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WH1TBYFREE PRESS, W * - ,.- -~w~.-*,~*--~- .On recent visita to relatives, we have driven by the latest attraction to hit Whitby's sotuuining neighbor to the east. Each evening, crowds of -up to one hundred gather on Wilson Road just north of RoWsand Road'in Oshawa. The attraction? A femily of beavers hard at work constructing and xnainteining their dam and lodge. The beavers are not the first, of course, to settle' inside urban limits. But this group bas picked a spot handy for crowd viewing. Their dami is located'right beneath a bridge, end each eveming the crowd gathers te lean on the guardrals to catch a glimps. of flat tails at work. Some young people show a little too much enthusiasm, and want te get too close. I worried about that at frst. But the beavers work -in thefr own weld and ignore the carnival about them. They shun the spotlight and it takes bome patience te, catch theni in action. But near twilight, the crowd will be rewarded: smail ripples appear on the pond; a. anout sihown briefly, seeniing to push a v-shàp"edripple before it. Then, presto, it disappears, only te reappear on the edge of the rugged dam. There the beaver does some business, or deposits another twig, we can't tel which, then dives bockt inte the pond. A worlcs crew once tr.ied to break up the dam te, discourage the beavers, but complaints from the neighbors coupled with pritnsfrom the' beavers, put a stop to that. The next morning the dMm was bock in place. WITH OURt FEET.UP by Bill Swan 1 describe this wildlife scene flot te, tout tourism for ,Whitby's neighbor. Althougb, come te think of it, this happening would be'worth a short drive of an evening. If you can find a place to park when you arrive. If you can avoid the bazarda created by the mini traffic jam each evening If you c'an flnd a spot by the guardrail. constitution-building. You see, this dam is being built by young beavers Who. apparently were turfed out of home by a den of older, less flexible beavers. Perhaps they couldn't agree on how high to build; or about themateriaIs they would use; or about which lodge was whose. Perhaps the younger beavers wanted. to wander into the adjacent subdivision and gnaw on- succulent birch saplings. But the older beavers said, no, that way is madness, that wvill bring the wrath of people on us. And every leader knows that man is the meanest, toughest, moot ornery of animal% and avoids rousing his ire.. Perhaps the youngsters found their forbeerers too inflexible, too arrogant, too set in their ways te accommodate change.- Maybe. they were holdouts for a veto over Senate reform. Perhaps they insisted on language rights overriding ail other institutiogial guerantees.» Maybe, for a while, theyjust didn't give a danm. 'Whatever the reason, they stormed out with noses in the air and launched their own construction teani. :W. could suppose that, they have maintained some form of sovereignty association with their former Watever. They now have their. own distinct socuety they have buiît their own dam constitution and noboe; but -the works crew cen tae. that away from them. .1And the workçs crew will be forever constrained lby are residents and regular visitors. Until, of course, the industrious little fellows DO start' chomping on their neighbors' landscaping. At that time expect to see some- version of inter-species war. And guesa who wiil win. As always. Meanwhile, I wish them safety from ids anddcogs. And whatever other hazards beavers have. Dam constitution But over the past few days ive thought about those beaversa ot The cmeto construct theïi odge and dlam, come heile canhope for high water. They toil largely in secret;, pinng branch upon branch, tree upon tre.,wàtWin*g uoitig creating as they do a smafl la ke that want theebefore. IHow iMuch 11k. our provincial peir these busy beavers be. Like the premiers and th=pie zinisters, they surface infrequently te give the awaiting crowvd-- or the television cameras or whatever -- a tantalizig clip. Then* zip -- back to the lodge where the real planning and politicldng begins. They submerge te, do anything important. They co nstruct their favorite planka under cover of darkness. The an alogy breaks down, though, on important points. Perhaps the history of the beavers niight give us pause when- we consider the Meech Lake j, i~i h Tactical foroe responds to gunshot. By Trdie Zavadovies son Rd. at 4 a.m. after receiving the weapon.r A Ensht brought the Dur-reot of a man firing a shot Thomas England was arrested hem Rgo tactical support unit it h air. and cherged with possession of out te~htby early Saturday By the timne police arrived at weapoan. degerous, dangerous Police- surrounded the area around Columbus Bd. and Thick- me amn une amen maiL naa u i a ineari unsuz15uw a fled the soene andretumed to of a frearm, and careless use of his residence. Police later seized a firearm. Woboden Outdoor Furniture- MYRTLE RD. F W F9THICKSON 4b TY Hexagons, Octagons, Benches, Chais etc. Handinade, prassem'bled, sandde ready to be staied IMf alE6à,55 Solid Cedar construction) . o eor LD. er B1.llt to Last 1;) t> Il,> ~1 If t' r> 'f >1~ 1~ r1 t Y , tg%,---Qw - t ', M iEDNESDAY, JUNE la, 1990, PAGE 5 ILIIIIIIIIIcIIIl- 1