Bins of forgotten treasures
Kirsten Murphy
Northern News Services
Yellowknife (Jan 19/01) - Attention all cheese-loving sports enthusiasts who wear silver jewelry.
Look no further than lost and found bins -- everything you've hoped for awaits your claim, if you're patient.
From high schools to hotels, knots of abandoned goods prove it's easier to forget than collect.
Rollerblades, designer jackets, silver lockets, Walkmans, wallets, sunglasses, helmets, Nike products and 36 keys -- a mere sampling of the goods at St. Patrick high school.
"Students tend to have a lot of other distractions and forget about the incidentals," said Gladys Brown, St. Pat's vice-principal.
Twice a year, clothes are laid out in the hallway. Students are welcome pick and choose what they want.
Unclaimed clothing and big ticket merchandise (stored separately), such as jewelry and head phones, are donated to community groups.
A small wax cheeseball and contact lenses are tucked in the depths of the Chateau Nova front desk.
The hotel's growing cupboard of misplaced articles are of the finest quality: cotton Gap dress shirt, silk mid-thigh nightie, Monday-Sunday pill case, specialized nail clippers.
"We have over 20 items in just two months," said Takako Gomi, front desk manager. "People are on holiday. They forget."
Sealed beer and spirits are held for three days, then turned over to housekeeping.
"If they want, housekeeping can keep it. They work so hard,"Gomi said.
Sport complexes are left with elbow pads, runners, hockey gloves and snorkels.
Cameras and electronics don't stay long.
"Anything of value gets picked up," said cashier Gwen Hysert at the Ruth Inch Memorial Pool.
Swimmers more likely to forget towels and bathing suits than swim caps or jewellery.
Unclaimed pool items are routinely donated to the Salvation Army.
"We don't keep hair brushes or underwear, for cleanliness," Hysert said.
