The record, 13 juillet 1998, lundi 13 juillet 1998

¦ THE Classifieds Sherbrooke: 569-9525 Knowlton: 242-1188 The voice of the Eastern Townships since 1897 Back to real life France won its first-ever World Cup in soccer on Sunday, beating Brazil 3-0 on home turf.60 CENTS Monday, July 13, 1998 Tax increase will help compensate Gauthier Town of Brome Lake residents to pay for policemen’s crime By Maurice Crossfield Residents of the Town of Brome Lake will be faced with a one-year tax increase to help pay for the beating two police officers carried out against David Allen Gauthier in 1982.Friday afternoon Brome Lake mayor Homer Blackwood and councillor André Groulx held a press conference at which they announced property owners will be faced with a special tax amounting to 10 cents per every $100 of evaluation.That means that for a $100,000 home, the owner will have to pay an additional $100.The average property value in Brome Lake is $116,000.“Our choices are limited and a special tax is inevitable,” said Blackwood.On Thursday the Supreme Court decided in favor of Gauthier, who was suing Brome Lake, former police chief Alyre Thireault and officer Mario Beaumont in connection with a brutal beating he received in March 1982.Canada’s highest court awarded Gauthier $300,000 plus interest and court costs from 1988 when he first launched his suit.In all that adds up to $700,000 to be paid by the town, Thireault and Beaumont.The bill is a difficult one for Brome Lake, which has an annual budget of about $5 million.The cost, $700,000, is almost identical to the municipality’s annual policing budget.Blackwood said about $250,000 of the bill will be handled by cutting a variety of projects.Among them are $56,000 previously earmarked for sidewalks, $20,000 in water treatment, $50,000 in water and sewage and $20,000 in road repairs.Streetlights, town planning, financing costs and sports and leisure activities will also be affected.SEE TAX HIKE, PAGE 4 Will Townshippers be reflected less?The changing face of Global Quebec By Rita Legault Sherbrooke After less than a year on the air, Global Television in Quebec is preparing to shake up its schedule canceling several locally produced shows in favor of a new Montreal-based morning show and moving its poorly-rated evening news telecast from 5:30 to 6 p.m.in direct competi- tion with Pulse and Newswatch.The new Montreal morning show has some Townshippers concerned that with fewer local shows they may see themselves reflected less often on the regional broadcaster.Getting pulled between now and its first anniversary in September will be the late local newscast hosted by SEE GLOBAL, PAGE 5 Beauty and the Beast v % raPIBrï US i w % %:ÆË sss!iy»:f^j PHOTOS: PERRY BEATON/RECORD CORRESPONDENT A stroll along the bicycle path near Lennoxville revealed this beautiful raspberry plant living in a crack in a rock face.All kinds of plants, including poison ivy (inset), can be found beside this former railbed.Top Level MATÉRIAUX DE CONSTRUCTION GASTON CÔTÉ 1000 Galt St.East, Sherbrooke 564-8841 CENTRE DE RÉNOVATION DUBREUILl 5711 Bourque Blvd., Rock Forest 864-6801 116 Principale St., St.François Xavier 845-4444 page 2 Monday, July 13, 1998 Record Hydro finally did the right thing Fishers wouldn’t take nothing for an answer A modest but determined couple living in Sainte-Catherine-de-Hat-ley have shown that the Davids of the world can - sometimes - defeat the Goliaths.On June 26 last year a Hydro-Québec meter man backed his truck over Clifford Fisher while the 23-month-old tot was playing in his yard.As is usual for the giant utility, Hydro turned a cold shoulder on their victim’s parents, Lyne Morin-Fisher and Bill Fisher, when they sought some recourse for their loss.But the Fishers wouldn’t take nothing for an answer and determined to do something about it.They discovered a num- loto-québec Draw 98-07-11 10 13 27 28 31 49 Bonus number: 47 feeghst Draw 98-07-11 36 48 Bonus number: 42 Total sales: $ 534 320,00 Elira Draw 98-07-10 NUMBER 011929 11929 1929 929 29 9 PRIZES $100,000 $1,000 $250 $50 $ 10 $2 Itra Draw ¦ SATURDAY 98-07-11 NUMBER PRIZES 960333 $ 100,000 60333 $ 1,000 0333 $250 333 $50 33 $10 3 $2 Bonus number: ber of disturbing facts.• Although they are on the road for several hours every working day, Hydro Quebec's meter readers and bill collectors receive no training to be safe drivers.• Hydro doesn’t even have guidelines, let alone regulations, governing the driving habits of its workers.• As a result, the man who killed Clifford received neither reprimand nor sanction for his negligence.• The Fishers for their part were entitled only to routine compensation from La Société de l’Assurance automobile du Québec, the government car-insurance board.Quebec’s no-fault rules prevent lawsuits about accidents involving vehicles, whether or not the mishap actually takes place on a road.Armed with these disturbing facts, the Fishers began a petition campaign to provoke changes in Hydro’s methods and the SAAQ’s rules.Though Charles Bury WINNERS PRIZES 6/6 1 $ 5 000 000,00 5/6+ 6 $ 117 741,00 5/6 325 $ 1 738,90 4/6 19 952 $ 54,30 3/6 349 675 $ 10 Total sales: $ 18 236 423,00 Next grand prize (approx ): $2 000 000,0' WINNERS PRIZES 6/6 0 $ 1 000 000,00 5/6+ 0 $ 50 000,00 5>6 21 $500 4/6 735 $50 3/6 15 404 $5 Draw 98-07-10 11 12 24 28 30 35 46 32 WINNERS PRIZES 7/7 0 $ 7 000 000,00 6/7+ 2 $ 72 878,60 6/7 55 $ 2 318,80 5/7 3 006 $ 151,50 4/7 66 304 $10 3/7+ 60 388 $10 3/7 547 646 free play Total sales: $ 7 959 484,00 Next grand prize (approx.): $8 500 000,00 TVA, the network of draws Claims: See back of tickets, in the event of discrepancy between this list and the official winning list, the latter shall prevail.they were told over and over that they would ultimately fail, the couple was nothing if not persistent.They also showed a touch of political savvy, bringing their case to the attention of the local media and enlisting the support of Robert Benoit, deputy for Orford in the National Assembly.The newspapers, radio and TV were glad to take up the couple’s cause, which crossed Quebec’s complex cultural boundaries to strike a sympathetic chord in everyone who heard their story.The Fisher’s petitions collected thousands of signatures, their connections in Quebec City asked their questions at the highest levels.But the trail to success against Hydro is not exactly an open road.The huge utility is a power unto itself, pretty much writing its own rules and often ignoring even the government which supposedly controls it.Although the term itself comes from Washington, the concept of ‘stonewalling’ - admit nothing, deny everything - has been perfected by Hydro-Québec.Hydro treats public opinion like a disease - to be avoided at all costs and suppressed when all else fails.For a year, Hydro followed its usual practice, insisting that there is “no miracle recipe to prevent accidents”, and therefore its drivers needed neither training nor guidelines.But a couple of things happened to help this, the ultimately cynical Crown corporation, to change its mind.• Because of and immediately after Clifford Fisher’s needless death, the city-owned Hydro-Sherbrooke had equipped all its small trucks with larger rearview mirrors and with an extra convex mirror on the tailgate allowing the driver to see immediately behind.The city also added tough new safe-driving rules, for what officials called a negligible cost.• Coroner Roger Michaud was about to release his report.Michaud had found Hydro’s driving rules to be inadequate and he had worked with utility officials to establish tougher standards and require safe-driver training for its employees.• Finally, Hydro needed some good public relations in the Eastern Townships.Strong public opposition faced both its current local building projects - the TQM gas pipeline in Orford and the Des Cantons-Hertel 735-kv connection in Val St-François.So Hydro finally did the right thing, announcing both new training and tougher rules last week.Congratulations are in order for Bill and Lyne Fisher, and of course you already have all our sympathy.As for changing the no-fault law to allow lawsuits in cases of gross negligence like this, that hasn’t happened yet.But governments can be just as cynical as Hydro can, and just as desperate for good PR.And there’s an election coming soon.Saving the Bury United Church On Tuesday July 14, the Bury group interested in saving and restoring the United Church building as a ‘Community Hall’ are asked to meet at a follow-up meeting at Pope Memorial School at 7 p.m.All are welcome.We are close to reaching our goal of $3,000 and we need anyone who is interested in this endeavor to be there with their spirit and ideas.We thank everyone who has shown such tremendous support for our group.Together we can do this.Submitted by Margaret James Today’s Weather y i Theîtokd, Mines - Richmond Lac-Mégantiç» ê i Sherbrooke »/ jCOWANSVIUK ; .f | Stanstead MONDAY: Variable cloudiness with 40 percent probability of showers.Risk of thundershowers in the afternoon.High near 26.Winds southwesterly increasing to 15 to 30 km/h in the afternoon.TUESDAY: Sunny with cloudy periods.Low near 16.High near 29.WEDNESDAY: Sunny with cloudy periods.Low near 15.High near 29.THURSDAY: Variable cloudiness with chance of showers.Low near 17.High near 29.Probability of precipitation 30 percent.BEN ® by DANIEL SHELTON WHAT IN HEAVENS IS THIS?/ WHOA! IS THAT SOME KINPA mb' 1/ I PONT KNOVV-TM NOT TOUCHING ITTORNP OUT/ WHATEVER IT IS, ) ITS NOTMOVING.NUPGE IT WITH THE0ROOM, TO SEE/ 7/a I THE Monday, July 13, 1998 page 3 Promoting water safety message 80% of drowning victims don’t wear life jackets MAURICE CROSS FIELD In the last three years there has been an increase of 140,000 boats and personal watercraft in use nationwide, say police.By Maurice Crossfield With the number of boats on Canadian lakes growing at a breakneck pace, police and other organizations are stepping up efforts to ensure everyone makes it home safely.That message was made loud and clear at a press conference held on Lake Memphremagog last Thursday.With the sun trying to break out from behind the clouds, police, public safety organizations and campaign sponsors discussed the importance of boating and water safety.The campaign is called “Getting Back to the Dock Safely.” In fact, drowning is ranked third among the leading causes of accidental death in Quebec.In 80 per cent of all drownings, the victims were not wearing personal flotation devices, said Stéphane Brochu of the Société de Sauvetage.That number is expected to go up as the level of boating traffic on Canadian waterways continues to rise.In the last three years there has been an increase of 140,000 boats and personal watercraft in use nationwide.Much of that is due to the success of Sea Doos and other tiny boats, known as personal watercraft.“Almost everyone knows the rules of water safety, but they have to be reminded to make sure they actually follow them,” said Quebec Police Force spokesman Cst.Serge Dubord.“We must respect the water, and respect others on the lakes, such as swimmers, divers and other boaters.” One of the rules that is most often ignored is the use of life jackets.Denis Gendron of Buoy O Boy life jackets said there are currently 250,000 vests owned by Quebecers.“The problem is not sales, but to get people to wear them,” he said.Gendron said his company is now turning out vests in colors other than the usual blaze of orange in the hope that a more fashionable vest is more likely to be worn.Meanwhile the various police forces in the region have spent the last two weekends cracking down on boating violations.On the weekend of July 3, 4 and 5, boat patrols from the Memphremagog MRC, the Memphremagog Police and the nautical patrol of the QPF stopped 64 boats for spot checks.Captain Yves Denis of Memphremagog Police said the officers checked for a variety of things, from illegal drinking and contraband to safety checks.For the QPF, water safety became a priority in 1981 with the formation of its nautical patrol.Today the Estrie region has five members with two boats, while 65 officers work on the water province-wide.With a large number of lakes dotting the Townships, coverage is still sparse.Also, patrolling international lakes Staff As ofjanuary 1999 recreational boaters will have a new series of regulations to face, including the introduction of operators permits.The new legislation was presented in the House of Commons in June and should be passed into law later this year, said Stéphane Brochu of the Société de Sauvetage.“This will touch all of the nautical industry,” Brochu said.Here is a thumbnail sketch of what lies ahead for Canada’s boaters: • For non-motorized boats and boats with motors of less than 9.9 horsepower there will be no requirement for a training course or operators permit.• For boats with 10 to 40 horsepower like Memphremagog and Lake Champlain are officers of Customs Canada.Spokesman Marc Gaulin said boaters sailing regularly across the border should keep in mind they are obliged to check in with customs, unless they register under the Can Pass system.“Last year we were concentrating more on prevention,” Gaulin said.“But this year we are becoming more strict.” Dubord said the increased patrols on Lake Memphremagog will continue this coming weekend.The boating safety campaign, however, will continue for the rest of the summer.He said developing good habits on the water can save lives.“Many of the accidents are related to a lack of knowledge, to negligence or to the abuse of alcohol,” he said.“They could have been avoided.” motors, anyone between the ages of 12 and 16 will need to take a course and get a permit.• For 40 horsepower boats and up, you must be at least 16 years old to operate and you must have passed a certified training course and gotten your permit.• Personal watercraft, such as Sea Doos, will be restricted to those 16 years of age and up.Operators will have to take a course and get the appropriate permit.• In all of these categories where a permit is required, only those over 55 years of age will be exempt.Boaters over that age will be able to continue owning and operating their boats as they always have.Boating rules for 1999 •2 36.35.34 .33 .32 4» 5« 7* 6.8» 9 10 37.*28 29 „ 30.31 «26 •1 27 CM • CM • •45 • • 43.17 44 ?*16 18- •23 • 42 19- •41 38* •22 40 39.• • 15 20* •21 11 12 13 14 Want to bet that you still find this amusing? page 4 Monday, July 13, 1998 One of many changes in the brigade North Hatley has new fire chief in Steve Coles By Marty Patriquin North Hatley Steve Coles, 47, is the new North Hatley fire chief and with his appointment will come several changes, said Jacques Robidas, presi- U T 8 The four-stroke engine The typical car or truck motor is referred to as a four-stroke engine.That's because every upward and every downward movement of the pistons have a specific function.It takes four of these strokes and two complete revolutions of the crankshaft to complete one power cycle.Here's how it works.1.Intake With the intake valve open, the piston 2.Compression travels downward, creating low pressure within the cylinder.Outside air, mixed with fuel, rushes in.Intake Exhaust valve .valve Combustion Outside ' t air, mixed with fuel chamber Wrist pin Piston Intake valve Air/fuel mixture is compressed within the cylinder dent of the Régie intermunicipale protection d’incendie.Also elected were assistant chief Mike Munkitterck and acting captains Randall Kent and Dany Mckelvey.The four, all of whom have served on the North Hatley firefighting brigade, were appointed on Wednesday night and officially named on Friday.The other members of North Hatley’s brigade were informed of the appointments Thursday night.Robidas said there will be two new mandates within the brigade.First, all firefighters will be capable of operat- With both intake and exhaust valves closed, the piston begins upward travel, compressing the air/fuel mixture within the cylinder and combustion chamber Spark plug Conor i rod s Crankshaft Crankshaft ¦+¦ Exhaust valve Piston Connectinc rod 3.Power 4.Exhaust The air/fuel mixture is detonated by the With the exhaust valve open, the engine spark plug.The force of the explosion continues its revolution, lorcing the forces the piston downward creating ' engine power.exhaust gases from the combustion chamber.The cycle then begins again.Spark f plug Intake Force of explosion pushes piston downward Intake valve Spark t plug Exhausl Air/fuel mixture is I Piston compressed within the / cylinder s Crankshaft Crankshaft Piston Connecting COPYRIGHT WHEELBASE COMMUNICATIONS More than 125 vehicles in our inventory.4141 King Street West Sherbrooke 563-4466 For information (toll-free) 1 888 MEGAPARK 634-2727 LEASER IN NEARLY NEW ing all the equipment, “which was not the case in the past,” said Robidas.Second, in an attempt to develop a better-organized brigade, the 22-mem-ber brigade will be divided into crews of four or five men, each led by an official.“If we get this right, we’ll gave a fantastic brigade,” said Robidas, adding this was not always the case.Robidas called the techniques of former chief Alan Sharman “very old” and said he “refused to change his way of management.” This outdated style, contends Robidas, put the men at a risk.“We were very lucky we didn’t have anything like (the Acton Vale fire)," he said on Wednesday.Contacted on Friday afternoon, Coles said he was happy with his appointment, yet noted he would have never have “touched” the position “without the men behind me.” Coles called Robidas a “now man” who wants changes right away.“RIPI wanted a change, and Robidas wanted a scapegoat,” Coles said.Cole does not believe that Robidas’s criticism of Sharman’s performance is founded.Rather, he said Sharman was of “the old school of running things,” under which Cole himself was trained.However, the fire chief concedes there are new methods which must be learnt for the sake of an effective brigade.“We all realized we got to change and we have to learn new techniques,” Cole said.He noted that five or six of the firefighters had just received their block A training, a 75-hour course which qualifies the firefighter to work within a community of 5,000.Both Cole and Robidas said that Bruce Chute, a firefighter who expressed disdain at the recent in-fighting and was uncertain about his future with the North Hatley fire brigade, will remain on the force.“I talked to him this morning, and he said he wanted to help out,” said Cole.Tax hike: CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 The remaining $450,000 will have to come from taxpayers and Groulx said the council decided the special tax was the quickest and best way to cover the cost.“As we expect the judgment to be executed primarily against the town, we will be at the next council meeting looking at procedures against these two individuals, Alyre Thireault and Mario Beaumont,” Blackwood said.“The town regrets the actions of its ex-employees,” said Groulx.“Their actions were aggressive and abusive against one of our citizens.” Groulx said the town’s lawyer, Tom Lavin, advised the council that another trip to the Supreme Court will be required to define just how much each of the parties involved must pay.They would then have to sue Thireault and Beaumont for that amount.Following Quebec Police Commission hearings into allegations of abuse launched by police officers not involved in the beatings, Thireault and Beaumont were found guilty and sent to jail.It has been reported that since their convictions both men, who still live in the region, have declared bankruptcy.Friday Groulx laid the blame directly on the two former officers.“Those two policemen did something horrible, they are the people to blame and maybe they have paid for a part of it, I don’t know,” he said.“But these are the Ü Councillor André Groulx and mayor Homer Blackwood.two people who are bringing all the trouble to the town.” The Gauthier case was originally thrown out by the Quebec Superior Court and the Quebec Court of Appeals because it was argued he did not launch his civil suit within six months of the incident.Arguing that he was in fear for his life until Beaumont and Thireault were convicted, Gauthier continued his case.Groulx said the court hearings and legal fees have cost Brome Lake about $100,000.But with the weight of the two lower courts on their side, he said Brome Lake saw no reason to settle out of court.“Most councillors were shocked to find out about it,” said Groulx.“Nobody wants to pay more taxes, but we will have to charge it, the court is forcing us to pay for it.I am obliged to pay for it too.I am a citizen of Brome Lake.” Groulx said the decision should not reflect badly on Brome Lake Police.Since the Quebec Police Commission hearings, Groulx said there have been no serious problems with its police force.“They do good work and they are well appreciated by the residents of Brome Lake,” he said.Upon learning of the tax increase Friday, residents of Brome Lake expressed mixed feelings.Most agreed that Gauthier deserved compensation for the suffering caused by the beating, but didn’t like having to foot the bill themselves.“I’m not that keen on paying it, that’s for sure,” said Pauline St-Amant.“We definitely should not pay Alyre’s bill or Beaumont’s.” One man faced with a large bill will be Ron Blair, who owns a home in Knowlton and the Lake-view Inn.He said he remembered when the beating took place and how word got around town within days.“I don’t see why everybody should pay for two guys mistakes,” he said.“I just think that those who commit a crime should pay for that crime.” Tilt i Monday, July 13, 1998 page 5 Global: CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Andrew Peplowski; Global Tonight, the suppertime entertainment show hosted by Jamie Orchard; and the 11 p.m.sports news with sportscasters Richard Provencher and Paul Graif.The new breakfast show, which will be hosted by Jamie Orchard, will be loosely based on the successful TVA show Salut Bonjour and will replace the broadcast of children’s shows between 6:30 and 9 a.m.Peplowski will be the news anchor and Provencher will do the sports reports.While he admits the new morning show will have more of a Montreal bent, News Director Benoit Aubin said that will not affect the station’s commitment to covering the regions.Benoit said the move to a morning news and information show reflects a trend in the United States which shows viewers have 20 minutes in the morning that they can dedicate to watching television.Most North Americans have TV sets in their bedrooms and kitchens.“U.S.studies show this is where there is growth in the market,” he said, adding that unlike national shows like Canada AM and The CBC Morning News, the Global Quebec show will feature more local and provincial news.It will also feature traffic and weather reports that Montrealers are used to getting off the radio, he said.“I admit it will have a heavier slant on Montreal, simply because that’s where the bulk of our viewers are,” Aubin said, adding the new show will use news reports from the Sherbrooke and Quebec City bureaus.Aubin staunchly defends his station, saying it does a good job of covering the regions.“We have daily news from the Townships and Quebec City that the other ones (CBC and CFCF) aren’t covering because they’re just not there,” he said, adding Global is committed to keeping its bureaus in Sherbrooke and Quebec City.Aubin admits other English-speaking Quebec communities such as those on the Gaspé coast, the Lower North Shore and the Laurentians have not been visible on Global, but he said there are plans to expand coverage to those areas.Despite the station’s firm intention to continue and expand coverage of the regions, Aubin said most viewers are located on the Island of Montreal and that’s a fact they cannot ignore if they want to market their news and information shows and sell the ads they need to survive and thrive.“Let’s face it, the viewers aren’t in Drummondville or St-Hyacinthe,” he said.“Our marketing strategies are targeted to Montreal because that’s where the majority of our viewers are.” Aubin said that English-speaking communities outside Montreal are also reflected in current affairs broadcasting, including regular spots by Record columnist Charles Bury on Sunday evening’s Talking Heads show.“Sports may be another matter, but we’re not done creating and developing stuff,” Aubin said, responding to criticism that off-island anglos aren’t reflected in day-to-day sports coverage.Aubin also pointed to an expensive 10-minute special on the national championship win of the Bishop’s Gaiters basketball team.Aubin adds the switch to a later evening newscast was an acknowledgement of Montrealers’ preference for watching newscasts at 6 p.m.“Viewers in Montreal don’t have time to get home by 5:30,” he points out, admitting that going head-to-head with established newscasts like Pulse and Newswatch will be a challenge.Aubin said the move to the 6 p.m.slot and the new morning show will be made possible in large part due to the purchase of a microwave unit used for live broadcasts.Right now Global is sharing facilities with its French cousin TVA meaning they have to wait in line for a chance to use the TVA facilities.Despite reassurances, the move to a Montreal-based morning show has some English-speaking Quebecers outside the metropolitan area concerned about how they will be reflected on the network which got its license on a promise to become a regional English-language broadcaster serving the Quebec City area.Montreal and Sherbrooke.Jane Loiselle said that while a recent Gazette article did not say that regional broadcasts would be cut, its slant towards Montreal concerned her.“They didn’t actually say they were going to cut regional broadcasts, but we would obviously be disappointed because we had sent a letter of support.” She said the letter followed a request by Global to support its new television station which promised to deliver 12 1/2 hours of regional programming.Global Television, which got its license to begin broadcasts in Quebec last fall, made a variety of promises to the Canadian Radio-Television and Telecommunications Commission before it approved the purchase of CKMI in Quebec City by Can-West Global.Global said it intended to transform the tiny repeater station for CBC Montreal’s CBMT-TV with three hours of local programming to a regional English broadcaster.While CanWest’s license proposal focused mainly on regional programming promises, it was clear the television giant was seeking a foothold in the profitable Quebec market controlled by CBC and CTV, which fought Global’s bid claiming there just weren’t enough advertising revenues to split the pie three ways.As part of its application for a license to broadcast throughout the province, Can-West promised to deliver 12 1/2 hours of regional programming, including a daily evening newscast, an arts and entertainment show featuring Quebec performers and a weekly public affairs program.A condition to the CRTC license forces CanWest to have 12 1/2 hours of local programming a week in the first year of its license.That will increase to 15.5 in the second year and to 18 hours by the fourth.Despite the cancellation of the three half-hour shows, the new two-and-a-half hour morning show will meet the network’s programming obligations.The numbers and the term ‘regional broadcaster’ have been confusing to say the least.The Townshippers’ Association understood that there would be 12.5 hours of regional broadcasts from off the island of Montreal.“We interpreted that as 12 1/2 hours a week outside Montreal,” Loiselle said, adding the association noticed an absence of stories not only on the Townships but also on other regions like north of Montreal, the Outaouais and the Gaspé.“We were assuming all this time that 12 1/2 hours over the week would be outside Montreal," she said.“We knew we were not getting anywhere near that.” The programming changes came as a surprise to at least one member of Can-West Global’s advisory board which was named by Global to act as an advisor-watchdog for the network in Quebec.“As a member of the advisory council I was surprised to hear of these changes,” said Hugh Auger, who represents the Townships’s English-speaking community on the board.Auger said he has contacted the chairman of the advisory board, John Parisella, to request a meeting to discuss the changes.The council also includes Que bec City lawyer Owen Carter, Jonathan Goldbloom and former Québécois premier Pierre Marc Johnson.“I want to make sure the station lives up to its commitment for regional programming about the Townships,” Auger said, adding he has been on the phone a number of times to raise concerns about the station here in the Townships.Parisella said he has called a meeting of the advisory board for next week to discuss the programming changes.Parisella said he had been informed of the changes and was satisfied with assurances there will be no cut to resources in the regions.But he was less certain about how much input there will be from the regions in the new morning show.“We need to have greater assurances and we intend to get them in the next week.” •2 36.4* 5* 6.7» 8» 9 •1 ?45 44 ?41 37.43.42 38* 40 10 11 12 13 35.34 .33 M 16 15 *28 29 I 30.« 17 18- .31 «26 •24 -25 •23 ?22 20« 14 For a Banco player it’s a great source of inspiration.JSancn B loto-québei page 6 Monday, July 13, 1998 COMMUNITY FORUM Editorial Don’t bore visitors with talk of gall bladder operations - or distinct society A group of American tourists with generous amounts of time and money to spend wanted to know everything there was to know about Quebec -from Samuel de Champlain to the exhibits at Biodome.Everything, that is, except details of the tedious political debate that seem to dominate most discussions of La Belle Province.Mention “distinct society” and their eyes glazed as though you were providing details of your recent gall bladder operation.These tourists, like so many others who vacation here, have but a passing i terest in which group stands for what.After all, when you visit the magnificent churches of Europe, you’re more interested in the architecture and paintings than hearing the gospel according to Mark.Visitors are far more intrigued with the mighty St.Lawrence, the still unspoiled landscapes, the ambience of the people and the sense of security they feel in both the city and country.What they really want to know is how we’ve managed to shelter it from outside influences.How we’ve been able to maintain the uniqueness of each town, village, region and avoid what one woman called “the sameness of every U.S.city.” They were intrigued by the spectacle of thousands of people meandering down St.Catherine Street at 3 a.m.without the slightest concern for losing their purse - or their life.They loved the festivals, the theatre, the music, the joie de vivre.The mystery for many Americans remains how Quebec and most parts of Canada have been able to insulate itself from big money and the powerful influences of those who see dollar signs in every river, lake and stream.These tourists wanted to know about Quebec’s unique French culture and how other Quebecers fit in the mix.They were impressed by Montreal’s multi-cultural make-up and showed an appreciation for the inherent challenge of preserving the French language and culture while demonstrating generosity towards its minorities.According to this group of tourists, Quebec is doing so many things right.Now if the powers that be would just add a few discreet words of English here and there as prompts it’s a safe bet more U.S.tourists would take advantage of the exchange rate and help boost the Quebec economy.It then becomes everyone’s business to black out every reference to Quebec’s introspective, boring political situation, which can be a greater deterrent than the threat of natural disaster.SHARON McCULLY According to this group of tourists, Quebec is doing so many things right.» THE' a division of Communications Quebecor inc.2850 Delorme, Sherbrooke, Que.J1K1A1 Fax: 819-569-3945 Newsroom e-mail: record@interlinx.qc.ca Randy Kinnear Publisher .(819) 569-9511 Sharon McCully Editor .(819) 569-6345 Sunil Mahtani Corresp.Editor .(819) 569-6345 Susan Mastine Community Relat.(819) 569-9511 Julie Vinette Adv.Dir.(819) 569-9525 Richard Lessard Prod.Mgr.(819) 569-9931 M :k Guillette Press Superv.(819) 569-9931 Francine Thibault Prod.Superv.(819) 569-9931 DEPARTMENTS Accounting .(819)569-9511 Advertising.(819)569-9525 Circulation.(819) 5699528 Newsroom .(819)5696345 Knowlton office 88 Lakeside, Knowlton, Quebec, JOE 1V0 Tel: (450) 242-1188 Fax: (450) 243-5155 SUBSCRIPTIONS GST PST TOTAL Canada: 1 year 104.00 7.28 8.35 SI 19.63 6 MONTHS 53.50 3.75 4.29 S61.54 3 MONTHS 27.00 1.89 2.17 S31.06 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 ordered one week after publication are available at $1.00 per copy.The Record was founded on February 7, 1897, and acquired the Sherbrooke Examiner (est.1879) in 1905 and the Sherbrooke Gazette lest.1837) in 1908.Canadian Publications Mail Service Product Agreement No.0479675.Member ABC, CARD, CDNA, NMI1, QCNA ^ * / >956956898.- ^ BOTTOM.THE MICE SQUAD ® by Larry Purdy WE’LL TRY THIS AGAIN.TH/S TIME, CAITLIN, YOU START BY SAYING SOMETHING NICE ABOUT PHIL IVE ALWAYS FELT THAT ACTIONS SPEAK LOUDER THAN MORDS .HOCKEY SCHTICK: OFF-SEASON ® by Jamie Wayne r HE/ VtHWôor -ftm’sumiWrUKthbm IHTHE OUtPS NO HOPHS Ho« NO rush Noun ww&ss, NORAt RAC£,M0 NOTHIN’ A THE GRIZZWELLS ® by Bill Schorr g, tlons’ adjustments andrpt,C examina- the office' HEARING AID Free of Charge** Paid by Quebec Medicare CONSULTATION AND TESTING at No Charge LaPlante & Associates Audioprosthologists Centre professionnel Belvédère 300 Belvédère St.North, Suite 104À, Sherbrooke (819) 821-4435 Toll fWA Clinique familiale Saint-Vincent 250 King East, Sherbrooke (819) 569-9985 : 1-888-821-4435 Centre Medical Carefour Hauteville 35 Principale St., Granby (514 ) 372-2984 /\LSO /TV; Victorian ille, Drnmmonduille, Thetford Mines * Subject to certain conditions ** Excluding the hearing aids 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