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6 - The Canadien Champion, Fniday, November 3,1999 SOPINION Box 248, 191 Main St. E., Tino Canaieni Cheampion, pubisied every Tuesdaay and Friday at 191 Main St. E.. Miltor, Ont., L9T 4N9 (Box 248), is one et Tire Metroland Milton, Ont. L9T 4N9 Printlng, Publisinn & Dlstrlbutlng LI. group of suburtian compatties siticir includes: Ajax/icktering Nes Advertlser, Alliston Herald/Courler, Barrie (Qfl5i 87 8 -2 34 1N Movance, Barrys Bay This Week, Belten Enterprise, Brampton Guardian, Burlington Post, Burlington Shopping Newes, City Parent, City of Yorke Guardiar, CollingwoodlWasaga Connection, East VYnin Mirnor, trie Editonial Fax: 878-4943 AdvocatelCountny Routes, Etobicelie Guardian, Flamberouglr Post Poeer Voung, Georgetown Iedependentlkctun Free Prets, Huronia Business Advertising Fax: 876-2364 limes, Kingson This Weetr. Lindsay Tihis Week, Marktram Ecnnomisn & Sun, MidiandlPenetangustent Mimeor, Mitor Shopping Nes, Mississeuga Classified: 875-3300 Business Times, Mississauga Noms, Naparet Guide, Nassagaweya News, NewmarketlAurora Ena-Banner, Nnrthumtrland Newes, North Yenr Mirrnr, Ian Oliver Publigher Oakville Beaner. Qakille Shopping News, Oldtirmers Hockey News, Orlilia Tedey, OstrawaiwtttbylarinetonlPort Penny This Wtek, Owen Soundt Neil Oliver Associate Publisher Tribene, Peterboroughr This Week. Picten Ceuney Guide, Richrmond Bill Begin General Manager MIlVtllrrhillNauitban Liberal, Scarbereusir Mirrer. Steutlolileltbridite K a Smith Editor Adeertising is accepted on tire conditien tint, in tire avant et e type- graphical errer. tirat portion ot tira adeniinit spuce occupled by tire erre- Steve Crozier Circulation Manager neeus item, tegeerer reiti a meatttabe allemance ton signatume, teili net te Teri Casa Office Mantager cttarged for, bot tire balance et tire adveritoment wll be paît for ai tire applicable rate. Tire publisirer resenves tire rlgirt le categenize aiteertise- Tin Cales Production Manager ments or itecfine. Residents left thirsty Water, water everywbere, but nary a drop to drink. That pretty much puts tie plight of some.Regional Road 25 resi- dents ini perspective. A group of tbem attended a recent open house detaihing plans for a high-pressure water line rnning; from Lake Ontario to Milton, wbicb literally goes past their front doors. As Halton continues to urbanize and development crowds rulral residents, problems have arisen. In the case of Regional Road 25 dwellers, it's the arrivai of the regional landfill site and a golf course. Both facilities, they argue, have reduced the water table to such an extent that their wells are going dry. And Hornby residents are upset because the arrivai of the pipe will only relieve the drougbt of some dweliers there. For its part, Haiton Region has taken a pretty bard line, simply saying that tbe water pressure is too great to pipe into tbe homes. And in any event, the region's Official Plan doesn't allow any water connections outside the urban area. We're don't cla.im to be engineers, but it seems to us that some accommodation can be made to residents who are running out of water. Certainly there bas to be a sensible compromise i tbis issue. ~ MffRlNUM I 0o Pot Yu FIUT I- 0~ a7 * OUR READERSWRT Junior kindergarten Get your house in order first, reader tells trustees Re: JK could ha back (Friday, Nov. 26). 1 tbougbt reent cutbacks in education budgets made good.education in Ontario impossible. With ail the complaints about lack of funding, user fees, projected sehool closures and disgruntled teach- ers, where does the money for junior kindergarten originate? 1 don't dispute the value of early leamning. In a per- we're talking about Ontario -- a bilingual, double- funded education system tlsat'u stretched to the limit. That's like saying, 'l can't afford to heat the house, but I'd love a brand new couch." Corne on, be realistic. Get your bouse in order. Linda Webster Hwy. 25 Give me a lot to work with mm it's really that simple Hi there sports*fans - athletes, parents, coaches, etc. Just thought I'd take this opportunity to address a few matters riýIating to local sports coverage. Miltonians are quite passionate about their sports and, subsequently, have a vested interest in how Usose sports are reported in thair newspa- per. You want the hast sports coverage possible, as weII you should. But to ensure that - just like ensuring success on the playing field - it takes teamnwork. As recently appointed editor Karen Smith mentioned in hier coîumn recently, gathering news stories bas a lot to do with community input. The samne goes for thse sports scene. Sure I know about Friday night's Merchants gaine and how many prominent athîetes are far- ing in their respective fields, but it's just not pos- sible to know about everytlsing going on. That's where you corne in. If you know of an athiete or teamn that's done something notable - give me a cail. l may ha I'm aiready amare of the matter, but please don't assumne that. Over Use years sone of Use more in-depth and interesting sports stories have been about matters I would have kesown nothing about had an ath- lete or parent figured it was already haing cov- ered - or not deemed wortlsy enough to find its way into tse paper. That's another misconception that hinders sports coverage. Contrary to somte people's opinion, we're interested in more thats just the high profile sports like hockey and basebaîl. In fact, s sport' s main Stream populanity is just one of three factors to consider when determîn- ing whether or not a stoay slsould ha covered. The others are how impressive Use team or ath- Us lete'a accomplishment was and how noteworthy or memorable a matter is to thse community ai ha large. a The latter can relate to results both positive on and negative. Case in point was a bail club's («'Il fi, spare themn embarrassmsent by leaving out Useir namne) 35-1 annihilation a couple of years back. lit Certainly this wasn't something the players or a coaches wanted to remembor, but many sports ir fans were discussing it afterward. People wanted nu to know about the game, which in itself makes it deserving of coverage. la Now to Usose wlso wisls to relay information h on an event - please, don't delay. Sports has fi one very important thing in common with othera stories in Usis and any other paper. lsey're news - and like ail news, time is of an eessence. Often people will caîl me abot ippened up to a month ago. preciative to learn of Usese ri aan event that's Usat old certà nimits impact. So for example - if you lus hlete that did well on the w )out it Monday. I can't guara the paper Use veay next issue, ans the botter for everyone. And ifsa major event is haing being teîevised, please let e and. I might ha able to swing rsthand - which helps ensu ccounts and stronger stories. one last thing on my column sinor sports reports - primari! this, but hopefully Ehese few suggestions and requesta wilI reach others I haven't opoken with. Providîng detailed accounts of games and In th e tournaments is aiways more important thanwor- this part of the sports section have expressed sta fl4a being self-conscious about their wniting - ansd imin- to this 1 say 'Don't even worry about it'. Reports are almost always reworked anyway, so aIl 1 really need us the detuils ansd the more the tsomething tlsat better. bhile I'm always Want to send stuff in point form? Go ahead. astters, reporting Want to cal me and relay the information over inly takes away thse phone? No problem. The best rep reports cornte when ample detuils sw of a team or are given. Give me s lot to work with and l'il do eekend, tell me a lot with it. It's that simple. rtee that it'll get So now that I've crammed ail this down your but the sooner it proverbial throats, I hope we can start or contin- heldcloe b orue a good working relationship - striving to ed os b or make this town' s sports coverage as strong as it by aond cover it can ha. re more detailed Rememhar, it's a joint effort. As always, 1 look forward to working with y rep hockey. Se you in the stands.