e Town e. o "à e.4.lo ee JIM PARUKE and Hogey the Hobo Hippo, one of the characters.from his cbildren'e show. The Whitby resi- dent wil be singîng along with Mr.ý B Mmark Reosor Whitbys Jim Parker is notbing if flot versa- tile. Parker writes tho scripts for CBO television's Mr. Dressup, appears on the s3how and in the Mr. Dresuup stage shows, and operates and provides the voice for one of the s3how's juppets. . He also sirwg and .writes children s songe, ,porformigini sehools and putting on a stage show of bis own. «I think of myself in penoral as a jack of all trades, master of nonoe,"jokos Parker. <'I think itse important in the entertainmont field, espeially inCanada, tobe able todo a whole bunch ofdifferent thinge.w Wearingsno many hats doos have its benefits - Parker says ho recently wrote himself into a cVjQ ffiyit wau an idea that Ernie (Mr. Dressup) had several years ago about having me on te play the drums. Ho was ging to witeit and nover got around te it - I thotughà t it's a good idea, so 1'm going te do it." Parker also provides the voice and manipu- lates 'Ali' a little boy puppet who wil be maing bis first appearanco on the show Mardi Dreesup Sunday at Henry Street High School 'on the Casey and Finne- gan fareweil tour. SPhoto by Mark Eoesor, Whtby Free Pr. 11 or 12. That makos Parker a busy man the days Mr. Dressup in tapod. Take tomorrow, for instance, whon two shows are being done. "I wrote both of the scripte. In the morning Fm appeina, JimParker and in the after- noon lm doing Alex. I don't. think that's ever ha pnedbefrnl TO do te puppet, Parker wears a headband with a mk on it and site on a littie dolloy watchinghis puppet's actions ina little monitor. «Everythingfa backwards, its 1&ew a mirror reflection... and pickn things up, you have te look in the monitor te tifnd where it ta... «It's very phyically demandin& tee. Try and do that (Par or holds bis arm straight up in the air) for f ive minutes while youre aittingdown. Your muscle. crampe up 'and the bloo runs down.» Parker says Mr. Dressup tathe only shýow that Ilknow of that ta done Lve te tape... bar any unforseen catastrophes, w. go gh thrshowsshoot a icone, review it te decide SEE PAGE 4 By Mark Reesor The Town of Whitby je laying off seven, fuil-time employees. Canadian Union, of Public Employeee president Steve Nichole says he'e been notified that the seven membere of the union will b.laid off as of next Monday. Theré have aloo been -reporta of a number of part-time employeos ------ boi ng laid Off;p Nichols says the Town "hasnt < sai aythniabout recal.m More>;al;I:s are rurnoured, but Nichols says so far they're just I rumours. around here this year." Services are suffering because of the layroffs, Nichols, eays. "Wherover' there's -layoffe,' there's gotta' b. services aZote. Roferring to works, department staff, hsad, "'The last two snowstormsg, we wero lucky it rained afway t91 hbu ik e were only doing flrst and second- ary -roads and leaving the sub- divisions.» Nichols says if the rest 'of the winter is mild, the public «may2 not evon notice the cuts. But "if we got a really bad storm, youll see it; should soe it anyhow, unlees they change thoir mind halfwal through it.Y Nichols says ail of the union members laid off have buýam rights (they can take over JOËM of employoes with lees seniority), so 1 9t may take two or three weeks bofore anything happons." There was widespread vandal- ism in the Prmngle Dr. and Brad- loy Drý area of Wlutby early Saturdaymorning. Const. Lorne Trider of Durham RoinlPolices sftreet crine utsays tires wero slashod or nuncturod and cars, supeerrmail- Lýoxesand a sin ecratched and spraey panted With white, yollow and rdpaint. The vandal(s) asospraýy pain- ted the word 'Kartl 'and a cirlo with a «W ini it. Plie are stili tr-ying to'find out what that meanis. Trider saLys officers took 34 reports of d---e «and some of thmiinclude bt a car and a sry-painted arage door.» sPfesays te rampage took place sometime between 3 and 5 a.m. Satur4ay. Tridor says it's too early te, estimate total damage - an- in- vestioation ta continumg. business news s-e ..-ge 1 t 1 Jim Parker is jack of al trades for TV's Mr. Dressup