far more electronic than Mrs. Fluster could handie. "But tbe key is wbat this little baby will do," be said finally.' "So? What will it do, Mr. Smart Guy?" "Wel," he said. "For one tbing it could keep our bousehold records." "Better than my ledger? " sbe asked. "Faster. And do a bubble sort tbrougb sixteen arrays to tell us wbere we spend our money wrong. Tbink, Millie. Yuppies wbo buy two bundred thousand dollar bouses with brass rnailboxes own computers llke this." "Whatelse?" "Recreation. Games. BurgerTime. Pinball. Chess..." "Wbole Saturday nights, spent in the privacy of our home, uploading floppies, if you will... " "I won't," said Mrs. Fluster, "put up with talk likethat." But dual mode printing and double strike capabiity finally booked ber. Enchantnxent followed. Her PacPerson Finger took ber to the doctor. Soft keys reset ber control. Her cursor pad locked. But soon came the day when the new toy was ex- pected to be practical. Through, of course, the special program that Bluster Fluster is writing for it. That was two years ago. Last we beard, Bluster is stili tinkering with the program. 'Just one more lit- tie tbing to fix," be says. Computer programmers always say that. And tbey are always rigbt. Tbere always is just one more little thing. Stiil, there are times wber Millie wonders wbat went on wben Bluster studied evenings at The Com- puter Den. Was there, she wondered, anytbing per- sonal in logical expressions and string arrays, operators and concatenation? But then sbe tbougbt of the toaster end wjiat nmade il podpup. See, sbe stilî believes in magie.