B6 Terrace Review — Wednesday, August 14, 1991 Jew bylaws put bite on. by Mary Swift SS The City of Terrace passed a series of new animal’ control bylaws on July 15. The new bylaws are intended to close loop- ‘Holes and tighten up the former set of regulations. . "The city is getting bigger," says animal control officer Frank Bow- sher, "and we have to be ready for it.” "Pet and animal owners now face fines of up to $50 for ignoring or breaking the new bylaws. Dog owners may be fined for letting their dogs ride loose in the beds of pickup trucks — the dog has to be -secured to both sides of the box to prevent serious injury to the ani- mal, like hanging. Bowsher has had to destroy four dogs in the past two years who were victims of being hung while riding in their owners’ trucks. If a dog litters anyone’s real estate, the.dog’s owner is subject to a $50 fine. - In order to sell animals within the boundaries of the city, pet owners must now obtain a licence from the animal control office. Kittens, puppies, rabbits and other animal cannot be sold in front of a Helmut Giesbrecht New Democrat for Skeena THE SIGN OF A GOOD BUSINESS NEIGHBOR ... “Vena ‘SPONSOR _ THE SIGN OF A MERCHANT WHO CARES — - ABOUT PEOPLE . .. ‘This emblem identifies the civic-minded ‘businessmen who sponsor , atone Wego in the community. For information call - ~Karen: 636-0707 retail outlet, for example, or at the Farmers’ Market without licensing. : This, says Bowsher, is to ensure | - od that the city has information about animals being bought and sold in its jurisdiction. He has had several complaints about the condition of some animals for sale and says his office wants to be able to trace allegations of neglect and abuse. If an animal is fed or sheltered by someone other the owner, that person is now designated as 4 “harbourer" and will be responsible for any fines levied by the city connected with the animal. Saying, "It’s not my pet — I’m just taking care of it” will no longer be an excuse to avoid responsibility — and fines — for the actions of an animal. The bylaws also designate in which areas of the city animals — pets of livestock — may be kept. Transportation and riding of horses. is now restricted within city boun- daries. The new bylaws area consolida- tion of a series of old bylaws and amendments. Bowsher says he’s satisfied that they cover all legal r eglig matters regarding animal owner- ship in the community. Any ques- tions should be directed to the Terrace animal Shelter at 638- 4736, 1-5 p.m. Monday through Saturday. WHO'S RESPONSIBLE? The Terrace Animal Shelter houses and feeds local animal that have gone astray or been abandoned, and tries to find new homes for orphaned pets. Animal control officer Frank Bowsher is now enforcing a new set of explicit regulations that he expects will cut down incidents of animal abuse and owner irresponsibility in the community. BY FAE MOONEY e a One thing it's not I found myself absorbed in this mouldy subject one incredibly damp Wednesday afternoon a couple of weeks ago (which should have been _ an incredibly hot July afternoon). But, the weather being what it is in these parts, this afternoon will probably be desert-dry and infernally hot (which should make my subject for this week completely — inappropriate). Piease understand, it isn’t always easy to come up with something fresh each week (which hopefully will explain this week's musty subject). Mouldering away at my keyboard, languishing for lack of a subject to share with you, watching the mildew grow on the leaves of my African violet — inspiration struck! It’s not likely that you have ever wondered just what is mildew. And you're probably not likely to even care. Especially if today’s forecast matches that for Death Valley. But there are days... There are days up here when nothing much grows except maybe mildew. It grows on my African violet, it grows on the north wall of my closet. It grows on the cotton pillowcases waiting patiently in the ironing basket. It grows between toes and the pages of musty old. books. It grows... » . . es . But what IS it ot - Descriptively enhanced by such words as furry, feathery, or fuzzy, mildew is a fungal or bacterial growth that feeds on organic matter (which makes us a candidate, along with leather, paper, plants, cloth, decaying matter), especially when exposed to dampness. if you've got it What to do with it if you've got it: - + In the closet it’s usually caused by insufficient insulation and too much humidity. What’s recommended is this: insulate the closet wails by applying plastic foamboard with a bead of panel adhesive around the back of cach sheet. For reducing humidity, louvred doors are ~ good, or simply trim a few cenlimetres off the top and bottom of solid doors. Sometimes a closet light left on is helpful too. * On books mildew can be killed by placing the books, standing with the pages fanned open, in a plastic garbage bag containing a saucer of paradichlorobenzine crystals (available at drug storcs I’m told). Tic the bag closed for 48 hours to allow the fumes to gas the musly WEDNESDAY WITH FAE scourge. Remove the books and gently brush off as much of the mildew as possible. + On painted surfaces, small spots are removable with a dampened cloth and household scouring powder. For bigger jobs use a solution ‘of chlorine bleach (1 cup) and dishwasher detergent (1/4 cup) added to water (1 quart). Scrub, then rise thoroughly. , | Before repainting a surface, be sure mildew has been removed or the fungus will grow through and stain the new paint. Before wallpa- pering, remove the mouldy stuff then paint the walls with glue size ‘and allow to completely dry. ¢ Between toes, ask Dr. Scholl. "When it stains: + Natural fabrics, a time-tested method is to moisten the stain with lemon juice, sprinkle with salt, spread out to dry in the sunshine. Problem is, if we had enough sunshine we probably wouldn’t have as ~ much mildew, and wouldn’t have to. spread our linens out on the for the sun to work its miracle, A cloudy day solution isa strong solution of chlorine laundry bleach. Use it this way on fabrics that are colourfast and bleachable: use a solution of one teaspoon bleach to one tablespoon water. Apply with a dropper only to the area affected. Allow the solution to remain on the fabric no longer than two minutes. Flush thoroughly with water, apply one teaspoon ” vinegar and flush well again with water. Be sure all bleach is removed, then launder as usual. ¢ Books, use a strong chlorine bleach solution here also. A warning, ‘ however. Don't try this on valuable books. Leave it to someone who , specializes in the restoration of old books. To prevent a mildew " problem in the first place, be sure to store valuable books in-a dry, warm, well-ventilated area. eS _ Wherr the memory lingers on: an * It’s almost impossible to get rid of that musty odour, unless the affected item can be laundered or dry-cleaned, or the surface some- how sealed. Even then, at the slightest hint of dampness the odour can re-emerge. Remedies such as airing on the clothesline, storing ~ items with mothballs or spraying a room with Lysol or Nilodor are at best only temporary. On thing it’s NOT Mildew may be a nuisance. Mildew may be a lot of things. But one thing mildew is not is a honeydew. What has honeydew got to do with mildew? | can’t figure it out either. The only clue I have comes from a mouldering book with the enlightening title of "A Concise Etymological Dictionary of the English Language". It says that "mil", the first three letters in the word, means honey. As lo how or where the relationship began — well, it’s something to contemplaic while 1 sit here staring at my poor African violet...