The record, 10 janvier 2008, jeudi 10 janvier 2008

THE RECORD The voice of the Eastern Townships since 1897 75 CENTS + TAXES PM#0040007682 Thursday, January 10, 2008 Second bank heist Lennoxville hit again By Sarah Rogers Sherbrooke m«he second bank robbery in less than a month struck Lennoxville Wednesday afternoon, this time at the Royal Bank of JL.Canada branch on Queen Street.The theft happened quickly and without major incident, according to Sherbrooke police spokesman Martin Carrier.At about 1:10 p.m., a man walked in, demanded a sum of money, then fled on foot.Carrier said police continue to pursue the suspect, described as a 40- to 45-year-old French speaker, wearing a black cap and a spring jacket.No weapon appears to have been used.None of the bank’s staff were injured.Only weeks ago, the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce in Lennoxville was visited by two thieves who held up the branch at gunpoint Dec.20.Police say there is no link between that robbery Please see Robbery on Page 8 PERRY BEATON A main suspect in the CIBC robbery bends down to hide his face.Wind Lifts Roof DAVID ANDERSON ¦ High winds lifted part of the roof off a Waterloo building Wednesday, injuring one.You’ll find all the details on the weather on page 3.Your Eastern Townships truck center 203 Railroad St., STANSTEAD Tel.: 819-876-2785 www.beliveaucomeauchrysler.com 60 years at your service Drive a little, save page 2 Thursday, January 10, 2008 ; —run — RECORD You Asked Us Health Care Help Starting a business Question: I am very seriously considering starting my own business, but am not sure of how to proceed.Are there any places that can offer advice and guidance?Answer: Starting a business can be both personally and financially very rewarding.However, you must be prepared to work hard and do a lot of planning.The first thing that you need to do before starting a business is to come up with a written business plan.The business plan should include the following information: a description of the product or service to be offered; the market for the product or service; an anticipated pricing level; a business structure; decisions about record keeping and knowledge of legal requirements; financial resources; expected timeline; and a biography of yourself and other team members.A CLD (Corporation local de développement) is an excellent resource to get you started.Located in each MRC, the CLD is mandated to provide entrepreneurs with guidance and support to get their businesses up and running.Most offer services in English, so ask! To find the nearest CLD, check out their website at www.acldq.qc.ca.While this website is only in French, it is filled with information on their services, as well as a complete list of local CLDs.Other useful Internet sites include the Canada Business Site at www.canadabusi-ness.ca and the Youth Employment Service (Montreal) at www.yesmontreal.ca (click on “Entrepreneurship”).You can also contact the Eastern Townships CEDEC (Community Economic Development and Employment Committee), an organization whose mandate is to develop the economic and community capacity of the English-speaking population of the Eastern Townships.CEDEC can be reached at 819-566-7228 or by email at etinfo@cedec.ca.The information in this column was taken from a pamphlet provided by Job Links, a service of the Eastern Townships School Board.Do you have a question?Would you like a prompt, courteous, confidential answer — in English?Simply give Townshippers' Association a call at 819-566-2182 or toll free 1-877-566-2182, or email info@town-shippers.qc.ca, and “Ask Us!" Townshippers’ Association is a non-partisan, NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION SERVING THE Eastern Townships English-speaking community.FONDATION CtrN IKI Host'l l AV1ER UNIVERSITAIRE RE StlVRimOOKE 50 000 Cinquante mille COURTESY On behalf of the Groupe Immex, Sebastien Morin handed over a cheque for $50,000 to the Fondation du CHUS this week.The money will be split between the gastroenterology department at the Centre hospitalier universitaire de Sherbrooke and the Fonds Brigitte Perreault, named for the late physician who focussed on safety the quality of care.Pictured from left to right are foundation director general Michel Fortin, Dr.Annie Beaudoin, Sébastien Morin and Dr.Daniel-B.Ménard.Money Fights Poverty COURTESY The homeless or street newspaper Le nouvel Espoir got a boost this week with a $2,000 cheque from le Comptoir familiale de Sherbrooke.The thrift shop gave the money directly to publishers Groupement d’insertion communautaire de la Phase, to support its fight against poverty.Pictured are the groupement’s Josée Dubois, comptoir volunteer Monique Coderre, and the groupement’s Richard Simoneau.Weather Today: Cloudy with sunny periods.Wind 20 km/h becoming light late in the day.High minus 1.Friday: Snow or rain.Low minus 6.High 6.Saturday: Cloudy with 70 per cent chance of flurries.Low minus 1.High zero.Sunday: Cloudy.Low minus 5.High plus 1.Ben by Daniel Shelton ! ¦¦THE—.RECORD Thursday, January 10, 2008 page 3 • * llllllfli '7, pfe7 ^ mSÊm By Maurice Crossfield Knowlton •¦ « —hile everyone was watch- % /ing the water levels in \i \ i the region’s rivers, it was ?the wind that made the news Wednesday.High winds left one person with minor injuries and about 30 evacuated to the Waterloo town hall yesterday -afternoon when the roof started to lift off of a nearby building.“The winds lifted the roof and a piece of it smashed into an apartment,” said Waterloo fire chief Pat Gallagher.That left one person injured, while firefighters at the scene evacuated about 30 more for safety reasons.Foster Street was blocked off by police and Transport Quebec workers while the firefighters cleared away the de- bris (from the industrial building at the corner of St-Patrick and Foster, now known as Daco and formerly Gardo).The wind wreaked havoc with the Hydro Quebec electrical grid across much of the southern part of the province, knocking out power to some 45.000 residences during the day Wednesday.The majority of those outages were in the Laurentians, while some 9,000 were in the western end of the Montérégie, particularly in the Huntingdon area.In the Sherbrooke region some 3.000 residences ended up in the dark in the early afternoon.Hydro Sherbrooke crews were able to ge t the lights back on by mid-afternoon.Some 30 residences in Granby also lost power for a few hours, as did parts of various Townships towns, includ- ing Knowlton.A Hydro spokesperson said the outages were caused when tree branches shorted out power lines, kicking off the safety equipment.No serious damage was done to the network, but Hydro crews were kept busy removing branches and reconnecting the opened breakers.The worst of the winds skirted the Townships to the north and west, with 91 km/h gusts recorded at the St-Hubert Airport, compared to 61 km/h at the Sherbrooke Airport.“In some more open areas it may get up to 70 or 80 kilometres an hour,” said Environment Canada meteorologist André Cantin.He said gusts reached up to close to 98 km/h in Varennes, south of Montreal.Meanwhile melting snow and rain Please see Flooding on Page 4 PERRY BEATON The wind had a go at the Eastern Townships yesterday, including in Sherbrooke.Bellevue’s family ski day?The way the weather’s going, Mont Bellevue ski hill’s family day — originally scheduled for Sunday — is likely to be put off a week.“It’s too soon to make a final decision, but they’re announcing rain for Friday.If it’s four degrees and there’s no snow on Friday, we’ll need to let the water run off the mountain.We haven’t been hurt too badly, but it will be too soft to operate on the weekend,” said Claude Adam.Both Bellevue, located in Sherbrooke, and North Hatley’s Montjoye were closed part of this week; for The Record's daily ski hill update, see page 13.Alzeimer Society events The Estrie Alzeimer Society holds regular seminars and workshops in French and English.Four events are scheduled this month.On Thursday, Jan.17, there’s a workshop en français on the prejudices that come up when Alzeimer’s is mentioned.It's free and will be held at the Salle Frances Whittle (461 Argyll) in Sherbrooke.It’s at 7 p.m.On Friday, Jan.18 at 1 p.m.at the Résidence Soleil Manoir Sherbrooke, there’s an information session in French.It’s free.On Monday, Jan.21 at 2 p.m., there’s a similar information session at Richmond’s Foyer Wales Home.That’s in English and it’s free.Finally on Wednesday, Jan.30 at 7 p.m., a play will be performed (en français) about Alzeimer’s, followed by a question period.That’s at the Théâtre Léonard-St-Laurent du Séminaire de Sherbrooke.Tickets are $10.For more information, call 819-821-5127.History group’s bye-bye Sherbrooke’s historical society is saying farewell to its director general, Josée Delage, after her five years of service to the organization.La Société d’histoire de Sherbrooke’s board of directors called Delage’s leadership devoted and dynamic.Now, the group is welcoming its new director, Michel Hamois, who comes to the position with more than 17 years of museum-related experience.Meanwhile, the society will present historian Jean-Pierre Kesterman at 7 p.m.on Monday, Jan.14 as he discusses his book, Les chars électriques — Histoire du tramway à Sherbrooke, 1895-1932.The talk will be in French.Non-members must pay $5.It will be held at 275 Dufferin St.in Sherbrooke.Minor flooding 30 evacuated because of wind Nisi Bishop's Recreation Winter Registration Web Registration www.ublshops.ca/recreatlon Brochure and registration forms are available on line QB In person: John H.Price Sports Center, Bishop’s University Monday to Friday 9:00 a.m.-4:30 p.m.For information 819 822-9600 ext.2666 2600 College Street, Sherbrooke, QC, J1M OC8 page 4 Thursday, January 10, 2008 RECORD w&sm s# é ¦7 *JT Breaking records By Maurice Crossfield Knowlton While the winds howled and the snows melted, the mercury has ventured into new territory over the last four days.On Sunday the temperature reached 2.7 Celsius, beating the former record of 2.2 C set in 1966.By Monday things had warmed up to 7.0 C, shattering the 1967 record of 2.2 C.That was followed Tuesday by 9.8 C, beating the old record of 5.1 set in 1989.Wednesday the temperature in Sherbrooke was a balmy 12 C at 7 a.m., knocking out the old record of 10.2 set in 1978.Along the way there were a few anomalies, including 16 C set in Frelighsburg and 14 C in Granby on Tuesday.But that record-breaking warmth is coming to a halt.Temperatures slowly dropped during the day Wednesday to near the freezing point.Thursday is expected to bring sunny periods and a more seasonal high of minus 1 C.Friday will bring rain or snow, with a high of plus 6 C and a low of minus 6 C.Things will settle around the freezing point for Saturday.The long range forecast from the Weather Network says that while temperatures will remain slightly above normal for this time of year over the next week, they will remain below freezing, with a bit of snow on the way.The average daily high for the second week of January is about minus 5 C.PERRY BEATON Sherbrooke’s downtown river water level yesterday was nowhere near the scary 17 mark — that’s when people start to worry.MSatmeu FOND YOON ^tas ena^{* l^ie C2WS to purchase new equipment Comte iiasm Auer i \m «siiAüt r i»: SttunKiX'KP A new friend in physiotherapy centre The CHUS-Fleurimont Hospital's physiotherapy centre has acquired an adult skeleton that acts as a visual aid in explaining physiotherapy concepts to patients and students.It also facilitates better understanding of treatment-related problems.The personnel and doctors travel draw made the purchase of this indispensable equipment possible.It is now quick and easy for physical rehabilitation therapists to perform palpations on this three-dimensional model of the human skeleton.Ginette Chabot, physical rehabilitation therapist, proudly poses with this recent acquisition.Fondation du CHUS, 580 Bowen Street S, Sherbrooke QC JIG 21 ''.ft / (819) 820-6450 - 1-866-820-6450 - www.fondationchut.twg Proud to contribute for the bet It* health of our community! tA'vrqthttn) starts with trust INbUKAM t ANDHHANCIAI SCKVICtS sill! PROMUTUEL Flooding: Cont’d from Page 3 continued to inch up water levels, causing some minor flooding in Brigham and Farnham.“We have one road that is flooded, Decelles, that is affecting a couple of houses,” said Stéphane Dulude, Brigham’s director general.“For now it’s stable.” Dulude said the water levels came up Tuesday night into Wednesday morning, due in large part to ice jams, pushing the Yamaska out of its bed along Coveduck and Léger roads as well.Wednesday afternoon Dulude said the coming hours would decide if the jam would cause the water to rise further, or break up and let the water recede.“There’s only a couple of inches of water on the road right now,” he said, noting that the affected houses had not yet been evacuated."We’re not there yet.” In Farnham a similar scenario was playing out on the Magenta road, sections of which had a couple of inches of water on it.Officials there were keeping a close eye on the water levels of the Yamaska, which continued to be three to four times higher than normal.To the west, in flood-prone Huntingdon, a dozen homes were evacuated Wednesday, with plans in place to evacuate up to 100 more if things got worse.Route 138 disappeared under the rising water, and was closed early in the day.The flood watch in Huntingdon was expected to continue to at least Thursday.But in Victoriaville the threat of flooding subsided, as the levels in the Bullstrode and Nicolet rivers receded somewhat.The effect of the ice jam in the Nicolet had subsided, but officials continued to watch it closely.To the north, in the Abitibi it was winter as usual, with about 10 centimetres of snow falling Wednesday and winds gusting up to 70 km/h.Yep, it was warm alright : ¦¦¦THE—I RECORD Thursday, January 10, 2008 page 5 Ice Storm MP thinks ‘it’s gonna happen again’ Eastern Townships School Board Michel Duval Advertising Consultant Tel.819.569*9525 Fax : 819-821-3179 mduval@sherbrookerecord.com Ri :C'< >RJ ) French Conversation Classes for Adults Afternoon classes Mondays and Wednesdays 1:15-3:45 p.m.Cost: $70* Registration: Monday, January 14, 10:00 a.m.- 4:00 p.m.(Bring your birth certificate, immigration papers or Canadian Citizenship cart) Classes January 21 • April 9, 2008 For more information: (819) 566*0250 Or Visit www.etsb.qc.ca/newhorizons | JEN YOUNG Brian Herring says Mother Nature can do what she will: he’s ready.Local farmer’s ready for anything Generator can heat barn By Jen Young Sherbrooke As the ice storm celebrates its 10th anniversary most reminisce about their desperate quest for warmth during the month of January 1998, when the ice pulled down power lines — even those held up by metal poles.Although many fear a reoccurrence, local farmer Brian Herring said he’s ready for anything.“Being self-sufficient is the key,” he said, standing over his 1930s-era diesel powered Westinghouse generator.“I’m not concerned.Certainly not about the electrical part.” The large metal piece of equipment, which takes two people to start, has gadgets and contraptions attached to it similar to a medieval torture device.But according to Herring, it will heat and illuminate both his home and his barn.“I have an eye for stuff like this,” he said.“I collect old machines and I exchanged one I had for this one.It’s hooked into the heating system.” Herring didn’t say whether he would take in refugees in the case of another crisis, but he does say that making your home self-sufficient is “the way to go.”' 10years later By Jen Young Sherbrooke Once you become a member of the federal cabinet, “you are always a minister,” says former Compton-Stanstead MP David Price.And some thing else that he said has never changed is his concern over adequate compensation for and information available to residents hurt during the January 1998 Ice Storm.At the time of the great freeze, Price, then the environment minister, spent hours aiding his constituents — leading him to make demands on their behalf in the House of Commons.“Existing programs are not enough,” Price said to the House a decade ago.“I traveled all through my riding and, like everyone who saw the ice storm first-hand, witnessed some savagely beautiful sights.Beautiful, yet unbearable.Some still need help.“What we need is a series of measures supported by the province and by Canada to help all those who find themselves in a difficult situation.Municipalities should, for example, have a plan in place for emergency situations and the province has a role to play in ensuring that municipalities are ready in time in need.” Price is hard pressed to remember the specifics of the speech made all those years ago, but he does still recall the devastation.“The bottom line is I think it’s gonna happen again, and are we prepared this time is the question.“Look at the climate right now.This could easily turn to ice.I felt that the government should be backing municipalities in creating emergency plans.It’s for the good of everybody.We had a plan like that in Lennoxville," said Price, who was the mayor of the then-municipality of Lennoxville from 1992 to ’97.“When the train and the propane tanks derailed we used it and I won an award for it.We could handle any disaster.We had backups for everyone that was in the plan and the government was fascinated with that.Each municipality should have such a plan and the government should make it as easy as possible to accomplish it.I think hydro has worked hard to make more loops as has the City of Sherbrooke internally, but I still think the municipalities can be better prepared.Putting services underground would of course help, but doing so is terribly expensive.” Price’s speech also demanded the establishment of an easily accessible emergency contingency fund during times of crisis, which he says was done under Liberal Paul Martin’s government.“I remember talking to Paul Martin about this and there was a contingency fund created.Not just for this reason, but for any crisis.it was a substantial amount.The [opposition] heavily criticized us for creating the fund.They said the funds should be used to reduce taxes, not for this.I am assuming, I’m hoping, this is still in place.” Price also demanded that government create a specific protocol for victims.He says at the time residents were confused as to where to go to get relief, aid, or if they were even eligible for support.“I wanted something in place so that people could say, ‘Okay, I’m entitled to this’ and know where to go to get it; either from the feds or their municipality.I wanted it clarified.I know that [Quebec Premier Jean] Charest put in specific terms for floods and I know norms were set at a provincial level, but to my knowledge at a federal level this never happened.” Price said the sights and sounds of the disaster still haunt him when he drives to Ottawa.The one thing that he says he will never forget is the impact the storm had on the sugar bushes.“My most vivid memory is driving to Ottawa and seeing all the maple trees.It was just terrible.It was like driving through another planet.You can still see the damage today in some of the big sugar bushes.The maple people were telling me of how severe the damage was.They explained that sap doesn’t only run down a maple tree.It also goes up and since the ice storm had decapitated many of them the sap would essentially overflow from the top of the tree.” He said he kept in contact with many of the producers who were touched by the disaster and only half of the affected trees survived.Though Price — now the director of Eastern European development for Sherbrooke’s Global Excel — will not be delivering any speeches to the House of Commons should another ice crisis hit, he says that he would stili be the first to volunteer for fellow Townshippers in need. page 6 Thursday, January 10, 2008 ïœcord; Community Forum Debating Sutton’s strategic urban plan Information is ‘disquieting’ After harmonization of the property tax, are we in Sutton in the midst of a harmonization of development as well?Because despite the fact that the town council has put off approval of the proposed new urban plan, the public notice of Nov.16, as well as the information given at the meeting of Dec.8, remain disquieting.What is in store for us, real- _ ly, at the regular council meeting of Monday, Jan.14?The same stubborn “vision”?Another postponement?A referendum?A plan that is finally realistic?Let’s look at what’s at stake for a few major issues.The few lines of the plan referring to the “strategic vision for the territory”, to start with, are practically silent on economic development.One even gets the impression that the town is naively counting principally on residential development.Is this the idea of .promoters, of real estate developers?To make Sutton a bedroom community?The bidding war for housing will only intensify for young local householders; it may very well benefit outsiders first.Carrying capacity of the ENVIRONMENT If we suppose that recreational tourism and eco-tourism will greatly increase (which one might hope), what will remain of “the integrity of the region” (“la capacité portante du milieu”)?They state they wish to make it a priority.Wisdom and prudence dictate that it is an aspect of our development necessarily to be given priority, not just theoretically, but in actuality, in absolutely every detail of our “strategic planning” (as the urban planners love to call it).Now, a serious strategy does not improvise.And the urban plan, together with the zoning and allotment regulations, must scrupulously respect this imperative.It would be — it is! — irresponsible to see oneself as respecting the carrying capacity of the environ- ment, and at the same time to increase occupation density dramatically.Available drinking water, from village wells, from the plateaux, or on the mountains, isn’t infinite.In fact, its availability is already problematic.All the more so since one has also to take into account the capacity of the soil to hold surface water adequately, and to filter used water between one neighbour and another.Viewpoint Increasing occupation DENSITIES?When the town says in its Noy.16 notice that it wants to consolidate the residential areas outside the urban perimeters (meaning, in Serge Gagné the countryside), they are thinking, it seems, of a compression of space within many potential individual lots owing to increased densities (5 acre lots halved to 2.5).This news wasn’t clearly brought out initially, and they are still tending to obscure this objective.More modern concepts would serve us better than the stereotyped formula they are using, and wouldn’t dangerously fragment the land.In the same public notice — the only statement systematically distributed to the population — they speak of aiming at “higher densities" in the same vague manner, for zones Urban 1 (the Village) and Urban 2 (the Mountain sector).Again, they fail to furnish explicitly even a few facts which could serve to alert the population.A multifamily building in the Village which currently is permitted a maximum of 24 dwelling units, could now have 40; on the Mountain, the maximum has been raised to 24.Who knows about this?Who would be in a position to know about it, except a few fanatics who interest themselves in public affairs?Referendum?Delay?Correction?On Monday, Jan.14 at 7:30 p.m., at the Town Hall, we will see if the mayor’s dictates finally demonstrate some realism.Serge Gagné is a former municipal councillor.STUDio CHa(Ÿai t/ Iwt.Herald Tribun RECORD P.O.Box 1200 ShetbrooteJlH SL6or 1195 Galt E, Sherbrooke JIG 1Y7 Fax: 819-569-3945 e-mail: newsroora@sherbrookertcord.com Website: wwwxherbrookerecord.com Kenneth Wells Publisher .(819)569-9511 Eleanor Brown Editor .(819) 5696345 Richard Lessard Prod.Mgr.(819) 5699931 Serge Gagnon Chief Pressman .(819) 5699931 Francine Thibault Prod.Suferv.(819) 5694856 DEPARTMENTS Accounting .(819)5699511 Advertising.(819)5699525 Circulation.(819)5699528 Newsroom .(819)5696345 KNOWLTON OFFICE 88-A Lakeside, Knovvlton, Quebec, JOE 1V0 Tel: (450) 242-1188 Fax: (450) 243-5155 MAIL SUBSCRIPTIONS GST PST TOTAL Canada: 1 TEAR 120.00 6.00 9.45 $135.45 6 MONTHS 63.00 3.15 4,96 S71.ll 3 MONTHS 32.00 160 2.52 $36.12 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 ofThe 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 Alta Newspaper Group Limited Partnership.PM30040007682 Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to The Record.1195 Galt East.Sherbrooke, QC JIG 1Y7 Member ABC.CARD, CNA.QCNA Tell us what you’re thinking! The Record welcomes letters to the editor.By e-mail: newsroom@sherbrookerecord.com By fax: 819-569-3945 or 450-243-5155 By post: 1195 Galt E., Sherbrooke, JIG 1Y7 ¦ — — ¦ — I Hr.¦! —1 — RECORD^ More like 4ce’ storm Suffering?What suffering?Here along the Stanstead border, the ’98 ice storm was like being the best man at a wedding — all the anxiety and sense of impending doom without actually having to suffer.A part of me feels we missed out on a great adventure, something we could tell our grand-kids and radio phone-in shows.But then I remember that people suffered terribly, died even.I then feel blessed.And a bit of a jerk.I remember feeling equally conflicted at the time.I was the editor of The Journal back in 1998 and was ready to capture the drama of the ice storm when it hit us.Okay.Let's go.Any time now.But the ice never came.Instead, we got five days of rain.Pure rain.Someone could have sold T-shirts that read, “I experienced the ice storm and all I got was wet socks.” All that rain — including 60 millimetres on Thursday alone — caused the Tomifobia River to overflow in the usual places.The most dramatic moment occurred when security officials shut the bridge at Bacon’s Bay because they feared ice flowing in the high water might damage the structure.It didn’t.Not exactly collapsing Hydro pylons.And that’s good.Yes, that was good.But not a great news story.I kept traveling the roads looking for the story, picking up details of what had been hit and what people were doing.In fact, if you traveled up Highway 143, you could actually see where the rain had turned to freezing rain.Appropriately, it was at North Road in Hatley.The story at the border really began the weekend after the ice storm when people started gathering supplies for displaced and darkened victims.Here’s how it worked: Granby officials called Magog for help, Magog called the surrounding communities, especially the churches, and by Sunday evening four 27-foot trucks filled to ca- pacity with food, bedding and clothes were on their way to Granby.And there was more.The Beebe Fire Department collected blankets.Students at Ayer’s Cliff Elementary collected 15 bags of groceries.The White House seniors’ residence gave $90.A plea to Stanstead council by a former border resident living in Otterburn Park resulted in a spontaneous collection of firewood — seven cords in all.Here at last was our story: neighbours helping neighbours, happy to do so and feeling pretty fortunate.In fact, on the Tuesday after the ice storm as we prepared that week’s Journal, I wrote this headline for the front page: “WE GOT LUCKY.” And then the lights went out.It was 1:30 p.m.Snow that Tuesday had put further strain on a weakened electrical grid, shutting the lights on those parts of the Townships that until then had managed to keep power.With the help of The Journal's neighbour (but of course!), we hooked up a generator and, with a Polaroid camera (Polaroid!), updated our news section on this latest turn of events and made our press deadline — only to learn that The Record couldn’t print us that night.All those stories about relief efforts and the convoy of American hydro trucks crossing the border would have to wait.I was disappointed.But a little excited too.We were going to have an adventure after all! I came home to a dark house and shifted into crisis mode.Portable radio?Check.Flashlights?Check.Candles?Check.And most important, is there anything in the freezer we should eat before it melts?Check.As night fell, the family hunkered down on mattresses on the living room floor.I don’t know why.For heat?To test drive what it would be like to stay at a shelter?At any rate, we were all set.How long would we be in the dark?Would we need to evacuate?Would the media christen our region with some cool name, like “The Dark Rhombus”?I guess we’d have something to tell our grandkids after all.The lights came back on at 10:30.Oh well, “helping neighbours” is a pretty good story.Fortunate helping neighbours.Ross Murray FILE Some spots were nasty — but not Stanstead! Thursday, January 10, 2008 page 7 ,,Oiû Darts to benefit MS group ‘They need the help’ By Jen Young Sherbrooke For years the Townships Independent Dart League has held a special annual tournament that sees local teams competing for the Cedric Cormier trophy — and all proceeds are donated to a local organization.This year the profits will make their way, once again, to Rock Forest’s MS (Multiple Sclerosis) Branch 2000.“When they asked me what I wanted to do with this year’s tournament I thought of them,” said Cormier, who founded the league 14 years ago and is its president.“They really need the help and we know that they really appreciate it.We want to help people that really appreciate it.” The aid is seen as a godsend to the organization’s founder, Lee Aulis.“When I got the call telling me that the dart tournament was going to help us I said, ’Oh my God’,” said Aulis, who has suffered from the disease herself since the age of nine and founded the non-profit outfit in 1999.“I know that there are people there for us and 2008 is going to be a good year, I can just feel it.No more looking back, only ahead from now on." This will not be the first time that the league has shown its support for Aulis’ MS group.Last fall saw the Jaguar team — which is one of the three squads presently enrolled in the league — donate more than $700 to Branch 2000 with the help of its fellow league teams.According to Aulis that gesture saved the group from bankruptcy and she was able to use those funds to help local people over the holidays suffering from MS.“We have many programs and many people that we help,” Aulis said.“People need help and we were able to give it to them thanks to those wonderful people who held that dart tournament.That money was used to help people because that is what we do, but we are back at zero.We always need help.We can’t do it on our own, but with people like this they are really making a difference for people.” Cormier said the Saturday, Jan.12 tournament costs $5 to enter and registration begins at 1 p.m.at the Elmwood Hotel (on Queen Street) in Lennoxville.You don’t need to be on a team to play.To make a donation or for more information contact Cormier at 819-572-4715. page 8 Thursday, January 10, 2008 ; »tiie — RECORD Education Page Champlain Regional College Champlain College Lennoxville recently held a ceremony to present our most prestigious awards.The Governor General’s Medal and the Board of Governor’s Award are presented to the student who has achieved the highest cumulative average upon graduation.These were presented to Sarah Chatelain-Chamberland by Stephen Tribble (Director of Studies) and Paul Kaeser (Campus Director).The Champlain Student Association invited Santa to visit our campus and distribute gifts and candies to our students.His presence and presents were greatly appreciated and the candy canes that were handed out by his CSA elves gave our students a welcome boost.Our championship Lacrosse team was lauded at a reception.Congratulations to our team who in their two years of existence, have been champs twice.Go Cougars! wamm.v COURTESY PMM Robbery: Cont’d from Page 1 and the more recent one.Less than a half-hour after yesterday’s theft, the scene inside and outside of the bank appeared calm, as police questioned staff inside.The main section of the bank was to remain closed until this morning, but the automatic teller in the front foyer was left open to customers.The amount of money stolen is unknown, but Royal Bank of Canada spokesman Raymond Chouinard said that the amounts available at a branch at any given time are small, likely in the hundreds.“It went rather smoothly, for a robbery,” Chouinard said, noting that all were safe and unharmed.“But it was a stressful situation, of course.” Chouinard said that in traumatic circumstances, the company will provide employees with any kind of professional support they may need.People in neighbouring businesses said they didn’t notice any commotion at the bank until they saw police cars pull up to the scene at 131 Queen St.“1 didn’t see anything,” said one staffer at the Village Grec, an eatery directly across the street from the Royal Bank.“But I’ll be checking for some red money, anyway.” PERRY BEATON Police spokesman Martin quizzes a bank employee.Carrier; at right, an officer Roughly a week after the CIBC robbery, a clerk in Magog spotted a women playing video poker with scarlet stained bills.He thought that was suspicious and called police.A red dye packet had been hidden in with the stolen money, as a way to render bank loot visible by permanently staining it a bright red.Francine Ouellette was arraigned in the Sherbrooke courthouse Dec.31 as an accomplice in that robbery.Her son, Kevin Morin, was arrested ji jj 1 •*, j £i PERRY BEATON Jan.3 along with a 19-year-old woman — both also accused of being accomplices to the robbery.Finally, on Tuesday, a forth and main suspect was arrested by police.Fifty-six-year-old Normand Charpentier appeared in the Sherbrooke courthouse yesterday afternoon on charges of theft, of being disguised with intent to commit an offence, and on a narcotics-relat-ed charge.Sherbrooke police say they expect to make more arrests in the CIBC robbery, including the second main suspect.Investigations into both robberies continue. StKÉ; a; * Stanstead Review Serving Stanstead and ITS BORDER COMMUNITY Also See: And that was the year that is to come .see Page 10 NEWSROOM@SHERBROOKERECORD.COM Thursday, January 10, 2008 page 9 An added attraction of this summer camp is the fact that its location has access to not one but two parks: Thayer and Forand, which has water access for canoeing activities.Staff members have so far been made up of students in both nursing and education programs.This past summer was the first year that the program included a Day Camp for ages 4 to 14.Outdoor living skills were also incorporated into the daily events.Also promoted are styles of living that include a better understanding of composting, recycling and the positive effects that these can have on the environment.This was also the first year that an activity to plant a number of trees to offset any negative emissions created by camp activities was also tried.“We just returned from a meeting in Richmond with other Christian Camping International members.We meet once a month to discuss what we are doing and share our experiences.The program that we offer at Brookside Outdoor Center is a bilingual one, as is most of our staff — another aspect that parents seem to like.Often they are looking for a new and fun way for their children to learn a different language," added Brian.Another special activity that the older campers took part in last summer was an outing to Ottawa where they connected with members of the Ottawa Intercity Ministry.The group helped out in a soup kitchen, serving hot meals to the home less, and at a drop-in centre giving out sanitary supplies — like soap and toothpaste — to those less fortunate.The young people also heard 12-year-old Carrie Anne Bauer tell of her experiences raising money to build a medical clinic for AIDS orphans in Harare, Zimbabwe (costing $50,000) by selling beaded bracelets.To this date, she has gathered 42,000 bracelets thanks to efforts of local community groups and weekly “beading parties” in their home, proving that an every day person can accomplish great things.She has already raised $20,000 toward her goal: An added plus for the Wharrys is the fact that they are continuously challenging themselves to try something new.Brian was used to delegating work.now it’s all up to Brian and Heather (who is camp nurse).A busy schedule is nothing new for these hardworking young parents of three young children.It is a new experience for them both to make spur-of-the-moment changes as they are needed and deal with the paperwork challenges put before them by government.For more information on Brookside Outdoor Center or any of its programs, contact the Wharrys at 819-842-1379 or www.brooksideoutdoorcenter.org.Outdoor camp brings in adventure Youth also gave out food at soup kitchen By Nancy Nourse Record Correspondent The summer of 2006 brought a new camping experience to the region in the form of the Brookside Outdoor Center, which founders Brian Wharry and his wife Heather describe as “a Christian camp whose mission is to present the gospel of Jesus Christ through the camping experience by time spent in God’s Word, building relationships and sharing adventures.” The idea is that experiencing adventures — trying new things for the first time — helps young people to build character and gain confidence that will last throughout their future.The bilingual camp is 15 minutes south of Magog on 35 acres of woodlands and meadows in the picturesque region around Fitch Bay.Camp director Wharry fondly recalls his experiences at another spot, the Christian Quebec Lodge.“Quebec Lodge was a big part of my life for over 16 years.In the beginning, I worked as out-tripping director and eventually moved up to become assistant camp director.Heather also worked summers there as a nurse.The program at Quebec Lodge was such a worthwhile experience for so many that we wanted to do something to keep this type of outdoor leadership-building venture going, after a decision was made to close the facilities at Quebec Lodge.Our program is run similarly to the one that we used there but is based on a much‘smaller scale,” said Brian.Wharry went on to tell of the encouragement and support that they had received from the Town of Fitch Bay, St.Matthias Church and local residents.It was for this reason that the pair held a community supper last Saturday at the Church Hall, so that everyone could hear how the camp has been doing.They also put together a slideshow.The photos showed campers enjoying water sports such as canoeing and hiking, and depicted a strong bond between the youth and the staff members.“The camp has been steadily growing in numbers.We have also witnessed a turn of events that we couldn’t have foreseen — the camp has an appeal for children with learning disabilities,” said Heather.“We are told that one of our strongest points is that we work with COURTESY Cooking toast over a campfire is fun but can take a long time when you’re really hungry.Brookside Outdoor Center is not only a learning experience for the campers but a real confidence-builder for the young staff members as well.small groups and have a good staff- to-camper ratio (it’s three-to-one).“Larger camps are viewed as intimidating to young people Who don’t seem to fit in easily.We try our best to make camp a winning experience for each and every camper.If a child goes home early, we feel that it is not the child who is the problem but rather there was something missing in the way that the camp had operated, a special something that was needed by that particular child to make it a great experience, which is as it should be,” she added.Children today often come with a package of issues.It is the job of the staff to help them work through those issues so that they are free to enjoy their time at camp.Heather recalled one child who no one thought would last as a camper.But with a little help and encouragement, he made it through the first week and came back for the second.They even received a Christmas card from him signed “your favorite camper”.This is what it is all about and this is why Heather and Brian founded the Brookside Outdoor Center. page 10 Thursday, January 10, 2008 Stanstead REVIEW Wow, 2008 was a swell year Here’s what’s to come In last week’s column, I explained my own visions on what I would like to see occur in and around Stanstead during the first six months of 2008.It would certainly be a treat to see some of my ideas turn Stanstead into a household name.Therefore, here’s what I’d like to see happen in the latter six months of this year.July Racing fans in Stanstead could be in for a huge treat this month.NASCAR could officially bring its best drivers to town to participate in a road race course in the village.Top names in motorsports such as Dale Earnhardt Jr., Jeff Gordon and more could compete in a fender bender zip through an improvised track at' the Villeneuve road gravel pit.The winding road race would thrill the screaming and cheering fans endlessly.The green flag begins the race at the Railroad / Villeneuve intersection and leads into the pit.Collisions, deaf- ening wrecks and breathtaking chases en route to the finish line would leave us gasping.The checkered flag would be captured by the luckiest driver.August Stanstead area athletes could showcase their talents in the Weir Beach triathlon.Called “Bash at the Beach”, contestants would have to endure a 5 km run, a 5 km swim and a 5 km cycle to win.The run would consist of 10 laps around the campground.Then it’s a dip into the waters of Lake Mem-phremagog, heading halfway towards Tea Table Island and swimming back to the shores.The final heat is a 5 km bike ride starting at the pier and winding through Arnold road before returning to the beach via Graniteville.The victor of this endurance race will officially be known as the “Fear of Weir”.September Cars from yesteryear could assemble along Dufferin street to turn Stanstead into the days of hot rods and muscle cars.There would be no shortage of Falcons, Galaxies and GTOs lining the street from Sunnyside to Alex’s Garage.Vintage car owners and nostalgia buffs could even dress up like Fonzie, Elvis and Marilyn Munroe to add aura to the antique classics.Unconfirmed reports have Bonnie and Clyde’s famous Packard making an appearance.There’s also talk of the last remaining Edsel in the world being there.October The Canusa Bowling Center on Railroad could host the best bowlers in the world competing in a 10-pin event.This extravaganza would feature bowling masters Patrick Allen, Jeff Carter and more.Gutter balls would be nonexistent where frame by frame strikes by the pros would leave spectators in awe of their prowess on the lanes.High series games and 300 scores would result in everyone scrambling to acquire pins from the classic matches.November Phillip Field on the campus of Stanstead College could be the venue for an unprecedented historic sporting event.Professional football would see the Montreal Alouettes play against the New England Patriots in a two-game exhibition series.The first would be under CFL rules while the second game would be played by NFL rules.Bleachers would be erected all around the football field to accommodate the estimated 15,000 diehard fans in attendance to watch North American football at its best.December Stanstead could see the famous singing quartet II Divo perform Christmas carols at a candlelight service at Baxter Park.They would sing Yuletide songs made famous by crooners Bing Crosby, Perry Como and Nat King Cole.II Divo would delight the crowd with timeless holiday renditions and leave everyone in the festive spirit.A Charlie Brown-type Christmas tree would be decorated to the sounds of II Divo’s finale ‘Santa Claus Is Coming To Town’.Dave’s Den David Ellis It was.the vichyssoise! Bwah haaa haaa By Nancy Nourse Record Correspondent For the last 14 years, the Haskell Opera House’ resident QNEK Productions has continued to offer quality performances with all the glitter and energy of a Broadway play.There’s more on the way.The new season begins in late April with a production of Dearly Beloved (by the same writers of Dearly Departed, a hit during the troupe’s 2003 season), Gilbert and Sullivan’s The Mikado — the Australian version, and the sixth incarnation of QNEK’s signature show Nunsense.The group presents a variety show to raise money to bury the last four of 52 sisters who died from eating a tainted vichyssoise concocted by the convent cook, Sr.Julia Child-of-God.“The Australian version of The Mika- •iabetes The New imw do is an outrageous operetta, with delightfully infectious music and wonderful comic characters involved in a hilarious fantasy world, taking place in the charming Japanese town of Titipu.The Aussies really know how to have fun!” All auditions will be held on Sunday, Jan.13 at the Universal-ist United Church Hall in Derby Line, Vt.(across from the Irving Gas Station in Derby Line), from 2 to 5 p.m., according to artistic director and QNEK Productions founder Lynn Leimer.Leimer has a flair for the stage.Whether it is performing or orchestrating an entire theatre company, Leimer’s mind is always at high speed, in an effort to create a performance that will outshine previous productions.An outstanding and successful revival of Hello Dolly, during the 2005 season, has proven to everyone that musical theatre is once again an audience favourite.To officially kick off the 15th season in early April, QNEK Productions has created a 10-minute EPIDEMIC m Diabetes Québec Information and donations: (514) 259.3422 or 1300.361.3504 www.diabete.qc.ca COURTESY QNEK PRODUCTIONS A scene from Dearly Departed featuring Lynn Leimer (left) and Kim Prangley.QNEK auditions are this weekend.competitive play festival called QFEST, the Quintessential Festival designed to showcase works of local writers.One aspect will be a Young Playwrights Project, designed to encourage students from area schools to get involved in the theatre through script-writing.It will be open to area schools, local theatre companies and area playwrights.In addition to QNEK’s regular mainstage season, they will also present a November dessert theatre production which promises a comedic story line.Susan-Lynn Johns, who will direct Dearly Beloved, is looking to find that special someonep to make up this cast of seven women, four men, plus a stage manager and lighting director.This fast-paced comedy about sisterhood, love, marriage, gospel music and 300 lbs of Texas BBQ should prove to be another winner for QNEK Productions.Show dates will be April 25, 26 and 27 and May 2 and 3.Lynn Leimer will also hold auditions to make up the cast of The Mikado — that’s five men, seven women, and a chorus of handmaidens, school girls, nobles, guards, ninjas and coolies (to be performed August 8, 9, 10, 15 and 16).There will be no auditions held for Nun-sense as the parts have already been cast.Those wishing to audition for any of the parts in QNEK’s 15th season are being asked to bring along a head-shot, resume and prepared song (only if auditioning for a musical, of course).As the musical requires significant vocal abilities, no a capella songs will be accepted.Mark Violette, QNEK’s conductor/pianist/choral director, will provide accompaniment (bring sheet music or bring a tape — no background vocals please!).Season passes may be purchased until April 1; the cost is $30 for adults; $27 for seniors and students (US funds only).Individual show tickets are $12 for adults; $10 for seniors and students (Canadian money accepted at par).Tickets will be available at the Haskell Free Library, and the Wider than the Sky Bookstore in Newport.If you cannot make the auditions on Sunday, but are interested in auditioning, please call Leimer at 802-334-6498 to schedule an appointment.For more info, email qnekproductions@yahoo.com or visit the website at www.qnek.com. Stanstead REVIEW Thursday, January 10, 2008 page 11 tmm\ » ¦ ¦ prJ^iügl Feed the starving Or teach them to feed themselves two years from now?By Nancy Nourse Record Correspondent While Warren Creates has a long list of impressive qualifications that tell you this man really knows what he’s talking about, it is his dynamic personality that keeps you spellbound.“If I could say one thing about Warren Creates, it would be that he is not a guy who takes no for an answer when it comes to something that he really believes in.He is one of the leading specialists in the combined field of immigration law and refugee protection law,” said Stanstead College headmaster Mike Wolfe as he introduced his guest speaker on Tuesday.“I am also proud to say that he is a gentleman that 1 have come to know very well.Warren, quite literally, puts his life on the line to protect his clients, as seen during the Iraq revolution when he went there to represent a group of 3,500 people who needed to obtain special status in the eyes of the governing powers at that time.” And Creates did not come alone.He, in turn, introduced his guest, Ahmed Mohammed, a man he calls his brother, “a true cross-pollination of two men who have nothing in common.” Referring to a map of the Ethiopia region of Africa, Mohammed pointed out the Afar Triangle, the name given to the region where his people, the Afar, live.The 3 to 5 million Afar are 90 per cent nomadic, 94 per cent illiterate and have a life expectancy of 45 years.The Afar were described as humble, which proves to be both an advantage and a disadvantage.They do not expect much and therefore have adapted well to doing with very little — but this humbleness also sets them up to be overpowered by others, making their very existence very difficult.Through working with Afar refugees and getting to know their fight to survive, Creates said he felt a strong need to give back.He became involved in the Carleton University Conference in August 2006, a gathering of big names in the international development community, which such people as Flora McDonald and David Kelger attended.These are people who can actually make things better for the Afar people.It was at this conference that the first Mission to Afar was put into motion.Yet while working from a nice safe office in Canada could be considered by some as doing your part, Creates said “there is nothing like direct experience!” You can’t just arrive in a country and do whatever you want.There were many challenges to be met, both in logistic and security terms: setting up relationships with regional government and the United Nations: answering questions regarding mobility, health and education.Please see Afar on Page 12 NANCY NOURSE Warren Creates bonding with Stanstead College students.The girl on the far left is holding a pot that Creates explained is used to gather camel milk.It's hand made by local women with tiny blades of grass woven together (which is incredibly fine workmanship).As the blades become wet, they expand, thus sealing the pot so the milk does not escape through the cracks.Answering An SOS For the third year in a row, SOS (Spirit of Stanstead) hosted a community dinner to celebrate the New Year — yes, on Jan.1 - at Centenary Church Hall.Tables were set with bright gold and white tablecloths, just waiting to seat the close to WO people who had signed up for this free event.The turkey dinner was absolutely free and open to everyone — whether you had a house full of company for the holidays or were watching the New Year arriving in a more quiet way.Members of the community were on hand to help serve the meal, with all the trimmings.The purpose of the event was to bring together members of the Stanstead community in celebration of both the holidays and the community itself.Pictured: This grandpa spent some quality time with his grandsons. page 12 Thursday, January 10, 2008 Stanstead REVIEW .¦ NANCY NOURSE Afar Ahmed Mohammed, Stanstead College headmaster Mike Wolfe, and guest speaker Warren Creates.Afar: Cont’d from Page 11 “Many of us seem to be enjoying the chinook winds these days, going around in T-shirts and basking in the 2 to 3 degree rise in temperature, thinking that this is a good thing.A 2 to 3 degree rise in temperature in the Afar Triangle literally means death to a great many Afar people — increases in temperature means less food grows, more animals die from lack of water and food, more people die from lack of food and milk provided by the animals.Even without a rise in temperature there are places in Afar that have not seen rain in four years,” lamented Creates.It is in the Afar region of Africa where you will find the largest salt flats in the world.Working in extreme conditions, workers may travel 100 km to sell the salt that has taken them two weeks to gather.for 15 cents a block.Creates showed pictures of a man giving a $100 bill to help feed the hungry people.This was a very moving experience for this lawyer, used to being in the courtroom, not in the midst of the people whose rights he had been defending from his safe life in Canada.He told how little it took, in terms of Canadian money, to feed an Afar family.The $100 bill fed 300 people for the two days that it took for someone to come and take the lock off the warehouse where supplies had been stored.He told how some people had walked for two days to reach this destination.One man said: “Don’t worry about us, we reached here and you have helped us.What we want you to worry about are the ones whom you can’t see, the ones who weren’t able to reach here, ones trying to get here who died along the way, left to be eaten by the buzzards.” “Ahmed and I often argue about the best way to use the money that has been raised to help his people.He wants to use the money to buy food and medical relief that I agree are very important and definitely needed, but I feel part of the money should be used for sustainable development, showing people ways that they can improve their own lives and see those results benefit other generations to come.“I want to follow the plan that Flora McDonald put into effect in Afghanistan.Each man was encouraged to bring in 100 bricks and together they built a school.They took ownership and pride in what they had done and what it represented to their people.I would pay $1,000 or $2,000 to equip a school, created in this fashion, even pay wages for a teacher or two.This method would serve to stabilize the dignity of the Afar people.“I would then go back in a year or two and check to see how the plan was working.Taking our time to do it right is, in my book, the best way that we can help these people,” said Creates.He went on to say that too often people say that it is too complicated to help with something so far away that it doesn’t really effect us.If you want to put your efforts into helping people locally, Creates said that’s great.It’s the idea that you get out there and do something; get involved.For information on the Warren L.Creates Afar Education Foundation, check out the website www.warrencreates.com or contact Creates at wcreates@perlaw.ca.Lexus sedan can out-think its driver.Lexus LS 600h comes with a bevy of sensors, a backup camera and its electric power steering, the car can parallel (or slot) park with an accuracy many drivers envy.By Graeme Fletcher For CanWest News Service The notion that a car might be able to avoid a crash by braking and/or steering around the problem all by itself is.to many, pie-in-the-sky thinking.The reality is that there is a car on the road today that has the potential to do just this - the Lexus LS 600h L.While it doesn’t do this at the moment, it has the key technologies needed to accomplish the task.Just about everybody has watched the Lexus LS 600h L park itself.Using a bevy of sensors, a backup camera and its electric power steering, the car can parallel (or slot) park with an accuracy many drivers envy.The process is surprisingly simple.Stop the LS when the driver is level with the car at one end of an available parking space, pull forward and stop when the driver is level with the front bumper of the car at the other end of the space.Select reverse and make sure the flag icon on the navigation system’s screen is clear of any obstacles and that the targeted parking area is bound by a green box and the car is ready to do its thing.All the driver has to do is to control the speed of the car with the brake (it must be kept to a gentle walking pace).The car does the rest - the steering wheel spins left and right as the vehicle inches into place.The second amazing technology in the Lexus is the adaptive cruise control.As well as maintaining the driver’s desired speed, it maintains a driver-adjustable gap between the Lexus and the car ahead.If the Lexus begins to close the gap (it uses radar to look for other cars and to gauge the gap), the cruise control automatically backs out of the gas and applies the brakes to ensure the car stays at an appropriate distance.As soon as the slower car moves out of the way, the system accelerates back to the set speed.The third technology is Lexus’s Advanced Pre-Collision System.This incorporates three systems that are designed to warn the driver if a collision is imminent.It uses the cruise control’s milliwave radar (mounted behind the Lexus badge in the grille), near-infrared projectors (the headlights to produce the beam) and two object recognition cameras (mounted on either side of the rear-view mirror) to look for other cars, obstacles and pedestrians.It also has another camera that watches the driver to ensure he or she is paying attention and is ready to react (if you’re looking away from the road, the system knows by the shape of your face, which is pretty scary).The system is sophisticated enough that it is unaffected by weather and can see beyond the range of the headlights (it looks 120 metres down the road), which is a godsend on a murky night.If the system’s computer determines a collision is likely, it warns the driver audibly and visually as it readies the car for the inevitable avoidance manoeuvre.The system starts by cinching up the seat helts, firming the damping and tightening the steering rack ratio.This minimizes body roll, sharpens steering response and ensures that the seat belt is in the right place to do the best job.It also primes the brakes, which dramatically shortens the stopping distances when the driver finally realizes that the worst could he about to happen.If the driver does not take any action, the system will apply the brakes to help reduce the severity of the impact.So, what do you get when you add this little lot up?Combining the abilities of these separate systems into a single entity brings something with a greater potential than the sum of its parts.Not only would it have the ability to brake in a straight line (using Pre-Collision), it could potentially steer around an obstacle (this is, perhaps, the real reason Lexus developed the selfpark system) to reduce the effects of an impact.Changing the angle of attack from head-on to a glancing blow would make a big difference to the severity of the collision and its effects on the car’s occupants.Better yet, it could potentially avoid the crash altogether.So, what if this meant pulling out into the oncoming lane to complete the avoidance manoeuvre?The system already has the ability to delect other vehicles and figure out how fast they are closing in; all it needs is the logic to pick the lesser of two evils - a head-on smash into a vehicle coming in the other direction at 100 kilometres an hour is always going to be worse than whacking a stationary * object.No, this advanced system is not going to debut tomorrow, but it is this type of technology that’s going to be needed if the Intelligent Highway is ever going to come to fruition.Enter the highway, hit a button and the car drives itself by r