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Save your copy of Carol's Bit this weck. Why? Weil, it could bc wortb money someday. For a sinail fec, l'Il even autograph it 1_r you, and then itlIl bc worth more, and you can say that you kncw me wbcn. But wbat is ail the fuss about, you ask? Well, I gotta credit the CBC and our late, notorieus Prime Minister, Monsieur Pierre Elliot Trudeau, for given me my latest inspiration. (As my closest fricnds read this they are going to hang their heads and groan. "Oh no, she's inspired again. they'll moan. "Give it a week, it'll go away", tbcy'll advise. "Don't believe me? Ask her about the Peace Corps. Trust me it'll pass!" they will happily, reassure you.) Truly thougb, I bdlieve that I will one day be the Prime Minister of Canada. Hey, tbat's a lofty ambition youre thinking to yourself, probably cbuckling at my naivete. Hear me out! I've watched "Memoirs" a Pierre Trudeau reminiscence, and 1Igotta say... If he can do it -why can't I? This is what I lcarned by watching just the first episode in the series.... Pierr Trudeau, world travelle-r in bis younger years, gleaned an impressive knowledge of the rest of the world, especially regarding the -prison systeins and drug cultures of many nations. Later, he was to become an older than most 'Ban the Bomb' hippie. He was blacklisted in the United States, not allowed te cross the border due te the belief that he was a communist. At the ripe old age of forty, he was still unernployed and living with his mother. He kept the company of many young wemen, a practice that maybe did net end upon marriage. Now, why can't I do that. In twenty-two years old now. That gives me eighteen years before I really have te settle down and get serious about things. (My mother, however, refusing to cooperate bas said that I may flot stay with ber until my fortieth birthday.) Tbank you Mr. Trudeau for being such an inspiration te, me. You, however are net my sole inspiration. Trudeau cornes from a long lie of outstanding leaders that make me think, "Hey, why not?' Our vcry first Prime Minister, Sir John A., bimself was a grand example for, us ambitious youngsters. An alcoholic! And he even got bis bead on the ten dollar bill. Sir Wilfired Laurier, the guy on the five, talked te bis dog and bis dead mecther. Par weirder than any American president's astrologer. Kim, Campbell. I can shineeze. 1 can tbrow a better pitch than ber. I can barbecue, I would neyer be seen in the presence of George Fox, tbough I do support the Canadian music scene. Though 1 dont fine dance or square dance, maybe my campaign team would let me disco. And, I can bold otot a job for more than five months at a turne. The thing that really bothers me is that she will go down in history as this country's first woman P.M. and, damnit, I wanted that title. But, the big prize gees te former United States President George Bush. In a split second, he made every world leader, past or present look hip. Thanks George for spewing used sushi on the trousers of' an unsuspecting Japanese President. When my time cornes te lead my country, 1 could net possibly look that bad (even if 1 were te disco!). Great leaders. A great ceuntry. A great tradition. Truc inspiration. How could 1 go wrong? P.S. Be nice te, me - maybe I will someday appoint you te the Senate!! Sehool trustees warned of possible tax increase The Seasons For dxose of us who live in thc northern hemisphere, wc have learned te enjoy, or at least toîcrate, the four seasons of dxc year nature presents us widx. For me, I enjoy the selection of activities presented as each of dxc seasons unfolds. Ini spring der's the return of the birds who migrated, last faîl, te miss our cold winter weathcr. As well there's the joyof seeing the broad-leaved trees explode into leaf with their many shades of reds, purples, yellows and finally green colours. Summer brings its warin days (some say hot) with picnics, bird watching, annual vacations, swimming, long wallcs and grass cutting, te naine a few. Faîl brings cooler weather, watcbing the birds preparing and dcparting eur local area and finally the glorieus faîl colours dxc hardwood trees treat us te as thcy prepare,' in their own way, for thecocming winter. While winter usually means you have te bundle up, there are still rnany activities te enjeoy, walks in thc cold, crystal clear air of a perfectly still winter's day, skiing and bird watching te find some'of dxose winter visitors we don't sec the rest of the year, sharp shinned hawks, snowy owls, hawk-owls, redpells etc. The n there is-the gathering of family and friends at the festive Christinas season. There is one thing dxat winter brings that 1 have neyer leamed te like and dxat is the short winter days. I dislike it being dark outside as weceat dinner at night and dark the following merning when we get up. I long for the day when it' is daylight as we awaken and as *we retire. The reason for this seasonal change in daylength is, of course, related te the earth's annual 365.25 day orbit around the sun. This path followed by the earth around the sun is an elliptical one, and while our average distance frein the sun i s sorne 150 million kilometres (92.9 million miles), during the seasons the average distance frein the sun differs by as much as 5 million kiloinetres (3.1 million miles). The distance frein the suni bas nothing te do with how warm or cold we arc. in thc northemn hemisphere the eartlx is closest te the sun during the winter. The reason for thc scasons is that the earth is tilted, on its axis, sorne 23.5 degrees te the plane of its orbit around the sun. In our winter thc north south axis of thc earth is tilted 23.5 degrees away from the sun. This causes the sun's rays te enter the atinesphere at an oblique angle. A shaft of sunlight striking the carth at 30 degrees deivers about half as much heat te the surface, as dees one striking it at right angles. Se in winter we reccive, far fewcr heat units frein thc sun than we do in summer, when thc sun's rays corne closest te striking the northcrn hemisphere of thc earth at right angles. We sec the manifestation of this apparent movement of the sun in two ways. First the sun is much lower ini thc sky (dloser te the horizon) during the winter than it is in dxc summer. Second if you observe the direction at which the sun riscs in the morning you will find that it cornes up in the southeast during thc short days in winter while it riscs almost due east in thc longer summer days. In 1994 our shertcst day, December 21, will have 8 heurs and 55 minutes of sunlight (sun riscs at 7:48 amn and sets at 4:37 pm), while our longest day, June 2lst will have 15 hours and 26 minutes (sun riscs at 4:44 amn and sets at 8:03 pin). While I amrnfot able to do anything about the day length, I can make myseif feel better by looking ahead to see how much longer the days will be, tomorrow, next week or next month as the sun, each day, climbs higher and higher above the horizon. December 22nd is 3 seconds longer than December 2lst, our shortest day. By January 15th each day is 1 minute and 42 seconds longer than the day before, by February lSth, 2 minutes and 47 seconds, by March l5th, 3 minutes and 1 second. On the average, after January the days lengthcn approximately 2 and a haif minutes per day. After March, approximately thrce minutes per day. As February begins 1 can say today has 9 hr. & 54 min. of sunlight. By March lst we will have il hr. & 14 min. (28 days x 2.5 min. of extra daylight per day). While this does not change anything, it does make me feel better to know that if I just hang in there we will have gained better than an hour of daylight by March first. I quite enjoy doing these short day length projections, as well as watching the Sun as it rises, slowly move further and further north towards the east compass point, as winter passes and the days grow longer. by Bull Bunting School trustees attending the first budget meeting of the Northumberland and Clarington Board of Education, January 18dx, were told that scheol taxes could increase as much as two te six percent. This increase weuld corne about even widxout adding ri _"gramns or services or new imifatives. New initiatives include items of buying ncw text books fer new prograins or installing computer labs for building repairs. Ron Sudds, business superintendent, teld the board me-mbers dxat dxey had cut costs in areas such as administration and transportation last ycar. He said howevcr that external factors arc now cancelling eut dic saving that camne as a result of dxc 1993 cuts. The ncw ext ernal cost increases include reduction in provincial grants, an increcase in unemployrnent insurance premiums and taxes on benetits. The largest portion, 74 percent, of dxc scheols budget of $152 million in 1993 went te salaries and benefits te teachers, administrators and other employees. School taxes last year increased by 5.3 percent on average across thc board jurisdiction. SHINE! wil Apple's no wax finish Unconditional Witten Guarantee agaînst *Road Sait * Oxidation * Tar *-Tree Sap * Acid Ramn - Exterior Restoring - Polishing - Interior Cleaning - Shampooing - Sealing - Engine Wash and more! *Please enquire about our 1winter specials* KLISHo ite Cati SYSTEMS auto-boat 404-6273- "VOUR VEHICLE CARE EXPERTS" WE COME TO VOUI WARNING! 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