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444. 4 .4' f* *1.1 ý4j WHITBY FREE PRESS, WEDNESDAY, JULY 17,1991. PAGE?7 Thoughts- from a sand dume Port Franks, Ont.-- I amn sitting in the living room of a cottage just down the road from the world's largest sand dune. In the kitchen, three children munch on ice creami cones, three other aduts walk across the tiled floor, crunching a few bushels of beach sand under their feet. The crunching'aduits make more sound than the niunching children. This. is- vacation time in cottage country on Lake Huron. Tonight is Monday. Tomorrow cornes the search for the fax machine. If I amn sucoessfi in that hunt, you shall be reading this. If not ... oh, skipit. Vacations, by their nature, defocus our eyes from niundane taBlcs. TI their place, we cari ruminate about wider issues. Who cari rustie up fears of the emerging global market'. after viewin a sunset over a mill-pond-sill lake? Who' worries abut market value en or the kinder, gentier Aeriaater see*ng northern iigbts in action? So or hisweek, we packed Up bOvOf bocksý, two magazines, a plastic bail and bat and four games: Jr. Scrabble, chess, Balderdash and Plctionary. Aul in case it rains. With my, brother and bis family, we are ta spend a whols week here. Mornings on the beach. Afternoons on the beach. Evenng* w watch sunsets on the beach. Sureiy yoiq get then ide I have-- pardon me --bad, the theory that life in cottage country is a great leveller. Youre as liksly ta meet a billionaire in cut-offjeans as'anycrie here. Right? And'any fears of inequality we could calin by feeding a suice of bread to, the faniily of ducks who have staked out our backyard.. But from this cottage, a seven-ninute walk separates us from the beach. In that seven minutes, we walk past such a variety of hoveis. Houses stuck on sand hills. Chalets on stilts. Ranishackle efforts sither abandoned in the building or neglected by design. Whatever the variation, we would recognize al distinctly as ' cottages.! Something we alniight someday own if we were frugal, shopped right and wanted a place to store cast-offs. But tbree times each day we walk by ' The Villa.' Let me describe it. It is built on a standard-sized lot (around here that means about 100 ft. by 250 ft.). That may be the only ordinary feature about it. The perimeter is staked out by a six foot spike-topped iron fence. The 20-ft. automated gates, set i concrets pillare are open when the owners are home.,Cc Tgates open inta a patterned ocescrua drive and a coutad with a fountairi. The grounds reek of professional iandscaping. The sideyard boasts its own tennis court. The backyard (I climbed a mouritain cf rock ballast te inspect) cortains *two patios, a private beach anid - I may be nistaken - a privat boat launch. Every roomoverlooking the lake lias itz owri picture window.' M frtratien was crie cf horro. Couid You imagine peptracking sand through the interior cf such a place? Yet, sirice it is stuck in a cottage area, this muet surely be someone's cottage. The mnd bogges. Especiaily when yeu walk by this place thrice daily. It was with aorne gise, then, that we disoevered the ad in the LondonFrèes Press, complets with pho"- ' Your dreams cari come true, in, this elegantly appointed 5-bedrocin unique home on the sandy* shores cf Lake Huron. Quality is evident fiom the céustom-designed coutyard and waterfalis, ta ýthe fuily-equipped gourmet kitchen and breathtaking great room. For oesof ... etc?' And the price? 'Port Franks waterfiront, $689,000.' Someadditionai information underscores the price. Originally, we were tald the asking price -for the property was a cool million. Thates a one with six zeros re the littie dot. That price dropped after the guest bouse on the propert.y soid for $269,000. Remember, this isnt suburban Whitby where yuppie casties are the nom. PAGE EE r71 [ ~~~~~~~ ~ ~ ~ ~ L 'Il'~~/0"'W'. ç....~ i THE HELM iEMORIALGATES9 ONTARIO LADIES' COMMEE, C.19à0 These yellow brick gates wsre dedicated on June 11, 1924 ini memory cf Bey. Dr. John James Hare, principal of the college firoin its foundirig in 1874 until 1915, and bis wife, They were destroyed when knocked dowri by a dump truck i 1959. Whltby ArMlM Sphoto 10 TzAmS AGO from the Wednesday, July 15, 1981 edition of the WHITBYFEEPRESS " Bonnie Berry, Joyce Ccx, Benoît LaHaye and Henry Ferry are finalista for the Peter Perry Award. " A total cf 30,000 tires were bumned in a fire at Art Robinson' wrecking yard. " Global TV personality Bll Bramah filmed one cfbiùs commentaries at Cullen Gardens iast week. " Wayover, a herse owned )by Jim Carnwitb of Brooklin, was second in the recent running of the Queen's Plate. 25 TZARS AGO frein the Thursday, July 14, 1966 edition cf the WHITBY WIEKLY NEWS " Arthur Wilson, a 40-year member cf Wbitby Baptist Church, turned the sod for the new church at Gilbert andReynolds Sts. on July 10.' " One of eight centennial caravans will visit Whitby in August 1967. " Water consumption bas reached an ail-time record in Whitby, but no shortage is expected. " Two English boy scouts wiil visit Witby in August as part of an exchange program. 75 TZARS AGO frein the Thursday, July 13, 1916 edition of tbe WHMfB GAZETE AND CHRONICLE " Ontario provincial secretary W.J. Hlana inspected the new Whitby Hspitai fer the Insane on Juiy 10. l he Gazette and Chronicie says.Town merchants cari cempete with city mail order stores. *Two little girls drowned off Sterey's Point at the mîouth of Lynde Creek on July 5. * Loal citizens are' provliding food anid clothing to the Methodist Fresh Air Home fer Cbildren at Heydenshore Park.