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6 stouffville suntribune b thursday aug 23 2007 jm stouffville m suntnbune 6290 main st stouflvilleonl4alg7 wwwyonregioncom publisher ian proudfoot editor in chief debora kelly business manager robert lazurko director interactive media technology john futhey director advertising york region printing distribution general manager barry black bob dean director circulation systems lynn pashko editorial embracing our new stouffvihe the face of whitchurchstouffville is changing and thats a good thing what was basically a white com munity as councillor suzanne hilton called it three years ago is becoming more ethnically diverse thank the growth of the past two years made possible when the town hooked up to the york durham sewage system be prepared for more the popula tion of whitchurchstouffville which was 23000 in 2001 will rise to 33000 next year and 43000 by 2013 that means more diversity in a province and country whose popu lation growth is largely the work of immigration we hope it wont mean another markham where comments about language in signage other than eng lish led to a race war what regional councillor jack heath of markham called the terrible incidents of the mid1990s hurtful comments about the chinese com munity stemming from ignorance are hopefully far behind along with lingering post911 backlash felt by the regions muslim community if anything whitchurchstouffville can learn from the mistakes of its neigbours to the south regional chairperson bill fisch said three years ago the past decade has brought big changes most resi dents of richmond hill and markham werent born in canada but all have been positive people migrate to york for its qual ity of life and that he said includes the way the region embraces diver sity if you look around the world you realize what can happen when people dont get together as friends we wont let that happen mr fisch said how true build a wall between old and new stouffvihe and be prepared for trouble extend a hand and good will should result that goes for both sides in this marriage groups churches schools and individuals must roll out the wel come mat newcomers should seek out friends in their new community the late kamil sadiq chief co-ordina- tor of the canadian federation of inter- cultural friendship founded the group to promote harmony between ethnic groups an experience he said changed my total view of what could be done whitchurchstouffville has declared itself diverse now we all must put those words into action wear your pyjamas get free icecream no pocket w wallet letters to the editor letting autistic boy play soccer made everyone a winner we are writing to express our gratitude and appreciation to the whitchurchstouffville soccer clubs playersreferees and parents we were a bit reluctant to sign up our 11 -year- old son ethan with autism and sensory process- ing issues for the regular soccer league within the club he had played the past three years but now that the children were older and a bit more competitive we thought that there would be no place for some one who was unable to keep up with the flow of the game and hold his own as a member of the team we thought the other children may just become frustrated with a teammate that made the balance with the other teams uneven but ethan loves soccer loves to be able to run on the field and wanted so much to play on a team in the regular league boy were we wrong and pleasantly surprised on the first night it was obvious ethan was not able to keep up with the play as his response time was just too slow he would easily become distracted by a bright coloured flower having to give us a thumbs up in excitement if he touched the ball or by the other teams playing on the field the coach tony took it all in stride he was ethans coach in a previous year and just simply suggested he speak to the other coaches to see if they were ok with having ethan as the seventh man on the field we never did hear of a meeting or if there were any objections all we know is that every week ethan puts on his soccer uniform with excitement and dedication we go to the soccer field and when ethan wants to play he asks the coach which is amazing in itself who sends him out he is not counted in the allotted numbers allowed out he is an extra player who follows the ball if only by sight instead of hearing complaining about this being unfair we hear the other parents cheer when ethan kicks the ball we hear the other children on his team call him out to the field to play we see the children on the other teams encouraging him to kick the ball we dont believe ethan is aware of this special attention but because of it he has come such a long way he is comfortable with going out on the field with the other players he is able to run and actually keep up with the play he will chat with the goalie and the other players when the ball is not nearby all these things are huge accomplishments for our son all made possible because of an under standing coach and supportive teammates play ers referees and parents there is so much more happening out there on the soccer field and we believe everyone is learning and benefiting by it we couldnt have worked out something better if we had tried it was a spontaneous situation that has enabled a little boy with special needs to just be another kid on the field he is just thrilled when he is able to kick the ball during a game who knows maybe one day hell even get a goal micole brent ongman stouffvihe 1 riks h br 1 1 v jsvy c- at 1 t f off the top with jim mason tackling that endofsummer things to do list the days are getting tinier and the pile of backtoschool flyers on my porch not so much its not yet snow tire season but the children down the crescent are off to hockey practice that has to be a sign must be time to complete that sum mer todo list before the short pants and coolers go into hibernation must take in a fastball game in the wood en grandstand of stouffville memorial park its future in doubt thanks to the redevelopment of the park its time to renew acquaintances with the grand old beast if those beams could only talk take lunch in the stouffville lions gazebo on main street pick up a sub bagel or a slice of pizza and watch peo ple and vehicles from your private view ing suite sunglasses bottle of ice water and 30 minutes of chilling hit more buckets of balls at the driving ranges ofwwtchurchstouffville head down feet in proper position fol low through perfect video games cant replicate that on a frosty february eve ning no matter how highdef your sys tem and tv are get callblocking for the jackasses who fill my answering machine with home alarm system offers or interrupt dinner to try and sell mastercards or windows on a clear day park near blooming- ton and mccowan roads facing south and gaze down upon toronto try to capture its enormity in an image watch the lights come on as day ends imagine the hours of commuting under way take a brisk walk through the york regional forest north of ballantrae bring your own tunes or just soak in the sights and sounds courtesy of mother nature if you bring the dog keep him on a leash please enjoy another evening with friends on one of stouffvilles fine outdoor patios before the lawn chairs and tables are put to rest for another winter jim mason is editor of the sun- tribune letters policy the suntribune welcomes your letters all submissions must be less than 400 words and must include a daytime telephone number name and address the suntribune reserves the right to publish or not publish and to edit for clarity and space letters to the editor the suntribune 6290 main st stouffville on l4a ig7 jmasonyirmgcom editorial editor jim mason jmasonyrmgcom interacnve media marketing h advertising manager dawna andrews dandmvsyrmgcom advertising retail manager staceyallen sallenynngcom classified manager ann campbell acampbellyrmgcom assistant classified manager bonnie rondeau brondeauyrmgcom production team 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