The record, 15 février 2005, mardi 15 février 2005

70 CENTS THE RECORD The voice of the Eastern Townships since 1897 For all your real estate needs Danielle St-Vincent Affiliated Real Estate Agent Cell.: (819) 574-9070 Tel.: (819) 823-7474 B-Ball tourney at Galt.See Page 13 PM#0040007682 Tuesday, February 15, 2005 Crown wants pedophile named a dangerous offender By Maurice Crossfield Corrections Canada caseworkers told a judge Monday that convicted pedophile David Moynan refused treatment for his problems, and remains a danger to society.“During the two years he was in the establishment he completed none of the programs,” said caseworker Farid Dowin.“He had some distortions in his thinking.We were never able to get to the root of the problem.” Crown prosecutor Bernard Monast is seeking to have Moynan labeled a dangerous offender.That would put him behind bars indefinitely, with his case not even being reviewed for seven years.He could only be released then if he is not considered a danger to society.Dowin’s testimony focused on Moy-nan's previous penitentiary sentence for a string of sexual assaults on minors.He was arrested in 1999 after barricading himself in his father’s home.The standoff ended with Moynan surrendering to police.Moynan eventually pleaded guilty to 11 counts relating to the sex attacks, and was sentenced to 30 months in prison.Six months of that time was for harassing his ex-girlfriend while in jail.Because he didn’t complete the required courses he served all of that time behind bars, with no parole.Please see Moynan Page 3 Virtual technology helps diagnose and demystify schizophrenia Record reporter Brion Robinson experiences the distorted and disturbing sights and sounds experienced by people suffering from schizophrenia The goggles and headset provide participants with an interactive experience.By Brion Robinson Sherbrooke It’s hard to imagine voices speaking to you from out of nowhere and people staring at you for no reason, so the medical community is using the latest virtual technology to help identify symptoms of schizophrenia and sensitize the population to the disorder.Visual Hallucinations uses earphones and goggles to transport the participant into the mind of a schizophrenic who suffers from audio and visual hallucinations.In the virtual world, the participant has a 360- degree field of vision and controls the simulation and responds to virtual sights and sounds.The clear digital images and sounds guide the participant through a grocery store to the druggist to pick up medication.The virtual images and voices created by the headset were developed using input from people living with the disease and a panel of psychologists.The goggles and headset are actually the third generation of this virtual world.The first virtual tool was a cassette tape that simulated auditory hallucinations.The virtual unit comes in a briefcase and runs from a portable laptop.“The more people know about schizo- phrenia, the more likely they are to ask for help,” said Dr.Joanne Dumoulin, who helps treat patients suffering from Please see schizophrenia Page 3 OVIES PLAYING AT CENTENNIAL THEATRE THÉÂTRE CENTENNIAL THEATRE Tuesday.February 15th.7:00 p.m.& 9:30 p.m.: What the Bleep Do We Know?Wednesday.February 16th.7:00 p.m.& 9:30 p.m.: Bridget Jones, The Edge of Reason Thursday.February 17th.7:00 p.m.& 9:30 p.m.: Ocean’s Twelve Friday.February 18th.7:00 p.m.: The Right Stuff (1983), by Philip Kaufman Sunday.February 20th.2:00 p.m.: The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie UNIVERSITÉ BISHOP’S i UN'IVERSITY w 822-9692 page 2 Tuesday, February 15, 2005 JtECORD: Tea and tour of Allan Edson exhibit COURTESY ALLAN EDSON PAINTING Le Temps est à l'orage.Lac Memphrémagog, 1880.COLL.MNBAQ : The Foundation of the Musée des beaux-arts de Sherbrooke and Townshippers’ Association invite members of the English-speaking community to a very special afternoon tea and guided tour of “Mist and Light,” an exhibition of works by the 19th century Townships artist, Allan Edson.The event is in English, and is scheduled for Sunday, Feb.27, 2:30 p.m., at the fine arts museum, 241 Dufferin, Sherbrooke.Admission and parking are free.Additionally parking is available on Abénakis St.facing the museum.Allan Edson, an English-speaking Townshipper born in Stanbridge in 1846, has long been admired for his wonderfully luminescent landscapes representing different areas of the Eastern Townships, including Lake Memphrémagog, Mount Orford, the Stanbridge area, Mount Sutton and Brome Lake.“Edson is an important Canadian painter, much appreciated by art scholars, but surprisingly not well know,” ex- plained Lise Boyer of the Musée.“The exhibit will be especially interesting to those with a passion for local art.” “It’s remarkable how many English-speaking artists are featured at the Sherbrooke fine arts museum, said Heather Bowman, president of Town-shippers’ Association.“We’d like to encourage members of the English-speaking community to visit the exhibits, join the museum, and support it.” Participants will be treated to a guided tour of the exhibit in English, tea and cookies, and a talk on the history of the museum.The event is organized as part of the 2005 fundraising campaign of the Foundation of the Musée des beaux-arts de Sherbrooke.For more information, contact Townshippers ’ Association at 566-5717, toll free 1-866-566-5717, or email ta@town-shippers.qc.ca.Clarification In last Wednesday’s Record coverage of the Brome Lake council it was reported that former mayor Stanley Neil was reimbursed $1,602 for damages to his car, towing and car rental.In fact $1,160 of that amount covered Neil’s legal expenses from his counter-suit against Foster businessman Lloyd Sturtevant arising from the vandalism of the mayor’s car.Neil said he never rented a car while his car was being repaired.The Record hopes this clears things up.Concert Giveaways The Record has two pairs of tickets to give away for the Feb.19 concert by the Sherbrooke Symphony Orchestra featuring works by Brahms.To qualify, clip this notice from the paper and send it to us at 1195 Galt Street East, Sherbrooke, Qc, JIG Briefs Cowansville contraband confiscated A Cowansville man has pleaded guilty to possession of contraband tobacco, facing a fine and the loss of his smokes.Jean-Paul Pelletier pleaded guilty to possession of $2,250 worth of tobacco, which did not have the proper seals as required by Quebec’s tobacco laws.His arrest came following a joint investigation between Revenu Québec and the Sûreté du Québec’s Regional Investigation Bureau.Investigators say Pelletier’s tobacco was destined for the retail market.Pelletier was given 12 months to pay a $2,000 fine.The court also issued a warrant for the confiscation and destruction of the tobacco.Stanstead College Headmaster to speak at Newport Rotary Club luncheon Stanstead College Headmaster Christopher Shannon will be the guest speaker at the Newport Rotary Club luncheon on Feb.15 (noon) at the Gateway Center on Lake Memphremagog in Newport, Vt.Shannon’s topic will be “International Education: Demystifying Stanstead College." Stanstead College was founded in 1872.It is an international co-educational boarding/day school from Grades 7-12.Out of the 221 students currently enrolled at the school, 35 are American, 88 are Canadian and another 98 come from other countries around the world.Through a PowerPoint presentation, Shannon will talk about the challenges and benefits of this international approach and the important role Stanstead College plays in the cross-border community.Danville English Happy Hour club Feb.17 People interested in practicing their language skills will have a another opportunity this week as the fourth meeting of the English Happy Hour club takes place at the Danville Legion on Thursday evening, Feb.17.The club was formed last year by Michel Plourde to encourage francophones to practice their English with local Danville residents.He said attendance has been between 30 and 40 people for each meeting.The meeting starts at 6 p.m.and a small lunch buffet is provided.The attendance fee to pay for costs remains at $5.ORCHESTRE SYMPHONIQUE DE SHERBROOKE Weather Today: Rain ending in the morning.Cloudy later on.Winds southwest 20 km/h.High 5.Wednesday: Periods of snow.Low minus 7.High minus 1.Thursday: Periods of snow.Low minus 12.High minus 7.Friday: Cloudy.60 percent chance of flurries.Low minus 17.High minus 8.Ben by Daniel Shelton A CARP, FLOWERS AN£ CHOCOLATE/ WOW/ UHH.THE dOX OF CHOCOLATES IS HALF EMPTY.OH, THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING &EN/ mjh THE LINES AT THE FLORIST ANP CARP SHOP WERE PARTICULARLY LONG. RECORD Schizophrenia: Cont’d from Page 1 the disorder at the Hôtel-Dieu of the Centre Hospitalier de Sherbrooke.Psychia trie hallucinations are some of the most disruptive symptoms of the mental disorder.“This disorder impedes normal development,” she said, noting when concentration becomes difficult .everything falls apart.Dr.Dumoulin said dis- Dumoulin re- ease can be treated with called a patient drugs.at the Hôtel-Dieu in Fleurimont who wouldn’t talk or move.“He told me everyone looked like devils,” said Dr.Joanne Dumoulin.“He said their faces were changing and they all had horns sticking out of their heads.” “He spoke with me after the hallucinations went away,” she said.About 4,000 people suffer from schizophrenia in the Estrie region and 300,000 have been diagnosed nation wide.“It’s primarily a genetic problem," Dr.Dumoulin said.“But it can also be triggered by drugs, alcohol and stress.” The disorder typically develops in adolescence or the early 20s.Most males become ill between the ages of 16 and 25, while the majority of females develop symptoms between ages 23 to 36.Dumoulin said that some people live with the disease and they don’t even know it.“They hear voices in their head and they think that someone has put a microphone in their brain,” she said.“Some people think the CIA is looking or them.” Approximately 70-75 per cent of people living with schizophrenia experience auditory hallucinations while 15 per cent have visual illusions or distortions.Prescription drugs and psychosocial help are two of the most effective ways to treat the disease.However, maximum recovery for the disorder depends on the maintenance of treatment.Regularly missed doses of anti psychotic medication can lead to a return to the symptoms.It’s estimated that as many 75 per cent of patients with schizophrenia have difficulty taking their oral medication on a regular basis.In most cases, patients stop taking their medications or don’t take them regularly because some think they’ve already been cured, others have a difficulty getting organized and may miss their regular dosage times.Some patients refuse to take the drugs because of their side effects.Among persons with schizophrenia who have been in remission for a year or more, about 75 per cent relapse within a year to 18 months if anti psychotic drug therapy is discontinued.People with the disorder occupy over 30,000 hospital beds every year in Canada.According to Statistics Canada, schizophrenia makes up the second highest number of all hospitalizations for identified mental illness.The direct and indirect costs attributed to the disorder in Canada total more than $4 billion annually.Patients suffering from this disorder stay in hospital longer than any other patients except those receiving rehabilitation.sday, February 15, 2005 page 3 Moynan: - Cont’d from Page 1 “He always denied being a pedophile and he always denied any harm to these children," Dowin said.Released from jail in October 2002, within a couple of months he was living with a woman and her son.According to the testimony heard during the trial, Moynan molested the boy on numerous occasions over the next several months, as they lived in Granby, Farnham and Brigham.The acts came to light on May 18, 2003 when Moynan was outside their latest residence in Brizham.After he Brief Couture’s cows up for sale Bidding on the herd of Serge Couture’s abandoned cows will begin at 10 am Wednesday morning.Cows will be auctioned off at Couture’s 150 acre form, at 114 highway 108 in Eaton.“The herd of 67 cows will likely be auctioned off as a whole,” said Michel Codère, the bailiff responsible for the auction.Other equipment up for sale may include a tractor and a hay wagon.Couture's property may hit the auction block in March if he doesn’t pay his tax bill to the town of Cookshire-Eaton.sexually assaulted the boy the mother learned of what happened, and collected the boy’s pyjamas as evidence.Later testing revealed Moynan’s DNA in semen stains on the night clothes.The following day the mother and three other people assaulted Moynan, which required him to spend several days in the hospital.Moynan, who last month fired his lawyer, then rehired his lawyer only to have him quit, is now defending himself.He maintains that he tried to get the required courses, but was not allowed to by his caseworkers.The sentencing arguments continue today.wxaQ*xmma*»m Coder postpones extradition decision again Staff Sherbrooke A decision in the extradition case of a battered Vermont mother who fled to the Townships to escape an abusive ex-husband has once again been delayed by federal Justice Minister Irwin Cotier.Michelle Favreau, who came to Canada to escape an abusive ex-husband, has been accused of kidnapping her son and is facing an extradition order forcing her and her son to return to the United States.Favreau, who appealed her extradition to Cotier’s office last June, came here three years ago and obtained landed im-migrant status on humanitarian grounds because she was a victim of violence and her life was in danger back home in the United States.Despite evidence, of family violence in the couple’s original custody battle, Favreau’s ex-husband managed to obtain custody from a Ver mont court last Sep tember.Favreau was not there to defend herself because she was not aware of the Armed with that custody ruling, the ex-husband then managed to get an extradition order claiming his ex-wife had abducted their child and gone to Canada.That landed Favreau in extradition court where the judge had no choice but to agree to the order because all of the paperwork was in order and he had no discretion to decide otherwise.However, the judge released a written ruling in which he suggested Cotier read his decision carefully.The women’s shelter argues Cotier should not agree to an extradition because the matter clearly belongs in family, not criminal court.Favreau has been anxiously awaiting news from the minister for almost a year.L’Escale manager Francine Collard said Cotier is now expected to announce a decision on March 1.case.Individual - Couple - Family Counselling Lies Ouwerkerk M.A., M.Ed (819) 578-4778 Interpersonal Relations Marital Issties Separation/Divorce Stepfamilies Loss/Bereavemen t De pression /Anxiety Post-Traumatic Stress Confidence Building j Dating issues M*Ifv'0We Novabyss inaugurates new premises! Mr.Jacques Dubois, President of Novabyss, was proud to inaugurate recently the new premises now located at 731 Galt Street West, Suite 212, in Sherbrooke.Novabyss performs many services as medical laboratory analyses, water laboratory analyses, a clinical research center and two specimen collection centers.Novabyss Specimen Collection Centre is open from Monday through Friday from 7 a.m.to to 3 p.m.731 Galt St.west Suite 212 Sherbrooke 819-562-1151 www.novabyss.com ADVERTORIAL page 4 Tuesday, February 15, 2005 February is Heart & Stroke Month The 2005 campaign objective is $360,000.Please.give generously! 1 Please give generously and help us win the fight against the principal cause of death in the ! country, through research and prevention.i i 1 i 1 wish to contribute: $ X Name: Address: i i i ?Cheque ?Visa Q Master Card i i Credit Card Number: i i Expiry date: Signature: i X i * Thank you with all our Heart Please mail your donation to: Heart and Stroke Foundation of Quebec e i i i 2630 King St.West.Room 150, ! 1 i Sherbrooke, Quebec «IlJ 2M1 * Fax: (819) 564-0690 Tel.(819) 562-7942 i i This ad was made possible courtesy of the following sponsors: a Plomberie Lennoxville NORMAN WALKER 819-563-1491 17 Beattie, R.R.1 Lennoxvillle, QC Claude Meilleur Carrefour de l’Estrie 3050 Portland Blvd.Sherbrooke 569-9621 1335 King St.West Sherbrooke 822-3333 MUFFLERS 1205 Wellington St.S.569-5959 563-0036 LUVIUWH Les Pétroles K«n II.Mackey Ine.Petroleum Home Heating Oil • Gasoline • Diesel 1034 Paul Rd„ Tel.: 819-562-5848 Ascot Corner, Qc, JOB 1A0 Fax: 819-562-2086 D.H.M.Technologies Inc.Worldwide Waterproofing for Buildings.Structures, Silos 300 Bacon Rd., Ayer’s Cliff (819) 843-2222 Aluminized steel & stainless steel mufflers SILENCIEUX SHER-LENN Inc.950 Wellington St.S.F«n.nd Cabana, owner Sherbrooke 569-9494 >7 Tp'imnnl çpfomn Townshippers serving Townshippers since 1913 (819) 564-1750 1-800-567-6031 6 Belvidere, Lennoxville Pierre Aubé 2261 King West, Sherbrooke Promenades King West - next to Beni Won Ton Tel.: (819) 569-6304 • Fax: (819) 564-6053 :record; LAB mine employees opt to renegotiate contracts to save jobs By Stephen McDougall Special to The Record Thetford Mines Avast majority of the 800 plus employees at the LAB Chrysotile Asbestos mines voted Sunday to reopen their labour contracts and renegotiate their salary and benefits in hopes of saving their jobs, according to Steelworker union official Ritchie Harnish.“We had 375 of our members from the Lake Asbestos mine at our meeting in the Black Lake sector and almost to a man, they raised their hands in favour,” he said Sunday morning.“Over in the Thetford sector, the Bell mine employees voted by secret ballot and over 80 percent of them were in favour of reopening their contracts.” The vote was made following a request by LAB managers during a Feb.6 information meeting.LAB president Simon Dupéré said all employees would have to consider the possibility of salary and benefit cuts if they wanted the two mines to keep operating this year.It was reported that the mines, owned by Mazarin Inc.of Quebec City, lost over $5 million in the last five years of operation.For most of that time, the Lake Asbestos open pit mine would operate in the summer months and the Bell underground mine in the winter period.That meant up to half of the LAB employees would be unemployed for half of the year.Last fall, LAB said it would close its Lake mine indefinitely, due to weak demand and low world prices for chrysotile-type asbestos fibre.It also faces more competition from the Jeffrey open pit mine in Asbestos, where retired workers accepted a small settlement for lost benefits and freed the mine of its receivership status.The present work force of 250 work for less money and no benefits and the mine resumes operation in April.The fireproof mineral is most often used in construction materials and is mostly sold in Asian countries.For the past 30 years, it has been the target of American and European activists, regulators and lawyers, who claim it is dangerous and can cause serious lung damage and even cancer.The industry argues the health damage was the result of toxic amphibolic fibres that are no longer mined in Canada.But the fear of asbestos has meant thousands of job losses in Thetford and Asbestos over the years and now threatens the future of Quebec’s three remaining mines.Steelworker official Guy Pelchat said many members of his union argued LAB was forcing them to give up more money and benefits halfway through their labour contracts.Both the Bell and Lake mine workers had gone on lengthy strikes in 2001 and 2002 because of poor pay and pension benefits.Most of the contracts are set to expire in late 2005 or early 2006.But Harnish said Sunday the past did not stop most of his colleagues from raising their hands at the morning union meeting.“There may have been two or three who did not move, but they were difficult to see with all the arms raised,” he said.“We knew it would be that way.That’s why we didn’t waste time with ballot boxes.” Harnish said most workers know their employer is in financial trouble and that demand for their product is in a precarious state.“We are constantly being faced by environmentalists and substitute manufacturers who want us to shut down all asbestos mines, while at the same time, our Asian buyers get flooded with cheaper fibre from producers in Russia,” he said.“You have to believe that this company is in trouble and if we want to keep any part of our jobs, we have to help them." Rumours had floated at the Feb.6 meeting that salaries and benefits would be cut by 25 percent.But those rumours were quickly denied by Dupéré, who said any cuts were only one of several options facing the company.But Harnish said his colleagues have no illusions about any gains in the upcoming negotiations with LAB.“We are considered the highest paid asbestos workers in the world right now," he said.“It’s certain with the competition from other world producers who pay their workers less, we’ll have to give up something soon.” Harnish said LAB wants to complete negotiations for the modified contracts by the end of February.But he predicted it will take longer for the employees to swallow new sacrifices.“We don’t expect the negotiations will be easy and I doubt we can wrap it up in two weeks,” he said.“Again, we’re being given hard choices.” i RECORD Tuesday, February 15, 2005 page 5 Police arrest three in satellite TV theft scheme By Stephen McDougall Special to The record f ¦ |hree Drummondville area resi- | dents have been arrested by the X RCMP for stealing Canadian satellite television signals and will soon face charges in court, according to police official Guy Melançon.“We seized a lot of software, access cards, decoders and computers that were used in this piracy,” he said.“Three people were arrested and charges will be laid once we determine the exact technical crimes each one of them committed.Our technical guys are going through the evidence now.” Melançon said the crimes the suspects face are part of the Criminal Code of Canada and the Radiocommunication Act.The crimes involve people who tap into an existing cable signal and use it without the authorization of the signal provider - in this case, Bell ExpressVu.Melançon could not say if the individuals arrested were using the illegal signals for their own use or reselling it to other viewers.But he added the case is not over yet.“The analysis of the hard disks found on the premises could lead to other subjects and clients linked to this ring,” he said.Melançon said the operation that led to these arrests was carried out last Friday with the help of Industry Canada, Bell Canada Security and investigators from the Canadian Motion Picture Distributors Association.The operation involved the search of a local warehouse and the residence of one of the suspects.Melançon said the operation follows two others made by the RCMP in Montreal and Toronto earlier last week that involved the same type of theft and resulted in several arrests.“We want people to know that this is a social evil that results in the loss of about $100 million a year for the Canadian economy,” he said.“Theft of telecommunication signals is a federal crime.We want to encourage electronic equipment retailers and consumers to refrain from engaging in this illegal trade.” Melançon was quick to point out these operations have nothing to do with last year’s legal battle involving two Drummondville residents who are fighting the federal government for the right to access satellite TV signals from the U.S.and other countries.Jacques D’Argy and Richard Thériault won their case at the provincial court level last October, arguing they had a right under the Freedom of Expression “For another day” means now: provision in the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms to watch satellite channels other than those licensed for viewing in Canada by federal regulators.The ruling made by Sherbrooke provincial court judge Danielle Côté is presently being appealed by the federal government.“Mr.D’Argy and Mr.Thériault are challenging the laws on access to a foreign signal, not one created and distributed here,” said Melançon.Brief Granby textile explosion injures three Staff f ! jhree people were injured when a j textile machine exploded in the X Stedfast plant in Granby Monday morning.Granby Police spokesman Const.Benoit Desautels said the explosion happened at about 8 a.m.in a machine used to aerate fabric.The St.Charles Street plant manufactures canvas and fabrics like the kind used in the military.One worker sustained minor leg wounds from flying glass, while two others suffered from nervous shock.Desautels said Hydro Quebec and Gaz Métropolitain were called in to shut things down, and the 70 employees were evacuated.By 8:30 a.m.the fire after the explosion had been put out.“They had things like sprinklers, and each method of protection did its job,” Desautels said.RRSP Step-up Bonds The earlier and longer you invest for, the bigger the payoff.Capital guaranteed.BONUS OF ,~±âüââAÉI 10'" year ¦|st 2nd 3rd 4,h 5,d 6,h 7th 8th These rates may vary depending on market conditions.Call us Monday through Friday, from 8 a.m.to 8 p.m.and Saturdays during February, from 10 a.m.to 4 p.m.1 % the first year for new RRSP funds.Epargne Placements ± 1 ?Q Québec n ?www.epq.gouv.qc.ca page 6 Tuesday, February 15, 2005 «¦THF.mi RECORD Community Forum Two more challenges: Religious ed and labour talks Within three short months, the Charest government will face its moment of reckoning on the teaching of religion in public schools.It can opt for the status quo and thus seek to invoke the notwithstanding clause under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms that would allow religious instruction to continue for another five years.Or it can boldly move forward and get denominational teaching out of the schools, replacing it with a program of multi-faith and multi-cultural instruction.Last week in a submission to the government, the advisory Council on Higher Education recommended the bold approach.It urged the government to not renew the notwithstanding clause and instead, to work towards the introduction of a religious education program that addresses students from all faiths.There will be stiff resistance from Catholic and Protestant institutions.But the Council argues that it is no longer acceptable that schools offer exclusivity to two faiths, thus marginalizing every other religion and all the students who practice them.The school’s role, says Council president Jean-Pierre Proulx, must be to help students open up to the world around them, to help them grow morally and spiritually, and appreciate the diversity of religious beliefs.This, he says, is the way to show respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms.Proulx, who holds a doctorate in religious studies and is a former education professor and journalist specializing in religion and education, was chair of the task force on religious education in 1997-99 when linguistic school boards were being created.While it’s true that 80 per cent of Quebec parents still choose either Catholic or Protestant instruction for their children, he says that’s because the other option, moral education classes, is not meeting their expectations.Recent polling shows that a majority (52 per cent) now prefers broad-based religious and ethical instruction that would give their children more understanding of world religions and cultures.That seems all the more appropriate in a contemporary world where war and acts of terrorism are being justified in the name of somebody’s god.The Charest government, meanwhile, may already have waited too long to address this issue.Education Minister Pierre Reid, instead of encouraging an open debate on a fundamentally important issue, has retreated into silence.Knowing the deadline was fast approaching, it should have signalled its desire to hear from parents and other interested parties, publicly.Instead, it gives the impression that only lobbies will be heard, privately.If the minister has developed an outline for new religious instruction, we should have seen it by now.If he’s received an analysis of the existing religious programs and how well they’re fulfilling goals, it should be made public.If the government has any thoughts at all about how it would like to see religious instruction evolve, it should share them.Both Pierre Reid and Premier Charest should have learned something from the private religious schools funding fiasco.Firstly, that religion is still an intensely personal and touchy subject.And secondly, that in this society, we have largely accepted a separation of church and state, and the best way to maintain it is to show leadership, bring the issues out into the open, and work towards getting a consensus.im 1HK — RECORD P.0.Box 1200 Sherbrooke J1H 516 or 1195 Galt E, Sherbrooke JIG 1Y7 Fax: 819-569-3945 e-mail: newsroom@sherbrookerecord.com Website: www.sherbrookerecord.com Randy Kinniiak Publisher .(819) 569-9511 Sharon McCully Editor .(819) 569-6345 Nelson Afonso Corresp.Editor .(819) 569-6345 Richard Lessard Prod.Mgr.(819) 569-9931 Serge Gagnon Chile Pressman .(819) 569-9931 Francine Thibault' Prod.Superv.(819) 569-4856 DEPARTMENTS Accounting .Advertising Circulation .Newsroom Knowlton office 88 Lakeside, Knowlton, Quebec, JOE 1V0 Tel: (450) 242-1188 Fax: (450) 243-5155 (819)569-9511 (819)569-9525 (819) 569-9528 .(819) 569G345 MAIL SUBSCRIPTIONS GST PST TOTAL Canada; 1 year 114.40 8.01 9.18 $131.59 6 MONTHS 59.00 4.13 4.73 $67.86 3 MONTHS 30.00 2.10 2.41 $34.51 Out of Quebec residents do not include PST.Rates for other services available on request.The Record is published daily Monday to Friday.Back copies of The Record are available.The Record was founded on February 7,1897, and acquired the Sherbrooke Examiner (est.1879) in 1905 and the Sherbrooke Gazette (est.1837) in 1908.The Record is published by Hollinger Canadian Newspapers L.P.PM#0040007682 Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to The Record, 1195 Galt East, Sherbrooke, QC JIG 1Y7 Member ABC, CARD.CNA, QCNA Pressure Talks The beleaguered Education Minister though has a lot on his plate.While it’s the “Iron Lady” Monique Jérôme-Forget who is responsible for contract negotiations with government employees, it’s the cerebral Pierre Reid who’ll have to manage the mess if current talks with teachers continue their merry way towards an impasse.As with all other civil servants, teachers are being offered a 12.6 per cent increase, including a pay equity settlement, over six years, retroactive to April 1, 2004.The unions want 12.5 per cent over just three years, excluding the pay equity settlement.There are other important issues though which have a direct impact on the quality of teaching.One is class size.There are often up to 35 students per class; to reduce that to an acceptable level, more teachers need to be hired.The government has committed itself to doing that, but nowhere near the level requested by teachers.The unions, demand, says Jérôme-Forget, would increase annual costs by $600 million.Teachers also insist the government must act on numerous studies showing more services are required for students with learning or behavioural problems.Since the cards have been put on the table, there’s been lots of talk but no movement.Jérôme-Forget last week called for patience, though she also noted an incredible 300 negotiating sessions have been held with teachers alone.It’s called stalling for time, which is precisely what the former PQ.govern- ment did in its dying days when it managed to prolong contracts on the promise of a pay equity settlement.It then delayed those negotiations until an election intervened.Now it’s the Charest’s government billion dollar problem, and teachers have decided it’s time for a little arm-twisting.Starting next week, teachers in the French sector will begin a series of escalating pressure tactics.They’ll start by dressing in black and cutting off communication with administrators, then work their way up to more direct action, such as giving no homework, and possibly two days of strike action in April.On the English side, the plan is to go softly with protests that will be more symbolic than disruptive.But there is the possibility of joining their French colleagues on the two-day walkout.Meanwhile, the rest of the civil service is getting restless too.After a first four-hour walkout last week by about 19,000 government professionals, more work stoppages are likely as spring approaches.Both major civil service unions have a two-day strike mandate in their back pocket, while CEGEP teachers and school support staff are in the process of getting a similar mandate from their members.Altogether, that’s more than half a million people gearing up to shower the Charest government with insults.The good news for the Premier is that, uh, well, sorry, there isn’t any.Maybe next week.(Glenn Wanamaker can be reached at wanamakerg@hotmail.com.) MWH- CASLtCKRToOKï! ACfOR ScGm 6/xFLSAfiA ÔOXÊR.IN ACE ftoSU isC-roeViator NOfCTA" Firth SoOnj^ MoinAIH AC-ToR t* », "F0R66TTin« TÆ O.N- IN Biu.cossy £>6Sy i>/R.ecroR (At.ep peers .POJÊ IN 'south's CL'NT R in SQliinT" KlMiN"RNtXNGN6rU£RWLC> : — THtw RECORD Tuesday, February 15, 2005 page 7 Perspectives No age restriction on foot in mouth disease An encounter with Mr.and Mrs.B.is always enthralling.A lively, gregarious pair they are.One’s never bored nor at a loss for words in their presence.I had the good fortune to have a chat with them recently.Our conversation meandered from collections to genealogy to menopause.Both of the B.’s are collectors.Among Mr.B.’s passions are toy guns, oilcans and musical instruments.He commented that he’s very lucky that Mrs.B.has never complained about his collections, and he slipped in the fact that he has always gracefully accepted her fascination for things royal.When asked what is the driving force behind his attraction to such items as make-believe guns and musical instruments (which he cannot play), he was at a loss to explain it.And I fully understood.It is equally impossible for my partner-in-life and me to put into words why we succumb to the temptation of teacups, teapots, trinket boxes and bells.There must be some psychological explanation, although I’m not sure I’d want to hear it.Then the conversation drifted to family matters -from travelling children to out-of-the-ordinary ancestors.We concluded that it is true that there are skeletons in just about every family closet - from those who never married in an age when cohabitation was rare indeed, to the woman who convinced her husband to move to the U.S.far from his drinking buddies only to return with her spouse and more little ones a few years later, fortunately for us.When our discussions turned to “the time of life” - which is, by the way, a far, far cry from “the time of your life” - Mrs.B mentioned that she had just sailed right through it.Her spouse quickly took credit for this, “That’s because she was living with me!” To which I straight away responded, “I’m going to move in with you!” Whatever has gotten over me?I’ve never been so audacious in all of my days.(Oh, right, except for that moment last year when I hugged my favourite auctioneer).This reminds me of another faux pas committed a few weeks back.It happened in downtown Lennoxville in the best of bookstores when a Drum-mondville man-about-town alluded to his search for a new career, casually referring to his age.“You mean you’re younger than I am?” I exclaimed.It was only on the way home that I realized I had stuck my foot in my mouth.Somehow, I had always considered this man to be wiser, more experienced - and yes, thus, older than I.In actual fact, he is two years my junior.My comment had nothing to do with how young or old this person looks.Oh dear, subsequent to my outburst, has he been worrying about frowns and wrinkles, the colour of his hair and the style of his clothes?Will he forgive my indiscretion?I still blush when I recall that conversation.As the age of “freedom 55” (FF) approaches, I am beginning to wonder if it means the stage of throwing caution to the wind, i.e., the freedom to be bold?p.s.Thankfully, Mrs.B., with good grace, laughed at my proposal to reside with her husband.Now there’s only that bookstore man to worry about.Gee, I’d better watch what I say much more closely, don’t you think?Susan Mastine *•! \m Letters to the Editor Quote all the Bible, or none Dear Editor, So Eileen Perkins would have us take the prohibition against men lying with men in Leviticus 18:22 as authoritative in today’s debate about same-sex marriage.Fair enough, as long as she accepts the rest of the Mosaic Law Code.That means not eating shellfish (Lev.11:10).That also means having nothing to do with pigs, not even their skin, so football games are right out (Lev.11:8).That means agreeing that touching a menstruating woman makes one unclean (Lev, 15:19).That means not planting two different seeds next to each other, and not wearing garments made from two different cloths, so no more cotton-polyester blends (Lev.19:19).It means that men must not round off the hair of their temples nor cut the edges of their beards (Lev.19:27).It means that no one with any physical blemish may come before the Lord (Lev.21:16).But cheer up.It does mean that we can own slaves (Lev.25:44), that we can sell our children into slavery (Ex.21:7), and that we can kill our children when they annoy us (Deut.21:18).And, irony of ironies, it does mean that men can have more than one wife (Deut.21:15).So, if Ms.Perkins invokes Moses as an authority against gay marriage, how can she not end up endorsing polygamy?After all, to use her words, “it is diffi- cult to put too many slants on the above verses." Many Christians, though apparently not Ms.Perkins, would argue that the Law of Moses no longer applies, because of the saving sacrifice of Jesus.So what about her appeal to Paul’s words in the epistle to the Romans?Again, if you want to see Paul as the word of God, then you have to take Paul as a whole.If he speaks for God in Romans 1:26, then the same must be true elsewhere in the New Testament.So maybe I cannot marry the love of my life, but I can still own slaves (Ephesians 6:5) and I can tell women that “they are not permitted to speak, but they must be subordinate” (I Corinthians 14:34).Again, I hope Ms.Perkins enjoys the irony.Either we evolve a real theology for something as complex as applying the Bible to modern life, or we quote proof texts to justify our preexisting prejudices.It’s that simple.Daron Westman Lennoxville Don’t mess with marriage Dear Editor The Liberals are playing politics with what at first they said was “same-sex Marriage” and now changed to “civil marriage.” Yet for centuries, marriage as we’ve known it, was defined as a sexual union between a man and a woman that gave order to society through procreation.Obviously the time has come for Parliament to provide gays, and/or lesbians with equal rights under the law, but in respect to the majority of Canadians this can not be called marriage without gutting the very meaning of the word.At the same time, most of us have no problem recognizing the term civil union for those seeking recognition as a gay or lesbian couple.In Canada the basis of nationhood is family.The family is the prime unit of our social and political life.In turn, the family is created through sexual intercourse of a man and a woman under the state and/or religious term: Marriage.Leaving any religious belief out of it, all of Canada depends on this concept, it should not be trifled with.Buy why leave religion out of it?Our vociferous cabinet ministers cite American separation of church and state, but remain unaware of what it is.If separation of church and state meant that religious leaders could not get involved in state affairs then the Rev.Martin Luther King would never have been able to mount a civil rights movement.Rev.King was a minister, his religious movement worked against state policy out of churches.While a sword can cut both ways, the original concept of separation of church and state was written to preserve the freedom of religious expression by banning a single state religion.Liberal cabinet ministers should relax, they have nothing to fear.Religion in marriage simply puts mystery into the creation of life by a man and a woman by adding another dimension: God.Marriage is not about getting sex.Or getting security.Or getting anything.Marriage is about giving.Giving to each other, to family, to schools, to community, to God and country.We hold certain beliefs in this country, and while we know what is right, we don’t always do what is right.We are not perfect, many marriages fail, but-that does not mean that marriage itself must be erased.The issue is about integrity, about living what we believe.At the moment, the Liberal party has decided that the court, not our elected representatives, should write our laws.This is a terrible error.There is no reason for parliament not to give status to civil unions, and civil marriages, while at the same time making it clear that the definition of marriage is based on pro-creation and the children that will become our next generation.Canadians need Parliament to restructure government, not to restructure the family, and not to remove procreation as the basis of marriage.Protect the individual rights of gays and lesbians, but without affecting marriage as we know it.If civil unions are blocked by the court, then bock the court with the use of the notwithstanding clause.That’s precisely why it was created.Brian Timmins Knowlton i i i » l ;;y4:: ••• - »