The record, 14 septembre 2006, jeudi 14 septembre 2006

THE RECORD The voice of the Eastern Townships since 1897 Border complaints from the - LÉ !!* 75 CENTS + TAXES PM#0040007682 Thursday, September 14, 2006 Saving the lake Ogden3s shoreline is rebuilt By Rita Legault Ogden A major renaturalization project along the badly eroded shoreline at Weir Memorial Park in Ogden will help improve the quality of water at the public beach and throughout Lake Memphremagog.“Shorelines are the last protections for our lakes in preventing the proliferation of weeds and preserving the quality of water,” said Philippe Lefebvre, one of the specialists overseeing the job.“Revegetating shorelines is becoming crucial in saving the lake.” The watchdog group Memphremagog Conservation Inc.(MCI), along with the Weir Park Memorial Corporation and the municipality of Ogden, are planting a variety of indigenous plants along the shore, which has first been stabilized with rocks.The majority of the work is being financed by the Caisse Populaire de Stanstead, which gave $9,2000 to the project.MCI is providing the plants as well as the environmental technicians who are managing a handful of volunteers.Lefebvre said the Ogden project is a major one and goes far beyond what Memphremagog Conservation habitually encourages shorelines residents to do.He said serious erosion problems at the beach demanded extensive work that required permits from the provincial environmental ministry to stabilize the shoreline with a wall of rocks.The work is being done on 100 meters (333 feet) of shoreline beside the beach.The undertaking will be completed next spring.MCI president Gisele Lacasse-Benoit said MCI is putting a Please see Lake on Page 4 PERRY BEATON ¦ ¦HI m.I: *•£ ‘ Ian Gagnon shows volunteers how to place a variety of plants that are native to the shores, including sweet gale, blue flag irises, meadow sweet, wild roses, spirea and willow shrubs.?it ?I FREE AUDITIONS Models and Actors ages 4 and up! Model & Talent Search Canada wUI be conducting Free Auditions In Sherbrooke on September 16th at the Delta Sherbrooke Hotel on King Street West at 1:00 p.m.| Call 1-800-929-5581 to find out more about this exciting opportunity! If you've ever dreamed of becoming a Model or an Actor, then you need to be at these FREE auditions! Actors must be able to speak English.?itit it ? page 2 Thursday, September 14, 2006 iTMf.RECORD Resources map of Sherbrooke Two year effort should make life easier for residents Sondip Chatteijee Sherbrooke Tired of fumbling through a phone book to find a CLSC, school, medical clinic or nursery?The community development organization (CDC) of Sherbrooke has just released a map of city resources.From community organizations (like the Lennoxville Women's Centre) to grocery stores to discount clothing and furniture to housing, the map points residents to 340 service outlets and institutions across town.It looks like a road map, but features little pictograms of schools, CLSCs, medical clinics and other services right on the map.“We made the pictograms so that anyone can look at them, English or French, and understand what it is," said Jean-François Roos, community organizer at the Sherbrooke Geriatric University Institute’s health and social services (CSSS-IUGS).A nursery will be depicted with a teddy bear, a medical clinic or hospital by a house with a cross.“That way, someone who moves to a particu-lar part of town just has to look at the map, and will be able to see all of the services available in the area,” said Roos.The pictograms are also numbered, with a descriptions of services on the back of the map.This part is exclusively in French.The descriptions are categorized by needs, with medical services grouped together, for example.The map will be dispensed at 430 locations across the city, including CLSCs, borough offices, schools, hospitals and just about every community organization — with a catch.The maps will not be paid out passers-by to pick up.In order to get one, you have to ask for it, or have it has to be given Seeing Double COURTESY lectured (attending a recent Association international des jumeaux, jumelles, triplés et plus meeting in Sherbrooke) are Stuart and Philippe Daniel of Australia, Claudette and Jeannette LeFêbvre, Monique and Jacline of Quebec, and Laura and Linda of the United States.The Sherbrooke-based LeFêbvre twins are looking for volunteers to help with preparing for the local Dec.2 Christmas parade.Contact 819-565-4187.to you.For example, the map will be given out at the front desk of the Lennoxville Town Hall, or by social workers, or teachers.The decision is an attempt to ensure that only those who need it, receive it.“We don’t want people to just pick it up and throw it away,” said Roos.“When something is distributed by a teacher or social worker, people are more likely to keep it, to put it on their fridge with a magnet." The CDC of Sherbrooke has partnered with several local organizations for this project, including the Caisse Populaires of Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke’s regional school board, Quebec’s ministry of employment and social solidarity, CEGEP de Sherbrooke and the CSSS-IUGS.The CDC of Sherbrooke works toward community, economic and social development in the City of Sherbrooke.The new map is also available at www.cartedesressources.com.CASTE Lox » f ** a * Itaptembrc 2005 Here’s what the map looks like.Weather Today: A few showers ending in the evening.High 18.Friday: Sunny.Low 10.High 21.Saturday: Sunny.Low 7.High 23.Sunday: Sunny.Low 10.High 22.Ben by Daniel Shelton Vhooo'&mme THAT, ALE& BAP BOY.' MY WORK HERE IS DONC.EL,YtXl'RE LETTING PLAY WITH YOUR PINOSAURS?HESPROOUN(3 AIL OVER THEM/GROSS// AN(7 LOOK/ UBS RANGING IT ON THE FLOOR! AREN'T YOU MAP AT HIM?HE'S BREAKING ALL YQUR TOYS// WAAAWM/ STOP HIM! WHATS GOING ON?, MICMABL, POtlf GRAB THINGS PROM YOUR, BROTHER'/ « - —TUI win.- RECORD Thursday, September 14, 2006 page 3 Border help wanted U.S.wants SQ to abet By Brion Robinson Sherbrooke f |-^he unpatrolled border between Quebec and New Hampshire needs .X.more co-operation from the Sûreté du Quebec, says a report completed by an American border security task force.“Quebec authorities, including the Quebec Provincial Police, are reported not cooperative with U.S.authorities in border security efforts,” the report states.It also notes that the RCMP, which provides border patrols in other parts of Canada, has no patrol between Quebec and New Hampshire.The task force, appointed by Republican Congressman Charlie Norwood, compiled information between June to August.During that time they visited border between Canada and New York, New Hampshire and Maine.“Partnering for Success: Securing the Northern Border,” was completed Sept.8 and is available on Norwood’s Web site.The report also states that radar coverage between between Quebec and New Hampshire (which has 14 border guards) was “not effective" for detecting ground and air incursions because of mountainous terrain.In addition, the report includes aerial photographs of unguarded roads between Canada and the United States.“They [the 107 unguarded roads between Quebec and the United States] are a major problem,” said Jean-Pierre Fortin, first national vice president of the Customs Excise Union Douanes Accise.“We’re talking about roads that are plowed in the winter time.” Fortin, who has been a border guard for some 25 years, said the Canadian Border Services Agency would be more effective if it had its own patrol.“What would make the border more secure is more patrols,” he said, noting border services agents are limited to enforcing their check points.If an automobile or person blows through the check point, agents in Quebec must call the SQ or RCMP for back up.“The SQdoes the best it can,” said Louis-Philippe Ruel, Sûreté du Québec spokesman for the Estrie region, noting the area’s 321 officers respond to calls from border patrol officers the same as they would respond to any other request for help.“We get calls,” he said.“But it doesn’t happen often.” Ruel said the SQ in the Estrie region is responsible for eight municipal regional councils (five of which are situated along the border).Although most of the MRCs are located along the border, the SQdoes not have a mandate to conduct border patrols.But the lack of border patrols aren't the only American concern.The 26-page report also states that New Hampshire border patrol officers have “considerable communications systems weaknesses.” It says that “communications are worsened” because of different band-widths between American and Canadian law enforcement agents operating near the border.Up until now, Ruel said, there have been no requests for the SQ to tune its radio frequencies with those of American border agents or law enforcement agencies.The American report also recommended assigning some 12,000 U.S.National Guard troops and additional agents along its northern border to increase security.It also stressed the importance of Canada and the United States working together “aggressively and consistently” to prevent illegal crossings.Briefs The stolen cars were found in Ulverton Quebec’s car thieves are among the best in the world, claims Craig Armstrong, general manager of Boomerang Tracking Inc.They’ve figured out how to disable the Montreal company’s tracking device.So Boomerang installed another dozen units that it hid throughout a client’s vehicle.This next-generation recovery system, called Espion, had its debut last week when a Ford F-350 truck was stolen in Montreal.The truck was found the same day in Ulverton, about 120 kilometres east.And so were two other trucks stolen from the victim’s neighbour.“Thieves are always adapting.So we’re staying a step ahead of them,” Armstrong said.Boomerang uses cellular towers to locate cars that use its homing device.With the new product, four to 12 other battery-powered tags are hidden throughout the car.-CanWest News Service Drummondville blood drive Héma Québec will hold a blood donor clinic today, Thurs., Sept.14.It’s at Les Promenades Drummondville (755 René-Lévesque Blvd.) from 10 a.m.to 8 p.m.« i 4 PERRY BEATON The Sûreté du Quebec’s Louis-Philippe Ruel says officers respond to calls from border security officers._______________________________________________________ la chronique Government information Back to school for ninety more minutes As of September 2006, etementary school students will benefit from an additional hour and a half of teaching per week.Over the six years of elementary school, the weekly teaching time wi rise from 23 hours and thirty minutes to 25 hours, an increase amounting to 54 additional hours per school year.Thanks to this change, Quebec students will benefit from instruction time comparable to that of ofier students in Canada as well as to the average of countries in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).What wM the children do during this extra hour and half?Adding 90 minutes to the students' dafly schedule wl, among other things, facilitate the teaching of three specialties in etementary school: health and physical education, second language, and the arts.Why was such a decision made?First, to give schools to opportunity of providing students with two hours of health and physical education per week.Second, to facilitate the introduction of the teaching of English as a second language in grades one and two.Third, to encourage the introduction of the cubical dimension in schools.Parents interested in knowing more about the effects of these changes in their schools may communicate with the administration of the school which their child attends, or with the regional administration of the Ministère de l'Éducation en Estrie at 819 820-3382.Have a great back-to-school time! INFORMATION (toll free) Telephone: 1800 363-1363 TDD service: 1 800 361-9596 www.gouv.qc.ca Québec 5 fMrte pack 4 Thursday, September 14, 2006 RECORD LAKE: Cont’d from Page 1 meet with regional economic leaders to raise awareness of the importance of the health of Lake Memphremagog on the regional economy.“They have to take this seriously,” he said, noting that they want economic leaders to put pressure on elected officials to act.Benoit said that Brome Lake and the head of Lake Champlain were closed this summer due to cyanobacteria infestations — blue-green algae blooms — that were threatening the health of swimmers and other lake users.“If we had to close the head of the lake in Magog for three weeks in the middle of summer, that would have a huge impact on the regional economy,” he said, noting MCI’s aim is not to cry wolf, but to inform of real dangers.MCI president Lacasse-Benoit added that algae blooms caused the Weir beach to be closed in August and that the environment ministry has confirmed the presence of cyanobacteria in the international recreational lake for the past couple of summers.The algae causes gastrointestinal distress and even boiled water isn’t safe if it's contaminated.Lacasse-Benoit said that specialists link the presence of cyanobacteria directly with phosphorus.That pollutant comes from inadequate septic tanks and manure.“Our goal is to control erosion as much as possible and ensure that healthy, vegetated shorelines act as a barrier between fertilizers and other pollutants and the lake.” Lacasse-Benoit said she hoped the Ogden renaturalization project was the first of many along the shoreline of Memphremagog and the many tributaries that feed the lake On only site RECORD Michel Duval Advertising Consultant Tel.: 819-569-9525 Fax: 819-821-3179 email: mduval@sherbrookerecord.com “a rundown shanty town of shacks” to a park the regional population can enjoy.Sudlow said the town and park corporation have been concerned about a number of environmental problems, including septic tanks that were not up to scratch.Now that these problems have been corrected, he said, they are working on fixing erosion.“Shoreline erosion is causing aquatic plants to thrive and choke up the bay,” he said.It’s preventing people from enjoying the beach.Sudlow said the project would demonstrate how ideal shoreline restoration and revegetation should be done and he hopes it would serve as an example to others.Pierre La roque, president of the Weir Park Corporation, said the re-naturalization project responded to a need identified many years ago, but one which was not then affordable.Mario Scallon, manager of the main funding body, the Stanstead Caisse Populaire, said his board invests in a project in the Three Villages every year, though this is the first environmental project funded.MCI spokesman Robert Benoit told reporters his group plans to greater emphasis on shoreline renat-uralizaton projects since a 2005 study, titled “Operation Healthy Like," identified that the two main problems causing the premature aging of the lake were run off from artificialized shorelines and tributaries, and human activities.Lefebvre said that revegetation of clear-cut shorelines is one of the most effective ways to protect the lake.He said that artificial shorelines— made with cement walls and docks — are causing a warming of the lake.Ogden Mayor Michael Sudlow said Weir Park was donated by the Weir family to the local population and that over the years it has been transformed from Visit RECORD booth Townshippers 9 Day Saturday, September 16 Rich mond at the fairgrounds ^bncfL by! SPECIAL SUBSCRIPTION RATES 3 months $3475* 6 months $6800* 1 year $130oo* (Taxes included) B R1 K IS Sherbrooke mobile home expansions are okay again A vote to allow Sherbrooke’s mobile homeowners to expand their homes — just like regular homeowners can — came a few weeks early.An urban consultation committee headed by City Councillor Loui-da Brochu had until October 3 to present recommendations to council regarding plans to limit mobile home expansion.But the committee concluded last week that original plans to forbid homeowner to add foundations for modifications were too restrictive.The committee had received some 400 recommendations about the plan from residents and businesses — including a petition from mobile home owners seeking the same rights as other property-owning taxpayers.However, there are some restrictions, such as not allowing mobile home owners to add more than 30 per cent of the original size of their home.Alain Robert, spokesman for the Estrie region’s home economic cooperative association, said the original plan singled out families who live in mobile homes.He said families who cannot afford $200,000 homes in the city should be allowed to add on space like any other resident.The city has some 635 mobile homeowners.Ski patrol recruiting The Eastern Townships branch of the Canadian Ski Patrol System is recruiting patrollers to help keep skiers safe on the many ski areas in the region.The service is looking for intermediate skiers or better to patrol the Orford, Owl’s Head, Glen, Montjoye and Shefford mountains and the cross country parks of Orford, Jouvence, Megantic and Yamaska.The recruitment campaign runs to Sept.19, in Montreal and Sherbrooke.The service provides first aid on ski hills and runs awareness programs on skiing safely.Call 819-562-4003 or, toll free, 1-888-562-4003.Cheenos Heart cVStroke Walk tor ^JHeart pother Daughter for **eart & strode September 24, 2006 Registration: 9:15 a.m.Starting time: 10:30 a.m.Chantal L’Espérance Honorary President Francine Robert Honorary President Monique Côté Honorary President JŒCORD: Thursday, September 14, 2006 page 5 Angry bus users get their day Bus drivers’ union says it’s being targeted Sondip Chatteijee SHERBROOKE ¦ ¦ «he four-member executive of i the bus drivers’ union have I been threatened with a one-A month suspension by the Sherbrooke transit corporation for passing out flyers denouncing the new bus schedule days before it went into effect on Aug.21.The flyers stated that the bus drivers were already disappointed with the new service and transit users would surely be disappointed as well.The pamphlets went on to say that users should not blame drivers for irregular and infrequent service, but Sherbrooke transit corporation (STS) management.The STS drivers’ union has requested a hearing with the province’s labour relations commission to fight the disciplinary action.An arbitrator from the commission will decide whether a one month suspension is warranted at the end of October.Union president Ghislain Leroux has resigned his position because of, he claims, pressure from the STS.“They have been sending me letters since June, at my home address, threatening suspension,” said Leroux.STS general manager Huguette Dallaire and board chair Dany Lachance were in meetings all day yesterday and could not be reached for comment.Leroux said he will stay on as union president until the beginning of October, at which time an election will be held.Meanwhile, the STS was scheduled to hold a board meeting yesterday evening, and transit users — who have been forced to complain about summer bus service at Sherbrooke city council meetings up until now, got their chance to vent directly to STS management.Several city residents, angry over the level of service they are receiving under the new bus plan, were expected to express their discontent.Jean Raymond Houle, coordinator of both Lennoxville’s Oxford Tenants’ Association and the public transit users group, Collectif Sherbrooke, planned on making a short speech and submitting a letter to the STS.Houle’s letter demands the release of a study done by Roche, a Quebec firm whose recommendations were used to create the new bus schedule.The letter also demands the release of the contract signed with the Université de i .y * y $** it M v* ' «510 9 y il r "~a m Sherbrooke that allows their students free access to public transit, and reduced fares to the institution’s workers.Houle said he will give the STS 20 days to release the documents before going to court.“I will get these documents under the freedom-to-in-formation act,” said^% “ ~~ Houie uareer The transit cru .sader will then submit the documents to a lawyer preparing a class action suit on behalf of public transit users in Sherbrooke.Maxime Nasr, of the Montreal law firm Belleau Lapointe, will go to court in two months, where a judge will evaluate whether Sherbrooke bus users have grounds for the lawsuit.Should the judge give the green light, the Quebec government will pay for the legal costs and “the citizens will not have to pay for the suit,” said Houle.Nasr has already won a class action suit on behalf of Sherbrooke transit users, in 2002, against STS bus drivers who staged an -illegal strike.Houle said some 1,700 residents in Lennoxville alone have signed his petition against the STS, expressing dissatisfaction with changes to bus service this summer.Houle said that, even though what’s being billed mer schedule kicked in."The current bus service is designed for the interest of Sherbrooke university students,” said Houle, leaving others in the lurch.He pointed to the lack of bus service under the new transit plan on Galt Street, one of Sherbrooke's main streets which almost cuts through the entire city east to west.“There used to be regular bus service that went along Galt before June 19," said Houle.“Now there’s a departure from Fleurimont in the morning that goes to Sherbrooke university, and a departure from the university in the afternoon, returning to Fleurimont." C PI-RRY BKATON HIE PHOTO Sherbrooke public transit board chair Dany Lachance was in the hot seat.as regular service has returned, it is very different from the service that bus users received before June 19, when the sum- UMfi SALES MANAGER & ADVERTISING SALES Real Estate Weekly, Vancouver, BC contact: the Publisher email: personnel®rew.ca Fax: 604-439-2630 ACCOUNTANT Business in Vancouver Media Group Vancouver, BC contact: the Controller email: accounting@btv.com Fax: 604-688-1963 Application deadline: Sept.15th SALES POSITION Wcybum This Week Weyburn, Sask.email: weyburnlhisweck@sasktel.net fax: 306-842-2515 REPORTER/PHOTOGRAPHER Weyburn This Week Weyburn, Sask.email: weybumthisweek@sasktel.net fax: 306-842-2515 HEALTH ELECTIONS 2006 BECOME A CANDIDATE TAKE PART IN THE DEMOCRATIC PROCESS IN THE HEALTH AND SOCIAL SERVICES NETWORK From September 1 to 25,2006, if you are 18 years of age or older, you are invited to become a candidate for community representative on the boards of directors of institutions in the health and social services network.All of the network's institutions have seats on their boards of directors reserved for you as community representative.Watch for more information on the number of positions available in each institution in your region.For more information on eligibility or how to become a candidate, consult the chief electoral officer of the institution that interests you, or visit the elections website at www.msss.gouv.qc.ca/elections.Elections will take place on October 23, 2006 from noon to 8:00 p.m.at all institutions in the health and social services network.Voting is a right and a responsibility! Santé et Services sociaux Québec www.msis.gouv.qc.ca/clectioni pace 6 Thursday, September 14, 2006 ¦ TMI.RECORD Community Forum BCY! OH ON SEE ABOUT A DOZEN TIM WCfïïONS FIWMSK FKIA HERE! HCM TO TELL THERE 5 A CANADIAN ON THE SPACE SHUTTLE Letter to the Editor Depressing project Dear Editor I would like to respond to Nicole De Rouin’s letter of Sept.7 (“Those laptops”) concerning the laptops in the schools.1 agree with Ms.De Rouin 100 percent and find the entire project sadly, dismally depressing.I would like to share a spark of hope with Ms.De Rouin and others who share her thoughts on the laptop project and the brain drain in our schools.Last June, almost to the day that school ended and vacation began, sales of children's books in my bookstore began to rise.This trend continued all summer long, much to my delight.Yes, I am a business woman and yes, increased sales are good, but as anyone who knows me can attest, I am first and foremost a book person: a lifetime lover of books, a reader, a writer, and a librarian.I cannot tell you how happy it makes me to see children’s eyes light up at books! And children are still reading, everything from Harry Potter to Burgess’s Bedtime Stores, from Anne of Green Gables to the Sisterhood of the Travel-ing Pants, from R.L.Stine's Rotten School series to Artemis Fowl to Er-agon to Goodnight Moon and Where the Wild Tilings are to Sneakers, The Seaside Cat, and more.I do know the value of computers; I rely on one to run my business.They are extremely useful tools but they do not replace books, and they do not teach children how to read, nor how to think.Hey, [Eastern Townships School Board director general] Ron Canuel, leave those kids alone! Let them read books! Janice LaDuke Sherbrooke mTHt — m RECORD PO Boi 1200 Shfrtirookf JIHSUor 1195 Gall F,Shfrtirookf JIG IY7 Fax «19569-3945 imam: nrwirooin@ihrrt>rookf record com Wusnv www.shfrttrookfircord.com RANDY KlNNEAR PUBLISHER.(819)5699511 Eleanor Brown Editor (819) 569-6345 Nn son Alonso Corresp.Editor .(819) 569634S Richard Ihvarii Prod Mgr (819) 5*99931 Serge Gao non Chief Pressman (819) 5699931 Frangine Thibault Prod Superv (819) 569-4856 DEPARTMENTS ACCOUNTING (819)5699511 Advertising .(819) 5699525 Circulation.(819) 5699528 Newsroom .(819) 5696345 Knowlton oeeice 88-A Lakeside.Knowlton.Quebec, JOE 1VD Tbi (450)242 1188 Pax: (450) 243 5155 MAIL SUBSCRIPTIONS GST PST TOTAL Canada: 1 YEAR 120.00 7.20 9.54 S136.74 6 MONTHS 63.00 3.78 5.01 S71.79 3 MONTHS 32.00 1.92 2.54 S36.46 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 Gazelle (est 1837) in 1908.The Record is published by Glacier Ventures International Corp.PM#0O40007682 Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to The Record, 1195 Galt East.Sherbrooke, QC JIG 1Y7 Member ABC.CARD, CNA, QCNA Something for André Boisclair to think about By George! If you’re old enough to remember My Fair Lady’s Professor Higgins, you’ll recall his reaction to Eliza Dolittle’s realization, after much coaching, that the letters “ai” in rain and Spain are pronounced A, not I.“1 think she’s got it.By - George, 1 think she’s got it” was the way he put it.That’s just about this scribbler’s reaction to political commentator Josée Legault’s column in last Friday’s issue of that other English daily.Under the headline “Harper expected to take hard line on referendum," Legault went on to warn readers that Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s response to a Yes vote to sovereignty by Quebecers would probably make the Clarity Act look mild.By George, I think she’s got it! Why wouldn’t the prime minister’s response make the Clarity Act look mild?The Clarity Act is mild.After all, under the right circumstances, the act accommodates secession, or at least a legal framework within which independence might be achieved.The key here, of course, is the phrase “under the right circumstances.” The act promises negotiations in the event of a clear intention by Quebecers to pull out.Negotiation is all that the Clarity Act commits Canada to and means that everything, even what territory is to be ceded, is on the negotiating table, with no guarantee of any given result.Legault elaborated more than is necessary to repeat here what other steps she would expect Canada’s gov-ernment to take should Quebec continue to pretend that Quebecers are the only Canadians entitled to decide upon the fate of the country.She seems now to admit that should Quebec proceed Viewpoint Don Healy with another referendum contrary to the provisions of the Clarity Act, Ottawa would not play dead.In a nutshell, a light seems to have ________ suddenly come on in Josée Legault’s head.Readers of a certain age might be reminded of long-since-retired Ford ads using light bulbs to represent brainwaves.It has apparently occurred to her, at long last, that Canada cannot be presumed inert, helpless and silent under Quebec separatists’ feet.Hmmm! If Josée Legault has just now figured this out, can she presume that other advocates of Quebec independence were waiting for her?Or might some of them reached the threshold ahead of her?Something for André Boisclair to think about! Xmlivy licplmrn Hr\ Harrison HIT nr nw cut sxs By George, I think she's got it/” wmmmmmm MM MONTHS ti fv^^uhn* $11999i or S33n/mo sent by mail 14, 2006 PAGE RECORD Thursday, September Doctors have too much information And they’re impossible to avoid • ere’s something maybe you didn’t know: a referral for blood work .is no longer good after more than two years.Why this should be I’m not sure.If the doctor wanted to check your seroto-blerone levels when he saw you nearly Ross three years ago, he’s Murray probably still going to want to see them now, if not more so.Or maybe people are like cars.When you reach your 40-year mileage, you have to get not just your serotoblerone checked but also your cytoramalamad-ingdong.My local CLSC broke the news to me last week when I brought in a crumpled blood work sheet dated December 17, 2003 and asked, “Is this still good?” I felt like the five-year-old who plunks a pile of change on the counter and says, “How much do this buy?” Now I have another appointment with my doctor who will likely scold me and remind me that once you hit 40 it’s important to have regular checkups and get your postrapedic periodically palpated.I know, 1 know, I will tell him, but I’ve had several very excellent excuses that prevented me from getting my blood work done these past 33 months, the main one being that my busy schedule leaves very little room for passing out.I don’t have a family doctor per se but I have managed to see the same one at the CLSC at least three times.In rural Quebec, that’s considered a long-term doctor-patient relationship.It also means he knows more intimate details about me than pretty much anyone.This got me thinking about doctors, particularly small-town doctors.Perhaps one of the reasons there are so few of them is that it really must be quite socially awkward.Imagine knowing the most gruesome details, say, of someone’s horrible infection and, worse, how she contracted it, and then you run into that person at your kid’s school helping herself to the spinach dip.That’s got to be an “ewww!” moment, even if you do have a medical degree.Plus, a doctor has to keep all this information confidential.In a similar way, I