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Whitby Free Press, Wednesday, September 14,1994 Page 7 44~4 ~ -Pet rats and separatists Today, dear readers, you are about to see a columnist performi what was thought impossible. To wit: A separatist government has been elected in Quebec. We will ot write about that. And: a pet rat named Fudgie bas a new home in our basement. We wil not write about that.. We w111 not write about the separatist government, beca use 1 have this keen sense that readers want te deal with the breakup of Canada the way some people wouid lilce, oh, say, te have a pet rat in their basement. See, even if that rat is housed in a brand new «I bought it with my own money, Daddy, $39.99 plus tax,» (said the littie girl in the fourth grade) it... where were we with this sentence? ... is stiil a rat. We wouldn't argue that the rat is a Hooded variety, known for their abiity te hypnotize humans into slavery. Or te explain that the rat came from a good family: from a teacher, who assures everyone, in words written large on the blackboard, that these young fernale rats are "guaranteed not pregnant." You can see why 1 wou]d avoid dragging such matters in te a column. So scratch the education beat for possibiities. No matter how you dress up the language, a rat is a rat is a rat and there are certain people who wil not pick it up, 'pet it, coo at it and in similar ways welcome it te the family menagerie. There are doubts, for instance that Mio, the cat, wil find social intercourse with a rat stimulating. We thought that about his relationship with the goldfish, teo, until he cbewed through aerator tubes and also the electrical wiring for the pump. Ever seen a cat with singed teeth? You can see we are wise te give such mnatters a wide berth. Similarly, one can argue that. the election of a separatist government in Quebec is legitimate. Pari- zeau bas been duly elected by democratic ineans, within the Canadian law, and so there bar bar deal with it square headed anglo. Har. Even so, tbere will be xnany Canadians wbo now want nothing te do with such a government, except maybe te hope it goes away. So sadly, we cannot continue the parallel. As we said at the beginning, people no -more want te tbink about separatismi than they want te tbink about pet rats in the basement. The comparison drops off when you consider that Jacques Parizeau is pregnant with possibiities. Even thougb be does have singed teeth. Having two sucb wonderful tepics would bave been temptation for any columnist. 1 just want it on the record that we examined the potential, teyed with the concepts, and then politely eschewed both. Kind of deserves a medal, doesn't it? Let's run for Terry Fox Next Sunday is the annual Terry Fox Run. In the memnory of Terryis courageous, battie te cross Canada from sea te sea, the mun is as mucb now about cancer awareness, and fighting the demons of the disease, as it is about fund- raising. The Whitby version starts from the Civic rec centre at 9 a.m. Participants can cover the lO-kiometre course running, walking, skating, by wbeelcbair, baby carriage, skateboard, you namne it. 1,11 be runningy on Sunday. For ail those who I've known who fought the disease, and bad te pause halfway te rest, as did Terry Fox and my sister Barb. Forthoe wo fugh an wo.Like myfriend Andy. I~ ~oe ..... . RECEPTION FOR CREW 0F H.M.S. wHiTBY, SEPTEMBER 6, 1959 Wbitby.played host to the crew of tbe British frigate H.M.S. Whitby 35 years ago. This reception was held before a large crowd in Centennial Park. The visit was co- ordinated by tbe Whitby Chamber:of Conmmerce. free tours of the ship were offered to Whitby residents, wben it was înoored outside the harbour. Whitby Archives photo 10 YEARS AGO fromn the Wednesday, September 12, 1984 edition of the WHITBYFREE PRESS " Jim Watson presented the Town of Wbitby with a fire pumnper made as early as 1827. It had b een owned by the Watson family of Port Whitby for more than 100 years. " l3uce and Marjory Shier were honoured for their donation to renovate an entire wing of the Whitby General Hospital's chronic care unit. " Jessie Davidson o fFairview Lodge celebiated ber lO2nd birthday on Sept. 6. " Brooklin's Group 74 will hold an open bouse of crafts at the Communîty Centre on Sept. 13. 35 YEARS AGO from the Thursday, September 10, 1959 edfition of the WIIITBY WEEKLY NEWS " Three thousand students will attend ten Wbitby scbools this fall. " The Town of Wbitby plans to pipe water te the Almonds area because the wells there ran dry tbis summer. " Mel-Ron Construction of Whitby was the successful tender of $292,750 for the construction of tbe new town bail. "*VWitby's citizen opened their homes te the sailors of tbe H.M.S. Whitby on the Labour Day Weekend. 125 YEARS AGO from the ThursdaySe ptember 9, 1869 edition of the WH1ieBYCHRONýICLE " The contract to build the Port Whitby and Port Perry Railway will be signed witb Mr. Dumble, the contracter fromn Cobourig, on Sept. 13. " The Town Council bas failed te, meet at I east three times this summer for want of a *" he "Marsh Harvester" has been demonstrated successfully at several Whitby Township farms during thep ast week. " Pive theusand copies of the Witby Obronicle Almanac for 1870 will be published in the first week of December. ýs-eew.,