The record, 18 mai 2006, jeudi 18 mai 2006

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Michael Page 12 years experience RECORD The voice of the Eastern Townships since 1897 Magog mayor miffed at snub.See Page 3 75 CENTS + TAXES PM#fXH(XK)76X2 Thursday, May 18, 2006 Weedon man’s trial begins in baby’s death Staff Sherbrooke r~| jhe trial of Weedon resident Ghis-I lain Duplin, 31, who is accused of JL assault and criminal negligence causing the death of the baby of his common-law wife in October 2004, began at the Sherbrooke courthouse Wednesday with jury selection.Duplin is charged with assaulting the baby during the summer of 2004 and with failing to provide the necessities of life to a child under his care, criminal negligence causing death, and manslaughter in October.Duplin was charged after 13-month-old five St-Onge was found dead in her bed on the morning of Oct.9.Duplin Please see trial Page 3 Harper wants registry for long guns long gone Registering a gun won’t keep it out of wrong hands: Sharman By Sondip Chatterjee The Harper government announced Wednesday plans to eventually exclude rifles and long-guns from the gun registry.This proposal means local owners of hunting Please see registry Page 5 A Dandy Sight PERRY BEATON/SPECIAl Robert Woolerton believes only hand guns should be registered.GORDON ALEXANDERPPECIAL ! Dandelions form a carpet of yellow on afield by the Wales Home farm in Richmond.Dandelions, which some consider to be a blight on the front lawn, have a high vitamin and mineral content.Mature leaves are often dried and used to make a mild tea.Roots are often used to make stronger tea or are dried and used for various medicinal purposes, including being used as a mild diuretic.Salads, beer, and wine are also made from the leaves and flowers.’Die plant can be eaten cooked or raw in various forms, such as in soup or salad.Dandelions probably most closely resemble mustard greens.Usually the young leaves and unopened buds are eaten raw in ! salads, while older leaves are cooked.Raw leaves have a slightly hitter taste.Dandelion salad is often accompanied with hard boiled eggs.Dandelion flowers can be used to make dandelion wine.What else grows on your lawn that you can you transform into a pleasant, pre-summer drink? page 2 Thursday, May 18, 2006 RECORD Local churches receive $659,000 in restoration funds By Htnilie Crofton Special to The Record MNA and minister responsible for the Estrie region Monique Gagnon-Tremblay has announced the allocation of $659,000 towards the restoration of four local churches in the region.“These religious buildings are st rong landmarks in our communities, both urban and rural.Not only known for their historic, architectural and symbolic value, they are the first museums Quebec has known, and are important witnesses to the evolution of Quebec society," said Gagnon-Tremblay.The amount of $492,575 is going towards Église Sa int-Louis-d e-France in Hast Angus.Plymouth Trinity Church in Sherbrooke is receiving $77,000, the Église Baptiste in Barnston $70.925 and the Saint-Luke church in Magog $18.500.The money received will allow the churches to undertake renovations of their roofs, doors and windows, as well as other needed work.“We have the responsibility to assure Rhcokd g I vh away Piggery tickets The Piggery Theatre would like to offer two tickets to the Piggery Theatre's opening benefit show starring “ Charlie Harquharson” comedian and star of the television show “ Hee-Haw" on Saturday May 27.at 8 pm.There will also be an after-party reception with Don Marron a.k.a.Charlie Harquharson.To qualify, clip this coupon noting Piggery ticket and send it along with your name and address to The Record, Box 1200, Sherbrooke, QC.J1H 5L6 before May 24.the conservation of these precious legacies for our future generations.This is why we have pursued our efforts to restore the most significant elements of this unique heritage.We have collaborated with the community and other local partners who have as well invested in the projects,” said Gagnon-Tremblay.This financial contribution is part of the program for the restoration of religious heritage.In total 88 projects have been funded in Quebec, with a global grants of nearly $11.2 million.PKRRY BEATON/SPECIAL Plymouth Trinity Church is one of four to receive funds from Quebec's cultural ministry .B r 11: i More temporary layoffs at Tafisa Staff Dozens more employees were temporarily laid off Sunday at Lac Megantic’s Tafisa melamine plant Sunday.The 55 new temporary layoffs bring the number,to 140.The layoffs follow an explosion in late April that destroyed some 95,000- square feet of the plant and caused tens of millions of dollars in damages.The plant, which is the largest melamine and particle board production facility in Canada, employed 325.The company’s human resources manager, Guy Senechal, said the company laid off workers on assembly line 1 because the provinces’s work safety commission.Commission de la santé et de la securité du travail (CSST), did not approve the work area for use.The company’s CEO, Louis Brassard, said that line 1 did not receive any direct damages from the blast and fire, and internal investigations showed that the area was safe for workers.However, he said the commission demanded that equipment needs to be repaired and two engineering firms are currently working on the modifications.Brassard noted it may take up to six weeks before the commission approves the modifications which will allow employees to return to work.He added that employees will be kept up to date regarding future changes at the plant.Weather Today.Showers.High 15.Friday: Rain.Low 10.High 15.Saturday: Showers.low 9.High 16.Sunday: Cloudy with 60 per cent chance of showers.Low 8.High 16.Ben by Daniel Shelton a^Ghh \thanks T-THERe! /pQr> NOW THAT YOU -BROUGHT IT, WE CAN ACTUALLY PUT STUFF IN IT' y .’WHiMpgU'-T ¦*'¦*¦* ¦i rut ¦ RECORD Thursday, May 18, 2006 page 3 Financial carrot used to lure families to Cowansville MAURICE CROSSE!ELD Cowansville town clerk Marc Langevin, Stéphane Benjamin of the Caisse Populaire, town councillor Jacqueline Caron, mayor Arthur Fauteux and Patrice Boucher of the Cowansville and Region Chamber of Commerce: Trying to get young families to make Cowansville their own.By Maurice Crossfield In an effort to attract more young families to Cowansville, the town has teamed up with the local Caisse Populaire to offer financial incentives to purchase homes.“By adopting this program our administration reasserts, in concrete terms, its vision of the future and its wish to come to the assistance of families who are thinking of purchasing a home in our municipality,” said Mayor Arthur Fauteux during a press conference Wednesday.The program, which is part of Cow-ansville’s new family policy, offers financial aid for a family to purchase a new or used home.New homes get preferred treatment, with an unmarried adult with no children getting a $2,000 cash bonus.A family with one child gets $4,000, with two children gets $6,000, and with three or more children gets $8,000.The purchase of an existing home is met by a $2,000 bonus for a family with one or more children.The program is retroactive to Jan.1, 2006.Meanwhile the Caisse Populaire de Brome-Missisquoi is offering incentives of its own: A new house for a first-time buyer will equal a $2,000 bonus, plus $500 for each child under 18 years of age, to a maximum of $5,000.An existing home purchased by a first-time buyer will mean a grant of $1,000, with an extra $500 per child under 18 up to a maximum of $4,000.The Caisse Pop program is also offer-ing incentives to build apartment blocks, at the rate of $1,500 per four-and-a-half room apartment, and $2,000 for a five-and-a-half, up to $10,000 per apartment block.“These grants are independent of any other promotions available at the Caisse," said Stéphane Benjamin, director of the Brome-Missisquoi Caisse Pop.That means there may be other ways to save a bit more as well.The financial cooperative’s program also isn’t exclusive to Cowansville, but includes most towns in its territory, including Abercorn, Brigham, Dunham, East Farnham and parts of Brome Lake and Bromont (Adamsville).For potential Cowansville residents the programs add up to significant savings for purchasers of a new home: For example a family of three moving to the area for the first time would be eligible for $3,500 from the Caisse Pop and another $8,000 from the Town of Cowansville, for a total of $11,500.The municipality has set aside a budget of about $325,000 per year for each of the next three years.As for the Caisse Populaire, Benjamin said a fixed budget was not set.He said the program will be in place for the next two years, and then will be re- viewed.“It is a major investment on the part of the Caisse,” he said.“I think there’s a price to be paid for winning and a price to be paid for the future of our community.” Both Fauteux and Benjamin agree on the need to attract more young families to Cowansville.New homes and apartment blocks have been built in recent years, but the aging population means the workforce is shrinking while the population of the town has remained relatively unchanged.Meanwhile, like many Townships municipalities, Cowansville is seeing real estate prices skyrocketing, making it difficult for lower middle income families.“In the last 35 years the population numbers haven’t moved much,” Fauteux said.He said changes in the family structure, such as divorces and smaller families, means there are fewer people per home in the town.“Twenty-five years ago by the age of 25 everyone had a stable job and were starting a family,” Fauteux said.“Today they will be in their 30's before they have a stable relationship and a job." Fauteux said having an available workforce is important in being able to attract new companies to Cowansville.“What guarantees an available labor force?Families," he said.“The Town of Cowansville has decided to put families at the heart of its concerns," said councillor Jacqueline Caron, who worked on developing the family policy.It’s slogan is “Une ville amie des familles (a family friendly town).” For more information on Cowans-ville’s family policy, get on the Internet and go to www.cowansville.org.Trial: Cont’d from Page 1 had gotten up to take care of her during the night while the toddler’s mother slept in the next room.Duplin was arrested a few days later by police and charged.More than 150 candidates were called for jury selection Tuesday morning.Shortly after lunch, seven men and five women were impanelled to hear the case.The trial, which continues today at the Sherbrooke courthouse, is scheduled to last two weeks during which time Crown attorney Karine Frenette is expected to call 19 witness.Defence attorney Patrick Fréchette does not have to reveal if he will mount a defence or if his client will testify in his own defence.The trial is being presided by Superior Court Justice Paul-Marcel Bellavance who gave his opening instructions to the jury on Wednesday.RECORD Michel Duval * sîï Advertising Consultant v, « Tel.: 819-569-9525 Fax: 819-821-3179 email : mdu val @ sherbrookerecord.com This student needs a home EF Foundation is currently seeking a volunteer host family tor this 16 year old Italian girl named Salome.Salome describes herself as a “funny, independent girl’' who loves to hang out and share laughs with friends and family.Her favorite passtimes include playing parlor games, having debates, going to the theater and swimming.She also loves to cook and often helps her mom out with the family meals.Salome is well traveled but has always wanted to come to Quebec, Canada.She can hardly believe that in 3 quick months her dream will finally come true! During Salome’s exchange in Canada she will be fully insured, have her own spending money and be supported by a local EF coordinator.If you or anyone you know would like to help this EF exchange student by providing her with a room and a caring environment, then please contact either Francine at 450-624-0589 or Barb at 450-689-9572 or call our National Office at 1-800-263-2825.Together we can make Salome's dream come true! YOU CAN ALSO REACH US TOLL FREE AT THE EF NATIONAL HEAD OFFICE BY DIALING 1-800-263-2825 PAC b 4 Thursday, May 18, 2006 RECORD Cops reinforce ties with community during Police Week Gaétan Labbé proud to be Sherbrooke's Police Chief By Rita Legauit Sherbrooke Police Chief Gaétan l^ibbc arrived in Sherbrooke a year ago during a tumultuous period as four local officers were found guilty of assaulting a prisoner in their custody.labbé said several colleagues asked him if he knew what he was getting into, but he was convinced the Sherbrooke force was a good one."It's not one specific event that makes an organization lose all credibility," he said, remarking that after a year of'working with officers, police brass and civilians he is proud to lx1 the police chief in Sherbrooke.labbé said the force is working hard to offer g U.xXT © l aughtngStock licensing Inc /dtet Unled Mecia, ?006 *C3 Tl>fe ‘That pair comes with a set of training wheels.’ page 18 Thursday, May 18, 2006 Cau Shmbbook*: (819) 5694525 betwken 830 a.m.and 430 r.M.E-maii classad0shrrbrookrrrcord.com on Knowiton: (450) 242-1188 bitween 900 a.m.and 400 p.m.——— — — Record m CLASSIFIED Deadune: 1230 p.m.one day prior to publication Or mail your prepaid classified ads to The Record, P.O.Box 1200, Sherbrooke.Quebec J1H 5L6 100 Job Opportunities 100 Job Opportunities If we hear this in Sherbrooke, QC Then your future is calling.Vi c arc Canada’s largest privately held call centre service providers, and we are looking to open our next office with up to 40(1 permanent new full time positions in a city just like Sherbrooke, Quebec.Our 1 1 award winning offices already have some of the happiest and best trained Customer Care agents in the business.If you are great with people, (and get along o.k.with computers) we want to hear from you.We will be offenng a great starting pay of $10.00/hour and all the other good things you’d expect from a “5