WHIT13Y FREE PRESS, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 6, 1988, PAGE 5 January winds shiver up main street, pushing svers of snow between the parked cars. Lucas Letterpress pulls tight his parka hood, and heads into the wind. Lucas, many will recaîl, is both editor and proprifetor of The Fiat Tail, the only newspaper owned and operated by residents of Beaver, Ont. Lucas is a patriot. But it is not as a patriot that Lucas is heading back to the office this cold, miserable January night.-the kind of night that makes patriots like Lucas think of retiring to Florida. No, Lucas is working, which is wby he is heading for the office. But any good journalist knows that research always ý cornes first. With that tbougbt in mmnd, Lucas clears his moustache on bis parka sleeve and bucks bead down toward The Lone Star. (Let us not here get diverted in a history lesson about The Lone Star. For the purposes of this episode, it matters littie that a group of drunken townfolk burned down the old Lone Star one Canada Day, shouting slogans about how foreign money weren't patriotic. It does matter a lit- tde that the Lone Star wvas rebuilt last fall witb more foreign mioney after the conclusion of tbe Free Trade Poker Stakes, a hard-nosed. game that made everyone lay ber cards on the table. More information can be found in a volume called 'How 1 Won tbe West' by Prime Minister Mulberry Bushes, subtitled 'BySelling tbe East, North, Farmers and Oil.' Ask for it in the library.) Lucas enters The Lone Star, barely noticing bow the On- tario winter winds drift through the batwing doors, designed by foreign hands for a foreign climate. Lucas "He here yet? " he asks. Neanderthal Ned, the bartender, polishes glasses. "If you mean Old Sam, then no. But Mayor Johnny Cannuck's sitting over there at the corner table. Lucas turns, and sure enougb be spies Mayor Jobnny. IEven if Lucas didn't know the mayor, he would have ýWITH OUR FEET. UP by Bill Swan More poker picked up out that broad chin anywhere. Witb the mayor, but not really with bim if you know what I mean, are Bent Broadaxe and Razor Strop, two local politicianis. "Your uncle here yet?" Lucas asks, approacbing the mayor's table in what he hoped wo uld not be taken as a sashay, wbich be tbought to be a foreign way of walking. Mayor Jobnny looks up, points to the batwings with bis chin. "That'sbhim now. " "Yessiryesiryesir," says the taîl, gangly grandfather, dressed unostentatiously in blue and white striped span- dex and a star studded top bat. His blue morning coat sets off the ensemble. He shakes hand ail around. Broadaxe refuses the band. Razor Strop accepts it, but washes bis hand immediately after in a pitcher of beer. Lucas simply pulls out bis notebook. -bamn here's got an announcement to make," says Mayor Johnny. "Take 'er away, Sam." Sam grins. "Glad to be here. Glad we got this Lone Star back together. As you know, we started out the Fre Trade Poker Stakes in the back room of the Old Lone Star. Well, 1 hope this new Lone Star has a back room to &Oh, it does, it does! " interjects Mayor Johnny. '... because we're gonna continue Trade Poker in-there fer as long as you got cards. " "You don't mean it! " chrped Mayor Johnny. "More Poker!" "Sure," Sam says. "I came over to settle up a few details about the rules, things we won in the Free Trade Poker Stakes." "Could you tell us what those details might be? " Lucas asks, ever the professional. "Well, sure. For one thing, Mayor Johnny says he;_ or whoever is mayor, will provide ail the cards. That fair? And the beer, too. And firewood, and coal, and wood, anything that might providesome heat or light. "Second, we'll be playing Mixed Card Stud. That means you get to draw two cards, any deal, nothing wild. I get to play five-cards, double draw, deuces, jokers, jacks and anything else I decide wild. "But that's..." "What about disputes?" spits Broadaxe. "IWbat hap- pensif there's a disagreement in there?" "No problem," says Mayor Johnny. "We've agreed on a fair, even manner of settling any disputes. We bring in an impartial judge. " "Course, he'1l be using my rules," says Sam, lighting up a cigar. "Just in case there was ever any doubt about who is going to win this game." "See? Didn't I say he would be fair?" says Mayor John- ny. "'How did you manage it? " quips Razor Strop, his two blue eyes doing an imitation of a single icicle. "It was easy," says Mayor Johnny. "I just sold him the farm, and the oil patch in the west end, and..." "87 REVIEW '87 REVIEW '87 REVIEW 687 REVIEW '87 REVIEW Province says no to more beds for Whitby General A Ministry of Health allocatiun of more chronic care beds but no more acute care beds for Whitby General Hospital resulted in a hospital board effort to have the ministry reconsider its decision. New chairman of the board, Bill Wallace, warned that the facility could eventually becomne a chronic- care facility only when it had been planned to also fuif iii an active care role. He pointed to Whitby's growing population as evidence of the need for more acute care beds. Minister of Health Elinor Caplan defended the allocation of beds to DuÙrham Region hospitals, pointing to the ministry review that led to the decision to give both chronic and acute beds ttLthe Oshawa and Ajax-Pickering hospitals and chronic only to Wbitby. The Durham District Health Council, which functions as an ad- visory body to the ministry, had su pported the Whitby hospital board in its request for more beds. Despite 13,602 names of Whitby residents in a petition to request more acute care beds, Caplan upheld her decision at a meeting with board members Dec. 16. Wallace described it as Whitby's "blackest day." He also suggested that ail board members could resign in protest. In other hospital news in the past House. for Rent 3 bedroomn house wth garage' situated at 1959 Lane One, Squ ires Beach, Pickering, Ontario. Proceed south on Brook Road f rom Highway No. 401 to Bailey Street, turn east on Bailey Street to Squires Beach Road, then south to McKay Road, turn left (east) to the intersection of Montgomery Park Road, turn right <west) to Susan Drive, then turn left (south>. Watch for "OPEN HOUSE" signs. Open House - 4:00 to 7:00 p.m., Friday, January 8,1988. Offers to lease wiii be accepted in Toronto until 3:00 p.m., Monday, Ja nuary 18,1988. For Of fers to Lease and f urther information cail George Winkiey at (416) 683761. 0 The hghest or any Of fer to Lease wili flot necessarily be accepted. T.O. 212 File No.: M767-41 year, a new logo was chosen; in- stallation of an x-ray machine began at a cost of about $300,000 (to be paid from hospital foundation funds); installation of' a mam- magraphy unit at a cost of about $125,000 foundation funding);- .$250,000 for the radiology unit, from capital expenditures in the budget. The total operating budget for the hospital for the April 1987 to March 1988 fiscal year is about $10 million, with a projected deficit of about $250,000. About 80 per cent of the total operations budget is for staff spdaries and wages. Ca dbury lo sure announced after sale At a time when Whitby, like other municipalities, extends open arms to new industry to accompany con- tinuing residential and commercial growth, one of the biggest disap- pointments of 1987 was the loss of a major employer. That announcement prompted a flurry of protest and activity by regional council and Wbitby council as well as by the plant's union members wbo sougbt to prevent the loss of more than 400 jobs with the plant closure. William Neilson Ltd. purchased the plant in January for $6.5 million and then said it would close it to streamline operations. A petition was made to hold an inquiry into the sale before the Ministry of Consumer and Cor- porate Affairs. However, attempts to prevent closure were unsuc- cessful. Neilson's says about'one-third of the 300 people who have so far been Agreement in November on a new two-year contract ended OUR *FAMOUS laid off have found new jobs with the belp of a relocation committee. About 100 hourly employees remain on the job until equipment.bas been moved to a plant in Toronto. rotating strikes by Durham Region's 100 public health nurses. On furniture that reflects the pure and simple elegance of Country. Choose from a selection of furnishings, crafted. in Oak, Pine and Cherry wood. M ach one priced 80 you can afford ta make yourself at home ini the country. Misaissauga Xomo & Design Contre Jumt Eaist f Winaton Churchill E1vd. on Dundas St. 888-1818R Whitby 507 Erock St. N9. (Ewy. 18) 8.3 km 19. of 401 on Hwy. 18 686-11853 Agreement ends nurses' strike SALE AV E P30%