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6 - The Canadian Champion, Friday, February 5, 1999 * OPINION Box 248, 191 Main St. E.. The Canadian Champion, pablished every Tnesday and Friday Multon, Ont. L9T 4N9 at 191 Main St. E., Milton, Ont., L9T 4N9 (Ban 248), is ana af The Metralantl Printlng, Publiahing & Diatributlng Ltd. grnup af tub- O~D~-,A-U rban campanies which inclattea: Ajax / Pickering News (905)878-2341 Advertiaer; Allistani HeraldlCaurier; Barrie Advance; Brampton Guardian; Bnrlingtn Past; City Parent; Callingwaad / Wasaga Editorial Fax: 878-4943 Cannectian; Eaat Yark Mirrar; Etabicake Guardian; Geargetown Independent/ Actan Fret Presa; Kingatan Thia Week; Lindaay Thia Advertising Fax: 876-2364 Week; Marltham Ecanamiat & Sun; Midland / Penetangulahene Classfied 8753300 Mirrar; Mitainsauga News; Newmarket / Aurara Era Banner; Clasifid: 75-300 Narthumberland Newa; North Yark Mirrar; Oakville Beaver; Orillia Ian Oliver Publisher Tettay; Oshawa / Whitby I Clarlagtan / Part Perry Thia Week; Peterbarough Thia Week; Richmond Hill I Tharehili / Vaaghari Neil Oliver Associate Publisher Liberal; Scarbaraagh Mirrar; Uabridge I Stauttville Tribune; Bill Begin General Manager Tattay'a Seniors. Attvertiaing ia accepted n tht candition thait, in tht avent nfia Rob Kelly Editor typagraphical errar, that portian of the attvertiaing apace accu- Karen (ross Circulation Manager pied by the erreneana item, tagether with a reasnable allawance Ter!Casa Ofice anagr ar aignature, will tnt be charged far, bat tht balance af tht Teri asas Offie Maager atvertiaement will be paid far at tht applicable rate. The publiaher Tim Cotes Prodaclion Maeager reatrvta tht right ta categarize advertiaementa or decline. S mail tumnout for drug abuse talk disappointing We were disappointed to see only a handful of people attend the Milton District High School Community Council's Parent Drug Awareness Session Monday night. It would be easy to make excuses, such as parents didn't know about the event, or there was another snowstorm. However, the fact is the session was promoted through flyers sent to homes by the school and it received front-page coverage in this news- paper. Notice of the event was also featured in plain view on the sign in front of the Williams Avenue school. The rainy weather wasn't ideal, but certainly wasn't a major road block for local travel. The tumnout of less than 10 people was regrettable because valuable information for parents about how to deal with the pressing issue of youth drug abuse, particularly alcohol, was presented by a public health nurse. An account of the meeting is published elsewhere in today's edition. Many parents may not have attended because they 're confident such a problem doesn't and won't exist in their family. Unfortunately, they could easily be wrong. Hats off to those parents who did take the time to come out. Hopefully, a similar event in the future will receive a better response. *OUR READERS WRITE Communîty support after break-in apprecîated Dear Editor: On behaîf of our clients, volunteera ansd staff of the Halton/Peel district office of the Canadian National Institute of the Blind (CNIB), I would like to extcnd my appreciation for the ovcrwhclming support we received following thse thefi of money and cquipmcnt froro our Misaissauga office. More than $20,000 worth of equipmcnt was stolen or damaged whcn our office was broken into on September 30. Much of this cquipmcnt was uscd by our visually impaired staff and volunteers. We received many donations froru members of the community that helpcd un continue to provide pro- grama anad services to our clients immcdiately follow- ing thse theft. Thank you for your support and generous contribu- tions to the Halton/Peel district office of the CNIB. Roxanna Spruyt-Rocks CNIB Halton/Peel district manager Lin gering memories of a garden mm thorns and ail 1'm a sentimental guy, but I'mn not quite sure what I will be thinlcing when the at NHL game is played at Maple Leaf Gardens Febrrary 13. Every palace bas its rats, but thc ones in that building wcre juat too large. im talking, of course, about those involved in the sexual abuse of boys. Before that, I was absolutely in love with Maple Leaf Gardens. I spent six consecutive yearn there working for the Toronto Sun, as wcll as othcr publications. When I luggcd my computer up to thse pres box before games, I always stoppcd haîf way and went through onc of the entrances to the seating ares. It took my breath away every time. My contention was alwayn that jE would be a crime to stop playing NHL gamen there, but I chaaaged my mind whcn I actually had to ait in thc regular seats a couple years ago. I had been invited to take part in a media on- ice competition for charity and was given a cou- ple of golds. It was almoat impossible to enjoy the game, being so, cramped and uncomfortablc. The media competition was another ntory. Here I was in front of 16,000 people and surpris- ingly wasn't even nervous. I was up againat Gene Principe, who used to work for Global TV. The idea was to get as maaty of Uic pucks in the net from the blueline as possible in Uic allotted time. Gene told me hie had ncver really played hock- ey, which madc me feel rather confident. I was hoping though, that I wouldn't embarrasa him. Wc had been in a football media competition earlier that year, and I had won it for our tearo when I thrcw a perfect spiral through the hoop on thse last tosa. When they said go, I whacked my pucks at the net as quickly as possible. Having playcd hockey since I was about four, I knew what I was doing. Whcn Uic buzzer went, I glanccd over at Gene, who had a shccpish look on his face. I went over ta console him, and lcamed on the way that it hadn't even been close - he'd smoked mc.e' Tums out I forgot to look whcre I was shoot- ing, and almoat hit the mascot with one puck. To make matters worse, as I was lcaving Uic ice, I almoat felI. I did one of those fake smiles, and could clearly hear the crowd go, "Oooooohhhhhh." During many of the years I was working there, the Leafs wcren't just bad, thcy werc terribly boring. Somctimcs, I'd look down press row just to nec if anyonc was watching the game, and often they wcren't. When a goal was scorcd, evcrybody would rush to Uic television monitors to nec how it happened. One night, a sportswriter from anoUicr ncws- paper sitting beside me was looking up toward Uic heavens for much of Uic gaine. That wasn't o wit M RR an unusual sight in those dayn ao 1 eoo much of it. Finally, hie pointed t of inaulation-looking atuff in the wal to the roof. "Doca Ehat look like you?" hie asked. It aurely did. I suggested taking a nample, k adventure when t nec one. "I know hc there, you know," I told hlm. I Ioved exploning the Gardena laie whcn nobody was around, and knew to quite a few places. Whcn aIl was q cd hlm to the sccret passagcway that secret ladder. He got hia samrple, in and of course, it wasn't sbestos. Knowing the ina and outa of the G flot only fun, jr savcd me once during Cup. Many of the regulars got stiffed unual spots because of the media crus electricity and the auxiliary press hIvfound my way through a maze of doors and landcd in a little cubby-halc I kncw of Uiat was junt perfect. I had it ail to myscîf, as wcll as a he great vicw -- at lcast until a couple Canadian players nitting out the gamc found it and askcd if n he they cauld join me. There was cnough space for one, btt the threc of un nqucezcd in Uicre, any- loose way. Me, watching onc of thc best games ' ever seen, and the ather two constantly ncoping Vý 9the crowd for girls. One time, in Uic regular press box, I sat two didn't thiiik seats away -from an NHL gencral manager who tsomne type was apparcntly scouting the game. He scribbled Is going up on the back of his press notcs ail night, harely ashestos to glancing at thc play. Whcn hie lefi, hie forgot bis notes, and I slid over cver so slyly to check thero nowing an out. This guy was supposcd to be a gcnius, s0 I 5w to gct up knew I was in for some good trade scoops. AIl hie had donc was doodlcd. Not a single word on aftcr games any of the pages. how to get I have a ton of other memorien of the Gardens, uiet, I gtaid- but not much npacc lefi. il neyer forgct the feel- tled up Uic ing of actually playing there, and yes, fantasizing ad it tcstcd, that I was with the Maple Leafs at the time. I won't forget somte great intervicws, cither: AI ardens was lafrate on the Leafs' bench, talking about bis the Canada life, which would soon take a sad turo; Darryl out of Uicir Sittler, when I did a story oemembcring the night uh. I necdcd hie ncored those 10 points. box didn't - see FAREWELL on page 7 Illffll à l