The record, 23 août 2005, mardi 23 août 2005

Expo Richmond Fair September 8-9-10-11 Family fun! THE RECORD The voice of the Eastern Townships since 1897 ITY fair www.expoayerscliff.com AUGUST 25 - 26 - 27 - 28 Vermont landfill operator seeks wetland swap.See Page 5 75 CENTS + TAXES PM#0040007682 Tuesday, August 23, 2005 Perrault ready to run, but not ready to campaign ‘Imust finish my mandate before campaigning for another’ By Rita Legault Sherbrooke Now that Chamber of Commerce manager Hélène Gravel has officially tossed her hat into the ring for a fall election, Sherbrooke Mayor Jean Perrault said he’s not surprised he will have some competition for the may-oral seat.“We’ve known for months she was seeking support for her candidacy,” Perrault said, noting that the organization behind Gravel is the same one that worked for his adversaries in the last two mayoral races.“There is therefore no surprise in this announcement.” Perrault told The Record he did not expect to be elected by acclamation.“I believe in the democratic process where people offer their services to the population and citizens get to choose,” he commented.Please see Perrault Page 5 Mineral fair vendors reject name change forAsbestos By Stephen McDougall Special to The Record f | |he recent proposal to change the I name of the town of Asbestos in A* order to attract more visitors and businesses was given a large thumbs down by vendors at last weekend’s annual Asbestos mineralogical fair.“I would feel very sad if people here did this,” said Charles Klemens, a mineral collector, jeweler and vendor from Montreal who has attended the fair from its start 12 years ago.“Asbestos is listed in mineralogical books and journals all over the world.The Livre Vert des Minérals from France points out that Asbestos has its own distinct minerals and rock formations that cannot be found anywhere else in the world.“If you eliminate the town’s name, those mineral listings could be lost to many collectors.” Klemens argued that a name change could also affect the future of the fair, because many collectors and enthusiasts come to Asbestos to look for new mineral Please see asbestos Page 3 STEPHEN MCDOUGALLL/SPECIAL Pierre Bonin with serpentine rocks he has collected near the mines in Asbestos and Thetford.Animal rights group protests against circus PERRY BEATON/SPECIAI This zebra is one of several animals to be featured in the Shrine Circus.« By Brion Robinson Sherbrooke Animal rights activists are cracking the whip on venues that host circus events featuring animals, and the Quatre Saisons mall in Sherbrooke is on their hit list.This week the mall parking lot will stage two shows of the Shrine Circus complete with elephants, a zebra and boxing kangaroos.Please see circus Page 5 We invite you to visit our lavender-growing operation, the interpretation centre, our new bow the picnic area and all the other pleasures of Bleu Lavande fm and at peace )tember - mid-October Saturday and Sunday From 12 pm (noon) 6^a let: Rviht (Kit page 2 Tuesday, August 23, 2005 RECORD Street Talk JOSHUA BLESER A police officer is seen here deep in discussion with teenagers as part of the SQJs and Brome-Missisquoi MRC's joint campaign in July to reduce loitering and vandalism in the area.According to the Brome-Missisquoi SQ, their joint campaign with the Brome-Missisquoi MRC in July to forge links between youth and police was a success.The theme of the month was loitering and vandalism, and police officers visited 25 parks and the youth centres in Bedford, Cowansville, Farnham, and the Town of Brome Lake for friendly discussions with youth in order to raise awareness about these problems.Throughout the month, 28 teens were ticketed for offences ranging from being in a park after U p.m.to urinating in public and injuring a law enforcement official.“This initiative allowed us to personally meet approximately 650 youths and to sensitize them regarding loitering and vandalism.We are confident that such meetings will have a positive effect on the rate of vandalism in the region and will help our young people to become better and more responsible citizens,” said Sgt.Jacques Duchesneau of the Brome-Missisquoi division of the SQ.Next month’s theme of the SQ's “for you.near you” sensitization campaign is pedestrian crossings.Briefs Georgeville gardeners compete for valuable prizes Georgeville will be holding its sixth Horticultural Show on Saturday, Aug.27, when the Murray Memorial Centre will be full of proud gardeners exhibiting their best vegetables and flowers.The show will be open to all from 2.30 pm to 5 p.m.Entrance is $3 for adults and $1 for children up to 15 years, and this will include a cream tea (scones, jam and cream with the tea).Exhibitors will be competing for prizes donated by local merchants and garden suppliers in addition to trophies, the most important being the Community Association of Georgeville Trophy for the exhibitor with the highest number of points in the show.There will also be two door prizes, a brunch for two donated by Auberge Georgeville and a lunch for two donated by the Maison McGowan.John Hoblyn, Hon.Show Secretary, says that all ages will find classes to enter from artichokes to zucchinis, herbs, roses, flower arrangements, plus six classes specifically for children, including one for vegetable sculptures.This is an event for the whole family.Don’t eat the pesto The provincial ministry of agriculture, fisheries, and food has advised the public not to eat Pesto Quatre Noix et Fromage (Basilic) purchased at Sutton’s Rumeur Affamée between July 4 and Aug.3 inclusive.The product - which comes in plastic packaging of various sizes -contains an ingredient that might be infected with Cyclospora, a micro-organism parasite whose consumption poses a threat to human health.No illnesses have yet been reported, but anyone who has bought the product should throw it out or return it to La Rumeur Affamée, which is proceeding voluntarily with the recall.SPA needs temporary homes for puppies and kittens Sherbrooke’s society for the protection of animals is asking people to open their homes to homeless kittens.There is an overflow of animals and the SPA doesn’t have enough space to take care of their kittens under eight weeks old.The society is asking people to take care of these kittens and/or puppies until they’re old enough to go up for adoption.Dogs and cats with health problems are also available for temporary parents.For more information call 819-821-4727 and press option 8.Recall on slow cooker Sears Canada has been advised by The Holmes Group Inc., manufacturer of the Rival 4.5-quart slow cooker, that the handles on the base of the slow cookers can break, posing a risk of burns from hot contents spilling out.There are three models affected by this recall - model number 5445-BC, sold from June 2002 to December 2004, with a four digit date code between 1902 and 3504, and model numbers 3040-SM and 5025-WN, sold from January 2002 - December 2004, with a four digit date code between 1902 and 3504.The model number is located on the plug of the slow cooker and the date code is stamped on the prong of the plug.Although there have been no reported injuries, customers who have an affected slow cooker, should return it to Sears as soon as possible for a full refund Sears Canada will be posting signs in all of its retail stores to advise customers of this safety issue.Weather TodayCloudy with sunny periods.40 percent chance of showers.High 21.Wednesday:Cloudy.Low 10.High 22.Thursday:Sunny.Low 11.High 24.Friday: Sunny.Low 10.High 25.Ben by Daniel Shelton HE'S m\T\N6 FOR TUB TIPE TO 00 OUT.','WUIMPEJ?; 1 ' —THEm i RECORD .Tuesday, August 23, 2005 page 3 City should beware of message and a bottle Drinking water is safe and does not need to be treated -engineer By Rita Legault SHERBROOKE f |"jhe head of Sherbrooke’s environmental and j water division insists Sherbrooke’s drinking .1.water is of excellent quality and that citizens who are hooked up to the city’s water supply do not need a water treatment or purification system.Michel Cyr was reacting to a company that has been going door to door in the Mount Bellevue sector of town offering free water tests to citizens.A message with a bottle invites people to collect a sample for a free test.A communiqué from the City of Sherbrooke notes the city is not associated with the company Eagle, and notes cryptically the company has commercial motives.Translated, that means the company is trying to sell something.“To avoid any confusion, know that this is a private enterprise that is not linked to any activity from the city’s environment division.It has no mandate from the City of Sherbrooke and does not represent any municipal service,” states the communiqué, inviting residents to carefully read the company’s message before deciding to get their water treated.“Sherbrooke’s water is of excellent quality and residents don’t need a treatment system,” Cyr told The Record.Cyr said some rural residents of Sherbrooke have artesian wells and can choose to have their water tested and install a purification system - but that most of the city is hooked up to water that is treated.In the last few days, Eagle has been visiting neighborhoods that are hooked up to the city’s water main.Water for most of the former City of Sherbrooke, Fleurimont, Ascot, Rock Forest, Deauville and parts of St-Élie get their water from the centre of Lake Mem-phremagog.Former Bromptonville townsfolk and the rest of St-Élie get their water from Lake Montjoye, while Lennoxville residents get their drinking water from three wells located on the town limits with Wa-terville.All the water is treated, tested and safe to drink.RITA LEGAULT Sherbrooke’s drinking water does not require testing.it® Asbestos: Cont’d from Page 1 and rock finds.“This town has a reputation that could be lost,” he said.Pierre Bonin, a rock collector and seller from Trois Rivières, agrees.“It will confuse a lot of people if the name is changed,” he said.“What would be the benefit of changing the name?It would mean the town becomes more obscure.It would not help the town get any new visitors.” The name-change idea was made earlier this year by members of the local Chamber of Commerce.They maintained the word Asbestos has too many negative connotations because some asbestos types not mined here have been linked to lung diseases for decades.One of the advocates for a different name is Chamber president Jean-Philippe Bachand, who is seeking the mayor’s office in the upcoming November municipal elections.“Tire word asbestos is an irritant,” he said earlier this year.“You can’t hide from it.” But his arguments were met with resistance from fair vendors and visitors alike last Saturday.Bonin said he has visited the town for several years, especially during the fair, and does not have fear when he hears the town’s name.“I do not fear asbestos,” he said.“We have been coming here for years and we are not dead or sick.It is the people from the U.S.and England who are afraid of the mineral and they have never been here.” Jean-Pierre Desfossés, an Asbestos resident who works at the town’s Jeffrey asbestos mine when it is in operation, said changing the name cannot hide the fact the fireproof mineral is extracted here.“If you lift the name, how do you hide the mine from visitors,” he asked."Do you cover the big open pit with a giant tarp and hope nobody notices?” Fair vendor Denis Allie argued if the name change is accepted, then the other asbestos mining town of Thetford Mines would also have to find a new moniker.“Thetford Mines is also known for its asbestos mines, but no one there is thinking of a new name,” he said.“Many of the people who come to this fair are tourists, and I have not heard one of them saying they are afraid of this mineral.” Réjean Gauthier, who runs the Petit Trésor store in Danville, said rejecting the Asbestos name is denying a large part of the area’s history.“It will not do much good,” he said.“I have chrysotile asbestos mineral rocks on display here, as do many other vendors, and no one is afraid to look and touch them.” STEPHEN MCDOUGALL/SPECIAL Mineral vendor Charles Klemens shows off rocks from Hungary and Argentina.fsnipitire ¦ pi p %, STEPHEN MCDOUGALLL Many collectors seek out the name.RECORD Tm vou t «I 1Hl Eawhn InwKsmr.sin.I Yves Robert Advertising Consultant Sherbrooke - Magog - Stanstead Tel.: 819-569-9525 • 800-463-9525 email: production@sherbrookerecord.com Eastern Townships School Board Adult Education Must be at least 16 years of age before July 1st, 2005 — High School credits leading to a diploma — Preparation for College or Vocational Education — Basic Reading and Writing and Math — Equivalency Tests — French Second Language Day or Evening classes FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT: (819) 566-0250 Sherbrooke 2365 West, page 4 Tuesday, August 23, 2005 - f THE —i .> RECORD 130 wine and cheese producers will celebrate harvest By Giancarlo La Giorgia Wine and cheese lovers, grab a baguette and dust off your drinking caps: the 12th annual Fête des Vendages Magog-Orford is only two weeks away.The Fête, also known as the Wine Harvest Festival, assembles over 130 local wine and cheese makers, as well as local, artisanal food, arts and crafts, cider and beer producers, under a huge tent at Point Merry, in Magog.The festival offers visitors a panoply of tastes and tipples of Quebec’s terroir, as well as a petting zoo and activities for children.“I’m pleased to say that visitors to this year’s festival will get a real showcase of the best wines and cheeses in the province — and they get to meet the people who make these products in person,” said Jean-François Demers, a wine columnist for Le Devoir, TVA and Radio-Canada, and the festival’s spokesperson.Demers, a Montreal native, has long been a student of the art of winemaking.He has lived and practiced viticulture in France, but says that the really interesting developments in the wine production are right here in Quebec.“Winemaking has been going through a transformation in Quebec since it began 30 years ago, from growing wine grapes as more or less a tourist attraction, to a true winemaking enterprise," he said, adding that he "can’t wait to see what the industry in 30 years from now.” Due to the province’s cold climate and short growing season, making wine — especially in great quantity — is not an easy task.However, Demers stressed that PERRY BEATON/SPECIAL There will be plenty to smile about at this year's Wine Harvest Festival.¦'r-'i-êù ;î : .gPlSeSP; SSP** producers of whites, rosés and particularly ice wines, have been concentrating on increasing the quality of their products.Indeed, he considers some of the region’s ice wines to be among the best in the world, even if the relatively tiny number of bottles currently produced excludes them from making a dent in the world market.Despite some of its faults, Demers credited the Société des Alcools du Québec (SAQ) for spawning a province of wine connoisseurs, with a global palate — something that woi'ks to the advantage of local producers.“In Burgundy, few people drink Bordeaux wine, and [vice-versa].Here, we go to an SAQ store and there are wines from every corner of the Earth, including Quebec.People are more open-minded.” Demers asks wine lovers, amateur and connoisseurs alike to visit the Fête des Vendages to learn the story behind their favourite wines from the makers themselves, as well as to learn about new wines thev may not find at their local SAQ.He also encourages people to tell wine makers what they really think about their product, whether good or bad, so that future batches can be refined and improved.The Fête des Vendages kicks off on Sept.2 with a Medieval Ball, continuing all Labour Day weekend, until Sept.5.It returns the following weekend on Sept.10 and 11.Tickets range from $5, which grants visitors access to the exhibits, to a $15 package, which includes a wine glass and 12 wine and cider sampling coupons.//////////Jt/t / / / / PV PERRY BEATON/SPECIAL PERRY BEATON/SPECIAL Wine lovers will be asked to tell vineyard operators what they like - or don’t like ¦ about Music is a big part of the festivities, the wines they sample. JtECORD: Tuesday, August 23, 2005 page 5 Casella offers wetland for permission to expand By Robin Smith Special to The Record Newport, Vt.Officials with the Coventry landfill have offered to improve a local wetland at the head of Lake Mem-phremagog if allowed to fill in an acre and a half of wetland at the landfill.The offer came as the landfill company seeks approval to empty out the old unlined Nadeau dump that sits between its Coventry landfill and the Black River Wetlands Complex.Vermont officials wanted the old dump cleaned up to improve water quality near the wetlands and the watershed of international Lake Mem-phremagog.The landfill owner was required to seek permission to clean up the old landfill as part of its most recent expansion.Quebec and Vermont officials, plus representatives of Memphremagog Conservation Inc.and the Magog municipal regional commission, toured the landfill Thursday as part of the request for permission to work within a buffer zone near the wetlands.Ingrid Christman of Derby represented MCI.David Curry represented the MRC.The old dump is capped but lies right at the edge of the wetlands, according to Dori Barton, wetlands expert with Ar-rowwood Environmental, a firm working for Casella Waste Systems.Casella owns New England Waste Services of Vermont (NEWS-VT), which runs the landfill.Newport City manager John Ward Jr., who is a member of MCI, asked Casella to trade wetland for wetland.“We’ve done a lot of damage to the natural wetlands here,” Ward said, referring to the historic filling in at Gardner Park and other locations around South Bay and the lake in Newport City.“We want mitigation.” “We’ve got plenty of places where you could spend your money,” he said.Local people would be very unhappy if wetland mitigation happened outside the watershed, Ward said.Larry Lackey of Casella said the company is willing to work with Ward and others to find a suitable wetland to improve in exchange for space near the landfill.The landfill, the largest in Vermont, has permits to handle 370,000 tons of trash a year, and already hosts a 4 megawatt methane-powered generation plant for Washington Electric Cooperative utility in Vermont.Experts say the landfill is in a prime location because of clay soils, but borders the wetlands and the river.Some 140,000 Quebecers draw drinking water downstream from Lake Memphremagog- Casella proposes to empty out the Nadeau landfill, moving the 30-year-old waste into several new double-lined cells to the west.Those cells would need an acre and a half of drier wetlands at the edge of the landfill.The wetlands in question are best viewed as a buffer between functioning wetlands with fish and wildlife and the landfill.Currently, Vermont requires a 300-foot buffer zone near wetlands.The old landfill has no buffer.But the old dump was filled right up to the landfill.Casella engineer Matthew Poirier said that large a buffer would not be cost effective.Casella proposes a 100-foot buffer, which Poirier said is better than the current situation.This is the first in a series of hearings as Casella seeks a multitude of Vermont permits, as well as permission from the U.S.Army Corps of Engineers, for this expansion project.The most recent expansion plan was approved, except for an appeal over long-range monitoring by state officials.Lackey and Curry said they have been meeting regularly about the landfill management.To comment about the wetlands issue, contact the Vermont waste management division at 802-241-3888 before Sept.15.Circus: Cont’d from Page 1 The People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals PETA are sending letters to all venues that host the Shrine Circus and other animal acts claiming they are abusive to animals.Pierre Paquette, administrator for the Quatre Saisons mall in Sherbrooke received such a letter last week, but it hasn’t changed his mind.In an interview outside one of the tents where four elephants are tied to small iron posts eating hay, Paquette said the Zerbini Circus, which is contracted by the Shriners to provide the circus acts, has hundreds of years experience in the business and takes good care of their animals.“I’ve spent a lot of time with these people and they know what they’re doing,” he said, noting he makes frequent tours of the circus grounds and has never seen any animal cruelty.Paquette said the animals are treated well and there is no danger to spectators.“I wouldn’t want them here if I thought they were dangerous,” he said.But Lisa Wathne, captive exotic animal specialist for PETA who wrote the letter, said the circus has a horrible track record.“Tarzan Zerbini’s circus has a very poor record of animal care,” she said.PETA has a list citing about a dozen incidents which range from a bear biting off a girl’s finger to children getting hurt while riding an elephant.The latest incident occurred in early 2005 when an elephant trainer was trampled to death while the animals were being loaded into a trailer after a performance at the Mizpah Shrine Circus in the United States.“Any wild animal is always dangerous,” she said.“Extreme confinement can be frustrating for them and they take the opportunity to escape.” Wathne said the letters are a way of informing venue managers about the dangers of animal cruelty “We’re hoping to convince them this is the last time,” Wathne said.Patricia Zerbini, daughter of the circus owner and ninth generation of the Zerbini circus family, shrugs off the list of incidents and injuries.After being asked a second time about the fatal accident earlier this year she said it was a “freak accident.” Zerbini said the trainer slipped and knocked himself out while loading the elephants onto the trailer.She added a representative from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) on site said nothing was done wrong.Zerbini said the circus takes very good care of all its animals.“Everything revolves around them,” she said, noting they get regular visits from the Society for Prevention of cruelty towards animals on all their stops (the Sherbrooke chapter hadn’t yet visited the circus at the time of the inter- view.) Zerbini said it’s unfortunate that some animal rights groups pick on circuses just to make money from donations.“They’re making millions of dollars playing on people’s sympathies,” she said.“It’s just a ploy.” The elephants are by far the largest animals at the circus.They travel in large trailers and can be on the road up to eight hours a day.“It’s really no different than traveling with horses,” she said, noting they get treated much better than pigs and cattle that are jammed into trailers.The elephants are on the road from seven to eight months throughout the year.When they’re not traveling with the circus they’re spending time with about 30 other “retired elephants” on Zerbini’s 40-acre ranch in Florida.“I think what people don’t understand is that we’ve learned how to take care of elephants through circuses,” she said.“People never hear the good things.” Despite the concerns of animal rights groups like PETA, the Shriners will continue to organize circus tours as long as people want to see them.Most of the money collected at the events ends up in the coffers of the circus and the Shriners’ Fraternity which provides some of the funding for the Shriners’ Hospital through gifts, wills and charitable donations.“If people tell us they don’t want us to use animals we won’t use them,” said William Pitts, executive director of the Shriner’s Quebec fraternity.brobinson@sherbrookerecord.c om Perrault: Cont’d from Page 1 Perrault said Sherbrooke constituents will have to choose the best person to lead what may soon be the sixth largest city in the province.He notes that while the City of Sherbrooke has grown by some 3,000 to 4,000 people since the merger, while the population of sixth place Saguenay has been slowly dwindling.In a dig to his opponent in a communiqué Monday, Perrault noted: “the most important qualities to lead the 7th largest city in Quebec are: competence, experience and past achievements.” Despite his campaign-style comments, Perrault remarked it’s too early to start campaigning and that he and other councillors still have lots of work to do before completing their current mandate.Perrault said he was reacting to media requests for comments on Gravel’s candidacy and that he is not ready to campaign yet.“As far as I’m concerned the campaign has not started.Council is still in action.The executive committee too.I must finish my mandate before campaigning for another.” Perrault said he will await the right time to present his accomplishments over the past four years as mayor of the new City of Sherbrooke as well as his promises for a next mandate.Perrault, who announced in May he would run again, notes that candidates can file their papers starting Sept.23.On Oct.14, the deadline for candidates to come forward, council will be dissolved and the campaign will begin heating up.In the meantime Gravel has officially resigned from her job so that she can run for mayor, Chamber president Nicolas Lemay announced Monday.Gravel handed in her letter of resignation last Friday, Lemay said in a press release which thanked Gravel for her excellent work over the last Forest Fire in Sutton Sutton firefighters had their hands full Sunday afternoon as they battled a forest fire on Mont Sutton without water.A hiker noticed the fire and alerted firefighters at about 12:30 p.m.The fire ravaged a 400 square metre swath of forest before firefighters were able to contain it by cutting down trees along its perimeter.Patrick Larose of the Sutton firefighters unit said the fire was probably set by another hiker._______________________________ page.6 Tuesday, August 23, 2005 : ¦THE—» RECORD Community Forum Letter to the editor Colour blind?Dear Editor, I found Tom Kavanagh’s attack on George W.Bush (August 16) so abusive that I failed to read it carefully.So I thank K.F.Shotting (Letter, August 22) for pointing out Mr.Kavanagh’s mistake in referring to former US Secretary of State Colin Powell as “Clayton Powell.” Mr Shotting generously attributes the error to lack of knowledge.Mr.Kavanagh does not lack knowledge but, like most educated left-wing liberals, cannot handle what he already knows.In this case he is aware that Colin Powell is, and the late (Adam) Clayton Powell was, black, hence, in his unconscious mind, both the same.Mr.Kavanagh is not alone in seeing a man as a member of a race rather than as an individual.Some while back, then vice-president A1 Gore was guest at a gala football match in Washington, D.C.As part of the halftime proceedings, he delivered a speech following another guest, basketball great Michael Jordan.But first he decided to ad lib a remark showing he was just one of the boys and exclaimed, “Hey! How d’ya like that Michael Jackson, huh!” Both Michaels are black.But since the media are so relentlessly biased in favour of left-wing liberals, the embarrassing incident, although seen and heard by over ten thousand fans, was covered up and never made it into the mainstream press and TV channels.Lionel Albert Knowlton Editor’s note: Perhaps he simply got the name wrong.It happens to the best of us.The columnist’s name is Tom Cavanagh.What’s the story on purple plants?Dear Editor, I appreciate the various articles dealing with the environment that the Record has published and would like to suggest one more.I’d like to know more about what I think might be the purple loosestrife flower that is springing up around the Townships.Whereas even three or four years ago, one rarely saw this plant, now it can be seen frequently in ditches, wetlands, the autoroute median and pastures.It has bright purple flowers on a long spiky stem (not to be confused with fireweed which is also purple but does not seem to be invasive.) I have always heard that loosestrife as its name implies is an invasive plant that competes with and can choke out our own native flowers.It definitely seems to be competing with the bulrushes and grasses that line many of our roads and provide food and nesting grounds for birds and other animals and insects.I’ve also heard that it dries up swamps and wetlands.If so, this plant could be a threat to our local ecology and we need to think of ways to limit its spread.For example, should people be planting it in their gardens as they seem to be doing in increasing numbers?Does it have any natural predators?Perhaps Anna May Kinney would like to look into this or maybe people in the various conservation organizations or local biologists would like to comment.Kathryn Billane Lennoxville RECORD P.O.Box 1200 Sherbrooke J1H 516 or 1195 Call E, SherbrookeJIG 1Y7 Fax: 819-569-3995 e-maii : newsroomSsherbrookerecord.com Website: www.sherbrookerecord.com Randy Kinneak Publisher .(819)569-9511 Sharon McCully Editor .(819) 569-6345 Nelson Afonso Corresp.Editor .(819) 5696345 Richard Lessard Prod Mcr.(819) 5699931 Serge Gagnon Chief Pressman .(819) 5699931 Francine Thibault Prod.Superv.(819) 5694856 DEPARTMENTS Accounting .(819)5699511 Advertising .1819)5699525 Circulation.(819) 5699528 Newsroom .(819) 5696345 Knowlton office 88-A Lakeside, Knowlton.Quebec.JOE 1V0 Tel: (450) 242-1188 Fax: (450) 243-5155 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 $3451 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 Isn’t it time to clear the air?It is now two months since Record readers learned that the Wales Home in Richmond had lost its executive director.To put it in the bluntest terms, he was fired.As I read the Record’s June 23 report, the reason stressed for the director’s sudden removal was his inadequate French.Well now; that bell just didn’t ring true - and still doesn’t.How could such a handicap, if valid, not come to light until two years after the man was hired?His level of competence in French had to have been assessed at the time of his engagement.No wonder so many insist that there is more to this story than what meets the public eye.Involvement in a Wales Home committee these last twenty years or so takes me nowhere beyond the outermost fringes of the Home’s management, but it does mean that I have come to appreciate a little of the executive director’s efforts to steer the Home into operating by 21st century standards.This is perhaps best reflected right now in the Home’s efforts to earn the accreditation all institutions like the Wales Home will soon require in order to operate - efforts that will suffer with no executive director in place.I am reminded of this uncomfortable situation every time I step out my front door, The Wales Home is part of the view and, since I cannot remember a time without a relative or a friend among either the residents or the employees there, the Home has always been a part of my life.Perhaps readers will understand, then, that it is more than an uninterested observer who asks whether it is in the Wales Home’s best interests to treat the institution’s highest ranking employee’s dismissal as a secret.One thing that most certainly is not a secret is that the Wales Home relies very heavily on the good will of the public to survive and serve people who really need the care they receive there.Anyone at all familiar with the institution knows it accommodates residents in facilities from apartments to infirmary, whatever their means, and relies on a sympathetic and generous public to make that possible.It is vital, then, that the public has confidence in the institution and, if my limited contacts reflect in any real way how the public looks upon the Wales Home right now, the silence surrounding this situation shakes that confidence to the bone.It scares me when people assert that their donations are on hold until a credible explanation for this dismissal is forthcoming.Isn’t it time to clear the air?Viewpoint Don Healy OttgwQtapri • i : .¦,! m&msm WSÈ& A ; ANDNCNJHEREÇ C/GEYANPRNNBG6N VfTHTHECBC : —THE — I RECORD Tuesday, August 23, 2005 page 7 Handy with a hammer and needle K t 91, Gladys Thompson struggles with intermit- —————— T SHIPPERS Then and Now Devon Wilkins tent flare-ups of dermatomyositis, but during an interview in her Peterborough, Ontario apartment, she reminisced happily about the 30 years she spent in the Townships.Born in Mansonville, she was the second eldest of a family of nine.When she was still little more than an infant, her parents Clint and Ruby Sherrer moved their family to a rented farm near Abercorn, then purchased a farm in an area known as The Pinnacle.Thompson described her formal education in a few brief words.“I went to the Pinnacle School, and did my 8th grade in Dunham.That was all the education I had.” “I wanted to go for a nurse, and I had the chance to go, but they wouldn’t let me,” she recalled.“My dad’s cousin was a nurse in Cowansville, and she said I could work for board for her mother, and do some training, but it was a long way to go by horse and buggy” Thompson’s dream of receiving formal training may have been dashed, but the practical experience she gained proved to be almost limitless.“1 went out doing housework for this one and that one.People would have a baby, and my mother would send me to help them for 50 cents or something like that,” she recalled.“For maybe two or three weeks at a time, I’d do the dishes, get the meals on, make the beds, and sweep the floors.Then, when they started having all the kids, my mother needed me at home.I guess the reason I like 4 WÀ DEVON WILKINS Gladys Thompson, 91, has fond memories of growing up in the Townships.a rocking chair so much is that I sat under all those kids,” she mused.Eventually, Thompson moved to Brigham to look after a woman who was ill, and it was there she met Stuart Thompson, her future husband.During their rather long engagement, Stuart continued working on his father’s farm, but Gladys wanted a change of pace, and took a job at a needle factory in Bedford.Eventually, Stuart’s legs began to give out despite the fact that he was still a young man.On his doctor’s advice, he left the farm, and took his young family to Peterborough, where he quickly land- ed a job at General Electric.Gladys busied herself looking after their young son, Bob, and preparing for the birth of their daughter, Carol.While the children were still quite young, her husband developed further medical complications, and had to leave his job.But he and Gladys both enjoyed the challenge of fixing, and even building houses.They purchased property on Rice Lake, near Peterborough, and it wasn’t long before they owned a lodge.“I fed anywhere from 20 to 40 men,” Thompson said.“And then we had nine cottages, and Stuart had lots of boats that he rented out.We had people there from all over the States - Illinois, Ohio, and Indiana.” When son Bob left home, and daughter Carol had completed the nursing training that her mother never received, the Thompsons continued to spend summers at the lodge, and for several years, wintered in Arizona.“We used to buy an old house on a good street, and fix it all up, because they were terrible when we bought them,” she explained.“We’d work at it, and fix it up, and sell it so we could buy another one.But when the children finished school, we didn’t need a house, so we sold it.” With the money from the house, the couple purchased a car and a trailer, and took friends up on their invitation to visit them in Arizona.Eventually, they purchased a trailer near Masa and for the next seven years, the couple travelled between their lodge on Rice Lake, and their trailer in Arizona.Often, though, their trips south were cut short because of illness.When it did, Stuart and Gladys remained in Peterborough where they enjoyed dancing, carpet bowling, lawn bowling, golfing, curling, and volunteering for Peterborough area nursing-homes until Stuart’s death eleven years ago.Today, Thompson does a great deal of sewing, and has sold some of the quilts she has made while enjoying the company of her children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren.Are there Townshippers who have either MOVED ON OR PASSED ON THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO SEE FEATURED IN THIS COLUMN?IF SO, DON’T HESITATE EITHER TO E-MAIL ME AT THEHARNESS@ROGERS.COM, OR TO CALL ME AT (705) 446-7824.Antique car buffs flock to Richmond for first event By Claudia Villemaire Special to The Record Organizers of the first Antique Car Festival here are resting on their laurels this week as they look back at their first efforts to bring antique car buffs to the area.The idea was a result of the Proulx Antique Car museum opening here in early summer sparking local interest and drawing antique car buffs from across the region.The weekend event, which included a ‘collector’ show in the Notre Dame school with participants and their spiffy, restored vehicles lined up in the school yard caught the attention of over 2,000 people in spite of sporadic showers and menacing skies.Main street corners were lined three-deep to watch the first parade of this kind wind its way around town.Saturday about 60 participants took part in the parade which gave viewers a glimpse of the past glory of such vehi- cles as MGs, Rolls Royce and the American manufacturers early models.Vintage ranged from the early 1900s to 1980s.Sunday, in spite of morning showers 120 car owners turned up on the exhibition field.Martin Lafleur heading up the organizing committee was happy with the outcome of this first attempt to get some sort of festival going here and admitted this success had already motivated organizers to begin planning for another similar show next year.Spectators were also pleased with the car show where collectors could purchase a variety of models or lapel pins and buttons, decals, posters or just about anything connected to this hobby, and chat with vintage car owners too.fV-v'v CLAUDIA VILLEMAIRE Even Richmond Mayor Marc Andre Martel brought out his vintage auto. page 8 Tuesday, August 23, 2005 : .—THE— * ”, RECORD^ Fair tradition goes on despite some bad weather By Claudia Villemaire Special to The Record In spite of menacing clouds overhead, occasional showers between sunny intervals, Cookshire fair organizers here were quite satisfied with attendance at their 160th county fair.“1 would say it has been better than average,” vice president Tom Bown remarked Sunday afternoon.“We were a bit worried when it started raining sporadically Friday but folks came out anyway.” The Cookshire Fair is one of very few left that can be called a ‘people’ fair.It’s not a big event with all the trappings of regional or provincial exhibitions, but what it lacks in size is more than made up by the hospitality and friendliness visitors find wherever they wander on these grounds.Families meet here as they have done for generations and it’s not unusual to see four of those generations enjoying their yearly event.Past, living presidents were honoured at this 160jth exhibition, receiving a medallion specially struck for the occasion.Grandstand spectators were treated to exceptional classes of heavy horses with up to nine competitors in double team events.Out in the light horse ring, a full slate of events and competitors wound up their activities in time for the traditional parade on Sunday -sheep, cattle, horses and ponies, in every size and color showed off to a full grandstand then the crowning event of this year’s fair, the six-horse hitches, made their final appearance.Finally, all the ribbons were awarded, the last competition completed, the moments of nostalgia, the special presentations in memory of past exhibitors and another county fair in Cookshire came to a close with the traditional horse-pulling competition.“It’s quite amazing,” Bown said.“We thought Friday would be a write-off.Menacing skies in the afternoon seemed to warn of heavy rain.But folks began to trickle through the gates, the few sprinkles of rain stopped, people kept coming in and first thing we knew, this fair was well on its way to another great weekend.Of course, as the president said in his official opening, without all the volunteers, sponsors, community support, exhibitors and especially everyone who came out in spite of the weather, there just couldn’t be a fair, so thank you to one and all.” •>- ¦ MS*: iSBi Wt~c.* AAfê wrm rti'M [ 1 ' ¦ 1 • 4*¥*' - ’ÂZJmÊkdmS® ' SB .19 - Tt, t M ^ r y [f f.; I Serving the greater Lennoxville area Ax % mm spas; wm Also See: It’s back to school for Harry Potter too .see Page 10 NEWSROOM@SHERBROOKERECORD.COM Tuesday, August 23, 2005 Page 9 ‘New’ antiques an attractive way to save planet ‘My work helps me feel like I am doing something to save the environment,’ says Blanchette By Jen Young Record Correspondent When diehard antiquers drive by an auction or a garage sale they have their eyes peeled for that one little trinket or piece of furniture that is a hidden treasure and worth a small fortune, but not Waterville’s Jocelyn Blanchette.He looks for pieces of furniture that he can turn into a new addition to any collection, and always proves to be a conversation piece all in an effort to save the environment.“I am very concerned about the environment — so many architectural pieces, like doors and windows, are just thrown in the dump,” said Blanchette, who moved to Waterville 10 years ago from Montreal.“I got the idea to take these old pieces of molding and cupboards when I was working with environmental groups in Montreal.” The very first piece of furniture he ever transformed from old to new was a cupboard set.In light of how much attention and how quickly it was sold he decided to continue recycling.“People were very pleased and interested in my work so I began doing it full time,” said the former Via Rail bartender.“I called my business Les meubles grand-pic because it makes me think of a woodpecker.They always use wood and they even make their homes with it.” Blanchette peruses auctions, garage sales, large article pick-ups, and recycling depots to find the perfect moldings and windows to make his next piece.However, he says it is the material that decides what that piece will be.“I never really know what I will make at first,” he said, finishing an armoire that stands over seven feet high.“Once I have the material then it helps me decide what I will make.1 have to see every piece and envision what would lpok the best.What’s nice is when someone says that the armoire or the cupboards remind them of a family heirloom.“What I make is kind of half antique, and each piece is unique.” Though he does not take orders for his country-style designed furniture, recycling and antique lovers can admire his pieces at Boutique Jonquille in Sherbrooke, Magog, and Drummondville.To see some of Jocelyn Blanchette’s furniture, go to http://pages.videotron.com/armoire.Bishops Back In Business JEN YOUNG/CORRESPONDENT || ' - fJJjSM jB-gga m a g|||gp| g Winder Street left little room for travelers this past weekend as parents dropped off first and second-year Bishops’ students.Dorms were buzzing with eager freshmen and accustomed second year students, and police say despite a couple of complaints for noise and mild traffic, the weekend went off without a hitch.PERRY BEATON/SPECIAL mm mm % ' mm *- - r Jocelyn Blanchette peruses auctions, garage sales, large article pickups, and recycling depots to find the perfect moldings and windows to make his next piece. page 10 Tuesday, August 23, 2005 Lennoxville LINK Harry will get you excited about school Last week Good Reads tried to get parents inspired for the new school year.This week we have a tougher job: Inspiring the kids.There’s no better way to get into the school spirit than by reading about the most exciting school of all: Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.If you haven’t already devoured the sixth installment of Harry Potter, come to the library and pick up a copy of The Half-Blood Prince.Harry has made it through his O.W.L.s and is now in his N.E.W.T.year at Hogwarts.He begins the school year with the difficult task of coming to terms with Sirius Black’s death.There is, of course, a new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor, but Good Reads is sworn to secrecy on who it is.In this volume, j.K.Rowling’s fiction- Byjen Young Record Correspondent Not many would expect to attend a rock concert on a Tuesday night, but the spectators that did last week visibly enjoyed an entertaining rock-filled night.“It’s a good turn out for a Tuesday night,” said concert co-organizer Sue Sarrasin.“Last year we had Quebec Lodge campers here, but it’s a good thing they weren’t here this year or there wouldn’t have been room for them.” First on stage were newcomers to the concert scene, Falling Short.The band had audience members bopping in their seats.“I’m not a huge fan of performing in front of a sitting audience only because when we look out there isn’t much energy we can use,” said bandleader Mike Little.“It was a fun experience.One that we would do again in a second, and it left us with some good memories.” The young band showed incredible stage presence as they interacted with the audience on many occasions.After the Compton band said their goodbyes and visitors took advantage of a brief intermission.North Hatley band Student Crossing introduced them to original tracks from their recent album and got toes tapping and hands clapping with covers from bands such as The Tragically Hip and Jet.“We like playing at The Piggery.It’s a great stage and the crowd is always good,” said lead guitarist and vocalist al world has gotten much darker, as the threat of Voldemort’s powers is now all too real.The atmosphere of foreboding even seeps into the Muggle world, where tragedies and so-called accidents have begun to occur at an alarming rate.Is it the work of Voldemort and his Death Eaters?Dumbledore thinks so.Now that Lucius Malfoy has been put in prison, Harry fears that his son, Draco, has taken his place as a Death Eater and is trying to smuggle something dark and dangerous into Hogwarts.Harry also begins private lessons with Dumbledore, but these merely involve stepping back in time to when Voldemort was a child.Why does Dumbledore think it so important that Harry see Kyle Young.“It was a great night.Falling Short did really well and kept the audience entertained and the crowd was really receptive and seemed to enjoy themselves.” Student Crossing drummer Chris Curtis was unable to carry out his duties because of a sore thumb following a farming accident.However, he couldn’t miss the night and offered his help with sound and lights.In his place was Josh Somers, who has al- this?As always, there are numerous subplots.Ron has a new girlfriend, but it isn’t Hermione, and she cannot control her jealousy towards him.Harry has been made Quidditch captain but must choose his teammates based on quality rather than friendship.And, he is given a strange potions textbook filled with notations by a fellow who calls himself the half-blood prince.Who is this prince and how does he know so much about potion-making?While this sixth book is as long as the others, there is never a dull moment (there were a few in the fourth and fifth books).This is easily the best written of the bunch.Prepare to be up late reading under your covers with a flashlight! ready played with the band during a competition, in which the group won.The rocking good time was sponsored by ETFS, Gagnon, Guerin & Crook, Clark & Sons, Mechanique Fletcher, Auberge & Spa du Grand Lac, Tapioca B&B, Hovey Manor, Royal Bank, Dara Jane Loomis, Ben & Jerry’s, and the Pilsen.Next on the theatre roster is a Sept.10 pork barbecue.To make reservations call 819-842-2431.Book Ends • The Books and Brown Bag Lunches reading club resumes its meetings on Wednesday, Sept.7, from noon to 1 p.m.This club meets every two weeks and is always open to new members.Bring your favourite book and tell us all about it.• Regular library hours are now in effect.We are open from 10 a.m.to 5 p.m.on Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday.On Thursday we are open from 10 a.m.to 8 p.m„ and on Saturday from 11 a.m.to 4 p.m.We are closed Sunday and Monday.• Library memberships are now available at half-price.Get an adult membership for $7.50, a child’s membership for $2, or a family membership for $12.50.Students and seniors pay only $5.For information on all events, call us at 819-562-4949 or visit www.lennoxvil-lelibrary.ca.You can also reach us by e-mail at bibliolen@netrevolution.com.—Submitted by Michelle Barker CJMQ’s David JEN YOUNG/CORRESPONDENT It was the sheer love of anglophone roots and community that persuaded David Teasdale to take on the huge responsibility of running the local campus radio station, CJMQ.And it’s been the people that have kept him at it for three years.‘The station was dying and I couldn’t bear to see it go." Though the 40 volunteer hours a week have not been easy for him, and he has had to slow down from both the station and his full time job a little for the summer, he vows that his daily drive from his home in Sherbrooke is well founded.Teasdale says he will continue until the station has reached the potential that he is sure it can.“The anglophone community deserves to have its own public broadcasting system and I want to do everything I can to make sure they keep it.” Local rock bands raise the roof at The Piggery JEN YOUNG/CORRESPONDENT Both Falling Short, with vocalist Sam Crooks, and Student Crossing gave stirring performances in North Hatley last week.Good Reads Lennoxville Library Lennoxville LINK Tuesday, August 23, 2005 page 11 Antique machinery exhibit helps share heritage Over 1,000 visitors peruse antiques from over 50 exhibitors By Jen Young Record Correspondent Compton was smokin’, steamin’, and revin’ last weekend as visitors lined the main street to catch a glimpse of antique engines, vehicles, and heavy machinery during the town's 13th annual antique machinery exposition.Exhibitors from as far as Vermont set up items as old as the hills while local residents set up their heirlooms for visitors to admire and even learn from.“This is a really old bone grinder that is between 50 and 100 years old,” said 10-year-old Kalin Sarrasin, with five-year-old brother Zackery standing over old license plates, corn huskers, and an engine belonging to their father David.“My dad has a lot of antique things like this and I really like them too.I definitely think they are cool and I think that I was meant to work with these things too, but my arm is sore from showing everyone what they do.” Sarrasin explained that participating in the annual exhibit was like old hat to him, and it has become a tradition for the family, which organizing committee president Gordon Barnett says is the whole point of the event.“The Eastern Townships are rich in history and heritage, and mechanics and equipment is definitely part of that,” said Barnett, while greeting visitors on Sunday afternoon.“Heritage is of public interest so that is why events such as these are so important.We want everyone to be able to share stories of the past and learn from them.” Tractors from every era were lined as far as the eye could see, as were everyday objects, such as chain saws, but Gilles Marcil’s old time engine was an interesting new eye catcher.“In the 1870s farming was very, very common.As they (engines) grew larger then (farmers) needed to come up with easier ways of running them,” said the St-Hyacinthe resident standing beside a 1906 stationary engine.“They used water pumps and grinders everyday and all manually so in the 1900s these stationary engines were invented to help farmers.This one was the eighth one built in 1906.The engine produces its own water, as a car radiator does, so that it could be used away from water sources.” Tents and umbrellas littered the Compton Recre-Parc grounds, which came in handy on Sunday during a heavy rain shower, but the sun came out 10 minutes later and allowed visitors to continue on their walk through the past.“It was a good turn out and the weather co-operated with us,” Barnett stated once the showers had ceased.“Saturday was not too hot and no rain, and despite the brief rain this afternoon it has been a good day.” Hosting the event on the same grounds for the past 13 years has also turned into tradition.However, due to the increase in exhibitors and visitors, the organizing committee admitted they may have to find somewhere a little bigger next year.JEN TOUNC/CORRESPONDENT scÆJEHf igm: v y ¦% According to St-Hyacinthe resident Gilles Mardi (standing next to a 1906 stationary engine), farmers used water pumps and grinders manually so in the 1900s stationary engines were invented to help them.