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Whether you‘ve donated in the past (but haven‘t done so in the past 56 days) or you‘ve never donated before, now is the time to donate. The Kâ€"W Blood Collection Centre can be reached at 744â€"6110. Call them today to set up an appointment B It is that screening process that is the subject of the latest blood controâ€" versy. Durhane Wongâ€"Reiger, an advoâ€" â€" cate for tainted blood recipients, ? &’*‘ recently made a very public resignaâ€" P tion from the Board of Canadian l Blood Services. Surprisingly, Wongâ€" C Reiger argues that a decision to limit donations from those who have lived Scott Piatkowski in Britain since 1980 is unnecessary and counterâ€"productive. The move to restrict is designed to halt the spread of Creutzfeldtâ€" Jakob Disease (CJD), a deadly illness believed to be caused by eating beef infected with Mad Cow Disease. There‘s no conclusive proof that CJD can be spread through blood transfusions, but the same could be said for HIV in the early 80s. Frankly, I‘m not sure that the restriction is necessary, but it is certainly no less valid than banning anyone who was born in or visited subâ€"Saharan Africa (something that has been done for years). As imprecise as the screening process is, it probably is better for Canadian Blood Services to err on the side of caution. I didn‘t comâ€" plain, for example, when I had to delay donating for a week because my teeth had been cleaned the day before. Likewise, if I have a bit of a cold, I‘ll call to reschedule my appointment. Unfortunately, placing more restrictions on who can donate conâ€" tributes to blood shortages â€" such as the one that we‘re experiencâ€" ing now. It is important, therefore, that those who remain eligible to donate do so in greater numbers. Waterloo Town Square 75 King St. South, Suite 201 Waterloo, Ontario N2) IP2 Telephone: 886â€"2830 Fax: B86â€"9383 Eâ€"mail: _ wchronicle@sentex.net 1 think that Canadian Blood Services (and before them the Red Cross}, is trying to do the best it can in maintaining safety in the blood supply. Some of their restrictions, like a year‘s wait for those with a new tattoo or piercing, make sense. Others, such as banning men who have "had sex with a man, even once" are, in my opinion, broadâ€"brush approaches that fail to address genuine highâ€"risk behavâ€" iours. Canada‘s blood system has been beset by scandal since the 1980s, when a number of recipients of donated blood were infected with HIV or Hepatitis C. The Canadian Red Cross and both federal and provincial governments have been properly criticized for their misâ€" Every 56 days, I enter a building on King Street in Waterloo, roll up my sleeve and give up a pint of my blood. It takes less than an hour and is relatively painless. Other than a small mark on my arm {which takes a couple of days to disappear), there is little noticeable impact on my body. 1 do it because it makes me feel good to know 1 might be saving a life. 1 also think that it‘s essential for those who want to preserve our public nonâ€"profit health care system to put our money â€" or our blood â€" where our mouth is. A voluntary blood collection system, one that does not need to pay donors or turn a profit, is a key part of that system. [)l AnotuEr OPivion It‘s time to donate blood management of the tainted blood tragedy. The belated changes brought on by that disaster (including the creâ€" ation of Canadian Blood Services) have led to a better screening process and a safer blood supply. Group Publisher: Group Advertising Manager Butch Gneve Tim Gardner Boh Vrhanac Sports kditor Chery] McMenemy Editor: Deborah Crandall Classified: Saahira Ladha Kim Broderick Sales Supervisor: Gerry Mattice Display Advertising Bill Karges Norma Cyca Regional Classified Manager: Lynn Mitchell Some folks figure that the "market," like Topsy, has just growed. Hardly, it‘s been well planned from the beginning, and, for example, the maintenance has been well nigh impecâ€" cable. You can expect the expansion projects to be equally well planned. * The sevenâ€"day opening? Well, it‘s sure to be an overâ€" whelming summer success with the fruits and vegetables fresh from the farm. But, fear not, it‘ll be an allâ€"year success because it offers plenty of stuff that‘s different If you don‘t fancy on shelling out for lunch, you can stoke up on the food samples. Particuâ€" larly the summer sausage. Say, it‘s always a treat to see tourists‘ eyes widen when they encounter pigs‘ ears for the first time. They‘re in the gourmet department, natch. There‘s no doubt about it: The market is the . @@@@t®msshnt biggest oneâ€"day tourist draw in these parts. And they come back again and again, particularly from Toronto They have nothing like it down there, and it‘s a question whether there‘s anything like it anywhere else. The visitors become regular customers. Which accounts for that surest measure of successâ€"magnificent traffic jams. You know, it‘s a smashing understatement to call that operation a "farmers market." _ It is, of course, but it also smacks of a fall fair, theme park, farm carnival, musical jubilee, clothing emporium, mammoth supermarket and bus convention. That‘s among other things. The spectacle on Waterloo‘s outskirts has four expansions planned and is going to be open seven days a week. Which, come to think of it, should put it cheek by jowl to one of Waterloo‘s assorted "m“l Beechwoods Ottawa has launched an investigation of gasoline prices, but it‘s dollars to a doughnut crumb it‘ll lead nowhere. Meanâ€" while, as I may have said before, gas prices can cure you of three things: driving, idling and hiccups. And Away We Go: You‘d think that the St. Jacobs Farmers Market couldn‘t boom any larger or longer, but it‘s going to. Circulation Manager: Carolyn Anstey Circulation: Jerry Fischer Matthew Hayes Production: Millie Martin Nancy Hill Kerr Miller Chery! McGill ONCE OvER LIGHny Waterloo Chronicle is published every Wednesday by The views of our columnists are their own and do not necessanly represent the views of the newspaper , ie Jack died in recent days, and his passing reminded me that he was as effective a politician as I‘ve ever encountered. Take all the good adjectives and string them together. That was Jack. I‘ll never forget the night at Margaret Avenue school when he met an audience of hostile parents. He answered all the hot questions, patiently made the board‘s case, and, at the end, had his exâ€"critics eating out of his hand. Jack always commanded attention whenever he entered a room. That‘s not so with many of today‘s councillors. A lot of them have the uncanny ability to walk into an empty room and immediately become the underling. Ah yes, more and more we‘re finding out a lot of our politicians do nothing substantial, but it‘s costing us a lot for them to do it * Political Tower: Come to think of it, 1 may be too hard on all local councillors. 1 may be measuring them against the late Jack Young, among other things Waterloo Region‘ first chairman. How much opposition will the Sabbath opening bring? Not much. About as much as the Sunday opening of the stores in St. Jacobs. * Idle Hands: Waterloo is going to elect more folks to fill the positions on the separatelyâ€"elected regional council, and now we‘re hearing pleas that it‘s necessary because councillors are overworked as it is. > smm ~% B International Standard Serial Number ISSN UKT2 44 t The Fairway Group A division of Southam Inc That‘s not representation; that‘s politicking. And really only a few busybodiesâ€"they‘re usually called "activists"â€" expect that of their councillors. Judge your representatives by what they do, not by how many events they attend. Eyewash. Maybe a few are, but if most are overworked it‘s because they consider it absolutely vital that they attend not only every community meeting, but also every wedding, baptism, bar mitzvah, store opening, auction sale, funeral and any event where two or more are gathered. Mailed subscription rates $65 yearly in Canada $90 yearly outside Canada i G.ST