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Whitby Free Press, Wednesday. August 11. 1993, Page 7 ......pw.. Low maintenance? The idea behind the projet began sweetly enough. It was, as I recali, on a return nro an evening waik. "Thie eavestroughs1," said the family colouir'consultant, "are the wrong colour.' Frfear of Ontario Human Rights Commission, I will abstain from making sexist comments. Let nme simýply assert that certain gender-challenged folk have neyer thought of eavestroughs in termis of colour. Use yes. Which is to conduct water. Off of roofs. Without mucl dripping. "Colour," I remarked. "Tes. But that these are baked enamel aiuminu»i finish, sorry they can't b. painted." Can't be painted. See how subtly the word 'p-a-i-n-t' crept in? That's because, when family colour consultants talk about oertain items being the wrong 'colour,' they are not taiking race - they're talking 'paint. Thus, as a pre-emptive strike, I threw in that neat piece of maie esotenica. "Baked enaniel factory finish cannot be painted." Males in our society are born knowing important stuf like this. Besides, decisions about what houses te buy are made because of eavetrough finish. Everyone knows that baked enamnel finishes neyer need painting. The salesman said se. This is called low maintenance. Certain people, it should bo pointed eut strenuou sly, need te b.e told that this aise means that whatever the celour is, you're stuck with it. I try net to be smug about such things. Hartly on 'Çity Line'says it can. Well, obviously this matter wiil need more research. I tried iow-key approaches in paint stores: Me: "Hi there, I was wondering if you ceuid ieip nie settie a bet. A friend of mine dlaims hie can paint enamel finish aluninum treughs. I say he's nuts. We h ave our egos riding on this. Who's right?" Clerk (lifting lier eyles froiniher math homework): "Your friend. Scrub wth TSP. Acrylic paint." That line of researcli was certain net te get me any- wliere. r'd try best-of-three. Clerk 2: 'Tour friend. Sand lightly. Scrub it down with trisodium phosphate. Thien you have te use special, costiy metai rustproof paint sold only at this store. And you are iucky, we have a speciai this week" At this point, I decided on best-of-five. CIerk 3: "Your friend. Wash with Grease-Off. Paint with latex. No problem." Once you realize you are losing a conversation, there comes a point when you must act. There folowed several purchases: a gallon of paint, trise- dium phosphate replacement, sponges, a ladder, sandpaper. Our faniily colour consultant selected colour. White. "While i's net a colour " I say recalling my Grade il physica, "white iu composec of ail colours. ewton's wheel. mrins. That stuif." As I said earlier "we maies have in- stinctive grasp of certain matters." "Whatever," came the reply. "As long as it's white." Smugiy, having won this last round I got eut the iadder. And paint. And 9P replacement. And Ugan work. The third day - halfway threugh the second coat -- the neighbour appeared at the foot of theiladder. "Painting, eh'?" he said. We ail recognize this as an opener. "Yep," I replied. "Toughj*ob," lie said. "Painting that factory-baked finish." This, of course, we recognize- as gender-challenged instinct taiking. "My research says not," I reply, "as long as the pre- paration is 5complete." "Oh." Then: "Changing colour's going te take several coats." More maie instincts. My research dlaims that this is aIse an old.husband's tale, too. After three coats, I began te wonder. I widened niy researchi. "Dearw Hartly, c/c' City Uine Show For Know-it.alls: 1 have recently painted niy eavestroughs. How do youý get paint off 1) bricks, 2) asphait, 3) me? Actuaily the paýint is begnning to come off me. The bricks, shingles and driveway are tougher." Hartly, I arn sure, wili reply with instinctive maie wis- dom.- "It can't bo dune." 1!: M BOWLING ALL9Y AT M[LIARY CONVALESCENT HOSPJALW 1918 This bowling alley is stili used in therec hail at the Whitby Psychiatric Hoptabuilt in 1917. The hospitai was used as a military facility frem 1917 te 1919 te rehabilitate oldiers wounded in the Firat World War. WidtLy Aacd hlve k< 10 YEARS AGO frem the Wednesday, Angust 10, 1983 odition et' the WUTBY FREEPRESS " Durham Regien has entered the biddingfor a domed stadum ini sothern Ontario. " Fish-weiging scaes are being instle at Port Whitby Marina. " Whitby-Garrard Rcad mninor lacrosse novice team lias wen the AI-Ontario C division provincial cliampionship at MsSissauga. " Roeund steak is selling at Safeway for $.9a pund. 35 YE-ARS AGO from the ThrdaA ust , 968 edition of the WWMýuVàÇUNEWS " More than 150 chldren at King Street School wili have te attend school in shifts until additions te the building are completed. " lhe Whitby Plaza at Brock and Gibert streets is compieted, and ail stores are filied. " Neariy two miles cf VWhitby'ýs streets will bo paved this summer. " A 20-fooV motor Iaunch sank in Whidtby Harbour during higli winds. 80 YEABS AGO froni the Thursday, August 7, 1913 edition of the WHITBY GAZETE AND CKRONICLE " Provincial Secretary WJ. Hanna was guest speaker at Whitby's Civic holiday on Aug. 4 at Heydenshore Park. " The drewning'of a Toronto man at the Whitby wharf on the Civic holiday marred the festivities of the day. " Summer resident John B. Laidiaw says in a letter to the editer that Whitby needsaa sanitary sewer systeni. " St. John's Anglican Churcli, Port Whitby lias re-opened after extensive repairs were made te theê east wall. Iffl il 1 1