The record, 14 janvier 2002, lundi 14 janvier 2002

CLASSIFIEDS linims THE The voice of the Eastern Townships since 1897 Know what's happening Subscribe today 65 CENTS WWW.SHERBROOKERECORD.COM Monday, January 14, 2002 East Hereford TQM station rises from the ashes Design of new compression station adjusted for better safety By Rita Legault Sherbrooke More than a year after a powerful explosion leveled the East Hereford compressor station of the Trans-Québec Maritime pipeline, the installation has risen from the ashes and is set to reopen.The explosion on Dec.28, 2000 that was heard 25 kilometers away in Colebrook, N.H., sent TQM maintenance technician Denis Laliberté to hospital with serious burns to his hand and face.Reverberations from the blast were strong enough to break windows at a neighboring farm and dozens of firemen from neighbouring municipalities were called in to fight the resulting blaze.Laliberté, who went back to work in the spring, has recovered from his injuries and has been working on putting the compressor station back together again, said a spokesman for Gazoduc TQM.See TQM, Page 5 PERRY BEATON/SPECIAL TQM engineer Bruno St-Laurent checks on cables in the rebuilt control room where the blast ignited.Bail hearing Tuesday for Stalker RECORD FILE PHOTO Melbourne resident John Stalker.By Rita Legault Sherbrooke Melbourne resident John Stalker, who is charged with the kidnapping and illegal confinement of an 18-year-old woman, has been found fit to stand trial and will be back in court Tuesday for a bail hearing.Police say the 41-year-old suspect arrived at a New Year’s Eve party, intoxicated and not wearing shoes or a coat, and dragged the young woman out to his car.Police patrollers who were called to the scene chased Stalker and the pursuit ended with the sus- pect swerving into a police cruiser.Police say the suspect intended to murder his victim and then take his own life.He apparently told people at the party that if he could not have her, no one would.The suspect, who collapsed at the scene, was taken to the CHUS in Fleurimont where he remained in a coma for several days before he finally awoke and was taken to the Sherbrooke courthouse to be charged with more than a dozen infractions ranging from kidnapping to dangerous driving on Friday Jan.7.See Stalker, Page 3 Prosecution enters crime scene evidence against Hébert By Maurice Crossfield The second day of the Guy Hebert murder trial concentrated primarily on the details of the murder scene, and the technical evidence to back it up.The seven men and five women of the jury began the day with a viewing of the videotape of the crime scene, taken by a trained technician from the Sûreté du Québec.What they saw mirrored much of what was seen when the jury traveled to the Bedford Hotel the day before, where Adam Verville was fatally shot on Oct.24, 2000.The videotape was one of a number of items entered as evidence by prosecutor Bernard Monast Friday.Also entered as evidence were a number of photos of the crime scene, a floor plan of the Bedford Hotel and the front door of Hébert’s apartment.Also entered was a document outlining facts agreed to by both sides in the case.That document confirmed that Verville was the victim, that Hébert called 9-1-1 after the shooting.It also explained that the Bedford municipal police were the first on the scene, and that Verville’s death was confirmed upon his arrival at the Brome-Missisquoi Perkins Hospital at 1:50 a.m.that morning.Nathalie Laliberté was the first police officer to see Verville, who was on the floor in front of the doorway to the apartment.“I saw a man laying on the floor on his back,” she said.“He wasn’t moving.” Hearing a man talking from inside the third floor apartment, Laliberté called for him to come out.After handcuffing Hébert in the hallway, the officers then gave a quick check of the apartment to see if anyone else was there.They spotted a double-barreled 12 gauge shotgun near the doorway.It contained one used shell and one that had not been fired.The trial continues in Granby today.Hrr THE SLOPES WITH SKI COLUMNIST Alan Johnson IN THE DEBUT OF The Record’s Snow section.See Page 14 page 2 Monday, January 14, 2002 ¦ THEmi Record Getting a job in the outdoors In my line of work I get to meet a lot of people and it seems that everyone has a question to ask about fishing.People ask me about my favourite baits, what rods and reels I use, where to go fishing and so on.But without a doubt, the question I get asked most often has to do with how to get a job in the fishing or outdoors business.Let me start by saying that if you are working, don’t quit your day job.If you’re still in school, stay there and take marketing or business courses so that you are aware of how general business works.The bottom line is that the fishing and outdoor industries are in business to make money and the more you know about how they run, the more valuable you will be to the company.Having said that, there are a number of jobs available in the outdoors here in Canada.Let’s start off with the obvious, being a conservation officer.You should have either a degree in fisheries, or fish and wildlife management and some field experience either as a volunteer or in a related area.You should also be comfortable dealing with people, sometimes in tense situations.You need to be able to keep your cool, no matter what.A love of the outdoors is essential and you need to be willing to work long hours, often late at night and in remote locations.But if you’ve got the right attitude, the work can be very rewarding.There are also some fringe benefits to being a conservation officer.You’ll get to know some of the best fishing and hunting spots, you'll meet a lot of people who share your pas- sion for the outdoors and you’ll get the satisfaction of knowing that you are doing your part to protect Canada’s natural resources.Unfortunately, in these days of cutbacks in all levels of government, there’s no guarantee that you will be able to find work as a conservation officer.How about being a fisheries biologist?I know a lot of people across Canada who have degrees in fisheries or biology and have jobs in that field, and I know a lot of others who are working at jobs that have nothing to do with the biology of fish.In either case, the education is great to have and it can help in getting work in other areas of the outdoors like tournament fishing, outdoor writing, and even tackle manufacturing and sales.So what if you don’t have a degree in fisheries or biology?There are lots of jobs available on the tackle and equipment side of the outdoors business, especially in sales, marketing and promotions.These companies, whether they are manufacturers, importers, distributors or sporting goods shops, are all in business to sell products and good sales people are extremely valuable.If selling isn’t your thing you can try the promotions side of the business.That could involve anything from producing television commercials to writing product catalogues to representing the company at trade shows, designing packaging for various outdoor products and so on.What about becoming a tournament pro?If you pursue competitive fishing you have to realize that you can starve if you depend on your winnings to put food on the table.This is especially true in Canada.You really need a second career to help pay the bills.There are a handful of people who have made careers from tournaments, but almost all of them have other ways to supplement their income, like guiding or conducting seminars for instance.Guiding is a great way to make some extra money while refining your fishing skills and, in some cases, you can turn it into a full-time career.You can choose to be an independent guide or you can work for one of the hundreds of lodges or resorts across Canada.The most important aspect to being a great guide is keeping your guests happy.Catching fish is secondary.In fact, a guide’s job is not just going out and showing people where the fish are, it’s making sure that they have a great outdoor experience.Another option is to try your hand at some outdoor writing.The Outdoor Writers of Canada is a great organization to belong to if you want to pursue this career path.Start by submitting articles to your community newspapers, writing pieces for fishing club newsletters or offering your work to fishing Web sites.From there you can try writing for regional or national publications, or possibly even having your own outdoors book published.If you plan on trying your hand at being a writer, be warned, you’ll want to keep your regular job at least for a while.There aren’t a lot of publications in Canada to write for and the competition between writers can be stiff.But it is a great way to supplement your income while getting involved in the industry.So what would my recommendation be if you want a job in the outdoors?Well, first off, be prepared to pay your dues.You’ve got to be ready and willing to work extremely hard and to put in long hours if you want to be successful.Don’t be afraid to get involved in any way that you can.Join clubs, do volunteer work, and get to know people who already work in the outdoors field.Finally, don’t expect to get rich.Working in an outdoors business is no different than working in any other business.You only get back what you're willing to put in.loto-québec 649 01 07 13 Bonus number: Draw 2002-01-12 30 34 36 38 EQBSSSar Draw 2002-01-12 Q4 12 19 3Z 42 4Z 28 Bonus number: E§tra NUMBERS 861964 61964 1964 964 64 4 Egtra NUMBERS PRIZE 328882 $ 100,000 28882 $ 1,000 8882 $250 882 $50 82 $ 10 2 $2 WINNERS PRIZES 6/6 1 $ 2,000,000.00 5/6+ 4 $ 141,513.30 5/6 263 $ 1,721.80 4/6 13,958 $ 62.20 3/6 266,481 $ 10.00 Total sales: $ 14,307,778 Next grand prize (approx ): $ 2,000,000 6/6 5/6+ 5/6 4/6 3/6 WINNERS 0 0 17 1,162 20,664 PRIZES $ 1,000,000.00 $ 50,000.00 $ 500.00 $50.00 $5.00 Total sales $ 577,126.00 Draw 2002-01-12 PRIZE $ 100,000 $1,000 $250 $50 $ 10 $ 2 Draw 2002-01-11 Kf/5Él7]S) Draw 2002-01-11 QZ 10 15 23 29 34 45 Q3 PRIZES $ 2,500,000.00 $ 59,545.20 $ 2,003.90 $ 135.90 $ 10.00 $ 10.00 free play Bonus number: WINNERS 0 3 78 4,106 83,629 80,280 689,727 Total sales: $ 9,983,982 Next grand prize : $ 5,000,000 7/7 6/7+ 6/7 5/7 4/7 3/7+ 3/7 Claims See back of tickets, in the event of discrepancy between this list and the official winning list of L-Q, the latter shall prevail Gambling should remain a game TVA, THE NETWORK OF LOTO-QuEBEC'S LOTTERIES Gone Fishin’ Bob Izumi Weather Monday: Variable cloudiness with very light flurries.High near minus 5.Tuesday: Intermittent light snow.Low near minus 10.High near minus 1.Probability of precipitation 80 per cent.Wednesday: Intermittent light snow.Low near minus 6.High near minus 2.Probability of precipitation 80 per cent Thursday: Variable cloudiness.Low near minus 13, High near minus 5.Ben by Daniel Shelton .PAYS WEVRAWER spenpinsipe our HOMES.COZr ANP WARM, FOR WHAT SOME TIMES FEELS UKE AN ETERNITY.-HERALDING WE RETURN OF THE THERMOSTAT TAMPERER YES, JANUARY'S HERE, ONCE AGAIN.HOWLING W/NRSANP FITTER COLP PAYS CLIK/.7 Record Monday, January 14, 2002 page 3 Sutton merger plan panned at public hearing ‘Only a forced merger can divide us’ — citizens group By Maurice Crossfield The Quebec Municipal Commission held a public hearing on the possible merger of Sutton and Sutton Township Saturday, and for the most part heard from those opposed to such a move.About 200 people occupied every available chair at the gymnasium of the Sutton school for the hearing.Like many things in Sutton, the building is owned by both the town and the township.“Not only will an eventual regrouping generate no economies of scale, but it is likely to cause additional costs and provoke lasting conflicts,” said François Des Rosiers, an economist at the Université de Laval.Des Rosiers was hired by Sutton Township to study the economic impacts of a merger.The result of that study was a 93-page report panning the idea.The most important economic impact would be that felt by taxpayers.Presently, the general tax rate in the Town of Sutton is $1.55 per $100 of evaluation, while Sutton Township is at 82 cents per $100.A merger of the two would see taxes in the Town reduced by 34 per cent, while Township residents would be faced with a 22 per cent increase.The report argued that while the two municipalities share in a number of areas, they have different needs, different visions and different expenses.As an alternative, Sutton Township has offered to embark on tax base sharing, in which both municipalities would share in increases in the taxation base.This would in turn give the village more revenue.To date that proposal has not been accepted.Ken Hill, mayor of the Town of Sutton, argued that a merger should ultimately benefit both sides.He said the present situation sees the town landlocked by the Township, limiting its potential for growth.He said about 250 building lots are all the town has for potential expansion.“In the town we get a new $75,000 house, while out in the Township they get a new $3 million house,” he said.He said the gap between the tax base of the two municipalities is widening, and will continue to do so as long as they remain separate.Though over 130 people signed up to present their point of view on the merger, a number of them did not come forward Saturday.Those that did generally were against the idea of a forced merger.“Our peaceful coexistence over the last 100 years has been mutually beneficial to both communities,” said Yvan Bastien of Citizens for Choice.“Only a forced merger can divide us.” Others echoed that opinion.“Two communities, separated for the betterment of both, have prospered for over a century,” said Valerie Godue.“We have merged all that can be merged and kept separate that which must be kept separate.” Sutton Township Mayor Winston Bre-see said he was pleased with his municipality’s presentations and those of the audience.“What we fear most is that (Municipal Affairs Minister Louise) Harel has already made up her mind,” Bresee said.“All of the advantages have been taken out of it for us.The report was fairly quick to show it will end up costing us dearly.” Based largely on Saturday’s hearing, MAURICE CROSSFIELD Approximately 200 people occupied every available chair in the gymnasium at the Sutton school.Quebec Municipal Commission members Nicole Trudeau and François Gendron will now put together a report either for or against a forced merger.Harel is expected to make her decision based on that report.No indication was given on how long it would take before the report is complete.Stalker: CONT’D FROM PAGE 1 At that point, both the defence and the Crown requested a psychiatric evaluation and Stalker was transferred to the psychiatric wing at the Hôtel Dieu hospital on Bowen Street where forensic psychologist Dr.Pierre Gagné determined he was fit to stand trial.Stalker was back in court on Friday where Quebec Court Judge Michel Côté set a date for a bail hearing Tuesday.He will remain behind bars till the outcome of his bail hearing.Crown prosecutor Charles Cré-peau requested an order to prevent Stalker from communicating with his victim or her family from his jail cell.But judge Côté could not issue the order because he was not yet hearing the case.Crépeau then demanded an immediate bail hearing over the objections of defence lawyer Jean-Marc Bénard, who had just taken over the case from his law partner Michel Dussault.Côté refused to hear the case on Friday and set the first available date for a hearing, on Tuesday.While he could not discuss the details of the case, Crépeau told reporters he has reason to believe Stalker may try to contact the alleged victim.Three years ago, Stalker was sentenced to 15 months in jail for an armed sexual assault on the same woman.RRSP / RRIF / CASH 100% Guaranteed Protection of Principal & Interest DIGITAL WORLD FINANCIAL INC.1 year 4.25% 2 year 5.25% 3 year 6.25% 5 year 6.75% (514) 989-3700 Wm.W.Wishnousky 2002 Exchange Rate Forecast SPECIAL REPORT East Side Restaurant owners are predicting that on all Tuesdays beginning January 15 the Canadian ' exchange rate will drop back down to an all time 10% low! Additional forecasts indicate a continued steady low of 25 % on all other days! Cross the border in 2002 for your best return on money and menu fare.10' exchange on Canadian dollars every Tuesday.tifôifte U “ / d< At KWl b.'•xehange on Canadian dollars all oilier days.47 Landing St., Newport 802-334-2340 $ page 4 Monday, January 14, 2002 ¦¦¦THE» RECORD Snow brings hope to slopes PERRY BEATON/SPECIAL S jt Montjoye has the latest equipment to keep trails in good condition, including breaking and turning ice and snow around on a daily basis to keep the them fresh.Weekend snowfall a customer’s delight By Daniel Huot Sherbrooke Weekend snowfalls were a positive step towards getting ski and snowboard aficionados from Montreal to the Townships.Recent warm weather raised fears that the ski season could be in jeopardy, but after a snow-filled weekend, hill operators are praying the snowfalls continue.“We still need another 15 to 20 centimetres of snow before we can open up our trails in the woods,” said Charles Bilodeau, a marketing assistant at Mont Orford.But snow cannons and Mother Nature have allowed operators to improve skiing conditions.“Over the last week, we opened 16 more trails,” noted Bilodeau.“Right now, 36 of our 52 trails are open.The woods are almost ready.I’m hoping to have the trails open by next week.” Bilodeau added attendance this weekend is comparable with the same period last year.“If there was a storm in Montreal, it would help us a lot,” he added.“People there are still on grass." So was the South Shore of Montreal, where recent snow turned from ice to slush in the wake of weekend precipita- tions, while flakes covered most of the Townships.“People from outside the region are surprised when they arrive here and see the snow,” Bilodeau explained, adding local folks have no problem practicing the sport.However, everything changed Sunday morning when Montrealers awoke to snow on their windows and car wind- shields.“The best marketing we can have is a snowfall on somebody’s car,” said Martin Bergeron, the marketing director at the Centre Recréotouristique Montjoye.“We can do everything we want, but nothing acts as a better reminder that the slopes are open than a snowfall.” Montjoye relies much more on its Sherbrooke clientele than on Montrealers to keep its operations profitable.Bergeron said with season ticket sales up, just as many people are practicing their favourite winter sport as last year, only with less snow.“Eighteen of our 20 trails are open,” he noted.“With a 90 per cent efficiency rate, we rank among the top in the Townships in the percentage of open trails for a hill.” He added another 15 to 20 centimetres of natural snow is necessary before the two remaining trails are ready.Cannons are also doing the work to keep the snow fresh and coming for skiers.“From Dec.28 to Jan.6, we had the same amount of skiers as last year, even if fewer trails were open,” said Bergeron, adding he’d like to break one myth about snowfalls and rainfalls.“People think it takes several days after a rainfall for slopes to be in good condition again.That’s not true.We have a machine that breaks and turns the ice and snow around on a daily basis to keep the trails fresh.” Sherbrooke’s Corcoran returns to his roots PERRY BEATON/SPECIAL I UKrçiii!' mu* Singer and Townshipperjim Corcoran will help promote the city’s bicentennial anniversary.Songwriter named Sherbrooke 2002 ambassador By Nelson Afonso Sherbrooke When singer-songwriter Jim Corcoran told classmates at Bishop’s University in the early 1970s that he was going to redirect his career toward French music, they laughed.“They usually said they (songs) were ‘different’ or ‘had potential’,” Corcoran told a crowd at the William Street Armoury about his first attempts at writing songs in Molière’s language.“And we all know that doesn’t mean they’re very good.” Corcoran, who grew up speaking English, was officially named Friday as the ambassador for Sherbrooke’s bicentennial celebrations.Born and raised in Sherbrooke, the man who has become one of Quebec’s most respected artists, was excited about being given the chance to come back to the place that shaped his professional career.“It’s thanks to the people in Sherbrooke that I became what I am today,” Corcoran told The Record.“Sherbrooke is in my culture and my education, it’s where I made my (professional) start.” An anglophone who decided he wanted to make it in the francophone music industry, Corcoran studied songwriting with local musicians and studied French and Philosophy at Bishop’s University where he graduated from in 1973.Corcoran still considers Sherbrooke to be a pivot in his family life and professional career.“I believe we all belong to one community, one space.I can say I’m North American and even Québécois, but basically I am a ‘Sherbrookois’,” said Corcoran, whose parents and three siblings still live in Sherbrooke.“This is where I had my first heartbreak, where I had my friends and where I had those crucial learning moments in my life." While not quite sure in what capacity he will participate in the different activities planned to celebrate Sherbrooke’s 200th birthday, Corcoran is excited that he will get the opportunity to spend more time in the city and entertain both English and French residents.First surveyed and opened for settlement in 1792, it wasn’t until 1802 that the foundation for the what would become the city of Sherbrooke was laid.That year, the Hyatt and Ball mills opened at the confluence of the Magog and St.Francis rivers.In 1818, the community of Hyatt’s Mills took the name of Sherbrooke in honour of Sir John Coape Sherbrooke, Governor General of Canada from 1816 to 1818.Celebrating diversity “While 2002 (celebrations) will enable us to look at the past, it will also enable us to look ahead at what will happen in this new city,” said Sherbrooke 2002 board of governors president Jean-François Rouleau.“We will celebrate everyone, English and French, who have transmitted a culture and a way of life to people today.” Comprised of a large group of volunteers, Sherbrooke 2002 has already organized a host of activities to emphasize local history, culture and traditions.Rouleau believes it will be a great way for residents of Sherbrooke, and the new city of Sherbrooke, to reaffirm their sense of belonging to the community.“Who would have thought it would be Sherbrooke’s bicentennial at the same time as the birth of the new city of Sherbrooke on Jan.1," announced Sherbrooke mayor Jean Perrault.“This is a historic moment for all residents of Sherbrooke, we are all now part of history.” 1 " THE — ' - RECORD Monday, January 14, 2002 page 5 Explosion caused by faulty seal on conduit PERRY BEATON/SPECIAL y ¦>¦¦¦ ¦ i Officials say that this redesigned electrical control box should prevent the migration of gas to the control room.TCM: CONT’D FROM PAGE 1 In the meantime, inspectors for the Transportation Safety Board of Canada have determined the explosion was caused by a faulty seal on the electrical conduit that brought electrical wire and computer cables from the instrument control room to the compressor station some 50 feet away.The faulty seal allowed high pressure gas to migrate from the compressor into the control room and when the electric furnace came on a spark ignited the gas and blew up the building.Lawrence Gales, manager of pipeline investigations who was charged with the probe of the TQM blast for the safety board, said extensive field work was done to determine how the gas migrated and why the fail safes did not work.The investigation uncovered problems with design standards and construction quality procedures which were overlooked during the certification phase.Because similar procedures are used in the United States and Great Britain, regulatory agencies in those countries were advised of the problems.While the safety board - the independent agency that investigates accidents in the maritime, pipeline, rail and air transport industries in Canada - has completed its investigation, it has not yet released its final report.However, Gales said that each time the safety board identified a safety deficiency throughout its investigation, it advised TQM, the National Energy Board which regulates the natural gas industry in Canada, as well as equipment manufacturers of the flaws.During its investigation, the safety board also issued two safety advisory letters informing the public and concerned agencies of its findings.Gales also organized a public information meeting last spring to answer concerns of the local citizens, police, fire and emergency measures officials, the municipality, Hydro-Québec and other groups and individuals concerned by the presence of the pipeline compression station in the municipality.Gales, whose job it was to identify the cause and contributing factors of the accident, said TQM was forced back to the drawing board to modify its compressor station construction plans to take into account safety recommendations.“We have assurances from discussions with TQM and equipment manufacturers that all of the problems we identified were addressed Gales said, adding that the newly built station has incorporated a number of design changes recommended by the Transportation Safety Board.“It took some time to identify, correct and modify the equipment and to add new safety elements, but those changes were not the main cause for delays,” Gazoduc TQM engineer Bruno St-Laurent said while explaining why it took so long to rebuild the station.Most design changes, including switching the material uses in the seals, did not cause any delays.St-Laurent noted there were long waits for delivery of certain major equipment including the variable frequency drive.That piece which controls the speed of the electric motor in the compression station was ordered last February and not delivered till early November.St-Laurent said TQM finally finished installing all of the new equipment, including new safety features and ventilation, in December and has been testing components without starting the electric motor.The final tests - which are referred to as the commissioning of the line - will begin Tuesday afternoon after 5 p.m.The timing is due to an understanding with Hydro-Québec and the municipality which preferred to avoid any potential problems by delaying the start up until local businesses had closed for the day.Gales said the commissioning process will help ensure nothing is overlooked.“During the commissioning phase they will test every nook and cranny to ensure everything is working the way it is supposed to,” Gales said, adding that TQM will then need government permission to operate the system.That will come from the National Energy Board which will issue a “leave to open” permit.NEB spokesman Denis Tremblay said TQM has not yet applied for leave to open.He said the process is the same as a new pipeline construction and that TQM will have to file test results from the commissioning process as well as the specs from the reconstruction of the compressor station.Tremblay said the final okay will come after the NEB has gone over the documents and checked the test results.He added that NEB inspectors visited the site during the construction and the regulatory agency has already been informed of some modifications to the station.The imminent activation of the compression station will soon allow TQM to operate without a portable compressor that was installed in Ste-Edwidge-dè-Clifton last March.Right after the blast, pressure on the pipeline was reduced and TQM feared it would be unable to fulfill its contract with its main customer, the Portland Natural Gas Transmission System - especially during the winter when the demand for natural gas increases.For the first few months, the Lachenaie compressor station and other partners provided additional pressure on the line, but there were limits on how much the line could be pressurized.St-Laurent told The Record a temporary compressions station was added in Ste-Ed-widge to allow TQM to deliver the quantities required by PNGTS.The portable station will continue to operate for a few more months until engineers are satisfied the rebuilt station is reliable.Resurrection of the East Hereford station will also allow TQM to seek new clients south of the border.Over the next few weeks, TQM will test the system until it obtains leave to open from the National Energy Board.That should happen in late January or early February.RECORD Yves Robert Advertising Consultant Tel.: Ô19-569-9525 Fax: Ô19-Ô21-3179 email: sherbrookerecord@videotron.ca Content Creation Corporate brochures Annual Reports Promotional videos Corporate videos CD-Roms: Websites Professional Writing Editing SS'"9 dt the heart efem media is SSSSn SOLID CONTENT Voiceover EnglisfVFrench/Sparosh Technical Writing/Editing Documentary films Radio & TV ads Course audio instructions Speeches and Statements News Releases Financial Documents Scripts (radio & tv) Multimedia presentations © 1819,569.9990 0 1819.829.0249 (JjJ rwrtiwivCTOwn tw cmm Oernn Supports by 1 jww&jmm.g| too ootoo iqp un-moi m - r " Interact, ted fanmunote. in.¦¦¦—¦ i'¦¦¦¦! i ¦¦¦I—i — mi .h I—— —THE' page 6 Monday, January 14, 2002 Community Forum RECORD Editorial The good, the bad and the mistaken The men of the Snow Shoe Club.Now there’s a bunch of good guys.For the past 100 or so years they’ve been getting together to enjoy a little fresh air, fellowship and song in a rustic clubhouse where drinking, swearing and other nasties are strictly forbidden.Or Rotarians.There’s another group of good guys who have been around for over a century, building bridges around the world, expanding educational opportunities, offering scholarships and generally doing good works.Then there’s the senior men’s hockey league that turns over its profits to the local hospital.And the Masons who fund breakfast programs in local schools, the Lions’ who provide food baskets to hundreds of needy families at Christmas, as well as parks for local children.There’s the Odd Fellows, Optimists, veterans, coaches, volunteer firefighters.In fact there’s no shortage of good guys in this community and every other.Hells Angels are not among them.The guys in that gang are pimps, drug dealers, murderers and thugs.They kill, maim, intimidate and destroy.They make a mockery of the laws that the rest of society abides by.They are collective losers.So one can be forgiven for being shocked to hear Toronto Mayor Mel Lastman characterize some 500 gang members in his city for a convention, as ‘a bunch of good guys’.The mayor posed with the scum-balls as though they were celebrities while a spokesperson for the tourist association boasted the weekend convention of the Hells and their affiliates pumped $650,000 into the local economy.A former mayor of Lennoxville once commented the Hells were good taxpayers, alluding to the pricey Queen Street bunker where the criminal gang plans and executes crimes.‘Good guys’ don’t find themselves in court answering charges ranging from conspiracy to murder as 120 Hells members are currently doing in Montreal.Good guys don’t operate a billion-dollar cocaine and hash trade.They don’t order the murder of prison guards in an effort to destabilize the justice system, or reporters who expose their evil deeds.They don’t threaten police officers and politicians who are committed to closing down their illegal operations.They don’t prey on the vulnerable by turning them into prostitutes, drug dealers and murderers.These are not good guys.In Quebec where poor families struggle to find adequate low cost housing, the government was forced to invest $16-million to build a new courthouse to hear cases against the Hells, charged with over a dozen counts of murder, and hundreds of charges of drug trafficking, conspiracy to commit murder and gangsterism.Resources that could have been used to build a better society have been diverted to deal with organized crime and biker gangs.There is nothing good about these guys.Nothing.By preening and posing with these gangsters, the mayor of Toronto has undermined the efforts of legislators, law enforcement officers and law abiding citizens who see members of criminal biker gangs as a pox on our houses and an evil that must be eradicated.SHARON McCULLY THE P.O.Box 1200 Sherbrooke J1H 5L6 or 1195 Galt E„ Sherbrooke JIG 1Y7 Fax:819-569-3945 E-MAli: newsroom@sherbrookerecord.com Website: www.sherbrookerecord.com Randy Kinnear Publisher .(819)569-9511 Sharon McCuely Editor .(819) 569-6345 Jamie Zachary Corresp.Editor .(819) 569-6345 Richard Lessard Prod.Mgr.(819) 569-9931 Serge Gagnon Chief Pressman .(819) 569-9931 Francine Thibault Prod.Superv.(819) 569-4856 DEPARTMENTS Accounting .(819)569-9511 Advertising.(819)569-9525 Circulation.(819)569-9528 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 114.40 8.01 9.18 $131.59 6 MONTHS 59.00 4.13 4.73 $67.86 3 MONTHS 30.00 2.10 2.41 S34.51 Out of Quebec residents do not include PST.Rates for other services available on request.The Record is published daily Monday to Friday.Back copies of The Record are available.The Record was founded on February 7,1897, and acquired the Sherbrooke Examiner (est.1879) in 1905 and the Sherbrooke Gazette (est.1837) in 1908.The Record is published by Hollinger Canadian Newspapers LP.Canadian Publications Mail Service Product Agreement No.0479675.Member ABC, CARD.CNA, QCNA Editorial If the profile fits .By Ann Coulter For South am News An Arab with a copy of “The Crusades Through Arab Eyes” and a gun boarded an American Airlines plane on Christmas Day claiming to be a Secret Service agent on his way to the president.There was a problem with his paperwork, and the pilot and flight attendants were concerned.After an hour’s negotiation - rudely ignoring the travel needs of the rest of the passengers - they decided to fly without the armed Arab, who caught another flight the next day.This much is conceded by all parties.Four months ago, 19 Arab men armed with less ostentatious weapons than guns boarded four commercial aircraft in the United States and as a direct consequence, thousands of Americans are now dead.Hundreds more narrowly averted being blown up midflight last month on an American Airlines flight from Paris involving another Muslim terrorist.On account of being delayed for a day, the Secret Service agent, Walied Shater, charged that the airline singled him out because he is an Arab.Never mind the gun.Pursuing his paranoid fantasy, he immediately hired a lawyer and is demanding an apology and a pledge that American Airlines crew be subjected to sensitivity training classes.Naturally, he hasn’t ruled out monetary damages.This man should not be allowed near the president with a loaded gun.At the least, he’s an immature nut.At worst, he’s a ticking time bomb, in a simmering rage at America’s supposed mistreatment of Muslims.These alleged civil liberties concerns have only one purpose: to give Muslims a cushion for another attack on America.There is no principled basis for opposition to using Arab appearance as a factor in airport screening procedures.Sadly, there is even less reason to believe this is what the airlines do.In some goo-goo-minded attempt to prove they are not profiling, the airlines make a big show of harassing precisely those passengers they should be ignoring.This ought to warm the hearts of Muslims in Saudi Arabia.Too bad they’ll never read about it since their newspapers are too busy polishing the theory that Zionists bombed the World Trade Center.According to the FAA - the federal agency keeping our airports running like Swiss clocks these days - in November and December alone, 30 airport ter-minals were entirely evacuated.Passengers on 434 airliners were ordered off for rescreening.Solely because of “security" precautions, 1,180 flights have been delayed, 464 flights have been canceled, and 15 diverted to alternative destinations.An elderly white congressman was ordered to strip to his underwear because of a steel hip joint.Asian women, elderly black men, stewardesses, toddlers and cowboys are forced to remove their shoes for special screening.Women travelers are being asked to remove their bras and are having their jewelry stolen by thugs in airport security.Not one of the passengers described above - who were delayed, canceled, evacuated, strip-searched, robbed and humiliated - was attempting to carry a loaded gun on an airplane.So it’s not going to be easy proving Walied was treated worse than the average air traveler.Yet Islamic advocacy groups have identified the incident with the Secret Service agent as “the most extreme example” among “a string of abuses by the airlines.” —As seen in an Ann Coulter column by Ann Coulter, (c)2002 Universal Press Syndicate.All Rights Reserved. tl r ' i —THE— - Record Monday, January 14, 2002 page 7 Community Forum François Legault and angry Quebec teachers There is much to question in Quebec’s pay equity scheme, which presently undermines the morale and dedication of Quebec teachers.One mindless feature is the reclassification of full-time teachers as part-time workers — it’s hard to think of something more insulting.Another related aspect involves cutting teachers’ salaries.To add salt to the wounds, workload expectations remain unchanged.What we have here is a plan that could wreck any educational system.It is a sleight-of-hand trick, misguided, demeaning, and as wrong as wrong can be.No teacher (indeed, no one) could willingly accept such an insulting proposal without giving up a sizable portion of self-respect.The on-going media commentary might indicate this is just another amongst many teacher-government battles.However, it seems to me it is far more than that, and calls for more than “normal” teacher responses.Parents, citizens, and even educational administrators should also reflect on the role they could — and should — play.There is a Gallic tendency (or fixation) to count, classify, and codify everything in sight — and then pass laws to ensure everything and everybody is properly counted, classified, and codified.This contrasts with an anglophone tendency to simply muddle through.I prefer the latter approach because, as historians learn early on, most things we spend time counting and measuring are frequently not worth knowing.Of course, there can be a place for the Gallic approach — when not carried to excess.Making full-time teachers part-timers is incredible, carries things to excess, and sounds like something from a Monty Python skit.For example, employees in the public sector are ranked on a scale from one to 25, and the ranking is obtained by weighing 16 factors, including the amount of initial training, the number of students supervised and the pace of work.It is a Daffy Duck-kind of undertaking as it tries to compare apples and oranges, spiders and airplanes.Naturally, many factors are in dispute — no surprise there — and it is hard to block out thoughts of what John Cleese could do with this.Bean counters in Quebec City must have thought they had died and gone to bean-counting heaven when they first heard of this project.Dilbert is alive and well and living in Quebec! Additional information is available for those who need to know.But anyone unnecessarily delving into this can of worms is probably in need of counseling.Why do I feel so strongly about this subject?Well, there are several reasons.In my late teens I worked for a summer with a railroad section crew in the prairies.Every morning we went out on our hand-pumped trolley car with shovels, pickaxes and jacks and worked all day under a burning prairie sun.You can be sure in that 1950’s summer, the trains traveled on level tracks around Estevan, Saskatchewan.When I got back to Ontario I was tanned almost black - even behind the ears and under armpits.1 did not make much money, but I came away convinced that there was no job in the world I could not handle with ease.Boy, did I have a lot to learn.Years later in my first teaching position in Midland, Ontario, I found there were tougher jobs than leveling train tracks under a hot prairie sun.I had so much trouble that before Christmas, they had to send up a special delegation from Toronto’s College of Education just to observe me in action.Teaching was always demanding, but in time I became a seasoned veteran and decided to leave Midland to see the world.In London, England, I worked for months as a supply teacher.They say pupils today are tougher, but none are tougher than those at Shepherd’s Bush Secondary Modern School, (circa 1960).I witnessed fist fights between teachers and students in the cafeteria.One late afternoon police were called to escort a teacher through crowds of taunting threatening pupils.A huge soccer boot whizzed past my head in one of my classes and demolished part of the blackboard behind me.A quick learner, I never again turned my back on that class.For months I hated waking up in the morning to the same terrible thought: “Oh no.Shepherd’s Bush again.” I offered novenas and prayed to God every day to return to good health the unknown teacher I was replacing.Finally, one week before Christmas she reappeared.“Angels we have heard on high!! Hallelujah!!” My intention is not to shock with horror stories.1 simply want to point out that teaching is not easily compared to other jobs.Nor can you capture the essence of it with 16 categories.Teaching is an art, not a science.1 have touched on a teacher’s bad days, but I can also speak of days of joy.Even on good days, however, there are problems which can keep you awake at night.Teachers do not just teach subjects like mathematics - they teach human beings.It is impossible to be uninvolved.You worry about your lessons, but you worry more about the kid whose parents are divorcing, whose grandfather died, or whose parents were just laid off.In a good society this is exactly what we should expect of teachers.Yet in Quebec, ministerial policies demoralize, insult, and force teachers to fight back.No one ever entered teaching to serve as a mindless puncher of time clocks.If Legault or his henchmen had come to my schools and tried to label us as part-time workers in comparison to civil servants (or anyone) we would have dropped them out a window.Real revenge would have been to assign them teacher’s jobs in elementary or high school for a few months.In the last century, when I was a boy, I fondly remember teachers who cared, worried about us, and yes, loved us.I know teachers today who taught and dealt with my children in the exact same way.As a former teacher, I still hear from pupils I have not seen for 40 years.There is always a tie — a bond.This is how the world should unfold.Alas, our government would happily relegate such ties to the wastebaskets of forgotten memories.Quebec’s pay equity policy should be rethought and reworked, or better still, jettisoned.The one who could best redirect this educational disaster train is Legault.He has the moral leverage as Minister and has shown courage before.Teachers would be pleased to lend him a backbone — or raise money to help buy him one.In any case, he should step outside the box and rethink the issues.Better still, he should speak to his former teachers — if they can bring themselves to speak to him.Each year, many Canadian women into your own hands over 40 see their lives shattered by osteoporosis.Please consult your MW doctor or visit our Dpi Web site to learn more.Nicole Taillon Sculpteur A 1877 369-7845 ^i,(5'4) 3697845 ; www.osteoporose.qc.ca matters