The record, 21 juillet 1999, mercredi 21 juillet 1999

THE You must lose a fly to catch a trout.-George Hebert' The voice of the Eastern Townships since 1897 JtyffiMgntlsL Yoar Circuit map las arrived.LotoitiffiÉ, 60 CENTS Wednesday, July 21, 1999 Motorcyclist killed in Brigham Staff A first trip on a friend’s motorcycle turned out to be the last for a Brigham resident Monday evening.At about 7:30 p.m., the 21-year-old male borrowed a friend’s Kawasaki sport bike.As he was returning to the village on Des Erables Road, he apparently lost control of the bike and crashed into a sign post.The man was taken to the Brome-Missisquoi Perkins Hospital where he was pronounced dead.A Quebec Police Force spokesman did not release the identity of the man because his family had not been contacted by press time Tuesday.CUSE nurses to choose the lesser of two evils Quebec nurses to vote on government offer today By Joy Yokoyama Sherbrooke Nurses at the Centre Universitaire de Santé de l’Estrie, like many nurses across Quebec, feel stuck between a rock and a hard place going into today’s vote.They can reject the latest offer by the provincial government and head back on strike to face the tough penalties of defying back-to-work legislation with little hope of reaching a better deal, or they can accept an agreement that falls far short of their initial demands.“It’s all ‘ifs,’ ‘buts,’ ‘maybes,’ ‘we’ll sees,’ ‘depending on the results of the study,’ ‘as much as possible,”’ said nurse Denise Gaudreau of the government offer tabled over the weekend.“There’s nothing good in it: Zero plus zero plus zero equals zero.” Nurse Lise Montminy agrees.“We’ll remember this at the next election,” she said.That was the general sentiment at an assembly held at the hospital’s Bowen site auditorium on Tuesday.Executives of the local nurses’ union answered questions at the meeting which attracted so many of CUSE’s 1,450 nurses that SEE NURSES, PAGE 8 5'".S ?wmI Colourful Ceilidh LUCAS LALUER/SPECIAL TO THE RECORD Students at Lennoxville’s Highland Camp practice for their Ceilidh on July 23 at the Amedée Beaudoin Community Centre.It promises to be a fine showcase of their talents.For the story, please see page 7. page 2 Wednesday, July 21, 1999 THEiw RECORD A final tribute to Charlie the Boxer It is over a month since Charlie, our beloved boxer, died peacefully in my lap.I’ll never forget his large drooping eyes staring at me and then slowly closing as the veterinarian’s injection began to produce its final results .We both knew that this was the last time we would be together.Meanwhile, I could hear Madeleine sobbing in the lobby and dreading the moment I would have to tell her that Charlie was no longer with us.We had little choice.Charlie’s nervous system had started to close down.He could hardly walk or stand .If there was any doubt as to our painful decision the heat wave made it extremely difficult for him to breathe.At thirteen .Charlie’s heart was giving up and we had to give him up.Just writing about Charlie is enough to bring tears to my eyes.He was much more then just a friendly mutt who enriched our lives like so many of our other dogs.He was a faithful friend and a constant companion, especially after I retired ,two years ago.He always seemed to be so cheerful and never complained without a good reason.During his last eight months he was at his best when we lived in our cramped trailer, six of them while we travelled across North America.From his favourite location, namely the elevated 5th wheel double bed he only had to raise his tired eyelids to check on us.He loved to travel in our pickup for much the same reason.From the back seat of our extended cab, which was his private motor home, his whole universe was within eyesight.Don’t get me wrong, Charlie never missed the occasion to take over the front passenger seat whenever one of us was absent.Occupants in passing cars would almost always take a double look when they would see him staring at them while his majestic head was leaning against the head rest.As soon as we would leave him alone for short periods in the vehicle, especially in shopping centers, he would always take over the driver’s seat and occasionally even rest his head on the steering wheel and honk the horn.At first it was accidental but later we suspected he was simply telling us he was tired of waiting.During his last years he became com- pulsive about checking on our whereabouts.Every time he would wake up he would roam from room to room to make sure we were in the house.After lying down on my sofa he would soon return to the main floor and check on Madeleine.Twenty minutes later he would be back again.When we had overnight guests he even found it necessary to periodically check on them in their bedroom , even if it meant pushing their door open.Practically everyone who came in contact with him reacted with a smile and approached him with some trepidation to pat him.That suited him to a T.After all, he was human -orientated.Other dogs only amused him for short periods.Even as he grew old and tired he still endured the smaller dogs who loved to jump up on him and grab his sagging jowels.He was extremely patient and gentle with them and rarely growled.Still, he preferred to focus his attention on the two-legged species and had little difficulty in getting their attention.He knew how to make us laugh and even sad, especially when he wasn’t feeling well.Like our other boxer puppies, when Charlie arrived at our farm at the age of six months he was lively and boisterous At first Madeleine was wary of the idea of having two playful boxers within months of our anticipated move to a new house which wasn’t even built.Diana, our six- year-old Boxer, wasn’t overly impressed about having to compete with a younger look-alike.She made it a habit to hide Charlie’s toys and then occupy his favourite seat on the sofa.Charlie’s response was to tease her, grab her legs and push her from her favourite location in our bed.For Tootsie, our eight-year-old cat, Charlie’s arrival was far more dramatic.While she and Diana had learned to play with each other, Charlie was still old fashioned.As far as he was concerned, a cat was meant to be chased.It didn’t take her long before she took refuge in the barn which was, no doubt,a serious blow to her pride.Charlie knew how to listen and even talk .He could read our moods and was especially sensitive to loud voices.He had his limits when Madeleine and I would argue.He would listen,as if indifferent, until our voices got too boisterous.When we crossed his sound threshold, he would approach us as if to say .’’Enough is enough”.Many a time his arrival was enough to bring a smile on our faces and make us forget about our disagreements.There was much more in Charlie then his wide, pushed- in muzzle, large, dark eyes, drooping jowls, cropped ears, and drooling lips.Snoring and episodes of passing gas came with the territory, especially as he grew older.On the plus side his muscular build, tight fitting, and short fawn coat with white markings on his chest gave him a proud and imposing presence.He knew he was no ordinary dog and got used to thinking of himself as one of us.He didn’t like to be ignored.Whenever guests arrived he expected to be introduced.He was also an intelligent dog and knew how to get in Spring time usually means a busy period for the SPA because many birds are brought to the shelter.Many people think that they are doing a good thing by bringing a bird that has fallen from its nest to us, but this is not always true.Often the baby bird is still under the supervision of its parents.Falling from the nest is a part of their education, don’t worry because birds know the meaning of family and taking them away from their next could be fatal for them.Before removing them, watch them and see how they function.If their parents are near and are flying low by them and chirping, they are under trouble.Locking him up in the basement for a few hours at a time wasn’t too much of a problem when he was accompanied by Diana or Chenel.By himself it was a different matter.He protested by chewing the door frame until we decided to cover it in metal.Then he discovered our rubber storage boxes which we thought were Charlie-proof.One day he succeeded in prying open the covers and spilling the contents.My old income tax files ended up looking like they had gone through an angry audit.It feels like such a long time since Charlie left us and we miss him dearly.Although we have vivid memories he has left a void that we still have trouble coping with.Jake, our neighbour’s two-year-old Golden Retriever now visits us on a daily basis.In many ways his expressions and playful personality remind us of Charlie.I can’t help but wonder whether reincarnation is a fact of life with dogs.Henry Keyserlingk is a retired crown attorney He can be e-mailed at Hen-ryk@virtuel.qc.ca good wings.If they seem isolated from the others, place them close to the nest either in a box or on a branch away from cats and watch to see what happens.Try to not touch them too much because your smell could keep the parents away.To keep a bird from bumping into your windows, keep bird feeders at least four metres away.If a bird bumps into a window pick it up gently to not harm the bird.It is normal for the bird to be stiff because of the shock.Place it in a box and make sure there are holes for it to breath.Put it in a warm place for 30 minutes and it will gain its strength.Justice Henry R.Keyserlingk rotecting Weather WEDNESDAY : Sunny in the morning.Skies becoming variable later on.High near 25.THURSDAY : Variable cloudiness.Low near 15.High near 27.FRIDAY : Variable cloudiness.Probability of showers 30 percent.Low near 16.High near 29.SATURDAY : Increasing cloudiness.Probability of showers 30 percent.Low near 17.High near 29.HERE.YOU GO, &IG&ÜY-Y0UR FIRST NIGHT l 0IG &E£7/ BEN by Daniel Shelton ;Y/UVN: well, THAT WAS PRETTY EASY/ GOCP NIGHT.I LOVE YOU m 0EAT-I THINK I'lL TURN IN Wednesday, July 21, 1999 page 3 ¦¦THEM I RECORD East Bolton celebrates Heritage Week MAURICE CROSSFIELD * m %ÆËl Organizer and East Bolton Councillor Lise Barrette, municipal administrative assistant Lillian Pagé and mayor Joan Westland Eby.Celebrating the natural heritage of East Bolton.By Maurice Crossfield The sprawling rural municipality of East Bolton is celebrating its people, environment and history during Heritage Week, which continues through Sunday.“It is for me a project that represents how a small community can work together,” said East Bolton mayor Joan Westland Eby.Founded in 1993, the annual celebration started off as a one-day event.It then became a weekend event, and finally evolved into a full week of displays, focusing this year on the region’s wildlife.“This week is a unique opportunity for all of us to discover the very close relationship that exists between wildlife and its habitat,” said Lise Barrette, a municipal councillor and organizer of the event.One of the main features of this year’s event is a collection of stuffed and mounted wild animals.Many are animals found in the area, while others come from more remote regions of Canada.The collection was lent to the municipality by Bruno Ouellette of the Canadian Wildlife Museum in Granby.In past years the themes of Heritage Week have ranged from families to railroads to community groups.While each year presents a different theme, they all draw on the rich history of East Bolton.Created by letters patent issued to Nicholas Austin on August 18th, 1797, Bolton was the first of the Eastern Townships to be settled.In 1849 Magog Township was carved off of the eastern end of Bolton, and in 1876 the municipality of West Bolton was formed.The municipality of Eastman came in 1888, followed by Austin in 1938.St-Etienne-de-Bolton was the last to leave, in 1939.Today the municipality of East Bolton, which includes the villages of South Bolton and Bolton Centre, represents less than 25 per cent of the original area of the township.But Westland Eby said it’s still plenty big enough.“If it was any bigger there would be areas that the municipality would never see,” she said.Westland Eby said the territory is spread out enough that many people passing through don’t even see it as a community.“One of the great things about Heritage Week is it does pull the residents together,” she said.“If you’re not connected and you don’t feel a part you can end up feeling very isolated.” Organizers of Heritage Week are expecting to have between 300 and 400 visitors to the exhibits at the town hall in Bolton Centre.Most of those are either part time or full time residents of the municipality, while each year some who moved away come back to get in touch with their roots.“We’ve had a lot of people that come from the US to find their ancestors,” said organizer Lillian Page.Heritage Week continues through the week at the town hall in Bolton Centre, and features a wide variety of information on the region’s wildlife, habitat and the people that call East Bolton Home.The event wraps up Sunday afternoon with a wine and cheese party.Briefs $500 reward for stolen cello The owner of a cello that was stolen in Glen Sutton over the weekend is offering $500 for its return.Eric Longsworth owned the cello for the last 15 years until it was stolen sometime between July 16 and 17.The thieves also made off with two violins of little value, and some household electronic equipment.Longsworth’s cello is over 200 years old, and is estimated to be worth up to $60,000 US.A new cello sells for upwards of $15,000.Anyone with information concerning the theft is asked to contact the Brome-Missisquoi detachment of the QPF at (450) 266-1122.Coroner to investigate suspicious death Quebec’s chief coroner Pierre Morin has called a public inquiry into the medical circumstances surrounding the death of Christian Soucy at a Drummondville hospital last fall.Apparently Soucy had a habit of picking up cigarette butts at the entrance of the hospital.On November 17, 1998, the 35-year-old man was found hanging in an abandoned maintenance room in the basement of the hospital.The coroner’s inquiry, that will be presided by coroner Gilles Perron, will hear from witnesses in an attempt to uncover the circumstances surrounding the mysterious death.Perron will then make recommendation to prevent such deaths in the future.A date has not yet been set for the inquiry.Strawberry Social Skirling Bag Pipes opened the Richmond Historical Society’s Ice Cream Social this year.Piper Matthew Fowler traveled up from Lennoxville to lend an authentic Scottish ambience to the annual get-together.Overcast skies, cool breezes and plenty of ice cream kept the heat at bay, while over a hundred townshippers dropped by the Melbourne Historical Museum.An emphasis on Scottish heritage was evident inside the building this year, other settlers who populate this area will be honored in coming years.MASSAWIPPI VALLEY RAILWAY COMPANY NOTICE TO SHAREHOLDERS Notice is hereby given that the Annual General Meeting of the Shareholders of the Massawippi Valley Railway Company will be held in Room 215, Windsor Station, Montreal, Quebec, on Wednesday, the 1st day of September, 1999, at 11:00 o’clock in the forenoon (Montreal time) for presentation of the financial statements of the Company, the election of directors, the appointment of auditors, and for the transaction of such other business as may property come before the meeting.Dated at Calgary, Alberta, this 2nd day of July, 1999.BY ORDER OF THE BOARD B.J.Hayden Secretary MASSAWIPPI VALLEY RAILWAY COMPANY NOTICE TO SHAREHOLDERS Notice is hereby given that a Special and General Meeting of the Shareholders of the Massawippi Valley Railway Company (the “Company") will be held in Room 215, Windsor Station, Montreal, Quebec, on Wednesday, the 8th day of September, 1999, at 11:00 o'clock in the forenoon (Montreal time) to consider and, if thought advisable, adopt, with or without variation, a special resolution approving and ratifying a proposal by the Board of Directors of the Company that the Company be wound up voluntarily in order to distribute the proceeds of the sale of its assets, according to the respective rights and interests of the shareholders in the Company.The said meeting is also being held for the following purposes: 1.To appoint PricewaterhouseCoopers as liquidator for the purposes of winding up the affairs of the Company and of distributing its assets.2.To approve the offer of services received from the liquidator and to fix its remuneration to the standard hourly rate in force from time to time for the partners and associates of PricewaterhouseCoopers involved in the winding up of the Company.3.To exempt the liquidator from giving security for its administration in the exercise of its functions as liquidator of the Company.4.The transaction of such other business as may properly come before the meeting.Dated at Calgary, Alberta, this 2nd day of July, 1999.BY ORDER OF THE BOARD B.J.Hayden Secretary Wednesday, July 21, 1999 PAGE Article in The Record led to family reunion By Rita Legault Another “Peacock Baby” and his birth mom have been reunited thanks to an adoption Web site on the Internet and a report in The Record about a mother and son reunion in Foster this spring.Three decades ago, a number of unwed teenage mothers placed their newborn babies up for private adoption through local minister John Peacock.Throughout his life, the Anglican Reverend from Cowansville steadfastly refused to help reunite the children and their birth moms.When he died a few years ago, adoption records for the numerous babies he had placed disappeared with him.Despite the many roadblocks they encountered, a handful of the so-called "Peacock Babies" have refused to give up the quest for their roots.After years of heartbreak and expensive, futile searches through agencies and private detectives, last fall Brian Quillinan launched a Web site that aims to help him and other "Peacock Babies" find their birth moms.Less than two months later, the Calgary-based Web site had created its first match and an article in The Record about the reunion of Pat Culley and her son Andrew Johnstone led to another as David Campbell from Pointe Du Bois, Man., and his birth mom, Laureen Cousens from Vernon, B.C., finally met last week.Campbell’s godparents, Wayne and Julie Kemp, who live in Bedford, spotted The Record story.They knew their godson had been placed for adoption through Reverend Peacock and wondered if they should do anything about it.Kemp said he phoned his longtime friend Gardner Campbell, the father of David Campbell, from Pointe Du Bois, Man., was reunited with his birth mother, Laureen Cousens, from Vernon, B.C.through the ‘Peacock Babies’ Web site.Cousens never even saw her newborn baby when her grandmother forced her to give him up for adoption in Cowansville.his godson.“We were reluctant to say anything, but when I mentioned it they were all for it,” Kemp told The Record, recalling the day the Campbells brought their infant son home in a cardboard box.“They were really reluctant to tell us about it cause they didn’t know if it would open a can of worms,” recalled Liz Campbell, David’s adoptive mom, in an interview from Winnipeg.Campbell said her son had begun searching for his roots when he was about 18, but his enthusiasm fizzled out because there was just too much red tape.The Campbells had been honest with their son from the start.David Campbell always knew he was adopted, although he only understood the concept when he was about five years old, she said.After getting the Record article and Web site address, the Campbells discussed it with their son.He was hesitant at first, but decided to list his name and birth statistics on the Web site in the hopes of finding his mom.Birth mom Laureen Cousens also heard about the Web site through a friend in the Townships who mentioned something about the Record story and her sister finding a nephew.After getting the details of the site from the article, Cousens contacted Brian Quillinan, who asked her for some details, including her son’s date of birth as well as her hair colour and height.After getting the answers he asked if she was alone and if she was sitting down.“Then he told me, ‘We’re 99.5 per cent sure we’ve found your son’,” Cousens said.“I don’t know how I reacted.I was literally overwhelmed.” Cousens said there was a prolonged pause on the phone line as she digested the unbelievable news.“I just never thought I’d see him again,” she said in an interview from her son’s home a few days after their happy reunion.“Peacock told me if I ever got married not to tell my husband cause one day he’d get drunk and take it out on me,” she said.Cousens did get married and had another child.She told her husband, who accepted the news.Cousens said that about eight or 10 years ago she registered with Child Find in the hopes of finding her long-lost son.But she never really believed it would happen.“I just had the feeling that he was gone forever and 1 prayed that he was healthy and happy.” After spending a week with her son, Cousens was relieved.She said she was indebted to Liz and Gardner Campbell for raising him so well.“I thank God for them.He turned out wonderful.I couldn’t have asked for better parents for him.He’s so gorgeous and laid-back and wonderful.” She was also grateful to The Record and to Quillinan, who runs the "Peacock Baby" Web site.“If it wasn’t for that article you wrote, I know I never would have run into him,” she enthused, on the brink of tears.“This had been the best thing that has ever happened to me in my life.It changed my life completely.” David Campbell said he had registered with child and family services in Manitoba, but had basically given up hope of ever finding his parents.But when news came of the "Peacock Baby" Web site, he was willing to try again.“I knew I should not get my hopes up,” he said, recalling his earlier fruitless search.“I didn’t think it would go that fast.Three weeks and she was here on my doorstep.” Campbell said he and his mom hit it off instantly.“We just gave each other a big hug and that was it,” he said, adding they spent the last week “describing who we are, what we’ve been doing and what’s going on in our lives.” Campbell said he and his mom have a lot in common.He said they have the same colour hair and eyes.“We even have the same hands,” he said, adding he noticed that when they were fishing and he was showing her how to tie a jig.Both also share a love of nature, of fishing, boating and hunting.The quick reunion took everyone by surprise.CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE Wednesday, July 21, 1999 page 5 .«THE* - Record A choice of summer festivals for Townshippers Townshippers' Association plans to attend many of the summer festivals and fairs in the Townships.There are so many taking place on the second weekend in August that we have to choose which ones to attend.While making our choices and looking for people to volunteer at the Townshippers' Association table, we realized you might like to know about these events too.Potton Multicultural Festival On Saturday, Aug.14, we have the Pot-ton Multicultural Festival in Man-sonville.This is the biggest annual event in Mansonville and the whole town celebrates the many cultures that make up its population.Take the opportunity to enjoy food, crafts and music from around the world.For information, call (450) 292-3313 Sunnymead Picnic On the same weekend (Aug.13, 14, 15), the Sunnymead Picnic takes place in West Brome.This is a music festival, well-attended by young people, with profits going to Dans La Rue, a charity for the homeless in Montreal.Friday evening (called Bushy's Blues Night) fea- tures Steve Hill and the Stephen Barry Band.Saturday is sponsored by 999 The Buzz, the popular radio station in Burlington, Vt.Sunday, Aug.13, is family day and, for a small admission fee, you can picnic to the sounds of country music and enjoy the Rainbow Country doggers.For information, call (450) 539-2098 or visit the Web site at wwwsun-njnnead.org Bedford Fair Aug.12-15 are the dates for the Bedford Agricultural Fair, the oldest fair in Quebec.This is a great chance for summer visitors to experience farming traditions of the Townships.Spending time with the animals, buying homemade pickles and eating cotton candy takes us back in time to feel the connection with our ancestors.For information, call (450) 248-2817 Gould Festival of Scottish Traditions For those of you with Celtic heritage or simply a taste for scotch, why not save the price of a ticket to Scotland and go to the Festival of Scottish Traditions in Gould?This takes place Aug.13-15.Included in the basic $5 admission is an invitation to join various workshops.These vary from highland dancing to bagpipe playing.There are also workshops on tales and legends, historical discussions and activities for children.The brochure (available at tourist information offices) advertises all sorts of activities from a ceilidh to scotch-tasting and afternoon tea with scones.Tickets are available for the many concerts featuring Scottish music, from bagpipes to folk songs, some taking place in the covered bridge, an interesting location! It promises to be a well-attended and original festival.For more information, call (819) 877-5688 Volunteers Needed If you are having trouble choosing, join the club! If you would like to volunteer an hour or so of your time at our booth during these festivals, please give us a call.We are there to take membership renewals, sell t-shirts or just to chat! We'll see you there! Loot Is A Hoot Our theatre fund-raiser was a success, with the audience enjoying Joe Orton's Loot at The Knowlton Pub Playhouse.We thank Theatre Lac Brome for holding a fund-raiser on our behalf and wish them well in their quest for a permanent building.Compleatly Hilarious! Next month our theatre outing will be to see The Compleat Works of Wllm Shkspr (abridged), by Adam Long, Daniel Singer and Jess Winfield.Tickets for Aug.12 at The Piggery cost $20 and available at our office at 2355 Galt West, Sherbrooke, (819) 566-5717 or at 203 Principale, Cowansville, (450) 263-4422.You might like to plan dinner at The Posh Pig, a gourmet experience at a very reasonable price.Come and enjoy English professional theatre and support Townshippers' Association at the same time.Visit our Web site at www.township-pers.qc.ca for information on community events and Townshippers' Day.Keeping In Touch is a weekly column by Townshippers ' Associa tion.Keeping In Touch Townshippers’ Association ‘We even have the same hands,’ says son CONTINUED FROM LAST PAGE “We were flabbergasted,” said Liz Campbell.“Brian (Quillinan) has waited a lifetime to find his mom and David found his right away.” “It’s been a very, very satisfying experience for both of them.For me as well, it’s been delightful seeing them together,” Campbell said.“They bonded instantly, it just shows you how important those genes are .I think David can now look in the mirror and know where he came from and what he’s all about.” Although they had never met, Brian Campbell and Lau-reen Cousens picked each other out at the airport immediately.“When I first saw him, I didn’t think I’d be able to stop crying," she said."It filled the empty spot in my heart that I’d always had.” Cousens had never been given the chance to see her newborn son, whom she heard crying in the next room moments after giving birth.Her grandmother and the Reverend Peacock told her it was best.She said she wanted to keep it, but was talked out of it.She said her grandmother, who had raised her, would have rejected her if she kept her son.“She told me, 'If you keep the baby you’ll have to move away and never come back',” Cousens recalled.The Campbells have no official record of David's birth, but had kept a piece4of paper that laid out the feeding schedule and the weight of the baby boy on discharge.The birthdate on that innocuous piece of paper was all the confirmation they needed to realize they had truly found a match.David also found his father, who is incarcerated, and has chatted with him on the phone.“I guess he’s coming out later this month,” Campbell said.Although she had not talked to him for 28 years, Cousens remembered the teenage boy with whom she had the mismated fling.Gardner Campbell did a little digging and found the birth father now living in Ottawa.“I think it’s a beautiful story,” said Liz Campbell, who was thrilled to see him reunited with his natural parents.Campbell, who lived in the Townships three decades ago, said her husband knew John Peacock and his two sons, one of whom was also adopted.“We had had a difficult time, I lost a child and the doctor wasn’t very hopeful,” Campbell said, adding she went on to have two other natural children.“I always say to David that he gave me the courage to try and have another child,” she said.Campbell said she hopes her family’s good news story will help other "Peacock Babies" and adopted children find their birth moms.“We are so anxious to help other people,” said Liz Campbell, adding she hopes the story will get some national exposure.“There isn’t anybody we have told who hasn’t been moved to tears.” Kemp, who got the ball rolling with a hesitant phone call, said it’s too bad the "Peacock Baby" records were destroyed making such reunions so difficult even when both parties are eager to get together.“It’s just a wonderful ending to this story,” he said.“It’s a whole new life for David and it hasn’t changed his feeling for this adoptive parents.” The Internet address for the "Peacock Babies" Web site is www.members.home.net/bjq.You can reach Brian Quillinan at bjq.home.com.h :~:3 33 mmi T*»;; f 3" MER mi.htk&vw.< x VPW f.« !*».?j ij *, y4 Although they had never met, Brian Campbell and Laureen Cousens picked each other out at the airport immediately and soon realized they had much in common, including fishing. page 6 Wednesday, July 21, 1999 Community Forum Boris Yeltsin will leave a legacy of chaos By Matthew Fisher Sun Media Either feet first or with a younger man's foot in his backside, Boris Yeltsin should leave power within the next year.The Russian president's legacy is horrendous.He has created no lasting political system that can provide a peaceful, rule-succession.Nor has he created a constitutional system which has any respect.All of Yeltsin's opponents would, for their own benefit, change every word in it.The democratic experience Yeltsin has given Russia in his eight years in office is badly flawed.It includes semi-democratic elections, but it also includes blowing away an elected opposition parliament (1993) followed by another constitution which was more convenient to him personally.Yeltsin has also done virtually nothing to create lasting structures.There is no political party which represents the interests of reform or democracy.Nor has the president groomed anyone to succeed him.On the contrary, the moment anyone has looked like a potential heir, Yeltsin has publicly humiliated them and sent them into the night.Therefore, Yeltsin will leave Russia with, at best, a very bumpy transition, into which a traditional old-style Russian dictator may easily step.If this were happening in a country where the economy was growing and people were able to build private lives for themselves, this might be just another political crisis, but the social and economic results of Yeltsin's tenure have been disastrous.Western leaders used to come to Moscow to congratulate Yeltsin on his reforms.In reality these so-called reforms have completely unstuck the Soviet glue that for better or worse held the country together.There has been no new dynamic to replace it.There has been no national wealth-building or anything for individual citizens to plug themselves into.Rather, the national wealth has fallen into the hands of few shady friends of the government.The blind alley that Yeltsin has led his country into is a metaphor for the private lives of his countrymen.Nobody has any idea how the next year will evolve so they have no idea how to shape their lives in a new way.Every survey shows that Russians have no faith in democracy and are waiting for a strong man to open the door to the future.OTHERS ARE READY There are several men who want to answer this call.One is the relentlessly uncharis-matic Gennadi Zyuganov, who offers tired old Communist medicine.Another undoubtedly plotting in the wings is the gruff nationalist general, Alexandr Lebed, governor of the vast Siberian territory of Krasnoyarsk.The would-be czars whom western journalists and diplomats prefer to fix their attentions on are Moscow's outra- WE'RE UP, POP THE CLUTCH NOW! mm vw> Hv- StWoCt&f.! P.0.Bo* 1200 Sherbrooke J1H 516 or 257 Queen St, Lennoxville, Que.JIM 1K7 Fax: 819-569-3945 e-mail: record@interlinx.qc.ca Website: www.sherbrookerecord.com Randy Kinneak Publisher .(819) 569-9511 Sharon McCully Editor .(819) 569-6345 Sunil Mahtani Corresp.Editor .(819) 5696345 Susan Mastine Community Relat.(819) 569-9525 Richard Lessard Prod.Mgr.4819) 569-9931 Mark Guileite Press Superv.4819) 569-9931 Francine Thibault Prod.Superv.(819) 569-9931 DEPARTMENTS Accounting .(819)5699511 Advertising.(819)5699525 Circulation.(819) 5699528 Newsroom .(819)5696345 Knowlton office 88 Lakeside, Knowlton, Quebec, JOE 1V0 Tel: (450) 242-1188 Fax: (450) 243-5155 MAIL SUBSCRIPTIONS GST PST TOTAL Canada: 1 year 104.00 7.28 8.35 $119.63 6 MONTHS 53.50 3.75 4.29 $61.54 3 MONTHS 2700 1.89 2.17 $31.06 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 ordered one week after publication are available at $3.00 per copy prepaid.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 Sun Media Corporation, a Quebecor company, having its head office at 333 King Street.Toronto (Ontario).M5A 3X5.Canadian Publications Mail Service Product Agreement No.0479675.Member ABC, CARD, CDNA, NMB, QCNA geously boastful mayor, Yuri Luzhkov and his political partner of convenience at the moment, the dour former spy-master and former prime minister, Yevgeni Primakov.Ominously, the one thing this disparate bunch have in common is no experience of or interest in democracy, economic reforms and individual rights.Their notions of good government go something like this: "I will run the whole show." That is no different than the other undeclared candidate for the presidency - Boris Yeltsin.There have been a flurry of rumours in the Moscow press over this unusually hot summer that Yeltsin intends to jump from one constitution to another by creating a new state through the union of Russia and Belarus.This could be called the Slobodan Milosevic manoeuvre because when Milosevic's time as the boss of Serbia was at an end he became the head of Yugoslavia, bringing all the powers of his old office with him.NEW STATE It is highly likely that a new state will be born out of Russia and Belarus sometime this fall although, in the way of the Kremlin, the Russian public have been provided with no details about any of this.The chances are that this new state will have an ailing president with two terms in office ahead of him.Russians may put up with more of Yeltsin because they seem willing to put up with anything, but God probably won't.If God does not act Yeltsin will still have to contend with the Russian elite, who are in an especially foul mood.Yeltsin's plan to perpetuate his presidency could be the act which seals his legacy of utter chaos.Every time the president has pulled off another Houdini-like manoeuvre to stay in power, Russia has moved further away from being a law-governed society.Malaise and corruption have been the only winners.More of the same is always the only safe prediction to make in Russia today. mTHEi Wednesday, July 21, 1999 page 7 &VlV Co^t LUCAS LAI.LIER/SPHCIAI.TO THE RECORD Students enjoy playing together at Lennoxville’s Highland Camp.LUCAS LALUER/SPECLAL TO THE RECORD George Stewart and sister Louise Greenwell teach piping and drumming to students in Lennoxville.There's magic in the air at Highland Camp Ceilidh set for July 23 in Lennoxville By Catherine Dean Record Correspondent Lennoxville During lunch break at the Highland Camp as the sweet sounds of the practice chanters filled the air at the Lennoxville Curling Club, George Stewart discussed the success of his summer camp.This is his third year running the camp.The school began with 12 students and has increased to 41, offering bagpipes, drums and highland dancing."I came across with the Sutherland Schools Pipe Band (of Scotland) on an excursion to Alexander Galt," Stewart said.George Stewart's first year enabled him to meet fellow pipers such as Ron Sutherland, David Moore and Sutherland's student Eric Thorneloe."Ron Sutherland really encouraged me to come back," said Stewart, who has high praise for Sutherland, an English professor at Université de Sherbrooke."He is an outstanding player, winning World Championships in the 50s.It's like everything else - a prophet is not appreciated in his own land." Stewart said Celtic arts are practiced in other parts of Canada as well."There is also a French, Irish and Welsh side of things.Scotland was the last place to have the bagpipes.In France, they had the cornemuce.It evolved through all the Celtic countries.Of course in Canada, there are very famous pipe bands.This area is a wee bit flat, so we came in.The local Townships band dwindled for a while.Now, the numbers are coming up." Stewart said he appreciates his students."We have a variety of ages - the youngest is nine years old and the oldest are retired.Their enthusiasm is as great as the youngsters'.I find the youngsters so polite," he said."One of the students, Dave Lyon, has made an unbelievable improvement in only three years.I have got some outstanding players.They've all greatly improved.At least 80 per cent return." The teachers and students have become firm friends.Stewart credits Steven Thorneloe for making his job easy by lending a hand in the day-to-day organizing."There are some magic people in the group.There's a real family atmosphere." This is literally so, as Stewart's sister Louise Greenwell, a peripatetic percussion teacher with Glen Almond School in Perth, Scotland, is into her second year of teaching drums at the camp."I have a lot of wonderful students," Greenwell said, smiling."They have learned so much and they are so keen.Here, one can start piping or drumming at any age." Music is inherent in the Stewart family."All my ancestors were players and I started before I was seven," said Stewart."I was very young and I've been playing a few years now." Stewart loves to play the pi-obaireachd (pibroch), classical bagpipe music.His sister began drumming at eight years of age.Stewart's Irish-Cana-dian wife, Alex, joins him every year at the camp, performing Celtic songs at the Ceilidh.Though he teaches full time in his native Scotland and has taught in Germany and America, he said the Townships is special."1 have an affection for the Towns hi p-pers because they look out for me.For me, it's like a working holiday - a busman's holiday.People are very kind to me.The shirt I'm wearing was given to me," Stewart said, pointing to his Lennoxville t-shirt."We have one big problem - there's so much interest in the drumming," he said."We are looking for four sides, a minimum of two tenors and one bass.One of the drums must have been played on the Plains of Abraham - it's quite expensive, possibly $6,500 - and we're looking for corporate sponsorship for the drumming." Eileen Drew, one of the retired students, started bagpipes three years ago."I practice during the year, just enjoying it," she said."I use a parlour pipe you would use in a house.I love to do this because you learn something every time you come." Medea Jandron from St-Bruno is teaching Highland Dance for her second year."I enjoy the dancing very much," she said."I have competed in Montreal nearly every month.I was in Ottawa last weekend doing the international championships." "It's fun to do," added Eithne Sheeran, a highland dancing student."But your legs hurt afterward." Her fellow dancers agreed."It's really energetic," piped in Emily Fowler, who, like some of the other 11 students, also dances ballet.A Ceilidh will be held July 23 at 7 p.m.at the Amedée Beaudoin Community Centre to showcase the talents of the members of the Highland Camp.Donations will be accepted. J ¦W'-' : x*- .*'>»< RICK FOSS/CORRESPONDENT Skirling sounds and tasty treats Overcast skies, cool breezes and plenty of ice cream kept the heat at bay during the Richmond Historical Society’s Ice Cream Social this year.More than a hundred Townshippers dropped by the Melbourne Historical Museum for the annual get-together.Skirling bagpipes opened the event this year.Piper Matthew Fowler traveled up from Lennoxville to lend an authentic Scottish ambience to the proceedings.An emphasis on Scottish heritage was evident inside the building this year.Other settlers who populate this area will be honored in coming years.RICK FOSS/CORRESPONDENT Td rather kiss my sister than my dog’ - nurse Nurses: CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 many had to stand at the back or sit on extra chairs brought in.Another meeting was to be held Tuesday night.Copies of the new agreement were passed around until none were left, prompting one astute nurse to yell out?“No, there’s no agreement!” That set the tone for the meeting, which included a run-down of the proposal and a chance for nurses to speak out about their concerns.“It seems to me like we fought for nothing,” said one nurse, a statement that was met with heavy applause, chants of “So-So-Solidarité” and shouts of, “We’re going outside.” The proposal guarantees nurses the pay that an equity study, to be completed by Nov.15, determines, but many nurses said that voting on a study is not enough.The government will give the nurses with bachelor's degrees the five per cent over three years it had offered in the negotiations as a minimum, and two per cent for other nurses.The agreement does offer nurses gains in many areas, including an expansion of the definition of a disability, more job security, a limit to job posting delays, a smaller work load and stronger rules on seniority.Many of these offerings, however, appear in the agreement either as general statements which nurses don’t believe will be applied or with many conditions for implementation.A reduction in the vacation period, one of the demands the nurses had made so they could take their vacations in the summer, is included in the proposal with five separate conditions attached.One such provision forces replacement nurses to take their vacation during the current period, which extends into October, if they are needed during the shortened period.“The employer has a lot of room.He can play with this a lot,” said nurse Suzanne Blouin after the meeting.“It’s just peanuts.No, peanut shells.Nothing guarantees more jobs, more people to work.The vacations were very misleading.” If the nurses reject the deal, as of midnight tonight they will be back on the picket lines, facing the penalties of defying back-to-work legislation and salary losses.Union representatives, who have already voted to accept the government offer, will then have to decide what to do next.“In the two truces, we got more than we had before.You did not do the strike for nothing,” said France Bisaillon, of the Fédération d’infirmières et Infirmiers de Québec, the union which represents Quebec nurses, at the meeting.Many were unconvinced and discouraged that the union was unable to get more, but union executives said Pre- mier Lucien Bouchard was unwilling to give anymore and the committee had hit a wall.“We could stay out there a month.There are people saying, 'Let’s go outside.1 What happens when you’re on the picket lines?" said Luc Cayer, president of the local union.“At Christmas we’ll be outside.” The union executives expressed great disappointment over the proposal as it was, but said it was as far as they could get.One copy of the agreement was ripped in half on the ground just inside the auditorium.Despite the disgust many nurses expressed over the proposal, many will vote for it today, convinced it’s the best they can get and threatened by financial strain.“I’d rather kiss my sister than my dog,” said nurse Mario Thérrien.“Between the two diseases, I choose the less terrible.That’s why I’m voting Yes.We have no choice.” Record page 8 Wednesday, July 21, 1999 ¦¦¦¦¦¦¦¦¦¦¦¦¦¦¦¦¦¦¦¦¦¦¦¦I Wednesday, July 21, 1999 page 9 RECORD Mange: A parasitic disease of many animals By Don Hilton Special to The Record Recently there have been two articles in The Record about a sorry-looking, emaciated, partially hairless fox that has been seen on many occasions in Lennoxville, including near The Record's offices on Queen Street.Assuming there is only one fox in the Lennoxville area with this description, I also have seen it twice on the Bishop's University campus.Unlike the behavior of normal, healthy foxes, it is easy to approach, doesn't seem particularly concerned about the presence of nearby humans, and is active during daylight hours.It has been suggested that this fox suffers from mange.Just what is mange and what effects does it have on afflicted animals?Mange is a parasitic disease of a large array of animals including rodents, rabbits, again to become either males or females.The entire life cycle from egg to adult takes approximately three weeks.Please see the accompanying illustra-tion for the various life stages of Sarcoptes mites.Normally larvae, nymphs and adult males are found on the surface of the animal's skin under crusts and exudations which result rom the animal vigorously scratching itself, as well as serum exuding from damaged skin caused by the female's tunneling activities.It is this tunneling by adult females that causes the severe itching which the animal attempts to relieve by scratching and rubbing the affected body parts.Repeated scratching, rubbing and biting causes the hair to fall out leaving the animal looking emaciated due to excessive hair loss (alopecia).In addition, all the animal's scratching can result in secondary bacterial infections of the skin which further tectable symptoms is probably much higher because one scientific study that used microscopic examination of skin scrapings from foxes found that 96% of the animals examined had Sarcoptes mites present.This would suggest that body defenses of healthy animals have the ability to keep mite populations small so that they don't develop into full-blown cases of sarcoptic mange.Could humans become infected by contacting an infested animal such as the fox described by Charles Bury?Perhaps, but this depends upon the viewpoint of the partic-ular scientist concerned.As mentioned above, some specialists believe that each animal has its own Sarcoptes species and that if mites from one host (such as a fox) got onto another unrelated host (such as a human, cow, horse, etc.) they might live for a short time but exacerbates its condition.Infestation usually starts around the tail base and leg joints but can spread to the entire body.As Charles Bury's two articles describing the fox near the The Record's offices have mentioned, severely afflicted animals become emaciated, lose their fear of humans and can often be approached quite closely.Eventually death might result from malnutrition, loss of body heat (due to hair loss), secondary bacterial infections of the skin, or some combination of all these.Sarcoptic mange is a serious disease of wild carnivores in poor condition (typically occurring during winter and early spring when conditions are harsh and food is scarce), of which foxes are the most severely ravaged.During some years trappers have recorded infestation rates of 20 to 37 per cent in the fox pelts they have trapped.However, infestation without easily de- Sarcoptes scabei from humans.(a) egg containing developing embryo; (b) larva; (c) adult male; (d, e, f) side, top and bottom views, respectively, of adult females.Note that figures (a, b, c) are drawn at a larger scale than figures (d, e, f).In reality, the adult females are much bigger than either eggs, larvae or adult males.These drawings are taken from Smart, J.1965.A Handbook for the Identification of Insects of Medical Importance.British Museum (Natural History), London.200 MICRONS lOO MICRONS BRinSH MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY foxes, horses, deer, and humans (to name only a few).It is caused by a very tiny mite called Sarcoptes (hence the common name sarcoptic mange).Some authorities consider all Sarcoptes mites to belong to the same species (Sarcoptes scabei), whereas other specialists believe there are many species that are characteristic of each group of hosts.For instance, the Sarcoptes mite on foxes, coyotes, wolves and dogs is called Sarcoptes canis.Sarcoptes mites are so tiny that they are much smaller than the period at the end of this sentence and you would need a microscope to see them.Females tunnel under the skin laying eggs behind them as they travel.The eggs hatch into larvae (they have six legs unlike the nymphs and adults which have eight legs) that eventually shed their skin and molt into nymphs.These in turn molt into a second nymphal stage and eventually molt couldn't complete their normal life cycle and the infestation would be self-limiting.This view is based upon the fact that it seems to be difficult to transfer an infestation from one unrelated animal to another.In contrast, other scientists consider that the various Sarcoptes mites on different kinds of animals are races of one species: Sarcoptes scabei.If this view is correct, then it is possible that Sarcoptes mites from one animal could infest entirely different kinds of animals.Certainly all Sarcoptes mites are superficially very similar and extremely difficult to tell apart.One thing is for sure, dogs are closely related to foxes and our pets could definitely contract mange if they came into contact with an infested fox.If that should happen, take your dog to a veterinarian because there are various treatments available that will eradicate mange mites. * t 7 » * t page 10 THE RECORD Wednesday, July 21, 1999 Reading a relative’s copy Want to show your support for the Eastern Townships ’ only English daily and help keep a 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Less than 480 per issue, less than 330 per day Name:____________________________________________________ Address: ________________________________________________ Postal Code:______________Telephone:_____________________ Payment by: d cheque d money order d Visa d MasterCard Card # _______________Expiry date:__________ ?3mos-$31°6 ?emos-W4 ?lyr - $11 9 63 RECORD &*+ The Voice of the Eastern Townships since 1897 819-569-9528 1-800-463-9525 450-242-1188 P.O.Box 1200, Sherbrooke, Qc J1H 5L6 Wednesday, July 21, 1999 page 11 ' ¦¦ THE» - Record JFK Jr.: ‘Shining light’ fades to darkness Tearful senator speaks out from behind wall of grief finding nothing.By Thane Burnett Sun Media Martha’s Vineyard To raise the dead, divers slipped into a deep blue grave yesterday.That’s how it seemed, bobbing just two miles off the southwest-most tip of Martha’s Vineyard as Massachusetts State Police underwater recovery experts dropped from their small boat before disappearing below the light chop in search of the bodies of John F.Kennedy Jr., his wife Caroline and his sister-in-law, Lauren.It was the first day they have been able to search the ocean bottom, 25 metres below, looking for the three victims and the shattered remnants of Kennedy’s single-engine Piper Saratoga II which went down somewhere here late Friday night.At the end of the day, with a storm pressing in and the Kennedy family lowering their flag to half-mast on the mainland, the divers reported Earlier in the day, Sen.Edward Kennedy released a statement that allowed a brief glimpse behind the wall of sorrow around them.“We are filled with unspeakable grief,” the Senator, JFK Jr.’s uncle, said in the statement.“John was a shining light in all our lives, and in the lives of the nation and the world that first came to know him when he was a little boy.“We pray that John, Carolyn and Lauren will find eternal rest, and that God’s perpetual light will shine on them.” Kennedy left the family compound of summer homes on Cape Cod to console Caroline Kennedy, whose 38-year-old brother’s death in a plane crash leaves her as the only surviving member of her glamorous family.“We loved him deeply, and his loss leaves an enormous void in all our lives.” The parents of Kennedy’s wife, Carolyn Bessette Kennedy, 33, and sister-in-law, Lauren Bessette, 34, said nothing in their lives could prepare them for their loss.“Each of these three young people .was the embodiment of love, accomplishment and passion for life,” they said in a statement.“John and Carolyn were true soul mates and we hope to honour them in death in the simple manner in which they chose to live their lives.We take solace in the thought that together they will comfort Lauren for eternity.” As they have throughout their lives, the Kennedy family sought some solace in athletics.Before his statement was released, Edward Kennedy was seen playing basketball with the three children of Caroline Kennedy outside her house on New York’s Long Island.Ethel Kennedy and some of her sons went sailing off Hyannisport.Later in the evening, the flag at the family compound was lowered to half-mast.While the bodies of the missing loved ones remained below water, there was bracing word on the terrifying violence of the crash.Investigators suggested Kennedy’s Piper Saratoga went into an out-of-control dive of 335 metres in 14 seconds — a far steeper descent than previously thought — as it approached Martha’s Vineyard.That would mean the plane fell at a rate of almost 1 1/2 km per minute, more than three times normal.“That airplane would not come down that fast in any normal configuration,” said Warren Morningstar, a spokesman for the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association.“The normal rate of descent you’re shooting for as a pilot is 500-700 feet per minute for passenger comfort.” Robert Pearce, heading the investigation for the U.S.National Transportation Safety Board, was reluctant to characterize the plane’s steep drop as unusual, but experts said the high-performance Piper Saratoga 32 generally cannot handle a descent faster than about 460 metres per minute.The plane’s gauge shows a maximum of 2,000 feet, or about 600 metres, per minute.One by one, the divers went down and one by one, they came up a short time later — with empty hands.The only new hard clues found yesterday were more bits of debris that washed up near a Martha’s Vineyard lighthouse at Gay Flead.Among the remnants picked up yesterday, one source told the Sun, was a package of birth control pills containing the name Caroline Bessette, a very personal reminder of the human lives lost.Canadian politicians grieve for John-John New search for bomb thief ex-private By Mark Dunn Sun Media Ottawa Prime Minister Jean Chretien and other political leaders joined the outpouring of grief yesterday over the death of John F.Kennedy Jr.in a plane crash.“News of this tragedy was received with great sadness,” Chretien said in a statement about America’s favorite son.“For almost 40 years, the Kennedy family has embodied the dreams and hopes of an entire nation.“And so it is extremely unfortunate that this family .should again suffer the blows of fate.” A spokeswoman for Chretien - who was first elected to the Commons the same year John F.Kennedy was assassinated - said the prime minister did not plan to attend funeral services for the son of the slain U.S.president.Nor did Chretien personally call the Kennedy family to express his sorrow, the spokeswoman said.Tory Leader Joe Clark, meanwhile, sent a letter to his friend Senator Edward Kennedy to express his condolences about the death of his nephew, JFK Jr.’s wife Carolyn Bessette and her sister Lauren Bessette.A spokeswoman later explained that Clark and the elder Kennedy worked on several projects together while the Tory boss was a consultant after leaving public office.In the letter Clark said he wrote with a heavy heart, adding the younger Kennedy’s generation “lost a leader - someone to whom the torch could have been handed.” John Fitzgerald Kennedy Jr.Top military force asked to find man suspected of carrying explosives By Stephanie Rubec Sun Media Ottawa The military’s top investigation force has been asked to hunt down a soldier accused of ferrying stolen plastic explosives on a passenger plane.The Sun reported yesterday that the soldier, who has since been released from the military, was charged more than a year ago but has never been brought to court.Cmdr.Jim Price, the Judge Advocate General’s director of prosecutions and appeals, said his office has no idea where the former private is.Price said he’ll now ask the military’s National Investigation Service to launch a search for Raul Del Villar.“This case is complicated by the fact that he was out (of the military) when he was charged, he then changed addresses and his location became unknown to us,” he said.“Generally, we are fairly quick in terms of bringing someone we have charged to trial.” But Reform MP Art Hanger said the military’s failure to try Del Villar shows it can’t police its own troops and called for an independent police force headed by an inspector general.Del Villar, a former member of the Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry, was charged in May 1998 under the Defence Act with unlawfully possessing explosives, theft under $5,000, possession of property obtained by crime and taking an explosive substance on a civil aircraft.Defence and court documents allege that Del Villar and Princess Pat’s Pte.Eldon Peters stole 3.4 kg of C-4 explosives during a Chilliwack, B.C., military exercise in July 1997.Peters returned to his Edmonton base on a DND flight with half the C-4, but left it in an amnesty box, according to reports.Peters was later acquitted.An alleged plot to steal more weapons was foiled when one of Del Villar’s friends told military police of the stolen C-4.Price has up to three years after the offence to prosecute the case.The Record News that’ll blow your mind page 12 Wednesday, July 21, 1999 Record Raspberries: from pies and sundaes to vinegar tilllll By Rita DeMontis Sun Media As sure as it’s summer, it’s raspberry season.These sweet little mouthfuls are prized not only for their delicate flavour but for their versatility in the kitchen as well.They’re a dessert lover’s dream, as they can be blended, whipped, used as a garnish, turned into jam, or eaten straight up, with perhaps a hint of dusting sugar.Others enjoy them with fresh milk, on cereal or ice cream.They also look very elegant in a glass of champagne! Raspberries are full of surprises but the biggest surprise yet is that picking season, like everything else this year, has come early.You can thank Mother Nature for that.And they’re a fabulous source of of vitamins C, A and fibre.For more details about farms, check with your local grower or call the Berry HotLine at 1- 800-263 - 3262.For up-to-date information, be sure to check the Web site - www.ontberries.com.And you can enjoy the following recipes.Fresh raspberry sorbet This is the perfect dessert to capture the luscious taste of fresh raspberries.Taste the fruit mixture before freezing and adjust the sweetness level.Serve in hollowed-out lemon halves or fresh pitted peach halves.The added bonus - it’s fat-free! From Foodland Ontario.21/2 cups fresh raspberries, pureed and sieved 1/2 cup liquid honey 1/4 cup white corn syrup 1.Combine pureed fruit, honey and corn syrup; chill until very cold.Stir well and pour into ice-cream maker.Freeze according to manufacturer’s directions.2.If you don’t have an ice-cream maker, freeze mixture in a bowl in freezer.Remove after 2 to 3 hours and stir well, or mix in a food processor for 2 to 3 minutes.Refreeze, then repeat twice more.Raspberry creme brulee A good creme brulee is judged by a sweet, brittle sugar cover that cracks beautifully to reveal an equally delicious soft interior.Raspberries give this recipe a heightened flavour dimension.From Classic Desserts (HarperCollins).1 cup whipping cream 1 cup milk 2 eggs 2 egg yolks 2/3 cup sugar 5 oz.raspberries 1/3 cup sugar 4 ramekins (or small ceramic pots) 1.Preheat oven to 320F.Place cream and milk in a saucepan and bring slowly to a boil.2.In a bowl, whisk eggs, egg yolks and sugar until light and fluffy.Blend in small amount of heated cream mixture into egg mixture.Slowly combine two mixtures together until thoroughly blended.3.Evenly distribute fresh raspberries among 4 ramekins, or into one large oven-proof dish.Evenly distribute custard mixture.Place dish or dishes in a large roasting pan.Fill pan with hot water to halfway up sides of dish or dishes.Place pan in oven and bake for 45-50 minutes.4.Remove from oven.Remove dish or dishes from pan, cover and refrigerate overnight.Before serving, sprinkle extra sugar over top of dish or dishes and place under a hot grill until sugar has caramelized.(A blow torch can be used with much care!) Let brulee cool for 3-4 minutes so that sugar hardens.Serve with fresh berries.Serves 4.Raspberry fool There’s no fool like a raspberry fool -light and refreshing and easy to create.From Foodland Ontario.4 cups raspberries 1 tsp.lemon juice Sugar to taste 1/2 cup whipping cream 3/4 cup sour cream Puree berries with lemon juice and sugar.Whip cream, combine with sour cream, stir into berry puree.Chill; serve in individual dessert dishes, with cake and cookies.Serves 4 to 6.Raspberry coulis A smooth sauce made from uncooked fruit puree is sometimes known as a coulis.It can be sweetened as much or as little as you like.Add a squeeze of lemon juice or a little fruit liqueur to accentuate and enhance the flavour.If using frozen berries, partially thaw them and drain on kitchen paper towels before pureeing.From Berries, A Book Of Recipes (Lorenz Books).SUN MEDIA 1.To make coulis, puree 2 to 4 cups fresh berries in a blender or food processor.Pulse machine on and off a few times and scrape down bowl to make sure all berries are pureed.Press through a fine-mesh nylon sieve to remove any fibres and seeds.Add icing sugar, lemon juice or fruit-flavoured liqueur, to taste.2.For frozen berries, place in a saucepan with a little sugar and soften over a gentle heat to release juices.Simmer for 5 minutes, allow to cool, before pressing through a sieve.Raspberry vinegar A splash of raspberry vinegar on fresh salads or fruits is the perfect summer treat.Adapted from Dressings And Marinades (Macmillan).ll/2cups white white vinegar 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar 1 lb.fresh raspberries 1/4 cup sugar 1-2 whole cloves (optional) 1.Combine both vinegars.Put fruit into a non-metallic bowl or jar.Add a little of vinegar blend and crush fruit with back of a wooden spoon to release juice.Add remaining vinegar, cover and leave in a cool place for 1 week, stirring occasionally.2.Stir vinegar into a saucepan, add sugar and heat gently, stirring until sugar has dissolved.Bring to a boil.Cool.3.Pour vinegar into a clean bottle, cover and store in a cool, dark place.Makes about 2 cups.Grand Marnier berry pie An elegant dessert that’s easy to ere ate and perfect for a summer evening! Courtesy of Ontario Berry Growers Association.2/3 cups flaked coconut 1/4 cup icing sugar 1/4 tsp.cream of tartar 3 egg whites 2/3 cups sugar 4 cups fresh frozen berries 1/2 cup Grand Marnier 1 cup whipping cream, whipped 1.Combine coconut and icing sugar, set aside.2.Beat egg whites and cream of tartar until foamy, add sugar slowly, beat well after each addition, until mixture stands in peaks.Fold in coconut, spread mixture in a buttered 9-inch pie plate.3.Bake in 325F oven 30 minutes, or until meringue feels dry and firm; cool.4.Place sliced or whole frozen berries in Grand Marnier for 1-2 hours.Before serving, drain berries, reserve liqueur.5.Whip cream until stiff, sweeten to taste; fold in berries; fill meringue shell; decorate with extra berries.Serve in slices, top with reserved liqueur.Makes 1-inch pie.Easy berry pie Store-bought pie or tart shells work in a pinch with this lovely creation.Courtesy of Ontario Berry Growers Association 2 tbsp.gelatin 1/2 cup sugar 3 cups unsweetened fruit juice (strawberry, raspberry or others) 4 cups partially thawed strawberries of raspberries 1 9-inch baked pie shell OR tart shells 2 tbsp.creme de menthe Whipped cream or topping 1.Soften gelatin in a little unsweetened juice, add 1/2 remaining juice and sugar, heat to dissolve gelatin.Remove from heat.Add remaining juice.2.Place in refrigerator to chill until consistency of raw egg whites.Stir occasionally.3.Fold in partially thawed berries and creme de menthe, spoon into pie shell (or tart shells); refrigerate to set.4.Serve with whipped cream or whipped topping.Berry sundae pie A perfect dessert anytime with Ontario fresh frozen or fresh strawberries, raspberries or blueberries.Courtesy of Ontario Berry Growers Association 1 baked pie shell or crumb shell 4 cups vanilla ice cream 4 cups thawed Ontario raspberries 1/3 cup sugar 2 tbsp.cornstarch 2 tbsp.lemon juice 1.Gently spread ice cream over pie shell or crust; freeze.2.For the sauce: Crush 1/2 berries, add sugar and cornstarch.3.Cook and stir over medium heat until mixture begins to thicken.Stir in lemon juice, continue cooking until thick and clear, 3-4 minutes, chill.Fold in remaining berries; serve cold. 9mm gntii.Jrii f MjlJLL jj jjj Il II II Wm sgpmm «g®* ^W0m' *•* •¦, ijPiP *¦'¦ .T * ¦*cyt* i RECORD: Wednesday, July 21, 1999 page 13 ‘Land of living skies boasts many attractions By Donald L.Telfer Special to Sun Media Abernethy, Sask.Saskatchewan is the “Land of Living Skies.” As if that weren’t enough of a billing, Horizon Country in the southeastern comer of the province boasts more sunshine than anywhere else in Canada.This rather large corner of the country is where you find endless grain fields, tranquil villages, and residents who extend a genuinely warm welcome to visitors.A rugged land broken by homesteaders in the late 19th century, Horizon Country also has a few surprises, like the enormous Motherwell Homestead.Located off the beaten track along a dusty gravel road, this prairie landmark is well worth a detour.Built at a time of good fortune and great optimism, the homestead began as a tiny settlement after William Richard Motherwell was wooed west in the 1880s with the prospect of free farmland.Motherwell was born in 1860 in Perth, situated in what was then known as Canada West.As the fourth son of a farmer, he realized his inheritance would be slim, so he attended the new Ontario Agricultural College in Guelph to prepare himself for the future.Armed with a degree, Mother-well was drawn by the lure of free land in the Northwest Territories.After discovering that most of the land along the new Canadian Pacific Railway was already taken, a chance encounter at Fort Qu’ Appelle with a North West Mounted Police officer resulted in Motherwell heading to Pheasant Plains, east of town.While other farmers grew wheat, oats and barley, the resourceful gentleman planted imported Austrian brome grass and sold the seed to other farmers.“He travelled 5,000 miles a year, hauling his seed by horse and wagon.But he made 10 times more money than what other farmers did on wheat,” said Tim Mc-Cashin, a Parks Canada guide.Capitalizing on his good fortune, Motherwell was determined his family would have a better life than the squalid sod shack they had called home for a dozen years.Designed to resemble a rural Ontario estate, the impressive homestead was divided into four quadrants — barn, domestic, garden and water supply.“It was a monument to optimism,” Mc-Cashin says.“He was still holding the Victorian belief that thrift, hard work, and fear of God would bring prosperity.This was before any of the renowned prairie bust cycles.” East of the huge L-shaped bam were ornamental gardens which contained tennis courts, flower beds, flowering bushes and trees.The two-storey Italianate house was resplendent with all the luxuries of the day, such as a washing machine, ice box and a handsome Mason & Risch piano in the parlour.Motherwell, a master farmer, is still known for the significant contributions he made to agriculture.But the entrepreneurial easterner was also a skilled politician.When Saskatchewan joined Confedera- Historic significance.The Legislative building in Regina overlooks a flower bed.tion in 1905, Premier Walter Scott asked Motherwell to be his minister of agriculture.After a dispute with Scott over the government’s attempt to curtail French language rights, he left provincial politics and entered the federal arena.Between 1921 and 1930, he served two terms as minister of agriculture in Ottawa.The “grand old man of Canadian agriculture” finally retired from politics in 1939.He died four years later.Motherwell’s restored homestead is now a national historic park.From May through August, a staff of 15 costumed guides operate the farmstead.They also care for the animals in the bam which are donated over the summer by local farmers.Near the Motherwell Homestead is the Qu’Appelle Valley, a verdant sunken garden that stretches across the southern two-thirds of the province.A dramatic contrast to the adjoining prairiescape, the beautiful valley is comprised of a long, narrow strip of scenic lakes, provincial parks and historic sites.Located between Fishing and Mission lakes, Fort Qu’Appelle is one of the oldest communities in southern Saskatchewan.Established in 1864, “The Fort” was a trading post for the Hudson’s Bay Company from which it served the needs of the booming fur trade.Adjacent to the HBC Store is the Fort Qu’Appelle Museum, a stone and log building which contains Indian artifacts, pioneer photos, and North West Mounted Police paraphernalia.The neighbouring village of Lebret contains one of the valley’s landmarks.Sacred Heart Church, on the shaded shore of Fishing Lakes, is a grand Gothic-style structure built from fieldstone.Adjacent to the church is the Rectory, which has been in continual use since it was constructed in 1866.On a hillside overlooking the town is Lebret Shrine.The 14 Stations of the Cross line the winding footpath which leads to a small chapel, erected by the congregation for the Easter pilgrimage.A short drive away, the capital of Saskatchewan — Regina — was named for Queen Victoria by her daughter, Princess Louise, who was married to the Governor General of Canada.Christened in 1882 when the Canadian Pacific Railway made its way west, Regina became the capital of the Northwest Territories the following year and the capital of the new province in 1905.Reginians are proud of their modern city, which is virtually man-made, including the 350,000 hand-planted trees, and the “emerald jewel” Wascana Centre, with its lake, urban park and legislative building.Designed by Edward and W.S.Maxwell of Montreal, parts of the Tyndall stone building were modelled after France’s Palace of Versailles.The most-visited Regina attraction is the RCMP Training Academy.Interesting are the Centennial Museum and RCMP Chapel; the latter dates from the creation of the Academy in 1882.Some 70 km west of Regina is Moose Jaw.Originally an Aboriginal and fur traders’ campground, Moose Jaw — from the Cree word “moosegaw” meaning “warm breezes” — became a thriving town on the CPR main line.Many landmarks were built by the Moose Jaw population in the early years, including the post office, fire hall and court house.Beneath many of the buildings, Chinese railway workers dodging racist gangs and the “head tax” built tunnels which were used to smuggle liquor SUN MEDIA during Prohibition.Moose Jaw’s reputation as the capital of sin on the prairies spread during the ‘20s, attracting such gangsters as A1 Capone.Situated in the heart of wheat country, Moose Jaw now is a prosperous community, thanks to the Canadian Forces Base south of the city, which is the largest jettraining base in Canada.Pilots from NATO countries are trained here.The main tourist attraction is the Temple Gardens Mineral Spa with its naturally heated waters supplied by a 4,500-foot-deep well.At the end of the day, even Robert Motherwell would agree, there’s nothing quite like a prairie sunset.BOTTOM LINE GETTING THERE:The W.R.Motherwell Homestead National Historic Site is located 100 km northeast of Regina.Between Regina and the Motherwell Homestead is the scenic Qu’Appelle Valley where the historic town of Fort Qu’Appelle and the neighbouring village of Lebret are found.WHERE TO STAYThere is a variety of hotels from budget to luxury in Regina.Closest accommodations to the Motherwell Homestead are in Fort Qu’Appelle.INFORMATIONTourism Saskatchewan, 500-1900 Albert St., Regina, Sask.S4P 4L9.Phone 1-800-667-7191.PLACES TO STAY: Company House B & B, adjacent to Town Office.Fort Qu’Appelle, Sask.S0G, ISO.Doubles, $55.Phone (306) 3326333.Fieldstone Inn B & B.Historic property in the Qu’Appelle Valley 20 minutes north of Regina.S4R 8R7.Doubles, $75.Phone (306) 731-2377.Delta Regina, 1919 Saskatchewan Dr., Regina, Sask.S4P 4H2.Doubles, from $89.Phone 1-800-209-3555. .f ' - ç ,