WHITBY FREE PRESS, WEDNESDAY, MAY 27,1987, PAGE 11 Brooklin Profile ROXANNE REVELER News & Features Editor Phone 655-3637 Raccoon is Brooklin's Gizmo So! What do you do with a baby raccoon when you find one wan- dering around, particularly when you realize it's too young to be away from its mother? If you are like a local resident who found such a frail creature perambuling the grounds ofLuther Vipond Memorial Arena, you call the Pickering Ajax Whitby (PAW) Animal Control Centre to the rescue. Such an event occurred a few weeks ago, and PAW, not having the facilities to cope with such a lit- te critter, in turn called Doctor Jim Wells at Brooklin Village Animal Hospital on Winchester Rd. W. Wells, not only a veterinarian but a self-confessed lover of all animals, particularly those who inhabit the wild, gladly took over as "mom" for the animal. Baby raccoon, who has since been dubbed Winston Montgomery by the staff at the clinic, proved to be a male raccoon. Despite the loss of his original mother somewhere along the line, he was in good health, and hungry upon his arrival. It was up to Wells and his staff to tube-feed the little guy on dog replacement formula every hour to make sure he stayed healthy. Winston was brought to the clinie on Thursday, May 14 and with the Victoria Day long weekend ap- proaching, veterinary assistant Debbie Kiezebrink volunteered to take Winston home for the holiday period. It was over this time that the rascal was weaned on to a baby bottle and with Debbie's per- severance, learned how to use a lit- ter box. By last Thursday, Winston's weight was up to just over a pound and he had graduated to his first taste of baby food. Although not too keen on the strange taste and tex- ture at first, he was soon digging in. Diane Borg, a staff member, and Pilar McMillan, a co-op student who have adopted Winston as their own, feel he will soon be ready to try something more substantial such as crackers and eggs. Winston is a lovable little charac- ter who makes his wants known. When hungry he chants a song similar to Gizmo of 'Gremlins' fame. When contented, he snuggles up and purrs like a kitten. When Brooklin branch computers CO-OP STUDENT Pilar MeMillan has adopted the baby raccoon Winston, brought to Brooklin Village Animg)L Clinie after it was found wandering the grounds-of Brooklin's arena. See story for details. Free Press photo Join Kin bus to Jays'game Local Blue Jays fans have a chance to see their favorite team in action and help further the cause of community work at the same time. Brooklin and District Kinsmen are chartering a bus to the Blue Jays game on Thursday (May 28) against the Oakland A's. The bus wilI% be leaving Luther Vipond Memorial Arena parking lot at 5:45 p.m. sharp. Tickets are $15 and anyone wishing to join in can contact Jim Innes at 655-3454 or any Kinsmen member. Tickets will be in a first come, first served basis. The Whitby Public Library and Brooklin branch have joined the Ajax Public Library to formed a network to automate their cir- culation systems to provide more efficient service to the public. The automated circulation system uses barcodes on the library materials and on the patron's library card to check material in and out of the library. It is therefore necessary to issue new barcoded library cards to library patrons. The system is ex- pected to be operational in the fall of 1987. Registration is beginning now to allow staff the time to enter all the information into the computer database before the system becomes operational. Brooklin Lions to hold sale in June Brooklin District Lions will be holding their second annual giant garage sale the weekend of June 13 and 14 in the parking lot of the Canadian Imperial Bank of Com- merce in Brooklin from 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. each day. As usual, the Lions are appealing for donations from the community to help make the sale a success. They will be pleased to pick up any items the public wishes to con- tribute. The Lions will also be renting space for any individuals or families who wish to sell items of their own. The charge will be $10 per day, or $15 for the two days of the garage sale. Anyone wishing additional in- formation, or requesting a pick-up of donations should call Glen at 655- 3745, or Bill at 655-4046. All proceeds from the sale go to projects within the Brooklin and district community. For more information please call the Brooklin library at 655-3191. feeling more adventuresome, he races around on wobbly little legs, cavorting in his water bowl and get- ting thoroughly drenched. It's no wonder the girls have to bathe him every day at least once. Unfortunately, all at Brooklin Village Animal Hospital realize Winston's stay will be a short one. Although loving while young, rac- coons do not make good pets as their natural wild instincts.return when they reach the age of five or six months. At this time, when assured he is able to fend for him- self, Winston will be taken to Heber Down. Conservation Area and released to his native habitat. Borg recalls a similar case about three years ago when a baby great horned owl fell from a nest while someone was chopping down a tree. The mother did not return for her infant and again Dr. Wells was called upon. She laughs remem- bering the way everyone at the clinic raced around trying to catch insects for the little bird which also took a liking to canned cat food. Wells would take the bird outside to stretch its wings each day until finally, when around two months old, the magnificent creature cir- cled a few times and flew away to make a life for itself elsewhere. Everyone at the clinic knows the day must come when Winston will be leaving, but for the present, they are content to help raise "their baby." Reflections of a Golden Age By MABEL M. McCABE We golden agers are fond of looking back and remembering the things of our youth. It's sad to say but so true that you can never go home again. I've tried it and you can take my word it does not.work. Watching plans in motion for Toronto brought this all home to me. afresh. What with the new dome stadium and a new venture called City Place I will be like a fish out of water in places that were the haunts of my youth. It gives me a pang of sadness to realize many i of the wonderful sights I enjoyed will not be around for other generations to look upon. I know that Toronto has grown up since I was a child but I dread seeing my memories stripped away one by one. Sunnyside and the lovely carousel are gone with all the rest of those rides I played on. Edgecliff and Crow's beaches have disap- peared from the west side of the Humber river. All the warm sunny days we spent on the sands there are now only in my mind. The hardest thing of all is that the loving people who spent those days with me are also gone, and my thoughts run rampant as I recall voices from the past. Do any of you remember iceboating on Toronto harbor? It was a real trip to the moon in the old days before speeding cars and boats. Wrapped to your ears in Buffalo robes one would race across the ice and cold tears would freeze on your cheeks. As a child it was a thrill I will remember always, especially hearing my father's laughter. Standing near the yacht club by the free bathing area at Sun- nyside for the big deal of watching an old ship burn out on the lake. Another forgotten thrill was the roller coaster when we rode the very first car. Where have all the simple things we knew drifted to in this day of expensive parks likeWonderland and Ontario Place? Sitting in my living room I wonder how we came to be here wat- ching television and could we have ever survived without itr We did didn't we? There were family piciics and card games and just plain talking. Does anyone talk anymore I wonder? Would our children and grandchildren be able to exist without the aid of a visual sedative? I would like to think they could. The hardest part about being alone is that there is no one to talk to or argue with around you, so you settle for television. I believe it's a poor substitute but it's the best we can do. I've been trying to get out and meet more people and expand my group of friends so I'd have the chance to talk about the things I remember and have a companion who also was around way back then. I feel one can never have too many friends and when one is lost it is a real tragedy. We have to work hard to be good friends and if we sometimes find that it was an effort made in a lost cause just chalk it up to experience and carry on. Life is a gift that we must nurture and caress and care for while we have the chance for it is ours for such a short time we must make the most of every moment. MARYETHYLL STARBRIGHT (Victoria Jackson) cozies up to Harold King (Kelly Vipond) in the hopes he will put up the money as producer of her new show in the production of 'On Broadway', presented by in- termediate students at Meadowerest School. Free Press photo