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Orono Weekly Times, Wednesday, Ocoé ,19 From Parliament -Hi!! Alex Shepherd, M.P. Durham Getting a bill for sometbing you neyer asked for is called negative option billing. And it is wbat the cable television industry wanted the rigbt to do to you. For the cable subscriber the practice can be intimidat- ing and seen as crooked. Still there-are those within the cable industry that regard this practice as acceptable. With our hectic lifestyle we don't have time to study every advertisement that is stuck, in our mailbox. This is where negative option billing is so wrong. If the practice was allowed our, disposable income wouîd be nickeled and dimed to death. Some of you will remember that I was to address my own private member's bill last week. Instead 1 switched my time with Roger Gallaway, the member from Sarnia- Lampton, in order that bis bil to stop negative option billing wudhave the chance of being passed. It was evident to me ast year when problems arose with Rogers Cable, and hun- dreds of people called my office, that people in Durham Riding didn't want negative option billing. Tbat's wby I supported Gallaway's bill and offered my private member's time to get it passed quicker. The importance in getting it through the House fast is that lobbyists, particularly in Quebec, wanted the cable television companiesto be successful. -Tbey argued Gallaàways bill would prevenit new Frencb programming from making it on to the airwaves. Let's be serious here. People in Quebec don't want a bill for sometbing tbey didn't order any more than you or 1 do. And this isan important point. How dare the media czars toy witb this country's fragile cultural differences just to put money in their pockets. 1 was proud of my col- leagues as each individual stood up ini the House and courageously voted to support the bill, and not the cable' companies, by a margin of 87 to 43. 1 was also pleased to speak in favour of another col- league's bill the next day. This bill is to stop criminals from profiting from their -sto- ries. It received the support of individual members and was referred to committee. Ahl-m-ahl it was a good week for private memjber's, business. Cable operators now say they will neyer again use neg- ative option billing, at least outside the province of Quebec. I'm pleased the practice is now banned. I only hope our unelected Senate does not reverse the will of the people., Hlorticultural Society Annual Fali Show The Newcastle Horticultural Society held their annual fall show in the Centennial Rocrm of the Newcastle Community Hall on Tuesday September 24th. While the judges were busy witb the task of judging the different exhibits, displays and awardingthe prizes to the lucky winners of eacb cat- egory the historical members held their meeting whicb was opened by their President, Narda Hoogkamp. She- wel- comed everyone in atten- dance and then read a poemn about being grateful, blessed and thankful for ail that God bas given us. After reading the poem Narda thanked everyone who had volunteered tbeir time and belped witb the mainte- nance of the various gardens tbroughout the village during the summer. 1Then the minutes of tbe last meeting were read by Pama Daley. Once the min- utes were accepted and passed by the members of the club the President Narda Hoogkamp asked Janet- Paeden, to come to the front wbere Narda presented ber with a certificate of honour in recognition of ail of Janet's bard work and dedication for the club over tbe years. The guest speaker, -Bertha Barns, was next on the agen- da. For the next baîf, bour she spoke about Gladiohi and how to choose, care, plant, cultivate and store the Gladiohi bulbs so tbey could reacb their best potential year after year. Once Bertba bad finisbed talking the members of the club bad a chance to ask ber questions about the Gladioli whicb she tried to, answer to the best of berknowhedge. Narda then thanked ber for coming, and sharing ber knowledge with the club ,members and then she pre- sented Bertha witb a basket that was filled witb various bath products. Dorella Forget then called out lucky winners of the door prizes whicb bad been gener- (cont. page 10.) Local Re~sideflts go to Atlanta (cont. from page' 1) littie harder now. Everyone is going to be working bard to catch me." He manages classes at an aduit education facility. Jim hopes to, some- day use wbat he bas learned to becorne a coach for otber disabled athietes. Jim is looking forward to tbe next paralympics- in Australia in tbe year 2000, as be is considering retiring from competition. Before tben, Jim bopes to compete in interna- tional competitions in London and Japan. Rob Snoek may not have won any medals at the para- lympics, but that does flot make bis story any less important than Jim's. Rob was borni with a congenîtai bone disease in bis left tibia and was forced to bave his leg amputatedjust below the knee at only one year of age. Rob grew up in Orono and- was always active in sports. He did not let bis physical limitations prevent him from competing. -Growing up I a lways competed against able-bodied athietes. I always wanted to be an athiete," said Rob. Rob flot onily competed against other atbletes,' he excelled. Many Orono resi- dents will rememiber Rob from his days 'playing hockey. "Hockey was my first love. I thougbt I would play in the NHL.- But 1 found it bard to keep up as I got older." Rob found it barder to compete as he got older, but things Rob Snoek changed for him when he was in college. "In college 1 saw a picture of Amnie Boit (a Canadian one-legged high jumper). 1 wanted to compete with people at my level." Rob had neyer thought about competing against other dis- abhed, athletes before that. -I wanted to see how good 1 could be," said Rob. Rob didn't realize how high the competition was in his sport. In his first competition Rob was badly beaten by an Amenican athiete. It was then that he realized just bow tough it would be. Rob trains locally at Lifestyles gym where he works out wth weights and takes aerobics. He also trains at the Civic Track in Oshawa and at the Track and Field Centre at York University. Rob first started competing înternationally at this level since 1990, when he made the national team. At the par- alympics, this summer, Rob placed 6th in the 200, 9th in the 100, and tied his own Canadian record in the long jump. The best Rob has ever placed in international conm petition was a- 4th in the 100 and 200 at the 1994 World C hampionsbips in Berlin. Rob said he is -always the bridesmaid, neyer the bride." Rob was plagued this year with injuries. He had injured bis leg when a strap that holds his prosthetic leg in place broke. Rob plans to continue to compete and tour sehools in the area talking about bis time in sport. "I'm here because I believe in myseif and'I believe in my sport.- Rob also had a special thank you for the people of Orono. "Ird like to thank, the people of Orono for being supportive. Because they believed in me when'I was a kid, they gave me the drive to continue." Both Rob and Jim and Olympian Nicole Devonish will be special guests of the town in an upcoming recog- nition, ceremony. Jim has already been busy, opening up the Bowmanville Eagles season last week. SCRATCH PADS & 50e<ea. or 3 for $1 What a deal! u ID 1 Subcritin Secial! Receive thîs newspaper on a trial basis for the reSt of this year for only $6.151 That's three months of Clarke Townships only Send a cheque and the subscription form to Sonbon Publishing at P.O. Box 209, Orono Ontarl o LOB 1 MO to start receiving your newspaper! <Make Cheques payable ta Sonbon Publishing)