The record, 6 février 2002, Supplément 1

Brome County NEW Wednesday, February 6, 2002 1ER PENSE À TOI %** IS THINKING OF YOU Turn your groceries.into rewards tpr Open Daily 8-10 p.m.Quality is our main ingredient.472 Knowiton Rd., Knowlton 243“6692 The Largest Circulation Weekly in Brome-Missisquoi Lack of snow doesn’t faze snowmobile group By Barbara Bellingham Record Correspondent Stanbridge East The snow may be low, but not the enthusiasm of the members from the Club Motoneige Baie Mis-sisquoi, who organized a poker car rally last Saturday.Thirty eight cars participated in the event, which awarded prizes for answering a club questionnaire, the best and worst poker hands and a half and half drawing.“It would have been more fun on ski-doo, but what can you do,” shrugged one of the participants.Organizers say that while membership for the group is down approximately 50 per cent from last year, 2001 was a record year for snowmobiling.“There are people in communities like Venice, who rent chalets there,” explains Mario Côté, Club president for the past six years.“If there’s no snow for ski-dooing, they find something else to do and don’t buy a membership.But there are a lot of snowmobilers who take a membership anyway.If there’s not enough snow around here, we just go somewhere else with a trailer.” Club Motoneige Baie Missisquoi is one of 235 that make up the Federation des Clubs de Motoneigistes du Quebec, and has been in existence for 28 years.It has developed more than 21,000 miles of trails that cover the entire province.Membership entitles access to the entire network.The Club Motoneige Baie Missisquoi maintains approximately 60 miles covering west to Noyan, north to Farnham, east to Dunham and south to St.Armand.“None of the trails are dead ends,” Côté emphasizes.“Each trail continues into another club territory.We have one trail that goes right to the border at Morse’s line so our American members can get on there.” See Snowmobile, Page 3 Bedford curlers trade stones for kitchen duties By Caroline Kehne Record Correspondent Bedford Bedford curlers traded their stones for kitchen duty at the club’s annual curling brunch, held Sunday at the Bedford Curling Club.The brunch, held with additional volunteer help from the Bedford Scouting Movement, is held in conjunction with the club’s Open Bonspiel, which opened Feb.3, and continues to Feb.9.Sixteen teams from Sutton, Magog, Cowansville, Beauchateau, Lacolle and Bedford will compete throughout the week for $1,200 in cash prizes in the club’s last major bonspiel of the 2001-2002 season.Upcoming curling events Lennoxville Curling Club For information or to register for any of the following LCC events, contact Bill at (819) 842-2678 or the club at (819) 562-2310 • Mixed Bonspiel (Feb.10 to 16).Registration is $72 per team.• Senior Men’s Bonspiel (March 18 to 23).Registration is $88 per team.Deadline for registration is March 11.• Men’s Bonspiel (March 17 to 23).See Curling, Page 3 ' iüiPÜ ;! ?- 1 ¦ dttMÊÊtaWR SBSRk BARBARA BELUNGHAM/CORRESPONDEN1 Nathan and Dustin Ditcham accept a trophy from board member Cindy Rh icard, for their dad, Dwayne who participated in last weekend’s Club Motoneige Baie Missisquoi poker car rally.TWO TOWNS, TWO TEAMS, ONE VISION.the 2002 Version of the Kensington - Bedford friendship Pee-Wee Hockey Exchange HAS BEEN 34 YEARS IN THE MAKING.See Pages 12 ^ Brunch uvcrv 11 Mtf.BesecvBt»ns^e 243’*l®no*«on 50 Victoria St.Sunday /flWWKKM/ltC weldemTheatre Membre ASB Certifié pat 54B Principale N, Sutton Quebec 104 N.Main St.St.Albans, Vt.802-527-7888 FEB.8-14 BIG FAT LIAR 7,8:45 Mat Sat & Sun.: 2 Cuba Gooding Jr.in SNOW DOGS 7,8:45 Mat.: Sli Si.: 2 pg 0 BLACK HAWK DOWN 6:30,9:15 Mat Sat.i Sun.: 2 \(450) 538-5858 V ! CAROUN8I SEE Curling: Cont’d from Page 1 Club de Curling de Magog: • Tournoi Magog (March 3 to 9).Registration is $10 per team.Deadline is Feb.28.For more information, or to register call 819-868-0097 or 819-843-4353.Ormstown Curling Club • McGerrigle Bonspiel (March 12).For information, call 450-829-3009.Howick Curling Club • Annual Ladies Ness Bonspiel (Feb.23).To register, call 450-825-0889.Kitchen volunteers Ken Baker, Jules Lague, Bob Grevatt, Luc Giroux, Michel Larocque, Ginette Dumontet, Jean-Guy Corbeil and Ivan Hiscocks.Snowmobilers: Cont’d from Page 1 The club’s board of directors is also responsible for creating and maintaining the trails in its jurisdiction.“Every year we must go to the landowners and ask permission,” said Côté.“We have to make sure the trails are well groomed and have good signalization.We also organize activities for the members, like this car rally, to get people together to have some fun.And it’s all volunteer.” Funding comes ffom membership registration, and the FCMQ distributes money according to the requirements for each area.“A place like Laval, with a huge membership might not get the same as say, somewhere in the Gaspesie, where there’s more trails, but small communities,” explained Côté.“They equalize the budget to where it’s needed.” Côté added that the lack of snow has not discouraged the group from getting together.An evening ride has been scheduled for March 1, starting at the Sonic gas station in Bedford at 6 p.m.Invitation is open to anyone with a membership, which can be for a day, a week or a season.In April, the club will be holding a bowl-a-thon at the Salle de Quilles Des Frontières in Bedford to raise funds.All are welcome, but are encouraged to start getting their teams together ahead of time.“It’s a bit discouraging, but we keep going,” Côté said about the club’s low membership.“Hopefully, it will be better before the end of the year, but we don’t stop.” For more information and maps of the trails, go online to www.iquebec.com/missisquoi for this club’s area, or for the Federation, visit www.fcmq.qc.ca.You can also call Côté at 450-248-4202.J PD JOLY RIENDEAU &DUKE chartered accountants Taxation, Accounting, Financial Services, Estate Planning and Settlement, Farm Transfers Cowansville Knowlton Sherbrooke 127 Principale, Suite 105 560 Ch.Knowlton 3490 Galt West Cowansville Ville de Lac Brome Sherbrooke (450)263-4123 (450)243-5021 (819)566-2575 KNOWLEDGE AND KNOW-HOW CAROLINE KEHNE/CORRESPONDENT Barbara Chapman shows off her abstract landscapes, inspired by the natural beauty of Maine and the Laurentians at The Farfelu Gallery.Dining at a new level.Throughout the week MONDAYS Bring o friend! Buy one lunch or dinner & get your friend's entrée for 50% OFF! WEDNESDAYS OVER THE HUMP LUNCHEON BUFFET Clam chowder, vegetable soup, salad bar, bread table, 2 feature hot entrées, dessert rj aj OtTQ^ pm_Sy95U.S.THURSDAYS Mexican Night is the HOTTEST deal going! Jalopeno Peppers ‘Mexican Pizza •Chicken Fajita *Beef Durito & Cheese «Enchilada «Beef & Chicken •Quesadilla Supreme «Vegetarian : Nacho «Grande Supreme 10 exchange on Canadian dollars evtry Tuesday FRIDAYS PRIME RID NIGHT -FOUR DELICIOUS WAYS • Blackened • Hotel style • Borbequed • Au jus ONIYS10”UA SUNDAYS 15% OFF SENIORS' DISCOUNT BREAKFAST BUFFET •Marmalade creom roll «Hor cross buns «Raspberry swirl buns «Apricot tarts •Scrambled eggs «Waffles •Pancakes «French roasr •Fresh fruit bowl «Chipped beef gravy «Sausage •Gravy 'N biscuits & baked ham Adults: 17,5ÜS Child: ‘3"^ 7:30 -11:30 - 2?exchange all other days of the 'arch 47 Landing St., Newport 802-334-2340 /^Courville Geriatric Center For the best in Nursing, and where caring is a living tradition Since 1935 “Because We Care” Courville Home Care Full range of home care services are now available, give us a call.Helping you help yourself! Courville Courville Residence^ Personalized Care - Short term / long term - Palliative / Emergencies 5,305 Courville Avenue, P.O.Box 580, Waterloo, Quebec (450) 539-1821 ext.227 Gerontology Foundation Non-profit organization helping the elderly in the Waterloo area lead fuller lives.Tax receipts given for all donations.“Irving hearts and caring hands ” J www.courville.qc.ca page 4 Wednesday, February 6, 2002 Brome County News A look at some of the safest, and deadliest cars That big land yacht wasn’t so safe after all.Back when I was touring around in my 1977 Mercury Cougar, I figured I was in a tank that was safer than anything else, guaranteed to win in any accident.But now it seems the folks at the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety have discovered I wasn’t so safe after all.The IIHS recently published on its Internet web site a list of the five safest and four deadliest cars of all time.And while many of us think that being in a bigger vehicle is the secret to safety, the statistics say otherwise.“People have a romanticized view of the safety of older cars,” said Amy Fleming, a senior vice-president at the IIHS.But those older cars lacked things like crumple zones, good seat-belts, safety cages and airbags.Here’s a look at the five safest of all time, according to the IIHS: • 2000 Buick Le Sabre (much smaller than the land yacht that was the original Le Sabre) • 2001 Honda Civic • 2001 Lincoln LS (also smaller than its forefathers): • 2000 and 2001 Volkswagen Passatt • Volvo S80.With the exception of the Civic, these are a bigger cars by today’s standards, but they are considered safer mainly because they have larger crumple zones and better safety features.My old Cougar had the size, but not the technology.If I had hit something, the car might have survived, but the shock would have been transferred to me into the afterlife.Then they would have to hose my blood off the dash and sell the car to someone else.In fact, the only benefit to having a bigger vehicle is that in a two-car crash the bigger vehicle pushes the smaller one backwards.That also means more shock transferred to the smaller vehicle, putting its occupants on the losing end of things.And you SUV drivers aren’t as safe as you thought either: Sport utility vehicles are prone to rollover acci- Under The Hood Maurice Crossfield Burke Mountain Vermont TU &CM, If Come Relax in Vermont’s Northeast Kingdom • Only 45 minutes south of the Rock Island border • 2,000ft.vertical drop • 43 trails /II glades • Snowmaking on 75% of terrain added to an average annual snoufall of250” • 5-acre snowboard park, “the Gap ” • Daily rate: $39 U.S.,J-Bar for kids: $5.00 (free under 5) • Daycare, rental, trailside shops www.skiburke.com BURKE dents, and that pushes up the death toll.The Deadliest But the four deadliest vehicles of all-time aren’t SUV’s or big-boat cars, or even little tiny econoboxes.They are • Chevy Camaro • Pontiac Firebird (basically the same as a Camaro) • Chevy Corvette • Ford Mustang These cars all report twice the normal death rate of other cars.This due to a combination of price (cheaper, and therefore more accessible to young, less experienced drivers) power and sex appeal.Daniel Pund, of Car and Driver magazine, said the death rate isn’t about safety of the car itself, but about the way they're driven.“People drive the Corvette differently than they would drive a Volvo,” he said.“And it tends to be a different type of driver.” The exotic sports cars like Porsches and Ferraris have lower death rates than their American cousins because they are so expensive that their owners tend to be older, and therefore more experienced.Good News The good news is that cars are getting safer all the time.Of the cars tested by the IIHS, 62 per cent scored better than their predecessors.Fifty-two per cent got the highest overall five-star safety rating.The biggest improvements have to do with advances in technology, such as the three-point safety belt, which was light years ahead of the old lap belts.Side airbags, though still relatively rare, are also biting into the death rate.In the U.S., 10,000 people die from side impacts every year, so this may be an option you’d want to look for on your next car.To get a closer look at the five safest and four deadliest cars of all time, get on the Internet and go to: www.insure.com/auto/safestcars.html Brief Ethical discussions continue Staff The monthly bilingual informal discussion on ethical issues at La Maison du Livre, 371 Rte 202 in Stan-bridge-Station, is scheduled for Tuesday, Feb.12, at 7 p.m.The discussion will focus on the increasing warming pattern of the Earth and the resulting global climate changes.Preceding the discussion will be a short presentation by one of the participants who has researched the subject.Admission is free.A donation would be appreciated.For more in- ! formation, call 450-248-3388.DCNIS 4* PARADIS, M.P.fp Brome-Missisquoi house of commons 21 Main St.104 South Street Bedford (Québec) Suite 100B J0J 1A0 Cowansville (Québec) (450)248-1179 J2K 2X2 (450) 266-6062 JESUS SA\S ASK FOR ANYTHING IN MY NAME, AND I WILL DO IT JOHN 14:14 A CONFERENCE TO DEEPEN YOUR FAITH CONFERENCE SPEAKER BISHOP MALCOLM HARDING Ambassador for Anglican Renewal Ministries 7:30-9:30 p.m.- THURSDAY & FRIDAY, FEB.21st, 22nd 10:00-4:00 p.m.- SATURDAY, FEB.23rd ST.PAUL’S ANGLICAN CHURCH 24 St.Paul’s Rd.KNOWLTON, QUÉBEC FOR INFORMATION: PLEASE CALL (450) 242-2885 Brome County News Wednesday, February 6, 2002 page 5 Living life to the fullest Knowlton native keeps active in community By Karen Ann Rooney Record Correspondent Knowlton Entering the home of Knowlton native Evelyn Blackwood is much like getting to know the woman herself— there is more than meets the eye.Blackwood’s house looks ordinary curbside, but this is deceiving.The interior is much larger, more expansive and definitely more interesting.Her late husband Homer (mayor of Knowlton, 1972-1999) built the home for their marriage in 1973, and together, they filled it with love until his passing in 1999.Blackwood was bom in Montreal, and raised by two maiden aunts from the age of six when her parents both died within nine months of each other.She attended a convent, and then Villa Maria boarding school for her last year of high school.After school, Blackwood worked for the Bell as the first woman supervisor of the records department, and was also the first woman to drive a Bell telephone car.She first met her future husband at a party in McMas-terville, where after several attempts by Homer to get Blackwood to go on a sleigh ride, she finally gave in and went for what would turn out to be the ride of her life.The newlyweds initially lived on Crescent Street in Bill Stuart’s house while construction on the Lynch Street house was underway.She remembers how, while living at Stuart’s house, the couple would make day trips in the summer to Eagle Island were they had a cottage.Blackwood describes it as a wonderful respite, with no television, no electricity, a wood burning stove for cooking and propane gas for lights.At the time, Homer also owned Knowlton Acres, also known as Flat Iron.Pine Street didn’t exist then, so the couple would go up there at night where Homer would From brush strokes to ceramic sculpturing, when Blackwood is not volunteering, art now consumes her days.plant pine trees along the border lines between the divided lots.Today, Blackwood continues her love of gardening and traveling, as she has been all over the world, including the Far East and the Middle East.She has also kept herself busy in her 29 years in the Townships as a volunteer for Theatre Lac Brome, Brome County Historical Society, the BMP Hospital auxiliary, St.Edward’s Church and the Pettes Memorial library.Blackwood even started a Canada Day dog show for children.The first of this now annual affair included prizes for longest tail, most obedient, biggest, smallest and best trick The Knowlton native is also a talented painter who has been stroking the canvas all her life with exhibitions in Montreal, Sherbrooke, North Hatley and Knowlton.Blackwood, also a member of Entre Nous, a French artists’ group, says she paints in oils, watercolours and pastels from two hours a day to days on end.Blackwood’s artisan’s touch goes beyond her Knowlton home, as four of her bronze plaques are displayed at the town hall, museum, library and the Knowlton theatre.The latter has a plaque of Reginald Aubrey Fessenden, 1866-1932, the “Father of Radio.” Three years ago, Blackwood donated two paintings to the PBS auction, and her ceramic figures have even won international acclaim as one of them took home top honours at a art competition in St Albans, Vt.The largest of her figures is nearly two feet tall, a proud Indian chief squatting in full regalia, whose profile reminds Blackwood of her late husband.From Montreal to Knowlton, Bell to the BMP and the canvas to ceramics, Blackwood says her days are much busier then she ever thought it would be, but as she explains it, she’s determined to five life, taken as it comes, to the fullest Evelyn stands alongside husband Homer, former Knowlton mayor, on the couple’s wedding day.fe.w y s 0 Bright Col J?rt supplies Design Artist To 6etter serve you, by appointment onfy m Joanne Wallace Vachon Tel.: 450-242-2580 316 Knowlton Rd.Fax: 450-242-2741 Knowlton, PQ JOE 1V0 Cell: 405-8501 LORD OF THE RINGS (English) QD j Fii, Sat, Sun, Mon, Tue, Wed, He: 6 p.m.LES BOYS III (French) QD Fri, Sat, Sun, Mon.Tue.Wed, Thur.: 9 p.m.L’ENJEU (French) QD Fri., Thur 4 pjn.Sal-Sun.: 1-3 p.m.From Feb.8* to Feb.14* v Web site: www.theatreprincess.com For info: 263-5900 HUGH "'V, :: -• PHOTOS COURTESY EVELYN BLACKWOOD Evelyn Blackwood has seen a lot in her 29 years in the Townships.PRODUCTION WELDER TRAINING PAID BY EMPLOI-QUÉBEC STARTING DATE: ENDING DATE: NIGHT SCHEDULE: PLACE OF TRAINING: ADMISSION CRITERIA: March 11, 2002 August 9, 2002 4:00 p.m.to 11:30 p.m.Vocational Education Centre Cowansville Campus 200 Adélard-Godbout Street Cowansville (QC) J2K 3X9 / Unemployed; / Out of school for at least 24 months; / Want to acquire welding skills to improve chances of finding work; / Available for full-time training 35 hours per week from 4:00 p.m.to 11:30 p.m.for 21 weeks; / Priority will be given to individuals residing in the territory of the “Centres locaux d’emploi” of Brome-Missisquoi and Haute-Yamaska.This training is offered to both men and women.INDIVIDUALS WISHING TO FOLLOW THIS TRAINING MUST ATTEND AN INFORMATION MEETING THAT WILL BE HELD ON WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 13th, 2002 AT 9:30 A.M.AT THE VOCATIONAL EDUCATION CENTRE COWANSVILLE CAMPUS, 200 ADÉLARD-GODBOUT STREET, COWANSVILLE.For additional information, please contact LINDA BRAULT at (450) 263-3726.This training is financed by Emploi-Québec.Emploi Québec CENTRE DE FORMATION jggS.y* PROFESSIONNELLE VOCATIONAL EDUCATION CENTRE Campus Cowansville Commission scolaire du Val-dcs-Cerfs Commission scolaire Eastern Townships Eastern Townships School Board page 6 Wednesday, February 6, 2002 Brome CountyNFws Community Forum Letters to the Editor Sturtevant should get his facts straight Dear Editor, Regarding L Sturtevant’s letter concerning Lion’s Park, Mr.Sturtevant isn’t letting the facts get in the way of a good rant.Contrary to his groundless statement, Lion’s Park is not slowly dying, in fact the opposite is true.The facilities at Lion’s Park are constantly improving and their use by the entire community has grown.In the last seven years we have accomplished a complete renovation of the tennis courts, the addition of a second baseball field (with lights), a second soccer field (with lights), a skateboard park (with lights), and new playground equipment.Much of this work was paid by taxes but over $20,000 was paid for by funds raised by community.Park users regularly invest their own time and money for park improvements as well.The skateboarders, soccer, baseball and rugby players have all made significant contributions to the park and the Lions continue to be generous benefactors.Community Services has a standing committee of Lion’s Park users that have made recommendations for further improvements.The success of programs at Lion’s Park led to a redesign of the parking area, an improvement made last year to allow for more cars and to make it safer.Mr.Sturtevant says in his Lion’s Park letter that “the community centres in Foster , Bondville and Fulford raise all their own money to hold events and we (?) find it’s time for Knowlton to do the same and take it off taxpayers backs.” There are people from all over Brome Lake actively involved in seeing things improve in this community, many are involved in Community Services and Lion’s Park.We are people who want to see improvement and we put our money and our effort behind projects we believe in.If Mr.Sturtevant wants to make this community a better place he could start by getting the facts straight, his misinformed public statements are not constructive.Chris Severs Chairman Lion’s Park Committee Volunteers needed for First Responders Dear Editor, What is First Response - especially as it applies to rural areas and rural municipalities?It involves the paramedical training of local firefighters and equipping them to get to the scene of an incident involving unintentional injuries before the arrival of an ambulance.For example, the vast majority of motor vehicle deaths and injuries take place on rural highways.The motor vehicle is now the number one killer of our people under forty years of age.In over seventy-five percent of motor vehicle deaths and injuries the head in involved.In order to treat victims of unintentional injuries, it is common knowledge that they should be treated as quickly as possible.This means during the “golden half-hour,” amongst other things., bleeding should be stopped, airways opened, and splinting to eliminate shock applied.First Response paramedics in our rural areas should arrive at the scene of an incident no longer than twelve minutes after it has occurred.They have no mandate to make a diagnosis or transport the victim or victims.As President of the Safety Sense Institute of Canada, I have met over the past year with Mayor Stanley Neil and others at the Town of Brome Lake Town Hall.Officials of the provincial Red Cross have been in attendance at our meetings.The Institute has raised enough money to finance the training of paramedical personnel.The current problem is that we do not have enough volunteers to go ahead and it is my hope and prayer that enough good people from the Town of Brome Lake will step forward and fill the gap.The need is serious and urgent.Let me cite an example that relates to far too many areas within the Town of Brome Lake.If you become involved in an injury-producing crash in the vicinity of Iron Hill, as of now, you can, potentially, wait over 50 minutes before the arrival of an ambulance.The results are obvious.Doctors and emergency personnel at the Brome-Missisquoi Perkins Hospital in Cowansville tell me that far too many people die, or injuries are unnecessarily aggravated because victims arrive at the hospital too late untreated.Many city areas in Canada have paramedically trained firefighters.The same should hold for our rural areas where the gift of life is just as important as it is in metropolitan Canada.Heward Grafftey President of the Safety Sense Institute of Canada T.N.T.- Teachers Not Teaching stay busy Dear Editor, A small group of teachers of the District of Bedford got together in 1970 with the intention of keeping in touch with each other.Being teachers, they decided that they should set up a format of how they should do it - have lots of fun.One clever member came up with T.N.T.not only for Teachers Not Teaching but also Dynamite.Now in 2002, this group is still going strong, still once a month, except for December, January and February and still in the Residence, where the staff, under manager Mrs.Dot Colson and those in residence welcome us and love to take part in the games, music and just plain visiting, while enjoying refreshments.Although there was and is very little business done, the members felt that it was necessary to not only keep up the group’s interest in the community at large but also to be visible.Down through the years, we have supported the Robinson with little extras to keep those in the residence happy, The Salvation Army, B.M.P.Hospital, Association for the Mentally Challenged, Missing Children Network etc., but especially the students in the elementary schools and Massey-Vanier with the breakfast and music programs and various supplies needed.Approximately $7500 has been raised by private donations, selling recycled cards and especially at the bake and ‘new to you’ tables at the beautiful tea held each summer on the lawn of the residence, when teachers and others gather from near and far to enjoy a lovely afternoon together.As a member, I salute these ladies, who down through the years and presently have not let the word “retirement” slow them down but have proved that T.N.T.was the correct title for this group.Evelyn Beban Lewis Cowansville No MONEY for your RRSP?Think RRSP LOAN.Think of us.Nicole Audette Claude Côté ^ssur^xperts Labrecque Roy Yelle inc.Damage Insurance and Financial Services Finn 106 Church St., Cowansville Steffani Wilson The Record and Brome County News welcome your letters to the editor, but only those signed will be considered to publication.Please send them to 88 Lakeside, Knowlton, Qc, JOE 1V0 or 1195 Galt E., Sherbrooke, Qc, JIG 1Y7.You can also e-mail newsroom@sherbrookerecord.com RRSP / RRIF / CASH 100% Guaranteed Protection of Principal & Interest DIGITAL WORLD FINANCIAL INC.1 year 2 year 3 year 5 year 4.25% 5.25% 6.25% 6.75% 1-866-660-7500 Wm.W.Wishnousky I < ï ' I r ?I r * * » .« I Brome County News Wednesday, February 6, 2002 page 7 Thin coverage: Mid-way in a downhill ski year Global warming is one of those delightful theories or concepts vague enough to serve many purposes in everyday life.Any peculiarities in weather patterns may be blamed upon this still-baffling phenomenon, laid at its feet, so to speak.______ Building on this, we have as well the unpredictable El Nino, and its even more mysterious counterpart, La Something-or-Other.So the kids are misbehaving, or the car’s not running well, or the economy is going down the tubes?Just blame it on one or all of the above, take your pick.While perusing the first installment of the snow report, yet another fine service provided by your spritely community daily newspaper, my first thoughts were that, indeed, global warming strikes again.At least for a little while, the renowned Jay Peak cloud seems to have moved just a short distance north of the border.As noted in other seasons, ski hill mathematics are more of an art than a science.Figures issued, like statistics coming from say, an official military source, are open to a certain amount of interpretation and speculation.For instance, for a particular 24-hour period, Mont Orford, Owl’s Head, Sutton and Montjoye near North Hatley all reported zero centimetres (or inches if you prefer, since nothing is nothing anyway), while Glen Mountain, just about the geographical centre of the area, checked in with an impressive accumulation of half a foot.The totals for the week in question reflected this either meteorological oddity or statistical anomaly (in any confusing situation, it’s always best to use big 3 WAREHO words to ensure that, while nothing is made any clearer, at least no one will be offended).Glen Mountain came up with 50 cm, or almost two feet of snow, while the best Owl’s Head could do over the same period was a paltry 10 cm.Bromont and Mont Bellevue fared a little better, with 13 and 15 cm for the seven days; the rest were somewhere in between.Jay Peak, uncharacteristically, didn’t share their week’s total.Whatever the numbers, I The Country Squire Brian Eddington figured I’d best make tracts up to the nearest skihill, the last of the all-natural-snow centres, to take advantage of the improving coverage and begin enjoying some return on my investment in a season’s pass (nearing the end of January, even my late Uncle Louie, with three fingers missing on one hand, could still count the number of times I’d skied there so far on that same hand).When I got to the mountain, there didn’t seem to be much left of the reported near-two-foot snowfall.Of course, this could be explained readily: a high wind likely dispersed much of it, a certain natural compression and evaporation will occur (especially with a strong, warm wind), and grooming mixes everything into the surface.By the way, is it true they’re using an old hayfield side-rake for grooming?This could explain the mysterious, window-like lateral lidges all over the place.In fairness to the trail maintenance crew, though, there hasn’t been much to work with.Even at this late date, much of the ground is barely frozen.And only in the fourth week of the new year did nature begin to provide something resembling a base, courtesy of a little rain, followed by wet snow and a hard freeze.Up to this point, heavy machinery could be used only selectively, and always with the risk of tilling a little sod and gravel into the thin snow cover.If the recent chinook-like weather doesn’t persist too long, the remainder of the season could be looking up, with a hard, consistent, if thin surface to build on.Whatever the weeks ahead may bring, there’s no time like the present.We toured the mountain from east to west, checking out the six or so major runs from top to bottom, returning to re-run those in best shape.Conditions were mixed, but generally good.A few rocks and wet spots dotted some slopes, but after more than 20 years of traversing familiar terrain, you pretty well know where not to go .mostly- Back in the chalet for the wrap-up, the mood was upbeat.Of course, with the anticipation of a slight decline in revenues, it is understandable to expect a few reductions in non-essential areas.But did they really have to eliminate a major improvement last year, the blue toilet duck in the men’s bar washroom?Pet of the week.Pantoufles m COURTESY SPCA I’m o nice, two-year-old girl, and I’ve been at the shelter for about one week.I’m a little ‘dumpy’ right now, so whoever adopts me must promise to feed me a little less and exercise me so that I will become a beautiful lady! Why am I here — what was my crime?A simple one: my mistress got a new boyfriend and he didn’t want me in their lives?There are more than 100 dogs here to choose from, so please come and visit me and my new friends at the SPCA Montérégie, 178, ch.du Vide, Ste-Angèle-de-Monnoir (exit #37 on autoroute #10).Call 450460-3075, or 450242-2892.Many specials bwrtore!