& Opinion TheReview Wednesday, May 9;1990 — A138 Continued from Page A6 on in their first flight. How are the parent birds to alight and feed their young should they hatch? It grew quiet once more when the men and the saws were gone. I went to work the next day to retrieve a little of the wood which the men had kindly offered to me — I was to get it before the Chipper machine came later in the week. This machine would chop up all the leftover branches and blow them back into the woods. Good idea! Good for ecology and good for the trees who would take advantage of the nourishment as the chips quickly rotted, rather than having to wait for big limbs to break down and make nutrients available to the forest. Yes. Good idea. I even thought so as I saw a ted headed woodpecker having a field day chopping into rotten limbs on the ground that were now. accessible for him to find a feast of insects. In one old tree trunk as I worked I found a nest with an egg — fortunately addled. Last year’s, I thought with relief. Then there was a squirrel’s cache. The nuts had '-been spewed around the ground. In a - ~ ws that same old trunk I found a large termite’s nest. The woodpecker had found it too. The whole tree had been an environment to many. At last the Chipper made its tracks across the ditch and into the forest. (I hoped it would not leave marks that would tempt other four- wheel drives to follow) Within hours all was tidy and sterile. The chips had been blown neatly through the trails. The woo- dpecker hunts for food now in a forest where the ecology is badly upset. The insect population has been devastated and the treed home of wildlife is now not suita- ble for woodpeckers, squirrels or other small birds who depend on tree limbs to nest and to house food for their young. The only benefit I guess is that . North Saanich parents can rest easy and free of law suits if their children can play where the par- ents think they are safe. It’s only a loss to the wildlife and to we people who were once allowed the wonder of natural’ woods. Was a professional forester con- sulted concerning the park’s habi- tat? I somehow doubt it, but it seems to be the answer when it comes to upsetting natural balance Happy Mother's Day from Jane Powell & Carol van Adrichem Mon.-Sat. 9:30-5:30 Sunday noon - 4 pm 2496 Beacon Ave. 655-7171 since a forester would probably take into consideration the fragile environment of our woodlands. Stephanie Steel North Saanich Thanks for the deserved publicity Editor: On behalf of the Junior Service League, I would like to thank your paper, and specifically, Valorie Lennox, for your recent feature article on Kids On The Block. Dale Kojima and Sue Good, the featured puppeteers in the article, are two members of our trained troupe of dedicated puppeteers who donate many hours of their time to teaching children an aware- ness of the handicaps and disabil- ities which affect many people. I was very pleased to see that your paper afforded the program and our volunteers some much deserved publicity. Thank you. Maxine Dell President JSL, Victoria More support for boat ramp Editor: I recently made the mistake of attending a committee meeting of the whole in the North Saanich municipal hall and suffered the tedium of listening to the same diatribes from proponents of noisy airplanes to’ out-of-municipality bird fanciers concerned with the mating habits of widgeons. This meeting was being held to allow those representing the wishes of the majority, since this is a democracy, to learn if there were Continued on Page A15 your home water pass this test? Take a few moments now to inspect your home for prob- lems caused by water. It will Save you time and money. Yes No Rusty-Red stains on sinks, lavatories, etc... L) Blue-Green stains on sinks, lavatories, etc... LD) Soap curd ring on bathtubs, showers.... LJ © Clogged faucet AUGEUONS s 5 5 sasooa5a- ES) 1) Soaps lose suds quickly ......:..... Gl a Chrome fittings etched orbeingeatenaway .. O Rusty stains on clothing, linens, ete. .. L] @ Excessive spotting of dishes and silverware. J © Black stains on silverware .......... aS Tastes and/or odors in drinking water ....... Eas) If you answered yes to one or more of the above questions your Bruner/Goulds professional water dealer can help you toa better life through quality water — call now. bed GOULDS ** bruner WELL MASTER PUMPS & WATER SYSTEMS LTD. Michael Garthwaite MISCHIEF 656-7474 Continued from Page A12 day,” she said, adding that studies show stroking an animal also Telieves stress. Demand for the program is increasing, Stangowitz said. “I can always use more volunteers.’’ Interested people can call her at 652-4331. Stangowitz owns two dogs and a cat. Rymer also owns two dogs and a cat, although only Mischief is part of the PATS program. Rymer has also seen the seniors respond to Mischief. “The only time I’ve heard one woman speak sensibly is to the dog.” Mischief herself refuses to be ignored. If someone does not offer a pat, she will gently slide her head under the person’s hand. Usually the senior then begins to stroke the dog’s head. Rymer suspects the animal pro- vides a safe form of social contact for seniors who may not feel up to interaction with other people. “Animals don’t have to be responded to in the same way as people,” Rymer said. Stangowitz agreed. “An animal looks at you so adoringly, accept- ing a person right away. It is a normal part of living, having a pet.” IMPROVING YOUR ODDS AGAINST aftast,,| CANADA'S rounoarion| #4 KILLER, ENVIRONMENTAL CRISIS special Sidney Seminar Sanscha Hall BEACON AVE. SIDNEY Guest Speakers: _ | sunday, May 13 7:30 p.m. Dr. Malcom Shrimpton, Forestry Authority “Trees for Life” _Monday, May 14 7:30 p.m. _ Keith Herbert, Local Horticulturist : “Paradise Possible Again” Tuesday, May 15 7:30 pm David Snobelen “Restoration of Earth” JOIN IN THE DISCUSSION PERIODS Sponsored by Saanich Peninsula Christadelphians