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6 - The Canadian Champion, Frnday, December 29, 2000 SCOMMENT THE CANADIAN CïMMPIoN Box 248. 191 Main St. E.. The Cauaien Champion, publisOfld evenj Tuesday and Fniday ai l9i Main St. E., Milton. Ont., L9T 4N9 (Box 248). is one ni The Metrniand Milton, Ont. L9T 4N9 Printing, Publishing & Disinibutiji LI. troup oi subunban companies nich 31induIts: AîanlPickening News Adveriisen, Ailinion Herald/nourier, Banrit Advance. Barny's Bay This Week, Bn lien Enterpetia. Brampton Guardian, (905 878- 341 Bueington Post, Buitingion Shiiipng Neas, City Parent, City oi York Guantian, Collinnwood5Wanaga Cunneciion, Eat York Mirnur. Ein Editoal Fa: 8784943 Ad oaie/Couniry Rouies, Enobicoke Guardian, Flanbonnugh Post, Furee EditrialFax:878-943 Young, Georgetown IndepenitenjAon Fee Press, Halion Business Times, Advetinig Fx: 86-234 iuronia Business Times, Kingston This WBek, Lindsay This Weea. Markliam AdverisingFax: 76-234 Ecni & Sun, Midland/Peneianguishene Mînnun, Mitnn Shopping Neas, Mississauga Business Times, Missistauga Neas, Napanee Guide, Classified: 875-3300 Natsagaweya Neas, Neamarheilyuroia Ena-Bannet, Noriiiumberland Neas, Nouth York Mmio, Oakvoule Beaven, Oakuille Sihopping News, Oldtimens Ian Oliver Publisher Hockey Beas, Onillit Today, OshaalWtbyClatngonPot Peiiy This Week, Owen Sound Tribune, Peterborough Tis Weeli, Picion Couniy Guide, Neil Oliver Asnnciate Pabi.iler Rchmond HillThnînliîllauthan Libea). Scaiborouali Mmio, Sinuiisillefljebiidge Tribune. Wendy McNab Adverising Manauger Adveniising ns accepted on tht condition thai, in the tueni oi a typo- KarenSmjBhEdiior gnptical erîn,, mhat portion ni tie aduedising space occupied by the erro- Karen mith dilornenun item, ingelmer wiiin aîreasonabe allowance for signature, ai ni be Steve Crazier Circulaion, Manager charged for, but the balance of tht Bduertisemeni aill be paid for ai thi applicable rate. The publishei ieserues the riant tu categorize adverOîse- Teri Casas Office Maunager menis ni decline. Tim Cales Proîducion Manager ilnn Canadien Champion in a Banynlabie ueedîat Milton did it again Take a bow, Milton. You've done it again. Once more the town showed the size of its heart by showering donated cash, toys and food into The Champion's Salvation Army Christmas Bureau Fund. With your help, the fund reached $24,626, just a hair short of its $25,000 target. Due to your generosity. ail Milton families had a gift under their tree and food on the table on Christmas Day. The Champion thanks everyone who contributed to the fund, and by doing so proved why Milton is such a great place to liye. it has become fashionable lately for the word 'Christmas' to be substi- tuted for 'holiday', in a bow to those of different faiths. But the essence of December 25 shouldn't change. And since the joy of giving can too easily morph into an orgy of receiving, it's nice to know that the spirit of goodwill toward mankind still thrives in our town. Now Christmas is over, but the need doesn't go away. There are still families out there struggling to make ends meet, and the cash may only get tighter as the economy undergoes a slight softening in the new year. But by donating just a little to the Salvation Army throughout the year, residents can make it feel like Christmas here ail the time. *OUR READERS WRITE 1'm a stroke survivor and a very Iucky guy Dear ditar. ther blessed me wilh me being I'm writing 10 express how accepted at Milton Place, an adult thankfu I arn. day care mun at Allendale. I'm a stroke survivor who feels he's a very lucky guy. The wonder- fui amount of love and support that I have front family and friends, especially my loving wife Linda, and my amazing 20-year-old son Jason, who pUIs my needs before his own. 1 have temrfic doctors and a dedi- cated group of'therapistu. Lorena Smith and her wonderful staff fur- A beautiful lady 1 met ait therapy, Judi Hansen, along wilh myself sud a Milton District Hospital advi- sory group wish to share with other stroke survivors and Iheir families sud friends the wealth of informa- tion we have gathered in respect to strokes - available support (finan- cial, moral, therapeutac aud the lait- est medical advsucements) - and exchange ideas sud thoughts. We're starting a chapter of the Stroke Recovery Association here in Milton. We wilI meet once a month on the second Monday ai Allendale at 3:30 p.m. and aIl stroke survivors, their families and friends are extended an invitation, and anyone that has input or con- cents in regard 10 stroke survivors. We plan to have guest speakers, information to take with you and refreshments to be served. Don Fendley Milton I really will make a prediction on virtually anything I hale surprises. I'm not kidding. I really do. At movies, I actually prefer 10 know how il ends befote I go in. Especially if somecone dies, which is pretty much always. This makes me something less than an avid filmgoer because 1 neyer wsut people 10 die in any movie 1 see. Not even the bad guys. I jusî want then to1 go away somne place with ail the other bad guys where they can bother each other instead of nice people ike me. 1 must have got this front my mother, who, aud I'm not kidding hem either, has been known 10 read a book backward - from the lasI page 10 the first. I've tried this myself sud il isn't s confusing as il would seem. Not that that's a good reason for doing il. It could be that 1 don't like surprises because my memoay has much in common with that of a goldfish - il crases every three seconds or so. When that happens, virtually everything you encouniter is a surprise. That's why 1 became a reporter. It's one of the few jobs where you can legitimaîely walk around with a notepad taking down what every- one aays sud not be considered strange. Or not for that reason, anyway. When saddled with a memory bearing more holes thsu lte fiat earth theory, it's good 10 have famidly around 10 remember my pasI for me. And friends cani be counted on to regale me with tales of my fonmer exploits, so that if 1 csu't remember what I've actually doue, ait least I can remember thent telling me about il. Especially if I had a notebook with me aI the lime. This is particularly good when the stories are stretched, makiug me sound quite legendary. They're only spoiled by my family's gnambliugs that I've given them ulcers. 1 tell thent if they don't like il, they csu forget, 100. But when life is a big fat mystery, you lean to1 find stability where you cas. I manage by laying friendly wagers on everything front when the first snow will faîl 10 when pretîy Csuadian pop- sters Shania Twain sud Roch Voisine will stop fightiug the inevitable sud many. I'm neyer right, which is fine. If 1 was, I'd be surprised, sud that would muin the point. Which is why Int s0 boldly able 10 peer mbt the future sud predict the fate of the 189 geared- to-seniors bungalows poised 10 po tap ou lsud IGent/e persuasion by the E.C. Dmury complex. First I predict that, titough there may be no legal compunction 10 make il so, the vaut majori- ty of the units wili be taken up by seniors. Titat's because they're designed for seniors. The units wili be constructed according 10 their needa, which are oflen diametrically opposed 10 those of the young. Big bouses versus smali, for example. I also predict that the new commuuiîy will nos tunt Ontario Street, Childs Drive or auy access roule mbt eilher au Indy-style speedway or a highway-iuspired logjant. Seniors, as a mile, don't view their car as an extension of themseives and thus wsuî 10 take them everywhere, lte way we youuger folk do. And wheu they do drive, they tend 10 do so in a manuer that's the sutithesis of reckless. Finally, seniors have no compelling reason I csu think of 10 add 10 the already diabolical rush- hour traffic. That's because they have nowhere 10 mush 10 in particular. Il's the reason they're 50 oflen seen blithely coasting 10 their destination while the rest of us go apoplecîic behind thent. Still, however rarely seniors use their cars, sud however carefully they drivethent, I predict ltaI much scmîtiuy will be placed ou the develop- ment in ils firsI year or two. Any empîy unit will be seen as a sigu that the whole thing wasn't needed in the Oiral place. And the OirsI accident will be considered the inevitable faîl-out of placing ail those seniors in our midsî withouî adequate bamrers 10 protect us. And then, somewhere in the third year or so, I predicî ail] the hoopla will just die away. Wheu that happens 1 can start laying wagers on which of those who opposed the new cont- munity most ferociousiy will be the OirsI 10 pur- chase a home there. But don'î wonry. I won't be right.