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THURSDAY, MARCH 18, 2004 THE NEW TANNER MEMORY CARNIVAL The 40th anniversary of the Acton Figure Skating Club's season finale will be a skate down memory lane, dedicated to the late Janet Marshall, a former club executive and skating mom. A search of four decades of newspaper microfiche identified the themes from each of the past 40 carnivals, and each theme will be recreated for the anniversary show. The club's earliest show was called a demonstration, as members demonstrated their footwork, edges and various skills and tricks. Over the years, the shows became more sophisticated with lighting and music and soldout performances, including the past three years. Current club members and their parents, or even grandparents, who were club members, have been invited to take part in an anniversary number in the shows at Acton arena on April 1, at 1 and 7 p.m. DAFF DAYS Bunches of the Canadian Cancer Society's symbol of hope -- daffodils -- will be on sale in Acton from April 1 to 3, as thevlocal branch raises 'money for cancer research, patient support services and early detection and risk reduction programs. The daffodils will be on sale at various locations in Acton for $6, or two for $10. Acton's Daffodil Days raised $6,000 last year. WORLD PRAYER Acton area residents are invited to join Acton's churches for the World Day of Prayer service tomorrow (Friday). Bethel Christian Reformed Church is hosting this year's service that will focus on the county of Panama. The World Day of Prayer is a worldwide movement of Christian women who believe in informed prayer and prayerful action, and come together to observe a common day of prayer each year. All are invited to the 7 p.m. service in the church at the comer of Churchill Road and Highway 7. ACE ATHLETES Congrats to Acton area athletes Derek Rauwerda and Tyler Gerritts who competed in the indoor and outdoor Ontario Winter Games last weekend. Although Rauwerda's central region team finished last of seven teams in the gymnastics competition in London, Rauwerda performed well. He earned an invitation to the Winter Games after winning an all-round gold medal in Level 3, 13-and-over division, at a provincial qualifier in Georgetown last month. Tyler Gerritts, 10, of Nassagaweya, had several personal bests in half-pipe and moguls competition at the outdoor Winter Games in Barrie last weekend, finishing 16th of 34 mogul competitors. On one mogul run, Tyler's jump scores beat every other competitor under 19. Unfortunately, his brother Travis Gerritts, 12, fell during a half-pipe skiing training session and broke his collarbone, and was unable to compete in the Winter Games. STROKE HELP The Halton-Aphasia Centre will be holding an open house at its satellite office in Glen Williams on Tuesday (March 23.) Members, volunteers and communication therapists will be on hand from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m., at the Glen Williams: Town Hall to explain centre programs. Change for change... continued from page 6 names primarily because they reflect the town's heritage but also because of the cost possible confusion and loss of business. No one wants to create a safety issue but many believe a company such as Bell has the technology to make sure the same street names in Georgetown and Acton don't create confusion. There are two fire departments and two ambulance stations -- one in each community. Suggestions for change have been made such as different numbers, adding a prefix such as Acton Main St., or changing Main St. to Main Ave. or Main Blvd. Or renaming it Leathertown Ave. or Veterans' Way. Good names but they still are going to require a lot of change. If you are in any way perturbed make sure you attend that special council meeting on March 29. Let's make sure change is not just for the sake of change. ST. PADDYS PARTY: Shopper Annamarie Lowin of Limehouse (left) enjoyed a $1 corned beef sandwich and drink during Sobeys St. Patrick's Day celebration on Friday. Sobeys staffer Jaime Lyons, Maple Leaf Foods rep Cathy Laidlaw and Sobeys' Keir Saunders helped serve 75-kilos of corned beef. -- Frances Niblock photo Soa Although it's fun to continue to examine the facts and foibles of various levels of government, I thought we should give it a rest and look to some of the other news of the day. But first, a quick update. In Disneyland -- by -- the - Rideau the rot continues to rise to the top of the sewer. So many heads are rolling they're becoming a traffic hazard. Meanwhile, Stephen Harper is walking away with the Conservative leadership campaign. Belinda is a non-starter and Tony Clement is road kill. Meanwhile,..down.at.Dorks Unlimited, McGuinty is desperately searching for a promise he can keep. Proving that your government is an equal opportunity wastrel, the Ontario government hired John Manley (almost P.M.) and Peter Donolo, the latter a former communications director for Chretien during the advertising boondoggle. He gets a miserly $175 per hour. Just to balance the ledger the McGuintyites fired several Tory appointees to Hydro and the W.C.B. Isn't it comforting to know that whoever we elect will lavishly reward their friends from the public purse? That's the gist of what our senior politicians have been up to so pop a blood pressure pill, protect your wallets and let's consider other diversions. From the "Is this guy for real?" file comes this dispatch from Afghanistan. It seems annointed president Karzai, he of the cape, is having problems with his male citizens. It seems. Afghan men have this archaic attitude towards women voting. In fact, they're stopping their wimminfolk from even registering to vote. Remember row, this is an election year stateside and American women voters do not find this situation quaint or amusing. It's logical to assume friend Karzai has been getting some not so gentle pressure from the White House to rectify this situation. Karzai, always in tune to the demands of his protectors, came up with a questionable action plan. "Please my dear brothers" he is quoted. "Let your wives and sisters go to the voter registration process." Unfortunately, Karzai can control who she votes for, but please, let her go." This guy must \be single. kept talking and added: "Later you . Mixed message in medium The Way I See It Mike O'Leary When you consider that he made this speech in front of about 500 women at a function to mark International Women's Day you really have to wonder -- does this guy understand the program? Obviously not. No word yet about the reaction from Washington. 2h Still on the subject of women, one of my favourite topics, it's difficult not to cheer over the imminent demise of the National Action Committee on the Status of Women (N.A.C.). As the father of four daughters I have no truck nor trade with chauvinistic attitudes. On several occasions I have had to advise my daughters on how to deal with some fool. I am not blind to the problems women face in our society. That said, I have never thought N.A.C. was a positive force for women. If anything, I think their attitude was a hindrance to the mainstream woman's agenda. N.A.C. bragged they represented 700 women's groups. That may well be but it certainly didn't make them representatives of the majority of women in Canada. N.A.C. was so far on the loony left that even the government got tired of their rants and cut their funding. Now N.A.C.. can't pay their phone bills, taxes or staff. One would think that if they truly represented women then those women would gladly support them financially. The sound of purses snapping shut speaks volumes. The government, while it's housecleaning in Ottawa, should cut off the millions being spent on special interest groups like N.A.C. Look, we spend over half a million on every M.P. and millions more on the workings of parliament to represent us. Its time all of us, women and men, demanded decent representation from those we elect. We don't need unelected committees claiming to speak for specific groups of Canadians. That's not democracy. Ished no tears for N.A.C., nor for other self-appointed organizations with no electoral legitimacy. Good riddance. \ ~ aK The hype over Mel Gibson's film The Passion of Christ continues to grow. Made for a reported $30 million, it has now passed $200 million in revenues. Not a bad return for a sequel. Ihave not, nor will I be going to see this movie. I know how it ends; I've read the book. Quite frankly, I don't understand what all the controversy is about. This movie sheds no new light on the suffering of Christ in the days leading up to His crucifixion. In fact, because Gibson is an ultra- traditionalist Roman Catholic, I expect the storyline rigidly follows the biblical depictions. So why all the publicity and controversy over a story based on the best selling book in history? It's said the movie is very graphic -- read violent. Probably that's a realistic assumption. Those were violent, even barbaric, times. But the movie is simply Mel Gibson's interpretation of the passion. Unless I missed something, Gibson has never been seen to be an especially holy man close to the scriptures. I don't recall him being a role model for Christian living. My point is that his interpretation of the Bible has no more or less legitimacy than yours or mine: There is, of course, an obvious big difference between Gibson and us. We don't have the $30 million to finance a movie nor the celebrity status to demand wide distribution. Honestly now, if this movie had been directed by Josiah Fudpucker and been financed by the First National Bank of Beavers Armpit do you think anyone would go to see it? People who believe in Christ will probably have their faith confirmed by the movie. I wouldn't expect many atheists to convert. Those who hate Jews will continue to do so. Not because of the suffering of Christ as portrayed but because they're simply bigots who hate Jews. We are 3 % weeks away from Easter. My concern is that the message is going to be lost in the medium. To me, the lesson on Easter is one of great love and sacrifice. In these secular times, those valves are often ignored if not repressed. I hope those who see this film remember it's a movie -- not a documentary. If you want the whole story, it's in the book. a)