WH1TWY ME PRESS, ýWPI)EtMAY; ftÉEIwAuY, 1lS89, PAGE< r hey did most of the moving on Friday, during the day, so0 we saw littie of the action. At noon the truck stood backed into the driveway, three-quarters full of furniture. By. six o'ciock the operation was ninety per cent coinplete. In the huge bedroomn downstairs only afew sinai boxes of variaus items remained: a four-tr'ack tape deck; seven cana of beer (three empty); a closet rack full of ciothes; a grocery store plastic bag full of used socks. And ini the corner, a box of poliy filla. You know the atufl you mix it like porridge, and then slop it into hoies in the wali. Several hours passed before someone pointed out the hole, hidden by a photo copy of~ a picture of bis own rock band of two sunimers back. Fist-sized. These weren't just any tenants moving out. This was a faznily. This was rny grandson, Dav4id, and bis mother and father. David' father is m y stepson. This happy young family have been weicome squatters since last summer, waiting for their new house to be built. Now, they were sprouting their own wigs with a big mortgage and ail the headaches that ndendence brings. Having escaped the physical part of moving -- younger backs than mine did that -- I was left that role of pondering over what was ieft behind. In the middle of that emptiness sits a mystery, bigger by far than any dent in dry wall: how does a skinny kid who's afr-aid of the dark become a man with a family of bis own? (Refrain from Fiddier on The Roof: I Don't Reinember Getting Older -- When Did T'hey?) At first I thought this wouid be beautiful gist for the column. You know, the teasing kind of tbidng: CS you're moving into your own house, eh, my lad? Well,' let's make a deai. Just to even the score., Ill be over on Saturday nzht to punch a hole in your dry wail.'On Adolescence SunaIl bring over a bottie of bieach and drip it down the hailway over your new carpet. M'i build snowforts in your front lawn next winter, and comne summer il buiid a three-storey tree fort in your back iawn. 'My rock band wili be over te practice in your basemnent every Sunday afternoon, and Id like to borrow your new ca. .. And you won't rmmd a few long distance cails on your new telephone, eh? As I said, I thought I mnight string a few such limes together. But no, I said, those are private matters between a growing teenager and bis stepfather. No need sharing them with a newspaper audlience. So I scrapped the idea. But what in its place? Over the weekend, the final bits of the moving continued. Piece by piece, seemizigly in alternate car loada, the drumns are disappearinff WITH OUR FEET UP by Bill Swan Wants headquarters debate reopened An Oshawa councillor last week voted against the Region works department's $1.5-mNlion property management budget hoping to force regional councif to reopen debate on a new refponal headquarters. 'Ifwe turn this down we wil force council to take a second look at a headquarters," said councillor Jirn Potticary. He described as «ridiculous" the budget, which includes costs for operating the headquarters owne d by the Rgon and for renting facilities for some depart- ments. The $1.5-million property management budget proposed for 1989 is 56 per cent higM hetan the 1988 budget of $944000. We are costing the taxpayers money because we can't decide on a headquarters," said Pottic- a% e proposed increase covers the $549,000 cost to move the social services department to 44 Bond St. from 50 McMilIan Dr. (The Region will receive a sub- sidy of $157,511 froin the Pro- vince to help offset the cost of the niove.) SEE PAGE 9 Cuts to be madeei budget Cuts in departinent budgets will be made to reduce Durham Region's 1989 current and capi- tal budget that so far shows a whopping 28 per cent increase in property tax this year. The initial budget was presen- ted at the finance and administ- ration committee meeting last Wednesday. Cuts wiii be made in ail department budgets to reduce the increase in property levy in the next few weeks. General governinent expendi- tures wili, uncut, increase by 23 per cent over 19k5es expeditures. Operating departments such as works and social services would generate a total 20.9 per- cent increase over 1988's bill. Outside boards and agencies supported by the Region could generate a 24 .7-per cent increase in costs from 1988. tter pizza at an even better prîce! from the basement. Both sets. Both of the weight-lifting benches remain, but have been moved into action positions. Memories. The slopes of adolescence aie treacherous for al who scale them. But for stepsons and stepfathers, thé rungs sometimes seemed greased, the toe-holds crumbly. I'm not claiming anything marvelous here. But any two maies who survive one adolescence stili on speaking terme deserve medals. We both do. - We watched t-ball, and soccer, and a rock bande in action, and once tried to sober up one of bis frienda late of a Friday evening. (It didn't work.), On bis part, he tolerated, not always patiently, this teacher's toolong answers to simple questions., He painted the name of a rock band on bis bedroom door; pnnedup posters and pennants on freshly paintedwalis.He once required an emergency trip te, the hospitai when a exorcise spring let go and caught bim in the eye. He mastered any computer game I ever brought homne -- except choe. Once he even read one of my columna. When he was seven he refused to go upstairs in the ;ownhouse alone, always finding a way of getting an adult te go first to turn on the lights. When he was fourteen he began te tower over me, and once shook bis flst under my nose.'£Come on; let's see you; come on .. .'I have aiways avoided violence.» After the weight sets wiil go the drafting table. That waa what, two, three Christinases ago? The iast te go will be the toy box, there in its new house to be repaired and repainted for the next generation. The moving is now down a carful or two. What do you say to the boy who became a mian under your nose? Hey, Jon, thanks. I wouldn't have