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é #. fa A combined commercial-professional building is being considered for Russell Village by Chantal Developments Inc., company owners Say. Such a building is what the village needs most to complement existing features and to help attract new residents, Chantal president Rejean Paquette and vice-president Garry Patterson said during a joint interview. Chantal originally hoped to incorporate a plaza-type shopping centre in a village subdivision but scrapped plans to avoid a construct- ion delay after residents adjacent to the development site objected to the Ontario Municipal Board. The residents maintained a shopping centre would not be compatible with residential land use or the character of the village. Rather than go ahead with the centre, the company decided to increase the number of houses in the subdivision to 135. Construction is expected to start in the spring. Mr. Paquette and Mr. Patterson were disappointed the shopping centre had to be dropped. Aside from lost planning investment, they were concerned because they felt the centre was needed to stimulate village growth. A combined facility could house doctor's, dentist's and lawyer's offices, a pharmacy, and store. One problem is a narrow choice of central sites, the developers noted, pointing out that a centrally-located building would be easily accessible to senior citizens. One possibility is the company's own land now accommodating its office and warehouse between Castor and Mill Streets. However, this site would present parking restrictions. As far as heritage goes, Mr. Patterson doesn't think there's enough original architecture left in Russell to make it worthwhile incorporat- Twenty-five cents The first few weeks of heavy snow usually bring on a rash of snowman construction and this winter is no exception with several of the jovial-looking fellows appearing in the Castor area. This one is more elaborate than most; it was built by the William Connelley family on the Morewood road who made facial features out of roofing shingles, a scarf out of a barbage bag and a belt out of weather stripping. But even the best-made snowmen come to a swift end and this one, like the rest will end up as a pile of slush. (Photo by Rowsell) ing special characteristics in any new building. Chantal would also like to see a light industrial park for the village as well as a paved link to Highway 417. "Our plans are not just for a bedroom community," Mr. Patterson said. "With the North Road paved, we'll be 20 minutes to any point in Ottawa."' (See story, picture, page 3) Poor Parking "Dangerous"' Lack of parking space at the Osgoode Township Hall is creat- ing a "dangerous situation', says Councillor Phillip McEvoy. When a meeting is held at the renovated Metcalfe building, ears line up "in a cluttered manner" on both sides of Regional Road 6, the councillor points out. "It's dangerous for people crossing this heavily-travelled road, especially at night", says the councillor who made his '"'great fear" known during an in- augural speech last month. In a recent interview, he told Castor Review that other council members share his concern and he hopes the situation will soon be rectified. It would be possible, he said, for the township to acquire a parcel of privately-owned land behind the offices and _ install parking space. "We might even be able to swap a piece of land we don't need for some land at the hall." Mr. McEvoy's fear was well- illustrated Jan. 1 when council held an open house to show off the $100,000 restoration job. The event attracted about 200 rate- payers and their cars plugged the highway. *'Any meeting where more than 20 people attend, you get a problem," the councillor said. He feels that the existing situat- ion provides a poor example to Metcalfe businessmen who see the township double its amount of floor footage at the hall without improving parking. "Something has to be done,"' he concluded. National award for Kinnaird Russell's revered village doc- tor will be the recipient this month of a national Lifestyle Award. The award, sponsored by the federal department of Health and Welfare, is designed to recognize Canadians who have helped promote a positive health life- style in their communities. Dr. Frank Kinnaird, who has tended village sick for more than 40 years, will get one of 30 awards to be handed out during a ceremony at the Chateau Laurier Jan. 23, 11:30 a.m. The doctor's friends are invited to attend. Those who nominated Dr. Kinnaird include the "Marvel- ville Marvel", Larry Robinson, of the Montreal Canadiens; Lois Rombough, who compiled a scrapbook featuring highlights of Doc's medical career; and Don Graham who helped coordinate a community tribute to the doctor last June 2. The village doctor gets the award because of his contribution to local fitness and recreation. Frank Kinnaird What has happened to books for boys and girls? Used to be, Christmas would always find a sampling of books under the tree for boys and girls of the family between the teddy bear set and the learner's permit age group. Today, although there is a wider selection than ever of picture and rhyme books for readers at the bottom end of the growth scale and a full range of books from first-love novels to political biographies for those in their mid-teens and older, what is there to put under the tree for those in between? Used to be, the selection of lit- erature for boys and girls was almost limitless, the mainstay being the adventure story for boys. Going back to grandpa's boyhood, there were the rags-to- riches, do-or-die tales of Oliver Optic (Lyon Hart's Heroism) and Horation Alger Jr. (Brave and Bold, Poor and Proud), who were to define the adventure story for boys for the next half- century in America. But Britain stands as the un- disputed king of the adventure story for boys, both in quality and quantity. From before the turn of the century up to the Second World War, British writers pitted young heroes against a multitude of over- whelming odds in every corner of the Empire always with the same result: nor bully, nor hurricane, nor demon, nor denizen could defeat a son of the King or Queen. One of the most prolific of ith boys' adventure writers Sidewalk Talk © By Mark Van Dusen Dave Dashaway! Wait for me was G. A. Henty, author of the likes of Facing Death and For Name and Fame, but nowhere was the format to be more energetically pursued than in Chums and Boys Own Magaz- ines in serials like The Sword of Tellifer Trueblade (S. Walkey, The Football Funk (Sydney Horler), The Boy Who Wanted Excitement (Eric Townsend), Wings of Doom (George E. Rochester), The Speed Kings (John Hunter), Helgi The High Born (Captain W. H. Milligan), On Safari (Major G. C. Cooper, M. C.), The Balaclava Spirit (Robert Harding), Fetters of Freedom (A. Secombe Griffin): and Lisle of the Transitus (Michael Poole). The theme was often military, the young sold- iers of the Empire always victor- ious. But Britain by no means had a monopoly on youthful heroism. While William Osten was show- ing his mettle to the boys of the Empire in R. M. Ballantyne's Sunk at Sea, Ted Scott was Flying to the Rescue (F. W. Dixon) on this side of the Atlantic. Ted was in the com- pany of The Golden Boys in the Maine Woods (L. P. Wyman), The Boy Allies on the Firing Line (Clair W. Hayes) and the Boy Tramps Across Canada (J. Mac- donald Oxley). The girls were also up to their pretty necks in adventure in Girls Own Magazine serials like The Adventures of a Homely Woman (Fay Inchfawn), The Redfields (Grace S. Richmond) and Meriel Makes Herself at Home (Ethel L. Earle) and in novels like The Lady of the Base- ment Flat (G. De Horne Vaizey), The Strawberry Handkerchief (Amelia E. Barr) and The Fortunes of Fifi (Molly Elliot Seawell). All that seems to remain of these adventure stories for boys and girls are updated versions of the Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew mysteries -- hardly new. What explains the disappearance of these stories. It would be sad to think that boys and girls no longer crave adventure. Maybe television has filled the gap with the likes of Battlestar Galactica and The Incredible Hulk but this type of screen adventure seems slightly spoon-fed compared to the once-popular adventure stor- ies which allowed the imaginat- ion to create sets of unfathom- able dimensions, foes of unport- rayable evil and heroes of unact- able bravery. Six Million Dollar Man? Sorry; I must follow Dave Dashaway "'Across the North Pole."' ' '