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Orone W.ekIY Tit».., Wednesday, May 26f,1993,- by Carol-Ann Oster So .. . 1 hope cveryone had a chance tw cnjoy thc long weckcnd. Be it visiting, camping, cottaging, or just spring planting you werc doing, it's always nice to have thc extra day to do it on. Sit back ... relax ... get back to Uic holiday spirit.. . and read on ... The Newtonville United Church held their auction last Thursday evening. Baked goods, always a big seller, crafts and many other items were on the auctien block. The auction was sponsored by the Newtonville Mansc Committee. Witli Uic help of auctioneer Frank Stapleton, Uic sale was a great succcss. Another United Churcir event is upcomning that will take place in Kendal. Bernie Martin will be guest speaker at the Kendal Cirurcir's Annual Church Service. The topic of d iscussion wiil bc Bernie Martin's recent trip to Guatemnala. And finally.. Ncwtonville Public students are busy gctting their bicycles in shape for ic GRP Kinsmen Bikc-a-thon and Roadeo, which wil bc held tis Sunday at Clarke Higir Scireol.. Mefecoen by Helen MacDonald There are two Uings you cari count on in life --- death and taxes. We talk a lot about taxes.. complain, that is . .. with an annoying sense that thcre is little we can do about tliem. But what about deatir? In our struggle to understand the final chapter, deatir is a friglitening certainity which fcw of us consider for longer than a fleeting moment. Even fcwer would censi der the brave confrontation with deatir as Suc Rodriguez of Vancouver Island has. Sucelias a terminal illness . .. ALS, also known as Lou Gelirigs, Disease. Sire must accept not only that sire is going te due, but has a general idea of how she wili die and when she wiil die. She aise knows that sire docs flot want te suffer unduly, and Uiat sire wishes te maintain some dignity in dying. Some cali. this assisted suicide. Sue considers it dcath with dignity. Others consider such actions as Uic dehumanization of life . .. a first step te Uic mass anhlation of thc elderly, the disabled, or Uic 'unwantcd'. It scems to me that critics of Sue Redriguez are mnissing the point. Nobody is suggesting Uiat a suicide tcam roam Uice countryside rclicving families of unwanted members, or making way for Uncle Joc's estate te uine the pockets of greedy nicces and ncphcws. Ail that Suc is lasking for is control over lier own death. Ail duing her life, Sue has made hcr own decisions. Asa chuld, she dreamned of what she might be wiren she grew up. She miglit have drcamed of marriage and chldren, and net once would society have publicly intcrvencd with lier decisions or choices. In making choices. te form conjugal partnerships, birth and raise children, none of us subject te Uic intense scrutiny whicir Sue finds herself facing in attempting te choose a death with dignity. 1 find this ironic. The serieus nature of birthing and raising children on a troublcd and sick planet seems wo have lîttie bearing on our 'qualifications' te parent. Most of us would bc up ini arms if Uire was even a hint that parents had te obtain license before bcaring and raising chidren! And, wliat of Uic childrcn? Our chldrcn may well one day ask: "How c ould you have brouglit me inte this worid?" How many already question the abuse and violence they wcrc raised with, with littie, or ne intervention frere Society? Yet, socîcty intervenes whcn Sue Redriguez tries te take control of her own death. Witli cicar conscience and due censideration, Sue has dccided how she would prefer te dic. Wc ail live, and we ail di ... andi we ail make cireices about our lives. Sue only wishes to choose once -again in Uic final chapter of living. . . te dic with dignity. Suicide - (Continucd from page 8) dÏoeSn't seem to make sense, dees it? At Christmastine Uic reasons seem relativcly explainable andi penhaps understandable. But, why May? Tirose who suffer' from dePression anti suicidai feelings cannot explain it. They sec others arounti thcm able te enjoy tire warmth anti sunsine, whileirey enly féec werse anti worse. Tire centrast between tire way they Uink Uicy shoulti bc feeling anti Uic way they really are feeling, leatis te furtirer sclf-doubt (and, tire sense tirat somcthing must really bc wrong with Uiem), Tire images and expectations evoketi by spning andthUi promise Of summer may be- unreasonable mnes (famîly picnics & BBQ's, homne renevatiens, Just hanging around trips/vacations/outings, etc.). The reactions are very similar to those 'experienced at Christmas. Economic circumstances are forcing people to face up to some pretty harsh realities. For some, the contrast' between their situation today, compared to last year's, causes depression. For others,- the thoughts of another disappointing, bleak summer are too overwhlming. Many students are experiencing difficulties in dealing with the end of the schoel year; some have flot been as successful as they had hoped to be (and sec themselves as failures or losers); for some, the impending final exams create incredible pressure and stress (this is the "last chance" to, succeed); some are saying goodbye to fricnds they may flot sec again and to a life they will neyer experience again; many are afraid - their futures are uncertain, their hopes and dreares are in jeepardy. More and more often, other non-profit agencies are reporting to us, that their clients are expcriencing depression and are confessing suicidal thoughts. They are requesting that we provide training in crisis preventionfintervention to, their staff who are hesitant to deal with these issues and are fearful of thre potential consequences. Here are some facts about people contemplating suicide: 1) they:u-sually do give warning signais (sudden changes in behaviour; depression; changes ini eating habits, and sleep habits; obsessive interest in deathldying; giving away personal possessions); 2) they-usually confide to others what they are felling and considering; 3) thcy usually have ambivalent feelings about dying (they mnay flot ne cessarily want to die - they' do want tire pain to, stop); 4) they have extremely 10w seif-esteem and sec no other options; 5) thcy often consider suicide out of vengeance ("they'il be sonry about the way they treated me, aftcr I'm gone); out of a desire to escape punishment; or out of a sense of hopelcssness ("at lcast my family will get thc insurance moncy - that's ail I'm good for now"1). If yeu know someone (chid, teen, aduit or senior) whom you feel is expericncing suicidai thoughts, it is important to try wo undcrstand and te respect their perspective. You may not see certain items as being stressful, but that is immaterial. You may not have a sense of ail the pressures they arc expcriencing. It is also okay to say thre "S" word Suicide. Instead of making them fel that their feelings are wrong ind should remain hidden, your se of the word gives them a ;ese of relief that it is ail riglit iave those feelings and to want to alk about thcm. Most importantly, thcy must ýnw that there are resources iaiiable to them. If yeu feel rrcomfortablc discussing the ssue, there are people they can 1lk to, who wili hclp them ýrough thc rough times. They can cali the Distrcss ,ntre at 433-1121 (985-3434 in brt Pen-y/Uxbridge); or they can Town'Council proclaimcd May l7th through 24th as Zoo Week and it was sponsored by tire Bowmanvilc BIA. The BIA was involved wiUi a Tug-of-War with Angus the ciephant. The elephant won. Mayor Hamre was on hand at Uic zoo to-offlcially open Uic new Gibbon exhibit. Mayor Hamre was then joined by the zoo staff for lunch before attending thc Animal Kingdom show. If you wcrc unable wo visit Uic zoo during thc Bowmanvilie Zoo Week, you are wetcome daily Urough Labour Day and weekends through October. The BowmanvilleBIA is ne match for Bowmanville Zoo elephant Angus. The two were involved in a Tug-of-War as part of Bowmanviile Zoo Wéeek Emcrgency Department doctor re-quireti, We take steps w ensure about sccing somecone from tire tirat our caliers receive Uic, help Crisis Team; or tircy can talk to a neccssary te save their lives. therapist or psychiatrist. Whatevcr tire problens, we Hepefuily,ý famnily members and know that taiking about it te friends wiil aise be available te sommoe who wiil listen carefully listen, andt te ffer suppo rt and witheut making jutigement, is Uic love. key wo feeling better. 'Ite message iras to be one of hope. Wc help our callers teiooek at their lives from a different perspcctive - teO recognize tire strengths andi positives that thcy pessess withmn thcmselves. Tirrougir cmpowcrmnent, they arc enceuraged te identify options and wo contract for positive action (towards rcgaining some control over their lives). If intervention is Gets cdoser and, coser Tire name change for tire Town 'ef Newcastle te Ciarington is stili targetedth iat tire whoie thing wiii be final and Ciarington wiil rein as of Juiy FREE FRO D FAMILY FUN DOOR PRIZES UATON NTERTAIMNT THE ENV(RONMENT FAIR SUNDAY, MAY 30, 1993 at the BOWMLANVILE RECREATION COMPLEX N/W corner of Martin Road and Hwy. #2 11:00 arn. to 5:00 p.m. Michael Bomfglid Harmhony Foundation of Canada Just hangin' around. The new Gibbon exhibit, pictured here, is a ncw addition to Uic Bowmanvillc Zoo this year. by Carol-Ann Oster The Bowmanviîîe Zoo celebrated it's 74th Anniversary last wcek. The zoo has been in operation since 1919 and is thus Canada's oldest operating zoo. Apart from bcing a zoo, Bowmanvillc Zoo is dedicated te Uic preservation and propogation of endangercd species. It is aIse invoived li ic hedcvciopmcnt of an elephant brecding conservation arca. Currently, tlicy have four elephants. The zoo is vcry education - oriented, and offers many special educational programs., Bowmanville Zoo Week, celebrating the zoo's 74th Anniversary was a great success.