Trail Daily Times Friday, June 15, 2012
www.trailtimes.ca A7
LETTERS & OPINION LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Owners must be responsible for pets Big or small, any dog can be a vicious dog. Twice in the past year I have been bit by dogs, one small Jack Russell on June 13th this past week and large Boxer last spring, both in the Fruitvale area. Neither dog was on a leash and darted at me from a yard. The Jack Russell was down the block from where he lived roaming the neighbourhood as he has done on many occasions
and is a nuisance. Both have been reported to the SPCA with follow-ups to the owners. Dog owners, don’t ever say that your dog would never bite anyone because no dog can be trusted. I am a dog owner myself of many years and have had to have one of my dogs put down because he bit my own children. There was no hesitation with our decision. Buck up you dog owners
that let their dogs roam free. Be responsible and abide by the Bylaws of our communities. License your dogs and keep them on a leash when off your property and for some of you, on your property. You’d be the first to complain if your dog got hit by a vehicle while roaming about. It’s not the dogs fault. Be responsible! Belle Norman Fruitvale
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is always there between them is possible. He proved that to me. Over the years he somehow managed to work as hard as he does, yet show how much he loves our children. If they needed his strong hands while he was at home, he was there. When they wanted to sit on his lap, he’d scoop them up, even if it was just for a brief moment. He eventually learned to relax with them, took them on camping trips, roasted hotdogs over an open fire and he taught them things like how to groom a horse. As busy as he was he found time and, through trial and error, he always tried to keep an open mind. Our marriage dwindled but the love for his children has remained steadfast and strong. Grandpa (Tell Me ‘Bout The Good Ol’ Days) – The Judds 1985 My father was raised on the Saskatchewan prairie. His first mode of transportation was a blue roan horse that, relatives say, he could “ride like the wind.” Occasionally he would tell us stories about his youth. My favourite: the night he and friends strapped the reverend’s buckboard buggy to the church rooftop for Sunday parishioners to see. Born in 1913, he lived through the depression era, two world wars and he saw the technological advancement of new inventions like the light bulb and the automobile. Every five years we would go on a road-trip, back to the homestead in Saskatchewan to celebrate a family reunion that would bring people home from all over the continent – an occasion created by family and friends to celebrate life after the advent of the Second World War. My best childhood memories are in those back-home days where I learned about my heritage and sang, my dad’s favourite song – Porter Wagoner’s 1965 hit, The Green, Green Grass of Home - to loved ones. My father passed away in 1996. He was “Papa” to 13 grandchildren. His legacy lives on through both the Legion and his family. Happy Father’s Day. Barbara Webb is the editor of the Sunshine Coast Edition
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My top five songs for Father’s Day rowing up with my providing our blue-collar lifefather, we were sur- style, rarely got involved in the rounded by music. My day-to-day disciplinary rituals. older brother and one We got into trouble all of the sister played the accordion. My time just learning to grow. When brother had a band, The Ragged my father got involved we had Edges, and they played at Expo usually reached the end of my ’67. mother’s tether and it would only I and my two other sisters take one stinging second from always sang songs him to set us straight. at special events, But it wouldn’t be before an audience long before he would of legion memscoop us up with bers or in front of those hands, give us hundreds at our a peck on the cheek family reunions. I and send us on our loved it. “Twinkle, cheerful way. Twinkle Little Papa Loves BARBARA Star” was a song I Mambo – Perry always sang. Como 1954 Troy Media When Father’s As a member of Day comes around the Royal Canadian I recall those times. I remember Legion Branch 60 in Burlington, the music that he loved and I Ontario, dad was involved in all spend the day listening to those aspects of the Legion. Throughout tunes. When I talk about him, those baby-booming years I describing him with songs seems was told that he formed legion the best way. Fill up your coffee hockey and baseball teams and cup and turn up the volume. leagues. Daddy’s Little Girl – The He created a meals-on-wheels Mills Brothers 1950 effort for veterans who were not First recorded by the Mills able to attend the Legion’s Friday Brothers in 1950, only four years night dinners, long before such after the Second World War, an service existed. He served men were celebrating life and repeated terms as the legion building their families, creating president and, in 1994, he was the “baby boom” phenomenon, awarded the Meritorious Service which lasted from about 1946 to Award and the Palm Leaf Award 1965. Overall about 8.2 million for his dedicated service to the babies were born in Canada. My legion. father, a veteran, met my mother Most of my memories, howshortly after the war. ever, involve him dancing there, They married and had five whirling around the dance floor baby boomers – one boy and with my mother, dancing to the four girls. From a child’s per- crooners like Perry Como. He spective, I remember my dad taught me how to two-step by as having the most comfortable allowing me to stand on his feet. lap to sit on. Sitting nestled on In 1972 he lost his right leg his lap while he read the paper, at the knee – an old war injury. or watching Mutual of Omaha’s He couldn’t do the two-step after Wild Kingdom, represent some that, but he would still dance, in of the most peaceful moments one place, with my mom at speof my life. cial times, like our weddings. Daddy’s Hands – Holly Cats in the Cradle – Harry Dunn 1986 Chapin 1974 Country music artist Holly Someone once said to me Dunn rose to fame in 1986 with that it’s much easier to become Daddy’s Hands – a song that still a father than it is to be one. The brings tears to my eyes when father of my two children has I hear it. Like most families of always been a hard worker and the ’60s, my mother took care this often took him away from of everything, from the basic liv- his kids. Being present when ing needs to the complexities of you’re not home puts a lot of applying the discipline. stress on father/child relationMy father, who worked hard ships, but ensuring that the love
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