The record, 23 juillet 2008, mercredi 23 juillet 2008

THE RECORD The voice of the Eastern Townships since 1897 SUBARU SHERBROOKE - Estrlo Auto Contre - Come see our new showrooms ¦MMMHmmhm 75 CENTS + TAXES PM#OOMXX)7682 Wednesday, July 23, 2008 She loves Richmond And she loves stories By Nick Fonda Special to The Record Richmond If you live in Val St.François and you like to talk, you might want to give Isabelle Gosselin a call.The multi-faceted artist is collecting oral histories as part of a project which will result in three public presentations over the course of the summer — with the first scheduled for this weekend.“Since I was looking for stories,” says the Richmond resident, “I started by dropping in at a place in town where people often stop for a chat, Richmond Hardware.Paul and Mark O’Donnell gave me a few names of people with unusual stories.I’ve interviewed about a dozen people so far.One Please see Stories on Page 4 The Hours NIKKI JOHNSTON Businesses are staying open till 6 p.m.(or some are, at least), as part of the effort to revitalize Knowlton's downtown area.See page 5.Four dead Four days into holiday By Rita Legault Sherbrooke The construction holiday death toll on local highways continues to rise with two new fatalities, on Monday afternoon and in the wee hours of Tuesday morning.The first accident, a head-on collision, occurred late Monday afternoon on Route 143 in Ul-' verton.A slippery highway due to a heavy rainfall, and the failure to adapt speed to worsening road conditions, are likely the two main causes of the accident, said Sûreté du Quebec spokesman Louis-Philippe Ruel.Ruel said a 47-year-old woman from Kingsbury was behind the wheel of a Toyota Corolla when she lost control of her vehicle.She ended up in the oncoming lane and collided with an Acura MDX.The fatal accident occurred around 4:20 p.m.about 5 km east of Ulverton on an isolated stretch of highway.There were no eyewitnesses.The woman’s badly damaged car ended up in the oncoming lane.The other car ended up on the edge of the ditch crushed against a rock.The crash started a fire onboard the SUV.Richmond firefighters, who rushed ot the scene, extinguished it quickly.Ambulance drivers tried to reanimate the Kingsbury woman who was in cardiac arrest.She was declared dead Please see Accidents on Page 4 Prepare yourself! Townshippers’ wants you to book now PAGE 2 To Cameroon She wants to help, but says she’s realistic, too PAGE 7 Editorial .6 Sports .10 Births & Deaths.11 Annie’s Mailbox .12 Comics.13 Classifieds.14 Horoscope.15 Crossword.15 rulie Rodier thésiste • MAGOG ZG&, St-Patrice West Ô19.Ô47.2244 .STANSTEAD Z& Notre-Dame W.• COATICOOK (In Diane Vaitlancourt’e Pharmacy) Clinicpje familiale 1,077.302-2770 271 Child Ô19.Ô49.4ÔOÔ Full service o-P hearing aide page 2 Wednesday, July 23, 2008 ¦¦IHK—¦¦ RECORD Wanted! Businesses, volunteers, writers and artists IJohsoiH-*1! PRENEURS ws!nfeti(jue< J Sps « On T-Day Opportunity is knocking for Townships businesses at the Townshippers @ Work exhibit area at Town-shippers’ Day 2008 on Saturday, Sept.20, in Sutton! T-Day is expected to draw 8,000 to 10,000 people from the Eastern Townships and beyond, and an important section of the exhibit area is earmarked for business and work-related booths.If you would like to reach this pool of potential customers, clients or job seekers, now is the time to book your place! Businesses and government agencies will be provided space to advertise products, services or job openings in one of three Exhibitors’ Areas, the prime location for visitor traffic.This is also the time for Young Entrepreneurs to shine! In addition to spaces for local area businesses located in T-Day Exhibitors’ Areas, a special location has been designated to feature an array of young entrepreneurs from around the Eastern Townships.This is a perfect chance to start up, expand, and network, as you interact with thousands of local visitors; each one a potential investor, customer, or col- _______ league.Ask about our special reduced rate registration for young entrepreneurs.Registration for regular spaces in the Townshippers @ Work section is $100 and includes a one-year membership to Townshippers’ Association, for those who wish.Young Entrepreneurs will receive a reduced rate.COURTESY TOWNSHIPPERS' ASSOCIATION The Dobson-Lagassé Entrepreneurship Centre was abuzz with people interested in its support network for new entrepreneurs, and other services.That was in the Townshippers @ Work exhibit area at the 2007 Townshippers' Day at Bishop’s University.Your agency or business can, too, be part of the buzz at the 2008 T-Day in Sutton - if you register now.Keeping In Touch For more information or to obtain a Townshippers @ Work registration form, contact Charles Burke, Townshippers’ Day assistant, at 819-566-5717 (1-866-566-5717) or ta2@townshippers.qc.ca.Space is limited, so act now.Looking for volunteers! Townshippers Association The Sutton Townshippers' Day Organizing Committee is looking for volunteers to help make Townshippers’ Day 2008 a great success.On Sept.20 from 9 a.m.to 5 p.m., volunteers are needed for the fol- Giveaway The winners of the Uplands gift certificates for Tea for 2 are Deanna McNab of Sherbrooke and Nancy Bryant of Magog.Congratulations from The Record and Uplands! Reminder to Readers Just a reminder to readers of The Record that Brome County News, usually inserted in the Wednesday Record, is on holiday this week.Brome County News will return next week.lowing tasks: • Assist at information ldosks • Assist exhibitors early in the morning • Assist with children’s and seniors’ activities • Assist with parking • Be hosts and hostesses to welcome the public and give out programs • Be hosts and hostesses on the shuttle buses • Be part of the Green Team (recycling and composting project).People wishing to help out are not required to volunteer for the entire day, giving them time off to participate in the many planned activities.Volunteer coordinator Melanie Davidson will ask volunteers to meet early in September for an orientation to the day’s activities.Volunteers receive a free breakfast and T-shirt to thank them for their valuable help.If you or anyone you know is interested in lending a hand, or would like more information on any of the volunteer tasks, please contact Melanie Davidson at the Tourist Office in Sutton at 450-538-8455, or Kate Wisdom at Townshippers’ Association’s Cowansville office at 450-263-4422, toll free 1-866-263-4422, o r kw@townshippers.qc.ca.Sign up today and help make T-Day 2008 one of the most exciting events of the fall! Calling writers and artists Countdown: Just eight days until Aug.1, the deadline for submissions to Taproot.Don’t miss your date with destiny! Townshippers’ Association is seeking creative works from the Eastern Townships artistic community for the fourth volume of Taproot, featuring poetry, prose, photos and artworks.Anyone living in the Eastern Townships is eligible to submit a piece for this unique opportunity to be published.For further information and submission guidelines, quickly contact Cathy Turner at Townshippers’ Association at ct@townshippers.qc.ca or 819-566-5717 or toll free at 1-866-566-5717.Opening hours Just an update about opening hours: Townshippers’ Association's Lennoxville office will be closed to the public the week of July 28 to Aug.1.Then the Cowansville office will be closed to the public the week of Aug.4 to 8.Otherwise, both offices are open 8:30 a.m.to 4:30 p.m., Monday to Friday.Townshippers’ Association is a nonpartisan, NON-PROFIT COMMUNITY ORGANIZATION SERVING THE ENGLISH-SPEAKING COMMUNITY OF THE EASTERN TOWNSHIPS.Contact: 100-257 Queen, Sherbrooke (819-566-5717, 1-866-566-5717) OR 203 Principale, Cowansville (450-263-4422, 1-866-263-4422), ta@townshippers.qc.ca;.www.townshippers.qc.ca.The Info Service (info@townshippers.qc.ca) is at THE CONFIDENTIAL NUMBER, 819-566-2182 (1-877-566-2182).Weather Today: Cloudy.Showers beginning in the morning.Wind becoming 20 km/h in the morning.Low 19.High 21.Thursday: Rain.Low 14.High 20.Friday: Cloudy with 40 per cent chance of showers.Low 12.High 25.Saturday: Sunny.Low 12.High 26.Ben by Daniel Shelton 90 NTWE4R l 1/A NOT WEARING .-AN Y SOCKS,.^ ' m MO.PONT WEAR WHITE SOCKS EITHER-ANY , SOCKS ATALU &LACK SOCKS WITH YOUR SHORTS, BEN " — mi» RECORD WudnHSDAY, July 23, 2008 page 3 Beach re-opened after algae scare Daily inspections By Joe Strizzi Sherbrooke T^iose looking to escape the humidity with a dip in the Deauville Beach waters on Monday were greeted with signs reading Beach Closed.Lifeguards noticed green vegetation floating on top of the water before opening for the day, and contacted CHARMES, the agency responsible for examining the water quality.Biologists confirmed that there were higher than usual amounts of blue-green algae at the Sherbrooke beach, whose water originates from Lake Magog by means of the Saint-François River.“The level is what we call a category two, where there are increased amounts of local cyanobacteria, but nothing to be too concerned about,” said CHARMES president Paul Beaudoin.“We closed the beach, as is procedure, but in this case, we could say it was only precautionary.” Part of the procedure that Beaudoin mentioned was to inform the municipality, and the provincial departments of health and environment, all of which agreed with CHARMES’ recommendation to close the beach.However, the blue-green algae soon began to recede from the shoreline.“Around 2 p.m.on Monday, the vegetation and greenish colour disappeared, most likely from being swept away by the current.Our course of action required that the beach remain closed for 24 hours, and then if bacteria did not return, we could re-open the beach,” Beaudoin said.So as of 2 p.m.Tuesday afternoon, beach operations returned to normal, and Beaudoin, looking to relieve concerns about swimming in the water, said this is normal practice.“The lifeguards perform inspections every day.Keep in mind that cyanobacteria have existed forever, and are in the water 365 days a year.There are episodes where they are more fre- quent and at higher levels, and that’s when we intervene.There is no way to eliminate it, but we can control it if government puts harsher restrictions on phosphorous emissions," Beaudoin said.That statement by Beaudoin has now been confirmed by researchers at the University of Alberta, who have pinpointed the chemical triggers for this problem that plagues thousands of freshwater and coastal ecosystems around the world.Their experiment spanned 37 years.By pumping various pollutants into Lake 227, a small pristine spot in the Experimental Lakes region of northern Ontario, they were able to pin down which chemical nutrients were key to triggering cyanobacteria blooms.“Phosphorous really is the key,” said scientist David Schindler, whose study is highlighted in the U.S.-based Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences this week.“Canada’s struggle to control blue green algae is only going to get worse because industrial, agricultural and municipal growth is pumping more nutrients into water supplies that are decreasing in size and volume.” Not only does the government have to pull out all stops to control phosphorous, Schindler said, it needs to protect Wetlands that remove these nutrients from runoff before they reach lakes and streams.It also needs to set up rules that create natural buffer zones that protect lakes and rivers from agricultural, municipal and cottage developments.In a commentary in this week’s Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, American scientist Stephen Carpenter said global expansion of aquatic “dead zones” caused by algae blooms is rising rapidly.There are now 146 coastal regions in the world in which fish and bottom-feeding life forms have been entirely eliminated because of a lack of oxygen.One dead zone in the Gulf of Mexico is about the size of the city of New Jersey — and growing.- With files from Canwest News Service Fête du lac by the numbers Staff Sherbrooke While the Fête du lac des Nations summer festival opened under sunny skies with record crowds, the rain caused the crowds to thin by the end of the six-day event.Organizers estimated more than 30,000 people were on hand for the opening last Tuesday, but a mere 15,000 showed for the soggy finish to the festival on Sunday.In all organizers say a total of 175,000 people participated in this year’s event, the 28th annual Fête du lac.That compares to almost 200,000 last summer.They blame the lower turnout on three days of rain.But the festival was not without successes.Creedence Clearwater Revisited (CCR), the main attraction on Saturday night, greeted 30 per cent of the crowd of this year’s festival.Volunteers also sold a record 160 barrels of beer.Also attracting its fair share of festival goers was the annual fireworks competition, won this year by Fireworks Spectacular Canada from Alberta.It was a fourth Coupe des Dieux for the western province, which presented the py- rotechnical show on Friday night.More than 300 volunteers helped ensure the success of the annual event, said organizers in a press release.IT’S SUMMERTIME! NOTICE TO SUBSCRIBERS Summer Schedule: June 16th to August 15th Are you moving, or going away on vacation?Don’t wait until the last minute to let us know.Please give us at least one week’s notice during this busy time.Thank you i?Frni?n 819-569 JtVJLV A7IVU arrnimti ntt&vii Brie i Magog book sale The Magog library's giant fundraising used book sale begins tomorrow.The foundation of the Memphremagog library holds its sale Thursday (from 6 p.m.to 9 p.m.), Friday (9 a.m.to 9 p.m.) and Saturday (9 a.m.to 2 p.m.) at the La Ruche high school, at 1255 Boulevard des Étudiants in Magog.French and English-language books will be for sale.“The profits,” according to a release, “will help to buy new book collections, or other services connected to the library.” Coq Rôti resto lockout Le Roi du Coq-Rôti employees, on their way to work Saturday morning, found the doors to the restaurant locked, according to a press release from their union, the CSN.The 49 employees of the Camirand Street restaurant in Sherbrooke were locked out, said the CSN, as negotiations concerning working hours have fallen apart.Serge Lemay, president of the Coq-Rôti union, said that this time, the doors may be closed for good.“It wouldn't surprise me if they will close the restaurant down,” Lemay told the media.“The owners are super rich, and since we’ve unionized, they lost their sole pleasure in life, controlling the employees.” A meeting is set for July 29.Dear Readers, RECORD HAS TICKETS TO GIVE AWAY! FOR FAMILY FUN: 2 sets of 4 tickets for Parc Safari! Check out www.parcsafari.com to see all the fun you can have.F0H GOFF FANS: 1 pair of tickets to Club de Golf Venise, 1519 ch.He la Riviere, Magog - 18 holes on the Deauville Circuit 2 pairs of tickets for Longchamp Golf Club, 3455 rue du Golf, Sherbrooke - 18 holes The drawings will be held on August 6 at noon.Winners will be notified the same day.(only 1 winner per household) Please mail in your entries, clearly indicating which tickets you would like, to RECORD 1195 Galt St.East Sherbrooke, QC JIG 1Y7 Keep on reading your daily English newspaper for local news, sports, contests, and more! 52287 page 4 Wednesday, July 23, 2008 - ¦¦¦INK ¦ RECORD • - .kM' i/m «JpJw TÉÉ5É ®#é1P attention Stories: Cont’d from Page 1 thing I’ve noticed is that people will often begin by telling me they don't have any stories to tell and then end up talking for two hours into niy little microphone.” After an interview, Gosselin wiir spend several hours transcribing the stories from her small digital recorder.These written texts will then be selected and arranged for an hour-long show which is going to be titled Contes valeureux pour un val.heureux, or in English, Validating Stories for a Happy Valley.“The presentations will be bilingual," she explains.“Not everyone is comfortable in front of a crowd and not all the contributors will be going up on stage, so many of the stories will be told or read by me if they’re in French, or by Nick Fonda if they're in English.” (Yes, that’s this reporter.) Gosselin has undertaken this project in part due to Annie Vincent who works for the Centre local de développement économique du Val St.François.The project received a grant of $3,000 from Le Fonds d’initiatives cul-turelles-Promutuel (FIC) du Val St-François.“Annie has been very supportive of and helpful to the artistic community in general,” Gosselin notes.“In my case the grant is to help with a total of three projects that I’m working on this summer and fall.” Besides the oral histories, Gosselin is Isabelle Gosselin (at right) listened to Monique Marcotte MacDonald recounting stories from the past.AETCTV eOBMEB VOV! preparing a one-woman show in words and music which pays homage to the St.Francis River, as well as a second show, designed to teach school-aged children about the area they live in.“The oral histories are fascinating in their own right,” Gosselin says, “but they are also leading me to answer some personal questions — in particular, what is it about this area that makes me so glad to be living here?” Born in Sherbrooke, Isabelle Gosselin started playing violin as a three-year-old.At Each and every drawing We receive are so well done, with so much attention to details.Ho matter what the a^e of the child.Çuch a joy to receive and open.Keep sending them in./ley bids, do not lor^et to put your name and phone number on the back of the drawing.Happy Drah’mp! Çend to: The Record : Artists Corner îigç Galt East ‘sherbrooke, Quebec JiG 1Y7 six or seven, she would pen short stories and slide them as little gifts under the doors of her two older sisters.“I never wrote anything for my bother,” she confesses.“He was a full 10 years older than me and he was a little intimidating, but I think my sisters liked my stories.” Her parents enrolled her in the Classes d’art program which allowed her to learn music as part of her academic school work.“I remember being bitterly disappointed though, because they didn’t offer any theatre, and I wanted to act on stage.” After Cégep she enrolled at McGill University to study music with the intention of becoming an orchestral musician.It didn’t happen.“I first came to Richmond as an 18-year-old Cégep student, to teach violin courses at the Centre d’art.Four years later, after finishing at McGill, I returned to the Centre d’art for a few years.Since then I’ve been teaching piano and violin privately in Richmond.It’s not the same as playing in an orchestra, but it has allowed me to spend at least part of my time acting and writing, which I wouldn’t have been able to do otherwise.” As an actress, she has worked with both Patrick Quintal and Rita Lafontaine, both as an amateur and as a semi-professional.Last May, for the first time, she played in a short film called Amanda which screened in a Montreal festival.She has also written seven plays for younger audiences which she presented in numerous schools and libraries in the province.On Oct.19, her play “Le trapèze” (for adults) will be read on nick fonda stage by professional actors in Sherbrooke.Musically, she is an accomplished violinist who has played with many musicians, including singer Kate Morrison, pianist Francine Beaubien, and guitarist Marc Paradis.“The oral histories project is going to remain something of a work in progress,” she says.“We’re presenting it outdoors in the new park on Main Street in Richmond” on Saturday, July 26 and Aug.23 at 7:30, and then on Sept.27 at La Poudrière in Windsor at 2 o’clock.“But the show may well change from one presentation to the next if I’m approached with more stories.” If you live (or used to live) in the Richmond, Windsor or Valcourt area, and you have a story to tell, contact Isabelle Gosselin at 819-826-5205.Accident: Cont’d from Page 1 upon arrival at the Centre hospitalier universitaire de Sherbrooke in Fleurimont.The other driver received minor injuries.Route 143 between Melbourne Township and l’Avenir was closed for hours while investigators examined the scene.Hours later, a six-year-old child was killed when ejected from the back seat in a single car crash on the Eastern Townships Autoroute near Magog.Police believe the child was not wearing a seat belt.Police believe the mother of the child, who was behind wheel of a mini-van, fell asleep before losing control.The vehicle crossed over into the median, hit the concrete base of a highway light, and did several rollovers, said the SQ’s Louis-Philippe Ruel.The accident occurred in Omerville not far from the Ciné Parc Orford drive-in.Ruel said that’s just before the highway construction site where workers are repaving a stretch of the autoroute.Jérémy Therrien, of Saint-François-Xavier-de-Brompton, was rushed to the CHUS-Fleurimont where he was declared dead.The woman’s spouse, who was in the passenger seat, was badly injured.The driver escaped with minor injuries.Police have opened an investigation to deter- mine the exact causes of the accident.The two fatalities doubled the number of deadly accidents since the start of the construction holiday on Friday afternoon.On the weekend, a 22-year-old Sherbrooke man was killed in a police chase when he tried to escape getting intercepted by police patrollers for infractions to the highway safety code in downtown Magog.During the high-speed chase, the man lost control in a curve on Merry North, hit a culvert, and landed upside down in a driveway.Firefighters were called to cut the man out of his car with hydraulic shears.Ambulance drivers attempted to reanimate him, but he died from his injuries at the scene.Provincial police were called in to investigate the accident because it involved a high speed chase with the Memphremagog cops.The other fatality of the weekend occurred in a hit-and-run accident in Courcelles.The victim, a man in his thirties, left bar Chez Basile on foot and was hit less than a kilometer away.The man’s body was found beside the road the next morning by a resident of Rang 8, said police.His injuries indicated he was hit by a car, but there were no witnesses to the accident.A police investigation into the fatal hit and run has been launched.SQ investigators are trying to locate people who might have seen the victim before the accident. JRECORD: Wednesday, July 23, 2008 page 5 Keeping Disney out of Brome Lake ‘It needs to be a real place where we can live’ By Nikki Johnston Knowlton Organizers say research that would allow the Town of Brome Lake’s Rue Principales Committee to reinvigorate the downtown is in full swing.The town hired the Fondation Rues Principales, a Quebec not-for-profit community development agency, to act as facilitators for a downtown revitalization plan — increasing activity, drawing people to the town centre, and identifying short and long-term challenges to be overcome by building on existing and potential resources.“The revitalization effort has to be based on what the community is,” said committee president Jacques Lecours.“We don’t want to make it into an artificial Disney type of place.We don’t want Lac Brome to be essentially a tourist destination, it needs to be a real place where we can live,” he continued.The committee met Monday night at the community centre to follow up on its current efforts, but the meeting was closed to reporters.Lecours gave The Record an interview Tuesday to bring readers up to date.He said the committee is concentrating part of its efforts on Knowlton’s downtown core, but is also looking at surrounding boroughs.The villages of Foster, Fulford and West-Brome are lesser known areas, said Lecours.“Residents of Brome Lake may not 2^ NIKKI JOHNSTON An empty building on Lakeside.know about them,” said Lecours, adding that the committee will try to up the public profiles of these places, encouraging residents to support those businesses.The committee is looking into decorating the windows of vacant buildings in town, notably the location of the old Tradition.The Knowlton Road building is currently for sale, and owned by Sobey’s.A subcommittee is working on an agreement on opening hours for merchants and inn keepers.A meeting for both parties was held in mid June to discuss that all businesses to stay open until at least 6 p.m.second largest employer in the are.a.“It draws 27,000 people to the area, for a total of 5.1 million [dollars] into our economy.We use this to show downtown businesses that inns are important, and if they join, inns will help promote their businesses," said Alexandre.Four types of surveys are being carried out; for residents, visitors, employees and merchants.A firm in Bromont was hired to conduct telephone questionnaires, then contracted out to a company in Sherbrooke.The surveys are expected to be completed by August, when data analysis will start.The committee has decided not to be directly involved with the inaugural classical Bel Canto festival this year, but will be looking into a potential partnership for next season.However, the Montreal Symphony Orchestra has hired the Fondation Rues Principales to conduct a baseline survey to learn who will be attending the event.“The initial strategy was to advertise the festival in Montreal, Boston and New York, but it turns out that most tickets have been purchased by locals,” said Lecours.The committee also hopes to hold a public event and a tour activity in the fall to familiarize residents with what the town has to offer, but these are still in very preliminary planning stages.The committee is looking into creating development funds and grants.All members on the committee are volunteers, and Lecours hopes for a permanent position for a development commissioner to see to the future.“The idea of the project is diversity, developing the natural environment, the built environment and heritage,” said Lecours.“We want TBL to be a dynamic but peaceful place.” New members are being sought to represent young families in the area as well as the inns.Contact Natacha Raci-cot at 450-242-2870, or Jean Bourret, Alain Roy, Marc Beland or Brigitte Caron at town hall at 450-243 6111.FUTURE SHOP - CORRECTION NOTICE Wii Yamaha Supercross 10099331.Due to a manufacturer's delay this item will not be available as advertised on page 9 of the July 18th flyer and there is no current release date.We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused our valued customers.Merchants absent from the meeting are being contacted and asked to join the agreement.Subcommittee member Douglas Alexandre said that inns are the Benefit Concert Lake Massawippi Water Protection Association Construction Briefs Courtemanche in Orford Transport Quebec has lifted all weight restrictions on the bridge spanning the Rivière aux cerises, on the chemin Courtemanche in Orford.Weedon bridge to open A single lane on the Aylmer bridge in Weedon on Route 161 will open as of today.Transport Quebec stated in a release that through traffic will alternate.Route 247 in Magog Work on a section of Route 247 in Magog will cause one of two lanes to close starting today, and between 7 a.m.and 5 p.m.from Monday to Friday through to Aug.6 The section is between the chemin de l’Est and the chemin Gendron,according to Transport Quebec.Growing Forward 2008 Advance Payments Program Federal Assistance to the Livestock Sector Despax Quartet Sunday, July 27,h 2008 Camp Les Sommets Ste-Catherine-de-Hatley, via de la Montagne Rd Concert 3:00 PIM; Cocktail 4:30 PM Tickets available at the Farmers’ Markets in North Hatley and Ayer’s Cliff.Program available on the website www.massawippi.org (info 819-822-6495) massawippi) '\****^/' Water quality is a priority We need your support Through the Advance Payments Program (APP), producers can get repayable cash advances to help improve their cash-flow.As part of a national action plan to help hog and cattle producers, improvements have been made to the APP for 2008 to give livestock producers easier access to cash advances, including: • Removing the requirement for livestock producers to use a Business Risk Management (BRM) program as security for a cash advance and allowing producers to use only inventory as security.Producers are still required to participate in an eligible BRM program to get a cash advance.• Declaring that a state of severe economic hardship exists for the cattle and hog sectors so that emergency advances of up to $400,000 are available to eligible producers for the 2008-09 production period.To apply for the 2008 APP, contact a participating producer organization by visiting agr.gc.ca/app or call 1-888-346-2511.Growing Forward A vision for a profitable, innovative, competitive, market-oriented agriculture, agri-foods and agri-based products industry.1*1 Agriculture and Agriculture et Agri-Food Canada Agroalimentaire Canada Canada page 6 Wednesday, July 23, 2008 RECORD Community Forum That philosophical approach has to permeate the rank and file of all those who’ll meet and deal with visitors, and yes, that’s a message that should be conveyed to the local constabulary.The hierarchy of the tourist industry will argue that great efforts are made to welcome visitors from outside of Quebec.A good retort to that is abbreviated as “B.S.” Charles Catchpaugh Magog Goldfinch fan mail Dear editor I have been meaning to send a note for a long, long time.Thanks for the great column Ellen Goldfinch writes for The Record (every week on Fridays).Although I admit to only picking it up once or twice a week, 1 can always get a smile from Ellen’s adventures and musings.She makes the purchase worthwhile.Have a great summer — and enjoy those wonderful sweet treats — once in a while to celebrate life.! Why not?Magi Faulks Dear editor District tourism promoters should turn on the lights before cursing the dark! It galls many citizens of the Mem-phremagog region to read about infantile, pedantic and useless studies, besides meetings and tours, intended to determine what the problems are with this district’s tourist industry.One doesn't have to be a clairvoyant toad to discern that the problem lies in the ridiculous implementation of Bill 101.If God could riot read French, coming to this area he would starve to death, let alone get dizzy chasing his tail, trying to find that all too present, yet illusive town called “Sortie.” He would likely wreck his Mercedes rolling through the “Arret” signs.Quebecers are too often guilty of imagining that everyone coming into this province speaks French; most Americans and many from others parts of Canada do not.Still, according to the archaic philosophy of many who call the shots in La Belle Province, every printed word has to be in French.When on occasion English is used, then it is in a minuscule size.It is not bad enough that visitors cannot read the menus, the hidden message seems to be, if they are English speaking, they are second class.All of the meetings, discussions and tours in the world aren’t going to change things, until fundamental courtesy toward visitors is upgraded.Via email Khadr’s Canadian Dear editor Re: Tom Cavanagh’s article in July 21 Record titled “Solving the problem of Omar Khadr: Recalling our Canadian values”.I so heartily agree with him and commend him for expressing truths.Indeed the pen is mightier than the sword, but action is needed.I hope you sent a copy to Prime Minister Stephen Harper and that he’ll act on it pronto as legal actin is long overdue.Thelma Rhicard Stanbridge East Coping with tourists