08 November 1, 2008 - ObserverXtra

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4 | NEWS »FRoM thE EDItoR | StEVE KANNoN What you do to others comes back in kind “Buddy, can you spare a dime?” Instead of ignoring the plea, looking right through the questioner – who, frankly, will be looking for much more than a dime these days – maybe you could offer to buy him a coffee. If that’s not your cup of tea, perhaps you could offer some homemade muffi ns to a neighbour. Something that exhibits a bit of kindness to the people around you. On Nov. 14, the organizers of Waterloo Region’s fi rst annual Random Act of Kindness Day would like you to pick something, anything, that shows a little recognition to the people around you. Even the basic courtesy of holding a door open for someone would be a good start. Initiated by The Kitchener and Waterloo Community Foundation, the day aims to encourage us all to take note that we live in a community shared with others, where simple pleasantries would make life much more enjoyable. “It’s a day to promote some kindness in our community, says the foundation’s Tracy Van Kalsbeek. “People are so busy these days, too busy to acknowledge others – it’s a time to slow down, take it easy and do something kind.” Maybe you buy a coffee for someone standing in line at Tim Hortons on the WANTED: 7 Homes That Need Roofing Please call Angelo: 1-888-696-0548 Toll-Free 24 hours 7 Days a week Leeanna Pendergast, MPP for Kitchener-Conestoga A Day of Remembrance Every November 11th , Canadians pause in a silent moment of remembrance for the men and women who served their country during wartime and in the cause of peace. We honour their sacrifice and the sacrifices of our soldiers today, who serve so we may live in peace. Local Remembrance Day Ceremonies Kitchener Cenotaph: Tuesday, Nov. 11, 2008, 11:00 am New Hamburg Old Arena: : Tuesday, Nov. 11, 2008, 11:00 am New Dundee Park: Saturday, Nov. 8, 2008, 11:00 am Elmira Cenotaph: Sunday, Nov. 9, 2008, 3:00 pm Linwood Cenotaph: Sunday, Nov. 9, 2008, 1:15 pm Friday morning in question. That person responds by letting someone into the line of traffi c during the commute to work. With a smile and a wave, the recipient of that little bit of consideration shares a kind word with a coworker … It’s the pay-it-forward concept, she says, referring to the Kevin Spacey movie of the same name. Call it good karma, if you will. “What you put out into the universe comes back tenfold. There’s all kinds of negativity in the world right now – the economy, the stock market – so it’s a good time for something positive.” To help get the word out, the foundation is circulating 100,000 cards promoting the concept. The cards will encourage the cardholder to perform a simple act of kindness for someone – a neighbour, a friend, a co-worker, or someone they don’t even know – and hand the card over to that person, in turn encouraging him/her to do the same. I’m curious to see what kind of impact this idea will have here. It might be a bit optimistic to visit Starbucks awaiting someone’s offer to pay for my decaf grande non-fat, no foam latte, but perhaps a more subtle response will ensue. The fact that it’s Friday should help with the general mood of the day, of course. Doing something kind for a neighbour, friend or colleague is all well and good, but the real test will be extending that sentiment to a stranger. There are social norms about interacting with www.ObserverXtra.com We take hundreds of photos every week. View them all online. 7 Homes in your area will be given the opportunity of having an INTERLOCK metal roofing system installed on their home at a reasonable cost. This lifetime product is capturing the interest of homeowners across the country who want to know this will be the last time they will have to re-roof their home. Our product is environmentally friendly and comes with a transferable Lifetime Limited Warranty with an excellent choice of colours to complement your home and is going to be introduced to your local market. Your home can be a show place in your neighborhood and we will make it worth your while if we can use your home. photo | JoNI MILtENBURG unknown people in public – there are unwritten rules that see us do our best to ignore the fact we’re surrounded by strangers; the bigger the city, the stronger the need for this ersatz privacy. You can easily test that theory by attempting to strike up a conversation with strangers out in public. Most often, they’ll be taken aback, and wary of your intentions. Even in the case of a shared experience – waiting in the same line, for instance – the personal boundaries are intact. Most of us are very particular about our personal space. It’s interesting to watch how people attempt to distance themselves as much as possible from others in places such as waiting rooms or on public transit. We try to keep the maximum distance from everyone else – it’s a well-studied mathematical certainty. Want to rock the boat? Try sitting right next to someone in a sparsely occupied bus. Good manners may lead the other person to do no more than shoot you a dirty look, but »ABoUt FACE ALI BRUBACHER Employee and volunteer, Chateau Gardens How long have you been with Chateau Gardens? I started working here in 1974. I was in nursing for 10 years and then I was housekeeping supervisor until ‘91 when I took ill with a chronic illness. I came back part time when the assisted living centre was opened up in 2002. But I’d started doing a little bit of volunteer work here at the nursing home before that. What do you like best about working/volunteering here? Having been ill for years, I’m so grateful for what I can do again. I feel like I can relate a lot better with them since I had my chronic illness. The residents here are like my family. The Observer | Saturday, November 01, 2008 there will be an uncomfortable feeling in the air. That thought led me to the discussions about extending bus service to St. Jacobs and Elmira, and why public transit has a stigma in North America. Certainly the car is king, and it’s a symbol of independence and social status, but there’s a well-researched reluctance to share personal space with others, unavoidable when using transit. It’s one reason we try to avoid using it if at all possible. If you’re keen to take on the noble challenge of Random Act of Kindness Day, then, you’re best advised to choose wisely unless you’re not overly prone to bouts of public self-consciousness. That’s not to downplay the The Kitchener and Waterloo Community Foundation’s attempt. If nothing else, it should make each of us think about our own public courtesies, or lack thereof. A more pleasant public face would be welcomed by all. What goes around, comes around. What do you do here? I do everything and anything. I help with the monthly outing to the mall, special events, the newsletter. I just walk in and I see stuff that needs to be done and I do it. If you won a million dollars, what would you do with it? I was going to say invest, but I’m not sure it’s good to invest right now. I certainly would save for my own personal needs, but I would also give to my special charities. And I would think of a few friends. Have you started Christmas shopping yet? Matter of fact, I did one. Are you a last-minute shopper? No, I don’t like doing that. I hate shopping, let’s put it that way.
The Observer | Saturday, November 01, 2008 NEWS | 5 6 months jail time for racing for Elmira man An Elmira man was sentenced oct. 29 to six months in jail for crashing into another car while racing on the Conestoga parkway. Kyle Klooster, 21, was 19 at the time of the incident in october 2006. he and his friend Brian Martin of Kitchener were racing each other through traffic at speeds of up to 180 km/h around 6 p.m. when he hit the back of another car, sending it spinning across the highway and into a concrete barrier. the women in the other car – Sara pauls, 28, and Krysten Cameron, 29, read victim impact statements detailing how severe whiplash and emotional trauma have changed their lives. Crown prosecutor Mark poland asked for a tough term of house arrest, with the condition Klooster speak to others about the dangers of street racing, in light of his age, clean record, and willingness to face up to his crime. But Justice James Ramsay questioned the sincerity of Klooster’s remorse, handing down a tougher sentence than the Crown asked for. Ramsay said the speed involved and the lasting impact of the crash on the other two women outweighed factors in Klooster’s favour. Klooster was also prohibited from driving for three and a half years on two counts of dangerous driving causing bodily harm. GRCA to receive $524K the Grand River Conservation Authority will receive $524,000 from the province’s Water and Erosion Control Infrastructure program, Kitchener-Conestoga Mpp Leeanna pendergast announced tuesday. “this investment will help the conservation authority and the local municipalities in the watershed carry out important studies and repair projects to help maintain existing dams and flood control channels,” she said. Loan program for immigrants the Waterloo Region Immigrant Employment Network this week launched the Waterloo Immigrant Loan program, which provides access to loans for new Canadians to pay for training and certification costs to help them find skillrelevant work in their profession or trade. Skilled workers from other countries often run into difficulties having their training and credentials recognized after relocating to Canada. WRIEN is hosted by the Greater Kitchener Waterloo Chamber of Commerce. IN 1 HOUR »WooLWICh CoUNSELLING CENtRE AND STAY QUIT with our exclusive LaserQuit TM program 304 - 684 Belmont Ave W, Kitchener 880-1237 | Toll Free 1 877 868 8818 www.fr e edo mlase r . c a WICC set to move into recently renovated building this month Renovations in the final stages at former St. Aidan’s Church; move set for Nov. 20 MARC MIQUEL HELSEN The people behind the Woolwich Counselling Centre (WICC) have come a long way since first launching a fundraising campaign more than a year ago to move to a new facility. Since proposing a move from its home-base of 30 years at St. James Lutheran Church to the former St. Aidan’s Church on Memorial Avenue, WICC has collected approximately $350,000 toward the $700,000 venture. Half of the total price tag, which will cover the purchase of the property, renovations, and operating costs, was cobbled together though private donations, fundraisers and government grants. The move-in date is set for Nov. 20, but much work still remains to be done. “We still need to do a lot of fundraising,” said executive director Gerlinde Petz. Indeed, half of the project’s overall funding is JONI MILTENBURG Allison Howorth, a Heidelberg resident and music student, has been selected as the recipient of the 2008 Abner Martin music scholarship. The scholarship, worth $2,000, goes to a music student affiliated with the Mennonite Church Eastern Canada. Lewis Brubacher, a still outstanding. WICC last year found three anonymous interim lenders that agreed to front money to cover the cost of the building. In December 2007, a group of anonymous lenders came forward to finance the purchase of the former St. Aidan’s Church in Elmira. The conditional offer for the property was firmed up and the deal closed in December 2007 after $300,000 in loans became available. A fundraising letter was sent to households in both Woolwich and Wellesley townships that same month, garnering $50,000 in individual donations. A variety of other fundraising activities – including concerts, pancake dinners and silent auctions – raised ALMOST THERE Kelly McLarnon-Sinclair, a marriage and family therapist, will be running a parent group meeting another $50,000. at WICC Nov. 27, shortly after the organization completes its move to the former St. Aidan’s Church in Elmira. A number of local ser- to hit the $8,500 mark. and some $150,000 was the Woolwich Commuvice groups stepped in The Woolwich Lions, obtained through nunity Foundation. to lend their fundrais- the Elmira Legion, Gale merous grants from: The move from the ing muscle. The Kiwanis Presbyterian and Trin- The Trillium Founda- longstanding home was Club of Elmira commitity United also joined tion, The Kitchener and prompted by growth ted to making the new the fray, collecting dona- Waterloo Community that was outstripping centre wheelchair actions for WICC. Foundation, the Region the space available at St. cessible by building a An anonymous donor of Waterloo, the Town- James. ramp, a project expected contributed $100,000, ship of Woolwich and See MOVING page »08 Heidelberg singer receives music prize WLU student recognized for her contributions with Abner Martin scholarship ALLISON HOWORTH ELMIRA WELLNESS CENTRE 24-B Arthur St. S., Elmira (Located behind W.C. Brown & Sons) 669-4425 MASSAGE THERAPY AT THE ELMIRA WELLNESS CENTRE photo | SUBMIttED • Evening Appt's • Relaxation • Hot Stones • Deep Tissue • Gift Certificate Available • All Registered Therapists Krista A. Sandelli RMT & Associates photo | MARC MIQUEL hELSEN member of the scholarship committee, said there are three criteria for the award: academic excellence, involvement in music in their home church, and involvement in music in the community. “She was high in all those three categories,” Brubacher said of Howorth. Howorth, a singer, provides special music at HEARING HEALTH AT THE ELMIRA WELLNESS CENTRE • Hearing Tests • Hearing Aids No referrals necessary Andrea Hoffman Audiologist Juliane Shantz Doctor of Audiology “MEETING ALL YOUR HEALTH & WELLNESS NEEDS” Wellesley Mennonite as often as she can, including some solo work. She has also sung in choirs at Conrad Grebel University College in Waterloo and taken part in several productions staged by The Singer’s Theatre. Most recently she played Rebecca in the musical Rags, and in January she’ll be playing Jo in the company’s production of Little Women. Since 1929 103 Ontario St., Kitchener Brubacher said he attended a performance of Rags and thought it was very well done, not knowing one of the lead players had applied for the scholarship. Gord Davis, former drama teacher at EDSS who directed her in Rags, said she’s an easy performer to work with. “She’s not a diva. There isn’t an ego there.” See MUSIC page »06 The Area’s Best Selection! SPECIALIZING IN: 519.745.4053
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