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(SSH-Ti'rbune I 905-640-2612 { 1 m: 905-640-8778 . EDITORIAL ADVERTISING ' 905-640â€"26 1 2 ‘ ,llmificd: 1-800-743-3353 Fax: 905-640-8778 York Region Media Group community newspapers The Sun-Tribune. published every Thursday and Saturday, is a division of the Metroland Media Group Ltd.. a wholly-owned subsidiary ofTorstar Corporation. Metroland is comprised of 100 community publications across Ontario. The York Region Newspaper Group also includes The Liberal, serving Richmond Hill and Thomhill. Vaughan Citizen,1he Era-Banner (Newmarket/Aurora). Markham Economisr The Sun-Tribune welcomes your let' Ken All submissions must be less than 400 wands and must include a daytime telephone number. name and address. The Sun-'n'lbune reserves the right to publish or not publish and to edit for clarâ€" ity and space. mum-m. mom-mm WMSL mums “MOT Sun. Georgina Advocate. York Region Business Times. North of the City, yorkregion.com and York Region Printing. Mike Banuille mban uilleOyrmg‘ com DISTRIBUTION Circulation Supervisor Carolyn Norman cnorman@yrmg.com Manager Dawna Andmws daMmm®yrmgcom EDITORIAL Editor Iim Mason jmasonGynng.com ADVER’HSING Retail Manager DISTRIBUTION 905-640-2612 Jmuonflmpcom Pnonucnon Manager Sherry Day sday@yrmg. co m EDITORIAL ADVERTISING 905-640-2612 fled: l~800~743-3353 Ix: 905-640â€"8778 INTERACTIVE MEDIA LETTERS POLICY ow long has it been since you indulged in Shake- speare and sat in Stratâ€" ford’s revolvingâ€"stage Festival Theatre? I confess the last time I attended a play at the Stratford Theatre was when I was in high school. A longtime gal pa] and I changed that this past holiday weekend when we soaked in the sights, sounds and pleasures of The Tempest, starring Christopher Plummer. I’d read that this fine Canadian actor hates The Sound of Music albatross around his neck and, now 80, delights in roles that are vastly difierent from his Captain Von napp persona. Wei], I'm no fliézitfe critic, but I'd say his performance of PmSpero cer- tainly did the trick for me._ The Thmpest is a slow-moving, heavy play, but his thunderous dia- logue and thoughtful soliloquies -â€" delightftu countered by tiny. impish. acrobatic spirit Ariel played by Myana Soelistyoâ€"provedtobeamagical matinee for several hundred specta- tors and dashed The Sound of [URI unu unaucu "w 00qu U luuow on the rocks of the island purgatory of Prospero fair daugh- ter Miranda - Re: Festival went berry well, gears upfor201 I, 1 _ Animals deserved better I am an avid participant in lbcal community events and now that our family has grown with a young one, I look for- ward even more to attending as our'child experiences them for the first time. This year’s Strawberry Fes- tival again dampened my spir- its due to the lack of care dis- played in the petting zoo. The festival provided a dismal site where these poor animals were showcased. Why not indulge in a little culture this summer? I understand the need to expose kids and adults to our local animals and it is always nice to get up-close and per- sonal with them, as many may not have the chance to do so otherwise. But we really need to provide better care for them. There was a very small space that held mum-coloured bunnies - not sure why their fur had to be dyed blue, green and red. They had the bun- Mr. Plummet earned a standing LETTERS TO THE EDITOR nies passed back and forth by young kids under no supervi- sion while we were there. Some were dropped and were not properly being handled. Then there was the cage of rabbits that were so small and at perfect height for kids to poke their fingers in the rabâ€" bits' faces. I am not blaming the children, but perhaps they should not have been allowed to get so close. The animals are timid to begin with and being stuck in a cage with no place to hide is beyond cruel. Then there was the donkey that was caged in the small- est pen possible. Also, the poor lamb had no water or coverage in the pen. All of these incidents were completely unnecessary. As adults and farm animal owners, we really need to raise the bar on how these animals are taken care of during these events. ovation that literally continued for several minutes. After the show, the lineup to “meet the star" and obtain a coveted autograph was the length of the theatre. But it wasn’t just the actual theatre experience â€"â€" and the quick gulping down of a glassA of wine_at iptenniesion -â€" that ma'de the Smdmd experience enjoyable. ‘ _ _ _ - ’I’a forgotten how lovely Stratford and theAvon Riverparksam. lt’struly an arts and culture from the Art in the Park displays to the onfloaflngbargesof We parked the car and wandered amun¢satongpadtbanchwlfimoofi fee.‘then wandemd'aome more form Marney Beck LAURA KAYE STOUFFVILLE 'SfiWhW-Tribune PUBLISHER Ian Proudfoot ice cream and fresh fruit concoction. Everywhere families were enjoy- ing picnics, watching the swans and ducks, chatting in the sunshine or lying on the shady grass. Best of a'llfit was affordable at $50 for a balcony ticket-and an easy day tn'p from RichmondAHill. _ _ I picked up my friend in Thomhill at 9:30 am. and we were in Stratford by 11:30. The return trip was just as easy and we were back in time to enjoy a late barbecue supper with my hus- band, who is not a theatre aficionado. My husband does, however, enjoy jazz, and, closer to home we've been enjoying free jazz evenings at the Rich- mond Hill theatre’s open-air plaza. No driving to corfsider for this culâ€" tural experience, we just walked two bloCks. One Tuesday, the show was standâ€" ing room only and theatre staff were kept busy bringing out more chairs for increasing number of patrons. The waiters were also kept busy, bringing wmeandbeertothirstymusiclavetg As with the Stratiord experience, the mainstageofieflngis onlypart ofthe W‘- _- - . 1 'There’s usually someone I know within the spectators to catch up on morslmmabrlefchatmereue 6290 Main St Stouflville. 0N. MA 167 www.yoduegon.oom Emma m Cum Debora Kelly the sounds of summer backdrop against the music, the traffic driving by, pedestrians talking, dogs barking. clouds moving and sun setting above â€" all part of the outdoor panoply of sounds and sights. Lest you think the aforementioned was an elaborate advertisement for the Stratford Festival, I encourage all readers to embrace cultural experi- ences near and far this summer. If you don’t wish to go out of town to Stratford, the Sh'aw Festival or near- by McMichael Gallery in Kleinburg, remember every Tuesday and Wednes- day night all summer there are outdoor concerts at the Richmond Hill Centre for the Perfomring Arts. Busmnss MANAGER Robert Lazurko Thursdays the free concerts move to the Mill Pond (next Thursday is the Good Brothers, how good is that) and some Sunday afternoons the venue is Richmond Green’s outdoor stage. In Stouffville, the Lebovic Centre for Entertainment -â€" Nineteen on the Park hosts a summer series that will segue into its fall program. Markham's Jazz Festival is just around the corner. Vaughan has been dieting con- certs in the park. and Nemnarket’s Resurgence Theatre Company par entslhmletlnd'fltelunghnook. DIRECTOR, OPERATIONS Barry Black VIMMSG Mail - Com Duuacmn, REGIONAL PIODUCI‘S, Cussu'um. T onAy’s Houns Debra Weller WC, DIM?! Nicole Fletcher