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The Canadian Statesman, Bowmanvillc, February II, 1998 Pace 4 ®lje Canadian Statesman m Former Publishers and Partners Rev. John M. Climic and W. R. Climie 1854 -1878 M. A. James, 1878 -1935 • Norman S. B. James, 1919 -1929 G. Elena James, 1929 - 1947 • Dr. George W. James, 1919 - 1957 Produced weekly by James Publishing Company Limited P.O. Box 190, 62 King St. W., Bowmanville, Ontario L1C 3K9 Tel: 905-623-3303 • HOURS: Monday to Friday 9:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. Fax: 905-623-6161 Internet - statesman@ocna.org Publications Mail Registration No. 07637 For 144 Years, Our First Concern Has Been Our Community Publisher - John M. James Assoc. Publisher - Rick James Plant Manager - Rick Patterson Ad. Manager - Brian G. Purdy Editor - Peter Parrott Production Supervisor - Ralph Rozema, Suzanne Bennett, Tim Bowers, Kevin Britton, Sharon Cole, Laurens Kaldcway, Barb Patterson, Tyler Sellick, Jim Snoek, James Stephenson, Vance Sutherland, Jim Tuuramo Advertising • Editorial Laverne Morrison, Wanda Partrick Brad Kelly, Lorraine Manfredo, Laura J. Richards Office Supervisor - Angela Luscher, Junia Hodge, Grace McGregor, Nancy Pleasance-Sturman, Marilyn Rutherford, Libby Smithson Editorials Set an Example Tile Heart and Stroke Foundation had nothing good to say about the eating and exercise habits of children aged six to 12. A recent "report card" on the health of Canadian kids revealed, for example, that just 20 per cent ale the recommended recommended daily amounts of fruits and vegetables. The "report card," which was based on a survey of 400 Canadian families, discovered only 28 per cent were eating eating predominantly whole grain breads and cereals. In both of these categories, kids were assessed a failing grade. They did a little belter in the category ol physical activity and junk food consumption. Sixty per cent ate junk food no more than three times per week and 63 per cent were described as physically active. Fifty-three per cent were not exposed to second-hand smoke in the home. Another way to look at it is to consider the fact that one out of three Canadian children does not get the activity activity they need to develop cardiovascular fitness, muscle strength and flexibility, the Heart and Stroke Foundation concluded. The long-term impact of such habits isn't known, but evidence suggests that bad habits will get worse with age. And that means today's sedentary child who consumes consumes the wrong foods is looking at a lifetime of obesity obesity and possibly ill-health. The Heart and Stroke Foundation also notes that Canadian children, on average, spend 2.4 hours per day in front of the television. The solutions to the problems noted above arc not going to be easy. It would be tempting to leap to the conclusion conclusion that schools should spend more time in physical education activities and possibly even provide proper breakfasts and lunches'for those in the vulnerable six-to 12 age group. Some schools already have breakfast programs operated operated by volunteers. But, you can't place responsibility for this problem on the schools. The last time we checked, educators were already saddled with the task of trying to correct a hundred hundred and one other social ills. Isn't it time we faced up to the fact that the kids arc simply copying the bad habits of an entire adult population? population? The threat to the kids' health is even more significant if you stop and think about the fact that many of today's parents grew up at a time when kids got more exercise and ate nutritious, home-cooked meals. It's a luxury many of today's children don't have. At least some parents had a relatively healthy lifestyle in their early years. Many children, according to the jpidart and Stroke survey, never had such a good start. If parents want to see their children eat healthy foods, (exercise, and avoid second-hand smoke, they should set an example themselves. They should turn off the tube, eat something that won't clog the arteries and ditch the cigarettes. Could anything be more simple? Is it War? Canada's MPs faced a historic moment as they debated debated the request from the U.S. for support in a possible military strike against Iraq. Canada's military contribution would be a modest one. But, having a moderate country like Canada on-side would add credibility to those who favor immediate armed intervention. It seems to us that before Canada makes such a move, it should be certain that there's a compelling reason for a military option. The one question nobody has answered in all the hype surrounding the talk of armed intervention is the question of urgency. Why do the Americans and British believe an attack is needed now, as opposed to a year from now or six months ago? Do they have cvidence, such as spy satellite satellite photographs of missiles being assembled or any other provocative actions on the part of the Iraqis? If so, they should tell their potential allies and the public. If not, then there's no reason why the process can't proceed at the maddeningly slow pace it has shown in the past. In addition, there is the question of compliance with the wishes of the United Nations. It seems obvious to most observers that Iraq hasn't heen following the United Nations resolutions which were agreed- upon at the end of the Gulf War. However, that doesn't mean one member of the United Nations, or even a group of UN countries, has the right to act on its own to solve the problem. If an attack is to be made on Iraq, then it should be the result of a resolution by the UN. This happened in the Gulf War of 1991, but such support seems missing this lime around. There arc those who say it may take forever for the UN to act in such a decisive manner. Perhaps they arc right. And that is why it is lime for those who support armed intervention to show the compelling evidence for their case. Without such evidence, the nations of the world would remain forever locked in a diplomatic quagmire over Iraq. But, it's better than all-out war. And, who knows, it might buy time for political change to come from within this renegade country itself. Such an outcome would be in the best interest of everyone. everyone. Planners of Botanical Park Abandon Idea for Centre At Former Tree Nursery As many of you are aware, for the past two years Douglas Botanical Park and Nature Centre has been pursuing pursuing the home sections of the former Orono tree seedling nursery as a permanent location for our venture. We must now regretfully announce that this will not be the case. Negotiations between ourselves and the new owners have been unfruitful. We extend a hearty thank-you to the many residents who welcomed our endeavour. Thank-you for your encouragement, assistance and many hours of volunteer lime. We welcome you to visit the Botanical Park in the near future at its new home. Sincerely, Donylax MarkoJJ, President |TCould bb v/oR5E=~ tueV could MAKE us EAT More* VEGETABLES, Clarington Councillors Consider Curfew For Teenagers c££T up before Moom on WEEKENDS And clean our -rooks. ÊTæ&i Letter to the Editor Lishman Project Makes Good Use of 'Worthless" Gravel Pit Dear Editor: re: the Lishman project This very controversial subject, like the slaughterhouse fiasco some years ago, will be decided by the numbers that are for or against; for the simple reason the councillors are afraid to stick their necks out. They are waiting for us to decide. So, if you would like this project to go ahead, you should contact your local councillor or write letters to the Editor. Otherwise, there is a danger of it going down the creek forever. In this case, some people are play ing on the sympathy of less knowledgeable knowledgeable people by going on about the robbery of agricultural land. This piece of property is completely worthless worthless ,as far, as agriculture is concerned. It will never be farmed. No farmer in his right mind would ever consider activating a gravel pit. If this otherwise worthless land can be made good use of, as in this case, why not make use of it? It will enhance the Municipality as well as provide jobs. What is more homely than an abandoned gravel pit? A.E. Hamilton Outlook Mother - Daughter Projects Laura J. Richards The grieving process is unique for everyone. It has been six years since I got a call from my father telling me my mother had died in the hospital in Halifax. There's not a single day that goes by when I do not think about her and the things I miss most about her. However, I think I have found a unique way to finalize finalize (not forget) the grieving process...a quilting course. When Iny mother died, I inherited boxes and boxes of materials. At Christmas I decided it was time to do something something with them. Last week I went through the boxes looking for the stuff that my mother got to begin quilting. quilting. There was a roller cutter (it's like a sharper version of a pizza culler), the cutting mat, a large plastic ruler, and so on. Of course, while on the search, d found lots of material material and lots of pins. (Ouclil). I've got velvets, satins, silks, cottons and patterns for all sorts of clothing. Last week, I discovered in one of the boxes a quilted square - the figure of a girl with a big bonnet on, that my mother had done. It stopped me in my tracks. Without thinking, I brought the square to my nose and sniffed...hmm...'White Shoulders' my mother's favourite scent was still faintly clinging to the material. Whoosh ! Memories of my mother using the pedal sewing machine to create lots of Barbie clothes for my dolls. Whoosh! I'm standing on a chair in her sewing room with a skirt on and my mother has pins in her mouth -- the small multi-coloured glass heads showing against her lips. Whoosh! I'm impatiently wailing at Immy's fabric store and design studio while my mother and Immy arc talking fabric and design. Whoosh! My mother is directing me in the fine art of hemming while she stood straight as ah arrow on the hemming chair. Whoosh! I am back to my house, with the quilted square in my hand. What little fragrance is left, is wafting wafting up my nose to my memory banks. Anyone who has lost a parent will understand when I say the first years after the death arc hard. You have to deal with the sudden loss and guilt. (Let's face it, you feel guilty for everything. For every hurtful word you ever said or even thought and a whole lot more.) January 10, 1998 marked the sixth year of being without without my mother. I feel a little calmer about it and I have begun to go through some of the stuff that was left to me...without crying. I'd tried on numerous occasions to go through stuff before, but couldn't. I usually ended up on my bed, holding the teddy bear I gave my mother the Christmas before she died, and crying. So, although my mother was a fabulous sewer and designer in her own right, this person who never hems anything, spent this past Sunday with a group of beginner beginner quilters in Cobourg. This is my way of taking the bull by the horns. The best thing about the quilts and whatever else I produce is that they will be made with love from material material that was given a lot of thought by both of us. They really will be the mother-daughter projects we never had the chance to do. Thoughts Unlimited Back at My Mac Rick, where have you been? Sorry to miss the last few weeks of providing providing everything there is to know about nothing through the paragraphs of this column, column, but with the next millennium approaching approaching fast, I've dug in to resolve our Year 2000 computer problems. Just like the rest of the world, our old IBM computers won't be able to make the switch to January 1, 2000 without without creating huge accounting problems for us. If you're not familiar with the digital date dilemma, here's the Y2K problem. When those smart computer programming minds put their systems together in the last- half of this century, they figured they could increase the speed and data storage capabilities of the early computers by using two digits to represent represent years instead of four. So, 1998 became 98. That's fine, except when the clock turns over on December 31, 1999, our computer system will think it is January I, 1900. You would think in this era of global search and replace you could just find all the 97's and 98's and replace them with 1997 and 1998. It's a thought, but unfortunately you would still have to verify each date to make sure it should be changed. That's a lot of dales and a lot of verifications. Is it really a problem or is the whole Y2K hysteria being drummed up by the media and out-of-work programmers? Whether it's as big as everyone says remains to be seen, however, I do know that we have received requests for guarantees from our customers that we arc Y2K compliant. When the customers customers starts asking for those assurances, yes, it is a real problem. So, for the last month, I have been creating creating a new accounting system customized to the newspaper and printing industry that runs on Macintosh computers. As you've read many limes here before, I'm a dedicated Macintosh user and cringe every time I have to use that cheap, knockoff, operating system emulation known as Windows 95. Or, should that be Windows 1995? Anyway, the Rick 2000 Macintosh Accounting System is designed and the testing testing has begun. It's going well enough that 1 actually have time to write a column and see my kids again. And to think, if everyone used a Macintosh instead of Windows 95, the Year 2000 problem wouldn't exist. From its crc- by Rick James ation in the early 1980's, Macintosh has used four digits to represent the year in its operating operating system. Which brings me to my next quest...to travel the globe and convince everyone to use Macintosh computers. I might also smear a few cream pies in Bill Gates' face along the way for stealing the Macintosh desktop idea and selling it as Windows. Tough Call for Golf There is a huge storm brewing on the professional professional golf circuit that has major ramifications ramifications for all of sport. The controversy surrounds a player named Casey Martin. He is a very good golfer. Good enough to win on the Nike Tour, the training ground for the big leagues of golf. But, Casey Marlin has a medical condition that does not permit him to walk without severe pain in his right leg. The only way he can compete is to use a power cart, something that is strictly forbidden on the PGA Tour. To most people, it's not a big deal if he rides while other players walk. In fact, most professional golfers prefer to walk to prepare for their next shot. They need to check distances, distances, wind direction, and their composure. But, allowing Casey Marlin to ride opens the door for Martin and other competitors to ride and jeopardize the level playing field which PGA officials demand. For example, someone someone walking the mountains of Augusta National on a hot day would tire more quickly quickly than someone riding a cart. Power carts can quickly zip by the supportive, and nol-so supportive fans, and players could avoid many distractions. Although non-gollers will liave difficulty understanding this, walking is a key part of professional golf. The bigger problem is drawing the line of who can use a cart and who should walk. Fred Couples has a bad back. Jose Maria Olazabal has sore feet. Both have missed competing in The Masters because of their injuries. Would it be fair to the rest of the field if either were allowed to ride? Turning back the clock, Ken Venturi battled battled extreme heal and illness to hold on and win the 1959 U.S. Open. Ben Hogan made an incredible comeback from a horrific car accident accident to regain his winning form. If either had heen allowed to use power carls, their victories victories would always been tainted with the question question of whether they could have done it on their own and the unfair advantage, perceived or real, they would have been given. To complicate matters further, the biggest names in golf have said that Casey Martin should not be allowed to use a carl. Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus have both said it would create an unfair advantage. The biggest names in golf have also said he should be allowed to ride. Greg Norman and Chi Chi Rodriguez have come out swinging for Marlin to be able to compete on the PGA Tour using a cart. Let's take the argument outside of golf. Should other leagues permit devices to allow injured or disabled athletes to compete at the professional level? Should the Blue Jays allow someone to use a vehicle to catch fly balls or run ' the bases. How about the Olympics? Should motorized vehicles be allowed in marathons for runners who arc injured or disabled? I would love to see Casey Martin on the PGA circuit. He's talented enough to be there. But, to resolve the controversy, two questions need to be answered. The first is whether walking is a key part of professional golf. I feel it is, which means cither Casey Martin has to decide whether to play, endure the pain, and risk further injury the same way many athletes have in other professional spoi ls. His other option is to stay on the Nike Tour where carls are permitted. No doubt, 1 will be accused of being insensitive insensitive and unwilling to sacrifice tradition for some compassion. Sorry folks, but this is professional sports where, good or bad, the emphasis is on winning, not compassion. If walking is not a key element of the game, as many critics outside of golf suggest, the question to he addressed is how to allow disabled golfers to compete without giving them an unfair advantage over the rest of the field. Allowing Casey Marlin to ride overcomes overcomes the physical disadvantage lie has compared compared to the rest oft lie field, but gives him an unfair advantage when it comes to battling the fatigue associated with walking a hilly golf course in extreme temperatures. All sports organizations will be watching the outcome of this case. It could dramatically dramatically change the make-up of team rosters forever. forever. Tiger Woods changed the rules by breaking breaking down the colour barriers that still exist in some parts of the golfing world. Perhaps Casey Marlin will do the same for disabled athletes,