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THURSDAY, AUGUST 26, 2004 THE NEW TANNER GRAPEVINE SUMMER END CELEBRATION An airplane ride, pet sitting service and the use of a bush hog and operator for three hours are just some of the interesting items up for bid during a silent auction on September 6 as the Ballinafad Community Centre hosts its third annual End of Summer celebra- tion. The event also includes a chicken barbecue, sponsored by the Ballinafad United Church, that includes corn on the cob, baked potato and garden fresh veggies. The event, which runs from 7 to 7 p.m., also includes tractor drawn rides for the kids. Advance tickets are required -- call 905-877-4072. MUNICIPAL AWARDS Ten local hockey teams that had medal-winning seasons in 2003-04 will be honoured by the Town at a municipal awards cer- emony on. Monday at the John Elliott Theatre in Georgetown. Included in the awardees are members of the Acton Tanners Novice hockey team who were Ontario Minor Hockey Associa- tion champs. Members of the Halton Hills Twisters, Hurricanes and Geor- getown Raiders will also be honoured. BUS SMARTS The Halton School Bus Safety Committee will take the fear out of riding a school bus for the first time at its annual school bus ori- entation day on Saturday (Aug. 28.) The committee says the free session are necessary to allevi- ate the stress felt by children who are getting on a bus for the first time and for their parents who can only stand and wave good _bye. The orientation sessions, hosted by the public and Catho- lic school boards and bus operators in Halton, includes a classroom presentation on safety, a Winnie-the-Pooh video and a demonstration on a school bus. The Acton orientation session will be held at Acton High School, beginning at 9 a.m. Call 853-1550 to register for a class. GOLF TOURNEY There are just a few spots left for the second annual Three Musketeers golf tournament on Saturday (Aug. 28) at Acton Golf Club. The tourney is named for three Acton teens -- Mark Everson, Rory Dick and Travis Toth--who were killed in a train/ car crash south of Acton in 2000. Tourney organizer Gail McIntosh said she is stunned by the generous donations of goods and services -- including a Chrysler Sebring from Norm Paulsen at Acton Motors for a hole-in-one, sponsor signs from Jon Hurst, a $500 television from Acton's Dan Allen that will be raffled off, water and breakfast bars from Sobeys, and balls and tees from the Acton Golf Club pro shop. McIntosh is hoping for good weather, and because there are only a handful of spaces left, that golfers have pre-registered. Proceeds from the tournament will benefit ASAP -- the Acton Sports plans for a skateboard park. All three of the teens were avid boarders. For more information call 853- 0495. VOLUNTEER HONOURED Congrats to Acton's April Clemmens, 13, who was selected valedictorian for the Town's summer camp volunteer appre- ciation night on Tuesday at the John Elliott Theatre. Clemmens, excelled in leader- ship training, earned the respect of fellow volunteers and leaders and was the top volunteer. Her supervisors said they heard "nothing but good things" about Clemmens from campers, parents and Town staff. WELCOME ROSE GALLO c Scotiabank's new manager, Rose Gallo, will be front and centre, meeting and greeting people who drop in at the bank's customer appreciation day on September 17. Gallo took over from previous manager Norm Shogilev who was transferred to Oakville. HISTORICAL WALK The Esquesing Historical So- ciety is hosting a free walk-about . at the historic Boston Church Cemetery with the Reverend Rick Ruggle at its next meeting on September 8. If the weather doesn't co-op- erate, the meeting will beheld in the church. Light refreshments will be available. Boston United Church is lo= cated on the Third Line, south of 10 Side Road. WHAT'S YOUR BEEF? Put it in a letter to the Editor! Deadline is Tuesday By a dam site! 2 There's As I write this Sunday night the Olympics are half finished. The best event for Canadians has been the bitchin', moanin' and complainin' marathon. In years past | have en- joyed the C.B.C. coverage but this year find it lacklustre. Much like the performances of the Canadian team to date. From the start let me say I don't think our athletes are underperforming. Having partici- pated in competitive sports, not with any distinction. No, Canadian Olympian need feel they let us down or owe us an apology unless, of course, they are caught using drugs or cheating. I might add, I find myself in awe of any athlete who makes it to the Olympics. The dedication, pain and sacrifice necessary to make the Ca- nadian team makes them all winners in my book. I have met several former Olym- pians and I envy them. It must truly be the experience of a lifetime. To be among the best in Canada, com- peting against the best in the world, is a singular honour. It is an oppor- tunity bestowed only after years of incredible effort. It is an honour. earned. No Canadian Olympian need feel they let us down or owe us an apology unless, of course, they are caught using drugs or cheating. TV and the press are driving the notion that our team's results are lacklustre. Drivel! Many of our ath- letes have produced national or personal best times. We just got beat -- it's as simple as that. Isn't it time we as a country grew up and dem- onstrated some of the good sportsmanship we preach? Olympic medals don't define heroics. Sacri- fice to one's sport, overcoming mind numbing obstacles, doing your best and representing your country honourably and honestly; those are the qualities that define heroics. I don't understand why so many armchair critics are so fast to find fault. I wonder if they would think it fair if their work performance was Judged based on one repetition of a task while incredible stress was ap- plied. Could you do your job if the results were determined by timing your performance to the hundredths of a second? No consideration would be given to the quality of your work or how much you've gene: since the last qualifica- alot to celebrate! The Way | I See It | with Mike O'Leary tion. Could you live your life under the clock? Few of us could. I think those Canadians who deni- grate those "pampered athletes" are leading the race for Canadians most in need of an enema. While the amount we spend on the Canadian Olympic Committee (COC) isn't a piddling amount it pales in compari- son to what other countries spend per capita. After the COC pays for the traditional bureaucracy the amount left for individual "A-carded" ath- letes is a trifle. All but the most popular, and in this country those are usually winter sport Olympians, have to rely on part time jobs or the generosity of family and friends for financing to pursue their Olympic dreams. They toil in obscurity until, every four years, we trot them out and give them hundredths of seconds to prove their worth. Pampered ath- letes -- indeed! If memory serves me we spend less than $50 million annually on the COC. Corporate donations are on top of that. It's a tidy sum. But let's look at it when compared to other federal spending programs. Fifty million is half what we wasted in sponsorgate. It's less than one-half of one percent of what we've wasted on the gun control boondoggle. It's less than we spent on Challenger jets but to make up for it Jean Chretien brought two. The list is neverending. And how do we punish the politi- cians who waste our money. while short changing our athletes? We re- elect them and pile derision on the athletes. I think the CBC coverage has lost sight of the object of the exercise. By the time you get through the host droning on and the analysts issuing prognostications about how the event will unfold there's hardly room | to sandwich in the athletes. Then the analysts have to come back with their excuses as to why the universe didn't unfold as they said it would and, of course, ask the poor athlete embarrassing questions. "So Mr. - Swimmer -- how does it feel to fail miserably and let down your whole Bae country." Add in miscellaneous pro- files of athletes plus the host country along with even more blathering bullroar from the host and a goodly part of the broadcast is gone. We'd see'much more of the actual athletics if they just showed us the events with some pertinent comments. Perhaps because their coverage time was limited I found the NBC program gave me more in- formation and was remarkably free of the irritating American "Homer" attitude. Despite thankfully few drug in- cidents, these games have been free from controversy. The security pro- visions seem to be working although the fact they are necessary is an in- dictment of the cock-up we've made of this old world. The Greek peo- ple, and particularly the city of Athens, rose to the occasion and provided a fantastic venue for the games. The escalating costs of stag- ing the games gives us some concern for the future. The biggest blight of these games so far is the Iranian judo jerk who refused to fight the Israeli athlete. The Iranian government re- portedly paid their guy hundreds of thousands in dollars to deliver the international insult. I say this jerk should get a lifetime ban from any competition. Let him take his lousy money and choke on it. As for the Iranians, ban them until they for- mally apologize to Israel and are judged worthy to join the company of civilized nations. Enjoy the rest of the Olympics and cheer mightily for our athletes. They're doing their best, are proud of their efforts and are representing our country honourably. What more could we ask? RRA In other news: I assume you heard about the rumour that U.S.-based Tar- get Stores was going to buy Zellers. At the recent gift show I heard there was more to it. I heard the Bay,|. Zellers parent company, was also in- volved. Supposedly Federated Dept. Stores (Bloomingdales, Maceys, etc.) would buy the Bay except for some smaller stores that would go to Win- ners. Target will pick-up Zellers. In other words, it'll be bye-bye Bay. If this happens I expect you all to give full credit to this column for ac- curate, complete business analysis. If it doesn't, well, I told you it was a rumour. It certainly isn't my fault if you choose to listen to rumours. =) at noon.